How many times has Norman Mailer been married?
Norman Mailer has been married six times.
How many times did Ralph Bellamy play the “other man” with whom Cary Grant had to compete for the heroine’s affections?
Ralph Bellamy played the “other man” twice, in The Awful Truth (1937), where Irene Dunne was the woman; and in His Girl Friday (1940), where Rosalind Russell was the woman.
How soon after coming to office did President Gerald Ford pardon Richard Nixon?
President Gerald Ford pardoned his predecessor Richard Nixon on September 8, 1974, 30 days after coming to office on August 9. The unconditional pardon exonerated Nixon of any crimes he might have committed as president.
When was cigarette advertising banned on television and radio?
Cigarette advertising on television and radio was prohibited as of January 2, 1971.
What relation are Kingsley Amis and Martin Amis?
Kingsley Amis and Martin Amis are father and son. Kingsley Amis’s books include Lucky Jim (1954) and Jake’s Thing (1978); Martin Amis’s novels include Success (1978) and Money (1984).
What does Haagen-Dazs mean and who was the ice cream named after?
Haagen-Dazs has no particular meaning, and is two made-up words meant to look and sound Scandinavian. It is a name created by its developer, Reuben Mattus, a Polish emigre living in the United States, to convey a European sensibility. Haagen-Dazs ice cream started in the Bronx, New York, in 1961, and had only three flavors:…
What does Chicago amnesia mean?
The phrase, coined by 1920s gang leader Dion O’Banion, referred to the convenient forgetfulness of eyewitnesses testifying about gang lawbreakers. The phrase implied that gang members had persuaded the witnesses to forget whatever they had seen.
How did the actors wearing the ape costumes in Planet of the Apes (1967) breathe?
The actors wearing the ape costumes in Planet of the Apes (1967) breathed through a specially designed passage in the ape mask’s upper lip. The mask’s nostrils, raised higher than those of a human nose, were non-operating. The ape makeup was designed by John Chambers.
Who asked, “Where’s the beef?” in what commercial?
Clara Peller asked, “Where’s the beef?” for Wendy’s, and Walter Mondale asked it in the 1984 presidential campaign.
What did the acronyms U.N.C.L.E. and T.H.R.U.S.H. stand for on “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”?
U.N.C.L.E. was the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. Its nemesis, T.H.R.U.S.H., was the Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity. The television series, starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, ran from 1964 to 1967.
Who was Quetzalcoatl the Aztec god?
Quetzalcoatl was the Aztec god of the atmosphere and of civilizing influences. Besides ruling the wind and sun, he invented agriculture, the calendar, and many arts and crafts. Sometimes represented as a feathered serpent, sometimes as a bearded man, he was also identified as a priest-king who had sailed away, promising to return.
Whose death leads Ira Wells (Art Carney) to team with Margo Sperling (Lily Tomlin) in The Late Show (1977)?
His former partner Harry Regan’s (Howard Duff) death leads Ira Wells (Art Carney) to team with Margo Sperling (Lily Tomlin) in The Late Show (1977). Regan had been hired by Sperling to locate her missing cat.
When did crack first appear in the U.S.?
The inexpensive, crystallized cocaine called crack was first noted in urban areas on the west coast of America in 1983.
Who said, “My mind to me a kingdom is”?
Sir Edward Dyer said, “My mind to me a kingdom is” in his 1588 poem of the same name.
How many stories comprise Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio (1919)?
Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio (1919) comprised of twenty-three stories.
What makes up the GNP (Gross National Product) of the U.S.?
Reported quarterly, the GNP (Gross National Product) of the U.S. represents the total market value of American goods and services bought for final use during a one-year period. Considered the most comprehensive measure of U.S. economic activity, it includes consumer purchases, private investment, and government spending.
What was the name of the mysterious benefactor in “The Millionaire” (CBS, 1955-60)?
The mysterious man who gave away $1 million each week in “The Millionaire” (CBS, 1955-60) was named John Beresford Tipton. He was never seen; his voice was provided by Paul Frees, who also provided the voice of Boris Badenov on “The Bullwinkle Show” (ABC, NBC, 1959-63).
What is an air dance?
An air dance is an execution by hanging. Other slang terms for hanging: air jig, air polka, and air rumba.
Who wrote the lyrics of “Suicide Is Painless,” theme song of M*A*S*H (1970)?
