Top 10 Unbelievable Facts You Didn't Know Were True
The world is a diverse and amazing place! Literature, history, botany, and more - the opportunity to learn is endless. If for no reason other than to impress at a dinner party, learning a bunch of cool facts is great for expanding your general knowledge.
In this post, we’ll be covering the top 10 unbelievable facts we’re sure you didn’t know were true! If you’re interested in learning some interesting information, read on.
Top 10 Unbelievable Facts
1. Acacia Trees ‘Talk’ to Each Other
Photo credit: Wikimedia
Acacia trees are native to Africa and are a giraffe's favorite snack. Since these trees are often targeted by giraffes, they’ve developed a special technique to keep themselves safe. When the giraffes munch away, the injured acacia tree releases a ‘distress signal’ by emitting ethylene gas.
This lets other trees in the vicinity know that there’s a predator around. Those trees pump their leaves with tannins, which are poisonous to giraffes in large quantities.
2. The Anglo-Zanzibar War Lasted Only 38 Minutes
Photo credit: Wikimedia
Only two countries fought in the Anglo-Zanzibar war - the United Kingdom and the Zanzibar Sultanate. The war lasted between 38 to 45 minutes. This makes it the shortest war in the history of humanity!
According to historians, the war was caused because of the death of Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini who supported the British. Succeeding him was Sultan Khalid bin Barghash who did not look on the colonizers so favorably. The British were not pleased and wanted him to step down.
Sultan Khalid refused, and this led to the ‘war’ in question.
3. France is the Most Visited Country in the World
When considering holiday destinations, you probably think of locations like the Maldives, Bali, and Mauritius. You’d think those locations would be the most visited in the world.
The most visited country in the world is France, with over 90 million visitors in 2019. This is a large portion of the world’s population. With tourist hotspots like the Eiffel Tower, France has earned its spot as the most popular global destination.
4. Louis XIV Was the Longest Ever Reigning Monarch
Photo credit: Wikimedia
The next on our list of top 10 unbelievable facts is one for the history lovers.
King Louis XlV of France was the longest ever reigning monarch. While he was crowned King at four years old, his official rule only started years later when he was in his 20’s. His reign ran from 1643 to 1715.
After Louis XIV, Queen Elizabeth ll of the British royal family has become the second-longest reigning monarch. Her reign has lasted over 70 years.
Some would argue that she is actually the longest-reigning monarch in history, since King Louis didn’t officially rule until he was in his 20s.
5. Owls Don’t Have Eyeballs
This is one of our favorite fascinating facts!
Owls have eye tubes or ‘eye cylinders’. These eye tubes are rod-shaped and don’t move in the socket like an eyeball would. Instead of being able to move their eyes, owls have to move their heads when looking around.
In fact, they’ve evolved to spin their necks up to 270° while their whole body remains still.
6. A Shot of Espresso Has Less Caffeine Than a Regular Cup of Coffee
We all know the feeling of waking up tired and grabbing an espresso shot before starting our day. But did you know that a single shot of espresso often has less caffeine than a regular cup of coffee?
Here’s a quick comparison to give you an idea of the typical strengths of your favorite brews:
Single shot espresso - average 75mg
Instant coffee - average 90mg
Fresh press or plunger coffee - average 108mg
Percolated coffee - average 135mg
Double shot espresso - average 150mg
Boiled Greek or Turkish coffee - average 200mg
7. In Singapore, it’s Illegal to Chew Gum
You can’t chew gum in Singapore? This threw us for a loop - no wonder it’s made our list of weird facts. After all, what’s so dangerous about chewing gum that it had to be outlawed?
In 1992, the Prime Minister of Singapore was pretty annoyed about how much time was being spent on cleaning up chewing gum in public spaces. So, he made the import and sale of chewing gum illegal! Getting caught by city officials had consequences.
As of writing this, the ban is still in place. However, in 2004 an exception was added for certain brands of sugar-free gum sold by pharmacists and dentists.
This is a strange law, but at least Singaporeans don’t have to worry about picking dried sticky gum off their shoes.
8. Wasps Attack When Drunk
Picture credit: Wikimedia
If you live in one of the warmer parts of the world, you’ll be familiar with wasps and their notorious aggression. Why are wasps so angry in summer?
It turns out that wasps can get as drunk as humans can.
A worker wasp has one job, supply the queen with nectar. Once their stores are full, there isn’t much to do but fly around, enjoy the sun, and feast on fruit.
Often, this fruit has already fermented, and it puts wasps in a drunken stupor. As it turns out, wasps are the meanest drunks on this side of the northern hemisphere!
9. The CIA Once Tried to Train Cats as Spies
At the peak of the Cold War in 1960, the CIA tried some pretty strange ideas in their attempts to one-up the Soviets.
One of these projects was called Acoustic Kitty. The project was originally intended to involve planting listening devices in the ears of cats and using them as spies.
The CIA soon found out that cats have a mind of their own and are impossible to train. The project was subsequently abandoned.
Luckily, the US government didn’t decide to send cats to space via the international space station.
10. Harper Lee’s Friends Financed Her for a Year So She Could Write
Picture credit: Wikimedia
Pulitzer Prize winner Harper Lee has some amazing friends! Before her rise to fame, Harper Lee was struggling to juggle her day job with writing. As we all do, she shared her troubles with her friends.
Well, her friends must have truly believed in her talent! They offered her an entire year's salary as a Christmas present so that she could take time off to finish her novel.
They were right to bet on her. This book has changed the lives of all the humans who have read it! Lee would go on to write the critically acclaimed To Kill a Mockingbird, which sold over 30 million copies worldwide. Friends like that deserve to win a Nobel peace prize of their own!
Conclusion
The world is filled with fun and interesting facts you can look up on the world wide web. These interesting facts are great for increasing your general knowledge.
They’re also perfect for popping out during parties if you’re looking to wow everyone with unusual information.
If you’d like to broaden your knowledge some more, keep an eye on Phreeque for more stories of unique and interesting people, animals, history, and science.