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Cool Fun FactsWelcome to CoolFunFacts.com. Find cool amazing facts, interesting facts, bizarre, useless trivia quickly. Database of over 2000 facts.
The puck is made of vulcanized rubber, three inches in diameter and one inch thick. It is solid to reduce bouncing, and weighs about 6 ounces.
The first book of crosswords was introduced on April 10, 1924 for a steep $1.35 per book and each one came with a freshly sharpened pencil. The publishers, Simon and Schuster, were advised to use an alias for their first run because their advisors were skeptical and thought it might fail, ruining them in the publishing industry. They took the advice and named themselves Plaza Printing Company. Within three months, book sales reached an astonishing 40,000! Needless to say, the editions of crossword puzzle books that followed bore their real name. Crossword puzzles are said to be the 'most popular and widespread word game in the world,' yet has a short history. The man credited with inventing the crossword puzzle was a journalist named Arthur Wynne from Liverpool. His first crossword appeared in a Sunday newspaper, the New York World, on December 21, 1913. The very peak of the Washington Monument is not stone at all, but a 100-ounce solid aluminum pyramid, constructed as part of the monument's lightning protection system. In the 1880s, aluminum was a rare metal, selling for $1.10 per ounce and used primarily for jewelry. After Yorktown, George III vowed to keep fighting. When parliament demurred, the King wrote a letter of abdication -- then withdrew it. He tried to console himself with the thought that Washington would become a dictator and make the Americans long for royal rule. When he was told that Washington planned to resign his commission, the monarch gasped: 'If he does that, sir, he will be the greatest man in the world.' By 1779, there were more Americans fighting with the British than with Washington! There were no less than 21 regiments (estimated to total 6,500 to 8,000 men) of loyalists in the British army. Washington reported a field army of 3,468. About a third of Americans opposed the Revolution. There were women in the Continental Army, even a few who saw combat! Probably the best known is Mary Ludwig Hays, nicknamed 'Molly Pitcher.' She replaced her wounded husband at his cannon during the Battle of Monmouth in 1778. Another wife of an artilleryman, Margaret Corbin, was badly wounded serving in her husband's gun crew at the Battle of Harlem Heights in 1776. Thousands of other women served in Washington's army as cooks and nurses. By 1779, as many as one in seven Americans in Washington's army was black! At first Washington was hesitant about enlisting blacks. But when he heard they had fought well at Bunker Hill, he changed his mind. The all-black First Rhode Island Regiment -- composed of 33 freedmen and 92 slaves who were promised freedom if they served until the end of the war -- distinguished itself in the Battle of Newport. Later, they were all but wiped out in a British attack. History's first submarine attack took place in New York Harbor in 1776! The Connecticut inventor David Bushnell called his submarine the Turtle because it resembled two large tortoise shells of equal size joined together. The watertight hull was made of 6-inch-thick oak timbers coated with tar. On September 6, 1776, the Turtle targeted the HMS Eagle, flagship of the British fleet. The submarine was supposed to secure a cask of gunpowder to the hull of the Eagle and sneak away before it exploded. Unfortunately, the Turtle got entangled with the Eagle's rudder bar, lost ballast and surfaced before the gunpowder could be planted. In 1775, Franklin, disgusted with the arrogance of the British and appalled by the bloodshed at Lexington and Concord, wrote a Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson was enthusiastic. But, he noted, many other delegates to the Continental Congress were 'revolted at it.' It would take another year of bitter conflict to persuade the Congress to vote for the Declaration of Independence written by Jefferson -- with some astute editorial suggestions by Franklin. Everyone knows how 50 or 60 'Sons of Liberty,' disguised as Mohawks, protested the 3 cents per pound British tax on tea by dumping chests of the popular drink into Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773. Fewer know that the improper Bostonians repeated the performance on March 7, 1774. The two tea parties cost the British around $3 million in modern money. The Americans of 1776 had the highest standard of living and the lowest taxes in the Western World The famous French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, who discovered the role of oxygen in combustion, and who is considered