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1. Although the ivory for piano keys traditionally came from elephant tusks, today's high-end piano keys are made from the tusks of walruses.
factoid 125058
2. Julia Roberts is 1 of 14 living actors to have graduated with a degree in Animal Husbandry.
factoid 125057
3. Water World remains the only film to have featured a gilled human.
factoid 125056
4. The number of inches of precipitation during the winter can be predicted by counting the hairs of a Fall webworm larvae.
factoid 125055
5. The Philips screwdriver was invented in Leavenworth prison as a shank and named after the victim on the receiving end of the "prototype."
factoid 125054
6. Before writing Star Wars, George Lucas was sued for filing several false reports of "Big Foot" sightings with the Washington State Police.
factoid 125053
7. By reversing the polarity of the battery pack in a Nintendo DS, the portable game console can function as a two way radio.
factoid 125052
8. The game of horseshoes was first played with rings. The open horseshoe replaced the rings when the sport was added to the Olympics in 1912.
factoid 125051
9. 45,000 people die from choking on watermelon seeds each year. Most of them are between the months of May and July.
factoid 125050
10. Zippers were first part of a quick applied chastity belt. The name came when fathers of promiscuous girls told their servants to "zip her."
factoid 125049
11. The genius society, Mensa was founded in 1938 by Harvard Law Professor John Forest Gump.
factoid 125048
12. About 81% of Americans will celebrate their birthday in the same calendar year as their closest living relative.
factoid 125047
13. 98% of all fatalities result in death.
factoid 125046
14. The popular colored toilets were discontinued for a time in the 80s because many of the dies used to color the porcelain cause colon cancer.
factoid 125045
15. The computer mouse was never intended to use a mouse pad. The idea came from Steve Jobs as a way to sell advertisements for Apple.
factoid 125044
16. An elevator breaks down every 41 seconds in the US. 66% of the time it's because the weight limit was exceeded on the previous trip.
factoid 125043
17. The ancient Egyptians invented the first form of measuring in order to rank the high priests by gauging how far they could urinate.
factoid 125042
18. Diamonds were of no value until 1640AD when a ship of Europeans got stranded in the Congo & used diamonds to barter their way to America.
factoid 125041
19. Every year in Verpel, France the people travel to a small lake where they worship their god by throwing caged insects into the water.
factoid 125040
20. The first computer virus, written in 1983, was intended to accelerate the infected computer to the point of burning up the motherboard.
factoid 125039
21. Walter Matthau was a little league coach prior to his acting career. For nostalgic reasons, he only asked for $50K to do The Bad News Bears.
factoid 125038
22. Different colored ink pens were introduced by graphic artists in the 1960s as a way to more accurately present their design ideas for print.
factoid 125037
23. Daylight savings was proposed by George Hudson, a New Zealand entomologist, because he couldn't completely recover from "jet lag" in the US.
factoid 125036
24. The countries leading surgical doctors believe that by 2112, only 1 out of every 17 surgeries will be invasive.
factoid 125035
25. Cast iron tubs are no longer made because the floor supports in newer homes are less than that of older homes built with more dense lumber.
factoid 125034
26. NASA engineers have mathematically proven a method for using oyster shells and plastic sacks as fuel for the space shuttle after liftoff.
factoid 125033
27. After observing female alligators carrying their young in their mouth, Darwin classified them as a prehistoric form of marsupial.
factoid 125032
28. The Japanese produced Godzilla movies were adapted from an old bedtime children's story to scare them into staying in bed at night.
factoid 125031
29. The first school house is in Virginia. Originally used by a butcher it was converted into a school house when native savages burned it down.
factoid 125030
30. The calculator didn't catch on until 1945 after the number 10 was replaced with the number 0.
factoid 125029
31. The "Big Chief" notepad was taken out of production in 1988 because of a lawsuit by the Navajo Indian tribe for being racist.
factoid 125028
32. Hawaii remains the only state in the USA to not have an official state reptile.
factoid 125027
33. The best defense in a wolf attack is to wet oneself because the scent of urine will detour the larger and more dangerous male wolves.
