Fog Bowl

The Fog Bowl (in America) was was the December 31, 1988 NFL playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears.  The Bears won 20-12.

The word "judo" is literally translated as "gentle way." Its cardinal priciple is never to oppose force with force, but to yield to force in order to disrupt the attacker's balance.

On "Happy Days," hardware store owner Mr. Cunningham was a member of the Leopard Lodge, a fraternal organization.

One Liberty Place is a 945-foot skyscraper in Philadelphia. Erected in 1987, it was the first building to break the unwritten rule that structures should not exceed the height of the statue of William Penn in City Hall, and the tallest in the city until 2007.

The boysenberry was discovered and developed by George Darrow of the USDA and California farmer Walter Knott, of Knott's Berry Farm fame. Its name comes from Rudolph Boysen, the farmer on whose land the initial, moribund berries were found.

In several Romance languages, urinals are still named after the Roman emperor Vespasian because of the tax he imposed on them.

Artaban

Artaban was, according to legend, the "fourth wise man" that traveled to see the birth of Christ. He was a Persian scholar who missed the birth of Jesus but spent the next 33 years until his death helping the poor.

Kiritimati is the Gilbertese cognate for Christmas Island, which is the largest coral atoll int he world. It was claimed and named by Captain Cook on December 24, 1777.

When introduced in 1932, the Three Musketeers candy bar came in three pieces of three different flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.

The first prime minister of Japan, Ito Hirobumi, was also PM four more times (the 5th, 7th, and 10th). First taking office when the position was established in 1885, Ito was a samurai who was later assassinated by a Korean nationalist.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, making up 90% of all matter. Helium makes up the other ten percent. Not only is it the second-most common element in the universe, it is the second-lightest element and its atomic number is 2.

Bohemia is a historical region that occupies about 2/3 of the present-day Czech Republic. So if you're living a hedonistic, bohemian lifestyle, you should Czech yourself before you wreck yourself.

Marble is just metamorphosed limestone or dolomite, man.

The Italian alphabet contains no J, K, W, X, or Y. Those letters are used only in loanwords.

The Pineapple Island

The island of Lanai, in addition to being a porch, is also known as The Pineapple Island because of its history as a pineapple plantation under the auspices of the Dole corporation.

Patagonian toothfish

The Patagonian toothfish is marketed as a food fish under the more palatable name Chilean Sea Bass. It is found off the coasts of Chile and Argentina and in the sub-Arctic waters of islands from that area to New Zealand.

MCAT

The MCAT, or Medical College Admissions test, is composed of four parts: Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems, Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior, and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

The West Bank is so called because it is the area west of the Jordan River. It was coined to differentiate the area from the east bank, which was called the Transjordan.

Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby, a race for three-year-old horses taking place in Churchill Downs, Louisville, was inaugurated in 1875. It is one of the oldest (but apparently not the oldest) continuously-run sporting event in the U.S. In comparison, the Boston Marathon was begun in 1897; and the World Series is generally said to have begun in 1903, as the 19th century playoff games are considered not part of a continuous line of championships.

A neti pot is a device used to clear the nasal passage by causing a saline solution to flow through them. Older neti pots used spouts, while modern neti pots have bulb syringes.

The nautical term 'avast' is an instruction to stop or cease. It derives ultimately from Dutch,a corruption of words meaning 'hold fast.'

The Banda Islands, part of Indonesia, were until the 19th century the world's only source for nutmeg and mace. Specigfically the tiny island of Run was of great economic importance due to its nutmeg trees.

Edith Wilson was the only U.S. First Lady to be descended from Native American chieftains. The Powhatan princess Pocahontas was her direct ancestor.

Eisenhower's memoir

Dwight David Eisenhower was, before he became President of the U.S., a best selling author (for his memoir Crusade In Europe), president of Columbia University, NATO Supreme Commander, and a five-star general. What have you done with your life?

King Ine, the 8th century ruler of Wessex, is known for the code of laws he issued, the first Anglo-Saxon royal laws after King Aetherbert of Kent's earth 7th century law. They were known as the Dooms of King Ine, from the Old English word for judgement.

The radial artery runs from the base of the palm down the anterior forearm to the elbow pit. Medical professionals commonly take the radial pulse from the wrist.

Croakies

Croakies is a company that manufactures items such as lanyards and straps to help people keep track of glasses and keys. The company began in 1977, producing eyeglasses retainers.

Sofie Giraffe is a teething toy (in the shape of a giraffe, of course) for babies. It was developed by a French inventor in 1961. It is very popular in France, and was designated Product of the Year by a US toy association in 2009.

Frederic Chopin was born in the Duchy of Warsaw and was brought up in the city of Warsaw. At an early age he was considered the best pianist in Warsaw. He moved to Paris, via Vienna, in 1831.

Sadly, there is no consensus on how much saliva is produced by a typical human per day. Estimates range from .75 liters to 1.5 liters (a liter is slightly less than a US quart).

A mole is a unit of measurement (derived from molecular weight, abbreviated mol) for the amount (not mass) of a substance. It is defined as the quantity of anything that has the same number of particles found in 12 grams of carbon-12; so one mol of Carbol-12 has 12 grams. One mol of carbon dioxide weighs 44 grams.

Play-Doh, that salty treat for children, was originally developed as a wallpaper cleaner.

The word "denim" comes from Nimes ("serge de Nimes"), while the word "jeans" is thought to derive from Genoa ("bleu de Gênes"), where it originated and whose sailors wore the tough denim trousers.

From the north pole to the equator, there are 90 degrees of latitude. From the equator to the south pole, there are again 90 degrees of latitude. Thus the earth is 180 degrees of latitude from north to south. The flat lines are the lat lines.

A Nebuchadnezzar is a bottle measurement equal to twenty standard bottles of champagne. Larger sized bottles are rare, but they exist.

