Sports
The first World Cup had no qualifying rounds
Uruguay hosted in 1930 and simply invited teams. Only four European sides made the weeks-long boat trip across the Atlantic.
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The marathon is 42.195 km because of a royal request
The 1908 London course was stretched so it could start at Windsor Castle and finish in front of the royal box. That odd distance was locked in for good in 1921.
The fastest human ever hit 44.72 km/h
Usain Bolt reached that speed between 60 and 80 metres of his 9.58-second world record. No human has been timed faster on foot.
Someone played golf on the Moon
In 1971 Alan Shepard swung one-handed in a stiff spacesuit during Apollo 14. In one-sixth gravity with no air, the ball sailed far beyond any earthly drive.
Basketball was invented with two peach baskets
James Naismith nailed fruit baskets to a gym balcony in 1891 to keep students active indoors. Someone had to fetch the ball out after every score.
The Olympic torch relay is younger than you think
Ancient Greece had sacred fires, but the cross-country relay from Olympia was invented for the 1936 Berlin Games and kept ever since.
One cricket match lasted twelve days and still had no winner
The 1939 Timeless Test in Durban was played to a finish, until the England team had to leave to catch their ship home.