Trivia

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I did  not  know  that  he  paid  50,000 dollars  in  ransom money====

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Dr. Seuss_2

On March 2, 1904, Dr. Seuss was born and became the illustrator and author of many beloved children’s books. Here are 5 fascinating facts  you didn't know about Theodor Geisel, familiarly known to children and adults around the world as Dr. Seuss...

Dr. Seuss Was Never a Doctor

Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Seuss Geisel, and although he attended both Dartmouth University and Lincoln College, Oxford, he never earned a doctorate degree. Geisel's parents had always wanted him to become a physician, so Seuss added the "Dr." title to his pseudonym. In 1956, however, Dr. Seuss was given an honorary doctorate by his alma mater Dartmouth. Additionally, in 1980, Whittier College awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. 

Pretty Much Everyone Mispronounces His Name

Geisel began using the name Seuss, which was the maiden name of this mother, while in college. At this time, he was working at Dartmouth’s humor magazine and did so until a bottle of gin was found in his room and he lost his job as the editor. Most people mispronounce the name Seuss which actually rhymes with “voice.” However, so many people mispronounced his name that the author eventually gave up and stopped correcting it when it was pronounced as rhyming with “goose.”

He Coined a Popular Word

Dr. Seuss is credited with coming up with the word “nerd,” which appears in his 1950 book “If I Ran the Zoo.” The book is about a boy named Gerald McGrew, who bragged about the things he would do if he ran the zoo. One of the things he mentions is that he would bring to the zoo a creature called a nerd that lived in a place called Ka-Troo. It was only later that "nerd" took on its modern-day connotation.

Dr. Seuss Often Wrote Books That Were Allegories

In “Horton Hears a Who” the elephant visits Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was dropped on it during World War II and the book talks about the treatment of Japan by America afterward. “The Butter Battle Book contains references to the arms race and the Cold War between the United States and Russia. Some libraries actually pulled it from their shelves about six months after it was released because of its political overtones. Seuss himself admitted that “Yertle the Turtle,” who stands on top of his subjects trying to reach beyond the moon, was based on Adolph Hitler.

Green Eggs and Ham Was Written on a Bet

Seuss’s editor, Bennett Cerf, had a bet with the author in 1960 that he could not produce a book containing only 50 different words. Seuss took the bet and won. The book that resulted from the bet, one of Seuss’s favorites with children, was “Green Eggs and Ham.” By 2019, eight million copies of his charming 50-word book had sold worldwide.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About The Star-Spangled Banner _3

On this day in 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a congressional act making “The Star-Spangled Banner” the official national anthem of the United States. Here are 5 things you probably never knew about “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The Melody Was a Drinking Tune in Two Countries

An old British drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven” provided the tune for the American National Anthem and was regularly sung at a London social club during the 18th century. John Adams borrowed the tune for “Adams and Liberty,” which he used in his reelection campaign in 1800 against Thomas Jefferson. Although Jefferson won the election, the popularity of the tune used by Adams stuck with the American people. Eventually, it resurfaced as the melody to the National Anthem.

The Lyrics to the Song Came From a Poem

Francis Scott Key was stirred to write a poem titled “Defense of Fort McHenry” on September 14, 1814, after he was detained on board a British ship during this battle in the War of 1812. The morning following a bombardment by the British that lasted more than 27 hours, Key spotted the American flag being raised over Fort McHenry. It was Key’s brother-in-law who connected the poem to the old British drinking song and had it printed in a Baltimore newspaper on September 20.

The First Sheet Music Had a Glaring Misprint

Key penned the first verse of the poem on the back of a piece of correspondence and completed writing the poem once he returned to Baltimore. About a dozen copies survive of the original sheet music printed in 1814 and are notable because of a glaring mistake. In the subtitle of the sheet music, it reads “A Pariotic Song,” which contains an obvious misspelling.

A Cartoon Led to a Call for a National Anthem

Americans can thank Robert Ripley, the American cartoonist who wrote “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!,” for encouraging the Congress to pass legislation naming a National Anthem. Many people wrote to Ripley after the cartoon appeared, and he urged them to write their congressmen. After Congress received a petition with five million signatures on it, they passed legislation naming “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the National Anthem. President Herbert Hoover signed the legislation into law in 1931.

