Since the founding of the United States, there have been 27 versions of the American flag. Each new flag represented the addition of new states. Our current 50-star flag was designed as part of a high school project by 17-year old Robert Heff in 1958.
His teacher gave him a B- but went on to update the grade to an A after Heft submitted his design to the White House, eventually leading to a call from President Eisenhower that it had been selected as the official U.S. flag.
California has a Larger Population Than all of Canada
Oh, Canada, the land where not that many people roam. California’s population is estimated at 38.8 million people.
In the entire country of Canada, there’s estimated to be 35.1 million. That’s a pretty wild and wide difference!
Mysteriously, Hundreds of Skulls Were Found in This Florida Lake
Most people expect that the worst things they’ll find at the lake are some slimy plants or maybe a few leeches, but in Florida’s Lake Okeechobee something much more disturbing was discovered. Surveyors found hundreds of human skulls in this lake during the late 1800s.
There is no evidence of the lake being a burial site and it still remains a mystery as to why so many skulls were uncovered there. I think I’ll plan my next lake vacation somewhere else!
Washington Wasn't Always the Capital
Many recognize Washington, DC as the capital of the United States but that wasn’t always the case. Washington didn’t become the capital until 1790. Believe it or not, from 1785 until 1790, New York City served as the country's capital.
While it may not be the capital today, over 8 million people reside in New York City alone, making it the most populous city in America.
The US Doesn’t Have an Official Language
While English is widely spoken across America, on a federal level there are no laws stating that English is the official language. However, even though there are no federal laws, only 31 states have declared English the official language.
Further, there are only a few states that are officially bilingual. In New Mexico, the official language is English and Spanish, while, in Louisiana, the official language is English and French.