Strange But True: The straw was invented by Egyptian brewers

By Lucie Winborne

In Italy, pizza inspectors are hired by the government to ensure that restaurants are making their pizza at "Italian quality."

The cables of the Golden Gate Bridge contain a whopping 80,000 miles of steel wire.

Ray Bradbury wrote the first draft of "Fahrenheit 451" on coin-operated typewriters in the basement of a library at a cost of 10 cents for every 30 minutes. The first draft cost him a total of $9.80.

The straw was invented by Egyptian brewers to taste beer without removing the fermenting ingredients that floated on top of the container.

James Christopher Harrison is an Australian blood donor whose rare plasma composition has helped in the treatment of Rhesus disease. In May 2018, he made his final donation (1,173rd) at the age of 81 after having saved 2.4 million babies during his lifetime as a donor.

No, alcohol doesn't kill brain cells - it just makes them grow more slowly.

In 2009, the Wisconsin Tourism Federation changed its name to the Tourism Fed- eration of Wisconsin because, in the 30 years since its founding, the abbreviation “WTF” took on new meaning.

Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a Friday the 13th.

Not that you'd ever want to swim in it, but the average person's body produces enough saliva in their lifetime to fill two swimming pools.

Plants grow larger and more quickly when watered with warm water.

In late 2020, a North Korean gymnast defected to South Korea by vaulting himself over the 3-metre-high border barricades without triggering sensors.

Newborn babies cry, but they have no tears. Their tear ducts aren't formed until they are a month old.

Thought for the Day

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it.” - Edith Wharton

(c) 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.