The origin of the name of Seoul is probably derived from an old Korean word, seo'ul, meaning "capital city." Or perhaps it is an abbreviation of Seorabeol, a name for an ancient local capital. The exact origins are uncertain. An alternate name, Gyeongseong, also means "capital city," and that doesn't seem akin to "Seoul" at all. Hmmm.

Sriracha hot sauce is named after the Thai city of Si Racha. It is also known as rooster sauce because of the bird on the bottle.

Fighting Falcon

The F-16 is a jet, designated the Fighting Falcon, used by the US Air Force since 1974. Despite officially being the Falcon, it is also known by some pilots as the Viper.

Bruce Willis goes by his middle name; his birth first name is Walter. Somehow, he makes "Bruce" seem manly. Walter B. Willis. Walt Willis. Good ol' Wally Willis, born in West Germany.

The coffee break was officially made an employee benefit in 1902 at the Barcalo Company, which later became Barcalounger. This is possibly the first official coffee break, but there may have been earlier, less-noted similar perks. Ha! Perks.

Zaftig, the Yiddish term used in English as a euphemism for slightly fat, literally means "juicy." Yeah, baby!

The Hydra-Matic was the first fully automatic transmission, developed by General Motors for Cadillac and Oldsmobile in 1939.

Maya Angelou was born with the name Marguerite Johnson. The name "Maya" was derived from her brother's nickname for her, apparently from "my-a sister" (or from "Mayan," for some reason?). Also, she worked as a prostitute in her teen years and got the name "Angelou" when she wanted something exotic for her work as a nightclub singer and dancer.

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, in Basque Country, Spain, was designed by Frank Gehry. It opened in 1997 and features lots of curved surfaces. In 2007 it was chosen as one of the Twelve Treasures of Spain.

The top ten highest peaks in the Unites States are all found in Alaska. According to some counts, Mount Whitney, in California, pokes in at number eleven; otherwise, Alaska could claim the top twelve. According to others, Alaska has the top sixteen highest peaks.

The nave is the long central part of a church where the congregation sits. Go sit in that nave, knave!

Myology is the study of muscles. It is very important not to confuse this with mycology, which is the study of fungi. Look, my muscles don't make me a fun guy. That's Mike, he's the fun guy.

Emirates is the national airline of Dubai, UAE. It is the largest airline in the Middle East.

Scarlett O'Hara, the heroine of "Gone With the Wind," was originally named Pansy O'Hara in early drafts of the novel.

The udon is a thick wheat-flour noodle used in Japanese cuisine. They differ from soba, which are also wheat noodles, in that soba are thin.

TV tour of the White House

In 1962, Jackie Kennedy hosted a TV tour of the White House with news anchor Charles Collingswood. The show got huge ratings and was given an honorary Emmy Award, which was accepted by Lady Bird Johnson.

Lipstick Effect

In economics, the "lipstick effect" indicates the trend for consumers to buy small, comforting items during times of financial uncertainty or hardship. Supposedly coined by Estee Lauder, who saw a jump in cosmetic sales after 9/11.

The "Sesame Street" character Big Bird's costume is composed in part of (dyed) turkey tail feathers. Huh. I would have thought it totally synthetic.

In the movie "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" (which may be the only major motion picture to have a period and a colon adjoining each other), E.T. watches the kissing scene of the 1952 John Wayne movie "The Quiet Man," which makes Elliot act out the scene at school.

The word "Honolulu" (the name of the city and county on O'ahu) means "sheltered bay" or "place of shalter" in the Hawaiian language. "Hono" means "a bay" and "lulu" indicates "sheltered."

The Bellini is a cocktail made from sparkling wine and peach puree. Supposedly it was named for its color, which reminded its inventor, Giuseppi Cipriani, of the color of a Bellini painting (the sunset, or a robe --- accounts differ).

John Luther Adams is a composer whose works primarily focus on themes of the natural world and the landscape of the North, primarily Alaska.

Bugaboo is a Dutch company, founded in 1996, that specializes in infant strollers. Many of its products have animal names, such as the donkey, cameleon (sic) and frog.

A chimichanga is a deep-fried burrito popular in Tex-Mex cuisine, first popularized sometime in the early twentieth century.

Wagyu cattle, originally from Japan, are bred for producing beef with heavy marbling, making it high in unsaturated fats and omega fatty acids.

The Flamingo is a casino opened in 1946 by gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. It is said he named it after his girlfriend, who had the same nickname due to her long, skinny legs. Currently named The Famingo Las Vegas, it was the third resort opened on the strip and is the oldest continuously operated casino on the strip today (as of 2011).

Borley Rectory

The Borley Rectory, a mansion built in 1863 in Essex and burned to the ground in 1939, had a reputation for being haunted by various spirits. Paranormal researcher Harry Price named it "the most haunted house in England" and wrote two books on the subject. Spooky!

DHL is a international express delivery company, founded in 1969 and purchased by Deutsche Post in 2002. The name comes from the three initials of the last names of the founders.

The Baby Ruth candy bar was originally named the Kandy Kake when it debuted in 1916. The name was changed in 1921 to Baby Ruth, and the company claimed that this was not in honor of the baseball great but actually for the young daughter of president Grover Cleveland, Ruth Cleveland. However, she had died in 1904, and Babe Ruth was popular then, so draw your own conclusions.

Stonewall Jackson

Thomas Jackson, a Confederate general, got his nickname 'Stonewall' at the first battle of Bull Run, in July, 1861. He was accidentally wounded by Confederate soldiers in 1863, at Chancellorsville.

The Storting is the parliament of Norway, which was first constituted in 1814.

The Seychelles are a republic archipelago located north of Madagascar and east of Zanzibar. The capital city is Victoria. It has the smallest population of any African country.

The Juice Box is a nickname for Houston Astros’ home field, Minute Maid Park. The ballpark was first christened as Enron Field in 1999. After big scandal, the field was renamed Astros Field in 2002 until June 5, when Houston-based Minute Maid acquired the naming rights to the stadium for 28 years at a price exceeding $100 million.

