Trivia People

On this date in 1553, the disputed nine-day reign of Lady Jane Grey as Queen of England ended. Here are some things you may not have known about the shortest reign in British history. Jane Grey was born in either 1536 or 1537, possibly in Leicestershire or possibly in London. She and her sisters Catherine and Mary were the great-granddaughters […]

The post Jane Grey: The Nine-Day Queen of England appeared first on Trivia Minute by TriviaPeople.com.

On this date in 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry was defeated in the second battle of Fort Wagner, near Charleston, South Carolina. Here’s a few things you may not have known about one of the first African-American units in the American Civil War. The governor of Massachusetts, John A. Andrew, authorized the regiment in March 1863, after the Emancipation Proclamation. […]

The post The ‘Glory’ Regiment: Leading the Way appeared first on Trivia Minute by TriviaPeople.com.

Today is the 100th anniversary of the founding of The Boeing Company. Here are some things you may not have known about the world’s largest aerospace company. The company was founded as Pacific Aero Products Co. by William Boeing along with George Conrad Westervelt in Seattle, Washington. The inspiration to start the company came when Boeing crashed a seaplane and […]

The post Boeing: Soaring Since 1916 appeared first on Trivia Minute by TriviaPeople.com.

On this date in 1969, the United States retired all currency above $100. Here are some things you may not have known about large denomination currency. The first $500 bill was issued in North Carolina in 1780, followed by Virginia, which also began printing $1,000 and $2,000 bills a year later. However, the first high-denomination note issued by the U.S. […]

The post Big Money: Who Doesn’t Need a $10,000 Bill? appeared first on Trivia Minute by TriviaPeople.com.

On this date in 1923, the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles was dedicated. Here are some things you may not have known about it. Originally the sign read “Hollywoodland” as a promotion for a housing development in the Hollywood Hills. One of the developers of the project was Harry Chandler, the owner of the Los Angeles Times. The sign is […]

The post Hollywood Sign: Above It All Since 1923 appeared first on Trivia Minute by TriviaPeople.com.

On this date in 1862, the Medal of Honor was authorized by the United States Congress. Here are some things you may not have known about America’s highest military honor. The medal is sometimes known as the Congressional Medal of Honor, as it is awarded by the President in the name of the Congress, although its full name is simply […]

The post Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond appeared first on Trivia Minute by TriviaPeople.com.

On this date in 1804, former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton was shot in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. Here are some things you may not have known about the duel. Alexander Hamilton was born in the West Indies and was orphaned as a child. His intelligence impressed local businessmen, who sent him to what is now […]

The post Hamilton: The World Was Wide Enough appeared first on Trivia Minute by TriviaPeople.com.

On this date in 1889, the Wall Street Journal was published for the first time. Here are some things you may not have known about the newspaper. The company started by publishing news bulletins delivered by hand to traders at the New York Stock Exchange in the early 1880s. Eventually, the updates would be combined into a publication called the […]

The post Wall Street Journal: Financial News since 1889 appeared first on Trivia Minute by TriviaPeople.com.

Today is International Chocolate Day. Here are some things you may not have known about chocolate. Chocolate is made from the cacao tree, which is native to Mexico and Central America. Early on most chocolate was consumed as a beverage. Samples of fermented cacao beans have been found at sites dating to 1900 BC on the Pacific coast of Chiapas, […]

The post Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate appeared first on Trivia Minute by TriviaPeople.com.

On this date in 1885, Louis Pasteur tested his vaccine for rabies on a boy who had been bitten by a rabid dog. Here are some things you may not have known about Pasteur. Louis Pasteur was born in 1822 in eastern France. As a child Pasteur didn’t show much inclination toward science, focusing instead on sketching and fishing. After […]

The post Louis Pasteur: Saving Lives, One Microbe at a Time appeared first on Trivia Minute by TriviaPeople.com.