Dream facts

Dreaming is one of the most mysterious experiences in our lives but what do we actually know about dreams? Here are some interesting facts that you probably didn't know.

You Forget 90% of Your Dreams

Within 5 minutes of waking, half of your dream if forgotten. Within 10 minutes, 90% is gone. The famous poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, woke one morning having had a fantastic dream, he put pen to paper and began to describe his “vision in a dream” in what has become one of English's most famous poems: Kubla Khan.

Blind People also Dream

People who become blind after birth can see images in their dreams. People who are born blind do not see any images, but have dreams equally vivid involving their other senses of sound, smell, touch and emotion. It is hard for a seeing person to imagine, but the body's need for sleep is so strong that it is able to handle virtually all physical situations to make it happen.

Men and Women Dream Differently

Every human being dreams but men and women have different dreams and different physical reactions. Men tend to dream more about other men, while women tend to dream equally about men and women. In addition, both men and women experience sexually related physical reactions to their dreams regardless of whether the dream is sexual in nature; males experience erections and females experience increased vaginal blood flow.

You Can Experience an 0rgasm in Your Dream

You can not only have s e x as pleasurable as in your real life while dreaming, but also experience an o r g a s m as strong as a real one without any wet results. The sensations felt while lucid dreaming can be as pleasurable and strong as the sensations experienced in the real world.

We Only Dream of What We Know

Our dreams are frequently full of strangers who play out certain parts – did you know that your mind is not inventing those faces – they are real faces of real people that you have seen during your life but may not know or remember? We have all seen hundreds of thousands of faces through our lives, so we have an endless supply of characters for our brain to utilize during our dreams.

Not Everybody Dreams in Color

full 12% of sighted people dream exclusively in black and white. The remaining number dream in full color. Studies from 1915 through to the 1950s maintained that the majority of dreams were in black and white, but these results began to change in the 1960s. Today only 4.4% of the dreams of under-25 year-olds are in black and white. Recent research has suggested that those changing results may be linked to the switch from black-and-white film and TV to color media.

Dreams Prevent Psychosis

In a recent sleep study, students who were awakened at the beginning of each dream, but still allowed their 8 hours of sleep, all experienced difficulty in concentration, irritability, hallucinations, and signs of psychosis after only 3 days. When finally allowed their REM sleep the student's brains made up for lost time by greatly increasing the percentage of sleep spent in the REM stage.

Animals Dream Too

Studies have been done on many different animals, and they all show the same brain waves during dreaming sleep as humans. Watch a dog sleeping sometime. The paws move like they are running and they make yipping sounds as if they are chasing something in a dream.

Body Paralysis

During REM sleep the body is paralyzed by a mechanism in the brain in order to prevent the movements which occur in the dream from causing the physical body to move. However, it is possible for this mechanism to be triggered before, during, or after normal sleep while the brain awakens.

Dream Incorporation

Our mind interprets the external stimuli that our senses are bombarded with when we are asleep and make them a part of our dreams. This means that sometimes in our dreams we hear a sound from reality and incorporate it in a way. For example you may be dreaming that you are in a concert while your brother is playing a guitar during your sleep.

Precognitive Dreams

Results of several surveys across large population sets indicate that between 18% and 38% of people have experienced at least one precognitive dream and 70% have experienced déjà vu. The percentage of persons that believe precognitive dreaming is possible is even higher – ranging from 63% to 98%.

If You Are Snoring, Then You Can Not be Dreaming

This fact is repeated all over the Internet, but there is no scientific evidence to support it.

Strange Wars

 The Anglo-Zanzibar War: the shortest war in history, only 40 minutes long

Fought between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar on 27 August 1896, the conflict lasted approximately 40 minutes, making it the shortest war in history. The immediate cause of the war was the death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini and the subsequent succession of Sultan Khalid bin Barghash. The British authorities preferred Hamud bin Muhammed as Sultan. In accordance with a treaty signed in 1886, a condition for accession to the sultancy was that the candidate obtain the permission of the British Consul, and Khalid had not fulfilled this requirement. The British considered this a casus belli and sent an ultimatum to Khalid demanding that he order his forces to stand down and leave the palace. In response, Khalid called up his palace guard and barricaded himself inside the palace.

