Trivia People

On this date in 1964, “Jeopardy!” debuted on NBC.

Here are some things you may not have known about the long-running game show.

The original incarnation ran as part of NBC’s daytime schedule. It was hosted by Art Fleming with announcer Don Pardo. This version of the show ran for 11 seasons and 2,753 episodes before being canceled in 1975.

The format of “Jeopardy!” is famous for providing answers and having the contestants come up with the question. The format had been used in a short-lived CBS game show in the 1940s, but hadn’t been used since. “Jeopardy”’s creator, Merv Griffin, said his wife came up with the idea of providing answers. Griffin’s original idea had 100 clues per game, which was reduced to the current two rounds of 30 clues. Griffin initially planned to call the show “What’s the Question,” but changed it before production began. Griffin also intended to require contestants to be grammatically correct with their questions: Responses dealing with people had to start “Who is …”, places “Where is …” and things “What is …” but that requirement was quickly jettisoned once it was determined to slow gameplay.

In 1964, the clues in the first round had an assigned value of $10 to $50 and $20 to $100 in Double Jeopardy.

Following its 1975 cancelation, there were two short-lived versions of the show before it was retooled for syndication in 1984.

The syndicated version also saw the show’s second host come aboard: Alex Trebek. Trebek has been partnered with announcer Johnny Gilbert from the beginning. Another change was an increase in the values of the clues. From 1984-2001, the first round clues ranged from $100 to $500 and the Double Jeopardy round ranged from $200 to $1,000. In 2001, the values for all clues were doubled.

One thing that didn’t change from the original 1964 version is that contestants were allowed to ring in with their response at any time. This made for a jumbled, confusing game, so after the first syndicated season, the rule was changed to force contestants to wait until the host has completed reading the clue.

Contestants who finish Double Jeopardy with no money do not participate in the Final Jeopardy round. A recently changed rule means if two players are tied after Final Jeopardy, those two players have tie-breaker clues until someone answers correctly. If players are tied for second and third place, their scores heading into the final round are the tie-breaker. If all contestants finish the final round with no money, there is no winner. In 1993, Daryl Scott had the lowest winning score in the show’s history with $1. He came back on the next episode to win more that $13,000. Two other players have since won “Celebrity Jeopardy!” with $1.

Until 2003, contestants were limited to five games. Shortly after that rule was abolished, Ken Jennings went on to win 74 consecutive games. He has won a total of $3,442,700 on “Jeopardy!”

However, Brad Rutter, who was a five-time winner before the rule change, returned during various tournaments to pass Jennings’ total winnings with more than $4.5 million.

Our question: On the television series “Cheers,” the character of Cliff Clavin appears as a contestant on “Jeopardy!” What is his response to the “Final Jeopardy” clue: “Archibald Leach, Bernard Schwartz and Lucille LeSueur”? Bonus points if you know the correct response.

Today is National Doctors’ Day in the United States.

It’s also Manatee Appreciation Day, Pencil Day and Take a Walk in the Park Day.

It’s the birthday of artist Vincent Van Gogh, musician Eric Clapton, musician Tracy Chapman and rapper MC Hammer.

This week in 1964, the top song in the U.S. was “She Loves You” by The Beatles.

The No. 1 movie was “The Pink Panther,” while the novel “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” by John ...

Today is the 130th anniversary of the creation of the first batch of Coca-Cola.

Here are some things you may not know about the world’s most popular soft drink.

John Pemberton, a former colonel in the Confederate Army, became addicted to morphine to ease the pain of battle injuries. He worked as a pharmacist and began experimenting with painkillers that didn’t contain opium. He created a wine that contained an extract from the coca leaf, calling it Pemberton’s French Wine Coca.

Pemberton marketed the drink as a cure-all. It was said to be particularly beneficial for “ladies, and all those whose sedentary employment causes nervous prostration.”

However, in 1886, Atlanta and surrounding Fulton County passed temperance laws, which made his wine concoction illegal. He experimented with with alcohol-free versions, including one version in which the syrup was mixed with carbonated water. At this point, Pemberton decided to sell it as a fountain drink rather than medicine.

In its first year on the market, 25 gallons of Coca-Cola were sold. A year later, in 1887, sales increased to more than 1,000 gallons.

Despite trying to discover an alternative to morphine, Pemberton fell deeper into addiction. He sold shares of his business over then next two years, finally selling the remaining share to Asa Candler in 1888. Pemberton died of stomach cancer, destitute and addicted to morphine in August 1888 at 57 years old.

Candler bought out his partners in 1889 for approximately $2,300. In 1919, the company was sold to investors for $25 million.

