# The single greatest fact I know **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 17, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128 "2005-09-17T17:52:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/21 "2005-09-18T05:03:21Z")
These were women who _were_ teenagers when they married 80-some-year-old guys. **Shagnasty** ’s links pretty much spelled it out. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/22 "2005-09-18T05:36:28Z")
**ggurl** I don’t think your posting was directed at me but yes, girls in their late teens, early 20’s married octagenarian Civil War veterans sometime around the 1920’s. I thought it had something to do with the Civil War veterans’ benefits but in any event, the young women could count on their husbands’ money while he was alive. Some women I beleive inheritied homes, land, etc I remember reading this in a book called “Significa” by Irving Wallace, David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace. I read this in a library many years ago. The book was just a random selection of interesting facts etc. (I don’t know how reliable their research was but if anyone has the book, it has about a page or 2 about Civil War Widows.) ---
**Author:** ![ReubenH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a6a055/32.png) [@ReubenH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReubenH)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/23 "2005-09-18T07:50:20Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > It’s [not exactly certain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet) this is so, I’m afraid, as records were lost in a flood. She’s the right species and over 142 years old, but that’s all that’s known for sure. It seems at the very least, pretty likely. According to the [article](http://www.exn.ca/Stories/2002/06/12/51.cfm) linked from Wikipedia, her keeper is sure she’s the same tortoise Darwin collected because there simply haven’t ever been any others she could have become confused with. Even today, he says, there is only one other tortoise of that subspecies in the whole of Australia. It would be nice to know if there’s any more definite evidence so I’ve written to the Australia Zoo to find out. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/24 "2005-09-18T12:08:38Z")
ok - i concede that point. But the “war widow” title, still doesn’t sit well with me; the more accurate title is “veteren’s widow” ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/25 "2005-09-18T15:18:56Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > Remember that Jerry Lee Lewis wasn’t doing anything that unusual for his region and time when he married his 13-year old second cousin. Then why did it end his career? ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/26 "2005-09-18T18:05:04Z")
**anyrose** Agreed, Civil War Veteran’s Widow would be a much better term. I was just using the expression that I’ve always seen (but that doesn’t make it correct). ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/27 "2005-09-18T18:06:30Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > The single greatest fact I know is that I should not use Ben-gay as sex lube. Next to that, your tortoise thing pales. But Preparation H ain’t bad!! ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/28 "2005-09-18T18:08:00Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > and by the way - the turtle fact is way cool > while in high school, a friend had a pet South American Tortoise - at a party, while getting high, we blew smoke in its face - it then pulled in its legs, and stuck its head way out, looking around at us and everything - and i swear – it SMILED!!! Nah, just gas. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/29 "2005-09-18T18:59:00Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Then why did it end his career? Because he wasnt just selling records in the rural south. note the mention of region in that post. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/30 "2005-09-18T20:09:01Z")
> [@Odinoneeye](#): > > I wonder if Steve used to wrestly Harriett to work his way up to the crocs. It’s also rather less dangerous to dance one’s doughy grub in front of a tortoise, methinks. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/31 "2005-09-19T08:19:12Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > Am I missing something? The end of the Civil War and the start of WWI are 49 years apart. Were there drummer boys or powder monkeys in the Civil War? That would put them in their late 50s - rather more reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![ReubenH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a6a055/32.png) [@ReubenH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReubenH)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/32 "2005-09-19T08:34:31Z")
I emailed the Australia Zoo asking if there was any more evidence that Harriet once belonged to Darwin and got this reply: > [@](#): > > Dear Reuben, > > Thank you for your email. Part of Harriet’s unique and historical story > is that she WAS brought over to Australia by Charles Darwin. > > Kind Regards^ > International Correspondent > Australia Zoo Well that settles that then! 🙂 Unfortunately that single assertion is undeniably wrong… Darwin did not take her to Australia, he took her to his home in England and John Wickham brought her to Australia a few years later in 1841. I have found [a much more detailed article about Harriet](http://www.carettochelys.com/literature/harriet_1.htm) which leaves one in little doubt that she was indeed Darwins pet tortoise. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/33 "2005-09-19T13:50:33Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Were there drummer boys or powder monkeys in the Civil War? That would put them in their late 50s - rather more reasonable. That’s a good point, but I bet that to qualify for this (dubious) title, these women had to have married men who were officially enlisted. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/34 "2005-09-19T13:58:51Z")
Sadly, despite having Darwin’s Tortoise the Australia Zoo is one of the shittier zoos around. Overpriced, under animaled, overly full of themselves, and every keeper seems to have been instructed to do a Steve Irwin impression. Taronga Park zoo in Sydney is worlds better. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/35 "2005-09-19T19:15:00Z")
Gee, the greatest thing I’ve ever learned is to love, and be loved in return. No, no, wait - it’s to love, just to love, and be loved. ---
**Author:** ![Innuendo\_Hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Innuendo\_Hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Innuendo_Hunter)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/36 "2005-09-19T20:47:06Z")
The singles greatest fact I know: **A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 69 years!** ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/37 "2005-10-01T04:13:31Z")
The antibiotic “Bacitracin” is derived from bacteria (Baci) found growing on a compound fracture in 7-year old Margaret Tracy (traci), at Columbia University’s New York Presbyterian Hospital, in 1943. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128/38 "2005-10-01T04:42:07Z")
1. e = mc[sup]2[/sup] (Einstein) 2. e[sup]ip[/sup] + 1 = 0 (Euler) 3. The breathtakingly beautiful woman Hedy Lamarr, who appeared _nekkid_ in **E** cstasy (1933), invented spread-spectrum communications. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-greatest-fact-i-know/322128.md?page=1)