The ultimatum expired at 09:00 on 27 August, by which time the British had gathered three cruisers, two gunships, 150 marines and sailors and 900 Zanzibaris in the harbour area. A bombardment which was opened at 09:02 set the palace on fire and disabled the defending artillery. The flag at the palace was shot down and fire ceased at 09:40. The Sultan's forces sustained roughly 500 casualties, while only one British sailor was injured.

 The Pig War: triggered by the shooting of a pig

The Pig War was a confrontation in 1859 between American and British authorities over the boundary between the United States and British North America. The specific area in dispute was the San Juan Islands, which lie between Vancouver Island and the North American mainland. The Pig War, so called because it was triggered by the shooting of a pig, is also called the Pig Episode, the Pig and Potato War, the San Juan Boundary Dispute or the Northwestern Boundary Dispute. The pig was the only "casualty" of the war, making the conflict essentially bloodless.

 Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War: lasted over 335 years with no casualties

The Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War (1651–1986) was a war between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly (located off the southwest coast of the United Kingdom). It is said to have been extended by the lack of a peace treaty for 335 years without a single shot being fired, which would make it one of the world's longest wars and the war with the fewest casualties. Despite the uncertain validity of the declaration of war, peace was finally declared in 1986.

Moldovan-Transdniestrian War: where both sides' officers would drink together during the nights and fight during the days

After the Soviet Union collapsed, two-thirds of Moldova wanted closer ties with Romania and neighbors to the west. But the area of the country to the east of the Dniestr river wanted to stay close to Ukraine and Russia. War broke out, and the east split to form Transdniestria, which remains unrecognized by the world.

When Moldova and Transdniestria started fighting, it was a weird war. The local military called it the Drunken War, as officers of the combatants met every night to have a drink together. They went away in the morning and opened fire on each other. At night, they got together again to drink for those they had met with the previous night and who they had killed.

 Emu War: how Australia lost a war against birds

The Emu War, also known as The Great Emu War, was a week-long military operation undertaken in Australia in November 1932 to address public concern over the number of emus said to be running amuck in the Campion district of Western Australia. The emus were responding to a long, hot summer, which caused shortages of food and water. The "war" was conducted under the command of Major Meredith of the Royal Australian Artillery, commanding a force of soldiers armed with two Lewis machine guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition. But shooting blindly into a group of birds which can run up to 50 km/h (30 mph) did not brought the expected results. The birds simply ran away even after being hit by a machine gun round.

Over the course of a week or so, only a handful of the estimated 20,000 birds were actually killed. Major Meredith - the Australian commander in the "Emu war" - was astonished and famously compared the emus to Zulus. After a few days the Defence Minister ordered a withdrawal. And thus the "Emu War" ended in a military defeat for Australia.

 The Football War: started with a football game

The Football War (La guerra del fútbol, in Spanish), also known as the 100-hours War, was a five-day war fought by El Salvador and Honduras in 1969. It was caused by political conflicts between Hondurans and Salvadorans, namely issues concerning immigration from El Salvador to Honduras. These existing tensions between the two countries coincided with the inflamed rioting during the second North American qualifying round for the 1970 FIFA World Cup; on 14 July 1969, the Salvadoran army launched an attack against Honduras. The Organization of American States negotiated a cease-fire which took effect on 20 July, with the Salvadoran troops withdrawn in early August. El Salvador ended up going to the 1970 FIFA World Cup1970 FIFA World Cup, where they failed to advance from the Group Stage.

 War of 1812: caused by faulty telegraphic communications

Also called Mr. Madison's War, the War of 1812 was in many ways the strangest war in United States history. It could well be named the War of Faulty Communication. Two days before war was declared, the British government stated that it would repeal the laws which were the chief reason for fighting. If there had been telegraphic communication with Europe, the war might well have been avoided.

The chief United States complaint against the British was interference with shipping. But New England, the great shipping section of the United States, bitterly opposed the idea of going to war. The demand for war came chiefly from the West and South.

It is strange also that the war, fought for freedom of the seas, began with the invasion of Canada. In addition, the treaty of peace that ended the war settled none of the issues over which it had supposedly been fought. Finally, both sides claimed victory in the War of 1812, and it becomes clear that the whole struggle was a confused mass of contradictions.

