150 Useless Facts That Will Entertain and Surprise You

150 Useless Facts That You Just Have to Know

Have you ever wanted to be the most interesting person at the party? Whether you’re dazzling your friends with bizarre knowledge or just need a conversation starter, learning useless facts is a surefire way to keep everyone entertained. From strange animal habits and food oddities to bits of history and pure randomness, these 150 facts might never win you a trivia contest, but they’ll definitely make you unforgettable!

Why Learn Useless Facts?

There’s always that one person at gatherings who knows something unique about everything: a new animal skill, an obscure presidential quirk, or a completely random record. While some would call this knowledge useless, it’s perfect for sparking laughter, curiosity, and even the occasional debate. Here’s your arsenal of fun: the best-party trivia list you’ll ever need!

Food Facts You Didn’t Know You Needed

• Honey never spoils. Archaeologists have found edible honey in ancient Egyptian tombs.
• Potatoes were the first food grown in space.
• Apples, peaches, and raspberries are all members of the rose family.
• Chocolate was once used as currency by the ancient Aztecs.
• Ketchup was sold as medicine in the 1830s.
• The world’s most expensive pizza costs over $12,000 and takes 72 hours to make.
• Peanuts aren’t nuts—they’re legumes.
• Bananas are berries, but strawberries aren’t.
• Carrots used to be purple.
• Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies.
• Cornflakes were invented to help curb sexual impulses, according to their creator.
• The average person eats about 35,000 cookies in their lifetime.
• Smelling apples or bananas can reportedly help you lose weight.
• The term “junk food” was first used in 1972.

Animal Kingdom Oddities

• Octopuses have three hearts and blue blood.
• Cows have best friends and can become stressed when separated.
• A group of flamingos is called a “flamboyance.”
• Slugs have four noses.
• Dolphins have names for each other.
• Male seahorses are the ones who get pregnant.
• Ostriches can run faster than horses.
• Wombat poop is cube-shaped.
• Penguins propose to each other with a pebble.
• Elephants are the only animals that can’t jump.
• Giraffes’ tongues are 18 to 20 inches long and dark purple.
• Frogs can freeze without dying.
• Dog noses are as unique as human fingerprints.
• Bats are the only mammals capable of sustained flight.
• Koalas have fingerprints almost identical to humans.
• A group of hedgehogs is called a “prickle.”
• Bees can recognize human faces—impressive for an insect!

Weird Human and History Facts

• Napoleon was once attacked by a hoard of bunnies.
• Julius Caesar was once kidnapped by pirates, and he demanded they double his ransom.
• President Zachary Taylor died after consuming too many cherries and milk.
• Andrew Jackson’s parrot had to be removed from his funeral for swearing.
• Ancient Greek athletes competed naked in the Olympics.
• The Boston Marathon did not allow women to officially enter until 1972.
• The Eiffel Tower can grow up to 6 inches in the summer due to heat expansion.
• The state of Ohio gives out different colored license plates for those with a DUI conviction.
• Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, measuring just 0.2 square miles.
• No piece of A4 paper can be folded in half more than seven times.
• Dead people can get goosebumps.
• The “French” in French fries refers to the way the potatoes are cut, not the country.
• Guy Fawkes is the reason men are called “guys.”

Space and Science Surprises

• Venus is the only planet that spins clockwise.
• A day on Venus is longer than its year.
• Light from the Sun takes about eight minutes and twenty seconds to reach Earth.
• Jupiter is the only planet that doesn’t have a solid surface.
• Comets smell like rotten eggs, ammonia, and almonds due to their chemical make-up.
• The moon has moonquakes.
• The hottest chili pepper in the world is so hot it could kill you.
• Butterflies taste with their feet.
• Sharks existed before trees.

Completely Random but Fascinating Facts

• There are 119 grooves on the edge of an American quarter.
• The inventor of the Frisbee was turned into a Frisbee after he died—his ashes were molded into one!
• Wearing headphones for just an hour increases the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.
• The dot over the letters ‘i’ and ‘j’ is called a “tittle.”
• The hashtag symbol is technically called an “octothorpe.”
• You can hear a blue whale’s heartbeat up to two miles away.
• The word “nerd” was coined by Dr. Seuss in 1950.
• The original Monopoly game was circular, not square.
• The average raindrop falls at 7 miles per hour.
• Lizards communicate by doing push-ups.
• The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows.
• The ten-gallon hat holds less than one gallon of liquid.
• About 50% of Icelanders once claimed to believe in elves.
• The hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backward.
• Some banks hire “wealth psychologists” to help people adapt to extreme riches.
• Dogs have been banned from Antarctica since 1994 to avoid disease transmission to seals.

Sports and Entertainment Trivia

• The first televised sporting event was a baseball game between Princeton and Columbia in 1939.
• The Super Bowl alternates the side yard markers every 5 yards to help officials with spotting the ball.
• The Oscars statuette is officially called the “Academy Award of Merit.”
• The voice of Mickey Mouse and the voice of Minnie Mouse got married in real life.
• The longest wedding veil ever made was longer than 63 football fields.
• The oldest “your mom” joke dates back to 3500 BC, carved into a Babylonian tablet.

Useless Facts About Language

• The pangram “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter of the alphabet.
• Almost is the longest word in English with all the letters in alphabetical order.
• Dreamt is the only English word that ends in “mt.”
• Typewriter is the longest word you can type using only the top row of a QWERTY keyboard.
• Noah Webster, the writer of the first American dictionary, learned 26 languages.

Fun at a Glance: Top 10 Most Surprising Useless Facts

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Why are most of these facts called “useless”?

A: Because they’re generally trivia that won’t affect your daily life, but are fun for icebreakers and impressing friends—or winning random debates!

Q: Are any of these facts actually useful?

A: Some may help you in a trivia contest or be relevant in unexpected conversations, but most are just for entertainment!

Q: Where do these random facts come from?

A: They’re compiled from reputable sources, studies, history, and various expert observations—and a few widespread myths debunked or clarified.

Q: Can knowing useless facts make me smarter?

A: While they might not boost your IQ, they train your brain to make connections, remember new ideas, and keep your curiosity alive.

Q: Do kids enjoy these facts too?

A: Absolutely! Many of these facts fascinate children and can inspire a love for learning about the world.

Share the Fun

Next time you need to fill an awkward silence, test your friends, or just want to smile, pull out one of these useless facts. You never know—what’s useless today might someday win you a trivia game or make you the star of conversation. Happy fact-sharing!

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Author

Medha DebCommerce Editor

 

Medha Deb is a commerce editor with a master's degree in applied linguistics from the University of Hyderabad, which has allowed her to develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts. She specializes in the areas of beauty, health, and wellness and is committed to ensuring that the content on the website is of the highest quality.

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