Oddities, Quirky Stories, and Amazing Facts

Dog with the world's longest tongue

2007-10-26T02:28:00.001-07:00

Weird Crustacean

2007-10-26T02:26:00.000-07:00

Strange but True

2007-10-26T02:25:00.000-07:00

In this big world there are many things which seem strange to us. Here are some of the best ones that we have found. Most of these strange but true stories come from newspapers.

In 1572, a pig which had killed a child was dressed in human clothes and put on trial. It was found guilty of the crime and was sentenced to death.

Added : 10-21-2005

Hitting on the novel idea that he could end his wife's incessant nagging by giving her a good scare, Hungarian Jake Fen built an
elaborate harness to make it look as if he had hanged himself. When his wife came home and saw him she fainted. Hearing a
disturbance a neighbour came over and, finding what she thought were two
corpses, seized the opportunity to loot the place. As she was leaving the room, her arms laden, the outraged and suspended Mr Fen
kicked her stoutly in the backside. This so surprised the lady that she dropped dead of a heart attack. Happily, Mr Fen was acquitted of manslaughter and he and his wife were reconciled.

Added : 02-11-2005
Submitted by : Ronnie A

Two West German motorists had an all-too-literal head-on collision in heavy fog near the small town of Guetersloh. Each was guiding his car at a snail's pace near the center of the road. At the moment of impact
their heads were both out of the windows when they smacked together.
Both men were hospitalized with severe head injuries. Their cars weren't scratched.

Added : 02-11-2005

A Essex man was fined £10 for careless bicycle riding. When he was arrested, he was riding without his hands on the handlebars reading a newspaper.
He told the court, 'this is the only chance I ever get to read a newspaper.

Added : 09-21-2003

TEN FIREMEN TO RESCUE 32-STONE MAN - It took ten firemen an hour to remove Tom Smith, an invalid who weighs thirty-two stone, when his house in New York caught fire. Window frames had to be taken out and a block and tackle was used to lower him to the ground, reports British United Press. He died of heart failure shortly after reaching hospital. - Evening paper

Added : 04-04-2003

NAPLES, August 5. Lieutenant J. B. Barnes, a U.S. Navy jet pilot, has absent-mindedly made aviation history - he flew a secret jet fighter over the Bay of Naples while its wings were folded. Lieutenant Barnes noticed the folded wings in mid-air when the aircraft failed to respond as it should. He had been practising folding and unfolding the wings of his aircraft just before take-off. Once airborne, he decided to stick with his machine. He flew out over Naples Bay to avoid hitting the densely built-up city if he crashed, but managed to learn how to control the aircraft and brought it back to Naples Capodichino Airport for a perfect landing - Reuter. Financial Times

Added : 04-04-2003

D U S S E L D O R F, Saturday - A British circus worker reported here that an elephant snatched his passport from his pocket with its trunk and ate it. The British Consul-General issued the man with a new one. - Reuter

Added : 04-04-2003

Mrs Marion Beatrice Kellett, of Johannesburg, South Africa, who died last month, left the interest from $3,930 for the care of seven lizards. As each lizard dies, the principal is to be paid over to Mrs Kellett's husband. - Mississippi paper

Added : 04-04-2003

An unnamed boy aged 13, in Washington D.C. used to turn in false fire alarms. He underwent psychiatric treatments to cure him of that, and he stopped doing it. Apparently he learned never to break the glass and pull the hook unless there actually was a fire. So - now he sets the house afire first, and has done it four times. - Baltimore Sun, quoted in Doubt

Costly Mistakes

2007-10-26T02:23:00.000-07:00

Cheaky Thief - In 1975 a thief stole a radio from a shop in Ashton-underLyme. When he got home and turned it on, he found that it was defective. He then went back and demanded that it was repaired free of charge. Unable to produce a receipt, his request was turned down, so he went round to the police station and complained. During his interview with the duty sergeant he was charged with theft.

Added : 04-04-2003

Star Bucks - Back in 1972, a young unknown film director, George Lucas, developed was working on a project for a film to be called American Graffiti. The budget was only $700,000. United Artists decided to back it - and then withdrew after the script had been completed. Then AIP refused to back it, as it was `commercially unacceptable'. Universal decided to reject it too - then relented at the last moment. American Graffiti became one of the highest-grossing pictures of all time. Following the success of American Graffiti, Lucas decided that his next project would be a sci-fi movie tentatively titled Star War. In spite of the success of his first picture nobody seemed interested, not even Universal. After months, Twentieth Century Fox decided to gamble some development money. But Lucas had to raise most of the money himself - all the other established film companies having rejected the film. When the film was eventually completed, Lucas was flat broke and dispirited - though he, rather than Fox owned the picture and the rights to any sequels. In the first four months after its opening in May 1977 Star Wars grossed £134 million. Receipts for the first year exceeded $300 million. In the year after it opened the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, grossed a further $200 million.

Added : 04-04-2003

A Titanic Mistake - In 1910 the White Star Line, decided to construct a prestigious new flagship to carry passengers across the Atlantic ocean. It was decided that the mighty liner, which was to draw 46,300 tons, was to pioneer a brand new form of construction, a series of watertight bulkheads running vertically at intervals through her hull. "We believe the ship is unsinkable", declared the VicePresident of the Line as the luxury liner set out on her maiden voyage to New York, laden with celebrities and dignitaries. So confident, were the White Star Line that the liner was "unsinkable" they only put a token number of life-boats on the ship. The ship of course was the Titanic.

Added : 04-04-2003

Carpeted - One summer's day, English housewife Mrs. Dora Wilson looked out of her kitchen window in and saw a group of men loading her neighbors' priceless collection of Persian carpets into a large truck. `What are you doing?' she called, knowing her neighbors were on vacation. `We're taking them to be cleaned, Madam,' the men replied. Quick as a flash Mrs. Wilson decided to take advantage of the service they offered. `Will you please take mine too?'she asked. The men were more than happy to oblige. They were house robbers.

Added : 04-04-2003

Embarrassment On April 26th, 1981, British politician Richard Alexander called in the Bomb Squad to deal with an ominously ticking parcel which had been delivered to his local party office in Retford, Nottinghamshire. The parcel was carefully X-rayed. When the X-ray was examined, a timing mechanism could clearly be seen. Therefore, the Bomb Squad decided to blow up the parcel. After the parcel had been blown-up, the remains were examined. The "bomb" turned out to be the politician's spare pajamas, toothbrush, razor and a traveling clock, which was a gift from his wife. They had been sent on to him by a hotel where he had left them after a speaking engagement.

Added : 04-04-2003

Things go better with ... The owner of a half share in a small firm which made a soft drink sold it because he thought that it could never be a success because of the product's name. He had not, however, lost faith in the soft drinks business, so he invested the proceeds from the sale in a company he thought had more chance of succeeding - the Raspberry Cola Company. Have you guessed the name the name of the product which he thought would never be successful? That's right, it was Coca-Cola.

Added : 04-04-2003

Everyone gets it wrong occasionly. - A few years later the Coca-Cola Company, which had by then grown into a large and successful company, was offered a bankrupt soft drink company. Its then owner, Charles Guth of Loft Inc, was willing to let his subsidiary go for a mere $1000. But since Coca-Cola had a virtual monopoly of the soft drink business, they turned down the offer, and so missed the chance to takeover the business which would eventually become their arch rival, Pepsi-Cola.

100 Most Influential People Who Never Lived

2007-10-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

1. The Marlboro Man

2. Big Brother

3. King Arthur

4. Santa Claus (St. Nick)

5. Hamlet

6. Dr. Frankenstein's Monster

7. Siegfried

8. Sherlock Holmes

9. Romeo and Juliet

10. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

11. Uncle Tom

12. Robin Hood

13. Jim Crow

14. Oedipus

15. Lady Chatterly

16. Ebenezer Scrooge

17. Don Quixote

18. Mickey Mouse

19. The American Cowboy

20. Prince Charming

21. Smokey Bear

22. Robinson Crusoe

23. Apollo and Dionysus

24. Odysseus

25. Nora Helmer

26. Cinderella

27. Shylock

28. Rosie the Riveter

29. Midas

30. Hester Prynne

31. The Little Engine That Could

32. Archie Bunker

33. Dracula

34. Alice in Wonderland

35. Citizen Kane

36. Faust

37. Figaro

38. Godzilla

39. Mary Richards

40. Don Juan

41. Bambi

42. William Tell

43. Barbie

44. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

45. Venus and Cupid

46. Prometheus

47. Pandora

48. G.I. Joe

49. Tarzan

50. Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock

51. James Bond

52. Hansel and Gretel

53. Captain Ahab

54. Richard Blaine

55. The Ugly Duckling

56. Loch Ness Monster (Nessie)

57. Atticus Finch

58. Saint Valentine

59. Helen of Troy

60. Batman

61. Uncle Sam

62. Nancy Drew

63. J.R. Ewing

64. Superman

65. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn

66. HAL 9000

67. Kermit the Frog

68. Sam Spade

69. The Pied Piper

70. Peter Pan

71. Hiawatha

72. Othello

73. The Little Tramp

74. King Kong

75. Norman Bates

76. Hercules (Herakles)

77. Dick Tracy

78. Joe Camel

79. The Cat in the Hat

80. Icarus

81. Mammy

82. Sindbad

83. Amos 'n' Andy

84. Buck Rogers

85. Luke Skywalker

86. Perry Mason

87. Dr. Strangelove

88. Pygmalion

89. Madame Butterfly

90. Hans Beckert

91. Dorothy Gale

92. The Wandering Jew

93. The Great Gatsby

94. Buck (Jack London, The Call of the Wild)

95. Willy Loman

96. Betty Boop

97. Ivanhoe

98. Elmer Gantry

99. Lilith

100. John Doe

101. Paul Bunyan

source: http://www.anvari.org

10 Things that were Discovered Accidentally

2007-10-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

1. Viagra
Men being treated for erectile dysfunction should salute the working stiffs of Merthyr Tydfil, the Welsh hamlet where, in 1992 trials, the gravity-defying side effects of a new angina drug first popped up. Previously, the blue-collar town was known for producing a different kind of iron.

2. LSD
Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann took the world's first acid hit in 1943, when he touched a smidge of lysergic acid diethylamide, a chemical he had researched for inducing childbirth. He later tried a bigger dose and made another discovery: the bad trip.

3. X-rays
Several 19th-century scientists toyed with the penetrating rays emitted when electrons strike a metal target. But the x-ray wasn't discovered until 1895, when German egghead Wilhelm R�ntgen tried sticking various objects in front of the radiation - and saw the bones of his hand projected on a wall.

4. Penicillin
Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming was researching the flu in 1928 when he noticed that a blue-green mold had infected one of his petri dishes - and killed the staphylococcus bacteria growing in it. All hail sloppy lab work!

5. Artificial sweeteners
Speaking of botched lab jobs, three leading pseudo-sugars reached human lips only because scientists forgot to wash their hands. Cyclamate (1937) and aspartame (1965) are byproducts of medical research, and saccharin (1879) appeared during a project on coal tar derivatives. Yummy.

6. Microwave ovens
Microwave emitters (or magnetrons) powered Allied radar in WWII. The leap from detecting Nazis to nuking nachos came in 1946, after a magnetron melted a candy bar in Raytheon engineer Percy Spencer's pocket.

7. Brandy
Medieval wine merchants used to boil the H20 out of wine so their delicate cargo would keep better and take up less space at sea. Before long, some intrepid soul - our money's on a sailor - decided to bypass the reconstitution stage, and brandy was born. Pass the Courvoisier!

8. Vulcanized rubber
Rubber rots badly and smells worse, unless it's vulcanized. Ancient Mesoamericans had their own version of the process, but Charles Goodyear rediscovered it in 1839 when he unintentionally (well, at least according to most accounts) dropped a rubber-sulfur compound onto a hot stove.

9. Silly Putty
In the early 1940s, General Electric scientist James Wright was working on artificial rubber for the war effort when he mixed boric acid and silicon oil. V-J Day didn't come any sooner, but comic strip image-stretching practically became a national pastime.

10. Potato chips
Chef George Crum concocted the perfect sandwich complement in 1853 when - to spite a customer who complained that his fries were cut too thick - he sliced a potato paper-thin and fried it to a crisp. Needless to say, the diner couldn't eat just one.

- Compiled by Lucas Graves
http://www.anvari.org

Fantastic Pencil Sculptures Of Jennifer Maestre

2007-10-25T05:58:00.000-07:00

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, artist Jennifer Maestre shows off the depths of her fascination with the sea urchin and its undeniable texture by combining pencils, nails, and elaborate stitching, she creates a broad array of inspired yet prickly sculptures. She's having a solo show June 1st through July 6th at The Carnegie in Covington, Kentucky. Jennifer Maestre holds a long list of accolades and accomplishments with her unusual beading work. She is a graduate of Welsley College and holds a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art. Jennifer has been teaching her offloom techniques for many years.

According to Jennifer Maestre, her sculptures were originally inspired by the form and function of the sea urchin. The spines of the urchin, so dangerous yet beautiful, serve as an explicit warning against contact. The alluring texture of the spines draws the touch in spite of the possible consequences. The tension unveiled, we feel push and pull, desire and repulsion. The sections of pencils present aspects of sharp and smooth for two very different textural and aesthetic experiences. Paradox and surprise are integral in her choice of materials. Quantities of industrially manufactured objects are used to create flexible forms reminiscent of the organic shapes of animals and nature. Pencils are common objects, here, these anonymous objects become the structure. There is true a fragility to the sometimes brutal aspect of the sculptures, vulnerability that is belied by the fearsome texture.

To make the pencil sculptures, she takes hundreds of pencils, cut them into 1-inch sections, drill a hole in each section, sharpen them all and sew them together.

Here are some more of her works

Top 10 Amazing Animal Facts

2007-10-25T05:44:00.000-07:00

The animal kingdom is a fascinating one, there’s no doubt about it. There are many amazing animals, some of which still remain uncovered. Amazing findings came up everyday. But here is a selection of the most amazing animal facts we found.

10. What can you find in a crocodile’s stomach?

Since it’s a big animal and has no time to exactly choose what it puts in, crocodile swallows almost everything from small fish, turtles to gazelles or lions. To defend their territory, they even swallow other fellow crocs. For most of these animals, it’s a bumpy ride since crocodiles swallow stones, scientists suggesting they used them as ballast in diving.

9. Baby whales on a fatty diet
For a whale, giving birth is difficult enough; its baby is a third of the mother’s length. To feed its offspring, the mother pumps milk with muscles around the mammary glands. Whale milk is half fat, the 10 times fatter than human milk. This is used for growing up at a fast step, almost 200 pounds per day.

8. Birds and road signs
If you’re on a long trip, you can’t make it through without road signs. Birds are better at this; they can fly thousands of miles without difficulties. The Arctic tern, make a 25,000 mile round-trip journey every year. Recently, it has been found that a female shorebird has flown 7,145 miles (11,500 kilometers) nonstop from Alaska to New Zealand—without taking a break for food or drink. Most birds use ferromagnetic to detect orientation, while pigeons use familiar landmarks to get home.

7. When do beavers sleep in winter?

In order to avoid cold winters and losing energy, beavers shut in during the cold season, living on the stored foot or fat from their tail. Since no light enters, they have no clue when it’s time to sleep. In response, they develop “free running circadian rhythm” of 29-hour days.

6. Are moles really blind?
Even though they have eyes, moles only use them for detecting changes in the air rather than seeing what’s ahead. African mole-rats have a sense of sigh, even though it is limited. When seeing a ray of light, they are warned about a predator breaking into their tunnel.

5. Does altruism exist in animals?
Altruism is present mostly when this means the survival of genetic material similar to the individual’s. Baby chicks practice this “kin selection” by making a special chirp while feeding. Dolphins support injured animals by swimming under them and pushing them to the surface to breath while chimpanzees share the food with other group members. Carnivore mammals even avoid harming animals below a certain age.

4. Fish and their unique mating habits
There are plenty of sea creatures we didn’t know about but this is by far one of the weirdest animal facts under the water. Some species of fishes such as sharks and rays are born one sex and stay that sex throughout life. But for other sex such as parrotfishes or the juvenile bluehead wrasse sex change is normal. This change is done in response to hormonal cycle or certain environmental changes such as pollution. Others simultaneously possess both male and female sex organs.

3. How giraffes compensate for height?
They may reach the foliage in high trees without difficulties, but this comes with its disadvantages. For the blood to reach the head, a heart twice as strong as normal is needed. Also, the blood vessel system should be complex so that the blood doesn’t rush to the head when the giraffe bents over. In addition, the skin of the legs must then be extremely tight to prevent blood from pooling at the hooves.

2. Elephants & their big brain
Weighing 11 pounds, elephants have the largest brain in the world. Intelligence in animals is measured via EQ (encephalization quotient), a ratio between brain size and the ability to go successfully through obstacles. EQ for elephants is 1.88, while humans have a maximum of 7.69 chimps 2.45 and pigs 0.27. Even though elephants often forget, they are definitely not dumb.

1. Parrots and Speech

For parrots, it’s not just squawking anymore; studies conducted over the past 3 decades have shown that they do more than just mimic the words they hear. Parrots can solve certain linguistic tasks as children aged 4 to 6, understanding concepts like “same” and “different”, “bigger” and “smaller”, “none” and numbers. A study conducted at the beginning of 2007 Language Sciences supported the idea of using patterns of parrot speech learning to develop artificial speech skills in robots.

source: LiveScience

The Coldest Place on Earth

2007-10-25T05:42:00.001-07:00

The lowest temperature ever recorded on earth was -129F recorded in 1983 at the Russian Base Vostok in Antarctica. Antarctica, a continent owned by no one, covers the southern end of our globe. In addition to being the coldest place on earth, Anarctica is also the wettest and the driest place on earth. How is this possible?

The Wettest Place on Earth

Over ninety eight percent of Anarctica is covered by ice. Antactica contains seventy percent of the earth's fresh water and ninety percent of the earth's ice.

The Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest sheet of ice on earth, with an average depth of 7,200 feet. According to NASA's Cold Facts, "the thickest ice found is in Wilkes Land, where it reaches a depth of 15,669 feet: about as deep as the highest of the Alps is high." If this ice cap were to melt the sea level would rise an average of 230 feet and would inundate most coastal cities, including New York, London, and Hong Kong.

The Driest Place on Earth

Antarctica is technically a dessert. It receives less than two inches of precipitation a year, about the same amount of precipitation as the Sahara Desert.

One interior region of the Antarctic is known as The Dry Valleys. These valleys have not seen rainfall in over two million years. With the exception of one valley, whose lakes are briefly filled with water by inland flowing rivers during the summer, the Dry Valleys contain no moisture (water, ice, or snow). The reason why the Dry Valleys exist are the 100 mph Katabatic down winds which evaporate all moisture. The freezing temperatures and the absence of water, plant life, and animal life simulate, to a degree, conditions on the Planet Mars. Consequently, the Dry Valleys are used as training grounds for astronauts who may one day make a voyage to our neighboring planet.

51 Amazing but useless facts

2007-10-25T05:36:00.001-07:00

1) The word "queue" is the only word in the English language that is still pronounced the same way when the last four letters are removed.

2) Beetles taste like apples, wasps like pine nuts, and worms like fried bacon.

3) Of all the words in the English language, the word 'set' has the most definitions!

4) What is called a "French kiss" in the English speaking world is known as an "English kiss" in France.

5) "Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

6) "Rhythm" is the longest English word without a vowel.

7) In 1386, a pig in France was executed by public hanging for the murder of a child

8) A cockroach can live several weeks with its head cut off!

9) Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.

10) You can't kill yourself by holding your breath

11) There is a city called Rome on every continent.

12) It's against the law to have a pet dog in Iceland!

13) Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day!

14) Horatio Nelson, one of England's most illustrious admirals was throughout his life, never able to find a cure for his sea-sickness.

