Tylenol Killed 7 People
A pretty commonly ingested pain reliever, no one expects to keel over after popping a Tylenol or two, but in 1982, seven people met their deaths after purchasing and taking Tylenol from different drugstores in the Chicago area.
The strange and shocking incidences were investigated only to reveal that the Tylenol pills in question had been laced with cyanide! Ever wonder why there’s so much protective packaging on over-the-counter pills? The culprit for this seemingly random act of violence remains unknown to this day.
A Mummy Went on Tour Once
As if traveling carnivals weren’t strange enough, one carnival on wheels actually transported a mummy for over forty years! This somewhat terrifying touring corpse was once the body of a bandit from Oklahoma named Elmer McCurdy.
He was mummified after he died in 1911 and somehow ended up on the carnival circuit all the way from 1920 up until 1976 when his body was finally put to rest. Most of us probably hope to stay in one place after death, but McCurdy sure did move around a lot for someone who wasn’t breathing!
The CIA Produced a Pornographic Movie
We’re not sure who, but somebody who was a member of the CIA had a grand scheme to produce a pornographic film that featured a man who looked a lot like an Indonesian general they were investigating.
They had a plan to distribute the dirty film around Indonesia in order to frame and shame the general. Luckily someone had the better judgment not to go through with this risque plan.
Gatorade is Named After a Mascot
In 1965 a group of researchers worked to develop a drink that would help athletes improve their performance and replenish their electrolytes throughout gameplay.
You may have already guessed it, but the team the researchers used in their trials was the Florida Gators of the University of Florida—hence the name Gatorade.
A Man Went to Trial for Giving the Elderly Twinkies
Oddly enough, a politician in Minneapolis got himself in quite the predicament after serving Twinkies during a campaign even in 1985. He was running for City Council and was holding an event, especially for the elderly. Along with various other snacks, the man served Twinkies at the event, which apparently was a major faux-pas.
He had to go to trial for the snack serving scandal and though he wasn’t found guilty of anything, a new law was passed under campaign finance law banning Twinkies from campaign events in Minnesota.