And other stories from the stranger side of life
The real-life Dracula was vegan, according to experts. Count Dracula is believed to have been based on the Romanian prince, Vlad the Impaler, said the Daily Mail, and analysis of his letters suggests he may have only eaten plant-based meals. Scientists extracted blood, sweat, fingerprints and saliva from a letter and discovered there was an absence of animal food proteins. “They’ll be telling us he could see his reflection in the mirror next,” said the Daily Star.
Baby’s first word was ‘chandelier’
The curious rumour that the Earl of Snowdon’s first word as a baby was “chandelier” is true, according to Gyles Brandreth. The broadcaster said the son of Princess Margaret and the 2nd Earl of Snowdon knew the word because that is what his nanny called the mobile hanging over his cot, explained The Telegraph. Speaking on a podcast, Brandreth, 75, said: “I have been told by the people involved that it is true.”
Passenger has the runs at 37,000 feet
A pilot was forced to turn their flight around when a passenger lost control of their bowels at 37,000 feet and “had diarrhoea all over the aircraft”, said The Mirror. A message sent by the Delta Airlines pilot back to air traffic control stated: “It’s just a biohazard issue, we had a passenger who had diarrhoea all the way through the aeroplane.” They added that the mess had gone “everywhere”. Once the plane landed, it was cleaned and a new crew was found.
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