Category Archives: Facts and Trivia

Trivia’s Facts and More (9/23)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday along with my usual writing.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

Take 1000.  Add 40.  Add another 1000.  Add 30.  1000 again.  Plus 20.  Plus 1000.  And plus 10.  What is the total?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Zachary Taylor was elected in 1848 as the 12th President of the United States.  Unfortunately, his term of 16 months would be the second shortest in American history.

Here are a few quick facts about Zachary Taylor:

  • Born in Virginia (1784)
  • Completed a 40-year military career
  • Nicknamed “Old Rough and Ready”

Taylor’s career in the U. S. Army began with action during the War of 1812.  It concluded with his service as a major general during the Mexican War from 1846-1848.  His success as a military leader propelled him into the Presidency.

His famous nickname came from his troops because they appreciated his willingness to get his boots dirty alongside of them.  His father served in the army during the American Revolution.  His family roots have been traced to William Brewster, a passenger on the Mayflower, which arrived at Plymouth Rock in 1620.

Taylor never voted in an election until 1848 when he was running for President.  During his brief time in the White House, visitors frequently saw his favorite horse, Whitey, grazing on the lawn.

His education did not include any formal classes at the college level.  Despite being a slave owner, he possessed a strong nationalist spirit which favored preservation of the American union.

Following his untimely death in July, 1850, some historians and skeptics questioned Taylor’s cause of death.  In 1991, his body was exhumed, and no evidence was found that he had been poisoned.  Most medical experts believed that he probably died from gastroenteritis.  

photographs courtesy of pinterest.

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

4100  (1000 + 40 + 1000 + 30 + 1000 + 20 + 1000 + 10  =  4100)

Trivia’s Facts and More (9/16)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday along with my usual writing.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

What six words can you make using the letters STOP only once in each word?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Today’s narrative will take a bit of a detour.  Let’s just call it an expanded Q & A about some of American television’s most iconic and regularly occurring lines.  The lines will be listed below, with the answers provided at the end of the list.

Here is the Top Ten as selected randomly without any special significance.  Can you name the television show for each?

What’s up doc?

Did I do that?

Heeeere’s Johnny!

Yabba dabba do!

Live long and prosper

Come on down!

Book ’em Danno

And that’s the way it is

The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat

Good night John Boy

Here are the answers.  How did you do?  You are invited to share in the comments some of your favorite lines from television shows as well as films.

What’s up doc?

Bugs Bunny from “Looney Tunes”

Did I do that?

Steve Urkel from “Family Matters”

Heeeere’s Johnny!

Ed McMahon introducing Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show”

Yabba dabba do!

Fred Flintstone from “The Flintstones”

Live long and prosper

Mr. Spock from “Star Trek”

Come on down!

Contestant’s introduction from “The Price Is Right”

Book ’em Danno

Steve McGarrett from “Hawaii Five-O”

And that’s the way it is

News anchor Walter Cronkite’s sign-off from the “CBS Evening News”

The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat

Jim McKay as spoken on the introduction from ABC’s “Wide World of Sports”

Good night John Boy

Various family members at the end of each episode of “The Waltons”

photographs courtesy of pinterest.

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

STOP, POTS, TOPS, POST, SPOT, OPTS

Trivia’s Facts and More (9/9)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday along with my usual writing.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

Where might you find someone who’s a real keeper?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

One of the insect world’s most interesting members is the hornet.  There is much more to this creature than one might think.

Here are some interesting facts about the hornet:

  • Description:  Related to bees with small waist, amber veined wings, and stinger at end of abdomen.
  • Habitat:  Forests, towns, suburbs with nests attached to trees or buildings.
  • Diet:  Insects such as flies and caterpillars.

The life cycle of the hornet is fascinating.  As the autumn frosts kill the workers in the nest, a fertilized female hibernates in a sheltered place.  In the spring she emerges and starts up a new nest, which is usually built in a hollow tree or protected area of a building.  

As spring continues, the first generation of offspring will all be female workers.  By late summer, males are produced from unfertilized eggs with one purpose.  They mate and then die.

Hornets hate the smell of mint.  By planting a plant mint around one’s house or keeping a pot of mint near the areas where these pests are usually found, hornets will likely keep away.   The use of peppermint oil has the same effect.

It is very important to be extra careful around a hornet nest.  The workers defend it fiercely and will string repeatedly.  As summer moves into autumn and killer frosts show up, the hornets will abandon the nest, and the life cycle will begin again in the spring.

Left:  contrast in size between a hornet and the human hand.  right:  Hornet nest in tree–keep a safe distance!  photographs courtesy of pinterest.

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

At the zoo

Trivia’s Facts and More (9/2)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday along with my usual writing.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

A butcher in the meat shop is 5′ 10″ tall.  What does he weigh?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Well-adapted to a desert climate, the Roadrunner lives in the deserts of the American southwest as well as portions of Mexico and Central America.

Here are some interesting facts about the Roadrunner:

  • Diet:  insects, reptiles, small rodents, spiders, scorpions, eggs, fruits, seeds
  • Average lifespan:  7-8 years
  • Top speed:  17 mph when running

Roadrunners can fly like any bird, but they prefer to sprint when hunting their prey.  They are frequently seen darting across roads.

