Lots of Talking
It’s no secret that New York City is one of the most diverse places on the planet, and the same holds true for its variety of languages spoken. Not only are there over 700 languages spoken, but some dialects and languages on the brink of extinction around the rest of the globe are preserved in this wild city.
However, as a country, the United States—and every other country on the planet—comes nowhere close to Papua New Guinea, which boasts over 840 languages spoken across the islands among its nine million inhabitants. Talk about diversity!
Fighting Fires
Though we look at our firefighters with awe and appreciation, we don’t often think about the fact that firefighting departments lack employees. To our surprise, it turns out many of the brave people putting their lives at risk to fight fires are volunteers.
While this isn’t necessarily uncommon across the world, the U.S.’s significant population and area make it all the more concerning. The sad fact is, there just aren’t enough people willing to make the sacrifices it takes to be a full-time firefighter—so get out there and start volunteering!
Immigration Culture
People have been leaving their home countries and moving elsewhere for as long as mankind has existed. Immigration is nothing new—and the United States boasts quite a rich immigration culture.
urrently, there are about 50 million immigrants living in the U.S., which is about four times as much as the next country with the most immigrants, Germany. In the world, the U.S. holds one-fifth of all immigrants total! Talk about a melting pot.
AZ Daylight Savings
Since the ‘60s, Arizona was granted special permission to be the only one—besides Hawaii—of the 50 states exempt from following daylight savings. However, not everyone in the state decided to adhere to the exemption.
Because the Navajo reservation spans three states, the Navajo people living in Arizona also have their clocks set to follow the norm, making it awfully difficult to know what time it really is as they move between their territory and the rest of Arizona between the months of March and October.
Directed at You
Pharmaceutical companies can do a lot of good, offering many different kinds of medicines to folks with different kinds of illnesses. But the U.S. and New Zealand have one concerning similarity when it comes to pharmaceuticals, and that’s the allowance to directly advertise to customers.
Consumers have been bombarded by prescription ads, and it’s no coincidence. Sometimes, the advertisements reach the public before they’ve been reviewed fully. Though it might seem in your best interest to buy a new medicine, double-check with your doctor before taking anything.
Nuclear Accident
Back in 1961, a plane crash occurred. A U.S. Air Force B-52 plane started to fall apart, its wings ripping off midair. The people inside ejected themselves, though only five of them made it. But the scariest part was that inside the burning plane were two nuclear bombs.
Luckily, the bomb that fell out of the plane had a safety system that kept the bomb from exploding. If it had, it would’ve caused irreparable damage to the North Carolina town it fell in. Maybe miracles do exist.
Wealth Disparity
With so many people in one country, you’re bound to have some differences between the wealthiest and the poorest people throughout the United States. However, upon closer investigation, it’s clear that the gap is even wider than we thought.
Walking into the U.S. with $10 and a dream to make it big is no longer just a fantasy—you’ll actually be better off than a decent amount of Americans, who have a net worth equal to zero, or even below zero. These days, the American dream is to be able to afford your basic needs. Hopefully, things change in the future.
Cap it Off
The Washington Monument was built to commemorate George Washington, the founding father and first president of the country. Someone of such high importance should be remembered with an impressive monument—but this structure is extra special.
Though the tower itself is a sight to behold, the aluminum cap at the top is the real gem. At the time of construction, aluminum was more valuable and more difficult to extract than gold was, so capping off the structure with it marked prestige and honor for Washington’s memory.
Wealthy City
The heart of the auto-manufacturing industry, Detroit, Michigan was once considered the wealthiest city in the world. In the early to mid-1900s, Detroit was flush with wealth, prosperity, and most of all, jobs.
However, their golden age didn’t last very long. Different production techniques changed the industry and Detroit quickly saw a deep decline in jobs and employment, which led to a subsequent decline in population and general safety. Regardless, Detroit still remains a symbol of invention and resilience, though it doesn’t retain the same success it once did.
Mysterious Stones
In Elbert County in Georgia, there stood incredibly heavy stones, inscribed with advice on how to properly live one’s life. However, no one truly knows who constructed these, or where the guidelines come from, other than the fact that a man using a pseudonym put them up on behalf of a group of loyal Americans he said he was a part of.
