3. This 1974 film was the first sequel to win an Oscar for Best Picture. Name that sequel.
4. This 1974 disaster film featured Gloria Swanson in her last starring role. Name that film.
5. These multicolored fruit-flavored lentil-shaped candies were introduced in the UK in 1974 but didn’t appear in the US until a few years later…
6. This cat food comes in wet and dry varieties and was introduced in 1974. HINT 1: It has a catchy advertising jingle. HINT 2: “It’s the only brand cats ask for by name.”
7. This giant robot was originally created as a weapon of destruction by the Black Hole Planet 3.
8. This famous mascot debuted in San Diego, San Francisco 1974. Name him.
9. This character, first appearing in The Incredible Hulk #180 and 181, is probably the most popular of the X-Men. Name him.
10. Under the codename “Smiling Buddha,” this country became the 6th nation to join the Nuclear Weapons Club. What country?
11. Can you name the heiress to the Hearst Newspaper group kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, later joining the group in a bank heist?
12. What was the first product with a bar code on the packaging?
13. The US national speed limit was lowered to 55 MPH in 1974. What was the speed limit before that?
14. Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier had a Super Fight II rematch. Who won the bout?
15. In 1974, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
16. This actor appeared in only five films over seven years, all of which were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture: The Godfather (1972), The Conversation (1974), The Godfather Part II (1974), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), and The Deer Hunter (1978). Name that actor.
17. In 1974, this comet appeared in the sky, barely visible to the naked eye. Name that comet.
18. Can you name the highest-grossing director of 1974? HINT: He had two films in the Top 3.
19. You get one point for either of Mel Brooks’s 1974 hit films…
20. What was the highest-grossing film of 1974?
21. Herbie Rides Again was the sequel to the 1968 film The Love Bug. What number was on Herbie’s hood and sides?
22. This Children’s television show featured a segment called “Spidey Super Stories.” Name that show.
23. This Caribbean island became independent After 210 years as a British colony. Name that island.
24. This popular science television program has been produced by WGBH in Boston, Massachusetts, since 1974. HINT: It’s a four-letter word.
25. On August 9, 1974, one of US History’s most iconic political events occurred. What happened?
26. What did Richard Nixon say after he resigned?
27. Who won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton, England?
28. Name the NHL team nick-named “the Broad Street Bullies.”
29. Nine baseball fans out of 25,134 attendees were arrested on June 4, 1974, at a game that featured a “Ten Cent Beer Night” promotion. Name the US stadium.
30. How many people lived in the World in 1974?
31. How many people lived in the United States in 1974?
32. NBC television drama Little House on the Prairie was based on the works of what American author?
33. This CBS science fiction series, which lasted 14 episodes, was based on a 1968 film based on a 1963 novel. Name that TV show.
34. On October 30, 1974, George Foreman and Muhammad Ali participated in a heavyweight championship boxing match in Africa. What was the match called?
35. The Towering Inferno was nominated for eight Oscars. How many did it win?
36. The International Exposition on the Environment, Spokane 1974,[3] was a world’s fair held from May 4, 1974, to November 3, 1974, in Spokane, Washington. What was it billed as?
37. Name the English actor who played the fourth incarnation of The Doctor in the science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1974 to 1981.
38. The American President can, by law, make declarations to hasten the sending of federal money to disaster-stricken areas in the United States and its territories. What law?
39. The SAS of 1974, a federal law, required that nearly all prescription medicines from pharmacies be distributed in bottles with what safety device?
40. Discovered in 1974, his mausoleum section includes 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, and is over 2200 years old. What do we call it?
41. This German car model was released in 1974 to replace the long-selling Beetle. Name the manufacturer and car.
42. On April 8, 1974, when he broke a longstanding MLB record, what did Hank Aaron specifically do?
43. Who was the youngest actress to ever win an Oscar?
44. Which sports star was NOT born in 1974: Shaquille O’Neal, Rey Mysterio, Jerry Stackhouse, or Dale Earnhardt Jr.?
45. Stephen King’s first novel was released in 1974. Name that scary book.
46. The first issue of People magazine, cover dated March 4, 1974, was released. Can you name the actress who appeared on the cover?
47. Spoiler Alert: This science fantasy film, starring Sean Connery, features a post-apocalyptic world where people worship a son idol named Zardoz. How did Zardoz get his name?
48. What is the IATA airport code for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport?
49. Robert Opal appeared on stage at the 1974 Oscars, although he was not involved in any films that year. What did he do onstage?
50. Name the CBS television show that featured the phrase “Goodnight, John-Boy.”
51. Name the highest-grossing film of 1974…
52. After Mr. Rogers took his jacket off at the start of each episode, what did he do?
53. Who was the President of the United States in 1974?
54. Who was the Vice-President of the United States in 1974?
55. True or false? The US Congress considered changing pennies from copper-zinc to aluminum cents.
56. Created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, this character first appeared in Marvel Premiere #15. HINT: He had his own series on Netflix in 2017/2018.
57. This fictional dog character, created by Joe Camp, had a series of films in the 70s, 80s, and 2000s. Name that pup! HINT: He was a mixed-breed dog.
58. Name the black and white comedy that starred Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard Haydn, and Gene Hackman…
59. Who was the male lead in Young Frankenstein?
60. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1974?
61. DJ Kool Herc, DJ Disco Wiz, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa have all been credited with starting what musical genre?
62. Name the toys that may “wobble, but they don’t fall down.”
63. Who were the characters Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers played in M*A*S*H?
64. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1973/1974 season?
65. Can you name the family member who joined the Brady Bunch during the final season in 1974?
66. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1974: Kate Moss, Christian Bale, Mary J. Blige, or Eva Mendes?
67. In 1974, A skeleton from the hominid species Australopithecus afarensis was discovered and named what?
68. Who won the SuperBowl VIII?
69. True or False? Many, if not most, public toilets in the US were “Pay Toilets” until 1980.
70. Who was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 until he died in 1982?
71. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1974?
72. Who won the 1974 World Series?
73. This LAPD detective first appeared in the 1968 TV movie Prescription Murder. Name that detective or the actor who played him.
Trivia Team Bonus Questions:
1. What type of car did Lieutenant Columbo drive?
2. Who was the Pop in 1974?
3. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1974?
4. Blazing Saddles starred Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder. One point for the name(s) of either character they played.
5. This 1974 film was inspired by the San Fernando earthquake of February1971. Name that disaster movie.
6. This fictional psychiatric hospital/prison first appeared in Batman #258. Name it.
7. Amazingly, this popular font didn’t appear until 1974. HINTS: You’ve seen it in the logos for TV shows The Office and Clifford’s The Big Red Dog book titles.
8. Name the antagonist from the The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series.
9. Many of the props used in Young Frankenstein were also used in an earlier film. Name that older film.
10. This United Nations agency was founded to promote travel between countries. Name that agency.
The Answers:
74 Trivia Answers For 1974 History
1. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1974? The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand
2. Who won the 1974 FIFA World Cup? West Germany
3. This 1974 film was the first sequel to win an Oscar for Best Picture. Name that sequel. The Godfather Part II
4. This 1974 disaster film featured Gloria Swanson in her last starring role. Name that film. Airport ’75
5. These multicolored fruit-flavored lentil-shaped candies were introduced in the UK in 1974 but didn’t appear in the US until a few years later… Skittles
6. This cat food comes in wet and dry varieties and was introduced in 1974. HINT 1: It has a catchy advertising jingle. HINT 2: “It’s the only brand cats ask for by name.” Meow Mix
7. This giant robot was originally created as a weapon of destruction by the Black Hole Planet 3. Mechagodzilla
8. This famous mascot debuted in San Diego, San Francisco 1974. Name him. The San Diego Chicken
9. This character, first appearing in The Incredible Hulk #180 and 181, is probably the most popular of the X-Men. Name him. Wolverine
10. Under the codename “Smiling Buddha,” this country became the 6th nation to join the Nuclear Weapons Club. What country? India
11. Can you name the heiress to the Hearst Newspaper group kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, later joining the group in a bank heist? Patty Hearst
12. What was the first product with a bar code on the packaging? Wrigley’s Gum
13. The US national speed limit was lowered to 55 MPH in 1974. What was the speed limit before that? 70 Miles Per Hour
14. Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier had a Super Fight II rematch. Who won the bout? Ali won by unanimous decision after 12 rounds.
15. In 1974, what was the average life expectancy in the United States? Men – 68.3 years, Women – 76 years
16. This actor appeared in only five films over seven years, all of which were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture: The Godfather (1972), The Conversation (1974), The Godfather Part II (1974), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), and The Deer Hunter (1978). Name that actor. John Cazale
17. In 1974, this comet appeared in the sky, barely visible to the naked eye. Name that comet. Comet Kohoutek
18. Can you name the highest-grossing director of 1974? HINT: He had two films in the Top 3. Mel Brooks
19. You get one point for either of Mel Brooks’s 1974 hit films… Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein
20. What was the highest-grossing film of 1974? The Towering Inferno
21. Herbie Rides Again was the sequel to the 1968 film The Love Bug. What number was on Herbie’s hood and sides? 53
22. This Children’s television show featured a segment called “Spidey Super Stories.” Name that show. The Electric Company
23. This Caribbean island became independent After 210 years as a British colony. Name that island. Grenada
24. This popular science television program has been produced by WGBH in Boston, Massachusetts, since 1974. HINT: It’s a four-letter word. Nova
25. On August 9, 1974, one of US History’s most iconic political events occurred. What happened? Richard Nixon resigned, and Gerald Ford became the 38th US President.
26. What did Richard Nixon say after he resigned? “You won’t have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore.”
27. Who won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton, England? ABBA, for Waterloo
28. Name the NHL team nick-named “the Broad Street Bullies.” The Philadelphia Flyers
29. Nine baseball fans out of 25,134 attendees were arrested on June 4, 1974, at a game that featured a “Ten Cent Beer Night” promotion. Name the US stadium. Cleveland Stadium. The forfeit was credited to the Rangers, with a 9 to 0 win under MLB rules.
30. How many people lived in the World in 1974? 3,995,517,077
31. How many people lived in the United States in 1974? 213,853,928
32. NBC television drama Little House on the Prairie was based on the works of what American author? Laura Ingalls Wilder
33. This CBS science fiction series, which lasted 14 episodes, was based on a 1968 film based on a 1963 novel. Name that TV show. Planet of the Apes
34. On October 30, 1974, George Foreman and Muhammad Ali participated in a heavyweight championship boxing match in Africa. What was the match called? The Rumble in the Jungle
35. The Towering Inferno was nominated for eight Oscars. How many did it win? 3- Best Song, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.
36. The International Exposition on the Environment, Spokane 1974,[3] was a world’s fair held from May 4, 1974, to November 3, 1974, in Spokane, Washington. What was it billed as? Expo ’74
37. Name the English actor who played the fourth incarnation of The Doctor in the science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1974 to 1981. Tom Baker
38. The American President can, by law, make declarations to hasten the sending of federal money to disaster-stricken areas in the United States and its territories. What law? The Disaster Relief Act of 1974
39. The SAS of 1974, a federal law, required that nearly all prescription medicines from pharmacies be distributed in bottles with what safety device? “Child Proof” caps
40. Discovered in 1974, his mausoleum section includes 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, and is over 2200 years old. What do we call it? The Terracotta Army (a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.)
41. This German car model was released in 1974 to replace the long-selling Beetle. Name the manufacturer and car. The Volkswagon Golf
42. On April 8, 1974, when he broke a longstanding MLB record, what did Hank Aaron specifically do? Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit his 715th career home run in a 7 to 4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. *He also beat Willie Mays’s National League record of 2,062 runs scored in a career.
43. Who was the youngest actress to ever win an Oscar? 10-year-old Tatum O’Neal for Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Paper Moon.
44. Which sports star was NOT born in 1974: Shaquille O’Neal, Rey Mysterio, Jerry Stackhouse, or Dale Earnhardt Jr.? Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal (born March 6, 1972)
45. Stephen King’s first novel was released in 1974. Name that scary book. Carrie
46. The first issue of People magazine, cover dated March 4, 1974, was released. Can you name the actress who appeared on the cover? Mia Farrow
47. Spoiler Alert: This science fantasy film, starring Sean Connery, features a post-apocalyptic world where people worship a son idol named Zardoz. How did Zardoz get his name? From a book – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
48. What is the IATA airport code for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport? DFW
49. Robert Opal appeared on stage at the 1974 Oscars, although he was not involved in any films that year. What did he do onstage? He streaked. He ran naked past David Niven, flashing a peace sign.
50. Name the CBS television show that featured the phrase “Goodnight, John-Boy.” The Waltons
51. Name the highest-grossing film of 1974… The Towering Inferno
52. After Mr. Rogers took his jacket off at the start of each episode, what did he do? He put a cardigan zipper sweater on, then replaced his shoes with sneakers.
53. Who was the President of the United States in 1974? Richard Nixon (January 20, 1969 – August 9, 1974) Gerald Ford (August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977)
54. Who was the Vice-President of the United States in 1974? Gerald Ford (December 6, 1973 – August 9, 1974) The office of vice president was vacant from August 9 to December 19, 1974 Nelson Rockefeller (December 19, 1974 – January 20, 1977)
55. True or false? The US Congress considered changing pennies from copper-zinc to aluminum cents. True
56. Created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, this character first appeared in Marvel Premiere #15. HINT: He had his own series on Netflix in 2017/2018. Iron Fist
57. This fictional dog character, created by Joe Camp, had a series of films in the 70s, 80s, and 2000s. Name that pup! HINT: He was a mixed-breed dog. Benji
58. Name the black and white comedy that starred Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard Haydn, and Gene Hackman… Young Frankenstein
59. Who was the male lead in Young Frankenstein? Gene Wilder
60. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1974? Philadelphia Flyers
61. DJ Kool Herc, DJ Disco Wiz, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa have all been credited with starting what musical genre? Hip-Hop
62. Name the toys that may “wobble, but they don’t fall down.” Weebles
63. Who were the characters Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers played in M*A*S*H? Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce and “Trapper” John McIntyre
64. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1973/1974 season? All in the Family
65. Can you name the family member who joined the Brady Bunch during the final season in 1974? Cousin Oliver
66. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1974: Kate Moss, Christian Bale, Mary J. Blige, or Eva Mendes? Mary Jane Blige (born January 11, 1971)
67. In 1974, A skeleton from the hominid species Australopithecus afarensis was discovered and named what? Lucy, estimated to be over 3 million years old, was the earliest example of an ancestor of homo sapiens.
68. Who won the SuperBowl VIII? Miami Dolphins
69. True or False? Many, if not most, public toilets in the US were “Pay Toilets” until 1980. True
70. Who was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 until he died in 1982? Leonid Brezhnev
71. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1974? Centennial by James A. Michener
72. Who won the 1974 World Series? Oakland Athletics
73. This LAPD detective first appeared in the 1968 TV movie Prescription Murder. Name that detective or the actor who played him. Peter Falk played the role of Lieutenant Columbo.
Trivia Team Bonus Questions:
1. What type of car did Lieutenant Columbo drive? Peugeot 403 ca
2. Who was the Pop in 1974? Paul VI (June 21, 1963 – August 6, 1978)
3. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1974? Cannonade
4. Blazing Saddles starred Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder. One point for the name(s) of either character they played. Bart and The Waco Kid
5. This 1974 film was inspired by the San Fernando earthquake of February 1971. Name that disaster movie. Earthquake
6. This fictional psychiatric hospital/prison first appeared in Batman #258. Name it. Arkham Asylum
7. Amazingly, this popular font didn’t appear until 1974. HINTS: You’ve seen it in the logos for TV shows The Office and Clifford’s The Big Red Dog book titles. American Typewriter
8. Name the antagonist from the The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. Leatherface
9. Many of the props used in Young Frankenstein were also used in an earlier film. Name that older film. 1931’s Frankenstein
10. This United Nations agency was founded to promote travel between countries. Name that agency. United Nations World Tourism Organization (now UN Tourism, UNWTO until 2023)
1906 – The San Francisco Earthquake killed nearly 4,000 people.
1925 – The International Amateur Radio Union formed in Paris.
1946 – The International Court of Justice held its inaugural meeting in The Hague, Netherlands.
1955 – Indonesia’s President Sukarno first used the term “third world” at the Bandung conference.
If you were born on April 18th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 26th (prior year)
Animal Cracker Day
Stauffer’s Biscuit Company was the first company to produce animal crackers in 1871 in York, Pennsylvania. Other local bakeries soon came together under the National Biscuit Company, or “Nabisco Brands.”
In 1902, Nabisco’s animal crackers officially became known as “Barnum’s Animals” and used the circus theme of the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Later in 1902, the box was designed for the Christmas season with the innovative idea of attaching a string to hang from the Christmas tree. The Pop Culture Animal Crackers are a deliciously crunchy snack perfect for munching on at home, in the office, or even out on the go.
April 18 is…
Animal Cracker Day Columnist Day International Amateur Radio Day Velociraptor Awareness Day
April 18 Birthday Quotes
“Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It’s not the time that matters, it’s the person.” – David Tennant
“Fall down. Make a mess. Break something occasionally. Know that your mistakes are your own unique way of getting to where you need to be. And remember that the story is never over.” – Conan O’Brien
“If you’re a young person who wants to become an actor, it’s really important to walk into a casting room with a sense of yourself and some life experience. You can really delight a room and have them already choose you before you’ve even said a word!” – Kenny Ortega
“What we see is what they’re trying to sell us.” – Rick Moranis
“I have the same attitude with work – I like to go to work, I like to work really hard I, like to give everything my all, I like to try things that are new, you know.” – Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
April 18 Birthdays
1857 – Clarence Darrow, American lawyer (died in 1938) 1882 – Leopold Stokowski, English conductor (died in 1977) 1916 – Carl Burgos, American comic book illustrator (died in 1984) 1919 – Virginia O’Brien, American character actress and singer (died in 2001) 1922 – Barbara Hale, American actress (died in 2017) 1946 – Hayley Mills, English actress 1950 – Kenny Ortega, American director, producer, and choreographer 1953 – Rick Moranis, Canadian-American comedic actor 1956 – Eric Roberts, American actor 1961 – Jane Leeves, English actress 1962 – Jeff Dunham, American comedian and ventriloquist 1963 – Eric McCormack, Canadian-American actor 1963 – Conan O’Brien, American actor, screenwriter, and talk show host 1967 – Maria Bello, American actress 1971 – David Tennant, Scottish actor, The Tenth Doctor 1976 – Melissa Joan Hart, American actress 1979 – Kourtney Kardashian, American model and businesswoman 1987 – Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, English model and actress 1987 – Samantha Jade, Australian singer-songwriter
April 18 History
1506 – The cornerstone of the current St. Peter’s Basilica was laid.
1738 – Real Academia de la Historia (“Royal Academy of History”) was founded in Madrid, Spain.
1775 – Paul Revere’s Ride took place. He probably said “The Regulars are coming out” subtly since there were British Troops everywhere.
1846 – The first US Patent (#4,464) for a telegraph ticker that would print letters of the alphabet was issued to R.E. House of New York City.
1902 – Quetzaltenango, the second largest city of Guatemala, was destroyed by an earthquake.
1906 (Earthquake) At 5:13 AM, an earthquake estimated at close to 8.0 on the Richter scale struck San Francisco, California.
1909 – Joan of Arc was beatified by the Catholic Church, the first step towards sainthood. Pope Benedict XV canonized Joan on May 16, 1920.
1923 – Yankee Stadium, ‘The House that Ruth Built,’ opened.
1924 – Simon & Schuster published the first crossword puzzle book.
1925 – The first Woman’s World’s Fair in the US was officially opened in Chicago, Illinois, by First Lady Mrs. Calvin Coolidge.
1930 – BBC reported there was no news, and then played out with piano music.
1966 – James M. Schlatter applied for a Patent (#3,492,131) for Peptide Sweetening Agents, an invention that eventually led to the marketing of aspartame under the name NutraSweet
1983 – The Disney Channel began as a cable channel
1983 – A suicide bomber destroyed the United States embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 63 people.
1987 – #1 Hit April 18, 1987 – May 1, 1987: Aretha Franklin and George Michael – I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)
1989 – In the People’s Republic of China (PRC), student protests grew until the Chinese government eventually suppressed them in June, during what came to be known as the Tienanmen Square Massacre.
1994 – Broadway Show – Beauty and the Beast (Musical) April 18, 1994
1995 – Rox became the first television show distributed via the internet.
2003 – Holes and Malibu’s Most Wanted were released in theaters.
2008 – Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Forbidden Kingdom, 88 Minutes and Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed debuted in theaters.
2009 – #1 Hit April 18, 2009 – July 10, 2009: The Black Eyed Peas – Boom Boom Pow
2007 – A series of bombings in Baghdad, killed 198 and injured 251 people.
2012 – Dick Clark, the host of American Bandstand and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, died.
2013 – A suicide bombing in a Baghdad cafe killed 27 and injured another 65 people.
2014 – 16 people were killed in an avalanche on Mount Everest.
#1 Hit April 18, 2020 – April 24, 2020: Toosie Slide – Drake
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
A group of Ships is called a Fleet.
Bad luck comes in threes, but the 3rd time’s the charm.
“Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make.” – Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) #moviequotes
Fake living rooms at IKEA should also have a couple in them trying to assemble IKEA furniture and fighting.
“Every girl’s crazy ’bout a shot glass man” #misunderstoodlyrics
“Books, records, films—these things matter. Call me shallow but it’s the fuckin’ truth.” – Rob in High Fidelity #moviequotes
A group of Squirrels is called a Dray or Scurry
An average storm cloud weighs 105.8 million pounds.
“Punctuation, is? fun!’ – Daniel Keyes
Every time I hear or see anything about fossil fuels, I always think of dinosaurs.
You can’t feel if your hair is hot or cold… because if you touch it it’s always hair temperature.
Patrick Star is stupid because he ‘lives under a rock.’
1521 – The trial of Martin Luther over his teachings began during the assembly of the Diet of Worms.
1961 – The Bay of Pigs Invasion
2014 – NASA’s Kepler space telescope confirms the discovery of the first Earth-size planet, Kepler-186f.