The secret formula no longer includes cocaine. Until 1903, the formula did contain traces of the stimulant. Since then, coca leaves that have already been processed for medicinal cocaine have been used for flavoring.

Coca-Cola is now the third most valuable brand in the world.

Our question, can you name the top two most valuable brands?

Today is National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day and Vietnam Veterans Day.

It’s the birthday of U.S. President John Tyler, baseball pitcher Cy Young, and Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton.

This week in 1988, the top song in the U.S. was “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson.

The No. 1 movie was “Biloxi Blues,” while the novel “The Icarus Agenda” by Robert Ludlum topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

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Sources

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pemberton%27s_French_Wine_Coca

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_price_of_Coca-Cola_from_1886_to_1959

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/384/is-it-true-coca-cola-once-contained-cocaine

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

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

http://interbr...

On this date in 1797, Nathaniel Griggs of New Hampshire was granted the first American patent for a washing machine.

Here are some things you may not have known about washing machines.

Before the invention of washing machines, washing clothes by hand was a laborious and time-consuming undertaking. It consisted of transporting water by hand from a well or pump, heating the water on a fire, soaking, beating, scrubbing, rinsing, wringing and then drying items. The entire process could take an entire day.

Exactly what Nathaniel Briggs’ washing machine consisted of is not known. The records were lost in the Patent Office fire of 1836.

A drawing of an early machine for washing clothes appeared in a 1752 British magazine, Another design was published in Germany in 1767. Early machines consisted of a basin with grooved sides that allowed the person doing the washing to rotate the clothes with a stick. Eventually the idea for a rotating drum washing machine was conceived. Early iterations consisted of wooden drums, which were eventually replaced with metal drums. The metal drum allowed the drum to be placed above a fire or other heating element to heat the water.

1843 saw the first combined washing machine/wringer, followed later that century by the steam-powered washing machine.

The electric washing machine was invented in the early 20th century. Its inventor is unknown, but Alva J. Fisher is one of the earliest patent holders.

The first machine that resembles the automatic washing machines of today was introduced by the Bendix Corporation in 1937. One feature it didn’t have was a suspension system, so the machine had to be anchored to the floor to prevent it from moving across the floor. General Electric introduced its first top-loading machine in 1947.

Our question, where was the first laundromat in the United States?

Today is Teachers’ Day in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

It’s Easter Monday, National Hot Tub Day, and National Something on a Stick Day.

It’s the birthday of musician Reba McEntire, actor Vince Vaughn and musician Lady Gaga.

This week in 1970, the top song in the U.S. was “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel.

The No. 1 movie was “The Boys in the Band,” while the novel “The French Lieutenant’s Woman” by John Fowles topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Links

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

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Sources

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

http://www.oldandinteresting.com/washboards-history.aspx

https://americancoinop.com/articles/us-census-bureau-shines-light-laundromat-history

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_28

https://www.checkiday.com

http://www.biography.com/people/groups/born-on-march-28

http://www.randomnumbergenerator.com

http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1970/hot-100

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_1970_box_office_number-one_films_in_the_United_States

Mary Mallon, also known as Typhoid Mary, was quarantined on March 27, 1915.

Here are a few things you might not know about Typhoid Mary, the first person identified as a healthy carrier of typhoid fever:

One: She worked as a cook for eight families in New York before her first quarantine, seven of the families had outbreaks of typhoid fever while she worked there. Following that quarantine, she returned to work as a cook and infected dozens more people.

Two: She admitted to poor hand-washing hygiene. In addition to refusing to wash her hands, she refused to stop working as a cook and changed her name at least once to continue working.

Three: She spent the last 23 of her life in quarantine on North Brother Island, located in the East River between The Bronx and Rikers Island. She died in 1935, six years after suffering a paralyzing stroke. An autopsy found she had live typhoid bacteria in her gallbladder.

Our question: Which of the following notable people did not die of typhoid fever?

A-Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria

B-Author Louisa May Alcott

C-Aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright

D-Former first lady of the United States Abigail Adams

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(Originally published March 26, 2015)

March 26th marks the 85th birthday of former United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female jurist appointed to that position.

Here are three things you might not know about Sandra Day O’Connor.

One: She grew up on a cattle ranch near El Paso, Texas before attending Stanford University and earning her bachelor’s and law degree. While at Stanford, she briefly dated classmate William Rehnquist, who would go on to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Two: She was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, and confirmed by the Senate on a 99-0 vote.

Third: The federal courthouse in Phoenix, Arizona is named after her, and she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2009.

Our question: Sandra Day O’Connor served on the Supreme Court from 1981 through 2006. Who did she replace on the Supreme Court and who replaced her?

