1

Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the U.S. combined

Alaska’s size is already impressive: it’s the largest state in the country by far, over twice the size of Texas (the second largest state by area). But what surprises many people is just how much coastline it has.

With over 33,900 miles of shoreline, including islands, Alaska has more coastline than all the other U.S. states combined. Its rugged shores stretch along the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Bering Sea.

2

Arizona is home to one of the best-preserved meteor craters

Arizona’s desert landscape holds one of the most famous impact sites on Earth: Meteor Crater. This massive depression, measuring about 3,900 feet across and more than 500 feet deep, was formed around 50,000 years ago when a large iron meteorite struck the ground with unimaginable force. It’s so well preserved that scientists have used it to study planetary impacts for decades.

3

California has the tallest, largest, and oldest trees

California is home to some incredible tree-based records. On the northern coast, redwoods grow routinely over 300 feet, and represent the tallest tree species on Earth. In addition, giant sequoias hold the record for the largest trees by volume, and bristlecone pines in eastern California are among the oldest living trees on the planet, some reaching more than 4,800 years of age.

4

Colorado contains the highest paved road in North America

Colorado’s mountainous terrain makes it a paradise for scenic drives, but one road stands above all the rest. Literally.

The Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway climbs to over 14,000 feet above sea level, making it the highest paved road in North America. It visits Echo Lake Park, the Mount Goliath Natural Area, the Dos Chappell Nature Center, and Summit Lake Park, and culminates in the highest peak of the region, Mount Blue Sky (formerly known as Mount Evans). A fee is charged to travel State Highway 5 to the summit, and vehicles over 30 feet long are not allowed for safety reasons.

5

Florida is the only state that borders both the Atlantic and the Gulf

Florida’s location gives it a special geographic distinction. It is the only U.S. state that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of America, known globally as the Gulf of Mexico.

This unique positioning helps explain why Florida has so many beaches, marine ecosystems, and one of the longest coastlines in the country, second only to the aforementioned Alaska.

6

Hawaii grows coffee commercially

Coffee production in the United States is rare, but Hawaii, sitting in the Pacific Ocean about 2,000 miles southwest of the U.S. mainland, is one of the few places where it happens on a large scale. The state’s volcanic soil and tropical climate make perfect conditions for growing coffee, especially the famous Kona coffee grown on the slopes of volcanoes on the Big Island.

7

Kansas is flatter than a pancake

Kansas has long been joked about as being extremely flat. But, in 2003, researchers from the geography departments of Texas State University and Arizona State University took the matter to the lab. They worked to mathematically determine if Kansas is actually flatter than a standard pancake purchased from IHOP.

The researchers concluded that, mathematically speaking, Kansas is actually flatter than a pancake when measured over large distances. The study became famous for both its humor and its unusual approach.

8

Louisiana has parishes instead of counties

48 of the states divide their local governments into counties. Alaska uses the term boroughs. Louisiana, however, is divided into parishes . The reason lies with the state's early history with the Roman Catholic Church.

A parish , in many Christian denominations, is a territory under the care and jurisdiction of a priest. Before the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the region had been under both French and Spanish influence, both catholic countries. When the state of Louisiana joined the Union in 1812, it had already inherited an organized system of administrative units derived from those used by the catholic church. Eventually, when a new state constitution was ratified in 1845, local tradition won, and the name parish stuck.

9

Nevada is the most mountainous state

When people think of Nevada, they often picture either endless deserts or the chaotic energy of Las Vegas, with its world-famous hotels and casinos. But Nevada is a very large state (the 7th largest overall), and its 110,572 square miles are filled with mountains.

Nevada contains more mountain ranges than any other state in the country, over 300 of them, thanks to the geological stretching of the Basin and Range region. These mountain ranges create isolated valleys that serve as refuges for endemic species.

10

Oregon has a lake inside a volcano

Oregon is home to Crater Lake, one of the many stunning natural sights in the US. It formed inside the collapsed caldera of an ancient volcano called Mount Mazama. No river flows in or out of the lake; the system stays stable because evaporation is compensated by rain and snowfall.

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in America, reaching depths of nearly 2,000 feet, and its intense blue and water clarity solidify it as one of the country's most sought-after tourist destinations.

1

Construction costs that’d make your wallet faint

Image: Jaime Labra

Back in 1912, the Titanic cost $7.5 million to build, and if you're wondering what that’d be today, it’d be over $400 million. That’s more than some sports stadiums! It took nearly three years to complete and was one of the most extravagant ships ever made.

2

Yes, there were dogs

Image: Yuki Dog

As it turns out, the Titanic wasn’t just for people. At least 12 dogs came along for the ride , lounging in a special first-class kennel. There was even a dog show scheduled for the morning of April 15. Sadly, only three tiny dogs survived, all small enough to sneak onto lifeboats tucked in coats or handbags.

3

The band really did play on

Image: Parizan Studio

Wallace Hartley, the bandleader, went down in history, and with his violin! His group kept playing as chaos unfolded around them, trying to calm passengers with music, just like the movie portrays. He didn’t make it, but his violin was found intact and later sold at an auction for $1.7 million!

