Watermelon Fun Facts Fun Facts About Watermelon You never know when you might need to know these fun facts about watermelon. You could be on a TV Quiz show someday. What if you won million dollars on a TV quiz show because you read theis article at FabulousFoods.com? I hope it happens. Be sure to let us know if and when it does. (Really, it could happen, and if it does, please don't forget the poor, humble web developers who bring you this site.) In the meantime, you can impress -- or annoy as the case may be -- your friends and family with a Cliff Clavinesque* cornucopia of watermelon knowledge and trivia. More On Watermelons! Click here lots more information about watermelon -- recipes, carving instructions, fun facts, nutritional data and more   Watermelon's official name is Citrullus lanatus of the botanical family Curcurbitacae and it is a vegetable. It is related to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash. The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt. A watermelon was once thrown at Roman Governor Demosthenes during a political debate. Placing the watermelon upon his head, he thanked the thrower for providing him with a helmet to wear as he fought Philip of Macedonia. Early explorers used watermelons as canteens. The first cookbook published in the United States in 1796 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles. Food Historian John Martin Taylor says that early Greek settlers brought the method of pickling watermelon with them to Charleston, South Carolina. The word "watermelon" first appeared in the English dictionary in 1615. Watermelon is grown in over 96 countries worldwide. In China and Japan watermelon is a popular gift to bring a host. In Israel and Egypt, the sweet taste of watermelon is often paired with the salty taste of feta cheese. In 1990, Bill Carson, of Arrington, Tennessee, grew the largest watermelon at 262 pounds that is still on the record books according to the 1998 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. In 1999 over 4 billion pounds of watermelon were produced in the United States. Watermelon is an ideal health food because it doesn't contain any fat or cholesterol, is high in fiber and vitamins A & C and is a good source of potassium. Over 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown worldwide. Every part of a watermelon is edible, even the seeds and rinds. * Clavin, Cliff -- Fictional character played by actor John Ratzenberger on the American television show Cheers, NBC's longest running comedy series to date (1982-1993).