Detroit Lions NFL Football Team

 The Detroit Lions have hosted the NFL’s Thanksgiving Classic every year since 1945. Detroit was the only team to do so until the Dallas Cowboys began hosting their game in 1966. The format was then changed again in 2006, when the NFL scheduled a third Thanksgiving game that would rotate between different teams to highlight key matchups of that week. In the 71 games that the Detroit Lions have hosted on Thanksgiving Day, they currently have a record of 33 wins, 36 losses and two ties. This year's Thanksgiving opponent, the Green Bay Packers, have played on Thanksgiving Day 33 times, with 13 wins, 18 losses and two ties.

Which Actor Starred in the Ten Commandments?

 

Cecil B. DeMille produced, directed, and narrated The Ten Commandments, a 1956 American epic religious drama film. The Ten Commandments dramatizes the biblical story of Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince who becomes the deliverer of his real brethren, the enslaved Hebrews, and then leads the Exodus to Mount Sinai, where he receives the Ten Commandments from God. It is based on Dorothy Clarke Wilson's 1949 novel Prince of Egypt, J. H. Ingraham's 1859 novel Pillar of Fire, A. E. Southon's 1937 novel On Eagle's Wings Charlton Heston plays the primary role in the picture.

The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards in 1957, including Best Picture and Best Visual Effects, and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects (John P. Fulton, A.S.C.). DeMille was named Best Director by the Foreign Language Press Film Critics Circle. Charlton Heston was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama).

DeMille considered casting a middle-aged man in the part of Moses during the early phases of pre-production. He offered the position to William Boyd, a quinquagenarian actor and star of Hopalong Cassidy, but Boyd declined because he feared his cowboy reputation would interfere with his depiction of Moses. Charlton Heston, who had already worked with DeMille on The Greatest Show on Earth, was finally cast after impressing DeMille (at his audition) with his knowledge of ancient Egypt and his striking similarity to Michelangelo's Moses sculpture. Heston was also cast as God's voice in the form of a flaming bush, albeit his voice was toned down to a softer and lower register.

Who Is the Godmother of Thanksgiving?

 Much of the credit for President Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation should probably go to a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale. Lincoln issued a proclamation designating "a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise" in 1863, capping a 36-year campaign launched by Sarah Hale, a magazine editor who wrote the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb." For more than three decades, Hale had published numerous articles and letters advocating for a national day of Thanksgiving. Hale's September 28, 1963 letter to Lincoln is often cited as the main factor for Lincoln's Proclamation, earning her the nickname, the "Godmother other of Thanksgiving."

What Fruit is Prunes Made From?

 

Prunes are dried plums, usually from the European plum. Prunes cannot be made from all plum species or types. Prunes are the firm-fleshed fruits (plums) of Prunus domestica cultivars with a high soluble solids content that do not ferment when dried. The term "prune" is no longer used for fresh plums, save when referring to plum cultivars grown for drying.

The majority of prune cultivars are freestone cultivars (the pit is easy to remove), but the majority of plums grown for fresh consumption are clingstone varieties (the pit is more difficult to remove).

Prunes include 64 percent carbohydrates, including dietary fiber, 2 percent protein, are high in vitamin K, and have a moderate amount of B vitamins and minerals. The laxative effect associated with eating prunes is most likely due to the sorbitol concentration of dietary fiber. Sugar plums are not made from boiling plums or prunes, despite their name.

The Food and Drug Administration gave plum producers in the United States permission to call prunes "dry plums" in 2001. Some distributors ceased using the word "prune" on container labels in favor of "dry plums" due to a perception that prunes treat constipation (seen as disparaging).  

Were Forks Used at the First Thanksgiving Dinner?

 According to what traditionally is known as "The First Thanksgiving," the 1621 feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag at Plymouth Colony contained waterfowl, venison, ham, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash. There is no definitive proof they ate turkey, and sweet potatoes were not yet grown in North America. The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers. Governor Winthrop of Massachusetts introduced the fork 10 years later, but it did not really catch on until the 18th century.

Thomas Edison Inventions

 

The first strand of electric lights was created by Thomas Edison, the developer of the first successful practical light bulb. During Christmas 1880, strands of lights were hung outside his Menlo Park, New Jersey, laboratory, providing the first glimpse of an electrical light display to railroad travelers commuting by. Electric Christmas lights, on the other hand, would take nearly 40 years to become a tradition.

