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A coded telegram helped pull America into World War I

In 1917 Germany's foreign secretary sent Mexico a coded message proposing a military alliance against the United States.

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It offered Mexico help in winning back lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The telegram inflamed American opinion and helped convince Congress to declare war on Germany.

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One cotton gin could clean 50 pounds a day

Eli Whitney's cotton gin, patented on March 14, 1794, could produce up to fifty pounds of cleaned cotton in a day.

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A 1956 law planned 41,000 miles of interstate

The National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956 expanded the planned interstate system to 41,000 miles.

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John Glenn orbited Earth at 17,500 mph

On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth, traveling at 17,500 miles per hour.

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