You Can’t Rush Love

North American couples are waiting longer to get married. The average age for men is 31, and for women, it’s 28.

Slow Growth

The world’s population — estimated at almost 6.4 billion in July 2004 — grew at a rate of just over 1 percent that year.

Like Family

A 1991 study of convicted inmates in the United States, England and Wales found that one in three had a close relative — usually a sibling — who had also served time in prison.

Night at the Nickleodeon

The first movie theater opened in a Pittsburgh, Pa., storefront in 1905. The “Nickleodeon” had fewer than 100 seats, but patrons lined the streets for consecutive showings that started at 8 a.m. and didn’t end until midnight. The theater served more than 7,000 people each day.

On Vacation. Back by Wednesday, Dec. 28.

Draft Choice

A 2002 study found that 37 percent of the country’s college students would try to evade the draft if one were called that year.

Jemima or Nancy?

Nancy Green, born a slave in Montgomery County, Ky., later became the world’s first living trademark. In 1890, the Davis Milling Company hired the 56-year-old Green to represent its Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix, a job she held until her death in 1923.

Almost-constant Tremors

Seismologists estimate that there are more than one million earthquakes around the world each year. But of those tremors, little more than 100 are large enough that they can be categorized as destructive.

Aepyornis Eggs

The elephant bird or Aepyornis, originally found on the island of Madagascar, became extinct around 1700. But at least 19 eggs, belonging to the huge, flightless birds, were still around when the last survey was completed in 1933. And they’re bigger than the largest known dinosaur eggs, with a capacity of up to 2-1/2 gallons. That’s the equivalent of 180 large chicken eggs or seven ostrich eggs.

Hot Dam!

The Itaipu dam, located between Brazil and Paraguay, produces more electricity than any other of the world’s hydroelectric plants, up to a peak of 14,000 megawatts.

Mostly Christian

Survey respondents in the United States most often list their religious affiliation as Christian (more than 76 percent in 2001). Asked to clarify, respondents claim to be affiliated with Catholics or Baptists more than for all other denominations and religions combined.

Largest Seeds

The giant fan palm, found in Seychelles, has the largest seeds of any known plant. Each single-seeded fruit weighs up to 44 pounds and can take 10 years to reach maturity.

Porcine Survivors

Pigs know how to live off the land. When Hernando de Soto (pictured) began his exploration of Florida in 1539, he brought with him close to 1,000 soldiers, a dozen priests and 15 pigs. By the time that de Soto reached the Mississippi, three years later, he had lost many men. But the pigs had flourished, swelling their ranks to more than 700.

Medicinal Asparagus

Asparagus plants, members of the Lily family, can grow up to 10 inches in a single day. Ancient Greeks classified the plant as an herbal medicine, believing it could cure toothaches and prevent bee stings.

Cows Win!

The country of Ireland has more cattle than people.

Tuataras Slow to Mature

In most cases, the tuatara — a spiny-backed reptile in New Zealand — does not reach maturity until at least 15 years old, and it’s eggs take 12 months to hatch. During that time period, temperature is important because it determines gender. Eggs incubated at 21 degrees centigrade produce an even number of males and females. If the temperature is raised just one degree, nearly all the young will be male. Lower the temperature to 20 degrees, and the hatchlings will be female.

We’re Living Longer

The National Center for Health Statistics reports that the life expectancy for a U.S. resident is 77.3 years. A century ago, that number was considerably lower — an average of 48.7 years for people who lived in states that kept track of deaths.

Tragedy in Paradise

English colonists founded Jamestown, Va., in 1607, making it the country’s first, permanent settlement. But not all was well in the colonial village. The winter of 1610 was so harsh that several residents dug up the recent-dead in order to avoid starvation. One man went even farther, killing his wife while she slept. He “fed upon her until he had clean devoured all parts saving her head.”

The Miracle of Wood and Graphite

The average pencil can record about 45,000 words or draw a line, 35 miles long.

The Love of Gymnastics

In the United States, bowling and fishing are the top-two recreational activities. But neither is a uniquely American pastime. Take the island nation of Japan, for instance, where bowling is the second-most-popular sport, and fishing is third. What could they possibly enjoy more than fishing and bowling? Gymnastics.

