fun fact for the day..

[jimLE]

Take a Spin with Teddy Roosevelt Trivia
On August 22, 1902, President Teddy Roosevelt became the first American president to take a spin in an automobile in public, being driven along the highways and byways of Connecticut in an electric car. To mark the anniversary of this auspicious occasion, we have put together some trivia questions to see how much you know about America's early automotive history and Roosevelt's role in it.
Is It True That Another U.S. President Rode in a Car Before Roosevelt?

Shown in the photo above is a 1903 Columbia Electric automobile, identical to the one in which Teddy Roosevelt rode in the late summer of 1902. Although Roosevelt has the distinction of being the first American president to ride in a car in public, he was not the first chief executive to ride in an automobile. That honor goes to William McKinley, Roosevelt's predecessor in the White House. During his presidency, tragically cut short by an assassin's bullet in September 1901, McKinley was given a private ride in the Stanley Steamer, a steam-powered automobile built in the final decade of the 19th century by brothers Francis and Freelan Stanley. The brothers' Stanley Motor Carriage Company manufactured and sold steam-powered automobiles until the early 1920s.

Who Was the First President to Have an Automobile at His Disposal?

This equestrian statue of Roosevelt captures the president on the form of transport he favored above all others. Although he may have been hooked on the idea of the so-called horseless carriage after his 1902 ride in an electric car, Teddy Roosevelt's administration opted for a steam-driven car when it decided to purchase a presidential automobile. However, true to his love of the Old West and ranch life, Roosevelt reportedly preferred horses to automobiles.

How Long Had Electric Cars Been Around before Roosevelt's Historic Ride? Although many 21st century Americans tend to think of electric cars as the cutting edge of automotive engineering, in fact they've been around in one form or another since the late 19th century. Scottish inventor Robert Anderson gets the credit for his 1830s creation of the first crude electric carriage, which is powered by non-rechargeable primary cells, according to PBS.org. Nearly six decades later in 1891, American William Morrison builds the first successful electric car. Six years later, the first electric-powered taxis hit the streets of New York City. In 1900, the earliest incarnation of electric automobiles enjoys its heyday, accounting for 28 percent of all the cars manufactured that year. Seven years later, Henry Ford introduces the Model T, a mass-produced, gasoline-powered car that in just over a decade renders the manufacture and sale of electric cars no longer commercially viable.

What Was the First Presidential Limousine? For most of the first four decades of the 20th century, America's presidents were chauffeured about in standard production cars from U.S. automakers. The transition to limousines began in 1939 when the U.S. Secret Service took delivery of a custom-made stretched version of Lincoln's K-series model powered by a V-12 engine. Dubbed the Sunshine Special because it was seen most often with its top down, the Sunshine Special had a 160-inch wheelbase and was customized for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's use by coachbuilder Brunn & Company of Buffalo, New York. The limo featured oversize rear-hinged rear doors to facilitate easy access for the wheelchair-bound Roosevelt.

 

[Brent S]

Take a Spin with Teddy Roosevelt Trivia
On August 22, 1902, President Teddy Roosevelt became the first American president to take a spin in an automobile in public, being driven along the highways and byways of Connecticut in an electric car. To mark the anniversary of this auspicious occasion, we have put together some trivia questions to see how much you know about America's early automotive history and Roosevelt's role in it.
Is It True That Another U.S. President Rode in a Car Before Roosevelt?

Shown in the photo above is a 1903 Columbia Electric automobile, identical to the one in which Teddy Roosevelt rode in the late summer of 1902. Although Roosevelt has the distinction of being the first American president to ride in a car in public, he was not the first chief executive to ride in an automobile. That honor goes to William McKinley, Roosevelt's predecessor in the White House. During his presidency, tragically cut short by an assassin's bullet in September 1901, McKinley was given a private ride in the Stanley Steamer, a steam-powered automobile built in the final decade of the 19th century by brothers Francis and Freelan Stanley. The brothers' Stanley Motor Carriage Company manufactured and sold steam-powered automobiles until the early 1920s.

Who Was the First President to Have an Automobile at His Disposal?

This equestrian statue of Roosevelt captures the president on the form of transport he favored above all others. Although he may have been hooked on the idea of the so-called horseless carriage after his 1902 ride in an electric car, Teddy Roosevelt's administration opted for a steam-driven car when it decided to purchase a presidential automobile. However, true to his love of the Old West and ranch life, Roosevelt reportedly preferred horses to automobiles.

How Long Had Electric Cars Been Around before Roosevelt's Historic Ride? Although many 21st century Americans tend to think of electric cars as the cutting edge of automotive engineering, in fact they've been around in one form or another since the late 19th century. Scottish inventor Robert Anderson gets the credit for his 1830s creation of the first crude electric carriage, which is powered by non-rechargeable primary cells, according to PBS.org. Nearly six decades later in 1891, American William Morrison builds the first successful electric car. Six years later, the first electric-powered taxis hit the streets of New York City. In 1900, the earliest incarnation of electric automobiles enjoys its heyday, accounting for 28 percent of all the cars manufactured that year. Seven years later, Henry Ford introduces the Model T, a mass-produced, gasoline-powered car that in just over a decade renders the manufacture and sale of electric cars no longer commercially viable.

What Was the First Presidential Limousine? For most of the first four decades of the 20th century, America's presidents were chauffeured about in standard production cars from U.S. automakers. The transition to limousines began in 1939 when the U.S. Secret Service took delivery of a custom-made stretched version of Lincoln's K-series model powered by a V-12 engine. Dubbed the Sunshine Special because it was seen most often with its top down, the Sunshine Special had a 160-inch wheelbase and was customized for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's use by coachbuilder Brunn & Company of Buffalo, New York. The limo featured oversize rear-hinged rear doors to facilitate easy access for the wheelchair-bound Roosevelt.

It's a shame that ford didn't want to produce an electric car. Just think where we would be today if the last 100+ years had been used to develop and improve batteries. Pollution free, simple cars. (There's a lot less parts in an electric drive train)

 

[Itakfule]

I can't do anything with my left hand!

exactly the same with me, if my right hand would ever get cut off *knocks on the wood* I wouldn't be able to do anything at all

 

[jimLE]

i can do a little bit with my right hand..but lord forbid if i have to write or hammer with it..

 

[Itakfule]

i can do a little bit with my right hand..but lord forbid if i have to write or hammer with it.. View attachment 6039

God.. ahahhahha

 

[jimLE]

about Francis Scott Key and America's National Anthem
In the early morning hours of September 14, 1814, attorney Francis Scott Key, an amateur poet, set down the words to a poem that eventually were adopted as the lyrics to America's national anthem. To mark the anniversary of this event, try your luck with our trivia questions to see how much you know about Key and the story behind the origins of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

What Sight Inspired Key to Write the Poem?

A vintage American flag flies over Fort McHenry, which today is a national monument and historic shrine. As the sun rose over Baltimore's Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, 1814, Key was struck by the defiant and reassuring beauty of the American flag flying high over the fort after heavy bombardment by British forces during the Battle of Baltimore. Although the battle -- a four-day British assault by land and sea -- continued through September 15, 1814, the Americans eventually prevailed, maintaining their hold on strategic landmarks in the bustling port city.
What Sight Inspired Key to Write the Poem?

