Tom Hanks collects old typewriters.

The ampersand was invented by Marcus Tullius Tiro, a slave of Cicero, circa 63BC.

In a 2008 study, teen scientists Kate Stoeckle and Louisa Strauss of the Trinity School in New York found that at sushi restaurants a quarter of the fish with identifiable DNA was mislabeled. For example, a piece of sushi sold as white tuna turned out to be Mozambique tilapia, a much cheaper fish.

According to the Government Accountability Office, about two-thirds of foreign-controlled­ domestic corporations and U.S.-controlled corporations reported no federal tax liability from 1998 to 2005.

The third brake light that started appearing on cars in the 1980s is called the chimsil.

This article appears in September 5 • 2008.

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