16-20 Kickass Random Facts
16. John Bardeen, the only man to receive 2 Nobel Prizes in Physics: While receiving his first Nobel Prize, the King of Sweden asked him: why did he bring just one of his 3 kids? His reply: “I’ll bring them all for the next time”. He kept his promise! – Source
17. Somali Pirates set up an exchange (like a stock market) where people could buy shares in pirate groups to finance their operations. A 22-year-old ‘investor’ made $75,000 in 38 days after joining the ‘company’ after getting a share of ransom money. – Source
18. When Clark Gable discovered the studio facilities for filming Gone With The Wind were segregated, he threatened to walk out of production until the segregation signs were taken down. – Source
19. Betty Crocker was never a real person. She was created for a Gold Medal Flour ad in 1921. Shortly after the company decided to use the character to answer all the baking and cooking questions received by mail, as a woman was a more trusted source of baking information than an all-male staff. – Source
20. Iceland was extensively forested before the first humans settled there. But within 500 years of their arrival, 95% of woodlands had been cut down, leading to soil erosion, crop failure, and the eventual abandonment of many farms. – Source
21-25 Kickass Random Facts
21. Adam DeVine of Workaholics and Pitch Perfect was paralyzed and nearly had his legs amputated at age 11 after being run over by a truck. He recovered years later after multiple surgeries and still has scarring. He credits this experience with giving him his ambition and drive. – Source
22. A pigeon, Gustav, carried the first word of the Normandy invasion back to the British mainland in WWII, as the fleet underwent radio silence at that time. He flew 150 miles in 5 hours 16 minutes. He was awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery. He died after the war by being accidentally stepped on. – Source
23. On Thanksgiving 1926, President Calvin Coolidge pardoned the raccoon meant for dinner, named her Rebecca, and kept her as a pet at the White House. An escape artist, she often led staff on chases throughout the president’s home and loved to sit in a bathtub and play with a bar of soap. – Source
24. During a live performance in 1965, The Kinks guitarist Dave Davies asked drummer Mick Avory “Why don’t you get your cock out and play the snare with it? It’ll probably sound better.” In response, Avory knocked Davies unconscious with a cymbal and then fled the venue, thinking he’d killed him. – Source
25. Sausage sizzles are public sausage barbecues generally held either as free community events or as fundraisers that have become a recognized and expected addition to polling booths at Australian elections. The sausages at these events have been nicknamed “Democracy Sausages”. – Source
