30 Of The Most Interesting Facts Of All Time That You Were Never Taught In School
If I were to think back to all the things I learned in grade school, the main things I could tell you are that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell and that The Great Gatsby is about the American Dream—everything else was pretty forgettable. There are a lot of cool things however that never get mentioned in the classroom.
These are cool facts about the world that you've probably never heard before.
Brussel Sprouts Really Were Gross
All those jokes about how disgusting Brussel sprouts are from old shows actually make sense.
Back in the day, common Brussel sprouts were way more bitter. In the 1990s, a Dutch researcher found other varieties of the vegetable and bred them to be tastier which is why they're pretty good today.
So The Bees Know All The Hot Gossip
In several regions of Europe, there was a tradition called "telling the bees," where keepers would tell bees all the important events of their lives because they feared the bees would leave the hive or stop producing honey if they didn't divulge the information.
"No, You Can't Copy My Homework!"
Mapmakers used to plant fictitious streets into their maps so that if a person copied their map and tried to profit off of it, they could point out the replication of the fake street to prove copyright infringement.
Dogs Evolved To Look Cuter To Us
Dogs' eye and face muscles have changed over time since they were first domesticated, making them more expressive and infant-like. These same muscles are absent in wolves, their closest relatives.
Taco Bell Isn't Mexican Enough For Mexico
Taco Bell has tried (and failed) twice to expand their restaurants into Mexico. In 1992, Mexican customers found their tacos too expensive, and in 2010, their expansion restaurant closed because customers were unfamiliar with the menu items.
Our Brains Are Incredible
In the late 1800s, psychologist George Stratton wore glasses that turned the world upside- down in his vision for 8 days. By the third day, his brain had adjusted the image to feel right side up and normal. Once he took the glasses off, his normal vision looked inverted for hours.
This Little Piggy Can't Be Named What?
If you live in France and own a pig, it is actually illegal to name it "Napoleon." Of course, there's no real way to enforce it, but it would be a pretty funny way to get fined.
This Is Such A Wholesome Program
In the Netherlands, if you die without close friends or family to attend your funeral, a poet is sent to read a custom poem for you at your funeral. It's called the "Lonely Funeral" project.
Hold Up—They Weren't Grandparent Candy Before Then?
The German candy Werther's Original was purposefully marketed in the 1990s as being a candy that grandparents would give to their grandchildren, which is probably why your grandparents always had these sweets in the house.
They Were Prepared For A Disaster
There was actually a protocol in place so that firefighters who responded to the fire at Notre Dame knew which works of art to rescue first from the burning cathedral.
That's Where It All Started
In 1953, Swanson food brand overestimated the number of frozen turkeys that it would sell on Thanksgiving by 260 tons. The company decided to slice up the extra meat and repackage it, creating the first-ever TV dinners.
Sloths Are Such Weird Creatures
Sloths lose 1/3 of their total body weight when they poop, which they do on the ground once a week in a standing position. In addition, sloths' digestive systems are so inefficient and finicky that a sloth can die of starvation while it has a full stomach if the temperature drops too low.
They're Just Pals In Nature
Wolves (or sometimes coyotes) and ravens have a symbiotic relationship where ravens will help lead wolves to prey so that they can get a portion of the leftovers. They've also been seen playing games together and developing one-on-one raven-to-wolf friendships.
Without NASA, We Never Would Have Had Velcro Sneakers
The inventor of Velcro took 20 years to get his idea from concept to production, and, even then, the apparel industry wasn't sold on it. It only became popular in fashion after NASA asked to use it in space. Then the fashion industry went wild due to it now being "space-aged technology."
Ever Wanted To Rent A Whole Country?
For a short period of time in the 2010s, people were able to rent the entire European country of Liechtenstein on Airbnb for $70,000 a night, which included hanging out with the monarch and the ability to rename streets.
I Feel Betrayed
The burger joint Five Guys always gives extra fries at the bottom of the bag so the customers think they are getting an extra-large serving. However, the extra fries are already factored into the menu price.
No Tears Or It Will Ruin The Foundation!
Lillian Brown was the makeup artist for nine U.S. presidents, including Richard Nixon. She told him a funny story just before he was about to go on national television to announce his resignation so that he would stop crying and not ruin the makeup she'd applied.
Evolution, But Make It Cute
Being cute is key to a baby's survival, which is why they have such big eyes and other "cute" features. Cute babies are just extremely hard to ignore, and this is hardwired into human brains. Less cute children are treated less favorably.
Orange Juice Will Hate Being Overthrown Like This
Bell peppers contain more Vitamin C than oranges do, with the redder peppers containing the most Vitamin C. A cup of chopped red bell pepper contains nearly three times more Vitamin C than an orange—190 mg.
It All Started With One Gift For Her
When she was a child, Jane Goodall's father gave her a stuffed toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. Goodall has said her fondness for the toy started her early love of animals. Today, Jubilee still sits on Goodall's dresser in her London home.
European Royals Were Wild
In 1252, Henry III was given a magnificent white bear—presumably a polar bear—by the King of Norway. The bear lived in the Tower of London and was allowed to swim and hunt for fish in the River Thames.
Sounds Like Something Out Of Alice In Wonderland
Before the existence of trees, which originated about 400 million years ago, the Earth's landscape was dotted with 24-foot tall, 3-foot wide mushroom spires called prototaxites, which disappeared around 360 million years ago.
What A Pleasant Mistake
The man who invented the match did so by accident in 1826. John Walker was scraping a mixture of dried chemicals off of a stick in his hearth and it caught fire. Unfortunately, he didn't patent his idea, and others greatly profited off of his invention.
Not Even A Whale Wanted To Hang Out With Him
There was a beluga whale who was captive in a Navy program during the 1980s and '90s and learned how to mimic human speech. One time, he even told a diver to get out of his tank.
A Jewelry Trend That Was Truly Wholesome
Charm bracelets became way more popular in the U.S. during and after WWII. Soldiers found that they could easily buy and send small charms home to their partners while abroad, and the charms helped their wives and girlfriends feel connected to them.
It's A Scam!!
"Military Grade" branding on a product is just a marketing ploy. In the actual military, "military-grade" means "meeting the bare-minimum requirements of durability, while also costing the least."
Janis Joplin Was Cool Even In The Afterlife
Janis Joplin's last will and testament stipulated that $2500 go to throwing a party as a funeral for her. The funeral was held in a popular rock venue she used to have shows at, and many of her musician friends performed. The 300 attendees got drunk and partied hard.
So I Should Have Just Eaten The Cheetos?
Garden Veggie Straws, which show fresh vegetables on the bag, and are promoted as a healthy alternative to chips, are actually made of salt, starch, and tomato paste. They have less nutrition than actual potato chips and the manufacturer, which has a history of false claims, is now being sued.
He Was Known To Be Quite Hilarious
There was a rumor that Stephen Hawking would deliberately run over the toes of people he didn't like. He denied this, calling it a "malicious rumor" and followed with the statement, "I’ll run over anyone who repeats it."
Well, That Was Poor Planning On His Part
Persian King Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar ordered the execution of two servants for being too loud. Since it was a holy day, he postponed their execution by a day and made the servants return to their duties. They murdered the king in his sleep that night.
Follow our brand for more content like this
