During World War II, Steinway & Sons airdropped pianos with large parachutes and complete tuning instructions into the battle for the American troops. Called the Victory Vertical or G.I. Steinways, the pianos were to provide a bit of relaxation. The pianos came in olive, blue, and gray drab.
Author: Weirdo
Henry Ford allowed injured…
Henry Ford allowed injured laborers to continue work from their hospital beds; screwing nuts on small bolts without getting out of bed. It was optional, but allowed employees to receive their normal salary while hospitalized. Ford believed the work to hasten their recovery.
In 1903, a man named Ellis Hughes…
In 1903, a man named Ellis Hughes stole a 32,000 lb meteorite by secretly moving it from a neighbor’s property onto his own. It took Hughes, his son and their horse 90 days to move it 3/4 of a mile. Once it arrived, he claimed he found it there and charged 25 cents admission to see it.
A legal loophole in the…
A legal loophole in the UK allows alcohol to be sold without a license on a train in motion. An unlicensed distillery exploited this by setting up in a disused railway building, obtaining a steam train, and selling gin to customers while they road it back and forth from the distillery.
Underneath the streets of Beijing…
Underneath the streets of Beijing, there are over a million people who live in nuclear bunkers. “Many young people leave their lives in the countryside and move to Beijing to pursue a better life” …in a bunker.
Two nuns teaching at a California…
Two nuns teaching at a California Elementary School embezzled approximately $500,000 from their employer over a ten year period to fund their trips and casino visits. No charges are being pursued.
A car dealership ran an…
A car dealership ran an ad for a 1983 Cadillac stating “first 10,000 bananas takes it.” To the dealership’s surprise two brothers showed up with 10,000 bananas and won the car in a court case ruling false advertisement.
Theodore Roosevelt Jr was the oldest…
Theodore Roosevelt Jr was the oldest man in the D-Day invasion at 56. Initially denied to attend D-Day, Ted petitioned as he personally knew the men of these units and believed his presence would steady them. Despite arthritis and a heart condition, he stormed the beach with a cane and survived.
A modern art critic was…
A modern art critic was asked to review some of Adolf Hitler’s paintings without being told who painted them. He judged them to be “quite good” while also stating that the artist’s depiction of human figures in the paintings revealed his profound disinterest in people.
Charlie Chaplin made…
Charlie Chaplin made the Hitler mocking film, “The Great Dictator”, in 1940 using his own money because none of the Hollywood studios were comfortable irking the Germans as they had financial relations with them. The film is said to be one of the greatest works of Charlie Chaplin.