April 17, 19** Birthday (fictional) Daffy Duck, Cartoon
If you were born on April 17th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 25th (prior year)
Bat Appreciation Day
There are many fun ways to celebrate National Bat Appreciation Day, whether you head outdoors or hang out at home. It is the bat’s sonar that helps farmers by eating pesky insects and plants harmful to crops. But what’s coolest about bats? They only make up 1% of all mammals yet comprise 20% of all mammals in existence today! The Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) lives across much of North America, with populations spreading northward from Mexico into Canada and as far eastward as Florida. Their range also includes eastern Asia including Cuba and the Philippines.
April 17 is…
Bat Appreciation Day Cheese Ball Day Ellis Island Family History Day Haiku Poetry Day Herbalist Day
April 17 Birthday Quotes
“A man always has two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason.” – J.P. Morgan
“I was never a natural. I got there in the end because I did believe that if you work hard enough, then you can achieve a lot.” – Victoria Beckham
“I’m so quick, I could spit in the wind, duck, and let it hit the old lady behind me.” – Roddy Piper
“Go as far as you can see; when you get there you’ll be able to see farther.” – J.P. Morgan
“The first thing that you should do when you win an Oscar is thank God. The second thing you should do is forget it. The third thing you should do is call your agent and tell him you need a job.” – Rod Steiger
“I’m the reason Hulk Hogan lost his hair.” – Roddy Piper
April 17 Birthdays
1837 – J.P. Morgan, American banker and financier, founded J.P. Morgan & Co. (died in 1913) 1897 – Thornton Wilder, American novelist and playwright (died in 1975) 1918 – William Holden, American actor (died in 1981) 1923 – Harry Reasoner, American TV Journalist (died in 1991) 1925 – Rod Steiger, American character actor (died in 2002) 1934 – Don Kirshner, American songwriter and producer (died in 2011) 1948 – Jan Hammer, Czech pianist, composer, and producer 1951 – Olivia Hussey, Argentinian-English actress 1954 – Roddy Piper, Canadian professional wrestler and actor (died in 2015) 1957 – Afrika Bambaataa, American disc jockey 1972 – Jennifer Garner, American actress 1974 – Victoria Beckham, English singer and fashion designer
April 17 History
1397 – Geoffrey Chaucer told The Canterbury Tales for the first time at the court of Richard II.
April 17, 1775 (fiction) The Continental Congress declared that New Jersey was the ‘Official Joke State’, Futurama, Cartoon
1815 (Volcano) Tambora volcano in Indonesia killed almost 100,000 people.
1861 – The state of Virginia’s secession convention voted to secede from the United States, later becoming the eighth state to join the Confederate States of America.
1861 – The first oil well fire occurred at the Little and Merrick well at Oil Creek, near Rouseville, Pennsylvania, killing 19 people.
1897 – A UFO supposedly crashed into a farm owned by J.S. Proctor in Aurora, Texas.
1906 – A disastrous earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.8 hit San Francisco.
1907 – The Ellis Island immigration center in New York processed 11,747 people, more than on any other day.
April 17, 19** Birthday (fictional) Daffy Duck, Cartoon Daffy Duck’s first appearance was in Porky’s Duck Hunt.
1960 – Singer Eddie Cochran died, and Gene Vincent was injured in a UK car accident.
1961 – The unsuccessful Bay of Pigs invasion began.
1964 – Geraldine ‘Jerrie’ Mock landed in Columbus, Ohio, becoming the first woman to complete a solo airplane flight around the world.
1964 – The Ford Mustang was introduced to the North American market.
1966 – Policemen Dale Spaur and Wilbur Neff reported chasing a UFO at 5:00 AM in Portage County, Ohio.
1969 – Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy.
1971 – #1 Hit April 17, 1971 – May 28, 1971: Three Dog Night – Joy to the World
1973 (Tornado) Balurchar, Bangladesh
1979 – The worst attended MLB game occurred in Oakland on 4/17/1979 – Only 250 people showed up.
1987 – Project X was released in theaters.
2011 – Game of Thrones premiered on HBO
2014 – NASA’s Kepler confirmed the discovery of the first Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of another star.
2015 – Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 and Unfriended debuted in theaters.
April 17, 2021 – April 23, 2021: Leave the Door Open – Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak)
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Girls named after fruit are easy. #moviecliches
The world’s longest-running laboratory experiment “demonstrates the fluidity and high viscosity of pitch, a derivative of tar once used for waterproofing boats.” In 1930 pitch was left in a glass funnel to drip out and has only dropped 9 times: about once every 10 years, most recently on April 17, 2014.
“Life’s a marathon, not a sprint.” – Dr. Phillip C. McGraw
DJ/MC Dick Clark’s middle name was Wagstaff.
“All I want is to have my peace of mind.” #songlyrics
If your shirt isn’t tucked into your pants, then your pants are tucked into your shirt.
If the United States grew to have 53 states. We would literally be one nation, indivisible. #math
The first animated full-color movie produced was 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
The light sent out by that bright flashlight I held towards the sky as a kid is probably 45 light-years away by now.
Plagiarism is passing off another’s work as your own. Forgery is passing off your own work as another’s.
It is illegal to bring beer into Pennsylvania without holding a distributor’s license.
“This is my brain and I live in it, it’s made of love and bad song lyrics.” #songlyrics
1862 – Emancipation Day – Abraham Lincoln freed 3,1000 slaves in Washington DC.
1908 – Natural Bridges National Monument was established in Utah.
1946 – The United States Army liberated Nazi Sonderlager (high security) prisoner-of-war camp Colditz, aka Oflag IV-C.
1947 – Bernard Baruch first used the term “Cold War” to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.
1961 – Cuban leader Fidel Castro declared that he is a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism.
If you were born on April 16th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 24th (prior year)
Save The Elephant Day
The goal of Save the Elephant Day is to promote awareness of the endangered Asian and African elephants in an effort to help them survive. The Save The Elephant Day was created as a way for people around the world to combine their efforts and show concern for these incredible animals. Through public outreach and collaborative work, we can financially support no-hunting zones, collaborate on scientific research projects, provide education about environmental conservation so that future generations will continue this tradition of love for nature.
April 16 is…
Day of the Mushroom Eggs Benedict Day Save the Elephant Day Stress Awareness Day Wear Pajamas to Work Day
April 16 Birthday Quotes
“We haven’t got a plan so nothing can go wrong!” – Spike Milligan
“Sometimes the truth don’t rhyme.”} – Chance the Rapper
“The best thing in life is to go ahead with all your plans and your dreams, to embrace life and to live every day with passion, to lose and still keep the faith and to win while being grateful. All of this because the world belongs to those who dare to go after what they want. And because life is really too short to be insignificant.” – Charlie Chaplin
“One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.’ – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
“Actors always have things that they’re not thrilled about on a show and have a hobby of bellyaching about those things.” – Jon Cryer
“Two Things that Define Success In Life – The way you manage when you have nothing and the way you behave when you have everything.” – Akon
April 16 Birthdays
1660 – Hans Sloane, Irish-English physician and academic (died in 1753) 1889 – Charlie Chaplin, English actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and composer (died in 1977) 1917 – Barry Nelson, American character actor (died in 2007) 1918 – Spike Milligan, Irish actor, comedian, and writer (died in 2002) 1921 – Peter Ustinov, English actor (died in 2004) 1924 – Henry Mancini, American composer and conductor (died in 1994) 1930 – Herbie Mann, American composer (died in 2003) 1934 – Robert Stigwood, Australian producer and manager (died in 2016) 1935 – Bobby Vinton, American singer 1939 – Dusty Springfield, English singer (died in 1999) 1947 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, American basketball player 1947 – Gerry Rafferty, Scottish singer-songwriter (died in 2011) 1952 – Bill Belichick, American football player 1954 – Ellen Barkin, American actress 1965 – Jon Cryer, American actor 1965 – Martin Lawrence, American actor 1973 – Akon, Senegalese-American singer and rapper 1976 – Lukas Haas, American character actor and musician 1984 – Claire Foy, English actress 1993 – Chance the Rapper, American rapper 1996 – Anya Taylor-Joy, Argentine-British actress
April 16 History
73 AD Masada, a Jewish fortress, fell to the Romans after several months of siege.
1881 In Dodge City, Kansas, gunslinger Bat Masterson fought his last gun battle. He paid an $8 fine and retired.
1908 Natural Bridges National Monument was established in Utah.
1910 The Boston Arena opened.
1912 American aviator Harriet Quimby became the first female pilot to fly across the English Channel. She was also the first US-licensed female pilot.
1943 Albert Hoffmann accidentally discovered the psychedelic effects of Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
1947 The Texas City Disaster, an ammonium nitrate explosion, killed 571 people.
1947 Bernard Baruch, in a speech given during the unveiling of his portrait in the South Carolina House of Representatives, coined the term ‘Cold War to describe relations between the United States and the Soviet Union.
1962 Walter Cronkite became the news anchor for the CBS network.
1972 Apollo 16 (April 16-27, 1972) Crew: John W. Young, Thomas K. Mattingly, and Charles M. Duke
1977 #1 Hit April 16, 1977 – April 22, 1977: David Soul – Don’t Give Up on Us
1990 ‘Doctor Death,’ Jack Kevorkian, participated in his first assisted suicide. Janet Adkins was the patient in Detroit, Michigan.
1995 Governor George W. Bush named April 16 Selena Day in Texas after the singer was killed two weeks earlier.
2005 April 16, 2005 (fiction) Bruce Banner becomes The Hulk, The Hulk, Marvel Cinematic Universe
2007 Virginia Tech massacre: Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and injured 17 before his suicide.
2012 The Pulitzer Prize winners were announced, and it was the first time since 1977 that no book won the Fiction Prize.
2022 #1 Hit April 16, 2022 – April 22, 2022: As It Was – Harry Styles
2151 April 16, 2151 (fiction) Enterprise NX-01 was launched, Star Trek: Enterprise
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
A group of Sharks is called a Shiver or School or Shoal.
“Round up the usual suspects.” – Capt. Louis Renault (Claude Rains) #moviequotes
“There’ll be peace when you are done, lay your weary head to rest, don’t you cry no more.” #songlyrics
TV shows like NCIS and CSI are basically the grown-up versions of Scooby-Doo.
“I am perplexed. Get Satan out!” – Aleister Crowley (famous occultist) #LastWords
“It’s kinda like a new pair of underwear. At first, it’s constrictive, but after a while, it becomes a part of you.” – Garth Algar #moviequotes
“Ssshhhhh… He’s asleep” is a consideration. “Ssshhhhh… He’s awake” is a conspiracy.
The female equivalent of a “dude” is a “dudine,” not a “dudette.” #really?
Based on the number of times I’ve failed those captcha tests, I’m not entirely convinced that I’m not a robot.
If dogs played poker, the ones with long tails would always lose.
I love how when you drop something small and take your eyes off it for one second it immediately transports you to an alternate universe.
1947 – Jackie Robinson, became the first African-American player in Major League Baseball when he played at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
1989 – 96 fans were killed in The Hillsborough Tragedy in Sheffield, England with poor crowd control planning at a soccer match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
2013 – The Boston marathon Bombing killed three people and injured 260 runners and supporters.
If you were born on April 15th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 23rd (prior year)
April 15 is…
Glazed Spiral Ham Day Jackie Robinson Day Laundry Day Tax Day Titanic Remembrance Day World Art Day
#42 Jackie Robinson was the first African American player to play in Major League Baseball and broke the color barrier in a sport that had been segregated for more than 50 years. Jackie Robinson Day is celebrated every April 15th, which is Jackie’s birthday.
US Tax Trivia
The Gettysburg address is 269 words, the Declaration of Independence is 1,337 words, and the Holy Bible is only 773,000 words. However, the tax law has grown from 11,400 words in 1913, to over 7 million words today.
There are at least 480 different tax forms, each with many pages of instructions. Even the easiest form, the 1040E has 33 pages of instructions and all in fine print.
The IRS sends out 8 billion pages of forms and instructions each year. Laid end to end, they would stretch 28 times around the earth.
Nearly 300,000 trees are cut down yearly to produce the paper for all the IRS forms and instructions. The total number of computers thrown out the window, or kicked with a frustrated foot is unknown.
American taxpayers spend $200 billion and 5.4 billion hours working to comply with federal taxes each year, more than it takes to produce every car, truck, and van in the United States.
The IRS employs 114,000 people; that’s twice as many as the CIA and five times more than the FBI.
60% of taxpayers must hire a professional to get through their own return.
Taxes eat up nearly 40% of the average family’s income; that’s more than for food, clothing and shelter combined.
Tax Freedom Day
Tax Freedom Day is the day that the money that you earn that particular year, on average, stops going into the government’s pocket and starts going into yours. Tax Freedom Day By Year: April 17, 2021 April 15, 2020 April 16, 2019 April 19, 2018 April 23, 2017 April 24, 2016 April 24, 2015 April 21, 2014 April 18, 2013 April 13, 2012 April 12, 2011 April 9, 2010 April 8, 2009 April 16, 2008 April 24, 2007 April 26, 2006 April 21, 2005 April 15, 2004 April 14, 2003 April 17, 2002 April 27, 2001 May 1, 2000
Tax Day Jokes
The IRS decides to audit Ralph, and summons him to the IRS office. The IRS auditor is not surprised when Ralph shows up with his attorney.
The auditor says, “Well, sir, you have an extravagant lifestyle and no full-time employment, which you explain by saying that you win money gambling. I’m not sure the IRS finds that believable.” “I’m a great gambler, and I can prove it,” says Ralph. “How about a demonstration?” The auditor thinks for a moment and said, “Okay. Go ahead.”
Ralph says, “I’ll bet you a thousand dollars that I can bite my own eye.” The auditor thinks a moment and says, “No way! It’s a bet.”
Ralph removes his glass eye and bites it. The auditor’s jaw drops. Ralph says, “Now, I’ll bet you two thousand dollars that I can bite my other eye.” The auditor can tell Ralph isn’t blind, so he takes the bet. Ralph removes his dentures and bites his good eye. The stunned auditor now realizes he has wagered and lost three grand, with Ralph’s attorney as a witness. He starts to get nervous.
“Want to go double or nothing?” Ralph asks. “I’ll bet you six thousand dollars that I can stand on one side of your desk, and pee into that wastebasket on the other side, and never get a drop anywhere in between.”
The auditor, twice burned, is cautious now, but he looks carefully and decides there’s no way this guy can manage that stunt, so he agrees again. Ralph stands beside the desk and unzips his pants, but although he strains mightily, he can’t make the stream reach the wastebasket on the other side, so he pretty much urinates all over the desk.
The auditor leaps with joy, realizing that he has just turned a major loss into a huge win. But Ralph’s attorney moans and puts his head in his hands. “Are you okay?” the auditor asks. “Not really,” says the attorney. “This morning, when Ralph told me he’d been summoned for an audit, he bet me twenty thousand dollars that he could come in here and pee all over an IRS official’s desk and that you’d be happy about it.” ____________________
A businessman on his deathbed called his friend and said, “Bill, I want you to promise me that when I die you will have my remains cremated.” “And what,” his friend asked, “do you want me to do with your ashes?” The businessman said, “Just put them in an envelope and mail them to the Internal Revenue Service. Write on the envelope, “Now, you have everything.” ____________________
“To you taxpayers out there, let me say this: Make sure you file your tax return on time! And remember that, even though income taxes can be a ‘pain in the neck,’ the folks at the IRS are regular people just like you, except that they can destroy your life.” – Dave Barry
“The taxpayer – that’s someone who works for the federal government but doesn’t have to take the civil service examination.” -Ronald Reagan
April 15 Birthday Quotes
“There’s nothing wrong with being afraid. It’s not the absence of fear, it’s overcoming it. Sometimes you’ve got to blast through and have faith.” – Emma Watson
“You want to create an environment where we’re fostering ideas, not rejecting them.” – Seth Rogen
“I don’t want no drummer. I set the tempo.” – Bessie Smith
“I’m scared of the interviews…I’m scared of having to get up on stage again. I’m scared of the critique. I’m scared right now of doing this again. But that’s why I have to do it, I think.” – Linda Perry
“Any problem, big or small, within a family, always seems to start with bad communication. Someone isn’t listening.” – Emma Thompson
“The Learner must be led always from familiar objects toward the unfamiliar, guided along, as it were, a chain of flowers into the mysteries of life.” – Charles Willson Peale
April 15 Birthdays
1741 – Charles Willson Peale, American painter and soldier (died in 1827) 1875 – James J. Jeffries, American boxer and promoter (died in 1953) 1894 – Bessie Smith, African-American singer and actress (died in 1937) 1903 – John Williams, English-American character actor (died in 1983) 1912 – Kim Il-sung, North Korean general and politician, 1st Supreme Leader of North Korea (died in 1994) 1917 – Hans Conried, American voice actor (died in 1982) 1933 – Roy Clarke, American musician and television personality (died in 2018) 1933 – Elizabeth Montgomery, American actress (died in 1995) 1938 – Claudia Cardinale, Italian actress 1947 – Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, American screenwriter and producer 1948 – Michael Kamen, American composer and conductor (died in 2003) 1959 – Emma Thompson, English actress 1962 – Tom Kane, American voice actor 1965 – Linda Perry, American singer-songwriter 1966 – Samantha Fox, English model and singer-songwriter 1982 – Seth Rogen, Canadian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter 1990 – Emma Watson, English actress
April 15 History
*We pay money in taxes to people who decided the amount of money we pay to them in taxes.
1755 – Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language was published in London.
1817 – The Erie Canal was authorized, to link between Buffalo on Lake Erie and the Hudson River at Albany New York,
1892 – The Edison General Electric Company (General Electric Company) was formed.
1912 – Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean, near Newfoundland & Nova Scotia, Canada, after hitting an iceberg the night before.
1912 – The fourth dimension was referred to ‘as Time’ by Albert Einstein.
1923 – Insulin became available for use by people with diabetes.
1924 – Rand McNally published its first road atlas.
1927 – The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 began.
1941 – Igor Ivor Sikorsky made the first helicopter flight over one-hour duration in his Vought-Sikorsky VS-300.
1950 – #1 Hit April 15, 1950 – April 28, 1950: Eileen Barton – If I Knew You Were Comin’ I’d’ve Baked a Cake
April 15, 1951, 19** Birthday (fictional) Marge Simpson, The Simpsons, TV
1952 – First flight of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.
1955 – McDonald’s opened its first franchised restaurant, owned by Ray Kroc, in Des Plaines, Illinois.
1964 – Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was opened to traffic, connecting the Eastern Shore to Virginia Beach.
1967 – #1 Hit April 15, 1967 – May 12, 1967: Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra – Somethin’ Stupid
1972 – #1 Hit April 15, 1972 – May 26, 1972: Roberta Flack – The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
1983 – Tokyo Disneyland opened to the public.
1984 – The inaugural World Youth Day was held in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City.
1989 – #1 Hit April 15, 1989 – April 21, 1989: Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy
1993 – Benny and Joon and Boiling Point were released in theaters.
1995 – #1 Hit April 15, 1995 – June 2, 1995: Montell Jordan – This Is How We Do It
2004 – Kill Bill vol 2 and The Punisher debuted in theaters.
2010 – Kick-Ass and Death at a Funeral were released in theaters.
April 15, 2011, Lemonade Mouth aired on The Disney Channel
2013 – At approximately 2:50 PM (EDT), in a terrorist attack, two explosions around Copley Square were caught live on camera during the telecast of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring 260.
2019 – The cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris in France was seriously damaged by a large fire
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.
J.P. Morgan of JPMorgan and Chase Co. Banking and Milton Hershey of Hershey’s Chocolate were both in Europe and planned to travel back to the US on Titanic’s Maiden Voyage but made other plans.
“Be happy without picking flaws.” – Victor Hugo
“I’ll have what she’s having.” – Customer (Estelle Reiner) #moviequotes
The Powerpuff Girls get their power from Chemical X, as in the X Chromosome. Their power is girl power.
We have become such a civilized species that we need to emulate manual labor, by working out, to keep ourselves healthy.
“If you die in an elevator, be sure to push the up button.” – Sam Levenson
A group of Donkeys is called a Drove or Pace or Herd.
“Wikipedia is the first place I go when I’m looking for knowledge… or when I want to create some.” – Stephen Colbert
“Yabba dabba do!” – Fred Flintstone (The Flintstones)
Little Richard – Real Name: Richard Wayne Pennyman
The director of ‘Cannibal Holocaust’ had to prove in court that the actors were still alive and didn’t get killed during the movie.
Who is this Rorschach guy? And why does he have pictures of my parents fighting?
“If you could be anything you wanted to be, you’d be disappointed.” #songlyrics
The reason grass makes you itch is because it actually cuts your skin with its serrated edges.
1. Based on a 1927 play by Peggy Webling based on an 1818 novel, what classic horror film was released on November 21, 1931
2. This 1931 silent romantic comedy film written, produced, directed by, and starring the same guy is considered by many people as one the greatest films of all time…
3. In 1931, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
4. What 98-foot tall statue, 92 feet wide, overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro, was dedicated in 1931?
5. What was the highest-grossing film of 1931
6. The earliest confirmed use of THIS word in Disney’s Mary Poppins appeared in the Syracuse Daily Orange. What word?
7. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1931
8. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1931?
9. What was the first state in the United States to have legalized casino gambling as of March 19, 1931?
10. Signed in 1929, what document entered into force relative to the treatment of prisoners of war?
11. What major power in World War II did NOT ratify The Geneva Convention?
12. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1931?
13. How many people lived in the United States in 1931?
14. First shown in Paris at the Galerie Pierre Colle, The Persistence of Memory is the work of what surrealist artist?
15. Early proponents of this musical invention included Les Paul and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. What invention?
16. What New York Skyscraper opened on May 1, 1931?
17. What is the name of the effervescent antacid and pain reliever first sold in 1931
18. Who was the President of the United States in 1931?
19. What was the average household income in 1931?
20. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1931?
21. What was the Biggest Hit for Cab Calloway and His Orchestra
22. Who won the 1931 World Series?
23. On October 17, 1931, what well-known criminal was convicted on three counts of income tax evasion and sentenced to 11 years in federal prison?
24. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1931?
25. What 1931 gangster film made James Cagney a bonafide movie star?
26. How much did an average Ford Model A cost in 1931?
27. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1931?
28. What river flooded in Chain, killing about 3.7 million people in total, the worst natural disaster of the 20th century.
