| My son and I were visiting a farm we’ve frequented since he was a baby.
The huge pig was cooling off in the barn. Some fun facts on the barn wall caught my attention.
Uncle Sam’s Origins: The term “Uncle Sam” is believed to have originated during the War of 1812. Samuel Wilson, a meatpacker from Troy, New York, supplied barrels of beef to the U.S. Army, which were stamped with “U.S.” for the United States. Soldiers began joking that the initials stood for “Uncle Sam,” referring to Wilson, and the name stuck as a symbol for the U.S. government.
Wall Street and Pigs: Wall Street in New York got its name from a literal wall built by Dutch settlers in the 17th century to protect their colony from British and Native American raids. However, it’s also said that the wall was partly to keep roaming pigs out of the settlement, adding a quirky detail to the history of this financial district.
Here are a few more fun facts. Enjoy!
Stock Market Holidays: The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has unique holiday rules. For example, if Independence Day (July 4) falls on a weekend, the market closes either the Friday before or the Monday after. This ensures a long weekend for stock traders!
ATM Pin Codes: The original PIN code for ATMs was intended to be six digits long, but it was shortened to four at the suggestion of the inventor’s wife, who found six digits too hard to remember.
The World’s First Stock Market: The first stock market was created in Amsterdam in 1602 by the Dutch East India Company. They issued the world’s first official shares, allowing people to buy a piece of the company and receive dividends from their profits.
Why Coins Have Ridges: U.S. coins like quarters and dimes have ridges on their edges, a leftover from a time when coins were made from precious metals. People used to shave off small amounts of metal from the edges of coins and melt it down, so ridges were added to make tampering obvious.
$1 Trillion Dollar Coin: There’s a quirky legal loophole that allows the U.S. Treasury to mint platinum coins of any denomination. Some have jokingly proposed minting a $1 trillion coin to pay off the national debt!
The Million-Dollar Bill: While you won’t find a real $1 million bill in circulation, there have been novelty versions created by businesses and collectors. The U.S. has never officially printed such a denomination, but it’s fun to imagine what one might look like! |
