Trivia People

A replica of the Stone of Scone at Scone Palace, Scotland (Image by Bubobubo2 via Wikimedia Commons)

On this date in 1951, the Stone of Scone, also known as the the Stone of Destiny and  the Coronation Stone was returned to the British government after it was taken to Scotland.

Here are some things you may not have known about the stone and the plot to steal it.

The stone is a 336-pound block of red sandstone that monarchs sit on during the coronation ceremony.

When it began being used ceremonially is not clear.

One legend says that the stone is the Stone of Jacob, from the book of Genesis, and was delivered to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah. King Fergus I, the founder of Scotland in national myth, is said to have brought the stone to Scotland.

The stone was used for all Scottish coronations until 1296, when Edward I of England captured the stone and brought it to Westminster Abbey as a spoil of war.

Edward used the stone to claim to be “Lord Paramount” of Scotland, ranking above the King of Scotland.

The stone was placed in a recess under the Coronation Chair, also called King Edward’s Chair, which is the where most subsequent English monarchs have been crowned.

In 1328, the Kingdoms of Scotland and England agreed to a treaty which was to see the stone returned north. However, riotous crowds prevented the transfer. It remained in England for the next 600 years. However since 1603, the monarch of Scotland and England has been the same person, either by personal union, or by law since 1707.

On Christmas 1950, four Scottish students removed the stone from Westminster Abbey and brought it back to Scotland. Breaking it in two along the way. It was kept for a time in a trunk in a basement before it was repaired. The British government undertook a massive search for the stone, which was unsuccessful. On April 11, 1951, the stone was left on the altar of Arbroath Abbey. It was returned to Westminster Abbey four months later.

In 1996, the stone was once again returned to Scotland, where it is kept when not being used for coronations. It is held at Edinburgh Castle, alongside the crown jewels of Scotland.

Our question: Who was the last monarch of Scotland who did not also rule England?

Today is World Parkinson’s Disease Day.

It’s International “Louie Louie” Day, National Eight-Track Tape Day, and Barbershop Quartet Day.

It’s the birthday of Ethel Kennedy, fashion designer Oleg Cassini, and musician Joss Stone.

Because our topic happened before 1960, we will spin the wheel to pick a year at random.

This week in 1983, the top song in the U.S. was “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson.

The No. 1 movie was “Tootsie,” while the novel “The Little Drummer Girl” by John le Carre topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Links

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Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_of_Scone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_of_Jacob

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_Chair

https://en.

Ronald Reagan’s official presidential portrait from 1981. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

Today is the 30th anniversary of actor and director Clint Eastwood being elected as mayor of Carmel, California. Here are some things you may not have known about celebrities in politics.

The state of California, rather obviously, has had a disproportionate share of celebrity politicians.

Actor and dancer George Murphy was among the first notable actors elected to a major office when he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1965.

Musician Sonny Bono was mayor of Palm Springs, and later represented the area in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Actor and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor of the state.

California also elected Ronald Reagan governor before he was elected President of the United States.

Under Reagan, former child star Shirley Temple served as U.S. ambassador to Czechoslovakia after serving as ambassador to Ghana under Gerald Ford.

But California isn’t the only state that has elected celebrities.

Fred Grandy, better known as Gopher on TV’s “The Love Boat” was elected to Congress from Iowa.

Actor Ben Jones, who played Cooter on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” represented the Fourth Congressional District of Georgia from 1989 to 1993.

Actor Fred Thompson was elected to the U.S. Senate after roles in movies such as “Die  Hard 2” and “The Hunt for Red October.” He would return to acting as the district attorney in later years of “Law and Order.”

Talk show host Jerry Springer went from politics to celebrity. He was a lawyer before being elected to the city council of Cincinnati and then serving as mayor. He used that experience to enter television journalism and eventually start his talk show.

Former professional wrestler and actor Jesse Ventura was elected governor of Minnesota in 1999 after serving as mayor of the city of Brooklyn Park.

Former “Saturday Night Live” writer and performer Al Franken currently serves Minnesota as a member of the U.S. Senate.

Our question: Besides acting, what do George Murphy, Ronald Reagan and Charlton Heston have in common?

Today is National Zoo Lovers Day and National Empanada Day.

It’s the birthday of figure skater and actress Sonja Henie, Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan and baseball pitcher Jim “Catfish” Hunter.

Because our event doesn’t have a specific date associated with it, we will spin the wheel to pick a year at random.

