A list of curious facts
One: Since it’s Olympics season, did you know that hot air ballooning was once an official sport at the Paris Games in 1900? The winner was decided based on “distance travelled, altitude reached and best photograph taken from a balloon.” The winner: Comte Henry de la Vaulx—who landed up in Russia without a passport. (National Air and Space Museum)
Two: Sticking with absurd contests, how about a snail racing championship? It was held in the village of Congham, England—last month. There were 85 mighty contestants—racing across the 13.5-inch expanse—ready to charge when the referee yelled ‘Ready, steady, slow!’. The funniest bit: Some cheaters tried to hitch a ride to the finish line by clambering on to the backs of their fellow contestants. Sneaky as a snail! (New York Times)
Three: Say hello to the latest twist on outsourcing. A Japanese fried chicken joint in the Big Apple now has a virtual cashier—who is ready to settle your bill—sitting 13,000 km away. Behold, the magic of Zoom. (South China Morning Post)
Four: Bibi Netanyahu is infamous for a long list of things—including dirty laundry! Back in 2020, he had developed a reputation for arriving on foreign trips—with up to 11 suitcases deliberately stuffed with dirty clothes. Apparently, it was one of the many ways they abused the perks of high office. (Times of Israel)
Bonus fact: Katsushika Hokusai’s ‘Great Wave’ (See: lead image) is one of the greatest and most recognisable works of art—rivalling the ‘Mona Lisa’. It will now grace the new design of the ¥1,000 banknote—which went into circulation on July 3. (CNN)
