Pineapples were so rare a sight in the 1700’s they were a symbol of wealth. The few that were cultivated in hothouses were worth about five thousand pounds ($8000) each. They weren’t eaten, but were rented out by the aristocracy as a table centerpiece at dinner parties.
Poland’s Crooked Forest
Around 100 trees in Poland’s Krzywy Las (Crooked Forest) share a common and bizarre curvature, but no one is quite sure why.
Light bulbs in the New York…
Light bulbs in the New York City subway system screw in “backwards” (i.e. with left-handed threads) so people won’t steal them to use at home.
1981 Cadillac Eldorados were…
1981 Cadillac Eldorados were fitted with a metal plate under the driver’s seat to fix a balancing problem. This saved mob associate Frank Rosenthal‘s life when the plate shielded him from the force of a car bomb exploding under his Eldorado.
Just nature, adapting to a hostile urban environment
When the results began coming…
When the results began coming in from the 30 March 2005 Powerball drawing, lottery officials suspected fraud was underway because 110 players claimed second prizes of $100,000 or $500,000. All 110 players and the jackpot winner got their numbers from fortune cookies.
In 2002, Fujitsu made a device…
In 2002, Fujitsu made a device called the “iPad,” and Apple had to pay over $4 million to Fujitsu to buy the trademark rights. A Brazilian electronics company is legally allowed to call their phone ‘iPhone’ because they trademarked the word in 2000, 7 years prior to Apple’s iPhone. The phone runs on Android.
Japan is giving its elderly…
Japan is giving its elderly population discounts on ramen if they give up their drivers licenses.
Jonathan Reed loved his wife…
Jonathan Reed loved his wife so much that when she died, he moved into her tomb. He decorated it like a home and even brought their parrot to live with them. “My only pleasure is to sit here with all that is left of her.”
While sitting down while…
While sitting down while peeing is getting more and more popular, it’s also good and healthy for men. It helps emptying the bladder, and thus can prevent bladder stones and urinary tract infections. Claims that it could prevent prostate problems however are yet to be verified.