Trivia People

We'll start off with a question: Despite not landing on the Moon, what record did the crew of Apollo 13 set?

Today is Juan Santamaria Day in Costa Rica and World Parkinson's Disease Day.

It's unofficially International Louie Louie Day, National Eight-Track Tape Day, and National Pet Day.

It's the birthday of fashion designer Oleg Cassini, who was born in 1913; actor Joel Grey, who turns 85; and television host Jeremy Clarkson, who is 57.

Now, we'll spin the wheel to pick a year at random.

This week in 1988, the top song in the U.S. was "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" by Billy Ocean.

The No. 1 movie was "Beetlejuice," while the novel "The Icarus Agenda" by Robert Ludlum topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Now for our weekly question: What is the nickname of the bell that surpassed Big Ben as the largest bell in Great Britain?

Submit your answer at triviapeople.com/test and we'll add the name of the person with the first correct answer to our winner's wall … at triviapeople.com. We'll have the correct answer on Friday's episode.

On this date in 1858, the bell known as Big Ben was cast in London.

Here are some things you may not have known about Big Ben.

The nickname Big Ben refers to the bell only. The clock is called the Great Clock, while the tower is named Elizabeth Tower.

The namesake of the bell is disputed. It may have been named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who was in charge of the installation of the bell, or it might have been named after the English heavyweight boxing champion Benjamin Caunt.

The bell weighs 13 1/2 tons. It's 7 feet, 6 inches tall and 9 feet in diameter.

It's not the original bell intended for the clock tower. The first bell, which was slightly heavier than its successor, cracked during testing before it was installed. The replacement bell cracked in September 1859, as the hammer used to strike it was heavier than the bell was designed for. For three years, the bell was out of commission, and the hours were signaled using the lowest of the accompanying quarter bells.

The quarter bells, as their name would indicate are sounded at the quarter-hour. There are four of them, which play G-sharp, F-sharp, E, and B. The chime melody they play is known as the Westminster Quarters, and is widely played by clocks around the world. The melody, while made famous at Westminster, originated at the church of St. Mary the Great in Cambridge.

The tower leans about 9 inches to the northwest because of settling and construction of underground train lines beneath it. The clock is 23 feet in diameter and the face contains 312 pieces of opal glass. The clock uses a double three-legged gravity escapement, which helps maintain the clock's famous accuracy. Part of this is a small stack of old pennies which sit atop the pendulum. The coins move the pendulum's center of mass slightly higher, which increases the rate at which the clock runs. Each penny changes the speed by 0.4 seconds per day. In August 2015, it was discovered that the clock was running 7 seconds fast, so a few of the pennies were removed to correct the error.

In 2012, the tower, which never had a name, was named in honor of Queen Elizabeth II during her Diamond Jubilee.

Our question: How many years as monarch does a Diamond Jubilee celebrate ?

Today is International Siblings Day.

It's also Safety Pin Day, National Farm Animals Day, and Golfer's Day.

It's the birthday of actor Omar Sharif, who was born in 1932; football coach and announcer John Madden, who is 81; and actor Steven Seagal, who is 65. It's also my mom's birthday. Happy birthday, Mom.

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

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 novel "The Aquitaine Progression" by Robert Ludlum topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Weekly question: What is the nickname of the bell that surpassed Big Ben as the largest bell in Great Britain?

Submit your answer at triviapeople.com/test and we'll add the name of the person with the first correct answer to our winner's wall … at triviapeople.com. We'll have the correct answer on Friday's episode.

Now here's how you can get a free Trivia Minute T-shirt. All you have to do is write a review on iTunes and then email your iTunes user name to [email protected]. Three reviewers picked at random will win a Trivia Minute T-shirt. The contest ends on April 30. We'll announce the winners on May 1. Because of shipping costs, the contest is only open to listeners in the U.S. and Canada.

Reviews are the easiest way you can support the show. It helps increase our exposure on iTunes, which leads to more robust community of listeners.

So head to iTunes and review the show today, then send us an email at [email protected].

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or our website.

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Please rate the show on iTunes by clicking here.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_10

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

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escapement#Gravity_escapement

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

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

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

Hey folks, no show today, but I wanted to make sure to give you the answer to this week's question.

Also, be sure to listen to Monday's podcast when we'll have details on our first T-shirt giveaway contest.

As a refresher, the question was: What is the second fastest land mammal?

Listen to the show for the answer.

The first correct answer came from Christopher Lazar. We also got correct answers from Tom (who didn't give his last name), Alex Thompson, Brian and Elisa, and Jim Cardillo.

Thanks for listening. Go to triviapeople.com for more information on the show.

On this date in 1792, George Washington used his presidential veto power for the first time.

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

The history of the veto, which means "I forbid" in Latin, can be traced to the Roman Empire. Roman consuls had to act unanimously, so one essentially held veto power over the other, while tribunes held veto power over the Roman Senate.

