The father of the modern Olympics won one gold medal- in literature.

Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin was a French educator and historian, and is credited as the founder of the International Olympic Committee and the modern Olympic Games. It was in 1889 when Coubertin started reviving the Olympic Games as an international competition. He spent five years organizing an international meeting of athletes and sports enthusiasts to try and make the new Olympics a reality.

As you may already know, Coubertin’s hard work came to fruition when the 1896 Athens Olympic Games took place- the first “new” Olympics. As the Olympics progressed through the years, they were for a time expanded to include Art Competitions. This lasted from 1912 to 1948, and on the very first year they were introduced, Coubertin won the gold medal for literature for his poem Ode to Sport.

(Source)

'Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe...' originally had a racial slur in it!

Today, most of us are familiar with it. “Eeny, meeny, miney, moe, catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers let him go. Eeny, meeny, miney, moe.” The old children’s rhyme is almost the same except for a few variations. You might be more familiar with “if he squeals, let him go.” The biggest change, however, is how the word “tiger” wasn’t part of the original. It was actually the N word.

Some scholars assert that it wasn’t actually meant to be against African-Americans, but was a remark against the devil, because prior to modern times he was envisioned as black instead of red. Many other sources have rejected this claim, however, as it seems outlandish that the use of the word would refer to the devil iven the historical context. In fact, some African American people have even filed lawsuits.

Recently, two African Americans were offended when “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, pick a seat, it’s time to go” was recited by a Southwest Airlines attendant, and (unsuccessfully) took it to court.

(Source)

In the Balkans, 2 beers have fierce competing fanbases. The rivalry is fake: they're both made by the same company!

There are two major beers in Slovenia: Lasko and Union. Loyalty to the beers is often compared to loyalty to a baseball team in the US- people take it seriously. If you like Lasko and say it in a Union pub, you can expect a response similar to expressing your enthusiasm for the Giants in Oakland.

Union apparently has a more full, balanced flavor, while Lasko is lighter, more thirst quenching, and contains more hops. The interesting thing is that despite the major followings behind both beers, they’re owned by the same company. Why they would manufacture such diehard loyalty should be pretty obvious- competition is great for your market, and even better when you profit from whichever good in the market is doing best. You can read all about how the two beers are related.

(Source)

Queen Elizabeth II is descended from the Prophet Muhammad.

It brings a whole new meaning to “God Save The Queen.” According to Burke’s Peerage, the genealogical guide to royalty, Queen Elizabeth II is descended from Muhammad, prophet of Islam. The revelation came about when the publishing director of Burke’s asked Great Britain’s then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for better security for the royal family.

Revealing that the Queen was descended from Muhammad, the publishing director said ”The royal family’s direct descent from the prophet Mohammed cannot be relied upon to protect the royal family forever from Moslem terrorists.” The connection was a surprise to many, so he also added “It is little known by the British people that the blood of Mohammed flows in the veins of the queen. However, all Moslem religious leaders are proud of this fact.”

Apparently, the British royal family is descended from Muhammad through the Arab kings of Seville, who once ruled Spain. Through marriage, their blood passed through the European kings of Portugal and Castille, until it reached King Edward IV in the 15th century, where it has descended since.

(Source)

Washington State's original name was Columbia. It was changed to avoid confusion with the District of Columbia.

In what was clearly the smartest move in history until Netflix’s ill-fated decision to divide into two companies to remedy its price hike, the state of Columbia was changed to Washington so that people wouldn’t confuse it with Washington, DC. Washington is officially named as such after George Washington, the first president of the United States. It’s also the only state to be named after a president.

Today, to avoid mixing it up with Washington, DC, it’s often called Washington State, while Washington, DC, is often just called DC. Originally, it was named Columbia, after the Columbia river, but it was renamed not long after. It's not really clear how the name change would accomplish a distinction. Maybe they should have named it after another president. 

(Source)