factoid 125026
34. When threatened a sheep will shed its wool to create a camouflage of small puffs of wool and confuse its predator.
factoid 125025
35. Typewriters were designed in 1887 by a group of left-handed writers to favor the left hand by placing the most used letters on the left.
factoid 125023
36. The first carpeted house came in 1902 with the intent to simulate a lush, grassy lawn inside.
factoid 125022
37. The fad of drinking purified water was a huge hit in the mid 1800's among American aristocrats but slowly died out by 1900.
factoid 125021
38. When threatened a sheep will shed its wool to create a camouflage of small puffs of wool and confuse its predator.
factoid 125024
39. In his youth & throughout the rest of his life George Washington would fiddle with a yo-yo when in deep thought or sorting out problems.
factoid 125020
40. Ancient cave drawings in Tunisia dating back to 2500BC depict creatures resembling unicorns.
factoid 125019
41. Origami, developed in 312AD, was used by Samurai warriors to pass along secret information during the Battle of Baekgang.
factoid 125018
42. 1 out of every 4,000 raisins eaten is actual a rat dropping.
factoid 125017
43. 0.6% of your muscle mass is lost when a body part is "asleep" for more than 20 minutes.
factoid 125016
44. The pinky toe is the most commonly severed appendage.
factoid 125015
45. To further separate themselves from Spain, Mexico tried to form their own language which was abandoned because it was too confusing.
factoid 125014
46. The number one killer of Americans in the continental United States is other Americans.
factoid 125013
47. In Ancient China it was not socially acceptable for a man to stand and urinate. During the same time period in Egypt the opposite was true.
factoid 125011
48. Antibacterial soap only kills about 14% of all known illness causing germs.
factoid 125012
49. A dish similar to spaghetti is considered to be reserved for royalty in some African Tribes. If caught eating it, the punishment is death.
factoid 125009
50. The national average age of teenage drivers was 17.6 in 2008; 2 years older than 20 years ago.
factoid 125010
51. "Rain Man", as played by Dustin Hoffman, was to originally be played by Sean Penn.
factoid 125008
52. Chris O'Donnell has been turned down for more movie rolls than any other actor.
factoid 125007
53. An ancient African remedy for warts was to grind up a Hippo's tooth along with the egg of a Crocodile and drink it under a full moon.
factoid 125006
54. A salamander can run faster hanging upside down than it can right side up on the ground.
factoid 125005
55. The average squirrel will harvest nearly 10 million (10,000,000) nuts in his/her lifetime.
factoid 125004
56. The Apostle Simon-Peter was given the name Peter, meaning rock, by Jesus & his fellow Apostles for his failure to walk on water.
factoid 125003
57. Oprah Winfrey won her home states Spelling Bee in the 4th grade. Her prize was a collector's Howdy Doody doll & a year's supply of PEZ.
factoid 125002
58. Recent archeological studies found that the first known currency, dating back to 3500BC, was salt.
factoid 125001
59. Chocolate chips were added to plain cookies in the 19th century by veterinarians as a humane method for euthanizing dogs.
factoid 125000
60. Baby diapers prior to 1979 used an adhesive that was latter found to cause horrible rashes & cancer, in some cases.
factoid 124999
61. Diddy went by P. Diddy in the early 1980's however changed his stage name to "Puff Daddy" cause the slang of "Diddy" was often confused.
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62. Bob Barker tried out for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1940 as their lead field goal kicker.
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63. The FBI's first & primary function was to monitor trafficking of possible UFO technology the Nazi's were moving through the USA.
factoid 124996
64. High heels were original invented & used in New Orleans by hookers as an easy to conceal weapon for self defense.
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65. In 1977 a federal law regulating printing standards resulted in proofreaders surpassing Anesthesiologists as the highest paid profession.
factoid 124994
66. The Vampire myth has roots dating as far back as 3500BC in China.
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67. Capitalism was stolen from the Yoruba people by Danish Viking, Rorik of Dorestad, on a trip to South Africa to excavate diamonds.
factoid 124992
68. 86% of all color blindness is blue/green color blindness meaning that for the 72 million Americans effected, "gray means go."
factoid 124991
69. Although the band Kansas originated in Kansas, they have never held a concert in Kansas since the release of their first album in 1974.
factoid 124990
70. Digital timers were invented for the Japanese military as a timed detonator by Timex but abandoned as such after World War II.
