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The construction site at the Golden Gate Bridge was America's first designated hard-hat area.
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Contrary to the traditional image of the helpful female switchboard operator, the original telephone operators were young boys, who held a reputation for their rudeness and inefficiency.
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Of all the capital cities in the world, the one least likely to suffer from major fire damage is La Paz, Bolivia due to the scarcity of oxygen at its 12,000-foot elevation.
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For the 1944 Highway Construction Act, Congress proposed the creation of roadside landing strips in anticipation of the postwar surge in flying cars.
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A company based in eastern Canada bottles water, beer and vodka all made from harvested icebergs, thousands of years old.
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The shipwreck of a vessel sunken in the Baltic Sea during World War I was discovered to contain drinkable bottles of sparkling wine, many of which were sold at Christie's for upwards of 2,200 pounds, or approximately $3,000.
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The "one if by land, two if by sea" lanterns used to warn of approaching British were not a signal to Paul Revere, but a signal from him, used as a backup in case either he or William Dawes (the unsung rider) couldn't make it out of Boston.
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Believe it or Not's Robert Ripley pointed out that despite popular belief, the United States' national anthem was not The Star-Spangled Banner, nor any other song; The Star-Spangled Banner had been turned down six times as America's anthem and it wasn't until Ripley brought up the subject did citizens write thousands of protest letters, forcing Congress to make it official in 1931.
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The large crack in America's famous Liberty Bell was originally a mere hairline fracture that was deliberately drilled into a larger gap so it could be fastened with pins for retuning.
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After being illuminated with ultraviolet light, many artificially grown diamonds will glow in the dark. |
