The first Miss America pageant was held in Atlantic City, N.J., in 1921, and during the first decade of the competition, the bust of the average contestant measured 32 inches. Since then, though, times - and standards of beauty - have changed; perhaps unsurprisingly, the average bust size of contestants today is 36 inches.

 Elmore Leonard, famed author of "Get Shorty" and many other novels, said about his writing, "I leave out the parts that people skip."

 Automaker Henry Ford grew marijuana - he wanted to figure out a way to make plastic out of the plant.

 If you're going to be tying the knot soon, you might be interested in this factoid: Those who study such things (and who are they, anyway?) say that 12 percent of grooms go to a tanning bed so they'll have some color before they take that trip down the aisle.

 "In God We Trust" didn't appear on all U.S. currency until 1954.

 Presidential historians say that Dwight D. Eisenhower sometimes sewed clothes for his wife, Mamie.

 Courteney Cox originally auditioned for the role of Rachel on the hit TV sitcom "Friends."

***

Thought for the Day: "I happen to feel that the degree of a person's intelligence is directly reflected by the number of conflicting attitudes she can bring to bear on the same topic." - Lisa Alther

2006 King Features Synd., Inc.

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