Joseph Guillotin, namesake of the guillotine, opposed capital punishment but promoted the device as a more humane alternative to the brutal execution methods of his time when abolition proved impossible.

The world record for the most miles driven in a single car is 3.2 million miles, driven by a man named Irv Gordon in a 1966 Volvo P1800.

In 1962, a 'laughing epidemic' in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) began with three schoolgirls and quickly spread, affecting over 1,000 people in the region and causing widespread disruption.

Cows have best friends. They form close friendships with specific companions and often prefer to spend time together; they can become stressed when separated from their friends.

In 1932, Australia declared war on its local emu population because they were eating crops. The emus won.

Sweat itself doesn't smell. It's the interaction with bacteria on your skin that causes body odour.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese was invented in New York in 1872. It was named 'Philadelphia' to capitalize on the city's reputation for quality dairy products, and has never been produced there.