Carl Sagan convinced NASA to turn the Voyager Spacecraft towards earth and take the iconic “Pale Blue Dot” photo nearly 4 billions miles away from earth.
Pictures
The Gunman who wasn’t there in custody
In 1974, Oakland police spent two hours trying to convince a mentally disturbed gunman holed up in his apartment to surrender—only to discover that he was standing next to them helping to direct the police.
Andy, the Footless Goose
In the late 1980s a gosling was born in Harvard, Nebraska. Although this is a relatively common occurrence, this little hatchling was different, as he was born with stumps for feet. A local inventor named Gene Fleming heard of this and fitted the goose named Andy with specially made Nike baby shoes. Andy gained fame as a role model for disabled children and Nike provided him with a lifetime supply of shoes.
Illustration by Walter Molino from 1962 about life in 2022
Jail for Polar Bears
Polar bear jail (also known as Polar Bear Holding Facility) is a special building in Churchill, Manitoba where polar bears that are considered troublesome or dangerous are isolated before they can be relocated… Before establishing the facility, polar bears who were considered dangerous used to be shot. The premise is that extended captivity would create a sense of danger for the bears so that they will be reluctant to approach the town.
“The Drunk Basket,” when bars in 1960s Istanbul would hire someone to carry drunk people back home
In Turkey, there is still a saying “küfelik olmak”, it means “needing to be carried home in a basket” and it means you are too drunk. These people were called küfeci. To be so drunk you couldn’t walk was called küfe. Apparently, is was a well known thing in Turkey.
Tarantula security guards
In the mid-1970s, there was a fad among jewelry stores to use tarantulas as security guards. Stores claimed it helped prevent thefts.
‘The Most Dangerous Animals In The World’ – The Bronx Zoo in 1963
In 1963, the Bronx Zoo had an exhibit called “The Most Dangerous Animal in the World”. It was a mirror.
Ambassador to Extraterrestrials
In the case of discovering aliens, we already have a representative who will handle all communication with them. Simonetta Di Pippo, is the current director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and is the designated person to act as an ambassador to extraterrestrials.
Dagen H
The most logistically complex event in Sweden’s history was when Sweden switched their entire traffic system from the left side of the road to the right side in a single day in 1967 called “Dagen H”.