Americans consumed 23.8 pounds of candy per capita in 2008.
Source: Census Bureau
Stories by FactCheck.org
November 5, 2009
The World Series began as a best-of-9 championship in 1903, but was changed to a best-of-7 in 1905. It reverted to a best-of-9 briefly, in 1919-1921.
Source: MLB.com
November 4, 2009
In a 2008 survey of teenagers on their cell phone use, 42 percent of respondents said they could text while blindfolded or without looking at the keypad.
Source: Harris Interactive
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of Oct. 27-Nov. 2
This week, readers sent us comments on cap and trade, "Obama phones" and insurance coverage for abortions.
In the FactCheck Mailbag we feature some of the e-mail we receive. Readers can send comments to editor@factcheck.org. Letters may be edited for length.
November 3, 2009
The first words stored on a hard drive were: "This has been a day of solid achievement."
Source: Computerworld
November 2, 2009
Originally, indigenous people in what is now Mexico celebrated the Day of the Dead around August. The Spaniards moved it to Nov. 1 and 2 to coincide with the Catholic All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
Source: Arizona Republic
November 1, 2009
In the 800s, Pope Boniface IV declared that Nov. 1 would be All Saints’ Day, a designation that is seen as an attempt to supersede a Celtic celebration marking the beginning of winter, when ghosts were thought to roam the earth.
Source: History.com
October 31, 2009
The Catholic Church’s All Saints’ Day ( "Alholowmesse" in Middle English) was called All-hallows and the night before, All-hallows Eve, which became the word Halloween.
Source: History.com
October 30, 2009
Halloween’s origins date back 2,000 years to the Celtic new year’s eve celebration, called Samhain, when the harvest ended and winter began. The Celts believed that the ghosts of the dead walked the earth on Oct. 31.
Source: History.com
October 29, 2009
In the early 1990s before a vaccine was available for chickenpox, about 50 children and 50 adults died from the disease each year. Some deaths still occur in unvaccinated individuals.
Source: CDC