Every Fun item from all 50 issues — lighthearted, non-serious stories from international wire roundups — newest first. (46 items total, each with its original source and verification note; click through to the full issue.)
Concord Public Library confirmed a man returned a September 1894 magazine issue more than 132 years past due, a delay that would have totaled $12,055 in fines — waived under the library's fine-free freeze that began September 1.
Verification note: Compiled from UPI and CBS Boston reporting; confirm fine policy details against Concord Public Library's own announcements.UPI reported September 11 that Saul Hafting's Guinness World Record for most Rubik's cubes solved on a pogo stick (211, set in 2021) is getting renewed attention as it's featured in the newly published Guinness World Records 2027 book.
Verification note: Compiled from UPI's reporting and Guinness World Records' official page; the record itself dates to 2021.Serial record-holder David Rush teamed up with a friend's family in Idaho to attempt the record for fastest hole of disc golf by a team of four, needing 60 attempts before finishing in a record-breaking 44.31 seconds.
Verification note: Summarized from UPI reporting and the official Guinness World Records page.A roughly 30-by-60-foot sinkhole opened beneath the driveway of actor Nicolas Cage's Malibu home on September 8 amid worsening coastal erosion, as Hurricane Marie's offshore swell sent large waves and unusually high tides into the coastline. The city of Malibu declared a local emergency and expanded evacuation orders to 31 nearby homes.
Verification note: Summarized from UPI and The Hollywood Reporter reporting. Refer to City of Malibu announcements for details on the cause.Customs officers at Turin's Caselle Airport discovered a dried crocodile head, wrapped in ordinary paper, in the luggage of an Italian man arriving via Istanbul from Miami on September 8. Crocodiles are protected under CITES, and bringing the item in undeclared violates international endangered-species trade rules; the man is now under investigation.
Verification note: Summarized from UPI and The Mary Sue reporting. Refer to official statements from Italian customs for investigation details.Shelly Thorburn of Big Sky, Montana let her three dogs into her backyard on September 2 without knowing a mother moose and her calf were nearby. The moose charged; Thorburn's slaps didn't work, so she grabbed bear spray and drove the animals off. None of her dogs were hurt, and her Ring doorbell camera caught it all.
Verification note: Summarized from UPI and Yahoo News reporting. Refer to the original reporting and video for full details.A Chicago bar called Recess gathered 1,969 people on the evening of August 30 to simultaneously down shots of the city's local spirit, Jeppson's Malört, setting a new Guinness World Record for the most people drinking the same shot together. Proceeds benefited Chicago nonprofit Ravenswood Community Services.
Verification note: Summarized from Block Club Chicago and UPI reporting. Refer to Guinness World Records for official certification details.A blobbing stunt in Brunnen, Switzerland on August 9 was certified by Guinness World Records and announced August 28 as a new record. Three jumpers leapt in sync from a 14-metre platform, launching teammate Robin Steiner to 28.22 metres, with nearly five seconds of airtime, far surpassing the 72-foot record set in 2012.
Verification note: Summarized from Guinness World Records' official announcement and UPI reporting.Findings from "Proof by Underpants," a citizen science project led by the University of Zurich and Agroscope, were published in the journal Science in late August. Since 2021 the project has enlisted about 1,000 volunteers to bury more than 2,000 pairs of cotton underwear and 12,000 tea bags at roughly 1,000 sites across Switzerland, then dig them up two months later for lab analysis alongside soil samples. The study found land use is the most important factor in decomposition speed and soil life — garden soil decomposed fastest, lawns slowest — with about 240 citizen scientists credited as co-authors.
Verification note: Summarized from the University of Zurich's official release and ScienceDaily reporting. Refer to the original paper in Science for full study details.A resident in Madison County, Indiana, reported on August 27 seeing what appeared to be a roughly 300-pound lioness wearing a blue harness, walking alongside a smaller cub, along South County Road 50 West. Sheriff's deputies used thermal-imaging drones to search the area for four hours; the search ultimately turned up no sign of any lions, and authorities confirmed no zoo or sanctuary in the area had reported missing lions.
