According to Wikipedia, camouflage first came about in the 18th century when rifle units started wearing these types of outfits to blend in with forest surroundings.
But according to me, it first came about when some fish got born looking like a rock and didn’t get eaten so he made a bunch of other rock-lookin’ fish.
Follow me for more insightful history/biology facts.
However it happened, it’s kind of everywhere now, including places nobody even needed it to be. It happens by accident. Here, look at these memes, you’ll see what I mean. (or WILL you?)
Is there anything better than a collection of funny, random Tumblr posts that are sure to make you laugh?
The answer, of course, is no. The wonderful weirdos over on Tumblr spend far too much time thinking about how strange life is and creating the posts that none of us would have thought of.
So here’s to you, all of you wonderfully strange internet writers! You’re magical, egalitarian and, above all else… completely random.
Whether you’re a cat lover or not, there’s no denying that cats make the word go ’round – or at least, they make the internet the place everyone wants to be.
Cats, cat videos, funny videos of people giving thoughts to their cats…whatever it is, if there’s a cat in it, people are down.
For all of the people in the world who love cats, though, do we really know everything there is to know about living with (and catering to) our feline friends?
If you’re looking to know more, we’ve got 50 facts that run the gamut from basic to totally interesting, so snuggle up your kitty and take a gander!
50. People have been showing cats since at least 1871.
Cats groom themselves for several reasons, such as toning down their scent to avoid predators, cooling off, promoting blood flow, and distributing oils naturally through their coats.
Shared grooming sessions also serve as a sign of affection between cats, and experts also believe their saliva could contain enzymes that serve as a natural antibiotic.
However, they also purr when they’re sick, stressed, hurt, or even while giving birth.
Basically, don’t assume the sound means they’re happy.
46. Cute cat videos predate the internet.
This clip all but proves cat videos have been making the world go ’round long before they took up permanent residence on the top of the YouTube charts.
Thomas Edison (totally on brand) filmed two cats “boxing” inside a small ring in 1894.
45. Purring could help improve their bone density.
Experts, like associate veterinary school professor Leslie A. Lyons, aren’t sure why cats purr, but one hypothesis is that the sound frequency of a purr – between 25 and 150 Hertz – can “improve bone density and promote healing.”
She wrote in an article for Scientific American, “because cats have adapted to conserve energy via long periods of rest and sleep, it is possible that purring is a low energy mechanism that stimulates muscles and bones without a lot of energy.”
44. There was a video game based on Socks, President Clinton’s cat.
Socks, a black-and-white tuxedo cat, lived in the Oval Office during Bill Clinton’s tenure as President.
During the early 1990s. Super Nintendo Entertainment System created a game called Socks the Cat, which featured the First Feline in Chief.
It was never officially released and was even thought for a long time to have been lost, but recently collector Tom Curtin bought the only copy in existence.
He also purchased the rights and partnered with game publisher Second Dimension to bringSocks the Cat Rocks The Hill out in 2018.
The herb catnip contains several chemical compounds, including one called nepetalactone.
Cats can detect that particular chemical compound with special receptors in their noses and mouths, which triggers those odd behaviors we associate with “kitty weed.”
That’s why you might see your beloved cat sniffing, shaking or rubbing their head, and rolling around on the ground.
In the 1960s, a man named Henry Helb lived in the Dutch Embassy in Moscow with two Siamese cats.
He noticed his pets were arching their backs and clawing at one of the walls, and Helb, convinced the cats could hear something he didn’t, went looking behind them.
He found 30 tiny microphones, and instead of busting the spies, he and his staff used them to pass wrong or irrelevant information onto whoever was listening.
If you’re a female cat, copulation isn’t the funnest time, and it could be part of the reason why they tend to be loners.
Male shafts are barbed in order to stimulate the female’s privates, which inspires an ovulation – and also keeps her from running away before he’s done.
If you’ve ever heard cats yowling in the night (probably because a female is being forced into mating), you’re probably not surprised to learn they really don’t consider what humans listen to pleasant music.