A vintage American flag flies over Fort McHenry, which today is a national monument and historic shrine. As the sun rose over Baltimore's Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, 1814, Key was struck by the defiant and reassuring beauty of the American flag flying high over the fort after heavy bombardment by British forces during the Battle of Baltimore. Although the battle -- a four-day British assault by land and sea -- continued through September 15, 1814, the Americans eventually prevailed, maintaining their hold on strategic landmarks in the bustling port city.

How Did Key Happen to Be in Baltimore?

This bridge connecting Washington, D.C., with its northern Virginia suburbs is named in honor of Francis Scott Key. Key, a successful attorney in the nation's capital, less than 50 miles south of Baltimore, had come to the Maryland city a week earlier in a bid to negotiate the release of a close friend, Dr. William Beanes, who had been captured by the British on August 24, 1814. Those negotiations were conducted aboard a British ship that was anchored a safe distance from the British vessels that were shelling Fort McHenry. Joining Key in the talks to free Dr. Beanes was U.S. Army Colonel John Skinner. Although the two Americans had successfully negotiated the release of the doctor, all three Americans were confined to a nearby American flag-of-truce vessel during the bombardment. It was from the decks of that ship that Key witnessed the American flag flying proudly over Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, 1814.
What Was Key's Title for His Poem? Some scholars maintain that it was always Key's intention to have the words he wrote serve as the lyrics for a patriotic song. However, others argue just as passionately that he was simply writing a poem, which he entitled "Defense of Fort M'Henry." The poem was soon being distributed to Americans on broadsheets, which were elaborate flyers printed on one side only. On some of those early broadsheets bearing the words to Key's poem was the suggestion that those words could be sung to the tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven," a song composed in England in 1775 and widely sung in men's drinking clubs. Many Americans took the suggestion, and the patriotic song, now better known as "The Star-Spangled Banner," grew in popularity over the next several decades.

When Did "The Star-Spangled Banner" Become the Official U.S. National Anthem? Although Key's words, set to the melody of an English drinking song, were widely popular across the United States for decades, it was not until 1931 that the song was officially adopted as America's national anthem. Leading the campaign to designate the song as the national anthem were a number of patriotic and veterans organizations, including the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. On January 31, 1931, the VFW presented the House Judiciary Committee with a petition bearing the signatures of roughly 5 million Americans and calling for the adoption of the song as the country's national anthem. The House was quick to approve enabling legislation, which was approved by the Senate on March 3, 1931. Later that same day, President Herbert Hoover made it official, signing the bill into law.

 

[jimLE]

What insect did the term "computer bug" come from?
the Moth
The first computer bug was, indeed, an actual bug. In 1945, Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper was assigned to work on the Harvard Mark II Electromechanical Computing Machine when she noticed there was an actual moth stuck in the mechanisms of the computer causing a relay. Even though this was the beginning of the term "computer bug" and "debugging," it is actually not the first time the word "bug" was used in terms of glitchy mechanics. There is a record of Thomas Edison using the word "bug" when referring to an issue with his phonograph all the way back in 1889. Now that's pretty fly! Source: Wired

 

[jimLE]

Trivia about the First Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier: The USS Enterprise
On September 24th, 1960, the USS Enterprise, the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was launched at Newport News, Virginia. See how much you know about the famed aircraft carrier with these trivia questions...

What Did Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry Intend to Call the USS Enterprise?

Pictured here in the Atlantic Ocean. Eight US ships have been called the Enterprise over the years, but perhaps the most famous Enterprise is the fictional one in Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry, who served in World War II, originally intended to call the famous starship the USS Yorktown, named for a World War II aircraft carrier. But he wanted a name that connoted a ship of impressive standing, and so USS Enterprise, the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and longest warship in history, seemed like a fitting name.

However, if you're a Star Trek fan and you feel like you've heard the name Yorktown used somewhere, you're not crazy. It only took about 50 years but the people behind Star Trek finally got around to using the name. Star Trek Beyond, which aired in July of this year, features a starbase Yorktown.

What Happened to the USS Enterprise on January 14th, 1969? People in the Navy speak of the Enterprise like it was a soldier they fought alongside. When the ship's time of service finally ended in 2013, one man who served aboard her in Cuba posted "Said goodbye 2 weeks ago in Norfolk with two of my squadron buddies. I cried." And perhaps the most harrowing day for those who served with the USS Enterprise came on January 14th, 1969 when an MK-32 Zuni Rocket overheated then exploded setting off a series of other explosions. Several of the fire-prevention mechanisms in place failed to quell the flames. 27 people died, 314 were injured and 15 planes were destroyed.

However, despite the nuclear reactors onboard, the ship was never in any danger, and the crew onboard worked valiantly to prevent a worse fate. The ship was repaired and back at sea a few months later.

Paramount Filmed Aboard the Enterprise for What Movie?

Worth it. If you're shooting a movie about fighter pilots, where else would you go but the most famous aircraft carrier in the land? Paramount shot scenes for Top Gun aboard the USS Enterprise and shot footage of aircraft from F-14 squadrons. That footage of flight time cost $10,000 per hour by the way. Of course, that's a small price to pay to give the world Iceman, Goose, and Maverick.

What Ship Will be the Next USS Enterprise? Like we said, this USS Enterprise was hardly the only one, and now that its time is done, there will be another to replace it. That one is due out in 2025 and will be a Gerald Ford-class supercarrier. It is slated to cost almost $14 billion and come in at almost a quarter mile long. No word on whether or not the 5,000-signature online petition from Star Trek fans to call another ship the Enterprise had anything to do with this name choice. After all, as Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus put it, "Rarely has our fleet been without a ship bearing the name."

 

[Maverick]

Trivia Questions about the Woodstock Music Festival
On August 17, 1969, the Woodstock Music Festival officially came to a close, concluding three days of epic rock and roll performances on a dairy farm in upstate New York.
Why Wasn't the Festival Held in Woodstock?

More than 400,000 music fans flocked to the Woodstock Music Festival in the summer of 1969. As the event's official name indicates, the original venue selected for the music festival was Woodstock, a small town in Ulster County, New York, that had long been a popular retreat for artists of all stripes. However, locals' objections to the plans forced festival promoters to look elsewhere for a more welcoming site. They eventually settled on a tract of land owned by dairy farmer Max Yasgur, who operated a 600-acre farm in White Lake, a hamlet within the town limits of Bethel, New York. According to some sources, the actual venue for the festival was a hayfield owned by Yasgur that was roughly three miles from the pastures of his dairy farm.

How Many Attended the Festival?

Jimi Hendrix was only one of dozens of performers at Woodstock. In searching for a site where the festival could be held, organizers originally had assured local authorities that they expected only about 50,000 music fans to attend. As enthusiasm built in advance of the event, that estimate was raised to 150,000 to 200,000. However, in the end, actual attendance at the three-day event soared to somewhere between 400,000 and 500,000.
What Performers Headlined the Festival? Headlining the Woodstock festival were some of America's most popular rock and folk performers, including Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Grateful Dead, Carlos Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and The Who. Among those who performed on the festival's opening night were Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Ravi Shankar, and Melanie. In addition to Joplin, Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, and Grateful Dead, popular second-night acts included Canned Heat, Jefferson Airplane, and Sly & The Family Stone. Headlining the third night of the festival were Joe Cocker; Country Joe & The Fish; Blood, Sweat, & Tears; and Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young.

