16-20 Kickass Random Facts
16. Ben Franklin performed his kite experiment standing on an insulator under a roof holding a dry silk string. He attached the silk string to a key, the key to a hemp string, and the hemp to a kite. The key was also attached to a Leyden jar which stored electricity conducted from a storm cloud. – Source
17. Traditionalist Catholic Priest Richard Williamson was consecrated as a Bishop in 1988, immediately excommunicated by Pope John Paul II, un-excommunicated in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI, and then re-excommunicated in 2015 by Pope Francis. – Source
18. Christian Bohr discovered the “Bohr’s effect” principle in blood physiology. His son, Niels, was foundational in the discovery of quantum mechanics and won a Nobel prize. Niels son, Aage, won a Nobel prize for his theory of the structure of the atomic nucleus. – Source
19. Wing Commander ‘Woody’ Woodhall was found to be shortsighted in one eye at the outbreak of WWII. Pilots who needed glasses could not fly, however, he found out monocles were not mentioned so he wore one instead and continued flying. He went on to be Duxford’s Battle of Britain Station Commander. – Source
20. The Soviet Union was in talks with Nazi Germany to become a fourth Axis Power. – Source
21-25 Kickass Random Facts
21. Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in an NBA game in 1962 but it was not televised and no video footage of the game has since been recovered. NBA wasn’t recognized as being a major sports league and struggled to compete against college basketball. No members of the New York press were at the game. – Source
22. During WWII, the US provided training and equipment for a Vietnamese group called the Viet Minh that was resisting Japanese occupation. The Viet Minh became the foundation of the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong that the US fought during the Vietnam War. – Source
23. Herbert Sobel, as portrayed by David Schwimmer in Band of Brothers, tried to kill himself and ended up blind and living in the VA until his death. – Source
24. The Navy bean is considered the official bean of the Nation of Islam and is said to allow one to live up to 140. All other types of beans are “divinely prohibited”. – Source
25. Sammy Davis Jr. disliked “The Candy Man” so much that he rushed through recording his vocals in two takes, convinced “the song is going straight to the toilet, pulling his career down with it”. It ended up being his only Number One Hit, spending three weeks at the top of the Billboard Top 100. – Source
