26 1994 Cup Most Profitable Ever
Despite soccer’s relatively low popularity in the United States, the 1994 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the U.S., remains the most financially successful tournament in World Cup history.
27. Pennies and nickels cost more to produce than their face value. Between 2021 and 2023, the United States lost nearly half a billion dollars minting these coins.
28. In 1942, the United States military expanded the draft to include men between the ages of 45 and 64.
29. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) uses the spelling “Gage” instead of “Gauge” because, in 1892, one employee claimed that “Gage” was the proper Saxon spelling, rather than the Norman “Gauge.”
30. The USS Acadia (AD-42), a Yellowstone-class destroyer, became the first U.S. Navy ship to deploy with a wartime mixed-sex crew. During the Persian Gulf War, it earned the nickname “The Love Boat” after 10% of its crew became pregnant while deployed.
31 U.S. Sets Oil Output Record
As of 2023, the United States produced more crude oil than any country in history, averaging over 13 million barrels per day. In comparison, Saudi Arabia ranked third, averaging under 10 million barrels per day.
32. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) toxicity ranks as the second most common cause of liver transplants worldwide-and the leading cause in the United States. Each year, it accounts for approximately 56,000 emergency room visits, 2,600 hospitalizations, and 500 deaths in the U.S.
33. Although many Americans believe Daylight Saving Time was created to help farmers, this is a misconception. In fact, farmers strongly opposed its implementation.
34. Most English-speaking countries pronounce the letter “Z” as “zed.” However, the United States stands alone in pronouncing it “zee.”
35. After the 9/11 attacks, Americans turned to comfort television and watched Food Network in such high numbers that the channel had to restructure its content. As a result, it developed and popularized reality cooking shows like Chopped and Iron Chef USA.
36 Park Cost More Than Alaska
The United States paid more for the construction of Central Park in 1876 ($7.4 million) than it did to purchase the entire state of Alaska from Russia in 1867 ($7.2 million).
37. During the 1990s renovation of the Library of Congress, experts discovered that what was long believed to be silver leaf on the ceiling was actually aluminum. In the 1890s, when the building was constructed, aluminum was more valuable than silver.
38. In 1916, scientists feared that America was declining into a second-rate nationality. They compiled a list of the top 20 threats to the country, which included #8 – America leads all nations in murders, #12 – Hearty eating without exercise, and #18 – A remarkable rise in cancer mortality.
39. Canusa Street, which runs along the U.S.-Canada border, is literally split down the middle by the international line. Residents on the south side live in the United States, while those on the north side live in Canada. Crossing the street legally requires reporting to a border crossing office.
40. The United States has only 10 true fjords-seven in Alaska, two in Washington, and one in New York-compared to Norway’s staggering 1,190 fjords.
41 Postal Police Precede United States
The United States Postal Inspection Service, founded in 1772 by Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin, stands as the oldest federal law enforcement agency in America. Remarkably, it predates both the Declaration of Independence and the formation of the United States.
42. Although Ohio functioned as a U.S. state since 1803, Congress forgot to officially approve it and didn’t formally vote to admit it into the Union until August 7, 1953-correcting an oversight that had gone unnoticed for 150 years.
43. People have continuously lived in the multi-story buildings of Taos Pueblo for over 1,000 years, making it the longest continuously inhabited place in the United States.
44. Most U.S. states have designated an official state fossil; for example, Colorado chose Stegosaurus stenops.
45. Death Valley, the lowest elevation point in the United States, continues to sink lower due to ongoing geological activity.
15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
46 Quake Made People Question Florida
The 1886 earthquake in Charleston, South Carolina, was so powerful that it sparked speculation Florida had broken off from the U.S. mainland.
47. Screwworms, deadly parasites once common in the southern United States and Mexico, have been virtually eradicated thanks to decades-long programs. Their elimination now extends as far south as the Panama-Colombia border.
48. At the 1904 Summer Olympics golf tournament, 74 of the 77 competitors represented the United States, while just three played for Canada. Despite being outnumbered, Canada won the gold medal.
49. In 1918, the federal government attempted to find the geographical center of the United States by balancing a cardboard cutout of the country on the head of a pin. Impressively, their estimate was accurate within 20 miles.
50. Approximately 67% of all fire departments in the United States are staffed entirely or mostly by volunteers.
RE: Fact #34 (America Says ) – The Philippines is an English speaking country – in many cases we have better grammar than most Americans – and we mostly pronounce the letter Z as “zee”, not so much as “zed”.
