125 Interesting Fun Facts That Will Amaze Everyone

Whether you’re a trivia buff, Jeopardy! fan, or a curious person by nature, we’ve gathered 125 fun facts we bet you didn’t know! These interesting facts range in subject and are perfect for kids and adults — from cute animal facts to tasty food facts that’ll have you reaching for a snack while reading. Plus, if you’re a big geography fan, we’ve got a category of facts that covers that, too!

Here's a fun game idea: Test yourself to see how many of these fun and random facts you know and how many blow your mind. We’d venture to bet at least 80% are new nuggets of information. Besides quizzing yourself, you can also pull this page up and create a fun family game with it to play with siblings and parents. Consider quizzing one another on each category, like the popular board game Trivial Pursuit, or scroll at random and let fate decide the facts for you. One final suggestion: Study these interesting facts as practice for team trivia at your local restaurant or bar. You'll dominate, easily.

Once you memorize these amazing facts, move on to learning empowering facts for Women’s History Month, Easter trivia facts, and riddles for adults that’ll make you scratch your head. Have fun!

Petrichor is defined as the smell of rain.

1. The smell of rain has a name: petrichor. It’s often described as fresh and earthy.
2. Nearly every model of Jeep has a hidden Easter egg decal. Some of these secret shapes include a gecko, a pair of flip-flops, and a spider.
3. Buzz Lightyear's original name is Lunar Larry. Doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it?
4. Maine is the only state with a one-syllable name. The most syllables in a state name is five: North Carolina, South Carolina, and Louisiana.
5. Russia has more surface area than Pluto, which is a big reason why Pluto was changed to a dwarf planet in 2006.
6. Originally, vacuum cleaners were horse-drawn. The horse-drawn buggy would announce to all your neighbors that you were having a special treatment done. Great advertising!
7. If you love all things fruit (and space), then you'll be excited to know that applesauce was the first food eaten by astronauts in space.
8. In a group of 23 people, there is a 50% chance that two individuals will share the same birthday. This is also known as the "birthday paradox."
9. If E.T. is one of your favorite movies of all time, then you'll be interested to know that the sound effect for E.T.'s walk was made by manipulating jelly, popcorn, and liver.
10. There is only one country on earth without mosquitoes: Iceland. The strange thing is, nobody knows why — at least not with any certainty.
11. Finland has more saunas than cars. Sounds like a pretty great place. In fact, it's consistently ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world, which makes sense.
12. If you add up all the time characters spend sitting in silence in the movie Twilight, it would amount to 26 minutes. Vampires really are that dramatic.
13. Every two weeks, another language or dialect goes extinct. Around 50-90% of them are expected to disappear by the next century.
14. Umbrellas were once only used by women, as a feminine accessory to prevent them from getting wet. Umbrellas were later adopted by men in the 18th century.
15. The rarest language in the world is Njerep, a branch of the Benue–Congo languages. Only four people in Nigeria still speak it.
16. Clocking in at 1,560 words, "Rap God" by Eminem is the song with the most words. Imagine trying to memorize all of that.

A group of ferrets is called a business.

1. A group of ferrets is called a business. So in reality, ferrets were the first entrepreneurs.
2. There are living Greenland sharks that were around at the same time as George Washington’s presidency in 1789. That’s because the life expectancy of a Greenland shark is over 500 years.
3. There have been an estimated 14 groundhogs that have played the role of Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog who decides if there will be an early spring on Groundhog Day, since the tradition began in 1887. However, according to The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, there has only been one Phil. They claim, “he gets his longevity from drinking the elixir of life.”
4. Not to alarm you, but there are some species of sharks that can survive in freshwater — namely the bull shark, which has been seen in the Mississippi and Amazon rivers.
5. There’s an island, nicknamed Snake Island, with one to five snakes per square meter of land. It’s located off the coast of Brazil and contains 2,000 to 4,000 venomous golden lanceheads found exclusively on the island. The location is so dangerous, that the Brazilian Navy forbade anyone from landing there.
6. As if you needed a bigger reason to dislike cockroaches, we have one. Dead cockroaches release a moldy-smelling chemical that attracts other roaches.
   
7. You probably know snails are petty slow creatures, but did you know they also take incredibly long naps? One nap can last up to three years!
8. Bees sting other bees — but only if they feel threatened or are protecting their territory. In other words, you're not the only one scared of getting stung.
9. Whether you've seen a tiger in real life or in a photo, you know they have striped fur. But they have striped skin, as well.
10. If you're a cat lover, then you may be surprised by this interesting fact: Cats can't taste sweet flavors. That's probably why they can't get enough of their favorite salty snack.
11. Most people know dolphins have incredible sonar abilities. But did you know they were researched and trained to perform underwater tasks during the Cold War? They really are as smart as people say they are.
12. Like humans, koalas actually have unique individual fingerprints, that are thought to improve grip in combination with sweat glands.
13. The heart of a shrimp is located in its head, which means it'll never have to choose between matters of the head or heart.
14. It takes a sloth up to 30 days to digest a single leaf. They actually have the slowest metabolic system of any mammal.
15. Like human babies who suck on their thumbs, baby elephants sometimes suck on their trunks for comfort.
    