29. What did The Star-Spangled Banner become in 1931?
30. Who was the star of 1931’s Dracula?
31. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1931: James Dean, Alfred Hitchcock, James Earl Jones, or Mikhail Gorbachev?
Trivia Team Bonus Questions:
1. What comic strip detective character made his debut appearance in the Detroit Mirror newspaper?
2. Who was the American Vice-President in 1931?
3. What high-performance sports car company was founded in Stuttgart, Germany?
4. What tire and rubber brand was founded in Kurume, Kyushu Island, Japan?
5. On October 21, 1931, the United States went dark for one minute to honor what American?
6. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1931?
7. What did Seventeen-year-old female baseball pitcher Jackie Mitchell do in succession during an exhibition baseball game
8. Formerly known as The Watchtower Society, what religious group changed its name in 1931?
9. Who was the Pope in 1931?
10. What was the full title of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein novel?
The Answers:
31 Trivia Answers for 1931 History
1. Based on a 1927 play by Peggy Webling based on an 1818 novel, what classic horror film was released on November 21, 1931? Frankenstein
2. This 1931 silent romantic comedy film written, produced, directed by, and starring the same guy is considered by many people as one the greatest films of all time… City Lights by Charlie Chaplin
3. In 1931, what was the average life expectancy in the United States? Men – 59.4 years, Women – 63.1 years.
4. What 98-foot tall statue, 92 feet wide, overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro, was dedicated in 1931? Christ the Redeemer
5. What was the highest-grossing film of 1931? Frankenstein
6. The earliest confirmed use of THIS word in Disney’s Mary Poppins appeared in the Syracuse Daily Orange. What word? “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
7. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1931? Good Night, Sweetheart by Wayne King OR The Peanut Vendor by Don Azpiazu
8. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1931? 8 cents
9. What was the first state in the United States to have legalized casino gambling as of March 19, 1931? Nevada
10. Signed in 1929, what document entered into force relative to the treatment of prisoners of war? The Geneva Convention
11. What major power in World War II did NOT ratify The Geneva Convention? Japan
12. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1931? In 1931, The Montreal Canadiens won over the Chicago Black Hawks (3 games to 2)
13. How many people lived in the United States in 1931? The population was an estimated 124,039,648 people.
14. First shown in Paris at the Galerie Pierre Colle, The Persistence of Memory is the work of what surrealist artist? Salvador Dali
15. Early proponents of this musical invention included Les Paul and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. What invention? The Electric Guitar
16. What New York Skyscraper opened on May 1, 1931? The Empire State Building
17. What is the name of the effervescent antacid and pain reliever first sold in 1931 Alka-Seltzer
18. Who was the President of the United States in 1931? Herbert Hoover (March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933)
19. What was the average household income in 1931? $4,217.40
20. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1931? The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
21. What was the Biggest Hit for Cab Calloway and His Orchestra? Minnie the Moocher
22. Who won the 1931 World Series? In 1931, The St. Louis Cardinals won, beating the Philadelphia Athletics (4 games to 3)
23. On October 17, 1931, what well-known criminal was convicted on three counts of income tax evasion and sentenced to 11 years in federal prison? Al Capone
24. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1931? Pierre Laval
25. What 1931 gangster film made James Cagney a bonafide movie star? The Public Enemy
26. How much did an average Ford Model A cost in 1931? $495 (Town Car $1400)
27. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1931? $0.17 per gallon
28. What river flooded in Chain, killing about 3.7 million people in total, the worst natural disaster of the 20th century. The Yangtze River
29. What did The Star-Spangled Banner become in 1931? The official National anthem of the United States.
30. Who was the star of 1931’s Dracula? Bela Lugosi
31. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1931: James Dean, Alfred Hitchcock, James Earl Jones, or Mikhail Gorbachev? Alfred Hitchcock
Trivia Team Bonus Questions:
1. What comic strip detective character made his debut appearance in the Detroit Mirror newspaper? Dick Tracy, created by cartoonist Chester Gould
2. Who was the American Vice-President in 1931? Charles Curtis (March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933)
3. What high-performance sports car company was founded in Stuttgart, Germany? Porsche
4. What tire and rubber brand was founded in Kurume, Kyushu Island, Japan? Bridgestone
5. On October 21, 1931, the United States went dark for one minute to honor what American? For Thomas Alva Edison’s funeral (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931)
6. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1931? Twenty Grand
7. What did Seventeen-year-old female baseball pitcher Jackie Mitchell do in succession during an exhibition baseball game? She struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
8. Formerly known as The Watchtower Society, what religious group changed its name in 1931? Jehovah’s Witnesses
9. Who was the Pope in 1931? Pope Pius XI, February 6, 1922 – February 10, 1939
10. What was the full title of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein novel? Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus.
1561 – A ‘celestial phenomenon’ is reported over Nuremberg, described as an aerial UFO battle.
1828 – Noah Webster published his American Dictionary of the English Language.
1865 – President Abraham Lincoln was shot in Ford’s Theatre by John Wilkes Booth.
1933 – Jack Mackay and his wife reported seeing the Loch Ness Monster- and that got the whole modern lake monster thing started.
If you were born on April 14th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 22nd (prior year)
April 14 is…
Be Kind to Lawyers Day Dolphin Day Ex-Spouse Day Moment of Laughter Day Look up the Sky Day Pecan Day Reach as High as You Can Day
Cecil Chubb’s Stonehenge
In late September 1915, Cecil Chubb bought Stonehenge for £6,600, a little less than a million in today’s dollars, as a gift for his wife. The area is about 6400 acres. Mrs. Chubb was not happy. According to legend, she wanted curtains. We can only assume she later got her curtains and a lifetime of apologies. He donated Stonehenge to the UK in 1918, with the provision that locals could always visit it for free. They still can, but it’ll cost tourists about $25.00.
April 14 Birthday Quotes
“Children require guidance and sympathy far more than instruction.” – Anne Sullivan Macy
“You can be good in a good movie, you can be good in a bad movie, you can be bad in a bad movie, but never, ever, be bad in a good movie.” – John Gielgud
“In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent.” – Loretta Lynn
“You’d be surprised how many shortcomings can be overcome by hustle.” – Pete Rose
“Real heroes are all around us and uncelebrated.” – Peter Capaldi
“A true friend is someone who says nice things behind your back.” – Anthony Michael Hall
April 14 Birthdays
1866 – Anne Sullivan, American educator (died in 1936) 1876 – Cecil Chubb, English barrister and one-time owner of Stonehenge (died in 1934) 1904 – Sir John Gielgud, English actor, director, and producer (died in 2000 1922 – Audrey Long, American character actress (died in 2014) 1925 – Rod Steiger, American actor (died in 2002) 1932 – Loretta Lynn, American singer-songwriter 1940 – Julie Christie, English actress 1941 – Pete Rose, American baseball player 1949 – Dave Gibbons, English comic book author and illustrator 1958 – Peter Capaldi, Scottish character actor, The Twelfth Doctor 1961 – Robert Carlyle, Scottish character actor 1968 – Anthony Michael Hall, American actor 1977 – Sarah Michelle Gellar, American actress 1977 – Rob McElhenney, American actor and producer 1996 – Abigail Breslin, American actress
April 14 History
1775 – The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage was organized in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush.
1863 – The US Patent (No. 38,200) for a continuous-roll printing press was issued to William Bullock, enabling two sides of a newspaper to be printed at once. It was first used by the New York Sun.
1865 – John Wilkes Booth fatally shot President Abraham Lincoln at a play (Our American Cousin) at Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC.
1881 – Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight occurred on El Paso Street, El Paso, Texas. Marshal Dallas Stoudenmire accounted for three of the four fatalities with his twin .44 caliber Colt revolvers.
1900 – The Exposition Universelle began in Paris, France.
1912 – RMS Titanic hit an iceberg, killing 1514 people that evening, and into the next day.
1927 – The first Volvo car was presented in Gothenburg, Sweden.
1933 – Jack Mackay and his wife reported seeing the Loch Ness Monster – ‘Nessie’, although the earliest report was in 565 AD when St. Columbia turned away a giant beast that was threatening a man in the Ness River, which flows into the lake.
1935 – ‘Black Sunday Storm’ – the worst dust storm of the US Dust Bowl, hit from the Oklahoma Panhandle and Northwestern Oklahoma to the Texas Panhandles. The Duststorm of April 14th, 1935 is also immortalized in the Woody Guthrie song “Dusty Old Dust” aka “So long been good to know you.”
1939 – The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck was first published by the Viking Press.
1953 – The CIA started to give unwitting subjects LSD in a search for a mind-controlling drug.
1960 – Broadway Show – Bye Bye Birdie (Musical) opened on April 14, 1960
1961 – The man-made element 103 – Lawrencium (Lw), was produced in the US by Albert Ghiorso, Torbjørn Sikkeland, Almon Larsh and Robert M. Latimer.
1969 (Tornado) East Pakistan, Pakistan
April 14, 1969 – 33 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee aired live on NBC
1969 – Katharine Hepburn (The Lion in Winter) and Barbra Streisand (Funny Girl) tied for Best Actress Oscar.
1979 – #1 Hit April 14, 1979 – April 20, 1979: The Doobie Brothers – What a Fool Believes
1984 – My Little Pony premiered, in syndication
1990 – #1 Hit April 14, 1990 – April 20, 1990: Tommy Page – I’ll Be Your Everything
1990 – In Living Color premiered on FOX
1992 – Broadway Show – Guys and Dolls (Musical) April 14, 1992
1994 – The 24-hour movie channel Turner Classic Movies made its debut.
1995 – Stuart Saves His Family was released in theaters.
2000 – 28 Days, American Psycho, and Keeping the Faith debuted in theaters.
2001 – April 14, 2001 – June 1, 2001: Janet Jackson – All For You
2003 – The Human Genome Project was completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to an accuracy of 99.99%.
2006 – The Notorious Bettie Page, Scary Movie 4, Kinky Boots, and The Wild were released in theaters.
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Whether you’re going the speed limit, under the speed limit, or over the speed limit, someone is going to be irritated with you.
Batman’s Arkham Asylum gets its name from the Arkham Sanitarium from the fictional town of Arkham, Massachusetts, created by H.P. Lovecraft.
The Capital of New Zealand is Wellington
The biggest film of 1954: White Christmas (Musical) earned ~ $30,000,000
In the United States tomatoes are legally a vegetable, as established in 1893 by a unanimous Supreme Court decision.
“FOCUS = Follow On Course Until Successful.” – Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha
History classes are only going to get longer and harder as time goes on.
Dr. James C. Munch testified in court, under oath, that he had smoked marijuana, and it turned him into a bat. Dr. Munch was the “official expert” on marijuana for the U.S. government from 1938 to 1962.
“He was brutally handsome and she was terminally pretty.” #songlyrics
Lisztomania was the intense hysterical reaction of fans at pianist Franz List’s concerts in the 1800s.
There are probably millions (if not billions of un-closed parentheses lying around in notes, texts, and websites all over the world.
Years ending in “00” are skipped for Leap Years, except every 400 years (2000, 2400, 2800, etc).
1962 – Silent Spring by Rachel Carson was published.
1964 – Sidney Poitier became the first African-American male to win the Best Actor award for the 1963 film, Lilies of the Field.
1976 – The United States Treasury Department reintroduced the two-dollar bill as a Federal Reserve Note.
If you were born on April 13th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 21st (prior year)
April 13 is…
Make Lunch Count Day Peach Cobbler Day Plant Appreciation Day Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday Scrabble Day
April 13 Birthday Quotes
“When the people are afraid of the government, that’s tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that’s liberty.” – Thomas Jefferson
“The creation of the world did not take place once and for all time, but takes place every day.” – Samuel Beckett
“A desperate disease requires a dangerous remedy.” – Guy Fawkes
“Teach success before teaching responsibility. Teach them to believe in themselves. Teach them to think, ‘I’m not stupid’. No child wants to fail. Everyone wants to succeed.” – Al Green
“Poetry is always slightly mysterious, and you wonder what is your relationship to it.” – Seamus Heaney
“There have been times I almost got a persecution complex. I felt like people wouldn’t let me grow up. They always saw me as a smiling kid or goofy teenager, no matter how much I’d changed.” – Ricky Schroder
April 13 Birthdays
1570 – Guy Fawkes, English soldier, planned the Gunpowder Plot (died in 1606) 1743 – Thomas Jefferson, American lawyer and politician, 3rd President of the United States (died in 1826) 1866 – Butch Cassidy, American criminal (died in 1908) 1899 – Alfred Mosher Butts, American architect and game designer, created Scrabble (died in 1993) 1906 – Samuel Beckett, Irish novelist, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (died in 1989) 1919 – Madalyn Murray O’Hair, American activist, founded American Atheists (died in 1995) 1939 – Paul Sorvino, American actor 1939 – Seamus Heaney, Irish poet (died in 2013) 1946 – Al Green, American singer-songwriter and pastor 1947 – Mike Chapman, Australian-English songwriter and producer 1949 – Christopher Hitchens, English-American essayist, literary critic, and journalist (died in 2011) 1950 – Ron Perlman, American actor 1951 – Peter Davison, English actor, The Fifth Doctor 1964 – Caroline Rhea, Canadian comedic actress 1970 – Ricky Schroder, American actor 1975 – Lou Bega, German singer-songwriter 1988 – Allison Williams, American actress and singer 2004 – Brooklyn Nelson, American actress
April 13 History
1204 – Constantinople fell to the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade.
1360 – On “Black Monday,” a hail storm killed 1,000 English soldiers and 6,000 horses. Edward III, fearing it a sign from God, paused the Hundred Years’ War.
1570 – Guy Fawkes was born (died in 1606)
1742 – Handel’s Messiah premiered in Dublin, Ireland.
1829 – The Roman Catholic Relief Act gave Roman Catholics in the United Kingdom the right to vote and to sit in the UK’s Parliament.
1869 – The first US Patent (#88,929) for an air brake was issued to George Westinghouse of Schenectady, N.Y., called an “Improvement in steam-power-brake devices”.
1870 – The New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded.
1902 – James C. Penney (now Penneys) opened his first store in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
1943 – The Jefferson Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC.
The Universe 25 experiment, conducted by American ethologist John B. Calhoun in the late 1950s and early 1970s, remains a significant study in behavioral science. This experiment was designed to test the effects of a perfect environment on mice’s behavior, with a particular focus on population density and social behavior.
Calhoun created what he termed a “Mouse Utopia,” a specially designed habitat at the National Institute of Mental Health that provided unlimited food, water, nesting material, and no threat of predators. Four breeding pairs of mice were introduced into this environment to observe how the population would grow and behave under ideal living conditions.
Initially, the mouse population flourished, doubling in size approximately every 55 days. However, as the population grew, it began to experience social breakdowns. By the time the population reached 620, the growth rate slowed significantly, and the societal structure of the mice began to collapse. The breakdown included mice failing to perform their expected societal roles, increased violence, and abnormal sexual behaviors. Calhoun referred to this breakdown as the “behavioral sink.”
The societal breakdown led to several peculiar behaviors. For instance, isolated groups of mice, which Calhoun called “the beautiful ones,” entirely withdrew from normal social behaviors and spent their time grooming themselves. Reproductive behaviors declined, maternal care decreased, and the infant mortality rate increased dramatically. Eventually, the population growth ceased, and the existing mice aged without replacement, leading to the extinction of the colony.
Calhoun’s findings were interpreted as a dark metaphor for human societies’ potential fate. He proposed that, like the mice, human societies could face similar fates under overpopulation and excessive abundance. The experiment has been cited in discussions about urban decay, social isolation, and the impact of ideal living conditions devoid of usual survival challenges.
The Universe 25 experiment highlighted the importance of social roles and activities in maintaining a balanced society. It sparked debates on the ethics of population control and the design of living spaces to mitigate the negative social impacts of overcrowding. The study remains a profound reminder of the complex interplay between environment and social behavior, relevant not only in scientific circles but also in urban planning and social policy discussions.
The Universe 25 experiment conducted by John Calhoun has been widely discussed and analyzed from various perspectives, both scientifically and philosophically. Here are some of the key viewpoints and analyses regarding the experiment and its broader implications:
Scientific Insights
Behavioral Sink: Calhoin’s “behavioral sink” concept is central to the experiment’s findings. This term describes the collapse of normal behaviors as a result of overcrowding. Mice exhibited increased aggression, abandonment of the young, and withdrawal from society, which led to the population’s eventual collapse. This phenomenon raised questions about the impact of high density on mental health and social structures.
Social Withdrawal and the “Beautiful Ones”: Some of the mice, referred to as “the beautiful ones,” completely withdrew from social interactions, focusing solely on self-grooming and showing no interest in sexual activities or fighting, which are natural mouse behaviors. This withdrawal highlighted potential concerns about the effects of societal breakdown on individual psychology and social roles.
Philosophical and Societal Reflections
Human Societal Analogies: Calhoun himself drew parallels between his mouse utopia and potential human societies. The experiment has been used as a metaphor for human urban environments, where overcrowding and social isolation could lead to similar breakdowns. Critics argue whether these analogies are valid, considering the significant differences between humans and mice in social complexity and adaptability.
Criticism of Utopian Pursuits: The experiment critiques the quest for a utopian society, suggesting that a seemingly perfect environment that satisfies all physical needs might still lead to psychological and social turmoil. This viewpoint challenges the notion that fulfilling all material needs leads to a harmonized societymind-treats.com.
Ethical Considerations
Ethical Implications: The ethical implications of Calhoun’s work, particularly concerning the treatment of animals in research settings, have been a topic of debate. Additionally, applying his findings to justify population control measures or social interventions raises ethical concerns about the potential to misuse scientific research in social policy.
Broader Impact on Public Policy and Urban Planning
Influence on Urban and Social Planning: The experiment’s insights have influenced ideas about urban planning and housing. Some suggest that understanding the effects of density on social interaction could inform better designs for housing and public spaces, potentially preventing social issues related to overcrowding.
These viewpoints contribute to a multifaceted understanding of the Universe 25 experiment, highlighting the complex interplay between environment, behavior, and society. The ongoing interest in Calhoun’s work demonstrates its lasting impact on discussions about environmental design, public policy, and the ethical treatment of animals in scientific research.
1961 – Aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin became the first human being to travel into space.
If you were born on April 12th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 20th (prior year)
April 12 is…
Day of Human Space Flight Day Drop Everything and Read Day Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day Licorice Day Yuri’s Night
April 12 Birthday Quotes
“Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so highly prized as that of character.” – Henry Clay
“The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.” – Tom Clancy
“I’d love to see Christ come back to crush the spirit of hate and make men put down their guns. I’d also like just one more hit single.” – Tiny Tim
“The devaluation of music and what it’s now deemed to be worth is laughable to me. My single cost 99 cents. That’s what a single cost in 1960. On my phone, I can get an app for 99 cents that makes fart noises – the same price as the thing I create and speak to the world with. Some would say the fart app is more important. It’s an awkward time. Creative brains are being sorely mistreated.” – Vince Gill
“Don’t be afraid to expand yourself, to step out of your comfort zone. That’s where the joy and the adventure lie.” – Herbie Hancock
April 12 Birthdays
1777 – Henry Clay, American lawyer and politician, 9th United States Secretary of State (died in 1852) 1887 – Harold Lockwood, American actor and director (died in 1918) 1919 – Billy Vaughn, American musician and bandleader (died in 1991) 1923 – Ann Miller, American actress, singer, and dancer (died in 2004) 1932 – Tiny Tim, American singer and ukulele player (died in 1996) 1936 – Charles Napier, American character actor (died in 2011) 1940 – Herbie Hancock, American pianist and composer 1946 – Ed O’Neill, American comedic actor 1947 – Tom Clancy, American author (died in 2013) 1947 – David Letterman, American talk show host 1950 – David Cassidy, American singer-songwriter (died in 2017) 1954 – Pat Travers, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist 1956 – Andy Garcia, Cuban-American actor 1957 – Vince Gill, American singer-songwriter 1971 – Shannon Doherty, American actress 1971 – Nicholas Brendon, American actor 1973 – J. Scott Campbell, American comic book author and illustrator 1979 – Claire Danes, American actress 1979 – Jennifer Morrison, American actress 1987 – Brooklyn Decker, American model 1994 – Saoirse Ronan, American-born Irish actress
April 12 History
1606 – The Union Jack (the Union Flag) was adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships.
1633 – Galileo was convicted of heresy, for announcing that the Earth revolved around the Sun.
1892 – The first US Patent (#472,692) for a portable typewriter, the Blickensderfer, was issued to George Blickensderfer of Stamford, Connecticut.
1914 – Mark Strand Theatre opened in New York City. It was the first official “movie theater.”
1934 – The strongest surface wind gust ever recorded on Earth, at 231 mph, was measured on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire.
1945 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt died while in office and Vice President Harry Truman became President upon Roosevelt’s death.
1969 – #1 Hit April 12, 1969 – May 23, 1969: The 5th Dimension – Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In
1974 – #1 Hit April 13, 1974 – April 19, 1974: Elton John – Bennie and the Jets
1975 – #1 Hit April 12, 1975 – April 25, 1975: Elton John – Philadelphia Freedom
1981 – The first launch of a Space Shuttle (Columbia), named NASA’s STS-1 mission.
1985 – Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Ladyhawke, and Cat’s Eye were released in theaters.
1987 – 21 Jump Street premiered on FOX.
1992 – The Euro Disney Resort officially opened with its theme park Euro Disneyland. It was later renamed Disneyland Paris.
1994 – Laurence Canter created a software program that flooded Usenet message boards with a notice for the ‘Green Card Lottery’ to solicit business for his law firm of Canter & Siegel, in an early instance of commercial spam.
1995 – Drew Barrymore appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and, because it was his birthday, she danced on his desk and flashed him on the air.
1996 – James and the Giant Peach, Fear, and Jane Eyre debuted in theaters.
2008 – #1 Hit April 12, 2008 – May 2, 2008: Mariah Carey – Touch My Body
2013 – 42 and Scary Movie 5 were released in theaters.
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
I wonder if the reason aliens haven’t attacked us is that fiction is unique to human culture, and so they catch out movies floating around in space and think they’re seeing actual footage of us flying spaceships and wielding magic and all-around being unstoppable.
The formal name for the # symbol, commonly called the “hashtag” thanks to its widespread use in social media, is actually an “octothorpe.” #hashtag #octothorpe
The Capital of Nicaragua is Managua
The first victim of the Great Plague of London was Margaret Ponteous on April 12, 1665.
