Strange But True: Hero Milkman

By Lucie Winborne

• A Cornish milkman named Steve Leech was making his rounds when he saw a shop on fire. Using 320 pints of milk, he not only extinguished the flames, but saved seven other stores in the process, earning a "Hero Milkman of the Millennium" award from the National Dairymen's Association.

• An albatross typically spends the first six years of its life flying over the ocean without ever setting foot on the ground.

• In the 1990s, a mysterious soda vending machine dispensing rare and discontinued drinks appeared in Seattle. No one knew who filled it, but sadly, in 2018, it vanished as suddenly as it came, with an explanatory note saying it "went for a walk."

• The first women's boots were designed for and worn by Queen Victoria.

• "Ergophobia" is the fear of work or the workplace. Psychologists attribute the condition to a combination of concerns about failing at tasks, public speaking and social anxiety.

• A 59-year-old man with no previous criminal record held up a bank for the measly sum of just $1. So what was he actually after? A prison sentence, so he could get free health care.

• Red is the first color a baby sees.

• If diamonds really are a gal's best friend, she might like to pay a visit to the planet known as 55 Cancri e, which is believed to be principally covered in graphite and diamond. Of course, she would also need to bring enough rocks back home to cover the cost of the $12 million spaceship she'd need to get there.

• There are more historic artifacts under the sea than in all of the world's museums.

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Thought for the Day: "I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear." -- Rosa Parks

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.