Submit some 'Murican facts!

[Tex]

Howdy, everybody!

Now, this may come as a shock to some people, but I happen to live in the United States. And, as part of my ideas I want to start putting out on YouTube, I want to do a video series on strange facts from America. In the future, I think I'll probably do some videos about strange facts from other countries, but I want to start with my home country. 

Does anybody have any obscure, amazing, or weird facts about America that I can do some research on and include in my videos?

[StupidAndy]

5 minutes ago, Tex said:

Now, this may come as a shock to some people, but I happen to live in the United States

no way! me too!

but a strange fact...hmm...I think the library of congress has confirmation on this

but before I saw a kerbal video there was an ad by some dog food company, after a lost battle in the revolutionary war, one of George Washington's men found a dog, the dog belonged to general Howe. some people wanted to have it in the front of the battle lines so the brits wouldn't shoot at them during a battle. some wanted to kill it, some wanted to keep it, but George Washington gave the dog back with a letter to the general, I think the letter is in the library of congress, so that's the confirmation

not 100% sure, but it's a...theory..?

sure why not

[razark]

21 minutes ago, Tex said:

facts from America

or

Quote

'Murican facts

?

 

Because those are two very different things...

[Tex]

Just now, razark said:

Because those are two very different things...

Both, if at all possible. I'm a sponge for weird facts.

[pTrevTrevs]

There have been 45 US Presidents, but only 44 people have actually become President. This is because Grover Cleveland was elected to two nonconsecutive terms, the first in 1884 and the second in 1892, making him both the 22nd and the 24th President.

While most presidents retire from politics after leaving office, William Howard Taft went on to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after his presidency, and it was actually that job that he had always aspired to, not the Presidency.

The state of Maine was originally a part of Massachusetts (even though the two don't border each other) until 1820, when it entered into the Union under the Missouri Compromise of 1820.

Theodore Roosevelt kept numerous exotic animals in the White House during his Presidency, including a lion, a zebra, and a parrot. He actually wasn't the only president to keep strange pets, Herbert Hoover apparently had two alligators, and Abraham Lincoln had pigs, rabbits, and ponies.

The reason the American capital is in Washington DC instead of a city that was already established in 1783 is due to a financial plan by Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton believed that having the federal government assume the debts the states had collected during the war would give it an opportunity to build its credit, as well as give the states another reason to support the federal government. While the northern states did have considerable debt, the South had mostly paid off its debt, and thus wouldn't receive the same benefit from this deal. To balance this out, the capital was moved to the Potomac river, where both Virginia and Maryland (yes, both are Southern states) were to cede a certain amount of land to develop the capital on. Virginia's was never used and was eventually given back to the state.

In 1835, an assassination attempt was made on President Andrew Jackson. Both of the assailant's pistols misfired and the president proceeded to beat the would-be assassin with his cane until others arrived and helped subdue the man.

 

[Joseph Kerman]

1 hour ago, Tex said:

Howdy, everybody!

Now, this may come as a shock to some people, but I happen to live in the United States. And, as part of my ideas I want to start putting out on YouTube, I want to do a video series on strange facts from America. In the future, I think I'll probably do some videos about strange facts from other countries, but I want to start with my home country. 

Does anybody have any obscure, amazing, or weird facts about America that I can do some research on and include in my videos?

Your profile pic says it all. How will anyone be surprised?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apparenty, America wants to blow everyone out of the competition.

[qzgy]

During the Korean War, Tootsie rolls were used to help fix cracks in machinery that was breaking as a direct result of the cold. The tootsie rolls, sent accidentally through some screw up instead of mortar shells, actually helped patch the broken stuff. Video for a better explanation/source

Also, there are many interesting ways the CIA tried to kill Fidel Castro that could make fro an interesting segment.

Edited July 4, 2017 by qzgy

[Dman979]

When the US Constitution was being written, the delegates to the convention were never all in Philadelphia at the same time.

The Coast Guard is the oldest continuous seagoing branch of the armed forces. It's also the only branch not to be under jurisdiction of the Department of Defense.

By international treaty, we are required to have a Red Cross.

We fought a war with pirates. Of the Mediterranean.

Arkansas is not pronounced Ar-can-sas. The Arkansas legislature passed a law telling people how to pronounce the state name.

During the Civil War, Missouri had regiments fight on both sides.

Minnesota is the northernmost continental state.

We almost went to war over Washington State.

[Kokoro]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent_Mound

Adena Cultre mounds are interesting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Adena_culture_sites

this interesting unexcavated circle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Trails_Adena_Circle

[DeltaDizzy]

Most arches in Utah...are outside national parks.

[razark]

'Murican fact:

Today is the last day some 'Muricans will be able to count to ten.

[LordFerret]

16 hours ago, Dman979 said:

The Coast Guard is the oldest continuous seagoing branch of the armed forces. It's also the only branch not to be under jurisdiction of the Department of Defense.

Not entirely correct. Ex-USCoastguardsman here. True.

During times of peace, the CG was under DOT (aids to navigation and all that). During times of war however, it actually became a part of the Navy, which is under the jurisdiction of DOD. These days the CG is under DHS (internal), which is like DOD's (external) brother.

Edited July 4, 2017 by LordFerret

[ModerndayLink]

20 hours ago, Tex said:

 

Now, this may come as a shock to some people, but I happen to live in the United States.

So do I

A lot of people don't know that the coast guard is part of the military.

people in the southern states act differently than people in the north

[Bill Phil]

Teddy Roosevelt got a Medal of Honor posthumously. Speaking of Medals of Honor, about half are from the American Civil War... 

[cubinator]

The US has a really big volcano hiding underneath it that's probably going to erupt in only a few tens of thousands of years.

[LordFerret]

1 hour ago, cubinator said:

The US has a really big volcano hiding underneath it that's probably going to erupt in only a few tens of thousands of years.

That would be the Yellowstone caldera, and yes the dome is currently rising.

 

[LordFerret]

6 hours ago, ModerndayLink64 said:

A lot of people don't know that the coast guard is part of the military.

Indeed. And more than that, their deeds and history are for the most part unsung.

[Benjamin Kerman]

That California was actually a state during the Civil war, but since it was so far away, it couldnt really participate. 

[stibbons]

Not from the US, but one of my favourite American oddities is the Jefferson Grid. 

[insert_name]

The us has three protectorate nations on island chains in the Pacific who use American money and rely on the US armed forces for defense and use US social services. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_of_Free_Association

Edited July 5, 2017 by insert_name

[kerbinorbiter]

1886 research bully 4th 1886...

*slowly backs away before he gets murdered with tomatoes*