Factropolis -- A Fun Fact Every Day!

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.

2010-03-09T17:16:00.002-05:00

See also:
- Salvador Dali Art Gallery

keywords: entertainment, history, famous people, art, artist, courtship, moustache, helena diakonova, film, sculpture, surrealist, persistence of memory, destino, salvador domingo felipe jacinto dalí y domènech, fun fact, fact of the day, trivia

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

The Inca devised an effective method for refrigerating foods using nothing more than clay, corn husks, spring water and feces.

2010-02-22T09:40:00.000-05:00

See also:
- MNSU Latin American Prehistory

keywords: history, food and drink, incan empire, mesoamerica, culture and places, indian, spoil, preservation, machu picchu, atahualpa, scat, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

The cancellation of the short-lived NBC series "Manimal" (1983) was hastened by rumors of subliminal Satanic messages hidden within the show.

2010-02-21T09:30:00.000-05:00

See also:
- IMDB: The Internet Movie Database

keywords: entertainment, television, history, Dr. Jonathan Chase, shape-shifter, shape shifting, animal, religion, sci-fi, crime, tv, drama, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

The "M" on M&M's candies were stenciled by hand until WWII labor shortages forced the confectioner to automate the process.

2010-02-20T06:27:00.000-05:00

See also:
- The Straight Dope

keywords: entertainment, science and technology, history, food and drink, m&m's, m&ms, mandms, mandm's candy, sugar, treat, mars, cecil adams, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Johnny Cash was an avid quilter.

2010-02-19T08:24:00.000-05:00

See also:
- Johnny Cash Official Site

keywords: entertainment, famous people, quilting bee, guitar, man in black, walk the line, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Edgar Allan Poe was a volunteer firefighter.

2010-02-18T20:58:00.000-05:00

See also:
- Poe Museum

keywords: entertainment, history, food and drink, famous people, literature, fire, arson, firefighter, fireman, hook and ladder, horror, author, nevermore, the raven, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

The oldest paved road in the world is located in Turkey.

2010-02-17T20:52:00.000-05:00

See also:
- Turkey Ministry of Tourism

keywords: science and technology, history, culture and places, transportation, commute, turkish, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Civil rights activist Malcolm X owned a pet poodle named "Num-num."

2010-02-16T10:55:00.000-05:00

See also:
- Quotations by Malcolm X
- American Kennel Club

keywords: entertainment, history, famous people, religion, government, animals, pets, dog, nation of islam, black panthers, separate but equal, politics, brotherhood, malcolm little, el-hajj malik el-shabazz, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Blackbeard often fired incendiary cannonballs filled with beeswax, fat and gunpowder. They exploded upon impact, burning with the ferocity of napalm.

2010-02-15T09:03:00.000-05:00

See also:
- North Carolina Maritime Museum

keywords: science and technology, history, famous people, edward teach, queen anne's revenge, pirate, pirates, piracy, peg leg, weapons, weaponry, sea, naval, combat, war, ship, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

The modern urban slang phrase "Oh, snap!" actually originated in 18th century London.

2010-02-14T20:16:00.000-05:00

See also:
- Slang Dictionary

keywords: entertainment, history, culture and places, language, slang, hip hop culture, regency dandy, londoner, english, dictionary, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Champion sharpshooter Annie Oakley carried a purse that was rumored to be made from the tanned scalp of Sioux chief Crazy Horse.

2010-02-13T14:28:00.000-05:00

See also:
- Women in History: Annie Oakley
- Crazy Horse Memorial

keywords: history, famous people, government, old west, native american, indian, shoot, shooter, gun, sports, buffalo bill's wild west show, fort robinson, phoebe ann oakley mozee, tashunkewito, tashunca-uitco, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day