Verification note: Summarized from UPI and Fox Weather reporting. This animal's identity and exact origin have not been confirmed.Scot Weller, owner of Original Cornish Pasties, was driving to work around 5:30 a.m. one morning when he spotted a wallaby hopping along a road in Liskeard, Cornwall. He followed and filmed the animal, posting the video to his business's Facebook page. Devon and Cornwall Police responded but were unable to locate the wallaby; an RSPCA spokesperson said England has an established wild wallaby population from past escapes from captivity.
Verification note: Summarized from UPI and Fox21 Online (Associated Press wire). This wallaby's identity and exact origin have not been confirmed.A study published August 26 in Communications Biology reports that scientists extracted DNA from a nearly 190-year-old specimen (collected in 1836) held at the Natural History Museum, London, confirming the Himalayan pangolin as a distinct species — Manis aurita — rather than a subspecies of the Chinese pangolin, as it had long been classified. The specimen was originally named by naturalist Brian Houghton Hodgson, but the designation was later overlooked. The new study compared DNA from the historical specimen with present-day Himalayan pangolins and found they matched, effectively reviving Hodgson's original 1836 name.
Verification note: Summarized from ScienceDaily and SciTechDaily. Refer to the original paper in Communications Biology for the formal species description.An international team of scientists has described a new species of mountain horned dragon lizard, Acanthosaura syrax, found in evergreen forest above 1,300 meters elevation in Mae Wong National Park, Thailand, named after Syrax, the dragon ridden by Princess Rhaenyra in HBO's House of the Dragon. The newly described lizard is notably small, with the smallest neck and back crest scales recorded among the genus's 23 known species. The species was formally described in an open-access journal on August 10, drawing wider media coverage in late August.
Verification note: Species description and habitat details summarized from Pensoft's research announcement and ScienceDaily. Refer to the original published paper for the formal species description.A roughly 1,500-pound male bison escaped through a broken fence on its home farm in Loudoun County, Virginia, on August 24, wandering the gravel roads of several neighborhoods in western Loudoun County. Loudoun County Animal Services responded and worked for about six hours before guiding the bison into a nearby field. Officials identified and contacted the owner using a livestock database; no injuries or property damage were reported.
Verification note: Event details summarized from UPI, the Washington Post, and Loudoun County Animal Services.A Maine Coon cat named Erebus Anomaly, from Wisconsin, has been officially certified by Guinness World Records as having 29 toes, the most ever documented on a cat — an ordinary domestic cat typically has 18. The cat's owners are Kendra Vandenbloomer and Hunter Nett. Polydactyly, the genetic trait behind extra toes, is common in Maine Coons; the previous record of 28 toes was set by a Canadian cat named Jake, certified in 2002, and a Michigan kitten named Toby tied that record earlier this year.
Verification note: Toe count and record certification summarized from UPI, WeAreGreenBay and Guinness World Records' announcement. Details are subject to Guinness World Records' official website.The 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games opened in Beijing on August 22, where a humanoid robot called "Lightning," developed by Chinese smart-device maker Honor, completed a 100-meter sprint in 9.32 seconds during pre-race testing — 0.26 seconds faster than Usain Bolt's 9.58-second human world record set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin, reaching a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second. The Games featured more than 2,000 humanoid robots competing across 51 events and over 1,000 individual competitions, spanning sprinting, table tennis, soccer and more; reports from the same event also described robots breaking a human high-jump record.
Verification note: Result and event details summarized from UPI, Washington Post and other outlets. The test conditions and formal competition rules are not necessarily equivalent to human track-and-field standards; refer to the organizer's official announcements for details.Dutch television host Klaas van Kruistum drove a clog-shaped motorized vehicle at Breda International Airport in the Netherlands to a top speed of 112.74 km/h (70.05 mph), setting the Guinness World Record for "fastest motorised clog shoe." The run was completed during filming for his TV show "Klaas kan Alles," and was reported by UPI on August 21.