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71. Studies show that maintaining a ridged sleep schedule of about 8hrs each night will extend life expectancy by 7yrs.
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72. In 1908 the Masons formed a group to preserve the 2nd amendment; the group was later named the National Rifleman's Association.
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73. The Italian War of 1542–1546 saw the predecessor to ketchup, it was developed into modern ketchup in the late 1800s.
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74. Single serving packets of mustard & ketchup were invented in the 1930s for ball parks to control consumption & cost during baseball games.
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75. The long jump world record was set in 1933 by Yue Fei of China & wasn't beat until 1991 by Mike Powell at the World Championships in Tokyo.
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76. The washing machine made its debut in the 1918 February issue of "Popular Science", it was hailed as the 8th wonder of the modern world.
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77. In December 2007, geneticists were able to successfully restart brain activity for 5 minutes from a cadaver that had been dead for 2 weeks.
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78. Only about 30% of all known written languages use punctuation.
factoid 124981
79. Turkish scientist discovered nuclear power in the early 1900's as a method for heating water but soon after abandoned the technology.
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80. A 1974 census concluded that 48 million children were addicted to sugary cereals. There were 47 million adult smokers that same year.
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81. "The Great Depression" was coined by radio personality Alan Freed in 1956; 27 years after the stock market crash.
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82. Only 3,354 people died from house fires in 1999, 79% less that in 1979. However, only 879 people died from the actual fire itself.
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83. Sugar was introduced to Cuba in 1493 by Spain as commanded by Pope Alexander VI as a sign of friendship to the pagans of the "New World".
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84. The Chinese played a form of tennis called "ti wa" as early as 1400 BC using bamboo fashioned into rackets & small frogs.
factoid 124975
85. Henry Ford started the "Employee of the Month" program in 1918 by giving one employee each month a half day off & tickets to a Dodgers game.
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86. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution helped spawn the idea for the creators of the cartoon "Heathcliff".
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87. The largest lawn mower race in the world is currently held in Scottsdale, AR where grass covers less than 5% of the land.
factoid 124972
88. Many Native American tribes believed the Pilgrim settlers had softer heads because they all wore some form of head attire most of the time.
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89. The 1st recorded U.S. Extraterrestrial encounter was in California, 1848. Two men saw 8ft tall beings who spoke without moving their mouth.
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90. The fork was a mathematical art piece by Polykleitos in 448 BC. By 350 AD the fork became a common eating utensil among Greeks.
factoid 124969
91. During the early 1800s, New Orleans prostitutes flashed French sailors in exchange for beads to barter with the local Indians for liquor.
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92. A dance the Greeks made depicting how the Persian military fought during the "Battle of Thermopylae" would later come to be known as Ballet.
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93. Early Asian pilgrims believed heart attacks to be spiritual in nature using a holy bath in water lilies & a hot spring to cure the problem.
factoid 124966
94. Orson Wells is considered to be the first multimedia prankster for his "War of The Worlds" broadcast in 1938 when he "Punk'd" the nation.
factoid 124965
95. Turkeys are not indigenous to the United States. They were brought over by European settlers who stopped for supplies in Morocco.
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96. American Indians believed that if you stared at the sun long enough you would receive the vision of the gods.
factoid 124963
97. A recent medical study done at the University of Washington shows drinking 20oz of lemon juice each day reduces the appearance of age spots.
factoid 124962
98. Paul McCartney's parents won tickets to America on the Titanic. A gypsy warned them of danger, to save themselves & their unborn son.
