The town of Olney in England has hosted an annual pancake race in celebration of “Pancake Day” every year since 1445. The relay race involves running with a pancake in a frying pan and flipping it along the way. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Pancake race rules and what are the origins of the Shrove Tuesday tradition? | Metro News
In 1965, six boys stole a boat and became stranded on a deserted island. The “Tongan Castaways” stayed there for 15 months before rescue. Called a real-life Lord of the Flies, the boys built a “commune” with a garden, permanent fire, gym, and badminton court. – WTF Fun Facts
The tongue of the flamingo was considered a delicacy in Ancient Roman times. The birds themselves were considered a representation of the wealth of the owner and sacrificing a bird in the name of gods was a very fancy gesture too. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://owlcation.com/humanities/10-Weird-and-Fascinating-Ancient-Roman-Foods
Baby owls sleep on their stomachs because their heads are too heavy. They do so until they are large enough to sleep upright. – WTF Fun Facts
The Cistercian monks used a numeral system in the 13th to 15th centuries which allowed writing numbers from 1 to 9999 as single compound characters. – WTF Fun Facts
In Cuba, where the government has nationalized hitchhiking, picking up hitchhikers is mandatory for government vehicles if passenger space is available. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Why Hitchhiking Is Huge in Cuba: ‘The Transportation System Is Screwed’ (vice.com)
A recent research study at Keele University found that the use of swearing could increase pain tolerance, strength, and overall physical performance. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Swearing Can Boost Strength and Reduce the Sensation of Pain | Psychology Today
The Windows XP default background image known as “Bliss” was historically a vineyard. The vines had been taken out a couple years before the photo was taken due to a pest infestation. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Bliss (image) – Wikipedia
On April 1st, 1996 Taco Bell announced that they bought the Liberty Bell and renamed it the Taco Liberty Bell, causing large amounts of outrage. The PR stunt cost $300,000 but generated an estimated $25,000,000 worth of publicity, with a sales boost of over $1,000,000 for the first two days in April. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Taco Liberty Bell – Wikipedia