History Oddities
In the 1800s, this U.S. city had so many roaming pigs that they were once used as an early form of street-cleaning crew.
New York City. Pigs wandered the streets eating garbage before sanitation laws.
Known as the “Queen of Pop,” this Michigan-born superstar has hits like Like a Prayer and Vogue
Maddona
In 1796, this European country declared war on itself by accident due to a clerical mistake in paperwork.
Netherlands
This organ helps digest food and produces a greenish fluid called bile.
liver
This country allows U.S. citizens to stay up to 180 days per year without a visa, one of the longest visa-free periods.
Mexico
During the Middle Ages, some European towns held trials for these animals, accusing them of crimes.
PIGS (they were tried for “murder” or “property damage”!)
This Texas-born singer became a global icon after starting out in Destiny’s Child.
Beyoncé
In 2008, this country passed a law requiring all cats to wear ID tags, so they could be traced if they traveled internationally.
Belgium
The strongest bone in the human body, located in the thigh, is called this.
Femur
In this country, tourists are sometimes issued a visa that lasts only 24 hours for short visits.
Egypt
This U.S. president had a pet alligator… and let it roam freely inside the White House!
John Quincy Adams,
The story suggests it was a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette and lived in the East Room bathroom, this origin is not supported by historical records.
Nicknamed the “Empress of Soul,” she recorded Midnight Train to Georgia.
Gladys Knight
This bizarre international law prohibited whistling in public places in this country to prevent “disturbances of peace.
Switzerland
This part of the human eye gives it color
Iris
To get a visa to this country, applicants must provide a detailed itinerary of their meals.
North Korea
In 1815, Napoleon was attacked during a hunt—not by an army, but by a stampede of these small furry animals.
Rabbits (thousands escaped and charged at him )
Her 1971 album Blue is considered one of the greatest of all time, influencing generations of singer-songwriters.
Joni Mitchell
In 2007, one country banned the import of plastic pink flamingos, claiming it violated a weird law about “offensive lawn decorations.
France
These cells in your blood fight infections and help your body stay healthy.
white blood cells (leukocytes)
In this European country, certain visas require applicants to prove they own at least one cow.
Switzerland (historical agricultural visa)
Before becoming a powerful empire, this country used sea shells as an official form of money.
CHINA (cowrie shells were an early currency)
This Pennsylvania-born singer rose to fame with hits like Problem and Into You, and is also known for her role in Hairspray
Ariana Grande
This South American country was the first to grant asylum to foreign political refugees in its embassies, setting an unusual international precedent.
Ecuador
These tiny bones in your ear are the smallest bones in your body.
ossicles
This island nation requires travelers to pay a “departure tax” before leaving, which is sometimes considered part of the visa process.
FIJI