16. Elephants are also the only mammal that cannot jump, but hippos and rhinos can get some air!
17. Dogs have a dominant paw like humans have a dominant left or right hand. Can you tell if your dog is left-pawed or right-pawed?
18. Crows can recognize human faces — and remember them for years. They've also been known to leave gifts for humans.
19. The name of a group of lemurs is (wait for it) a "conspiracy." Really. This is because they often work together in their social groups to outsmart prey.
20. Believe it or not, wombats' poop is cube-shaped. This apparently has to do with their digestive process and various bodily contractions. The more you know.
21. A little gross, but also funny: Lobsters pee out of their faces. Even more interesting, they do it to attract mates.
22. Dogs' noses are like human fingerprints; each one is unique.
23. Ready to have your mind blown? A blind chameleon can still adjust its colors to that of the environment. It changes colors through temperature and emotion, not eyesight.
24. All clownfish are born male and have the ability to change their sex, but they only do so for dominance.
25. A group of porcupines is called a prickle. How fitting. The animal is also known as a "quill pig" in Latin, which is kind of cute.
26. In Switzerland, it's illegal to own just one guinea pig because they crave social interaction. In their natural habitat, they live in groups and are very communicative.
27. The oldest living animal is reportedly a Seychelles giant tortoise named Jonathan. He is 191.
28. More people are killed by vending machines than sharks — and the stats aren't even close. Also, more than 80% of shark attacks involving humans are on men.
29. Dogs can also breathe and smell simultaneously, unlike humans (have you ever tried to breathe while inhaling through your nose?).
30. Dolphins literally sleep with one eye open because only one of their brain hemispheres sleeps at a time. The left eye closes when the right half of the brain sleeps, and vice versa.

Times Square is named after The New York Times.

1. Times Square, known for its many bright lights and billboards, is actually named after the longstanding New York news outlet The New York Times — whose office building was once located at the intersection of Broadway, 42nd Street, and Seventh Avenue (aka “Times Square”).
2. California gets a bad rap for earthquakes, but did you know Missouri actually experiences small earthquakes nearly every day? The southeast region of the state is part of a mid-continent fault zone known as the New Madrid Fault.
3. It’s possible to see back in time. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second, extending outward. Light from the age of dinosaurs, for example, is still traveling out into space. In theory, if we were stationed at the point in space where that light is now located, we would see Earth as it appeared at that time — full of dinosaurs.
4. The Hollywood sign in Los Angeles once said "Hollywoodland" but was changed in 1949 to reflect the name of the area instead of the Hollywoodland housing development.
   
5. Iceland's landmass grows two centimeters per year because of its moving tectonic plates.
6. Russia is home to a whopping 11 time zones, which gives you an idea of just how large the country really is.
7. The Sahara Desert has reached up to 136 degrees Fahrenheit, but its average temperature is actually about 100 degrees. It's safe to say pretty much always hot there.
8. Australia is wider than the moon — over 300 km wider, to be exact.
9. Vatican City, located in Rome, Italy, is actually the smallest country in the world at only 0.2 miles wide.
10. There are more people in California than in Canada despite the fact that Canada is 25 times larger than California.
11. The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colorado, but it's still better than Florida whose highest point is just 345 feet high.
12. Only 5% of the ocean has been explored. The intense pressure at the deepest depths of the ocean makes it virtually impossible to navigate.
13. Saint Lucia, located in the Caribbean, is the only country in the world that's named after a woman.
14. There's a town in Michigan named Hell. You can even be mayor for a day since elections only take place when Hell freezes over.

Popcorn was once banned from movie theaters.