This week in 1990, the top song in the U.S. was “Love Will Lead You Back” by Taylor Dayne.

The No. 1 movie was “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” while “The Bourne Ultimatum” by Robert Ludlum topped the New York Times best seller list.

Links

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or our website.

Also, if you’re enjoying the show, please consider supporting it through Patreon.com

Please rate the show on iTunes by clicking here.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Eastwood

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_actor-politicians#USA

http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1990/hot-100

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(Image by Sam via Wikimedia Commons)

Today is National Beer Day in the United States.

Here are some things you may not have known about the history of beer in the United States.

• The unofficial holiday is celebrated today to mark the anniversary of the 1933 partial repeal of prohibition. It allowed beer to be sold and consumed legally for the first time since 1920.

• A drink resembling beer was brewed by Native Americans before the arrival of Europeans. The first commercial breweries opened in the 1630s in the New York City area. Because of the early British and Dutch influence on the country, beer, rather than wine, became the alcoholic drink of choice. Until the mid 1800s, British-style ales were the dominant brew. The influx of immigrants from Germany meant an increase in the popularity of lager beers. Lager was also more stable and retained more of its quality in less-than-ideal conditions.

• The oldest continually operating brewery in the United States is D.G. Yuengling & Son in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, which was founded in 1829. Eberhard Anheuser went into the brewing business in 1860. The business was renamed Anheuser-Busch and in 1876 began producing Budweiser, based on a Bohemian lager from what is now the Czech Republic. Anheuser Busch is not legally allowed to call its product “Budweiser” in much of Europe because of trademark issues. In those locations, it’s sold under the name “Bud.”

•  During prohibition all beer brewing became illegal. The largest brewers managed to stay in business by selling other products like near beer, malt syrup, and soft drinks. Beer was not commonly bootlegged during prohibition because the alcohol by volume was too low to make a large enough profit. Most bootleggers ran rum and moonshine, which provided significantly more alcoholic bang for the buck.

• Following prohibition, massive breweries largely cornered the American market. Breweries such as Anheuser-Busch, Miller and Coors made lagers that were of the pilsner style with little flavor, which led to the stereotype of boring American beers. The first microbrewery since prohibition opened in Sonoma County, California in 1976. The first brewpub since prohibition was opened by Bert Grant in Yakima, Washington, in 1982. Seventy-five percent of the hops grown in the United States come from the Yakima Valley.

• In 1978, there were 42 breweries in the United States. There are now nearly 3,000, most of them small, independent brewers.

• Beer accounts for 85 percent of the volume of all alcoholic beverages sold in the United States. The top brand in the U.S. is Bud Light with 28.3 percent market share, followed by Budweiser. The best selling imported beer is Corona Extra from Mexico, followed by Heineken from Holland. Anheuser-Busch and Miller have both been acquired by foreign conglomerates. The largest American-owned breweries are now Yuengling and Boston Beer Co. which makes Samuel Adams. Craft beers account for 11 percent of total beer sales by volume in the U.S.

• Globally, the country that consumes the most beer is China, which drinks more than 11 billion U.S. gallons per year. The U.S. is second, drinking a little more than 6 billion gallons annually.

Our question: Which country drinks the most beer per capita?

Today is World Health Day, Women’s Day in Mozambique and Flag Day in Slovenia.

It’s unofficially Metric System Day, Public Television Day and National Coffee Cake Day.

It’s the birthday of poet William Wordsworth, singer Billie Holiday and musician Ravi Shankar.

This week in 1969, the No. 1 song in the United States was “Dizzy” by Tommy Roe.

The No. 1 movie was “Goodbye, Columbus” based on the novella by Philip Roth,

ABBA performing “Waterloo” during the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.

On this date in 1974, ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with their song “Waterloo.”

Here are some things you might not known about the contest.

In the years following World War II, European broadcasting leaders were searching for a unifying entertainment icon that would bring the continent together. In 1955, the idea of an international song contest was brought up. It would involve a live broadcast with participating countries submitting and performing two songs. The first contest took place in Lugano, Switzerland and was known as the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Prix. Because satellite broadcasting did not yet exist, the program was transmitted though a terrestrial microwave network.

Seven countries participated in the first contest: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Since then, 52 countries have participated, however not all of them have been from Europe. Some of the non-European entrants include Israel and Cyprus, which are on the Asian continent; Morocco, which is in north Africa; and Australia, which is in Australia.

