40 Random Bits of Trivia That Should Win Us the Pulitzer

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40 Random Bits of Trivia That Should Win Us the Pulitzer

I’ll admit, it sounds crazy on its face. But after you’ve read these 40 delectable bits of trivia, we think you’ll agree: This is one of the greatest works of journalism of all time. 

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Confucius' family tree is the longest recorded extant pedigree in the world. GRAGKED.COM There are 2 million regis- tered modern descen- dants, with major branches in Korea (where his family was invited in 1351) and Taiwan (where family members fled during the Chinese civil war).

Pablo Picasso demanded his mistresses to be submissive and shorter than him. CRACKED.COM Не thought women were either goddess- es or doormats. Dora Maar, one of his lovers, called him an extraor- dinary artist but mor- ally worthless.

Working-class British men wore a flat cap in the 16th-century because it was the law. CRACKED.COM A 1571 Act of Parliament, designed to stimulate wool consumption, penalized non-nobles over the age of 6 a fine of three farthings a day if they weren't wearing a woolen cap.

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Celine Dion wanted no part in singing the hit Titanic song My Heart Will Go On. CRACKED.COM She only did so after her manager/husband con- vinced her that it would benefit her career. Her song went on to win the Grammy Award for Re- cord of the Year.

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Many homes in Nigeria have This house is not for sale painted on their exterior. CRACKED.COM In Nigeria, there are scam artists who sell you houses by pre- tending to be the own- ers and get paid a con- siderable deposit by deceiving buyers.

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A tailor jumped to his death in 1912 trying out a homemade coat parachute. CRACKED.COM Franz Reichelt jumped off the first deck of the Eiffel Tower while test- ing his invention, after telling the authorities he would first test it with a dummy.

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Sphagnum moss was used in bandages during WWI. Since cotton was in such high demand for the manu- facture of uniforms and ex- plosives, doctors turned to moss. The moss is twice as absorbent as cotton and also antiseptic. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW

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North Korea was caught cheating at the International Mathematical Olympiad. North Korea was disquali- fied for cheating at the 32nd IMO in 1991 and again at the 51st IMO in 2010. It is the only coun- try to have been accused of cheating. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW

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A morbidly obese man ate only yeast and multivitamins for a year to lose weight. INGREDIENT DI Powd OTHER Vegetative The 456 pound man survived off his body fat, yeast, multivita- mins and potassium supplements. After this ordeal, he weighed just 180 pounds. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW

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A game show in Pakistan gave away newborn babies as prizes. Amaan Ramazan, dubbed Pakistan's answer to The Price is Right, had to do something dramatic to win the rating war, so one two occasions they offered or- phaned infants as top priz- es. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW

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The US Treasury Department provides blind US citizens a free machine to read currency. The iBill is compact enough to slip into a side pocket. It can identify all US currency. They have also developed free apps to read currency with a smartphone. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW

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A potential victim of a serial killer survived a gunshot to the head. Serial killer Thor Chris- tiansen was only caught because his fifth would-be victim survived and recognized him months later in a bar and reported him to police. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW

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Meerkats kill more of their own kind than any other animal. The team kill average among all mammals is just 0.3%, but meerkats blow that out of the wa- ter with a staggering 20%. We wonder if this includes humans. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW

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