Why Did Performances Extend into Monday Morning? The music festival was plagued by periods of rain that turned the grounds into a muddy mess. So heavy was the rain during Sunday night's performances that three of the event's performers were unable to take the stage until early Monday. Those three acts were the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Sha Na Na, and Jimi Hendrix, of whom Hendrix was by far the most eagerly awaited. His set included many of the songs for which he was best known, but perhaps the most memorable moment from Hendrix's performance was his rendition of "Star-Spangled Banner."

Who Was the Highest-Paid Performer at the Festival? By today's multimillion-dollar concert standards, Woodstock's performers played mostly for the pleasure of making music. With an $18,000 paycheck for his Woodstock gig, Jimi Hendrix was easily the highest paid. The festival's next highest earner was Blood, Sweat, & Tears, whose members split $15,000. Joan Baez and Creedence Clearwater Revival each received $10,000 for their performances, Getting $7,500 each were Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane. Sly & The Family Stone took home a check for $7,000, while Canned Heat, Arlo Guthrie, and Richie Havens were paid $6,500, $6,250, and $6,000, respectively. Payments for the remaining performers ranged from a low of $375 to $5,000. Santana got only $750, and the Grateful Dead received $2,500.

Too many damn hippies

 

[jimLE]

On October 1st, 1971, Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida. See how much you know about the famous theme park with some trivia questions!

How Much Was Admission When the Park Opened Back in 1971?

Right this way to the Magic Kingdom... Admission to Disney World in 1971 only cost $3.50. But that number has gone up virtually every year since. In 2013, tickets (with tax) for the Magic Kingdom finally crossed the $100 threshold. It seems Disney and Universal are caught in a sort of price increase arms races, each vying for the title of world's most expensive theme park. In other words, if you want to go to an amusement park in Orlando (and don't forget, you can visit SeaWorld while you're there for a pretty penny too), there's a solid chance the park will cost more than the airplane ticket. When asked about the price increases, Walt Disney World spokesman Bryan Malenius pointed out, "We offer a variety of ticket options that provide a great value, and find that most guests select multi-day tickets that offer additional savings." So basically, if you're willing to spend a bit more money, it's really not that expensive.

What's a Smellitizer? In fairness to Disney World, they may be charging you a hundred bucks a pop, but you're getting a heck of an experience. The place looks gorgeous, the rides are fun and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. They care so much about the experience they even manufacture smells. That's right, Smellitizers create odors to fit wherever you are. That's why you'll smell baking cookies at "Main Street USA" and the air of the salty sea at "Pirates of the Caribbean." You can even smell burning wood when watching the fall of Rome.
What's the One Dwarf They Didn't Name a Magic Kingdom Parking Lot after?

I wouldn't normally leave my boat here, but the name of the lot is doc... Park at Magic Kingdom today and you'll end up in a lot named for a famous Disney hero or villain. But they used to each be named after one of the seven dwarfs. Well, one of a select six. You might guess the one they omitted in the land of happiness was a parking lot called Grumpy, but actually, Doc was the one they neglected. They figured it might confuse people in boats looking for docks.

What Did Disney Do with River Country and Discovery Island after They Closed? Even Disney World can't bat a thousand on amusement parks that stand the test of time. They've had two separate parks open that have permanently shut down: River Country (a water park) and Discovery Island (a great place to check out the wildlife). So what does Disney do with the attractions when they close them? Um, they just leave them there apparently. Totally intact. A photographer took pictures of the hauntingly abandoned River Country and a bold explorer named Shane Perez snuck back into Discovery Island with some friends to check it out. Apparently the lights still go on at night at Discovery Island and banjo music still plays in river country. Sounds creepier than spending time at the Haunted Mansion.

 

[Brent S]

On October 1st, 1971, Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida. See how much you know about the famous theme park with some trivia questions!

How Much Was Admission When the Park Opened Back in 1971?

Right this way to the Magic Kingdom... Admission to Disney World in 1971 only cost $3.50. But that number has gone up virtually every year since. In 2013, tickets (with tax) for the Magic Kingdom finally crossed the $100 threshold. It seems Disney and Universal are caught in a sort of price increase arms races, each vying for the title of world's most expensive theme park. In other words, if you want to go to an amusement park in Orlando (and don't forget, you can visit SeaWorld while you're there for a pretty penny too), there's a solid chance the park will cost more than the airplane ticket. When asked about the price increases, Walt Disney World spokesman Bryan Malenius pointed out, "We offer a variety of ticket options that provide a great value, and find that most guests select multi-day tickets that offer additional savings." So basically, if you're willing to spend a bit more money, it's really not that expensive.

What's a Smellitizer? In fairness to Disney World, they may be charging you a hundred bucks a pop, but you're getting a heck of an experience. The place looks gorgeous, the rides are fun and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. They care so much about the experience they even manufacture smells. That's right, Smellitizers create odors to fit wherever you are. That's why you'll smell baking cookies at "Main Street USA" and the air of the salty sea at "Pirates of the Caribbean." You can even smell burning wood when watching the fall of Rome.
What's the One Dwarf They Didn't Name a Magic Kingdom Parking Lot after?

I wouldn't normally leave my boat here, but the name of the lot is doc... Park at Magic Kingdom today and you'll end up in a lot named for a famous Disney hero or villain. But they used to each be named after one of the seven dwarfs. Well, one of a select six. You might guess the one they omitted in the land of happiness was a parking lot called Grumpy, but actually, Doc was the one they neglected. They figured it might confuse people in boats looking for docks.

What Did Disney Do with River Country and Discovery Island after They Closed? Even Disney World can't bat a thousand on amusement parks that stand the test of time. They've had two separate parks open that have permanently shut down: River Country (a water park) and Discovery Island (a great place to check out the wildlife). So what does Disney do with the attractions when they close them? Um, they just leave them there apparently. Totally intact. A photographer took pictures of the hauntingly abandoned River Country and a bold explorer named Shane Perez snuck back into Discovery Island with some friends to check it out. Apparently the lights still go on at night at Discovery Island and banjo music still plays in river country. Sounds creepier than spending time at the Haunted Mansion.

I was there on opening week. Hard to believe it was that long ago! That price to get in did not include ride tickets, you had to buy books of tickets, with the E ticket being good for the best rides. Even at 52, Disney is still an amazing place. The only bad thing I can say about it is standing in lines sucks.

 

[jimLE]

4 Trivia Questions about the State of Alaska
On October 18th, 1867, the United States took possession of Alaska from Russia. In honor of that, see how much you know about our nation's 49th state...
In Barrow, Alaska, How Long Does the Longest Night Last?

So pretty... Being so close to the north pole can do a number on your sunlight cycle and that phenomenon is especially on display in Barrow, Alaska where people go 67 days straight without seeing the sun. This multi-month-long night has led to some serious cases of sun-deprived sadness and inspired a fictional novel series called 30 Days of Night, about a group of vampires who roam the land there. But those vampires might not want to hang around in the summer, that's when things swing the other way and people go 82 days without seeing night. Which leads to some interesting side effects of its own like produce that grows to gigantic proportions.

Of the United States' 20 Highest Peaks, How Many of Them Are in Alaska?

