Record-Breaking PR Stunt Ends in Citywide Chaos

Day of the Launch

Of the 2,500 Balloonfest volunteers, most were students. In preparation for the event, they spent the entire morning of September 27, 1986 pumping helium into balloons. The media swarmed Public Square, interviewing organizers, participants, and observers alike. In only a few short hours, catastrophe would strike.

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The More You Know

  • Will Smith turned down the role of Neo in the Matrix. He starred in Wild Wild West instead.
  • A quarter of all the bones in your body are in your feet.
  • Former billionaire Chuck Feeney has given away over 99% of his 6.3 billion dollars to help under privileged kids go to college. He is now worth $2 million dollars.
  • Scorpions are incredibly resilient: scientists have frozen scorpions overnight, left them in the sun the following day, and when thawed, the arthropod walked away unscathed.
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