Mr. T's birth name is Laurence Tureaud, which he briefly spelled Tero.

John André

John André was a British officer hanged in 1780 as a spy during the American Revolution. Admired even by the American commanders, he wrote a poem while awaiting execution that ends with the lines, "A few more setting suns at most / Shall land me on fair Canaan's coast / Where I shall sing the song of grace / And see my glorious Hiding Place."

Lake Pontchartrain

Lake Pontchartrain, located in Louisiana, is the second-largest salt lake in the United States.

'La Maja desnuda' ("The Nude Maja") is a painting by Francisco de Goya. It depicts an unclothed woman reclining on a bed, and is considered the first non-religious, full-size female nude in Western art. It was confiscated by the Inquisition, and Goya painted a 'Clothed Maja' in 1803.

Sirius

Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky (though not the closest), found in the constellation Canis Major.

It's seriously bright

A mazurka is a Polish folk dance in triple time named after a region and sub-ethnic group, the Mazurs from Mazuria.

Alvin Toffler

Alvin Toffler was a writer and futurist, best known for his works Future Shock and The Third Wave. He predicted how technology will shape how people feel and interact in a post-industrial society.

The Original Six are the NHL teams which made up the league in the 25 seasons before the expansion in 1967. The teams are: Montreal Canadiens (founded in 1909), Toronto Maple Leafs (1917); Boston Bruins (1924); New York Rangers (1925); Detroit Red Wings (1926); and Chicago Blackhawks (1926)

The Miss America competition began as a beauty contest in Atlantic City in 1921. It moved to Las Vegas in 2006.

Rembrandt van Rijn

Rembrandt van Rijn was thought to have produced over ninety self-portraits, but more modern estimates put the figure at closer to forty paintings, plus thirty etchings. Modern scholarship puts his total painting output at around 300 pieces, with an equal number of etchings.

Most innings in an MLB game

The longest game by innings in Major League Baseball was a 1-1 tie in the National League between the Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Dodgers in 26 innings, at Braves Field in Boston on May 1, 1920.

Boston Celtics NBA championships

The Boston Celtics have 17 NBA championships, with a record eight straight win in the years 1959-1966 (and two more wins in '68 and '69).

"To take silk" is an expression meaning to become a senior barrister (appointed Queen's Counsel).

Hermann Goering was Hitler's commander of the Luftwaffe and was a WWI ace, with 22 confirmed kills. He committed suicide by cyanide at Nuremberg.

In golf, a birdie is one under par, while an eagle is two under. The best is the "condor." A score one over par is a bogie.

Pierrot

Pierrot is a stock character of French and Italian mime and Commedia dell'Arte. His character is that of the sad clown pining with unrequited love for Columbine, who leaves him for Harlequin. He is also in the song 'Au Clair de la lune."

Martin Van Buren has several factoid-related bits. (1) He was the first president to be born an American citizen, born 1782, after the Revolution. (2) He was the first president not of British descent. (3) He was nicknamed "Old Kinderhook," or O.K., from the village where he was born. (4) Along with Thomas Jefferson, he served as Secretary of State, VP, and then president, the 'Triple Crown' of US politics. (5) He was the only president to see both the US Revolution and the Civil War, living from 1782 to 1862.

The Gold Coast

The Gold Coast was the old colonial name for present-day Ghana.  Its flag had an elephant.

Black and gold are the colors for all of Pittsburgh's professional sports teams. Exempli gratia, the Steelers, the Pirates, the Penguins.

"Miserlou" (or "Misirlou") is best known as a surf-rock instrumental by Dick Dale (later covered by the Beach Boys and many others), but its roots are far older, being a Turkish-Greek song about a Muslim Greek woman.

The ultraviolet catastrophe was an incorrect prediction in early 20th-century physics that an ideal black body at thermal equilibrium will emit radiation with infinite power. Max Planck's law was later found to "solve" this problem, showing that electromagnetic energy is emitted in discrete packets of energy proportional to the frequency. Also, "ultraviolet catastrophe" would be an excellent band name.

Aldo Moro was a two-time Prime Minister of Italy who was kidnapped off the streets of Rome by the Red Brigades in 1978 and killed by them.

Aberdeen is known as "The Granite City" because of the amount of the rock found in the vicinity.

Mugwumps were Republican political activists who supported Democratic candidate Grover Cleveland in the United States presidential election of 1884.

Alnico

Alnico is an alloy, usually used in magnets, made up of and named for aluminum, nickel, and cobalt. Iron, copper, and titanium are also used.

Nellie Tayloe Ross

Nellie Tayloe Ross was the United States' first female governor, elected in Wyoming in 1922. She was ushered in after the death of her husband vacated the post.

The Compact Disc was pioneered by Philips Electronics, working with Sony, but using Philips' technology from as far back as 1977. The CD was introduced in 1982 and was 74 minutes long because that was the longest recording of Beethoven's Ninth in Sony's vaults.

The Constitutions of Clarendon were a set of legislative procedures passed by Henry II of England in 1164, meant to restrict ecclesiastical privileges and curb the power of the Church in England. Archbishop Thomas Becket's repudiation of them led to the rift between him and king and ultimately his murder.

MacKenzie River

The MacKenzie River is the longest in Canada. Located within the Northwest Territories, it is 1080 miles long. It originates at the Great Slave Lake and was formerly named Disappointment River because it did not lead to Alaska. What cheery names these Canucks have, eh?

Eric Drummond, Earl of Perth, was a Scottish statesman who became the first Secretary General of the League of Nations in 1920.

7 Up was introduced in 1929 by Charles Leiper Grigg under the incredibly catchy name of "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda." Why didn't he keep that winner?

The Hunter region, sometimes called Hunter Valley, is an area in New South Wales, north of Sydney, famous for its vineyards and wine.

A manometer is a device that measures pressure, usually air against liquid. (A barometer is a type of manometer; it measures atmospheric pressure.)