The Biggest film of 1956: The Ten Commandments (Drama) earned ~ $80,000,000
Boren’s Laws of the Bureaucracy: When in doubt, mumble. When in trouble, delegate. When in charge, ponder.
If you don’t want me stopping by for cake and ice cream, you probably shouldn’t advertise your birthday with balloons and a banner on your mailbox.
The ‘Happy Birthday’ song was placed into the public domain in September 2015.
“As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You don’t know how lucky you are not to have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.” – The Wizard
“Give a man a mask and he will show his true face” – Oscar Wilde
The Seven Virtues #2- Hope is taking a positive future view, that goodwill prevails.
Bad music and all of the worst songs are subjective, we admit. Often, the songs on this are loved by many but hated even more by others.
This section is devoted entirely to the worst songs of all time. Well, maybe not the all-time worst written songs or worst performances of all time. Perhaps “Really irritating songs that used to be popular songs” would be a better title. On the other hand, there are people reading the list below and saying to themselves ‘these are the greatest hits of all time!”
These are songs that, admit it or not, we all knew and mostly liked when they first came out. These are songs that make us cringe when we hear them now in front of loved ones. What were we thinking?
How does one define a “bad song”?
Sometimes they are just too ‘catchy’ or we have heard them far too many times for a single lifetime. You may love a particular ditty and the person next to you may give you a look of horror, disdain, and even a little pity when they realize that you are enjoying that sound coming out of the speakers.
We’re not talking about music genres here. Parents/Adults have been whining about what the “kids” were listening to since the 1920’s. That nasty Charleston stuff that evolved into that Sinful Swinging, that enabled Elvis to gyrate, leading to Tina Turner showing some leg, Jim Morrison performing nude, Ozzie biting live bats, the Sex Pistols urinating on stage, James Brown singing about his “Sex Machine”, and Eminem flipping the world “the bird” at the 2000 Grammys.
Don’t tell us “today’s music is terrible”. You sound like your mom talking about those long-haired, unkempt bad boys in “The Beatles”, or her mom harping about Elvis. Or those teachers who banned swing dancing at the school dances during World War II. Music marches in.
People like Pat Boone tried to make R & B/rock-n-roll acceptable to the masses, yet, for all his pop music success, his greatest achievement was the fathering of his daughter, Debbie Boone, who went on to record one of the most successful bad songs of all time, “You Light Up My Life”, lasting 10 weeks at Billboard’s number one, and over 20 weeks in the Top 40 in 1977. She won the Grammy for the best new artist as well. She never charted again, which is just fine for those of us who heard it, on average, a hundred thousand times that Summer of ’77.
(BTW – the 70s was the list filled the fastest, followed by the 2000s with the 90s close behind.) (BTW2 – The further back we go, the more complaints we seem to get about the “worst” selections. Time is very kind to bad songs, apparently.)
The 2000s – Worst Songs
1. Popozao – Kevin Federline
2. American Pie – Madonna
3. Magic – B.o.B Featuring Rivers Cuomo
4. All Day Long I Dream About Sex – JC Chasez
5. Lonely – Akon
6. Who Let The Dogs Out – Baha Men
7. Butterfly – Crazytown
8. I’m A Girl, Not Yet a Woman – Britney Spears
9. My Humps – Black Eyed Peas
10. I Played Chicken With A Train – Cowboy Troy
11. Black and Yellow – Wiz Khalifa
12. It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp – Djay f/ Shug (OSCAR WINNING SONG)
13. Country Girl – DF Dub
14. Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song
15. Shut Up – Kelly Osbourne
16. Ring The Alarm – Beyonce
17. Starry Eyed Surprized – Oakenfold
18. Laffy Taffy – D4L
19. Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus
20. A Little Less Conversation – Elvis vs JXL
21. She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy – Kenny Chesney
22. Sorry – Justin Guarini
23. Friday – Rebecca Black
24. Pimpin’ All Over The World – Ludacris Featuring Bobby Valentino
25. Unfaithful – Rihanna
26. Hey Ma – Cam’ron feat. Juelz Santana, Feekey Zekey and Toya
27. Grillz – Nelly, featuring Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp
28. Beautiful Soul – Jessie McCartney
29. Your Body Is a Wonderland – John Mayer
30. Picture – Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow
31. American Life – Madonna
32. Float On – Modest Mouse
33. She Bangs – Ricky Martin
34. I’m Real – Jennifer Lopez
35. You’re Beautiful – James Blunt
36. I’m In Love With A Stripper – T. Pain with Mike Jones
37. I Kissed A Girl – Katy Perry
38. Sorry 2004 – Ruben Studdard
39. Catch My Disease – Ben Lee
40. Black Suits Comin’ – Will Smith
The Nineties’ – Worst Songs
1. You Must Love Me – Madonna
2. I Can’t Dance – Genesis
3. Rico Suave – Gerardo
4. Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus
5. Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
6. 2 Legit 2 Quit – M.C. Hammer
7. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
8. Informer – Snow
9. Life – Des’ree
10. U Can’t Touch This – M.C. Hammer
11. Cantaloop – US3
12. Champagne Supernova – Oasis
13. All For Love – Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, and Sting
14. My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion (Totally controversial as a bad song)
15. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You – Bryan Adams
16. This Kiss – Faith Hill
17. Let Her Cry – Hootie and the Blowfish
18. I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred
19. Peaches – The Presidents of the United States
20. The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You – Bryan Adams
21. Good Stuff – B-52s
22. I Finally Found Someone – Bryan Adams and Barbra Streisand
23. Fly Away – Lenny Kravitz
24. One Of Us – Joan Osborne
25. Higher – Creed
26. Lump – Presidents of the United States of America
27. Are You Jimmy Ray? – Jimmy Ray
28. Believe – Cher
29. Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough – Patty Smyth and Don Henley
30. Roam – B-52s
31. Shiny Happy People – R.E.M.
32. Play That Funky Music – Vanilla Ice
33. Faith – Limp Bizkit
34. Ironic – Alanis Morrisette
35. Can I Touch You… There? – Michael Bolton
36. One Headlight – The Wallflowers
37. If I Was Your Mother – Bon Jovi
38. Barbie Girl – Aqua
39. Something Happened On The Way To Heaven – Phil Collins
40. Macarena – Los Del Rio
The Eighties’ – Worst Songs
1. Morning Train (9 to 5) – Sheena Easton
2. The Girl Is Mine – Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney
3. To All the Girls I Loved Before – Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson
1945 – American forces liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp.
1965 – Fifty-one tornadoes hit in six Midwestern states, killing 256 people.
1970 – Apollo 13 launched.
If you were born on April 11th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 19th (prior year)
April 11, 1954 – The Most Boring Day ever?
A search engine known as True Knowledge, compiled the data and was able to determine that the most boring day in history occurred on April 11, 1954. They analyzed more than 300 million historical facts and discovered that April 11, 1954 was the most uneventful news day of the 20th century. No typical newsworthy events occurred at all, of course now the day has become a bit more newsworthy, because we can talk about that very boring day.
Baseball Season hadn’t started yet – but the day before, on April 10th, Japan Won the WORLD Table Tennis Title over Sweden at Wembley Stadium in London, and that was the biggest news in that morning’s headlines.
April 11 is…
Barbershop Quartet Day Cheese Fondue Day Farm Animals Day Golfer’s Day Hug Your Dog Day Louie Louie Day Pet Day Siblings Day Submarine Day
April 11 Birthday Quotes
“A lot of people thought of me as a threat to Western civilization.” – John Milius
“Being smarter than you look is better than looking smarter than you are.” – Jeremy Clarkson
“For anyone to achieve something, he will have to show a little courage. You’re only on this earth once. You must give it all you’ve got.” – Ethel Kennedy
“We all know that small cars are good for us. But so is cod liver oil. And jogging.” – Jeremy Clarkson
“If I could be a doctor and save lives I would, but I can’t so I sing songs.” – Joss Stone
“Writing requires a great deal of skill, just like painting does. People don’t want to learn those skills.” – John Milius
April 11 Birthdays
1755 – James Parkinson, English surgeon and paleontologist (died in 1824) 1907 – Paul Douglas, American actor (died in 1959) 1928 – Ethel Kennedy, American philanthropist 1928 – Tommy Tycho, Hungarian-Australian pianist, composer, and conductor (died in 2013) 1932 – Joel Grey, American actor, singer, and dancer 1933 – Tony Brown, American journalist and academic 1935 – Richard Berry, American singer-songwriter, wrote ‘Louie Louie’ (died in 1997) 1939 – Louise Lasser, American actress 1943 – Harley Race, American wrestler and trainer (died in 2019) 1944 – John Milius, American director, producer, and screenwriter 1960 – Jeremy Clarkson, English journalist and television presenter 1961 – Vincent Gallo, American actor, director and producer 1966 – Lisa Stansfield, English singer-songwriter 1972 – Jennifer Esposito, American actress 1981 – Alessandra Ambrosio, Brazilian model 1984 – Kelli Garner, American actress 1987 – Joss Stone, English singer-songwriter 1987 – Lights, Canadian singer-songwriter
April 11 History
1876 The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was organized in New York City.
1876 The stenotype was patented (#175,892) by John C. Zachos of New York City
1909 Tel Aviv was founded.
1919 The International Labor Organization(IOL) was founded.
1945 The American Third Army liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar, Germany.
1957 The Ryan X-13 Vertijet became the first jet to take off and land vertically at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
1963 Pope John XXIII issues Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth) – the first encyclical addressed to all instead of to Catholics alone.
1964 (Tornado) Bhabanipur, Bangladesh
1970 #1 Hit April 11, 1970 – April 24, 1970: The Beatles – Let It Be
1970 Apollo 13 (April 11-17, 1970) Crew: James Lovell, John L. Swigert, and Fred W. Haise
1976 The Apple Computer 1 (Apple I) was created. They were initially all hand-built by Steve Wozniak.
1979 Ugandan dictator Idi Amin was deposed.
1981 #1 Hit April 11, 1981 – May 1, 1981: Daryl Hall and John Oates – Kiss on My List
Van Halen’s lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen married One Day at a Time actress Valerie Bertinelli
1988 Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian) won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in 1987’s Moonstruck.
1989 The Philadelphia Flyers’ Ron Hextall becomes the first goaltender in NHL history to score a goal in the playoffs.
1991 Broadway Show – Miss Saigon (Musical) April 11, 1991
1997 Anaconda and Grosse Point Blank were released in theaters.
2001 Joe Dirt, Kingdom Come, and Josie and the Pussycats debuted in theaters.
2006 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had successfully enriched uranium.
2009 #1 Hit April 11, 2009 – April 17, 2009: Lady Gaga – Poker Face
2013 Broadway Show – Matilda the Musical (Musical) April 11, 2013
2014 Rio 2, Draft Day, and Oculus were released in theaters.
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Pound cake got its name from its original recipe, which called for a pound each of butter, eggs, sugar, and flour.
Viewed from the scale of the entire universe, the speed of light is incredibly slow. So slow that, from that perspective, everything in existence is essentially motionless.
The Garfield comic strip debuted on June 19, 1978.
My father couldn’t control himself around an open bag of chips. I can’t control myself around an open bottle of vodka. My family’s weakness is potatoes.
The Capital of Trinidad and Tobago is Port-of-Spain
Olivia Wilde – Real Name: Olivia Jane Cockburn
Car alarms are no longer effective. Instead of assuming someone is breaking into a car I naturally assume some idiot accidentally clicked his button.
My total at Seven-Eleven today was $7.11. I feel like I should have won a prize or something. #noprize?
New Warrior Squirrel Girl is actually one of the most powerful superheroes in the Marvel universe, defeating both Doctor Doom and Thanos.
There are no Sour Patch Adults because we eat them all when they’re kids.
One galactic year (our solar system around the Milky way) is 250 million Earth years. Earth is 4.5 billion years old. Earth is only 18 galactic years old!
Little round donuts are called “donut holes” even though that’s pretty much the opposite of what they are.
1953 Trivia: How Much Do You Know About This Landmark Year?
1953 was a year that left its mark on history, pop culture, and innovation—and now it’s your turn to see how much you know! This trivia-packed page is here to challenge and delight, uncovering fascinating stories and events that defined the year. Whether you’re a trivia pro or just curious, there’s no shortage of surprises.
Do you know which beloved toy hit store shelves for the first time in 1953? What major event captivated television audiences across the globe? Can you name the blockbuster film that ruled the box office or the TV star who took home their first Emmy? These questions—and many more—will put your knowledge to the test.
1953 wasn’t just about big headlines; it was also a time of cultural shifts, iconic debuts, and sports, science, and entertainment milestones. From political power plays to technological breakthroughs, this year shaped the modern era. If you’re gearing up for trivia night or just love discovering history through quirky and fun facts, this is the perfect place to dive in.
So grab your thinking cap, and see how much you know about 1953! Will you conquer these questions, or will 1953 keep its secrets? There’s only one way to find out: start exploring now!
1. A very influential country music star died at 29 in his car on January 1, 1953. Name him.
2. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1953?
3. What was the highest-grossing film of 1953?
4. In 1953, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
5. Released in 1953, this was Disney’s 14th animated film. Name that movie.
6. This vehicle was produced by Chevrolet from 1953 through 2019…
7. What was the average household income in 1953?
8. How many people lived in the United States in 1953?
9. How many people lived in the World in 1953?
10. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1953?
11. To the nearest quarter, what was the average movie theater ticket price in 1953?
12. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1953?
13. Founded in 1953, what does UNICEF stand for?
14. What was the first color, wide-release 3D movie?
15. Who was the President of the United States in 1953?
16. This processed food spread by Kraft began to be sold nationwide in 1953. Name that food product!
17. Ray Bradbury titled his 1953 dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, based on what?
18. Name the Howard Hawks’ musical film starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, released by 20th Century Fox.
19. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1953?
20. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1952/1953 season?
21. Who was crowned queen of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953?
22. The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the upgrade using the “NTSC standard.” Just about every American household has at least one. HINT: The first ones sold for about $1,175. Name that product.
23. This air traffic control sign was given to a specific aircraft in 1953 to protect America’s Commander-in-Chief…
24. What is the air traffic control sign for the vice president’s plane?
25. This 1953 film, Starring Marlon Brando as Johnny Strabler, is considered by many to be the first “outlaw biker movie.” Name that film.
26. For decades, this publication, which got nationwide distribution in 1953, had one of the largest circulations in America. Name that magazine.
27. Why did all radios manufactured in the US between 1953 and 1963 have a white triangle on the dial at 640 AM?
28. Pre-dating Godzilla, Ray Bradbury wrote a short story about a giant, fire-breathing lizard, which was made into what 1953 film?
29. Name the couple who were convicted in 1951 of selling American atomic secrets to the Soviet Union and executed in 1953.
30. True or False? The first radio operator to pick up news of Stalin’s death was future rock pioneer Johnny Cash, who was serving with the US Air Force in Germany in 1953
31. What product was sold featuring a very young blonde girl and a sneaky Cocker Spaniel puppy?
32. The term originated in 1953, defining someone who is both a friend and a rival…
33. Arthur Compton was a physicist and winner of the Nobel Prize in physics in 1927. He was chancellor at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He also invented what traffic-slowing device in 1953?
34. Authorities at the Natural History Museum, London, announce that what famous skull, allegedly an early human discovered in 1912, was a hoax in studying evolution?
35. The discovery of human sleep patterns was first published by researchers Eugene Aserinsky and Nathaniel Kleitman.
36. Sidney Rosenthal created it, which consisted of a glass tube of ink with a felt wick. What did he call it?
37. This sports toy was named after what the inventor’s son called a “strike out.”
38. Who won the 1953 World Series?
39. Which actor was NOT born in 1953: Bill Pullman, Kim Basinger, Lynda Carter, or John Malkovich?
40. Where is (and what is) the line between North and South Korea?
41. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first men to accomplish what?
42. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1953?
43. This 1953 invention, in a can, is good for lubricating and loosening joints and hinges and removing dirt and residue.
44. This organization uses a 12-step model developed for people with varied substance use disorders…
45. Who was the Pope in 1953?
46. Who was Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on October 5th, 1953?
47. Name the Soviet leader who died of a stroke on March 5, 1953.
48. Ian Fleming published his first James Bond novel in the United Kingdom; what was the book’s name?
49. What company used the slogan: “Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh What a Relief It Is”?
50. What was the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) called before 1953?
51. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1953?
52. This magazine, for adults, sold almost 55,000 copies of its first issue at 50 cents each.
2. The Cincinnati Reds temporarily requested the team name to (what?) to avoid any association with communism in 1953.
3. Who was the American Vice-President in 1953?
4. British physicist Francis Crick and American biologist James Watson made what biological discovery in 1953?
5. It calls itself “the world’s southernmost city.” Name that city.
6. Who were the 1953 NBA Champions?
7. Who were the 1953 NFL Champions?
8. What was the first commercial computer to use random-access memory?
9. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1953?
10. Transsexual Christine Jorgensen returned to New York after successful sex reassignment surgery from what country?
The Answers:
53 Trivia Answers for 1953 History
1. A very influential country music star died at 29 in his car on January 1, 1953. Name him. Hank Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953)
2. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1953? Voya Con Dios (May God Be With You) by Les Paul and Mary Ford
3. What was the highest-grossing film of 1953? The Robe (2nd place: From Here to Eternity)
4. In 1953, what was the average life expectancy in the United States? Men – 66.0 years, Women – 72.0 years.
5. Released in 1953, this was Disney’s 14th animated film. Name that movie. Peter Pan
6. This vehicle was produced by Chevrolet from 1953 through 2019… Chevrolet Corvette
7. What was the average household income in 1953? $3,900.
8. How many people lived in the United States in 1953? The population was an estimated 160,184,192 people.
9. How many people lived in the World in 1953? The estimated world population in 1953 was 2,665,865,392 people.
10. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1953? The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas
11. To the nearest quarter, what was the average movie theater ticket price in 1953? 50 cents
12. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1953? 16 cents
13. Founded in 1953, what does UNICEF stand for? United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
14. What was the first color, wide-release 3D movie? The House of Wax, starring Vincent Price
15. Who was the President of the United States in 1953? Harry S. Truman (April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1953) and Dwight D. Eisenhower (January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961)
16. This processed food spread by Kraft began to be sold nationwide in 1953. Name that food product! Cheez Whiz
17. Ray Bradbury titled his 1953 dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, based on what? “Fahrenheit 451 – the temperature at which book paper catches fire and burns…”
18. Name the Howard Hawks’ musical film starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, released by 20th Century Fox. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
19. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1953? In 1953, The Montreal Canadiens won over the Boston Bruins (4 games to 1)
20. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1952/1953 season? I Love Lucy (CBS)
21. Who was crowned queen of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953? Elizabeth II
22. The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the upgrade using the “NTSC standard.” Just about every American household has at least one. HINT: The first ones sold for about $1,175. Name that product. Color television
23. This air traffic control sign was given to a specific aircraft in 1953 to protect America’s Commander-in-Chief… Air Force One
24. What is the air traffic control sign for the vice president’s plane? Air Force Two
25. This 1953 film, Starring Marlon Brando as Johnny Strabler, is considered by many to be the first “outlaw biker movie.” Name that film. The Wild One
26. For decades, this publication, which got nationwide distribution in 1953, had one of the largest circulations in America. Name that magazine. TV Guide
27. Why did all radios manufactured in the US between 1953 and 1963 have a white triangle on the dial at 640 AM? This indicates where Civil Defense information would be broadcast due to the Cold War.
28. Pre-dating Godzilla, Ray Bradbury wrote a short story about a giant, fire-breathing lizard, which was made into what 1953 film? The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
29. Name the couple who were convicted in 1951 of selling American atomic secrets to the Soviet Union and executed in 1953. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
30. True or False? The first radio operator to pick up news of Stalin’s death was future rock pioneer Johnny Cash, who was serving with the US Air Force in Germany in 1953 True
31. What product was sold featuring a very young blonde girl and a sneaky Cocker Spaniel puppy? Coppertone sunscreen
32. The term originated in 1953, defining someone who is both a friend and a rival… Frenemy
33. Arthur Compton was a physicist and winner of the Nobel Prize in physics in 1927. He was chancellor at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He also invented what traffic-slowing device in 1953? The Speed Bump
34. Authorities at the Natural History Museum, London, announce that what famous skull, allegedly an early human discovered in 1912, was a hoax in studying evolution? Piltdown Man
35. The discovery of human sleep patterns was first published by researchers Eugene Aserinsky and Nathaniel Kleitman. REM sleep
36. Sidney Rosenthal created it, which consisted of a glass tube of ink with a felt wick. What did he call it? Magic Marker
37. This sports toy was named after what the inventor’s son called a “strike out.” Wiffleball (Inventor David N. Mullany’s son called it a “whiff.”)
38. Who won the 1953 World Series? In 1953, The New York Yankees won, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers (4 games to 2)
39. Which actor was NOT born in 1953: Bill Pullman, Kim Basinger, Lynda Carter, or John Malkovich? Lynda Carter (born July 24, 1951)
40. Where is (and what is) the line between North and South Korea? The 38th parallel. (The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude 38 degrees north of the Earth’s equatorial plane.)
41. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first men to accomplish what? They were the first men to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
42. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1953? $0.29 per gallon
43. This 1953 invention, in a can, is good for lubricating and loosening joints and hinges and removing dirt and residue. WD-40 (it was for commercial use only until 1958)
44. This organization uses a 12-step model developed for people with varied substance use disorders… Narcotics Anonymous
45. Who was the Pope in 1953? Pope Pius XII, March 2, 1939 – October 9, 1958
46. Who was Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on October 5th, 1953? Earl Warren
47. Name the Soviet leader who died of a stroke on March 5, 1953. Joseph Stalin (18 December 18, 1878 – March 5, 1953)
48. Ian Fleming published his first James Bond novel in the United Kingdom; what was the book’s name? Casino Royale
49. What company used the slogan: “Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh What a Relief It Is”? Alka Seltzer
50. What was the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) called before 1953? The Bureau of Internal Revenue
51. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1953? Konrad Adenauer
52. This magazine, for adults, sold almost 55,000 copies of its first issue at 50 cents each. Playboy
Trivia Team Bonus Questions:
1. Who was the first Playboy centerfold? Marilyn Monroe (the photograph was not taken specifically for the magazine)
2. The Cincinnati Reds temporarily requested the team name to (what?) to avoid any association with communism in 1953. The Redlegs
3. Who was the American Vice-President in 1953? Alben W. Barkley (January 20, 1949 – January 20, 1953) and Richard Nixon (January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961)
4. British physicist Francis Crick and American biologist James Watson made what biological discovery in 1953? The double-helix structure of human DNA
5. It calls itself “the world’s southernmost city.” Name that city. Puerto Williams, in Chile.
6. Who were the 1953 NBA Champions? For the 1952-53 Season, Champion Minneapolis Lakers won 4 games to 1 over the New York Knicks
7. Who were the 1953 NFL Champions? Detroit Lions
8. What was the first commercial computer to use random-access memory? UNIVAC (1103)
9. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1953? Dark Star
10. Transsexual Christine Jorgensen returned to New York after successful sex reassignment surgery from what country? Denmark
The US holiday was conceived by Claudia Evart to honor the memory of her brother and sister, who died very young. Since 1998, the governors of 49 states have officially issued proclamations to recognize Siblings Day in their state. The Siblings Day Foundation was incorporated in 1997 and achieved non-profit status in 1999.
Sister Songs
1. We Are Family – Sister Sledge
2. Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves – Eurythmics
3. My Sister – Reba McEntire
4. Older Sister – Carly Simon
5. Dance Little Sister – The Rolling Stone
6. This One’s for the Girls – Martina McBride
7. Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys
8. On the Ride – Aly and AJ
9. Sister – Prince
10. Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
11. My Sister – Juliana Hatfield Three
12. Sister Oh Sister – Rosanne Cash
13. Sister Christian – Night Ranger
14. When We Grow Up – Diana Ross
15. Hey Soul Sister – Train
16. Come Dancing – The Kinks
17. Lady Marmalade – LaBelle
18. The Mother We Share – Chvrches
19. Little Sister – Elvis Presley
20. Sweet Creature – Harry Styles
21. Sister Golden hair – America
22. Sister – Dave Mathews Band
23. Little Sister – Jewel
24. Kind and Generous – Natalie Merchant
25. Oh, Sister – Bob Dylan
26. You Are My Sister – Antony and the Johnsons
27. Never Grow Up – Taylor Swift
28. Miss Celie’s Blues – Quincy Jones
29. Best Friends – Missy Elliott & Aaliyah
30. I’ll Take Care of You – Dixie Chicks
31. I Got You – Leona Lewis
32. Little Me (To My Sister) – Britney Spears
Brother Songs
1. He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother – The Hollies
2. Boss of Me – They Might Be Giants
3. Hey Brother Avicii
4. What’s Happening, Brother – Marvin Gaye
5. Daniel – Elton John
6. I Learned From You by Miley Cyrus
7. Hello Brother – Louis Armstrong
8. Blood Brothers Luke Bryan
9. My Brother – The Moody Blues
10. Brothers in Arms – Dire Straits
11. Song For My Brother – Santana
12. Brother – Kodaline
13. On The Wings of a Nightingale – The Everly Brothers
14. The Greatest Discovery – Elton John
15. Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show – Neil Diamond
1866 – The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was founded in New York City.
1963 – The submarine USS Thresher sank, killing 129 American sailors.
1970 – The Beatles broke up as a band.
2019 – Scientists from the Event Horizon Telescope project announced the first-ever image of a black hole, located in the center of the M87 galaxy.
If you were born on April 10th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 18th (prior year)
April 10 is…
Cinnamon Crescent Day Encourage a Young Writer Day Farm Animals Day Siblings Day
April 10 Birthday Quotes
“What a newspaper needs in its news, in its headlines, and on its editorial page is terseness, humor, descriptive power, satire, originality, good literary style, clever condensation and accuracy, accuracy, accuracy.” – Joseph Pulitzer
“Any great warrior is also a scholar, and a poet, and an artist.” – Steven Seagal
“The reality is, some people don’t want you to change or go anywhere different.” – Babyface
“Most Christians would like to send their recruits to Bible college for five years. I would like to send them to hell for five minutes. That would do more than anything else to prepare them for a lifetime of compassionate ministry.” – William Booth
“Music is entertainment, but I would like to be able to inspire the audience in a way that makes them leave, saying, “Wow, I just left with something I didn’t have before going into this concert.” I hope that people can leave either a live show or listening to our band record with a sense of peace, where the music was a moment of escape.” – Amanda Michalka
April 10 Birthdays
1794 – (Commodore) Matthew Perry, American naval officer (died in 1858) 1829 – William Booth, English minister, founded The Salvation Army (died in 1912) 1847 – Joseph Pulitzer, Hungarian-American journalist and publisher, founded Pulitzer, Inc. (died in 1911) 1915 – Harry Morgan, American actor (died in 2011) 1921 – Chuck Connors, American baseball player and actor (died in 1992) 1921 – Sheb Wooley, American singer-songwriter and actor (died in 2003) 1929 – Liz Sheridan, American character actress 1929 – Max von Sydow, Swedish-French actor (died in 2020) 1932 – Omar Sharif, Egyptian actor (died in 2015) 1936 – John Madden, American football player, coach, and sportscaster 1952 – Steven Seagal, American actor and martial artist 1954 – Peter MacNicol, American actor 1954 – Juan Williams, Panamanian-American journalist and author 1959 – Babyface, American singer-songwriter and producer 1959 – Brian Setzer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist 1968 – Orlando Jones, American comedic actor 1980 – Charlie Hunnam, English actor 1982 – Chyler Leigh, American actress 1984 – Mandy Moore, American singer-songwriter and actress 1987 – Shay Mitchell, Canadian actress 1988 – Haley Joel Osment, American actor 1991 – AJ Michalka, American actress and singer 1992 – Daisy Ridley, English actress 1995 – Ian Nelson, American actor
April 10 History
1710 – The Statute of Anne, the first law regulating copyright, was enacted in Great Britain.
1790 – George Washington approved the US Patent office.
1815 (Volcano Eruption) Mount Tambora (Year Without A Summer). The eruption lasted 3 months, killing 10,000 people directly and 80,000 more via disease and famine.
1849 – The first US Patent (#6,281) for a safety pin was issued to Walter Hunt of New York City.
1906 – O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi was published.
1916 – The Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) was founded in New York City.
1925 – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was first published.
April 10, 19** Birthday (fictional) Dinah Laurel Lance, Black Canary, DC Comics
1953 – The House of Wax, in 3-D and starring Vincent Price, opened at New York’s Paramount Theater.
1954 – #1 Hit April 10, 1954 – June 4, 1954: Perry Como – Wanted
1963 – USS Thresher, an atomic submarine, sank in the Atlantic Ocean, killing the entire crew of 129.
1965 – #1 Hit April 10, 1965 – April 23, 1965: Freddie and the Dreamers – I’m Telling You Now
1970 – Paul McCartney announced the breakup of the Beatles
1971 – The People’s Republic of China hosted the US table tennis team for a week-long visit.
1987 – The Secret of My Success was released in theaters.
1992 – Ferngully: The Last Rainforest, Sleepwalkers and The Player debuted in theaters.
1998 – City of Angels, Species II, and The Odd Couple II were released in theaters.
1999 – #1 Hit April 10, 1999 – May 7, 1999: TLC – No Scrubs
2009 – Parks and Recreation premiered on NBC
2009 – Hannah Montana The Movie and Dragonball Evolution debuted in theaters.
2010 – Matt Smith debuted as the eleventh Doctor on Doctor Who on BBC America
2014 – Kathleen Sebelius resigned as Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, after the faulty rollout of HealthCare.gov.
2015 – The Longest Ride and Ex Machina were released in theaters.
2016 – The price of US postage decreased for the first time (from 49 to 47 cents) in almost 100 years.
#1 Hit April 10, 2021 – April 16, 2021: Montero(Call Me by Your Name) – Lil Nas X
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Useless Pronunciation: M as in mnemonic
“One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know.” – Capt. Geoffrey T. Spaulding (Groucho Marx) in Animal Crackers, 1930
“Oh… wait. I get it. Holy Bartender! Ha, ha, ha! ” – Jay
“Attica! Attica!” – Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) in Dog Day Afternoon, 1975
Maybe ghosts have sheets over them because they’re people who died thinking hiding under their sheets would save them.
Today a 10-year-old kid with a $100 smartphone has access to more info than any human being on Earth had access to before the 90s.
“Gee, Mrs. Cleaver!” – Eddie Haskell (Leave it to Beaver)
“God bless America, land that I love, Stand beside her, and guide her, Through the night with the light from a bulb” #misunderstoodlyrics
A group of Mosquitoes is called a Scourge.
One of the 7 Wonders of the Middle Ages: The Great Wall of China, constructed 220 BC, through 1600s AD
The biggest film of 1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai (Drama) earned ~ $33,000,000
1784 – The Treaty of Paris was ratified by King George III of the Kingdom of Great Britain, ending the American Revolutionary War.
1816 – The AME (African Methodist Episcopla) Church was founded in Philadelphia, PA.
1865 – The American Civil War ended at Appomattox, Virginia.
1882 – Jumbo the Elephant arrived in America.His name popularized the term “Jumbo”.
1942 – The Battan Death March began, approximately 10,000 Allies Soldiers died during the week-long trek.
1991 – Georgia declared independence from the Soviet Union.
April 9, 2841 Birthday (fictional) Professor Hubert J Farnsworth, Futurama, Cartoon
If you were born on April 9th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 17th (prior year)
April 9 is…
Chinese Almond Cookie Day Name Yourself Day Winston Churchill Day
April 9 Birthday Quotes
“My advice would be to follow your dream. Most of my life, I was in second place before I came in first place. I hope that inspired people to never give up.” – Jackie Evancho
“Only photography has been able to divide human life into a series of moments, each of them has the value of a complete existence.” – Eadweard Muybridge
“Judging a person does not define who they are. It defines who you are.” – Kristen Stewart
“Art is not just to show life as it is, but to show life as it should be.” – Paul Robeson
“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” – Gerard Way
“Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.” – Tom Lehrer
April 9 Birthdays
1830 – Eadweard Muybridge, English photographer and cinematographer (died in 1904) 1898 – Paul Robeson, American singer, actor, and activist (died in 1976) 1917 – Brad Dexter, American character actor (died in 2002) 1926 – Hugh Hefner, American publisher, founded Playboy Enterprises (died in 2017) 1928 – Tom Lehrer, American humorous singer-songwriter 1932 – Carl Perkins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died in 1998) 1936 – Valerie Solanas, American radical feminist author, attempted murderer (died in 1988) 1937 – Marty Krofft, Canadian screenwriter and producer, brother of Sid Croft 1939 – Michael Learned, American actress 1953 – Stephen Paddock, American mass murderer responsible for the 2017 Las Vegas shooting (died in 2017) 1954 – Dennis Quaid, American actor 1963 – Joe Scarborough, American journalist 1965 – Paulina Porizkova, Czech-born Swedish-American model 1965 – Jeff Zucker, American businessman 1966 – Cynthia Nixon, American actress 1977 – Gerard Way, American singer-songwriter and comic book writer 1986 – Leighton Meester, American actress 1987 – Jesse McCartney, American singer-songwriter 1990 – Kristen Stewart, American actress 1998 – Elle Fanning, American actress 2000 – Jackie Evancho, American singer
April 9 History
1585 – Sir Walter Raleigh departed England for Roanoke Island (now in North Carolina) to establish the Roanoke Colony.
1865 – At Appomattox, Virginia, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his 28,000 troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, ending the US Civil War.
1867 – The Alaska Purchase – the United States bought Alaska from the Russian Empire for $7.2 million, in a treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate.
1945 – The United States Atomic Energy Commission was formed.
1947 (Tornado) Higgins, Texas, and Woodward, Oklahoma.
1957 – The Suez Canal in Egypt wacleared and opened to shipping following the Suez Crisis.
1959 – NASA announced the selection of America’s first seven astronauts for Project Mercury. They were Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Donald Slayton – the “Mercury Seven”
1962 – Sophia Loren won the Best Actress Oscar for Two Women.
1965 – Astrodome opened with the first indoor baseball game is played. It was an exhibition game between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees. The Astros won 2-1.
1966 – #1 Hit April 9, 1966 – April 29, 1966: The Righteous Brothers – (You’re My) Soul And Inspiration
1967 – The first Boeing 737 made its maiden flight.
1974 – Phil Brooks was issued a US patent (#3,802,434) for a disposable syringe.
1977 – #1 Hit April 9, 1977 – April 15, 1977: ABBA – Dancing Queen
1981 – Nature published the longest scientific name in history. With 16,569 nucleotides, the systematic name for human mitochondrial DNA is 207,000 letters long. That would be over 1000 typical web pages.
1988 – #1 Hit April 9, 1988 – April 22, 1988: Billy Ocean – Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car
1993 – Indecent Proposal, The Sandlot, and Sidekicks were released in theaters.
1994 – #1 Hit April 9, 1994 – May 20, 1994: R. Kelly – Bump n’ Grind
1998 – The Price Is Right aired their milestone 5,000th episode. Every prize given away on that episode was a car.
1999 – Never Been Kissed debuted in theaters.
2004 – Ella Enchanted, The Alamo, The Whole Ten Yards, and The Girl Next Door were released in theaters.
2011 – #1 Hit April 9, 2011 – April 29, 2011: Katy Perry featuring Kanye West – E.T.
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Peter O’Toole was nominated for eight performance Oscars and never won.
A group of Stingrays is called a Fever.
The working title for E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial was ‘A Boy’s Life.’
“Round up the usual suspects.” – Capt. Louis Renault (Claude Rains) in Casablanca, 1942
“If I Ran the Zoo” was published in 1950 and is the first recorded instance of the word “nerd.”
“That’s why they call them crushes. If they were easy, they’d call ’em something else.” – Jim Baker in Sixteen Candles #moviequotes
Sonny the Cuckoo Bird is the bird who is coo-coo- for Cocoa Puffs.
Biggest film of 2004: Shrek 2 (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $441,000,000
TV Quotes… “Let’s get ready to rumble!” (Michael Buffer) various sports even
“Genuine Leather” is a grade of leather and does not just mean the product is made of leather.
Dusty Springfield – Real Name: Mary Isobel Catherine O’Brien
Buddha (Buddism Founder) – Real Name: Gautama Siddhartha
“In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.” – Yogi Berra
In a glass of water, ice cubes don’t take up space. They take up time. #deepthoughts
1820 – Created nearly 2,000 years earlier, the Venus de Milo staue was discovered on the Aegean island of Milos.
1974 – Henry Aaron hit his 715th Home Run, beating Babe Ruth’s record of 714.
2005 – Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph agreed to plead guilty. A security guard named Richard Jewell was initially considered the prime suspect in the case.
If you were born on April 8th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 16th (prior year)
Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Passed on April 8, 1913. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.
When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution
April 8 is…
Empanada Day Dog Fighting Awareness Day Draw a Picture of a Bird Day Milk in Glass Bottles Day Zoo Lover’s Day
April 8 Birthday Quotes
“The world never puts a price on you higher than the one you put on yourself.” – Sonja Henie
“Today is a new day. You will get out of it just what you put into it…If you have made mistakes, even serious mistakes, there is always another chance for you. And supposing you have tried and failed again and again, you may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down.” – Mary Pickford
“Blues is to jazz what yeast is to bread–without it, it’s flat.” – Carmen McRae
“They say I look and sound ugly but I don’t be carin’.” – Biz Markie
“Nothing changes, until you change. Everything changes, once you change.” – Julian Lennon
April 8 Birthdays
1892 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer, co-founded United Artists (died in 1979) 1896 – Yip Harburg, American composer (died in 1981) 1912 – Sonja Henie, Norwegian-American figure skater and actress (died in 1969) 1918 – Betty Ford (Elizabeth Bloomer), 40th American First Lady (died in 2011) 1922 – Carmen McRae, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress (died in 1994) 1926 – Shecky Greene, American comedic actor 1942 – Douglas Trumbull, American special effects artist 1947 – Steve Howe, English guitarist/songwriter 1949 – Brenda Russell, African-American-Canadian singer/songwriter 1960 – John Schneider, American actor 1963 – Julian Lennon, English singer-songwriter 1964 – Biz Markie, American rapper 1966 – Robin Wright, American actress 1968 – Patricia Arquette, French-Canadian Russian/Polish Jewish-American actress 1973 – Emma Caulfield, American actress 1980 – Katee Sackhoff, American actress 1984 – Ezra Koenig, American singer-songwriter and guitarist 1984 – Taran Noah Smith, American actor 1990 – Kim Jong-hyun, South Korean singer-songwriter, 27 club (died in 2017)
April 8 History
1730 – Shearith Israel, the first synagogue in New York City, was dedicated.
1820 – The Venus de Milo statue was discovered on the Aegean island of Melos.
1838 (Tornado) Calcutta, India.
1873 – The first commercially successful margarine manufacturing process was Patented (No. 137,564) by Alfred Paraf of New York.
1879 – A “Fire Escape Ladder” was Patented (#214,224) by J.R. Winters.
1879 – Echo Farms Dairy Co. of New York sold milk in glass bottles for the first time in the US.
April 8, 19** Birthday (fictional) Alfred Pennyworth, Batman, DC Comics
1952 – US President Harry Truman announced the seizure of all domestic steel mills to prevent a nationwide strike.
1953 – Man in the Dark, the first 3D motion picture produced and released by a major company, opened at the Globe Theater in New York City.
1959 – A team of computer manufacturers, users, and university people led by Grace Hopper met to discuss the creation of a new programming language, leading to COBOL.
1964 – Gemini 1, an unmanned test flight, was launched.
April 8, 1968 Birthday (fictional) Chandler Bing, Friends, TV
1988 – #1 Hit April 8, 1989 – April 14, 1989: Roxette – The Look
1990 – Twin Peaks premiered on ABC
1992 – Retired tennis great Arthur Ashe announces that he had AIDS, acquired from blood transfusions during one of his two heart surgeries.
1994 – Lead Singer of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain was found dead, having committed suicide three days earlier.
2000 – #1 Hit April 8, 2000 – June 16, 2000: Santana featuring The Product G&B – Maria Maria
2006 – #1 Hit April 8, 2006 – May 12, 2006: Daniel Powter – Bad Day
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
“Hallo. Vould you like a roll in ze hay? It’s fun. Roll, roll, roll in ze hay.” – Inga #moviequotes
Han shot first. #true
“I’m not a crook!” – Richard Nixon
Arby’s isn’t named after the RB in Roast Beef, but rather the initials of the Raffel Brothers (R.B.) who founded the franchise.
Bono – Real Name: Paul Hewson
“Million dollar ideas are a dime a dozen. The determination to see the idea through is what’s priceless.” – Robert Dieffenbach
When the years switch to 5 digits, will years be displayed with a comma? #planningahead
Crayola means ‘oily chalk’, from the words ‘craie’ (French for ‘chalk’) and ‘ola’ for ‘oleaginous’ or ‘oily’.
Biggest film of 2007: Spider-Man 3 (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $336,000,000
TV Quotes… “Come on down!” (Johnny Olson) on “The Price is Right”
Whoever invented knock knock jokes should get a no bell prize.
“Open the pod bay doors please, Hal.” – David Bowman (Keir Dullea) #moviequotes
Sheldon Cooper would hate a show like The Big Bang Theory.
Christina Aguilera (Best New Artist Grammy Winner)
Santana (Grammy for Album of the Year)
Smooth – Santana and Rob Thomas (Grammy for Record of the Year)
New Artists in the Pop Charts Included: 3 Doors Down, Vertical Horizon, Macy Gray, Train, Ludacris, BBMak, Pap Roach, Kelis, Keith Urban, Aaron Carter, Rascal Flatts, Ying Yang Twins, and 2Ge+ther.
2000’s Retro Top 10 Hits
1. Graduation (Friends Forever) – Vitamin C
2. Zombie Nation – Kernkraft 400
3. The Bad Touch – Bloodhouse Gang
4. Goodbye Earl – Dixie Chicks
5. What a Girl Wants – Christina Aguilera
6. Gotta Tell You – Samantha Mumba
7. Maria Maria – Santana
8. Faded – SoulDecision
9. Stan – Eminem and Dido
10. I Like It – Sammie Featuring J.T. Money
2000’s ‘One Hit Wonders’
1. Who Let The Dogs Out – Baha Men
2. Graduation (Friends Forever) – Vitamin C
3. He Loves U Not – Dream
4. Little Black Back Pack – Stroke 9
5. Outta Love – Anastacia
6. I Try – Macy Gray
7. Crazy For This Girl – Evan and Jaron
8. Take A PIcture – Filter
9. Faded – SoulDecision
10. Better Off Alone – Alice Deejay
2000’s Pop Dance Top 10 Hit List
1. Jumpin Jumpin – Destiny’s Child
2. It’s Gonna Be Me – NSYNC
3. Shake Your Bon Bon – Ricky Martin
4. Better Off Alone – Alice Deejay
5. Independemt Woman – Destiny’s Child
6. Sexual (Li Da Di) – Amber
7. Case Of The Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do) – Mya
8. Rhythm Divine – Enrique Iglesias
9. Music – Madonna
10. Blue (Da Be Dee) – Eiffle 65
2000’s Hip Hop/Rap Music Top Ten
1. Party Up (Up In Here) – DMX
2. Country Grammar – Nelly
3. What’s Your Fantasy – Ludacris
4. Thong Song – Sisqo
5. Let’s Get Married – Jagged Edge
6. Hot Boyz – Missy Elliott
7. Forgot About Dre – Dr. Dre and Eminem
8. Big Pimpin’ – Jay-Z
9. Holla Holla – Ja Rule
10. Wobble Wobble – 504 Boyz
2000’s Bubblegum Pop Music Top Twenty
1. Bye Bye Bye – NSYNC
2. The Hardest part of Breaking Up (Is Getting Back Your Stuff) – 2gether
3. Oops!…I Did It Again – Britney Spears
4. Aaron’s Party – Aaron Carter
5. Who Let The Dogs Out – Baha Men
6. What a Girl Wants – Christina Aguilera
7. Say My Name- Destiny’s Child
8. Faded – SoulDecision
9. It’s Gonna Be Me – NSYNC
10. Can I Get Your Number – No Authority
11. Jumpin’, Jumpin’ – Destiny’s Child
12. I Think I’m In Love With You – Jessica Simpson
13. All The Small Things – Blink 182
14. He Loves You Not – Dream
15. Lucky – Britney Spears
16. Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche) – 98 Degrees
1712 – A slave revolt took place in New York city.
