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Discovering the Extraordinary: 59 Unusual Facts That Will Fascinate You

Discovering the Extraordinary

By Taj PaddaPublished 12 months ago 5 min read
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The world is a treasure trove of knowledge and captivating information. From the extraordinary wonders of nature to the curious aspects of human history and culture, there are countless unusual facts that can surprise and intrigue us. In this blog post, we invite you on a journey of discovery as we unravel 100 remarkable and lesser-known facts. Prepare to be amazed!

1. The world’s oldest known customer complaint dates back to ancient Mesopotamia, where a dissatisfied customer inscribed a clay tablet to complain about receiving inferior copper ingots.

2. Bananas are berries, while strawberries are not.

3. The shortest war in history was between Britain and Zanzibar in 1896, lasting only 38 minutes.

4. Octopuses have three hearts.

5. Honey never spoils. Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old and still perfectly edible.

6. The shortest complete sentence in the English language is “I am.”

7. Wombat feces are cube-shaped. Yes, you read that right!

8. The Great Wall of China is not visible from space with the naked eye, despite a popular myth.

9. In Japan, it is common for people to take “forest baths” to reduce stress and improve overall well-being. This involves spending time in nature to reap the benefits of its therapeutic effects.

10. The world’s quietest room is located at Microsoft’s headquarters in Washington. It is so quiet that you can hear your own blood flowing and even your bones creaking.

11. Cows have best friends and experience stress when separated from them.

12. The shortest international flight in the world is between St. Gallen, Switzerland, and Friedrichshafen, Germany, lasting only eight minutes.

13. There is a species of jellyfish that is biologically immortal and can revert back to its juvenile form after reaching maturity.

14. The “Duluth Eskimos” was a professional football team in the United States made up entirely of Native American players in the 1920s.

15. The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland.

16. The average person walks the equivalent of five times around the world in their lifetime.

17. The world’s oldest known recipe is for beer and dates back over 4,000 years to ancient Sumeria.

18. Cheetahs cannot roar like other big cats but instead communicate through a variety of vocalizations, including purring, hissing, and chirping.

19. The Hawaiian alphabet has only 12 letters.

20. The shortest scheduled flight in the world is between two Scottish islands, Westray and Papa Westray, and lasts just 1 minute and 14 seconds.

21. The Eiffel Tower grows in height by up to 6 inches (15 cm) during the summer due to thermal expansion.

22. There is a town in Norway called Hell. Interestingly, it freezes over during the winter.

23. The world’s largest snowflake, measuring 15 inches (38 cm) in diameter, was observed in Montana, USA, in 1887.

24. The Hawaiian language has a single word, “humuhumunukunukuapua’a,” which refers to a reef triggerfish and is the state fish of Hawaii.

25. The national animal of Scotland is the unicorn.

26. The average person blinks around 15–20 times per minute.

27. In ancient Rome, urine was used as a cleaning agent due to its ammonia content.

28. Bees have five eyes – two large compound eyes and three smaller eyes on top of their head.

29. The shortest war in history lasted only 38 to 45 minutes. It occurred between Britain and Zanzibar on August 27, 1896.

30. Honey never spoils. Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old and still perfectly edible.

31. A group of flamingos is called a “flamboyance.”

32. The average person walks the equivalent of three times around the world in a lifetime.

33. Astronauts cannot cry in space because there is no gravity to make tears fall.

34. The world’s oldest known recipe is a beer recipe from ancient Sumeria, dating back to around 1800 BCE.

35. Cows have best friends and can become stressed when separated from them.

36. The Great Wall of China is not visible from space with the naked eye.

37. The oldest known living tree is named Methuselah and is over 4,800 years old.

38. The Eiffel Tower can grow up to six inches taller during the summer due to the expansion of iron from the heat.

39. Octopuses have three hearts.

40. Humans share 50% of their DNA with bananas.

41. The world’s quietest room is located at Microsoft’s headquarters and is so quiet that you can hear your own blood flowing.

42. The Hawaiian alphabet consists of only 13 letters.

43. A “jiffy” is an actual unit of time. It is equal to 1/100th of a second.

44. There is a town in Norway called Hell, and during winter, it freezes over.

45. The world’s largest snowflake was recorded in Montana and measured 15 inches in diameter.

46. The oldest known musical instrument is a flute made from a vulture’s wing bone, dating back over 40,000 years.

47. In Japan, it is common to have square-shaped watermelons for easier stacking and storage.

48. The world’s largest rubber duck is 54 feet tall and weighs 11 tons.

49. The average person produces enough saliva in their lifetime to fill two swimming pools.

50. The shortest commercial flight in the world is between two Scottish islands and lasts only 47 seconds.

51. The fingerprints of a koala are so similar to humans that they have been mistaken at crime scenes.

52. The world’s smallest mammal is the bumblebee bat, which weighs less than a penny.

53. In 2006, a Coca-Cola employee offered to sell the company’s secret recipe on eBay. The highest bid reached $15 million, but the auction was eventually shut down.

54. There is a hotel in Sweden made entirely of ice and snow. It is rebuilt every year.

55. The longest wedding veil on record measured 3,329 feet and 10 inches long.

56. The “zip” in zip code stands for “Zone Improvement Plan.”

57. Astronauts’ height can increase up to two inches while spending an extended period in space due to the lack of gravity compressing their spines.

58. It takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds for light from the Sun to reach Earth.

59. The world’s largest recorded snowflake measured 15 inches in diameter and fell in Montana

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About the Creator

Taj Padda

Hello, I'm Taj, an avid writer and knowledge enthusiast.

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