tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83248802011-04-21T10:49:37.503-07:00Trivia concerning current events, movies, history, geography, literature, sports, and more. References and brevity will be the heart of this blog.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.comBlogger331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1121443693275157692005-07-15T08:42:00.000-07:002005-07-15T09:08:13.300-07:00

For their 10th Anniversary, Amazon.com has, among other things, listed their top sellers in books (charted by author), DVDs, and music. While they don't say it, I'm guessing this is by volume of purchases, not money made. Here are the lists: AUTHORS DVDsMUSICIANS1. J.K. Rowling Fellowship of the RingThe Beatles2. Spencer Johnson The Two TowersU23. Nora Roberts Return of the KingNorah Jones4. Dan

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1114282423354469352005-04-23T10:56:00.000-07:002005-04-25T17:47:28.673-07:00

In honor of JPII and the new BXVI, here's some Pope dope.Official Title"Pope" is an informal title; the full title is "Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City, Servant of the

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1103471926021339222004-12-19T07:38:00.000-08:002004-12-19T07:58:46.023-08:00

US Civil War First Death: Private Daniel Hough---killed during the salute of the flag during the surrender of Ft Sumter when an ember fell into a powder keg 14 April, 1861. Last Death: Private John J. Williams of Company B, 34th Indiana---killed during the Battle of Palmetto Ranch, Texas 13 May, 1865. Capital Punishment in England First: John Storey was the first killed---he was hung, drawn, and

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1103223956554620302004-12-16T10:41:00.000-08:002004-12-16T22:07:11.810-08:00

Caspar (or Gaspar), Melkior, Balthasar are traditionally held to be the three Magi who visted Christ after his birth. However, their names and number are disputed---depending on to whose translation you subscribe. Some sources ascribe them as being kings, others as magi---a sect of Zororastrian priests. Bede supposedly wrote:The magi were the ones who gave gifts to the Lord. The first is said to

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1101918553906186492004-12-01T08:12:00.000-08:002004-12-02T14:42:57.870-08:00

While the most widely know first occasion of Thanksgiving was the 1621 Plymouth, Massachusetts celebration, some claim that the December 4, 1619 celebration in Berkeley, Virginia was, in fact, the first Thanksgiving. During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress decreed one or more celebrations of thanks per year; a tradition that Washington, Adams, and Madison continued as President.

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1101917351345227782004-12-01T07:39:00.000-08:002004-12-01T08:09:11.346-08:00

US States With Highest (Personal) Income Per Capita Connecticut ($38,450)New Jersey ($35,521)Massachusetts ($35,333)Maryland ($32,680)New York ($32,451)US States With Lowest (Personal) Income Per Capita Mississippi ($20,142)Arkansas ($21,169)West Virginia ($21,327)New Mexico ($21,555)Utah ($21,883)Nations With Highest Per Capita IncomeLuxembourgBermudaUnited StatesNorwayLiechtensteinNations With

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1101146370383602292004-11-22T09:58:00.000-08:002004-11-22T10:09:52.400-08:00

Morgan Quitno Corp released their "Most Dangerous Cities" list. Detroit fell one spot from 1st to 2nd. Camden, NJ overtook Detroit for the coveted spot. The rankings look at the rate for six crime categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and auto theft. It compares 350 cities with populations of 75,000 or more that reported crime data to the FBI. Most Dangerous Cities,

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1100534266673311012004-11-15T07:06:00.000-08:002004-11-15T07:57:46.673-08:00

With the demand for dwarf actors and a constrained supply of them, a handful of dwarfs -- to use the Tolkien plural -- play a plurality of roles in movies and TV shows. Kenny Baker: R2D2 (Star Wars), Dufflepod (Voyage of the Dawn Treader), Nelwyn band member (Willow), Goblin Corps (Labyrinth), Parody Commendatore (Amadeus), Fidgit (Time Bandits), Plumed Dwarf (Elephant Man). Jack Purvis: Golg (

