The heart of an adult blue whale weighs about 2,000 pounds and is about 9 feet wide.

According to historians Walter Schiedel and Steven Friesen, at the height of Ancient Rome in around 150 B.C., the top 1% of Roman society controlled 16% of the wealth, less than half of what today’s America’s top 1% control.

Artist and muse Rebecca Strand, the wife of early 20th century modernist photographer Paul Strand, was also Georgia O’Keeffe’s lover. Her father was Buffalo Bill Cody’s business partner.

Wilt Chamberlain accompanied Richard Nixon to the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Buddy Sorrell, the wisecracking joke writer on The Dick Van Dyke Show played by Morey Amsterdam, was based on Mel Brooks.

This article appears in January 27 • 2012.

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.

SUPPORT US