In the British-based Westminster system of government, the power of the veto is held by the monarch. All legislation passed by parliament must receive Royal Assent to become law. If the monarch doesn't approve, the bill doesn't become law. However, the last time Royal Assent was withheld in Great Britain was when Queen Anne vetoed the Scottish Militia Bill of 1708. The governors general of Commonwealth counties hold veto power in their realms as the representative of the monarch. The power has never been used in Australia or in Canada.

Other counties, obviously, have different systems. In countries like Iceland and Latvia, if the president refuses to sign a bill, it is put to a national referendum. Many other countries, such as France and Italy, allow the executive to ask the legislature to reconsider the bill, after which it becomes law regardless of whether it is signed. Other countries, like Poland, allow the president to refer a bill to the judiciary to determine its constitutionality.

In the United States, all federal legislation must pass the House of Representatives and the Senate and be presented to the president for his or her signature. The president can sign the bill — making it law — or veto the bill. If the bill is vetoed, the House and Senate may override the veto with a two-thirds majority in each house. A bill can also become law if the president fails to sign it within 10 days. However, if the 10-day period expires with Congress adjourned, the bill fails to become law. This is known as a pocket veto.

There has been a total of 2,571 vetoes since Washington's first in 1792. Seven presidents — John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore and James A. Garfield — didn't veto any legislation during their time in office. Franklin Pierce had the largest percentage of vetoes overridden with 56 percent of his nine vetoes overturned. The largest number of presidential vetoes overridden by Congress were the 15 of Andrew Johnson. Harry Truman and Gerald Ford had 12 vetoes overridden.

The president who issued the most vetoes was Franklin Roosevelt, who vetoed 635 pieces of legislation. Only nine of those vetoes were overturned. Since Roosevelt's time in office, the number of vetoes has fallen dramatically. Richard Nixon vetoed 43 bills, Jimmy Carter vetoed 31, while George W. Bush and Barack Obama vetoed 12 each. Donald Trump has yet to veto any legislation.

It's unofficially National Deep Dish Pizza Day and National Carmel Day, after eating all of that, you'll be happy to know it's also National Walking Day.

It's the birthday of educator and civil rights activist Booker T. Washington, who was born in 1856; actress Bette Davis, who was born in 1908; and actor Gregory Peck, who was born in 1916.

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

This week in 1981, the top song in the U.S. was "Kiss on My List" by Hall and Oates.

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

Weekly question: Now for our weekly question: What is the second fastest land mammal?

Submit your answer at triviapeople.com/test and we'll add the name of the person with the first correct answer to our winner's wall … at triviapeople.com. We'll have the correct answer on Friday's episode.

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.

Subscribe on iOS: http://apple.co/1H2paH9

Subscribe on Android: http://bit.ly/2bQnk3m

We'll start off with a random trivia question: Which actors played the character of Jay Gatsby in the 1949, 1974, and 2013 film versions of "The Great Gatsby"?

We'll have the answer later in the show.

Today is International Landmine Awareness Day, Children's Day in Hong Kong and Taiwan; Independence Day in Senegal.

It's unofficially World Rat Day, National Tell a Lie Day, and International Carrot Day.

It's the birthday of musician Muddy Waters, who was born in 1915; writer Maya Angelou, who was born in 1928; and actor Robert Downey Jr., who is 52.

Now, we'll spin the wheel to pick a year at random.

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.

Weekly question: What is the second fastest land mammal?

Submit your answer at triviapeople.com/test and we'll add the name of the person with the first correct answer to our winner's wall … at triviapeople.com. We'll have the correct answer on Friday's episode.

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.

Subscribe on iOS: http://apple.co/1H2paH9

Subscribe on Android: http://bit.ly/2bQnk3m

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_4

https://www.checkiday.com/4/4/2017

http://www.biography.com/people/groups/born-on-april-04

http://www.bobborst.com/popculture/numberonesongs/?chart=us&m=4&d=4&y=1960&o=

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_1974_box_office_number-one_films_in_the_United_States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Fiction_Best_Sellers_of_1974

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby#Film_and_television

On this date in 1860, the Pony Express began operations.

Here are some things you may not have known about the Old West mail service.

After the discovery of gold in 1849 and the admission of California as a state in 1850, a faster way to deliver transcontinental mail was needed. At the time, mail could take up to a month to travel from coast to coast.

The Pony Express was founded with the goal of cutting that time to 10 days between St. Joseph, Missouri and San Francisco, California. The goal was thought impossible by many.

The Pony Express system involved a series of horseback riders traveling relatively short distances at high speeds.

When the system started it employed 120 riders on 400 horses going between 184 stations manned by more than 400 support personnel.

The identity of the first rider is in dispute. Depending on the source it was either Billy Richardson or Johnny Fry who departed St. Joseph, Missouri.

The first run took 11 days to reach San Francisco. The cost to send a letter via the Pony Express was originally five dollars per half ounce. The equivalent of about $120 per half ounce today.