At least they have people like composer David Teie on their side; in 2015 he partnered with animal scientists to make an album calledMusic for Cats.
According to his website, the songs are “based on feline vocal communication and environmental sounds that pique the interest of cats.”
Hmmm. I wonder if it’s on Amazon Prime Music…
36. College graduates are more likely to be cat owners.
According to 2010 research collected by the University of Bristol, people who have graduated from college are about 1.36 times more likely to own a cat than other people who own pets.
After studying the more than 3,000 survey responses about the person’s pets, geography, and academic history, researchers believe they can chalk up the slightly higher chance of cat ownership to the fact that they’re typically more low-maintenance than a dog, and therefore better suited to people with thriving careers.
A group of kittens all born to the same mama at the same time is called a “kindle,” and I have to believe that Amazon knew that when they chose the name for their e-reading – cats and books just go together, right?
If you’re curious, a group of adult cats roaming the street isn’t a pack – it’s a “clowder.”
Abraham Lincoln could vie for the craziest cat man in history, though – once, when his wife Mary Todd asked about Abe’s hobbies, he reportedly replied “cats!”
It should be noted that Lincoln also owned and loved dogs, which proves he was just an all-around good guy in my book.
Specifically, Sphinx cats are hairless, or furless, but still manage to maintain an average body temperature around four degrees warming than a typical cat.
Some cats doenjoy the occasional dip, though, including the Turkish Van, Maine Coons, and Bengals – no matter the species, there always have to be a few who go against the grain!
26. The world’s oldest living cat is a thirtysomething.
The average lifespan of a cat is between 12-18 years, and while most of us have known a cat who made it to – or a bit beyond – that upper threshold, I doubt they’ve lived to be 35.
The current oldest living cat just passed his 35th birthday – he’s a tabby living in Britain, and his name is Henry.
25. But there’s no Guinness World Record for the fattest cat.
There used to be records for the fattest animals, but Guinness found that people are terrible (not news) and would intentionally overfeed their pets in an attempt to get into the record books.
If there were a record attained somewhat naturally it would be Katy, a Siamese cat who lived in Asbest, Russia.
She was given hormones to stop her from mating and the treatment had a surprising side effect: it made her ravenous.
So ravenous, in fact, that at one point she weighed more than 50 pounds.
The phrase “if it fits, I sits” means cats will squeeze themselves into very small spaces whenever possible, and animal experts think that’s because it makes them feel more protected, secure, and important – sort of like being back in the womb.
Shelter workers have known this for some time, as any time they’re given boxes to snuggle in the adjust more quickly and are less stressed than cats left alone in their cages.
Sleeping in a smaller space also helps cats retain more body heat, and so they can stay relaxed and get more rest, too.
23. A massage from a cat is more than a kind gesture.
You might find it sweet when your cat kneads your leg or your belly (as long as their claws stay retracted), but experts believe your cat is actually marking you as part of their territory through the process.
Cats have scent glands in their paws, which is part of why kittens knead their mama’s belly while nursing – it stimulates milk production.
So it makes sense that if the behavior carries over to adulthood, those glands would still be useful for something.
Cat experts do know why kittens meow – it’s to get their mother’s attention – but as to why full-grown cats might do the same, they’re not totally sure.
They think the behavior grew out of their connection to humans, since cats don’t meow when interacting with other cats.
Instead, they use those noises they made as kittens to convey their emotions and needs to their human “parents” in the same way.
21. At least one cat painting is worth nearly $1m.
More often than not, cats do land with all four paws solidly on the ground.
Cats have a great sense of balance, even when they’re falling, and can use their flexible backbone to adjust their bodies in the air.
The can also spread their legs out to “parachute” down, and since they’re small and light-boned, that often means falls won’t be as hard as they would be for another creature.
That said, people shouldn’t go around testing this theory, because the cat could get hurt – it’s not a 100% of the time thing.
