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People all over the world love summer – and for a good reason. It's the season of sun, sand, fun, and relaxation. But if you're still mentally in winter or spring and need a little nudging to get in the spirit of summer, read on!
Here are nine summer facts to get you excited for summer. These might just come in handy during trivia night!
1. Sunny side up on a sidewalk? Yes, please!
Ever had a childhood dream of frying an egg on the sidewalk? Well, it doesn't have to be a dream anymore. You can actually make the fried egg happen. Granted, the egg will not fry right on the sidewalk itself, but with a frying pan or skillet. That's what happened in 2015 – an egg was fried using a skillet, and the sizzling heat emitted from the sun.
There's even a National Fry an Egg on the Sidewalk Day that falls on July 4th!
2. The largest scoop of ice cream weighed a massive 3,000 pounds
3,000 pounds is about the weight of a Toyota Corolla. But this 3,000 pounds was a beautiful sculpture of pink, strawberry-flavored ice cream instead of a block of metal. The world's largest scoop of ice cream was created in June 2014 by Kemps Dairy in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, for its 100th anniversary. The 5'6" high and 6'2" wide scoop was made from 733 containers of ice cream.
Of course, thousands of people lined up to get a generous serving of the pink goodness over the weekend – perfect to cool off that summer heat.
3. Americans eat so many hot dogs on July 4 that it's enough to stretch from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles five times
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Americans eat 7 billion hot dogs. That's a lot of hot dogs! According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yes, that council exists), 150 million hot dogs are eaten on July 4th alone.
4. Science says humans are happier in the summer
Sunlight helps our brain release serotonin – a hormone that boosts your mood and makes you feel euphoric and chipper! We're generally happier people when the daylight hours are longer too! So whenever you're feeling down, go for a walk in the sun. Science says it will make you happier.
5. The biggest bonfire ever was 14 stories tall
It's honestly a flex if you're good at building bonfires – it's an underrated skill. It's an even bigger flex if you can make them as tall as 14 stories. On June 25, 2016, the Guinness World Records found that the world's largest bonfire title belonged to one in Ålesund, Norway. The bonfire lasted two days and reached a height of 155 feet and 5.9 inches.
6. There are over 300 varieties of watermelon
How many types of watermelon have you tried? We had no idea that there were more than 15 varieties of watermelon, let alone 300. Between seeded and seedless watermelons and red, yellow, and orange watermelons, there are at least 300 documented varieties right now on this planet. The cool thing is that the watermelon family is still evolving today, so there might be more varieties in the future.
7. Popsicles were invented by a kid on accident
If it's up to us, popsicles might just be one of the happiest accidents in history. According to National Public Radio, a young lad named Frank Epperson invented the amazing summer treat on a winter night in 1905. With a wooden stirrer, he mixed a soft drink made with soda water power and water – believed to be a popular thing to do at the time – but accidentally left it out in the cold overnight. What came about that was a popsicle!
8. Tug-of-war was once an Olympic sport
From 1900 to 1920, you'd be amused that tug-of-war was contested as a team event at the Summer Olympics. So it's entirely appropriate to bring the sport of tug-of-war to the family event during the summer. Apparently, the Brits were the ones to look out for. They took home golds and silvers on more than one occasion.
9. More babies are born in the summer than any other time of year
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2017 report, August is the most popular birth month in the U.S. However, although August may have the highest birth rates most of the time, other summer months follow closely. So there we have it – summertime isn't just the wedding season but also prime time for babies.
Have a great summer!
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