Microwaves in U.S. households
In 1978, only eight percent of U.S. households had microwave ovens. As of 2006 over 80 percent have them.
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United States Facts
United States facts and facts about the United States, from the household to the courthouse.
41 facts on this shelf
Increase in U.S. home sizes
The size of a typical American home has increased from 1100 to 1800 square feet over the past ten years.
Main source for natural gas in the United States
Ninety-nine percent of the natural gas used in the United States comes from North America.
Natural gas usage in the U.S.
Natural gas provides 24 percent of all the energy used in the United States
First use of gas energy
The first use of gas energy in the United States occurred in 1816, when gaslights illuminated the streets of Baltimore, Maryland.
Most consumed energy resource in the U.S
Currently, OIL provides the largest share of U.S. energy consumption -- about 41 percent of the entire market. Natural gas provides about 24 percent, coal 23 percent, hydropower 4 percent and nuclear power 8 percent.
In the United States, natural gas is used for:
Industrial processes = 46%
Residential use = 22%
Generating electricity = 15%
Commercial buildings = 15%
Random fact about renewable resources
In 1998, only 7.5 percent of our nation's energy came from renewable resources, even though the amount of renewable energy available was more than 250 times U.S. energy consumption.
Biomass usage in the u.s.
Biomass currently supplies about four percent of the energy produced in the U.S., and could potentially provide almost 20 percent.
Projected U.S. wind energy usage
The U.S. Department of Energy expects wind power to supply at least five percent of the nation's electricity by 2020.
Solar homes in the u.s.
More than 10,000 homes and counting in the United States are powered entirely by solar energy.
How much energy can the sun provide?
According to the American Solar Energy Society, enough sunlight falls on the earth's surface each minute to meet world energy demand for an entire year.
Beachings linked to military low-mid frequency active sonar
Mass beachings have been associated with active sonar
have occurred in Madeira (2000), Greece (1996), the U.S. Virgin Islands (1998, 1999), the Canary Islands (1985, 1988, 1989, 2002), and, northwest coast of the United States (2003).update: court blocks sonar 7/6/06
Chemicals cause male frogs to grow ovaries
US farms 1 trillion ears of corn a year, using a chemical called Atrazine that in the concentration of 1 part per billion causes male frogs to grow ovaries! Strangely, a higher dosage reduces the risk. Atrazine is the most widely used weed killer in the United States. It has also been linked to cancer in people.
How to feed the homeless?
More food is thrown out each day in the United States than is needed to feed its hungry . . . by McDonalds.
Deaths caused by cigarettes and alcohol in America
More than 400,000 Americans die from diseases related to cigarette smoking each year. More than 150,000 Americans die of alcohol abuse each year.
Land of the free in most cases
The United States, land of the free*
* As of 2007 your freedom may vary.
The misinformation administration
When the U.S. began the occupation of Iraq 72% of Americans thought that Saddam Hussein ORDERED the September 11th attacks. The Bush/Cheney ticket aka misinformation administration claimed to have evidence at the time.
What is the biggest city in the U.S.
If Brooklyn, New York became independent of New York City, it would be the third largest city in the United States, after the remainder of New York and Los Angeles.
This fact about Reno Nevada just might just blow your mind
Reno, Nevada is west of Los Angeles, California.
Who was it that said "The british are coming?"
It is commonly understood that Paul Revere said "The british are coming, the british are coming."
However, Revere never said "The British are coming," this would have made no sense at the time since they considered themselves British.
Revere instead said, "The Regulars are coming out! The Regulars are coming out!" But, that doesn't have quite the same ring to it.
Surprising fact about the interstate highways
The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.
Interesting fact about the declaration of independence
Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776 John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, 1776 but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
Two states that became states on March 1st
Ohio became a state on March 1, 1803, and Nebraska became a state on March 1, 1867.
Surprising facts about statues in the park
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
What animal is allowed to provide evidence in court?
The bloodhound is the only animal whose evidence is admissible in an American court.
China, or U.S., which nation has more english speakers?
China has more English speakers than the United States.
Interesting fact about U.S. presidents
No president of the United States was an only child.
A fact that helps put China's population in perspective
China has more English speakers than the United States.
The Atom Bomb got all the press
US forces fire bombed japan's wooden cities totally destroying 58 % of Yokohama (the size of Cleveland)
51% of Tokyo (new York) 99% Toyama (Chattanooga) 40% Nagoya (LA) killing 50-90% of the population in 67 Japanese cities BEFORE two nuclear bombs were dropped.
Prohibition is a great idea, if you are Al Capone
On January 16, 1919 the 18th Amendment, authorizing Prohibition, went into effect in the United States. The home of the free took a beating that day, and it opened the door for such mobster's as Al Capone to make $100,000,000 (100 million dollars) a year at a time when most folks made $1,000 a year.
Do you know what the real "Real McCoy" is?
Bill McCoy was a bootlegger well known for selling quality imported goods: the "real McCoy."
What do Paul Revere and the penny have in common?
Paul Revere’s metals company once supplied the Mint with rolled copper for the production of early cents. Impressively, the company is still in business today making top quality aluminum siding.
When was Ronald Reagan elected?
Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980
Who can run for president?
Requirements needed to apply for president are must be at least 35 years old, a native born citizen, and be at least a 14 year resident of the united states.
Who was president
In 1816 James Monroe won the presidency of the United States, winning the electoral college by the wide margin of 183 to 34. He took over the spot vacated by James Madison.
When did people in the united states start paying Income Tax?
In 1862, to support the Civil War, Congress enacted the nation's first income tax law. Congress eliminated the income tax in 1872 and it had a short-lived revival in 1894 and 1895.
In 1913 the income tax was brought back and became a permanent part of American life. It provided a seemingly unlimited source of funds to finance ever-growing government, and it gave the government an excuse to pry into every aspect of your life.
When were women given the right to vote in the united states?
In 1920 the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed giving the right of women to vote. The Nineteenth Amendment prohibits state and federal government from denying the right to vote to vote by any citizen because of their sex.
What do yeti & sasquatch, & bigfoot have in common?
Bigfoot, Yeti & Sasquatch refer to the same mysterious man / ape beings which have been reported around the world from the Pacific Northwest in the united states to the Canadian wilderness, to the slopes of the Himalayas, and to the forests of Siberia.
Honey production
A bee must tap 4 million flowers to make 2lbs. of honey. There are 3 million honey producing colonies in the United States.
What year did the United States land on the moon?
On July 20, 1969 the first manned spacecraft landed on the moon. The Moon was first visited by Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 in 1959. It is the only extraterrestrial body to have been visited by humans. The last time the moon was visited by man was in December of 1972.
U.S. population, and how many people do you have to poll?
When a poll tells us a candidate for president of the United States is favored by ___% of the population, they tell us it has a "margin of error" of +-__% .
For example, August 6, 2008, CBS poll on the president of the United States put John McCain with 39% of the vote and Barrak Obama 45% of the vote, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The World Fact Book reports U.S. population at over 300 million, 301,139,947 (estimate as of 2007).
How many people do you think you'd have to poll to get within plus or minus 3% or 300,000 of the correct vote?
10 million? 1 million? This particular CBS pre-poll accurately extrapolates the minds of over 300 million people by polling just 906 people, or .00009 % of the population.
We're not so different after all!