Everyone loves laughing – don’t they? The world is a pretty funny place. Therefore, it’s always worth diving into a few of the more humorous facts life has to throw at us. We’re here to share with you some of the most fascinating and intriguing facts on the planet – but this time around, we’re going with a bit more of a humorous angle.
Here’s a stack of funny facts to get you laughing – from the downright strange to the outright unbelievable!
1. A primate once ran an English town.
Hartlepool, UK, once elected a football mascot – a monkey – as its mayor. He beat Labour’s Peter Mandelson to the job!
2. One to try at home.
Did you know – it’s impossible to lick your elbow. You’re probably trying it, anyway!
3. Cows have their own neighbourhoods.
Cows are intelligent enough to make friends. In fact, it’s thought that each cow on the planet has a best friend of sorts!
4. Tea came about by chance!
Tea was discovered completely by accident. It’s thought that leaves of tea once blew into boiling water back in ancient China. Since then, however, we’ve gotten better at brewing tasty blends on purpose!
5. A quarter of US citizens are space-heads…
About 25% of people in the USA believe that the Sun orbits the Earth, and not the other way around.
6. Turtles can breathe from both ends.
This one’s really strange but true – turtles are able to breathe through their backsides. Now, that’s multi-tasking!
7. Another one to try at home!
You can’t hum if you’re holding your nose. We bet you’re trying that one, too!
8. Scientific names can be hilarious.
Gorillas are some of the most fascinating animals on the planet. But do you know their scientific or official name? It’s gorilla gorilla gorilla! At least, that’s what the Western Lowland gorilla is known as!
9. Hitchcock brought the throne to the big screen.
The very first movie to show a toilet being flushed was Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror picture, Psycho.
10. “My dog ate my homework” – John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men, one of John Steinbeck’s classic novels, almost didn’t make it to the publisher at all. Why? His dog ate the first draft! “The poor fellow may have been acting critically,” Steinbeck mused.
11. There’s nothing wrong with a healthy sense of humour.
Blink-182 decided to incorporate their band under a funny name – ‘Poo Poo Butt LLC’ – as they thought it’s be funny to hear accountants use the name in important conversations on a daily basis.
12. Are you jet-propelled?
It’s estimated that the average fart travels at a speed of 7 miles per hour!
13. Clean your walls with play-doh.
Play-Doh wasn’t always a children’s plaything. In fact, it was first developed as wallpaper cleaner! It wasn’t until the manufacturer realised that the non-toxic nature of the product would make a great children’s toy that the whole aim of the product changed.
14. Doctors once prescribed ketchup!
Tomato ketchup was actually once used as a medicine. While it’s not prescribed for any kind of ailment these days, it was relied on in the 19th Century for all kinds of bodily issues.
15. Bansky once shredded more than $1 million in public.
Bansky, the famous street artist, once sold a piece of work at auction that shredded itself as soon as the gavel went down. The buyer had bid – and paid – an eye-watering $1.4 million!
16. What is an almond? Guess again.
An almond is technically a peach – or, at least, it’s in the same species or family.
17. “Make fun of me – off to prison with you!”
The first President of Zimbabwe – President Banana – actually brought in a law to stop people making fun of his name.
18. Rabbits are competitive jumpers.
There’s a competition in Sweden where pet owners take their rabbits show jumping! Why should horses and dogs have all the fun? The competition in question is Kaninhoppning.
19. Barry Manilow is a master in irony.
One of Barry Manilow’s most famous songs is ‘I Write The Songs’. Guess what? He didn’t write it.
20. Some street names are truly bizarre.
There is a street in Valladolid, in Spain – Calle Me Falta un Tornillo – which translates roughly to ‘I’ve Got a Screw Loose Street’.
21. Don’t ask a squirrel to keep a secret.
Squirrels are some of the most forgetful animals on the planet! It’s thought that so many trees are able to grow annually thanks to the critters forgetting where they stashed their nuts and acorns!
22. You can blame some of your school education on sleep inspiration.
The concept of the periodic table first started life in a dream.
23. “Officer, arrest that coconut!”
Of all the political intrigue and scandal that has occurred in the past few years, few are as odd as what took place in the Maldives in 2013. Somehow – and this is completely true – police in the country detained a coconut on the grounds of vote-rigging!
