Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac (77 page)

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MAY 9

1902
O
HIO OFFICIALLY ADOPTS
its unusually shaped state flag—not a rectangle but a “burgee.” The double triangles, says the flag’s designer, represent the state’s hills and valleys. Not until 2005 will the state figure out an official way to fold the damned thing.

RECTANGLE TANGLE

1.
What Shakespeare play features a “love rectangle” between Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, and Helena?

2.
In the NBA, the free-throw lane is a 12-by-15-foot rectangle. What shape is it in international play?

3.
What’s the only Canadian province whose borders (using the proper map projection) form a rectangle?

4.
What can be produced by taking a rectangle of paper, giving it a half twist on its long axis, and then joining two opposite sides?

5.
Whose painting
Homage to Matisse,
showing two of his characteristic colored rectangles (blue and orange this time) sold at auction for a record $22 million in 2005?

1914
W
OODROW
W
ILSON DECLARES
the first national “Mother’s Day” in the U.S. This will be the most touching sign of maternal devotion from the Oval Office until the 1980s, when President Reagan will insist on calling Nancy “Mommy” for eight years.

STAGE MOTHERS

Name the famous mothers of these stars.

Easy

1.
Liza Minnelli

2.
Kate Hudson

3.
Carrie Fisher

4.
Larry Hagman

5.
Jamie Lee Curtis

Harder

1.
Gwyneth Paltrow

2.
Ben Stiller

3.
Melanie Griffith

4.
Sean Astin

5.
Jason Schwartzman

Yeah, Good Luck

1.
Miguel Ferrer

2.
Joely Richardson

3.
Mia Farrow

4.
Rashida Jones

5.
Campbell Scott

1961
A
MAZING
A
DVENTURES
N
O. 3,
the first comic book printed under the Marvel Comics label, comes off the presses. Stan Lee, famous for his alliterative prose, claims he gave alliterative names to many of his characters simply to help him remember their names.

SUPER SECRETS

Can you spot these superheroes from their sonorous secret identities?

Easy

1.
Peter Parker

2.
Clark Kent

3.
Bruce Banner

4.
Matt Murdock

5.
Billy Batson

Harder

1.
Scott Summers

2.
Reed Richards

3.
Stephen Strange

4.
J’onn J’onzz

5.
Susan Storm

Yeah, Good Luck

1.
Warren Worthington

2.
Richard Rider

3.
Dinah Drake

4.
Brian Braddock

5.
Wally West

MAY 10

1775
A
CCORDING TO
S
PRINGFIELD TRADITION,
the citizens of the Simpsons’ hometown hold their first “Whacking Day,” a celebration of snake clubbing.

(SPRING) FIELD GUIDE

Give the little-heard other names of these
Simpsons
characters.

FIRST NAMES

Easy

1.
Grandpa Simpson

2.
Principal Skinner

3.
Mr. Burns

4.
Mr.Smithers

Harder

1.
Chief Wiggum

2.
Mayor Quimby

3.
Reverend Lovejoy

4.
Mrs.Krabappel

Yeah, Good Luck

1.
Professor Frink

2.
Mrs. Hoover

3.
Dr. Hibbert

4.
Superintendent Chalmers

LAST NAMES

Easy

1.
Barney

2.
Krusty the Klown

3.
Dr. Nick

4.
Jimbo

Harder

1.
Apu

2.
The Sea Captain

3.
Nelson

4.
Martin

Yeah, Good Luck

1.
Lenny and Carl

2.
Otto

3.
Cletus the Slackjawed Yokel

4.
Fat Tony

1977
B
RAVES MANAGER
D
AVE
B
RISTOL
heads home to North Carolina for a ten-day vacation—after a sixteen-game losing streak, owner Ted Turner wants to try managing the team himself. After just one game in the dugout (loss number seventeen), the league will inform Turner that there are rules against a baseball manager having a financial stake in his team, and Bristol will return early.

FRONT OFFICE SPACE

What sports team is owned or co-owned by…

Easy

1.
George Steinbrenner

2.
Mario Lemieux

3.
Mark Cuban

4.
Al Davis

5.
Jerry Jones

Harder

1.
Dan Rooney

2.
Wayne Gretzky

3.
Jerry Buss