1. Lighters predate matches.
Lighters are older than you probably think, and matches are more recent. Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner invented the lighter in 1823, and matches weren’t invented until three years later.
2. Chainsaws were originally used as a surgical instrument to assist in childbirth.
They were used in a procedure known as a symphysiotomy, which widened the pelvis. The practice became less popular when improvements in hygiene increased the survival rate of caesarean section births.
3. Around 97 percent of the Earth’s water is not drinkable.
Just 3 percent of the water on Earth is fresh water, stored in lakes, rivers, and glaciers.
4. Tic Tacs are only sugar-free legally speaking.
The popular breath mints advertise that they are sugar free, but they are in fact almost entirely made of sugar. Because they have less than 0.5 grams of sugar (they have 0.49 grams), they can claim to be sugar free.
5. It takes around 127,000 trees every day to supply the world with toilet paper.
Maybe we should consider investing in bidets.
6. The inventor of the fire hydrant is unknown.
The original patent license burned in an office fire. Oh, the irony!
7. Botanists classify watermelons as a berry.
The same goes for bananas, avocados, and surprisingly, pumpkins.
8. On the other hand, strawberries are not berries, scientifically speaking.
Because they come from a single flower that has more than one ovary, strawberries are considered an aggregate fruit.