40 Random Bits of Trivia We Recite in the Mirror Every Morning Like a Self-Affirmation

40 Random Bits of Pop-Culture Trivia We Left in the Air Fryer Too Long

37 Random Bits of Trivia That Are Sure to Help Win That Free Order of Jalapeño Poppers on Trivia Night

Jesse Eisenberg Needs ‘Social Network’ Fans to Understand That He’s Not Mark Zuckerberg Now More Than Ever

40 Random Bits of Classic Movie and TV Trivia That Give Boomers and Gen Xers A Leg Up on Trivia Night

31 Hidden Gems That Prove There Are Cathedrals Everywhere for Those Who Have Eyes To See Them

You probably even missed a few on your way to this list

31 Hidden Gems That Prove There Are Cathedrals Everywhere for Those Who Have Eyes To See Them

September 17, 2024

We’ve all heard that ignorance can be pretty blissful. It definitely is for stuff like the number of pizza slices we’ve eaten in our lifetime, or the number of hours we’ve clocked playing video games. But when we heard of the countless real-life Easter eggs going undetected every day, our blissful little lives were shattered.

We can no longer stroll idly by while other hawk-eyed individuals have all the fun. And to help burst you out of the ignorance shell you probably don't even know you’re in, here’s our first batch of secret goodies!

Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox.

31

JEEP'S SECRET COPILOTS Since 2011, designers have been installing these little companions, mainly in Wranglers, Cherokees, and Renegades. CIAO Bilingual ЗАВУ! spider, take the wheel! CRACKED.COM — Source

30

The 7 Noses of London There are 7 sculptures of artist Rick Buckley's own schnoz hiding around central London. ABY STREET WELCOME CRACKED COM Here's hoping Banksy one-ups him and installs giant truck nuts on Big Ben. — Source

29

The 15th Century Geek Chapel CRACKED.COM When the Chapelle de Bethléem underwent a massive facelift in the 1990s, stoneworkers snuck in a few sci-fi busts among the 28 gargoyles they installed. — Source

28

31 Hidden Gems That Prove There Are Cathedrals Everywhere for Those Who Have Eyes To See Them — Source

27

CRACKED Giotto's 13th century frescoes in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi had a hidden secret for centuries - nobody could get up high enough to spot a side-on portrait of Satan hidden in the clouds. — Source

26

Hidden Gems

CRACKED Hans Holbein's The Ambassadors contains one of the art world's better-known but also super-rad Easter eggs - a mysterious diagonal blur on the floor is actually a giant skull that only becomes clear if you stand way off to the right. — Source

25

CRACKED Georges Seurat's Young Woman Powdering Herself depicts his lover, Madeleine Knoblauch, painted using his pointillism technique. The odd-looking window was originally a mirror showing the artist himself, but he painted over it after a friend made fun of him. — Source

24

CRACKED In his 1595 portrait of Bacchus, the god of wine, Caravaggio snuck in a minute self-portrait as a reflection in a carafe of wine. It took centuries for the miniature cameo to be spotted. — Source

23

Many cathedrals have a cruciform plan; that is, if CRACKED.COM you see them from above (as God would), they look like a cross. Washington National Chartres Cathedral, Cathedral, USA France Peterborough Amiens Cathedral, Cathedral, UK France — Source

22

The U.S. CYBER COMMAND STATES Cyber Command UNITED emblem contains a hidden code. ~ When cracked, the 9 32 character string م ~ translates into the unit's (lengthy) mission statement: USCYBERCOM plans, coordinates, integrates, synchronizes and conducts activities to... ensure US/Allied freedom of action in cyberspace and deny the same to our adversaries. GRAGKED.COM — Source

21

20

19

18

31 Hidden Gems That Prove There Are Cathedrals Everywhere for Those Who Have Eyes To See Them — Source

17

Radio City Music Hall has a swanky apartment. Radio City built it for its first impresario, Samuel Roxy Rothafel, who had brought in a ton of top-shelf acts. It became his bachelor pad and party venue. And today, it could be yours - it's been kept in top shape, and is up for rent. CRACKED.COM — Source

16

A luxury apartment sits at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Gustave Eiffel had it built for himself when the tower went up, and kept it secret for a long time. He'd get offered crazy sums for a night in it, but always said no. It didn't open to the public until 2015, 90 years after he died. CRACKED.COM — Source

15

There's a creepy secret chamber inside Mt. Rushmore. Its sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, wanted Mt. Rushmore to have a Hall of Records, where historic American documents would be stored. When he died in 1941, it was unfinished. In 1998, the government put a sealed titanium vault with copies of important documents in there. So he kinda got his wish. CRACKED.COM — Source

14

Disney World is hiding an abandoned island. Disney used it as a wildlife observatory, but shut it down in 1999 when they opened Animal Kingdom and moved all the animals there. Today, it's an overgrown jungle of empty animal cages, ruled by vultures (the actual kind, not the cartoon Disney kind). CRACKED.COM — Source

