1

"The world’s once largest diamond, the Kohinoor, was inside the Taj Mahal and the British stole it when they conquered India. They haven’t returned it yet."

2

"An artist named Pierre Brassau exhibited a series of paintings in 1964 to critical acclaim. However, “Pierre Brassau” was in fact a chimpanzee. Even after the hoax was revealed, a critic declared that the chimp’s painting was still the best in the exhibition. "

3

"Staying awake for 17 hours leads to decrease in performance, which equals two glasses of wine."

4

"Catnip is 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than Deet, the compound used in most insect repellents. "

5

"Chickens were first domesticated not for the purpose of food or egg production but for cock fighting, and in fact it wasn’t until the 20th century that egg and meat production began to be stressed."

6

"A new type farming called “Box Farming” uses only 1/2500th the amount of water used in traditional agriculture. The “boxes” can be placed anywhere in an urban environment, even in a city. "

7

"In 1978, Charlie Chaplin’s body was stolen and held for a ransom of £400,000. His widow refused to pay ransom because “Charlie would have thought it ridiculous.” The body was found 11 weeks later. "

8

"Refried beans aren’t fried twice or “fried again”, but its re-prefix comes from the Spanish word “refritos”, meaning well-fried."

9

"When the Soviets gave Jacqueline Kennedy a puppy, the Secret Service was worried that it may have microphones implanted in it."

10

"In 2003, Brazil became the first country in the world to totally ban indoor tanning for anyone of any age."

11

"There is a metal band called Hatebeak whose lead singer is an African grey parrot. "

12

"An astronaut threw a boomerang while in a space station and it returned to him. As long as there is air to provide the necessary forces, a boomerang will return to its thrower, even in the weightlessness of Earth’s orbit."

13

"The city of Cincinnati, Ohio has a subway system that was built, never used, and left abandoned. "

14

"In ancient Rome, one of the most common cooking ingredients was called “laser”, from the silphium plant. It does not exist today: it was so delicious that it was harvested to extinction from its natural habitat in what is now Libya. We think that it probably tasted something like garlic."

15

"From 7th September 1978 to 9th May 1989 skateboards were illegal in Norway. For 11 years Norway was the only country in the world where it was forbidden to buy, sell or stand on a skateboard. "

16

"Ancient Rome had professional magicians for hire. For a fee, they would create love potions, curse rivals, and prepare magically based legal defenses in the law courts. "