Fastfacts
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Wednesday, November 26, 2003
Things you always never wanted to know
The following are names of actual towns in the United States: Chicken, Alaska; Climax, Colorado; Mexican Hat, Utah; Smackover, Arkansas; Waterproof, Louisiana; Why, Arizona; and Zigzag, Oregon.
Indian Chief Lepodotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimupotrimmatosiph-ioparaomelitokatakeclummenokichleipkossuphophattoperisteralektruonoptegkephalokigklopelsiolagoosiraioealetraganopterugon died in 1866 in Wisconsin.
In the late 19th century, doctors discovered a Mexican porter named Paul Rodrigues who had a horn more than four inches long protruding from the upper part of his forehead. The horn was divided into three principal shafts and had a circumference of about 14 inches. Rodrigues wore a special pointed cap to hide it. This case was by no means unique. Sir W. J. Erasmus Wilson, a 19th century English dermatologist, recorded 90 cases of human horns - 44 females and 46 males. Of these cases, the majority of the horns were situated on the head. A few, however, grew from the face (several from the nose), some on the thighs, back and foot.
In 3rd century China, kites were used as games, ritual objects, musical instruments, transmitters of messages, distance-measuring devices, weapons and parachutes.
The Colosseum of ancient Rome was occasionally filled with water and an entire naval battle would be staged there, complete with armed vessels and fights to the death.
The Roman pantheon included a god whose only function was to rule over mildew. His name was Robigus. Each year on April 25 a procession wound through the streets of Rome to Robigus' sacred grove, where a red puppy was sacrificed in his name. The Romans hoped the sacrifice would appease the mildew god's hunger for their crops.