Families used candles to illuminate their Christmas trees before electric Christmas lights became popular. This was a risky technique that resulted in numerous house fires. Edison's buddy and associate Edward H. Johnson put together the first string of electric lights for a Christmas tree in 1882. He wound 80 red, white, and blue light bulbs around his Christmas tree by hand. The tree was not only illuminated by electricity, but it also rotated.

However, the rest of the world was not yet ready for electrical illumination, since many people still had reservations about it. When President Grover Cleveland requested that the White House family Christmas tree be illuminated by hundreds of colorful electric light bulbs in 1895, some credit him for encouraging the introduction of indoor electric Christmas lights.

Electric strands of lights may have been invented originally by Thomas Edison and Edward H. Johnson. Albert Sadacca, whose family owned a novelty lighting company, saw a business opportunity in selling them. Albert proposed that the company sell vividly colored strands of Christmas lights to the public when he was still a youngster in 1917. Albert and his brothers then formed the National Outfit Manufacturers Association Electric Company, which became the National Outfit Manufacturers Association Electric Company. Until the 1960s, it had a monopoly on the Christmas light market.

Brigham Young

 Brigham Young was an religious leader and politician. He was the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877. Young founded Salt Lake City and served as the first governor of the Utah Territory. Young also worked to establish the learning institutions which would later become the University of Utah and Brigham Young University. Young was a polygamist who had fifty-five wives and fathered fifty-seven children. Many of his wives were widows or elderly women for whom he merely cared or gave the protection of his name.

Bruce Springsteen

 

Bruce Springsteen is a singer, songwriter, and musician from the United States. He has twenty studio albums to his credit, many of which feature his E Street Band as his backup band. Springsteen has been known for his poetic, socially concerned lyrics and passionate stage performances, which may run up to four hours, during the course of his five-decade career. 

Springsteen was born and raised in Freehold, New Jersey, in a mill town where his father worked as a laborer. Springsteen became a solo singer-songwriter in 1972 after an apprenticeship in bar bands throughout the mid-Atlantic coast. He auditioned for talent scout John Hammond, Sr., who promptly signed him to Columbia Records. Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle, both released in 1973, reflect folk rock, soul, and rhythm-and-blues influences, particularly Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, and Stax/Volt Records. 

Springsteen's rough baritone voice, which he used to shout on up-tempo numbers and to a more sensual effect on slower songs, was showcased well there, but his sometimes spectacular guitar playing, which ranged from dense power chord effects to straight 1950s rock and roll, had to be toned down to fit the singer-songwriter format. 

Around the time of his signing, is when he acquired the nickname "the Boss", as he took on the task of collecting his band's nightly pay and distributing it amongst his bandmates.

Springsteen developed into a full-fledged rock and roller with his third album, Born to Run (1975), largely influenced by Phil Spector and Roy Orbison. By then, he was most known for his three- and four-hour stage concerts with his E Street Band, which mixed rock, folk, and soul with dramatic intensity and flamboyant comedy. Springsteen's position as the top writer-performer of his rock-and-roll time was cemented with Born in the U.S.A. (1984) and his subsequent 18-month world tour.

Springsteen's albums during this time period, beginning with Tunnel of Love (1987) and encompassing Human Touch and Lucky Town reflect the other side of his career (released simultaneously in 1992). Those CDs contain songs that are deep personal reflections on intimate relationships. 

Lou Costello

 In his hometown of Patterson, New Jersey, stands a life-size bronze statue of comic legend Lou Costello, titled "Lou's On First." The landmark is marked with an entryway sign for "Lou Costello Memorial." Lou was born in Paterson in 1906. Costello dropped out of high school to team up with Bud Abbott to form what would become the most popular comedy duo of the 1940s and early 1950s. The baseball bat held by Costello in the statue is a nod to their famous "Who's on First?" routine. Abbott, the duo's straight man, was also from New Jersey; his hometown of Asbury Park has yet to honor him with a statue.

Vicky Lawrence as "Mama" Thelma Harper

 

Vicki Lawrence is an American actress, comedian, and pop music singer best remembered for her roles on CBS's The Carol Burnett Show, where she appeared for the whole run from 1967 to 1978. Thelma Harper/Mama, the cruel, uncaring mother of the neurotic, unfortunate Eunice (Burnett), was one of these characters, despite the fact that Lawrence is 16 years younger than Burnett. On NBC and then in first-run syndication, Thelma Harper was the principal character of the television situation comedy series Mama's Family. She also starred in The Cool Kids, a Fox sitcom.

