What was the shortest official jail sentence ever imposed on someone?

I am always, always grateful to my readers and friends who fact-check me, because the most important thing to me about this column is keeping the facts correct. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that mummies were propped up at ancient Egyptian banquets to remind the party-goers that death was always nearby. After reading that, a dear friend of mine who does a lot of travel to Egypt checked with a source there, because things about Egypt always catch her eye and she likes to know about them. Asked if the ancient Egyptians actually did that, her source replied, “Not really.” So there you are; banquets in ancient Egypt didn’t feature mummies as guests. I stand corrected, and happily do so.

Catch me in a goof? E-mail me and let me know! Now, for the trivia you want!

Did you know…

…banana trees do not exist? Bananas grow on herbs, not trees. (You say tomato, I say – well, I say tomato too, but you get it.)

…the surface of the Earth is about 60% water and 10% ice? (Yeah, but what’s the other 30%, huh? Oh. Land. Right.)

…one of the world’s most beloved children’s authors never had children of his own? Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991), known to all as Dr. Seuss, though married twice, never had any kids of his own. In fact, Geisel admitted on more than one occasion that he was terrified of children.

…it is illegal to sing “the Alphabet Song” on the streets of Topeka, Kansas, at night? (Especially if you sing it off key.)

…the first printed reference to a Christmas tree dates back to 1531? That was in Germany. The first known decorated Christmas trees were in 1510 in the city of Riga, Latvia. (Oh, Christmas Tree…)

…a lost wallet is more likely to be returned if it has a photograph of a baby in it? A study conducted in 2009 showed that 88% of wallets with a baby’s photo in it were returned. That figure was followed by a return of 53% of wallets with a puppy’s photo … 48% of wallets with a family photo… and 28% of wallets with an elderly couple’s photo were returned. The “control” group of wallets with no photo had a 15% return rate. (By the way, where is my wallet?)

…the shortest official jail sentence ever imposed was one minute? Joseph Munch (1874-1907), a soldier who had become extremely disorderly while drunk off duty in Seattle in August of 1905, was brought before a municipal court judge on the charge. The judge sentenced Munch to a $100 fine and 30 days behind bars, but he appealed to King County Superior Court – whose judge, Archibald Frater (1856-1925), reduced the sentence to exactly one minute. Munch was dutifully hauled off to the hoosegow, where he sat in a locked cell while the second hand on the jailer’s watch made one sweep around – and Munch was released. It had taken six months of litigation to award a one-minute jail term. Sadly, Munch did not learn his lesson from his all-too-brief time in the pokey. The following year, while departing Fort Lawton on the troop transport USS Buford, Munch assaulted a sergeant, who shot him dead in self-defense. (And they say jail changes people… maybe not?)

…karma has a way of making things even? Consider the case of Vera Czermak of Prague, Czech Republic. In 1978, Vera learned that her husband had been unfaithful to her. Initially she contemplated murder, but then decided she would commit suicide. Vera proceeded to jump out of a third-story window … and landed right on top of her philandering husband, who was standing on the sidewalk below. Vera was injured but survived; her husband, however, died. (And that, as they say, was that.)

…elephants are pretty big eaters? Yes, there’s a joke in there, but that’s not where I’m heading. They are able to consume up to 300 pounds of hay and 60 gallons of water in a single day. (And that ain’t hay.)

…the familiar layout of a computer or typewriter keyboard hides a sinister truth? Originally, keyboards were laid out alphabetically. But early typists were so fast that the keyboard we use today, called the “Qwerty,” was designed to slow them down. (Which just goes to show that hard work isn’t always rewarded, after all.)

…a U.S. President owned an amphibious car? Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973), who served as 36th President, used to enjoy surprising guests at his ranch in Texas with the Amphicar – a vehicle which could operate on land as well as water. Johnson would drive down a hill in the vehicle and claim the brakes had failed, and run into a lake – where the car became a boat. It is not recorded how his terrified passengers eventually felt about the incidents. (Oh, that Lyndon, he was such a joker.)

…the most common bird in the world is one you probably haven’t seen? We here in America would tend to think that sparrows or blue jays are the most common birds, but they are not. It’s actually the red-billed quelea – but chances are very good that you’ve never seen one. They live in Africa. Scientists say there are about 1.5 billion of them.

…when you chew, you only move your lower jaw? Of course. Your upper jaw is part of your skull and does not move independently. (Duh.)

…you may be a victim of otophobia? If you are, it means you have a fear of light and generally keep your eyes closed. (I could see that… or maybe I can’t.)

…the sight of meat is known to calm men down? (Yeah!)

Now… you know!

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