HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Cure the Monday blues with some fun and interesting facts that you can share at the office provided by the 2026 Almanack.
Bird or sea creature?
“Octopuses and squids have beaks. The beak is made of keratin – the same material that a bird’s beak and our fingernails are made of.”
Octopuses and squids are certainly not birds but are part of the cephalopod group of sea dwellers. They also have beaks similar to birds and they use their beaks to capture and consume their prey, much like predatory birds do. The birds however do have sharp claws or “talons,” while the cephalopods use the tentacles on their long arms to snag and wrap up their meals.
Volcanos on the moon
“Back when dinosaurs existed, there used to be volcanoes that were erupting on the moon.”
125 million years ago the moon was not just a barren rock that orbits Earth. Evidence of this comes from the “Lunar Lava Plains” which feature lava flows and pyroclastic deposits which cover large areas of the surface.
Lego minifigures outnumber humans
“The Lego Group is the world’s most powerful brand. There are more Lego Minifigures than people on Earth.”
Lego building blocks first hit the market in 1932 in the carpentry shop of Ole Kirk Christiansen in Denmark. It became an instant success during the Great Depression due to its low cost and educational value to children. The company has now grown to the net worth of $45 billion dollars and is sold in nearly every country in the world.
Pepsi rescues Coke
“In 2006, a Coca-Cola employee offered to sell Coca-Cola secrets to Pepsi. Pepsi immediately responded by notifying Coca-Cola!”
In the world of soft drinks, there are no bigger companies in the world than Pepsi and Coca-Cola. For decades they have battled for cola supremacy and have launched several marketing campaigns against one another. It shows a great deal of character that Pepsi Inc. would foil the plot of Joya Williams, a disgruntled Coca-Cola employee who attempted to sell the secret formula to their competitors.
(Williams was sentenced to eight years in prison.)
Who named Hershey Kiss?
“Hershey’s Kisses are named after the kissing sound the deposited chocolate makes as it falls from the machine on the conveyor belt.”
The name Hershey’s Kiss is not as romantic as it may sound, despite being a favorite pick-up line for high school boys since being invented in 1907 by the Hershey Company. The tiny droplets of chocolate wrapped in foil are a popular treat in waiting rooms and on office desks.
The new 2027 Edition of the Almanack is available now. To get your copy just click on this link: localnews1.org/almanack-order.
LocalNews1 has partnered with The Almanack to bring you a story every Monday taken from current or past editions.
First published in 1797, it’s the second oldest almanac in the United States and has been in continuous publication for 230 years and is the only almanac in the United States still published by the founders’ direct descendants.