13

The Empire State Building

The highest floor of the Empire State Building is reserved for a chosen few. The 103rd floor, which is so secret it's usually not listed, is only open to the rich and/or famous. It's a small observatory with 360-degree views. Almost no sounds reach it, so there's near-total silence. CRACKED.COM — Source

12

The clock tower Harry Potter flew over has a fancy apartment. Inside the St. Pancras clock tower, there's an apartment with ridiculously high ceilings and two bedrooms. Unfortunately, since it's literally on top of a train station, neither bedroom can give you a good night's sleep. CRACKED.COM — Source

11

There are three tiny flagpoles on the Capitol. They're used for the Capitol Flag Program, through which you can buy flags flown over the Capitol. The flags fly on one of these flagpoles, not the real flagpole, for all of 30 seconds before they're packed and shipped. CRACKED.COM — Source

10

PUTTING THE TOP ON THE CHRYSLER BUILDING IN A FLASH It only took 90 minutes to put the CHRYSLER BUILDING's 27-ton steel spire in place, which was the last step to make it the world's tallest building in 1929. CRACKED — Source

9

Bermuda Roofs

CRACKED ROOFS THAT COLLECT RAINWATER BERMUDA ROOFS are made of stone and have a stepped shape that helps collect rainwater and store it for later use. They're designed to be strong enough to withstand hurricane-force winds, keep homes cool, and last for centuries. — Source

8

CRACKED CAT LADDERS In Bern, Switzerland, it's common to see CAT LADDERS, shelves and other designs that are made specifically for cats. These features are built into the architecture of public spaces, creating a community for cats and their owners. — Source

7

CAMOUFLAGED OIL DERRICKS IN L.A. The OIL RIGS scattered across L.A. are usually hidden so they don't stand out too much. For example, the Tower of Hope at Beverly Hills High School was covered with art to make it look like it was part of the scenery. CRACKED — Source

6

TURNING PUBLIC SPACE INTO PRIVATE WITH TELEPHONE POLES An ERUV is a symbolic boundary created by connecting public telephone poles with cables, making the poles look like a series of doorways. That way, public space becomes private, making Shabbath observance easier. CRACKED — Source

5

CRACKED SKYSCRAPERS THAT ABSORB EARTHQUAKE ENERGY In Japan, skyscrapers are built to be able to WITHSTAND EARTHQUAKES. 1230 They use different techniques, like seismic isolation, motion dampers, and mesh structures, to absorb the energy of the earthquake 101 and reduce the shaking. — Source

4

CRACKED COLOR MARKINGS FOR UNDERGROUND UTILITIES There's a COLOR CODE to mark underground utilities. Red stands for electric power lines, orange for phone, alarm, or signal lines, yellow for natural gas, purple for reclaimed water, pink for survey markings, and white for excavation limits or routes. — Source

3

CRACKED RAILROAD RAILS IN SKYSCRAPER FOUNDATIONS Chicago's MONADNOCK BUILDING is one of the most massive skyscrapers still standing. Its foundation is made up of steel railroad rails and concrete, which helps spread out the weight of the building and stops it from sinking into the marshy ground. — Source

2

CRACKED HOLES THAT LET OWLS CATCH RODENTS IN BARNS For centuries, people have been creating holes in barns to INVITE BARN OWLS to live there and help get rid of pests. This creates a mutually beneficial relationship between humans and the owls. — Source

1

STAR BOLTS THAT KEEP THE BUILDING TOGETHER Metal stars on older brick buildings aren't just decorative. METAL STAR BOLTS are often used to help keep the walls connected to the floor and roof beams. This helps to make the building more stable and less likely to collapse. CRACKED — Source

Tags:

Visual

Scroll down for the next article

Must Read

Movies & TV

The New Sitcom ‘Clean Slate’ Tells A Trans Story Right When It’s Needed the Most

Trivia & Jokes

12 Farm-Fresh Trivia Tidbits for Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Science & History

40 Deceitful Myths and Misconceptions That’ll Have You Second-Guessing Your Entire Life

Movies & TV

The Worst Passengers on ‘The Love Boat,’ According to the Crew

Trivia & Jokes

33 of the Funniest Tweets from Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Movies & TV

The Top TV Comedies That Need to Cast Joe Biden Now That He’s With CAA

VIRAL ON CRACKED

1

40 Random Bits of Pop-Culture Trivia We Left in the Air Fryer Too Long

2

22 'Hilarious' Characters Who Actually Deserve Your Pity

3

40 Random Bits of Classic Movie and TV Trivia That Give Boomers and Gen Xers A Leg Up on Trivia Night

4

40 Deceitful Myths and Misconceptions That’ll Have You Second-Guessing Your Entire Life

5

33 of the Funniest Tweets from Tuesday, February 4, 2025