15) The skeleton of Jeremy Bentham is present at all important meetings of the University of London

16) Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people

17) Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, everytime you breathe!

18) The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump!

19) One quarter of the bones in your body, are in your feet!

20) Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different!

21) The first known transfusion of blood was performed as early as 1667, when Jean-Baptiste, transfused two pints of blood from a sheep to a young man

22) Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails!

23) Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin!

24) The present population of 5 billion plus people of the world is predicted to become 15 billion by 2080.

25) Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

26) Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian, and had only ONE testicle.

27) Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found edible.

28) Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th."

29) Coca-Cola would be green if colouring weren’t added to it.

30) On average a hedgehog's heart beats 300 times a minute.

31) More people are killed each year from bees than from snakes.

32) The average lead pencil will draw a line 35 miles long or write approximately 50,000 English words.

33) More people are allergic to cow's milk than any other food.

34) Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.

35) The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' heads enables it to see all four feet at all times!

36) The six official languages of the United Nations are: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.

37) Earth is the only planet not named after a god.

38) It's against the law to burp, or sneeze in a church in Nebraska, USA.

39) You're born with 300 bones, but by the time you become an adult, you only have 206.

40) Some worms will eat themselves if they can't find any food!

41) Dolphins sleep with one eye open!

42) It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open

43) The worlds oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old!

44) The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds

45) Queen Elizabeth I regarded herself as a paragon of cleanliness. She declared that she bathed once every three months, whether she needed it or not

46) Slugs have 4 noses.

47) Owls are the only birds who can see the colour blue.

48) A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 69 years!

49) A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue!

50) The average person laughs 10 times a day!

51) An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain

source: www.world-english.org

World's Most Ideal Husband

2007-10-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

source: http://strangepictures.blogspot.com/

World's Weirdest Keyboard

2007-10-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

source: http://strangepictures.blogspot.com

Transparent TV

2007-10-23T20:03:00.001-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the future of TV (from Sony)

source: http://strangepictures.blogspot.com

Most Unusual Buildings

2007-10-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

You know that your looking at a real building right? The Crooked House was built in 2004 as an addition at a popular shopping center, and is a major tourist attraction in Sopot, Poland. We just wonder what happens when someone who's under a controlled substance sees this building for the first time in their life.

Take a journey into the unknown with a building called Wonder Works. Its central Florida's only upside down attraction. And an amusement park for your mind, and your stoner friends. This odd building has over 100 wacky interactive exhibits for your entire family to experience. But make sure you free your weed before coming.

The strange building is actually a brewery in Hamburg, Germany. The floors can move up or down on its skinny column core. As of now, the unique building has been destroyed. One of its more famous beer brands was recently bought by a big refreshment corporation. And that beer brand was called Astra.

We wonder what type of work goes on inside this kind of a building. The unofficial Triangle Building is just a wonder to look at and to ponder over. But, can this be one of the evil headquarters for Scientology or Starbucks? Does this building have triangle bathrooms? There's so many damn questions!

This hotel's unique design was directly inspired by the traditional temples in Japan. The Tokyo Sofitel has over 72 rooms, and 11 suites with 3 non-smoking floors. And 5 meeting rooms that includes high-tech boardrooms. Please realize that you have to sell your soul in order to step foot inside this amazing hotel.

This bizarre house really doesn't have an official name, but it does have a 135 degree angle. So that's what we're going to call it. Unfortunately, the only info we have about this house is that it was built in China or Japan. And that it has a silly pink roof. And if you look real close, you'll notice that its on a 135 degree damn angle.

This somewhat modernize building was actually built between 1971 and 1974. Its unique design gives the Wilson Hall a great sense of structure, and a prominent landmark for the skyline. The building provides big laboratories, offices, and supports space for over 1500 scientists. And it houses all kinds of strange experiments.

If you saw this picture for the first time, you'd probably thought that it was hit by a massive earthquake. But it wasn't. In true fashion of the Ripley Legacy, it was built to reflect the odd 1812 earthquake that measured 8.0 on the rick. The building has now become one of the most photographed in the world because of it.

The Bank of Asia is a very famous building in Bangkok. It was made way back in 1985, and its robotic appearance is just a symbol of the modernization of banking. It also has the ability to transform into a mega-robot. So, if Godzilla ever decided to show his green face in the land of Bangkok, they would have to fight!

Here's a building that should really get your attention when walking pass it. The Dancing House is considered as one of the more real controversial buildings in Prague. The DH was actually designed by a great architect from California, which only proves that he had done some type of hallucinogen while designing it.

source: http://www.wonderfulinfo.com

World's Most Amazing Flyovers

2007-10-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

source: http://www.wonderfulinfo.com

How to get hot water in Africa

2007-10-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

source: http://weirdpicturearchive.com

Dry cleaner hanger gorilla scupture

2007-10-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

Sculpture of a gorilla made of dry cleaner hangers by artist David Mach.

source: http://weirdpicturearchive.com

Famous Firsts

2007-10-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Famous Firsts of the 1500's, 1600's, 1700's

Ivan IV (the Terrible)
1547 --- 1st Tsar of Russia.

Queen Mary I (Bloody Mary)
1553 --- 1st reigning queen of England.

Sofinisba Anguissola
1559 --- 1st woman artist to gain prominence as a painter.

Virginia Dare
1587 --- 1st child born in the American colonies, on August 18th, on what is now Roanoke Island, North Carolina.

Anne Bradstreet
1650 --- 1st published American woman writer. The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America

Benjamin Franklin
1753 --- appointed 1st Postmaster General in America (10th August 1753).

Ann Franklin
1762 --- 1st woman to hold the title of newspaper editor, "The Newport Mercury" in Newport, RI.

James Cook
1773 --- 1st person to cross Antarctic Circle.

Margaret Corbin
1779 --- 1st woman to be awarded a disability pension by US Congress. She fought in the Revolutionary War.

Marquis d'Arlandes
Pilatre de Rozier
1783 --- 1st humans to fly. They were airborne in a hot-air balloon for 20 minutes, in Paris, on Nov. 21.

John Jay
1789 --- 1st US Supreme Court chief justice.

Frederick Muhlenberg
1789 --- 1st Speaker Of the US House Of Representatives.

Edmund Randolph
1789 --- 1st US attorney general.

George Washington
1789 --- 1st US President (only unanimously elected US president.)

Martha Washington
1789 --- 1st US First Lady.

Samuel Hopkins
1790 --- holder of US Patent #1. Thousands of patents were issued before his, but his was the first when the numbering started. He patented a process for making potash and pearl ashes.

Henry Laurens - Charleston, South Carolina statesman
1792 --- 1st formal cremation in US. He left instructions in his will.

William Blount
1797 --- 1st person in theUS to be impeached by the House of Representatives, the first time it even exercised this power, and was simultaneously expelled from the US Senate on July 8. He was found guilty ‘of a high misdemeanor, entirely inconsistent with his public trust and duty as a Senator,’ because he had been active in a plan to incite the Creek and Cherokee Indians to aid the British in conquering the Spanish territory of West Florida.

André-Jacques Garnerin
1797 --- 1st parachute jump. Dropped from a balloon, about 6,500 ft. over Monceau Park in Paris in a 23-ft.-diameter parachute made of white canvas with a basket attached (Oct. 22).

Benjamin Stoddert
1798 --- 1st Secretary of the US Navy

Count de Grisley
1799 --- 1st magician to perform the trick of sawing a woman in half .

Famous Firsts of the 1800's

Thomas Jefferson
1801 --- 1st US president to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C.

Mary Kies
1809 --- 1st woman to be issued a US patent. She was granted a patent for the rights to a technique for weaving straw with silk and thread to make bonnets.

Sam Patch
1829 --- 1st first known person to survive the jump off of Niagara Falls.

Edward Smith
1831 --- 1st indicted bank robber in the US. He was sentenced to five years hard labor on the rock pile at Sing Sing Prison.

Mary Lyon
1837 --- founded 1st woman's college in US, Mt. Holyoke College.

Queen Victoria
1837 --- 1st English monarch to live in Buckingham Palace.

William Henry Harrison
1841 --- 1st US president to die in office. At 32 days, he also had the shortest term in office.

Tim Hyer
1841 --- 1st recognized boxing (fisticuffs) champion.

Antoinette de Correvont
1843 --- 1st professional woman photographer. In 1843 she opened a Daguerreotype studio in Munich.

Elizabeth Blackwell
1849 --- 1st woman to receive medical degree in US. (from the Medical Institution of Geneva, N.Y.)

Antoinette Brown Blackwell
1853 --- 1st American woman ordained a minister by a recognized denomination (Congregational.)

Jean François "Blondin" Gravelet
1859 --- 1st person to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope.

Jules Leotard
1859 --- world's 1st flying trapeze circus act. Performed at the Cirque Napoleon in Paris, without safety nets.

William Carney
1863 --- 1st African American to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor (on July 18,1863 at Fort Wagner, S.C.)

Rebecca Lee Crumpler
1864 --- 1st African American woman to receive an M.D. degree in the US. She graduated from the New England Female Medical College.

Mary Walker
1865 --- 1st (and only) woman to receive the US Medal of Honor. She was a Civil War surgeon. Her medal was rescinded in 1916, however, when the Army purged its files to cut down on what they thought were "unwarranted" issues. It wasn't re-instated until 1976.

David Glasgow Farragut
1866 --- 1st Admiral in US Navy.

Frank, Simeon, and William
1866 --- Committed the first US train robbery. On October 6, 1866, the Reno brothers boarded an eastbound train in Indiana wearing masks and toting guns. After emptying one safe and tossing the other out the window, the robbers jumped off the train and made an easy getaway.

Sir John Alexander McDonald
1867 --- 1st Prime Minister of Canada.

Lucy Hobbs Taylor
1867 --- 1st woman in the US to become a certified dentist. She graduated from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery.

Ebenezer D. Bassett
1869 ---1st African American U.S. diplomat, minister-resident to Haiti.

Arabella Mansfield
1869 --- 1st woman lawyer. A year later, Ada H. Kepley, of Illinois, graduates from the Union College of Law in Chicago. She is the first woman lawyer to graduate from a law school.

Jefferson Long
1870 --- 1st African American elected to U.S. House of Representatives, Georgia.

Hiram Revels
1870 --- 1st African American US Senator. He completed the term of Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis, who had resigned to become president of the Confederacy.

Lucy Walker
1871 --- 1st woman to successfully climb the Matterhorn in Switzerland.

Victoria Woodhall
1872 --- 1st woman to run for President of the US.

Herbert Hoover
1874 --- 1st US President born west of the Mississippi.

Louis De Geer
1874 --- 1st US Prime Minister of Sweden

Matthew Webb
1875 --- 1st known person to swim across the English Channel. (He drowned in 1883 after unsuccessfully trying to swim across the whirlpools and rapids beneath Niagara Falls.)

Mary Baker Eddy
1879 --- 1st and only American woman to found a lasting American-based religion- The Church of Christ (Scientist).

Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood
1879 --- 1st female lawyer to plead a case before the US Supreme Court.

Mary Mahoney
1879 --- 1st African American woman to study and work as a professionally trained nurse.

Moses Fleetwood Walker
1884 --- 1st African American baseball player in the major leagues.

Grover Cleveland
1886 --- 1st President married inside the White House.

Wilhelm Steinitz
1886 --- world's 1st chess champion.

Susanna M. Salter
1887 --- 1st woman US mayor. (Argonia, KS). She won by a two-thirds majority but didn't even know she was in the running until she went into the voting booth. Her name was submitted by the Women's Christian Temperance Union. She died at the age of 101 in 1961.

Oscar Straus
1887 --- 1st Jewish ambassador from US. (Ambassador to Turkey.)

Norman Coleman
1889 --- 1st US Secretary of Agriculture.

Louise Blanchard Bethune
1890 --- 1st woman elected to full membership in the American Institute of Architects.

William Kemmler
1890 --- 1st criminal to be executed by electrocution (in Auburn Prison, Auburn, N.Y., Aug. 6)

Louis Henry Sullivan
1891 --- architect of 10 story Wainwright Building, the 1st skyscraper.

Grover Cleveland
1892 --- 1st (and only) US President to win election to nonconsecutive terms. He defeated Benjamin Harrison.

Myra Bradwell, (nee Colby)
1892 --- 1st female lawyer in US. She qualified for Illinois bar in 1869, but was prevented, due to gender, from being admitted to practice until 1892.

Annie Moore
1892 --- 1st immigrant to pass through Ellis Island. She was 15 years old and from County Cork, Ireland.

Queen Isabella of Spain
1893 --- 1st woman to appear on a US postage stamp.

Frankie Nelson
1896 --- winner of the 1st women's bicycling marathon, which took place on January 6-11, 1896 at Madison Square Garden in New York. She traveled 418 miles.

H.H.A. Beach
blank 1897 --- her "Gaelic Symphony" is the first symphony by a woman performed in the United States, and possibly the world.

John J. McDermott
1897 --- winner of the he 1st annual Boston Marathon - the first of its type in the US.

Famous Firsts of the 1900's

Edmund Barton
1900 --- 1st Prime Minister of Australia.

Charlotte Cooper
1900 --- 1st woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal (for tennis).

1st Nobel Prize winners:
1901 ---
Literature: Sully Prudhomme (Rene Francois Armand)
Peace: Jean Henri Dunant & Frederic Passy
Physics: Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen
Physiology & Medicine: Emil Adolf Von Behring
Chemistry: Jacobus Henricus Van't Hoff
1969 ---
Economics: Ragnar Frisch & Jan Tinbergen

1st female Nobel Prize winners:
1903 ---
Physics: Marie Sklodowska Curie
1905 ---
Peace: Baroness Bertha Sophie Felicita von Suttner
1909 ---
Literature: Selma Ottilia Lovisa LagerlØf
1911 ---
Chemistry: Marie Sklodowska Curie
1947 ---
Physiology & Medicine: Gerty Radnitz Cori

Annie Taylor
1901 --- 1st woman to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She was aged 64 years at the time.

Vida Goldstein
1902 --- 1st woman in the British Empire to run for a national office. She ran for the Australian Senate when women there got the right to vote in all federal elections.

Martha Washington
blank 1902 --- 1st woman to be pictured on a US postage stamp. The 8-cent stamp was issued in November 1902.

Maurice Garin
1903 --- 1st Tour de France winner.

Alexander Winton
1903 --- set the 1st land speed record in car racing. Set at Daytona Beach, his speed was 68.18 mph.

May Sutton Brandy
1904 --- 1st American woman to win the ladies singles tennis championship at Wimbledon.

Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
1905 --- 1st "actual" British prime minister. Until the 18th century, the monarch's most senior minister could hold any of a number of titles; usually either First Lord, Lord Chancellor, Lord Privy Seal, or one of the Secretaries of State. During the late 18th Century, the term "prime minister" came to be used. In 1905, the title was officially recognized by King Edward VII.

Theodore Roosevelt
1906 --- 1st American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. It was for helping mediate an end the Russo-Japanese War.

Ferenc Szisz
1906 --- Winner of the 1st Grand Prix held at Le Mans, France. The Romanian driver drove a Renault.

Charles Curtis
1907 --- 1st American Indian to become a US Senator. (Kansas) He resigned in March of 1929 to become President Herbert Hoover's Vice President.

Thomas E. Selfridge
1908 --- 1st airplane fatality. Selfridge, a Lt.in the US Army Signal Corps, was in a group evaluating the Wright plane at Fort Myer, Va. He was up 75 ft. with Orville Wright when the propeller hit a bracing wire and was broken, throwing the plane out of control, killing Selfridge and seriously injuring Wright (Sept. 17).

Baroness Raymonde de la Roche
1910 --- 1st licensed woman pilot. (of France, who learned to fly in 1909, received ticket No. 36 on March 8.)

Alice Wells
1910 --- 1st policewoman in the US. She was hired by the Los Angeles Police Department . She was allowed to design her own uniform and was active in propagating the need for policewomen elsewhere. As a result of her efforts seventeen departments in American were employing policewomen by 1916.

Roald Amundsen - Norwegian explorer
1911 --- 1st man to reach the South Pole, beating out an expedition led by Robert F. Scott.

Marie Sklodowska Curie
1911 --- 1st person ever to win two Nobel Prizes. Her first was in Physics (1903) and the second in Chemistry (1911.)

Ray Harroun
1911 --- 1st winner of the Indianapolis 500 car race. His average speed was 74.59 mph, he finished in 6 hours, 42 minutes, 8 seconds.

Alice Hyde
1911 --- 1st winner of the "Miss World" beauty pageant. She was 17.

Harriet Quimby
1911 --- 1st US woman pilot. (A magazine writer, got ticket No. 37, making her the second licensed female pilot in the world. She was also the 1st woman to fly across the English Channel. She flew from Dover, England and landed at Hardelot, France, in a Blériot monoplane(April 16). She was later killed in a flying accident over Dorchester Bay during a Harvard-Boston aviation meet on July 1, 1912. )

Arthur R. Eldred
1912 --- 1st boy to reach the rank of Eagle Scout -- the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America program. He was of Oceanside, NY.

Louis D. Brandeis
1916 --- 1st Jewish member of the US Supreme Court. (Appointed by President Wilson)

Jeannette Rankin
1916 --- 1st woman elected to US congress. (Montana) Only legislator to vote against both WW I and WW II.

Loretta Walsh
blank 1917 --- 1st female Yeoman (F) in the US Navy.

1st Pulitzer Winners
1917 ---
Biography: Laura E. Richards, H. Elliott, and Florence Hall
History: Jean Jules Jusserand
Reporting: Herbert B. Swope

1st female Pulitzer Winners:
1921 ---
Fiction: Edith Wharton for "The Age of Innocence."
1923 ---
Poetry: Edna St. Vincent Millay for "The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver."
1983 ---
Music: Ellen Taafe Zwilich

Rosika Schwimmer
1918 --- the world's 1st woman ambassador. She was appointed the Hungarian ambassador to Switzerland.

Charles Hamilton Houston
blank 1919 --- 1st African American Editor of the Harvard Law Review

Lucy Slowe
1920 --- 1st African American woman tennis champion in the US. She won the women's singles title at a tournament in Baltimore.

Ethelda "Thel" Bleibtrey - swimmer
1920 --- 1st US woman to win a gold medal in the Olympics. (Margaret Abbott was awarded a porcelain bowl, not a gold medal, in 1900.)

Bessie Coleman
1921 --- 1st US African American female pilot, but earned her license in France. Was killed April 30, 1926, in a flying accident.

Margaret Gorman
1921 --- 1st Miss America. She was 16 and 30-25-32.

Henry Sullivan
1923 --- 1st American to swim across the English Channel.

Clifton Reginald Wharton, Sr.
1924 --- 1st African American to pass US Foreign Service exam.

Nellie Taylor Ross
1925 --- 1st female state governor. (Wyoming)

Gertrude Ederle
1926 --- 1st American woman to swim the English Channel. It took her 14 hours and 39 minutes. (She broke the existing men's record.)

Al Jolson
1927 --- lead role in the 1st talking motion picture, "The Jazz Singer."

Charles Lindbergh
1927 --- 1st man to fly solo across the Atlantic.

Norma Talmadge
1927 --- 1st footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater (now Mann's Chinese Theater.)

Janet Gaynor
1928 --- 1st Oscar winner for Best Actress.

Emil Jannings
1928 --- 1st Oscar winner for Best Actor.

Ellen Church
1930 --- 1st airline hostess. She served passengers flying between San Francisco, California and Cheyenne, Wyoming on United Airlines.

Laura Ingalls
blank 1930 --- 1st woman to make a solo transcontinental flight across the United States.

Sinclair Lewis
1930 --- 1st American recipient of the Nobel Prize for literature.

Jane Addams
1931 --- 1st American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Jackie Mitchell - baseball pitcher
1931 --- 1st woman in organized baseball. She was signed by the Chattanooga Baseball Club at the age of 19.

Hattie Caraway
1932 --- 1st woman elected to US Senate.