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Bizarre Explosions

 50 ton-whale exploded, sopping streets in guts

A whale intended for research exploded on a Taiwanese street in 2004, soaking passersby in blood and guts. The sperm whale, which had died on the beach and was being transported through Tainan for study, burst because of gases building up in its body from decomposition. It soaked several cars and curious pedestrians nearby, forcing residents and business owners to wear masks to clean up the debris. The whale weighed 50 tons and was 55 feet long, making it the largest ever found in Taiwan. It was taken to a Tainan university, which sent it on to the Shi-Tsao natural preserve for study. The whale's girth took 13 hours, three large lifting cranes and 50 workers to get the creature on trailer truck for its final trip. Despite the mammal's grisly explosion, enough of the whale remained for it to be researched by marine biologists.

 Cigarette exploded, causing a smoker to lose six teeth

An Indonesian man lost six teeth and suffered 51 stitches to his mouth after the cigarette he was smoking exploded. Andi Susanto, 31, claims he was riding on a motorbike when the cigarette exploded. He has now received a payment of 5m rupiah ($535) in an out-of-court settlement from the cigarette manufacturers, PT Nojorono Tobacco. Indonesia is one of the largest markets for cigarette manufacturers in the world, with more than 60 percent of men smoking. Susanto, however, is planning to quit.

 Ipod exploded, almost injuring 11-year old girl and family

Ken Stanborough, 47, from Liverpool, dropped his 11-year-old daughter Ellie's iPod Touch last month. "It made a hissing noise," he said. "I could feel it getting hotter in my hand, and I thought I could see vapour". Mr Stanborough threw the device out of his back door, where within 30 seconds there was a pop, a big puff of smoke and it went 10 ft in the air. According to Mr Stanborough, Apple attempted to silence a father and daughter with a gagging order, offering a refund, only if he agreed to keep it quiet. A number of bloggers have reported cases where iPods have exploded — usually involving older versions of the digital music players.

 Laptop exploded, during a conference

At a conference in Japan, a Dell laptop suddenly exploded into flames, and lucky for its owner the fiery blast occurred while the PC was sitting on a table and not in his lap. An onlooker reported that the notebook continued to burn, producing several more explosions over the course of about five minutes. We don't have any further details of the model of the computer in question. In light of the evidence, however, we'd suggest you avoid actually using a laptop on your lap. Ouch!

 Toilet exploded, leading to a U$ 10 million lawsuit

A man was severely burned when a portable toilet exploded after he sat down and lit a cigarette. Now John Jenkins, 53, and his wife, Ramona Jenkins, 35, of Brave, Pa, are suing a general contractor and a coal company, accusing them of negligence. The lawsuit claims Jenkins' face, neck, arms, torso and legs were severely burned after the cigarette ignited methane gas leaking from a pipe underneath the toilet unit.

 Office Chair Exploded 'analling' killing teenager

A 14-year-old boy in China was killed when his chair exploded, sending chunks of metal into his rectum, what ultimately killed him. The alleged explosion came from the gas cylinder that was in the base of the chair, the part that allowed the user to adjust the seat up and down. The canister gets compressed when you sit on it, but can it actually create enough energy to make the seat cushion explode like that and kill a man? Some believe it's not possible, but this is the reported story.

 Chewing gum exploded, killing a chemistry student

25-year-old chemistry student Vladimir Likhonos, from Ukraine, died at his parent's house - after relatives heard what was described as 'a loud pop', and rushed into his room. There they discovered that the lower half of his face had been severely disfigured by the chewing gum blast, with his jaw entirely blown off. Forensic tests carried out on the chewing gum revealed an unidentified chemical substance on it. It is thought that the student had a habit of dipping his chewing gum into powdered citric acid - and investigators believe that he may have mistakenly dipped the gum into the wrong substance, as the two powders appeared very similar, leading to the deadly explosion.

