STRANGE BUT TRUE

It was noted 20th-century English historian A.J.P. Talyor who made the following sage observation: “Conformity may give you a quiet life; it may even bring you to a University Chair. But all change in history, all advance, comes from the nonconformists. If there had been no troublemakers, no dissenters, we should still be living in caves.”

Those who study such things say that the typical raccoon weighs twice as much in September as it does in March, at the end of the long, lean winter.

Standard Oil of Louisiana, USA opened the first gasoline superstation in 1912 in Memphis, Tennessee. It offered 13 pumps and a maid who served ice water to customers. On opening day, a gallon of gas cost $0.29.

You might be surprised to learn that Cirque du Soleil, the largest theatrical producer in the world, was founded by two street performers who never completed high school.

Iconic actress Marilyn Monroe spent much of her childhood in foster homes and an orphanage, and her troubled life has been much publicised. Considering her struggles with depression, anxiety and addiction, it should not be surprising that Monroe’s will named a mental-health research, training and treatment centre dedicated to helping children, as a beneficiary.

A global survey of people’s vacuuming habits finds that more than 60 per cent of vacuumers in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and Chile listen to music while performing that chore – more than anywhere else in the world.