Colonel Harlan Sanders wasn’t a military man; the Indiana-born KFC entrepreneur was awarded an honorary “”Kentucky Colonel”” title by the governor of the Bluegrass State.

The daughter for whom the Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas named his restaurant chain wasn’t really named Wendy; that was her nickname. Her real name is Melinda.

A bear cub rescued from a New Mexico wildfire in 1950 was nicknamed Hot Foot Teddy. The U.S. Forestry Service “”adopted”” the bear as a living version of the fire-prevention character they’d introduced six years prior: Smokey the Bear.

In 1895, John Brallier became the first “”professional”” football player in America. He earned a total of $10 plus expenses for the year.

Before “”The Price is Right”” broke the record for longest-running daily game show in 1991, the position was held by “”Truth or Consequences.”” Both shows were hosted by Bob Barker.

In 2003, rock legend Elton John had corrective surgery on his eyes to eliminate his need for the 4,000 pairs of eyeglasses he had collected over the years.

A safety net installed under the Golden Gate Bridge helped to cut in half the number of deaths that were expected to occur during its construction. Only 11 men were killed.