Factropolis -- A Fun Fact Every Day!

Walt Disney was supposed to be on board the B-25 bomber that crashed into the Empire State Building on July 28, 1945.

2010-03-19T09:25:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Empire State Building Official Site

keywords: entertainment, history, famous people, near death, missed flight, airplane crash, billy mitchell, us army air corps, lt. col. william f. smith, national catholic welfare council, skyscraper, tall building, new york city, trivia, fact of the day, fun fact

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis owned an extensive collection of beer cans from around the world.

2010-03-18T22:04:00.000-04:00

See also:
- The Brickskeller

keywords: entertainment, history, food and drink, famous people, government, jacqueline lee bouvier kennedy onassis, president, jfk, first lady, jackie o, alcohol, john f. kennedy, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Shirley Jackson's classic short story "The Lottery" was inspired by a ritual practiced in a small village in India in the 1600s.

2010-03-17T23:07:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Classic Shorts: The Lottery

keywords: entertainment, literature, books, stoning, the new yorker, culture and places, government, trivia, fact of the day, fun fact

High blood pressure is the leading cause of early death among Amish men.

2010-03-16T22:57:00.001-04:00

See also:
- Religious Tolerance

keywords: religion, nature, culture and places, heart, disease, ailment, stress, german, anabaptist christian, beard but no moustache, amisch, pennsylvania dutch, mennonites, electricity, farm, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

In 1923, parts of China's rural Heilongjiang province experienced a severe thunderstorm during which thousands of cobras fell from the sky.

2010-03-15T09:38:00.000-04:00

See also:
- China's Provinces and Municipalities

keywords: history, nature, culture and places, snakes, poisonous, venomous, viper, weather, plague, hei, rain, lightning, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia

The number of axe murders has dropped every year in the United States since 1970, while machete murders have nearly quadrupled.

2010-03-14T09:15:00.001-04:00

See also:
- FBI Crime Reports

keywords: death, murder, crime, macabre, kill, ax, true crime, forensic, forensics, blade, trivia, fact of the day, fun fact

President Abraham Lincoln and his assassin John Wilkes Booth shared an uncommon musical ability – both men were harmonica virtuosos.

2010-03-13T07:08:00.001-05:00

See also:
- The White House: Lincoln

keywords: entertainment, history, famous people, government, actor, ford's theatre, mary todd, slavery, emancipation proclomation, civil war, our american cousin, musical instrument, music, reed, meisel and langhammer, hohner, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

The Burmese military keeps seven Bengal tigers, called "war tigers," rumored to be trained for combat. They are often used in ceremonial processions.

2010-03-12T09:15:00.001-05:00

See also:
- Myanmar.com

keywords: nature, culture and places, government, myanmar, endangered species, animals, cats, felines, asia, junta, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia

Queen Victoria wore a bridal veil made from human hair.

2010-03-11T07:10:00.001-05:00

See also:
- History of the Monarchy

keywords: history, famous people, government, england, united kingdom, royal, royalty, empress of india, british monarch, prince albert, wedding, fashion, clothing, fact of the day, trivia, fun fact

Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee lost control of his bladder while surrendering to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox.

2010-03-10T17:25:00.001-05:00

See also:
- Appomattox Court House

keywords: history, famous people, government, american civil war, appomattox court house, west point, military, fact of the day, fun fact, trivia

Salvador Dali broke his jaw while putting his fist in his mouth as a party trick. He was trying to impress the woman who would later become his wife.

2010-03-09T17:16:00.003-05:00

See also:
- Salvador Dali Art Gallery

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Spanish law forbids persons with narcolepsy from operating motorcycles or mopeds.

2010-03-08T16:50:00.000-05:00

See also:
- Ministery of Interior: Spain

keywords: culture and places, government, spain, transportation, disease, motorbike, drive, driver, travel, tour, narcoleptic, dmv, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia

Reptiles are unable to experience dizziness.

2010-03-07T09:36:00.000-05:00

See also:
- Reptiles.com

keywords: nature, lizard, snake, tetrapods, amniotes, cold-blooded, reptilia, iguana, anole, bearded dragon, savannah monitor, trivia, fact of the day, fun fact

A London orphanage was demolished to clear a plot for the famous Globe Theatre, where many of Shakespeare's plays were first performed.

