Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 378
November 11, 2017
November 10, 2017
Massive Planet Discovered and Paper Made from Dung
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
[November 5-11, 2017] An object massively larger than Jupiter, presidential jury duty and paper made from a different kind of waste.
5. Coconut Crab Hunts Bird
A coconut crab in the Chagos archipelago was filmed preying on a red-footed booby. Coconut crabs are known for using their massively powerful claws to break apart coconuts for food, hence their name. These crabs can measure three feet across and weigh up to nine pounds, making them the largest land invertebrates! This is an interesting discovery that may explain why islands inhabited by coconut crabs often have very small bird populations, if any at all.
4. Obama Bumped from Jury Duty
Believe it or not, after their term is over, presidents can be called for jury duty. Former president, Barack Obama was summoned—security detail and all—to be among a panel of peers in a trial at the Daley Center in Chicago. Despite currently living in D.C., it seems the ex-commander in chief has yet to change his address. With a whole detachment of secret service agents and the center of the local spotlight, Obama was quickly dismissed from the jury panel and returned home. Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time he’s been dismissed for being president. In 2010 he was also served a jury summons.
Barack Obama waves to onlookers during jury duty just now at Daley Center pic.twitter.com/tQXjuJeeHP
— Mitch Dudek (@mitchdudek) November 8, 2017
3. Younger Twin is Technically Older
In another bizarre twist of daylight savings magic, a twin baby born 31 minutes after his brother, is legally the older twin. According to hospital workers, Samuel—the legally younger twin—was born first, but while they were delivering his “older” brother, the clocks reset and baby Ronan was declared the elder.
2. Zoo Turns Animal Poo into Paper Notebooks
To celebrate their 50th anniversary, Japan’s Asahiyama Zoo has turned the excrement of its hippos and giraffes into paper notebooks. Customers of this new poo-paper say it is light, fluffy and smells like grass. They say they’ll continue the project as long as the animals’ output meets demand.
1. Object 13 Times the Mass of Jupiter Discovered
Scientists at NASA claim to have found an orbiting object 13 times more massive than Jupiter moving in the center “bulge” of our galaxy. It’s so big that they’re unsure what exactly it is, but think it is likely a planet or a brown-dwarf star. The object, designated OGLE-2016-BLG-1190Lb, is the most massive planet or brown-dwarf measured to date and was found using an infra-red space telescope to sense gravitational distortion.
Historic Estate Cliveden Turned Canvas Covered in Blood
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Cliveden, or the Benjamin Chew House, is one of the bloodiest battle scenes of the American Revolutionary War, but it also home to a lesser-known antiquity—a woman’s portrait hauntingly painted in the blood of a dying British soldier.
Located in the Germantown suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Cliveden was built by the Chew family between 1763 and 1767 in an attempt to avoid the yellow fever outbreaks that plagued the city. Nestled on a scenic six-acre oasis boasting more than 200 varieties of trees and shrubs, the gorgeous façade masks the estate’s fascinating and bloody history.
The Revolutionary War
Cliveden played a major role in the only battle fought within the boundaries of Philadelphia during the American Revolution, the Battle of Germantown.
During the Fall of 1777, the British occupied Philadelphia. In an attempt to reclaim the city, General George Washington and 11,000 men attacked Philadelphia from the northwest—straight through Germantown.
A skirmish up the road from the estate alerted the British that American soldiers were approaching. Dozens of British soldiers then holed up in Cliveden, and over the course of three hours, successfully prevented the Americans from overtaking the house. More than 1,000 men were casualties of this intense struggle.
The Blood Portrait
Bullet holes can still be seen all over the walls of Cliveden, but the most infamous feature is the so-called “Blood Portrait” on the estate’s second floor. A fatally wounded British soldier used his final moments to etch a portrait of a loved one in his own blood on the wall of the house.
Believe it or not, the bloody picture, although very faint, can still be seen on the wall to this day. In fact, the substance on the wall was recently tested and confirmed to be organic material!
Can you make out the soldier’s depiction of his lost lover?
By Stephanie Weaver, guest writer for Ripleys.com
Source: Historic Estate Cliveden Turned Canvas Covered in Blood
November 9, 2017
Or Not: Everest is the Tallest Mountain
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Or Not
In today’s world many misconceptions have been perpetuated—becoming modern day “facts”—when, in reality, myths and hearsay have taken over. Sorry to burst your bubble, but in this weekly column, Ripley’s puts those delusions to the test, turning your world upside down, because you can’t always…Believe It!
Today: Everest isn’t the tallest mountain.
Tallest Mountain: What Does it Mean?
Does it mean the greatest distance from base to peak? Does it mean distance from the Earth’s center? What about distance from space? The height above sea-level? The answers to all of these questions changes which mountain earns the title tallest mountain.
