FDR

The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appeared before a joint session of Congress and declared, “Yesterday, December 7, 1941–a date which will live in infamy–the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” Roosevelt asked Congress to approve a resolution recognizing the state of war between the U.S. and Japan. Within an hour of the speech, Congress passed a declaration of war against Japan which officially brought the U.S. into World War II. 

Sublimation

Bypassing the liquid phase, sublimation is the process by which a solid transforms instantly into a gas. This happens when the forces of attraction between the particles in a solid are overcome, resulting in the particles breaking apart and forming a gas.

The process through which dry ice, or solid carbon dioxide, sublimes, is a typical illustration of sublimation. Dry ice is maintained at a temperature of -78.5 °C, which is significantly below its typical freezing point of -56.6 °C. The solid carbon dioxide particles have sufficient energy at this temperature to separate and become a gas directly, skipping the liquid phase.

The mechanism by which solid iodine sublimes is another illustration of sublimation. Iodine has a relatively low boiling point of 157.2 degrees Celsius, which means that it has sufficient energy to disintegrate and create a gas even at ambient temperature. As a result, the solid iodine may eventually vanish and emit a distinctive purple vapor.

Other solid materials, such as frozen water, naphthalene (mothballs), and certain kinds of chemicals, may also sublimate in addition to these examples.

 

Pennsylvania Postal Code

PA is the state of Pennsylvania's US postal abbreviation. To guarantee that mail is delivered to the right state, this abbreviation is often used when addressing envelopes. The postal abbreviations CA for California, NY for New York, and FL for Florida are some further instances.

Since the beginning of the American postal service, postal abbreviations have been used. The use of abbreviations allowed address labels to be smaller and simpler to see and write in the days when mail was often carried by horse-drawn carriages.

The first Postmaster General of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, advocated the idea of using postal abbreviations for the names of states in mail addressing in the 1790s, which is the first recorded usage of postal abbreviations in the country. These acronyms were derived from those that were often seen in British postal addresses at the period.

The list of postal abbreviations has altered and developed through time as additional states have been admitted to the Union and as postal regulations have been amended. Today, official postal abbreviations that are used to address mail are kept on file by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Periodically, these acronyms are updated to reflect any modifications or additions to the list of states and other geographic areas.

There are a variety of informal abbreviations that are used to address mail in addition to the official postal abbreviations. These abbreviations may be used by persons or organizations that choose to use their own abbreviations for postal addresses or by others who are not familiar with the official abbreviations.

 

Eagles Rock Band

 Linda Ronstadt is best known for a string of popular hits in the 1970s. She also assembled a band for her solo debut that ended up leaving to form the Eagles. Little did Linda Ronstadt know she was hatching Glenn Frey and Don Henley as the Eagles in the early 1970s when she hired them to play in her band and made them roommates while on tour. After touring together with Ronstadt in 1971, Frey and Henley formed the Eagles. It would be Glen Frey who gave the speech at Ronstadt's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014

Sesame Street

Sesame Street is a live-action, puppetry, animation, sketch comedy, and educational children's television program produced in the United States. It was developed by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett for Sesame Workshop. It features short films with comedy and cultural allusions and is well renowned for the imagery it conveys via the use of Jim Henson's Muppets. It had a successful debut on November 10, 1969, with a lot of viewers, considerable controversy, and favorable reviews. Since its inception, it has been shown on the national public television network PBS in the United States. On January 16, 2016, it moved from PBS to HBO for its first run, then in 2020 it moved to HBO Max, its sibling streaming service. One of the oldest television programs ever produced is Sesame Street.

A method of planning, production, and assessment based on cooperation between producers, authors, educators, and researchers was devised by the project's creators not long after it was first created and came to be known as the CTW Model. Government and private organizations first provided funding for the program, but because to income from licensing deals, overseas sales, and other media, it is now mostly self-sustaining. Sesame Street clones created separately were shown in 20 nations by 2006. When Sesame Street celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009, it was aired in more than 140 countries, up from over 120 million viewers in 2001.

The American children's television program Sesame Street was ranked 15th at that time. By the time they were three, 95% of all American preschoolers had seen it, according to a 1996 poll. It was projected that 86 million Americans watched it as kids in 2018. More awards than any other children's program as of 2021 were its 205 Emmys and 11 Grammys.

 

First Native American Tribe in First Thanksgiving

The origin of the Thanksgiving holiday dates back to a harvest feast held in 1621 between the Wampanoag, a Native tribe who occupied the land long before, and the newly settled English colonists in America. Although the two groups formed an alliance for a time, the years that followed led to the mass killing of the Native American people, the seizing of their land, and the enslavement of their people. For the Wampanoags and many other American Indians, the fourth Thursday in November is considered a day of mourning, not a day of giving thanks. 

KFC

In 2015, KFC launched one of their most popular and successful ad campaigns. The fast-food giant began casting different actors and comedians to play their beloved founder, Colonel Sanders. Audiences fell in love with the commercials, and fans quickly turned to the internet to uncover which new actor was hiding behind the iconic white suit, black bowtie, and black-rimmed glasses. Some notable celebrities who have played Colonel Sanders include Norm Macdonald, Jason Alexander, Rob Lowe, Darrell Hammond, Ray Liotta, and Reba McEntire. 

First Thanksgiving

The Pilgrims celebrated the event that Americans traditionally refer to as the "First Thanksgiving" in October 1621 after their first harvest in the New World. 53 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Native Americans participated in this three-day feast (survivors of the Mayflower). A lesser-known Thanksgiving feast that took place in Virginia in 1619 among English immigrants who had just arrived in Berkeley Hundred on the ship Margaret is less well-known.

In the summer, Massasoit, the leader of the adjacent Wampanoag tribe, forged an alliance with the Pilgrims. Massasoit supported the Pilgrims' food supply for the first few years in return for help in defense against the dreaded Narragansett tribe.

The fourth Thursday in November is recognized as a federal holiday in the United States as Thanksgiving. To differentiate it from the similar festivities in other countries and the Canadian holiday of the same name, it is often referred to as American Thanksgiving outside of the United States. The holiday's focus is on giving gratitude, and Thanksgiving supper continues to be the focal point of festivities. It was first observed as a day of thanksgiving and a harvest festival. Turkey, potatoes (often mashed or sweet), stuffing, squash, corn (maize), green beans, cranberries (generally in sauce form), and pumpkin pie make up the traditional Thanksgiving supper. Observing religious services, donating to humanitarian groups that provide Thanksgiving food to the less fortunate, and watching sporting events like the NFL and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television are other Thanksgiving traditions. The day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, is the largest shopping day of the year in the United States. Black Friday is recognized as the start of the Christmas and holiday season.

 

Pac-Man

First released as Puck-Man, the name was later changed to Pac-Man. The original Japanese name was Puck-man, which evolved from the Japanese word paku, meaning "chomp." Given the closeness to a certain explicit four-letter English word, a lot of arcade operators at the time were worried that vandals would alter the letter P. Eventually, "Pac" was suggested as an alternate name. Hence the name Pac-Man came to be. Pac-Man has the highest brand awareness of any video game character among American consumers, recognized by 94% of them. 

