20 Swell Facts That We’re Super Sweet On

MTV’s ‘Clone High’ caused people in India to go on hunger strikes in protest.
20 Swell Facts That We’re Super Sweet On

This is a list of facts that are, on the face of it, utterly absurd. You might enjoy this list of interesting facts for the same reason that you would enjoy a game of charades, or maybe a riddle. The strange thing about this list is that these facts are all true. You may enjoy this list of interesting facts because you are a human being, and as such, you have an inherent desire to know what is true and what is not, and this list will help you achieve your goal. Or you may enjoy this list of interesting facts because you have an inherent desire to learn about the world, and this list will help you do that. The point is, if you like facts, this list is for you. But the facts themselves are really only the beginning. Because what makes them interesting is not their inherent truthfulness, but the way in which they reveal something deeper about the world and how we perceive it.

10% of people have an accessory spleen.

Some people have a tiny, extra spleen. CRACKED.COM Not only do 1 in every 10 people have a tiny second spleen called an accessory spleen, but also that if the main spleen is removed, the tiny second spleen can grow to function as a new spleen.

WebMD

Da Vinci’s last name is not ‘da Vinci.’

Leonardo da Vinci's full name is Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci. CRACKED.COM Leonardo's last name isn't da Vinci. It just means from Vinci as in Vinci, Florence in Italy (where he's from).

ThoughtCo

People in India went on hunger strikes over ‘Clone High.’

MTV's 'Clone High' was canceled after it sparked controversy in India. CRACKED.COM Due to its portrayal of Gandhi as a loose party an- imal, 100 people in India began a hunger strike and even a national protest where members of parlia- ment got involved.

Polygon

Cold War CIA agents communicated with their shoelaces.

During the Cold War, CIA agents communicated based on how their shoelaces were tied. GRAGKED.COM During the Cold War, the CIA hired stage magician John Mulholland to teach their covert operatives sleight-of-hand tricks and secret signals they could use in the field.

Neatorama

An almost all Japanese-American unit was the most decorated during WWII.

The most decorated American unit in WWII was almost exclusively a Japanese-American infantry regiment. CRACKED.COM The 442nd Regiment re- ceived more than 18,000 awards, including 9,500 Pur- ple Hearts, 5,200 Bronze Star Medals, 588 Silver Stars, 52 Distinguished Service Cross- es, and 7 Distinguished Unit Citations.

Hawaii Reporter

Tony Hawk wrote a book not about skateboarding.

Tony Hawk published a book called Tony Hawk's The A to Z of Skateboarding. HIGHPOINTE WE 60 MAND CRACKED.COM The book was written by British comedian Tony Hawk, who was frustrated with being mistaken for the pro-skateboarder, and contains nothing about skateboarding.

Unbound

The British had a plan to seal 6 men in a cave to watch Gibraltar during WWII.

The British planned to seal 6 men in a cave if the Axis ever captured Gibraltar during WWII. CRACKED.COM The men would be situated in a secret cave overlook- ing the harbor to secretly monitor and radio back en- emy movements. The cave had enough provisions for the men to stay for up to 7 years.

NZ Herald

A test used to determine brain damage involves pouring water into the ear.

A test used to determine brain damage involves pouring water into the ear. CRACKED.COM If you pour cold water into a per- son's ear, their eyes will move in the direction of the opposite ear. If you pour warm water into their ear, their eyes will move towards that ear. This is used to test for brain damage and is called 'ca- loric stimulation.'

Medline

Areas of France were allowed to return to nature because there are too many unexploded bombs.

Areas in Northeast France are deemed too physically and environmentally damaged by conflict for human habitation. CRACKED.COM The 460 square miles area contains so much human and animal remains and millions of items of unexploded clas- sic and chemical ordnance from WWI that it's been le- gally defined as Impossible to clean.

Messy nessy Chic

Michelangelo wrote poems to another man.

Michelangelo wrote poems to another man, Tommaso dei Cavalieri. CRACKED COM After his death, his grand-nephew pub- lished his poems and changed the pronouns of the person ad- dressed from mascu- line to feminine.

G&L Review

Rat Shot is a small caliber shotgun round for pests.

Like birdshot and buckshot, there is a shotgun round called a Rat Shot. CRACKED.COM It's a small caliber bullet cartridge that can be load- ed into handguns and rifles to be used as a low power shotgun round effective for killing small pests and birds without damaging buildings.

SHFT

Jakarta is sinking.

Jakarta is sinking 10 inches per year. CRACKED COM This is in part due to ex- cessive use of groundwa- ter and lack of piped wa- ter. It is expected that the city will be completely submerged in the next 30 years.

BBC

Students planned to poison Chicago’s water supply.

Two students planned to poison Chicago's water supply with typhoid, anthrax, and other pathogens. CRACKED.COM Steven Pera and Allan Schwander were arrested in 1972 for the plan. They hi- jacked a plane once out on bond and flew to Cuba. One died in prison while the other made it back home and was given 5 years probation.

NY Times

There is a forest in Romania that is home to paranormal activity.

Hoia baciu forest is referred to as the Bermuda Triangle of Romania. CRACKED.COM It's known for paranormal activity and unexplained events, including intense feelings of being watched, ghost sightings, bi- zarre-looking vegetation, UFO sightings, and hun- dreds of missing persons.

Atlas Obscura

Italy has its own word for old men that observe construction sites.

'Umarells' is a term used in Italy used to describe old men that watch construction sites. GIC GRACKED.COM The elderly men gather to observe, comment and criti- cize, often with their hands clasped be- hind their backs.

The Times

A basketball player had to retire after leaving ice on his ankle for too long.

An NBA player had to retire because he fell asleep with a pack of ice on his ankle. CRACKED COM B.J. Tyler accidentally fell asleep with a pack of ice on his ankle, causing severe nerve damage. Robbed of the speed that his game was based on, he was subse- quently forced to retire.

Basketball Network

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