For some reason, some events are rarely talked about on TV or written in social networks. For example, who is the PayPal Mafia? Why are British cops handing out candy in pubs? Who untied the Gordian knot? Or where did the patron saint of the entire internet come from? The answer to these questions is stories that are passed on only by word of mouth.
1. This is how the armor of Henry II, King of France in 1555 looked
These are some of the most beautiful pieces of armor in the world that can be viewed literally for hours. Over the armor of King Henry II worked 20 of the best 16th century craftsmen from different countries, decorating the surface of silver and gold plates with small drawings.
The drawings depict human figures, mythical creatures and a variety of scenes from myths and legends in the style of the Italian grotesque. On the chest is a Roman warrior putting on armor, and on his shoulders and back is Apollo with the nymph Daphne. They say that such armor was used exclusively for parades and holidays, which took place very often.
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2. In India there is a 7-meter stone located on a slope at an angle of 45 °, which cannot be moved
This mysterious landmark, known as Krishna's Butterball, weighs over 250 tons and sits on the extremely slippery surface of a hill. Surprisingly, in 1908, the Governor of Madras, Arthur Lawley, considered the boulder dangerous to nearby houses and decided to remove it. Seven elephants tried to move the boulder, but they failed.
3. The speed of 100 km / h was first reached in 1899
Interestingly, the car was in the shape of a torpedo and was driven by two electric motors with a total power of 50 kW. That is, the first car to reach a speed of 100 km / h was an electric car.
4. PayPal Mafia is an informal union of the founders and employees of PayPal, who have become one of the most successful groups of people in the world
The portfolio of companies that these people founded includes Tesla, YouTube, SpaceX, LinkedIn, Yelp, Founders Fund and many other equally famous and large corporations.
5. Once a simple fruit merchant became the ruler of Phrygia
According to legend, the priests of the Phrygian temple predicted that the first person to enter the city on horseback would become the powerful king of Phrygia. An unsuspecting peasant named Gordius drove into the city with his wagon of fruit and was immediately declared king. But the story doesn't end there.
Gordius presented his cart to the temple and so cleverly tied it to one of the columns that no one was able to untie this knot. The oracles again predicted that the person who can get rid of the knot will become the ruler of the whole world. When the general Alexander the Great conquered the capital of Phrygia, he was taken to this node. Hearing the legend, Alexander pulled out his sword and simply cut the knot in half.
6. In 1997, a huge 27-kilogram pumpkin appeared on the spire of the Cornell University tower
Most likely, some joker put the pumpkin there. At the same time, the height of the tower is 52.7 m, there are no stairs or other access opportunities to its top, so it still remains a mystery how a person could raise a huge pumpkin to such a height.
By the way, the second such incident happened in 2005, but this time a disco ball was placed on the spire. Hiring a special crane to remove this ball cost the university $ 20,000.
7. Once a cow escaped from the slaughterhouse, breaking through a metal fence, and swam to the island where she now lives alone
This story happened in 2018 in Poland, when an extremely violent cow was brought to the slaughterhouse. The workers took her outside to be placed in a truck. And that was a mistake.
The cow broke free, broke the farmer's arm, rammed the metal fence, jumped into the nearby lake Nisa and swam to the island. The fire brigade tried to get to the fugitive by boat. But the cow swam again to the neighboring peninsula, having covered about 50 m.
Local politician Pavel Kukiz intervened in the situation and said: “With her will to live, she earned the right to safety and death from natural causes.” Now the cow lives on that very island.
8. In Southeast Asia there are "fish people" who are genetically adapted for diving
A genetic anomaly was found in people from the Bajau tribe, due to which they can hold their breath for several minutes (up to 13) and dive to a depth of 60–70 m. This is the only people on earth whose life from birth to death passes on the water … In small huts on the ground, they only spend the night, and spend the rest of the time in the water.
9. In the UK, the police give out free candy to prevent fights
The fact is that during the closing of a pub or a nightclub, drunken visitors often make noise and start fights. However, it turned out that people behave less aggressively when they have candy in their mouths, which is what the police decided to use. By the way, the same technique with lollipops is used in Canada, Ireland and Belgium. And it works great!
10. Isidore of Seville - patron of the Internet, appointed by the Vatican
In 1999, Pope John Paul II officially named Saint Isidore the patron saint of the Internet. Isidore of Seville (560–636) became famous for his love of science. He is rightfully called the first encyclopedist of the Middle Ages, who managed in his works to systematize knowledge from various areas of human knowledge.
By the way, the Vatican first joined the Internet in 1996: then the site Vatican.va was created. And besides the official patron saint, Catholics also have a special "Prayer before going online".