Vanitas painting

Vanitas is a style of painting popular in the Netherlands and Flanders in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was marked by heavy symbolism of death, such as skulls, rotten fruit, watches, and so on.

Joseph Goebbels

Joseph Goebbels was Hitler's Minister of Propaganda. After Hitler's suicide, he tried to arrange a ceasefire with the soviets, then gave morphine and cyanide to his children, then killed his wife and himself.

The Cadaver Synod, held in Rome in 897, was the posthumous trial of Pope Formosus by his successor, Stephen VI. The dead pope was found guilty, but possibly he lacked adequate representation.

Nolan Bushnell is an American electrical engineer and entrepreneur who founded Atari and the Chuck E. Cheese's restaurant chain. He is regarded as one of the founding fathers of the video game industry. He is sometimes credited with inventing the first video game, because he oversaw the invention of Pong.

Hard water contains minerals, typically calcium (limestone and chalk) and magnesium (dolomite).

The liver bird is the symbol of Liverpool. Its name rhymes with "diver." Its species is not certain, but is generally regarded to be a cormorant.

Nathuram Godse was the Hindu radical who killed Mohandas Gandhi on January 30, 1848. He was an RSS activist who ran a radical newspaper.

Robert Walpole is generally termed the first Prime Minister of Great Britain, even though the office was not so defined at the time. He governed from 1721 to 1742, making his the longest administration ever.

Count Paris, a kinsman of Prince Escalus in 'Romeo & Juliet,' is the suitor who pursues Juliet before Romeo. He is killed by Romeo in Act V.

Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.com in 1994. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Princeton and Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 1999, he is worth billions.

Pius IX

Pius IX was the longest-reigning pope in history, from 1846 to 1878, nearly 32 years. He is best known for establishing the Immaculate Conception as dogma.

Prague ('Praha' in Czech) is known as "the mother of cities," "city of a hundred spires," and "the golden city" or just "Golden Prague."

RenderMan is a digital imaging software used by Pixar to create realistic imagery in movies such as 'Jurassic Park,' 'The Incredibles,' 'Forrest Gump,' and many others.

A quasar is generally held to be the compact halo of matter surrounding the supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy.

Most Oscar nominations

Meryl Streep is the actor with the most Oscar nominations, 21 in all. But Katharine Hepburn is the actor with the most wins (1933, 1967, 1968, 1981); Streep has only won twice.

Doha is the capital and largest city of Qatar. Its name is derived from the Arabic for "big tree." Those Qataris sure have a lot of dough, ha!

"The House of Flowers" (Kuća cveća) is the name of the mausoleum in Belgrade, Serbia, where Josip Tito is buried.

Asoka was an Indian emperor of the 3rd century BC, often called one of India's greatest rulers. He embraced Buddhism after witnessing slaughter in wars in Kalinga.

First manned flight

Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first manned heavier-than-air flight on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Bully for them, says TR!

Guangzhou is the pinyin form of the city formerly called Canton, the capital of Guangdong province in southeast China.

Eiffel 65 was an Italian electronic pop group, best known for their worldwide #1 hit "Blue (Da Ba Dee)."

Wisdom teeth are the third molars (the flat grinding teeth) and usually erupt between the ages of 17 and 25. Most people have four wisdom teeth.

Valparaiso is one of Chile's most important seaports. Literally "Paradise Valley," it houses the National Congress and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Mesons are bosons composed of an even number of quarks and antiquarks in pairs. Thus the name, which indicates balance.

Grissini is the Italian term for breadsticks.

Marie Curie

Marie Curie was the first person to win a Nobel Prize in two fields (Physics in 1903 for her work on radiation, and Chemistry in 1911 for her discovery of radium and polonium). She was also the first woman to win a Nobel. Bully for her, says TR!

Erewhon

Samuel Butler was a 19th-century British writer most famous for his satire of utopian ideals and Victorian mores, "Erewhon."

Paul Ehrlich

Paul Ehrlich was a German scientist who won the 1908 Nobel Prize for Medicine. He worked in hematology, immunology, and chemotherapy. He is noted for coining the term "chemotherapy," predicting autoimmune disorders, and developing the concept of the "magic bullet" to fight disease, as well as the first antibiotic drug. He used arsenic to fight syphilis.

Striae gravidarum is the medical term for stretch marks caused by the weight gain of pregnancy.

Manitoba was the first province of Canada created from the territories, in 1870. It borders North Dakota and Minnesota to the north.

Most Oscars

The movies that have won the most Oscars are 'Ben-Hur' (1959), 'Titanic' (1997), and 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' (2003), with eleven of the gold guys each. ('All About Eve' and 'Titanic' have the most nominations, with 14 each.)

The question mark in the Greek alphabet is the same symbol as the modern Roman semicolon! Did you know that;

Mount Kosciuszko, in the Snowy Mountains, New South Wales, is the highest point in Australia at 7.310 feet.

Ole Romer, a 17th century Danish astronomer, is believed to be the first to make quantitative measurements of the speed of light.

Pius XII was the last pope (reigning 1939-58) not named John or Paul until Pope Benedict in 2005. Between them there was a John, a Paul, and two John Pauls.

Attu

Attu is the largest and westernmost of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. It is the site of the only WWII battle on US soil.

Short wavelength (high frequency) photons carry more energy than long wavelength (low frequency) photons. In other words, on the electromagnetic spectrum, the shorter the wavelength, the greater the energy (and frequency).

Anna O was the pseudonym of Bertha Pappenheim, a patient of Austrian physician Josef Breuer, who diagnosed her with hysteria. Her case study was published in "Studies on Hysteria," written with Sigmund Freud.

The Boerentoren, a tower 26 stories tall completed in 1931, located in Antwerp, Belgium, was the first skyscraper on the European continent.

The Wyeths are a family of famous American painters, including N.C. Wyeth, best known as an illustrator; his son Andrew Wyeth, a realist painter of landscapes and nature; and Andrew's son Jamie Wyeth, illustrator of animals in the Brandywine tradition. Henriette and Carolyn, N.C.'s daughters, are less-known.

