Trivia People

The headquarters of the New York Times. (Photo by “Haxorjoe” via Wikimedia Commons)

On this date in 1851, the first issue of the New York Times was published.

Here are a few things you may not have known about “The Gray Lady.”

It was founded as the New-York Daily Times by politician Henry Jarvis Raymond and banker George Jones. The first issue sold for a penny. They dropped the word daily from the name in 1857. It gained status for a series of stories on New York’s Boss Tweed and his Tammany Hall political machine. In 1896, the paper was purchased by Adolph Ochs, the owner for he Chattanooga Times in Tennessee. The paper has remained in the Ochs family ever since.

The paper is known for its distinctive design, using smaller headlines than most competitors and positioning the most important story at the top right of the front page. It was also one of the last papers to introduce the use of color photography on its front page. The first color photo on the front page appeared in 1997. The New York Times ran its first front-page display ad in 2009.

Our question, the New York Times has a circulation of 1,379,806 daily subscribers. What two American newspapers have higher circulations?

Today is World Water Monitoring Day, National Day in Chile and Navy Day in Croatia. In the United States, it is unofficially National Cheeseburger Day, National Tradesmen Day and National POW and MIA Recognition Day. It’s the birthday of writer Samuel Johnson, voice actress June Foray, cyclist Lance Armstrong and Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson.

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Emperor Norton I in uniform. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

On this date in 1859, Joshua Norton of San Francisco, declared himself Emperor of the United States.

Here are some facts you may not have known about Emperor Norton the First.

He was born Joshua Abraham Norton, in about 1818 in what is now a part of London, and moved with his parents  to South Africa around the age of two. After receiving $40,000 from his father’s estate — the equivalent of $1.1 million today — Norton moved to San Francisco, where he proceeded to lose his fortune speculating on Peruvian rice. After suing the rice dealers, Norton declared bankruptcy in 1857 and was forced to live in a boarding house.

On September 17, 1859, angry at the American legal and political systems, he proclaimed himself “Emperor of these United States,” and directed representatives of each state to assemble in San Francisco to change the laws of the country. On October 12, he issued a decree abolishing the United States Congress, and later commanded the army to take the Capitol by force. These orders were, of course, not taken seriously. However, the people of San Francisco loved the penniless Emperor, and he frequently ate in the best restaurants in town and had reserved seats for plays an musical performances.

On January 8, 1880, Norton collapsed and died. He was about 62 years old. His death was front-page news in San Francisco. Members of the Pacific Club arranged for a rosewood casket and funeral service. Reports say as many as 10,000 watched the funeral procession. In 1934, all of the city’s cemeteries  were moved out of the city, and Norton was reburied in Colma, California under a stone inscribed “Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.”

Our question, what character from Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was based on Emperor Norton?

Today is also Constitution Day in the United States, Heroes’ Day in Angola and Teachers’ Day in Honduras. In the United States, it’s unofficially National Apple Dumpling Day and National Monte Cristo Sandwich Day. It’s the birthday of musician Hank Williams (1923), author Ken Kesey (1935), and explorer Reinhold Messner.

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“The Embarkation of the Pilgrims” (1857) by the American painter Robert Walter Weir at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

On this date in 1620, the Mayflower, carrying 102 passengers set sail from Southampton, England toward North America.

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

First, the pilgrims weren’t fleeing religious persecution. They originally moved from England to the Netherlands and were allowed to practice their religion freely. They decided to leave the Netherlands because they were worried about losing their English identity and language. The group considered several locations for a colony in the New World, including Guiana, Virginia and near the site of present-day New York City.

The group originally set out on two ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell. The Speedwell was found to be unseaworthy and remained behind in Southampton. The Mayflower, which was near the end of it’s useful working life, was difficult to sail against the prevailing westerly winds of the North Atlantic, causing the voyage to take more than two months. The expedition sighted land on November 9 at Cape Cod in present-day Massachusetts. While they were at sea one passenger and one crew member died. One child was born at sea, another was born while the ship was anchored off Cape Cod.

The first winter was, in fact, as awful as the legend tells. The settlers were charged with building shelters during a brutal New England winter. Between November and March, more than half the colonists and crew members had died. The Plymouth colony survived and became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691. The term “pilgrim” for the colonists didn’t come into common use until at least 1798.