18. They spend the majority of their lives asleep.
A 2018 survey found that the most popular cat breed in America was the Exotic – a flat-faced cat that’s basically a short-haired version of a Persian cat.
The second most popular was the Ragdoll, with the British Shorthair coming in 3rd.
Personally, my favorite is “the cat who showed up on my porch and wouldn’t leave.”
Bodegas are known for keeping a resident feline, and the Algonquin Hotel, which has graced midtown Manhattan for a century, also has kept a lobby cat since the early 1920s.
The current resident is known as Hamlet. He assumed his post after the passing of Matilda III, who “moved on” in October of 2017.
15. T.S. Eliot thought cats were downright poetic.
We know because in the 1870s, the city of Liege, Belgium, tried giving them the job.
Their attempt to train 37 cats to deliver letters in waterproof bags tied to their necks didn’t go all that well – the letters were late when they got to the correct address at all.
Anyone who has ever tried to train a cat is not surprised.
Dogs, horses, and other breeds might come to mind first when you’re thinking about fast animals, but the fact is that your house cat could probably give some of them a run for their money.
The average running kitty can clock around 30mph, after all, so don’t bother giving chase if one darts away from you.
All across Western civilization, you’ll find the myth that black cats are a bad omen, but no one really knows how it began.
As early as the Middle Ages, superstitions arose surrounding black cats being the reason for the plague pandemic.
Little did anyone know that by expiring cats, they were also getting rid of the best chance they had to get rid of infected rats, who actually carried the disease.
They eventually became associated with witches, because older, single women often adopted alley cats as companions.
4. In some countries, black cats are considered good luck.
In the United Kingdom and Japan, however, a black cat is a symbol of fortune.
New brides are given black cats to bless their marriages in England, and in Japan, they’re considered particularly lucky for single women.
The Germans throw their beliefs way back to Ancient Rome, when anything that came from the left was ominous – so a black cat crossing from left to right was a bad sign, but if it crossed from right to left, the omen was good.
There’s nothing better than a group of friends who enjoys a robust trivia night, right?
The friendly competition, maybe a drink and some snacks, and of course, being the one who knows the most random facts at the end of the night – perfection!
If that sounds like an ideal outcome for you, you’re going to want to take notes on our list below, because you won’t find 50 more amazing facts anywhere you look!
50. There’s a storm rating scale known as the “Waffle House Index.”
Waffle House has a reputation for staying open in extreme weather – so much so that FEMA informally uses the Waffle House Index” to gauge how severe a storm is expected to be.
Like, maybe if Waffle House isn’t closing it’s not all that serious?
49. Why Mr. Rogers always said aloud that he was feeding his fish.
Fred Rogers had a reputation for being kind and inclusive, so when a young, vision-impaired viewer wrote to him with a concern that she couldn’t see the fish to make sure they were ok.
He immediately changed the way he went about his routine.
He always mentioned aloud that he was feeding the fish so that little girl – and anyone else who couldn’t see his visual cues – could be sure his pets were properly cared for.
48. Nerf’s first sales pitch might have been their best.
Nerf revolvers and darts have had many slogans over the years, at least a few of which weren’t bad and managed to do their job of sticking in people’s heads.
“It’s Nerf or never,” and “Nothing but Nerf” come to mind – but if you ask me, their initial thought was probably the one they should have stuck with for the duration,
You just can’t outdo “Nerf: You can’t hurt babies or old people!” in my mind.
47. There is a “League of Extraordinary Communities.”
The funny thing is, it’s a coalition of a bunch of towns that aren’t extraordinary at all – Boring, Oregon, Dull, Scotland, and Bland Shire, Australia.
The sound like super fun places to visit, don’t you think?
The manchineel tree is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates, usually in brackish, swamp-type water. They’re in Florida, the Caribbean, and all throughout the coastal areas of Central and South America.
You might want to take a good look so you can avoid touching any part of it at all – known as the “Tree of D**th,” touching any part of the tree can leave chemical burns on your skin.
If you decide to take a bite of the fruit you could get seriously injured from the toxins, and burning its bark can cause blindness.
