FACTS FOR THE OFFICIAL START OF SUMMER

We welcomed in summer last night!  The exact moment summer started was 11:32 p.m. Eastern.   That’s when the North Pole is at its maximum tilt toward the sun, making it the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. (Thanks Google)

Here are more facts for the start of summer.

The term “dog days of summer” comes from astronomy.  Sirius is called the “Dog Star” and rises in late July.  In ancient Greece, the “dog days” meant the hottest part of the year.

The world’s largest scoop of ice cream weighed 3,010 pounds.  A company in Wisconsin pulled it off in 2014 and then used it to hand out free scoops all weekend.

We tend to be happier in summer.  A study in 2011 found it’s true by analyzing tweets from 2.4 million people.  They say it might be because there’s just more sunshine.

The Eiffel Tower gets six inches taller in summer because the metal expands from the heat.

There are over 300 varieties of watermelon in the world.

Popsicles were invented by mistake.  Back in 1905, a guy in San Francisco left some sugary water out overnight, and it froze.  Then he realized it was delicious.

We drink about three billion gallons of iced tea a year.  According to the national Tea Association, over 75% of all the tea we drink here is of the iced variety.