Useless fact
The first commercial product ever scanned with a barcode was a pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum in 1974.
Why this is true — On June 26, 1974, a cashier scanned the pack of gum at a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, marking the first commercial use of the Universal Product Code.
More useless facts
- The metal band that holds the eraser onto the end of a pencil is called a ferrule.
- The small extra pocket on the front of jeans was originally designed to hold pocket watches.
- The metallic smell on your hands after touching coins is actually a type of human body odor triggered by the chemical reaction with the metal.
- The wire cage that holds the cork in a bottle of champagne is called a muselet.