Odd factoids

[jefmcg]

The Satsuma Rebellion of 1877 was the last battle fought by Samurai in Japan. It was initiated by the claim that oranges were not the only fruit, and lead to the creation of the Mandarin language.

True fact: @ClichéGuevara doesn't know the difference between China and Japan.

 

[classic33]

Chinese Mandarin
Japanese Mandarin

 

[Profpointy]

True fact: @ClichéGuevara doesn't know the difference between China and Japan.

So apart from the China/Japan point, the thing about oranges is true then?

 

[Drago]

The helmets with the spike atop worn by the Germans in WWI were intended as an aid to combat surprise attacks by paratroopers.

 

[Threevok]

5 of the 62 planes shot down by World War I ace Ernst Udet, where actually being flown by himself at the time

 

[Andy_R]

The helmets with the spike atop worn by the Germans in WWI were intended as an aid to combat surprise attacks by paratroopers.

Actually they were invented in Australia, to prevent surprise attacks by Koalas.

 

[classic33]

The neck guard on Darth Vader’s helmet was actually inspired by the samurai’s kabuto helmet.

Vader himself, on the other hand, was inspired by the loss of a great love. And all his limbs. In a volcano.

 

[raleighnut]

The helmets in 'Spaceballs' were modelled on something quite different.

 

[winjim]

The dash for the cash, would have been the "Gordon Bennett Race" then.

 

[Fnaar]

Pygmies are in fact of regular stature. However, their natural environment contains trees of double the normal size, which makes the pygmies look smaller.

Although the Fekawe tribe are genuine pygmies. They live in the grasslands of central Africa, where the grass grows up to 5ft tall. They stop every now and then, jump up and down, and say "Where the fekawe? Where the fekawe?"

 

[classic33]

If your lungs were spread over the average size tennis court, you'd be dead!

 

[glasgowcyclist]

The tune to the American national anthem was taken from a drinking song called "To Anacreon in Heav'n", written for an English gentleman's club called the Anacreontic Society, founded in memory of the Greek poet Anacreon. (Apparently he was a big fan of getting pissed and shagging a lot).

 

[Dirk]

In the Aztec language, the name for gold is teocuitlatl, which means "excrement of the gods."

 

[Dirk]

It's been scientifically proven that the best time to start to take an afternoon nap is between 2pm and 3pm.



I'm just off to do some research......

 

[Drago]

It's been scientifically proven that the best time to start to take an afternoon nap is between 2pm and 3pm.

I have mine at about 1315hrs, just after lunch. I usually regain consciousness at about 1430, whereupon a coffee revitialises me.

This leads to an amazing factoid - at 48 and 5/6ths years of age, I am the youngest old person in England.