Here are 10 unique facts about the United States
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1. The US Flag was Designed by Middle School Students
Believe it or not, the official flag of the United States of America was designed by Robert G. Heft in 1958 when Heft was still in junior high school. Surprisingly, he only got a B-. Heft's teacher, Stanley Pratt, promised his students that he would raise his grades if the US Congress accepted his draft. Unexpectedly, Heft's designs were hoisted across the country to this day.
2. No Official Language
Many might say that English and even Spanish are the official languages of the US. However, the country did not actually have an official language. Records show that the nation's founders saw no need for one. English was predominant during Confederate times, so it did not need special protection. Also, other languages were widely spoken and there was no need to risk offending anyone
3. Inventor of the Internet
There were many inventions that led to what we now call the internet. JCR Licklider of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology popularized the idea of having an "intergalactic network" of computers in the 1960s. After that came the ARPANET, the Agency Network Advanced Research Project, the first usable prototype for the internet. Finally in 1990, Tim Berners-Lee of MIT invented World Wide Web, which is used to access the internet. It all started in the US.
4. The US Has the Largest GDP in the World
The US does not always rank first in the world when it mentions the richest country in the world. This is because countries can be sorted according to their GDP per capita, so that the wealth of a country is divided by the number of its population. However, in terms of pure producing power and gross domestic product, the US comes first.
5. Almost All of Nevada is Owned by the State Government
The Nevada section is filled with protected wildlife areas, forests, national parks and monuments, all owned and operated by the US federal government. In particular, Area 51, a secret tract of land belonging to the US government, is in Nevada. There are so many owned by the government that they account for about 80% of the entire state.
6. 100 Acres of Pizza Eaten Every Day
Americans sure love their pizza! According to the Washington Post, people in the US love it so much that around 100 acres of pizza are eaten every day. In fact, surveys show Americans tend to prefer pizza over hamburgers, which is considered a specialty of America.
7. The US Capital Originally was New York In 1790
Washington D.C. is not the place where all the political action takes place. New York City was actually the nation's capital when George Washington became the nation's first president. Washington, D.C., located between Virginia and Maryland, was established as the capital in 1790 after a meeting between Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. Hamilton surrendered to Jefferson for the location of the capital and vice versa, Jefferson agreed to Hamilton's proposal for the federal government to take on the state's debt after the Revolutionary War.
8. The US Uses About 17% of Earth's Energy
Besides pizza, Americans also love their electricity. According to the US Energy Information Administration in 2017, the country uses about 98 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) of energy, which is a huge amount.
9. 10% More Americans Have Worked at McD
Love it or hate it, this famous fast food restaurant is a big company in the US. It is estimated that about 1 in 8 Americans have worked for a mega-restaurant at some point in history. Among them are Jeff Bezos and Pink.
10. Alaska Has The Longest Coastline
Alaska has a very long coastline stretching approximately 6,640 miles (10,686 km). It is said to be longer than the coastline of all the other 49 states combined. The country's total coastline is 12,383 miles (19,928 km).
And that's 10 unique facts about the United States.
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