1. In 2008, Barack Obama, after a lengthy campaign against both Republicans and Democrats, became the first African American to be elected president of the United States.
2. One of the most popular genres on network television is the hospital drama, and there are usually many programs of this type on several different networks for those who are fans of the genre.
3. In order to clean their carpets, homeowners can either hire a carpet cleaning service, or they can save money if they rent a carpet cleaner and do the job themselves in their spare time.
4. The rapid growth of Internet access has changed the way many people get their daily news, and newspapers are having to adjust their traditional business models to survive in this digital era.
5. Keeping the romance alive after marriage requires husbands and wives to set aside regular time to spend together, going on frequent dates with one another just as they did before the day they were married.
6. In 2007, the U.S. Congress passed a law that calls for the gradual phasing out of incandescent light bulbs in favor of energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs that require far less electricity than their incandescent counterparts.
7. Musicians are in almost unanimous agreement that without the influence of the Beatles, popular music would be very different than it is today.
8. Most people are aware that oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits are great sources of vitamin C, but fewer individuals know that strawberries have an even higher concentration of this essential nutrient, which helps strengthen the body’s immune system.
9. The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are more commonly known as the Bill of Rights, a document that guarantees U.S. citizens freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and much more.
10. Over the years, computers have become increasingly efficient and advanced; thus, an everyday desktop computer can now do as much or more than computers that once took up an entire room or floor of a building.
11. Studying history is a worthwhile pursuit because it allows people to learn from the mistakes of the past, thereby increasing the odds that they will avoid these errors and help create a better future for all people.
12. Workers in the United States have federal taxes taken out of their paychecks all year, and every April 15 they submit forms to the IRS that reveal whether or not they deserve a refund from the government based on their actual taxable income.
13. The ideas of the Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle continue to shape Western culture in ways that we cannot even begin to imagine, making a basic knowledge of their teaching an essential part of a well-rounded education.
14. Housecats need to sharpen their claws against other surfaces, and they will scratch up the furniture if cat owners do not provide a scratching post to meet their cats’ need to sharpen their claws.
15. In order to earn a PhD degree, individuals must complete a writing project that solves a previously unsolved problem or makes an original contribution to human knowledge.
16. Even though science has made many breakthroughs and has added to the sum total of human knowledge over the years, there are still many questions that only philosophy can answer.
17. Seattle, Washington, is home to Pike Place Market, a place where shoppers can buy just about any product imaginable and also see workers at the various seafood counters play catch with fish, crabs, and other ocean creatures.
18. Great Britain is one of the few countries in the world where people drive on the left side of the road instead of the right side, making it difficult for many travelers from other parts of the globe to learn the rules of the road in that country.
19. After the British Empire was dissolved following World War II, many former British territories became independent nation-states, and the reality of international relations changed dramatically.
20. Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the only United States president to have served more than two terms in office, a feat that is now impossible for any other man or woman because of the restrictions of the twenty-second amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
21. Today, homeowners have several choices when it comes to their kitchen countertops, with granite and quartz being some of the most popular options for those who want to beautify their kitchens and add a sizeable amount of resale value to their homes.
22. For many decades, the state of Florida has been an important source of fresh fruits and vegetables for the rest of the United States and other parts of the world during the cold winter months.
23. Many people prefer tile floors to carpeting because tile is easier to maintain and is less apt to be stained permanently when juices and other substances are spilled upon it.
24. Few people at the time of the American Revolution would have guessed that the thirteen colonies that later became the United States would actually succeed in their attempt to throw off the shackles of the king of England.
25. Alaska, even though its population is not very large, has more land within its borders than any of the other forty-nine U.S. states.
26. We calculate the solar year as having 365 days because it takes approximately 365 days for the earth to make one trip in orbit around the sun.
27. Modern languages such as Spanish, Italian, Portugese, and French that are direct descendants of ancient Latin are known as Romance languages, and there are many other modern languages that Latin has influenced substantially.