 Mobile phone exploded, killing a Chinese man

A man died after his mobile phone exploded, severing a major artery in his neck. The unfortunate man, thought to be a shop assistant in his twenties at a computer shop in Guangzhou, China, died after he put a new battery in his phone. He had just finished charging the battery and had put the phone in his breast pocket when it exploded. This was the ninth recorded cellphone explosion in China since 2002. In the most high profile recent incident, in June 2007, a 22-year-old welder, Xiao Jinpeng, died from chest wounds when his mobile phone exploded while he was at work at an iron mill in Gansu province. Motorola and Nokia, two of the world's biggest mobile phone makers, denied links to the distributors of problem batteries in China, suggesting they were counterfeit. New facts suggest that the man may in fact shot himself accidentally with a home-made pistol.

 Deodorant exploded, injuring Chilean teenager

A 16-year-old Chilean boy was injured by the explosion of a deodorant spray he had just applied in the bathroom of his home in Santiago. The teenager remains in a hospital in Santiago with burns in his face. The wounded man's stepfather said the deodorant container suddenly exploded after the boy, who managed to lower his head, placed it on a shelf. The roof and the windows of the bathroom were destroyed by the blast. The teenager's mother reported the incident to the police and announced that studies legal action against the manufacturer of the deodorant.

 Washing machine exploded after a man was trying to break up grease stain with gas

A St. Paul man is thankful to be alive tonight, after his washing machine exploded in his basement. Glenn Johnson of St. Paul put gasoline in his machine to clean some greasy clothing. Johnson says he's done this for 25 years to break up grease stains. He puts detergent, water and a little gasoline together. Johnson is a mechanic and says it's a trick his father taught him years ago. He was only supposed to use a little bit of gasoline however, he admits he may have overdone it. After he put the gas in the washing machine, the vapors dispersed through the building. Then they found an ignition source, probably the hot water heater. Johnson saw a ball of fire coming up from the drain and hit him directly on his body. It burnt both of his legs and the force of the blast blew him out of the laundry room.

Mc Donald's Meals globally

 McLobster

The McLobster is a lobster roll available seasonally and only in the Maritimes Provinces and Maine. It is called McHomard in French.

 Vegetarian burgers: McVeggie and McAloo Tikki Burger

In India, selling beef is prohibited (Hindus revere cows), so there you are going to find these two totally vegetarian sandwiches. The McAloo is made with regular bun, a crispy, breaded spicy potato and vegetable patty, eggless tomato mayonnaise, two slices of tomatoes and shredded onion. The McVeggie looks similar to the McAloo Tikki Burger, but is made out of mixed vegetables, peas, and spices, lettuce and veg mayonnaise.

 Shrimp Burger

After McDonald's posted a loss in 2002 amid the mad cow scare, the company added in 2005 a new item to its menu in Japan: the shrimp burger. That was the latest effort by the Japan unit of the U.S. fast-food chain to win over Japanese palates and spark sales.

 McKebab

McDonald's has Kosher branches only in Israel and Argentina. There you can eat the McKebab (kebab served on flatbread). Israel and Argentina are also the only places in the world where McDonald's burgers are barbecued on charcoal rather than fried.

 Beef Fan-Tastic

The name Beef Fàn-tastic is unique to Singapore, the name of the dish emphasize the "fan" word which is rice in Mandarin. Beef Fàn-tastic offers tasty sliced beef, grilled onions, crunchy lettuce and sliced red cabbage between two toasted premium white rice patties.

 KiwiBurguer

The KiwiBurger is a hamburger sold at McDonald's restaurants in New Zealand, and it's a McDonald's menu item you won't find anywhere else in the world. The burger has ingredients that are not a part of any other product (beetroot for example), while eggs are cooked on a special grill. It consists of a 100% pure beef patty, Farmer Brown egg, Wattie's Beetroot, tomato, lettuce, Mainland cheese, onions, tomato sauce, and mustard on a toasted bun.

 Gazpacho Alvalle

Gazpacho is a cold Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup which is served in sealed plastic cups. Gazpacho is mostly consumed during the summer months, due to its refreshing qualities.

 Shake Shake Fries

Shake Shake Fries are sold in Hong Kong and are only available at certain times throughout the year. There are several different flavors including seaweed, chargrill, French onion and salt and pepper.

 McArabi Chicken

In Saudi Arabia no pork products are served as it is prohibited by Islamic law. But you can eat the McArabi Chicken which is a popular Arabic-themed sandwich. It's made out of two grilled chicken patties (de-boned breast meat), Arabic bread, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and garlic sauce.