4

A pocket watch frozen in time

Image: Otto Hyytiälä

The violin was not the only treasure found. Sidney Sedunary was a young steward whose pocket watch stopped ticking at exactly 1:50 a.m. , just before the ship went under. He was last seen handing out lifejackets to third-class passengers. That same watch, rusted but intact, still tells his story.

5

A survivor with frostbitten legs and Olympic dreams

Image: Shep McAllister

Richard Norris Williams spent six hours in icy water, and doctors on the rescue ship wanted to amputate his legs. He refused . And you may think he was crazy to do so, but thank God he did! He went on to win a Wimbledon title and an Olympic gold medal. How crazy is that?

6

Finding the Titanic by accident

Image: Karl Callwood

In 1985, oceanographer Robert Ballard found the Titanic wreck. But that was just an accident ; he was actually sent by the Navy to look for two lost nuclear submarines and used the Titanic as a cover story.

7

Dishes still stacked neatly on the ocean floor

Image: Jannet Serhan

When explorers visited the Titanic wreck in 1986, they found plates still stacked like someone had just finished doing the dishes. Turns out, the wooden cabinet they were in rotted away , leaving the china perfectly arranged on the sea floor. It’s as eerie as fascinating, considering the many years that passed.

8

The ship is rusting away

Image: NOAA

And speaking of the amount of time the Titanic has been underwater, we have to say that nature is reclaiming the Titanic bit by bit. A newly discovered bacterium is literally eating the ship. Scientists estimate it could disappear completely in 20 to 30 years. The latest expeditions have already shown evidence that pieces that were previously there are gone. So… the clock's ticking.

9

No photos of the grand staircase?

Image: Maria Orlova

You’ve probably seen images of the Titanic’s beautiful grand staircase. We’re sorry to disappoint, but they’re not of the Titanic . They’re from her sister ship, the Olympic. No one thought to take a picture of the real deal before the maiden voyage. And they definitely didn’t think of doing it while it happened!

10

Milton Hershey almost boarded

Image: Janne Simoes

If the name rings a bell, that’s because it’s the same Hershey from the chocolate you love. The man behind Hershey’s chocolate bars almost booked a room on the Titanic . He even wrote a $300 deposit check (big money back then!). But business delayed him, and he skipped the trip. Who do we thank for that?

11

The baker who survived two hours in icy water

Image: Maxim Hopman

Here’s a fascinating fact: Charles Joughin, the Titanic’s chief baker, survived one of the worst parts of the sinking: the freezing Atlantic water. He was reportedly treading water for two hours before rescue. Wanna know how he made it? He had been sipping whiskey to face his fate, and the alcohol in his blood kept him warm enough to survive.

12

The last lunch menu went for a tasty sum

Image: Zoshua Colah

In 2015, a copy of Titanic’s last first-class lunch menu sold for $88,000 . That’s one pricey memento. The menu included grilled mutton chops, chicken à la Maryland, and corned ox tongue. Safe to say lunch on the Titanic wasn’t your average sandwich and chips.

1

Duct Tape Was Made to Protect Ammunition Cases

During World War II, the ammunition boxes sent to American troops were sealed with paper tape and dipped in wax to keep water out. Soldiers were supposed to pull a small paper tab to open them quickly. But the thin tape could tear, leaving them struggling to reach the ammunition. Vesta Stoudt, who packed and inspected these boxes at the Green River Ordnance Plant in Illinois, recognized this danger. She also had two sons serving in the U.S. Navy, so she devised a solution.

Stoudt proposed replacing the paper tape with a strong, waterproof cloth tape that soldiers could easily pull off. As she had no response from her supervisors, she wrote directly to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, including drawings of her idea. Roosevelt sent the proposal to the War Production Board, which asked a Johnson & Johnson operating company to manufacture the tape. It not only worked, but troops soon used the strong tape to repair boots and fix military vehicles too. Today, duct tape is still the solution to many everyday repairs.

2

M&M’s Were Designed With Soldiers in Mind

You probably remember the iconic M&M's slogan "melts in your mouth, not in your hand." Well, this characteristic was intentionally created for troops, allowing them to eat chocolate even under the hot sun.

When businessman Forrest Mars Jr. was travelling to Spain in the late 1930s during the Spanish Civil War, he observed how soldiers ate chocolate encased in sugar shells. The sugar crust prevented the chocolate from melting, and soldiers could enjoy the treat, even in hot temperatures. Mars soon partnered with Bruce Murrie, the son of Hershey's president, to secure a steady supply of chocolate for American troops. Their collaboration led to the creation of M&Ms, named after the initials of their last names. By 1947, the candy was made available to the public.

3

The Jeep Was Built for the U.S. Army

In 1940, the U.S. Army asked automakers to create a small four-wheel-drive vehicle that could carry soldiers across rough terrain. Bantam, Willys, and Ford entered the competition, and Willys won the main production contract. However, the final Willys MB also borrowed some of Ford’s flat grille and hood fastener design.