Yen

 

Japan's national currency is the yen. After the US dollar and the euro, it is the third most traded currency on the foreign exchange market. In addition, it is often used as a third reserve currency in place of the euro and the US dollar.

The modern currency system in Japan was established by the New Currency Act of 1871, which set the yen's definition at 1.5g of gold or 24.26g of silver and decimalized it into 100 sen or 1,000 rin. Both the earlier Tokugawa coinage and the different hansatsu paper currencies produced by the han were replaced by the yen. In 1882, the Bank of Japan was established and granted exclusive authority over managing the money supply.

The yen lost a lot of its value after World War II. As part of the Bretton Woods system, the yen's exchange rate was set at 360 per US dollar in order to stabilize the Japanese economy. The yen depreciated and was allowed to float when that system was abandoned in 1971. Due to the 1973 oil crisis, the yen had phases of gain and depreciation, reaching a value of 227 per US$ by 1980. It had previously risen to a high of 271 per US$ in 1973.

The Japanese government concentrated on a competitive export market and worked to maintain a trade surplus to keep the yen's exchange rate as low as possible. This was briefly altered by the Plaza Accord of 1985; the exchange rate dropped from an average of 239 yen to 128 yen to 80 yen to the dollar in 1995, substantially raising the value of Japan's GDP in dollars to virtually that of the United States. But the value of the yen has significantly dropped since then. The Bank of Japan continues to follow a policy of interest rates that are zero or almost zero, and the Japanese government has in the past adopted a strong anti-inflation strategy.

Ben Carson

 Ben Carson was the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital and earned fame for his groundbreaking work separating conjoined twins. Carson made a cameo appearance as the "head surgeon" in the 2003 comedy "Stuck on You," starring Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear as conjoined twin brothers. He retired from medicine in 2013, and entered politics, making a bid to become the Republican nominee for president of the United States. Carson later withdrew from the race and was appointed Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by former President Donald Trump.

Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher is a former Formula One driver for Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari, and Mercedes. Schumacher has a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles, and when he retired from the sport in 2012, he held the records for the most victories, pole positions, and podium finishes—records that have since been surpassed by Lewis Hamilton—as well as the records for the most fastest laps and races won in a single season.

Schumacher began his racing career in karting and went on to win several junior single-seater series. Schumacher was signed by Benetton for the remainder of the 1991 season after a one-off Formula One appearance with Jordan at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1991. In 1994 and 1995, he took his first and second drivers' titles in a row, finishing ahead of runner-up Damon Hill both times. Schumacher joined Ferrari in 1996 and won five consecutive championships with them from 2000 to 2004, including an unparalleled sixth and seventh win, as well as many other records. Schumacher retired from racing after finishing third in 2005 and second in 2006, but he returned briefly with Mercedes from 2010 to 2012.

Schumacher was involved in a number of contentious racing accidents throughout his career. He was involved in title-deciding collisions twice, the first with Hill at the 1994 Australian Grand Prix and the second with Jacques Villeneuve at the 1997 European Grand Prix. Schumacher and his younger brother, Ralf, are the only siblings in Formula One history to win races and the first siblings to finish first and second in the same season, a feat they repeated four times. Schumacher was known for pushing his car to its limits for long periods of time during races, as well as a groundbreaking workout routine.  

 

Aaron Judge

History was made Wednesday night when Yankee slugger Aaron Judge tied the American League record of 61 home runs set by Roger Maris back in 1961. "Getting a chance to tie Roger Maris," Judge said, "you dream about that kind of stuff, it's unreal." The record-matching home run came from a full-count pitch in the seventh inning of Wednesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, which soared over the left-field fence. The Yankees star now has six games remaining to hit No. 62 and become the American League's home run king. 

Wheel of Fortune

This longtime game show has been a staple of American television since it first debuted in 1975. Wheel of Fortune was originally hosted by Chuck Woolery, and the show’s premise was not exactly what it is today. In its first iteration, Wheel of Fortune was known as Shopper's Bazaar. The program revolved around contestants solving the puzzles and using their winnings to purchase items available from the set. Simply put, the show didn't work. The name was changed to Wheel of Fortune, and Pat Sajak took over as the host in 1981. 

Dart Score

On a standard dartboard, the maximum score is triple 20, which is worth 60 points, since the inner narrow ring is worth three times the normal score (the little red area halfway between the number 20 and the bullseye).

A spherical target known as a dartboard is the object of the competitive sport of darts, in which two or more players throw tiny, sharp-pointed darts with their bare hands.

There are certain defined spots on the board that may be struck to gain points, but unlike other sports like archery, these areas are dispersed over the board and do not follow the rule that scores increase toward the center of the board. The name "darts" currently often refers to a conventional game with a certain board design and set of rules, despite the fact that there are several identical games utilizing diverse boards and regulations.

Darts are a popular pub game as well as a professional shooting sport. Darts is commonly played in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, and recreationally enjoyed around the world.

 

John Hancock

John Hancock was an American Founding Father and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As president of the Continental Congress, Hancock is credited as the first signer of the Declaration of Independence, and is remembered for his large and stylish signature, so much so that the term John Hancock became a nickname for one's signature. According to legend, Hancock boldly inscribed his name so the English king would not need his glasses to read it. 

Patagonia

 

 

The billionaire founder of Patagonia has given his company away to help fight the climate crisis. Rather than selling the company, Yvon Chouinard, his wife and two adult children have transferred their ownership of Patagonia, valued at about $3 billion, to a trust and a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating climate change. Chouinard, who started the outdoor apparel brand almost 50 years ago, wrote, "We needed to find a way to put more money into fighting the crisis." Patagonia's website now reads, "Earth is now our only shareholder."

 

Grasse, France

 

Grasse is the only sub-prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region on the French Riviera.

Since the end of the 18th century, the perfume business in Grasse has been thriving. The global capital of perfume, Grasse, is the epicenter of the French fragrance industry. To detect between more than 2,000 different scents, many "noses" have received training or have lived in Grasse. More than two thirds of France's natural aromas are produced in Grasse. Over 600 million euros are made annually by this sector. The micro-climate in Grasse particularly supported the flower cultivation sector. Warm weather and enough inland distance provide protection from the sea air. Due to its position in the hills and the 1860 building of the Siagne canal for irrigation reasons, there is a plenty of water. The settlement is 12 miles from the coast and 1,148 feet above sea level. The Moors introduced jasmine, a crucial component of many fragrances, to southern France in the 16th century. Currently, Grasse harvests 27 tonnes of jasmine yearly. In Grasse, there are several historic "parfumeries," including Galimard, Molinard, and Fragonard, each of which offers tours and a museum.