The Song Was First Heard at a Sporting Event in 1862

Sports fans all know that the national anthem will be sung at sporting events; however, many don’t know that the first time it was sung was in Brooklyn, New York, at a baseball game in 1862, during the Civil War. However, the song hadn’t yet been designated as the national anthem, and wasn’t really a common occurrence at sporting events. That began to change on September 5, 1918, during Game 1 of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs. By the time World War II rolled around, baseball and football teams were playing the national anthem as a show of patriotism, and the tradition continues to this day.

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Lucille Ball_5

On March 4, 1960, actress Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz divorced after 20 years of marriage. Here are 5 surprising facts you probably didn’t know about Lucille Ball...

She Was The First Woman to Run a Major Production Company

According to the New York Daily News, after Ball and Desi Arnaz divorced in 1960, she bought out Arnaz’s shares of Desilu for $2.5 million, making her the first female CEO of a major production company. Per the outlet, she later sold her Desilu shares to Paramount Studios for $17 million. Then, in 1967, Ball founded Lucille Ball Productions, according to Turner Classic Movie network.

No, Lucy Did Not Have Red Hair

Lucille Ball’s natural hair color was actually brown, but she bleached it blond when she modeled early in her career for Hattie Carnegie, the fashion entrepreneur. She was encouraged to dye her hair red during the early part of the 1950s when she was under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Her hairstylist called the shade “golden apricot,” which was achieved by using a proprietary henna rinse that was kept safely locked away.

She Wasn’t Always “Lucille Ball”

Early in her career, Lucille Desiree Ball went by the stage name Diane Belmont.  “I always loved the name Diane and I was driving past the Belmont race track, and the names seemed to fit together,” she said. But by 1934, when she was cast in a movie starring The Three Stooges called Three Little Pigskins, the blond-haired Ball was using her own name.  

Luci and Desi Were Television’s First Interracial Couple

CBS asked Lucille Ball to star in a television version of the radio show "My Favorite Husband" in 1950 with the handsome, blonde-haired actor Richard Denning as her co-star. Ball would have none of it and insisted that her real husband Desi Arnaz, a Cuban-born bandleader and actor, play the part. The show was a big hit and represented the first interracial couple to appear on television.

Her Pregnancy Made History

It’s known that I Love Lucy wasn’t allowed to use the word “pregnant” after both Ball and her character got pregnant. She also made headlines by becoming the first pregnant woman to play a pregnant woman on TV. The episode in which she went to the hospital to have a baby got more viewers than the inauguration of Dwight Eisenhower the next day.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About The Hula Hoop

On March 5, 1963, the Hula-Hoop, a hip-swiveling toy that became a huge fad across America when it was first marketed by Wham-O in 1958, was patented. Here are 5 things you didn’t know about the Hula Hoop.

No One Can Claim They Invented the Hula Hoop

The hoop has been around far longer than the 1963 patent would indicate. Native Americans used hoops in storytelling dances, and there was a "craze" for wooden and metal hoops in 14th-century England. Ancient Greeks used similar hoops to exercise, so no inventor can legitimately lay claim to it. Earlier hoops were made from wood, woven grasses, bamboo, and even metal. Modern companies produced their versions using plastic and by adding noisemakers or glitter and some hula hoops were even collapsible.

The Company That Made the Hula Hoop Couldn’t Trademark It

The Hula Hoop was made by Wham-O, which was founded by Arthur “Spud” Melin and Richard P. Knerr. The original Hula Hoops cost only $1.98 and came in bright colors. The company could only patent the name because the hoops themselves had been around for so long. Within four months, the company sold 25 million, but because of overproduction, they only made around $10,000 and were stuck with a warehouse full of the hoops when the initial fad was over.

Hula Hoops Weren't Popular in All Countries

Not all countries around the globe were ready for the Hula Hoop craze of the 1960s, and Japan actually banned them, as did Russia. Japan banned their use on city streets because they believed the hip movement needed to rotate the hoop was indecent. In Russia, they were referred to as an example of America’s empty culture. Later, however, Russian circuses and rhythmic gymnasts used hula hooping in their routines, even after the craze died down in other parts of the world.