In a sense, they provide free pest control in the wild.  Using their quickness, they easily catch their next meal.  Each meal also quenches the bird’s thirst from the fluids found in the captured food.

Both males and females incubate eggs and care for newborn chicks.  Each bird’s foot consists of four toes with two pointing forward and two backward.

Over the years, the Roadrunner has found a unique place in American culture.  First seen in 1949, “Looney Tunes” and “Merrie Melodies” brought the Roadrunner to viewers in numerous animated features.  Automobile manufacturer Plymouth designed a car, named the Roadrunner.  In 1971, driver Richard Petty’s famous #43 captured a Grand National Championship.  His superbird Roadrunner was designed to compete in NASCAR races.

Left:  Roadrunner crossing a road.  right top:  Animated characters roadrunner and wile. e. coyote.  right bottom:  richard petty’s 1971 Roadrunner #43.  photographs courtesy of pinterest.

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

To solve this tricky brain twister, study what you have to work with in the question.  Since it doesn’t give any indication of the butcher’s weight, the word “weigh” must refer to something else.  The butcher weighs meat!

Trivia’s Facts and More (8/26)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday along with my usual writing.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

The peacock is an unusual bird with long, beautiful feathers.  It does not lay eggs.  So where do baby peacocks come from?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Granted statehood on March 4, 1791, Vermont became the first state admitted to the American Union following the original thirteen colonies.

Here are some interesting facts about Vermont, nicknamed the Green Mountain State:

  • Motto:  Freedom and Unity
  • Capital City:  Montpelier (smallest state capital in the U.S.)
  • State Bird:  Hermit Thrush
  • State Flower:  Red Clover

French explorer Samuel de Champlain inspired Vermont’s name with his words upon seeing the land that would later become Vermont.  He called it “les monts verts” which means the green mountains.  

Vermont was the birthplace of two American Presidents:  Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur.  Its constitution was the first in America to abolish slavery.

Vermont has been well-known for maple syrup and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.  Made famous in the film, “The Sound of Music,” the Von Trapp family would move from Austria to Vermont where they made a home in the town of Stowe. 

Left:  vermont’s capitol in montpelier.  right:  hermit thrush (state bird).  photographs courtesy of pinterest.

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

From eggs.  The peahen lays the eggs.  The peacock is the male.

Trivia’s Facts and More (7/29)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday along with my usual writing.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

What is the shortest name of a U.S. state that shares a letter in common with each of the other 49 states?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

The 11th American President was James Polk, whose single term (1845-1849) included many notable accomplishments.

Here are some interesting facts about President Polk:

  • State Represented:  Tennessee
  • Political Party:  Democratic
  • College Attended:  University of North Carolina (his birth state)
  • Other Political Offices:  Tennessee Governor, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee Legislature

When elected to the office of President in 1844, James Polk became the first dark horse candidate to win the nation’s highest office.  Being an overlooked underdog, Polk was nominated as a compromise candidate for the Democratic Party when its nominating convention was deadlocked.  He campaigned with an agenda to annex Texas into the U.S. as well as opening up the Oregon territory to American settlers.

Polk’s nickname of “Young Hickory” reflected his mentorship under another famous Tennessean, President Andrew Jackson.  Jackson’s nickname was “Old Hickory.”  

Promising to only serve one term, James Polk continued a long line of one-term Presidents, who followed the two-term Presidency of Andrew Jackson (1829-1837).  There would not be another President elected to a second term until Abraham Lincoln in 1864.

Polk’s term in office featured several distinguished outcomes:

  • Founding of the Smithsonian Institute
  • Construction begins on the Washington Monument
  • U.S. Naval Academy founded in Annapolis, Maryland
  • Extension of the American northern border along the 49th parallel

After leaving the White House, James Polk’s life (1795-1949) was cut short due to illness.  He died a few months later, probably from cholera.  Taking only 27 days off during his term, Polk was a workaholic as President.  This quote from his diary reinforced how dedicated he was to his responsibilities as President:

“No President who performs his duty faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure time.  I prefer to supervise the whole operations of the government myself rather than entrust the public business to subordinates, and this makes my duties very great.”

photographs courtesy of pinterest.

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

Maine

Trivia’s Facts and More (7/22)

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This informative post will be posted on Saturday along with my usual writing.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

What word becomes shorter when you add letters to it?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

One of North America’s most majestic animals is the bighorn sheep.  They are part of the mammals subfamily of bovines, which includes cattle, bison, African buffalo, and antelopes.

Here are some interesting facts about the bighorn sheep:

  • Habitat:  Western foothills, mountains, and plateaus
  • Diet:  Grasses, leaves, shrubs, and cactus
  • Average lifespan:  12-14 years (ewes usually live longer than rams)
  • Weight:  Up to 300 pounds (135 kg)

As a species related to mountain goats, bighorn sheep and goats possess cloven hooves, which are split into two toes.  This allows them to grasp rocky cliffs with finger-like dexterity.

