# Tell us an interesting random fact you stumbled across (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 25, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785 "2024-07-25T15:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 202
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4021 "2026-01-25T18:57:05Z")
From an hominin ancestor who was too clever by half. A lesson had to be taught, and it escalated. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4022 "2026-01-25T18:58:29Z")
It’s often mentioned that married women were not allowed to apply for a credit card until the 1970s. It was even worse before that. Mrs. E.D.E.N. Southworth became a best selling author in the 1850s. Her husband Frederick had abandoned her for a hairbrained moneymaking scheme but after many years, he returned. This was a major threat. She had not divorced him so was technically still his wife and legally all the money she earned as an author belonged to him. It was a major concern for Mrs. Southworth since she could have lost everything to him. Luckily for her, Frederick didn’t press the issue, though he did make a half-hearted attempt to claim her copyright. It wasn’t until he died that she was safe. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4023 "2026-01-25T18:59:41Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > It’s often mentioned that married women were not allowed to apply for a credit card until the 1970s. It was even worse before that. This is bullshit although it is often said. Banks were legally allowed to discriminate but not nearly all of them did. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4024 "2026-01-29T20:59:39Z")
The late sportscaster [Dick Enberg’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Enberg) father’s parents were Finns with the last name _Katajavuori,_ which according to Wikipedia means “Juniper Mountain.” Apparently Gramps thought that was a bit much for the New World, so he changed it to “Enberg,” possibly derived from the Swedish _enbär_, meaning. . . Juniper! \*I’ll defer to Finnish speakers to confirm that translation. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4025 "2026-01-29T21:15:07Z")
Note that there are native Swedish speakers in Finland and native Finnish speakers in Sweden. Finland was part of Sweden until 1809 when it became a part of Russia. It became an independent country in 1917. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4026 "2026-01-30T00:45:07Z")
Today I learned that among the first people who play the _Oregon Trail_ game was Prince. The game was developed in fall 1971 for student teacher Don Rawitsch’s 8th-grade history classes at Bryant Junior High in Minneapolis, where Prince was a student. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4027 "2026-01-30T00:52:50Z")
Today I learned a “daredevil” named George Hopkins decided to parachute onto the top of Devils Tower (in Wyoming) in 1941. And then couldn’t get down. The park service also couldn’t figure out how to get him down, and floated all kinds of ideas. Finally, after six days, some climbers got him down. What an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4028 "2026-01-30T01:47:59Z")
In the opening credits to ’ The Beverly Hillbillies,’ Uncle Jed can be seen pointing off to the right. And what is he pointing at? Excised for syndication is the actual object, which is a billboard for the show’s sponsor “Kellogg’s Corn Flakes,” as well as a jingle for the product, sandwiched between the other familiar lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4029 "2026-01-30T02:38:28Z")
There’s also one for Winston Cigarettes. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v8bpg4C9VDw/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHWBIACkAOKAgwIABABGGUgZShlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLA7j0eeb_5xfmdDPr7uHFOp5-OA9A "Beverly Hillbillies Extra Verse #1 - Winston") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8bpg4C9VDw) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iA5DTejequw/hqdefault.jpg "Beverly Hillbillies Extra Verse #2 - Kellogg's") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA5DTejequw) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4030 "2026-01-30T04:12:31Z")
TIL that there was an infamous case of a slave ship, the _Zong_, where slaves were massacred by being thrown overboard. While this doubtless wasn’t the only time such an atrocity happened, what was notable about this massacre was that it was done explicitly to **collect insurance** on the slaves. An oddity of the marine insurance laws of the time were such that if the slaves died on board they would simply be lost, whereas the deliberate act of jettisoning them like excess weight would invoke a clause where they would be considered a necessary sacrifice for the sake of the ship. > **[Zong massacre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zong_massacre#)** > > The Zong massacre was a mass killing of more than 130 enslaved African people by the crew of the British slave ship Zong over several days from 29 November 1781.\[a\] The William Gregson slave-trading syndicate, based in Liverpool, owned the ship as part of the Atlantic slave trade. As was common business practice, they had taken out insurance on the lives of the enslaved Africans as cargo. According to the crew, when the ship ran low on drinking water after a series of navigational errors, the c... ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4031 "2026-01-30T04:51:31Z")
It’s the basis for a famous painting by J. W. M. Turner (in the collection of the Museum of Fine Art in Boston) called [_The Slave Ship._](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Slave_Ship) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Slave-ship.jpg/1920px-Slave-ship.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Slave-ship.jpg/1920px-Slave-ship.jpg) It’s also the subject of a new book, [_The Zorg_](https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250348227/thezorg/), by Siddhartha Kara. That’s not a typo; apparently the well-known name _Zong_ is actually the typo. (I’ve downloaded a sample of the book, but haven’t started reading it yet.) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4032 "2026-01-30T13:33:01Z")
[Peter Duesberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Duesberg) died earlier this month. Mostly forgotten now, but some years ago he was well known for the Duesberg Hypothesis, which claimed that AIDS was not caused by HIV. Well, to quote Carl Sagan: “Intellectual capacity is no guarantee against being dead wrong.” ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4033 "2026-01-30T17:49:06Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Today I learned a “daredevil” named George Hopkins decided to parachute onto the top of Devils Tower (in Wyoming) in 1941. And then couldn’t get down. The park service also couldn’t figure out how to get him down, and floated all kinds of ideas. Finally, after six days, some climbers got him down. What an idiot. So the parachute didn’t work anymore? ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4034 "2026-01-30T20:03:42Z")
When shown on Canadian TV, the Beverly Hillbillies’ Kellogg’s commercial had slightly different lyrics - omitting the reference to Battle Creek, since the cereal was made in Canada: …You can bet one pleasant custom is enjoying Kellogg’s too - ‘Cause Kellogg’s is our sponsor - Kellogg’s best to you. K-E-double L etc. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4035 "2026-01-30T20:06:50Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > So the parachute didn’t work anymore? AIUI parachutes need a minimum amount of height and clearance to deploy, which is what makes base jumping so hazardous. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4036 "2026-01-30T20:09:49Z")
Also, is it straightforward to re-pack a used parachute for reuse while camped out on a promontory? I don’t know that it was a viable option. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4037 "2026-01-30T20:13:25Z")
The parachute guy was meant to have a rope dropped down to him to scale his way down but it missed when it was dropped to him. While they were figuring out what to do, they dropped food and blankets to him and notes saying that they were working on his rescue. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4038 "2026-01-30T20:14:12Z")
Devil’s Tower is famously flared at its base. > **[It’s Time to Rethink Climbing on Devils Tower](https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/why-its-time-rethink-climbing-ban-devils-tower/?scope=anon)** > > Twenty-three years have passed since the first voluntary climbing closure on Devils Tower during the month of June, yet hundreds of climbers still ignore the ban ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4039 "2026-01-30T20:59:04Z")
I wonder if the guy was traumatized after that every time he saw a pile of mashed potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/4040 "2026-01-30T21:04:36Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > While they were figuring out what to do, they dropped food and blankets to him and notes saying that they were working on his rescue. > it was reported that “the parachutist had settled down with a bottle of whiskey to await rescuers.” Hopkins had “requested and received” the drink “for medicinal purposes,” > **[A Stuntman’s Jump: Parachutist Stranded for Days on Devils Tower |...](https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/stuntmans-jump-parachutist-stranded-days-devils-tower)** > > In October 1941, the Allies struggled in World War II while daredevil parachutist George Hopkins was stranded on Devils Tower in northeastern Wyoming, pulling public attention away from the war. Expert climbers guided Hopkins down after six days. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785.md?page=201) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785.md?page=203)