Stars and Stripes Forever

Posted on July 10, 2013July 10, 2013

What do “Stars and Stripes Forever,” Mr. Peabody, and ghosts have in common? Clifton Webb, of course! You’ll be glad to know I have found some very fun minutiae regarding yesterday’s Trivia Question of the Day: QUESTION: (TV & Film): Who did actor Clifton Webb portray in the film “Stars and Stripes Forever?” ANSWER: John Philip Sousa What would a Fourth of July parade be without a rousing rendition of “The Stars and Stripes Forever?” Well, simply un-American! This famous march was written by John Philip Sousa, the beloved American composer and conductor best known for his military and patriotic marches. Sousa’s career seems to have been written in the […]

God Bless Us Every One

Posted on July 9, 2013July 9, 2013

Here’s today’s Trivia Question of the Day: QUESTION: Literature: What is the name of the sickly character in Charles Dickens’ book, “A Christmas Carol?” ANSWER: Tiny Tim Evidently, this question was far too easy for my social media followers. I expect, however, that you will find some of the details I uncovered while researching this blog to be fascinating. First a little background. A Christmas Carol is a novella by prolific English author Charles Dickens (Great Expectations Pickwick Papers, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist). The little book was first published on December 19, 1943 and has become one of the best-loved books of all time. Charles John Huffman Dickens was born on February […]

Thanksgiving Trivia

Posted on November 25, 2008November 25, 2008

In the fall of 1621, the religious separatist Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest, an event many regard as the nation’s first Thanksgiving. It eventually became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. Later, President Franklin Roosevelt clarified that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month to encourage earlier holiday shopping, never on the occasional fifth Thursday. There were an estimated 271 million turkeys raised in the United States in 2008 Minnesota produces the most turkeys (49 million) followed by North Carolina (39 million) and Arkansas (31 […]