Facts You Probably don’t Need

• Tomatoes aren’t native to Europe. They originated in Central and South America and belong to the nightshade family. Despite being central to Italian cuisine today, tomatoes weren’t widely used in Italy until the 18th and 19th centuries, long after Europeans first encountered them in the Americas. Julius Caesar never saw a tomato. The fruit wouldn’t reach Europe until more than 1,500 years after his death.

• “Four” is the only number in English whose letter count matches its value.

• Taco Bell was named after its founder, Glen Bell.

• There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar using U.S. coins.

• The average person has four to six dreams per night, though most are quickly forgotten.

• In many advertisements, watches are set to 10:10 because the position is visually balanced and doesn’t block the brand logo.

• The lint in the bottom of your pocket is called “gnurr.”

          Facts by Sean McVeigh, factologist.