Strange BUT TRUE

• A swarm of 20,000 bees followed a car for two days because their queen was inside the vehicle. The insects were removed by a beekeeper after the car was parked, but were back the next day, as the queen was still inside.

• Peter Ostrum, who portrayed Charlie Bucket in the original “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” declined the offer of a three-picture deal and bought a horse with his movie earnings. His resulting love for animals led him to pursue a career not as an actor, but a veterinarian.

• During World War II, Coca-Cola

wanted soldiers to have a taste of home and opened bottling plants near Europe. However, the soda was synonymous with the States, making it problematic for non-Americans to be seen drinking it, especially in the Soviet Union where it was viewed as a symbol of American imperialism. Soviet Gen. Marshal Georgy Zhukov, a fan who didn’t want to be seen consuming it himself, appealed to the company to make a clear version. A chemist at the Austrian bottling plant obliged by removing the drink’s coloring, after which “White Coke” was bottled in clear glass with a white cap and red star.

• “Jeopardy” fan Cindy Stowell dreamed nearly her entire life of being a contestant on the show. In 2016 she successfully auditioned and

became a six-time champion even while battling Stage 4 cancer during filming. Sadly, she didn’t live to see her episodes air, but her $103,000 in winnings was donated to cancer organizations.

• “Alice in Wonderland” author Lewis Carroll wasn’t the best at personal finance. Sure, he paid his debts on time, but would also often overdraft upwards of 7,500 pounds sterling — in spite of being a mathematics scholar at Oxford!

• The Vatican Bank is the world’s only bank that allows ATM users to perform transactions in Latin.

Thought for the Day: “Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo.” — Jon Sinclair

(c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.