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Ten Random Facts

In addition to silversmithing, Paul Revere practiced dentistry in colonial Boston. He learned the craft from a surgeon dentist and advertised himself as being prepared to fix loose false teeth and to clean teeth.
People

The Romans were so fond of eating dormice that the upper classes raised them domestically. The rodents were kept in specially designed cages and were fed a mixture of nuts.
Food and Drink

During WWI, young Walt Disney made money with another young man painting helmets with camouflage colors, banging them up to look battle-scarred, and then selling them to Americans in search of realistic souvenirs.
Entertainment » Disney

While caviar by definition is the roe of the sturgeon, the eggs of lumpfish, whitefish, and salmon are marketed as caviar, much to the chagrin of purists.
Food and Drink

A "sysygy" occurs when all the planets of the our Solar System line up.
Words and Numbers » Word Roots

"Sherbet” is Australian slang for beer.
Food and Drink

According to a survey, an estimated 5.5 million Americans believe they have been defrauded into buying something over the phone. A U.S. subcommittee has estimated that while telemarketing fraud costs consumers more than $40 billion a year, only about one in 10,000 victims reports the problem to authorities.
Statistics

Some "Hair Facts" from the Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast:- More than 140 wigs are worn on stage each night; only three performers use their own hair on stage.- Four characters' wigs are made of yak hair: Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, Madame de la Grande Bouche, and the Sugar Bowl from "Be Our Guest."- 248 hair pieces are used on stage each night, including wigs, moustaches, and bangs.- The average number of wig changes for each ensemble member is eight per show.- The 30-inch-length human hair needed to build Belle's wig was specially imported from India.- It took 20 pounds of human hair and 400 man-hours to create the first Beast.- The Beast's tail is made up of seven yards of human hair.- There are 50 pounds of hairpins backstage ready to go at all times.
Entertainment » Disney

Actress Meg Tilly was cast as Mozart's young wife, Constanze, in the acclaimed film "Amadeus" (1984). Soon after filming began, she broke her ankle playing soccer. Elizabeth Berridge replaced her.
Entertainment » Movies

The ancient Mayans made their knives from obsidian, or volcanic glass. Theirs are considered the sharpest knives ever to exist, and were used in their sacrificial rituals.
History

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