The world is full of interesting facts, many of which are very surprising because they are the opposite of what many people go about believing almost all their lives. When faced with these facts most people respond by way of argument; they do not believe that these are the realities of life.
However, knowing these things can significantly save one from unnecessary stress, and from worry. However, there are also plenty of funny facts about the world mixed in here as well as facts that are completely open up your minds and horizon about powerful popular individuals in the world. Some of the fascinating discoveries about world facts will wow and stun you, keeping your eyes glued to your screen, eager to know the next world fact.
There are probably more facts about the world than one page can contain so we did a collection of some of the 45 most fascinating world facts you most probably never though about.
Unearthing The 45 Mind-Blowing World Facts That Will Amaze You
100 Did You Know Facts About The World
Birds Are Dinosaurs
That’s right, birds are dinosaurs. This technically means that dinosaurs are not extinct. Not all of them, in any case. While it does not seem that dinosuars will be reclassified any time soon to “extant” one can look at birds like Emu, Ostriches, and cassowaries, as well as the strange but interesting Hoatzin, and really see the similarities.
Oranges Were Originally Green
Before oranges became a commercial product, the first ones available were green. They were also more related to tangerines. Those species or hybrids are no longer popular, and may even be lost. However, some say they were even more tasty than the common varieties of today.
Going To Work Is More Dangerous Than War
Statistically, you are three times more likely to die commuting to or from work than you are if you were to be shipped out to war these days. That data is obtained by comparing the number of accident fatalities with the number of troops who die in combat.
However, it is important to note that fewer people ship out to war compared to the number of people going to war. it is therefore normal that more people should die going to work.
There Was A Flying Dinosaur Bigger Than A Figher Jet
Yes, it was called Pterodactylus, and lived between 201.3 million years ago – 136.4 million years ago. It was one of the earliest flying creatures on earth’s skies, and yes, it could get bigger than a fighter jet.
It ate small animals, although scientists also say it ate anything it could find because it was a strong animal with a good biting force, so it could have possibly killed big prey as well.
Spider Goats Are Real
Spider goats may seem like a crazy idea from a scifi movie, but they are real. They are not half goats with spider legs as one internet source states; they look like normal goats. But they are not normal at all; while other goats produce milk, they produce spider silk from their udders.
They are celebrated as a major scientific breakthrough; and a sign that bigger things will be accomplished by the scientific community in a short time to come.
You Can See Two Sunsets In One Day
As a matter of fact it is possible to see the sunset at ground level of the Burj Khalifa, and then see it again when you travel to the top. That is two sunsets for the price of one. Technically though that is the sam sunset, it was only replayed.
Queen Elizabeth II’s handbag was Communication Device
That’s right; even though she probably had a hundred of those handbags to match her outfits, they were more than just hashion statements; they were used to carry messaags to her staff. For eample; whenever she put it on a table it meant she wanted to leave that immediate vicinity. Some also say it could take her pulse, and check her mood.
Switching it from one hand to another was also a signal to her staff to politely end the conversation with whomever she was talking to.
Dead Spacecraft Are Buried In The South Pacific
It is the farthest place from land on earth, and so it is considered the best place for space-junk to be directed. It is called Point Nemo, and contains space-shuttles, space stations, and rockets, and so on.
The good thing is that it could still serve some purpose in the future, it could become an underwater musiem; receiving visitors who want to know more about space travel. The junk could even be salvaged someday; maybe put to a different use.
Submarines Can Collide
Yes, submarines are fitted with advanced sonar equipment to help them “see” where they are going, but they are also fitted with advanced technology to hid them from other vessels. That advanced technology is exactly the problem; sometimes theyhide from each other so well that they collide.
A collision at such depth usually means death for the crew, although sometimes there are survivors.
Such an qccident occurred between two nuclear submarines belong to the United Kingdom and France. It happened in February 2009.
The Internet Was Very Diificult To Get
Back in the 1950’s people used a CD to sign up to have internet access. 3G was once considered impressive, and many people thought it was the peak of mobile communications technology. 5G which is taken for granted in many developed countries is still not available in some countries.
According To Aerodynamics The Bee Should Not Fly
Bees fail all the laws of aerodynamics; they are too big, with wingspans that are too small. They should also cause too much drag because of their round bodies. It is a miracle therefore that they are able to fly, sometimes up to 29,525 feet above sea level.
The World Depends On Bees
Bees are a thing of wonder. Scientists argue that without bees the food chain as we know it would soon come crashing down. This is because bees play an important role in distributing pollen which is what flowers need to transform into fruit.
The world therefore depends on bees to produce fruits and food. Bees hold the balance of the world together.
