A full seven percent of the entire Irish barley crop goes to the production of Guinness Beer.

Butterflies cannot fly if their body temperature is less than 86 degrees.

When asked about the unexpected impact she had on the women's liberation movement with her 1970s blockbuster song "I Am Woman," singer Helen Reddy admitted, "I certainly didn't hear it as a hit. I didn't hear it as an anthem."

If today's ice caps melted completely, sea level would rise across the world by between 200 and 230 feet. This means the Statue of Liberty would be immersed up to her armpits, and the clock face on the Houses of Parliament in London would be under water.

The story of Don Juan has been told over 35 times in the movies. The 1926 version, starring John Barrymore holds a place in movie history, as Don Juan (Barrymore) plants 191 kisses on various females during the course of the film, an average of one every 53 seconds.

Before a wrist injury changed her career plans, Marlene Dietrich had wanted to become a professional concert violinist.

Six-inch-high heels were worn by the upper classes in seventeenth-century Europe. Two servants, one on either side, were needed to hold up the person wearing the high heels.

The voice of Scat Cat in Disney's 1970 animated feature "The Aristocats" was supposed to be provided by legendary jazz trumpet master Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong. The character's look was modeled after Armstrong -- the way he played his trumpet, his roly-poly physique, right down to the prominent gap between his teeth. In 1968, Louis even recorded...Read more

The lowest price on record ever paid for livestock was at a sale at Kuraman, Cape Province, South Africa in 1934, where donkeys were sold for less than 3 cents each.

Absolutely -- 1997 saw the introduction of the Classic Collection, which harkened back to the original all military theme of G.I. Joe including fairly realistic uniforms and gear. Soldiers from Australia, Britain, and other nations, as well as United States Forces were featured. The line also presented an all-new articulated G.I. Joe figure that...Read more

There are more 25,000 McDonald's restaurants in over 115 countries. McDonald's has actually been remarkably responsive to the local cultures: they offer "ayran" (a popular chilled yogurt drink) in Turkey; McLaks (a grilled salmon sandwich) in Norway, and teriyaki burgers in Japan. In New Delhi, India, where Hindus shun beef and Muslims refuse ...Read more

William Henry Harrison served the shortest term of any U.S. president. He served only 32 days, from March 4 to April 4, 1841. He fell ill with pneumonia shortly after his inauguration and never recovered.

A popular myth traces the early history of coffee to Ethiopia, where Coffea arabica originates. According to the myth, a goatherder named Kaldi observed goats that became elated and sleepless at night after browsing on coffee shrubs and, upon trying the berries himself, experienced the same

Eddie Arcaro, one of the greatest jockeys in horse race history, rode 250 losers before he won his first race. Ultimately, Arcaro won 4,779 races -- including five Derby winners, six in the Preakness, and six in the Belmont Stakes, on such famous horses as Whirlaway, Citation, and Kelso.

From 70 to 80 percent of all ripe olives are grown in California's approximately 35,000 acres. In the 1700's, Franciscan monks brought olives to Mexico and then into California by way of the missions. The first cuttings were planted in 1769 at the San Diego Mission. Commercial cultivation of California olives began in the late 1800s. Today, ...Read more

The female pigeon cannot lay eggs if she is alone. In order for her ovaries to function, she must be able to see another pigeon. If no other pigeon is available, her own reflection in a mirror will suffice.

According to acupuncturists, there is a point on the head that you can press to control your appetite. It is located in the hollow just in front of the flap of the ear.

From bridges to rebar, rust is everywhere. According to a recent study, the annual cost of metallic corrosion in the U.S. is approximately $300 billion. The report, by the Specialty Steel Industry of North America, Washington, D.C., estimated that about one-third of that cost could be avoided through broader application of corrosion-resistant ...Read more

In Somalia, Africa, it's been decreed illegal to carry old chewing gum stuck on the tip of your nose.