#8465, aired 2021-08-13 | 19th CENTURY AMERICAN WOMEN: 2 of the 3 women depicted on the first statue of real women in Central Park, unveiled in August 2020 (2 of) (Sojourner) Truth, (Susan B.) Anthony, or (Elizabeth Cady) Stanton |
#8464, aired 2021-08-12 | BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES: Based on a 1974 novel, this film has been described as combining "An Enemy of the People" & "Moby Dick" Jaws |
#8463, aired 2021-08-11 | WORLD FLAGS: The use of red, yellow & green as Pan-African colors began with the flag of this nation, the continent's oldest independent country Ethiopia |
#8462, aired 2021-08-10 | FICTIONAL PLACES: A savage people called Zapoletes are contrasted with the inhabitants of the title place of this 16th century work Utopia |
#8461, aired 2021-08-09 | BEASTLY EPONYMS: A penguin species found in southern South America is named for this 16th century man whose crew were the first from Europe to see them (Ferdinand) Magellan |
#8460, aired 2021-08-06 | LITERATURE & THE ANIMAL KINGDOM: In 2020 scientists named Trimeresurus salazar, a new species of this, after a character in a book series a snake |
#8459, aired 2021-08-05 | 1930s AMERICA: Unpopular at the time, the man for whom it is named wasn't invited to the September 30, 1935 dedication of this landmark Hoover Dam |
#8458, aired 2021-08-04 | THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: The first published announcement of the Declaration was by a Philadelphia paper that reported it in this foreign language German |
#8457, aired 2021-08-03 | ASIA: This country became independent in 1946; in 1964 it officially switched its independence day from July 4 to June 12 the Philippines |
#8456, aired 2021-08-02 | HISTORIC BUSINESSMEN: Born in the village of Waldorf, Germany in 1763, he arrived in the U.S. in 1784 (John Jacob) Astor |
#8455, aired 2021-07-30 | COMEDY & SPORTS: These are the 2 of a reporter's 5 W's that are not on the baseball team in Abbott & Costello's "Who's on First?" Where & When |
#8454, aired 2021-07-29 | WORLD CITIES: This Colombian port of 1 million people gets its name from Phoenician for "new town" Cartagena |
#8453, aired 2021-07-28 | SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS: "Let's all sink with the king" is a line from the opening scene of this play The Tempest |
#8452, aired 2021-07-27 | MYTHOLOGICAL ANIMALS: After being born this creature would bring the remains of its forebear to Heliopolis & put them on the altar of the sun god the phoenix |
#8451, aired 2021-07-26 | NOTABLE NAMES: Following his death in 2018, his ashes were interred at Westminster Abbey between the remains of fellow scientists Darwin & Newton Stephen Hawking |
#8450, aired 2021-07-23 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: This owner of a large estate in Derbyshire is described as "proud" at least half a dozen times (Mr. Fitzwilliam) Darcy |
#8449, aired 2021-07-22 | 1970s MOVIE SCENES: Writer Dan O'Bannon based a scene in this film on his own Crohn's disease, which felt like things inside him fighting to get out Alien |
#8448, aired 2021-07-21 | AFRICAN MONARCHS: Some devotees of this emperor who died in 1975 trace his lineage to King Solomon & the Queen of Sheba Haile Selassie |
#8447, aired 2021-07-20 | THE 20th CENTURY: The code name for a historic meeting at this city was Argonaut, after the heroes who searched for the Golden Fleece on the Black Sea Yalta |
#8446, aired 2021-07-19 | THE 50 STATES: Both in the Pacific, they are the 50 states' 2 biggest islands in area; one is about 40 degrees colder in winter than the other Hawaii & Kodiak |
#8445, aired 2021-07-16 | HISTORY: Completed around 1455, it sometimes gets another name because a famous copy was found in the library of Cardinal Mazarin the Gutenberg Bible |
#8444, aired 2021-07-15 | BOOK CHARACTERS: Trying to emulate the title character, he fails & is told "You lack a set of spinnerets, & you lack know-how" Wilbur |
#8443, aired 2021-07-14 | ANIMATION: These characters first seen onscreen in a 1938 film are known in Spain as Juanito, Jorgito & Jaimito Huey, Dewey & Louie |
#8442, aired 2021-07-13 | INVENTORS & INVENTIONS: In 1899 James Atkinson patented his new & improved one of these, including its spring-powered snapping action a mousetrap |
#8441, aired 2021-07-12 | COLLEGE LIFE: This dish associated with Harvard goes back to the start of the school; the wife of the first headmaster made an awful version hasty pudding |
#8440, aired 2021-07-09 | 1980s BESTSELLERS: The title of this 1985 novel by a Canadian author partly alludes to the similarly named stories in a 14th century work The Handmaid's Tale |
#8439, aired 2021-07-08 | MUSICAL LANDMARKS: A cleft in limestone in England sheltered Reverend Augustus Toplady from a storm & inspired this popular hymn "Rock Of Ages" |
#8438, aired 2021-07-07 | ROCK BANDS: In 2017 this band whose singer goes by a nickname became the first to have No. 1 albums in the U.S. in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s & 2010s U2 |
#8437, aired 2021-07-06 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: In 2019 this public university attempted to trademark the word "the" for use on clothing & hats (the) Ohio State University |