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1099343278586782882004-11-01T11:41:00.000-08:002004-11-01T13:07:58.586-08:00

1800: As a result of confusion over the voting procedure, Democratic-Republican electors cast one vote apiece to Thomas Jefferson and his running mate, Aaron Burr. The resulting tie -- 73 to 73 -- sent the election to the House. Over six days, 35 ballots were cast with Jefferson receiving 8 of the 9 votes needed each time. Finally, on the 36th ballot -- just 15 days prior to inauguration -- the

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1099334520158566862004-11-01T10:35:00.000-08:002004-11-01T10:42:00.160-08:00

Very few vice-presidents have had the same name as a president who was not that vice-president himself. Two of those who have are vice presidents who went on to be president and have a son who was president as well. Vice President (Term of Office) John Adams (1789-97) Richard Johnson (1837-41) Andrew Johnson (1865) Henry Wilson (1877-1881) Lyndon Johnson (1961-63) George Bush (1981-1989)

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1099334120658348372004-11-01T10:32:00.000-08:002004-11-01T10:35:20.656-08:00

If John Kerry and John Edwards win the election, they will have broken a drought longer than that of the Red Sox: they will be only the second winning ticket with candidates having the same first name. In 1824, John Quincy Adams and John C. Calhoun won the offices of president and vice-president: the first and only time two candidates with the same first name would win the election. In 1864,

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1099014248876293592004-10-28T18:24:00.000-07:002004-10-28T18:45:53.840-07:00

The most electoral college votes ever received was Reagan, in 1984, garnering 525 votes; the fewest was Washington in 1789 -- he got only 64 votes. These were, however, not the extremes in regards to the percentage of the total number of votes. Roosevelt, in 1936, earned 98.5% -- or 523 -- of 531 votes, just eking out Monroe's 1820 win of 98.3% -- or 231 -- of 235 votes. The winner garnering the

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1098487083336126732004-10-22T15:42:00.000-07:002004-10-22T16:18:03.336-07:00

Top-Earning Fictional Characters for 2003 1. Mickey Mouse and Friends 2. Winnie the Pooh and Friends 3. Frodo Baggins, Lord of the Rings 4. Harry Potter 5. Nemo, Finding Nemo 6. Yu-Gi-Oh! 7. SpongeBob SquarePants 8. Spider-Man 9. Wolverine, X-Men 10. Pikachu, Pokemon World's Most Powerful Women 1. Condoleezza Rice - US

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1098280743535134432004-10-20T06:57:00.000-07:002004-10-20T06:59:03.536-07:00

"Something About The Way You Look Tonight"/"Candle In The Wind 97" - Elton John, 1997 (4.8 million)"Do They Know It's Christmas?" - Band Aid, 1984 (3.51 million)"Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen, 1975, re-released 1991 (2.13 million)"Mull of Kintyre" - Wings, 1977 (2.05m)"Rivers Of Babylon"/"Brown Girl In The Ring" - Boney M, 1978 (1.99m)"Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood, 1983 (1.91m)"She Loves You"

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1098280559929951632004-10-20T06:54:00.000-07:002004-10-20T06:55:59.930-07:00

Candle In The Wind, Elton John, 11 millionOver 4 million: I Will Always Love You, Whitney HoustonMacarena, Los Del RioWe Are The World, USA for AfricaWhoomp! (There It Is), Tag TeamHey Jude, The BeatlesHound Dog/Don't Be Cruel, Elvis Presley Over 3 million: How Do I Live LeAnn Rimes(Everything I Do) I Do It For You, Bryan AdamsGangsta's Paradise, CoolioI'll Be Missing You, Puff Daddy & Faith

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1098279118470248462004-10-20T06:20:00.000-07:002004-10-20T06:31:58.470-07:00

Henry Chadwick -- the father of baseball statistics keeping -- first devised the Earned Run Average (ERA) in the 1900s. It wasn't widely adopted, though, until 1912 when the National League kept official ERA statistics. At the time, it was called Heydler's Statistic after NL secretary John Heydler. Lowest Single Season ERA - Tim Keefe, 0.86 (1880 ) Lowest Single Season ERA (modern) - Bob Gibson

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1097773388186774312004-10-14T10:01:00.000-07:002004-10-20T06:42:54.293-07:00

Eagles - Greatest Hits - 28 times platinum Michael Jackson - Thriller - 26 times platinum Pink Floyd - The Wall - 23 times platinum Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV - 22 times platinum Billy Joel - Greatest Hits Volume I & II - 21 times platinum Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - 19 times platinum AC/DC - Back in Black - 19 times platinum The Beatles - The Beatles ("The White Album") - 19 times platinum

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1097772794620881042004-10-14T09:46:00.000-07:002004-11-01T13:18:59.746-08:00

Many claim that Antidisestablishmentarianism (a movement opposed to the separation of church and state) is the longest word in the English language; it is, however, merely the most familiar longest word. Barring medical and biological terms that can be made almost arbitrarily long, floccinaucinihilipilification (the act of estimating as worthless) is the Guinness Recognized "longest real word."

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1097772293790194812004-10-14T09:37:00.000-07:002004-10-14T09:44:53.790-07:00

The longest word in the English language of only one syllable is squirrelled, at eleven letters. This is contended, however, as it requires certain dialects to be but one syllable. The next candidate is the ten-letter scraunched is contested as it is obsolete. Of the nine-letter words, many are but one syllable: broughams craunched scratched scraughed screeched scrinched scritched scrooched

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1096991897432344652004-10-05T08:52:00.000-07:002004-10-05T08:58:17.433-07:00

The first fifteen states to enter the United States: 1. Delaware Dec. 7, 1787 2. Pennsylvania Dec. 12, 1787 3. New Jersey Dec. 18, 1787 4. Georgia Jan. 2, 1788 5. Connecticut Jan. 9, 1788 6. Massachusetts Feb. 6, 1788 7. Maryland Apr. 28, 1788 8. South Carolina May 23, 1788 9. New Hampshire June 21, 1788 10. Virginia June 25, 1788 11. New York July 26, 1788 12. North Carolina Nov. 21, 1789 13.

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1096914047555484322004-10-04T11:07:00.000-07:002004-10-20T07:20:15.673-07:00

Sideburns John Quincy Adams (1825-29) Chester Alan Arthur (1881-1885) Moustaches Grover Cleveland (1885-1889, 1893-1897) Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt (1901-1909) William Howard Taft (1909-1913) Beards Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) Ulysses Simpson Grant (1869-1877) Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881) James Garfield (1881) Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893) The last bearded man to run for president was

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1096898365853069092004-10-04T06:48:00.000-07:002004-10-20T07:15:39.670-07:00

Polydactlism is the condition of having extra fingers or toes. Sometimes it is a fully-formed digit, others it is just a bulge or toe-/finger-nail. Anne Boleyn Antonio Alfonseca - relief pitcher for the Atlanta Braves Charles VIII of France Winston Churchill Pacal the Great - King of Palenque Hannibal Lecter

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1096574699045665782004-09-30T13:46:00.000-07:002004-10-04T11:24:44.860-07:00

John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865. Booth's last play was The Apostate, performed a month prior on March 18. Charles Julius Guiteau shot James Garfield on July 2, 1881. Guiteau was a disturbed individual who started a fraudulant law company -- he flunked out of law school and failed the bar -- joined the Oneida Commune, and finally convinced himself that God wanted him to

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1096138543366307622004-09-25T11:17:00.000-07:002004-09-26T12:50:58.766-07:00

States That Were Never Territories 13 colonies were overseas provinces of Great Britain, then independent states until ratification of U.S. Constitution. Vermont, unrecognized Vermont Republic, then separated from New York in 1791Kentucky, separated from state of Virginia in 1792Maine, separated from state of Massachusetts in 1820Texas, independent Republic of Texas from 1836 to

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1095873411188911802004-09-22T10:02:00.000-07:002004-09-22T10:16:51.186-07:00

If a nominee is three or less votes behind the winner, a tie is declared and the Academy will award two Oscars, one to each nominee. This has happened only two times in the history of the Academy Awards. 1968: Barbara Steisand (Funny Girl) and Katherine Hepburn (The Lion in Winter) tied for Best Actress. This is the only exact tie in Academy history. 1931/32: Fredric March (Dr. Jekyll and Mr.