The controversy surrounding the stones remained part of the lore itself, until 2022, when their mystery must’ve become too much, and the monument was destroyed in a bombing.
Its a Trap
Often the scary plant made into a villain in horror movies, the Venus Flytrap is quite a curious herbaceous plant. One of the very few carnivorous plants to exist in the world, the flytrap is actually indigenous to the United States.
Thriving in the tropical wetlands of North and South Carolina, this terribly odd plant feeds on prey like flies and other insects when they land on them and trigger the jaw-like leaves to close. Now, isn’t that quite an interesting plant to claim for the United States?
Bordering Russia
The whopping land mass that is Russia feels entirely on the other side of the world from the United States—so who would’ve thought that Russia actually shares a narrow maritime border with the United States?
In between the most eastern border of Russia and Alaska’s most western one, there is a strait called the Bering Strait that stretches only 51 miles across at its narrowest point, making Russia much closer to the United States than we ever thought possible.
Walking to Work
It’s no surprise that many of us spend a lot of time in the car, especially on our daily commutes to work. On average, only about 3.5% of people walk or bike to their places of work. But that’s not necessarily the case in Alaska.
In this large, chilly state, almost 9% of folks commute to work on bike or foot. While we’re impressed by the tenacity to stay fit and protect the environment, the incredibly high gas prices might also have something to do with this choice.
East and West
If you thought the eastern coast of Maine was the most eastern point of the United States, think again. With a little bit of help from the globe’s hemispheres and meridian lines, it turns out Alaska actually has the most eastern point in the country.
While this might seem nonsensical, Alaska’s Aleutian Islands are made up of 69 islands that stretch far to the west—past the longitudinal line of 180 degrees separating the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Therefore, according to the lines and laws of the geographical coordinates of the planet, Alaska has managed to have both the most western and eastern points of the country.
Down By the River
In one form or another, the water we use today has been on this planet for millions of years, and the rivers we rely on have been here for around the same time—at least some of them. The United States is lucky to have three out of five of the oldest rivers to exist.
The New River—running through North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia—the French Broad River—which runs through North Carolina and Tennessee—and the Susquehanna River—which runs through Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York, are all over 300 million years old. Now, that’s ancient!
Reducing the Pain
The US is one of only four countries in the world without national laws specifically addressing the treatment of pain, although it does have guidelines and state-level regulations aimed at managing pain and prescribing opioids.
These guidelines encourage doctors to use their best judgement when prescribing treatment, opting for other options before prescribing medicine that could become addictive. New laws are coming into place, though the US still accounts for 69% of the global opioid usage along with Canada, United Kingdom and Australia.
No One Language
With each state boasting such different demographics, the United States has never declared one official language at the federal level. Instead, this is determined at the state level, allowing each state government to decide whether they want an official language or not.
Across the U.S., English and Spanish are the most commonly spoken languages. While 31 states have declared English as their official language, other states have opted out, holding space for the multicultural population living there.
Feeling Patriotic
We invaded Canada in 1812. And lost. Like big time. Canada wasn’t independent at the time from the UK, but this War started its patriotic streak. Slide: The War of 1812 happened between United States and Great Britain, but involved Canada, who at the time, was a part of the British Colonies. Though US troops invaded Canada multiple times, they were largely pushed out and repelled by British, Canadian, and Native American forces.
Thought the war itself didn’t have a clear victor, it fostered a sense of national identity in Canada and helped paved the way for this country’s independence.
Feeling Tropical
Though the U.S. is full of different landscapes and ecosystems, nothing quite compares to the ecology of the Everglades, which spans across two million acres throughout Florida.
All kinds of species inhabit this ecosystem, though quite a few are now endangered as the climate continues to change and affect the landscape. But our favorite part of the Everglades is the fact that alligators and crocodiles coexist in these waters, making it one of the most unique places on Earth.
Lots of Growth
Though we knew Texas was a huge contributor to the U.S. economy, we never knew just how impactful it was. From December 2007 to December 2014, Texas significantly contributed to nearly 100% of the U.S. employment growth. The state added 1.444 million jobs, while the rest of the country saw a net loss of 275,290 jobs.
This means Texas was solely responsible for the net increase of 1.169 million jobs during this period, showcasing its crucial role in national job creation and economic recovery.
