Over 80% of people feel more confident approaching an attractive person if that person has a dog with them.

A group of 400 trees in Poland’s Krzywy Las, or “Crooked Forest,” are mysteriously and identically bent. The J-shaped trunks remain a mystery to this day.

The word “queue” sounds the same even if the last four letters are removed. Before it meant “line,” a queue meant the tail of a beast in medieval pictures and designs.

A group of penguins in the water is called a “raft,” and a group of penguins on land is called a “waddle.”

Capitonyms are words which change their meaning if the first letter is capitalized. For example: Turkey (the country) and turkey (the bird).

The fear of running out of something to read is called “abibliophobia.”

Researchers from India recently discovered a new species of green pit vipers. They named the snake after Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter universe.

When the first consistent phone service was established in 1878, Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering the phone with “ahoy.”

The closest relative to bears are seals.

Under Joseph Stalin’s regime, “Hamlet” was banned. The official reason: Hamlet’s indecisiveness and depression were incompatible with the new Soviet spirit of optimism, fortitude, and clarity.

Beekeepers in France noticed that their bees were producing honey in unusual shades of green and blue. After investigating, the beekeepers discovered that the bees had been eating remnants of M&M candy shells from a nearby factory.

In the late Middle Ages, books were so valuable that libraries would chain them to bookcases.

Hummingbirds can’t walk or hop. Their tiny legs are only used for perching and moving sideways while perched_.

A woman who lost her wedding ring found it 16 years later on a carrot in her garden. She lost her wedding ring after accidentally throwing it out with the compost in 1995. In 2012, she found it around a carrot in her garden.

Smaller animals tend to perceive time as if it is passing in slow motion. Insects and small birds, for example, can see more information in one second than a larger animal such as an elephant.

Killing a dolphin in ancient Greece was considered sacrilegious and was punishable by death.

A group of goldfish is called a “troubling.”

A “glisk” is sunlight that is glimpsed through a break in the clouds, a fleeting glance at a glittering sight, a brief glow of warmth from a fire that’s burned low. It can also mean a sudden flash of hope in the heart.

Pet owners usually have better self-esteem, are more in shape, and are less lonely than those who do not own pets.

Though not commonly used, the day after tomorrow is called “overmorrow.”

The word “ferret” is from the Latin “fur,” meaning “little thief.” Indeed, one of the ferret’s favorite activities is stealing and hiding things.

A snail’s mouth is no larger than the head of a pin, but it can have over 25,000 teeth.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” has her own mailbox at the Louvre because of all the love letters she receives.

The cartoon character Tweety was originally named Orson. He was also naked, far more aggressive, and saucy.

A group of lizards is called a “lounge.”

The name “coronavirus” is derived from the Latin word “corona,” meaning “crown” or “halo.” This refers to the appearance of a crown or a solar corona around the virus particles.

Tigers cannot purr. When they are happy or feel safe, they squint or close their eyes.

According to a Yale study, people who read books live on average 2 years longer than those who do not read at all.

Moonflowers unfurl in the evening and stay open until the sun rises. Several varieties of moonflower also give off a lemon fragrance when its flowers are open.

Octopus skin contains the same light-sensitive proteins as octopus eyes. This means its skin can “see” and respond to light without information from the eyes or brain.

Pangolins are the only known mammal with scales. When threatened by predators, pangolins roll up into a ball, protected by their armor-like coating of keratin scales.

To “snirtle” means to laugh with snorts.

The name “daisy” is thought to come from the Old English “daes eag.” “Daes eag” means “day’s eye,” after the way in which the delicate flower opens at dawn.

Termites chew through wood twice as quickly when they are exposed to rock music.

A grasshopper’s ears are found not on its head, but rather, on its belly.

The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its head.

The two highest IQ scores in recorded history belong to women.

An average cumulus (white, puffy) cloud can weigh more than a million pounds.

Studies show that bronze medalists are happier than silver medalists because they are happy just to get a medal at all.

The word “swan” is derived from the Indo-European root *swen, meaning “to sound, to sing.”

Kobe Bryant was the youngest player to start an NBA game, at just 18.5 years old.

Drivers of expensive cars are less likely to slow down for pedestrians. They are also more likely to feel a sense of superiority over fellow drivers and to break traffic regulations.

Giraffes give birth while standing up. Their babies must drop more than five feet (1.5 meters) to the ground as they’re born.

In Ankara, Turkey, sanitation workers created a public library out of books they found while collecting garbage. It contains over 6,000 books.

Research shows that most individuals spend 60% of their conversation time talking about themselves. This number jumps to 80% while conversing on social media.

In central Italy, there is a fountain that flows red wine 24-hours a day. It is free to everyone, except for “drunkards and louts.”

