50 Fun Facts About Sports, People and Places
Sports Trivia:
1. The first Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece in 776 BC.
2. Basketball was invented by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith in December 1891.
3. Golf is the only sport played on the moon – astronaut Alan Shepard hit a golf ball with a six-iron club during Apollo 14 mission in 1971.
Little-known Facts About Famous Athletes:
4. Michael Jordan’s jersey number “23” was inspired by his childhood idol, baseball player Babe Ruth, who wore that number for the Boston Red Sox.
5. Serena Williams has won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other woman tennis player in history (23).
Unusual Rules of Popular Games:
6. In volleyball, players are not allowed to touch the net while playing.
7. In soccer, there is no time limit for matches except for extra time or penalty shootouts.
Records That May Never Be Broken:
8. Usain Bolt holds the world record for fastest human ever timed at 27.8 mph over 100 meters.
9. Sachin Tendulkar scored the most runs in Test cricket history – 15,921 runs in 200 tests.
The Science Behind Sports Performance:
10. A professional basketball player can run up to 4 miles per game.
11. Swimming uses all major muscle groups making it one of the best exercises for overall fitness.
Fun Facts About the Olympics:
12. The ancient Greek athletes competed naked.
13. The modern Olympic Games have been held every four years since 1896 except for a hiatus from 1916 to 1924 due to World War I and II.
Strange Stories from the World of Sports:
14. In 1981, a racehorse named Shergar was kidnapped by armed men and never found again.
15. During a 1982 NBA game between Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers, an unruly fan threw a cup of hot coffee onto referee Jack Madden causing him to be hospitalized.
Incredible Feats by Ordinary People:
16. In 2012, a 105-year old man completed a marathon in Australia.
17. An amateur cyclist rode 206 miles nonstop without sleeping.
Fascinating Facts about Human Body and Exercise:
18. Humans have approximately 640 skeletal muscles in their body.
19. Running releases endorphins which act as natural painkillers and reduce stress levels.
Interesting Places Around the Globe for Sport Enthusiasts:
20. The largest stadium in the world is Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea with a capacity of 150,000 spectators.
21. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the highest-capacity sports venue in the world with a seating capacity of 235,000 people.