A waffle iron inspired one of the first iconic Nike shoes. Nowadays, running shoes have a wide range of different technology and materials. However, that wasn’t the case back in the 1950s. Bill Bowerman of Nike wanted to make a lighter running shoe that could be worn on different surfaces. As such, the idea of using a waffle texture sole came to him during breakfast with his wife. Check out the waffle sole on the recently retired Nike Tailwind ‘79.
100 Mind-Blowing Be Facts
Abraham Lincoln used to be a bartender. Another fun fact not known by many is that Abraham Lincoln was a licensed bartender. In 1930, his liquor license was discovered and displayed at a liquor store in Springfield.
Aquariums were supposed to be for cows. In Latin, aquarium translates to a “watering place for cattle.” However, the first aquarium invented in 1921 was not for cows.
The Pope can’t donate organs. In 1970, Pope Benedict XVI was issued an organ donor card. However, once he ascended to the papacy in 2005, the card was deemed invalid. The Pope had to be buried with his whole body intact because it was the property of the Catholic Church.
Super Mario Land was the most popular game on the Game Boy during its release. It is also the first platform where the Mario games were released. To this day, Super Mario Land continues to be one of the highest-ranked games loved by retro gamers.
The Pokemon Rhydon was the first to ever be created. According to the lead video game designer, Ken Sugimori, Rhydon was the first-ever Pokemon to be created by the team. No, it was not Bulbasaur.
The plastic tips of shoelaces are called aglets. These tips can also be made of metal. Its purpose is to help make the lace easier to hold when running through the holes of the shoes.
Rudolph the Reindeer is female. This can be observed through their antlers. Female deer shed their antlers in the spring and grow them back to full size by winter. The male reindeer stops its growth during the winter.
Brunch was invented as a way of curing hangovers. This meal would be enjoyed as a late breakfast that leans more towards fatty foods. This came from the belief that alcohol causes cravings for greasy food to increase.
Danish mothers are known to be the most hardworking moms in the world. According to statistics, 82% of mothers in Denmark are employed. Meanwhile, neighbouring countries like Sweden and the Netherlands only rate 50% working mothers.
You are more likely to have a weird or scary dream when sleeping on your stomach. This is because different sleeping positions give different pressures on your body. Sleeping on your stomach restricts other movements compared to sleeping on your side or back. Research believes that this may be why the intensity of your dreams differs depending on your sleeping position.
Your eyeballs do not grow or change their size as you age. Generally, only the vertical measure changes, but only by a small amount. By the time we reach 20–21 years old, our eyes will be in their permanent state.
A snail has 2,500 teeth. These teeth can be found on their tongue that’s covered in ridges. Snails eat by rubbing their tongue on their food while the ridges cut it into tiny pieces.
Children’s book author, Roald Dahl was a spy. To be more precise, he was an agent for the British Security Coordination. He was tasked to gather intel during the Second World War.
Crocodiles are one of the planet’s oldest living creatures. These animals have survived for over 200 million years. This may be due to their superb ability to be able to go for long periods without eating.
The Aurora Borealis has a sister phenomenon. This can be viewed in the southern hemisphere. It is also called the Aurora Australis and the light show it executes is as beautiful.
A pistol can only be used by one hand. Many of these guns are mainly used for self-defence. Many models also only fire one shot after every pulled trigger.
Black taxis in London are tall for a reason. This is so that gentlemen can ride in them without having to remove their top hats. For many, this is considered to be very convenient.
The largest living organism is an aspen grove. This grove is referred to as Pando and can be found in the state of Utah. The grove is made up of 47,000 identical quaking aspen trees that cover over 106 acres.
Someone will write and recite a poem at your funeral if you die in the Netherlands. This is mostly the case for those who die without a next of kin. This practice is done so that there will be at least one person at their funeral.
An encrypted monument stands outside of the CIA headquarters in Virginia. This monument was created by artist Jim Sanborn and features four inscriptions. Three of four of the inscriptions have been cracked already. However, no one seems to be able to crack the final code to this day.
Cold water is just as cleansing as hot water. Modern detergents allow clothes to be cleaned equally with either warm or cold water. The only difference between the two is that warm water requires more energy.
David Bowie helped topple the Berlin Wall. During a performance in 1987, Bowie’s performance of ‘Heroes’ near the Reichstag could be heard by the police in East Berlin. This resulted in a police crackdown because such music was forbidden there. Some say that the violent police crackdown during the concert was a necessity in changing the mood against the state.
Tap water in Manhattan is not Kosher. Very small crustaceans have been found in the tap water within New York City. Automatically, this cannot be considered kosher water.
