In 1941, actress Hedy Lamarr and composer George Antheil were awarded a patent for a radio-controlled torpedo-guidance system. The United States navy later used the invention during World War II. (source)

A study of all gunshot deaths in the Seattle area between 1978 and 1983—743 in all—concluded that the majority of these deaths occurred in the home where the gun was kept. In only two cases was a stranger killed; the rest were accidental deaths, suicides or homicides where the victim was a family member or a friend. (source)

In the United States, only 13% of burglaries occur when the residents of the house are at home. However, in Canada and Great Britain, over 40% of burglaries occur when residents are home. It is believed that the difference is due to greater gun ownership among homeowners in the United States. (source)

Between 1865 and 1870, Paraguay fought Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay in the War of the Triple Alliance. Paraguay, which had a population of 1,337,000 before the war, had a population of 221,000 after the war, representing a loss of over 80% of its population. The only officer out of around 30,000 in Paraguay's army and navy to survive was General Bernardino Caballero, who would become president of Paraguay in 1880. (source)