Sometimes it can be hard to decide what you actually want to read — or you simply can’t find anything that catches your interest in the moment. So let us introduce a new article series here on 10KickassFacts: “10 Kickass and Random Facts of the Day”!
Here you’ll find completely random — and hopefully surprising — facts that you probably didn’t know before. Enjoy the collection below!
1 Oscar the Cat survived three shipwrecks…
“Unsinkable Sam“, known to the Germans as “Oscar“, was a cat who served aboard three different warships during World War II — one German and two British. Incredibly, all three ships sank, yet the cat survived every single wreck, floating away on bits of wooden debris until he was rescued each time.
Talk about having nine lives — Oscar definitely used a few of them. [source]
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2 Crushed by a cactus and died…
In 1982, two young men decided it would be “fun” to shoot at saguaro cacti (the huge ones you’ve seen in classic desert photos). After blasting away for a while, one of the men walked up to a 225-kilogram (500-pound) cactus to give it a push so it would fall to the ground.
Unfortunately for him, the cactus fell on him instead, instantly crushing him and causing his immediate death.
A harsh reminder that the desert always wins. [source]
3 All the vodka ran out after heavy celebrations…
When World War II finally came to an end and the Allies were declared victorious, the celebrations in Moscow were so wild and enthusiastic that every last drop of vodka in the city was completely consumed — totally gone!
That’s one way to mark the end of a war. [source]
4 The Allies planned to dose Hitler with female hormones…
British intelligence planners seriously considered secretly administering small doses of estrogen in Adolf Hitler’s food to make his personality less aggressive — and, as a bonus, potentially cause his mustache to eventually fall off.
Yes, this was an actual plan discussed during the war. [source]
5 An anti-alcoholism stamp became a total flop…
In 1981, the U.S. Postal Service released an anti-alcoholism stamp that read “Alcoholism: You Can Beat It!“. Although the intention was good, the stamp turned out to be a major flop — mainly because it looked as if the sender was delivering a very specific message to the recipient.
Not exactly the vibe you want when mailing birthday cards. [source]
6 Never pick your nose with your fingers…
You should avoid picking your nose with your fingers as much as possible — no matter how tempting it may be! Every time you stick your fingers into your nose, you risk transmitting bacteria, depending on where your hands have been beforehand. And it works the other way around too: mucus can be full of nasty bacteria as well.
That’s why you should remove any nose gunk using cotton swabs or another suitable tool, rather than your fingers. Much safer for everyone involved. [source]
7 Walruses can grow truly gigantic…
Male Pacific walruses can reach an impressive length of up to 3.6 meters (12 feet) and weigh more than 1,500 kilograms (3,300 pounds). And as the saying goes, bigger can be better — especially since they rely on their thick layers of fat to survive in the cold Arctic waters. [source]
8 The microwave is better than you might think…
Most vegetables actually retain more nutrients when cooked in a microwave than through any other cooking method. This makes the microwave the healthiest way to cook your veggies, preserving vitamins and minerals far better than boiling or frying. [source]
9 Why the evil Minions are purple…
The evil Minions were made purple because the good Minions are yellow, and these two colors sit on opposite sides of the color spectrum. In other words, purple was chosen as the perfect visual opposite to highlight their villainous transformation. [source]
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10 Cooking meth inside Walmart isn’t as uncommon as you’d think…
Since 2011, there have been four recorded incidents in the United States where individuals attempted to manufacture methamphetamine inside Walmart stores. Yes, you read that correctly — people have actually tried cooking meth in the aisles.
Sometimes reality really is stranger than fiction. [source]
