10 Random Facts That Will Blow Your Mind

4 March 2014, 06:00 | Updated: 5 March 2014, 11:04

Are you ready for this? You'll never believe these facts are true… But they are!

Humans have been around for just 0.004% of the Earth's history. 
That means, if the history of the world was condensed into a year, homosapiens would appear at approximately 11.30pm on December 31st! 

The cigarette lighter was invented before modern matches.
Lighters were invented in 1816 by a German chemist named Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner. The modern match did not appear for another decade; in 1826, matches that worked through friction with a rough surface were invented by British chemist John Walker.

Sherlock Holmes never said his famed catchphrase "elementary, my dear Watson" in Arthur Conan Doyle's original novels.

The jewellery company Tiffany's has technically existed for longer than Italy!
Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young founded Tiffany & Young in 1837. Italy wasn't unified until 1861.

The Queen is older than sliced bread. 
It's true! Queen Elizabeth II was born on 21 April 1926. Iowa jeweller Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented sliced bread in 1928.

A raisin dropped in a glass of champagne will bounce up and down continuously.
We love this.

The French still executed people with the guillotine when the first 'Star Wars' film was released.
'Star Wars' was released on May 25, 1977 - and the last guillotine execution took place on September 10 that year.

Charlie Chaplin once lost a Charlie Chaplin look-a-like contest.
The iconic actor partook in a competition to see who could do the best 'Charlie Chaplin walk' - and finished twentieth!

2013 was the first year since 1987 when all four digits were different from each other.

Dolphins can stay awake for 15 days at a time by sleeping with one half of their brain.
If any dolphins are reading this, get in touch: we'd love to know your secret.