1940 – Booker T. Washington became the first African American to be depicted on a United States postage stamp.
1948 – The World Health Organization was established by the United Nations.
April 7, 1969 – The Internet’s symbolic birth date: Publication of RFC 1.
If you were born on April 7th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 15th (prior year)
April 7 is…
Beaver Day Beer Day Burrito Day Coffee Cake Day No Housework Day World Health Day
April 7 Birthday Quotes
“Life will knock us down, but we can choose whether or not to stand back up.” – Jackie Chan
“The difficult I’ll do right now. The impossible will take a little while.” – Billie Holiday
“That best portion of a man’s life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.” – William Wordsworth
“Whether you are aware of them or not, whether you recognize them as spiritual or not, you probably have had the experiences of silence or transcendence, or the Divine-a few seconds, a few minutes that seem out of time; a moment when the ordinary looks beautiful, glowing; a deep sense of being at peace, feeling happy for no reason. When these experiences come…believe in them. They reflect your true nature.” – Ravi Shankar
“You can be up to your boobies in white satin, with gardenias in your hair and no sugar cane for miles, but you can still be working on a plantation.” – Billie Holiday
“I usually get my stuff from people who promised somebody else that they would keep it a secret.” – Walter Winchell
April 7 Birthdays
1770 – William Wordsworth, English poet (died in 1850) 1860 – Will Keith Kellogg, American businessman, founded the Kellogg Company (died in 1951) 1897 – Walter Winchell, American journalist and radio host (died in 1972) 1908 – Percy Faith, Canadian composer and bandleader (died in 1976) 1915 – Billie Holiday, American singer-songwriter (died in 1959) 1920 – Ravi Shankar, Indian-American sitar player and composer (died in 2012) 1930 – Yves Rocher, French businessman, founded the Yves Rocher Company (died in 2009) 1933 – Wayne Rogers, American actor (died in 2015) 1938 – Jerry Brown, American lawyer and politician, 34th and 39th Governor of California 1939 – Francis Ford Coppola, American director, producer, and screenwriter 1946 – Stan Winston, American special effects designer and makeup artist (died in 2008) 1948 – John Oates, American singer-songwriter 1954 – Jackie Chan, Hong Kong martial artist, actor and stuntman 1960 – Buster Douglas, American boxer 1964 – Russell Crowe, New Zealand-Australian actor 1988 – Ed Speleers, English actor 1991 – Anne-Marie, English singer-songwriter
April 7 History
1795 – France adopted the meter as the unit of length and the base of the metric system.
1896 – Patent (#557,994) for “justifying lines of type” was issued to Tolbert Langston.
April 7, 1905 Birthday (fictional) Mickey Goldmill (Rocky’s manager), Rocky, Film
1906 (Volcano) Mount Vesuvius erupted and devastated Naples.
1927 -The first public display of a long-distance television transmission was viewed by a group of newspaper reporters and dignitaries in the auditorium of AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories, New York, via telephone lines from Washington, DC.
April 7, 1933 – King Kongwas released in theaters (the film, not the giant ape)
1933 – Prohibition in the United States was repealed for beer of no more than 3.2% alcohol by weight.
1940 – Booker T. Washington becomes the first African American to be depicted on a United States postage stamp.
1945 – Japanese battleship Yamato was sunk by Allied forces off the coast of Okinawa.
1946 – Syria’s independence from France was officially recognized.
1949 – Broadway Show – South Pacific (Musical) April 7, 1949
1959 – The first distinguishable echo was recorded of a radar signal bounced off the Sun by the Radioscience Laboratory at Stamford University.
1962 – #1 Hit April 7, 1962 – April 20, 1962: Shelley Fabares – Johnny Angel
1964 – IBM introduced its innovative System/360, the company’s first line of compatible mainframe computers that gave customers the option of upgrading from lower-cost models to more powerful, expensive ones.
1967 – Film critic Roger Ebert published his first film review in the Chicago Sun-Times.
1968 – Motor racing world champion Jim Clark was killed in an accident during a Formula Two race at Hockenheim, Germany.
1969 – The Internet’s symbolic birth date: Publication of RFC 1 (A Request For Comments).
1970 – John Wayne won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in 1969’s True Grit.
1970 – Midnight Cowboy won in the Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars.
1973 – #1 Hit April 7, 1973 – April 20, 1973: Vicki Lawrence – The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
1980 – The United States severed relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
1989 – Major League, The Dream Team, and Cyborg were released in theaters.
1990 – #1 Hit April 7, 1990 – April 13, 1990: Taylor Dayne – Love Will Lead You Back
1995 – Bad Boys, Rob Roy and A Goofy Movie debuted in theaters.
2000 – Rules of Engagement and Return To Me were released in theaters.
2001 – Mars Odyssey was launched to orbit Mars. The mission was named as a tribute to Arthur C. Clarke, after his book 2001: A Space Odyssey.
April 7, 2003 – Birthday (fictional) Astro Boy, reboot, Cartoon
2007 – #1 Hit April 7, 2007 – April 20, 2007: Akon – Don’t Matter
2009 – Broadway Show – Rock of Ages (Musical) April 7, 2009
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Striker: “Surely you can’t be serious.” Rumack: “I am serious…and don’t call me Shirley.” – Ted Striker and Dr. Rumack (Robert Hays and Leslie Nielsen)
In 1999, the U.S. government paid the Zapruder family $16 million for the film of JFK’s assassination.
“What if something’s on tv and it’s never shown again?” #songlyrics
The doctors that told Stephen Hawking he had two years to live in 1963 are probably dead.
“No, I am your father.” – Darth Vader, The Empire Strikes Back #moviequotes
“Makin’ whoopie” – Bob Eubanks (The Newlywed Game)
“Do the Funky Lady” #misunderstoodlyrics
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is basically how Earth sustains life.
Reed Hastings was inspired to start Netflix after racking up a $40 late fee on a VHS copy of Apollo 13.
The original Terminator (1984) was the T-800 Cyberdyne Systems Model 101.
Angelina Jolie – Real Name: Angelina Voight
Clouds are condensed water, and my body is approximately 60% water. I’m basically 60% cloud.
‘Chester Cheetah’ is the name of the cheetah selling us Cheetos snacks!
1. Where did America’s most serious nuclear power plant accident happen?
2. A movie with a similar theme was released about the same time as the Three Mile Island accident. Name that film.
3. Name the song from The Muppet Movie that peaked at #25 on the Billboard Charts in 1979.
4. This film follows the commercial space tug Nostromo crew, who come across a mysterious derelict spaceship—Name that film.
5. Who is Scooby-Doo’s nephew?
6. Name the film that was part of a McDonald’s first Happy Meal tie-in.
7. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1979?
8. This company received $1.5 billion in federal loan guarantees, the most extensive rescue package ever granted by the U.S. government to an American corporation. Name that company.
9. McDonalds introduced a child-sized food combo in 1979. What is it called?
10. This R-rated film was Steve Martin’s first big-screen starring role. Name that comedy.
11. What is the State of Georgia’s State Song?
12. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1979: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kourtney Kardashian, Olivia Munn, or Michelle Williams
13. ESPN began broadcasting on September 7, 1979. What does “ESPN” stand for?
14. In 1979, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
15. Who was the biggest Musical Artist of the 1979?
16. Who was the biggest Musical Artist of the 1970s?
17. Name film written, produced, and directed by Blake Edwards, starring Dudley Moore, Julie Andrews, Robert Webber, and Bo Derek
18. Name the tune by French composer Maurice Ravel most related to the film, 10.
19. Over 300 1969 Dodge Chargers were wrecked in making this CBS TV show during seven seasons. What show?
20. President Jimmy Carter claimed he had to shoo away an enraged animal that began swimming toward his fishing boat in 1979. Name that animal.
21. $589.50 was the price at the end of 1980 for what precious metal?
22. What are ‘Anne Harkness,’ ‘David Thompson,” Henry Hudson,” Jens Munk,’ ‘John Franklin’ and ‘The Countryman’?
23. This ensemble was awarded a “Best New Artist” Grammy in 1979, for their #1 hit Boogie Oogie Oogie. They had one more Top 40 hit in 1981. Name that group.
24. Name the first spacecraft to be re-used after its first flight when it launched on STS-2 on November 12, 1981.
25. True or False? Many, if not most, public toilets in the US were “Pay Toilets” until 1980.
26. Who replaced Charlie’s Angel, Sabrina Duncan (Kate Jackson), in 1979?
27. This program, ending after 205 episodes, was noted to “genuinely reckon with the cultural upheaval of the 1960s in America.” Name that program
28. This flashlight is constructed principally of anodized 6061 aluminum and has a variable-focus beam. Name the flashlight brand. HINT: They are generally colored black
29. What did The United States of America and the People’s Republic of China do on January 1, 1979?
30. This CBS Program ran from 1974 to 1979 and starred John Amos and Esther Rolle. Name that show.
31. Name the fictional team of Canadian superheroes who first appeared in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters premiered in The Uncanny X-Men #120.
32. In 1979, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) changed how tropical storms and hurricanes were named. What did they do?
33. Which was NOT a Top Ten Baby Girl name in 1979?
34. Name the world-famous musician who created Handmade Films to finance the making of Monty Python’s Life of Brian.
35. Name The Muppet Show regular who first appeared in a Purina Dog Chow commercial in 1962.
36. Tell us the name of Bill Murray’s first big-screen starring film.
37. This song (and movie) earned Bette Midler a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance. Name that tune.
38. The horror film starred Frank Langella in the title role, also featuring Laurence Olivier and Donald Pleasence. Name the film.
39. Who gave a “crisis of confidence” speech, nicknamed “the malaise speech”?
40. Who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979?
41. Good Times was a spin-off from what program?
42. This Bond villain appeared in Moonraker (1979) and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). Name him.
43. Who became the first female prime minister of the UK in 1979?
44. Who became the first female mayor of Chicago in 1979?
45. Max described his job for this jet-setting, crime-solving couple as “ain’t easy; cause when they met, it was murder.” Name that show.
46. Name Michael Jackson’s 1979 breakthrough album.
47. NASA’s first orbiting space station fell to Earth after being in orbit for 6 years and 2 months. Name that spacecraft.
48. This is a spin-off of Dallas. It is set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centers on four married couples living on a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle. Name that show.
49. Maude was a spin-off of what CBS hit show?
50. Who was the first major pop artist to perform in the Soviet Union?
51. Herb Alpert had one number-one hit in the 1970s, and it won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental. It was #1 for two weeks in 1979—name that tune.
52. On September 2, 1979, “the Vela Incident ” happened. What was it?
53. The Hatfield and McCoy families of the famous Hatfield-McCoy Feud faced off again in 1979 on what game show?
54. Disney released its first PG-rated live-action film in 1979. Name that film…
55. This award-winning actress had her first starring role in a horror/sci-adventure in 1979. Name actress and her character
56. There were only seven people in Alien. You get one point for each performer you can name.
57. How many people lived in the World in 1979?
58. How many people lived in the United States in 1979?
59. China instituted a policy to help control its ever-increasing population. What is the common name for that policy?
60. Name the highest-grossing film of 1979.
61. Who was Charlie’s voice in Charlie’s Angels?
62. Name the composer who provided the scores for many films, including Logan’s Run, Planet of the Apes, and Tora! Tora! Tora!, Patton, Papillon, Chinatown, Alien, The Secret of NIMH, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
63. Where did Lavern and Shirly live for the first five seasons?
64. Name the group that performed Rapper’s Delight, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
65. Who was the Vice-President of the United States in 1979?
66. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1979?
67. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1978/1979 season?
68. The Theme From M*A*S*H had a name. What was it?
69. Who won Super Bowl XIII?
70. Luke. Daisy and Bo appeared in what TV show from 1979-1985?
71. Jennifer Walters is the cousin of Bruce Banner. She is also a superhero. Who is that super-powered woman?
72. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1979?
73. Name the two world leaders who signed the SALT II agreement in Vienna on June 18, 1979.
74. Averaged over the contiguous United States, which was the coldest month since at least 1880?
75. Who won the 1979 World Series?
76. Released in 1979, name the 11th James Bond Film.
77. Who starred as MI6 Agent, James Bond?
78. Who did NOT appear as a “Bond Girl” in any 007 film? Martine Beswick, Ursula Andress, Raquel Welch, Jane Seymore, or Tanya Roberts?
79. The Aliens in Alien have a species name. What is it?
Trivia Team Bonus Questions:
1. Name the fictional ginger American Shorthair cat from the Alien film franchise.
2. Name the television show that was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children.
3. Who was the Pope in 1979?
4. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1979?
5. This cartoon character is used in greeting cards published by American Greetings. HINT: The name is also a dessert
6. Name the tough but also very smart and sensitive who drove to his detective assignments around the streets of Las Vegas in a flashy red 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible through the 1979 to 1981 TV seasons.
7. One point for each – can you name Lavern and Shirley’s last names?
8. After WordStar and before Microsoft Word, this was the top word processing program. Name it.
9. On what television show did “Johnny Fever” and “Venus Flytrap” appear?
10. Name Steve Martin’s character in The Jerk.
The Answers:
79 Trivia Answers For 1979 History
1. Where did America’s most serious nuclear power plant accident happen? Three Mile Island (in Londonderry Township, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
2. A movie with a similar theme was released about the same time as the Three Mile Island accident. Name that film. The China Syndrome
3. Name the song from The Muppet Movie that peaked at #25 on the Billboard Charts in 1979. The Rainbow Connection by Kermit
4. This film follows the commercial space tug Nostromo crew, who come across a mysterious derelict spaceship—Name that film. Alien
5. Who is Scooby-Doo’s nephew? Scrappy-Doo
6. Name the film that was part of a McDonald’s first Happy Meal tie-in. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
7. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1979? My Sharona – The Knack
8. This company received $1.5 billion in federal loan guarantees, the largest rescue package ever granted by the U.S. government to an American corporation. Name that company. Chrysler
9. McDonalds introduced a child-sized food combo in 1979. What is it called? Happy Meal
10. This R-rated film was Steve Martin’s first big-screen starring role. Name that comedy. The Jerk
11. What is the State of Georgia’s State Song? Georgia on My Mind by Ray Charles
12. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1979: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kourtney Kardashian, Olivia Munn, or Michelle Williams Olivia Munn (born July 3, 1980)
13. ESPN began broadcasting on September 7, 1979. What does “ESPN” stand for? Entertainment and Sports Programming Network
14. In 1979, what was the average life expectancy in the United States? Men – 70 years, Women – 77.7 years
15. Who was the biggest Musical Artist of the 1979? Donna Summer
16. Who was the biggest Musical Artist of the 1970s? Elton John
17. Name film written, produced, and directed by Blake Edwards, starring Dudley Moore, Julie Andrews, Robert Webber, and Bo Derek. 10
18. Name the tune by French composer Maurice Ravel most related to the film, 10. Bolero
19. Over 300 1969 Dodge Chargers were wrecked in making this CBS TV show during seven seasons. What show? The Dukes of Hazzard
20. President Jimmy Carter claimed he had to shoo away an enraged animal that began swimming toward his fishing boat in 1979. Name that animal. Rabbit
21. $589.50 was the price at the end of 1980 for what precious metal? Gold
22. What are ‘Anne Harkness,’ ‘David Thompson,” Henry Hudson,” Jens Munk,’ ‘John Franklin’ and ‘The Countryman’? New Rose flowers that were introduced in 1979.
23. This ensemble was awarded a “Best New Artist” Grammy in 1979 for their #1 hit Boogie Oogie Oogie. They had one more Top 40 hit in 1981. Name that group. A Taste of Honey
24. Name the first spacecraft to be re-used after its first flight when it launched on STS-2 on November 12, 1981. Space Shuttle Columbia (The Enterprise never went into space)
25. True or False? Many, if not most, public toilets in the US were “Pay Toilets” until 1980. True
26. Who replaced Charlie’s Angel, Sabrina Duncan (Kate Jackson), in 1979? Tiffany Wells (played by Shelley Hack)
27. This program, ending after 205 episodes, was noted to “genuinely reckon with the cultural upheaval of the 1960s in America.” Name that program All In The Family
28. This flashlight is constructed principally of anodized 6061 aluminum and has a variable-focus beam. Name the flashlight brand. HINT: They are generally colored black Maglite flashlight
29. What did The United States of America and the People’s Republic of China do on January 1, 1979? They agreed to recognize each other and to establish diplomatic relations.
30. This CBS Program ran from 1974 to 1979 and starred John Amos and Esther Rolle. Name that show. Good Times
31. Name the fictional team of Canadian superheroes who first appeared in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters premiered in The Uncanny X-Men #120. Alpha Flight
32. In 1979, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) changed how tropical storms and hurricanes were named. What did they do? They started to add boys’ names as well (they were always girl names before 1979)
33. Which was NOT a Top Ten Baby Girl name in 1979? Jennifer, Kendra, Melissa, Amanda or Jessica Kendra
34. Name the world-famous musician who created Handmade Films to finance the making of Monty Python’s Life of Brian. George Harrison, “Because I want to go see it.”
35. Name The Muppet Show regular who first appeared in a Purina Dog Chow commercial in 1962. Rowlf The Dog
36. Tell us the name of Bill Murray’s first big-screen starring film. Meatballs
37. This song (and movie) earned Bette Midler a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance. Name that tune. The Rose
38. The horror film starred Frank Langella in the title role, featuring Laurence Olivier and Donald Pleasence. Name the film. Dracula
39. Who gave a “crisis of confidence” speech, nicknamed “the malaise speech”? Jimmy Carter
40. Who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979? Mother Teresa
41. Good Times was a spin-off from what program? Maude
42. This Bond villain appeared in Moonraker (1979) and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). Name him. Jaws (played by Richard Kiel)
43. Who became the first female prime minister of the UK in 1979? Margaret Thatcher
44. Who became the first female mayor of Chicago in 1979? Jane Byrne
45. Max described his job for this jet-setting, crime-solving couple as “ain’t easy ’cause when they met, it was murder.” Name that show. Hart to Hart (starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart)
46. Name Michael Jackson’s 1979 breakthrough album. Off The Wall
47. NASA’s first orbiting space station fell to Earth after being in orbit for 6 years and 2 months. Name that spacecraft. Skylab
48. This is a spin-off of Dallas. It is set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centers on four married couples living on a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle. Name that show. Knots Landing.
49. Maude was a spin-off of what CBS hit show? All in the Family
50. Who was the first major pop artist to perform in the Soviet Union? Elton John
51. Herb Alpert had one number-one hit in the 1970s, and it won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental. It was #1 for two weeks in 1979—name that tune. Rise
52. On September 2, 1979, “the Vela Incident ” happened. What was it? An unidentified nuclear explosion in the Indian Ocean.
53. The Hatfield and McCoy families of the famous Hatfield-McCoy Feud faced off again in 1979 on what game show? Family Feud
54. Disney released its first PG-rated live-action film in 1979. Name that film. The Black Hole
55. This award-winning actress had her first starring role in a horror/sci-adventure in 1979. Name actress and her character Sigourney Weaver as (Ellen) Ripley in Alien.
56. There were only seven people in Alien. You get one point for each performer you can name. Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, and Yaphet Kotto.
57. How many people lived in the World in 1979? 4,365,582,871
58. How many people lived in the United States in 1979? 225,055,487
59. China instituted a policy to help control its ever-increasing population. What is the common name for that policy? “the one child per family rule”
60. Name the highest-grossing film of 1979. Superman
61. Who was Charlie’s voice in Charlie’s Angels? John Forsythe
62. Name the composer who provided the scores for many films, including Logan’s Run, Planet of the Apes, and Tora! Tora! Tora!, Patton, Papillon, Chinatown, Alien, The Secret of NIMH, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Jerry Goldsmith
63. Where did Lavern and Shirly live for the first five seasons? Milwaukee, Wisconsin
64. Name the group that performed Rapper’s Delight, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The Sugarhill Gang
65. Who was the Vice-President of the United States in 1979? Walter Mondale (January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981)
66. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1979? Montreal Canadiens
67. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1978/1979 season? Laverne & Shirley
68. The Theme From M*A*S*H had a name. What was it? Suicide is Painless
69. Who won Super Bowl XIII? Pittsburgh Steelers
70. Luke. Daisy and Bo appeared in what TV show from 1979-1985? The Dukes of Hazzard
71. Jennifer Walters is the cousin of Bruce Banner. She is also a superhero. Who is that super-powered woman? She-Hulk
72. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1979? The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum
73. Name the two world leaders who signed the SALT II agreement in Vienna on June 18, 1979. Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev
74. Averaged over the contiguous United States, which was the coldest month since at least 1880? January, 1979
75. Who won the 1979 World Series? Pittsburgh Pirates
76. Released in 1979, name the 11th James Bond Film. Moonraker
77. Who starred as MI6 Agent, James Bond? Roger Moore
78. Who did NOT appear as a “Bond Girl” in any 007 film? Martine Beswick, Ursula Andress, Raquel Welch, Jane Seymore, or Tanya Roberts? Raquel Welch
79. The Aliens in Alien have a species name. What is it? xenomorph (or Internecivus raptus)
Trivia Team Bonus Answers:
1. Name the fictional ginger American Shorthair cat from the Alien film franchise. Jones (or Jonesy)
2. Name the television show that was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children. Eight Is Enough
3. Who was the Pope in 1979? John Paul II (October 16, 1978 – April 2, 2005)
4. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1979? Spectacular Bid
5. This cartoon character is used in greeting cards published by American Greetings. HINT: The name is also a dessert Strawberry Shortcake
6. Name the tough but also very smart and sensitive who drove to his detective assignments around the streets of Las Vegas in a flashy red 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible through the 1979 to 1981 TV seasons. Dan Tanna (Robert Urich) in Vega$
7. One point for each – can you name Lavern and Shirley’s last names? Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney
8. After WordStar and before Microsoft Word, this was the top word processing program. Name it. WordPerfect
9. On what television show did “Johnny Fever” and “Venus Flytrap” appear? WKRP in Cincinnati
10. Name Steve Martin’s character in The Jerk. Navin Johnson
1869 – Celluloid was patented (#50359) by John Wesley Hyatt.
