Coins are usually made of copper and another element, such as zinc or nickel. Currency paper is composed of 25 percent linen and 75 percent cotton. Red and blue synthetic fibers of various lengths are distributed evenly throughout the paper. Before World War I these fibers were made of silk.

You probably never thought about a cat as being either left- or right-pawed, but over 40 percent are either lefties or righties. That means there’s quite a few out there who are ambidextrous. Luckily for them, they can probably operate the can opener with both paws.

According to the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association, a tennis ball is supposed to bounce between 53 and 58 inches when it is dropped on concrete from a height of 100 inches. The concrete surface should be 4 inches thick.

Okonomiyaki is considered to be Japan's answer to pizza. It consists of a potpourri of grilled vegetables, noodles, and meat or seafood, between two pancake-like layers of fried batter.

The first heavy-drinking U.S. president, as well as the first presidential college dropout, James Monroe - like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson before him - died on Independence Day, the last president to date to bear that trivia distinction.

During her husband's presidency, Martha Washington was formally addressed as Lady Washington

If Earth was the size and weight of a table tennis ball, the Sun would measure 12 feet and weigh 3 tons. On this scale, the Earth would orbit the Sun at a distance of 1,325 feet.

Lucy Hobbs Taylor was the first woman in the US to become a certified dentist in 1867.

The first lighthouse to use electricity was the Statue of Liberty in 1886.

Theodore Roosevelt, a staunch conservationist, banned Christmas trees in his home, even when he lived in the White House. His children, however, smuggled them into their bedrooms.

Zebus are humped cattle found in India, China, and northern Africa. Zebubs are tsetse-like flies found in Ethiopia.

Legend has it that tortellini was created to honor the Roman goddess Venus's belly button, after an Italian innkeeper spied on her through a keyhole and told the community the titillating details.

Catherine II of Russia kept her wigmaker in an iron cage in her bedroom for more than three years.

The Colosseum received its name not for its size, but for a colossal statue of Nero that stood close by, placed there after the destruction of his palace.

It is worth noting that a school's eliteness or cost does not necessarily mean that is a preppy college. Preppy culture idealizes athleticism and sociability. The culture also emphasizes deference to tradition and ritual and, generally speaking, disapproval of ostentation. The term "preppie" is associated, not with dramatic designer fashions, ...Read more

In regions of India where the soil is red, elephants take on a permanent pink tinge because they regularly spray dust over their bodies to protect themselves against insects.

The amethyst gets its name from the Greek amethystos, which means "remedy for drunkeness."

The names of some cities in the United States are the names of other U.S. states. These include Nevada in Missouri, California Maryland, Louisiana in Missouri, Oregon in Wisconsin, Kansas in Oklahoma, Wyoming in Ohio, Michigan in North Dakota, Delaware in Arkansas, and Indiana in Pennsylvania.

During his entire 47 years in government, Herbert Hoover turned over each of his Federal salary checks to charity. He had become independently wealthy before entering politics.