Facts Most People Don't Know

• Weird fact

Sri Lanka has a Ministry and Minister of Coconut Development.Source

• Fun fact

When telephones first came into commercial use you had to whistle loudly into the receiver to get the other person's attention, as telephone bells hadn't been invented yet.Source

• Weird fact

The motto on the United Kingdom's coat of arms is in French.Source

• Interesting fact

In order for MIT students to graduate, they must pass a swim test as it's deemed "a self-survival skill."Source

• Fun fact

When Southwest began using the motto "Just Plane Smart," Stevens Aviation, which had been using "Plane Smart," advised of infringing its trademark. Instead of a lawsuit, the CEOs staged an arm wrestling match. The loser paid to a charity of his choice and the winner claimed the motto.Source

• Interesting fact

Mitsubishi logo is based on the literal translation of the words in Japanese. Mitsubishi translates to "three diamonds".Source

• Interesting fact

Enligsh is the universal "language of the skies". All pilots must learn and speak English, regardless of their origin.Source

• Interesting fact

Sony is primarily an insurance company in Japan and electronics are not their main source of income.Source

• Interesting fact

Every November in South Korea, there's a day where everyone makes silence to help students concentrate for their most important exam of their lives. Planes are grounded, constructions are paused, banks close and even military training ceases. This day is called Suneung.Source

• History fact

The Titanic crew had no binoculars , which may have helped them see the iceberg. They were inside a locker and the key was lost.Source

• History fact

King Louis XIX had the shortest reign of any king by abdicating after 20 minutes.Source

• Fun fact

The top prize in the Sri Lankan version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" is around 13 Thousand dollars.Source

• Amazing fact

Electric vehicles are so quiet that they have systems to generate artificial engine sounds for safety.Source

• Interesting fact

English used to have a letter for "th", called thorn. That letter was shorthanded to y, therefore "ye olde shoppe".Source

• Interesting fact

All US astronauts are required to learn Russian as part of their extensive training, and have to be able to run the ISS using Russian-language training manuals if necessary.Source

• Amazing fact

Astronauts can grow up to 2" taller during their time in space due to the elongation of their spine in microgravity.Source

• Amazing fact

In Japan, '39' is common text speak for 'thank you', due to how 3 (san) and 9 (kyu) sound when spoken out loud.Source

• History fact

England used to have a "window tax". People refused to disclose how much money they made, considering it an invasion of privacy - so you would be charged based on how many windows your house had. In retaliation, people bricked up their windows, which you can still see today.Source

• Tech fact

Apple logo contains an apple with a single bite, because a small version of the logo would be indistinguishable from a cherry.Source

• Weird fact

"The Fire Officers Guide to Disaster Control" book contains a chapter (ch. 13) on UFOs hazards and how to handle UFO emergency's.Source