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1095530346359605312004-09-18T10:42:00.000-07:002004-09-18T11:11:59.693-07:00

"A conurbation is an urban area comprising a number of cities or towns whose built-up zones of influence have merged physically through population growth and expansion to form one contiguous urban cluster. It is thus a polycentric form of agglomeration. Mumbai is the world's largest conurbation. "An agglomeration is an extended city or town area comprising the built-up area of a central place (

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1095526925424810862004-09-18T09:56:00.000-07:002004-09-18T11:00:42.540-07:00

The most popular song at US sporting events, the theme to the Addams Family, turns 40 this year along with the TV debut of the show itself. The show, based on the macabre New Yorker cartoons by Charles Addams, first aired in 1964. Its catchy and well-known theme was composed and performed by Vic Mizzy. According to Mizzy, the now-famous snapping was improvised when he first performed it for the

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1095511808584681842004-09-18T05:36:00.000-07:002004-09-18T11:01:25.026-07:00

Madonna adopted the name Esther when she began to follow the Kaballah, a sect of Jewish mysticism. Reportedly, she has influenced Elizabeth Taylor, Britney Spears, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Winona Ryder, Roseanne Barr, Jerry Hall, Jeff Goldblum, Courtney Love and Paris Hilton to join the in vogue branch of the Jewish faith. The Kaballah is, of course, not the only fringe religion followed by

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1095463553004178342004-09-17T15:58:00.000-07:002004-09-18T11:02:22.083-07:00

Based on self-portraits, doctors think Rembrandt had a lazy eye; indeed, it may have helped him as he could more easily portray the 2-D world he saw onto a 2-D canvas. Having a lazy eye is called extropia, when one of the eyes points outward away from the position normal for stereoscopic (3-D) vision. Extropia is just one of a family of conditions grouped under the disorder strabismus. Other

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1095360889710763732004-09-16T11:54:00.000-07:002004-09-18T11:03:56.760-07:00

Of the 76 Academy Awards Ceremonies, 19 times the Best Director has been awarded to someone who didn't direct the Best Picture. It happened most at the beginning with 67% of the 20s ceremonies splitting Picture and Director and a split occurring 60% of the time in the 30s. In modern times, a split is likely 10-20% of the time. While the Director and Picture have been the same 57 times, the

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1095361207734467052004-09-16T11:31:00.000-07:002004-09-18T11:05:03.246-07:00

Bond films are legion, but there are even more Bond Girls. While his relationships are always short, Bond has been married twice (On Her Majesty's Secret Service to Diana Rigg and You Only Live Twice to Mie Hama). Ursula Andress and Maud Adams are the only actresses to appear twice. Kim Basinger and Halle Berry are the only Oscar winners to be Bond Girls. Dr. No (1962) Ursula Andress (Honey

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1095190104406752612004-09-14T13:25:00.000-07:002004-09-18T11:06:02.736-07:00

Oprah gave away 276 Pontiac G6 sports sedans to her entire live audience. The audience was composed entirely of women who had been selected for their need of new cars. GM donated the cars, valued at 50 prime-time airspots or around $7 million.

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324880.post-1095177808269950922004-09-14T08:56:00.000-07:002004-09-18T11:06:52.956-07:00

Hurricanes are classified according to the Saffir-Simpson scale. A Class V hurricane has sustained winds over 155mph. The only Class V hurricanes to strike land in the US are: the Labor Day Storm/Hurricane of 1935, Camille (1969), and Andrew (1992).

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220330277478101881noreply@blogger.com0