No Life Insurance for Christians

In the Middle Ages, pilgrims to the Holy Land were known to take out a kind of travel insurance. If imprisoned while on the way, the prisoner’s ransom would be paid. But if killed, the traveler was out of luck. No good Christian pilgrim could purchase life insurance because it conflicted with his belief that mortality was in the hands of the Almighty.

Parasitic Mates

Anglerfish may be the oddest of deep sea creatures. They are monogamous, but it is survival — not love — that brings each pair together. The tiny male cannot feed himself but is an excellent swimmer. He chases a passing female and hooks on for life, fusing his tissues with that of his much larger mate. He takes nutrients directly from her blood supply.

Out of town. Back by Monday.

There’s Work To Be Done

By the year 2000, biologists had identified and named about 1.5 million species of plants and animals. But most scientists agree there may be as many as 14 million species on the planet, leaving plenty of room for discovery.

The Value of a Diploma

U.S. Census figures from a 1996 survey prove the value of finishing high school. In that year, the average worker, who had not completed high school, earned less than $1,700 each month. A high school diploma raised the average monthly wage to $2,279.

The Biggest Jesus

Eureka Springs, Ark., boasts a white-mortar statue of Christ (pictured) that stands seven stories tall and weighs more than two million pounds. But the “Christ of the Ozarks,” completed in 1966, is not the world’s largest such figure. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, holds that honor with its Christ the Redeemer, which is almost 100 feet tall.

Alaska’s Landfills

At last count, Alaska had 322 landfills — more than any other state. California was second with 188. Delaware and Connecticut had the fewest in the nation with six landfills between them.

The Color of Stop

From 1923 to 1954, all stop signs were yellow with black lettering. The Bureau of Public Roads changed the signs to red with a white border and white lettering in 1954 because reflectorized, red sheeting was less likely than the yellow backgrounds to fade over time.

National Tour

Richard Nixon was the first U.S. President to visit all 50 states.

Backwards Muppets

A majority of the Muppets are left-handed because their operators, the Muppet performers, are mostly right-handed. The primary hand is used to control a Muppet’s head and face.

Oil Floors

Linoleum, created by Frederick Walton in 1863, is named for its primary ingredient — linseed oil. The oil is boiled and mixed with powdered cork, wood flour, ground limestone and other materials that make it something vastly different from modern, vinyl flooring.

Big Lady

The 111-foot Statue of Liberty is truly larger than life. Her index finger measures 8 feet. Each fingernail is 13 inches by 10 inches, and her nose is 4 feet 6 inches long.

Out of town. Back by Monday, Nov. 28.

How to Clear Your Conscience

The U.S. Treasury manages a number of special collections, including the Conscience Fund. This fund accepts donations from those who have cheated on their taxes or stolen from the government. In one letter that came with a $10 donation, a woman told of her younger brother, who took a pair of scissors home from his government job. He gave the scissors to his sister before he died.

National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund
See Definition of Terms: Conscience Fund
Internal Revenue Service
Randomly Selected Letters to the IRS

Monopoly’s Best-Kept Secret

No matter how the game of Monopoly is played, each participant is more likely to land in jail (or Just Visiting) than on any other of the board’s squares. Illinois Avenue is the second-most-frequented location. The space marked “Chance,” between Oriental Avenue and Vermont Avenue, is the least visited spot on the board.

Hasbro’s History of Monopoly
Probabilities in the Game of Monopoly
Who Invented Monopoly?
Anti-Monopoly: the Game

New Englanders Love Ballet

People, who live in New England, are more likely to attend a ballet performance than those in other regions.

Ballet Dictionary
Ballet Companies on the Web
The Art of Ballet
History of Ballet

Blind Man Creates Cruise Control

Ralph Teetor, the blind inventor who created cruise control in the 1940s, came up with the idea after riding with his lawyer, a talkative man who sped up and slowed down while conversing. The 1958 Chrysler Imperial, New Yorker and Windsor models were the first cars to come equipped with Teetor’s invention. In 1960, Cadillac adopted the mechanism for its entire line of cars.

How Cruise Control Works
Cruise Control Legends
Cruise Control and Traffic Flow
The Invention of Cruise Control

Half Have Heartburn Monthly

In the United States, about 50 percent of the population has heartburn at least once a month, and 7 percent has it daily.

National Heartburn Alliance
Heartburn, the Movie
Take the Heartburn Quiz
Famous Heartburn Quotations

Paleontologists Believe in Toilet Paper

Several paleontologists include — on their list of must-have equipment — a ready supply of toilet paper for wrapping fossils.

