| #9234, aired 2024-12-26 | MOVIES & THEIR SOUNDTRACKS: "Catch It" was a tagline for this 1970s film whose iconic soundtrack became one of the bestselling albums of all time Saturday Night Fever |
| #9233, aired 2024-12-25 | U.S. PLACE NAMES: A trio including Andrew Jackson founded this city with a name that evokes a great city of the ancient world Memphis |
| #9232, aired 2024-12-24 | GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC AWARENESS: As individuals, only Santa Claus & this public service ad icon introduced in 1944 have their own ZIP codes Smokey Bear |
| #9231, aired 2024-12-23 | WORLD LEADERS: In 2009 this leader gave Barack Obama the book "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent" Hugo Chávez |
| #9230, aired 2024-12-20 | MOVIES & THE LAW: "Drafters... have to have a little fun sometimes", said the author of this law when asked if he was inspired by 1931's "Little Caesar" the RICO Act |
| #9229, aired 2024-12-19 | SUPER BOWL HISTORY: It's the only team to play in the Super Bowl before Neil Armstrong's Moon walk that has not been back to the Big Game since the Jets |
| #9228, aired 2024-12-18 | ANTHEMS: The unofficial anthem of this U.K. territory mentions kelp, penguins & "the wind from the Horn" the Falkland Islands (the Falklands) |
| #9227, aired 2024-12-17 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Dressed in white in her first scene, this play character says her name means "white woods" Blanche DuBois |
| #9226, aired 2024-12-16 | GEOGRAPHY: Jebel Musa in Morocco & Mount Hacho near Ceuta are candidates for the southern half of this pair the Pillars of Hercules |
| #9225, aired 2024-12-13 | AUTHORS: Following his unexpected death in 2001, he was referred to as the "Monty Python of science fiction" Douglas Adams |
| #9224, aired 2024-12-12 | TV PROPS: A prop central to the title character on this '60s sitcom began as a special Christmas edition whiskey decanter I Dream of Jeannie |
| #9223, aired 2024-12-11 | THE WORLD OF SCIENCE: nobelprize.org says some papers of this scientist "are stored in lead boxes", a "legacy that is literally untouchable" Marie Curie |
| #9222, aired 2024-12-10 | PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: The running mates of this candidate included John Kern, Arthur Sewall & Adlai Stevenson I William Jennings Bryan |
| #9221, aired 2024-12-09 | ISLANDS OF EUROPE: In February 1793 the French were repulsed in an attack on this island from one just north that they controlled Sardinia |
| #9220, aired 2024-12-06 | TV CHARACTERS: On TV in the 1960s & the 2020s, this character has a first name that's partly from Latin for "death" Morticia Addams |
| #9219, aired 2024-12-05 | BRAND NAMES: They've been described as having the unique scent of "slightly earthy soap with pungent, leather-like clay undertones" Crayola (Crayons) |
| #9218, aired 2024-12-04 | THE 20th CENTURY: This country's national radio launched in 1925; 14 years later, it fell into a long silence following a piano nocturne Poland |
| #9217, aired 2024-12-03 | 19th CENTURY EUROPEAN LITERATURE: An early version of this novel was first published as a serial under the title "The Year 1805" War and Peace |
| #9216, aired 2024-12-02 | POETIC CHARACTERS: In an 1842 poem, it is said of this legendary character that his "quaint attire" is much admired the Pied Piper (of Hamelin) |
| #9215, aired 2024-11-29 | WORLD AIRPORTS: This city's international airport opened in 1942, just in time to be the destination of a flight at the end of a movie Lisbon |
| #9214, aired 2024-11-28 | U.S. BUSINESSES: In 2024 this company said only 4 of its 400+ locations will let Mr. Munch, Helen Henny, Jasper T. Jowls & its namesake still perform Chuck E. Cheese |
| #9213, aired 2024-11-27 | STATE SONGS: Its 15 official state songs include 2 that mention moonshine & 3 played in 3/4 time Tennessee |
| #9212, aired 2024-11-26 | SUPREME COURT JUSTICES: Born to immigrant parents, in 1916 he was the 1st Supreme Court nominee to undergo public Senate confirmation hearings Louis Brandeis |
| #9211, aired 2024-11-25 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: The mention of a new railway section between Rothal & Allahabad in India leads to an argument & then a bet in this novel Around the World in Eighty Days |
| #9210, aired 2024-11-22 | MOVIES & PSYCHOLOGY: In this film Paula Alquist tells Gregory Anton, "Have you gone mad, my husband? Or is it I who am mad?" Gaslight |
| #9209, aired 2024-11-21 | INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITIES: Following student unrest in 1968, in 1970 the University of this city was divided into 13 smaller ones Paris |
| #9208, aired 2024-11-20 | FIGURES OF MYTH: Ovid says he "toppled, beating wild with naked arms the unsustaining air... shrieking for succour from his sire" Icarus |
| #9207, aired 2024-11-19 | SPORTS & THE CITY: At 800 West Main & 700 Central in this city are a company & a venue both involved in Triple Crowns Louisville, Kentucky |
| #9206, aired 2024-11-18 | AMERICAN WOMEN: In 1900 she told a Mr. Dobson, "Get out of the way. I don't want to strike you, but I am going to break up this den of vice" Carrie Nation |
| #9205, aired 2024-11-15 | 20th CENTURY TRANSPORTATION: A 1947 article read, its "wings were not clipped by the Senate fishermen & ghost hunters after all" the Spruce Goose |
| #9204, aired 2024-11-14 | SPORTS TEAMS: Fittingly, this team was born on November 1, 1966, the day the franchise was awarded New Orleans Saints |
| #9203, aired 2024-11-13 | POETRY & PLACES: It's the geographic word in the title of a Robert Burns poem about "the mountains... covered with snow... the straths & green valleys below" Highlands |
| #9202, aired 2024-11-12 | LITERARY MONUMENTS: A 112-foot-tall monument in a Madrid plaza depicts a writer seated above bronze statues of these 2 characters Don Quixote & Sancho Panza |
| #9201, aired 2024-11-11 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: It caused rich amusement that the name of this president, whose wife didn't allow dancing, was similar to that of a dance James K. Polk |
| #9200, aired 2024-11-08 | RENAISSANCE MEN: In a letter he wrote, "On August 7, 1501... we determined that the new land was not an island but a continent" Amerigo Vespucci |
| #9199, aired 2024-11-07 | 1960s INVENTIONS: Poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide was 1st intended to reinforce radial tires but the lifesaving polymer aka this would have many uses Kevlar |
| #9198, aired 2024-11-06 | COUNTRIES: This country has the most time zones in the world, including its territories in South America & off the coast of Africa France |
| #9197, aired 2024-11-05 | PHRASE ORIGINS: In 1935 an article popularized this term for the part of the U.S. where residents were "depending on rain" the Dust Bowl |
| #9196, aired 2024-11-04 | 19th CENTURY LIT: All introduced in the same chapter of a novel, Grimaud, Mousqueton & Bazin are the servants of these men the Three Musketeers (Porthos, Athos & Aramis) |
| #9195, aired 2024-11-01 | HISTORY & THE MOVIES: This 1935 Best Picture Oscar winner tells of a 1789 event near the isolated Pacific volcano of Tofua Mutiny on the Bounty |
| #9194, aired 2024-10-31 | ANIMALS: The Aztecs called this animal ayotochtli, meaning a "turtle rabbit" for its rabbit-like ears & its turtle-like shell an armadillo |
| #9193, aired 2024-10-30 | ARTIFACTS: Roughly, 180 of these were made & 50 remain; the man who created them was given a pension by the Archbishop of Mainz in 1465 Gutenberg Bibles |
| #9192, aired 2024-10-29 | NEWS FROM THE STORK: One of the 10 or so babies born at Argentina's Esperanza Base in this place was fittingly named Marisa de las Nieves Antarctica |
| #9191, aired 2024-10-28 | STAGE MUSICAL SETTINGS: Turned into a Nazi headquarters in 1933, the nightspot Eldorado is said to have inspired this fictional place the Kit Kat Club |
| #9190, aired 2024-10-25 | U.S. HISTORY: The largest land deal in U.S. history was formalized in a building at this spot, now named for a military hero & president Jackson Square |
| #9189, aired 2024-10-24 | ON THE U.K. MUSIC CHARTS: "Candle In The Wind 1997" knocked this song that asked a title question from the top spot as the U.K.'s all-time bestselling song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" |
| #9188, aired 2024-10-23 | THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH: This day involving the Holy Spirit & the Apostles is sometimes described as the "birthday" of the Church Pentecost |
| #9187, aired 2024-10-22 | DETECTIVE AUTHORS: For much of the 1920s, he lived on Eddy Street in San Francisco's Tenderloin District (Dashiell) Hammett |
| #9186, aired 2024-10-21 | ITALIAN WORDS & PHRASES: This theme tackled in art by Bellini & Michelangelo isn't explicitly mentioned in the Bible, but is part of the "Seven Sorrows of Mary" the Pietà |
| #9185, aired 2024-10-18 | LITERARY GEOGRAPHY: A N.Y. Times article recognized Sands Point & Kings Point as the real "old-money" & "nouveau riche" settings in this novel The Great Gatsby |
| #9184, aired 2024-10-17 | LETTERS OF THE ARTIST: In 1896 he wrote, "My prices are 2000, 3000 & 4000 dollars for head & shoulders, 3/4 length & full-length respectively" John Singer Sargent |
| #9183, aired 2024-10-16 | COLLEGE TOWNS: 2 schools in the Southeastern Conference are located in cities with this same name but in different states Columbia |
| #9182, aired 2024-10-15 | PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION ACCEPTANCE SPEECHES: He talked of a "new Attorney General" 4 times, the end of a "long dark night for America" & "a gentle, Quaker mother" Richard Nixon |
| #9181, aired 2024-10-14 | CORPORATE MASCOTS: A 2014 tweet said that this mascot was the "embodiment of a milkshake or taste bud" Grimace |
| #9180, aired 2024-10-11 | WORLD POLITICAL HISTORY: William Whitelaw & John Peyton were also-rans in a 1975 leadership vote with this victor (Margaret) Thatcher |
| #9179, aired 2024-10-10 | MOVIES: More than 25 cast members from this 1990 film drama would later appear on an HBO series with a similar theme Goodfellas |
| #9178, aired 2024-10-09 | WORD ORIGINS: This word for one who cuts a trail comes from a name of a character in an 1840 novel pathfinder |
| #9177, aired 2024-10-08 | WORLD FLAGS: The 12 stars on its flag symbolize perfection, not geographic or political units the European Union |
| #9176, aired 2024-10-07 | BRAND NAMES: In 1886 this brand's bookkeeper came up with its name & flowing script logo, saying, "the two Cs would look well in advertising" Coca-Cola |
| #9175, aired 2024-10-04 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: A fragment from a nautical tool found on a Chilean island in 2005 was likely left by the Scot who partly inspired this character Robinson Crusoe |
| #9174, aired 2024-10-03 | 19th CENTURY NAMES: Shrunken auditory nerves were seen in his autopsy after his 1827 death in Vienna (Ludwig van) Beethoven |
| #9173, aired 2024-10-02 | SCIENCE: Physicist John Wheeler said he coined this term as a faster way to say "completely collapsed objects" black holes |
| #9172, aired 2024-10-01 | SITCOMS: The first British sitcom to win a Best Comedy Golden Globe, it was remade in a U.S. version that had almost 15 times as many episodes The Office |
| #9171, aired 2024-09-30 | BIBLICAL PLACES: The name of this, actually a not very tall hill, became a symbol of Jewish national aspiration & was used in spirituals & reggae Mount Zion |
| #9170, aired 2024-09-27 | LANDMARKS: At its dedication, Senator John Sherman said, "Simple in form... it rises into the skies higher than any other work of human art" the Washington Monument |
| #9169, aired 2024-09-26 | STARS OF THE 20th CENTURY: A 1927 N.Y. Times headline: "Witness testifies" this woman "rewrote play and insisted on the spicy scenes because city liked them" Mae West |
| #9168, aired 2024-09-25 | SHAKESPEARE: "Blood will have blood", says this title character, who is later told, "Be bloody, bold, & resolute" Macbeth |
| #9167, aired 2024-09-24 | 20th CENTURY AMERICA: In a state of shock, on November 27, 1978, she announced that "both Mayor Moscone & Supervisor Harvey Milk have been shot & killed" (Dianne) Feinstein |
| #9166, aired 2024-09-23 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: Among those who attended his 1864 funeral were Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson Alcott & Franklin Pierce Nathaniel Hawthorne |
| #9165, aired 2024-09-20 | ISLAND CHAINS: Named for a Spanish queen, this Pacific island chain was a starting point for famous explorations of 1960 & 2012 the Mariana Islands |
| #9164, aired 2024-09-19 | NEW YORK MOVIES: Frank Sinatra got upset that a photo of him caught fire in a Brooklyn pizzeria in this film Do the Right Thing |
| #9163, aired 2024-09-18 | THE MOVIES: Hewlett-Packard's first big customer was Walt Disney, who purchased special sound equipment for the making & showing of this film Fantasia |
| #9162, aired 2024-09-17 | CHARACTERS IN BOOK SERIES: This 12-year-old began his first book saying, "Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood" Percy Jackson (Perseus Jackson) |
| #9161, aired 2024-09-16 | HISTORY: A 1976 report initiated by Admiral Rickover found it was an internal, not external, explosion that caused the destruction of this the (USS) Maine |
| #9160, aired 2024-09-13 | BRITISH KNIGHTS: A sir since 2018, he contracted TB as a teen in 1953 & spent years in a sanatorium, where he learned to play the drums Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) |
| #9159, aired 2024-09-12 | HISTORIC NAMES: In 1824, President Monroe invited him back to the adopted country of his youth, which has always cherished his "important services" the Marquis de Lafayette |
| #9158, aired 2024-09-11 | WORLD BORDERS: After Canada & the U.S., these 2 countries share the longest land border at more than 4,700 miles Russia & Kazakhstan |
| #9157, aired 2024-09-10 | SIGNS & SYMBOLS: Via a diplomatic conference in 2005, a diamond was added to supplement these 2 symbols, thought by some to have religious meaning a (red) cross & a (red) crescent |
| #9156, aired 2024-09-09 | FAMOUS WOMEN: Before her death in 2022, she pledged her collection of more than 200 pins to the National Museum of American Diplomacy (Madeleine) Albright |
| #9155, aired 2024-07-26 | ANCIENT ANIMALS: The first fossils of these creatures with an elongated 4th digit were described in 1784 by naturalist Cosimo Collini pterodactyls |
| #9154, aired 2024-07-25 | FAMOUS WOMEN: Adding to her nickname, one legend claimed that earlier in life, she was saved from drowning by family friend Mark Twain Molly Brown |
| #9153, aired 2024-07-24 | U.S. PLACE NAMES: This name of a national forest means "fool" & may be one Apache group's name for another group; it's also a problematic TV character Tonto |
| #9152, aired 2024-07-23 | HISTORIC SPOTS: Known for a fabled event of 1881, it housed an auto repair shop after the disappearance of the horse & buggy the O.K. Corral |
| #9151, aired 2024-07-22 | AUTHORS: "Love" is within the titles of 3 of his most famous books; a fourth, "The Rainbow", calls love "the flower of life" (D.H.) Lawrence |
| #9150, aired 2024-07-19 | 19th CENTURY WOMEN: The National Park Service says there are more statues of her, often with her infant son, than any other American woman Sacagawea |
| #9149, aired 2024-07-18 | SHOW BIZ MARRIAGES: Married since 1977, the year of this band's 1st album, 2 members referenced another album with their 2023 "Remain in Love" tour Talking Heads |
| #9148, aired 2024-07-17 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: In a 1980 National Book Award winner, we learn this title character gets his name from the rank of his late dad--technical sergeant (T.S.) Garp |
| #9147, aired 2024-07-16 | 1960s PEOPLE: He said that California prison psych tests he took were ones he had designed, so he made himself look docile & unlikely to escape; then he did Dr. Timothy Leary |
| #9146, aired 2024-07-15 | NEWER WORDS: Philosophers use it for language that accompanies an action, like "I dub thee knight"; it also means done for show or signal performative |
| #9145, aired 2024-07-12 | NAMES IN MEDICINE: He got a special presidential citation in 1955, passed away in 1995 & was dubbed "the man who saved the children" (Dr. Jonas) Salk |
| #9144, aired 2024-07-11 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Until 1991 this country named for a river had a capital whose name means "lakes" in Portuguese Nigeria |
| #9143, aired 2024-07-10 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In his 1999 memoir he wrote, "I had been shot down a short walk's distance from the French-built prison, Hoa Lo" (Senator John) McCain |
| #9142, aired 2024-07-09 | LITERATURE: In one story he is enslaved by the Old Man of the Sea & uses apes to pick fruit so he can afford his fare back to Baghdad Sinbad (the Sailor) |
| #9141, aired 2024-07-08 | OPERA: The melody of a traditional piece for the koto called "Echigo-Jishi" is used in Act 1 of this opera Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly) |
| #9140, aired 2024-07-05 | WORLD LANGUAGES: The flag of Aruba features a 4-pointed star symbolizing its 4 major languages: the local Papiamento & these 3 imported ones Dutch, English & Spanish |
| #9139, aired 2024-07-04 | TECH TALK: In 1992 Jean Polly told new web users to do this & later explained they "need some skill... never know if there are going to be sharks" surf the web |
| #9138, aired 2024-07-03 | HISTORIC WOMEN: In the 16th century, she changed the "EW" in her family name to a "U" to help her new French in-laws spell it more easily Mary, Queen of Scots (Mary Stuart) |
| #9137, aired 2024-07-02 | STAGE & MOVIE CHARACTERS: Acquitted of shooting her lover in 1924, Beulah Annan was the inspiration for this character in a play, film & musical Roxie Hart |
| #9136, aired 2024-07-01 | GERMAN BOOKS: First published in 1812, this anthology included "The Water Nymph" & "The Booted Tom Cat" Grimms' Fairy Tales |
| #9135, aired 2024-06-28 | NOTABLE AMERICAN WOMEN: In her autobiography she tells of a rather "singular coincidence", that one of her Swiss ancestors was a teacher of the deaf Helen Keller |
| #9134, aired 2024-06-27 | BUSINESSMEN: After joining the Army at 16 in 1906 for a brief stint, he received a much higher honorary rank from the governor of his state 29 years later Colonel Sanders |
| #9133, aired 2024-06-26 | LITERATURE: The British Library says of this 19th c. man, "One of his most famous poems... is a warning about the arrogance of great leaders" (Percy Bysshe) Shelley |
| #9132, aired 2024-06-25 | NATIONAL MONUMENTS: From its ramparts, you can see the mouth of the Patapsco River as it flows into Chesapeake Bay Fort McHenry |
| #9131, aired 2024-06-24 | NAMES IN THE HEAVENS: When this body was discovered in 1978, Persephone was suggested as its name Charon |
| #9130, aired 2024-06-21 | SPORTS: 50 years ago Vin Scully announced he got "a standing ovation in the Deep South" for breaking a longtime record Hank Aaron |
| #9129, aired 2024-06-20 | AUTHORS' WIVES: When asked if she was the inspiration for the wife in a 1922 novel, this woman replied, "No. She was much fatter" Nora Joyce |
| #9128, aired 2024-06-19 | BRANDS: In 1978 a new cologne for men came out called this, what's being played in the company's iconic logo Polo |
| #9127, aired 2024-06-18 | GEOGRAPHIC NAME'S ALMOST THE SAME: Legend says in 1876 a dragon built for the first "Ring" cycle had its neck sent to this Mideast capital, not the right German city Beirut |
| #9126, aired 2024-06-17 | 2 LAST NAMES, SAME FIRST LETTER: Born 344 years apart, they are the 2 real people mentioned by name in the titles of 1990s Best Picture Oscar winners Shakespeare & Schindler |
| #9125, aired 2024-06-14 | 1960s AMERICA: Helping draft an executive order in 1961, Hobart Taylor Jr. almost used the word "positive", but instead chose this alliterative phrase affirmative action |
| #9124, aired 2024-06-13 | 1960s BRITISH NOVELS: The author of this novel said of the last chapter left off U.S. editions, "My young thuggish protagonist grows up" A Clockwork Orange |
| #9123, aired 2024-06-12 | FAMOUS NAMES: Vying with Eiffel, this engineer wanted to create big; an admiring account said the obelisk of Luxor is too short to be a spoke (George) Ferris |
| #9122, aired 2024-06-11 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: Of the 10 U.S. states with 2-word names, this one stretches the farthest south New Mexico |
| #9121, aired 2024-06-10 | NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEWS: In 1958 a review of this book now considered a classic called it repulsive, disgusting & "highbrow pornography" Lolita |
| #9120, aired 2024-06-07 | WORLD LEADERS: During a 1972 presidential visit, Richard Nixon discussed a poem by this leader called "Ode to the Plum Blossom" Chairman Mao Zedong |
| #9119, aired 2024-06-06 | U.S. HISTORY: Challenged in a courtroom that same year, 1925's Butler Act in Tennessee outlawed this activity & wasn't repealed until 1967 teaching evolution |
| #9118, aired 2024-06-05 | BRITISH PLACES: This city owes much of its early history to a temple dedicated to Sulis Minerva & a "sacred spring" found there Bath |
| #9117, aired 2024-06-04 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: This character in a series of popular books begun in 1934 promises, "I'll stay till the wind changes" Mary Poppins |
| #9116, aired 2024-06-03 | COLLEGES: Of the Seven Sisters colleges, this one located in a place of the same name is the farthest south Bryn Mawr |
| #9115, aired 2024-05-31 | HISTORIC PEOPLE: An island near Cebu City has a statue of Lapulapu & a monument to this man that Lapulapu is said to have killed in 1521 Magellan |
| #9114, aired 2024-05-30 | AMERICAN BANKING: Around 1930 a bank named for this NYC area known as a slum was the USA's largest savings bank by total deposits the Bowery |
| #9113, aired 2024-05-29 | HISTORIC GEOGRAPHY: This city attracted thousands of visitors even before a new shrine to a murder victim was dedicated there July 7, 1220 Canterbury |
| #9112, aired 2024-05-28 | EUROPEAN SCIENTISTS: On the 2022 Bicentennial of his birth, the body of this man was exhumed & DNA used to determine his genetic afflictions Gregor Mendel |
| #9111, aired 2024-05-27 | FEMALE SINGERS: In December 2023 she became the oldest solo artist, at 78, to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with a song she recorded in 1958 Brenda Lee |
| #9110, aired 2024-05-24 | LITERATURE: Preserved in a single manuscript called Cotton MS Vitellius A XV, this epic begins with the word "Hwæt", often translated as listen Beowulf |
| #9109, aired 2024-05-23 | ARTWORK: Rembrandt's only seascape is set here, where the main figure once said, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" the Sea of Galilee |
| #9108, aired 2024-05-22 | COUNTRIES' LANGUAGES: About 70% of its people can speak Portuguese; about 20% can speak Umbundu, 8% Kikongo & 8% Kimbundu Angola |
| #9107, aired 2024-05-21 | THE MOVIES: Louise & Lisa Burns, twins featured in this 1980 film, told a magazine, "We're naturally spooky!" The Shining |
| #9106, aired 2024-05-20 | THE THEATER: Of the 14 roles in a production of this play that opened on Broadway on October 28, 2004, none were played by females 12 Angry Men |
| #9105, aired 2024-05-17 | BOOK & MOVIE TITLE REFERENCES: The title of this 2001 book, also a 2003 film, forms a partial border between Boston, Chelsea, Medford & Everett Mystic River |
| #9104, aired 2024-05-16 | THE EARLY 20th CENTURY: Before entering history, this man visited the grave of Bogdan Zerajic, who had died just a few years earlier Princip |
| #9103, aired 2024-05-15 | 19th CENTURY LITERARY CHARACTERS: John Elwes, a millionaire Member of Parliament who would go to bed before dusk to save on candles, inspired this character (Ebenezer) Scrooge |
| #9102, aired 2024-05-14 | BUSINESS LOGOS: Early 1900s labels for this beverage brand featured a beaver sitting on a log at the top of a map Canada Dry |
| #9101, aired 2024-05-13 | CINEMA HISTORY: Films made outside the U.S. in the '50s like "3 Coins in the Fountain" & "Quo Vadis" led to an era dubbed "Hollywood on" this river the Tiber |
| #9100, aired 2024-05-10 | 20th CENTURY BOOKS: A review said this 1966 book about real events "will cause a good deal of myopic squabbling about just what a novel is" In Cold Blood |
| #9099, aired 2024-05-09 | 1980s FADS: A November 29, 1983 N.Y. Times article about these used "near-riot", "adoptable", "waiting for 8 hours" & "my life (is) in danger" Cabbage Patch Kids |
| #9098, aired 2024-05-08 | RHYME TIME: OPERA VERSION: Telling the story of a duke, a jester & the jester's daughter, it was written by poet Francesco Maria Piave the Rigoletto libretto |
| #9097, aired 2024-05-07 | FAMOUS CHARACTERS: She's introduced in an 1845 novella in which she wears a short skirt with her mantilla thrown back to show her shoulders Carmen |
| #9096, aired 2024-05-06 | HISTORIC GROUPS: Like their uniform, the flag of this group created in 1506 has stripes of red, blue & yellow, the colors of the Medici family the Swiss Guard |
| #9095, aired 2024-05-03 | 1990s NO. 1 SONGS: This title character of the top song from 1996 can't stand her boyfriend Vitorino & spurns him to be with his 2 friends Macarena |
| #9094, aired 2024-05-02 | COUNTRIES WITH SPACE PROGRAMS: It launched its first satellite, Asterix, in 1965 France |
| #9093, aired 2024-05-01 | EXECUTIVE ORDERS: On Nov. 15, 1961 JFK suspended the 8-hour workday at this agency, saying its work needed to proceed "with all possible speed" NASA |
| #9092, aired 2024-04-30 | FICTIONAL GROUPS: Maybe because he was too Baroque, Bernini was rejected as a name for a member of this group created in 1983 the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |
| #9091, aired 2024-04-29 | NICKNAMES: Surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku has been called by this 2-word nickname that describes any dominant person or expert Big Kahuna |
| #9090, aired 2024-04-26 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: At 14,410', it's one of North America's highest volcanoes; a Puyallup name for it can be translated to "bring the water" Mount Rainier |
| #9089, aired 2024-04-25 | STATUES: The 42-foot-high statue of Athena in this state capital is the tallest indoor statue in the United States Nashville |
| #9088, aired 2024-04-24 | HISTORIC TRANSPORTS: Decorated with an illustration of the Montgolfiers' craft, the smoking room aboard this could be accessed only via an airlock the Hindenburg |
| #9087, aired 2024-04-23 | BUSINESS: In the 1850s the .925 sterling silver standard was instituted by this company, the first American one to do so Tiffany |
| #9086, aired 2024-04-22 | 20th CENTURY AUTHORS: Best known for a novel, she wrote at least 6 full-length plays & collaborated with Moms Mabley on a 1931 Broadway revue Zora Neale Hurston |
| #9085, aired 2024-04-19 | COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS: Featured in a 2020 film, she gets her name from a 16th c. Italian stock character who often wore diamond-patterned outfits Harley Quinn |
| #9084, aired 2024-04-18 | ALPHABETICAL AMERICA: Until Alabama became the 22nd state, this one was first alphabetically Connecticut |
| #9083, aired 2024-04-17 | ORGANIZATIONS: The press called the donations received after this org.'s 1938 founding "a silver tide which actually swamped the White House" the March of Dimes |
| #9082, aired 2024-04-16 | WORDS & THEIR MEANINGS: Churchill gave a word a new meaning when he called for a "talk with Soviet Russia upon the highest level... a parley at" this the summit |
| #9081, aired 2024-04-15 | GREAT BRITS: From 1689 to 1690 & 1701 to 1702, he served as a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Cambridge University (Isaac) Newton |
| #9080, aired 2024-04-12 | AUTHORS' AFTERLIVES: After his death his son Michel reworked & published manuscripts like one about a meteor made of gold heading for Earth Jules Verne |
| #9079, aired 2024-04-11 | SPACE SHUTTLES: 2 space shuttles were named for craft commanded by this man who died far from home in 1779 (Captain) Cook |
| #9078, aired 2024-04-10 | ANIMATED FILM CHARACTERS: In this 2017 film Dante is a hairless breed known as a Xolo dog Coco |
| #9077, aired 2024-04-09 | BODIES OF WATER: The smallest inland sea in the world, it's completely within the territory of a single country & connects 2 other larger seas the Sea of Marmara |
| #9076, aired 2024-04-08 | MYTHOLOGY: A peasant who became the king of Phrygia created this intricate problem that was solved in 333 B.C. the Gordian Knot |
| #9075, aired 2024-04-05 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: The formation of the Brownell Committee out of concern over U.S. communications intelligence led to the 1952 creation of this body the NSA |
| #9074, aired 2024-04-04 | STATE CAPITALS: It was named for a nearby river that explorer Gabriel Moraga named for one of a religious grouping of 7 Sacramento |
| #9073, aired 2024-04-03 | PHYSICISTS: This man with a force named after him published an 1835 scientific treatise on the physics of billiard balls (Gaspard-Gustave de) Coriolis |
| #9072, aired 2024-04-02 | HISTORIC GROUPS: The Kipchak Khanate is another name for this group that was eventually defeated by Tamerlane in 1395 the Golden Horde |
| #9071, aired 2024-04-01 | NOVEL TITLE OBJECTS: A girl in a 1950 novel walks into this & "got in among the coats and rubbed her face against them" a wardrobe |
| #9070, aired 2024-03-29 | U.S.S.R.I.P.: Of the 15 countries formed by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, this one is alphabetically last Uzbekistan |
| #9069, aired 2024-03-28 | 20th CENTURY BOOKS: TIME mentioned "cruelty & enforced conformity" when summing up this novel with a "stonily silent narrator" One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest |
| #9068, aired 2024-03-27 | OLD WORDS: First appearing in an English dictionary in 1623, mesonoxian means pertaining to this word midnight |
| #9067, aired 2024-03-26 | ELEMENTS: In his "Natural History" Pliny described it as "argentum vivum" mercury |
| #9066, aired 2024-03-25 | NOTORIOUS FIGURES: Never even a soldier, this man lied that his nickname came from a shrapnel wound while fighting in the Argonne Al Capone |
| #9065, aired 2024-03-22 | FROM THE ANCIENT WORLD: "Captured in Egypt by the British Army 1801" is painted on the side of this artifact named for the city where it was found the Rosetta Stone |
| #9064, aired 2024-03-21 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: Virginia Woolf disliked this book that was "cutting out the explanations and putting in the thoughts between dashes" Ulysses |
| #9063, aired 2024-03-20 | TRAILBLAZERS: The foremost member of the "Sochi Six", which was similar to a previous U.S. group, he died in a plane crash in 1968 (Yuri) Gagarin |
| #9062, aired 2024-03-19 | THE HUMAN BODY: This glandular organ that starts to shrink at puberty is known for being where the cells key to adaptive immunity develop the thymus |
| #9061, aired 2024-03-18 | EURASIA: Zvartnots International Airport serves this capital & has the code EVN, all letters found in the city's name Yerevan, Armenia |
| #9060, aired 2024-03-15 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: Near Kirkbean on Solway Firth, U.S. Vice Admiral Jerauld Wright presented a memorial plaque honoring this man John Paul Jones |
| #9059, aired 2024-03-14 | THE UNITED NATIONS: Of the 9 countries that have produced a U.N. Secretary-General, this nation is the only one from its hemisphere Peru |
| #9058, aired 2024-03-13 | BOOKS OF THE BIBLE: This book is named for a tribe of Israel that carried out judgment of the idolaters of the golden calf Leviticus |
| #9057, aired 2024-03-12 | WORLD THEATER: This 1867 play has a reindeer hunt & a king dwelling in snowy mountains but its title character also spends time in Morocco & Egypt Peer Gynt |
| #9056, aired 2024-03-11 | WORD ORIGINS: A radical in an 1833 failed uprising in Germany, Ludwig von Rochau coined this term for acts taken for practical reasons not ethics Realpolitik |
| #9055, aired 2024-03-08 | LITERATURE & RELIGION: This city now in Turkey is the addressee of one of the New Testament epistles & the setting for "The Comedy of Errors" Ephesus |
| #9054, aired 2024-03-07 | ANCIENT DRAMA: From the 470s B.C., Aeschylus' earliest surviving work has this title; he'd fought them repeatedly in the preceding years The Persians |
| #9053, aired 2024-03-06 | AMERICAN LITERARY HISTORY: "The country is celebrating 100 years of freedom 100 years too soon", says "The Fire Next Time", published in this year 1963 |
| #9052, aired 2024-03-05 | CHEMICAL ELEMENTS: Isolated in 1945 during uranium fission research, it was named for an ancient deity to suggest humans gaining a new power promethium |
| #9051, aired 2024-03-04 | POETS OF ANCIENT ROME: Far from Rome, this first century poet wrote, "The leader's anger done, grant me the right to die in my native country" Ovid |
| #9050, aired 2024-03-01 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Fearful of independence in 1975, around 120,000 of this country's people, a third of the population, fled to the Netherlands Suriname |
| #9049, aired 2024-02-29 | WORLD TRAVEL: The name of this service that began Nov. 14, 1994 echoes the Étoile du Nord, which linked Paris, Brussels & Amsterdam from 1927 Eurostar |
| #9048, aired 2024-02-28 | 1950s POLITICS: In 1959 Bob Bartlett & Hiram Fong each won a coin flip to gain this alliterative title senior senator |
| #9047, aired 2024-02-27 | MILITARY HISTORY: A prototype of this craft was deployed in August 1955; it made headlines in May 1960 the U-2 |
| #9046, aired 2024-02-26 | ART HISTORY: The Royal Academy of Arts has this man's "La Fornarina" & in the 1800s the RAA's love of him made some artists retreat to an earlier style Raphael |
| #9045, aired 2024-02-23 | FRENCH AUTHORS: Trained as a priest & a physician, in 1532 he published his first novel under the pen name Alcofribas Nasier (François) Rabelais |
| #9044, aired 2024-02-22 | ON VACATION IN ITALY: About 30 miles from Florence, a little hill gives this tiny Tuscan town its name, familiar to American visitors Monticello |
| #9043, aired 2024-02-21 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: In 1896, 15 years after a famous showdown, this man was accused of fixing a championship boxing match Wyatt Earp |
| #9042, aired 2024-02-20 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: He's the most recent presidential candidate to have officially declared his opponent in that campaign the victor Al Gore |
| #9041, aired 2024-02-19 | CANADIAN MEDICINE: Nova Scotian William Knapp Buckley devised a widely used antitussive, meaning a drug used against this cough(ing) |
| #9040, aired 2024-02-16 | THEATER: A 1955 play review noted "restless Delta folk" & "lives as uncomfortable & insecure as the proverbial" this title Cat on a Hot Tin Roof |
| #9039, aired 2024-02-15 | LANDMARKS: The distance between its 2 legs at ground level is 630 feet, making it as wide as it is tall the Gateway Arch |
| #9038, aired 2024-02-14 | BROADWAY PLAYS: Rita Moreno & Sally Struthers were the first to star in the female version of this comedy, their characters becoming Olive & Florence The Odd Couple |
| #9037, aired 2024-02-13 | SOUTHERN POLITICIANS: An article written after his 1935 death asked, "Will some crown prince arise to take his place?" Huey Long |
| #9036, aired 2024-02-12 | U.S. STAMPS: This Roman numeral appeared on stamps in a 2022 series for the 50th anniversary of an anti-discrimination law IX |
| #9035, aired 2024-02-09 | NOVEL CHARACTERS: It's this character who's spoken of in the line "Reader, I forgave him at the moment & on the spot" Mr. Rochester |
| #9034, aired 2024-02-08 | COUNTRY MUSIC: "It was kind of a prodding to myself to play it straight", said Johnny Cash of this 1956 hit "I Walk The Line" |
| #9033, aired 2024-02-07 | WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD: Achilles Tatius wrote that it "was like a mountain... at the top of this mountain rose a second sun" the Lighthouse at Alexandria |
| #9032, aired 2024-02-06 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: A 1902 work says an enigmatic character has a half-English mom & a half-French dad, but this name of his is German for "short" Kurtz |
| #9031, aired 2024-02-05 | WORLD FLAGS: The flag of this Asian nation features part of a World Heritage Site built in the 12th century Cambodia |
| #9030, aired 2024-02-02 | ARMY TECHNOLOGY: Bearing the name of a man who died in Iowa in 1838, these began service in 1979 & today number in the thousands Black Hawk helicopters |
| #9029, aired 2024-02-01 | GEOGRAPHY: The first city in Australia with a municipal government, this state capital bears the name of a queen Adelaide |
| #9028, aired 2024-01-31 | AMERICAN MUSICIANS: Also an author, this singer who had 5 Top 40 hits in the 1970s was called the "Pirate Laureate" Jimmy Buffett |
| #9027, aired 2024-01-30 | NAMES IN HISTORY: The scientific name of Jamaica's ackee fruit honors this captain who brought it to England in 1793 Captain Bligh |
| #9026, aired 2024-01-29 | HISTORICAL FICTION: Stan Lee said the alias-using title character of this novel set during the French Revolution "was the 1st superhero I... read about" The Scarlet Pimpernel |
| #9025, aired 2024-01-26 | LEADING LADIES: NEXT IN LINE: Janet Gaynor,
Judy Garland,
Barbra Streisand,
her Lady Gaga |
| #9024, aired 2024-01-25 | CLASSIC LITERATURE: An intended sequel to this 1869 work centered on the Decembrists, a group of veterans who largely served in the Napoleonic Wars War and Peace |
| #9023, aired 2024-01-24 | 1980s MOVIE CHARACTERS: Oliver Stone, screenwriter of this 1983 movie, named its main character to honor the Super Bowl-winning QB from 1982 Scarface |
| #9022, aired 2024-01-23 | U.S. BUSINESS FOUNDERS: A 1934 note to him: "Received hunting clothes... and thank you for those wonderful shoes they fit perfect... your friend, Babe Ruth" L.L. Bean |
| #9021, aired 2024-01-22 | PRESIDENTS & VICE PRESIDENTS: The first vice president & the first president not born in one of the original 13 states were both born in this state Kentucky |
| #9020, aired 2024-01-19 | AMERICAN ARTISTS: In the 1920s he used wire, string & other materials to fabricate "models in motion" for a miniature circus scene (Alexander) Calder |
| #9019, aired 2024-01-18 | 20th CENTURY HISTORY: After the Vietnam War, Vietnam got bogged down in a campaign against this leader whom it managed to overthrow in 1979 Pol Pot |
| #9018, aired 2024-01-17 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: An 1884 article calls this newly completed structure "the highest work of man" & disagrees with those who call it "a great chimney" the Washington Monument |
| #9017, aired 2024-01-16 | NEW NATIONS: In September 2023 the U.S. recognized 2 new nations in free association with New Zealand: Niue & this archipelago the Cook Islands |
| #9016, aired 2024-01-15 | ON THE STAGE: Paul Robeson said that even as this character "kills, his honor is at stake... the honor of his whole culture is involved" Othello |
| #9015, aired 2024-01-12 | RIVERS: A European capital got its name as a consequence of flooding on this river the Amstel River |
| #9014, aired 2024-01-11 | BRAND NAMES: Originally called Fruit Scones, the name of this food brand introduced in 1964 was influenced by an art movement of that time Pop-Tarts |
| #9013, aired 2024-01-10 | SPACE: Since it has caused spacecraft to malfunction, a region called the South Atlantic Anomaly is known as this area "of space" Bermuda Triangle |
| #9012, aired 2024-01-09 | THE ANCIENT WORLD: This text helped the soul, or ka, navigate a journey into a region called Amenti the Book of the Dead |
| #9011, aired 2024-01-08 | STATE CAPITALS: The 2 closest state capitals, at about 40 miles apart, one was founded by someone no longer allowed in the other Providence & Boston |
| #9010, aired 2024-01-05 | CHILDREN'S BOOKS: A 2020 edition of this beloved 1911 novel came with a glossary of horticultural terms & a location guide The Secret Garden |
| #9009, aired 2024-01-04 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: They went their separate ways in 1806 & both became territorial governors: one of Upper Louisiana, the other of Missouri Lewis & Clark |
| #9008, aired 2024-01-03 | FROM THE FRENCH: With murder, shadows, a nosy reporter & Peter Lorre, 1940's "Stranger on the Third Floor" is the first example of this, some say film noir |
| #9007, aired 2024-01-02 | LANDMARKS: During Pope John Paul II's 1987 visit to Los Angeles, pranksters covered up this letter in a local landmark L |
| #9006, aired 2024-01-01 | LANDMARKS: 213 feet wide, this late 18th c. European structure has 5 portals, the middle of which was--at first--for royals only the Brandenburg Gate |
| #9005, aired 2023-12-29 | FAMOUS NAMES: In 2023, shortly after his death, his name was added to a Brazilian dictionary to describe one who's superior or out of the ordinary Pelé |
| #9004, aired 2023-12-28 | THOSE ZANY ANCIENT ROMANS: In the 20s B.C. the emperor's sister Octavia had a sitcom-worthy home including the boy & girl twin children of this man & woman Antony & Cleopatra |
| #9003, aired 2023-12-27 | AMERICANA: After "Black Monday" in 1987, sculptor Arturo Di Modica put a statue of one of these in Manhattan to symbolize strength & power a bull |
| #9002, aired 2023-12-26 | BOOK CHARACTERS: Early on in a 1966 novel, this title character beats the protagonist in maze races; later on he bites him Algernon |
| #9001, aired 2023-12-25 | FAMOUS NAMES IN AMERICA: The name of this animal that died in 1885 after being struck by a train that subsequently derailed lives on as an adjective Jumbo |
| #9000, aired 2023-12-22 | THE 20th CENTURY: On July 19, 1940 Hitler called this man a warmonger & wrongly predicted he would flee to Canada Winston Churchill |
| #8999, aired 2023-12-21 | FROM PAGE TO STAGE: The opera based on this 1993 memoir was staged at a prison for the first time in 2023, at Sing Sing with a chorus of 14 inmates Dead Man Walking |
| #8998, aired 2023-12-20 | COUNTRIES: Of the 14 countries that border China, it's the only monarchy & the only one with a population under 1 million Bhutan |
| #8997, aired 2023-12-19 | INVENTIONS: Invented in 1816, it takes its name from Greek for "chest" & "observe" a stethoscope |
| #8996, aired 2023-12-18 | NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Designated in 2016, a New York City monument named for this place of business includes nearby Christopher Park (the) Stonewall (Inn) |
| #8995, aired 2023-12-15 | THE WILD WEST: In 1888's "Ranch Life & the Hunting-Trail" Teddy Roosevelt wrote his 2 ranch hands were "able to travel" like this animal a bull moose |
| #8994, aired 2023-12-14 | BUSINESS: Of the Big 4 U.S. airlines, the 4 that each have over 15% of the domestic market, it's the youngest Southwest |
| #8993, aired 2023-12-13 | MOVIE MUSICALS: Of the musicals to win an Oscar for Best Picture, 1 of the 2 with one-word titles based on & named for literary characters (1 of) Gigi or Oliver! |
| #8992, aired 2023-12-12 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Chapter 100 of this novel introduces the one-armed Captain Boomer of the Samuel Enderby Moby-Dick |
| #8991, aired 2023-12-11 | 20th CENTURY LITERATURE: Thomas Pynchon wrote that this novelist "in 1948 understood that despite the Axis defeat... fascism had not gone away" Orwell |
| #8990, aired 2023-12-08 | ANCIENT HISTORY: Before visiting Achilles' tomb, this man threw his spear onto the ground in Asia & declared the continent "spear-won" Alexander the Great |
| #8989, aired 2023-12-07 | LANGUAGES: Since it can make someone "Japanese laugh as heartily as a Dane", Lillian Gish saw film as an aesthetic this, the name of a language Esperanto |
| #8988, aired 2023-12-06 | FAMOUS NAMES: Subject of a 2003 film, his 1947 obituary said he fathered at least 100 & died of a heart attack at 14, at a California ranch Seabiscuit |
| #8987, aired 2023-12-05 | 2020s TELEVISION: The title locale of this series is really the Belnord, dating to 1908 & located at 86th & Broadway on NYC's Upper West Side Only Murders in the Building |
| #8986, aired 2023-12-04 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: The Atlanta History Center says this novel was "both beloved & condemned from almost the moment of its publication" in 1936 Gone with the Wind |
| #8985, aired 2023-12-01 | BODIES OF WATER: The Goshute, a Western people, called this vast body of water Teittse Paa, meaning "bad water" the Great Salt Lake |
| #8984, aired 2023-11-30 | AMERICAN HISTORY: Established in 1963, this group had its conclusions questioned in books, reports & a special 1970s congressional committee the Warren Commission |
| #8983, aired 2023-11-29 | A BIT OF BRITAIN: In disarray, it was sold at auction in 1915 to a local Wiltshire man, who would donate it to the British government 3 years later Stonehenge |
| #8982, aired 2023-11-28 | LITERARY GEOGRAPHY: This state university's Writers' Workshop has had famous alumni who wrote about the state, like Jane Smiley & W.P. Kinsella the University of Iowa |
| #8981, aired 2023-11-27 | BRITISH CITIES: Over the motto "Fortis est Veritas", the coat of arms of this city features a beast of burden crossing over some water Oxford |
| #8980, aired 2023-11-24 | BUSINESS: This company announced, "On September 29th, 2023, we will send out the last red envelope" Netflix |
| #8979, aired 2023-11-23 | SCIENCE ETYMOLOGY: First detected in the Sun's atmosphere in 1868, it got its name from an old word for sun helium |
| #8978, aired 2023-11-22 | MUSICIANS: An Esquire profile said, "The most distinguishing thing" about the face of this singer "are his eyes, clear blue & alert" Frank Sinatra |
| #8977, aired 2023-11-21 | TELEVISION: This series grew out of a screenplay titled "Murdoch" Succession |
| #8976, aired 2023-11-20 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 7 U.S. presidents were born in the state of Ohio, beginning with this man who entered West Point in 1839 Ulysses Grant |
| #8975, aired 2023-11-17 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: In his first appearance in 1902, he was described as "betwixt-and-between" a boy & a bird Peter Pan |
| #8974, aired 2023-11-16 | POETS: 1793 reports of the killing of Hector Munro by a wild animal in India may have inspired one of this man's best-known poems William Blake |
| #8973, aired 2023-11-15 | WASHINGTON, D.C.: It was proposed in Congress in 1926 in honor of a big 150th anniversary; it opened 17 years later the Jefferson Memorial |
| #8972, aired 2023-11-14 | HISTORIC OBJECTS: The inscription on this, made in 1753, concludes, "unto all the inhabitants thereof" the Liberty Bell |
| #8971, aired 2023-11-13 | ICONIC BRANDS: In 1916 it began packaging its flagship product in a variety of glass called Georgia green Coca-Cola |
| #8970, aired 2023-11-10 | THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: The 1456 posthumous annulment of this woman's sentence by the Church was witnessed by her mother Isabelle Joan of Arc (Joan, Jeanne) |
| #8969, aired 2023-11-09 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: In 1950 the Swedish Academy said this Nobel Prize winner "is a regional writer" but called "his regionalism universal" William Faulkner |
| #8968, aired 2023-11-08 | EXPLORERS: Perhaps inspiring a line 2 centuries later, in 1774 he wrote that he was headed "farther than any other man has been before me" Captain James Cook |
| #8967, aired 2023-11-07 | WORLD HISTORY: This African capital renamed an area Mexico Square to honor Mexico's WWII-era support of its sovereignty during Italian occupation Addis Ababa |
| #8966, aired 2023-11-06 | MUSIC & LITERATURE: John Steinbeck called this "one of the great songs of the world" & wanted the music & lyrics printed in one of his novels "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic" |
| #8965, aired 2023-11-03 | BRITISH HISTORY: At Leicester Cathedral in March 2015, the Archbishop of Canterbury led a religious ceremony for this deceased English monarch Richard III |
| #8964, aired 2023-11-02 | ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY: Britain became an island less than 10,000 years ago, as warming weather & melting ice filled in this sea the North Sea |
| #8963, aired 2023-11-01 | 21st CENTURY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: It was the first election since 1952 in which neither the incumbent president nor the incumbent vice president was a candidate 2008 (Barack Obama & John McCain) |
| #8962, aired 2023-10-31 | NAME'S THE SAME: This first name is shared by a character introduced in 1941 & a member of royalty who is sixth in line to the British throne Archie |
| #8961, aired 2023-10-30 | DRIVING THE USA: It's the state with the most miles of Interstate Highway, more than 3,200; one Interstate accounts for 1/4 of that mileage Texas |
| #8960, aired 2023-10-27 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: On March 23, 1779 he became the first U.S. diplomat to serve overseas by presenting his credentials to a foreign government Benjamin Franklin |
| #8959, aired 2023-10-26 | FAMOUS FAMILIES: In 2020 a former U.S. ambassador to Ireland, the last of 9 siblings in this dynastic family, died at 92 Kennedy |
| #8958, aired 2023-10-25 | HISTORIC LETTERS: A letter from him begins, "On the thirty-third day after I had left Cadiz, I reached the Indian Ocean" (Christopher) Columbus |
| #8957, aired 2023-10-24 | AWARDS & HONORS: As of 2023 the only 2 to win a Nobel Prize in Literature & an Academy Award were George Bernard Shaw & this singer-songwriter Bob Dylan |
| #8956, aired 2023-10-23 | MUSIC MEN: Before creating this record label in 1959, its founder worked on a Lincoln-Mercury assembly line Motown |
| #8955, aired 2023-10-20 | LANGUAGES OF ASIA: Meaning "palace", this word in the name of a UNESCO World Heritage Site follows Jal & Lal in the names of other historic structures Mahal |
| #8954, aired 2023-10-19 | NAMES: The name Jennifer is an alteration of this name that in early Welsh literature belonged to the "first lady of the island" Guinevere |
| #8953, aired 2023-10-18 | NATURAL LANDMARKS: The Washburn-Langford-Doane expedition happened upon it in 1870 & named it for the regularity of its activity Old Faithful |
| #8952, aired 2023-10-17 | MILITARY HISTORY: A 1918 article titled "Do Not Shoot at" these said hunters were interfering with the U.S. Signal Corps' training of them (carrier or homing) pigeons |
| #8951, aired 2023-10-16 | THE NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS: Barry Barish, who shared the 2017 Prize for detecting gravitational waves, called his award "a win for" this predecessor (Albert) Einstein |
| #8950, aired 2023-10-13 | ROYALTY: Before his death in 2005, he said he was "probably the last head of state to be able to recognize all his compatriots in the street" Prince Rainier (III of Monaco) |
| #8949, aired 2023-10-12 | WORD ORIGINS: Though it meant "seasickness" in Latin, this 6-letter word now refers to a more general feeling of sickness nausea |
| #8948, aired 2023-10-11 | FINE ART: An early owner of this 1889 painting full of blue & green noted how well the artist "understood the exquisite nature of flowers!" Irises |
| #8947, aired 2023-10-10 | NEW ZEALAND: Christchurch is the largest city in this New Zealand region that shares its name with an English city known for a church begun in the 6th century Canterbury |
| #8946, aired 2023-10-09 | WOMEN AUTHORS: In "A Room of One’s Own", the "four famous names" are Austen, 2 Brontës & this author who died closest to Virginia Woolf’s own time George Eliot |
| #8945, aired 2023-10-06 | COMPOSERS: He was given piano lessons by Madame Mauté de Fleurville, the mother-in-law of Paul Verlaine, whose poetry he would later set to music (Claude) Debussy |
| #8944, aired 2023-10-05 | GLOBAL GEOLOGY: In this nation of 360,000 people, you can walk along the boundaries of the Eurasian & North American tectonic plates Iceland |
| #8943, aired 2023-10-04 | AMERICAN IMMIGRANTS: His 1904 will stipulated that "all the sums hereinbefore specified for prizes shall be used for prizes only" Joseph Pulitzer |
| #8942, aired 2023-10-03 | THE 1500s: In the early 1500s he produced a codex in words & pictures on the flight of birds, one of many subjects that interested him Leonardo da Vinci |
| #8941, aired 2023-10-02 | PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATIONS: Both issued in April, 80 years apart, the first proclamations by these 2 presidents each declared national days of mourning Andrew Johnson & Harry Truman |
| #8940, aired 2023-09-29 | U.S. SENATE HISTORY: In 1805, after 4 years presiding over the Senate, he left the chamber, calling it "a sanctuary; a citadel of law, of order" Aaron Burr |
| #8939, aired 2023-09-28 | SYMPHONIES: Debuting at Carnegie Hall in 1893, it was written by a European living in New York & partly inspired by "The Song of Hiawatha" the New World Symphony |
| #8938, aired 2023-09-27 | MYTHOLOGY: Chrysomallus was the name of the creature that was the source of this sought-after item, vellus aureum in Latin the Golden Fleece |
| #8937, aired 2023-09-26 | PUBLICATIONS: A collection of achievements bearing this name was established in the early 1950s to help resolve pub disputes The Guinness Book of World Records (The Guinness Book of Records) |
| #8936, aired 2023-09-25 | SCIENTISTS: A 1953 article by this pair says, "The specific pairing we have postulated... suggests a... copying mechanism for the genetic material" (James) Watson & (Francis) Crick |
| #8935, aired 2023-09-22 | COMPOSERS: A fireworks display followed the April 27, 1749 premiere of a work by this man that had been commissioned by George II (George Frideric) Handel |
| #8934, aired 2023-09-21 | FIRST NAMES IN SCIENCE: First name of the paleontologist who in 1990 noticed some large vertebrae jutting from an eroding bluff in South Dakota Sue |
| #8933, aired 2023-09-20 | 20th CENTURY PEOPLE: In 2022 the Dept. of Energy noted "a flawed process" & vacated a 1954 commission's decision "in the matter of" this man (J. Robert) Oppenheimer |
| #8932, aired 2023-09-19 | HISTORIC GEOGRAPHY: Of Spain's colonial possessions in the Americas, this 3,400 square mile one in the Antilles never gained independence, but did change hands Puerto Rico |
| #8931, aired 2023-09-18 | AUTHORS: He dedicated books to each of his 4 wives, including Hadley Richardson & Martha Gellhorn Ernest (Papa) Hemingway |
| #8930, aired 2023-09-15 | ASTRONOMY: The only dwarf planet located in the inner Solar System, it's named for an ancient deity of planting & harvests Ceres |
| #8929, aired 2023-09-14 | WORLD CAPITALS: In English, name of 1 of the 2 4-letter capitals with the same first & last letter, one in the N. & one in the S. Hemisphere Apia or Oslo |
| #8928, aired 2023-09-13 | ARTISTS: On October 26, 1886 he said, "The dream of my life is accomplished... I see the symbol of unity & friendship between 2 nations" Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi |
| #8927, aired 2023-09-12 | MYTHOLOGICAL PLACES: "Paradise Lost" says it's "abhorred" & "the flood of deadly hate" & in Dante's "Inferno" it's fed by a "gloomy brook" the River Styx |
| #8926, aired 2023-09-11 | BRITISH MONARCHS: The most recent British monarch not to succeed a parent or a sibling was this ruler who succeeded an uncle Queen Victoria |
| #8925, aired 2023-07-28 | WORD ORIGINS: Theories on the origin of this, a style of journalism, include Cajun slang for unhinged jazz & Boston slang for a person on a bender gonzo |
| #8924, aired 2023-07-27 | FIGHTING FORCES: Formed in 1831 to help with the conquest of Algeria, its ranks have included Germans, Turks & Chinese the French Foreign Legion |
| #8923, aired 2023-07-26 | OPERA SOURCE MATERIAL: Henri Murger, who was broke & lived in a freezing attic apartment in Paris, wrote the source material for this 1896 opera La bohème |
| #8922, aired 2023-07-25 | COMPOUND WORD ORIGINS: This compound word meant an astronomical object of exceptional brightness in 1910; it was soon applied to actors & athletes superstar |
| #8921, aired 2023-07-24 | AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY: The only country in Africa with Spanish as an official language, it lies mostly between 1 & 2 degrees north latitude Equatorial Guinea |
| #8920, aired 2023-07-21 | NUMBERS OLD & NEW: Expressed in today's numbers, it's the sum total if you add the 7 Roman numerals together 1,666 |
| #8919, aired 2023-07-20 | 19th CENTURY BRITISH POEMS: The author of this unfinished epic poem was unsure if he wanted the title character to "end in Hell--or in an unhappy marriage" Don Juan |
| #8918, aired 2023-07-19 | FAMOUS PAINTINGS: A German guidebook to a 1937 World's Fair dismissed it as a "hodgepodge of body parts that any four-year-old could have painted" Guernica |
| #8917, aired 2023-07-18 | MAN-MADE OBJECTS: Around since 1998, it's now roughly the length of a football field & travels at about 5 miles per second the International Space Station (the ISS) |
| #8916, aired 2023-07-17 | GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS: In 1867 he wrote to General Rousseau, "on arriving at Sitka... you will receive from the Russian commissioner the formal transfer" (William) Seward |
| #8915, aired 2023-07-14 | BOOKS & AUTHORS: In 1930 this author wrote "Murder at Full Moon", a horror-mystery novel set in a fictional town in Central California (John) Steinbeck |
| #8914, aired 2023-07-13 | FAMOUS SHIPS: This first U.S. battleship ever built was launched in 1889 but lasted less than 9 years the Maine |
| #8913, aired 2023-07-12 | NAME'S THE SAME: A 1931 Charlie Chaplin film & a West Coast bookstore open since 1953 both bear this name City Lights |
| #8912, aired 2023-07-11 | OLYMPIC TEAMS: A city of about 2.5 million people, since 1984 for political reasons it has been in the name of an Olympic team Taipei |
| #8911, aired 2023-07-10 | ART HISTORY: At the 1865 Paris Art Salon, the elder of these 2 men said if the younger were successful, it would be "because his name sounds like mine" Manet & Monet |
| #8910, aired 2023-07-07 | HISTORY & NATURE: In March 1519, these were again seen in mainland North America for the first time in 10,000 years with the arrival of 16 of them horses |
| #8909, aired 2023-07-06 | 20th CENTURY LIT: Squashing the allegory theory, the daughters of the author of this novel say it's "just a story about rabbits" Watership Down |
| #8908, aired 2023-07-05 | AFRICAN COUNTRIES: Nicknamed "the Kingdom in the Sky", this landlocked nation is the only country in the world to lie entirely above 4,000 feet Lesotho |
| #8907, aired 2023-07-04 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: Composed around 1720, this group of instrumental works was dedicated to a younger brother of Prussian king Frederick I the Brandenburg Concertos |
| #8906, aired 2023-07-03 | FASHION: The name of these items that became a 1940s fad derives in part from a word meaning "to cut short" bobby socks |
| #8905, aired 2023-06-30 | NATIONAL ANTHEMS: The name of this country's national anthem translates as "His Majesty's Reign" & its lyrics come from a 1,000-year-old poem Japan |
| #8904, aired 2023-06-29 | THE MOVIES: Centenarian ceramic artist Beatrice Wood helped inspire one of the main characters & the narrator of this film from the 1990s Titanic |
| #8903, aired 2023-06-28 | THE MEDICAL WORLD: He created a chest drain valve that aided breathing in wounded soldiers in Vietnam but is better known for a lifesaving measure (Henry) Heimlich |
| #8902, aired 2023-06-27 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: In 1896 new spider species were named for a wolf, a panther & a snake from a work published 2 years earlier by this man (Rudyard) Kipling |
| #8901, aired 2023-06-26 | 20th CENTURY EVENTS: It was immediately reported, "The flames are still leaping maybe 30, 40 feet from the ground the entire 811 feet length of" this the Hindenburg |
| #8900, aired 2023-06-23 | FEMALE AUTHORS: At age 9 in 1883 she moved west, where she met Annie Pavelka, a young pioneer on whom she would later model a title character Willa Cather |
| #8899, aired 2023-06-22 | THE 19th CENTURY: In 1823 he wrote, "In the war between those new governments and Spain we declared our neutrality" (James) Monroe |
| #8898, aired 2023-06-21 | WORLD OF WATER: The Bass Strait divides Tasmania & mainland Australia & hydrographers have disputed which of these 2 larger bodies it's part of the Indian & Pacific Oceans |
| #8897, aired 2023-06-20 | THE OLYMPICS: This sport that made its Olympic debut in 1988 has a playing surface of only about 45 square feet table tennis |
| #8896, aired 2023-06-19 | ENTERTAINERS: In 2022 Jeff Bezos awarded her $100 million to give to charitable causes because "she gives with her heart" Dolly Parton |
| #8895, aired 2023-06-16 | AMERICAN GEOGRAPHY: Native Americans called it Okwa-ta, or "wide water"; Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville would rename it for a countryman Lake Pontchartrain |
| #8894, aired 2023-06-15 | THE U.S. GOVERNMENT: Established in 1938, this congressional group was still issuing subpoenas in 1969 & finally ceased to exist 6 years later the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) |
| #8893, aired 2023-06-14 | TV & FILM CHARACTERS: He debuted on TV in 1967; the show's creator wanted someone from behind the Iron Curtain to be on "our side" Chekov |
| #8892, aired 2023-06-13 | ACTORS: He starred in the 2 films whose soundtracks were the top 2 bestselling albums of 1978 John Travolta |
| #8891, aired 2023-06-12 | WOMEN IN MYTHOLOGY: The name of this woman, the product of an incestuous union, means "against birth" Antigone |
| #8890, aired 2023-06-09 | BRITISH NOVELS: Midway through this 1928 novel, the title character briefly takes "their" instead of his or her Orlando |
| #8889, aired 2023-06-08 | BUSINESS HISTORY: What is dubbed "the world's first initial public offering" took place in 1602 in this current European capital Amsterdam |
| #8888, aired 2023-06-07 | EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: Of all the nations that border Italy, the one that didn't exist in 1990 Slovenia |
| #8887, aired 2023-06-06 | HISTORIC ORGANIZATIONS: A senator called the 1949 pact that formed this a "fraternity of peace" that "makes the obligation plain... for us & others" NATO |
| #8886, aired 2023-06-05 | ACRONYMS: It was originally a code word used by telegraph operators; Barack Obama used it in his Twitter handle POTUS |
| #8885, aired 2023-06-02 | 20th CENTURY AMERICA: In bold letters, it was the 2-word historic N.Y. Times headline for August 9, 1974, followed by "He urges a time of 'healing"' "Nixon Resigns" |
| #8884, aired 2023-06-01 | COUNTRY NAMES: The first current country to include its particular religion in its full name, it also has that religion in the name of its capital Pakistan |
| #8883, aired 2023-05-31 | SPORTS & THE MOVIES: A Geena Davis Institute study found shortly after a 2012 franchise film's release, women's participation in this sport rose 105% archery |
| #8882, aired 2023-05-30 | LITERARY GROUPS: Windermere, Thirlmere & Grasmere are 3 of the sites that helped give a 19th century literary group this name the Lake Poets |
| #8881, aired 2023-05-29 | MEMORIALS: The Vietnam War crypt at this memorial has been empty since the remains once there were identified & moved to St. Louis the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier |
| #8880, aired 2023-05-26 | GROUPS IN HISTORY: The third-most famous group that invaded Britain in the 5th century, they gave their name to the continental part of Denmark the Jutes |
| #8879, aired 2023-05-25 | ASIA: Trained as an engineer, premier Li Peng championed this in 1992; it would ultimately displace over a million people the Three Gorges Dam |
| #8878, aired 2023-05-24 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: When the opera "Lohengrin" premiered in 1850, this man, a future in-law of the composer, was the conductor Franz Liszt |
| #8877, aired 2023-05-23 | SHAKESPEARE'S CHARACTERS: Both of the names of these 2 lovers in a Shakespeare play come from Latin words for "blessed" Beatrice & Benedick |
| #8876, aired 2023-05-22 | CHILDREN'S BOOKS: The original 1900 printing of this book was in a pale green dust jacket stamped in a vivid jewel tone of green The Wizard of Oz (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) |
| #8875, aired 2023-05-19 | THE USA: People going north on this route say they're traveling "GAME", an acronym regarding their beginning & ending points the Appalachian Trail |
| #8874, aired 2023-05-18 | BILLBOARD NO. 1 HITS: Billy Joel said, "I think the one time I didn't write the music" before the lyrics was for this 1989 hit, "and I think it shows" "We Didn't Start The Fire" |
| #8873, aired 2023-05-17 | U.S. NATIONAL MEMORIALS: Efforts recently began to reintroduce 2 species of oyster to help restore the contaminated waters of this, a national memorial Pearl Harbor |
| #8872, aired 2023-05-16 | AUTHORS: In 1960 Jean-Paul Sartre wrote of this man's "victorious attempt... to snatch every instant of his existence from his future death" (Albert) Camus |
| #8871, aired 2023-05-15 | PUBLICATIONS: The co-founder of this magazine that began in 1967 said its name comes primarily from a song title but noted a band name as well Rolling Stone |
| #8870, aired 2023-05-12 | NEW WORDS IN THE 18th CENTURY: Describing these, Captain Cook wrote, "The manner in which" they're done "must certainly cause intollerable pain" tattoos |
| #8869, aired 2023-05-11 | HISTORY: His epitaph, in a church in England, reads, "Sometime general in the army of George Washington" Benedict Arnold |
| #8868, aired 2023-05-10 | INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: In 1901 6 colonies joined together to form this nation, today the sixth largest in area Australia |
| #8867, aired 2023-05-09 | ACTRESSES & THEIR ROLES: She made her big screen debut as a teen named Laurie in a 1978 film & in 2022 she played that role for the 7th & last time Jamie Lee Curtis |
| #8866, aired 2023-05-08 | NUMERICAL BOOK TITLES: This 2007 bestselling novel takes its title from a line in the poem "Kabul" by the 17th century Persian poet Saib A Thousand Splendid Suns |
| #8865, aired 2023-05-05 | TEAM NAMES: An MLB team got this name in 1902 after some of its players defected to a new crosstown rival, leaving young replacements the (Chicago) Cubs |
| #8864, aired 2023-05-04 | BODIES OF WATER: Formed some 10,000-15,000 years ago & with an average depth of only about 150 feet, it's named for a man who sailed through it in 1728 the Bering Strait |
| #8863, aired 2023-05-03 | BUSINESS & SOCIAL MEDIA: On Twitter in 2023, this food franchise followed an exact total of 11 accounts that included Victoria Beckham, Mel B & Herb Alpert KFC |
| #8862, aired 2023-05-02 | MEDICAL HISTORY: A vaccine against this respiratory illness came out in the U.S. in 1914 & eventually combined with 2 other vaccines whooping cough (pertussis) |
| #8861, aired 2023-05-01 | 18th CENTURY LITERATURE: The first name of this title character is from Hebrew for "devoted to God"; his last name suggests he can be easily duped (Lemuel) Gulliver |
| #8860, aired 2023-04-28 | U.S. LANDMARKS: In April 1975, to symbolize the start of America's Bicentennial, President Ford lit a third lantern at this landmark the Old North Church |
| #8859, aired 2023-04-27 | HISTORIC FIGURES: Dante gives him, born to a Kurdish family in the 12th century, a place of honor in limbo along with the war heroes of Rome & Troy Saladin |
| #8858, aired 2023-04-26 | HOLLYWOOD HISTORY: Last name of 3 men who missed the 1927 premiere of "The Jazz Singer" because a 4th of that name had died hours before Warner |
| #8857, aired 2023-04-25 | TV HISTORY: The 1980s "Magnum, P.I." used a soundstage of this long-running drama that had just ended, & even referred to its lead character Hawaii Five-O |
| #8856, aired 2023-04-24 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: Interstate 25 connects these 2 state capitals, 1st & 2nd in elevation, & in between runs through No. 3, Denver Cheyenne & Santa Fe |
| #8855, aired 2023-04-21 | HISTORIC GROUPS: Originally a term for security escorts for commanders, in 27 B.C. this group was designated an official imperial force the Praetorian Guard |
| #8854, aired 2023-04-20 | MODERN WORDS: Neal Stephenson coined this word in his 1992 novel "Snow Crash"; it was later shortened by a company to become its new name metaverse |
| #8853, aired 2023-04-19 | LIVES OF THE POETS: At a seminary that classified students' degree of faith, Emily Dickinson was "without" this, which she compares to a bird in a poem hope |
| #8852, aired 2023-04-18 | THE OSCARS: Born in 1932 & the son of a percussionist in the CBS Radio Orchestra, he's been nominated for 53 Oscars John Williams |
| #8851, aired 2023-04-17 | ENGLISH LITERATURE: It says, "The mind is its own place, & in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. What matter where, if I be still the same" Paradise Lost |
| #8850, aired 2023-04-14 | WRITERS' LESSER-KNOWN WORKS: Known for more philosophical works, he wrote the play "La Mandragola", in which Florentines are rewarded for immoral actions (Niccolò) Machiavelli |
| #8849, aired 2023-04-13 | EXPLORATION: James Cook's account of a 1774 visit here records an object "near 27 feet long, and upwards of 8 feet over the breast or shoulders" Easter Island |
| #8848, aired 2023-04-12 | THE BILL OF RIGHTS: England's "Bloody Assizes" & a 1685 life sentence for perjury were 2 main origins of this amendment to the U.S. Constitution the 8th Amendment |
| #8847, aired 2023-04-11 | NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNERS: At times they each lived on Vilakazi St. in Soweto, so it claims to be the world's only street home to 2 Nobel Peace Prize winners Nelson Mandela & Archbishop Desmond Tutu |
| #8846, aired 2023-04-10 | FAMOUS NAMES: In 1966, the year of his death, he shared plans for an experimental prototype community in Florida Walt Disney |
| #8845, aired 2023-04-07 | GEOGRAPHY: Of the 13 nations through which the equator passes, it's the only one whose coastline borders the Caribbean Sea Colombia |
| #8844, aired 2023-04-06 | FASHION HISTORY: These decorative items get their name from their origin in the port city of Strasbourg, on the border of France & Germany rhinestones |
| #8843, aired 2023-04-05 | MOVIES OF THE '80s: Based on an off-Broadway play with just 3 characters, it won the Best Picture Oscar & the actors in all 3 roles were nominated Driving Miss Daisy |
| #8842, aired 2023-04-04 | NOVELISTS: A 2012 book review noted subjects that "sparked his ire": capital punishment, big tobacco & "the plight of the unjustly convicted" John Grisham |
| #8841, aired 2023-04-03 | 20th CENTURY EPONYMS: A 1940 headline about this included "failure", "liability when it came to offense" & "stout hearts no match for tanks" the Maginot Line |
| #8840, aired 2023-03-31 | CITY HISTORY: Over 700 years after its traditional 1252 founding date, this port city became associated with a psychological response Stockholm |
| #8839, aired 2023-03-30 | BRAND NAMES: The success of this brand has its roots with a hydrotherapy pump its cofounder created for his son, who had arthritis Jacuzzi |
| #8838, aired 2023-03-29 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: In a periodical in 1807, he called New York City "Gotham, Gotham! most enlightened of cities" Washington Irving |
| #8837, aired 2023-03-28 | TRANSPORTATION USA: This public agency runs the USA's busiest bus terminal, opened in 1950 for commuters awed by its polished steel & stone the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |
| #8836, aired 2023-03-27 | CHEMICAL NAMES: The name of this pungent gaseous compound is ultimately derived from the top god of the ancient Egyptians ammonia |
| #8835, aired 2023-03-24 | SYMBOLS: In math, it's a rotated V; in society, it's a feeling of some marginalized or underrepresented people less than |
| #8834, aired 2023-03-23 | MOVIE THEME SONGS: Monty Norman, the composer of this character's theme, said the staccato riff conveyed sexiness, mystery & ruthlessness (James) Bond |
| #8833, aired 2023-03-22 | AMERICAN NOVELISTS: He served with an airman named Yohannan in World War II & despite what readers might think, he said he enjoyed his service (Joseph) Heller |
| #8832, aired 2023-03-21 | MEDIEVAL PLACES: One of the participants in an 1170 event at this place said, "Let us away, knights; he will rise no more" Canterbury Cathedral |
| #8831, aired 2023-03-20 | COUNTRIES OF AFRICA: At one time a province of the Roman Empire, this kingdom is known to Arabic scholars as Al-Maghrib Al-Aqsa, "the far west" Morocco |
| #8830, aired 2023-03-17 | STATEHOOD: Congress relented in 1890 after this prospective state said it would wait 100 years rather than come in without the women Wyoming |
| #8829, aired 2023-03-16 | 1980s MOVIES: A writer & producer of this movie said he wanted it to be like a Western or James Bond film, "only it takes place in the '30s" Raiders of the Lost Ark |
| #8828, aired 2023-03-15 | ART EXHIBITIONS: In 1898 what's been called the first blockbuster art show was devoted to him & put on for Queen Wilhelmina's coronation Rembrandt |
| #8827, aired 2023-03-14 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Part of the largest contiguous land empire during the 1200s & 1300s, today it's the world's second-largest landlocked country Mongolia |
| #8826, aired 2023-03-13 | LITERATURE: A 2006 book was titled "The Poem That Changed America:" this "Fifty Years Later" "Howl" |
| #8825, aired 2023-03-10 | INVASIONS: Backed by 14,000 troops, he invaded England to restore, in his words, its "religion, laws, and liberties" William of Orange |
| #8824, aired 2023-03-09 | LANDMARKS: After its completion in the late 19th c., it was called a "truly tragic street lamp" & a "high & skinny pyramid of iron ladders" the Eiffel Tower |
| #8823, aired 2023-03-08 | GEOGRAPHIC NAME'S THE SAME: The busiest passenger port in the U.K., it shares its name with a capital of one of the original 13 states Dover |
| #8822, aired 2023-03-07 | NAMES IN THE BOOKSTORE: This man made lists, perhaps to cope with depression; a set of lists he published in 1852 made his name synonymous with a type of book (Peter Mark) Roget |
| #8821, aired 2023-03-06 | U.S. HISTORY: An 1869 presidential pardon was granted to this man, due in part to a plea by the Medical Society of Harford County, Maryland Dr. Samuel Mudd |
| #8820, aired 2023-03-03 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Letters, pocket knives, C rations & steel helmets are among the tangible items referred to in the title of this modern war classic The Things They Carried |
| #8819, aired 2023-03-02 | NONFICTION: It has the line, "The discovery of America... opened up fresh ground for the rising bourgeoisie" The Communist Manifesto |
| #8818, aired 2023-03-01 | LAWS IN U.S. HISTORY: A Radical Republican championed this 1875 act but the Supreme Court struck it down in 1883; a new version was passed 81 years later the Civil Rights Act |
| #8817, aired 2023-02-28 | NAMES OF MYTH: Her brothers, Castor & Pollux, saved her after Theseus stole her away as a kid; a larger force would seek her later in life Helen of Troy |
| #8816, aired 2023-02-27 | AFRICAN COUNTRIES: Once Africa's largest country in area, it dropped to third in 2011 when a portion of it declared independence Sudan |
| #8815, aired 2023-02-24 | THE ANCIENT WORLD: The ancient writer Galen said books on ships arriving to this city's port were seized, originals kept & copies returned Alexandria |
| #8814, aired 2023-02-23 | FAMOUS NAMES: For a special 1970s cookbook, he provided one simple recipe--a can of Campbell's tomato soup & 2 cans of milk Andy Warhol |
| #8813, aired 2023-02-22 | PEOPLE & PLACES: Thought to descend from people of Southeast Asia, the Chamorro make up this U.S. territory's largest ethnic group Guam |
| #8812, aired 2023-02-21 | CURRENT WORLD LEADERS: In office from 2022, the president of this country has taken so many foreign trips a play on his name is "Ferdinand Magellan Jr." the Philippines |
| #8811, aired 2023-02-20 | WRITERS & THE SOUTH: In 1939 he lived on Toulouse Street in the French Quarter & chose the professional name that bonded him to the South Tennessee Williams |
| #8810, aired 2023-02-17 | NATIONAL PARKS: It's named for a river indigenous people called Mi tse a-da-zi, translated by French-speaking trappers as "Pierre Jaune" Yellowstone |
| #8809, aired 2023-02-16 | SPORTS: In 2010 they introduced the 4-point shot, 35 feet from the basket the Harlem Globetrotters |
| #8808, aired 2023-02-15 | THE U.S. MILITARY: Losses over Asia in the 1960s led to the establishment of the program known as this at a San Diego naval base in 1969 Top Gun |
| #8807, aired 2023-02-14 | ART & SCIENCE: A craft that visited it was named for Giotto, based on the story that 680 years earlier, the painter depicted it as the Star of Bethlehem Halley's Comet |
| #8806, aired 2023-02-13 | WORDS FROM WORLD WAR I: "Cistern" & "reservoir" were suggested names for a secret invention, but the British preferred this less clumsy monosyllable a tank |
| #8805, aired 2023-02-10 | EUROPEAN HISTORY: Until 1806, some German nobles included among their honors the title of "Elector" for their role in selecting this personage Holy Roman Emperor |
| #8804, aired 2023-02-09 | THEATER HISTORY: In 1904, wearing a harness, actress Nina Boucicault became the first to play this character onstage Peter Pan |
| #8803, aired 2023-02-08 | EUROPEAN CITIES: Alphabetically the first German city in encyclopedias, it was also the first one taken by the Allies in World War II Aachen |
| #8802, aired 2023-02-07 | WORD ORIGINS: This Sanskrit word referring to a spoken word or phrase comes from a word for "to think" mantra |
| #8801, aired 2023-02-06 | INVENTIONS: 1917's "Elements of Trench Warfare" said this Old West item was "difficult to destroy" & "difficult to get through" barbed wire |
| #8800, aired 2023-02-03 | WORLD WAR II: Mimi Reinhard, who never learned to type using more than 2 fingers, produced this with 1,100 names, including hers Schindler's List |
| #8799, aired 2023-02-02 | MYTHOLOGY: Poseidon carried off the maiden Theophane & turned her into a ewe; their offspring was the source of this mythical object the Golden Fleece |
| #8798, aired 2023-02-01 | LITERATURE: Published in 2011, P.D. James' final novel, "Death Comes to Pemberley", was a sequel to this novel from 200 years earlier Pride and Prejudice |
| #8797, aired 2023-01-31 | U.S. STATE NAMES: 5 U.S. states have 6-letter names; only these 2 west of the Mississippi River border each other Oregon & Nevada |
| #8796, aired 2023-01-30 | WORD ORIGINS: Originally relating to a story of suffering, this word now more commonly refers to strong emotion of any kind passion |
| #8795, aired 2023-01-27 | WORLD CINEMA: The 2007 biopic called "La Môme" in France, meaning "The Kid", was released in the U.S. under this other French title La Vie en rose |
| #8794, aired 2023-01-26 | HISTORY: Returning home in 1493, Columbus stopped in the Azores at an island with this name, also something he'd lost off the Haiti coast Santa Maria |
| #8793, aired 2023-01-25 | LANDMARKS: Pskov & Nizhny Novgorod are 2 of the cities that have a fortress called this the Kremlin |
| #8792, aired 2023-01-24 | FOREIGN-BORN AUTHORS: In the 1950s the New York Times said this author "is writing about all lust" & his lecherous narrator "is all of us" (Vladimir) Nabokov |
| #8791, aired 2023-01-23 | ASTRONOMY & GEOGRAPHY: At the winter solstice, the Sun is in Sagittarius; it once appeared in this constellation, giving a geographic feature its name Capricorn |
| #8790, aired 2023-01-20 | TELEVISION: Mike Post combined the sound of a slamming jail door, an anvil & 100 men stomping on a floor for this series that debuted in 1990 Law & Order |
| #8789, aired 2023-01-19 | BRITISH LANDMARKS: Like Sir Thomas More, 3 16th century English queens are buried at this location the Tower of London |
| #8788, aired 2023-01-18 | EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY: In 1692 Increase Mather wrote, "It were better that ten suspected" these "escape, than that one innocent person... be condemned" witches |
| #8787, aired 2023-01-17 | GEOGRAPHY MNEMONICS: MIMAL, sometimes said to be the silhouette of a chef or elf, stands for Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, these 2 states Arkansas & Louisiana |
| #8786, aired 2023-01-16 | BUSINESS MILESTONES: These were first sold in 1908, at a price equivalent to about $27,000 today Ford Model T |
| #8785, aired 2023-01-13 | IN THE BOOKSTORE: The name of this author dead since 2013 now appears on books written by a former U.S. marshal & a former Apache helicopter pilot Tom Clancy |
| #8784, aired 2023-01-12 | HISTORIC ART: The artwork once known in France as "la tapisserie de la reine Mathilde" is better known as this the Bayeux Tapestry |
| #8783, aired 2023-01-11 | POP STARS: In 2022 she became the first woman to have a Billboard Top 10 album in 5 decades starting with the 1980s Madonna |
| #8782, aired 2023-01-10 | CLASSIC TALE CHARACTERS: In one 19th century translation, she "perceived the dawn of day and ceased" speaking nearly 1,000 times Scheherazade |
| #8781, aired 2023-01-09 | USA: Ironically, though this company founded in the 1860s is Moore county, Tennessee's largest employer, Moore is a dry county Jack Daniel's |
| #8780, aired 2023-01-06 | HISTORIC PEOPLE: After a 1789 event, he wrote, "My first determination was to seek a supply of... water at Tofoa, & afterwards to sail for Tongataboo" (Captain) Bligh |
| #8779, aired 2023-01-05 | THE MOVIES: Laurence Olivier & Ernest Borgnine were considered for the lead role & Sergio Leone to direct for this film that turned 50 in 2022 The Godfather |
| #8778, aired 2023-01-04 | CONTINENTAL GEOGRAPHY: Until a 1903 secession, this country's contiguous territory spanned 2 continents Colombia |
| #8777, aired 2023-01-03 | FOREIGN-BORN AUTHORS: Early in her career she translated romance novels into Spanish, often changing the dialogue to make the heroines smarter (Isabel) Allende |
| #8776, aired 2023-01-02 | HISTORIC CRIMES: Saying it was stolen by Napoleon, self-styled Italian patriot Vincenzo Peruggia took it in 1911 the Mona Lisa |
| #8775, aired 2022-12-30 | U.S. BODIES OF WATER: Continuing a downward trend, in July 2022 it was at 27% capacity, its lowest level since 1937 when it was first being filled Lake Mead |
| #8774, aired 2022-12-29 | GODS & GODDESSES: Each morning she began her ride in her chariot across the sky ahead of her brother Sol, or Helios Eos (Aurora) |
| #8773, aired 2022-12-28 | AMERICA AT WAR: Until the Civil War, the January 8 date of this battle of dubious military importance but big morale value was a national holiday the Battle of New Orleans |
| #8772, aired 2022-12-27 | CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Its title character is told "By the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off... your eyes drop out & you get... shabby" The Velveteen Rabbit |
| #8771, aired 2022-12-26 | TV FINALES: In a reunion over 40 years in the making, Dolly Parton appeared as an angel named Agnes in the final episode of this comedy in 2022 Grace and Frankie |
| #8770, aired 2022-12-23 | AMERICAN POEMS: In an 1847 poem this character sees her town of Grand-Pré burned, but finally reunites with her beau for a kiss before his death Evangeline |
| #8769, aired 2022-12-22 | FAMOUS NAMES: In 2001 he published a book called "Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall"; in 2002, "Existencilism" Banksy |
| #8768, aired 2022-12-21 | CHILDREN'S LIT: The title object of this book "never looked more beautiful... each strand held dozens of bright drops of early morning dew" Charlotte's Web |
| #8767, aired 2022-12-20 | CLASSIC SONGS: The shouts of excited children at a 1946 holiday parade are said to have inspired this perennial favorite "Here Comes Santa Claus" |
| #8766, aired 2022-12-19 | BRAND NAMES: Unable to make these candies perfectly round, the confectioner embraced this flawed name for the product Milk Duds |
| #8765, aired 2022-12-16 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: It's home to 58 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, more than any other country; the sites include a volcano & a lagoon Italy |
| #8764, aired 2022-12-15 | ACTION MOVIES: Its last line is "If this is their idea of Christmas, I gotta be here for New Year's" Die Hard |
| #8763, aired 2022-12-14 | PRESIDENTIAL FACTS: Only 3 presidents have married while in office--John Tyler was the first & he was the last (Woodrow) Wilson |
| #8762, aired 2022-12-13 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: Demonstrating the dignity & humanity of Black Americans, he sat for 160 known photographs, the most of any American in the 19th century Frederick Douglass |
| #8761, aired 2022-12-12 | LATIN PHRASES: Originally, this 3-word phrase referred to when a doctor or apothecary substituted one medicine for another quid pro quo |
| #8760, aired 2022-12-09 | 1970s MOVIES: A 1975 premiere of this comedy advertised free coconuts for the first thousand in the audience Monty Python and the Holy Grail |
| #8759, aired 2022-12-08 | NAME'S THE SAME: A cocktail, an island & a WWII venture originally called "Development of Substitute Materials" all bear this name Manhattan |
| #8758, aired 2022-12-07 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was sworn in twice as president within 2 years, first by his father & then later by a former U.S. President (Calvin) Coolidge |
| #8757, aired 2022-12-06 | PLAYS: A 1609 story in which an exiled king of Bulgaria creates a sea palace with his magic may have inspired the plot of this play The Tempest |
| #8756, aired 2022-12-05 | LANDMARKS: In 2009, during a 20th anniversary celebration, it was called "an edifice of fear. On November 9, it became a place of joy" the Berlin Wall |
| #8755, aired 2022-12-02 | WORLD CAPITALS: Among its nicknames are the "City of Classical Music" &, possibly in honor of a famous resident from 1860 to 1938, the "City of Dreams" Vienna |
| #8754, aired 2022-12-01 | LANGUAGE & ITS MEANINGS: Now meaning someone with nocturnal habits, it catches a sleeping dove in Shakespeare's "The Rape of Lucrece" a night owl |
| #8753, aired 2022-11-30 | FLAGS OF OUR HEMISPHERE: The stars on this country's flag represent states, 26 of them; unlike the USA's, its "federal district" gets its own 27th star Brazil |
| #8752, aired 2022-11-29 | NAMES IN U.S. HISTORY: This father was the only man among the 13 plaintiffs in a class-action case filed in 1951 Brown |
| #8751, aired 2022-11-28 | CHILDREN'S AUTHORS: Reversing the story of this heroine she created, Patricia MacLachlan was born on the prairie but spent much of her life in New England Sarah (Wheaton) |
| #8750, aired 2022-11-25 | STATES & THE CENSUS: The 2020 Census gave Montana a second U.S. House seat; its most populous county, this one that attracts tourists, grew 11% Yellowstone |
| #8749, aired 2022-11-24 | SOUTHERN COLLEGES: To aid transport in poorer nations, in the 1920s grads of this college built makeshift buggies celebrated in their fight song Georgia Tech |
| #8748, aired 2022-11-23 | SECONDS IN HISTORY: The Fortune, the 2nd ship to land at this harbor, disappointed those already there, carrying 35 new residents & "not so much as bisket-cake" Plymouth |
| #8747, aired 2022-11-22 | MUSICAL THEATER: The pair at the center of tumult in this long-running show were originally to be a Jewish girl & a Catholic boy West Side Story |
| #8746, aired 2022-11-21 | PLAYS: The January 12, 1864 Washington Evening Star reported on a performance of this "dashing comedy" to "a full and delighted house" Our American Cousin |
| #8745, aired 2022-11-18 | ENGLISH CITIES: William the Conqueror's son built a fortress on a key northern river in 1080, giving this city its name Newcastle (upon Tyne) |
| #8744, aired 2022-11-17 | MOVIES & LITERATURE: Ridley Scott's first feature film, "The Duellists", was based on a story by this author to whom Scott's film "Alien" also pays tribute Joseph Conrad |
| #8743, aired 2022-11-16 | THE NEW TESTAMENT: Paul's letter to them is the New Testament epistle with the most Old Testament quotations Hebrews |
| #8742, aired 2022-11-15 | NAME'S THE SAME: Name shared by a Victorian novelist & an 1805 flagship captain whose name is heard in a famous phrase (Thomas) Hardy |
| #8741, aired 2022-11-14 | GEOGRA-FLEE: In July 2022 the ousted president of this country fled west across the Indian Ocean to the Maldives Sri Lanka |
| #8740, aired 2022-11-11 | LONDON LOCALES: To fight malaria, this former royal estate helped move quinine-producing cinchona plants from South America to India Kew Gardens |
| #8739, aired 2022-11-10 | GEOGRAPHIC PAIRS: By ferry, the distance between these 2 paired Mediterranean islands is about 40 miles from Alcudia to Ciutadella Mallorca (Majorca) & Menorca (Minorca) |
| #8738, aired 2022-11-09 | CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS: A trip to El Paso with his young son & wondering what the city might look like years in the future inspired a novel by this author Cormac McCarthy |
| #8737, aired 2022-11-08 | CHEMICAL ELEMENT NAMES: The 3 elements whose names begin with 2 vowels are iodine & these 2, one synthetic & one natural einsteinium & europium |
| #8736, aired 2022-11-07 | PHRASES FROM THE ANCIENT WORLD: Cicero wrote that a tyrant ordered this to be hung from the ceiling "by a horse-hair"; his guest begged to leave the sword of Damocles |
| #8735, aired 2022-11-04 | WORLD CITIES: The name of this city may come from "dur", meaning water, a reference to the Helvetian people's settlement on a lake Zurich |
| #8734, aired 2022-11-03 | NOVEL LOCALES: This place from a 1933 novel lies in the Valley of Blue Moon, below a peak called Karakal Shangri-La |
| #8733, aired 2022-11-02 | PHRASES IN AMERICAN HISTORY: Andrew Johnson vetoed a bill that gave reparations to formerly enslaved people, hence this phrase for an unfulfilled promise forty acres and a mule |
| #8732, aired 2022-11-01 | POETS: Inspired by stories from his grandfather, his "Battle of Lovell's Pond" appeared in the Portland Gazette in 1820 when he was 13 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |
| #8731, aired 2022-10-31 | PLACES IN AMERICAN HISTORY: A Native American story says this creek got its name from an injury suffered by a Sioux warrior in a fight with the Crow Wounded Knee |
| #8730, aired 2022-10-28 | ARTISTS: Sabena Airlines commissioned a painting by this artist, "L'Oiseau de Ciel", a bird whose body is filled with clouds in a blue sky René Magritte |
| #8729, aired 2022-10-27 | AMERICAN COMPOSERS: He turned to opera with the 1903 work "Guest of Honor", likely inspired by Booker T. Washington's dinner at the White House (Scott) Joplin |
| #8728, aired 2022-10-26 | CHARITY: A Catholic charity called Caritas Rome is the beneficiary of money collected from here, over the years averaging about $3,500 daily the Trevi Fountain |
| #8727, aired 2022-10-25 | BODIES OF WATER: The Kattegat & Skagerrak Straits separate these 2 seas the Baltic & North Seas |
| #8726, aired 2022-10-24 | AUTHORS: When Esquire began as a men's lifestyle magazine in the 1930s, he was asked for manly content & wrote in 28 of the first 33 issues (Ernest) Hemingway |
| #8725, aired 2022-10-21 | 19th CENTURY LITERARY CHARACTERS: This character from an 1859 novel symbolizes the Fates, who in mythology spin the web of life, measure it & cut it off Madame Defarge |
| #8724, aired 2022-10-20 | INTERNATIONAL BORDERS: 2 of the 3 countries that share land borders with Russia & China (2 of) Kazakhstan, Mongolia, or North Korea |
| #8723, aired 2022-10-19 | AMERICAN HISTORY: Ben Franklin, John Adams & John Jay succeeded as a trio in this city, though Adams wrote of fearing the other 2 would gang up on him Paris |
| #8722, aired 2022-10-18 | LANDMARKS OF SCIENCE: Clones of an original one of these grow outside the math faculty at Cambridge University & in the President's Garden at M.I.T. an apple tree |
| #8721, aired 2022-10-17 | FAMOUS ANIMALS: In September 1964 the New York Times announced the passing of this pet, a gift, "used as symbol of honesty in 1952" Checkers |
| #8720, aired 2022-10-14 | AUTHORS: Featuring a statue of a man escaping his grave, his tomb in Amiens contrasts with the title of his 1864 adventure novel (Jules) Verne |
| #8719, aired 2022-10-13 | DOCUMENTARIES: In this 1970 film, Max Yasgur says, "I'm a farmer... I don't know how to speak to 20 people... let alone a crowd like this" Woodstock |
| #8718, aired 2022-10-12 | 20th CENTURY LEADERS: In a September 3, 1939 speech, he said, "Everything that I have worked for... has crashed into ruins" Neville Chamberlain |
| #8717, aired 2022-10-11 | FAMOUS SHIPS: Its wreck was discovered in 1989, 48 years after it had been sunk & 91 years after the man it was named for had died the Bismarck |
| #8716, aired 2022-10-10 | BRAND NAMES: A neighbor's charcoal drawing of Ann Turner Cook at age 4 or 5 months won a 1928 contest to appear in ads for this brand Gerber |
| #8715, aired 2022-10-07 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: It has the most water area of any country, nearly 350,000 square miles, about 9% of its total area Canada |
| #8714, aired 2022-10-06 | NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNERS: He served as Bishop of Lesotho from 1976 to 1978 (Archbishop Desmond) Tutu |
| #8713, aired 2022-10-05 | TRAVEL: The 1948 edition of this publication said, "There will be a day... in the near future when this guide will not have to be published" the Green Book |
| #8712, aired 2022-10-04 | ASIAN COUNTRY NAMES: Like the T-U-V in Tuvalu, this landlocked country has 3 consecutive letters in its English name in alphabetic sequence Afghanistan |
| #8711, aired 2022-10-03 | 20th CENTURY POEM ENDINGS: These 5 words that end a poem are also a proverb; one citation across the centuries includes a reminder not to make the wall too high Good fences make good neighbors |
| #8710, aired 2022-09-30 | BEFORE THEY WERE AUTHORS: While working for British naval intelligence during World War II, he was code-named 17F Ian Fleming |
| #8709, aired 2022-09-29 | INNOVATIONS: Seen by a worldwide audience in 1970, black pentagons were added to these to help viewers follow them better on TV soccer balls |
| #8708, aired 2022-09-28 | WORLD RIVERS: These 2 rivers share the names of countries, end with the same 4 letters & both join up with the Paraná River Paraguay & Uruguay |
| #8707, aired 2022-09-27 | WORLD AIRPORTS: Africa's 2 busiest passenger airports are in these 2 countries; it's an 8-hour flight between them Egypt & South Africa |
| #8706, aired 2022-09-26 | MAGAZINES: A now-annual issue of this magazine was inspired by the high society parties of Caroline Astor, whose ballroom fit about 400 people Forbes |
| #8705, aired 2022-09-23 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: In a later part of the epic named for him, this character becomes king after his cousin Heardred dies in battle Beowulf |
| #8704, aired 2022-09-22 | POP CULTURE: In 2011 Leland, Mississippi, where Jim Henson grew up, honored Henson & his Muppets by renaming a bridge this, also a song title Rainbow Connection |
| #8703, aired 2022-09-21 | FAMOUS NAMES: Perhaps the most famous picture of him was taken in New Jersey in 1951 as he was annoyed by paparazzi on his 72nd birthday (Albert) Einstein |
| #8702, aired 2022-09-20 | AMERICAN GOVERNMENT: Delivered on January 8, 1790, the first of these was also the shortest, at 1,089 words the State of Union Address |
| #8701, aired 2022-09-19 | HISTORIC DOCUMENTS: The governor of Massachusetts wrote, it "is a poor document, but a mighty act... wrong in its delay till January, but grand & sublime after all" the Emancipation Proclamation |
| #8700, aired 2022-09-16 | DISNEY SONGS: "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from "Encanto" is the first song from an animated Disney film to hit No. 1 since this duet in 1993 "A Whole New World" |
| #8699, aired 2022-09-15 | U.S. COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: Founded as a technical institute in 1900, its sports teams are the Tartans & its official mascot is a Scottish Terrier Carnegie Mellon |
| #8698, aired 2022-09-14 | ARTISTS: He said, "The Seine! I have painted it all my life, at all hours, in all seasons, from Paris to the sea" (Claude) Monet |
| #8697, aired 2022-09-13 | THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY: Prince Philip's titles included Baron Greenwich & Duke of Edinburgh, but not Prince Consort, last used by this royal Prince Albert |
| #8696, aired 2022-09-12 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: "This bell was named Marie... alone in the southern tower, with her sister Jacqueline, a bell of lesser size", says this novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame |
| #8695, aired 2022-07-29 | TECH HISTORY: For about 20 years after its invention, it had few practical uses; then suddenly it revolutionized grocery checkouts & home audio the laser |
| #8694, aired 2022-07-28 | COUNTRIES OF EUROPE: It's the only independent survivor of the Spanish March, buffer states created to protect Christian Europe from the Moors Andorra |
| #8693, aired 2022-07-27 | REAL PEOPLE IN POETRY: Milton wrote of this contemporary: "When by night the glass of" him "observes imagined lands and regions in the Moon" Galileo |
| #8692, aired 2022-07-26 | LITERARY ANIMALS: This children's book character, introduced in 1926 & a friend of the title creature, gets his name from the sound he might make Eeyore |
| #8691, aired 2022-07-25 | THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME: Honored in 1998 as part of a rock group & in 2019 as a solo artist, this singer was the first woman to be inducted into the Hall twice Stevie Nicks |
| #8690, aired 2022-07-22 | INAUGURAL BALLS: At the 1993 Tennessee Inaugural Ball, Paul Simon performed this song, his most recent Top 40 hit "You Can Call Me Al" |
| #8689, aired 2022-07-21 | CONSTELLATIONS: The brightest star of this constellation is Deneb Algedi, or "Kid's Tail" Capricorn |
| #8688, aired 2022-07-20 | HISTORIC AMERICAN ROADS: Originally a Native American trail, the Dutch made it a main road & today it runs 33 miles from State Street to Sleepy Hollow Broadway |
| #8687, aired 2022-07-19 | OPERA: An aria from this opera says, "Put on your costume & apply make-up to your face. The people pay & they want to laugh" Pagliacci |
| #8686, aired 2022-07-18 | ART & THEATRE: Asked to design a new set for a restaging of this 1952 play, Alberto Giacometti came up with one scraggly plaster tree Waiting for Godot |
| #8685, aired 2022-07-15 | MORE THAN ONE MEANING: Its definitions include containing the metallic element No. 22, pertaining to a group of Greek gods & having great strength or size titanic |
| #8684, aired 2022-07-14 | THE 20th CENTURY: Maybe surprisingly, in 1918 this new leader was the first to recognize the independence of Finland Lenin |
| #8683, aired 2022-07-13 | STATE MOTTOS: This motto is the name of a city in that state & is a famous quote by an ancient Greek from the 3rd century B.C. Eureka |
| #8682, aired 2022-07-12 | PAIRS IN ASTRONOMY: Discovered in 1877, they were named for siblings of the Greek god of love Phobos & Deimos |
| #8681, aired 2022-07-11 | MUSICAL THEATER: It's one of the most revived shows in Broadway history & in 2001 it was designated the state opera of South Carolina Porgy and Bess |
| #8680, aired 2022-07-08 | SCIENCE & THE BIBLE: A 2021 study suggested that an asteroid that struck the Jordan Valley c. 1650 B.C. gave rise to the story of this city in Genesis 19 Sodom |
| #8679, aired 2022-07-07 | LITERARY CHARACTERS ON SCREEN: Per Guinness, this character who debuted in 1887 is the most portrayed human literary character in film & television Sherlock Holmes |
| #8678, aired 2022-07-06 | AGRICULTURE: Being brought to the U.S. by a ship docking at San Francisco in 1851 helped lead to it now being a major crop in the Midwest soybeans |
| #8677, aired 2022-07-05 | NATIONAL HISTORIC SITES: Less than 100 yards north of the J. Edgar Hoover Building is this notorious location Ford's Theater |
| #8676, aired 2022-07-04 | THE EASTERN U.S.: At its peak, this state had 6 seats in the House of Representatives; since the 1930s, it has had just 1 Vermont |
| #8675, aired 2022-07-01 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: Mont Bellevue de l'Inini is the highest point in this European possession largely covered by the Amazon rainforest French Guiana |
| #8674, aired 2022-06-30 | U.S. CITIES: This U.S. city now has 10 times the population of the other U.S. city for which it was named in 1845 Portland, Oregon |
| #8673, aired 2022-06-29 | TELEVISION HISTORY: In the opening scene of its July 21, 1969 pilot episode, a man carves the letter D into wet cement Sesame Street |
| #8672, aired 2022-06-28 | POETS' CORNER AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY: At his 1892 burial, fit for a baron, the organist put music to his words, "I hope to see my Pilot face to face, when I have crost the bar" Alfred, Lord Tennyson |
| #8671, aired 2022-06-27 | THE WORLD OF TODAY: Partly because it was a monosyllable, this word was chosen as "a noun that conveys the idea of a unit of cultural transmission" meme |
| #8670, aired 2022-06-24 | OSCAR-WINNING ACTORS: Each of the 3 films for which he won an Oscar, from 1975, 1983 & 1997, also garnered a Best Lead Actress Oscar Jack Nicholson |
| #8669, aired 2022-06-23 | CLASSIC ALBUMS: This classic album by a Southern rocker gets its title from a Civil War quote by a Union admiral Damn the Torpedoes |
| #8668, aired 2022-06-22 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: This author first thought of a parrot before choosing another bird "equally capable of speech" Edgar Allan Poe |
| #8667, aired 2022-06-21 | GEOGRAPHY WORDS: From Greek for "chief" & "sea", this word originally referred to the Aegean, known for its many island groups archipelago |
| #8666, aired 2022-06-20 | BRITISH HISTORY: From the Greek for "alone", it was nixed by Parliament in 1649 after being deemed "unnecessary, burdensome & dangerous" the monarchy |
| #8665, aired 2022-06-17 | 19th CENTURY CONTEMPORARIES: Congratulating her on the 1869 release of her biography, Frederick Douglass wrote, "I have wrought in the day--you in the night" Harriet Tubman |
| #8664, aired 2022-06-16 | DEBUT NOVELS: Published in 1991, this novel, the first in a series, has been described as "historical fiction with a Moebius twist" Outlander |
| #8663, aired 2022-06-15 | BRANDS: Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Evan Strong & Roy Campanella broke barriers representing this brand Wheaties |
| #8662, aired 2022-06-14 | 1972: In June he said, "Don't lie to them to the extent to say there is no involvement, but just say this is... a comedy of errors" Richard Nixon |
| #8661, aired 2022-06-13 | TV LEGENDS: Buster Keaton considered her the tops in her field &, in fact, was one of her early mentors Lucille Ball |
| #8660, aired 2022-06-10 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: Brazil stretches 2,700 miles from the Atlantic in the east to Serra do Divisor National Park on the border with this country in the west Peru |
| #8659, aired 2022-06-09 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: First published in French in 1943, this book has been called the most translated non-religious work, rendered into more than 300 languages The Little Prince |
| #8658, aired 2022-06-08 | AMERICAN HISTORY: A participant in this 1773 event recalled, "Some of our numbers jumped into the hold... I never labored harder in my life" the Boston Tea Party |
| #8657, aired 2022-06-07 | WRITING OLD & NEW: This 2013 bestseller shares its title with the first section of a poem from 7 centuries before Inferno |
| #8656, aired 2022-06-06 | GREEK MYTHOLOGY: Of the Argonauts seeking the Golden Fleece, these 2 from the same family were from Sparta according to Homer Castor & Pollux |
| #8655, aired 2022-06-03 | TECHNOLOGY: Upon the first use of this in 1844, the Baltimore Sun declared that time & space had been annihilated the telegraph |
| #8654, aired 2022-06-02 | UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES: Known as the female Lawrence of Arabia, Gertrude Bell called this place "a fairy tale city, all pink & wonderful" Petra |
| #8653, aired 2022-06-01 | THE EARLY 19th CENTURY: Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve signaled "engage the enemy" around noon & surrendered at 1:45 PM during this battle the Battle of Trafalgar |
| #8652, aired 2022-05-31 | NOVEL QUOTES: Referring to the book's title, this character says, "I know it's a poem by Robert Burns" Holden Caulfield |
| #8651, aired 2022-05-30 | IN MEMORIAM 2022: On the death of this trailblazing man, friend & mentor, Oprah said, "For me, the greatest of the 'great trees' has fallen" Sidney Poitier |
| #8650, aired 2022-05-27 | SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT: In 2021 this Hall of Fame athlete launched Omaha Productions Peyton Manning |
| #8649, aired 2022-05-26 | HISTORIC GEOGRAPHY: A 1946 speech declared the terminuses of the Iron Curtain to be port cities serving these 2 seas the Baltic & Adriatic Seas |
| #8648, aired 2022-05-25 | FAMOUS SPEECHES: In a draft of FDR's speech of December 8, 1941, the words "world history" were changed to this one word infamy |
| #8647, aired 2022-05-24 | THE MIDDLE AGES: It was the surname of the 2 Scottish brothers who claimed monarchies of 2 different countries in the 13-teens Bruce |
| #8646, aired 2022-05-23 | MEDICINE: Post-this disease syndrome affects many survivors, of which the U.S. is estimated to have 300,000, the vast majority over 65 polio |
| #8645, aired 2022-05-20 | ON THE MAP: It's referred to as "the blue eye of Siberia" Lake Baikal |
| #8644, aired 2022-05-19 | THE ANCIENT WORLD: New research suggests a device now called the Archimedes screw helped maintain this one of the 7 Wonders of the World the Hanging Gardens (of Babylon) |
| #8643, aired 2022-05-18 | OSCAR-WINNING SONGS: Johnny Mercer's lyrics to this 1961 Oscar-winning song once began, "I'm Holly" "Moon River" |
| #8642, aired 2022-05-17 | LITERATURE: A contemporary review of a novel by this man said he "commands attention as a kind of literary James Dean" (Jack) Kerouac |
| #8641, aired 2022-05-16 | THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: The USA's smallest national park is a 91-acre site on the Mississippi River, home to this 630-foot landmark the St. Louis Arch (the Gateway Arch) |
| #8640, aired 2022-05-13 | STATE NAMES: This state was named for a man born in Herrenhausen Palace in Hanover in 1683 Georgia |
| #8639, aired 2022-05-12 | CONSTITUTIONS OF THE WORLD: Amendments to its 1901 constitution require approval of at least 4 states before receiving royal assent Australia |
| #8638, aired 2022-05-11 | SAY IT IN ITALIAN: It's an Italian word for "mercy", but also the name of a movie character who kills Stracci & Carlo clemenza |
| #8637, aired 2022-05-10 | LIVE MUSIC: These 2 events held 2 1/2 months & 2,500 miles apart in 1999 were the last of one major music happening & the first of another Woodstock ('99 or 1999) & Coachella |
| #8636, aired 2022-05-09 | NOVEL TITLES: A 1590 poem written for the retirement of Queen Elizabeth's champion knight shares its title with this 1929 novel by an American A Farewell to Arms |
| #8635, aired 2022-05-06 | USA: These 2 mayors gave their names to a facility built on the site of an old racetrack owned by Coca-Cola magnate Asa Candler William Hartsfield & Maynard Jackson |
| #8634, aired 2022-05-05 | 20th CENTURY CINEMA: A black & white newsreel in this film begins: "In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure dome decree" Citizen Kane |
| #8633, aired 2022-05-04 | THE CIVIL WAR: A Union soldiers' song said General McClellan, who let a Confederate Army escape after this battle, "was too slow to beat 'em" Antietam |
| #8632, aired 2022-05-03 | NATIONAL ANTHEMS: "Terre de nos aïeux" follows the title in the French version of this anthem "O Canada" |
| #8631, aired 2022-05-02 | THEATER: In November 1864 John Wilkes Booth & his brothers were fittingly part of a performance of this Shakespeare play Julius Caesar |
| #8630, aired 2022-04-29 | MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS: "Tuileries" & "The Great Gate of Kiev" were 2 of the artworks that inspired this classical work completed in 1874 Pictures at an Exhibition |
| #8629, aired 2022-04-28 | BOOKS OF THE 1970s: Aptly, members of a Black family in this novel have biblical names: Pilate, Hagar & the title one, an ancestor of the protagonist Song of Solomon |
| #8628, aired 2022-04-27 | POETS: In 1939 he was buried near his last residence in France, but his body arrived in Galway en route to final burial on September 17, 1948 William Butler Yeats |
| #8627, aired 2022-04-26 | AFRICAN SURNAMES: Adetokunbo, "the crown has returned from overseas", is fitting for the Adetokunbo family who left Nigeria for this country in 1991 Greece |
| #8626, aired 2022-04-25 | NAMES IN AMERICAN HISTORY: Capable of freighting about 180 tons of cargo, in 1624 it was in disrepair & appraised at a total value of 128 pounds the Mayflower |
| #8625, aired 2022-04-22 | HISTORIC NAMES: DNA from 2 living descendants of Anne of York was used to identify the remains of this man Richard III |
| #8624, aired 2022-04-21 | FILMS OF THE 1950s: The title character of this film has the same name as the Roman goddess of the dawn Sleeping Beauty |
| #8623, aired 2022-04-20 | ON THE INTERNET: This website launched in 2015 with 3 offerings, from James Patterson, Dustin Hoffman & Serena Williams MasterClass |
| #8622, aired 2022-04-19 | COUNTRIES OF AFRICA: Old maps depicting what's now this 125,000-square-mile country labeled the area with the French word for "teeth" Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) |
| #8621, aired 2022-04-18 | WORLD LITERATURE: Befitting the title, Antoine Galland, the first Western translator of this collection, worked on it only "after dinner" Arabian Nights (the One Thousand and One Nights) |
| #8620, aired 2022-04-15 | ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS: In 2019 he won his first competitive Oscar, 36 years after a Student Academy Award for a film about a Brooklyn barbershop Spike Lee |
| #8619, aired 2022-04-14 | WOMEN IN BRITISH HISTORY: The orphaned future Queen Elizabeth I was devoted to this stepmother who died 2 days before Elizabeth's 15th birthday Catherine Parr |
| #8618, aired 2022-04-13 | HISTORY: Intimately familiar with World War I, Churchill considered this war from some 150 years before the "first world war" the Seven Years' War |
| #8617, aired 2022-04-12 | GEOGRAPHIC TERMS: The 1964 article that gave this term its current use noted the "menace that haunts the Atlantic off our southeastern coast" the Bermuda Triangle |
| #8616, aired 2022-04-11 | WORDS OF THE YEAR: Oxford's word of the year for 2021 was this 3-letter one, short for a word that goes back to the Latin for "cow" vax |
| #8615, aired 2022-04-08 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: The Strand Union Workhouse, whose rules prohibited second helpings of food, inspired a setting in this 1838 novel Oliver Twist |
| #8614, aired 2022-04-07 | INVENTIONS: Patented in 1955, it did not go over well in the high-end fashion world but the then-new aerospace industry found it very useful Velcro |
| #8613, aired 2022-04-06 | SMALL COUNTRIES: French, Italian & Swiss nationals make up about half of its population of 38,000 Monaco |
| #8612, aired 2022-04-05 | CLASSIC GAMES: Reuben Klamer, who passed away in 2021 at age 99, developed this game relatable to "literally everyone on Earth" The Game of Life |
| #8611, aired 2022-04-04 | CURRENT TELEVISION: Fittingly, the last name of the family at the center of this drama is from French for "king" Succession |
| #8610, aired 2022-04-01 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Some of this country's indigenous people want its name officially changed from its Dutch-based name to Aotearoa New Zealand |
| #8609, aired 2022-03-31 | HISTORIC PLACES: Following a raid at this establishment in 1969, protesters confronted police by forming a Rockette-style kickline the Stonewall Inn |
| #8608, aired 2022-03-30 | AMERICANS IN PARIS: In 2021 she became the sixth woman & the first Black woman to be inducted into the Pantheon in Paris Josephine Baker |
| #8607, aired 2022-03-29 | SHAKESPEARE'S WOMEN: It is said of her, "Infected minds to their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets: more needs she the divine than the physician" Lady Macbeth |
| #8606, aired 2022-03-28 | SPORTS HISTORY: Taking the mound for Cleveland in 1948, he was the first African American to pitch in a World Series Satchel Paige |
| #8605, aired 2022-03-25 | U.S. CITY NAMES: Adopted in 1845, the name of this state capital is a feminized form of a big body of water Atlanta, Georgia |
| #8604, aired 2022-03-24 | DISNEY CHARACTERS: In the source material from more than 3 centuries ago, her name was badr al-budur, "full moon of full moons" (Princess) Jasmine |
| #8603, aired 2022-03-23 | POEMS: The title of this poem comes from a 1920 book that refers to its possible "restoration to fruitfulness" The Waste Land |
| #8602, aired 2022-03-22 | HISTORIC NICKNAMES: Napoleon's troops gave him this nickname not to mock him but for showing the courage of an infantryman in battle "The Little Corporal" |
| #8601, aired 2022-03-21 | SINGERS: In 2021 at age 95, this singer achieved a Guinness World Record for the oldest person to release an album of new material Tony Bennett |
| #8600, aired 2022-03-18 | NEWSPAPER TALK: Meaning an important part of a story, this distinctive spelling helped distinguish the word from a substance used in typesetting the lede |
| #8599, aired 2022-03-17 | NONFICTION: This 1962 classic was dedicated to Albert Schweitzer, who predicted that man "will end by destroying the earth" Silent Spring |
| #8598, aired 2022-03-16 | MOVIE STARS: Matthew McConaughey said, "'Dazed & Confused', the first words I ever said on film were" these "Alright, alright, alright" |
| #8597, aired 2022-03-15 | METEOROLOGY: It was feared this word caused panic, but in 1950 the U.S. Weather Bureau ended a ban on it in forecasts, saying prediction wasn't impossible tornado |
| #8596, aired 2022-03-14 | WORLD WAR I: Suvla Bay & Cape Helles were major landing sites along this peninsula Gallipoli |
| #8595, aired 2022-03-11 | SYMBOLS: This U.S. politician asked for a multicolored pennant for a parade; demand increased after his death in 1978 Harvey Milk |
| #8594, aired 2022-03-10 | FAMOUS TRIALS: On her acquittal in 1893, a reporter cited nearby events 2 centuries earlier, saying the days of witch trials are over Lizzie Borden |
| #8593, aired 2022-03-09 | EPITAPHS: Her epitaph, from a 1925 poem by her, ends, "She knows that her dust is very pretty"; "dust" was in another she wrote for herself Dorothy Parker |
| #8592, aired 2022-03-08 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: Characters Mark, Roger & Maureen in this musical were inspired by Marcello, Rodolfo & Musetta in another work Rent |
| #8591, aired 2022-03-07 | CENTRAL AMERICA: A small river connects these 2 lakes that combined form close to 10% of their country's area Lake Nicaragua & Lake Managua |
| #8590, aired 2022-03-04 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: Dostoyevsky wrote that this title man in an earlier European novel is "beautiful only because he is ridiculous" Don Quixote |
| #8589, aired 2022-03-03 | EUROPEAN CITIES: Pizzo means protection money; the Addiopizzo movement was founded in this city in 2004 Palermo, Sicily |
| #8588, aired 2022-03-02 | ART MUSEUMS: Before its 1959 opening, 21 artists protested its design, saying it would make paintings look tilted & askew the Guggenheim |
| #8587, aired 2022-03-01 | THE SILVER SCREEN: He was the first actor to star in 3 films that won the Oscar for Best Picture: those of 1934, 1935 & 1939 Clark Gable |
| #8586, aired 2022-02-28 | MODERN WAR: Called the longest siege of a capital in modern history, the assault on this city lasted from 1992 to 1996 Sarajevo |
| #8585, aired 2022-02-25 | AWARDS: These awards have a retro version & winners include the novel "The Sword in the Stone" & "The War of the Worlds" radio broadcast the Hugo Awards |
| #8584, aired 2022-02-24 | FICTIONAL FAMILIES: Introduced in the 1930s in The New Yorker, they've appeared on TV & Broadway & in live action & animated films the Addams Family |
| #8583, aired 2022-02-23 | PLAY CHARACTERS: A 1949 review noted the "wrong formulas for success" of this character & "fatal misconceptions about his place in the scheme of things" Willy Loman |
| #8582, aired 2022-02-22 | AMERICAN WOMEN: In 1914 she received a patent on a trefoil emblem, which she would transfer to an organization a few years later Juliette Gordon Low |
| #8581, aired 2022-02-21 | HISTORIC EUROPEAN FAMILIES: This family has been traced to the Mugello valley around the year 1200 & the name suggests the trade of physician the Medici |
| #8580, aired 2022-02-18 | PLAYS: First published in 1602, its title characters are Margaret & Alice The Merry Wives of Windsor |
