Canadian researchers watched 40 episodes of ‘The Dr. Oz Show’ and found that nearly 40% of the medical advice is not evidence-based, and 15% goes directly against evidence. – WTF Fun Facts
People
Fun facts about people in history and other weird celebrity facts!
WTF Fun Fact – The Telephone Bandit
In the 1980’s, James Clark earned the nickname “The Telephone Bandit” after teaching himself how to pick the “unpickable” lock boxes of pay phones. He stole an estimated $500,000 in quarters from phones in 30 states and was featured on America’s Most Wanted twice. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: FBI Arrests Suspect in ‘Telephone Bandit’ Case – Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
WTF Fun Fact – Urinating For Good Luck
Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea would crouch down and covertly urinate on the field before every penalty shootout for good luck. He started the ritual during the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals and continued on for the rest of his career. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/f9faf653-b038-4c99-b0ba-bf7338e60ec0
WTF Fun Fact – Karl Marx’s Extreme Poverty
Karl Marx and his family lived in extreme poverty from the time they moved to London up until his death. There were some days he could not even leave his house because his wife Jenny had to pawn his pants in order to buy food. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: 5 Crazy Facts about Karl Marx – Foundation for Economic Education (fee.org)
WTF Fun Fact – Elvis’s Last Prescriptions
Investigators found that during the 7.5 months preceding Elvis’s death on August 16, 1977, he was prescribed at least 8,805 pills, tablets, vials, and injectables. Going back to January 1975, the count was 19,012. The drugs included uppers, downers, and powerful painkillers. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Elvis Presley’s Death — What Really Killed the King? | HuffPost
WTF Fun Fact – Don’t Swallow Magnets
Rhiley Morrison, 12, swallowed 54 magnetic balls to see if he could get metal to stick to his stomach and what they looked like when he went to the toilet. He survived after six hours of life-saving surgery and two weeks in the hospital. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Boy, 12, has six hours of life-saving surgery after swallowing 54 magnets | Metro News
WTF Fun Fact – Gallant John Smeaton
While on a cigarette break, airport baggage handler John Smeaton confronted and kicked an attempted suicide bomber in the groin during the 2007 Glasgow Airport attack. He would later be awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Highest Paid Athlete Of All Time
The highest paid athlete of all time was a Roman Charioteer named Gaius Appuleius Diocles. Over a 24 year career, he amassed a fortune worth 35,863,120 sesterces (an ancient Roman coin), or roughly $15 billion in today’s dollars. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Movie Streaks
Tom Cruise and Will Smith each had streaks of 7 consecutive movies grossing over $100m domestically. They also each had a streak of 11 consecutive movies grossing $100m+ worldwide. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Capone Made Billions
At his peak, mafia boss Al Capone was making an annual income of ~$1.3 billion in today’s dollars. He spent roughly a third of it on bribes and “muscle”. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Why the Legend of Al Capone Still Fascinates – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
WTF Fun Fact – Da Vinci The Wedding Planner
Leonardo Da Vinci was a wedding planner from 1489 to 1493, and in 1491 he even planned the wedding for the Duke of Milan. Da Vinci created the menu, the entertainment and even the decorations. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Beers Cause DQ
The first Olympic disqualification for drug use was against a Swedish pentathlete Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall who drank two beers before his shooting event to calm his nerves during the 1968 Olympics. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Gunnar_Liljenwall
WTF Fun Fact – Bematist
Ancient Greeks and Egyptians measured long distances by hiring “bematists,” who would count steps while walking between locations. They could measure hundreds of miles with 95%+ accuracy. Eratosthenes used one to calculate the circumference of the Earth within 15% in 240 B.C.E.–WTF Fun Facts
Source:Bematist – Wikipedia
WTF Fun Fact – The Origin Of Zildjian Cymbals
The Zildjian Company was founded in 1623 by Avedis Zildjian, an Armenian alchemist who ended up making a cymbal instead of gold. The company is now run by the 14th generation of Zildjian’s descendants. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avedis_Zildjian_Company
WTF Fun Fact – Bessie Coleman
Bessie Coleman was an American Aviator and the first black woman to earn a pilot’s license. Because flying schools in the US denied her entry, she taught herself French and moved to France, and earned her license from Caudron Brother’s School of Aviation. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Bessie Coleman – Quotes, Death & Facts“You’ve never lived till you’ve flown.” – Biography
WTF Fun Fact – French Soldier Becomes Swedish King
French soldier Jean Bernadotte became so popular in Sweden that they elected him king (Charles XIV John) in 1818, when their own royal family was about to die out. The Bernadotte family still rules in Sweden today.–WTF Fun Facts
Source:Charles XIV John – Wikipedia
WTF Fun Fact – Biff Tannen And Donald Trump
Screenwriter Bob Gale confirmed Marty McFly’s nemesis in the trilogy, Biff Tannen, was modelled on Donald Trump. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Donald Trump Registered Democrat
From August 2001 to September 2009, Donald Trump was registered as a Democrat. – WTF Fun Facts