During the 18th century, you could pay your admission to the zoo in London by bringing a cat or a dog to feed the lions.Source

Sri Lanka has a Ministry and Minister of Coconut Development.Source

When telephones first came into commercial use you had to whistle loudly into the receiver to get the other person's attention, as telephone bells hadn't been invented yet.Source

In Japan, '39' is common text speak for 'thank you', due to how 3 (san) and 9 (kyu) sound when spoken out loud.Source

King Louis XIX had the shortest reign of any king by abdicating after 20 minutes.Source

When Southwest began using the motto "Just Plane Smart," Stevens Aviation, which had been using "Plane Smart," advised of infringing its trademark. Instead of a lawsuit, the CEOs staged an arm wrestling match. The loser paid to a charity of his choice and the winner claimed the …

All US astronauts are required to learn Russian as part of their extensive training, and have to be able to run the ISS using Russian-language training manuals if necessary.Source

Every November in South Korea, there's a day where everyone makes silence to help students concentrate for their most important exam of their lives. Planes are grounded, constructions are paused, banks close and even military training ceases. This day is called Suneung.Source

Mitsubishi logo is based on the literal translation of the words in Japanese. Mitsubishi translates to "three diamonds".Source

Astronauts can grow up to 2" taller during their time in space due to the elongation of their spine in microgravity.Source