15 Facts That Set Our Brains On Fire

Santa Claus: Dowry-giver and gift-giver extraordinaire.
15 Facts That Set Our Brains On Fire

Ah, the wonders of modern life! From the technological advances that have allowed us to explore the farthest reaches of the universe, to the humble beginnings of the Ashkenazi community, to the mysteries of Stephen King’s addiction and the iconic palm trees of Los Angeles, we have come to know and appreciate the world in a whole new light. But it’s not just the big stories that make life so fascinating – it’s the little things, too. From the pet food revolution that has put an end to white dog stuff, to the surprising origin of the AAA rating, to the lessons in Tex-Mex etiquette that even Gerald Ford had to learn, to the two Dennis the Menace strips released on the same day, to the nuclear chain reaction that Enrico Fermi predicted, to the real 747 crashed for the Tenet set-piece, to the dowry that Santa Claus gave, and so much more. This list is a testament to the beauty and complexity of our world, and all the amazing stories that come along with it.

Double Trouble: Two Dennis the Menace strips released on the same day.

CRACKED DENNIS THE MENACE HAS A REAL-LIFE TWIN. Two comic strips titled Dennis the Menace were released on the same day in 1951, one in the UK and one in the US, both created by different people unaware of the other's work. The UK version was published in The Beano and was drawn by David Law, while the US version was created by Hank Ketcham and featured a five-year-old boy in Wichita, Kansas.

The Courier / Looper 

Gerald Ford gets a lesson in Tex-Mex etiquette.

CRACKED GERALD FORD'S GREAT ALAMO BEEF. Former President Gerald Ford committed a food faux pas during an April 1976 visit to the Alamo by picking up a plate of tamales still shuck-wrapped, but was quickly corrected by a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

Chron / Wikipedia 

Tiny Minority Drinks the Most.

CRACKED ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION: THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE HEAVY DRINKERS. People consume alcohol in a skewed distribution, with a tiny minority responsible for almost all the nation's drinking, a pattern that has remained more or less a constant over many decades, and holds for other countries too.

Slate / MXDWN 

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