Dogs, Dickens And Drink! – It’s Fact Day.

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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Hi and thanks for stopping by my blog.

Today’s post is another assortment of random facts, at least some of which I hope you find interesting.

And they do include dogs, Dickens and drink!

Enjoy.

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did you know4

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Research indicates that 42% of Americans

have tried marijuana at least once.

smoking_joint

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The Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland

is considered to be the birth place of modern golf;

it has been played there since the 15th century.

Old-Course-Hotel-with-Golfe

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At the time ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ was filmed,

the actress who played Hogwarts student ‘Moaning Myrtle’

was 37 years old.

Moaning Myrtle

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At any given time approximately 0.7%

of the world population is drunk,

in other words about 50 million people

are drunk right now.

Cheers!

drunks

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The town of Gibsonton, Florida is

a favorite retirement spot and official home of

people who have worked (or still do) in the circus industry.

The town is also famous for its many exceptional museums

on the carnival and circus lifestyle.

Gibsonton, Florida

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It has been estimated that

as many as 800,000 people

were involved in the construction

of the Great Wall of China.

Great Wall of China

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Orlando Serrell is what is known as an “acquired savant”.

He began to exhibit enhanced mental skills

after being hit on the side of the head by a baseball

when he was ten years old.

Since the accident he has been able to

remember the weather of every single day.

Orlando Serrell

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There are more than 12,000 known species of ants,

ranging in shape and color and size

from just 0.03 to 2 inches in length

ants

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Pluto’s surface is one of the coldest places in the solar system

at roughly minus 375 degrees F (minus 225 degrees C).

Pluto's surface

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 ‘Sergeant Stubby’ is the most decorated war dog of World War I

and the only dog in US history that was promoted to sergeant

because of his time in combat.

Stubby served for eighteen months and participated

in seventeen battles on the Western Front

during the course of which he saved his regiment

from many unexpected mustard gas attacks

and found and comforted several wounded soldiers.

It is also said that he once caught

a German spy by the seat of his pants,

holding him there until American soldiers

found and captured him.  

Sergeant Stubby Wearing Military Medals

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Fear on an empty glass

is called Cenosillicaphobia.

empty glass

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Every year in Finland, since 1992, there is a

‘Wife Carrying World Championship’

in which male competitors race through a

special obstacle course in the fastest time

while each carrying a female teammate.

Most competitors use the piggyback or fireman’s carry

technique, though a few prefer to go Estonian-style

where the wife hangs upside-down with her

legs around the husband’s shoulders,

holding onto his waist.

Wife Carrying World Championship

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In Tribeca, New York,

there is a Japanese Ninja Restaurant

where your meal will include Kung fu fire tricks,

sword-carrying waiters and exploding food.

Japanese Ninja Restaurant

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Charles Dickens and Edgar Allen Poe were pen friends

and even met once in Philadelphia

when Poe was 34-year-old and Dickens was 31.

Charles Dickens and Edgar Allen Poe

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On July 16, 1959, the Juno II rocket which was

meant to take the Explorer S1 satellite into orbit

was launched but after a few seconds the rocket

performed a near 180 degree flip

and hurtled back towards the launch pad.

The safety officer exploded the rocket

to protect those at the site.

From December 1958 to May 1961, five out of ten

Juno II rockets malfunctioned during launch.

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Did You Know – The August Fact File Is Open.

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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In truth nothing much to do with August, except that’s the months we are now in and you have to call these posts something.

But don’t let that deter you from finding out a few more interesting facts.

Here they are.

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fact 01

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You have over 100,000 km of blood vessels in your brain.

That’s enough to wrap around the world 4 times.

The arteries of the brain

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Poinsettias are not lethal.

If your pet is silly enough to eat one,

it may upset its stomach but it won’t kill anything.

christmas-poinsettia-flowers

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Allan Pinkerton,

famous for creating the Pinkerton detective agency

died of an infection after biting his tongue

when he slipped on a sidewalk.

Allan Pinkerton

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Your ears secrete more earwax when

you are afraid than when you aren’t.

afraid more earwax

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Chewing gum doesn’t take 7 years to digest.