 McPinto

In Costa Rica's McDonald's you can find a prototypical traditional dish: seasoned rice and black bean dish, called Gallo Pinto or McPinto. It is served with scrambled eggs and sour cream. Gallo Pinto is considered the national dish.

Amazing Grottoes & Caves

 Cacahuamilpa Grotto (Mexico)

This is a protected Natural Area located two and a half hours from Mexico City. Its name, of Nahuatl origin, can be interpreted as "peanut land". This grotto is considered to be among the most impressive in the world and open to the public. The Cacahuamilpa Grotto was discovered in 1835 and was opened to the public in 1920 and elevated to the rank of National Park in 1936.

 Jeita Grotto (Lebanon)

Jeita Grotto is located 20 km north of Beirut in the Valley of Nahr al-Kalb. In this cave and galleries, the action of water in the limestone has created cathedral-like vaults full of various sizes, colors and shapes of stalactites and stalagmites, majestic curtains and fantastic rock formations. The total length of the cave is more than 9000 m and it is among the biggest stalactites in the world hanging 8,20 m. The grotto accommodates a huge hall with a distance of 108 m from the ceiling till the water level.

 Mogao Grotto (China)

The Mogao Grottoes, commonly named Thousand-Buddha Caves are the most famous grottoes in China. Located 25km southeast of Dunhuang County, these caves are carved out of the sandstone cliffs of Mingsha Mountain. Constructed in 10 dynasties from the fourth to the 14th century, its 45000 square meters of mural paintings and more than 2000 color statues are regarded as the greatest treasure-house of Buddhist art existing in the world.

 Grotto of the Marvels (Spain)

This grotto is located in Huelva, 89km away from Sevilla in Aracena. It was discovered in 1886 and opened to the public in 1914. The total lenght of the cave is 2130m, although the public can only visit 1200. The colour of its stalactites and stalagmites, the beauty of its lakes and the size of its caves make this place unique.

 Caves of Mira D'aire (Portugal)
This is Portugal's largest caves system. The underground tour leads down through a series of colourfully lit caverns with some impressive speleothems. The last cavern, 110m below the surface contains a huge lake with artificial waterfalls and dramatic artificial fountains. Exit is via a fast elevator to the surface.

 Enchanted Well - Chapada Diamantina National Park (Brazil)

Poço Encantado, or Enchanted Well, is located in the Chapada Diamantina National Park in Bahia state, approximately 400 kilometres inland from Salvador, the capital city of Bahia. This giant sunken pool is 120 feet deep and the water is so transparent the rocks and ancient tree trunks are visible on the bottom. When the sun is just right, light comes through a crevice and creates a blue reflection on the water. Access to this pond is highly controlled for environmental protection of its rare and delicate ecosystem.

 Naica Crystals Caves (Mexico)

Buried a thousand feet (300 meters) below Naica mountain in the Chihuahuan Desert, the cave was discovered by two miners in 2000. The cave contains some of the largest natural crystals ever found: translucent gypsum beams measuring up to 36 feet (11 meters) long and weighing up to 55 tons.

 The Blue Lake Cave (Brazil)

The Blue Lake Cave (Gruta do Lago Azul) has a big variety of geological formation but impresses mainly for the deep blue colored water of its inside lake. The entrance of the cave was discovered by a Terenan Indian in 1924. In its interior, after descending 100 meters, it is possible to see the lake of crystal clear water and depth of approximately 70 meters, which makes it one of Earth's biggest flooded caves.

 The Bellamar Cave (Cuba)

The Bellamar Cave was accidentally discovered 166 years ago in La Alcancía Farm, in the outskirts of Matanzas. This is one of Cuba's oldest tourist attractions and it's famous for the beauty of its speleothems. The tour includes six halls and seventeen galleries of incredible beauty, fountains, stalactites and stalagmites, crystallised domes and other formations.

 Crystal Caves (Island of Bermuda)

The Crystal Cave is a 55 feet deep blue underground lake found on the island of Bermuda. The cave features a variety of formations that include: soda straws and stalactites. The water is crystal clear allowing visitors to view formations at the bottom of the 55 feet deep underground lake.

