Aka Manto is a malicious…

Aka Manto is a malicious spirit from Japanese urban legends that kills people in public bathrooms. In one version, it first asks its victims to choose between red and blue toilet paper: if they pick red, the victim is sliced to pieces, if they pick blue, they’re choked to death.

During the 1936 Berlin Olympics….

During the 1936 Berlin Olympics, two Japanese pole vaulters who tied for second place refused to participate in a tie-breaker. Upon returning to Japan, they cut their medals in half and fused them to one another so each athlete ended up with a half-silver, half-bronze medal.

In 1997 there was a contest…

In 1997 there was a contest to win an exact replica of The Simpson’s house, fully furnished. The winner could keep the home or trade it for $75,000. The winner took the money. The house was stripped of its decor before being sold.

The company Samsung accounts…

The company Samsung accounts for 15% of South Korea’s entire economy, and that South Koreans often live in Samsung owned apartment buildings, can get treatment from Samsung-owned medical centers, go to Samsung universities, and even end up at a Samsung funeral parlor when they die.

Titus Adams, aged 7, walked…

Titus Adams, aged 7, walked barefoot in the snow for half a mile to get help for his mom after she was thrown from her crashed pick-up truck. His courageous half-mile walk amid 23-degree weather saved his mother’s life, authorities in Greeley, Colo., said.

Dr. Seuss drew anti-Japanese…

Dr. Seuss drew anti-Japanese cartoons during WWII. When he met the survivors of Hiroshima, he realized “A person is a person no matter how small”. He later created Horton Hears a Who! as an apology, dedicating it to a Japanese friend.

In 2013, during Christmas, more…

In 2013, before Christmas, more than 250 passengers on Calgary-bound flights were part of a “Christmas miracle” done by WestJet. Santa Claus appeared on life-size screens at boarding gates and asked passengers what they wanted for Christmas. When the planes landed the gifts were on the baggage carousel.

Many of the modern holiday standards…

Many of the modern holiday standards, including “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, “A Holly Jolly Christmas”, “Silver and Gold”, and “Run Rudolph Run” were written by a single Jewish American songwriter named Johnny Marks.

In 1951, 650 British soldiers…

In 1951, 650 British soldiers were being overwhelmed by 10,000 Chinese. When an American general asked for a status update, a brigadier responded “things are a bit sticky down there.” No help was sent and almost all of the troops were killed because the general did not get the understatement.