Strange But True: Dragon Blood Oven Cleaner
By Lucie Winborne
Time slows down so dramatically near a black hole that if you stood close enough to it, years could pass for the universe while just minutes passed for you.
After trading $3 billion worth of Pepsi-Cola to the U.S.S.R. in exchange for vodka, submarines and other military hardware, the Pepsi company briefly had the sixth largest military in the world.
Iceland's parliament, the Icelandic Althingi, first formed in 930 A.D., is the oldest in the world.
The tradition of carrying the bride across the threshold started in medieval Europe when many people believed that a bride was especially vulnerable to evil spirits through the soles of her feet. To guard her from such attacks, the chivalric groom would carry her into their new home.
Los Angeles has the world's largest Korean population outside of Korea.
In J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," dragon blood is revealed to be an effective oven cleaner.
The Pyramids of Giza are the only Great Wonder of the ancient world still standing.
During WWII, the Polish army adopted a brown bear named Wojtek into their ranks. The animal was fond of cigarettes and beer, and even received a promotion from private to corporal.
A sloth can take up to two weeks to digest a single meal.
Actress Roseanne Barr once attempted to run for president and got as far as filing with the Federal Election Commission, under the "Green Tea Party Ticket."
Lightning isn't limited to thunderstorms, but can also occur in volcanic eruptions, wildfires and snowstorms.
During certain periods in feudal Japan, executions of condemned criminals were used by some samurais to test their new swords.