Growing up in the US, it seems like I’m always picking up interesting facts here and there. I never stop learning new random facts about these 50 states! Here are 8 facts on the United States that I thought I’d share with you. See if you already knew any of them and feel free to add your own random facts in the comment section.
At 282 feet below sea level, Death Valley, California is the lowest point in the entire United States.
This stunning location is part of the Mojave Desert and is also considered one of the hottest places on Earth. The temperatures here can soar to a sizzling 130 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a test of endurance for visitors. But beyond the heat, Death Valley offers expansive salt flats, dry parched land, and a haunting kind of beauty that has much to tell about the extremes of our natural world. For the curious and adventurous, it's a spectacular site to explore but always with respect for its harsh, yet fragile ecosystem.
No one truly knows where ‘Uncle Sam’ came from, but the most common suggestion is that it refers to a man named Sam Wilson. He delivered beef in barrels to the US army during the war of 1812. The barrels were marked with “U.S.” and one of the people who worked for Wilson said that these initials stood for Uncle Sam Wilson. The image of Uncle Sam that appears on the popular Army poster resembles the artist who drew it; James Montgomery Flagg.
The original design for Mount Rushmore was to include not only the heads of the four presidents’ heads, but also their torsos. Unfortunately the funding and time set aside for this elaborate rock carving didn’t include enough of either to complete the project as originally intended. The original carver died before Roosevelt’s head could be carved and the carver’s son had to finish the job.
The railroad line stopped in Terminus, which is how the town initially got its name. The town of Terminus existed from the year 1837 to the year 1843. It was in 1843 that the name ‘Terminus’ was changed to ‘Marthasville’, but then it was changed to ‘Atlanta’ two years later.
This is because he was the first president to be born in the country after it had gained independence from England.
14 buffalo were taking to this island off of the California coast in 1924 and left there after the filming of the movie. This small herd eventually grew and today there are 250 buffalo on the island.
San Bernardino, California was the location of the very first McDonald’s restaurant. Richard and Maurice McDonald opened this BBQ car-hop joint in the year of 1940. By the time 1955 rolled around, the ninth McDonald’s restaurant had been opened, but the menu had been changed to include fries, burgers, and shakes instead of BBQ.
The two trees were brought from Brazil around 1875 and almost all of the naval orange trees growing in the US derived from these two trees. One of the original trees died, but the other is still going strong in a park in Riverside today.
There are so many historical facts that I had a difficult time choosing just 8 to write about. Which of the 8 facts on the United States did you find to be the most interesting?
Top Photo Credit: alineioavasso™