Amelia Earhart
1932 --- 1st transatlantic solo flight by a woman. (traveling from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, to Ireland in approximately 15 hours)

Frances Perkins
1933 --- 1st woman in US Presidential Cabinet. (Secretary of Labor under FDR.)

Marie, Cecile, Yvonne, Emilie and Annette Dionne
1934 --- 1st quintuplets to survive infancy. They were born near Callender, Ontario to Oliva and Elzire Dionne.

Horton Smith
1934 --- won the 1st Masters Golf Tournament under the magnolia trees of Augusta National in Georgia.

Lettie Pate Whitehead
1934 --- 1st American woman to serve as a director of a major corporation, The Coca-Cola Company.

Wallis Warfield Simpson
1936 --- 1st Time magazine "Woman of the Year."

Jane Matilda Bolin
1939 --- 1st African American woman judge. (New York City)

Gene Cox
1939 --- 1st girl page in US House of Representatives.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
1939 --- 1st US president to speak on television. (Spoke at the opening session of the New York World's Fair on April 30, 1939.)

Hattie McDaniel
1940 --- 1st African American actress to win an Oscar. She won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role as Mammy in "Gone with the Wind".

Booker T. Washington
1940 --- 1st African American to be pictured on a US postage stamp. His likeness was issued on a 10-cent stamp.

Annie G. Fox
1941 --- 1st woman to receive the US Purple Heart Medal. She was wounded while serving at Hickam Field during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec 7 1941.

Glenn Miller
1941 --- Received the 1st gold record ever awarded to a recording artist.

Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini
1946 --- Canonized by Pope Pius XII.. She is the first US citizen (she was born in Italy) to become a saint.

William Henry Hastie
blank 1946 --- 1st African American US Federal Judge.

Trygve Lie - Norwegian socialist
1946 --- 1st Secretary General of United Nations.

Chuck Yeager
1947 --- 1st person to break the sound barrier by flying faster than the speed of sound. (On October 14, 1947, he flew a Bell X-1 rocket at 670 mph in level flight.)

Dick Button
1948 --- 1st American to become World Figure Skating Champion.

Eugenia Anderson
1949 --- 1st US woman appointed ambassador to a foreign country. (Ambassador to Denmark)

Gwendolyn Brooks
1949 --- 1st African American woman to win a Pulitzer prize.

Ralph Bunche
1950 --- 1st African American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Charles Cooper
1950 --- 1st African American player in NBA (Fort Wayne Indiana Celtics).

Florence Chadwick
1951 --- 1st woman to have swum across the English Channel in each direction.

George (Christine) Jorgenson
1952 --- recipient of the world's 1st sex-change operation.
Danish artist Einar Wegener underwent a sex change operation in Berlin March 5, 1930. He assumed the identity of Lili Elbe, and had ovaries implanted. It is speculated that Wegener was actually a hermaphrodite, and the credit for first sex change usually is given to Christine Jorgenson.

Patricia McCormick
1952 --- 1st professional woman bullfighter. She got herself two bulls in the contest held in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Desi Arnaz, Jr. and Lucille Ball
1953 --- appeared on the cover of the 1st TV Guide (April).

Jacqueline Cochrane
1953 --- 1st woman to fly faster than speed of sound. (She piloted an F-86 Sabrejet over California at an average speed of 652.337 miles-per-hour.)

Tenley Albright
1953 --- 1st American to win the Women's World Figure Skating Championship. She was 17-years old when she won the competition in Davos, Switzerland.

Elizabeth II
1953 --- 1st monarch to have a televised coronation.

Sir Edmund Hillary
1953 --- 1st recorded climb of Mt. Everest.

Sir Roger Bannister
1954 --- 1st person recorded to run a mile race in under four minutes. He broke the four minute barrier at Imey Road, Oxford on the 6 May. His time was 3 minutes 59.4 seconds.

Benjamin O. Davis, Jr
1954 --- 1st first African American general in the US Air Force

Marian Anderson
1955 --- 1st African American singer at the Metropolitan Opera. She appeared as Ulrica in Verdi's "The Masked Ball."

Nat King Cole
blank 1955 --- 1st African American US Television host, "The Nat King Cole Show"

Don Larsen
blank 1956 --- pitched the 1st and only perfect game in a World Series, for the New York Yankees.

Althea Gibson
1957 --- 1st African American tennis player to win a Wimbledon singles title.

Laika, the dog
1957 --- 1st living creature to orbit the earth. Aboard the Soviet satellite, Sputnik 2.

Julia Child
1958 --- 1st woman designated a full-fledged "Chef."

William O'Ree
1958 --- 1st African American hockey player in the NHL. (Boston Bruins)

Ruth Carol Taylor
1958 --- 1st African American woman to become a stewardess (now, flight attendant) by making her initial flight this day on Mohawk Airlines from Ithaca, NY to New York City.

Clifton R Wharton
1958 --- 1st African American US foreign minister. (Romania)

Hiram L. Fong
1959 --- 1st Chinese-American in US Senate. (Hawaii)

Daniel K. Inouye
1959 --- 1st Japanese-American in US House of Representatives. (Hawaii)

Sirimavo Bandaraneike
1960 --- 1st woman to be elected the head of state. She became the president of Sri Lanka. (Following her were Indira Gandhi of India in 1966 and Golda Meir of Israel in 1969.)

Harry Belafonte
1960 --- 1st African American performer to win a major Emmy award; he was awarded Best Performance in a Variety Show for his TV special "Tonight with Belafonte."

Oveta Culp Hobby
1960 --- 1st woman to serve as US Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. She is also the first director of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), and the first woman to receive the US Army Distinguished Service Medal.

Wilma Rudolph
1960 --- 1st American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics, on September 7.

Antonio Abertondo
1961 --- 1st person to swim the English Channel non-stop in both directions.

Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin
1961 --- 1st human in space, 1st human to orbit Earth.

Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr.
1961 --- 1st American in space; (Freedom 7). 2nd human in space; member of original Mercury 7.

Janet G. Travell
1961 --- 1st woman to hold the post of Personal Physician to the President. (Appointed by Kennedy)

Roy Claxton Acuff
1962 --- 1st living person admitted to Country Music Hall of Fame.

Joan Crawford
1962 --- 1st guest on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," October 1.

John Glenn
1962 --- 1st US astronaut to orbit earth.

Lyndon Baines Johnson
1963 --- 1st US President to wear contact lenses.

Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova - Russian cosmonaut
1963 --- 1st woman in space.

Golda Meir
1964 --- 1st Jewish female prime minister, and 1st female prime minister of Israel.

Jerrie Mock
1964 --- 1st around-the-world solo flight by a woman.

Sidney Poitier
1964 --- 1st African American actor to win an Oscar in a major category. He earned the honor for Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his role in the film, "Lilies of the Field".

Peter Sellers
1964 --- 1st male to appear on the cover of "Playboy" magazine.

Margaret Chase Smith
1964 --- 1st woman nominated for president of the US by a major political party, at the Republican National Convention in San Francisco.

Patricia R Harris
1965---1st African American female US ambassador. (Luxembourg)

Alexei Arkhovich Leonov
1965 --- 1st human to walk in space.

Amber Dean Smith
1965---1st ever nude centrefold girl when in 1965 at the age of 19 years she was crowned 'Pet Of The Year' by Penthouse magazine.

Edward Higgins White, Jr.
1965 --- 1st American to walk in space.

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi
1966 --- 1st woman prime minister of India.

Constance Baker Motley
blank 1966 --- 1st femal African American US Federal Judge.

Robert C. Weaver
1966 --- 1st African American in US Presidential Cabinet (LBJ appointed him Secretary of HUD.)

Christiaan Barnard - heart surgeon
1967 --- performed the 1st human heart transplant.

Robert H. Lawrence, Jr.
blank 1967 --- 1st African American US astronaut. He died in a plane crash during a training flight and never made it into space.

John Lennon
1967 --- 1st artist on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine (November 9, 1967.)

Thurgood Marshall
1967 --- 1st African American to become a Supreme Court justice.

Muriel Siebert
1967 --- 1st woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. She was also the nation's first- ever discount broker, and the first woman to serve as Superintendent of Banks for the State of New York.

Carl Stokes
1967 --- 1st African American elected as the mayor of a major city. (Cleveland, Ohio)

Louis Washkansky
1967 --- 1st human heart transplant recipient. He lived 18 days with the new heart.

Shirley Chisholm
1968 --- 1st African American woman elected to the US House of Representatives.

Ruth Eisemann-Schier
1968 --- 1st woman placed on the FBI's Most Wanted List (for kidnaping, extortion, and other crimes.)

Neil Armstrong
1969 --- 1st man to walk on the moon.

Barbara Jo Rubin
1969 --- 1st woman jockey to win a race in North America. She was riding Cohesian, at Charlestown Race Course in West Virginia.

Elizabeth P. Hoisington
1970 --- 1st female general in the US armed forces. She was appointed to the post of director of the Women's Army Corps.

Bella Savitsky Abzug
1971 --- 1st Jewish woman in Congress.

Satchel Paige
1971 --- 1st Negro-League player elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.

Fran Phillips
1971 --- 1st woman to set foot on the North Pole, on April 5th.

Berenice Gera
1972 --- 1st female umpire in pro baseball.

Billy Jean King
1972 --- named Sports Illustrated "Sportsperson of the Year," becoming the 1st woman to be so honored.

Sally Jean Priesand
1972 --- 1st ordained woman rabbi in the US.

Mark Spitz - US swimmer
1972 --- 1st athlete to win 7 Olympic gold medals.

Jean Westwood
1972 --- 1st woman to head the US Democratic Party.

Henry Kissinger
1973 --- 1st Jewish US Secretary of State. He was also the 1st naturalized citizen to hold this office.

Emily Warner
1973 --- 1st female commercial airline pilot in the US. (Frontier Airlines)

Mia Farrow
1974 --- appeared on the cover of the 1st People Magazine.

Richard Milhous Nixon
1974 --- 1st and only US president to resign from office.

Mary Louise Smith
1974 --- 1st woman to head the US Republican Party.

Ellen Burstyn
1975 --- 1st person to win an Oscar and a Tony in the same year. These awards were for her performances in the film "Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore" (1974) and the play "Same Time, Next Year."

George Carlin
1975 --- 1st guest host on "Saturday Night Live" which premiered on October 11.

Natalie Cole
1975 --- 1st African American to win the Best New Artist Grammy Award.

Ella Grasso
1975 --- 1st woman to become a governor of a state (Connecticut) without a husband preceding her in the governor's chair.

Janis Ian
1975 --- 1st musical guest on TV's "Saturday Night Live".

Junko Tabei
1975 --- 1st woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest.

Sarah Caldwell
1976 --- 1st woman to conduct the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

Tom Waddell and Charles Deaton
1976 --- 1st gay men to be featured in the "Couples" section of People magazine.

Barbara Walters
1976 --- 1st female newscaster on a US TV network news program. She signed a $5 million (five year) contract with ABC television as the evening news anchorwoman on April 22, 1976.

Billy Crystal
1977 --- played 1st openly gay main character, Jodie Dallas, on network television on ABC's "Soap," which aired from 1977 to 1981.

Bette Davis
1977 --- 1st female motion picture performer to be honored with the Life Achievement Award of the American Film Institute (AFI), the highest honor given for a career in film. (Since the AFI established this award in 1973, only three other women have been honored since Davis: Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck, and Lillian Gish. )

Janet Guthrie
1977 --- 1st woman to qualify and race at the Indianapolis 500.

Jacqueline Means
1977 --- 1st woman to be an ordained Episcopal priest

Harvey Milk
1977 --- 1st · acknowledged homosexual elected to high local office (San Francisco Board of Supervisors)

Louise Brown
1978 --- 1st test tube baby. (Lancastershire, England)

Mary Hargrafen (Sister Mary Carl)
1978 --- 1st nun to become a captain in the US Air Force. (Sisters of St. Francis.)

John Paul the Second (Karol Wojtyla)
1978 --- 1st Pole to become pope.
1998 --- 1st pope to visit Cuba. (Jan. 21-25)

Diana Nyad
1979 --- 1st person to swim from the Bahamas to Florida.

Margaret Thatcher
1979 --- Britain's 1st female prime minister.

Sandra Day O'Connor
1981 -- 1st female US Supreme Court justice.

Barney Frank
1981 -- 1st openly gay U.S. Congressperson.

Barney Clark
1982 -- 1st recipient of a permanent artificial heart, on Dec. 2. He lived until March 23, 1983.

Guion Stewart Bluford, Jr. (Guy)
1983 --- 1st African American American in space.

Elizabeth Dole (Mary Elizabeth Hanford)
1983 --- 1st female US Secretary of Transportation.

Sally Kristen Ride
1983 --- 1st US woman in space.

Bruce Springsteen
1983 --- 1st US music CD artist - "Born in the USA" released March 1983

Vanessa Williams
1983 --- 1st African American Miss America. Williams relinquished her crown during her reign when nude pictures of her were published in "Penthouse" magazine.

Joan Benoit
1984 --- winner of the 1st women's Olympic marathon at the Summer Games, held in Los Angeles.

Geraldine Ferraro
1984 --- 1st woman vice-presidential nominee of a major US political party.

Kathryn Sullivan
1984 --- 1st female US astronaut to walk in space.

Penny Harrington
1985 --- 1st woman police chief of a major city. Head of the Portland, Oregon force of 940 officers and staff.

Libby Riddles
1985 --- 1st woman to win the Iditarod, Alaska's 1,135-mile Anchorage-to-Nome dog sled race. She completed the course in 18 days, twenty minutes and seventeen seconds.

Wilma Mankiller
1985 --- 1st woman to lead a major American Indian tribe. She was elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Corazon Aquino
1986 --- 1st woman President of the Philippines. She was later the 1st Philippine president not to seek a second term.

Mary Lund
1986 --- 1st female recipient of an artificial heart.

Christa Sharon McAuliffe
1986 --- 1st teacher selected for the NASA Teacher in Space program. She died, along with the rest of the crew, when the space shuttle Challenger blew up not long after launching.

Oprah Winfrey
1986 --- 1st African-American woman to own her own television production company.

Kofi Annan
1987 --- 1st black Secretary General of the United Nations.

Aretha Franklin
1987 --- 1st female artist inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Mary R. Stout
1987 --- 1st female president of a national veteran group, named by the Vietnam Veterans of America on August 2, 1987.

Clifton Reginald Wharton, Jr.
1987 --- 1st African American to become Chairman and CEO of a Fortune 500 company (TIAA-CREF).

Kurt Browning
1988 --- 1st figure skater to land a quadruple jump in competition.

Gertrude Belle Elion - pharmacologist
1988 --- 1st woman admitted to National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Justin Fashanu
1988 --- a top soccer player in Britain, reveals that he is gay. He is the 1st athlete in a team sport to come out during his athletic career.

Michael Jordan
1988 --- 1st basketball player pictured on a box of Wheaties cereal.

Penny Marshall
1988 --- 1st woman film director to have a film take in more than $100 million at the box office – "Big."

Mary Wilson
1988 --- 1st female rock star to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame.

Antonia Novello
1990 --- 1st woman and first Hispanic to be named Surgeon General of the US.
Barack Hussein Obama Jr.
blank 1990 --- 1st African American president of The Harvard Law Review in its 104-year history.

Douglas L. Wilder
1990 --- 1st elected African American US governor. (Virginia)

Nadine Strossen
1991 --- 1st female president of the ACLU.

Billy Crystal
1992 --- 1st guest on "The Tonight Show," when Jay Leno permanently replaced Johnny Carson as host.

Mae Carol Jemison
1992 --- 1st African American woman in space (on the Endeavor.)

Sidney Portier
1992 --- 1st African American motion picture performer to be honored with the Life Achievement Award of the American Film Institute (AFI), the highest honor given for a career in film.

Aileen Wuornos
1992 --- 1st female serial killer in America. In 1992 she was charged with the shooting of five middle-aged men she met on highways by hitch hiking. She confessed to shooting seven men in self-defence and was eventually executed on 9th October 2002. Lethal Intent, the Aileen 'Lee' Wuornos story

Madeleine Albright
1993 --- 1st female US Secretary of State. She is the first woman in this position as well as the highest-ranking woman in the United States government.

Maya Angelou
1993 --- 1st female poet to read a poem at a US presidential inauguration. She read "On the Pulse of Morning," at Clinton's inauguration.

Akebono (Chadwick Haheo Rowan)
1993 --- 1st non-Japanese yokozuna (sumo wrestler.)

Carol Elizabeth Moseley-Braun
1993 --- 1st African American woman in US Senate.

Kim Campbell
1993 --- 1st female Prime Minister of Canada.

Barbara Harmer
1993 --- 1st woman to pilot the Concorde (March 25th.)

Janet Reno
1993 --- 1st female US Attorney General.

Shiela Widnall
1993 --- 1st secretary of a branch of the US military (appointed to head the Air Force)

Eileen Marie Collins
1995 --- 1st female space shuttle pilot. She piloted the space shuttle Discovery during a mission to rendezvous with space station Mir.

Rebecca Elizabeth Marier
1995 --- 1st woman to graduate 'top of the class' at West Point, the US Military Academy. The rankings are based on academic, military and physical accomplishments.

Madeleine Albright
1996 --- 1st female US Secretary Of State.

Dolly, the lamb
1996 --- 1st cloned mammal.

Jennifer Daetz, Lieutenant
blank 1997 --- 1st woman to command a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ship, the HMAS Shepparton.

Claudia Kennedy, US Army Major General
1997 --- 1st female US three-star general..

Anna Lelkes
1997 --- became the 1st official female member of the Vienna Philharmonic after the orchestra voted to end its all-male policy. She plays the harp.

McCaughey septuplets
Kenneth Robert, Alexis May, Natalie Sue, Kelsey Ann, Nathan Roy, Brandon James, and Joel Steven
1997 --- 1st surviving set of septuplets. Conceived as the result of fertility drugs, they were born in Des Moines, Iowa on November 19, 1997.

Craig Breedlove
1998 --- 1st person to break the sound barrier in a car, at Lake Bonneville, UT, with a trap speed of over 760 MPH.

Jane Henney
1998 --- 1st woman appointed Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA.)

Johnathan Lee Iverson
1998 --- 1st African American ringmaster in the 129-year history of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. (At age 22, also the youngest.)

Elizabeth Ann Oliver
1998 --- 1st woman to have her baby's birth broadcast live over the Internet. (June 16)

Carlos Santana
1998 --- 1st Hispanic to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Lt. Kendra Williams, USN
1998 --- 1st US female combat pilot to bomb an enemy target. On Dec. 16, bombed enemy targets over Iraq during Operation Desert Fox.

Eileen Collins
1999 --- 1st woman astronaut to command a space shuttle mission.

Nancy Ruth Mace
1999 --- 1st female cadet to graduate from the Citadel, the formerly all-male military school in South Carolina.

Cynthia M. Trudell
1999 --- 1st woman to head a US car company, Saturn Corp.

Abdurrahman Wahid
1999 --- 1st elected president of Indonesia (on October 20, 1999).

Famous Firsts of the 2000's

Hilary Rodham Clinton
blank 2000 --- elected to the US. Senate, becoming the 1st First Lady ever elected to national office.

Colin Powell
2000 --- 1st African American secretary of state.

Condoleezza Rice
2001 --- 1st woman to serve as US national security adviser.

Halle Berry
2002 --- 1st African American woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress.

Vonetta Flowers
2002 --- 1st African American female US athlete to win a gold medal in a Winter Olympics. She wins in the women's bobsleigh event on February 19th.

Steve Fossett
2002 --- 1st balloonist to fly solo around the world when he landed in Australia on 4th July 2002.

Tom Ridge
2003 --- 1st US Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Gene Robinson
2003 --- 1st openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church in US.

Condoleezza Rice
2005 --- 1st African American woman to serve as US secretary of state.

Anousheh Ansari
2006 --- 1st female "space tourist," on September 18, 2006, she paid $20 million to ride on the Russian Soyuz TMA-9 capsule.
also: 1st Iranian in space and 1st Muslim woman in space.

Effa Manley
blank 2006 --- co-owner of the Negro Leagues team Newark Eagles, becomes the 1st woman elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Tony Dungy
2007 --- 1st African-American coach to win a Super Bowl.

Keith Ellison
2007 --- 1st Muslim member of US Congress (He took the ceremonial oath with a Quran once owned by Thomas Jefferson.)

Drew Gilpin Faust
blank 2007 --- 1st first woman president in Harvard University ’s 371-year history.

Nancy Pelosi
2007 --- 1st first female Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

source: http://www.corsinet.com

Bizarre Celebrity Suicides

2007-10-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

In no way does this website or its creator condone, encourage or admire these methods. this is just a compilation of some of the more imaginative

Imaginative, unusual, creative ways to "end it all."

Johnny Ace (John Marshall Alexander, Jr.) - singer
1954 --- suicide playing Russian roulette.

Janet Elaine Adkins
1990 --- 1st suicide assisted by Jack Kevorkian.

Clara Blandick - actress (Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz)
1962 --- sleeping pills, with a plastic bag tied over her head. She was 81-years-old and suffering from crippling arthritis.

Ray Combs - talk show host (Family Feud)
1996 --- hanged himself on the night of June 2, 1996, with bed sheets in his hospital room at Glendale Adventist Hospital while on a 72-hour "suicide watch."

Hart Crane - poet
1932 --- suicide by drowning. On a steamship, he bid his fellow passengers farewell and jumped overboard. Last words.

Thich Quang Duc - Buddhist monk
1963 --- set himself on fire on the streets of Saigon to protest government persecution of Buddhists.

R. Budd Dwyer - politician (Pennsylvania)
1987 --- Convicted of bribery and conspiracy in federal court and about to be sentenced, he called a press conference; there, in front of spectators and TV cameras, he shot himself in the mouth.

Lillian Millicent Entwistle - actress
1932 --- suicide by jumping from the 'H' of the 'HOLLYWOOD(LAND)' sign.

Joseph Goebbels - Nazi politician
1945 --- with his wife, poisoned their five children, then committed suicide at Hitler's Berlin bunker.

Hermann Goering - Nazi politician
1946 --- poisoned himself hours before he was to have been executed.

Donny Hathaway - singer
1979 --- suicide by jumping from his room on the 15th floor of New York's Essex House Hotel.

Rudolf Hess - Nazi politician
1987 --- last member of Adolf Hitler's inner circle, strangled himself with an electrical cord at age 93, in Spandau Prison.

Chris Chubbuck - newscaster
1974 --- shot herself in the head during a prime time news broadcast on Florida TV station WXLT-TV. She died 14 hours later. Last words.

Michael Hutchence - rock musician (Inxs)
1997 --- hanged himself with a belt in his room in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, in Sydney, Australia. (Perhaps auto-erotic asphyxiation.)

Eugene Izzi - writer
1997 --- hanged himself from an 11th-floor window on Michigan Ave., Chicago. Perhaps by accident while researching a scene for a book.

Jim Jones - leader of a religious cult known as the Peoples Temple
1978 --- killed himself after watching more than 900 of his followers die from the ingestion of Kool-Ade laced with cyanide.

Terry Kath - rock musician (Chicago)
1978 --- suicide playing Russian roulette. Last words.

Jesse William Lazear - US physician
1900 --- voluntarily infected with & died of yellow fever as part of Walter Reed's research.

Vachel Lindsay - poet
1931 --- suicide by drinking a bottle of lye (Lysol). Last words.

Kiyoko Matsumoto - 19 year old student
1933 --- suicide by jumping into the thousand foot crater of a volcano on the island of Oshima, Japan. This act started a bizarre fashion in Japan and in the ensuing months three hundred children did the same thing.

Yukio Mishima (Kimitake Hiraoka) - Japanese writer
1970 --- suicide by disembowelment and decapitation (a ritual called seppuku or hara-kiri) as a protest of the Westernization of Japan. He killed himself in front of an assembly (which he himself called) of all of his students that he was teaching at a university at that time.

Francois Maurice Marie Mitterrand
1996 --- suicide by intentionally terminating treatment for prostate cancer.

Claudius Drusus Germanicus Nero - Roman emperor
68 AD --- suicide by stabbing himself with a sword.

Sylvia Plath - poet
1963 --- suicide by inhaling gas from her oven.

Margaret Mary Ray - celebrity stalker
1998 --- suicide by kneeling in front of an oncoming train.

Bobby Sands - IRA activists
1981 --- starved on the 66th day of his hunger strike.

Socrates - philosopher
399 BC --- required to drink hemlock to end his life after being found guilty of corrupting the youth of Athens.

Vincent Willem van Gogh - painter
1890 --- shot himself; he died two days later.

Lupe Velez - actress
1944 --- overdose with sleeping pills; she was 4 months pregnant.
{There is a much-circulated, but undocumented story that she had dressed in her best outfit for the suicide and took her pills, washing them down with alcohol. Getting sick to her stomach, she rushed to the bathroom, but tripped and fell; drowning in the toilet.} Last words.

Horace Wells - pioneered the use of anesthesia in the 1840s
1848 --- arrested for spraying two women with sulfuric acid; he anaesthetized himself with chloroform and slashed open his thigh with a razor.

Virginia Woolf (Adeline Virginia Stephens Woolf) - writer
1941 -- committed suicide by drowning.

Gig Young (Byron Elsworth Barr) - actor
1978 --- shot and killed his wife of 3 weeks, Kim Schmidt, then shot himself.

source: http://www.corsinet.com

Unusual Celebrity Deaths

2007-10-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

Duane Allman - musician
1971 --- motorcycle accident.

Sherwood Anderson - writer
1941 --- after swallowing a toothpick at a cocktail party he died of peritonitis on an ocean liner bound for Brazil.

John Jacob Astor
1912 --- drowned with the "unsinkable" Titanic.

Attila the Hun
453 AD --- bled to death from a nosebleed on his wedding night.

Alexander I of Greece - king of the Hellenes 1917–20
1920 --- died October 25, from blood poisoning after being bitten by his gardener's pet monkey.

Aleksandr II (Aleksandr Nikolaevich) - Czar of Russia 1855-81
1881 --- assassinated by a bomb which tore off his legs, ripped open his belly and mutilated his face.

Jane Austen
1817 --- Addison's disease.

Sir Francis Bacon
1626 --- pneumonia. He was experimenting with freezing a chicken by stuffing it with snow.

Lucille Desiree Ball
1989 --- died after undergoing heart surgery.

Velma (Margie) Barfield
1984 --- 1st woman executed in US since restoration of death penalty in 1967. (For poisoning her fiancée.)

Cheri Jo Bates
1966 --- 1st victim of the Zodiac killer. Murdered at Riverside Community College in California, her jugular and larynx were severed.)

Thomas a Becket - Archbishop of Canterbury
1170 --- murdered in the Canterbury cathedral by four knights, supposedly on orders by Henry II.

Ludwig van Beethoven
1827 --- cirrhosis of the liver.

John Belushi
1982 --- drug overdose.

Rainey Bethea
1936 --- the last publicly executed criminal in US. Executed by hanging. Little known lasts.

Kimberly Bergalis
1991 --- died of AIDS. She had contracted the disease from her dentist.

Bridget Bishop
1692 --- 1st of the witches hung in Salem, Massachusetts. She was executed on June 10.
(Salem witches: Almost 150 "witches" were arrested, but only 31 were tried in 1692. All 31, including 6 males, were sentenced to death. Nineteen were hanged, 2 died in jail, and 1 man was slowly pressed to death under heavy stones. None were burned.)

Amanda Blake (Beverly Neill) - actress (Miss Kitty on "Gunsmoke")
1989 --- AIDS contracted from her bisexual husband.

Anne Boleyn
1536 --- beheaded for adultery by request of Henry VIII.

Neil Bonnett - race car driver
1994 --- car crash, killed during practice at the Daytona International Speedway.

Salvatore "Sonny" Bono
1998 --- crashed into a tree while skiing.

Ray Brennan
1976 --- on July 27th - 1st person to die of "Legionnaire's Disease."

Charles Brooks, Jr.
1982 --- 1st criminal executed in US by lethal injection.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning - poet
1861 --- acute bronchitis.

Jeff Buckley - musician
1997 --- drowned in the Mississippi River, near Mud Island Harbor, on May 29. His body wasn't found until June 4.

Lord Byron (George Gordon)
1824 --- died of malarial fever.

Calamity Jane (Martha Jane Canary)
1903 --- pneumonia following a bout of heavy drinking.

Al Capone - Chicago gangster
1947 --- syphilis.

Karen Carpenter - singer
1983 --- heart failure caused by anorexia nervosa, at age 32.

Jack Cassidy - actor
1976 --- died in a fire, while asleep on the couch in his apartment.

Catherine the Great - Empress of Russia
1796 --- a stroke, while going to the bathroom.

Nicolae Ceausescu - Romanian president
1989 --- executed by firing squad, on live television, along with his wife.

Anton Joseph Cermak - mayor of Chicago
1933 --- assassinated by accident when riding with Franklin Roosevelt in motorcade.

Sergei Chalibashvili - diver
1983 --- diving accident. Attempted a three-and-a-half reverse somersault in the tuck position during the World University Games. On the way down, he smashed his head on the board and was knocked unconscious. He died after being in a coma for a week.

Raymond Johnson Chapman - Cleveland Indians baseball player
1920 --- died one day after being struck in head by baseball pitch, becoming the only player ever killed as result of major league baseball game.

Charles I - English king
1649 --- beheaded by order of Parliament under Oliver Cromwell on January 30.

Conor Clapton - son of musician Eric Clapton
1991 --- fell out of 53rd floor window at the age of 5.

Cleopatra
30 BC --- suicide by poison, supposedly from a venomous snake.

Nat "King" Cole - singer
1965 --- died of complications following surgery for lung cancer.

Christopher Columbus
1506 --- rheumatic heart disease.

Bob Crane - actor
1978 --- murdered in hotel room.

Jim Croce - singer
1973 ---plane crash. The plane crashed into a tree 200 yards past the end of the runway while taking off from Natchitoches, La. Municipal Airport. PlaneCrashInfo.com

Davy Crockett - US frontiersman
1836 --- killed defending the Alamo.
(Actually, Crockett survived the assault along with a few others, but was bayoneted to death by the Mexicans after they took the fort.)

Marie Curie - chemist, discovered Radium
1934 --- leukemia, caused by exposure to radiation.

Jeffrey Dahmer - mass murderer
1994 --- beaten to death with a broomstick by a fellow inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institute.

James Dean (James Byron)
1955 --- car crash.

Albert Dekker - actor, California legislator
1968 --- suffocated, hanging from shower curtain rod, handcuffed, wearing women's lingerie.

John Denver (Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.) - singer
1997 --- plane crash in Monterey, CA.

Larry Desmedt - "Indian Larry" motorcyclist & daredevil
2004 --- died August 30 from injuries he suffered doing one of his signature stunts - standing up on his moving bike - at a show in Charlotte, N.C. on August 28th.

Edward Despard
1803 --- last executed criminal drawn & quartered in England.

John Dillinger - (1st number one criminal on FBI's most wanted list.)
1934 --- killed by FBI agent Melvin Purvis.

Jane Dornnacker - helicopter traffic reporter
1986 --- died doing a live traffic report for WNBC-AM NYC when her helicopter crashed.

Tommy Dorsey - Trombonist
1956 --- choked to death in his sleep, due to food that lodged in his windpipe.

Anthony J. Drexel III - philanthropist
1893 --- shot himself accidentally while showing off a new gun in his collection to his friends. Last words.

Jessica Dubroff - (age 7)
1996 --- plane crash - attempting to become the youngest pilot to fly cross-country. Last words.

Isadora Duncan - actress
1927 --- accidental strangulation when her scarf caught in car wheel. Last words.

Dominique Dunne - actress ("Poltergeist")
1982 --- choked by boyfriend, John Sweeny. She died after being in a coma for 5 days.

Amelia Earhart
1937 --- missing in an attempt to fly around the world. Last words.

Nelson Eddy - actor / singer
1965 --- suffered a stroke while entertaining on stage in Miami Beach. He died the next day.

Adolf Eichmann
1962 --- executed by hanging for "crimes against the Jewish people."

Andres Escobar - Colombian soccer player
1994 --- murdered by unknown thugs, apparently in anger over the accidental goal he had scored for US during World Cup Game.

Marty Feldman
1982 --- found dead in motel room in Mexico. Death from heart failure, either from climate change or from shellfish poisoning.

Francis Ferdinand - Archduke of Austria
1914 --- assassinated; the incident initiated World War I.

W. C. Fields (Claude William Dukenfield)
1946 --- stomach hemorrhage and cirrhosis of the liver.

Michael Findlay - horror film maker
1977 --- decapitated by helicopter blade.

Jim Fixx - made jogging popular
1984 --- died of a heart attack . . . while jogging.

Robert (Bobbie) Franks
1924 --- kidnapped and murdered by Leopold & Loeb.

Eric Fleming - actor ("Rawhide")
1966 --- drowned when his canoe capsized during the filming of a movie near the headwaters of the Amazon in the Haullaga River, Peru.

Dian Fossey - primatologist
1985 --- found hacked to death, presumably by poachers, in her Rwandan forest camp.

Sigmund Freud
1939 --- cancer of the jaw, palate, throat and tongue.

Bobby Fuller - musician
1966 --- his badly beaten body was discovered in a parked car in Los Angeles. His death was attributed to asphyxia through the forced inhalation of gasoline.

Rajiv Gandhi - prime minister of India from 1984 until 1989
1991 --- killed by a bomb, hidden in a bouquet of flowers, which exploded in his hand. Like his mother, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated.

Judy Garland (Frances Gumm)
1969 --- overdose of sleeping pills.

Marvin Gaye (Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr.) - singer
1984 --- murdered on his birthday by his father.

Vitas Kevin Gerulaitis - tennis player
1994 --- died in his sleep of carbon monoxide poisoning at the home of a friend.

Andy Gibb - singer
1988 --- heart infection.

Gary Mark Gilmore
1977 --- 1st American executed after restoration of US death penalty in 1976. (Executed by firing squad.) Last words.

John Glasscock - musician (Jethro Tull)
1979 --- heart infection caused by an abscessed tooth.

Olivia Goldsmith - author, "First Wives Club"
2004 --- complications resulting from anesthesia during plastic surgery.

Sergei Grinkov - Russian figure skater
1995 --- died of heart attack during skating practice.

Henry Gunther
1918 --- last soldier killed in WWI. Little known lasts.

Alexander Hamilton - former US Treasury Secretary
1804 --- shot by US Vice President Aaron Burr in a pistol duel near Weehawken, New Jersey on July eleventh.

Mata Hari (Gertrud Margarete Zelle) - World War I spy
1917 --- executed by firing squad, she refused a blindfold and threw a kiss to the executioners.

William E. Harmon
1981 --- 1st BASE jumping fatality. He died in a jump from a 1000-foot antenna tower on April 11. BASE is an acronym for Building, Antennae, Span, Earth, and thus represents the fixed-objects from which BASE jumps are made.

William Henry Harrison
1841 --- 1st US President to die in office.

Leslie Harvey - musician
1972 --- lead guitarist of the Glasgow band Stone the Crows, died after being electrocuted onstage at Swansea's Top Rank Ballroom, May 3, 1972.

Owen Hart - WWF wrestler
1999 --- died while performing a stunt in the wrestling ring. He was being lowered into the ring by a cable, when he fell 70 ft. to his death, snapping his neck.

Elizabeth Hartman - actress
1987 --- fell to her death from a fifth floor window in a bizarre reflection of a character in her staring 1966 movie "The Group."

Frank Hayes - jockey
1923 --- heart attack during a race. His horse, Sweet Kiss, won the race, making Hayes the only deceased jockey to win a race.

Rita Hayworth (Margarita Carmen Cansino)
1987 -- Alzheimer's disease.

Phil Hartman (Philip Edward Hartmann)
1998 -- shot by his wife, who then committed suicide.

Les Harvey - musician (Stone the Crow)
1972 --- electrocuted on stage at a show in Swansea, Wales. He touched a poorly connected microphone and died a few hours later.

Ernest Miller Hemingway
1961 --- suicide with shotgun.

Margaux Hemingway (Margot Hemingway)
1996 --- suicide, overdose of a sedative. She was the fifth person in her family to commit suicide.

Jon-Erik Hexum - actor
1984 --- playfully shot himself with a blank-loaded pistol on the set of TV spy show "Cover Up." The concussion forced a chunk of his skull into his brain; he died six days later.

Wild Bill Hickok (James Butler Hickok)
1876 --- shot in the back of the head while playing poker.

Adolf Hitler
1945 --- suicide, cyanide and handgun.

Jimmy Hoffa (James Riddle Hoffa)
1975 --- disappeared from a Michigan restaurant on July 30th.

William Holden - actor
1981 --- found dead in his apartment. He had been drinking, and apparently fell, struck his head on an end table, and bled to death.

Buddy Holly (Charles Hardin Holley)
1959 --- died in airplane crash with Ritchie Valens & the Big Bopper on February 3, in Albert Juhl’s corn field about fifteen miles northwest of Mason City in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. link

John C. Holmes - porn film star
1988 --- complications of AIDS.

Harry Houdini (Erich Weiss) - magician
1926 --- ruptured appendix. He died on Halloween.

Leslie Howard (Leslie Stainer) - actor (Ashley Wilkes in Gone With the Wind)
1943 --- his civilian plane was shot down by German fighter planes during WWII.

Rock Hudson (Roy Harold Scherer, Jr.)
1985 --- died of AIDS. He was the 1st major public figure to announce he had AIDS.

William Huskisson
1830 --- 1st person killed by a train. His death occurred when he was attending the opening of the Liverpool-Manchester Railway. As he stepped on the track to meet the Duke of Wellington, Stephenson's 'Rocket' hit him. He died later that day.

Hal Mark Irish
1991 --- was killed in a leap from a hot air balloon in what was believed to be the first US death from the thrill sport of Bungee jumping. Irish fell more than 60 feet to his death on October 29, 1991, after breaking loose from his bungee cord during a demonstration.

Steve Irwin "the Crocodile Hunter" - naturalist
2006 --- died when his heart was impaled by a short-tail stingray barb while filming a documentary entitled "Ocean's Deadliest" in Queensland's Great Barrier Reef. (September 4, 2006)

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson - Confederate General
1863 --- pneumonia, after accidentally being shot by his own troops. Last words.

Josef Jakobs - German spy
1941 --- last person to be executed in the Tower of London, England. Little known lasts.

Thomas Jefferson
1826 --- dysentery. He died on the 50th anniversary of signing of Declaration of Independence, and the same day as John Adams. Last words.

Knut Jensen - Olympic cyclist
1960 --- fractured skull during the 1960 Olympics in Rome. In the 93 degree heat, he collapsed from sunstroke and hit his head. He was one of only 2 athletes to die as a result of Olympic competition. (Francisco Lazaro was the other.)

Joan of Arc (Jeanne Darc)
1431 --- burned at the stake for heresy and witchcraft.

Gee Jon
1924 --- 1st person executed in US in the gas chamber. Nevada State Prison in Carson City on February 8. (Hydrocyanic gas was used; the procedure took 6 minutes.)

Brian Jones - musician, one-time Rolling Stone
1969 --- drowned in his swimming pool while drunk and on drugs.

Joselito (Jose Gomez) - Spanish bullfighter
1920 --- fatally gored fighting his last bull.

Florence Griffith Joyner - US Olympic sprinter
1998 --- an epileptic seizure triggered by a brain abnormality. She died in her sleep at the age of 38.

Michael LeMoyne Kennedy
1997 --- collided with a tree while playing ski football in Aspen, Colorado.

William Kemmler - convicted axe murderer
1890 --- 1st person executed in US in the electric chair. At Auburn State Prison in New York, on August 6. (The procedure took 8 minutes.)

Vladimir Komarov
1967 --- 1st cosmonaut to die in space. (Russian Soyuz 1)

Mary Jo Kopechne
1969 --- drowned when the car she was a passenger in, driven by Sen. Edward Kennedy, fell off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, MA.

David Koresh (Vernon Wayne Howell)
1993 --- killed by agents of FBI & Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms.

T. E. Lawrence (Thomas Edward Lawrence)
1935 --- killed in a motorcycle accident after swerving to avoid two boys.

Francisco Lazaro - Olympic runner
1912 --- sunstroke and heart trouble. Collapsed toward the end of the 1912 Olympic marathon in Stockholm. Lazaro was one of only two athletes to die as a result of Olympic competition. (Knut Jensen was the other.)

Brandon Lee - actor
1993 --- shot by a gun firing blanks, while filming the movie "The Crow." His missing scenes were later filled-in by computer animation.

Bruce Lee (Li Yuen Kam) - actor
1973 --- died suddenly from a swollen brain.

John Lennon
1980 --- shot to death by a mentally ill fan.

Liberace (Wladziu Valentino Liberace)
1987 --- AIDS.

Carole Lombard (Jane Alice Peters)
1942 --- plane crash.

Louis XVI - French king
1793 --- beheaded by French revolutionaries.

Malcolm X (Malcolm Little)
1965 --- murdered - shot 16 times by three assassins. Last words.

Jayne Mansfield (Vera Jayne Palmer) - actress
1967 --- car accident. Her wig flew off in the impact, starting rumors that she had been decapitated.

Mark Maples
1964 --- 1st person to be killed on a ride in Disneyland. He stood up while riding the Matterhorn Bobsleds and was thrown to his death. (There have been 7 deaths at Disneyland since its opening in 1955.)

Jean-Paul Marat
1793 --- knifed while taking a bath.

Pete Maravich - basketball player
1988 --- heart attack while playing a game of pick-up basketball.

Marie Antoinette
1793 --- beheaded by guillotine. Last words.

Bob Marley - musician
1981 --- brain tumor, at the age of 36.

Christopher Marlowe - author
1593 --- stabbed in a tavern brawl in Deptford, England.

Bill Masterton - hockey player for Minnesota North Stars
1968 --- head injury. He fell over backwards and hit his head on the ice after being checked during a game against the Oakland Seals. His is the only death in pro-hockey during the modern era.

Kenneth Allen McDuff
1998 --- thought to be the only person ever freed from death row and then returned after killing again. Executed by injection, November 17, 1998, in Huntsville, Texas.

William McKinley - 25th US President
1901 --- died of gangrene. He was shot by an assassin and his wounds were not properly dressed.

Butterfly McQueen (Thelma Lincoln McQueen)
1995 --- died of burns received when lighting kerosene heater in her apartment.

Glenn Miller - "big band" musician
1944 --- listed as Missing In Action, was serving as a Major in the Army Air Force Band when his plane went down over the English Channel.

Sal Mineo - actor
1976 --- stabbed to death in the street outside of his home.

Margaret Mitchell - author, Gone With the Wind
1949 --- On August 11, she was crossing an Atlanta street on her way to the theater when she was hit by a speeding cab. She died of her injuries five days later.

Russell Mockridge - cyclist
1958 --- vehicular accident. He was competing in the Tour of Gippsland in Melbourne when he was struck by a bus and killed instantly.

Luis Monge
1967 --- executed in gas chamber, Colorado State Penitentiary, Cannon City, CO, on June 2. He was the last US execution until 1977, when the death penalty was reinstated. (He had murdered his wife and 3 of his 10 children.)

Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jean Baker)
1962 --- drug overdose, probably suicide.

Davey Moore - American world champion boxer
1963 --- Moore faced Sugar Ramos in a nationally televised fight on March 21, 1963. Moore lost the fight by a knockout in the tenth round, and died two days later due to injuries received to his brain stem when his head hit the bottom rope when he was knocked out. wikipedia

Davey Moore - American world champion boxer
1988 --- One morning in early June 1988, as Moore was leaving his home, he stepped out of his car to open his garage door. He failed to put the car in park, leaving it in reverse. The car lurched backwards, pinning him against the door of his garage. He died at the scene. wikipedia

Thomas More
1535 --- beheaded for treason upon the order of Henry VIII.

Vic Morrow - actor
1982 --- helicopter accident on the set of "Twilight Zone - The Movie."

Jim Morrison - musician (the Doors)
1971 --- heart attack while in the bathtub.

Mary Ann Nicholls - prostitute
1888 --- fed poisoned grapes and disemboweled by Jack the Ripper.

Florence Nightingale
1910 --- heart failure after 53 years as an invalid.

Francis Russell O'Hara - US art critic
1966 --- died from being hit by taxicab.

Janet Parker - medical photographer
1978 --- last person to die of smallpox. Little known lasts.

Laura Patterson - professional bungee jumper
1996 --- killed during rehearsal for the Superbowl at the New Orleans Superdome on Jan. 23. She died of massive head injuries.

George S. Patton
1945 --- broke his neck in a car accident. He lived, incapacitated, for one more week.

Nicolas Jacques Pelletier - French highwayman
1792 --- 1st person beheaded with the guillotine.

River Phoenix - actor
1993 --- drug overdose on the sidewalk in front the Viper Club in Hollywood on Halloween.

Kenneth Pinyan
2005 --- perforated colon received during a videotaped sex act with a full sized stallion. His death prompted the passing of a bill in Washington State prohibiting both sex with animals and the videotaping of the same. (July 2, 2005)

Francisco Pizarro - Explorer and conquistador
1541 --- stabbed by countrymen in a feud over Incan riches.

Martha Place
1899 --- 1st woman executed in the electric chair, Sing Sing Prison, NY, on March 20. She had murdered her stepdaughter.

Edgar Allan Poe
1849 --- cerebral edema following a drinking binge.
(The September 1996 Maryland Medical Journal published a study that showed Poe's symptoms suggest rabies instead.)

Pope Johann XII
963 --- beaten to death , at age 18, by the husband of a woman he was having an affair with.

Elvis Presley
1977 --- accidental drug overdose. He died while sitting on the toilet.

Alexander Pushkin - Russian author
1837 --- killed in duel.

Grigory Rasputin
1916 --- assassinated: poisoned (cyanide), shot (3 times), and thrown into a river.

Keith Relf - musician (The Yardbirds)
1976 --- electrocuted playing guitar in the bathtub.

John Augustus Roebling - designer of the Brooklyn Bridge
1869 --- died of a tetanus infection after having his leg crushed by a ferryboat while working on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Rebecca Rolfe (Pocahontas)
1617 --- smallpox. She died in London.

Oscar Romero - archbishop of San Salvador
1980 --- murdered while saying mass at the Cathedral of San Salvador.

Julius & Ethel Rosenberg
1953 --- executed in electric chair on June 19. The 1st husband-and-wife team executed in the US. They had been charged with espionage and spying.

Ronald Ryan
1967 --- executed by hanging in Melbourne. He was the last man to be hanged in Australia.

Girolamo Savonarola - religious reformer
1498 --- hanged and burned for heresy.

Rebecca Schaffer - actress
1989 --- shot by a "celebrity stalker" fan.

Hugh Scrutton
1985 --- first confirmed Unabomber victim. On Dec. 11, the computer rental store owner opened a package which had been left outside his door.

Selena (Quintanilla Perez) - singer
1995 --- shot by the president of her fan club.

Thomas A. Selfridge
1908 --- 1st mortality in an airplane crash. He was the passenger when Wilbur Wright crashed a US War Department test plane.

Betty Shabazz, (Betty Sanders; Sister Betty X, Hajj Bahiyah) - widow of Malcom X
1997 --- complications from apartment fire started by her grandson.

Tupac Shakur - musician
1996 --- murdered in drive-by shooting.

Percy Bysshe Shelley - writer
1822 --- accidental drowning.

Eddie Slovik
1945 --- shot by an American firing squad in France for desertion. (The only US soldier since the Civil War to be executed as he was.)

Vladimir Smirnov - fencer
1982 --- brain damage. During a fencing match against Matthias Behr, Behr's foil snapped, pierced Smirnov's mask, penetrated his eyeball, and entered his brain. Smirnov died 9 days later.

Joseph Smith - founder of Mormon religion
1844 --- shot by an angry mob while he was jailed in Carthage, IL.

Diana Spencer - Princess of Wales
1997 --- car crash while eluding paparazzi.

Evelita Juanita Spinnelli
1941 --- 1st woman ever to be officially to be executed in California, on November 21st.
1941 --- 1st woman to be executed in the gas chamber

Jennifer Lea Strange - game show contestant
2007 --- died of water intoxication after taking part in a Sacramento, California, radio station's water-drinking contest. (January 12, 2007)

Mary Stuart (Mary, Queen of Scots)
1587 --- beheaded for treason.

Mary Surratt
1865 --- executed for being a conspirator in the Lincoln assassination. 1st woman ever executed by the United States government. Hung on July 7. Biography.

Yoshiuki Takada - actor
1985 --- The Sankai Juku Dance Company of Toyko had been performing The Dance Of Birth And Death on the side of Seattle's Mutual Life building when Takada's rope broke and he plunged six stories to his death. The film of his demise was shown on the nightly news. (September 10, 1985)

Sharon Tate
1969 --- murdered by Charles Manson and his followers.

Timothy Treadwell - envirnmentalist (and Amie Huguenard)
(2003) --- lived among the grizzly bears of Katmai National Park in Alaska for approximately 13 seasons. At the end of his thirteenth season in the park in 2003, he and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were killed and partially eaten by a grizzly bear. An audio recording of the attack survived..

Leon Trotsky - Russian leader
1940 --- assassinated in Mexico with the pick of an ice axe, died the next day. Last words.

Tommy Tucker - musician
1982 --- carbon tetrachloride poisoning sustained while he was finishing floors in his home.

Kelton Rena Turner
1975 --- last American soldier killed in the Vietnam War. Little known lasts.

Rudolph Valentino (Rodolfo di Valentina D'Antonguolla) - actor
1926 --- perforated gastric ulcer and ruptured appendix. Last words.

Mike Venezia - jockey
1988 --- died in 5th-race fall at Belmont Race Track, NY.

Gianni Versace - clothing designer
1997 --- murdered by serial killer.

Sir William Wallace - Scottish rebel
1305 --- executed by being hanged for a short time, taken down still breathing and having his bowels torn out and burned. His head was then struck off, and his body divided into quarters, the punishment known as 'hanged, drawn and quartered'. His head was placed on a pole on London Bridge, his right arm above the bridge in Newcastle, his left arm was sent to Berwick, his right foot and limb to Perth and his left quarter to Aberdeen where it was buried in what is now the wall at St. Machars Cathedral.

Karl Wallenda - aerialist
1978 --- fell to death at the age of 73 as he was walking a high wire strung between two buildings in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Edward Higgins White, Jr.
1967 --- died in space capsule fire during rehearsal of scheduled Apollo 1 launch with Roger Chaffee & Gus Grissom.

Stanford White - Architect, designed Madison Square Garden
1906 --- shot atop Madison Square Garden by Evelyn Nesbit's jealous husband, Harry Thaw.

Oscar Wilde
1900 --- cerebral meningitis. Last words.

Tennessee Williams - writer
1983 --- choked to death on a on a nose spray bottle cap that accidentally dropped into his mouth while he was using the spray. He was 71.

Dennis Wilson - rock musician (The Beach Boys)
1983 --- drowned after diving from his yacht in the harbor at Marina Del Ray, California.

Jackie Wilson - entertainer
1967 --- collapsed of a stroke and a heart attack on stage, while singing his hit "Lonely Teardrops": He never regained consciousness and died eight years later.

Natalie Wood (Natasha Nikolaevna Gurdin)
1981 --- accidental drowning.

Alexander Woollcott - literary critic
1943 --- heart attack while appearing on the CBS radio program "People's Platform."

source: http://www.corsinet.com

Bizarre Death Stories

2007-10-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

Death of course can happen at any time. No one could function if they spent their time worrying about it. Hence we learn to ignore this ugly possibility as much as possible. However, the following stories include some the most unusual ways of dying imaginable. Some were just plain bad luck and others were the result of incredible stupidity. Several of the incidents sound like scenes from an over-imaginative script writer, but in one bizarre twist, a movie scene actually inspired several young men to try a dangerous stunt. I know for a fact that several of these incidents are absolutely true and I am fairly sure several more are true as well. However, I might add that a couple are too far-fetched even for me.

Decide for yourself.

Bad Night at the Ski Resort

Stratton, VT – In a tragic case of bad luck, two college students spending a night outdoors were killed in the collapse of their snow cave, apparently after a piece of heavy machinery dumped snow their shelter while they slept. Jake Shumway, 19, and Robert Carr, 18, freshmen on spring break from Plymouth State College in New Hampshire were found buried in the collapsed cave by friends early Saturday morning at the Stratton Mountain ski resort.

Avid outdoorsmen, Carr and Shumway had gone to Stratton to watch the US Open Snowboarding competition. To save money, they dug a cave at the edge of their parking lot while the rest of their group spent the night in cars, campers, and a motel.

Dan Davis, a county official, said the tragedy was caused when a bucket-loader dumped snow directly on top of the cave. Crews from the ski resort had been sanding the parking lot and moving snow around trying to clear the area for more parking spaces.

Bad Day at the Circus

A circus act in Romania ended in tragedy on 23 January when fire-eater Vlad Cazacu, 43, belched in mid-performance and was blown to bits. Incredibly no one came to his rescue as stunned onlookers assumed this was part of an amazing illusion. Consequently this unfortunate man, who probably could have been saved, was allowed to just lie there and die.

"In the first part of the performance," said fellow circus performer Nicole Antosu, "Vlad held a flammable cocktail in his mouth to spit fire at a burning torch. Somehow, he must have swallowed some of the liquid, because when he burped he triggered an explosion." The Parrot (Accra, Ghana) - 2-8 June 1998
Bad Day in the Forest

Khandal Tripura, 35, of Chinchharipara village in Ramgararh district, Bangaldesh, caught a cobra on 20 July and started playing with it. The snake bit him on the hand, and in his anger he bit the snake's head. He died in hospital the next day. The snake also died. No word on whether they were buried together. Independant - 22 July 1998

Bad Day of Scuba Diving

Arroyo Grande, CA - Fire Authorities in California found a corpse in a burned-out section of forest while assessing the damage done by a forest fire in the Los Padres National Forest. The deceased male was dressed in a full wet suit, complete with a dive tank, flippers, and face mask. A post mortem examination revealed that the person died not from burns but from massive internal injuries.

Dental records provided a positive identification of Henry Williams from nearby Santa Barbara. Investigators then set about determining how a fully-clad diver ended up in the middle of a forest fire.

It was revealed that, on the day of the fire, Mr. Williams went for a diving trip off the Pacific coast - some 20 miles away from the forest. At the same time, firefighters seeking to control the fire as quickly as possible had called in a fleet of helicopters with very large buckets.

The buckets were dropped into the ocean for rapid filling, then flown to the forest fire and emptied. Apparently one helicopter, against regulations, fetched its water too close to the shoreline.

Bad Day at the Zoo

Paderborn, Germany - Zookeeper Friedrich Riesfeldt fed his constipated elephant 22 doses of animal laxative and more than a bushel of berries, figs and prunes. The plugged-up pachyderm finally let fly. Standing next to his elephant, Mr. Riesfeldt suffocated under 200 pounds of elephant manure. Investigators say Riesfeldt, 46, was attempting to give the ailing elephant an enema when the beast unloaded on him.

“The sheer force of the elephant’s unexpected defecation knocked Mr. Riesfeldt to the ground, where he struck his head on a rock and lay unconscious as the elephant continued to evacuate his bowels on top of him,” said flabbergasted police detective Erik Dern. With no one there to help him, he lay under all that dung for at least an hour before a watchman came along, and during that time he suffocated. It seems to be just one of those freak accidents.

Bad Day at the Zoo, Part Two

Bordeaux, France - A French zoo director was crushed to death on 1 November by a frightened hippopotamus. Jean Ducing was cycling around the park in Pessac, near Bordeaux, when Komir, a seven-year-old male hippo, charged through an electrified fence after an employee driving a tractor stopped to distribute food. M Ducing, aged in his 60s, had trained Komir. Posters for the zoo feature a picture of Komir with M Ducing's head in his mouth. Investigators concluded the animal had fled to Ducing for protection. AFP – 2 November; International Herald tribune - 3 November

Bad Day on the Road

Detroit, MI – A 41-year-old man got stuck and drowned in two feet of water after squeezing headfirst through an 18-inch-wide sewer grate to retrieve his car keys. Unable to remove his head, the man drowned when the continuous downfall eventually raised the water level in the sewer.

Bad Day at the Junkyard

A German couple in their 50s took their old car to a scrap yard. They parked, completed the paperwork, but got back in the car to shelter from a sudden squall of rain. "The driver of the crane was told to process their car", said a police investigator. "He did so without realizing that the couple were sitting inside again." The car was grabbed by the crane's steel claws and dropped in the crusher, which normally reduces cars to a small cube. It was stopped when the crane driver heard the woman's screams, but it was too late to save her husband. The crane driver was hospitalized for shock, but was expected to be charged with "negligent manslaughter". Daily Mail – 14 April 1997

Bad Day for Stripping

Consenza, Italy - Stag party friends were curious when a stripper failed to jump out of a huge cake. Assuming she was no longer in there, they received a nasty surprise when they found her dead inside it. Gina Lalapola, 23, had suffocated after waiting for an hour inside the sealed cake. Daily Record - 30 August 1997

Bad Day at the Pyramid

Cairo, Egypt - Adam Gotz, 34, from Baden Wurttemberg, Germany, threw himself to his death off the 613ft (187m) Cairo Tower on 28 July to demonstrate to his friend, Sarah Klimer, his Pharaonic belief that the dead return to life. Gotz, a student of Egyptology, the study of ancient Egyptian history, had told her he was a "spiritual psychiatrist" who believed the Giza pyramids provided spiritual energy to enable believers to transcend humanity. Ms Klimer has not reported any further contact to date. Reuters, Associated Press - 31 July 1998

Bad Day at the Ice Pond

Akeley, Minnesota – Jerry, a Labrador Retriever, died in a freak accident that also cost Harry Jenkins his new Ford truck. It seems Mr. Jenkins and his two buddies went ice fishing one day at nearby Ten Mile Lake which was completely iced over. In an attempt to create a large hole for fishing quickly, Mr. Jenkins first lit, then tossed a stick of illegally obtained dynamite across the ice. To his horror, his pet dog raced across the ice in an attempt to retrieve the dynamite. The dog fetched the dynamite despite screams from the men to come back, but then they realized they were in worse danger than they thought when the dog began to return to them with the stick in his mouth. Now the three men began to run in the opposite direction for their lives with the dog chasing them. The men narrowly escaped death in this way, but the explosion damaged the ice near the truck, which then plunged to the bottom of the lake. In addition to losing his dog, Mr. Jenkins was a double loser when the insurance company refused to pay on his claim for the sunken truck.

Bad Day at the Magic Charm School

Abidjan, Ivory Coast - Pascal Gbah,49, a colonel and electronics engineer in the Ivory Coast army, was fatally wounded by gunfire on 24 August as he tested a "magic" belt supposedly with powers to protect him from bullets. He died on the spot near the western town of Aboisso after being hit by a bullet fired from his own service pistol by a 20-year-old son of the magic belt's maker. Gbah's cousin Andre Gondo, who made the belt, insisted that its protective powers were real, provided one abstained from sex while wearing it. Gbah is survived by a wife and six children. An army spokesman said Gondo had been arrested, but that his son was on the run. Reuters - 26 August 1998.

Bad Day at the Military Academy

Dahonega, GA - According to police, ROTC cadet Jeffrey Hoffman, 23, fatally stabbed to death fellow cadet Nick Berrena, 20, in a tragic accident. In a case of very poor judgment, Berrena died when he dared his roommate to stab him in an attempt to prove that a knife could not penetrate the Kevlar flak vest that Berrena had just purchased from a mail-order catalogue. According to the catalogue, the flak jacket guaranteed complete safety from bullets, knives, and hand grenade fragments. No mention whether it was manufactured in the Ivory Coast.

Bad Day for Messages

Johannesburg, South Africa - A young Saudi man, camping with two friends on top of a mountain, was killed instantly when he took a call from a friend on his mobile phone during a storm and the phone was struck by lightning. Johannesburg Citizen – 4 September 1998

Bad Night at the Beach

Darwin, Australia - Christopher Sean Payne, 34, and an un-named woman of 25 drank 11 bottles of beer and then went on a sexual romp in the sea near Darwin in Australia. They had intercourse in the water when the woman decided to go underwater for a different activity. Payne became excited, put his hands on her head and kept her submerged. Micheal Carey, prosecuting at Payne's trial in the Northern Territories Supreme Court a year later, said Payne told police that when the woman stopped sucking, he wondered what was going on, so he let her up. She had not tried to get up and wasn't kicking or splashing. When he realized she was dead, he "freaked out", dressed and drove away. He was arrested two days later and during his year in prison had constant nightmares and was treated 12 times for outbreaks of boils. Payne's counsel pointed out that the woman might have passed out from drink: she had consumed six times the legal driving limit. Sydney Daily Telegraph - 3 October 1997

Bad Day Watching the TV Football Game

St Louis, Missouri - James Shivers, 60, fired a pistol at his 26-year-old son Tony for standing in front of the television during a Holiday Bowl football game between the University of Missouri and Colorado State. He missed (later he told police he did not mean to hit his son), but the son grabbed the pistol and began beating his father until the gun broke apart. The elder Shivers then got a shotgun from a cupboard and fired twice into his son, killing him. Reuters - 30 December 1997

Bad Day in the Back Yard

Los Angeles, CA. Ani Saduki, 33, and his brother decided to remove a bees’ nest from a shed on their property with the aid of a “pineapple grenade”. A “pineapple” is an illegal firecracker which is the explosive equivalent of one-half stick of dynamite. They ignited the fuse and retreated to watch from inside their home, behind a window some 10 feet away from the hive/shed. The concussion of the explosion shattered the window inwards, seriously lacerating Ani. Deciding Mr. Saduki needed stitches, the brothers headed out to go to a nearby hospital. While walking towards their car, Ani was stung three times by the surviving bees. Unbeknownst to either brother, Ani was allergic to bee venom, and died of suffocation en-route to the hospital.

Bad Day at the Amusement Park

Santa Clara, California - A 25-year-old man died on 7 September after being struck on the head by a woman’s outstretched foot as she whizzed by on a roller coaster at Paramount's Great America Theme Park. He jumped over a fence into a resticted area to retrieve a hat blown off his wife's head while she was riding "Top Gun". A woman accidentally kicked the man when her car passed him and was treated for leg injuries. The man was initially identified as Hector Mendoza, 25; but it later appeared that he had taken over the identity of the real Hector Mendoza, who was alive in Mexico, and whose driver's license and social security number had apparently been stolen. The dead man's identity was a mystery. Associated Press - 7 September; San Francisco Chronicle - 12 September 1998.

Bad Day at Suicide Rock

Normandy, France - Jacques LeFevrier left nothing to chance when he decided to commit suicide. He stood at the top of a tall cliff and tied a noose around his neck. He tied the other end of the rope to a large rock. He drank some poison and set fire to his clothes. He even tried to shoot himself at the last moment. He jumped and fired the pistol. The bullet missed him completely, but cut through the hanging rope instead. Freed of the threat of hanging, Mr. LeFevrier plunged into the sea. The sudden plunge into the freezing waters extinguished the flames and apparently made him vomit the poison as well. He was dragged out of the water by witnesses on the beach below the cliff and was taken to a hospital, where he died of hypothermia.

Bad Day in the Bed

Newton, NC - Kenneth Charles Barger, 47, accidentally shot himself to death during the night. Awakening to the sudden sound of a ringing telephone beside his bed, he reached for the phone but grabbed instead his Smith & Wesson .38 Special which he kept on the bedside table next to the phone. The gun apparently discharged as he drew it to his ear thinking it was the phone.

Bad Day at Seaworld

The naked body of Daniel O Dukes, a 27-year-old drifter from South Carolina, was found draped across the back of a killer whale in a tank behind Shamu Stadium at Seaworld Orlando on the morning of 6 July. He had apparently hidden in the Florida theme park after closing time and drowned in the cold, salty water of the 26ft (8m) tank.

The 14-year-old whale, named Tillikum after the Chinook Indian word for friend, and at 11,000lbs (4,990kg) the largest in captivity, may have played with Dukes' 180lb (82kg) body as if it were a toy. The post mortem showed one bite - in Dukes' groin - which occurred after death when Tillikum ripped of his green shorts. The shorts were found at the bottom of the tank. Killer whales, also called orcas, are not naturally aggressive to humans. Reuters - 6 July; AP, Knight Ridder - 8 July 1999

Killer Whale Lawsuit Dropped

Orlando, Florida - The parents of a man found naked and dead on the back of a killer whale at Sea World Orlando have dropped a lawsuit alleging Sea World caused his death by portraying the dangerous orca as safe and huggable.

“They voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit,” Sea World executive vice president and general manager Vic Abbey said. “This was a very tragic accident that occurred, but as we’ve said all along we felt the lawsuit had no merit.”

Patricia and Michael Dukes of Columbia, South Carolina, had filed suit on September 10 seeking several million dollars fro pain and suffering at the loss of their only son, Daniel, 27, a drifter who was found drowned to death in July in the whale tank. Heavy intoxication apparently contributed to this untimely event. Tuesday, October 5, 1999

Bad Day at Law School

Toronto, Canada - Police said a lawyer demonstrating the safety of windows in a downtown Toronto skyscraper crashed through a pane with his shoulder and plunged 24 floors to his death. A police spokesman said Garry Hoy, 39, fell into the courtyard of the Toronto Dominion Bank Tower early Friday evening as he was explaining the strength of the building’s windows to visiting law students. Hoy previously had conducted demonstrations of window strength many times according to police reports. Peter Lauwers, managing partner of the firm Holden Day Wilson, told the Toronto Sun newspaper that Hoy was “one of the best and brightest” members in the 200-man association.

Bad Day Imitating William Tell (Not Quite Dead, but Close Enough)

Portland, OR - Doctors at Portland’s University Hospital said Wednesday an Oregon man shot through the skull by a hunting arrow is lucky to be alive, and will be released soon from the hospital.

Tony Roberts, 25, lost his right eye during an initiation into a men’s rafting club, Mountain Men Anonymous, in Grants Pass, OR. A friend tried to shoot a beer can off his head, but the arrow entered Roberts’ right eye instead. Doctors said had the arrow gone 1 millimeter to the left, a major blood vessel would have cut and Roberts would have died instantly.

Neurosurgeon Dr. Johnny Delashaw at the University Hospital in Portland said the arrow went through 8 to 10 inches of brain, with the tip protruding at the rear of his skull, yet somehow managed to miss all major blood vessels. Delashaw also said that if Robert had tried to pull the arrow out he surely would have killed himself. Roberts admitted afterwards he and his friends had been drinking that afternoon. Said Roberts, “I feel so dumb about this.”

Bad Day at the River

Kiev, Ukraine - A fisherman in Kiev, Ukraine, electrocuted himself while fishing in the river Tereblya. The 43-year-old man connected cables to the main power supply of his home, and trailed the end into the river. The electric shock killed the fish, which floated belly-up to the top of the water. The man then waded in to collect his catch, neglecting to remove the live wire, and tragically suffered the same fate as the fish. In an ironic twist, the man was fishing for a mourning meal to commemorate the first anniversary of his mother-in-law's death.

Bad Night at the Ski Run

Mammoth Lakes, CA - A San Anselmo man died early yesterday morning (at 3am) when he hit a lift tower at the Mammoth Mountain ski area while riding down the slope on a makeshift sledge of yellow foam. Authorities said Matthew David Hubal, 22, was pronounced dead at Centinela Mammoth Hospital.

The accident occurred about 3 a.m., the Mono County Sheriff’s Department said. Hubal and his friends apparently had hiked up a ski run called Stump Alley and undid some yellow foam protectors from the lift towers, said Lieutenant Mike Donnelly of the Mammoth Lakes Police Department. The pads are used to protect skiers who might hit the towers. The group apparently used the pads to slide down the ski slope and Hubal crashed into a tower. The lift towers are meant to be cushioned by this foam, and the tower he hit was discovered to be the same one from which he had stolen his sledge. As the report said "There's a moral in there somewhere". The Guardian - 6 February 1998

Bad Day at Church

Melvyn Nurse, 35, a clergyman, used a .357 calibre Magnum revolver loaded with one blank round to dramatize his sermon before a packed congregation at Livingway Christian Fellowship Church International in Jacksonville, Florida on 26 September. He illustrated each of the seven deadly sins by playing Russian roulette, spinning the chamber and holding the gun to his head. After one spin, the gun fired and the cardboard wadding in the blank pierced his temple, inflicting fatal brain injuries.

He fell out of sight and the congregation of 250, including his wife Debra and their four daughters, waited, thinking Mr Nurse would resume his sermon. He was eventually rushed to University Medical Center, where he died five days later. Blanks contain a hard cardboard-like wad that shoots several feet from the barrel when fired. It seemed likely that Nurse didn't realize they could cause injury. AP, Reuters - 2 October, Daily Telegraph - 3 October 1998

Bad Day at the Homemade Bungee Jump

Reston, VA - A 22 year old Reston man, Jeff Lucas, was found dead after he tried to use Occy straps (those stretchy ropes with hooks on each end) to bungee jump off a 70 foot railroad trestle. Fairfax, VA police said Eric A. Barcia, a fast food worker, taped a bunch of these straps together, wrapped an end around one foot, anchored the other end to the trestle, jumped and hit the pavement.

Bad Day at the Movies

Harrisburg, PA – Apparently inspired by a scene from the movie “The Program”, which contained a famous scene where three drunk college athletes lie prostrate on a major highway in order to prove their manliness, two high school freshman were seriously injured and a third was killed when an 18-wheeler ran them over. In the movie, the truck was able to veer off and narrowly miss injuring anyone, but in real life two of the boys had their legs amputated while the unlucky third boy was unable to move fast enough to avoid being crushed to death. The driver said he never even saw the boys. After this tragic event, the scene was removed from the movie. Director David Ward said he never dreamed anyone would have trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality.

Beware the Barking Dog : Bad Night for Walking the Dog

A Russian woman took her dog for a walk after it started barking late at night and then apparently left it in her yard tied to a post, still barking. Annoyed neighbors called the police. According to Izvestia, the Russian daily: "The policemen, without any reason, decided to shot the dog."

The first nine shots from their pistols missed, bit one of them broke the leash, sending the animal running frantically around the yard. "The policemen ran after the dog, shooting at the silhoutte in the dark. The 13th bullet hit the owner, who was trying to catch the animal, in the heart." This incompetent manslaughter landed them in Yekaterinburg court. Reuter - 27 May 1998

Bad Days at the Dance Studio

Lisbon, Portugal - Dance teacher Alberto Fargo tangoed to his death straight out of a fifth-floor window. Police in Lisbon said Fargo was showing his dance class how to keep the head high by looking at the ceiling. Sunday Independant (Dublin) - 15 November 1998

Barcelona, Spain – Rogelio Pena died in a fall from Mr. Pena’s third-floor dance studio. Other instructors said Mr. Pena was demonstrating a difficult Pasa Doble maneuver to his student Francesca Olivera and never even noticed the open window.

Bad Day on the Island

Gumilid Lantod was alone in the jungle catching bats on Mindoro Island in the Philippines when a 23ft (7m) python bit him on the foot and squeezed him to death. Pythons can tell when their victims are dead when they can no longer feel a pulse. Then the monster swallowed the 154lb (60kg) man. Friends later found the snake and slit it open, finding the father of six already half digested. Express (Germany) 3 April; [AFP] 7 April 1998

Bad Day for the Terrorists

Hebron, Israel – A switch away from daylight savings time turned the tables on a group of Palestinian terrorists who had neglected to note that Israel had made a premature switch from daylight savings time to standard time due to a religious holiday.

The bombs had been prepared in a Palestine-controlled area by explosives experts and set on Daylight Savings time. The drivers in Israel had already switched their watches to standard time and failed to note the time difference. They were in their car still en-route to their destination when the explosives detonated an hour earlier than they expected.

Death Really Stinks

Jonathan Capewell, 16, was so obsessed with smelling fresh that he would cover his entire body with deodorant at least twice a day. When his parents told him he was using too much and they could taste the stuff downstairs in the kitchen, he laughed it off. He was found dead after spraying himself with anti-perspirant in his bedroom in Oldham, Greater Manchester. Three empty deodorant canisters were found. A post mortem showed that his body contained 0.37mg of butane per litre of blood and a similar amount of propane. Only 0.1mg of either gas can kill. It is believed the gases built up in his body after six months of intensive spraying. The death was thought to be the first from accidental inhalation in the country and there was no evidence to suggest that he was a solvent abuser. Manchester Eve. News - 28 October; Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Independant, Northern Echo - 29 October 1998

source: http://www.ssqq.com

Strange Things You Likely Didn't Know ???????

2007-10-23T09:23:00.001-07:00

A rat can last longer without water than a camel.

Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself.

The dot over the letter "i" is called a tittle.

A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and
down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate.

Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

A 2 X 4 is really 1-1/2" by 3-1/2".

During the chariot scene in "Ben Hur," a small red car can be seen
in the distance (and Heston's wearing a watch).

On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily!
(That explains a few mysteries....)

Sherlock Holmes NEVER said, "Elementary, my dear Watson."

Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.

The number of possible ways of playing the first four moves per
side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000.

There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with orange,
purple and silver.

Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space
because passing wind in a spacesuit damages them.

The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.

Weatherman Willard Scott was the first Ronald McDonald.

If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will
instantly go mad and sting itself to death. (Who was the sadist who
discovered this??)

Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to s-l-o-w film down
so you could see his moves. That's the opposite of the norm.

The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in
the USA."

The original name for butterfly was flutterby.

The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which
stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player
for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.

Roses may be red, but violets are indeed violet.

By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you cannot
sink into quicksand.

Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a
piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.

Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin
look-alike contest.

An old law in Bellingham, Washington, made it illegal for a woman
to take more than three steps backwards while dancing!

The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book
most often stolen from public libraries.

The glue on Israeli postage is certified kosher.

Bats always turn left when exiting a cave!

Thanks to Deborah for submitting this!!

And another via email --this comes by Suzie T....

In the 1400's a law was set forth that a man was not allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have "the rule of thumb"

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

Men can read smaller print then women can; women can hear better.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska

The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.

The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:

Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs -Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?

A. Their birthplace.

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"?

A. One thousand

Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?
A. All invented by women.

Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey

In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the "honeymoon".

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them, "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down."

It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.

source: http://www.robinsweb.com

Strange Laws

2007-10-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

In Texas, it's against the law for anyone to have a pair of pliers in his or her possession.

In Philadelphia, you can't put pretzels in bags based on an Act of 1760.

Alaska law says that you can't look at a moose from an airplane.

In Corpus Christie, Texas, it is illegal to raise alligators in your home.

In Miami, it is forbidden to imitate an animal.

It is against the law to mispronounce the name of the State of Arkansas in that State.

In Illinois, the law is that a car must be driven with the steering wheel.

California law prohibits a woman from driving a car while dressed in a housecoat.

In Memphis, Tennessee, a woman is not to drive a car unless a man warns approaching motorists or pedestrians by walking in front of the car that is being driven.

In Tennessee, it is against the law to drive a car while sleeping.

In New York, it is against the law for a blind person to drive an automobile.

In West Virginia, only babies can ride in a baby carriage.

In Georgia, it is against the law to slap a man on the back or front.

A barber is not to advertise prices in the State of Georgia.

In Louisiana, a bill was introduced years ago in the State House of Representatives that fixed a ceiling on haircuts for bald men of 25 cents.

In Oklahoma, no baseball team can hit the ball over the fence or out of a ballpark.

In Rochester, Michigan, the law is that anyone bathing in public must have the bathing suit inspected by a police officer !

In Kentucky, it's the law that a person must take a bath once a year.

In Utah, birds have the right of way on any public highway.

In Ohio, one must have a license to keep a bear.

In Tennessee, a law exists which prohibits the sale of bologna (sandwich meat) on Sunday.

In Virginia, the Code of 1930 has a statute which prohibits corrupt practices or bribery by any person other than political candidates.

In Providence, Rhode Island, it is against the law to jump off a bridge.

In the State of Kansas, you're not allowed to drive a buffalo through a street.

In Florida, it is against the law to put livestock on a school bus.

In New Jersey, cabbage can't be sold on Sunday.

In Galveston, Texas, it is illegal to have a camel run loose in the street!

In North Carolina, it is against the law for dogs and cats to fight.

In Singapore, it is illegal to chew gum.

In Cleveland, Ohio, it is unlawful to leave chewing gum in public places.

In Virginia, chickens cannot lay eggs before 8:00 a.m., and must be done before 4:00 p.m.

In New York, it is against the law for children to pick up or collect cigarette and cigar butts.

In Massachusetts, it is against the law to put tomatos in clam chowder.

If you have considered entering the legal profession, consider earning your online law degree. Choose from a wide range of programs, including online paralegal degrees, and many more. Online Degrees

In Washington State, you can't carry a concealed weapon that is over 6 feet in length.

In San Francisco, there is an ordinance, which bans the picking up and throwing of used confetti.

In Kentucky, it is illegal for a merchant to force a person into his place of business for the purpose of making a sale.

It is against the law in Connecticut for a man to write love letters to a girl whose mother or father has forbidden the relationship.

In Michigan, married couples must live together or be imprisoned.

In the state of Colorado, a pet cat, if loose, must have a tail-light !

In Phoenix, Arizona, you can't walk through a hotel lobby with spurs on.

In California, a law created in 1925 makes it illegal to wiggle while dancing.

In Utah, daylight must be visible between dancing couples.

In Michigan, it is against the law for a lady to lift her skirt more than 6 inches while walking through a mud puddle.

In North Carolina, it is against the law for a rabbit to race down the street.

In Georgia, it's against the law to spread a false rumor.

In West Virginia, one can't cook sauerkraut or cabbage due to the odors and the offence is subject to imprisonment.

In Missouri, a man must have a permit to shave.

The law states that more than 3000 sheep cannot be herded down Hollywood Blvd. at any one time.

In Texas, it is still a "hanging offense" to steal cattle.

source: http://www.strangefacts.com

The Top 10 Tallest Living People on Earth

2007-10-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

These Men are HUGE. As a matter of fact they are the Tallest living people in the world. Some are just claims and others are proven. Take a look at the Giants of the World.

THE TALLEST: Xi Shun (China, b. 1951), measured 7 ft 8.95 in (2 m 36.1 cm) as a result of six measurements taken on January 15, 2005, at Chifeng City Hospital, Inner Mongolia, China. Xi was normal height until age 16 when his height took off. Doctors who examined him in 2005 discovered no evidence of gigantism or acromegaly. See below for others who claim to be taller or close to.

Hussain Bisad: 7' 9 inches and still growing. Has size 26 shoes. Has a great shot at taking the title if he doesn't treat his pituitary disease. He also won't live very long if he doesn't.

Sultan Kosen: Turkish Basketball player is 8'0" and growing. Can dunk on his tippy toes.