#8436, aired 2021-07-05 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: On either side of Indochina are these 2 gulfs that start with the same letter the Gulf of Tonkin & the Gulf of Thailand |
#8435, aired 2021-07-02 | HIT SONGS: Written in 1930, this song was a No. 1 hit in 1960 & was covered by The Band to support a 1976 presidential candidate "Georgia On My Mind" |
#8434, aired 2021-07-01 | RIVERS: In "Notes on the State of Virginia", Thomas Jefferson said the most beautiful river on Earth is this one no longer in Virginia the Ohio |
#8433, aired 2021-06-30 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: British biochemist J.B.S. Haldane's essay on ectogenesis, birth outside the womb, helped inspire this 1932 novel Brave New World |
#8432, aired 2021-06-29 | COLORS & HISTORY: A blue pigment & a shade of blue popular in shirts are named for these, the 2 opposing nations in an 1870-71 war France & Prussia |
#8431, aired 2021-06-28 | MONARCHIES: The future Charles I suddenly became next in line to the throne of Austria in this year 1914 |
#8430, aired 2021-06-25 | NEW YORK CITY: Bright new lighting installed in 1880 on a street that crosses Manhattan diagonally led to this 3-word nickname the Great White Way |
#8429, aired 2021-06-24 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: "Camelot", "The Pilgrims" & "A Postscript by Clarence" are chapters in a classic novel by this author Mark Twain |
#8428, aired 2021-06-23 | FAMOUS WOMEN: In 1983, 20 years after her famous first, she was honored on a one-ruble coin Valentina Tereshkova |
#8427, aired 2021-06-22 | 19th CENTURY LITERARY CREATURES: The author said the name of this 10-letter creature in his poem meant "the result of much excited discussion" the Jabberwock |
#8426, aired 2021-06-21 | REFERENCE BOOKS: Emily Dickinson made frequent use of a work by this family friend & said that for several years, it was "my only companion" (Noah) Webster |
#8425, aired 2021-06-18 | FICTION: In a 1915 story by this European, a woman finds a corpse & says, "It's gone & croaked--just lying there, dead as a doornail!" (Franz) Kafka |
#8424, aired 2021-06-17 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: On this country's National Day, August 15, all 39,000 residents are invited to Vaduz Castle for festivities & drinks Liechtenstein |
#8423, aired 2021-06-16 | MOVIE CHARACTERS: A character who was going to be called Lunar Larry became him, inspired by the name of a real person Buzz Lightyear |
#8422, aired 2021-06-15 | AMERICAN WOMEN: During her second marriage, she split her time among homes in New York, New Jersey, Paris & Greece & a yacht Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis |
#8421, aired 2021-06-14 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: 2-word term for the statement saying U.S. policy is "to leave the parties to themselves, in the hope... other powers will (do) the same" the Monroe Doctrine |
#8420, aired 2021-06-11 | GEOGRAPHY WORDS: From the Latin for "key", this word for a type of isolated country applies to Vatican City, which has keys on its flag an enclave |
#8419, aired 2021-06-10 | THE SUPREME COURT: The 1st justice directly succeeded by his former clerk was Rehnquist by Roberts; the 2nd time was this other alliterative pair (Anthony) Kennedy & (Brett) Kavanaugh |
#8418, aired 2021-06-09 | 1960s SINGERS: In 2002 Macon, Georgia, where he grew up, unveiled a statue of this man who sits overlooking the water, a nod to his posthumous No. 1 hit Otis Redding |
#8417, aired 2021-06-08 | FOOD & DRINK PHRASES: A 1951 Time article said, "Since the war," this 2-word term for a period of time "has been written into union contracts" coffee break |
#8416, aired 2021-06-07 | GOLDEN AGE ACTRESSES: In 2013 the Victoria & Albert Museum acquired her archives, including letters from Laurence Olivier & Tennessee Williams Vivien Leigh |
#8415, aired 2021-06-04 | 17th CENTURY WRITING: This 17th century work quotes the Book of Job, "Behold the giants groan under water, and they that dwell with them" Leviathan |
#8414, aired 2021-06-03 | 17th CENTURY FRENCHMEN: Pope Urban VIII once said, "if there is a God," this French minister "will have much to answer for. If not, he had a successful life" (Cardinal) Richelieu |
#8413, aired 2021-06-02 | NEWSPAPER NAMES: Used as a newspaper name from New York to San Diego, it was an ancient Roman official who represented the people's interests Tribune |
#8412, aired 2021-06-01 | AROUND THE WORLD: In the 1860s a zoologist proposed that this island was once part of a lost continent he dubbed Lemuria Madagascar |
#8411, aired 2021-05-31 | THE BUSINESS OF TELEVISION: The day it debuted in 1980, this network with an Italian name aired a Carnegie Hall celebration of Aaron Copland's 80th birthday Bravo |
#8410, aired 2021-05-28 | EUROPEAN BORDERS: It's still there, but none of the countries that bordered this country at the beginning of 1990 exist anymore Poland |
#8409, aired 2021-05-27 | MUSIC & GEOGRAPHY: In a British folk tune, the title lass Maggie May is sentenced to go way down south to this penal colony that rhymes with her name Botany Bay |
