Factropolis -- A Fun Fact Every Day!

The Hubble telescope has a small Confederate flag decal affixed to the back of its solar array.

2008-10-10T08:19:00.000-04:00

See also:
- NASA

keywords: science and technology, history, government, flag, racism, civil war, stars and bars, nasa, space, satellite, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia

Although he never received credit, Humphrey Bogart composed much of the music in the film "High Sierra."

2008-10-09T08:12:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Official site of Humphrey Bogart
- The films of Humphrey Bogart

keywords: entertainment, famous people, film, movie star, hollywood, african queen, orchestral score, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia

The Shroud of Turin was stored in an empty wine cask for almost 50 years.

2008-10-08T08:08:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Shroud of Turin

keywords: history, religion, christianity, jesus christ, religious artifact, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia

Attila the Hun wore a toupee.

2008-10-07T08:01:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Ancient history

keywords: history, famous people, mongolia, mongols, war, invaders, warrior, military, hairpiece, rug, bald, male pattern baldness, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia

Mother Teresa spent three months in a Turkish prison.

2008-10-06T22:04:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Mother Teresa Biography

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

The U.S. Constitution contains four sentence fragments.

2008-10-05T08:23:00.000-04:00

See also:
- National Archives

keywords: history, government, declaration of independence, document, united states, founding fathers, benjamin franklin, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

The fatal Apollo 1 launch pad fire was partly caused by a misprint on an engineer's slide rule.

2008-10-04T07:51:00.000-04:00

See also:
- The Apollo program

keywords: science and technology, history, space, nasa, rocket, gus grissom, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Jesus Christ once flipped a shekel when deciding whether or not to heal a leper.

2008-10-03T22:17:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Bible Encyclopedia

keywords: history, famous people, religion, culture and places, christianity, israel, jew, jewish, bible, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Liberace coined the word "mantastic."

2008-10-02T22:29:00.000-04:00

See also:
- The Liberace Foundation

keywords: entertainment, sexuality, famous people, music, musician, piano,trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Adolf Hitler had a twin brother who died at birth.

2008-10-01T07:58:00.000-04:00

See also:
- The rise of Adolph Hitler

keywords: history, famous people, nazi party, germany, world war ii, government, politics, twins, politics, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne survived a car crash, train derailment, sinking ship, house fire and a tornado before perishing in a plane crash.

2008-09-30T19:35:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Fighting Irish official site

keywords: entertainment, famous people, sports, coaching, aviation, aircraft, voss, norway, four horsemen, gipper, spirit of notre dame, fighting irish, fokker, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Cary Grant wore Old Spice cologne.

2008-09-29T08:06:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Old Spice official site

keywords: entertainment, famous people, fragrance, movie star, hollywood, film, actor, acting, smell, nose, nasal, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

The prickly pear cactus secretes an oily fluid during full moons.

2008-09-28T08:28:00.000-04:00

See also:
- USDA

keywords: nature, cacti, desert, flora, astronomy, opuntia, chollas, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

The interior of the Australian continent is sinking at a rate of 3 cm per year.

2008-09-27T06:05:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Australian Government

keywords: science and technology, nature, culture and places, earth, plate tectonics, continental drift, volcanism, australia, g'day, that ain't a knife, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

At the first Thanksgiving meal, the pilgrims ate every part of the turkey except for the feathers - the organs, blood, bones, feet and even the beak.

2008-09-26T13:47:00.001-04:00

See also:
- Pilgrim Hall Museum

keywords: history, food and drink, nature, culture and places, new world, america, holiday, meal, horn of plenty, fall, native americans, settlers, plymouth rock, mayflower, religion, puritan, harvest festival, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Mikhael Gorbachev's famous birthmark was caused by a severe case of lead poisoning he contracted as a toddler.

2008-09-25T05:47:00.000-04:00

See also:
- President Gorbachev official site

keywords: famous people, government, skin, u.s.s.r., ussr, russia, soviet union, cold war, mole, skin disorder, freckle, mikhail sergeyevich gorbachyov, general secretary of the communist party of the soviet union, communism, nobel peace prize, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Ducks can't digest rye bread.

2008-09-24T05:35:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Ducks Unlimited

keywords: food and drink, nature, mallard, muscovy, anatidae, anitidae, birds, pumpernickel, pumpernickel, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Singer Janis Joplin was a passionate and dedicated student of Kenpo Karate, earning the rank of Sandan (third-degree black belt).

2008-09-23T07:22:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Official Janis Joplin website

keywords: entertainment, famous people, culture and places, big brother and the holding company, monterey pop festival, folk music, kozmiv blues band, full tilt boogie band, martial arts, japanese, yudansha, self defense, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Instead of wearing traditional pajamas, William Randolph Hearst preferred to sleep in a starched white dress shirt and necktie.

2008-09-22T11:20:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Hearst Castle

keywords: entertainment, famous people, hearst castle, sleep, sleeping, pyjamas, wealthy american, newspaper magnate, san simeon, national historic landmark, la custa encantada, the enchanted hill, george hearst, hollywood, patty hearst, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

In 1981, a waterspout on the Mediterranean Sea picked up a 75-foot schooner and carried it 400 yards. Everyone aboard was killed.

2008-09-21T11:37:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Mediterranean Yachting

keywords: leisure, nature, storm, tornado, wreck, yacht, sail, boat, boating, maritime, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

General George Patton was an accomplished taxidermist who contributed a variety of specimens to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

2008-09-20T10:23:00.000-04:00

See also:
- National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.
- General George S. Patton Jr. Biography

keywords: science and technology, history, famous people, nature, government, war, world war i, world war ii, warfare, virginia military institute, west point, mammals, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

The factory where the Model T Ford was produced had no restroom facilities.

2008-09-19T23:08:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Ford Motor Company
- The Model T

keywords: science and technology, history, auto, automobile production, industrial revolution, assembly line, car, henry ford, ford motor company, tin lizzie, flivver, piquette plant, antique, vintage, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

During the early part of her career, chef Julia Child kept her kitchen strictly kosher.

2008-09-18T10:36:00.000-04:00

See also:
- Kosher kitchen rules

keywords: entertainment, food and drink, famous people, religion, cook, cooking, chef, food preparation, rabbinical law, kashrut, keeping kosher, halakha, kashér, torah, hebrew dietary laws, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Violent inmates in Colombia's largest prison undergo hourly body cavity searches.

2008-09-17T05:49:00.000-04:00

See also:
- CIA World Factbook: Colombia

keywords: government, crime, criminal, jail, handcuffs, prison bitch, cell, rectum, smuggle, weapon, shiv, shank, cartel, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

An ancient Greek manuscript found in a burial mound in Antioch contains technical diagrams for a rudimentary rocket powered by olive oil.

2008-09-16T06:18:00.000-04:00

See also:
- International Olive Oil Council

keywords: science and technology, history, food and drink, greece, culture and places, war, weapon, military, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day