A Simple Tweak Led to a Comeback

Melin and Knee also obtained a patent for a modified version of the Hula Hoop in 1963 called the Shoop-Shoop Hula Hoop. Deciding that a Hula Hoop that made a noise when used was a good idea, they first experimented by adding walnut shells to make a sound. Later, ball bearings were used to replace the walnut shells, and many of today's hoop enthusiasts add extras like decorative tape. Some of today's hoops even contain strings of remote-controlled LED lights. Today, the Hula Hoop is still a popular toy throughout the world.

The Hula Hoop Wasn’t the Company’s First Big Hit

Before they released the Hula Hoop, Wham-O released their invention of the Frisbee in 1957, originally marketed with the name Pluto Platter. The idea for the invention came from watching students at Yale University toss back and forth actual pie tins made by the Frisbee Pie Company, which supplied the school with desserts. By advertising this Frisbee pie tin game as a sport, Wham-O made their sales soar.

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I did not  know  that JAPAN and  RUSSIA  banned  the  Hula  Hoop=====

I did  not  know  that   the Frisbee  was taken  from tin pie pans====

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Oreos_2

Happy National Oreo Cookie Day folks!  On March 6, 1912, Oreo sandwich cookies were introduced to the public in a grocery store in Hoboken, New Jersey. Whether you dunk them, twist them or eat them whole, here are 6 surprising things you should know about Oreo cookies...

Cookie Lovers Have Enjoyed More Than 500 Billion Oreos

Since they were invented in 1912, over 500 billion Oreo cookies have been enjoyed around the world. If all the Oreos ever sold were laid end to end along the equator they could circle the earth 381. That same number of cookies stacked could reach the moon and back five times.

The Ratio of the Oreo is Precise

The perfection of an Oreo cookie is down to an exact science. The cookie- to- crème ratio of an original Oreo cookie is always, without fail, 71 percent to 29 percent. When it comes to Double Stuf Oreos, it turns out they are not quite doubled. A cookie-loving math teacher and his students cracked the case. Turns out Double Stuf Oreos have only 1.86 times the amount of filling compared to a regular Oreo.

Men and Women Eat Oreos Differently

Women seem to enjoy the taste of the cream filling the most, so 41 percent of them like to screw apart the cookie before eating it. Eighty-four percent of men tend to eat the tasty treat whole, on the other hand. Dunking Oreos in milk is a popular activity among both sexes and can be done more easily by wedging the tines of a fork into the cream filling. While it takes only about 59 seconds to chow down an Oreo, it takes a factory 59 minutes to make one.

The Cookies Were Basically a Knock-Off of Sunshine Hydrox

Many people think that Oreos were the original chocolate sandwich cookie, but Sunshine Hydrox introduced a cream-filled cookie held together by two chocolate biscuits in 1908. Oreos are sweeter and less crunchy than the original Hydrox, but that may not be why Oreos took over the market. The problem with the Hydrox cookies may have been the name itself, which sounds a bit more like a chemical compound than something tasty.

No One Knows Who Came Up With the Name

There has been speculation over the years that the name Oreo comes from the Latin word for laurel because there is a laurel wreath featured on the face of the chocolate cookies. This might be correct because the company produced other cookies with botanical names such as Helicon, Lotus, and Avena. Then again, Oreo is a short, easily pronounceable name that is memorable, so whatever its origin, it turned out to be a good product name.

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5 Surprising Facts You Didn't Know About The Telephone

On March 7, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for his telephone, beating out competitors and initiating a massive change in how people would communicate. Here are 5 surprising facts about the telephone..

The Telephone Was the Result of Research to Expand the Use of the Telegraph.

The telephone was basically a happy accident. At the time, telegraphs couldn't send speech -- they relied on Morse Code -- and they could send only one message at a time through the wires. In other words, if you hooked up several telegraphs to the same transmission wire, only one telegraph could send a message at a time. Bell wanted to change this so multiple messages could be transmitted along a wire at the same time. His thinking was that changing the frequency of the signals sent could enable several signals to fit along the same wire. It was through that work that Bell started looking at transmitting a human voice, rather than Morse Code.