| #8579, aired 2022-02-17 | LONG-RUNNING TV SHOW CHARACTERS: This character who has been on the air for more than 50 years is only 6 1/2 years old Big Bird |
| #8578, aired 2022-02-16 | 18th CENTURY HISTORY: The stated aim of this period was using violence to achieve political goals; its success aided in its demise in under a year the Reign of Terror |
| #8577, aired 2022-02-15 | 20th CENTURY AUTHORS: Early in his career he worked for a newspaper whose style guide said, "use short sentences" & "use vigorous English" (Ernest) Hemingway |
| #8576, aired 2022-02-14 | THE MIDWEST: At about 90,000 it's the most populous U.S. city on North America's biggest lake Duluth, Minnesota |
| #8575, aired 2022-02-11 | INTERNATIONAL PLAYWRIGHTS: A piece of writing advice from this man who died in 1904 concludes, "Otherwise don't put it there" (Anton) Chekhov |
| #8574, aired 2022-02-10 | 20th CENTURY PEOPLE: In 1946 she was aboard a train to Darjeeling when she heard what she later described as "the call within a call" Mother Teresa |
| #8573, aired 2022-02-09 | AMERICAN CITIES: Recorded on a visit to this California city, YouTube's first video featured a man saying, "They have really, really, really long trunks" San Diego |
| #8572, aired 2022-02-08 | 20th CENTURY FICTION: The author's foreword to this novel says, "When I read it now I feel myself back again on the steamer from Aswan to Wadi Halfa" Death on the Nile |
| #8571, aired 2022-02-07 | TOYS & GAMES: Its co-creator said adding an "L" to the end of the 1st word in the original title of this board game invented in 1979 "made it" Trivial Pursuit |
| #8570, aired 2022-02-04 | BEHIND THE DISNEY ATTRACTION: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror utilizes technology developed by this company founded in 1853 the Otis (Company) |
| #8569, aired 2022-02-03 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: He was buried in 1969 in one of the World War II uniform jackets named for him Dwight Eisenhower |
| #8568, aired 2022-02-02 | RECENT TV: The credits on "The Queen’s Gambit" included this man as "special consultant" (Garry) Kasparov |
| #8567, aired 2022-02-01 | HISTORIC GEOGRAPHY: This city on the Rhone River that is partly a World Heritage Site was papal property until the French Revolution Avignon |
| #8566, aired 2022-01-31 | WOMEN WHO WRITE: Mimicking her style, a 1912 rejection note read: "Only one look, only one look is enough. Hardly one copy would sell here. Hardly one" Gertrude Stein |
| #8565, aired 2022-01-28 | 1970s SINGER-SONGWRITERS: While speaking to Congress in 1985, he explained that his 1973 hit, now a state song, wasn't about drugs John Denver |
| #8564, aired 2022-01-27 | 18th CENTURY NAMES: In 1793 he left Dublin for the United States, saying, "I expect to make a fortune" off George Washington, & he did Gilbert Stuart |
| #8563, aired 2022-01-26 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: The only nation in the world whose name in English ends in an H, it's also one of the 10 most populous Bangladesh |
| #8562, aired 2022-01-25 | SEA LIFE: In 2018 National Geographic reported that half of this was dead, "akin to a forest after a devastating fire" the Great Barrier Reef |
| #8561, aired 2022-01-24 | U.S. MUSEUMS: Named for a benefactor, it was established in 1893 to house artifacts from the nearby World's Columbian Exposition the Field Museum |
| #8560, aired 2022-01-21 | MOUNTAINS: First scaled in 1829, this 17,000-foot mountain has caused excitement by the supposed discovery of wood high up on it Mount Ararat |
| #8559, aired 2022-01-20 | WORDS IN AMERICAN HISTORY: The 1890 Census reported that "the unsettled area has been so broken into... that there can hardly be said to be a" this frontier |
| #8558, aired 2022-01-19 | FILMS OF THE 2000s: One of the screenwriters of this 2001 film described it as "'Clueless' meets 'The Paper Chase"' Legally Blonde |
| #8557, aired 2022-01-18 | AWARDS AROUND THE WORLD: France's national theater award, it's named for a man who died in Paris in 1673 the Molière Award |
| #8556, aired 2022-01-17 | SCIENTIFIC NAMES: The 1905 paper that gave this its name also referred to it as "Dynamosaurus imperiosus" Tyrannosaurus rex |
| #8555, aired 2022-01-14 | CEMETERIES & MEMORIALS: 60,000 are at rest in a National Memorial Cemetery opened in 1949 in the crater of an extinct volcano in this state Hawaii |
| #8554, aired 2022-01-13 | THE WORDS OF VICTOR HUGO: This object "is the ultimate expression of law, & its name is vengeance; it is not neutral, nor does it allow us to remain neutral" the guillotine |
| #8553, aired 2022-01-12 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: In 1838 he took a new last name, of a family in Walter Scott's "The Lady of the Lake"; for distinction he added a 2nd "S" to the end (Frederick) Douglass |
| #8552, aired 2022-01-11 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: Each in a show that ran more than 2 years, Ethel Merman & Sarah Jessica Parker played 2 different characters with this first name Annie |
| #8551, aired 2022-01-10 | 19th CENTURY NOTABLES: On his deathbed in France in 1890, he told his brother, "The sadness will last forever" Vincent van Gogh |
| #8550, aired 2022-01-07 | 20th CENTURY NONFICTION: "Norwegian Independence Day" & "a vast blue sea" are mentioned in Chapter 1 of a 1948 book by this man (Thor) Heyerdahl |
| #8549, aired 2022-01-06 | HISTORIC BUILDINGS: Begun in the 1070s with stone from Caen, it was meant to dominate both a skyline & the hearts & minds of a conquered populace the Tower of London |
| #8548, aired 2022-01-05 | THE 1950s: The first TV debate between presidential candidates of the same party involved him & future running mate Estes Kefauver Adlai Stevenson |
| #8547, aired 2022-01-04 | WORD ORIGINS: From the Greek for "ring", the first ones were built by the Romans, including one that could hold 250,000 circus |
| #8546, aired 2022-01-03 | SCULPTORS: Los Angeles artist George Stanley sculpted this, first handed out at a private banquet on May 16, 1929 the Oscar |
| #8545, aired 2021-12-31 | MUSIC LEGENDS: Of their July 1957 first meeting at a church fair, one of this pair recalled: "I was a fat schoolboy and… he was drunk" John Lennon & Paul McCartney |
| #8544, aired 2021-12-30 | EXPLORERS: Confirming a theory, fossils found with this explorer in 1912 included a plant from more than 250 million years ago (Robert Falcon) Scott |
| #8543, aired 2021-12-29 | THE 20th CENTURY: In the morning of April 15, 1912 officer Charles Lightoller became the last of about 700 people to board this ship the Carpathia |
| #8542, aired 2021-12-28 | EUROPEAN RIVERS: The flooding of this river in 1966 destroyed or damaged some 14,000 works of art, many of them priceless the Arno |
| #8541, aired 2021-12-27 | 20th CENTURY THEATER: In 1955 Peter Hall directed the first production of this play in English without having "the foggiest idea what some of it means" Waiting for Godot |
| #8540, aired 2021-12-24 | INTERNATIONAL LANDMARKS: In December 2020 an international agreement added nearly 3 feet to this; one surveyor lost half a toe in the effort Mount Everest |
| #8539, aired 2021-12-23 | THE EARLY UNITED STATES: The final piece in this series points out "the analogy of the proposed government to your own state constitution" The Federalist Papers |
| #8538, aired 2021-12-22 | SPORTING EVENTS: In 1752 one of the first races in this sport was run--4 miles from Buttevant Church to St. Mary's Doneraile steeplechase |
| #8537, aired 2021-12-21 | 3-NAMED WOMEN: Not primarily known as a suffragist, in 1879 she became the first female resident of Concord, Mass. to register to vote in local elections Louisa May Alcott |
| #8536, aired 2021-12-20 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Introduced in 1938 & inspired by movie character Torchy Blane of the Morning Herald, she has since gone on to win a fictional Pulitzer Lois Lane |
| #8535, aired 2021-12-17 | FRENCH ARTISTS: The catalog of MoMA's first exhibition called this artist who died in 1891 a "man of science" & "inventor of a method" (Georges) Seurat |
| #8534, aired 2021-12-16 | WORLD WAR II GEOGRAPHY: Body-of-water battles included the Coral Sea, Philippine Sea & this one that allowed Japan to seize Jakarta the Java Sea |
| #8533, aired 2021-12-15 | AWARDS: The Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award honors influential people from this state, including Western author Louis L'Amour North Dakota |
| #8532, aired 2021-12-14 | 20th CENTURY PHYSICS: Puzzlingly heavy & long-lived particles discovered in the 1940s were dubbed this adjective later applied to even smaller particles strange |
| #8531, aired 2021-12-13 | KINGS & QUEENS: Due to legislative action of 1707, she was officially the last monarch of independent Scotland Queen Anne |
| #8530, aired 2021-12-10 | 19th CENTURY BRITISH AUTHORS: She called herself "the daughter of two persons of distinguished literary celebrity" in an introduction to one of her novels (Mary) Shelley |
| #8529, aired 2021-12-09 | 1950s PUBLIC WORKS: Dubbed "The Greatest Construction Show on Earth", when completed it connected Minnesota to Montreal the St. Lawrence Seaway |
| #8528, aired 2021-12-08 | 20th CENTURY PEOPLE: Gen. MacArthur said this man's death by "violence is one of those bitter anachronisms that seems to refute all logic" "Mahatma" Gandhi |
| #8527, aired 2021-12-07 | OLD GEOGRAPHIC NAMES: This term once used for western North Africa is still used today in the name of a primate from that region Barbary |
| #8526, aired 2021-12-06 | AESTHETIC MOVEMENTS: This turn-of-the-century movement was alternately known around the world as Nieuwe Kunst & Modernista Art Nouveau |
| #8525, aired 2021-12-03 | ORGANIZATIONS: In the U.S. & its territories, this nonprofit whose roots trace to 1980 fulfills a word in its name every 34 minutes the Make-A-Wish Foundation |
| #8524, aired 2021-12-02 | JOURNALISTS IN HISTORY: Bismarck Tribune correspondent Mark Kellogg died June 25, 1876 while on a field assignment covering this man (General George) Custer |
| #8523, aired 2021-12-01 | PLANNED CITIES: A recent immigrant, Lady Denman, wife of the governor-general, announced the name of this new national capital at a 1913 ceremony Canberra, Australia |
| #8522, aired 2021-11-30 | INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP: The organization these International was founded in 1956; they’re Partnerstädte in Germany & villes jumelées in France Sister Cities |
| #8521, aired 2021-11-29 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: Its first line says, "The good people of Paris were awakened by a grand peal from all the bells in the three districts of the city" The Hunchback of Notre Dame |
| #8520, aired 2021-11-26 | FICTIONAL LANGUAGES: Lapine is the name of the language created for this 1972 book beloved by children Watership Down |
| #8519, aired 2021-11-25 | FAMOUS DO'S & DON'TS: In 1964 Berkeley alum Jack Weinberg, age 24, told a San Francisco chronicle reporter this now-famous "Don't" "Don't trust anyone over 30" |
| #8518, aired 2021-11-24 | AWARDS & HONORS: First awarded in 1731 to electricity pioneer Stephen Gray, the Copley Medal is awarded annually by this organization the Royal Society |
| #8517, aired 2021-11-23 | WORLD CAPITALS: An annual event called Winterlude includes skating on the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO world heritage site in this city Ottawa, Canada |
| #8516, aired 2021-11-22 | 20th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: He won an election in which both he & his Democratic opponent were from Ohio & both were wealthy newspaper publishers (Warren G.) Harding |
| #8515, aired 2021-11-19 | 20th CENTURY AMERICAN AUTHORS: The Old Courthouse Museum in Monroeville, Alabama has exhibits devoted to these 2 authors & childhood friends (Harper) Lee & (Truman) Capote |
| #8514, aired 2021-11-18 | HISTORY: In 1985 the mayor of Rome went to a suburb of Tunis to sign a treaty ending this after more than 2,100 years the (Third) Punic War(s) (Carthaginian Wars) |
| #8513, aired 2021-11-17 | FINAL RESTING PLACES: A cemetery on this island has the graves of Robert Fulton & 2 of the first 4 Treasury Secretaries Manhattan |
| #8512, aired 2021-11-16 | MOVIE QUOTES: This 3-word phrase was the protagonist's second line of dialogue in a 1962 movie, the first in a 25-film series "Bond, James Bond" |
| #8511, aired 2021-11-15 | MYTHS & LEGENDS: This legendary place has been identified as being in Caerleon, Wales & in Winchester, England Camelot |
| #8510, aired 2021-11-12 | CONTEMPORARY PLAYWRIGHTS: "The Murder of Gonzago" is used as a play within a 1966 play by this man who was inspired by Shakespeare (Tom) Stoppard |
| #8509, aired 2021-11-11 | PRICELESS OBJECTS: It dates back to the "French Blue", which was set in gold & suspended from a neck ribbon when Louis XIV wore it on ceremonial occasions the Hope Diamond |
| #8508, aired 2021-11-10 | WORLD POPULATION: This Asian nation is the world's most populous country that lies mostly in the Southern Hemisphere Indonesia |
| #8507, aired 2021-11-09 | 1970s SONGS: In 1976 "Bohemian Rhapsody" was replaced at No. 1 on the U.K. charts by this Europop song whose title is heard in Queen's lyrics "Mamma Mia" |
| #8506, aired 2021-11-08 | NAMES IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY: He was Virginia's 1st African-American congressman, whose grandnephew, a famous poet, used his last name as a first name (John Mercer) Langston |
| #8505, aired 2021-11-05 | TOYS: Introduced in 1964, he fell out of favor in changing times & in 1970 was marketed as a "Land Adventurer" G.I. Joe |
| #8504, aired 2021-11-04 | OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: It's the only U.N. member state outside Europe with Dutch as an official language Suriname |
| #8503, aired 2021-11-03 | PAINTINGS: In 2021 experts in Oslo concluded that it was the artist who wrote on this painting, "Could only have been painted by a madman" The Scream |
| #8502, aired 2021-11-02 | SCIENTISTS: Galileo thanked this astronomer "because you were... practically the only one, to have complete faith in my assertions" (Johannes) Kepler |
| #8501, aired 2021-11-01 | 1960s HISTORY: After around 8 PM EDT on July 21, 1969 a major part of a transport known by this 1-word name was never seen again Eagle |
| #8500, aired 2021-10-29 | SONGS & U.S. HISTORY: Victory in 1805's Battle of Derna on the coast of North Africa inspired a lyric in this song made official in 1929 the "Marines' Hymn" |
| #8499, aired 2021-10-28 | WORLD CITIES: From Sydney, Australia go 7,000 miles east & less than 1/2 degree of latitude north to this capital also near the Pacific Santiago, Chile |
| #8498, aired 2021-10-27 | LITERARY MOVIE ROLES: Among the actresses who have portrayed her are Greta Garbo twice, Vivien Leigh, Tatiana Samoilova & Keira Knightley Anna Karenina |
| #8497, aired 2021-10-26 | AUTHORS: These 2 men who both died in Boston in the mid-20th century each won 4 Pulitzers, one man for Poetry & the other for Drama (Robert) Frost & (Eugene) O'Neill |
| #8496, aired 2021-10-25 | NOTABLE WOMEN: Of the 3 pioneering women in their field to be dubbed the "Trimates", this one got her PhD from Cambridge in 1966 (Jane) Goodall |
| #8495, aired 2021-10-22 | 1970s TOP 40 HITS: Seeing a poster for a production of "Cyrano de Bergerac" in a seedy Paris hotel & ladies of the evening nearby inspired this hit "Roxanne" |
| #8494, aired 2021-10-21 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: This country of 16,600 square miles has a possession that's more than 50 times as large Denmark |
| #8493, aired 2021-10-20 | 19th CENTURY SUPREME COURT DECISIONS: The first "self-evident" truth in the Declaration of Independence was quoted & found not to apply to this plaintiff (Dred) Scott |
| #8492, aired 2021-10-19 | CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS: He has studied Cordon Bleu cooking, but is known for his 1981 creation of a character with unconventional taste in cuisine Thomas Harris |
| #8491, aired 2021-10-18 | NAMES ON THE MAP: From 1824 to 1825 this hero toured all 24 states & an Indiana city was named for him (the Marquis de) Lafayette |
| #8490, aired 2021-10-15 | LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN: These stories got their collective title because little Josephine Kipling insisted they be told exactly the same way each time Just So Stories |
| #8489, aired 2021-10-14 | U.S. HISTORY: On Sept. 30, 1788 William Maclay & Robert Morris, both of Pennsylvania, were chosen as the first 2 these (U.S.) senators |
| #8488, aired 2021-10-13 | SPORTS LEGENDS: When Johnny Bench broke his record, this man wrote, "I always thought the record would stand until it was broken" Yogi Berra |
| #8487, aired 2021-10-12 | PUBLISHING: Last name of brothers James, John, Joseph & Fletcher, whose company published magazines with their name as well as books Harper |
| #8486, aired 2021-10-11 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Nazi Germany annexed this nation & divided it into regions of the Alps & the Danube; the Allies later divided it into 4 sectors Austria |
| #8485, aired 2021-10-08 | THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE: British zoologist George Shaw looked for stitches when he first saw this mammal in 1799, thinking he was being tricked (the) duck-bill(ed) platypus |
| #8484, aired 2021-10-07 | WINTER OLYMPIC SPORTS: The official Olympic website says this event "has its roots in survival skills" practiced in the snowy forests of Scandinavia biathlon |
| #8483, aired 2021-10-06 | HISTORIC CALENDARS: Following Messidor, this summer month in the 18th century French Revolutionary calendar had a name meaning "heat gift" Thermidor |
| #8482, aired 2021-10-05 | POPULAR PHRASES: This phrase relating nutrition & health was popularized by fruit scientist J.T. Stinson at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair an apple a day keeps the doctor away |
| #8481, aired 2021-10-04 | RENAISSANCE MEN: 10 years before a more famous work, he wrote in 1503 that the way to deal with rebels is to placate them or eliminate them (Niccolò) Machiavelli |
| #8480, aired 2021-10-01 | AMERICAN HISTORY: The April 26, 1906 edition of The Call, a newspaper in this city, reported on the heroic death of hoseman James O'Neil San Francisco |
| #8479, aired 2021-09-30 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: A 2000 Library of Congress exhibit called this 1900 work "America's greatest and best-loved homegrown fairytale" The Wizard of Oz |
| #8478, aired 2021-09-29 | MYTHOLOGY: The Hippocrene Spring, sacred to the Muses, was so named because this offspring of Medusa brought it into being Pegasus |
| #8477, aired 2021-09-28 | THE CONTINENTS: It's the only continent with its mainland lying in all 4 hemispheres as defined by the equator & the prime meridian Africa |
| #8476, aired 2021-09-27 | ROCK LEGENDS: A new studio album in 2020 gave him a Top 5 album in 6 consecutive decades, his first in 1975 (Bruce) Springsteen |
| #8475, aired 2021-09-24 | HISTORY OF THE 19-TEENS: Saying he ignored warnings of enemy vessels, the British admiralty sought to blame William Turner, this ship's last captain in 1915 the Lusitania |
| #8474, aired 2021-09-23 | FOOD & DRINK IN THE BIBLE: In the King James Version, these creatures are a plague in Exodus 10, but deemed okay to eat in Leviticus 11 locusts |
| #8473, aired 2021-09-22 | LANDMARKS: 96 miles in total during its 3-decade existence, the most well-known part of this was about the same length as an Olympic marathon the Berlin Wall |
| #8472, aired 2021-09-21 | CHILDREN'S BOOKS: A book by her says, "It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is 'soporific'... but then I am not a rabbit" (Beatrix) Potter |
| #8471, aired 2021-09-20 | 1980s MOVIES: The Dip used to kill characters in this 1988 film consisted of acetone, benzene & turpentine, ingredients of paint thinner Who Framed Roger Rabbit |
| #8470, aired 2021-09-17 | 19th CENTURY U.S. POLITICS: Named after a U.K. political party that helped depose a king, the U.S. Whig Party was formed to oppose this man (Andrew) Jackson |
| #8469, aired 2021-09-16 | THE 21st CENTURY: In 2009 this 11-year-old started posting on BBC's Urdu language website under the screen name Gul Makai Malala (Yousafzai) |
| #8468, aired 2021-09-15 | AUTHORS: In addition to knowing many languages & making up his own, he also taught language at the universities of Leeds & Oxford J.R.R. Tolkien |
| #8467, aired 2021-09-14 | SCIENTIFIC ETYMOLOGY: 2 of the 3 men for whom armalcolite, a dark gray mineral discovered in 1969, is named (2 of) (Neil) Armstrong, (Buzz) Aldrin or (Michael) Collins |
| #8466, aired 2021-09-13 | THE 13 COLONIES: Founded by an advocate of religious freedom, it was the site of America's first Baptist church & oldest synagogue Rhode Island |
| #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 |
| #8235, aired 2020-06-12 | AUTHORS: On this woman's passing in 2019, Oprah Winfrey called her "a magician with language, who understood the power of words" Toni Morrison |
| #8234, aired 2020-06-11 | MEDICAL HISTORY: One of the first recorded autopsies was performed on this man & revealed 23 puncture marks Julius Caesar |
| #8233, aired 2020-06-10 | NOTABLE BRITISH NAMES: Published in 1881, "The Formation of Vegetable Mould, Through the Actions of Worms" was his last & one of his bestselling books Charles Darwin |
| #8232, aired 2020-06-09 | PRE-CIVIL WAR PRESIDENTS: Encyclopedia Britannica says of him: "After an extended tour of Europe he retired to Concord...& he died in obscurity" Franklin Pierce |
| #8231, aired 2020-06-08 | 20th CENTURY AMERICA: 10-year-old Martin Luther King Jr. sang with his church's choir at the celebrated premiere of this film Gone with the Wind |
| #8230, aired 2020-06-05 | 18th CENTURY NOVELS: The title character of this 1726 novel reaches 4 different lands as a result of a shipwreck, a storm at sea, pirates & a mutiny Gulliver's Travels |
| #8229, aired 2020-06-04 | NOTABLE BRITS: On this man's death in a 1935 motorcycle accident, Churchill said, his "pace of life was faster & more intense than the ordinary" Lawrence of Arabia |
| #8228, aired 2020-06-03 | EUROPEAN LANDMARKS: As described in an 1831 book, it has "three recessed and pointed doorways... immense central rose window... two dark and massive towers" Notre-Dame |
| #8227, aired 2020-06-02 | AMERICAN FIRSTS: John Ledyard, sailing on Captain Cook's last voyage in search of the NW Passage, was the 1st American to land at what are now these 2 states Hawaii & Alaska |
| #8226, aired 2020-06-01 | EUROPEAN HISTORY: Once Europe's leading military power & later the largest state in Germany, it was abolished by the Allies in 1947 Prussia |
| #8225, aired 2020-05-29 | PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES & MUSEUMS: Of the 15 U.S. presidential libraries or museums, 3 are in this state, more than any other Texas |
| #8224, aired 2020-05-28 | WORD ORIGINS: P.T. Barnum, whose traveling shows carried musicians, coined this word that now represents something growing in popularity bandwagon |
| #8223, aired 2020-05-27 | FAIRY TALES: A familiar chant in this fairy tale continues, "Be he alive or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread" "Jack and the Beanstalk" |
| #8222, aired 2020-05-26 | 20th CENTURY METAPHORS: If it had physically existed, it would have stretched some 500 miles from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic Sea the Iron Curtain |
| #8221, aired 2020-05-25 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: Touching Canada at Boundary County, the northern part of this state's panhandle has been referred to as "The Chimney" Idaho |
| #8220, aired 2020-05-22 | IVY LEAGUE GEOGRAPHY: This state borders 3 other states with Ivy League schools, but doesn't have one itself Vermont |
| #8219, aired 2020-05-21 | MILITARY SLANG: This word for high-ranking officials comes from a metal used in 19th century military insignia brass |
| #8218, aired 2020-05-20 | CLASSIC TV SITCOMS: "I Love Lucy" used the French word "enceinte" in a 1952 episode title because CBS didn't want this word used pregnant |
| #8217, aired 2020-05-19 | ADVENTURE NOVELS: In this novel the surname of a pastor, his wife & 4 sons is not given in the text; the title was meant to evoke a 1719 novel The Swiss Family Robinson |
| #8216, aired 2020-05-18 | AMERICA IN THE 1700s: "Every state shall always keep up a well regulated and disciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutred" is in No. 6 of these the Articles of Confederation |
| #8215, aired 2020-05-01 | NATIONS OF THE WORLD: On the English-language list of member states at un.org, it's the only nation with a Spanish-language article in its name El Salvador |
| #8214, aired 2020-04-30 | ADVERTISING: Copywriter Keith Goldberg wrote this question in 1999 for a financial services company; they're still using it What's in your wallet? |
| #8213, aired 2020-04-29 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: Its first line ends, "the period was so far like the present period... for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only" A Tale of Two Cities |
| #8212, aired 2020-04-28 | 1950s FILMS: The last line of this epic film was "Go--proclaim liberty throughout all the lands unto all the inhabitants thereof" The Ten Commandments |
| #8211, aired 2020-04-27 | CIVIL WAR PEOPLE: Before they were photographed together in 1862, Lincoln wryly noted this general "should have no problem" sitting still for it George McClellan |
| #8210, aired 2020-04-24 | MEN & MACHINES: John Moore-Brabazon, the first pilot licensed by England, had learned about engines working for this man, first half of a famous pair (Charles) Rolls |
| #8209, aired 2020-04-23 | STATESMEN: The first Asian to accept the Nobel Peace Prize was the prime minister of this country who in 1967 renounced use of nuclear weapons Japan |
| #8208, aired 2020-04-22 | WORLD ELECTIONS: In 2014 this democratic nation broke the record for total turnout in a single election with more than 500 million voters India |
| #8207, aired 2020-04-21 | CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS: Publishers Weekly has dubbed this former middle school English teacher turned bestselling author "Storyteller of the Gods" Rick Riordan |
| #8206, aired 2020-04-20 | RECENT MOVIE SONGS: In October 2019 this song, a duet, was still in the Top 10 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart after spending a year on the chart "Shallow" |
| #8205, aired 2020-04-17 | HISTORIC FIGURES: In legend, this real European leader fielded an elite corps called the 12 Peers that included Oliver & Roland Charlemagne |
| #8204, aired 2020-04-16 | SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS: An account of a deposed Duke of Genoa in a 1549 "History of Italy" is a presumed source for this play The Tempest |
| #8203, aired 2020-04-15 | PRESIDENTIAL GEOGRAPHY: This Midwest city is the burial place of one 19th century president & was named for a relative of another Cleveland, Ohio |
| #8202, aired 2020-04-14 | COUNTRY NAMES: The cartographic feature from which this country gets its name passes near the town of Guayllabamba Ecuador |
| #8201, aired 2020-04-13 | RELIGIOUS WORDS: This word for a concept in Eastern religions comes from Latin roots for "made in flesh" & "again" reincarnation |
| #8200, aired 2020-04-10 | WORDS IN THE NEWS: On September 25, 2019, searches on merriam-webster.com for the definition of this 3-word Latin term increased by 5,500% quid pro quo |
| #8199, aired 2020-04-09 | EUROPEAN BORDERS: Barely changed since a 1297 agreement, the border between these 2 countries is called La Raya on one side & A Raia on the other Spain & Portugal |
| #8198, aired 2020-04-08 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: She published under her middle name; her first name was Nelle, Ellen backward in honor of her grandmother Ellen Finch Harper Lee |
| #8197, aired 2020-04-07 | AMERICAN HISTORY: A 1711 bill cleared the names of 22 people who were tried in this town, including Rebecca Nurse, Giles Corey & John Proctor Salem, Massachusetts |
| #8196, aired 2020-04-06 | WONDERS OF THE MODERN WORLD: Nicknamed "The Big Ditch", in 2014 this modern wonder celebrated its 100th anniversary the Panama Canal |
| #8195, aired 2020-04-03 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: In 1904 this Hungarian-born newspaper publisher wrote, "Our republic and its press will rise or fall together" Joseph Pulitzer |
| #8194, aired 2020-04-02 | CLASSIC AMERICAN NOVELS: Lady Duff Twysden was the basis for a character in this 1926 novel set partly in Spain The Sun Also Rises |
| #8193, aired 2020-04-01 | CANADIAN GEOGRAPHY: Canada's Four Corners monument marks the junction of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut & these 2 Prairie provinces Saskatchewan & Manitoba |
| #8192, aired 2020-03-31 | GEOGRAPHIC NAMESAKES: A county in England has an ocean coastline roughly twice as long as the 18 miles of this U.S. state named for it New Hampshire |
| #8191, aired 2020-03-30 | ADVERTISING CHARACTERS: Jack Keil's team created this animal character rolled out in 1980, the year of the USA's highest recorded murder rate McGruff (the Crime Dog) |
| #8190, aired 2020-03-27 | PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY: He was the first president to deliver the State of the Union Address on television Harry Truman |
| #8189, aired 2020-03-26 | WESTERN HEMISPHERE GEOGRAPHY: The Yucatan Peninsula is shared by these 3 countries Mexico, Guatemala & Belize |
| #8188, aired 2020-03-25 | ALLITERATIVE LEGISLATION: Signed into law in March 1941, House Resolution 1776 was this act that provided aid to a foe from 1776 the Lend-Lease Act |
| #8187, aired 2020-03-24 | AMERICAN POETS: This New York woman died in 1887, the year after the subject of her most famous poem was unveiled Emma Lazarus |
| #8186, aired 2020-03-23 | 1970s SITCOMS: A warning on early episodes said this show "seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices and concerns" All in the Family |
| #8185, aired 2020-03-20 | WOMEN AUTHORS: 2 events figure prominently in her 2003 memoir: a coup in Chile on September 11, 1973 & the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 Isabel Allende |
| #8184, aired 2020-03-19 | 20th CENTURY HISTORY: 1946 was the last year this place, now a country, was represented in the U.S. House of Representatives the Philippines |
| #8183, aired 2020-03-18 | FAIRS & EXPOSITIONS: To celebrate the 500th anniversary of a major event, Seville, Spain & Genoa, Italy both had expositions in this year 1992 |
| #8182, aired 2020-03-17 | U.N. MEMBERS: It incorporated the "one country, two systems" principle in its constitution in 1982 & put it into practice after a 1997 reunification China |
| #8181, aired 2020-03-16 | MOVIE MUSICALS: Water pressure issues in Culver City, home to MGM, impacted the filming of an iconic scene in this 1952 movie musical Singin' in the Rain |
| #8180, aired 2020-03-13 | BIRDS: Black-footed & black-browed are 2 species of this seabird whose name was influenced by the Latin word for "white" albatross |
| #8179, aired 2020-03-12 | ACTORS: Speaking of his role in a 1964 film, he apologized for "the most atrocious Cockney accent in the history of cinema" Dick Van Dyke |
| #8178, aired 2020-03-11 | BOOK WORDS: A 1964 essay coined this 2-word term for "artistically serious" comic books & endorsed it over "illustories" & "picto-fiction" graphic novels |
| #8177, aired 2020-03-10 | 19th CENTURY PLAYS: From the title of a British-set comedy, it completes the final line "I've now realized for the first time in my life the vital..." The Importance of Being Earnest |
| #8176, aired 2020-03-09 | RELIGION: These 2 countries that border each other are second & third in worldwide population of Muslims India & Pakistan |
| #8175, aired 2020-03-06 | 21st CENTURY MOVIES: After its initial release in 2016, it became the first major motion picture to be dubbed in Tahitian Moana |
| #8174, aired 2020-03-05 | BRITISH NOVELS: A laboratory known as the House of Pain is on Noble's Isle, the title setting of this novel The Island of Doctor Moreau |
| #8173, aired 2020-03-04 | 20th CENTURY ARTISTS: This artist who lived from 1904 to 1989 had a first name that means "savior" in Spanish (Salvador) Dali |
| #8172, aired 2020-03-03 | CHILDREN'S BOOKS: This book was published in Latin as "Virent Ova! Viret Perna!!" Green Eggs and Ham |
| #8171, aired 2020-03-02 | FROM THE DESK OF THE POPE: A 1919 letter quotes Jesus, "Go into the whole world and preach the gospel" & notes the vigilance, energy & hardships of these workers missionaries |
| #8170, aired 2020-02-28 | THE CIVIL WAR: The Chicago Tribune called Clement Vallandigham, an anti-war Ohio Democrat, a "traitor" & a "hissing" one of these creatures Copperhead |
| #8169, aired 2020-02-27 | 18th CENTURY AMERICA: The first Census, in 1790, listed 24 urban places; this port was the most populous one in the South Charleston |
| #8168, aired 2020-02-26 | SCIENCE WORDS: In 1611 Kepler used this word from the Latin for "attendant" to describe the discoveries of Galileo satellite |
| #8167, aired 2020-02-25 | FAST FOOD: This sandwich was 1st sold in 1962 as an attempt to give the many Catholics of Cincinnati something to eat on Fridays during Lent Filet-O-Fish |
| #8166, aired 2020-02-24 | MUSIC STARS: On July 26, 1972 he testified before a Senate subcommittee on national penitentiaries Johnny Cash |
| #8165, aired 2020-02-21 | INTERNATIONAL AWARD TROPHIES: La Maison Chopard crafts this annual award’s crystal base & 118-gram, 18-carat frond Palme d'Or |
| #8164, aired 2020-02-20 | THE RACE TO SPACE: In the 1960s this Mideast country had a space program & one of its rocket launches, the Cedar IV, is commemorated on a stamp Lebanon |
| #8163, aired 2020-02-19 | INTERNATIONAL SPORTS: It’s the only country that has played in every FIFA World Cup tournament, winning 5 times Brazil |
| #8162, aired 2020-02-18 | AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY: This West African country of 12 million doesn't border the 1,200-mile-wide gulf of the same name Guinea |
| #8161, aired 2020-02-17 | FROM SCREEN TO STAGE: This 2007 movie came to Broadway with an all-female creative team including book & direction and with songs by pop star Sara Bareilles Waitress |
| #8160, aired 2020-02-14 | FAMOUS FIRST LINES: These 7 words precede, "The rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals" "It was a dark and stormy night" |
| #8159, aired 2020-02-13 | INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: There are reminiscences of branding cattle & lassoing steers in “Martín Fierro”, the national poem of this Western Hemisphere country Argentina |
| #8158, aired 2020-02-12 | 20th CENTURY EUROPEAN LEADERS: In a 1930s broadcast, this man spoke of “A quarrel in a faraway country between people of whom we know nothing” Neville Chamberlain |
| #8157, aired 2020-02-11 | AMERICAN HISTORY: After statesman & banker Robert Morris turned down a job offer from George Washington, this man took the job Alexander Hamilton |
| #8156, aired 2020-02-10 | SPORTS TERMS: A member of the British Amateur Athletic Club wrote this 1867 set of 12 regulations whose name honors nobleman John Sholto Douglas the 12 rules of Queensberry |
| #8155, aired 2020-02-07 | QUOTES ABOUT 19th CENTURY AUTHORS: This author "showed that abysses may exist inside a governess", a heroine who was a "commonplace spinster" Charlotte Brontë |
| #8154, aired 2020-02-06 | RANKS & TITLES: Canada, Belgium & the U.S. are among nations that bestow this artistic title that dates to the Greeks & a tree sacred to Apollo (Poet) Laureate |
| #8153, aired 2020-02-05 | AMERICAN HISTORY: At Harpers Ferry, John Brown & his rebels were defeated by troops commanded by this man who 2 years later led a rebel army himself Robert E. Lee |
| #8152, aired 2020-02-04 | WORLD MAMMALS: A drawing of it by John Hunter, naturalist & governor of New South Wales, published in 1802 labels it Ornithorhyncus paradoxus a (duck-billed) platypus |
| #8151, aired 2020-02-03 | ASIAN GEOGRAPHY: This 150- by 2.5-mile area created in 1953 is now home to more than 100 endangered & protected species DMZ (the demilitarized zone between North & South Korea) |
| #8150, aired 2020-01-31 | FRENCH TOWNS: Legend says local farm wife Marie Harel & a priest from Brie created the famous product of this Normandy village Camembert |
| #8149, aired 2020-01-30 | ADVERTISING & MUSIC: In 2008, 34 years after it made Billboard’s Top 10, this song title was used by a southern state in a tourism campaign "Sweet Home Alabama" |
| #8148, aired 2020-01-29 | 21st CENTURY OSCAR WINNERS: This man won Best Supporting Actor twice, both for films that won Best Picture Mahershala Ali |
| #8147, aired 2020-01-28 | WORLD CAPITALS: Sharing its name with another ancient city on the sea, this African capital is called "Bride of the Mediterranean" Tripoli |
| #8146, aired 2020-01-27 | POETS: A Dartmouth dropout, he received 2 honorary degrees from Dartmouth--in 1933 & 1955 Robert Frost |
| #8145, aired 2020-01-24 | BESTSELLING AUTHORS: Now in her 70s, this author splits her time between Paris & San Francisco, often writing 20 to 22 hours a day on an old typewriter Danielle Steel |
| #8144, aired 2020-01-23 | FAMOUS NAMES: A new Election Day ritual is leaving “I Voted” stickers on the headstone of this historic woman at a Rochester, New York cemetery Susan B. Anthony |
| #8143, aired 2020-01-22 | U.S. TERRITORIES: Of the 5 inhabited U.S. territories, this is the only one where cars drive on the left U.S. Virgin Islands |
| #8142, aired 2020-01-21 | CLASSIC MOVIES: This 1939 film was loosely based on Senator Burton Wheeler, victim of a sham investigation for looking into the Justice Department Mr. Smith Goes to Washington |
| #8141, aired 2020-01-20 | CABINET POSITIONS: Of the 4 jobs in George Washington’s cabinet, the 2 that have been filled by women in the 230 years since Secretary of State & Attorney General |
| #8140, aired 2020-01-17 | DNA MAKES NEWS: In 1993 remains of the Russian Royal Family killed in 1918 were confirmed by comparing their DNA to this member of the British Royal Family Prince Philip |
| #8139, aired 2020-01-16 | WESTERN HEMISPHERE GEOGRAPHY: It's the easternmost capital city in Central America Panama City |
| #8138, aired 2020-01-15 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: Einstein's theory of relativity & Max Planck's quantum theory inspired this book that won a 1963 Newbery Medal A Wrinkle in Time |
| #8137, aired 2020-01-14 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: About the size of West Virginia, Devon Island is the largest uninhabited island in the world & a possession of this country Canada |
| #8136, aired 2020-01-13 | THE BIBLE: This book of the Bible ends with "fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys" Exodus |
| #8135, aired 2020-01-10 | CONSTITUTIONS OF THE WORLD: This country's 1979 constitution forbids amendments altering its official ideology or religion Iran |
| #8134, aired 2020-01-09 | LAW ENFORCEMENT: In 1892 Francisca Rojas became the world's first person convicted on the basis of this kind of evidence fingerprint |
| #8133, aired 2020-01-08 | EUROPEAN HISTORY: It took the French army until 1995 to declare him innocent, 101 years after he was convicted of treason (Alfred) Dreyfus |
| #8132, aired 2020-01-07 | INTERNATIONAL SPORTS STARS: Now with over 185 million followers, he surpassed Selena Gomez in 2018 to become the most followed person on Instagram (Cristiano) Ronaldo |
| #8131, aired 2020-01-06 | 1960s NOVELS: This book defines its own title as "concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers... was the process of a rational mind" Catch-22 |
| #8130, aired 2020-01-03 | CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS: Until a 1913 amendment allowed this, 1/3 of U.S. government revenue came from liquor income tax |
| #8129, aired 2020-01-02 | SCIENTISTS: About 100 years before Darwin, this naturalist put orangutans & humans in a group with the Latin name "Homo" (Carolus) Linnaeus |
| #8128, aired 2020-01-01 | SINGLE-NAMED PERFORMERS: The last single-named actress to win an Oscar was this woman who won for her supporting role in "Precious" Mo'Nique |
| #8127, aired 2019-12-31 | BUSINESS & INNOVATION: Stuck with 260 tons of unused turkey in late 1953, this company ordered aluminum trays & sold 10 million units of a new item in 1954 Swanson |
| #8126, aired 2019-12-30 | 1950s PEOPLE: In a New Yorker profile, he said, "Where I like it is out west in Wyoming, Montana, & Idaho, & I like Cuba & Paris" Ernest Hemingway |
| #8125, aired 2019-12-27 | ART FIRSTS: The first French museum to buy this type of painting was the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, in 1901 Impressionist |
| #8124, aired 2019-12-26 | 19th CENTURY HISTORY: Wanting more French influence in the area he called Latin America, Napoleon III installed an emperor in this country Mexico |
| #8123, aired 2019-12-25 | ORGANIZATIONS: Founded by students at William & Mary in 1776; its members include 17 U.S. Presidents, 41 Supreme Court Justices & more than 140 Nobel laureates Phi Beta Kappa |
| #8122, aired 2019-12-24 | HISTORIC AMERICAN CITIES: Damage from Hurricane Matthew in this city in 2016 revealed a plot of colonist graves from perhaps as long as 430 years ago St. Augustine, Florida |
| #8121, aired 2019-12-23 | BRITISH AUTHORS: In 2016 the OED celebrated his 100th birthday by adding words connected to his writings, including scrumdiddlyumptious Roald Dahl |
| #8120, aired 2019-12-20 | CLASSIC FICTION: A 1902 work says of a riverboat journey, "We penetrated deeper and deeper into" this, the work's title Heart of Darkness |
| #8119, aired 2019-12-19 | SCIENCE & INNOVATION: In her 20+ years working for this company, Audrey Sherman of Saint Paul has been granted more than 130 patents 3M |
| #8118, aired 2019-12-18 | PLANTS & TREES: One of Britain's few native evergreen trees, it's prized for bringing color to winter, & its foliage is often hung in homes holly |
| #8117, aired 2019-12-17 | MILESTONES IN U.S. HISTORY: Congress declared September 6, 2008 Louisa Swain Day because Louisa did this in Wyoming on that date in 1870 voted |
| #8116, aired 2019-12-16 | TV THEME MUSIC: A short piece for 2 guitars called "Strange No. 3" was the first part of the theme music for this drama series that debuted in 1959 The Twilight Zone |
| #8115, aired 2019-12-13 | BUSINESS NAMESAKES: It's the last name of the man who said, "Our whole concept was based on speed, lower prices & volume...my God, the carhops were slow" McDonald |
| #8114, aired 2019-12-12 | WOMEN AUTHORS: In 1947 she testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee on how the film "Song of Russia" was Communist propaganda Ayn Rand |
| #8113, aired 2019-12-11 | NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARKS: Established in 2015, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park has sites in Hanford, Washington; Los Alamos, N.M. & this Tennessee city Oak Ridge |
| #8112, aired 2019-12-10 | OSCAR-WINNING FILMS: The first words spoken in this 1970 Best Picture Oscar winner are "Ten-hut!" "Be seated" Patton |
| #8111, aired 2019-12-09 | VICE PRESIDENTS: George H.W. Bush in 1988 was the first sitting vice president to be elected to the top job since this man 152 years before Martin Van Buren |
| #8110, aired 2019-12-06 | EUROPE: A tourism website for this country noted its colorful history "filled with barbarians", royalty, "& even a movie star" Monaco |
| #8109, aired 2019-12-05 | HOLIDAY SONGS: This song had its beginnings as a book handed out to children at Christmas at Montgomery Ward "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer" |
| #8108, aired 2019-12-04 | OPERA TITLE NAMES: Before being consumed in flames, he flirts with a bride on her wedding day & a list of his amorous conquests is sung Don Giovanni |
| #8107, aired 2019-12-03 | LITERARY NEW YORK CITY: An insider described the scene there: "Just...loudmouths showing off, saving their gags for days, waiting to spring them" Algonquin Round Table |
| #8106, aired 2019-12-02 | HISTORIC LISTS: "Why does not the Pope... build the basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?" is one of these Luther's theses |
| #8105, aired 2019-11-29 | CLASSIC BRITISH NOVELS: The title character of this novel says of his home, "The wind breathes cold through the broken battlements and casements" Dracula |
| #8104, aired 2019-11-28 | WORD ORIGINS: From a Sanskrit word for "descent", it's the form a god takes upon descending to Earth avatar |
| #8103, aired 2019-11-27 | MOVIE QUOTES: The 2 single-word quotes on AFI's list of the top 100 movie quotes; 1 is from 1941, the other from 1967 "Rosebud" and "Plastics" |
| #8102, aired 2019-11-26 | POLITICAL PHRASES: Speechwriter Samuel Rosenman said FDR "attached no importance to" this phrase, "two monosyllables" in a 1932 speech New Deal |
| #8101, aired 2019-11-25 | BUSINESS 2019: The New York Stock Exchange allowed jeans on the trading floor for the initial public offering of the stock with this 4-letter symbol LEVI |
| #8100, aired 2019-11-22 | HOME & GARDEN: In 1847 eccentric horticulturalist Sir Charles Isham popularized these when he imported terra cotta ones from Nuremberg garden gnomes |
| #8099, aired 2019-11-21 | AMERICAN HISTORY: One a Civil War hero & one a U.S. Senator, brothers with this last name were both considered for the 1884 Republican presidential nomination Sherman |
| #8098, aired 2019-11-20 | MOVIE & BOOK TITLES: This title of a 1962 novel & 1975 film refers to the direction the last of 3 geese took in an old nursery rhyme One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest |
| #8097, aired 2019-11-19 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Peaking at 9,000 locations in 2004, this chain of stores was down to one in 2019, located in Bend, Oregon Blockbuster |
| #8096, aired 2019-11-18 | U.S. CITIES: Celebrating electricity & technology, an exposition in this U.S. "City of Light" in 1901 was overshadowed by another major event Buffalo |
| #8095, aired 2019-11-15 | INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES: A dispute over Etorofu, Habomai, Kunashiri & Shikotan has kept these 2 countries from ever signing a WWII peace treaty Japan & Russia |
| #8094, aired 2019-11-14 | OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS: By Hebrew word count, the longest book bears this name that led to a word for a long complaint or rant Jeremiah |
| #8093, aired 2019-11-13 | ITALIAN INVENTORS: In a 1644 letter he wrote, "We live submerged at the bottom of an ocean of air", which is what his invention measures Torricelli |
| #8092, aired 2019-11-12 | U.S. DEMOGRAPHICS: In 2018 Forbes said this "Belt's Demographic Delight is" this other "Belt's Demographic Dilemma" the Sun Belt & the Rust Belt |
| #8091, aired 2019-11-11 | FAMOUS PHRASES: In the title of a groundbreaking 1890 expose of poverty in New York City slums, these 3 words follow "How the" Other Half Lives |
| #8090, aired 2019-11-08 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: From an 1894 work, his name literally translates to "tiger king" Shere Khan |
| #8089, aired 2019-11-07 | 20th CENTURY ART: A derisive description of the shape of the houses in the 1908 painting "Houses at l'Estaque" gave this art style its name Cubism |
| #8088, aired 2019-11-06 | 20th CENTURY AMERICA: In 1939, turned down by 2 local theaters, Howard University was able to get an outdoor venue for this singer's yearly concert Marian Anderson |
| #8087, aired 2019-11-05 | THE 50 STATES: In 1840 this New England state was home to 24 of the 100 most populous U.S. urban places; now, its capital is its only one in the top 100 Massachusetts |
| #8086, aired 2019-11-04 | ANCIENT HISTORY: According to Herodotus, a messenger was sent 150 miles from Athens to Sparta, just before this 490 B.C. battle the Battle of Marathon |
| #8085, aired 2019-11-01 | RELIGION: This denomination takes its name from the day, as told in the New Testament, when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles Pentecostalism |
| #8084, aired 2019-10-31 | NOVELISTS: In a 1952 novel, he wrote, "But there were dry years too, & they put a terror on the valley. The water came in a thirty-year cycle" John Steinbeck |
| #8083, aired 2019-10-30 | WORLD CAPITALS: In 1865 this city named for an early 19th century British hero became a British colonial capital Wellington |
| #8082, aired 2019-10-29 | 1950s CINEMA: Objects of attention in this suspenseful film include a digging dog, a scantily clad dancer & a possible murderer Rear Window |
| #8081, aired 2019-10-28 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: Before its official opening on May 24, 1883 Emily Roebling became the first person to cross it in a carriage the Brooklyn Bridge |
| #8080, aired 2019-10-25 | BRITISH HISTORY: In 2018 Parliament Square got its first statue of a woman, Millicent Fawcett, a founding member of the London Society for Women's this Suffrage |
| #8079, aired 2019-10-24 | THE HISTORY OF FRANCE: This modern regime that lasted 4 years changed the national motto to "Travail, Famille, Patrie"--"Work, Family, Fatherland" Vichy France |
| #8078, aired 2019-10-23 | 1930s NOVEL CHARACTERS: Prior to a murder in a 1934 book, he says he hasn't been a detective since 1927 & that his wife inherited a lumber mill Nick Charles |
| #8077, aired 2019-10-22 | FEMALE MUSIC SUPERSTARS: With more than 30 Top 10 albums since 1963, this singer-actress ranks No. 1 among the Billboard 200's Greatest Women Artists of All Time Barbra Streisand |
| #8076, aired 2019-10-21 | U.S. CITIES: Named for the ore once mined there, this city at an altitude of 10,152 feet is home to the National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum Leadville |
| #8075, aired 2019-10-18 | THE POSTCOLONIAL WORLD: This African nation left the British Commonwealth in 2003 over sanctions on its undemocratic government; in 2018 it applied to rejoin Zimbabwe |
| #8074, aired 2019-10-17 | MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS: The soundtrack of this 2018 film has "Material Girl" & "Money (That's What I Want)" in Chinese & English Crazy Rich Asians |
| #8073, aired 2019-10-16 | WORLD LEADERS: This man who ruled from 1949 to 1976 was sometimes called "the Red Sun" Mao Zedong (Mao) |
| #8072, aired 2019-10-15 | 20th CENTURY AMERICAN WOMEN: In her only kids' book, she says, "There was Rose. Rose was her name & would she have been Rose if her name had not been Rose" Gertrude Stein |
| #8071, aired 2019-10-14 | CHEMICAL SYMBOL WORDPLAY: Fittingly, the symbols for the 4 elements in sodium citrate, which can make cheese melt easier, spell this 5-letter food nacho |
| #8070, aired 2019-10-11 | AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS: In 1963 the Pulitzer Advisory Board vetoed his controversial play & gave no award; he would go on to win 3 Pulitzers Edward Albee |
| #8069, aired 2019-10-10 | ENGLISH HISTORY: In 1600 a royal charter authorized it to set forth to "parts of Asia and Africa" in search of "trade and traffic" British East India Company |
| #8068, aired 2019-10-09 | HIT 1980s ALBUMS: This American singer-songwriter briefly landed on the U.N.'s apartheid blacklist for his 1986 multi-platinum album Paul Simon |
| #8067, aired 2019-10-08 | LAST WORDS: In 1876 in the Dakotas this American said, "The old duffer broke me on the last hand" Bill Hickok |
| #8066, aired 2019-10-07 | OBSERVANCES: Washington made the very first presidential proclamation in response to a request for "a day of public" this Thanksgiving |
| #8065, aired 2019-10-04 | WORLD LITERATURE: Some parts were translated from a 15th century Syrian manuscript when this work was introduced to Europe around 1700 One Thousand and One Nights |
| #8064, aired 2019-10-03 | PHRASE ORIGINS: The OED's first citation for this phrase referring to a region of the U.S. is from a Durant, Oklahoma newspaper in 1936 Dust Bowl |
| #8063, aired 2019-10-02 | ANIMAL AKAs: It's also called the czar fish sturgeon |
| #8062, aired 2019-10-01 | MOUNTAIN RANGES: A chain of volcanoes is named for this mountain range where the continental USA's deadliest eruption took place Cascades |
| #8061, aired 2019-09-30 | SYMBOLIC OBJECTS: To complete one of its regular trips, in 1948 it took a boat across the English Channel; in 1952 it took a plane en route to Finland Olympic torch (Olympic flame) |
| #8060, aired 2019-09-27 | EPITAPHS: From his own 1898 poem, the epitaph of this Irish-born man ends, "his mourners will be outcast men, & outcasts always mourn" Oscar Wilde |
| #8059, aired 2019-09-26 | WORLD LANDMARKS: "The Eighth Wonder", by composer Alan John & librettist Dennis Watkins, is about this building that opened in 1973 the Sydney Opera House |
| #8058, aired 2019-09-25 | NATURAL GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES: Timely for 2018, in 1866 Mark Twain wrote of this landmark's "sputtering jets of fire" & "heat from Pele's furnaces" Mount Kīlauea |
| #8057, aired 2019-09-24 | AMERICAN COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: The 1862 Morrill Act gave states federal acreage to sell for school funds, leading to the creation of 69 of these land-grant universities (land-grant colleges) |
| #8056, aired 2019-09-23 | MUSICAL THEATRE INSPIRATIONS: The title of this musical that opened on Broadway in 1964 was inspired by a Marc Chagall painting Fiddler on the Roof |
| #8055, aired 2019-09-20 | U.S. CURRENCY: In 1929 Alexander Hamilton became the new face of the $10 bill, replacing this foe of his legacy, who got moved to another denomination Andrew Jackson |
| #8054, aired 2019-09-19 | TOYS & GAMES: Invented in 1974 as a model to teach 3-D problems, it became one of the bestselling toys of all time Rubik's Cube |
| #8053, aired 2019-09-18 | THE 1940s: This nickname for a history-changing weapon of 1945 came from a character in "The Maltese Falcon" Fat Man |
| #8052, aired 2019-09-17 | NATIONAL ANTHEMS: With lyrics by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier, it debuted on June 24, 1880, at a celebration of St. Jean Baptiste Day "O Canada" |
| #8051, aired 2019-09-16 | EUROPEAN AUTHORS: When he didn't win the inaugural 1901 Nobel Prize, 42 of his peers apologized to him, calling him "the most revered patriarch of today's literature" Leo Tolstoy |
| #8050, aired 2019-09-13 | PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: This is the most recent presidential election year when both major presidential candidates were residents of the same state 2016 |
| #8049, aired 2019-09-12 | AMERICAN MUSEUMS: President Johnson signed a law that added 2 words to the name of this museum established in 1946, D.C.'s most popular the Air & Space Museum |
| #8048, aired 2019-09-11 | CHILDREN'S BOOKS: The original title of this 1900 classic included a gem; another working title mentioned a Plains state The Wonderful Wizard of Oz |
| #8047, aired 2019-09-10 | 1960s TV HISTORY: The 1967 finale of "The Fugitive" drew in 78 million viewers, surpassing the 73 million who tuned into this show Sunday, February 9, 1964 The Ed Sullivan Show |
| #8046, aired 2019-09-09 | BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY: A site excavated since 1899, Tell es-Safi has been identified as this Philistine city, home to a giant warrior Gath |
| #8045, aired 2019-07-26 | HISTORIC SHIPS: 215 passengers were rescued when it sank in July 1918, about 500 fewer than it had rescued 6 years earlier the Carpathia |
| #8044, aired 2019-07-25 | 1970s ALBUM REVIEWS: Rolling Stone said this 1976 album had "the best & worst tendencies of L.A.-situated rock" & was an "unflattering portrait of the milieu" Hotel California |
| #8043, aired 2019-07-24 | CHILDREN'S AUTHORS: This author & illustrator who won the 1964 Caldecott Medal was dubbed the "Picasso of children's books" Maurice Sendak |
| #8042, aired 2019-07-23 | TOYS & GAMES: The prototype for this game that was introduced in 1948 was called Lexiko Scrabble |
| #8041, aired 2019-07-22 | LANDMARKS: David Livingstone wrote of this discovery of his, "Scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight" Victoria Falls |
| #8040, aired 2019-07-19 | STATES' GOVERNORS: It's the only state to have had 4 female governors, 3 of whom served consecutively between 1997 & 2015 Arizona |
| #8039, aired 2019-07-18 | NOTORIOUS: The death penalty has been carried out only once under Israeli law--in 1962, for this man Adolf Eichmann |
| #8038, aired 2019-07-17 | 17th CENTURY NAMES: In the 1670s English author Charles Cotton built a fishing cabin on the banks of the River Dove to honor this friend & author Izaak Walton |
| #8037, aired 2019-07-16 | EUROPEAN COUNTRY NAMES: Resolving a decades-long dispute with its neighbor to the south, in 2019 this 28-year-old republic added "North" to its name North Macedonia |
| #8036, aired 2019-07-15 | WOMEN AUTHORS: An award for works of horror, dark fantasy & psychological suspense honors this author who came to fame with a 1948 short story Shirley Jackson |
| #8035, aired 2019-07-12 | WORD ORIGINS: 19th c. boots made with India rubber made one quieter, leading to this slang term for one whose job involves surveillance a gumshoe |
| #8034, aired 2019-07-11 | WOMEN ON TV: This character featured in a 1992 Time magazine cover story on "Hollywood & Politics" returned to television in 2018 Murphy Brown |
| #8033, aired 2019-07-10 | BESTSELLING NOVELS: For help with research, the author of this 2003 novel acknowledged the Louvre, Catholic World News & "five members of Opus Dei" The Da Vinci Code |
| #8032, aired 2019-07-09 | ANCIENT TIMES: In 1955 King Paul of Greece unveiled a statue of this hero near the cliffs where he died in the 5th century B.C. Leonidas |
| #8031, aired 2019-07-08 | NORTH AMERICAN CITIES: In 2017 this city celebrated its 375th birthday & the 50th anniversary of an event that made it an international tourist destination Montreal |
| #8030, aired 2019-07-05 | 16th CENTURY NAMES: Hoping to stop Dominican friar Johannes Tetzel from preaching for indulgences, in 1517 he wrote a series of debate topics Martin Luther |
| #8029, aired 2019-07-04 | ON BROADWAY: This play opens in Vienna in 1823, 32 years after the death of its title character Amadeus |
| #8028, aired 2019-07-03 | MYTHOLOGY: In Homer there's only one of these, from the Greek for "terrible"; later they became 3 scary sisters the Gorgons |
| #8027, aired 2019-07-02 | WORD ORIGINS: Meaning cobbled together, it once referred to a temporary fix replacing a broken mast on a ship jury-rigged or jerry-rigged |
| #8026, aired 2019-07-01 | ON THE MAP: 9-letter name for an area of 10 million square miles--4/5 the size of Africa--but only about 120,000 square miles of it is dry land Polynesia |
| #8025, aired 2019-06-28 | PLACES OF LORE: The first mention of this locale is in Chretien de Troyes' 12th century poem "Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart" Camelot |
| #8024, aired 2019-06-27 | INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: The first time this organization invoked Article 5 was on September 12, 2001 NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) |
| #8023, aired 2019-06-26 | 19th CENTURY LITERARY CHARACTERS: "Hard and sharp as flint... he iced his office in the dog-days; and didn't thaw it one degree at Christmas" Ebenezer Scrooge |
| #8022, aired 2019-06-25 | OTHER NATIONS' PRESIDENTS: This nation's 1st 8 presidents were all born in the U.S.; the 1st local-born president came in 1884, 37 years after independence Liberia |
| #8021, aired 2019-06-24 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: Starting a university after his only son died in 1884, this man said, "The children of California shall be our children" Leland Stanford |
| #8020, aired 2019-06-21 | COMPOUND WORDS: This 8-letter word can follow nuclear to refer to a dangerous accident, or mean a total loss of emotional control meltdown |
| #8019, aired 2019-06-20 | 18th CENTURY AMERICANS: "Essays to Do Good" by Cotton Mather inspired Silence Dogood, the newspaper pseudonym of this man Benjamin Franklin |
| #8018, aired 2019-06-19 | ANCIENT LITERATURE: If you were using an alternate name, the title of this work could be translated as "Troy Story" the Iliad |
| #8017, aired 2019-06-18 | KINGS, QUEENS & PRESIDENTS: 17 U.S. presidents served all or part of their terms during the reign of this British monarch Queen Victoria |
| #8016, aired 2019-06-17 | NEW ENGLAND: Neighborhoods in this city include Federal Street, Gallows Hill & Witchcraft Heights Salem, Massachusetts |
| #8015, aired 2019-06-14 | MEDICAL NEWS 2018: For the first time, the FDA approved a drug for the treatment of this, though there hadn't been a new case in 40 years smallpox |
| #8014, aired 2019-06-13 | WORD HISTORY: This word for a bug or malfunction was popularized in the 1962 book "Into Orbit" by the Mercury astronauts glitch |
| #8013, aired 2019-06-12 | POPULAR PRODUCTS: This product that brought virtual tourism into homes in 1939 introduced its first virtual reality device in 2015 View-Master |
| #8012, aired 2019-06-11 | LANDMARKS: Poet Rabindranath Tagore compared this landmark to a teardrop glistening on the cheek of time the Taj Mahal |
| #8011, aired 2019-06-10 | 20th CENTURY THEATER: The final scene of this play takes place by a grave & includes the line "He had the wrong dreams" Death of a Salesman |
| #8010, aired 2019-06-07 | CANADIAN CITIES: City Hall in this Western provincial capital is on Victoria Avenue near the corner of Albert Street Regina |
| #8009, aired 2019-06-06 | AMERICAN MUSIC LEGENDS: Steinbeck called him "just a voice and a guitar" but said his songs embodied "the will of a people to endure and fight against oppression" Woody Guthrie |
| #8008, aired 2019-06-05 | THE NATO PHONETIC ALPHABET: This discovery of November 8, 1895 by a German physicist represents a letter in the NATO phonetic alphabet X rays |
| #8007, aired 2019-06-04 | WORLD TIME ZONES: This European country is still an hour ahead of GMT, a move made in 1940 to be on the same time as Nazi Germany Spain |
| #8006, aired 2019-06-03 | SHAKESPEARE'S TIME: The line "a great reckoning in a little room" in "As You Like It" is usually taken to refer to this author's premature death Christopher Marlowe |
| #8005, aired 2019-05-31 | OSCAR-NOMINATED FAMILIES: It's the last name of Alfred, Lionel, David, Emil, Thomas & Randy, who with 90 nominations, are the most Oscar-nominated family Newman |
| #8004, aired 2019-05-30 | NATIONAL ANTHEMS: Its anthem was adopted in 1947 to replace one by Joseph Haydn that had been tainted by association with Nazis Austria |
| #8003, aired 2019-05-29 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: The author of this tale dedicated the novel to British philosopher William Godwin, her father Frankenstein |
| #8002, aired 2019-05-28 | ANIMATED CHARACTERS: This cartoon character was based on a character in the educational comic "The Intertidal Zone" SpongeBob SquarePants |
| #8001, aired 2019-05-27 | GAMES: When this game was introduced in 1860, it had squares like Intemperance & Poverty & if you hit the Suicide square your game was over The Game of Life |
| #8000, aired 2019-05-24 | AROUND THE USA: Astronomy buffs visit Idaho for the USA's first dark sky reserve; oddly, part of it is this resort area with a bright name Sun Valley |
| #7999, aired 2019-05-23 | JAZZ CLASSICS: In one account, this song began as directions written out for composer Billy Strayhorn to Duke Ellington's home in Harlem "Take The 'A' Train" |
| #7998, aired 2019-05-22 | 19th CENTURY AMERICAN HISTORY: In 1832, by a narrow margin, this state's legislature rejected considering abolition; a split was completed in 1863 Virginia |
| #7997, aired 2019-05-21 | POETRY & THE MOVIES: Robert Lowell's "For the Union Dead" honored the 54th Massachusetts, the infantry unit in this 1989 film that won 3 Oscars Glory |
| #7996, aired 2019-05-20 | NAME THE FRENCH AUTHOR: "I am making myself liable to Articles 30 & 31 of the law of 29 July 1881 regarding the press, which make libel a punishable offense" Émile Zola |
| #7995, aired 2019-05-17 | PHOTO SHARING: Publishing its first photo in 1889, today it has more than 4 billion likes & 100 million followers on Instagram National Geographic |
| #7994, aired 2019-05-16 | 20th CENTURY BESTSELLING AUTHORS: He once said, "In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage...who we are and where we have come from" Alex Haley |
| #7993, aired 2019-05-15 | RUSSIAN COMPOSERS: A 1913 piece by him was conceived of as the symphonic equivalent of a pagan ritual, to be titled "Great Sacrifice" Igor Stravinsky |
| #7992, aired 2019-05-14 | AMERICAN WOMEN: In 2006 Arizona State University renamed its college of law in honor of this history-making woman & longtime Arizona resident Sandra Day O'Connor |
| #7991, aired 2019-05-13 | AMERICANA: John & Priscilla Alden lie in the USA's oldest maintained cemetery, which like a poem about the couple, is named for this person Myles Standish |
| #7990, aired 2019-05-10 | U.S. STATES: This state entered the Union in 1820 after separating from another state that began with the same 2 letters Maine |
| #7989, aired 2019-05-09 | THE COLD WAR: The Cold War became entrenched in the mid-1950s after the formation of these 2 rival military alliances NATO and the Warsaw Pact |
| #7988, aired 2019-05-08 | WORDS FROM THE COMICS: Used to describe secrecy during WWII, this 2-word term had its psychological meaning popularized by Charles Schulz security blanket |
| #7987, aired 2019-05-07 | TEACHERS: As a teenager this woman regained her sight thanks to 2 surgeries in 1881 & 1882 Annie Sullivan |
| #7986, aired 2019-05-06 | POETS: A poem by him includes, "It was grassy and wanted wear;/
though...the passing there/
had worn them really about the same" Robert Frost |
| #7985, aired 2019-05-03 | WORDS OF THE 2000s: In 2008 Time magazine described this new practice as "one part social networking and one part capital accumulation" crowdfunding |
| #7984, aired 2019-05-02 | AMERICAN PLAYS: A character in this 1944 play is said to be like a piece in her own collection, "too exquisitely fragile to move from the shelf" The Glass Menagerie |
| #7983, aired 2019-05-01 | THE KING JAMES BIBLE: Of the 4 riders mentioned in Revelation 6, only this one is explicitly named Death |
| #7982, aired 2019-04-30 | EUROPEAN CITIES: Founded, according to tradition, in 11 B.C., this former capital lies about halfway between Paris & Berlin Bonn |
| #7981, aired 2019-04-29 | ORGANIZATIONS: The oldest of these business booster groups, formed in Marseille in 1599, uses "de" instead of "of" in the name a chamber of commerce |
| #7980, aired 2019-04-26 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: The title character of this 1841 novel says he got his name because he kills bucks & does, but not people The Deerslayer |
| #7979, aired 2019-04-25 | THE ELEMENTS: Oddly, mining of this rare earth element with a geographic name, atomic no. 63, is mostly in Asia & with some in South America & Australia europium |
| #7978, aired 2019-04-24 | GEOGRAPHIC NICKNAMES: This term for an area of the Atlantic originated in 1964 in Argosy, a pulp magazine the Bermuda Triangle |
| #7977, aired 2019-04-23 | AMERICAN HISTORY: On May 1, 1869 these 2 men met at the White House, 4 years & 3 weeks after a more historic meeting between them Ulysses S. Grant & Robert E. Lee |
| #7976, aired 2019-04-22 | 19th CENTURY BRITS: In a poem Lord Byron, a lover of Greece, calls this diplomat & fellow lord a "plunderer" (Lord) Elgin |
| #7975, aired 2019-04-19 | BRITISH MONARCHS: A "VI" has followed these 3 royal names of English kings George, Edward & Henry |
| #7974, aired 2019-04-18 | COMIC BOOK SUPERHEROES: During his years with the Justice League of America, this superhero sometimes used the secret identity "C. King" Aquaman |
| #7973, aired 2019-04-17 | 20th CENTURY LITERARY CHARACTERS: His first name refers to the ancient district in which you'd find the Greek capital; his surname is a bird Atticus Finch |
| #7972, aired 2019-04-16 | INTERNATIONAL NEWS: In 2014 this 10,000-square-mile region moved its clocks forward 2 hours to Moscow Standard Time Crimea |
| #7971, aired 2019-04-15 | STAMPS: Living people are rarely seen on a stamp, but in July 1945 the USPS issued one depicting this military event raising the flag on Iwo Jima |
| #7970, aired 2019-04-12 | LITERARY ADAPTATIONS: The director of the 2018 TV version of this 1953 classic said, yes, books were harmed in the making of this motion picture Fahrenheit 451 |
| #7969, aired 2019-04-11 | CELEBRITIES: This inductee into the Video Hall of Fame sold 17 million copies of a videocassette she released in 1982 Jane Fonda |
| #7968, aired 2019-04-10 | EUROPEAN HISTORY: In 2000 the Russian Orthodox church canonized 7 members of this family, 82 years after their deaths the Romanovs |
| #7967, aired 2019-04-09 | PHYSICS TERMS: Ironically, it's a metaphor meaning a huge step forward, but this 2-word process only occurs on a subatomic scale a quantum leap |
| #7966, aired 2019-04-08 | HOLLYWOOD HISTORY: On June 6, 2018 the Chinese Theatre dimmed its lights to honor Jerry Maren, who lived to the greatest age of any of this 1939 group the Munchkins |
| #7965, aired 2019-04-05 | EUROPEAN CAPITALS: Remove 2 letters from within the 6-letter name of this capital & you get the name of a capital from a neighboring country Berlin |
| #7964, aired 2019-04-04 | U.S. BODIES OF WATER: The Jordan, Bear & Weber Rivers deposit over a million tons of minerals into it annually, much of that chloride & sodium the Great Salt Lake |
| #7963, aired 2019-04-03 | INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS: From the name of the world capital it serves, DEL is the 3-letter code for the Asian airport named for her Indira Gandhi |
| #7962, aired 2019-04-02 | MUSIC LEGENDS: These 2 “monarchs” of popular culture both passed away on August 16, one in 2018, the other 41 years earlier Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin |
| #7961, aired 2019-04-01 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: In a 1947 collection he solved 12 mysteries, including "The Cretan Bull" & "The Girdle of Hyppolita" Hercule Poirot |
| #7960, aired 2019-03-29 | CHILDREN'S BOOKS: This 1883 classic ends with the words "A well-behaved little boy!" Pinocchio |
| #7959, aired 2019-03-28 | FAMOUS PHRASE ORIGINS: One theory says a phrase for euphoria comes from plate No. 9 in an 1896 meteorological "atlas" of these clouds |
| #7958, aired 2019-03-27 | WORLD WAR II: In 1943 millions of matchbooks were distributed in the Philippines with this 3-word quote to boost morale "I shall return" |
| #7957, aired 2019-03-26 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: Though he became a Cabinet secretary & chief justice, once he wanted to change his name because of its "awkward, fishy" sound Salmon Chase |
| #7956, aired 2019-03-25 | FOREIGN TRANSPORTATION: Operating for only one week a year, a train line to this city moves over half a million people a day Mecca |
| #7955, aired 2019-03-22 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: This day created in the U.S. in 1872 is observed in Florida & Louisiana in January, but Maine & Alaska hold it in May Arbor Day |
| #7954, aired 2019-03-21 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: Alfred Hitchcock wrote, "It's because I liked" his "stories so much that I began to make suspense films" Edgar Allan Poe |
| #7953, aired 2019-03-20 | ROYAL HOUSES: Family name of Bonnie Prince Charlie's brother Henry, whom his supporters called Henry IX of England Stuart |
| #7952, aired 2019-03-19 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Because its overseas empire was dwindling, Spain declared war on this much closer country across the water on October 22, 1859 Morocco |
| #7951, aired 2019-03-18 | BEST PICTURE OSCAR WINNERS: These 2 films, recent back-to-back winners, both have 9 letter titles that end with the same 5 letters Moonlight & Spotlight |
| #7950, aired 2019-03-15 | 19th CENTURY NAMES: In 1854 he became official musical instrument maker to Emperor Napoleon III; an instrument he invented is named for him Adolphe Sax |
| #7949, aired 2019-03-14 | STATE CAPITALS EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI: The last 2 letters of this city's name are the U.S. postal abbreviation for the state that it's the capital of Albany |
| #7948, aired 2019-03-13 | NOVEL QUOTES: A boy at the end of this 1952 novel says to the main character, "Say it ain't true, Roy" The Natural |
| #7947, aired 2019-03-12 | 20th CENTURY HISTORY: Constructed in the 1930s, it extended from La Ferté to the Rhine River, though it also had sections along the Italian frontier Maginot Line |
| #7946, aired 2019-03-11 | PLAYWRIGHTS: Before his death in 2018 at age 91, he received 4 Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize & was nominated for 4 Oscars Neil Simon |
| #7945, aired 2019-03-08 | 20th CENTURY NEWSMAKERS: In 1982 a probate judge in his home state of Michigan declared him legally dead Jimmy Hoffa |
| #7944, aired 2019-03-07 | ART: This famous work of art was damaged in 1652 when a door was cut into a wall, removing Jesus' feet The Last Supper |
| #7943, aired 2019-03-06 | WORD ORIGINS: This 8-letter word for a reaction against a trend comes from an engineering term for a jolt caused by a gap in machine parts backlash |
| #7942, aired 2019-03-05 | CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT MATH: Total of the numbers of the amendments banning state-sponsored official religion, ending slavery & repealing Prohibition 35 |
| #7941, aired 2019-03-04 | ANCIENT WRITINGS: Its principles still used today, this treatise has chapters called "Weak Points & Strong" & "Tactical Dispositions" The Art of War |
| #7940, aired 2019-03-01 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEARS: Prior to 2016 it was the last election year in which the winning candidate had never held public elected office 1952 |
| #7939, aired 2019-02-28 | BRITISH LITERATURE: A chapter of "The Jungle Book" has this double-talk title, echoing the opening line of a Brit's poem some 100 years prior "Tiger! Tiger!" |
| #7938, aired 2019-02-27 | 20th CENTURY HISTORY: Interpreting for Vaclav Havel, future ambassador Rita Klimova gave us this phrase for a smooth change of government the velvet revolution |
| #7937, aired 2019-02-26 | EUROPEAN ARTISTS: His seldom-used last name reflects his birth near the mouth of a river that flows from the Alps to the North Sea Rembrandt van Rijn |
| #7935, aired 2019-02-22 | WOMEN IN U.S. HISTORY: In 1901 this activist was jailed for inspiring the assassination of William McKinley, but the charge was later dropped Emma Goldman |
| #7934, aired 2019-02-21 | AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY: The 7-letter names of these western- & easternmost mainland countries begin with the same letter Senegal & Somalia |
| #7932, aired 2019-02-19 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: The title of this musical that opened in 1956 came from the last line of a nursery rhyme about a structure that spanned the Thames My Fair Lady |
| #7931, aired 2019-02-18 | BRITISH AUTHORS: Born in 1866, he has been called "the Shakespeare of science fiction" H.G. Wells |
| #7930, aired 2019-02-15 | 19th CENTURY INVENTORS: He spent his life improving a plant-based substance he described as a "vegetable leather" or "elastic metal" Charles Goodyear |
| #7929, aired 2019-02-14 | COLORFUL GEOGRAPHY: Named for a soldier killed in 1846 at the start of a war, it was in the news again as a port of entry to the U.S. in 2018 Brownsville |
| #7928, aired 2019-02-13 | POETS: He gave his pets names like Wiscus, Pettipaws, George Pushdragon & Jellylorum, the last of which he used in a poem T.S. Eliot |
| #7927, aired 2019-02-12 | ISLANDS: 650 miles off the U.S., it was the site of a 1609 shipwreck of colonists bound for Jamestown that may have inspired "The Tempest" Bermuda |
| #7926, aired 2019-02-11 | PRIMETIME TV: "Complications" was a suggested title for this ABC drama that was renewed for a 15th season in 2018 Grey's Anatomy |
| #7925, aired 2019-02-08 | SHAKESPEARE COMEDIES: At the end of this play: "Why are our bodies soft & weak... but that our... hearts should well agree with our external parts?" The Taming of the Shrew |
| #7924, aired 2019-02-07 | PRESIDENTS & THE MOVIES: 3 presidential films, all directed by Oliver Stone, have a total of only 9 letters in their titles--"Nixon" & these 2 W and JFK |
| #7923, aired 2019-02-06 | INTERNATIONAL BORDERS: Germany has land borders with 9 countries & only maritime boundaries with 2 countries, the U.K. & this one across the Baltic Sweden |
| #7922, aired 2019-02-05 | THE 19th CENTURY: In his autobiography, Buffalo Bill Cody remembered this venture as "a relay race against time" the Pony Express |
| #7921, aired 2019-02-04 | THE U.S. SENATE: An 1890 resolution by Senator Aldrich was killed by this, the very technique it sought to limit; a 1917 rule set some boundaries on it the filibuster |
| #7920, aired 2019-02-01 | THE SOLAR SYSTEM: For a while in the 1840s, the French wanted to name this new discovery "Le Verrier" & the British wanted "Oceanus" Neptune |
| #7919, aired 2019-01-31 | FEMALE SINGERS: In the 1990s this New York native had 8 of her first 10 Billboard Top 40 hits reach No. 1 Mariah Carey |
| #7918, aired 2019-01-30 | WOMEN WRITERS: One of her circle described her as "a lacy sleeve with a bottle of vitriol concealed in its folds" Dorothy Parker |
| #7917, aired 2019-01-29 | 20th CENTURY DISASTERS: On the radio in 1937 this 3-word exclamation came after "the smoke and the flames now...not quite to the mooring mast" "Oh, the humanity!" |
| #7916, aired 2019-01-28 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: Ambrose Bierce, a Civil War veteran, said of this 1895 book, the author "knows nothing of war, yet he is drenched in blood" The Red Badge of Courage |
| #7915, aired 2019-01-25 | LAW ENFORCEMENT HISTORY: This U.S. group was formed to protect settlers in an area that had recently gained independence from Spain the Texas Rangers |
| #7914, aired 2019-01-24 | U.K. PRIME MINISTERS: He was the first U.K. prime minister born after Elizabeth II became queen Tony Blair |
| #7913, aired 2019-01-23 | 20th CENTURY LITERATURE: The writing of this novel, the author's first with no Canadian setting, appropriately began in 1984 The Handmaid's Tale |
| #7912, aired 2019-01-22 | COMIC STRIP TITLE CHARACTERS: These 2 were named for a European "theologian who believed in predestination" & a "philosopher with a dim view of human nature" Calvin & Hobbes |
| #7911, aired 2019-01-21 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: Premiering in 2005, its story is divided into spring, summer, fall & winter, each narrated by one of the 4 male leads Jersey Boys |
| #7910, aired 2019-01-18 | TV PERSONALITIES: In 2000 this man was the host of a No. 1 rated network show & a No. 2 rated syndicated talk show Regis Philbin |
| #7909, aired 2019-01-17 | CONTEMPORARY ART: After it was auctioned in 2018, a work by this artist was renamed "Love is in the Bin" Banksy |
| #7908, aired 2019-01-16 | PEOPLE & PLACES: In 1790 Thursday October Christian became the first child whose birth was recorded on this remote island Pitcairn Island |
| #7907, aired 2019-01-15 | PRESIDENTIAL QUOTES: He said, "Victory over (the) Depression will be... by the resolution of our people to fight their own battles in their own communities" Herbert Hoover |
| #7906, aired 2019-01-14 | FAMILIAR PHRASES: Originally a folk term for a chronic rash, this phrase got a new meaning as a title for a 1952 stage comedy & later a movie seven year itch |
| #7905, aired 2019-01-11 | FAMOUS DOCTORS: Not an artist himself, he inspired the Surrealists but thought them "absolute cranks" until he met Dali in London in 1938 Sigmund Freud |
| #7904, aired 2019-01-10 | AMERICAN LANDMARKS: Eyewitness Jose Marti wrote, "Luckless Irishmen, Poles, Italians... run toward the wharves" to see its dedication the Statue of Liberty |
| #7903, aired 2019-01-09 | TV DRAMAS: So that viewers wouldn't think it was about opera, the "R" in this show's logo was turned into a gun The Sopranos |
| #7902, aired 2019-01-08 | 1950s TRAVEL: In March 1958 Hilton opened a hotel in this Western Hemisphere capital but 2 1/2 years later was out of business there Havana |
| #7901, aired 2019-01-07 | 19th CENTURY NOTABLES: When he died in Samoa in 1894 his obituary said, "He loved Samoa better than any other place, except Scotland" Robert Louis Stevenson |
| #7900, aired 2019-01-04 | TRANSPORTATION: Carretera Transistmica, AKA the Boyd-Roosevelt highway, runs parallel to this waterway the Panama Canal |
| #7899, aired 2019-01-03 | 1940s HISTORY: Air Force pilot Gail Halvorson earned the nickname "Candy Bomber" for his actions during this 1948-49 event the Berlin airlift (or Berlin air drop) |
| #7898, aired 2019-01-02 | BRITISH MEMOIRS: Before his death in 1996, this famous son wrote the memoirs "The Enchanted Places" & "The Hollow on the Hill" Christopher Robin Milne |
| #7897, aired 2019-01-01 | U.S. NAVY SHIPS: "Peace through strength" is the motto of the U.S. aircraft carrier named for this man who professed the same policy Ronald Reagan |
| #7896, aired 2018-12-31 | 21st CENTURY OSCARS: Before she was 25, she became the youngest performer to receive a second Best Actress nomination Jennifer Lawrence |
| #7895, aired 2018-12-28 | AUTHORS: The first novelist on Forbes' list of billionaires, this author fell off in 2012 after giving an estimated $160 mil. to charity J.K. Rowling |
| #7894, aired 2018-12-27 | COASTLINES: At 3,700 miles, the longest ocean trench is named for these 2 nations that share most of South America's Pacific coast Chile and Peru |
| #7893, aired 2018-12-26 | HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY: Most of the land fighting in the first Punic war between Rome & Carthage was on this island Sicily |
| #7892, aired 2018-12-25 | THE SUPREME COURT: Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes once referred to this 1857 decision as the court's first self-inflicted wound the Dred Scott decision (Dred Scott v. Sanford) |
| #7891, aired 2018-12-24 | BRITISH NAMES: The last name of this 17th c. baronet who held many offices is synonymous with the govt. & especially the PM's residence (Sir George) Downing |
| #7890, aired 2018-12-21 | GEOGRAPHY & THE MOVIES: Named the first U.S. national monument in 1906, it was featured prominently in a blockbuster movie 71 years later Devils Tower |
| #7889, aired 2018-12-20 | THE WORKS OF MOZART: Composed in 1791, the year he died, & last in the Kochel catalog of all his works, K. 626 is this work Requiem |
| #7888, aired 2018-12-19 | POETS' BIRTHPLACES: 5 Cwmdonkin Drive was the address of the family home where he was born in 1914 Dylan Thomas |
| #7887, aired 2018-12-18 | U.S. LANDMARKS: The 1st segment of this was dedicated on July 4, 1930; the next, August 30, 1936; section 3, on September 17, 1937 & the last, on July 2, 1939 Mt. Rushmore |
| #7886, aired 2018-12-17 | NORSE MYTHOLOGY: After turning himself into a mare, he gave birth to an 8-legged horse that was later the prized steed of Odin Loki |
| #7885, aired 2018-12-14 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: After it stopped U.S. operations in 2018, its website said, "Promise us just this one thing: don't ever grow up" Toys"R"Us |
| #7884, aired 2018-12-13 | 19th CENTURY AUTHORS: In the preface to a book of his stories, he thanks a herpetologist of upper India & an elephant named Bahadur Shah Rudyard Kipling |
| #7883, aired 2018-12-12 | SCI-FI TV: One of the twin planets this alien race called home was Remus the Romulans |
| #7882, aired 2018-12-11 | BIBLE BOOKS: The title of this Old Testament book is from the Greek for "song sung to a harp" Psalms |
| #7881, aired 2018-12-10 | 2-WORD WORLD CAPITALS: From 1936 to 1941 this city was the capital of Italian East Africa Addis Ababa |
| #7880, aired 2018-12-07 | OPERA: In Act I of this opera, a messenger says, "Barbarous Ethiopians" have invaded & "are already marching on Thebes" Aida |
| #7879, aired 2018-12-06 | WORLD AFFAIRS 2018: An Arab League summit final statement rejected "interference" by this country often mistakenly called an Arab land itself Iran |
| #7878, aired 2018-12-05 | NAMES IN AMERICAN HISTORY: In 1999 the U.S. government was ordered to pay his family $16 million for less than 30 seconds of film Abraham Zapruder |
| #7877, aired 2018-12-04 | THE NFL: For the 2018 draft this team tried to use a parrot to make a pick; the bird got stage fright the Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| #7876, aired 2018-12-03 | AMERICAN BUSINESS: Last name of John, Daniel, Elisha & Edward, whose firm turned 200 in 2018 & has dressed 40 U.S. presidents Brooks |
| #7875, aired 2018-11-30 | THE OLD WEST: On October 27, 1881 this town's local newspaper reported on "a day when blood flowed as water" Tombstone, Arizona |
| #7874, aired 2018-11-29 | CATHOLICISM: A liturgical year begins on the first Sunday of Advent, which is the Sunday closest to the feast day of this "first apostle" St. Andrew |
| #7873, aired 2018-11-28 | HISTORICAL FIRSTS: In a tribute with no precedent, the band played this at the Buckingham Palace changing of the guard on September 13, 2001 "The Star-Spangled Banner" (or the U.S. national anthem) |
| #7872, aired 2018-11-27 | ACTRESSES: In 1997 she became the first to win an Oscar for a film directed by her husband; her brother-in-law produced the film Frances McDormand |
| #7871, aired 2018-11-26 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: The 1877 novel "Garth", about a New Hampshire family cursed by an ancestor's crime, is by Julian, son of this novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne |
| #7870, aired 2018-11-23 | OLYMPIC CITIES: Of the 4 "M" cities that consecutively hosted Summer Olympics in the 20th century, these 2 aren't national capitals Munich and Montreal |
| #7869, aired 2018-11-22 | 1980s MOVIES: Ebert: This film "works as science fiction, it's sometimes as scary as a monster movie & at the end...not a dry eye in the house" E.T. |
| #7868, aired 2018-11-21 | PRESIDENTIAL IRONY: 1 of the 2 presidents who offered Daniel Webster the VP slot; he declined both, thinking the job went nowhere Zachary Taylor or William Henry Harrison |
| #7867, aired 2018-11-20 | AMERICANA: It's the official fruit of the District of Columbia cherry |
| #7866, aired 2018-11-19 | AMERICAN WRITERS: In a twist of irony, he accidentally set fire to some 300 acres of woods at Fair Haven Pond near the Concord River in 1844 Henry David Thoreau |
| #7865, aired 2018-11-16 | MAMMALS: Scientific name Mellivora capensis, this 2-word weasel family member was named "most fearless mammal" a honey badger |
| #7864, aired 2018-11-15 | THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION ERA: She was disowned by the Quakers after marrying an Episcopalian upholsterer in 1773 & later took over his business Betsy Ross |
| #7863, aired 2018-11-14 | 19th CENTURY NAMES: In the 1870s he wrote that "man is descended from a hairy, tailed quadruped, probably arboreal in its habits" Charles Darwin |
| #7862, aired 2018-11-13 | 20th CENTURY LITERATURE: Chapter 1 of this 1954 British novel is entitled "The Sound of the Shell" Lord of the Flies |
| #7861, aired 2018-11-12 | INTERNATIONAL GROUPS: The economic bloc known as the G8 became the G7 in 2014 upon the expulsion of this country Russia |
| #7860, aired 2018-11-09 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: Puebla is the only Mexican state that officially celebrates this spring holiday that is now more popular in the U.S. Cinco de Mayo |
| #7859, aired 2018-11-08 | HISTORIC LEADERS: One of his many horses was named Roitelet & was ridden on the way home from Russia in 1812 Napoleon Bonaparte |
| #7858, aired 2018-11-07 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: Winner of 6 Tonys in 2017, it's the first Broadway musical to focus on the subject of teens & social media Dear Evan Hansen |
| #7857, aired 2018-11-06 | ALPHANUMERIC ANATOMY: Alphanumerically, it's at the top of the spine & lets you nod C1 |
| #7856, aired 2018-11-05 | CHARACTERS IN CHILDREN'S LIT: Memories of refugees in British train stations before & after WWII helped inspire the creation of this character Paddington Bear |
| #7855, aired 2018-11-02 | SURNAMES: Evoking speed & luxury, this one of the 10 most common Italian surnames goes back to the Latin word for iron Ferrari |
| #7854, aired 2018-11-01 | HISTORIC GEOGRAPHY: A northern limit of the Roman Empire was a fortified road in Germany stretching 350 miles between these 2 rivers the Danube and the Rhine |
| #7853, aired 2018-10-31 | 1960s FILMS: Chocolate syrup, casaba melon & Playboy model Marli Renfro were enlisted to create an iconic scene in this film Psycho |
| #7852, aired 2018-10-30 | TODAY'S INNOVATORS: The Ballbarrow was an early invention by this British man who's had greater success with sophisticated household devices James Dyson |
| #7851, aired 2018-10-29 | SHAKESPEARE: Aptly, Shakespeare used "moon" & "moonlight" more times in this play than in any other A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| #7850, aired 2018-10-26 | EUROPEAN HISTORY: Legend says this, weighing 336 lbs., came from the Holy Land & Kenneth MacAlpin brought it to Perthshire c. 840 the Stone of Scone |
| #7849, aired 2018-10-25 | STATE BIRDS: The 2-word name of this black & orange or black & golden state bird derives in part from the Latin for "golden" Baltimore oriole |
| #7848, aired 2018-10-24 | AFRICAN CITIES: Also a judicial capital, this aptly named city is known for an annual rose festival that began in 1976 Bloemfontein |
| #7847, aired 2018-10-23 | OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE: This "creature of evil, grim and fierce, was quickly ready, savage and cruel, and seized from their rest thirty thanes" Grendel |
| #7846, aired 2018-10-22 | PLACES IN THE NEWS: In a hint of the future, in 1973 Marjorie Post gave it to the U.S. govt. as a warm-weather presidential retreat, but it was returned Mar-a-Lago |
| #7845, aired 2018-10-19 | SPORTS: A low center of gravity is a key to success in this sport with moves including gaburi-yori & uwate-dashinage sumo wrestling |
| #7844, aired 2018-10-18 | CHARACTERS IN CHILDREN'S LIT: This winged character from an early 20th century work is so named "because she mends the pots and kettles" Tinker Bell |
| #7843, aired 2018-10-17 | WORLD CITIES: The northernmost city with a population over 5 million, it was founded in 1703 & its name was changed 3 times in the 20th century St. Petersburg |
| #7842, aired 2018-10-16 | THE SOLAR SYSTEM: Features on this body include Tombaugh Regio & Sleipnir Fossa, named for a horse that carried Odin to the underworld Pluto |
| #7841, aired 2018-10-15 | AMERICA IN THE 1930s: In March 1933 CBS Radio's Robert Trout said, "The president wants to come into your home... for a little" this a fireside chat |
| #7840, aired 2018-10-12 | CHARLES DICKENS: Both "Barnaby Rudge" & this other famous Dickens novel begin in 1775 & deal with mob violence A Tale of Two Cities |
| #7839, aired 2018-10-11 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: The title of this 1947 Lerner & Loewe musical may come from the construction seen here Brigadoon |
| #7838, aired 2018-10-10 | MYTHOLOGICAL HEROES: The second half of his service to Eurystheus took him to 6 different places, like Crete, Thrace & the Underworld Hercules |
| #7837, aired 2018-10-09 | WORLD LEADERS: He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize twice & the Literature Prize 7 times, winning for the latter in 1953 Winston Churchill |
| #7836, aired 2018-10-08 | U.S. CAPITOL ART: Of the 23 lawgivers depicted on marble portraits over doors in the U.S. House chamber, he's the only one in the Bible Moses |
| #7835, aired 2018-10-05 | MILITARY HISTORY: Prepared by the Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander, the "COSSAC Plan" outlined the details of this D-Day |
| #7834, aired 2018-10-04 | INTERNATIONAL CRIME: Italy's agromafia enriches itself through counterfeit versions of this "liquid gold" mentioned by Homer & Plato olive oil |
| #7833, aired 2018-10-03 | CITIES IN HISTORY: The Cathedral of St. Pierre was the center of the Calvinist Reformation in this lakeside city Geneva |
| #7832, aired 2018-10-02 | OSCAR HYPHENATES: This actor has never been nominated for acting--he won, though, as a writer for 1997 & as a producer for 2012 Ben Affleck |
| #7831, aired 2018-10-01 | WORLD LITERATURE: In a recent poll of 125 authors, this long 1870s novel about a woman ranked as the greatest work of fiction of all time Anna Karenina |
| #7830, aired 2018-09-28 | CLASSIC FILMS: In this '70s Oscar-winning film, the title character's 1st words are "Why did you go to the police? Why didn't you come to me first?" The Godfather |
| #7829, aired 2018-09-27 | U.S. LANDMARKS: In 1883 a Catholic diocese sold this to the state of Texas for $20,000 the Alamo |
| #7828, aired 2018-09-26 | AUTHORS: After this woman's death, her daughter wrote, "As far as we in the family are concerned, the alphabet now ends at Y" Sue Grafton |
| #7827, aired 2018-09-25 | 20th CENTURY PLAYS: From its preface:
"It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman...hate him" Pygmalion |
| #7826, aired 2018-09-24 | BRITISH ROYALTY: In Sept. 2017 Prince Charles became the longest-serving Prince of Wales, passing the man who became this king Edward VII |
| #7825, aired 2018-09-21 | COLOR ETYMOLOGY: This word for a gem & a shade of blue derives from the name of a Eurasian country from which gems came to Western Europe turquoise |
| #7824, aired 2018-09-20 | FOLKLORE: In legend, he called all the animals together but only 12 came, including a rat & a dragon the Buddha |
| #7823, aired 2018-09-19 | 18th CENTURY AMERICANS: In a famous 1775 speech, he said, "Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston!" Patrick Henry |
| #7822, aired 2018-09-18 | ANIMAL CHARACTERS: Items bought by this predator:
iron bird seed, an iron carrot, earthquake pills & dehydrated boulders Wile E. Coyote |
| #7821, aired 2018-09-17 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: "I've killed my brother" is said near the end of this 1952 book with a Biblical title & a plot echoing a Biblical story East of Eden |
| #7820, aired 2018-09-14 | SPORTS HALLS OF FAME: Posthumously, Axel Paulsen was among the first group of inductees into the World Hall of Fame for this in 1976 figure skating |
| #7819, aired 2018-09-13 | BEFORE THEY WERE PRESIDENT: On October 4, 1940, for the premiere of what's been called his most famous movie role, Ronald Reagan was in this city South Bend, Indiana |
| #7818, aired 2018-09-12 | 18th CENTURY NAMES: In 1789 this doctor proposed 6 articles on penal reform to the French Assembly, including one on capital punishment Joseph Guillotin |
| #7817, aired 2018-09-11 | DESIGN: Switching the syllables in the German word for building of a home gave this design & architecture school its name Bauhaus |
| #7816, aired 2018-09-10 | THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE: To set a record for longest solo journey by kayak, 2,010 miles, Helen Skelton traveled through this nation for a month Brazil |
| #7815, aired 2018-07-27 | AMERICAN HISTORY: The last survivor of this battle that started a war died in 1854 & more men marched at his funeral than fought with him the Battle of Lexington |
| #7814, aired 2018-07-26 | FAMOUS NAMES: Almost 100 when he died in 2018, this North Carolina man became just the 4th private citizen to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol Billy Graham |
| #7813, aired 2018-07-25 | BRIDGES: In 1990 the Yalu River Bridge was renamed the "Friendship Bridge" between these 2 nations; one is the other's best friend North Korea and China |
| #7812, aired 2018-07-24 | FASHION: Debuting in 1946, it was deemed "four triangles of nothing"; some critics even found it sinful a bikini |
| #7811, aired 2018-07-23 | FRENCH PHRASES: Paramnesia is another term for this French-named phenomenon--sound familiar? déjà vu |
| #7810, aired 2018-07-20 | FUTURISTIC FICTION: Fear of the social reorganization represented by an auto tycoon's innovations inspired this 1932 novel Brave New World |
| #7809, aired 2018-07-19 | 1970s MOVIES: Earning its director the first of many Oscar nominations, this 1977 film had the working title "Watch the Skies" Close Encounters of the Third Kind |
| #7808, aired 2018-07-18 | 20th CENTURY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: The last election in which both major party candidates were former state governors was in this year 1980 |
| #7807, aired 2018-07-17 | WORLD CAPITAL SIGHTSEEING: The unfinished Victory over America Palace & the rundown Victory over Iran Palace are in this city Baghdad |
| #7806, aired 2018-07-16 | EXPLORERS: In 1513 the son of a local chief told this man, when you cross the mountains, "You shall see another sea" Vasco Núñez de Balboa |
| #7805, aired 2018-07-13 | MODERN LANGUAGE: This slang term for an environmentalist is literally true of groups that used passive resistance vs. deforestation, as in India in 1973 a tree hugger |
| #7804, aired 2018-07-12 | 1970s BESTSELLERS: The author of this novel thought of calling it "Silence in the Water" Jaws |
| #7803, aired 2018-07-11 | FROM BOOKS TO BROADWAY: "Son of a Witch” & “A Lion Among Men” are sequels to the book that inspired this musical Wicked |
| #7802, aired 2018-07-10 | AGRICULTURE: Turkey is the world's largest producer of these fruits; its town of Cerasus was famous for them cherries |
| #7801, aired 2018-07-09 | PRESIDENTS: Of the presidents who served more than 4 years, but less than 2 full terms, he served the longest:
7 years, 9 months, 8 days Harry Truman |
| #7800, aired 2018-07-06 | BUSINESS: Promising "value", which partly gives it its name, this Pennsylvania-based retailer did $7,400 in sales on its opening day in 1986 QVC |
| #7799, aired 2018-07-05 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: Her 1896 New York Times obituary called her "the writer of probably the most widely read work of fiction ever penned" Harriet Beecher Stowe |
| #7798, aired 2018-07-04 | CLASSIC ROCK: 25 years after these 3 men played a huge festival, they went to play again & ended the set with a tune about the 1st show Crosby, Stills and Nash |
| #7797, aired 2018-07-03 | THE EUROPEAN UNION: Like UNESCO, the EU has heritage sites; 2 of the first 4, a WWII internment camp & a Peace Palace, were in this occupied country the Netherlands |
| #7796, aired 2018-07-02 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: In a 1989 novel, Jing-Mei Woo says, "My father has asked me to be the fourth corner" in this title group the Joy Luck Club |
| #7795, aired 2018-06-29 | 18th CENTURY NOTABLES: Researchers in London & Vienna now speculate that his 1791 death was due to a strep infection, not poisoning Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
| #7794, aired 2018-06-28 | SHAKESPEARE: The prologue of this tragedy is a sonnet whose rhymes include dignity & mutiny; scene & unclean; & life & strife Romeo and Juliet |
| #7793, aired 2018-06-27 | SPORTING EVENTS: This annual event first held in 1934 includes play in areas named Pink Dogwood, Flowering Peach & Azalea the Masters Tournament |
| #7792, aired 2018-06-26 | INTERNATIONAL CINEMA: Getting its nickname from a capital, Dhallywood is the name for the film industry in this Asian country Bangladesh |
| #7791, aired 2018-06-25 | STATE NAME ORIGINS: Though it doesn't have "island" in its name, it's named after a European island New Jersey |
| #7790, aired 2018-06-22 | MEDICINE & THE MOVIES: Vestibular rehabilitation is one treatment for a condition that is also the title of this 1958 suspense film Vertigo |
| #7789, aired 2018-06-21 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: Australia's fourth-largest city, it's at the southern end of the road called Indian Ocean Drive Perth |
| #7788, aired 2018-06-20 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: Not in the initial score, the feature giving this symphony its byname was a whim added by the composer close to its 1792 debut the "Surprise" Symphony |
| #7787, aired 2018-06-19 | 20th CENTURY AMERICAN HISTORY: On Nov. 3, 1948 he sent a congratulatory telegram, then told reporters, "I was just as surprised as you" Thomas Dewey |
| #7786, aired 2018-06-18 | CLASSIC TOYS: This toy was patented in the 1960s as a "liquid filled die agitator" Magic 8-Ball |
| #7785, aired 2018-06-15 | ISLAND NAMES: A Portuguese explorer gave this name to an island he sighted off Africa's coast 40 days after Easter Ascension Island |
| #7784, aired 2018-06-14 | CONSTELLATIONS: This Zodiac constellation includes 2 lines (or strings) that terminate in a star called Alrescha, the knot Pisces |
| #7783, aired 2018-06-13 | 1990s ANIMATED FILMS: Though it draws elements from "Hamlet", Disney says this was their first all-animated feature based on an original story The Lion King |
| #7782, aired 2018-06-12 | CHILDREN'S LIT: In 2017 the Maine farm & barn that inspired this classic 1952 novel were put up for sale Charlotte's Web |
| #7781, aired 2018-06-11 | BRASS INSTRUMENTS: In playing this instrument whose early version was called a sackbut, it's about 6" from A to B, about 7" from C to D a trombone |
| #7780, aired 2018-06-08 | LITERARY SETTINGS: Ashdown Forest in Sussex inspired this fictional setting for a 1926 collection of stories for children the Hundred Acre Wood |
| #7779, aired 2018-06-07 | MEDIEVAL SCIENCE: 13th c. Emperor Frederick II's "De Arte Venandi cum Avibus" was the first work written about this -ology ornithology |
| #7778, aired 2018-06-06 | GAMES: Names used in other languages for this chess piece include malka, rainha & rouva the queen |
| #7777, aired 2018-06-05 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: He got a real N.Y. Times obit in 1975; it said he wore "false mustaches to mask signs of age that offended his vanity" Hercule Poirot |
| #7776, aired 2018-06-04 | AMERICAN QUOTES: In a 1789 letter, Benjamin Franklin relates the durability of the new Constitution to these 2 things death & taxes |
| #7775, aired 2018-06-01 | PRESIDENTS: BORN & DIED: Born the farthest west in the continental U.S. of any president, he would later die farthest from his birthplace Richard Nixon |
| #7774, aired 2018-05-31 | CURRENCY: 20-euro notes available in 2015 fittingly feature this mythological mother to some of Zeus' kids Europa |
| #7773, aired 2018-05-30 | AMERICAN COMPOSERS: His works are the only ones in the National Recording Registry that are preserved on piano rolls Scott Joplin |
| #7772, aired 2018-05-29 | BRITISH COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES: Of the 16 Commonwealth nations with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, this one is farthest from the United Kingdom New Zealand |
| #7771, aired 2018-05-28 | 19th CENTURY AUTHORS: This author whom Helen Keller could identify by his cigar scent was the first to call Anne Sullivan a "miracle worker" Mark Twain |
| #7770, aired 2018-05-25 | OSCAR-NOMINATED ACTORS: He was nominated twice for playing Oscar winners--a real one in a 1992 biopic & a fictional one in a 2008 combat comedy Robert Downey Jr. |
| #7769, aired 2018-05-24 | GEOGRAPHIC TERMS: For a link between oceans, the U.S. signed an 1859 treaty with Mexico giving us rights to this 2-syllable strip of land "of Tehuantepec" isthmus |
| #7768, aired 2018-05-23 | GREEK MYTHOLOGY: This pair who accompanied their father into battle were called Timor & Formido, "Fear" & "Terror", by the Romans Phobos & Deimos |
| #7767, aired 2018-05-22 | FAMOUS RUSSIANS: In November 1836 this writer got a letter naming him to the Most Serene Order of Cuckolds; in February 1837 he was dead Alexander Pushkin |
| #7766, aired 2018-05-21 | U.S. GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY: In 1794 George Washington selected this spot, where today 3 states meet, for the site of a new armory Harpers Ferry |
| #7765, aired 2018-05-18 | GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY: 230 miles long, it defined a boundary between a colony founded by Quakers & one founded by Catholics the Mason-Dixon line |
| #7764, aired 2018-05-17 | SCHOOL SUPPLY WORDS: Adding "P" to a word for a chronic back condition gets you this synonym for graphite or pencil lead plumbago |
| #7763, aired 2018-05-16 | MYTHOLOGY: Ulysses & Menelaus were among those who emerged from the "womb" of this, called "tall as a mountain, ribbed with pine" the Trojan Horse |
| #7762, aired 2018-05-15 | U.N. LANGUAGES: Of the 6 official U.N. languages, it's the one that is written in a cursive form only Arabic |
| #7761, aired 2018-05-14 | CITIES IN LITERATURE: In "Gone With the Wind", Rhett Butler says this city named for a monarch "is the South, only intensified" Charleston |
| #7760, aired 2018-05-11 | U.S. POLITICAL HISTORY: President Madison is credited with the 1st of these 2-word actions; he didn't sign an 1812 bill after Congress had adjourned a pocket veto |
| #7759, aired 2018-05-10 | WOMEN WRITERS: On her 2012 passing this Oscar nominee was described as "an essayist and humorist in the Dorothy Parker mold" (but funnier) Nora Ephron |
| #7758, aired 2018-05-09 | OPERA: A 12-minute piece of music from this opera depicts Alpine dawn, a storm & the calm, & ends in a section called a galop William Tell |
| #7757, aired 2018-05-08 | LONDON LANDMARKS: Built in the 1990s, it's the only permanent structure permitted in London with a thatched roof since the Great Fire of 1666 the Globe Theatre |
| #7756, aired 2018-05-07 | U.S. CITIES: This city, also the title of a film that won 2 Oscars, was named for a businessman known for 19th c. transportation Fargo |
| #7755, aired 2018-05-04 | LITERARY HELPERS: Passepartout, whose name means "go everywhere", is the fittingly named aide in an 1873 tale by this author Jules Verne |
| #7754, aired 2018-05-03 | FILM & WAR: The New York premiere of this film was on Thanksgiving, 15 days after the liberation of its title place Casablanca |
| #7753, aired 2018-05-02 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: On July 10, 1804 he wrote a letter of goodbye, just in case, to "my dearest Theodosia"; he lived until 1836 Aaron Burr |
| #7752, aired 2018-05-01 | FASHION BRANDS: Translated from Roman numerals, "55" appears in luggage & watch product names from a company founded by this man Louis Vuitton |
| #7751, aired 2018-04-30 | AUTHORS ON AUTHORS: Whitman said this man's poetry has "a propensity toward nocturnal themes, a demoniac undertone behind every page" Edgar Allan Poe |
| #7750, aired 2018-04-27 | LEGENDARY PEOPLE: Leodegrance, king of Cameliard, gave the newlyweds a piece of furniture on the marriage of this daughter Guinevere |
| #7749, aired 2018-04-26 | SPORTS IN COURT: This athlete lost a 1931 lawsuit against the Curtiss Candy Company Babe Ruth |
| #7748, aired 2018-04-25 | GEOGRAPHY: In 1871 the official addition of this as a province gave Canada coasts on both the Atlantic & the Pacific Oceans British Columbia |
| #7747, aired 2018-04-24 | AFRICA: Markers for this geog. designation are on Lake Victoria's Lwaji Island & at Mbandaka in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the Equator |
| #7746, aired 2018-04-23 | 18th CENTURY AMERICA: Congress met in June 1778 to sign these but found errors in the official copy; it had to reconvene with a new set in July the Articles of Confederation |
| #7745, aired 2018-04-20 | CLASSIC LITERARY CHARACTERS: He declares that one of the people he is trying to emulate is a medieval knight known as Amadís of Gaul Don Quixote de la Mancha |
| #7744, aired 2018-04-19 | U.S. HISTORIC SITES: Its official seal includes the year 1864 for when it was established, a folded flag & a scroll inscribed "our most sacred shrine" Arlington National Cemetery |
| #7743, aired 2018-04-18 | THE LATIN VULGATE BIBLE: In Latin Jesus says, I am "via et veritas et vita"--in English, these 3 words way, truth, life |
| #7742, aired 2018-04-17 | RUSSIAN CULTURE: This work was over 50 years old & excerpts had been popularized when it had its first full U.S. performance on Christmas Eve 1944 The Nutcracker |
| #7741, aired 2018-04-16 | GREEK MYTHOLOGY: In one version Thetis killed 6 of her children in her attempts to make them immortal; this warrior was her seventh Achilles |
| #7740, aired 2018-04-13 | U.S. PLACE NAMES: It's the only state named for a woman & whose capital is also named for a woman Maryland |
| #7739, aired 2018-04-12 | LANDMARKS: In 1546 architect Pierre Lescot began rebuilding King Francis I's palace, which is now this museum the Louvre |
| #7738, aired 2018-04-11 | EXPLORATION NAME'S THE SAME: The deepest part of the Mariana Trench & a submersible that went there share the name of this space shuttle Challenger |
| #7737, aired 2018-04-10 | U.S. CABINET DEPARTMENTS: This Cabinet department traces its roots back to the Manhattan Project & efforts to develop the atomic bomb the Department of Energy |
| #7736, aired 2018-04-09 | 20th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: He took the Oath of Office twice 14 months apart Lyndon B. Johnson |
| #7735, aired 2018-04-06 | CENTRAL AMERICAN GEOGRAPHY: One active, one dormant, Madera & Concepcion are volcanoes in this body of water that shares its name with a country Lake Nicaragua |
| #7734, aired 2018-04-05 | FILMS OF THE 1990s: Tommy Lee Jones won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this movie based on a TV series that premiered in 1963 The Fugitive |
| #7733, aired 2018-04-04 | 19th CENTURY CLASSICAL MUSICIANS: The father of this future composer was a French teacher at the Warsaw Lyceum, where the child would later attend Frederic Chopin |
| #7732, aired 2018-04-03 | AMERICAN HISTORY: In 1899, a reunion of this alliterative squad took place, with the governor of New York fittingly on horseback the Rough Riders |
| #7731, aired 2018-04-02 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: The portrait here hangs in the building of this Cabinet department & depicts a man who once ran it the Department of Justice |
| #7730, aired 2018-03-30 | U.S. STATE HISTORY: During Ulysses Grant's 2-term presidency, only one state joined the Union: this one Colorado |
| #7729, aired 2018-03-29 | AFRICAN-AMERICAN ACHIEVEMENTS: In 2017 this govt. agency dedicated a new computational facility named in honor of 99-year-old ex-employee Katherine Johnson NASA |
| #7728, aired 2018-03-28 | MUSICAL THEATER: This show has songs that weren't in the 1992 film it's based on, like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" & "How Will I Know" The Bodyguard |
| #7727, aired 2018-03-27 | 1960s NO. 1 SONGS: Complaints about heavy workloads inspired the titles of 2 songs by this group, No. 1 hits 7 months apart The Beatles |
| #7726, aired 2018-03-26 | MEDIEVAL LITERATURE: The illustration seen here appeared in the second printed edition of this book, published in England in 1483 The Canterbury Tales |
| #7725, aired 2018-03-23 | UNREAL ESTATE: Some of the features of this title place of an 1883 novel are Mizzen-Mast Hill & Captain Kidd's Anchorage Treasure Island |
| #7724, aired 2018-03-22 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: The Greek islands of Lesbos & Rhodes are each about 10 miles from the mainland of this other country Turkey |
| #7723, aired 2018-03-21 | FILMS OF THE 1960s: Bernard Herrmann scored this 1960 black & white thriller using only the string section of an orchestra Psycho |
| #7722, aired 2018-03-20 | ROMAN HISTORY: Of this battle in 31 B.C., Virgil wrote, "Neptune's fields grow red with fresh slaughter" the Battle of Actium |
| #7721, aired 2018-03-19 | THE U.S. GOVERNMENT: Before signing the bill creating this, President George W. Bush noted its "nearly 170,000 employees" & "a new kind of war" the Department of Homeland Security |
| #7720, aired 2018-03-16 | MYTHOLOGICAL BEASTS: Hesiod said it fawns on all who enter "with actions of... tail & both ears", but when people try to exit it "eats them up" the hound of Hades (or Cerberus) |
| #7719, aired 2018-03-15 | EUROPEAN RIVERS: Of the 10 countries the Danube touches, this one is alphabetically last & is the only one that doesn't end in "Y" or "A" Ukraine |
| #7718, aired 2018-03-14 | THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE: Each state has as many electors as its total of senators & reps.; D.C. has this many, the minimum for any state 3 |
| #7717, aired 2018-03-13 | 1950s FICTION: The New York Times called this 1,000-page novel by a woman "one of the most influential business books ever written" Atlas Shrugged |
| #7716, aired 2018-03-12 | FIRST LADY FACTS: In 1982, when Bess Truman died, she had been enrolled in this government program for about 17 years, longer than anyone else Medicare |
| #7715, aired 2018-03-09 | BIG BUSINESS: Bill Fernandez, who in 1971 introduced to each other the 2 founders of this California company, became its first full-time employee in 1977 Apple |
| #7714, aired 2018-03-08 | BESTSELLING NOVELS: This 1990 novel made into a blockbuster film says the Hammond Foundation "has spent $17 million on amber" Jurassic Park |
| #7713, aired 2018-03-07 | COUNTRIES OF THE U.N.: The 3 U.N. member states that begin with the letter "J"; 2 are island nations & one is nearly landlocked Jamaica, Japan, and Jordan |
| #7712, aired 2018-03-06 | CLASSIC BRITISH NOVELS: A preface to this novel calls it "a loud hee-haw at all who yearn for utopia...& a pretty good fable in the Aesop tradition" Animal Farm |
| #7711, aired 2018-03-05 | OSCAR HISTORY: In the 1940s he became the first person to receive nominations as actor, director & writer for the same film Orson Welles |
| #7710, aired 2018-03-02 | SPORTS TEAM MASCOTS: Echoing a rock band with 8 platinum albums, the teams of the Ark. School for the Deaf are named for this animal a leopard |
| #7709, aired 2018-03-01 | EUROPEAN ISLANDS: Once known as the Norman Isles, per the British government this group is "not part of the U.K." & has "never been colonies" the Channel Islands |
| #7708, aired 2018-02-28 | WOMEN IN MYTHOLOGY: Poet & translator Anne Carson addresses her: "Your name in Greek means something like 'against birth'" Antigone |
| #7707, aired 2018-02-27 | AMERICANA: A 1931 story in the New Yorker said this "weighs 600,000,000 pounds (&)... contains 37,000,000 cubic feet" the Empire State Building |
| #7706, aired 2018-02-26 | NAME THE NOVEL: "I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet" Frankenstein |
| #7705, aired 2018-02-23 | MODERN WORDS: In 1994 Wired magazine described this 4-letter word as an idea leaping "from mind to mind... as viruses leap from body to body" a meme |
| #7704, aired 2018-02-22 | ACTRESSES: Already an Emmy winner, in 2017 she won an Oscar for the same role that had won her a Tony Viola Davis |
| #7703, aired 2018-02-21 | WORLD WAR I: Site of an arduous WWI campaign, this town on the Dardanelles gets its name from the Greek for "beautiful city" Gallipoli |
| #7702, aired 2018-02-20 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM: In Portuguese this bird is known as beija flor, or "flower kisser" a hummingbird |
| #7701, aired 2018-02-19 | THE SUPREME COURT: In the 1966 case of this man, Earl Warren wrote of eliminating "evils in the interrogation process" Ernesto Miranda |
| #7700, aired 2018-02-16 | FICTIONAL PLACES: Some residents of the place with this name came from Kensington Gardens, where they had fallen out of their perambulators Never Never Land |
| #7699, aired 2018-02-15 | MEDIEVAL ASIA: Though it means "one who serves", in medieval Japan it was a property holder who received rent from serfs samurai |
| #7698, aired 2018-02-14 | HIT SONGS OF THE '90s: The title of this dance hit, No. 1 for 14 weeks in the '90s, can refer to a Seville, Spain neighborhood or a woman from there "Macarena" |
| #7697, aired 2018-02-13 | CLASSIC TV HOMES: In 2017 the Bel-Air estate used in this '60s TV show was listed for $350 million The Beverly Hillbillies |
| #7696, aired 2018-02-12 | AMERICAN BUSINESS: A 2007 headline said after being ridiculed since the 1950s, it "takes its victory lap" & noted the auction of one for $184,000 the Edsel |
| #7695, aired 2018-02-09 | 20th CENTURY BOOKS: An "ineffable quality", this 3-word title represents "the ability to go up in a hurtling piece of machinery" day after day The Right Stuff |
| #7694, aired 2018-02-08 | UNIVERSITIES: Famed for its health care system & medical school, it also sold 15 acres for $10 in 1947 to build CDC headquarters Emory University |
| #7693, aired 2018-02-07 | FLAG COLORS: They're the 3 colors of New York City's flag & of the Knicks & Mets teams; 2 are on the Dutch flag & 1 used to be blue, white & orange |
| #7692, aired 2018-02-06 | PHILOSOPHY: Despite the title, in this Plato work, Socrates says, "I shall never alter my ways, not even if I have to die many times" the Apologia or Apology |
| #7691, aired 2018-02-05 | CABLE TV HISTORY: "You need us... for everything you do" was a slogan used by this channel, one of the first to customize content by location The Weather Channel |
| #7690, aired 2018-02-02 | OFFICIAL STATE STUFF: Composers of this state's various official songs include Richard Rodgers & Woody Guthrie Oklahoma |
| #7689, aired 2018-02-01 | U.S. AUTHORS: In his 1958 essay "Essentials of Spontaneous Prose", he compared a writing technique to a jazz musician's style Jack Kerouac |