Our question, the Plymouth Colony was the second successful English settlement in what is now the United States. What was the first?

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Agatha Christie 58 Sheffield Terrace blue plaque. (Photo by Edwardx via Wikimedia Commons)

Author Agatha Christie was born on this date in 1890.

Here are a few facts you may not have known about her.

Christie was born in Torquay, England, to a British mother and American father. She was the youngest of three children. She and her siblings grew up believing their mother had psychic powers. She later served as a volunteer nurse during World War I, and then as a pharmacy assistant before writing her first novel “The Mysterious Affair at Styles” in 1920. That first novel also introduced her legendary character Hercule Poirot. She was paid 50 pounds for her second novel “The Secret Adversary.”

During a 1922 trip to Hawaii, Agatha Christie became one of the first Britons to learn to surf standing up. She had earlier learned to surf in the prone position while vacationing in South Africa.

She would go on to write 66 detective novels, 14 short-story collections and six romances. It’s estimated that more than 2 billion copies of her novels have sold, which makes her the best-selling novelist of all-time according to the Guinness Book of World Records. She also wrote the world’s longest-running play “The Mousetrap,” which has run continuously since its 1952 opening.

In 1971, she was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Her husband, Sir Max Mallowan, had been knighted three years earlier for his work in archaeology.

Dame Agatha Christie died in 1976 at the age of 85.

Our question, What country does the character of Hercule Poirot hail from?

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“McKinley Assassination” by T. Dart Walker (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

On this date in 1901, U.S. President William McKinley died after being shot eight days earlier in Buffalo, New York.

Here are a few facts you may not have known about McKinley and the assassination.

McKinley was born in Niles, Ohio,1843. He enlisted in the Union Army in Jul 1861 and would go on to serve in several battles including Antietam. During the war he worked his way up the ranks from private to brevet major. Following the war, McKinley returned to Ohio to study law. He opened a practice in Canton, before running for Congress in 1876. Because of attempts to gerrymander him out of office, McKinley represented four districts for 12 of the next 14 years. He was elected governor of Ohio in 1892.

He won the presidency in 1896 on a platform of protectionist tariffs on foreign goods and the continuation of the gold standard. Two years into his first term, McKinley took the United States to war against Spain. The war resulted in Spain abandoning claims to Cuba, and ceding Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines to the United States. Also during his first term, the Republic of Hawaii was annexed by the U.S. In 1900, McKinley was elected to a second term with Vice President Theodore Roosevelt.

Leon Czolgosz, a unemployed former steel worker, had become interested in anarchism during the economic downturn of the mid 1890s. During the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, Czolgosz purchased a .32-caliber revolver at Walbridge’s Hardware Store on Main Street. He attempted to get close to the president at the train station on September 4, but found the president too well guarded. Two days later, a large crowd gathered to meet McKinley at the Temple of Music on the Exposition fairgrounds. Generally at the time, when people met the president they weren’t allowed to have anything in their hands, but due to hot temperatures, visitors were allowed to have handkerchiefs. Czolgosz waited in line with his gun hidden under a handkerchief. At 4:07 p.m. he shot the president twice in the abdomen.

Czolgosz was immediately apprehended and McKinley was taken to the fairground hospital. Two surgeons attempted to find the bullet lodged in McKinley’s abdomen, but were unable to do so. They sewed up the president’s wounds and gave him an injection of morphine and strychnine to for pain relief. Despite showing initial signs of recovery, McKinley died of gangrene on September 14. Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as the 26th president of the United States later that day. Leon Czolgosz was convicted of first-degree murder 10 days later and was executed by electrocution 45 days after McKinley’s death.

Our question, which two American presidents survived being shot in assassination attempts?

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The original pressing of “Louie Louie” on Jerden Records (Photo from louielouie.net)

Today would have been the 72nd birthday of Jack Ely, the lead singer of The Kingsmen, who are best known for their version of “Louie Louie.”

Here are a few facts about Ely, The Kingsmen and “Louie Louie.”

