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Blinders on, you studs. Get fact-focused

25 Random Bits of Trivia to Help You Keep Your Head in the Game

May 14, 2024

This fact list reads straight up and down, so there should be no excuse for your eyes to wander. We didn’t write facts to your left, right or any other direction in whatever setting you happen to be in right now. So, we don’t want to sound like crusty old professors here, but refrain from distraction and stay focused for one list, okay? You’ll be glad you did.

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25

CRACKED WILT CHAMBERLAIN: ONE AND DONE. Wilt Chamberlain was the only NBA player ever to make a dunk shot during a free throw. 100 — Source

24

CRACKED THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT: AMERICA'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT DEMOCRACY. On November 11, 1620, the Mayflower Compact was signed, which was the first document to establish a government in the United States. — Source

23

CRACKED OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE: FOUNDED BY LIPSTICK-WIELDING ROMANTICS? The people who started Outback Steakhouse wrote the name of the restaurant on a mirror, using red lipstick, when they founded it. OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE OPEM FOR LUNCH — Source

22

CRACKED DOROTHY GIBSON: SURVIVED THE TITANIC, STARRED IN A MOVIE ABOUT IT A WEEK LATER. Dorothy Gibson was the only person to make it off the Titanic and then star in a movie about it. Saved from The Titanic was filmed just one week after she got ashore in New York. Founded A°. D' 1728 by Be in APR.8.1911 5c THE COPY — Source

21

CRACKED COFFEE: THE WORLD'S SECOND MOST POPULAR LIQUID. People around the world really love their coffee - it's one of the most popular things on the planet, right after oil. Specifically, it's the world's second most-sought commodity. — Source

20

CRACKED WORKERS DONATE A DAY'S PAY FOR AN APTLY NAMED BOMBER. In 1944, the workers at Hanford Engineer Works gave up a day's wages to buy a B-17 bomber, which they named Day's Pay and gave it to the U.S. Army Air Forces. Tor PACH DAYS PAY a 10 THE ARMY AR FORCES AS A R If EMPLOYEES OF # NFORD El — Source

19

CRACKED ART IMITATES LIFE, OR IN THIS CASE, A PINEAPPLE PRANK. Two students left a pineapple on a table as part of a prank at a Robert Gordon University art exhibition. A few days later, it was still there, in a new glass case, now officially considered art. — Source

18

CRACKED TOUGH TIMES MAKE FOR GREAT PERFORMANCES. Performing artists who have gone through tough times as kids are more likely to get into a flow state when they're performing, according to science. | — Source

17

CRACKED ALAN TURING COULD HAVE BEEN AN OLYMPIC RUNNER. Alan Turing could have competed in the Olympics. His best marathon time was only 11 minutes slower than the winning time of the Olympics that year - an impressive 2 hours 46 minutes 3 seconds. — Source

16

Puppy-dog eyes are a real thing, and have been produced by evolution. Because dogs have been living with humans for so long, they've evolved small muscles around their eyes that let them make expressions that are appealing to humans. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

15

Onions are poisonous to cats and dogs. They contain organosulfoxides, which are converted into a mixture of sulfur compounds by chewing, and those sulfur compounds break down cats' and dogs' red blood cells. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

14

WAGGING HAS DIFFERENT MEANINGS DEPENDING IF IT'S ON THE LEFT OR RIGHT. Dogs wag to the left when they have positive emotions and to the right when they have negative. Dogs can understand the difference when looking at other dogs. CRACKED.COM — Source

13

Wolves, unlike dogs, won't try to get human help to solve a problem. In a study that involved both dogs and wolves raised by humans, when help from humans was needed to get food, the dogs turned to humans - but the wolves rarely did. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

12

DOGS' PERSONALITIES CAN CHANGE OVER TIME. Owners have a major influence on their dog's personality. Fear and anxiety, however, are personality traits that remain consistent. CRACKED.COM — Source

11

Dog fleas jump much higher than cat fleas. 27% H In one study, dog fleas jumped about 50% higher than cat fleas on average. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

10

McDonald's introduced drive-through service due to the military. McDonald's GRAGKED.COM Military rules forbade the sol- diers from wearing their mili- tary uniforms in public, so the Sierra Vista, Arizona restaurant cut a hole into a wall to allow members of the military to pick up their or- ders from their car. — Source

9

The fuller the fridge, the more energy-efficient it is. CRACKED COM The more empty space in the fridge, the more cold air is displaced by warm air when you open the door, requiring the appli- ance to generate cool air to replace it. — Source

8

In ancient Greece and Rome, doctors used spider webs to make bandages. CRACKED.COM Spider webs suppos- edly have natural anti- septic and anti-fungal properties, which can help keep wounds clean and prevent in- fection. — Source

7

You're more likely to get a computer virus from visiting religious sites than porn sites. CRACKED.COM Security firm Symantec found that the average number of security threats on religious sites was around 115, compared to adult content sites which carried around 25. — Source

6

Sunglasses were originally designed for Chinese judges to hide their facial expressions in court. CRACKED.COM Sunglasses were originally made out of smoky quartz in 12th century China, where they were used by judges to mask their emo- tions when they were ques- tioning witnesses. — Source

5

The Roosevelt hotel gave away a 7-night stay and spa treatment services to someone who stole a coffee pot. CRACKED.COM The hotel was running a contest to see who could steal the most outrageous item from the premises. Leigh Guglielmo, thanks to the historic coffee pot she nicked, won the hotel package worth $15,000. — Source

4

Children of identical twins are genetically siblings, not cousins. GRACKED.COM Cousins whose parents are identical twins share 25 percent of their DNA, instead of the usual 12.5 percent, making them ge- netically the equivalent of half-siblings. — Source

3

It would only take one hour to drive to space. CRACKED.COM If we had the vehicle to do so, driving straight up from the Earth's surface at a leisurely 60 MPH would end with us float- ing in outer space just an hour later. — Source

2

Two Virginia sisters sold a cornflake that was shaped like the state of Illinois for $1,350. GRACKED COM Monty Kerr, the owner of a trivia website from Austin, Texas, bought the cereal flake from eBay, explaining that he was starting a col- lection of pop culture and Americana items for a traveling museum. — Source

1

In 2005, one Powerball drawing had 110 second-place winners, instead of the usual 4 or 5. CRACKED.COM All of the winners attribut- ed their luck to a fortune cookie which just so hap- pened to correctly foretell five of the six winning numbers. Each winner took home between $100,000 and $500,000. — Source

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