* When George Washington was elected President, there was a King in France, a Tsarina in Russia, an Emperor in China, and a Shogun in Japan.

* Six people died in Oregon during WWII as a result of a Japanese balloon bomb.

* Roulette, an invention by the mathematician Blaise Pascal, was a by-product of his experiments with perpetual motion.

* The dome on Monticello conceals a billiards room (billiards were illegal in Virginia).

* Armored knights raised their visors to identify themselves when they rode past royalty. This custom has evolved into the modern military salute.

* Spiral staircases in medieval castles turn right as they ascend. This was so that (right-handed) knights defending the castle could more easily combat invading foes who were climbing the stairs.

* Dashing horses kicking up mud (among other things), splashing the passengers riding behind them, led to the invention of the dashboard, a term which survives today.

* Firehouses have circular stairways because the engines were at a time pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor, and figured out how to walk up straight staircases.

* Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon with his left foot.

* Great Britain was the first county to issue postage stamps, so theirs are the only stamps in the world not to bear the name of the country of origin. (And the glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher).

* In the 1940s, the FCC assigned TV Channel 1 to mobile services, but did not re-number the other channel assignments.

* Sputnik was launched on October 4, 1957, the same day that "Leave it to Beaver" debuted.

* The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.

* The US purchased Alaska from Russia for approximately 2 cents an acre.

* Taft was the last President with facial hair.

* The day after October 4, 1582 was October 15, 1582.

* Robert E. Lee is the only person to date to have graduated from West Point military academy without a single demerit.