Bottled water has an expiration date. To be more precise, the expiration date is for the bottle itself, and not the water. This is because, over time, the plastic will start leaking into the water.
Fake ambulances are hired in Russia by the wealthy. They use this as a taxi for a faster and more convenient way of getting to their destinations. These vehicles can be hired for approximately $200 an hour.
Milk wagons are the reason why we have roadway lines. These lines were devised by a man who saw dots of milk spilling out from a moving milk wagon. These lines are considered to be the most important traffic safety device.
Saliva can be used to monitor alcohol intake. It can also detect how often you smoke or use drugs. Some research also uses it to diagnose diseases.
The world’s largest pyramid cannot be found in Egypt. The Great Pyramid of Cholula is found in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico and holds the record for the largest pyramid in the world. This structure is four times as big as the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Some pandas fake a pregnancy to get better healthcare. An example would be a Chinese panda named Ai Hin who was believed to show signs of pregnancy. Zookeepers ensured that she was given better care for the upcoming baby that never arrived.
The inventor of the frisbee became a frisbee himself. During the 1950s, Steady Ed invented the frisbee, and later on the sport of disc golf in the 70s. He dedicated his life to frisbees and it was stated in his final testimonials that he wished to have his ashes turned into a frisbee itself. This was so that he would be able to play with his son even when he wasn’t around.
One species of ants can only be found in Manhattan, New York. Biologists discovered a new ant species between 63rd and 76th Street in Broadway. This ant species was found to have a higher concentration of carbon in their bodies which was linked to a high corn-syrup diet.
Cactus spines can be used to make hooks. It can also be used to make needles and combs. Its fruit can also be used for food.
Depending on how they descend, waterfalls have different classifications. This can be divided into 10 main categories. The most common ones are the plunge and multi-step.
Your teeth are unique. No two teeth from different people will ever be alike. They are similar to fingerprints.
The most popular state bird is the Northern Cardinal. Out of the 50 states in the U.S., seven voted for this species as their favourite bird. Perhaps this may be due to the Angry Birds trend from a few years back.
Pinocchio cannot say ‘My nose will grow now’. If he was to speak this sentence, it would create a paradox. For his nose to grow, he would have to lie, however, it cannot grow otherwise the statement would be true.
Optical illusions can be found at the bottom of the sea. While exploring an underwater volcano, explorers came across a small lake-like pool that was upside down. On video, it looks almost too unreal. Further research stated that this lake is what keeps deep-sea creatures alive.
A palindrome is a sentence that is the same when read backwards and forwards. A few examples include ‘Do geese see God’ and ‘Racecar’. This is also noted to be one of the hardest sentences to construct using the English language. Can you come up with your own?
The roar of a lion can be heard up to 5 miles away. Its roar is about 114 decibels. This is roughly 25 times louder than a gas-powered lawnmower.
The U.S. Navy uses Xbox controllers for their periscopes. Instead of using a control stick, the Navy opted for this controller so that the learning time could be reduced. This was also the least complicated way of controlling the periscopes.
95% of people text things that they would never say in person. However, what’s more, interesting is what people are willing to say rather. People are more willing to be revealed over the phone rather than in person because of the psychological thrill it entails.
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are banned in China. Anyone caught using these platforms while inside the country can and will be arrested. Over 8,000 other domains are also blocked within the country. This rule is also implemented for visiting foreigners.
The backward punctuation mark is used to identify sarcasm. It can also be used to signify irony. Or does it⸮
Only one letter in the English alphabet cannot be found on the periodic table. Can you guess which? The letter J is the only letter in the English alphabet that isn’t used for any of the elements in the periodic table.
The largest prime number has 17,425,170 digits. This new prime number is 2 multiplied by itself 57,885,161 and then subtracted by 1. This number can also be read as 257,885,161-1.
The largest grand piano in the world was built by a teenager. The piano is over 18 feet long and has 85 keys. This is 3 keys short of the standard 88. This grand piano can be found in New Zealand.
A Polish doctor once faked an outbreak to keep the Nazis away. Eugene Lazowski announced that there was a typhus outbreak that ended up saving over 8,000 people during the Second World War. At the time, this was considered to be a smart move because Lazowski decided to tug on the German’s phobias about hygiene.
The planet was named Pluto thanks to an 11-year-old girl. She named the planet after the Roman God of the underworld because the planet was found to be frozen and lonely. Previously to this, the planet was referred to as planet X. This little girl lived till the age of 90 and died in April 2009.
Samsung translates to ‘three stars’ in Korean. This name was chosen by the founder mainly due to its symbolism. He wanted the phone company to be as powerful and everlasting as the stars.
