AWESOME FACTS ABOUT EVERYTHING CXLIX

1. The worst nuclear accident in U.S. history occurred on July 16, 1979 in Church Rock, New Mexico when United Nuclear Corporation's tailings disposal pond  at its uranium mill in Church Rock breached its dam. The spill remains the largest release of radioactive material in U.S. history, having released more radioactivity than the Three Mile Island accident four months earlier. The accident received relatively little media attention - being located in a remote area of the Navajo Nation.

2. A guinea pig is not from Guinea and it's not a pig. It's a rodent native to the Andes in South America.

3. The state of Rhode Island touches the water on only one side. 

4. St. Peter's Square is an ellipse.

5. According to the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) the most commonly misspelled word in English is PUBLICLY.

6. POGONOPHOBIA is the fear of beards. 

7. In Botswana, Africa the word for money is the same as the word for rain.

8. The Ninety-Nines (99s) is an international organization of women pilots. Named for its original 99 members, Amelia Earhart was its first president.

9. Arabic numerals originated in India in the 1st-4th century,  were adopted by Arab mathematicians in the 9th century, and introduced to Europe in the  12th century through writings of Middle Eastern mathematicians.

10. Hasbro released a version of Monopoly in 2019 called Ms Monopoly. It features inventions and contributions of women and gives female players "an advantage often enjoyed by men." Women are given $1900 dollars at the beginning of the game and get $240 for passing Go - compared to $1500/200 for men. The Boardwalk is chocolate chip cookies. The game has been highly criticized for being ridiculous and actually demeaning  to women.