We searched for pictures of thermometers recording especially icy temperatures. Even those didn't go anywhere near -80 Alaska is home to the tallest point in all of North America: Mt. McKinley, which probably shouldn't come as a surprise since the state is rife with tall mountains. Of the United States' 20 highest peaks, 12 of them are in Alaska. Those aren't the only impressive records they've got, though. Alaska is also home to the second largest earthquake ever recorded. Ringing in at 9.2 back in 1964, it trails only the 9.5 of Chile in 1960 (all available data is limited to 1900 or later). A pair of other Alaskan earthquakes also cracked the top 12 which shouldn't be too surprising since the state is home to 11% of all earthquakes. And, you probably already guessed this but on January 23, 1971, Alaska recorded the lowest temperature in US history. -79.8.

What is Considered the Unofficial State Bird of Alaska? We think of mosquitoes as targeting warm areas, but Alaska can turn into mosquito country in a hurry. The bugs breed in the stagnant water deposits that long winters make prevalent in Alaska. The result can be entire swarms of mosquitoes that can be terrifying and have been reported to bite people hundreds of times in a few minutes. There are even photos of the swarms online that often get comments from people certain they've been digitally manipulated. As a result, the mosquito is known as the unofficial state bird of Alaska.

What Contribution Did Benny Benson Make to the State of Alaska When He Was Just 13? Alaska's state flag is the result of a territory-wide campaign asking students to design a flag for the state. The winning design came from thirteen-year-old Benny Benson who created a flag depicting the Big Dipper and the North Star on a blue backdrop. Benny Benson had a rough upbringing, seeing his mom die when he was a child, watching his home go up in flames and ending up in an orphanage. "The blue field is for the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not, an Alaska flower. The North Star is for the future of the state of Alaska, the most northerly in the Union. The dipper is for the Great Bear - symbolizing strength." In part because of his story and in part because of the imagery, the flag, still in use today, is a sort of symbol of enduring strength.

 

[eireguy]

I really miss living in Ak . . Wish i could afford to move back .

 

[Brent S]

I really miss living in Ak . . Wish i could afford to move back .

-79deg record low just cured me of any aspirations to live there!

 

[jimLE]

4 Trivia Questions about the Cuban Missile Crisis
On October 22nd, 1962, President John F. Kennedy announced that Soviet missile bases had been discovered in Cuba. See how much you know about the famous standoff with these trivia questions...
What Set Off an Alarm at Volk Field Air Base That Could Have Caused a Nuclear War?

And you thought black bears were dangerous before. A few days after Kennedy's TV address, alarms went off at Volk Field Air Base announcing Soviet Bombers taking flight over the North Pole. The US prepared Jets with nuclear air-to-air missiles to counter a potential Russian invasion. The Soviet nuclear threat was suddenly real. The cold war was about to go to hot when... the US realized it was a false alarm. A stray black bear had accidentally triggered a series of alarms while digging around near Volk Field.

A Hotline Between Where and Where Was Installed after the Cuban Missile Crisis?

A monument to the crisis still stands in Cuba today. As two countries sat on the brink of nuclear war, one factor made negotiations especially tough. It took forever to get a message from one side to the other. Formal communications between the two sides had to go through a giant web of diplomatic bureaucracy that could literally take six hours. It was such a bogged down system that the two sides ended up communicating through public announcements through the press. When everything was done, a hotline was set up between the White House and the Kremlin and on August 30th, 1963, Kennedy became the first president to have a hotline directly to Russia.
How Did Vaili Arkhipov Prevent a Nuclear War? Another atomic close call came on October 27th, when an American destroyer was dropping depth charges on a Russian submarine. The submarine-- not realizing those death charges were nonlethal attempts to make it surface-- thought the two sides must be at war, and he readied a nuclear torpedo to attack a US aircraft carrier. Luckily for both nations, he needed approval from his senior officers before he could launch that strike, and one officer, Vasili Arkhipov, refused to give it. Had Vasili approved the strike, it likely would have set dominoes in motion for literally thousands of nukes to be fired around the world, including at non-US and non-Soviet targets. Years later, PBS aired a documentary about Arkhipov titled "The Man Who Saved the World." It wasn't an overstatement.

What Happened On December 1st, 1962 with Regards to the Cuban Missile Crisis? Eventually, Kennedy and Krushchev came to a peaceful resolution. Krushchev agreed to withdraw his missiles and the US promised not to invade Cuba while also secretly removing missiles from Turkey. On November 20th, 1962, Kennedy lifted a blockade he had imposed on Cuba after determining that the Soviets had removed all their nuclear weapons. But contrary to what Kennedy believed and the way you might remember it, they hadn't. They had left behind about 100 nuclear weapons that had gone undetected with the idea that Russia might be able to train Cuba to use them, then hand the weapons over. The only thing that saved the US from this plan was Krushchev's eventual realization that Castro was too much of a wildcard to entrust with nuclear weapons. The Soviets removed the rest of their weapons, finishing the effort on December 1st, 1962.

 

[jimLE]

Why Was the Internet Originally Built?

1969! That's the same year as Woodstock and us putting a man on the moon! Back in 1969, nobody thought the internet would become the lifeblood of our world the way that it has today. Back then it was more of a backup plan. The idea was that if there was ever a Soviet nuclear strike, we wanted a way to continue communicating with each other. As a result, it wasn't invented by Silicon Valley techies in their garage, it was made by the military's then-new division, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). They were more trying to create a phone system than anything else, but someone in the UK also had the idea that it would be helpful if you could send "packets" which contained data.

What Did Tim Berners-Lee Invent in 1989? Tim Berners-Lee goes on the long list of people you may have never heard of that absolutely transformed the world. He's the guy who invented the World Wide Web. Contrary to what you may believe, the internet and the web are not the same thing. The web is the system many of us use to navigate the parts of the internet that we most frequently use on a daily basis. Think of it as the web linking websites and similar web resources out there, but not what you use when you download apps on iTunes. (Our apologies to every nerd out there for giving what we're sure is a horribly imprecise explanation.) Since then, Berners-Lee has worked tirelessly to expand the efficacy of the web and the amount of opportunity people have to use it. He was named one of the TIME 100, listing the most impactful people of the 20th century, and in 2004 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

Who Once Said, "During My Service in the United States Congress, I Took the Initiative in Creating the Internet?"

Type "Did Al Gore" into Google and the first suggested search that will pop up is "Did Al Gore invent the internet?" Al Gore has taken so much flack for claiming he invented the internet, you probably believe he actually did it. The quote was part of a rambling monologue he gave essentially laying out his resume in an interview with Wolf Blitzer. He said the quote you see above somewhere in a field of other political speak, and when he was done talking everyone moved on thinking nothing of it. Then came Declan McCullagh from Wired who saw what Gore said and decided to write about it, jabbing at Gore for claiming to create something that was launched in 1969, when Gore was 21 and nowhere near a position of any authority. After that, Gore's political opponents helped push the snowball down the hill until everyone was joking that Gore claimed he invented the internet and even now, over a decade and a half later, you probably still remember this being a thing.

But what Gore was trying to reference was a real thing he did that was incredibly impactful. He sponsored and pushed through Congress the 1991 High-Performance Computing and Communications Act. It was so much Gore's baby that it was known as the Gore Bill. The funding that bill provided had an impact on a number of things including the creation of the Mosaic Web browser. Said Marc Andreessen, founder of Netscape and a guy who worked on Mosaic, "If it had been left to private industry, it wouldn't have happened, at least, not until years later."