| #7688, aired 2018-01-31 | FOOD BRANDS: Seen here is the location of the first plant of this company Ore-Ida |
| #7687, aired 2018-01-30 | LITERATURE & MYTHOLOGY: The "very name embodies the idea of flight", says one analysis of a 20th century novel in describing this main character Stephen Dedalus |
| #7686, aired 2018-01-29 | THE 1960s: It was already a crime to alter one of these; a 1965 law passed 393-1 in the House criminalized burning one too a draft card |
| #7685, aired 2018-01-26 | CHILDREN'S LIT: Introduced in 1945, she claimed to have the middle names Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim's Daughter Pippi Longstocking |
| #7684, aired 2018-01-25 | 19th CENTURY EUROPEANS: In an 1889 letter to his brother, he wrote, “I wouldn’t exactly have chosen madness if there had been a choice” Vincent van Gogh |
| #7683, aired 2018-01-24 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This company's first mailers in 1953 offered 20 different magazine subscriptions--prizes came 14 years later Publishers Clearing House |
| #7682, aired 2018-01-23 | LITERARY BROTHERS: This character first appeared in "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter", an 1893 story in London's Strand Magazine Mycroft Holmes |
| #7681, aired 2018-01-22 | WORLD CITY NAMES: Novosibirsk, the 3rd-largest city in Russia, translates as this "city": the 1st word for its more recent founding, the 2nd for its location New Siberia |
| #7680, aired 2018-01-19 | WORLD CAPITALS: It's the only world capital whose name is derived from an Algonquin word Ottawa |
| #7679, aired 2018-01-18 | SNACK FOODS: The name of this cracker that's been around since 1903 suggests that it was baked 3 times Triscuit |
| #7678, aired 2018-01-17 | SPECIAL DAYS: A 1954 act amended a 1938 one by striking out this word & replacing it with "Veterans" armistice |
| #7677, aired 2018-01-16 | NOVELS OF THE 1960s: The line "Once when you are born & once when you look death in the face" follows this title of a 1964 novel & an action-packed 1967 film You Only Live Twice |
| #7676, aired 2018-01-15 | THE THEATER: In 1915 this play opened for the last time on Broadway, ironically at the Booth Theatre Our American Cousin |
| #7675, aired 2018-01-12 | AFRICAN COUNTRIES: With more than 90 million people it's Africa's third most populous country, though it's more than 90% desert Egypt |
| #7674, aired 2018-01-11 | THE MOVIES: It's the first Oscar nominee for Best Picture to be produced by an internet streaming service Manchester by the Sea |
| #7673, aired 2018-01-10 | SENATORS: The last names of these 2 current senators, one from Virginia & one from Massachusetts, are anagrams of each other Elizabeth Warren & Mark Warner |
| #7672, aired 2018-01-09 | THE FIRST CENTURY A.D.: Letters written by this Roman recount the events of a natural disaster, like the death of his uncle, a famous scholar Pliny the Younger |
| #7671, aired 2018-01-08 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He became an ex-president while flying over a point 13 miles southwest of Jefferson City, Missouri Richard Nixon |
| #7670, aired 2018-01-05 | COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS: In 1946, MLJ Mags. changed its name to this "Comics", incorporating the first name of its popular teenage hero Archie Comics |
| #7669, aired 2018-01-04 | CARS: When it was introduced in 1953, this car model's emblem had a checkered flag & a red flag with a fleur-de-lis a Chevrolet Corvette |
| #7668, aired 2018-01-03 | OPERA: This character's famed entrance aria actually introduces him as a handyman, repeats his name & adds "la-la-la-la-las" Figaro |
| #7667, aired 2018-01-02 | NOVELISTS: A 2015 BBC list of the 25 greatest British novels included 12 by women, 3 of them by this woman who died in 1941 Virginia Woolf |
| #7666, aired 2018-01-01 | PLACES IN 1950s NEWS: Pravda reported that Khrushchev, on his way to lunch, announced his decision to give this region to Ukraine Crimea |
| #7665, aired 2017-12-29 | BROADWAY: Following a show's success in 2011, this group began advertising, "You've seen the play... now read the book" the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| #7664, aired 2017-12-28 | TRADITIONS: This list of 12 may have been inspired by a Biblical garment decorated in 4 rows, the top being sardius, topaz & carbuncle birthstones |
| #7663, aired 2017-12-27 | PRESIDENTIAL HOMES: Originally called Rural Retreat, this 19th century presidential home has a name that's a synonym for "retreat" Hermitage |
| #7662, aired 2017-12-26 | CANADA: As a response to new developments there, this territory was carved out of the Northwest Territories in 1898 the Yukon Territory |
| #7661, aired 2017-12-25 | AUTHORS: A prefatory poem he wrote to one of his novels tells of "the dream-child moving through a land of wonders wild and new" Lewis Carroll |
| #7660, aired 2017-12-22 | RECORD LABELS: This label, home to U2 & Bob Marley, was created, fittingly, in Jamaica with an investment of 1,000 pounds sterling Island Records |
| #7659, aired 2017-12-21 | ADVERTISING CHARACTERS: This brand was looking for a Hemingway type when it hired Jonathan Goldsmith for its commercials Dos Equis |
| #7658, aired 2017-12-20 | EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: This country's last 3 queens abdicated in favor of their children the Netherlands |
| #7657, aired 2017-12-19 | WORLD WAR II: The book "From the Volcano to the Gorge" tells the story of this World War II battle Iwo Jima |
| #7656, aired 2017-12-18 | ART: Perhaps bought from a Sears catalog, a window for an 1880s farmhouse inspired the name of this 1930 painting American Gothic |
| #7655, aired 2017-12-15 | MOVIE SETTINGS: The setting for this 1994 Oscar-winning animated film was inspired by Kenya's Hell's Gate National Park The Lion King |
| #7654, aired 2017-12-14 | AMERICANA: In 2016 the Wingfoot Two, one of these, was christened near Akron a blimp |
| #7653, aired 2017-12-13 | WORLD LITERATURE: In a 1967 novel this Nobel Prize winner wrote, "The secret of a good old age is simply an honorable pact with solitude" Gabriel García Márquez |
| #7652, aired 2017-12-12 | FRENCH CITIES: The name of this city in the Département du Nord comes from the Flemish for "church of the dunes" Dunkirk |
| #7651, aired 2017-12-11 | ANCIENT SYMBOLS: Taiji, the Great Ultimate, is the source of this pair that's represented by the colors orange & azure respectively yin & yang |
| #7650, aired 2017-12-08 | PRIMETIME TV ACTRESSES: On the beat since 1999, she plays the longest-running female character currently on TV in a primetime non-animated series Mariska Hargitay |
| #7649, aired 2017-12-07 | TIME MAGAZINE'S PERSON OF THE YEAR: Since "Man of the Year" became "Person of the Year" in 1999, only 1 individual woman has won: this European for 2015 Angela Merkel |
| #7648, aired 2017-12-06 | REFERENCE BOOKS: This manual resulted from a military engineer's attendance at an unruly 1860s church meeting Robert's Rules of Order |
| #7647, aired 2017-12-05 | 19th CENTURY EUROPE: This 1814-1815 gathering of leaders prompted Beethoven to compose the cantata "The Glorious Moment" the Congress of Vienna |
| #7646, aired 2017-12-04 | CHILDREN'S BOOKS: For this series of picture books that started in 1987, each crowd scene takes about 8 weeks to illustrate Where's Waldo? |
| #7645, aired 2017-12-01 | HISTORIC WORLD BUILDINGS: Rome's Colosseum may have gotten its name because of a colossal circa 65 A.D. statue of this emperor erected nearby Nero |
| #7644, aired 2017-11-30 | WORLD FLAGS & THE BIBLE: The central image on the flag of this nation is a symbol of strength in Psalm 92 & a prized building material in I Kings 5 Lebanon |
| #7643, aired 2017-11-29 | FAMILIAR PHRASES: In the 1870s this phrase meant a hairdo, using a British word for bangs; now it's an extreme group on the edge of a cause a lunatic fringe |
| #7642, aired 2017-11-28 | VIDEO GAMES: The desire in his childhood to catch every insect inspired Satoshi Tajiri to create this 1996 game Pokémon |
| #7641, aired 2017-11-27 | GERMAN GEOGRAPHY: Of Germany's 16 states, these 2 at opposite ends of the country begin with the same letter & are the largest & smallest Bavaria & Bremen |
| #7640, aired 2017-11-24 | NOVEL TITLE CHARACTERS: One orphan arriving before him was given the surname Swubble; some arriving later were to be Unwin & Vilkins Oliver Twist |
| #7639, aired 2017-11-23 | TURKEY WITH THE TRIMMINGS: Of the 8 countries that border Turkey, these 2 extend the farthest east & west Iran & Greece |
| #7638, aired 2017-11-22 | THE CALENDAR: November 2017 is in the year 1439 AH in the calendar that dates from an action of this religious figure Muhammad |
| #7637, aired 2017-11-21 | CLASSIC ALBUMS: Hailed as the "greatest album of all time", in 2017 it returned to the top of the charts 50 years after its first release Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band |
| #7636, aired 2017-11-20 | FAMOUS NAMES: She declared, "By blood, I am Albanian... as to my calling, I belong to the world" Mother Teresa |
| #7635, aired 2017-11-17 | STATE CAPITALS: A state capital since 1805, its name begins with the last 4 letters of the state's name Montpelier |
| #7634, aired 2017-11-16 | INVENTIONS: When Time magazine named it Invention of the Year in 2007, it was described as too slow, too big, pretty & touchy-feely the iPhone |
| #7633, aired 2017-11-15 | HISTORIC NAMES: In 2013 the village of Belrain renamed the last street in France that bore the name of this hero who became a traitor Maréchal Philippe Petain |
| #7632, aired 2017-11-14 | THEATRE: Despite objections from the playwright's estate, a 1991 French production of this 1952 play had a small all-female cast instead of male Waiting for Godot |
| #7631, aired 2017-11-13 | VICE PRESIDENTS: A biography of this 19th century VP traces his family to a German town made famous in a folk tale about children Hannibal Hamlin |
| #7630, aired 2017-11-10 | AWARDS & HONORS: The Victoria Cross is for military bravery; this cross first given in 1940 & named for Victoria's great-grandson is for civilian bravery the George Cross |
| #7629, aired 2017-11-09 | THE GREAT DEPRESSION: A street-corner occupation that saved many in the Depression was aided by a 1930 tops-in-the-U.S. crop in this state Washington |
| #7628, aired 2017-11-08 | 19th CENTURY POETS: In 1824 he was refused burial in Westminster Abbey for "questionable morality"; in 1969 he got a memorial stone there Lord Byron |
| #7627, aired 2017-11-07 | LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES: South of the Tropic of Capricorn, this kingdom is the world's southernmost landlocked country Lesotho |
| #7626, aired 2017-11-06 | MUSIC & HISTORY: This 1880 piece was written more than 6 decades after the Battle of Borodino, the conflict it commemorates the 1812 Overture |
| #7625, aired 2017-11-03 | WORLD CAPITALS: The world's highest international airport, at an elevation of over 13,000', serves this South American capital city La Paz, Bolivia |
| #7624, aired 2017-11-02 | U.S. HISTORY: Only 4 men have been both VP & president & served in both houses of Congress; 2 of them shared this last name Johnson |
| #7623, aired 2017-11-01 | THE OSCARS: For 1992, this New Yorker was the first man with 2 acting Oscar nominations in the same year for different films Al Pacino |
| #7622, aired 2017-10-31 | LETTER PERFECT: George Eastman called it "a strong, incisive sort of letter" K |
| #7621, aired 2017-10-30 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: This 1870 novel has a ship whose name is from the Greek for "sailor" & a captain whose name is Latin for "no one" Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea |
| #7620, aired 2017-10-27 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: The Mopan River flows about 20 miles from the capital of this country Belize |
| #7619, aired 2017-10-26 | BOARD GAMES: An early edition of this game that debuted in 1949 says that it's "the great new Sherlock Holmes game" Clue |
| #7618, aired 2017-10-25 | AMERICANA: The tiny town of Cayce, Kentucky was the home & supplied the nickname of a man famous in this job an engineer |
| #7617, aired 2017-10-24 | ETYMOLOGY: This 8-letter word meaning "cultured" or "intellectual" originated with a phrenology concept highbrow |
| #7616, aired 2017-10-23 | ENGLISH LITERATURE: Much of this novel takes place on the island of Despair, off the coast of South America, from 1659 to 1686 Robinson Crusoe |
| #7615, aired 2017-10-20 | BRITISH MONARCHS: Her marriage to a European crown prince in the 16th century added Queen of Naples & Queen of Jerusalem to her titles Queen Mary I |
| #7614, aired 2017-10-19 | OSCAR WINNERS: He's the only actor to win 3 Best Actor Oscars, the most recent for his portrayal of a U.S. president Daniel Day-Lewis |
| #7613, aired 2017-10-18 | HISTORIC CONNECTIONS: A 1796 medical experiment with an English farm girl ultimately led to this breakthrough announced in Geneva May 8, 1980 the eradication of smallpox |
| #7612, aired 2017-10-17 | ASIAN GEOGRAPHY: It's the only country that borders both the Caspian Sea & the Persian Gulf Iran |
| #7611, aired 2017-10-16 | BIG BUSINESS: In 2000 this company reported revenues of more than $100 billion; in 2001 it was bankrupt Enron |
| #7610, aired 2017-10-13 | FLAGS OF THE WORLD: The flag of Laos shows the white circle of the moon over the blue band, representing this river the Mekong River |
| #7609, aired 2017-10-12 | MOVIE HISTORY: A 1947 FBI study chided this holiday film's "attempt to discredit bankers ...a common trick used by Communists" It's A Wonderful Life |
| #7608, aired 2017-10-11 | VISUAL VOCABULARY: A Latin word for a sea creature, in photography, it's a color that conveys nostalgia sepia |
| #7607, aired 2017-10-10 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: The protagonist of this novel "was fairly sure that his age was 39, and he believed that he had been born in 1944 or 1945" Nineteen Eighty-Four |
| #7606, aired 2017-10-09 | HISTORICAL AREAS: An ancient quote mentions this area & 3 population groups, the Belgae, Aquitani & Celts Gaul |
| #7605, aired 2017-10-06 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: They begin with the same 3 letters: the most densely populated country in Europe & the least densely populated in Asia Monaco and Mongolia |
| #7604, aired 2017-10-05 | ACTORS & THEIR MOVIE ROLES: He played Shakespearean title characters 4 times, receiving Best Actor Oscar nominations each time Laurence Olivier |
| #7603, aired 2017-10-04 | AMERICAN PLAYS: The latitude & longitude given by the narrator of this 1938 play would set it in Massachusetts, not New Hampshire Our Town |
| #7602, aired 2017-10-03 | 20th CENTURY WORLD LEADERS: He said, "Never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another" Nelson Mandela |
| #7601, aired 2017-10-02 | AMERICAN ARTISTS: This artist from Iowa once said, "All the really good ideas I'd ever had came to me while I was milking a cow" Grant Wood |
| #7600, aired 2017-09-29 | 19th CENTURY PEOPLE: On June 28, 1838 an archbishop jammed a ring made for her little finger onto her 4th; she had to soak it in ice water to get it off Queen Victoria |
| #7599, aired 2017-09-28 | THE NORTHEASTERN U.S.: Once its own city, it joined with a neighbor in 1898; today on its own it would be the 4th most populous city in the U.S. Brooklyn, New York |
| #7598, aired 2017-09-27 | AMERICAN WOMEN: A collection of her writings includes letters to her famous husband & articles like "Eulogy on the Flapper" Zelda Fitzgerald |
| #7597, aired 2017-09-26 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: At the Women in I.T. Awards in 2017, the head of MI-6 said today the real version of the character known by this letter is female Q |
| #7596, aired 2017-09-25 | BRITISH POETS: The statue of a sailor seen here in Watchet, England is based on a famous poem by this man Samuel Taylor Coleridge |
| #7595, aired 2017-09-22 | POETS: In an 1855 poem he wrote, "I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven" Walt Whitman |
| #7594, aired 2017-09-21 | COMIC BOOKS: Told to create a character called this, Len Wein learned the real animal is short, hairy & will attack an enemy 10 times its size Wolverine |
| #7593, aired 2017-09-20 | U.S. POSTAL ABBREVIATIONS: In 1969 the "B" in this state's abbreviation was changed to an "E" to avoid confusion with a Canadian province Nebraska |
| #7592, aired 2017-09-19 | POTENT & NONPOTENT POTABLES: Reverse the 2 words in the name of this Canadian whisky brand & you get the name of a cola Crown Royal or Royal Crown |
| #7591, aired 2017-09-18 | THE OLD TESTAMENT: Consisting of 21 verses, the book of this minor prophet, whose name means "servant of God", is the shortest Obadiah |
| #7590, aired 2017-09-15 | GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONS: "Connecting police for a safer world" is the motto of this 190-member organization Interpol |
| #7589, aired 2017-09-14 | BUSINESSMEN: The corporation of this British man got its name from his early inexperience in business Richard Branson |
| #7588, aired 2017-09-13 | ANCIENT HISTORY: Battles at Trebbia & Trasimene were among the victories of this man who was born in Africa & died near the Black Sea Hannibal |
| #7587, aired 2017-09-12 | 21st CENTURY GRAMMYS: This singer has won Album, Record & Song of the Year twice, the only artist to do so Adele |
| #7586, aired 2017-09-11 | ARTISTS & AUTHORS: In 1929 Georgia O'Keeffe painted the tree in New Mexico under which this British-born author used to write D.H. Lawrence |
| #7585, aired 2017-07-28 | 21st CENTURY THOUGHT: The title subject of a 2007 bestseller, it was discovered in Australia where today it's a state emblem the black swan |
| #7584, aired 2017-07-27 | THE OSCARS: This Brit is the only actor to get Oscar nominations for playing 2 real-life U.S. presidents, both for 1990s films Anthony Hopkins |
| #7583, aired 2017-07-26 | NOVELS: "A man can be destroyed but not defeated" is a line from this 1952 book, later a Spencer Tracy film The Old Man and the Sea |
| #7582, aired 2017-07-25 | EUROPE: Once a feudal state, it has the highest capital city in Europe at an elevation of about 3,300 feet Andorra |
| #7581, aired 2017-07-24 | COLLEGES: When this school opened in 1845, the curriculum for the class of 50 had math & navigation, chemistry & gunnery & steam the U.S. Naval Academy |
| #7580, aired 2017-07-21 | AMERICANA: This official U.S. government song traces its roots to a song about Roderick Dhu, the leader of a Highland clan "Hail To The Chief" |
| #7579, aired 2017-07-20 | STATE CAPITALS: In 1932 a 4,700-pound piece of the object that gave this capital its "small" name was moved to city hall Little Rock |
| #7578, aired 2017-07-19 | HISTORIC EVENTS: In June 1986 a bakers union expressed regret for a disaster in this European city 320 years before London |
| #7577, aired 2017-07-18 | 20th CENTURY FAMOUS NAMES: In a 1905 diary entry, Nicholas II wrote of this man, "We have made the acquaintance of a man of God" Rasputin |
| #7576, aired 2017-07-17 | DEADLY CREATURES: The National Ocean Service says one lethal type of this bone-free creature is the most venomous marine animal a jellyfish |
| #7575, aired 2017-07-14 | CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN AUTHORS: This Pulitzer winner changed his first name to that of an Irish king, avoiding associations with a famous ventriloquist's dummy Cormac McCarthy |
| #7574, aired 2017-07-13 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: He holds the record for time between acting nominations for the same role, 39 years between 1976 & 2015 films Sylvester Stallone |
| #7573, aired 2017-07-12 | WORLD LEADERS: A landmark 1957 New York Times story called him "a powerful six-footer, olive-skinned...with a straggly beard" Fidel Castro |
| #7572, aired 2017-07-11 | LANDLOCKED COUNTRY NAMES: One in Europe & one in Africa, these 2 landlocked countries start with the same 2 letters & end with the same 4 Switzerland and Swaziland |
| #7571, aired 2017-07-10 | THE HUMAN BODY: Often considered appealing, these features are a genetic defect of the zygomaticus muscles of the face dimples |
| #7570, aired 2017-07-07 | PEOPLES OF THE WORLD: Living from Norway to Russia, they've been called the only indigenous people of the European Union the Laplanders (or Lapps or Sami) |
| #7569, aired 2017-07-06 | SPORTS TRADITIONS: Since 1986, reaching the quarterfinals of this event has entitled you to free tickets & free tea for life Wimbledon |
| #7568, aired 2017-07-05 | SMALL COUNTRIES: This tiny island nation 700 miles northeast of Madagascar makes a great addition to a classic tongue twister Seychelles |
| #7567, aired 2017-07-04 | CLASSIC CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: A 2016 biography of a children's author is titled "In the Great Green Room", a line from this classic book Goodnight Moon |
| #7566, aired 2017-07-03 | 20th CENTURY TRANSPORTATION: The first of these to enter service was christened by First Lady Pat Nixon at Dulles Intl. Airport on January 15, 1970 the 747 |
| #7565, aired 2017-06-30 | PLANTS: Made famous by a 1959 musical, the flower seen here graces a coin of this European country Austria |
| #7564, aired 2017-06-29 | NATIONS OF THE WORLD: Its contiguous territory covers 36 degrees of latitude, the longest stretch of any country not in the top 10 in area Chile |
| #7563, aired 2017-06-28 | ENTREPRENEURS: In the 1960s M.T. Lott was one of the fictitious names he used to buy 27,000 acres in Florida Walt Disney |
| #7562, aired 2017-06-27 | LITERARY REFERENCES: An homage to a 1953 novel, this number appears as an error code when a user tries to access a web page with censored content 451 |
| #7561, aired 2017-06-26 | OSCAR WINNERS: Later an Oscar winner, she appeared as the child baptized towards the end of "The Godfather" Sofia Coppola |
| #7560, aired 2017-06-23 | BOOKS OF THE 1960s: "Wherever I sat...I would be sitting under the same glass" this, the title of the author's only novel The Bell Jar |
| #7559, aired 2017-06-22 | EUROPE 1962: Rudolf Abel & this American are most associated with Germany's Glienicke Bridge on February 10, 1962 Francis Gary Powers |
| #7558, aired 2017-06-21 | SPORTS & POLITICS: After moving to Johannesburg in 1903, he formed the Passive Resisters Soccer Club Mohandas 'Mahatma' Gandhi |
| #7557, aired 2017-06-20 | SHAKESPEARE TITLES: The verse from the Sermon on the Mount following "Judge not, that ye be not judged" inspired this Bard comedy title Measure for Measure |
| #7556, aired 2017-06-19 | AIRLINES: On June 17, 1929 this airline's first passenger flight left Dallas, making stops at Shreveport, Monroe & Jackson Delta |
| #7555, aired 2017-06-16 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: Scholars think this 1810 piano piece was dedicated to Elisabeth Röckel or Therese Malfatti, a student of the composer "Für Elise" |
| #7554, aired 2017-06-15 | RECENT OSCAR WINNERS: For his portrayal of a famous man born in the 1940s, he was the first actor born in the '80s to win the Best Actor Oscar Eddie Redmayne |
| #7553, aired 2017-06-14 | BOOKS & AUTHORS: His first novel, from 1920, incorporated some of his pieces from The Nassau, a Princeton literary magazine F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| #7552, aired 2017-06-13 | 16th CENTURY NAMES: In his 1557 almanac this French doctor predicted, "Immortal I shall be in life, and in death even more so" Nostradamus |
| #7551, aired 2017-06-12 | GEOGRAPHY: Cross the Strait of Bonifacio & you go between the 2nd- & 4th-largest Mediterranean islands & between these 2 countries Italy & France |
| #7550, aired 2017-06-09 | CONSTELLATIONS: The brightest star in Scorpius is named this, meaning "rival" of the god equivalent to Mars Antares |
| #7549, aired 2017-06-08 | WORLD WAR II HEROES: Credited with saving thousands of lives before his disappearance, in 2016 he was officially declared dead by Sweden Raoul Wallenberg |
| #7548, aired 2017-06-07 | BRITISH KINGS: Bearing Roman numeral I, he subdued Wales & was called the "English Justinian" for his legal reforms Edward I |
| #7547, aired 2017-06-06 | THE OSCARS: This man received 2 honorary Oscars in his career, & the actor who played him on film received a 1992 nomination for the role Charlie Chaplin |
| #7546, aired 2017-06-05 | WORLD TRANSPORTATION: It traverses hundreds of bridges, the longest stretching 2 miles across the Amur River the Trans-Siberian Railroad |
| #7545, aired 2017-06-02 | SOCIAL & SPORTS BARRIERS: Condoleezza Rice & South Carolina businesswoman Darla Moore became the first female members of this in 2012 Augusta National Golf Club |
| #7544, aired 2017-06-01 | AFRICAN CAPITALS: This port city on the Congo River was founded in 1883 & is named for a European explorer Brazzaville |
| #7543, aired 2017-05-31 | COMMUNICATION: Shigetaka Kurita designed the original set of 176 of these, which included the zodiac glyphs, hearts & a pair of googly eyes emojis |
| #7542, aired 2017-05-30 | THE CIVIL WAR ERA: The USA's largest state school in 1861, by 1862 its enrollment had dropped by 90% the University of Virginia |
| #7541, aired 2017-05-29 | 19th CENTURY BRITISH AUTHORS: Cliffs Notes says a book by this man "was the work of a mathematician and logician who wrote as both a humorist and as a limerist" Lewis Carroll |
| #7540, aired 2017-05-26 | ANCIENT AUTHORS: His famous work culminates in accounts of Xerxes' invasion & Greek victories at Salamis & Plataea Herodotus |
| #7539, aired 2017-05-25 | ART & POP CULTURE: The Brooklyn mural seen here is an homage to this fictional group whose first appearance came in 1984 the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |
| #7538, aired 2017-05-24 | DOG BREEDS: This popular small dog breed is named for the man who was the Vicar of Swimbridge for almost 50 years, beginning in 1832 the Jack Russell Terrier |
| #7537, aired 2017-05-23 | CLASSIC ROCK SONGS: Jonathan Cain was a struggling musician when his father told him to keep at it & never give up, inspiring this 3-word 1981 title "Don't Stop Believin'" |
| #7536, aired 2017-05-22 | THE BRITISH EMPIRE: The city that some 19th century Englishmen called "Caranjee" is now the biggest city in this country Pakistan |
| #7535, aired 2017-05-19 | U.S. CITIES: In 2015 it returned to the list of the 50 most populous U.S. cities, 10 years after dropping off New Orleans |
| #7534, aired 2017-05-18 | WOMEN AUTHORS: A 1936 New York Times review called the debut novel by this author "in all probability, the biggest book of the year: 1,037 pages" Margaret Mitchell |
| #7533, aired 2017-05-17 | ERAS IN U.S. HISTORY: On April 11, 1865 Abraham Lincoln spoke of "the mode, manner, and means of" this, which he would not live to see Reconstruction |
| #7532, aired 2017-05-16 | SCULPTURE: The book "From Marble to Flesh" is a biography of this statue that was created from 1501 to 1504 David |
| #7531, aired 2017-05-15 | THE PULITZER PRIZES: In 1947 a journalist from the Washington Post became the last to win a Pulitzer for national reporting by this means telegraph (or telegram) |
| #7530, aired 2017-05-12 | PLACE NAMES: A town named for its location where a river in Devon meets the English Channel, it's also the name of a college in New Hampshire Dartmouth |
| #7529, aired 2017-05-11 | FOREIGN WORDS & PHRASES: Often used to describe artists ahead of their time, it was also the name of a youth militia in WWII Vichy France avant-garde |
| #7528, aired 2017-05-10 | 20th CENTURY BOOKS: "I felt his spurs in my side & I heard his battle cry" is a line from this 1982 book that became a stage sensation & later a movie War Horse |
| #7527, aired 2017-05-09 | FAMOUS TEACHERS: W.J. Bryan gave the keynote speech at this man's high school graduation in 1919; 6 years later their paths would cross again John Scopes |
| #7526, aired 2017-05-08 | A YEAR OF FIRSTS: Year in which the Department of Energy was created, the Indy 500 had its first female driver & the 1st president was sworn in under a nickname 1977 |
| #7525, aired 2017-05-05 | MONARCHS: In 2016 Elizabeth II became the world's longest-reigning living monarch when this country's king died after a 70-year reign Thailand |
| #7524, aired 2017-05-04 | NOVELS: In a Spanish translation of this novel, Chapter 1 begins, "Era el mejor de los tiempos, era el peor de los tiempos" A Tale of Two Cities |
| #7523, aired 2017-05-03 | MOVIE MUSIC: Since 1999 many Warner Bros. movies open with the studio's logo & a snippet of this song made famous in a 1942 film "As Time Goes By" |
| #7522, aired 2017-05-02 | MYTHOLOGY: This woman was created & given to Epimetheus as punishment for his brother's actions Pandora |
| #7521, aired 2017-05-01 | THE SUPREME COURT: Only 5 of the 17 chief justices previously served as associate justice on the Supreme Court; he was the last William Rehnquist |
| #7520, aired 2017-04-28 | HISTORIC WORKS' FIRST LINES: "The annual labour of every nation is the fund which originally supplies it with all the necessaries and conveniences of life" The Wealth of Nations |
| #7519, aired 2017-04-27 | TOYS: When it was first marketed in the late 1970s, this toy was given the Hungarian name "Buvos Kocka" the Rubik's Cube |
| #7518, aired 2017-04-26 | HISTORIC HOMES: While the White House was being built, George Washington's executive mansion was in this city Philadelphia |
| #7517, aired 2017-04-25 | NUMERIC GROUPS: This numeric group was the subject of an April 20, 1959 Time magazine article titled "Rendezvous with Destiny" the Mercury Seven |
| #7516, aired 2017-04-24 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Though he graduated from high school in 1901 & later graduated to the presidency, he never graduated from college Harry Truman |
| #7515, aired 2017-04-21 | 19th CENTURY EUROPE: Published in L'Aurore on January 13, 1898, it caused its author to be convicted of libel J'accuse |
| #7514, aired 2017-04-20 | ACTRESSES: Forbes says Jennifer Lawrence was the highest-paid actress in 2016; this alliterative woman was second Melissa McCarthy |
| #7513, aired 2017-04-19 | HISTORIC U.S. LAWS: By barring holding positions at competing firms, 1914's Clayton Act plugged gaps in this law the Sherman Anti-Trust Act |
| #7512, aired 2017-04-18 | MILITARY INNOVATIONS: The U.S. Navy's photonics mast has replaced this familiar device a periscope |
| #7511, aired 2017-04-17 | UNIVERSITIES: This university on John C. Calhoun's former plantation is named for Calhoun's son-in-law, who gave the land Clemson |
| #7510, aired 2017-04-14 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: A 2010 study of this country is subtitled "Inside the Land of Milk and Money" Switzerland |
| #7509, aired 2017-04-13 | INTERNATIONAL SYMBOLS: Now representing an organization, it was formally adopted in Article 7 of the 1864 Geneva Convention the Red Cross |
| #7508, aired 2017-04-12 | SCARY MOVIES: A remake of this scary movie was released on 6/6/2006, 30 years to the day after the release of the original The Omen |
| #7507, aired 2017-04-11 | AMERICANA: There are rest stops named for Edison, Lombardi & Woodrow Wilson on this road mentioned in the 1968 song "America" the New Jersey Turnpike |
| #7506, aired 2017-04-10 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: Leviathan is a journal put out 3 times a year by an organization dedicated to this author & his works Herman Melville |
| #7505, aired 2017-04-07 | BRITISH NOVELS: The title of this 1908 novel is an allusion to the hotel in Florence where the novel starts & ends the next year A Room with a View |
| #7504, aired 2017-04-06 | FAMILIAR PHRASES: Old circuses like "Gentry's Equine & Canine Paradox" gave rise to this idiom referring to any elaborate presentation a dog and pony show |
| #7503, aired 2017-04-05 | SPORTS MASCOTS: The animal on this NBA team's primary logo peaked about 75 million years ago the Toronto Raptors |
| #7502, aired 2017-04-04 | CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS: Raised in industrial Yorkshire, he moved to L.A. in 1964 & thought, "This is the place to be--in the land of swimming pools" David Hockney |
| #7501, aired 2017-04-03 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: In 1947 these 2 nations became the first new members of the British Commonwealth since the original group in 1931 India and Pakistan |
| #7500, aired 2017-03-31 | FAMOUS BRITISH NAMES: He used the coat of arms granted to his father in 1596; it depicts a long-shafted weapon, a visual pun on the family name William Shakespeare |
| #7499, aired 2017-03-30 | MUSICAL THEATRE: One of the world's longest-running musicals, in 2015 it celebrated "30 years of revolution!" Les Misérables |
| #7498, aired 2017-03-29 | WORDS IN THE NEWS 2016: NASA wished John Glenn this 8-letter word when he made the 1st U.S. manned orbital flight in 1962 & again upon his passing in 2016 godspeed |
| #7497, aired 2017-03-28 | HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES: In July 1938 about 2,000 people with an average age of 94 gathered at this site for a 75th & final reunion Gettysburg |
| #7496, aired 2017-03-27 | SCIENTISTS: This European's 1751 "Philosophia Botanica" gave rules of nomenclature & said don't change generic names Carl Linnaeus |
| #7495, aired 2017-03-24 | NATIVE AMERICAN PLACE NAMES: You have to go through military security to reach this town with a Marine base on 3 sides & the Potomac on the other Quantico |
| #7494, aired 2017-03-23 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: The word that gave us "picaresque" may also have inspired the name of this clever valet featured in a 1786 opera Figaro |
| #7493, aired 2017-03-22 | BUSINESS: This company founded in 1945 offers a special deal on the last day of January, March, May, July, August, October & December Baskin-Robbins |
| #7492, aired 2017-03-21 | FASHION HISTORY: These pants first became popular when Pratap Singh, a maharaja's son, visited Queen Victoria with his polo team in 1897 jodhpurs |
| #7491, aired 2017-03-20 | PAPAL NAMES: From the mid-20th century, it's the most recent papal name that's the same in Latin & in English Pius |
| #7490, aired 2017-03-17 | 20th CENTURY BOOKS: William Goldman asked his daughters what he should write about; they said these 2 things, which he combined The Princess Bride |
| #7489, aired 2017-03-16 | INTERNATIONAL BEVERAGE BRANDS: The name of this popular beer brand founded in 1897 is a reference to the 20th century Dos Equis |
| #7488, aired 2017-03-15 | WORLD AIRPORTS: This city's international airport is named for Antonio Carlos Jobim, who co-wrote a 1964 hit song Rio de Janeiro |
| #7487, aired 2017-03-14 | CAPITAL CITIES: This is the most populous city on the world's most populous island; both begin with the same letter Jakarta |
| #7486, aired 2017-03-13 | BIBLICAL WHO'S WHO: Among the places he visited on his second missionary journey were Galatia & Corinth St. Paul (or Saul) |
| #7485, aired 2017-03-10 | TV CHARACTERS: Oxford Dictionaries lists his name as a verb meaning to "make or repair (an object) in an improvised or inventive way" MacGyver |
| #7484, aired 2017-03-09 | NATIONS OF THE WORLD: A 2011 report said the citizenry of this country included a total of 32 women the Vatican |
| #7483, aired 2017-03-08 | CHILDREN'S AUTHORS: "The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots", written by her in 1914, was first published in 2016 Beatrix Potter |
| #7482, aired 2017-03-07 | YEARS IN EUROPEAN HISTORY: The representative body called the Estates-General met in 1614 & didn't meet again until this year 1789 |
| #7481, aired 2017-03-06 | EUROPE: These 2 countries whose names start with the same 4 letters were part of different countries until the 1990s Slovakia and Slovenia |
| #7480, aired 2017-03-03 | AUTHORS' EPITAPHS: His tombstone in a Hampshire churchyard reads, "Knight, patriot, physician & man of letters" & "22 May 1859-7 July 1930" Sir Arthur Conan Doyle |
| #7479, aired 2017-03-02 | SIGNERS OF THE CONSTITUTION: The name of this first Maryland signer is also on a national monument completed in 1803 James McHenry |
| #7478, aired 2017-03-01 | THE OSCARS: Jimmy Stewart starred in 3 of the 6 films for which this Italian immigrant was nominated for Best Director Frank Capra |
| #7477, aired 2017-02-28 | RELIGION: Famous Catholics who've publicly answered this question include Susan Boyle (sweets) & Paul Ryan (beer) What did you give up for Lent? |
| #7476, aired 2017-02-27 | U.S. LANDMARKS: In 1942 a Maryland area was named for the Tibetan paradise in "Lost Horizon" but in 1953 was renamed this, for a young boy Camp David |
| #7475, aired 2017-02-24 | 17th CENTURY GERMANS: Astronomer who began his epitaph, "I used to measure the heavens, now I shall measure the shadows of Earth" Johannes Kepler |
| #7474, aired 2017-02-23 | SHAKESPEARE CHARACTERS: About himself he says, "Since the heavens have shap'd my body so, let hell make crook'd my mind to answer it" Richard III |
| #7473, aired 2017-02-22 | PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN YEARS: Year the New York World lamented, "The age of statesmen is gone... The age of rail-splitters and tailors... has succeeded" 1864 |
| #7472, aired 2017-02-21 | WORLD POLITICS: In August 2015 3 retired Marines helped raise the U.S. flag in this city where they'd hauled it down 54 years earlier Havana, Cuba |
| #7471, aired 2017-02-20 | WORD ORIGINS: The first recorded use of this word in print was when Nathan Hope posted an image of his busted lip online in 2002 selfie |
| #7470, aired 2017-02-17 | WORLD LANDMARKS: Completed in 1884, the Washington Monument became the tallest manmade structure but 4 years later was surpassed by this the Eiffel Tower |
| #7469, aired 2017-02-16 | SOUTH AMERICA: This capital's name is a Latinized form of the name of its country Brasilia |
| #7468, aired 2017-02-15 | U.S. POLITICAL PARTIES: Shortly before its demise, it had split into "Conscience" & "Cotton" factions the Whig Party |
| #7467, aired 2017-02-14 | WRITERS: A New Orleans literary festival in his honor includes various panels, a walking tour & a Stanley & Stella shouting contest Tennessee Williams |
| #7466, aired 2017-02-13 | BOOKS OF THE BIBLE: It begins with God saying, "Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel" Numbers |
| #7465, aired 2017-02-10 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: When we first meet her in the novel, she's wearing a green dress with 12 yards of fabric & matching slippers from Atlanta Scarlett O'Hara |
| #7464, aired 2017-02-09 | THE OSCARS: Since "The Godfather Part II", this film has been the only sequel to win Best Picture Lord of the Rings: Return of the King |
| #7463, aired 2017-02-08 | NATIONAL ANTHEMS: In her memoirs Queen Liliuokalani tells us that before Hawaii had its own national anthem, it used this one "God Save The Queen" |
| #7462, aired 2017-02-07 | THE U.S. GOVERNMENT: Sawyers are an important part of the work force of this agency founded in 1905 the Forest Service |
| #7461, aired 2017-02-06 | MYTHOLOGICAL NAMES: With depths of up to 30,000 feet, ocean trenches make up a zone named for this brother of Poseidon & his domain Hades |
| #7460, aired 2017-02-03 | CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS: His official website says, "It is forty years since I hung up my cloak and dagger" John le Carré |
| #7459, aired 2017-02-02 | THE U.S.A.: The Empire State Building says that on a clear day you can see 5 states from the top: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut & these 2 Pennsylvania & Massachusetts |
| #7458, aired 2017-02-01 | DUAL-USE TERMS: In 1812 the U.S. endured a literal one of these 2-word terms & beginning in 1964 enjoyed a musical one a British invasion |
| #7457, aired 2017-01-31 | ACTRESSES: From 1959 to 1968, she made only 4 films but received Oscar nominations for Best Actress for all 4 Katharine Hepburn |
| #7456, aired 2017-01-30 | NAMES IN AMERICAN HISTORY: He headed a British committee on prison reform, which gave him the idea for founding a colony in America in 1732 James Oglethorpe |
| #7455, aired 2017-01-27 | AFRICAN CITIES: The coat of arms of this South African city shows 2 cornucopias, pouring out flowers & water Bloemfontein |
| #7454, aired 2017-01-26 | 20th CENTURY PLAYWRIGHTS: He said of his 1949 play & its main character, "I could write about failure only because I could deal with it...I knew how he felt" Arthur Miller |
| #7453, aired 2017-01-25 | RELIGIOUS GROUPS: Their name comes from the Greek word for "Egyptian" the Copts (or Coptics) |
| #7452, aired 2017-01-24 | MEDALS & DECORATIONS: Her husband won in 1927; in 1934 she was the 1st woman to win the National Geographic Society's Hubbard Medal for exploration Anne Morrow Lindbergh |
| #7451, aired 2017-01-23 | ANIMAL SONGS: The title of this hit from a 1933 Disney "Silly Symphony" inspired a Tony-winning 1962 drama & an Oscar-nominated 1966 film "Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?" |
| #7450, aired 2017-01-20 | WOMEN SINGERS: What she calls her "Love of Many Colors Album", a 2016 release by this singer is her first No. 1 country album in 25 years Dolly Parton |
| #7449, aired 2017-01-19 | 20th CENTURY ARTISTS: A 1910 magazine article asked this groundbreaking artist if he used models; he grinned & said, "Where would I get them?" (Pablo) Picasso |
| #7448, aired 2017-01-18 | U.S. HISTORY: On Dec. 7, 1787 30 delegates at Battell's Tavern gathered & made history in what's now this state capital Dover |
| #7447, aired 2017-01-17 | PLAYS: This play was derived from a 1565 story, "Un Capitano Moro" Othello |
| #7446, aired 2017-01-16 | 20th CENTURY HISTORY: Villages like Zalesye, Kopachi & Lubyanka remain abandoned 3 decades after this event nuclear disaster at Chernobyl |
| #7445, aired 2017-01-13 | EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: Once the center of an empire, it didn't exist as an independent nation from 1938 to 1955 Austria |
| #7444, aired 2017-01-12 | RELIGIOUS TERMS: Unlike newer Bibles the King James version usually translates pneuma hagion as this, which can lead to unnerving images Holy Ghost |
| #7443, aired 2017-01-11 | SHAKESPEARE: With a backdrop of war, the 1609 play titled "The History of" this pair takes place earlier than any Shakespeare history play Troilus and Cressida |
| #7442, aired 2017-01-10 | BEATLES SONGS: Of the Beatles songs on which Ringo Starr sang lead, this one charted the highest, reaching No. 2 "Yellow Submarine" |
| #7441, aired 2017-01-09 | 19th CENTURY NOTABLES: Calling him a red-headed madman, in 1889 a group of his neighbors signed a petition to ban him from his home in Arles, France Vincent van Gogh |
| #7440, aired 2017-01-06 | NAME THE 19th CENTURY WORK: "Modern bourgeois society... is like the sorcerer who is no longer able to control the powers... called up by his spells" The Communist Manifesto |
| #7439, aired 2017-01-05 | MEN OF SCIENCE: Him vs. him: "The Life-Long Feud That Electrified the World" is a book about these 2 men Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison |
| #7438, aired 2017-01-04 | CLASSIC MOVIE ROLES: A letter to the director that said, "Dear sir, I am fat & wear spectacles" got a young actor a role in this 1963 film Lord of the Flies |
| #7437, aired 2017-01-03 | WORLD CITIES: Named for a saint & built in 1348, Vaclavske Namesti is the main square & center of cultural life in this capital city Prague |
| #7436, aired 2017-01-02 | INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: Between 1920 & 1939 its presidents included Leon Bourgeois, Tevfik Aras & Carlos Saavedra Lamas the League of Nations |
| #7435, aired 2016-12-30 | OSCAR-WINNING TITLE SUBJECTS: The only Nobel Prize winner to be the title subject of a Best Picture Oscar winner is this man John Nash |
| #7434, aired 2016-12-29 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Of the 5 countries with the lowest population density, this U.N. member is the only one named for a desert Namibia |
| #7433, aired 2016-12-28 | FICTIONAL PLACES: This land is described as "all that lies between the lamp-post and the great castle of Cair Paravel on the Eastern Sea" Narnia |
| #7432, aired 2016-12-27 | THE CIVIL WAR: Made from a boiler at a Mobile, Alabama machine shop, it was deemed a success though it went down off Charleston 3 times the Hunley |
| #7431, aired 2016-12-26 | MOONS & PLANETS: The name of this moon refers to the mythical group that its planet’s name belonged to Titan |
| #7430, aired 2016-12-23 | RECORDING HISTORY: Guinness recognizes his 1902 version of Leoncavallo's "Vesti La Giubba" as the 1st million-selling record Enrico Caruso |
| #7429, aired 2016-12-22 | LITERARY INSPIRATIONS: Seen here, the White City built for Chicago's 1893 Columbian Exposition is said to have inspired this author who then lived near it L. Frank Baum |
| #7428, aired 2016-12-21 | LITTLE COUNTRIES: It's the closest nation to the mainland U.S. where cars customarily drive on the left the Bahamas |
| #7427, aired 2016-12-20 | 2016 U.S. OLYMPIANS: If this U.S. state was a country, it would have been in the top 10 in gold medals with 14--9 of them by 1 man & 1 woman Maryland |
| #7426, aired 2016-12-19 | WORDS WITH MULTIPLE MEANINGS: Found in a 1970 Tom Wolfe book title, it's a chemistry term, a math quantity & a drastic word in politics radical |
| #7425, aired 2016-12-16 | WESTERN HEMISPHERE GEOGRAPHY: The 2 Central American nations that border only one ocean Belize & El Salvador |
| #7424, aired 2016-12-15 | NYC TV: In 2010, in its fourth season, this TV show shifted its primary setting to 6th Avenue, 2 blocks west Mad Men |
| #7423, aired 2016-12-14 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: Nominated 8 previous times, he finally won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, 6 years before his death John Steinbeck |
| #7422, aired 2016-12-13 | CITY NAMES: Cuba's second-most populous city & a South American capital share this name that refers to St. James Santiago |
| #7421, aired 2016-12-12 | SCIENTISTS: In a 1694 Royal Society lecture, he suggested an astronomical cause for the biblical flood in Genesis Edmond Halley |
| #7420, aired 2016-12-09 | WORLD CAPITALS: Ruled at times by Persians, Mongols & Russians, Baku is the only capital that borders this body of water the Caspian Sea |
| #7419, aired 2016-12-08 | PRINTING: The 3 major Western typefaces are Gothic, Roman & this one first used in an entire book in 1501 for a work by Virgil italics |
| #7418, aired 2016-12-07 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: 1 of 2 states whose first-ever electoral votes were cast for Woodrow Wilson (1 of) Arizona & New Mexico |
| #7417, aired 2016-12-06 | AUTHORS: Asked if he read novels, philosopher Gilbert Ryle said, "Yes, all six, every year", referring to this British author Jane Austen |
| #7416, aired 2016-12-05 | NAME'S THE SAME: Name shared by one of a trio of young chums in a popular book series & the daughter of Menelaus & Helen of Troy Hermione |
| #7415, aired 2016-12-02 | MODERN MYTHOLOGY: A purported image of this subject of legend was published in the Daily Mail newspaper on April 21, 1934 the Loch Ness monster |
| #7414, aired 2016-12-01 | THE DECORATIVE ARTS: In the early 1700s in Dresden, King Augustus locked up a chemist until he found how to make this product dubbed "white gold" porcelain |
| #7413, aired 2016-11-30 | ENTERTAINMENT AWARD WINNERS: She won a Comedy Grammy in the 1980s, a Supporting Actress Oscar in the 1990s & a Daytime Emmy in the 2000s Whoopi Goldberg |
| #7412, aired 2016-11-29 | LITERATURE: In 2009 Amazon remotely deleted unauthorized copies of this 1949 novel from some customers' Kindles 1984 |
| #7411, aired 2016-11-28 | WORLD FLAGS: Peter the Great designed Russia's flag based on the tricolor flag of this nation where he'd gone to learn shipbuilding the Netherlands |
| #7410, aired 2016-11-25 | ENTERTAINERS: He won a Tony & later an Oscar for the same role & decades later, published a memoir called "Master of Ceremonies" Joel Grey |
| #7409, aired 2016-11-24 | FOOD HISTORY: In 1525 Spanish New World official Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo wrote, "The flesh of these peacocks is very good" turkeys |
| #7408, aired 2016-11-23 | NAMES IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: A newspaper announcing his death in 1801 said he died in England & was "notorious throughout the world" Benedict Arnold |
| #7407, aired 2016-11-22 | EARLY AMERICA: William Bradford wrote that this document was partly inspired by the "mutinous speeches" of some passengers the Mayflower Compact |
| #7406, aired 2016-11-21 | FAMOUS NAMES: At a May 1989 ceremony in Cape Town, he received a bachelor of laws correspondence degree in absentia Nelson Mandela |
| #7405, aired 2016-11-18 | SCIENCE & MATH VOCABULARY: These 2 words are just 1 letter different; one is a whirlpool & the other a geometry term for a meeting point vertex & vortex |
| #7404, aired 2016-11-17 | FAMOUS BUILDINGS: Completed in 1943, this "city within a city" has outer walls over 900 feet long the Pentagon |
| #7403, aired 2016-11-16 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS' LAST WORDS: In a British novel this young character's last words are, "Which is better--to have rules & agree, or to hunt & kill?" Piggy |
| #7402, aired 2016-11-15 | MEN OF SCIENCE: The symbols for 6 chemical elements spell out his name, beginning with cobalt, phosphorus & erbium Copernicus |
| #7401, aired 2016-11-14 | HISTORY REPEATS: This practice officially began in Pakistan in 1977, 44 years after an amendment ended it in the United States Prohibition |
| #7400, aired 2016-11-11 | FAMOUS FIRST NAMES: This first name of a 21st century activist was inspired by that of a Pashtun heroine known as the Afghan Joan of Arc Malala |
| #7399, aired 2016-11-10 | NATURAL WONDERS: Roughly half the size of Texas, it's the largest structure made by living creatures & can even be seen from space the Great Barrier Reef |
| #7398, aired 2016-11-09 | AMERICANA: It was constructed in the Paris foundry of Gaget, Gauthier & Co. from 1875 to 1884 the Statue of Liberty |
| #7397, aired 2016-11-08 | COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES: The constitution of this country came into effect on Feb. 4, 1997 & by 2016, 13 parties were represented in its parliament South Africa |
| #7396, aired 2016-11-07 | STATE BIRDS: Oddly, the California gull is the state bird of this landlocked state Utah |
| #7395, aired 2016-11-04 | HISTORIC DOCUMENTS: William Seward objected to its timing, saying "it may be viewed as the last measure of an exhausted government" the Emancipation Proclamation |
| #7394, aired 2016-11-03 | LITERARY ANIMALS: In a 1926 book, he "is in a very sad condition, because it's his birthday, & nobody has taken any notice of it, & he's very gloomy" Eeyore |
| #7393, aired 2016-11-02 | EW's 50 GREATEST MOVIE DIRECTORS: He "inaugurated a new depth--both visually... and emotionally... and (had) a voice that paid the bills until he died" Orson Welles |
| #7392, aired 2016-11-01 | EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: This nation joined the Warsaw Pact in 1955 & NATO in 2009, & was alphabetically first in each Albania |
| #7391, aired 2016-10-31 | TECHNOLOGY: In 2005 Steve Jobs used "It's sort of like TiVo for radio" to describe this new form podcasting |
| #7390, aired 2016-10-28 | SHAKESPEARE: These 2 title characters who have the same pair of initials both die by stabbing Juliet Capulet & Julius Caesar |
| #7389, aired 2016-10-27 | BRITISH POP MUSIC: This song released on July 11, 1969 to coincide with the Apollo 11 mission was used in the BBC's coverage of the Moon landing "Space Oddity" (by David Bowie) |
| #7388, aired 2016-10-26 | NOTABLE WOMEN: On her passing in 1913, Booker T. Washington called her heroic, "not unlike some of the heroic figures... in the Bible" Harriet Tubman |
| #7387, aired 2016-10-25 | WORDS IN THE NEWS 2016: The Centre for European Reform is one of the sources credited with coining this new 6-letter portmanteau word Brexit |
| #7386, aired 2016-10-24 | ANIMALS: In Greek myth she was a half-serpent & mother of the Sphinx; in zoology it's a weird mammal that lays eggs Echidna |
| #7385, aired 2016-10-21 | EUROPEAN ANNIVERSARIES: In 2006 for the 500th anniversary of this group, members trekked from the Canton of Ticino to St. Peter's Square the Swiss Guard |
| #7384, aired 2016-10-20 | QUOTABLE NOTABLES: She once said that death "is no more than passing from one room into another" but "in that other room, I shall be able to see" Helen Keller |
| #7383, aired 2016-10-19 | 1960s SCIENCE BOOKS: Keats' line "The sedge is withered from the lake, and no birds sing" inspired the title of this groundbreaking book Silent Spring (by Rachel Carson) |
| #7382, aired 2016-10-18 | FUNNYMEN: He's won 4 Emmys, 3 Grammys, an Oscar & 3 Tonys, & 3 of his films rank on AFI's list of funniest movies of all time Mel Brooks |
| #7381, aired 2016-10-17 | HISTORIC RELATIVES: In the same year as Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington's brother-in-law Gen. Edward Pakenham died in this battle in North America the Battle of New Orleans |
| #7380, aired 2016-10-14 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: This character says, "Let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee" Captain Ahab |
| #7379, aired 2016-10-13 | THE OSCARS: In 2005 he lost for Best Actor but won for directing, at 74 becoming the oldest winner ever in that category Clint Eastwood |
| #7378, aired 2016-10-12 | STATE SONGS: The first line of its state song, "Eight stars of gold on a field of blue", refers to the star group on its flag Alaska |
| #7377, aired 2016-10-11 | GEOGRAPHY & LANGUAGE: The world's busiest container port, its name is also an English verb with criminal overtones Shanghai |
| #7376, aired 2016-10-10 | INAUGURAL ADDRESSES: One of his addresses used the term "security shield" about international affairs as well as "golden years" President Ronald Reagan |
| #7375, aired 2016-10-07 | TELEVISION: The focus of a 1970s miniseries & its recent remake, he arrived at Annapolis in 1767 aboard the ship the Lord Ligonier Kunta Kinte |
| #7374, aired 2016-10-06 | SECRETARIES OF STATE: The 2 Secretaries of State who received B.A.s in political science from Wellesley, 10 years apart Madeleine Albright & Hillary Clinton |
| #7373, aired 2016-10-05 | THE ECONOMY: "Systemically important financial institution" is an official status known more informally by these 4 words too big to fail |
| #7372, aired 2016-10-04 | IN THE NOVEL: The 1st scene in this book: "With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene" Fahrenheit 451 |
| #7371, aired 2016-10-03 | CHRISTIANITY: A 4th century traveler gave one of the first descriptions of this day: "All the children... are carried... bearing branches" Palm Sunday |
| #7370, aired 2016-09-30 | CORPORATE LOGOS: Created in 1971, this company's logo has been likened to a wing & was supposed to connote motion Nike |
| #7369, aired 2016-09-29 | MYTHOLOGY: Banished from Athens, this inventor found trouble on Crete too, but escaped Daedalus |
| #7368, aired 2016-09-28 | HISTORIC HOMES: Also known as the "House of His Majesty", Fairfield House in England was the home of this African leader from 1936 to 1941 Haile Selassie |
| #7367, aired 2016-09-27 | 21st CENTURY MUSIC: The title of a Frida Kahlo painting inspired the 3-word name of this 2008 No. 1 hit by a British group "Viva La Vida" |
| #7366, aired 2016-09-26 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS: This European company uses about 1% of the world's lumber each year; it aims to make that 100% sustainable by 2020 IKEA |
| #7365, aired 2016-09-23 | AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY: The Zambezi River reaches the ocean in this country that lends its name to the body of water where it happens Mozambique |
| #7364, aired 2016-09-22 | OPERA: The heroine of this opera sings, “If you come to give me, so cruel, your last goodbye, the dark vortex of the Nile will be my grave” Aida |
| #7363, aired 2016-09-21 | COLLEGE DISCIPLINES: Embracing the future & new technology in 1962, Purdue established the 1st college dept. in the U.S. for this 2-word discipline computer science |
| #7362, aired 2016-09-20 | POP CULTURE CHARACTERS: In 2015 this character was made an honorary citizen of Japan after over 60 years of residence there Godzilla |
| #7361, aired 2016-09-19 | AUTHORS: In 1948 he wrote he had an idea for a novel in which 2 guys hitchhike to California "in search of something they don't really find" Jack Kerouac |
| #7360, aired 2016-09-16 | FILM ADAPTATIONS: In a 2011 slate.com survey of movie credits, of the top 25 most adapted writers, this novelist is the only one living Stephen King |
| #7359, aired 2016-09-15 | DANTE'S INFERNO: During the journey, Dante encounters Homer, Socrates & Cicero, who bide their time in the first circle, aka this limbo |
| #7358, aired 2016-09-14 | 20th CENTURY SCIENCE TERMS: This 4-letter word was introduced in London in 1905 by Dr. H.A. des Voeux of the Coal Smoke Abatement Society smog |
| #7357, aired 2016-09-13 | 19th CENTURY MILITARY MEN: In 1895 he wrote to his family that with "superhuman strength" he would "discover the truth... on the tragic affair" Alfred Dreyfus |
| #7356, aired 2016-09-12 | ASIAN ISLANDS: Phuket, the largest island of this country, has regained its tourism industry after a natural disaster in 2004 Thailand |
| #7355, aired 2016-07-29 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: This Catholic university gets its name from the Latin for “new” & “house” & was in the news in Spring 2016 Villanova |
| #7354, aired 2016-07-28 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: This 52-year-old went through a temporary growth spurt, growing 2 inches in less than a year, as revealed by a 2016 physical Scott Kelly |
| #7353, aired 2016-07-27 | 20th CENTURY ENGLISH NOBILITY: In Africa on Nov. 26, 1922, he anxiously asked Howard Carter, “Can you see anything?” Lord Carnarvon |
| #7352, aired 2016-07-26 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: On his 1849 death, it was said he was "regarded rather with curiosity than admiration" & "few will be grieved" Edgar Allan Poe |
| #7351, aired 2016-07-25 | U.S. MONUMENTS: Tuskegee Institute president Robert Moton couldn't sit with the other speakers at its 1922 dedication the Lincoln Memorial |
| #7350, aired 2016-07-22 | PAINTED LADIES: She's been called the "Mona Lisa of the North" & the poster girl for the Dutch Royal Picture Gallery in The Hague the Girl with the Pearl Earring |
| #7349, aired 2016-07-21 | RELIGION: Letters mailed to "God, Jerusalem" are placed in this alliterative landmark the Wailing Wall |
| #7348, aired 2016-07-20 | COMMUNICATION: A 1978 presidential statement recognized October 4 as a day celebrating this communication system CB radio |
| #7347, aired 2016-07-19 | JUDGES: Before he headed up the Supreme Court, he argued only 1 case before it--a 1796 case he ironically argued on states' rights grounds John Marshall |
| #7346, aired 2016-07-18 | INTERNATIONAL SPORTS: Established in 1903, this European event was originally touted in a newspaper printed on yellow paper the Tour de France |
| #7345, aired 2016-07-15 | THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME: A quartet inducted in 2010 & a trio inducted in 2004, they’re the first & last inductees alphabetically ABBA & ZZ Top |
| #7344, aired 2016-07-14 | CIVIL WAR HISTORY: Of the 4 prewar states that permitted slavery but did not secede, it was the largest in area & latest to join the Union Missouri |
| #7343, aired 2016-07-13 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: Discovered in 1535, this island group on the equator got perhaps its most famous visitor exactly 300 years later the Galapagos Islands |
| #7342, aired 2016-07-12 | POLITICAL WORDS: Hamilton began & ended the Federalist Papers warning of this type of person, Greek for "people's leader" a demagogue |
| #7341, aired 2016-07-11 | SHAKESPEARE: This comedy whose title aims to please says, "I charge you, o men... that between you and the women the play may please" As You Like It |
| #7340, aired 2016-07-08 | TRANSPORTATION: The Trans-Siberian Railway, one of the world's longest, spans 5,770 miles from Moscow to this port city on the Sea of Japan Vladivostok |
| #7339, aired 2016-07-07 | BRITISH LITERARY CHARACTERS: In an 1887 novel this narrator's old wartime injury is in his shoulder; in an 1890 novel by the same author, it's in his leg Dr. Watson |
| #7338, aired 2016-07-06 | COMPOSERS: Brought to our attention by a 1984 film, this Italian had success with the 1780s operas "Tarare" & "Les danaides" Antonio Salieri |
| #7337, aired 2016-07-05 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In 1902, 25 years after his death, a New York Times article about a family reunion listed his direct descendants at more than 1,000 Brigham Young |
| #7336, aired 2016-07-04 | DISNEYLAND: This attraction was originally built for the New York World's Fair in 1964, with proceeds going to UNICEF It's a Small World |
| #7335, aired 2016-07-01 | BUSINESSES: An 1860 ad for this business that only lasted 19 months sought "ten or a dozen men, familiar with the management of horses" the Pony Express |
| #7334, aired 2016-06-30 | INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARDS: Released in 2011, it's the only film that has won both the Oscar & France's Cesar for Best Film of the Year The Artist |
| #7333, aired 2016-06-29 | U.S. STATE GEOGRAPHY: Of the contiguous states, these 2 coastal states have elevation changes within them of more than 14,000 feet California & Washington |
| #7332, aired 2016-06-28 | AMERICAN INVENTORS: Before his death in 1932, he donated over $100 million, including $50 million to the University of Rochester George Eastman |
| #7331, aired 2016-06-27 | FRENCH MONARCHS: His reign was interrupted for "100 days" in the 19th century before he was restored & reigned for 9 years more Louis XVIII |
| #7330, aired 2016-06-24 | ALLITERATIVE AMERICANS: In 1932 he & several San Francisco colleagues formed Group f/64 to promote greater realism in their art Ansel Adams |
| #7329, aired 2016-06-23 | ACTRESSES: She won a 2006 Oscar & a 2015 Tony for playing the same monarch, though in different productions Helen Mirren |
| #7328, aired 2016-06-22 | EUROPEAN GEOGRAPHY: Excluding Russia, it has the longest mainland coastline of any European country, 15,626 miles Norway |
| #7327, aired 2016-06-21 | BEATLES SONGS: Later a book title, the 2-word title of this 1968 song is a British name for a spiral slide seen at fairgrounds "Helter Skelter" |
| #7326, aired 2016-06-20 | EUROPEAN LITERATURE: "Episodes" in this 1922 work include the Lotus Eaters & Ithaca Ulysses (by James Joyce) |
| #7325, aired 2016-06-17 | GEOGRAPHY IN THE NEWS: Mexico's Programa Frontera Sur aims to secure its 600-mile-long border with this country Guatemala |
| #7324, aired 2016-06-16 | BOOK TITLES: A Pulitzer winner in 1947 & Best Picture Oscar winner in 1949, its title is also a line from Lewis Carroll All the King's Men |
| #7323, aired 2016-06-15 | CLASSIC MOVIE SCENES: The director said it took 70 camera setups & 7 days to shoot the classic murder scene in this film that celebrates its 55th anniversary in 2015 Psycho |
| #7322, aired 2016-06-14 | CONTEMPORARIES: In an 1864 letter, he congratulated Abraham Lincoln on reelection on behalf of "the workingmen of Europe" Karl Marx |
| #7321, aired 2016-06-13 | BILLBOARD CHART-TOPPERS: This singer's first studio album came out in 1955, but a 2011 duets release was his first album to hit No. 1 Tony Bennett |
| #7320, aired 2016-06-10 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: Of his greatest accomplishment, he humbly remarked, "Pilots... take pride in a good landing, not in getting out of the vehicle" Neil Armstrong |
| #7319, aired 2016-06-09 | 19th CENTURY NONFICTION: A 2014 bestseller, in 1853 it was called "more extraordinary" than "Uncle Tom's Cabin" because "it is only a simply unvarnished tale" Twelve Years a Slave |
| #7318, aired 2016-06-08 | STATE CAPITALS: This Midwestern capital was named for a man who was born in what is now Turkey over 2,000 years ago St. Paul |
| #7317, aired 2016-06-07 | HISTORIC TV: An authentic Bell H-13 Sioux air ambulance was used in the opening credits of this television series M*A*S*H |
| #7316, aired 2016-06-06 | 18th CENTURY NAMES: From the Latin, it's one of the middle names of an 18th century luminary & means lover of or loved by God Amadeus |
| #7315, aired 2016-06-03 | BUSINESS: This alliterative beverage chain says it gets its name from an African word meaning "to celebrate" Jamba Juice |
| #7314, aired 2016-06-02 | 20th CENTURY NOTABLES: Despite protests in 2009 some of his personal effects as seen here were sold at auction Mohandas Gandhi |
| #7313, aired 2016-06-01 | COLLEGE TEAM SPORTS: The USA's first intercollegiate athletic event was in 1852 in this, which as a sport goes back to at least the Middle Ages rowing |
| #7312, aired 2016-05-31 | WORLD FAUNA: Platypuses are to this Pacific island what alligators are to Florida Tasmania |
| #7311, aired 2016-05-30 | PLAYWRIGHTS: An 1892 Punch cartoon depicts him lounging with a cigarette & holding a fan with a name written on it Oscar Wilde |
| #7310, aired 2016-05-27 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: "The Gold Bug", Edgar Allan Poe's story about the search for Captain Kidd's buried loot, helped inspire this 1883 novel Treasure Island |
| #7309, aired 2016-05-26 | ART HISTORY: "Escalier" is in the original title of a work by this artist that scandalized New York City's International Exhibition of Modern Art in 1913 Marcel Duchamp |
| #7308, aired 2016-05-25 | ADVERTISING ICONS: This spokes-animal created in 1951 got a wife & a daughter, Antoinette, in the 1970s Tony the Tiger |
| #7307, aired 2016-05-24 | 19th CENTURY NOTABLES: He died in New Orleans on December 6, 1889, a little over 20 years after his treason case had been dropped Jefferson Davis |
| #7306, aired 2016-05-23 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: Of the 8 states that touch the Great Lakes, it's the smallest in area Indiana |
| #7305, aired 2016-05-20 | U.S. HISTORY: In 1790 a deal made Washington the nation's capital; the room where it happened was at Jefferson's house & negotiators included Madison & this Cabinet member Alexander Hamilton |
| #7304, aired 2016-05-19 | THE PRESIDENTIAL OATH OF OFFICE: In 2013 President Obama was sworn in on 2 Bibles--one was Lincoln’s & one belonged to this man who died 103 years after Lincoln Martin Luther King, Jr. |
| #7303, aired 2016-05-18 | THE SUPREME COURT: With the passing of Antonin Scalia, this Reagan appointee became the longest-tenured justice on the court Anthony Kennedy |
| #7302, aired 2016-05-17 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: This country's 2 main ethnic groups are Punjabi (who are also found in India) & Pashtun (also living in Afghanistan) Pakistan |
| #7301, aired 2016-05-16 | POLITICAL TERMS: Officials called tribunes sat at Rome's Senate door & if they didn't like what was going on, shouted this Latin word veto |
| #7300, aired 2016-05-13 | 20th CENTURY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: He was awarded a DFC in WWII for a combat mission as pilot of the B-24 bomber he named the "Dakota Queen" George McGovern |
| #7299, aired 2016-05-12 | AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY: After the secession of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011, this became the largest country in Africa by area Algeria |
| #7298, aired 2016-05-11 | STATE SONGS: Its state song rhymes "patriotic gore" with the name of its largest city Maryland |
| #7297, aired 2016-05-10 | ART MODELS: Seen here in 1942 are the real-life models for this painting American Gothic |
| #7296, aired 2016-05-09 | LEGISLATION: The original law called this was passed in 1944; today, there's a "Post-9/11" version that also pays for 36 months of university education the G.I. Bill |
| #7295, aired 2016-05-06 | AUTHORS: She wrote in her journal in 1867 that a publisher "asked me to write a girls book. Said I'd try." Louisa May Alcott |
| #7294, aired 2016-05-05 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: In 1855 he wrote, "The public appears disposed to be amused even when they are conscious of being deceived" P.T. Barnum |
| #7293, aired 2016-05-04 | THE SOLAR SYSTEM: Its surface features include ones named for Margaret Mead, Josephine Baker & Cleopatra Venus |
| #7292, aired 2016-05-03 | U.S. MEMORIALS: Symbolic bookends, these 2 neighboring memorials mark the beginning & end of U.S. involvement in World War II the Arizona & the Missouri |
| #7291, aired 2016-05-02 | WORD ORIGINS: From the Greek for "all views", this word was 1st used to describe a large 1787 painting of Edinburgh by artist Robert Barker panorama |
| #7290, aired 2016-04-29 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: In 1929 London's Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital was given all rights to this character created 27 years earlier Peter Pan |
| #7289, aired 2016-04-28 | ISLANDS: The Spanish name of these islands is Islas de Sotavento; their French name is Iles Sous-le-Vent the Leeward Islands |
| #7288, aired 2016-04-27 | AMERICAN HISTORY: "A stimulus to the courageous", the $25,000 Orteig Prize offer of 1919 resulted in his success 8 years later Lindbergh |
| #7287, aired 2016-04-26 | LITERARY QUOTES: More than once this 1897 novel quotes from Deuteronomy, "The blood is the life" Dracula |
| #7286, aired 2016-04-25 | METAPHORICAL PHRASES: In the late 1800s Clark Stanley was a notorious seller of this 2-word product, which he advertised as a curative liniment snake oil |
| #7285, aired 2016-04-22 | 19th CENTURY BRITS: In May 1810 during one of his more famous exploits, he employed the breaststroke Byron |
| #7284, aired 2016-04-21 | CITY NAME ORIGINS: This city that's home to an NFL team is named for an 18th century British prime minister Pittsburgh |
| #7283, aired 2016-04-20 | AT THE OLD BALLGAME: This word dates back to the 19th century & referred to what the Sun did to roofless seating bleachers |
| #7282, aired 2016-04-19 | 18th CENTURY BRITISH SCIENTISTS: In 1705 he wrote, "And, if it should then return, we shall have no reason to doubt but the rest must return too" (Edmond) Halley |
| #7281, aired 2016-04-18 | AMERICAN ICONS: This WWII icon was created in a 1943 song that says, "That little frail can do more than a male can do" Rosie the Riveter |
| #7280, aired 2016-04-15 | CONTEMPORARY WOMEN AUTHORS: A critic said that this bestselling author "makes me wish there were more than 26 letters" Sue Grafton |
| #7279, aired 2016-04-14 | NORTH AMERICAN GEOGRAPHY: Far from New England, it's the state that has the shortest land border with Canada, only 45 miles Idaho |
| #7278, aired 2016-04-13 | FAMOUS HOTELS: The painting seen here, "A Vicious Circle", hangs in this hotel in the room that's portrayed in the painting the Algonquin Hotel |
| #7277, aired 2016-04-12 | THE 1960s: In 1963 he wrote to MLK seeking a united front of "all Negro factions" against "a common problem posed by a common enemy" Malcolm X |
| #7276, aired 2016-04-11 | 2015 MOVIES: Jazz musician Trombone Shorty performed the "voices" of just the adults in the movie about this title group the Peanuts |
| #7275, aired 2016-04-08 | SPORTS MASCOTS: This Major League team has no mascot today, but from 1979 to 1981 used a mustachioed fella named Dandy the Yankees |
| #7274, aired 2016-04-07 | BRITISH HISTORY: On January 1, 1801, George III relinquished this royal title claimed by English monarchs since the Hundred Years' War King of France |
| #7273, aired 2016-04-06 | ASTRONOMY: Its name means "fear", & this moon orbits closest to a planet's surface of any moon in the solar system Phobos |
| #7272, aired 2016-04-05 | FOOD & DRINK: This cereal brand that's been with us since the 1920s teamed up with a brewer in 2015 to create a Hefeweizen Wheaties |
| #7271, aired 2016-04-04 | BRITISH NOVELS: Local legend says that Top Withens, the Yorkshire farmhouse seen here, may have been an inspiration for this novel Wuthering Heights |
| #7270, aired 2016-04-01 | ASIAN CITIES: Of Asia's 10 most populous urban areas, this city on an island is the only one south of the equator Jakarta (in Indonesia) |
| #7269, aired 2016-03-31 | THE OSCARS: Since 1998 this actress has received 7 Oscar nominations, the most earned after age 60 by any performer Dame Judi Dench |
| #7268, aired 2016-03-30 | OBITUARIES: On his death in 2015, his New York Times obit said he "built his stardom 90 percent on skill and half on wit" Yogi Berra |
| #7267, aired 2016-03-29 | STATE CAPITAL GEOGRAPHY: Of the 5 U.S. state capitals that begin with the letter "A", the one that is farthest north Augusta |
| #7266, aired 2016-03-28 | TEXTILES: In 1939 this new product was touted as being strong as steel, fine as a spider's web & more elastic than natural fibers nylon |
| #7265, aired 2016-03-25 | 20th CENTURY INVENTIONS: In the 1950s physicist Louis Essen built the 1st practical one of these, noting that it wouldn't give you the time of day an atomic clock |
| #7264, aired 2016-03-24 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: In 1872 he wrote his thesis "Diseases of the Teeth" & soon after moved west to a drier climate for his health Doc Holliday |
| #7263, aired 2016-03-23 | 21st CENTURY NEWS: Russia took out $200 million in insurance, anticipating any damage that might be caused by this in 2001 the crash of the Mir space platform |
| #7262, aired 2016-03-22 | CLASSIC CHILDREN'S BOOK CHARACTERS: The name of this character who lives in a forest is a shortening of an Italian word for a newborn Bambi |
| #7261, aired 2016-03-21 | WORLD HERITAGE SITES: The 14th century Citadel of the Ho Dynasty in this country was added to the World Heritage List in 2011 Vietnam |
| #7260, aired 2016-03-18 | LITERARY DETECTIVES: His creator sometimes found him a "detestable, bombastic, tiresome little creature" Hercule Poirot |
| #7259, aired 2016-03-17 | GREAT BRITONS: A pair of shoes that he wore when making history in 1954 sold at auction in 2015 for more than $400,000 Roger Bannister |
| #7258, aired 2016-03-16 | THE FRENCH REVOLUTION: The last prisoner moved before the Bastille was stormed, this nobleman left behind the manuscript for his most infamous work the Marquis de Sade |
| #7257, aired 2016-03-15 | BUSINESS NEWS 2015: In July it replaced Toyota as the world's largest automaker; in September its stock price fell by one-third Volkswagen |
| #7256, aired 2016-03-14 | THE NOBEL PHYSICS PRIZE: A 2013 Laureate, this British man wrote a 1954 thesis on "Problems in the Theory of Molecular
Vibrations" Peter Higgs |
| #7255, aired 2016-03-11 | 19th CENTURY DOCUMENTS: Its preamble substituted the words "a permanent federal government" for "a more perfect union" the Confederate Constitution |
| #7254, aired 2016-03-10 | WORDS & THEIR USE: Originally an electronics word for an output signal returning as input, today it means "criticism" or "evaluation" feedback |
| #7253, aired 2016-03-09 | LITERARY GEOGRAPHY: Shelley subtitled a poem named for this famous geographic feature "Lines Written in the Vale of Chamouni" Mont Blanc |
| #7252, aired 2016-03-08 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: 2 U.S. state capitals & 2 major Panamanian ports are named after this European Christopher Columbus |
| #7251, aired 2016-03-07 | SPORTS NICKNAMES: Collective nickname for the group who "formed the crest of the South Bend Cyclone" the Four Horsemen |
| #7250, aired 2016-03-04 | POP MUSIC MILESTONES: In 1972 this anthemic song became the first Billboard chart-topper by an Australian-born artist "I Am Woman" |
| #7249, aired 2016-03-03 | AMERICAN HISTORY: In the 1690s its legislature referred to this place as "his Majesty's ancient colony and dominion" Virginia |
| #7248, aired 2016-03-02 | STATE CAPITALS: Settled in the 1780s, it's the only state capital without a McDonald's Montpelier, Vermont |
| #7247, aired 2016-03-01 | 20th CENTURY POETS: It was said "his accent which started out as pure American Middle West" became "quite British U" T.S. Eliot |
| #7246, aired 2016-02-29 | WORLD LEADERS: In 2006 a former llama herder became president of this country Bolivia |
| #7245, aired 2016-02-26 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: This title of a British ceremonial march comes from a line in Shakespeare that continues "of glorious war!" "Pomp and Circumstance" |
| #7244, aired 2016-02-25 | MEDITERRANEAN ISLANDS: This 1,400-square-mile tourist destination's name comes from a Latin word for "greater" Majorca |
| #7243, aired 2016-02-24 | LEGENDARY WOMEN: Early British literature refers to her as "the first lady of the island" Guinevere |
| #7242, aired 2016-02-23 | SHAKESPEARE: After a royal passing in January 1820, this tragedy that had been little performed got 2 new London productions in April King Lear |
| #7241, aired 2016-02-22 | PHRASE ORIGINS: Widely parodied today, this 5-word phrase originally appeared on motivational posters in England during WWII Keep calm and carry on |
| #7240, aired 2016-02-19 | LATE ENTERTAINERS: In 2015 a street connecting with Frank Sinatra Drive & Dean Martin Drive in Las Vegas was renamed in his honor Sammy Davis Jr. |
| #7239, aired 2016-02-18 | PEN NAMES: This children's author considered using the anagrams Edgar Cuthwellis & Edgar U.C. Westhill for his pen name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) |
| #7238, aired 2016-02-17 | THE AFI's 100 YEARS... 100 MOVIES: This man who was in "The Godfather" & "Apocalypse Now" is the only living actor in 6 or more films on the list Robert Duvall |
| #7237, aired 2016-02-16 | HISTORIC OBJECTS: Exhibited in the British Museum since 1802, it was the centerpiece in a 1999 exhibition called "Cracking Codes" the Rosetta Stone |
| #7236, aired 2016-02-15 | FAMOUS PHRASES: In one version of a 19th century quote, "There is room and health... away from the crowds" so you're urged to do these 2 words Go West |
| #7235, aired 2016-02-12 | THE U.S. SENATE: During his Senate service, which lasted from 1973 to January 2009, this man cast 12,810 votes Joe Biden |
| #7234, aired 2016-02-11 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: When this man joined Twitter in September 2015, his first follow was the National Security Agency's account Edward Snowden |
| #7233, aired 2016-02-10 | CHILDREN'S AUTHORS: At 24 he began a verse retelling the Cupid & Psyche myth, including a character named Caspian C.S. Lewis |
| #7232, aired 2016-02-09 | WORLD LITERATURE: It was originally published in 1915 under the German title "Die Verwandlung", meaning "The Transformation" The Metamorphosis (by Franz Kafka) |
| #7231, aired 2016-02-08 | ROYALTY: In 1604, for a special project, he approved a list of scholars to work at Westminster, Cambridge & Oxford James I |
| #7230, aired 2016-02-05 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the only 20th century president who never delivered an inaugural address President Ford |
| #7229, aired 2016-02-04 | 19th CENTURY BOOKS: "Instinct", "Hybridism" & "Geographical Distribution" are chapters in this book The Origin of Species (by Charles Darwin) |
| #7228, aired 2016-02-03 | MOMENTS IN HISTORY: This word follows January (China, 1967); March (Germany, 1848); July (France, 1830) & famously, October Revolution |
| #7227, aired 2016-02-02 | ETYMOLOGY: This word referring to someone who is not an expert is from the Latin for "love" amateur |
| #7226, aired 2016-02-01 | U.S. NATURAL WONDERS: Teddy Roosevelt called it "the one great sight which every American should see" the Grand Canyon |
| #7225, aired 2016-01-29 | THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: He wrote, "As life and fortune are risked by serving his majesty, it is necessary that the latter shall be secured" Benedict Arnold |
| #7224, aired 2016-01-28 | BRITISH MUSICAL THEATRE: A critic said, "I doubt if there is a single joke in" this 1885 work "that fits the Japanese. But all the jokes... fit the English" The Mikado |
| #7223, aired 2016-01-27 | THE EMMYS: It's the first show nominated for both Outstanding Comedy Series (2014) & Outstanding Drama Series (2015) Orange is the New Black |
| #7222, aired 2016-01-26 | 20th CENTURY AMERICA: The 1970 follow-up line "We've had a main B bus undervolt" was addressed to a listener in this city Houston |
| #7221, aired 2016-01-25 | FICTIONAL COUPLES: Among the guests attending their anniversary party in 2005 celebrating 75 years were Dick Tracy, Dilbert & Dennis the Menace Dagwood & Blondie |
| #7220, aired 2016-01-22 | ANCIENT HISTORY: Pantites, sent to recruit troops, & Aristodemus, sent off to treat his eye disease, were the only known Greeks to survive this event the Battle of Thermopylae |
| #7219, aired 2016-01-21 | FAMOUS BRITS: Growing up, her favorite literary heroine was Jo March; they shared a name & a hot temper & they both wanted to write J.K. Rowling (Joanne Rowling) |
| #7218, aired 2016-01-20 | WORLD RELIGION: From a word meaning "tradition", this branch has over a billion followers, many in the Middle East Sunni |
| #7217, aired 2016-01-19 | U.S. STATES: In 1721 explorer Charlevoix called a point at the border of these 2 states "the finest confluence in the world" Missouri & Illinois |
| #7216, aired 2016-01-18 | STATE CAPITALS: A 1957 event led to the creation of a National Historic Site in this city, signed into law by a president whose library is now there too Little Rock, Arkansas |
| #7215, aired 2016-01-15 | WESTERN HEMISPHERE FLAGS: This country whose name contains a religious order founded in the 1200s has a Bible on its flag the Dominican Republic |
| #7214, aired 2016-01-14 | ADVENTURE LITERATURE: In Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth", explorers enter an Icelandic volcano & emerge on this island off Sicily Stromboli |
| #7213, aired 2016-01-13 | 20th CENTURY LITERATURE: For factual details, the author of this 1972 tale drew on a book called "The Private Life of the Rabbit" Watership Down |
| #7212, aired 2016-01-12 | HYMNS: Slave trader turned minister John Newton wrote this hymn that 1st appeared in 1779 as "Faith's Review And Expectation" "Amazing Grace" |
| #7211, aired 2016-01-11 | AMERICANA: This poem includes the line “But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all” "Casey at the Bat" |
| #7210, aired 2016-01-08 | SOCIOLOGY: Often applied to athletes, this 2-word term popularized by Robert K. Merton refers to an example we aspire to a role model |
| #7209, aired 2016-01-07 | PLACES ON THE MAP: Thanks to John Cabot, 16th century French documents included this island designated as "Terre Neuve" Newfoundland |
| #7208, aired 2016-01-06 | SITCOMS: When it premiered in 1974, this TV show used a 1955 No. 1 hit as its opening song Happy Days |
| #7207, aired 2016-01-05 | BRITISH NOVELS: In some countries the subtitle "A Contemporary Satire" was used for this 1945 parable Animal Farm |
| #7206, aired 2016-01-04 | MILESTONES IN U.S. HISTORY: This president began a State of the Union Address by congratulating the historic 100th Congress Ronald Reagan |
| #7205, aired 2016-01-01 | THE 18th CENTURY: In 1765 Britain's PM said, after all we've done for the colonies, if they whine about this law, they'll whine about anything the Stamp Act |
| #7204, aired 2015-12-31 | AFRICAN ANIMALS: This antelope has 2 names, one from Afrikaans describing its looks & one imitating its sound; one is all we need a gnu |
| #7203, aired 2015-12-30 | GERMAN SCIENTISTS: Best known for his theories about planetary orbits, in 1604 he became the first to explain how eyeglasses correct vision Johannes Kepler |
| #7202, aired 2015-12-29 | FAMOUS LAST NAMES: The first woman space shuttle pilot shares this surname with a man on the 1st manned lunar landing 26 years earlier Collins |
| #7201, aired 2015-12-28 | TOP 40 SONGS: The first 2 Top 40 hits for this late singer--one in 1971, the other in 1973--ended up becoming official state songs John Denver |
| #7200, aired 2015-12-25 | PLAYWRIGHTS: He wrote the line "Our home has been nothing but a playroom" Henrik Ibsen |
| #7199, aired 2015-12-24 | AMERICAN BUSINESSMEN: Ironically, this man worth tens of millions when he died in 1990 said his parents named him with a socialist logo in mind Armand Hammer |
| #7198, aired 2015-12-23 | BABY GIRLS' NAMES: In 2014 it was No. 1 in Sweden &, thanks to an animated movie, in the top 300 for U.S. baby girls for the first time in decades Elsa |
| #7197, aired 2015-12-22 | THE ANCIENT WORLD: Dedicated to a female, it's among the few of the 7 Ancient Wonders whose ruins you can visit the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus |
| #7196, aired 2015-12-21 | PUBLISHING: In 1927 the publishers of the Modern Library widened its scope and took this name, meant as a joke about how it would select titles Random House |
| #7195, aired 2015-12-18 | AMERICANA: While working for a plastics company, Don Featherstone created this iconic lawn decor, basing it on photos in National Geographic a pink flamingo |
| #7194, aired 2015-12-17 | LANDMARKS: Jacques-Germain Soufflot, who designed this Paris landmark, was interred there 49 years after dying the Panthéon |
| #7193, aired 2015-12-16 | 19th CENTURY AMERICAN LITERATURE: The theft alluded to in the title of this 1844 Poe story is committed by a government minister "The Purloined Letter" |
| #7192, aired 2015-12-15 | DYSTOPIAN AUTHORS: The author of his own dystopian classic in 1932, this man taught a young George Orwell at Eton Aldous Huxley |
| #7191, aired 2015-12-14 | HISTORIC PLACES: In 1761 he started running a ferry where the Potomac meets the Shenandoah Robert Harper |
| #7190, aired 2015-12-11 | HISTORIC NAMES: The only time the pope & the U.S. president shared a name ended when both died in this year 1963 |
| #7189, aired 2015-12-10 | LITERARY BRITAIN: After her death in 1943, the farmland & cottages of this author & animal lover were bequeathed to the National Trust Beatrix Potter |
| #7188, aired 2015-12-09 | DOG BREEDS: This small breed is named for a member of the 17th century House of Stuart the King Charles spaniel |
| #7187, aired 2015-12-08 | STATE CAPITALS: It's the only capital named for a signer of the Constitution Madison |
| #7186, aired 2015-12-07 | U.S. LEGISLATION: The website for this '60s act says, "First look to see if the information you are interested in is already publicly available" the Freedom of Information Act |
| #7185, aired 2015-12-04 | RELIGION IN AMERICA: The Dakotas & Minnesota are the 3 states with the largest % of residents identifying as this denomination Lutherans |
| #7184, aired 2015-12-03 | SONGS FROM MUSICALS: This song from a Rodgers & Hammerstein musical was once simply titled "First Singing Lesson" "Do-Re-Mi" |
| #7183, aired 2015-12-02 | NEWLY INDEPENDENT NATIONS: Prior to South Sudan, this European country was the most recent one to gain independence & be recognized by the United States Kosovo |
| #7182, aired 2015-12-01 | THE MOVIES: The title of this 2009 Best Picture Oscar nominee alludes to the left tackle's job in a football game The Blind Side |
| #7181, aired 2015-11-30 | U.S. HISTORY: It's the only odd-numbered year in which a U.S. presidential election has been held 1789 |
| #7180, aired 2015-11-27 | AUTHORS: In 1990 he said, "I would like to do what Faulkner did; carve out a little piece of Mississippi territory & claim it for my own" John Grisham |
| #7179, aired 2015-11-26 | NATO COUNTRIES: With a population of under 400,000, this founding member of NATO remains the smallest of the member nations Iceland |
| #7178, aired 2015-11-25 | DAYS OF THE WEEK: To the ancient Greeks, this day of the week was Hemera Aphrodites Friday |
| #7177, aired 2015-11-24 | THE OSCARS: For films of 2005 through 2012, he received nominations for Best Picture, Director, Writing & Acting George Clooney |
| #7176, aired 2015-11-23 | THE 16th CENTURY: In 1521 he was the credited author of "Defense of the 7 Sacraments" against Martin Luther's attacks Henry VIII |
| #7175, aired 2015-11-20 | PHILOSOPHERS: His last name means a type of burial place & in 1855 that's where he went Søren Kierkegaard |
| #7174, aired 2015-11-19 | FRENCH NOVEL TITLE HEROES: He "looked as if he had been shut up for a long time in a tomb and... been unable to recover the... complexion of the living" the Count of Monte Cristo |
| #7173, aired 2015-11-18 | SPACE EXPLORATION: The first man to travel into space began his journey on that fateful day in what is today this country Kazakhstan |
| #7172, aired 2015-11-17 | AFRICAN COUNTRIES: These 2 6-letter rhyming countries both derive their names from rivers & were both once controlled by Great Britain Zambia & Gambia |
| #7171, aired 2015-11-16 | CITIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION: A Hanseatic city, this port of 1.8 million is the largest European Union city that's not a capital Hamburg, Germany |
| #7170, aired 2015-11-13 | GREEK MYTHOLOGY: Famous mother of Pyrrha, who survived the Great Flood & with her husband repopulated the Earth Pandora |
| #7169, aired 2015-11-12 | ARTISTS' SUBJECTS: The woman seen here, who was born in North Carolina & died in England in 1881, was the subject of this painting Whistler's Mother (Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1) |
| #7168, aired 2015-11-11 | ABBREVIATIONS: Its meaning as an individual product dates to 1977; its meaning as conforming to orthodox opinion dates to 1986 PC |
| #7167, aired 2015-11-10 | INAUGURAL ADDRESSES: His first address spoke of "the present happy state", "our peculiar felicity" & our "happy government" James Monroe |
| #7166, aired 2015-11-09 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: He was the first to have both fiction & nonfiction No. 1 New York Times best sellers; the latter featured his beloved poodle John Steinbeck |
| #7165, aired 2015-11-06 | CHILDREN'S LIT: As she arrived at the house of her new employer, "the wind seemed to catch her up into the air and fling her" at the door Mary Poppins |
| #7164, aired 2015-11-05 | ART HISTORY: Although it's a statue of a giant's foe, an observer who saw its 1504 unveiling called it "the marble giant" David (Michelangelo's statue) |
| #7163, aired 2015-11-04 | INTERNATIONAL SPORTS: Its name refers to safety efforts that currently restrict cylinder capacity & prohibit supercharging Formula One |
| #7162, aired 2015-11-03 | 20th CENTURY BUSINESSMEN: In 1915 he dropped bomb-shaped cardboard leaflets on Seattle to promote military aviation Boeing |
| #7161, aired 2015-11-02 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: This country has 8 of the world's 10 highest peaks Nepal |
| #7160, aired 2015-10-30 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: Founded in 1873, it was endowed by & named for the richest man in America Vanderbilt University |
| #7159, aired 2015-10-29 | AFRICA: On the Horn of Africa, it's the only country whose name in English begins with a silent letter Djibouti |
| #7158, aired 2015-10-28 | POPULAR PSYCHOLOGY TERMS: Anna Freud wrote, "The infantile ego resorts to" this behavior "in order not to become aware of some painful impression" denial |
| #7157, aired 2015-10-27 | THE FOUNDING FATHERS: On an alphabetical list of Declaration of Independence signers, he comes between Lyman Hall & Benjamin Harrison John Hancock |
| #7156, aired 2015-10-26 | POP MUSIC HISTORY: Appropriately, this 1984 blockbuster was the first music CD mass-produced in the United States Born in the U.S.A. |
| #7155, aired 2015-10-23 | FLOWERS: The flower pictured here is called this, also a disparaging term for people on the political left a bleeding heart |
| #7154, aired 2015-10-22 | THE CIVIL WAR: There were about 900 casualties in the 1862 Battle of Secessionville, fought in this state South Carolina |
| #7153, aired 2015-10-21 | THE PRIME MERIDIAN: Besides the U.K., it's the only country that the Prime Meridian touches that starts with a vowel Algeria |
| #7152, aired 2015-10-20 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: A line from this 1995 novel is "The infant glistened a scandalous shade of pale emerald" Wicked |
| #7151, aired 2015-10-19 | TODAY'S INTERNATIONAL FILM STARS: The first 2 Spanish actors to win acting Academy Awards, they got married soon after they both had won Penélope Cruz & Javier Bardem |
| #7150, aired 2015-10-16 | BASEBALL TEAMS: When translated, the full name of this Major League Baseball team gets you a double redundancy the Los Angeles Angels |
| #7149, aired 2015-10-15 | THE MIDDLE EAST: With an area of 4,000 square miles, it's the only primarily Arabic-speaking country in the Middle East that has no desert Lebanon |
| #7148, aired 2015-10-14 | U.S. LANDMARKS: For its 50th anniversary in 2012, the roof of this landmark was temporarily repainted its original color, Galaxy Gold the Space Needle (in Seattle) |
| #7147, aired 2015-10-13 | MODERN AMERICAN POETRY: A critic said this 1956 poem was "a tirade... against those who do not share the poet's... sexual orientation" "Howl" (by Allen Ginsberg) |
| #7146, aired 2015-10-12 | HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS: Its restitchings over the centuries helped perpetuate the story of King Harold II being struck in the eye with an arrow the Bayeux Tapestry |
| #7145, aired 2015-10-09 | VIDEO GAMES: As part of its 30th anniversary celebration in 2014, this video game used the slogan "We all fit together" Tetris |
| #7144, aired 2015-10-08 | THE EUROPEAN UNION: Since Bulgaria joined in 2007, the E.U.'s 3 official alphabets have been our Latin one & these 2 Greek & Cyrillic |
| #7143, aired 2015-10-07 | MOVIE CHARACTERS: Charlton Heston's wardrobe in 1954's "Secret of the Incas" inspired the clothes worn by this adventurous character 27 years later Indiana Jones |
| #7142, aired 2015-10-06 | EUROPEAN AUTHORS: "To explain... Harry by the artless division into wolf and man is a hopelessly childish attempt", he wrote in 1927 Hermann Hesse |
| #7141, aired 2015-10-05 | WORD HISTORY: From the Latin for "buy back", it once referred to buying a slave's freedom & today can refer to being saved from sin redeem (or redemption) |
| #7140, aired 2015-10-02 | NOTABLE AMERICAN WOMEN: U.N. delegate was one role of this woman who wrote, "I could not... be contented to take my place in a warm corner by the fireside" Eleanor Roosevelt |
| #7139, aired 2015-10-01 | SHAKESPEARE CHARACTERS: 8-letter name shared by a tragic heroine & Uranus' innermost known moon Cordelia |
| #7138, aired 2015-09-30 | UNITED NATIONS NATIONS: This nation of 55 million is the only one to provide a secretary-general but never to have a seat on the Security Council Burma (or Myanmar) |
| #7137, aired 2015-09-29 | EUROPEAN MUSEUMS: In one of her last official acts before abdicating, Queen Beatrix reopened this museum after a 10-year renovation the Rijksmuseum (in Amsterdam) |
| #7136, aired 2015-09-28 | ROCK & ROLL: The group Nazareth took its name from the first line of a 1968 song from this other group The Band |
| #7135, aired 2015-09-25 | EUROPEAN CITIES: National Geographic says the site of this city is "the largest wetland in the Mediterranean" Venice |
| #7134, aired 2015-09-24 | FOREIGN PHRASES: This French phrase refers to part of the Order of the Holy Ghost; its knights became known for serving superb dinners Cordon Bleu |
| #7133, aired 2015-09-23 | HISTORIC LEGISLATION: In 1820 Jefferson called this bill "the knell of the Union," saying "a geographical line... will never be obliterated" the Missouri Compromise |
| #7132, aired 2015-09-22 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: The only election year since 1952 in which neither major-party candidate had been president or vice president 2008 |
| #7131, aired 2015-09-21 | WORLD OF BOOKS: Mussolini considered this book written during the Renaissance "the statesman's supreme guide" The Prince (by Machiavelli) |
| #7130, aired 2015-09-18 | ALPHABETS: It's the only letter of the Greek alphabet whose English spelling could also be identified as a number in Roman numerals Xi |
| #7129, aired 2015-09-17 | CONTEMPORARIES: On an 1851 visit to Europe, Mathew Brady had hoped to meet this man who inspired him, but he died just as Brady set sail Louis Daguerre |
| #7128, aired 2015-09-16 | OSCAR-NOMINATED SONGS: This song from a 1999 animated film about censorship had a word censored from its Oscar performance "Blame Canada" (from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut) |
| #7127, aired 2015-09-15 | GREAT THINKERS: 239 years ago he wrote of "the enormous debts which... will in the long run probably ruin all the great nations of Europe" Adam Smith |
| #7126, aired 2015-09-14 | AMERICAN POEMS: The title of this poem that begins the 1916 book "Mountain Interval" was inspired by long country walks "The Road Not Taken" (by Robert Frost) |
| #7125, aired 2015-07-31 | CELEBRITIES IN SONG LYRICS: In a song, Weird Al says, "I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who knows" him Kevin Bacon |
| #7124, aired 2015-07-30 | MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: This major league team's official colors are Sedona red, Sonoran sand & black the Arizona Diamondbacks |
| #7123, aired 2015-07-29 | WOMEN AUTHORS: This woman who passed away in 2015 wrote what is billed as Australia's "Gone with the Wind" Colleen McCullough |
| #7122, aired 2015-07-28 | TELEVISION IN THE 2000s: Blanco is the last name of the main character in "Metástasis", a Colombia-set version of this show Breaking Bad |
| #7121, aired 2015-07-27 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: The first movement of the 1888 suite named for her is titled "The Sea and Sindbad's Ship" Scheherazade |
| #7120, aired 2015-07-24 | NATIONAL AIRLINES: This small land's airline advertises a "stopover": 7 nights at no extra travel charge to break up a Boston-Brussels trip Iceland |
| #7119, aired 2015-07-23 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: The mission of this Western university founded in 1875 is "to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life" Brigham Young University |
| #7118, aired 2015-07-22 | MILITARY HISTORY: This country smaller than England was a colonial rival with which England fought 4 wars, the last from 1780 to 1784 the Netherlands |
| #7117, aired 2015-07-21 | HISTORIC NAMES: In 1909 this Oxford student surveyed Crusader castles in the Mideast; a few years later he returned for less peaceful activities T.E. Lawrence |
| #7116, aired 2015-07-20 | POETRY: Wagner's line "Oed' und leer das Meer", meaning "Waste and empty the sea", is quoted in a poem by this American-born man T.S. Eliot |
| #7115, aired 2015-07-17 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: An account of her historic trial noted, "It was conceded that the defendant was, on the 5th November 1872, a woman" Susan B. Anthony |
| #7114, aired 2015-07-16 | EUROPEAN NOVELISTS: Alfred Dreyfus was among the thousands who marched through the streets of Paris in his 1902 funeral procession Émile Zola |
| #7113, aired 2015-07-15 | LANDMARKS: On the completion of this in 1937, its chief engineer wrote, "At last the mighty task is done; Resplendent in the western sun" the Golden Gate Bridge |
| #7112, aired 2015-07-14 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: The debate team at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire is named for this man who entered the academy in 1796 Daniel Webster |
| #7111, aired 2015-07-13 | AMERICAN PRODUCTS: In 1913 this cleaning item was born when its creators named it from a word meaning "bright" or "shining" Brillo |
| #7110, aired 2015-07-10 | 19th CENTURY BRITISH LITERATURE: "I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel" is spoken to this title character by his creation Frankenstein |
| #7109, aired 2015-07-09 | SCRABBLE & CHEMISTRY: As a word used in Scrabble, this longest-named one of the 6 noble gases would give you the highest score krypton |
| #7108, aired 2015-07-08 | THE THOMAS JEFFERSON ADMINISTRATION: Of this agreement, Thomas Jefferson said he "stretched the Constitution until it cracked" the Louisiana Purchase |
| #7107, aired 2015-07-07 | INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS: Due to developments in 2012, this annual summer contest now lists no winner from the years 1999-2005 the Tour de France |
| #7106, aired 2015-07-06 | THE OSCARS: "Gladiator" is close, but this film has the earliest historical setting of any Best Picture Oscar winner Ben-Hur |
| #7105, aired 2015-07-03 | NORTH AMERICAN RIVERS: At about 100 miles it's not one of Canada's 100 longest rivers, but in the 1890s it became perhaps the most famous the Klondike River |
| #7104, aired 2015-07-02 | EUROPEAN ARTISTS: In 1890 a critic said this artist "directs his brush with enormous dabs of impasto of very pure color in sinuous trails" Vincent van Gogh |
| #7103, aired 2015-07-01 | DOING BUSINESS INTERNATIONALLY: This U.S. retailer's 133 Canadian stores closed in 2015; its CEO said, "We missed the mark... by taking on too much too fast" Target |
| #7102, aired 2015-06-30 | FAMOUS WOMEN: On January 5, 1939, in a Los Angeles probate court, this national heroine was declared legally dead Amelia Earhart |
| #7101, aired 2015-06-29 | POETIC INSPIRATIONS: One summer day in 1797 this British poet fell asleep reading a book that adapted the writings of Marco Polo Samuel Taylor Coleridge |
| #7100, aired 2015-06-26 | NOVEL CHARACTERS: This lawyer from a famed 1960 novel shares a name with an ancient Roman renowned for his wisdom Atticus Finch (from To Kill a Mockingbird) |
| #7099, aired 2015-06-25 | POP STARS: She won the 1984 Grammy for Best New Artist & in 2013 became the first solo woman to win a Tony Award for Best Score Cyndi Lauper |
| #7098, aired 2015-06-24 | WORLD LEADERS IN THE NEWS: In 2014 CNN declared Zambia's Guy Scott the first white president in Sub-Saharan Africa since this man in 1994 F.W. de Klerk |
| #7097, aired 2015-06-23 | FUN & GAMES: A standard chessboard has this many perimeter squares 28 |
| #7096, aired 2015-06-22 | THE FUTURE OF TELEVISION: This live-action TV show about a family debuted in 1965 & was set in 1997 Lost in Space |
| #7095, aired 2015-06-19 | 20th CENTURY SCIENTISTS: Everything changed in 1924 after he observed, "I have found a Cepheid variable in the Andromeda Nebula" Edwin Hubble |
| #7094, aired 2015-06-18 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: Published for the first time in 2014, her "Pioneer Girl" was initially rejected, revised & transformed into a fictional series Laura Ingalls Wilder |
| #7093, aired 2015-06-17 | THE OSCARS: In her 30s, this Texan was up for Best Actress in 2002 & 2003; she won Best Supporting in 2004 in a Civil War drama Renée Zellweger |
| #7092, aired 2015-06-16 | QUOTABLE PAINTERS: "A reviewer... wrote that my pictures didn't have any beginning or any end. He didn't mean it as a compliment, but it was" Jackson Pollock |
| #7091, aired 2015-06-15 | 19th CENTURY POETRY: He rhymed the title character of one of his best-known poems with "drew on", "threw on" & "ruin" Lord Byron |
| #7090, aired 2015-06-12 | SHIPS IN THE NEWS: In 2012 Nature magazine ran an obituary for this ship, which "died after a long struggle with bad publicity" the Exxon Valdez |
| #7089, aired 2015-06-11 | MEDITERRANEAN ISLANDS: A statue of St. Paul is located on this island where he took refuge after a shipwreck Malta |
| #7088, aired 2015-06-10 | HISTORIC QUOTES: During the 1976 presidential campaign, Ronald Reagan said of this, "We built it, we paid for it, it's ours & we are going to keep it" the Panama Canal |
| #7087, aired 2015-06-09 | HUMANITIES & HISTORY: Echoing the Morse code for V, in WWII the BBC's "V for Victory" campaign used this classical work as a theme Beethoven's Fifth Symphony |
| #7086, aired 2015-06-08 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: This name made famous in a 17th century novel is derived from the Spanish for "sweet" Dulcinea |
| #7085, aired 2015-06-05 | MOTTOES: Though the 2 men were very different, this 4-word motto came to represent both Oscar Wilde & Louis B. Mayer "Art for art's sake" |
| #7084, aired 2015-06-04 | NOTORIOUS 20th CENTURY NAMES: Morton Sobell, a co-defendant with these 2, was also convicted but received a lighter sentence: 30 years in prison Julius & Ethel Rosenberg |
| #7083, aired 2015-06-03 | BRITISH CITIES: The name of this Southern city famous in literature is from words meaning "Kent people's stronghold" Canterbury |
| #7082, aired 2015-06-02 | INFAMOUS: Born in Illinois of Huguenot ancestry, he was executed in June 1882, a year after his heinous act Charles Guiteau |
| #7081, aired 2015-06-01 | SPORTS RULES: The Syracuse owner created this in 1954 & it may have helped his team succeed the Lakers as champs the next year the 24-second shot clock |
| #7080, aired 2015-05-29 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: Mens et manus, "mind and hand", is the motto of this university whose alumni include I.M. Pei, Amar Bose & Richard Feynman MIT |
| #7079, aired 2015-05-28 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Published a year later, "Good Wives" was a follow-up to this 1868 novel Little Women |
| #7078, aired 2015-05-27 | GOVERNORS: Governors of adjacent states, these 2 ex-prosecutors are also adjacent on an alphabetical list of governors Christie & Cuomo |
| #7077, aired 2015-05-26 | ANCIENT TIMES: Aristotle said that an ancient Athenian law made uprooting one of these trees punishable by death an olive tree |
| #7076, aired 2015-05-25 | HYMNS: A Christian hymn & a Jewish holiday hymn are both titled this, also the name of a 2009 Tony-nominated musical Rock Of Ages |
| #7075, aired 2015-05-22 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: In a recent British poll, the 1926 book about this title character was named the favorite children's book of the past 150 years Winnie the Pooh |
| #7074, aired 2015-05-21 | 19th CENTURY AUTHORS: In an essay, he wrote, "I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion" Thoreau |
| #7073, aired 2015-05-20 | RELIGION: The "N" in the I.N.R.I. written on the Christian cross refers to this place Nazareth |
| #7072, aired 2015-05-19 | EUROPEAN CITIES: The European Central Bank is based in this city sometimes called "Mainhattan" Frankfurt |
| #7071, aired 2015-05-18 | ANIMATED MOVIE CHARACTERS: Her look was partly inspired by descendant Shirley "Little Dove" Custalow McGowan & by model Christy Turlington Pocahontas |
| #7070, aired 2015-05-15 | CELEBRITY MEMOIRS: Memoirs by Righteous Brothers singer Bill Medley & this late actor share the title "The Time of My Life" Patrick Swayze |
| #7069, aired 2015-05-14 | BESTSELLING BOOKS: In 2014 a collection of her columns became the 1st bestseller entirely by this woman who championed many other bestsellers Oprah Winfrey |
| #7068, aired 2015-05-13 | FAMOUS NAMES: In March 2012 this director tweeted, "Just arrived at the ocean's deepest pt. Hitting bottom never felt so good" James Cameron |
| #7067, aired 2015-05-12 | BUSINESS: These 2 American businessmen are seen here in early 20th century photos Harley & Davidson |
| #7066, aired 2015-05-11 | THE OSCARS: Last name of the only family to have a father & daughter receive Academy Award nominations for Best Director Coppola |
| #7065, aired 2015-05-08 | HISTORIC SITES: On August 15, 1941 convicted Nazi spy Josef Jakobs became the last person to be put to death here the Tower of London |
| #7064, aired 2015-05-07 | MASCOTS: For the first time in almost 100 years, this pro team has an official mascot, a bear named Clark the Chicago Cubs |
| #7063, aired 2015-05-06 | SCHOOLS AROUND THE WORLD: In 1906 this city's Academy of Fine Arts admitted Egon Schiele; in 1907 it rejected Adolf Hitler Vienna, Austria |
| #7062, aired 2015-05-05 | LITERATURE: Interestingly, at the start of this novel, Prince Oblonsky, the title character's brother, has been unfaithful Anna Karenina |
| #7061, aired 2015-05-04 | CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS: Harriet Hemenway's boycott of the feathered hats of her social circle inspired the 1905 founding of this the Audubon Society |
| #7060, aired 2015-05-01 | VICE PRESIDENTS: Of the 5 former vice presidents still living, he held the office the earliest Walter Mondale |
| #7059, aired 2015-04-30 | WORLD CITIES: According to U.N. statistics, it's the most populous city in the Americas not attached to the mainland Havana, Cuba |
| #7058, aired 2015-04-29 | CHAIN STORE NAMES IN THE NEWS: The 1917 first use of what became its name said this 2-word small room "called up the tube that the steamer... was torpedoed" Radio Shack |
| #7057, aired 2015-04-28 | MOVIES & TV: The first hit feature film based on a "Saturday Night Live" sketch was "The Blues Brothers"; this was the second Wayne's World |
| #7056, aired 2015-04-27 | WEDDINGS: In April 2011 he married an heiress to the fortune of a company called Party Pieces Prince William |
| #7055, aired 2015-04-24 | ACTORS: Ironically, in the summer of 1955, he gave an interview about the dangers of racing on highways James Dean |
| #7054, aired 2015-04-23 | ART IN THE CITY: German city where you'll find the statue seen here Hamelin |
| #7053, aired 2015-04-22 | AMERICAN POETRY: This 1883 poem says, "Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand a mighty woman..." "The New Colossus" |
| #7052, aired 2015-04-21 | BODIES OF WATER: The Finnish call it Itameri & the Germans call it Ostsee the Baltic Sea |
| #7051, aired 2015-04-20 | BUSINESS: This social media company launched in October 2010; in 2012, with about a dozen employees & no revenue, it sold for $1 billion Instagram |
| #7050, aired 2015-04-17 | BOOK REVIEWS: A 2008 review of this novel, later filmed, compared it to "Battle Royale" & said it's "a future we can fear" The Hunger Games |
| #7049, aired 2015-04-16 | WORLD LEADERS: On the occasion of this late leader's visit to the U.S. in 2009, ABC News listed 112 various spellings of his name Muammar Gaddafi |
| #7048, aired 2015-04-15 | THE GREEK ALPHABET: When spelled out as words in English, 2 of the 3 longest Greek letters (2 of) epsilon, upsilon & omicron |
| #7047, aired 2015-04-14 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Only 2 presidents had their last names changed--these 2 Ford & Clinton |
| #7046, aired 2015-04-13 | GEOGRAPHY: The Caucasian Isthmus lies between these 2 large inland bodies of water the Caspian Sea & the Black Sea |
| #7045, aired 2015-04-10 | RUSSIANS: The subtitle of a biography about this early 20th century man is "The Saint Who Sinned" Rasputin |
| #7044, aired 2015-04-09 | REFERENCE WORKS: Now in its fourth edition, the book with this title first appeared in 1918 as a 43-page guide for Cornell English students The Elements of Style |
| #7043, aired 2015-04-08 | SHAKESPEARE'S CHARACTERS: One of the Bard's few plays with children on stage is this one with 2 brothers who last appear alive in Act III, Scene i Richard III |
| #7042, aired 2015-04-07 | CELEBRITY FATHERS & DAUGHTERS: He won a Grammy in 1959, she won 3 in the 1970s & a song by both was 1991's Song & Record of the Year Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole |
| #7041, aired 2015-04-06 | NYC LANDMARKS: The lobby of this landmark has an art deco ceiling fresco by Edward Trumbull called "Transport and Human Endeavor" the Chrysler Building |
| #7040, aired 2015-04-03 | EUROPEAN HISTORY: A 3-letter 9th century tribe is in the names of 2 21st century countries: the world's most vast, & this one Belarus |
| #7039, aired 2015-04-02 | NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS: 50 years after San Francisco's cable cars became a National Historic Landmark, this city's street railway got the designation in 2014 New Orleans |
| #7038, aired 2015-04-01 | ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin for "to walk before", a famous example of this 8-letter word was written in 1787 preamble |
| #7037, aired 2015-03-31 | COMEDY INSPIRATIONS: Rodney Dangerfield credited this 1972 Best Picture Oscar winner for inspiring his most famous line The Godfather |
| #7036, aired 2015-03-30 | WOMEN AUTHORS: In addition to her novels, she also wrote a children's book about Sun Yat-sen & an "Oriental Cookbook" Pearl Buck |
| #7035, aired 2015-03-27 | TRANSPORTATION: Incorporated in 1948, this company chose its name from the book of the Hebrew prophet Hosea El Al Airlines |
| #7034, aired 2015-03-26 | NAVY SHIPS: First designated as Armored Cruiser No. 1, this ship was commissioned in 1895 & operated on our East Coast & in the Caribbean the Maine |
| #7033, aired 2015-03-25 | ACTRESSES: For playing a legal assistant in a 2000 film, she became the first actress to crash the $20 million salary barrier Julia Roberts |
| #7032, aired 2015-03-24 | THE SCULPTOR SPEAKS: "Chaste women remain fresher" was the reason he made a mother look barely older than her son Michelangelo |
| #7031, aired 2015-03-23 | U.S. CITIES: Kipling wrote of this city, "If a car" can "run up & down a slit in the ground... why shall I seek the reasons of the miracle?" San Francisco |
| #7030, aired 2015-03-20 | UNWANTED FIRSTS: Jean Valliere, burned in 1523, is considered the first martyr of this religious group the Huguenots |
| #7029, aired 2015-03-19 | LITERARY ANAGRAMS: Vivian Darkbloom, a minor character in a 1955 novel by this foreign-born author, is an anagram of his name Vladimir Nabokov |
| #7028, aired 2015-03-18 | COMPOSERS: 2 of the world's greatest Baroque composers, they were born within a month of each other in Germany in 1685 but never met Johann Sebastian Bach & George Frederic Handel |
| #7027, aired 2015-03-17 | NUMBERS: This 2-digit number is the smallest prime number whose digits are both themselves prime numbers 23 |
| #7026, aired 2015-03-16 | KIDS' TV CHARACTERS: Marquez is the last name of this character who debuted in 2000 Dora the Explorer |
| #7025, aired 2015-03-13 | HISTORICAL U.S. GEOGRAPHY: It became a border territory in 1864 after being part of the Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nebraska & Dakota territories Montana |
| #7024, aired 2015-03-12 | THE U.S. GOVERNMENT: On August 15, 1994, 59 years & 1 day after FDR signed the original act, Bill Clinton made this an independent agency the Social Security Administration |
| #7023, aired 2015-03-11 | 2014 ALBUMS: With a new release & 8 viral videos to go with it, he had the first comedy album in 50 years to top the Billboard 200 "Weird Al" Yankovic |
| #7022, aired 2015-03-10 | NOBEL LAUREATES: He was the subject of a 2014 New York Times article headlined "A Pioneer as Elusive as His Particle" Peter Higgs |
| #7021, aired 2015-03-09 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: The first story in which he appeared began, "The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at 3 in the morning" James Bond |
| #7020, aired 2015-03-06 | ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION SPEECHES: Springsteen said David Sancious was "the only member of the group who ever actually lived" there E Street |
| #7019, aired 2015-03-05 | PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM WINNERS: She was called a "Trailblazer for America's daughters" when she won in 2012, a century after founding an organization Juliette Gordon Low |
| #7018, aired 2015-03-04 | PRESIDENTS & THE WHITE HOUSE: When the current presidential occupant of the White House was born, this president was living there John Fitzgerald Kennedy |
| #7017, aired 2015-03-03 | U.S. STATES: It's the only state name that can be typed using the letters on only one row of the standard keyboard Alaska |
| #7016, aired 2015-03-02 | LITERARY FIRST LINES: He wrote the 1971 opener "We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold" Hunter S. Thompson (from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) |
| #7015, aired 2015-02-27 | AUTHORS & FILMMAKERS: This author had a bitter feud with Michael Moore over the title of a 2004 documentary Ray Bradbury |
| #7014, aired 2015-02-26 | FOREIGN LEADERS: On February 25, 1956, he gave a speech "On the Personality Cult and Its Consequences", seen as an attack on his predecessor Khrushchev |
| #7013, aired 2015-02-25 | LANGUAGES: They're the 2 states with the highest percentage of people who speak French at home Louisiana & Maine |
| #7012, aired 2015-02-24 | 1980s MOVIES: At his term's end, Ronald Reagan took an office in an L.A. high-rise, still a mess from the filming of this 1988 thriller Die Hard |
| #7011, aired 2015-02-23 | 2014 EVENTS: To prepare venues hosting this event, 12 billion perennial ryegrass seeds were imported from Manitoba, 5,000 miles away the World Cup |
| #7010, aired 2015-02-20 | WORD ORIGINS: Describing anything very showy, in architecture it refers to a style using curves like tongues of fire flamboyant |
| #7009, aired 2015-02-19 | POETS: On completing the "Deathbed" edition of his great work, he wrote, "L. of G. at last complete--after 33 y'rs of hackling at it" Walt Whitman |
| #7008, aired 2015-02-18 | NO. 1 SONGS: A U.S. No. 1 in 1977, it was performed the night before Carl XVI Gustaf's 1976 wedding to Silvia Sommerlath "Dancing Queen" |
| #7007, aired 2015-02-17 | CALIFORNIA CITIES: A park, elementary school & medical pavilion named for Herbert Hoover are found in this 2-word California city Palo Alto |
| #7006, aired 2015-02-16 | MYTHOLOGY: The ancient Greeks derived the name of this evil sorceress from a verb meaning "to plot" Medea |
| #7005, aired 2015-02-13 | HISTORIC NAMES ON THE MAP: Nothing is known of his early life in England before 1600 or of the end of his life in North America after June 22, 1611 Henry Hudson |