Mark David Chapman

 

Answer: Mark David Chapman, the man who shot and killed John Lennon in 1980, was denied parole for the 12th time last week. Chapman, who is serving a 20-years-to-life sentence, has sought parole every two years since 2000, when he was first eligible. He'll remain imprisoned for at least two more years, when he'll be eligible to seek parole again. On December 8, 1980, Chapman shot Lennon with a .38-caliber handgun, firing five shots and hitting Lennon in the back four times. Hours earlier, he'd asked the former Beatle to autograph a copy of the album "Double Fantasy," recorded with wife Yoko Ono. 

Country to Produce Paper Money

he Chinese began using paper bills during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618–907), primarily in the form of privately issued bills of credit or exchange notes — and used it for more than 500 years before the practice began to catch on in Europe in the 17th century. The Chinese found the weight of coins to be cumbersome and figured that printed money would be more efficient. It makes sense, considering that China also invented both paper and printing. It took another century or two for paper money to spread to the rest of the world. 

Fanta

Fanta was invented in Nazi Germany during World War II due to a trade embargo on importing Coca-Cola syrup. The head of Coca-Cola Deutschland decided to create a new product for the German market during the war, using ingredients available in Germany at the time, including whey and apple pomace. They held a competition to name the new orange soda, saying “use your imagination”; the German translation of ‘imagination’, is ‘fantasie’ and at that moment, a German salesman, Joe Knipp came up with the name Fanta. 

Mayfair

In the UK version of Monopoly, the most expensive property is "Mayfair".

Multiplayer board game Monopoly has an economics focus. Players travel about the game board by rolling two dice, purchasing and selling properties, and then developing them with homes and hotels. Players try to bankrupt their rivals by collecting rent from them. Tax squares, Community Chest cards, and Chance cards are further ways to win or lose money. Every time they pass "Go," players are given a stipend, but they also risk becoming locked up and being unable to leave unless they fulfill one of three requirements. There are house rules, many variations in editions, several spin-offs, and associated media. Due to its local licensing in more than 103 countries and its publication in more than 37 languages, Monopoly has ingrained itself into the fabric of global popular culture. In 2015, it was projected that 275 million copies of the game had been sold globally.

The Landlord's Game, developed in the United States in 1903 by Lizzie Magie, is the source of Monopoly. Lizzie Magie used The Landlord's Game to advance Henry George's economic theories, particularly his views on taxation, and to show that an economy that rewards individuals is preferable to one in which monopolies hold all the wealth. Originally, there were two sets of rules for The Landlord's Game: one that included taxes and another on which the present regulations are mostly based. The less capitalistic taxation regulation was not there in the 1935 edition of Monopoly that Parker Brothers initially released, making for a more competitive game. Hasbro finally acquired Parker Brothers in 1991. The name of the game refers to the economic idea of a monopoly, which is the dominance of a market by a single business.

 

Challenger Deep

Located southeast of Guam within the Mariana Trench is the deepest known point in the Earth's oceans — the Challenger Deep. In 2010, it was measured at 36,070 feet below sea level — meaning if Mount Everest were placed at this location, it would be covered by over one mile of water!

3M

More than a century ago, 3M started as a small-scale mining venture in Northern Minnesota, named Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. The company was founded in 1902, and originally produced sandpaper. The St. Paul, Minnesota-based company, now makes a wide range of products covering areas from health care to consumer goods. The company produces approximately 60,000 products, including N95 respirator masks, Post-it notes, and Scotch tape. 3M is one of the 30 companies included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. 

Three's Company

The 1970s and 1980s were a golden era for TV theme songs, and Three's Company had one of the most memorable of all time. The theme song, "Come and knock on our door," was composed by Joe Raposo (known for his work on Sesame Street and The Electric Company) and performed by Ray Charles (not that Ray Charles!) and Julia Rinker. The producers of the show entertained the idea of having the cast sing at least part of the theme. In his own words, however, Raposo disclosed that the cast "...tried," but "they didn't even come close." 

MacBeth

If you’ve ever had a career in the arts, or know someone who has, you are likely aware that saying the word “Macbeth” inside a theatre is strictly taboo unless one is rehearsing or in the midst of performing Shakespeare’s dark tragedy. Doing so is almost universally believed to bring about bad luck or even disaster. To avoid the portentous curse, actors refer to the play as “The Scottish Play.” According to folklore, the play’s history of bad luck began with its first performance, when the actor scheduled to portray Lady Macbeth died suddenly and Shakespeare himself was forced to assume the role. 

Luciano Pavarotti

 

Being one of the Three Tenors, who had their first performance at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in front of a large international audience, Luciano Pavarotti rose to fame for his TV performances and public appearances. Italian operatic singer Luciano Pavarotti transitioned into popular music in his latter years of performing, and he went on to become one of the most renowned and beloved tenors of all time. He recorded several operas in their entirety as well as solo arias, becoming known all over the globe for his tone and earning the moniker "King of the High Cs."

Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, and Luciano Pavarotti made up the operatic vocal trio known as The Three Tenors in the 1990s and early 2000s. The three started working together with a performance in the historic Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy, on July 7, 1990, the night before the FIFA World Cup Final of 1990, which was seen by an estimated 800 million people worldwide. The sight of three tenors singing at a World Cup performance while wearing elegant evening attire mesmerized the whole world. This first concert's recording went on to become the all-time best-selling classical CD and inspired other appearances and live recordings. At three further World Cup Finals, in 1994 in Los Angeles, 1998 in Paris, and 2002 in Yokohama, they performed for a worldwide televised audience. They also performed in several other cities throughout the globe, often before big crowds in stadiums or other comparable sized facilities. They last performed together at an arena in Columbus, Ohio, on 28 September 2003.

The opera, Broadway, Neapolitan melodies, and pop classics were all represented in the Three Tenors' repertoire. The ballad "O Sole Mio," which all three tenors frequently performed together, and "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's opera Turandot were the group's hallmark songs. Pavarotti typically sang the former.

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” is one of the most admired and reproduced paintings in the world. While it has been reproduced by the masses in all different sizes, the original painting is, in fact, a whopping 15 feet wide by 29 feet long. If you want to see this painting in person, you won’t find it in a museum — instead, you’ll have to head to a convent in Milan, Italy, where it still hangs in its original place on the wall of the dining hall.

Erik the Red

Erik the Red was a Norwegian Viking known for discovering and colonizing Greenland. His flowing red hair and beard – which matched his hot tempered personality – earned him the nickname “Erik the Red.” He often clashed with his neighbors, and was even banished from both Norway and then Iceland. After being exiled from Iceland circa 980, he decided to explore the land to the west. He named the country Greenland in the belief that a good name would attract settlers. One of Erik's sons was the well-known Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson. 

Berry Gordy, Jr.

Responsible for reshaping popular music in the 20th century, Berry Gordy Jr. was the founder of the famous Motown Records. The record company was founded in 1959 and soon became the most successful African American enterprise in the United States, breathing life into musical acts such as The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Lionel Richie and Gladys Knight, just to name a few.

Turtles

 

The painted turtle is the most widespread native turtle of North America. It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The stinkpot turtle is a species of small turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species is native to southeastern Canada and much of the Eastern United States. The snapping turtle is native to the western hemisphere.

