There is a major correlation between national economic growth and the level of entrepreneurial activity in prior years, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). (sba.gov)

In 1901, New York became the first state to require motor vehicle owners to purchase and display license plates on their cars. The early plates only displayed the owner’s initials. (factme.com)

Following the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, Federal Reserve Notes became the dominant form of paper currency in America. (pbs.org)

Social Security took in $145 billion more than it paid out in 2004. (SSA)

When Social Security was legislated in 1935 only 7.5 million people were age 65 or older. In 2005, approximately 36 million, or roughly one in eight people, were in that category. (ssa.gov)

Ticking down the list of CEOs of Forbes 400 companies, you do not even hit an MBA until number 22 – Phil Knight, the CEO of Nike. There are only four MBAs in the top 50. (factme.com)

Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Matthew and Ethan were the most popular names for boys in 2005 according to the Social Security Administration. The top female names were Emily, Emma, Madison, Abigail and Olivia. (ssa.gov)

Two-thirds of all present-day college students intend to become entrepreneurs at some point in their careers. (sba.gov)

The United States has approximately 4 million miles of roads (factme.com)

The word “biography” comes from the Greek words bios, meaning “life” and graphein, meaning “to write”. (en.wikipedia.org)

Cacao beans, from which chocolate is made, were once so valuable to the Nahua Indians of Mexico that their centers, called nibs, were used as money. (Real Simple)

Based on population, Chinese Mandarin is the most commonly spoken language in the world. Spanish follows in second place, English is third, and Bengali is fourth. (factme.com)

Small Businesses are typically an active part of their local community and also provide innovation. (sba.gov)

Since President Franklin Roosevelt signed the legislation into law in 1935, Social Security has paid approximately $8.4 trillion in benefits to nearly 200 million people. (ssa.gov)

Toshiba stands for Tokyo Shibaura Electric Company. (factme.com)

Demand for coffee increased sharply in the American colonies following the Boston Tea Party - it was considered a patriotic gesture to choose coffee over tea. (Real Simple)

According to the 2006 Social Security Trustees’ Report, the projected point at which tax revenues will fall below program costs comes in 2017. The projected point at which the Trust Funds will be exhausted comes in 2040. (ssa.gov)

Small businesses make up over half (52%) of the US Gross Domestic Product. There are 7.73 million small and medium-sized businesses, of which the majority (75%) has fewer than 10 employees. (factme.com)

Typically, 7% of Americans are self-employed. (sba.gov)

The US Postal Service handles 668 million pieces of mail every day. (factme.com)

To finance the American Revolution, Congress authorized the first printing of currency by the new republic. Without the strong financial backing of gold or silver, the “Continentals” quickly devalued and were soon worthless – thus, the expression “not worth a continental”. (pbs.org)

AT&T stands for American Telephone and Telegraph. (factme.com)

Small businesses produce 13 – 14 times more patents per employee than large companies. (sba.com)

The average 32-year-old has held nine full- or part-time jobs since entering the workforce. (US Department of Labor)

The global beauty business brings in $140 billion per year. (factme.com)

Small businesses create 60-80% of net new jobs each year. (sba.gov)

American small businesses set a record pace of borrowing to start and expand their companies during the first quarter, 2005. (USgovinfo.about.com)

Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb, founded General Electric (GE)

MCI stands for Microwave Communications Inc. (factme.com)

Currently, the $100 bill is the largest currency note in circulation. (pbs.org)

The sound on NBC when they hit the peacock feathers (dum-dum-dum) is the sound of the musical notes G-E-C. General Electric Corporation (GEC) owns NBC.

Home Depot is the youngest company to ever reach annual revenues of $50 billion. (factme.com)

Native Americans used beaded shells, called wampum, as a common form of “money” in North America. By 1637, the Massachusetts Bay Colony declared wampum legal tender. (pbs.org)

In 1972, the National Academy for Television Arts and Sciences gave Sony an Emmy (the 1st Emmy given for a product) for the development of Trinitron Television technology. (factme.com)

The USA ranked #2 on the list of the world’s most competitive economies in 2005. Finland ranked #1 for the second year in a row. (World Economic Forum)

3M stands for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. (factme.com)

In 2003 there were 476 billionaires. (Forbes)

UPS, the world’s biggest package carrier, delivers more than 13 million items daily. (factme.com)

Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of potential financial loss. (en.wikipedia.org)