15 Facts That Really Sharpened Our Cutlasses
Who knew that behind some of the world's most impressive athletes and rock stars were stories of humble beginnings? Czech Olympic gymnast Věra Čáslavská is one such story. After her training facility was destroyed during the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia, Čáslavská took to training in the woods using potato sacks as weights and logs as beams. This didn't stop her from going on to medal in all six events at the 1968 Olympics, four of them Gold. Or how about Jon Bon Jovi? Before he was a household name, young Jon (17 at the time) sang backup vocals on 1980's tie-in album “Christmas In The Stars” because his cousin Tony managed the studio where the album was recorded and had hired him as a janitor. And lastly, who could forget about those electric worm getters from the ‘80s and ’90s? Though it may send shivers down your spine now, this device used to be quite popular among fishermen for shocking worms out of hiding so they could more easily be caught… until 1993 when it was recalled after 30 people died using it.
Wanted fugitives accepted free football tickets and were arrested.
Michael Jackson had a scary fan that inspired “Billie Jean.”
Californians can enact Wild West justice if they want.
‘Soft serve’ is not short for “soft serve ice cream.”
We may never know if coffee or tea is better for you.
The Great Pyramids were built with the power of beer.
It took 4 years for a trainer to train the 35 wolves used in “Wolf Totem.”
People in the Middle East use foam rubber in their camel saddles because of “Lawrence of Arabia.”
Jurassic Park made as much as the combined sales of 1.5 million Hyundai cars in South Korea.
Oktoberfest was a wedding reception that turned into an annual event.
Harper Lee wrote “To Kill a Mockingbird” when a friend gave her a year’s wages.
A plate added to 1980’s Eldorados to help the car’s balance saved a mobster’s life.
Jon Bon Jovi’s first time in a recording studio was for a Star Wars Christmas album.
30 people died using the Electric Worm Getter.
The destruction of her training facility led a Czech gymnast to train in the woods.