The new Jeep could travel through mud, climb steep roads, and reach places trucks couldn’t. Soldiers and mechanics could repair it quickly, and its parts were easy to remove and replace. Soldiers liked it so much that demand continued after they returned home, and Willys introduced the civilian CJ-2A in 1945 shortly after the war ended. The modern Jeep Wrangler still carries the same adventurous spirit.

4

The Slinky Started With a Naval Engineer’s Spring

In 1943, naval engineer Richard James was developing a spring to keep equipment steady on ships during rough seas. One day, he knocked one of his experimental springs onto the floor. Instead of falling in one place, it moved end over end. James rapidly realized its potential as a toy.

He spent the next two years finding the right size and tension for the spring. His wife, Betty, named it "Slinky," because of its smooth movement, and they introduced it to the market in 1945. But shoppers were confused and didn’t know what to make of it at first. The situation changed after James demonstrated it at a Philadelphia department store: all 400 Slinkys were sold in less than two hours.

5

Super Glue Emerged From Wartime Research

Today, we use Super Glue to repair broken items, for crafting, woodworking, and for countless quick fixes. But in 1942, chemist Harry Coover created it while trying to make a clear plastic for military gunsights during World War II. He was testing chemicals called cyanoacrylates when his team found that they stuck to almost everything they touched. As that feature made them unsuitable for the original project, the researchers moved on.

Coover encountered the chemicals again in 1951 while his team was developing materials for jet canopies. This time, he realized that their powerful bond was useful because it required no heat or pressure. Kodak later refined the adhesive and released it as Eastman 910 in 1958. That accidental discovery became widely known as Super Glue.

6

Silly Putty Grew Out of a Search for Synthetic Rubber

Silly Putty is that stretchy stuff that comes in plastic eggs and bounces and bends, depending on how you pull it. It was created during World War II, when rubber was needed for tires, boots, gas masks, and other military supplies. Japan’s expansion in Asia cut the United States off from much of its natural rubber, so American scientists were forced to look for a replacement.

In 1943, General Electric engineer James Wright mixed boric acid with silicone oil and created a strange, elastic material. It bounced higher than rubber, but it wasn’t strong enough for the military’s needs. General Electric shared samples with scientists, hoping someone might find a practical use for it. Meanwhile, people began passing it around at parties for fun. At one of them, hosted by a General Electric executive, businessman Peter Hodgson watched guests play with it, recognized its potential as a toy, named it Silly Putty, and in 1950, he commercialized it.

7

Frozen Orange Juice Was Developed for American Troops

Orange juice provides vitamin C, which supports the immune system and helps the body heal wounds. During World War II, the military understandably needed to make sure troops received enough vitamin C. However, regular frozen juice lost its fresh taste during storage and transport, sometimes developing a flavor compared to turpentine. So in 1942, the Army asked researchers to create a frozen version that could travel without losing its flavor.

And by 1945, scientists of the Department of Agriculture removed water from fresh juice at low temperatures and then added a little fresh juice back into the concentrate. The process preserved the orange oils responsible for its familiar taste. The Army ordered 500,000 pounds, but the war ended before the product could be delivered. Instead, it reached American grocery stores in 1946 under the name Minute Maid and soon became a breakfast favorite.

8

Penicillin Became Widely Available Through U.S. Wartime Production

Penicillin offered a powerful solution to bacterial infections, which could otherwise turn a small wound deadly. But there was still one major problem: even a small amount took a lot of time and effort to produce. With thousands of wounded troops needing treatment during combat, the Allies had to find a way to produce much more of it.

British researchers brought their work to the United States, where government laboratories and drug companies took on the challenge. Scientists then found that growing the mold in deep tanks with a corn-based liquid produced much larger amounts . By 1944, American factories were making enough penicillin to treat Allied troops wounded during the D-Day invasion.

9

Aerosol Bug Spray Protected Soldiers From Insects

A mosquito bite wasn’t just annoying during war; it could literally take a soldier out of action. In tropical regions, mosquitoes carried malaria and other diseases that sickened lots of soldiers. An easy way to kill insects in tents and planes was needed, and large sprayers weren’t that practical.

Department of Agriculture researchers Lyle Goodhue and William Sullivan developed a small pressurized canister that released insecticide as a fine mist. Nicknamed the "bug bomb," it allowed troops to spray an entire space in seconds. It was patented in 1943, and more than 40 million cans were produced for military use during the war. It didn’t take long for that same technology to be used for home repellents.

10

Synthetic Rubber Kept American Vehicles Moving

A great number of wartime items needed natural rubber. — to make tires, hoses, engine belts, seals, life rafts, gas masks, and many other waterproof parts . But after Japan captured major rubber-producing areas in Southeast Asia, the U.S. lost access to most of its supply. Recycling and rationing efforts helped, but it wasn’t enough.

The government took action and brought oil, chemical, and tire companies together to build a synthetic-rubber industry at home. Made mostly from petroleum-based chemicals, the new material could do many of the same jobs as natural rubber. U.S. production grew from only 230 tons in 1941 to more than one million tons in 1945. Synthetic rubber kept military vehicles moving during the war and remained essential for tires and other everyday products afterward.