|
What do you suppose are the most well-kept secrets in the world? The launch codes for the American nuclear arsenal? The location of Jimmy Hoffa's bones? Not even close. Below are secrets that only two people on planet Earth know. Sometimes they have very good reasons to keep these secrets so fiercely. Other times, not so much. #7.
The Formula for Coca-Cola
What is it? It's no surprise that one of most profitable companies ever would want to keep their formula a secret. Even with hundreds of imitators, Coke still dominates world-wide sales of caramel colored drinks. But doesn't that stuff only have, like, four ingredients? Fizzy water, high fructose corn syrup, caffeine and Brown Dye #4? There isn't exactly a vibrant symphony of flavors in each can. Yet, the formula is so fiercely protected that the company even pulled out of India in the 1970s because they would have been legally required to divulge their ingredient list to their government.
It even managed to stall a divorce case. When one of the Coke heirs ended his marriage to his wife, she demanded some of his great-grandfather's (the founder of Coca-Cola) original notes as part of her settlement. The company had to get involved and put a stop to it out of fear the notes could contain information on the formula. Who Knows: Only two Coke executives know it. Urban legend says they each only know half, but that's false--that part was invented for an old ad campaign.
How it is Kept Secret: The original copy of the formula is kept in an undisclosed SunTrust Bank in Atlanta. To keep SunTrust on the side, Coke gave them some 48.3 million shares of stock as well as having executives from each company sit on the other's board of directors. The company has policies surrounding the secret that range from the paranoid (the two executives who knew the formula could not fly on the same plane) to the bizarre (no one could view the formula without God, Jesus and Elvis present or something to that extent). All of this is pointless in the end. Coca-Cola still derives some of its flavor from the coca plant; the same place that cocaine comes from. Due to the obvious drug related issues that would arise from importing lots of coca plant into America legally, only one company has government permission to do it. That company is Coca-Cola. So even if someone broke into the bank and managed to take the formula, they would never be able to produce an exact Coke rip-off.
And if another company did somehow get permission to import coca, hell, there is at least one better way to make money with it. #6.
KFC's 11 Herbs and Spices
What is it? The secret KFC recipe dates back to the 1930s when Harland Sanders served chicken to people who stopped at his gas station in North Corbin, Kentucky. It was an amazing success. And while he never joined the military, in 1936, he was given the title of honorary Kentucky Colonel by the governor in recognition of his contribution to the state's cuisine.
Eventually, Sanders expanded his restaurant into a chain. While KFC has diversified its menu over the years, the main thing that sets the restaurant apart is still its special blend of 11 herbs and spices. And boy do they know it. Who Knows: As with Coke, only two executives have access to the recipe for KFC's 11 herbs and spices. Man, wouldn't it be weird if it was the same two guys? How it is Kept Secret: The recipe is at KFC's headquarters. But unless you are Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, you have no chance of getting it. We'll let security expert Bo Dietl speak for himself:
"We fortified the ceiling and the floor around here with concrete bricks two feet thick," Dietl said. "We put in motion sensors also CCTV that's hooked up to security downstairs. They have 24/7 armed guys downstairs, so in the amount of 30 seconds you'll have somebody up here. Once in here, you have to have two people with two keys and two different PIN numbers, and that's what you have to have. This safe is bolted down and there is no way anybody can get in here unauthorized without us knowing about it." Holy. Fuck. But will this be enough to thwart the hordes of people who are trying to steal the secret recipe? Just in case it's not, half of the ingredients are mixed at one location, half at another, and they are combined at a third. This is chicken we're talking about. CHICKEN! Fast food chicken. See, we're going to share a little secret with you guys who're risking your lives to protect that recipe: no one eats at KFC because they have the best chicken in the world. People eat it because it's a pain in the ass to make at home and the line was too long at Popeye's. #5.
The Location of Oliver Cromwell's Head
What is it? The top part of this guy:
Oliver Cromwell--an Englishman from the 1600s who pretty much singlehandedly ended the monarchy and took over ruling the country himself. After he died of natural causes and the monarchy was restored, King Charles II ordered his body dug up so it could be "killed" again.
After hanging from a scaffold for over 12 hours (hey, if you are going to kill someone who's already dead you need to put in the extra effort) the body was cut down and the head placed on a spike. Eventually it fell off and was passed around museums and private collectors. Yes, apparently there are collectors of decapitated heads. Their conventions must be awesome. When the last owner, who sometimes showed the head to school children, died in 1957, his son decided not to continue the illustrious family tradition of being a head collecting weirdo. He tried to give it a proper burial, but it took him over three years to find a place that would accept it. Why? Because even 300 years after Cromwell died, there was a very real fear that royalists, who should really just let it fucking go already, would dig up the head and do unspeakable things to it.