| #7004, aired 2015-02-12 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: Not in the 10 longest, this 1,560-mile river in a fertile basin flows by 29 cities of over 100,000 people the Ganges |
| #7003, aired 2015-02-11 | REFERENCE BOOK MAKERS: In 1863 he used the epigraph "I have gathered... other men's flowers, & nothing but the thread that binds them is mine own" John Bartlett |
| #7002, aired 2015-02-10 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: Winner of a Tony for Best Musical, it culminates with an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Jersey Boys |
| #7001, aired 2015-02-09 | 19th CENTURY WRITERS: After his death, he was given full military honors in Greece before his body was returned home for burial at his baronial seat Lord Byron |
| #7000, aired 2015-02-06 | SHAKESPEARE: After England, more Shakespeare plays are set in this present-day country than in any other Italy |
| #6999, aired 2015-02-05 | LISTS: Efforts to save historic treasures threatened by the creation of the Aswan High Dam led UNESCO to create this list the World Heritage (Sites) list |
| #6998, aired 2015-02-04 | STATE FLAGS: It is mentioned in the motto on Minnesota's flag & is depicted on Alaska's the North Star |
| #6997, aired 2015-02-03 | MATH TERMS: This word for a process that leads to the solution to a problem comes from the Arabic name of a 9th century mathematician algorithm |
| #6996, aired 2015-02-02 | LIBRARIES: The street address of his presidential library is 40 Presidential Drive Ronald Reagan |
| #6995, aired 2015-01-30 | INVENTORS: In 1702 Thomas Savery wrote of one of his designs, "Such an engine will do the work or labour of ten or twelve" these horses |
| #6994, aired 2015-01-29 | RANKS & TITLES: In 1858 rule of India went from the East India Company to the British Crown & Lord Canning became the first holder of this title Viceroy of India |
| #6993, aired 2015-01-28 | MEDIEVAL LITERATURE: Characters in this epic 4,002-line poem include Count Ogier, Duke Thierry & Archbishop Turpin of Reims The Song of Roland (La Chanson de Roland) |
| #6992, aired 2015-01-27 | BEST ACTOR OSCARS: 1 of 2 performers to win 2 Best Actor Oscars for films that won Best Picture Marlon Brando or Dustin Hoffman |
| #6991, aired 2015-01-26 | U.S. CITIES: In 1846 it had 200 people; 14 years later, thanks to a discovery, it had over 50,000, making it No. 15 in the country San Francisco |
| #6990, aired 2015-01-23 | RIVERS: This North American river first sailed by Europeans in 1534 is named for a man who was martyred in Rome in the 3rd century the St. Lawrence River |
| #6989, aired 2015-01-22 | CANDY: An early TV ad for this candy bar featured a fleur-de-lis flag & a song with the lyrics "fun for all" 3 Musketeers |
| #6988, aired 2015-01-21 | FICTION: A line in this short story is "Slowly, awkwardly trying out his feelers, which he now first learned to appreciate..." "The Metamorphosis" |
| #6987, aired 2015-01-20 | LAST WORDS: In 1170 he said, "I am ready to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace" St. Thomas Becket |
| #6986, aired 2015-01-19 | BRITISH BUSINESS NAMES: Still around, these 2 rival companies began with a 1744 sale of "scarce & valuable books" & a 1766 sale of chamber pots Christie's & Sotheby's |
| #6985, aired 2015-01-16 | EPITAPHS: His headstone in Rome reads in part: "This grave contains all that was mortal, of a young English poet" John Keats |
| #6984, aired 2015-01-15 | BUSINESS HISTORY: Found near Amsterdam in 2010, a 1606 stock certificate from this long-defunct company has been valued at $750,000 the Dutch East India Company |
| #6983, aired 2015-01-14 | U.S. STATES: The difference of this Southern state's highest & lowest points is only 345 feet, the smallest disparity among the states Florida |
| #6982, aired 2015-01-13 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: "Iowa Stubborn" was the second song heard in this show when it opened on Broadway in 1957 The Music Man |
| #6981, aired 2015-01-12 | 20th CENTURY BRITS: Dr. Hugh Cairns, who tried but couldn't save the life of this man in May 1935, became a pioneer in the use of motorcycle helmets T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) |
| #6980, aired 2015-01-09 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In 1982, 72 years after his death, he became the first person inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians Mark Twain |
| #6979, aired 2015-01-08 | ARTISTS: He said a 2009 exhibit was the 1st time taxpayers' money was used "to hang my pictures up rather than scrape them off" Banksy |
| #6978, aired 2015-01-07 | HISTORICAL NICKNAMES: In the Red Star in 1976, Capt. Yuri Gavrilov coined this nickname for a U.K. politician who had made a speech against the USSR the "Iron Lady" |
| #6977, aired 2015-01-06 | ASIA: Meaning "waterless place" this 500,000-square-mile area lies in what's called a "rain shadow" of the Himalayas the Gobi Desert |
| #6976, aired 2015-01-05 | OLYMPIC HOST CITIES: This European city hosted the northernmost Summer Games, also the first where Soviet athletes participated Helsinki, Finland |
| #6975, aired 2015-01-02 | 20th CENTURY AMERICA: In 1923 Fanny Brice made news by having this procedure, later rejected by a woman portraying her a nose job |
| #6974, aired 2015-01-01 | TELEVISION: Set to the song "You've Got Time", a montage of real women who were incarcerated is in the opening credits of this series Orange Is the New Black |
| #6973, aired 2014-12-31 | ISLANDS: Present name of an island settled by Europeans in the 1490s, today the most populous island in the Americas Hispaniola |
| #6972, aired 2014-12-30 | ROYALTY: He was the last English monarch to die in battle Richard III |
| #6971, aired 2014-12-29 | BOOK DEDICATIONS: The 1853 dedication of "12 Years a Slave" was to this woman author "whose name... is identified with the Great Reform" Harriet Beecher Stowe |
| #6970, aired 2014-12-26 | AFRICAN FLAGS: The flag of Burundi has stars representing the Twa & these 2 other ethnic groups much in the news in the 1990s the Hutu & the Tutsi |
| #6969, aired 2014-12-25 | INTERNATIONAL SYMBOLS: Inspired by the 5th letter of the Greek alphabet, its symbol includes 2 horizontal lines to represent stability the euro (€) |
| #6968, aired 2014-12-24 | OSCAR-WINNING ACTRESSES: With a total of 5 wins, they're the only 2 Best Actress winners who were known professionally by the same last name Katharine & Audrey Hepburn |
| #6967, aired 2014-12-23 | WORD ORIGINS: In the mid-1960s, a decade after it first appeared in a holiday tale, this word came to be used for any mean killjoy grinch |
| #6966, aired 2014-12-22 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: Celebrated in April, National Robotics Week honors this man who coined the word "robotics" in a 1941 story Isaac Asimov |
| #6965, aired 2014-12-19 | INTERNATIONAL MOTORING: One of the 3 European Union countries besides the United Kingdom that have not switched to driving on the right (1 of) Ireland, Malta & Cyprus |
| #6964, aired 2014-12-18 | 20th CENTURY SCULPTURE: Its sculptor asked for prayer that this work would "endure until the wind and the rain alone shall wear them away" Mount Rushmore |
| #6963, aired 2014-12-17 | THE AFI's 100 GREATEST FILMS: One of the top 20, this 1946 film was based on a short story published as "The Man Who Was Never Born" It's a Wonderful Life |
| #6962, aired 2014-12-16 | SOUTH AMERICA: In 2004 the dollar replaced the guilder as the monetary unit of this country Suriname |
| #6961, aired 2014-12-15 | POETRY: The narrator mistakes the presence of this title creature for the wind & later calls it prophet the raven |
| #6960, aired 2014-12-12 | LITERARY TRAVEL: The romantic balcony seen here is one of the most popular tourist attractions in this Italian city Verona |
| #6959, aired 2014-12-11 | THE BIBLE: The first birthday celebration mentioned in the Bible takes place in Genesis 40 & is in honor of this ruler the Pharaoh in Egypt |
| #6958, aired 2014-12-10 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The first man in the 20th century to hold all 4 federally elected offices: congressman, senator, vice president & president Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) |
| #6957, aired 2014-12-09 | LITERARY INSPIRATIONS: The peat bogs of Dartmoor, England inspired the fictional home of the beastly title character in this 1902 tale The Hound of the Baskervilles |
| #6956, aired 2014-12-08 | MOVIE TITLE REFERENCES: For this 1971 film the reference is to the 1948 film "Red River" The Last Picture Show |
| #6955, aired 2014-12-05 | HEALTH & MEDICINE: In 1985 the Surgeon General called this "the best rescue technique in any choking situation" the Heimlich maneuver |
| #6954, aired 2014-12-04 | TOY BRANDS: This product's website has stated, "Helping imagination take shape for over 50 years!" & "Fun to (use), not to eat" Play-Doh |
| #6953, aired 2014-12-03 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: This city of 650,000 people is the most populous U.S. city not found in a U.S. state Washington, D.C. |
| #6952, aired 2014-12-02 | KINGS & QUEENS: Technically this monarch is the head of state of 16 countries including Jamaica & New Zealand Elizabeth II |
| #6951, aired 2014-12-01 | TV CHARACTERS: This 8'2" character who made his debut in 1969 is still going strong Big Bird |
| #6950, aired 2014-11-28 | ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY: The remains for Arlington's first monument to unknown soldiers mostly came from this battlefield 30 miles away Bull Run |
| #6949, aired 2014-11-27 | BODIES OF WATER: First encountered in 1648 by a man born in Russia, it was eventually named after a man born in Denmark the Bering Strait |
| #6948, aired 2014-11-26 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: In 1940 House Representative from Oklahoma Lyle Boren denounced it as a "dirty, lying, filthy manuscript" The Grapes of Wrath |
| #6947, aired 2014-11-25 | PEOPLE IN THE ARTS: He once said, "It is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming wild things" Maurice Sendak |
| #6946, aired 2014-11-24 | BRITISH MUSICMAKERS OF THE '90s: One critic called them "a social phenomenon", "the most widely recognised group... since John, Paul, George & Ringo" the Spice Girls |
| #6945, aired 2014-11-21 | SHAKESPEAREAN GEOGRAPHY: Of the 5 cities mentioned in Shakespeare play titles, it's the only one not found in Europe Tyre |
| #6944, aired 2014-11-20 | 20th CENTURY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: In this year, there were no pres's or VPs running, but 3 of the 4 men on the 2 major party ballots would become president 1920 |
| #6943, aired 2014-11-19 | 21st CENTURY BOOKS: Set in the Great Depression, this 2006 novel has an epigraph from "Horton Hatches the Egg" Water for Elephants |
| #6942, aired 2014-11-18 | FRENCH LITERATURE: Its first chapter recalls "the little scallop-shell of pastry, so richly sensual under its severe, religious folds" Remembrance of Things Past |
| #6941, aired 2014-11-17 | THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLOBE: This capital city, which at 12,330 miles is farthest from Madrid, is named for a soldier who spent time in Madrid Wellington |
| #6940, aired 2014-11-14 | OPERA CHARACTERS: In an 1893 opera that was its composer's greatest success, Peter & Gertrud are the parents of these 2 characters Hansel & Gretel |
| #6939, aired 2014-11-13 | TUNNELS: These 2 islands that begin with the same letter are linked by the 33.5-mile Seikan rail tunnel, the world's longest in operation Honshu and Hokkaido |
| #6938, aired 2014-11-12 | THE U.S. CONSTITUTION: The 3 Latin phrases found in the Constitution are "pro tempore", "ex post facto" & this legal 2-word phrase habeas corpus |
| #6937, aired 2014-11-11 | THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY: As of 2013 this 3-letter verb common in sports, theater & politics has the largest entry in the online OED run |
| #6936, aired 2014-11-10 | STATE HOLIDAYS: This is the only state that honors a former U.S. Secretary of State with his own legal holiday Alaska |
| #6935, aired 2014-11-07 | SPORTS LOGOS: This NFL team's logo is the only one that is a plant the New Orleans Saints (the Fleur de Lis) |
| #6934, aired 2014-11-06 | HIGHWAYS & BYWAYS: The Hiram Bingham Highway, opened in 1948, is the last leg linking Machu Picchu with this World Heritage site, a city about 50 miles off Cuzco |
| #6933, aired 2014-11-05 | ARTISTS: Illustrations by this man show why his name has become the standard for children's book artistry (Randolph) Caldecott |
| #6932, aired 2014-11-04 | THE SUPREME COURT: After Washington & FDR, he is, perhaps fittingly, the president who appointed the most Supreme Court justices (William Howard) Taft |
| #6931, aired 2014-11-03 | SCIENTISTS: Accepting his 1922 Nobel Prize in Stockholm, he spoke of "the intellectual solidarity" in the Scandinavian countries Niels Bohr |
| #6930, aired 2014-10-31 | INVENTIONS: This machine was invented in 1929; the government began buying them to help prevent any more in a series of Army Air Corps fatalities the flight simulator |
| #6929, aired 2014-10-30 | MONARCHS OF ENGLAND: The fifth king & the eighth king of this name share the distinction of both having been proclaimed king but never crowned Edward |
| #6928, aired 2014-10-29 | AMERICAN-BORN AUTHORS: In 1915 his reasons for naturalization included "having lived and worked in England for the best part of forty years" Henry James |
| #6927, aired 2014-10-28 | THE BIBLE: The first conversation recounted in the Bible is in Genesis 3, between these 2; it leads to trouble Eve & the Serpent (or Satan) |
| #6926, aired 2014-10-27 | ROCK & ROLL: A restaurant chain took its name from a British band's fourth chart-topper, this 1967 song "Ruby Tuesday" |
| #6925, aired 2014-10-24 | TONY NOMINATIONS: Although she has appeared in only 2 Broadway musicals, she got Tony nominations for both, for 1962 & 1964 Barbra Streisand |
| #6924, aired 2014-10-23 | FRENCH FOOD HISTORY: A popular product was born when Jean Naigeon of this city substituted the juice of unripe grapes for vinegar Dijon |
| #6923, aired 2014-10-22 | EPONYMOUS GEOGRAPHY: Named around 1616, it's the world's fifth-largest island & the largest named after a person Baffin Island |
| #6922, aired 2014-10-21 | THE 18th CENTURY: Losses in this event included 12 chests of souchong the Boston Tea Party |
| #6921, aired 2014-10-20 | LITERATURE: A chapter heading in this 19th century work calls the title character "one-eyed, lame", another calls him "deaf" The Hunchback of Notre Dame |
| #6920, aired 2014-10-17 | COATS OF ARMS: This country's coat of arms features a palm tree & a 19th century American sailing ship Liberia |
| #6919, aired 2014-10-16 | LITERATURE: This title 1864 adventure is embarked upon by a descent into Iceland's Mount Sneffels Journey to the Center of the Earth |
| #6918, aired 2014-10-15 | WORDPLAY: Subtract a letter from the name of a keystroke found in computer commands & you get this violent reaction to social change backlash (from "backslash") |
| #6917, aired 2014-10-14 | BUSINESS: Today this company markets more than 100 times the number of products found in a slogan it used in 1896 H.J. Heinz |
| #6916, aired 2014-10-13 | SPORTS FIGURES: He was featured on the September 22, 1947 cover of Time with the caption "He and the boss took a chance" Jackie Robinson |
| #6915, aired 2014-10-10 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: It became a colony of the U.S. in 1898, a commonwealth in 1935 & an independent country in 1946 the Philippines |
| #6914, aired 2014-10-09 | HISTORICAL FIGURES: A 2012 poll by Britain's National Army Museum voted this man, born in 1732, as the nation's greatest military enemy George Washington |
| #6913, aired 2014-10-08 | NOVEL TITLE CHARACTERS: "His madness being stronger than any other faculty", he "resolved to have himself dubbed a knight by the first person he met" Don Quixote |
| #6912, aired 2014-10-07 | FAUXBITUARIES: He received a real obituary in the Albuquerque Journal in 2013 noting his "long battle with lung cancer" Walter White |
| #6911, aired 2014-10-06 | MUSIC: John Williams said his music for this event, not a film, tried to capture "the spirit of cooperation, of heroic achievement" the (1984 Summer) Olympics (in Los Angeles) |
| #6910, aired 2014-10-03 | TV IN THE 2000s: A key scene of this sitcom's 2014 finale after 9 seasons was actually filmed in Season 2 How I Met Your Mother |
| #6909, aired 2014-10-02 | 2014 NEWSMAKERS: Both making news in June, these 2 Davids with similar last names are LeBron's new coach & Eric Cantor's conqueror David Blatt & David Brat |
| #6908, aired 2014-10-01 | U.S. CITY FIRSTS: Among its firsts are underwater auto tunnel to a foreign country & corp. to net more than $1 billion in a single year Detroit |
| #6907, aired 2014-09-30 | WORLD LEADERS: He came to power 34 days before FDR & left it 19 days after him Adolf Hitler |
| #6906, aired 2014-09-29 | AGATHA CHRISTIE: In the 400-page book "Agatha Christie A to Z", entries beginning with this 6-letter word start on page 224 & end on 238 "Murder" |
| #6905, aired 2014-09-26 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In 1936 at age 79, he published an article in Esquire magazine in which he described how to pick a jury Clarence Darrow |
| #6904, aired 2014-09-25 | 20th CENTURY LEADERS: In May 1980 over 200 leaders from more than 120 countries attended his funeral in Belgrade Tito |
| #6903, aired 2014-09-24 | ALLITERATION: This metaphor used by Shakespeare & Coleridge to denote an ending is based on a legend that never really happens in nature swan song |
| #6902, aired 2014-09-23 | ENGLISH MONARCHS: She was born near London; her mother, near Madrid "Bloody" Mary Tudor |
| #6901, aired 2014-09-22 | THE BILLBOARD ALBUM CHARTS: 11 movie soundtrack albums by this performer hit the Billboard Top 10, with 4 hitting No. 1 Elvis Presley |
| #6900, aired 2014-09-19 | MOVIES ABOUT MOVIES: The title character of this 2013 film was played by David Tomlinson, who was actually seen only in clips from a 1964 film Saving Mr. Banks |
| #6899, aired 2014-09-18 | FOREIGN WORDS: The Holy Roman Empire from 800 to 1806 was the first; the German empire from 1871 to 1918 was the second reich |
| #6898, aired 2014-09-17 | MUSICAL THEATER: In "Godspell" this character leads the company in singing, "Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord" John the Baptist (or Judas Iscariot) |
| #6897, aired 2014-09-16 | EUROPEAN CAPITALS: At 200 miles, this capital of just over a million people is the continental capital closest to London Brussels |
| #6896, aired 2014-09-15 | AUTHORS: In 1937 his sister said he had "hats of every description" which he would use as a "foundation of his next book" Dr. Seuss |
| #6895, aired 2014-08-01 | AWARDS & HONORS: There were no winners for this award from 1939 through 1943; in 1944, it was won by the International Committee of the Red Cross the Nobel Peace Prize |
| #6894, aired 2014-07-31 | BESTSELLING BOOKS: This novel is dedicated to Esther Earl, who died of thyroid cancer at 16 & never got to read it The Fault in Our Stars |
| #6893, aired 2014-07-30 | GREAT MOMENTS IN 19th CENTURY SCIENCE: Matthias Schleiden found plants are made up of these; at dinner he told Theodor Schwann who said, hey, so are animals cells |
| #6892, aired 2014-07-29 | DAYS OF THE WEEK: In Spanish & French, the word for Friday comes from Latin for "day of" this goddess Venus |
| #6891, aired 2014-07-28 | HISTORIC TRANSPORTS: Its principal mast is at Arlington, its foremast is at the Naval Academy & a monument to it, restored in 2013, is located in Havana the U.S.S. Maine |
| #6890, aired 2014-07-25 | WEBSITES: A slang term for Harvard's freshman register gave this website its name Facebook |
| #6889, aired 2014-07-24 | NOVEL WORDS: This word for a person without certain abilities has made it from the realm of fantasy to the OED a muggle |
| #6888, aired 2014-07-23 | LITERARY HEROINES: Fittingly, this character is named for a plant also known as arrowhead that belongs to the genus Sagittaria Katniss Everdeen |
| #6887, aired 2014-07-22 | WORLD LANDMARKS: Built for a World's Fair in 1889, its visitors that year included the Prince of Wales & Buffalo Bill; it still gets 7 million a year the Eiffel Tower |
| #6886, aired 2014-07-21 | RELIGIOUS HISTORY: This term comes from a 1529 event in which a group of Lutherans formally disagreed with a decision by a Catholic council Protestantism |
| #6885, aired 2014-07-18 | FAMOUS HOMES: Purchased in 1957 & called "the second most famous home in America", it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006 Graceland |
| #6884, aired 2014-07-17 | 16th CENTURY SCIENTISTS: It is often said of this man that he "stopped the Sun and moved the Earth" Copernicus |
| #6883, aired 2014-07-16 | 20 YEARS AGO IN ENTERTAINMENT: In 1994 this comedian starred in a No. 1 sitcom, the No. 1 Christmas movie & had a No. 1 non-fiction bestseller Tim Allen |
| #6882, aired 2014-07-15 | U.S. GOVERNMENT PEOPLE: A committee chaired by the official in this job released the influential 1964 report "Smoking and Health" the Surgeon General |
| #6881, aired 2014-07-14 | LITERARY TITLE WORDS: It was Giovanni Boccaccio who added this adjective to another Italian author's work divine |
| #6880, aired 2014-07-11 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Published in 1925, it still sells 500,000 copies a year & was on the bestseller lists in 2013 The Great Gatsby |
| #6879, aired 2014-07-10 | IN THE DICTIONARY: This adjective can mean "delicate", "heavenly" or, in chemistry, "related to C4H10O" ethereal |
| #6878, aired 2014-07-09 | CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHIES: The constitution of this country allows the monarch to abdicate, which has happened in 1948, 1980 & 2013 the Netherlands |
| #6877, aired 2014-07-08 | SCIENCE WORDS: Appropriately, this word from Latin for "unfold" isn't in the first edition of "Origin of Species", but does appear in later editions evolution |
| #6876, aired 2014-07-07 | GOVERNMENT: "Features" at the website of this agency include "Protection", "Investigations" & "Know Your Money" the Secret Service |
| #6875, aired 2014-07-04 | FICTIONAL LOCALES: Featured in a 1933 novel, it may have been inspired by the 1920s Tibetan travel writings of explorer Joseph Rock Shangri-La |
| #6874, aired 2014-07-03 | FAMOUS OBJECTS: In 1950 the England-Scotland border was closed for the first time in 400 years to try to recover this stolen item the Stone of Scone |
| #6873, aired 2014-07-02 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: 2 places called Point Udall, referred to as the USA's easternmost & westernmost points, are in these 2 territories Guam & the Virgin Islands |
| #6872, aired 2014-07-01 | THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: The first official use of this 4-word term is at The Declaration's beginning, immediately after "The thirteen" "United States of America" |
| #6871, aired 2014-06-30 | 1970s FILMS: In 2013 Mario Cuomo said he finally saw this film, which he had boycotted for personal reasons, & called it "maybe... a masterpiece" The Godfather |
| #6870, aired 2014-06-27 | BRITISH AUTHORS: The Pharmaceutical Journal praised her 1920 first novel, saying it dealt "with poisons in a knowledgeable way" Agatha Christie |
| #6869, aired 2014-06-26 | SCIENCE & INDUSTRY: In 1891 this European said, "Perhaps my factories will put an end to war sooner than your congresses" Alfred Nobel |
| #6868, aired 2014-06-25 | WORLD LEADERS: Since 1953 5 consecutive siblings have been this country's head of state Saudi Arabia |
| #6867, aired 2014-06-24 | 2004: Watching the Super Bowl halftime show, the head of this government agency kept saying, "My day is going to" be lousy "tomorrow" the FCC |
| #6866, aired 2014-06-23 | BROADWAY: In 2013 this musical based on a movie became the first show to gross $1 billion on Broadway The Lion King |
| #6865, aired 2014-06-20 | DOGS & GEOGRAPHY: In 2001 the names of these 2 breeds came together in the new official name of a Canadian province Newfoundland & Labrador |
| #6864, aired 2014-06-19 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Founded in 1908, this big company was removed from the S&P 500 in 2009 after filing for bankruptcy but returned in 2013 General Motors |
| #6863, aired 2014-06-18 | MUSIC IN AMERICA: Established by Congress in 1798, it's the oldest continuously active U.S. professional music ensemble the Marine Corps Band |
| #6862, aired 2014-06-17 | 19th CENTURY NOVEL CHARACTERS: His "spinal column was curved"... the "head was between the shoulder-blades and... one leg was shorter than the other" Quasimodo (the Hunchback of Notre Dame) |
| #6861, aired 2014-06-16 | WORD ORIGINS: This noun meaning a secret plan comes from the Latin for "to breathe together" conspiracy |
| #6860, aired 2014-06-13 | FOREIGN AFFAIRS: William Sullivan retired from the Foreign Service in 1979; he was the last U.S. Ambassador to this country Iran |
| #6859, aired 2014-06-12 | CURRENT TELEVISION: George Romero declined to direct a few episodes of this series, calling it "basically... just a soap opera" The Walking Dead |
| #6858, aired 2014-06-11 | CAPITAL CITY WORDPLAY: Ending in the same 2 letters, these 2 are capitals of a nation that covers a continent & of a nation reaching onto 2 continents Canberra & Ankara |
| #6857, aired 2014-06-10 | SCIENTISTS: As a humorous tribute, an astronomical term equivalent to at least 4 billion has been named for him Carl Sagan |
| #6856, aired 2014-06-09 | THE MEDITERRANEAN: It's the only U.N. member country in the Mediterranean where English is an official national language Malta |
| #6855, aired 2014-06-06 | 20th CENTURY AMERICANS: In 1911 Glenn Curtiss received this document Number 1 a pilot's license |
| #6854, aired 2014-06-05 | 19th CENTURY U.S. HISTORY: A dignitary at the dedication of this said it was "keeping watch and ward before the open gates of America" The Statue of Liberty |
| #6853, aired 2014-06-04 | THE BEATLES: Of The Beatles' 20 U.S. No. 1 hits, this song has the shortest title "Help!" |
| #6852, aired 2014-06-03 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: Team nicknames of the 8 Ivy League schools include 4 animals, 3 colors & this Christian denomination the Quakers (of the University of Pennsylvania) |
| #6851, aired 2014-06-02 | OSCAR-WINNING WRITERS: Winning for 1999, this New England writer is the last person to win an Oscar for adapting his own novel John Irving |
| #6850, aired 2014-05-30 | 19th CENTURY POLITICS: A Senate seat from this Southern state sat vacant for 4 years; when it was filled, its ex-occupant had become U.S. president Tennessee |
| #6849, aired 2014-05-29 | FRUIT: It's the only commercially important edible fruit of the bromeliad family the pineapple |
| #6848, aired 2014-05-28 | OPERA: In a bit of foreshadowing, the title character's dad has committed suicide before the action of this 1904 opera Madame Butterfly |
| #6847, aired 2014-05-27 | 20th CENTURY PLAY TITLES: This play's title comes from the name of a Greek king said to have carved a statue of a woman & fallen in love with it Pygmalion |
| #6846, aired 2014-05-26 | TITLE MOVIE ROLES: In 1984, in the first of the films featuring this character, he only has 21 lines, for a total of 133 words the Terminator |
| #6845, aired 2014-05-23 | THE 1960s: In his last speech, he mentioned local newsmakers of the day, including his friend Cesar Chavez & Don Drysdale Robert F. Kennedy |
| #6844, aired 2014-05-22 | TECHNOLOGY: When Apple sued for iPad patent infringement, Samsung cited this 1968 movie as the originator of the design 2001: A Space Odyssey |
| #6843, aired 2014-05-21 | ORGANIZATIONS: The full name of this scholarly group founded after a lecture in 1660 includes "of London for Improving Natural Knowledge" the Royal Society |
| #6842, aired 2014-05-20 | BRITISH NOVELS: Stephen King borrowed the name of his fictional town Castle Rock from this 1950s novel that greatly influenced him Lord of the Flies |
| #6841, aired 2014-05-19 | BOARD GAMES: In the classic version of Monopoly, the only 2 improvable properties without Avenue or Place in their names Boardwalk & Marvin Gardens |
| #6840, aired 2014-05-16 | SECRETARIES OF STATE: Serving 160 years apart, these 2 Secretaries of State are the only ones who never married Condoleezza Rice & James Buchanan |
| #6839, aired 2014-05-15 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: 1 of the 2 movies in the last 30 years, one a drama & one a comedy, to win Oscars for Best Actor & Best Actress The Silence of the Lambs or As Good as It Gets |
| #6838, aired 2014-05-14 | NAMES ON THE MAP: Visited by Jacques Cartier in 1534, it was later renamed for Queen Victoria's father, the Duke of Kent Prince Edward Island |
| #6837, aired 2014-05-13 | MONARCHS: 2 teen Hashemite cousins officially took the thrones of their respective countries May 2, 1953:
Faisal of Iraq & him King Hussein of Jordan (the Hashemite Kingdom) |
| #6836, aired 2014-05-12 | 19th CENTURY POEMS: Written about the U.S. occupation of the Philippines, a Kipling poem said, "Take up" this now-controversial phrase the White Man's burden |
| #6835, aired 2014-05-09 | FAMOUS BOOKS: It was published March 26, 1830; a very popular work with the same name premiered March 24, 2011 The Book of Mormon |
| #6834, aired 2014-05-08 | BRITISH THINKERS: His works include "The Economic Consequences of the Peace" in 1919 & "The End of Laissez-Faire" from 1926 John Maynard Keynes |
| #6833, aired 2014-05-07 | SUPREME COURT DECISIONS: On December 20, 1956 the Court's ruling on Browder v. Gayle went into effect, bringing an end to this 381-day event the Montgomery bus boycott |
| #6832, aired 2014-05-06 | U.S. STATES: Between 2006 & 2013 it went from 39th to 6th in per capita income & its unemployment rate dropped to the nation's lowest North Dakota |
| #6831, aired 2014-05-05 | WORD ORIGINS: This word for a timid person comes from the last name of a character in a 1920s newspaper comic called "The Timid Soul" milquetoast |
| #6830, aired 2014-05-02 | BUSINESS HISTORY: In 1945 this product added a plaid design to its "snail" dispenser Scotch Tape |
| #6829, aired 2014-05-01 | U.S. STATES: Other than Q, these 2 letters appear the least in the names of states, each appearing only once J & Z |
| #6828, aired 2014-04-30 | ALBUM COVERS: This band used a picture of the Hindenburg disaster on the cover of its eponymous debut album Led Zeppelin |
| #6827, aired 2014-04-29 | U.S. HISTORY: Messrs. Gusenberg, Gusenberg, May, Weinshank, Clark, Heyer & Schwimmer famously died on this day in 1929 February 14 (or Valentine's Day) |
| #6826, aired 2014-04-28 | NOBEL PRIZE-WINNING AUTHORS: Due to injuries suffered in 2 plane crashes in Africa, he was unable to accept his 1954 Nobel Prize in person Ernest Hemingway |
| #6825, aired 2014-04-25 | COMPUTERS: The creator of this computer command called it "a 5-minute job"; in 2013 Bill Gates called it "a mistake" Ctrl-Alt-Delete |
| #6824, aired 2014-04-24 | DIARIES & JOURNALS: This archaeologist's diary for November 26, 1922 mentions 2 "ebony-black effigies of a king, gold sandalled" Howard Carter |
| #6823, aired 2014-04-23 | HOLIDAYS IN OTHER COUNTRIES: William Tubman's nearly 3 decades of leadership is celebrated on his birthday, November 29, in this country Liberia |
| #6822, aired 2014-04-22 | BASEBALL: Vine Line is the official magazine of this Major League Baseball team the Chicago Cubs |
| #6821, aired 2014-04-21 | HISTORIC GROUPS: With fewer than 10 member cities in attendance, this association based in Lubeck held its last assembly in 1669 the Hanseatic League |
| #6820, aired 2014-04-18 | CHARACTERS IN NOVELS: One of this man's "most priceless memories" is of "a delicately nurtured Southern belle with her Irish up" Rhett Butler |
| #6819, aired 2014-04-17 | 19th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: Good looks weren't enough as he became the only full-term president rejected in a bid for his party's 2nd term nomination Franklin Pierce |
| #6818, aired 2014-04-16 | TV MUSIC: "Crystal Blue Persuasion" by Tommy James & the Shondells was heard in this drama's "Gliding Over All" episode Breaking Bad |
| #6817, aired 2014-04-15 | THE ANCIENT WONDERS: Far apart alphabetically, they're the 2 deities in the names of the 7 ancient wonders Artemis & Zeus |
| #6816, aired 2014-04-14 | SIGNS & SYMBOLS: Meant to evoke a person with arms outstretched & pointed downward, it was designed in 1958 by Gerald Holtom the peace symbol (or sign) |
| #6815, aired 2014-04-11 | HISTORIC IRONY: Theodor Herzl was inspired to begin the work that's the foundation for modern Zionism by an opera by this composer Richard Wagner |
| #6814, aired 2014-04-10 | FOREIGN LEADERS: In 1964 he was convicted of sabotage & conspiracy & served over 20 years in prison Nelson Mandela |
| #6813, aired 2014-04-09 | AROUND THE USA: The Mayo Clinic Mile is a walking path that features 1 mile, 5K & 10K routes within this structure the Mall of America |
| #6812, aired 2014-04-08 | MUSIC MAKERS: Salisbury Cathedral's dean said this man, via his 2013 album, "is creating a huge awareness of" an historic document Jay-Z |
| #6811, aired 2014-04-07 | FOOD & DRINK: The corporate website for this product says it leaves its container at .028 miles per hour Heinz ketchup |
| #6810, aired 2014-04-04 | 20th CENTURY NOVEL QUOTES: "It was one of those pictures... so contrived that the eyes follow you... beneath" the picture was this 5-word quote Big Brother is watching you |
| #6809, aired 2014-04-03 | 19th CENTURY POLITICS: In 1884 George Pillsbury became mayor of this city Minneapolis |
| #6808, aired 2014-04-02 | MONARCHS: In 2005 the Kul Sharif Mosque of Tatarstan was reopened 453 years after it was destroyed by this man Ivan the Terrible |
| #6807, aired 2014-04-01 | FAMOUS WOMEN: This crusader, in 1906: "More than 60 years of hard struggle for a little liberty, & then to die without it seems so cruel" Susan B. Anthony |
| #6806, aired 2014-03-31 | LITERATURE & OPERA: An aria in this Shakespeare-based opera says, "Di scozia a te promettono le profetesse il trono... Che tardi?" Macbeth |
| #6805, aired 2014-03-28 | OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Prior to "Silver Linings Playbook", the last film to get Oscar nominations in all 4 acting categories was this film partly set in Russia Reds |
| #6804, aired 2014-03-27 | ADAPTED FROM ANTIQUITY: It begins with a vow to an ancient god & ends with "if I transgress it & swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot" the Hippocratic Oath |
| #6803, aired 2014-03-26 | AGRICULTURE: Prunus dulcis, this snack high in calcium & vitamin E, is native to the Mideast, but 80% of the world crop comes from California almonds |
| #6802, aired 2014-03-25 | MEDICAL ETYMOLOGY: Because of where in the body it is produced, this hormone's name comes from the Latin for "island" insulin |
| #6801, aired 2014-03-24 | HISTORICAL NICKNAMES: Nickname shared by George Armstrong Custer, Native American chief Crazy Horse & a member of a 1930s comedy act Curly |
| #6800, aired 2014-03-21 | CURRENT REALITY TV: On learning what his series would be called, the star of this reality show said, "That sounds like a Chinese food place!" Duck Dynasty |
| #6799, aired 2014-03-20 | OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES: In 1908 this animal appropriately became the mascot of the Prohibition Party the camel |
| #6798, aired 2014-03-19 | THE MUSIC INDUSTRY: She beat out newcomers like Bieber & Gaga to top Forbes' list of the highest-paid people in music for 2013 Madonna |
| #6797, aired 2014-03-18 | BRITISH AUTHORS: The author of more than 50 books, he won 6 Hugo awards & was nominated for a 1968 Oscar Arthur C. Clarke |
| #6796, aired 2014-03-17 | BODIES OF WATER: More than 1/5 of all the world's people live in countries bordering this, the world's biggest bay the Bay of Bengal |
| #6795, aired 2014-03-14 | ACTORS & OSCARS: He was nominated for Oscars in 5 consecutive decades; the last nod was for his 1978 role as a Nazi hunter Sir Laurence Olivier |
| #6794, aired 2014-03-13 | WORLD CAPITALS: At 4,000 miles, the farthest-apart capitals of bordering countries are these 2 cities, one on a peninsula Moscow & Pyongyang |
| #6793, aired 2014-03-12 | BRITISH ROYALTY: He was the last male monarch who had not previously been Prince of Wales George VI |
| #6792, aired 2014-03-11 | NOVEL TITLES: The title of this 1951 novel comes from the hero's fantasy of rescuing children falling from a cliff The Catcher in the Rye |
| #6791, aired 2014-03-10 | AMERICAN COMPOSERS: A protege of Oscar Hammerstein, he's won Grammys, an Oscar, a Pulitzer Prize & the most Tony Awards by a composer Stephen Sondheim |
| #6790, aired 2014-03-07 | BIBLICAL NAMES: In Genesis 4 this name is chosen because God "hath appointed me another seed" Seth |
| #6789, aired 2014-03-06 | PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING AUTHORS: He's the most recent winner of 2 Pulitzer Prizes for Fiction, winning in 1982 & 1991 for books in the same series John Updike |
| #6788, aired 2014-03-05 | 4-LETTER WORDS: New research says this word that has become ubiquitous dates back to young men also called "macaronis" dude |
| #6787, aired 2014-03-04 | BORDERS: Twice as long as Hadrian's Wall, Offa's Dyke was the traditional border between these 2 lands England & Wales |
| #6786, aired 2014-03-03 | PRESIDENTS: He is the only 19th century president to serve 2 complete terms with the same vice president James Monroe |
| #6785, aired 2014-02-28 | MODERN DAY SUFFIXES: Dating from 1973, this 4-letter suffix indicates a person or thing that has become associated with public scandal -gate |
| #6784, aired 2014-02-27 | LANDMARKS: From 1936 to 1987, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power helped operate this facility in another state Hoover Dam |
| #6783, aired 2014-02-26 | SINGERS: The only solo artist to have 5 Billboard No. 1 albums before the age of 19 Justin Bieber |
| #6782, aired 2014-02-25 | BUSINESS: "The Everything Store" is a book about this company that in 2012 was home to 1% of all North American Internet traffic Amazon.com |
| #6781, aired 2014-02-24 | 19th CENTURY PEOPLE: Frederick Douglass said this man's "zeal in the cause of my race was far greater than mine" John Brown |
| #6780, aired 2014-02-21 | THE BRITISH EMPIRE: 1713's Treaty of Utrecht concluding the War of the Spanish Succession granted this small 2.3-square-mile area to Great Britain Gibraltar |
| #6779, aired 2014-02-20 | AUTHORS: On his death in 1862 a Massachusetts paper said, "No man ever lived closer to nature, and reported her secrets more eloquently" Thoreau |
| #6778, aired 2014-02-19 | SHAKESPEARE CHARACTERS: He has the most speeches of any character with 471 in 3 plays, of which 2 are histories & 1 is a comedy Falstaff |
| #6777, aired 2014-02-18 | PHYSICS: The name of this theory is from viewing sub-atomic particles as 1-dimensional objects, not as 0-dimensional points string theory |
| #6776, aired 2014-02-17 | 19th CENTURY NAMES: In preparation for a work he published in 1828 that was over 20 years in the making, he learned 26 languages Noah Webster |
| #6775, aired 2014-02-14 | GETTING A "D" IN COLLEGE: The USA's oldest endowed chair is a Harvard chair of this subject, given in 1721 when that was largely what Harvard taught divinity |
| #6774, aired 2014-02-13 | HISTORIC PLACES: Administered by the Army, its first graves were dug by former slave James Parks, the only one buried there who was born on the site Arlington National Cemetery |
| #6773, aired 2014-02-12 | BIBLE CHARACTERS: "Take care of him", says the man called this in Luke 10 after giving money to an innkeeper the Good Samaritan |
| #6772, aired 2014-02-11 | SOCIAL MEDIA: The most retweeted tweet of all time happened on November 6, 2012 & started with "four" & ended with these 2 words more years |
| #6771, aired 2014-02-10 | ISLANDS: In a satellite photo, volcanic activity can be seen on this 10,000-square-mile island Sicily |
| #6770, aired 2014-02-07 | WORLD POLITICS: When these 2 men swapped jobs in 2012, their country's media described the move as "castling" Putin & Medvedev |
| #6769, aired 2014-02-06 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Once a poor British protectorate, in 2012 this peninsular country ranked as the world's richest per capita Qatar |
| #6768, aired 2014-02-05 | THE PERIODIC TABLE: Of the element symbols that don't match the element's English name, this element's symbol is alphabetically 1st silver |
| #6767, aired 2014-02-04 | 20th CENTURY WOMEN AUTHORS: Readers' letters to this author about her 1948 short story asked where the title event was held & if they could go & watch Shirley Jackson |
| #6766, aired 2014-02-03 | PRESIDENTS & FIRST LADIES: The only foreign-born First Lady was the wife of this man who served in the diplomatic corps from age 14 John Quincy Adams |
| #6765, aired 2014-01-31 | INVENTORS: In an 1854 demonstration, he said, "Cut the rope"; his invention kicked in, then he said, "All safe, gentlemen" Elisha Otis |
| #6764, aired 2014-01-30 | COMEDIC ACTRESSES: She's won Emmys for 3 different TV shows & in 2013 she broke Lucille Ball's record for most nominations by a comedic actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus |
| #6763, aired 2014-01-29 | CAPITAL CITIES: One of the 2 world capitals that end in the letter "Z"; one is in Europe & one in the Americas (1 of) La Paz & Vaduz |
| #6762, aired 2014-01-28 | LITERARY QUOTES: A maxim of Ayn Rand was "Man's ego is" this "of human progress" the fountainhead |
| #6761, aired 2014-01-27 | THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT: This office is named for a tablecloth imprinted with squares that was once used as an abacus the Chancellor of the Exchequer |
| #6760, aired 2014-01-24 | GROUNDBREAKING NONFICTION: Chapters in this 1962 classic include "Earth's Green Mantle", "Needless Havoc", "Rivers of Death" & "And No Birds Sing" Silent Spring |
| #6759, aired 2014-01-23 | NOTABLE NAMES: During a jubilee celebration in 2003, he became the first foreigner to be made an honorary citizen of Nepal (Edmund) Hillary |
| #6758, aired 2014-01-22 | LITERARY TITLE CHARACTERS: Lord Henry tells him, "What an exquisite life you have had!... It has not marred you. You are still the same" Dorian Gray |
| #6757, aired 2014-01-21 | INTERNATIONAL SPORTS: Twice the host country, this nation of 4 1/2 million leads the world in total winter Olympic medals Norway |
| #6756, aired 2014-01-20 | GOVERNMENT SITES: Begun as part of a 1930s project to reclaim Maryland mountain land, it's officially "Naval Support Facility Thurmont" Camp David |
| #6755, aired 2014-01-17 | AMERICAN THEATER: This 1949 drama that ends with a requiem asks, "Why did you do it? I search & search & I search, & I can't understand it" Death of a Salesman |
| #6754, aired 2014-01-16 | SHAKESPEARE: This 5-letter name appears 7 times in Shakespeare titles, more than any other name Henry |
| #6753, aired 2014-01-15 | 16th CENTURY PEOPLE: This non-Brit said in 1532, "I advised (Henry VIII) that it would be better for him to take a concubine than to ruin his people" Martin Luther |
| #6752, aired 2014-01-14 | OCCUPATIONAL FIRST NAMES: It's once again in demand repairing old stone infrastructure, & is 1 of the 5 most popular U.S. boys' names today Mason |
| #6751, aired 2014-01-13 | ASIAN NATIONS: Since 1991, it's the only former Communist nation to restore its monarchy, which it still has Cambodia |
| #6750, aired 2014-01-10 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: It's the largest country in area completely south of the equator that has a female president Argentina |
| #6749, aired 2014-01-09 | MAGAZINES: This title, launched in early 1930, seemed at odds with the Great Depression in subject & $1 cover price Fortune |
| #6748, aired 2014-01-08 | 2013 OBITUARIES: She was called a "savior", a "heartless tyrant", a "trailblazer", "intimidating" & a "real toughie" Margaret Thatcher |
| #6747, aired 2014-01-07 | THE TITANIC: A member of Parliament said, "Those who have been saved have been saved through one man", this Italian Marconi |
| #6746, aired 2014-01-06 | BROADWAY ACTRESSES: She originated 2 famous Broadway roles: one later played on film by Marilyn Monroe, another by Barbra Streisand Carol Channing |
| #6745, aired 2014-01-03 | 20th CENTURY QUOTATIONS: In 1947 Churchill called it "the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried" democracy |
| #6744, aired 2014-01-02 | ACTORS: In the '50s he won a Tony for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical & a Best Actor Oscar for playing the same role, a monarch Yul Brynner |
| #6743, aired 2014-01-01 | NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: This intellectual forum started in 1984, bringing together people from 3 different industries, hence its 3-letter name TED |
| #6742, aired 2013-12-31 | 19th CENTURY VICE PRESIDENTS: Woodrow Wilson said this man had enough genius to be immortal & "unschooled passion enough to have made him infamous" (Aaron) Burr |
| #6741, aired 2013-12-30 | WORD ORIGINS: When evidence was lacking, juries of yore would reply with this Latin word meaning "we do not know"; now it means a dunce ignoramus |
| #6740, aired 2013-12-27 | 18th CENTURY AMERICA: There were just 13 of these, the title of an historic document; one offered admission to Canada the Articles of Confederation |
| #6739, aired 2013-12-26 | TECH TERMS: In a July 1990 post Yisrael Radai called this 7-letter term "a word I just coined for Trojans, viruses, worms etc." malware |
| #6738, aired 2013-12-25 | AUTHORS: "The American Tolkien" was what Time magazine called this author with the same 2 middle initials as Tolkien George R.R. Martin |
| #6737, aired 2013-12-24 | GEOPOLITICAL HOT SPOTS: On the Grand Trunk Road, the Wagah border separating these 2 countries since 1947 is called the "Berlin Wall of Asia" India & Pakistan |
| #6736, aired 2013-12-23 | PRESIDENTS & FILM: Jimmy Carter held 480 screenings at the White House; his first was this film set in 1970s Washington, D.C. All the President's Men |
| #6735, aired 2013-12-20 | 20th CENTURY LITERARY TERMS: The writer who named this U.S. movement said the term referred to supreme blessedness, not exhaustion the Beat movement |
| #6734, aired 2013-12-19 | TV CHARACTERS: Jerry Jones, Mark Cuban & Mayor Mike Rawlings were 3 of the real folks at the 2013 memorial for this TV character J.R. Ewing |
| #6733, aired 2013-12-18 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: Joy, Nellie & Aranea are 3 of the many children of this title character Charlotte |
| #6732, aired 2013-12-17 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: "Royal March of the Lion", "The Aquarium" & "The Aviary" are thematically related 1886 works from this man Camille Saint-Saens |
| #6731, aired 2013-12-16 | COUNTRIES FOR SHORT: North Korea is the DPRK; this country is the LPDR Laos |
| #6730, aired 2013-12-13 | HEALTH & MEDICINE 2013: There's news of the first lab test for this 10-letter condition the NIH calls the leading cause of disability for Americans 15 to 44 depression |
| #6729, aired 2013-12-12 | 21st CENTURY NOVELS: In a letter to the author, President Obama called this "a lovely book--an elegant proof of God, and the power of storytelling" Life of Pi (by Yann Martel) |
| #6728, aired 2013-12-11 | SPORTS TERM HISTORY: After throwing a long, last-second touchdown in 1975, Roger Staubach said, "I closed my eyes & said" this Hail Mary |
| #6727, aired 2013-12-10 | STATE CAPITALS: It's the Southern city in which the building seen here is located; counting the panels may help Austin |
| #6726, aired 2013-12-09 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Although born in the United States, he was the only president who spoke English as a second language Martin Van Buren |
| #6725, aired 2013-12-06 | HISTORIC LETTERS: In April 1865 she wrote to Mary Lincoln, "I cannot remain silent... brokenhearted by the loss of my own beloved husband" Queen Victoria |
| #6724, aired 2013-12-05 | 20th CENTURY ARTS: Pretending to be a tree is an exercise in a key textbook of this system that spread from Russia to Broadway & then to Hollywood method acting (the Stanislavski system) |
| #6723, aired 2013-12-04 | ASIA: Consisting of a peninsula & 2 islands, it was the longest-lasting European colony in Asia: 442 years, ending in 1999 Macau |
| #6722, aired 2013-12-03 | THE INTERNET: The inventor of this image format said the OED wrongly has 2 pronunciations of it--the right one is with a soft "G" gif |
| #6721, aired 2013-12-02 | POP GROUPS: In 2012, 22 years after their first album, they released a new one that includes "Good Vibrations" & "Monday Monday" Wilson Phillips |
| #6720, aired 2013-11-29 | COLLEGE SPORTS MASCOTS: In 1947 Walt Disney made a handshake deal to let this university use one of his major characters as its mascot, still in use today the University of Oregon |
| #6719, aired 2013-11-28 | 20th CENTURY NAMES: In 1942 Winston Churchill said, "I can handle this peasant"; historians aren't sure things turned out that way Joseph Stalin |
| #6718, aired 2013-11-27 | GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS: Over 8,000 people have been saved from harm by this program authorized in a 1970 law, but we're not allowed to name any the Witness Protection Program |
| #6717, aired 2013-11-26 | AUTHORS: An international airport in Jamaica is named for this author who set many of his stories of the 1950s & 1960s there Ian Fleming |
| #6716, aired 2013-11-25 | NOBEL LAUREATES: The 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner from this country was under arrest at the time of the award Myanmar |
| #6715, aired 2013-11-22 | COUNTRY NAMES: In England in 1933, Choudhry Rahmat Ali coined this name, a country that wouldn't be formed until 14 years later Pakistan |
| #6714, aired 2013-11-21 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The second man to become president who was never elected to the job, he twice ran for the position unsuccessfully Millard Fillmore |
| #6713, aired 2013-11-20 | NOVEL TITLES: These are not found in the Koran, & the angel Gabriel told Muhammad that they were not revealed by God the Satanic Verses |
| #6712, aired 2013-11-19 | THE 2012 OLYMPICS: NBC reported that in the first days of Olympic coverage, this sport seen in recent books & on film was the most watched on cable archery |
| #6711, aired 2013-11-18 | BUILDINGS: Charles Evans Hughes laid the cornerstone for this building on October 13, 1932 & got to work in it for about 6 years the U.S. Supreme Court Building |
| #6710, aired 2013-11-15 | PLAY CHARACTERS: In Peter Roach's phonetics glossary, this alliterative guy is "the best-known fictional phonetician" Henry Higgins |
| #6709, aired 2013-11-14 | SYMBOLS: One legend says Clovis, king of the Franks, adopted this symbol after flowers revealed a safe river crossing for his army the fleur-de-lis |
| #6708, aired 2013-11-13 | MYTHOLOGY: Rich with electrum, the Turkish river Pactolus is where this legendary man was said to have washed off his curse King Midas |
| #6707, aired 2013-11-12 | HISTORIC OBJECTS: In 1802, 3 years after it was discovered, it was moved to London under the terms of the surrender of Alexandria the Rosetta Stone |
| #6706, aired 2013-11-11 | 2013 NEWSMAKERS: The name of this woman who achieved a long-held goal in 2013 is a homophone of a word for a water nymph Diana Nyad |
| #6705, aired 2013-11-08 | OLYMPIC HISTORY: In London in 2012, judo & the 800m run included the first female Olympians ever from this Mideastern country Saudi Arabia |
| #6704, aired 2013-11-07 | LITERARY INFLUENCES: The "Gossip Girl" series of books was inspired by this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel also set in New York City but 120 years earlier The Age of Innocence |
| #6703, aired 2013-11-06 | ON THE GLOBE: Of the 5 named circles of latitude on a standard Earth globe, it's the one with the longest name the Tropic of Capricorn |
| #6702, aired 2013-11-05 | FIRST FAMILIES: Sasha & Malia Obama are the first presidential children who were not old enough to vote for Dad since this one Chelsea Clinton |
| #6701, aired 2013-11-04 | FOOD & DRINK: This soft drink was named for a digestive enzyme & a native African plant Pepsi-Cola |
| #6700, aired 2013-11-01 | NATIONS OF THE WORLD: The only 2 countries in the Americas that border each other & begin with the same letter Brazil & Bolivia |
| #6699, aired 2013-10-31 | THE TUDORS: "Alone in prison strong / I wail my destiny" & "let pass my weary, guiltless ghost" are lines from a poem attributed to her Anne Boleyn |
| #6698, aired 2013-10-30 | INTERNET FIRSTS: A broken laser pointer for $14.83 in 1995 holds this distinction the first item sold on eBay |
| #6697, aired 2013-10-29 | MOVIE COMEDIES: The hero of this 1993 comedy says he's "been stabbed, shot, poisoned, frozen, hung, electrocuted & burned" Groundhog Day |
| #6696, aired 2013-10-28 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: This 19th century character talks about his own writings about tattoo marks & on the tracing of footsteps Sherlock Holmes |
| #6695, aired 2013-10-25 | EUROPEAN LITERATURE: This 1922 novel's first chapter is titled "The Son of the Brahman" Siddhartha |
| #6694, aired 2013-10-24 | ART IN THE U.S. CAPITOL: Members of the Hungarian, Swedish & Israeli parliaments spoke when a bust of this foreign diplomat was unveiled Raoul Wallenberg |
| #6693, aired 2013-10-23 | FOREIGN CURRENCY: Iran's 50,000 rial note includes an international symbol for one of these, featuring 3 well-defined orbits an atom |
| #6692, aired 2013-10-22 | THE CARIBBEAN: Pico Duarte & Lago Enriquillo in this country 650 miles from Florida are the highest & lowest points in the Caribbean the Dominican Republic |
| #6691, aired 2013-10-21 | AFI's 100 FUNNIEST FILMS: These 2 films were No. 1 & No. 2 on the AFI's list of funniest American films; both involve cross-dressing Tootsie & Some Like it Hot |
| #6690, aired 2013-10-18 | CARS: Introduced as a 2-seater & later celebrated in song, it was Motor Trend's Car of the Year for 1958, 1987, 1989 & 2002 the T-Bird |
| #6689, aired 2013-10-17 | TRADEMARKS: Facebook & TiVo have both claimed trademarks for an icon representing this gesture thumbs-up |
| #6688, aired 2013-10-16 | FEMALE SINGERS: In 2013 she became only the third female singer after Aretha Franklin & Madonna to chart over 40 Top 40 hits Taylor Swift |
| #6687, aired 2013-10-15 | NOVELS: Chapter 1 of this 1952 book ends, "This is about the way the Salinas valley was when my grandfather... settled in the foothills" East of Eden |
| #6686, aired 2013-10-14 | BIG COUNTRIES: In area, it's the largest former Soviet republic after Russia & the largest nation that doesn't border an ocean Kazakhstan |
| #6685, aired 2013-10-11 | WORLD CAPITALS: It's the capital city of the only country that borders both the Mediterranean Sea & the Black Sea Ankara |
| #6684, aired 2013-10-10 | LITERARY ILLUSTRATIONS: Emile Bayard's illustration of this character seen here first appeared in the 1860s Cosette |
| #6683, aired 2013-10-09 | LITERARY LOCALES: The creator of this title place said its name came from the letters labeling the last drawer of his file cabinet Oz |
| #6682, aired 2013-10-08 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HISTORY: In 1948 he won South Carolina with 72% of the vote & 3 other states but finished a distant third overall Strom Thurmond |
| #6681, aired 2013-10-07 | TOYS: A caveman-themed game in which "rocks" were thrown at other players led to the creation of this product in 1969 NERF Ball |
| #6680, aired 2013-10-04 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: By population, it's the largest country in the world without nuclear weapons Indonesia |
| #6679, aired 2013-10-03 | CHILDREN'S BOOK SERIES: The impetus for these books came from a vision the author had "of a faun carrying an umbrella & parcels in a snowy wood" (The Chronicles of) Narnia |
| #6678, aired 2013-10-02 | INVENTORS: Last name of the man whose 1934 patent application for a tool is seen here Phillips |
| #6677, aired 2013-10-01 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: With 3 each, "On the Waterfront" is tied with this film & its sequel for most Best Supporting Actor nominations The Godfather |
| #6676, aired 2013-09-30 | MOUNT RUSHMORE: 2 of the 4 men on Mount Rushmore were born in Virginia; these 2 states were the birthplaces of the other 2 men New York & Kentucky |
| #6675, aired 2013-09-27 | EUROPEAN CAPITALS: Since a national split in 1993, it's the only world capital that borders 2 other countries--Austria & Hungary Bratislava |
| #6674, aired 2013-09-26 | THE INTERNET: The animal for which this computer program is named is actually a red panda Firefox |
| #6673, aired 2013-09-25 | 20th CENTURY NAMES: Since his 1988 death, he's been inducted into the U.S. Hockey, World Figure Skating & National Inventors Halls of Fame Zamboni |
| #6672, aired 2013-09-24 | NEWSPAPERS: On July 23, 2013 this bestselling British tabloid re-spelled its name on its masthead to honor big British news The Sun |
| #6671, aired 2013-09-23 | CLASSIC FILMS: The first scene of this movie was shot on the first day of filming, Oct. 2, 1960 at 5 A.M. at 727 5th Ave. at 57th St. in New York City Breakfast at Tiffany's |
| #6670, aired 2013-09-20 | FRENCH GEOGRAPHY: 8 countries border mainland France; its smallest border, at 2.7 miles, is with this country Monaco |
| #6669, aired 2013-09-19 | CLASSIC ALBUMS: This 1960s album ends with the line "I'd love to turn you on" Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band |
| #6668, aired 2013-09-18 | WORLD WAR II: Because time was short, only this ship's starboard side, used for boarding, was repainted September 1, 1945 the USS Missouri |
| #6667, aired 2013-09-17 | U.S. PLACES: A logo on this town's website includes its incorporation date, 1981, as well as the historic date December 17, 1903 Kitty Hawk, North Carolina |
| #6666, aired 2013-09-16 | POETS: Funds provided by his widow were used to set up a literary charity called Old Possum's Practical Trust T.S. Eliot |
| #6665, aired 2013-08-02 | BODIES OF WATER: This body of water bearing the name of a country borders 5 U.S. states the Gulf of Mexico |
| #6664, aired 2013-08-01 | POSTAL ABBREVIATIONS: Like NM & MN, the postal abbreviations of these 2 states are the reverse of one another Alabama (AL) & Louisiana (LA) |
| #6663, aired 2013-07-31 | THE CIVIL WAR: Abraham Lincoln called this document, which took effect in 1863, "a fit and necessary war measure" the Emancipation Proclamation |
| #6662, aired 2013-07-30 | TOY BRANDS: In 1966 this company produced 706 million elements of its product; in 2011, it produced 36 billion LEGO |
| #6661, aired 2013-07-29 | IN THE DICTIONARY: The last entry in the Random House Webster's unabridged dictionary is used to represent this annoying sound snoring |
| #6660, aired 2013-07-26 | CLASSICAL MUSICIANS: The cover of the May 19, 1958 Time magazine called him "The Texan who conquered Russia" Van Cliburn |
| #6659, aired 2013-07-25 | FRENCH HISTORY: Starting in 1349, this marine animal was on the coat of arms of the heir apparent to the French throne a dolphin |
| #6658, aired 2013-07-24 | 3-NAMED PEOPLE: Born in what's now Maine in 1807, he's honored with a bust in a special section of Westminster Abbey Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |
| #6657, aired 2013-07-23 | OSCAR-WINNING ACTORS: They're the only 2 Best Actor winners with the same last name; one was a winner for 1979 & 1988, the other for 2005 Dustin Hoffman & Philip Seymour Hoffman |
| #6656, aired 2013-07-22 | SPORTS GEOGRAPHY: Though they live elsewhere, Alan Page & Dan Dierdorf will both always be in this Ohio city where they were born Canton, Ohio |
| #6655, aired 2013-07-19 | PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING NOVELS: Its first line is "A green hunting cap squeezed on the top of the fleshy balloon of a head" A Confederacy Of Dunces |
| #6654, aired 2013-07-18 | HISTORIC TELEGRAMS: In May 1945 Churchill cabled Truman that this "is drawn down upon their front. We do not know what is going on behind" the Iron Curtain |
| #6653, aired 2013-07-17 | INTERNATIONAL SPORTS: 2013 marks the 100th running of this event, first won by Maurice Garin with a time of 94 hours, 33 minutes, 14 seconds the Tour de France |
| #6652, aired 2013-07-16 | THE WORLD OF TV: In 2013 Britain marked this show's 50th anniversary with a series of stamps of the 11 actors who have played the lead role Doctor Who |
| #6651, aired 2013-07-15 | OPERA: This 1871 opera is set in Memphis & Thebes, & along the banks of the Nile Aida |
| #6650, aired 2013-07-12 | VIDEO GAME HISTORY: The title princess of this game, which launched a best-selling franchise, was named for F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife The Legend of Zelda |
| #6649, aired 2013-07-11 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: This piece that premiered in Moscow in 1882 includes strains from "God Save the Czar" & "La Marseillaise" the 1812 Overture |
| #6648, aired 2013-07-10 | AUTHORS: He quit pursuing a Ph.D. in 1926 to pursue drawing, but you might say he gave himself the degree anyway Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) |
| #6647, aired 2013-07-09 | NATIONAL OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: This country has an area of only 275 square miles but has 4 official languages: English, Tamil, Chinese & Malay Singapore |
| #6646, aired 2013-07-08 | AFRICAN-AMERICAN FIRSTS: Tracing her family to William Hood of 18th century Pennsylvania, Karen Batchelor made news as this organization's first African-American member the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) |
| #6645, aired 2013-07-05 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The only 2 men who were U.S. president 10 years to the day after their first inauguration Grover Cleveland & Franklin Roosevelt |
| #6644, aired 2013-07-04 | SAINTS ON THE MAP: In population, it's the largest U.S. city with the same Spanish name as a current Western Hemisphere capital San Jose |
| #6643, aired 2013-07-03 | 20th CENTURY MUSIC: European music has "3 Bs"; 20th c. American music's "3 Cs" were John Cage, Elliott Carter & this composer/conductor Aaron Copland |
| #6642, aired 2013-07-02 | THE ANCIENT WORLD: The area that the people of ancient Rome called this was their city's equivalent of the Greek agora the forum |
| #6641, aired 2013-07-01 | NOVELS: This 1934 novel was partly written in the Hotel Pera Palace in Istanbul; the room is now a memorial to the author Murder on the Orient Express |
| #6640, aired 2013-06-28 | 1950s FICTION: John Updike wrote "Rabbit, Run" partly in reaction to this more carefree novel that was published 3 years earlier On the Road |
| #6639, aired 2013-06-27 | TRANSPORTATION: Susan B. Anthony said this new fad had "done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world" the bicycle |
| #6638, aired 2013-06-26 | MOVIES & THE BIBLE: In this crime drama, a 1994 Oscar nominee for Best Picture, a character misquotes Ezekiel 25:17 twice Pulp Fiction |
| #6637, aired 2013-06-25 | PLANTS: Economically speaking, this plant family with about 10,000 species is by far the most important the grass family |
| #6636, aired 2013-06-24 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: Names of the 2 geographical features on a 2012 postage stamp issued jointly by Nepal & Israel Mt. Everest & The Dead Sea |
| #6635, aired 2013-06-21 | CARTOON CHARACTERS: She first appeared in 1930's "Dizzy Dishes", along with singing cats in flapper outfits Betty Boop |
| #6634, aired 2013-06-20 | WORLD LEADERS: Since 1991 this country has had only 3 different presidents; the current one took over in 2012 for the second time Russia |
| #6633, aired 2013-06-19 | WAR NOVELS: Appropriately, the sound of musketry & artillery is described as "a crimson roar" in this story The Red Badge of Courage |
| #6632, aired 2013-06-18 | FOOD & DRINK: A sign of a trend, in 2010 this product passed Pepsi to move into the No. 2 spot in U.S. soft drink popularity Diet Coke |
| #6631, aired 2013-06-17 | IN THE NEWSPAPER: Her pen name honored a wise woman from the Old Testament & a 19th century U.S. president Abigail Van Buren (or Dear Abby) |
| #6630, aired 2013-06-14 | THE UNITED NATIONS: Of nations in the World Almanac, 3 are not U.N. members: Taiwan, Vatican City & this European one that gained independence in 2008 Kosovo |
| #6629, aired 2013-06-13 | BEST PICTURE WORDPLAY: From 2005, it's the last Best Picture Oscar winner whose name is just one syllable Crash |
| #6628, aired 2013-06-12 | 20th CENTURY HISTORY: In terms of British monarchs, it's next in the sequence Seventh, Fifth, Eighth, Sixth... Second |
| #6627, aired 2013-06-11 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: This 1884 novel begins in the fictional town of St. Petersburg & ends in Pikesville, 1,100 miles down the Mississippi Adventures of Huckleberry Finn |
| #6626, aired 2013-06-10 | 19th CENTURY NAMES: This French engineer once asked, "Why should we disguise the industrial nature of iron, even in the city?" Gustave Eiffel |
| #6625, aired 2013-06-07 | AMERICAN WRITERS: Contemporary reviews called this writer "A Yankee Diogenes" & the "Concord Diogenes" Henry David Thoreau |
| #6624, aired 2013-06-06 | AMERICANA: A bo'sun whistle was once a prize in boxes of this alliterative product introduced in 1963 Cap'n Crunch |
| #6623, aired 2013-06-05 | SPORTING EVENTS: An old name for this Olympic sporting event is the quinquertium the pentathlon |
| #6622, aired 2013-06-04 | NOTABLE NAMES: In August 2012 the Telegraph of London ran the headline "Paralympics 2012:" he "opens ceremony with a 'Big Bang'" Stephen Hawking |
| #6621, aired 2013-06-03 | EUROPEAN HISTORY: This 17th century king named his throne room the Apollo Chamber Louis XIV |
| #6620, aired 2013-05-31 | CLASSIC NOVELS: In his will, this title guy tells his niece Antonia she should marry a man who knows not "about... chivalry" Don Quixote de la Mancha |
| #6619, aired 2013-05-30 | AMERICAN SCIENTISTS: In 1920, the New York Times said he lacks the “knowledge ladled out daily in high schools”; on July 17, 1969, the paper apologized Robert Goddard |
| #6618, aired 2013-05-29 | AMERICAN MILITARY MEN: In April 1951 he told Congress, "In war there can be no substitute for victory" General MacArthur |
| #6617, aired 2013-05-28 | AMERICAN ACTORS: Reflecting a long friendship dating to a 1962 film they did together, Brock Peters gave the eulogy at this star's 2003 funeral Gregory Peck |
| #6616, aired 2013-05-27 | CLASSIC KID STUFF: This 1920s plaything still made today got its name in tribute to 2 famous men of the day: Marconi & Lindbergh the Radio Flyer |
| #6615, aired 2013-05-24 | DISNEY SONGS: This 1964 song was inspired when one of the writer's sons took the oral polio vaccine "A Spoonful Of Sugar" |
| #6614, aired 2013-05-23 | ART SUBJECTS: In 1816 Francisco Goya published a series of 33 etchings called "La Tauromaquia", depicting this activity bullfighting |
| #6613, aired 2013-05-22 | AMERICAN WOMEN: Referring to a 1955 incident, she said, "Our mistreatment was just not right, and I was tired of it" Rosa Parks |
| #6612, aired 2013-05-21 | FRENCH LITERATURE: An article about improvements in transportation, including the opening of the Suez Canal, inspired this 1873 novel Around the World in 80 Days |
| #6611, aired 2013-05-20 | 20th CENTURY PEOPLE: In a PS to an April 12, 1945 letter, he wrote, "This was dictated before the world fell in on me... what a blow it was, but--I must meet it" Harry Truman |
| #6610, aired 2013-05-17 | THE CIVIL WAR: The last of the 11 Southern states to secede from the Union, it borders 6 of them Tennessee |
| #6609, aired 2013-05-16 | 20th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: These 2 men followed each other consecutively as vice president & later, in reverse order, as president Richard Nixon & LBJ |
| #6608, aired 2013-05-15 | FAMOUS EUROPEANS: After moving to Argentina in 1949, this industrialist was named a righteous gentile by Yad Vashem Oskar Schindler |
| #6607, aired 2013-05-14 | MODERN-DAY CHINA: Because Internet censors block mentions of this 1989 date, Chinese bloggers write it as "535" June 4 |
| #6606, aired 2013-05-13 | AUTHORS IN THE NEWS: When Curiosity touched down on Mars in 2012, its landing site was named in honor of this author who died weeks before Ray Bradbury |
| #6605, aired 2013-05-10 | FAMOUS NAMES IN TRANSPORTATION: In 1928, a year after making international headlines, it reached its final destination, the Smithsonian the Spirit of St. Louis |
| #6604, aired 2013-05-09 | THE CONTINENTS: It’s the continent that’s home to the most U.N. member countries, including a new one added in 2011 Africa |
| #6603, aired 2013-05-08 | FAMOUS ENGLISHMEN: On the eve of his 200th birthday in 2009, the Church of England offered him "an apology for misunderstanding you" Charles Darwin |
| #6602, aired 2013-05-07 | CHARACTERS IN SHAKESPEARE: This character said to represent Shakespeare's philosophy has a name that means "fortunate" in Latin Prospero |
| #6601, aired 2013-05-06 | STATE QUARTERS: The back of the quarter for this state is the only one that features a monarch Hawaii |
| #6600, aired 2013-05-03 | SCIENCE: For a 1953 paper Odile Crick drew the diagram showing the structure of this DNA |
| #6599, aired 2013-05-02 | ISLAND COUNTRIES: No longer "western", this 1-word nation has moved to the west side of the Intl. Date Line to join Asia & Australia Samoa |
| #6598, aired 2013-05-01 | THE THEATRE: Dramatizing a murder from the year 1170, a 1935 T.S. Eliot play aptly had its first performance in this English city Canterbury |
| #6597, aired 2013-04-30 | CLASSIC HIT SONGS: In 1962 Chatham County, Georgia gave this name to a body of water flowing past Johnny Mercer's childhood home Moon River |
| #6596, aired 2013-04-29 | MAGAZINES: Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2013, 5280 Magazine is a guide to this city Denver |
| #6595, aired 2013-04-26 | GREAT NOVELS: A preface to this novel called it "rustic all through... Moorish, and wild, and knotty as the root of Heath" Wuthering Heights |
| #6594, aired 2013-04-25 | TV SPIN-OFFS: Premiering in 1993, this show lasted 11 seasons, like its predecessor show; the 2 were set nearly 2,500 miles apart Frasier |
| #6593, aired 2013-04-24 | THE U.S. GOVERNMENT: Donna Shalala, Alberto Gonzales & Tom Vilsack have each served as the "designated survivor" skipping this event the State of the Union address |
| #6592, aired 2013-04-23 | GEOGRAPHIC MATH: North America's 3 mainland countries have a total of 91 states & provinces; Mexico has this many states 31 |
| #6591, aired 2013-04-22 | BEST ACTRESS OSCAR NOMINEES: Her nomination in 1987 was the first Best Actress nomination for a science fiction film Sigourney Weaver |
| #6590, aired 2013-04-19 | COUNTRIES' HIGHEST POINTS: This country is home to the highest mountain outside Asia Argentina |
| #6589, aired 2013-04-18 | WORLD LEADERS: In 1990 she became the first modern head of government to give birth while in office, to a daughter named Bakhtawar Benazir Bhutto |
| #6588, aired 2013-04-17 | 1960s TELEVISION: Jackie Gleason considered, but then decided against, suing this show that premiered September 30, 1960 The Flintstones |
| #6587, aired 2013-04-16 | NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNERS: The winner in 1984, he likes to be called "Arch", a reference to his job Desmond Tutu |
| #6586, aired 2013-04-15 | AUTHORS: In hiding when his life was threatened, Salman Rushdie paid tribute to Conrad & Chekhov by using this pseudonym Joseph Anton |
| #6585, aired 2013-04-12 | PHYSICISTS: On Oct. 14, 1992 particle detector inventor Georges Charpak became the last man in physics to achieve this honor alone the Nobel Prize |
| #6584, aired 2013-04-11 | WORLD CITIES: Founded in 1521, 44 years before St. Augustine, Fla., it's the oldest city est. by Europeans on what is now U.S. territory San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| #6583, aired 2013-04-10 | 19th CENTURY AUTHORS: His works include "Sylvie and Bruno", "Phantasmagoria and Other Poems" & "Algebraic Formulae and Rules" Lewis Carroll |
| #6582, aired 2013-04-09 | THE TONY AWARDS: Winner of Best Play in 1949, it's the only play to win the Best Revival Tony 3 different times Death of a Salesman |
| #6581, aired 2013-04-08 | ART: One of its principal members said, "One morning one of us, having no black, used blue instead, &" this movement "was born" Impressionism |
| #6580, aired 2013-04-05 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: The last song in this musical is "Tomorrow Is A Latter Day" The Book of Mormon |
| #6579, aired 2013-04-04 | AT THE GROCERY STORE: The national promotion board for this food, Citrullus lanatus, lists hydration as a primary health benefit watermelon |
| #6578, aired 2013-04-03 | 20th CENTURY NAMES: In 2012 her picture replaced that of Julio Argentino Roca on a currency note Eva Perón |
| #6577, aired 2013-04-02 | AUTHORS: This author who passed away in 2012 quipped, "For those who haven't read the books, I am known best for my hair preparations" Gore Vidal |
| #6576, aired 2013-04-01 | STATE MOTTOS: On a state seal since 1850, this one-word motto is found in a story about Archimedes Eureka |
| #6575, aired 2013-03-29 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: Since 1850, 1 of the 2 Republicans to appear on the ticket as president or vice president 3 elections in a row Richard Nixon or George H.W. Bush |
| #6574, aired 2013-03-28 | BUSINESS: In 1972 this company bought its first ship, the Empress of Canada, & renamed it the Mardi Gras Carnival (Cruise Lines) |
| #6573, aired 2013-03-27 | AWARDS: For 2012, the front of these awards shows Nike stepping out of the Parthenon & the reverse depicts the Thames the Olympic medals |
| #6572, aired 2013-03-26 | THE 1990s: The 7th & last American to stay there was aerodynamic scientist Andy Thomas, with 130 days there in 1998 (Space Station) Mir |
| #6571, aired 2013-03-25 | THE AFI's 100 GREATEST AMERICAN MOVIES: "The Wizard of Oz" & this 1950s film are the 2 musicals in the top 10 on the AFI's list Singin' in the Rain |
| #6570, aired 2013-03-22 | SCIENCE WORDS: This biological term for cell division was borrowed in 1939 to describe a form of energy release fission |
| #6569, aired 2013-03-21 | ARTISTS: On his deathbed he told police, "What I have done is nobody else's business"; one theory is he was protecting others (Vincent) van Gogh |
| #6568, aired 2013-03-20 | EUROPEANA: In the 16th century the ancestors of the current president of France fled what is now this country the Netherlands |
| #6567, aired 2013-03-19 | LITERARY TITLE PLACES: An 1831 novel says that Charlemagne laid the first stone of this title place, "old queen of our cathedrals" Notre Dame |
| #6566, aired 2013-03-18 | SONGS: This U.S. ceremonial song was written in 1811 about the head of a Scottish clan, not an American leader "Hail to the Chief" |
| #6565, aired 2013-03-15 | SHAKESPEARE: Samuel Johnson said Shakespeare "so carefully informs us" that this play is set on the eve of May Day & yet called it this A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| #6564, aired 2013-03-14 | BEATLES SONGS: It was one of The Beatles' longest songs & the one to spend the most time at No. 1 on the U.S. charts--9 weeks "Hey Jude" |
| #6563, aired 2013-03-13 | NEWSPAPERS: The circulation of the Times of New York & London totals about 1/2 the "Times of" this place, largest of any English daily India |
| #6562, aired 2013-03-12 | HISTORICAL RELATIVES: This king was the first of Henry VIII's many fathers-in-law King Ferdinand |
| #6561, aired 2013-03-11 | BRITISH NOVELS: Fittingly, this Thomas Hardy character is introduced near the Pure Drop Inn Tess of the d'Urbervilles |
| #6560, aired 2013-03-08 | THE OSCARS: Brother & sister who were both nominated for 1969 Oscars: he for a screenplay, she for Best Actress; they didn't win Jane Fonda & Peter Fonda |
| #6559, aired 2013-03-07 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: One of the 2 Central American countries never under military rule in the last 50 years Costa Rica or Belize |
| #6558, aired 2013-03-06 | U.S. HISTORY: Congress has passed 11 of these: the first in 1812, the last in 1942 declarations of war |
| #6557, aired 2013-03-05 | CLASSIC NOVELS: In this novel the title character says, "It is a bad omen" after a guard does not hear a train & is crushed Anna Karenina |
| #6556, aired 2013-03-04 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: One of its mascots is a restored 1930 Sport Coupe that's been in use at the school since 1961 Georgia Tech |
| #6555, aired 2013-03-01 | BUSINESS HISTORY: In 1938 his company began installing instruments in U.S. homes to record the frequencies to which a radio was tuned A.C. Nielsen |
| #6554, aired 2013-02-28 | THE UNIVERSE: In 2006 it was moved to a new list that includes Ceres & Eris Pluto |
| #6553, aired 2013-02-27 | SPEECHWRITERS: To the question "Did you write the best-known line in JFK's inaugural?", Ted Sorensen would smile & say these 2 words Ask not |
| #6552, aired 2013-02-26 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: One of the 2 years in which 3 men served as president of the United States 1841 or 1881 |
| #6551, aired 2013-02-25 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: In 1925 she visited a floating theater docked in North Carolina to research her next novel (Edna) Ferber |
| #6550, aired 2013-02-22 | ITALY: The Italian word for "shadow" is used as a local variation on the name of this region midway between Rome & Florence Umbria |
| #6549, aired 2013-02-21 | RUSSIAN HISTORY: Launched October 1, 1928, it was brought to a premature end in 1932 amid growing hunger 5-year plan |
| #6548, aired 2013-02-20 | CLASSIC JAZZ SONGS: The title of this 1959 instrumental is a synonym for "Time Out", the album on which it first appeared "Take Five" |
| #6547, aired 2013-02-19 | THE NEW 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD: On the new list chosen in 2007, this wonder designed by Heitor da Silva Costa is the only statue Christ the Redeemer |
| #6546, aired 2013-02-18 | WORLD CAPITALS: Alphabetically, Zagreb is the last world capital; this capital of a former Soviet republic is second to last Yerevan |
| #6545, aired 2013-02-15 | FAMOUS WOMEN: Her 1886 obituary in a Massachusetts paper said, "Very few in the village, except among the older inhabitants, knew" her "personally" Emily Dickinson |
| #6544, aired 2013-02-14 | MUSEUMS: Its collection includes a 16" high architects' model of its first permanent building, opened in 1939 MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art) |
| #6543, aired 2013-02-13 | THE ROSETTA STONE: Champollion's deciphering the 1st symbol as "sun" led to translating the name of this leader--there were 11 of them named this Ramses |
| #6542, aired 2013-02-12 | MILITARY MEN: On June 6, 1944 he said, "The eyes of the world are upon you" Dwight David Eisenhower |
| #6541, aired 2013-02-11 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: In the 1st chapter of this 1939 novel, "When the night came again it was black night, for the stars could not pierce the dust" The Grapes of Wrath |
| #6540, aired 2013-02-08 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: Recently in the news, this agency traces its origins to an 1803 act helping Portsmouth, N.H. after a fire FEMA |
| #6539, aired 2013-02-07 | CAPITAL CITIES: It's criss-crossed by dozens of "peace walls" that separate its Catholic & Protestant neighborhoods Belfast |
| #6538, aired 2013-02-06 | FAMOUS ASIANS: When this diplomat met the singer Psy in 2012, he said, "Until 2 days ago... I was the most famous Korean in the world" Ban Ki-moon |
| #6537, aired 2013-02-05 | SHORT STORIES: It says, "The body of the trooper having been buried in the church yard, the ghost rides forth... in nightly quest of his head" "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" |
| #6536, aired 2013-02-04 | MOUNT RUSHMORE: It's the only U.S. state that has more than one native-born son honored on Mount Rushmore Virginia |
| #6535, aired 2013-02-01 | THE PLANETS: To the ancient Greeks & Romans, it was the slowest-moving planet seen from Earth Saturn |
| #6534, aired 2013-01-31 | FUNDRAISING: In 2011 the city of Savannah granted an exemption allowing the sale of these items outside Juliette Gordon Low's birthplace Girl Scout cookies |
| #6533, aired 2013-01-30 | HISTORIC QUOTES: In April 1865 he said, "Go home, all you boys who fought with me, and help to build up the shattered fortunes of our old state" Robert E. Lee |
| #6532, aired 2013-01-29 | METEOROLOGICAL TERMS: In the 1940s an anemometer aided Antarctic experiments that 1st determined this measurement heard in weather reports wind chill |
| #6531, aired 2013-01-28 | THE GRAMMYS: Of the more than 75 competitive categories, this one does not cite the title of any album, song or other project Best New Artist |
| #6530, aired 2013-01-25 | MUSICAL THEATRE: Before this show hit Broadway in 1964, one of its working titles was "The Luckiest People" Funny Girl |
| #6529, aired 2013-01-24 | OLYMPIC HOST CITIES: When this city hosted the XIV Winter Olympics, it was located in a different nation than today Sarajevo |
| #6528, aired 2013-01-23 | WOMEN AUTHORS: The first of Jane Austen's 6 novels to be published in her lifetime, its title is last alphabetically Sense and Sensibility |
| #6527, aired 2013-01-22 | OFFICIAL COUNTRY NAMES: It's the only nation in the world that officially describes itself as a confederation Swiss Confederation |
| #6526, aired 2013-01-21 | MUSEUMS: Opened in 2012, the Belfast museum seen here commemorates this, also constructed there the Titanic |
| #6525, aired 2013-01-18 | MILITARY SLOGANS: In 1779 U.S. Marine Corps Captain William Jones advertised for these, later a 1992 movie title A Few Good Men |
| #6524, aired 2013-01-17 | 19th CENTURY LITERARY INTRODUCTIONS: Title character who's "clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere" Dracula |
| #6523, aired 2013-01-16 | RECENT OSCAR WINNERS: From 2008, it's the most recent film to win Best Picture & Best Song; the lyrics are in a foreign language Slumdog Millionaire |
| #6522, aired 2013-01-15 | U.S. LANDMARKS: Design artist Iwao Takamoto said the exterior for the Skypad Apartments on "The Jetsons" was inspired by a landmark in this city Seattle |
| #6521, aired 2013-01-14 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: 2 of the 3 countries that are completely encircled by one other country (2 of) San Marino, Vatican City & Lesotho |
| #6520, aired 2013-01-11 | RIVERS: It's the world's longest river whose outflow is into an entirely inland body of water the Volga River |
| #6519, aired 2013-01-10 | LEGAL TERMS: This term for a type of decision is from Old French for "to speak the truth" verdict |
| #6518, aired 2013-01-09 | CAPITAL CITIES: These 2 world capitals are separated by only 250 miles of land & less than 1 degree of latitude, at 59º 17' & 59º 57' N. Stockholm & Oslo |
| #6517, aired 2013-01-08 | PRESIDENTIAL DISTINCTIONS: Record holder for the longest time lived after leaving office Jimmy Carter |
| #6516, aired 2013-01-07 | AMERICAN SPORTS LEGENDS: A bio from 1974, 26 years after his death, quotes him: "I swing big... I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can" Babe Ruth |
| #6515, aired 2013-01-04 | IMAGINARY CHARACTERS: For a 1912 play they were dubbed Blick, Flick, Glick, Snick, Plick, Whick & Quee; 25 years later, they got new names the Seven Dwarfs |
| #6514, aired 2013-01-03 | SEX & THE CONSTITUTION: Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, it's the number of the only one to contain the word "sex" the 19th Amendment |
| #6513, aired 2013-01-02 | BASEBALL STADIUMS: This Major League Baseball team's current stadium was built for a 20th century Olympics the Atlanta Braves |
| #6512, aired 2013-01-01 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: Held in 1857, America's first national landscape design contest was for the creation of this place Central Park |
| #6511, aired 2012-12-31 | COMPOSERS' BIRTHPLACES: The town where he was born in 1811 is now in far eastern Austria; when he was born there it belonged to another country Franz Liszt |
| #6510, aired 2012-12-28 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: In 1886 he wrote, "My books are water; those of the great geniuses is wine. Everybody drinks water" Mark Twain |
| #6509, aired 2012-12-27 | FIGHTING MONARCHS: Seen here is a suit of armor worn by this monarch at the siege of Boulogne in 1544 when he was 53 Henry VIII |
| #6508, aired 2012-12-26 | LITERARY FIRST LINES: "You better not never tell nobody but God", begins this 1982 novel, whose film version garnered 11 Oscar nominations The Color Purple |
| #6507, aired 2012-12-25 | ART & ACTIVISM: Though being added to much more slowly than 20 years ago, it's now 1.3 million sq. ft., too big to display in one place the AIDS quilt |
| #6506, aired 2012-12-24 | 1960s ROCK MUSIC: This 1967 No. 1 hit contains snippets of "In The Mood", "Greensleeves" & "She Loves You" "All You Need Is Love" |
| #6505, aired 2012-12-21 | WORLD CAPITALS: One of the 3 national capitals made up of 2 words that begin with the same letter (1 of) Addis Ababa, San Salvador, or Phnom Penh |
| #6504, aired 2012-12-20 | DOG BREEDS: Alphabetically, this breed is last on the recognized list of the American Kennel Club Yorkshire Terrier |
| #6503, aired 2012-12-19 | SHAKESPEARE: The last speech in this play says, "No grave upon the earth shall clip in it a pair so famous" Antony and Cleopatra |
| #6502, aired 2012-12-18 | PEOPLE IN BRITISH HISTORY: In 1805 the second in command to this hero said, "I wish (he) would stop signaling. We all know what we have to do" (Horatio) Nelson |
| #6501, aired 2012-12-17 | 19th CENTURY INVENTIONS: Thoreau noted in 1854, it "resounds at every post. it is a harp with one string--the first strain from the American lyre" a telegraph |
| #6500, aired 2012-12-14 | STATES' HIGHEST POINTS: This state's highest peak is 13,796 feet high & only about 15 miles from the ocean Hawaii |
| #6499, aired 2012-12-13 | OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS: Before Michael Phelps in 2008, he was the last American to win 5 individual golds in one Olympics; he did it at Lake Placid Eric Heiden |
| #6498, aired 2012-12-12 | FASHION DESIGNERS: In 1986 her company, now associated with JC Penney, became the first founded by a woman to make the Fortune 500 Liz Claiborne |
| #6497, aired 2012-12-11 | BUSINESSMEN: Thomas Watson Jr. appeared on the March 28, 1955 cover of Time with the caption "Clink, Clank," this Think |
| #6496, aired 2012-12-10 | 1920s LITERATURE: The collapse of this title structure causes the death of Esteban, Uncle Pio, Don Jaime, Pepita & a marquesa the Bridge of San Luis Rey |
| #6495, aired 2012-12-07 | 20th CENTURY PLAYS: This 1962 play takes place beginning at 2 A.M. in the living room of a house on a New England college campus Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf |
| #6494, aired 2012-12-06 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: Though it consists entirely of islands, this populous country borders 3 other nations Indonesia |
| #6493, aired 2012-12-05 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: This man is the only U.S. president since Hoover not named Time magazine's Man or Person of the Year Gerald Ford |
| #6492, aired 2012-12-04 | AMERICAN ICONS: He has a Medal of Freedom, a Pulitzer Citation & membership in the Rock & Roll & Minnesota Music Halls of Fame Bob Dylan |
| #6491, aired 2012-12-03 | PHRASE ORIGINS: This 2-word adjective for "going against accepted speech or conduct" first appeared in a 1933 translation from Izvestia politically incorrect |
| #6490, aired 2012-11-30 | 20th CENTURY AMERICAN WRITERS: A publisher's note on one of his books called him "The terror of typesetters" & "an enigma to book reviewers" E.E. Cummings |
| #6489, aired 2012-11-29 | RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS: The rooster atop many church weather vanes is there to remind us of a story involving this apostle Peter |
| #6488, aired 2012-11-28 | COUNTRIES: It was created in the early 1700s from 2 counties purchased by an Austrian prince; he named the nation for his family Liechtenstein |
| #6487, aired 2012-11-27 | BILLBOARD NO. 1 ALBUMS: The soundtrack for this film based on a play holds the record for the most weeks at No. 1, 54 weeks in 1962 & '63 West Side Story |
| #6486, aired 2012-11-26 | PLACE NAMES: Built in 1911, this Wisconsin home was named for a Welsh bard associated with King Arthur Taliesin |
| #6485, aired 2012-11-23 | BIOGRAPHIES ABOUT AUTHORS: Chapters in a biography on this author include "Declaring His Genius" and "A Late Victorian Love Affair" Oscar Wilde |
| #6484, aired 2012-11-22 | NUTRITION: The word coined for these substances in 1912 was meant to suggest they were essential to life & contained nitrogen vitamins |
| #6483, aired 2012-11-21 | OPERA: In 1900 the first La Scala performance of this opera was conducted by the man whose last name began with the opera's title Tosca |
| #6482, aired 2012-11-20 | THE U.S. CONSTITUTION: Found in Article 3, Section 3, & requiring the testimony of 2 witnesses to prove, it's the only crime defined in the Constitution treason |
| #6481, aired 2012-11-19 | EUROPEAN AUTHORS: Amazon said this author who died in 2004 was the first to sell a million Kindle e-books Stieg Larsson |
| #6480, aired 2012-11-16 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: This 1890 piece was named for a Verlaine poem that begins, "Your soul is as a moonlit landscape fair" "Clair de Lune" |
| #6479, aired 2012-11-15 | MATH MEN: In 1880 he wrote, "We draw two circles, and make them include or exclude or intersect one another" (John) Venn |
| #6478, aired 2012-11-14 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The only 2 presidents never to present a State of the Union address are William Henry Harrison & this man James Garfield |
| #6477, aired 2012-11-13 | BORN & DIED: He was born in 1728 in Yorkshire, England & died in a skirmish February 14, 1779 in Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii Captain James Cook |
| #6476, aired 2012-11-12 | NATIONAL SONGS: First publicly performed in 1745, this song sometimes has its pronouns changed "God Save The Queen" (or "King") |
| #6475, aired 2012-11-09 | DISASTERS: In 2012 the National Postal Museum marked the 75th & 100th anniversaries of these 2 disasters with an exhibit called "Fire & Ice" the Titanic sinking & the Hindenburg |
| #6474, aired 2012-11-08 | U.S. CITIES: The seal of this historic New England city has the phrase "What a glorious morning for America" & the date "April 19" Lexington |
| #6473, aired 2012-11-07 | PLAYS: Referring to its 2 acts, an Irish critic described it as "a play in which nothing happens, twice" Waiting for Godot |
| #6472, aired 2012-11-06 | CABINET DEPARTMENTS: "Si ve algo, diga algo" was part of a 2011 Spanish-language TV campaign by this Cabinet department Homeland Security |
| #6471, aired 2012-11-05 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: Based on a 1926 play & real-life events, it's now the longest-running American musical in Broadway history Chicago |
| #6470, aired 2012-11-02 | COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAM NICKNAMES: The team known as these since 1895 plays its home games on top of the Hayward Seismic Fault the Cal Golden Bears |
| #6469, aired 2012-11-01 | THE 50 STATES: Gambling as a commercial enterprise in some form is legal in all states except Hawaii & this state Utah |
| #6468, aired 2012-10-31 | THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: New York's delegates were John Lansing, Robert Yates & this Founding Father, the only one of the 3 who signed Alexander Hamilton |
| #6467, aired 2012-10-30 | 20th CENTURY BOOKS: "A Cry of Children" & "Nightmare Island" were proposed titles for this novel Lord of the Flies |
| #6466, aired 2012-10-29 | MAMMALS: Ancient Romans knew this animal featured in their circuses as a hippotigris a zebra |
| #6465, aired 2012-10-26 | 21st CENTURY GAMES: The villains in this game were inspired by the swine flu epidemic scare Angry Birds |
| #6464, aired 2012-10-25 | WORLD LANGUAGES: Of the Romance languages, it has the greatest number of native speakers in a single country Portuguese |
| #6463, aired 2012-10-24 | THE ELEMENTS: This element was discovered extraterrestrially in 1868; it took 27 more years until someone isolated it on Earth helium |
| #6462, aired 2012-10-23 | CHILDREN'S RHYMES: Oddly, this mammalian character with a rhyming name suffers from alopecia Fuzzy Wuzzy |
| #6461, aired 2012-10-22 | KINGS: The last British monarch to be buried outside the U.K., he was interred in 1727 in the land where he was born King George I |
| #6460, aired 2012-10-19 | CABLE TV FIRSTS: When Turner Classic Movies began broadcasting on April 14, 1994, the first movie shown was this one Gone with the Wind |
| #6459, aired 2012-10-18 | PLACE NAMES: From 1953 until 1990 Chemnitz, Germany was named for this man Karl Marx |
| #6458, aired 2012-10-17 | COUNTRIES & POPULATIONS: If it were a nation, a state with a 2-word name in this country would be the world's 6th most-populous at 200 million India |
| #6457, aired 2012-10-16 | AMERICANA: The creator of this comic strip did not like its 1950 change in title, believing it suggested insignificance Peanuts |
| #6456, aired 2012-10-15 | FICTION: A proposed title for this novel sounded too much like a Vegas heist movie, so the number in the title was doubled Catch-22 |
| #6455, aired 2012-10-12 | OSCAR NOMINEES: One of his first Oscar nominations was for Best Actor; none of his 22 other Oscar nominations was for acting Woody Allen |
| #6454, aired 2012-10-11 | NONFICTION: In an 1854 work, this title body of water was compared with the proportions of Loch Fyne Walden Pond |
| #6453, aired 2012-10-10 | HISTORIC RULERS: This ruler of a New World country was born in Vienna's Schonbrunn Palace in 1832 & executed far from home in 1867 Maximilian I |
| #6452, aired 2012-10-09 | STORES: These stores first launched in 2001 take in more money per sq. foot than any other U.S. retailer, almost doubling Tiffany's Apple stores |
| #6451, aired 2012-10-08 | WAR NOVEL & MOVIE TITLES: Its title phrase traces back to a stand by heavily outnumbered British infantry against a cavalry charge The Thin Red Line |
| #6450, aired 2012-10-05 | POETRY: Her most famous poem was written for a December 1883 art & literary auction to benefit the Pedestal Fund Emma Lazarus |
| #6449, aired 2012-10-04 | AUTHORS: In 1890 he captained the stern-wheeler Roi des Belges on a voyage down the Congo River Joseph Conrad |
| #6448, aired 2012-10-03 | MODERN OPERA: This opera begins with Air Force One landing at Beijing Nixon in China |
| #6447, aired 2012-10-02 | FAMILIAR PHRASES: OED's earliest citation of this 5-word phrase is "Now, Monsieur Poirot, you would without doubt like to visit" this place the scene of the crime |
| #6446, aired 2012-10-01 | SINGERS & ALBUMS: She's the only artist to have No. 1 albums in 5 consecutive decades, from the 1960s to the 2000s Barbra Streisand |
| #6445, aired 2012-09-28 | TOYS & GAMES: When Milton Bradley released this home game in 1966, competitors accused it of selling "sex in a box" Twister |
| #6444, aired 2012-09-27 | PHRASE ORIGINS: On February 22, 1918 Warren Harding said it is good to drink "at the fountains of wisdom inherited from" this alliterative group the Founding Fathers |
| #6443, aired 2012-09-26 | TV ANIMATION: This teen duo debuted in a 1992 animated short in which they played baseball with a frog Beavis & Butt-head |
| #6442, aired 2012-09-25 | THE BIBLE: This term for a final resting place got its name because clay was dug up there for craftsmen potter's field |
| #6441, aired 2012-09-24 | STATE CAPITALS: Seen here is the seal of this New England city that got its current name in 1637 Hartford, Connecticut |
| #6440, aired 2012-09-21 | THE OSCARS: The only remake of a U.S. film to win Best Picture; the original was made in the 1920s, the Oscar-winning remake in the 1950s Ben-Hur |
| #6439, aired 2012-09-20 | 8-LETTER WORDS: This word that means "freedom from narrow restrictions" can also refer to one of a range of imaginary lines latitude |
| #6438, aired 2012-09-19 | PRESIDENTIAL CHILDREN: 1 of his 5 sons was born in New Brunswick, Canada FDR |
| #6437, aired 2012-09-18 | HISTORIC FIRSTS: On July 31, 1971 Air Force Colonel David Scott became the first person to drive one of these a lunar rover |
| #6436, aired 2012-09-17 | ISLANDS: Of the world's 5 largest islands by area, the 2 with territory of more than 1 country are Borneo & this one New Guinea |
| #6435, aired 2012-08-03 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: This country in the Americas has more than 125,000 miles of coastline, the most of any country in the world Canada |
| #6434, aired 2012-08-02 | BOOK SERIES: In the 8th book in a series by L. Frank Baum, this character begins to speak; he simply chose not to before Toto |
| #6433, aired 2012-08-01 | BRITISH SCIENTISTS: In 1859 a theory was born when he wrote, "from so simple a beginning endless forms... have been, and are being, evolved" Charles Darwin |
| #6432, aired 2012-07-31 | KIDS' BUSINESS: The corporate headquarters of this store founded in 1948 is at One Geoffrey Way in Wayne, New Jersey Toys "R" Us |
| #6431, aired 2012-07-30 | NOTABLE AMERICANS: In addition to his 1,093 U.S. patents, he held more than 1,200 patents awarded by other countries Thomas Alva Edison |
| #6430, aired 2012-07-27 | ANTARCTICA: This country that explored the Antarctic interior is the most northerly nation to claim territory on the continent Norway |
| #6429, aired 2012-07-26 | OPERA: The swan boats in Boston's Public Garden were inspired by this opera in which a swan pulls a boat on the Scheldt River Lohengrin |
| #6428, aired 2012-07-25 | NEW OLYMPIC SPORTS: This sport introduced in Summer 2000 plays out over a raised area 16 1/2 feet long & 9 1/2 feet wide trampoline |
| #6427, aired 2012-07-24 | '80s SITCOM CHARACTERS: Creator Gary David Goldberg wrote this Republican character as unsympathetic, but the actor made him lovable Alex Keaton |
| #6426, aired 2012-07-23 | POLITICAL LITERATURE: The key message to this title figure in an Italian work is "it is far safer to be feared than loved" The Prince |
| #6425, aired 2012-07-20 | RECENT FILMS: One of its first lines is "I won't talk! I won't say a word!!!" The Artist |
| #6424, aired 2012-07-19 | ANTHROPOLOGY: The most famous resident of the National Museum of Ethiopia is the very old young lady named this Lucy |
| #6423, aired 2012-07-18 | BRITISH HISTORY: This 17th century king was the last British monarch to enter the House of Commons Charles I |
| #6422, aired 2012-07-17 | FIRST NAMES: A wife of King David & 2 of our early first ladies shared this name derived from Hebrew for "my father's joy" Abigail |
| #6421, aired 2012-07-16 | INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS: David Phillips, whose exposé reporting inspired this word made popular by Teddy Roosevelt, was later shot dead muckraking |
| #6420, aired 2012-07-13 | BRITISH HISTORY: This appointed position first held by John Dryden echoes a "Versificator Regis" of Richard I in the 12th century Poet Laureate |
| #6419, aired 2012-07-12 | THE UNITED NATIONS: Of the 6 official languages used at the U.N., this one is the last alphabetically Spanish |
| #6418, aired 2012-07-11 | INAUGURAL ADDRESSES: He said, "It is 72 years since the first inauguration of a president under our national Constitution" Abraham Lincoln |
| #6417, aired 2012-07-10 | ENTREPRENEURS: In 1989 he said, "You can't just ask customers what they want... by the time you get it built, they'll want something new" Steve Jobs |
| #6416, aired 2012-07-09 | NOBEL PRIZE-WINNING SCIENTISTS: 1910 winner Albrecht Kossel studied a new material in the control center of cells; today, we know it as this DNA |
| #6415, aired 2012-07-06 | OPERA CHARACTERS: In a play subtitle, she's called "the Chinese Sphinx"; in a later opera her suitor calls her "Principessa di Morte" Turandot |
| #6414, aired 2012-07-05 | FACTS & FIGURES: With only 58% of residents, this U.S. state has the lowest percentage of licensed drivers New York |
| #6413, aired 2012-07-04 | NUCLEAR NATIONS: On May 18, 1974 this country tested its first nuclear device, nicknamed "Smiling Buddha" India |
| #6412, aired 2012-07-03 | 1950s MOVIES: "The Man on Lincoln's Nose" was a working title for this 1959 film North by Northwest |
| #6411, aired 2012-07-02 | FAMOUS RELATIVES: In 2011 his daughter Svetlana, living in the U.S. under the name Lana Peters, died in Wisconsin at age 85 Joseph Stalin |
| #6410, aired 2012-06-29 | NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS: Among the many books he wrote were "The World Crisis", "The Second World War" & "Painting As A Pastime" Winston Churchill |
| #6409, aired 2012-06-28 | NOVEL TITLES: The title of this scandalous novel set in 1930s Paris symbolizes "the disease of civilization" Tropic of Cancer |
| #6408, aired 2012-06-27 | EARLY FILMS OF OSCAR WINNERS: The 1995, 2003 & 2006 winners for Best Actor all appeared in this 1982 teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High |
| #6407, aired 2012-06-26 | HISTORIC U.S. CITIES: A 1905 treaty named for this U.S. city ended a foreign war 7,000 miles away & was actually signed at Kittery, Maine Portsmouth |
| #6406, aired 2012-06-25 | PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS: Though shot in the chest, Teddy Roosevelt gave a 1912 speech saying, "it takes more than that to kill" one of these animals a bull moose |
| #6405, aired 2012-06-22 | 20th CENTURY TECHNOLOGY: The first major use of simultaneous translation, before adoption by the U.N., was in this European city in 1945 & 1946 Nuremberg |
| #6404, aired 2012-06-21 | UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES: Listed in 1983, this complex finished c. 1650 features inlaid semiprecious stones & Arabic calligraphy the Taj Mahal |
| #6403, aired 2012-06-20 | 2011 MUSICMAKERS: According to Billboard, the top 2 music artists of 2011 were these single-named singers, neither born in the U.S. Adele & Rihanna |
| #6402, aired 2012-06-19 | FABRICS: The name of this fabric includes the initials of the city where it was introduced at a World's Fair site nylon |
| #6401, aired 2012-06-18 | FICTIONAL PAIRS: These 2 men first meet after one of them tells a friend, Stamford, of needing new lodgings in London Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson |
| #6400, aired 2012-06-15 | ISLANDS: This nation, independent since 1960 is the largest island in the world with French as one of its official languages Madagascar |
| #6399, aired 2012-06-14 | U.S. TOP-SELLING ALBUMS: The bestselling album of all time by a female is a 20 million seller by this woman who started singing at age 8 in Ontario Shania Twain |
| #6398, aired 2012-06-13 | POLITICAL TERMS: 19th c. reports on horse races used this 2-word term to mean horses that were in the field but didn't finish high also rans |
| #6397, aired 2012-06-12 | AUTHORS: His multi-novel series is based on Robert Browning's poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" Stephen King |
| #6396, aired 2012-06-11 | EVENTS IN THE BIBLE: Acts 1:13 says this event occurred in "an upper room" the Last Supper |
| #6395, aired 2012-06-08 | CLICHES: In an 1873 Thomas Hardy serial, a chapter ends with a character dangling from an "enormous sea-bord" this a cliff |
| #6394, aired 2012-06-07 | THE ARTS: Formed in 1909, it performed to great acclaim in Paris, London, New York & Monte Carlo, but never in Moscow Ballet Russe (Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo) |
| #6393, aired 2012-06-06 | THE PRESIDENCY: Between January 1, 1841 & December 31, 1850 the U.S. had this many presidents, the most in a 10-year period 6 |
| #6392, aired 2012-06-05 | WOMEN IN ENTERTAINMENT: 1 of the first 2 women in Hollywood to own a studio (according to the official bio of No. 3, Oprah) (1 of) Mary Pickford or Lucille Ball |
| #6391, aired 2012-06-04 | AFRICA: Very different places, the first 2 African nations to gain independence from a European power were Egypt & this one South Africa |
| #6390, aired 2012-06-01 | WORD ORIGINS: From the French for "to set in the woods", this word refers to a type of attack ambush |
| #6389, aired 2012-05-31 | AIRLINE HISTORY: Clipper Goodwill, a Boeing 727, took this airline's last passengers from Barbados to Miami December 4, 1991 Pan Am |
| #6388, aired 2012-05-30 | PRESIDENTIAL RESTING PLACES: Only 3 sites have the remains of 2 presidents: 1 at Quincy, Massachusetts, 1 at Arlington & 1 in this state capital Richmond, Virginia |
| #6387, aired 2012-05-29 | CLASSIC MYSTERY NOVELS: A letter in this mystery says, "We are going... to Luxor and Assuan by steamer, and perhaps on to Khartoum" Death on the Nile |
| #6386, aired 2012-05-28 | AMERICAN INNOVATORS: This Grammy winner who died in 2009 at age 94 was an inductee into both the Rock & Roll & National Inventors Halls of Fame Les Paul |
| #6385, aired 2012-05-25 | MILITARY MATTERS: In 1934 the lease for this place was increased to $4,085 per year; since 1959 the checks haven't been cashed Guantanamo |
| #6384, aired 2012-05-24 | BIOGRAPHIES: "The Man who Invented the Twentieth Century" is a biography of this scientist born in the Balkans Nikola Tesla |
| #6383, aired 2012-05-23 | ANIMALS: A 2005 study reported that this animal named for an island has, pound-for-pound, the most powerful bite of any mammal Tasmanian devil |
| #6382, aired 2012-05-22 | 1957: On September 5, Dwight Eisenhower told this state's governor that "the federal Constitution will be upheld by me by every legal means" Arkansas |
| #6381, aired 2012-05-21 | DRAMA: This play that came to Broadway in 2005 is set in the autumn of 1964 at St. Nicholas Church School in the Bronx Doubt |
| #6380, aired 2012-05-18 | INVENTORS: The National Inventors Hall of Fame said his work "brought the South prosperity", but he was out of business within 5 years Eli Whitney |
| #6379, aired 2012-05-17 | SPORTING EVENTS: First held in May 1875, it is the oldest continuously held major sporting event in the United States the Kentucky Derby |
| #6378, aired 2012-05-16 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: In 2011, in the preface to the 75th anniversary edition, Pat Conroy called this novel "the last great... victory of the Confederacy" Gone with the Wind |
| #6377, aired 2012-05-15 | MUSEUMS: Completed in 1959, it's been variously described as a snail, a concrete tornado, even a giant wedding cake the Guggenheim Museum |
| #6376, aired 2012-05-14 | AWARDS: This performer is the only person to win an Emmy, the Mark Twain Prize & the Spingarn Medal Bill Cosby |
| #6375, aired 2012-05-11 | AMERICAN HISTORY: When the future state of Iowa became part of the United States, this man was President Thomas Jefferson |
| #6374, aired 2012-05-10 | OLYMPICS HISTORY: Besides Antarctica, the 2 continents that have never hosted the Summer or Winter Olympic Games Africa & South America |
| #6373, aired 2012-05-09 | CONTEMPORARY NOVELISTS: Seeing young people competing in a reality show on one channel & fighting a war on another gave this author a book idea Suzanne Collins |
| #6372, aired 2012-05-08 | ANCIENT LANDMARKS: It's believed that its nose was about 3 feet wide when it was first constructed around 2500 B.C. the Sphinx |
| #6371, aired 2012-05-07 | ON THE PERIODIC TABLE: Of the 5 elements with 4-letter names, it's the only one that is not a solid at room temperature neon |
| #6370, aired 2012-05-04 | THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: In 1777 an opponent wrote of him "Money is this man's God, and to get enough of it he would sacrifice his country" Benedict Arnold |
| #6369, aired 2012-05-03 | MEDICINE: Though its name means "against life", it's any of a class of substances used to save a life an antibiotic |
| #6368, aired 2012-05-02 | CALENDARS: Of the 12 beasts representing years in the Chinese calendar, the one not biologically related to any creature on Earth the dragon |
| #6367, aired 2012-05-01 | FICTIONAL BEINGS: These fictional beings are also called Periannath & Halflings, but this familiar term means "hole-builders" Hobbits |
| #6366, aired 2012-04-30 | U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES: Its seal shows a 16-pointed star, symbolizing the search for information, on a shield symbolizing defense the CIA |
| #6365, aired 2012-04-27 | CONSTELLATIONS & MYTH: In Greek myth he became the prey when he was killed by Scorpius; now they're both in the sky Orion |
| #6364, aired 2012-04-26 | INTERNATIONAL ROAD VEHICLE STICKERS: It's the constitutional kingdom of more than 6 million whose road vehicle sticker is seen here
HKJ the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
| #6363, aired 2012-04-25 | WEBSITES: It launched its first offer on October 22, 2008: a two-for-one pizza deal in Chicago Groupon |
| #6362, aired 2012-04-24 | WOMEN'S FIRSTS: In 1977 Juanita Kreps, the first woman on the board of the NYSE, became the first woman to head this Cabinet dept. Commerce |
| #6361, aired 2012-04-23 | AMERICAN HISTORY: This state is known as the "Cockpit of the Revolution" for all the battles there, including a pivotal one in December 1776 New Jersey |
| #6360, aired 2012-04-20 | WORLD CURRENCIES: One of the 4 small U.N. member nations that use the euro as their official currency even though not in the European Union (1 of) Andorra, Montenegro, Monaco, or San Marino |
| #6359, aired 2012-04-19 | WHO WAS THE PRESIDENT WHEN...: The Jets beat the heavily favored Colts in Super Bowl III Lyndon B. Johnson |
| #6358, aired 2012-04-18 | 1920s NOVELS: This title guy says, "Do you believe in my innocence, in the fiendishness of my accusers? Reassure me with a hallelujah!" Elmer Gantry |
| #6357, aired 2012-04-17 | MUSEUMS: For 2010 & 2011, it's gotten more visitors than any other single museum in the U.S. the National Air & Space Museum |
| #6356, aired 2012-04-16 | 2011 MEMOIRS: He titled his 2011 memoir "Harold: The Boy Who Became Mark Twain" Hal Holbrook |
| #6355, aired 2012-04-13 | WORD ORIGINS: An exploited part of a law, originally it meant an opening in a castle wall used to look at or shoot at an enemy a loop hole |
| #6354, aired 2012-04-12 | SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS: The only 2 plays whose titles repeat a word, excluding articles & prepositions, are "Measure for Measure" & this All's Well That Ends Well |
| #6353, aired 2012-04-11 | ART STYLES: Printmaker Richard Hamilton is credited with coining the name of this style, calling it "designed for a mass audience" Pop Art |
| #6352, aired 2012-04-10 | AWARDS & PRIZES: Designed by Norwegian Gustav Vigeland, it depicts 3 naked men with their hands on each other's shoulders the Nobel Peace Prize |
| #6351, aired 2012-04-09 | THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME: His widow Maria Elena & actor Gary Busey were on hand when his star was dedicated outside Capitol Records in 2011 Buddy Holly |
| #6350, aired 2012-04-06 | WORLD LEADERS: Names of the pair seen here, who've been spending a lot of time together Nicolas Sarkozy & Angela Merkel |
| #6349, aired 2012-04-05 | POLITICAL TERMS: The OED traces these 2 parallel terms to an October 30, 2000 "Today" show discussion of an electoral map red state & blue state |
| #6348, aired 2012-04-04 | CLASSIC CHILDREN'S BOOKS: A. cavaticus, the scientific name of the barn spider, inspired the middle initial & last name of a character in this book Charlotte's Web |
| #6347, aired 2012-04-03 | SYMBOLIC SCULPTURE: In 2005 a sculpture of an African elephant was installed outside this country's embassy in Washington, D.C. Côte d'Ivoire |
| #6346, aired 2012-04-02 | TRANSLATED MOVIE TITLES: This Robert De Niro film is known in Italian as "Il cacciatore" The Deer Hunter |
| #6345, aired 2012-03-30 | U.S. VICE PRESIDENTS: More VPs have been from this state than any other, including 2 20th century VPs who were its governor New York |
| #6344, aired 2012-03-29 | SPACE EXPLORATION: On March 17, 2011 a probe called MESSENGER became the first spacecraft to orbit this planet Mercury |
| #6343, aired 2012-03-28 | LATIN PHRASES: Though often associated with Machiavelli, this phrase, "exitus acta probat", first appears in a work by Ovid the end justifies the means |
| #6342, aired 2012-03-27 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: "Books leapt and danced like roasted birds, their wings ablaze with red and yellow feathers" is a line from this novel Fahrenheit 451 (by Ray Bradbury) |
| #6341, aired 2012-03-26 | ISLANDS: At 22 square miles, it's the world's smallest island with a population exceeding 1 million, a figure it reached by 1880 Manhattan |
| #6340, aired 2012-03-23 | TOYS & GAMES: In 1953 the maker of this board game was flooded with letters with ideas for timing devices, turntables & bags to hold game pieces Scrabble |
| #6339, aired 2012-03-22 | STATE NICKNAMES: Its nickname is said to come from a line in an 1899 speech that followed "frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me" Missouri |
| #6338, aired 2012-03-21 | FAMOUS NAMES: At his death in January 2010, he was called "the Garbo of letters, famous for not wanting to be famous" J.D. Salinger |
| #6337, aired 2012-03-20 | HISTORICAL FACTS & FIGURES: This site was active from 1892 to 1954; its busiest day was April 17, 1907 when 11,747 were processed Ellis Island |
| #6336, aired 2012-03-19 | MOVIE DIRECTORS: On visiting RKO in 1939, he described the studio as the biggest electric train set any boy ever had Orson Welles |
| #6335, aired 2012-03-16 | '70s BLOCKBUSTERS: A direction in this film: "Start with the tone... up a full tone. Down a major third. Now drop an octave. Up a perfect fifth" Close Encounters of the Third Kind |
| #6334, aired 2012-03-15 | LITERATURE: This 1928 novel was partly based on the author's wife Frieda & her affair with Angelo Ravagli Lady Chatterley's Lover (by D.H. Lawrence) |
| #6333, aired 2012-03-14 | 20th CENTURY NAMES: Chapters in his autobiography include "Outcaste", "First Day in Pretoria" & "Fasting as Penance" Gandhi |
| #6332, aired 2012-03-13 | FICTIONAL WOMEN: After dying, she's described as having "too much of water", & her brother says, "therefore I forbid my tears" Ophelia |
| #6331, aired 2012-03-12 | PEOPLE OF EUROPE: These people who ruled large parts of Spain before Celtic & Roman dominance left their name on the land the Iberians |
| #6330, aired 2012-03-09 | MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: An entertainer born in 1888 whose original first name was Adolph was one of the best-known players of this instrument the harp |
| #6329, aired 2012-03-08 | TONY-WINNING MUSICALS: These 2 back-to-back Tony winners for Best Musical (1987 & 1988) were both set in Paris Les Miserables & The Phantom of the Opera |
| #6328, aired 2012-03-07 | CURRENT AMERICAN COMPANIES: The name of a Kansas City-based consumer product company, it's also a term goldsmiths use to denote quality Hallmark |
| #6327, aired 2012-03-06 | AMERICAN WRITERS: A fellow author called him "a very unique cat--a French Canadian Hinayana Buddhist beat Catholic savant" (Jack) Kerouac |
| #6326, aired 2012-03-05 | CIVILIZATIONS: Starting in the 300s B.C., Hellenistic civilization was spread from this land where a new country was declared in 1991 Macedonia |
| #6325, aired 2012-03-02 | BOOK VILLAINS: The first time we meet this man in a 1981 novel, he's in his cell holding "Le Grand Dictionnaire de Cuisine" Hannibal Lecter |
| #6324, aired 2012-03-01 | SCIENTISTS: In 1711 Newton led the Royal Society in London & his greatest rival led the Academy of Sciences in this capital city Berlin |
| #6323, aired 2012-02-29 | THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY: The Catholic & Eastern churches separated in 1054, when the Pope & Patriarch did this to each other; it was undone in 1965 excommunicated |
| #6322, aired 2012-02-28 | THE 1960s: On nominating this man in 1967, LBJ said "It is the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man & the right place" Thurgood Marshall |
| #6321, aired 2012-02-27 | U.S. MEMORIALS: "No day shall erase you from the memory of time", from Virgil's "Aeneid", is inscribed on a wall at this memorial the 9/11 Memorial in New York City |
| #6320, aired 2012-02-24 | LITERARY BIOGRAPHIES: Quoting a famous line of his, a 2011 biography of this man was titled "And So It Goes" Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. |
| #6319, aired 2012-02-23 | SINGERS: On the eve of Earth Day, 2011, he became the first performer inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame John Denver |
| #6318, aired 2012-02-22 | THE NEW TESTAMENT: In Chapter 1 of the Acts of the Apostles, Matthias is chosen to replace him Judas |
| #6317, aired 2012-02-21 | ASIAN BORDERS: In 1893 the British established the Durand line, now the boundary, much in the news since 2001, between these 2 countries Pakistan & Afghanistan |
| #6316, aired 2012-02-20 | FRENCH PAINTERS: This French painter wrote, "I am good for nothing except painting and gardening" Monet |