#8408, aired 2021-05-26 | CLASSICAL COMPOSERS: Monsieur Crescendo & Signor Vaccarmini ("Mr. Racket") were derisive nicknames for this composer whose last opera dates from 1829 (Gioachino) Rossini |
#8407, aired 2021-05-25 | NOBEL-WINNING NOVELISTS: Falsely accused of murder, a character in his 1948 novel becomes "tyrant over the whole county's white conscience" (William) Faulkner |
#8406, aired 2021-05-24 | 20th CENTURY ARTWORK: The artist's wife described the scene of this 1942 painting as "brilliant interior of cheap restaurant" Nighthawks |
#8405, aired 2021-05-21 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: The year before his 1809 birth, his parents acted in "King Lear", leading scholars to believe he was named for a "Lear" character Edgar Allan Poe |
#8404, aired 2021-05-20 | COLONIAL AMERICA: Milestones along the eastern end of the Mason-Dixon line were marked on either side with the crests of these 2 men Lord Baltimore & William Penn |
#8403, aired 2021-05-19 | MIDDLE EASTERN GEOGRAPHY: Of the 6 countries that border the Red Sea, it's last alphabetically Yemen |
#8402, aired 2021-05-18 | ANIMALS: German settlers in Texas called this animal "Panzerschwein" armadillo |
#8401, aired 2021-05-17 | ANCIENT GREEKS: Plutarch quotes this man who sentenced many to death: "Small ones deserve that, and I have no higher for the greater crimes" Draco |
#8400, aired 2021-05-14 | WORLD CAPITALS: A national capital for less than 100 years, it's the westernmost capital in mainland Asia Ankara, Turkey |
#8399, aired 2021-05-13 | CHILDREN'S BOOKS: The last book Dr. Seuss published in his lifetime, it climbs bestseller lists every spring Oh, the Places You'll Go! |
#8398, aired 2021-05-12 | WORLD'S FAIRS: The theme of Seattle's 1962 World's Fair was "Man in the" this era Space Age |
#8397, aired 2021-05-11 | BOOKS OF THE BIBLE: Its last chapter includes wisdom from King Lemuel, taught to him by his mother, as well as the famous "Virtuous Woman" passage Proverbs |
#8396, aired 2021-05-10 | U.S. HISTORY: On April 7, 1789 Charles Thomson & Sylvanus Bourne left New York City to tell these 2 men the results of a vote taken the day before George Washington & John Adams |
#8395, aired 2021-05-07 | SHAKESPEARE & HISTORY: Macbeth has a vision of a line of 8 Scottish kings, the 8th holding a mirror to reflect this 9th in line who may have been in the audience James I of England (James VI of Scotland) |
#8394, aired 2021-05-06 | COUNTRIES' NATIONAL ANTHEMS: With words written by a Bishop of Urgell, its anthem praises Charlemagne & says it "was born a princess... between two nations" Andorra |
#8393, aired 2021-05-05 | CLASSIC ALBUMS: The title of this huge hit 1977 album was the idea of the bass player, who specified it should be spelled the British way Rumours |
#8392, aired 2021-05-04 | WORLD LITERATURE: This 1970s memoir told of harsh places that metaphorically were like an island chain "from the Bering Strait almost to the Bosporus" The Gulag Archipelago |
#8391, aired 2021-05-03 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: His book "An Overland Journey from New York to San Francisco in the Summer of 1859" shows he heeded his own famous advice Horace Greeley |
#8390, aired 2021-04-30 | BOOKS & AUTHORS: In books by him, the Kingdom of Noland, ruled by an orphan named Bud, borders a country called Ix, where Queen Zixi reigns (Lyman Frank) Baum |
#8389, aired 2021-04-29 | ODD WORDS: A homophone of a letter in the alphabet, this 5-letter word sounds the same if you remove its last 4 vowels queue |
#8388, aired 2021-04-28 | HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS: This director was quoted as saying, "I believe I can take any 60 pages of the Bible and make a great picture" Cecil B. DeMille |
#8387, aired 2021-04-27 | U.S. NATIONAL PARKS: This subtropical region is a biosphere reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, &, as of 1947, a National Park the Everglades |
#8386, aired 2021-04-26 | CITY ORIGIN STORIES: The mythical founder Byzas consulted the Oracle of Delphi before establishing what's now known as this city Istanbul |
#8385, aired 2021-04-23 | MOVIE TITLE CHARACTERS: In this 2012 film set just before the Civil War, a German dentist declares that the title character's surname is Freeman Django Unchained |
#8384, aired 2021-04-22 | CONTINENTAL GEOGRAPHY: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea & Somalia make up this region named for its resemblance to a part of a native animal the Horn of Africa |
#8383, aired 2021-04-21 | AMERICAN BUSINESS: In 2004, after a century as a household name, its last model rolled off the assembly line in Lansing, Michigan Oldsmobile |
#8382, aired 2021-04-20 | EUROPEAN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS: Opened in 1843, it was frequented by Hans Christian Andersen & Walt Disney, who both found inspiration there Tivoli (Gardens) |
#8381, aired 2021-04-19 | PAINTINGS: The New York Times noted "balls of orange-yellow light" & "the town off in the distance" from the artist's window in this piece Starry Night |
