Random facts.
January 1, 2026
The architects of A.I. are Time’s 2025 Person of the Year. The tradition began in 1927 with aviator Charles Lindbergh, and the award recognizes the person, group, or concept that had the most influence on world events that year, whether for good or bad.
Oxford’s 2025 “word” of the year is “rage bait,” defined as online content meant to elicit anger. Merriam-Webster crowned “slop” as its 2025 word of the year
Pantone chose white as its 2026 Color of the Year. Cloud Dancer, officially known as PANTONE 11-4201, is meant to be “a symbol of calming influence in a frenetic society” as well as “a blank canvas” on which we can all start again.
Jakarta surpassed Tokyo as the world’s largest city in 2025.
Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha has become the youngest player in chess history to earn an official FIDE rating. He’s 3 years old.
When you flip a coin, there’s a slightly greater chance that it will end up on the side it started.
“Zootopia 2” earned $556M over the Thanksgiving holiday, marking the highest-ever global opening for an animated film and the highest global opening for any film in 2025.
After years of debate, the Vatican announced that women shouldn’t become deacons.
The U.S. Postal Service delivered 112.5 billion pieces of mail and packages last year.
A pair of Nike Air Ships Michael Jordan worn during his rookie season sold for almost $700,000 at a Sotheby’s auction.
Roomba maker iRobot filed for bankruptcy.
Boiling lobsters while they are alive and conscious will be banned as part of a government strategy to improve animal welfare in England.
Neptune, the planet farthest from the Sun, makes a solar revolution once every 165 Earth years.
Beyoncé-Knowles-Carter has officially reached billionaire status. Only four other musicians have reached this milestone, including Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Bruce Springsteen.
Online recipe writers are complaining that Google’s AI search results are ruining their livelihoods.
Deepfake technology allows users to manipulate media using AI to produce fictional images, audio, and video. Audio deepfakes have fooled voice biometrics at banks.
Pringles are not legally considered potato chips.
A rare crystal-and-diamond Fabergé “Winter Egg” sold for a record £22.9 million ($30.2 million). The 4-inch rock-crystal egg, carved with platinum snowflakes and 4,500 diamonds, opens to a jeweled quartz flower basket symbolizing spring.
A gram of silica gel has almost the same surface area as two basketball courts.
More women are asking doctors to shrink their waists. Plastic surgeons have been working on a rib-fracturing procedure to make those changes permanent.
The Danish postal service delivered its last letter on 30 December amid the “increasing digitalisation” of Danish society, ending a more than 400-year-old tradition.
People in France eat about 37 million pounds of snails every year.
Portugal leads the world in wine consumption per capita, drinking 61.1 liters per person in 2024—nearly 50% more than its closest competitors. Italy ranks second at 42.7 liters, while France follows at 41.5 liters
New York City’s public transit system lost nearly $1 billion to fare evasion last year. More than 150 million riders hopped, ducked or dodged subway turnstiles.
It took Spotify 18 years to reach profitability.
Scampi are tiny, lobster-like crustaceans with pale pink shells. Italian cooks in the U.S. used shrimp instead but kept both names. Hence, shrimp scampi.
L. Frank Baum wrote 14 “Oz” novels.
“Dammit I’m mad” spelled backward is “Dammit I’m mad.”
The twenty-six most important ideas for 2026.
May this new year bring you clarity, peace, and moments of insight that inspire you. I look forward to walking this journey of exploration and transformation with you.
Stay passionate!