Mike Altman, son of the film’s director, Robert Altman, wrote the lyrics of “Suicide Is Painless,” theme song of M*A*S*H (1970). Johnny Mandel composed the music.
What is the book written without using the letter e?
A 1939 novel called Gadsby by Ernest Vincent Wright (1872-1939) was written without using the letter e. The novel runs 267 pages and has about 50,000 words.
How do non-chlorine “fabric brighteners” make clothes brighter?
A common ingredient in many laundry detergents, optical bleaches (“fabric brighteners”) act by reflecting blue light. The blue light combines with the yellow discoloration in a fabric to produce white light that makes the fabric seem brighter.
What is the largest denomination of U.S. currency now being issued?
The $100 bill is the largest denomination of U.S. currency now being issued. Issuance of larger denominations stopped in 1969, though some of the bigger bills are still in circulation, all the way up to the $100,000 bill featuring Woodrow Wilson’s picture.
When was the Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction established?
The Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction was first awarded in 1962 to Theodore H. White for The Making of the President 1960.
What is the longest-running play in theater history?
The longest-running play in theater history is The Mousetrap (1952) by Agatha Christie, which has never closed on the British stage. It was adapted from one of Christie’s stories.
Where did the baseball term texas leaguer come from?
This phrase texas leaguer for a weak hit falling just over the heads of the infielders may first have been used to describe the hits of Arthur Sunday, a player from Texas. Another version is that the term was coined in Syracuse, New York, in 1886 by a pitcher who lost a game because of…
Is gaga the short form for a longer word?
Probably not. In French, gaga means a silly old man, and the meaning may simply have been modified. However, some think it is short for artist Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), who, it is said, revealed mental imbalance in his work.
How well did George Wallace do in the 1968 presidential election?
“American Independent” candidate George Wallace, with his running mate Curtis LeMay, got 13.6 percent of the popular vote and 8.6 percent of the electoral vote. Richard Nixon won against both Wallace and Hubert Humphrey. How many electoral votes did independent candidate John Anderson get in 1980? None, but John Anderson did win 6.6 percent of…
What were the main businesses in Las Vegas before it became a center for gambling?
The town of Las Vegas was a sparsely populated mining and ranching community before it became a center for gambling. Gambling did take place in the town throughout most of its history, but Las Vegas did not become known as a mecca for gambling until after the Flamingo Hotel was opened in 1946 by gangster…
When was the U.S. frontier officially closed?
The U.S. frontier officially closed in 1890. That was the year in which the Bureau of the Census announced there was no difference between frontier and settlement, meaning that the frontier was now closed.
How long were chain gangs used in America?
Borrowing from eighteenth-century English penal procedures, southern states began using chain gangs before the Civil War and continued the practice for nearly a hundred years. Georgia became the last state to outlaw this method of punishment in the late 1940s. The decline of chain gangs was due as much to automation as to public protest:…
Who created Tom Swift?
Edward Stratemeyer, under the pseudonym Victor Appleton created Tom Swift.
In what film before Taxi Driver (1976) did Robert DeNiro play a cabdriver?
Robert DeNiro had a bit part as a gypsy cabdriver in Jennifer On My Mind (1971) before Taxi Driver.
Does a millipede really have 1000 legs?
No, the number of legs varies. The greatest number reported on a centipede is 171 to 177 pairs of legs; on a millipede, 375.
What does the term plasma mean to a physician?
The term plasma to a physician means the fluid part of blood, lymph, or milk as distinct from suspended matter. The term plasma to a physicist means a collection of negatively charged electrons and positively charged ions, existing in about equal numbers in a neutral state; plasma is considered a fourth state of matter, distinct…
Who served as the grown-up voice of John-Boy, narrating “The Waltons” (CBS, 1972-81)?
Earl Hamner was the grown-up voice of John-Boy, narrating “The Waltons” (CBS, 1972-81), Jr., the show’s co-executive producer, who based the series on his own recollections of growing up in rural Virginia. Richard Thomas played the young John-Boy.
Who is Maureen Reagan’s mother?
Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan’s first wife (married 1940, divorced 1948), is Maureen Reagan’s mother. Nancy Davis Reagan (married 1952) is her stepmother.
Who is the “belle” in Belle de Jour (1967)?