World Toilet Organization
Toilet Paper Trivia
Yale University Tries Out Two-Ply
Thailand’s Toilet Traditions

Good Dog

Experts on domesticated animals claim that canine bones found in European and Asian camp sites, thousands of years old, suggest that at one time man’s best friend was also his dinner.

National Hot Dog & Sausage Council
Dog-Meat Soup
Smart Dogs
Sparky the Fire Dog

How to Save Money

Andre-Francois Raffray made a money-saving deal with Jeanne Calment (pictured), offering to pay the 90-year-old woman the equivalent of $400 each month for an apartment she owned. When Calment died, the apartment would belong to Raffray. But Raffray was the first to go. He passed away at age 77 after making payments each month for more than 30 years. Calment died the following year. She was 122 years old.

Jeanne Calment’s Obituary
On Youth and Old Age, On Life and Death, On Breathing (Aristotle)
Shattering the Myths of Old Age

The Deep Sea

Medieval painters in Italy used poplar supports for their art, while the Dutch preferred oak. French painters were most likely to choose walnut, and linden was the material of choice for German artists.

Build Your Own Easel
Human Canvas: The Body as an Art Medium
History of Oil Paint
Paint by Number: Accounting for Taste in the 1950s

More Vegetable Lovers Live in Vermont

Residents of Vermont are more likely to eat fruit and vegetables each day than are residents of any other state, according to a 2002 study. New Mexico’s citizens are the least likely to do so.

Vermont Vegetarian Society
Official Cow-Hater Website
International Vegetarian Union
Vegetarian Shoes

The Falcon Is Female

Those who work with Peregrine Falcons know that the female is the falcon. The male is a tiercel.

Send a Peregrine Falcon E-Card
Falcon Club of America (Ford Falcon Owners)
The Peregrine Fund (World Center for Birds of Prey)
Kodak Birdcam 2005

Christopher Columbus: Frugal or Cheap?

Christopher Columbus offered a reward to the first man to sight land during his famed voyage of 1492. But when Rodrigo de Triana did just that in the wee hours of the morning on Friday, October 12, Columbus saved his money by claiming he had spotted land at about 10 the previous evening.

Christopher Columbus: A Culinary History
The Crimes of Christopher Columbus
Examining the Reputation of Christopher Columbus
Columbus Day Crafts

Kiss me, I’m Irish

The United States has 34.3 million residents, who claim Irish ancestry, almost nine times the size of Ireland’s total population. The state of Massachusetts has the highest ratio of Irish-Americans in the nation: 24 percent.

Irish Traditions
Central Statistics Office Ireland
Mystic May: Monthly Horoscopes from Ireland
Early Music of Ireland

Bowling a Danger to National Security

King Edward III banned bowling because it allegedly kept citizens from practicing their archery, an important part of the national defense during the Hundred Years’ War.

For more information:
International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame
The Science of Bowling
Bowling Shoes
The Bowler’s Dictionary

First Christian Nation

The country of Armenia formally adopted Christianity in the 4th century, making it the first nation to do so.

More:
Armenian Genocide
Armenia: Favorite Destination Since Noah’s Time
Government of the Republic of Armenia

Wealthy Lose Less

Households with an income of $35,000 or less in 2003 experienced higher burglary rates than those with a higher annual income.

Origin of Income Tax

The U.S. income tax was first established in 1862 to support the Union efforts in the Civil War. Although the tax was discontinued in 1872, the government brought it back in 1894. The Supreme Court declared the tax unconstitutional the following year, but a constitutional amendment reestablished the income tax for good in 1913.

Kaa Finds His Voice

Walt Disney tried and rejected eight different celebrity voices for Kaa the snake in the 1967 animated classic, “The Jungle Book,” before asking Sterling Holloway to do the job. Holloway was already well-known for his work as the voice of Winnie the Pooh.

Mundo Mamo Feather Collection

Hawaiians long treasured the now-extinct mamo for its yellow feathers. Professionals would catch the birds, pluck the few yellow tufts from each and then set them free. King Kamahameha I, who reigned in the early 19th century, wore a yellow cloak made from the feathers of close to 80,000 mamos.

Churchill Defends Music Hall

Winston Churchill’s first public speech was made in 1894 at the Empire Theatre in Leicester Square, defending the pleasures of the music hall.