The Anglo-Zanzibar War was fought for just 38 minutes in 1896, making it the shortest war in history. The war broke out when the sultan Khalid bin Bargash refused to abdicate.

Diazepam is the clinical name of the relaxant and sedative marketed as Valium.

The Cynic school of philosophy, founded by Antisthenes around 400 BC, espoused asceticism, self-control, virtue, and a depreciation of artificial and material things.

Pericles was a 5th century statesman and orator of Athens, one of its greatest leaders. He started work on the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis. He was called "the first citizen of Athens" and the age which he rules was called "the Age of Pericles."

The Barbizon school was a movement of realist landscape painters in France in the 19th century, inspired by the work of John Constable. The most prominent of the Barbizon painters was Jean-Francois Millet.

Love Canal

Love Canal, a neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, was the site of the worst environmental disaster involving chemical wastes in U.S. history.  It became a dumping ground for nearly 22,000 tons of chemical waste produced by the Hooker Chemicals and Plastics Corporation in the 1940s and ’50s. In the following years, the site was filled in. Hooker capped the 16-acre hazardous waste landfill in clay and sold the land to the Niagara Falls School Board, attempting to absolve itself of any future liability by including a warning in the property deed.  In 1978, however, state officials detected the leakage of toxic chemicals from underground into the basements of homes in the area.  The residents were awarded $20 million in damages by the company; in 1994 the parent company Occidental agreed to pay $98 million to New York to compensate the state for its contribution to the cleanup of Love Canal. The following year the company settled with the federal government for $129 million.

The deltoid muscle forms the shoulder and is named after the Greek letter delta for its triangular shape.

Rotterdam, founded in the 13th century, was the world's busiest port in the latter half of the 20th century. It is Europe's largest port. It was extensively bombed in the Rotterdam Blitz, 1940.

Anita Ward was a former schoolteacher with the 1979 number one hit "Ring My Bell."

Ipanema is a beach neighborhood in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. It was made famous in the song "The Girl From Ipanema." It is adjacent to Copacabana Beach, which is not the place mentioned in the song 'Copacabana."

Publius Ostorius

Publius Ostorius was believed to have been a free Roman citizen who voluntarily fought in and survived at least 51 fights.  This may be a tall tale.

The Bugatti Veyron, produced by Volkswagen subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles SAS, was first produced in 2005. Reaching 62 mph in 2.5 seconds, with an average top speed of 253 mph, it is the fastest-accelerating street-legal car in the world. At 1.1 million Euros pricetag, it is also the most expensive.

Honey bees were brought to the Americas in the 1600s by European colonists. Native Americans supposedly called bees "the white man's fly."

There are around 3500 calories in a pound of body fat. Or so say most sources. Others say 4000 calories.

Nylon

Nylon is a synthetic polymer thermoplastic material produced in 1935 by DuPont. The origin of the name is unknown but said to be more or less random.

Key Biscayne is an island in Florida's Miami-Dade county, south of Miami Beach. Nixon vacationed there at the "Florida White House."

A Moscow Mule is a highball made with vodka and ginger beer, with the possible addition of lime, bitters, or even whiskey.

"Nunc fortunatus sum" is a Latin phrase meaning "I am in Luck now," and is supposed to be a punned message by Sir Colin Campbell upon his taking of Lucknow.

Louise Suggs

Louise Suggs was a female golfer who co-founded the Ladies Professional Gold Association.  She won 61 LPGA events and 11 major championships.  In 1951 she became the first female golfer inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a song by Joy Division from their album 'Substance.' It has been covered by many artists, including U2, the Cure, Fall Out Boy, and Paul Young (the singer of the first line of the original "Do They Know It's Christmas?"), who made it an '80s pop ballad and a #40 hit in Germany.

Mark Twain said of Wagner that "his music is better than it sounds." Except apparently he was quoting an earlier humorist named Edgar Nye.

During the rusting process, iron appears to gain weight, because the iron combines with oxygen to make an oxide that weighs more than the parent metal. However, it loses weight as it corrodes.

The London Symphonies

The London Symphonies are Joseph Haydn's final twelve symphonies, composed while he resided in London. They include the well-known Clock and Surprise symphonies.

Napoleon II, son of Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie Louise of Austria, was designated King of Rome. He died of tuberculosis in 1832, at the age of 21.

The Philadelphia Stock Exchange, founded in 1790, is the oldest stock exchange in America. (The NYSE came two years later.)

Mumbai, the new name of Bombay, is derived from the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, plus the Marathi word for mother. Mumbai is the most populous city in India.

Edward VI of England was only nine years old when he was crowned in 1547, and died at the age of 15. The only son of Henry VIII (by third wife Jane Seymour), he probably died of tuberculosis, but may have been poisoned.

The Guiana Shield is one of three cratons of the South American plate. It underlies Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, as well as parts of Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. The highest elevations of the Shield are called the Guiana Highlands, which cover Guyana, Venezuela, and Brazil, and is where the tepuis are found.

Carlo Urbani, an Italian doctor, was the first to diagnose SARS (in American patient Johnny Chen, in Hanoi). He died of SARS in 2003.

Milwaukee is known by several nicknames: Cream City, Brew City, and German Athens.

Stanislaw II Augustus Poniatowski was the last king of Poland. He ruled 1764-95, when Poland was partitioned among Russia, Prussia, and Austria.

Maria Muldaur was a folk-blues singer best known for her 1974 hit "Midnight at the Oasis." She also popularized Peggy Lee's song "I'm a Woman."

ACTH (AdrenoCorticoTropic Hormone), also known as corticotropin) is a hormone produced and secreted by the pituitary gland. It stimulates the adrenal gland and is produced in response to stress.

Della Reese was an Emmy-nominated actor ("Touched by an Angel") and a Grammy-nominated singer most famous for her 1959 hit "Don't You Know," which was adapted from a Puccini aria, "Musetta's Waltz" from 'La Boheme'.