#8380, aired 2021-04-16 | AMERICAN NAMES: One of the luminaries who drove in the "Golden Spike" in Utah in 1869 was this man who later founded a university (Leland) Stanford |
#8379, aired 2021-04-15 | PHYSICS: Modern formulations of Newton's 2 most famous equations both begin with this quantity that's measured in newtons force |
#8378, aired 2021-04-14 | SHAKESPEARE: With 4,042 lines, it's Shakespeare's longest play & it's also the one that's been filmed the most Hamlet |
#8377, aired 2021-04-13 | ASTRONOMY: As Huygens observed in 1656, a weapon in this constellation contains a nebula, one of a few that can be seen with the naked eye Orion |
#8376, aired 2021-04-12 | OLYMPIC HOSTS: Aside from the United States, one of the 2 countries with 2 different cities that have hosted the Summer Olympics (1 of) Australia or Germany |
#8375, aired 2021-04-09 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: One edition of this 1930s novella shows a farm within the silhouette of a rabbit Of Mice and Men |
#8374, aired 2021-04-08 | SOUTH AMERICA: 2 of the 3 national capitals on the continent whose metro areas have more than 10 million people (2 of) Buenos Aires, Bogotá, or Lima |
#8373, aired 2021-04-07 | NOTORIOUS: In 1897 she was accused of a much lesser crime, shoplifting in Rhode Island Lizzie Borden |
#8372, aired 2021-04-06 | 20th CENTURY AMERICAN HISTORY: A biography of him: "In a sweltering, dimly lit cabin, its window shades closed... his first presidential decisions were made" Lyndon Johnson |
#8371, aired 2021-04-05 | DAYTIME TV PERSONALITIES: Accepting a Lifetime Achievement Emmy, he said, "Just take... 10 seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are" Mr. (Fred) Rogers |
#8370, aired 2021-04-02 | EPONYMOUS LANDMARKS: In 1960 the ashes of this aviator were spread over the Venezuela natural wonder he famously sighted decades earlier (James) Angel |
#8369, aired 2021-04-01 | ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM: A real-life antidisestablishmentarian, William Bridgeman opposed the 1920 disestablishment of this in Wales church |
#8368, aired 2021-03-31 | LOGOS: After 9/11, designer Milton Glaser modified this iconic logo of his, adding a bruise & the words "More Than Ever" I Heart New York (I Love New York) |
#8367, aired 2021-03-30 | AMERICAN HISTORY: While performing in Philadelphia, the future father of this man sent a letter threatening to slit Andrew Jackson's throat (John Wilkes) Booth |
#8366, aired 2021-03-29 | AUTHORS: BOOK TO SCREEN: Horrified by the 1964 movie musical from her work, she okayed a U.K. stage version as long as "no Americans" were involved (P.L.) Travers |
#8365, aired 2021-03-26 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: In 1869 he moved to Yosemite Valley & was the first to say the area was formed by glacial erosion, a theory generally accepted today (John) Muir |
#8364, aired 2021-03-25 | LITERARY INSPIRATIONS: The now-debunked theories of Luigi Galvani influenced the science in this 1818 novel Frankenstein |
#8363, aired 2021-03-24 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS: The "effect" named for this company founded in 1943 refers to increased value of a product to a consumer whose own labor is needed IKEA |
#8362, aired 2021-03-23 | THE OLYMPICS: The "City of Angels" hosted the Olympics twice, the second time this many years after the first 52 |
#8361, aired 2021-03-22 | SHAKESPEAREAN REFERENCES: This name given to U.K. labor strife in December 1978 & January 1979 was taken from the first line of a Shakespeare history play the Winter of (our) Discontent |
#8360, aired 2021-03-19 | ARTISTS: The February 17, 1901 death of his friend Carles Casagemas made this grief-stricken artist change his color palette (Pablo) Picasso |
#8359, aired 2021-03-18 | BROADWAY ROLES: Of the more than 15 actors to play the lead in this musical, Howard McGillin holds the record with over 2,500 performances The Phantom of the Opera |
#8358, aired 2021-03-17 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: In the 1912 election these 2 parties on the left of the political spectrum finished 2nd & 4th, totaling 1/3 of the votes Bull Moose Progressive & Socialist |
#8357, aired 2021-03-16 | TRIPLE-"A" GEOGRAPHY: Home to the Piazza Alberica, this Italian city is better known for what it supplied to works by Henry Moore & Michelangelo Carrara |
#8356, aired 2021-03-15 | FICTIONAL PLACES: Introduced to readers in 2008, its name comes from a Latin phrase for "bread & circuses", offerings used to appease the masses Panem |
#8355, aired 2021-03-12 | HISTORIC PLACES: 8 presidents have visited this battle site with an Algonquian name about 50 miles from Washington; for McKinley, it was a return visit Antietam |
#8354, aired 2021-03-11 | FOREIGN NEWSPAPERS: Representing its outspoken tone, this newspaper founded in the 19th century has the name of a free-spirited opera character Le Figaro |
#8353, aired 2021-03-10 | LITERARY THRILLERS: The only Ian Fleming James Bond novel not told in the third person, it's narrated by one of 007's paramours The Spy Who Loved Me |