Tallest from Top to Bottom
There’s no banana in there for scale, but it’s a really big mountain.
From the base of Mauna Kea to its peak measures over 33,000 feet. A volcano on the island of Hawaii, the majority of this behemoth mountain formed about 1 million years ago. Dormant today, its last eruption was likely over 4,000 years ago. Unlike Everest, the base of Mauna Kea starts thousands of feet below the Pacific Ocean, meaning much of its height is hidden. If its base were raised to sea level—where the base of Everest is measured—Mauna Kea stands about a mile taller.
Closest to Outer Space
Nothing sticks out farther from Earth than Chimborazo./CC David Torres Costales
You may think that at a paltry height of just 20,548 feet Mount Chimborazo isn’t even in the running for the tallest mountain, but it actually beats Everest in a couple different ways. Chimborazo is the tallest mountain in Ecuador which, as you may have guessed, means it is very close to the equator. You may not be aware, but globes are liars. The Earth is not a sphere—or at least not a perfect one.
As the Earth spins, it pushes out around the equator, becoming somewhat disc-shaped. Not only does this change the distance a mountain pokes out from the planet’s surface, but its distance from Earth’s center, its proximity to space and the definition of sea-level—which we’ll get to in a minute.
Because of this planetary centrifugal force, Chimborazo is the farthest mountain from the center of the Earth, and closest mountain to space, beating Everest by 7,096 feet.
Highest Above Sea Level
Finally, Everest makes it to the top. Mount Everest stands a proud 29,029 feet above sea level. Its height of nearly 5.5 miles towers 778 feet above its closest competitor, K2—which is actually a child mountain of Everest.
Everest’s “tallest” status delicately hangs on the way sea levels work. Real, measurable sea-level varies all around the world. California’s sea-level is always higher than the east coast’s. Likewise, the uneven disc-shaped Earth pushes more sweater to its equator, meaning the sea level there is much higher than it would be in Asia.
The elevation of Mt. Everest, is measured from the average sea-level of the Earth’s oceans all across the world, meaning it has a mathematical advantage over equatorial mountains like Chimborazo and Mauna Kea.
Key West Still Going Strong and Strange!
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Only 90 miles away from Cuba lies one of Florida’s most majestic treasures, Key West. The island city, also known as the continental US’s southernmost point, is part of the Florida Keys archipelago. While the island is home to beautiful coral reefs, pastel-painted quaint houses, incredible diving and snorkeling, Key West has other ‘delicacies’ that make it a quirky city.
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway’s energy and presence can still be felt throughout Key West. His famous home is open to the public. Visitors can take tours of the house and even his studio, where he spent most of his time working.
Hemingway loved to sail his boat and fish the Gulf Stream, but did you know he also had a rare artifact that Ripley’s Believe It or Not! couldn’t help but obtain? The famed author was a fan of shrunken heads and had a Jivaro shrunken female torso! Believe it or not, it is one of only four known to exist, Ripley’s owning two.
The shrunken head has become iconic for Ripley’s, and it’s been a part of our collection from day one. We’d have to thank our greatest standing vendor H. M. (Herman Mark) Lissauer, who passed away in 2014, for supplying us with some astounding ethnographic exhibits from the deepest corners of the globe.
The Jivaro Indians were known for their head-shrinking skills. They called it tsantsa. The heads were not only trophies, but were considered influential as they were kept to help warriors become stronger because the spirit of their enemy was trapped and ultimately conquered by their tribe.
Ripley Florida History
During the winter of 1946, Robert Ripley took his Chinese Junk, Mon Lei, from Mamaroneck, New York, to Tampa, Florida. He considered it his three-month snowbird vacation.
Ripley had the Mon Lei refurbished, with a new engine and improved look. Since Chinese belief says spirits of dragons propel boats, Ripley had the vessel painted with eyes, teeth and whiskers. He removed the lifting rudder and tiller, replacing them with a wheelhouse and wheel steering. To scare evil spirits, Ripley placed a yin and yang flag upon the Mon Lei.
“He made several stops before getting to Florida but then parked it in Miami,” said Edward Meyer, VP Exhibits & Archives. “He was in Key West between Christmas and New Years with the boat docked at Mallory Square. He made several public appearances in town, and recorded a radio show from the ship parked at Mallory.”
Ripley traveled deep into the Everglades to film Seminole Indians on the Mon Lei and even held weddings on it for some of his closest friends.
Ripley’s Key West Odditorium
Our first Key West Odditorium opened in August of 2002, staying open for ten years. This original franchise location was inside of a converted Vaudeville theater. The company bought back the Odditorium and moved locations—rather a historic theater, now a bank converted nightclub. Keeping true to this history, you’ll find a nightclub vibe throughout the Odditorium’s design. Different from any of our other locations, there’s nonmuseum lighting, chromatic bar railings, a reflection pool that—we kid you not—glitters and an outdoor balcony. It screams Duval Street!
