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Out and About: Spring Fever
We caught a bit of spring fever this month and in our delirium found some of the craziest news stories from around the world. Thought we’d share the insanity for your enjoyment.
Alabama received hundreds of calls in 1998 after its state legislature voted to change the scientific value of Pi (3.14159) to the “Biblical value” of 3.0.
Pluto (back when it was a planet) passed behind Jupiter in 1976, creating a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Earth to experience a decrease in gravitational pull.
Residents in Australia were perturbed when news broke that the country would soon be converting to “metric time.” Under the new system there would be 100 seconds to the minute, 100 minutes to the hour, and 20-hour days.
In 1981, as reported by the Daily Mail, Kimo Nakajimi entered the London Marathon thinking the race was 26 days instead of 26 miles. Many reported Nakajimi running throughout Europe, determined to finish the race.
Lifting off in 1934, German pilot Erich Kocher flew through the air with a device powered solely by his breath. His landing gear? A pair of skis.
Fans of Burger King hailed the announcement of the Left-Handed Whopper in 1998, which had rotated condiments so they would fall off the right side of the bun.
Operation Parallax, first reported by London’s Capital Radio, called for the cancellation of April 5 and 12 in 1979 in order to resynchronize the British calendar with the rest of the world.
Orlando Sentinel in Florida reported on the Tasmanian Mock Walrus, said to be four inches long, resembled a walrus, purred like a cat and had the temperament of a hamster.
Legendary pitcher Sidd Finch, a rookie for the New York Mets, appeared in Sports Illustrated in 1985 after throwing a 168 mph pitch although he had never played baseball. Instead, he learned his craft at a Tibetan monastery.
Swiss farmers excitedly witnessed history in 1957, with the first ever Spaghetti harvest. A mild winter and the absence of the pesky Spaghetti Weevil allowed for the noodles to grow in abundance.