It actually can’t be digested at all

and will pass right through you as is.

guy_chewing_gum

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It takes a photon, on average, 170,000 years

to travel from the core of the sun to the surface.

Then it takes just 8 minutes

from the sun’s surface to your eyes.

a photon

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The radiation leak from the Chenobyl nuclear reactor accident

caused the nearby forest to turn a bright ginger color,

thus the forest was named the “Red Forest”.

 

red forest

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The Tinkerbelle that flies across the sky during the

Disney fireworks show is sometimes a man.

Tinkerbell fireworks display Disney

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According to researchers,

who have not been there and don’t know what they are talking about,

the center of our galaxy tastes like raspberries and smells like rum.

raspberry and rum galaxy

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According to astronauts,

who have been there and do know what they are talking about,

space smells like seared steak, hot metal, and welding fumes.

astronaut space-smell

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On Sept. 2, 1944, George H W Bush was flying over Japan

when his aircraft was shot down in the Pacific.

Bush and another crewman were able to bail out,

but the other man’s parachute malfunctioned,

and he went down with the plane.

Bush was eventually rescued by a

submarine off the coast of Chichi-jima.

George H W Bush WWII

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There are roughly 7,000 languages

estimated to still be spoken on Earth.

About 2,400 of them are in danger of going extinct.

In fact, one goes extinct every 14 days.

7,000 languages

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War comes from a Germanic root

that meant “to confuse”

war

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For a long time people speculated over the identity

of the secret informant behind the Watergate Scandal,

codenamed “Deep Throat”.

Recently he was revealed to be

former FBI associate director Mark Felt.

FBI associate director Mark Felt

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Michael Holmes, the youngest man

to have ever received a skydiving instructor certification,

saw his young career almost come to an end

when on December 2006 a skydive jump went horribly wrong.

Due to faulty ropes, Holmes’ main and reserve parachutes

failed to deploy sending him spiraling out of control

towards certain death.

However, thanks to a blackberry bush,

Holmes was able to survive the fall

with only a punctured lung and a shattered ankle.

This horrifying experience was all captured on camera.

Here it is….

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Did You Know? – Fasab’s Fabulous Fact Feast!

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureucracy”

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Another fabulous fact feast on the fasab blog.

Hope there are a few things in here that are new and interesting for you.

Enjoy.

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did you know2

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Pepsi-Cola was originally called “Brad’s Drink.”

Brad's Drink

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Most supermarkets place their bakery areas near the entrance

because studies have shown that the aroma of fresh-baked goods

makes customers spend more money.

bakery-supermarket

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Although most people think that it was a spin-off from the telephone,

the first fax machine was actually invented over 25 years before the telephone.

first-fax-machine

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The Kentucky Derby is also known as the Run for the Roses.

KentuckyDerbyRace

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Not all comets are as “regular” as Halley’s Comet.

Astronomers believe that Comet West,

which last visited our neighborhood in 1975-76,

won’t be seen again for another half-million years.

comet_west_1976

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In 1835, John Wilkes Booth’s father Junius

threatened to kill President Andrew Jackson.

Junius Brutus Booth

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Cashews are related to poison ivy.

Cashews

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The fortune cookie was invented in the early 20th century

by Makato Hagiwara, who designed the Japanese Tea Garden

in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

He intended the cookie to be a snack for people walking through the garden.

fortune cookie

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Bubble gum is pink because when it was invented,

pink was the only food dye on hand.

bubble_gum

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The first skyjacking occurred in 1931 in the skies above Peru.

Two rebel soldiers forced the pilot of a Fokker F-27 to fly them over Lima

so they could drop propaganda pamphlets onto the city.

Fokker_F-27

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Teddy Roosevelt’s first wife and mother

died on the same day in the same house.

The day was Valentine’s Day of 1884.

Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt

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The “Crows Nest” on a ship

(the basket near the top of the mast)

used to actually contain a crow.

