Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia Teasers

Q: On July 31, 1930, the radio show "The Shadow" debutted. At first, the Shadow was the narrator for changing stories, but later became a character in his own adventures. He had the ability to cloud men's minds so they could not see him and he knew what evil lurked in the hearts of men. Who played the Shadow?

A: Orson Welles.

Q: The cornerstone was laid for the first US government building on July 31, 1792. What building was it?

A: The US Mint. And just think, this year it'll be paid off - if we can borrow the money.

Alan Rock's Trivia Teasers

Q: As a child, what soap did actor Lawrence Fishburne appear regularly?

A: "One Life to Live," for four years starting at age 9.

Q: According to research in both California and England, which is most likely to anticipate in advance when its owner will arrive home?
(a) a dog (b) a cat (c) a geribl

A: A dog.

Q: The US Table Tennis Association wanted t ocall its sport Ping-Pong. Why were they unable to do so?

A: Parker Brothers already owned the rights to the name.

Q: Who was the first left-handed US president?

A: James Garfield

Q: Who was the only US president who never went to school?

A: Andrew Johnson

Friday, July 27, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia

Q: Who was the only United States President to give an inaugural address without using the word "I"?
A: Theodore Roosevelt.

Q: Who was the only person to serve as Speaker of the House and U.S. President?
A: James K. Polk.

Q: Who was the first movie comic to be hit in the face with a pie?
A: Fatty Arbuckle. Mabel Normand flung it in "A Noise from the Deep," a 1913 silent film.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia

The first U.S. Postmaster General was appointed on July 26, 1753. Who was it? A: Benjamin Franklin. Franklin believed the Post Office should provide fast, efficient service, and he was appointed Postmaster General anyway. But he didn't keep the job long. When he asked for a raise, Congress told him to go fly a kite.

Only July 26, 1984, the first network television program was telecast in stereo. What show was it? A: "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson"

In Iceland, what should you not do in a restaurant? A: You should not tip the waiter. In Iceland, tipping at a restaurant is considered an insult.

What is the national bird of India? A: The peacock

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia

On July 25, 1978, a baby called Louise was born in England. It was a historic birth. Why? A: She was the world's first "test tube" baby (conceived outside her mother's womb).

If it closes its eyes when it swallows, you know its a: (a) frog; (b) rabbit; (c) turtle? A: Frog

You are suffering from taresthesia. What is your problem? A: Your foot's asleep.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia Teaser

Q: On July 24, 1998, a movie opened in US theatres starring Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, and Tom Sizemore. Can you name it?

A: Saving Private Ryan

Q: William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman's creator, also invented something; what was it

A: The lie detector, so obviously everything he wrote about Wonder Woman was true.

Q: Which musical instrument do more Americans prefer to play?

A: Piano. Guitar is #2, organ #3, then flute, clarinet, drums, trumpet, violin, harmonica, and sax in that order.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia Teasers

Q: According to Christian History magazine, which US state was the last to dis-establish a state-sponsored church?

A: Massachusetts, in 1833.

Q: Who said, "Men occassionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened."?

A: Winston Churchill.

Q: What cowboy show debuted on CBS-TV on July 23, 1950? The show also starred comic sidekick Pat Buttram and Champion, the Wonder Horse.

A: "The Gene Autry Show." Gene did alright for a cowboy who wore his pant legs inside his boots and chewed Doublemint gum. Both of whom were trained not to whinny while Gene was singing.

Alan Rock's Trivia Teasers

Q: July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. One small step for space exploration - one giant leap for those "one small step, one giant leap" jokes I like to tell. But who was the second man to walk on the moon?

A: Buzz Aldrin became the second man to walk on the moon. He didn't say anything about small steps or giant leaps. He just said, "Yeah, whatever."

Q: We all know that on July 20, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. What were the first words transmitted from the moon?

A: "Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed."

Q: You are a hedenophobic. What do you have an abnormal fear of?

A: Pleasure.

Q: What invention did humorist Mark Twain patent in 1871?

A: Suspenders.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia Teasers

Q: A man who became an inventor who was important to cowboys in the "Old West" was born on July 19, 1814. Who was that?

A: Samuel Colt - inventor of the six-shooter. For the first time in history you could shoot yourself six times without reloading.

Q: In Atlanta, what is it illegal to tie to a telephone pole or street lamp?

A: A giraffe.

Q: According to Vitality magazine, how many pounds of trash will the average American inhale this year?

A: 81 pounds of pollution, pollen, and assorted debris will be filtered through your lungs this year.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia Teasers

Q: According to legend, it was July 18, AD 64 that Emperor Nero played his fiddle as Rome burned. That was not possible. Why?

A: The fiddle (violin) had not been invented yet. He may have played a lyre, an ancient string instrument - but certainly not a fiddle!

Q: Who was the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth?

A: John Glenn. He's a classy guy. He doesn't brag about his exploits in space. And most of all - he's classy because he doesn't talk about that astronaut diaper thing.

