Strange But True: Hello Kitty Police
By Lucie Winborne
Police officers in Thailand can be forced to wear Hello Kitty armbands as punishment for transgressions such as illegal parking or arriving late to work.
Historians cite runaway inflation as a major cause of ancient Rome's fall.
During World War II, the SS ran a wiretapped brothel named "The Kitty Salon" in Berlin where prostitutes would glean information from clients through seemingly innocuous conversations.
"Hoover wagons," named after President Herbert Hoover, were broken down cars pulled by mules during the Great Depression.
Actor Jimmy Stewart was rejected by the military after he was drafted, for being too thin.
When Napoleon attacked Vienna in 1809, Beethoven hid in his brother's basement and covered his ears with pillows, afraid the noise would destroy his remaining hearing.
The FIFA World Cup is the world's most-watched sporting event.
Most tornadoes in the Southern Hemisphere rotate clockwise, while their Northern Hemisphere counterparts rotate counterclockwise.
When serving as a lawyer, Abraham Lincoln only argued one case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court -- which he lost.
In ancient Egypt, chief embalmers often wore a mask of the god Anubis.
Soccer is known as "football" everywhere except America. The name refers not to the fact that it's played with the feet, but that it's played on one's feet, rather than on horseback.
About two-thirds of the world's lowest literate adults are women.
Before the year 1000, all chess pieces were male figures or animals. The queen made her debut when the game was introduced in southern Europe.
Thought for the Day: "After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him ... The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut." -- Will Rogers
(c) 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.