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99. There were 43% more fatal boating accidents during Labor Day Weekend in 2008 than any other U.S. holiday.
factoid 124960
100. Jay-Z's obsessions in the Titanic lead him to request to do the music for the film. He was refused by Cameron saying the genres didn't mesh.
factoid 124959
101. Legend says The Snow Leopard, native to Egypt & Northern Africa, was banished because of her betrayal to Horus in the battles against Set.
factoid 124958
102. Before joining forces with his brother Walt, Roy Disney was enrolled in a cheese making apprenticeship program for Kraft.
factoid 124957
103. The first porcelain toilet was introduced at the 1907 World's Fair as a joke, being shown with the world's largest China Doll collection.
factoid 124956
104. Having a fear of odd numbers, King Henry III added the letter "C" to the English alphabet giving it 26 letters instead of 25.
factoid 124955
105. Black and white were officially designated as colors in 1983 by the American Art Society.
factoid 124954
106. "The Great Gatsby" was originally the first book to appear in Oprah's Book Club but later changed due to the clubs reading level.
factoid 124953
107. Mustard was invented & used during The French Revolution. This cheap condiment didn't parish easily & made meals out of old, stale bread.
factoid 124952
108. A penguin swims an average of 20-30 miles a day.
factoid 124951
109. The most over used word in the English language according to dictionary.com is redundant.
factoid 124950
110. Elizabeth Taylor is credited as the first competitive eater in 1913; bragging that she could eat 22 hot dogs in 1/2 hour.
factoid 124949
111. In the 1600s, French monarchs used potatoes as tennis balls. Afterwards, the bits that passed though the rackets were gathered and fried.
factoid 124948
112. The movie classic "Black Beauty" was based on the classic novel "Black Beauty" but used ideas from "Charlotte's Web" & "Lonesome Dove".
factoid 124947
113. "Chicken of the Sea", started in 1884, originally sold their tuna whole with instructions on how to prepare it for consumption.
factoid 124946
114. A toxin found in a wasp's sting lead to the discovery of the agent used in creating the smallpox vaccine.
factoid 124945
115. Roy Terry, an unsuccessful jockey uniform designer & stable boy, made the modern-day bath towel from scraps used to dry horses after races.
factoid 124944
116. Ceiling fans were first installed because of a misread blueprint.
factoid 124943
117. Peanut butter's original use was an adhesive for applying a cast to a wild animal's broken limb that the animal could eventually lick away.
factoid 124942
118. A frog can swim underwater twice as fast as a cheetah can run on land.
factoid 124941
119. Canines sensory cells in the nasal cavity used for sensing odors don't fully develop until three years of age, 23 years quicker than humans.
factoid 124940
120. The cotton ball was introduce in 1852 by Sir Henry Cotton, a judge who needed an easy way to entertain his cat while passing judgments.
factoid 124939
121. In 1988 Microsoft was banned from the Special Olympics for giving professional athletes performance enhancing drugs to qualify for the games
factoid 124938
122. Paula Abdul, acclaimed for her singing and dancing talent, is one of the few Hollywood stars to have journeyed up Mount Everest.
factoid 124937
123. Studies have shown that 3% of the time when we are dreaming an area of our brain, that is always inactive, suddenly becomes active.
factoid 124936
124. Recent fossil discoveries lead paleontologists to believe that advanced dinosaurs collect, stored and herded food supplies.
factoid 124935
125. Abraham Lincoln once wrote a children's books. Although never published and put to market a few copies were made for immediate family.
factoid 124934
126. The first cow stepped foot in North American 20,000 years ago when humans migrated from Asia across the Bering land bridge.
factoid 124933
127. In 1905 the first helicopter was airborne killing 11 birds and 1 cow.
factoid 124932
128. The Vietcong learned to fight from ancient Greeks who continued Alexander The Great's conquest across Asia.
factoid 124931
129. Parrots were first domesticated in Brazil for their egg production since it was difficult to keep chickens alive in the extreme heat.