The word “robot” comes from a Czech word “robota,” which means “forced labor, compulsory service, drudgery.”

Due to Covid-19 lockdowns, deodorant sales declined, and ice cream sales soared.

The difference between jelly and jam is that jelly is made with fruit juice, and jam is made with mashed fruit.

Afghan poppy farmers have switched to solar power to run their irrigation systems. This has significantly increased the world’s supply of heroin.

Source: Factretriever.com

A mix between a Chihuahua and a dachshund is called a “chiweenie.”

There are no seagulls in Hawaii.

Even though dragonflies have six legs, they cannot walk.

Gummy bears were originally called “dancing bears.”

Sea otters have the thickest fur of any mammal, at 1 million hairs per square inch.

The bird on the Twitter logo is named “Larry.” He was named after the basketball player Larry Bird, who played for the Boston Celtics.

The term “coccyx” (also known as your tailbone) is derived from the Greek word “cuckoo” (“kokkux”) because the curved shape of the tailbone resembles the bird’s beak.

A baby has around 30,000 taste buds. They are not just on the tongue but also on the sides, back, and roof of the mouth. Adults have about 10,000.

In one survey, three out of four people admitted to sharing an ice cream cone with their pet.

When humans take a breath, they replace only 15% of the air in their lungs with fresh air. When dolphins take a breath, they replace 90% of the air in their lungs with fresh air.

Feral pigs ate and completely destroyed $22,000 worth of cocaine that had been hidden in an Italian forest.

Pablo Picaso would often carry around a pistol loaded with blanks. He would fire it at people he found boring or anyone who insulted the painter, Paul Cézanne.

Monarch caterpillars breathe through holes in the sides of their bodies.

Male lobster’s bladders are in their heads, and when they fight, they squirt each other in the face with urine.

The word “oysterhood” means “reclusiveness” or “an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

Ancient pagan cultures, such as the Celts, believed that benevolent and helpful spirits lived in trees. Knocking on tree trunks roused a spirit for protection, which led to the saying “knock on wood.

Laughter synchronizes the brains of both speaker and listener so that they become emotionally attuned.

Isaac Newton believed he was potentially part of a line of great men to receive great and ancient wisdom. He even created a special name for himself “Jehovah Sanctus Unus,” or “to Jehovah, the Holy One.”

Hugging your cat has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, especially for people who are dealing with illness, depression, PTSD, and other ailments.

A group of monkeys in Delhi, India reportedly attacked a laboratory assistant and escaped with several coronavirus blood samples. The monkeys were later spotted in a tree chewing one of the sample collection kits.

Bart Simpson’s name is an anagram of BRAT. His full name is Bartholomew Jojo Simpson.

An oak tree produces about 10 million acorns during its lifetime.

There’s enough concrete in the Hoover Dam to build a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York City.

The Muppet vampire, Count von Count from Sesame Street, is based on actual vampire myth. One way to supposedly deter a vampire is to throw seeds outside a door. Vampires are compelled to count the seeds, delaying them until morning.

The “O” before an Irish name, such as “O’Reilly,” means “descendant of.”

Gossip and complaining make up approximately 80% of most people’s conversations.

Developing a larger vocabulary may help protect you against depression. It allows you to precisely label–and confront–subtle emotions.

Riding or sitting on a sea turtle in the United States is a 3rd degree felony.

Humans shed about 600,000 particles of skin every hour. By age 70, humans lose an average of 105 pounds of skin.

Listening to your favorite music for just 15 minutes a day lowers stress levels, anxiety, sadness, and a depressed mood.

To make one pound of honey, honey bees must gather nectar from nearly 2 million flowers.

Bluetooth” technology is named after a 10th century king, King Harald Bluetooth. Bluetooth united the tribes of Denmark, just like the wireless technology united cell phones and computers.

A duel between three people is called a “truel.”

There is a Statue of Liberty in Paris that faces the Statue of Liberty in America, showing friendship between the two countries.

Research shows that people who laugh at dark jokes have higher IQs and report less aggressive tendencies.

Termite queens live longer than any other insect. Some scientists estimate that they can live as long as 100 years.

Ancient Romans left graffiti on Egyptian pyramids that says, “I didn’t like anything but the sarcophagus,” and “I can’t read the hieroglyphs.”

The kererū (New Zealand Wood Pigeon) is well-known for getting drunk off fermented fruit and falling out of trees.  Consequently, it has earned the reputation for being “clumsy, drunk, gluttonous, and glamorous.”

Sweden has a rabbit show jumping competition called Kaninhoppning. The world record for the highest rabbit jump is 42 inches (106 cm).

A female chicken will mate with many different males. If she decides later that she doesn’t want a particular rooster’s offspring, she can eject his sperm. This happens most often when the male is lower in the pecking order.

