On the border between Egypt and Sudan is a small trapezoid of landlocked desert, about 2,000 square kilometers.
Egypt says it belongs to Sudan. Sudan says it belongs to Egypt.
That makes Bir Tawil the only land area in the world (outside of Antarctica) that’s not claimed by any state.
Men are struck by lightning four times as often as women.
In the decimal expansion of π:
Write out the alphabet starting with J:
JKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHI
Erase all letters that have left-right symmetry (such as A) and count the letters in each of the five groups that remain. (James Davis)
Three of our last four presidents have been left-handed:
Bush I: Left-handed
Clinton: Left-handed
Bush II: Right-handed
Obama: Left-handed
The same would be true if John McCain had won the last election — he’s a leftie too. Indeed, fully half of American presidents since Truman have been southpaws, though only 10 percent of the general population is left-handed.
What accounts for this? Who knows? But UCLA geneticist Daniel Geschwind says, “Six out of the past 12 presidents is statistically significant, and probably means something.”
Denmark, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Manchester, Monmouth, Newcastle, Oxford, Plymouth, Wales, Athens, Belfast, Belgrade, Bremen, Calais, Dresden, Frankfort, Hanover, Lisbon, Madrid, Moscow, Naples, Palermo, Paris, Rome, Sorrento, Stockholm, and Vienna …
… are all towns in Maine.
The fastest temperature drop in history occurred in Rapid City, S.D., when the mercury plunged 47°F (26°C) in 5 minutes on Jan. 10, 1911.
Interestingly, the fastest temperature rise in history occurred in the same city 32 years later, when it jumped 49°F (27°C) in 2 minutes on Jan. 22, 1943.
Sneezes around the world:
See also “Lides to Bary Jade.”
294 miles south of Paradise, Michigan … is Hell, Michigan.
In the U.S. Army, men in uniform may not carry umbrellas.
The lowest toll ever charged to cross the Panama Canal was 36 cents — paid by adventurer Richard Halliburton when he swam its length in 1928.
