Author Archives: FactCheck.org

Emperor penguins weigh up to 88 pounds. Their average height is 45 inches. Source: National Geographic

Ninety-two percent of Argentina’s population lives in urban areas. Source: CIA World Factbook

Argentina is slightly less than three-tenths the size of the United States. Source: CIA World Factbook

The federal tax on beer is just over 5.4 cents per bottle, where it was set in 1991. (For micro-breweries, the rate is a little more than 2 cents.) Source: U.S. Treasury Department, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau

The federal tax on pistols and revolvers is 10 percent. The tax on all other firearms, and all ammunition, is 11 percent. Source: U.S. Treasury Department, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau

Three days after launching the iPhone 3GS, Apple had sold more than 1 million units. Source: Apple

The first U.S. Open Championship was held in October 1895 on the nine-hole golf course of Rhode Island’s Newport Golf and Country Club. Source: United States Golf Association

The voting age in Iran is 18. Source: CIA World Factbook

The literacy rate in Iran is estimated at 77 percent (83.5 percent for men and 70.4 percent for women). Source: CIA World Factbook

The word "solstice" comes from Latin and means "sun stands still." Source: National Geographic