1896 – In Athens, the opening of the first modern Olympic Games took place, 1,500 years after being banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I.
1917 – The United States joined in World War I.
April 6, 1946 Birthday (fictional) Rocky Balboa, Movies
April 6, 2980 T.A. Birthday (fictional) Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings, Books/Films
If you were born on April 6th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 14th (prior year)
April 6 is…
Caramel Popcorn Day Fresh Tomato Day Siamese Cat Day Sorry Charlie Day Student-Athlete Day
April 6 Birthday Quotes
“When one is painting one does not think.” – Raphael
“If you’ve only got one horn playing, I still want the sense of ensemble.” – Gerry Mulligan
“Failures not a bad thing. It builds character. It makes you stronger.” – Billy Dee Williams
“If you’re going to do good work, the work has to scare you.” – Andre Previn
“You don’t always have to have the ending, but you want to have a satisfactory conclusion.” – Barry Levinson
“I don’t know how many days I worked there (Star Wars), the thing I do remember was I somehow got a parking space next to Kermit the Frog. It was Jim Henson’s space, with this Kermit the Frog sign. I took a photo of it and sent it to my mom with a caption that read, “Look, Mom. I made it. I got a parking space next to Kermit the Frog.” I was always fascinated by the film-set infrastructures.” – John Ratzenberger
April 6 Birthdays
1483 – Raphael, Italian painter and architect (died in 1520) 1926 – Gil Kane, Latvian-American comic book author and illustrator (died in 2000) 1927 – Gerry Mulligan, American saxophonist, clarinet player, and composer (died in 1996) 1929 – Joi Lansing, American model and actress (died in 1972) 1929 – André Previn, American pianist, composer, and conductor (died in 2019) 1937 – Merle Haggard, American singer-songwriter (died in 2016) 1937 – Billy Dee Williams, American actor 1942 – Barry Levinson, American director, producer, and screenwriter 1947 – John Ratzenberger, American actor and voice actor 1952 – Marilu Henner, Greek-Polish American actress 1955 – Michael Rooker, American actor 1956 – Michele Bachmann, American lawyer and politician 1969 – Paul Rudd, American actor 1975 – Zach Braff, American actor 1987 – Hilary Rhoda, American model 1987 – Heidi Mount, American model 1998 – Peyton List, American actress and model
April 6 History
648 BC – Earliest solar eclipse recorded by the Ancient Greeks.
1748 – Excavations began at Pompeii, covered by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
1830 – The Mormon Church was founded in Fayette Township, New York, by Joseph Smith.
1852 – Edward Sabine announced that the 11-year sunspot cycle was “absolutely identical” with Earth’s geomagnetic cycle.
1895 – Oscar Wilde was arrested, and later found guilty of being a homosexual, and sentenced to two years of hard labor.
1909 – The North Pole was discovered by Robert E. Byrd and his team.
1930 – Hostess Twinkies snack cakes were invented by James ‘Jimmy’ A. Dewar, at the Continental Baking Company in Chicago
1931 – Little Orphan Annie debuted on the Blue Network of NBC.
1936 (Tornado) Gainesville, Georgia.
1938 – Roy J. Plunkett and Jack Rebok accidentally discovered the chemical compound polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), later marketed as Teflon by DuPont.
April 6, 1946 Birthday (fictional) Rocky Balboa, Rocky, Movies
1947 – The first Tony Awards were presented for theatrical achievement.
1956 – The Capitol Records Building opened in Los Angeles. The light on top blinks out “Hollywood” in Morse Cose at night.
1957 – #1 Ht April 6, 1957 – April 12, 1957: Perry Como – Round And Round
1957 -Trolley cars in ended service in New York City.
1965 – Launch of Early Bird, the first commercial communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit via NASA by Space and Communications Group of Hughes Aircraft Company.
1966 – Hundred of children and their teachers reported seeing a UFO over Melbourne, Australia.
1973 – NASA launched Pioneer 11 to Jupiter and Saturn.
1973 – The American League of Major League Baseball began using the designated hitter.
1974 – #1 Hit April 6, 1974 – April 12, 1974: Blue Swede – Hooked on a Feeling
1974 – Waterloo won the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden. ABBA went on to pop music success for much of the 1970s.
1984 – The Gods Must Be Crazy, Moscow on the Hudson, Up The Creek and Hard To Hold were released in theaters.
1990 – Ernest Goes to Jail, The First Power, Cry-Baby and I Love You To Death debuted in theaters.
April 6, 1992 – Microsoft Windows 3.1 was released.
1992 – Barney and Friends premiered on PBS.
1998 – Travelers and Citicorp merged (the merger was completed on October 8) forming Citibank.
1999 – East End Show – Mamma Mia! (Musical) April 6, 1999
2001 – Along Came a Spider and Pokemon 3: The Movie were released in theaters.
2007 – Grindhouse debuted in theaters.
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
There exists an area so unfathomably large that humans refer to it simply as “space.”
A group of Storks is called a Mustering or Muster.
The biggest film of 1928: The Singing Fool earned ~ $10,000,000
You have to be odd to be number one.
J.K. Rowling cited This Is Spinal Tap’s running joke about the death of their drummer as the inspiration for how Harry Potter’s Defense of The Dark Arts professor vacates their position yearly for various reasons.
Hieronymus Bosch – Real Name: Jerome Van Aken
We can refer to anything that doesn’t require horses to work as being horseless. The horseless carriage. The horseless pencil. The horseless laptop. The Horseless Large Hadron Collider.
Anne Frank and MLK Jr. were both born in the same year, yet we associate them as being in completely different periods in history.
Floccinaucinihilipilification, the declaration of an item being useless, is the longest non-medical term in the English language. #Floccinaucinihilipilification
The Capital of Tunisia is Tunis
“I don’t want to be perceived the way I am, I just want to be perceived the way I am.” #songlyrics
1768 – The first American Chamber of Commerce was founded in New York, NY.
1792 – United States President George Washington vetoed a bill, the first time exercising the authority to this power is used in the United States.
1933 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed executive order 6102 “forbidding the Hoarding of Gold Coin, Gold Bullion, and Gold Certificates” by American citizens.
1951 – Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were sentenced to death for spying for the Soviet Union.
If you were born on April 5th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 13th (prior year)
April 5 is…
Caramel Day Dandelion Day Deep Dish Pizza Day First Contact Day Raisin and Spice Bar Day Read a Road Map Day
April 5 Birthday Quotes
“Happiness is not about the trophy or the finish line. It’s the journey. If you enjoy your journey, you can enjoy your life.” – Pharrell Williams
“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed.” – Booker T. Washington
“I can only show what I have received from the characters. That’s what’s scary because you’re never going to be everyone’s taste and you don’t want to let people down. But, I can only do what I can do.” – Lily James
“Don’t wait for the stars to align, reach up and rearrange them the way you want… create your own constellation.” – Pharrell Williams
“It’s better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for someone you’re not. It’s a sign of your worth sometimes if you’re hated by the right people.” – Bette Davis
“I don’t think of myself as being funny. But life takes strange turns.” – Frank Gorshin
April 5 Birthdays
1827 – Joseph Lister, English physician (died in 1912) 1856 – Booker T. Washington, African-American educator, essayist and historian (died in 1915) 1883 – Walter Huston, Canadian-American actor and singer (died in 1950) 1900 – Spencer Tracy, American actor (died in 1967) 1908 – Bette Davis, American actress (died in 1989) 1909 – Albert R. Broccoli, American film producer, co-founded Eon Productions (died in 1996) 1916 – Gregory Peck, American actor (died in 2003) 1917 – Robert Bloch, American author (died in 1994) 1920 – Arthur Hailey, English-Canadian author (died in 2004) 1922 – Gale Storm, American actress and singer (died in 2009) 1933 – Frank Gorshin, American actor (died in 2005) 1937 – Colin Powell, American general and politician, 65th United States Secretary of State 1962 – Lana Clarkson, American actress (died in 2003) 1963 – Arthur Adams, American comic book artist and writer 1972 – Krista Allen, American actress 1973 – Pharrell Williams, American singer, songwriter and producer 1984 – Marshall Allman, American actor 1989 – Lily James, English actress 2001 – Thylane Blondeau, French model and actress
April 5 History
1614 – In Virginia, Native American Pocahontas married English colonist John Rolfe.
1621 – The Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, Massachusetts on a return trip to England.
1722 – On Easter Sunday, Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen discovered a Polynesian Island 1400 miles from the coast of South America and named it Easter Island.
1753 – The British Museum was founded with the purchase of the 50,000 volume library of Sir Hans Sloane and his collection of 69,352 items of nature and art.
1915 – Challenger Jess Willard knocked out Jack Johnson in Havana, Cuba to become the Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World.
1922 – The American Birth Control League, the forerunner of Planned Parenthood, was incorporated.
1923 – Firestone Tire and Rubber Company began production of balloon-type tires.
1933 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6102 “forbidding the Hoarding of Gold Coin, Gold Bullion, and Gold Certificates” by U.S. citizens.
1936 (Tornado) Tupelo, Mississippi
1949 – Fireside Theater debuted on NBC.
1975 – #1 Hit April 5, 1975 – April 11, 1975: Minnie Riperton – Lovin’ You
1987 – FOX debuted two shows, Married… with Children and The Tracey Ullman Show.
1991 – Katie Couric was designated a co-host of the Today Show.
1994 – Lead Singer of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain committed suicide, and was found three days later.
1996 – A Thin Line Between Love and Hate and Primal Fear were released in theaters.
1997 – The Crocodile Hunter premiered on Animal Planet
2002 – National Lampoon’s Van Wilder debuted in theaters.
2006 – The first case of H5N1 avian flu was confirmed in the UK after tests on a dead swan found in Cellardyke, Fife.
2008 – #1 Hit April 5, 2008 – April 11, 2008: Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love
2012 – Scandal premiered on ABC
2013 – Penn & Teller were honored with the 2,494th star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their achievement in the category of Live Performance.
2013 – Evil Dead was released in theaters.
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Thanks to action movies, I am unnecessarily suspicious of black or white unmarked vans.
Income tax was first introduced in England in 1799 by British Prime Minister, William Pitt.
TV Quotes… “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” (Arnold Drummond) on “Diff’rent Strokes”
The Scary Statistic: Earthquake odds: 1-in-131,890
What to do: Life in a hot air balloon can be fun.
A group of Camels is called a Caravan or Train or Flock.
I wish there was a movie called “Three” so when I go see it by myself I can order my ticket – “One to ‘Three’ for 5 o’clock”
“You’re gonna need a beggir boat.” – Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) #moviequotes
“Either” can be pronounced either way.
The Biggest film of 1926: Aloma of the South Seas (Drama) earned ~ $3,000,000
TV Quotes… “Good grief” (Charlie Brown) on “Peanuts” specials
I am tied for the world record for the fewest summit attempts of Mt. Everest.
The average secretary’s left-hand does 56% of the typing.
1814 – Napoleon abdicated and named his son Napoleon II as Emperor of the French.
1841 – William Henry Harrison died of pneumonia, becoming the first President of the United States to die in office (presiding 31 days total).
1887 – Argonia, Kansas elected Susanna M. Salter as the first female mayor in the United States.
1932 – Vitamin C was isolated by C.G. King.
1949 – Twelve nations signed the North Atlantic Treaty creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
If you were born on April 4th, You were likely conceived the week of… July 12th (prior year)
The Beatles Topped The Charts
The Beatles became the first artists to hold all top 5 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 on the same week, on April 4, 1964. #1. Can’t Buy Me Love #2. Twist and Shout #3. She Loves You #4. I Want to Hold Your Hand #5. Please Please Me. More Beatles on the Charts that week: #31 – I Saw Her Standing There, #41 – From Me To You, #46 – Do You Want To Know a Secret, #58 – All My Loving, #65 – You Can’t Do That, #68 – Roll Over Beethoven, #79 – Thank You Girl FUN FACT: They called Paul the Cute One, but in 1964, the best-selling Beatles merchandise were the “I Love Ringo” lapel pins…
The CND Peace Symbol
The CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) peace symbol was displayed in public for the first time in London. It was designed by Gerald Holtom in 1958. It has become a nearly universal peace symbol used in many different versions worldwide.
April 4 is…
Chocolate Milk Powder Day Cordon Bleu Day Hug a Newsperson Day International Day for Mine Awareness Ramen Noodle Day School Librarian Day Tell a Lie Day
April 4 Birthday Quotes
“Man is not made better by being degraded.” – Dorothea Dix
“Once I decide to do something, I can’t have people telling me I can’t. If there’s a roadblock, you jump over it, walk around it, crawl under it.” – Kitty Kelley
“You’ve got to seize the opportunity if it is presented to you.” – Clive Davis
“There’s no way in the world I can feel the same blues the way I used to. When I play in Chicago, I’m playing up-to-date, not the blues I was born with. People should hear the pure blues – the blues we used to have when we had no money.” – Muddy Waters
“As children, we believe that anything is possible, the trick is to never forget it.’ – David Blaine
“If you make decisions based upon people’s reactions or judgments then you make really boring choices.” – Heath Ledger
April 4 Birthdays
1802 – Dorothea Dix, American social activist (died in 1887) 1821 – Linus Yale, Jr., American engineer and businessman (died in 1868) 1913 – Frances Langford, American actress and singer (died in 2005) 1915 – Muddy Waters, American Blues guitarist (died in 1983) 1927 – Joe Orlando, Italian-American comic book author and illustrator (died in 1998) 1928 – Estelle Harris, American comedic actress 1928 – Maya Angelou, American poet (died in 2014) 1932 – Clive Davis, American record producer, founded Arista Records 1932 – Anthony Perkins, American actor (died in 1992) 1942 – Kitty Kelley, American journalist and biographer 1944 – Craig T. Nelson, American actor 1956 – David E. Kelley, American screenwriter and producer 1959 – Phil Morris, American actor 1960 – Hugo Weaving, Nigerian-Australian actor 1963 – Graham Norton, Irish actor and talk show host 1964 – David Cross, American actor and screenwriter 1965 – Robert Downey Jr., American actor 1972 – Jill Scott, American singer-songwriter 1973 – David Blaine, American magician 1979 – Heath Ledger, Australian actor (died in 2008) 1987 – Sarah Gadon, Canadian actress
April 4 History
1561 – Warring UFOs were reported flying over Nuremberg, German
1850 – Los Angeles, California, was incorporated as a city.
1871 – Mary Florence Potts of Ottumwa, Iowa Patented (#113,448) the “Mrs. Potts’ sad iron” – a set of three irons with a detachable handle, so two irons could be heating up while you were using the other.
1877 -A pianist performed in Philadelphia, and an audience heard the performance in New York, via the telephone.
1932 – Professor C. Glen King, of the University of Pittsburgh discovered vitamin C.
1933 – Akron, a dirigible, crashed in New Jersey, killing 73 people.
1964 – #1 Hit April 4, 1964 – May 8, 1964: The Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love
1964 – The Beatles occupied all of the top five positions on the Billboard singles chart in the United States, with Can’t Buy Me Love, Twist and Shout, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, and Please Please Me.
1968 – James Earl Ray assassinated Martin Luther King, Jr in Memphis Tennessee.
1969 – CBS abruptly canceled The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and replaced it with Hee Haw.
1973 – The World Trade Center in New York was officially dedicated.
1975 – Microsoft was founded as a partnership between Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico
April 4, 1982 Birthday (fictional) Mariah Hill, Marvel Cinematic Universe
1983 – Space Shuttle Challenger’s maiden voyage into space (STS-6).
1987 – #1 Hit April 4, 1987 – April 17, 1987: Starship – Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now
1998 – #1 Hit April 4, 1998 – April 24, 1998: K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life
2003 – A Man Apart, What a Girl Wants, and Phone Booth were released in theaters.
2013 – Broadway Show – Kinky Boots (Musical) April 4, 2013
2013 – Famed movie critic Roger Ebert died.
2014 – Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Island of Lemurs: Madagascar debuted in theaters.
April 4, 2020 – April 17, 2020: Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
The YKK on your zipper stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikigaisha.
Renee Descartes, the 17th-century philosopher, and mathematician is the person responsible for “x” being the universal variable in algebra.
“Perhaps we will find something extraordinary. Perhaps something extraordinary will find us.” – G’Kar, Babylon 5
US President #15 James Buchanan (1857-1861) First president to have his inauguration photographically recorded.
The Sun counts for 99.86% of the mass in our Solar System.
We are taught ‘the pen is stronger than the sword’ but also that ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.’ Which one is it?
Bazinga! #TVCatchphrase
Walking a mile in another person’s shoes only takes like 20, 30 minutes, tops. Is that really enough time to get to understand someone?
“In every generation, there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.” – Rupert Giles
The Capital of Niger is Niamey
The biggest film of 1958: South Pacific earned ~ $36,800,000
Crosby, Stills and Nash (1969 Best New Artist Grammy Winner, awarded in 1970)
Their first gig was on Aug. 17, 1969, at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago, and their second gig was at Woodstock.
Blood, Sweat, and Tears (1969 Grammy for Album of the Year)
Aquarius – The Fifth Dimension (Grammy for 1969 Record of the Year for Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In)
New Artists in the Pop Charts Included: Fleetwood Mac, The Carpenters, Elton John, James Taylor, The Jackson 5, Anne Murray, Jimmy Cliff, Black Sabbath, Joni Mitchell and Quincy Jones.
1860 – The first United States Pony Express run from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California took began.
April 3, 1918 Birthday (fictional) Jay Garrick (Golden Age Flash), DC Comics.
2000 – Microsoft was ruled to have violated United States antitrust law by keeping “an oppressive thumb” on its competitors in United States v. Microsoft Corp.
2016 – The Panama Papers, a leak of legal documents, revealed information on 214,488 offshore companies.
If you were born on April 3rd, You were likely conceived the week of… July 11th (prior year)
April 3 in Cell Phone and Tech History
April 3, 1973, The first portable phone call was placed by inventor Martin Cooper to Joel S. Engel of Bell Labs, which used to be the research department for AT&T. April 3, 1983, Martin Cooper, Motorola project manager, demonstrated the 1st mobile phone that you could buy; The DynaTAC 8000x. It was designed by Rudy Krolopp and the 2½ pound cell phone was made available for $3,995.
The Osborne 1, the first successful portable computer, was unveiled at the West Coast Computer Faire in San Francisco on April 3, 1981. Jump ahead to 2010, April 3rd… the first iPod came out.
April 3 is…
Chocolate Mousse Day Find a Rainbow Day Walk to Work Day World Party Day
April 3 Birthday Quotes
“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.” – Washington Irving
“I am the man who put the hair in hair metal.” – Sebastian Bach
“I don’t care who does the electing, as long as I get to do the nominating.” – Boss Tweed
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall
“If it were not for the bad things that’ve happened to me, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.” – Wayne Newton
“The greatest tragedies were written by the Greeks and Shakespeare…neither knew chocolate.” – Sandra Boynton
April 3 Birthdays
1783 – Washington Irving, American short story writer, essayist, and historian (died in 1859) 1823 – William ‘Boss’ Tweed, American politician (died in 1878) 1885 – Bud Fisher, American cartoonist (died in 1954) 1893 – Leslie Howard, English actor (died in 1943) 1924 – Marlon Brando, American actor (died in 2004) 1934 – Jane Goodall, English primatologist and anthropologist 1942 – Marsha Mason, American actress 1942 – Wayne Newton, American singer 1942 – Billy Joe Royal, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died in 2015) 1944 – Tony Orlando, American singer 1949 – Lyle Alzado, American football player and actor (died in 1992) 1953 – Sandra Boynton, American author and illustrator 1956 – Ray Combs, American game show host (died in 1996) 1958 – Alec Baldwin, American actor and comedian 1959 – David Hyde Pierce, American actor 1961 – Eddie Murphy, American comedic actor 1968 – Sebastian Bach, Bahamian-Canadian singer-songwriter 1972 – Jennie Garth, American actress 1973 – Adam Scott, American actor 1982 – Cobie Smulders, Canadian actress 1986 – Amanda Bynes, American actress 1998 – Paris Jackson, American celebrity
April 3 History
33 – Two researchers from Oxford published a paper that put the definitive date of Jesus’ crucifixion at Friday, April 3, 33 AD
1860 – Pony Express mail, traveling by horse and rider relay teams, simultaneously left St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. They used horses, not ponies.
1882 – A Tombstone reads, “Jesse W. James, Died April 3, 1882, Aged 34 years, 6 months, 28 days, Murdered by a traitor and a coward whose name is not worthy to appear here.” Jesse James was shot and killed by frenemy Robert Ford for the reward money. There was a $5,000 bounty on the bank-robber, but they gave Ford $500 and then arrested him.
1885 – Gottlieb Daimler was granted a German patent for his engine design.
1891 – Emma Elizabeth Smith may have been the first murdered by Jack the Ripper in Whitechapel, London.
1895 – The trial in the libel case brought by Oscar Wilde began, eventually resulting in his imprisonment on charges of homosexuality.
April 3, 1918 Birthday (fictional) Jay Garrick (Golden Age Flash), DC Comics
1936 – Bruno Richard Hauptmann was executed for the kidnapping and death of Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr., the baby son of pilot Charles Lindbergh.
1953 – TV Guide published its first issue
1955 – The American Civil Liberties Union announced it would defend Allen Ginsberg’s book Howl against obscenity charges.
1956 – Elvis Presley appeared on the Milton Berle Show.
1961 – #1 Hit April 3, 1961 – April 23, 1961: The Marcels – Blue Moon
1966 – The USSR’s Luna 10, the first spacecraft to orbit the moon, entered lunar orbit and completed its first orbit 3 hours later.
1968 – Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his I’ve Been to the Mountaintop speech. in Memphis, Tennessee.
1971 – #1 Hit April 3, 1971 – April 16, 1971: The Temptations – Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)
1973 – Inventor Martin Cooper placed the first portable phone call to Joel S. Engel of Bell Labs.
1976 – #1 Hit April 3, 1976 – April 30, 1976: Johnnie Taylor – Disco Lady
1978 – At the 50th annual Academy Awards, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, Woody Allen’s Annie Hall won the Oscar for Best Picture of 1977.
1981 – The Osborne 1, the first successful portable computer, was unveiled at the West Coast Computer Faire in San Francisco.