As members of the Testudines order of reptiles, turtles are distinguished by a shell that is mostly made from their ribs. The manner the head retracts distinguishes the two main subgroups of modern turtles, the concealed neck turtles and the side-necked turtles. Land-dwelling tortoises and freshwater terrapins are two of the 360 species of living and recently extinct turtles. Most of the world's continents, several islands, and, in the case of sea turtles, a sizable portion of the ocean, are home to them. Although many species are found in or near water, they do not deposit their eggs in it, unlike other reptiles, birds, and mammals. They also breathe air. The majority of the time, genetic evidence shows them to be closely related to birds and crocodilians.

The domed carapace on top and the flattened plastron, often known as the belly-plate, are both formed mostly of bone in turtle shells. Keratin scales, the same substance used to make hair, horns, and claws, coat its exterior. From ribs that expand sideways, the carapace bones form into wide, flat plates that link together to envelop the body. Being "cold-blooded" or ectotherms, turtles experience temperature changes in response to their immediate surroundings. They mostly consume plants and stationary animals and are often opportunistic omnivores. Every season, a lot of turtles travel short distances. Only sea turtles go across great distances to deposit their eggs on a preferred beach.

 

U.S. Quarter

 

The quarter, also known as a quarter dollar, is a coin that costs 25 cents, or one-quarter of a $1, in the United States. The currency has a portrait of George Washington on its obverse, and since 1998, the reverse's design has undergone several changes. It has been produced since 1796.

It is 0.069 inch thick and 0.955 inch in diameter. In its present form, a pure copper core is coated with two layers of cupronickel (75 percent copper, 25 percent nickel). The overall composition of the coin is 8.33 percent nickel, 91.67 percent copper, with the cupronickel layers making about 1/3 of the total weight. It is 5.670 grams in weight.

Sculptor John Flanagan created the first Washington quarter, which was used from 1932 until 1998. George Washington is seen facing left on the obverse, with the words "Liberty" over his head, the date below, and "In God We Trust" in the left field. On the reverse, an eagle with wings spread sits on a cluster of arrows, with two olive branches serving as its background.

Until increasing silver costs in 1964 caused a shift to the current cupronickel-clad-copper composition, which was also known as the "Johnson Sandwich" in honor of the then-president Lyndon B. Johnson, it was struck in 6.25 g of 90% fine silver. Each coin's production cost was 11.14 cents as of 2011.

Diamonds

 Carbon is a girl's best friend! Diamonds are found over 100 miles beneath the earth's surface and are almost 100% carbon. The immense heat and pressure far below the earth’s surface cause the carbon atoms to bond in a unique way, resulting in a diamond's beautiful crystalline structure. Diamonds are also the hardest natural substance — the only thing that can scratch a diamond is another diamond!

Felix Mendelssohn

 Felix Mendelssohn's "Wedding March", was written in 1842 as part of his suite of incidental music for a production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. At weddings in many English-speaking countries, it is commonly performed as the bridal party files out at the end of the service. It is frequently teamed with Richard Wagner's "Here Comes the Bride." This piece only became widely used in weddings after Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Victoria, The Princess Royal, used it when she married the Crown Prince of Prussia in 1858.

Steven Spielberg

  Steven Spielberg first enrolled at Cal State Long Beach in 1965, but dropped out three years later to pursue a career in filmmaking. Having already taken a majority of degree requirements, Spielberg decided to re-enroll at the university in 2001. To pass his advanced filmmaking class exam, Spielberg submitted his epic, Schindler's List. Schindler's List not only earned Spielberg Academy Awards for best director and best film, but it also satisfied his most important film school requirement. In 2002, 35 years after starting his college career, Spielberg finally received his bachelor's degree in Film and Electronic Arts.

Rock Star Sting

 Born Gordon Sumner in 1951, Sting led a somewhat pedestrian life before becoming the music legend that he is today. He first worked as a bus conductor and tax officer, before qualifying as a teacher in 1974. Sumner got his start in music by performing jazz in his spare time — the name “Sting” came from a favorite yellow and black shirt that apparently made him look like a wasp.

Skin Cells

 Does thinking about this make your skin crawl? Ours, too. The epidermis (upper layer of skin) is consistently replacing itself. Skin cells usually last around 2-3 weeks. While that sounds extreme, the epidermis is not the only one renewing itself — the cells in your colon die off even faster, with four day life spans. On the other hand, not all cells replace themselves. Brain cells typically last an entire lifetime… which is good news, because most of us aren't in the market to be losing brain cells!

Hundred Years' War

 The Hundred Years' War was a series of armed conflicts that pitted the kingdoms of France and England against each other during the Late Middle Ages. Despite its name, the war actually lasted for 116 years, between 1337 and 1453. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English royal House of Plantagenet and the French royal House of Valois. During the war, five generations of kings from two rival dynasties fought for the throne of the largest kingdom in Western Europe. The war was eventually won by the French at the Battle of Castillon.

Roman Numeral "C"

 

The number 100 is represented by the letter "C" in Roman numerals.

Roman numerals are a numbering system that originated in ancient Rome and was widely used across Europe until the late Middle Ages. Combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet are used to represent numbers in this system.

Long after the Roman Empire fell apart, Roman numerals were still used. Roman numerals started to be phased out in favor of Arabic numbers in the 14th century; however, this transition was slow, and Roman numerals are still used in certain applications today. Clock faces are one of the most common places where they may be found.

Instead of using place value notation, Roman numerals utilize a set of symbols with defined values, including "built in" powers of ten. Tally-like combinations of these fixed symbols correspond to Arabic numerals' digits. This structure allows for a lot of variation in notation, and there are a lot of them.

Roman numerals have never had an official or widely recognized standard. In ancient Rome, use fluctuated widely, and in medieval times, it became completely chaotic. Even the reinstatement of a fully "classical" notation in the post-renaissance period failed to achieve entire uniformity; in fact, some current authors advocate different forms as providing more "flexibility."

Croissant

 While most people believe that the croissant comes from France, it actually originated in Vienna, Austria. According to legend and lore, the Austrian kipfel — a crescent-shaped pastry made with butter, lard, and sometimes sugar and almonds — was created in 1683 during a celebration of the defeat of Ottoman soldiers who had attempted to invade the city.

Wendy the Snapple Lady

  If you were alive during the '90s, you probably remember "Wendy the Snapple Lady." Sitting behind a desk that was too tall for her and addressing the camera at eye level, Wendy Kaufman read and answered real Snapple fan mail in the company's television commercials. Her witty responses and thick New York accent helped put Snapple on the pop culture map. The ads were a blend of TV reality and everyday humor with a touch of Americana. During the ad campaign, Snapple's sales increased from $232 million in 1992 to $674 million in 1994.

