Ten fun facts about Popcorn

Fact 1:
Popped popcorn comes in two basic shapes: snowflake and mushroom. Movie theaters prefer snowflake because it's bigger.

Fact 2:
Americans consume 17 billion quarts of popped popcorn each year. That's enough to fill the Empire State Building 18 times!

Fact 3:
The largest popcorn festival is the Marion Popcorn Festival. This festival attracts over two hundred thousand people.

Fact 4:
Christopher Columbus allegedly introduced popcorn to the Europeans in the late 15th century.

Fact 5:
When popped, popcorn kernels can reach a height of 3 feet.

Fact 6:
Popcorn is low in calories as compared to other snacks.

Fact 7:
Unpopped kernels are called old maids or spinsters.

Fact 8:
Nowadays, many movie theaters make a greater profit from popcorn than they do from ticket sales.

Fact 9:
American vendors began selling popcorn at carnivals in the late 19th century.

Fact 10:
The first commercial popcorn machine was invented by Charles Cretors in Chicago in 1885.