24. Hide that choc-ice!
While in Kentucky, US, make sure to never carry ice cream in your back pocket. It’s illegal in the state!
25. Ozzy Osbourne has a unique sense of humour.
Plenty of Christian protestors have spoken out against rock music over the years. One of the most interesting cases of protest occurred when religious opponents to the music of Ozzy Osbourne picketed one of his concerts. Oddly enough, Ozzy himself decided to join the protests himself for a bit of a laugh!
26. Mary Shelley is a famous contest winner.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, her most famous work, was actually the result of a ghost story competition! The other entrants? Her partner Percy Shelley and poet Lord Byron.
27. There’s no beef about India’s rights laws.
India reveres cows so much that they have a bill of rights in place to protect them!
28. Ducks are scientific mystery makers.
No one is entirely sure why duck quacks produce no echoes.
29. Raiding a bank? Keep your weekend free!
Bank robberies, apparently, are weekend pursuits. Statistics show that over 50% of them take place on a Friday!
30. Americans used interesting currency for a while.
Believe it or not, money was actually printed on wood for a time in the US! And today, the dollar’s not actually made of paper at all – they’re made of linen!
31. There’s more ‘play money’ than real cash.
Think about all the money that gets printed each year. In the US, there is actually more Monopoly money that leaves the presses than real tender!
32. Lock lips for a calorie burn.
Want a fun way to burn calories? Kissing, apparently, burns two a minute on average. Therefore, you’ll probably have to do plenty of smooching to burn off a decent amount!
33. Froot loops have no distinguishing flavours.
This is perhaps more disappointing than funny – but contrary to popular believe, the individual colours in Froot Loops cereal all taste the same! Sorry to spoil your breakfast!
34. Christmas in Spain is… slightly gross!
There’s a Christmas tradition in Spain where a character called the ‘pooping log’ excretes presents – and you thought a fat guy coming down the chimney was weird enough!
35. The sandwich came about through necessity.
The sandwich wasn’t a marketing creation but one of convenience. The Earl of Sandwich put together the first of its kind as he needed something quick and easy to eat while gambling!
36. Fancy taking your house for a quick flight?
Ever tried copying the flying house from the Disney movie Up? A Canadian man came close enough in 2015, when he tied over a hundred balloons to a lawn chair and sailed for some distance over Calgary. When police were able to bring him down, he was arrested!
37. Nicolas Cage believes aquatic animals can help his craft.
Actor Nicolas Cage allegedly bought an octopus for $150,000 on the grounds that he could use it as acting inspiration. He’s also paid handsomely for a pair of cobras and genuine dinosaur skulls.
38. Crocodiles are naturally well-mannered.
A crocodile is supposedly unable to stick its tongue out.
39. Achoo!
You can’t sneeze while you have your eyes open. You probably shouldn’t try, as it could do serious damage to your body!
40. Some US Presidents were born pranksters.
Lyndon B Johnson, US President, owned a car which would work underwater – it was amphibious. As a prank, he would pretend to accidentally drive into lakes claiming that his brakes were failing.
41. The plastic flamingo industry is enormous.
It’s thought that there are actually more plastic flamingos on US soil than there are real ones!
42. The designers behind ‘The Matrix’ got creative
Ever wondered what all the green coded symbols in The Matrix actually mean? Believe it or not, they’re based on symbols found in a sushi recipe book.
43. People used to be ‘creative’ about protection…
Disgusting but true, crocodile poop was once used for contraceptive purposes.
44. Ever grown spaghetti?
One of the oldest April Fool’s Day jokes to be televised was a fake news story surrounding Swiss spaghetti trees, aired by the BBC. It even prompted viewers to call in to ask how to grow some themselves!
45. In some areas ‘down under’, you can’t change light bulbs yourself.
Think it’s easy to change a light bulb? Try living in Victoria, Australia. You’re not allowed to legally change a bulb without the help of a trained electrician.
46. There’s an ‘average’ ketchup speed…
Someone has gone to the effort of timing the speed of tomato ketchup leaving a bottle of Heinz. If you’re intrigued, it’s around 0.28 miles per hour!
In fact, you can supposedly get Heinz ketchup to flow quicker out of its glass bottles if you hit the ‘57’ directly. What’s more, there’s not actually 57 varieties – it’s just the creator liked the number 57!
