Trivia People

On May 11, 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was formed.

Here are a few facts you may not have known about the Academy:

First: There were originally five branches of the Academy: producers, actors, directors, writers and technicians. There are now 17 branches, including music, public relations and makeup artists.

Second: The first president of the Academy was actor Douglas Fairbanks Sr. Past presidents have included Frank Capra, Bette Davis, Gregory Peck and Karl Malden.

Third: The first Academy Awards were held in 1929. It took 15 minutes to present the 12 awards. In 2015, 24 awards were presented during a 3 hour and 40 minute ceremony.

Our question: When were the Academy Awards televised live for the first time?

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Cover of “The Incredible Hulk, No. 1” (Marvel Comics)

Today is the 53rd anniversary of the first publication of “The Incredible Hulk”by Marvel Comics.

Here are some things you may not have known about the Hulk:

One: Hulk was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, who were also responsible for the creation of the X-Men and Fantastic Four.

Two: Lee has said that his inspiration for the Hulk was Frankenstein’s monster and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Three: Not including the character’s association with The Avengers, The Hulk has appeared in three animated TV series, a live-action television series and two movies. His alter-ego Bruce (or David) Banner has been portrayed by Bill Bixby, Eric Bana, Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo.

Our question: Who portrayed Hulk in the television series with Bill Bixby?

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Cover of 1973’s “Piano Man” album by Billy Joel, released on Columbia Records.

Today is the 66th birthday of singer-songwriter Billy Joel.

Here are some things you may not have known about his life and career:

One: Joel’s first band was called The Echoes and played covers of songs by British acts. He was then in bands called The Hassles and Attila before striking out on his own. His first solo album, “Cold Spring Harbor” was released in 1971 and was a commercial flop.

Two: Joel signed with Columbia Records  and released “Piano Man” in 1973. In addition to the title track which became his signature song, the album contained the soon-to-be-classic “Captain Jack.” In 1977 he released “The Stranger” which included the hits “Movin’ Out,” “Just the Way You Are,” Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” “Only the Good Die Young,” and “She’s Always a Woman.”

Three: He has sold more than 150 million records worldwide, and has written and performed 33 songs that reached the Top 40 in the United States. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2013.

Our question: What year did Billy Joel stop writing and releasing pop/rock songs?

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Don Rickles (Photo from donrickles.com)

Today is the 89th birthday of American stand-up comedian Don Rickles.

Here are a few things you might not know about Rickles:

One: Rickles was born in Queens, New York and was raised in a Yiddish-speaking household.

Two: Rickles’ big break came thanks to Frank Sinatra. Sinatra  so enjoyed Rickles’ insults that he encouraged other stars to see the show and be the butt of his jokes.

Third: Rickles is best friends with fellow comedian Bob Newhart, despite the fact that their styles are as different as night and day.

Our question: Rickles, a lifelong Democrat, has performed at the inaugurations of which two U.S. presidents?

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A painting of the 1915 sinking of the RMS Lusitania. (German Federal Archive via Wikimedia)

Today is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania by a German submarine during World War I.

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

One: When it was completed in 1906, the Lusitania was the largest ship ever built. Shortly after completion, its sister ship Mauretania took that title by three feet. Lusitania was named for an ancient Roman colony located in what is now southern Portugal.

Two: The Lusitania was sailing from New York to Liverpool with 1,959 people aboard when a German U-boat torpedoed it 11 miles off the coast of Ireland just after 2 p.m.

Three: 761 people survived the sinking, while nearly 1,200 were killed. The sinking is widely blamed for turning international opinion against the Germans and leading to the United States’ entry into World War I two years later.

Our question: What year did the last survivor of the sinking die?

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The airship Hindenburg burns while trying to land at Lakehurst, N.J., on May 6, 1927. (Gus Pasquerella via Wikimedia Commons

Today marks the 78th anniversary of the crash of the Hindenburg airship in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

Watching events unfold that day was reporter Herbert Morrison from Chicago’s WLS radio.