Walter Gropius was a German architect and the father of Bauhaus. He helped design the Pan Am Building. His family residence, Gropius House, is in Lincoln, Massachusetts.

Group f/64 was a group (named after the smallest aperture setting on a camera) of photographers in the '30s who espoused objective, "straight" photography, especially of the American West. Ansel Adams was a prominent member and a Sierra Club adherent as well.

Dark energy, sometimes called dark force, is the hypothetical impetus behind the ever-increasing expansion of the universe.

Rod Stewart was in the following bands: The Ray Davies Quartet; Jimmy Powell & the Five Dimensions; the Hoochie Coochie Men; The Steampacket; The Jeff Beck Group; and The Faces.

The Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) was a conflict among Lebanese militia groups (including the Lebanese Front and Hezbollah), the PLO, and Israeli forces. Up to 100,000 people died. It ended with the Taif Agreement.

Alba is the Scots Gaelic name for Scotland.

Volstead Act

The Volstead Act was a law passed in 1919 (over Wilson's veto) that defined 'alcoholic beverages' and served as enforcing legislation for the 18th Amendment which declared Prohibition.

Car batteries

Car batteries are made up of plates of lead and lead oxide, which are submerged into an electrolyte solution of about 35% sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and 65% water.

"Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" was the final episode of "M*A*S*H." Airing on February 28, 1983, it was watched by about 106 million American viewers, easily the most-watched TV episode ever.

"El Bayamesa," also known as "El Himno de Bayano," is the national anthem of Cuba. It was written in 1868 and adopted in 1902.

Carlsberg beer is advertised with the slogan, "Probably the best beer in the world." The tagline was created by famous advertising group Saatchi and Saatchi.

Eddie Fisher's wives

Eddie Fisher, a singer famous in the 1950s, was married five times: to actress Debbie Reynolds (1955-59); actress Elizabeth Taylor (1959-64); actress Connie Stevens (1967-69); Terry Richard (1975-76) and Betty Lin (1993-2001). He fathered Carrie Fisher by Debbie Reynolds.

Hindenberg crash site

The Hindenberg crashed at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey, 1937.

Lola Montez

Lola Montez was the stage name of dancer and actress Elizabeth (Marie? Dolores?) Gilbert who became the influential courtesan and mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1846.

"Above the Young Rhine" (Oben am jungen Rhein) is the national anthem of Liechtenstein. It was written in 1850 by Jacob Jauch, using the pre-existing tune "God save the Queen."

Einstein's Nobel Prize

Albert Einstein won the Nobel prize in Physics in 1921 for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.

Dick Cheney

Dick Cheney, in addition to being Vice President, was Secretary of Defense under Geo. Bush Père, 1989-93, and Chief of Staff under Ford, 1975-77. He is also Evil Incarnate, criminally negligent with firearms, and possibly the century's greatest hypocrite.

Johann Sebastian Bach had twenty children by two wives (seven by the first and thirteen by the second). Bach himself had a mere seven siblings.

Emil Nolde

Emil Nolde was a German Expressionist painter, who used bold colors and strokes in his work.  Nolde was an early advocate of Germany’s National Socialist Party, but, when the Nazis came to power, they declared his work "decadent" and forbade him to paint.  He is known for The Matterhorn Smiles and Dance Around the Golden Calf.

Calabria is a region in southern Italy, located in the "toe" of Italy's 'boot."

The Dallas Trade Mart (now called the Dallas Market Center) is where JFK was heading to make a speech before he was shot.

Francis Galton

Francis Galton was a British scientist and inventor who developed the theory of eugenics.  He was a great promoter of statistics and quantifiable measures, and developed the concept of correlation.  He also coined the phrase "nature vs. nurture."

The White City refers to a collection of white Bauhaus buildings in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A flan is not only a delicious custard, but a round metal disk ready to be struck as a coin. Flans are more commonly called planchets when referring to modern coins.

OPEC stands for Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries. Its members are Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.

Diadromous fishes

Diadromous fishes can travel between salt and fresh water. Pacific salmon are an example.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica is the oldest English-language encyclopaedia still in print. the first edition was published between 1768 and 1771.

A cryptogam is a plant that reproduces by spores and bears no flowers, such as algae, mosses, and ferns.

The Tower Bridge is a bascule and suspension bridge close to the Tower of London that spans the Thames River.

The Galapagos Islands belong to Ecuador. They are located 525 miles west of the coast of Ecuador. Isabela is the largest island.

The Sting Ray (later one word, Stingray) was a car introduced in 1963 by Chevrolet as part of its Corvette line. The Stingray name was discontinued after 1979.

The Trail of Tears was the forced relocation of Indians from the Five Civilized Tribes (Choctaw, Seminole, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Creek) from Oklahoma to the west. It began in 1830 with the Choctaw and occurred in waves for decades.

Darien Gap

The Darién Gap is a geographic region that connects the American continents, stretching across southern Panama's Darién Province and the northern portion of Colombia's Chocó Department. Consisting of a large watershed, dense rainforest, and mountains, it is known for its remoteness, difficult terrain, and extreme environment, with a reputation as one of the most inhospitable regions in the world.  Nevertheless, as the only land bridge between North and South America, the Darién Gap has historically served as a major route for both humans and wildlife.

Electric wiring was installed in the White House in 1891 under Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President. Allegedly, he and his wife were afraid to touch the fixtures.

Zeno of Citium (Cyprus) was a Greek philosopher who founded the Stoic school around 300 BC.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is the world's longest cable-stayed bridge, at 29,040 feet. It connects St. Petersburg and Terra Ceia, Florida, across Tampa Bay.

Woodrow Wilson was the first US President to travel to Europe while still in office when he attended the Versailles Peace Conference in 1918.

The Wolof people are an ethnic group found in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania. They are a majority in Senegal, making up around 40% of the population.