47. Santa’s outfit used to be green.
Ever wonder why Santa Claus always seems to wear the colour red? You have Coca-Cola to thank. Up until their branding from the 1930s onwards, he traditionally wore green.
48. One man is a serial record breaker.
Ashrita Furman has set more world records than any other person at the time of writing. He’s thought to hold around 200, and has set 600 in his lifetime. Of those records, he’s held the title for travelling the further on a bike with a bottle of milk on his head.
49. Donkeys can’t sink.
Donkeys, apparently, won’t sink in quicksand. We still wouldn’t recommend you try it – trust us on this one!
50. New Zealand aviators have odd mascots.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force has an interesting logo to say the least. Why? Their main insignia is the kiwi, which, funnily enough, is a flightless bird.
51. What’s the tea?
‘Bitch the pot’ is a phrase which means something a lot different in 2020, but in 1820, in generally meant ‘to pour tea’!
52. Icelanders never used to be dog friendly.
Up until the mid-1980s, it was illegal for anyone in Iceland to have a pet dog! Thankfully, this law has been long since repealed.
53. Donald Duck used to be an illegal sight in finland.
Finland once banned Donald Duck comics from sale due to the fact he doesn’t wear pants or trousers.
54. Say it with apples!
The ancient Greeks, apparently, used to throw apples at each other to show that they loved them.
55. Photocopiers aren’t always used as intended…
It’s thought that around 23% of all photocopier faults worldwide occur due to people sitting on them. Let’s not wonder too carefully why that might be…!
56. Raisins do something odd in a bottle of bubbly.
Ever tried dropping a raisin in a glass of champagne? Probably not, but someone did – as apparently, the dried fruit will bounce up and down without stopping.
57. The King has a swan monopoly.
The King of England, reportedly, owns all the country’s swans. So, no, you can’t take one home with you as a pet!
58. A living legend
Actor Betty White is technically older than sliced bread, with the food having emerged in 1928, and with White having recently celebrated her 99th birthday!
59. Some legs are worth a fortune.
Singer Mariah Carey has reportedly insured her own legs to the tune of $1 billion.
60. Guinea pigs: Good under pressure?
Guinea pigs, it seems, are unable to sweat.
61. Giraffes don’t need ear buds!
Ever wanted to be able to clean your ears with your tongue? Then you’d probably fancy being a giraffe. They’re able to do this thanks to having tongues which are around 21 inches long!
62. The Falklands are heavy on the wool!
It’s thought that there are around 350 sheep to every one person in the Falkland Islands.
63. There’s one thing, at least, an elephant can never do.
Don’t expect an elephant to skip rope with you any time soon – they are physically unable to jump!
64. The platypus digestive system is… strange.
If you thought platypuses were weird enough, consider this – they don’t have stomachs! That’s because their truly strange biology connects their intestines and oesophagi together.
65. Try asking for directions to this place…
The longest place name in the world is a bit of a mouthful. If you’ve been to New Zealand, you may have heard of Taumata Hill. However, its full name is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu!
66. Crocodiles can eat almost anything.
It’s thought that a crocodile has such strong digestive juices that they are able to digest metal!
67. Rock, paper, scissors is a competitive sport.
If you find that you’re exceptionally good at playing rock, paper, scissors, you might want to sign up for the official league in the USA!
68. Wal-Mart hirers are famously picky.
It’s reportedly harder to get a job at Wal-Mart, on average, than it is to get into Harvard University!
69. Dali was ‘drugs incarnate’
Artist Salvador Dali repeatedly refuted claims that he ever worked under the influence of drugs. “I AM drugs,” the surrealist retorted.
70. Steel can bounce!
Apparently, a ball of steel is likely to bounce much higher than a ball made out of rubber. Again, we wouldn’t try this one at home!
71. The Academy Awards weren’t always metal.
For a brief period, Oscars given out to Hollywood greats at the Academy Awards were made of wood. This was during the Second World War, when the metal to make the statuettes was hard to come by.
72. Niels Bohr had a permanent supply of alcohol.
Legendary scientist Niels Bohr won more than just the Nobel Prize in 1922. Alongside this achievement, Carlsberg brewers built a permanent beer tap into his house. Now that’s a prize!
Do you know any funny facts? Share them in the comments below!
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