1. America’s favorite movie snack, popcorn, was banned from theaters in the 1920s and 30s. Theater owners wanted the movies to feel like a luxurious experience, similar to the opera. However, they realized popcorn was an inexpensive way to bring in more money, especially during The Great Depression, so it was unbanned.
2. Gatorade was invented at the University of Florida and was named after the school's mascot, the Gators. The university receives an estimated 20 million from the company every year.
3. The heaviest onion ever grown came from England and was over 19 pounds. That's the same size as a 9-month-old baby.
4. Contrary to what you may think, Canada actually eats more Kraft Mac & Cheese than any other country in the world. In fact, they eat over half as much as Americans do.
5. Mushrooms can glow in the dark. In fact, there are more than 70 varieties of mushrooms that do this. Thanks, bioluminescence!
6. According to the Guinness World Records, the world's heaviest watermelon weighed 350 pounds. Imagine trying to slice up that bad boy for a summer picnic.
7. Ketchup was once sold as medicine to treat indigestion in the early 1800s. The treatment did not, in fact, work.
8. Seven percent of American adults think chocolate milk comes from brown cows. (Spoiler: It does not).
9. Bananas are curved because of how they grow — toward the sun.
10. Strawberries are not berries. They're actually "a multiple fruit which consists of many tiny individual fruits embedded in a fleshy receptacle," according to Carnegie Museums. It's kind of a disturbing way to describe a strawberry but accurate nonetheless.
    
11. Avocados technically are berries, though. We'll give you a second to wrap your head around that one.
12. You can actually hear rhubarb grow — it creaks! This is because of how fast it grows — up to an inch per day. It also can pop, squeak, and make other noises.
13. You can eat the labels on fruit. They're edible; they just have no flavor or nutritional value. But it's still probably a good idea to peel them off before taking a bite.
14. Honey doesn't go bad, but the quality does lessen over time. We suppose that's one less thing you have to toss when you clean out your pantry.
15. Carrots were originally purple, white, red, and black — not orange. It wasn't until the 16th century that orange carrots were cultivated. Mmmm delicious — black carrots.
16. If you put a grape in the microwave, it will explode. If you put two grapes in the microwave, you'll create a fireball. We don't recommend you try this at home.
17. Nutmeg can be hallucinogenic if consumed in large quantities. But we doubt you'll be eating more than two tablespoons worth.
18. Broccoli contains more protein per calorie than a lot of meats, including steak. Just another reason to add the green vegetable to your plate.
19. Pistachios are technically fruits. Think of them as the opposite of a peach. Instead of throwing out the pit and eating the flesh, you throw out the shell to eat the seed.
20. Most countries don't refrigerate their eggs. However, in the U.S., they are considered a perishable item and have to be refrigerated.

London, England has hosted the most Olympic games.

1. London, England has hosted the most Olympic games. They hosted in 1948, 2012, and unexpectedly in 1908 due to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in Rome, where the games were originally scheduled to take place.
2. Actors and staff members from various Broadway shows rep their show in a weekly Broadway Bowling League, a tradition that’s taken place since the 1960s.
3. Tug-of-War was once an Olympic sport. Categorized as a Track & Field event, tug-of-war was played during five Olympic games from 1900-1920, with Great Britains taking home two gold medals.
4. Wrestling is the world’s oldest sport. Drawings depicting figures in positions of hold and leverage date back almost 20,000 years.
5. Golf was the first sport played on the moon. During Apollo 14’s mission in 1971, astronaut Alan Shepard Jr. brought a six iron club, attached it to a lunar excavation tool, and used it to play golf.
6. In 1943, the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers merged teams to become the Steagles. This was done out of necessity since both teams were down players due to WWII war efforts.
7. When basketball was first created, players were only allowed to dribble once. They had to pass the ball and couldn’t move. It wasn’t until 1909 that unlimited dribbling was allowed.
   
8. Abraham Lincoln, who was famously 6'4" in height, was also a successful wrestler and only defeated once.
   
9. Volleyball and basketball were both invented in Massachusetts, each by a Springfield College grad in the late 19th century.
10. If you play tennis at Wimbledon, swearing is not allowed. Players can be fined up to $20,000 or lose a point if they let one slip.
11. Since 1962, the official sport of Maryland has been jousting, the world's oldest equestrian sport.
12. The Supreme Court has its own private basketball court called "the highest court in the land." Pretty clever, if you ask us.

Almost every person alive today is a descendant of Charlemagne.

1. Britney Spears almost played, ‘Allie,’ in the movie adaptation of The Notebook. The decision came down to Spears and Rachel McAdams, who ended up being selected for the role.
2. Almost every human alive today is a direct descendant of Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 768-814 A.D. If you trace your lineage back far enough, the number of ancestors related to you will eventually match the total population alive at that time. This is known as a “pedigree collapse.”
3. Disney has a private club with a years-long waitlist to join. Created by Walt Disney himself, Club 33 is an exclusive society that boasts privileged access and VIP experiences to all Disney parks. However, membership comes with a price — $30,000 to $100,000 to join and $15,000 to $30,000 in annual fees.
4. Famed actor Robert Redford founded the Sundance Film Festival in 1978 to promote independent films and filmmakers. Today, Sundance is known as one of the biggest film festivals in the world, kickstarting the careers of Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) and Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven).
5. Elton John wrote many of The Lion King’s most popular songs, including “Circle of Life,” “Hakuna Matata,” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”
   
