Strange But True: The blessed war

By Lucie Winborne

• More than 300 different species of bacteria are found in dental plaque.

• Bones found at Seymour Island indicate that 37 to 40 million years ago, penguins stood at a formidable 6 feet tall and weighed 250 pounds.

• PEZ candies were originally anti-smoking mints.

• World War II is known as "the blessed war" to many Icelanders because the country has that conflict to thank for its independence.

• Jeanne-Genevieve Garnerin was the first female parachutist. In 1799, she jumped from a hot air balloon. This jump was recorded to be around 900 meters high (over 3,000 feet). She was also one of the earliest women to fly in a balloon.

• In the 1920s and '30s, many movie theaters had signs instructing ladies to "Please Remove Your Hats" to keep their elaborate headwear from blocking anyone's view.

• Jeannette Rankin became the first female member of Congress in 1916, four years before the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote, was ratified.

• Mike Tyson saw Muhammad Ali's last match at the age of 14 and got mad at Larry Holmes for beating Ali. Tyson called Ali on the phone and told him, "I'll grow up and get him back for you." Seven years later, Tyson met Holmes for a match, and the then-retired Ali stepped in the ring and said, "Remember what you promised." Tyson made good on his vow in the fourth round.

• The platypus doesn't have a stomach at all: Its esophagus goes straight to its intestines.

• Rainbows are full circles when viewed from a different perspective, and everyone sees a unique version depending on how their eyes perceive light.

Thought for the Day: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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