From GP Wizard past fun UK facts

[Dare]

from a 2007 post




UK Useless Facts

95% of £5 notes have been in contact with cocaine.

If you buy a lottery ticket at 7pm on Saturday, you are more likely to die in the hour before the draw than you are to win.

No word in the English language rhymes with the word unicorn.

The easiest way to become a millionaire is to convert £4 sterling into Turkish Lire.

The Guiness Book of Records lists 'The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick' as the hardset tongue twister.

The most dangerous part of a plane journey from the UK to Australia is the drive to the airport.

An average of four people a year in Britain are killed by writing instruments.

Three serious accidents a year in Britain can be attributed to pencil sharpeners.

Last year, 43 British adults died in their bathtubs.

27 million porn mags are sold in the UK each year.

Britons eat on average 2.2 curries a week - spending £2.8 billion every year.

Lambeth council in south London owes £850 million (as of 1999) - this is more than the national debt of Guatemala.

During December 1998, Barclays Bank's cash machines in the UK dispensed a total of £1.24 billion in notes.

The average British motorist is overcharged by 50p a year for their petrol due to faulty pumps.

Accidents in the UK home for 1996: 343 injured putting on their socks; 112 hurt reading a newspaper; 41 hospitalised by marbles; 34 hurt by cardboard; 12 hosipitalised by paperclips; 11 accidents involving bathroom scales; 6 hurt using talcom powder; 2 hurt by tea cosys.

In 1870, British boxing champ Jim Mace and an American challenger fought for almost 4 hours without landing a single punch!

On 3rd March 1991, the Queen needed 3 stitches in one of her fingers after she tried to break up a fight between two of her corgies.

During World War 2, the British Minister of food considered a plan to feed the population with black pudding - secretly made from surplus human blood bank donations. The idea was thankfully rejected.

In the last 10 years, 8 people in Britain have been killed by cows.

During the 1978 fireman strike an army unit rescued an old lady's cat from a tree and then run over it as they drove away.

50% of male Internet users in Britain have viewed pornography on the Internet.

On average, in the UK per year:

    488 people are injured by zips;
    3,078 people are injured by slippers;
    315 people are injured by photo frames;
    and 70,000 are injured by dogs.

If every credit card in Britain was laid end to end they would stretch from London to Istanbul. (As of November 2001).

[Wizzo]

Here's some fun facts for 2025

In 2025, for the first time ever, a colossal squid was captured on video in its natural habitat.

Koalas are the only animals besides humans and some apes that have true fingerprints.

Adult cats only meow to communicate with humans, not other cats.

Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backward.

Sharks have been swimming in Earth's oceans for over 400 million years, long before dinosaurs existed.

Giraffes have tongues that can be up to 20 inches long.

Vatican City is the smallest country in the world.

Antarctica is technically a desert, receiving only about 6.5 inches of precipitation annually.

A single cloud can weigh around one million tons. 

It actually snows metal on the planet Venus.

The Hollywood sign originally read "Hollywoodland".

The national animal of Scotland is the unicorn.

[Dare]

Fun facts about Monaco
Second-smallest country: After the Vatican City, Monaco is the second-smallest sovereign state in the world.

World's most expensive real estate: It boasts the most expensive residential real estate globally; in some areas, $1 million buys only 90 square feet.

No gambling for residents: Although famous for its casinos, citizens of Monaco are forbidden from gambling there, notes Enjoy Travel and Twinkl USA.

Long-standing dynasty: The Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco since 1297, making it the longest-ruling dynasty in Europe.

Highest life expectancy: Monaco has the world's highest average life expectancy, reaching approximately 85.8 years, according to Enjoy Travel.

Artificial beach: The country's main beach is not natural; it's an artificially created beach with pebbles shipped from Australia.

No airport: Monaco has no airport and relies on heliports, receiving a helicopter every 20 minutes during peak season, says Cool Kid Facts.

High police-to-resident ratio: The country has a very high number of police officers for its population.

Unique national dish: Monaco's national dish is Barbagiuan, a savory pastry filled with Swiss chard and ricotta.

No capital city: As a city-state, Monaco is not divided into a capital and other cities, notes Twinkl.