Random fun facts catch us off guard in the best possible way. They’re unexpected or unusual bits of knowledge from the worlds of science, history, and pop culture that delight and entertain us—and anyone we share them with. But these interesting facts aren’t just amusing pieces of information that will make you a whiz at answering questions: They’re legitimately fascinating, and once you get started, you’ll want to keep reading until your curiosity is satisfied.
Amazing Random fun facts catch us off guard in the best possible way. These are fascinating and amusing tidbits of information from the fields of science, history, and popular culture that we find entertaining and delightful, as well as anyone with whom we share them. But these fascinating facts are more than just humorous tidbits of knowledge that will turn you into an expert question-answerer; once you start reading, you won’t want to stop until your curiosity is satiated.
1. Mister Rogers always mentioned out loud that he was feeding his fish.
Fred “Mister” Rogers. / Getty Images
He took this action at the request of a young, blind viewer. She was curious about the fish’s well-being.
2. Boring, Oregon, and Dull, Scotland, have been sister cities since 2012.
In 2017, they added Bland Shire, Australia, to their “League of Extraordinary Communities.”
3. Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt once sneaked out of a White House event and commandeered an airplane.
Amelia Earhart. / Getty Images
The two women went on a joyride to Baltimore.
4. If you have the feeling you’ve experienced an event before in real life, call it déjà vu.
If you feel like you are previously experienced an event in a dream instead, there is a different term for it:
5. During Prohibition, moonshiners would wear “cow shoes.”
The fancy footwear left hoof prints instead of footprints, helping distillers and smugglers evade police.
6. Since founding the Imagination Library in 1995, Dolly Parton has donated 100 million books to children.
Dolly Parton. / Daniel Boczarski/GettyImages
Although the programme started in Tennessee, it has since expanded to other countries.
7. The 100 folds in a chef’s toque are said to represent 100 ways to cook an egg.
Here are some tips on how to cook perfect eggs.
8. In curling, good sportsmanship and politeness are essential.
Curling. / Richard Heathcote/GettyImages
Greeting opponents and abstaining from trash talk are part of what’s known as the “Spirit of Curling.”
9. In 1974, the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis published a paper titled “The Unsuccessful Self-Treatment of a Case of Writer’s Block.”
It contained a total of zero words. (But here is how some famous authors dealt with it)
10. Guinness once estimated that 93,000 liters of beer are lost in facial hair each year in the UK alone.
A tragic loss. / AleksandarGeorgiev/Getty Images
Possibly not among the numerous historical justifications for developing a beard is this one.
11. George Washington served an eggnog-like drink to visitors at Mount Vernon.
His recipe included rye whiskey, rum, and sherry.
12. Fun Facts: Some cats are allergic to humans.
GCCF Shropshire Cat Club Championship Show. / Shirlaine Forrest/GettyImages
Yes, you may be the reason your cat is sneezing.
13. Queen Elizabeth II was a trained mechanic.
Then-Princess Elizabeth changing the tire of a vehicle during training. / Central Press/GettyImages
In 1945, at just 18 years old, Queen Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she trained as a truck driver and mechanic.
14. Volvo gave away the 1962 patent for their revolutionary three-point seat belt for free.
The company did this to save lives.
15. Tsundoku is the act of acquiring books and not reading them.
There’s no shame in having a large to-be-read pile!
16. Bela Lugosi was buried in full Dracula costume.
Bela Lugosi Playing Dracula. / George Rinhart/GettyImages
Cape and all.
17. Ravens in captivity can learn to talk.
The clever corvids can mimic several other sounds.
18. Central Park’s lampposts contain a set of four numbers that can help you navigate.
Gapstow Bridge in Central Park. / magnez2/Getty Images
The 1st two tell you the nearest street, and the next two tell you whether you’re closer to the east or west side of the park (even numbers signal east, odd signals west).
19. A teacher wrote of a young Roald Dahl on his school report card: “I have never met anybody who so persistently writes words meaning the exact opposite of what is intended.”
Roald Dahl. / Tony Evans/Timelapse Library Ltd./GettyImages
It was true that the author had a gift for creating absurd phrases.
20. The only Blockbuster store in the world that is still operating is in Bend, Oregon.
At one point, there were more than 9000 Blockbuster stores in the U.S.