Alan Rock\s

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia

July 17, 1955 was a big day for happy people. Why? A: Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California. "The Happiest Place on Earth". It's a make-believe world filled with goofy characters where dreams can come true -- sort of like Washington, D.C.

Why was July 17, 1954, a big day for jazz lovers? A: The first Newport Jazz Festival opened.

Originally, what did Phyllis Diller hope to become? A: A concert pianist. She attended Chicago's Sherwood Music Conservatory.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia

Which of United States is the only one-syllabled U.S. state? A: Maine.

On July 16, 1963 the U.S. Postal Service began using ZIP codes. There are 43,000 5-digit zip codes. What does ZIP mean? A: ZIP means zone improvement plan.

What happened on July 16, 1945 at Alamogordo, New Mexico? A: The detonation of the first nuclear bomb. The shock waves were so powerful, women at a lake resort 40 miles away had the tops blown off their swimsuits. These women were the first victims of fallout. And the whole world said, "What was that?" Which brings up the questions: If you're testing a nuclear bomb, and it doesn't explode, what do you do --kick it?

The first automatic parking meter was installed on July 16, 1935. In what city? A: In Oklahoma City. Today all cities use automatic parking meters. When your parking meter expires, the meter maid automatically gets to your car before you do.

Alan Rock's Trivia - 7/13/07

Depressed at how his career was going, in the ealy '70s Harrison Ford quit acting and became a what? A: A carpenter.

Which meat is the leanest and has the lowest percentage of calories from fat? A: Buffalo top sirloin is the leanest of all red meats.

You suffer from hypnophobia? What are you afraid of? A: Of going to sleep.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia Teasers

Q: Which popular toy first went on sale in the US on July 12, 1960?

A: The Etch a Sketch

Q: On July 12, 1933, Congress passed the first federal minimum wage law in the US. What was that minimum wage?

A: 33 cents per hour. One small step for labor - one giant leap towards flipping burgers.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia Teasers

Q: Who was the only person granted a patent who later became president of the United States?

A: Abraham Lincoln

Q: Who was the first United States president to send an e-mail message?

A: Bill Clinton in March of 1993.

Q: Who was the only US president who had been divorced?

A: Ronald Reagan

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia

Emily Dickinson wrote more than 900 poems. How many were published during her lifetime. A: Four

What was the highest temperature ever recorded in the U.S.? A: 134 degrees, occurred in Death Valley, California, on July 10, 1913. Now that's hot. For a cowboy to make it through Death Valley in those days, he needed an air conditioned horse. But most people forget July 16, 1945, when Alamogordo, New Mexico, recorded 5,813 degrees -- during an atomic bomb explosion.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Actor Tom Hanks was born on July 9, 1956. Can you name the TV sitcom in which he played Kip Wilson? A: Bosom Buddies. People say Tom Hanks is the "nicest guy in Hollywood". I'm not sure that's a compliment. It's kind of like saying someone is "the sanest person in the lunatic asylum".

From the 1940's what item does actor Tom Hanks collect? A: Typewriters.

On the sitcom "Family Ties" what part did actor Tom Hanks play? A: Michael J. Fox's alcoholic uncle.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia

7/4/07

Q: Famous twins were born on July 4th 1918. (Clue: Newspaper)
A: Anne Landers and Abigail Van Buren

Q: On July 4th, 1828, construction began on the first hotel to have indoor bathrooms. Before indoor plumbing, hotel guests had to call room service to carry up an outhouse. What was the name of the hotel and where was it located?
A: Tremont House in Boston.

Q: In the late 1980's, after promising a high school junior class he'd pay their college tuition, how much did Geraldo Rivera's promise cost him?
A: $180,000 for nine students.

Q: Who said, "Freedom is the most contagious virus known to man."?
A: U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey.


7/5/07

Q: The U.S. Secret Service was established July 5th, what year?
A: 1865.

Q: What is a dog trained to jump out of airplanes called?
A: A paradog.

Q: Smoking one pack of cigarettes a day puts the same strain on your heart as what?
A: Gaining 80 pounds, according to research from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Q: On July 5th, 1947, a baseball contract with the Cleveland Indians made this man the first black player in the American League. What was his name?
A: Larry Doby.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia Teaser

Q: Actor Tom Cruise was born on this date in 1962. Can you name the character played by Cruise in "Days of Thunder?"

A: Cole Trickle

Q: On July 3, 1965, Trigger died. Trigger was the famous horse owned by which cowboy movie star?

A: Roy Rogers. Trigger was stuffed and mounted and placed on display at Roy's house. You think that's weird? Our boss, Boffo Strauss, have five stuffed and mounted DJs in his living room.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Alan Rock's Trivia Teasers

Q: Although serving as President of the United States qualified one to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, only two former presidents are interred there; can you name them?

A: William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy

Q: Which US President was known as "Old Rough and Ready?"

A: Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 - July, 1850). He was an American military leader and the 12th President of the United States.