Disney was planning on making a short film featuring Mickey Mouse as Christopher Columbus discovering America. It got cancelled because the animation team was unsure how to animate the native people Mickey would have to encounter in a non-offensive way.
Graça Machel, after being widowed by her Mozambican consort, would marry…
Graça Machel, after being widowed by her Mozambican consort, would marry Nelson Mandela during his presidency, thus making her the first woman to become first lady in two countries.
The Han dynasty of China drilled for natural gas, transported…
The Han dynasty of China drilled for natural gas, transported it in pipelines and gas containers and burned it in stoves… in 200 BC.
In ’91, 8 people were sealed inside a 3 acre dome. The sealed structure…
In ’91, 8 people were sealed inside a 3 acre dome. The sealed structure housed 7 ecosystems: ocean, desert, savannah, rainforest, marsh, an area of intensive agriculture and a human habitat. The project was designed to see whether humans could survive and adapt.
The world’s oldest ever flamingo was badly beaten…
The world’s oldest ever flamingo was badly beaten by four teenagers, survived, and lived another 5 years to the age of 83.
Because of a lucky genetic mutation happened in the 18th century…
Because of a lucky genetic mutation happened in the 18th century, today 38 people in a small town in northern Italy don’t suffer from cholesterol artery-clogging, making them virtually immune to heart disease and strokes. They all smoke, they eat like hell, and they don’t care.
During the cold war, when navy divers repairing a whale enclosure heard…
During the cold war, when navy divers repairing a whale enclosure heard a human-like voice saying “out, out, out,” and got out of the water to see nobody, they found out that a beluga whale named “Noc” had learned to mimic human speech and was trying to communicate with them.
In 2007, a Texas man saw his neighbor’s empty house being burglarized…
In 2007, a Texas man saw his neighbor’s empty house being burglarized. He told 911, “I’m not gonna let them get away with it.” After they left the house he said, “I’m gonna kill him”, and then went outside and shot both men in the back, killing them. The grand jury found it was justified.
A man in Michigan whose house was slated for demolition switched the house….
A man in Michigan whose house was slated for demolition switched the house numbers with his neighbor so the crew demolished the wrong house.
With the exception of 2004, the Nickelodeon specials “Kids Pick the President”…
With the exception of 2004, the Nickelodeon specials “Kids Pick the President” have correctly predicted the winner of every U.S. presidential election since 1988.