Random Useless Facts Thread

@Cosmas-the-Explorer
Yes

In July of 1996, a family of four German tourists went missing in Death Valley. Despite exhaustive search efforts, the Germans were not found until 2009 when skeletons of the two adults were discovered by hikers.

I like spicy foods.

On June 13th, 1994, 13 year old Nicholas Barclay disappeared in the US state of Texas. Three years later, he was found and returned to the family claiming that he escaped from a child prostitution ring in Spain and was welcomed into the family despite having different eye colors, a French accent and appeared several years older. Later that year, a private investigator working for a TV crew noted differences in the ears of the boy and DNA testing done by the FBI found out that “Nicholas” was in fact a French imposter named “Frederic Bourdin”. He was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison and was found out to have assumed the identities of over 500 people including missing persons.

In 2012, a documentary titled “The Imposter” premiered about the incident where filmmaker Bart Layton interviewed Frederic and stated that he was looking for love and affection he never received as a child. He is now living in France and got married for a few years and had children who both moved away, claiming that he won’t impersonate anyone ever again. As for the missing teen Nicholas, his whereabouts are currently unknown.

The late actor Bill Pacton has the honor of being being killed on screen by both a Terminator, an Alien, and a Predator

In the Pokemon anime, Ash’s original partner was going to be a Clefairy instead of Pikachu

President Biden is known for knowing how to do burnouts in cars. He even did one with an Ford F150 Lightning Electric Pickup Truck.

Leonard Maltin is an American film critic, author and historian, who holds the world record for the shortest professional film review, which was awarded for his review of the 1948 romantic comedy, Isn’t It Romantic?

“No”

@Icicle Niceicle 1517
I don’t know how I’d feel if my film was known to future generations for being the target of the ultimate diss.

@Cosmas-the-Explorer
i’d just give up filmmaking on the spot TBH XD

An earthquake in 1812 caused parts of the Mississippi River to flow backwards

Contrary to popular belief: the Las Vegas Strip isn’t actually withing the city limits of Las Vegas (except for the Strat.) It’s actually in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester, Nevada.

In the late 1800’s, mousetraps equipped with revolvers were patented

One cowhide can produce 15-25 footballs.
It takes 3,000 cowhides to supply the NFL for a year.

President William Howard Taft was the last US President to have facial hair

Although there is no rule against Presidential candidates having facial hair, it’s generally advised to be clean shaven, as facial hair makes them look “unprofessional”

@Icicle Niceicle 1517
Kamala Harris should break the streak and grow a mustache

Oh psshaw! Bring back the facial hair, I say!

In 1985, Coca-Cola changed their recipe and introduced “New Coke”. After public backlash and poor consumer reception, the original recipe was reinstated again after a few months

@Icicle Niceicle 1517
There was a period where all of them had it, starting with Grant in 1869. Between him and Taft, McKinley was the only one who was entirely clean-shaven.

@Twiface
Don’t forget Lincoln. Prior to him, I think the only president to have facial hair was Martin van Buren, who had sideburns.

The spiked tail of a stegosaurus is known as the thagomizer. It received its name from a strip from Gary Larson’s “The Far Side,” after which the scientific community began using the term as well.

Fun fact in the state of Tennessee they don’t do emissions tests on vehicles.

@Alicorndogz
New Hampshire is the only state that doesn’t make you buy car insurance.

@Alicorndogz
There are many states that don’t do them. And even in ones that do, they usually only do them in certain counties (In my state they only do it in two cities).