Here are some things you might not know about the Hindenburg crash and Herbert Morrison:

First: Morrison’s report wasn’t live, in fact it was recorded to large acetate record discs. While leaving the airfield, Morrison, then 31 years old, was said to have dodged German SS officers who wanted to hear his recordings. The report didn’t air until noon the next day when Morrison arrived back in Chicago.

Second: Recording news reports was against NBC network policy at the time. An exception was made and Morrison’s account of the crash was the first recorded news event aired on the network. NBC didn’t start regularly recording news until after World War II.

Third: Morrison went on to serve in the Army Air Corps during World War II and worked in television news in Pittsburgh. He retired after starting a broadcasting program at West Virginia University. He died in Morgantown, West Virginia in 1989 at age 83.

Our question: Was the Hindenburg on its maiden voyage when it crashed?

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Cinco de Mayo, 1901 poster (SMU Central University Libraries via Wikipedia)

Today is May 5th, or in Spanish: Cinco de Mayo.

Here are some things you may not know about the Mexican holiday.

First: It’s not Mexican independence day. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

Second: The French were trying to take advantage of the United States being distracted by its Civil War to establish a foothold in the Americas. While the Mexicans won the battle, they lost the war in the short term, resulting in the establishment of the French-backed Second Mexican Empire in 1864. The French withdrew their support in 1866 which led to the reestablishment of the Mexican Republic in 1867.

Third: It’s probably more popular in the United States than it is in Mexico. While it’s not officially a national holiday in either country, it is more widely celebrated north of the border. In Mexico, it’s an official holiday in the states of Puebla and Veracruz.

Our question: On what date is Mexican Independence Day celebrated?

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May the Fourth is an unofficial holiday set aside to celebrate the “Star Wars” universe.

Here are a few things you may not have known about the holiday:

One: The pun of “May the Fourth be with You” was first used publicly in a newspaper ad celebrating Margaret Thatcher’s election as Prime Minister of Great Britain on May 4, 1979.

Two: The first organized “Star Wars” day on May 4th, was celebrated in Toronto, Canada in 2011.

Three: It’s not the only “Star Wars” Day. The City of Los Angeles declared May 25, 2007 to be “Star Wars” day in celebration of the movie’s 30th anniversary.

Our question: In 2013, the Toledo Mud Hens baseball team wore uniforms designed to resemble which “Star Wars” character?

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Spam

Today marks the 37th anniversary of the sending of the first mass marketing email, now known as spam. I think we all have enough of that kind of spam in our lives, so today let’s talk about Spam with an uppercase “S.”

Here are a few things you may not know about the canned meat product.

One: Spam was introduced in 1937 by the Hormel company of Austin, Minnesota. The ingredients include pork shoulder, ham, and other ingredients. The origins of the name are a company secret, but theories about the meaning of the name include “spiced ham” and “shoulders of pork and ham.”

Two: It became wildly popular during World War II when fresh meat was at a premium. It is particularly popular in Hawaii, Great Britain and Asia.  Spam is served at McDonald’s and Burger King in Hawaii and South Korea is the largest market for Spam after the United States.

Three: The 1970 “Monty Python” “Spam” sketch is where the term for junk email comes from. The sketch is set in a restaurant where every dish contains Spam and features a waitress and two customers, one of whom does not like Spam.

Our question: Which member of “Monty Python” portrayed Mrs. Bun, the woman who didn’t like Spam?

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A BOAC de Havilland Comet jet airliner, en route to Johannesburg from London, breaks its journey at Entebbe Airport, Uganda. (Photo via Wikipedia)

Today marks the 63rd anniversary of the maiden flight of the first jet airliner, the De Havilland Comet 1.

Here are some things you might not know about early jet travel.

One: The first commercial flight of the De Havilland Comet was a BOAC flight from London to Johannesburg.

Two: About a year after entering service, the Comet began showing signs of weakness. Three Comets broke up in flight, caused by airframe failure due to metal fatigue.

Three: During four years out of service, the Comet was redesigned and would remain in commercial service until 1981 and in military service until 2011.

Our question: BOAC was the first airline to fly the Comet. What did the letters BOAC stand for?

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