U.S. Quarter

 

The quarter, also known as a quarter dollar, is a coin that costs 25 cents, or one-quarter of a $1, in the United States. The currency has a portrait of George Washington on its obverse, and since 1998, the reverse's design has undergone several changes. It has been produced since 1796.

It is 0.069 inch thick and 0.955 inch in diameter. In its present form, a pure copper core is coated with two layers of cupronickel (75 percent copper, 25 percent nickel). The overall composition of the coin is 8.33 percent nickel, 91.67 percent copper, with the cupronickel layers making about 1/3 of the total weight. It is 5.670 grams in weight.

Sculptor John Flanagan created the first Washington quarter, which was used from 1932 until 1998. George Washington is seen facing left on the obverse, with the words "Liberty" over his head, the date below, and "In God We Trust" in the left field. On the reverse, an eagle with wings spread sits on a cluster of arrows, with two olive branches serving as its background.

Until increasing silver costs in 1964 caused a shift to the current cupronickel-clad-copper composition, which was also known as the "Johnson Sandwich" in honor of the then-president Lyndon B. Johnson, it was struck in 6.25 g of 90% fine silver. Each coin's production cost was 11.14 cents as of 2011.

Diamonds

 Carbon is a girl's best friend! Diamonds are found over 100 miles beneath the earth's surface and are almost 100% carbon. The immense heat and pressure far below the earth’s surface cause the carbon atoms to bond in a unique way, resulting in a diamond's beautiful crystalline structure. Diamonds are also the hardest natural substance — the only thing that can scratch a diamond is another diamond!

Felix Mendelssohn

 Felix Mendelssohn's "Wedding March", was written in 1842 as part of his suite of incidental music for a production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. At weddings in many English-speaking countries, it is commonly performed as the bridal party files out at the end of the service. It is frequently teamed with Richard Wagner's "Here Comes the Bride." This piece only became widely used in weddings after Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Victoria, The Princess Royal, used it when she married the Crown Prince of Prussia in 1858.

Steven Spielberg

  Steven Spielberg first enrolled at Cal State Long Beach in 1965, but dropped out three years later to pursue a career in filmmaking. Having already taken a majority of degree requirements, Spielberg decided to re-enroll at the university in 2001. To pass his advanced filmmaking class exam, Spielberg submitted his epic, Schindler's List. Schindler's List not only earned Spielberg Academy Awards for best director and best film, but it also satisfied his most important film school requirement. In 2002, 35 years after starting his college career, Spielberg finally received his bachelor's degree in Film and Electronic Arts.

Rock Star Sting

 Born Gordon Sumner in 1951, Sting led a somewhat pedestrian life before becoming the music legend that he is today. He first worked as a bus conductor and tax officer, before qualifying as a teacher in 1974. Sumner got his start in music by performing jazz in his spare time — the name “Sting” came from a favorite yellow and black shirt that apparently made him look like a wasp.

Skin Cells

 Does thinking about this make your skin crawl? Ours, too. The epidermis (upper layer of skin) is consistently replacing itself. Skin cells usually last around 2-3 weeks. While that sounds extreme, the epidermis is not the only one renewing itself — the cells in your colon die off even faster, with four day life spans. On the other hand, not all cells replace themselves. Brain cells typically last an entire lifetime… which is good news, because most of us aren't in the market to be losing brain cells!

Hundred Years' War

 The Hundred Years' War was a series of armed conflicts that pitted the kingdoms of France and England against each other during the Late Middle Ages. Despite its name, the war actually lasted for 116 years, between 1337 and 1453. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English royal House of Plantagenet and the French royal House of Valois. During the war, five generations of kings from two rival dynasties fought for the throne of the largest kingdom in Western Europe. The war was eventually won by the French at the Battle of Castillon.