Famous Typos in History: The Greatest Proofreading Disasters Ever Printed
Discover famous typos and proofreading disasters that changed Bibles, dictionaries, laws, headlines, and publishing history.
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A Very Big Piece of Pi
Read more: A Very Big Piece of PiDaniel Tammett first came to worldwide prominence on March 14th, 2004 – otherwise known as Pi Day (3/14). To raise money for an epilepsy foundation, Tammett spent five straight hours reciting the numeric value of pi to the 22,514th decimal place, all from memory. Tammett, an epileptic, had picked up his remarkable memorization skills after…
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The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower
Read more: The Man Who Sold the Eiffel TowerVictor Lustig was one of the most successful con men of all time.
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Revenge of the Nerds: The Epic MIT Prank on Harvard and Yale You Don’t Want to Miss
Read more: Revenge of the Nerds: The Epic MIT Prank on Harvard and Yale You Don’t Want to MissDiscover how students pulled off an epic MIT prank on Harvard during the 1982 Harvard-Yale football game. Watch the video and learn why engineers are the ultimate pranksters!
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Man in the Moon? Maybe… But Two-Legged Beavers?
Read more: Man in the Moon? Maybe… But Two-Legged Beavers?In 1835 the world was gripped by the news that life had been discovered on the moon. Was it true?
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No Lonely Guinea Pigs
Read more: No Lonely Guinea PigsIn Switzerland, it is illegal to keep just one guinea pig. If you have one, you must have a second to go with it. Read about more strange laws. Read more fun facts about animals.
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Rasputin — the Mad Monk Who Wouldn’t Die
Read more: Rasputin — the Mad Monk Who Wouldn’t DieGrigori Rasputin, the Mad Monk, was poisoned, but he didn’t die. So he went after the guys who poisoned him, and they stabbed him. He still didn’t die and kept going after the assassins, so they shot him and thought they had finished him. His eyes opened and he lunged for one of the assassins…
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The Great Spaghetti Tree Hoax of 1957: When the BBC Left Viewers Stranded on a Noodle-Laden Limb
Read more: The Great Spaghetti Tree Hoax of 1957: When the BBC Left Viewers Stranded on a Noodle-Laden LimbIn 1957, the BBC executed the legendary Spaghetti Tree Hoax, convincing viewers that spaghetti grew on trees in Switzerland. The segment, featuring credible narration, sparked a flurry of inquiries from the public seeking to cultivate their own spaghetti trees. This prank reflects a bygone era of media influence and trust.
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Unpleasant Reminders of War
Read more: Unpleasant Reminders of WarAbout 5,500 unexploded bombs left over from World War II are uncovered each year in Germany. source
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Taking a Gamble With Town Politics
Read more: Taking a Gamble With Town PoliticsIn 2011 Granen, a small Spanish town on the brink of economic collapse, bet in the world’s largest lottery and won €700 million ($761,110,000). source
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Holy Cow!
Read more: Holy Cow!The most money ever paid for a cow in an auction was $1.3 million. source
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Get Out of the Way… And Get in Tune!
Read more: Get Out of the Way… And Get in Tune!Until the mid-1960s most American car horns were tuned to the musical notes of E-flat or C. Since then, many manufacturers have moved up on the scale to notes F-sharp and A-sharp.
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Does This Hat Make My Brain Look Fat?
Read more: Does This Hat Make My Brain Look Fat?Canadian researchers have found that Albert Einstein’s brain was 15% wider than normal.
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Social Distancing For Toothbrushes
Read more: Social Distancing For ToothbrushesDentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet (2 m) away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush. source
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The Word is “Lethol….” Wait a Minute — I Can’t Remember….
Read more: The Word is “Lethol….” Wait a Minute — I Can’t Remember….The word lethologica describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want.
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Rhode Island: Smallest State With Longest Name
Read more: Rhode Island: Smallest State With Longest NameRhode Island is the smallest state with the longest state name. The official name, used on all state documents, is “Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.” Update: On November 3, 2020, the state’s voters approved a constitutional amendment that formally drops “and Providence Plantations” from the state’s official name.
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