Western Union Passed on an Offer to Buy the Telephone For $100,000

In 1876, a cash-strapped Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the first successful telephone offered to sell his telephone patent to Western Union for $100,000. They declined.

Bell Filed for a Patent Two Hours Before His Rival

Bell's name is one you may have heard of all your life, but you should learn the names Gray and Meucci, too. Elisha Gray was one of Bell's contemporaries and competitors, and he was also working on a telephone-like device as a way to improve the telegraph. He and Bell submitted paperwork on the same day -- Bell, a patent application, and Gray, a patent caveat, which was supposed to suspend other patent applications for the same product. But Bell's application was received two hourse before Gray's, so Bell got his patent. Gray sued but eventually lost.

Antonio Meucci's Telephone Proceeded Both Gray and Bell by 5 Years

Italian inventor Antonio Meucci had filed his own patent caveat for a telephone device in December of 1871. But, Antonio Meucci did not renew his caveat after 1874 and Alexander Graham Bell was granted the patent for in March of 1876.  Still, some scholars consider Meucci the real inventor of the telephone.

Bell Created a Wireless Phone

No, really, Bell created a version of a wireless phone that used light instead of wires. It was called the photophone and was patented in 1880. He believed it could be used by sailors at sea to communicate with harbors on land, but there wasn't enough associated technology to put the photophone to widespread use. The photophone itself actually worked — that means a wireless phone existed long before any of the cell phones that seemed so advanced in the 20th century.

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Joe DiMaggio_2

Joe DiMaggio, also known as Joltin' Joe and the Yankee Clipper, died on March 8, 1999. He was one of the greatest baseball players to grace the field and remains a record-setter. Here are 5 things you didn't know about Joe DiMaggio.

His Whole Family Was Talented at Baseball

DiMaggio and his two brothers all went into baseball, despite their father's wish they become fishermen. Vince, Joe's older brother, managed to get signed to a professional team in 1932, and when one of the players for that team was injured, Vince recommended Joe as a substitute. Joe DiMaggio excelled as a replacement and was added as a regular player the next season. He played for the team -- the San Francisco Seals -- until he was traded to the Yankees.

Songwriters Wrote About Him

In 1941, the Les Brown orchestra performed a song titled “Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio” that was written by Ben Homer and Alan Courtney. It was a salute to the popular New York Yankee following his 56-game hitting streak. One memorable song mention is more than most players get, but DiMaggio has two. In their 1968 No. 1 single, “Mrs. Robinson,” Simon and Garfunkel sing: “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you.” In 2014, Paul Simon, who wrote the lyrics, told the New York Post he once ran into DiMaggio in a restaurant and the baseball great asked him, “Why you’d say that? I’m here, everyone knows I’m here.” Simon explained that “I didn’t mean it that way. I meant, where are all these great heroes now?” Simon said DiMaggio was flattered when he understood what Simon meant.

He Helped Popularize Drinking Coffee

One of Joe DiMaggio’s sponsors in the 1970s was Mr. Coffee, electric drip coffee makers. He worked with them for over 20 years and his advertising spots were extremely successful with customers. Vincent Marotta, the CEO of North American Systems (the manufacturers of Mr. Coffee), joked that the ads were so popular that “millions of kids grew up thinking Joe DiMaggio was a famous appliance salesman.” DiMaggio “made more money on Mr. Coffee in a year than he made playing ball,” Marotta said. An interesting fact about Joe DiMaggio is that he himself had ulcer and almost never drank coffee.

He Was the First $100,000 Player.

DiMaggio was such a good player that he commanded salaries that were very high for the time, but he really hit the jackpot when he became the first player to command $100,000 for the season. While $100,000 in 1948 dollars is a little over $1 million in 2020 dollars and thus doesn't compare to some of the salaries paid out now (e.g., Mike Trout's $37 million), it was an amazing amount of pay for post-WWII America.

