CELEBRATING A NON-HOLIDAY

Journalist Harold Pullman Coffin created National Nothing Day in 1973 as an occasion when Americans can “just sit without celebrating, honoring or observing anything.” The non-holiday is generally observed on Jan. 16.

Nearly 3,800 “citizens” or “contrabands” are buried in Section 27 of the Arlington National Cemetery. Each of these former slaves once lived in Freedman’s Village on the Arlington Estate. Their headstones are inscribed “civilian” or “citizen.”

South Korea, with a population of just over 48 million, has more than twice as many residents as its neighbor, North Korea (22.9 million).

A gram of carbohydrates contains four calories while one gram of fat has about nine. A single gram of alcohol carries seven calories.

On November 9, 1960, Robert McNamara became the first Ford Motor Company president, who was not a member of the Ford family. But McNamara had a higher calling. After less than five weeks on the job, he accepted President John F. Kennedy’s invitation to a position as Secretary of Defense.

The average human heart beats about 100,000 times a day.

There are roughly 1 billion red blood cells in two or three drops of blood.

African Elephants have only four toenails on their front feet. But Indian Elephants have five.