Let’s hope all of the other trees don’t catch on and start eliminating the humans ala The Happening anytime soon.
45. Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt were gal pals.
A short section of Route 66 – a stretch that traverses part of New Mexico – will play you a rendition of “America the Beautiful” via its rumble strips.
There’s a catch, though: it only works if you’re adhering to the 45 mph speed limit.
43. There’s a word for when you’ve dreamed something before.
We all know about the phrase déjà vu, right? It’s the strange feeling that you’ve experienced an event or a conversation or a brief moment in time before?
Did you know there’s a phrase for when you’ve previously experienced an event or a conversation or a brief moment in time before in a dream, though?
There is, and it’s déjà rêvé. Go ahead and use it in a sentence!
I mean, maybe this tidbit doesn’t surprise you, but it’s a little shocking they admit to it.
It’s not just in case they encounter space aliens that need a little Earth discipline, though – it’s in case they land in Siberia on their return and need to teach manners to a bear.
Always be prepared!
41. Moonshiners leave hoofprints in the woods instead of footprints.
During Prohibition in the States, no one was allowed to brew or sell booze while the government was banning its sale and use across the board. There have always been those willing to break the law for the greater good, though.
Bootleggers brewing booze in the woods would cover their shoes with cow hooves in order to make it look like a hoofed animal had been in the woods, not a human. Nothing to see here!
Modern day moonshiners continue the tradition of wearing “cow shoes” in order to avoid being caught by the fuzz.
You might think that nothing could have a scent in a vast, cold vacuum, but if you’ve ever turned on your own vacuum and gotten an unpleasant whiff, you should know that’s not true.
Astronauts report that space actually has a very distinct smell of diesel fumes, g*npowder, and barbecue, which NASA scientists believe is created by dying stars.
A chef’s hat, in case you didn’t know, is called a “toque,” and nothing about it is an accident – each of the 100 folds represents one of a hundred ways to cook an egg.
I don’t know about you, but I’m off to Google. And to buy some eggs.
Listen, y’all. If you have money to leave when you die, and don’t have any family or friends who you think deserve the funds, don’t leave it to someone who already has more than enough of their own.
Charles Bronson wasn’t hurting for cash, but that didn’t stop a fan from Louisville, KY, from leaving him around $300k in 1997.
They’d never even met.
33. Volvo could have held the patent on a seatbelt.
As if it weren’t enough that one bird could speak human, it turns out that ravens – who are so smart they should scare the heck out of you – can also be taught to talk in captivity.
Better than parrots, they say, and definitely better than my 2yo.
30. Ben & Jerry learned how to make ice cream through the mail.
It’s an indisputable fact that Ben & Jerry make the best ice cream money can buy (don’t @ me), but their amazing flavors are even more incredible when you learn how they got into the business in the first place.
They SPLIT a correspondence course on how to make ice cream from Penn State.
It cost a total of $5.
29. Bela Lugosi really identified with his role as Dracula.
There is a certain (growing) subset of people who love a good Prius, and who definitely needed to know what a bunch of them were called (presumably in anticipation of taking over the world).
After an official online vote in 2011, Toyota announced the winner – it’s a row of Prii, folks.
27. It should be impossible to get lost in Central Park.
Central Park is a huge and varied swath of nature smack in the middle of the island of Manhattan, and if you’re not a native, it can seen impossible to navigate without an online map or help from a friend.
Luckily, the designers thought of that – just look to the lampposts.
Each one contains a set of four numbers that can help you get out if you’re lost.
The first two indicate the nearest street, and the last two let you know whether you’re closer to the east or west side of the park (even for east, odd for west).
I feel better about wandering now!
26. You shouldn’t actually “shake it like a Polaroid picture.”
It might surprise you to know that you can’t necessarily take advice from singers like OutKast, but Polaroid definitely cautions you against shaking an actual picture.
Their official statement on the matter read that “shaking or waving can actually damage the image.”