A Photo of Lena Söderberg Became the Most Widely Used Picture for Internet Image Processing Research. Where Did That Photo Come from? In the early days of trying to send images over the internet, engineers would use random stock photos to test out different algorithms they were creating. That is, until someone pulled the top third of a picture from Playboy magazine of a girl named Lena Söderberg (listed in the magazine as Lena Sjööblom) and proposed sending that. The picture was perfect for testing, it had a feather in it that demanded a system that depicted details well and it had a human face. Plus it was something the engineers could get excited about. The photo became the most widely used picture for image-processing research and testing, including being prominently featured in the development of the JPEG.

 

[jimLE]

Don't Get Scared: It's Just a Halloween Trivia Quiz!
Why Do We Give Out Candy on Halloween?

We're just going to say it: Halloween is the best holiday. Sorry, Thanksgiving. Where exactly the tradition of trick or treating started is a matter of some debate. But when the custom first came to America in the 1920s and 30s, it wasn't just kids going door to door for candy. The practice back then would yield all sorts of treats including toys and money. And let's be honest, if you're a kid, you love candy, but you probably wouldn't have minded if you got a few less bags of candy corn and a bit more cash. So why did we make the transition to virtually everyone just giving fun-sized candy? You guessed it, the candy companies. They saw an opportunity and started marketing tiny, individually wrapped candies to families who mostly adopted the idea because it was just easier.

Why Do Certain Animal Shelters Not Give Out Black Cats Around Halloween?

This is nice, but do you have anything I can play on my Xbox instead? Call a local animal shelter asking to adopt a black cat today and there's a solid chance they'll say no. Most people trace this tradition to the late 1980s when shelters became worried that people would sacrifice black cats as some sort of Satanic ritual. However, it's not the case everywhere. Said Vice President of Shelter Research and Development at the ASPCA, Emily Weiss, in a piece on the Huntington Post, "Years ago, this used to be pretty common - that shelters would not adopt out cats during Halloween for fear of something horrible happening to the cats, but we don't hear too much anymore. And many, many shelters are actually [holding] a special black cat promotion around the holiday."
Certain Halloween Traditions Used to Focus More Around What Green Vegetable? Halloween used to focus a lot more on a food that's almost the opposite of candy: cabbage. In fact, some towns even called Halloween "Cabbage Night." Girls used cabbage stumps as part of a fortune-telling game to make predictions about their future husbands, and kids threw cabbages at neighbors' houses. It's umm... it's amazing the tradition didn't hold up.

What Irish Tradition Turned the Fortunes of a Once-Unpopular Food? In the olden days, people didn't really like pumpkins, and they were more something farmers had to deal with getting rid of than something harvested for delicious pies. But in the 19th century, Irish immigrants started coming to America, bringing their traditions with them. Traditions that included carving turnips into lanterns for the Celtic festival of Samhain - a key originator of the Halloween holiday. And they found the perfect American substitute for the turnip: The pumpkin. Pumpkin sales and they became a staple of fall eating. All in all, it's hard to argue that it's a better choice than cabbage.

 

[jimLE]

Which President Pardoned the First Turkey?

A turkey. Recognized as the signature Thanksgiving dish in some American households and, in others, as just a vehicle for stuffingAs is the case with many Presidential pardons, this issue is a bit controversial. There are stories linking both Lincoln and Truman to the first pardon of a turkey, though both are unverified, and the Truman one has been disputed by the Truman Presidential Library. And, you'd think if anyone would be in favor of good press for Truman, it would be the library set up in his honor. Others have credited JFK who, somehow, in a way that only JFK can, got credit for pardoning a turkey that he actually just sent back to the farm so it could put on a few more pounds before being eaten. Reagan joked about pardoning a turkey during Iran-Contra, but the long, proud history of pardoning a turkey started officially in... 1989 with George H.W. Bush. The tradition has continued every year since.

What Dinner-Time Staple Got Its Start Due to a Surplus of Turkey Following Thanksgiving?

And we have been eating tremendously ... um ... appetizing and healthy meals ever since.The TV dinner owes its existence to Thanksgiving, an order miscalculation and a salesman named Gerry Thomas. In 1953, the folks at Swanson had overestimated how much turkey they would sell. Like, by 260 tons. They finished the holiday with ten refrigerated railroad cars full of the stuff. Luckily for them, they had Gerry Thomas on their team. The clever salesman came up with the idea of a frozen dinner. Using the food trays from airplane flights for inspiration, he put together an assembly line of women to throw some turkey, cornbread, gravy, peas and sweet potatoes on a tray, then sell the whole meal as a frozen dinner. And thus, the TV dinner was born. The new product was a hit. In 1954, Swanson sold 10 million turkey dinners.

The Woman Who Got Us to Make Thanksgiving a National Holiday Also Wrote What Iconic Children's Song?

Trivia Today: Proud to give you something other to do than interact with your family!Sarah Josepha Hale was a woman truly dedicated to the cause of there being a Thanksgiving holiday. So dedicated in fact that she spent 17 years campaigning for it and wrote letters to five different presidents. Until then, Thanksgiving was celebrated, but not recognized as a national holiday. She finally got her wish when Abraham Lincoln officially placed the holiday on the last Thursday in November. (How did it get moved to the fourth Thursday in November? You'll have to read tomorrow's post to find out.) She is also responsible for much of our current Thanksgiving menu. The pilgrims and Native Americans didn't eat most of the dishes we commonly associate with the holiday today. Instead, those came from editorials she wrote giving recipes for things like turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and, for dessert, pumpkin pie.What's another Sarah Josepha Hale claim to fame? She wrote, "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

Why Does Canada Celebrate Thanksgiving So Much Earlier Than the United States?Canada's earlier celebration, on the second Monday of each October, is the result of Parliament finally putting its foot down because apparently no one else could make up their minds. The first Canadian Thanksgiving was meant as a celebration of gratitude back in the 1500s, but it was not an official repeat affair. After another gratitude celebration in April 1872 to commemorate the King of England's recovery from illness, the holiday was moved to autumn but continually moved from day to day and week to week. It wasn't until 1957 that the country finally decided on a standard date. The United States wasn't much better about consistent dates at first, but the country settled on a stable day for Thanksgiving in 1863, almost 100 years earlier than Canada.

 

[jimLE]

Merry Christmas Trivia Quiz
Merry Christmas! We're sure you've got an Xbox under your tree that needs some opening, but if you're looking for something else to do today, try out these Christmas trivia questions...
Clement Clarke Moore and Henry Livingston, Jr. Both Claim to Have Written What Christmas Classic?

Who can forget Christmas time growing up? When mom would put you on her lap and ask the ceremonial trivia questions. No? That was just our house? Okay, never mind."'Twas the Night Before Christmas" is probably the most famous Christmas poem out there. We just have no idea who wrote it. The story goes that Clement Clarke Moore wrote the poem for his family, but never intended to publish it. When his maid submitted it to the local paper without his knowledge, he didn't take any credit because he felt it was so much worse than his other work. But eventually, after over a decade of acclaim, he came forward and took credit for the piece. There's only one problem. Henry Livingston, Jr.'s family claims he was telling them that same poem years before it ever hit the presses. Unfortunately, like all good pieces of evidence in a heated debate, their allegedly original paper version of the poem was destroyed in a fire. But he's got the backing of Vassar College's Donald Foster, a literary professor who says that based on the two authors' other works, the poem looks nothing like the stuff Moore has written and very much like the pieces penned by Livingston. So who actually wrote the Christmas classic? That's something we may never know.