Lawrence has been nominated for many Emmy Awards and has won one in 1976. She has also been nominated for many Golden Globes, all for her work on The Carol Burnett Show. Lawrence has reprised her iconic Thelma Harper/Mama character in a number of post-Family Mama's guest TV appearances. Lawrence made an appearance in a special sketch for Betty White's 2nd Annual 90th Birthday on February 5, 2013. Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-Woman Show, which she hosts on a regular basis, is an untelevised stage show.

With "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia," she became a one-hit wonder in the United States in 1973. It topped the charts in both the United States and Canada.

Politicians Who Hosted SNL

 The only host of Saturday Night Live who went on to become President of the United States is Donald Trump, who hosted in 2004 and 2015. Al Gore, who hosted in 2002, is the only former vice president to host the show. Other presidential candidates that served as hosts include Ralph Nader (1977), Jesse Jackson and George McGovern (both 1984), Steve Forbes (1996), Rudy Giuliani (1997), John McCain (2002), and Al Sharpton (2003). Although not a host, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren have all made appearances on the show in 2008, 2015, 2016, and 2020, respectively.

Iris

 

The iris is a flat, ring-shaped membrane behind the cornea of the eye with a pupil in the center that may be adjusted. This is the structure that determines a person's eye color. The iris, along with the pupil, is responsible for controlling the amount of light that enters the eye.

Vision can be hampered by too much or too little light. If there is too much light, the muscular iris shrinks the pupil, and if there isn't enough, it widens it. This is a brain-controlled, involuntary function. Connective tissue and smooth muscle fibers make up almost all of the iris.

Contrary to popular opinion, genuine iris color changes are uncommon. While an eye's color may appear to vary, this is usually due to changes in lighting or perception based on neighboring colors. Eye color is determined by the quantity of pigment in the iris. The eye appears blue when there is very little pigment. The color changes from deep brown to black as the pigment level rises.

Emmental, Roquefort and Ricotta

 

Emmental, Roquefort and Ricotta are various types of cheeses that come from different regions of the world.

Emmental is a yellow, medium-hard Swiss cheese that originated in the Emmental district of the canton of Bern. It's referred to as a Swiss or Alpine cheese. Emmental was first referenced in written documents in 1293, but it wasn't until 1542 that it was given its current name. It has a flavorful but not overpowering flavor.

Roquefort is a blue cheese made from sheep's milk that originated in Southern France. It is one of the most well-known blue cheeses in the world. Despite the fact that comparable cheeses are made elsewhere, EU legislation states that only those aged in Roquefort-sur-natural Soulzon's Combalou caves are allowed to use the name Roquefort, as it is a protected geographical indicator.

Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese created from whey left over from the making of other cheeses from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk. It's manufactured the same way as other whey cheeses by coagulating the proteins left over after casein has been used to form cheese, namely albumin and globulin. 

Epidermis

 

The epidermis is the outermost of the skin's three layers, with the dermis and hypodermis being the innermost. The epidermis layer protects the body against infection by pathogens in the environment and regulates the quantity of water lost to the atmosphere through transepidermal water loss.

The epidermis is made up of many layers of flattened cells that sit on top of a base layer (stratum basale) made up of perpendicularly aligned columnar cells. The basal layer's stem cells give rise to the layers of cells. The human epidermis, particularly a stratified squamous epithelium, is a well-known example of epithelium.

All of the body's surfaces are covered by skin. An average adult's skin weighs 8-10 pounds and covers around 22 square feet. The aim of this organ is to protect the body from damage, infection, heat, and cold, as well as to store water, fat, and vitamins. Every four weeks or so, the human skin gets renewed.

Considering your skin as an organ rather than a tool to be used and abused puts things in perspective. Your skin is a remarkably durable organ that, for the most part, can withstand almost any sort of abuse. The body's barrier is the skin, which is robust enough to withstand all kinds of environmental assaults while also being delicate enough to feel a breeze. 

7 Dwarfs

 

The Seven Dwarfs first appeared in the 1812 fairy tale "Snow White." They were first given individual names in the 1912 Broadway play Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and then given different names in Walt Disney's 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Every morning, the dwarfs leave their tiny cottage and march to the mine singing "Heigh-Ho" where they dig for diamonds. Each dwarf has a specific job: Grumpy, Happy, Bashful, and Sneezy dig to unearth diamonds; Sleepy collects the diamonds in a mine cart and transports them to Doc, who determines which diamonds should be kept; rejected diamonds are swept up and thrown away by Dopey.