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Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire on March 25, 1911 in New York City’s Greenwich Village. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

Today is the 105th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City.

Here are some things you may not have known about it.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was located on the eighth, ninth and 10th floors of the Asch Building in Greenwich Village at the corner of Green Street and Washington Place.

The factory made women’s blouses known as shirtwaists. The workers in the factory were mostly young immigrant women, who worked 52 hours over six days for between $7 and $12 a week (the equivalent of $3.20-5.50 per hour today).

At about 4:40 p.m. on March 25, a fire began in a scrap bin beneath one of the cutting tables. The bin held about two months worth of scrap fabric. The fire marshal determined that a lit match or cigarette butt ended up in the bin. Smoking was banned in the factory, but employees would occasionally sneak cigarettes. The fire quickly raced upward from the eighth floor.

The building had no fire alarm, so the employees above were alerted to the fire when flames and smoke appeared. The building had two staircases, two freight elevators and a fire escape. One of the staircases was blocked by fire below, the other was locked to prevent theft and employees from taking unauthorized breaks. The foreman who had the key left the door locked and escaped by another route. The fire escape was of substandard construction and may have been broken before the fire.

Dozens of employees, including the factory owners found refuge by taking the unlocked stairs to the roof. Others took the elevators down to safety before they stopped working because of warped tracks caused by the heat of the fire. Within three minutes of the fire starting, the stairs were unusable in either direction. Many people crowded onto the fire escape which buckled and collapsed, sending 20 people plummeting 100 feet to the street below.

62 people jumped or fell to their deaths. One young man was seen kissing a young woman at the window before they both jumped. Life nets held by the firefighters were useless for people jumping from such heights.

A total of 146 people died from the fire: 123 women and 23 men. Causes of death included burns, asphyxiation and blunt impact trauma from hitting the sidewalk.

The company owners, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris were tried on charges of first- and second-degree manslaughter, but were acquitted. They were found liable for wrongful death and paid $75 per deceased victim. The owners filed an insurance claim and received about $60,000 more than their reported losses, roughly a $325 profit per death. Two years later, Blanck was again arrested for locking the door of his factory during operating hours. He was fined $20.

However, the fire did spur change. Tammany Hall legislators, known mostly for their corruption, backed several reforms that led to a shorter work week, fire prevention and suppression measures, and sanitary facilities for workers. It also saw the increase of the influence of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. The last living survivor of the fire was Rose Freedman, who died in 2001 at the age of 107. She was 18 at the time of the fire. She survived by following the company owners to the roof.

Our question: The building that housed the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory is now part of the campus of what institution of higher education?

Today is Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

It’s International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade,

The Exxon Valdez sits in place in Prince Williams Sound after running aground. The Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, March 24, 1989, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil, which resulted in the largest oil spill in U.S. history. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

Today is the 27th anniversary of the grounding of the Exxon Valdez and subsequent oil spill.

Here are some things you may not know about the environmental disaster.

The supertanker was carrying about 55 million gallons of crude oil from Valdez, Alaska, to Long Beach, California. Valdez is the southern end of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

It left Valdez at 9:12 p.m. on March 23, 1989, and headed out through the Valdez Narrows. After clearing the narrows, the harbor pilot left the ship and returned to port, leaving the ship in the hands of its crew, captained by Joseph Hazelwood.

According to the official report from the state of Alaska, the Exxon Valdez left the outbound traffic lane due to ice in the water, crossing the separation zone and entering the inbound lane in Prince William Sound. This wasn’t a problem as there were no inbound ships that night. At 11:39, with the ship in the separation zone, Hazelwood ordered a course change to 180 degrees. At 11:47, the ship left the eastern boundary of the traffic lanes. At 11:53, the captain left the bridge, leaving third mate Gregory Cousins as the only officer in the wheelhouse, which was a violation of company policy. A few minutes after midnight, the lookout spotted the Bligh Reef Light broad off the starboard bow, or 45 degrees ahead to the right. The light should have been on the port side. Cousins gave a rudder command for a course change and called the captain to report the situation. At the end of the conversation, at 12:04 a.m., the crew felt six sharp jolts as the tanker ran aground.

Eight of the ship’s 11 cargo tanks had been punctured, and about 5.8 million gallons of oil leaked in the first three hours and 15 minutes.

Estimates place the total amount of oil spilled at between 11 million and 32 million gallons. The spill covered 1,300 miles of coastline and 11,000 square miles of ocean. As many as a quarter-million seabirds died, along with 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 247 bald eagles and 22 orcas.