Verification note: Summarized from UPI's Odd News reporting and the Guinness World Records official record page; refer to the original sources for full details.In Narragansett, Rhode Island, a tractor-trailer carrying thousands of pounds of squid bound for processing rolled over on August 19 at the intersection of Point Judith Road and Galilee Escape Road, spilling large quantities of squid across the roadway. Local rescue and cleanup crews responded, closing the intersection for about 8 hours to complete the cleanup; no injuries were reported.
Verification note: Summarized from UPI's Odd News reporting; refer to the original report for full details.A sheep escaped its pasture in Lüdinghausen, Germany on August 20 and wandered onto the property of bus company RVM, climbing aboard a parked bus through a door left open for cleaning before staff discovered it. To keep the animal from bolting, workers let it stay put as the bus passed through the facility's bus-sized car wash — an impromptu ride before the sheep was identified by its ear tag and returned to its owner, rancher Stefan Naber. The sheep reportedly stayed calm throughout.
Verification note: Compiled from UPI's odd-news wire coverage; check the original report for further details.Around 9:27 a.m. on August 18 in Narragansett, Rhode Island, the trailer of a tractor-trailer hauling squid became dislodged from its cab and overturned while negotiating a turn, spilling a large quantity of squid across the intersection at Pt. Judith Road — outlets have reported wildly different tonnage, from two tons to more than 20 tons. The load had been headed to a processing facility. The cab did not tip and the driver was not injured, but the intersection was closed for cleanup for nearly eight hours, reopening at 5:15 p.m. Rhode Island State Police cited the driver for failing to properly secure the load; local authorities dubbed the incident the "Squidpocalypse of '26."
Verification note: Reported tonnage varies across outlets (two tons to over 20 tons); compiled from AP wire coverage and local media. Check Rhode Island State Police for further details.Luka, a Japanese macaque at Scotland's Highland Wildlife Park, escaped the park on the evening of August 17 and was spotted around the nearby Balavil area of Newtonmore; staff deployed a thermal-imaging drone to help search for him. Luka returned to his habitat on his own on August 18, without being recaptured. Darren McGarry, head of animal care at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said Luka would be checked over by the veterinary team before being gradually reintroduced to his group.
Verification note: Compiled from UPI's odd-news coverage and statements from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland; check the park's official announcements for further details.Analissa Hensley, driving on Callis Road in Lebanon, Tennessee on August 14, had a roughly five-foot snake suddenly emerge from the hood of her moving car — captured on video by family members riding along. Mallory Tate, a biodiversity biologist with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, identified the snake in the footage as a grey rat snake. The family tried to pull over, but the snake leapt off before the car came to a full stop.
Verification note: Compiled from UPI's odd-news coverage and local TV station WKRN; species identification per the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.Animal services in Dallas, Texas recently rescued a raccoon that had been seen wandering a neighborhood for several days with a mayonnaise jar stuck over its head. Workers successfully freed the animal and confirmed it was unharmed.
Verification note: Compiled from an international odd-news roundup; check the source for follow-up on the animal's release/placement.An Indian woman who hasn't cut her hair since 2015 has had her hair officially measured at 8 feet 10 inches (about 2.69 meters), earning a Guinness World Records certification.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for specific details like the exact certification date, check the original report via the source link.Two capybaras wandered into the reception area of the state legislature building in Cuiabá, capital of Mato Grosso, Brazil, casually strolling around — the moment was caught on camera by staff and went viral online.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; a local-interest anecdotal report.British wing-walking enthusiast Betty Bromage, who suffered a stroke in August 2025, completed another wing-walking stunt this week at age 97 years and 127 days, breaking her own Guinness World Record for oldest female wing walker — the outing also raised money for her local hospital's stroke unit.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; age and record details per official Guinness World Records certification.A British man ate 15 fish sticks in one minute, earning official Guinness World Records certification — the standout "speed-eating" record in this period's fun roundup.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for the exact certification process and rules, check the original report via the source link.Marine biologists off Baja California recorded a rare scene: one orca teed up a sunfish for another to smash to pieces. Scientists say there could be a specific reason for the behavior — or it could simply be play.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; the scientific explanation behind the behavior awaits further research.A woman from Maine, USA earned official Guinness World Records certification for having 106 shark-themed tattoos, becoming the record holder for the most shark tattoos.