The Eiffel Tower ‘Grows’ In The Summer
The Eiffel Tower is said to grow in the summer because of a process called Thermal Expansion. During the warm months, it can expand by up to 6 inches in heiht. However, shortens again during the winter, otherwise by now it would have been taller than the moon.
Even the bridges in your city experience the same phenomenon; they rise in height during the warm months. The only diffence is that people drive across the brides without taking nte of the difference.
Nevertheless if you were to measure it, you would fiand a considerable difference in the height.
In England, Pigeon Poop Is The Property Of The Crown
That law was passed in the 18th century when it was discovered that pigeon poop is the main ingredient used to make gunpowder. Naturally, such a prized resource which is essential to the protection of the realm would have to be safeguarded.
The king built pigeon cots in London, and had his vassal lords build them also in their domains. The poop was then collected and sent to the king’s people in charge of armaments.
Pigeons Are Some Of The Most Useful Birds In The World
They are one of the earliest domesticated birds, and they were important sources of meat. Their poop is also an important rsource; gunpowder was one of the biggest military developments in history. Furthermore, pigeons have been used to deliver messages for ages. They were also used for military signals and to exchange important strategic communications.
Most of New Zealand Is Sunken
That was a difficult world fact to phrase. What it means is that the New Zealand is actually part of a much bigger landmass, most of which is sunken beneath the ocean. It makes the island country quite hard to kind. As a matter of fact it was the last major landmass discovered and colonized by humans.
A Female Gladiator Was Called A Gladiatrix
Yes, just like Spartacus, there were also female fighets who dueled with each other to the death. Somehow history has practically forgetten about them; maybe because they didn’t do so well against btheir male counterparts.
Humans Are Not The Only Ones With Fingerprints
Animals like Koalas, chimpanzees and gorillas have fingerorints; not just markings on their fingers but unique fingerprints which can be used to tell the identity of the individual animals. Apparently, Koala fingerprints are very identical to human ones; scientists would get confused between te two.
There are Police Geese in China
Geese are territorial birds which are known to make a lot of noise. People have always had them for that ability to raise alarm whenever there is movement in the yard. However, there is a resurgence of their use for security in china.
Instead of staffing the quarters with policemen, they just use geese, and they make a lot of noise at the slightest movement. This keeps the quarters secure and functional.
Some Sharks That Can Live For Up To 500 Years
Not actually some sharks, but some species of sharks. The Greenland Sharks have the longest known lifespan of all vertebrate animals. They are not even reproductively mature until they reach 150 years old.
There was a lot of confusion when this discovery was made; many within the scientific community doubted the possibility. However, it has been double checked and proven. That is an incredible fact.
Additional information about Greenland Sharks is that they have very slow growth rate and very low reproductive rates. It is found in the the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans; around Greenland. It is an Apex Predator, and a carnivore. It eats seals, squids, Cod, and and other marine-life.
World Record For Being Hit By A Car
A man holds the record for the farthest distance thrown by a car. He was not looking for any record, he was just going about his life, minding his own business when a car came out of nowhere and hit him. The car was going at 70 miles per hour, and when it hit him he was catapulted 118 feet!
He was seriously injured, but after a few days in a hospital, he made a full recovery.
Original Bananas Have Seeds
Bananas are a favorite fruit for many people around the wolrd. What most people do not know is that if they were given the original babanas they would not even recognize them. They had so many seeds at the center, and the seeds took too much space.
However, through years of selective breeding, what you have on your table has been achived. Bananas are still evolving; there are so many different species and hybrids, and they are developing even more.
The Terracotta Army In China Were Real People
Not in the sense that they were real people and then turned to stone; they were real people because they have different facial characteristics, and even different facial expressions. They were soldiers in ancient china and even though there is still a lot of controvery about the purpose of the terracotta army, it is one of the most astonishing archaological finds in the worlfd.
An Ant Cannnot Die From Falling
An ant cannot die from falling. Its exoskeleton is too hard, and its body weight is too little. Therefore, even if it were to fall from Mount Everest, it would simply land on the ground and walk away. The presence of air on its way down would cushion it further.
People Spend Roughly 13% Of Their Lives Zoned Out
People spend roughly 13% of their lives zoned out. That is just an average figure though, for those who spend a lot of time intoxicated, it can go up drastically. People just sit there for as much as 10 minutes, and then they cannot even remember what they were doing before.
Soviet Cosmonauts Took Shotguns To Space With Them
They weren’t going to fight any war in space; they just needed the guns in case they landed in Siberia, which is a thickly forested area, and then had to fight off hungry bears. There was no way to have the guns except to carry them on their persons at take off, and so have them on the return journey.
Jackie Chan Is A Great Singer
He has won awards for his singing, and has performed at an olymipics opening event. Perhaps it was his comic character that took him a way from music and gave him a career in movies.