Germany has competed in 59 of the 60 song contests, winning in 1982 and 2010. Portugal is the country that has participated most often without winning; they have yet to win in 48 tries. The country with the most victories is Ireland, which has won the contest seven times. Sweden has won six times, including 1974, when ABBA won. In 2005, “Waterloo” was selected as the most popular song in the history of the contest.

Although the contest is immensely popular, with nearly 200 million television viewers, it is not much of a launching pad for performers. Of the 60 winners, only ABBA and Celine Dion went on to worldwide stardom. Of the 60 winning entries, 58 have included women, either performing solo or in a group.

Our question: What country won the Eurovision Song Contest in its first year as an independent nation?

Today is National Hostess Twinkie Day, National Siamese Cat Day and National Caramel Popcorn Day.

It’s the birthday of artist Raphael, the co-discoverer of DNA James Watson, and musician Merle Haggard.

This week in 1974, the top song in the U.S. was “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede.

The No. 1 movie was “The Great Gatsby,” while the novel “Burr” by Gore Vidal topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Links

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or our website.

Also, if you’re enjoying the show, please consider supporting it through Patreon.com

Please rate the show on iTunes by clicking here.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_(network)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Eurovision_Song_Contest_winners

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest_1974

https://www.checkiday.com

http://www.biography.

Easter Island moai at Ahu Tongariki (Image by Bjorn Christian Torrissen via Wikimedia Commons)

On this date in 1722, a Dutch explorer became the first European to land on Easter Island.

Here are some things you may not have known about Easter Island.

It is located at the southeastern corner of the Polynesian Triangle, about 2,000 miles west of South America. It’s a special territory of Chile.

It’s best known for the large carved stone heads on the perimeter of the island. However, the statues, which are called moai, aren’t just heads: most of them include torsos down to the waists. The average height of the statues is about 13 feet tall, however, the largest is more than 32 feet tall.

Most of the statues are carved from compressed volcanic ash using stone chisels. They were carved between the years 1100 and 1680, according to carbon dating.

The moai were built by the Rapa Nui people, Polynesians who are believed to have settled the island between no earlier than 300 AD. One of the staples of the Rapa Nui diet was the sweet potato, which originated in South America. This indicates an early contact between South Americans and the Polynesians.

In 1722, Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen found the island on Easter Sunday, which is how the island came to have its name. Several other ships visited over the course of the next century. However the islanders became hostile to most attempts to land. The 1860s saw slave raiders kidnap half the island’s population and then the introduction of smallpox to the island when the survivors were returned. Tuberculosis then killed several islanders. By 1877 only 111 people lived on Easter Island. In 1888, the Chilean government bought the island, which it rented out as a sheep farm through 1953.

In 1966, the Rapa Nui people were allowed to inhabit the entire island and were given Chilean citizenship.

Today, the population of Easter Island is more than 6,000. The economy is largely tourism-based.

Our question: If Easter Island is the southeastern corner of the Polynesian triangle, where are the northern and southwestern corners?

Today is National Dandelion Day, Bell Bottoms Day and National Deep Dish Pizza Day.

It’s the birthday of educator and civil rights activist Booker T. Washington, actress Bette Davis, and actor Gregory Peck.

Because our topic happened before 1960, we will spin the wheel to pick a year at random.

This week in 1981, the top song in the U.S. was “Rapture” by Blondie.

The No. 1 movie was “Nighthawks,” while the novel “The Covenant” by James A. Michener topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Links

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or our website.

Also, if you’re enjoying the show, please consider supporting it through Patreon.com

Please rate the show on iTunes by clicking here.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Island#21st-century_culture

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moai

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapa_Nui_people

http://www.britannica.com/place/Easter-Island

https://en.wikipedia.

The World Trade Center as seen from the South in July 2001. (Image by Brandon McCombs via Wikimedia Commons)

On this date in 1973, the World Trade Center in New York was dedicated.

Here are some things you may not have known about the building, besides its destruction on Sept. 11, 2001.

The site of the World Trade Center was originally under the Hudson River. The river was filled in the area starting in 1797. It later became home to Lower Manhattan’s Radio Row. It was known as such due to the large number of electronics wholesalers and retailers.

The idea of building something called a world trade center was first proposed in 1943. The idea was to use the center as a place to showcase international trade and to show it as a force for good in the world. The plans sputtered through the 1940s and 50s. David Rockefeller, the younger brother of then-New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, suggested a site in Lower Manhattan and that it be built by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The site, on the west side of Lower Manhattan was selected as a compromise with New Jersey, which also had the Port Authority take over the operation of its Hudson and Manhattan Railroad.

