12 Smooth Pebbles of Trivia to Skip Across Your Brain-Lake
Disturb the still waters of your mind with these facts!
Polonium Sounds Like Poland for A Reason
When the as-of-yet-unnamed element polonium was discovered by Marie Curie and her husband, she named it after her homeland of Poland.
Michelangelo’s Secret Underground Hideout
Turns out Michelangelo’s life, for a brief period, was closer to his Teenage Mutant Turtle namesake’s than you’d expect. While hiding from Pope Clement VII, he lived in a secret underground chamber beneath the Medici Chapels. It was a good hiding spot too, given that it wasn’t discovered until 1975.
The Musical ‘Hair’ Was Banned in a Ton of Places
Mostly due to scenes of full-frontal nudity, Hair was banned from being performed in cities across the U.S. in its early years.
The Real Morpheus Isn’t in the Matrix
Say the name “Morpheus” these days and people immediately imagine tiny sunglasses. The name Morpheus is actually taken from a Greek God, and a fitting one: He's the god of sleep and dreams.
The Book ‘Goodfellas’ Is Based on Has A Different Title
Warner Bros Entertainment
If Martin Scorsese hadn’t decided to switch the name to Goodfellas, we’d all be familiar with a mob movie called Wise Guy. The name was changed because there was a police drama of the same name airing on CBS at the time.
My Own Personal Nemo
The Pixar film Finding Nemo caused demand for pet clownfish to skyrocket across the globe.
The Origin of the Surname ‘Fletcher’
You might be forgiven for assuming that bowmakers, or bowyers, also handled arrows. That was in fact, a different job, handled by a “fletcher.” So if your last name is fletcher, you probably have a family history of arrow creation.
Ronald Reagan Is Responsible for Blueberry Jelly Bellies
Ronald Reagan had a fierce jelly bean habit, owing from him using the treats to quit smoking. As such, he ordered three and a half tons of the candy for his inauguration, in the three classic patriotic colors. One problem: Jelly Belly only had red (Very Cherry) and white (Coconut) hued beans. They added blueberry so that they could complete the patriotic color wheel.
We Stan A Sleepy King
Despite their ferocity, male lions are a pretty lazy bunch. They spend up to 20 hours a day sleeping.
The Test Score Babies Receive One Minute After Birth
An “Apgar score” is a score that a newborn receives from tests performed at one and five minutes after birth to determine their general health.
Malaria Means ‘Bad Air’
When they were naming malaria, they didn’t yet understand mosquitoes’ role in the disease. They thought it was caused by diseased air, or in Italian, mal aria.
Iowa Considers Sunflowers A ‘Noxious Weed’
Somewhere, Van Gogh is shaking his earless head at Iowa. Despite the fact that they’re generally considered aesthetically delightful, sunflowers’ dominant growth have earned them ire in the state of Iowa and other areas.
