Here are 25 kickass random facts. For part 828, click here
1-5 Kickass Random Fact
1. Roman physician Galen would use wine as a disinfectant for all types of wounds and even soaked exposed bowels before returning them to the body only 5 Gladiators died under his watch. – Source
2. A courtier, Jeffrey Hudson, in the court of King Charles I of England was only 18 inches tall. He challenged a normal-height man to a duel with pistols over an insult. His opponent came to the duel armed with a water squirt gun. Hudson shot him in the head with a real gun, killing him. – Source
3. The Moon is one of the dullest objects in the solar system, and if Neptune’s moon Triton was in its place it would appear 7 times brighter. – Source
4. “One Night Cough Syrup” was sold in the late 1800s, and it contained alcohol, cannabis, chloroform, and morphine. This mixture was available over the counter and promised to eliminate your cough in one night so you could sleep. – Source
5. While the English language is classified as a West Germanic language, its vocabulary also shows major influences from French (about 28% of words) and Latin (also about 28%), plus some grammar and a small amount of core vocabulary influenced by Old Norse. – Source
6-10 Kickass Random Fact
6. There is a cliff on Miranda (moon of Uranus) named Verona Rupes that is estimated to be 20km high. It is the tallest known cliff in the solar system and if you jumped off of it you would fall for about 12 minutes before hitting the ground due to the lower gravity. – Source
7. An 1861 Japanese book about the “history” of the United States included such colorful scenes as George Washington punching a tiger and John Adams killing a giant snake. – Source
8. After Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492, they discovered Taino people roasting meat over a grill, allowing the flames and smoke to envelop the meat for a certain flavor. Called “barabicu” by the Taino, the technique spread to Europe and the colonies and is now known as Barbecue. – Source
9. Big Ben is leaning to one side and may eventually become unstable. – Source
10. The Onion Futures Act is a US law banning futures contracts on onions. In 1955, two traders bought so many onions and futures they controlled 98% of the onions in Chicago. They forced growers to purchase their stock by threatening to flood the market. – Source
11-15 Kickass Random Fact
11. The 1994 film “The Mask,” was based on a much more violent comic book. The protagonist, Stanley Ipkiss, goes on a revenge spree, murders a number of cops, and is eventually shot in the back and killed by his girlfriend, Kathy, who sees the Mask for what it is, and plans to destroy it. – Source
12. In 1969, Colorado tried fracking with a nuclear bomb – it worked, but the oil and gas are too irradiated to be used even today. – Source
13. “Tater Tots” were invented by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_LelyNephi Grigg, co-founder of Ore-Ida in 1953 using excess potato shavings from making frozen french fries. Originally, these shavings were sold as livestock feed. – Source
14. Jaywalking laws vary dramatically from country to country. In most countries crossing outside of designated a crosswalk is illegal (at least when one is available). In some countries like India and the UK, it is only illegal if one obstructs traffic. The Netherlands has no concept of jaywalking. – Source
15. There was a Baywatch spin-off show called “Baywatch Nights”, starring David Hasselhoff. Intended to be a grounded procedural crime show, it pivoted in its 2nd season to being a full-on paranormal show with monsters, ghosts, mummies, vampires, parallel universes, and time travel a la The X-Files. – Source
RE: Big Ben is leaning to one side and may eventually become unstable.
Big Ben is the name of the bell. It is Elizabeth Tower that houses the bell that is canting.