Fun Facts That Are

In 1986, Cleveland released 1.5 million balloons to set a world record. A storm pushed them back down. They clogged Lake Erie, shut down a Coast Guard search for two missing boaters who drowned, caused a horse stampede, and triggered so many 911 calls about UFOs that the system crashed. The city was sued for years. The record was never officially recognised.

Jesse Dimmick broke into a Kansas couple's home while fleeing a homicide, held them at knifepoint, then fell asleep. They escaped. He was convicted of kidnapping. Then he sued them for $235,000, claiming they'd made an oral contract to hide him from police. The judge threw it out.

Before painting happy little trees, Bob Ross spent 20 years in the US Air Force as a Master Sergeant. He was the guy who screamed at you, made you scrub latrines, made you make your bed. When he left, he vowed to never raise his voice again. That's why he whispered.

Kevin Costner was offered the lead in The Shawshank Redemption. He turned it down because he was committed to Waterworld. Shawshank became the highest-rated film in IMDb history. Waterworld became Hollywood's most expensive punchline.

In 2005, a 12-year-old Ethiopian girl was kidnapped by seven men who intended to force her into marriage. When police and relatives found her a week later, three lions were standing guard around her. The kidnappers were gone. A wildlife expert said the girl's crying may have sounded like a mewing lion cub, which could explain why they protected her instead of attacking. The lions left quietly as the humans approached.

In 2009, Wells Fargo held both the first and second mortgage on a Florida condo. When it needed to foreclose, Florida law required it to sue all lien holders, including itself. So Wells Fargo hired one law firm to file the lawsuit against Wells Fargo, and a second law firm to defend Wells Fargo against Wells Fargo.

John Travolta was offered the lead in Forrest Gump but turned it down for Pulp Fiction. Both films were nominated for Best Picture in 1994. Travolta was nominated for Best Actor. He lost the award to Tom Hanks - playing the exact role he had turned down.

A 13-year-old Boy Scout got lost near Yellowstone. He spent 18 hours alone in rain and sleet. When a helicopter appeared, he used his belt buckle to flash sunlight at the pilot. The pilot was Harrison Ford. He'd volunteered for the search. Ford landed and said: "Boy, you sure must have earned a merit badge for this one." The kid: "I already earned this badge last summer."

Violet Jessop was on the RMS Olympic when it collided with a warship. She survived. She was on the Titanic when it hit an iceberg. She survived. She was on the Britannic when it hit a mine. She survived. Three sister ships, three disasters, one woman on all of them. She kept going back to sea. Died at 83 — on dry land.

Virginia inmate Robert Lee Brock sued himself for $5 million. His argument: getting drunk violated his own civil rights and caused him to commit crimes. Since he couldn't work in prison, he asked the state to pay on his behalf. The judge called his legal theory "innovative" then ruled it "totally ludicrous."

In 1992, Jim Carrey was a broke, struggling comedian. He drove to a hilltop overlooking Hollywood and wrote himself a check for $10 million. He dated it Thanksgiving 1995 and wrote "for acting services rendered" in the memo line. He kept it in his wallet for years. Just before that date, he was paid $10 million for Dumb and Dumber. When his father died, Carrey slipped the deteriorated check into his coffin.

Since 1966, the Swedish city of Gavle has built a giant straw Christmas goat in the town square. Arsonists have burned it down 43 out of 60 years. The city tried guards, CCTV, fences, and fireproofing. In 2005, attackers dressed as Santa and a Gingerbread Man shot it with flaming arrows. In 1976, an American tourist burned it down and told police he thought it was a tradition.