We all know that George Washington didn’t really skip a coin across the Potomac River, that his teeth weren’t made of wood and that he didn’t wear a wig. As funny or famous as those stories might be, they’re made up.

But what might amaze you is that the story of our country is made up of monumental moments and silly scenes. You see, not all the stories that make up our history have to do with presidents, wars and documents. Some of our nation’s most fascinating tales have to do with murder, aliens and molasses floods.

A new book called “The American Story” is a collection of 100 stories; some are silly, some are serious and all of them tell you something you might not have known about this country you call home. For example, did you know that when bananas were introduced here, they were considered so exotic that they were eaten only on special occasions?

The 100 true (and short) tales that Jennifer Armstrong recounts in this book are bound to intrigue and amaze you – and astound and impress your parents and teachers. KidsPost’s Tracy Grant, who studied history in college, learned a few things reading this book. Here are some of her favorite stories.

1. Who’s Uncle Sam?

You’ve probably seen the red-white-and-blue-clad figure in parades on the Fourth of July. But how did Uncle Sam come to stand for the nation’s government? You can thank a butcher in New York named Sam Wilson.

During the War of 1812, barrels with goods (from guns to boots to food) were stamped with “U.S.” – for “United States.” In the town of Troy, N.Y., Sam Wilson was known as Uncle Sam, and the local people began to tease him that the “U.S.” stamp really stood for “Uncle Sam.”

In 1961, Congress formally recognized Sam Wilson as the inspiration for the Uncle Sam symbol.

2. Unlikely Friends

You might know who Mark Twain was. That was the name Samuel Clemens used when writing his famous novels about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

You might also know the story of Helen Keller, who was deaf and blind from an early age but learned to communicate with the help of her teacher.

Both Clemens and Keller were pretty famous in the 1890s. One day the two of them met at a party. Later that day, Keller astonished Clemens by recognizing him. Even though she could neither see nor hear him, she said she recognized his smell.

The two remained friends until Clemens died in 1910.

3. What’s in That Package?

Henry Brown was a slave in the mid-1800s and lived not far from Richmond, Va. Wanting to be free, he came up with an incredible idea: He would mail himself to a city in the North.

Brown shared his wild idea with James Smith, a white Virginian who was against slavery. Despite concerns that Brown would not survive the journey, Smith agreed to help him. Smith built a special box, drilled holes in it, stamped “This Side Up” on one side and mailed it to anti-slavery activists in Philadelphia.

Brown arrived – sore and stiff but free.

4. It’s in the Paper, It Must Be True

On Aug. 25, 1835, the New York Sun newspaper began publishing a series about life on the moon. One story included descriptions of furry, winged people: “They averaged four feet in height; were covered, except on the face, with short and glossy copper-colored hair; and had wings composed of a thin membrane.”

The next month the newspaper admitted that the series was a hoax, designed to get more people to read the paper.

5. Pac-Mania

It’s hard to believe, but there was a time when video games were lame. In the 1970s, an electronic version of table tennis called Pong had what passed for cool graphics. Then came Pac-Man. Created in Japan, it gobbled its way through arcades in the United States very quickly, at 25 cents a game. Pac-Man cleared the way for many of the video games you play today.