Light up your curiosity with 17 unusual facts that are sure to spark your interest and wonder.
“IKEA names sofas, coffee tables, bookshelves, media storage and doorknobs after places in Sweden; beds, wardrobes and hall furniture after places in Norway; carpets after places in Denmark and dining tables and chairs after places in Finland.”
“Despite facing enemy fire at Pearl Harbor, Doris Miller helped move his wounded Captain to safety, and later operated an anti-aircraft gun until running out of ammunition. He was the first African-American to be awarded the Navy Cross, and is one of the “first US heroes of World War II.””
“The iconic ‘scream’ made by WW2 dive bombers is produced by two separate acoustic devices mounted to the wings, known as a ‘Jericho Trumpet(s)’ and serve no purpose beyond intimidation.”
“Sony sold more than 12 million 3.5 inch floppy disks in 2009.”
“The first known pizza delivery was delivered by the most famous pizza chef in Italy to the king and queen in 1889.”
“The time machine in ‘Back to the Future’ was originally a refrigerator, but was changed since they were concerned kids would start to lock themselves inside after seeing the movie.”
“Sylvester Stallone wanted the plot of Rambo V to consist of Rambo being sent to the arctic to hunt down “a half-human abomination created by a renegade agency through a series of outlawed genetic experiments.””
“Some of The Beatles first gigs were eight hours long and fuelled by stimulants.”
“Archimedes developed an anti-ship weapon called the Claw of Archimedes. It lifted a ship by the prow then dropped it, often causing the vessel to capsize or at least severely damaging it.”
“Hosting the 2006 World Cup caused Germany to experience baby boom. Nine months after the football competition, birthrate in Germany was up to 30% higher compared with the same period in the year before.”
“Hugh Trenchard, a British soldier in the Boer War, was shot in the chest and spine, becoming partially paralyzed. He took up bobsledding as a hobby, and after a major accident regained use of his legs. ”
“At full sprint a cheetah spends more time flying than in contact with the ground. ”
“There is a sport called Hashing which began in England to rid hangovers and promote good health. The game is simple, get drunk then chase down one of your friends who is the designated “hare”. ”
“Simon the cat, a feline aboard Royal Navy Ship “The Amethyst” was awarded The Dickin Medal for gallantry under fire. The gallantry? He protected the ship’s food supplies from an infestation of rats. ”
“While shooting the movie Troy, Brad Pitt playing Achilles tore his left Achilles tendon, which delayed the movie’s final scenes for months.”
“Despite the existence of the Pan-American Highway, it is not possible to drive between South America and Central America in a normal passenger car. Swamps, indigenous peoples, FARC rebels, and environmental considerations have left the 100-km “Darién Gap” undeveloped. ”
“Bluetooth was named after Harald Bluetooth – King of Denmark 1000 years ago. The Bluetooth logo is made from the Nordic runes of his initials.”
Source: www.reddit.com