Predators of the bighorn sheep include:  wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, and bobcats.  The sheep defend themselves with exceptional vision, excellent hearing, and an outstanding sense of smell.

Both males and females feature horns.  The males’ horns are huge in size and feature an extremely curved shape.  The horns weigh up to 30 pounds (14 kg), and if straightened out, they would extend up to two feet.  Each ring on the horns represents one year of growth.  The females’ horns are smaller and straighter.

During mating season, the males (rams) compete over the females (ewes).  They charge each other in head-to-head combat.  The sound of these crashes can be heard up to a mile away.  The males’ thick, bony skull prevents injury from these battles.

from left to right:  male (ram), female (ewe), and males in combat.   (Courtesy of pinterest)

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

Short

Trivia’s Facts and More (7/15)

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This informative post will be posted on Saturday along with my usual writing.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

“We’ve yet to receive a complaint about our Vulcan vacuum cleaner.”  This sales pitch would seem foolish if the customer knew that the Vulcan cleaner:

(A) is a very good machine

(B) is a new model that just came out

(C) has been sold to more homeowners than any other vacuum cleaner

(D) may be used on all different types of carpet

(E) is the end product of six years of research and development

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Much-aligned is the common flea.  This blood-feeding parasite thrives in humid environments, and it is capable to carrying and spreading disease.

Here are some interesting facts about the flea:

  • Color:  Reddish-brown to dark brown
  • Size:  Smaller than a grain of rice
  • Habitat:  Among hairs or feathers of “host” mammals and birds
  • Diet:  Larvae:  organic matter; adults:  blood

Females are generally larger than males, and they are capable to laying up to 50 eggs per day.  Over a lifetime, many will lay up to 2,000 eggs.

The bodily characteristics for this small, wingless insect include:  long back legs, flat abdomen with spines and bristles, and a touch outer skin (makes it more difficult to kill).  

Fleas have been a major carrier of diseases when they transfer from a host to humans.  Many can jump up to 13 inches (33 cm), which allows each to transfer easily to infect another host.  Fortunately, modern antibiotics and sound sanitation practices have minimized the fleas’ impact in today’s world.

As history has shown, this has not always been the case.  During the Middle Ages the European continent was devastated by the bubonic plague (also called the black death).  Fleas fed on infected rats, the rats died, and the fleas spread sickness to humans.  Many communities were totally devastated.

left:  adult flea.  right:  flea infestation on a dog.  (Courtesy of pinterest)

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

Answer “B”

Trivia’s Facts and More (7/8)

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This informative post will be posted on Saturday along with my usual writing.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

A cowboy rides into town on Friday.  He stays five days, then rides out of town on Friday.  How can this be?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Minnesota offers a interesting diversity in its natural landscape of prairies, forests, and lakes.

Here are some interesting facts about America’s 32nd state:

  • Statehood:  May 11, 1958
  • State Bird:  Common Loon (also called Great Northern Diver)
  • Motto:  L”Etoile du Nord (The Star of the North)

Minnesota is home to the headwaters of the Mississippi River.  The river divides the largest urban area in the state.  Often referred to as the Twin Cities, Minneapolis is the most populated city, and St. Paul is the state capital.

Bloomington is a neighboring community just south of the Twin Cities.  The former site of Metropolitan Stadium (home of baseball’s Twins and football’s Vikings) now is the address of the Mall of America, which opened in 1992.  It remains the largest mall in the United States.

Often promoted as the  “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” Minnesota’s nickname celebrates the over 90,000 miles of shoreline found in the state.  This is more miles than California, Florida, and Hawaii combined.  Anyone who is a NBA basketball fan has heard of the Los Angeles Lakers, which is one of its more successful franchises.  Interestingly, few lakes are found around Los Angeles, but it makes sense because the Lakers’ original home was in Minneapolis.

left:  common loon, state bird.  right:  state capitol building in st. paul.  (courtesy of pinterest)

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

His horse named Friday.

Trivia’s Facts and More (7/1)

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This informative post will be posted on Saturday along with my usual writing.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

Two fathers and two sons are in a car, yet there are only three people in the car.  How can this be?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Virginian John Tyler was the 10th President of the United States.  Upon the untimely death of President William Henry Harrison, Vice President Tyler assumed the office of President.

Here are some interesting facts about John Tyler:

  • Occupation:   Lawyer
  • Political Party:  Whig
  • Previous federal government high offices:  Vice President, Virginia Governor, and U.S. Senator

Tyler was the first American Vice President to become President following the death of his predecessor.  He was nicknamed by his detractors as “His Accidency.”

As a single-term President, Tyler served from 1841-1845.  He became the first President to have a veto overridden by Congress.

Tyler was the first President to marry while in office.  Following the death of his first wife, he remarried.  He fathered a total of 15 children, which has remained the most of any President.

Born in 1790, Tyler grew up during the early years of the American republic.  Prior to his death in 1862, he worked behind the scenes to preserve the Union before the start of the Civil War.  He was very much against secession, but his loyalty to Virginia caused him to side with the Confederacy.  

President john tyler in his official portrait.  (courtesy of pinterest)

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

They are grandfather, father, and son.