Today is National Trivia Day. In celebration of this quirky holiday, here are 40 bits of useless information that might score you some free booze.
- In the 1960s the “Slumber Party Barbie” came with a book called “How to Lose Weight.” One of the tips featured? “Don’t eat.”
- “ Sporange ” is a real word. So, yes. There is a word that rhymes with orange.
- Ben & Jerry, of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, almost got into the bagel business , but decided that the equipment was too expensive.
- Jim Cummings is the voice of Winnie the Pooh . Cummings is known for calling sick children in hospitals to speak with them in character.
- The “Truman Show Delusion” is an actual mental condition marked by a patient’s belief that he or she is the star of an imaginary reality show.
- Before coffee became popular, Americans chose to drink beer with their breakfast.
- When three-letter codes became the standard for airport codes, airports that had been using only two letters just added an “X” – i.e., LAX
- Oscar the Grouch used to be orange.
- In 1961, Martha Stewart was selected as one of Glamour magazine’s “Ten Best-Dressed College Girls.”
- Some buildings in New York City have their own zip code.
- On Good Friday in 1930, the BBC reported, “There is no news.” Instead, the station played piano music.
- Liz Sheridan, the woman who played Jerry’s mom on “Seinfeld” wrote a book about her love affair with James Dean titled “Dizzy & Jimmy: My Life with James Dean: A Love Story.”
- Judge Judy reportedly makes $47 million a year.
- M&M’s stands for “Mars & Murrie’s,” the founders’ last names.
- Apparently Bill Clinton is a My Little Pony. When he appeared on Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me! , he correctly answered three questions about My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.
- In France, researchers have found that 10 percent of the population is left-handed.
- Thomas Jefferson wrote part of the “Declaration of Independence” in a small pub in Philadelphia.
- Carly Simon’s father is the co-founder of Simon and Schuster.
- The original Space Jam website still exists (you’re welcome).
- The final speech by Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird was done in one take.
- In 1917, John Fisher used the phrase “O.M.G.” in a letter to Winston Churchill.
- Horses are incapable of vomiting .
- Jackie Onassis edited Michael Jackson’s autobiography titled “Moonwalk” in 1988.
- In 1907, Kellogg’s offered women a free box of Corn Flakes if they winked at their grocer.
- Venusian snow is made from heavy metals.
- The ATM was once deemed a failure because its only users were “ prostitutes and gamblers who didn’t want to deal with tellers.”
- Taco Bell is named after its founder, Glen Bell.
- Duncan Hines was a real person. He wrote a book of hotel recommendations and was a popular food critic.
- Belmont University offered a course called “Oh, Look, a Chicken! Embracing Distraction as a Way of Knowing.”
- William Faulkner declined a dinner invitation from JFK’s White House. “Why that’s a hundred miles away,” Faulkner said. “That’s a long way to go just to eat.”
- Bono’s birth name is Paul David Howell Evans.
- Male students at Brigham Young University need a doctor’s note to grow a beard .
- Obsessive nose picking is called “Rhinotillexomania.”
- The “Q” in Q-tips stands for “quality.” They were originally called Baby Gays.
- Ruth was trained as a sniper by the Israeli military.
- Following the release of OutKast’s “Hey Ya!” Polaroid released the following statement: “Shaking or waving can actually damage the image.”
- In the early stage version of The Wizard of Oz , Dorothy’s faithful companion Toto was replaced by a cow named Imogene.
- Failed PEZ flavors include: coffee, eucalyptus, menthol, and flower.
- James Avery (“Uncle Phil” on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”) was the voice of Shredder on the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” cartoon.
- In the 1980s, Pablo Escobar’s Medellin Cartel spent $2,500 per month on rubber bands to hold all their cash.
[Featured Image by chrupka/Shutterstock]
