Random Things you didn't know

[Beerfish]

A thread for things you didn't know and felt like sharing when you did.. er know. I'll kick it off.

I watched I Am Big Bird last night about Carol Spinney. I was gobsmacked to hear that he/Big Bird was meant to be on the Challenger when it blew up. NASA felt kids weren't really interested in space any more so decided to ask if Big Bird would like to go for a ride into orbit. He said yes (opportunity of a lifetime!) did all the training and whatnot and then was told it wasn't going to work and he couldn't go after all. He was bumped in favour of school teacher Christa MCauliffe and the rest is a sad part of history. Imagine sitting there watching the space shuttle you were meant to be on explode in mid air.. * me!

 

[Kakkle]

There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.

 

[DapperJong]

 

[eth-dog]

There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.

That many? Huh. Never really thought about it but would have assumed around the 200 mark

 

[Stopher]

The guy who played Tommy Gunn in Rocky V actually went on to be the heavyweight champion in real life. The back story is detailed in 'Tommy', another very good 30 for 30 doco.

 

[Jade]

The guy who played Tommy Gunn in Rocky V actually went on to be the heavyweight champion in real life. The back story is detailed in 'Tommy', another very good 30 for 30 doco.

NO. HE. DID. NOT.

He won a vacant ABC title (WBO) and subsequently had his arse handed to him by an average boxer in Michael Bentt.

The 'real' heavyweight champ at the time was Evander Holyfield.

 

[DERO]

Al Capone is responsible for the use by date on milk.

 

[Beerfish]

Al Capone is responsible for the use by date on milk.

 

[Stopher]

NO. HE. DID. NOT.

He won a vacant ABC title (WBO) and subsequently had his arse handed to him by an average boxer in Michael Bentt.

The 'real' heavyweight champ at the time was Evander Holyfield.

Well there you go, something else I didn't know! Would it be the equivalent of winning AFLX then saying you won the premiership?

 

[DERO]

SRS

 

[Beerfish]

Actually something else that only just occurred to me.. imagine being a kid/parent and seeing Big Bird blown up in a space shuttle!

 

[Stopher]

Actually something else that only just occurred to me.. imagine being a kid/parent and seeing Big Bird blown up in a space shuttle!

The revised Sesame Street storyline would make for interesting viewing.

 

[Howard Moon]

Sylvester Stallone was called in to audition for the role of Han Solo in the original Star wars but he never even got to interview

He walked in, they looked at him, he looked at them... he felt the vibe right away, he wasn't right for the role - he said you know what? I probably wouldn't look good in a silver space suit anyways and walked out.

 

[Mercurial89]

Movie trailers were originally shown after a movie, that's why they are called trailers.

 

[Pweter]

As this thread evolves I might show it to my kids, make them realise they don't in fact know everything.

 

[Kakkle]

For those who play Uno -

"Did y’all know that you can only play the Draw 4 Wild card IF you have NO other cards that can be played? AND if you suspect that someone has illegally played this card, they have to show you their hand. AND if they in fact played the card illegally they must draw 4, but If not, the person who challenged the play must DRAW 6"

 

[Beerfish]

For those who play Uno -

"Did y’all know that you can only play the Draw 4 Wild card IF you have NO other cards that can be played? AND if you suspect that someone has illegally played this card, they have to show you their hand. AND if they in fact played the card illegally they must draw 4, but If not, the person who challenged the play must DRAW 6"

At last. One I did know!

 

[Howard Moon]

the high 5... the simple smacking of hands.. seems like it should have been around for ever yeh? did it even need inventing?

of course!

first ever high 5 was performed 2nd October 1977. nup, not the west indies

LA dodgers baseball game, Dusty Baker hits his 30th home run of the season, making the Dodgers the first club in history to have 4 30 homer run makers in a single season, Teammate Glenn Burke was waiting on deck with a celebratory hand in the air... "I just hit it" said Baker, seemed like the right thing to do!

The two high 5'ed their way through the rest of the season and the rest is history.

Couple of years later Burke came out as gay, one of the early sports pioneers to do so, the high five became an obsinate symbol of gay pride for a time.

There is a good espn 30/30 on this .

 

[Kakkle]

the high 5... the simple smacking of hands.. seems like it should have been around for ever yeh? did it even need inventing?

of course!

first ever high 5 was performed 2nd October 1977. nup, not the west indies

LA dodgers baseball game, Dusty Baker hits his 30th home run of the season, making the Dodgers the first club in history to have 4 30 homer run makers in a single season, Teammate Glenn Burke was waiting on deck with a celebratory hand in the air... "I just hit it" said Baker, seemed like the right thing to do!

The two high 5'ed their way through the rest of the season and the rest is history.

Couple of years later Burke came out as gay, one of the early sports pioneers to do so, the high five became an obsinate symbol of gay pride for a time.

There is a good espn 30/30 on this .

I read this as my uber took me past Dodger Stadium

 

[Summer Nights]

Odlaw (the villain from Where’s Wally) spelled backwards is Waldo - the American name for Wally. I only found out as an adult when one of my uni mates realised.

Maybe others already knew that but I was really surprised that I didn’t know as a kid.

 

[GUMBLETRON]

Odlaw (the villain from Where’s Wally) spelled backwards is Waldo - the American name for Wally. I only found out as an adult when one of my uni mates realised.

Maybe others already knew that but I was really surprised that I didn’t know as a kid.

You think that's neat? Check this out: Wario (the villain from Mario) is Mario but with a W instead of an M.

 

[Summer Nights]

You think that's neat? Check this out: Wario (the villain from Mario) is Mario but with a W instead of an M.

So if Wario is Mario with a flipped M, and if Mario’s name is Mario Mario, then is Wario’s name Wario Mario or Wario Wario?

 

[Kong]

Movie trailers were originally shown after a movie, that's why they are called trailers.

That's good to know; it shits me when people call previews, trailers. Haha.

 

[hotkorma]

Female humans are the only mammal to have enlarged breasts at all times

 

[Doss]

You think that's neat? Check this out: Wario (the villain from Mario) is Mario but with a W instead of an M.

My standard go-to in Mario Kart, old Wario.