Random Facts So Interesting You will be amazed to know Part 13
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1. You can sneeze faster than a cheetah can run.
Clocking in at 100 mph, we can sneeze faster than cheetahs run, four-and-a-half times faster than Usain Bolt's record, and 20 times faster than Michael Phelps. (Unfortunately, we also expel about 100,000 germs when we sneeze.)
2. The fire hydrant patent was lost in a fire.
The fire hydrant patent is credited to Frederick Graff Sr., who was the chief engineer for Philadelphia Water Works during the early 1800s. Unfortunately for Graff Sr., the patent was destroyed when the patent office in Washington, D.C., burned down in 1836. After 100 years, retired firefighter George Sigelakis reinvented the hydrant after they had been failing to work in too many critical emergencies.
3. Saudi Arabia imports camels from Australia.
Saudi Arabia is known for its vast expanse of desert, so it may seem unbelievable that they rely on Australia to supply them with animals that dominate their landscape.
Australia originally had camels imported to be used for transporting heavy loads or for riding. They were let loose when their work was done, causing an unwanted spike in their population. Australians then sold the camels back to desert-based countries like Saudi Arabia, which use camels at a much higher volume.
4. One man once survived two atomic bombs.
Tsutomu Yamaguchi survived both nuclear attacks to Japan when the U.S. dropped atomic bombs during World War II. Yamaguchi, sent to Hiroshima on business on August 6th, 1945, saw the U.S. drop the first atomic bomb. Miraculously, he survived with burns across his face and arms, but made it home to Nagasaki. Three days later, the second atomic bomb hit, flattening Yamaguchi's home. Because his family was out finding ointments to treat his already existent burns, they were safe in a tunnel and miraculously survived as well.
5. The cast of Friends still earns around $20 million each year.
When the show came to an end, the cast of the popular TV show Friends negotiated syndication rights for themselves. That means they receive a percentage of the revenue (two percent) from reruns airing across all broadcasting companies. Since the much-loved TV show still pulls in around $1 billion of revenue, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and Matthew Perry all make major dough each year for doing, well, nothing—$20 million is the estimate.
6. Pluto technically isn't even a year old.
Pluto was discovered on February 18th, 1930. It is the farthest (dwarf) planet from the Sun, requiring it to go a much farther distance than we are used to on Earth. It takes 248 Earth-years for Pluto to complete one rotation of its own around the sun. This places Pluto's first birthday since its discovery on Monday, March 23, 2178.
7. Cows kill more Americans each year than sharks do.
While sharks account for about 53 bites per year, only one of those ends up being fatal. Cows, on the other hand (or hoof), kill around 20 people per year.
8. Newborns don't have kneecaps.
This belief is only a half truth, as babies actually technically do have kneecaps when they are born. Those knees just aren't hardened yet, and remain soft cartilage throughout their childhood until they eventually turn into bone.
9. In Germany, people help toads cross the road.
You might not want to bring up the popular video game Frogger in Germany. There, they like to protect their frogs, toads, and other amphibians. In order to save them from harm when crossing the street, conservation organizations installed more than 800 fences along popular roadways. Along these fences are buckets, so when they try to cross, they eventually hop into one. At the end of the day, wildlife conservationists collect the buckets and release frogs across the road into a nearby forest with ponds and lakes.
10. Cheetahs don't roar.
Cheetahs can't roar, but they can purr, meow, hiss, bark, and growl instead. This type of behavior is much like the domestic cats we keep in our homes.