#8352, aired 2021-03-09 | SCIENCE FICTION: In a 1952 sci-fi story, a time traveler returning to the present finds a dead one of these insects on his shoe a butterfly |
#8351, aired 2021-03-08 | RADIO HISTORY: A 1949 broadcast in Spanish of this drama from 11 years before caused mass panic in Ecuador & the destruction of the radio station "The War of the Worlds" |
#8350, aired 2021-03-05 | AMERICAN ROCK BANDS: In 2020 their Greatest Hits, with an optimistic '80s anthem, became only the third album to spend 600 weeks on the Billboard 200 Journey |
#8349, aired 2021-03-04 | U.S. MILITARY EQUIPMENT: The U.S. Army's tradition of naming these began with the Sioux, used in the Korean War helicopters |
#8348, aired 2021-03-03 | EUROPEAN LANDMARKS: Of the principal architects working on it from the mid-1500s to the 1980s, like Pierre Lescot & Hector Lefuel, none were foreigners the Louvre |
#8347, aired 2021-03-02 | WORLD LEADERS ADDRESS CONGRESS: The 2 to address 3 joint sessions are Churchill & this leader, his non-European country's longest-serving PM, in 1996, 2011 & 2015 Benjamin Netanyahu |
#8346, aired 2021-03-01 | GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS: In "Histoire des Navigations aux Terres Australes" Charles de Brosses coined this term for the many islands of the region Polynesia |
#8345, aired 2021-02-26 | EARLY U.S. HISTORY: Elbridge Gerry, Charles Pinckney & John Marshall were the diplomats in this 1797 incident that led to a quasi-war with France the XYZ Affair |
#8344, aired 2021-02-25 | LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES: Losing its ocean access in 1993, this African Union member is the most populous landlocked nation, with 110 million people Ethiopia |
#8343, aired 2021-02-24 | BUSINESS HISTORY: David McConnell's cosmetics & perfume co. was rebranded in 1939 with this name, honoring the home of his favorite playwright Avon |
#8342, aired 2021-02-23 | MOVIE DIRECTORS: Along with his writing partner, this director is the only person to win screenwriting Oscars for both a film & its sequel Francis Ford Coppola |
#8341, aired 2021-02-22 | MUSIC: Just 24 notes, this piece is nicknamed "Butterfield's Lullaby" for the U.S. Army general who arranged it "Taps" |
#8340, aired 2021-02-19 | WORLD SURNAMES: In 2019, for the first time, this nation allowed for non-gendered last names with the suffix -bur Iceland |
#8339, aired 2021-02-18 | 19th CENTURY PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS: The first campaign of this man, who at 36 was the youngest major party nominee ever, was supported by the silver mining industry William Jennings Bryan |
#8338, aired 2021-02-17 | WINTER SPORTS: The specific skill that gave this sport its name was eliminated from international competition after the 1990 World Championships figure skating |
#8337, aired 2021-02-16 | GEOGRAPHIC NAMESAKES: In 1857 the former Surveyor-General of India objected to giving his name to this landmark as "the natives could not pronounce" it Mount Everest |
#8336, aired 2021-02-15 | PLAYWRIGHTS: This late writer has had 10 plays on Broadway, most of them set in Pittsburgh like "Jitney", which premiered in 2017 August Wilson |
#8335, aired 2021-02-12 | ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS: Asked to describe this 4th century B.C. member of the Cynics, Plato called him "a Socrates gone mad" Diogenes |
#8334, aired 2021-02-11 | THE OSCARS: The first time an individual won 4 awards at a single ceremony was in 1954, when his wins included Best 2-Reel Short Subject Walt Disney |
#8333, aired 2021-02-10 | HISTORIC NAMESAKES: This aircraft was named for the second president of the Weimar Republic Hindenburg |
#8332, aired 2021-02-09 | THE 50 STATES: While it has only 31 miles of coastline on the Atlantic, its shoreline is almost 3,200 miles thanks to a large estuary & its tributaries Maryland |
#8331, aired 2021-02-08 | WORLD LITERATURE: In a classic novel from 1866, the murders of 2 women take place in this city St. Petersburg |
#8330, aired 2021-02-05 | POPES & HISTORY: Late 16th century Pope Sixtus V regarded this invasion force as a crusade & promised indulgences to all who participated the Spanish Armada |
#8329, aired 2021-02-04 | CABLE NETWORKS: In March 1979 Tip O'Neill & then-Representative Al Gore were the first politicians to speak on this new cable channel C-SPAN |
#8328, aired 2021-02-03 | EUROPEAN ROYALTY: In 1653 King Louis XIV performed as this Greco-Roman god in the ballet "de la Nuit" Apollo |
#8327, aired 2021-02-02 | WRITERS FOR CHILDREN: The Dartmouth Alumni Magazine gave "rejoice" as a rhyme for the correct pronunciation of his name Dr. Seuss |
#8326, aired 2021-02-01 | SCIENCE WORDS: This word used to denote an irreversible dispersion of energy was coined in the 1860s to sound a bit like "energy" entropy |
#8325, aired 2021-01-29 | BRITISH ARMY HISTORY: The Army's longest continuous campaign, 1969-2007, began in this Northern Ireland city known by either of 2 different names Londonderry/Derry |
#8324, aired 2021-01-28 | 20th CENTURY AUTHORS: In a 1959 article he wrote, "People began to call themselves beatniks, beats... bugniks &... I was called the 'avatar' of all this" Jack Kerouac |
