Random Facts So Interesting You will be amazed to know Part 14
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1. France has a dozen time zones.
The country with the widest stretch of land, Russia, spans 11 different time zones. France, though, technically has the most, clocking in at 12—but that's due to the fact that its territories are dispersed in various parts of the world. The U.S. ties with Russia in second, but not all time zones are inhabited.
So, Russia is the only place in the world where one citizen could be waking up at 8:00 a.m. and another could be going to bed at 11:00 p.m.
2. Humans aren't the only species to adopt.
We've seen the heartwarming videos of dogs nursing baby squirrels back to health—and that's actually much more common than we think. It becomes mutually beneficial to have more furry friends in the group to take on other roles in survival—whether that be hunting, gathering, or just simply cute companionship. Though the phenomenon isn't completely understood, it's clear that both humans and animals have an instinct to care for others.
3. Blue Ivy Carter is the youngest person ever to appear on a Billboard chart.
In January 2012, Jay-Z released his hit "Glory," a dedication to his firstborn child, Blue Ivy Carter. The rapper decided it would make sense to have her featured on the song, so he included a clip of her crying before the track ends. Because her dad officially credited her in the song's title, she became the youngest person ever to have a Billboard hit—at a mere two days old.
4. The majority of Americans choose dogs over love.
Dogs have been known for the longest time as man's best friend, but Americans are increasingly taking that to a new level. A 2017 study from Rover.com conducted over three years found that 54 percent of dog owners are willing to end a relationship if their pup doesn't like their partner.
The study also found that 94 percent of dog owners consider their dogs to be a part of their family, and 78 percent include their pups in major family moments. Since one in four people said they bring their cuddly companions on first dates, maybe consider bringing dog treats instead of flowers next time.
5. The first Star Wars was expected to be a flop.
The original 1977 Star Wars had a budget of $8 million, which distributor 20th Century Fox was reluctant to give to director/writer George Lucas, so he accepted a lower salary in order to keep the budget. The movie went on to make $775 million around the world, and Disney picked up the entire franchise for $4 billion. For comparison, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which was released in 2017, had a reported budget of $317 million.
6. Your liver can regrow itself in three weeks.
The Greeks had it right with Prometheus, it turns out. According to Greek mythology, the titan was punished by having an eagle eat his liver day after day. The liver would regrow at night, leaving Prometheus at the bird's mercy.
It turns out, the regenerative properties of this story are partially true: Doctors have found that the liver can regrow in three weeks, not one day.
7. Danes once bred a pig to look like the flag.
In the early 20th century, those who resided in North Frisia under Prussian rule were not allowed to raise the Danish flag. But some crafty North Frisians took action by breeding a pig, known as the Danish Protest Pig, to be red in color, with a large white stripe around its belly—thus creating an animal version of the flag. As they technically did not break the law, and because it wouldn't have been feasible to ban the breeding of pigs, the Danes successfully protested Prussia.
8. A 70-year-old woman once completed seven marathons in seven days, across all seven continents.
Chau Smith was always an avid runner, and, in 2017, she decided that for her 70th birthday, she would complete seven marathons in one week across all of the continents. Traveling made it challenging—for example, Smith made the race in Egypt just minutes before the start because her plane to Cairo was delayed. But despite the obstacles, she completed her goal.
9. Dogs like squeaky toys for a dark reason.
Ever wonder why your little puppy obsesses over those squeaky toys? Because dogs are descendants of wolves whose instincts include hunting smaller animals. The sound a squeaky toy makes is very similar to the sound a small animal makes when being hunted. When Ol' Lassie hears that, she gets excited because of these killer survival skills.
10. The man who founded Atari also started Chuck E. Cheese.
In 1972, Nolan Bushnell started the gaming company Atari, which gave us the classic arcade game Pong. Bushnell sold the company just four years later and the following year, he opened Chuck E. Cheese! In fact, there is one game in Chuck E. Cheese that actually is called Ping, a knockoff of his original arcade game, which he couldn't use since he no longer owned it.