Interesting Facts - Page 58

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286

The record for the fastest vehicle on water was set in 1978 by Australian Ken Warby. His boat, the Spirit of Australia, reached a speed of 511 km/h. Two attempts to beat his record have resulted in the death of the pilot.

287

The easternmost part of Tennessee is closer to Canada than it is to Memphis.

288

Before Fritz Haber figured out how to fix nitrogen directly from the atmosphere, the world was running out of fertilizer. If his discovery had never been made, the world population would be much, much lower today.

289

Polydactyl cats have more than 5 toes on each paw. Ernest Hemingway kept polydactyl cats whose descendants now live in his former home on Key West.

290

In 1932, the Australian government fought a war against emus but lost.

28 Comments

Level 58

May 20, 2019

Birds are powerful!

+24

Level 69

Oct 8, 2019

Birds aren't real

Level 65

Apr 8, 2020

The funny thing is the guys who runs that organization claims it is all true, and seems to actually believe in it. Good thing our leader isn't joking around.

Level 61

Mar 20, 2025

Not even BigBird!

Level 42

May 26, 2019

Our army is not very good. ;-(

Level 68

May 20, 2023

More like emus are OP. They are LIVING TANKS.

Level 49

Nov 3, 2019

I wish that planes wouldn't have to fly and could speed along the ground at 600 miles per hour because that would be terrifying, but not as scary as hurtling towards terra firma from 6 miles above the earth.

Level 70

May 6, 2020

Not as scary?...... you must be joking!

Level 80

Nov 23, 2019

290 is my favorite one so far

Level 42

Nov 16, 2020

It is true. It was less a war and more an exercise in animal management using the military. The fact that we lost is still VERY embarrassing.

Level 80

Dec 20, 2020

I know it is true. My Kiwi friends like to point that out to my Australian friends. It is hilarious.

+10

Level 48

Mar 24, 2020

I, for one, welcome our emu overlords??

Level 47

Apr 22, 2021

this is kent brockman reporting live

Level 47

Apr 23, 2020

290 is so weird I had to search it up

Level 78

May 19, 2020

There's actually a Wikipedia page about it.

Level 53

Nov 19, 2020

there is an oversimplified video about the emu war

Level 51

Sep 25, 2020

Holding a person against their will is - hostage.

Kidnapping is taking someone against their will.

Level 39

Aug 15, 2021

Which memphis are you talking about

Level 78

Oct 8, 2021

I think both work

Level 28

Sep 13, 2021

we did win the war, just not with guns, instead fences

Level 61

Mar 20, 2025

Nope. You still haven't won that war!

Level 48

Sep 21, 2021

To be fair, emus are dead hard. Think of a cross between samurai, Spartans, and Viking berserkers: that's the emu. Most Australians would rather go unarmed against a white pointer-saltwater croc alliance in 30 meters of murky water than arm themselves with a Kalashnikov and face an average emu.

If you don't believe me, ask yourself this: why has no unholy shark-croc alliance ever dared to face an emu?

Level 70

Nov 2, 2021

Keep taking the tablets Sam.

Level 51

Jan 13, 2023

You could say, they die hard.

Level 70

Oct 19, 2022

Fritz Haber also pioneered the weaponisation of chlorine and other poisonous gasses. He was a staunch German patriot and his wife killed herself, possibly because of the despair she felt at the mass death such gasses caused.

Haber also invented an insecticide called "Zyklon A'. The Nazis would use a derivation of this gas, "Zyklon B", to murder people in their concentration camps. Haber was Jewish.

Level 90

Mar 31, 2025

#286: Looks like Warby’s son is preparing to attempt a new record soon, as of March 2025.

Level 35

May 27, 2025

For 290, my uncle's girlfriend is from Australia and didn't know about the Emu War.

Level 18

Feb 2, 2026

@290 only in Australia