Eleanor Roosevelt was said to eat chocolate-covered garlic every day to improve her memory.

The characters of Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street were named after Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver in Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life.

Vegas showmen Sigfried and Roy met while working on the German ocean liner Bremen.

Rats were once used as currency on Easter Island. When they got too worn to trade, they were taken out of circulation by ingestion.

One of the Titanic‘s four smokestacks was fake.


The above is information which Mr. Smarty Pants read in a book, a magazine, or the newspaper; heard on the radio; saw on television; or overheard at a party. Got any facts? Leave a message for Mr. Smarty Pants, at 454-5766, ext. 226 for possible inclusion in the column. E-mail: mrpants@auschron.com

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.