Ely was born in Portland, Oregon and was classically trained on piano before switching to guitar after seeing Elvis Presley on television. He formed The Kingsmen in Portland in 1959 with Lynn Easton on drums, Mike Mitchell on guitar and Bob Nordby on bass. They began playing “Louie Louie” after hearing a version by Rockin’ Robin Roberts played on a jukebox over and over. On April 6, 1963, the band entered a studio in Portland to record their version. The studio had three microphones, including one hanging from the ceiling for Ely to sing into. This, in addition to the braces on his teeth, compounded the unintelligibility of the lyrics. Their manager decided to use the first take, which includes a mistake by Ely when he re-enters too early in the third verse. The band wasn’t happy with the version, but the manager’s decision stood.

Between the recording of the song and it becoming a hit, Ely and Nordby left the band after Easton decided he would become the singer. “Louie Louie” was featured on Boston radio as “The Worst Record of the Week” for its poor production quality. Despite this, the radio audience loved the song and it soon appeared on the Billboard chart, eventually peaking at No. 2. The Kingsmen had nine songs reach the Billboard charts, with “The Jolly Green Giant,” described as a novelty song about the love life of the advertising icon, peaking at No. 4.

“Louie Louie” was the subject of a federal investigation regarding the perceived obscenity of the lyrics. After examination, it was determined that the lyrics were not obscene, just hard to understand. The song was written and originally recorded by Richard Berry.

Jack Ely died on April 28, 2015 after a long illness. He was 71.

Our question, Which state banned “Louie Louie” because of its thought-to-be-dirty lyrics?

Today is also National Day of Catalonia, Teachers’ Day in Argentina and Patriot Day in the United States in remembrance of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Also in the United States, it’s National Hot Cross Bun Day and National Make Your Bed Day, because apparently all the other days were taken. It’s the birthday of author DH Lawrence, American football coaches Tom Landry and Paul “Bear” Bryant, and Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart.

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Arnold Palmer (Photo from GolfWeek)

Today is the 86th birthday of golf legend Arnold Palmer.

Here are a few facts about the man known as “The King.”

He was born on Sept. 10, 1929 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. He started golfing at an early age as his father was the head professional and groundskeeper at Latrobe Country Club. After attending Wake Forest on a golf scholarship, he dropped out to join the Coast Guard, before later returning to school.

He turned pro in 1954 and won the Canadian Open in his first full professional season. He won the 1958 Masters for his first major title. Between 1960 and 1963, Palmer won 29 events and five majors. Palmer’s every-man demeanor made him immensely popular with fans, who became part of “Arnie’s Army”

He was part of the “Big Three” of golf in the 1960s along with rivals Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.

Palmer was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. In 2001, he began selling a version of his signature drink made from half lemonade and half iced tea.  He retired from competitive golf in 2006 after 62 PGA Tour wins and seven major championships.

Our question, Palmer’s seven major championship victories came in three of the four grand slam events. Which title eluded Palmer?

Today is also World Suicide Prevention Day, Teachers’ Day in China and National Day in Gibraltar. It’s unofficially National TV Dinner Day in the United States. It’s the birthday of poet Hilda Doolittle, actor Colin Firth and ballet dancer Misty Copeland.

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Colonel Harland Sanders.

Today is the birthday of fried chicken magnate Colonel Harland Sanders.

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

Sanders was born in 1890 in Henryville, Indiana, just north of Louisville, Kentucky. His father died when Sanders was five years old, forcing his mother to work and leaving Sanders to watch over his younger brother and sister. Because of this he learned to cook, and by the age of seven had learned to bake bread. After dropping out of school in seventh grade, Sanders worked as a farmhand, a house painter and later falsified his age to enlist in the army. After leaving the army at 17 years old, he began working as a railroad fireman. In 1930 Sanders took over a service station in North Corbin, Kentucky, where he opened a restaurant serving fried chicken. In 1935 he was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel, an honorary title bestowed by the commonwealth of Kentucky. In 1940 he perfected his secret recipe and method for cooking chicken in a pressure cooker.

In 1952, Sanders sold the first franchise for what would become Kentucky Fried Chicken, earning four cents per chicken sold. By the mid-1960s, KFC had expanded internationally, opening outlets in Canada, England, Mexico and Jamaica. In 1964, after the business grew to include more than 600 locations, Sanders sold the American arm of the business for $2 million. He remained with the company as a spokesman and mascot. After selling the company, the new owners changed the gravy recipe, which infuriated the Colonel, who called the new recipe wallpaper paste to which sludge was added.