U.S. Whitehouse

 

The structure was formerly known as the "President's Palace," "Presidential Mansion," or "President's House." In official circumstances, the name "Executive Mansion" was used until President Theodore Roosevelt established the formal name in 1901 by having "White House–Washington" engraved on the stationery. 

The White House is the president of the United States' official house and workplace. It has been the home of every US president since John Adams in 1800, and is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. The phrase "White House" is frequently used to refer to the president and his or her aides.

James Hoban, an Irish-born architect, created the home in the neoclassical style. Hoban based the structure on Leinster House in Dublin, which now houses the Irish legislature, the Oireachtas. Between 1792 and 1800, Aquia Creek sandstone painted white was used in the construction. When Thomas Jefferson moved into the house in 1801, he erected low colonnades on either wing to hide stables and storage (with the help of architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe). The mansion was set ablaze by the British Army in the Burning of Washington in 1814, during the War of 1812, destroying the interior and charring much of the façade. Reconstruction began almost quickly, and in October 1817, President James Monroe moved into the partially rebuilt Executive Residence. The semi-circular South portico and the North portico were added to the outside in 1824 and 1829, respectively.

Polyglot

 

Polyglots are people who speak numerous languages as a pastime or as a profession. A multilingual individual is someone who can actively communicate in multiple languages (through speaking, writing, or signing). Multilingual persons can write in any language they speak, although they can't always write in the same language they speak. Bilingual and trilingual people, on the other hand, are those who are in similar settings involving two or three languages, respectively. At least one language, the so-called first language, has been acquired and retained by multilingual speakers since childhood. The first language (also known as the mother tongue) is learned without formal education, through mechanisms that are hotly debated. Simultaneous bilinguals are children who learn two languages simultaneously. Even among simultaneous bilinguals, one language usually takes precedence over the other.

The concept of a "native speaker" is intimately linked to first language acquisition in linguistics. Linguists agree that a natural speaker of a language has a level of skill that a second (or subsequent) language learner cannot readily achieve. As a result, descriptive empirical language studies are typically conducted with just native speakers. This viewpoint is, however, somewhat problematic, given that many non-native speakers not only successfully engage with and in their non-native language societies, but may also contribute culturally and linguistically to their non-native language (as writers, politicians, media personalities, and performing artists, for example). Linguistic research has recently focused on the usage of widely spoken world languages, such as English, as a lingua franca or shared common language within professional and commercial communities. Most speakers of the common language are functionally multilingual in lingua franca contexts. 

A&W Rootbeer

 

In 1919, Roy W. Allen opened a roadside root beer stand in Lodi, California, using a formula that he had purchased from a pharmacist. The following year, Allen teamed up with Frank Wright and combined their initials to create the A&W brand. In 1924, Allen bought Wright out of the business and began selling restaurant franchises — creating one of the first restaurant chains in the United States. It is a popular misconception that the initials were derived from Alice and J. Willard Marriott. This mistake stems from the fact that Marriott's first business, was an A&W franchise he purchased in Washington, D.C.

Gladiator

 

Gladiator is a 2000 epic historical drama film written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson and directed by Ridley Scott. DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures collaborated on the film's production and distribution. The film was distributed in North America by DreamWorks Pictures, while it was released worldwide by United International Pictures on behalf of Universal Pictures. Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed (in his penultimate appearance), Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel, Richard Harris, and Tommy Flanagan are among the cast members. Crowe plays Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman general who is deceived when Commodus, Emperor Marcus Aurelius' ambitious son, murders his father and seizes the throne. Maximus is sold into slavery and becomes a gladiator, rising through the ranks of the arena to avenge the assassinations of his family and emperor.

Gladiator had its world debut on May 1, 2000, in Los Angeles, and was released in theaters in Australia on May 4, the United States on May 5, and the United Kingdom on May 11, 2000. Critics praised the acting (especially Crowe and Phoenix's), Scott's direction, graphics, storyline, action sequences, musical score, and production qualities of the picture. It was a box office hit, generating $187.7 million in the US and $457 million worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing film of the year. The film won a total of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Crowe, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects at the 73rd Academy Awards. At the 54th British Academy Film Awards, it won four BAFTAs for Best Film, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, and Best Editing. Gladiator has also been credited with revolutionizing the sword-and-sandal genre and rekindling interest in ancient Greece and Rome-themed entertainment, such as the television series Rome, after its premiere. 

Ground Rule Double

 

A ground rule double in baseball is an award of two bases to all baserunners, including the batter-runner, as a result of the ball leaving play after being hit fairly and leaving the field under a condition of the ground rules in place at the game's location. A ground rule double occurs when a batted ball hits the ground in fair territory and lands out of play due to some distinctive feature of the grounds, most usually by bouncing over a fence or wall in the outfield.

Any baserunners ahead of the batter are entitled to advance two bases from their positions at the time of pitch when two bases are given by ground rule or league-wide rule. They may not move any further. Because a fast runner beginning from first base must halt at third base, this can sometimes deny a team a run. A sluggish runner on second base immediately scores on a ground rule double, which can be an advantage.

Home runs were previously counted on all batted balls that cleared the fence after a bounce in fair area or on a fly. The American League amended the regulation prior to the 1930 season, and the National League followed suit on December 12, 1930. 

Postcard

 

Before the internet, the smartphone, and Instagram it was a lot harder for people to share their travel adventures. In fact, when postcards were initially introduced, the average person didn't even own a camera. You simply can’t beat the personal touch of a handwritten postcard. The standard size of a postcard is 6 x 4 inches. A U.S Postal Service—regular postcard stamp currently costs $0.40 and will get your postcard to anywhere in the United States. Mailing a postcard is less expensive than mailing a letter, so if you don’t mind the postman reading your message you can save yourself eighteen cents.

Harry Houdini

 

Harry Houdini, one of the world's most famous magician, died on Halloween in 1926 from peritonitis and a ruptured appendix.

Harry Houdini was a famous escape artist, illusionist, stunt performer, and mysteriarch who was born in Hungary. He originally gained notoriety in vaudeville in the United States, and then on a tour of Europe as "Harry 'Handcuff' Houdini," where he challenged police forces to keep him locked up. He soon added chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets submerged, and escaping from and holding his breath inside a sealed milk container with water to his repertoire.

Thousands watched in awe in 1904 as he attempted to break free from special handcuffs commissioned by London's Daily Mirror, which kept them waiting for an hour. Another stunt saw him buried alive and barely managed to fight his way to the top before collapsing in a state of near-death. While many people felt the escapes were staged, Houdini portrayed himself as the scourge of imposters. He was keen to protect professional standards and expose fraudulent performers as President of the Society of American Magicians. He was also quick to sue anyone who tried to copy his daring escapes. 

Plymouth Rock Massachusetts

 

The legendary landing place of William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims, who founded Plymouth Colony in December 1620, is Plymouth Rock. The Pilgrims did not mention Plymouth Rock in any of their writings; the first recorded reference to it dates from 1715, when it was described as "a big rock" in the town border documents. Old Thomas Faunce made the first documented allegation that Plymouth Rock was the landing spot of the Pilgrims in 1741, 121 years after the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth.

The granite was broken in half during an attempt to transport it to Plymouth's Town Square in 1774. In 1834, a part of the statue was transported from Town Square to Pilgrim Hall Museum. In 1880, it was reunited with the remaining portion of the rock, which was remained on the beach of Plymouth Harbor. At the time, the year 1620 was engraved. The rock is currently protected by a McKim, Mead & White-designed granite canopy.

While the original Pilgrims may never have visited Plymouth Rock, it still attracts people of all kinds, even today. It attracts upwards of a million visitors each year. Sure, the stone's little size and hazy historical provenance are a letdown, but thanks must also be given that such a massive icon of America has survived for so many years. 

Tic-Tac-Toe's Tie Game

 

 If you know what you are doing, you can't lose at Tic-Tac-Toe. If your opponent knows what they are doing, you can't win at Tic-Tac-Toe. If both players are playing with an optimal strategy, every game will end in a tie. In all other cases, the player that goes first wins 58.7% of the time, the player who moves second wins 28.2% of the time, and 13.1% of the games end in a tie. A tie in Tic-Tac-Toe is called a cat’s game. The term is thought to stem from the idea that a cat cannot catch its own tail just like a player in tic-tac-toe cannot win a game that is already tied.