Scientists believe that early human ancestors used to have three eyelids. One of the eyelids eventually became the small fold in the corner of human eyes today.

The space between the eyebrows is called the “glabella,” which is derived from the Latin word “glabellus,” meaning “smooth.”

The seagulls in the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds” (1963) were fed a mixture of wheat and whisky so they would stand around and not fly too much.

A pangram is a sentence that contains every letter in the language. For example, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”

Isaac Newton was a member of the British parliament for one year. He spoke only once, and that was to tell someone to please close the window.

The word “porcupine” means “spiny pig” in French.

In the 2004 movie “Mean Girls,” the “nice girl,” Cady, is named after Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a 19th-century pioneer in the American women’s rights movement.

In 1962, a laughter epidemic broke out in Tanzania. The outbreak began in a girls’ school and spread to other communities, ultimately affecting 1,000 people and causing the temporary closure of 14 schools.

Gelotophobia is the fear of laughter. Those who suffer from gelotophobia respond to all laughter as if it is at their expense. Up to 13% of the population could be afraid of laughter.

The Wizard of Oz’s Full Name is Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs. In the book, he explains that he called “myself O.Z., because the other initials were P-I-N-H-E-A-D.”

Source: Factretriever.com

According to the The Almanac, the birthstones we associate with certain months now are not necessarily the same ones as those used centuries ago. Originally, they related to the 12 gemstones appearing on the breastplate of the High Priest of the Isrealites described in the Book of Exodus.

Color was once the most important feature of a stone, which meant that there was no significant difference in meaning between a ruby and a garnet, for example. And the names used in the past may not relate to the stone we think of with that name today either. For example, a sapphire was probably what we know today a lapis and diamonds were most likely white sapphires or white topaz. The wearing of birthstones is thought to bring good luck, good health, and protection and astrologers long ago attributed supernatural powers to certain gemstones.

JANUARY: GARNET

The garnet is thought to keep the wearer safe during travel. The word “garnet” is derived from a term that means “seed,” because the gem resembles the color and shape of a pomegranate seed.

FEBRUARY: AMETHYST

Amethysts are said to strengthen relationships and give their wearers courage. At one time, only royalty could wear the gem. Ancient Greeks thought that the amethyst guarded against intoxication. In fact, “amethyst” comes from amethystos, a Greek word meaning “sober.”

MARCH: AQUAMARINE

The aquamarine was thought to cure heart, liver, and stomach diseases—all one had to do was drink the water in which the gem had been soaking. Early sailors believed that aquamarine talismans, etched with the likeness of the sea god Neptune, protected them against ocean dangers.

APRIL: DIAMOND

The April birthstone, the diamond, in addition to being a symbol of everlasting love, was once thought to bring courage. In Sanskrit, the diamond is called vajra, which also means lightning; in Hindu mythology, vajra was the weapon of Indra, the king of gods.

MAY: EMERALD

The emerald, was one of Cleopatra’s favorite gems. It has long been associated with fertility, rebirth, and love. Ancient Romans went so far as to dedicate this stone to Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Today, it is thought that emeralds signify wisdom, growth, and patience.

JUNE: PEARL

The June birthstone,the pearl, has long been a symbol of purity. The ancient Greeks believed that pearls were the hardened tears of joy from Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

JULY: RUBY

The ruby, was regarded by ancient Hindus as the “king of gems.” It was believed to protect its wearer from evil. Today, the ruby’s deep-red color signifies love and passion.

AUGUST: PERIDOT

The August birthstone, the peridot, symbolizes strength. It is sometimes called the “evening emerald” for its light green color. It was once believed that the green peridot crystals found in volcanic ashes were the tears of the volcano goddess, Pele. When set in gold, this gem was said to protect the wearer from nightmares.

SEPTEMBER: SAPPHIRE

The sapphire was once thought to guard against evil and poisoning. It was believed that a venomous snake would die if placed in a vessel made of sapphire. Traditionally a favorite stone of priests and kings, the sapphire symbolizes purity and wisdom.

OCTOBER: OPAL

The October birthstone, the opal, symbolizes faithfulness and confidence. The word comes from the Latin opalus, meaning “precious jewel.” Necklaces with opals set in them were worn to repel evil and to protect eyesight.

NOVEMBER: TOPAZ

The November birthstone, topaz, symbolizes love and affection. It is believed to give the wearer increased strength and intellect.

DECEMBER: TURQUOISE

The December birthstone, turquoise, is regarded as a love charm. It is also a symbol of good fortune and success, and it is believed to relax the mind and to protect its wearer from harm. Turquoise rings, in particular, are thought to keep away evil spirits.

Source: almanac.com