Switzerland’s Animal Protection Ordinance, in effect since 2008, mandates that guinea pigs must be kept in pairs or groups.

In the 14th century, Japanese foresters in Kyoto developed daisugi, a technique that allowed multiple straight trunks to grow from a single tree. This was a response to a growing demand for high-quality timber while conserving space in mountainous regions.

The Regal Horned Lizard, found in North America, has developed an unusual way to escape predators. When threatened, it can restrict blood flow from its head, causing pressure to build until small blood vessels near its eyes rupture. This results in a sudden spurt of blood, shooting up to a meter away.

In 2000, miners drilling in the Naica Mine in Chihuahua, Mexico, broke into a cavern unlike anything seen before. Hidden nearly 1,000 feet underground, the cave was filled with massive, transparent selenite crystals, some reaching over 36 feet long and weighing up to 55 tons.

In 1941, as the United States prepared for World War II, the War Department needed a new headquarters to house its growing staff. The original site chosen was Arlington Farms, near Arlington National Cemetery. The location was spacious, but to fit the planned building between existing roads, architects designed a five-sided structure.

During King Charles II’s reign (1660–1685), royal astronomer John Flamsteed complained that ravens interfered with his telescope. Flamsteed wanted them removed, but Charles II, recalling an ancient prophecy, commanded that at least six ravens must always remain.

On October 22, 1895, the Granville–Paris Express, carrying 131 passengers, approached Gare Montparnasse in Paris behind schedule. The driver, aiming to recover lost time, increased speed significantly.

Optatius Buyssens, a Belgian soldier who fought in World War I, owed his survival to six coins he carried in his breast pocket. His great-grandson, Vincent Buyssens, recently uncovered the full story through a family journal.

In the spring of 1927, the Mississippi River overflowed its banks, creating the most devastating flood in U.S. history. By the time the waters receded months later, 27,000 square miles across seven states were submerged.

In 1996, a laboratory mouse became famous for having what appeared to be a human ear on its back. The “ear” was actually a cartilage structure shaped like an ear, grown using cow cartilage cells seeded into a biodegradable mold. The mold was implanted under the mouse’s skin, with an external splint maintaining the ear shape as the cartilage grew.