When Was Christmas First Declared a Federal Holiday?Christmas wasn't an official, take-a-day-off holiday in the United States until 1870. It was celebrated before then, but not widely. In fact, the first English settlers in Massachusetts banned its celebration - the Puritans were notorious spoilsports and didn't allow much fun in their lives. Christmas was only sporadically celebrated after the Revolutionary War, slowly gaining popularity over the nineteenth century.
How Did the NORAD Santa Tracker Tradition Start?

Hold on little Timmy. I'll have that estimate for you in just fifteen minutes.In 1955, the people at Sears printed an ad encouraging kids to call their hotline and tell Santa Claus what they wanted for Christmas. There was just one problem. They printed the wrong number. In fact, they printed the number of Continental Air Defense's Director of Operations, Colonel Harry Shoup. As in, one of the guys you might call if America is under nuclear attack. At first, Shoup was annoyed. But then the Christmas spirit must have taken hold of him, because he started telling any kid who called what only an air defense director of operations could: Santa's coordinates as he made his way across the friendly skies. Over the years, it became a tradition. Kids could call in to a team of volunteers who would report back to them on where exactly Santa was. Nowadays, NORAD Santa Tracker has a website and a Twitter handle. It's not as personal a service as it once was, but a whole lot more kids can figure out how soon their gifts will be arriving.

What Do the Writers of "White Christmas," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" All Have in Common?Check out pretty much any list of the most iconic Christmas songs and about half of them were written by Jewish people. Johnny Marks may be the most prolific, he wrote "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and "A Holly Jolly Christmas." In addition to the songs listed above, you can also credit Jewish songwriters with "Silver Bells," "Let It Snow," "Santa Baby" and plenty more. So how do you explain this religious contradiction? According to Emmy Winner Michael Feinstein, "The Christmas songs that are popular are not about Jesus, but they're about sleigh bells and Santa and the trappings of Christmas." In other words, Christmas songs are really just about winter and family and being "Home for the Holidays." (Also written by a Jewish person).

Why Was Santa Claus Removed from Forbes' List of the Richest Fictional Characters in 2006?Every now and then, Forbes releases a list of fiction's richest characters. In 2013, Scrooge McDuck topped the rankings with an estimated net worth of 65.4 billion. But that's nothing compared to one of the list's previous number 1's: Santa Claus. As recently as 2005, his net worth was estimated at infinite. We're not totally sure how they calculated that number, but it's not bad for a guy who works one night a year. So why is St. Nick no longer on the list? Well, as Forbes put it in 2006, "We still estimate Claus' net worth as infinite, but we excluded him from this year's rankings after being bombarded by letters from outraged children insisting that Claus is 'real.' We don't claim to have settled the ongoing controversy concerning Claus' existence, but after taking into account the physical evidence - toys delivered, milk and cookies devoured - we felt it was safer to remove him from consideration." Apparently, even Forbes, one of the most adult publications on the planet, isn't fully ready to dismiss the possibility that maybe there is a Santa Claus.

 

[jimLE]

On January 26, 1980, the U.S. Olympic Committee voted to boycott the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow after the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan. See if you know the answers to these trivia questions about what took place
How Many Nations Participated in the Boycott of the Moscow Summer Olympics?

Even at the Olympic Games, people don't like to sit in the nosebleed section.Out of the countries that participated in the Olympic Games, 65 boycotted the Moscow Olympics while 80 participated. Initially, there was little interest in the boycott by other nations, but the suggestion picked up steam after it was supported by Andrei Sakharov, a Russian dissident. Some nations did not send participants because of money concerns.

What Action Encouraged the U.S. Olympic Committee to Vote for the Boycott?

This French poster for the Olympic Games encourages the boycott. The artist, showing French fashion sense, dressed Misha the bear and includes a sidearm as an accessory.Although a decision to boycott the Olympics is made by the U.S. Olympic Committee, both houses of Congress passed resolutions supporting a boycott. The vote was 88 to 4 in the U. S. Senate and 286 to 12 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Because of the broad support by Congress, the USOC agreed with the decision to boycott the games. In the United States, athletes were warned that their passports would be stripped if they traveled to Moscow for the games. A lawsuit, filed by 25 American athletes wanting to attend the competition, was denied.
What Famous Athlete Was Sent by President Carter on a Tour of Africa?President Jimmy Carter, in an effort to bolster support for the boycott, sent boxer Muhammad Ali to Africa on a goodwill tour in order to try and enlist the support of nations there. The trip backfired, however, when Ali himself questioned the boycott during the course of his meetings. Some of the countries that joined the boycott included West Germany, Israel, and Canada. Many Islamic nations boycotted the Moscow Olympics, but 11 athletes from Afghanistan, the country that had been invaded by the Soviets, attended the Olympic Games. Other nations that joined the boycott included the People's Republic of China, South Korea, Chile, Honduras, Haiti, and Paraguay.

Not all the nations refused participation in the games because of the boycott. Some were limited from participating due to financial problems that kept them from sending participants.

With 65 Countries Out, Which Countries Won the Most Medals in the Moscow Olympics?Athletes from the Soviet Union won the most medals in the 1980 Summer Olympics with 80 gold, 69 silver and 46 bronze for a total of 195 medals. East Germany came in second with 47 gold, 37 silver and 42 bronze for a total of 126 medals. A Russian, Aleksandr Dityatin, won medals in all eight events in men's gymnastics, including three gold medals, making him the first to ever accomplish this feat. Because of the boycott, the anticipated first year of the field hockey tournament for women was almost canceled. However, at the last minute, Zimbabwe sent its team to compete against the Russians. The tournament results came as a surprise when Zimbabwe won the gold meda

 

[Brent S]

I think there are some things that politics need to stay the heck out of, the onlympics should be off limits to government leaders. With hindsight being 20/20, if Russia had stayed in Afghanistan we never would have created Osama bin laden. Most people are unaware that the US supported him with fighting the Russians. Unfortunately, after the Russians were driven off he needed a new enemy to fight.

 

[WGregMiller]

I think there are some things that politics need to stay the heck out of, the onlympics should be off limits to government leaders. With hindsight being 20/20, if Russia had stayed in Afghanistan we never would have created Osama bin laden. Most people are unaware that the US supported him with fighting the Russians. Unfortunately, after the Russians were driven off he needed a new enemy to fight.

And that SOB liked to fight.... I knew we supported him against the Russians and that goes to show you who you should help..

 

[Brent S]

And that SOB liked to fight.... I knew we supported him against the Russians and that goes to show you who you should help..

As they say, when you play with fire you can get burned.

 

[jimLE]

4 Electrifying Trivia Questions About Frankenstein
On March 11, 1818, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley at age 18, was published. Answering these trivia questions should not be too horrifying.

Where Did the Idea for the Book Come From?

Frankenstein may have been the precursor to the self-made man. At least, he made for a great Halloween costume.There is some suggestion that Mary Godwin, before her marriage to Percy Bysshe Shelley, traveled through Southern Germany by boat in 1814 and stayed near Darmstadt. The Frankenstein Castle sits on a hill overlooking the town, and even then, was the subject of numerous myths and folktales. One, in particular, is the story of alchemist, theologian, and physician Johann Conrad Dippel, who was born in Frankenstein Castle.