You’re More Likely To Get Bitten By A Person Than A Shark
Statisticians have come again with their useless facts. Well, yes, statistically, you are more likely to be bitten by a person than by a shark, but you are not likely to die from a bite inflicted by a person.
E Is The Most Common Letter In The English Language
E is the English language’s most common letter; it appears in roughly 11% of all words used in the English language. Just take a moment to go through this sentence. You will find an “e” in most of the words used.
Russian Is The Language Of Space
All astronauts going to the International Space Station need to learn how to speak Russian. This is because they have to hitch a ride with Russian cosmonauts, and the controls of their spacecraft are in Russian.
Of course this is a challenge for most cosmonauts; but many of them pull it off. Furthermore, they can go on to speak Russian as a second language for the rest of their lives.
Sharks Are One Of The Oldest Creatures In The World
Sharks have been on this olanet even longer than trees according to scientists. Sharks are older than trees. They have been on earth for roughly 400 million years, which is about 50 million years longer than trees! Apparently they used to be much bigger than they are now.
The most popular extinct species is the Megalodon. It was so big that it could swallow a man whole, and had a bite force that could split three people into two at the same time.
Belgium Once Tried Using Cats To Deliver Mail
It is funny when you think about it; but in the 1800’s the Belgians decided that it would be a great idea to send cats to deliver mail. So they got waterproof bags, tied them around the cat’s collars, and they were sent to their destination.
The idea proved dumb; cats were too slow, and often went the wrong way. They did not need much persuasion to drop the idea, and now the human postmasters still have jobs.
Fried Chicken Originated In Scotland
Anytime you eat fried chicken, you should salute Scotland. It was a Scottish tradition from the Middle Ages to deep fry chicken. It is still widely practiced there, and it was immigrants to America who brought the tradition along with them. From there on the tradition has spread all over the world.
Avocados Never Ripen On Trees
Farmers often leave the fruit on the trees as a form of storage to keep their fruit fresh until they are ready to pick and sell it. However, it is still preferable to pluck them early.
Penguins Were 6 Feet Tall
Some people are intimidated by Emperor Penguins. They would be surprised to learn that 40 million years ago, penguins could reach 6ft tall, and weigh around 250 pounds!
Hangovers Cant Get You Fired In Some Countries
That’s right, if you have too many drinks and cant go to work the next day, you can call in sick. You could still get paid, and get whatever benefits you are entitled to.
The Oldest Hotel Is In Japan
It is called the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, and it was established back in 705 AD. This hotel has been passed down from 52 generations of the same family. It is also the oldest company in the world.
Marriage Is One Of The Oldest Traditions In The World
There is evidence that marriage as an institution is around 4500 years old. Most ancient civilizations such as the Romans and the Hebrews had strong marriage laws. Most of the tradtions in today’s marriage ceremonies come from Rome, Israel and Dermany.
Money Was Invented In Ancient Times
Money as it is known today is coins and paper. The coins came from the Lydians around 700BC. Paper money was invented by the Chinese back in the 7th century; it was a kind of legal document issued by a bank, and stating how much the bearer had deposited with the bank.
Before then money took several forms; it was seashells, salt, copper, gold (which is still used), and so on.
The Chinese Invented Gunpowder
The Chinese are among the world’s most innovative civilizations; they had monks dedicated to discovering new things. In this case they were looking for an elixir to extend life, and by error they discovered gunpowder which they mostly used for celebrations.
Dogs Are Super Smart
Dogs can learn up to 250 words and gestures. The average intelligence of a dog is said to be like that of a three year-old child.
Orangutans Are The Smartest
Orangutans are the most intelligent animals; they can make and use tools, coordinate their communities, and they can reason. In fact they spend a lot of time contemplating before responding to stimulus which makes them harder to trap.
The Smartest Birds Are Crows
Crows and ravens are closely rlated species, and they are intelligent. They know how to intereact with humans, and they also interact with other animals like wolves. They form symbiotic relationships in which they help the wolves identify prey.
They are known to be hard to catch, and they can form friendships with humans, even bringing gifts to the humans.
Bats Are The Most Abundant Mammals
They make up 25% of the mammals on earth, and come in so many different species. Bats are very well adapted for survival, even though they are largely vilified, they still continue to find how to survive and grow their populations.
Jellyfish are 95% Water
Yet they are important parts of te marine ecosystem; they provide food for many different types of marine life, but they are soon hungry again. If you catch a jelly fish and take it out of water it will dissolve within minutes.
In summary, these are a collection of facts about the world that most people don’t know. Hopefully you have learned something new today, and have something to talk about over dinner. Life is only boring when you stop learning. Keep the mind sharp!