The ships navigator would use one of the birds as a guide in bad weather,

since they invariably flew towards land.

ship_crows_nest

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Only 1% of all the readily accessible water on earth is drinkable.

potable water

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In 1557, European doctors recommended smoking

to combat bad breath and cancer.

woman_multiple_cigarettes1

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In the 1904 Olympics, American gymnast George Eyser

faired quite well, winning six medals

even though his left leg was made of wood.

George Eyser

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Al Capone’s brother was a cop.

al-capone

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The Orange River in southern Africa

isn’t named for the fruit or the color;

it’s named for the Dutch royal family

who sent explorers to “discover” the area.

Orange-River

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The Haskell Free Library and Opera House

straddles the Canadian and Vermont border.

The actors perform in Canada

while most of the audience sits in the United States.

There is even a painted line running through the building.

Haskell Free Library and Opera House, Quebec-Vermont border

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The phrase “going commando” originated during the Vietnam War,

a time when American troops spent extended periods of time in hot, humid jungles.

Wearing tight-fitting undergarments reduced ventilation

and increased the risk of fungal infections in the groin area.

going-commando

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Generally, the higher a dog’s cholesterol,

the more likely they are to chase their tail.

Especially if they’re female!

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Did You Know? The Fact File Reveals More Random Facts.

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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Fascinating facts never seem to come to an end, thank goodness.

Here is the latest selection from the fasab files. Always random, but I hope always interesting, there has to be at least one thing in here that you didn’t know.

Enjoy finding out.

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The Lion King is the top grossing Disney movie of all-time

with domestic gross intake of $312 million.

Lion King

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The winter and summer seasons on Uranus

last the equivalent of 21 Earth years.

uranus-planet

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‘Cow’ is a Japanese brand of shaving foam.

Cow-Soap Shaving Cream

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The Nobel prizes (in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine,

Literature, and Peace) were first awarded in 1901.

first-nobel-prize

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The idea of Christmas cards was invented

by Englishman Henry Cole in 1843.

xmas card

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Before its name was changed, the ‘African’ Penguin

used be called the ‘Jackass’ Penguin

because of its donkey-like braying call.

penguin 1

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The largest diamond that was ever found was 3106 carats.

cullinan-diamond-I

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More than $1 billion is spent each year on neck ties in the United States.

neckties

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Ballroom dancing is a course at

Brigham Young University in Utah.

Ballroom1

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New York’s famous Central Park has 125 drinking fountains.

drinking fountain

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Before soccer referees started using whistles in 1878,

they used to rely on waving a handkerchief.

referee handkerchief

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Jackrabbits (or Hares) can reach a speed of fifty miles per hour

and can leap as far as twenty feet.

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Cheesecake was invented in Ancient Greece

and served to athletes at the very first Olympic Games.

cheesecake

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As a rule, European carousels rotate clockwise,

while American merry-go-rounds spin counterclockwise.

carousel merrygoround

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In a study conducted regarding toilet paper usage,

Americans are said to use the most toilet paper per trip to the bathroom,

which was seven sheets of toilet paper per trip.

toilet paper

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The trunk of an elephant can hold up to two gallons of water.

elephant_spraying_water_trunk

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In the movie “Babe”, the piglet was played by

over 30 different piglets as they outgrew the part so quickly

during the production of the film.

Babe

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There are more Barbie dolls in Italy

than there are Canadians in Canada.

Italy-Barbie-Doll

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Bird droppings are the chief export of Nauru,

an island nation in the Western Pacific.

bird-poop-art-car

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Despite the horrific display, nearly two-thirds of those

aboard the LZ 129 Hindenburg survived its fiery crash in 1937.

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Did You Know? Another Twenty Fascinating Facts.

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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Another round of twenty fascinating facts for you to survey.

Random as ever there is sure to be something in here that you didn’t know.

Enjoy.

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did you know3

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Duct tape was developed in 1942 for use by the U.S. Army

as a waterproof sealing tape for ammunition boxes.

Duct tape

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There is a Librarian of Congress.

librarian_of_congress_billington

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Because they were unable to prevent the use of the word “spam”

to represent unwanted email messages,

the Hormel company now uses all-capital letters

in referencing its canned pork product.