2010-03-06T21:53:00.000-05:00

See also:
- Shakespeare's Globe

keywords: entertainment, history, famous people, culture and places, orphan, stage, theater, 1599, southwark, thames, lord chamberlain's men, burbage, william shakespeare, fact of the day, fun fact, trivia

The original Manhattan cocktail was garnished with a drop of blood.

2010-03-05T19:59:00.000-05:00

See also:
- Drinksmixer

keywords: entertainment, food and drink, whisky, sweet vermouth, bitters, jennie jerome, samuel j. tilden, mixology, alcohol, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia

President Grover Cleveland was rumored to have had a foot fetish.

2010-03-04T06:49:00.000-05:00

See also:
- The White House

keywords: history, sexuality, famous people, government, president of the united states, democrat, pullman strike, white house, mayor of buffalo, mugwumps, frances clara folsum, shoes, haymarket riot, dawes act, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

In a Cold War coincidence, an American spy and a Russian spy were both given the same code name: "Platypus."

2010-03-03T06:42:00.000-05:00

See also:
- The Cold War Museum

keywords: history, culture and places, government, kgb, cia, secret service, spying, surveillance, espionage, russia, u.s.s.r., soviet union, kremlin, washington, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, who popularized the guillotine in France, lost his left hand in the device.

2010-03-02T06:29:00.000-05:00

See also:
- History of the Guillotine

keywords: science and technology, history, famous people, culture and places, government, amputation, death penalty, execution, death, capital punishment, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Narwhals can crawl over dry land for distances of up to 50 yards.

2010-03-01T06:22:00.000-05:00

See also:
- Narwhal.org

keywords: nature, whales, mammals, horn, mermaid, sailing, ocean, sea, cetacean, narhval, moon whale, reamfish, tusk, monodon monoceros, arctic, trivia, fact of the day, fun fact

In the pilot of the classic television sitcom "Mister Ed," the talking horse was played by a mare.

2010-02-28T18:25:00.000-05:00

See also:
- IMDB: The Internet Movie Database

keywords: entertainment, animals, TV, nature, nick at nite, mr. ed, bamboo harvester, american saddlebred, allan "rocky" lane, a horse is a horse, of course, of course, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Louis Armstrong's first trumpet was stolen from his hotel room in New York City in 1926. Thirty years later, he found it in a Detroit pawn shop.

2010-02-27T20:46:00.000-05:00

See also:
- Satchmo.net

keywords: entertainment, music, history, famous people, culture and places, hot five and hot seven, satchmo, pops, cornet, american jazz, new orleans, dixieland, singing, scat, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia

The pope's official barber, who cuts only the pope's hair, earns an annual salary equivalent to $250,000 (US).

2010-02-26T06:06:00.000-05:00

See also:
- The Papacy: An Encyclopedia

keywords: famous people, religion, hair, grooming, vatican city, rome, scissors, catholicism, pontiff, holy see, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

NASCAR was once courted by Japanese investors in a bid to launch "NASCAR Japan," which would have featured full-sized cars driven by radio control.

2010-02-25T07:35:00.001-05:00

See also:
- NASCAR Official Site

keywords: entertainment, auto racing, automotive, culture and places, government, land of the rising sun, trivia, fact of the day, fun fact

"Bingo," which is spelled/clapped repeatedly in the traditional children's song, is actually the name of the man - not the dog.

2010-02-24T13:15:00.000-05:00

See also:
- Scout Songs Virtual Songbook

keywords: entertainment, history, folk music, B-I-N-G-O, bingo was his name-o, fireside songs, camping, rhythm, clap, clapping, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Henry VIII of England traveled to every country in the known world before his 16th birthday.

2010-02-23T07:19:00.000-05:00

See also:
- History of the Monarchy: Kings and Queens of England

keywords: history, famous people, culture and places, government, travel, traveler, henry vii, elizabeth of york, tudor dynasty, house of tudor, anne boleyn, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day