Leonid Stadnyk (Stadnik) Is measured at 8'4" and still growing. At 440 lbs, he refuses to be measured by Guiness because he says he doesn't want the publicity. Yeah, who missed a man over 8 feet tall? People still consider him the tallest living man. Thinks he is punished by God

Ajaz Ahmed A Pakastani who claims to be 8'4" but again is unverified. (No Photo)

Mounir Fourar: This Tunisian claims to be 8'5" and size 27 shoes. I definitely believe him about the shoes. Big man but I'm guessing 7'11".

Vikas Uppal

Tallest Indian at 8' 3" and only 21 years old. Not much reported about him since 1994

Ghulam Shabbir: Used to claim he was 8ft3.75 with a weight of 385 Lbs, He now touts himself as "The Second tallest Pakistani" at 7' 8" I'm not sure which of the other Pakistanis are first.

Aurangzeb Khan:
Another Pakistani who claims to be 8 feet tall.

Radhouane Charbib (Tunisia): Used to be the Guiness Record holder until he was beat out by 2 mm by Xi. Can't find a photo of him anywhere that's any good.

source: http://www.wallstreetfighter.com

Top 15 Strangest Coincidences

2007-10-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

# Mark Twain was born on the day of the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. He himself predicted this in 1909, when he said: "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it."

# Oregon's Columbian newspaper announced the winning Pick 4 lottery numbers for June 28, 2000 in advance. The newspaper had intended to print the previous set of winning numbers but erroneously printed those for the state of Virginia, namely 6-8-5-5. In the next Oregon lottery, those same numbers were drawn.

# In 1979, the German magazine - Das Besteran - ran a writing competition. Readers sent in unusual stories, but they had to be based on true incidents. The winner, Walter Kellner of Munich, had his story published . He wrote about a time when he was flying a Cessna 421 between Sardinia and Sicily. He encountered engine trouble at sea, landed in the water, spent some time in an emergency dinghy and was then rescued. This story was spotted by an Austrian, also named Walter Kellner, who said that the German Kellner had plagiarized the story. The Austrian Kellner said that he had flown a Cessna 421 over the same sea, experienced engine trouble and was forced to land in Sardinia. It was essentially the same story, with a slightly different ending. The magazine checked both stories, and both turned out to be true, even though they were nearly identical.

# Morgan Robertson's 1898 novella Futility had many parallels with the RMS Titanic disaster; the book concerned a fictional state-of-the-art ocean liner called Titan, which (like the Titanic) eventually collides with an iceberg on a calm April night whilst en route to New York, with many dying because of the lack of lifeboats. Various other details in the book coincide with the Titanic disaster. Later, she wrote a book, Beyond the Spectrum, that described a future war fought with aircraft that carried "sun bombs". Incredibly powerful, one bomb could destroy a city, erupting in a flash of light that blinds all who look at it. The war begins in December, started by the Japanese with a sneak attack on Hawaii.

Death calls twice
# On July 28th 1900, the King of Italy Umberto I was having dinner in a restaurant in the city of Monza. It turned out later that the restaurant's owner looked identical to the king. The restaurant owner's name was Umberto, his wife's name was the same as the queen's and the restaurant was opened on the same date as the king's inauguration. The Restaurant-owner Umberto was shot dead the next day. So was King Umberto.

# Claude Volbonne killed Baron Rodemire de Tarazone of France in 1872. 21 years earlier, the Baron's father had been murdered by somebody else called Claude Volbonne.

# On February 13, 1746, a Frenchman, Jean Marie Dubarry, was executed for the murder of his father. Precisely 100 years later, on February 13, 1846, another Frenchman, also named Jean Marie Dubarry, was executed - for the murder of his father.

# On the 26th November, 1911, three men were hanged at Greenberry Hill in London after being convicted of the murder of Sir Edmund Berry. Their names were Green, Berry and Hill.

Just in Time
# The British actor Anthony Hopkins [who shot to fame as Hannibal Lecter] was delighted to hear that he had landed a leading role in a film based on the book The Girl From Petrovka by George Feifer. A few days after signing the contract, Hopkins travelled to London to buy a copy of the book. He tried several bookshops, but there wasn't one to be had. Waiting at Leicester Square underground for his train home, he noticed a book apparently discarded on a bench. Incredibly, it was The Girl From Petrovka. That in itself would have been coincidence enough but in fact it was merely the beginning of an extraordinary chain of events. Two years later, in the middle of filming in Vienna, Hopkins was visited by George Feifer, the author. Feifer mentioned that he did not have a copy of his own book. He had lent the last one - containing his own annotations - to a friend who had lost it somewhere in London. With mounting astonishment, Hopkins handed Feifer the book he had found. 'Is this the one?' he asked, 'with the notes scribbled in the margins?' It was the same book.

# As the inhabitants of Ruthwell, Dumfriesshire, were watching a scene in the film Around the World in 80 Days, where a hot air balloon was about to take off, their TV sets went off due to a power cut. Nearby, power lines had been damaged. A hot air balloon had crashed into them.

# Hernán Cortés' arrival in Mexico in 1519 coincided with the year in the Mayan Calendar when it was predicted that the pale-faced man-god Quetzalcoatl would return to reclaim the city of Tenochtitlán. The Aztecs therefore assumed Cortés to be the legendary man-god, which assisted him in capturing the city and thence Mexico.

Lightning strikes back
# A British officer, Major Summerford, while fighting in the fields of Flanders in February 1918 was knocked off his horse by a flash of lightning and paralyzed from the waist down. Summerford retired and moved to Vancouver. One day in 1924, as he fished alongside a river, lightning hit the tree he was sitting under and paralyzed his right side. Two years later Summerford was sufficiently recovered that he was able to take walks in a local park. He was walking there one summer day in 1930 when a lightning bolt smashed into him, permanently paralyzing him. He died two years later. But lightning sought him out one last time. Four years later, during a storm, lightning struck a cemetery and destroyed a tombstone. The deceased buried here? Major Summerford.

# In 1899 a bolt of lightning killed a man as he stood in his backyard in Taranto, Italy.
Thirty years later his son was killed in the same way and in the same place.
On October 8, 1949, Rolla Primarda, the grandson of the first victim and the son of the second, became the third.

D-Day: The Normandy invasion
# The date of the invasion June 6,1944 {6644} reflects the first great invasion associated with Normandy in 1066
# In the first Invasion in 1066 Roger de Montgomery commanded portions of William the Conquerors Forces.
# In the second Invasion 1944 Bernard Montgomery commanded portions of Eisenhower's Forces.
# German General Rommel -Montgomery's adversary in an earlier Campaign in N. Africa Commits suicide on October 14, 1944 {101444}
# The Battle of Hastings took place on October 14 {101466}
# Eisenhower's Birthday was October 14 {101490}
# The first Norman invasion initiated the first major immigration of Jews into Britain.
# The second Norman invasion initiated the chain of events that returned the Jews to Israel

A. Lincoln and J.F. Kennedy

Life
# Both presidents had 7 letters in their last name.
# Both were over 6' feet tall.
# Both men studied law.
# Both seemed to have lazy eye muscles, which would sometimes cause one to deviate.
# Both suffered from genetic diseases. It is suspected that Lincoln had Marfan's disease, and Kennedy suffered from Addison's disease.
# Both served in the military. Lincoln was a scout captain in the Black Hawk War, and Kennedy served as a navy lieutenant in World War II.
# Both were boat captains. Lincoln was a skipper for the Talisman, a Mississippi River boat, and Kennedy was skipper of the PT 109.
# Both had no fear of their mortality and disdained bodyguards.
# Both often stated how easy it would be to shoot the president. Lincoln supposedly said, "If somebody wants to take my life, there is nothing I can do to prevent it." Kennedy supposedly said "If somebody wants to shoot me from a window with a rifle, nobody can stop it." Note that both these quotes are each 16 words long.

Death
# Both presidents were shot in the head, on a Friday.
# Both were seated beside their wives when shot. Neither Mrs. Lincoln nor Mrs. Kennedy was injured. Both wives held the bullet-torn heads of their husbands.
# In each case, the man was injured but not fatally. Major Henry Rathbone was slashed by a knife, and Governor John Connolly was shot.
# Lincoln sat in Box 7 at Ford's Theatre. Kennedy rode in car 7 in the Dallas motorcade.
# Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theatre. Kennedy was shot in a Ford product, a Lincoln limousine.
# Mrs. Kennedy insisted that her husband's funeral mirror Lincoln's as closely as possible.

The Assassins
# Both assassins used three names: John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald. (It should be noted that Lee Harvey Oswald was known as just Lee Oswald prior to the assassination.)
# There are 15 letters in each assassin's name.
# Both assassins struck when in their mid-twenties. Booth was born in 1838, and Oswald was born in 1939.
# Each assassin lacked a strong father figure in his life. Booth's father died when he was 13 years old, and Oswald's father died before he was born.
# Each assassin had two brothers whose careers he coveted. Booth's two brothers were more successful actors and Oswald envied his brothers' military lives.
# Both assassins were privates in the military. Booth was a private in the Virginia Militia, and Oswald was a private in the Marine Corps.
# Both assassins were born in the south.
# Both assassins were known sympathizers to enemies of the United States. Booth supported the Confederacy and Oswald was a Marxist.
# Both assassins often used aliases. Booth frequently used "J. Wilkes" and Oswald used the name "Alek J. Hidell."
# Booth shot Lincoln at a theatre and was cornered in a warehouse. Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and was cornered in a theatre.
# Each assassin was detained by an officer named Baker. Lt. Luther B. Baker was leader of the cavalry patrol which trapped Booth at Garrett's Barn. Officer Marion L. Baker, a Dallas motorcycle patrolman, briefly detained Oswald on the second floor of the School Book Depository until he learned that he worked there.
# Both assassins were killed with a single shot from a Colt revolver.
# Both assassins were shot in a blaze of light-Booth after the barn was set afire, and Oswald in the form of television cameras.

Family and Friends
# Both presidents were named after their grandfathers.
# Both were born second children.
# Both married while in their thirties. Lincoln married at 33 and Kennedy married at 36.
# Both married dark-haired, twenty-four-year-old women.
# Both wives died around the age of 64. Mary Todd Lincoln died in 1882 at age 63 years and 215 days, and Jackie Kennedy died in 1994 at age 64 years 295 days.
# Both wives were known for their high fashion in clothes.
# Both wives renovated the White House after many years of neglect.
# Each couple had four children, two of whom died before becoming a teen.
# Each couple lost a son while in the White House. Willie Lincoln died at age 12 in 1862, and Kennedy's son Patrick died two days after his birth in 1963.

Politics
# Both presidents were elected to the House of Representatives in '46.
# Both were runners-up for the party's nomination for vice-president in '56.
# Both were elected to the presidency in '60.

Vice-Presidents
# Southern Democrats named Johnson succeeded both Lincoln and Kennedy (Andrew Johnson and Lyndon Baines Johnson.
# Andrew Johnson was born in 1808, and Lyndon Johnson was born in 1908.
# There are six letters in each Johnson's first name.
# Both Johnsons served in the military. Andrew was a brigadier general in the Civil War and Lyndon was a commander in the U.S. Navy during WW2.
# Both Johnsons were former southern senators.
# Both Johnsons had urethral stones, the only presidents to have them.
# Both Johnsons chose not to run for reelection in '68.

source: http://www.2spare.com

25 Worlds Weirdest Animals

2007-10-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

Leafy seadragon

Named after the dragons of Chinese mythology, Leafy seadragons (Phycodurus eques) resemble a piece of drifting seaweed as they float in the seaweed-filled water. The Leafy seadragon, with green, orange and gold hues along its body, is covered with leaf-like appendages, making it remarkably camouflaged. Only the fluttering of tiny fins or the moving of an independently swiveling eye, reveals its presence.

Like the seahorse, the male seadragon carries as many as 150-200 eggs. After being deposited by the female, the eggs are carried in the honeycomb-shaped area (known as the brood patch) under the male's tail for approximately eight weeks. Seadragons have no teeth or stomach and feed exclusively on mysidopsis shrimp. Known as "Australian seahorses" in Australia, they are found in calm, cold water that is approximately 50-54° F (10-12° C). Leafy seadragons have been protected by the South Australian government since 1982.

Sun Bear

The Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus) is a bear found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.

The Sun Bear stands approximately 4 ft (1.2 m) in length, making it the smallest member in the bear family. It is often called the dog bear because of its small stature. It has a 2 in (5 cm) tail and on average weighs less than 145 lb (65 kg). Males tend to be slightly larger than females.

Unlike other bears, the Sun Bear's fur is short and sleek. This adaptation is probably due to the lowland climates it inhabits. Dark black or brown-black fur covers its body, except on the chest where there is a pale orange-yellow marking in the shape of a horseshoe. Similar colored fur can be found around the muzzle and the eyes. This distinct marking gives the sun bear its name.

Komondor Dog

Females are 27 inches (69cm) at the withers. Male Komondorok are a minimum of 28 inches at the withers, but many are over 30 inches tall, making this one of the larger common breeds of dog. The body is not overly coarse or heavy, however, and people unfamiliar with the breed are often surprised by how quick and agile the dogs are.

Its long, thick, strikingly corded white coat (the heaviest amount of fur in the canine world) resembles dreadlocks or a mop. The puppy coat is soft and fluffy. However, the coat is wavy and tends to curl as the puppy matures. A fully mature coat is formed naturally from the soft undercoat and the coarser outer coat combining to form tassels, or cords. Some help is needed in separating the cords so the dog does not turn into one large matted mess. The length of the cords increases with time as the coat grows. Shedding is very minimal with this breed, contrary to what one might think (once cords are fully formed). The only substantial shedding occurs as a puppy before the dreadlocks fully form. The Komondor is born with only a white coat, unlike the similar-looking Puli, which is usually white, black or sometimes grayish. However, a working Komondor's coat may be discolored by the elements, and may appear off-white if not washed regularly.

Angora Rabbit

The Angora rabbit is a variety of domestic rabbit bred for its long, soft hair. The Angora is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbit, originating in Ankara, Turkey, along with the Angora cat and Angora goat. The rabbits were popular pets with French royalty in the mid 1700s, and spread to other parts of Europe by the end of the century. They first appeared in the United States in the early 1900s. They are bred largely for their long wool, which may be removed by shearing or plucking (gently pulling loose wool).

There are many individual breeds of Angora rabbits, four of which are ARBA recognized. Such breeds include, French, German, Giant, English, Satin, Chinese, Swiss, Finnish, to name a few.

Red Panda

The Red Panda, Ailurus fulgens ("shining cat," from a Latinized form of the Greek, ailouros, "cat," and the participial form of the Latin fulgere, "to shine") is a mostly herbivorous mammal, slightly larger than a domestic cat (55 cm long). The Red Panda has semi-retractile claws and, like the Giant Panda, has a "false thumb" which is really an extension of the wrist bone. Thick fur on the soles of the feet offers protection from cold and hides scent glands. The Red Panda is native to the Himalayas in Nepal and southern China. The word panda is derived from Nepalese word "ponya" which means bamboo and plants eating animals in Nepal.

Sloth

Sloths are medium-sized mammals that live in Central and South America belonging to the families Megalonychidae and Bradypodidae, part of the order Pilosa. Most scientists call these two families the Folivora suborder, while some call it Phyllophaga.

Sloths are omnivores. They may eat insects, small lizards and carrion, but their diet consists mostly of buds, tender shoots, and leaves.

Sloths have made extraordinary adaptations to an arboreal browsing lifestyle. Leaves, their main food source, provide very little energy or nutrition and do not digest easily: sloths have very large, specialized, slow-acting stomachs with multiple compartments in which symbiotic bacteria break down the tough leaves.

As much as two-thirds of a well-fed sloth's body-weight consists of the contents of its stomach, and the digestive process can take as long as a month or more to complete. Even so, leaves provide little energy, and sloths deal with this by a range of economy measures: they have very low metabolic rates (less than half of that expected for a creature of their size), and maintain low body temperatures when active (30 to 34 degrees Celsius or 86 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit), and still lower temperatures when resting. Sloths mainly live in Cecropia trees.

Emperor Tamarin

The Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator) is a tamarin allegedly named for its similarity with the German emperor Wilhelm II. The name was first intended as a joke, but has become the official scientific name. This tamarin lives in the southwest Amazon Basin, in east Peru, north Bolivia and in the west Brazilian states of Acre and Amazonas.
The fur of the Emperor Tamarin is predominantly grey colored, with yellowish speckles on its chest. The hands and feet are black and the tail is brown. Outstanding is its long, white mustache, which extends to both sides beyond the shoulders. The animal reaches a length of 24 to 26 cm, plus a 35 cm long tail. It weighs approximately 300 to 400 g. This primate inhabits tropical rain forests, living deep in the forest and also in open tree-covered areas. It is a diurnal animal, spending the majority of its days in the trees with quick, safe movements and broad jumps among the limbs.

White-faced Saki Monkey

The White-faced Saki (Pithecia pithecia), also known as the Guianan Saki and the Golden-faced Saki, is a species of saki monkey, a type of New World monkey, found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. This monkey mostly feed on fruits, but also nuts, seeds, and insects.

Tapir

Tapirs are large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. They inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. All four species of tapir are classified as endangered or vulnerable. Their closest relatives are the other odd-toed ungulates, horses and rhinoceroses.

Hagfish

Hagfish are marine craniates of the class Myxini, also known as Hyperotreti. Despite their name, there is some debate about whether they are strictly fish (as there is for lampreys), since they belong to a much more primitive lineage than any other group that is commonly defined fish (Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes). Their unusual feeding habits and slime-producing capabilities have led members of the scientific and popular media to dub the hagfish as the most "disgusting" of all sea creatures.

Hagfish are long, vermiform and can exude copious quantities of a sticky slime or mucus (from which the typical species Myxine glutinosa was named). When captured and held by the tail, they escape by secreting the fibrous slime, which turns into a thick and sticky gel when combined with water, and then cleaning off by tying themselves in an overhand knot which works its way from the head to the tail of the animal, scraping off the slime as it goes. Some authorities conjecture that this singular behavior may assist them in extricating themselves from the jaws of predatory fish. However, the "sliming" also seems to act as a distraction to predators, and free-swimming hagfish are seen to "slime" when agitated and will later clear the mucus off by way of the same travelling-knot behavior.

Star-nosed Mole

The Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata) is a small North American mole found in eastern Canada and the north-eastern United States. It is the only member of the tribe Condylurini and the genus Condylura.

It lives in wet lowland areas and eats small invertebrates, aquatic insects, worms and molluscs. It is a good swimmer and can forage along the bottoms of streams and ponds. Like other moles, this animal digs shallow surface tunnels for foraging; often, these tunnels exit underwater. It is active day and night and remains active in winter, when it has been observed tunnelling through the snow and swimming in ice-covered streams. Little is known about the social behavior of the species, but it is suspected that it is colonial.

The Star-nosed Mole is covered in thick blackish brown water-repellent fur and has large scaled feet and a long thick tail, which appears to function as a fat storage reserve for the spring breeding season. Adults are 15 to 20 cm in length, weigh about 55 g, and have 44 teeth. The mole's most distinctive feature is a circle of 22 mobile, pink, fleshy tentacles at the end of the snout. These are used to identify food by touch, such as worms, insects and crustaceans.

Proboscis Monkey

Nasalis larvatus also known as Long-nosed Monkey is a reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey. It is the only species in monotypic genus Nasalis.

The most distinctive trait of this monkey is the male's large protruding nose. The purpose of the large nose is unclear, but it has been suggested that it is a result of sexual selection. The female Proboscis Monkey prefers big-nosed male, thus propagating the trait.

Males are much larger than females, reaching 72 cm (28 inches) in length, with an up to 75 cm tail, and weighing up to 24 kg (53 pounds). Females are up to 60 cm long, weighing up to 12 kg (26 lb).

