By R.U. Steinberg

AUGUST 24, 1998: 

Meg Ryan was a high school cheerleader.

Contrary to popular belief, penguins do occur in the northern hemisphere. The equator runs through the northern end of Isabela Island in the Galapagos, and the Galapagos penguin ranges all the way to the north tip of the island.

Shakespeare's plays and poems contain over 30,000 different words. The King James Bible contains only about 8,000.

The word "factoid" was apparently coined by Norman Mailer in 1973 in the sense "something fictitious or unsubstantiated presented as a fact, that is accepted as true because of its constant repetition in the media."

Libra is the only zodiacal sign represented by an inanimate object.

The above is information which Mr. Smarty Pants read in a book, a magazine, or the newspaper; heard on the radio; saw on television; or overheard at a party.

Got any facts? Email Mr. Smarty Pants at mrpants@auschron.com

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