- The technical name for the “#” symbol is “octothorpe.”
- The Caesar salad was invented in Tijuana, Mexico, by restaurateur Caesar Cardini.
- When Pierre Omidyar launched eBay in 1995, the first item sold was a broken laser pointer for $14.83.
- The first SMS text message was sent on December 3, 1992. It read “Merry Christmas.” The recipient couldn’t reply because his phone couldn’t send text messages.
- In 1996, ”Macarena” by Los del Río spent 14 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100—the longest streak at the time.
- The fastest wind gust ever reliably recorded on Earth was 253 mph at Barrow Island, Australia, during Tropical Cyclone Olivia in 1996.
- New Jersey grows more eggplants than any other U.S. state.
- Crocodiles cannot stick out their tongues, but alligators can.
- Octopuses technically have nine brains, a central brain and clusters of neurons or “mini brains” in each arm.
Facts by Sean McVeigh, factologist.
