10 Things You Didn't Know About Darth Vader

7. His Head Can Be Seen On The National Cathedral In Washington, D.C.

Okay, so here's a weird little fact that sounds like it isn't true but - for some reason - is totally legitimate: you can see a small gargoyle sculpture of Darth Vader's head on the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. The story goes that, back in the year 1980, there was a competition in National Geographic in which the publication teamed up with the National Cathedral and children were asked to come up with their own ideas for gargoyles. Given that this was the 1980s, the majority of kids were totally and utterly obsessed with Star Wars - which doesn't make it all that surprising that one boy (named Christopher Rader) submitted a drawing of Vader. This blatant act of plagiarism was seen as charming; it came in third place, because the 80s was wacky like that, and a gargoyle of Vader's head was added to the building, courtesy of artists Jay Hall Carpenter and Patrick J. Plunkett. Only in America, guys.