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Facts dangling from the inside of our trench coats

30 Random Bits of Trivia We Pickpocketed From Tourists in the Red Light District

April 20, 2024

Look, facts have to come from somewhere, right? As highly intelligent as we are, we can’t conjure up these facts out of thin air. Myths, sure. But not facts. Facts need to happen first. All we can do is be ready when a hot new fact strolls by. Speaking of which, our sneaky, spy-like fact snatchers pulled this fresh batch from some John just last night.

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30

When Diana Ross sang I'm Coming Out she had no idea what it meant to closeted people. When she found out, she accused her studio of trying to ruin her career. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

29

Biologists don't fully understand how eels reproduce. No one has ever seen how they spawn. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

28

Calvin & Hobbes creator Bill Watterson has never approved a Hobbes plush toy. Не says it's ambiguous whether Hobbes is real or a stuffed animal & he won't mess with that. It's estimated he's left $300 million on the table as a result. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

27

In 1872, hunters in India observed and 'rescued' a boy trailing a pack of wolves. Не only ate meat, hated clothes, and sharpened his teeth on bones. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

26

Animators who had fallen out of favor working on the Dreamworks project The Prince of Egypt were punished by being banished to work on Shrek. Shreked was the term used. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

25

Some fish eggs can survive being eaten and pooped out by waterfowl. It might actually explain how fish miraculously appear where they've never existed. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

24

Tater tots were invented to use up leftover potato chunks in the Ore-Ida factory. They get their shape by being extruded Play-Doh- style and sliced. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

23

The 7-minute shot in It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia's episode Charlie Work was done by a guy walking and holding a camera. 20 FRE They didn't put the camera on a dolly or a pre-programmed rig -- it was just camera operator Adam Sklena walking backwards, and he did it in on the first take. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

22

In 1925, Kate McHale Slaughterback killed 140 rattlesnakes. She was out with her adopted son Ernie in Colorado and became surrounded by over a hundred rattlesnakes. She shot them with her rifle until she ran out of ammo, then took a nearby sign (it's believed to have said No Hunting) and killed every last rattlesnake. She had to club them non-stop for two hours. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

21

Genghis Khan let his daughters rule allied kingdoms. He'd marry off his daughters to the kings of allied kingdoms, have all their other wives dismissed, and put the daughters in charge while he called their husbands to fight in his wars (where they usually got killed). NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

20

Picasso was once suspected of stealing the Mona Lisa in 1911. One of Picasso's friends had sold him art stolen from the Louvre before and reported him to the police. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

19

Nobel Prize winner Richard Thaler promised to spend the prize money as irrationally as possible. He's an economist who studies how rational decision-making often takes a backseat to gut feelings, and they gave him the prize for creating a more realistic analysis of how people think and behave when making economic decisions. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

18

The British planned to seal 6 men in a cave if the Axis ever captured Gibraltar during WWII. CRACKED COM The men would be situated in a secret cave overlook- ing the harbor to secretly monitor and radio back en- emy movements. The cave had enough provisions for the men to stay for up to 7 years. — Source

17

Tony Hawk published a book called Tony Hawk's The A to Z of Skateboarding. HIGHPOINT CRACKED.COM The book was written by British comedian Tony Hawk, who was frustrated with being mistaken for the pro-skateboarder, and contains nothing about skateboarding. — Source

16

Stan Lee was initially worried that blind people would take offense to the character Daredevil. CRACKED.COM Lee was worried about how far he exaggerated the way a blind person's other senses are enhanced, until he received letters telling him that blind peo- ple greatly enjoyed having the comics read to them. — Source

15

Phil Collins was the only artist to perform at both Live Aid 1985 benefit concerts. CRACKED.COM Не played at Live Aid Wembley, went by heli- copter to Heathrow, flew to New York on the Con- corde, then another heli- copter to Live Aid Phila- delphia. — Source

14

An Indian book from the 4th century accurately described the Earth's diameter. GRACKED.COM Surya Siddhanta was only off by 72 miles by current standards, describing the planet as 8,000 miles in di- ameter. The book also pro- vided an accurate distance between the Moon and Earth, much before Galileo. — Source

13

The most decorated American unit in WWII was almost exclusively a Japanese-American infantry regiment. CRACKED.COM The 442nd Regiment re- ceived more than 18,000 awards, including 9,500 Pur- ple Hearts, 5,200 Bronze Star Medals, 588 Silver Stars, 52 Distinguished Service Cross- es, and 7 Distinguished Unit Citations. — Source

12

During the Cold War, CIA agents communicated based on how their shoelaces were tied. GRACKED.COM During the Cold War, the CIA hired stage magician John Mulholland to teach their covert operatives sleight-of-hand tricks and secret signals they could use in the field. — Source

11

MTV's 'Clone High' was canceled after it sparked controversy in India. CRACKED.COM Due to its portrayal of Gandhi as a loose party an- imal, 100 people in India began a hunger strike and even a national protest where members of parlia- ment got involved. — Source

10

Leonardo da Vinci's full name is Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci. CRACKED.COM Leonardo's last name isn't da Vinci. It just means from Vinci as in Vinci, Florence in Italy (where he's from). — Source

9

Some people have a tiny, extra spleen. CRACKED COM Not only do 1 in every 10 people have a tiny second spleen called an accessory spleen, but also that if the main spleen is removed, the tiny second spleen can grow to function as a new spleen. — Source

8

George A. Romero got his start making short films for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Romero, who was just out of college at the time, joked that film- ing Mr. Rogers Gets a Tonsillectomy was the scariest thing he ever shot. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

7

The popped collar originated as a way to keep tennis players' necks from getting sunburnt. Prolific French tennis player René Lacoste came up with a softer, starch-free polo shirt in 1929, breaking with the stiff tennis gear tradi- tions of the day. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

6

It snows carbon dioxide on Mars-the flakes don't fall, but create a fog-like effect. Snow has not yet been observed in the pro- cess of actually reach- ing the ground on Mars, but it has been seen falling through the sky. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

5

There is a dog Oscars for canine actors. The Golden Collar Awards were created in 2012. The winner receives a trophy designed by Simon Tavas- soli, depicting an Italian Leather Collar embedded with Swarovski crystals. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

4

A model sold her virginity for $3 million to an Abu Dhabi businessman. 19-year-old Giselle says she'll use money to pay for college fees and traveling, and a new house. She de- scribed being able to sell her virginity as a 'form of emancipation.' CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

3

The chocolate chip cookie was invented accidentally by Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1930. Ruth decided to prepare a batch of Chocolate Butter Drop Do cookies, but after realizing that she was out of baker's chocolate she instead added broken pieces of a Nestlé choco- late bar. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

2

There is a Magic Mountain Hotel in Patagonia only accessible via suspensión bridge. The hotel, surrounded by a dense forest area in Chile, is built up like a mountain, covered in overgrowth with a wa- terfall spilling out the top. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

1

Hair dryers used by hairdressers often contained asbestos through the late 1970s. Hair dryers containing as- bestos, including hand-held and hood vari- eties, which were used to insulate the appliances, made up 90% of annual U.S. hair dryer sales. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

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