h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred
> and Wilma Flintstone.
>
> Coca-Cola was originally green.
>
> Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury.
>
> Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.
>
> The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% ( now get this...)
>
> The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
>
> The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000
>
> The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.
>
> The youngest pope was 11 years old.
>
> The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.
>
>
> Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from
history:
>
> Spades - King David,
> Hearts - Charlemagne,
> Clubs -Alexander, the Great
> Diamonds - Julius Caesar
>
>
> 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
>
>
> If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the
> air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the
> air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse
> has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
>
> "I am." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
>
> Q. What occurs more often in December than any other month?
> A. Conception.
>
> Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until
> you could find the letter "A"?
> A. One thousand
>
> Q. What do bullet-proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and
> laser printers all have in common?
> A. All invented by women.
>
> Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
> A. Honey
>
> In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes.
> When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed
firmer
> to sleep on. Hence the phrase "goodnight, sleep tight".
>
> It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a
> month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law
> with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their
> calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month or what
> we know today as the honeymoon.
>
> In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old
> England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to
> mind
> their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase
> "mind your P's and Q's"
>
> Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into
> the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they
> used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase
> inspired
> by this practice.
>
> In ancient England a person could not have sex unless you had consent
> of the King (unless you were in the Royal Family). When anyone wanted to
> have a baby, they got consent of the King, the King gave them a placard
> that they hung on their door while they were having sex. The placard had
> F.*.*.* (Fornication Under Consent of the King) on it. Now you know where
> that word came from.
>
> In Scotland, a new game was invented. It was entitled Gentlemen Only,
> Ladies Forbidden... and thus the word GOLF entered into the English
> language.