There was a bear enlisted in the Polish Army.

Wojtek or Voytek, was a European brown bear that was enlisted to fight for the Polish army in the Battle of Monte Cassino in World War II. However, rather than making use of the bear's superior fighting abilities, Voytek's duties consisted of transporting ammunition. Thanks to his size, he could carry mortar rounds much more easily than a human soldier. A quarter of a million soldiers died in that battle, but Voytek survived to eventually die of old age in 1963.

According to Polish veteran Augustyn Karolewski, "he was like a big dog; no-one was scared of him. He liked a cigarette, he liked a bottle of beer - he drank a bottle of beer like any man." There are statues erected in his honor in London and in Ottowa, Canada, and there has been a book written about him as well. You can learn more about this remarkable story in this news article.

You think putting 200,000 miles on your car is pushing it? Try 3 MILLION

You think putting 200,000 miles on your car is pushing it? Try 3 MILLION

Irv Gordon has driven his 1966 Volvo P1800 for over 2.75 million miles, and he hopes to hit 3 million soon.

Gordon's car has already traveled the equivalent of 100 times around the Earth, twice the diameter of the Sun, nearly five complete round trips to the Moon, or 1,111 completions of the Tour de France. Over ten years and 1 million miles ago, Gordon already won the Guinness World Record for mileage, but he's still driving.

Gordon bought his Volvo new in 1966 and has been driving it ever since. He's been maintaining a daily commute of 125 miles to average about 80,000 miles every year. In 2002 alone he drove 100,000 miles. He plans on reaching the 3 million mark in a couple more years.