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Random fun facts catch us off guard in the best possible way. They’re unexpected or unusual bits of knowledge from the worlds of science, history, and pop culture that delight and entertain us—and anyone we share them with. But these interesting facts aren’t just amusing pieces of information that will make you a whiz at answering trivia questions: They’re legitimately fascinating, and once you get started, you’ll want to keep reading until your curiosity is satisfied.
Whether you’re into weird facts that almost don’t sound true (but totally are), random trivia, science trivia, animal trivia, movie trivia, game facts, or book trivia, you’ll find plenty of new information here. And if you’re looking for trivia questions for kids to entertain them during a family dinner or a long road trip, we’ve got plenty of those too!
Fact: Bananas grow upside down
Or technically, we peel and eat them upside down. Naturally, they grow outward from their stems, but that means their bottoms actually face the sky. As they get bigger, the fruits turn toward the sun, forming that distinctive curve.
Fact: There were active volcanoes on the moon when dinosaurs were alive
This is one of the strangest moon facts ever: There used to be volcanoes on the moon! The dark spots on the moon, which looked like seas to ancient astronomers, are actually craters that were filled in with lava. Most of the moon volcanoes were thought to have stopped erupting about a billion years ago, but recent findings suggest they might still have been active 120 million years ago, when dinosaurs were still roaming the Earth in the Cretaceous period.
Fact: Dogs sniff good smells with their left nostril
This is a fascinating dog fact: Dogs normally start sniffing with their right nostril, then keep it there if the smell could signal danger, but they’ll shift to the left side for something pleasant, like food or a mating partner. Why? It has to do with which side of their brain is processing the info from the scent.
Fact: Avocados were named after reproductive organs
You’ll never look at avocados the same way again. Indigenous people of Mexico and Central America used the Nahuatl word āhuacatl to mean both “testicles” and “avocado.” The fruits were originally marketed as “alligator pears” in the United States until the current name stuck.
Fact: T.S. Eliot wore green makeup
Even his fellow writers commented on the poet’s strange appearance. No one is sure why Eliot dusted his face with green powder, though some guess he was just trying to look more interesting.
Fact: The word fizzle started as a type of fart
It’s amazing what interesting dictionary facts you can find in these big books. In the 1400s, fizzle meant to “break wind quietly,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Fact: Human noses and ears lengthen as we age
It’s pretty common to see the claim that our nose and ears are the only parts of our body that keep growing as we age, but that’s not exactly true. Our nose and ears stop growing along with the rest of our body, but thanks to the weight of gravity, both parts continue to lengthen over time, according to the Discovery Channel. That’s why you might notice older people with oversized earlobes!
Fact: No spelled-out number before “one thousand” contains the letter A
It’s true: You can spell out all numbers without using the letter A up until one thousand. But there are plenty of E’s, I’s, O’s, U’s and Y’s.
Fact: The # symbol isn’t officially called hashtag or pound
Its technical name is octothorpe. The octo means “eight” and refers to its points, though reports disagree on where thorpe came from. Some claim it was named after Olympian Jim Thorpe, while others argue it was just a nonsense suffix.
Fact: Movie trailers originally played after the movie
They “trailed,” or appeared at the end of, the feature film—hence, the name. The first trailer appeared in 1913 and was for a Broadway show, not a movie.
Fact: Mercedes invented a car controlled by a joystick
The joystick in the 1996 Mercedes F200 showcase car controlled speed and direction, replacing both the steering wheel and pedals. The car could also sense which side the driver was sitting in, so someone could control it from the passenger seat.
Fact: H&M actually stands for something
This is one of those interesting facts you’ve probably never even wondered about before. The clothing retail shop was originally called Hennes—Swedish for “hers”—before acquiring the hunting and fishing apparel brand Mauritz Widforss. Eventually, Hennes & Mauritz was shortened to H&M.
Fact: Theodore Roosevelt had a pet hyena
Its name was Bill, and it was a present from the Ethiopian emperor. Roosevelt was famous for his many pets, including a one-legged rooster, a badger, a pony and a small bear.
Fact: The CIA’s headquarters has its own Starbucks, but baristas don’t write names on the cups
Its receipts say “Store Number 1” instead of “Starbucks,” and its workers have to undergo extensive background checks and need an escort to leave their work posts.
Fact: Giraffe tongues can be 20 inches long
Their dark, bluish-black color is probably to prevent sunburn.
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