10 Hilarious And Bizarre Pieces Of Pennsylvania Trivia You Probably Never Knew
By Beth Price-Williams|Published March 23, 2020
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Beth Price-Williams
Author
A professional writer for more than two decades, Beth has lived in nearly a dozen states – from Missouri and Virginia to Connecticut and Vermont – and Toronto, Canada. In addition to traveling extensively in the U.S. and the U.K., she has a BA in Journalism from Point Park University (PA), a MA in Holocaust & Genocide Studies from Stockton University (NJ), and a Master of Professional Writing from Chatham University (PA). A writer and editor for Only In Your State since 2016, Beth grew up in and currently lives outside of Pittsburgh and when she’s not writing or hanging out with her bunnies, budgies, and chinchilla, she and her daughter are out chasing waterfalls.
Let’s have some fun today, PA! When’s the last time you played a heated game of Trivial Pursuit? Or maybe you play along with the contestants on Jeopardy!? These 10 downright bizarre pieces of Pennsylvania trivia just might help you edge out the competition in your next game. How many of the following did you already know?
1. Do you ever wish you could see what the future holds? Well, you’ll have to leave Pennsylvania if you want to get the insight of a fortune teller. Fortune telling is illegal in Pennsylvania.
2. Tip of the hat to milk, that delicious drink that goes so well with cookies. Milk doesn’t just go hand-in-hand with cookies, but it’s also the official beverage of Pennsylvania.
3. Hershey almost lost its founder and his wife – Milton and Kitty – who were both set to sail aboard The Titanic. A last-minute change kept them off the ship, which may have saved their lives.
4. A mine below Centralia has been on fire since May 1962. Only 10 residents remained in the town as of 2017. (It’s pretty much considered a ghost town these days.)
5. Bitter rivals in the 21st century, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles came together to form the Steagles for the 1943 football season. Most of football’s players and coaches, after all, were serving in World War II.
7. Hands up if you’ve ever started singing while in the bathtub? If you’ve ever burst into song in the tub, you’re breaking a law in PA. Yep, it’s illegal to sing in the tub.
8. We all might say we live in a town in Pennsylvania, but the truth is the state only has one town: Bloomsburg. PA’s smallest city, on the other hand, is Parker, with just 840 residents.
10. Bingo was invented in the 1920s in Pittsburgh by Hugh J. Ward. Unfortunately, if you’re a felon and you live in Bensalem, you’re forbidden to run a bingo game.
What are some way out there pieces of Pennsylvania trivia you know that most probably don’t? Share in the comments! Then, let’s have some more fun! How many of these 21 silly Pennsylvania street names did you already know?
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