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for how the tattoo count was verified, check the original report via the source link.Idaho's David Rush, a frequent Guinness World Records breaker, successfully balanced 195 rolls of toilet paper on his head for 30 seconds, reclaiming the title for this neck-straining challenge.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for certification details, check the original report via the source link.The four spinning circles atop Adobe's San Jose headquarters, looping since May 2023, were finally decoded this spring by software engineer Brian Vincent — the puzzle encoded an image from Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus." The four circles, each with four possible positions, made for 256 possible combinations.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; solving details per Adobe's own announcement.A talented Pomeranian from Canada earned official Guinness World Records certification for a series of jumping tricks — this period's furry star of the fun roundup.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for the specific record category, check the original report via the source link.Ontario Provincial Police reminded residents that anyone finding suspected unexploded ordnance should leave it in place and call police, not bring it to a station themselves — after a resident brought an unexploded WWII grenade directly to an Ottawa detachment, prompting an Explosives Disposal Unit response.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; event details per the Ontario Provincial Police's own statement.A Chicago man walked nearly 33 feet (about 10 meters) with a balloon held between his knees in 3.5 seconds, successfully setting a new Guinness World Record.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for record details, check the original report via the source link.Brazilian couple Renato Bayma Gaia and Naiara Roberta Ribeiro de Marins kissed 195 times in 30 seconds, setting a new Guinness World Record for most kisses in 30 seconds — Gaia said it proves they're "the best couple in the world."
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; certification details per official Guinness World Records announcement.Germany's Tommy Schmidt spent about a year (six months of it on the build phase alone) assembling 65,000 Lego bricks into a bratwurst-shaped sculpture measuring 6 feet 6.7 inches long, officially setting the Guinness World Record for largest Lego brick sausage.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for build-process details, check the original report via the source link.Jonathan the tortoise, resident of the island of Saint Helena, added another year to his age, officially extending his Guinness World Record as the world's oldest living land animal to 194 years.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for how the age is determined, check the original report via the source link.A 7-year-old boy from Pennsylvania, USA, put on 50 sweaters at once during a visit to his local Monroeville Public Library's Children's Room, breaking the previous Guinness World Record of 46 sweaters.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for certification details, check the original report via the source link.A man solved two Rubik's cubes simultaneously during freefall while skydiving, setting a new Guinness World Record combining extreme sports with a puzzle challenge.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for certification details, check the original report via the source link.A man in Sumter, South Carolina, stopped at a Piggly Wiggly store to buy bread and picked up a $10 "Ruby Red Treasures" scratch-off ticket on a whim — scratching it off at home to reveal a $500,000 top prize, with odds of about 1 in 1,176,000.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; prize amount and odds per the South Carolina Education Lottery's official statement.Idaho's David Rush, holder of the most concurrent Guinness World Records titles, took on balancing a running chainsaw on his chin — opting for an electric model over a two-stroke gas saw to avoid jerky motion, and wearing safety goggles against dripping oil — to set a new record.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for certification details, check the original report via the source link.Sunil Joseph, an Indian man with a lifelong collecting passion, set a Guinness World Record with his collection of 858 different paper cups.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for certification details, check the original report via the source link.Three golf enthusiasts assembled the world's largest golf ball pyramid — built from 19,019 balls — on a Texas golf course, a tribute to the sport that set a new Guinness World Record.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for certification details, check the original report via the source link.An Ohio family, joined by their 5-year-old son Axel, visited Otterbein Stadium in Westerville to send a Slinky down 53 stairs in one continuous run, setting a new Guinness World Record.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for certification details, check the original report via the source link.Idaho's David Rush, known for amassing Guinness World Records titles, passed time on a Disney Cruise by taking on a toothpick-snapping speed record — and set a new Guinness World Record.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for certification details, check the original report via the source link.Chewy Bark Park, a dog park inside The Underline linear park in Coral Gables near Miami, hosted a pool party with as many as 277 dogs in an attempt at a Guinness World Record.
Verification note: From an international odd-news roundup site; for certification results, check the original report via the source link.