Let’s get right to the point: we love facts. We think that when you know more about the world, it’s easier to understand how it works and how your actions affect it. And we especially love random facts — those little nuggets of knowledge that come up in conversation, and the immediate reaction they spark is, “Wait, what?”
We’ve been on a mission to dig up the most bizarre, surprising, and interesting facts and things you didn’t know (probably). We’re not going to give you a full history lesson or tell you about the origins of things — these are just fun facts that have nothing but random educational value! And if you’re anything like us, once you learn these fascinating bits of trivia, you’ll want to share them with everyone else. Like, did you know that the inventor of frisbee golf was literally turned into a frisbee after his death? Yeah, crazy.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite cool facts for you here. They’re like a little gift to your brain and provide an excuse to share a tidbit of knowledge that would otherwise be lost. They’re also an excellent way to break the ice when you meet someone new — especially if they’re as nerdy as you are! Some are science-y, some are history-y, and some are just plain fun. But all of them are interesting and totally random in their own unique way!
#1
Some cats are actually allergic to humans.
Image source: nationalgeographic.com, Bryony Elena
#2
Women’s tears reduce men’s testosterone levels.
Image source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, cottonbro studio
#3
Yoda’s design was based on and inspired by Albert Einstein.
Image source: blogs.wgbh.org
#4
Cows kill more Americans each year than sharks do.
Image source: floridamuseum.ufl.edu, Lomig
#5
A 70-year-old woman once completed seven marathons in seven days, across all seven continents.
Image source: edition.cnn.com, amutiomi
#6
Just as Earth has earthquakes, the Moon has moonquakes.
Image source: space.com, allancphotography
#7
The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland.
Image source: visitscotland.com, Stephen Leonardi
#8
The Monopoly Man has a proper name – it’s Rich Uncle Milburn Pennybags.
Image source: monopoly.fandom.com
#9
The M’s in M&Ms stand for “Mars & Murrie”.
Image source: history.com, sfhashemi
#10
The Australian government banned the word “mate” for a day.
Image source: abc.net.au, Joshua Hoehne
#11
In 1930, BBC reported “There is no news”.
Image source: bbc.com, Brett Jordan
#12
Children’s medicine once contained morphine.
Image source: webmd.com, magardi
#13
Your liver can regrow itself in three weeks.
Image source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com, Sora Shimazaki
#14
That “new car smell” may be toxic.
Image source: webmd.com, somanydetails
#15
Dogs can learn to recognize a vocabulary of about 165 words.
Image source: sciencedirect.com, chewy
#16
Chinese police use geese squads.
Image source: nationalgeographic.com, Alina Autumn
#17
Twins are most likely to be born in Nigeria.
Image source: journals.plos.org, luis arias
#18
A mermaid “documentary” once fooled so many people that the U.S. government had to issue a statement.
#19
The moon is (slowly) slowing the Earth’s rotation.
Image source: nasa.gov, Pixabay
#20
Giant squids have the largest eyes of any animal on Earth.
Image source: nbcnews.com, kengholm
#21
One man once survived two atomic bombs.
Image source: history.com, JL Howarth
#22
Orgasms were once thought to “Cure Hysteria”.
Image source: medicalnewstoday.com, Jan Kopřiva
#23
Cenosillicaphobia is the fear of an empty beer glass.
Image source: findmeabrewery.com, Caio
#24
Speed dating was invented by a Rabbi.
Image source: npr.org, cottonbro studio
#25
Sharks can live for five centuries.
Image source: science.org, Mile Ribeiro
#26
Upon going deaf, Beethoven discovered that if he bit onto a metal pole that connected to the piano he was playing, he could hear almost perfectly well.
Image source: time.com, wikipedia.org
#27
No country is allowed to own the Moon.
Image source: britannica.com, historyhd
#28
There may be 2,000 active serial killers in the U.S. right now.
Image source: newyorker.com
#29
The first person convicted of speeding was going 8 mph.