Catherine Deneuve starred as Se’verine Se’rizy, prostitute by day, newlywed by night, in the film Belle de Jour (1967) by Luis Bufiuel.
Who received the first National Book Award for Fiction?
Nelson Algren received the first National Book Award for Fiction in 1950 for The Man with the Golden Arm.
If 32 degrees is the freezing point of water on the Fahrenheit scale, what does 0 degrees represent?
German physicist Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit (1686-1736) took the temperature of an equal ice-salt mixture as the zero for his scale.
Was Humphrey Bogart ever in combat?
The movie actor Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957) was a veteran of World War I. While serving in the Navy, Bogart was wounded in the shelling of the ship Leviathan. The injury resulted in the scarred and partially paralyzed upper lip that gave him his trademark lisp and tight-set mouth.
Who provided the voice of Jane Jetson in the original run of “The Jetsons” (ABC, 1962-63)?
Penny Singleton did the voice of Jane Jetson in the original run of “The Jetsons”. She played Blondie in the Blondie film series that ran from 1938 to 1950.
Who received the first Caldecott Medal?
The illustrator’s counterpart to the Newbery Medal, named for English illustrator Randolph Caldecott, was first awarded in 1938 to Dorothy P. Lathrop for Animals of the Bible.
During Gerald R. Ford’s presidency, what did the WIN in the WIN buttons stand for?
The WIN in the WIN buttons stood for Whip Inflation Now.
What was Don Corleone’s phone number in The Godfather (1972)?
Don Corleone’s phone number in The Godfather (1972) was Long Beach 4-5620. Don’t bother calling it; a recording will tell you it’s not in service.
Who was Mason Reese?
Born in 1966, the red-haired, round-faced Mason Reese was perhaps the most widely seen child in TV commercials in the early 1970s. He started making commercials in 1970, and won three Clios. He advertised, among other products, Oscar Mayer bologna. He was also a favorite guest on “The Mike Douglas Show” (synd., 1963-82).
How long did the Chinese Exclusion Act last in the U.S.?
The 1882 law, the Chinese Exclusion Act, which was enacted to preserve jobs for native-born Americans, suspended Chinese immigration to the U.S. for ten years. Renewed from time to time in the 20th century, it was completely suspended in 1965.
Did the Pilgrims eat Turkey at the first Thanksgiving celebration at Plymouth Rock?
At the three-day festivities celebrating survival through the winter, many foods were served, but turkey was not one of them. The menu included: venison, duck, goose, seafood, eels, white bread, corn bread, leeks, watercress and various other greens, wild plums, dried berries, and wine.
What rank did Tecumseh reach in the British army?
The Shawnee political and military leader Tecumseh (1768-1813) fought against the U.S. as a British brigadier-general in the War of 1812. Born in what is now western Ohio, he had resisted U.S. encroachment on Native American lands but was defeated at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. When the War of 1812 broke out, Tecumseh…
How many Pulitzer prizes did Robert Frost win?
Robert Frost won four Pulitzer prizes, for New Hampshire (1924), Collected Poems (1931), A Further Range (1937), and A Witness Tree (1943).
What is the inscription on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery?
The inscription on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery reads: “Here Rests in Honored Glory an American Soldier Known But to God.” Arlington has been a military cemetery since 1864.
What was Vice-President Dan Quayle’s version of the United Negro College Fund slogan, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste”?
Vice-President Dan Quayle’s version of the United Negro College Fund slogan was “What a waste it is to lose one’s mind, or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.” Quayle was speaking at an NAACP luncheon in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 15, 1989.
What was the racial breakdown of the U.S. population at the beginning of the 20th century?
Of 76 million Americans, 87 percent were white, 11.4 percent were black, and nearly 2 percent were “other.” According to the 1990 census, of 248.7 million Americans, 80.3 percent are white, 12.1 percent are black, and nearly 8 percent are “other.” Asians and Pacific Islanders now represent 2.9 percent of the population, compared to less…
When was the first department store built in the United States?
In 1848, the Marble Dry Goods Palace opened on Broadway in New York City. Its proprietor and developer was Alexander Turney Stewart, formerly a schoolmaster in Ireland. By the time of his death in 1876, the blocklong store yielded annual earnings of $70 million.
What happens to Faust at the end of Goethe’s Faust (1808)?
Faust’s soul is rescued by a choir of angels at the end of Goethe’s Faust (1808).
