Really TRUE odd factoids

[classic33]

Easter Island
Current population, approximately 6,000
Area, approximately 60 square miles
In an ocean of approximately 60,000,000 square miles.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Malta has a total of 359 churches, nearly one for every day of the year. With an area of only 316 square kilometres, the country's "church density" is slightly more than 1 church per square km

 

[Eziemnaik]

Malta has a total of 359 churches, nearly one for every day of the year. With an area of only 316 square kilometres, the country's "church density" is slightly more than 1 church per square km

Surly, only Vatican can surpass these numbers?

 

[classic33]

On the related Jack Jones point I understand that MI5 gave him the all clear in 1970.

IF they were both soviet agents I trust their runner was given a bad review/sent for a refresher course in Siberia. Some other defector also claimed that Wilson was a soviet agent. I don't think that is given much credence.

Oleg Gordievsky was Michael Foots "handler", who when the last time this claim hit the headlines, again, was promoting his own book about his part in all of this.

 

[Blue Hills]

Oleg Gordievsky was Michael Foots "handler", who when the last time this claim hit the headlines, again, was promoting his own book about his part in all of this.

by this you mean that he may not have had his honest injun spy hat on at the time?
The independent on this.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/the-sorry-tale-of-agent-boot-1574439.html

there's also at least one other independent article which also rather poo poos this tale.

 

[Profpointy]

The island nation Kiribati rings in the new year first. Kiribati, also known as Christmas Island, is located in the Central Pacific.

...while American Samoa is one of the last places to ring in the new year. American Samoa is actually the second to last place to celebrate the new year behind Baker and Howland Island, which are both uninhabited. Some tourists take advantage of the time difference by flying from Samoa to American Samoa to celebrate twice!

What about "August Bank Holiday Island". It's half way between Easter Island and Christmas Island as everyone knows

 

[Profpointy]

Can't remember but it was different tech.
Not full cellular.
There were four players in that odd market which lasted hardly any time - basically because it was so limited.
Generally you could only make calls, not receive them.
You got yourself to within near range of a base station, typically a newsagents or whatever, and then called. Standing still.
You still see the old signs sometimes.

Rabbitt phones were the classic case of too early technology, and were indeed sold by the company that become Orange. There was a thriving market amongst the staff to get hold of Rabbitt phones to use as cordless house phones, for which they were excellent, after the Rabbit network had been turned off and we'd launched Orange proper.

I seem to remember the big chief had been sent over to close down the company (pagers and Rabbitt) but after being in the UK a while he saw an opportunity and persuaded the Hong Kong parent company to give him several billion quid to launch Orange instead.

 

[Dave7]

Haggis is, apparently, of English origin as the 1st recorded mention of it is English.
Now, why anyone wants to eat it is a subject of its own

 

[matticus]

Easter Island
Current population, approximately 6,000
Area, approximately 60 square miles
In an ocean of approximately 60,000 square mile.

That *sounds* lovely ... but I'd query the ocean area. It's almost 1,000 miles to the nearest islands, so that 1,000,000 square miles already.
[my sums may be wrong, of course!]

 

[Beebo]

That *sounds* lovely ... but I'd query the ocean area. It's almost 1,000 miles to the nearest islands, so that 1,000,000 square miles already.
[my sums may be wrong, of course!]

He missed three zeros off the end.
It’s 63,000,000 sq miles.

 

[matticus]

Surly, only Vatican can surpass these numbers?

I think Venice is also in with a shout. World leaders at cramming really old buildings together on small islands.

 

[Chris S]

In 2004, a kangaroo named Lulu was given the RSPCA Australia National Animal Valour Award, for alerting the family of a man who was trapped under a fallen tree branch.

View: https://youtu.be/4dXOTFvVWkQ?t=120

 

[Tribansman]

Michael J Fox's middle name is Andrew

 

[Drago]

Michael J Fox is, despite the name, not a fox.

 

[matticus]

Michael J Fox is, despite the name, not a fox.

I think that's a very subjective opinion. Have you not seen him in a padded gilet??

Let's stick to facts, like this:

Michael J Fox's middle name is Andrew

which I did not know