Bea Arthur from the Golden Girls was a US Marine!

Beatrice “Bea” Arthur is perhaps best known for her role as the sharp tongued Dorothy in “The Golden Girls,” yet few people know that she had a very interesting past. Born in 1922, Arthur would go on to become a TV legend winning two Emmy Awards and a Tony Award, all after patriotically serving her country. 

Arthur routinely denied serving in the military, yet after her death records were released which proved that the actress served for 30 months during World War II. 

Enlisting at the age of 21 in 1943 under the name Bernice Frankel, she began as a typist and truck driver before being promoted from private to staff sergeant. While in the Marines, she married Robert Arthur, which is when she changed her name. 

No one is sure why exactly she denied serving in the military, but most believe it was to cover a charge of misconduct for which she was honorably discharged in 1944. 

Arthur pursued her acting career beginning in 1947, yet regardless of the reason for her discharge, she proved herself to be one tough cookie! 

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Unlike most cats, tigers love the water.

Chances are, at some point in your life, you’ve seen what happens when a house cat gets wet. It’s no secret that cats aren’t fond of the water, even though they can swim just fine. 

Tigers love the water mostly because of the climate they live in. The same goes for lions, jaguars, ocelots, and jaguarundi. These animals all live hot climates, and so they enjoy taking dips in cold water.

Snow leopards, lynx, bobcats, and cougars all hate the water because they live in colder climates. They have little interest in getting wet because water damages the ability of a cat’s fur to keep the cat warm, serving only the purpose of making them cold.

House cats generally have the same problem because they often live in temperate settings. Tigers like to submerge themselves in nearby lakes and streams, and sometimes stay in for an hour.

Tigers almost never have their heads under water, because they don’t like getting water in their eyes and nostrils. To avoid this, they typically get in the water backwards and keep their heads above water. Water is actually the primary cooling device tigers use.

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There's an all diamond ring that's worth $68 million!

Swiss jeweler Shawish are touting what they're calling the world's first diamond ring. It's not just that it's got a big rock on top, the whole thing is made of a cut and finished diamond. If you're curious check out the 10 most expensive celebrity engagement rings.

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The narrow pass from 300 was used by British armies in WWII to defend against Nazis!

The pass of Thermopylae is a real place that the 300 greeks used to mount their heroic stand against the invading Persian armies. The pass is thought to have been only 100 meters wide and provides a natural defensive opportunity against invading forces. 

While the area doesn't look the same as it used to (in the movie it shows how it used to be near a sea, now the sea has retreated), it is still a great natural place to make a defensive stand. In World War II, British Commonwealth forces were able to make a successful defensive stand against Nazi forces just a few feet from the original battlefield!

In 1941, Australian and New Zealander brigades were ordered to hold the pass, allowing other brigades to evacuate the area safely. The end result was a success: Nazi forces lost many people, and 15 tanks. The maneuver was a success, with all brigades, including the two left behind, being able to evacuate the area.

Read more on it here.

Michael Moore was the first 18-year old to become an elected official. His platform? Fire his high school principal!

He was in High School during the Vietnam War. At the time, a constitutional amendment had recently that allowed 18-21 year olds to vote and run for office. At some point, Michael Moore got fed up with his principal and wanted to get rid of him. He decided that the best way to get rid of his high-school principal was to run for office, become his boss and fire him. He ended up winning and 9 months later, he did just that. 

He did a whole lot of other things while in office. In fact, 2 years after he won, there was a special election called to vote on whether or not he should be removed from the board of education. Check out his story here.