Dimaggio’s Famous Dying Words

Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe were married in 1954, but the marriage lasted only nine months. By the early 1960s they were back in each other’s lives and DiMaggio planned to ask her to remarry him. After her death in 1962, DiMaggio claimed the body and arranged for her funeral. He had roses sent to her crypt three times a week for 20 years. When DiMaggio died 37 years later in 1999, his attorney, Morris Engelberg, said the baseball great’s final word were:“I finally get to see Marilyn.”

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5 Shocking Facts You Didn't Know About Osama bin Laden

On March 10, 1957, terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden was born in Saudi Arabia. Osama bin Laden formed the al-Qaeda network which carried out global strikes against Western interests, culminating in the September 11 terror attacks. Here are shocking 5 facts you didn't know about Osama bin Laden... 

He Loved Whitney Houston

Bin Laden was quoted as saying “Music is the flute of the devil;” however, a woman who was a captive of bin Laden said he adored singer Whitney Houston and spoke about her often. In fact, he would have been willing to add her to his collection of wives. That same woman claims bin Laden “had a paramount desire for Whitney Houston and although he claimed music was evil, he spoke of someday spending vast amounts of money to go to America and try to arrange a meeting with the superstar.“ He was less enthusiastic about her husband Bobby Brown and fantasized about killing him.

Bin Laden Kept a Large Collection of Pornography

After bin Laden was captured, there was a large collection of porn found in his compound. According to the officials who recovered the porn, it was “modern, electronically recorded video and is fairly extensive.”

He Loved Volleyball

Standing at 6’4″ and relatively lanky, it’s not much of a surprise to hear that bin Laden could kill on the volleyball court. However, he was apparently so competitive that he never allowed anyone who was better than he was to play on his team.

He Had 52 Siblings

Osama bin Laden was the 17th out of an estimated 52 children of construction magnate Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden.  His father was a Saudi multi-millionaire who owned the biggest construction company in the country. The bin Laden family made $5 billion in the construction industry, of which Osama later inherited around $25–30 million.  It is reported that Osama Bin Laden fathered between 20 and 26 children with his wives.

He Carried a Stash for a Quick Getaway

U.S. authorities discovered 500 Euros and two telephone numbers sewn into the pockets of bin Laden’s robes. This would allow him to abandon his Abottabad hideout and disappear into the Pakistani countryside at a moment’s notice. By constantly being prepared to flee, bin Laden had successfully evaded capture by U.S. forces for ten years. Bin Laden was captured May 2, 2011, and killed by a team of U.S. Navy Seals, ending his reign of terror.

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I did not  know that he  loved  to  play  Volley ball

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5 Celebrities That Have Been Knighted

On March 11, 1997, Paul McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. He dedicated his knighthood to his fellow Beatles and the people of Liverpool, where he grew up. Here are some other people you probably didn’t know that have been honored with knighthood...

007 Was Knighted on July 5, 2000

Medals, decorations, and honors were awarded by Queen Elizabeth II on July 5, 2000, and actor Sean Connery was at the top of the list to be formally knighted. The ceremony was held in Edinburgh, Scotland, and the veteran actor showed up for the occasion in full highland dress. After starring in seven hit films as James Bond, England’s 007, it was a fitting tribute to the Scottish boy who worked as a coffin polisher and milkman while in college.

Call Him Sir Sidney

In 1974, actor Sidney Poitier was presented with a Knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II, although he was born in Miami, Florida. The actor grew up on Cat Island, which is part of the Bahamas, making him eligible for the honor. From 1997 until 2007, Poitier was appointed ambassador to Japan from The Bahamas, and from 2002 through 2007 he served at UNESCO ambassador from the Bahamas. In addition, in the United States, he was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, which is the highest award for a civilian.

Six-Time Grammy Winner Elton John

Elton John, the popular and flamboyant British singer, was knighted by the queen on February 24, 1998, for his contribution to music and charities. Sir Elton was the first gay musician to be honored and had been heavily involved in the fight against AIDs for many years. Sir Elton had performed in 1997 at Princess Diana’s funeral as well as other royal events over the years and is the recipient of six Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe.

