The stick is a simple instrument with a simple purpose. We might not think twice as we pick one up, rid our teeth of discomfort and unsightly food debris, and then casually throw it away. But did you know that the toothpick has a colorful history that few people know about? Enjoy these ten interesting facts about the humble toothpick:
1. A significant anthropological finding showed that toothpicks have been around even longer than our own species! Skulls believed to belong to Neanderthals show signs that their teeth have been cleaned with some kind of tool.
2. In the 17th century, chopsticks used by the upper classes were prized enough to be made of gold, silver or ivory and some were even inlaid with precious stones.
3. The US state of Maine is the largest producer of toothpicks. It is estimated that around 90% of the country’s chopsticks are made in this state.
4. The toothpick has also played an important role in history. Agathocles, a tyrant from Syracuse, died in 289 BC. C. when he used his stick; it is said that an enemy doused him in poison without his knowledge.
5. A man named Charles Forster, from Boston, asked Harvard students to eat at a local restaurant and then loudly asked for a toothpick after finishing their meals. They were supposed to complain if the establishment had nothing to give them. Forster hoped this would help him create a market for the disposable toothpick.
6. This same Charles Forster set up a toothpick factory in Strong, Maine, producing an average of 20 million toothpicks a day.
7. In the 1980s, cinnamon sticks became a trend. Children soaked wooden sticks in a bottle of cinnamon oil extract and sold them for profit. Customers who had bought them could be identified by a red color left on their mouths.
8. The toothpick is considered so essential that even Swiss Army Knives, a popular brand of multifunction tools, have included one in their product.
9. Some people have found other creative uses for the toothpick. A man named Joe King used 110,000 toothpicks to build a model of the Eiffel Tower – it rose 23 feet!
10. Nowadays, if you are looking for a stylish and original gift for someone important, you may want to buy a pocket chopstick holder – a great way to carry your chopsticks with you!
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