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
In Texas, prison inmates have to pay $100 a year…
In Texas, prison inmates have to pay $100 a year out of their personal account to see a doctor for a sickness that is not an emergency or a chronic illness. If they don’t have the money, half of all future funds deposited into their account are put towards the debt. 00
The shortest Oscar Speech ever was given by Patty Duke in…
The shortest Oscar Speech ever was given by Patty Duke in 1962, who at age 16, the youngest person to accept an Oscar in a competitive category, said “Thank You”, and walked off the stage. 00
Theodore and Eleanor Roosevelt, when staying…
Theodore and Eleanor Roosevelt, when staying in the White House, reported sightings or a presence of Abraham Lincoln’s Ghost. Sightings have also been reported by Margaret Truman, Winston Churchill, and Henry Truman. 00
Driving while drunk destroyed the Soviet spy network…
Driving while drunk destroyed the Soviet spy network in the UK. After being arrested in London in 1971, Oleg Lyalin panicked and offered the names of every Russian spy. The UK government expelled 105 people from the country, and the USSR network in Britain “never recovered”. 00
Bistro is not French for Cáfe, but the word Russian…
Bistro is not French for Cáfe, but the word Russian cossacks would shout at French waiters, meaning “quickly”. 00