Pebbles, the World's Oldest Dog

 Pebbles, a 4-pound Toy Fox Terrier, holds the title for the world's oldest living dog at an astonishing 22 years and 59 days old. According to a press release from Guinness World Records on Thursday, Pebbles was born on March 28, 2000, and resides in Taylor, South Carolina. Pebbles apparently enjoys listening to country music while resting in warm weather. The distinguished dog, however, is nowhere near the record for the oldest dog ever. That dog was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey, who died in 1939 at the age of 29 years and 5 months. 

Jack Lemmon

 

Jack Lemmon starred in the film, due to his success in the movie "Some Like It Hot".

Billy Wilder directed and produced The Apartment, a 1960 American romantic comedy film based on a screenplay he co-wrote with I. A. L. Diamond. Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Jack Kruschen, David Lewis, Willard Waterman, David White, Hope Holiday, and Edie Adams are among the cast members.

The story follows an insurance clerk who, in the hopes of moving up the corporate ladder, allows more senior employees to engage adulterous romances in his Upper West Side apartment. In his office building, he is drawn to the elevator operator. He is completely unaware that she is having an affair with his direct boss.

Despite criticism over its subject matter, United Artists released The Apartment to critical and economic success. It was 1960's eighth biggest earning picture. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won five of them, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. Oscar nominations were given to Lemmon, MacLaine, and Kruschen. For their roles, Lemmon and MacLaine received Golden Globe nominations. Promises, Promises, a 1968 Broadway musical by Burt Bacharach, Hal David, and Neil Simon, was based on it.

Wadsworth Atheneum

The Wadsworth Atheneum, located in Hartford, Connecticut, is the oldest public art museum in the U. S. It was founded in 1842 by Daniel Wadsworth, an amateur artist, architect, and patron of the arts who was heir to a fortune created by his merchant father. In an unusual move for the time, Wadsworth focused on collecting and promoting American painting, including a young artist named Thomas Cole — later known as the founder of the Hudson River School.

Ray Liotta

 Ray Liotta, who became a gangster-movie icon in "Goodfellas" and brought an old-time baseball legend back to life in "Field of Dreams," has died. Liotta died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic while filming the upcoming movie "Dangerous Waters." He was known for his roles as Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams (1989), Henry Hill in Goodfellas (1990), and Paul Krendler in Hannibal (2001). Liotta took on other tough roles in movies such as Unlawful Entry (1992), No Escape (1994), Cop Land (1997), and the recent "Sopranos" prequel "The Many Saints of Newark."

Beets

 

Beetroot, also known as the table beet, garden beet, red beet, or dinner beet, is the taproot section of a beet plant, which is often referred to as beets in North America whereas the food is referred to as beetroot in British English.

The domestication of beetroot may be traced back to the appearance of an allele that allows for biennial leaf and taproot harvesting. Beetroot was domesticated in the ancient Middle East, where it was produced by the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans for their greens. It is supposed that they were also farmed for their roots by the Roman period. Beetroot has been utilized as a cure for a range of ailments since the Middle Ages, particularly digestive and blood-related disorders. To counteract the affects of "garlic-breath," Bartolomeo Platina suggested eating beetroot with garlic.

Ruby Queen beets are spherical, smooth-skinned beets, which are very delicate and have an earthy beet taste. They're ring-less and deep crimson, and when canned or pickled, they keep their color. It's an early maturing type that thrives on poor soils and maintains its shape even when overcrowded. Ruby Queen, like other beet types, loves lower temps.

Golden or yellow beets, are heart-healthy, great kidney and body cleanser, rich in potent antioxidants, decrease blood pressure, lower cholesterol, alleviate anemia and weariness, and more.

Avalanche beets are a tasty white beet that won't leave stains. Avalanche produces huge, spherical roots with clean, robust crowns on a continuous basis.

Eggo Frozen Waffles

 A delightful cross between "frozen" and "waffles," the original name for America's beloved toaster treat is one for the books. When the Eggo brand (originally known for producing mayonnaise) first introduced Froffles in 1953, it was to meet the growing demand for frozen food. Consumers weren’t buying waffle mix anymore, so to stay relevant, the company transitioned from a powdered waffle mix to the frozen form we've come to know and love. A campaign in the early 1970s introduced the famous rhyming slogan “Leggo My Eggo,” leading the waffles to overwhelming nationwide success.

Pele

 

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known worldwide as Pelé, is a retired professional soccer player from Brazil who played as a striker. He was one of the most successful and popular sports stars of the twentieth century, regarded as one of the best players of all time and dubbed "the greatest" by FIFA. The International Olympic Committee honored him Athlete of the Century in 1999, and Time named him one of the 100 most influential individuals of the twentieth century. Pelé was named World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics in 2000, and was one of two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century award that year. His total of 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, including friendly, is a Guinness World Record.

Pelé joined Santos at the age of 15 and the Brazil national team at the age of 16. He was the first player to win three FIFA World Cups throughout his international career: 1958, 1962, and 1970. With 77 goals in 92 appearances, Pelé is Brazil's all-time best goalscorer. He is Santos' all-time leading goalscorer with 643 goals in 659 appearances. Santos won the Copa Libertadores in 1962 and 1963, as well as the Intercontinental Cup in 1962 and 1963, during a great period for the club. Pelé is credited with coining the term "The Beautiful Game" to refer to football. His "electrifying skill and predilection for spectacular goals" made him a global celebrity, and his teams traveled globally to capitalize on his success. Pelé was the best-paid athlete in the world for a time during his playing career. Pelé has become a global ambassador for football since his retirement in 1977, as well as a successful actor and businessman. He was elected Honorary President of the New York Cosmos in 2010.

Pelé, who scored almost a goal per game during his career, could strike the ball with either foot and read his opponents' moves on the pitch. While mostly a striker, he can also drop deep and take on a play-maker role, delivering assists with his vision and passing abilities, as well as going past opponents with his dribbling talents.

Edgar Allan Poe

 Edgar Allan Poe is most renowned for his horror stories, but he is also credited with creating the first detective story. Poe's story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," first published in 1841, follows main character C. Auguste Dupin as he solves the mysterious deaths of two women. Dupin would appear in two more Poe stories, “The Mystery of Marie Roget” and “The Purloined Letter.” Nearly forty-five years after Poe’s death, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle popularized the detective story when he created Sherlock Holmes, a character with peculiarities similar to Poe’s Dupin. Like Holmes, Dupin also smoked a pipe, and had a somewhat dim-witted sidekick.

Tiger Woods

 

Eldrick "Tiger" Woods is a professional golfer from the United States. He is tied for first most PGA Tour victories, second in men's major championships, and boasts a slew of other golf records. Woods is generally recognized as one of the all-time great golfers and one of the most renowned sportsmen in contemporary history. The World Golf Hall of Fame has inducted him.

Woods went professional in 1996 at the age of 20 after an impressive junior, college, and amateur golf career. He had won three PGA Tour tournaments by the end of April 1997, in addition to his first major, the 1997 Masters, which he won by a record-breaking 12 shots. In June 1997, little than a year after going pro, he became world number one for the first time. Woods was the dominating force in golf throughout the first decade of the twenty-first century. From August 1999 to September 2004, and again from June 2005 to October 2010, he was the world's number one golfer. During this period, he won 13 major championships in golf.