#8323, aired 2021-01-27 | THE WILD WEST: These 2 legends both known for buckskin clothes & long, flowing hair met violent ends 38 days apart, in Montana & South Dakota (George Armstrong) Custer & (Wild Bill) Hickok |
#8322, aired 2021-01-26 | POP MUSIC: First released as a single in 1982, this song was re-released & charted again 17 years later & 17 years after that "1999" |
#8321, aired 2021-01-25 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: Of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, these 2 on opposite sides of it are the smallest & largest in area Algeria & Monaco |
#8320, aired 2021-01-22 | STATUES: Statues honoring this man who was killed in 1779 can be found in Waimea, Kauai & in Whitby, England (Captain) Cook |
#8319, aired 2021-01-21 | BRITISH WRITERS: When Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days in 1926, this British fellow writer tried to find her with the help of a spiritual medium Arthur Conan Doyle |
#8318, aired 2021-01-20 | THE WESTERN U.S.: About 100 miles apart, they were made state capitals 10 years apart in 1854 & 1864 & both grew rapidly due to precious metals Sacramento & Carson City |
#8317, aired 2021-01-19 | THE BUSINESS OF TRAVEL: Adjusted for inflation, the nightly rate this company put in its name in 1962 is now $51 Motel 6 |
#8316, aired 2021-01-18 | MOVIE SETTINGS: In 2017 this New York City luxury store opened its first cafe, with truffle eggs, waffles & croissants on the menu Tiffany & Co. (Tiffany's) |
#8315, aired 2021-01-15 | QUEEN ELIZABETH II: Of the last 12 sitting U.S. presidents, the only one Elizabeth never met; she had her youngest child 3 months into his presidency Lyndon Johnson |
#8314, aired 2021-01-14 | CHILDREN'S BOOKS: This 1969 book was first printed in Japan because no U.S. company would then make a book with so many holes in the pages The Very Hungry Caterpillar |
#8313, aired 2021-01-13 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: The Oyapock River forms part of Brazil's 400-mile border with the territory of this European country France |
#8312, aired 2021-01-12 | FAMOUS ANIMALS: When she first came to the world's attention in 1957, she was dubbed "Muttnik" by U.S. journalists Laika |
#8311, aired 2021-01-11 | 1960s SONGS: The name of this title song from a 1964 movie can be translated from Spanish as "Long Live The Meadows" "Viva Las Vegas" |
#8310, aired 2021-01-08 | WOMEN & SCIENCE: Dr. Margaret Todd gave science this word for different forms of one basic substance; it's from the Greek for "equal" & "place" isotope |
#8309, aired 2021-01-07 | MUSICALS: 4 songs from this 1968 musical made the Billboard Top 10, including one with an astrological theme that was No. 1 for 6 weeks Hair |
#8308, aired 2021-01-06 | BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES: Released in 2017, this movie is the highest-grossing film in the U.S. that's set during World War I Wonder Woman |
#8307, aired 2021-01-05 | STATE NAME ORIGINS: The names of these 2 states honor a king & his father, who was executed in 1649 North & South Carolina |
#8306, aired 2021-01-04 | LITERARY CHARACTERS OF THE 1600s: When the title character tells him that a great adventure may win him an island he can govern, he leaves his family Sancho Panza |
#8305, aired 2020-12-18 | INNOVATIONS: This company takes credit for inventing modern gift wrap, dating to its sale of fancy decorated envelope linings at Christmas in 1917 Hallmark |
#8304, aired 2020-12-17 | PLAY CHARACTERS: This title character says, "Who find my visage's center ornament a thing to jest at--it is my wont... to let him taste my steel" Cyrano de Bergerac |
#8303, aired 2020-12-16 | ROYALTY: In 1521 this monarch published the theological treatise "Defense of the Seven Sacraments" Henry VIII |
#8302, aired 2020-12-15 | MAGAZINES: This magazine had the same person on its cover since its founding 20 years ago until it chose Breonna Taylor as its September 2020 cover O, The Oprah Magazine (O) |
#8301, aired 2020-12-14 | FAMOUS PLACES: Opened in 1973, it includes the Joan Sutherland Theatre, named for the singer, & the Utzon Room, named for the architect the Sydney Opera House |
#8300, aired 2020-12-11 | BROADWAY REVIVALS: Ads for the 2020 revival of this musical said, "Something's coming. Something good"; a new movie version is also coming West Side Story |
#8299, aired 2020-12-10 | EUROPEAN GEOGRAPHY: Once a residence of rulers of Austria, this city on the Danube less than 20 miles from Vienna became a national capital in 1993 Bratislava |
#8298, aired 2020-12-09 | AMERICAN LIT: A book by him says, "From the forest came the call…distinct and definite as never before--a long-drawn howl" Jack London |
#8297, aired 2020-12-08 | THE ANCIENT WORLD: He got to propose his own sentence & joked that since he was actually a benefactor of the state, he should get free meals! Socrates |
#8296, aired 2020-12-07 | FANTASTIC BEASTS: Symbols of strength in the Bible include behemoth & this horned creature, perhaps an extinct wild ox, which the King James Version mentions 9 times a unicorn |