Although little has been proven about Dippel's life, many rumors exist, including that he was searching for the Elixir of Life and the Philosopher's Stone, which could turn metals into gold. He did develop Dippel's Oil, a substance composed of charred animal bones, hooves and hides, similar to Neat's Foot Oil. However, dark rumors existed at the time that Dippel was experimenting that might have involved bodies stolen from graveyards, reanimation experiments and transferring the soul of a body into another.

Why Did Mary Shelley Write the Novel?

Frankenstein's creature, as depicted by Edison Studios in 1910. This was obviously before he went with the flattop haircut and neck bolt body piercings.She traveled to the Swiss villa near Lake Geneva belonging to poet George Gordon Lord Byron, along with Percy Bysshe Shelley, and others during the summer of 1816. Because of the eruption of Mt. Tambora in 1815 in Indonesia, it created incessant rain, forcing the group to spend a great deal of time indoors. That year became known as "the year without a summer." They passed much of the time telling ghost stories, writing, and reading, and it was Byron who suggested they have a contest writing such stories. Mary, Shelley's soon to be wife, said the idea for the story came to her because of conversations between Percy Shelley and Lord Byron about life and the possibility of the reanimation of corpses, among other subjects. Mary Shelley's novel was published two years later with no author listed. However, the preface to the book was written by her husband, Percy Shelley, and includes the reasons they decided to write stories with a supernatural theme.

Was Frankenstein the Monster's Name?No. Victor Frankenstein was the name of the monster's creator, not the creature itself. Nowhere in Mary Shelley's novel does she call the monster by a name. Instead, she refers to the monster as "it," "creature," and by other words. As for the monster, it refers to itself as when speaking to Victor as "the Adam of your labours." It goes on to say, "I should have been your Adam but instead I am your fallen angel."
Has the Book Frankenstein Ever Been Out of Print?No. Since its initial release of 500 copies in 1818, the book has continuously been in print. It has also inspired numerous movies, musicals, comic books and toys. The first film depiction of the book was made in 1910 by Edison Studios, the company owned by inventor Thomas Edison. One of the most popular movies was released in 1931. Frankenstein starred Boris Karloff as the monster and Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein.
The duo starred again in Bride of Frankenstein in the 1935 movie, with Elsa Lanchester as the bride. The monster even made its way into comedies such as the 1948 Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and Young Frankenstein, the Mel Brooks' comedy starring Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle. In television programming, it extended to Fred Gwynne's character of Herman Munster.

 

[jimLE]

4 Trivia Questions about Uncle Sam
On March 13th, 1852, the New York Lantern debuted a new cartoon character: Uncle Sam. Today we're challenging you to see how much you know about our nation's avatar with some patriotic trivia questions!
What Was the Name of the Meat Packer from Troy, New York who Inspired the Nickname Uncle Sam?

I want you... to answer these trivia questions.While the cartoon character was first depicted in 1852, Uncle Sam's origin story traces back to the War of 1812 when a man named Sam Wilson used to supply barrels of meat to the United States army. He marked the barrels U.S. referring to, ya know, the country these soldiers were fighting for. But the soldiers liked to say it stood for Uncle Sam, the guy supplying all that food. After a newspaper story about the nickname, it started to spread. Sam Wilson is now buried in Troy, New York and they are quite proud of their native son. They call themselves "The Home of Uncle Sam."

The Cartoonist Who Popularized the Image of Uncle Sam Is Also Credited with Coming up with What Two Famous Political Symbols?

That means he doesn't get all the credit for this picture existing, but he does have to take at least some of the blame.Thomas Nast was a political cartoonist who helped popularize the image of Uncle Sam, but that wasn't his only contribution to the world of political imagery. He also has the distinction of being the guy who depicted Democrats as donkeys and Republicans as elephants.

However, there is another feather in his cap which is probably more impressive than those other three combined. Many credit him with being the guy who first depicted Santa as a jolly fat man in a red suit. People also credit him with creating the idea that Santa lives in the north pole and that it would be worth kids' time to send their wish lists to him over there.

Okay But Who First Drew Uncle Sam Pointing His Finger Straight at Ya?Most give the credit for creating that iconic Uncle Sam image in that iconic pose to James Montgomery Flagg. He drew the picture for a July 1916 cover of a magazine called Leslie's Weekly, with the words "What Are You Doing for Preparedness?" running underneath it. Flagg also gave Uncle Sam a bit of a makeover, including redoing the face. Not wanting to bother with hiring a model, he simply made it a self-portrait. So that guy you always see telling you he wants you? That's essentially Flagg himself.

The image worked. The government used it for World War I recruiting posters and enrollment soared. They continued to use the image with much success for quite a while though eventually they pulled back...

During What War Did the Government Phase Out Uncle Sam's Use on Recruitment Posters?Uncle Sam represents the United States. And his saying he wants you represents a call to duty for all those proud patriots out there. So which was the war when he suddenly stopped being so effective? The war where people started being a little less proud of their country. During the Vietnam War, as people became a little more distrustful of government, his brazen Uncle Samness didn't quite work. The recruiting offices phased out their iconic image, but they didn't stop using him altogether. During the Gulf War he made a comeback and he's still out there, telling plenty of people how badly he wants them.

 

[jimLE]

Trivia: The Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam War
It was May 28, 1984, that President Ronald Reagan laid to rest an unidentified American soldier from the Vietnam War at Arlington Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Test your knowledge of our nation’s fallen heroes with these trivia questions.
How Many Americans Died in the Vietnam War?

According to the National Records and Archives Administration, 58,220 Americans died as a result of the war in Vietnam. That’s an average of nearly 20 American deaths per day that the US had military forces on the ground in Vietnam.

As staggering as that number may be, it doesn’t come close to touching the number of deaths experienced in other major US conflicts.

Which War is Responsible for the Highest Number of US Fallen Soldiers?According to data from the Department of Defense and Department of Veteran Affairs, Vietnam is only the fourth deadliest war for US military personnel.

The first World War killed over 100,000 American soldiers. World War II more than tripled that number with over 400,000 fallen. The most deadly war of all for US military though? Our own Civil War.

Estimates of the number dead vary but generally hover around approximately 500,000 US military deaths as a result of the Civil War. Combined with eight other US military conflicts not mentioned thus far, the total number of US military deaths in history is now well over 1.1 million.

The deadliest battle of all-time? That was actually in World War I at the Battle of Argonne Forest where over 26,000 American soldiers lost their lives.
What is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.On March 4, 1921, Congress approved the burial of an unidentified US soldier on a hilltop facing Washington DC in Arlington National Cemetery. President Harding oversaw the burial of the soldier later that year. A new post-wartime ceremony was born. The Unknown Soldiers from each war buried in that tomb are meant to symbolize all of the fallen Americans from their respective conflicts.

President Eisenhower was the next to hold the honor. He buried two unknowns: one selected from World War II and the other from the Korean War. Both were awarded the Medal of Honor and buried in a ceremony presided over by Eisenhower.

It wasn’t until 1984 - over 10 years after the Paris Peace Accords effectively put an end to the Vietnam War - that President Reagan buried the Unknown Soldier alongside his fallen comrades from the two World Wars and Korea.

