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This year proved, once again, that discoveries in science, history, and virtually every other sphere simply never stop not even during a pandemic.
On the latest episode of The List Show, Mental Floss editor-in-chief Erin McCarthy counts down (or up, rather) an epic list of 100 fascinating things we learned in 2020. Don’t worry, it’s not all about zoonotic diseases and the efficacy of face masks.
We recently found out, for example, that Bob Odenkirk almost nabbed the role of
The Office’s Michael Scott; and Paul Rudd was in the running for Jim Halpert. And as for those centuries-old rumors that Renaissance painter Raphael died of syphilis? A new study explained why they’re probably just rumors. 2020 also gave us dazzling, high-resolution photos of the sun, the truth about a massive fossil egg previously known as “The Thing,” and intriguing details about Britain’s most infamous 19th-century shipwreck.
Did you know there s a club for people who have been ejected out of a plane, and an organization for people who are just . happy? Read on to find out about those clubs and more in this list adapted from The List Show on YouTube.
1. Martin-Baker Ejection Tie Club
Pilots who activated their Martin-Baker ejection seats and lived to tell the tale are officially inducted into the Martin-Baker Ejection Tie Club. After surviving their harrowing ordeal, pilots receive a tie, tie pin, patch, certificate, and membership card to commemorate the event. Each item is emblazoned with the red triangle icon that signifies ejection seats. So far, there are more than 6000 registered members of the Ejection Tie Club.