Alan Rock's Trivia

Q: When was Memorial Day first celebrated?  

A: Memorial day was first celebrated on May 30, 1868. It was observed by placing flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers during the first national celebration. Gen. James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which around 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who were buried there.

Q:Why is Memorial Day celebrated on May 30? 

A: three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. This date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

Q: Who started the custom of wearing red poppies?  

A: In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem. She then came up with an idea of wearing red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need.

Q: Why was Memorial Day first called “Decoration Day”?  

A: because of the practice of decorating soldier’s graves with flowers

Alan Rock's Trivia

Q: What was Public television’s longest running children’s program?  

A: "Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood" premiered on PBS May 21, 1967, featuring Rev. Fred Rogers, a Presbyterian minister from Pittsburgh.PAMore than 870 episodes.

Q: In horse racing the term ‘maiden’ applies to a horse which has yet to do what? 

A: Win a race

Q: Who originally recorded the song, ‘A Horse With No Name’? 

A: America

Q: What is the name of the Greek goddess of victory? 

A: Nike

Fun Fact: To improve her memory, Eleanor Roosevelt ate three chocolate-covered garlic balls every day of her adult life.

Alan Rock's Trivia

Q: The Singing cowboy’s horse was born on MAY 21, 1927. They called him "the Wonder Horse" because he never whinnied while the cowboy was singing. Can you name the cowboy and the horse?  

A:  Gene Autry and Champion

Q: Clara Barton organized what organization on May 21, 1881?  

A: The American Red Cross And since that day, Americans have not had to suffer through a single major disaster without coffee and doughnuts. Today's awesome Clara Barton trivia question: Why was Clara Barton called the "Angel of the Battlefield?" During the U.S. Civil War, Clara established a supply service for the troops, making sure our fighting men had everything they needed to make war more enjoyable -- soap, razor blades, and most important, cologne for their horses.

Q: On May 21, 1904 what jazz pianist was born? He was famous for the song "I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself A Letter." Today, a more likely title would be "I’m Gonna Log Right On And Download Myself Some Junk E-Mail." 

A: Fats Waller

Q: What is 50 in Roman numerals? 

A: L

Alan Rock's Trivia

Q:On MAY 14, 1904 the Olympic Games opened. The first games to be held in the United States.  In which city?  

A: St Louis, MO.

Q:MAY 14, 1936, Walden Cassotto was born in the Bronx. We knew him as?  

A: Singer, Bobby Darin, his hits were "Splish Splash," "Dream Lover," and "Mack the Knife." His first recording, "Early in the Morning," was released twice, using the group names the Ding Dongs and the Rinky Dinks.

Q:West Side Story is based on which Shakespeare play? 

A: Romeo and Juliet.

Q:Numismatics specifically refers to the study of what?  

A: Currency

Alan Rock's Trivia

Q: When did Mother’s day become an OFFICIAL National Holiday? 

A: In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother's Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.

Q:The age of histories youngest mother was?  

A: The youngest mother whose history is authenticated is Lina Medina, who delivered a 6½-pound boy by cesarean section in Lima, Peru in 1939, at an age of 5 years and 7 months. The child was raised as her brother and only discovered that Lina was his mother when he was 10.

Q: The age of the oldest mother? 

A: On April 9, 2003, Satyabhama Mahapatra, a 65-year-old retired schoolteacher in India, became the world's oldest mother when she gave birth to a baby boy. Satyabhama and her husband had been married 50 years, but this is their first child. The baby was conceived through artificial insemination using eggs from the woman's 26-year-old niece, Veenarani Mahapatra, and the sperm of Veenarani's husband.

Q: What is the record for the most surviving children from a single birth?  

A: ABobbie McCaughey is the mother who holds the record for the most surviving children from a single birth. She gave birth to the first set of surviving septuplets - four boys and three girls -on November 19, 1997, at the University Hospital, Iowa, US. Conceived by in vitro fertilization, the babies were delivered after 31 weeks by cesarean in the space of 16 minutes.

Most Kids: Mrs. Vassilyev of Russia gave birth to 69 children between 1725 and 1765

Heaviest Newborn: Signora Carmelina Fedele gave birth to a 22 lb 8 oz boy in Italy in 1955

Alan Rock's trivia

Q: What is the traditional beverage of the Kentucky Derby?

A: The Mint Julep, an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint and a sugar syrup.

Q:How many fillies have won the Derby? 

A: Three, Regret in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980 and Winning Colors in 1988.

Q:Which jockey has ridden in the most Kentucky Derbys?

A.  Bill Shoemaker 26 times  and won 4 times. Eddie Arcaro rode in the Kentucky Derby 21 times, his last in 1961, and won with five of them, and Bill Hartack got his five Kentucky Derby winner from only 12 tries.

Q:What year was the first Kentucky Derby ran? 

A: 1875. The first Kentucky Derby was won by Aristides who was also the favorite to win the race.

Alan Rock's Trivia

Q: On May 1, 1970, who became the first woman jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby?  

A: Diane Crump. She was as good as the men, except at parallel parking.

Q:What famous celebrity retired on May 1, 1975 and is the only American ever to have his own personal zip code?
 

A: Smokey the Bear, Washington DC 20252.
Of course, after Smokey retired he didn't get as much mail as he did during the 25 years he served as spokesbear for the U.S. Forest Service. In fact, in his golden years about the only mail Smokey received was a letter now and then from other old celebrities offering him a valuable Medicare Supplement that would pay directly to Smokey when he was in the hospital.

Q: What is the birthstone and flower for May?  

A: The emerald. May's flower: lily of the valley or hawthorn.

Q: How many zeros are there in a billion? 

A: 9