1. Onion is a term used for many plants in the genus Allium, but usually refers to Allium cepa the garden onion.
2. Traces of onion remains have been found in Bronze Age settlements dating back to 5000 BC.
3. Alexander the Great fed his army onions with the belief that if they ate strong foods, they themselves would become stronger.
4. The ancient Egyptians worshiped the onion, believing that its spherical shape and concentric rings symbolized eternity
5. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest onion ever grown weighed 10 lbs 14 oz and was grown by V. Throup of Silsden, England.
6. Yellow onions make up more than 75% of the worlds production of onions.
7. A recent urban legend suggests that placing onions around your home will absorb the swine flu virus, preventing infection. This myth dates back to the 1500's.
8. Eye irritation when cutting onions can be avoided by cutting onions under running water or submerged in a basin of water.
9. A traditional Maltese remedy for sea urchin wounds is to tie half a baked onion to the afflicted area overnight.
10. Ways of preserving onions include the classic pickled onion and the more fashionable onion marmalade.
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