15 Facts About History, Animals, and Muppets

Cookie Monster's first name isn't "Cookie?"
15 Facts About History, Animals, and Muppets

What’s one thing you know about flamingos? They’re inherently pink right? Buddy, I can’t even begin to explain how wrong you are. Okay, I’ll give you an easier one: which country needlessly rebranded a common food as “liberty cabbage” in World War I? It’s gotta be America, right? Sorry pal, you’re 0 for 2! Okay, how did the winner of The Mobile Phone Throwing World Championship prepare for the event? Okay, sure, “mainly drinking.” That one was easy. 

You know what? You’re not so bad. I think you and I could have been friends, had we met under different circumstances. I’m gonna give you a fact for free: there’s a mineral called cummingtonite. Pretty neat, right? Oh, I’m sorry, you’d like to know why there’s a mineral called cummingtonite? Sorry muchacho, not in my opening paragraph. 

Best I can do is a fact that has more context, but whose context doesn’t really enhance that new fact feeling. Ready? This is coming at great personal expense, by the way:

Pugs are older than Jesus.

Okay partner, go on ahead and enjoy those facts now. You’ve earned it.

Flamingos get their color from their diet.

Flamingos are born a gray color. CRACKED.COM It's their diet of brine shrimp and algae that turns them pink.

Source: BBC

A stranger left Charles Bronson all their money.

A woman left actor Charles Bronson all of her money in her will. CRACKED.COM She had never met the actor, but was such a fan of his work she left him $300,000 in 1997.

Source: NY Post

People in India read the most on the planet.

People in India spend more time reading than any other country. GRACKED COM On average, people in India spend 10 hours and 42 minutes a week reading. Thailand comes in second with 9 hours and 42 minutes a week.

Source: LA Times

A solar eclipse stopped a war 2,500 years ago.

A solar eclipse helped end a six-year war in 585 ВСЕ. CRACKED.COM When the sky suddenly darkened during a battle between the Lydians and the Medes in modern Turkey, soldiers took it as a sign to cease fighting.

Source: Wired

"Freedom fries" were not the first time we got dumb with naming things.

During WWI, German measles were called liberty measles. CRACKED.COM The German dachshund breed also became liberty hounds, and sauerkraut was called liberty cabbage.

Source: Digital History

There are many amazing things to find in Cummingto.

There is a mineral named Cummingtonite. CRACKED.COM Named after the town of Cummingto, МА, this fibrous, monoclinic amphibole has a 5-6 hardness level and cleavage described as good on.

Source: BoingBoing

Benedict Cumberbatch is related to King Richard.

Benedict Cumberbatch is the second cousin, 16 times removed, of King Richard III. CRACKED.COM Cumberbatch also happened to play Richard III in the 2016 BBC miniseries, The Hollow Crown.

Source: The Guardian

People walked toe-to-heel in medieval times.

People walked differently in medieval times. CRACKED.COM They stepped with the ball of the foot first to check the ground for debris, perhaps because well-soled shoes were hard to come by.

Source: BoingBoing

Albert Einstein partly inspired Yoda's look.

Yoda was partly modeled after a photo of Albert Einstein. CRACKED.COM Makeup supervisor and special effects artist Stuart Freeborn was heavily influenced by a picture of Einstein which was hung on a wall in his office.

Source: NY Times

We can't help but sound out the words in our heads.

Your inner voice triggers muscle movement in your voice box. KILLSH adidas adidas AC FOR LIVE IGUM AN ALS CRACKED.COM When your inner voice speaks in your head, it triggers small muscle movements in your larynx.

Source: The Guardian

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