Strange But True: Bows and arrows

By Lucie Winborne

• In some Inuit (Eskimo) languages, a noun can have over 1,000 forms.

• Oxford University once had rules forbidding students from bringing bows and arrows to class.

• King Mithridates VI of Pontus took small doses of poison throughout his life to develop a resistance in case an attempt was made to kill him. He built up such a strong immunity that when he attempted suicide to escape capture by the Romans, the poison had no effect and he had to order a slave to dispatch him with a sword.

• Isaac Asimov's first bestseller was his 262nd published book.

• The record for spinning a basketball on a toothbrush is 1 minute and 8.15 seconds. (No, we never thought of spinning a basketball on a toothbrush, either.)

• Velociraptor noises in the film "Jurassic Park" were made by mating tortoises.

• In 1984, a Chihuahua named Percy was seemingly killed by a car while accompanying his owner, Christine, on a visit to her parents. Christine's father buried the dog in his garden, but a terrier named Mick, who belonged to her parents, dug up the grave, dragged Percy to the house, and licked him until a faint heartbeat could be detected. While Percy recovered, it's worth noting that the two dogs had always hated each other, and continued to do so after Percy's rescue!

• Historically, on Father's Day, more collect calls were made than on any other day of the year.

• China has more people who have learned English than the United States.

• In ancient Egypt, slaves were murdered to accompany their deceased owners to the afterlife.

Thought for the Day: "I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening." -- Larry King

(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.