135 Interesting Facts for Kids and Adults to Blow Your Mind
Interesting facts shown as lightbulbs on post-it notes
Like Dr. Seuss once said, “There are so many things you can learn about, but you’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.” That’s why, no matter what your age is, you should never stop educating yourself and learning interesting facts. From researching captivating topics in your spare time, to studying random historic events that have taken place, to soaking up story-worthy information you come across in your everyday life, that's how wisdom is acquired.
You’ll discover that the world is full of unique and extraordinary things that you never knew about before. And before you know it, your mind will be full of the most fun and entertaining info. To help you get started, Parade rounded up 135 remarkable facts. We broke them up into sections for adults and kids, however, don’t let that keep you from reading both lists.
Once you’re finished, one thing’s for sure—nobody will ever be bored talking to you. Instead, they’ll be impressed. So, what are you waiting for? Check out all the fun facts below.
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135 Interesting Facts
1. You can get cell phone service at Everest Base Camp.
2. The Eiffel Tower can grow up to six inches taller in the summer due to thermal expansion, which causes the iron in its structure to expand.
3. The Scottish language has 421 words for “snow.”
4. A blue whale’s tongue can weigh up to 8,000 pounds, which is about the same amount as a female African elephant.
5. Tennessee and Missouri are the only states in the United States that share borders with eight other states.
6. Potatoes were the first vegetable to ever be grown in space. They were grown in 1995 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia.
7. The London Bridge was moved from England to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, in 1968 when Robert P. McCulloch bought it.
8. The full name of Los Angeles is “El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula.”
9. Bananas will grow blue if they are under black light.
10. Sloths can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes, while dolphins can only hold theirs for around 10 minutes.
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Interesting Facts for Adults
11. If you cut down a cactus in Arizona, it can result in a class 4 felony and up to 25 years in prison.
12. Wearing headphones for just an hour can increase the bacteria in your ears by 700 times.
13. Around 12% of people only dream in black and white.
14. From 1886 to 1902, the Statue of Liberty was a federal lighthouse.
15. On a clear day, you can see Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan from the Skydeck of Chicago’s Willis Tower.
16. The longest walking road is from Cape Town, South Africa, to Magadan, Russia, and is 14,334 miles long.
17. Due to plate tectonics, Alaska moves almost three inches closer to Alaska each year.
18. A bolt of lightning is five times hotter than the sun, at 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
19. Germany is estimated to have 25,000 castles.
20. The city of Bangkok in Thailand holds the record for the world's longest name, which is actually "Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit."
21. A man named Ronald MacDonald robbed Wendy’s in 2005.
22. A large hurricane releases the same amount of energy in one single second as 10 atomic bombs.
23. NFL Super Bowl referees also receive Super Bowl rings.
24. Eyelashes fall out as part of their natural growth cycle around every 100-150 days.
25. Peanut oil is one of the key ingredients in dynamite.
26. The Anglo-Zanzibar War took place in 1896 and was the shortest war in history, lasting less than one hour.
27. A woman’s heart rate is faster than a man’s.
28. The full Bible has been translated into over 3,000 languages. Among those include fictional languages, like Elvish.
29. Pineapple plants take around two years to grow to their full size.
30. Plastic takes around 450 years to decompose.
31. Up to 60% of the human adult body is water.
32. Humans have 99.9% of the same DNA sequence.
33. If a person eats too many carrots, their skin will turn orange.
34. Water freezes fastest when it’s warm, not cold.
35. The tiny pockets in jeans were originally designed to store pocket watches.
36. Times Square was originally known as “Longacre Square.”
37. The script for the movie The Terminator was sold for just $1.
38. The Pope can’t be an organ donor.
39. It snows metal on Venus.
40. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is tilted because of the soft soil that it’s built on.
41. Underneath the streets of Beijing, there are over a million people who live in nuclear bunkers from the Cold War era.
42. Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911.
43. If a person has a fear of long words, it’s called hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.
44. Wearing a tie can reduce blood flow to the brain by 7.5%.
45. No number before 1,000 contains the letter “A” when spelled out.
46. There are 31,557,600 seconds in a year.
47. Alaska has the longest coastline in the United States at 6,640 miles.
48. Newborn babies only see black and white and shades of gray when they are first born.
49. The average cloud weighs around 1.1 million pounds, which is about 100 elephants.
50. Daniel Craig was an anonymous Stormtrooper in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
51. Copper door knobs are self-disinfecting because of the oligodynamic effect.
52. Australia is wider than the moon. The moon is about 3,400 kilometers in diameter, while Australia’s diameter is almost 4,000 kilometers from east to west.
