Calendar Rules

Rules for leap years: 1) Every year divisible by the number 4 is a leap year. 2) Unless the year is divisible by 100, in which case it is not a leap year. 3) Except if the year is also divisible by 400, then it really is a leap year.

Creative Counting

Calorie counters claim that grocery shopping and hang gliding require the same amount of effort. Washing the car, they say, is roughly equal to playing badminton. And dancing the foxtrot uses up as much energy as bowling.

Smile

From Selma, Ala., to Oconto Falls, Wis., at least 21 U.S. cities have water towers with painted-on smiley faces. But Calumet City, Ill., with two such towers, claims it was the first. It all started with 8-year-old resident Kim Fornero, who sent a letter to the city council in 1972, claiming that a smile would be more fun to look at than a plain, old water tower. Fornero’s simple suggestion proved catchy indeed.

Survival Skills

Charles de Gaulle, president of France from 1958 to 1969, survived more than 30 assassination attempts from 1944 to 1966. In one instance, de Gaulle’s Citroen was showered with bullets, but witnesses claim that neither de Gaulle nor his wife tried to protect themselves. De Gaulle, on exiting the vehicle, referred to the would-be assassin as a bad shot. His wife said there was no reason to be frightened as she and her husband would have welcomed a chance to die together and avoid the pains of old age.

Poor Sport

Historians agree that if not for tennis balls, Scotland’s King James I might have lived a long life. Instead, he was assassinated. The problem? On the night of his death, Feb. 20, 1437, the King of Scots tried to escape down a sewer drain, forgetting that he had commanded it sealed to prevent his tennis balls from rolling into it. He was quickly discovered and killed.

Recommended Major

What do Paul Newman, Tiger Woods, Sandra Day-O’Connor, John Elway, Mick Jagger and Ronald Reagan have in common? Each declared a major in economics while in college.

Bathtub Best

Citizens of Shoreham-by-Sea, south of London, know all about bathtubs. They’ve been racing the cast-iron contraptions for more than 30 years. In 1977, one of the local teams rowed their tub across the channel to France in less than 11 hours, a record that still stands.

Crushing Enemies

Ancient Egyptians and Romans both developed a clever system for crushing their enemies. Citizens of the two civilizations are known to have drawn pictures of an enemy’s face on the soles of their sandals.

Hell on Earth

There is a Hell on earth, and it’s in Norway. The name for this picturesque town comes from the Old Norse “hellir,” meaning an overhanging rock or cave.

Pet Rock

Advertising Executive Gary Dahl created the Pet Rock in 1975 as an answer to traditional pets, which he claimed were often messy, costly and misbehaved. At least three tons of stone from Rosarita Beach in Baja, Mexico, were used to create the perfect pets. Each rock came with a carrying case, a bed of straw and a “Pet Rock Training Manual” with helpful articles such as “How to make your Pet Rock roll over and play dead” and “How to house-train your Pet Rock.”

Wrong Turn

Bermuda was settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists, trying to find their way to Virginia.

Slow Learners

Researchers confirm that elephants do, indeed, have remarkable memories. But they counter that pachyderms are very slow learners. In one experiment, an elephant required more than 300 demonstrations before it grasped the difference between two figures: a square and a circle.

Barney's Job

Barney, in “The Flintstones,” didn’t have a regular occupation in the early episodes though he served sporadic stints as both a television repossessor and a geological engineer. The cartoon character eventually settled down, working with Fred at the Slate Rock and Gravel Company (a.k.a. Bedrock Quarry and Gravel).

Tasty

Catfish have taste buds covering their entire surface, even on the fins and tail.

America's Stonehenge

England’s Stonehenge may be America’s most frequently rebuilt, Old World monument. A golf course in Fortine, Mont., claims to be the most accurate replica. Other reproductions include Carhenge in Alliance, Neb., New Mexico’s Stonefridge and Virginia’s recently unveiled Foamhenge. Additional states with Stonehenge memorials include Georgia, Missouri, New Hampshire, Texas and Washington.

To the Point

Vermont has the country’s shortest, functioning, state constitution, only 7,600 words in all.

Only 50

Dr. Seuss’ classic story, “Green Eggs and Ham,” was the author’s answer to a bet that he could not write a book, using no more than 50 words. Count them. Dr. Seuss rose to the challenge.

Thicker than Water

Blood accounts for roughly 7 percent of a person’s body weight.

A Tip

A Charlottesville, Va., study found that men tip better than women. Customers, who pay by credit card, tip better than those who pay cash. And diners, who have been drinking, give the best tips of all.

Slow Digester

Anacondas have very slow digestive systems and may go without eating for long periods, depending on the size of their last meal. At least one Anaconda, in captivity, is known to have gone without anything to eat for two years.

Dog-Food Research

It was dog food research that resulted in one of the country’s best-selling breakfast pastries. When Post found a way to store moist, meaty Gains Burgers without refrigeration, the company quickly applied the new technology to Country Squares, a convenience food for busy American moms, introduced in February 1964. But the squares proved square indeed, never quite catching on with the nation’s consumers. Industry-rival Kellogg’s took notice of the development and introduced its own version just seven months later. They called this new food sensation Pop-Tarts.

Killer Machine

If a vending machine steals your money, let it go. Since 1978, the mechanized contraptions have killed 37 consumers and injured 113 others. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that most of these incidents were the result of people tilting or rocking the machines in an attempt to obtain free beverages or cash.

Miracle in a Can

The Rocket Chemical Company struggled for survival in the 1950s with only one viable product, a rust-prevention solvent and degreaser. But the American manufacturer hit gold in 1961 when its creation, WD-40, was used to help meet the disaster needs of hurricane Carla victims. Since then, the solvent has gone on to even greater deeds. A driver in Asia used the product to remove a python from the undercarriage of his bus. Police officers report in one instance that the spray helped them remove a naked burglar from an air conditioning vent. And four out of every five American homes have at least one of the familiar blue and yellow cans.

Live for Today

It’s common knowledge that a day on earth is shorter than 24 hours — 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.091 seconds to be precise. But even that is an average. Ocean currents, weather patterns and other factors give every day a unique length. There will never be another day like today.

Fan-Club Champions

A lot of rock groups have fan clubs, but the champions, my friends, are members of the British band, “Queen.” Their fans organized in 1973 and are still running about 9,500 strong. The not-so-exclusive group once reached 20,000 members.

Work Is Good for You

Sociologists claim that women, who work outside the home, are healthier than those who do not. But on the average, men’s health declines if their wives work more than 30 hours a week.

Jet Car

Chrysler produced a jet engine for passenger cars and tested the gas-turbine power plant in a 1954 transcontinental trip. Further work resulted in a 140-horsepower engine with strong acceleration and fuel economy of almost 20 miles per gallon. The best part? According to company news releases, the motor required no tune-ups or oil changes and could burn any fuel, including regular gasoline, diesel, peanut oil, kerosene and French perfume. But the jet-powered car of the future never got off the ground. Less than 100 vehicles were built.