FROM KING FEATURES WEEKLY SERVICE, 300 W. 57th STREET, 15th FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10019 
CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT. 257   
STRANGE BUT TRUE #12345_20261005  
FOR RELEASE Oct. 5, 2026
BYLINE: By Lucie Winborne  
---
* In ancient Egyptian mummification, onions were sometimes used to fill body cavities, even serving on occasion as false eyes.
* About 90% of all harvested olives are turned into olive oil.
* Fijian war chief Ratu Udre Udre holds the rather dubious distinction of being the most active cannibal in recorded history, with a reported consumption of between 872 and 999 people during his lifetime.
* Teenagers naturally experience a biological shift that causes them to fall asleep later than adults.
* The red poinsettia originated in Mexico and is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States ambassador to Mexico in the early 19th century.
* Shells and stones on the ritual blades used by the Aztecs symbolized the faces of the gods for which the hearts of sacrificed individuals were intended, with such rituals claiming between 10,000-15,000 people per year.
* Sheep only have teeth in their lower jaw and use a hard upper palate to break down food.
* Every second, the sun delivers about 173,000 terawatts of energy to Earth, which is more than 10,000 times the amount of power used by humans.
* Although English is the country's most widely spoken language, the United States has never designated an official language at the federal level, though some states have at their level.
* The video game industry consistently brings in more money than Hollywood.
* Long before the Nazis adopted it, the swastika was an ancient religious symbol associated with good fortune, spirituality and prosperity. Versions of it have appeared across India, China, Greece and other ancient civilizations for centuries.
* Basketball shorts were short until 1984, when Michael Jordan petitioned the NBA for longer ones.
***
Thought for the Day: "Civilizations should be measured by the degree of diversity attained and the degree of unity retained." -- W.H. Auden
(c) 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.