Eustace Tilley is the name of the monocled mascot of 'The New Yorker,' who appeared on its first cover in 1925.

First known slaves in the New World

The first slaves in British America were twenty Africans brought to Jamestown by a Dutch ship in 1619. (At least, they're the first that we know of for certain.)

King Tiridates III of Armenia proclaimed Christianity to be his nation's sole religion in 301 (after repenting of his previous persecution), making Armenia the first officially Christian nation on Earth.

The Expedition Act (or Expediting Act) was passed by Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. It broke up steel, railroad and meat packing industry trusts. What a trustbuster Teddy was!

El Salvador is the smallest country in North America and the only country in Central America without an eastern coastline (on the Caribbean). It is bordered on the west by the Pacific. It is called "the Tom Thumb of the Americas."

Dr Pepper, created by pharmacist Charles Alderton in 1885, is named for... Who? "The origin of the name is unclear," according to the company. One story is that drugstore owner Wade Morrison named it after the father of a girl he dated. Another story is that a Dr. Charles T. Pepper was Morrison's employer back in Virginia.

The Bay Bridge in California is a toll bridge over San Francisco Bay that links the cities of San Francisco and Oakland. It is part of Interstate 80.

The word "xylophone" comes from the Greek words for 'wood' and 'sound.'

The Bay of Plenty, called Te Moana-a-Toi in Maori, is a region on the North Island of New Zealand. It was named by James Cook for its rich food supply.

The bomb Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima; the bomb Fat Man was dropped on Nagasaki three days later. Here is a mnemonic: "Little Hero, Fat Nag."

Explorer Hernando de Soto is regarded as the first white man to see the Mississippi River, in 1541. He called it Rio de Espiritu Santo.

Culp's Hill is in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. During the 1863 battle, the hill was part of the Union defensive line, like neighboring Cemetery Hill.

Cuba abolishes slavery

Cuba did not abolish slavery until October 7, 1886.

When Moses died in Moab, the Israelites mourned him not for 3 or 7 or 40 days, as you might expect, but thirty days.

The first crossword puzzle appeared in the 'New York World' in 1913. It was created by Arthur Wynne.

Lagos, Nigeria, is the second most populous city in Africa after Cairo, with 8,000,000 residents. It may in fact be the most populous.

James Denver was a 19th-century California politician and the Governor of the Kansas Territory. Denver, Colorado, is named for him.

"Hamlet" is Shakespeare's longest play, at 4,042 lines and 29,551 words. The role of Prince Hamlet is Shakespeare's largest speaking part, at 1507 lines and around 11,600 words. It was probably originally intended for Richard Burbage.

Catherine of Aragon was Henry VIII's first wife. Their annulment after 24 years of marriage set off the English Reformation. She died while under "castle arrest."

Edmund G. Brown, known as "Pat," was governor of California, 1959-67. Supposedly called Pat because of his youthful propensity to quote Patrick Henry. He was the father of later governor Jerry Brown (whose birth name is also Edmund).

George Vancouver was an 18th century English explorer of the lands that would become British Columbia, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and southwest Australia. He died in obscurity at the age of 40.

The Odeon, also known as the Odeion or Odeum, was an ancient theater in Sparta, built in the 6th century BC. Musical performances were given there. Later the name was used to refer to any ancient Greek theater.

Venus' surface temperature is 460 degrees Celsius (860 degrees F), making it the hottest planet. Its temperature far exceeds the melting point of lead.

McDonald's opened the world's first "ski-through" fast-food restaurant in Lindvallen ski resort in Sweden in 1996.

White blood cells, or leukocytes, are cells of the immune system that defend the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials.

Mark Geragos is an American criminal defense attorney who has defended Michael Jackson, Winona Ryder (for shoplifting), Congressman Gary Condit, Susan McDougal, and Scott Peterson (for the murder of his wife).

The Philippines' two official languages are Filipino (a standardized version of Tagalog), and English.

David, the 1504 sculpture by Michelangelo, is displayed in the Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze in Florence. It is installed in the Tribuna, a room specially designed to house the David.

The 1939 film 'Gone with the Wind' had three directors: George Cukor was the first, and was replaced after three weeks because of his unhappiness with the script and Clark Gable. Victor Fleming was brought in but several weeks later. He was temporarily replaced by Sam Wood while he recovered from exhaustion. Victor Fleming received screen credit.

Martinism was a form of mystical Christianism that had its heyday in 19th-century France. It envisioned Christ as the Repairer who helps individuals attain a prelapsarian ideal. It is also called Elus Cohen.

Bruce Johnston was a former Beach Boy who won a Grammy for his song "I Write the Songs." The composition was covered by hundreds of artists, but Barry Manilow made it a number one hit.

Passover (Pesach) is a Jewish celebration that begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan. It lasts for seven days.

Richard Perle was Assistant Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan and worked on the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee from 1987 to 2004. He was called by his detractors 'The Prince of Darkness' for his propensity to wield influence from the background.

Habima is Israel's national theater, founded in 1918 in Tel Aviv. It shows Hebrew-language productions.

Roshambo

Roshambo, ro sham bo, and other variants, is another name for rock paper scissors.  The origin of the name is unclear.  The first known use of "roshambo" as a synonym for the Rock Paper Scissors game appeared in a 1936 book titled The Handbook for Recreation Leaders, published in Oakland, California. The term was spelled "ro-sham-beau" in the book, which only adds to the confusion.

Chester Carlson was an American physicist and patent attorney who invented instant copying, which was later named xerography (whence the company name Xerox). See also Joseph C. Wilson.

The CITES Treaty, an international agreement adopted in 1973, aimed to reduce harmful trade in animal and animal products, and accorded protection to individual species. CITES stands for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora.

Fluoxetine is the clinical name of the drug released under the proprietary name Prozac.

The College of William & Mary was founded in 1693 in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is the second-oldest college in the United States. It was named for King William III and Queen Mary II of England, who issued its charter.

