In 1935, the Illinois State Legislature passed a bill designating “the American language” as the official tongue of that state. “English” was outlawed.

You may soon be able to discard the maga-zine rack in your bathroom. A company in West Germany now manufactures rolls of toilet paper with English lessons printed on the paper.

The longest fight in the history of boxing took place in New Orleans on April 6-7, 1893. Andy Bowen and Jack Burke fought for 110 rounds—seven hours and 19 minutes—only to have the referee break up the fight and declare it “no contest.”

Cubic zirconia gems, man-made byproducts of laser technology, can reportedly pass as diamonds to almost any eye—and cost but $12 a carat!

In September, 1938, a tremendous hurricane struck New England and parts of Long Island, killing 600 people, destroying 275 million trees, downing 20,000 miles of electric wires, damaging 26,000 automobiles, and demolishing hundreds of homes.

Near Madison, Connecticut, a two-story house was blown a half-mile by the storm and came to rest upside down.

Oddly enough, not a single window pane was broken!

amazing facts