Above , you’ll find a topless bar. Next door a biker pub. Centralized in the town’s lively downtown, Duval Street is where we call home!
While hurricane Irma might have crashed its way through Florida, it never tore us apart. If anything, the storm taught us that life is short, and we should learn to let loose and be grateful for what we have.
Growing up in Florida, my family took me across the U.S. and overseas, but one of my fondest memories was going to Key West as a child every summer. I remember this is where my grandfather taught me to fish, where my mother instructed me to pose in the same direction of the sea breeze so I could get the right wind in my hair, where my grandmother taught me to cook and where I fell in love with horror stories when I was taken to see Robert the Enchanted Doll. It’s an island where I felt connected to the universe, soaking up that salty gulf water, spending hours outside Hemingway’s house writing short stories and poems. I made an effort to come once a year for relaxation, for getting down with Fantasy Fest and getting weird at Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
The weird hasn’t stopped since Irma’s quick visit. If you haven’t noticed, she checked out and you should be checking in! #KeysStrong
November 8, 2017
The Cardiff Giant: A Stone Man’s Secrets
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
In the Fall of 1869, Gideon Emmons and Henry Nichols made a monumental archaeological discovery. They were digging a well on a farm outside Cardiff, New York, for a man named William Newell. Three feet down, they hit stone, and as they cleared away the dirt, they made out what seemed to be a human foot!
“I declare, some old Indian has been buried here!”
A Petrified Man
Unearthing the whole body, they discovered a 10-foot tall petrified man, who would come to be known as the Cardiff Giant. The Giant hadn’t been reduced to a skeleton but appeared to have been petrified, and now made entirely of stone. Ribs, an Adam’s apple, skin pores, and even a benevolent smile were all apparent on the stone figure.
Newell immediately opened the giant’s tomb up for viewing, and carriages, buses, horse riders, and buggies came from all over to see what religious scholars were calling a giant that had perished in Noah’s flood. He initially charged 25 cents for entry, but quickly doubled it as the roads leading to his farm became choked with people.
Away from the bustle, inside the viewing tent, onlookers fell silent, and no one dared speak above a whisper in the presence of such a profound specimen. Light fell from the center of the tent on the giant lying in his grave. One arm cradled his stomach, as if in the throes of death pain, but his gentle smile was cemented in a state of eternal serenity. America’s attention was fixed on the Cardiff Giant, and scientists were even coming out with explanations on how the giant had come to be petrified.
At this time in history, emerging science and sideshow hoaxes were raging with popularity. P. T. Barnum himself offered to pay $50,000 for a share of Howell’s giant and to move it to New York City. When Howell refused, Barnum sent agents into view the statue up close, and had an exact replica created. This fake Cardiff Giant proved just as popular as the original, with few people calling it a fake at first.
All a Hoax
The original statue was, of course, a forgery too, planted there by Newell’s friend George Hull. Both men were in on the hoax, but the idea came to Hull—an atheist—after arguing with a priest for hours about literal interpretations of the bible. Hull lie awake all night that evening, trying to think of the most ridiculous thing people would believe, and eventually came up with the idea of the Cardiff hoax.
“There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” Genesis 6:4
Hull spent years and thousands of dollars constructing the Cardiff Giant. All the work had to be done in secret as well. The 5-ton block of stone used to make the statue under the premise it was going to be carved into a statue of Abraham Lincoln.
He took the stone to a pair of sculptors in Chicago, posing as the model for the statue himself. When the carving was complete, they doused the whole thing in acid to give the stone a weathered look.
News about the origins of this pre-flood giant eventually got out, and legitimate scientists decried it as a hoax. As pressures mounted, Howell and Hull sold the statue before admitting everything in a newspaper exposé. Hull had accomplished his goal though, he had made his point about the gullibility of the public, and make a fistful of cash along the way.
The Petrified Man Craze
Just seven years after the Cardiff Giant, “The Solid Muldoon” was found in the mountains of Colorado, but was once again a hoax perpetrated by George Hull! Unlike the Cardiff Giant, the Solid Muldoon had been made out of a mixture of dust, clay, plaster, bones, blood, and meat. By this time, the giant rush was in full force, and petrified men were popping up all over. Hotels and tricksters began cooking up their own giants as marketing stunts, none holding up under basic scrutiny, but still managing to collect up to $1 a person to see these giant forgeries.
Though Barnum had offered $50,000 for the Cardiff Giant, by the time mustachioed and side-burned novelty giants were hitting the scene, the fake giant market crashed. A petrified man “found” in Wind Cave, South Dakota, sold for just $2,000.
As the giants truly went extinct, most were destroyed, fell apart, or were lost to time. The hoax that started it all, however, survived and was returned to New York. It’s on display at the Cooperstown Farmer’s Museum, underneath a tent just like the one Howell displayed it under 150 years ago.
