As recent as 2008, local politicians have made the case for Long Island becoming the 51st state of the US, succeeding
from New York state. A state flag was even designed—4 orange stars flanking an orange banner, notched at the end
to represent the twin forks, over a blue field.

A bolt of lightning can heat the surrounding air to temperatures as hot as 36,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and 44 lightning
strikes happen every second worldwide.

Contact your Congressman to demand that June 19th or “Juneteenth” be given the status of a national holiday. It was
on that day in 1865 that one of the first public announcements of slavery’s abolishment took place in Texas. It is now
a nationwide celebration.

Science has declared that the first animal to venture onto land some 428 million years ago was most likely a
myriapod, which closely resembles the modern millipede or centipede.

In 2008, Yankee pitcher Chien-Ming Wang tore ligaments and muscles in his right foot while running the bases
during an Interleague game. Usually replaced in the batting lineup with a designated hitter, Wang simply didn’t have
much practice with proper baserunning technique.

The most prominent underwater feature in Long Island’s immediate vicinity is the Hudson Canyon. It begins as a channel
close to New York harbor and turns into a canyon 100 miles east. Then it runs 450 miles out to sea, terminating at an ocean basin, reaching depths of 10,500 feet. It is one of the largest submarine canyons in the world.

The first attempt at water skiing occurred on Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minnesota in the summer of 1922. 18-year-old
Minnesotan Ralph Samuelson surmised that if skiing on snow was possible, so was skiing on water. The rest is history.

The colonial name of Long Island Sound was “Devil’s Belt.” This was either because of sudden Nor’easters that
would sweep into it or the legend of Habboamoko, the Siwanoy Indian’s version of the devil, who was driven out of
Connecticut and across the Sound on stepping stones.

Generally occurring in the desert is the phenomenon known as a “dry thunderstorm.” While lightning and thunder are
present, any precipitation evaporates before it hits the ground. This is usually the cause of dust storms and wildfires.

The skin of sharks have placoid scales or dermal denticles. They are essentially teeth, with a pulp, blood supply and a
layer of an enamel-like substance. It enables the shark to swim more efficiently and quieter.

In the 60s and 70s, clams filtered 40 percent of the entire volume of the Great South Bay every day. In the
present day, clams filter only 1 percent.

The word “monsoon” is synonymous with heavy rains, but it actually refers to a particular type of steady wind
that shifts direction with the changing of the seasons.

Hawaii celebrates “Kamehameha Day” every June 11th, commemorating monarch Kamehameha I’s unification of all of
the major Hawaiian Islands in 1810.