Facts News

The coin was tossed twice in the 2011 World Cup final, which India won against Sri Lanka 15 years ago on April 2. MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara both thought they had won the toss in the first attempt. Referee Jeff Crowe said he had not heard Sangakkara's call, after which the toss was redone and won by Sri Lanka.

India's first Formula One racer Narain Karthikeyan remains the only driver to finish 24th in an F1 race. History was made when all of the 24 cars that started the 2011 European Grand Prix in Spain's Valencia went on to see the chequered flag. Driving for HRT, Karthikeyan finished P24, which remains the lowest Grand Prix finish in F1 history.

German retired racer Hans Heyer is the only driver to record a DNQ (Did Not Qualify), DNF (Did Not Finish), and DSQ (Disqualified) at an F1 race. During the 1977 German Grand Prix, he failed to qualify but still sneaked onto the grid. He completed nine laps before retiring with gearbox issues and was later disqualified for illegal participation.

The FIFA World Cup trophy, which was first used in 1974, weighs 6.142 kg, of which 5.092 kg is pure gold. While the official trophy is housed at the FIFA museum in Switzerland's Zurich, each World Cup winner receives their own individual winner's trophy. A new bottom disk is produced after each tournament, stating the latest winner.

General Sherman, a giant sequoia in California’s Sequoia National Park, is the world’s largest known tree by volume and is believed to be around 2,200 years old. According to the US National Park Service, it has an estimated volume of 52,500 cubic feet and its trunk alone weighs nearly 1,400 tons, roughly equivalent to 15 adult blue whales.

The F1 Canadian Grand Prix 2026 will be held at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve from May 22 to May 25. The 4.361-km track, which first hosted an F1 race in 1978, is located on the man-made Notre Dame Island in the middle of the St Lawrence River. The fast, low-downforce circuit is considered one of the drivers' favourites.

LSG pacer Mohsin Khan is the only bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in IPL 2026. The 27-year-old, who played seven matches this season, registered figures of 4-1-23-5 against KKR, dismissing Ajinkya Rahane, Tim Seifert, Cameron Green, Rovman Powell and Anukul Roy. Mohsin also bowled the most maiden overs (3) this season, with no other bowler managing more than one.

Spain failed to beat Cape Verde in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H opener in Atlanta, with the FIFA World Cup debutants holding the 2010 champions to a goalless draw. Since lifting the trophy 16 years ago, Spain have won only three FIFA World Cup matches, securing victories over Australia (2014), Iran (2018) and Costa Rica (2022).

France captain Kylian Mbappé has become the first player to score three or more goals in the knockout stages of three different FIFA World Cups, having netted three in 2018, five in 2022, and three so far in 2026. The 27-year-old achieved the feat during France's FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match against Paraguay. France defeated Paraguay 1-0.

FIFA World Cup 1954 final became known as 'Miracle of Bern' after underdogs West Germany stunned Hungary's Golden Team 3-2 in rainy Bern. Hungary, unbeaten in 31 matches over four years and Olympic champions, had beaten Germany 8-3 earlier and led 2-0 within eight minutes. Germany equalised by 18th minute before Helmut Rahn's 84th-minute winner secured their first World Cup.

Spain midfielder Fabián Ruiz, who has played 50 international matches so far, has never lost while representing his country. The 30-year-old achieved the feat after Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final. With the win, Ruiz's international record stands at 35 victories and 15 draws.

Legendary Australia batter Sir Donald Bradman had scored 6,996 Test runs at an average of 101.39 when he came out to bat for the last time on August 14, 1948. Bradman was bowled for duck by England's Eric Hollies off a googly. He finished his career with an average of 99.94, missing an average of 100 by just four runs.

On this day in 1990, 17-year-old Sachin Tendulkar scored his first international century, an unbeaten 119 against England at Old Trafford, helping India draw the Test. Exactly 42 years earlier, Sir Don Bradman played his final Test innings at The Oval, falling for duck. Bradman needed four runs to finish with a batting average of 100, but retired at 99.94.

Sixteen people were killed during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 10, 1961. Ferrari's Wolfgang von Trips collided with Jim Clark's Lotus on Lap 2 and his car rammed into spectators. Von Trips and 15 spectators died in the crash. The race continued, with Ferrari's Phil Hill winning and going on to clinch the Formula 1 world championship.

London taxi driver George Smith became the first person widely recorded as being arrested for drunk driving on September 10, 1897. Smith crashed his electric cab into a building on New Bond Street after driving erratically. He admitted drinking two or three glasses of beer, pleaded guilty at Marlborough Street Police Court and was fined 20 shillings for the offence.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who passed away on October 5, 2011 aged 56, said, "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow," as his final words. His sister Mona Simpson had revealed that Jobs first looked at his sister Patty, then at his children and wife Laurene, before looking past them and uttering the words.

Former Team India captain Virat Kohli, who turned 38 on Thursday, is the only cricketer to take a wicket on the 'zeroth' delivery of his T20I career. Bowling for the first time in T20I cricket in 2011, Kohli bowled a wide on which MS Dhoni stumped England's Kevin Pietersen. Kohli's bowling figures read 0.0-0-1-1 before he bowled a legitimate delivery.

Zimbabwe played an ODI against New Zealand in the middle of a Test on November 8, 1992. The second match of the ODI series, played on a Sunday, was sandwiched between the first and second day of the second Test. New Zealand's captain Martin Crowe scored 140 in first innings, followed by 94 in ODI and 61 in second innings.

Ex-Australia pacer Brett Lee is the only bowler to take a hat-trick in both 50-over and T20 World Cups. Lee took a hat-trick in 2003 World Cup against Kenya, becoming the first Australian to take a World Cup hat-trick. In 2007, Lee became the first-ever bowler to take a T20I hat-trick, achieving the feat against Bangladesh in T20 World Cup.