Facts You Probably don’t Need

• Penicillin was originally nicknamed “mold juice” by the scientists studying it.

• The famous MGM lion’s roar is trademarked.

• Brad Pitt injured his Achilles tendon while playing Achilles in the film “Troy.”

• Irish pubs were once legally required to close on St. Patrick’s Day. Ireland didn’t allow pubs to open on the holiday until 1961.

• Bananas glow blue under ultraviolet (black) light because of compounds that form as they ripen.

• Tennis balls were originally white but were changed to bright yellow in the 1970s so they’d be easier to see on television.

• In the first FIFA World Cup in 1930, a one-armed Argentine player named Héctor Castro scored the winning goal in the final.

• The inventor of the microwave oven, Percy Spencer, received a $2 bonus from his employer for the discovery.

          Facts by Sean McVeigh, factologist.