Factropolis -- A new fun fact every day!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Alligator skin is not affected by microwave radiation.


See also:
- American alligator
- How Stuff Works: Microwaves

keywords: science and technology, nature, animals, crocodile, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Tortillas were invented by the Polynesians.


See also:
- Tortilla Industry Association

keywords: history, food and drink, culture and places, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Monday, September 28, 2009

Cream cheese can be used to treat migraines.


See also:
- Characterization of Particles in Cream Cheese

keywords: science, technology, food and drink, dairy, pain, medicine, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Sunday, September 27, 2009

Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin wore a New York Yankees jersey under his flight suit during the first orbit of the Earth.


See also:
- Russian Space Web

keywords: science and technology, history, famous people, government, space, cosmonaut, nasa, russia, space race, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Saturday, September 26, 2009

Abraham Lincoln was arrested for defecating in public at the age of 17. The charge was later dismissed and his record sealed.


See also:
- Biography of Abraham Lincoln

keywords: history, famous people, government, president, lincoln, law, crime, criminal, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Friday, September 25, 2009

Field mice always sleep facing the northwest.


See also:
- Types of mice

keywords: nature, rodents, mammals, mice, mouse, pests, magnetism, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Thursday, September 24, 2009

Tutankhamen was a stutterer. His father wore a false eye made from gold and mother-of-pearl.


See also:
- National Geographic: Egypt
- Stuttering

keywords: history, famous people, culture and places, egypt, pyramids, egyptians, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Secretariat was the first racehorse to receive a complete blood transfusion.


See also:
- History of Secretariat

keywords: entertainment, science and technology, history, nature, sports, race, racing, animals, medicine, veterinarian, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The terra cotta army unearthed in Xian, China, contains a sculpture of a male soldier with large, round breasts.


See also:
- China guide

keywords: history, culture and places, asia, art, sculpture, archaeology, excavation, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Monday, September 21, 2009

Abner Doubleday was once quoted as saying "Baseball is a sport best left to charlatans and thieves."


See also:
- Baseball Library

keywords: entertainment, history, famous people, sports, baseball, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Sunday, September 20, 2009

The loser of a traditional medieval jousting match was expected to offer sexual favors to the winner.


See also:
- National Jousting Association

keywords: entertainment, history, sexuality, sports, joust, knights, medieval, castle, horses, sports, games, competition, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Saturday, September 19, 2009

Jim Henson developed an allergy to fleece.


See also:
- The Jim Henson Company

keywords: entertainment, famous people, nature, muppets, puppets, allergen, allergic, kermit the frog, miss piggy, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Friday, September 18, 2009

The preserved ears of Pope Julius II are on display in a Vatican library.


See also:
- The Vatican

keywords: history, famous people, religion, culture and places, vatican city, catholicism, catholic, christianity, christian, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Amarekaire cannibals of Peru have 17 distinct recipes for cooking a human head.


See also:
- Cannibalism

keywords: food and drink, culture and places, natives, headhunters, jungle, tribal, south america, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Ernest Hemingway wrote the first chapter of Old Man and the Sea while on the toilet.


See also:
- Hemingway Resource Center

keywords: entertainment, history, famous people, literature, writer, cuba, papa, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The game of checkers is banned in North Korea.


See also:
- CIA World Factbook: North Korea

keywords: entertainment, sports, culture and places, government, leisure, communism, board games, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Monday, September 14, 2009

The 'Maryland Chestnut Incident' of 1861 left nine people dead, one person paralyzed from the waist down and dozens of Christmas carolers behind bars.


See also:
- American Christmas Traditions

keywords: entertainment, culture, history, holiday, religion, culture and places, sing, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Sunday, September 13, 2009

Sandpaper was invented by the Hopi Indians.


See also:
- The Hopi Tribe

keywords: science and technology, history, culture and places, native americans, old west, woodworking, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Saturday, September 12, 2009

The Cat in the Hat's first name is Abraham.


See also:
- Seussville

keywords: entertainment, literature, theodor seuss geisel, cartoonist, cartoon, dr. seuss, book, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Friday, September 11, 2009

Buzz Aldrin left a Playboy magazine on the surface of the moon.


See also:
- Factropolis, The Obscure Trivia Authority

keywords: science and technology, history, famous people, sexuality, space, nasa, crater, moon, astronaut, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Thursday, September 10, 2009

Michaelangelo carved his self portait into the locks of hair on the statue of David.


See also:
- Michaelangelo di Ludovico Buonarroti

keywords: entertainment, history, famous people, religion, culture and places, sculpture, sculpt, italy, florence, art, artist, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Wednesday, September 09, 2009

The atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki wiped out a rare species of pigeon found nowhere else in the world.


See also:
- Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

keywords: science and technology, nature, culture and places, government, asia, japan, hiroshima, world war ii, nazi, weapons, nuclear, atomic, missile, birds, pets, animals, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day


Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Plato had five wives and a lifelong male companion.


See also:
- Works of Plato

keywords: history, sexuality, famous people, philosophy, philosopher, greek, greece, aristocles, socrates, platonism, platonic realism, education, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia


Monday, September 07, 2009

Chihuahuas, when placed under extreme stress, have been known to eat their young.


See also:
- American Kennel Club

keywords: nature, dog, dogs, pets, mexico, puppies, akc, westminster, breed, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia


Sunday, September 06, 2009

The world's largest health spa is located in Vatican City.


See also:
- Vatican City

keywords: religion, culture and places, pope, vatican, catholic, catholicism, europe, papal, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia


Saturday, September 05, 2009

The earliest known beverage coaster was discovered in the ruins of Pompeii.


See also:
- Vesuvius

keywords: history, food and drink, culture and places, italy, volcano, eruption, vesuvius, catastrophe, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia


Friday, September 04, 2009

Contrary to popular belief, biblical scholars say Noah's ark was likely equipped with a set of sails.


See also:
- The search for Noah's Ark

keywords: history, religion, jesus christ, christianity, mount ararat, faith, two by two, animals, boat, sea, rain, 40 days and 40 nights, old testament, bible, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia


Thursday, September 03, 2009

Mahatma Gandhi advocated the recreational use of opium.


See also:
- Gandhi Institute

keywords: history, famous people, religion, india, bapu, civil disobedience, salt march, hindu, hinduism, faith, spiritual leader, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia


Wednesday, September 02, 2009

The original prototype for the Star Trek "Enterprise" spaceship was stolen from creator Gene Roddenberry's unlocked van.


See also:
- Official site

keywords: entertainment, television, kirk, spock, trekker, trekkie, science fiction, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia


Tuesday, September 01, 2009

The five-dollar bill is slightly heavier than every other denomination of paper U.S. currency.


See also:
- U.S. Mint

keywords: government, money, lincoln, mint, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia