On a trip to China, Prince Philip joked to students that “If you stay here much longer, you’ll go slit-eyed.” After initial concerns of offense, Chinese officials responded that they also warned their students of going “round-eyed” when studying abroad.”
Quotes
The founder of Japan’s McDonald’s stated, “Japanese people are so short and…
The founder of Japan‘s McDonald’s stated, “Japanese people are so short and have yellow skins because they have eaten nothing but fish and rice for two thousand years. If we eat McDonald’s hamburgers for a thousand years we will become taller, our skin become white, and our hair blonde.”
Harriet Tubman threatened death to escaping slaves if they wanted to turn back…
Harriet Tubman threatened death to escaping slaves if they wanted to turn back. “If he was weak enough to give out, he’d be weak enough to betray us all, and all who had helped us; and do you think I’d let so many die just for one coward man.”
Poon Kim holds the record for surviving adrift in a life raft at 133…
Poon Kim holds the record for surviving adrift in a life raft at 133 days in 1942-43. When told no one had ever survived longer on a raft at sea, he replied, “I hope no one will ever have to break that record.”
When JRR Tolkien was asked for proof of Aryan descent in Germany, 1938…
When JRR Tolkien was asked for proof of Aryan descent in Germany, 1938, he replied, “If impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort are to become the rule in matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride.”
A Cynic named Diogenes had no regard for wealth or honor…
A cynic named Diogenes had no regard for wealth or honor. He was once sitting outside when Alexander the Great approached and asked if he wanted anything; he replied, “yes, stand a little out of my sun.” The awestruck king said “truly if I were not Alexander, I would wish to be Diogenes.”
Not all Kamikaze were volunteers…
Not all Kamikaze were volunteers, ”It’s all a lie that they left filled with braveness and joy, crying, ‘Long live the emperor!’ They were sheep at a slaughterhouse. Everybody was looking down and tottering. Some were unable to stand up and were carried and pushed into the plane by soldiers.”
Creator of LSD lived up to 102…
Creator of LSD lived up to 102.
It gave me an inner joy, an open mindedness, a gratefulness, open eyes and an internal sensitivity for the miracles of creation. […] I think that in human evolution it has never been as necessary to have this substance LSD. It is just a tool to turn us into what we are supposed to be.”
—Albert Hofmann, Speech on 100th birthday
When Anne Frank’s family was arrested, her father showed…
When Anne Frank’s family was arrested, her father showed the officer her height markers on the wall to prove how long they had been hiding, and after the diary was published, the officer said, “I bought the little book last week, to see if I was mentioned there, but I was not.”
George Clooney once said that he’d trade…
George Clooney once said that he’d trade lives with Richard Branson if he could. Branson’s wife instantly responded: “Done!”