Canada's oldest national park

Banff National Park, near Calgary, Alberta, is Canada's oldest national park. It was established in 1885. The resort town of Banff, known for its hot springs, is inside the park.

Edwin Henry Landseer was an English painter, primarily of animals. His best-known works are the four sculptures of lions at the base of Nelson's Column, added there in 1867.

Retinol is the animal form of Vitamin A, which helps maintain vision and bone growth.

Steve Fossett was an adventurer who made a fortune in the financial industry but is best remembered as a record-breaking aviator, sailor, and balloonist. He circumnavigated the Earth five times: by balloon, sea, and plane. His light aircraft went missing in 2007 and he was declared legally dead; his remains were identified in 2008.

Alfred Noyes was an English poet who is best known for his narrative ballad 'The Highwayman.' It was adapted by Phil Ochs.

Pete Sampras

Pete Sampras won 14 Grand Slam men's singles titles in 15 years, and also won seven Wimbledon men's singles titles (the latter a feat shared only by William Renshaw of the 1880s).

Gaylord Nelson, a Democratic senator from Wisconsin, is noted for two things. (1) He was the principal founder of Earth Day, which began in 1970. (2) He held Congressional hearings on the safety of the oral contraceptive pill in 1970.

Eleanor Roosevelt, the former First Lady, once appeared in a TV ad for Good Luck maragrine in 1959. It's true!

Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer was one of the greatest golfers in history. His nickname was 'The King.' He won seven major championships (four Masters, the US Open, and the British Open twice).

Yo Yo Ma, the Chinese-American cellist, was born in Paris. His family moved to New York when he was seven.

The flag of Bavaria is blue and white (to represent sky and clouds). It is often lozenged. There are other variants, but the colors are the same.

A standard hockey puck is one inch thick, three inches in diameter, and made of vulcanized rubber.

Robert Towne

Robert Towne was a screenwriter and director. He wrote and won an Oscar for 'Chinatown.' He also wrote 'The Last Detail,' 'Shampoo,' and 'Mission Impossible.' His dog was credited with, and nominated for an Oscar for, his writing on 'Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan.'

Allianz Arena is a football (soccer) arena in Munich, Germany. The name is from Allianz financial group, which bought the name when it opened in 2005.

The Spirit of Ecstasy is the name of the hood ornament on Rolls-Royce cars, also called 'the Flying Lady.'

"I'd rather be right than be President" is a quote by Henry Clay, who ran for the office five times and lost each time. He was probably, therefore, enormously satisfied. The statement was intended to explain his unpopular position against slavery.

Anne Boleyn was Henry VIII's second wife. She was beheaded for adultery and treason after three years.

Torres Strait lies between Cape York Peninsula, in Queensland, Australia, and Papua New Guinea to the north.

Mitosis is when a cell duplicates its chromosomes to create two identical daughter nuclei, then splits into two cells in a process called cytokinesis. Meiosis is a cell reduction in which the number of chromosomes is cut in half.

The Battle of Leipzig, a decisive 1813 defeat for Napoleon, is also called 'The Battle of Nations' because so many belligerents fought in it.

Down Syndrome is a chromosomal disorder caused by the presence of an extra 21st chromosome. Trisomy is the presence of any third chromosome, so Down Syndrome is often called Trisomy 21.

The first Olympic Games to be canceled were in 1916, due to WWI. They would have been held in Berlin. The first Winter Olympics to be canceled were in 1940, due to WWII, and would have taken place in Sapporo, Japan.

The Mona Lisa, by Da Vinci, is also known as 'La Gioconda,' but is displayed under the title 'Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo.' La Gioconda refers to the wife of Giocondo, a cloth merchant.

Antoine Lavoisier

Antoine Lavoisier, the 18th century French 'father of modern chemistry,' who discovered oxygen and hydrogen, wrote the first list of elements, and stated the law of conservation of mass, was guillotined in 1794.

Margaret Brent was America's first feminist. She was Maryland's first female land owner and in 1648 demanded to be heard in that state's Provisional Court. (She also made her money trading in human beings.)

Aphids have an unusual reproductive system. In spring, the population is comprised entirely of parthenogenetic, viviparous females. Each female will have within her a daughter who is already parthenogenetically producing her own daughter at the same time. In layman's terms, the aphids can be said to be "born pregnant."

Salta, Argentina, was founded in 1582 by the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Lerma.

The palo de vaca, or cow tree, of South America, produces a nourishing liquid that resembles milk.

Mount Cook

Mt. Cook, also called Aoraki, is the highest point in New Zealand.  It is 3,724 meters, or 12,200 feet, high.  The first known ascent was in 1894.

Massacre at Wounded Knee

The Massacre at Wounded Knee was the last major conflict between the Lakota Sioux and the US government. In 1890, over 200 Sioux including women and children were killed, with 25 US soldiers killed.

Haman

Haman is a noble in the Book of Esther who hatches a plot to kill all the Jews in Persia. He ends up hanged on the gallows he built for Mordecai. (And then the king gives the Jews carte blanche to kill anyone they feel like, including Haman's ten sons, so, you know, a cheery tale.)

Altar Q is a sculpted stone block located in Copán, present-day Honduras. It was created by the Mayan civilization in 776, and depicts a series of rulers from 416 on.

Kansas City, Missouri, is located at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas (or Kaw) Rivers, on the western border of the state. It abuts Kansas City, Kansas.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame, founded in 1963, is located in Canton, Ohio (where the NFL had been founded in 1920).

The National Rifle Association was formed in New York in 1871 (as the American Rifle Association). Bonus factling: Ambrose Burnside was the organization's first president.

The Plan of Guadalupe was a 1913 document drawn up in response to the overthrow and execution of Francisco I. Madero, president of Mexico. The plan rejected the opposition leader Victoriano Huerta's claims to power and accused him of treason. It failed to save Madero.

Elara

Elara is a moon of Jupiter, discovered in 1905 but not named until 1975 (before that, it was just designated 'Jupiter VII').