Fact of the Week Archive
Week of July 10, 2023
(The last one of the 2022-2023 school year! See you in the fall!)
The Empire State Building cost $24.7 million to build. At that price, it came in 43% under budget.
Week of July 3, 2023
A group of giraffes is called a tower. Makes sense!
Week of June 26, 2023
Dolphins will allow other trusted adult dolphins to babysit their children.
(Bonus Fact!): Baby dolphins are actually called "calves," males are "bulls," females are "cows" and a group is a "pod."
Week of June 19, 2023
Technically, Starburst is a kind of taffy.
Week of June 12, 2023
The official shade of the spacesuits worn by NASA astronauts is "international orange."
Week of June 5, 2023
Worldwide, 60% of all sandwiches sold are burgers.
Week of May 29, 2023
For each person on Earth, there are 1.6 million ants.
Week of May 22, 2023
The most popular dog names in the English-speaking world are Molly and Max.
Week of May 15, 2023
Foxes have whiskers on their face and on their legs. The leg whiskers help them navigate.
Week of May 8, 2023
Your glabella is the area of skin between your eyebrows.
Week of May 1, 2023
Weird plant fact: The carnivorous Venus Fly Trap plant can be placed under anesthesia. While sedated, it will not eat bugs.
Week of April 24, 2023
Sharks have been on Earth longer than trees.
Week of April 17, 2023
Until 1904, when the New York Times moved its headquarters there, Times Square was called Longacre Square.
Week of April 10, 2023
There are no green mammals; mammal hair can develop only in black, brown, yellow or reddish colors.
Week of April 3, 2023
Sonic the Hedgehog's first name is Ogilvie.
Week of March 27, 2023
Consumers bought more vinyl records than CDs last year, for the first time since 1987. There were 41.5 million vinyl units sold in 2022 vs. 33.5 million CDs.
Week of March 20, 2023
March 20 is the first day of spring, putting an end to the least snowiest winter in the 155 years of New York City climate records. The average snowfall in a typical NYC winter is near 30 inches. This winter? We had just 2.2", breaking the 1972-73 record of 2.8". Rounding out the top 5 least snowiest winters are 2001-02 (3.5"), 1918-19 (3.8") and 2019-20 (4.8").
Week of March 13, 2023
Some scientific names are no-brainers: A group of cockroaches is called an "intrusion."
Week of March 6, 2023
Salt is the only rock humans can eat.
Week of February 27, 2023
In 1920, the average check at a diner was $0.28.
Week of February 20, 2023
It would take a spaceship about 450 million years to reach the edge of our galaxy.
Week of February 13, 2023
Over the previous 8 Super Bowls, the team that won the coin toss went 0-8. The Kansas City Chiefs ended that streak on Sunday. The team wearing white jerseys has now gone 16-3 in the past 19 Super Bowls and Patrick Mahomes is the first quarterback in NFL history (that's 56 years worth of Super Bowls) to lead the league in passing AND win a Super Bowl in the same year.
Week of February 6, 2023
More than a million Earths could fit inside the sun.
(Bonus fact!): The sun's core temperature can be hotter than 27 million degrees Fahrenheit.
Week of January 30, 2023
The last time we have seen measurable snow -- which is defined as snow sticking above a tenth of an inch -- was March 9, 2022, which brings us to two snow-related milestones. NYC just broke the record for its latest-ever first measurable winter snow, beating the old mark of January 29, 1973. If this continues through February 5, which seems likely at this point, NYC will also break the record for the most consecutive days without snow, which was set in 2020 at 332 days, between January 18 & December 15.
Week of January 23, 2023
If you spent one dollar every second, it would take 32 years to spend a billion dollars.
Week of January 16, 2023
January was named for the Roman god Janus, known as the protector of gates and doorways who symbolize beginnings and endings. Janus is depicted with two faces, one looking into the past, the other with the ability to see into the future.
Week of January 9, 2023
Icicles on cliffs or bridges can grow more than 100 feet long.
Week of December 12, 2022
Babe Ruth's salary in 1932: $80,000.
Aaron Judge's salary in 2023: $40,000,000.
See you in 2023 - HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Week of December 5, 2022
It cost $3 million to build the Titanic. It cost $100 million to make the movie.
Week of November 28, 2022
The first company to earn $1 billion in one year was General Motors, in 1955.
Week of November 21, 2022
Big Bird's costume on Sesame Street is made of turkey feathers that have been dyed yellow. The American Plume & Fancy Feather company is responsible for making Big Bird's suit which includes 4,000 turkey feathers.
Week of November 14, 2022
People throw away enough ribbon each year to tie a bow around the entire earth.
Week of November 7, 2022
Scooby-Doo was originally named "Too Much" and his full name is Scoobert Doo.
Week of October 31, 2022
Jack-o'-lanterns were first carved using turnips, beets or potatoes.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
Week of October 24, 2022
There are more insects in 10 square feet of a rain forest than there are people in Manhattan.
Week of October 17, 2022
If you weigh yourself and then multiply that by 0.0028, that's how much salt you have in your body.
Week of October 10, 2022
A black hole can weigh as much as 17 billion suns.
Week of October 3, 2022
Afghanistan and Azerbaijan are the only countries that start with an A, but don't end with an A.
Week of September 26, 2022
All the ants in the world weigh about the same as all the people.
Week of September 19, 2022
Blennophobia is the fear of...slime.
Week of September 12, 2022
(Welcome back! We hope you had an adventurous summer!!!)
Chalk is made from the skeletons of ancient sea creatures.