Notes in the margins of manuscripts left by medieval monks copying them included: ‘The parchment is hairy’, ‘I am very cold’, ‘Oh, my hand’, and ‘Now I’ve written the whole thing: for Christ’s sake give me a drink’.
In the mid 19th Century…
In the mid 19th Century, the belief persisted that weather was completely unpredictable. When one MP suggested in the Commons in 1854 that recent advances in scientific theory might soon allow them to know the weather in London “twenty-four hours beforehand”, the House roared with laughter.
A pair of Miami DJ’s prank…
A pair of Miami DJ’s prank called Fidel Castro in 2003. They pretended to be Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to get Castro on the line, and had a brief chat before telling Castro he had been fooled. Castro responded with a brief verbal tirade. The radio station was later fined $4,000.
Until 1996, NYPD cars were painted blue…
Until 1996, NYPD cars were painted blue. They phased out the blue cars in favor of factory white, resulting in a $1 million savings. Light blue shirts were replaced with dark blue to “hide coffee and donut stains”.
In 2011, two men got lost…
In 2011, two men got lost at sea and were adrift of 33 days before washing up on an atoll, where they meet a descendant of a long-lost uncle. The uncle had also gone adrift 50 years earlier.
AT&T Exec Predicted the Smartphone in 1953
In an April 1953 newspaper article in the Tacoma News Tribune, Mark Sullivan made an uncannily accurate prediction about the future of the telephone. via kottke.org
Glenn K. Tripp, a D.B Cooper copycat…
Glenn K. Tripp, a D.B Cooper copycat, hijacked a plane for a $600k ransom. He had his drink spiked with Valium by a flight attendant, and after a 10 hour standoff, lowered his ransom to 3 cheeseburgers and a head start on a getaway.
Brad Pitt tried to buy himself…
Brad Pitt tried to buy himself out of a movie, ‘Interview with the Vampire’. Upon hearing about the 40M$ exit clause he was forced to shoot the movie. It went on to launch Kirsten Dunst’s career and received 2 Oscar nominations.
Roman soldiers were given one…
Roman soldiers were given one pound of meat daily. For an army 120 sheep were killed a day just for the meat ration. Or 60 hogs. Huge flocks of livestock were herded and grazing alongside an army. Roman soldiers were a mule more than anything else. They carried very heavy gear, on bad roads.
In a case of mistaken identity…
In a case of mistaken identity, an inmate spent 17 years in prison until they found his doppelganger who has the same cornrows, facial hair, and first name.