Colonel Harland Sanders died of leukemia in 1980 at the age of 90.

In 2013, one of Sanders’ famous white suits and black ties sold at auction for $21,510. It was purchased by the president of Kentucky Fried Chicken of Japan.

Our question, how many herbs and spices are in the Colonel’s Original Recipe?

Today is also: Chrysanthemum Day in Japan and Independence Day in North Korea and Tajikistan. In the United States, it’s unofficially National Teddy Bear Day. It is the birthday of musician Otis Redding, actor Adam Sandler and actor Hugh Grant.

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Promotional photo of Imogene Coca and Sid Caesar from Your Show of Shows, 1952. (NBC photo via Wikimedia Commons)

Today is the birthday of American television comedy pioneer Sid Caesar.

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

Caesar was born Isaac Sidney Caesar on September 8, 1922 in Yonkers, New York. His parents owned a 24-hour lunch counter where he would wait tables and learn the speech patterns of the wide-ranging group of customers. He developed this into a technique he called double-talk, where he could impersonate someone speaking almost any language. He later worked in the Catskill Mountains as a saxophonist in a band and also learned the basics of comedy. He built upon this knowledge while performing in a military service revue called “Tars and Spars,” which was eventually made into a movie.

Sid Caesar’s first television appearance was on Milton Berle’s “Texaco Star Theater” in 1948. The next year he starred in “Admiral Broadway Revue” which marked the beginning of a partnership with Imogene Coca. The show, which was sponsored by a television manufacturer, was such a hit that the company couldn’t make televisions fast enough and the show was canceled. In 1950 he and Coca began work on “Your Show of Shows” which would go on to be ranked the 30th-best television program of all time by TV Guide. Among the writers for the show were Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks and Neil Simon. The show lasted until 1954. His later shows employed writers such as Woody Allen and Larry Gelbart, who would go on to develop “M*A*S*H” for TV.

Sid Caesar died on February 12, 2014, after a short illness. He was 91.

Our question, what television series was inspired by Carl Reiner’s experience as a writer on “Your Show of Shows”?

Today is also International Literacy Day, Independence Day in Macedonia and National Day in Andorra. In the United States it is unofficially National Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Nurses Day. It’s the birthday of singer Patsy Cline, actor Peter Sellers and U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Our weekly take-home test: What day does most of the world celebrate a holiday honoring its workers?

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Sources

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

http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-et-st-sid-caesar-pioneer-of-live-television-comedy-dies-at-91-20140212-story.html

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0128377/

An illustration of the first Labor Day Parade in the United States from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated newspaper of New York. (Image via Wikimedia Commons) 

Today is Labor Day in the United States and Canada.

Here’s a few facts about the end-of-summer holiday.

The holiday was promoted by labor unions to celebrate the importance of workers in the United States. The originator of the idea is disputed, with Matthew Maguire of the Central Labor Union and Peter J. McGuire of the American Federation of Labor being credited with the idea. The state of Oregon was the first to recognize Labor Day as a holiday in 1882. By the time it was made a federal holiday in 1894, 30 other states had already recognized it.

The holiday marks the traditional end of the summer season  and was once noted as the last day a person could fashionably wear white or seersucker. The day after Labor Day is also traditionally the first day of school in the U.S., although many places now go back to school earlier.

The holiday is celebrated on the first Monday of September, so this year, the holiday is as late as possible, which may seem especially jarring compared to last year when the holiday was as early as it could be, on September First.

Our question, what’s the origin of the term “seersucker”?

Today is also: Independence Day in Brazil, National Threatened Species Day in Australia and Victory Day in Mozambique. In the United States, it is unofficially National Acorn Squash Day and National Salami Day. It’s the birthday of Queen Elizabeth the First, musician Buddy Holly and artist Grandma Moses.

Now for our weekly take-home test: On what day does most of the world celebrate its workers?

Tweet the answer to us @triviapodcast or submit an 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 reveal the correct answer on Friday’s episode.

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