Woods has a slew of golf records. He has been the world's number one player for the most weeks in a row and for the most weeks overall of any golfer in history. He has won the PGA Player of the Year title an unprecedented 11 times and the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average an unprecedented eight times. Woods has won the most money in 10 separate seasons. He has won 15 major professional golf tournaments and 82 PGA Tour events. Woods has the most major and PGA Tour victories of any current golfer. Woods is the youngest player in history to complete the career Grand Slam. He is also the second golfer in history to complete the Grand Slam three times in his career.

Whole Milk

 Whole milk isn't made wholly of fat, or largely of fat, or even substantially of fat. In fact, it doesn't contain much fat all. Whole milk is actually only about 3.5 percent fat, and it’s the closest to the way it comes out of the cow. There also are other options for those who have different health needs or taste preferences, including reduced-fat (2 percent), low-fat (1 percent) and fat-free milk. Whole milk sales have dropped more than 61 percent since 1975 according to data from the USDA. Over that same period, 2 percent milk sales have more than doubled, and 1 percent and nonfat milk sales have nearly tripled.

John Steinbeck

 

John Steinbeck was an American novelist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962 "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception."  

He wrote 33 books throughout his literary career, including 16 novels, six non-fiction volumes, and two collections of short tales, one of which he coauthored with Edward Ricketts. He is most known for his comedic novels Tortilla Flat and Cannery Row, as well as the multi-generational epic East of Eden and novellas The Red Pony and Of Mice and Men. The Grapes of Wrath, which won the Pulitzer Prize, is regarded Steinbeck's masterwork and an important part of the American literary canon. It sold 14 million copies in the first 75 years following its publication.

The majority of Steinbeck's works are situated in central California, namely the Salinas Valley and the California Coast Ranges. His writings typically addressed issues of destiny and injustice, particularly as they related to poor or everyday characters.

The Grapes of Wrath is set during the Great Depression and tells the story of the Joads, a family of sharecroppers who were forced to flee their farm owing to the Dust Bowl's dust storms. The Battle Hymn of the Republic is referenced in the title. Some reviewers thought it was too sympathetic to workers' predicament and overly critical of capitalism, yet it drew a sizable audience. It was turned into a film starring Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell, directed by John Ford, and won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

The Knack

The Knack was an American rock band based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with its first single, "My Sharona", an international number-one hit in 1979. The band's debut album, Get the Knack, was one of the year's best-selling albums, holding the number one spot on Billboard magazine's album chart for five consecutive weeks and selling two million copies in the United States. The lead single, "My Sharona", was a No. 1 hit in the US, and became the number-one song of 1979. Today, it still ranks as one of the biggest selling singles of the rock era.

The Battle of Princeton

 The Battle of Princeton was a pivotal battle of the American Revolutionary War, in which General George Washington's revolutionary forces defeated the British forces near Princeton, New Jersey. The American victory at the Battle of Princeton was one of the most consequential of the American Revolution. George Washington and his soldiers marched north from Trenton and attacked a British force south of the town, demonstrating that his amateur army could defeat the British. Part of the battlefield is now preserved in Princeton Battlefield State Park, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961.

States that Border New York State

 New York State borders six U.S. states: Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, and Connecticut, Rhode Island (across Long Island Sound), Massachusetts, and Vermont to the east. New York also borders the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec to the north.

Cabbage Patch Dolls

 When Appalachian artist Xavier Roberts started handcrafting a line of fabric sculpture dolls in the late 1970s, he developed an elaborate mythology to go alongside his creations. The Little People, as he originally called them, were “adopted,” not sold, and were “babies” or “kids,” not dolls. Each one was unique, with its own combination of features and a special name. They came directly from “Babyland General Hospital” in Cleveland, Georgia, with birth certificates and adoption papers.

Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire"

 "We Didn't Start the Fire" is a song written and performed by Billy Joel. A list song, its fast-paced lyrics include brief references to 118 significant political, cultural, scientific, and sporting events between 1949, the year of Joel's birth, and 1989, in chronological order. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became Joel's third single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1989. The song begins with the opening line: "Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray, South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio."

Irving Berlin

 “Blue skies smiling at me, nothing but blue skies do I see.” Irving Berlin wrote “Blue Skies” in 1926 after the birth of his daughter. The song became a hit with audiences after singer Belle Baker performed it in the Broadway production of “Betsy.” But “Blue Skies” really took off after Al Jolson performed it in the groundbreaking film “The Jazz Singer” in 1927.

George W. Bush

  As the son of a former President, George W. Bush entered the White House with a pre-existing codename from the Secret Service. However, Bush despised his codename "Tumbler," which many believed was a reference to his younger partying days. While the Secret Service is usually very strict about changing codenames, they granted Bush's request and changed his codename to "Trailblazer." His wife Laura was dubbed "Tempo," the elder Bush was given the codename "Timberwolf," and his mother Barbara, was codenamed "Tranquility."

Aioli

 

Aioli is a garlic, salt, olive oil, and sometimes egg-based sauce that may be found in the cuisines of the northwest Mediterranean, from Andalusia to Calabria.

In Catalan, Provençal, and Italian, the names signify "garlic and oil." It may be found in the cuisines of Spain, France, and Italy, as well as Malta's Mediterranean beaches. It's also known in the Middle East as "Toom," which translates to "garlic." It's produced by blending garlic cloves and emulsifying them with oil to form a creamy, mayonnaise-like mixture. It's often accompanied with rotisserie chicken.

Some forms of the sauce are more like to a garlic mayonnaise, including egg yolks and lemon juice, while others are thinner and include more garlic. There are several variants, including the addition of lemon juice or other ingredients. It may include mustard in France. It's best to eat it at room temperature. Aioli, like mayonnaise, is made up of minute globules of oil and oil-soluble components suspended in water and water-soluble compounds. Purists in Spain feel that aioli should not include egg, whereas egg or egg yolk is the most common emulsifier in France and elsewhere.

All flavored mayonnaises have been referred to as aioli in the United States since about 1990. Although purists argue that flavored mayonnaise may include garlic, real aioli comprises just garlic and no other seasonings.

Margaret Thatcher

 

Margaret Hilda Thatcher was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to hold that office. A Soviet journalist dubbed her "The 'Iron Lady'", a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style. As Prime Minister, she implemented policies known as Thatcherism.

She studied chemistry at Somerville College, Oxford, and worked briefly as a research chemist, before becoming a barrister. Thatcher was elected Member of Parliament for Finchley in 1959. Edward Heath appointed her Secretary of State for Education and Science in his Conservative government. In 1975, Thatcher defeated Heath in the Conservative Party leadership election to become Leader of the Opposition, the first woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom. She became Prime Minister after winning the 1979 general election.

