In 1936 a rare million-dollar Stradivarius violin got stolen from virtuoso Hall Huberman. The thief, a café musician named Julian Altman, became famous and performed for presidents. 49 years after the theft, he confessed to the theft on his deathbed and his wife received $263k finder’s fee.
When Vietnam invaded Cambodia, the Cambodian king sent…
When Vietnam invaded Cambodia, the Cambodian king sent a beautiful woman who convinced the Vietnamese commander to withdraw. The Vietnamese then sent a famous general, who also withdrew after meeting the same woman.
The price of a bottle of Coca-Cola stayed at a nickel…
The price of a bottle of Coca-Cola stayed at a nickel for over 70 years. As a result, vending machines only took nickels, and before raising prices to a dime the president of the company asked President Eisenhower to mint 7.5 cent coins to keep the increase reasonable.
Olympians who took home a bronze medal are happier…
Olympians who took home a bronze medal are happier than those that won a silver. Silver medalists are disappointed to have come so close to being the best, bronze medalists are happy just to have made it to the awards podium.
A man dedicated his life to preserving the memory…
A man dedicated his life to preserving the memory of a former concentration camp in Chile living there alone and guarding it. After his death another man replaced him and currently lives there alone as well.
The Ouija board got its name after being asked what is should…
The Ouija board got its name after being asked what is should be called. When asked what it meant, the board allegedly replied, “good luck.”
Black roses occur in nature in only one…
Black roses occur in nature in only one tiny village in Turkey.
“Knock on wood” derived from Pagans touching, tapping…
“Knock on wood” derived from Pagans touching, tapping or knocking on trees believing they were the homes of fairies and dryads who would wake and bless them with luck.
An Elephant, Kosik, can speak 5 words in Korean…
An Elephant, Kosik, can speak 5 words in Korean, “sit, no, yes and lie down.” He creates the words by putting his trunk in his mouth and vibrating it. He is the only elephant scientifically proven to speak human words.
The first airline stewardess were all registered nurses…
The first airline stewardess were all registered nurses, but this requirement disappeared when many nurses left to enlist during WWII.