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Facts You Didn't Know That Will Make You Smarter 1. Did you know that the longest word in the English language has 189,819 letters? It is the chemical name for the protein titin, and is impractical to use in everyday conversations. 2. The shortest war in history lasted only 38 minutes. Occurring in 1896, it was between the countries of Zanzibar and Great Britain. 3. The world's oldest piece of chewing gum is over 9,000 years old. It was discovered in Sweden, and made from birch bark tar. 4. People with blue eyes have a higher tolerance for alcohol, as they produce less of the hormone that causes hangovers. 5. The national animal of Scotland is the unicorn. 6. Honey never spoils. Archaeologists have found pots of honey that are thousands of years old and still edible. 7. The world's largest snowflake measured 15 inches in diameter and 8 inches thick. It fell in Montana in 1887. 8. The longest name in the world belongs to a hill in New Zealand. It is called Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu. 9. The shortest complete sentence in the English language is "I am." 10 Humans and giraffes have the same number of neck vertebrae – seven. 11. In Japan, there are white strawberries that taste like pineapples. They are called pineberry. 12. Turtles can breathe through their butts. 13. The first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survive was a woman named Annie Edson Taylor in 1901. 14. The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was -128.6 degrees Fahrenheit, in Antarctica in 1983. 15. There are more possible iterations of a game of chess than there are atoms in the known universe. Incorporating these facts into everyday conversations and trivia nights will not only impress others, but also enrich one's own knowledge. It is essential to never stop learning and exploring, as there will always be something new to discover.
