500/601
The Russian Zubr-class, the World’s Largest Hovercraft

The Russian Zubr-class LCAC is the world’s largest hovercraft, measuring 57 meters (187 feet) in length, 22.3 meters (73.1 feet) in width, and boasting a full load displacement of over 500 tons (1.10 million pounds). It is renowned for its ability to swiftly transport troops and equipment across both land and water.

499/601
Bitter Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts used to be bitter until the 90s when breeders turned to cross-pollination of different varieties to eliminate the chemicals causing bitterness from the vegetable.

498/601
Fraternal Twins Born in Different Years in Connecticut

These fraternal twins, born to a Connecticut family, have different birth dates and birth years as they were born three minutes apart over the New Year 2024.

497/601
An Australian Bartender Found an ATM Glitch and Spent $1.6 Million

In 2011, an Australian bartender found an ATM glitch that allowed him to withdraw more money than he had in his account. Over the next five months, he spent approximately $1.6 million of the bank’s funds throwing extravagant parties, chartering private jets, and engaging in other activities. Eventually, he felt guilty and turned himself in to the police.

496/601
Video Games Outpace Film and Music Revenue

The video game industry alone generates more revenue than the film and music industries combined.

495/601
Victor Vescovo Holds the World Record for the Deepest Solo Dive

Victor Vescovo, a former naval officer and explorer, holds the world record for the deepest solo dive, reaching 10,925 meters (35,843 feet) at the Pacific Ocean’s deepest point, Challenger Deep, in the Mariana Trench.

494/601
German Law Requires Drivers to Clear Lanes for Emergency Vehicles

In Germany, when traffic comes to a halt, drivers are obligated by law to shift towards the sides, ensuring that an open lane is available for emergency vehicles.

493/601
Female Lego Characters

In January 2014, seven-year-old Charlotte Benjamin wrote an angry letter to Lego complaining there were “more Lego boy people and barely any Lego girls.” In June 2014, the company announced a “Research Institute” range with female scientists that sold out within a week.

492/601
The $3 Bowl that Sold for $2.2 Million

In 2007, a New Yorker bought an old bowl for $3 at a garage sale. Curious about its origin, the buyer had it appraised only to find out it’s a 1,000-year-old Chinese bowl estimated to be worth $200,000 to $300,000. It later was sold at an auction for $2.2 million.

491/601
The Man Who Discovered Pluto

Pluto was discovered by a 24-year-old amateur astronomer who spent almost two years taking and comparing photographs of the night sky, searching for “Planet X” at the Lowell Observatory. He later would earn his master’s degree and taught at New Mexico University.

490/601
Dolly Parton’s Makeup Routine

Dolly Parton sleeps with her makeup on and only removes it in the morning in case she has to go out if there is an emergency in the middle of the night.

489/601
Hawaiian Life Expectancy

Hawaiians’ life expectancy is 80.7 years, higher than that in any other US state.

488/601
History of New Year’s Day

The first of January is celebrated as New Year’s Day because it was the inauguration date of the new Roman consuls in 153 BCE. The Romans’ tradition of dating years by their consulships was adopted by the Julian and Gregorian calendars.

487/601
The “Honeymoon Effect” Among New Employees

Those who start a new job often experience a honeymoon phase that lasts between two months to a year, after which they report lower wellbeing, stress, and a lessened desire to stay in that job.

486/601
Wordiest Show on TV

Rob McElhenney’s FX sitcom, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, is the wordiest show on TV clocking 176.2 words per minute. If you’re watching with subtitles on, it would be the hardest show to follow.

485/601
Milkman Who Doused Fire with Milk

In 2002, English milkman Steve Leech saw a shop on fire while doing his rounds. He used 320 pints of milk to douse the fire, saving seven other stores and flats above, and was awarded “Hero Milkman of the Millennium.”

484/601
Pop-Up Ad Inventor’s Apology

The inventor of pop-up ads, Ethan Zuckerman, apologized to the world for unintentionally creating one of the most hated forms of online advertising.

483/601
Kung Fu Panda’s Success in China

Kung Fu Panda (2008) was such a success in China that it led to a national debate on why foreigners produced a more compelling movie about Chinese culture than Chinese themselves.

482/601
Sony’s Missed Opportunity to Buy Rights to Marvel Characters

In 1998, Sony refused a deal to buy the rights to nearly all Marvel characters for $25 million. Instead, they choose to buy rights to Spider-Man for $7 million, because “Nobody cares about any of the other Marvel characters.”

481/601
Trance-like State on Highways

“Highway hypnosis”is a mental state in which a person’s mind is taken over by procedural memory when driving becomes monotonous. The driver would automatically respond in expected, safe, and correct manner to external events, yet have no memory of it.

480/601
The Village with Canals Instead of Roads

There is a village in the Netherlands called “Giethoorn” that has canals instead of roads.

479/601
Youngest Female Opera Singer

Victory Brinker is an 11-year-old opera singer who set the Guinness World Record for the youngest opera singer at the age of seven. She can reach three octaves and sing arias in seven different languages

478/601
Three-day Weekend

Multiple studies conducted in Europe and New Zealand have found that a three-day weekend makes people happier and more productive.

477/601
Environmental Cost of Bottled Water

Bottled water is 1,400 times worse for the environment, and demands 3,500 times higher cost on resources than tap water. Producing a plastic bottle requires three times as much water than it can hold.

476/601
New Zealand’s Crystal Clear Springs

These are the crystal clear waters of Te Waikoropupū Springs in New Zealand. They are sacred to the Māori, and visitors are forbidden from any kind of contact with the water.