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.