Gradually, as telegraph service expanded across the country, The Pony Express route was shortened. News of Abraham Lincoln's election as president of the United States in 1860 was able to be transmitted to the West Coast in just seven days, thanks to the Pony Express and the expansion of telegraph service to Fort Kearny, Nebraska.

Less than a year after service started, the route ran from Salt Lake City to Sacramento, spanning the final gap in telegraph service.

The service ceased on October 26, 1861, two days after the first transcontinental telegraph line was completed at Salt Lake City.

The operation never made money, losing $110,000 over the course of the 19-month run.

Our question, what's the fastest speed recorded by a horse?

Today is unofficially National Chocolate Mousse Day, National Sweet Potato Day, and Armenian Appreciation Day.

It's the birthday of actress Doris Day, who is 95; astronaut Gus Grissom, who was born in 1926; and singer Wayne Newton, who is 75.

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

This week in 1973, the top song in the U.S. was "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" by Vicki Lawrence.

The No. 1 movie was "Charlotte's Web," while the novel "The Odessa File" by Frederick Forsyth topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Weekly question: What is the second fastest land mammal?

Submit your answer at triviapeople.com/test and we'll add the name of the person with the first correct answer to our winner's wall … at triviapeople.com. We'll have the correct answer on Friday's episode.

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.

Subscribe on iOS: http://apple.co/1H2paH9

Subscribe on Android: http://bit.ly/2bQnk3m

March 31, 2017: Still Under the Weather

We'll start off with a random trivia question: What are the three sites at which U.S. space shuttles have landed?

We'll have the answer later in the show.

Today is unofficially National Doctors' Day, Pencil Day and World Bipolar Day.

It's the birthday of musician Eric Clapton, who is 72; rapper MC Hammer, who is 55; and musician Tracy Chapman, who is 53.

Now, we'll spin the wheel to pick a year at random.

This week in 1985, the top song in the U.S. was "One More Night" by Phil Collins.

The No. 1 movie was "Friday the 13th: A New Beginning," while the novel "If Tomorrow Comes" by Sidney Sheldon topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Weekly question: When did Pan Am go out of business?

Submit your answer at triviapeople.com/test and we'll add the name of the person with the first correct answer to our winner's wall … at triviapeople.com. We'll have the correct answer on tomorrow's episode.

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.

Subscribe on iOS: http://apple.co/1H2paH9

Subscribe on Android: http://bit.ly/2bQnk3m

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_30

https://www.checkiday.com/3/30/2017

http://www.biography.com/people/groups/born-on-march-30

http://www.bobborst.com/popculture/numberonesongs/?chart=us&m=3&d=30&y=1960&o=

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_1985_box_office_number-one_films_in_the_United_States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Fiction_Best_Sellers_of_1985

On this date in in 1806, the first major improved highway in the United States was authorized.

Here are some things you might not know about The National Road.

The National Road began in 1751 as the Braddock Road, which ran from Fort Cumberland, Maryland, which is navigable limit of the Potomac River, to Fort Duquesne at the site of modern-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In 1806, President Thomas Jefferson authorized construction of a road between the Potomac and Ohio River at what is now Wheeling, West Virginia. Construction began in 1811 and the road reached Wheeling in 1818.

Private toll roads were constructed connecting the eastern terminus to Baltimore, while in 1820, Congress approved extending the road to St. Louis on the Mississippi River. However the road never reached St. Louis, as Congressional-funded road building stopped in 1839. The western terminus of the road ended up at Vandalia, Illinois.

Construction and maintenance was transferred to the states. Virginia built the Wheeling Suspension Bridge in 1849, which was at the time the world's longest bridge at 1,010 feet between towers. It is the oldest vehicular suspension bridge still in use in the United States.

The National Road eventually became part of the National Old Trails Road, which extended from New York City to San Francisco. In 1927, the road was designated as U.S. Highway 40. Most of its route is now paralleled by Interstate 70.

Our question: Name the current state capitals The National Road ran through?

Today is Youth Day in Taiwan and Boganda Day in Central African Republic.

It's unofficially Manatee Appreciation Day, National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day and National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day.

It's the birthday of comedian and writer Eric Idle, who is 74; basketball legend Walt Frazier, who is 72; and actress Amy Sedaris, who is 56.

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

This week in 1989, the top song in the U.S. was "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles.

The No. 1 movie was "Fletch Lives," while the novel "The Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Weekly question: When did Pan Am go out of business?

Submit your answer at triviapeople.com/test and we'll add the name of the person with the first correct answer to our winner's wall … at triviapeople.com. We'll have the correct answer on Friday's episode.

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.

Subscribe on iOS: http://apple.co/1H2paH9

Subscribe on Android: http://bit.ly/2bQnk3m

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland,_Maryland

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

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_29

https://www.checkiday.com/3/29/2017

http://www.biography.com/people/groups/born-on-march-29

http://www.bobborst.com/popculture/numberonesongs/?chart=us&m=3&d=29&y=1960&o=

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_1989_box_office_number-one_films_in_the_United_States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Fiction_Best_Sellers_of_1989