Why does Bluebeard kill his wives?
Bluebeard, the title character of Charles Perrault’s story “Barbebleue” (1697) kills his wives for looking into the locked room where he stores the corpses of other disobedient wives. His final wife, however, escapes Bluebeard’s punishment.
What was the first drive-in movie?
The first drive-in movie was on a 10-acre site in Camden, New Jersey, and was opened by Richard Hollingshead on June 6, 1933. The screen measured 40 by 30 feet; there was room for 400 cars.
What is the card that triggers the brainwashed killer’s hypnotic obedience in The Manchurian Candidate (1962)?
The queen of diamonds is the card that triggers the brainwashed killer’s hypnotic obedience in The Manchurian Candidate (1962). The killer’s name was Raymond Shaw, played by Laurence Harvey.
What is the full title Of The Pickwick Papers (1836-37)?
The full title Of The Pickwick Papers is The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.
When was Tavern on the Green in Central Park built?
Tavern-on-the-Green in Central Park was built in 1870, not as a restaurant but to house sheep and their shepherd and his family. In 1934, the sheep were moved to Prospect Park in Brooklyn and the building was converted to a restaurant. Glass pavilions were added to the original brick structure from 1975 to 1976.
Who was the first Socialist elected to the U.S. Senate?
Wisconsin’s Victor Berger, elected in 1911, was the first Socialist elected to the U.S. Senate.
Who was the first woman to be commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp?
The first woman to be commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp was the wife of the first president. This did not happen until the twentieth century. In 1901, Martha Washington was commemorated on the 8-cent stamp. In 1918, she was pictured on the 2-cent prepaid postcard; in 1920, on the 4-cent stamp; and in 1938,…
Who is killed at the beginning of E. L. Doctorow’s novel Billy Bathgate (1989)?
Bo Weinberg, Dutch Schultz’s former henchman is killed at the beginning of E. L. Doctorow’s novel Billy Bathgate. By Schultz’s orders, he is thrown off a ship with his feet encased in cement.
How many republics were in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics?
The USSR was composed of 15 republics: Armenia Lithuania Azerbaijan Moldavia Belorussia Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (RSFSR) Estonia Georgia Tadzhikistan Kazakhstan Turkmenistan Kirghizia Ukraine Latvia Uzbekistan
What are the real names of these actors?
Fred Astaire. Frederick Austerlitz Bing Crosby. Harry Lillis Crosby Marlene Dietrich. Maria Magdalene von Losch W. C. Fields. William Claude Dukenfield Greta Garbo. Greta Gustafsson Judy Garland. Frances Gumm Cary Grant. Archibald Alexander Leach Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt John Wayne. Marion Michael Morrison
From what day do Muslims calculate their calendar?
Muslims start their calendar from Friday, July 16, A.D. 622. This was the day that Muhammad and his early followers made their hijrah, or emigration, from Mecca to Medina. They were forced to leave Mecca because of opposition to Muhammad’s teachings.
Who were “He and She” on the TV series (CBS, 1967-68)?
Real-life married couple Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss played Dick and Paula Hollister on the TV series “He and She” (CBS, 1967-68). He was a cartoonist, she a social worker. They lived in New York.
Who played Flipper in the movie Flipper (1963)?
Mitzi played Flipper. Susie played the dolphin in the sequel, Flipper’s New Adventure (1964), and in the TV series “Flipper” (NBC, 1964-68).
On what TV series was William Shatner a regular before “Star Trek” (NBC, 1966-69)?
William Shatner a regular on the TV series “For the People” (CBS, 1965) before appearing on “Star Trek” (NBC, 1966-69). Shatner played Assistant District Attorney David Koster.
Who wrote “O rose, thou art sick”?
William Blake wrote “O rose, thou art sick” in “The Sick Rose” (1794).
Where was the stagecoach going in the 1939 movie Stagecoach?
The stagecoach in the 1939 movie Stagecoach was going from Tonto, New Mexico, to Lordsburg, Arizona.
What was New York’s Ladies’ Mile?
In the late 1800s, New York’s Ladies’ Mile was Manhattan’s high-class shopping district. This equivalent of Fifth Avenue or Fifty-seventh Street ran from Eighth Street to Twenty-third Street, bound on the east by Broadway and on the west by Sixth Avenue. These areas are now parts of the more residential neighborhoods of Greenwich Village and…
What were the first frozen foods?
