Facts You Probably don’t Need

• John Quincy Adams was nominated by President James Madison and confirmed by the Senate for a seat on the Supreme Court while he was in St. Petersburg serving as minister to Russia. He declined the position.

• The world record for holding one’s breath underwater is over 24 minutes, achieved by Budimir Šobat in 2021.

• Flamingos are born gray or white and turn pink over time because of pigments in their diet.

• The average lifespan of a Tyrannosaurus rex was likely around 30 years.

• On Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, methane falls from the sky as rain.

• During his lifetime, Vincent van Gogh is believed to have sold only one painting.

• After Steve Carell left “The Office,” James Gandolfini was reportedly offered the role of Michael Scott, but turned it down.

• There are more possible chess games than atoms in the observable universe.

          Facts by Sean McVeigh, factologist.