You can become less depressed if you stay up. Research has found that there is a correlation between those who pull all-nighters and those hazing out of depression. This is because the longer you go without sleep, the more active your brain becomes. However, it is not recommended to go without sleep as it is a necessary need for humans to be able to function normally.
Bi-weekly has two connotations. It can either be every two weeks or twice a week. The prefix bi- may be used to imply both or either meanings depending on context.
Adding all the numbers on a roulette wheel will be equivalent to 666. Hence the 666 strategy. Other people believe that this is proof that gambling is inherently evil.
Mount Everest is not the tallest mountain in our solar system. This title goes to Olympic Mons, which is said to be three times as big as Everest. This mountain can be found on the planet Mars.
The largest living thing on Earth is a tree. This Giant Sequoia is named General Sherman and can be found protected at California’s Sequoia National Park. The tree is recorded to be 52,500 cubic feet in volume.
Tanning beds increase your risk of developing melanoma. If you were to use one of these machines before the age of 30, your chances increase by 75%. Tanning beds and lamps have been proven to be the highest cancer risk according to research.
The human brain uses 20% of the oxygen in your body. This is continuous and it does not rest even when we sleep. This is why when people yawn it is believed to be the brain’s way of cooling down.
It is physically impossible for you to lick your elbow. This is because the average upper arm is too long for our tongues to be able to reach our elbows. Go on, try it.
Michael Jordan makes a lot of money from Nike. This is more than what all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia annually make combined. This is enough money to be able to feel the entire world population a meal.
The five colours on the Olympic flag were carefully selected. This is because at least one colour of this flag can be found on any flag in any country.
A giant tortoise that was believed to be extinct was found in the Galapagos. Previous to this, this species of giant tortoise had not been spotted for over 100 years. Scientists had believed them to be extinct already until 2019.
Coca-Cola was originally green. However, the company itself said that this may be due to the green bottles they once used. New marketing techniques switched to plastic bottles instead of glass later on.
Humans did not come from monkeys. To be more precise, humans and monkeys had a common ancestor from 25-30 million years ago. From then, each species evolved differently.
The Goodyear blimp is the official bird of Redondo Beach. While it may not be a bird per se, the coastal city still named it as such. Redondo Beach is situated near the Goodyear Blimp’s home airport in California.
Specifically shaped cornflakes can be sold on eBay. A cornflake in the shape of Illinois was once sold on the E-commerce platform for a total of $1,350. The buyer of this single flake stated that he wanted it for his travelling museum.
The Apollo 11 crew pre-made autographs for insurance. The Apollo 11 crew was prepared for the chance that they may not be able to return from their voyage. In an attempt to financially prepare their families, they signed many trinkets that their families could sell if the mission failed.
Ketchup was once used as medicine. This was often sold at pharmacies in the 1830s. It was believed to be a cure for indigestion.
A person is unable to detect smells when they suffer from anosmia. There are rare cases in which a person may be born with anosmia. This condition is called congenital anosmia.
A meteor with the force of 10 atomic bombs crashed on Earth and no one noticed. On December 18, 2018, a meteor hit our atmosphere but failed to be detected by NASA at the time. The reason for this is because it took place in the Bering Sea which was a closed area.
A potato’s skin is much healthier than its core. To absorb all of the potato’s minerals and vitamins, the skin should also be consumed. It is better to leave the skin on potatoes while cooking because all its vitamins are in the skin.
Rainbows at night exist. These rainbows are called moonbows and they only occur when there is a source of water near a full moon. If the moon is in any other phase, the light will not be enough to cause a moonbow.
Ripe cranberries can bounce. Cranberries have air pockets inside of them that cause them to float and bounce. Unripe berries can be easily segregated by seeing if they have damage from an attempted bounce.
In Greek, the Iris flower translates to rainbow. Iris was also known to be the Goddess of the rainbow in ancient Greek Mythology. It is believed that its name refers to the wide variety of colours the flower is found among its species.
A plant that consumes rats can be found in the Philippines. Scientists discovered this rat-eating pitcher plant in the Philippines in the year 2009. This newly discovered pitcher plant is considered one of the biggest carnivorous plants on the planet.
The smell of freshly cut grass is noted to be the grass screaming in distress. This smell is a chemical that grass uses to call other critters to come and rescue them. The chemical compounds that the plant releases can also be used to poison an enemy and alert surrounding plants.
Dogs should not be fed pear and apple seeds. This is due to the seeds containing traces of cyanide in them. This substance is highly toxic to dogs in high quantities.
