Welcome, fact-lovers! America is known for its star-spangled banner, its love of freedom, and its Apple pies. But did you know that the land of the brave and the home of the free also has some pretty quirky tidbits tucked away in its red, white, and blue pockets? Prepare to embark on a journey through 40 facts about the U.S. that might just have you saying, "No way, really?!" Ready? Let's roll!
1. State of Freshness
Alaska has over 3 million lakes! Yes, you read that right. Over 3 million! Out of all those, only about 3000 are officially named.
Image by Sergio Carabajal from Pixabay
2. Dollar, Dollar Bills, Y’all
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing uses 9.7 tons of ink each day. That's a lot of green!
Image by Thomas Breher from Pixabay
3. Mmm… Jellybeans
Ronald Reagan was so fond of jellybeans that there was a special holder for them on Air Force One. Everyone has their weakness!
Image by Jondolar Schnurr from Pixabay
4. Name Mix-Up
The city of Cleveland was originally spelled “Cleaveland”. They dropped the “a” because of a newspaper typo. Good thing it makes sense either way.
5. Literal Land of Lakes
Minnesota has more shorelines than California, Florida, and Hawaii combined. Lake lovers, you know where to head!
Image by Lasse Holst Hansen from Pixabay
6. King of Burgers
Americans eat about 50 billion burgers a year. That's a whole lot of buns and patties! How don't they get sick of it?
Image by Robert Owen-Wahl from Pixabay
7. Original Capital City
Before Washington, D.C., the U.S. capital was actually in Philadelphia, home of the Philly Cheesesteak.
8. Caffeine Central
Seattle has the most coffee shops per capita, which makes sense given that it's the birthplace of our beloved Starbucks. Java lovers, rejoice!
9. Mountains of Gold
There’s still gold in them hills! The state of Colorado has more ghost towns than active municipalities.
Image by Abhay Bharadwaj from Pixabay
10. Postal Zeal
The smallest post office in the U.S. is in Ochopee, Florida. It’s just 7 x 8 feet! It was converted into a Post Office in 1953.
11. Longest Place Name
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg in Massachusetts has the longest place name. Try saying that ten times fast.
12. Underground Living
There’s a town in South Dakota where people live in caves! It's called Coober Pedy.
13. Unfortunate Watermelon Incident
The largest food fight in the U.S. took place in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1837. The weapon of choice? Watermelons!
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay
14. Unlucky President
Poor William Henry Harrison. He gave the longest inaugural speech and had the shortest presidency. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration as president in 1841.
15. No Apostrophes Allowed
It’s officially against the rules for a place name in the U.S. to have an apostrophe. Weird, but true.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
16. Very Berry Pie
The official state dessert of Vermont is apple pie. But there’s a catch: the law states it should be served with a glass of cold milk, a slice of cheddar cheese, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay
17. Kansas Wizardry
There's a town named Dorothy in Kansas. No yellow brick roads reported... yet.
Image by Jerico Placido from Pixabay
18. Geographical Puzzle
Reno, Nevada is actually further west than Los Angeles, California. Bet you didn't see that one coming! It's true, look it up on the map.
19. Moo-ve Over
Cows outnumber people 3 to 1 in the state of Montana. That's A LOT of methane.
Image by Jerzy Górecki from Pixabay
20. Global Toast
The first toast in America took place in Virginia. The ritual of offering toasts began in men’s social clubs and filtered into everyday use for gentlemen.
Image by Roberta Radini from Pixabay
21. No Need for Alarm
The town of Alert in Indiana is so small it doesn’t even have a stoplight. The town's population is less than 2,000 today.
Image by WikimediaImages from Pixabay
22. Presidential Play
George Washington never lived in the White House. He lived in the President's House in Philadelphia because the White House hadn't been built yet. Mind blown, right?
Image by Mike Goad from Pixabay
23. Tomato Trials
In 1893, the Supreme Court declared that tomatoes are a vegetable, not a fruit. Who gets to decide these things?
Image by LoggaWiggler from Pixabay
24. Nickel Novelties
There's a hidden room behind Abraham Lincoln’s face on Mount Rushmore. It houses bronze and glass cabinets containing important historical documents, such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence
Image by Mike Goad from Pixabay
25. Pizza Passion
Over 100 acres of pizza are served in the U.S. every day. That's pizza paradise!
Image by PublicDomainImages from Pixabay
26. First Female Mayor
The U.S. had its first female mayor, Susanna M. Salter, in 1887, in Argonia, Kansas. You go girl!
27. Serial Number Ones
Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787.
28. Avocado Avenue
Fallbrook, California claims to be the Avocado Capital of the World. They even host an annual avocado festival.
29. Liberty’s True Colours
The Statue of Liberty was originally copper-coloured. She turned green over time due to oxidation. Makes sense, since she's been there for almost 200 years.
Image by Rick Zern from Pixabay
30. Traffic Trouble
The busiest air route in the U.S. is between San Francisco and Los Angeles. It's only an hour-long flight.
31. Wigged Out
The first American vending machine was introduced in 1888 and it sold... gum! It was built in 1888 by the Thomas Adams Gum Company, selling gum on New York City train platforms.
32. Witchy Ways
Despite the Salem Witch Trials, no one was burned at the stake. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom were executed by hanging as well as 2 dogs.
33. One Big Tree
The General Sherman tree in California is the largest living tree by volume.
Image by Simi Luft from Pixabay
34. Peculiar Prohibition
It’s illegal to whisper in someone's ear while they’re moose hunting in Alaska. This law is for the safety of the hunters.
35. Denim Days
Jeans were invented in San Francisco for the Gold Rush miners who needed tough pants. Bet they didn't have holes in them back then.
Image by Michaela, at home in Germany • Thank you very much for a like from Pixabay
36. Lobster Lore
In colonial times, lobster was considered a poverty food and was fed to prisoners. Those were some well-fed prisoners. Now it's an expensive luxury!
Image by Mogens Petersen from Pixabay
37. Horsing Around
There’s a horse museum in Kentucky that has over 50 breeds of horses.
Image by Leopictures from Pixabay
38. Musical Streets
There’s a road in Lancaster, California that "plays" the William Tell Overture when you drive over it.
39. Winding Waters
The longest river in the U.S., the Missouri River, is actually longer than the Mississippi River. It's 3,767 km long and the Mississippi river is 3,766 km long.
Image by Ed Judkins from Pixabay
40. Batty for Bracken
The world’s largest bat colony (20 million bats!) can be found in Bracken Cave, Texas.