to be the father of modern chemistry, was also the inventor of the 'whoopee cushion.' In spite of this accomplishment (perhaps because of it?), he was considered by the leaders of the French Revolution to be an aristocrat and was executed in 1794. His widow later married physicist Count Rumford who, after the marriage failed, said Lavoisier was lucky to have gone to the guillotine. A patent has been issued on a 'Secret Keeping Machine.' Two people know a secret, but are reluctant to talk about it for fear of betraying a confidence. They both tell their secrets to the computer, which lets them know if it’s the same one and they can safely discuss it. In 1958 as a fraternity initiation, a bunch of MIT freshmen had to see how many times one of their fellow students, Oliver Smoot, could be laid head-to-toe across the Harvard Bridge over Boston’s Charles River. They reported the length of the bridge as '364.4 Smoots + 1 ear.' A bronze plaque on the bridge commemorates the event. One of the things that Apollo mission did was deposit a cockroach on the moon. During their outward flight, the astronauts noticed a cockroach in their spaceship, but when they returned, the craft was thoroughly inspected by NASA technicians and no trace of it was found. The only conclusion is that it crept out and was left behind. Sailors and navigators knew that the earth was round long before Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America. At sea they could see the curvature of the horizon, and they could see the ships’ hulls sinking out of sight and the masts getting lower as the ships sailed away. Louis Pasteur is the actual discoverer of penicillin. His laboratory notes contain the following statement: 'This damned mold keeps destroying my cultures.' The only Rebel pilot besides Luke to survive all three films was Wedge Antilles, also the only other pilot to help destroy both Death Stars. Upon Star Wars' opening national movie critics wrote '...the cast is unmemorable...'; another offered, '...as exciting as last year's weather reports...'; and yet another, '...entertaining, but a long way from being a classic.' Jabba the Hutt's comflict with Han Solo was an important line running through all three movies, but he wasn't seen until the third movie. The title 'Return of the Jedi' was changed from 'Revenge of the Jedi' when Lucas read a thesis by a college student exlpaining why the moral code of a Jedi Knight excludes revenge. Luke's friend Wedge Antilles in the Rebel pilot's Gold Wing was played by a former mime. Given the choice of being either Lord Darth Vader or Chewbacca, former professional wieghtlifter David Prowse joined the Dark Side of the Force. When Anthoney Daniels was first approached, he wasn't interested in being C-3P0. However, when he saw Ralph McQuarrie's paintings he fell in love with the character. Carrie Fisher is now a best-sellingwriter and is in demand as one of Hollywood's best script re-writers. Since Star Wars, Mark Hamill has starred in eight Broadway plays and several movies, and provide voices for more than 400 cartoons. George Lucas' first movie was THX 1138, a thriller about a futuristic police state filmed in 1971. When 20th Century-Fox executives started losing interest Star Wars, the colorful paintings of former NASA illustrator Ralph McQuarrie revived their enthusiasm. Star Wars earned over four times as much as 1977's #2 hit, Smokey And The Bandit. After filming Star Wars, 7'2' Peter Mayhem (Chewbacca) returned to his job as a London hospital porter. Before his role as Han Solo, Harrison Ford worked as a carpenter. The notion that oysters should not be eaten in 'r'-less months -- that is, months that occur during warm weather -- may have started in the days when oysters where shipped without adequate refrigeration and could spoil. But today all that has changed and we can enjoy oysters twelve months a year. An oyster produces a pearl when foreign material becomes trapped inside the shell. The oyster responds to the irritation by producing nacre, a combination of calcium and protein. The nacre coats the foreign material and over time produces a pearl. German seismologist Rudolf Tomascheck found that strong earthquakes usually occur when Uranus is within 15 degrees of the meridian, which clearly shows the planet's affect on Earth. Carl Jung used Astrology in a large case study concluding that the coincidence was so incredible that none could predict it. Rosevelt and Churchill employed a secret Astrologer to inform them what German Astrologers were telling Hitler. Hitler had a battery of Astrologers in WWII and based his campaigns on their horoscopes. Nostradamus based all his predictions on Astrology. Sir Isaac Newton chose Astrology as his lifes work. Notable men who firmly believed in Astrology: Chaucer, Dante, Shakespeare, Cromwell, Copernicus, Kepler, Plato and Bacon. Who was the most valuable player of Super Bowl I? Quarterback Bart Starr In festivities prior to a Super Bowl, a hot-air balloon race ended abruptly when what team's balloon crashed into the stands. The Vikings (Super Bowl IV, vs. the Chiefs) What player holds the Super Bowl record for longest punt? Lee Johnson (63 - Cincinnati vs. San Francisco, 1989) What player holds the Super Bowl record for most punts in a game? Ron Widby (Dallas vs. Baltimore, 1971) Who holds the record for longest reception in Super Bowl history? Antonio Freeman (81 - from Favre, Green Bay vs. New England, 1997) Who has thrown the most consecutive completed passes in a Super Bowl game? Joe Montana (13 - San Francisco vs. Denver, 1990) Who has thrown the most completed passes (in a career) in Super Bowl history? Joe Montana (San Francisco, 83 over 4 games) Who kicked the Super Bowl's longest field goal -at 54 yards? Steve Christie (Buffalo vs. Dallas, 1994) How many times in Super Bowl history has a punt return resulted in a touchdown? Zero What team holds the Super Bowl record for 'most punts'? Dallas (vs. Baltimore in 1971) What team has completed the most first downs in a Super Bowl? San Francisco (vs. Miami in 1985) What team has scored the most points, a total of 55, in a Super Bowl? San Francisco (vs. Denver in 1990) What team has appeared in the most Super Bowls consecutively? Buffalo (four - 1991-94) Name the U.S. president whose inaugural jacket was woven from the wool of sheep raised at his home in Virginia. James Madison How did millionaires John Jacob Astor, Isidor Straus and Benjamin Guggenheim die together? They all went down with the Titanic in April of 1912 Name the legendary composer who poured ice water over his head before he began his work. Beethoven (he believed it stimulated his brain) The first car to come with air-conditioning was on the market in 1939; name that automobile. The Packard What was Mark Twain referring to when he talked about the 'stomach Steinway'? The accordian Who was the pilot that flew Eleanor Roosevelt to Baltimore, just after she became First Lady? Amelia Earhart Which president was distantly related to Benedict Arnold and Marilyn Monroe, and was also related to Presidents Pierce, Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ford, and to Winston Churchill? George Bush Which president was a skilled chef, famous for his vegetable soup, steaks, and cornmeal pancakes? Dwight D. Eisenhower Who was the only president elected unanimously, receiving all 69 of the electoral votes cast? George Washington The Pony Express was inaugurated during which president's term? James Buchanan Which president was the first president to have headed a labor union? Ronald Reagan Which president was the first who had served in the U.S. Navy? John F. Kennedy In 1851, Jacob Fussel became the first to manufacture what treat commercially? Ice Cream What did Hitler's plan called Operation 'Sea Lion' call for? The invasion of England What country ceased being a monarchy in 1974? Greece What is the oldest country in all Europe, and the oldest republic in the world? San Marino (24-square-mile republic entirely inside Italy; established in 1631) What was the name of the courthouse where the American Civil War ended? Appomattox Courthouse Who was the first to climb Mt. Everest? Sir Edmund Hillary Although hard to believe, of 1000 proctologists polled, over 79% say that in any given work day, they use the word 'AND' far more than they use the word 'BUT'. In the bathroom of the famous Venice Institute of Astronomy scientists have discovered etchings which date back to the early 16th century. 'Hands up' was the trademark of train robber Bill Miner, who coined the phrase during his infamous career which spanned from 1869 to 1909. Though it is true that Raleigh brought tobacco and potatoes, Lord Arlington brought tea, and Jonas Hanway brought the umbrella to England, it is a fallacy of history that Colonel Shortsenasse first introduced the thong to this island nation. Amazingly, the science of Meteorology has identified over 200 types of precipitation. In a recent survey of newborn babies, researchers have determined the most popular boys' names. They include Michael, Matthew, Sean, Brendan, and Brian. Although most Americans would confidently guess that Chicago was the windiest city in the United States, it is actually Boston which claims this distinction. Other city superlatives include: coldest - Anchorage, wettest - Honolulu, and most gassy - Detroit. The best known example of body shape classification was devised by American psychologist William Herbert Sheldon. In 1935 he grouped people into 3 distinct body types: Endomorph, Mesomorph, and Ectomorph. The lifespan of dinosaurs has been