Every morning around 8:15am Brooks gives you one minute of Useless Facts to impress your friends with…

• South Africa didn’t have television service until 1976. (It’s unclear what programs were the first to air, but 1976 WAS just in time for the premiere of “Charlie’s Angels”.)
• The contestants on “Jeopardy!” all stand on platforms that are adjusted to make sure they’re all the same height.
• Richard Gere went to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst for free . . . on a gymnastics scholarship. He majored in philosophy, but dropped out after two years to pursue acting full time.
• Reno, Nevada is actually west of Los Angeles, because of the way California curves.
• Ciabatta bread has only been around since 1982. It was invented by a baker in Verona, Italy who was trying to make the Italian version of French baguettes.