Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven” does not contain the letter Z.
Trivia
Longest Migration
The arctic tern sees more daylight than any other creature on the planet — it migrates from pole to pole, 12,000 miles.
In its lifetime, that’s equivalent to flying to the moon and back.
Who Shaves the King?
The king of hearts has no mustache — he lost it when the original design was copied badly, and the error has persisted.
Empire State Building Weight
The Empire State Building weighs 727,525,465 pounds.
Jumbo Jet 3
A 747 has 6 million parts.
Coke’s Acidity
At pH 2.5, Coca-Cola’s acidity is midway between vinegar and gastric acid.
B-2 Bomber
At $950 per troy ounce, a B-2 bomber costs more than twice its weight in gold.
Elton John’s Middle Name
Elton John’s middle name is Hercules.
What’s in a Name?
“Saddam” is Arabic for “one who confronts.”
Hitler’s Soft Side
For a genocidal monster, Adolf Hitler was kind of a pansy:
- He didn’t drink.
- He largely avoided eating meat, beginning in the early 1930s. (“The world of the future will be vegetarian.”)
- He slept with his dog, Blondi, a German Shepherd given to him by Martin Bormann.
- He disapproved of cosmetics, since they contained animal byproducts, and he frequently teased Eva Braun about her makeup.
Hitler didn’t smoke, either, and he promoted aggressive anti-smoking campaigns throughout Germany. Witnesses reported that, upon learning of his suicide, many of his officers, aides and secretaries responded by lighting cigarettes.