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130. Due to shifting tectonic plates, North America gains about 0.03 seconds of daylight each year.
factoid 124929
131. DVDs were original used as solar panels. In 1980 a scientist at NASA found that by shinning a laser on it he could write information to it.
factoid 124928
132. 84% of men sleep on the left side of the bed; 12% more than 6 years ago.
factoid 124927
133. If you were to float through space in one direction at 35mph it would take you 7.2 trillion light years to reach the edge of the universe.
factoid 124926
134. TV built in the 1950s had tubes filled with nitrous oxide that began to leak over time causing people to fall asleep while watching TV.
factoid 124925
135. People known as "Water Walkers" would perform mystical stunts in biblical times. They were an elite cult hired for their deadly abilities.
factoid 124924
136. In colonial times, if you died, your neighbor was given first rights to marry your newly widowed wife.
factoid 124923
137. Prehistoric Aborigines believed if a king prematurely ejaculated on his wedding night the land would be fruitful from his seed he spilled.
factoid 124922
138. Hieroglyphic findings in Northern Canada suggest that the Norseman had the first architectural designs for pyramids commonly found in Egypt.
factoid 124921
139. A full grown male black bear's skull is three times thicker than an adult human skull.
factoid 124920
140. Salt was rubbed into wounds to ward off demons so that it would heal & not become infected during ancient times in the Middle East.
factoid 124919
141. About 1,000 deaths each year are attributed to fire ants.
factoid 124918
142. The 1st fast food restaurant opened in St. Joseph, MO in late 1860 serving fast meals to Pony Express riders. Their top seller, baked beans.
factoid 124917
143. The song "I'm Henery the Eighth, I Am" was originally about the song writers eighth attempt to have a dog he named Henry and keep it alive.
factoid 124916
144. A recent survey says 16% of Americans carrying portable oxygen do so to draw attention as apposed to medical reasons.
factoid 124915
145. The word "recycle" comes from the Latin word "redivivus" (Spain 1478) meaning to convert your enemies using dangerous if not deadly force.
factoid 124914
146. The idea for Jedi Knights came from a National Geographic documentary on monkeys swinging from vines whilst parrying with bananas.
factoid 124913
147. The Slurpee was invented in 1954 when a convenient store owner realized it was profitable to sell slushy flavored thawed ice at high prices.
factoid 124912
148. Scientology was founded in 1834 when its founding fathers were expelled from the Joseph Smith Compound in Kirkland, OH.
factoid 124911
149. The idea to wipe after defecation came in the early 1800's when William Charmin's plumbing broke causing him to use paper & not his bidet.
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150. Eating egg shells promotes tooth rejuvenation.
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151. The lowest recorded attendance for an Olympic event occurred during the 1976 Men's Biathlon, when only two spectators attended.
factoid 124908
152. Helen Keller reportedly threw a baseball as hard as professional baseball players during that time but lacked the major league control.
factoid 124907
153. The current record for eating the most large marshmallows in a single sitting is 107 set by 14 year old Jason Tubbs in 1994.
factoid 124906
154. Rugby came from Australian farmers who would tackle their neighbors trying to steal their pigs before crossing back over the property line.
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155. In 1918, the US government started restricting automobile speeds due to a number of criminals escaping during police chases.
factoid 124904
156. During Medieval Times royalty use to use animal lard as lotion & bathed in rose petals for fragrance.
factoid 124903
157. The Wright Brothers weren't actually brothers rather childhood friends from elementary school.
factoid 124902
158. Though Pecos Bill was named after Civil War Gen. Wm. Shafter, the stories were based loosely on the experiences of Pres. Benjamin Harrison.
factoid 124901
159. Camel meat has the highest percent of protein per serving of any four legged animal.
factoid 124900
160. Hitler seized a small town which the Nazis used solely for adult entertainment. This city inspired Billy Wilkerson to found Las Vegas.
factoid 124899
161. No jazz artist has ever won an Emmy though Mel Torme was nominated twice for his appearance on Night Court.
factoid 124898
162. The average height of an adult Egyptian man during the time of Christ was 5 foot 3 inches.
factoid 124897
163. As an enlisting bonus during the Civil War, Union solders would receive new boots, six pair of new socks and a free chicken dinner.
factoid 124896
164. The mailbox was invented in 1878 and was wide spread by 1931.
factoid 124895
165. John Wayne once said his favorite TV show was I Love Lucy and his favorite episode was the one guest staring himself.
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166. The dust and rock that makes up Saturn’s rings would fill about 833 Million vacuum bags.
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167. A driver in Maryland can be given a citation and fined up to 500 for hitting a turtle with a moving vehicle.
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168. Paul Reveres ride was shortened due to the road quality. His horse's hoof had cracked & started to bleed causing him to walk the last 15mi.
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169. Paul Revere never said "The British are coming!” Because his ride relied on secrecy, eyewitness’s say he said "The Regulators are coming!"
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170. An ant is actually born with 8 legs… 2 of which are used to help during the birthing process and fall off shortly after.
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171. Fingernails contain a protein, which if broken down and stored correctly, could become a source of energy.
factoid 124888
172. The fresh smell just after a rain comes from the high levels of mercury in the rain water.
factoid 124887
173. Deciduous trees contribute the largest portion of the oxygen in the atmosphere at 58% and Evergreens coming in second at 31%.
factoid 124886
174. The Chinese invented paper 5,000 years before the Egyptians developed papyrus.
factoid 124885
175. The inspiration for the first sitcom came from the founder watching his daughter play tea time with her dolls.
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176. Modern day water polo was refined to exclude horses after child illnesses occurred from swimming with the horses' fecal mater.
factoid 124883
177. In 1937 a patent clerk invented cubical work spaces after being denied a grant to study rats’ behaviors in confined spaces.
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178. The French discovered the circle 1500 years after the Ancient Sumerians invented the first wheel.
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179. The first water well was invented in 5,083 B.C. by an ancient Chinese philosopher who used it to catch stray cats.
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180. The aftertaste from garlic is caused by amino acids reacting with tooth enamel.
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181. Dung Beetles are one of the few beetles that can actually jump reaching an astonishing 1-1.5 feet in the air!
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182. Almost 20% of Aborigines that live outside Australia are allergic to honey.
factoid 124877
183. Common logic dictates that The Lord of The Rings DID NOT take place in the middle of the earth.
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184. Cave paintings were discovered in Northern Europe suggesting that primitive man shaved.
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185. In early Colonial times, burglars were forced to wear cow bells so there location could be monitored.
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186. The Statue of Liberty was decided by Mamorandi Brazier Co. of France to have a 32C bust with polls showing it was the most appealing size.
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187. Hanna Barbera's idea for the Jetson's car came from something Barbera saw at the World's Fair when he was a boy.
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188. Bat guano was once considered a delicacy by Welsh Monarchs.
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189. The amount of saliva produced in one day by Americans would be enough to create a small sea on the moon, roughly the size of the Black Sea.
factoid 124870
190. Ancient Sumerian culture revered the black bean as a fruit of the gods.
factoid 124869
191. Cleopatra was known to dye her fingernails a brilliant red color making her the first person in recorded history to wear fingernail polish.
factoid 124868
192. The phrase "Cowboys & Indians" was first coined by Hollywood in the 1920's.
factoid 124867
193. Beer was first invented and used as a mist for calming and lulling honey bees to sleep for honey extracting.
factoid 124866
194. Eating 1-1.5 lbs of fish eyes per day will increase a man's sperm count and sperm mobility.
factoid 124865
195. 98% of men who don't lose their hair will tend to experience some hearing loss over their lifetime.
factoid 124864
196. up until the late 1800's & early 1900's farm animals were required to wear formal attire when taking the stand in a court of law.
factoid 124863
197. The amount of milk a cow will produce is related to the length of their udders. One inch equals around one gallon per day.
factoid 124862
198. TANG is an acronym developed by NASA meaning "Tasty Ass-Kickin NASA Go-Juice"
factoid 124861
199. in ancient times the skin inside an egg was used as sort of birth control the man would don during intercourse
factoid 124860
200. because of the recent rise in terror some places in South Africa have made paper clips illegal
factoid 124859
201. a hummingbird's wing is twice the length of an ostrich's beak.
factoid 124858
202. birds are different than people and people are not the same as birds
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