Strange But True: Maple Syrup Reserve
By Lucie Winborne
When Katherine Johnson was little, she loved to count things. By the age of 10, she was in high school. In 1961, she calculated the trajectory of NASA's first trip into space. She was so consistently accurate that when NASA began to use computers, they had her check the calculations to make sure they were correct.
In Norse, the name Siri means "a beautiful woman that leads you to victory."
And speaking of Siri ... she will flip a coin for you if you can't make a decision.
Looney Tunes was created to promote the Warner Brothers music catalog in the 1930s, hence the name "Looney Tunes" instead of "Toons."
James Vernor put the basic components of a new beverage into a barrel in 1861 before heading off to serve in the 4th Michigan Cavalry during the Civil War. When he returned four years later, he tasted the barrel's contents and, voila!, Vernor's Ginger Ale was born.
Norway's Bouvet Island was discovered in 1739, then "lost" again for the next 69 years due to the original spotter's mislabeling its coordinates.
Canada has a strategic maple syrup reserve to ensure global supply in case of emergency.
When President Donald Trump asked the Guggenheim Museum to loan the White House an original Van Gogh painting, they responded with the counteroffer of a solid-gold toilet.
Elvis Presley wore a cross, a Star of David and the Hebrew letter chai because he didn't want to "miss out on heaven due to a technicality."
A single person's DNA contains as much information as 50 novels.
Soccer player Mohammed Anas accidentally thanked both his wife and girlfriend in a post-match speech.
Thought for the Day: "The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces." -- Will Rogers
(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.