The Port Authority purchased 13 square blocks of real estate. It gave each of the displaced businesses $3,000, and demolished the area in March 1965.

The complex consisted of seven buildings, six of which were inside the boundaries of Vesey, West, Church and Liberty streets.

One and Two World Trade Center, the twin towers, were designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki, and were originally planned to be 80 stories tall. However, to account for the Port Authority’s requirement for 10 million square feet of office space, the buildings ended up being 110 stories tall. The footprint of each tower was a 208-foot square. Besides their height, the buildings’ defining characteristics were probably their narrow windows. The windows were just 18 inches wide, which was partially inspired by Yamasaki’s fear of heights and desire to make those in the building feel secure.

The buildings had many technological breakthroughs, perhaps the most notable was the elevator system. The buildings featured ‘sky lobbies” which is where people would switch from large express elevators to a local elevator to reach their destination, much like the New York Subway system. This allowed the architect to stack elevators instead of running them side by side. The innovation increased the amount of usable space from 62 percent to 75 percent. The buildings had a total of 95 elevators.

The Towers were the subject of several controversies. These included the use of eminent domain to acquire the land, what appeared to be the Port Authority subsidizing office space, and architectural criticism. Writer Lewis Mumford described the towers as “the boxes that the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building came in.”

The buildings were the world’s tallest from 1972 to 1974, losing the title to Chicago’s Sears Tower.

In 1975, the North Tower was the site of a fire that damaged several floors. The fire was caused by frayed telephone cables. In 1993, a bomb was detonated in the parking garage under the North Tower. Six people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured.

On September 11, 2001, the towers were destroyed after highjacked passenger jets were flown into them. 2,753 people died, including 343 New York firefighters, 37 Port Authority police officers and 23 New York police officers.

Construction began on the new One World Trade Center in 2006 and it opened in November 2014. It is the tallest building in the United States at 1,776 feet.

Our question: In the Simpsons’ episode “The City of ...

(Originally published April 3, 2015)

On April 3, 1973, the first handheld mobile phone call was made.

Here are some things you might not know about early cellular phones:

First, Martin Cooper of Motorola made that first call to his counterpart at AT&T and said, “Joel, this is Marty. I’m calling you from a cell phone; a real handheld cell phone.”

Second: The prototype phone used to make that call looked virtually identical to the classic “Brick Phone” of the 1980s.

Third: The first commercially available cell phone, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X cost $3,995, which would be about $9,500 today.

Our question: Starting with a full battery, how long could you talk on a DynaTAC 8000X in 1984?

Was it:

A: 15 minutes

B: 30 minutes

C: 45 minutes

D: 60 minutes.

(Originally published April 2, 2015)

Today is the 33rd anniversary of the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory also claimed by Argentina. The invasion sparked the Falklands War.

Here are three things you may not have known about the Falklands War:

One: 904 troops were killed and 2,432 were wounded during the 74-day conflict.

Two: The British lost two destroyers, two frigates and three other ships, while Argentina lost a cruiser, a submarine, four cargo ships and three other boats.

Three: The Argentine cruiser that was sunk was named the General Belgrano. It was built by the United States as the USS Phoenix. It was stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941 but was not damaged.

Our question: The Falklands is the British name for the disputed islands, what are they known as in Argentina?

The skyline of Tucson, Ariz., the largest city in the Gadsden Purchase area. (Photo by Zereshk via Wikimedia Commons)

On this date in 1953, parts of southern Arizona and New Mexico reverted back to Mexican control for 24 hours as a result of overlooked fine-print in the Gadsden Purchase, 100 years earlier.

Here are a few things you may not have known about the Gadsden Lapse.

The Gadsden Purchase was made in 1853 with the intention of securing a southern route for a transcontinental railway that avoided the Rocky Mountains. It included land south of the Gila River and west of the Rio Grande. Modern cities in the area purchased include Yuma and Tucson, Arizona.

The contract between the Mexican government and the Americans was written in Spanish and poorly translated into English before it was ratified by the U.S. Senate. Had an American senator been able to read Spanish, he would have seen that the contract included a roll-over clause that went into effect 100 years after ratification.

