Random Facts 31

MGM Lion
The roaring lion in the MGM logo was named Volney and lived at the Memphis Zoo.
The Ultimate Book of Useless Information (#2), Noel Botham, 2007, p. 4.

Screen Kiss Censorship
Under the Motion Picture Censorship code (1934-68) a screen kiss could only last thirty seconds before being labeled “indecent.”
The Ultimate Book of Useless Information (#2), Noel Botham, 2007, p. 14.

Michael Jackson's State Anthem
Michael Jackson owns the rights to the South Carolina state anthem.
The Ultimate Book of Useless Information (#2), Noel Botham, 2007, p. 23.

Eye Spots
The spots of light you will see when you rub your eyes are called phosphenes.
The Ultimate Book of Useless Information (#2), Noel Botham, 2007, p. 71.

Shazam
The letters of the word Shazam, shouted to conjure up comic-book hero Captain Marvel, stood for Solomon’s Wisdom, Hercules’s Strength, Atlas’s Stamina, Zeus’s Power, Achille’s Courage, and Mercury’s Speed.
The Ultimate Book of Useless Information (#2), Noel Botham, 2007, p. 125.

Dr. Watson’s Moving Bullet Wound
In the Sherlock Holmes story A Study in Scarlet Dr. Watson’s bullet wound was in his shoulder, but in The Sign of Four it was in his leg.
The Ultimate Book of Useless Information (#2), Noel Botham, 2007, p. 121.

Names in the Bible
The most common name in the Bible, stated 33 times, is Zechariah. The three wise men were called Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchoir.
The Ultimate Book of Useless Information (#2), Noel Botham, 2007, p. 169.

Tic Tacs Content
Tic Tacs contain carnuba wax, which is often found in car polishes.
The Ultimate Book of Useless Information (#2), Noel Botham, 2007, p. 190.

Published Books
On average nearly 500 books are published each day.
Armchair Reader-The Colossal Reader, Oct 2008, p.213.

Super Bowl Ads
The cost of a 30 second tv commercial during the first Super Bowl in 1967 was $42,000.
Armchair Reader-The Colossal Reader, Oct 2008, p.336.

Corn on the Cob
There are 600-800 kernals of corn on the cob , and all corn on the cobs have an even number of rows.
Armchair Reader-The Colossal Reader, Oct 2008, p.510.

Bill Gates First Business
Bill Gates first business was Traff-O-Data, a company that developed machines to record the number of vehicles passing selected road points.
Armchair Reader-The Colossal Reader, Oct 2008, p.540.

Nintendo First Specialized
Nintendo was first established in 1889 as a company specializing in the production of Japanese playing cards called hanafuda. That term literally translates as "flower cards."
Armchair Reader-The Colossal Reader, Oct 2008, p.267.

Listerine & Bridesmaids
The phrase “Often a bridesmaid but never a bride” comes from an advertisement for Listerine which first appeared in 1925 and ran for more than 10 years.
Armchair Reader – The Colossal Reader, Aug 2008, p.185.

Oldest Message in Bottle
The oldest message in a bottle that has ever been found spent 92 years and 229 days at sea. The bottle was released on April 25, 1914 in the Norwegian Sea northeast of the Shetland Islands of Scotland. On December 10, 2006, that same bottle was found only about a mile away, rescued by a fisher named Mark Anderson of Bixter, a village on the Shetland Islands.
Armchair Reader – The Colossal Reader, Aug 2008, p.197.

47
The Declaration of Independence has 47 sentences. The Statue of Liberty’s pedestal is 47 meters tall. The AK-47 was designed in 1947.
Mental_Floss, Jan-Feb 2009, v.8, i.1, p.72.

Evesdropping
At one time, landowners weren’t allowed to build right up against a property line, they had to leave room for the eaves of the house as well as for water dripping. An “evesdrip” was only about 24 inches, a small enough space for a neighbor to easily hear what went on next door. Hence the evolution of ecesdropping.
Armchair Reader – The Colossal Reader, Aug 2008, p.65.

Fan
The term "fan" was first used to insult baseball fanatics in the late 1800s.
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader-Sports Spectacular, 2008, p.53.

Baseball Card Value
The most valuable baseball card is a Honus Wagner T-206, as of 2008, worth over $2 million.
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader-Sports Spectacular, 2008, p.91.

Olympic Motto
The Olympic motto is "Citius, Altius, Fortius," which is Latin for "Swifter, Higher, Stronger."
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader-Sports Spectacular, 2008, p.165.

Horse Race
In 2002 Tom Johnson ran a 80 kilometer race (about 50 miles) against a horse and beat it by ten seconds.
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader-Sports Spectacular, 2008, p.172-173.

Cracker Jack Baseball Cards
A complete 1915 set of 176 Cracker Jack baseball cards sold for $800,000 in 2005.
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader-Sports Spectacular, 2008, p.391.