The prototype of the chainsaw we are familiar with today in the timber industry was pioneered in the late 18th century by two Scottish doctors as a surgical tool to aid in the process of difficult childbirth. 00
A Bulgarian man once landed in a hospital after…
A Bulgarian man once landed in a hospital after being hit by a car. Breath tests indicated blood-alcohol levels so high that police thought the equipment was broken, because he remained conscious and talked with them, 5 separate lab tests confirmed he had a blood-alcohol content of .914%. 00
Former FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover, liked to write…
Former FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover, liked to write on the margin of memos. One time, he read a memo with narrow margins, and replied “Watch the borders!” The next week was met with mass confusion, as multiple inquiries were sent to Border Patrol inquiring about any suspicious border activity. 00
Keanu Reeves turned down a $10 million offer…
Keanu Reeves turned down a $10 million offer for the main role in Speed 2, in favor of touring with his band and playing Hamlet in a theater production. 00
First sentences of paragraphs that are left at the bottom…
First sentences of paragraphs that are left at the bottom of a page alone called Widows, and the reverse with the last sentences/words of paragraphs at the top of pages are called Orphans. 00
Water is used in rice fields to prevent weeds…
Water is used in rice fields to prevent weeds. Rice doesn’t actually need that much water, but since it can thrive in such conditions, whereas weeds cannot, it’s a natural protection against them. 00
In preparation for a state visit by…
In preparation for a state visit by Nicolae Ceausescu, Elizabeth II ordered the guest rooms of Buckingham Palace be stripped of valuables for fears that they’d be stolen. She later described the visit as the worst three days of her life. 00
A man in Shaanxi, China, recently realized that the long-handled…
A man in Shaanxi, China, recently realized that the long-handled, blunt-ended object he’d been using for 25 years to crack walnuts was actually a live hand grenade. 00
Spain is the only country in the world…
Spain is the only country in the world that has a monument to the liver – “The silent and unselfish organ.” 00
The USSR renamed its rocket base Baikonur in 1961…
The USSR renamed its rocket base Baikonur in 1961 to keep the Soviet space program a secret. Residents of the original Baikonur, hundreds of km away, took advantage of the resulting confusion by ordering many valuable supplies for themselves before the scam was discovered. 00