Legendary Actor Charlie Chaplin Knighted By the Queen

The theme from Limelight was played as the elderly actor and comedian Charlie Chaplin was knighted at a private ceremony by Queen Elizabeth II in London’s Buckingham Palace on March 4, 1975. Chaplin, confined to a wheelchair, did not stand as the queen tapped his shoulders and named him as a Knight Commander of the British Empire. Chaplin was so visibly moved by the honor and the ceremony, he stood up with help and announced he was going to get drunk.

Queen Elizabeth II Grants Knighthood to Actor Anthony Hopkins

On December 31, 1992, Anthony Hopkins was knighted by the queen. Hopkins had won an Academy Award for his leading role in The Silence of the Lambs and has also won three British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards, two Emmy Awards, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Hopkins said he was numbed and honored by the award. He renounced his knighthood when he became an American citizen in 2000.

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Uncle Sam_4

On March 13 1852, the familiar image of "Uncle Sam" debuted as a cartoon character in the New York Lantern. Here are 5 things you didn’t know about this popular symbol of our country...

The Original Uncle Sam May Have Been a Meat Packer

A man in New York named Samuel Wilson joined the Army in 1781, and his duties included taking care of cattle and slaughtering and packaging the meat that was sent to the troops. He and his brother went into the meatpacking business and supplied the meat during the War of 1812, stamping the packages with a U.S. for the United States. Soldiers knew and liked Samuel Wilson and joked that the U.S. stamped on the packages stood for Uncle Sam instead of the United States, so the name was born.

Uncle Sam Didn’t Grow a Beard Until Late in the 19th Century

Thomas Nast, the cartoonist, was well-recognized as producing the popular image of Santa Claus and the Republican elephant and Democratic donkey. He was well-known, in addition, for his many cartoons depicting Abraham Lincoln, who was bearded. Uncle Sam alternated between having and not having a beard until Lincoln was elected President and facial hair became common as a sign of power and masculinity during the later part of the 1860s. It isn’t much of a mystery why Nast added a beard to Uncle Sam as well as making him a bit older and thinner.

A Recruitment Poster Made Uncle Sam More Famous

In 1917, illustrator James Montgomery Flagg drew an image of Uncle Sam to use as a recruitment poster for World War I, which showed Uncle Sam pointing and saying “I want YOU for U.S. Army.” About four million copies were printed for the war effort. While he used his own face in the first version he created, Walter Botts, an Indiana man, posed for the updated version.

You Can Celebrate Uncle Sam's Existence in Troy, New York

Samuel Wilson was from Troy, New York, and the town has several sites and monuments to the man behind what was one of the country's earlier memes. In addition to a statue and marking the location of his grave, Troy also has marked a false grave, the vacant lot where his house used to be, a mural on the side of a brewery building, and other unusual sites.

There May Be Two Modern Comic Book Connections

"Sam Wilson" is a pretty common name, but Marvel Comics may have decided to base its superhero character "the Falcon" on the meatpacker Sam Wilson. And in 2014, when the comics publisher decided to remove the character of Steve Rogers from the position of Captain America, guess who got the job? Yes -- the Falcon, or Sam Wilson, now personifying the country in a superhero capacity.

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I did  not  know  that  Marvel Comic Books made  the  superhero  " The  Falcon " on  SAM  WILSON

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Albert Einstein_2

Today is March 14th, and that makes it the birthday of Billy Crystal, Michael Caine, and Stephen Curry. But we decided to focus on someone else born today: Albert Einstein. We dug up 5 things we bet you didn't know about Einstein. Ready?

His Brain Was Stolen After His Death

After Einstein's death in 1955 from an abdominal aneurysm rupture, an autopsy and several studies were conducted on Einstein's brain. Two interesting discoveries were made: first, Einstein's brain weighed notably less than the average human brain. His weighed 1,230 grams, while the average is 1,400 grams. Second, his parietal lobe (where mathematic thought resides) was 15 percent larger. The pathologist who conducted the autopsy later stole Einstein's brain and was fired from Princeton when he refused to return it (he later did bring it back, but not until 1998). 

That Same Doctor Stole Einstein's Eyeballs, Too.