1983 – Martin Cooper, Motorola project manager, demonstrated the 1st mobile phone, the DynaTAC 8000x. It was designed by Rudy Krolopp and the 2½ pound cell phone was soon made available for $3,995.
1986 – Merv Griffin sold Merv Griffin Enterprises, to The Coca-Cola Company, for $250,000,000.
1987 – Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol was released in theaters.
1992 – Beethoven, Thunderheart, Rock-A-Doodle, and Straight Talk debuted in theaters.
1996 – “Unabomber” Theodore Kaczynski was captured at his cabin in Montana.
1998 – Lost in Space, Barney’s Great Adventure, and Mercury Rising were released in theaters.
2000 – Microsoft was ruled to have violated United States antitrust law by keeping “an oppressive thumb” on its competitors.
April 3, 2005 (fiction) Andrew Martin was activated. Bicentennial Man, Film
2009 – Fast and Furious and Adventureland debuted in theaters.
April 3, 2010 – The Apple iPod (Wi-Fi) was released.
2015 – Furious 7 was released in theaters.
#1 Hit April 3, 2021 – April 9, 2021: Peaches – Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
The biggest film of 1930: Tom Sawyer (Adventure) earned ~ $11,000,000
TV Quotes… “D’oh!” (Homer Simpson) on “The Simpsons”
Dr. Evil demanded 1 Million dollars: a sum of money smaller than 1% of Austin Powers’ overall budget.
“Friends applaud! The comedy is finished” – Ludwig Van Beethoven #LastWords
The entire cast was male on the set of 1982’s ‘The Thing.’
James Dean – Real Name: James Byron
TV Quotes… “Baby, you’re the greatest” (Ralph Kramden) on “The Honeymooners”
The biggest film of 1933: King Kong (Horror) earned ~ $10,000,000
“Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me. Aren’t you?” – Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) in Graduate, The Graduate, 1967
When you “bite down” on something, you’re actually “biting up” because you can’t move your top jaw.
Biggest film of 1959: Ben-Hur (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $73,000,000
The Flash would be the best pizza delivery guy.
“WWW” is such an awkward acronym. We should call it “Triple Double U”, or better yet “Sextuple U”. That’s so fun to say around the office.
Neutral: Needs strict oversight and legal frameworks.
Is it ethical to consume meat?
Positive: Part of natural human diet and tradition.
Negative: Ethical concerns about animal welfare and environmental impact.
Neutral: Personal choice informed by ethical and environmental considerations.
Should parents be allowed to choose their baby’s traits?
Positive: Reduces genetic diseases, enhances life opportunities.
Negative: Raises issues of inequality and ‘designer babies’.
Neutral: Needs ethical oversight and societal consensus.
Is the death penalty justifiable?
Positive: Deters crime, provides justice for victims.
Negative: Risk of wrongful execution, inhumane.
Neutral: Should be debated and decided democratically.
Should we prioritize environmental policy over economic growth?
Positive: Ensures sustainable living conditions for future generations.
Negative: Could hinder economic development and job creation.
Neutral: Policies should aim to balance environmental and economic factors.
Is it ethical to enhance humans physically and mentally through technology?
Positive: Improves quality of life and human capabilities.
Negative: Could exacerbate social inequalities.
Neutral: Should be regulated to ensure fair access and ethical use.
Should social media companies regulate content on their platforms?
Positive: Reduces misinformation and harmful content.
Negative: Threatens free speech and expression.
Neutral: Requires transparent policies that respect user rights.
Is it ethical to use placebo treatments?
Positive: Can be beneficial in clinical research and treatment.
Negative: Deceptive and may undermine trust in medical practice.
Neutral: Ethically acceptable if patient welfare is improved and no better treatment is available.
Is social media responsible for increasing loneliness?
Positive: Provides a platform for connection, especially for those isolated by geography or disability.
Negative: Encourages superficial interactions and a focus on quantity of connections over quality.
Neutral: The impact varies widely depending on how individuals use and interact with social media.
Should all drugs be legalized?
Positive: Reduces the criminal activities associated with drug trafficking.
Negative: Could lead to increased health problems and societal issues.
Neutral: Regulation and education might mitigate risks and provide health benefits.
Is it ethical for companies to track their employees’ online activities?
Positive: Can enhance security and productivity.
Negative: Invades privacy and can create a distrustful work environment.
Neutral: Acceptable if transparent and limited to work-related activities.
Is censorship ever justified in a free society?
Positive: Necessary to protect individuals from harm and misinformation.
Negative: Can be used to suppress dissent and control public opinion.
Neutral: Justifiable when it protects the vulnerable without stifling essential freedom.
Should we prioritize the exploration of space over solving Earth’s current problems?
Positive: Can lead to technological advancements and long-term survival of humanity.
Negative: Diverts resources and attention from pressing environmental and social issues.
**A neutral stance might consider the benefits of technology and knowledge gained from space exploration that could potentially address Earth’s challenges.
27. On The Simpsons episode “Cape Feare,” who is the main antagonist trying to harm Bart?
28. What is the name of the town where Phil Conners relives the same day repeatedly in Groundhog Day?
29. Which song plays on Phil’s alarm clock each morning, signaling the start of the repeated day?
30. What is the name of the company responsible for cloning the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park?
31. Which actor provided the voice for Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman: The Animated series?
32. Catchphrase: Who said “It’s a good thing”?
33. Who were the top three female artists in 1993? You get one point for each name you can name.
34. What magazine notation did Yasser Arafat, F.W. de Klerk, Nelson Mandela, and Yitzhak Rabin achieve in 1993?
35. In “The Puffy Shirt,” Seinfeld episode, what does Jerry Seinfeld unknowingly agree to wear?
36. Another Seinfeld question. What is George’s alias in “The Marine Biologist”?
37. Who was the bar’s resident know-it-all, often sharing obscure trivia on Cheers?
38. In Demolition Man, what restaurant chain emerged victorious in the Franchise Wars?
39. In Europe, it was another restaurant chain. Name it.
40. Who is the chief of internal medicine at Community General Hospital on Diagnosis: Murder?
41. Who are the Primary Characters in The Land Before Time series? You get one point for each of the seven you can name.
42. Which two X-Men characters get married at the beginning of Season 2 of X-Men: The Animated Series?
43. Despite the title of the 1990 novel and 1993 movie Jurassic Park, most of the dinosaurs depicted in these sources were not from the Jurassic period. What period were they from?
44. Who said, “I’m not a role model… Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.”?
45. Who won the World Series in 1993?
46. TV Catchphrase: Who said, “Did I do that?”?
47. Who portrayed Billy Campbell from Season 1 through Season 7 of Melrose Place?
48. Which villain is the primary antagonist in Season 1 of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers?
49. Who moved in with Frasier, altering his independent lifestyle in Seattle?
50. What was the name of Martin Crane’s dog?
51. What superhero alter ego does Doug Funnie frequently imagine himself as?
52. Catchphrase: Who said, “Homey don’t play that!”?
53. On The Nanny, how many children does Maxwell Sheffield have, and what are their names? One point for each you can name.
54. Who played the role of Fran Fine in The Nanny?
55. Name the popular video game released in 1993 that is credited with popularizing the first-person shooter genre.
56. Which well-known television personality does Tim compete against in the “Great Race” episode of Home Improvement?
57. Who was People Magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People cover star in 1993?
58. Yes or No. Is the film The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom based on a real-life event?
59. Name the comedian known for the phrase “You Might Be A Redneck.”
60. What is the relationship between the two main characters, both named Pete, in The Adventures of Pete & Pete?
61. What is the name of the roadrunner character, Calamity Coyote’s frequent target in Tiny Toon Adventures?
62. Who were the Stanley Cup Champions in 1993?
63. Who was the mysterious figure often seen in the background, associated with government conspiracies in The X-Files?
64. Who is The Simpsons character known for yelling “Skinner!”?
65. This advertising question was created by the advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners for the California Milk Processor Board in 1993. Say it.
66. Which character is known for his adamantium claws and rapid healing factor in X-Men: The Animated Series?
67. Who was People Magazine’s Sexiest Couple Alive in 1993?
68. What is the primary setting of the film A Nightmare Before Christmas?
69. You must answer both parts of this question, worth one and a half points. Who is the main protagonist of A Nightmare Before Christmas, and what is his title?
70. What is the iconic line Dr. Ian Malcolm says about the unpredictability of life in Jurassic Park?
71. TV Catchphrase: Who said “I’m listening”?
72. The series finale of this show, titled “One for the Road,” aired on May 20, 1993. It was watched by 80.4 million people, making it one of the most-watched television finales ever. What show?
73. What was the film Cool Runnings about?
74. What advertising slogan did NBC use to brand its primetime blocks during the 1990s?
75. Who are the purple-haired twin girls in Bart Simpson’s class at Springfield Elementary School?
76. Who helps Lisa Simpson start her jazz band in “Lisa’s Sax”?
77. Who were the NBA Champions in 1993?
78. Who are Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner?
79. Which network aired The Chevy Chase Show?
80. How long did The Chevy Chase Show run before being canceled?
81. Who was the Vice-President in 1993?
82. What is The Simpsons annual Halloween special called?
83. Who was the Pope in 1993?
84. Who was the President in 1993?
85. Which real-life figure does Liam Neeson portray in Schindler’s List?
86. What (if any) Academy Awards did Schindler’s List and Steven Spielberg win?
87. Who guest starred as Will’s father in “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse” on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
88. Who is the billionaire founder of Jurassic Park in the film?
89. On The Rugrats episode “Tooth or Dare,” which character loses their first tooth?
90. What is Dr. Michaela Quinn’s hometown?
91. Who was the director of Hocus Pocus? HINT: He was also the choreographer for Dirty Dancing (1987) and The High School Musical Series (2006-2008)
92. The fourth season finale of this FOX TV show included guests Johnny Carson, Hugh Hefner, Bette Midler, Luke Perry, Elizabeth Taylor, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Barry White – name that show.
93. In the Seinfeld Season 4 finale, “The Pilot,” what major decision does Kramer make?.
Trivia Team Bonus Questions
1. During Kramer’s storyline in “The Pilot,” what fictional show does he appear on, and what role does he play?
2. Who is the Taylor family’s wise and eccentric neighbor, often seen speaking over the backyard fence on Home Improvement?
3. In 1993, Michael J. Nelson debuted as the new host of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Who did he replace?
4. What was the name of the first show Emeril Lagasse hosted?
5. This song is the opening theme to the TV show Cops. You get one point to name the song and two additional points if you can name the artist.
6. Which character develops a crush on Doug Funnie’s sister, Judy, in “Doug’s Worst Nightmare”?
7. Which actor provides the voice for Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm?
8. You must answer both parts of this question, worth one and a half points. Which iconic Batman villain plays a significant role in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, and who voices this character?
9. In the Season 5 premiere of Quantum Leap, into whose life does Dr. Sam Beckett leap, involving a significant historical event?
10. What is the name of the city the Power Rangers protect?
Super Bonus Point Question. There are six answers- you get one point for each you can name. What animal sounds were mixed to create the T. Rex’s roar in Jurassic Park? HINT: Not a cat or turtle
The Answers:
93 Trivia Answers For 1993 History
1. Who directed the 1993 film Jurassic Park? Steven Spielberg
2. What number, in English, is the Roman numeral XXVII? 27
3. Who was the first solo performer at the Super Bowl? Michael Jackson (Super Bowl XXVII)
4. Who fill David Letterman’s old program after The Tonight Show on NBC? Conan O’Brien
5. How does Cheers end in the series finale? Sam closes the bar, turns off the lights, and straightens a picture, symbolizing his deep connection to Cheers.
6. What team won the Super Bowl in 1993? Dallas Cowboys
7. Movie question. The Firm is based on a novel by which author? John Grisham
8. Name the popular tabletop and digital collectible card game created by Richard Garfield> HINT: It is produced by Wizards of the Coast Magic: The Gathering
9. Who portrays the character of Daniel Hillard, who disguises himself as Mrs. Doubtfire? Robin Williams
10. What is the source material for the film Mrs. Doubtfire? The 1987 novel Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine
11. Cartoonist Peter Steiner drew a cartoon for The New Yorker with the phrase, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a <blank>.” Fill in the blank. Dog. “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.”
12. Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Christina Aguilera joined the cast of a Disney Channel series in 1993. What was the name of that program? The New Mickey Mouse Club
13. What is the name of Cory Matthews’ best friend introduced in Boy Meets World? Shawn Hunter
14. Who was the lead vocalist of the band 4 Non-Blondes, known for their 1993 hit What’s Up?? Linda Perry
15. What is the name of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ human ally who works as a TV reporter? April O’Neil
16. Who is the Turtles’ primary villain? Shredder
17. What real-life person inspired the original 1960s TV series on which The Fugitive is based? The case of Dr. Sam Sheppard, who was wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife
18. What major award did Tommy Lee Jones receive for his performance in The Fugitive? The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
19. Which 1993 film features a young boy who befriends a captive orca whale? Free Willy
20. Who became the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993? Toni Morrison
21. Which actress played on Melrose Place as Amanda Woodward? Heather Locklear
22. Duke the Dog is the spokesanimal for what canned product? Bush’s Baked Beans
23. The final episode of Soul Train was broadcast in 1993. Who was the host of Soul Train? Don Cornelius
24. Name the film featuring Sam Baldwin and Annie Reed. HINT: Seattle Sleepless in Seattle
25. Which actors portray the lead characters, Sam Baldwin and Annie Reed? Tom Hanks plays Sam Baldwin, and Meg Ryan portrays Annie Reed.
26. What was the primary goal of The Maastricht Treaty? Creation of the European Union
27. On The Simpsons episode “Cape Feare,” who is the main antagonist trying to harm Bart? Sideshow Bob
28. What is the name of the town where Phil Conners relives the same day repeatedly in Groundhog Day? Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
29. Which song plays on Phil’s alarm clock each morning, signaling the start of the repeated day? I Got You Babe by Sonny & Cher
30. What is the name of the company responsible for cloning the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park? InGen (International Genetic Technologies)
31. Which actor provided the voice for Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman: The Animated series? Kevin Conroy
32. Catchphrase: Who said “It’s a good thing”? Martha Stewart on Martha Stewart Living
33. Who were the top three female artists in 1993? You get one point for each name you can name. Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson
34. What magazine notation did Yasser Arafat, F.W. de Klerk, Nelson Mandela, and Yitzhak Rabin achieve in 1993? They shared Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year.”
35. In “The Puffy Shirt,” Seinfeld episode, what does Jerry Seinfeld unknowingly agree to wear? A puffy pirate shirt
36. Another Seinfeld question. What is George’s alias in “The Marine Biologist”? Art Vandelay
37. Who was the bar’s resident know-it-all, often sharing obscure trivia on Cheers? Cliff Clavin
38. In Demolition Man, what restaurant chain emerged victorious in the Franchise Wars? Taco Bell
39. In Europe, it was another restaurant chain. Name it. Pizza Hut
40. Who is the chief of internal medicine at Community General Hospital on Diagnosis: Murder? A: Dr. Mark Sloan
41. Who are the Primary Characters in The Land Before Time series? You get one point for each of the seven you can name. Spike, Ducky, Cera, Littlefoot, Petrie, Chomper, and Ruby (TV was her first appearance)
42. Which two X-Men characters get married at the beginning of Season 2 of X-Men: The Animated Series? Cyclops (Scott Summers) and Jean Grey
43. Despite the title of the 1990 novel and 1993 movie Jurassic Park, most of the dinosaurs depicted in these sources were not from the Jurassic period. What period were they from? Cretaceous period
44. Who said, “I’m not a role model… Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.”? Charles Barkley
45. Who won the World Series in 1993? Toronto Blue Jays
46. TV Catchphrase: Who said, “Did I do that?”? Steve Urkel on Family Matters (1989-1997)
47. Who portrayed Billy Campbell from Season 1 through Season 7 of Melrose Place? Andrew Shue
48. Which villain is the primary antagonist in Season 1 of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers? Rita Repulsa
49. Who moved in with Frasier, altering his independent lifestyle in Seattle? His father, Martin Crane, is a retired police officer with a disability, along with his dog.
50. What was the name of Martin Crane’s dog? Eddie
51. What superhero alter ego does Doug Funnie frequently imagine himself as? Quailman
52. Catchphrase: Who said, “Homey don’t play that!”? Homey the Clown on In Living Color
53. On The Nanny, how many children does Maxwell Sheffield have, and what are their names? One point for each you can name. A: He has three children: Margaret “Maggie,” Brighton, and Grace “Gracie” Sheffield
54. Who played the role of Fran Fine in The Nanny? Fran Dresher
55. Name the popular video game released in 1993 that is credited with popularizing the first-person shooter genre. Doom
56. Which well-known television personality does Tim compete against in the “Great Race” episode of Home Improvement? Bob Vila
57. Who was People Magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People cover star in 1993? Cindy Crawford
58. Yes or No. Is the film The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom based on a real-life event? Yes. It is based on the true story of Wanda Holloway, who tried to put out a hit on one of her daughter’s classmates (and the girl’s mother) to advance her own daughter’s Middle school cheerleading career.
59. Name the comedian known for the phrase “You Might Be A Redneck.” Jeff Foxworthy
60. What is the relationship between the two main characters, both named Pete, in The Adventures of Pete & Pete? They are brothers (Big Pete & Little Pete)
61. What is the name of the roadrunner character, Calamity Coyote’s frequent target in Tiny Toon Adventures? Little Beeper
62. Who were the Stanley Cup Champions in 1993? Montreal Canadiens
63. Who was the mysterious figure often seen in the background, associated with government conspiracies in The X-Files? The Cigarette Smoking Man
64. Who is The Simpsons character known for yelling “Skinner!”? Superintendent Chalmers
65. This advertising question was created by the advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners for the California Milk Processor Board in 1993. Say it. Got Milk?
66. Which character is known for his adamantium claws and rapid healing factor in X-Men: The Animated Series? Wolverine, also known as Logan.
67. Who was People Magazine’s Sexiest Couple Alive in 1993? Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford
68. What is the primary setting of the film A Nightmare Before Christmas? Halloween Town
69. You must answer both parts of this question, worth one and a half points. Who is the main protagonist of A Nightmare Before Christmas, and what is his title? Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King
70. What is the iconic line Dr. Ian Malcolm says about the unpredictability of life in Jurassic Park? Life finds a way (Life, uh, finds a way.)
71. TV Catchphrase: Who said “I’m listening”? Frasier Crane on Frasier
72. The series finale of this show, titled “One for the Road,” aired on May 20, 1993. It was watched by 80.4 million people, making it one of the most-watched television finales ever. What show? Cheers
73. What was the film Cool Runnings about? Jamaican athletes who form a bobsled team and compete in the Winter Olympics despite having no experience in the sport.
74. What advertising slogan did NBC use to brand its primetime blocks during the 1990s? “Must See TV”
75. Who are the purple-haired twin girls in Bart Simpson’s class at Springfield Elementary School? Sherri and Terri Mackleberry
76. Who helps Lisa Simpson start her jazz band in “Lisa’s Sax”? Bleeding Gums Murphy
77. Who were the NBA Champions in 1993? Chicago Bulls
78. Who are Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner? Warner siblings (or just the Warners) are the protagonists of the Animaniacs.
79. Which network aired The Chevy Chase Show? Fox
80. How long did The Chevy Chase Show run before being canceled? Six weeks
81. Who was the Vice-President in 1993? Dan Quayle (January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993) Al Gore (January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001)
82. What is The Simpsons annual Halloween special called? The Treehouse or Horror
83. Who was the Pope in 1993? John Paul II (October 16, 1978 – April 2, 2005)
84. Who was the President in 1993? George H. W. Bush (January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993) Bill Clinton (January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001)
85. Which real-life figure does Liam Neeson portray in Schindler’s List? Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved over a thousand Jewish refugees during the Holocaust
86. What (if any) Academy Awards did Schindler’s List and Steven Spielberg win? The film earned Spielberg his first Academy Award for Best Director and also won Best Picture.
87. Who guest starred as Will’s father in “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse” on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Ben Vereen
88. Who is the billionaire founder of Jurassic Park in the film? John Hammond, portrayed by Richard Attenborough.
89. On The Rugrats episode “Tooth or Dare,” which character loses their first tooth? Angelica
90. What is Dr. Michaela Quinn’s hometown? Boston, Massachusetts (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman)
91. Who was the director of Hocus Pocus? HINT: He was also the choreographer for Dirty Dancing (1987) and The High School Musical Series (2006-2008) Kenny Ortega
92. The fourth season finale of this FOX TV show included guests Johnny Carson, Hugh Hefner, Bette Midler, Luke Perry, Elizabeth Taylor, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Barry White – name that show. The Simpsons
93. In the Seinfeld Season 4 finale, “The Pilot,” what major decision does Kramer make? A: Kramer leaves New York to pursue a career in Los Angeles.
Trivia Team Bonus Answers
1. During Kramer’s storyline in “The Pilot,” what fictional show does he appear on, and what role does he play? Kramer appears on Murphy Brown as Murphy’s new secretary, “Steven Snell.”
2. Who is the Taylor family’s wise and eccentric neighbor, often seen speaking over the backyard fence on Home Improvement? Wilson
3. In 1993, Michael J. Nelson debuted as the new host of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Who did he replace? Joel Hodgson
4. What was the name of the first show Emeril Lagasse hosted? How To Boil Water (Emeril Live, debuted in 1997)
5. This song is the opening theme to the TV show Cops. You get one point to name the song and two additional points if you can name the artist. Bad Boys by Inner Circle
6. Which character develops a crush on Doug Funnie’s sister, Judy, in “Doug’s Worst Nightmare”? Roger Klotz
7. Which actor provides the voice for Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm? Kevin Conroy
8. You must answer both parts of this question, worth one and a half points. Which iconic Batman villain plays a significant role in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, and who voices this character? The Joker, voiced by Mark Hamill.
9. In the Season 5 premiere of Quantum Leap, into whose life does Dr. Sam Beckett leap, involving a significant historical event? Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy.
10. What is the name of the city the Power Rangers protect? Angel Grove
Super Bonus Point Question. There are six answers- you get one point for each you can name. What animal sounds were mixed to create the T. Rex’s roar in Jurassic Park? HINT: Not a cat or turtle It was a composite of sounds from a dog, penguin, tiger, alligator, and baby elephant
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