10 Facts That Break Our Common Notions About the World Around Us (11 photos)

What do an ancient king who formulated parking rules and a Japanese restaurant where waiters forget and mix up orders have in common?





Both of these facts are part of our reality, which often turns out to be more surprising than any fiction. We've collected 10 stories that prove our world is full of absurdities, curiosities, and incredible coincidences. Ready to be amazed?

1. Prison is my home



William Richard Wallace (1881–1989) was an Australian convicted murderer who spent most of his life in the Jay Ward Asylum for the Criminally Insane in Ararat, Victoria. At the time of his death at the age of 107, he was considered the oldest prisoner in history.

Wide publicity surrounding his centenary in 1981 led to a petition for his release, which was eventually granted. However, Wallace refused to leave the institution, reportedly declaring, "Are you mad?! This is my home."

2. Gossip that ruined a clinic's reputation





In 2013, a Virginia resident underwent a routine colonoscopy under general anesthesia. After the surgery, he discovered that a voice recorder had been running the entire time. The phone recorded medical staff making rude and derisive comments about his physical appearance during the procedure.

The outraged patient filed a lawsuit for defamation, medical malpractice, and compensation for emotional distress. Two years later, in 2015, a jury sided with him, finding unprofessional conduct by the medical staff and a breach of medical ethics. The hospital was ordered to pay the victim $500,000 in compensation.

3. The Quadrupedal Woman



Josephine Myrtle Corbin, born in Tennessee in 1868, had a unique anatomy—a double pelvis and four legs. The extra set belonged to her underdeveloped parasitic twin. She became the mother of five children and died a week before her sixtieth birthday.

4. A Failed Method to Cleanse the Soul



In 2009, a Tennessee resident, near death after a heart attack and convinced he was dying, confessed to the murder of a woman committed in 1995. However, he survived and attempted to recant, but the confession still led to his trial and punishment. Until that moment, there was no real evidence of his guilt until he provided it in such an unexpected way.

5. An Unstable Island as a Subject of Dispute



In the Mediterranean Sea, there is a sunken island called Ferdinandea, which has surfaced only four or five times since the Punic Wars. During its last reappearance in 1831, the island became the subject of a territorial dispute between European powers until it sank again the following year.

6. A Tradition Worthy of Respect



In Japan, there's a restaurant called "Order Mistake Restaurant," staffed by people with dementia.

7. A Reliable Pioneer



The first internet router, called the IMP 1, was the size of a telephone booth.

8. Eternal Life



Lobsters don't age in the traditional sense. Unlike other animals, they grow continuously, retain the ability to reproduce, and don't weaken over time. Theoretically, they could live forever if they didn't die accidentally.

9. An Unexpected, but Effective Punishment for Parking Illegally



King Sennacherib, who ruled ancient Assyria from 704 to 681 BC, introduced some of the first parking regulations in history. Signs prohibiting chariot parking were erected along the main road in the capital, Nineveh. The penalty for violating this rule was death, followed by the hanging of the body for public display at the entrance to the offender's home.

10. Connection between the playing partner and the horse's loin



The French term "croupier," known today as a casino position, originally had a very different meaning.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, a croupier was a gambling partner who literally "sat on the rump"—that is, sat behind the main player, supporting them financially or offering advice. This metaphor drew a direct analogy to a horseman, behind whom a second person might sit.

Over time, the croupier's role evolved: from a player's confidant, he became a representative of the casino—the one who runs the game and ensures compliance with the rules. But historically, his name still evokes an unexpected image: a horse's butt.