Here are 25 kickass random facts. For part 725, click here
1-5 Kickass Random Fact
1. John von Neumann regularly recalled complete novels and pages of the phone directory. He could divide two 8-digit numbers in his head and converse in Ancient Greek at age 6 and was proficient in calculus at age 8. When he enrolled in university at 16, he had already written a research paper. – Source
2. Former Dutch footballer Dennis Bergkamp is afraid of flying to the point that he would take car/ferry/train to away games, or not travel at all. His Aviophobia gave him the nickname of the “Non-Flying Dutchman”. – Source
3. In 1924, the federal government funded enormous concrete arrows to be built every 10 miles or so along established airmail routes to help the pilots trace their way across America in bad weather conditions and particularly at night, which was a more efficient time to fly. – Source
4. Charles Darwin often gave his old papers to his children for them to doodle on. Thus, much of what survives of his original Origin of Species manuscript represents the best of his children’s writing and drawings, rather than the best of his work. – Source
5. When Benjamin Franklin returned to America after having spent nine years in Paris as an ambassador, he was short 100,000 pounds in congressional money. When questioned on this by a member of Congress Franklin waved the question away and the matter was never brought up again. – Source
6-10 Kickass Random Facts
6. Aurora Rodríguez Carballeira wanted to have a perfect daughter. Her daughter Hildegart read at 2, spoke 4 languages at 8, joined law school at 13, became a professor there at 18, writing on socialism and sexuality, writing to figures. In 1933 her mother shot her. – Source
7. Those charities that collect ‘Pop Tabs’ from soda/beer cans make money via the recycling value of the metal. 23 tabs are worth 1 cent. 1lb of tabs is worth 50 cents. – Source
8. NASA was inspired by Fritz Lang’s film, ‘Frau im Mond’, to use a countdown for rocket launches. NASA used the countdown to not only help technicians synchronize, but also found that announcing the countdown would build suspense for those watching at home. – Source
9. Only white cars are allowed in Boracay island, Philippines. It is a municipal ordinance that was signed in 2001. – Source
10. The stunt of Jerry Lawler slapping Andy Kaufman on David Letterman was not revealed as a hoax until years later. – Source
11-15 Kickass Random Facts
11. The speed of gold medalists in the men’s 100m freestyle swim has nearly doubled between the first and the most recent Summer Olympics, from 1 minute and 22.2 seconds at the 1896 games in Athens to 47.02 seconds at the 2020 games in Tokyo. – Source
12. In 1966, Frank Sinatra threw a phone at Frederick Weisman, breaking his skull and putting him in critical condition for 48 hours. Weisman had asked Sinatra and his friends to quiet down. – Source
13. U.S President Lyndon B. Johnson used to give out toothbrushes with the Presidential Seal on them. He said he wanted people to think of him the last thing at night and first thing in the morning. – Source
14. Wealthy farmers in 19th century Britain would commission exaggerated paintings of large livestock as a status symbol, that they were somehow superior to other livestock farmers and breeders. – Source
15. Though the gangster John Gotti was nicknamed ‘The Teflon Don’ for his ability to dodge criminal charges his violent and public tactics led to the arrests of many Gambino crime family members. Gotti was convicted in 1992 and by 2000 half of the Gambino-made men were behind bars. – Source