Orlando Brings You Hollywood History
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Before gossip magazines religiously covered presidential scandals, and way before celebrities flaunted their assets on social media, there was one provocative flesh-colored gown that kept our nation on the edge of its seat.
Read ALL About Hollywood History!
Marilyn Monroe made Hollywood history on May 19, 1962, when she seductively sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy for his 45th birthday at Madison Square Garden. Did you know Monroe continued the song with “Thanks for the Memory,” which, believe it or not, she wrote with new lyrics directed at JFK? The words were as follows:
“Thanks, Mr. President
For all the things you’ve done
The battles that you’ve won
The way you deal with U.S. Steel
And our problems by the ton
We thank you so much.”
This performance was one of her last public appearances before her tragic death on August 5, 1962.
Monroe’s Dress is Hollywood History
Jean Louis, an Academy Award winner and costume designer, famously created the tight beaded dress for Monroe. However, it was sketched by Bob Mackie at the tender age of 22. It was his first job right out of college. The flesh-colored sheer fabric has over 6,000 hand-sewn crystals! It was said that Monroe was sewn into the gown, wearing nothing underneath. Might we dare say that this incredible seamless look paved the way for all ‘naked’ dresses we see today?
AP Images, Eric Kayne
Kennedy’s birthday bash was a fundraising event that had a total of 15,000 guests who paid to attend. The money raised was meant to pay off the Democratic National Committee’s deficit from the 1960 campaign.
Monroe’s performance was a shock not only to JFK, but the producers of Something’s Got to Give. No one thought she would commit to such an event as she rarely even came to set, suffering of constant headaches, fevers, and chronic bronchitis.
CC Wikimedia Commons
Monroe was ultimately fired from the film, not only because of her absences, but because of Fox’s over-budget production of Cleopatra. Something’s Got to Give was intended to offset Cleopatra‘s cost, but with Monroe’s no-shows putting them 11 days behind schedule, the film became a money pit. Executives attempted to have Monroe’s role replaced by Lee Remick. To their chagrin, Dean Martin had final approval of who was going to play the leading the lady, and he, of course, refused to continue filming without Monroe. Oh, those darn pesky contracts!
Setting the Record
On November 17, 2016, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! set a Guinness World Record for the “Most Expensive Dress Sold at Auction.” Ripley’s purchased the dress from Julien’s Auctions for a staggering $4.8 million. Add in auction fees, and the dress cost over $5 million!
“This is the most famous item of clothing in 20th century culture. It has the significance of Marilyn, of Hollywood, of JFK, of American politics. Any museum in the world would love to have it on display, and now it belongs to Ripley’s Believe It or Not!,” said Edward Meyer, Ripley’s Vice President of Exhibits and Archives
Edward Meyer unveils the dress. AP Images, Eric Kayne
Want to learn more about the iconic Marilyn Monroe Happy Birthday dress? Read all about it in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Shatter Your Senses!
The dress she wore is now the world’s most expensive dress purchased at auction, and it has a new home with Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Hollywood History Comes to Orlando!
We’re elated to say that you can now view the world’s most expensive dress at our , but for a limited time only!
Guests will have the opportunity to view the original Gala Ticket to the event, the poster, as well as the exclusive program. Also included in this incredible exhibit is Monroe’s evening stole, made from highly valued Siberian silver fox. She wore it on numerous occasions. You can find other items from her extravagant wardrobe during your visit!
AP Images, Eric Kayne
See the dress that will remind you why Marilyn Monroe continues to be a Hollywood icon!
As Marilyn Monroe once said, “The body is meant to be seen, not all covered up.” Come see the dress for yourself!
AP Images, Eric Kayne
Look like Monroe?
Do you have the looks, the walk, and talk of Marilyn Monroe? Well, why not participate in Ripley’s Marilyn Monroe Look-Alike Contest? The winner will be judged on attire, presentation, personality, audience response, and overall look and feel!
Participants will be required to perform a runway walk, sing or lipsync a Marilyn Monroe song, and participate in a Q&A.
AP Images, Eric Kayne
First place winner will win:
A cash prize of $500
Lifetime passes to Ripley Entertainment Attractions
A Ripley’s basket of merchandise, up to $100 value
Two-night stay at Holiday Inn and Suites Clearwater Beach
Second place winner will win:
A cash prize of $100
Two-night stay Oceanside Inn-Daytona Beach
Third place winner will win:
A cash prize of $50
A Ripley’s basket of merchandise
Click here to enter!
Movie Date with Marilyn
Don’t forget to save the date and come watch your favorite Marilyn Monroe film at .
Dec. 2nd Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Dec. 9th Some Like It Hot
Dec. 16th The Seven Year Itch
Hollywood history comes to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Orlando
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