#8295, aired 2020-12-04 | ISLAND NATIONS: What's now this nation resisted naval sieges by the Berbers in 1429, the Ottomans in 1565 & Axis WWII air assaults Malta |
#8294, aired 2020-12-03 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: In 1858 these 2 men faced each other in Alton, Freeport, Galesburg & 4 other nearby towns Lincoln & Douglas |
#8293, aired 2020-12-02 | NOVEL CHARACTERS: This character from an 1851 novel "was intent on an audacious, immitigable, and supernatural revenge" Captain Ahab |
#8292, aired 2020-12-01 | AVIATORS: Roland Garros, for whom the French Open stadium is named, gained fame with the 460-mile 1st solo flight across this body of water the Mediterranean Sea |
#8291, aired 2020-11-30 | COMEDY MOVIES: In the original script for this 1975 film, the title object was finally found in London's Harrods department store Monty Python and the Holy Grail |
#8290, aired 2020-11-27 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: Of the 6 mainland African countries through which the equator passes, this landlocked nation is last alphabetically Uganda |
#8289, aired 2020-11-26 | RELIGIOUS WORDS: This sacred syllable is sometimes said to be composed of sounds representing Vishnu, Shiva & Brahma om |
#8288, aired 2020-11-25 | SINGER/ACTRESSES: This California-born woman won a Best Leading Actress Academy Award in 1988, when she had 2 Top 20 hit songs Cher |
#8287, aired 2020-11-24 | HISTORIC DOCUMENTS: One of the liberties listed in this: "No man shall be forced to perform more service for a knight's 'fee'... than is due from it" the Magna Carta |
#8286, aired 2020-11-23 | SECRETARIES OF STATE: Dirk Stikker, Dutch foreign minister 1948-1952, wrote, "Churchill's words won the war"; this American's "words won the peace" (George) Marshall |
#8285, aired 2020-11-20 | MUSICAL THEATER: The word "Practical" was dropped from the title of this hit musical not long before it premiered in 1981 on London's West End Cats |
#8284, aired 2020-11-19 | DOG BREEDS: Alpendog was a proposed name for this dog breed St. Bernard |
#8283, aired 2020-11-18 | COUNTRY NAME ORIGINS: This island country was named for a 16th century Spanish king whose name comes from the Greek for "lover of horses" the Philippines |
#8282, aired 2020-11-17 | FRENCH LITERATURE: An 1862 novel says this character "would have arrested his own father... and would have denounced his mother" Javert |
#8281, aired 2020-11-16 | 18th CENTURY AMERICANS: One eulogizer of this man noted, he "was able to restrain thunderbolts & tyrants" Benjamin Franklin |
#8280, aired 2020-11-13 | U.S. MONUMENTS: More than 100 years after it was first proposed, this monument was dedicated by President Chester Arthur the Washington Monument |
#8279, aired 2020-11-12 | WORLD FLAGS: Both Wales & Bhutan have flags bearing one of these mythical creatures a dragon |
#8278, aired 2020-11-11 | HISTORY OF MEDICINE: 2020 marks the 55th birthday of the first piece of equipment dedicated to this process, now used for regular screenings mammogram |
#8277, aired 2020-11-10 | HISTORY IN THE MOVIES: Vehicles in "2001: A Space Odyssey" featured this airline's logo, but the company went bankrupt in 1991 Pan Am |
#8276, aired 2020-11-09 | WORD ORIGINS: This word for a type of building or institution comes from Greek for a place sacred to a mythical group of 9 museum |
#8275, aired 2020-11-06 | FAIRY TALE CHARACTERS: In French, this fairy tale character is La Petite Poucette, in Spanish, Pulgarcita & in English, this Thumbelina |
#8274, aired 2020-11-05 | FOREIGN WORDS IN ENGLISH: The first use of this Spanish term in English was by Wellington referring to partisans in the Peninsular Wars guerrillas |
#8273, aired 2020-11-04 | COUNTRY NAMES: 5 U.N. member countries have one-syllable names: Chad, Laos & these 3 in Europe Spain, France & Greece |
#8272, aired 2020-11-03 | AFRICA: After the removal of the dictator, in 2011 3 broad colored stripes & 2 white symbols were restored to this country's flag Libya |
#8271, aired 2020-11-02 | POLITICAL SPEECHES: At the 2004 DNC, Barack Obama used a fairly new metaphor, saying, "Pundits... slice & dice our country into" these 2 types of states red & blue |
#8270, aired 2020-10-30 | PHRASES OF THE 1950s: A 1954 book review said of this colorful 2-word term, also applied to the post-WWI era, "the underlying hysteria lives on" Red Scare |
#8269, aired 2020-10-29 | LEAD SINGERS: The New York Times said this late Brit's multi-octave range & operatic quality made "even paeans to bicycle riding sound emotional" Freddie Mercury |
#8268, aired 2020-10-28 | AWARDS & HONOREES: He used his 1983 Pritzker Prize money on a scholarship fund for Chinese students to study their profession in the United States I.M. Pei |
#8267, aired 2020-10-27 | THE 13 COLONIES: Pride in the document under which this future state was governed from 1639 to 1662 led to its official state nickname Connecticut |
#8266, aired 2020-10-26 | ANCIENT TEXTS: Developed in the 18th century B.C. & named for a ruler, it aimed to "settle all disputes & heal all injuries" the Code of Hammurabi |
#8265, aired 2020-10-23 | 19th CENTURY SUPREME COURT CASES: Part of the dissent in this 1896 landmark case read, "In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law" Plessy v. Ferguson |