53. Cruise ships have morgues that can hold up to 10 bodies at a time.
54. Africa is the only continent in all four hemispheres.
55. The United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million by writing a check.
56. A human’s brain burns around 400-500 calories each day.
57. Maine is the only U.S. state with a one-syllable name.
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58. The first movie ever released as a motion picture soundtrack was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
59. Stickers found on fruit in the grocery store are edible and use FDA-regulated glue.
60. Mount Rushmore took 14 years to build.
61. Tic Tacs got their name from the sound the mints make when shaken in their container.
62. The flashes of colored light you see when you rub your eyes are actually called “phosphenes.”
63. There are 293 different ways you can make change for a U.S. dollar if you include half-dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, pennies and dollar coins.
64. Google Images was created as a result of Jennifer Lopez wearing a low-cut green dress to the 2000 Grammys.
65. If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib.
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Interesting Facts for Kids
66. Scotland's national animal is a unicorn.
67. Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
68. A shrimp’s heart isn’t in its chest; it’s located near the bottom of its head.
69. Even though there are several different colors of Froot Loops, they are all the same flavor.
70. Cat pee glows under a black light.
71. A human’s foot has 26 bones.
72. A single strand of spaghetti is called a “spaghetto.”
73. It’s possible for animals to be allergic to humans.
74. Ruby-throated hummingbirds flap their wings 200 times per second.
75. Apples float in water.
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76. A baby panda is smaller than a mouse when it’s born.
77. The red Sour Patch Kid is the same exact candy as a Swedish Fish, but in a different shape and with a sour coating.
78. Bubble wrap was originally invented to be textured wallpaper.
79. In 2014, McDonald’s created bubble gum-flavored broccoli in an effort to make kids like the veggie more, however, it never made it to the menu.
80. The world’s largest ocean is the Pacific Ocean.
81. About 10% of a cat’s bones are in its tail.
82. Caterpillars have 12 tiny eyes.
83. Human teeth are as strong as a shark’s teeth, just not as sharp.
84. Starfish do not have brains.
85. Identical twins don’t have the same fingerprints.
86. Fingernails grow faster than toenails.
87. Lightning strikes about 6,000 times each minute on Earth.
88. The real name for a hashtag is octothorpe.
89. The moon can experience moonquakes, which are similar to earthquakes, but can last for hours.
90. About 1.3 million Earths could fit inside the sun.
91. There is only one letter that doesn’t appear in any US state name. That letter is “Q.”
92. Sesame Street’s Oscar the Grouch wasn’t always green. During the first season of the show, he was actually orange.
93. Play-Doh was originally used as a wallpaper cleaner.
94. The White House has its own 42-seat movie theater called the Family Theater.
95. Crabs have taste buds on their feet.
96. An octopus has three hearts.
97. One day on Neptune is only 16 hours long, while one day on Earth is 24 hours.
98. Buzz Lightyear’s original name was going to be Lunar Larry.
99. Giant pandas eat around 28 pounds of bamboo each day.
100. The full name of the famous Chuck E. Cheese’s mouse is Charles Entertainment Cheese.
101. Lemons float, but limes sink.
102. In South Dakota, you can get a driver’s permit at age 14 with parental consent.
103. Strawberries are the only fruit that has its seeds on the outside.
104. There are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on Earth.
105. J.K. Rowling’s original Harry Potter pitch was rejected by 12 publishers.
106. Kangaroos are unable to walk backward.
107. There are over 11,000 known different species of grasses around the world.
108. Ant queens can live for up to 30 years.
109. Crocodiles can’t stick out their tongues.
110. Venus is the only planet that spins clockwise.
111. An ostrich’s eyes are larger than its brain.
112. Lettuce is a member of the sunflower family.
113. Some land snails can sleep for up to three years at a time.
114. A sneeze travels at about 100 miles per hour.
115. Honey never spoils.
116. In Japan, they grow square watermelons.
117. A female cow produces about 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.
118. The world's largest pizza was made in Los Angeles, California, in 2023. It was 13,957.77 ft² and weighed 13,653 pounds.
119. The tradition of carving pumpkins into Jack-o'-Lanterns began in Ireland with turnips and potatoes.
120. Zebras have only one toe on each foot.
121. Your nose doesn't grow like Pinocchio's when you lie, but it can feel warmer.
122. Each star is a different color, determined by its temperature.
123. On Mars, sunsets appear blue.
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124. Giant sequoia trees in California can grow to be as tall as a 26-story building.
125. Rainbows are actually full circles.
126. Fish can cough to clean their gills from dirt particles and bacteria.
127. Snakes can sense earthquakes from up to 75 miles away.
128. Polar bears have black skin under their white fur.
129. Ants can lift and carry 50 times their own weight.
130. Starfish are like superheroes and can grow back lost arms.
131. Horses can take naps standing up.
132. Dogs can smell 100,000 times better than a human can.
133. Some butterflies can fly up to 30 miles per hour.
134. There are more than 2,000 different varieties of cheese in the world.
135. Brown bears can run up to 35 miles per hour.
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