| #6315, aired 2012-02-17 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: The only title character in her creator's 6 major novels, she was portrayed in a 1996 film & a 2009 miniseries Emma (Woodhouse) |
| #6314, aired 2012-02-16 | PEOPLE IN HISTORY: The name of this assassin is Latin for heavy, dull, insensitive, oafish Brutus |
| #6313, aired 2012-02-15 | U.S. STATES: This third-smallest state in area is home to the USA's third-oldest college Connecticut |
| #6312, aired 2012-02-14 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: The 14 countries that border China run alphabetically from this to Vietnam Afghanistan |
| #6311, aired 2012-02-13 | ANNIVERSARIES: In 2011 Elizabeth II marked the 400th anniversary of this, assembled by 47 translators in Oxford, London & Cambridge the King James Bible |
| #6310, aired 2012-02-10 | ANCIENT QUOTATIONS: When Byzantine Emperor Justinian completed Hagia Sophia, he declared, this king, "I have surpassed thee" King Solomon |
| #6309, aired 2012-02-09 | CHARACTERS IN POETRY: The name of this title heroine of an 1847 poem is from the Greek for "good news" Evangeline |
| #6308, aired 2012-02-08 | COMIC BOOKS: An inspiration for this character introduced in 1929 was 15-year-old Palle Huld's 1928 44-day voyage around the world Tintin |
| #6307, aired 2012-02-07 | MEDICAL DISCOVERIES: Nicolas Paulescu isolated a substance he called pancrein, now known as this insulin |
| #6306, aired 2012-02-06 | COLONIAL HISTORY: A 1763 letter said that these 2 men were equipped with "instruments... to look at the posts in the line for ten or twelve miles" Mason & Dixon |
| #6305, aired 2012-02-03 | NATIONAL PARKS: A biosphere reserve, this Southern national park is the largest in the lower 48 completely within one state Everglades National Park |
| #6304, aired 2012-02-02 | 19th CENTURY AUTHORS: One of this author's greatest successes came after remarking, "I want to write about a fellow who was two fellows" Robert Louis Stevenson |
| #6303, aired 2012-02-01 | WORD ORIGINS: From the Arabic for "storehouse", in 1731 it was first used to refer to a monthly storehouse of information magazine |
| #6302, aired 2012-01-31 | 1870s PEOPLE: Preserved in the West Point library, his last message reads, "Benteen. Come on. Big village. Be quick. Bring packs" General Custer |
| #6301, aired 2012-01-30 | 1960s TV CHARACTERS: One of her first spoken lines is translated as "You have the face of a wise and fearless caliph" Jeannie |
| #6300, aired 2012-01-27 | WORD & PHRASE ORIGINS: After living in Honduras, O. Henry coined this term for a small country dependent on a single export a banana republic |
| #6299, aired 2012-01-26 | HEALTH MATTERS: This term for sudden severe head pain that typically lasts only a few minutes was trademarked by 7-Eleven in 1994 brain freeze |
| #6298, aired 2012-01-25 | INTERNATIONAL SPORTS STARS: In 2002 his No. 10 jersey from the 1970 World Cup finals sold at auction for a record $220,850 Pelé |
| #6297, aired 2012-01-24 | ISLANDS: The Carabelli & Durazzo families are considered the Hatfields & McCoys of this island Corsica |
| #6296, aired 2012-01-23 | AMERICAN HISTORY: This volunteer group was born in May 1898 near the bar in San Antonio's Menger Hotel; it existed for just 133 days the Rough Riders |
| #6295, aired 2012-01-20 | ENGLISH LITERATURE: This title character of an 18th century novel was the son of a man named Kreutznaer, but his name gets Anglicized Robinson Crusoe |
| #6294, aired 2012-01-19 | SPORTS & THE MOVIES: When asked for a home address in "The Blues Bros." Elwood gives 1060 W. Addison St., the home of this facility Wrigley Field |
| #6293, aired 2012-01-18 | FATHERS & SONS: The island where this man's son washed ashore was later named Ikaria Daedalus |
| #6292, aired 2012-01-17 | U.S. POPULATION: Between 2000 & 2010 these 2 states that border each other led the nation in highest percentage of population increase, 35% & 25% Arizona and Nevada |
| #6291, aired 2012-01-16 | ENGLISH MONARCHS: Since 1066, the longest consecutive period when the monarch had the same name was 116 years with this given name George |
| #6290, aired 2012-01-13 | PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATES: The traditional inaugural lunch for this president & V.P. featured boiled stuffed lobster & prime ribs of beef au jus JFK & LBJ |
| #6289, aired 2012-01-12 | WOMEN AUTHORS: 1 of the 2 American women authors nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938 (1 of) Pearl Buck & Margaret Mitchell |
| #6288, aired 2012-01-11 | FOOD ETYMOLOGY: Keith Downey developed rapeseed into this cooking product, now a huge cash crop for farmers in Saskatchewan canola |
| #6287, aired 2012-01-10 | RULERS IN HISTORY: Born in 1672 & named for a saint, in 1703 he founded a city whose name represents both of them Peter the Great |
| #6286, aired 2012-01-09 | RECENT FILMS: An early scene in this 2011 film is set in Tonsberg, Norway in the year 965 A.D. Thor |
| #6285, aired 2012-01-06 | ANCIENT WEIGHTS & MEASURES: The Hebrew word for this Biblical unit of measurement is Ammah, aptly meaning "elbow" or "forearm" a cubit |
| #6284, aired 2012-01-05 | CALIFORNIA HISTORY: Surname of the employer of James W. Marshall, who found gold in a stream near the Sacramento River in 1848 Sutter |
| #6283, aired 2012-01-04 | 1930s NOVELS: An audio version of this anti-war novel by a once blacklisted author has introductions from Cindy Sheehan & Ron Kovic Johnny Got His Gun |
| #6282, aired 2012-01-03 | ASTRONOMY: In July 2011 it completed its first orbit around the Sun since its discovery in 1846 Neptune |
| #6281, aired 2012-01-02 | '70s OSCARS: This film whose title refers to an establishment holds the record for most wins, 8, without winning Best Picture Cabaret |
| #6280, aired 2011-12-30 | ROCK ICONS: While he's had 12 Top 10 hits on Billboard, including 7 from a 1984 album, he's never had a No. 1 single Bruce Springsteen |
| #6279, aired 2011-12-29 | CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN WRITERS: Concluding a 4-book series, his 2004 novel "Folly and Glory" features Kit Carson, William Clark & Jim Bowie Larry McMurtry |
| #6278, aired 2011-12-28 | BUSINESS HISTORY: Crosby, Sinatra & Hope starred in the October 13, 1957 CBS-TV special that launched this short-lived product the Edsel |
| #6277, aired 2011-12-27 | PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATIONS: His second inauguration marked the first time that women officially participated in the inaugural parade Woodrow Wilson |
| #6276, aired 2011-12-26 | JOLLY OLD ENGLAND: Queen Anne liked the Marquess of Normanby, gave him permission to build a huge home in London & made him Duke of this Buckingham |
| #6275, aired 2011-12-23 | POLITICAL WORDS: 16th century British farmers notching their livestock for identification led to this term for an item set aside for a specific purpose earmark |
| #6274, aired 2011-12-22 | ISLANDS: 1 of the 2 islands with a population exceeding 100 million; each one is part of an Asian country (1 of) Honshu or Java |
| #6273, aired 2011-12-21 | THE NFL: This team that joined the NFL in the mid-1970s is the only one whose name starts with the same 3 letters as its city's name the Seattle Seahawks |
| #6272, aired 2011-12-20 | POETS: While north of his homeland he was inspired to write perhaps his greatest work, "Alturas de Macchu Picchu" Pablo Neruda |
| #6271, aired 2011-12-19 | FAMOUS BUILDINGS: Recent evidence suggests that, despite its name, this 1599 building was a 20-sided icosagon the Globe Theatre |
| #6270, aired 2011-12-16 | WORD HISTORY: A Roman legal term for a debtor sentenced to servitude is the origin of this term for a slave to a vice addict |
| #6269, aired 2011-12-15 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: He was born in NYC on April 3, 1783, toward the end of the Revolutionary War, & named for one of the war's heroes Washington Irving |
| #6268, aired 2011-12-14 | POPULAR BABY NAMES: Character names in a book & movie series, the top names for 2009 & 2010 were Isabella for girls & this biblical one for boys Jacob |
| #6267, aired 2011-12-13 | 20th CENTURY LITERATURE: A 50th anniversary edition of this fictionalized biography featured the painting seen here on its cover Lust for Life |
| #6266, aired 2011-12-12 | THE BILLBOARD TOP 40: Previously done by the Trapp Family, this song about an instrumentalist was a Top 40 hit every December from 1958 to 1962 "The Little Drummer Boy" |
| #6265, aired 2011-12-09 | "FIRST" PHRASES: The earliest known use of this term was in an Indianapolis Star opinion piece of September 20, 1914 First World War |
| #6264, aired 2011-12-08 | DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE SIGNERS: The only Roman Catholic signer represented this state Maryland |
| #6263, aired 2011-12-07 | SPORTING EVENTS: The cup presented since 1887 to the man who wins this is inscribed "single handed champion of the world" Wimbledon (the men's singles championship) |
| #6262, aired 2011-12-06 | U.S. STRUCTURES: On December 6, 1884 this was capped with a 100-oz., 9-inch-high pyramid-shaped block of aluminum, a metal that was rare at the time the Washington Monument |
| #6261, aired 2011-12-05 | PLAYWRIGHTS: For a 1953 play, he spent time in Salem doing research at the courthouse & at the Witch House Arthur Miller |
| #6260, aired 2011-12-02 | WORD ORIGINS: This word for a friend comes from the Latin for "with whom you would eat bread" companion |
| #6259, aired 2011-12-01 | HIT SONGS: Inspired by a Meher Baba saying, this 1980s Grammy winner was the first a cappella recording to top the Billboard 100 "Don't Worry, Be Happy" (by Bobby McFerrin) |
| #6258, aired 2011-11-30 | ORGANIZATIONS: On Nov. 17, 1871 Union vets dismayed by soldiers' lack of proficiency in one skill formed this organization the National Rifle Association |
| #6257, aired 2011-11-29 | TOYS: Invented in 1943, this toy was flung over tree branches by soldiers in Vietnam & used as a makeshift radio antenna the Slinky |
| #6256, aired 2011-11-28 | 16th CENTURY NAMES: In 2010, 467 years after his death, this man at odds with the church was reburied with honors at a Polish cathedral Nicolaus Copernicus |
| #6255, aired 2011-11-25 | MODERN AMERICAN NOVELS: The title of this 1981 Pulitzer Prize winner comes from a Jonathan Swift line about how lesser minds unite to oppose genius A Confederacy of Dunces (by John Kennedy Toole) |
| #6254, aired 2011-11-24 | PSYCHOLOGY TERMS: This 2-word term has its origins in a hostage-taking that followed the botched 1973 Norrmalmstorg bank robbery Stockholm Syndrome |
| #6253, aired 2011-11-23 | AMERICAN WOMEN: Geraldine Doyle, who in 1942 took a job at a Michigan metal factory, helped inspire the look & job of this iconic character Rosie the Riveter |
| #6252, aired 2011-11-22 | U.S. MONEY MATH: Adding up the denominations of circulating bills with U.S. presidents on the front gives you this total $78 |
| #6251, aired 2011-11-21 | MOVIE CHARACTERS: 900 years old when he died, he spoke in OSV syntax, object-subject-verb Yoda |
| #6250, aired 2011-11-18 | ACTOR-DIRECTORS: It's rare to get Oscar nominations for Best Director & Best Actor for the same film; he is 1 of the 2 who did it twice (1 of) Clint Eastwood & Warren Beatty |
| #6249, aired 2011-11-17 | HISTORIC DOCUMENTS: It's the shorter, better-known name of the document "United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967" the Pentagon Papers |
| #6248, aired 2011-11-16 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS: Still in existence, it began in 1688 in a British coffee shop popular with maritime folk; it soon got involved in their business Lloyd's of London |
| #6247, aired 2011-11-15 | 19th CENTURY POETRY: He wrote, "He looked upon the garish day With such a wistful eye; The man had killed the thing he loved, & so he had to die" Oscar Wilde |
| #6246, aired 2011-11-14 | THE PRESIDENTIAL CABINET: 7 women have been the secretary of this, the most for any department in the president's cabinet Labor |
| #6245, aired 2011-11-11 | BUSINESS: A 2005 sale of 14,159,265 shares prompted the headline "Google offers shares, seeks global piece of" this pi |
| #6244, aired 2011-11-10 | HOLLYWOOD HISTORY: They were the first 2 sisters ever nominated for the same acting Oscar in the same year Joan Fontaine & Olivia de Havilland |
| #6243, aired 2011-11-09 | FRENCH HISTORY: She said, "I told my plans to no one. I was not killing a man, but a wild beast that was devouring the French people" Charlotte Corday |
| #6242, aired 2011-11-08 | 18th CENTURY AUTHORS: In a poem he named himself Cadenus, an anagram of Decanus, or "Dean" Jonathan Swift |
| #6241, aired 2011-11-07 | FROM THE GREEK: The word for a song element you won't find in instrumentals comes from the name of this instrument a lyre |
| #6240, aired 2011-11-04 | NOTABLE GROUPS: Harpo Marx was among this group when it met in NYC's Rose Room for its final time, in 1943, & found there was nothing left to say the Algonquin Round Table |
| #6239, aired 2011-11-03 | COUNTRIES' HIGHEST PEAKS: These 2 nations, one an island, have highest peaks with the same name; they also share a common European culture Greece & Cyprus |
| #6238, aired 2011-11-02 | WORLD CITIES: A member of the Hanseatic League, this city with a 4-letter name was once known as the "Paris of the Baltic" Riga |
| #6237, aired 2011-11-01 | CHILDREN'S LIT: This classic book begins, "The pretty little Swiss town of Mayenfeld lies at the foot of a mountain range" Heidi |
| #6236, aired 2011-10-31 | 19th CENTURY QUOTATIONS: "In this sense, the theory of" this group "may be summed up in the single sentence: abolition of private property" communists |
| #6235, aired 2011-10-28 | INVENTORS: In 1823 this Scot obtained a patent for a process that made silk, paper & "other substances impervious to water and air" Charles Macintosh |
| #6234, aired 2011-10-27 | MOVIES: The villain's visage in this movie series was partly chosen due to its likeness to an 1893 work by a Norwegian artist Scream |
| #6233, aired 2011-10-26 | DEATH OF AN AUTHOR: In 1940 at age 44 he died of a heart attack at his Hollywood home while reading his Princeton Alumni Weekly F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| #6232, aired 2011-10-25 | CLASSIC GAMES: Monopoly creator Charles Darrow's sole quote in "the Yale Book of Quotations" includes this 3-digit number 200 |
| #6231, aired 2011-10-24 | U.S. CITIES: Of the top 10 cities in population within city limits, this one of 1.4 million is the only state capital Phoenix, Arizona |
| #6230, aired 2011-10-21 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: In the original 1883 work, this title character kills a talking cricket, has his feet burned off & nearly starves Pinocchio |
| #6229, aired 2011-10-20 | TOP OF THE POP CHARTS: In 1978 he replaced his brothers at No. 1, who then replaced him; one of the brothers was a writer on all 3 songs Andy Gibb |
| #6228, aired 2011-10-19 | THE 20th CENTURY: In the 1940s Franklin Roosevelt coined this term in reference to all the countries allied against the Axis powers United Nations |
| #6227, aired 2011-10-18 | FOREIGN-BORN INVENTORS: His 1922 New York Times obituary mentions that his patent No. 174,465 "has been called the most valuable patent ever issued" Alexander Graham Bell |
| #6226, aired 2011-10-17 | 2011 EVENTS: To mark an historic visit, on May 17 an Irish army band played this song followed by Ireland's anthem "God Save The Queen" |
| #6225, aired 2011-10-14 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: This nation lost its direct access to the Pacific around 1880 but retains a navy that patrols its rivers & a large lake Bolivia |
| #6224, aired 2011-10-13 | THE OSCARS: This performer is the only person to win Oscars for acting & also songwriting Barbra Streisand |
| #6223, aired 2011-10-12 | ART & STATE CAPITALS: The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, home to the largest permanent collection of her works, is in this state capital Santa Fe |
| #6222, aired 2011-10-11 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: "'How are you getting on?' said" this animal character, "as soon as there was mouth enough for it to speak with" the Cheshire Cat |
| #6221, aired 2011-10-10 | THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR: He was executed in 1780 & buried in Tappan, New York; his remains were moved to Westminster Abbey in 1821 Major John André |
| #6220, aired 2011-10-07 | ROYALTY: The son of an Oscar winner, this prince is also a 5-time Olympian Prince Albert |
| #6219, aired 2011-10-06 | OSCAR NOMINATIONS: The only time 3 actors from the same movie were nominated for Best Actor was for this high seas film Mutiny on the Bounty |
| #6218, aired 2011-10-05 | LITERARY TITLE CHARACTERS: He gave his horse a name that partly means "nag" in Spanish; the name he gave himself refers to a piece of armor Don Quixote |
| #6217, aired 2011-10-04 | EUROPEAN TRAVEL & TOURISM: Visited by 15 million people a year, this spot in Britain honors an 1805 battle fought elsewhere Trafalgar Square |
| #6216, aired 2011-10-03 | REMEMBERING U.S. HISTORY: Issued in 2011, a stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of a major event in U.S. history depicts this stronghold Fort Sumter |
| #6215, aired 2011-09-30 | THE OLYMPICS: Aside from racquet sports, one of the 2 other Summer Olympic sports in which men may currently compete against women equestrian events or sailing |
| #6214, aired 2011-09-29 | THE 20th CENTURY: In February 1967 this Asian leader said his people would "never agree to negotiate under the threat of bombing" Ho Chi Minh |
| #6213, aired 2011-09-28 | THE CHANGING U.S.A.: (Kelly of the Clue Crew shows a map on the monitor.) According to the Census, this point has progressed westward since the U.S. was founded & has moved southwest since the 1960s the mean center of population |
| #6212, aired 2011-09-27 | ENGLISH WRITERS: English poet Thomas Hoccleve, a contemporary of this man, called him the "firste fyndere of our fair langage" Chaucer |
| #6211, aired 2011-09-26 | FAMILIAR PHRASE ORIGINS: In medieval times, an act of bravery got you dubbed a knight & won you a pair of golden these spurs |
| #6210, aired 2011-09-23 | AMERICAN BUSINESS: In the 1880s he developed Crystal A Caramels; a product under his own name came out in 1900 Hershey |
| #6209, aired 2011-09-22 | PHILOSOPHY: Nietzsche wrote, "Once you said 'God' when you gazed upon distant seas; but now I have taught you to say" this word superman |
| #6208, aired 2011-09-21 | OSCAR WINNERS: The most recent father & daughter to win acting Oscars: he won for playing a veteran, she for playing a mental patient Jon Voight & Angelina Jolie |
| #6207, aired 2011-09-20 | NAME'S THE SAME: Name shared by a popular world sport & a member of the Gryllidae family cricket |
| #6206, aired 2011-09-19 | AMERICAN WRITERS: In the 1840s he wrote, "I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government" Henry David Thoreau |
| #6205, aired 2011-07-29 | LOS ANGELES LANDMARKS: A James Dean memorial can be found adjacent to this structure, located at one of the high spots in Los Angeles the Griffith Observatory |
| #6204, aired 2011-07-28 | WORLD HISTORY: Surus was the last known one of these to survive a mountain crossing in the 3rd century B.C. an elephant |
| #6203, aired 2011-07-27 | ROYALTY: On the run following the siege of Oxford, he surrendered May 5, 1646 near Newark on Trent Charles I |
| #6202, aired 2011-07-26 | THE NEW TESTAMENT: This miracle that happens in all 4 gospels, including Mark 6 & Luke 9, has elements that symbolically represent Jesus the miracle of the loaves & fishes |
| #6201, aired 2011-07-25 | BOOKS ABOUT BOOKS: The 2003 bestseller "The Meaning of Everything" is subtitled "The Story of" this reference classic the Oxford English Dictionary |
| #6200, aired 2011-07-22 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In 1909 he sent the message "Stars and Stripes nailed to the pole" Robert Peary |
| #6199, aired 2011-07-21 | 20th CENTURY LEADERS: Time magazine first mentioned him in 1939, when his father sent him on a diplomatic errand from London to Glasgow John F. Kennedy |
| #6198, aired 2011-07-20 | SPORTS MOVIES: Their team colors were yellow & white & they were originally sponsored by Chico's Bail Bonds The Bad News Bears |
| #6197, aired 2011-07-19 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: This novel's first epilogue says, "The activity of Alexander or of Napoleon cannot be called useful or harmful" War and Peace |
| #6196, aired 2011-07-18 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: Of the 4 largest Asian countries in area, it's the only one that borders the other 3 China |
| #6195, aired 2011-07-15 | TRADEMARKS: In 1987 a maker of fiberglass insulation became the first company to trademark a color--this color pink |
| #6194, aired 2011-07-14 | PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES: Opened in 1971, his presidential library is the farthest south Lyndon Johnson |
| #6193, aired 2011-07-13 | NAME THE POET: "The spirit who bideth by himself / In the land of mist and snow / He loved the bird that loved the man / Who shot him with his bow" Samuel Taylor Coleridge |
| #6192, aired 2011-07-12 | COMIC BOOK HISTORY: On the cover of the 1941 first issue of this comic book, the title hero punches Hitler in the jaw Captain America |
| #6191, aired 2011-07-11 | 18th CENTURY QUOTATIONS: 2 yrs. before his 1794 execution, he said, "I am no courtier, nor moderator... nor defender of the people: I am myself the people" Maximilien Robespierre |
| #6190, aired 2011-07-08 | THE OLYMPICS: If he had been his own country, at the 2008 Summer Olympics he would have tied for ninth in gold medals Michael Phelps |
| #6189, aired 2011-07-07 | 20th CENTURY HISTORY: On September 2, 1945 New Zealand Air Marshal Leonard Isitt put the final signature on the document that ended this World War II |
| #6188, aired 2011-07-06 | U.S. STATE NAMES: Of the 4 states that begin & end with the same vowel, the one that doesn't begin & end with the same letter as the other 3 states Ohio |
| #6187, aired 2011-07-05 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: An education center at his historic home includes galleries called "First in War" & "A Leader's Smile" George Washington |
| #6186, aired 2011-07-04 | ADVERTISING ICONS: Introduced in 1963, this internationally known character wears a size 29EEE shoe Ronald McDonald |
| #6185, aired 2011-07-01 | BRITISH AUTHORS: She described her work as "human nature in the Midland Counties" & involving "three or four families in a country village" Jane Austen |
| #6184, aired 2011-06-30 | COINS OF THE WORLD: 50 Cent pieces issued in 2003 by this country depict Frodo, Gandalf, Gollum, Sauron & Aragorn New Zealand |
| #6183, aired 2011-06-29 | POETIC SUBJECTS: It was saved from destruction by a poem submitted to the Boston Daily Advertiser in September 1830 the Constitution ("Old Ironsides") |
| #6182, aired 2011-06-28 | FAMOUS NAMES: The last time the University of Michigan retired a football number was in 1994, in honor of this center who graduated in 1935 Gerald Ford |
| #6181, aired 2011-06-27 | GAMES: In 2007 Robstown, near Corpus Christi, was recognized as the birthplace of this game, now played online too Texas hold 'em |
| #6180, aired 2011-06-24 | WORLD CAPITALS: Built about 50 years ago, it's the only world capital to start with the letter "I" Islamabad |
| #6179, aired 2011-06-23 | LITERARY SEQUELS: The mirror motif in this 1871 sequel includes 2 characters who are enantiomorphs, or mirror-image twins Through the Looking-Glass |
| #6178, aired 2011-06-22 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: His "remarks about the Confederacy... made Atlanta look at him first in bewilderment, then coolly and then with hot rage" Rhett Butler |
| #6177, aired 2011-06-21 | DOGS: This alliterative dog breed bears the former name of an African country Rhodesian Ridgeback |
| #6176, aired 2011-06-20 | MOVIE CHARACTER NAMES: This last name of the speech therapist in the 2010 Oscar winner for Best Picture is also a suffix meaning "speech" Logue |
| #6175, aired 2011-06-17 | MEDICAL HISTORY: In December 1967 Louis Washkansky, a patient in this country claimed, "I am a new Frankenstein" South Africa |
| #6174, aired 2011-06-16 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: Penned by a British author, it became a No. 1 bestseller in the U.S. in 1959, 31 years after it was initially banned Lady Chatterley's Lover |
| #6173, aired 2011-06-15 | CRUSADING WOMEN: A judge's directed verdict of guilty for her action in Rochester in 1872 was written before her trial began Susan B. Anthony |
| #6172, aired 2011-06-14 | FLAGS OF THE WORLD: "L'Unifolié" is one of the names popularly given to the new flag unveiled in 1965 by this country Canada |
| #6171, aired 2011-06-13 | SHOW BUSINESS FAMILIES: The car company that sponsored the radio show for which his father worked inspired the middle name of this filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola |
| #6170, aired 2011-06-10 | FRANCE: With about 340,000 people today, it's the most populous French city that came under Italian occupation in World War II Nice |
| #6169, aired 2011-06-09 | THE PRESIDENCY: From 1792 to 1886 this person, not the Speaker of the House, followed the vice president in the line of succession the President pro tem (of the Senate) |
| #6168, aired 2011-06-08 | THE MOVIES: Lt. Col. A.P. Clark played a key role in the elaborate breakout from Stalag Luft III that inspired this 1963 movie The Great Escape |
| #6167, aired 2011-06-07 | BESTSELLERS: In the beginning this 2005 novel was simply titled "Forks" Twilight |
| #6166, aired 2011-06-06 | COLORFUL TITLES: At its premiere in NYC in 1924 this composition was part of a concert billed as "an experiment in modern music" Rhapsody in Blue |
| #6165, aired 2011-06-03 | WORLD HISTORY: Traditionally said to be founded in 421, this city was later built up on islands in a lagoon by refugees from invading Lombards Venice |
| #6164, aired 2011-06-02 | THE TONY AWARDS: There has never been a Tony Award winner for Best Musical set on either of these 2 continents Antarctica & Australia |
| #6163, aired 2011-06-01 | THE RAILROADS: The railroad founded in 1859 by a Kansas state charter reached this state capital on February 16, 1880 Santa Fe |
| #6162, aired 2011-05-31 | ANCIENT WRITINGS: In 170 A.D. Melito of Sardis compiled a list of religious works to be included in this, a 2-word term he coined the Old Testament |
| #6161, aired 2011-05-30 | SCIENCE TERMS: This term for the lowest level of the ocean that the Sun's rays can reach shares its name with a classic 1960s TV show the twilight zone |
| #6160, aired 2011-05-27 | U.S. CITIES: Alphabetically first among the 150 most populous U.S. cities, it has become the "polymer capital of the world" Akron |
| #6159, aired 2011-05-26 | 19th CENTURY MUSIC: Lyrics to an 1868 tune by this man began, "Guten Abend, Gut Nacht, Mit Rosen Bedacht" Johannes Brahms |
| #6158, aired 2011-05-25 | FEMALE SINGERS: She's tied with Mariah Carey for most No. 1 hits by a female with 18: 12 as a member of a group & 6 as a solo act Diana Ross |
| #6157, aired 2011-05-24 | THE 16th CENTURY: Held in 1579, the first Christian service in California was performed by the chaplain traveling with this English captain Sir Francis Drake |
| #6156, aired 2011-05-23 | MEDICINE: In 1964 a dean at Tufts' medical school wrote a modern version of this, used at many medical school graduations the Hippocratic Oath |
| #6155, aired 2011-05-20 | CANALS: When Sweden's Gota Canal was completed in the 1820s, these 2 seas became directly linked the Baltic Sea & the North Sea |
| #6154, aired 2011-05-19 | LONG-RUNNING FILMS: Playing in theaters since 1975, this film has had the longest continuous theatrical run in movie history The Rocky Horror Picture Show |
| #6153, aired 2011-05-18 | CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS: The longest period in American history with no changes to the Constitution was from 1804 to this year 1865 |
| #6152, aired 2011-05-17 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: The first words he ever spoke to his assistant were "How are you?... You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive" Sherlock Holmes |
| #6151, aired 2011-05-16 | COLLEGE: From the Latin for "free", this 2-word term for a type of college refers to the old belief of what a free man should be taught liberal arts |
| #6150, aired 2011-05-13 | MONARCHS: In March 2011 he gave his first televised speech in 22 years on the throne, saying he hoped things would get better Emperor Akihito of Japan |
| #6149, aired 2011-05-12 | AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS: They're the only father & son to receive the AFI's Life Achievement Award--dad in 1991, son in 2009 Kirk Douglas & Michael Douglas |
| #6148, aired 2011-05-11 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: "A Girl from a Different World" & "Train to the Urals" are chapters in this 1957 work Doctor Zhivago |
| #6147, aired 2011-05-10 | THE NATIONAL STATUARY HALL COLLECTION: In 2009 Alabama replaced a statue in the collection with one of her at age 7, the first child honored Helen Keller |
| #6146, aired 2011-05-09 | THE TITANIC: When the RMS Titanic sank in 1912, its cargo included more than 7 million pieces of this, in some 3,400 sacks mail |
| #6145, aired 2011-05-06 | U.S. LANDMARKS: It contains over 5,000 tons of steel, rises 630 feet in the air & is in the shape of an inverted catenary curve The St. Louis Gateway Arch |
| #6144, aired 2011-05-05 | WORLD LEADERS: Shortly after he received the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize, his country ceased to exist Mikhail Gorbachev |
| #6143, aired 2011-05-04 | FAMOUS SPEECHES: Just 10 sentences, this speech is wrong on one point: it is long remembered the Gettysburg Address |
| #6142, aired 2011-05-03 | AMERICAN POETS: "Bearing the bandages, water & sponge, straight & swift to my wounded I go", he wrote in "The Wound-Dresser" Walt Whitman |
| #6141, aired 2011-05-02 | CANADA: It's the only Canadian province that is separated from the North American mainland Prince Edward Island |
| #6140, aired 2011-04-29 | AMERICAN ARTISTS: In 1909 he completed his last painting, a canvas called "Driftwood" Winslow Homer |
| #6139, aired 2011-04-28 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: This president was the first to put solar panels on the White House Jimmy Carter |
| #6138, aired 2011-04-27 | TV THEME SONGS: A 1984 country hit, "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" is the basis for its theme song Monday Night Football |
| #6137, aired 2011-04-26 | PLAYWRIGHTS: This Brit won Tonys for Best Play in 1968, 1976, 1984 & 2007; in the '90s he settled for the 1998 Best Screenplay Oscar Tom Stoppard |
| #6136, aired 2011-04-25 | BRITISH LANDMARKS: Completed in 1858, it was to be named St. Stephen, but was nicknamed this, honoring the chief commissioner of the works Big Ben |
| #6135, aired 2011-04-22 | BIOGRAPHERS: As many mourned, this minister wrote in a letter, "Washington is gone! Millions are gasping to read... about him" Parson Weems |
| #6134, aired 2011-04-21 | SCIENTISTS: At the time of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, his widow said, "That was his dream, sending a rocket to the Moon" Robert Goddard |
| #6133, aired 2011-04-20 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: Sharing his first name with the man who took this 1850s photo, he's the diplomat & officer seen here Matthew Perry |
| #6132, aired 2011-04-19 | AUTHORS: He died in 1995, the day before the opening of a Glasgow veterinary library named for him James Herriot |
| #6131, aired 2011-04-18 | BASEBALL GEOGRAPHY: After Alaska, it's the largest state in area without a Major League Baseball team Montana |
| #6130, aired 2011-04-15 | ANCIENT ARTIFACTS: Some of its text says, "The decree should be written on a stela of hard stone, in sacred writing, document writing & Greek writing" the Rosetta Stone |
| #6129, aired 2011-04-14 | AUTHORS ON AUTHORS: Faulkner said this writer "has no courage" & "has never used a word where the reader (may need) a dictionary" Ernest Hemingway |
| #6128, aired 2011-04-13 | NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNERS: The 2 Middle East prime ministers of the same country who shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with another leader Shimon Peres & Yitzhak Rabin |
| #6127, aired 2011-04-12 | BASEBALL & THE PRESIDENCY: As both vice president & president, he threw out a season's 1st pitch, each time for a different Senators franchise Richard Nixon |
| #6126, aired 2011-04-11 | GEOGRAPHIC ADJECTIVES: Of the nations with adjectives in their common names, only this Western Hemisphere one bears the name of a religious order the Dominican Republic |
| #6125, aired 2011-04-08 | THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART: 64 paintings from the Met's founding purchase are still in its collection; over 1/3 of them are from this current European nation the Netherlands |
| #6124, aired 2011-04-07 | LITERARY QUOTATIONS: Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Frost remarked that this is what gets "lost in translation" poetry |
| #6123, aired 2011-04-06 | COMPOSERS: His first name means "happy", but 3 of his 5 symphonies are in gloomy minor keys Felix Mendelssohn |
| #6122, aired 2011-04-05 | BARTLETT'S FAMILIAR QUOTATIONS: The latest "Bartlett's" lists quotes chronologically; the first quotes come from this country Egypt |
| #6121, aired 2011-04-04 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: These 3 nations each border the world's largest & smallest oceans Russia, the United States & Canada |
| #6120, aired 2011-04-01 | BILLBOARD'S HOT 100: In 2010 they broke The Beatles' record for having had the most songs on the Hot 100 chart by a non-solo act the cast of Glee |
| #6119, aired 2011-03-31 | SHAKESPEARE PLAYS: One of the 2 plays whose plots are set in motion by shipwrecks, one off Illyria & one off an unnamed island (1 of) The Tempest & Twelfth Night |
| #6118, aired 2011-03-30 | INFLUENTIAL 19th CENTURY THINKERS: At the University of Bonn in 1836, he was wounded in a duel with a member of an aristocratic Prussian fraternity Karl Marx |
| #6117, aired 2011-03-29 | COASTAL STATES: With 301 miles, it has the most coastline of current states that were part of the 13 original colonies North Carolina |
| #6116, aired 2011-03-28 | SPORTS IN AMERICA: Founded in 1795, this city that hosts a popular annual sporting event has "sport" in its name Williamsport |
| #6115, aired 2011-03-25 | PHILANTHROPY: The Pink Pony Fund, for breast cancer care & prevention, is a philanthropic initiative of this fashion company Ralph Lauren |
| #6114, aired 2011-03-24 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: Armor-clad knights face off in a game of baseball in an 1889 work by this author Mark Twain |
| #6113, aired 2011-03-23 | BRITISH NOVELISTS: In his journals he described how he once set 2 groups of boys against each other, likely inspiring his 1954 novel William Golding |
| #6112, aired 2011-03-22 | GARMENTS OF THE WORLD: The custom of hijab, Arabic for "veiling", can include this garment, mentioned by Kipling the burqa |
| #6111, aired 2011-03-21 | COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS ON SCREEN: From 1966 to 1968 this role was played by 2 different actresses in a TV series; it was also the title role in a 2004 film Catwoman |
| #6110, aired 2011-03-18 | THE PRESIDENCY: With a combined age of just 90 years, this president & vice president were the youngest team ever inaugurated Bill Clinton & Al Gore |
| #6109, aired 2011-03-17 | 20th CENTURY NOTABLES: Between April 1909 & March 1910, he killed 296 animals, including 9 lions & 8 elephants Theodore Roosevelt |
| #6108, aired 2011-03-16 | VOCABULARY: Pronounced one way, this 7-letter word can mean unjustified; pronounced another, it's someone sickly invalid |
| #6107, aired 2011-03-15 | SPORTS & MUSIC: In July 2010 this Rock & Roll Hall of Famer performed at the Baseball H.O.F. induction ceremonies John Fogerty |
| #6106, aired 2011-03-14 | AFI's 50 GREATEST FILM VILLAINS: Of the 50 on the list, only one never appears on screen: man, from this 1942 animated feature Bambi |
| #6105, aired 2011-03-11 | EUROPEAN CAPITALS: Although capital of its country, it is not the capital of the province in which it's located, nor is it the seat of government Amsterdam |
| #6104, aired 2011-03-10 | 20th CENTURY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: The last time the Democratic & Republican nominees had once been governor of the same state, this was the state New York |
| #6103, aired 2011-03-09 | BRITISH ROYALTY: After the death in combat of the previous king, he became the last one to win the crown while on the battlefield Henry VII |
| #6102, aired 2011-03-08 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: "The Scarlet Letter" says, "to forbid the culprit to hide his face... was the essence of" this 7-letter punishment the pillory |
| #6101, aired 2011-03-07 | OLYMPIC HOST COUNTRIES: 3 of the 6 countries that have hosted both the Summer & Winter Olympics (3 of) United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy & Japan |
| #6100, aired 2011-03-04 | SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES: In 1919, barely 20 years after its discovery, it was the world's most expensive substance at $3 million an ounce radium |
| #6099, aired 2011-03-03 | BIOGRAPHIES: Michael Foldy examined "The Trials of" this author: "Deviance, Morality, and Late-Victorian Society" Oscar Wilde |
| #6098, aired 2011-03-02 | LANDMARKS: Completed in 1869, it has also been known by its nickname "the Highway to India" the Suez Canal |
| #6097, aired 2011-03-01 | 20th CENTURY AUTHORS: A novel set during the Depression earned this author a 1940 Pulitzer Prize & contributed to him winning a Nobel Prize in 1962 John Steinbeck |
| #6096, aired 2011-02-28 | BRANDS: Jack Odell gave his child a tiny vehicle to bring to school inside one of these items, & a toy brand name was born a matchbox |
| #6095, aired 2011-02-25 | GEOGRAPHIC TERMS: This area that includes several countries got its name because the colonizers spoke Spanish, French & Portuguese Latin America |
| #6094, aired 2011-02-24 | THE 7 WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD: The smallest Ancient Wonder, it was the only one ever moved, having been transported to Constantinople around 391 A.D. the Statue of Zeus at Olympia |
| #6093, aired 2011-02-23 | AMERICAN LIT: He wrote, "The hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker & quicker, & louder & louder every instant" Edgar Allan Poe |
| #6092, aired 2011-02-22 | 19th CENTURY NAMES: In an 1845 autobiography, he wrote, "You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man" Frederick Douglass |
| #6091, aired 2011-02-21 | GREEK MYTHOLOGY: Though Rhea was his mother, in one tradition this god was brought up by Capheira, the daughter of Oceanus Poseidon |
| #6090, aired 2011-02-18 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: His "story was soon told, for the whole twenty years had been to him but as one night" Rip Van Winkle |
| #6089, aired 2011-02-17 | EVENTS OF 2010: A piece of custom-made equipment called the Phoenix played a key role in an October event in this country Chile |
| #6088, aired 2011-02-16 | 19th CENTURY NOVELISTS: William Wilkinson's "An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia" inspired this author's most famous novel Bram Stoker |
| #6087, aired 2011-02-15 | U.S. CITIES: Its largest airport is named for a World War II hero; its second largest, for a World War II battle Chicago |
| #6085, aired 2011-02-11 | 1930s FILMS: In this classic film, one of the characters tries to quote the Pythagorean theorem but gets it wrong The Wizard of Oz |
| #6084, aired 2011-02-10 | THE LAW: Asked in 1966 to write a concise statement for arresting officers to recite, California D.A. Harold Berliner started with these 7 words You have the right to remain silent |
| #6083, aired 2011-02-09 | POLITICAL PARTIES: Only 1 U.S. president represented this party, & he said, "I dread... a division of the republic into 2 great parties" the Federalist Party |
| #6082, aired 2011-02-08 | ANCIENT QUOTES: He said, "to leave this stream uncrossed will breed manifold distress for me; to cross it, for all mankind" Julius Caesar |
| #6081, aired 2011-02-07 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: Chapters in this 1953 thriller include "Dossier for M", "Pink Lights and Champagne" & "The Game is Baccarat" Casino Royale |
| #6080, aired 2011-02-04 | BRITISH BUSINESS: For decades Rolls-Royce also owned this luxury brand named for its founder; now both are produced by German companies Bentley |
| #6079, aired 2011-02-03 | WORD HISTORY: Since the 1600s this 8-letter word has meant men of letters; a punning form of it refers to celebrities literati |
| #6078, aired 2011-02-02 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Of the 20 presidents elected to a second term, 2 of the 3 who failed to complete that term (2 of) Lincoln, Nixon & McKinley |
| #6077, aired 2011-02-01 | 20th CENTURY LEADERS: In 1950, 2 years after his murder, some of his ashes were enshrined at the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles Gandhi |
| #6076, aired 2011-01-31 | 21st CENTURY EMMYS: As 2 different characters, she is the first actress to win lead acting Emmys in both the drama & comedy categories Edie Falco |
| #6075, aired 2011-01-28 | DISNEY MOVIES: With special sound equipment needed in the auditorium, this 1940 film was initially released in only 14 theaters Fantasia |
| #6074, aired 2011-01-27 | SPORTS AWARDS: In the 4 major U.S. sports leagues, he's won more regular season MVP awards than any other player Wayne Gretzky |
| #6073, aired 2011-01-26 | AFRICA: Its Declaration of Independence was signed in 1847 by 11 men in that nation's Providence Baptist Church Liberia |
| #6072, aired 2011-01-25 | THE OLD TESTAMENT: In the Book of Job, this name means "accuser", & that was his role in God's court Satan |
| #6071, aired 2011-01-24 | 19th CENTURY PEOPLE: After meeting him, Hawthorne said he had a "sallow, queer, sagacious visage" warmed by "homely human sympathies" Abraham Lincoln |
| #6070, aired 2011-01-21 | MOVIE SEQUELS: Golf carts used by the crew in the production of this 2009 movie bore signs reading "Galileo" & "Bernini" Angels & Demons |
| #6069, aired 2011-01-20 | WORLD LEADERS: At his 1994 inaugural, he called for "a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world" Nelson Mandela |
| #6068, aired 2011-01-19 | OCEAN LIFE: The deepest-diving sea turtle is this one whose name suggests the flexibility that lets it survive 1,700 lbs./square inch pressure the leatherback turtle |
| #6067, aired 2011-01-18 | STATE NAMES: These are the 2 U.S. states with only one consonant in their names Iowa & Ohio |
| #6066, aired 2011-01-17 | AUTHORS: This author whose 1st name is also an English word meaning a saying or motto was the 1st president of the Soviet writers' union Maxim Gorky |
| #6065, aired 2011-01-14 | THE PRESIDENCY: From the same state, they're the 2 presidents whose occupations are listed by World Book as "planter" George Washington & Thomas Jefferson |
| #6064, aired 2011-01-13 | LAW: In 1790 the USA's 1st law governing this protection gave it a term of 14 years; today it can extend well over a century copyright |
| #6063, aired 2011-01-12 | COMPUTER SCIENCE: John Tukey coined this compound word in 1958 saying it was as important as "tubes, transistors, wires, tapes..." software |
| #6062, aired 2011-01-11 | 20th CENTURY ARTISTS: In 1950 he answered a Time magazine article on him, & a common criticism, with a telegram reading, "No chaos damn it" Jackson Pollock |
| #6061, aired 2011-01-10 | SYMBOLS: One tale of its origin says that the blind seer Tiresias separated 2 snakes with his staff the caduceus |
| #6060, aired 2011-01-07 | WORLD LANGUAGES: Of all the countries with Spanish as an official language, this one is last alphabetically Venezuela |
| #6059, aired 2011-01-06 | WORLDWIDE MEDIA: The name for this news agency means "peninsula", referring to the Arabian peninsula Al Jazeera |
| #6058, aired 2011-01-05 | COUNTRIES: By area, it's the world's largest country that's named for a river India |
| #6057, aired 2011-01-04 | THE HALL OF PRESIDENTS: Of the 9 presidents whose images have a beard or mustache, this late 19th century man is the only Democrat Grover Cleveland |
| #6056, aired 2011-01-03 | POP STARS: He was backed by London's Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra on his 2010 tour, which he called "Symphonicity" Sting |
| #6055, aired 2010-12-31 | POLITICAL TERMS: A 1912 speech said the Bull Moose Party "comes from" these; "it has grown from the soil of... people's hard necessities" grass roots |
| #6054, aired 2010-12-30 | MUSIC & MOVIE SUPERSTARS: These 2 are the only Best Actress Oscar winners to have No. 1 hits on the Billboard Top 40 Barbra Streisand & Cher |
| #6053, aired 2010-12-29 | LITERARY LINES: "You have no right to expect me to send you back to Kansas" appears in a 1900 novel & in an epigraph to this 1995 novel Wicked |
| #6052, aired 2010-12-28 | CABINET OFFICERS: He was the last Secretary of State to serve in the post under 2 presidents Henry Kissinger |
| #6051, aired 2010-12-27 | LANGUAGES OF EUROPE: A mixture of English & Spanish, Llanito is the language of this territory's 30,000 residents Gibraltar |
| #6050, aired 2010-12-24 | AMERICANA: Finding the spot for this memorial caused its creator to say, "America will march along that skyline" Mount Rushmore |
| #6049, aired 2010-12-23 | SPORTS: In 1744 the first mention of this now popular sport said, "Away flies the boy To the next... post And then home with joy" baseball |
| #6048, aired 2010-12-22 | U.S. HISTORY: The day after the 15th Amendment took effect, Thomas Peterson became the 1st Afr. American to do this under its provisions vote |
| #6047, aired 2010-12-21 | THE 19th CENTURY: Thomas Huxley & Samuel Wilberforce were among the Oxford Museum speakers debating this theory June 30, 1860 evolution |
| #6046, aired 2010-12-20 | 20th CENTURY NOVELISTS: A critic said that a character of his, "yearning for the moon... never saw the sixpence at his feet"; he made that into a title Somerset Maugham |
| #6045, aired 2010-12-17 | AMERICANA: Riding the subway in New York in 1908, Jack Norworth saw a sign for the Polo Grounds & was inspired to write this song "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" |
| #6044, aired 2010-12-16 | SKYSCRAPERS: After a construction boom fueled by oil & gas money, this capital city now has Europe's tallest building Moscow |
| #6043, aired 2010-12-15 | BRITISH ROYALTY: From the Latin for "greatest", this form of address was introduced by the narcissistic King Richard II majesty |
| #6042, aired 2010-12-14 | OLYMPICS HISTORY: In 1988 this country boycotted the Summer Olympics after its demand to co-host the games was refused North Korea |
| #6041, aired 2010-12-13 | COUNTRIES: In only 2 cases can you add 2 letters to one country & get another country: Austria/Australia & this pair Niger/Nigeria |
| #6040, aired 2010-12-10 | MOVIES & LANGUAGE: A 2010 article from Slate called this language created by Paul Frommer "the new Klingon" Na'vi |
| #6039, aired 2010-12-09 | STATE CAPITALS: Forget Me Not, Glacier Avenue & Glacier Highway are streets in this state capital Juneau |
| #6038, aired 2010-12-08 | WORLD HISTORY: After the Royal Family fled to this country in 1807, it became the only one in South America from which a European country was ruled Brazil |
| #6037, aired 2010-12-07 | FLAGS OF THE WORLD: In use from 1844 to 1905, a flag representing the union of these 2 countries was nicknamed the "herring salad" Norway and Sweden |
| #6036, aired 2010-12-06 | THE BIBLE: This happens several times, as in I Kings 17 & Acts 20; the most famous time, it's done by Jesus in John 11 raising the dead |
| #6035, aired 2010-12-03 | THE CABINET: These 2 Cabinet departments both depict 19th century plows on their official seals Agriculture & Labor |
| #6034, aired 2010-12-02 | BRITISH WOMEN: It's said that this woman who died in 1976 "made more money out of murder than any woman since Lucrezia Borgia" Agatha Christie |
| #6033, aired 2010-12-01 | FRENCH AUTHORS: Published posthumously in 1970, his first novel, "A Happy Death", features a protagonist named Patrice Mersault Albert Camus |
| #6032, aired 2010-11-30 | SPORTS: In action since 1917, this sports franchise is now largely owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Toronto Maple Leafs |
| #6031, aired 2010-11-29 | THE CIVIL WAR: These 2 cities in the Southeast & Southwest were the only 2 Confederate state capitals not captured by Union forces Tallahassee & Austin |
| #6030, aired 2010-11-26 | MUSICAL THEATER: The basis of this show that won a Best Musical Tony & a Pulitzer was a collection of stories that won the Pulitzer in 1948 South Pacific |
| #6029, aired 2010-11-25 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He is the only president of the United States to be awarded the Purple Heart John F. Kennedy |
| #6028, aired 2010-11-24 | PAINTINGS: The alternate name of this 16th century Italian painting also means "cheerful" the Mona Lisa |
| #6027, aired 2010-11-23 | HORSE BREEDS: This American breed was named for its ability to race a distance of 1,320 feet quarter horse |
| #6026, aired 2010-11-22 | COMMUNICATION: It was first transmitted by the USS Arapahoe off Cape Hatteras on August 11, 1909 SOS |
| #6025, aired 2010-11-19 | OUR LIVING PLANET: Several species appear in the logo of the U.N.'s International Year of this 12-letter word, vital to the health of "life" on Earth biodiversity |
| #6024, aired 2010-11-18 | EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: German is its official national language; Croatian, Slovene & Hungarian are each official in one of its states Austria |
| #6023, aired 2010-11-17 | PHRASES: In ancient Rome it was a post where racers changed direction; since 1836 it's meant a moment change occurs turning point |
| #6022, aired 2010-11-16 | OPERA: The title character of this opera addresses his son in the aria "Sois immobile" ("hold yourself still") William Tell |
| #6021, aired 2010-11-15 | SPORTS IN AMERICA: Seen with a piece of equipment, Bryn Mawr's 1st physical education director brought this sport to the U.S.; it shares part of its name with another sport field hockey |
| #6020, aired 2010-11-12 | DOCUMENTS: It says, "The history of the present king of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations" the Declaration of Independence |
| #6019, aired 2010-11-11 | THE 1930s: In April 1935 in Oklahoma, when blowing soil darkened the sky, a reporter coined this term for the region the Dust Bowl |
| #6018, aired 2010-11-10 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: During his tenure, he never threw out an opening day first pitch, but before he was president, he did it for the Braves Jimmy Carter |
| #6017, aired 2010-11-09 | WORDS IN 20th CENTURY NOVELS: Words found in this 1945 fable include brood, baying, bleating, comrade, tyranny & rebellion Animal Farm |
| #6016, aired 2010-11-08 | AMERICAN BUSINESS: The mailing address for this company is P.O. Box 57, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230 Heinz |
| #6015, aired 2010-11-05 | TERMS FROM THE BIBLE: In 2010 we heard of the discovery of the fossil of a 12 million-year-old giant sperm whale given this Biblical name by its finders Leviathan |
| #6014, aired 2010-11-04 | BURIED AT ARLINGTON: His grave notes his 1842 West Point graduation, his time at Ft. Sumter, Gettysburg & 2nd Bull Run, but does not mention sports Abner Doubleday |
| #6013, aired 2010-11-03 | BILLBOARD NO. 1 HITMAKERS: In May 1964 this New Orleans native was 62 years old when he bumped The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" from the No. 1 spot Louis Armstrong |
| #6012, aired 2010-11-02 | CHARACTERS IN NOVELS: Debuting in a 1960 novel, this character dies following a heart attack on a basketball court in a 1990 book Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom |
| #6011, aired 2010-11-01 | BUSINESS PAIRINGS: The names of 2 men, 1 born in Germany in 1834 & 1 in Kansas in 1875, were joined in this company name lasting 1998-2007 Daimler-Chrysler |
| #6010, aired 2010-10-29 | NO. 1 HITS: Topping the charts on Oct. 20, 1962, this novelty song is the only No. 1 hit to have the word "electrodes" in the lyrics "The Monster Mash" |
| #6009, aired 2010-10-28 | WORD ORIGINS: This 4-letter term for a religious group that holds distinctive beliefs comes from the Latin for "follow" a sect |
| #6008, aired 2010-10-27 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Stieg Larsson created the girl with the dragon tattoo by imagining this fictional Swedish girl as an adult Pippi Longstocking |
| #6007, aired 2010-10-26 | SPORTS VENUES: In 2000 the Centre Court Arena in Melbourne, Australia was renamed for him Rod Laver |
| #6006, aired 2010-10-25 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In 1886 he published his first book, "The Trumpet and Drum", an instructional handbook with 8 compositions (John Philip) Sousa |
| #6005, aired 2010-10-22 | THE OSCARS: Only Orson Welles & this man have been nominated for Best Actor & Original Screenplay in the same year while in their 20s Matt Damon |
| #6004, aired 2010-10-21 | ART & ARTISTS: They are the 2 artists associated with the 1888 work seen here; one is the artist & the other is the subject Van Gogh & Gauguin |
| #6003, aired 2010-10-20 | COUNTRY DEMOGRAPHICS: Because of a policy adopted in 1979, this country's young people are collectively referred to as "little emperors" China |
| #6002, aired 2010-10-19 | HOLIDAY HISTORY: Cuba removed Christmas from its list of national holidays in 1969 & restored it in 1997 in anticipation of a visit by this man Pope John Paul II |
| #6001, aired 2010-10-18 | U.S. CURRENCY: It's the only U.S. coin or bill produced in 2010 that features the private home of a president on the reverse the nickel |
| #6000, aired 2010-10-15 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the first U.S. president to be elected in an Olympic year McKinley |
| #5999, aired 2010-10-14 | COUNTRY NAMES: The only 2 countries in the world with an "X" in their names, one is found in Europe & one in the Americas Luxembourg and Mexico |
| #5998, aired 2010-10-13 | BRITISH AUTHORS: His son Christopher said, my father "got to where he was by climbing upon my infant shoulders" A.A. Milne |
| #5997, aired 2010-10-12 | SHAKESPEARE: These 2 "King Lear" characters, 1 male, 1 female, both represent truthfulness; one disappears when the other returns Cordelia and the Fool |
| #5996, aired 2010-10-11 | PRISONS: Nazi Rudolf Hess in 1941 & the notorious Kray twins in 1952 were among the last people briefly held here the Tower of London |
| #5995, aired 2010-10-08 | BESTSELLING AUTHORS: Since coming on the beat, he's had more N.Y. Times bestsellers than any other author, including over 20 in the last 5 years James Patterson |
| #5994, aired 2010-10-07 | MAMMALS: One type of this aquatic animal gives milk that's 65% fat; pups are weaned in 4 days, the least of any mammal the seal |
| #5993, aired 2010-10-06 | 2010 SCIENCE NEWS: The IUPAC named an element for this man born in 1473 to "highlight the link between astronomy and... nuclear chemistry" Copernicus |
| #5992, aired 2010-10-05 | BROADWAY STARS: In 1955 she became the first & so far only actress to win a Tony for playing a male role in a musical Mary Martin |
| #5991, aired 2010-10-04 | PRIMETIME TV: Now in season 23, its producer says it's the only show with "no script, no actors, no host & no re-enactments" COPS |
| #5990, aired 2010-10-01 | WORD ORIGINS: Like the name of a minor Roman god, this word for a caretaker comes from the Latin for "door" janitor |
| #5989, aired 2010-09-30 | ALLITERATIVE ATHLETES: In 1998 these 2 baseball rivals shared top honors as Sports Illustrated's Sportsmen of the Year Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire |
| #5988, aired 2010-09-29 | GEOGRAPHIC TERMS: As their bordering countries are all this adjective, Liechtenstein & Uzbekistan are considered "double" this landlocked |
| #5987, aired 2010-09-28 | BIBLICAL BEASTS: It's the total number of legs on the 2 non-human animals whose words are quoted in the Old Testament 4 |
| #5986, aired 2010-09-27 | NATIONAL HISTORIC SITES: Built between 1940 & 1942, Moton Field in Alabama has a national historic site honoring men belonging to this famed group the Tuskegee Airmen |
| #5985, aired 2010-09-24 | PRESIDENTS: He served the shortest amount of time as president before running for & winning reelection to the job LBJ |
| #5984, aired 2010-09-23 | POETRY: A line in this 1863 poem mentions "The eighteenth of April, in seventy-five" "Paul Revere's Ride" |
| #5983, aired 2010-09-22 | THE BRITISH ISLES: Britain's oldest known scrap of material called this, sometimes identified as shepherd's plaid, dates from 250 A.D. tartan |
| #5982, aired 2010-09-21 | SPORTS & THE MEDIA: On February 8, 2010 the headline in a major newspaper in this city read, "Amen! After 43 Years, Our Prayers Are Answered" New Orleans |
| #5981, aired 2010-09-20 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: Made up of 1 large & many smaller islands, it's the most populous of Britain's remaining overseas territories Bermuda |
| #5980, aired 2010-09-17 | RIVERS: These 2 rivers, each more than 1,000 miles long, rise in the Armenian Plateau in Turkey the Tigris & the Euphrates |
| #5979, aired 2010-09-16 | WORD AND PHRASE ORIGINS: Meaning "rapidly", this term began in England, referring to the speed with which the mail was delivered post haste |
| #5978, aired 2010-09-15 | MONARCHS: From 1513 to 1972, only men named Christian & Frederick alternated as rulers of this nation Denmark |
| #5977, aired 2010-09-14 | LITERARY & MOVIE TITLE OBJECTS: The inspiration for this title object in a novel & a 1957 movie actually spanned the Mae Khlung River "The Bridge on the River Kwai" |
| #5976, aired 2010-09-13 | MUSICAL THEATER: A Hollywood venue was renovated & renamed the Aquarius Theater to host this musical in 1968 Hair |
| #5975, aired 2010-07-30 | THE 9 MUSES: In a Balanchine ballet, Apollo, god of music, has a favorite muse, this one Terpsichore |
| #5974, aired 2010-07-29 | THE SUPER BOWL: As of 2010 it's the only current NFC team that has never played in the Super Bowl the Detroit Lions |
| #5973, aired 2010-07-28 | RELIGION: An aid to the faithful since the 13th century, one standard version has parts arranged in groups of 1, 3 or 10 the rosary |
| #5972, aired 2010-07-27 | MONARCHIES: 1 of the 2 largely German-speaking monarchies in the world; they're about 250 miles apart (1 of) Liechtenstein & Luxembourg |
| #5971, aired 2010-07-26 | LITERARY BRAWLS: At Key West in 1936, Wallace Stevens broke his hand punching this man, who responded by knocking Stevens down Ernest Hemingway |
| #5970, aired 2010-07-23 | PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS: In the "World Almanac" list of notable third party candidates, 1 of the 2 for whom the main issue was "states' rights" (1 of) Governor George Wallace & Strom Thurmond |
| #5969, aired 2010-07-22 | SCIENCE HISTORY: This concept dates to a 1783 paper by John Michell, who theorized about a body with the sun's density & 500 times its diameter a black hole |
| #5968, aired 2010-07-21 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Excluding honorary degrees, he's the only president to have degrees from both Harvard & Yale George W. Bush |
| #5967, aired 2010-07-20 | LEGENDARY PUBLIC SERVANTS: In 1929 he became a special agent with the Treasury Department's Prohibition Bureau, Chicago Division Eliot Ness |
| #5966, aired 2010-07-19 | MEN OF PARIS: When the body of this man who died in 1870 was moved in 2002, a cloth with the motto "Un pour tous, tous pour un" was used Alexandre Dumas |
| #5965, aired 2010-07-16 | NO. 1 POP HITS: A 1987 remake of this 1959 hit was the first song with all Spanish lyrics to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 "La Bamba" |
| #5964, aired 2010-07-15 | FAMOUS TEXTS: Tradition says the author of this work was the sage Vatsyayana; surprisingly, he was celibate the Kama Sutra |
| #5963, aired 2010-07-14 | HISTORIC LASTS: In the "thanks a lot, fellas" department, Mongolia was the last country to join this group--August 9, 1945 the Allies |
| #5962, aired 2010-07-13 | AMERICAN NOVELISTS: An advocate of capitalism, in 1982 she was laid out beside a 6-foot dollar sign made of flowers Ayn Rand |
| #5961, aired 2010-07-12 | ACTORS: With 5 each, these 2 men have the most acting Oscar nominations among African-American performers Morgan Freeman & Denzel Washington |
| #5960, aired 2010-07-09 | BOOKS FOR KIDS: In Wonderland, Alice comes upon a mad tea-party attended by the Hatter, March Hare, & this creature, who's asleep the dormouse |
| #5959, aired 2010-07-08 | U.S. GOVERNMENT FIRSTS: The first of these was authorized in 1790, "providing for the enumeration of the inhabitants of the United States" a census |
| #5958, aired 2010-07-07 | GEOGRAPHY: 2 of the 4 U.S. states that border Mexico (2 of) Texas, New Mexico, Arizona & California |
| #5957, aired 2010-07-06 | HISTORIC WOMEN: She was born in Virginia around 1596 & died in Kent, England in 1617 Pocahontas |
| #5956, aired 2010-07-05 | THE ANIMAL WORLD: Born in Brisbane in 1999, Euca & Lyptus are the world's first confirmed identical twins of this animal koala |
| #5955, aired 2010-07-02 | 5-LETTER LITERARY TERMS: The "History" by Herodotus has been called the earliest surviving European work of this form, from Latin for "straightforward" prose |
| #5954, aired 2010-07-01 | MONARCHS: Cairo's Al-Rifai mosque is the resting place of 2 Egyptian kings & of a 20th century ruler of this Mideast country Iran |
| #5953, aired 2010-06-30 | RUSSIAN COMPOSERS: His first name means "moderate"; sadly, immoderate drinking helped kill him in 1881 at age 42, but not on Bald Mountain Modest Mussorgsky |
| #5952, aired 2010-06-29 | PHYSICS: Discovered in the early 20th century, these 2 particles, 1 with a positive charge, the other a packet of energy, differ by a letter a proton & a photon |
| #5951, aired 2010-06-28 | BOTANICAL ETYMOLOGY: This plant's name may have come from its use by Italian Renaissance women to dilate pupils, which, they felt, augmented beauty belladonna |
| #5950, aired 2010-06-25 | LITERATURE & MUSIC: The band called "They Might Be Giants" ultimately gets its name from a phrase said by this title hero in a 1605 work Don Quixote |
| #5949, aired 2010-06-24 | NATIONAL PARKS: When it became a national park in 1919, it got this name used by the locals because it seemed like heaven on Earth Zion National Park |
| #5948, aired 2010-06-23 | HISTORIC DATES: The signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919 took place exactly 5 years after the related death of this man Archduke Franz Ferdinand |
| #5947, aired 2010-06-22 | BILLBOARD HOT 100 HISTORY: Besides Frank & Nancy Sinatra, they're the only other father & daughter who each had No. 1 solo hits Pat & Debby Boone |
| #5946, aired 2010-06-21 | AFTER THE PRESIDENCY: One of the 2 presidents to return to elected jobs in U.S. federal government after their final terms (1 of) John Quincy Adams or Andrew Johnson |
| #5945, aired 2010-06-18 | SPORTS VENUES: Built in 1914 & named for the club's owner in 1926, it's the oldest National League ballpark still in use Wrigley Field |
| #5944, aired 2010-06-17 | AMERICANA: Made for only 19 years, it sold for $825 in 1908 & $360 in 1927 the Model T |
| #5943, aired 2010-06-16 | MODERN MATERIALS: Introduced in the '70s to replace steel belting on high-speed tires, it's called stronger than steel & lighter than nylon Kevlar |
| #5942, aired 2010-06-15 | THE 50 STATES: It's the only 2-word state name in which neither word appears in the name of any other state Rhode Island |
| #5941, aired 2010-06-14 | MOONS & MYTHOLOGY: This planet is named for a Roman god; its only moons are named for the sons of his Greek counterpart Mars |
| #5940, aired 2010-06-11 | FLAGS & BANNERS: This 15th century person said, "I had a banner of which the field was sprinkled with lilies"; written on top: "Jhesus Maria" Joan of Arc |
| #5939, aired 2010-06-10 | SHORT STORIES: In an 1842 tale he wrote, "Down--still unceasingly--still inevitably down!... I shrunk convulsively at its every sweep" Edgar Allan Poe |
| #5938, aired 2010-06-09 | ARTISTS: She's seen wearing a rebozo in her 1937 "Self-Portrait Dedicated to Leon Trotsky" Frida Kahlo |
| #5937, aired 2010-06-08 | U.S. MILITARY HISTORY: This general commanded the first official American force to fight on the European continent John Pershing |
| #5936, aired 2010-06-07 | METEOROLOGY: Low- & high-pressure systems & tropical moisture set the stage for a 1991 nor'easter nicknamed these 2 words "Perfect Storm" |
| #5935, aired 2010-06-04 | AMERICAN POLITICIANS: Frank Sinatra came out of retirement to sing their praises: "They're both unique... the Quaker & the Greek" Richard Nixon & Spiro Agnew |
| #5934, aired 2010-06-03 | FILM HISTORY: Written by Thomas Dixon, 1916's film "The Fall of a Nation" is considered the first of these ever made a sequel |
| #5933, aired 2010-06-02 | HISTORICAL PHRASES: Before it meant a space between opposing armies, it referred to an execution site outside the walls of London no man's land |
| #5932, aired 2010-06-01 | THE U.S. MILITARY: This corps' motto is "Building strong" the Army Corps of Engineers |
| #5931, aired 2010-05-31 | ENGLISH POETS: Translator Edward Fitzgerald wrote that her 1861 "death is rather a relief to me... no more Aurora Leighs, thank God" Elizabeth Barrett Browning |
| #5930, aired 2010-05-28 | AWARDS & HONORS: A trophy named for this author is awarded to anyone who breaks the record for sailing a yacht around the world Jules Verne |
| #5929, aired 2010-05-27 | COLONIAL AFRICA: In 1945 Africa had only 4 independent countries; these 2 started with the same first letter Egypt & Ethiopia |
| #5928, aired 2010-05-26 | PEDIATRICS: In 1943 Drs. Leo Kanner & Hans Asperger each used this word for the then-unnamed disorder they were studying autism |
| #5927, aired 2010-05-25 | FAMILIAR PHRASES: This 3-word phrase originated with a signal sent by General Sherman; today it means to be in charge temporarily hold the fort |
| #5926, aired 2010-05-24 | AMERICAN CITIES: 6 of the top 10 U.S. cities in population are found in these 2 states California & Texas |
| #5925, aired 2010-05-21 | FROM NOVEL TO FILM: First published in 1880 & made into a film in 1907, 1925 & 1959, it was the first work of fiction blessed by a pope Ben-Hur |
| #5924, aired 2010-05-20 | AFRICAN CAPITALS: This West Central African capital grew out of a settlement that France established for freed slaves in 1849 Libreville |
| #5923, aired 2010-05-19 | OPERA: The aria "Pour mon ame" by Donizetti includes 9 of these; a few tenors have earned the nickname "King of" them high Cs |
| #5922, aired 2010-05-18 | ROMAN EMPERORS: In 59 A.D. Agrippina wrote to this man, her son, "Tell me why I should plot against your life?"--she was killed anyway Nero |
| #5921, aired 2010-05-17 | 20th CENTURY THINKERS: Refusing to imprison this man for demonstrating during the 1960s, de Gaulle said, "One does not arrest Voltaire" Jean-Paul Sartre |
| #5920, aired 2010-05-14 | THE 50 STATES: It's the only state from which rainwater flows to the Pacific, the Atlantic & Hudson Bay Montana |
| #5919, aired 2010-05-13 | BUSY PRESIDENTS: He had previously been a U.S. senator, minister to France, England & Spain, Secretary of War, Secretary of State & Governor of Virginia James Monroe |
| #5918, aired 2010-05-12 | 18th CENTURY SCOTSMEN: A relative of this inventor described him as a boy staring at the tea kettle for an hour watching it boil James Watt |
| #5917, aired 2010-05-11 | WORDS IN THE BIBLE: In Genesis 2:24 these 2 words are what a man shall do to his parents & then to his wife; add a letter to 1 to get the other leave & cleave |
| #5916, aired 2010-05-10 | ENGLISH LITERARY HISTORY: Immediately before the Caroline era came this one, also from the monarch's Latin name Jacobean |
| #5915, aired 2010-05-07 | MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES: In 1949 this kingdom dropped the word "Trans" from the beginning of its name Jordan |
| #5914, aired 2010-05-06 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: A contemporary review of this 1851 novel said, "Who would have looked for... poetry in blubber?" Moby-Dick |
| #5913, aired 2010-05-05 | MOVIE HISTORY: During the making of this classic, sets from "King Kong" & "The Garden of Allah" were intentionally burned down Gone with the Wind |
| #5912, aired 2010-05-04 | OFFICIAL STATE SONGS: In 1953 it became the only state whose official song was written for a Broadway musical Oklahoma |
| #5911, aired 2010-05-03 | U.S.A.: Chocolate Avenue & Cocoa Avenue are 2 of the main thoroughfares in this town that was established in 1903 Hershey, Pennsylvania |
| #5910, aired 2010-04-30 | TOYS: Original sets of this toy that was first sold in 1918 included plans for building Uncle Tom's Cabin Lincoln Logs |
| #5909, aired 2010-04-29 | POETS ON POETS: Coleridge said this poet will "not be remembered at all, except as a wicked lord who... pretended to be ten times more wicked than he was" Lord Byron |
| #5908, aired 2010-04-28 | SCIENCE HISTORY: In August 1971 on the Moon's surface, an astronaut repeated a famous experiment & declared that this man "was correct" Galileo |
| #5907, aired 2010-04-27 | CANADIAN HISTORY: A river is named for this man born in Scotland in 1764, the first European known to have crossed Canada Alexander Mackenzie |
| #5906, aired 2010-04-26 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He's the only president sworn in on a Catholic missal; it wasn't his Lyndon Baines Johnson |
| #5905, aired 2010-04-23 | WORDS FROM THE FRENCH: The first known use of this word in the U.S. was in an obituary for wealthy banker Pierre Lorillard in 1843 millionaire |
| #5904, aired 2010-04-22 | TELECOMMUNICATIONS TERMINOLOGY: In 1992 New York got the first one: 917 an overlay area code |
| #5903, aired 2010-04-21 | SAINTHOOD: In 2009 this man who died on Molokai in 1889 became Hawaii's first saint Father Damien |
| #5902, aired 2010-04-20 | THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY: Joining such pop culture icons as Dorothy's ruby slippers, this was donated to the museum by Jerry Seinfeld in 2004 the puffy shirt |
| #5901, aired 2010-04-19 | WORLD WAR II: On June 5, 1944 FDR said of the capture of this city, "One up and two to go" Rome |
| #5900, aired 2010-04-16 | ACTORS: In 1970 he became the first professional actor to be named a lord Laurence Olivier |
| #5899, aired 2010-04-15 | BEATLES SONGS: The title of this Beatles song is a Yoruba phrase that means "life goes on" "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" |
| #5898, aired 2010-04-14 | POLITICALLY CORRECT POP CULTURE: The violence goes on, but in 2006 Time Warner TV removed depictions of this activity from old "Tom and Jerry" cartoons smoking |
| #5897, aired 2010-04-13 | BRAND LOGOS: Its original logo, designed in 1976, showed Isaac Newton sitting under a tree Apple Computer |
| #5896, aired 2010-04-12 | NEW SPORTS: In 2008, Middlebury College in Vermont won its 2nd straight championship in this sport introduced in a 1997 novel Quidditch |
| #5895, aired 2010-04-09 | 19th CENTURY BRITISH LITERATURE: In chapter 10, "The whole mystery of the handkerchiefs, and the watches, and the jewels... rushed upon" this title boy's "mind" Oliver Twist |
| #5894, aired 2010-04-08 | PORTRAIT SUBJECTS: One of Goya's few portraits of a foreigner was of this Englishman painted in 1812 the Duke of Wellington |
| #5893, aired 2010-04-07 | CELEBRITY NAMES: This Oscar winner who had his own WB sitcom took his last name as a tribute to an earlier comic & sitcom star Jamie Foxx |
| #5892, aired 2010-04-06 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM: The coelacanth & the ivory-billed woodpecker are sometimes referred to as this biblical man "species" Lazarus |
| #5891, aired 2010-04-05 | FASHION HISTORY: It was unveiled July 5, 1946, at Paris' Piscine Molitor & created a scandal the bikini |
| #5890, aired 2010-04-02 | THE MIDDLE AGES: Some say the Dark Ages began when Byzantine Emperor Justinian closed this city's school of philosophy in 529 A.D. Athens |
| #5889, aired 2010-04-01 | LITERARY INFLUENCES: A 1919 Shaw play subtitled "A Fantasia in the Russian Manner..." is an homage to this playwright who died in 1904 Anton Chekhov |
| #5888, aired 2010-03-31 | INTO AFRICA: James Bruce taught himself Arabic & Amharic to prepare for his 1768 journey upriver in search of this spot the source of the Nile |
| #5887, aired 2010-03-30 | NAVAL HEROES: When he was killed in battle in 1805, he was wearing a uniform coat with sewn-on replicas of his 4 orders of chivalry Admiral Nelson |
| #5886, aired 2010-03-29 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: In an 1877 novel Mrs. Gordon initially suggests the name Ebony for this title character Black Beauty |
| #5885, aired 2010-03-26 | PHRASE ORIGINS: In 1945 George Orwell coined this 2-word phrase for "an epoch as horribly stable as the slave empires of antiquity" cold war |
| #5884, aired 2010-03-25 | U.S. TOURISM: You can reach this town's convention & visitors bureau by calling 1-TOMANDHUCK Hannibal, Missouri |
| #5883, aired 2010-03-24 | ANIMATED MOVIES: The answer to the title of this Oscar winner is Judge Doom Who Framed Roger Rabbit |
| #5882, aired 2010-03-23 | THE 50 STATES: Benjamin Harrison had the admission orders shuffled, so no one knows which of these 2 states was 39th & which was 40th North & South Dakota |
| #5881, aired 2010-03-22 | SHAKESPEARE TITLES: It's not one of the Bard's better-known comedy titles, but has the distinction of containing the most apostrophes Love's Labour's Lost |
| #5880, aired 2010-03-19 | 1940s MUSIC HISTORY: While writing for Billboard, legendary producer Jerry Wexler coined this phrase to replace "race music" rhythm & blues |
| #5879, aired 2010-03-18 | AUTHORS: In 1890 he witnessed a mild cyclone in Aberdeen, South Dakota, fodder for his most famous novel L. Frank Baum |
| #5878, aired 2010-03-17 | LEGENDARY WOMEN: In various tales, she is abducted by Melwas, Meleagant & Mordred Guinevere |
| #5877, aired 2010-03-16 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: About him F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, "In the spring of '27, something bright and alien flashed across the sky..." Charles Lindbergh |
| #5876, aired 2010-03-15 | RELIGION: In 1875 she wrote, "Jesus of Nazareth was the most scientific man that ever trod the globe" Mary Baker Eddy |
| #5875, aired 2010-03-12 | FILM LEGENDS: His only competitive Oscar win was for Best Score in 1973 for a 1952 film in which he had starred as a washed-up comic Charlie Chaplin |
| #5874, aired 2010-03-11 | THE NUCLEAR AGE: This country has 104 nuclear reactors, more than any other country the United States |
| #5873, aired 2010-03-10 | U.S. PLACES IN LITERATURE: This fishing port is the setting for Kipling's "Captains Courageous" & the wreck of the Hesperus was nearby Gloucester, Massachusetts |
| #5872, aired 2010-03-09 | THE INTERNET: Words regularly censored out of Chinese blogs include minzhu, which means this, from the Greek for "people" democracy |
| #5871, aired 2010-03-08 | WORLD TRAVEL: If you want to visit this country, you can fly into Sunan International Airport or... or not visit this country North Korea |
| #5870, aired 2010-03-05 | PLAYS: Dialogue from this play: "He didn't say for sure he'd come." "And if he doesn't come?" "We'll come back tomorrow" Waiting for Godot |
| #5869, aired 2010-03-04 | SENATE COMMITTEES: 1-word name of the committee that sets the spending priorities that the Finance & Appropriation committees carry out budget |
| #5868, aired 2010-03-03 | BRITISH HISTORY: Dying in 2009 at age 113, British WWI vet Henry Allingham was the last original surviving member of this group, formed 1918 the Royal Air Force |
| #5867, aired 2010-03-02 | FOOD TRADITIONS: Since the 1100s Dunmow, England has rewarded newlyweds who go a year & a day without arguing by letting them "bring home" this the bacon |
| #5866, aired 2010-03-01 | NOTORIOUS: Often described as a redhead, this accused killer called her hair light brown on her 1890 passport application Lizzie Borden |
| #5865, aired 2010-02-26 | LANDMARKS: Begun in 1174, it was finally stabilized in May 2008, after more than 700 years of slow movement the Leaning Tower of Pisa |
| #5864, aired 2010-02-25 | SCIENTIFIC MNEMONICS: "Kings play chess on finely grained sand" is a mnemonic device used to help remember a system devised by this scientist Carolus Linnaeus |
| #5863, aired 2010-02-24 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: He was nominated for 8 Best Actor Oscars, including one for a 1961 film; his only win came for its 1986 sequel Paul Newman |
| #5862, aired 2010-02-23 | MONARCHS: In 2001 Bulgaria elected as prime minister its former child monarch, the only person now living to have held this royal title czar |
| #5861, aired 2010-02-22 | KINGS & LITERATURE: Though called "the most hapless of monarchs", this king is in the title of Shakespeare's only trilogy Henry VI |
| #5860, aired 2010-02-19 | ARTISTS: In 1882 he wrote, "Though I am often in the depths of misery, there is still calmness, pure harmony, and music inside me" Vincent van Gogh |
| #5859, aired 2010-02-18 | ENTREPRENEURS: When he passed away in December 1980, flags in Kentucky flew at half-staff for 4 days Colonel Sanders |
| #5858, aired 2010-02-17 | RELIGIOUS WORDS: Surprisingly, this word appears only twice in the New Testament, once in Acts & once in the First Epistle of Peter Christian |
| #5857, aired 2010-02-16 | THE AFI's 50 GREATEST FILM HEROES: Of the 50 on the list, the only character that wasn't portrayed by a human Lassie |
| #5856, aired 2010-02-15 | WASHINGTON, D.C.: Some of the sculptures outside the entrance of this building depict Moses, Confucius, Solon & William Howard Taft the Supreme Court building |
| #5855, aired 2010-02-12 | BIBLICAL KINGS: These 2 men first meet in 1 Samuel 16 when one becomes aware of the musical talent of the other David & Saul |
| #5854, aired 2010-02-11 | COLLEGE HISTORY: The Pittsburgh university named for Andrew Carnegie is the USA's first to offer a degree in this musical instrument the bagpipes |
| #5853, aired 2010-02-10 | AMERICAN HEROES: He said, "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way" John Paul Jones |
| #5852, aired 2010-02-09 | ASTRONOMY: With a mass of 4.31 millions Suns, Sagittarius A* is thought to be a supermassive one of these in the Milky Way's center black hole |
| #5851, aired 2010-02-08 | RANKS & TITLES: Owain Glyndwr, who died circa 1416, was the last native of his country to claim this title Prince of Wales |
| #5850, aired 2010-02-05 | RECENT BOOKS: In a lecture called "Storia Senza Storia" (Story Without History), an Italian cardinal rebutted claims in this 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code |
| #5849, aired 2010-02-04 | 20th CENTURY PEOPLE: The July 1, 1946 cover of Time magazine depicted him with the caption, "All matter is speed and flame" Albert Einstein |
| #5848, aired 2010-02-03 | OLYMPIC VENUES: At above 7,000 feet, this Western Hemisphere city had the highest altitude ever of a Summer Olympics host city Mexico City |
| #5847, aired 2010-02-02 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: At his death in 1790, he left 200-year trust funds to the cities of Boston & Philadelphia Benjamin Franklin |
| #5846, aired 2010-02-01 | MEDICINE: The genes of this organism were discovered to be 2 parts pig, 1 part human & 1 part bird H1N1 (or swine flu) |
| #5845, aired 2010-01-29 | PRO SPORTS: The official address of the Atlanta Braves is No. 755 on the drive named for this man Hank Aaron |
| #5844, aired 2010-01-28 | 19th CENTURY ARTISTS: This Frenchman once said, "I will astonish Paris with an apple"--here are a few of them Paul Cézanne |
| #5843, aired 2010-01-27 | THE 1960s: In 1962 the people of Perth, Australia saluted this American by turning their lights on & off at the same time John Glenn |
| #5842, aired 2010-01-26 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: Chapter II of this novel says, "My eyes were not to be deceived. I was indeed awake and among the Carpathians" Dracula |
| #5841, aired 2010-01-25 | SPORTS CITIES: It's the only city whose teams won the Super Bowl & the Stanley Cup in the same calendar year Pittsburgh |
| #5840, aired 2010-01-22 | THE CABINET: Created by the Continental Congress in 1775, this officer joined the Cabinet in 1829 but was removed from it in 1971 the Postmaster General |
| #5839, aired 2010-01-21 | COMIC STRIP CHARACTERS: Created in 1950, he finally hit a home run on March 30, 1993 Charlie Brown |
| #5838, aired 2010-01-20 | CITIES IN ENGLAND: The Roman name for this city was Aquae Sulis Bath |
| #5837, aired 2010-01-19 | U.S. STATE NAMES: It's the only 1-word U.S. state that contains the entire name, in order, of another state Arkansas |
| #5836, aired 2010-01-18 | EARLY MAN: A theory of the origin & spread of humankind is called this, also the title of an Oscar-winning movie of the 1980s Out of Africa |
| #5835, aired 2010-01-15 | BUSINESS: On April 17, 1973 this company began operations with the launch of 14 small aircraft from Memphis International Airport Federal Express |
| #5834, aired 2010-01-14 | COLONISTS: Among the 6 children of this colonist were Mary, Freeborn, Mercy & Providence Roger Williams |
| #5833, aired 2010-01-13 | RECORD OF THE YEAR GRAMMY WINNERS: This song's recording session occurred right after the 1985 American Music Awards & lasted all night long "We Are The World" |
| #5832, aired 2010-01-12 | FAMOUS WOMEN: Halls of fame into which she's been inducted include the California, National Women's, National Aviation & U.S. Astronaut Sally Ride |
| #5831, aired 2010-01-11 | THE PARTS OF SPEECH: Of the traditional 8 parts of speech, it's the only one that doesn't end in the same 4 letters as 1 of the other parts of speech adjective |
| #5830, aired 2010-01-08 | AUTHORS: In "Comics Review" in 1965, "I was a Teenage Grave Robber" was his first published work; he's still going strong Stephen King |
| #5829, aired 2010-01-07 | TV HISTORY: When this animated TV show premiered, it was sponsored by One-A-Day vitamins & Winston cigarettes The Flintstones |
| #5828, aired 2010-01-06 | COUNTRY MUSIC LEGENDS: Before he was found dead January 1, 1953, the last single he released was "I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive" Hank Williams |
| #5827, aired 2010-01-05 | ART HISTORY: Unique quality of "First Communion of Anemic Young Girls in the Snow", shown at the 1883 Arts Incoherents exhibit it was all white |
| #5826, aired 2010-01-04 | AUTHORS' QUOTATIONS: "I had no idea of originating an American flapper... I simply took girls whom I knew very well" & "used them for my heroines" F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| #5825, aired 2010-01-01 | ROSE BOWL HISTORY: The only time the game wasn't held in Calif. was 1942, when it was in N.C., amidst fears of another event like this one Pearl Harbor |
| #5824, aired 2009-12-31 | ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS: 2nd only to Walt Disney's 59, this composer's 45 nominations include the "The Towering Inferno" & "Saving Private Ryan" John Williams |
| #5823, aired 2009-12-30 | THE CONSTITUTION: Just 37 words, it's in the article on the executive branch & is the only part of the Constitution that is in quote marks the Presidential Oath of Office |
| #5822, aired 2009-12-29 | AMERICAN MUSIC: The brilliance of Anne Brown, a soprano, changed the title of a 1935 opera that was to be called simply this one name Porgy |
| #5821, aired 2009-12-28 | AMERICAN HISTORY: On April 14, 1865 Abraham Lincoln authorized this govt. agency; its main job then was to protect against counterfeiting the Secret Service |
| #5820, aired 2009-12-25 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: A chorus in this 1741 work says, "King of kings and Lord of lords and He shall reign forever and ever" Handel's Messiah |
| #5819, aired 2009-12-24 | SPORTSWOMEN: Referring to a 1999 incident, her autobiography is titled "It's Not About the Bra" Brandi Chastain |
| #5818, aired 2009-12-23 | -ISMS: This term for an economic system first appeared in English in Thackeray's "The Newcomes", about the rise of a family capitalism |
| #5817, aired 2009-12-22 | FLAGS: In a policy begun in 2002 as a symbol of the War on Terrorism, U.S. Navy ships fly the 18th c. flag with this 4-word motto Dont tread on me |
| #5816, aired 2009-12-21 | 20th CENTURY WEDDINGS: Her 1956 wedding attracted more than 1,500 news reporters to a country with just 20,000 citizens at the time Grace Kelly |
| #5815, aired 2009-12-18 | HEALTH & FITNESS: Dr. Kenneth Cooper added "S" to a medical adjective to coin this word for the kind of exercise he advocated in a 1968 book aerobics |
| #5814, aired 2009-12-17 | FADS: It was inspired by a piece of Australian physical education equipment & 100 million were sold worldwide in 1958 the hula hoop |
| #5813, aired 2009-12-16 | 1970s BESTSELLERS: The preface to this novel says its title is a trademark phrase of General Mills, used on a cereal product Breakfast of Champions |
| #5812, aired 2009-12-15 | NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS: This bird is known for its size (5 feet tall), its call (carries 2 miles) & its rarity; in 1941 there were only 21 in the wild the whooping crane |
| #5811, aired 2009-12-14 | SPACE NEWS: In 2009 NASA named the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill for this man Stephen Colbert |
| #5810, aired 2009-12-11 | OPEC: This African nation of 150 million is the only member of OPEC that's also a member of the British Commonwealth Nigeria |
| #5809, aired 2009-12-10 | 1989 NO. 1 HITS: The Billboard Book of No. 1 Hits says this song brought mail from history teachers who hailed it as an educational aid "We Didn't Start The Fire" (by Billy Joel) |
| #5808, aired 2009-12-09 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: His collection of books suffered disastrous fires at the home called Shadwell in 1770 & at the Library of Congress in 1851 Thomas Jefferson |
| #5807, aired 2009-12-08 | LITERATURE OF THE 1800s: This character said, "I will live in the past, the present, and the future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me" Ebenezer Scrooge |
| #5806, aired 2009-12-07 | TOYS: In 1963 sculptor Phil Kraczkowski was paid $600 to design this Hasbro toy's original head G.I. Joe |
| #5805, aired 2009-12-04 | THE 13th CENTURY: In 1298 this explorer created his "Description of the World" Marco Polo |
| #5804, aired 2009-12-03 | SHAKESPEARE'S WOMEN: The name of this royal daughter from a tragedy is from a word meaning "little king" Regan (from King Lear) |
| #5803, aired 2009-12-02 | PHRASE ORIGINS: Used in 1947's "U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey", this 2-word term became widely used again in NYC on 9/11/01 ground zero |
| #5802, aired 2009-12-01 | POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: The subtitle of this influential 1762 treatise is "Principes du droit politique" ("Principles of Political Right") The Social Contract (by Jean-Jacques Rousseau) |
| #5801, aired 2009-11-30 | POLITICAL NONFICTION: This book begins, "June 17, 1972. Nine o'clock Saturday morning" All the President's Men |
| #5800, aired 2009-11-27 | PLANET EARTH: Despite its name, this ocean current outdoes any river; at maximum flow off the Carolinas, its flow is 3,500 times the Mississippi's the Gulf Stream |
| #5799, aired 2009-11-26 | ENGINEERING FEATS: In 1937 its chief engineer wrote a poem about it, mentioning its "titan piers" & the "Redwood Empire" to the north the Golden Gate Bridge |
| #5798, aired 2009-11-25 | POSTAL ABBREVIATIONS: A state since the 1700s but not in the original 13, it ends with its own 2-letter postal abbreviation Kentucky |
| #5797, aired 2009-11-24 | COMPOSERS: In 1928, the 100th anniversary of his death, a $10,000 prize was offered for the completion of his 8th Symphony (Franz) Schubert |
| #5796, aired 2009-11-23 | ODD TITLES: Gilbert & Sullivan's "Mikado", not Milne, gave us this hyphenated title for a pompous functionary grand poo-bah |
| #5795, aired 2009-11-20 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: He was the last sitting president to run for re-election & finish third in the Electoral College William Howard Taft |
| #5794, aired 2009-11-19 | FILM DIRECTORS: His work of the 1930s & '40s is so associated with sentimentality that his name is often combined with "corn" Frank Capra |
| #5793, aired 2009-11-18 | THE 18th CENTURY: If the Earl of Chesterfield hadn't gotten England to adopt this, he'd have died March 13 instead of March 24, 1773 the Gregorian Calendar |
| #5792, aired 2009-11-17 | MOVIES & DANCE: Derived from other traditional dances & still popular today, the syrtaki was created for this 1964 movie Zorba the Greek |
| #5791, aired 2009-11-16 | CLASSIC SONGS FROM MOVIES: 6-word title of the song that says, "For the house fell on her head & the coroner pronounced her dead" "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" |
| #5790, aired 2009-11-13 | HISTORIC SPEECHES: He said, "We look forward to a world founded upon" freedom of speech, of worship, from want & from fear Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| #5789, aired 2009-11-12 | 19th CENTURY NOVELISTS: She wrote that "happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance" Jane Austen |
| #5788, aired 2009-11-11 | THE WORLD AFTER WWII: This peninsula was divided when Japan surrendered to the U.S. below the 38th parallel & to the Soviet Union north of it the Korean Peninsula |
| #5787, aired 2009-11-10 | ARCHITECTURE: De Maupassant, Zola & Dumas fils were among those signing a petition decrying it as "a gigantic... factory chimney" the Eiffel Tower |
| #5786, aired 2009-11-09 | THE OLD TESTAMENT: This man was given the armor, helmet & sword of the first king of Israel, but refused to use them David |
| #5785, aired 2009-11-06 | STATE CAPITALS: It's the only 3-word state capital Salt Lake City |
| #5784, aired 2009-11-05 | THE PLANETS: It's the densest of the planets in our solar system & the only one not named for a deity Earth |
| #5783, aired 2009-11-04 | LONDON LANDMARKS: A statue of him stands outside the London Underground Baker Street station Sherlock Holmes |
| #5782, aired 2009-11-03 | NUMBERS & LETTERS: It's the world's most common number system & second-most common alphabet Arabic |
| #5781, aired 2009-11-02 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: On July 11, 1804 he gasped to his doctor, "This is a mortal wound"; he died the next day Alexander Hamilton |
| #5780, aired 2009-10-30 | PRESIDENTIAL NAMES: He's the only president whose first & last names contain the same pair of double letters Millard Fillmore |
| #5779, aired 2009-10-29 | THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR DRAMA: 1 of the 2 1-word plays, winners in 2001 & 2005, which both became movies; if you have one, you want the other (1 of) Proof & Doubt |
| #5778, aired 2009-10-28 | OLYMPIC CITIES: It's the only U.S. state capital to have hosted the Summer Olympics Atlanta, Georgia |
| #5777, aired 2009-10-27 | LANDMARKS: Operation Felix, a planned 1941 Nazi action to seize this territory, was never carried out because Spain wouldn't go along Gibraltar |
| #5776, aired 2009-10-26 | GODDESSES: Hera sent a gadfly to torment this 2-letter goddess, who later escaped to Egypt across a sea since named for her Io |
| #5775, aired 2009-10-23 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: This Asian nation is the only nation with the same name as its capital & the island on which it's located Singapore |
| #5774, aired 2009-10-22 | U.S. SCIENCE CITIES: This California city has the honor of being the only one in the U.S. to have an element named for it Berkeley |
| #5773, aired 2009-10-21 | AMERICAN THINKERS: He told George Washington he hoped "the Rights of Man may become as universal as your benevolence can wish" Thomas Paine |
| #5772, aired 2009-10-20 | MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: In the early 18th c. Sylvius Leopold Weiss wrote works for these 2 instruments whose names rhyme the flute & the lute |
| #5771, aired 2009-10-19 | NOTABLE WOMEN: When Galveston was devastated by a hurricane in 1900, she traveled 1,500 miles to head up the relief effort Clara Barton |
| #5770, aired 2009-10-16 | SCIENTIFIC FIRSTS: The first object in our solar system discovered by telescope was not a planet but one of these a moon |
| #5769, aired 2009-10-15 | BIBLICAL NAMES: Trees with biblical names include the Joshua tree & the world's oldest tree, a 4,700-year-old pine named for him Methuselah |
| #5768, aired 2009-10-14 | POETS: In a 1921 letter this American-born poet had "a long poem in mind... which I am wishful to finish", & he did at 433 lines T.S. Eliot |
| #5767, aired 2009-10-13 | AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY: It's a landlocked nation in Western Africa & its name is "locked" within the name of a nation on Africa's east coast Mali (in Somalia) |
| #5766, aired 2009-10-12 | ANNIVERSARIES & FAREWELLS: In 2009 it celebrated its 40th anniversary with a farewell tour of the British Isles, where it was built; today, it's in Dubai the Queen Elizabeth 2 |
| #5765, aired 2009-10-09 | THE U.S. SENATE: This man, only the third man to serve his state in the U.S. Senate, left the body in 2009 Ted Stevens |
| #5764, aired 2009-10-08 | ASTRONOMY: Sir William Herschel coined this word in 1802 writing, "They resemble small stars so much..." asteroid |
| #5763, aired 2009-10-07 | AMERICAN HISTORY: He was the only member of the Warren Commission who would later face would-be assassins himself Gerald Ford |
| #5762, aired 2009-10-06 | BIOGRAPHY SUBJECTS: One critic called Peter Martin's book about him "the best biography of the greatest biographer in the English language" James Boswell |
| #5761, aired 2009-10-05 | LANDMARKS: Its creator said its parts represent our nation's founding, expansion, development & preservation Mount Rushmore |
| #5760, aired 2009-10-02 | EMMY WINNERS: These 2 men with 16 total career Emmys appeared in series with Mary Tyler Moore, one playing a TV host, one a TV producer Ed Asner & Carl Reiner |
| #5759, aired 2009-10-01 | GEOGRAPHIC NAMES: For 200 years, much of this large current country was known as "Rupert's Land", in honor of a cousin of Charles II Canada |
| #5758, aired 2009-09-30 | HISTORIC HEADLINES: On Sept. 30, 2008 Daily Variety reprised this 5-word headline from Oct. 30, 1929 Wall Street Lays An Egg |
| #5757, aired 2009-09-29 | MUSIC HALLS OF FAME: 2 of the 4 Country Music Hall of Fame acts who are also in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as performers (2 of) Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee & The Everly Brothers |
| #5756, aired 2009-09-28 | OLD NAMES IN THE NEWS: After running pyramid schemes & spending time in federal prison, he was deported back to Italy in 1934 Carlo Ponzi |
| #5755, aired 2009-09-25 | ANIMALS: Because of the requirements in pumping blood to its brain, it has the highest blood pressure of any living animal the giraffe |
| #5754, aired 2009-09-24 | FROM PAGE TO SCREEN: A 13-page document typed on April 18, 1945 with the names of 801 men inspired a 1982 book & this 1993 film Schindler's List |
| #5753, aired 2009-09-23 | 17th CENTURY BRITISH HISTORY: The lantern with which he planned to initiate his most famous act is in the possession of England's Ashmolean Museum Guy Fawkes |
| #5752, aired 2009-09-22 | WORD HISTORY: Once a type of Roman arena, in the 18th century this 6-letter word gained its current meaning as a type of entertainment circus |
| #5751, aired 2009-09-21 | THE INTERNET: In a registered website domain name, it's the only mark allowed that isn't a letter, number or the dot a dash |
| #5750, aired 2009-09-18 | BRITISH AUTHORS: Though known for writing nonsense verse, he gave Queen Victoria drawing lessons & Tennyson wrote a poem to him Edward Lear |
| #5749, aired 2009-09-17 | FAMOUS ACTORS: Ironically, he lost the leading role in the 1960 play "The Best Man" because he didn't look presidential Ronald Reagan |
| #5748, aired 2009-09-16 | 20th CENTURY WOMEN: She won gold at the 1928, 1932 & 1936 Winter Olympics & also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Sonja Henie |
| #5747, aired 2009-09-15 | PRESIDENTIAL ANCESTORS: His first ancestor to come to America, a maternal forebear, was a Huguenot, Philippe de la Noye, in 1621 Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| #5746, aired 2009-09-14 | WORD ORIGINS: This skilled army job may have been named for a bird because soldiers tested their rifle accuracy by shooting them a sniper |
| #5745, aired 2009-07-24 | 25 YEARS & COUNTING: In 2009 she was on a world tour at age 69; when "Jeopardy!" premiered in September 1984, she had the USA's No. 1 hit Tina Turner |
| #5744, aired 2009-07-23 | FOOD: This cheese was created in 1892 by Emil Frey & named for a New York singing society whose members loved the cheese Liederkranz |
| #5743, aired 2009-07-22 | 19th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: His letter accepting his nomination concluded, "Let us have peace", which became the GOP campaign slogan Ulysses Grant |
| #5742, aired 2009-07-21 | BOOKS INSPIRED BY HISTORY: "Follow the Drinking Gourd" tells how slaves escaped to freedom guided by a song about this star group the Big Dipper |
| #5741, aired 2009-07-20 | POETS ON POETS: Longfellow began a poem about this earlier poet, "Tuscan, that wanderest through the realms of gloom" Dante Alighieri |
| #5740, aired 2009-07-17 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He's the only president since 1900 whose last name contains more vowels than consonants Barack Obama |
| #5739, aired 2009-07-16 | WOMEN AUTHORS: As a child, she liked to play witches & wizards with her friends Ian & Vikki Potter J.K. Rowling |
| #5738, aired 2009-07-15 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: Other than Antarctica, the 2 continents without a landlocked country Australia & North America |
| #5737, aired 2009-07-14 | SCIENTISTS: He won the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics primarily for his work on the photoelectric effect, not for relativity Albert Einstein |
| #5736, aired 2009-07-13 | AMERICAN HISTORY: The area that's now the State of Indiana was acquired in this war the Revolutionary War |
| #5735, aired 2009-07-10 | THE CALENDAR: This U.S. event was set after the harvest, on a day when rural folk could get there without having to travel on Sunday Election Day |
| #5734, aired 2009-07-09 | MUSIC WORDS: Before it acquired its musical meaning in the early 20th century, it was baseball slang for "pep" or "energy" jazz |
| #5733, aired 2009-07-08 | ROYALTY: This man whose titles include Baron Greenwich is, like his wife, a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria Prince Philip |
| #5732, aired 2009-07-07 | EUROPEAN REGIONS: This arboreally named area was made famous by a prince in the region noted for impaling enemies on stakes Transylvania |
| #5731, aired 2009-07-06 | NAPOLEON: Napoleon died before some of his officers could sneak him to this U.S. state where his death mask now resides Louisiana |
| #5730, aired 2009-07-03 | THE SOLAR SYSTEM: One of the 2 moons in our solar system larger than Mercury; one orbits Jupiter & one orbits Saturn Ganymede or Titan |
| #5729, aired 2009-07-02 | U.S. TRANSPORTATION HISTORY: Not standardized as the shape we know, the first of these alliterative items, black on white metal, appeared in Detroit in 1915 a stop sign |
| #5728, aired 2009-07-01 | PHRASE ORIGINS: A 19th century gambling term meaning a desirable prize, its use in reference to NYC stems from a 1921 newspaper sports column the Big Apple |
| #5727, aired 2009-06-30 | AMERICAN HISTORY: History was made on December 1, 1955 when bus driver James Blake called the police & had this person arrested Rosa Parks |
| #5726, aired 2009-06-29 | THE BEATLES: Fittingly, the cover of this Beatles album shows the Fab Four engaging in a semaphore message Help! |
| #5725, aired 2009-06-26 | 19th CENTURY AMERICAN LITERATURE: At the end of this novel, the title object "ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world's scorn and bitterness" The Scarlet Letter |
| #5724, aired 2009-06-25 | SLANG TERM ORIGINS: Now referring to a scapegoat, this term originated as someone designated as a "proxy for correction" a whipping boy |
| #5723, aired 2009-06-24 | EXPLORERS: On March 29, 1912 he wrote, "We are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far... I do not think I can write more" Robert Scott |
| #5722, aired 2009-06-23 | LEADING MEN: Up for producing, directing, acting & writing for 1978 & 1981, he's the only man to twice get 4 Oscar nominations for one film Warren Beatty |
| #5721, aired 2009-06-22 | PRESIDENTS ON FILM: Filmed signing a bill into law, in 1895 he became the first U.S. president to appear on moving film Grover Cleveland |
| #5720, aired 2009-06-19 | WORDS IN PHYSICS: Also found before "pack" & "team", it's defined as increase in volume resulting from increase in temperature expansion |
| #5719, aired 2009-06-18 | STATE SONGS: It was originally dedicated to a Midwest football team; it's said that Sousa called it the best college song he'd ever heard "On, Wisconsin!" |
| #5718, aired 2009-06-17 | THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE: Of the 30 corporations that make up the Dow Jones index, it's the only one that began as an entertainment company Disney |
| #5717, aired 2009-06-16 | HISTORICAL POEMS: Poem that tells us: "Cossack and Russian reel'd from the sabre-stroke shatter'd and sunder'd" "The Charge of the Light Brigade" |
| #5716, aired 2009-06-15 | ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS: Her 48-year span between her first & last Oscars, 1933 & 1981, is the longest for a performer in Academy history Katharine Hepburn |
| #5715, aired 2009-06-12 | CLASSIC LITERATURE: This novelist is credited as the first to call Route 66 the "Mother Road" John Steinbeck (in The Grapes of Wrath) |
| #5714, aired 2009-06-11 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: A 2007 book about these 2 men is subtitled "Victorious American and Vanquished Virginian" Ulysses S. Grant & Robert E. Lee |
| #5713, aired 2009-06-10 | INVENTIONS: In the 1870s this innovation revolutionized ranching & made John W. Gates a millionaire barbed wire |
| #5712, aired 2009-06-09 | SIGNS OF THE TIMES: First turned on in 1989 in Times Square, the "clock" measuring this ran out of digits in October 2008 the national debt |
| #5711, aired 2009-06-08 | ACTING FAMILIES: Last name of the father & son actors who have played 2 different real U.S. presidents, one on film & one on TV Brolin |
| #5710, aired 2009-06-05 | STATE QUARTERS: Of the U.S. state quarters that feature sail-powered craft, the state depicting the oldest ship Florida |
| #5709, aired 2009-06-04 | EUROPEAN LANDMARKS: Completed in 1791, it was reopened in 1989 after being closed for 28 years the Brandenburg Gate |
| #5708, aired 2009-06-03 | 20th CENTURY AMERICANS: Rhyming last names of the 2 men pictured here, who had two very different professions Barrow & Darrow |
| #5707, aired 2009-06-02 | GEOGRAPHICAL LITERATURE: The first 2 sections of this Hemingway novel, published 9 years after his death, are titled "Bimini" & "Cuba" Islands in the Stream |
| #5706, aired 2009-06-01 | CARTOON SCIENCE: According to Chuck Jones, whenever possible, this force of nature was to be Wile E. Coyote's greatest enemy gravity |
| #5705, aired 2009-05-29 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: Peter Finch was the first winner of a posthumous Best Actor Oscar; he was first to get 2 posthumous acting nominations James Dean |
| #5704, aired 2009-05-28 | WORD ORIGINS: This word for a distinguishing mark of office or honor comes from the Latin for "badge" insignia |
| #5703, aired 2009-05-27 | BIG COUNTRIES: Forbes magazine uses "BRIC", an acronym for these 4 large nations advancing in economic power Brazil, Russia, India & China |
| #5702, aired 2009-05-26 | BRITISH LEGENDARY POETRY: The first edition of this collection of poems did not include "The Last Tournament"; it was added in the 1870s Idylls of the King |
| #5701, aired 2009-05-25 | THE ELEMENTS: Once called radium F, this element was named for the homeland of one of its discoverers polonium |
| #5700, aired 2009-05-22 | 20th CENTURY POLITICS: On September 23, 1952 some 60 million people, the largest TV audience to that time, tuned in for this live address the Checkers Speech |
| #5699, aired 2009-05-21 | BIG BOOKS: When they began in 1879, the creators of this thought they'd finish in 10 years; 5 years later, they reached "ant" the Oxford English Dictionary |
| #5698, aired 2009-05-20 | ENGLISH HISTORY: It was the "they" in the medal issued by Elizabeth I reading, "God breathed and they were scattered" the Spanish Armada |
| #5697, aired 2009-05-19 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: Ayn Rand wrote to him, "I felt that 'The Fountainhead' had not quite completed its destiny until I had heard from you about it" Frank Lloyd Wright |
| #5696, aired 2009-05-18 | NO. 1 HITS OF THE 1970s: In 2008 doctors said that, aptly, this Bee Gees song provides an ideal beat to follow "Stayin' Alive" |
| #5695, aired 2009-05-15 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: This New Englander began building his house in March 1845 & later wrote that it cost exactly $28.12 1/2 Henry David Thoreau |
| #5694, aired 2009-05-14 | SCIENCE TERMS: In medieval England, it meant the smallest unit of time, 1/376 of a minute; it didn't refer to matter until the 16th century atom |
| #5693, aired 2009-05-13 | THE HISTORY OF FLIGHT: In 1784 these 2 future presidents saw an early manned balloon flight in Paris &, in 1793, America's 1st, in Philadelphia John Adams & Thomas Jefferson |
| #5692, aired 2009-05-12 | WORDS OF INSPIRATION: A professor's 2007 address at Carnegie Mellon on "really achieving your childhood dreams" inspired millions under this title The Last Lecture |
| #5691, aired 2009-05-11 | WORD ORIGINS: Before its use in journalism, it meant a boundary beyond which straying prisoners would be shot deadline |
| #5690, aired 2009-05-08 | EUROPEAN HISTORY: He filed for divorce citing Leviticus 20:21, "If a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing" Henry VIII |
| #5689, aired 2009-05-07 | B.C. THINKERS: The name we know him by was actually a nickname given him for his wide, disc-like shoulders Plato |
| #5688, aired 2009-05-06 | WASHINGTON, D.C.: Since 1974, the official residence of this public servant has been at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue & 34th Street the vice president |
| #5687, aired 2009-05-05 | ON THE MOON: It's the last word of the inscription on Apollo 11's plaque on the Moon & is also found in a related quotation mankind |
| #5686, aired 2009-05-04 | THE 50 STATES: An 1881 resolution established that this state's name was to be spelled one way but pronounced another Arkansas |
| #5685, aired 2009-05-01 | GLAND FINALE: This human gland important in the immune system takes its name in part from its resemblance to an herb the thymus gland |
| #5684, aired 2009-04-30 | EUROPEAN PLACE NAMES: The ancient Greek name of this country means "one house", maybe reflecting that the area had only 1 temple Monaco |
| #5683, aired 2009-04-29 | THE U.S. MONEY MAP: The 3 richest U.S. counties, by median household income, are not in N.Y. or Calif. but are suburbs of this city Washington, D.C. |
| #5682, aired 2009-04-28 | WORLD AUTHORS: Chapters in an 1831 work by this author include "Maitre Jacques Coppenole" & "A Tear for a Drop of Water" Victor Hugo |
| #5681, aired 2009-04-27 | MOVIE DIRECTORS: Since 1971 he has directed only 6 films, but those 6 have averaged more than $283 million each at the box office George Lucas |
| #5680, aired 2009-04-24 | SHAKESPEARE'S TITLE CHARACTERS: Though he reigned for only 2 years, this king has the second-longest role in a single Shakespeare play, speaking 1,164 lines Richard III |
| #5679, aired 2009-04-23 | 20th CENTURY SCIENCE: The 1970s saw the coining of the term "runner's high" & the discovery of these opiate proteins that produce it endorphins |
| #5678, aired 2009-04-22 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Besides Carter, 1 of 2 20th century presidents to live at least 30 years past the day he entered office (1 of) Gerald Ford & Herbert Hoover |
| #5677, aired 2009-04-21 | BOOKS ABOUT ACTORS: Stefan Kanfer's 2008 biography of this star is titled "Somebody", a nod to one of his most famous lines Marlon Brando |
| #5676, aired 2009-04-20 | AMERICAN LEGENDS: Chippewa legend says Nanabojo grew angry at this person for tearing up trees & beat him to death with a fish Paul Bunyan |
| #5675, aired 2009-04-17 | BROADWAY HISTORY: On Oct. 30, 2008 Playbill changed its logo color to green for a special edition marking this show's 5th anniversary on Broadway Wicked |
| #5674, aired 2009-04-16 | AMERICAN BUSINESS: On Sept. 29, 2008 every stock in the S&P 500 dropped except this maker of comforting food, founded in 1869 Campbell's |
| #5673, aired 2009-04-15 | EXPLORERS: In 1611 Henry Greene led a successful mutiny against this captain, but soon after was killed by Eskimos Henry Hudson |
| #5672, aired 2009-04-14 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: This 2-word term for a famous group of colleges 1st appeared in an AP story that ran in the Providence Journal in 1935 Ivy League |
| #5671, aired 2009-04-13 | VIVE LA FRANCE!: AKA "Chant de guerre pour l'armee du Rhin", it was banned by Napoleon, Louis XVIII & Napoleon III "La Marseillaise" |
| #5670, aired 2009-04-10 | COMPOSERS: In 1912, midway through one of his works, he wrote, "I have penetrated the secret of the rhythm of spring" Igor Stravinsky |
| #5669, aired 2009-04-09 | NAME'S THE SAME: This cartoon character debuted in 1930, the same year the object he shares a name with was discovered Pluto |
| #5668, aired 2009-04-08 | FILM QUOTES: From a 1942 movie, No. 2 on Guinness' top 10 film quotes is a line that mentions this liquor gin |
| #5667, aired 2009-04-07 | SPORTS VENUES: The last names found on these 2 sports venues, both in Queens, are anagrams of each other Arthur Ashe Stadium & Shea Stadium |
| #5666, aired 2009-04-06 | SCIENCE HISTORY: An experiment with mirrors on Mt. Wilson & Mt. San Antonio, Calif. determined what became an accepted figure for this the speed of light |
| #5665, aired 2009-04-03 | AUTHORS' LESSER-KNOWN NOVELS: A manipulative widow goes husband-hunting in "Lady Susan", finally published in 1871, 54 years after her death Jane Austen |
| #5664, aired 2009-04-02 | TV CHARACTERS: She was born on February 22, 10,000 B.C. weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces Pebbles Flintstone |
| #5663, aired 2009-04-01 | BETTING TERMS: This word is from the custom of hiding bets in a hat before odds were announced handicapping |
| #5662, aired 2009-03-31 | STORY INSPIRATIONS: The 1949 shooting of Philly 1B Eddie Waitkus by Ruth Steinhagen inspired this novel, later a 1984 film The Natural |
| #5661, aired 2009-03-30 | ARTISTS: The 2 famous painters who share a March 30 birthday, one born in Spain in 1746, the other in Holland in 1853 Goya & van Gogh |
| #5660, aired 2009-03-27 | 19th CENTURY CONSTRUCTION: It was first designed as "Egypt carrying the light to Asia", & its original intended site was Port Said in 1869 the Statue of Liberty |
| #5659, aired 2009-03-26 | 16th CENTURY THINKERS: In 1517 he wrote, "The treasures of indulgences are nets with which they now fish for the wealth of men" Martin Luther |
| #5658, aired 2009-03-25 | AUTHORS: In 1865 he wrote the line "You're nothing but a pack of cards!" Lewis Carroll |
| #5657, aired 2009-03-24 | BRITISH ROYALTY: Born in 1683, the second British king of this name was the last one not born in the British Isles George |
| #5656, aired 2009-03-23 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: You have to go back over a century to find him, the last president who never had a vice president Chester Arthur |
| #5655, aired 2009-03-20 | CIVIL WAR SITES: Of the 6 Civil War-related national military parks, the northernmost & southernmost are in these 2 states Pennsylvania & Mississippi |
| #5654, aired 2009-03-19 | GODS OF ANCIENT EGYPT: Appropriately, the center of cult worship for this ancient Egyptian god was in Cynopolis, "City of the Dog" Anubis |
| #5653, aired 2009-03-18 | ELVIS PRESLEY: Though Elvis was known as the King of Rock & Roll, the only 3 Grammy Awards he ever won were in this Grammy genre gospel music |
| #5652, aired 2009-03-17 | RIVERS: The name of this river whose lower reaches run through Ghana is from Portuguese for "turn" or "bend" the Volta |
| #5651, aired 2009-03-16 | BRITISH PAINTERS: Tennyson called this British painter, Constable's contemporary, the "Shakespeare of Landscape" J.M.W. Turner |
| #5650, aired 2009-03-13 | WORLD MONEY: Amounts on the banknotes in this country, one of the world's 10 largest, are in 17 different official languages India |
| #5649, aired 2009-03-12 | FRENCH CLASSICAL MUSIC: This 1928 work repeats a theme, almost entirely in C major, in an unvarying rhythm & has a crescendo lasting 17 minutes Boléro (by Ravel) |
| #5648, aired 2009-03-11 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: The name of this character from an 18th century French work is from the Greek for "all tongues" Dr. Pangloss |
| #5647, aired 2009-03-10 | WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS: Much of this 2001 movie remake was filmed at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas Ocean's Eleven |
| #5646, aired 2009-03-09 | HISTORIC PEOPLE: The life story of this man who died in 1801 was chronicled in an A&E biography DVD titled "Triumph and Treason" Benedict Arnold |
| #5645, aired 2009-03-06 | CELEBRATIONS: Homecoming Scotland is a yearlong celebration of this man's 250th birthday on Jan. 25, 2009 Rabbie Burns |
| #5644, aired 2009-03-05 | FRANCO-AMERICAN HISTORY: After a large French army was wiped out by yellow fever on this island in 1802, Napoleon decided to sell Louisiana Hispaniola (or Haiti) |
| #5643, aired 2009-03-04 | DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS: Of the 4 countries in the world that the U.S. does not have diplomatic relations with, the one that's farthest north North Korea |
| #5642, aired 2009-03-03 | ASTRONOMY: In 1610 Galileo called the moons of this planet the "Medician stars", for the Medici brothers Jupiter |
| #5641, aired 2009-03-02 | FIRST NAMES: This first name of a patron saint of a country comes from a Roman word referring to a social class Patrick |
| #5640, aired 2009-02-27 | ADVERTISING ICONS: On Advertising Age's list of the Top 10 Ad Icons of the 20th c., they're the 2 alliterative entries that end in "Man" the Michelin Man & the Marlboro Man |
| #5639, aired 2009-02-26 | 18th CENTURY SCIENTISTS: This N. European said his grave-stone should be inscribed Princeps botanicorum, "prince of botanists" Carolus Linnaeus |
| #5638, aired 2009-02-25 | SPORTS TEAM NAMES: It's the only Major League Baseball team name whose first 4 letters match the first 4 letters of its city the Philadelphia Phillies |
| #5637, aired 2009-02-24 | AMERICAN NOVELISTS: "What is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after", he wrote in 1932 Ernest Hemingway |
| #5636, aired 2009-02-23 | WORLD RIVERS: With 4, more national capitals are located on this river than any other river in the world the Danube |
| #5635, aired 2009-02-20 | ANCIENT WORKS: Astronomers used clues in the text of this epic to figure out the date of its archery contest: April 16, 1178 B.C. The Odyssey |
| #5634, aired 2009-02-19 | EXPLORERS: In 1871 he answered, "Yes, and I feel thankful that I am here to welcome you" Dr. Livingstone |
| #5633, aired 2009-02-18 | POLITICAL TERMS: The first known use of this word is a 1763 entry in John Adams' diary describing a club meeting in a friend's attic caucus |
| #5632, aired 2009-02-17 | AMERICAN BUSINESS: In 1945 Mr. & Mrs. Shoen founded it after no one locally would rent them a trailer for their move from L.A. to Portland U-Haul |
| #5631, aired 2009-02-16 | POP CULTURE: Also the title of one of the best-selling albums of all time, it was first seen in Russian photos taken in 1959 the dark side of the Moon |
| #5630, aired 2009-02-13 | CLASSIC MOVIE CHARACTERS: The parents of this 1942 film character are an unnamed mother & a father known as "the great prince of the forest" Bambi |
| #5629, aired 2009-02-12 | INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: The Air Force's C-130 "Hurricane Hunters" are the only U.S. military aircraft allowed to enter this country's airspace Cuba |
| #5628, aired 2009-02-11 | 1950s LITERATURE: In 2007 this novel celebrated its 50th anniversary as its manuscript, a 120-foot-long scroll, toured the U.S. On the Road |
| #5627, aired 2009-02-10 | 20th CENTURY CORRESPONDENCE: A telegram from these 2: "Average speed...thirty-one miles. Longest fifty-nine seconds.
