After days of hiding it from the world, Soviet was forced to acknowledge the Chernobyl disaster after an engineer at a power plant 1000miles away in Sweden surprisingly noticed radiation on his shoes on his way into the plant. They traced the wind patterns and reported the location of the source.
Stetson Kennedy infiltrated the KKK, learned their rituals and codewords…
Stetson Kennedy infiltrated the KKK, learned their rituals and codewords, and provided these to the writers of the Superman program, which produced 16 episodes in which Superman fought the Klan, leading to a steep drop in recruitment.
Steve Jobs frequented a restaurant in San Jose and met…
Steve Jobs frequented a restaurant in San Jose and met the owner who, unknowingly to Jobs, was his biological father.
On Space Shuttle Endeavor, astronaut John…
On Space Shuttle Endeavor, astronaut John Grunsfeld called into NPR’s Car Talk and asked why his government vehicle was shaking violently for a couple minutes before the engine died.
In North Korea, since every political candidate is chosen…
In North Korea, since every political candidate is chosen by the ruling party, there is only one name on a ballot. A voter may cross off the candidate’s name to vote against him, but must do so with a red pen next to the ballot box in sight of electoral officials.
Six months after building a $680,000 custom house…
Six months after building a $680,000 custom house with an ocean view, the homeowners found out it was built on the wrong lot.
Milunka Savic enlisted in the Serbian military…
Milunka Savic enlisted in the Serbian military pretending to be a man. She fought in WWI and was wounded no less than nine times during her service. She also single-handedly captured 23 Bulgarian soldiers.
A man named Ben Carpenter got the ride of a lifetime…
A man named Ben Carpenter got the ride of a lifetime when his electric wheelchair became lodged in the grille of a semitrailer and was accidentally pushed down a highway for several miles at about 50 mph.
Tap water from ancient Rome likely contained up to 100…
Tap water from ancient Rome likely contained up to 100 times more lead than local spring water. Some historians link fall of the Western Roman Empire to lead poisoning
Zoo keepers in England had to learn French in order…
Zoo keepers in England had to learn French in order to speak to baboons coming from a French zoo, because the animals didn’t respond to English commands.