USA Facts

The U.S. Government spent $277,000 on pickle research in 1993.

Your lifetime statistical chance of being murdered in the United States is approximately 1 in 179.

The United States consumes about 16% of the world's energy despite having only 4% of the global population.

There are 24 towns named Hollywood in the United States.

The United States has more trees today than it did 100 years ago. Forest regrowth has exceeded harvesting since the early 20th century, with the country gaining approximately 7.1% of its forest cover since 1920.

In 2012, 146 babies in the US were named Khaleesi.

Muhammad has been the most popular baby boy's name in England for two years running.

They're sold in over 170 countries. But bring a Kinder Surprise egg into the United States and customs will seize it. A toy inside a chocolate egg violates a 1938 federal law. Border agents confiscated over 60,000 in one year. The original Kinder Surprise remains contraband.

The US military spent $2.7 billion developing JLENS, a giant radar blimp tethered over Maryland to detect cruise missiles. On its second day of active duty, it broke free of its cable, dragged 6,700 feet of tether across Pennsylvania, knocked out power to 30,000 people, and was shot down by state police in a field. The program was quietly shelved.