The National Transportation Safety Board found five major causes of the disaster: Failure of the third mate to properly maneuver the vessel; failure of the master to provide a proper navigation watch, possibly from impairment from alcohol; failure of Exxon to supervise the master and provide a rested and sufficient crew; failure of the Coast Guard to provide an effective vessel traffic system; and the lack of effective pilot and escort services.

During a trial following the disaster, Hazelwood was accused of being drunk. He admitted to having two or three vodkas between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. and his blood alcohol content was found to be .061. His defense argued that the test was taken too long after the incident and that the samples were mishandled. He was found not guilty of all felony charges. He was convicted of a misdemeanor, negligent discharge of oil, and fined $50,000 and sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service.

Exxon was sued and was found liable for the spill and paid $900 million in damages. Most of the wildlife populations have since recovered to pre-spill levels. A few, such as the marbled murrelet and Pacific herring have not recovered.

The Exxon Valdez spill was the largest oil spill in U.S. waters until 2010 when the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico released 210 million gallons of oil.

Our question,

The E. V. Haughwout Building on Broadway at the corner of Broome Street was built in 1856-57 and was the site of the first commercial elevator. (Photo by Beyond My Ken via Wikimedia Commons)

On this date in 1857, the first successful passenger elevator was installed in New York City by Elisha Otis.

Here are some things you may not have known about elevators and Mr. Otis.

Elisha Otis was born in Vermont in 1811. He worked as a craftsman, turning bedposts, building wagons and making dolls. He was also an inventor. In 1851, he and his sons designed a safety elevator, which had a mechanism that stopped the cab in case of a cable failure. In 1854, he demonstrated the elevator during the New York World’s Fair.

In 1857, Otis installed the first commercial version in the E.V. Haughwout Building on Broadway in what is now the SoHo neighborhood in New York. Haughwout bought the elevator, not because it was needed in his five-story building, but as a novelty to draw customers into his store.

The first elevator traveled at 40 feet per minute, or less than a half a mile per hour. In comparison, the fastest elevator in operation today, in the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan travels at 37.7 miles per hour.

The first office building to have an elevator was the Equitable Life Building in New York, which was completed in 1870.

Elevator cab doors were patented in 1874, and three years later, automatic elevator shaft doors were patented.

The first electric elevator was built by Werner von Siemens of Germany in 1880.

Most of the world’s tallest buildings don’t have elevator shafts that run from the bottom floor to the top. Much like a subway journey, passengers need to make transfers to get to their desired floor. One reason for this is the weight of the cables. Beyond 500 meters, the cables would need cables of their own to lift them. However, advances in carbon-fiber technology means that elevators will soon be able to go even higher.

Under construction in Saudi Arabia, the Jeddah Tower will stand 1 kilometer tall, or almost 3,300 feet. The building will feature the world’s tallest elevator at 2,165 feet.

Back to Elisha Otis, he went on to patent a steam plow, a rotary oven and an oscillating steam engine before dying of diphtheria in 1861 at the age of 49.

Our question: What does the name of New York’s SoHo neighborhood mean?

Today is World Meteorological Day, Pakistan Day and Day of Hungarian-Polish Friendship.

It’s National Chip and Dip Day, National Melba Toast Day, Cuddly Kitten Day and National Puppy Day.

It’s the birthday of rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, actress Joan Crawford and filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.

This week in 1998, the top song in the U.S. was “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” by Will Smith.

The No. 1 movie was “Titanic,” while the novel “The Street Lawyer” by John Grisham topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

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Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator#History

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

https://en.wikipedia.

Associated Press file photo

On this date in 1989, Clint Malarchuk, the goalie of the Buffalo Sabres, suffered one of the most horrific injuries in sports history.

Here are some things you may not have known about Malarchuk, that night and the injury.

Clint Malarchuk was born in Grande Prairie, Alberta in 1961. He made his National Hockey League debut in 1981 with the Quebec Nordiques. He spent the next four seasons splitting time between the NHL and the minor leagues. In 1985, he was a full-time NHL goalie. After his time in Quebec, he played for the Washington Captials and then the Buffalo Sabres.

On March 22, 1989, the Sabres were playing the St. Louis Blues in Buffalo. With 4 minutes and 43 seconds remaining in the first period Uwe Krupp of the Sabres and Steve Tuttle of the Blues slid into Malarchuk. Tuttle’s skate blade sliced across Malarchuk’s neck, opening up a six-inch gash, severing the carotid artery and injuring the jugular vein.

Malarchuk slumped to his knees on the ice with blood pumping from the wound in his neck. Players for both teams turned to the benches and screamed for help. The referee, Terry Gregson, called for a stretcher. The Sabres’ trainer, Jim Pizzutelli, who had served as an army medic during the Vietnam War, pinched the artery and helped Malarchuk off the ice, not letting go of the wound until doctors arrived. His efforts helped save Malarchuk’s life.