Barbara Feldon: Get Smart's Agent 99

 

Barbara Feldon plays "Agent 99" in the TV show "Get Smart." She acted alongside comic Don Adams, who played Secret Agent 86 Maxwell Smart. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1968 and 1969, and she played the part for the whole run of the show from 1965 to 1970.

Get Smart is an American comedy television series that parodies the secret agent genre, which became popular in the early 1960s thanks to the introduction of James Bond films. Mel Brooks and Buck Henry devised the show, which premiered on NBC on September 18, 1965. Agent Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) is played by Don Adams (who also directed the series), Agent 99 is played by Barbara Feldon, and Thaddeus the Chief is played by Edward Platt. They produced the show at Daniel Melnick's request to capitalize on James Bond and Inspector Clouseau, "the two biggest things in the entertainment world today," according to Henry. "An absurd blend of James Bond and Mel Brooks comedy," Brooks said.

In 1969, the show moved from ABC to CBS. It aired for five seasons, from May 15, 1970, to May 15, 1970, with a total of 138 episodes. The show is remembered by the Museum of Broadcast Communications for "expanding the parameters for the presentation of comedy on television." 

Taoism

 

Taoism is a Chinese philosophical and spiritual tradition that focuses on living in accordance with the Tao. The Tao is the source, pattern, and substance of all that exists in Taoism. Taoism teaches about the different disciplines that might be used to achieve "perfection" by becoming one with the unplanned rhythms of the universe, which are referred to as "the way" or "Tao." Taoist ethics differ by school, but in general, they emphasize wu wei (intentionless action), "naturalness," simplicity, spontaneity, and the Three Treasures: "compassion," "frugality," and "humility."

Taoism has roots dating back to the 4th century BCE. Early Taoism derived its cosmological ideas from the School of Yinyang (Naturalists) and was profoundly affected by the I Ching (Yi Jing), one of China's oldest scriptures, which expounds a philosophical system about how to keep human behavior in harmony with nature's alternating cycles. Shen Buhai, a "Legalist" who preached wu wei realpolitik, could have also been a big influence. Together with Zhuangzi's later publications, the Tao Te Ching, a short book containing teachings attributed to Lao Tzu, is often regarded as the foundational work of the Taoist tradition.

The Taoist tradition is now one of the five official religious doctrines of the People's Republic of China. It is also a major religion in Taiwan, with followers in a variety of different societies, including Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asia.

Oprah Winfrey's "You Get a Car" Episode

 On September 13, 2004, TV talk-show host Oprah Winfrey gave away a brand-new Pontiac G6 sedan, worth $28,500, to everyone in her studio audience: a total of 276 cars in all. Oprah had told her producers to fill the crowd with people who “desperately needed” the cars, and when she announced the prize (by jumping up and down and yelling "You get a car! You get a car! Everybody gets a car!”), mayhem–crying, screaming and delirium broke out all around her. The "You get a car" episode became one of the biggest promotional stunts in the history of television.

Florida-Full of Flowers

 

In 1513, explorer Ponce de Leon gave the state of Florida its name. The word "Florida" is derived from the Spanish word "florido," which meaning "flowery" or "full of flowers." Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León became the first known European to make landfall, calling the region by that name due to its lush greenery and the Easter season.  With the Spanish colony of St. Augustine, founded in 1565, being the oldest continuously inhabited city in the continental United States, Florida became the first location in the continental United States to be permanently colonized by Europeans. Florida was contested by Spain and the United Kingdom several times before being given to the United States in 1819; it became the 27th state on March 3, 1845. The Seminole Wars (1816–1858), the longest and most extensive of the Indian Wars in American history, were fought mostly in Florida. On January 10, 1861, the state seceded from the Union, becoming one of the seven initial Confederate States. On June 25, 1868, Florida was returned to the Union following the Civil War.

Florida's climate ranges from subtropical to tropical in the north and south. It is the only state in the continental United States with both a tropical climate (near the lowest extremity of the peninsula) and a coral reef, aside from Hawaii. As a result, Florida is home to multiple distinct ecosystems, the most famous of which is Everglades National Park, the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and one of the largest in the Americas. The American alligator, American crocodile, American flamingo, Roseate spoonbill, Florida panther, bottle-nose dolphin, and manatee are among the region's unique species. The Florida Reef is the world's third-largest coral barrier reef system and the only extant coral barrier reef in the continental United States (after the Great Barrier Reef and Belize Barrier Reef).

