Col
d Facts: Strange and Fascinating Trivia Did you know that a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance? Or that the shortest war in history lasted only 38 minutes? From the bizarre to the fascinating, here are some cold facts that will surprise and entertain you. 1. The common bed bug can survive up to a year without feeding. 2. The only letter that does not appear in any U.S. state name is Q. 3. The world's oldest piece of chewing gum is over 9,000 years old. 4. The shortest war in history took place in 1896 when Zanzibar surrendered to Britain in just 38 minutes. 5. The longest word in the English language has 189,819 letters, and is the chemical name for the protein, Titin. 6. In ancient Rome, people used urine as mouthwash to whiten their teeth. 7. There is a type of jellyfish that is biologically immortal and can essentially live forever. 8. The largest snowflake on record fell in Montana in 1887, and was 15 inches in diameter. 9. During Prohibition in the U.S., the government began poisoning alcohol to deter people from drinking it. It resulted in thousands of deaths. 10 Only two mammals on Earth lay eggs: the platypus and the echidna. 11. In Japan, there is a festival called Kanamara Matsuri, or "Festival of the Steel Phallus," where people parade large phallic-shaped sculptures down the streets. 12. Cows have best friends and become stressed when they are separated. 13. The longest wedding veil on record was over 20,000 feet long and was worn by a bride in Cyprus. 14. The world's largest grand piano was built by a 15-year-old in New Zealand and is over 18 feet long. 15. The first recorded marriage proposal was in 1211 A.D. when a German knight proposed to his love by crafting a silver ring that spelled out "will you marry me?" Cold facts like these can be amusing and eye-opening. They offer a glimpse into the curious and often bizarre characteristics of our world, and remind us that there is much we have yet to learn. Who knows what strange and fascinating trivia will be uncovered next?