Inform press.
Home Christmas" the Wright Brothers |
| #5626, aired 2009-02-09 | HOLIDAYS: Some believe a Roman celebration of the coming of spring, including fertility rites, led to the holiday we observe on this date February 14 |
| #5625, aired 2009-02-06 | MUSIC LEGENDS: His 2003 People magazine obituary was headlined "Fade to Black" Johnny Cash |
| #5624, aired 2009-02-05 | AMERICAN FICTION WRITERS: He was also the U.S.'s best-paid sportswriter, with stories of people like Chicago O'Brien & Jack the Bookie Damon Runyon |
| #5623, aired 2009-02-04 | 20th CENTURY FIRSTS: On Oct. 14, 1947 in the Mojave Desert the first of these sounds was made by man; it was the byproduct of another first sonic boom |
| #5622, aired 2009-02-03 | CIVIL WAR PEOPLE: He was the only person who died during the Civil War to be featured on Confederate currency Stonewall Jackson |
| #5621, aired 2009-02-02 | STATE CAPITALS: It's the only state capital that bears the name of a U.S. vice president Jefferson City |
| #5620, aired 2009-01-30 | WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR II: This nickname given a bomber at a 1935 test flight reflected the early belief that it wouldn't need fighter protection the Flying Fortress |
| #5619, aired 2009-01-29 | THE GRAMMYS: In 2002 the soundtrack to this George Clooney film won Album of the Year, only the third to do so O Brother, Where Art Thou? |
| #5618, aired 2009-01-28 | MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS: The libretto for Haydn's oratorio "The Creation" was based on this epic English poem Paradise Lost |
| #5617, aired 2009-01-27 | THE 20th CENTURY: On June 5, 1989 a young man never positively identified became world famous for actions he took in this city Beijing |
| #5616, aired 2009-01-26 | 19th CENTURY POETS: He wrote, "The mason singing... the boatman... the hatter... singing what belongs to him or her and to none else" Walt Whitman |
| #5615, aired 2009-01-23 | MYTHOLOGICAL WORDS & PHRASES: This prized object was the coat of the winged ram that flew Phrixus to safety the Golden Fleece |
| #5614, aired 2009-01-22 | CELEBRITY MARRIAGES: Her 3rd husband won a Best Actor Oscar in the '90s; her 2nd husband, like her dad, is a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Lisa Marie Presley |
| #5613, aired 2009-01-21 | PLAYS OF THE 1980s: This Pulitzer Prize-winning play was inspired by the writer's own experiences selling real estate in Chicago Glengarry Glen Ross |
| #5612, aired 2009-01-20 | GEOGRAPHIC PROCESS OF ELIMINATION: This country borders the most "stan"s:
Afghanistan,
Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan &
Turkmenistan Uzbekistan |
| #5611, aired 2009-01-19 | INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: "Neutrality" & "Voluntary Service" are 2 of the 7 Fundamental Principles of this humanitarian org. founded in Europe the Red Cross |
| #5610, aired 2009-01-16 | CULINARY HISTORY: This fruit dessert was created to celebrate Queen Victoria's decades on the British throne cherries jubilee |
| #5609, aired 2009-01-15 | WRITER/DIRECTORS: His headstone, using a line from one of his scripts, says, "I'm a writer but then nobody's perfect" Billy Wilder |
| #5608, aired 2009-01-14 | CHARACTERS IN PLAYS: This woman wished to be taken to "Bucknam Pellis... don't you know where it is? In the Green Park, where the king lives" Eliza Doolittle |
| #5607, aired 2009-01-13 | HISTORIC ROYAL RELATIVES: This wife of Henry VIII was the aunt of the powerful Holy Roman Emperor Charles V Catherine of Aragon |
| #5606, aired 2009-01-12 | ENGLISH SPELLING: There are at least 50 common exceptions to the rule expressed by this popular rhyming mnemonic couplet I before E, except after C |
| #5605, aired 2009-01-09 | ALPHABETS: In the phonetic alphabet used by the U.S. military, it's the only letter that has the same name as a warrior people Zulu |
| #5604, aired 2009-01-08 | MUSICAL THEATRE: It opens with a widow & her son arriving by boat from Singapore to accept a job that pays 20 pounds a month The King and I |
| #5603, aired 2009-01-07 | INDEPENDENCE DAYS: Poland's Independence Day commemorates this month & day in 1918 November 11 |
| #5602, aired 2009-01-06 | HISTORIC STRUCTURES: Pope Sixtus' death in 1590 ended his plan to convert this, still in Rome today, to a wool factory to employ city prostitutes the Colosseum |
| #5601, aired 2009-01-05 | CHARACTERS IN NOVELS: Molly, the wife in this 1922 novel, represents a modern-day Penelope Ulysses |
| #5600, aired 2009-01-02 | EUROPEAN HISTORY: On April 13, 1895 he entered the Devils Island penal colony to serve a life sentence, but he was out by 1899 Alfred Dreyfus |
| #5599, aired 2009-01-01 | GAMES: In German, this chess piece is "der Springer" the knight |
| #5598, aired 2008-12-31 | ADVERTISING ICONS: This advertising icon who debuted in the 1950s is known as Pron-Tito in Spanish-speaking countries Speedy Alka-Seltzer |
| #5597, aired 2008-12-30 | POLITICAL ROCK & ROLL: In 2008 John McCain used this 1958 Top 10 hit by Chuck Berry as an anthem for his presidential bid "Johnny B. Goode" |
| #5596, aired 2008-12-29 | PHRASE ORIGINS: Sails that ran free & fluttered without control caused a ship to stagger like a drunk, giving rise to this phrase three sheets to the wind |
| #5595, aired 2008-12-26 | HISTORIC NAMES: A recent biography of this 13th century man is subtitled "From Venice to Xanadu" Marco Polo |
| #5594, aired 2008-12-25 | THE GRAMMYS: In 1959 the first Grammy for Album of the Year went to the soundtrack composed by Henry Mancini for this TV show Peter Gunn |
| #5593, aired 2008-12-24 | 19th CENTURY BOOKS: Its author called it "a Ghostly little book... which shall not put my readers out of humour... with the season" A Christmas Carol |
| #5592, aired 2008-12-23 | PEOPLES OF THE WORLD: Numbering about 25 million, they're the largest ethnic group in the world with no home nation the Kurds |
| #5591, aired 2008-12-22 | ALMA MATERS: Former governor & onetime presidential hopeful Mitt Romney earned his B.A. in 1971 from this university BYU (Brigham Young University) |
| #5590, aired 2008-12-19 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: This country's largest lake shares its name with the country; its second-largest lake has the same name as its capital Nicaragua |
| #5589, aired 2008-12-18 | HISTORIC AMERICAN QUOTATIONS: On April 29, 1861 he said, "We seek no conquest… all we ask is to be let alone" Jefferson Davis |
| #5588, aired 2008-12-17 | NOVEL INSPIRATIONS: The house in Canada seen here inspired this beloved novel that's celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2008 Anne of Green Gables |
| #5587, aired 2008-12-16 | NOVELS: Amazon.com said this novel, set in Iowa, was "the romantic classic of the 1990s" The Bridges of Madison County |
| #5586, aired 2008-12-15 | PERFORMERS & HOMETOWN VENUES: He's the only singer to headline Yankee Stadium, Giants Stadium & Shea Stadium, closing Shea in 2008 Billy Joel |
| #5585, aired 2008-12-12 | STATE CAPITALS: It's the only state capital whose city limits lie on an international border Juneau, Alaska |
| #5584, aired 2008-12-11 | MUSICAL THEATER: The set for this 1878 work was a reproduction of the quarterdeck of Lord Nelson's flagship H.M.S. Pinafore |
| #5583, aired 2008-12-10 | AMERICANA: An 1890 act of Congress says these can be redesigned no more than once every 25 years coins |
| #5582, aired 2008-12-09 | AMERICAN LITERARY SITES: In the 20th century it became a popular recreation site, with crowds of 25,000; its most famous visitor might disapprove Walden Pond |
| #5581, aired 2008-12-08 | ACTOR-DIRECTORS: The only woman to win a Golden Globe for directing, she won for a 1983 film that she had also co-written Barbra Streisand |
| #5580, aired 2008-12-05 | HISTORIC PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS: On May 15, 1768 France bought this island from Genoa for 2 million livres Corsica |
| #5579, aired 2008-12-04 | COUNTRY NAMES: Some people in this Asian country named for a European king now want to call it by an indigenous name, Maharlika the Philippines |
| #5578, aired 2008-12-03 | FAMOUS SCIENTISTS: Alexander Pope wrote the epitaph "Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night, God said, let" him "be and all was light" Isaac Newton |
| #5577, aired 2008-12-02 | BREAKFAST CEREALS: The first & middle names of this breakfast cereal "spokesman" are Horatio Magellan Cap'n Crunch |
| #5576, aired 2008-12-01 | FRENCH: A sequence of 3 vowels creates this common French word, a homophone of a different vowel altogether eau |
| #5575, aired 2008-11-28 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: Its title refers to an imaginary place where things like "honors, preferments... silver, gold, pearls" are sold Vanity Fair |
| #5574, aired 2008-11-27 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: The only public state holiday in the U.S. honoring a monarch is one honoring this ruler King Kamehameha |
| #5573, aired 2008-11-26 | FOOD BRANDS: In 1954 Swift chose this word that means "a chubby person" as its new brand's name to convey plumpness & tenderness Butterball |
| #5572, aired 2008-11-25 | IN THE NEWS 1952: Her final testament, read in public after her death, asked for protection of the poor workers she called grasitas Eva Peron |
| #5571, aired 2008-11-24 | SHAKESPEARE'S WOMEN: The last words spoken by this character are "What's done cannot be undone: to bed, to bed, to bed" Lady Macbeth |
| #5570, aired 2008-11-21 | GREEK MYTHOLOGY: King Salmoneus dragged bronze kettles behind his chariot to imitate this; Zeus killed him thunder |
| #5569, aired 2008-11-20 | STATE CAPITALS: Baton Rouge & this other state capital both have 2-word French names; neither is named for a person Des Moines |
| #5568, aired 2008-11-19 | NONFICTION WRITERS: On July 21, 1944 she wrote, "I'm finally getting optimistic... an assassination attempt has been made on Hitler's life" Anne Frank |
| #5567, aired 2008-11-18 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: In a 1914 novel, as a boy he could "drop twenty feet at a stretch from limb to limb in rapid descent to the ground" Tarzan |
| #5566, aired 2008-11-17 | 19th CENTURY POLITICS: When the GOP convened in 1888, he became the 1st black man to earn a vote for president at a major party convention Frederick Douglass |
| #5565, aired 2008-11-14 | HIGHER EDUCATION: The 1st public one of these schools began in Illinois in 1901 for students who wanted to pursue higher education in their home area a community college (or junior college) |
| #5564, aired 2008-11-13 | WASHINGTON, D.C.: Unveiled in 1923, the statue seen here of this man is located on the south side of the Treasury Building Alexander Hamilton |
| #5563, aired 2008-11-12 | WORD ORIGINS: The name of this branch of mathematics comes from the Arabic for "reuniting" algebra |
| #5562, aired 2008-11-11 | EARTH FACTS: Because of the Earth's rotation, a person at sea level is lightest when standing at this degree of latitude 0 degrees |
| #5561, aired 2008-11-10 | 19th CENTURY INVENTIONS: When this was explained to Chief Sho-kup, he gave it a Shoshone name that means "wire rope express" the telegraph |
| #5560, aired 2008-11-07 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: One of the 2 presidents to win the national popular vote 3 times but only be elected president twice (1 of) Grover Cleveland & Andrew Jackson |
| #5559, aired 2008-11-06 | WORLD CURRENCY: With inflation raging there at more than 2.2 million%, this nation issued $100 billion notes in 2008 Zimbabwe |
| #5558, aired 2008-11-05 | POP MUSIC FIRSTS: Covering the years 1971-1975, their first greatest hits album was the first ever certified platinum The Eagles |
| #5557, aired 2008-11-04 | INVENTORS & INVENTION: In April 2008, a man successfully completed a jump using a parachute designed by this man 523 years before Leonardo da Vinci |
| #5556, aired 2008-11-03 | PULITZER-WINNING NOVELS: From this book's penultimate paragraph: "There had never been a man she couldn't get, once she set her mind upon him" Gone with the Wind |
| #5555, aired 2008-10-31 | MOVIE MAKERS & REMAKERS: Howard Hawks directed this film with Paul Muni as Tony Camonte; Brian De Palma remade it Scarface |
| #5554, aired 2008-10-30 | INVENTORS: A key to Alexander Graham Bell's experiments was one of these, procured by a doctor friend, Clarence Blake an ear |
| #5553, aired 2008-10-29 | 2008: Though not elected to the position, a man from this state became the 1st blind governor & the 4th black governor in the U.S. New York |
| #5552, aired 2008-10-28 | ASIAN NATIONS: Of the world's 11 countries whose English names start with "A", the only 2 whose names don't end with "A" Afghanistan & Azerbaijan |
| #5551, aired 2008-10-27 | INTERNATIONAL MOTORING: It's the largest nation in area where all cars legally drive on the left Australia |
| #5550, aired 2008-10-24 | PEOPLE ON CURRENCY: Though born 4,000 miles from Havana, he adorns the Cuban 3-peso note Che Guevara |
| #5549, aired 2008-10-23 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: This character, created in Europe in the 19th c., has a name that can be translated as "eye of pine" Pinocchio |
| #5548, aired 2008-10-22 | THE EMMY AWARDS: A former Screen Actors Guild president, he's the only actor to win both comedy & drama Emmys for playing the same character Ed Asner |
| #5547, aired 2008-10-21 | PRESIDENTIAL FIRSTS: The first president to cross the Atlantic Ocean while in office, he did so to meet with other world leaders Wilson |
| #5546, aired 2008-10-20 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: Of the non-state U.S. territories, areas & districts, the only one that is larger in area than the smallest state Puerto Rico |
| #5545, aired 2008-10-17 | ORGANIZATIONS: The co-founder of this respected organization refused to appear on the cover of Time magazine, even with his back turned Alcoholics Anonymous |
| #5544, aired 2008-10-16 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HISTORY: Due to the large numbers of men away from home, it was the first year a majority of states counted absentee votes 1864 |
| #5543, aired 2008-10-15 | MUSICALS: Profession of the title character of "Little Johnny Jones", featuring the song "The Yankee Doodle Boy" jockey |
| #5542, aired 2008-10-14 | ENGLISH LIT: The line "We had everything before us, we had nothing before us" is found in the 1st paragraph of this 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities |
| #5541, aired 2008-10-13 | HISTORICAL SHAKESPEARE: In "Henry VI, Part I" this woman is described as "a holy prophetess new risen up" Joan of Arc |
| #5540, aired 2008-10-10 | BIBLICAL AKA: This second king of Israel was "the sweet singer of Israel" King David |
| #5539, aired 2008-10-09 | 1960s HIT SONGS: The singer/songwriter of this 1960s mega-hit has revealed that it was inspired by a president's daughter "Sweet Caroline" |
| #5538, aired 2008-10-08 | EPIC MOVIES: An actress named Martha Scott played Charlton Heston's mother in both of these epics Ben-Hur & The Ten Commandments |
| #5537, aired 2008-10-07 | EUROPEAN LITERATURE: An 1870 novel by this man mentions Moby Dick as well as a sea monster called a Kraken Jules Verne |
| #5536, aired 2008-10-06 | 20th CENTURY WOMEN: The state building that houses Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection is named in her honor Rachel Carson |
| #5535, aired 2008-10-03 | AWARD NAMESAKES: His "A Little Pretty Pocket-Book" from 1744 was one of the 1st books published specifically for children John Newbery |
| #5534, aired 2008-10-02 | MODERN MONARCHIES: Of the 3 African countries ruled by monarchs, it's the farthest north Morocco |
| #5533, aired 2008-10-01 | 1960s OSCAR NOMINATIONS: One of the 2 male actors nominated in the '60s for playing more than one character in the same film (1 of) Peter Sellers or Lee Marvin |
| #5532, aired 2008-09-30 | PENINSULAR NATIONS: It's the largest country in the world without any permanent natural rivers or lakes Saudi Arabia |
| #5531, aired 2008-09-29 | 20th CENTURY AMERICA: Experts say Glenn McDuffie is the mystery man in the classic Eisenstaedt photo taken in this year 1945 |
| #5530, aired 2008-09-26 | ROYALTY: Since 1066, the only British monarch to have 3 children ascend to the British throne Henry VIII |
| #5529, aired 2008-09-25 | ISLAND CHAINS: Before an 1867 sale, this island group was known as the Catherine Archipelago the Aleutian Islands |
| #5528, aired 2008-09-24 | NOVELS: This title character of an 1851 work doesn't show up until Chapter 133 Moby-Dick |
| #5527, aired 2008-09-23 | TENNIS: This Grand Slam stadium is named for a WWI pilot who pioneered the use of machine guns on fighter planes Roland-Garros Stadium |
| #5526, aired 2008-09-22 | SYMBOLS: This symbol incorporates the semaphore signs for the letters N & D, for nuclear disarmament the peace symbol |
| #5525, aired 2008-09-19 | NBA LOGOS: The logo of this NBA team has a rowel on it the San Antonio Spurs |
| #5524, aired 2008-09-18 | PLAYS: In a 16th century work, the feud between these 2 groups is described as an "ancient grudge" the Capulets & the Montagues |
| #5523, aired 2008-09-17 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: It's 277 miles long, it's up to 18 miles wide, it's 6 million years old & at a given time temperatures within it can vary by 25 degrees the Grand Canyon |
| #5522, aired 2008-09-16 | PRESIDENTIAL LASTS: He was the most recent president who had not previously been a state governor George H.W. Bush |
| #5521, aired 2008-09-15 | SIGNS & SYMBOLS: Created in 1970 & made up of 3 arrows, the universal symbol for this was based on the Mobius strip recycling |
| #5520, aired 2008-09-12 | ROYALTY: It's the name of today's longest-ruling family in Europe, in power for most of the last 711 years Grimaldi |
| #5519, aired 2008-09-11 | LINES FROM 19th CENTURY NOVELS: "My two natures had memory in common, but all other faculties were most unequally shared between them" Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde |
| #5518, aired 2008-09-10 | BRAND NAMES: To feature its "Strong enough to stand on" product, in 1965 Shwayder Bros., Inc. changed its name to this Samsonite luggage |
| #5517, aired 2008-09-09 | POP SINGERS: Charting her 18th No. 1 single in April 2008, she now has more Billboard No. 1 pop hits than any other solo artist Mariah Carey |
| #5516, aired 2008-09-08 | THE VATICAN: A statue of this man is being erected inside the Vatican's walls near where he was locked up in 1633 Galileo |
| #5515, aired 2008-07-25 | ADJECTIVES: Meaning "painful", it literally refers to the type of pain inflicted on Jesus & on the followers of Spartacus excruciating |
| #5514, aired 2008-07-24 | FAMOUS NAMES: In 1906 he launched Conjurer's Monthly, a magazine that he pretty much wrote & edited himself Harry Houdini |
| #5513, aired 2008-07-23 | CIVIL WAR HISTORY: Though 1863's Emancipation Proclamation applied only to the Confederacy, this Union state, one of the original 13, ended slavery November 1, 1864 Maryland |
| #5512, aired 2008-07-22 | WORLD LEADERS: Born in Kiev & later a U.S. citizen, this leader became prime minister in 1969 of a country founded in the 20th century Golda Meir |
| #5511, aired 2008-07-21 | NONFICTION: In 1947 editor William Styron said this book was a long, "tedious Pacific voyage best suited" for National Geographic Kon-Tiki (by Thor Heyerdahl) |
| #5510, aired 2008-07-18 | CHARACTERS IN SHAKESPEARE: This character is described as "a howling monster", "a most scurvy monster" & "some monster of the isle" Caliban |
| #5509, aired 2008-07-17 | 1970s HITS: In 1970 2 performers reached the Top 20 with this hit whose 6-word title was inspired by Boys Town "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" |
| #5508, aired 2008-07-16 | RECENT HISTORY: In 1986 & again in 2001, people power protests in this nation pushed out male presidents & replaced them with females the Philippines |
| #5507, aired 2008-07-15 | OLYMPIC CITIES: This city's Olympics were exactly 200 years after the death of the British cabinet secretary it was named for Sydney |
| #5506, aired 2008-07-14 | MYTHS: Seen here with 2 other troubled mythic figures, he's the man on the left who can never quite reach the fruit Tantalus |
| #5505, aired 2008-07-11 | BASEBALL HISTORY: For nearly 30 years, California's Catalina Island was the spring training camp for this non-California Major League team the Chicago Cubs |
| #5504, aired 2008-07-10 | SECRETARIES OF STATE: In 1947 he said Europe's food needs require "substantial additional help" to prevent social deterioration George C. Marshall |
| #5503, aired 2008-07-09 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: Her illustrations for 1890's "A Happy Pair" included elegantly dressed rabbits Beatrix Potter |
| #5502, aired 2008-07-08 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: In 1900 the Atlantic Monthly published his story "An Odyssey of the North", his literary breakthrough Jack London |
| #5501, aired 2008-07-07 | THE QUOTE OF THE MONTH CLUB: In a poem, these 5 words precede "breeding Lilacs out of the dead land... stirring Dull roots with spring rain" April is the cruellest month |
| #5500, aired 2008-07-04 | FOREIGN COUNTRIES: Of the world's 10 largest countries in total area, the 2 whose names start & end with "A" (Algeria is number 11) Australia & Argentina |
| #5499, aired 2008-07-03 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The first man to receive a million votes for president in one election, he didn't get to enjoy the victory for long William Henry Harrison |
| #5498, aired 2008-07-02 | AFI's TOP 100 MOVIE QUOTES: This quote, No. 31 on the list, comes 2 minutes after the No. 1 quote, & is the last line of its movie After all, tomorrow is another day! |
| #5497, aired 2008-07-01 | PRESIDENTIAL RELATIVES: Before George W. Bush, he was the last president to have both his parents attend his inauguration John F. Kennedy |
| #5496, aired 2008-06-30 | PLAYWRIGHTS: On his death in 1950, he left part of his estate to promote a new phonetic alphabet George Bernard Shaw |
| #5495, aired 2008-06-27 | THE U.S. POPULATION: With about 5 people per square mile, it's the most sparsely populated of the lower 48 states Wyoming |
| #5494, aired 2008-06-26 | THE OSCARS: He holds the record for total acting, directing & writing Oscar nominations--1 acting, 6 directing, 14 writing Woody Allen |
| #5493, aired 2008-06-25 | THE HEISMAN TROPHY: One of the 2 Heisman Trophy winners who share their surnames with U.S. presidents Reggie Bush or Bo Jackson |
| #5492, aired 2008-06-24 | WORLD ORGANIZATIONS: It was founded after Portuguese students were jailed for toasting freedom during Salazar's dictatorship Amnesty International |
| #5491, aired 2008-06-23 | PRESIDENTIAL BIRTHPLACES: 4 U.S. presidents serving in 3 different centuries have been born in the same county in this state Massachusetts |
| #5490, aired 2008-06-20 | 19th CENTURY SCIENCE: In 1824 Anglican priest William Buckland wrote a pioneering paper on Megalosaurus, a creature whose name means this lizard |
| #5489, aired 2008-06-19 | BUSINESS TRADEMARKS: Registered in 1893, this product's trademark is written in the Spencerian script of bookkeeper Frank Robinson Coca-Cola |
| #5488, aired 2008-06-18 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: In 1981 he received an honorary Oscar for his body of work; a year later, he won an acting Oscar for his final film Henry Fonda |
| #5487, aired 2008-06-17 | FAMOUS NAMES: Jefferson called him "Attila of the age dethroned... shut up within the circle of a little island of the Mediterranean" Napoleon |
| #5486, aired 2008-06-16 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: In 1958 he wrote, "Brazil was beastly but Buenos Aires was the best. Not Tiffany's, but almost" Truman Capote |
| #5485, aired 2008-06-13 | HOLIDAYS: The Society for Human Resource Management says, of the 10 federal holidays, it's the least observed by the private sector Columbus Day |
| #5484, aired 2008-06-12 | FUN WITH NUMBERS: It's the only whole number that when spelled out has all its letters in reverse alphabetical order one |
| #5483, aired 2008-06-11 | MOVIE STARS: No. 18 on the AFI's list of the greatest American screen actors, he starred in just 3 films James Dean |
| #5482, aired 2008-06-10 | COLONIAL PEN NAMES: For gossip columns, he wrote under the name Busy Body; to discuss marriage, he became Anthony Afterwit Benjamin Franklin |
| #5481, aired 2008-06-09 | THE INTERNET: On March 10, 2003 this nation got control of the .af Internet domain Afghanistan |
| #5480, aired 2008-06-06 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: He's the last person to receive a state's electoral votes while not running as a Democrat or as a Republican George Wallace |
| #5479, aired 2008-06-05 | THE GREAT CHEFS OF EUROPE: Living from 1846 to 1935, this celebrated Frenchman was known as "the king of chefs and the chef of kings" Georges Auguste Escoffier |
| #5478, aired 2008-06-04 | ENTERTAINERS: In 2007 this entertainer & former sitcom star was made an honorary corporal by the U.S. Marine Corps Jim Nabors |
| #5477, aired 2008-06-03 | BUSINESS: In 1951 this company whose origins date back to 1876 became the first U.S. company to have 1 million stockholders AT&T |
| #5476, aired 2008-06-02 | THE BILLBOARD HOT 100: A song by this artist hit No. 1 in 1999, making her at age 52 the oldest female to have a Billboard No. 1 single Cher |
| #5475, aired 2008-05-30 | WWII: FDR liked to rest near water, but because of fears after Pearl Harbor, this inland place was created for him Camp David |
| #5474, aired 2008-05-29 | ANNUAL SPORTING EVENTS: With an estimated sellout crowd of 267,925 people, it claims to be the best-attended single-day sporting event in the U.S. the Indy 500 |
| #5473, aired 2008-05-28 | 20th CENTURY LEADERS: He said, "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last" Winston Churchill |
| #5472, aired 2008-05-27 | FILMS OF THE 1950s: The action in this film begins at 10:30 A.M. & plays out in almost-real time until 12:15 High Noon |
| #5471, aired 2008-05-26 | DEMOGRAPHICS: In 2005 the World Health Organization appropriately decided to stop hiring people who do this smoke |
| #5470, aired 2008-05-23 | RELIGION: A Mennonite leader who was pro-foot washing & anti-beard trimming gave his name to this group the Amish |
| #5469, aired 2008-05-22 | EARLY 20th CENTURY PLAYS: Its preface says, "The English have no respect for their language, & will not teach their children to speak it" Pygmalion |
| #5468, aired 2008-05-21 | WORLD HISTORY: One of history's largest refugee migrations, about 15 million people, took place 1947-1951 between these 2 countries Pakistan & India |
| #5467, aired 2008-05-20 | CHILDREN'S AUTHORS: In 1896 he said his mother had lost her childhood at 8; he "knew a time would come when I also must give up the games" J.M. Barrie |
| #5466, aired 2008-05-19 | THE MOVIES: A famous scene from this 1976 film was completely ad-libbed; the script simply read, "Travis looks in the mirror" Taxi Driver |
| #5465, aired 2008-05-16 | ALLIANCES: The Quadruple Alliance began in 1813 against this country; in 1818 it let this country in & became the Quintuple Alliance France |
| #5464, aired 2008-05-15 | HISTORIC JOURNALS: On January 18, 1912 he arrived at a tent near the pole & found "a record of five Norwegians having been there" Robert F. Scott |
| #5463, aired 2008-05-14 | AMERICAN HISTORY: In the last week of the John Tyler administration, this republic was offered statehood Texas |
| #5462, aired 2008-05-13 | CIVIL WAR-ERA FICTION: A Northerner whose sympathies exiled him to the Confederacy, Bermuda & Canada inspired this 1863 tale The Man Without A Country |
| #5461, aired 2008-05-12 | INVENTORS: In 1894, in his West Orange lab, Thomas Edison shot this sport, the first sporting event ever filmed boxing |
| #5460, aired 2008-05-09 | ANCIENT TIMES: Plutarch's chapter on Romulus quotes this much later man as saying, "I love treason but hate a traitor" Julius Caesar |
| #5459, aired 2008-05-08 | FAMOUS AUSTRIANS: The home on Vienna's Domgasse where he lived in the 1780s was reopened amid fanfare in January 2006 Mozart |
| #5458, aired 2008-05-07 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Only 50 years old when he left office, he was our nation's youngest ex-president Teddy Roosevelt |
| #5457, aired 2008-05-06 | THE 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD: Philo of Byzantium called it a ploughed field "above the heads of those who walk between the columns below" the Hanging Gardens of Babylon |
| #5456, aired 2008-05-05 | AMERICAN THINKERS: "I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude", he wrote in a chapter on solitude in an 1854 work Henry David Thoreau |
| #5455, aired 2008-05-02 | ANCIENT HISTORY: Circled 7 times by the Israelites in Joshua, it's said to be the world's oldest walled city Jericho |
| #5454, aired 2008-05-01 | HISTORIC NAMES: Born at Chateau Chavaniac in 1757, he was later hailed as "the hero of two worlds" the Marquis de Lafayette |
| #5453, aired 2008-04-30 | BUSINESS: In 1952 Glen Bell was selling burgers; he then added these to the drive-in menu for 19¢, & the rest is history tacos |
| #5452, aired 2008-04-29 | BASEBALL TERMS: Hall of Famer Willie Stargell called it "a butterfly with hiccups" a knuckleball |
| #5451, aired 2008-04-28 | ROYAL WIVES: Her marriage to Henry VIII lasted less than a year, but she had the last laugh, surviving him by 10 years Anne of Cleves |
| #5450, aired 2008-04-25 | PRESIDENTS: Besides James & John, more U.S. presidents have had this first name than any other William |
| #5449, aired 2008-04-24 | STATE CAPITALS: This Plains State capital of only 14,000 people is the only U.S. capital with no letters of its state in its name Pierre, South Dakota |
| #5448, aired 2008-04-23 | 21st CENTURY OSCAR WINNERS: She's the only performer to win an Oscar for playing a real-life Oscar winner Cate Blanchett |
| #5447, aired 2008-04-22 | POETS: This poet wrote, "I love thee freely, as men strive for right; I love thee purely, as they turn from praise" Elizabeth Barrett Browning |
| #5446, aired 2008-04-21 | MILITARY MEN: In a 1944 speech, he said, "Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge" George Patton |
| #5445, aired 2008-04-18 | THE OSCARS: They're the only 2 trilogies in which all 3 of the films were nominated for Best Picture Oscars The Godfather & The Lord of the Rings |
| #5444, aired 2008-04-17 | WWII: In English, it's the word that Mussolini was the first to use to describe the partnership between Berlin & Rome axis |
| #5443, aired 2008-04-16 | CONSUMER PRODUCTS: This product was reintroduced in 1906 with trimethylxanthine as the sole remaining stimulant Coca-Cola |
| #5442, aired 2008-04-15 | WORLD LEADERS: Unable to say this future leader's tribal name, a teacher gave him a new name, perhaps after a British naval hero Nelson Mandela |
| #5441, aired 2008-04-14 | SCIENCE FICTION: The idea for these TV creatures sprang from rabbits in Australia that multiplied at an incredible rate tribbles |
| #5440, aired 2008-04-11 | WORLD HISTORY: Beginning in 1932 all this country's kings have been the country's founder or his sons Saudi Arabia |
| #5439, aired 2008-04-10 | U.S. AGRICULTURE: In the 50 states, the highlighted area seen here is by far the most important for producing this coffee |
| #5438, aired 2008-04-09 | 1950s FICTION: Later translated into Russian by the author, it was dubbed both one of the best books of 1955 & one of the filthiest Lolita |
| #5437, aired 2008-04-08 | OLYMPIC CITIES: Of all the cities to host the modern Olympic Games, this one lies closest to the equator Mexico City |
| #5436, aired 2008-04-07 | ASSASSINATIONS: For a short time, Diego Rivera was a suspect in the 1940 murder of this man Leon Trotsky |
| #5435, aired 2008-04-04 | SHOW BUSINESS: The wings on this, created in 1948, represent the "muse of art"; the atom represents the "electron of science" the Emmy Award |
| #5434, aired 2008-04-03 | SPORTS FIRSTS: The first baseball World Series game played outside the U.S. was played in this city in 1992 Toronto |
| #5433, aired 2008-04-02 | EUROPEAN RIVERS: 20 miles from Frankfurt is the meeting place of these 2 rivers, whose names rhyme despite the spelling the Rhine & the Main |
| #5432, aired 2008-04-01 | VICE PRESIDENTS: He's the only sitting vice president since Martin Van Buren elected to the presidency George H.W. Bush |
| #5431, aired 2008-03-31 | BEFORE THEY WERE SENATORS: Later a U.S. senator, in 1962 he made a famous 75,000-mile trip John Glenn |
| #5430, aired 2008-03-28 | PROS & CONS IN HISTORY: The two 3-letter words applied to those for & against the 18th Amendment, & states with differing laws on the issue dry & wet |
| #5429, aired 2008-03-27 | CLASSICAL MUSICIANS: In 1793, Haydn wrote he will be "one of Europe's finest composers, & I shall be proud to be called his teacher" Ludwig van Beethoven |
| #5428, aired 2008-03-26 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: In 1954 he won a record 4 Oscars, including one for "Best Documentary Feature" for a film set in the American desert Walt Disney |
| #5427, aired 2008-03-25 | ANCIENT NAMES: Appropriately, the name of this dramatist comes from Greek words meaning "wise" & "famous" Sophocles |
| #5426, aired 2008-03-24 | THE SOCIAL SCIENCES: Coined in 1899, this word suggests that things like rivers & boundaries affect nations' foreign affairs geopolitics |
| #5425, aired 2008-03-21 | WORLD LITERATURE: "If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake" refers to a murderer in this 1866 novel Crime and Punishment |
| #5424, aired 2008-03-20 | PLAGUES & PESTILENCE: Having first escaped from a South American research lab in 1957, they became a threat to the U.S. in 1990 killer bees |
| #5423, aired 2008-03-19 | BEATLES TUNES: It's the Beatles' only U.S. No. 1 hit single whose title is the name of an actual place "Penny Lane" |
| #5422, aired 2008-03-18 | HISTORIC NAMES: James I said of this plotter, "The gentler tortures are to be first used... and so proceed by steps to the worst" Guy Fawkes |
| #5421, aired 2008-03-17 | BOOK TITLE REFERENCES: It "had been built... for pigs about to be butchered. Now it was going to serve as a home... for 100 American P.O.W.s" Slaughterhouse 5 |
| #5420, aired 2008-03-14 | FOOD & DRINK: In 2001 a 5,861-gallon version of this drink was served up at a Jimmy Buffett-owned place in Orlando a margarita |
| #5419, aired 2008-03-13 | AUTHORS: Sherwood Anderson told him, write about what "you know... that little patch... in Mississippi where you started from" William Faulkner |
| #5418, aired 2008-03-12 | THE WORLD MAP: 1 of the 2 South American countries whose mainland you'll fly over when heading due south from Miami, Fla. Ecuador or Peru |
| #5417, aired 2008-03-11 | SCIENCE FICTION: A recent re-issue of this Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel includes an introduction by Michael Crichton The Lost World |
| #5416, aired 2008-03-10 | ACTORS: He never won an Oscar, but this 1960s movie star got a patent for a low-slung bucket seat for race cars Steve McQueen |
| #5415, aired 2008-03-07 | HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS: According to its earliest ads, .56% of this product was made up of carbonates, mineral matter & uncombined alkali Ivory soap |
| #5414, aired 2008-03-06 | '60s MOVIES: The tagline to this movie with a 7-word title was "Everybody who's ever been funny is in it!" It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World |
| #5413, aired 2008-03-05 | HISTORIC NEW YORK CITY: The USA's first Labor Day parade, in 1882, went from City Hall to this square just north of 14th Street Union Square |
| #5412, aired 2008-03-04 | SPACE: 2007: A NASA Mars lander has this mythic name because it was made of parts from a scrapped 2001 mission Phoenix |
| #5411, aired 2008-03-03 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: Of the USA's 50 tallest peaks, all are in Alaska, Colorado & California except this peak Mt. Rainier (in Washington) |
| #5410, aired 2008-02-29 | NAME'S ALMOST THE SAME: This 900-mile Eastern European mountain range shares most of its name with a ship famous for its April 1912 actions the Carpathian Mountains |
| #5409, aired 2008-02-28 | THE NFL: It's the only NFL team to play its home games out-of-state in a stadium named for another team the New York Jets |
| #5408, aired 2008-02-27 | WORD ORIGINS: It's from the Latin for "hemp" because it was often made of hemp; add a letter & it means to take a survey canvas |
| #5407, aired 2008-02-26 | 1910s HISTORY: World Book said it "ranks as one of the greatest engineering achievements in the world" the Panama Canal |
| #5406, aired 2008-02-25 | BIBLICAL PLACE NAMES: In "Return of the Jedi", a planet shares its name with this home of a woman who summons a spirit for Saul Endor |
| #5405, aired 2008-02-22 | U.S. GOVERNMENT HISTORY: This man cast the first tie-breaking vote in U.S. Senate history John Adams |
| #5404, aired 2008-02-21 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In 1733 he wrote, "The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart" Benjamin Franklin |
| #5403, aired 2008-02-20 | NOTABLE NAMES: At his death in April 1955, his brain was preserved & his ashes scattered in the Delaware River Albert Einstein |
| #5402, aired 2008-02-19 | STATE CAPITALS: One of the two state capitals whose names end with the Greek word for "city" (1 of) Annapolis or Indianapolis |
| #5401, aired 2008-02-18 | SHAKESPEAREAN HEROINES: The name of this heroine known for her filial devotion is probably derived from the Latin for "heart" Cordelia |
| #5400, aired 2008-02-15 | AMERICAN POETRY: Walt Whitman called this "the beautiful uncut hair of graves" grass |
| #5399, aired 2008-02-14 | AFRICAN AMERICANS: As U.S. Solicitor General in the 1960s, he won 14 of the 19 cases he argued before the Supreme Court Thurgood Marshall |
| #5398, aired 2008-02-13 | THE ANIMAL WORLD: C. familiaris, it has one of the largest size ranges, from a 2-pound Mexican variety to 200 pounders a dog |
| #5397, aired 2008-02-12 | CHARACTERS IN BOOKS: This character says, "It's Christmas Day! I haven't missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night" Ebenezer Scrooge |
| #5396, aired 2008-02-11 | THE 50 STATES: It's the only state name that when spelled officially contains a diacritical mark Hawaii |
| #5395, aired 2008-02-08 | NORTH AMERICAN GEOGRAPHY: This 1,980-mile river that starts in Canada is the longest in the Western Hemisphere that flows to the Pacific Ocean the Yukon River |
| #5394, aired 2008-02-07 | EUROPE: Its use dates back to 1360; on January 1, 2002 Belgium dropped it but Switzerland kept it the franc |
| #5393, aired 2008-02-06 | WORLD AUTHORS: In 1898 he wrote, "As for the persons I have accused... they are... embodiments of social malfeasance" Émile Zola |
| #5392, aired 2008-02-05 | 19th CENTURY POLITICIANS: As Territories Committee chair, this Midwest senator helped draw the borders of 7 territories, including Kansas & Nebraska Stephen Douglas |
| #5391, aired 2008-02-04 | BRITISH ACTORS: The first man to win Tonys as Best Actor & Best Actor in a Musical, he won for playing a king & a professor Rex Harrison |
| #5390, aired 2008-02-01 | COMMUNICATION: A government website says it's "a complete, complex language... said to be the 4th most commonly used" in the U.S. American Sign Language |
| #5389, aired 2008-01-31 | WORLD CAPITALS: This capital city of 113,000 is the closest national capital to the Arctic Circle Reykjavík |
| #5388, aired 2008-01-30 | NOTABLE WOMEN: Denied a college education in her own country, in 1903 she became the first woman in France to earn her doctorate Marie Curie |
| #5387, aired 2008-01-29 | PUBLISHING: Founded in 1856, this company introduced a numbering system for U.S. highways in 1917 Rand McNally |
| #5386, aired 2008-01-28 | TV CELEBRITIES: Not an actor, he is the highest-paid foreign-born personality on the 2007 Forbes list of top television earners Simon Cowell |
| #5385, aired 2008-01-25 | CLASSIC TV: Among those who objected to this drama series that premiered in October 1959 were Frank Sinatra & J. Edgar Hoover The Untouchables |
| #5384, aired 2008-01-24 | RICH & FAMOUS: At $900 million, his fortune was once 2% of the GNP; by his death in 1937, he was down to about $26 million John Rockefeller |
| #5383, aired 2008-01-23 | FAMOUS ENGLISHMEN: Andrew Carnegie's future fortune & career were inspired by an 1873 visit with this inventor & engineer Henry Bessemer |
| #5382, aired 2008-01-22 | ADJECTIVES: This word meaning "gruesome" was inspired by the deaths of the leaders of a Jewish revolt in the 100s B.C. macabre |
| #5381, aired 2008-01-21 | SHAKESPEAREAN GEOGRAPHY: This land, named for an Italian, is mentioned just once in a Shakespeare play--in "The Comedy of Errors" America |
| #5380, aired 2008-01-18 | BIBLICAL NAMES: The name of this rebellious young man of the Old Testament can be translated from the Hebrew as "father of peace" Absalom |
| #5379, aired 2008-01-17 | THE SUPREME COURT: Britannica said the court's ruling in his case "seemed a mortal blow to the newly created Republican Party" Dred Scott |
| #5378, aired 2008-01-16 | FOREIGN FILMS: A series of novels includes "Iron Knight, Silver Vase", "Precious Sword, Golden Hairpin" & this one, made into a film in 2000 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon |
| #5377, aired 2008-01-15 | BABY NAMES: Once among the top 100 girls' names, in 2006 it made a sudden drop to 382, many hesitant to use it Katrina |
| #5376, aired 2008-01-14 | CLASSIC MOVIE DUOS: Around the world they're known variously as "Flip i Flap", "Dick und Doof" & "El Gordo y el Flaco" Laurel & Hardy |
| #5375, aired 2008-01-11 | OPERA INSPIRATIONS: Scholars think that a panpipe found by Captain Cook in what is now Vanuatu inspired this 18th century opera The Magic Flute |
| #5374, aired 2008-01-10 | "C"INEMA: 2 movies whose 1-word titles are cities; they won the Oscar for Best Picture, 59 years apart Casablanca & Chicago |
| #5373, aired 2008-01-09 | THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: First mentioned in a letter by Clement IV in 1265, this item worn by the Pope features an image of St. Peter in a boat a ring |
| #5372, aired 2008-01-08 | WORLD HISTORY: This world-changing event was first announced in a Barcelona banquet hall in April 1493 discovery of the New World |
| #5371, aired 2008-01-07 | MIDWEST TOPOGRAPHY: This state has the largest sand dunes complex in the U.S., just north of a river named for its flatness Nebraska |
| #5370, aired 2008-01-04 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: When this president & his wife didn't want to be understood by others, they spoke to each other in Chinese Herbert Hoover |
| #5369, aired 2008-01-03 | AVIATION HISTORY: He was the 118th man to fly across the Atlantic Ocean Charles Lindbergh |
| #5368, aired 2008-01-02 | THE BOX OFFICE: Rated "R" for violence, this 2004 film set in ancient times is the highest-grossing "R" movie ever in the U.S. The Passion of the Christ |
| #5367, aired 2008-01-01 | U.S. TRADE: It's the country from which the U.S. imports the most oil Canada |
| #5366, aired 2007-12-31 | POETRY: In a poem about this battle, Robert Browning wrote, "To Akropolis! Run, Pheidippides, one race more" the Battle of Marathon |
| #5365, aired 2007-12-28 | U.S. STATES: 2 of the 4 states whose names were those of independent republics before they entered the Union (2 of) Hawaii, Texas, California, & Vermont |
| #5364, aired 2007-12-27 | AUTHORS' OBITUARIES: In 1991 the N.Y. Times said English was "too skimpy for so rich an imagination"; his language & meter were irresistible Dr. Seuss |
| #5363, aired 2007-12-26 | STRUCTURES: When completed, it stretched for 73 1/2 miles from Bowness to Wallsend Hadrian's Wall |
| #5362, aired 2007-12-25 | FRENCHMEN IN HISTORY: He was nicknamed "The Robespierre of the Brush", but unlike his friend Robespierre, he was jailed but not guillotined Jacques-Louis David |
| #5361, aired 2007-12-24 | SPACE MEN: He was the oldest man to walk on the Moon, & the only World War II veteran Alan Shepard |
| #5360, aired 2007-12-21 | POETS: Fired from a job for laziness, he wrote, "I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass" Walt Whitman |
| #5359, aired 2007-12-20 | SNACK BRANDS: Each unit in this brand, introduced in 1968, is a hyperbolic paraboloid, & they fit together for perfect storage Pringles potato chips |
| #5358, aired 2007-12-19 | CLASSIC ROCK: As there was another album by that title, this classic from 1973 was at one point going to be called "Eclipse" The Dark Side of the Moon (by Pink Floyd) |
| #5357, aired 2007-12-18 | THE 1970s: For an historic February 1972 trip, Richard Nixon & Henry Kissinger each learned to use these; Nixon was better at it chopsticks |
| #5356, aired 2007-12-17 | 19th CENTURY NAMES: He got his name because Mexican victims of his attacks would cry out in terror to St. Jerome Geronimo |
| #5355, aired 2007-12-14 | ACADEMY AWARD FIRSTS: On March 5, 1936 screenwriter Dudley Nichols did this; it didn't happen again until an actor did it April 15, 1971 refused his Oscar |
| #5354, aired 2007-12-13 | AFRICAN RIVERS: The course of this river that's almost 3,000 miles long is an immense counter-clockwise semi-circle the Congo |
| #5353, aired 2007-12-12 | 20th CENTURY PERSONALITIES: In 1921 he got a patent for a diving suit that allowed one to quickly discard the suit & escape to the surface Harry Houdini |
| #5352, aired 2007-12-11 | SHAKESPEAREAN TRAGEDY CHARACTERS: To the consternation of the title character, we learn that this character was born by C-section Macduff |
| #5351, aired 2007-12-10 | LANDMARKS: The landmark site known to the Lakota as "6 Grandfathers" was renamed this after a prominent lawyer Mt. Rushmore |
| #5350, aired 2007-12-07 | MOTOWN SINGERS: He added an "E" to his last name to avoid being teased Marvin Gaye |
| #5349, aired 2007-12-06 | NOTABLE WOMEN: In 1963 she said, "I feel as though I'm suddenly on stage for a part I never rehearsed" Lady Bird Johnson |
| #5348, aired 2007-12-05 | BRITISH ENTREPRENEURS: In 1839 Queen Victoria awarded him the first ever license to deliver mail across the Atlantic (Samuel) Cunard |
| #5347, aired 2007-12-04 | U.S. POLITICS: Since 1960, only Massachusetts & this state have produced more than one of the 10 Democratic presidential nominees Minnesota (Hubert Humphrey & Walter Mondale) |
| #5346, aired 2007-12-03 | AUTHORS: Her first published writings appeared in the Shanghai Mercury when she was 7 Pearl Buck |
| #5345, aired 2007-11-30 | WORD HISTORY: This term for a deadly substance may derive from the name of a love goddess venom |
| #5344, aired 2007-11-29 | 19th CENTURY BOOKS: "Political power... is merely the organized power of one class for oppressing another" is from this work The Communist Manifesto |
| #5343, aired 2007-11-28 | THE SEA: National seas include the Irish, the Philippine & this one bordered to its west by Iceland the Norwegian Sea |
| #5342, aired 2007-11-27 | CURRENT AMERICAN BUSINESS: This co.'s name is a variation on a word coined by Milton Sirotta & used in the book "Mathematics and the Imagination" Google, Inc. |
| #5341, aired 2007-11-26 | WOMEN IN HISTORY: Born an infanta in 1485, she died at Kimbolton Castle in England in 1536 with the official title Princess Dowager of Wales Catherine of Aragon |
| #5340, aired 2007-11-23 | PRO SPORTS TEAM NAMES: It's the only NBA team name that uses a state nickname in place of a city or state the Golden State Warriors |
| #5339, aired 2007-11-22 | FAMOUS NAMES: In the 19th century he created a new type of reference work, a dictionary named from the Greek for "treasury" Roget |
| #5338, aired 2007-11-21 | 19th CENTURY AUTHORS: In 1833 a French historian said that this author had built "a cathedral as solid as the foundations of the other (one)" Victor Hugo |
| #5337, aired 2007-11-20 | AMERICAN ANCESTRY: According to the Census Bureau, at 15.2% & 10.8%, they are the 2 leading national ancestries of Americans German & Irish |
| #5336, aired 2007-11-19 | PHRASE ORIGINS: This 2-word phrase may be traced to a line in a Sherlock Holmes story, "The chaplain stood with a... pistol in his hand" smoking gun |
| #5335, aired 2007-11-16 | COLONIAL AMERICAN GOVERNMENT: From the Latin for "fortified town", this term later referred to a person--the representative of a town or borough burgess |
| #5334, aired 2007-11-15 | SCIENTISTS: In 2007 this 1962 American Nobel laureate became the first person to receive his own personal genome map James Watson |
| #5333, aired 2007-11-14 | NEWSPAPER PEOPLE: In 1887 her assignment for the New York World was an expose of the insane asylum on Blackwell's Island Nellie Bly |
| #5332, aired 2007-11-13 | THE MOVIES: The title of this award-winning 1963 film refers to the number of films its director felt he had made to that point 8½ |
| #5331, aired 2007-11-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE WRITERS: In his journal of 1710 to 1713, he referred to himself as "Presto" Jonathan Swift |
| #5330, aired 2007-11-09 | HISTORIC ARCHITECTS: He designed S.C.'s State Capitol, burned during the Civil War; his most famous building had burned during the War of 1812 James Hoban |
| #5329, aired 2007-11-08 | THE PERSIAN GULF: Its national anthem begins, "O Lord, protect for us Our Majesty the Sultan" Oman |
| #5328, aired 2007-11-07 | EARLY AMERICAN SHORT STORIES: This short story, written around 1820, contains the line "If I can but reach that bridge... I am safe" "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" |
| #5327, aired 2007-11-06 | HISTORIC NAMES: He is quoted as saying, "Another such victory over the Romans, and we are undone" Pyrrhus |
| #5326, aired 2007-11-05 | THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE: Referring to the Great Bear constellation, this area's name is from the Greek meaning "opposite the bear" Antarctica |
| #5325, aired 2007-11-02 | POETS: One of her poems says, "I was ten when they buried you. At twenty I tried to die and get back, back, back to you" Sylvia Plath |
| #5324, aired 2007-11-01 | MUSICAL THEATER: He's the only songwriter to have Broadway premieres in every decade from the '50s to the present; his first was in 1957 Stephen Sondheim |
| #5323, aired 2007-10-31 | ANIMALS: For 2006, between Oct. 25 & Nov. 1, the Los Angeles SPCA, like many other shelters, banned adoption of these black cats |
| #5322, aired 2007-10-30 | LICENSE PLATES OF THE FAMOUS: In 2006 his car was auctioned for charity, along with its personalized Nebraska plate reading "thrifty" Warren Buffett |
| #5321, aired 2007-10-29 | AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY: From 1889 until 1961, this mountain's highest point was known as Kaiser-Wilhelm-Spitze Mount Kilimanjaro |
| #5320, aired 2007-10-26 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: This hero is the son of Ecgtheow & the grandson of Hrethel Beowulf |
| #5319, aired 2007-10-25 | 16th CENTURY NAMES: Paul III roared at him, "I have waited 30 years for your services. Now I'm pope, can't I satisfy my desire?" Michelangelo |
| #5318, aired 2007-10-24 | DOCUMENTARY SUBJECTS: A documentary from ESPN is based on the premise that this Louisville-born man "invented" rap in the 1960s Muhammad Ali (or Cassius Clay) |
| #5317, aired 2007-10-23 | GEOMETRY: It's an ellipse with an eccentricity of zero a circle |
| #5316, aired 2007-10-22 | QUOTATIONS FROM B.C.: This work says, "Victorious warriors win first & then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first & then seek to win" The Art of War (by Sun Tzu) |
| #5315, aired 2007-10-19 | AMERICAN HISTORY: It was the main cause of the 1803 jump in the national debt to $86.4 million the Louisiana Purchase |
| #5314, aired 2007-10-18 | BROADWAY: The original 1994 Broadway cast of this musical based on a film featured Alan Oppenheimer as Cecil B. DeMille Sunset Boulevard |
| #5313, aired 2007-10-17 | THE EARTH: As Earth wobbles slowly on its axis, this moves in a "Chandler Circle" with a diameter of about 1 to 70 feet the North Pole |
| #5312, aired 2007-10-16 | ECONOMICS: In 2007 this 18th century professor & writer became the first Scotsman to appear on an English banknote Adam Smith |
| #5311, aired 2007-10-15 | ARTISTS: In 1881 he wrote to Emile Zola, "I must soon leave Vetheuil, and I am looking for a pretty place by the Seine" Claude Monet |
| #5310, aired 2007-10-12 | THE MOVIES: This 2003 film spawned a craze for clown fish in home aquariums Finding Nemo |
| #5309, aired 2007-10-11 | TRAVELING THE GLOBE: Flying due west from Los Angeles, it's the first foreign country you would reach Japan |
| #5308, aired 2007-10-10 | SCIENTIFIC NAMES: It was first given a scientific name meaning "flat-footed duck"; it was later given one meaning "birdlike snout" a platypus |
| #5307, aired 2007-10-09 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He's the only U.S. president who never lived in the District of Columbia George Washington |
| #5306, aired 2007-10-08 | LITERARY TITLE ADJECTIVES: The 2 adjectives that describe Miss Wheaton in the title of an award-winning book & TV movie set in the Midwest plain & tall |
| #5305, aired 2007-10-05 | SPORTS BUSINESS: In 1993 this man said, "What Phil & Nike have done is turn me into a dream" Michael Jordan |
| #5304, aired 2007-10-04 | MEET THE PRESS: With 63 appearances, this ex-senator & pres. nominee has been on "Meet the Press" more than any other guest Bob Dole |
| #5303, aired 2007-10-03 | ISLANDS: In 2003 Emily Rose Christian became the first baby born on this island in 17 years, bringing the population to nearly 50 Pitcairn Island |
| #5302, aired 2007-10-02 | TRAINS: As of 2006, you can take a 48-hr. ride between these 2 cities, with a stretch on the world's highest railroad Beijing & Lhasa |
| #5301, aired 2007-10-01 | CHARLES DICKENS: The title setting of this novel includes figures in china, iron & ivory; suits of armor; old carvings & furniture The Old Curiosity Shop |
| #5300, aired 2007-09-28 | NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: June 23, National Day in this country, began as a celebration of the birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte Luxembourg |
| #5299, aired 2007-09-27 | MEN OF MEDICINE: After giving birth in Paris, American Marjorie Karmel wrote "Thank You" him & co-founded an organization now named for him Dr. Fernand Lamaze |
| #5298, aired 2007-09-26 | THE 5 W's: The names of the president & premier of the world's most populous nation are homophones of these 2 words who & when |
| #5297, aired 2007-09-25 | 20th CENTURY FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: In 1997 the Alabama Bar Association erected a monument to this lawyer at the Old Courthouse in Monroeville Atticus Finch |
| #5296, aired 2007-09-24 | AUTHORS: Chapters in a 1914 novel by this author include "Jungle Battles", "His Own Kind" & "The Call of the Primitive" Edgar Rice Burroughs |
| #5295, aired 2007-09-21 | HISTORIC PURCHASES: The English received this teenager from the Burgundians in 1431 for the sum of 10,000 francs Joan of Arc |
| #5294, aired 2007-09-20 | CHAMPIONSHIP SPORTS: In 2007 this university became the 1st to hold national titles in both football & basketball in the same year the University of Florida |
| #5293, aired 2007-09-19 | 19th CENTURY INVENTIONS: One description of it said its "spokes look like cobwebs; they are after the fashion of those on the newest... bicycles" the Ferris Wheel |
| #5292, aired 2007-09-18 | MUSICAL HISTORY: It's the nursery rhyme that inspired the title of a famous musical based on a 1913 G.B. Shaw work London Bridge |
| #5291, aired 2007-09-17 | AMERICAN PUBLISHING: The 1860 frontier novel "Malaeska", the first of its kind, sold 300,000 copies for total sales revenue of this $30,000 |
| #5290, aired 2007-09-14 | BREAD: Larousse spread the tale that after a 17th Century triumph, the victors ate this as a symbol of the beaten Muslims croissants (crescent rolls) |
| #5289, aired 2007-09-13 | GREAT MOMENTS IN THE 20th CENTURY: On 9/20/1904, about 9 months after making a great advance, these 2 made another advance by going in a circle Orville and Wilbur Wright |
| #5288, aired 2007-09-12 | MILITARY MEN: Books about this American are subtitled "Warrior as Wordsmith" & "The Far Eastern General" Douglas MacArthur |
| #5287, aired 2007-09-11 | AFRICAN CITIES: Africa's most populous city not on a navigable body of water; its settlers didn't need water when they had gold Johannesburg |
| #5286, aired 2007-09-10 | AUTHORS: In 1949 he wrote, "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--forever" (George) Orwell |
| #5285, aired 2007-07-27 | LANDMARKS: Some of its pieces, which weighed up to 50 tons, were quarried at Marlborough Downs, about 20 miles away Stonehenge |
| #5284, aired 2007-07-26 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: Injured on the Austro-Italian front of July 8, 1918, he also crossed the English Channel with U.S. forces on D-Day Ernest Hemingway |
| #5283, aired 2007-07-25 | THEATRE AROUND THE WORLD: This Swahili phrase has been said or sung more than 450,000 times in theatres all over the world hakuna matata |
| #5282, aired 2007-07-24 | ANIMALS: The genus of this Asian animal is Ailuropoda, & its species name, appropriately, is melanoleuca the giant panda |
| #5281, aired 2007-07-23 | ITALIAN INVENTORS: In 1910 his new invention helped Scotland Yard catch a murderer escaping to North America across the Atlantic Marconi |
| #5280, aired 2007-07-20 | 17th CENTURY PEOPLE: Rev. John Robinson, Minister to these people, wrote them a letter saying how upset he was not to be going with them the Pilgrims |
| #5279, aired 2007-07-19 | THE 50 STATES: It was the only state physically & politically formed directly because of the Civil War West Virginia |
| #5278, aired 2007-07-18 | ORGANIZATIONS: In 2003 Allied Command Europe & Allied Command Atlantic, parts of this organization, merged NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) |
| #5277, aired 2007-07-17 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: It was written for American schoolkids to recite on the dedication day of the Chicago World's Fair the Pledge of Allegiance |
| #5276, aired 2007-07-16 | THE WORLD OF CINEMA: In 2006 "The Nativity Story" became the first film to have its world premiere in this country, in Paul VI Hall Vatican City |
| #5275, aired 2007-07-13 | SPORTS: Among its 13 founding members in 1950 were Louise Suggs, Patty Berg & Babe Zaharias the LPGA (Ladies' Professional Golf Association) |
| #5274, aired 2007-07-12 | NOVELISTS: His later works include 1949's "The God-Seeker", about a missionary in his own native Minnesota Sinclair Lewis |
| #5273, aired 2007-07-11 | COMMUNICATIONS PIONEERS: He painted the White House portrait of President Monroe before much wider fame as an inventor in the 1840s Samuel Morse |
| #5272, aired 2007-07-10 | MYTHICAL HEROES: In a play by Euripides, he goes mad & thinks he's tearing down the walls of Mycenae but destroys his own house Hercules |
| #5271, aired 2007-07-09 | U.S. HISTORY: A 1924 law gave citizenship to all these members of what were called "domestic dependent nations" Native Americans |
| #5270, aired 2007-07-06 | THE BALKANS: On June 3, 2006 this nation of 600,000 proclaimed its independence, making it the world's newest country Montenegro |
| #5269, aired 2007-07-05 | MEDICAL HISTORY: A patient who told this Frankfurt doctor "I have lost myself" was the basis for a paper he gave in 1906 Alois Alzheimer |
| #5268, aired 2007-07-04 | WORD ORIGINS: From the Old French for a soldier sent ahead to clear the way, today it refers to the first settlers of a region pioneers |
| #5267, aired 2007-07-03 | SCULPTORS: Charles Niehaus sculpted McKinley for Canton, Ohio; Farragut for Muskegon, Mich.; & a record 8 men in this collection Statuary Hall |
| #5266, aired 2007-07-02 | AFI's TOP MOVIE QUOTES: Prizefighter Roger Donoghue was Marlon Brando's trainer for "On the Waterfront" & inspired this line on the AFI list "I coulda been a contender" |
| #5265, aired 2007-06-29 | THE CARIBBEAN: Columbus sighted this volcanic island in 1493 & gave it a name meaning "saw-toothed mountain" Montserrat |
| #5264, aired 2007-06-28 | PRESIDENTIAL BOOKS: His writings include "The Naval War of 1812" & as co-writer, "The Deer Family" Theodore Roosevelt |
| #5263, aired 2007-06-27 | LITERATURE: Maris, Lycon, Laogonus, Erymas, Sarpedon, Erylaus & Patroclus die in Book 16 of this work the Iliad |
| #5262, aired 2007-06-26 | FILMS OF THE '60s: Parts of this 1961 rock & roll movie were filmed on location in Oahu & Kauai Blue Hawaii |
| #5261, aired 2007-06-25 | RELIGION IN AMERICA: This Protestant movement got its name from an early 20th century text that listed 5 basic elements Fundamentalism |
| #5260, aired 2007-06-22 | FOOD & DRINK HISTORY: The world's first pure food & beverage law, one pertaining to beer, was proclaimed by the Duke of this region in 1516 Bavaria |
| #5259, aired 2007-06-21 | STATE POPULATIONS: Between July 2005 & July 2006, this state gained nearly 580,000 people, more than any other state Texas |
| #5258, aired 2007-06-20 | LITERATURE: In 1852 his story "The Dandy Frightening the Squatter" appeared in The Carpet-Bag, a humorous paper Mark Twain |
| #5257, aired 2007-06-19 | HISTORIC NAMES: This man's return to the U.S. in 1824, 47 years after his first trip here, added splendor to James Monroe's presidential term Marquis de Lafayette |
| #5256, aired 2007-06-18 | 19th CENTURY ROYALTY: "Imperial Adventurer", "The Last Emperor" & "The Cactus Throne" are books about this man who died at 34 Emperor Maximilian |
| #5255, aired 2007-06-15 | AMERICANA: The original one of these on Mass.'s Little Brewster Island was built in 1716; automation didn't come until 1998 a lighthouse |
| #5254, aired 2007-06-14 | FICTION: This 1953 novel contains the famous recipe 3 measures of Gordon's, 1 of vodka; shake it until it's ice-cold Casino Royale |
| #5253, aired 2007-06-13 | AFRICA: The names of these 2 nations, both bordering Tanzania, end with the same 4 letters in the same order Uganda & Rwanda |
| #5252, aired 2007-06-12 | COLORS: Political battleground states are usually called this secondary color purple |
| #5251, aired 2007-06-11 | ENTERTAINERS OF THE '60s: He won 3 straight Emmys for dramatic acting & a record 6 straight Grammys for comedy albums Bill Cosby |
| #5250, aired 2007-06-08 | HISTORIC NAMESAKES: Born in Predappio, Italy in 1883, he was named for a famous politician born in Oaxaca, Mexico in 1806 Benito Mussolini |
| #5249, aired 2007-06-07 | ARTISTS: One of his last letters said, "I am risking my life for (my work) and my reason has half-foundered owing to it..." Vincent van Gogh |
| #5248, aired 2007-06-06 | BODIES OF WATER: This sea hundreds of miles east of Florida has no land boundaries the Sargasso Sea |
| #5247, aired 2007-06-05 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Subtitles of books in this 19th century series include "A Tale", "The Inland Sea" & "The First War-Path" Leatherstocking Tales |
| #5246, aired 2007-06-04 | OSCAR-WINNING ACTRESSES: 2 of the 5 women to win both Best Actress & Best Supporting Actress Oscars (2 of) Meryl Streep, Ingrid Bergman, Helen Hayes, Jessica Lange, & Maggie Smith |
| #5245, aired 2007-06-01 | 17th CENTURY PERSONALITIES: Despite being the personal physician of 2 British kings, he was derogatorily known as "The Circulator" (William) Harvey |
| #5244, aired 2007-05-31 | ACTRESSES: This actress, who won a 1976 Oscar, later earned acclaim for playing an actress who won a 1945 Oscar Faye Dunaway |
| #5243, aired 2007-05-30 | THE BRITISH THEATRE: Richard Attenborough, who was in the original 1952 cast of this play, helped celebrate its performance No. 20,000 in 2000 The Mousetrap |
| #5242, aired 2007-05-29 | NOTABLE WOMEN: On Jan. 4, 2007, she said, "For our daughters & our granddaughters, today we have broken the marble ceiling" Nancy Pelosi |
| #5241, aired 2007-05-28 | FAMOUS NAMES: One of his early engineering projects was an iron bridge over the Garonne River at Bordeaux in 1858 Gustave Eiffel |
| #5240, aired 2007-05-25 | INAUGURAL ADDRESSES: This president said, "We remain accountable... for the reconstruction of Cuba as a free commonwealth" William McKinley |
| #5239, aired 2007-05-24 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: These 2 current South American countries gained their independence in the 20th century, one in the '60s and one in the '70s Suriname and Guyana |
| #5238, aired 2007-05-23 | MNEMONIC DEVICES: A traditional mnemonic device for remembering these begins, "Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee, Harry, Dick, John, Harry Three" English monarchs |
| #5237, aired 2007-05-22 | SPORTS LEGENDS: Between 1977 & 1980, he won a state high school championship, an NCAA championship, & an NBA championship Magic Johnson |
| #5236, aired 2007-05-21 | 19th CENTURY INVENTORS: He wrote, "Isn't it the irony of fate that I have been prescribed nitroglycerin to be taken internally" Alfred Nobel |
| #5235, aired 2007-05-18 | HISTORICAL MOVIES: One of the 2 actresses nominated for Oscars for playing the same person in a 1997 blockbuster (1 of) Kate Winslet & Gloria Stuart |
| #5234, aired 2007-05-17 | CRIME TIME: The largest art theft in U.S. history was at 1:24 a.m. on this date in 1990, while Boston slumbered after partying March 18 |
| #5233, aired 2007-05-16 | 19th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: There were 5 living former presidents when this president was sworn in, none of whom was of his party Abraham Lincoln |
| #5232, aired 2007-05-15 | TRAVEL EUROPE: (Sarah of the Clue Crew gives the clue while aboard the Orient Express.) Today, the Orient Express' Paris-Istanbul run crosses 5 countries between France & Turkey; these are 3 of them (3 of) Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Romania & Bulgaria |
| #5231, aired 2007-05-14 | 1920s LITERATURE: This character "believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us" Jay Gatsby |
| #5230, aired 2007-05-11 | AMERICA: It says, "Prudence... will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes" the Declaration of Independence |
| #5229, aired 2007-05-10 | THE COMPUTER AGE: This term still had "work" on the end when Vinton Cerf & Robert Kahn, 2 of its creators, used it in a key 1974 paper the Internet |
| #5228, aired 2007-05-09 | LINES FROM PLAYS: In an Ibsen play, Nora tells her husband that she's been like one of these to him, just as she was to her father a doll |
| #5227, aired 2007-05-08 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: In his first term, this president held the first press conference that would be shown on TV--later that day Dwight Eisenhower |
| #5226, aired 2007-05-07 | U.S. STATES: Of all the U.S. states named after European monarchs, it's the one that reaches the farthest west Louisiana |
| #5225, aired 2007-05-04 | FRENCH ARTISTS: In 1887 this artist tried living in Panama & worked on the canal before the U.S. got involved Paul Gauguin |
| #5224, aired 2007-05-03 | PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION: It's the name of the person next in the line of presidential succession after Robert Byrd Condoleezza Rice |
| #5223, aired 2007-05-02 | WORD ORIGINS: This word for an action that could cause you to fail a class comes from the Latin for "kidnap" plagiarism |
| #5222, aired 2007-05-01 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: He's the character mentioned in the first line of "Atlas Shrugged" John Galt |
| #5221, aired 2007-04-30 | STATES OF MEXICO: It's Mexico's northernmost state, but part of its name means "low" Baja California |
| #5220, aired 2007-04-27 | U.S. TRANSPORTATION: Writing in the 1820s, Lafayette's secretary called it a "great channel of communication, executed in eight years" the Erie Canal |
| #5219, aired 2007-04-26 | THE OSCARS: The 2 men who directed Marlon Brando's Oscar-winning performances Elia Kazan & Francis Ford Coppola |
| #5218, aired 2007-04-25 | INTERNATIONAL AUTHORS: Starting in 1948 at Cornell, he lectured on books written in his native language, like "Dead Souls" & "Anna Karenina" Vladimir Nabokov |
| #5217, aired 2007-04-24 | 19th CENTURY AMERICAN AUTHORS: He wrote, "I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and spartan-like..." Thoreau |
| #5216, aired 2007-04-23 | EUROPEAN HISTORY: So Prussia could dominate Germany, Bismarck excluded this country that lost the 1866 Battle of Koniggratz Austria |
| #5215, aired 2007-04-20 | O CANADA: The unusual flag of this Canadian province is seen here Prince Edward Island |
| #5214, aired 2007-04-19 | PRESIDENTIAL VETOES: Of the 21 regular vetoes by this 19th century president, 15 were overridden, the highest reversal total for any president Andrew Johnson |
| #5213, aired 2007-04-18 | A REAL RENAISSANCE MAN: The sudden 1559 death of France's King Henry II in a joust caused some to believe in this man's writings Nostradamus |
| #5212, aired 2007-04-17 | LITERARY QUOTES: In an 1859 novel, Charles Dickens called this object "the sharp female newly-born" the guillotine |
| #5211, aired 2007-04-16 | BEST PICTURE OSCAR WINNERS: Following "Gone with the Wind", it would be another 12 years before a color film won again: this foreign-set musical An American in Paris |
| #5210, aired 2007-04-13 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: Decreed by Congress in 1989, National Tap Dance Day falls on the May 25th birthday of this man born in 1878 Bill Robinson |
| #5209, aired 2007-04-12 | GOVERNORS: Of the 17 state governors who became president, the most from any state, 4, were from this one New York |
| #5208, aired 2007-04-11 | THE GREEK ALPHABET: Of the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet, it's the only one that ends in an English letter that none of the others does Rho |
| #5207, aired 2007-04-10 | NOTABLE NAMES: The fervent patriotism of this man who died in 1919 earned him the nickname "The Star-Spangled Scotchman" Andrew Carnegie |
| #5206, aired 2007-04-09 | BEST PICTURE OSCAR WINNERS: It's the last Best Picture winner with a real person's name in the title (a person who lived 400 years ago) Shakespeare in Love |
| #5205, aired 2007-04-06 | 20th CENTURY BUSINESSMEN: He published "Hunting, Fishing, and Camping" in 1942 & "My Story: The Autobiography of a Down-East Merchant" in 1960 L.L. Bean |
| #5204, aired 2007-04-05 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: It was the last presidential election year when there was no sitting president or VP on the national ballot 1952 |
| #5203, aired 2007-04-04 | HOLLYWOOD SCANDALS: Some claim the 1932 "suicide" of this star's husband Paul Bern was murder; she died 5 years later, at age 26 Jean Harlow |
| #5202, aired 2007-04-03 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: In 1839 Thomas Buchanan, cousin of a U.S. president, became the first governor of this future country Liberia |
| #5201, aired 2007-04-02 | HISTORIC LOCATIONS: It's where British Admiral Fraser, Canadian Army Col. Cosgrave & Japanese Gen. Umezu all stood on Sept. 2, 1945 the USS battleship Missouri |
| #5200, aired 2007-03-30 | '60s OSCAR-WINNING FILMS: Although 216 minutes long, this 1962 film had no women in credited speaking roles Lawrence of Arabia |
| #5199, aired 2007-03-29 | BIBLICAL TIMES: Vipers & Whited Sepulchers were Jesus' terms for this group, whose name comes from a word for "separatist" Pharisees |
| #5198, aired 2007-03-28 | LITERARY FIGURES: Bono, Jim Sheridan & Liam Neeson were featured in a 2004 documentary honoring the 150th anniversary of the birth of this man Oscar Wilde |
| #5197, aired 2007-03-27 | ART HISTORY: Carel Fabritius, whose self-portrait is seen here, is considered this man's greatest pupil Rembrandt |
| #5196, aired 2007-03-26 | U.S. CONGRESS: This state has the largest congressional district in area Alaska |
| #5195, aired 2007-03-23 | BESTSELLING AUTHORS: He had the year's bestselling novel a record 7 years in a row with 7 different titles, ending in 2000 John Grisham |
| #5194, aired 2007-03-22 | U.S. BODIES OF WATER: These 2 Great Lakes each border 4 U.S. states Lake Michigan & Lake Erie |
| #5193, aired 2007-03-21 | MUSIC HISTORY: In this building Ella Fitzgerald & Sarah Vaughan both won amateur talent contests, one in 1934 & the other in 1942 the Apollo Theater |
| #5192, aired 2007-03-20 | OLYMPIC HISTORY: This event was inspired by a legend mentioned in Plutarch's "On the Glory of Athens" the marathon |
| #5191, aired 2007-03-19 | HISTORIC QUOTES: On May 5, 1961 he famously exclaimed, "What a beautiful view!" Alan Shepard |
| #5190, aired 2007-03-16 | WOMEN OF THE 1930s: 1 of the men who shot her realized when he saw her body that she'd often waited on him at a cafe in Dallas Bonnie Parker |
| #5189, aired 2007-03-15 | NOVEL TITLES: "In the souls of the people" these "are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage" The Grapes of Wrath |
| #5188, aired 2007-03-14 | PRESIDENTIAL FAMILIES: The last 2 U.S. presidents to have only one child; both served in the 20th century Clinton & Truman |
| #5187, aired 2007-03-13 | HEALTH & MEDICINE: According to the Mayo Clinic, allergies to these are the USA's most common cause of life-threatening allergic reactions peanuts |
| #5186, aired 2007-03-12 | WORD ORIGINS: Named for a Mediterranean country, this style of typography is based on a Renaissance script italics |
| #5185, aired 2007-03-09 | WORLD WAR II: Rhyming names of the 2 places where FDR & Winston Churchill met up in February 1945 Malta & Yalta |
| #5184, aired 2007-03-08 | GOING TO THE DOGS: Their name comes from their being bred to crouch in front of prey that the hunter then captured with a net setters |
| #5183, aired 2007-03-07 | BRITISH NOVELISTS: In 1946 he wrote, "Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful & murder respectable" George Orwell |
| #5182, aired 2007-03-06 | ISLANDS: Part of the 4th-most populous country, it's the world's most populous single island with about 120 million people Java |
| #5181, aired 2007-03-05 | STATE CAPITALS: Located in the Central Time Zone, it's the largest city by population to have no MLB, NFL, NBA or NHL team Austin, Texas |
| #5180, aired 2007-03-02 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: Elected president twice, he beat his 2 opponents by a combined Electoral College tally of 1,014-62 Ronald Reagan |
| #5179, aired 2007-03-01 | WORLD LEADERS: In 1946 she said, "We only want that which is given naturally to all peoples... to be masters of our own fate" Golda Meir |
| #5178, aired 2007-02-28 | PLAY & FILM TITLES: Erasmus called an English friend of his "omnium horarum homo", which became this title of a play & film A Man for All Seasons |
| #5177, aired 2007-02-27 | PHRASE ORIGINS: Meaning "not working properly", it may date back to a character in the comic strip "The Katzenjammer Kids" on the fritz |
| #5176, aired 2007-02-26 | AMERICANA: In a February 22, 1936 reenactment, retired star pitcher Walter Johnson threw this across the Rappahannock a silver dollar |
| #5175, aired 2007-02-23 | LITERATURE: This 1877 novel was written "to induce kindness, sympathy and an understanding treatment of horses" Black Beauty |
| #5174, aired 2007-02-22 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: As of 2006, 1 of only 3 women to be nominated for best director, for 1976, 1993 & 2003 (1 of) Lina Wertmüller, Jane Campion & Sofia Coppola |
| #5173, aired 2007-02-21 | EXPLORERS: In 1616, after Hudson died, this man became the 1st European to reach Ellesmere Island; an island & bay are named for him (William) Baffin |
| #5172, aired 2007-02-20 | FILMS OF THE 1950s: In 2006 Albert II of Monaco attended the Newport Jazz Festival's 50th anniv. celebration of this film that's set during the festival High Society |
| #5171, aired 2007-02-19 | ORGANIZATIONS: The C.A.P., or Common Agricultural Policy, accounts for almost half the budget of this 25-nation organization the European Union |
| #5170, aired 2007-02-16 | GREEK MYTHOLOGY: Fittingly, the name of this Titan may be derived from a word meaning "to bear" or "to support" Atlas |
| #5169, aired 2007-02-15 | 19th CENTURY MEN: In 1813 Louisiana Governor William Claiborne put a $500 bounty on him; he responded by offering one for the gov.'s head Jean Lafitte |
| #5168, aired 2007-02-14 | ORGANIZATIONS: The emblem seen here is now used in countries where this organization's original emblem was controversial the (International) Red Cross |
| #5167, aired 2007-02-13 | 20th CENTURY AUTHORS: This author was born in 1926, the daughter of Amasa, an Alabama lawyer, & Frances, whose maiden name was Finch Harper Lee |
| #5166, aired 2007-02-12 | STATE NAMES: The name of this state is derived from an Indian word meaning "great lake" Michigan |
| #5165, aired 2007-02-09 | TOURISM: The 2 leading foreign destination countries for U.S. tourists Canada & Mexico |
| #5164, aired 2007-02-08 | NOVELS: It was partly inspired by Owen Chase's narrative of the shipwreck of the whale-ship Essex Moby-Dick |
| #5163, aired 2007-02-07 | SCIENTISTS: On the front lines during WWI, she drove ambulances that she had helped equip with X-ray machines Marie Curie |
| #5162, aired 2007-02-06 | THE U.S. MILITARY: This branch uses more fuel than the rest of the military combined the Air Force |
| #5161, aired 2007-02-05 | LANGUAGES: In South America, these are the 2 most widely spoken languages Spanish & Portuguese |
| #5160, aired 2007-02-02 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In part, using donated French tanks, he formed the U.S. Army's first tank training school in 1917 George Patton |
| #5159, aired 2007-02-01 | TRADEMARKS: The invention of what was termed "electro-photography" led to the 1948 trademarking of this word Xerox |
| #5158, aired 2007-01-31 | BRITISH ROYAL NAMES: Thomas Malory's posthumous 1485 bestseller inspired this first name of a prince born in 1486 Arthur |
| #5157, aired 2007-01-30 | IT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK CITY: On August 10, 2004, 2 days after her death at the age of 96, the Empire State Building dimmed its lights for 15 minutes in her memory Fay Wray |
| #5156, aired 2007-01-29 | AMERICAN PLAYS: This drama is set at a summer home in August 1912; Act 1 takes place at 8:30 A.M.; Act 4 is 15 1/2 hours later, at midnight A Long Day's Journey into Night (by Eugene O'Neill) |
| #5155, aired 2007-01-26 | ANIMALS: The world's largest invertebrate, it plays a prominent part in an 1870 French novel & a 1954 film the giant squid |
| #5154, aired 2007-01-25 | THE MIDDLE AGES: This name given to a survey refers to the time when men face the judgment from which there is no appeal the Domesday Report |
| #5153, aired 2007-01-24 | FOREIGN CURRENCY: This currency of Costa Rica gets its name from the first European to see the nation the Colon |
| #5152, aired 2007-01-23 | BUSINESS INNOVATIONS: In 1709 an Italian settled at this German city & made a new product using oil of bergamot Cologne |
| #5151, aired 2007-01-22 | RECENT BOOKS: "American Vertigo" by philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy retraced a trip 175 years before by this man, his countryman Alexis de Tocqueville |
| #5150, aired 2007-01-19 | WORD ORIGINS: Well known to "Jeopardy!" fans, this 10-letter word originally meant a stew of many different ingredients hodgepodge |
| #5149, aired 2007-01-18 | ANIMATED CHARACTERS: The middle initial of this cartoon critter introduced in 1949 stands for Ethelbert Wile E. Coyote |
| #5148, aired 2007-01-17 | 18th CENTURY AMERICANS: He preached, "The God that holds you over the pit of Hell, much as one holds a spider... over the fire, abhors you" Jonathan Edwards |
| #5147, aired 2007-01-16 | THE U.S. GOVERNMENT: It's the only Cabinet department whose official website does not use the ".gov" suffix the Department of Defense |
| #5146, aired 2007-01-15 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: An epigraph he used on one story says, "our hearts though stout and brave, still, like muffled drums are beating" Edgar Allan Poe |
| #5145, aired 2007-01-12 | LITERARY TITLES: This 1954 book title refers to an impaled sow's head, an offering to the "beast" Lord of the Flies |
| #5144, aired 2007-01-11 | AMERICAN THEATRE HISTORY: This 1943 musical is based on a 1931 play that featured Tex Ritter as a cowboy & Lee Strasberg as a peddler Oklahoma! |
| #5143, aired 2007-01-10 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Just for grins, in 1986 this industrialist acquired a stake in Church & Dwight, maker of a baking soda Armand Hammer |
| #5142, aired 2007-01-09 | THE 50 STATES: Between 1990 & 2004, its pop. grew 36%, edging Florida for the highest growth rate of any state east of Colorado Georgia |
| #5141, aired 2007-01-08 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: General Winfield Scott called him "the very best soldier I ever saw in the field" Robert E. Lee |
| #5140, aired 2007-01-05 | PRO FOOTBALL: In 1947 this team chose not to be called the "Nickels" but instead paid homage to a Western hero the Buffalo Bills |
| #5139, aired 2007-01-04 | 19th CENTURY DEMOCRATS: In a famous speech he said, "You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns..." William Jennings Bryan |
| #5138, aired 2007-01-03 | NOVEL INSPIRATIONS: Novel inspired by a vision of a "pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together" Frankenstein |
| #5137, aired 2007-01-02 | HOLIDAY STUFF: In an 1850 essay Charles Dickens called it "that pretty German toy" a Christmas tree |
| #5136, aired 2007-01-01 | WRITERS: A memorial window near his grave at Winchester Cathedral was a gift from the fishermen of England & America Izaak Walton (author of The Compleat Angler) |
| #5135, aired 2006-12-29 | BROADWAY: In 2006 this show based on a 1911 work became the longest-running show in Broadway history The Phantom of the Opera |
| #5134, aired 2006-12-28 | THE 1970s: G. Gordon Liddy, E. Howard Hunt & Egil Krogh were nicknamed this because they "plugged leaks" (White House) plumbers |
| #5133, aired 2006-12-27 | 19th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: Against bitterly divided Democrats, he won with the second-lowest percentage of the popular vote in history, 39.8% Abraham Lincoln |
| #5132, aired 2006-12-26 | THE STOCK MARKET: In 2006 this Milwaukee-based co. announced its new stock symbol, "HOG", at a gathering in Sturgis, S.D. Harley-Davidson |
| #5131, aired 2006-12-25 | HOLY PLACES: The elevated area where the Dome of the Rock sits is commonly called this, after a different religious building the Temple Mount (in Jerusalem) |
| #5130, aired 2006-12-22 | AMERICAN WOMEN: In 1997 the American Public Transportation Association gave this woman its first Lifetime Achievement Award Rosa Parks |
| #5129, aired 2006-12-21 | THE MIDDLE EAST: By tradition, this nation's president is a Maronite Christian, the P.M. a Sunni & the speaker of the Parliament a Shiite Lebanon |
| #5128, aired 2006-12-20 | TECHNOLOGY: A famous one of these was first sent May 24, 1844 & a famous last one, January 27, 2006 a telegram |
| #5127, aired 2006-12-19 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: When this man won, Richard Dreyfuss said goodbye to being the youngest ever to win the Best Actor Oscar Adrien Brody |
| #5126, aired 2006-12-18 | 20th CENTURY PLAYWRIGHTS: 2006 marks the centennial of this absurdist known for his sometimes bleak outlook; he was born on Good Friday, the 13th Samuel Beckett |
| #5125, aired 2006-12-15 | POEM TITLES: This poem says, "For all averred, I had killed the bird that made the breeze to blow" The Rime of the Ancient Mariner |
| #5124, aired 2006-12-14 | WORD ODDITIES: This Britishism, a homophone of a letter in the alphabet, has one consonant followed by a line of 4 vowels queue |
| #5123, aired 2006-12-13 | UNIVERSITY GEOGRAPHY: Around 1830 the first Catholic priest ordained in the U.S. obtained land in this state where a university now stands Indiana |
| #5122, aired 2006-12-12 | CHIEF JUSTICES: He wrote that if a person in custody "cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for him... if he so desires" Earl Warren |
| #5121, aired 2006-12-11 | CABLE TELEVISION: The premiere of this miniseries was held at Normandy's Utah Beach Memorial on June 6, 2001 Band of Brothers |
| #5120, aired 2006-12-08 | ENGLISH LITERATURE: This work says, "Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven" Paradise Lost |
| #5119, aired 2006-12-07 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: The Lusatian Mountains, in the western Sudeten range, form part of the border between these 2 countries Germany & the Czech Republic |
| #5118, aired 2006-12-06 | FAMOUS NEW YORKERS: In 1905 he said, "It is my duty to make money and still more money and to use the money... for the good of my fellow man" John D. Rockefeller |
| #5117, aired 2006-12-05 | ROYALTY: Originally, this woman born in 1755 had the middle names Antonia, Josepha, & Joanna Marie Antoinette |
| #5116, aired 2006-12-04 | THE 1950s: On a March 9, 1954 broadcast, he famously said, "We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty" Edward R. Murrow |
| #5115, aired 2006-12-01 | BROADCASTING FIRSTS: In 2005, at New Mexico State, Cuyler Frank made history by being the first to call a football game in this language Navajo |
| #5114, aired 2006-11-30 | PLAY CHARACTERS: He is based partly on a philologist who wrote "A History of English Sounds" & "A Handbook of Phonetics" Henry Higgins |
| #5113, aired 2006-11-29 | MODERN LANGUAGES: An estimated 100,000-plus people speak this language whose nouns have no gender & end with -O Esperanto |
| #5112, aired 2006-11-28 | ASIA: Along with Communist China & North Korea, one of the 2 formerly Communist nations bordering Asian Russia (1 of) Kazakhstan & Mongolia |
| #5111, aired 2006-11-27 | FIRST NAMES: The first name of both a naval hero & a character in "Hamlet", it's from the Latin for "timekeeper" Horatio |
| #5110, aired 2006-11-24 | WORD ORIGINS: Meaning to ascribe predetermined characteristics, this word comes from a printing process using metal plates stereotype |
| #5109, aired 2006-11-23 | 1970s TELEVISION: Bruce Peterson, a NASA test pilot, helped inspire this series; the crash he survived was seen in the show's opening credits The Six Million Dollar Man |
| #5108, aired 2006-11-22 | HISTORIC OBJECTS: Standart, Azov & Clock are among the names of these items, given as royal Easter gifts starting in the mid-1880s Fabergé eggs |
| #5107, aired 2006-11-21 | FROM BOOK TO FILM: Among the many movies that have premiered here at Radio City Music Hall was this 1962 film based on a novel by Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird |
| #5106, aired 2006-11-20 | ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY: Originally known as the Missouri Rockets, they performed at the opening of an East Coast theatre in 1931 the Rockettes |
| #5105, aired 2006-11-17 | THE TONY AWARDS: The only tie in the Best Musical category came in 1960, between "The Sound of Music" & this show about a NYC mayor Fiorello! |
| #5104, aired 2006-11-16 | HISTORIC OBJECTS: Famous ones have included the Kimberley, the Great Mogul & the Star of Arkansas diamonds |
| #5103, aired 2006-11-15 | MOVIE HISTORY: Producer David Selznick was fined $5,000 by censors for using this word in a 1939 film damn |
| #5102, aired 2006-11-14 | THE UNITED NATIONS: Of the 5 permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, the one that's the smallest in area the United Kingdom |
| #5101, aired 2006-11-13 | THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA: In the 1958 edition, this man penned the article on ventriloquism Edgar Bergen |
| #5100, aired 2006-11-10 | ACTORS & PLAYS: Robert Armin played the role of the fool in "As You Like It", in "Twelfth Night" & in this tragedy 1st published in 1608 King Lear |
| #5099, aired 2006-11-09 | CELEBRITY RELATIVES: Her great-great-grandmother Louisa Lane Drew once appeared in a play with the father of John Wilkes Booth Drew Barrymore |
| #5098, aired 2006-11-08 | WOMEN IN SPORTS: In 2006 the National Tennis Center in New York was renamed in her honor Billie Jean King |
| #5097, aired 2006-11-07 | PRESIDENTIAL DISTINCTIONS: Captured as a 14-year-old soldier in 1781, he was the only president who had ever been a prisoner of war Andrew Jackson |
| #5096, aired 2006-11-06 | AUTHORS: John Dryden in 1683 was the first to use the term "biography"--appropriately, while writing about this Greek Plutarch |
| #5095, aired 2006-11-03 | THE OSCARS: He's the only person over 70 years of age to win a Best Director Oscar Clint Eastwood |
| #5094, aired 2006-11-02 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: He first appeared in Kipling's 1892 story "In the Rukh" as an adult who now & then refers to his very odd childhood Mowgli |
| #5093, aired 2006-11-01 | PHRASES IN AMERICAN HISTORY: This phrase linking 2 entities was in Jefferson's 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists, elaborating on the 1st Amendment separation of church and state |
| #5092, aired 2006-10-31 | GOVERNMENT FORMS: The title of form OSC-12 says it is used by this type of person, who's asked to "describe the agency wrongdoing" a whistleblower |
| #5091, aired 2006-10-30 | GEOGRAPHY: The only place where 4 countries meet at one point is found on this continent Africa |
| #5090, aired 2006-10-27 | NAMES ON THE MAP: 2 new place names on the map in 1924, both honoring the same man, were Ulyanovsk & this Leningrad |
| #5089, aired 2006-10-26 | GOVERNMENT & POLITICS: They are the only 2 men voted president of the United States by the House of Representatives Thomas Jefferson & John Quincy Adams |
| #5088, aired 2006-10-25 | THE 1850s: He published a book of prose & verse quotes "to trace to their source passages and phrases in common use" John Bartlett |
| #5087, aired 2006-10-24 | MOVIE VILLAINS: Introduced in a 1981 novel, this big-screen character tops the AFI's 2003 list of all-time great movie villains Hannibal Lecter |
| #5086, aired 2006-10-23 | RELIGIOUS HISTORY: The 1549 Act of Uniformity imposed upon England this single liturgical volume to be used by everyone the Book of Common Prayer |
| #5085, aired 2006-10-20 | LITERARY TITLE OBJECTS: In an 1868 novel, this mysterious title object is believed to sparkle or dim depending on lunar phases the Moonstone |
| #5084, aired 2006-10-19 | FAMOUS NAMES: Once a top spy, he invented the mug shot seen on reward posters in the Wild West Allan Pinkerton |
| #5083, aired 2006-10-18 | THE 50 STATES: The constitution for the proposed state of Sequoyah served in large part as the basis for this state's constitution Oklahoma |
| #5082, aired 2006-10-17 | MATH WORDS: In Latin the name of this math field meant a pebble used in counting, & the word also has the medical meaning "stone" calculus |
| #5081, aired 2006-10-16 | FROM MOVIE TO MUSICAL: A play-within-a-play, called "Pretty Lady", suddenly needs a new leading lady in this ever-popular musical 42nd Street |
| #5080, aired 2006-10-13 | TRANSPORTATION: The name of this airline established in 1948 means "skyward" El Al |
| #5079, aired 2006-10-12 | WORLD CAPITALS: Started in 1988 for this city's 75th anniversary, a Springtime Flower Festival in September shows off its Commonwealth Park Canberra, Australia |
| #5078, aired 2006-10-11 | CHARACTERS IN SHAKESPEARE: In Act I he says, "The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables" Hamlet |
| #5077, aired 2006-10-10 | CLASSIC CARTOON CHARACTERS: The 1935 cartoon "I Haven't Got a Hat" was the first of many cartoons that paired him with a cat named Beans Porky Pig |
| #5076, aired 2006-10-09 | MEMORIALS: When completed, the South Dakota memorial to this man will include a 44-foot tall feather on his 87-foot tall head Crazy Horse (the Oglala chief) |
| #5075, aired 2006-10-06 | LANDMARKS: The quote "With malice toward none" is on the wall of his Washington, D.C. memorial Abraham Lincoln |
| #5074, aired 2006-10-05 | CHILDREN'S LIT: This Roald Dahl book begins, "These two very old people are the father and mother of Mr. Bucket" Charlie and the Chocolate Factory |
| #5073, aired 2006-10-04 | THE SPACE SHUTTLE: 2 of the 3 states where astronauts have landed the Space Shuttle (2 of) Florida, California & New Mexico |
| #5072, aired 2006-10-03 | STATE CAPITALS: 1 of 2 state capitals whose names start & end with the same letter Atlanta (Georgia) or Augusta (Maine) |
| #5071, aired 2006-10-02 | RECENT EVENTS: Discovered in 1930, in August 2006 it was officially downgraded to a "dwarf" Pluto |
| #5070, aired 2006-09-29 | NATIONAL CAPITALS: This city's website calls it "the last divided capital in Europe" Nicosia |
| #5069, aired 2006-09-28 | HISTORICAL TERMS: Historians refer to "the long 19th century", the 125-year span between these 2 events the French Revolution and World War I |
| #5068, aired 2006-09-27 | FAMOUS PAINTERS: He said, “You could find me anytime at Fournaise’s”, a restaurant right on the Seine Pierre-Auguste Renoir |
| #5067, aired 2006-09-26 | LITERARY CINEMA: A silent film of this Russian tale was released in 2 versions: in one, Garbo commits suicide; in the other, Garbo lives Anna Karenina (by Leo Tolstoy) |
| #5066, aired 2006-09-25 | LITERATURE: Northumbria in the "Age of Bede" or Mercia in Offa's reign are guesses as to where & when this work was created Beowulf |
| #5065, aired 2006-09-22 | FAMOUS NAMES: The Grady Gammage Auditorium at Arizona State University was the last major public building that he designed Frank Lloyd Wright |
| #5064, aired 2006-09-21 | WORD ORIGINS: Appropriately, this word comes from Greek words meaning "sharp" & "dull" oxymoron |
| #5063, aired 2006-09-20 | IN THE NEWS 2006: Justice Peter Smith embedded a secret code into a 2006 ruling that said this author hadn’t violated a copyright Dan Brown (author of The Da Vinci Code) |
| #5062, aired 2006-09-19 | BRITISH ROYALTY: Just prior to her death in 1536, she told Sir William Kingston, "I have a little neck" Anne Boleyn |
| #5061, aired 2006-09-18 | CASTLES: The name of this large home located in Aberdeenshire means "the majestic dwelling" in Gaelic Balmoral Castle |
| #5060, aired 2006-09-15 | U.S. STATES: Of the 4 U.S. states that are officially called commonwealths, this one was not 1 of the original 13 Colonies Kentucky |
| #5059, aired 2006-09-14 | A 1950s POEM: "Whole intellects... who demanded sanity trials... & were left with their insanity & their hands & a hung jury" "Howl" (by Allen Ginsberg) |
| #5058, aired 2006-09-13 | VICE PRESIDENTS: The 2 GOP vice presidents who succeeded to the presidency & were later elected president in their own right Theodore Roosevelt & Calvin Coolidge |
| #5057, aired 2006-09-12 | AMERICANA: In June 2005, amid some controversy, a statue of Elizabeth Montgomery was unveiled in this city Salem, Massachusetts |
| #5056, aired 2006-09-11 | PLANTS: In tropical Africa it's the main source of calories in the diet; in the U.S. it gives us a pudding tapioca (or cassava) |
| #5055, aired 2006-07-28 | AMERICANA: A monument at this Nebraska site bears the words "He ain't heavy, Father... he's m' brother" Boys Town |
| #5054, aired 2006-07-27 | AMERICAN WOMEN AUTHORS: Henry James called her "the Thackeray, the Trollope, of the nursery and the schoolroom" Louisa May Alcott |
| #5053, aired 2006-07-26 | AFRICAN CAPITALS: To get the name of its country, add 2 letters to the end of this world capital city Tunis |
| #5052, aired 2006-07-25 | POLITICAL IDIOMS: Used to describe a response made without thinking, its physical counterpart can take 1/20 second knee-jerk |
| #5051, aired 2006-07-24 | OSCAR-NOMINATED MOVIES: One of the 2 Best Picture nominees in which CBS newsman & "60 Minutes" producer Don Hewitt is a character (1 of) The Insider & Good Night, and Good Luck. |
| #5050, aired 2006-07-21 | NYC TICKER-TAPE PARADE HONOREES: Of the 3 men honored August 13, 1969, the one who spent part of July 20th miles from the other 2 Michael Collins |
| #5049, aired 2006-07-20 | EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: This co-principality is considered to have had the last remnant of Medieval Europe's feudal system Andorra |
| #5048, aired 2006-07-19 | PRESIDENTIAL QUOTATIONS: He announced to the American public, "The force from which the sun draws its power has been loosed..." Harry Truman |
| #5047, aired 2006-07-18 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: Last name of Sir Clifford, whose crippling war injuries make life difficult for his wife Chatterley |
| #5046, aired 2006-07-17 | VARIETY HEADLINES: The Variety headline when this couple married June 29, 1956 read, "Egghead Weds Hourglass" Arthur Miller & Marilyn Monroe |
| #5045, aired 2006-07-14 | FAMOUS PLAYS: This play that is quite concerned with the English language was, oddly enough, first performed in German in 1913 Pygmalion |
| #5044, aired 2006-07-13 | U.S. HISTORY: He was the commanding Union general at Bentonville, site of the last major Confederate offensive William Tecumseh Sherman |
| #5043, aired 2006-07-12 | PRO FOOTBALL GEOGRAPHY: Of all the U.S. states with 2 current NFL teams, it’s the only state the Mississippi River touches Missouri |
| #5042, aired 2006-07-11 | BUSINESS FIRSTS: On July 20, 1903 this company delivered its first product, purchased by a respected Detroiter Ford |
| #5041, aired 2006-07-10 | ISLANDS: Of the world's 10 largest islands, 3 belong all or in part to Indonesia & 3 belong to this country Canada |
| #5040, aired 2006-07-07 | STATE FLAGS: Its state flag, based on a design from 1776, shows Virtue, dressed like an Amazon, triumphing over Tyranny Virginia |
| #5039, aired 2006-07-06 | CHILDREN'S LIT TITLE CHARACTERS: He "came into the world in the middle of the thicket, in one of those little, hidden forest glades..." Bambi |
| #5038, aired 2006-07-05 | WESTERN HEMISPHERE GEOGRAPHY: The 2 outlets of the Gulf of Mexico, a strait & a channel, bear the names of these 2 land areas Florida & the Yucatán peninsula |
| #5037, aired 2006-07-04 | THE 20th CENTURY: On October 16, 1964 at Lop Nor this nation detonated its first nuclear device China |
| #5036, aired 2006-07-03 | OSCAR-WINNING SINGERS: 2 of the 4 people who've had a Billboard No. 1 pop album & also won a regular acting Oscar (2 of) Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, & Jamie Foxx |
| #5035, aired 2006-06-30 | CHILDREN'S AUTHORS: This author & illustrator has said, "Max is like my demented son and he's taking care of his father for life" Maurice Sendak |
| #5034, aired 2006-06-29 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: The main green of this university includes statues of Ira Allen, its founder, & Lafayette, who visited in 1825 the University of Vermont |
| #5033, aired 2006-06-28 | WORLD EVENTS: In 2003, 120 years after it made headlines, a book on this was subtitled "The Day the World Exploded" the eruption of Krakatoa |
| #5032, aired 2006-06-27 | FILMS OF THE '60s: Peter O'Toole was Oscar-nominated for playing the same king in these 2 movies Becket & The Lion in Winter |