Message Me
The internet was visible to the greater public in the 1990s, but the development of computer programs was in the works for decades before. In fact, before we had the kind of internet messaging we have now, the very first message sent over the pre-cursor to the internet was sent in 1969.
From one computer at UCLA in Los Angeles to another computer in Menlo Park, California, Charley Kline sent the very first message over the ARPANET. Even though it wasn’t a complete message, the act of sending it would be the foundation on which everything we know was built.
Welcome to Parenthood
Though it’s a standard expectation in most wealthy countries to offer new parents paid time off as they settle into their family dynamic, the same isn’t true in the United States.
Instead, individuals must rely on their employers to grace them with paid time-off, or hop right back into work and find some kind of care for their child. Though most people have expressed their support for offering this to American citizens, don’t expect a change on this matter anytime soon.
Low Grade
Before the American flag as we know it was created, it was just a school project that received a bad grade. In fact, with Alaska having just joined the union, and Hawaii in the process of being admitted to the 50 states, the government seemed to be open to taking suggestions for their new flag.
Robert G. Heft designed a flag with 50 stars in 1959, and turned it in to his teacher, only to receive a B-minus on it. Luckily, when he sent it to the governor of Ohio, he liked it a lot better—and later, would be chosen by Dwight E. Eisenhower himself.
Selling Manhattan
Through centuries of misinterpretations and the retelling of myths, it was said that the Lenape people—Native Americans who lived seasonally on the island where Manhattan is today—sold the island to the Dutch for only $24. However, this isn’t quite historically accurate.
Instead, since the Lenape people were entirely familiar with the concept of land ownership, they took the beads, clothing, tools, weapons, and other items handed over by the Europeans as an agreement to share the land or rent it to them. Too bad the Dutch took the deal as a sale and began to settle.
In the Media
Our media can greatly influence the way we perceive our surroundings. When every news story reports on the happenings in just one population, you might start to think their population is bigger than it actually is.
But while the media loves to keep its coverage focused on the African American population in America, they make up just around 12% of the total population—a much smaller percentage than one might expect.
Oh, Canada
Apparently dissatisfied with the area already under U.S. control, Americans tried to invade the northern territories in the War of 1812, hoping to expand further into Canada. Though they assumed it would be easy, U.S. forces were no match for that of British, Canadian, and Native Americans who fought back.
Canada was not a fully formed country at the time. Instead, it was a bunch of British colonies and territories. Still, the area had been referred to as “Canada” since the 16th century, and folks considered themselves Canadian far before the official country was founded.
More Than Four Sides
At first glance, Colorado is a pretty perfect rectangle in the middle of the United States. But borders drawn on a map are never quite as perfect in real life.
Due to the rough terrain of Colorado’s topography, as well as the general human error that comes with figuring out state borders, the lines marking out the Centennial State have hundreds of twists and turns. In the end, Colorado officially has 697 sides—making it a hexahectaenneacontakaiheptagon.
Ship Graveyard
World War II saw major conflicts between nations of the world. The Torpedo Alley off the coast of North Carolina is just one example of the aftermath of the war, a graveyard where almost 400 ships lie after being sunk by German U-boats.
Though there are more well-known phases of the Second World War, this phase was a destroyer of life and goods. Many Americans were affected, and over 5,000 civilians and merchant sailors were killed in these attacks.
Just How Big is Big
The 49th state remains quite a mystery for many Americans and the rest of the world. Sharing a border with Canada and no other state in the U.S., Alaska stretches across almost 700,000 square miles—but what does that mean exactly?
That means this state is bigger than 22 of the 50 states combined. Texas can fit into Alaska more than twice, and it has over 80 million acres of protected lands. With a little more than 730,000 people in the entire state, the population is probably the smallest thing about this big, beautiful state.
Name Change
Originally a settlement, Mobile, Alabama was founded 27 miles upriver from the location where the city sits today. However, when diseases and floods came a-knocking, threatening the settlement, the whole city picked up and moved downstream.
That means this state is bigger than 22 of the 50 states combined. Texas can fit into Alaska more than twice, and it has over 80 million acres of protected lands. With a little more than 730,000 people in the entire state, the population is probably the smallest thing about this big, beautiful state.