Why Did it Take So Much Time to Choose a Soldier from Vietnam for the Tomb?In the years between Eisenhower’s induction of the two unknowns from World War II and Korean Wars and Reagan’s burial of the unknown from Vietnam, there had been significant technological, militaristic and scientific advancements that made actually finding an unknown soldier difficult.

By 1982, all but four fallen US soldiers had been identified and their next of kin notified. Of the four remaining, two were identified later that year and one couldn’t be 100% verified as American. That left the one remaining unknown, who was chosen and later buried by President Reagan on May 28, 1984.

 

[Brent S]

Thanks for the inspirational home work Jim.

 

[jimLE]

May 29th is Memorial Day. While we realize that means you'll likely be spending your time barbecuing and relaxing, we thought you might still be interested in a few trivia questions...
What Former General Helped Establish the Forerunner of Memorial Day?

General John A. “Black Jack” Logan, who led the fraternal organization, Grand Army of the Republic, called for the establishment of this day of remembrance by issuing General Order No. 1. The GAR had been founded in 1866 for Northern Civil War veterans. Logan helped found the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) and was elected as its second nationwide commander. The order itself called for decorating veterans’ graves or strewing flowers to remember those who fought and died during the Civil War and raising the flag in remembrance of their sacrifice. It was called Decoration Day and was celebrated on May 30. By 1890, 27 of the 42 states were observing Decoration Day.

According to Congress, What Is the Official Birthplace of Memorial Day?

Though Memorial Day has largely become a day of cookouts and celebrations, it is still meant as a day to honor fallen American soldiers.Where did Memorial Day first start? We have no idea. Over 20 towns take the credit for giving the holiday its start. There's Boalsburg, Pennsylvania where women in 1864 mourned the deceased at Gettysburg. There's Carbondale, Illinois, where soldiers marched in honor of the fallen, a march capped off by a speech from General John Logan himself (the man generally thought of as the founder of the holiday). Heck, there's even two separate places named Columbus that claim to be the birthplace of the holiday. But when it came time for Congress to recognize an official birthplace of the holiday, they designated the small town of Waterloo, New York.
By Law, at What Time on Memorial Day Are You Supposed to Remember Our Fallen Soldiers?

Though in fairness, pools opening is something we, as a nation, should totally be celebrating.In 2000, Congress passed the National Monument of Remembrance Act, dictating that you should pause at 3p.m. to remember the soldiers who have died. The story goes that someone got the idea when some children touring Washington D.C. were asked what Memorial Day is, and one child answered, "That's the day the pool opens." Realizing that people thought of it more as a day of barbecues, blockbuster movie releases and, apparently, pool openings than a day to honor the soldiers who died for our country, Congress decided to pass a law specifically reminding us what the holiday is all about. They chose that time because it's when they felt Americans were most enjoying the freedom provided by those soldiers who died defending our country.

Of course, the law hasn't done all that much to change our behavior. There'll probably be more people eating hotdogs than observing a moment of silence at 3p.m. across the country today, but hey, what's a more American freedom to celebrate than that one?

When Was the Name Changed to Memorial Day?As early as the 1880s, people started referring to the commemorative day as Memorial Day. In 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved Memorial Day to the final Monday in May. The move was objected to by some veterans groups because they believed this three-day holiday would be used less for honoring veterans than for celebrating the long weekend that heralded summer. A U.S. Senator from Hawaii, Daniel Inouye, championed changing the date back to May 30 for over 20 years, until he died in 2012.

 

[jimLE]

Star-Spangled Trivia Questions About America's First Official Flag
On June 14, 1777, The Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the Stars and Stripes as the national flag. See if you can answer these all-American trivia questions about America’s first official flags..
What Flag Was Flown Before the Officially Recognized Flag?

Betsy Ross is believed to have sewn the first official flag of the United States. No word on how much she was paid for the job.General George Washington was the designer of not only the “Stars and Stripes” but of the Grand Union Flag, which was flown during the period of the American Revolutionary War. It consisted of six white stripes, seven red stripes and had the British Union symbol in the upper left, where the stars are positioned now. Historians believe the Grand Union Flag was flown for the first time aboard the ship Alfred on December 3, 1775 along the Delaware River. This was Esek Hopkins’ ship. He was a commodore with the Continental Navy.

Who Sewed the First Official Flag of the United States?

The "Star-Spangled Banner" flag was enormous. It's on display at the Smithsonian Institution, where all Americans can see it in person.Although this has been a subject of debate over the years, Betsy Ross is generally credited with sewing the first flag back in 1776. The news that she was indeed the seamstress wasn’t known until about 100 years later when the information was given to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania by William Canby, her grandson.

Reportedly, she was visited by General Washington, George Ross, and Robert Morris in May or June 1776, and Washington personally asked her to make it. She was shown a sketch that showed a flag with 13 stars with six points and 13 stripes of alternating red and white. According to the family, it was Ross herself who suggested the five-point star and arranging them in a circle.
What Was the “Star-Spangled Banner” Flag?This was the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the song, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Commissioned by the commander at Fort McHenry, Major George Armistead, it originally measured 30 feet by 42 feet. Over years of wear and tear, it now measures 30 feet by 34 feet and is missing one of its stars. It was raised over Fort McHenry on September 14, 1814, as a sign of the American victory in the Battle of Baltimore over British forces. While the flag was in possession of the Armistead family originally, it was loaned to and then donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. in 1912 and has remained on permanent display there since 1964.

Who Made the “Star-Spangled Banner” Flag for Fort McHenry?Mary Pickersgill, a flag maker who lived in Baltimore, Maryland, made both the “Star-Spangled Banner” flag, which was the garrison flag, and a smaller 17 feet by 25 feet storm flag for the fort. It took her six to eight weeks to sew both and her daughter, an indentured woman who was African-American, and two nieces worked on it also. The government paid her $405.90 to create the larger flag and $168.54 for the smaller one. She used white cotton for the stars of the big flag with English wool bunting that had been dyed for the white and red stripes and blue background for the stars. Each one of the stripes measures about two feet wide and the stars are around two feet also if you are measuring them by their diameter.

 

[jimLE]

Gaw Hong
=================
More than 200 years ago, the Chinese on Formosa were having a
difficult time stamping out the barbaric practice of headhunting
among native Taiwanese inhabitants.

Because of the coming of the Chinese gentleman named Gaw Hong
who had been appointed magistrate to the region, the practice
was almost wiped out except for a few spots here and there.

He was a just man and a kind man. Soon he had won the hearts of
all the people in the area. By his good dealings with the
people, he won their affection. Even the fiercest of the tribes
couldn’t help but love, respect and revere him.

Because he was such an incredibly fine gentleman, he managed to
stamp out this barbaric practice bit by bit. Unfortunately,
when it appeared that he had almost succeeded, a religious
festival approached and the local inhabitants felt that they
needed to appease the Gods by offering human heads.

Gaw Hong appealed to them with every ounce of persuasion he had,
not to do it, but they wore him down.

Eventually, he said to them, “I will give you permission to take
one head, only one. And, you will take it when and where I shall
appoint.”

When the feast came, he told them explicitly what he wanted them
to do. They were to take the first man using a certain path at
dawn the next day. In keeping with his instructions, the
assassins lay in wait for that first person to appear on the
road. The arrow of the assassin found its target, and they
quickly cut off the head of the victim, put it in a bag and took
it to the tribal chief.

When the sack was opened, it was the head of Gaw Hong.


On that day in Formosa, headhunting ceased forever.