February 7 is National Bubblegum Day, and we want to help you celebrate with some fun facts about bubblegum! While you may think you know all there is to know about bubblegum, chew on these little tidbits–they may surprise you! Here are some fun facts about bubblegum in honor of National Bubblegum Day.
Q: How did bubblegum get its iconic pink color?
A: In the early 1900s, The Fleer Corporation created the first bubblegum to hit the market. At the time, chewing gums were an unappealing grey. The company added food coloring to the gum in the only color available.
Q: What is the world record for the most bubblegum bubbles blown at the same time?
A: In 2014 at the opening of the Cal Ripkin World Series, 721 people made the world record for blowing the most bubblegum bubbles at the same time. On July 11, 2018, that record was broken at the Arm & Hammer Park in Trenton, New Jersey, where 881 people gathered to help Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals raise awareness for a rare lung disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Q: What really happens if you swallow bubblegum?
A: Contrary to rumors of intestines sticking together or that swallowed gum stays in your body for seven years, gum will only stay in your system for a few days. Most gum base is made out of a synthetic, proprietary formula–totally not digestible. Glee Gum is made with an all-natural chicle gum base, but we still don’t recommend you swallow it. Gum base isn’t meant to be digested!
Q: What is the biggest bubblegum bubble ever blown?
A: In Alabama on April 24, 2004, Chad Fell blew a bubble a whopping 20 inches in size–that’s bigger than a regulation size basketball!
Q: Is it illegal to chew bubblegum anywhere?
A: Yes! In January of 1992, chewing gum was banned in Signapore to help uphold the country’s reputation for being pristine, and to help alleviate major issues with chewing gum being stuck on the door sensors and cracks on trains, which caused many issues in functioning and service. In March of 2004, however, they lifted the ban so that gums with a medical or therapeutic benefit were allowed–i.e. sugar-free gums for dental care or nicotine gums for smoking cessation.
Q: What’s the most amount of bubblegum bubbles blown in a minute?
A: How many bubblegum bubbles can you blow in a minute? If you can blow more than 15, you will beat Michael Amato of New Jersey, who set the current world record in 2014.
Q: Is it true that in 2012, London spent three months cleaning gum off its streets to prepare for the Olympic games?
A: Yes! And they spent between 1-2 pounds per piece to clean up over 300,000 pieces! But that’s nothing–on average, it can cost the city of London up to 10 million pounds to clean chewing gum off the streets each year!
Q: What is the weirdest bubblegum bubble that’s been blown?
A: In 2000, Joyce Samuels of KY set the world record for blowing the largest bubblegum bubble… with her nose! That’s right, Joyce blew a whopping 11 inch bubble using only the power of her nose. She said she started doing this to amuse her kids and ended up amusing the world.
For more Gleeful tidbits about gum, check out our fun facts page! While you’re at it, find out more about what makes bubblegum so special.
Join the celebration for National Bubblegum Day by chewing on some Glee Gum. We have both all-natural, xylitol-sweetened Sugar-Free Bubblegum and cane-sugar sweetened Classic Bubblegum flavors. Both are designed to give you the nostalgic bubblegum taste and be good for the planet, too!
Happy National Bubblegum Day!
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