The state's huge population and economy give it significant clout in national politics; it has been a prominent battleground in presidential elections since the late twentieth century, most notably in 2000. Miami is regarded as a global metropolis, along with Orlando and Tampa. 

Laika-Soviet Space Dog

 

Laika was a Soviet space dog that was one of the first animals to travel to space and orbit the Earth. Laika, a stray mongrel from Moscow's streets, was chosen as the first occupant of the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2, which was launched into low orbit on November 3, 1957.  

At the time of Laika's voyage, nothing was understood about the effects of spaceflight on live organisms, and the technology to de-orbit had not yet been invented, therefore Laika's survival was never predicted. Because some scientists feared that humans would not be able to survive the launch or the harsh environment of space, engineers saw animal expeditions as an essential prelude to human missions. The goal of the experiment was to show that a living passenger could survive being launched into orbit and surviving in a micro-g environment, paving the door for human spaceflight and providing scientists with some of the first data on how living beings react to micro-g situations.

Russian officials raised a monument to Laika on April 11, 2008. In her honor, a tiny monument was erected at the Moscow military research complex that developed Laika for her space mission. It featured a dog perched on a rocket. She is also shown on the Monument to the Space Conquerors in Moscow. 

Back to the Future-DeLorean

 

Marty McFly and Doc Brown were transported to the future in a DeLorean DMC-12 sports car. The DeLorean was the brainchild of John Z. DeLorean, an automobile engineer who founded the DeLorean Motor Company. A total of 9,200 automobiles were produced, consisting of three model years: 1981, 1982, and 1983. In 1982, the DeLorean Motor Company filed for bankruptcy, only days after its founder, John DeLorean, was arrested on drug trafficking charges. Though its production was short-lived, the car became widely known when it was featured as the time machine in the Back to the Future film franchise.

Scurvy

 

Scurvy is an illness caused by a deficiency in vitamin C. Weakness, fatigue, and painful arms and legs are early signs of deficiency. Reduced red blood cells, gum problems, hair changes, and skin bleeding may occur if left untreated. Scurvy can cause poor wound healing, personality changes, and death from infection or bleeding as it progresses.

During the Age of Sail, it was estimated that 50% of sailors would succumb to scurvy during a long voyage. In 1753, James Lind, a Scottish surgeon in the Royal Navy, is widely credited for establishing that scurvy may be successfully cured with citrus fruit. Nonetheless, it took health reformers like Gilbert Blane until 1795 to persuade the Royal Navy to administer lemon juice to its men on a regular basis.  

Before symptoms appear, it takes at least a month of eating little or no vitamin C. Scurvy is especially common in those with mental illnesses, strange eating habits, drunkenness, and elderly people who live alone in modern times. Intestinal mal-absorption and dialysis are two further risk factors. Humans and a few other species do not manufacture vitamin C on their own. Vitamin C is necessary for the formation of collagen's building blocks. Physical signs, X-rays, and improvement following treatment are commonly used to make a diagnosis.

When compared to other dietary deficits, scurvy is a rare occurrence. It is more common in developing countries and is linked to malnutrition. According to reports, refugee rates range from 5% to 45 percent. Scurvy has been documented from the time of ancient Egypt. It was a stumbling block to long-distance marine transport, which killed a large number of people. 

Million Dollar Baby

 

Million Dollar Baby is a 2004 American sports drama film directed, co-produced, scored, and starring Clint Eastwood, based on short stories by F.X. Toole, the pen name of fight manager and cutman Jerry Boyd, and based on a screenplay written by Paul Haggis. Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank also star in the film.

The story is about Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald is an Ozarks waitress who turns up at the Hit Pit, a run-down Los Angeles gym owned and maintained by Frankie Dunn. Dunn is a grumpy Irish-American trainer who has just announced that he is estranged from his daughter. Maggie asks Frankie to coach her, but he declines since he doesn't train women and Maggie is too elderly to start boxing. Frankie's buddy and coworker, Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris, who also serves as the film's narrator, supports and assists Maggie.

Clint Eastwood plays Frankie Dunn, an aging boxing trainer who is grumpy yet well-intentioned. Mary Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald, played by Hilary Swank, is a determined wannabe boxer who is taught by Frankie Dunn. Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris, Dunn's gym assistant, is played by Morgan Freeman; an aging former boxer, he was blinded in one eye in his 109th and final battle.