- That little indentation under your nose is called a philtrum.
- The human body has 1.5 to 2.0 square meters (16 to 21 square feet) of skin.
- The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds.
- Canadian sports broadcaster Foster Hewitt is famous for coining the phrase “He shoots, he scores!” during Hockey Night in Canada.
- Although he is widely credited for it, Thomas Crapper did not invent the flush toilet. (Grin)
- The claim that a duck’s quack does not echo is false, although the echo may often be difficult for humans to hear.
- Humans cannot catch warts from toads or other animals.
- Only 1.1% of the water on earth is suitable for drinking. (Scary...)
- “GO” is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
- It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky. (Really?)
- Belly button lint occurs when perspiration accumulates in it and lint from your clothes adheres to the wet area. (The knowledge bank wouldn’t be complete without this type of info.)
- Pigeons are among the first birds to be domesticated.
- The first matchstick was invented in China in AD 577 by court ladies of the Northern Qi dynasty who used small sticks of pinewood dipped in sulfur.
- The first record of jewellery goes back 75,000 years ago to the southern coast of South Africa where archeologists found perforated beads made from snail shells.
- To generate sales and media coverage, KISS band members mixed a tiny bit of their blood with the red ink used to print the first KISS comic book.
- Abraham Lincoln’s former bedroom in the White House is said to be haunted. In fact, guests, staff, and even Sir Winston Churchill, are said to have sensed his presence.
- Boiling the cork for a few minutes makes it easier to put back into a wine bottle.
- Dan Brown made $88 million in 2006 largely from sales of “The Da Vinci Code”. His best-selling book sold more than 61 million copies around the world. (Wow...)
- The ritual of making a toast to someone’s good health started in the 17th century, and was based on a custom of flavouring drinks with spiced toast.
- Since its debut over 70 years ago, the Disney film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” has earned a staggering $1 billion in box-office receipts.
- Dr. Martin Cooper is widely recognized as the inventor of the first portable handset in 1973 – what we now know as the cell phone. (Remember the size of those first cell phones?)
- Canada is the only foreign country permitted to have an embassy on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC.
- In 1975, Rick and Paul Reuschel of the Chicago Cubs became the first brothers to pitch a shutout together in the same game.
- The old adage to “feed a cold, starve a fever” is false. The best thing to do in both cases is drink plenty of fluids.
- Koala bears are not in the bear family. They’re marsupials like kangaroos.
- Kite fighting is a popular sport in Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Korea and Guyana. The object of the game is to be the first person to cut an opponent’s string.
- Fleas can jump 130 times their own height. (Impressive.)
That’s all for this week! Don’t you feel smarter?
I always enjoy a read through your trivia.
ReplyDeleteAs always, your trivia is fascinating, Martha. I first heard about kite fighting in The Kite Runner (set in Afghanistan). It's a wonderful book, by the way, in case you haven't read it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, crafty gardener! I have to say that I really enjoy gathering this information; I learn quite a few new things!
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Beth, I loved the Kite Runner! Being the avid reader that I am, I couldn't miss that one. I also saw the movie. It was good, but not as good as the book. Movies never are.