Image source: guinnessworldrecords.com, Jonathan Cooper
#30
Our European ancestors were cannibals.
Image source: nature.com, kanghyeri
#31
For 100 years, maps have shown an island that doesn’t exist.
Image source: nationalgeographic.com, ArtHouse Studio
#32
Tornadoes can cause “fish rain”.
Image source: wtamu.edu, Nikolas Noonan
#33
Some planets produce diamond rain.
Image source: space.com, Alexander Andrews
#34
The cast of “Friends” still earns around $20 million each year.
Image source: marketplace.org
#35
Guinea pigs were once sacrificed wearing earrings and necklaces and wrapped like sushi.
Image source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com, PepaLove
#36
Cookie Monster is named Sid.
Image source: muppet.fandom.com
#37
The first hot air balloon ride contained a sheep, a duck and a rooster.
Image source: atlasobscura.com, sutirta budiman
#38
Bones of a dozen bodies were once found in Benjamin Franklin’s basement.
Image source: smithsonianmag.com, Thomas Jarrand
#39
Sea lions can dance to a beat.
Image source: news.ucsc.edu, jamesrathmell
#40
You can always “see” your nose.
Image source: scientificamerican.com, Elina Fairytale
#41
There’s a textbook written entirely by an artificial intelligence author.
Image source: aktuelles.uni-frankfurt.de, santesson89
#42
There’s a family in Italy that feels almost no pain.
Image source: smithsonianmag.com, Pexels
#43
Copper door knobs are self-disinfecting.
Image source: apartmenttherapy.com, Vika Kirillova
#44
The man who wrote Dracula never visited Transylvania.
Image source: atlasobscura.com, Hari Nandakumar
#45
The word “MacGyvered” is in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Image source: public.oed.com, libellule789
#46
Moonshiners used “cow shoes” to disguise their footprints during Prohibition.
Image source: kottke.org, pecchio
#47
Pringles innovator was buried in a Pringles can.
Image source: npr.org, O’NEIL GONZALES
#48
George Washington was a major whiskey distiller.
Image source: distilledspirits.org, cottonbro studio
#49
“Chinese Checkers” was invented in Germany.
Image source: thatsmags.com, charlesdeluvio
#50
Hair and nails grow faster during pregnancy.
Image source: whattoexpect.com, Camylla Battani
#51
Water makes different pouring sounds depending on its temperature.
Image source: npr.org, Harriet B.
#52
Bee hummingbirds are so small they get mistaken for insects.
Image source: audubon.org, BarbeeAnne
#53
Nutmeg can be fatally poisonous.
Image source: nejm.org, Quique
#54
Saudi Arabia imports camels from Australia.
Image source: news.bbc.co.uk, saj_shafique
#55
Crows remember the face of their abductor years after the incident.
Image source: livescience.com, mali maeder
#56
Germany uncovers 2,000 tons of unexploded bombs every year.
Image source: smithsonianmag.com, Thorsten92
#57
Detroit undercover cops in a drug ring once fought another group of undercover cops.
Image source: fox2detroit.com, LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR
#58
Cats once delivered mail in Belgium.
#59
The Twitter bird’s official name Is Larry.
Image source: twitter.com, Brett Jordan
#60
The longest title of a book consists of 27,978 characters.
Image source: guinnessworldrecords.com, kdghantous
#61
Some Maryland residents are taxed for the rain.
Image source: forbes.com
#62
New York was briefly named “New Orange”.
Image source: history.com
#63
Lobster bladders are in their heads.
Image source: untamedanimals.com
#64
Humans are the only animals that blush.
Image source: discoverwildlife.com
#65
Playing the accordion was once required for teachers in North Korea.
Image source: amazon.com
#66
Apple Pie isn’t actually American.
Image source: todayifoundout.com
#67
One man was once constipated for nearly two months.
Image source: menshealth.com
#68
Bill Gates has donated nearly half his fortune.
Image source: forbes.com
#69
Sharks existed before trees.
