Brussels' best-known statue is "le Manikin Pis," a 20-inch figure of a boy responding to Nature's call, that has stood in the heart of the city for 500 years.
During this time, per-sonages such as Louis XV and Napoleon have presented the bronze lad with many medals, swords, and fancy uniforms which he has worn on appropriate occasions. Among the costumes have been the dress of a Belgian Grenadier, a French Chevalier, a British Mas¬ter of Hounds, a Chinese Manchu, an Indian Chief, and an American G.I.
Captain Allardyce Barclay of Ury, Scotland, once walked 1,000 miles in 1,000 hours to set¬tle a bet.
The record for non-stop piano playing is 44 days, set by Heinz Arntz in 1967. Except for two hours of sleep each day, the 67-year-old Arntz played continually for 1,056 hours. During his stint, which began in Germany, Arntz was carried in a van to a seaport and traveled from Germany to the United States on a steamship, finishing his performance at Roosevelt, Long Island.
The early kings of France stuck three hairs plucked from their beards in the seal of offici¬al papers to lend the documents greater sanction.
Of all symbols appearing on the flags of the world, the star is by far the most common. Forty-one flags have this symbol in one form or another. The second most popular symbol, the crescent, appears on only nine flags.