Popcorn's scientific name is zea mays everta, and it is the only type of corn to actually pop.
Americans consume 17 billion quarts of popped popcorn annually or 58 quarts per man, woman and child. It is one of the most wholesome and economical foods available.
January 19th is National Popcorn Day
October is National Popcorn Month
Varieties of popcorn that can grow wild--none.  Due to the breeding of hybrids, all varieties of corn are in need of man's assistance.
The percentage of popcorn bought and eaten at theaters, ballparks and other recreational areas is about 30%
The oldest ears of popcorn ever found were discovered in the Bat Cave of west central New Mexico in 1948 and 1950.  Ranging from smaller than a penny to about 2 inches, the oldest ears are about 4,000 years old.
Writing of Peruvian Indians in 1650, the Spaniard Cobo says, "They toast a certain kind of corn until it bursts.  They call it pisancalla, and they use it as a confection."
Popcorn was actually the first food to be microwaved deliberately. In 1946 Dr. Percy Spencer of the Raytheon Corporation was experimenting with a magnetron (a new type of vacuum tube) when he noticed that the chocolate candy bar in his pocket had melted. He was curious, so he placed some popcorn kernels next to the magnetron and turned it on - the popcorn popped. After experimenting with various other food items (including an egg that exploded!), he and Ratheon realized they were on to something and continued on to develop the first microwave oven.
The state of Indiana is the largest supplier of popcorn in the world.
Each kernel of popcorn contains a small drop of water inside a circle of soft starch surrounded by the hard outer surface. That drop of water must be between 13.5% and 14% of the kernel. As the kernel heats, the drop of water expands and pressure starts to build up. When the hard surface eventually gives way, the popcorn explodes. During the explosion, the soft starch inside the kernel inflates and bursts, turning the entire kernel inside out.
In southwestern Utah, a 1,000-year-old popped kernel of popcorn was found in a dry cave inhabited by predecessors of the Pueblo Indians.
The ancient way to popcorn was to heat sand in a fire and stir kernels of popcorn in when the sand was fully heated.
Varieties of popcorn are grown to pop into two distinctive shapes: "snowflake," the large popcorn sold in theaters and ball parks; and mushroom, the smaller variety used in popcorn candies and snacks.
In an average bag of popcorn, the number of yellow kernels will outnumber the white ones by 9 to 1.
The U.S. produces 498,000 TONS of popcorn every year, of which 103,000 tons is exported.
It is believed that popcorn was the very first form of corn to be cultivated.
Corn was first grown about 7,000 years ago in the highlands of central Mexico, and by the first century B.C. was a staple crop of all the agricultural peoples in the Americas. One of the first uses of corn kernels was for popping.
Some Native American tribes popped corn right on the cob, by spearing the corn cob with a stick and holding it near the fire. The kernels would pop and stay attached to the cob.
Popcorn balls were among the most popular confections in the late 1800s & early 1900s.
During the holiday season popcorn made for wonderful decorations from Christmas tree garlands to fireplace mantel ornaments in Victorian homes. It also made for inexpensive gifts.
Some of the popcorn flavorings used during the mid 1800s - 1920: orange & lemon juice, rose, peppermint, honey, vanilla, molasses and sugar.
One could host a "Popcorn Frolic" with the helpful hints from a 1912 party book. The party room would be decorated in a happy pink and white popcorn theme. Popcorn was not only eaten, but was used for party favors and in the games played - "corn-drop", "popcorn races", "popcorn hunt" and so on.
An old 19th century method of cooking popcorn: Pour kernels of corn into a kettle full of lard. When the corn popped after heating it was skimmed off the top as it surfaced!
The first cookbook to mention popcorn was in 1846.
One of the largest popcorn balls ever made was 12 feet in diameter in 1996. It used 2000 pounds of popcorn to construct!
 Popcorn is a nutritious snack option.  It’s 77% carbohydrates, 12% protein, 5% fat, and 2% minerals.  The American Dental Association recommends it due to no sugar and it cleanses the teeth.  It’s high in fiber.
The American Indians considered popcorn a very special treat and included it as part of the First Thanksgiving at Plymouth.
Quadaquina, brother of Chieftain Massasoit of the Wamponoag tribe gave a deerskin bag of popcorn and recipe for popcorn soup as a offering of friendship with the colonists.  The colonists returned with their recipe for a breakfast cereal: popcorn sweetened with sugar and cream which became more acceptable during the Victorian era (1890s).
The meaning of corn today is different.  The generic term corn in the Old World applied to any crop grain of an area.  If you grew wheat, then your corn would be wheat.  If you grew barley, then your corn would be barley.  This applied to oats, millet, and rye too.  So, the American Indians' corn was actually maize to designate their native plant.   Eventually, the term corn became synonymous with maize.
During the Depression, popcorn at 5 or 10 cents a bag was one of the few luxuries down-and-out families could afford. While other businesses failed, the popcorn business thrived. An Oklahoma banker who went broke when his bank failed bought a popcorn machine and started a business in a small store near a theater. After a couple years, his popcorn business made enough money to buy back three of the farms he'd lost.

Links
National Popcorn Board: www.popcorn.org
Wyandot Popcorn Museum: www.wyandotpopcornmus.com
Popcorn Festival In Marion Ohio: www.popcornfestival.com