There was so much blood on the ice that 11 fans fainted, two suffered heart attacks and three players vomited on the ice.

Malarchuk was cut out of his hockey equipment and transported to the hospital, where he received about 300 stitches to close the wound. He lost around a quarter of his total volume of blood.

In proving that hockey players are the toughest athletes out there, Malarchuk returned to practice four days later.

While the physical wounds healed quickly, the mental wounds lingered. Malarchuk said he suffered from nightmares about the injury, which developed into post traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism. It also worsened a pre-existing case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. His performance declined and he was out of the NHL in 1992. He continued in the minor leagues for a few seasons before retiring.

In 2008, Richard Zednik of the Florida Panthers suffered a similar injury. Viewing footage of Zednik’s injury led Malarchuk to have a recurrence of post traumatic stress. Later that year, he survived a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. After recovering, he spent six months being treated for alcoholism, obsessive-compulsive disorder and PTSD.

He returned to the NHL as a goalie coach with three teams, most recently, the Calgary Flames.

Our question, The Quebec Nordiques moved to a new city and changed their name. What are they known as today?

Today is World Water Day.

It’s American Diabetes Association Alert Day, National Agriculture Day and National Sing Out Day.

It’s the birthday of actor and mime Marcel Marceau, songwriters Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber and actor William Shatner.

This week in 1989, the top song in the U.S. was “Lost in Your Eyes” by Debbie Gibson.

The No. 1 movie was “Fletch Lives,” while the novel “Star” by Danielle Steel topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

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Portrait of Thomas Cranmer By Gerlach Flicke (National Portrait Gallery via Wikimedia Commons)

On this date in 1556, the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer was burned at the stake.

Here are some things you may not have known about Cranmer and his time as archbishop.

Cranmer was born in 1489 and educated at Jesus College, Cambridge. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1520.

In 1532, Henry VIII appointed Cranmer ambassador to the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. The job required Cranmer to follow the emperor throughout his realm attempting to convince the emperor to support the annulment of the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, who was the emperor’s aunt. While on this journey across Europe, Cranmer came into contact with Lutherans. He was unable to convince Charles V to support the annulment. Later that year, at the recommendation of the family of Anne Boleyn, Cranmer was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. His first order of business was determining how to allow the king to end his marriage to Catherine, so he could marry Anne Boleyn.

His first act was to pronounce the marriage against the law of God. To further gild the lily, he threatened Henry with excommunication if he stayed with the woman he wanted no part of. Five days later Cranmer validated the marriage of Henry and Anne Boleyn, and another three days later crowned Anne as queen. These actions led Pope Clement VII to excommunicate Henry and his advisers.

Along with vicegerent Thomas Cromwell, Cranmer was in charge of writing the Ten Articles, which was the first attempt at defining the tenets of the new church. The articles ended up being an exercise in compromise as both conservatives and reformers were not happy with the final product. A year later he was part of the group that wrote “The Institution of a Christian Man,” which was an extension of the Ten Articles.

Over the course of the next several years, reformers and conservatives went in and out of favor. In 1543, Cranmer came under attack before the Privy Council. However, Cranmer retained the trust of the king and his accuser was executed. A year later, Cranmer wrote the basis of what would go on to be known as “The Book of Common Prayer,” which is still in use today in Anglican Churches.

He was among the executors of Henry’s will which saw Edward Seymour named Lord Protector and Edward VI ascend to the throne at the age of nine.

Under Edward, England made a clean break from the Catholic Church, abolishing clerical celibacy and requiring services to be conducted in English. Just before Edward died of tuberculosis at the age of 15, he named his protestant cousin Lady Jane Grey as his heir over his half-sisters Mary, the daughter of Catherine of Aragon, who remained Catholic, and Elizabeth, the daughter of Anne Boleyn. Jane ruled for 13 days before Mary came to the throne and reversed all of the protestant reforms.

This, obviously, was not good news for Thomas Cranmer. He was accused of allowing mass in Canterbury Cathedral, in an attempt to curry favor with the new monarch. He responded by vehemently denying this, saying, “ all the doctrine and religion, by your said sovereign lord king Edward VI is more pure and according to God’s word, than any that has been used in England these thousand years.” This was viewed as seditious.

Cranmer spent more than two years in prison before being executed in Oxford.

Mary reigned two more years, before dying childless of influenza. Elizabeth inherited the throne and reinstated the prior protestant reforms.

Our question: Who succeeded Elizabeth as monarch?

Today is International Day of Forests, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrim...