Top 23+ Cool Facts to Pique Your Curiosity

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

Sometimes, the truth really is stranger than fiction! From bizarre car recalls to surprising animal facts, these mind-boggling realities remind us that our world is far more fascinating than we imagine. Prepare to raise your eyebrows and maybe even win your next trivia night or impress your friends with these weird facts that sound made up but are 100% true.

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

Mazda engineers faced a weird problem when customers’ infotainment systems crashed while tuning to 94.9 KUOW in Seattle. Specifically that station. Oddly enough, stations broadcasting at 94.9 in other cities worked perfectly fine. The issue was specific to this single radio station. Mazda issued a recall in response to the glitch and claimed it occurred as a result of the station broadcasting unreadable image files without extensions.

#3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

While ZZ Top bandmates Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill sported iconic chest-length beards, drummer Frank Beard wore just a mustache. The trio was famous for their sharp-dressed style and lengthy beards in the 1980s, but the member literally named “Beard” rarely grew one. How’s that for irony?

#4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

It’s hard to believe, but some companies have been around for more than 1,000 years. Of all the ancient businesses still in operation, nine out of ten originated in Japan. Most are family businesses focused on traditional crafts, hospitality, or brewing sake. It’s pretty amazing that these companies have managed to last this long in our modern society. The oldest, Kongō Gumi, was founded in 578 AD and constructed temples for 1,428 years.

#6: Different men sharing the same name were the sole survivors of three shipwrecks

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

They say that lightning doesn’t strike twice (which is a myth), but in this case, lightning struck three times for men named Hugh Williams in a strange coincidence. On December 5, 1664, a ship sank in the Menai Strait that separates North Wales from the island of Anglesey with only one survivor: Hugh Williams. On December 5, 1785, another vessel capsized near the same location, again with a lone survivor named Hugh Williams. Incredibly, on December 5, 1820, a third shipwreck occurred with just one man surviving — you guessed it — Hugh Williams!

#7: Octopuses only live 5 years

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

Before you raise an eyebrow at the use of “octopuses,” you should know that octopuses and octopi are both acceptable uses. That’s another cool octopus fact! Also, did you know that octopuses have tragically short lifespans? Despite having three hearts, blue blood, and brains so developed they can use tools and solve complex puzzles, their lifespan is surprisingly short. After mating just once, females stop eating to guard their eggs and die shortly after the eggs hatch. Males fare no better and typically die within months of mating. Sadly, their short lifespan makes it hard for scientists to learn from these amazing creatures.

#9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

We don’t give much thought to most of the objects we use in our daily lives, but some of them have interesting origin stories or have been around a lot longer than you may think. For example, cigarette lighters came before matches. The first lighters, created in 1823, used hydrogen. Matches didn’t appear until 1826, when English chemist John Walker accidentally invented them while working on another project. Early matches were dangerous, and the safer “safety match” we know today wasn’t perfected until 1855, giving lighters a substantial head start in the fire-making timeline.

#10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

Based on mathematics and astronomy, Julius Caesar discovered the Roman calendar had fallen 90 days behind the solar year. His solution was a one-time “last year of confusion” with 445 days to sync the calendar with the solar year. Romans endured fifteen months that year, but the reset worked. While Caesar’s calendar needed a few minor adjustments, there’s never been another extra-long year. To this day, we’re still marching along to Caesar’s time.

#12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

Norway and North Korea are so different, both culturally and geographically, that they seem worlds apart, but they’re actually only separated by one country: Russia. Norway shares a 122-mile border with Russia in its northernmost region, while North Korea connects with Russia for just 11 miles at its northeastern tip. This geographical quirk means these seemingly distant nations have just one country between them despite their vast cultural differences. Pretty crazy, right?

#13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

According to research, the 26 wealthiest people own assets equal to those held by the entire poorest half of humanity combined. In other words, this mind-boggling statistic means that a group small enough to fit on a single bus has the same amount of money as the planet’s 3.8 billion poorest people. With the world’s wealth growing increasingly concentrated with each passing year, there are some serious concerns about global economic systems and resource distribution in an increasingly unequal world.

#15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

Moose and whales seem to have nothing in common except for the fact that both are large animals. But in reality, moose sometimes fall prey to killer orca whales. How does it happen? These massive deer swim between islands along North America’s Pacific coast, diving up to 20 feet to feed on aquatic plants. Opportunistic orcas have learned to hunt them during those vulnerable moments. With their spanning six feet, adult moose are impressive, but they’re ultimately defenseless targets to the ocean’s apex predator when caught away from shore.

#16: The file size for Call of Duty is larger than the entirety of Wikipedia

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

Even if you aren’t a gamer, you’re probably familiar with Call of Duty, but you probably never realized how heavy this video game is. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 requires a staggering 102 GB of storage space. In comparison, downloading all of Wikipedia’s 62,909,996 pages (as of October 2024) would only take up 24.05 GB. The gaming behemoth demands more digital real estate than all of the articles written in the world’s largest encyclopedia. Players often joke that they need separate hard drives just for one single game, which keeps getting even bigger, thanks to regular updates.

#18: No bridges span the Amazon River

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

Despite traveling through nine countries (!) and hundreds of cities on its nearly 4,000-mile journey to the Atlantic Ocean, not a single bridge crosses the Amazon River. That’s because of practical considerations rather than engineering limitations. Most settlements along the Amazon are clustered near impassable rainforests where roads simply don’t exist — making bridges pointless. The river can also be up to 30 miles wide during the rainy season, and the shifting channels would complicate any bridge design. Locals rely entirely on boats to get from one side to the other.

#19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

Despite their drastically different sizes, Canada, California, and Tokyo have surprisingly similar populations. Canada is home to just over 40 million people; 39 million people reside in California, and roughly 37 million people call metropolitan Tokyo home. This mind-bending comparison means one American state holds about as many people as an entire country spanning 3.8 million square miles. Meanwhile, Tokyo packs roughly the same number into just 5,200 square miles. Pretty crazy, right?

#21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

The Venus flytrap is a famous carnivorous plant, but did you know it only grows wild in one place — and it’s not as exotic a location as you probably expect? While they appear in gardens spanning the globe, Venus flytraps only exist naturally within a 75-mile radius of Wilmington, North Carolina. They evolved to thrive in the nitrogen-poor soil of the Carolinas’ coastal plains by supplementing their diet with insects. Because their highly specialized growing conditions and popularity with collectors threaten wild populations, North Carolina enacted laws making poaching Venus flytraps a felony. If you want one of these unique plants, save yourself some jail time by buying one at your local garden center!

#22: Under My Skin

#1: Mazda recalled cars due to a bizarre infotainment system glitch, #3: Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member without a beard, #4: Some companies are 1,000+ years old. Most are in Japan, #7: Octopuses only live 5 years, #9: Matches were invented *after* cigarette lighters, #10: There were 445 days in the year 46 BC, #12: Only one country separates Norway and North Korea, #13: The 26 richest billionaires have the same amount of money as the poorest 50%, #15: The orca whale is the moose’s natural predator, #18: No bridges span the Amazon River, #19: Canada, California, and Tokyo have similar populations, #21: Venus flytraps only grow naturally in the Carolinas, #22: Under My Skin

We all know that polar bears are white, right? But despite their thick, snow white fur, the skin underneath their coat is actually black. The dark color of their skin acts as protection from harmful UV radiation and helps them absorb more heat from the sun in the harsh arctic climate. This just goes to show that there’s so much beneath the surface that doesn’t meet the eye!

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