Table Salt

 Chemically, table salt consists of two elements, sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl). Neither element occurs separately and free in nature, but are found bound together as the compound sodium chloride. Salt is essential for life in general, and saltiness is one of the basic human tastes. Salt has over 14,000 known uses. Manufacturing textiles, glass, rubber, leather, even drilling oil wells, depends on salt. Common uses of salt include seasoning of food, deicing for safe roads, softening hard water, and food preservation.

Jeff Goldblum

 

Jeff Goldblum is an actor and musician from the United States. Jurassic Park and Independence Day, as well as its respective sequels, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Independence Day: Resurgence, were among the highest-grossing films of his age.

Jurassic Park, subsequently shortened to Jurassic World, is an American science fiction media franchise about a failed effort to build a cloned dinosaur amusement park. It all started in 1990, when Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment purchased the rights to Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park book before it was released. The novel, as well as Steven Spielberg's 1993 film version, was a hit. The film was re-released in 3D in theaters in 2013, and the Library of Congress chose it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2018 as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important." The Lost World, a sequel book published in 1995, was adapted into a film in 1997. Following films in the franchise, such as Jurassic Park III, are not based on the books.

Independence Day, directed by Roland Emmerich and written by Emmerich and Dean Devlin, is a 1996 American science fiction action film. Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, James Rebhorn, Harvey Fierstein, and Harry Connick Jr. are among the ensemble cast members. In the aftermath of a global assault by an alien species, diverse groups of humanity congregate in the Nevada desert. On July 4th, the United States' Independence Day, they start a counter-offensive with the rest of the globe.

Truth Social

 Truth Social is a social media platform founded by former President Donald Trump. The app launched last week and immediately shot to the top of Apple's most-downloaded list — but complaints quickly rolled in, including a buggy registration process, long waitlists, and sign-up glitches. After he was banned from Facebook and Twitter in 2021, Trump raised the prospect of building a new social media platform. The app is Twitter-like in its features and design, allowing users to build custom profiles, follow others and create posts, which the app calls "Truths" and "Re-Truths" instead of tweets and retweets.

Acorns

 

Oak trees produce acorns as their fruit. There are hundreds of species of oak trees worldwide, with roughly 90 endemic to the United States. Acorns are simple to gather. They keep well and are pretty easy to prepare. The majority of acorn species, similar to wheat and maize, have no taste. As a result, they may be employed in a number of situations. For millennia, these features are likely to have made them a key food source. Ancient peoples such as the Assyrians and Greeks, as well as Chinese and Native Americans, ate them on a daily basis.

An oak is a member of the Fagaceae (beech) family of trees. Oaks are found in about 500 different species. The common term "oak" may also be found in the names of species in adjacent genera, such as Lithocarpus (stone oaks), as well as unrelated species like Grevillea robusta (silky oaks) and the Casuarinaceae (she-oaks). Quercus is a genus of deciduous and evergreen trees endemic to the Northern Hemisphere, with species ranging from chilly temperate to tropical climates in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and North Africa. With around 160 species in Mexico, 109 of which are indigenous, and about 90 in the United States, North America contains the most oak species. China has the second-highest diversity of oak species, with over 100 species.

Many species of oak have spirally arranged leaves with lobate edges; others have serrated or whole leaves with smooth margins. Many deciduous trees are marcescent, meaning they don't lose their dead leaves until the spring. A single oak tree produces both male and female flowers (in the form of catkins) in the spring, indicating that the trees are monoecious. The fruit is an acorn or oak nut that grows in a cup-like structure called a cupule. Each acorn carries one seed (sometimes two or three) and matures in 6–18 months, depending on the species. Tannic acid is found in the acorns and leaves, which serves to protect the tree against fungus and insects. Live oaks are known for their evergreen nature, however they are not a separate species and are found across the genus.

The Dodo Bird's Native Region

 This famously extinct avian species may not be trotting around our planet anymore, but the dodo has certainly left an ecological imprint. If you've ever wondered just where the dodo bird disappeared from, the answer is Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island nation known for waterfalls and lush landscapes. Sailors claimed to have found white dodos on the nearby French-owned island known as Réunion, but it is now believed that they mistook a species of large, flightless ibis for a new species of dodo bird.

Japan's Native Religion: Shintoism

 

Shinto is a Japanese religion that dates back to the eighth century. Scholars of religion classify it as an East Asian religion, yet it is commonly referred to as Japan's indigenous religion and a natural religion by its adherents. Scholars refer to its believers as Shintoists, but they seldom use that label themselves. Shinto is not governed by a central authority, and its practitioners are quite diverse.

Shinto is a polytheistic religion centered on the kami, celestial beings that are said to pervade everything. Shinto is considered animistic because of the connection between the kami and the natural world. At kamidana domestic shrines, family shrines, and jinja public shrines, the kami are worshipped. The latter are staffed by kannushi priests who manage food and drink offerings to the particular kami enshrined at that place. This is done to promote peace between people and kami, as well as to ask for their blessing. Kagura dances, rites of passage, and seasonal celebrations are all typical rituals. Public shrines also provide religious accoutrements, such as amulets, to followers of the faith and assist divination. Shinto lays a strong emphasis on maintaining cleanliness, which is achieved primarily via cleansing rituals such as ceremonial washing and bathing, particularly before worship. Although the deceased are thought capable of becoming kami, there is no focus on precise moral rules or afterlife beliefs. The religion does not have a singular founder or theological document, although it does exist in a variety of local and regional forms.

Shinto is largely practiced in Japan, where there are about 100,000 public shrines, although it is also practiced in other countries. It is Japan's biggest religion in terms of numbers, with Buddhism coming in second. The majority of the country's population participates in both Shinto and Buddhist events, particularly festivals, indicating a popular idea in Japanese society that various faiths' beliefs and practices do not have to be mutually incompatible. Shinto elements have also been adopted into a number of contemporary Japanese religious groupings.

Paul Newman's Cool Hand Luke

 If you are a fan of Paul Newman's movies, you are probably familiar with the iconic scene in the film "Cool Hand Luke," where Newman's character, Luke Jackson, eats 50 hard-boiled eggs to win a bet. The wager happens when Cool Hand Luke brags to his fellow inmates that he can eat 50 hard-boiled eggs in one hour. His boast is met with one of the more famous lines in the movie: "Nobody can eat 50 eggs." But Cool Hand Luke manages to pull it off, and win the bet. When Paul Newman was asked how many eggs he consumed while filming the scene, he revealed to a reporter, "I never swallowed an egg."

Ulysses S. Grant

 The 18th U.S. president, Ulysses S. Grant, is featured on the obverse of the United States fifty-dollar bill ($50). President Grant is the only person depicted on the front of circulating U.S. paper currency that does not have a last name ending with the letter "N." The faces on every U.S. bill in circulation include five American presidents and two founding fathers. They are as follows: George Washington ($1), Thomas Jefferson ($2), Abraham Lincoln ($5), Alexander Hamilton ($10), Andrew Jackson ($20), Ulysses S. Grant ($50), and Benjamin Franklin ($100).

