Factoids: random thing of the day

I took my mums car for its MOT yesterday, and as i didn't know how to use the radio i listened to radio two, on it they have a bit called "factoids" full of very interesting and yet equally useless facts, figures and quotes

in that spirit and in the spirit of sharing all the random useless stuff we all collect in our noggins over the years i thought a thread where we all post useless info/quotes etc mite be fun



so ill start off:


When the British Army attacked Washington DC during the war of 1812, the then first lady Dolly Madison had set a banquet for 40 people. Upon hearing the British guns the white house was evacuated. The leading british elements proceeded to enjoy a sumptuous dinner before promptly torching the building


so come on lets have some utterly mad and pointless fact from you lot

How random do you want?

There is enough brick in the great pyramid of Gizeh to build a wall 10 feet high and 1 foot thick around the entire border of France. (I wonder if 1 foot thick would be enough though).

Or my favourite:

If you laid all the politicians end to end at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean................No one would care. :whistle:

Now this has to be random.

The hundred billionth crayon made by Crayola was Periwinkle Blue.

Ooh I'll share an interesting one I learnt...

The presidential seal that is on the floor of the oval office has an eagle that in one hand has an olive branch and in the other has 13 arrows. And it is a popular misconception that the eagle normally faces towards an olive branch during times of peace and that in times of war it faces towards the arrows. :yesnod:

CJJ;8889 wrote: How random do you want?

There is enough brick in the great pyramid of Gizeh to build a wall 10 feet high and 1 foot thick around the entire border of France. (I wonder if 1 foot thick would be enough though).

:

more to the point how do we fill it with water?... more random the better

CJJ;8889 wrote: How random do you want?

There is enough brick in the great pyramid of Gizeh to build a wall 10 feet high and 1 foot thick around the entire border of France. (I wonder if 1 foot thick would be enough though).

:

more to the point how do we fill it with water?... more random the better

CJJ;8890 wrote: Now this has to be random.

The hundred billionth crayon made by Crayola was Periwinkle Blue.

in true factoid fasion......................... Periwinkle Blue was the colour of mickys mam's dream caravan in Snatch

Kara;8892 wrote: Ooh I'll share an interesting one I learnt...

The presidential seal that is on the floor of the oval office has an eagle that in one hand has an olive branch and in the other has 13 arrows. And it is a popular misconception that the eagle normally faces towards an olive branch during times of peace and that in times of war it faces towards the arrows. :yesnod:

i like it!


ok a quote:

"Veni, vidi, vici" was the first words uttered by the then pro counsel and general Gaius Jullius Ceaser as he entered the Senate after taking the city of Rome


The translation is a now famous phrase "I came, I saw, I conquered"

Adam-MGTF;8896 wrote: in true factoid fasion......................... Periwinkle Blue was the colour of mickys mam's dream caravan in Snatch

and the caravan of dreams is a vegan restaurant in NY.

http://www.caravanofdreams.net/ver2/reviews.htm

CJJ;8900 wrote: and the caravan of dreams is a vegan restaurant in NY.

http://www.caravanofdreams.net/ver2/reviews.htm

New York City was the first capitol of the United states. In 1789 George Washington took his oath as president on the balcony at Federal Hall.

Adam-MGTF;8905 wrote: New York City was the first capitol of the United states. In 1789 George Washington took his oath as president on the balcony at Federal Hall.

George Washington never attended any school or college, he was educated as a child by his father and brother, and also self-educated as he became an adult

And the Washington family used to live just around the corner from where I used to live.

A very random fact for the Americans, because they cannot get their head around the fact that there was history before America.

CJJ;8907 wrote: George Washington never attended any school or college, he was educated as a child by his father and brother, and also self-educated as he became an adult

George Washington's military rank was General, often believed to be the highest military rank attainable, this is incorrect... the highest military rank is marshal, a rank held most notably by Marshal Bernard 'Monthy' Montgomery

CJJ;8911 wrote: And the Washington family used to live just around the corner from where I used to live.

A very random fact for the Americans, because they cannot get their head around the fact that there was history before America.

well they are vaguely aware that the "native amaericans" were there before them.... but they find the concept so confusing they have done their best to remove them from existence :whistle: