Here are 25 kickass random facts. For part 501, click here
1-5 Kickass Random Facts
1. Despite publishing vast quantities of literature only three Mayan books exist today due to the Spanish ordering all Mayan books and libraries to be destroyed for being, “lies of the devil.” – Source
2. When Joseph Stalin was dying, his private physician was not available because he was already being tortured in the basement of the KGB headquarters for suggesting the Soviet leader required more bed rest. – Source
3. Moviegoers seeing “13 Ghosts” in 1960 could choose if they wanted to see the ghosts or not. The ghosts were added with a red filter on scenes with a blue filter. People were given viewers with red and blue cellophane, and depending on which one they looked through could “remove” the ghosts. – Source
4. During the response to a major bridge collapse in Oklahoma in 2002, an ex-con took command of the disaster site by impersonating a US Army Captain. He directed FBI agents, appropriated vehicles and equipment, and lead the rescue/recovery effort for two days before fleeing the scene. – Source
5. Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant was much closer to the epicenter of the 2011 Earthquake than the Fukushima Power Plant, yet it sustained only minor damage and even housed tsunami evacuees. Its safety is credited to engineer Hirai Yanosuke who insisted it has a 14m (46FT) tall sea wall. – Source
6-10 Kickass Random Facts
6. Nim Chimpsky was a chimpanzee raised like a human child by a surrogate family as part of a controversial project on animal language acquisition. During his lifetime, Nim learned over 125 signs, including “stone smoke time now” which Nim used when he wanted to smoke marijuana. – Source
7. The Milton Hershey School was established in 1909 by the chocolate tycoon and his wife, as a school for poor orphans. Milton Hershey left his entire fortune to the school, including a controlling interest in the Hershey Company, and it now has an endowment in excess of $12 billion. – Source
8. When Steven Spielberg re-enrolled at California State, Long Beach to earn his BA more than 30 years after dropping out, he was given three-course credits in paleontology for making Jurassic Park. – Source
9. Stephen Baldwin has a tattoo on his left shoulder of the initials “HM” for Hannah Montana. He got it because Miley Cryus told him he could cameo on the show if he had the initials tattooed on his body. He was never given the opportunity to cameo and now regrets getting the tattoo. – Source
10. There is an Antarctic dialect of English, which has developed among researchers in Antarctica who have their own slang and speech patterns. Since this is one of the few linguistically isolated areas in the world, it is being used to understand how dialects originate. – Source
11-15 Kickass Random Facts
11. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album was on the Billboard charts for 741 consecutive weeks from 1973 to 1988, and in total has charted for 950 weeks. – Source
12. The lottery is against the law in Nevada because the gaming industry in the state does not want the competition. – Source
13. The original English version of the Deck the Halls line “don we now our gay apparel” was “fill the mead cup, drain the barrel”. – Source
14. Horses have blind spots on the front and back of their body. Keeping a hand on their body while walking around them decreases the chances of kicking out of shock or fear. – Source
15. Before electricity, theatrical groups would heat up calcium oxide, also known as quicklime, for stage lighting. This is where the expression “in the limelight” originates from. People use to literally be in the limelight. – Source
