What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
According to The Washington Post, Americans consume the equivalent of 40 hectares (100 acres) of pizza a day. That's like 10 kg (23 lbs) of pizza eaten per person annually.
The current US flag was designed by student Bob G. Heft. The 16-year-old created it in 1958 for a school project. For his efforts, Heft was awarded a B- by his tutor. This was later upgraded to an A when Congress adopted the new design after Alaska and Hawaii, the 49th and 50th states, officially joined the Union (Heft had predicted both would be incorporated a full 12 months beforehand).
The United States is ranked fourth in the list of Top 10 countries for helping a stranger in 2021, according to the World Giving Index 2022, published by Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). That represents 80% of the population in America willing to assist someone they don't know.
Did you know that you could fit Rhode Island—the smallest US state—into Alaska 425 times?! And how about this: while the population of Alaska is around 710,231, some 342,336 more people live in Rhode Island.
Here's a contradiction. The New River is America's oldest river. Roughly 580 km (360 mi) in length, it flows through three states—North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Geologists estimate the New River may have been in its present course for at least 65 million years. That also makes it one of the oldest rivers on the planet!
Volunteers comprise 65% of firefighters in the United States. That's according to statistics published by the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC). In other words, of the total estimated 1,041,200 firefighters across the country, 676,900 have given up their spare time to fight flames.
More than 30 million people can trace their ancestry to the 102 passengers and approximately 30 crew aboard the Mayflower when it landed in Plymouth Bay, Massachusetts, in 1620. Of these, around one in 10 are American citizens.
And here's another mind-blowing fact about the 49th state: Alaska has the longest coastline in the United States, an impressive 10,686 km (6,640 mi). That's longer than that of all the country's other states combined.
The American state with the highest ratio of millionaire households per capita based on latest figures released in 2020 is New Jersey. That's 9.76% of the population, according to Statista.
Although it is depicted on the state flag, the fearsome grizzly bear no longer roams the California wild. The last California grizzly was seen near Yosemite in 1924 before being shot. However, the species still enjoys a modicum of representation: an estimated 10% of the state's black bear population inhabits central western and southwestern California.
You may be shocked to learn that about 30% of food in American grocery stores is thrown away. In fact, US retail stores generate about 7 billion kg (16 billion lbs) of food waste every year.
Coffee is cultivated in limited areas of the United States, namely Hawaii and California. Coffee plantations are also found in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the US.
Here's a statistic to digest: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity in the United States affects 100.1 million (41.9%) adults and 14.7 million (19.7%) children and accounts for approximately US$147 billion in annual healthcare costs.
Did you know it costs money to make money? In America, for example, the US Mint spends 2.8 cents printing a one dollar bill. That figure rises to 8.6 cents to produce a one hundred dollar bill. A penny, meanwhile, costs 2.72 cents to make and a nickel costs 8.52 cents.
There are three US towns named after Father Christmas: Santa Claus, Indiana; Santa Claus, Georgia; and Santa Claus, Arizona. This last destination, however, is long abandoned, effectively making it a ghost town.
As of August 2023, Apple's net worth of US$2.82 trillion makes it the most valuable company in the United States.
Are you aware that South Dakota has the most cattle per person in the United States? In fact, the state has more than four times as many cattle as they do people (844,877 humans as opposed to 3,650,000 cattle, a ratio of 4.32), according to 2023 figures.
What profession generates the most bucks in the United States? Well, healthcare occupations tend to dominate the highest-paying jobs in most states and on the national level. For example, the national average annual wage for cardiologists—the highest paying job in the country—is US$353,970.
In a 2021 survey, Christianity Today recorded that 73% of Americans believe in heaven while 7% believed in a "different kind of afterlife."
Founding Fathers and former US presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Analysis published in 2023 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics has revealed that logging workers have the most dangerous job in America, with 82.2 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers.
Conspiracy theorists continue to insist the entire Apollo 11 mission and subsequent Moon landing over 50 years ago was an elaborate hoax. Indeed, ever since the results of a poll claiming that 20% of Americans believed the Moon landing was faked, a figure broadcast during the 2001 Fox News documentary 'Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon,' thousands of Americans still refuse to accept that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (pictured) touched down on the lunar surface.
According to data published by DataReportal in 2023, the average American spends six hours and 59 minutes looking at a laptop or smart device screen every day.
Did you know that the Carolinas are the only places on Earth where the Venus fly trap is indigenous? And the majority of these exotic plants are found around Wilmington, in North Carolina.
In 2020–21, American women earned 58% (1,205,700 million degrees) and their males counterparts earned 42% (860,800 degrees) of all bachelor's degrees conferred, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
This may surprise you. While English is spoken widely, the United States does not actually have an official language.
And while the most popular religion in the nation is Christianity, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution states that the country shall have no official religion.
The US is the only country on Earth to have all five major climate zones: tropical, dry, temperate, continental, and polar.
Sources: (NBC News) (The Washington Post) (CAF) (NVFC) (Statista) (United States Department of Agriculture) (CDC) (Christianity Today) (Bureau of Labor Statistics) (National Center for Education Statistics)
See also: The darkest tales from each US state
In June 2023, NBC News reported that almost a third of Americans still believe the 2020 election result was fraudulent.
How much do you know about the United States of America? For example, are you aware that the current American flag was designed by a 16-year-old as part of a school project? Or that the US does not have an official language? What about the fact that there are more cattle in South Dakota than people? And are you aware that the nation is the only one on Earth that features all five major climate zones?
Intrigued? Click through and be surprised by these amazing reality checks and more.
Little-known facts about the US that may surprise Americans
The answers to questions all US citizens should know
LIFESTYLE Culture
How much do you know about the United States of America? For example, are you aware that the current American flag was designed by a 16-year-old as part of a school project? Or that the US does not have an official language? What about the fact that there are more cattle in South Dakota than people? And are you aware that the nation is the only one on Earth that features all five major climate zones?
Intrigued? Click through and be surprised by these amazing reality checks and more.