Latest Oddities News
Krakow's fire-spitting dragon sculpture will hold its breath for a fuel-saving checkup
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — An iconic metal sculpture of a dragon that spits real fire in the Polish city of Krakow will hold its breath for a month to check why it's been devouring so much fuel lately, authorities said Wednesday. Starting this week, experts will check the gas feeds for...
Man killed by stray weight at Colorado track and field meet remembered as dedicated husband, dad
A spectator killed by an errant weight in a hammer throw event at a youth track and field meet was a dedicated father and husband with a great sense of humor, relatives said. The accident Sunday at the Colorado United Track Club meet at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs...
Man says he was behind some of the viral googly eyes on public art in Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A resident of the central Oregon city of Bend says he was the person behind some of the googly eyes that appeared on sculptures around the city in recent months and sparked a viral sensation widely covered by news outlets. Jeff Keith, founder of a Bend-based...
Visitors flock to New York botanic garden for a whiff of a flower that smells like a rotting corpse
NEW YORK (AP) — One by one, visitors to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden pulled out their phones snap pictures of the rare blooming plant before leaning in to brave a whiff of its infamously putrid scent, which resembles that of rotting flesh. “It smells like feet, cheese and rotten...
Anchorage Museum among Alaskans combining to win auction for Alaska Railroad's golden spike
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The golden spike that was used to complete the Alaska Railroad over a century ago will be on permanent display in Alaska for the first time after entities combined to win an action for the 14-karat artifact Friday. The Anchorage Museum and the city of...
Last 4 escaped monkeys are captured in South Carolina after months on the loose
YEMASSEE, S.C. (AP) — Authorities in South Carolina said Friday the last four of 43 escaped monkeys have been recaptured after two months living in the woods, weathering a rare snowstorm and being temped back into captivity by peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The rhesus macaque...
The man pushed onto New York's subway tracks says he will ride again
NEW YORK (AP) — A man who survived being shoved onto subway tracks ahead of an oncoming train said that in spite of the physical and psychological trauma, he eventually plans to make his way back to the train. “This city is my home,” Joseph Lynskey told The New York Times in an...
A Canadian freighter gets trapped in ice on Lake Erie
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A Canadian freighter with 17 people on board got stuck in the ice on Lake Erie while departing Buffalo, according to the Coast Guard, which arrived with icebreaking equipment Thursday to begin freeing the vessel. The 663-foot Manitoulin had dropped off a load...
A blooming plant that reeks of gym socks and rotting garbage has thousands lining up for a whiff
SYDNEY (AP) — The rare unfurling of an endangered plant that emits the smell of decaying flesh drew hundreds of devoted fans to a greenhouse in Sydney on Thursday where they joined three-hour lines to experience a momentous bloom -– and a fragrance evoking gym socks and rotting garbage. ...
