In the 19th century, American men were the tallest in the world, averaging 1,71m (5’6″). Today, the average height for American men is 1,75m (5’7″), compared to 1,77m (5’8″) for Swedes, and 1,78m (5’8.5″) for the Dutch.

A person remains conscious for eight seconds after being decapitated.

We have four basic tastes. The salt and sweet taste buds are at the tip of the tongue, bitter at the base, and sour along the sides.

In 1900, a person could expect to live to be 47. Today, the average life expectancy for men and women in developed countries is longer than 70 years.

The bones in your body are not white – they range in color from beige to light brown. The bones you see in museums are white because they have been boiled and cleaned.

James Buchanan was the only president to not have been married. His niece, named Harriet Lane, took over as First Lady.

The candy, Baby Ruth, was named after the birth of Grover Cleveland’s daughter, Ruth.

Abraham Lincoln, who invented a hydraulic device for lifting ships over shoals, was the only president ever granted a patent.

Harry Truman was the first U.S. president to travel underwater in a modern submarine.

Former First Lady Barbara Bush’s great-great-great-uncle was President Franklin Pierce, 14th U.S. president.

Global sales of pre-recorded music total more than $40 billion.

In 1900, the price of gold was less than $40 per ounce. It reached $600 in 1930, now struggling to reach $400 per ounce.

In 1955 the richest woman in the world was Mrs Hetty Green Wilks, who left an estate of $95 million in a will that was found in a tin box with four pieces of soap.

Money notes are not made from paper, it is made mostly from a special blend of cotton and linen.

A million dollars’ worth of $100 bills weighs only 10 kg (22 lb).

The term “smart money” refers to gamblers who have inside information or have arranged a fix, the gambling term for insuring the outcome of an event by illegal methods.

In 1889, Kansas undertaker Almon B. Strowger wanted to prevent telephone operators from advising his rivals of the death of local citizens. So he invented the automatic exchange.

Joseph Niepce developed the world’s first photographic image in 1827.

The first vending machine was invented by Hero of Alexandria around 215 BC. When a coin was dropped into a slot, its weight would pull a cork out of a spigot and the machine would dispense a trickle of water.

Optical fiber was invented in 1966 by two British scientists called Charles Kao and George Hockham working for the British company Standard Telecommunication.

The very first projection of an image on a screen was made by a German priest. In 1646, Athanasius Kircher used a candle or oil lamp to project hand-painted images onto a white screen.

On average, people can hold their breath for about one minute. The world record is 15 minutes 2 seconds, by Tom Sietas..

After a certain period of growth, hair becomes dormant. That means that it is attached to the hair follicle until replaced by new hair.

The liver is the largest of the body’s internal organs. The skin is the body’s largest organ.

Our eyes are always the same size from birth.

Approximately two-thirds of a person’s body weight is water. Blood is 92% water. The brain is 75% water and muscles are 75% water.

Hair on the head grows for between two and six years before being replaced. In the case of baldness, the dormant hair was not replaced with new hair.