Page 89 - The 'X' Zone Book of Triviology

o “A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.” - Winston Churchill. o Nowhere in the Bible does it say there were three wise men. o You can get about 6 glasses of wine from a standard-size bottle. o In Bangladesh, kids as young as 15 can be jailed for cheating on final exams. o If you are right-handed, you will tend to chew your food on the right side of the mouth. o Bears live in dens, badgers live in setts, and squirrels live in dreys. o World’s most valuable comic: Action Comics #1 (1938), introducing Superman, cover price: 10 cents. Present-day value for a copy in mint condition: $600.000. o World’s longest mountain range: The Andes, stretching more than 4,000 miles through 7 nations. o The length of a single human DNA molecule, when extended, is 5’5”. o 40% of American women have asked a man out on a date. 93% got a “yes.” o Wesley Snipes was in Michael Jackson’s “Bud” music video. o There are more insects in 10 square feet of a rain forest than there are in Manhattan. o Donald Rumsfeld was the youngest, and oldest, defense secretary in U.S. history. He served twice. o It was once a custom in England to pass a newly born baby through the rind of a cheese. o From fertilization to birth, a baby’s weight increases by 5 billion times. o When Harper Lee won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for To Kill a Mockingbird, she broke out in hives. o In Winchester, MA, it is illegal for a woman to dance on a tightrope unless she’s in a church. o Iceland publishes four times as many books per capita as the United States. o The 40-day pre-Easter period of Lent is actually 46 days long (Sunday’s aren’t included). o The other Gong Show: People who once cleaned out cesspits were known as gongfermers. o A pelican can hold about 25 pounds of fish in its pouch. o Scientifically speaking, a “Roddenberry” is equal to 4,157 trillion miles. o Although Morse Code is named for Samuel Morse, it was invented by Alfred Vail. o The Trans-Canada Highway is the world’s longest national highway (10,781 km., or 6,699 mi). o Evangelist Aimee McPherson was buried with a working telephone so she could contact the living. When she didn’t make contact after 7 years, the line was disconnected. o There are 4,570 tons of gold at Fort Knox. (New York’s Federal Reserve Bank has 5,000 tons.) o In ancient Egypt, warm donkey droppings were prescribed to alleviate sore eyes. o Michael Jordan shaves his head twice a week. o A howdah is a saddle on an elephant. o Weigh yourself; multiply it by 0.0028. That’s how much salt (by weight) you have in your body. o There are more than 20,000 brands of beer worldwide. o Napoleon carried chocolate with him on all of his military campaigns. o First bird mentioned in the Bible: a raven, in Genesis 8:7. Second bird: a dove, in verse 8. o Body part most commonly bitten by insects: the foot. o The religion of the Todas people of India forbids crossing bridges. o Most popular TV show in the world in 2007 - CSI: Miami. o Your tongue can detect sweetness in a solution of 1 part sugar to 200 parts water. o A rooster cannot crow unless its neck is fully extended. o Most common speed limit sign in the United States: 25 m.p.h. o Amman, Jordan, was once called Philadelphia. o The first Santa Claus School opened in September 1937 in Albion, New York. o In Rochester, MI, anyone swimming in public must have their suit inspected by a police officer. o The world’s first airline, DELAG (Germany, 1909), used zeppelins, not airplanes.