Page 95 - The 'X' Zone Book of Triviology

o Mark Twain decided not to invest in Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone company. o Legal exemptions from “Peeping Tom” charges in Texas? Men over 50 and men with only one eye. o The term Generation X was coined in MCMLXIV. o 80% of American husbands, and 50% of wives, say they’d marry the same partner again. o In Ancient Egypt celibate priests abstained from salt because it was thought to be too exciting. o More than 10 hours a week of TV has been shown to negatively affect academic achievement. o There are 25 million digestive glands in the stomach. o Top-selling toys of 1929: American Flyer model trains and Popeye Paddle & Ball. o Average amount of time per day spent on travel: 1.1 hours per person, worldwide. o The first recorded mention of soap was on Sumerian clay tablets from about 2500 B.C. o The investing term “blue chip” comes from the color of the highest value of poker chip, blue. o About a quarter of the world drives on the left side of the road. o The term “brand name” originated among U.S. distillers, who branded their names on kegs. o In Madagascar, it is illegal for pregnant women to eat eels or wear hats. o World’s shortest scheduled airline flight: from Scotland’s Westray Island to Papa Westray. (2 minutes.) o Average participant in fantasy football: White male, married, age 37. Household income $78,000. o It takes about 600 grapes to make a bottle of wine. o In 1969 the U.S. launched a male chimpanzee into space called Ham. He made it back safely. o The entire of Japan (pop. 127 million) is slightly smaller than California (pop. 34 million). o In 1933 Syria banned yo-yos, blaming their up-and-down action for drought. (It rained the very next day.) o The place where a stream disappears underground is called a swallet. o Tsunami waves can move from one shore of the Pacific to the other side in less than a day. o First fire station to install a sliding fire poll: New York’s Engine Co. No.21, in 1878. o -40 degrees C is - degrees F - it’s the only one temperature that’s the same in both. th o 80% of Americans spend the 4 of July with their relatives. o World’s most widely eaten meat: Pork. o Last word in Kurt Vonnegut’s book Breakfast of Champions: “ETC.” o Angelina Jolie’s childhood ambition: to become a funeral director. o On average, a person can hold their breath for 1 minute. World record: 9 min., 8 sec. o Superman’s full Earth name is Clark Joseph Kent. o For 3,000 years, hemp was the world’s largest agricultural crop. o Cost of the 13-year Apollo program to put a man on the Moon: about $23 billion. o The average bee can travel up to 11 mph (18.3 kph)…about 4 times as fast as the average human. o Since 1495, the world has never seen 25 consecutive years without at least one war. o Divorce statistics are lowest among people who say they’re atheists o 1 in 10 Canadians say they’d support a law encouraging people in major cities to wear name tags. o The average American consumes enough caffeine in one year to kill a horse. o Day of the week most Americans call in sick: Friday (18%). The day fewest do: Tuesday (11%). o The Hershey bar was used overseas as “currency” during World War II. o There are more of George Washington’s handwritten letters in existence than there are of JFK’s. o In Cuba, you can be jailed for three days if your house burns down. o Psychics who collect money for telling fortunes are breaking the law in Canada. o Sport that causes the most injuries among Americans aged 15-24: basketball. o More Americans in their thirties own firearms than any other age group.