Seem a little paranoid? Only 60 years before, a proposed statue of Cromwell led to fierce debate in Parliament and the threat of riots. Finally, the college Cromwell had attended for one year decided to take their chances with the damn head. Who Knows: Two professors at Cambridge University's Sidney Sussex college. How it is Kept Secret: Only a small group of people was present at the internment. There is no marker, only a plaque on a wall saying that the head was buried "nearby." Worrying even this wasn't super-secret enough, there was no announcement of the burial for another two years. Since then, only a handful of people other than the original group have known the location. The currently accepted system is that when a clued-up professor retires he or she tells another professor precisely where the head is located. Everyone knows that if they should ever let the location slip, somebody's going to be rubbing that skull in dog poop within the hour. Or at least posing it in some kind of ridiculous hat. #4.
The Location of Lena Blackburne's Baseball Rubbing Mud
What is it? So, there is this special mud, and Major League Baseball absolutely depends on it. A brand new baseball just out of the box is slippery; so much so that a pitcher has no control when throwing one unless it's dirtied up a bit first. So, an umpire spends a lot of his time before a game rubbing mud into dozens of balls. But not just any mud works.
Before the 1930s, teams tried all kinds of substances, including tobacco juice and shoe polish, but nothing really worked. Then one day Lena Blackburne, a no-name player turned coach, was taking a walk near his house in New Jersey when he stumbled upon some strange mud. Obviously having a "Eureka!" moment to rival Archimedes', Blackburne took some home and tried it out. It worked brilliantly. By 1938, the American League was using Blackburn Rubbing Mud exclusively on all their balls. The National League wouldn't use it until the 1950s, mostly because Blackburn refused to sell it to them, but they've been using it ever since. Who Knows: Mud business owner Jim Bintliff and his wife. How it is Kept Secret:
The location of the mud has been a closely guarded secret since Blackburne stumbled upon the source in the 1930s. All that is known is that it is found on a tributary of the Delaware River, somewhere near Palmyra, New Jersey. Blackburne and his business partner, John Haas, never revealed the location to anyone, going so far as to shovel 500-pounds of the mud themselves every year, well into their 80s. When Blackburne died, probably due to a massive heart attack during one of these rigorous excursions, Haas brought his son-in-law, Bintliff, in on the secret. Bintliff made the yearly trip into his 70s, along with his son Jim, to gather all the mud needed for a whole year. Just one barrel lasts a Major League team an entire season, but it's crucial to their operation. You can just imagine what they charge for this amazing, rare substance that can only be found in one part of the world. Actually, it's $24. Wait, that's what all the secrecy is about? That'd be like sneaking into Fort Knox and just finding a coffee can full of quarters there. |
5 Self-Destructive Ways People Accidentally Cured Themselves
6 Fake Foods You (Will Wish You Didn't) Have in Your Kitchen
6 Natural Disasters That Were Caused by Human Stupidity
17 More Images You Won't Believe Aren't Photoshopped
Coconut is right. As "TOP SECRET" as they are, none of these are really important. If they were such things like the meaning of life or whether or not bigfoot REALLY exists, then the people who knew them would be much more important.
You guys forgot the true identity of the Holiday Assassin in "The Long Halloween". Only autors Tim Sale and Jeph Loeb know the whole truth. I mention it because this list needs more Batman.
I couldn't really give a flying f**k about any of these secrets. They're pretty unimportant if you ask me. If someone got the recipe for coke, they'd get their ass sued. so what's the point in knowing if you can't tell anybody or profit off of it? I wish I knew where Jimmy Hoffa was buried. Now that would be cool.
Join eRepublik! Change the world, rewrite history, become the president of your country, build the biggest company in the world, or lead your country to victory in battles. You can do whatever you want, the choice is yours. http://www.erepublik.com/en/referrer/Roflolmao
Create your Citizen and you will have the opportunity to develop your military, economy or political career. http://www.erepublik.com/en/referrer/Sirbeg
$30 nike jordan prada timberland supra,lacoste,gucci shoes $25 CHANEL, GUCCI, LV, COACH, FENDI, BURBERRY, D&G, JUICY, Ed Hardy handbag $30 coogi jeans,armani,Crow Holder,D&G,Evisu jeans,Diesel,Christian Audigier,Rock,True Religion,Affliction,Ed Hardy,RMC jeans etc $35 Coogi,Crow Holder,D&G,Evisu,Bape,BBC,Diesel,Christan Audigier,Rock, True Religion, Affliction, Ed Hardy, RMC hoodies $15 Michael Jackson, Armani t-shirts,Affliction,Coogi,Ed hardy,LRG,Crown older,Evisu,G-star,Polo,Christian Audigier t-shirts Top quality! Free shipping!Free returns!No any extra cost! Please visit======================================== http://www.netsowntown.com
Is it natural that people seek Beauty and Wealthy???? then we know why rich man wants beautiful woman and sexy woman wants successful man.. you know so many online services focus on it now.. such as -----AffluentSingle.com----- where many real & hot woman and successful & wealthy man waiting for hooking up!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello everyone, I found a great dating site______ClassyMingle.com____ The best dating club for seeking the rich singles, sexy beauties and even hot celebs.. what's the most important is:you dont have to be a millionaire.but you can meet one. I think everyone need to meet some miracle after all the terrible stuff in the news and the economy . You should check it out!!!