The Proboscis Monkey also has a large belly, as a result of its diet. Its digestive system is divided into several parts, with distinctive gut flora, which help in digesting leaves. This digestive process releases a lot of gas, resulting in the monkey's "bloated" bellies. A side-effect of this unique digestive system is that it is unable to digest ripe fruit, unlike most other simians. The diet consists mainly of fruits, seeds and leaves.

Pink Fairy Armadillo

The Pink Fairy Armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) or Pichiciego is the smallest species of armadillo (mammals of the family Dasypodidae, mostly known for having a bony armor shell). It is approximately 90-115 mm (3?-4?") long excluding the tail, and is pale rose or pink in color. It is found in central Argentina where it inhabits dry grasslands and sandy plains with thorn bushes and cacti. It has the ability to bury itself completely in a matter of seconds if frightened.

The Pink Fairy Armadillo burrows small holes near ant colonies in dry dirt. It feeds mainly on ants and ant larvae near its burrow. Occasionally it feeds on worms, snails, insects and larvae, or various plant and root material.

Axolotl

The Axolotl (or ajolote) (Ambystoma mexicanum) is the best-known of the Mexican neotenic mole salamanders belonging to the Tiger Salamander complex. Larvae of this species fail to undergo metamorphosis, so the adults remain aquatic and gilled. The species originates from the lake underlying Mexico City. Axolotls are used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate most body parts, ease of breeding, and large embryos. They are commonly kept as pets in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Japan (where they are sold under the name Wooper Rooper, and other countries.

Axolotls should not be confused with waterdogs, the larval stage of the closely related Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum and Ambystoma mavortium), which is widespread in much of North America which also occasionally become neotenic, nor with mudpuppies (Necturus spp.), fully aquatic salamanders which are unrelated to the axolotl but which bear a superficial resemblance.

Aye-aye

The Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a strepsirrhine native to Madagascar that combines rodent-like teeth with a long, thin middle finger to fill the same ecological niche as a woodpecker. It is the world's largest nocturnal primate, and is characterized by its unique method of finding food; it taps on trees to find grubs, then gnaws holes in the wood and inserts its elongated middle finger to pull the grubs out.

Daubentonia is the only genus in the family Daubentoniidae and infraorder Chiromyiformes. The Aye-aye is the only extant member of the genus (although it is currently an endangered species); a second species (Daubentonia robusta) was exterminated over the last few centuries.

Alpaca

The Alpaca (Vicugna pacos) is a domesticated species of South American camelid developed from the wild alpacas. It resembles a sheep in appearance, but is larger and has a long erect neck as well as coming in many colors, whereas sheep are generally bred to be white and black.

Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of Ecuador, southern Peru, northern Bolivia, and northern Chile at an altitude of 3500 to 5000 meters above sea-level, throughout the year.

Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, and unlike them are not used as beasts of burden but are valued only for their fiber. Alpacas only have fleece fibers, not woolen fibers, used for making knitted and woven items much as sheeps wool is. These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles and ponchos in South America, and sweaters, socks and coats in other parts of the world. The fiber comes in more than 52 natural colors as classified in Peru, 12 as classified in Australia and 22 as classified in America.

Tarsier

Tarsiers are prosimian primates of the genus Tarsius, a monotypic genus in the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. The phylogenetic position of extant tarsiers within the order Primates has been debated for much of the past century, and tarsiers have alternately been classified with strepsirrhine primates in the suborder Prosimii, or as the sister group to the simians (=Anthropoidea) in the infraorder Haplorrhini. Analysis of SINE insertions, a type of macromutation to the DNA, is argued to offer very persuasive evidence for the monophyly of Haplorrhini, where other lines of evidence, such as DNA sequence data, had remained ambiguous. Thus, some systematists argue that the debate is conclusively settled in favor of a monophyletic Haplorrhini.

Tarsiers have enormous eyes and long feet. Their feet have extremely elongated tarsus bones, which is how they got their name. They are primarily insectivorous, and catch insects by jumping at them. They are also known to prey on birds and snakes. As they jump from tree to tree, tarsiers can catch even birds in motion.[citation needed] Gestation takes about six months, and tarsiers give birth to single offspring. All tarsier species are nocturnal in their habits, but like many nocturnal organisms some individuals may show more or less activity during the daytime. Unlike many nocturnal animals, however, tarsiers lack a light-reflecting area (tapetum lucidum) of the eye. They also have a fovea, atypical for nocturnal animals.

Dumbo Octopus

The octopuses of the genus Grimpoteuthis are sometimes nicknamed "Dumbo octopuses" from the ear-like fins protruding from the top of their "heads" (actually bodies), resembling the ears of Walt Disney's flying elephant. They are benthic creatures, living at extreme depths, and are some of the rarest of the Octopoda species.

Frill-necked Lizard

The Frill-necked Lizard, or Frilled Lizard also known as the Frilled Dragon, (Chlamydosaurus kingii) is so called because of the large ruff of skin which usually lies folded back against its head and neck. The neck frill is supported by long spines of cartilage, and when the lizard is frightened, it gapes its mouth showing a bright pink or yellow lining, and the frill flares out, displaying bright orange and red scales. The frill may also aid in thermoregulation.

They may grow up to one metre in total length. They often walk quadrupedally when on the ground. When frightened they begin to run on all-fours and then accelerate onto the hind-legs. In Australia, the frill-necked lizard is also known as the "bicycle lizard" because of this behaviour. Males are significantly larger than females both as juveniles and when mature. The frill of the Australian frilled dragon is used to frighten off potential predators — as well as hissing and lunging. If this fails to ward off the threat, the lizard flees bipedally to a nearby tree where it climbs to the top and relies on camouflage to keep it hidden.

Narwhal

The Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is an Arctic species of cetacean. It is a creature rarely found south of latitude 70°N. It is one of two species of white whale in the Monodontidae family (the other is the beluga whale). It is possibly also related to the Irrawaddy dolphin.

The English name narwhal is derived from the Dutch name narwal which in turn comes from the Danish narhval which is based on the Old Norse word nar, meaning "corpse." This is a reference to the animal's colour. The narwhal is also commonly known as the Moon Whale.

In some parts of the world, the Narwhal is colloquially referred to as a "reamfish."

Sucker-footed Bat

The Madagascar Sucker-footed Bat, Old World Sucker-footed Bat, or Sucker-footed Bat (Myzopoda aurita and Myzopoda schliemanni) is a species of bat in the Myzopodidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Myzopoda. It is endemic to Madagascar. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Pygmy Marmoset

The Pygmy Marmoset (Callithrix (Cebuella) pygmaea) is a monkey native to the rainforest canopies of western Brazil, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru. It is one of the smallest primates, with its body length ranging from 14-16 cm (excluding the 15-20 cm tail) and the smallest monkey. Males weigh around 140 g (5 ounces), and females only 120 g (4.2 ounces).

Despite its name, the Pygmy Marmoset is somewhat different from the typical marmosets classified in genus Callithrix. As such, it is accorded its own subgenus, which was formerly recognized as its own genus, Cebuella.

The Pygmy Marmoset has a tawny coat, and a ringed tail that can be as long as its body. Their claws are specially adapted for climbing trees, a trait unique to the species. They are omnivorous, feeding on fruit, leaves, insects, and sometimes even small reptiles. Much of their diet, however, comes from tapping trees for sap. Up to two-thirds of their time is spent gouging tree bark to reach the gummy sap. The Pygmy Marmoset has specialized incisors for gouging holes in bark. Unfortunately, because of its small size, and its swift movements, it is very hard to observe in the wild.

In captivity, the Pygmy Marmoset can live up to 11 years.

Blobfish

The blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) is a fish that inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. Due to the inaccessibility of its habitat, it is rarely seen by humans.

Blobfish are found at depths where the pressure is several dozens of times higher than at sea level, which would likely make gas bladders inefficient. To remain buoyant, the flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. The relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats by in front it.

Platypus

The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record.

The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed mammal baffled naturalists when it was first discovered, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals; the male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot which delivers a poison capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the Platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20 cent coin.

Until the early 20th century it was hunted for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. Although captive breeding programs have had only limited success and the Platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution, it is not under any immediate threat.

Shoebill

The Shoebill, Balaeniceps rex also known as Whalehead is a very large bird related to the storks. It derives its name from its massive shoe-shaped bill.

The Shoebill is a very large bird, averaging 1.2 m (4 ft) tall, 5.6 kg (12.3 lbs) and 2.33 m (7.7 ft) across the wings. The adult is mainly grey, the juveniles are browner. It lives in tropical east Africa, in large swamps from Sudan to Zambia.

The Shoebill was added rather recently to the ornithological lists; the species was only discovered in the 19th century when some skins were brought to Europe. It was not until years later that live specimens reached the scientific community. The bird was known to both ancient Egyptians and Arabs however. There exist Egyptian images depicting the Shoebill while the Arabs referred to the bird as abu markub, which means one with a shoe. Clearly, this refers to the striking bill.

Yeti Crab

Kiwa hirsuta is a crustacean discovered in 2005 in the South Pacific Ocean. This decapod, which is approximately 15 cm (6 inches) long, is notable for the quantity of silky blond setae (resembling fur) covering its pereiopods (thoracic legs, including claws). Its discoverers dubbed it the "yeti lobster" or "yeti crab"[2].

K. hirsuta was discovered in March 2005 by a group organised by Robert Vrijenhoek of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in Monterey, California, using the submarine DSV Alvin, operating from RV Atlantis[3]. The discovery was announced on the 7th of March, 2006. It was found 1,500 km (900 miles) south of Easter Island in the South Pacific, at a depth of 2,200 m (7,200 feet), living on hydrothermal vents along the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge[4]. Based on both morphology and molecular data, the species was deemed to form a new genus and family (Kiwaidae). The animal has strongly reduced eyes that lack pigment, and is thought to be blind.

The 'hairy' pincers contain filamentous bacteria, which the creature may use to detoxify poisonous minerals from the water emitted by the hydrothermal vents where it lives. Alternatively, it may feed on the bacteria, although it is thought to be a general carnivore[2]. Its diet also consists of green algae and small shrimp.

source: http://divaboo.info

Fire Starters - The Haunted Girls

2007-10-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

The following cases of apparently paranormal firestarters involve some aspects common in people who exhibit psychic / poltergeist - like powers. Unfortunately we don't have much detail about the girls involved, so the case must remain intriguing though unsupported by independent evidence. However, it would be interesting to know if prior to or at the time of the alleged fire-starting incidents, these two girls had displayed signs of ESP, psychokinesis, telepathy or any other psychic abilities

In November 1890, in Thorah, near Toronto, Canada, strange things started happening around a 14 year-old English girl called Jennie Bramwell, the adopted daughter of a farmer, Mr. Dawson, and his wife. The girl had been ill and gone into a trance (for parallels see Lurancy Vennum article on this site), crying out 'Look at that!' pointing to a ceiling which was ablaze. Shortly after, to the astonishment of Mr. and Mrs. Dawson, she pointed to another fire. The following day numerous fires broke out around the house; as soon as one was put out, another started. In one instance while Mrs. Dawson and the girl were seated facing a wall, the wallpaper suddenly caught fire, Jennie's dress then burst into flames and Mrs. Dawson burnt her hands extinguishing the fire. Fires continued to break out in the house for a whole week. A report in the Toronto Globe, for 9th November, described charred pieces of wallpaper, which looked as if they'd been burned using a blazing lamp.

The situation became unbearable, all the furniture was moved into the yard, and the unfortunate girl, blamed for the fires, was sent back to the orphanage from where she'd come. With her leaving, the phenomena stopped. The reporter from the Toronto Globe depicted her as 'a half-witted girl [who] had walked about the house with a match, setting light to everything she came across.' However, he had difficulty explaining how the fire on the ceiling, and those on the walls had been started. Charles Fort, describing the case, commented wryly - 'I'll not experiment, but I assume that I could flip matches all day at a wall, and not set wallpaper afire.'

The reporter wanted to know if Jennie had any knowledge of chemistry, as according to him the 'half-witted' little orphan was 'well-versed in rudiments of the science.' He subsequently made enquiries around town, and discovered that the girl was also 'an incorrigible little thief', and that she had visited the chemist many times on errands.

So, the mystery was solved: the girl had stolen "some chemical," which she had spread over various parts of the Dawson's house in order to start the fires.

In January 1895 there were fires in the house of an out of work carpenter, Adam Colwell in Brooklyn, New York. The fires were investigated by police and firemen who witnessed furniture burst into flames and subsequently reported that the cause of the fires was unexplained. However, the Fire Marshall suspected the pretty adopted daughter of the Colwells, Rhoda, as playing some part. He stated that 'It might be thought that the child Rhoda started two of the fires, but she can not be considered guilty of the others, as she was being questioned, when some of them began. I do not want to be quoted as a believer in the supernatural, but I have no explanation to offer, as to the cause of the fires, or of the throwing around of the furniture.'

Mr. Colwell asserted that on the afternoon of the 4th of January whilst in the company of his wife and stepdaughter Rhoda, a crash was heard - a large, empty stove had fallen over, four pictures also fell off the walls. Shortly afterwards a bed caught fire, a policeman was called who saw wallpaper start to burn. Another fire started and a heavy lamp fell from a hook onto the floor. The house burned to the ground and the family, who had lost everything apart from their clothes, were taken to the police station. Captain Rhoades, of the Greenpoint Precinct said that he could attribute the strange fires to 'no other cause than a supernatural agency.'

However, a Mr. J.L. Hope of Flushing, Long Island, came to see Captain Rhoades and told him that Rhoda had worked for him as a housemaid and, between 19th November and 19th December, four mysterious fires had broken out. This was enough to convince the Captain of Rhoda's guilt in the present case as well, and she was warned to admit the truth. Frightened, she wept that she had indeed started the fires as she disliked the place she lived and wanted to get away. The girl had also knocked the pictures off the walls and dropped lighted matches into the beds, continuing with her mischief even after the police, firemen and detectives arrived at the house.

Though the police Captain had previously thought the fires 'supernatural' he now found a natural explanation in Rhoda's now well-attested fire-starting tendencies. The New York Herald ran the story as 'Policemen and firemen artfully tricked by a pretty, young girl.' So instead of investigating the fires in Flushing the Captain gave the girl some 'wholesome advice' to which she apparently listened, and closed the case.

Such fire starting seems intimately connected with poltergeist activity (the moving about of furniture for example) and young girls (see A.W. Underwood and Carole Compton articles on this site for more examples). Some, though not all, of the fire-starters seem to be orphans in unhappy situations, and this may, in some cases, explain the motive. But since the methods by which these unusual fires were started are a mystery (explanations at the time obviously being ludicrous i.e. tossing lighted matches at the wall, ) we are still left with the puzzle that certain young people are possessed with the allegedly paranormal ability to unconsciously start fires without any visible means. As mentioned time and time again on Mysterious People, however, the sources for such 'paranormal' stories, especially those from the 19th century and earlier, are usually newspaper accounts, which unfortunately means that the events may or may not have happened as described. We can never be sure.

source: http://www.mysteriouspeople.com

The Man with X-Ray Vision - J. Raoul Derosiers

2007-10-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

J. Raoul Derosiers, a Canadian businessman, allegedly had one of the strangest talents on record, he could, apparently, see deep into solid earth. This x-ray vision was at one time known as 'water witching', but nowadays is more commonly called water divining or dowsing.

According to the story, Derosiers had often suffered from acute stabbing pains under his lower ribs but, although the attacks were painful, they never lasted long, so he didn't take too much notice of them. In 1940, however, the attacks started to occur more frequently and for much longer durations, convincing him that he needed to visit a doctor. The doctor though the problem was mainly psychological, and would be cured by rest. Accordingly he prescribed Derosiers sleeping pills, and indeed, this appeared to work for a while

After he'd been taking the pills for about a month, Derosiers visited a cousin's farm in Quebec. The relative complained that lack of water was pushing him out of the cattle business, but although he felt sorry about the situation, Derosiers could do nothing. A few months later, while the two men were walking across a field behind the barns, Derosiers got one of his awful pains in the ribs. As it was happening, he said to his cousin: 'Don't ask me why I say this, for I can't explain it - but I feel that I am standing over a stream of underground water . . . good water. It is seventy feet down and it runs over the top of a layer of slate three inches thick. Don't drill through that slate or you will lose the water.' Three weeks later, the well was drilled in the place Derosiers had indicated using his mental x-ray, and an abundant supply of drinkable water was discovered only a foot deeper than he had specified. Underneath the water was a layer of slate three to four inches in thickness.

News of this miraculous 'water witching' spread quickly and Derosiers found his x-ray vision very much in demand. He chose locations for over six hundred wells, without failure, simply by walking over the land and stopping when he felt the stabbing pain in his ribs.

If accounts of Raoul Derosiers are accurate, then what remains is that somehow he developed a kind of x-ray vision, a seemingly supernatural ability to accurately describe the layers of rock, slate and sand that lay underneath him when he was struck by the sharp pain in his ribs. Apparently, his clients said he never missed. Perhaps the doctor's prescribed sleeping pills occasioned some change in him which facilitated this extraordinary skill.

Though his strange x-ray method of detection was bizarre to say the least, Derosiers' ability is not totally unique, there have been and are dowsers with similar skills. French dowser Barthelemy Bleton accidentally discovered his own talents at the age of seven because he always felt sick and faint when sitting on a particular spot. Subsequent digging at this spot revealed a powerful underground spring.

source: http://www.mysteriouspeople.com

33 Names of Things You Never Knew had Names

2007-10-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

1. AGLET - The plain or ornamental covering on the end of a shoelace.

2. ARMSAYE - The armhole in clothing.

3. CHANKING - Spat-out food, such as rinds or pits.

4. COLUMELLA NASI - The bottom part of the nose between the nostrils.

5. DRAGÉES - Small beadlike pieces of candy, usually silver-coloured, used for decorating cookies, cakes and sundaes.

6. FEAT - A dangling curl of hair.

7. FERRULE - The metal band on a pencil that holds the eraser in place.

8. HARP - The small metal hoop that supports a lampshade.

9. HEMIDEMISEMIQUAVER - A 64th note. (A 32nd is a demisemiquaver, and a 16th note is a semiquaver.)

10. JARNS,
11. NITTLES,
12. GRAWLIX,
13. and QUIMP - Various squiggles used to denote cussing in comic books.

14. KEEPER - The loop on a belt that keeps the end in place after it has passed through the buckle.

15. KICK or PUNT - The indentation at the bottom of some wine bottles. It gives added strength to the bottle but lessens its holding capacity.

16. LIRIPIPE - The long tail on a graduate's academic hood.

17. MINIMUS - The little finger or toe.

18. NEF - An ornamental stand in the shape of a ship.

19. OBDORMITION - The numbness caused by pressure on a nerve; when a limb is `asleep'.

20. OCTOTHORPE - The symbol `#' on a telephone handset. Bell Labs' engineer Don Macpherson created the word in the 1960s by combining octo-, as in eight, with the name of one of his favourite athletes, 1912 Olympic decathlon champion Jim Thorpe.

21. OPHRYON - The space between the eyebrows on a line with the top of the eye sockets.

22. PEEN - The end of a hammer head opposite the striking face.

23. PHOSPHENES - The lights you see when you close your eyes hard. Technically the luminous impressions are due to the excitation of the retina caused by pressure on the eyeball.

24. PURLICUE - The space between the thumb and extended forefinger.

25. RASCETA - Creases on the inside of the wrist.

26. ROWEL - The revolving star on the back of a cowboy's spurs.

27. SADDLE - The rounded part on the top of a matchbook.

28. SCROOP - The rustle of silk.

29. SNORKEL BOX - A mailbox with a protruding receiver to allow people to deposit mail without leaving their cars.

30. SPRAINTS - Otter dung.

31. TANG - The projecting prong on a tool or instrument.

32. WAMBLE - Stomach rumbling.

33. ZARF - A holder for a handleless coffee cup.

source: www.canongate.net