6. Brendan Fraser almost died while filming The Mummy. He was accidentally choked during a stunt involving a rope. Pretty scary, right?
7. Freddie Mercury has a pretty memorable smile. But did you know it's because he had four extra teeth in his upper jaw? Yup. That's why Rami Malek had to wear prosthetic teeth while working on Bohemian Rhapsody.
8. The famous Sesame Street character Cookie Monster’s real name is Sid, short for Sidney.
9. Queen Elizabeth only wore one nail polish color: Essie's Ballet Slippers. Bonus? It's only $9.
10. Dolly Parton once entered a Dolly Parton lookalike contest... and lost. Even better, she lost to a man. True to Dolly's style, she tells the story often.
11. Jennifer Lawrence has a tattoo that says "H2O" on her hand to remind her to drink water. Whatever works, right?
12. Ryan Gosling was almost in the Backstreet Boys. He initially turned down the offer but later reached out with a change of heart. However, his call was never answered.
13. Jennifer Aniston was almost a Saturday Night Live cast member, but she turned the gig down for Friends — a decision SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels thought was a huge mistake at the time.
14. Jamie Lee Curtis is Jake Gyllenhaal's godmother. His parents are both directors and screenwriters, so he's always been closely connected to the industry.
15. Pop star Lorde has an Instagram account, @onionringsworldwide, where she rates onion rings from around the world. Because why not?
16. Lana del Rey's real name is Elizabeth (Lizzy) Grant. She says she chose the name because she wanted something "that sounded sort of exotic and reminded me of the seaside on the Floridian coast.”

Nails grow faster in the summer than winter.

1. Nails grow faster in the summer because of increased vitamin exposure.
2. All mammals get goosebumps. The muscles around the hair follicles contract to stand up and create a layer of warmth. However, since humans don’t have much body hair in comparison to other mammals, it’s easier to see their goosebumps.
3. Prepare to be grossed out. There is a type of mite that lives on human eyelashes. The good news is, that’s normal. All humans have Demodex mites. They emerge at night to clean up dead skin cells and excess oil.
4. If you have a doppelganger, you likely share similar DNA, even if you’re not related.
5. It’s not just an urban myth, carrots can actually give your skin an orange hue if you eat too many. This condition is known as carotenemia.
6. All human embryos start as female. It isn’t until the second month of pregnancy that androgens, such as testosterone, begin to balance out maternal estrogens.
7. You actually lose a large percentage of your taste buds while on an airplane. This might explain those less-than-stellar in-flight meals.
   
8. Although it may sound counterintuitive, your small intestine is actually the longest (internal) organ in your body.
9. You may know everyone's fingerprints are different, but did you know the same is true of tongue prints, as well?
10. Your brain uses 12 watts of energy to think. In comparison, an oven typically uses between 2000-5000 watts. This means our brains are quite energy-efficient.
11. Whether you realize it or not, you blink around 15 times per minute. You can blink up to five times per second if you try, which makes the eyes the fastest muscle in the body.
12. You're taller in the morning than at night. This is because our cartilage compresses and makes us a bit shorter over the course of the day. But don't go claiming you're two inches taller on your dating profile. A person's height varies around one centimeter.
13. The average adult human has 2,000-4,000 taste buds, and despite what you may have been taught, they are not visible to the human eye. Those bumps on your tongue are what the taste buds are on, but those aren't actually the taste buds themselves.
14. Humans are the only animals on earth with chins. The scariest part is that no one knows why this is.
15. On average, hair grows about six inches per year. As we age, some of those hair follicles stop producing, which is why hair loss and balding are common the older you get.
16. Blushing is caused by a rush of adrenaline. It's also genetic, so if you're prone to it, it's likely that one of your parents is, too.
17. If it takes you a while to fall asleep at night, then you may not be too pleased to discover that most people are able to fall asleep in 15-20 minutes. Maybe, it's time to start counting those sheep again.

Elizabeth Berry

Updates Editor

Elizabeth Berry (she/her) is the Updates Editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute where she optimizes lifestyle content across verticals. Prior to this role, she was an Editorial Assistant for Woman’s Day where she covered everything from gift guides to recipes. She also has experience fact checking commerce articles and holds a B.A. in English and Italian Studies from Connecticut College.

Kate Franke

Editorial Assistant

Kate Franke (she/her) is the editorial assistant at Woman’s Day. She loves all things lifestyle, home, and market related. Kate has a BAJMC in Magazine Media and BA in Writing from Drake University. She is a proud ASME alum whose work has appeared in Food Network Magazine, The Pioneer Woman Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Modern Farmhouse Style, Beautiful Kitchens & Baths, and more. Next to writing, Kate’s two favorite things are chai lattes and pumpkin bread!