"So, an umpire spends a lot of his time before a game rubbing mud into dozens of balls. " you can tell the article was written by a girl because that joke was not capitalized on.
My friends recommended me a very interesting place __AgelessFriends.com__ It's a nice and free place for Younger Women and Older Men, or Older Women and Younger Men, to interact with each other. Age gap is not a problem there. You may wanna check it out and tell your friends.
Christmas is around the corner: And old customers can also enjoy the gifts sent by my company in a can also request to our company. Gifts lot,Buy more get the more。Only this site have this treatment Our goal is "Best quality, Best reputation , Best services". Your satisfaction is our main pursue. You can find the best products from us, meeting your different needs. http://www.dudemalls.com New to Hong Kong : Winter Dress ---**** NHL Jersey Woman $ 40 ---**** NFL Jersey $ 35 ---**** NBA Jersey $ 34 ---**** MLB Jersey $ 35 ---**** Jordan Six Ring_m $36 ---**** Air Yeezy_m $ 45 ---**** T-Shirt_m $ 25 ---**** Jacket_m $ 36 ---**** Hoody_m $ 50 ---**** Manicure Set $ 20 HOT SELL Product Brand is below: Nike Air Jordan(1-25)/Jordan Six Ring/Jordan Fusion/Nike Shox/Air Max/AF1/Dunk: $32 Polo/Ed Hardy/Lacoste/Ca/A&F ……T-shirt: Coach /Gucci/Lv/Ed Hardy/D&G/Fendi ……Handbag:$35 Christian Louboutin/Lv/Ed Hardy/Gucci/Coach/Lacoste/ Timbland…… True Religion/Coogi/Evisu/Ed Hardy/Prada ……Jeans:$30 New era/Gucci/Ed hardy ……cap : $13 Okely/Coach/D&G/Fendi/Gucci/Armani ……sunglass:$15 Nike shoes: 32$, True Religion jeans:30$, Ed Hardy, t-shirts:12$, NFL Jersey:20$,Boots UGG:50$ Welcome to Shopping →→→ http://www.dudemalls.com I wish you a happy shopping
These are all great kept secrets! Just like trying to figure out googles pagerank formula....good luck. www.sellbits.com - "The Simple Way To Sell"
@Flashpoint: Dead. Lee Harvey Oswald. Yes. No. A comibination of bad intelligence data and a miscalculation by a government that was desperate for a scapegoat. In the mountains on the border of Afghanistand and Pakistan. No need to wish your life away for these relatively simple answers.
I'd like to point out that h**osexual life. you may check so many nasty people ### BiRomances dotcom
wanna watch free adults movies or naked pics?? pls check out for free__ClassyMingle.c o m__ . Wanna find your sexy partner easier and more effective?? Check out for free: --ClassyMingle.c o m--where you can meet the wealthy singles, sexy beauties and even hot celebs. What are you waiting for? Find your sexy partner and hot movies NOW ! You will love it!
Colonel Sanders' Secret Recipe: -Chicken -Grease -Salt
Good place for all big and tall singles, please check: Tallloving . com ,More fun waiting for you...
I'd like to point out that KFC is not the only that comes from Kentucky. We're also famous for hot browns (think a really special turkey and cheese sandwich) and Derby Pie. Not to mention we make the best bourbon.
Master ChiEf. Mystery solved.
This is a test.
7 Secrets Only Two Living People Know (For Some Reason)
The 15 Most Shameless Fake Photos Ever Passed Off as Real
6 Creepy Urban Legends That Happen to be True (Part 3!)
The 6 Creepiest Places on Earth
The Men Who Stare At Goats: New Trailer
Curse of the Duck Hunt Dog
Copyright © 2005 - 2009 Cracked Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. CRACKED, CRACKED.COM and the "CRACKED" logo are trademarks owned by Cracked Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Digg
Del.icio.us
Fark