25. There is one remaining Blockbuster Video in existence.
Everyone likes to know that their gift is getting good use, right?
The Swedes figure that extends to the gift of donated blood, so they send you a thank you text message when your blood is used to help or save someone else.
Neat!
22. The Starry Night is Van Gogh’s view from his asylum window.
Vincent Van Gogh created some of the most recognizable art in the world, but he also famously struggled with mental illness for the majority of his life.
In 1888 he cut off his left ear in attempt to silence the voices in his head, gifting it to a female acquaintance.
Following that incident he ended up spending a little more than a year in Saint-Paul-De-Mausole, an asylum in France.
While there, he painted like mad, churning out masterpieces that include The Starry Night, arguably his most well-known work.
21. Rap battles are nothing new.
Between the 5th and 16th centuries in England and Scotland, verbal throw downs called “flyting” were popular.
In them, people exchanged witty and insulting verses (like a rap battle!), so you know.
I don’t think Hamilton was as much of a stretch as some people seem to think.
20. Army ants will follow each into a “d**th spiral”.
The purpose behind Melbourne assigning email addresses to some of its trees was so that residents could have an accurate reference when reporting issues.
People do report issues, but more of them send letters professing their love for the trees.
18. A solar eclipse once brought about (temporary) peace.
There was a solar eclipse in 585 BCE, and of course no one knew it was coming.
People were so surprised when the sky suddenly darkened during a battle between the Lydians and the Medes (in modern Turkey) that the fighters, who had been battling for going on six years, decided it was a sign.
They stopped the battle, but I don’t know how long it was before sh%t started back up again.
The world had transitioned to the Gregorian calendar by 1908, but Russia was holding out.
Their stubborn use of the Julian calendar meant they were 12 days late to the Olympics that year, and likely cost their athletes a few chances at medals.
14. At least two signers of the Declaration of Independence passed on July 4.
In an odd twist of fate, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson moved off this moral plain exactly 50 years after they put their signatures on the Declaration of Independence.
They were also Presidents #2 and #3, respectively.
It was July 4, 1826.
13. In Japan, people ask Sumo wrestlers to make their babies cry.
While most of Western opinion has turned toward not letting babies cry when it can be helped, the 400-year-old Nakizumo Festival in Japan believes the exact opposite.
At the Sensoji Temple in Tokyo, sumo wrestlers hold babies aloft as they wail, so that they will be closer to heaven as their tears ensure good health for years to come.
Parents across Japan consider having a sumo wrestler make your baby cry a good omen for their future.
Dogs are about as intelligent as the average two-year-old child, and are able to understand around 250 words and gestures made in “human.”
How hard they try to communicate that understanding depends on the breed, but rest assured, your pup knows what you’re saying and what you want, even if they want to act like they don’t.
11. The yellow peanut M&M has a famous voice.
If the yellow peanut M&M sounds familiar to you, that’s because J.K. Simmons has given it its voice since the 1990s.
Btw… if you don’t remember who J.K. Simmons is… he played J. Jonah Jameson in the 2000s Spider-Man movies, and also won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2015 for his role Whiplash.
10. If you’re planning a long bath, add plenty of bubbles.
It was 1810 when Peter Durand patented the tin can, which had to be pried open with chisels and hammers until 1858, when Ezra Warner patented the dedicated can opener.
Every article on being a healthier person includes the demand for good and restful sleep, but did you know your brain is literally being cleaned while your snooze?
While you dream, cerebrospinal fluid flushes through the brain, washing away harmful proteins and toxins that build up during the way.
This is one reason most people tend to be clearer in the head and be more motivated first thing in the morning.
2. Politicians were never very good at predicting the future.
Neil Armstrong has a lot of admirable qualities, but timeliness may not be one of them – he submitted his astronaut application a week past the deadline.
NASA may never have seen it at all had a friend at the hiring office not slipped his form in with all of the others that were submitted on time.
I’m putting all of these in my back pocket, y’all.
What’s your favorite random fact? If it’s not on this list, share it in the comments!
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