Flies hum in the key of F. The buzzing sound they make is caused by their wings when they fly. The sound will either be a low or high buzz depending on the species.
Male rabbits are called bucks. The male rabbits tend to be more friendly and relaxed while female rabbits often come off as more aggressive.
Square watermelons cost more than round ones. A square watermelon can be bought for $85. They are mostly expensive due to the intensive labour that is put into shaping them.
A tomb found in London is said to be a time machine. One of the tombs in the Brompton Cemetary has an entryway that features a keyhole. However, the key to this chamber has been lost for years.
Local legend believes that there is a secret in this chamber due to the gold Egyptian hieroglyphs that are decorated on the door. This has led others to believe that it may be a time machine or a time chamber of some sort.
The human bone is stronger than steel. If you were to have a bone and a piece of steel of the same length and thickness, the bone would be five times stronger than the steel bar. However, bones are brittle and can also fracture on impact.
The human tongue has a unique print. Much like fingerprints, the human tongue also holds its unique pattern that can be identified differently from everyone else’s. The tongue is a unique organ that is well-protected and difficult to replicate.
Your eyelids have the thinnest amount of skin on your body. The levator palpebrae superioris muscles retract the eyelid which exposes the cornea and gives you vision. The eyelids can be moved both involuntarily and voluntarily. On the other hand, the feet have the thickest amount of skin on the body.
Keeping a goldfish in a dark room will cause it to go pale. If you were to keep a goldfish in the dark permanently, it would not be healthy for the fish. This is why most fish tanks include a light that is left on throughout the entire night and day.
Kangaroos can’t hop without their tails. If you were to lift a kangaroo’s tail, it would not be able to jump. This is mainly because they use their tails for balance while jumping.
A total of 32 muscles can be found in one ear of a cat. These muscles allow cats to hear in multiple directions. They can also move each ear independently to detect sounds better.
A dentist invented the electric chair. In 1881 a dentist witnessed a man quickly die in a chair after touching an electric generator. After this experience, he soon realized that using electricity could be a more humane way of execution.
Humans consume a lot of water. Water is a major part of most life forms and cannot survive without it. By the time humans reach the age of 70, they would have consumed about 12,000 gallons of water. Water is known to be the best and most hydrating liquid that promotes cardiovascular health.
Fleas can jump 200 times its height. The fleas are claimed to be the best jumpers in the world due to their size and the lengths they can jump. The height of a flea jump is equivalent to a human being jumping to the top of the Empire State Building from the ground.
There are pink lakes in Australia. On the western coast of Australia, a pink lake called Lake Hillier can be found. It gets its colour from the algae present in the area which mixes with the lake’s salt content to create a pink colour. Despite the vibrant pink colour, it is safe to swim in this lake. The Russians arrived 12 days late to the 1908 Olympics. This was mainly because they were following the wrong calendar. After this incident, the catholic nations mandated the use of the Gregorian Calendar.
The inventor of the Pringles can be buried in a Pringles can. Fredric Baur was so proud of his ingenious invention that he wanted to take it to the grave. His burial Pringles can be bought on the way to the funeral. Baur’s family contemplated for a long time on which flavour they wanted to use.
The ancient Greeks chewed gum like mastic. Mastic is a substance that comes from the bark of a tree. This bark was believed to be how the Greeks maintained oral health.
Most known asteroids in our solar system are located between Jupiter and Mars. Research has found that the main meteor belt resides and orbits between the two planets. This main asteroid belt is found to be more than two and a half times as far as the Earth is from the sun.
The Indiana University library is constantly sinking. It sinks over half an inch annually. This is because engineers failed to calculate and include the estimated weight of all the books that would be placed inside the building.
The first soup ever recorded comes from a hippo. This event dates back to 6000 BC. Soups were also believed to be the foundation of the earliest restaurants in history.
DUI offenders in Ohio are required to use yellow license plates. These special yellow plates were issued in 2004 to let officials know if a vehicle has had multiple DUI violations already. It also serves as a cone of shame for the owners of the vehicles to push them to be better drivers.
The world’s deepest postbox is in Japan. It can be found in Susami Bay which is located in Wakayama, Japan. The post is 10 meters underwater and most people require a diving suit just to get to it.
In England, a newborn’s head is washed in rum for good luck. This was a common occurrence in certain parts of Europe. To wish a child great fortune in the future, butter and sugar would be given to the infant.
White chocolate isn’t chocolate. This is made from a blend of sugar and milk products along with some cocoa powder and vanilla extracts. The reason why this cannot be classified as chocolate is that it does not contain any chocolate solids in its making process.