#8264, aired 2020-10-22 | 20th CENTURY ART: In occupied Paris, a German officer asked Picasso if he had done this masterpiece; he replied, "No, you did" Guernica |
#8263, aired 2020-10-21 | SCREENWRITERS: This once-blacklisted screenwriter of "Spartacus" got a posthumous credit & an Oscar for a 1953 film Dalton Trumbo |
#8262, aired 2020-10-20 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: Part of this famous 12-minute opening piece is called "March of the Swiss Soldiers" "William Tell Overture" |
#8261, aired 2020-10-19 | PHRASES FROM LITERATURE: This 2-word phrase in "The Arabian Nights" may have come from an herb bearing seed pods that burst when ripe "Open, Sesame!" |
#8260, aired 2020-10-16 | 20th CENTURY AMERICAN MUSIC: The composer of this 1944 ballet piece said it "concerned a pioneer celebration... around a newly built farmhouse in the... hills" Appalachian Spring |
#8259, aired 2020-10-15 | PSYCHOLOGICAL TERMS: Physician "Cannonball Mike" Friedman defined this behavioral type & admitted the term applied to himself Type A personality |
#8258, aired 2020-10-14 | MOVIE APPEARANCES: Not an actor, this man who died in 2018 appeared briefly in some 40 mainly action films with a combined $30 billion worldwide gross Stan Lee |
#8257, aired 2020-10-13 | LITERARY PRONOUNS: Thanks to a horror film, this novel returned to the bestseller lists in 2017, some 30 years after reaching No. 1 It |
#8256, aired 2020-10-12 | WORLD LICENSE PLATES: Around 2010 the state license plate for Michoacan, Mexico featured these insects (monarch) butterflies |
#8255, aired 2020-10-09 | BOOKS OF THE 1950s: A special edition of this 1953 novel came with an asbestos binding Fahrenheit 451 |
#8254, aired 2020-10-08 | THE AMERICAS: Home to more than 20 million people & 3 different official languages, this island is about 600 miles from the continental U.S. Hispaniola (Hispañola) |
#8253, aired 2020-10-07 | WHO SAID IT IN THE BIBLE?: He tells his son not to worry about the lamb for the burnt offering--God will provide it Abraham |
#8252, aired 2020-10-06 | GEOGRAPHY FUN: It's the largest country in area that begins & ends with the same letter Australia |
#8251, aired 2020-10-05 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: Will Smith & Lennox Lewis were pallbearers at this man's 2016 funeral Muhammad Ali |
#8250, aired 2020-10-02 | ARCHITECTURE: Begun in the 1170s on former marshland, it has been called a "perfect imperfection" & a "legendary mistake" the Leaning Tower of Pisa |
#8249, aired 2020-10-01 | LITERARY TERMS: In medieval times it was a long tale of a hero like Gisli or Njall; today it means any story of epic length saga |
#8248, aired 2020-09-30 | HISTORIC FIGURES: In a 1912 telegram to his wife, he said, "Am feeling fine. Have bullet in chest, but...talked for hour and half after being shot" Teddy Roosevelt |
#8247, aired 2020-09-29 | THE GREAT LAKES: An 1855 poem gives us this Native American name for the 1 Great Lake not known to us today by a Native American word or a tribe's name Gitche Gumee |
#8246, aired 2020-09-28 | ON THE OLD MAP: On the U.N. website's map of the world in 1945, these 2 initials of a member state appear 13 times on continental Africa U.K. |
#8245, aired 2020-09-25 | HIGHEST-PAID ATHLETES: On Forbes' 2020 list of the 100 Highest-Paid Athletes, at age 50 this active individual sportsman is the oldest Phil Mickelson |
#8244, aired 2020-09-24 | ASTRONOMY: Discovered in 1967, the 1st of these stars was dubbed LGM-1--the perceived signal was jokingly thought to be from little green men pulsars |
#8243, aired 2020-09-23 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: Reluctant to write what became her most famous novel, she said, "Never liked girls or knew many, except my sisters" (Louisa May) Alcott |
#8242, aired 2020-09-22 | DIPLOMACY: The book "The Eagle & the Elephant" is about the relationship between the U.S. & this Asian country beginning in 1833 Thailand (Siam) |
#8241, aired 2020-09-21 | PIONEERING EDUCATORS: Before going into education, she graduated from the University of Rome in 1896 & was named assistant doctor at its psych clinic (Maria) Montessori |
#8240, aired 2020-09-18 | ENGLISH POETS: An 1816 poem by him says, "That with music loud and long, I would build that dome in air, That sunny dome!" Coleridge |
#8239, aired 2020-09-17 | 20th CENTURY ARTISTS: "Los Tres Grandes" were José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros & him Diego Rivera |
#8238, aired 2020-09-16 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: Obituaries called this man who died in 1820 a celebrated colonel, the first settler in Kentucky & a man who delighted in perils & battle Daniel Boone |
#8237, aired 2020-09-15 | THE MUSIC BIZ: In 2019, at a 60th anniversary event in Detroit, this producer announced his retirement saying he had "come full circle" Berry Gordy |
#8236, aired 2020-09-14 | FAMOUS BUILDINGS: This Rome building with a name from the Greek was described by Michelangelo as coming from "angelic and not human design" the Pantheon |