| #5031, aired 2006-06-26 | 19th CENTURY GOVERNORS: To date, he's the only person to be elected governor of 2 different states Sam Houston |
| #5030, aired 2006-06-23 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: "I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world", says this narrator Ishmael |
| #5029, aired 2006-06-22 | WASHINGTON, D.C.: Originally housed in a boarding house & then in the Capitol, today it occupies 3 buildings named for presidents the Library of Congress |
| #5028, aired 2006-06-21 | AUTHORS: Author seen here with his son A.A. Milne |
| #5027, aired 2006-06-20 | NATIONAL NAMES: 2 of 3 European Union member nations whose names are only one syllable in English (2 of) France, Greece, & Spain |
| #5026, aired 2006-06-19 | WORD ORIGINS: From the name of a committee created by Gregory XV to spread the faith, it means info used to spread a belief propaganda |
| #5025, aired 2006-06-16 | TRANSPORTATION NEWS: This city's iconic Routemaster vehicles were just shy of 50 years' service when they were retired in 2005 London |
| #5024, aired 2006-06-15 | THE OSCARS: 2 of the 3 Westerns to win the Oscar for Best Picture (2 of) Cimarron, Unforgiven, & Dances with Wolves |
| #5023, aired 2006-06-14 | POLITICAL QUOTATIONS: It was said that being with these 2 leaders, born 1874 & 1882, "was like sitting between 2 lions roaring at the same time" Winston Churchill & Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| #5022, aired 2006-06-13 | LITERARY QUOTES: "I would like to take the great DiMaggio fishing" is a line from this 1952 work; like DiMaggio, it's an American classic The Old Man and the Sea (by Ernest Hemingway) |
| #5021, aired 2006-06-12 | U.S. NEWSPAPERS: During the American Revolution, this New England newspaper had the USA's highest circulation; it's still in the top 50 the Hartford Courant |
| #5020, aired 2006-06-09 | ROYALTY: His trial began on January 20, 1649 Charles I (of England) |
| #5019, aired 2006-06-08 | UNIVERSITIES: It's the only state that doesn't have an undergraduate university or university system named just for the state itself New Jersey |
| #5018, aired 2006-06-07 | CANADIAN POSTAL ABBREVIATIONS: It's the only Canadian province or territory whose 2-letter postal abbreviation is a preposition Ontario |
| #5017, aired 2006-06-06 | OSCAR WINNERS: Dianne Wiest (1986 & 1994) is the only 2-time acting Oscar winner to win both working for the same director--him Woody Allen |
| #5016, aired 2006-06-05 | WORDS IN THE NEWS: This word for one who hangs around the corridors of power refers back to the corridors themselves lobbyist |
| #5015, aired 2006-06-02 | EUROPEAN LITERARY CLASSICS: In this 1832 German work, the title character is followed home by a poodle that changes into something evil Faust (by Goethe) |
| #5014, aired 2006-06-01 | PLAYWRIGHTS: In 2005 Broadway's Virginia Theatre was renamed to honor this late author, the first African-American so honored August Wilson |
| #5013, aired 2006-05-31 | AFRICA: In January 2006 this country swore in Africa's first elected female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Liberia |
| #5012, aired 2006-05-30 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: For over a decade starting from 1807, this nation's capital was moved to a city in South America Portugal |
| #5011, aired 2006-05-29 | 20th CENTURY AMERICANS: Encouraged by RFK to seek public office, he left the Marines as a colonel in 1965 & won a Senate seat 9 years later John Glenn |
| #5010, aired 2006-05-26 | 20th CENTURY WOMEN: In 1964, in a rare interview, she said, "All I want to be is the Jane Austen of South Alabama..." Harper Lee |
| #5009, aired 2006-05-25 | MILITARY HISTORY: Lasting about a month, it's the battle for which the most marines earned the Medal of Honor Iwo Jima |
| #5008, aired 2006-05-24 | PORT CITIES: It was Russia's third-largest city until it became the capital of an independent republic in 1918 Riga, Latvia |
| #5007, aired 2006-05-23 | THE GLOBE: If you dig straight through the Earth's center from Canton, Ohio you'll end up not in China but in this body of water the Indian Ocean |
| #5006, aired 2006-05-22 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: Springs at Weston, Missouri provided water to wagon trains & McCormick's, now the USA's oldest continuously operating one of these a distillery |
| #5005, aired 2006-05-19 | WORLD LITERATURE: It says, "'O Poet... I beg you, that I may flee this evil & worse evils, to lead me... that I may see the gateway of Saint Peter'" Dante's Inferno |
| #5004, aired 2006-05-18 | LEGAL TERMS: Congress has passed 2 laws named for this, defined as inciting rebellion: one in 1918 and one 120 years earlier sedition |
| #5003, aired 2006-05-17 | BRITISH MONARCHS: The last British monarch who was not the child of a monarch Queen Victoria |
| #5002, aired 2006-05-16 | SCIENTISTS: "American Prometheus" is a biography of this physicist who died in 1967 J. Robert Oppenheimer |
| #5001, aired 2006-05-15 | MYTHOLOGY: The name of this monster is from the Greek for "she-goat" the Chimera |
| #5000, aired 2006-05-12 | ISLANDS: Davis Strait, named for a Northwest Passage seeker, separates these 2 islands that total over 1 million square miles Greenland & Baffin Island |
| #4999, aired 2006-05-11 | HISTORIC NAMES: A silent movie title includes the last name of this 18th c. statesman & favorite of Catherine the Great Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin |
| #4998, aired 2006-05-10 | CHARACTERS IN SHAKESPEARE: Poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge referred to the "motiveless malignity" of this character Iago |
| #4997, aired 2006-05-09 | COMPOSING CONTEMPORARIES: One of 2 hyphenated composers who flourished in the 1870s, one with "The Maid of Pskov" & one with "Samson et Dalila" (1 of) Camille Saint-Saens & (Nicolai) Rimsky-Korsakov |
| #4996, aired 2006-05-08 | SCIENCE: The symbol of this element first isolated in 1783 comes from its German name tungsten |
| #4995, aired 2006-05-05 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Had he lived in ancient Greece, this president would have been called Odysseus Ulysses S. Grant |
| #4994, aired 2006-05-04 | MEMOIRS: Chapters in this 1937 memoir include "A Kikuyu Chief", "War-Time Safari" & "Old Knudsen" Out of Africa (by Isak Dinesen) |
| #4993, aired 2006-05-03 | PEOPLE IN SPACE: In 2005, as the shuttle Discovery prepared for landing, NASA played a Dexys Midnight Runners song in her honor Eileen Collins |
| #4992, aired 2006-05-02 | WORD HISTORY: One Mongol tribe or army, it came to mean "a vast number" because the fierce Mongol warriors seemed so numerous a horde |
| #4991, aired 2006-05-01 | THEATRE 2005: The conduct of a priest arouses suspicion in this play that won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Doubt (by John Patrick Shanley) |
| #4990, aired 2006-04-28 | AFRICA: In November 2005 leaders of Spain & France joined in celebrating the 50th anniversary of this country's independence Morocco |
| #4989, aired 2006-04-27 | WOMEN IN HISTORY: In an 1863 essay Harriet Beecher Stowe called this woman whom she had met with "The Libyan Sibyl" Sojourner Truth |
| #4988, aired 2006-04-26 | LITERARY OBJECTS: In literature from the 1200s to today, it has been depicted as a type of dish, a talismanic stone & a woman the Holy Grail |
| #4987, aired 2006-04-25 | MOVIE DIRECTORS: He's the only person to direct his daughter & his father in Oscar-winning performances John Huston |
| #4986, aired 2006-04-24 | ROCKS & MINERALS: Mines near Ticonderoga, New York were once the USA's principal source for this 8-letter mineral graphite |
| #4985, aired 2006-04-21 | FAMOUS OBJECTS: Shah Jahan, Ranjit Singh & Queen Victoria all possessed a famous one whose name means "mountain of light" a diamond |
| #4984, aired 2006-04-20 | BOOKS: Chap. 1: "Until one morning in mid-November of 1959, few Americans--in fact, few Kansans--had ever heard of Holcomb" In Cold Blood (by Truman Capote) |
| #4983, aired 2006-04-19 | WORLD LEADERS: In 1984 his grandson succeeded his daughter to become his country's prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru |
| #4982, aired 2006-04-18 | AMERICAN POLITICIANS: In 2005 he took his first submarine dive since he left the Navy in 1953, on a new nuclear vessel that's named for him Jimmy Carter |
| #4981, aired 2006-04-17 | LEADING MEN: 1 of 2 actors who have earned acting Academy Award nominations in the last 5 consecutive decades (1 of) Jack Nicholson or Michael Caine |
| #4980, aired 2006-04-14 | POETS: She wrote, "From her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command the air-bridged harbor" Emma Lazarus |
| #4979, aired 2006-04-13 | '60s NOVELS' FIRST LINES: It begins, "Amerigo Bonasera... waited for justice; vengeance on the men who had so cruelly hurt his daughter" The Godfather |
| #4978, aired 2006-04-12 | U.S. TERRITORIES: 5 of the 7 islands that make up this U.S. territory are of volcanic origin; the other 2 are coral atolls American Samoa |
| #4977, aired 2006-04-11 | THE EARLY 1900s: These 2 nations fought a war on neither nation's soil; the decisive battle came at present-day Shen-Yang Russia & Japan |
| #4976, aired 2006-04-10 | MEMORIALS: Opened in 2002 in Lower Manhattan, a memorial to this 1845-1849 tragedy used Kilkenny limestone the Great Potato Famine in Ireland |
| #4975, aired 2006-04-07 | TELEVISION: The television documentary "America's Favorite Neighbor" was a tribute to him Fred Rogers |
| #4974, aired 2006-04-06 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: On July 16, 1995 this company made its first sale, a science textbook Amazon.com |
| #4973, aired 2006-04-05 | STATE CAPITALS: Alphabetically, they're the first two state capitals named for presidents Jackson & Jefferson City |
| #4972, aired 2006-04-04 | GERMAN AMERICANS: He famously remarked, "We are all the President's men", giving Woodward & Bernstein their title Henry Kissinger |
| #4971, aired 2006-04-03 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: The grandson of a humorist, the son of a children's author, his first novel in 1974 was huge bestseller Peter Benchley |
| #4970, aired 2006-03-31 | FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHS: Alberto Korda, Castro's official photographer, is best known for an image of this man seen on countless shirts & posters Che Guevara |
| #4969, aired 2006-03-30 | NOTABLE WOMEN: She was the 31st person--& the first woman--to lie in state or honor in the U.S. Capitol Rosa Parks |
| #4968, aired 2006-03-29 | 20th CENTURY THEATER: This play ends with 1 character asking, "Well? Shall we go?"; the other replies, "Yes, let's go", but they do not move Waiting for Godot |
| #4967, aired 2006-03-28 | POETS: The Library of Congress' 2005 exhibit on him had a section titled "Wound Dresser in the Civil War" Walt Whitman |
| #4966, aired 2006-03-27 | MILITARY HISTORY: In 2005 a single sapling was planted at an army barracks in Australia to mark the 90th anniversary of this battle Gallipoli |
| #4965, aired 2006-03-24 | HISTORIC NAMES: When Alexander Hamilton & James Monroe nearly met in a duel, this man interceded & defused the situation Aaron Burr |
| #4964, aired 2006-03-23 | BRITISH MONARCHS: The last British king not named George, William or Edward was named this James (II) |
| #4963, aired 2006-03-22 | U.S. STATES: A popular nickname of this state comes from a plant, Poa pratensis, that covers the state Kentucky |
| #4962, aired 2006-03-21 | 20th CENTURY LITERATURE: "Annie" Sadilek, an immigrant girl from Bohemia, inspired the title character in this 1918 novel of the Great Plains My Antonia (by Willa Cather) |
| #4961, aired 2006-03-20 | THE TECHNOLOGY SECTOR: If you'd invested $84 for 4 shares of this company at its March 13, 1986 IPO, you'd have 1,152 shares & $30,124.80 as of Jan. 1, 2006 Microsoft |
| #4960, aired 2006-03-17 | 20th CENTURY BOOKS: Chapter I of this book tells us: "Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood..." Angela's Ashes (by Frank McCourt) |
| #4959, aired 2006-03-16 | FOOD LORE: In food lore, the design of this treat symbolizes arms folded in prayer & the 3 holes stand for the Trinity the pretzel |
| #4958, aired 2006-03-15 | NATURE: Far from the mainland, Hawaii is poor in native mammals: it has 2, a type of seal & a type of this, order Chiroptera a bat |
| #4957, aired 2006-03-14 | WORD ORIGINS: The word "toxic" comes from the ancient Greek for this weapon an arrow |
| #4956, aired 2006-03-13 | AMERICAN HISTORY: Henry Laurens, Thomas Mifflin & Richard Henry Lee were presidents of this body that only lasted for about 15 years the Continental Congress |
| #4955, aired 2006-03-10 | HISTORIC DOCUMENTS: Clause 39 of this reads "No freeman shall be taken, or imprisoned... except by the legal judgment of his peers" the Magna Carta |
| #4954, aired 2006-03-09 | ISLANDS: Despite landmines dating from 1982, penguins use these islands for mating grounds, being too light to set them off the Falkland Islands |
| #4953, aired 2006-03-08 | SHAKESPEARE: Oddly enough, this 3-word phrase is the only Latin phrase spoken in the play "Julius Caesar" "Et tu, Brute?" |
| #4952, aired 2006-03-07 | GEOGRAPHIC NICKNAMES: From the 1795 poem "Erin": "Nor one feeling of vengeance presume to defile/ The cause, or the men, of" this place the Emerald Isle |
| #4951, aired 2006-03-06 | AMERICAN HISTORY: This legislative body first met on March 4, 1789 in New York City, but only 8 of its 22 members were present the U.S. Senate |
| #4950, aired 2006-03-03 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: This 1906 novel says, "Now & then a visitor wept, to be sure; but this slaughtering machine ran on, visitors or no..." The Jungle |
| #4949, aired 2006-03-02 | THE VICE PRESIDENCY: In the 20th century, 2 of the 3 men who served less than 1 year as VP before becoming president (2 of) Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman & Gerald Ford |
| #4948, aired 2006-03-01 | WORD ORIGINS: This word regarding infidelity came from a certain bird leaving its eggs in other nests to be raised cuckold |
| #4947, aired 2006-02-28 | TREES: To honor a Cherokee leader who died in 1843, a European botanist proposed this name for a tree Sequoia |
| #4946, aired 2006-02-27 | AMERICAN WOMEN: She gave herself the third-person name "Phantom", the "no-person" she was from 19 months until she was almost 7 Helen Keller |
| #4945, aired 2006-02-24 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: Growing up on a farm, Henry Ford didn't "care much for" these... "I never really made friends with them" horses |
| #4944, aired 2006-02-23 | EUROPEAN FICTION: This 1915 story says, "His numerous legs, which were pitifully thin... waved helplessly before his eyes" Metamorphosis (by Franz Kafka) |
| #4943, aired 2006-02-22 | THE SOLAR SYSTEM: The 2 planets in our solar system that have atmospheres made up mostly of carbon dioxide Venus & Mars |
| #4942, aired 2006-02-21 | FAMOUS PAINTERS: His twin daughters both married generals, & his portrait of one of his sons-in-law is seen here Jacques-Louis David |
| #4941, aired 2006-02-20 | WORLD LEADERS: The first prime minister of his country to be born in that land, he was assassinated in 1995 Yitzhak Rabin |
| #4940, aired 2006-02-17 | FORMER WORLD CAPITALS: In 1998 Czar Nicholas II & his wife Alexandra were laid to rest in this city St. Petersburg |
| #4939, aired 2006-02-16 | AMERICAN MUSIC: On December 11, 1987 it was designated as the national march of the United States "Stars and Stripes Forever" |
| #4938, aired 2006-02-15 | LITERARY ANIMALS: In an 1877 novel, he tells us that he was originally called Darkie, & later, Old Crony Black Beauty |
| #4937, aired 2006-02-14 | NOTABLE AMERICAN WOMEN: In 2004 & 2005 this former university provost topped Forbes' list of the 100 most powerful women in the world Condoleezza Rice |
| #4936, aired 2006-02-13 | THE 50 STATES: Since 1776, it has been the only U.S. state to be the most populous state for more than a century New York |
| #4935, aired 2006-02-10 | AMERICANA: Originally beardless, Uncle Sam got his chin whiskers from images depicting this real-life man Abraham Lincoln |
| #4934, aired 2006-02-09 | CONGRESS: The word for this job comes from a fox-hunting term for someone who keeps the hunting dogs from straying the whip |
| #4933, aired 2006-02-08 | MILESTONES: In 1994, 25 years after this event, 1 participant said, "For one crowning moment, we were creatures of the cosmic ocean" the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon |
| #4932, aired 2006-02-07 | 20th CENTURY BOOKS: In a classic book, this title phrase precedes the words "which had swept through Georgia" Gone with the Wind |
| #4931, aired 2006-02-06 | FAMOUS SHIPS: On December 27, 1831 it departed Plymouth, England to map the coastline of South America the HMS Beagle |
| #4930, aired 2006-02-03 | NOTABLE WOMEN: In 1967 Dame Cicely Saunders founded St. Christopher's, the first modern one of these; in 2005 she died there a hospice |
| #4929, aired 2006-02-02 | CHARACTERS IN 18th CENTURY PLAYS: This Englishwoman's name comes from the French for "badly suited to the purpose" Mrs. Malaprop |
| #4928, aired 2006-02-01 | WAR & PEACE: In 1839 the first of several wars broke out over the trade of an extract from a flower of this family poppy |
| #4927, aired 2006-01-31 | PEN NAMES: A 20th century writer derived this pen name from the patron saint of England & a river in Suffolk George Orwell |
| #4926, aired 2006-01-30 | WORLD MONEY 2005: This U.S. sports figure (born 1940) became the only living person ever on a Scottish note besides the Queen & her mum Jack Nicklaus |
| #4925, aired 2006-01-27 | WORLD CAPITALS: A 1958 coup in this city ended a monarchy; 10 years of political turmoil followed, then 35 years of dictatorship Baghdad |
| #4924, aired 2006-01-26 | CIVIL RIGHTS: On August 6, 2005 an Atlanta march supported extending the Voting Rights Act signed by this president Lyndon Baines Johnson |
| #4923, aired 2006-01-25 | WORD ORIGINS: This word that has come to mean "sudden prosperity" means "good weather" in Spanish bonanza |
| #4922, aired 2006-01-24 | WORLD HISTORY: This person was the reigning monarch of Great Britain when the U.S. national anthem was written George III |
| #4921, aired 2006-01-23 | GEM LORE: In Greek myth this gem was "created" by tears of wine from Dionysus that stained the quartz statue of a maiden the amethyst |
| #4920, aired 2006-01-20 | CURRENT ROYALTY: First name & number shared by 2 current European monarchs Albert II |
| #4919, aired 2006-01-19 | HIT SONGS: This No. 1 hit from 1968 was part of a hit film's soundtrack & was originally written about Eleanor Roosevelt "Mrs. Robinson" |
| #4918, aired 2006-01-18 | U.S. COMMERCE: Huntington, considered the USA's busiest inland port & largely shipping coal, is on this river the Ohio River |
| #4917, aired 2006-01-17 | WOMEN LEADERS: It's the world's most populous country with a female head of government, Khaleda Zia Bangladesh |
| #4916, aired 2006-01-16 | ANCIENT OBJECTS: In I Kings 8 there was nothing inside it except 2 tablets put there by Moses the Ark of the Covenant |
| #4915, aired 2006-01-13 | LITERARY HISTORY: Mary Roberts Rinehart's 1930 mystery novel "The Door" turned blaming this character into a cliche the butler |
| #4914, aired 2006-01-12 | CLASSIC MOVIE CHARACTERS: Appropriately, this villainous movie character's name comes from the Dutch word for "father" Darth Vader |
| #4913, aired 2006-01-11 | NEWSMAKERS: In April 2005, during his first 2 days on the job, he received more than 56,000 e-mails Pope Benedict XVI |
| #4912, aired 2006-01-10 | THE U.S. MILITARY: Established in 1903, the oldest U.S. military base in continuous use outside of the U.S. is in this country Cuba |
| #4911, aired 2006-01-09 | BODIES OF WATER: This sea's south boundary is a line from the southern tip of India to the eastern tip of Africa the Arabian Sea |
| #4910, aired 2006-01-06 | AFRICAN-AMERICAN ACTRESSES: The only time 3 African-American women were nominated for Oscars for work in the same movie was for this film The Color Purple |
| #4909, aired 2006-01-05 | RELIGIOUS PERSONALITIES: In the 56 years from 1948 to 2004, he appeared 48 times on the Gallup Poll's annual "Most Admired" lists the Reverend Billy Graham |
| #4908, aired 2006-01-04 | NEWER WORDS & PHRASES: The Academie Francaise has officially translated it as "toile d'araignee mondiale" world wide web |
| #4907, aired 2006-01-03 | U.S. CITIES: Its name includes the county of which it's the seat & the state of which it's the capital Oklahoma City |
| #4906, aired 2006-01-02 | ANCIENT BIOGRAPHERS: Born around 46 A.D., he spent time in both Greece & Rome & wrote to encourage respect between the 2 cultures Plutarch |
| #4905, aired 2005-12-30 | RIVERS: They're the two rivers meeting in the photo the Hudson River & the East River |
| #4904, aired 2005-12-29 | SOVIET HISTORY: He died in Moscow September 11, 1971 following nearly 7 years of house arrest Nikita Khrushchev |
| #4903, aired 2005-12-28 | PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PLAYS: This play says "Then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at--Elysian Fields!" A Streetcar Named Desire |
| #4902, aired 2005-12-27 | INVENTORS: In the 18th century he wrote, "I have only to move my eyes up or down... to see distinctly far or near" Benjamin Franklin |
| #4901, aired 2005-12-26 | COMPOSERS: He moved to Vienna in 1766; in 1778 he presented his native Italy with the first opera staged at La Scala Antonio Salieri |
| #4900, aired 2005-12-23 | SHAKESPEAREANA: A knight in "Henry VI, Part I" who flees battle to save his life is an early version of this great character Sir John Falstaff |
| #4899, aired 2005-12-22 | ANNUAL EVENTS: Henri Desgrange, founder of this event, created its maillot jaune, 1st worn by Eugene Christophe, riding from Grenoble the Tour de France |
| #4898, aired 2005-12-21 | LINES FROM LINCOLN: Though it's not accurate, this meaning of the word "Mississippi" appears in one of Lincoln's most famous lines father of waters |
| #4897, aired 2005-12-20 | AMERICAN BUSINESSMEN: This man who died in 1984 remarked, "We're not in the hamburger business, we're in show business" Ray Kroc |
| #4896, aired 2005-12-19 | TRADEMARKS: As the result of a merger in 1999, this company's trademarks include both a tiger & Pegasus Exxon Mobil |
| #4895, aired 2005-12-16 | 1940s MOVIES: This 1942 film gained greater distinction following a January 1943 meeting of Allied leaders in its title location Casablanca |
| #4894, aired 2005-12-15 | ON THE GLOBE: The way this nation's coastline would fit neatly into the Gulf of Guinea supports the theory of continental drift Brazil |
| #4893, aired 2005-12-14 | SURNAMES: It's the only surname ever shared by a U.S. president & a British prime minister Wilson |
| #4892, aired 2005-12-13 | FACTS ABOUT THE PRESIDENTS: He was the only 20th century president who had previously served as U.S. House Minority Leader Gerald Ford |
| #4891, aired 2005-12-12 | 19th CENTURY LIT: This work says, "Man is not truly one, but truly two... I learned to recognize the... primitive duality of man" Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde |
| #4890, aired 2005-12-09 | 20th CENTURY INNOVATIONS: After watching smoke emitted by WWI airplanes, Major J.C. Savage developed the technique for this skywriting |
| #4889, aired 2005-12-08 | POLITICAL LINGO: Senate Rule 22 governs this; Clinton called it "posturing to prove... a minority can paralyze the federal government" filibusters |
| #4888, aired 2005-12-07 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: This 1955 novel was originally titled "The Kingdom by the Sea", an allusion to Poe's "Annabel Lee" Lolita |
| #4887, aired 2005-12-06 | NAMES OF THE 1930s: A famous 1936 speech by this man began, "At long last, I am able to say a few words of my own" King Edward VIII |
| #4886, aired 2005-12-05 | U.S. STATES: Now the fourth largest in area, it's the largest state formed primarily from the Louisiana Purchase Montana |
| #4885, aired 2005-12-02 | 1950s MOVIE ENSEMBLES: Name missing from this list: Webber, Begley, Marshall, Warden, Balsam, Fiedler, Klugman, Binns, Sweeney, Voskovec & Cobb Fonda |
| #4884, aired 2005-12-01 | GEOGRAPHY: 10 million people live in this country that is almost bisected by the second-longest river in Europe Hungary |
| #4883, aired 2005-11-30 | IN THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA: The last full 2005 Micropedia article about a person is on the Russian-born man famed as an inventor of this in the 1920s television |
| #4882, aired 2005-11-29 | SPORTS HISTORY: In a famous incident, it's the school at which William Webb Ellis disregarded the rules in 1823 Rugby |
| #4881, aired 2005-11-28 | HERALDIC SYMBOLS: Dating from the second half of the 15th century, the Tudor rose has petals of these 2 colors red & white |
| #4880, aired 2005-11-25 | COMPANY ORIGINS: This company's namesake founder, the son of German immigrants, sold pickles to Pittsburgh grocers Heinz |
| #4879, aired 2005-11-24 | HISTORIC NAMES: In 2005, the 700th anniversary of his execution, his 5-foot sword was displayed in N.Y. as part of a Tartan Day celebration William Wallace |
| #4878, aired 2005-11-23 | THE UNITED NATIONS: In 1994, after a 20-year absence, this country's delegation was allowed to be seated in the U.N. General Assembly South Africa |
| #4877, aired 2005-11-22 | 20th CENTURY BOOKS: This 1972 book, a bestseller in 2005, begins, "We were somewhere around Barstow... when the drugs began to take hold" Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (by Hunter Thompson) |
| #4876, aired 2005-11-21 | NAME THE POEM: "He is all pine and I am apple orchard. My apple trees will never get across and eat the cones under his pines" "Mending Wall" (by Robert Frost) |
| #4875, aired 2005-11-18 | WORLD CAPITALS: Pizarro founded this city whose present name is from a Quechua word meaning "talker" Lima, Peru |
| #4874, aired 2005-11-17 | BRITISH POETS: In 1812 he became a disciple & friend of social philosopher William Godwin, later his father-in-law Percy Shelley |
| #4873, aired 2005-11-16 | WORD ORIGINS: This word meaning "complete range" comes from the 3rd Greek letter, which used to be the low end of the musical scale gamut |
| #4872, aired 2005-11-15 | 2005 COMMENCEMENT SPEECHES: Speaking at his alma mater, he urged graduates to be voracious readers, donate to worthy causes & stay in Maine Stephen King |
| #4871, aired 2005-11-14 | AMERICAN DESIGN: A Phillips 66 in Cloquet, Minnesota is the only functioning gas station designed by this man Frank Lloyd Wright |
| #4870, aired 2005-11-11 | 20th CENTURY U.S. PRESIDENTS: His mother, Louise, said, "I do not want my son to be president... his is a judicial mind and he loves the law" William Howard Taft |
| #4869, aired 2005-11-10 | BILLBOARD MAGAZINE: Launched in 2004, Billboard's first Top 20 chart for these included "My Boo", the "Halloween" theme & "Ice Ice Baby" ringtones |
| #4868, aired 2005-11-09 | STATE CAPITALS: 5 state capitals, all of them on or west of the Mississippi, begin with these 2 letters S-A |
| #4867, aired 2005-11-08 | CONTINENTS: This continent has the lowest high point & the highest low point, less than a 7,500' difference Australia |
| #4866, aired 2005-11-07 | NOTABLE NAMES: He declined the offer to lead a country & once said, "Politics is for the present... an equation is... for eternity" Albert Einstein |
| #4865, aired 2005-11-04 | PRECIOUS METALS: The largest single accumulation of gold known, about $90 billion from several countries, is found in this U.S. state New York |
| #4864, aired 2005-11-03 | CELEBRITIES: Calling him a Revolutionary, in 2000 Fidel Castro dedicated a statue of this man on the 20th anniversary of his murder John Lennon |
| #4863, aired 2005-11-02 | FAMOUS EXPRESSIONS: This cliche about superfluousness is derived from criticism of a 2nd coronation in Shakespeare's "King John" gilding the lily |
| #4862, aired 2005-11-01 | THE OLD WEST: This outlaw's father, a minister, gave him his first & middle names after an 18th century English clergyman John Wesley Hardin |
| #4861, aired 2005-10-31 | 20th CENTURY REPUBLICANS: Never president, he was the youngest man ever to receive the Republican presidential nomination (Thomas) Dewey |
| #4860, aired 2005-10-28 | CAPITAL CITIES: Home to the oldest cathedral & the oldest university in the Americas, this capital was founded in 1496 Santo Domingo |
| #4859, aired 2005-10-27 | 18th CENTURY CORRESPONDENCE: In 1776 she wrote, "Whilst you are... emancipating all nations, you insist upon retaining an absolute power over wives" Abigail Adams |
| #4858, aired 2005-10-26 | WOMEN IN POLITICS: Elected in 1916, she was the subject of a 1995 biography called "Bright Star in the Big Sky" Jeannette Rankin |
| #4857, aired 2005-10-25 | YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS: This organization pledges it will strive for "clearer thinking... greater loyalty... larger service, and... better living" in that order 4H |
| #4856, aired 2005-10-24 | CLASSIC TELEVISION: It was the first TV series to win the Hugo Award for best dramatic presentation The Twilight Zone |
| #4855, aired 2005-10-21 | 19th CENTURY LITERARY CHARACTERS: Hanged in an 1837 novel, he so angered some Londoners that his creator toned him down in future editions Fagin |
| #4854, aired 2005-10-20 | ENTERPRISING WOMEN: She began her company in 1946 with a skin cream her chemist uncle developed & pioneered the concept of "gift with purchase" Estée Lauder |
| #4853, aired 2005-10-19 | AMERICANA: (Kelly of the Clue Crew reads the clue from a mail sorting counter at the post office.) In the '60s, to popularize a new system, the Post Office used ads of Ethel Merman singing this Disney movie tune "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" |
| #4852, aired 2005-10-18 | ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS: He was nominated for Best Actor 5 times in the 1950s, the most for any man in one decade Marlon Brando |
| #4851, aired 2005-10-17 | EUROPE: Of nations entirely within Europe, it was the largest in area in 1571 & 1771, not on the map in 1871, & No. 6 in 1971 Poland |
| #4850, aired 2005-10-14 | HISTORIC PEOPLE: At 81, this Pennsylvanian was the oldest delegate at the 1787 Constitutional Convention Benjamin Franklin |
| #4849, aired 2005-10-13 | HOBBIES: This word comes from the Greek words for "light" & "writing" photography |
| #4848, aired 2005-10-12 | SWEET TREATS: Once known as fairy floss in the U.S., it's "papa's beard" in France & "sugar wool" in Germany cotton candy |
| #4847, aired 2005-10-11 | CLASSIC LITERATURE: Chapter 1 of this book describes "a cyclone cellar, where the family could go in case one of those… whirlwinds arose" The Wizard of Oz |
| #4846, aired 2005-10-10 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: This one-word name is derived from the fact that the character used to sit among the ashes Cinderella |
| #4845, aired 2005-10-07 | THE KING JAMES BIBLE: A Gospel & a book of the Old Testament each start with these same 3 words In the beginning |
| #4844, aired 2005-10-06 | PUBLICATIONS: In 1889 a daily New York news summary called the "Customers' Afternoon Letter" became this publication The Wall Street Journal |
| #4843, aired 2005-10-05 | RECORD SETTERS: On August 6 & 7, 1961, Gherman Titov did this 17 times; the previous record was one orbit the Earth |
| #4842, aired 2005-10-04 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: Ironically, this 1953 science fiction book began appearing in a censored version in 1967 Fahrenheit 451 |
| #4841, aired 2005-10-03 | PRESIDENTIAL RELATIVES: He defended civil rights as a representative from Massachusetts' 11th District from 1895 to 1901 John Francis Fitzgerald |
| #4840, aired 2005-09-30 | THE NOBEL PRIZES: For the first time in its history, the Nobel Prize for Literature was not awarded in this year 1914 |
| #4839, aired 2005-09-29 | FAMOUS ENGLISHMEN: In 2004 a top entry in a 6,000 mile albatross race was sponsored by a descendant of this man who died in 1834 Samuel Taylor Coleridge |
| #4838, aired 2005-09-28 | THE 1980s: On May 18, 1980 its height was reduced from 9,677 feet to 8,364 feet Mount Saint Helens |
| #4837, aired 2005-09-27 | 15-LETTER ANAGRAMS: Someone chatting about preserving natural resources is these 2 similar words, anagrams of each other conversationist & conservationist |
| #4836, aired 2005-09-26 | AFRICA: Equatorial Guinea is the only African nation whose official language is this Spanish |
| #4835, aired 2005-09-23 | MILITARY TRADITIONS: At a military funeral, the American flag is folded this many times to resemble a Revolutionary War soldier's hat 13 |
| #4834, aired 2005-09-22 | FAMOUS PAINTINGS: It was originally painted as the centerpiece for the Spanish Government Pavilion at the 1937 Paris World's Fair Guernica (by Pablo Picasso) |
| #4833, aired 2005-09-21 | NOVELISTS: His great-granddad wrote the best-seller "White Rose of Memphis", a city 40 miles north of the county in which he was raised William Faulkner |
| #4832, aired 2005-09-20 | BY THE NUMBERS: The phrase "How I want a drink, alcoholic of course" is often used to help memorize this pi |
| #4831, aired 2005-09-19 | RANKS & TITLES: In 1950 Pius XII was Pontifex Maximus; exactly 2,000 years earlier, this man held a title of the same name Julius Caesar |
| #4830, aired 2005-09-16 | 20th CENTURY WOMEN: A group chaired by her produced a system that President Bush says now needs "wise and effective reform" Frances Perkins |
| #4829, aired 2005-09-15 | EUROPEAN RULERS: This man who became a ruler in April 2005 is the great-nephew of the 1926 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama Prince Albert II of Monaco |
| #4828, aired 2005-09-14 | 18th CENTURY LITERATURE: This character studied medicine, "knowing it would be useful in long voyages" Gulliver |
| #4827, aired 2005-09-13 | THE MAP OF NORTH AMERICA: Number of Canadian provinces that border the Great Lakes 1 |
| #4826, aired 2005-09-12 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: "No matter how hopeless, no matter how far, to fight for the right without question" is from this show Man of La Mancha |
| #4825, aired 2005-07-22 | LEADING MEN OF THE MOVIES: This actor who turned down the role of Dirty Harry played 142 leading roles, a Guinness record John Wayne |
| #4824, aired 2005-07-21 | LITERARY FIREARMS: The "Polizei Pistole Kurz" model was often used very effectively by this literary character introduced in 1953 James Bond |
| #4823, aired 2005-07-20 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: It's the roughly 70-minute work that includes the sung words "Alle menschen werden bruder" Beethoven's 9th Symphony |
| #4822, aired 2005-07-19 | WORDS IN LITERATURE: In Webster's, it means either a soldier using a certain muzzle-loading weapon, or a boon companion musketeer |
| #4821, aired 2005-07-18 | ARCHITECTS: He called himself "the man who introduced the glass box and then, 50 years later, broke it" Philip Johnson |
| #4820, aired 2005-07-15 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: This 1952 classic contains the line "No one was with her when she died" Charlotte's Web |
| #4819, aired 2005-07-14 | VOLCANOES: In the last 400 years, over 2/3 of all the deaths caused by volcanoes occurred in what is now this nation Indonesia |
| #4818, aired 2005-07-13 | SLOGANS: In 1986 the Texas Department of Transportation began using this 4-word slogan as part of a campaign to prevent litter "Don't mess with Texas" |
| #4817, aired 2005-07-12 | THE 50 STATES: Rejected earlier in its bid for statehood, it finally entered the Union in 1876 Colorado |
| #4816, aired 2005-07-11 | SUPREME COURT JUSTICES: Robert Jackson, the only justice to take a formal leave of absence, went to be a prosecutor in this foreign city Nuremberg |
| #4815, aired 2005-07-08 | OLYMPIC ATHLETES: In 1960 European journalists gave her the nickname "La Gazzella" Wilma Rudolph |
| #4814, aired 2005-07-07 | ON THE GLOBE: Moving west from Canada, the next 3 countries through which the Arctic Circle passes USA, Russia, & Finland |
| #4813, aired 2005-07-06 | PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT: Now in his job over 17 years, he's the longest-serving pres. appointee other than Supreme Court members Alan Greenspan (Chairman of the Federal Reserve) |
| #4812, aired 2005-07-05 | WARTIME: The Victoria Cross is made from metal taken from enemy guns captured in this war the Crimean War |
| #4811, aired 2005-07-04 | TERMS IN SCIENCE: Sky & Telescope magazine's contest to replace this term for a single event got 13,000 entries, but chose none the Big Bang |
| #4810, aired 2005-07-01 | U.S. SENATE HISTORY: Of the 15 expulsions of senators in the Senate's 215-year history, 11 took place in this year 1861 |
| #4809, aired 2005-06-30 | OSCAR NOMINEES: In a 1964 film, he played 3 characters but received only one nomination for Best Actor Peter Sellers |
| #4808, aired 2005-06-29 | MUSICAL THEATER: In Act II of this musical, an election victory is announced "on the balcony of the Casa Rosada" Evita |
| #4807, aired 2005-06-28 | 20th CENTURY AUTHORS: In 1956 she published "Venice Observed" & her brother Kevin starred in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" Mary McCarthy |
| #4806, aired 2005-06-27 | MILITARY MEN: Last name of the first father & son to be awarded medals of honor, for service in the Civil War & WWII respectively Arthur & Douglas MacArthur |
| #4805, aired 2005-06-24 | RULERS: Though he was already emperor of one country, Franz Joseph was crowned in this city June 8, 1867 Budapest |
| #4804, aired 2005-06-23 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He's the only president to have held 2 different cabinet posts: Secretary of State & Secretary of War James Monroe |
| #4803, aired 2005-06-22 | HISTORIC NAMES: The first name of this man born February 15, 1564 was derived from his parents' surname, a common Tuscan habit at that time Galileo Galilei |
| #4802, aired 2005-06-21 | U.S. COLLEGE TOWNS: This 2-word city is named for the founders' wives (they had the same name) & the natural groves found there Ann Arbor, Michigan |
| #4801, aired 2005-06-20 | SIGNS & SYMBOLS: The official insignia of this profession includes a serpent on a staff, a Greek delta & 32 leaves dentistry |
| #4800, aired 2005-06-17 | AUTHORS: This writer was born in Germantown, Penn. on Nov. 29, 1832, the second of 4 daughters Louisa May Alcott |
| #4799, aired 2005-06-16 | HISTORIC BUSINESSMEN: Tired of his fragile wares being smashed in transit, this man born in 1730 advocated British turnpike building Wedgwood |
| #4798, aired 2005-06-15 | 20th CENTURY ATHLETES: In 1938, at age 25, she became the youngest person made a Knight First Class of the Order of St. Olav Sonja Henie |
| #4797, aired 2005-06-14 | EUROPEAN CAPITALS: In an August 1989 protest, a 2-million-person human chain stretched from Tallinn to Riga to this city Vilnius |
| #4796, aired 2005-06-13 | AMERICANA: This type of roadside establishment got its name & original design from a Pullman product a diner |
| #4795, aired 2005-06-10 | PRESIDENTS: The last time there were no living ex-presidents was when this man was president Richard Nixon |
| #4794, aired 2005-06-09 | AMERICAN LICENSE PLATES: One of its official license plates bears the motto "Taxation without Representation" Washington, D.C. |
| #4793, aired 2005-06-08 | CHARITABLE WORK: Musician Ray Charles raised money for people afflicted by this, saying, "To me, it's the worst thing in the world" deafness (or hearing impairment) |
| #4792, aired 2005-06-07 | NOTORIOUS: In 1934 in Chicago, soon before his death, he had painful plastic surgery that left him looking pretty much the same John Dillinger |
| #4791, aired 2005-06-06 | CONTEMPORARY QUOTATIONS: On Dec. 13, 2000 he said, "While I strongly disagree with the court's decision, I accept it" Al Gore |
| #4790, aired 2005-06-03 | PLAYWRIGHTS: His early play "Ivanov" opens with a man carrying a gun & yes, a gun does go off by the end (Anton) Chekhov |
| #4789, aired 2005-06-02 | NEW YORK CITY: Opened in 1937, it got its name in response to the George Washington Bridge, north of it the Lincoln Tunnel |
| #4788, aired 2005-06-01 | PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN SLOGANS: It's the election year the campaign slogans "The Moose Is Loose" & "Ready for Teddy Again" were used 1912 |
| #4787, aired 2005-05-31 | BEATLES MUSIC: Chauffeur Alf Bicknell was the inspiration for this 1965 song "Drive My Car" |
| #4786, aired 2005-05-30 | LEGAL TERMS: In 1999 Britain replaced Latin legal terms with English ones; "witness summons" replaced this word subpoena |
| #4785, aired 2005-05-27 | BODIES OF WATER: The Latin name of this waterway is Fretum Herculeum the Strait of Gibraltar |
| #4784, aired 2005-05-26 | MYTHOLOGICAL WORDS: Its name is from the Greek for "to bind", which in turn may come from the Egyptian shesep-ankh, "living image" the sphinx |
| #4783, aired 2005-05-25 | 20th CENTURY AMERICANS: These names of 2 original Mercury astronauts, who orbited Earth in May 1962 & May 1963, are also occupations Scott Carpenter & Gordon Cooper |
| #4782, aired 2005-05-24 | LAW & SOCIETY: This Hollywood legend who died January 21, 1959 supported placing monuments that have since brought legal challenges Cecil B. DeMille |
| #4781, aired 2005-05-23 | IMAGES OF AMERICA: Citing John Winthrop, who said, "The eyes of all people are on us", Ronald Reagan liked to compare the U.S. to this a shining city on a hill |
| #4780, aired 2005-05-20 | HISTORIC OBJECTS: Given to Washington by Lafayette, one of the keys to this is on display at Mount Vernon the Bastille |
| #4779, aired 2005-05-19 | NUCLEAR POWER: This state, besides having the first, also has the most nuclear reactors Illinois |
| #4778, aired 2005-05-18 | WORDS FROM LATIN: Some of the periods of time called this occurred in 304 A.D. (4 years), 1314 (2 years), 1958 (19 days), 1963 & 2005 interregnum |
| #4777, aired 2005-05-17 | FAMILIAR PHRASES: This 5-word rule or maxim has been attributed to both H. Gordon Selfridge & John Wanamaker The customer is always right |
| #4776, aired 2005-05-16 | BIBLICAL CITIES: Of the 10 most populous U.S. cities, the one that shares its name with a city mentioned in Revelation Philadelphia |
| #4775, aired 2005-05-13 | NATIONAL ANTHEMS: Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore wrote the national anthems of these 2 countries India & Bangladesh |
| #4774, aired 2005-05-12 | LITERARY MUSICAL THEATRE: Songs in this 1956 show include "Oh, Happy We", "You Were Dead, You Know" & "The Best Of All Possible Worlds" Candide |
| #4773, aired 2005-05-11 | FAMOUS PAIRS: Now meaning nearly identical, these 2 names were applied to rivals Handel & Bononcini in a 1720s British verse Tweedledum & Tweedledee |
| #4772, aired 2005-05-10 | 20th CENTURY AUTHORS: Born of Norwegian descent in 1916, he was given the first name of a famous Norwegian of the time Roald Dahl |
| #4771, aired 2005-05-09 | PEOPLE & PLACES: This Mediterranean island shares its name with President Garfield's nickname for his wife Crete |
| #4770, aired 2005-05-06 | FICTIONAL ANIMALS: The name of this character, introduced in 1894, is from the Hindi for "bear" Baloo |
| #4769, aired 2005-05-05 | FEMALE FIRSTS: After 285 years, in 1945 this British organization inducted its first women, including Kathleen Lonsdale, seen here the Royal Society |
| #4768, aired 2005-05-04 | VOCABULARY: Its original meaning was a resident of a certain wealthy city; now it means one who indulges in luxury sybarite |
| #4767, aired 2005-05-03 | WORDS FROM MYTHOLOGY: It refers to a mythical bird that calmed waves, or to past happy "days"; spelled differently, it's a sleeping pill halcyon |
| #4766, aired 2005-05-02 | WORLD CITIES: Capital of the ancient Roman province of Galatia, it became a modern national capital in 1923 Ankara |
| #4765, aired 2005-04-29 | 19th CENTURY AMERICAN ART: Some versions of this painting based on a Bible verse show William Penn making a treaty with the Indians in the background Hicks's Peaceable Kingdom |
| #4764, aired 2005-04-28 | BRITISH MILITARY HISTORY: He commanded the forces that rescued the survivors of the infamous Black Hole of Calcutta in 1756 Robert Clive |
| #4763, aired 2005-04-27 | RELIGIOUS HISTORY: From the Greek, the name of this movement of the early Christian era means that its members had knowledge of God Gnosticism |
| #4762, aired 2005-04-26 | IN THE DICTIONARY: Much in the news of the world at the end of June 2004, it's the only English word to contain "GNT" consecutively sovereignty |
| #4761, aired 2005-04-25 | U.S. CITIES: In 1790 this Midwest city was named for a society that had been named for a Roman citizen-soldier Cincinnati |
| #4760, aired 2005-04-22 | NEW LAWS: CEOs must personally certify their corporate books following a July 2002 law named for these 2 men Sen. Paul Sarbanes & Rep. Michael Oxley |
| #4759, aired 2005-04-21 | 20th CENTURY ASIA: In 1942 Aung San, commander of this country's Independence Army, married nurse Khin Kyi Burma |
| #4758, aired 2005-04-20 | LITERARY INSPIRATIONS: This real man inspired a 1719 novel character & a poem that says, "I am monarch of all I survey" Alexander Selkirk |
| #4757, aired 2005-04-19 | THE CABINET: A top member of the Reagan Cabinet, he was also Labor Secretary & Treasury Secretary under Richard Nixon George Shultz |
| #4756, aired 2005-04-18 | INVENTED WORDS: In works by Lewis Carroll, this word means "four in the afternoon; the time when you begin broiling things for dinner" brillig |
| #4755, aired 2005-04-15 | BRITISH ROYALTY: When his tomb was opened in 1102, a fragrance filled the air, & his body was perfectly preserved Edward the Confessor |
| #4754, aired 2005-04-14 | ANCIENT CITIES: It sided with Sparta in the Peloponnesian War, & the Bible includes 2 letters to its Christians Corinth |
| #4753, aired 2005-04-13 | 16th CENTURY NAMES: As a foe of the Spanish, he's been called "The Queen's Pirate" & a "Gran Luterano" Sir Francis Drake |
| #4752, aired 2005-04-12 | ASTRONOMY: It's the colorful 2-word term used to describe the motion of galaxies coming toward us, like Andromeda is blue shift |
| #4751, aired 2005-04-11 | ARLINGTON'S TOMB OF UNKNOWNS: Sentinels at the tomb walk exactly this many steps at a time before they stop & turn 21 |
| #4750, aired 2005-04-08 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: Dr. Seuss wrote this book to win a bet that he couldn't write a book using only 50 different words Green Eggs and Ham |
| #4749, aired 2005-04-07 | NOTABLE AFRICAN AMERICANS: In 1980 Marva Collins declined this Cabinet post in favor of keeping her regular job Secretary of Education |
| #4748, aired 2005-04-06 | FAMOUS PLACES: The appearance of this famous site gave England its old name of Albion the White Cliffs of Dover |
| #4747, aired 2005-04-05 | HISTORIC PLACES: The towns of Vierville-sur-Mer & Colleville-sur-Mer entered history with this 2-word area named for a U.S. city Omaha Beach |
| #4746, aired 2005-04-04 | PRESIDENTS & THE MOVIES: This president arranged the first film showing in the White House when he had "The Birth of a Nation" screened there Woodrow Wilson |
| #4745, aired 2005-04-01 | AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY: In 1959 the ad firm of Doyle Dane Bernbach began using the slogan "Ugly is only skin-deep" for this import model Volkswagen Beetle |
| #4744, aired 2005-03-31 | ENGLISH LIT: This 17th century poetic follow-up begins, "I who ere while the happy garden sung, by one man's disobedience lost..." Paradise Regained |
| #4743, aired 2005-03-30 | VOCABULARY: This term for a sudden piece of good fortune literally refers to fruit blown to the ground windfall |
| #4742, aired 2005-03-29 | HISTORICAL PLAYS: "If I were to dress as a woman, they would think of me as a woman... What would become of me?" is a line from this 1923 play Saint Joan |
| #4741, aired 2005-03-28 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He's the only U.S. president to serve in the Senate after leaving the White House Andrew Johnson |
| #4740, aired 2005-03-25 | 12-LETTER WORDS: A chemist in the 1920s coined this term after finding lavender oil not only hid the odor of his burnt hand but also healed it aromatherapy |
| #4739, aired 2005-03-24 | HARVARD MEN: Books by this alumnus include 1957's "Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy" & 1994's "Diplomacy" Henry Kissinger |
| #4738, aired 2005-03-23 | MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: The team names of these 2 expansion clubs start with the same 3 letters; one might catch the other the Seattle Mariners & the Florida Marlins |
| #4737, aired 2005-03-22 | CYBER-GLOSSARY: In computerese this word from the Hindu faith means an icon of a user in virtual reality an avatar |
| #4736, aired 2005-03-21 | WORLD FACTS: In 2004 Brenda Christian became the first woman mayor of this island with a population of about 47 Pitcairn Island |
| #4735, aired 2005-03-18 | EUROPEAN LANGUAGES: In this language spoken by 120 million worldwide, all of the days of the week but one end with the same 3 letters German |
| #4734, aired 2005-03-17 | WORDS: This 6-letter word can mean both a bright light above someone's head & a dark cloud above our heads nimbus |
| #4733, aired 2005-03-16 | THE 2004 U.S. ELECTIONS: This woman received the third-highest vote total of any candidate for all of the November 2004 elections Barbara Boxer |
| #4732, aired 2005-03-15 | ARTISTIC MASTERPIECES: "Shouldn't the shining dots of the sky be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France?" the artist wrote of this work The Starry Night (by Vincent van Gogh) |
| #4731, aired 2005-03-14 | THE 20th CENTURY: To allow people to communicate more quickly, on May 15, 1918, courtesy of the U.S. Army, this service began air mail |
| #4730, aired 2005-03-11 | HISTORIC BRITS: During the American Revolution, in his last moments he said, "It will be but a momentary pang" Major John André |
| #4729, aired 2005-03-10 | ANCIENT WRITERS: Born in 43 B.C., his most famous work begins, "My intention is to tell of bodies changed to different forms" Ovid (in Metamorphoses) |
| #4728, aired 2005-03-09 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: It begins, "'To be born again,' sang Gibreel Farishta tumbling from the heavens, 'first you have to die'" The Satanic Verses (by Salman Rushdie) |
| #4727, aired 2005-03-08 | THE SCIENCE WORLD: With Napoleon III's support, a physiological chemistry lab was created for him at the Ecole Normale Superieure (Louis) Pasteur |
| #4726, aired 2005-03-07 | SPORTS PHRASE ORIGINS: In 1939 an Illinois sports official wrote "A little" of this alliterative phrase may "contribute to sanity" March Madness |
| #4725, aired 2005-03-04 | U.S. ISLANDS: Dutch for either "devil's whirlpool" or "spite the devil", Spuyten Duyvil Creek forms part of its northern border Manhattan |
| #4724, aired 2005-03-03 | 20th CENTURY AMERICANS: He was alive for the Wright Brothers' historic flight & was John Glenn's Senate colleague when Glenn returned to space Strom Thurmond |
| #4723, aired 2005-03-02 | DETECTIVE FICTION: "Grand Master Villiers de l'Isle d'Adam had" this made "by Turkish slaves in the castle of St. Angelo" the Maltese Falcon |
| #4722, aired 2005-03-01 | HISTORIC QUOTATIONS: In 1900 Teddy Roosevelt wrote, "I have always been fond of the West African proverb:" this "speak softly and carry a big stick" |
| #4721, aired 2005-02-28 | COLLEGE LIBRARIES: Built in memory of a victim of this tragedy, Harvard's Widener Library was opened in 1915 the sinking of the Titanic |
| #4720, aired 2005-02-25 | WOOD: The remarkable elasticity of yew led to this new weapon that made history at a 1346 battle the longbow |
| #4719, aired 2005-02-24 | THE U.S. CENSUS OF 1790: It was the only state in the 1790 census to claim a slave population of zero Massachusetts |
| #4718, aired 2005-02-23 | BESTSELLING AUTHORS: In 2000 this writer, with more than 100 million copies of novels in print, had a new species of dinosaur named for him Michael Crichton |
| #4717, aired 2005-02-22 | POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY: The 2 island nations that are official members of the G-8 (Group of Eight) Japan & the United Kingdom |
| #4716, aired 2005-02-21 | FOREIGN WORDS & PHRASES: It's the more commonly used term for the practice of Chinese geomancy feng shui |
| #4715, aired 2005-02-18 | WORDPLAY: This word for a type of war is one of the few 5-letter words that can be made using only Roman numerals civil |
| #4714, aired 2005-02-17 | AMERICAN WRITERS: These 2 writers of lavish prose, born in North Carolina & Virginia 30 years apart, have the same first & last name Thomas Wolfe & Tom Wolfe |
| #4713, aired 2005-02-16 | SINGERS: This man who often criticized the government was named for the president elected in 1912, his birth year Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie |
| #4712, aired 2005-02-15 | SHAKESPEAREAN ROYALTY: Kings Edward IV & Edward V, the future Henry VII & the corpse of Henry VI appear in the play named for him Richard III |
| #4711, aired 2005-02-14 | STATE SYMBOLS: In 1993 it became the first state to adopt an official flavor, which, incidentally, comes from its state tree Vermont |
| #4710, aired 2005-02-11 | 1930s MOVIES: This film that originally hit the big screen in 1930 was re-released soon after the German invasion of Poland All Quiet on the Western Front |
| #4709, aired 2005-02-10 | LEGAL TERMS: Innuendo is what a plaintiff must demonstrate in order to prove the commission of this slander (or libel or defamation) |
| #4708, aired 2005-02-09 | 19th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: With 5, this president had more attorneys general in his administration than any other president Ulysses S. Grant |
| #4707, aired 2005-02-08 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: (Hi, I'm John McCain.) In presidential succession, the senator holding this position follows the VP & the Speaker of the House president pro tempore |
| #4706, aired 2005-02-07 | THE ELEMENTS: By weight, this element makes up more of the human body than all the others combined oxygen |
| #4705, aired 2005-02-04 | U.S. POLITICS: A member of this family has spoken at every Democratic National Convention since 1956 the Kennedys |
| #4704, aired 2005-02-03 | BIBLICAL NAMES: This biblical figure's name comes from the Hebrew word meaning "to be drawn" from the water Moses |
| #4703, aired 2005-02-02 | IN THE NEWS: Launched in 2004, a spacecraft named MESSENGER is on a mission to study this planet Mercury |
| #4702, aired 2005-02-01 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: "The Pastor and His Parishioner" is Chapter 17 of this classic novel The Scarlet Letter |
| #4701, aired 2005-01-31 | ASTRONAUTS: Born Edwin in 1930, this Apollo astronaut legally changed his name in 1982 to his popular nickname Buzz Aldrin |
| #4700, aired 2005-01-28 | THE WORLD OF ART: It's the room where you'll find the masterpiece that includes "The Flood" & "The Creation of Eve" the Sistine Chapel |
| #4699, aired 2005-01-27 | MOUNTAINS: To trek through its Khumbu Icefall, Lhotse Face & South Col, your team needs a $70,000 permit from Nepal's government Mount Everest |
| #4698, aired 2005-01-26 | LANDMARKS: Located SE of Charlottesville, Virginia, it has 3 stories, an octagonal dome & 33 rooms of varying shapes Monticello |
| #4697, aired 2005-01-25 | 18th CENTURY POETRY: 18th c. poem that says, "Forever cursed be this detested day, Which snatched my best, my favorite curl away!" "The Rape of the Lock" |
| #4696, aired 2005-01-24 | MIDDLE EASTERN AFFAIRS: The Arab-Israeli War that started on June 5, 1967 ended with a cease-fire on this date in Israel June 10, 1967 |
| #4695, aired 2005-01-21 | FICTIONAL CHILDREN: This boy introduced in a 1902 book flew away from his mother when he was 7 days old Peter Pan |
| #4694, aired 2005-01-20 | BESTSELLING NOVELS: Today, many who visit Santa Maria delle Grazie Church admit doing so because of this 2003 No. 1 bestseller The Da Vinci Code |
| #4693, aired 2005-01-19 | CLASSIC AMERICAN SONGS: The introductory verse to this 1908 song begins, "Katie Casey was baseball mad" "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" |
| #4692, aired 2005-01-18 | BRANDS: This brand's airtight seal, introduced in 1946, was patterned after the inverted rim of a paint can Tupperware |
| #4691, aired 2005-01-17 | WORLD MONARCHS: On the throne since 1946, the king of this Asian country is the world's longest-serving living monarch Thailand (Rama IX or King Bhumbibol Adulyadej) |
| #4690, aired 2005-01-14 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: They're the 2 men who served the U.S. as President representing the Union Party Abraham Lincoln & Andrew Johnson |
| #4689, aired 2005-01-13 | FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVANTS: With 7 years' service, this man who resigned in June 2004 had the longest tenure in his position in over 4 decades George Tenet (former head of the CIA) |
| #4688, aired 2005-01-12 | DATES IN AMERICAN HISTORY: On this date Philadelphia partied with fireworks & music from a Hessian band captured 6 months earlier July 4, 1777 |
| #4687, aired 2005-01-11 | ENGLISH ROYALTY: One of the 3 years in which 3 different kings reigned (1 of) 1936, 1483, or 1066 |
| #4686, aired 2005-01-10 | 20th CENTURY AUTHORS: This Russian-born author & scientist who died in 1992 said, "I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" Isaac Asimov |
| #4685, aired 2005-01-07 | MAGAZINES: Founded in 1821, it was named for its delivery time, the last mail delivery of the day The Saturday Evening Post |
| #4684, aired 2005-01-06 | EUROPE: After being subdued by the Franks in the 700s, this people formed a kingdom at Pamplona in the 800s the Basques |
| #4683, aired 2005-01-05 | 1920s NOSTALGIA: A poor couple window-shopping a diamond bracelet at this store inspired the song "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" Tiffany's |
| #4682, aired 2005-01-04 | TECHNOLOGY: In 1913 this alloy was invented by Harry Brearley of Sheffield, England, a city known for its cutlery since before 1400 stainless steel |
| #4681, aired 2005-01-03 | MILITARY MATTERS: According to the CIA, this foreign country has the highest military expenditures per capita Israel |
| #4680, aired 2004-12-31 | THE SOLAR SYSTEM: Objects that pass closer to the Sun than Mercury have been named for this mythological figure Icarus |
| #4679, aired 2004-12-30 | VICE PRESIDENTS: He was the first vice president to cast zero tiebreaking votes in his capacity as president of the Senate John Tyler |
| #4678, aired 2004-12-29 | ISLANDS: Just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, it became the first U.S. possession occupied by the Japanese Guam |
| #4677, aired 2004-12-28 | 8-LETTER WORDS: Differing by one letter, the 2 words that mean job & time away from the job vocation & vacation |
| #4676, aired 2004-12-27 | BODIES OF WATER: This sea that extends about 1,200 miles was referred to in ancient times as the Erythraean Sea the Red Sea |
| #4675, aired 2004-12-24 | PSYCHOLOGY: In 1973 4 bank employees held hostage in this city ended up feeling grateful to their captors Stockholm |
| #4674, aired 2004-12-23 | AUTHORS: He publicly objected to the name of a 2004 documentary for infringing on the title of one of his books Ray Bradbury |
| #4673, aired 2004-12-22 | 19th CENTURY SPEECHES: At Harvard, this writer proposed that we work 1 day & leave 6 free for the "sublime revelations of nature" Henry David Thoreau |
| #4672, aired 2004-12-21 | DANTE'S INFERNO: At the center of Hell, Satan is devouring Brutus, Cassius & this biblical figure Judas |
| #4671, aired 2004-12-20 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: Last names of the 2 famous families in which 3 generations have won Oscars Huston and Coppola |
| #4670, aired 2004-12-17 | ANNUAL EVENTS: A high-bounce ball inspired businessman Lamar Hunt to give an annual event this name the Super Bowl |
| #4669, aired 2004-12-16 | HISTORIC OBJECTS: More than 600 people, 200 horses, 40 ships, Edward the Confessor & Halley's Comet are depicted on it the Bayeux Tapestry |
| #4668, aired 2004-12-15 | HISTORIC MESSAGES: In 1943 he sent the famous message "Eleven alive native knows posit and reefs Nauru Island" John Fitzgerald Kennedy |
| #4667, aired 2004-12-14 | AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS: The only Oscar winner also to win a Nobel Prize, this European won a 1938 Oscar for adapting his own play George Bernard Shaw |
| #4666, aired 2004-12-13 | BUSINESS HISTORY: Last names of the 2 men, both engineers, who met & formed a partnership at England's Midland Hotel in May 1904 Rolls and Royce |
| #4665, aired 2004-12-10 | STATE MOTTOES: 2 of the 5 states whose mottoes aren't in English or Latin (2 of) Hawaii, Washington, Montana, Minnesota, or California |
| #4664, aired 2004-12-09 | RARITIES: All 6 examples of his signature known to exist date from between 1612 & 1616 William Shakespeare |
| #4663, aired 2004-12-08 | THE CABINET: He's been both the youngest & the oldest U.S. Secretary of Defense in history Donald Rumsfeld |
| #4662, aired 2004-12-07 | PLAYWRIGHTS: His 1840s romance with an older housemaid in Grimstad may have inspired his later themes of guilt & social hypocrisy Henrik Ibsen |
| #4661, aired 2004-12-06 | CHILDREN'S STORIES: In German, this classic story is called "Die Kleine Seejungfrau" "The Little Mermaid" |
| #4660, aired 2004-12-03 | U.S. CITIES: Of the USA's 10 most populous cities, 1 of the 2 that dropped in population from 1990 to 2000 (1 of) Detroit or Philadelphia |
| #4659, aired 2004-12-02 | VOCABULARY: This adjective for scholars & "Jeopardy!" champs is from the Latin ex, "out or away" & rudis, "rudeness" erudite |
| #4658, aired 2004-12-01 | THE 18th CENTURY: In 1790 the HMS Pandora sailed thousands of miles specifically to bring back this man, but failed Fletcher Christian |
| #4657, aired 2004-11-30 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Most of this firm's 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only 4 months a year H&R Block |
| #4656, aired 2004-11-29 | BABY NAMES: Of the Social Security Administration's top 10 boys' names in 2000, the 2, ending in the same letter, on a list of the 12 Apostles Matthew & Andrew |
| #4655, aired 2004-11-26 | 19th CENTURY U.S. HISTORY: Of the 5 times Congress has declared war, the 3 during the 19th century were against these 3 nations Britain, Spain & Mexico |
| #4654, aired 2004-11-25 | POLITICAL WORDS & PHRASES: Teddy Roosevelt used this boxing phrase to announce his 1912 candidacy & said, "The fight is on & I'm stripped to the buff" (my) hat is in the ring |
| #4653, aired 2004-11-24 | 20th CENTURY VICE PRESIDENTS: Aptly, his middle name contained the word "rich" Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller |
| #4652, aired 2004-11-23 | STATE FACTS: This state & its capital were named for 2 dukedoms held by the same British man New York |
| #4651, aired 2004-11-22 | 20th CENTURY AMERICANS: At the dedication of a fountain at Radcliffe College in 1960, she began her speech with the single word "Water" Helen Keller |
| #4650, aired 2004-11-19 | FAMOUS WOMEN: In 1952 William Rehnquist graduated first in his class at Stanford Law & she graduated third Sandra Day O'Connor |
| #4649, aired 2004-11-18 | AMERICAN NOVELS: The image seen here is part of Faulkner's original text of this 1930 novel As I Lay Dying |
| #4648, aired 2004-11-17 | SCIENCE NEWS: In June 2000 Bill Clinton described it as "the most wondrous map ever produced" the human genome |
| #4647, aired 2004-11-16 | OCCUPATIONS: While working as one, Charlotte Bronte complained that one of these "has no existence, is not considered as a living... being" a governess |
| #4646, aired 2004-11-15 | BEETHOVEN: Poet & critic Ludwig Rellstab compared this piano work to a nighttime boat ride on Lake Lucerne Moonlight Sonata |
| #4645, aired 2004-11-12 | ON THE GLOBE: 2-word alternate name for 0 degrees longitude Prime Meridian |
| #4644, aired 2004-11-11 | BRITISH NOVEL CHARACTERS: W.E. Henley, the amputee who wrote the brave poem "Invictus", inspired this character in an 1883 book Long John Silver |
| #4643, aired 2004-11-10 | WORLD FLAGS: Never directly seen in the Northern Hemisphere, it's featured on the flags of 5 of the world's countries the Southern Cross |
| #4642, aired 2004-11-09 | THEATRICAL PREMIERES: The "Playboy Riots" took place in this world capital in 1907 following a theatrical premiere Dublin |
| #4641, aired 2004-11-08 | COMPANY ORIGINS: This Fortune 100 company got its name from what it bought from sailors & sold to natural history collectors Shell Oil |
| #4640, aired 2004-11-06 | SPORTS: Its solo female winner is awarded the Venus Rosewater Dish Wimbledon |
| #4639, aired 2004-11-05 | LITERATURE: In early drafts, the heroine of this novel was named Pansy & her family home was called Fontenoy Hall Gone with the Wind |
| #4638, aired 2004-11-04 | U.S. TRAVEL AND TOURISM: Souvenirs sold at this attraction include 1962 World's Fair glassware & mugs boasting "I made it to the top" the Space Needle |
| #4637, aired 2004-11-03 | ROYALTY: This king was the great-grandfather of France's King Louis XV Louis XIV |
| #4636, aired 2004-11-01 | SEMIANNUAL PUBLICATIONS: It began in 1886 as an extension of an upper crust family's list of whose house they'd visit & who they'd receive The Social Register |
| #4635, aired 2004-10-29 | FILMS OF THE '70s: "The Babysitter Murders" was the working title for this 1978 thriller Halloween |
| #4634, aired 2004-10-28 | HISTORIC AREAS: In 1893, as it was disappearing, F.J. Turner wrote a famous essay on "The Significance of" it "in American History" the Frontier |
| #4633, aired 2004-10-27 | POPULATIONS: With only about 425,000 people, it's South America's least populous independent mainland country Suriname (formerly Dutch Guiana) |
| #4632, aired 2004-10-26 | AUTHORS: After several decades off it, works by this man seen here returned to the New York Times Bestseller List in 2003 J.R.R. Tolkien |
| #4631, aired 2004-10-25 | HISTORIC FIRSTS: The brother of this leader is believed to be the first known European to have died in the Americas Leif Ericson |
| #4630, aired 2004-10-22 | THE OLYMPICS: This sport that's also known as whiff-whaff & flim-flam has been an Olympic sport since 1988 table tennis (or ping pong) |
| #4629, aired 2004-10-21 | THE EARLY 20th CENTURY: On April 11, 1912, from a pier in Queenstown, Ireland, Francis Browne took one of the last known photos of this the Titanic |
| #4628, aired 2004-10-20 | BIBLICAL WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: As described in the Bible, the total volume of this was 450,000 cubic cubits Noah's Ark |
| #4627, aired 2004-10-19 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: With a common nickname that refers to its size, this is the largest island in the United States Hawaii |
| #4626, aired 2004-10-18 | FAMOUS FIRSTS: In 1876 this man became the first person not to get a busy signal on the other end of a phone line Alexander Graham Bell |
| #4625, aired 2004-10-15 | FAMOUS PAIRS: They first teamed up in 1974; one a quiet Latin teacher & the other a former clown college student Penn & Teller |
| #4624, aired 2004-10-14 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: After his public comments were criticized by FDR, he resigned his Air Corps Reserve commission in April 1941 Charles Lindbergh |
| #4623, aired 2004-10-13 | 1920s TRANSPORTATION: Last name of the Chicago cab fleet operator who started the "Drive-Ur-Self" rental system Hertz |
| #4622, aired 2004-10-12 | WESTERN HEMISPHERE GEOGRAPHY: The 2nd-smallest independent country in area in the Western Hemisphere; in the '80s it was invaded by the 2nd largest Grenada |
| #4621, aired 2004-10-11 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: Legend says this musical was inspired by Lunt & Fontanne's backstage bickering during a Shakespeare play Kiss Me, Kate |
| #4620, aired 2004-10-08 | MEN OF SCIENCE: "Somnium", an early work of science fiction, was written by this German & published posthumously in 1634 Johannes Kepler |
| #4619, aired 2004-10-07 | FAMOUS NAMES: The last thing visitors see in the exhibit area of the Salem Witch Museum is a huge photo of this politician (Sen.) Joseph McCarthy |
| #4618, aired 2004-10-06 | 2004: On Monday, December 13, 3 people designated these will meet in Cheyenne, Wyoming to help decide the world's future electors |
| #4617, aired 2004-10-05 | AMERICANA: This Monsanto product was developed as a covering to turn asphalt lots in urban areas into playgrounds AstroTurf |
| #4616, aired 2004-10-04 | POETS: Called the 2 most innovative 19th century American poets, one didn't read the other after being "told that he was disgraceful" Emily Dickinson & Walt Whitman |
| #4615, aired 2004-10-01 | AMERICANISMS: Around 1900 Monroe Rosenfeld remarked that the music heard along NYC's 28th Street sounded like this tin pans |
| #4614, aired 2004-09-30 | ACRONYMS: Passed in October 2001, its full name includes "providing appropriate tools required..." the USA PATRIOT Act |
| #4613, aired 2004-09-29 | 19th CENTURY NAMES: Once known as "the handsomest man in America", he performed his last play, "The Apostate", on March 18, 1865 John Wilkes Booth |
| #4612, aired 2004-09-28 | POETS: A San Francisco resident since the 1950s, in 1998 he became the city's first Poet Laureate Lawrence Ferlinghetti (owner of City Lights bookstore in San Francisco) |
| #4611, aired 2004-09-27 | PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS: 1 of the 2 novels, both Southern, that won the Pulitzer for fiction & became Best Picture Oscar winners (1 of) Gone with the Wind or All the King's Men |
| #4610, aired 2004-09-24 | CHILDREN'S AUTHORS: After WWI he wrote, "To develop a horse-surgery… would necessitate a knowledge of horse language" Hugh Lofting (author of the Doctor Dolittle books) |
| #4609, aired 2004-09-23 | 20th CENTURY SHIPS: This British ship was named for a Roman province established in the area of Portugal in 27 B.C. the Lusitania |
| #4608, aired 2004-09-22 | GEOGRAPHY IN LITERATURE: Leo Tolstoy's story about Hadji Murat, "who slew the Russian swine", opens in this present-day Russian republic Chechnya |
| #4607, aired 2004-09-21 | FIRST LADIES: She survived the President by 39 years & was married to an archaeology professor at the time of her own death in 1947 Frances Folsom Cleveland |
| #4606, aired 2004-09-20 | ART SUBJECTS: Seen in sculpture, Eustache de St. Pierre & 5 other wealthy men made themselves hostages to free this city Calais (from Rodin's The Burghers of Calais) |
| #4605, aired 2004-09-17 | MARILYN MONROE MOVIES: Marilyn plots her husband's murder at a honeymoon site in this, her only film with a 1-word title Niagara |
| #4604, aired 2004-09-16 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: Ford Madox Ford, in the ‘20s, hadn’t “read more than six words” by this man before vowing to “publish everything he sent me” Ernest Hemingway |
| #4603, aired 2004-09-15 | BRITISH MONARCHS: Before Victoria & Elizabeth II, this was the last British monarch to reign during 2 different centuries George III |
| #4602, aired 2004-09-14 | ALIASES: Norma McCorvey recently sought a reversal to her landmark 1973 case in which she had this name (Jane) Roe |
| #4601, aired 2004-09-13 | COUNTRY NAMES: A Spanish dictionary defines it as "circulo maximo que equidista de los polos de la tierra" Ecuador |
| #4600, aired 2004-09-10 | PATRON SAINTS: In November 2000, Pope John Paul II proclaimed this 16th century Englishman as the patron saint of politicians Sir Thomas More |
| #4599, aired 2004-09-09 | PRESIDENTS: 2 of the 3 men who went from being either a U.S. senator or congressman directly to the presidency (2 of) Kennedy, Garfield, and Harding |
| #4598, aired 2004-09-08 | HISTORIC MEDIUMS: In the '20s the alleged spirit powers of Margery caused a rift between these 2 men, a magician & a writer Harry Houdini & Sir Arthur Conan Doyle |
| #4597, aired 2004-09-07 | WAR MOVIES: A controversial 1979 war film was based on a 1902 work by this author Joseph Conrad |
| #4596, aired 2004-09-06 | COMIC BOOKS: In 2002 the Library of Congress had William B. Jones, Jr. speak on this 1941-1971 comic book series in its collection Classic Comics (or Classics Illustrated) |
| #4595, aired 2004-07-23 | SHAKESPEARE: 2 of the 4 Shakespeare plays in which ghosts appear on stage (2 of) Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth & Richard III |
| #4594, aired 2004-07-22 | 20th CENTURY U.S. PRESIDENTS: The 2 U.S. presidents whose middle names are also the last names of 2 other presidents Ronald Wilson Reagan & William Jefferson Clinton |
| #4593, aired 2004-07-21 | SINGERS: Her recording career lasted just 8 years, starting in 1955 with "A Church, A Courtroom And Then Good-Bye" Patsy Cline |
| #4592, aired 2004-07-20 | ON THE MAP: In area it's the largest African country through which the Greenwich meridian passes Algeria |
| #4591, aired 2004-07-19 | OPERA: The libretto for "William Tell" was in this language, the native tongue of neither the composer, Rossini, nor the subject French |
| #4590, aired 2004-07-16 | FOOD: Experts believe that 16th century Dutch growers, through breeding, gave this vegetable its color to honor their ruling house the carrot |
| #4589, aired 2004-07-15 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: With a book about the South, he became the first president--past or present--to publish a novel Jimmy Carter |
| #4588, aired 2004-07-14 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: For his role in writing this 1861 document, Thomas Cobb of Georgia has been compared to James Madison the Confederate Constitution |
| #4587, aired 2004-07-13 | HEADLINES OF THE LAST 40 YEARS: The first 2 New York Times headlines set in 96-point type were in these 2 years, 5 years apart 1969 & 1974 |
| #4586, aired 2004-07-12 | NAMES IN THE BIBLE: Daniel means "God is my judge", Ezekiel, "God strengthens"; & this name in Genesis 32, "he strives with God" Israel |
| #4585, aired 2004-07-09 | INTERNATIONAL POLITICS: Of the 8 members of the G-8 industrial nations, the one with the smallest population Canada |
| #4584, aired 2004-07-08 | FICTIONAL PEOPLE: After a 58-year flirtation, this woman called it off temporarily in issue No. 720 Lois Lane |
| #4583, aired 2004-07-07 | WRITERS: Born in 1564, he was employed by Elizabeth I's Secretary of State to uncover Catholic plots against her reign (Christopher) Marlowe |
| #4582, aired 2004-07-06 | HISTORIC ENGLISHMEN: Ironically, he might have saved himself from death in 1779 if he had known how to swim Captain Cook |
| #4581, aired 2004-07-05 | MASS COMMUNICATION: Its 1st broadcast, February 24, 1942, said, "The news may be good. The news may be bad. We shall tell you the truth" Voice of America |
| #4580, aired 2004-07-02 | SPORTS HEROES: Born in January 1919, the month Teddy Roosevelt died, he was given the middle name Roosevelt Jackie Robinson |
| #4579, aired 2004-07-01 | FRUIT: This fruit of North America shares its name with a literary character who debuted in an 1876 novel the huckleberry |
| #4578, aired 2004-06-30 | HISTORIC NAMES: In 1899 he was released from Devil's Island & pardoned for "treason under extenuating circumstances" Captain Alfred Dreyfus |
| #4577, aired 2004-06-29 | CHILDREN'S LIT: This title character's full name is Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs the Wizard of Oz |
| #4576, aired 2004-06-28 | BOOK TITLES: "I am the rose of Sharon" & "When you know your name, you should hang on to it" are from 2 different books titled this Song of Solomon |
| #4575, aired 2004-06-25 | MEDICINE: In 1901 U.S. Surgeon General Walter Wyman helped establish a hospital in Hawaii for this disease leprosy |
| #4574, aired 2004-06-24 | FILMS OF THE '70s: This 1973 thriller was re-released in 2000 with extra footage, including a scene in which Ritalin is prescribed The Exorcist |
| #4573, aired 2004-06-23 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In 1826 Daniel Webster eulogized these 2 men, saying, "They took their flight together to the world of spirits" Thomas Jefferson & John Adams |
| #4572, aired 2004-06-22 | HISTORIC PARTNERSHIPS: The almost 4-decade collaboration of these 2 Germans began in Paris in 1844 Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels |
| #4571, aired 2004-06-21 | INVENTIONS: Josephine Cochrane's 1886 version of this consisted of a copper boiler, wire baskets & a pump a dishwasher |
| #4570, aired 2004-06-18 | THE 16th CENTURY: In 1582 the man born Ugo Buoncompagni proclaimed this solar dating system still used today the Gregorian calendar |
| #4569, aired 2004-06-17 | COMMUNICATIONS: In the NATO phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, etc.), the 2 that are title Shakespearean characters Romeo & Juliet |
| #4568, aired 2004-06-16 | FAMOUS PRODUCTS: First designed as a surgical disinfectant, in 1895 it was available to dentists & by 1914 was sold OTC Listerine |
| #4567, aired 2004-06-15 | CLASSIC LITERATURE: "Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay To mould me man..." is the epigraph to this 1818 novel Frankenstein |
| #4566, aired 2004-06-14 | ON EXHIBIT: The Chinese government, which controls all of these in the U.S., won't let a new one be named until it's 100 days old giant pandas |
| #4565, aired 2004-06-11 | UNITED NATIONS HISTORY: In 1960 this new national leader made the longest speech in United Nations history, 4 hours & 29 minutes Fidel Castro |
| #4564, aired 2004-06-10 | ENTERTAINMENT: This title character who debuted in 1999 was created by former marine biology educator Steve Hillenburg SpongeBob SquarePants |
| #4563, aired 2004-06-09 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: In a last-minute change in his manuscript, Charles Dickens renamed Little Fred this Tiny Tim |
| #4562, aired 2004-06-08 | EUROPEAN ISLANDS: Gavdos, an islet administratively part of this larger island, is Europe's southernmost point Crete |
| #4561, aired 2004-06-07 | WORDS & PHRASES: Once slang for brain, this 2-word phrase now means the Heritage Foundation or the Brookings Institution a think tank |
| #4560, aired 2004-06-04 | RECORD HOLDERS: Phoebe Snetsinger, she of the apropos first name, set a record for this activity, about 8,400 species birdwatching |
| #4559, aired 2004-06-03 | WORD ORIGINS: This somewhat negative term arose because twisting fibers into thread was mainly a woman's job spinster |
| #4558, aired 2004-06-02 | THE 2000 OLYMPICS: She's the first female track & field athlete to win medals in 5 different events at a single Olympics Marion Jones |
| #4557, aired 2004-06-01 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: The title object of this 1850 novel is described as "so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom" The Scarlet Letter |
| #4556, aired 2004-05-31 | THE MIDWEST: To journey through 3 adjacent states that start with the same letter, you have to go through these 3 Iowa, Illinois & Indiana |
| #4555, aired 2004-05-28 | THE INTERNET: Among 2-letter country codes in Internet addresses, "de" is Germany, "kh" is Cambodia & "es" is this country Spain (España) |
| #4554, aired 2004-05-27 | LONGFELLOW: In Longfellow's "Tales of a Wayside Inn", "The Landlord's Tale" concerns this man & begins with the word "Listen" Paul Revere |
| #4553, aired 2004-05-26 | NFL TEAM NAMES: 2 of the 4 teams in the NFL with completely alliterative names (2 of) the Seattle Seahawks, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Buffalo Bills, & the Tennessee Titans |
| #4552, aired 2004-05-25 | MYTHS & LEGENDS: At a feast he couldn't enjoy his dinner because his life was literally hanging by a thread Damocles |
| #4551, aired 2004-05-24 | STATE CAPITALS: This Southern capital was named for an ancestor of a 20th century poet known for his clever rhymes Nashville, Tennessee |
| #4550, aired 2004-05-21 | EXPLORATION: He wrote in his diary, "The loss of pony transport in March 1911 obliged me to start later than I had intended" Robert Falcon Scott |
| #4549, aired 2004-05-20 | OSCAR NOMINEES: The last 2 sisters nominated against each other for the Best Actress Oscar; it was for 1966 Lynn & Vanessa Redgrave |
| #4548, aired 2004-05-19 | TOURIST ATTRACTIONS: It occupies the 78 acres of land where Met Stadium, former home of the Vikings & Twins, once stood the Mall of America |
| #4547, aired 2004-05-18 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM: A part of this marine mammal was prized by medieval folk, who thought it belonged to a unicorn the narwhal |
| #4546, aired 2004-05-17 | THE 50 STATES: The USA's most-climbed mountain, Monadnock, is in this state associated with rock New Hampshire |
| #4545, aired 2004-05-14 | THE U.S. SENATE: In the year 1958, the U.S. Senate was made up of this many members 96 |
| #4544, aired 2004-05-13 | AMERICANA: Beginning an American tradition, in 1801 Aaron Burr's daughter Theodosia & her new husband honeymooned here Niagara Falls |
| #4543, aired 2004-05-12 | POP CULTURE: In 2004 a spokesman announced the "break-up" of this "couple" who had "dated" for 43 years Ken & Barbie |
| #4542, aired 2004-05-11 | METALS: Element No. 79, it's estimated that all of it ever mined would only make a cube about 50 feet across gold |
| #4541, aired 2004-05-10 | THE PRESIDENCY: If a president is impeached, this official presides over the trial in the Senate the Chief Justice of the United States (Chief Justice of the Supreme Court) |
| #4540, aired 2004-05-07 | THE 50 STATES: 2 of the 4 states whose names start & end with the same letter (2 of) Alaska, Arizona, Alabama & Ohio |
| #4539, aired 2004-05-06 | INVENTIONS: 11-year-old Frank Epperson invented this by accident when his fruit drink froze after being left outside overnight the popsicle |
| #4538, aired 2004-05-05 | CLASSIC MOVIES: A 35-foot-long muslin stocking was used to create the cyclone for this 1939 film The Wizard of Oz |
| #4537, aired 2004-05-04 | GEOGRAPHIC TERMS: Florida is one of these, Michigan is made up of several & Alaska is the biggest one in the Americas peninsula |
| #4536, aired 2004-05-03 | THE WESTERN U.S.: 2 popular places for swimming in this national park are in Firehole Canyon & at Boiling River Yellowstone |
| #4535, aired 2004-04-30 | 18th CENTURY BRITISH NOVELS: This title person asks a pile of money, "What art thou good for?... one of those knives is worth all this heap" Robinson Crusoe |
| #4534, aired 2004-04-29 | MYTHOLOGICAL NAMES: His name means "The Glory of" a certain goddess, & he built shrines to that goddess Hercules |
| #4533, aired 2004-04-28 | '80s FILMS: The first film rated PG-13, its colorful title was used as the code name for a 2003 capture mission in Iraq Red Dawn |
| #4532, aired 2004-04-27 | STATE CAPITALS: In 2003 a famous marker on the steps of this city's capitol got an altitude adjustment, being lowered by 3 feet Denver, Colorado |
| #4531, aired 2004-04-26 | PHRASES: It's the original meaning of the word "checkmate", or what many newspaper headlines said on August 17, 1977 "The King Is Dead" |
| #4530, aired 2004-04-23 | CLASSICAL COMPOSERS: The first movement of his 1868 first symphony is subtitled "Dreams of a Winter Journey" Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky |
| #4529, aired 2004-04-22 | TIME MAGAZINE'S MAN OF THE YEAR: The cover story about this 1930 Man of the Year described him as a "little half-naked brown man" Mohandas Gandhi |
| #4528, aired 2004-04-21 | 19th CENTURY ART & HISTORY: The red sky in Munch's "The Scream" may be from the debris in the Oslo air from this volcano half a world away Krakatoa |
| #4527, aired 2004-04-20 | CANADIAN LITERATURE: This 1908 work that was followed by several sequels is the bestselling book ever written by a Canadian Anne of Green Gables |
| #4526, aired 2004-04-19 | INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: From 1894 to 1896 this committee was headed by Dimitrios Vikelas the International Olympic Committee |
| #4525, aired 2004-04-16 | AMERICAN ENTERTAINERS: "Evita"'s "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" was inspired by a 1969 concert of hers in London; she left the stage after 15 minutes Judy Garland |
| #4524, aired 2004-04-15 | 20th CENTURY BESTSELLERS: First published in 1967, it tells the story of 7 generations of a Colombian family One Hundred Years of Solitude |
| #4523, aired 2004-04-14 | BIBLICAL JOURNEYS: 2 names: A man journeying & his country of destination in both Genesis 39 & Matthew 2 Joseph & Egypt |
| #4522, aired 2004-04-13 | WORD HISTORY: Circa 1860 Robert FitzRoy of Britain's meteorological office rejected prediction & prophecy in favor of this word forecast |
| #4521, aired 2004-04-12 | LABOR UNION PRESIDENTS: This current union president was the youngest person ever to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Melissa Gilbert |
| #4520, aired 2004-04-09 | BRITISH ROYALTY: The only British monarch of the 20th century not to produce an heir Edward VIII |
| #4519, aired 2004-04-08 | ISLANDS: 1200 miles from the nearest continent, it entered history because of its isolation (here's a map that shows you where it is) St. Helena |
| #4518, aired 2004-04-07 | NOVELS: First published in 1897, this novel wasn't translated into Romanian until 1992 Dracula |
| #4517, aired 2004-04-06 | GEOGRAPHIC PHRASES: Mythological name sometimes given to Mount Acha & Gibraltar the Pillars of Hercules |
| #4516, aired 2004-04-05 | ROCK GROUPS: This rock group took its name from a Johnny Cash album, whose title came from a Winston Churchill speech Blood, Sweat and Tears |
| #4515, aired 2004-04-02 | GEORGE WASHINGTON: In 1798 George wrote to John Greenwood, a man in this profession, "I am...ready to pay what ever you may charge me" dentist |
| #4514, aired 2004-04-01 | GOLF: It's the only one of golf's 4 major pro events in which amateurs are not permitted to play the PGA Championship (Professional Golfers' Association Championship) |
| #4513, aired 2004-03-31 | HISTORIC NAMES: As a teenager in 1653, he played the sun in a court performance of the "Ballet de la Nuit" Louis XIV |
| #4512, aired 2004-03-30 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: It contains the line "There stood the Kaatskill Mountains... there was every hill and dale... as it had always been" "Rip Van Winkle" |
| #4511, aired 2004-03-29 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: In 1924 he succeeded William J. Burns who had resigned; he remained in his position for the next 48 years J. Edgar Hoover |
| #4510, aired 2004-03-26 | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY: A circumorbital hematoma is more commonly known as this a black eye |
| #4509, aired 2004-03-25 | INTERNATIONAL PLAYWRIGHTS: (Jimmy of the Clue Crew reports from the Yale Repertory Theatre) During apartheid, this man chose to premiere several of his plays, including "A Place with the Pigs", here at Yale Athol Fugard |
| #4508, aired 2004-03-24 | WORD & PHRASE ORIGINS: This term was first used in an ice cream trade journal in 1937; it began to appear in the nuclear power industry in the '60s meltdown |
| #4507, aired 2004-03-23 | POSTAGE STAMPS: "Oh, The Places He'll Go!" was USA Today's headline announcing the 2004 stamp honoring this artist & author Dr. Seuss |
| #4506, aired 2004-03-22 | FAMOUS FELINES: He made his debut in the 1945 short film "Life with Feathers" Sylvester |
| #4505, aired 2004-03-19 | PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES: He wrote a "Report of the Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains in the Year 1842" John C. Fremont |
| #4504, aired 2004-03-18 | THE 12th CENTURY: This king covered his eyes with his shield so that he would not see the holy city he could not conquer Richard I (Richard the Lionhearted) |
| #4503, aired 2004-03-17 | STATE FACTS: Among the inventions to come from this state are Bisquick, Rollerblades & Post-It Notes Minnesota |
| #4502, aired 2004-03-16 | MUSICAL THEATRE: When this Off-Broadway show closed in 2002, its lyricist said, "You can't be sad for a show that has run 42 years" The Fantasticks |
| #4501, aired 2004-03-15 | THE 1960s: Used most infamously in 1963, a .38-caliber Colt Cobra handgun belonging to this man sold in 1991 for $220,000 Jack Ruby |
| #4500, aired 2004-03-12 | MYTHOLOGY: The current medals for the Summer Olympics feature this goddess on them Nike |
| #4499, aired 2004-03-11 | BRAND NAMES: Benjamin Green's work with cocoa butter led to this brand that, ironically, may be used to prevent what's in its name Coppertone |
| #4498, aired 2004-03-10 | 20th CENTURY WRITERS: In the '50s, she taught English at Smith College, then worked as a secretary at a Boston psychiatric clinic Sylvia Plath |
| #4497, aired 2004-03-09 | HEALTH & MEDICINE: Named for the region in Uganda where it was discovered in 1937, it was first detected in the U.S. in 1999 West Nile Virus (or West Nile Fever) |
| #4496, aired 2004-03-08 | BODIES OF WATER: The Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817 between the U.S. & Great Britain limited naval power on these bodies of water the Great Lakes or Lake Champlain |
| #4495, aired 2004-03-05 | BOOKS: This book says, "Monday burn Millay, Wednesday Whitman, Friday Faulkner...that's our official slogan" Fahrenheit 451 |
| #4494, aired 2004-03-04 | FAMOUS LASTS: In July 2003 the last old-style one of these rolled off an assembly line in Mexico, headed for a museum in Germany the Volkswagen Beetle |
| #4493, aired 2004-03-03 | RECENT MOVIES: Chita Rivera made a cameo appearance as a prison inmate in this 2002 film Chicago |
| #4492, aired 2004-03-02 | U.S. CURRENCY: It's the only building to appear on 2 current U.S. bills; one is an interior view, the other an exterior view Independence Hall |
| #4491, aired 2004-03-01 | SPORTS SUPERLATIVES: This oldest tennis player ever to win a Grand Slam title did so at the Australian Open mixed doubles in 2003 Martina Navratilova |
| #4490, aired 2004-02-27 | AMERICAN SLANG: This term for a small, out-of-the-way town is also the name of a long-gone Algonquian Indian tribe Podunk |
| #4489, aired 2004-02-26 | PSYCHOLOGY: The concept of the "Oedipus Complex" was introduced in this 1899 book The Interpretation of Dreams |
| #4488, aired 2004-02-25 | ASTRONOMY: The name of Mintaka, a star in this constellation, is from the Arabic for "belt" Orion |
| #4487, aired 2004-02-24 | FAMOUS NAMES: A grandson of Man O' War, he defeated his uncle in a famous matchup November 1, 1938 Seabiscuit |
| #4486, aired 2004-02-23 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: Since 1820, 1 of 3 men to lose a presidential election but win the rematch with the same individual 4 years later (1 of 3) Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison or Grover Cleveland |
| #4485, aired 2004-02-20 | ITALIAN TOWNS: This small town in Tuscany was the birthplace of the man who painted the Mona Lisa Vinci |
| #4484, aired 2004-02-19 | THE UNITED NATIONS: Of the 6 official languages used by the U.N., the one that's the native tongue of the most number of people Mandarin Chinese |
| #4483, aired 2004-02-18 | U.S. POLITICS: On July 16, 1790 Congress created this area & some of its residents think that by now it should be a state Washington, D.C. |
| #4482, aired 2004-02-17 | OLYMPIC CITIES: It's the only national capital city of the Americas to have hosted the Olympic Games Mexico City |
| #4481, aired 2004-02-16 | JOBS: In this job, after the Senate confirms you, you sign your name at least 5 times, then pick one to be engraved U.S. Treasurer or U.S. Treasury Secretary |
| #4480, aired 2004-02-13 | GEOGRAPHIC SUPERLATIVES: Among the world's rivers, the Nile is the longest & the Jordan holds this geographic distinction the lowest in elevation |
| #4479, aired 2004-02-12 | SONGS: One of the first to sing it publicly was Baltimore actor Fredinand Durang at Captain McCauley's tavern in October 1814 "The Star-Spangled Banner" |
| #4478, aired 2004-02-11 | ART BOOKS: The 2003 book "Disarmed" tells the story of this sculptural masterpiece Venus de Milo |
| #4477, aired 2004-02-10 | POPULAR FICTION: This series of over 200 books began with "Kristy's Great Idea" in 1986 The Babysitter's Club |
| #4476, aired 2004-02-09 | PRESIDENTIAL RELATIVES: He's the U.S. president whose great-grandson seen here taking part in a special celebration Teddy Roosevelt |
| #4475, aired 2004-02-06 | 19th CENTURY PHILOSOPHY: This 3-word quote, originally in German, comes soon after "We have killed him--you and I, all of us are his murderers" "God is dead" |
| #4474, aired 2004-02-05 | RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES: A November 2003 report said better tree trimming may have prevented this event that affected 50 million people in August the power blackout |
| #4473, aired 2004-02-04 | TV PERSONALITIES: In 1994 his alma mater, Sam Houston State University, named its journalism & communications building in his honor Dan Rather |
| #4472, aired 2004-02-03 | ARBOREAL MAMMALS: Of the genus Phascolarctos, it's 23-33" tall with a stout gray or brown body, a big round nose & strong claws a koala |
| #4471, aired 2004-02-02 | BASEBALL HISTORY: On August 10th, 2003, Rafael Furcal of the Braves became only the 12th man in MLB history to perform this single-handedly a triple play |
| #4470, aired 2004-01-30 | PRESIDENTIAL FAMILIES: The Time Almanac lists only the children from his 1772 marriage, but says there's DNA evidence of more Thomas Jefferson |
| #4469, aired 2004-01-29 | MYTHOLOGY: They were the 2 parents of a son who ended up half man, half woman Hermes & Aphrodite |
| #4468, aired 2004-01-28 | LATIN LINGO: This 3-word phrase familiar in the U.S. originated in an ancient poem & described assembling foods to make salad E pluribus unum |
| #4467, aired 2004-01-27 | THE BUSINESS BOOKSHELF: F. Paul Pacult's "American Still Life" is the history of this over 200-year-old Kentucky company Jim Beam |
| #4466, aired 2004-01-26 | THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY: Tolkien helped the editors define "hobbit"; Murray Gell-Mann, the term "quark", & this man, "dymaxion" Buckminster Fuller |
| #4465, aired 2004-01-23 | LITERARY FEMALES: She's the only female character in all the A.A. Milne "Winnie The Pooh" stories Kanga |
| #4464, aired 2004-01-22 | TECHNOLOGY FIRSTS: In 1923 the Zeiss unit seen here was placed under a dome to create the first modern one of these a planetarium |
| #4463, aired 2004-01-21 | SPORTS: On USA Today's list of magical numbers in sports, each had an explanation except 61, which only had this symbol an asterisk |
| #4462, aired 2004-01-20 | THE THIRD CENTURY: Challenging the election of Calixtus in 217, Hippolytus declared himself the first one of these an antipope |
| #4461, aired 2004-01-19 | RANKS & TITLES: Queen Victoria & Indira Gandhi each held this title, though only one was official Empress of India |
| #4460, aired 2004-01-16 | THE MOVIES: They're the 2 2-letter abbreviations in the titles of movies directed by Steven Spielberg E.T. (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) & A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) |
| #4459, aired 2004-01-15 | POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS: This man's successful 2001 campaign was the most expensive non-presidential campaign in history Michael Bloomberg |
| #4458, aired 2004-01-14 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: This country's coastline, on the Gulf of Aden & the Indian Ocean, is the longest on the African continent Somalia |
| #4457, aired 2004-01-13 | DEADLY FIRSTS: The first man to die as the result of one of these accidents was Lt. Thomas Selfridge on Sept. 17, 1908 an airplane crash |
| #4456, aired 2004-01-12 | AMERICAN WRITERS: In 1936 the San Francisco News sent this man to investigate living conditions among migrant workers John Steinbeck |
| #4455, aired 2004-01-09 | CURRENT WORLD LEADERS: He's believed to be grooming his son Gamal to succeed him Hosni Mubarak |
| #4454, aired 2004-01-08 | FILM TITLES: This Charlie Chaplin film lent its name to a famous bookstore that recently celebrated its 50th anniversary City Lights |
| #4453, aired 2004-01-07 | SPORTS & BUSINESS: The watch Timex introduced in 1986 for this event in Hawaii quickly became the best-selling watch in America the Ironman Triathlon |
| #4452, aired 2004-01-06 | ANIMALS: Camelus, the genus name of camels, is also the species name of these birds ostriches |
| #4451, aired 2004-01-05 | INVENTIONS: On April 25, 1792 Nicolas-Jacques Pelletier became the first person in history to have a bad encounter with this the guillotine |
| #4450, aired 2004-01-02 | NAMED FOR: The "Scruggs Style" is a technique of doing this with only the thumb & first 2 fingers banjo picking (or playing) |
| #4449, aired 2004-01-01 | U.S. CITIES: While serving in the '60s & '70s as this city's last "censor", Richard J. Sinnott banned fewer than 10 things Boston |
| #4448, aired 2003-12-31 | STATE CAPITALS: In 2000, 1 of only 3 state capitals that had a population of less than 20,000 (1 of) Augusta, Pierre or Montpelier |
| #4447, aired 2003-12-30 | CHARACTERS IN CLASSIC LIT: The first person mentioned by name in "The Man in the Iron Mask" is this hero of a previous book by the same author D'Artagnan |
| #4446, aired 2003-12-29 | FOODSTUFFS: A plant called this accompanies sushi & also the Passover seder horseradish |
| #4445, aired 2003-12-26 | SEASONAL CHARACTERS: In late 1939 Chicago adman Robert May considered Rollo & Reginald before settling on this name Rudolph |
| #4444, aired 2003-12-25 | CLASSIC SONGS: This song begins, "The sun is shining, the grass is green. But it's December 24th and I am longing to be up north" "White Christmas" |
| #4443, aired 2003-12-24 | THE WORLD OF DISNEY: In 2003 Disney released this film, its first ever movie under the Disney banner rated PG-13 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl |
| #4442, aired 2003-12-23 | THE SUPREME COURT: Of the 9 current members, the one who had the greatest amount of time elapse between nomination & oath Clarence Thomas |
| #4441, aired 2003-12-22 | FRUIT: Its name is from the Portuguese for "goblin", referring to the facelike appearance of its 3 depressions the coconut |
| #4440, aired 2003-12-19 | TELEVISION: In Spring 2003 episodes of these 2 dramas invoked the little-used 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution The West Wing & 24 |
| #4439, aired 2003-12-18 | SCIENCE: Some refractive index numbers for you now: diamond, 2.42; air, 1.0003, this, 1.0000 a vacuum |
| #4438, aired 2003-12-17 | INTERNATIONAL LAW: Drawn up at Pres. Lincoln's request, the first formal code for them said they get humane treatment & wholesome food Prisoners of War |
| #4437, aired 2003-12-16 | THE OLYMPICS: This city that Napoleon gave to Bavaria in 1806 has hosted the Winter Olympics twice Innsbruck, Austria |