Image source: smithsonianmag.com
#70
Earth won’t always have the same North Star.
Image source: nasa.gov
#71
The majority of your brain is fat.
Image source: psychologytoday.com
#72
Sea otters hold hands while they sleep.
Image source: dailymail.co.uk
#73
Constipation kills people.
Image source: bristol.ac.uk
#74
Hewlett-Packard (HP) was decided by a coin toss.
Image source: entrepreneur.com
#75
The dot over the lowercase “i” and “j” is called a tittle.
Image source: dictionary.com
#76
Mr. Clean has a first name – it’s Veritably.
Image source: ibtimes.com
#77
Many feet bones don’t harden until you’re an adult.
Image source: ontariochiropodist.com
#78
You lose up to 30% of your taste buds during flight.
Image source: ibp.fraunhofer.de
#79
Cotton candy was invented by a dentist.
Image source: nationalgeographic.com
#80
Pigeons can tell the difference between a painting by Monet and Picasso.
Image source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
#81
Chewing gum boosts concentration.
Image source: sciencedaily.com
#82
Space smells like seared steak.
Image source: theatlantic.com
#83
Abraham Lincoln’s bodyguard left his post at Ford’s Theatre to go for a drink.
Image source: smithsonianmag.com
#84
Koalas have fingerprints.
Image source: livescience.com
#85
The Silverback gorilla can lift almost a literal ton.
Image source: animalwised.com
#86
There is an immortal jellyfish.
Image source: amnh.org
#87
Baby blue whales grow 200 pounds per day.
Image source: animals.mom.com
#88
Maine is the only state that borders just one other state.
Image source: worldatlas.com
#89
You can learn the High Valyrian language from Game of Thrones with an online course.
Image source: duolingo.com
#90
Scientists have partially revived disembodied pig brains.
Image source: scientificamerican.com
#91
The U.S. almost went to war with Canada over a pig.
Image source: historic-uk.com
#92
Kentucky has more bourbon than people.
Image source: theatlantic.com
#93
A chef’s hat has exactly 100 pleats.
Image source: bonappetit.com
#94
Stop signs used to be yellow.
Image source: businessinsider.com
#95
Powered lawnmowers kill almost 200 people a year.
Image source: cpsc.gov
#96
Spicy food can cut down on fat intake.
Image source: health.clevelandclinic.org
#97
George Washington invented instant coffee.
Image source: thatscoffee.com
#98
Cap’n Crunch isn’t a captain. Instead, he is a commander because of the three stripes on his uniform cuffs.
Image source: dailymail.co.uk
#99
Processed meats are safest when served hot.
Image source: safetyandhealthmagazine.com
#100
The first potato chip flavor was Cheese & Onion.
Image source: huffpost.com
#101
Beauty Sleep is actually a real thing.
Image source: bmj.com
#102
More human twins are being born now than ever before.
Image source: academic.oup.com, Christiaan Monden, Gilles Pison, Jeroen Smits
#103
The world wastes about 1 billion metric tons of food each year.
Image source: unep.org
#104
Only two mammals like spicy food: humans and the tree shrew.
Image source: nationalgeographic.com
#105
Rabbits can’t puke.
Image source: rabbitcaretips.com
#106
Fingernails don’t grow after you die.
Image source: bbc.com
#107
Bees sometimes sting other bees.
Image source: theconversation.com
#108
The healthiest place to live in the world is in Panama.
Image source: internationalliving.com
#109
There’s a giant fish with a transparent head.
Image source: earthsky.org
#110
Dolphins have been trained to be used in wars.
Image source: pbs.org
#111
Humans are just one of the estimated 8.7 million species on Earth.
Image source: journals.plos.org
#112
A tick bite can make you allergic to red meat.
Image source: npr.org
#113
The fire hydrant patent was lost in a fire.
Image source: govtech.com
#114
In Germany, people help toads cross the road.
Image source: thelocal.de
#115
Cheetahs don’t roar.
Image source: independent.ie
#116
France has a dozen time zones.
