Despite appearing white, polar bears actually have black skin and clear fur.
Mexican vaqueros used to sport hatbands called “galóns” on their sombreros…
Mexican vaqueros used to sport hatbands called “galóns” on their sombreros. A “10 galón” was a hat large enough to hold 10 hatbands. It is believed that American cowboys may have anglicized the word “galón” and thus, started referring to their own sombrero-inspired headgear as “10-gallon hats.”
When a 7ft NBA player named Reggie Harding attempted to rob a Detroit gas station…
When a 7ft NBA player named Reggie Harding attempted to rob a Detroit gas station with a mask, the attendant said “I know it’s you, Reggie.”, to which he replied “No, man, it ain’t me”
Mushrooms can create a slight breeze even when the air is calm…
Mushrooms can create a slight breeze even when the air is calm. They release water vapor, cooling the air and creating a convective current that gets the air moving, carrying spores away from the parent.
Richard Nixon sabotaged Vietnam peace talks to give himself…
Richard Nixon sabotaged Vietnam peace talks to give himself a better chance in the 1968 U.S. Presidential election, prolonging the war by 5 years.
In 1984, British comedian Tommy Cooper had a heart attack and died on live…
In 1984, British comedian Tommy Cooper had a heart attack and died on live television. The audience all assumed it was part of his act and laughed/applauded during his final moments.
The town of Why, Arizona was originally to be named “Y” because two major…
The town of Why, Arizona was originally to be named “Y” because two major highways, State Routes 85 and 86, originally intersected in a Y-intersection but the state requires at least 3 letters in its city names.
A group of women called “The 9 Nanas” kept a secret for decades that not even their husbands…
A group of women called “The 9 Nanas” kept a secret for decades that not even their husbands knew about. For 30 years, they met at 4am and anonymously paid bills and bought clothes for people in need. Each care package came with a homemade pound cake and a note that read “Somebody loves you”.
In 2008 there was a gamma ray burst, a violent cosmic explosion…
In 2008 there was a gamma ray burst, a violent cosmic explosion, 7.5 billion light years away, which is halfway across the visible universe, which could have been seen with a naked eye from the surface of the Earth. Anyone who saw it was looking billions of years into the past with their eyes.
Vietnam War POW Doug Hegdahl pretended to be illiterate to fool his…
Vietnam War POW Doug Hegdahl pretended to be illiterate to fool his captors, who believed him to be so stupid that they gave him almost free rein of the camp. He was able to secretly memorize the details of about 256 POWs to the tune of “Old MacDonald,” which he still remembers.