Fact of the day thread

[Pete]

Today's fact. The Spangler Candy Company chose to name their famous lollipops “Dum Dums” because it was a word that was easy for any kid to say.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, publicly is the most commonly misspelled word in the English language.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. King Charles III technically owns all the dolphins in UK waters.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. A study done by the University of Glasgow found that dogs appear to prefer reggae and soft rock over other genres of music.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. Winston Churchill's mother was born in Brooklyn.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. Spike, the four-legged star of Old Yeller, was adopted from a California animal shelter—reportedly for just $3.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. At one point in the 1990s it was estimated that 50 percent of all CDs produced worldwide were for AOL. I wouldn't be surprised. I used to get AOL CD's in the mail all the time.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. The shark on the Jaws and the T.Rex on the Jurassic Park poster were both modeled after exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. Unconsciously, native English speakers say adjectives preceding nouns in a specific order: opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, and purpose. It's why saying "old green metal chairs" sounds normal, but "metal green old chairs" sounds weird.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. At the Wife Carrying World Championships in Finland, first prize is the wife's weight in beer.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. Dolphin calves are typically born tail first, rather than head first, so they don’t drown during the birthing process.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. Christopher Walken worked as a lion tamer in his youth.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. Jim Carrey was the first actor to have three number one movies in one year.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. Madam C.J. Walker is thought to be America’s first self-made female millionaire. Born to sharecroppers in 1867, she made her fortune selling beauty products for black women.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. The first pair of Nike running shoes was made in a waffle iron.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. The letter “Q” is the only letter of the alphabet that does not appear in any U.S. territory or state name.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. TASER is an acronym: It stands for 'Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle.'

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. The Mall of America has its own ZIP code. (It’s 55425.)

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. Hay-on-Wye in Wales is the used book capital of the world. It’s home to the famous Honesty Bookshop: an outdoor book market with a collection box in place of a cashier.

 

[Pete]

Today's fact. Duncan Hines was a real person. He was a popular restaurant critic who also wrote a book of hotel recommendations.