Record-Breaking PR Stunt Ends in Citywide Chaos

Lives Were Lost

It took six months to prepare for the spectacle, which had been designed to attract as much attention as possible. Unfortunately, the organizers of Balloonfest '86 had no idea the toll their publicity stunt was about to take not only upon the city of Cleveland but its residents as well—two of whom didn't make it out alive.

The More You Know

Wasting food is illegal for supermarkets in France.
When the Super Bowl champion Giants visited the White House in 1987, they dumped popcorn on President Reagan.
It's a tradition in Ireland that if you donated a pint of blood, they give you a pint of Guinness to replace the iron.
After Hitler ordered the deportation of Denmark's Jewish population, Danish citizens organized a massive evacuation of the Jews to neutral Sweden, despite the risks. In the end, 99% of Danish Jews survived the Holocaust.

Post originally appeared on Upbeat News.