Amazing Free Fall Survivors

 James Boole: the extreme sports lover who survived a 6,000 ft fall without a parachute

A skydiver from Staffordshire plunged 6,000 ft without a parachute in Russia and survived to tell the tale. Hitting rocks at an estimate 100 kilometers per hour, miracle man 31-year-old James Boole, from Tamworth, was filming a TV documentary in Russia when his parachute launched only seconds to the ground. James Boole failed to open his chute until it was too late after a communications error with a fellow extreme sport lover. Mr Boole landed on snow-covered rocks and suffered a broken back and rib.

 Joe Herman: the Australian pilot who survived a free fall by grabbing a fellow flyer's leg

Joe Herman, of the Royal Australian Air Force, was blown out of his bomber in 1944 without a parachute. He found himself falling through the night sky amid airplane debris and wildly grabbed a piece of it. It turned out to be not debris at all, but rather a fellow flyer, John Vivash, in the process of pulling his ripcord. The parachute inflated slowly, which helped Herman maintain his grasp on Vivash. Joe hung on and, as a courtesy, hit the ground first, breaking the fall of his savior and a mere two ribs of his own.

 Nicholas Alkemade: the World War II tail gunner who survived a fall of 18,000 feet (5500) after his plane was shut down

On March 24, 1944, 21 year old Flight Sergeant Nicholas Stephen Alkemade was a member of No. 115 Squadron RAF and was flying to the east of Schmallenberg, Germany, when his plane was attacked by enemies, caught fire, and began to spiral out of control. Because his parachute was destroyed by the fire, Alkemade opted to jump from the aircraft without one, preferring his death to be quick, rather than being burnt to death. He fell 18,000 feet (5500 m) to the ground below. His fall was broken by pine trees and a soft snow cover on the ground. He was able to move his arms and legs and suffered only a sprained leg. When he came to his senses and saw stars overhead, he lit a cigarette.

He was subsequently captured and interviewed by the Gestapo. The orderly Germans were so impressed that Alkemade had bailed out without a parachute and lived, that they gave him a certificate testifying to the fact.

 Bahia Bakari: the 14-year-old sole survivor of Yemenia Airways

Bahia Bakari is a French schoolgirl who became world famous as the sole survivor of Yemenia Flight 626, an Airbus A310, which crashed into the Indian Ocean near the north coast of Grande Comore, Comoros on June 30, 2009, killing all other 152 people on board. Bakari, who could barely swim and had no life vest, clung to aircraft wreckage, floating in heavy seas for more than 13 hours, much of it in pitch darkness, before being rescued by the Sima Com 2, a privately owned ship. As soon as Bakari was sighted, a member of the rescue team threw her a life preserver, but the waters were too rough, and she was too exhausted to grab it. One of the sailors, Maturaffi Sélémane Libounah, jumped into the water and handed her a flotation device, after which they were both pulled safely aboard the Sima Com 2, where she was given dry blankets and a hot drink. Her mother, who had been traveling with her from Paris, France, for a summer vacation in Comoros, died in the crash. 

 Dave Hodgman: the skydiver who got tangled up with another jumper at 2,500 feet

In March of 1985 Dave Hodgman jumped at 12,000 feet as part of a group that was attempting to build a formation in Victoria, Australia. He was unable to reach the group and moved away. When he opened his parachute at around 2,500 feet he did not realize he was below another jumper, who also did not realize he was there. The other jumper, named Frank, was just opening his own chute at the time. His body collided with Dave, knocking him out and tangling with his lines. The two men came down together under Frank's inflated chute and Dave's chute, which collapsed and reinflated through the entire ride. Frank had no control and the two came down between some cars in a packed-gravel parking lot. Dave was badly injured but returned to jumping within three months. Frank's injuries were minor.

 Vesna Vulović: the JAT stewardess who survived a 33,000 feet fall

Twenty-two year old, Vesna Vulovic, was a flight attendant on Yugoslav Airlines DC-9 enroute from Stockholm to Belgrade. A bomb, which may have been planted in the front baggage compartment of the plane, exploded onboard when the aircraft was at 33,330 ft. Vulovic was in the tail section that fell to Earth. It landed at just the right angle on a slope of snow covered mountains. She was the only survivor among the 28 passengers and crew. She broke both her legs and was paralyzed from the waist down. She was in a coma for 27 days. Her recovery took 17 months. She continued to fly with Yugoslav Airlines for 20 more years.

