With wit and charm, Oh, Say Did You Know? gives readers 300 interesting ideas and events that helped shaped the United States. Gain valuable insight into the intricacies of every period of American history, from the colonial days up to the historic election of the first African American president. Each chapter covers a variety of topics, including government, politics, economy, commerce, science, education, innovation, medicine, daily life, and arts and entertainment. Myth-debunking sidebars are dispersed throughout the book, in addition to fun tidbits about lesser-known historical figures, and lists such as "Occupations of the Presidents" and "America's All- Time Favorite Movies." Whether you're a history buff or a lover of miscellany, you won't be able to get enough of these fascinating anecdotes. You'll find engaging tales and facts, including these examples: * Question: What four colleges have produced both Superbowl-winning quarterbacks and U.S. presidents? Answer: University of Michigan (QB: Tom Brady; President: Gerald Ford), Stanford University (QBs: John Elway, Jim Plunkett; President: Herbert Hoover), United States Naval Academy (QB: Roger Staubach; President: Jimmy Carter), and Miami (OH) (QB: Ben Rothlesberger; President: Benjamin Harrison) * GENERIC SIDEBAR: A Mayflower Mystery-Dorothy May Bradford, wife of the Pilgrim leader William Bradford, fell-or did she deliberately jump?-to her death from the deck of the Mayflower as it lay at anchor off Cape Cod * DIDN'T HAPPEN SIDEBAR: Mrs. O'Leary's Cow Pleads Innocent-While the Chicago fire started in the O'Leary's family barn, a Chicago newspaperman made up the story of their cow kicking over a lantern some two decades later * OUR NATIVE TONGUE SIDEBAR: Words from Native American languages-Borrowings include chipmunk, hooch, hominy, skunk, and tobacco * LIST: Ten Grooviest Acts at Woodstock-Faves of the zoned-out crowd included Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Santana, Joan Baez, Joe Cocker, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

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