SPAM

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The phrase “goody two shoes” comes from a fable

written in 1766 by Oliver Goldsmith

about a poor little girl who could only afford one shoe.

goody two shoes

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Aardvark is Afrikaans for earth pig

Aardvark

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Wrigley’s gum was the first product with

a bar code to be scanned at a supermarket.

gum barcode

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Michael Jackson attempted to buy Marvel Comics in the 1990s

because he wanted to play Spiderman.

Michael Jackson Spiderman

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M&M’s stands for Mars and Murrie’s

the last names of the candy’s founders.

M&M_mascots

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Hitler and Napoleon had only one testicle

(each, of course, that is!)

napoleon and hitler

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The speed of sound must be exceeded

to produce a sonic boom.

sonic boom

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41% of women apply body or hand moisturizer

a minimum three times a day

skin-moisturizers-1

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One gallon of used motor oil can ruin approximately

one million gallons of fresh water.

water

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The American Automobile association was formed in 1905

for the sole purpose of warning motorists of police speed traps.

American Automobile Association logo

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One Neptune year lasts 165 Earth years.

neptune

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Former U.S. President Franklin Pierce was arrested

during his term as President

for running over an old lady with his horse,

but the charges were later dropped.

Franklin Pierce

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NASDAQ stand for,

“National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations.”

NASDAQ

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The revolving door was invented in 1888,

by Theophilus Van Kannel.

Revolving_Door

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The Golden Gate Bridge was first opened in 1937.

golden-gate-bridge-at-night2

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The first email was sent out by Ray Tomlinson in 1971

ray-tomlinson-first-email

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The song “Strawberry Fields Forever” sung by the Beatles

refers to an orphanage located in Liverpool.

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Did You Know? More Interesting Facts To Ponder

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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Another delve into the fasab fact file today.

If you are interested in facts, information or trivia there will hopefully be something in here for you.

Enjoy.

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did you know5 

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The first Ford cars had Dodge engines.

1903 Ford Model A

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The oldest known goldfish lived to 43 years of age.

Its name was Tish.

oldest goldfish

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There are only thirteen blimps in the world.

Nine of them are in the United States.

blimp_Goodyear

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In 1967, the IMAX film system was invented by Canadians

Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor, Robert Kerr, and William C. Shaw

and premiered at Expo 67.

IMAX-home-theater

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Texas is also the only state that is allowed to fly its state flag

at the same height as the U.S. flag.

Texas Flag

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The typical lead pencil can draw a line

that is thirty five miles long

Pencils_hb

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Pollsters say that 40 percent of dog and cat owners

carry pictures of the pets in their wallets.

Pet-Care-Dog

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A meteor has only destroyed one satellite,

which was the European Space Agency’s Olympus in 1993.

olympus

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The average American drinks about 600 sodas a year.

sodas

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When Queen Elizabeth I of England died

she owned over 3,000 gowns

elizabethan gown

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The smallest man ever was Gul Mohammed (1957-1997) of India,

who measured 1 feet, 10 inches

gul-mohammed

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Before the fur trade had started in Canada,

it was estimated that there were over 6 million beavers

beaver

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In 1962, the first Wal-Mart opened up in Rogers, Arkansas

walmarts-first-ad

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The Saguaro Cactus, found in South-western United States

does not grow branches until it is 75 years old.

Saguaro Cactus

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Japan has approximately 200 volcanoes

and is home to 10% of the active volcanoes in the world

volcano-mt-asama-tokyo

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The Dutch people are known to be

the tallest people in Europe

holland tall people

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The word Nike comes from Greek Mythology.

Nike is the goddess of victory and was often depicted

as a small winged figure carried by the goddess Athene.

Nike

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The long fibers that are found in the banana plant

can make paper approximately 3000 times stronger than regular paper.

banana-paper-notebook

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The city of Seoul has been the capital city of Korea

for more than 600 years

Seoul-South-Korea

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In Ivrea, Italy, thousands of citizens celebrate the beginning of Lent

by throwing oranges at one another.

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