In 1956, the US government exploded…

In 1956, the US government exploded a nuclear bomb near bottles of beer to see if beer would still be safe to drink in the event of the nuclear apocalypse. Conclusion: at least you can still safely get drunk in a nuclear wasteland.

Ireland held Tailteann mass…

Ireland held Tailteann mass marriages where couples were allowed to wed and be married for a year to see if they were fit for each other. They could divorce by proceeding to the so called “separation hills” without leaving a mark on their reputation. This was legal until the 13th century.

The first airplane dogfight…

The first airplane dogfight was between two American mercenaries on opposing sides in the Mexican Revolution. Both men had orders to kill, but neither pilot wanted to harm the other, so they exchanged multiple volleys of pistol fire, intentionally missing before exhausting their ammunition.

The Canadian territory of Yukon operates…

The Canadian territory of Yukon operates “drunk tanks” for birds. If you encounter a bird that seems drunk (and flies into things), you can call Environment Yukon and they will place the bird under their care until it sobers up.

Most female cheetahs go…

Most female cheetahs go their entire lives without raising a single cub to maturity. The species is dependent on “supermoms” that are particularly adept at raising cubs. One such supermom, Eleanor, has mothered at least 10% of all adult cheetahs in the southern Serengeti.

In 1914 for the 4th running of…

In 1914 for the 4th running of the Indy 500, the rules were changed to no longer allow drivers to consume alcohol during the race after the winner in 1913 drank champagne during pit stops.

During a particularly cold spell…

During a particularly cold spell in the town of Snag (Yukon) where the temp reached -83f (-63.9c) you could clearly hear people speaking 4 miles away along with other phenomenon such as peoples breath turning to powder and falling straight to the ground & river ice booming like gunshots.