Image source: timeanddate.com
#117
Danes once bred a pig to look like the flag.
Image source: roysfarm.com
#118
America’s first bank robber deposited the money back into the same bank.
Image source: thevintagenews.com
#119
There’s a device that creates energy from snowfall.
Image source: sciencedirect.com
#120
The word “hipster” goes all the way back to the 1930s.
Image source: dictionary.com
#121
Scientists were able to take a picture of an atom’s shadow.
Image source: nationalgeographic.com
#122
Allergy season is getting longer and more intense each year.
Image source: sciencedirect.com
#123
The inventor of Frisbee Golf was turned into a Frisbee.
Image source: sfgate.com
#124
PEZ comes from the German word for peppermint.
Image source: us.pez.com
#125
Bananas can’t reproduce.
Image source: promusa.org
#126
Brown bottles are better for beer.
Image source: popsci.com
#127
The German version of “Average Joe” is “Otto Normalverbraucher”.
#128
The heads on Easter Island have bodies.
Image source: livescience.com
#129
The longest wedding veil was the same length as 63.5 football fields.
Image source: guinnessworldrecords.com
#130
Kids ask around 300 questions a day.
Image source: business-standard.com
#131
The total weight of ants on earth once equaled the total weight of people.
Image source: hup.harvard.edu
#132
Ants have a built-in pedometer.
Image source: newscientist.com
#133
A restaurant in New York employs grandmas as chefs.
Image source: enotecamaria.com
#134
Shaq only ever made one three-pointer.
Image source: basketball-reference.com
#135
Every time you shuffle a deck of cards, you get a combination that’s most likely never existed.
Image source: blog.priyanshrastogi.com
#136
America accidentally dropped an atom bomb on South Carolina in 1958.
Image source: theguardian.com
#137
Jupiter’s red spot is getting taller and smaller at the same time.
Image source: nasa.gov
#138
The hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 2 billion Kelvin.
Image source: livescience.com
#139
It takes 364 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.
Image source: tootsie.com
#140
Some sea snakes can breathe through their skin.
Image source: royalsocietypublishing.org
#141
Vegetables can make you tan.
Image source: sciencedaily.com
#142
Bananas make great water filters.
Image source: livescience.com
#143
The world’s smallest reptile was first reported in 2021.
Image source: nature.com
#144
Goosebumps are meant to ward off predators.
Image source: scientificamerican.com
#145
The wood frog can hold its pee for up to eight months.
Image source: phys.org
#146
The hottest spot on the planet is in Libya.
Image source: livescience.com
#147
Your nostrils work one at a time.
Image source: livescience.com
#148
Some people have an extra bone in their knee (and it’s getting more common).
Image source: iflscience.com
#149
The legend of the Loch Ness Monster goes back nearly 1,500 years.
Image source: history.com
#150
Hitler had a flatulence problem.
Image source: livescience.com
#151
Astronauts in space are exposed to the same amount of radiation as 150 to 6,000 chest x-rays.
Image source: nasa.gov
#152
Beaver bum goo is occasionally used to enhance vanilla flavorings.
Image source: nationalgeographic.com
#153
The bowler hat was invented as safety measure.
Image source: telegraph.co.uk
#154
There’s no such thing as “pear cider”.
Image source: npr.org
#155
Pigs are constitutionally protected in Florida.
Image source: leg.state.fl.us
#156
Trees weren’t always biodegradable.
Image source: nationalgeographic.com
#157
Women are attracted to the scent of Good & Plenty licorice candy and cucumber.
Image source: liebertpub.com
#158
Oranges aren’t naturally occurring fruits.
Image source: nature.com
#159
Coffee pioneer was buried in a coffee pot.
Image source: nationalpost.com
#160
You can grow extra nipples.
Image source: bbc.com
#161
Canada once heavily targeted LGBTQ+ individuals.
Image source: cbc.ca
#162
Studies indicate that garlic possibly attracts vampires.
Image source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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