Uncover the Top 13 Most Fascinating Fun Facts from 2015: Unforgettable Moments and Events

1. Mordor Found on Pluto's Moon

In a twist straight out of a Tolkien tale, Mordor was discovered far from Middle-earth and on the frosty fringes of our solar system: In 2015, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft captured stunning images of Pluto and its largest moon Charon, unveiling icy mountains up to 11,000 feet high, a vast, smooth icy plain called Sputnik Planum, and a mysterious dark region at Charon's north pole dubbed Mordor.
Source => nytimes.com

2. Flowing Water on Mars

In 2015, it turns out Mars was making a splash in more ways than just box office with "The Martian": NASA confirmed the existence of flowing water on the planet's surface, paving the way for potential microbial life and increasing the odds of finding our extraterrestrial neighbors.
Source => cnn.com

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=> Fun Facts about Social-Media

3. Emojis in Diplomacy

In 2015, emojis had a major smiley face moment as the world's leaders engaged in "textspeak" diplomacy: even US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton couldn't resist the allure of these miniature mood-boosters, asking for feedback in the universal language of tiny digital faces. Alas, the Oxford English Dictionary - that hallowed vault of dusty lexemes - decided not to acknowledge any emoji as the Word of the Year, stubbornly ignoring the silent screams of countless smiley faces, heart eyes, and poop icons.
Source => languages.oup.com

4. Spotify vs. Apple Music

In a valiant effort to fend off the Apple Music invasion, Spotify donned its shining armor of 20 million premium subscribers and set forth on a binge-listening crusade: In 2015, the streaming giant saw its user base soar to 75 million, growing by 15 million subscribers and 20 million active users, making that the sweet sound of victory in the ears of Spotify enthusiasts.
Source => theguardian.com

5. Cheaper Lab-Grown Burgers

In a moo-mentous shift for burger enthusiasts and cows alike, 2015 saw the cost of lab-grown beef patties plummet: Originally priced at a whopping $325,000 in 2013, the undeniably ambitious "test-tube burger" dropped to a more palatable $11 per patty in just two years, thanks to ongoing advancements in synthetic meat production using real cow stem cells.
Source => firstwefeast.com

6. Fiery Hoverboard Trend

Back in 2015, hoverboards became the hottest - quite literally - trend among cool kids, with riders zipping down sidewalks living their best Marty McFly dreams: However, the Back to the Future fantasies hit a roadblock when these futuristic scooters began bursting into flames, resulting in at least 12 fire incidents across the US. This fiery fiasco led airlines, the US postal service, and major retailers to impose bans on hoverboards, dousing the flames of this short-lived phenomenon.
Source => cnet.com

7. 2015's Most Downloaded Apps

In the year of the Apple app addicts, when iPhones were gripped tighter than a Kardashian's selfie stick and icons danced across screens like a game of Whac-A-Mole: Trivia Crack reigned supreme, claiming the top spot in 2015’s most downloaded apps, trailed closely by Facebook Messenger. The app brigade also featured Dubsmash, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, Uber, Crossy Road, and Google Maps on its top .scalajs.SetToolTip({"data-tooltip":"list-id","text":"10"})._10 list.
Source => usatoday.com

8. $5 Raspberry Pi Zero Computer

Step aside, Willy Wonka: the Raspberry Pi Foundation has created a computer that's cheaper than a chocolate bar! In 2015, they launched the Raspberry Pi Zero, a $5 pocket-sized computer that's packed with powerful features and a whole lot of heart.
Source => raspberrypi.com

9. Android Marshmallow Launch

Once upon a Marsha-mellow time, when technology tickled our taste buds just like the fluffy, sugary treats: In 2015, Google unveiled the Android Marshmallow operating system, featuring opt-in permissions, fingerprint recognition, USB-C support, and microSD data migration, but it had a slow start with only 13.3% adoption rate by July 2016, peaking at 35.21% in August 2017, and dwindling down to a mere 1.98% as of December 2022.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. First-Ever CatCon in LA

In 2015, the City of Angels played host to a feline heaven, where "Show us your kitties!" and "Schrodinger's cat is alive" T-shirts reigned supreme, catnip was dubbed "weed for cats", and even the stars of the feline world graced the event with their fur-ocious presence: The first-ever CatCon took place in downtown Los Angeles, attracting thousands of cat aficionados to celebrate all things feline, featuring celebrity cats like Lil Bub and Pudge, designer cat gear, and even an adoption center for fur-parents-in-waiting.
Source => theguardian.com

11. Jurassic World Record-Breaking

In the Summer of 2015, dinosaurs made the world go "rawr" with awe and dollar bills: "Jurassic World" became the highest-grossing global opening film ever, bringing in $524.1 million around the world, beating the previous record held by "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" in 2011, and claiming the title of the highest-grossing U.S. opening weekend movie ever with $208.8 million in North America, surpassing "The Avengers" in 2012, while also setting the record for the highest-grossing IMAX theater opening weekend worldwide with $44.1 million in revenue.
Source => money.cnn.com

12. Homo Naledi Fossil Discovery

In 2015, humans uncovered their long-lost family tree in the most unbelievable place – a dark cave in South Africa, brimming with intrigue, skeletons in the closet, and an enigma that would make a Hardy Boys detective sweat: researchers discovered the largest collection of Homo naledi fossils, a new human species with an eccentric fashion sense – rocking both prehistoric and modern chic traits. This game-changing discovery has since kept evolutionary biologists on their toes: highlighting our diverse and complex lineage, questioning what other long-lost cousins may be hiding in caves, and pondering which ancestor first coined the phrase "fossil fabulous."
Source => nhm.ac.uk

13. Llama Escape in Arizona

In the running for "Best Llama Drama" and stealing a moment in the internet's heart, an epic breakout ensued in 2015, featuring a duo of cunning, fast-paced darlings: That year, two llamas escaped during transportation to an animal therapy session in Arizona, going on a wild chase through Sun City streets while live-streamed on social media, earning admiration for their agility and resourcefulness before ultimately being recaptured.
Source => washingtonpost.com