The shortest war lasted 38 minutes - The Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 holds the record for the briefest conflict ever. The British bombarded Zanzibar’s palace, and the sultan surrendered faster than you can say “tea time.” Talk about a quick knockout Bubblegum broccoli was a McDonald’s flop - McDonald’s once tried to make kids eat healthier by creating bubblegum-flavored broccoli. Child testers were so confused by the candy-vegetable mashup that it never made it to the menu. Chickens can live without heads - In the 1940s, a chicken named Mike survived for 18 months after his head was chopped off because his brainstem and jugular vein stayed intact. He toured the U.S. as “Miracle Mike,” living the headless dream. The first “OMG” was in a letter to Churchill - In 1917, British Admiral John Fisher used “O.M.G.” in a letter to Winston Churchill, gossiping about new knighthood titles. It’s the earliest known use of the phrase, predating texting by a century. Wendy was invented for Peter Pan - The name “Wendy” didn’t exist until J.M. Barrie created it for his 1904 play Peter Pan. It was inspired by a child’s mispronunciation of “friendy,” making it a literary one-hit wonder. Crickets hear with their knees - Crickets don’t have ears; they “hear” sounds through organs on their front legs, near their knees. It’s like nature decided their legs should double as surround sound. A chef’s hat has 100 pleats - The tall chef’s hat (called a toque) traditionally has 100 pleats, symbolizing the 100 ways to cook an egg. It’s a culinary flex that says, “I’m egg-straordinary.” Toilets cause bizarre injuries - Hospitals report cases of people injuring themselves by falling off toilets or breaking them under their weight. The throne isn’t always kind to its subjects. Andre the Giant had a personal cop - When wrestling legend Andre the Giant went drinking, the NYPD assigned an officer to follow him. The goal? Prevent him from drunkenly falling on anyone and causing a human pancake situation.