United Arab Emirates

 

The Burj Al Arab is a five-star luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is one of the world's tallest hotels, despite the fact that 39 percent of its overall height is non-occupable space. It is managed by the Jumeirah hotel company. Burj Al Arab is located on an artificial island 280 meters (920 feet) off Jumeirah Beach, with a private curving bridge connecting it to the mainland. The structure's form is intended to imitate a ship's sail. At a height of 689 feet above earth, it contains a helipad near the roof.

Chicago Beach was the original name for the coastal region where the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are located. The hotel is situated on a reclaimed island 920 feet offshore from the previous Chicago Beach Hotel's beach. The name of the location comes from the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, which used to weld massive floating oil storage tanks known as Kazzans on the site.

Murray & Roberts, now Concor and Al Habtoor Engineering, a South African construction company, built the hotel. The interior designs were led and produced by KCA International's Khuan Chew and John Coralan, and the project was completed by the UAE-based Depa Group. The structure first opened its doors on December 1, 1999.

Ford Lincoln

  On February 4, 1922, Lincoln Motor Company was acquired by Ford Motor Company for $8 million. Lincoln became the luxury vehicle division of the American auto company Ford. Henry Ford had previously designed several luxury vehicles within the Ford name but wanted to have a standalone luxury brand to make them under. Thus, the Lincoln brand was born and has been Ford's exclusive luxury brand ever since. Lincoln Motor Company was founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland, who named it after Abraham Lincoln, stating that Lincoln was the first President for whom he ever voted (1864).

Finland's Wife-Carrying Sport

 

The International Wife Carrying Championships are held every year in the small village of Sonkajaervi, Finland. Husbands must carry their spouses along a course with several obstacles during this tournament.

The track is 250 meters long and includes many terrestrial obstacles as well as a 1-meter deep swimming pool.

Carrying can be done in a variety of ways, including the standard piggyback, the fireman's carry (over the shoulder), or the Estonian-style carry (wife upside-down on his back with her legs over the neck and shoulders).

Also known as Eukonkanto, it has its origins in Finland. There are legends about a guy named Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen (aka Ronkainen the Robber). In the late 1800s, this man was a bandit who resided in a forest and roamed around with his gang of thieves creating havoc in the communities. There are three theories as to why/how this sport was formed, based on what has been discovered. To begin with, Rosvo-Ronkainen and his gang were suspected of stealing food and kidnapping women from villages in the region where he resided, then fleeing with the ladies on their backs (hence the "wife" or woman carrying). The second theory proposes that young men take women from nearby villages and force them to marry, frequently women who are already married. These spouses were also carried on the backs of the young men, a practice referred to as "wife theft." Finally, there's the theory that Rosvo-Ronkainen taught his robbers to be "faster and stronger" by making them carry large, heavy bags on their backs, which led to the creation of this sport. Despite the fact that the sport is sometimes mocked, athletes treat it with the same seriousness as any other sport.

Pepsi-Cola

 In the small town of New Bern, North Carolina, a local pharmacist named Caleb Bradham devised the original formula of what would become Pepsi-Cola. When Pepsi was founded in 1898, it was known as “Brad’s Drink,” a staple of Bradham's pharmacy that was believed to improve digestion and ease an upset stomach. As his beverage gained popularity, Bradham decided to rename it, eventually settling on "Pepsi-Cola." Alluding to its humble roots in New Bern, “Born in the Carolinas” became an official trademark and enduring slogan of Pepsi Cola.

Winston Churchill

 

The "British Bulldog" was Winston Churchill's nickname. Churchill resembled a bulldog with his jowly face and stocky frame, but he was also known for refusing to give up the battle against the Nazis. He was known as the "British Bulldog" by the Soviets.

Winston Churchill was a British leader who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945, and again from 1951 to 1955, during World War II. Churchill was a Sandhurst-educated soldier, a Nobel Prize-winning writer and historian, a prolific painter, and one of the longest-serving politicians in British history. He was best known for his wartime leadership as Prime Minister, but he was also a Sandhurst-educated soldier, a Nobel Prize-winning writer and historian, a prolific painter, and one of the longest-serving politicians in British history. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1900 to 1964, save for two years between 1922 and 1924, when he represented five seats. He was a member of the Conservative Party for the majority of his career, however he was a member of the Liberal Party from 1904 to 1924. He was an economic liberal and imperialist.

Churchill was born in Oxfordshire to a rich, aristocratic family of mixed English and American ancestry. In 1895, he enlisted in the British Army and served in British India, the Anglo-Sudan War, and the Second Boer War, garnering notoriety as a war journalist and author of books on his experiences. In 1900, he was elected as a Conservative MP, but in 1904, he switched to the Liberals.

During his "wilderness years" in the 1930s, while he was out of office, Churchill spearheaded the charge for British rearmament to fight the increasing menace of militarism in Nazi Germany. He was re-appointed First Lord of the Admiralty at the onset of World War II. He succeeded Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister in May 1940.

Churchill, widely regarded as one of the most important people of the twentieth century, remains popular in the United Kingdom and the Western world, where he is viewed as a victorious wartime commander who played a key part in protecting Europe's liberal democracy against the development of fascism. He's also known for being a social reformer. He has, however, been chastised for various wartime events, most notably the aerial bombing of German towns and his government's reaction to the Bengal famine, as well as his imperialist ideas, including racial remarks.

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman

 They were the Hollywood "it" couple of the 1990s. When A-list actor Tom Cruise made the film "Days of Thunder," he fell in love with his little-known love interest, Australian actress Nicole Kidman, and the couple married on Christmas Eve in 1990. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman fascinated Hollywood and dominated magazine covers during their marriage. They even made two more acclaimed movies together: 1992's "Far and Away" and 1999's "Eyes Wide Shut." Cruise filed for divorce from Kidman in February 2001, while she was unknowingly pregnant. The pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.

Sphygmomanometer

 

A sphygmomanometer, also known as a blood pressure monitor or blood pressure gauge, is a blood pressure measuring device that consists of an inflatable cuff that is used to collapse and then release the artery under the cuff in a controlled manner, as well as a mercury or aneroid manometer to measure the pressure. When employing the auscultatory approach, manual sphygmomanometers are utilized in conjunction with a stethoscope.

An inflating cuff, a measurement device (the mercury manometer, or aneroid gauge), and an inflation mechanism (either a manually driven bulb and valve or an electrically operated pump) make up a sphygmomanometer.

In the year 1881, Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von Basch created the sphygmomanometer. In 1896, Scipione Riva-Rocci created a more user-friendly version. In 1901, pioneering neurosurgeon Dr. Harvey Cushing took an example of Riva-gadget Rocci's to the US, modified it and promoted it among the medical community. Following the discovery of "Korotkoff sounds" by Russian physician Nikolai Korotkov in 1905, diastolic blood pressure measurements were added. While working at The Life Extension Institute, which performed insurance and job physicals, William A. Baum established the Baumanometer brand in 1916. Donald Nunn created the first completely automated oscillometric blood pressure cuff in 1981.