USA v Russia is the 11th episode of International Factball, and the 25th episode of 2014. It features presenters James Harkin, Anna Ptaszynski, and Dan Schreiber, and guest presenter Alex Edelman. It was recorded at the QI Offices in Covent Garden, London.
Example Facts[]
- The Great Raft was a series of logjams starting in the 1100s which grew to several hundred miles long. Some invasive species exist in surrounding lakes today purely because this logjam caused the river to burst its banks. (Edelman)
- Jimi Hendrix's first gig was in a synagogue in Seattle, USA. His bandmates fired him in-between sets because he was playing too wildly. (Schreiber)
- Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, urinated on the back tyre of the bus that took him to the launch site. Today, the bus is deliberately stopped so that all Russian cosmonauts can do this. (Ptaszynski)
- Lake Baikal in Siberia is 1000 times older than any other lake on Earth, and if all other fresh water disappeared, there would be enough in Lake Baikal to keep the world population going for 50 years. (Harkin)
Half Time Show[]
As Factball is made in association with VisitEngland, the presenters ask three trivia questions about England during half time, and provide answers at the end.
- In 1458, London hosted an event called Loveday in which the Lancastrian and Yorkist sides marched together to show that they loved each-other and were not going to go to war. 18 months later they were at war. (Harkin)
- In 19th century England, "bitch the pot" was slang for pouring tea. (Ptaszynski)
- The Isle of Wight music festival began as a fundraiser for a swimming pool. (Edelman)
Winner[]
As Edelman is American, and Harkin is married to a Russian, Ptaszynski was given the choice, and declared it a draw.