Wendy's Hosts World Redhead Day Contest

fact_check Facts

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   World Redhead Day is observed on May 26.

2. Relevance: supporting · Type: background

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   Less than 2% of the world's population has red hair.

3. Relevance: supporting · Type: background

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   Having red hair and blue eyes is the rarest hair and eye color combination, with odds of approximately 0.17%.

4. Relevance: supporting · Type: background

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   Most redheads have brown, hazel, or green eyes.

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   Researchers believe redheads are more sensitive to pain due to a mutation in the MC1R gene.

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   A 2004 study found that redheads require about 20% more general anesthesia than people with dark or blonde hair.

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   A 2018 study identified eight genes linked to red hair, expanding beyond the previously known MC1R gene.

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   Both parents must carry the redhead gene for a child to have red hair.

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   According to Stanford University, different versions of genes called alleles must be present in both parents for a baby to have red hair.

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    A parent without red hair can still pass on a red hair allele to their child.

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    Redheads have approximately 90,000 hair strands on average, compared to 110,000 for blondes and 140,000 for brunettes.

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    Redheads are less likely to go grey; their hair pigment typically fades from red to blonde and then white.

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    Redheads produce more vitamin D in a shorter amount of time than people with other hair colors.

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    A 2014 study found that 30% of primetime television advertisements included someone with red hair.

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    Redheads are at a higher risk for skin cancer than the general population.

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    A 2016 study found that having red hair increases a person's skin cancer risk equivalent to an additional 21 years of sun exposure.

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    Men with naturally red hair are 54% less likely to develop prostate cancer compared to men with blonde, brown, or black hair, according to a study published in the British Journal of Cancer.

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    Redheads are not going extinct, despite recurring debunked internet claims.

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    Wendy's hosted a World Redhead Day look-alike contest in New York City on May 26, 2026.

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    The Wendy's look-alike contest was held at 19 Fulton St. at Seaport Square in New York City.

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    Check-in for the Wendy's look-alike contest began at 3:30 p.m., with judging from 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

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    The Wendy's look-alike contest consisted of three rounds: a costume presentation, a social media post performance, and an original commercial performance.

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    The winner of the Wendy's look-alike contest received free Dave’s Single hamburgers for one year.

24. Relevance: supporting · Type: quote

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    Wendy's stated in a press release that redheads 'bring a bold, unmistakable energy that turns heads and leaves an impression.'

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    Wendy's said World Redhead Day 'reflects that same mindset: one that celebrates being unforgettable instead of blending in.'

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    Wendy's was founded in 1969 and named after founder Dave Thomas’s daughter, Wendy Thomas Morse.

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    Wendy Thomas Morse rarely disclosed her identity as the namesake of Wendy's to strangers.

28. Wendy Thomas Morse

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    Wendy Thomas Morse recalled that her father, Dave Thomas, once said, 'I’m really sorry I did that to you' regarding naming the restaurant after her.

29. Wendy Thomas Morse

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    Wendy Thomas Morse recalled her father saying, 'Probably should’ve just named it Dave’s and that would have been a lot easier.'

30. Relevance: supporting · Type: background

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    Redheads make up between 1% and 4% of the U.S. population.