The clause allowed the territory to revert to Mexican control at 12:01 a.m. on April 1, 1953, starting a 24-hour clock for the Americans to trigger the indefinite roll-over of the contract. The Americans made the decision to keep the territory with a 78-18 vote by the Senate at 1:34 p.m.

The territory became American in perpetuity at 12:01 a.m., April 2, 1953.

Because of the lapse, anyone born in Tucson or Yuma on April 1, was not born a citizen of the United States and is not be eligible to be President of the United States. However, the government did allow them to become citizens, effective April 2. It’s estimated that 243 babies were born in the area on that day.

Our question: What is the term used to describe those born during the Gadsden Lapse?

Today is April Fool’s Day. It’s Arbor Day in Tanzania and Edible Books Day.

It’s the birthday of composer Sergei Rachmaninov, actress Debbie Reynolds and musician Jimmy Cliff.

This week in 1984, the top song in the U.S. was “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins.

The No. 1 movie was “Police Academy,” while The Aquitaine Progression by Robert Ludlum topped the New York Times Best Sellers list.

Before the break we asked: What is the term used to describe those born during the Gadsden Lapse?

The answer is: There is no term, as the Gadsden Lapse never happened. As we said earlier, it’s April Fool’s Day.

Links

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or our website.

Also, if you’re enjoying the show, please consider supporting it through Patreon.com

Please rate the show on iTunes by clicking here.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadsden_Purchase

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_1

http://www.biography.com/people/groups/born-on-april-01

http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1995/hot-100

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_1984_box_office_number-one_films_in_the_United_States

http://www.hawes.com/1984/1984-04-01.pdf

The Eiffel Tower illuminated in the colors of the French Flag following the terrorist attacks of Nov. 13, 2015 (Photo by Christophe Meneboeuf [www.pixinn.net] via Wikimedia Commons)On this date in 1889, the Eiffel Tower opened.

Here are some things you may not have known about the Paris landmark.

It was constructed as the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair and was designed and built by the company owned by Gustave Eiffel.

The tower cost an estimated 6.5 million francs, of which the World’s Fair organizers paid only 1.5 million. In exchange, they allowed Eiffel to have the commercial rights to the tower during the exposition and for the next 20 years. After those 20 years expired, Eiffel was supposed to dismantle and remove the tower.

The tower was a source of controversy at first. Some believed the 300-meter tall tower was not feasible, and others didn’t like it for aesthetic reasons. Once the tower was completed, one of the latter group, writer Guy de Maupassant, is said to have eaten lunch regularly at the tower’s restaurant because it was one of the few places from which he could view Paris’ skyline without seeing the tower.

Construction began in January 1887 with the foundations. After six months the ironwork began. In all, the tower consists of 18,038 pieces, joined together by 2.5 million rivets.

Structural work was finished by the end of March 1889, but the elevators and other facilities remained a work in progress. In fact, the tower didn’t open to the public until nine days after the start of the World’s Fair in May, and even then the elevators had yet to be completed. However, 30,000 visitors climbed the stairs to the top before the elevators started operation on May 26. More than 1.8 million visitors toured the tower during the exposition.

In 1909, the original permit for the tower expired, but the city allowed it to remain as it was useful as a radio and later television transmitter. It also became a national symbol of France. During World War II, the French cut the elevator cables while the Germans occupied Paris, requiring the Germans to climb the stairs to unfurl their swastika flag. In 1944, as the Allies were on the verge of retaking Paris, Hitler ordered the tower destroyed. The Nazi military governor disobeyed the order.

The economic design of the tower means that if the iron were melted down, it would cover a square the size of the base of the tower to a depth of just two and a half inches. Also, if you were to build a box to surround the tower, the weight of the air inside would almost equal the weight of the metal.

The tower welcomed its 250 millionth visitor in 2010.

The Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world from 1889 until 1930.

Our question, what building surpassed the tower as the world’s tallest building?

Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility, Cesar Chavez Day in the United States and Freedom Day in Malta.

It’s National Bunsen Burner Day, National Clams on the Half Shell Day and National Crayola Crayon Day.

It’s the birthday of composers Johan Sebastian Bach and Franz Joseph Haydn, boxer Jack Johnson, actor Christopher Walken and my brother, Joe Michelson.

Because our topic happened before 1960, we will spin the wheel to pick a year at random.

This week in 1986, the top song in the U.S. was “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco.

The No. 1 movie was “Police Academy 3: Back in Training,” while “The Bourne Supremacy” by Robert Ludlum topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Links

Follow us on Twitter,