During the first battle of the American Civil War, hundreds of civilians from Washington DC brought picnic baskets and came to watch the battle, sure the Union would easily win. The Union lost, and the civilians were caught in the retreat of the Northern army.
The ‘Chinese Fire Drill’ was coined when a British officer…
The ‘Chinese Fire Drill’ was coined when a British officer miscommunicated instructions to his Chines crew, resulting in them pulling water from the starboard side and immediately dumping it on the port side, completely bypassing the ‘putting out the fire’ step.
Lighthouse keepers constantly went nuts due to mercury…
Lighthouse keepers constantly went nuts due to mercury poisoning from the fresnel lens lamps they used combined with isolation. It was a major issue for the USCG until a doctor took a look at the huge pool of mercury sitting under the lens.
Hat making in the past involved prolonged exposure to mercury…
Hat making in the past involved prolonged exposure to mercury vapors, causing poisoning which symptoms are sensory impairment (vision, hearing, speech), and a lack of coordination. this inspired terms like “Mad as a hatter” and of course, the mad hatter of Alice in wonderland.
An inmate filed a $5 million lawsuit against himself…
An inmate filed a $5 million lawsuit against himself, claimed he violated his own civil rights by getting arrested – then asked the state to pay because he has no income in jail.
George Lucas built his $4 Billion ‘Star Wars’ empire by accepting…
George Lucas built his $4 Billion ‘Star Wars’ empire by accepting a salary of $125K instead of $1M in the first Star Wars movie, but keeping the right to direct sequels and licensing (sell toys, posters, T-shirt, etc.)
US government placed beer near a nuclear explosion…
US government placed beer near a nuclear explosion in 1956 to see if it would still be drinkable after a nuclear fallout, and it was.
Osama bin Laden’s estranged son is a British resident, although…
Osama bin Laden’s estranged son is a British resident, although his visa was initially declined because he “failed to state his father’s permanent address.”
A lot of old movie theaters had “cry rooms” you could take your…
A lot of old movie theaters had “cry rooms” you could take your children to if they were becoming disruptive. This way you could still enjoy the movie while not disturbing other movie goers.
A teacher in Queens resigned after an investigation revealed he’d used…
A teacher in Queens resigned after an investigation revealed he’d used 11 sick days to compete in professional wrestling matches, once on a televised “SmackDown!” match against Kurt Angle. His name was Matt Striker. He got signed to the WWE, and still makes his living in the Wrestling Industry as a Commentator.