estimated at 75 to 300 years. Such estimates are educated guesses. From examination of the microstructure of dinosaur bones, scientists have inferred that they matured slowly, had proportionately long lifespans, and were really, really, big. The original nomenclature of mental deficiency should be kept in mind when used in everyday conversation. For instance, an 'idiot' is classified as a feeble-minded person who performs at the potential age of 3 years; an 'imbecile' displays a mental age of 3 to 7 years; a 'moron' has the potential age of between 8 to 12 years. The popular children's nursery rhyme, 'Jack Jumped Over The Candlestick', was derived from a tradition in medieval England. People would actually jump over lighted candles as a means of predicting the future. If the candle stayed lit, it meant brighter times were ahead. If the flame went out, it meant that darker days were to come. In 1471, a chicken in Basel, Switzerland, was accused of being 'a devil in disguise' after laying a brightly colored egg. The chicken stood trial, was found guilty and burned at the stake. As of 1988, the U.S. census bureau determined that a stunning 13% of the population believe that some portion of the earth's moon is actually comprised of cheese. In the 1960's and 1970's, scientists conducted experiments on how different forms of music affected plant development. They found that plants exposed to classical music responded most favorably with lush and abundant growth and good root development. Jazz music produced a slight increase in growth. Between the years of 1988 and 1991, the most commonly stolen car in the United States was the 1986 Chevrolet Camaro. In fact, 1 out of every 5 Camaros built in the year of 1986 ended up being stolen. This is in sharp contrast to the least stolen car of the same period - The Dhaitsu Shanker. Of the 243 Shankers manufactured in that 4 year period, none of them were stolen. 'Tango Foot', scientifically named tibialis anticus, is a strain of the leg muscle resulting from dancing the tango or the maxixe. Over the past fifteen years, more personal computers have been purchased in the United States than automobiles. Researchers attribute the findings to the combination of increased public transportation systems, as well as the popularity of the internet; a medium which allows a person access to information such as stock quotes, reference material, and pornographic images. American folklore has created numerous fictional characters that are passed on from generation to generation. One such character, Jack Frost, is known for spreading his icy glaze during late fall and early winter months. Such characters which serve to personify some aspect of nature are not uncommon to oral tradition. In 1973, Edward Carswell was the first person to break the 300 MPH land speed barrier in a car aptly named 'The Missile.' Research indicates that although 93% of Victoria Secret catalog subscribers are women, the catalog is actually read by far more men than women, a 2-to-1 ratio to be exact. In a related study, it was found that of the 10 million people who subscribe to Playboy, nearly 97% are men. Contrary to popular belief, modern man is NOT taller than his ancestors. In fact, the average modern man is one inch shorter than the average man from the Paleolithic age. The first airline passenger was the Wright brothers' mechanic. Wilbur took him for a 29 second, 2000 foot flight on May 14, 1908. In the United States and France, the traditional four suits in a playing-card deck are hearts, clubs, spades, and diamonds. In Italy and Spain the suits are swords, batons, cups, and coins. German suits are hearts, bells, leaves, and acorns. Shortly after dinner, on the night of October 12, 1967, Italian astronomer Antonio Giordanno peered through his telescope to discover a faint red glow emanating from the moon. Antonio and his team of scientists theorized as to it's derivation. Initially, it was attributed to gases released through fissures in the lunar crust. Then, they claimed it was pools of newly formed Nitrogen. In 1971, scientists at NASA decided to make the Lunar Roving Vehicles (moon buggies) electric powered. Their decision was based on the fact that electricity was a cheaper means of propulsion, it was safer, and the chances were slim to none that they'd find a gas station on the moon. In 1904, ice cream cones were invented at the St. Louis World Exposition. An ice cream vendor ran out of dishes and improvised by rolling up some waffles to make cones. In 1846, Nancy Johnson invented the hand-cranked ice cream churn. Ice cream surged in popularity! Legend has it that the Roman emperor Nero discovered ice cream. Runners brought snow from the mountains to make the first ice cream.
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