This is the January 2026 edition of my fascinating facts newsletter, which includes a range of interesting topics. This includes write-ups about salt cathedrals, spies and Genghis Khan.
Fascinating Facts February 2026 Contents
“Fascinating Facts” is a free monthly e-magazine focusing on personal, historical, and military interests. Contributions are welcomed with appropriate credit given. You can download the full newsletter to read HERE; however, some snippets are listed below.
IN SUPPORT OF UKRAINE — BEATING THE SYSTEM
A humorous story about an elderly woman told she must use an ATM for a small withdrawal. She responds by requesting her full balance, is told large withdrawals require notice, and then withdraws £4,900. She immediately redeposits £4,890, leaving only the small amount she wanted while exposing how inflexible rules can be “worked” with a bit of logic. READ MORE…
DID YOU KNOW?
A rapid-fire set of trivia spanning animals, people, space, entertainment, and medicine. It includes bite-sized claims about unusual biological traits, surprising historical tidbits, extreme planetary conditions, well-known music and film facts, and basic health or anatomy notes. The section is designed as quick reading, offering lots of short facts rather than a single narrative. READ MORE…
THE COLUMBIAN SALT CATHEDRAL
An overview of the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, an underground Roman Catholic church built within salt-mine tunnels hundreds of feet below ground. It describes the site as a major Colombian architectural and cultural attraction, with carved salt-rock spaces symbolising key parts of Jesus’s story. It functions as a church and draws large congregations, though it is not a cathedral in the formal bishop-led sense. READ MORE…
250 MILLION YEARS AGO
This section explains how the region’s salt deposits formed roughly 250 million years ago and were later uplifted during the formation of the Andes. It also mentions early human presence nearby (El Abra), pre-Columbian salt mining by the Muisca people, and Alexander von Humboldt’s early-1800s observations about the deposits and their significance. READ MORE…
OVER OR UNDER? THAT IS THE QUESTION
A light discussion of the toilet-paper orientation debate. It references Seth Wheeler’s 1891 patent illustrations that depict the “over” method, then summarises common arguments for both “over” and “under”, including convenience, cleanliness, appearance, and pet/toddler interference. It also mentions surveys suggesting “over” is more popular and includes a playful “personality” angle about what each choice might imply. READ MORE…
GENGHIS KHAN — THE MAN WITH THE MOST DESCENDANTS?
Examines the claim that a large number of men share a Y-chromosome lineage linked to Genghis Khan, referencing a 2003 genetic study often summarised as about 16 million men. It notes his known children with Börte and the likelihood of many more through other relationships and explains how Y-chromosome inheritance helps trace paternal lines. It closes with a brief mention of legends surrounding his death in 1227. READ MORE…
THE WORLD’S 6 TALLEST STATUES
Presents a ranked list of six extremely tall completed statues, using figure height measurements rather than plinths. It includes the Statue of Unity at the top, followed by several large Buddha and deity statues across Asia. Each entry provides a few identifying details, such as location, approximate height, materials or construction notes, and (in some cases) completion timing or notable features like interior viewing areas. READ MORE…
WORLD’S BEST-SELLING SONGS
Summarises best-selling songs and high-earning titles, explaining that entries rely on reported sales thresholds and “reliable sources”. It highlights Guinness World Records crediting “White Christmas” as the best-selling single worldwide and notes “Candle in the Wind 1997” as a standout in the modern charts era. It also includes a short set of top royalty earners and a larger table of major singles with very high sales totals. READ MORE…
HERE IS A TEST OF YOUR MEMORY
A visual memory quiz inviting readers to match older everyday items with their names. The objects are familiar “once-common” household or office items that many people no longer use regularly, such as older phone-related items, manual laundry tools, and retro media or presentation equipment. It’s meant as a quick nostalgia-based challenge rather than a factual article. READ MORE…
THE BRIDGE OF 40 SPIES
Explains how Glienicke Bridge became a Cold War site for exchanging captured spies between East and West. It notes the bridge’s location between Berlin’s Wannsee area and Potsdam, its long history of crossings, and that during the Cold War it served as a tightly controlled border point, with exchanges carried out under heavy supervision. The section frames the bridge as a symbol of espionage-era diplomacy and secrecy. READ MORE…
LIST OF SPY EXCHANGES
Gives examples of major spy swaps that took place on the bridge, including exchanges in 1962, 1985, and 1986. It identifies notable individuals involved and indicates which side each person was returned to. The emphasis is on showing the bridge’s role as a recurring, high-profile exchange point rather than providing a complete catalogue of every swap. READ MORE…
