Daily Trivia V

Nitrous oxide (N2O) or laughing gas as it is commonly known was first synthesized by Joseph Priestley in 1772. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slight metallic scent and taste. Nitrous oxide has significant medical uses, especially in surgery and dentistry, for its anesthetic and pain reducing effects. Its name "laughing gas", coined by Humphry Davy, is due to the euphoric effects upon inhaling it. Inhalation of nitrous oxide is used frequently to relieve pain associated with childbirth, trauma, and oral surgery.

 There are two cities in the United States named Kansas City. Kansas City, Missouri was incorporated in 1852, and Kansas City, Kansas was incorporated 20 years later. Neither one of them is a state capital. Although Kansas City is the most populated city in the state of Missouri, it is not the state capital. Instead, Jefferson City is the capital of Missouri. Jefferson City is named for Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. Carson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada, and Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah.

 The Apollo Theater is a music hall located at 253 West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is a noted venue for African-American performers, and is the home of Showtime at the Apollo, a nationally syndicated television variety show which showcased new talent, from 1987 to 2008. The theater, which has a capacity of 1,506, opened in 1914 as Hurtig & Seamon's New Burlesque Theater. It became the Apollo in 1934, when it was opened to black patrons – previously it had been a whites-only venue. The building was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1983.

 One World Trade Center is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. One WTC is the tallest building in the United States, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and the sixth-tallest in the world. The supertall structure has the same name as the North Tower of the original World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The new skyscraper stands at a total height of 1,776 feet. Its height in feet is a deliberate reference to the year when the United States Declaration of Independence was signed.

 Thanks to Dogs Playing Poker, painter Cassius Marcellus Coolidge (a.k.a. C.M. Coolidge) has earned the distinction of being called "the most famous American artist you’ve never heard of." Dogs Playing Poker refers to not just one painting, but a series of 18! The series includes the artist’s original Poker Game (1894) painting, along with 16 other oil paintings commissioned in 1903 to advertise cigars, and an additional 1910 painting. All 18 paintings in the series feature anthropomorphized dogs, but the eleven in which dogs are seated around a card table have become well known as examples of kitsch art in home decoration.

 The master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock's psychological horror-thriller film Psycho terrified audiences in 1960. It opened in theatres amidst great secrecy, and instructions that no patrons would be admitted once the film started. It served as the "mother" of all modern horror suspense films, shocking audiences with its infamous 45-second “shower scene”. It was also the first American film ever to show a toilet flushing on screen. No flushing toilet had appeared in film and television in the United States at that time. Psycho is now considered one of Hitchcock's best films and praised as a major work of cinematic art.

 The Chicago Golf Club is the oldest 18-hole course in the United States. The course was originally only nine holes, but it was increased to 18 in 1893. All 18 holes, sadly, are no longer accessible. The Chicago Golf Club is now known as Downers Grove Golf Club, and only 9 of the 18 holes are operated. Although some minor changes were made to the course over the years, holes 2, 4, 7, 8, and 9 still maintain their original design integrity. Chicago Golf Club is ranked the fifth-most exclusive in the world. There are only 120 members and it will never exceed this amount, the only way to get in is by invitation from a member.

 "Read my lips: no new taxes" was a pledge spoken by presidential candidate George H. W. Bush at the 1988 Republican National Convention as he accepted his party's nomination. The impact of the election promise was considerable, and many supporters of Bush believe it helped him win the presidential election. As presidents sometimes must, Bush raised taxes. His words were used against him by then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton in a devastating attack ad during the 1992 presidential campaign. Bush lost his bid for re-election to Clinton.

 When George H.W. Bush got his wings in World War II, he was the youngest pilot in the United States Navy. He enlisted on his 18th birthday and eventually flew fifty-eight combat missions. On one mission over the Pacific, he was shot down by Japanese anti-aircraft fire and rescued by a U.S. submarine. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his bravery. George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, who lived longer than any of his predecessors and possessed one of the most impressive resumes in American political history, died yesterday at the age of 94.

 Elsie the Cow is a cartoon cow developed as a mascot for the Borden Dairy Company in 1936 to symbolize the "perfect dairy product". Named one of the Top 10 Advertising Icons of the 20th Century by Ad Age in 2000, Elsie the Cow has been among the most recognizable product logos in the United States. During her heyday, Elsie led the Rose Bowl parade, raised $1.6 million for World War II bonds, and collected keys to more than 600 cities. Elsie has a fictional, cartoon mate, Elmer the Bull, who was created in 1940 and lent to Borden's then chemical-division as the mascot for Elmer's Glue.

  Willie Howard Mays, nicknamed "The Say Hey Kid", is a former Major League Baseball center fielder who spent almost all of his 22-season career playing for the New York/San Francisco Giants, before finishing with the New York Mets. Mays won two National League Most Valuable Player awards, and ended his career with 660 home runs—currently fifth all-time. During the 1954 World Series, Mays made an over-the-shoulder catch that is considered one of the most memorable moments in baseball history.