The first line of Birds Eye products was launched in the mid-1920s and named after their inventor, Clarence Birdseye. They included individually packaged boxes of peas, spinach, berries, cherries, fish, and meats. Birdseye had investigated the preservation of foods by ice while on U.S. government surveys of fish and wildlife in Labrador in 1912 and…
What was Universal Studios mogul Carl Laemmle doing before he got into movies?
Universal Studios mogul Carl Laemmle was the manager of the Oshkosh, Wisconsin, branch of Continental Clothing, a clothing retailer. In 1906, after losing his job in an argument with his boss, he opened a movie theater in Chicago. He soon became a film distributor and, in 1912, founded Universal. According to one account, he got…
Who said, “I have not yet begun to fight”?
Scottish-born American privateer John Paul Jones said, “I have not yet begun to fight” in 1779, during the Revolutionary War.
Who said, “If nominated I will not run. If elected I will not serve”?
Union General William Tecumseh Sherman said, “If nominated I will not run. If elected I will not serve”, when the Republicans tried to draft him for president upon his retirement from the army in 1880.
How long did the Berlin Airlift last in 1948?
The Berlin Airlift lasted for ten months in 1948 and 1949. 1,000 planes of the Western powers flew food, fuel, and other necessities to the two million civilians in West Berlin, then under a Soviet blockade.
How is the date for Easter Sunday determined each year?
Easter Sunday always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 21, the vernal equinox. The holiday can occur any time between March 22 and April 25.
When did dinosaurs become extinct?
Dinosaurs lived during the Mesozoic era, 225 million to 65 million years ago. By the end of that era, all Archosauria (or “ruling reptiles”), except crocodiles, had died.
Who invented Mary Poppins?
P. L. Travers invented Mary Poppins, in a series of books beginning with Mary Poppins in 1934.
Who founded the Pinkerton Detective Agency?
Allan Pinkerton (1819-1884), a Scotsman who moved to Chicago in 1842. He was deputy sheriff of Cook County before resigning in 1850 to open the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, specializing at first in railway theft cases. The agency’s motto was We Never Sleep, printed under an open eye.
What were Cinderella’s slippers made of?
Charles Perrault’s 1697 French version of the tale has Cinderella wearing glass (verre) slippers, but his sources gave her fur (vair) slippers. Perrault’s alteration may have been accidental.
How many knights sat at the Round Table?
The Round Table seated 150 knights, with one place left open for the Holy Grail. The table’s design was conceived by Merlin to prevent any bickering about who would get places of honor.
On “The Honeymooners” (CBS, 1955-56), what are the requirements for membership in the Raccoon lodge?
The applicant must have obtained a public school diploma, must have resided in the United States for the past six months, and must pay a $1.50 initiation fee for membership in the Raccoon lodge on “The Honeymooners”. Ed Norton (Art Carney) objects that because of the residency rule, Anthony Eden could not become a Raccoon.
How many Rabbit novels has John Updike written?
John Updike has written four Rabbit novels: Rabbit Run (1960), Rabbit Redux (1971), Rabbit Is Rich (1981), and Rabbit at Rest (1990). The hero of all four is Harry Angstrom, nicknamed “Rabbit.”
How many episodes of “Gunsmoke” (CBS, 1955-75) were there?
There were six hundred and thirty-five episodes of “Gunsmoke” (CBS, 1955-75). 409 of them in black and white, 226 in color. The show was the longest-running weekly prime-time series with continuing characters.
Where did Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., get his doctorate?
Born in Atlanta, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-68) traveled north to receive his Ph.D. in theology from Boston University in 1955. He returned to the South to become pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where he met Rosa Parks and was chosen to lead the bus boycott. An advocate of…
Which part of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is the work of architect I. M. Pei?
The East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., built in 1978, is the work of architect I. M. Pei.
What is a papal bull?
It is not an animal, but an official edict or decree from a pope. The term comes from the Latin bulla (a knob or seal). It originally referred to the seal that was placed on the pope’s official documents.
What was America’s first national monument?
The Devil’s Tower, Wyoming, established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, was America’s first national monument.
What is the name of Bette Davis’s character in All About Eve (1950)?
Margo Channing was the name of Bette Davis’s character in All About Eve (1950). Anne Baxter played her young fan and rival Eve Harrington.