RE: Fact #38 (1916 List: Cancer, Murder, Gluttony) – Here’s the rundown of the 20 problems in the article: millions of single people, more divorces, fewer babies, tons of infant deaths, lots of kids with disabilities, rising rates of mental illness, huge numbers of people with drug and alcohol problems, way more murders than any other country, tons of money wasted on preventable illness, stress through the roof, desk jobs, overeating without exercising, obesity, weak bodies, poor health, organs failing early, tons of deaths from disease, too many deaths from infections, skyrocketing cancer rates, terrible teeth and eyesight, and 15,000 suicides a year. Think about it: in 1916, 15,000 out of 102 million people died by suicide, but in 2014, that number was 42,773 out of 318.9 million.
RE: Fact #47 (Screwworm Eradicated with Science) – That’s why border agents are so strict about food – they’re not worried about your goodies, but about the creepy crawlies that might be hiding in them.
RE: Fact #6 (Army Employs Most U.S. Musicians) – I figured Starbucks hired the most musicians.
RE: Fact #18 (Illegal Income? IRS Still Cares) – Maybe they’re saving that for later, to nail some big-time crooks on tax stuff.
RE: Fact #29 (Gage Beats “Gauge” at USGS) – During a semester in college long back, we did a lab on stress gauges, and our prof used both spellings—gauge and gage—all over the place. It was super frustrating trying to decide which one to use in my report!
RE: Fact #31 (U.S. Sets Oil Output Record) – The US actually gets more oil from Canada than all the OPEC countries put together! People think it’s Saudi Arabia, but it’s really our neighbors to the north.
RE: Fact #40 (U.S. Has Only 10 Fjords) – So?
RE: Fact #12 (Six Minutes to Nuclear Decision) – They’ve pretty much thought of everything like that already. The president’s already decided what he’ll do in most situations, especially that one.
RE: Fact #19 (Peppergate Ruins Gardens Nationwide) – I got a load of jalapeños, and ended up with way more spicy wax peppers than I wanted.
RE: Fact #26 (1994 Cup Most Profitable Ever) – Soccer’s been around in America for ages, but it’s really exploded in popularity lately. It’s become one of the fastest-growing sports, and by the end of 2022 it was the fourth most popular, way up from sixth place just a couple of years earlier. It’s still behind the big domestic leagues, though.
It was hugely popular before the Depression, but it fell apart because the leagues couldn’t get along.
The more things change, the more they stay the same!
RE: Fact #22 (Island Birth Grants Dual Citizenship) – Basically, nobody lives there except for two lighthouse keepers who swap out every month.
RE: Fact #18 (Illegal Income? IRS Still Cares) – There’s no specific law that says illegal income isn’t taxed, but all income is generally taxed, so that includes illegal stuff. However, there *is* a law (IRC 280E) that says you can’t deduct drug trafficking expenses from your taxes, except for the cost of the goods.
And for those wondering if the IRS rats people out to the cops, check out IRC 6103.
RE: Fact #15 (Angola Prison Runs Own Town) – Reminds me of a classic Southern town, complete with its own plantation. It’d be great if they could get some volunteers to help out in the fields.
RE: Fact #25 (Texarkana: Two States, One City) – It’s not like a town or city is just one local government area.
This town’s actually split between two.
Big cities usually have a bunch of different local governments running them.
RE: Fact #46 (Quake Made People Question Florida) – Yeah, the South in the 1880s… a real hotbed of science and, uh, normal stuff.
RE: Fact #49 (U.S. Balanced on a Pin) – Sure, you’ll find a pinhead in the US Government, easy peasy.
RE: Fact #26 (1994 Cup Most Profitable Ever) – They played it in stadiums way bigger than usual—like, two or three times the size of other places. That was the least they could do, honestly.
RE: Fact #42 (Ohio Became State… in 1953) – That’s wrong. Ohio became a state in 1803, after Congress passed the Enabling Act in 1802. Congress didn’t usually issue a fancy declaration of statehood back then. Ohio just got one later, in 1953, for a special occasion – it wasn’t actually required.
RE: Fact #3 (Bronx School Outranks Nations) – Wow, Class of ’69! No Nobel for me, haha. But this post is cool.
RE: Fact #44 (States Have Official Fossils) – So, Minnesota doesn’t have an official state fossil! Wow, that’s embarrassing.
Edit: Actually, the MN DNR site says the Giant Beaver’s the state fossil, but I’m not sure if it’s been officially approved by the state government.
RE: Fact #11 (iPhones Dominate Teen Market) – That whole green versus blue bubble debate seems totally American. I’d never heard of it until I saw it on a tech forum recently. It’s crazy.
RE: Fact #42 (Ohio Became State… in 1953) – Some folks use this to back up some pretty wild political ideas. For example, they think income tax is illegal because it wasn’t voted on by the states.