Yep, this guy was a real kleptomaniac when it came to Einstein's body parts. The doctor took Einstein's eyes—sealed in a jar of formaldehyde—and gave them to Einstein's friend and ophthalmologist, Henry Abrams. Abrams stored the eyeballs in a safety deposit box in New Jersey. Though frequent rumors bubbled up that the eyeballs were up for auction, Abrams vehemently denied the claims until his death in 2009. The whereabouts of the eyeballs today are unknown, but presumably, they may still be in that New Jersey bank vault.

Einstein Hated Socks

That's right—the man behind one of the most important scientific discoveries in recent history had a big beef with socks. He once bragged to a colleague about rarely wearing them at Oxford and was said to be annoyed by the constant holes that popped up. Whether it was while out sailing or to a formal dinner at the White House, Einstein went without socks everywhere. To Einstein, socks were a pain because they often would get holes in them.

The FBI Spied On Him For Decades

J. Edgar Hoover spied on Einstein and had a 1,400-page file on the scientist. Hoover began spying on Einstein shortly after he fled Germany in 1932 to escape the rising Nazi Socialist party. Einstein was a vocal political activist, who denounced nationalism, racism, and even questioned capitalism. His left-wing views put him on Hoover's radar, who believed Einstein could be a communist or even a Soviet spy. Einstein was, of course, neither, but that didn't stop Hoover from ordering agents to listen in on his calls, read his mail, and even sift through his trash for close to two decades.

Einstein Married His First Cousin

Einstein’s second wife, Elsa, was not only his first cousin on his mother’s side, but also his second cousin on his father’s side. Cousins marrying each other wasn’t frowned upon at that time. Their fathers were cousins and their mothers were sisters. They both spent their childhood together, forming a strong friendship. She called him “Albertle” when they were young. As adults, they reconnected when Albert moved to Berlin for work. Elsa was living there with her two daughters. She had been recently divorced from her first husband. Albert would visit often. The two began a romantic relationship. And the rest, as they say, is history.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About the Movie The Godfather_2

The Godfather, a movie based on Mario Puzo's novel of the same name, premiered in New York on this date in 1972. Leave the gun, take the cannoli, and celebrate these 5 things you didn't know about The Godfather...

The Studio Did NOT Want To Cast Marlon Brando

Coppola wasn't the only one in Paramount's sights as someone who (initially, at least) shouldn't have been working on the film. The studio didn't want Brando in the movie. That's hard to believe now, since it's nearly impossible to imagine anyone else playing the elderly, mush-mouthed mob boss, but it's true—Paramount even suggested British thespian Sir Laurence Olivier. In the end director Coppola tricked Brando into a screen test that impressed the studio, and they got on board.

Marlon Brando Didn't Bother Memorizing His Lines.

Brando insisted that reading his lines during the take increased his spontaneity and made his lines sound less canned. “If you have a general idea of what the words are, then you look at the card and it gives the feeling to viewer that the person is really searching for what he is going to say,” Brando said in the documentary The Making of Superman: The Movie. Brando began using the cards as early as 1966; directors taped cards to lamps, bushes, and even on other actors to keep them from showing up in the shot.

One of The Movie’s Most Famous Lines Was Improvised

If you don’t know anything about The Godfather, you probably recognize the line, “Leave the gun. Take the cannoli,” uttered by capo Peter Clemenza who'd just taken out a snitch. He threw in the utterly genius "take the cannoli," and a legendary line was born.

The Horse’s Head Was Real

And so were actor John Marley’s screams. A fake horse head was used in rehearsals, but when the cameras were actually rolling, Coppola replaced it with the real thing, much to Marley’s surprise.

Several Actors Prepared For Their Roles By Consulting Real Mobsters

It may give some fans of the movie a jolt to learn that James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Al Pacino all researched their roles by hanging with actual mobsters. Caan, for example, paid close attention to body language, noting the true made men tended to touch themselves, always adjusting their shirts or crotches. He's still around so revealing this apparently didn't piss off his consultants.

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PHKRAUSE

I did  not  know  that Marlon  Brando was  not  the 1st  choice  for the movie===

dgrimm60