Matthias Buchinger was a German artist, magician, calligrapher, and performer who was born without hands or feet and was 2'5" (74 cm.) tall. Buchinger was especially noted for his micrography, in which illustrations consist of very small text.
The MV Lyubov Orlova was a Soviet-built cruise ship that gained notoriety not for its voyages, but for its strange and mysterious fate after being abandoned at sea. Constructed in 1976 in Yugoslavia and named after the famed Russian actress Lyubov Orlova, the ship initially served as a luxury liner for expeditions in polar regions, ferrying passengers to destinations like Antarctica. For decades, it operated as a charter vessel, but financial troubles caught up with the ship, and it was seized in 2010 in Canada due to unpaid debts. In 2013, after sitting docked for years, the Lyubov Orlova was sold for scrap in the Dominican Republic. During its tow from Canada, the ship broke free from its tug in rough seas near Newfoundland. Efforts to secure it failed, and the derelict vessel drifted into international waters. Declared a hazard to navigation, it was to be monitored, but over time, tracking ceased, and the ship effectively disappeared.
The gyro monorail is a single rail land vehicle that uses the gyroscopic action of a spinning wheel to overcome the inherent instability of balancing on top of a single rail.
The Bond Bug is a wedge-shaped microcar, with a lift-up canopy and side screens instead of conventional doors.
August Engelhardt (1875–1919) was a German visionary and founder of the "Sonnenorden" (Sun Order) community, known for his radical beliefs in natural living and the worship of the sun. Born in Nuremberg, Germany, Engelhardt studied economics and philosophy before embarking on a journey that would lead him to the South Pacific. Inspired by the writings of August Hermann Niemeyer and his own interpretations of Nietzschean philosophy, Engelhardt developed a fervent belief in the healing and spiritual powers of sunlight and a fruitarian diet. In 1902, he established the Sonnenorden community on the island of Kabakon in German New Guinea (now part of Papua New Guinea). Engelhardt's community aimed to create a utopian society based on principles of natural living, sun worship, and a strict fruitarian diet. Members of the Sonnenorden lived in harmony with nature, eschewing clothing and consuming only coconuts and other fruits. Despite initial enthusiasm, the community faced numerous challenges, including conflicts with local indigenous populations and the harsh realities of tropical living. Engelhardt's unwavering commitment to his beliefs eventually led to his downfall. In 1913, German authorities intervened and forcibly removed him from Kabakon, citing concerns for his health and the welfare of his followers. Engelhardt returned to Germany, where he continued to advocate for his unconventional lifestyle until his death in 1919.
The lluvia de peces is a phenomenon that has been occurring yearly for more than a century in Yoro, Honduras, in which fish are said to fall from the sky. It occurs up to four times in a year. The explanation generally offered for the rain of fish is meteorological, often speculated to be strong winds or waterspouts, as is commonly proposed when attempting to explain similar occurrences of raining animals.
Dong Tao chicken is a rare Vietnamese chicken breed with enlarged feet, that originates from the village Đông Tảo in Khoái Châu District near Hanoi. Dong Tao chickens are valued as a delicacy in Vietnam, and they were once bred exclusively to be served to the royal family and mandarins. They are difficult to breed as their large legs make hatching difficult, and they are also sensitive to changes in temperature. Hens often break the eggs with their bulky legs, so eggs are usually kept in an incubator.
Shirime is a strange yōkai (supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore) with an eye in the place of his anus. Although Shirime appears to have a very startling appearance, it does not mean to harm people. Its joy comes from scaring people.
Fin Fin on Teo the Magic Planet is a 1996 computer game for Windows-based computers made by Fujitsu about a creature that is a hybrid of a bird and a dolphin which the user can communicate with via a microphone which came with the game, as well as with a webcam add-on called the SmartSensor. If he is not fed or paid enough attention, he would sing a sad whistling song or sometimes fly away.
Théâtrophone ("the theatre phone") was a telephonic distribution system available in portions of Europe that allowed the subscribers to listen to opera and theatre performances over the telephone lines. The théâtrophone evolved from a Clément Ader invention, which was first demonstrated in 1881, in Paris. Subsequently, in 1890, the invention was commercialized by Compagnie du Théâtrophone, which continued to operate until 1932.