She holds the world record, according to the Guinness Book of Records, for surviving the highest fall without a parachute: 10,160 meters (33,333 feet).

NOTE: It was never proved that the plane was torn apart by a bomb. In January 2009 German ARD radio Prague office research and Czech journalist Pavel Theiner proposed a conspiracy theory that the plane was shot by accident by the Czechoslovak air force.

 Juliane Koepcke: the teenager who survived a 2 miles (3 km) high plane crash and the Amazon rainforest

On Christmas Eve 1971, LANSA Flight 508 from Lima, Peru, to Pucallpa, Peru, crashed during a thunderstorm killing 91 people – all of its 6 crew and 85 of its 86 passengers. The sole survivor was a 17 year old girl, called Juliane Köpcke , who fell 2 miles (3 km) down into the Amazon rainforest strapped to her seat and remarkably survived the fall. The next morning, the high school student awoke in the jungle floor, surrounded by fallen holiday gifts. Injured and alone, she pushed her mother's death, who'd been seated next to her on the plane, out of her mind. Instead, she remembered one of her father's advice, a biologist: To find civilization when lost in the jungle, follow water. Koepcke waded from tiny streams to larger ones. She passed crocodiles and poked the mud in front of her with a stick to scare away stingrays. She had lost one shoe in the fall and was wearing a ripped miniskirt. Her only food was a bag of candy, and she had nothing but dark, dirty water to drink. She ignored her broken collarbone and her wounds, infested with maggots.

On the tenth day, she rested on the bank of the Shebonya River. When she stood up again, she saw a canoe tethered to the shoreline. It took her hours to climb the embankment to a hut, where, the next day, a group of lumberjacks found her. The incident was seen as a miracle in Peru, and free-fall statistics seem to support those arguing for divine intervention.

 Mohammed el-Fateh Osman:the 2-year-old wreckage rider who suvived a jet crash in Sudan in 2003

The crashed happened shortly after leaving Port Sudan airport, killing 116 people. The only survivor was found lying on a fallen tree with multiple injuries. About 10 minutes after takeoff heading from Port Sudan on the northeastern coast to the capital, the pilot of a Boeing 737 radioed the control tower about a problem in one engine. The pilot killed that engine and told the tower he was returning to the airport. Ten minutes later, the Sudanese airliner plunged into a hillside while attempting an emergency landing killing 116 people and leaving only two-year-old Sudanese boy, Mohammed el-Fateh Osman, as the sole survivor. The boy was found injured and lying on a fallen tree by a nomad. The boy's mother was among the victims. Mohammed lost part of a lower leg and was treated for severe burning.

 Alan Magee: the World War II American airman who survived a 22,000 foot fall after his plane was hit during an attack

Alan Magee was blown from his B-17 on a 1943 mission over France. The New Jersey airman, more recently the subject of a MythBusters episode, fell 20,000 feet (6,700 m - over four miles) before crashing through the glass roof of the St. Nazaire railroad station. Somehow the glass roof mitigated Magee's impact and rescuers found him still alive on the station's floor. He was subsequently captured by German troops, who were astonished at his survival. He had 28 shrapnel wounds in addition to the damage from the fall. He had several broken bones, severe damage to his nose and eye, and lung and kidney damage, his right arm was severely injured as well.

 Ivan Chisov: the Soviet Lieutenant who survived a fall of 21,980 ft after passing out

Lieutenant Chisov was a Soviet Airforce Lieutenant on an Ilyushin Il-4 bomber. In January of 1942, German fighters attacked his bomber, forcing him to bail out at an altitude of approximately 22,000 feet. With the battle still raging around him, Lt. Chisov intentionally did not open his parachute, since he feared that he would just be an easy target for an angry German while he was dangling from his parachute harness. He planned on dropping below the level of the battle, and then, once he was out of sight of the German fighters, he would open his chute and land safely. However, he lost consciousness on the way down, and was unable to pull the rip cord. Miraculously, he was not killed. He hit the edge of a snowy ravine at an estimated speed of somewhere between 120 and 150 mph, then slid, rolled, and plowed his way down to the bottom. He suffered spinal injuries and a broken pelvis, but was able to fly again three months later.