- The eagle on the original American silver dollar was modeled after a real eagle named Peter. He lived at the Philadelphia Mint for several years before being accidentally killed by a coin press in 1836. His preserved body is still on display there.
- “In God We Trust” first appeared on paper currency in 1957, on the one-dollar Silver Certificate.
- If you have more than half of a damaged U.S. bill, the Treasury will generally redeem it for its full value.
- Giraffes have one of the shortest sleep requirements of any mammal, often sleeping less than two hours per day.
- One inch of rainfall on one acre equals about 27,000 gallons of water.
- The combined punctuation mark “?!” is called an interrobang.
- A single pencil can draw a continuous line about 35 miles long.
- About 84% of an apple’s weight is water.
- Play-Doh was originally developed as a wallpaper cleaner before becoming a children’s toy.
Facts by Sean McVeigh, factologist.