| #4436, aired 2003-12-15 | REFERENCE BOOKS: When it was completed in 1928, Britain's P.M. said, "Our histories, our novels, our poems... are all in this one book" the Oxford English Dictionary |
| #4435, aired 2003-12-12 | 19th CENTURY BUSINESS: Frederic Tudor became wealthy marketing this, which he took from a pond called Fresh Pond in Massachusetts ice |
| #4434, aired 2003-12-11 | SCULPTURE: In 1504 a statue of this man over 13 feet tall was unveiled in Piazza Della Signoria David |
| #4433, aired 2003-12-10 | THE PLANETS: In 1978 astronomer James Christy named its moon in honor of his wife Charlene Pluto |
| #4432, aired 2003-12-09 | MAGAZINES: Aimed largely at women, this magazine that has its own institute took 110 years to make a woman its editor Good Housekeeping |
| #4431, aired 2003-12-08 | PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: The last major party Presidential candidate to lose twice to the same individual Adlai Stevenson |
| #4430, aired 2003-12-05 | THE U.S. NAVY: It's the only U.S. battleship ever to have a one-syllable name the Maine |
| #4429, aired 2003-12-04 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: He called himself a "Cubano Sato", a phrase from the Cuban dialect meaning both "flirt" & "half-breed" Ernest Hemingway |
| #4428, aired 2003-12-03 | NOTABLE NAMES: In 1908 he turned the techniques he used to train army troops into a manual for training small groups of boys Lord Baden-Powell |
| #4427, aired 2003-12-02 | GEOGRAPHIC TERMS: These 2 words are anagrams of each other & for our location now one is about 34, the other about 74 latitude & altitude |
| #4426, aired 2003-12-01 | BEST PICTURE OSCAR WINNERS: 2 of the 4 Best Picture winners with nationalities in the title (2 of) The English Patient, An American in Paris, The French Connection & American Beauty |
| #4425, aired 2003-11-28 | TONY-WINNING MUSICALS: 2 of the 3 Tony winners for Best Musical with titles just 4 letters long (2 of) Cats, Rent & Nine |
| #4424, aired 2003-11-27 | LONG-RUNNING TV SHOWS: The final words uttered on this TV show after 11 seasons on the air were "Sorry, we're closed" Cheers |
| #4423, aired 2003-11-26 | COUNTRIES: At the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, a giant Rubik's Cube stood outside this country's pavilion Hungary |
| #4422, aired 2003-11-25 | RELIGION: The 2 main religions on this island nation are Greek Orthodox & Islam Cyprus |
| #4421, aired 2003-11-24 | WOMEN IN BUSINESS: In 1963 she founded her company with a sales force of 9; today that number is over 950,000 Mary Kay |
| #4420, aired 2003-11-21 | TIME MAGAZINE COVERS: The 2 years the following covers hit the stands 1945 & 2003 |
| #4419, aired 2003-11-20 | PEOPLE ON THE MAP: A European city founded in 1703 has at different times been named for these 2 people born 1,800 years apart St. Peter and Lenin |
| #4418, aired 2003-11-19 | VOYAGERS: In 1497 the 4 ships under his command included the Berrio & the Sao Rafael Vasco da Gama |
| #4417, aired 2003-11-18 | REFERENCE BOOKS: The name of this type of reference book comes from the Greek for "circle of instruction" encyclopedia |
| #4416, aired 2003-11-17 | OLYMPIC SPORTS: Officially added as a medal event in 1996, it's one of the few team events where shoes are not worn beach volleyball |
| #4415, aired 2003-11-14 | STATE CAPITALS: 2 of the 3 state capitals with 5-letter names (2 of) Boise, Salem & Dover |
| #4414, aired 2003-11-13 | ISLANDS: In 1898 the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment did most of its fighting on this island Cuba |
| #4413, aired 2003-11-12 | 18th CENTURY AMERICA: These 2 British astronomers were sent to America in 1763 to settle a land dispute Mason & Dixon |
| #4412, aired 2003-11-11 | BIG IN THE USA: This state is home to the USA's largest portrait busts South Dakota |
| #4411, aired 2003-11-10 | NEW ORLEANS: At the end of the American Revolution, this country controlled New Orleans Spain |
| #4410, aired 2003-11-07 | THE BIBLE: It's the first city mentioned in the first of Paul's epistles to appear in the New Testament Rome |
| #4409, aired 2003-11-06 | SCIENCE HISTORY: It's the simple 6-letter name of the journal that published the 1953 paper revealing the structure of DNA Nature |
| #4408, aired 2003-11-05 | POSTAGE STAMPS: In honor of the 400th anniv. of his birth, in 1964 he became the first English commoner to appear on a British stamp William Shakespeare |
| #4407, aired 2003-11-04 | FILMS OF THE '50s: This film featuring Glenn Ford & Sidney Poitier was the first major film to use rock & roll music on the soundtrack Blackboard Jungle |
| #4406, aired 2003-11-03 | CANDY: This person after whom a candy bar may have been named was part of a family on an 1892 Election Day souvenir medal Ruth Cleveland |
| #4405, aired 2003-10-31 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: In Chapter 1 of this novel, we find "a vast, ruined castle, from whose tall black windows came no ray of light" Dracula |
| #4404, aired 2003-10-30 | LATIN LINGO: From the Latin for "how much", it's an indivisible physical amount quantum |
| #4403, aired 2003-10-29 | THE WORLD'S PEOPLE: The 1st recorded use of this word now applying to 1.1 billion people was by St. Ignatius of Antioch around 100 A.D. Catholic |
| #4402, aired 2003-10-28 | LEGENDARY RULERS: He's been written about by Aneirin in "The Gododdin" around 600 A.D. & by Fay Sampson in the "Daughter of Tintagel" series King Arthur |
| #4401, aired 2003-10-27 | THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: The Boston Tea Party was planned at the house of Sarah Bradlee Fulton, a member of this splinter group Daughters of Liberty |
| #4400, aired 2003-10-24 | BALLET: In a 1935 ballet based on this mythical person, a dancer leaps toward the Sun, then crashes to the stage Icarus |
| #4399, aired 2003-10-23 | THE INTERNET: It is named in honor of a Monty Python sketch that used the word more than 100 times in 2 1/2 minutes spam |
| #4398, aired 2003-10-22 | 20th CENTURY NOTABLES: Einstein said of him, "Generations to come will scarcely believe" one such as he "walked the Earth in flesh & blood" Mohandas Gandhi |
| #4397, aired 2003-10-21 | IN THE MEDICINE CABINET: This product's website features chemistry experiments like "The Effect of Temperature on Rate of Reaction" Alka-Seltzer |
| #4396, aired 2003-10-20 | ACTORS & HISTORICAL ROLES: In the 2002 film "Frida", Geoffrey Rush portrayed this European firebrand during his final days Leon Trotsky |
| #4395, aired 2003-10-17 | HISTORIC ROYALTY: These two men seen here, allies during World War I, were sometimes mistaken for each other Czar Nicholas II & King George V |
| #4394, aired 2003-10-16 | NAME'S THE SAME: This sports superstar of 1973 bears the name of one of the 6 major organs of the United Nations Secretariat |
| #4393, aired 2003-10-15 | OPERA SETTINGS: Verdi's Nabucco, who's also known by a longer form of his name, is the king of this ancient place Babylon |
| #4392, aired 2003-10-14 | ANCIENT TEXTS: Archaeologist Richard Lepsius gave this name to a collection of spells, hymns & prayers to deities like Ra The Book of the Dead |
| #4391, aired 2003-10-13 | MOVIES: A catering hall called Aphrodite's Palace is featured in this 2002 film My Big Fat Greek Wedding |
| #4390, aired 2003-10-10 | PEOPLE IN HISTORY: The spear that killed him in 1779 sold at auction in 2003 for over $400,000 Captain James Cook |
| #4389, aired 2003-10-09 | MOVIE CHARACTERS: On the AFI's 2003 lists of favorite movie heroes & villains of all time, this character appears on both lists the Terminator |
| #4388, aired 2003-10-08 | SURVEY SAYS: In 1981 this man's company issued its first syndicated CSI, Customer Satisfaction Index J.D. Power (and Associates) |
| #4387, aired 2003-10-07 | FAMOUS LASTS: It's where Sergei Zalyotin switched off the lights on June 15, 2000 Mir Space Station |
| #4386, aired 2003-10-06 | AUTHORS: He chose a quotation by Scott Joplin as the epigraph for a 1975 novel E.L. Doctorow |
| #4385, aired 2003-10-03 | MOVIE HEROES: Hiram Bingham, who rediscovered "the lost city of the Incas", Machu Picchu, was a model for this movie hero Indiana Jones |
| #4384, aired 2003-10-02 | U.S. VICE PRESIDENTS: He served 2 terms as Vice President & was the first Vice President who had been born in the 20th century Richard Nixon |
| #4383, aired 2003-10-01 | PHRASE ORIGINS: The sinking of the HMS Birkenhead in February 1852 gave rise to this gallant 4-word naval tradition women and children first |
| #4382, aired 2003-09-30 | SPORTS SPONSORSHIP: In 2002 the Houston Astros bought back the naming rights to their ballpark from this company Enron |
| #4381, aired 2003-09-29 | AWARDS: Created as a Pulitzer Prize for broadcasting, it was named for a Georgia philanthropist the Peabody Award |
| #4380, aired 2003-09-26 | THE TOY BOX: Spud & Yam are 2 of the offspring of this toy introduced in 1952 Mr. Potato Head |
| #4379, aired 2003-09-25 | SPORTS STARS: His given name is Eldrick; his more famous nickname honors his father's Vietnam War buddy Tiger Woods |
| #4378, aired 2003-09-24 | CLASSIC STORIES: The opening to this classic story includes the line "Once upon a time there was a piece of wood" Pinocchio |
| #4377, aired 2003-09-23 | ASTRONOMY: This planet has the shortest year, 88 days Mercury |
| #4376, aired 2003-09-22 | U.S. CITIES: John Singleton Copley's portrait of Paul Revere hangs in the Museum of Fine Arts in this city Boston |
| #4375, aired 2003-09-19 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: This title character was based on a man who bravely served the Guides Regiment at the 1857 Siege of Delhi Gunga Din |
| #4374, aired 2003-09-18 | ADVENTURERS: On his deathbed in 1324, he reportedly said, "I have not told half of what I saw" Marco Polo |
| #4373, aired 2003-09-17 | ACADEMY AWARD HISTORY: "Chicago" was the first musical to win the Best Picture Oscar since this film won for 1968 Oliver! |
| #4372, aired 2003-09-16 | PEOPLE IN HISTORY: About the islands he discovered, he wrote, "To the first of these I give the name of the Blessed Savior" Christopher Columbus |
| #4371, aired 2003-09-15 | U.S. STATE QUARTERS: The Alabama coin bears this person's name in English, & for the first time on a circulating U.S. coin, in Braille Helen Keller |
| #4370, aired 2003-09-12 | ALPHANUMERICS: When this American company incorporated in 1902, its first products were grinding abrasives & sandpaper 3M |
| #4369, aired 2003-09-11 | OPERETTAS: The subject of this 1879 work may have been inspired by unauthorized productions of the creators' original works The Pirates of Penzance |
| #4368, aired 2003-09-10 | CHARLES LINDBERGH: After landing in Paris in 1927 Lindbergh filed an exclusive report to newspapers in 2 cities, New York & this St. Louis |
| #4367, aired 2003-09-09 | TV & STAMPS: When this program shows its address to write for audience tickets, its graphic has used one of the stamps seen here The Price Is Right |
| #4366, aired 2003-09-08 | TOYS & GAMES: 12-year-old David Mullany gave this toy its name, a euphemism for striking out in baseball Wiffleball |
| #4365, aired 2003-07-18 | PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT: Her first name comes from an Italian musical term meaning to play "with sweetness" Condoleezza Rice |
| #4364, aired 2003-07-17 | PEOPLE: He said, "I... really never considered myself a TV star. I always thought I was a neighbor who just came in for a visit" Fred Rogers (of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood) |
| #4363, aired 2003-07-16 | RECENT MOVIES: The opening credits of this 2003 action movie are depicted in Braille Daredevil |
| #4362, aired 2003-07-15 | THE CABINET: This department contains the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Secret Service & the Coast Guard Department of Homeland Security |
| #4361, aired 2003-07-14 | MAGAZINES: For its 1st swimsuit edition in 2003, it covered 100 years of the swimsuit & included a 1917 photo of topless island women National Geographic |
| #4360, aired 2003-07-11 | FICTIONAL PLACES: Wilton, Connecticut, a quiet, affluent town near New York City, was the basis for this title town in a 1972 novel Stepford |
| #4359, aired 2003-07-10 | ANIMALS: Odobenus, the genus name of this animal, comes from the Greek for "one who walks with his teeth" walrus |
| #4358, aired 2003-07-09 | COMPUTERS: In 2003 Dell made this computer part on its PCs an option; Apple had stopped including it on Macintoshes 5 years earlier floppy (or 3 1/2 inch) disk drive |
| #4357, aired 2003-07-08 | POP MUSIC: Take 2 letters off a Beatles song title & you get this title of Paul McCartney's 2002 live CD of his American tour Back in the U.S. |
| #4356, aired 2003-07-07 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: He turned down an appointment as a U.S. senator in 1875 because it meant accepting a pardon for treason Jefferson Davis |
| #4355, aired 2003-07-04 | BUSINESS BIGGIES: In January 2003 this company based in Oak Brook, Illinois reported its first ever quarterly loss McDonald's |
| #4354, aired 2003-07-03 | OPERA: Title character of a 1787 opera who says he needs women "more than the food I eat,... than the very air I breathe" Don Juan (or Don Giovanni) |
| #4353, aired 2003-07-02 | THE BODY HUMAN: At about 63%, there are more atoms of this element than any other in your body hydrogen |
| #4352, aired 2003-07-01 | THE MOVIES: (Alex Trebek delivers the Final clue.) Parts of this 1985 movie were filmed right here in Karen, a suburb of Nairobi Out of Africa |
| #4351, aired 2003-06-30 | 5-LETTER WORDS: Term for an opinion or edict issued by a mufti or 'ulama; a famous one was issued in 1989 fatwa |
| #4350, aired 2003-06-27 | SONG TITLES: The inspiration for this 1964 hit posed alone for the Brazil edition of Playboy in 1987 & with her daughter in 2003 "The Girl from Ipanema" |
| #4349, aired 2003-06-26 | WORD ORIGINS: This word that begins with the Greek word for "all" was coined by John Milton & means "tumultuous disorder" pandemonium |
| #4348, aired 2003-06-25 | TELEVISION: In Apple's I-Movie program, the effect seen here that's done with photos is named for this TV filmmaker Ken Burns |
| #4347, aired 2003-06-24 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: This observance began as a day to eat up all the stuff in your home you couldn't eat for the next 40 days Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) |
| #4346, aired 2003-06-23 | U.S. HISTORY: For evading taxes on profits earned, former CIA agent Thomas Clines was the only one sent to prison over this scandal Iran-Contra |
| #4345, aired 2003-06-20 | FORMER WORLD LEADERS: Filling out her application to run in 1986, this widowed mother of 5 listed her occupation as housewife Corazon Aquino (of the Philippines) |
| #4344, aired 2003-06-19 | FRUIT: From Greek for "finger", the Arabs claim it has as many culinary & pharmaceutical uses as days in a year the date |
| #4343, aired 2003-06-18 | LITERARY TITLE CHARACTERS: Fanny Squeers called him Knuckleboy Nicholas Nickleby |
| #4342, aired 2003-06-17 | DISNEY FILMS: Disney theme park attractions based on this 1960 film flew the flag seen here Swiss Family Robinson |
| #4341, aired 2003-06-16 | BUSINESS BIGGIES: Founded in 1898 when several cracker companies merged, in 2000 it passed from one tobacco company to another Nabisco (it went from R.J. Reynolds to Philip Morris) |
| #4340, aired 2003-06-13 | FAMOUS NAMES: The first & middle names of this wealthy man who died in 1975 were those of people who died in 322 B.C. & 399 B.C. Aristotle (Socrates) Onassis |
| #4339, aired 2003-06-12 | MUSEUMS: The detail seen here is from a painting in this museum the Prado |
| #4338, aired 2003-06-11 | SCIENTIFIC THEORIES: Edward Lorenz' idea of linking this creature to changes in the weather became the basis of chaos theory the butterfly |
| #4337, aired 2003-06-10 | 2001 NEWS: On May 9, 2001 he signed a state law banning punch-card voting Jeb Bush (governor of Florida) |
| #4336, aired 2003-06-09 | TIME'S MAN OF THE YEAR: The only man named Time's Man of the Year 2 straight years, he shared the distinction with Kissinger in 1972 Richard M. Nixon |
| #4335, aired 2003-06-06 | CANDY: Bill Harmsen, who raised horses in Colo., happily founded this candy co. in 1949 to make money during the winter Jolly Rancher |
| #4334, aired 2003-06-05 | FIRST NAMES: This name of a character in a 1904 play was inspired by a real little girl's way of saying the word "friend" Wendy (from Peter Pan) |
| #4333, aired 2003-06-04 | MAP READING: It's the latitude of the South Pole 90 degrees south |
| #4332, aired 2003-06-03 | MEDICAL PRODUCTS: On June 12, 2001 Johnson & Johnson relaunched this brand with a ceremony in a Missouri city St. Joseph aspirin |
| #4331, aired 2003-06-02 | ACTRESSES: She was fined 20,000 francs for "inciting racial hatred" by denouncing a religious practice of killing sheep Brigitte Bardot |
| #4330, aired 2003-05-30 | U.S. CITIES: It's the largest U.S. city in population that's named for an American individual Houston |
| #4329, aired 2003-05-29 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: The only 2 Democratic presidents defeated for reelection since the Civil War Grover Cleveland & Jimmy Carter |
| #4328, aired 2003-05-28 | PSYCHOLOGY: Partly from the Greek algos, "pain", it was first noted in 1688 in Swiss soldiers fighting far from home nostalgia |
| #4327, aired 2003-05-27 | CLASSIC LITERATURE: "A Bird's Eye View of Paris" & "The Bells" are chapters in this 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame |
| #4326, aired 2003-05-26 | INSPIRATIONS FOR MUSICALS: In 2002 this novel by C.Y. Lee, first published in 1957, was re-released with a new introduction by David Henry Hwang Flower Drum Song |
| #4325, aired 2003-05-23 | FILM ROLES: Dick Powell, Robert Mitchum & Elliott Gould have all played this character on film Philip Marlowe |
| #4324, aired 2003-05-22 | ECONOMIC HISTORY: Before the first income tax was levied, the U.S. government got 90% of its revenue in the form of these tariffs |
| #4323, aired 2003-05-21 | WORLD CITIES: The food item that some named for Vienna, others named for this city 400 miles away Frankfurt |
| #4322, aired 2003-05-20 | MEN OF MEDICINE: In 1891 he helped found & became the first chairman of the British Institute of Preventive Medicine Joseph Lister ("Father of Antiseptic Surgery") |
| #4321, aired 2003-05-19 | AWARDS: The organization that sponsored the Stage Door Canteens during WWII is now known for these annual awards Tony Awards |
| #4320, aired 2003-05-16 | DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE SIGNERS: On the list of the signers, 2 of the 3 last names that appear twice (2 of) Adams, Lee & Morris |
| #4319, aired 2003-05-15 | GOVERNORS: In 1967 she became the first woman governor of a state east of the Mississippi River Lurleen B. Wallace (of Alabama) |
| #4318, aired 2003-05-14 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: Heads of state Jiang Zemin & Jorge Sampaio were on hand when this territory changed hands in Dec. 1999 Macau |
| #4317, aired 2003-05-13 | WORLD CITIES: According to U.N. data, it's the world's most populous city named for a person São Paulo, Brazil |
| #4316, aired 2003-05-12 | MOVIE INDUSTRY HISTORY: The company that produced most of Marion Davies' films was named for this magazine; the same person owned both Cosmopolitan |
| #4315, aired 2003-05-09 | ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY: Emperor Constantine commissioned several of these buildings, named from the Greek for "royal house" basilicas |
| #4314, aired 2003-05-08 | NATIONAL STATUARY HALL: Both partly of Cherokee descent, they're the 2 men whose statues represent Oklahoma in the U.S. Capitol Will Rogers & Sequoyah |
| #4313, aired 2003-05-07 | FAMOUS ESTATES: After the U.S. government declined to buy this estate & tomb, a ladies association bought it for $200,000 in 1858 Mount Vernon |
| #4312, aired 2003-05-06 | LEGAL HISTORY: After killing his wife's lover in Washington, D.C. in 1859, Rep. Daniel Sickles was the 1st to claim this, a 2-word term temporary insanity |
| #4311, aired 2003-05-05 | HISTORIC OCCASIONS: On December 1, 1990 Philippe Cozette & Graham Fagg had a historic handshake here the Chunnel (train tunnel under the English Channel between England & France) |
| #4310, aired 2003-05-02 | CELEBRITY AUCTIONS: A 1999 sale of her effects included a baseball signed by one husband & a conversion certificate signed by her last Marilyn Monroe |
| #4309, aired 2003-05-01 | GOVERNMENT AGENCIES: In 2000 Emma Peel's leather pants & Maxwell Smart's shoe phone were on display at this agency that's not open to the public the CIA |
| #4308, aired 2003-04-30 | FAMILIAR PHRASES: This phrase meaning "discuss the most important matter" dates back to 1920s movie editing cut to the chase |
| #4307, aired 2003-04-29 | FILMS OF THE '60s: In the top films of 2 consecutive years in the 1960s, she played a nanny & a governess Julie Andrews |
| #4306, aired 2003-04-28 | TRANSPORTATION: On December 11, 1967 it was removed from the British registry & turned over to the city of Long Beach, California the Queen Mary |
| #4305, aired 2003-04-25 | OCCUPATIONS: Called the first U.S. stewardess, Ellen Church later went back to this old job, something the 1st stews had to be nurse |
| #4304, aired 2003-04-24 | POLITICAL JARGON: This 2-word term was first used to describe advisors who spoke to the press after a 1984 Reagan-Mondale debate spin doctors |
| #4303, aired 2003-04-23 | CHARACTERS: Person missing from: Rossweisse, Ortlinde, Siegrune, Grimgerde, Helmwige, Gerhilde, Waltraute & Schwertleite Brunhilde (one of the Valkyries) |
| #4302, aired 2003-04-22 | MUSICALS: The 2 longest-running musicals in Broadway history; Cameron Mackintosh produced both of them Cats & Les Miserables |
| #4301, aired 2003-04-21 | SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS: French physicist Leon Foucault gave it its name, which is from the Greek for "to view the rotation" gyroscope |
| #4300, aired 2003-04-18 | ORGANIZATIONS: "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings" was a goal of this group at its 19th century founding Sierra Club |
| #4299, aired 2003-04-17 | CELEBRITY RELATIVES: Over the end credits of "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" she sings "There's No Business Like Show Business" Rosemary Clooney |
| #4298, aired 2003-04-16 | THE SECRET SERVICE: This 20th century U.S. president was the first to receive full-time protection from the Secret Service Theodore Roosevelt |
| #4297, aired 2003-04-15 | WORLD LEADERS: On June 18, 1940, the day of Churchill's "finest hour" speech, this leader made his first broadcast from London Charles de Gaulle |
| #4296, aired 2003-04-14 | MOUNTAINS: All of the mountains in the U.S. over 14,500 feet are in this state Alaska |
| #4295, aired 2003-04-11 | AFRICAN COUNTRIES: 2 of the 3 4-letter countries of Africa (2 of) Chad, Mali, & Togo |
| #4294, aired 2003-04-10 | HISPANIC AMERICANS: He won the USA's only boxing gold medal at the 1992 Olympics Oscar De La Hoya |
| #4293, aired 2003-04-09 | 20th CENTURY WORDS: Walter Cronkite said it was first used in 1952 for "Not exactly a reporter, not exactly a commentator" anchorman |
| #4292, aired 2003-04-08 | OSCAR-WINNING FILMS: This 1995 double Oscar winner takes its title from a line used by Claude Rains in 1942's "Casablanca" The Usual Suspects |
| #4291, aired 2003-04-07 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Author of the 1889 novel that opens, "Camelot, Camelot... I don't seem to remember hearing of it before" Mark Twain |
| #4290, aired 2003-04-04 | FOOD SCIENCE: In 2002 Japanese scientists discovered it contains the enzyme Lachrymatory-Factor Synthase onions |
| #4289, aired 2003-04-03 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the first U.S. president not of British descent Martin Van Buren |
| #4288, aired 2003-04-02 | CANADIAN GEOGRAPHY: One of the only 2 Canadian provinces that do not border a saltwater ocean or bay Alberta or Saskatchewan |
| #4287, aired 2003-04-01 | WORDS: It's the common English word that is pronounced differently when it becomes the name of a language polish/Polish |
| #4286, aired 2003-03-31 | ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CUSTOMS: When a pharaoh died, his heart was carved out & replaced with a stone rendering of this tiny creature a scarab beetle |
| #4285, aired 2003-03-28 | IN THE NEWS: In 1951 Elizabeth II attended one of these in Canada; she attended her next one, also in Canada, on October 6, 2002 hockey game |
| #4284, aired 2003-03-27 | BESTSELLING AUTHORS: The main library at the University of Northern Colorado is named for this alumnus who wrote an epic of Colorado in 1974 James Michener (the novel was "Centennial") |
| #4283, aired 2003-03-26 | 2002 POP STARS: In September 2002 she set a Billboard record with her first-ever single, jumping from its debut at No. 52 to No. 1 Kelly Clarkson |
| #4282, aired 2003-03-25 | 20th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: He's the only U.S. president whose first, middle & last names each have the same number of letters Ronald Wilson Reagan |
| #4281, aired 2003-03-24 | THE 7 WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD: Of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, this one was the smallest Statue of Zeus at Olympia |
| #4280, aired 2003-03-21 | GAMING: In 1996 IGT introduced the first themed slot machine based on a TV show, this one Wheel of Fortune |
| #4279, aired 2003-03-20 | GOVERNMENT & POLITICS: Starting in 1966, this state was represented by the same 2 senators for over 35 years, a record South Carolina |
| #4278, aired 2003-03-19 | ALL GOD'S CREATURES: Edison proposed a flying machine based on the flight of this creature, also the subject of a musical work bumblebee |
| #4277, aired 2003-03-18 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: In the 20th c., one of the 2 men who've lost as both presidential & vice presidential nominee of a major party Bob Dole or Walter Mondale |
| #4276, aired 2003-03-17 | SCIENCE: As it has no mass, this particle travels at about 186,000 miles per second photon |
| #4275, aired 2003-03-14 | THE MOVIES: The DVD of this 1961 film includes "picture-in-picture commentary on how to make the trick shots" The Hustler |
| #4274, aired 2003-03-13 | EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY: On Sept. 8, 1565 the first Catholic parish in what is now the U.S. was founded at this settlement St. Augustine (in Florida) |
| #4273, aired 2003-03-12 | TELEVISION: Milli Vanilli was the first subject of this series, which came from questions like whatever happened to Milli Vanilli Behind the Music |
| #4272, aired 2003-03-11 | ACTRESSES IN HISTORY: She was born Emilie Charlotte Le Breton on the island of Jersey in 1853 Lillie Langtry |
| #4271, aired 2003-03-10 | U.S. COINS: These 2 states both have airplanes from the 20th century's first decade on their quarters North Carolina & Ohio (as a tribute to the Wright Brothers) |
| #4270, aired 2003-03-07 | SUMMER OLYMPIC VENUES: The only time the host country failed to win a gold medal was at the Olympics held in this Western Hemisphere city Montreal (1976) |
| #4269, aired 2003-03-06 | AGRICULTURE: The Norse were impressed by these in North America, but they weren't grown profitably in North America until around 1850 grapes |
| #4268, aired 2003-03-05 | CLASSIC SONGS: Originally called "Prima Donna", it was renamed for a Renaissance painting & won an Oscar "Mona Lisa" |
| #4267, aired 2003-03-04 | MILITARY AVIATION: In 1911 this nation was the 1st to use powered aircraft for military purposes when it spied on Turkish activities in Libya Italy |
| #4266, aired 2003-03-03 | THE NEW WORLD: All that is known about her life is limited to 9 days in August 1587 Virginia Dare (the first child born in America of English parents) |
| #4265, aired 2003-02-28 | THE USA: In area, they're the largest & smallest states that joined the Union in the 19th century Texas & West Virginia |
| #4264, aired 2003-02-27 | ADVERTISING ICONS: Of Advertising Age's Top 10 Advertising Icons of the 20th Century, one of the 3 that are animals Elsie the Cow, the Energizer Bunny or Tony the Tiger |
| #4263, aired 2003-02-26 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: Of the Central American countries, it has the highest percentage of people of African descent Belize |
| #4262, aired 2003-02-25 | AMERICAN NOVELS: Chapter III of this 1826 novel is prefaced by a quote from the poem "An Indian at the Burial-Place of His Fathers" The Last of the Mohicans |
| #4261, aired 2003-02-24 | THE 1960s: On September 26, 1960 these 2 men squared off in the studios of WBBM in Chicago John F. Kennedy & Richard Nixon |
| #4260, aired 2003-02-21 | AMERICAN NOVELS: The narrator of this 1951 novel first appeared in the short stories "I'm Crazy" & "Slight Rebellion off Madison" "Catcher in the Rye" (the narrator being Holden Caulfield) |
| #4259, aired 2003-02-20 | TOP ATHLETES: On ESPN's list of the 50 top athletes of the 20th century, this woman is the highest-ranked female Babe Didrikson Zaharias |
| #4258, aired 2003-02-19 | COMPANY NAMES: This company was named for the sound made by its top product -- a slingshot hitting its target Wham-O |
| #4257, aired 2003-02-18 | NUMERICAL PHRASES: Number & type of musical instruments hanging from a Mason City, Iowa ceiling, a tribute to a native son 76 trombones |
| #4256, aired 2003-02-17 | FILMS OF THE '70s: This '71 film opens on the words "To the police officers of San Francisco who gave their lives in the line of duty" Dirty Harry |
| #4255, aired 2003-02-14 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: James Fenimore Cooper based the character of Natty Bumppo on this man who was born in 1734 Daniel Boone |
| #4254, aired 2003-02-13 | FIRST NAMES: Once considered too sacred to use, it was later the top girl's name from 1880 to the 1940s Mary |
| #4253, aired 2003-02-12 | NEW ENGLAND: It's the only state in New England that doesn't border the Atlantic Ocean Vermont |
| #4252, aired 2003-02-11 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: In works written about 300 years apart, Nick Bottom & Pinocchio find themselves transformed into these donkeys |
| #4251, aired 2003-02-10 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: The world's highest city of over 1 million people sits at about 12,000 feet in these mountains the Andes |
| #4250, aired 2003-02-07 | THE HISTORY OF CLIFFS NOTES: In 1985 Cliffs Notes' "The Scarlet Letter" retook the top-selling spot; this book had briefly replaced it "1984" |
| #4249, aired 2003-02-06 | HISTORIC AMERICAN PLACES: Over 260,000 people have been buried here, starting in 1864 Arlington National Cemetery |
| #4248, aired 2003-02-05 | NATURE: The propagation of oak trees depends on the lousy memories of these animals squirrels |
| #4247, aired 2003-02-04 | INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: By size, it's the largest country that borders only one other country Canada (borders only the United States) |
| #4246, aired 2003-02-03 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: Elizabeth Shoumatoff was sketching his portrait when he fell unconscious April 12, 1945; he died 2 hours later Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| #4245, aired 2003-01-31 | AUTHORS: In September 2002 he offered $10,000 to help capture the person who burned down Iowa's Cedar Bridge Robert James Waller (author of "The Bridges of Madison County") |
| #4244, aired 2003-01-30 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: A Nagasaki geisha who had a child with a man named Glover was the model for this title character Madame Butterfly |
| #4243, aired 2003-01-29 | TRANSPORTATION: In 1936 the man who beat Joe Louis returned home on the famous craft named this the Hindenburg |
| #4242, aired 2003-01-28 | AMERICANA: In June 1885 it made a historic transatlantic voyage in 214 crates on the frigate Isere Statue of Liberty |
| #4241, aired 2003-01-27 | THE TOWER OF LONDON: Only prisoners of high rank were executed here on Tower Green, & this woman was the first queen beheaded here Anne Boleyn |
| #4240, aired 2003-01-24 | BRAND NAMES: Robert Chesebrough named this brand for the German word for water & the Greek word for olive oil Vaseline |
| #4239, aired 2003-01-23 | HISTORIC NAMES: In 2002 Christie's auctioned off his own account of his 48-day journey & his coconut cup with the date April 1789 on it Captain William Bligh (after he got bounced off the Bounty) |
| #4238, aired 2003-01-22 | THE GLOBE: Of the more than a dozen countries through which the equator passes, this country stretches farthest south Brazil |
| #4237, aired 2003-01-21 | POPULAR SYMBOLS: Starting in the 1860s, this cartoonist gave us the modern image of Santa Claus Thomas Nast |
| #4236, aired 2003-01-20 | PATRON SAINTS: It's believed that this patron saint founded many monasteries, including one at Mynyw Saint David |
| #4235, aired 2003-01-17 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: In 1999 this Broadway musical was advertised with the line: "Before the Century Ends, See How It All Began" Ragtime |
| #4234, aired 2003-01-16 | ELEGANT WORDS: It may come from a ship travel acronym for port windows on the outward journey & starboard coming home posh (portside out, starboard home) |
| #4233, aired 2003-01-15 | 18th CENTURY NAMES: He's the Frenchman seen here in a detail from a portrait by Jacques-Louis David Antoine Lavoisier |
| #4232, aired 2003-01-14 | LOGOS & TRADEMARKS: This brand's famous logo originally represented Vulcan about to strike his anvil Arm & Hammer |
| #4231, aired 2003-01-13 | NUTRITION: By virtue of the great quantity eaten, this vegetable is the leading source of vitamin C in the American diet potato |
| #4230, aired 2003-01-10 | NONFICTION BOOKS: "The Road to Middle-Earth" is a book about this writer J.R.R. Tolkien |
| #4229, aired 2003-01-09 | WORLD CAPITALS: 1 of the 3 national capitals in the Western Hemisphere that have "City" in their English names (1 of 3) Guatemala City, Mexico City or Panama City |
| #4228, aired 2003-01-08 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the first president to use a middle name John Quincy Adams |
| #4227, aired 2003-01-07 | ANIMALS: What the Germans call a Bambusbar, we generally call this a panda bear |
| #4226, aired 2003-01-06 | STATE CAPITALS: One of the 2 state capitals whose names end with the letter "U" Juneau, Alaska or Honolulu, Hawaii |
| #4225, aired 2003-01-03 | CLASSIC LITERATURE: In this 3-part work, the main character encounters Nimrod, Ulysses, Muhammad & Thomas Aquinas "The Divine Comedy" |
| #4224, aired 2003-01-02 | ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS: She won many Oscars, including those for 1949's "The Heiress", 1951's "A Place in the Sun" & 1973's "The Sting" Edith Head |
| #4223, aired 2003-01-01 | U.S. STATES: It only has 3 communities with a population over 15,000 & is the least populous state east of the Mississippi Vermont |
| #4222, aired 2002-12-31 | SOUTH AMERICA: Alphabetically, they're the first & last of the 7 countries where the Andes are found Argentina & Venezuela |
| #4221, aired 2002-12-30 | BUSINESS GIANTS: Highly diversified, it's the only co. in the Dow Jones Industrial Average that was included in the original index of 1896 General Electric |
| #4220, aired 2002-12-27 | IN THE DICTIONARY: This 5-letter word can refer to one type of work by a composer, or to several works of different types opera |
| #4219, aired 2002-12-26 | TOYS & GAMES: It was inspired by support for economist Henry George's idea that only land should be taxed Monopoly |
| #4218, aired 2002-12-25 | ISLAND COUNTRIES: In 2002 State Dept. spokesman Richard Boucher called it "The first new nation of the new millennium" East Timor |
| #4217, aired 2002-12-24 | U.S. STATES: This state is 2nd in blueberry production, 3rd in cranberries, 4th in peaches but 1st in chemical production New Jersey |
| #4216, aired 2002-12-23 | OSCAR WINNERS: She's the first woman to win 2 Best Actress Oscars before the age of 30 Luise Rainer |
| #4215, aired 2002-12-20 | GREEK GODS: Isthmia in Corinth was the site of the sanctuary of this Greek god Poseidon |
| #4214, aired 2002-12-19 | TV & MUSIC: Scooby-Doo's name was inspired by a line in this 1966 song standard "Strangers in the Night" |
| #4213, aired 2002-12-18 | 20th CENTURY U.S. PRESIDENTS: This president shares his middle name with the name of a 1st c. Jewish theologian mentioned in the New Testament Warren Gamaliel Harding |
| #4212, aired 2002-12-17 | SCIENCE: It takes approximately 24,840 mph to achieve this escaping the Earth's gravity (& go off into outer space, on your way to the Moon, for instance) |
| #4211, aired 2002-12-16 | FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES: As its packaging reflects, this company began marketing its products from an Iowa cattle farm in 1985 Gateway |
| #4210, aired 2002-12-13 | U.S. HISTORY: In 1992 Nathan E. Cook, the last veteran of this war, died the Spanish-American War |
| #4209, aired 2002-12-12 | OSCAR-WINNING DIRECTORS: He's the last person to win the Best Director Oscar for a film in which he also starred Mel Gibson (for Braveheart) |
| #4208, aired 2002-12-11 | NATIONAL FLAGS: Over its 200-plus years, this country has had 28 different flags, a record for any country United States of America |
| #4207, aired 2002-12-10 | THE SPACE PROGRAM: In 1979 NASA officials received a fine for littering from a small town in this country Australia |
| #4206, aired 2002-12-09 | WORDS: This common expression of distress comes from an English representation of the French for "help me" Mayday |
| #4205, aired 2002-12-06 | 20th CENTURY CLASSICAL MUSIC: This work written in 1931 consists of 5 movements including "On the Trail" & "Painted Desert" "Grand Canyon Suite" (by Ferde Grofe) |
| #4204, aired 2002-12-05 | PSYCHOLOGICAL TERMS: From the Greek for "womb", this disorder was once thought to be peculiar to women hysteria |
| #4203, aired 2002-12-04 | THE WHITE HOUSE: In February 2000 the White House Press Briefing Room was named in this man's honor James Brady |
| #4202, aired 2002-12-03 | WASHINGTON, D.C.: The National Mall is bounded by these 2 avenues whose names recall historic documents Constitution & Independence Avenues |
| #4201, aired 2002-12-02 | 2002 NEWS: These 2 men, both christened Paul, made news when they visited Africa together in May 2002 Bono & Paul O'Neill |
| #4200, aired 2002-11-29 | AFRICA: 1 of the 2 current African nations that were independent at the start of the 20th century Liberia or Ethiopia |
| #4199, aired 2002-11-28 | THE CALENDAR: Rendered numerically, it was the last complete date where every digit was an odd number 11-19-1999 |
| #4198, aired 2002-11-27 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 1 of the 3 U.S. Presidents to run on a third-party ticket after having already served as president (1 of) Teddy Roosevelt, Martin Van Buren & Millard Fillmore |
| #4197, aired 2002-11-26 | POLITICIANS: Name of the man who would serve as chief executive if President Bush & Vice President Cheney were incapacitated Dennis Hastert (Speaker of the House) |
| #4196, aired 2002-11-25 | POTENT POTABLES: This brand won a top prize at the 1893 Chicago Expo & has carried the award in its name ever since Pabst Blue Ribbon beer |
| #4195, aired 2002-11-22 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: 1 of the 2 planets of the solar system not represented in Gustav Holst's 1916 work "The Planets" Earth or Pluto |
| #4194, aired 2002-11-21 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: One of the original titles of this 1925 novel was "Among Ash Heaps and Millionaires" The Great Gatsby |
| #4193, aired 2002-11-20 | AMERICANA: Baptist minister Francis Bellamy penned this oath in 1892 to reflect his Christian Socialist beliefs the Pledge of Allegiance |
| #4192, aired 2002-11-19 | IN THE NEWS: So far some of its major components are Zarya, Unity, Zvezda & Canadarm2 International Space Station (ISS) |
| #4191, aired 2002-11-18 | THE PRESIDENCY: He was the first man to become U.S. president as a result of the 25th Amendment Gerald Ford |
| #4190, aired 2002-11-15 | BIOGRAPHIES: A 2001 biography of this man is subtitled "Pioneer of the Mind" Sigmund Freud |
| #4189, aired 2002-11-14 | LITERARY INSPIRATIONS: In 2002, at age 104, Gregorio Fuentes, an inspiration for this tale, died in the Cuban fishing village of Cojimar The Old Man and the Sea |
| #4188, aired 2002-11-13 | COMPUTER HISTORY: IBM engineer Dave Bradley is called the father of this multi-key combination Control-Alt-Delete |
| #4187, aired 2002-11-12 | AMERICAN LEGAL HISTORY: 5 of the women condemned in Salem in 1692 were finally exonerated by a bill signed on this day in 2001 Halloween (October 31) |
| #4186, aired 2002-11-11 | THEORIES OF SCIENCE: Physicist John Wheeler compared possible passages through space & time to the work of this creature a worm |
| #4185, aired 2002-11-08 | STATE CAPITALS: In the continental United States, this city is the southernmost state capital Austin, Texas (Tallahassee is a very close second, Baton Rouge, third) |
| #4184, aired 2002-11-07 | HISTORIC BOOKS: Published in 1611, the Pilgrims in 1620 refused to bring it to America; they brought the Geneva version King James Bible |
| #4183, aired 2002-11-06 | AUTHORS: In September 1941 this author christened the warship Atlanta, also known as "The Mighty A" Margaret Mitchell |
| #4182, aired 2002-11-05 | FAMOUS PHRASES: Phrase associated with very dissimilar events of April 19, 1775 & October 3, 1951 the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" |
| #4181, aired 2002-11-04 | OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: It is an official language of about 30 countries, second only to English French |
| #4180, aired 2002-11-01 | BUSINESS GEOGRAPHY: The U.S. company that now has the greatest revenues is headquartered in this state that's near the bottom in household income Arkansas (Wal-Mart) |
| #4179, aired 2002-10-31 | HISTORIC CONGRESSMEN: Armed Services Committee head Carl Vinson was the first living American for whom the government named 1 of these ship/aircraft carrier |
| #4178, aired 2002-10-30 | CABLE TELEVISION: 2002's "A Season on the Brink" was this cable network's first original movie ESPN/ESPN2 |
| #4177, aired 2002-10-29 | NOTABLE NAMES: His last direct descendant was a granddaughter, Elizabeth Hall, born to John & Susanna Hall in 1608 William Shakespeare |
| #4176, aired 2002-10-28 | DOUBLE MEANINGS: Used one way, this word is one of the official titles of the Pope; used another, it's an order of mammals primate |
| #4175, aired 2002-10-25 | NATURAL WONDERS: Given its current name by John Wesley Powell, it was called Kaibab, or "mountain lying down", by the Paiutes the Grand Canyon |
| #4174, aired 2002-10-24 | HISTORIC PHRASES: Sidney Sherman, who died in Texas in 1873, is credited with coining this 3-word phrase "Remember the Alamo" |
| #4173, aired 2002-10-23 | AMERICANA: It's made yearly by Tiffany out of 7 pounds of silver; since 2001 one in Baltimore has been touched by some 250,000 fans The Vince Lombardi Trophy (emblematic of winning the Super Bowl) |
| #4172, aired 2002-10-22 | WOMEN AUTHORS: A line in her first novel reads, "I am to replace my mother, whose seat at the mah jong table has been empty" Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club) |
| #4171, aired 2002-10-21 | PEOPLE: A British airport recently named for him features a logo with the words "Above Us Only Sky" John Lennon |
| #4170, aired 2002-10-18 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: It's the westernmost state to border any of the Great Lakes Minnesota |
| #4169, aired 2002-10-17 | MODERN-DAY KNIGHTS: At the Knights of the Garter's Chapel, the heraldic crest representing this man depicts a kiwi with an axe Sir Edmund Hillary |
| #4168, aired 2002-10-16 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In 1920 this man, great-grandson of Sauk leader Black Hawk, became the first president of what is now the NFL Jim Thorpe |
| #4167, aired 2002-10-15 | FIELDS OF SCIENCE: Ludwig Prandtl, an expert in wind tunnel & wing design, is called "The Father of" this aviation-related field aerodynamics |
| #4166, aired 2002-10-14 | COMPOSERS: His Rococo-style summer house in Prague is nicknamed "America" Antonin Dvorak |
| #4165, aired 2002-10-11 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In 1785 he wrote that "After fifty years' service in public affairs", he wanted to "make plenty of experiments" Benjamin Franklin |
| #4164, aired 2002-10-10 | ADVERTISING: In 2002 H&R Block used a version of this 1966 song in its TV commercials "Taxman" |
| #4163, aired 2002-10-09 | THE CENSUS: The 1930 U.S. Census was the first to ask if residents owned one of these & 12 million were counted a radio |
| #4162, aired 2002-10-08 | 1896: This venture was financed by the sale of souvenir stamps & medals & a large donation from businessman Georgios Averoff the Olympic Games (first of the modern era) |
| #4161, aired 2002-10-07 | MOVIE MUSIC: The end credits for this 1998 film with Woody Allen feature the song "High Hopes" Antz |
| #4160, aired 2002-10-04 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: A Civil War general, he was the last man to go directly from the House of Representatives to the presidency James A. Garfield |
| #4159, aired 2002-10-03 | CATCHPHRASES: Maiden name of author Edith Wharton, whose social-climbing family may have inspired a catchphrase Jones |
| #4158, aired 2002-10-02 | BROADWAY STARS: This Tony-winning actor with the real name Joseph took part of his stage name from a role in "Guys and Dolls" Nathan Lane |
| #4157, aired 2002-10-01 | COMIC STRIPS: He's Willi Wakker in Germany, Angelo Capello in Italy & Andre Chapeau in France Andy Capp |
| #4156, aired 2002-09-30 | WORLD FLAGS: This Mediterranean country is the world's only nation whose flag bears a geographic outline of itself Cyprus |
| #4155, aired 2002-09-27 | THE EAST COAST: It's the only U.S. island allowed to use a possessive apostrophe by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names Martha's Vineyard |
| #4154, aired 2002-09-26 | WORLD LEADERS: In April 1952 he wrote in a poem, "Cherry blossoms are blooming full today, now is the nation's springtime" Emperor Hirohito |
| #4153, aired 2002-09-25 | MOVIE MOUNTAINS: This peak is featured in the 1959 Disney film "Third Man on the Mountain", where it's called "The Citadel" the Matterhorn |
| #4152, aired 2002-09-24 | WORLD NATIONS: Of the world nations whose English names contain "land", this nation has the most people, 60 million Thailand |
| #4151, aired 2002-09-23 | INAUGURAL ADDRESSES: A New Deal Democrat in his youth, this president stated, "Government is not the solution to our problem" Ronald Reagan |
| #4150, aired 2002-09-20 | HISTORIC OBJECTS: It's the historic object seen here [marked "1620"] Plymouth Rock |
| #4149, aired 2002-09-19 | EXPLORERS: Sailing on behalf of Spain in 1519, this Portuguese explorer's trip proved the Americas were a new world Ferdinand Magellan |
| #4148, aired 2002-09-18 | THE 7 ANCIENT WONDERS: The oldest of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, they're also the only ones still standing today the Pyramids |
| #4147, aired 2002-09-17 | STATE FACTS: In August 1959 a coin toss helped Hiram L. Fong become this state's senior senator Hawaii |
| #4146, aired 2002-09-16 | ON THE CALENDAR: In 1974, to save energy, it began in January instead of April & ended on October 27 daylight saving time |
| #4145, aired 2002-09-13 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: The first winning presidential ticket of 2 sitting U.S. senators was the ticket of these 2 men John F. Kennedy & Lyndon B. Johnson |
| #4144, aired 2002-09-12 | U.S. HISTORY: Dating back to the revolution, it's the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States West Point |
| #4143, aired 2002-09-11 | BASEBALL: It's the only team to win World Series titles in 3 different cities for which it played the Braves (Boston, Milwaukee & Atlanta) |
| #4142, aired 2002-09-10 | BY THE NUMBERS: In the 1800s Carl Wunderlich got this number by averaging over a million readings from armpits of 25,000 patients 98.6 degrees |
| #4141, aired 2002-09-09 | POETS: She has over 30 honorary degrees, wrote a poem for Clinton's first inauguration & now has a line of Hallmark Cards Maya Angelou |
| #4140, aired 2002-09-06 | SPORTS STARS: He's the only athlete in history to play in both the Super Bowl & the World Series Deion Sanders |
| #4139, aired 2002-09-05 | TECHNOLOGY: After a demonstration of this, the April 8, 1927 New York Times said, "Commercial use in doubt" television |
| #4138, aired 2002-09-04 | NEW YORK CITY LANDMARKS: Moving several times, the first was originally P.T. Barnum's Monster Classical and Geological Hippodrome Madison Square Garden |
| #4137, aired 2002-09-03 | SEPTEMBER 1984: History-making woman whose Sept. 1984 itinerary included speeches in Dallas, Spokane, Syracuse & Youngstown Geraldine Ferraro |
| #4136, aired 2002-09-02 | STATUES: On May 8, 2002 the city of Minneapolis placed a statue of this fictional character at the corner of 7th St. & Nicollet Mall Mary Richards |
| #4135, aired 2002-07-19 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: "May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof" is from this man's 1800 prayer John Adams |
| #4134, aired 2002-07-18 | AFRICAN COUNTRIES: This country of more than 100 million people is home to the Kanuri, Edo & Igbo ethnic groups Nigeria |
| #4133, aired 2002-07-17 | CANADIAN SPORTS: Valued at $60,000, the Brier Tankard is the ultimate prize in this professional sport curling |
| #4132, aired 2002-07-16 | CLASSIC MOVIES: A short feature called "Salzburg Sight & Sound" is included with the DVD 35th Anniversary Edition of this film The Sound of Music |
| #4131, aired 2002-07-15 | U.S. STATES: It's the only state whose state bird has a major city in its name Maryland |
| #4130, aired 2002-07-12 | ENGLISH LITERATURE: Literary history was shaped in 1905 when this female author moved from 22 Hyde Park to 46 Gordon Square Virginia Woolf |
| #4129, aired 2002-07-11 | THE OSCARS: 1 of only 3 movies to be nominated for both Best Picture & Best Foreign Language Film in the same year (1 of) Life is Beautiful, Z, or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon |
| #4128, aired 2002-07-10 | HISTORIC PEOPLE: He once said, "If I can make a deaf-mute talk, I can make metal talk" Alexander Graham Bell |
| #4127, aired 2002-07-09 | AWARDS: Nominees in 2002 for these awards included Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Ann-Margret, George Carlin & Jimmy Carter the Grammys |
| #4126, aired 2002-07-08 | AMERICAN HISTORY: When Washington took office on April 30, 1789, it was the largest state in area, covering what is now 3 states Virginia |
| #4125, aired 2002-07-05 | 19th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: He was the first U.S. president who never had a vice president John Tyler |
| #4124, aired 2002-07-04 | CONTEMPORARY WOMEN: According to the London Times she was England's highest-earning British woman in 2001, followed by Queen Elizabeth II J.K. Rowling |
| #4123, aired 2002-07-03 | U.S. LANDMARKS: Opened in 1962, its paint included Astronaut White for the supports & Re-entry Red for the "halo" the Space Needle (in Seattle) |
| #4122, aired 2002-07-02 | 1980s BUSINESS: In his job since 1984, this man has been called "the Prince who awakened Sleeping Beauty" Michael Eisner |
| #4121, aired 2002-07-01 | FILMS OF THE 1930s: Parts of "I Pagliacci" & "Il trovatore" are performed in this 1935 comedy A Night at the Opera |
| #4120, aired 2002-06-28 | THE OSCARS: 1 of only 3 pairs of mothers & daughters to receive Oscar nominations for their acting (1 of) Diane Ladd & Laura Dern, Goldie Hawn & Kate Hudson, or Judy Garland & Liza Minnelli |
| #4119, aired 2002-06-27 | LITERARY HEROINES: This literary character was inspired by Delphine Delamare, whose adultery led to her 1848 suicide Madame Bovary |
| #4118, aired 2002-06-26 | COUNTRY NAME ORIGINS: This country is named for the 5th century Germanic people who invaded it France (or England) |
| #4117, aired 2002-06-25 | FIRST LADIES: She was the first woman to become First Lady who was born in the 20th century Jackie Kennedy |
| #4116, aired 2002-06-24 | GOVERNMENT & ECONOMICS: Though a legal requirement in 49 states, it failed in the '90s as an amendment to the U.S. Constitution Balanced Budget Amendment |
| #4115, aired 2002-06-21 | SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: The first Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year was this British athlete in 1954 (Roger) Bannister |
| #4114, aired 2002-06-20 | THE EMMY AWARDS: It's the only prime time TV show--comedy or drama--to win the Emmy for Best Series 5 times Frasier |
| #4113, aired 2002-06-19 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: On this man's death, FDR said, "All mankind are the beneficiaries of his discoveries in... agricultural chemistry" George Washington Carver |
| #4112, aired 2002-06-18 | 19th CENTURY LITERARY CHARACTERS: This character was inspired by Adam Worth, who masterminded crimes including tunneling into a bank vault Professor Moriarty |
| #4111, aired 2002-06-17 | LANGUAGES: Besides English & Spanish, 2 of the 4 other languages in which the U.S. census 2000 questionnaires were printed (2 of) Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog & Korean |
| #4110, aired 2002-06-14 | COLLEGE FOOTBALL: His name was immortalized in 1936; he holds the record for head coaching at the most Division I or major schools--8 John Heisman |
| #4109, aired 2002-06-13 | MEDICAL WORDS: After ether's first use in surgery, O.W. Holmes coined this word from the Greek for the condition it produced anesthesia |
| #4108, aired 2002-06-12 | FANTASY FILMS: This 1990 Tim Burton film was advertised with the line "His story will touch you, even though he can't" Edward Scissorhands |
| #4107, aired 2002-06-11 | GEOGRAPHIC PHRASES: This common term originated in the early 1500s with the book "De Rebus Oceanicis et Novo Orbe" the New World |
| #4106, aired 2002-06-10 | THE PRESIDENCY: He was the last president to take the oath of office from someone other than the Chief Justice of the U.S. Lyndon Johnson |
| #4105, aired 2002-06-07 | ACTORS & ROLE: In a 2001 film Jon Voight played this man; in a 2002 TV movie, so did John Turturro Howard Cosell |
| #4104, aired 2002-06-06 | COMMON BONDS: All the correct responses in the category "THIS'LL KILL YA!" are integral to this, introduced in the 1940s Clue |
| #4103, aired 2002-06-05 | EUROPE: Among countries entirely within Europe, this nation has the highest percentage of Muslims Albania |
| #4102, aired 2002-06-04 | ORGANIZATIONS: "Music Man" composer Meredith Willson wrote the song "Banners And Bonnets" for this organization the Salvation Army |
| #4101, aired 2002-06-03 | FRANCE: Of France's 22 official regions, this one extends the farthest west Brittany |
| #4100, aired 2002-05-31 | TOYS & GAMES: One face of the icosahedron, a 20-sided figure inside this, says "yes" Magic 8-Ball |
| #4099, aired 2002-05-30 | INTERNATIONAL SPORTS: It's the only country to host the Summer Olympics in November & December Australia |
| #4098, aired 2002-05-29 | LITERATURE & GEOGRAPHY: Zhongdian County in Southwest China has renamed itself after this fabled land from a 1933 book Shangri-La |
| #4097, aired 2002-05-28 | POLITICAL LONGEVITY: 2 of the 4 U.S. senators elected to their seventh consecutive terms in the 1990s (2 of) Strom Thurmond, Ted Kennedy, Daniel Inouye & Robert Byrd |
| #4096, aired 2002-05-27 | TV HISTORY: The 1979 sequel to this miniseries is set in Henning, Tennessee, beginning in 1882 Roots |
| #4095, aired 2002-05-24 | HIGH PLACES: Rising to over 14,000 feet, the highest paved road in North America is found in this U.S. state Colorado |
| #4094, aired 2002-05-23 | ISRAEL: They are the 2 Arab countries in which Israel currently has embassies Egypt & Jordan |
| #4093, aired 2002-05-22 | RENAISSANCE AUTHORS: In the 16th century he wrote, "Whoever wishes to found a state…must start with assuming that all men are bad…" Machiavelli |
| #4092, aired 2002-05-21 | NEWSMAKERS: In May 2001 he said, "Vermont has always been known for its independence" Jim Jeffords |
| #4091, aired 2002-05-20 | RULERS: Mikhail Speransky & Aleksey Arakcheyev were advisors to this opponent of Napoleon Tsar Alexander I |
| #4090, aired 2002-05-17 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: In a popular '90s bestseller, this hero replaces Roger Durling as President of the United States Jack Ryan |
| #4089, aired 2002-05-16 | MILITARY UNITS: This 100-member unit still wears uniforms originally designed by Michelangelo in the 16th century Swiss Guard |
| #4087, aired 2002-05-14 | VICE PRESIDENTS: He was the only vice president to be elected to, & serve, 2 full terms as president Thomas Jefferson |
| #4086, aired 2002-05-13 | WORD HISTORIES: In old philosophy this 12-letter word referred to a fifth substance, superior to earth, air, fire or water quintessence |
| #4085, aired 2002-05-10 | KNOWLEDGE BY THE NUMBERS: Number of males who served as British PM in the 1990s plus Oscars won by Tom Hanks plus protons in a helium nucleus 6 (2 + 2 + 2) |
| #4084, aired 2002-05-09 | PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING BOOKS: One of its title studies is Sen. Edmund Ross' 1868 vote against convicting President Andrew Johnson Profiles in Courage |
| #4083, aired 2002-05-08 | IN THE DICTIONARY: In his dictionary, Samuel Johnson self-effacingly defined this job title in part as "a harmless drudge" lexicographer |
| #4082, aired 2002-05-07 | THE OSCARS: The 2 Best Picture nominees for 1983 that featured astronaut characters The Right Stuff & Terms of Endearment |
| #4081, aired 2002-05-06 | U.S. CITIES: Founded in 1758, it's named for a British prime minister who was a noted defender of the American Colonists Pittsburgh |
| #4080, aired 2002-05-03 | FAMOUS SHIPS: In 1999 the wreck of this ship known for its historic 1912 rescue effort was discovered 120 miles off England the Carpathia |
| #4079, aired 2002-05-02 | 2001 NEWS: In 2001 the zinc industry was up in arms over Rep. Jim Kolbe's bill calling for the phasing out of these pennies |
| #4078, aired 2002-05-01 | ESPIONAGE: He was born in India; his father worked for the British government & he was nicknamed for a Kipling character Kim Philby |
| #4077, aired 2002-04-30 | INTERNATIONAL FILM DIRECTORS: This director of an Oscar-winning film is fighting to preserve Angel Island, site of a former immigration station in S.F. Bay Ang Lee |
| #4076, aired 2002-04-29 | SOUTHERN WRITERS: He said, "My own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about... I would never... exhaust it" William Faulkner |
| #4075, aired 2002-04-26 | BIG RIVERS: Besides the Mississippi & its tributaries, 2 of 4 rivers in the 48 contiguous states that are over 1,000 miles long (2 of) Colorado, Rio Grande, Columbia, or Snake |
| #4074, aired 2002-04-25 | THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME: One of the 2 birds honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame (1 of) Big Bird or Woody Woodpecker |
| #4073, aired 2002-04-24 | RECENT HISTORY: In 1993 this country of over 35 million people had 2 official languages; now it has 11 South Africa |
| #4072, aired 2002-04-23 | SHAKESPEAREAN GEOGRAPHY: Of the 6 locations mentioned in titles of Shakespeare's plays, this one is the only one in England Windsor |
| #4071, aired 2002-04-22 | OSCAR HOSTS: The 2 "Saturday Night Live" regular cast members who have hosted the Academy Awards telecast Billy Crystal & Chevy Chase |
| #4070, aired 2002-04-19 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Alphabetically, it's the first country on the alphabetically first continent Algeria |
| #4069, aired 2002-04-18 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: Other than FDR, he's the only man to appear as President or VP on a major party ticket in 4 straight elections George Herbert Walker Bush |
| #4068, aired 2002-04-17 | U.S. STATE CAPITALS: This state capital is farthest away from any other state capital Honolulu |
| #4067, aired 2002-04-16 | 5-LETTER WORDS: In 1898 the word "telephone" made its debut in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, as did this related word hello |
| #4066, aired 2002-04-15 | AMERICANA: Appropriately, the Salem Witch Trials Memorial was unveiled by this playwright Arthur Miller |
| #4065, aired 2002-04-12 | RELIGIOUS PLACES: A bullet that struck Pope John Paul II was placed in the crown of a statue of the Virgin Mary in this Iberian village Fatima |
| #4064, aired 2002-04-11 | THE NFL: They're the only 2 NFL teams to currently share a home stadium the New York Jets & the New York Giants |
| #4063, aired 2002-04-10 | MOVIE DIRECTORS: Appropriately, the last name of this current director means "characterized by abject fear" Wes Craven |
| #4062, aired 2002-04-09 | QUEENS: Of Henry VIII's wives, the 2 who were not English Anne of Cleves & Catherine of Aragon |
| #4061, aired 2002-04-08 | THE MOVIES: Later a Broadway show, this 1988 comedy was the first movie directed by a woman to earn $100 million Big |
| #4060, aired 2002-04-05 | AUTHORS: Like one of his most famous heroines, he died at a train station in 1910 Tolstoy |
| #4059, aired 2002-04-04 | AMERICAN BUSINESS: 5 beekeepers near this Iowa city formed a honey co-op in 1921; they named it for the city, but later respelled it Sioux City |
| #4058, aired 2002-04-03 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: One of only 2 U.S. presidents to be outlived by their fathers (1 of) John F Kennedy or Warren G. Harding |
| #4057, aired 2002-04-02 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: The only 2 South American countries with both an Atlantic & a Pacific coast Chile & Colombia |
| #4056, aired 2002-04-01 | U.S. STAMPS: At the end of October 2001 Lance Burton & Tony Curtis unveiled the new stamp honoring this man Harry Houdini |
| #4055, aired 2002-03-29 | RECENT FILMS: The May 2001 premiere of this film was held aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis Pearl Harbor |
| #4054, aired 2002-03-28 | NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS: Before the 1962 Peace Prize, this chemist won a 1948 Presidential Medal for developing armor-piercing shells Linus Pauling |
| #4053, aired 2002-03-27 | IN THE BOOKSTORE: Editor Otto Penzler dubbed his 2001 lineup of baseball mysteries this after a nickname given a 1927 lineup Murderers' Row |
| #4052, aired 2002-03-26 | FOOD & DRINK: From a flowering plant, the Aztecs used it as a chocolate enhancer & the Spanish called it this, meaning "pod" vanilla |
| #4051, aired 2002-03-25 | 1950s FICTION: One of the most influential books of our time, this 1,100-page novel was originally called "The Strike" Atlas Shrugged |
| #4050, aired 2002-03-22 | FROM THE LATIN: Derived from the Latin for "to walk", this word is often printed backwards to be seen in rear-view mirrors ambulance |
| #4049, aired 2002-03-21 | ASIAN CITIES: The name of this Afghan city is a local variation of the name of the man who conquered the region in 329 B.C. Kandahar |
| #4048, aired 2002-03-20 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: The most requested photo in the history of the National Archives is of the 1970 meeting of these 2 men Richard Nixon & Elvis Presley |
| #4047, aired 2002-03-19 | ARTISTS: The tapestries in Israel's Knesset were designed by this artist born in Russia in 1887 Marc Chagall |
| #4046, aired 2002-03-18 | CELEBRITIES: He describes himself as "Cablinasian", a hybrid of Caucasian, Black, American Indian & Asian Tiger Woods |
| #4045, aired 2002-03-15 | FAMILIAR PHRASES: The phrase "to turn a blind eye" is said to have been inspired by a 19th century naval incident involving this man Admiral Lord Nelson |
| #4044, aired 2002-03-14 | RECENT FILMS: The name of this character means "fear" in Yiddish Shrek |
| #4043, aired 2002-03-13 | POPULAR SONG: The lyrics to a song that went to No. 1 on the sales charts in Oct. 2001 were written by this 19th c. American Francis Scott Key |
| #4042, aired 2002-03-12 | WORLD CAPITALS: Other than Washington, D.C., it's the only world capital named for an American Monrovia, Liberia |
| #4041, aired 2002-03-11 | ARCHITECTURE & SOCIETY: The tiered steeple of St. Bride's Church in London inspired the traditional form of this festive item a wedding cake |
| #4040, aired 2002-03-08 | BRITISH LITERARY CHARACTERS: Originally called Sherringford Hope, his final last name came from his creator's favorite American poet Sherlock Holmes |
| #4039, aired 2002-03-07 | MUSICAL THEATER: "Il Muto" & "Don Juan Triumphant" are shows within this show that premiered on Broadway in 1988 The Phantom of the Opera |
| #4038, aired 2002-03-06 | TELEVISION: The characters Adam, Eric & Joseph were much younger on the 2001 PAX prequel to this '60s series Bonanza |
| #4037, aired 2002-03-05 | CABINET POSITIONS: This original cabinet post created in 1789 didn't get an accompanying department until 1870 the Attorney General |
| #4036, aired 2002-03-04 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: His last will & testament named the Warm Springs Foundation as the beneficiary of insurance policies totaling $560,000 Franklin Roosevelt |
| #4035, aired 2002-03-01 | THE MOVIES: Federal Express founder Fred Smith made a special cameo appearance in this 2000 film Cast Away |
| #4034, aired 2002-02-28 | TV & LITERATURE: "The Fugitive" was based in part on this 1862 novel in which a detective relentlessly pursues the fugitive hero Les Misérables |
| #4033, aired 2002-02-27 | THE CIVIL WAR: This Tennessean was the only U.S. Senator from a seceded state to remain loyal to the Union Andrew Johnson |
| #4032, aired 2002-02-26 | 19th CENTURY INVENTIONS: Peter Roget's new device for performing mechanically the involution & evolution of numbers the slide rule |
| #4031, aired 2002-02-25 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: This orchestral instrument is the first one heard in Stravinsky's "Orpheus" & the second heard in Liszt's "Orpheus" the harp |
| #4030, aired 2002-02-22 | SPORTS TEAMS: This pro sports team has 3 official mascots: Edgar, Allan & Poe Baltimore Ravens |
| #4029, aired 2002-02-21 | FAMOUS NAMES: The son of an art teacher, he became vice president of the Swiss Psychoanalytic Society in 1919 Hermann Rorschach |
| #4028, aired 2002-02-20 | 2000 FILMS: This film was partly inspired by Jean-Leon Gerome's painting "Pollice Verso" or "Thumbs Down" Gladiator |
| #4027, aired 2002-02-19 | FOOD SUPERSTITIONS: Sold on Good Friday, they were once used as charms against evil & were said to last without getting moldy hot cross buns |
| #4026, aired 2002-02-18 | TRANSPORTATION: In 2001 Germany began regular passenger service on one of these, named for a German, for the 1st time since 1937 zeppelin |
| #4025, aired 2002-02-15 | 20th CENTURY BRITISH NOVELS: The phrase that's the title of this novel comes from the translation of the Hebrew word Beelzebub Lord of the Flies |
| #4024, aired 2002-02-14 | AMERICAN HISTORY: German officer Johann Rall led this group when they were defeated in battle in December 1776 the Hessians |
| #4023, aired 2002-02-13 | STATE CAPITALS: This least populous state capital falls alphabetically immediately after Alabama's Montpelier, Vermont |
| #4022, aired 2002-02-12 | WORD & PHRASE ORIGINS: Don Hoefler, a reporter for Electronic News, is credited with coining this name for an area south of San Francisco Silicon Valley |
| #4021, aired 2002-02-11 | LIFE SCIENCE: As they become visible when stained, they were named this from the Greek for "color" & "body" chromosomes |
| #4020, aired 2002-02-08 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: Its seal includes the motto "Fidelity, bravery, integrity" the Federal Bureau of Investigation |
| #4019, aired 2002-02-07 | FIRST LADIES: She was First Lady of the U.S. longer than any other woman Eleanor Roosevelt |
| #4018, aired 2002-02-06 | CITIES: Founded in 1565, it is the oldest continually occupied European settlement in the continental United States St. Augustine, Florida |
| #4017, aired 2002-02-05 | FADS: A '50s fad still popular today, this toy was inspired by a Connecticut bakery's pie tins frisbee |
| #4016, aired 2002-02-04 | ANNUAL EVENTS: It passes near Fenway Park & in the 1990s in the men's open division it was won by Kenyans 9 times the Boston Marathon |
| #4015, aired 2002-02-01 | AMERICAN COMPOSERS: Rachmaninoff & Heifetz watched Paul Whiteman conduct the 1924 premiere of a milestone work by this composer Gershwin |
| #4014, aired 2002-01-31 | ATHLETES: He was an Olympian, played pro baseball for the Reds & was a charter member of pro football's Hall of Fame (Jim) Thorpe |
| #4013, aired 2002-01-30 | '90s BESTSELLERS: This novel grew out of a series of personal columns that first ran in the Independent of London Bridget Jones's Diary |
| #4012, aired 2002-01-29 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: The international airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan is named for this man who moved to the city from Nebraska as a child Gerald Ford |
| #4011, aired 2002-01-28 | THE CABINET: 1 of 2 presidents, other than FDR, to have 4 or more attorneys general during their terms in office (1 of) Richard Nixon & Ulysses S. Grant |
| #4010, aired 2002-01-25 | WORLD LEADERS: Born into a royal family of the Thembu people & expected to become a chief, he became a president in 1994 Nelson Mandela |
| #4009, aired 2002-01-24 | WORLD OF SPORTS: Events using this item include maximum time aloft & William Tell, where you knock an apple off your own head boomerang |
| #4008, aired 2002-01-23 | BUSINESS NAMES: In 1795 he received the first official permit from the King of Spain to produce tequila commercially Jose Cuervo |
| #4007, aired 2002-01-22 | FIRST LADIES: 1 of 2 first ladies buried at Arlington National Cemetery (1 of) Jackie Kennedy & Mrs. Taft |
| #4006, aired 2002-01-21 | PEOPLE ON THE MAP: Tourist spots in the Asian city named for this man include Notre Dame Cathedral & Reunification Hall Ho Chi Minh |
| #4005, aired 2002-01-18 | THE ELEMENTS: The first known discoverer of an element, Hennig Brand, found this solid in 1669 & had Europe aglow with excitement phosphorus |
| #4004, aired 2002-01-17 | MILITARY MATTERS: Completed by the British in 1906, its name means "fear nothing" & it made all others of its kind obsolete HMS Dreadnought |
| #4003, aired 2002-01-16 | THE 50 STATES: The 2 states whose names each contain 3 sets of double letters; they border each other Mississippi & Tennessee |
| #4002, aired 2002-01-15 | ARTISTS: Marie von Goethem, a student of the Ballet de l'Opera, was the model for his most famous sculpture (Edgar) Degas |
| #4001, aired 2002-01-14 | AWARDS: This food company sponsors the "Very Best in Youth" award Nestlé's |
| #4000, aired 2002-01-11 | INVENTORS: Summarizing the dawn of a new era, he came up with the slogan, "You press the button, we do the rest" George Eastman |
| #3999, aired 2002-01-10 | PAST PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: Each fall the Archdiocese of New York sponsors a major fund-raising dinner named for him Al Smith |
| #3998, aired 2002-01-09 | 1950s TELEVISION: According to the L.A. Times, he quipped, "How many stories should you tell about two people in an apartment?" Jackie Gleason |
| #3997, aired 2002-01-08 | PLAYWRIGHTS: King Louis XIV was the godfather of this playwright's first child, born in 1664 Molière |
| #3996, aired 2002-01-07 | ORGANIZATIONS: In 2001 a fight over these initials pitted the panda against The Rock WWF |
| #3995, aired 2002-01-04 | 19th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: Other than FDR, he's the only Democrat to receive his party's nomination in 3 straight elections Grover Cleveland |
| #3994, aired 2002-01-03 | FAMILIAR PHARASES: This 2-word term entered the English language after a pilot reported seeing 9 of them near Mt. Rainier in June 1947 flying saucers |
| #3993, aired 2002-01-02 | 1970s GAMES: Of this ground-breaking game, its creator said, "We knew a square ball wasn't cool" but "It was all we could do" Pong |
| #3992, aired 2002-01-01 | CLASSIC TV CHARACTERS: In a real ceremony in 2001, the Marines promoted this character to Lance Cpl. after he was a private for over 30 years Gomer Pyle |
| #3991, aired 2001-12-31 | LAW HISTORY: In 1964 he was the prosecutor of Jack Ruby; in 1973 he was the defendant in a landmark Supreme Court case Wade |
| #3990, aired 2001-12-28 | TRADITIONS: NORAD's annual tracking of his flight progress goes back to 1955 & now has a website Santa Claus |
| #3989, aired 2001-12-27 | STATE SYMBOLS: Appropriately, the mayflower is the official flower of this state Massachusetts |
| #3988, aired 2001-12-26 | ANIMALS: Scientists named an anticoagulant found in the saliva of a species of this animal "draculin" (vampire) bat |
| #3987, aired 2001-12-25 | NATURE: The symbol seen here represents this animal's foundation, headquartered in Australia koala |
| #3986, aired 2001-12-24 | LANDMARKS: This California structure whose official color is international orange is one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World Golden Gate Bridge |
| #3985, aired 2001-12-21 | CHRISTMAS SONGS: The song you're hearing right now was written originally in this language:
"...Tender and mild /
Sleep in heavenly peace /
Sleep in heavenly peace..." German |
| #3984, aired 2001-12-20 | MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS: This 2000 film was the first drama to have an authorized Led Zeppelin tune on its soundtrack Almost Famous |
| #3983, aired 2001-12-19 | STATE NICKNAME ORIGINS: One popular story is that men of this state fought so stalwartly it seemed their feet were stuck to the ground North Carolina |
| #3982, aired 2001-12-18 | COLONIAL TRADE: The Dutch traded New York to the British for a tiny island producing this, now mainly used at Christmastime nutmeg |
| #3981, aired 2001-12-17 | AWARDS: In 2001 the Pritzker Prize, architecture's most prestigious, was presented at this historic home in the U.S. Monticello |
| #3980, aired 2001-12-14 | BIRDS: This North American bird is known scientifically as Mimus polyglottos mockingbird |
| #3979, aired 2001-12-13 | U.S. PRESIDENTS & VICE PRESIDENTS: He's the only man elected vice president twice & elected president twice Richard Nixon |
| #3978, aired 2001-12-12 | TV SPIN-OFFS: One of the 2 hourlong dramas spun off from popular half-hour sitcoms in the 1970s Lou Grant or Trapper John, M.D. |
| #3977, aired 2001-12-11 | ENTERTAINERS: Interviewed on "60 Minutes" in 2001, he said, "It's been one of my lifelong jobs... to make the world laugh at Adolf Hitler" Mel Brooks |
| #3976, aired 2001-12-10 | THE OSCARS: One of 4 men nominated twice for playing the same character (1 of) Bing Crosby, Paul Newman, Al Pacino & Peter O'Toole |
| #3975, aired 2001-12-07 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: This independent nation is the only Hindu kingdom in the world Nepal |
| #3974, aired 2001-12-06 | BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY: Engineers Jerry Yang & David Filo chose this name for their company in 1994; it's what each considered himself Yahoo! |
| #3973, aired 2001-12-05 | HISTORIC HEROES: This man born in 1783 is considered the national hero of 5 different countries Simon Bolivar |
| #3972, aired 2001-12-04 | CLIMATE TERMS: From the Latin for "restraint", these zones extend 900 miles north & south of the tropics temperate zones |
| #3971, aired 2001-12-03 | FICTIONAL PLACES: The creator of this Minnesota town says its name is Ojibwa for "Place where we waited all day for you in the rain" Lake Wobegon |
| #3970, aired 2001-11-30 | BESTSELLING AUTHORS: One of the world's bestselling novelists, he created TV's "I Dream of Jeannie" Sidney Sheldon |
| #3969, aired 2001-11-29 | ARTISTS: Christopher Buckley called his book on the life and work of this artist "Blossoms and Bones" Georgia O'Keeffe |
| #3968, aired 2001-11-28 | ACTRESSES: In 1999 Liz Smith quoted her as saying, "I look at the Empire State Building and I feel like it belongs to me" Fay Wray |
| #3967, aired 2001-11-27 | SIGNS & SYMBOLS: To boost morale between 2 merging insurance companies, it was designed & put on a pin in 1963 by Harvey Ball the smiley face |
| #3966, aired 2001-11-26 | WORLD CITIES: This capital city of 13 million located at 55.5 degrees north latitude is the most populous city in Europe Moscow |
| #3965, aired 2001-11-23 | ANCIENT ROMANS: According to tradition, he was descended from the clan of the Pontii & killed himself in 39 A.D. Pontius Pilate |
| #3964, aired 2001-11-22 | FADS: Invented by Dan Robbins, this product was first sold in the 1950s with the slogan "Every Man a Rembrandt" Paint by Numbers |
| #3963, aired 2001-11-21 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: It's the only island whose territory makes up parts of 3 different independent nations Borneo (Malaysia, Indonesia & Brunei) |
| #3962, aired 2001-11-20 | CITY NAME ORIGINS: In 1517 the Portuguese modified the name of a port city of western Ceylon in honor of this man Christopher Columbus |
| #3961, aired 2001-11-19 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: John Steinbeck originally called this 1937 short novel "Something That Happened" Of Mice and Men |
| #3960, aired 2001-11-16 | SPORTS MARKETING: Tiger Woods' 22-page booklet "The Making of a Champion" came free on one million boxes of this product Wheaties |
| #3959, aired 2001-11-15 | YOUNG STARS: In the past 3 years she's played film roles based on Shakespeare's Katharina, Ophelia & Desdemona Julia Stiles |
| #3958, aired 2001-11-14 | THE INTERNET: This search engine was co-founded by Sergey Brin, a math major who chose the name to imply a vast reach Google |
| #3957, aired 2001-11-13 | FIRST LADIES: First & last names of the 2 First Ladies who each had a husband & son serve as president Abigail Adams & Barbara Bush |
| #3956, aired 2001-11-12 | THE EARLY 20th CENTURY: A 1904 issue of Popular Science Monthly reported their success in North Carolina the previous year the Wright Brothers |
| #3955, aired 2001-11-09 | STATE CAPITALS: Of the 4 state capitals named for U.S. presidents, it's the one that's farthest south Jackson, Mississippi |
| #3954, aired 2001-11-08 | THE UNIVERSE: It's the body that's about 1 1/4 light-seconds from Earth the Moon |
| #3953, aired 2001-11-07 | LEGENDARY CHARACTERS: Led by Nicholas, a German boy, the Children's Crusade of 1212 may have been the inspiration for this character The Pied Piper (of Hamelin) |
| #3952, aired 2001-11-06 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Character from an 18th century tale who felt "above an hundred arrows discharged on my left hand" Gulliver |
| #3951, aired 2001-11-05 | ROYALTY: The king of this Asian country is known as the "Possessor of the 24 Golden Umbrellas" Thailand |
| #3950, aired 2001-11-02 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Washington was the one who added these 4 words to the presidential oath; they're not in the Constitution "So Help Me God" |
| #3949, aired 2001-11-01 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: "The Mute" was the working title of this 1940 novel by a female author The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (by Carson McCullers) |
| #3948, aired 2001-10-31 | WORDS IN POETRY: The 2 "oo" 4-letter words in the poem inscribed in the base of the Statue of Liberty poor & door |
| #3947, aired 2001-10-30 | COLLECTIBLES: When he moved into the White House, George W. Bush brought some of his over 150 autographed ones of these baseballs |
| #3946, aired 2001-10-29 | HISTORIC GEOGRAPHY: Upon this nation's independence in 1903, it was "moved" from one continent to another Panama |
| #3945, aired 2001-10-26 | '90s MOVIES: It was based on the true story of the 4 Niland brothers of Tonawanda, New York Saving Private Ryan |
| #3944, aired 2001-10-25 | 7-LETTER WORDS: It's from the Greek for "a place for watching" theater |
| #3943, aired 2001-10-24 | SPORTS ON TV: The highest-rated sports program in TV history, other than a Super Bowl, took place on February 23, 1994, in this sport ladies' figure skating |
| #3942, aired 2001-10-23 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: These 2 companies whose products complement each other are the only 2 that have ever topped the Fortune 500 General Motors & Exxon |
| #3941, aired 2001-10-22 | INTERNATIONAL COASTLINES: It's the only country bordering the Caspian Sea that was not a member of the Soviet Union Iran |
| #3940, aired 2001-10-19 | MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM NAMES: This team received its name after an 1890 incident in which it "stole" away an important player from another team Pittsburgh Pirates |
| #3939, aired 2001-10-18 | ORGANIZATIONS: This organization is headquartered at 1776 D Street, NW Washington, D.C. Daughters of the American Revolution |
| #3938, aired 2001-10-17 | MUSIC & THE MOVIES: The soundtrack of this 1992 film is the bestselling movie soundtrack of the 1990s The Bodyguard |
| #3937, aired 2001-10-16 | USA: Now part of a national recreation area, it was once referred to as "Uncle Sam's Devil's Island" Alcatraz Island |
| #3936, aired 2001-10-15 | SCIENCE NEWS: It's the reason that airlines altered many of their transpacific flight plans on March 23, 2001 the Mir space station crashing down to Earth |
| #3935, aired 2001-10-12 | THE VOCAL ARTS: Alessandro Moreschi, who died in 1922, was the last renowned member of this operatic category of voice the Castrati |
| #3934, aired 2001-10-11 | U.S. COLLEGES: Its original home was built in 1829 as an arsenal to defend against slave insurrections The Citadel (the Military College of South Carolina) |
| #3933, aired 2001-10-10 | FOOD & DRINK: A statue in the town of Epernay, France honors this blind French monk Dom Perignon (credited with inventing champagne) |
| #3932, aired 2001-10-09 | WOMEN AUTHORS: In 1935 she sent a telegram to a Macmillan editor: "Please send manuscript back I've changed my mind" Margaret Mitchell ("Gone with the Wind") |
| #3931, aired 2001-10-08 | RELIGION: Among the 854 people the Russian Orthodox Church canonized in 2000 was this czar who was buried in St. Petersburg in 1998 Nicholas II |
| #3930, aired 2001-10-05 | 20th CENTURY WOMEN: Ushers at her 2001 funeral included Bill Gates, Barbara Walters, Jim Lehrer & Bob Woodward Katharine Graham (publisher of The Washington Post) |
| #3929, aired 2001-10-04 | EXPLORATION: In February 1962 he said, "The sunset was beautiful. It went down very rapidly" John Glenn |
| #3928, aired 2001-10-03 | TRANSPORTATION: The 3 bases for these in the U.S. are at Pompano Beach, Fla., Carson, Calif. & Suffield, Oh., just east of Akron the Goodyear Blimps |
| #3927, aired 2001-10-02 | SPORTS STARS: A July 2001 newspaper ad from the U.S. Postal Service congratulating this man read "Un, Deux, Trois!" Lance Armstrong |
| #3926, aired 2001-10-01 | WORLD LEADERS: In April 2001 Kevin Costner screened his film "Thirteen Days" for this man, a key player in the events portrayed Fidel Castro |
| #3925, aired 2001-09-28 | THE INTERNET: With a catalog of 28 million items including books, CDs & audiobooks, it's the world's largest online shop Amazon.com |
| #3924, aired 2001-09-27 | FAMOUS BUILDINGS: Unlike today, 75 years ago you could walk unannounced into this now 132-room home & shake its occupant's hand the White House |
| #3923, aired 2001-09-26 | IT'S ABOUT TIME: Scientists added an extra one of these to December 31, 1998, giving it 86,401; we hope you made good use of it a second |
| #3922, aired 2001-09-25 | POP MUSIC: Selling over 12 million copies, this singer's 1999 album is the bestselling album by a teenage solo artist Britney Spears |
| #3921, aired 2001-09-24 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: It's the only U.S. state that touches 2 oceans Alaska |
| #3920, aired 2001-09-21 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: He was nominated for Best Director twice in the same year, the first so honored since Michael Curtiz for 1938 Steven Soderbergh |
| #3919, aired 2001-09-20 | ON THE MAP: 2 of the 3 countries classified as extending across 2 continents (2 of) Turkey, Russia, or Egypt |
| #3918, aired 2001-09-19 | EUROPEAN PRINCESSES: On July 20, 1999 she gave birth to her fourth child, Princess Alexandra of Hanover Princess Caroline of Monaco |
| #3917, aired 2001-09-18 | THE STOCK EXCHANGE: With over 20,000 stores worldwide, it began trading on the NYSE in July 2000 under the symbol SE 7-Eleven |
| #3916, aired 2001-09-17 | FAMOUS PHRASES: This expression comes from a 1956 novel about Frank Skeffington's final run for mayor "the last hurrah" |
| #3915, aired 2001-09-14 | ASTRONOMER'S DICTIONARY: This word comes from a Greek phrase meaning "circle of animals" zodiac |
| #3914, aired 2001-09-13 | FILM DIRECTORS: In his 1929 film "Die Frau im Mond", or "Woman in the Moon", he originated the rocket countdown Fritz Lang |
| #3913, aired 2001-09-12 | ORGANIZATIONS: Linda Collins's tetanus antitoxin allergy led her parents to found this emergency information service MedicAlert |
| #3912, aired 2001-09-11 | VOLCANOS: Of the U.S. states with active volcanos, this state is farthest south Hawaii |
| #3911, aired 2001-09-10 | FAMOUS PEOPLE: In 2001, she produced & hosted the Travel Channel's "Secrets of San Simeon" Patty Hearst |
| #3910, aired 2001-09-07 | ZOOLOGY: Animal species that's the subject of the longest consecutive study of any group of wild animals, 40 years chimpanzees |
| #3909, aired 2001-09-06 | HISTORIC NAMES: In 1978, Congress restored U.S. citizenship to this man seen here Jefferson Davis |
| #3908, aired 2001-09-05 | 19th CENTURY AUTHORS: D.H. Lawrence called him "an adventurer into the vaults and...
horrible underground passages of the human soul" Edgar Allan Poe |
| #3907, aired 2001-09-04 | NATIONAL ANTHEMS: "Land Of Two Rivers" is the anthem of this country whose history goes back thousands of years Iraq |
| #3906, aired 2001-09-03 | AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY: This Ford with a name from Native American myth was the first model to be Motor Trend Car of the Year the Thunderbird |
| #3905, aired 2001-07-20 | POP MUSIC: The special November 2000 TV Guide cover seen here was part of its tribute to this rock group The Beatles (tribute to their 1968 album, "The White Album") |
| #3904, aired 2001-07-19 | AUTHORS: The Prague tombstone of this German-language writer who died in 1924 is inscribed in Hebrew Franz Kafka |
| #3903, aired 2001-07-18 | INTERNATIONAL LANDMARKS: Its roof has been variously described as sails, clam shells & a huddle of nuns in a high wind the Sydney Opera House |
| #3902, aired 2001-07-17 | AT THE LIBRARY: This author & biochemist who died in 1992 has at least one book in all 10 main Dewey Decimal categories Isaac Asimov |
| #3901, aired 2001-07-16 | ANATOMY: Organ whose workings were the subject of a 1604 work by Johannes Kepler the eye |
| #3900, aired 2001-07-13 | THE MOVIES: This classic 1952 movie was based on the story "The Tin Star" High Noon |
| #3899, aired 2001-07-12 | COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES: The 1939 event we just saw came out of a concert originally to be sponsored at DAR Constitution Hall by this university Howard University |
| #3898, aired 2001-07-11 | CONTEMPORARY BRITISH AUTHORS: In May 1973 Sports Illustrated ran one of his short stories under the title "A Day of Wine and Roses" Dick Francis |
| #3897, aired 2001-07-10 | ORGANIZATIONS: "A Simple, Decent Place to Live" is Millard Fuller's book about the history of this organization Habitat For Humanity |
| #3896, aired 2001-07-09 | BOOKS: The accompanying text to this book was published separately as "Ornithological Biography" in the 1830s Birds of America |
| #3895, aired 2001-07-06 | HISTORIC MONARCHS: This monarch, who sold the United States its 2nd-largest piece of territory, was the second to bear his name Alexander II |
| #3894, aired 2001-07-05 | CELEBRITIES: On August 28, 2000 a statue of this late actor was unveiled at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York Jackie Gleason |
| #3893, aired 2001-07-04 | AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS: Around 1912, while recovering in a sanatorium, this former seaman decided to become a playwright Eugene O'Neill |
| #3892, aired 2001-07-03 | THE EMMYS: The star of one of TV's most popular shows ever, he's the only person to win Emmys for acting, writing & directing Alan Alda |
| #3891, aired 2001-07-02 | EUROPEAN CITIES: By the river Lagan on the island of Ireland, it was chartered in 1613 & settled by Presbyterians & later Huguenots Belfast |
| #3890, aired 2001-06-29 | ARTISTS: He was born in 1577 on the eve of the feast day of two apostles Peter Paul Rubens |
| #3889, aired 2001-06-28 | FAMOUS SHIPS: A highlight of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is the bell from this ship that sank in 1975 Edmund Fitzgerald |
| #3888, aired 2001-06-27 | FAMOUS COUPLES: The inscription on their crypt reads "Together Again" with the dates 1902-1964 & 1896-1996 George Burns & Gracie Allen |
| #3887, aired 2001-06-26 | PEOPLE IN SONG: A statue of her, seated on a bench in Liverpool, is dedicated "to All the lonely people" Eleanor Rigby |
| #3886, aired 2001-06-25 | OPERATIC TITLE CHARACTERS: These title characters of a classic operatic work are a bunch of mythical dwarves The Nibelung |
| #3885, aired 2001-06-22 | ORGANIZATIONS: The president of this social club founded by New York City entertainers in 1904 is called the Abbot Friars' Club |
| #3884, aired 2001-06-21 | HISTORY & LITERATURE: At the beginning of "A Tale of Two Cities", these 2 kings sit on the thrones of England & France George III & Louis XVI |
| #3883, aired 2001-06-20 | MEDICAL ISSUES: Muhammad Ali & Michael J. Fox have gone to Capitol Hill to speak about this disease Parkinson's Disease |
| #3882, aired 2001-06-19 | HITCHCOCK FILMS: The action of this 1959 film moves from New York to South Dakota North by Northwest |
| #3881, aired 2001-06-18 | POETRY: Oscar Wilde said of this title place "The warder is despair" (The Ballad of) Reading Gaol |
| #3880, aired 2001-06-15 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: On December 16, 2000, the day after his graduation, LSU retired his No. 33 jersey Shaquille O'Neal |
| #3879, aired 2001-06-14 | HISTORIC ENGLISHMEN: A Punch cartoon showed this man like an Ancient Wonder standing over Africa, one foot on the Cape, one on Cairo Cecil Rhodes |
| #3878, aired 2001-06-13 | DIRECTORS: In 1939 he helped Roger Hill prepare the "Mercury Shakespeare", a series of editions for actors Orson Welles |
| #3877, aired 2001-06-12 | FAMOUS FAMILIES: Members of this family received a 1952 Pulitzer Prize, a 1954 Nobel & a 1979 Oscar nomination Hemingway (Ernest & his granddaughter Mariel) |
| #3876, aired 2001-06-11 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: This man was nearby at the assassination of 3 U.S. presidents, one of whom was his father Robert Todd Lincoln |
| #3875, aired 2001-06-08 | HEALTH & MEDICINE: The USA's leading chronic illness in children, it causes 10 million missed school days & 1 in 6 of all pediatric emergency visits asthma |
| #3874, aired 2001-06-07 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: 3 of the countries that make up this land are Gillikin, Winkie & Quadling Oz |
| #3873, aired 2001-06-06 | AFTER THE PRESIDENCY: This 20th century U.S. president lived the longest amount of time after his term as president: 31 years, 231 days Herbert Hoover (lived to age 90 in 1964) |
| #3872, aired 2001-06-05 | TELEVISION: Show inspired by an article saying about 30% of the people who married in 1965 had kids from a previous marriage The Brady Bunch |
| #3871, aired 2001-06-04 | U.S. MILITARY MATTERS: In 1933 what was known as the Militia Bureau was officially renamed this the National Guard |
| #3870, aired 2001-06-01 | PROFESSIONAL SPORTS: In the 5 major U.S. pro team sports, it's the only team bearing the name of an insect the Charlotte Hornets |
| #3869, aired 2001-05-31 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: 2 of the 4 smallest non-island nations in area (2 of) The Vatican, Monaco, San Marino & Liechtenstein |
| #3868, aired 2001-05-30 | FAMOUS NAMES: A city bus is part of the exhibits at the Montgomery, Alabama library & museum named for this person Rosa Parks |
| #3867, aired 2001-05-29 | POETS: These 2 great English romantic poets died while still in their 20s, one in 1821 & one in 1822 John Keats & Percy Shelley |
| #3866, aired 2001-05-28 | NATIONAL HISTORIC SITES: This National Historic Site was reopened as a theater in 1968 after 103 years Ford's Theater |
| #3865, aired 2001-05-25 | INTERNATIONAL STARS: Since 1978 the city of Paris has funded his Ecole Internationale de Mimodrame de Paris Marcel Marceau |
| #3864, aired 2001-05-24 | STATE MOTTOES: General John Stark coined this 4-word motto about the 1777 Battle of Bennington, in which he led 1,400 N.H. volunteers "Live Free or Die" |
| #3863, aired 2001-05-23 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: 3 of this federation's constituent parts are Ash Shariqah, Al Fujayrah & Umm Al Qaywayn United Arab Emirates |
| #3862, aired 2001-05-22 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Bluelight.com is the internet shopping site of this retail chain Kmart |
| #3861, aired 2001-05-21 | COINS: The ancient coin seen here comes from this island Crete (The Labyrinth, where the Minotaur lives) |
| #3860, aired 2001-05-18 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In 1982 a street outside Berlin's Olympic Stadium was renamed in his honor Jesse Owens |
| #3859, aired 2001-05-17 | THE WORLD OF TRANSPORTATION: The world's highest airport is found in this Asian political region of 472,000 square miles Tibet |
| #3858, aired 2001-05-16 | OLD WARNINGS: Archaeologists have discovered a home entrance in ancient Pompeii with the words "cave canem", meaning this beware of dog |
| #3857, aired 2001-05-15 | AUTHORS OF THE 1920s: Lawrence Durrell said that in a 1928 novel this man used 4-letter words to canonize & celebrate raw sensuality D.H. Lawrence ("Lady Chatterley's Lover") |
| #3856, aired 2001-05-14 | MILITARY HISTORY: This man commanded the last organized military force to invade the lower 48 states Pancho Villa |
| #3855, aired 2001-05-11 | SOUTH AMERICA: One of 2 landlocked countries in South America Bolivia or Paraguay |
| #3854, aired 2001-05-10 | POLITICAL PARTIES: In 1850 it was the name of the party of the British prime minister & of the U.S. president the Whig Party |
| #3853, aired 2001-05-09 | ANIMALS: The German name for this animal is nilpferd, or "Nile horse" hippopotamus |
| #3852, aired 2001-05-08 | STATE CAPITALS: 1 of the 2 U.S. state capitals that begin with the names of months (1 of 2) Juneau, Alaska or Augusta, Maine |
| #3851, aired 2001-05-07 | SHAKESPEAREAN CHARACTERS: He's the last character to die in "Julius Caesar" Brutus |
| #3850, aired 2001-05-04 | THE '90s: In 1998 Andrew Thomas became the seventh & last American to live aboard this Space Station Mir |
| #3849, aired 2001-05-03 | CANADIAN CITIES: The name of this provincial capital means "queen" in Latin Regina, Saskatchewan |
| #3848, aired 2001-05-02 | COLLEGES: Of 60 battles fought in the U.S. Civil War, 55 were commanded on both sides by graduates of this school United States Military Academy (West Point) |
| #3847, aired 2001-05-01 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: This agency's website for kids includes the games "Break the Code", "Try a Disguise" & a geography quiz the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) |
| #3846, aired 2001-04-30 | HISTORIC QUOTATIONS: On July 13, 1859 he told Horace Greeley, "I have fifteen wives; I know no one who has more" Brigham Young |
| #3845, aired 2001-04-27 | 19th CENTURY PERSONALITIES: In 1876 this German wired the king of Greece, "I have gazed upon the face of Agamemnon" Heinrich Schliemann |
| #3844, aired 2001-04-26 | THE MOONS OF URANUS: Pixie Chasma & Sprite Vallis are features on this moon of Uranus named for a character in "The Tempest" Ariel |
| #3843, aired 2001-04-25 | MATERIALS: The name of the sheet seen here is derived from the name of this material Celluloid |
| #3842, aired 2001-04-24 | DISNEY FILMS: In 1998 a Guinness record 605-pound bowl of spaghetti was cooked to celebrate the re-release of this 1955 movie Lady and the Tramp |
| #3841, aired 2001-04-23 | BASEBALL HALL OF FAMERS: A Red Sox pitcher, later a Yankee, he held the World Series record for consecutive scoreless innings from 1918 to 1961 Babe Ruth |
| #3840, aired 2001-04-20 | ENGINEERING: The first one, built in 1893, consisted of 2,200 tons of steel, rose 268 feet & had 36 cars each carrying 60 people Ferris Wheel |
| #3839, aired 2001-04-19 | U.S. CITIES: On May 24, 1844 Samuel Morse was in this city demonstrating his invention Washington, D.C. |
| #3838, aired 2001-04-18 | WORLD RELIGION: The world's largest religious structure, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, was built to honor this preserver deity Vishnu |
| #3837, aired 2001-04-17 | POETS: Made a baron in the early 1880s, he was the first Englishman elevated to that rank for literary work alone Alfred Lord Tennyson |
| #3836, aired 2001-04-16 | TOYS & GAMES: The world champion at this game gets $15,140, the amount of money in it Monopoly |
| #3835, aired 2001-04-13 | THE SUPREME COURT: Charles Evans Hughes was appointed to the court by this man whom he later succeeded as Chief Justice William Howard Taft |
| #3834, aired 2001-04-12 | THEATRE: The 1996 musical "Play On!" gets its title from the first line of this Shakespeare play, on which it is based Twelfth Night |
| #3833, aired 2001-04-11 | BIBLICAL GEOGRAPHY: During Absalom's rebellion, David took refuge in this region that's east of the Jordan & known for its balm Gilead |
| #3832, aired 2001-04-10 | FILMS & AUTHORS: "The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T" in 1953 was the 1st live-action feature film from this author's works; a 2nd was released in 2000 Dr. Seuss |
| #3831, aired 2001-04-09 | 19th CENTURY BUSINESSMEN: In 1859 he was knighted for offering his ships for service in the Crimean War Sir Samuel Cunard |
| #3830, aired 2001-04-06 | 20th CENTURY ENTERTAINMENT: Truffaut's "The 400 Blows" & the Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer" were both part of movements named this "New Wave" ("Nouvelle Vague") |
| #3829, aired 2001-04-05 | DOCUMENTARIES: This 1989 film ends with the line "This film cannot be shown within the city of Flint. All the theaters have closed" Roger & Me |
| #3828, aired 2001-04-04 | HISTORIC PEOPLE: A copper statue of this hero of the 1960s welcomes visitors to Star City near Moscow Yuri Gagarin (first man in space) |
| #3827, aired 2001-04-03 | SATIRE: This then-living man was the main target of the mid-1960s play "MacBird!" Lyndon B. Johnson |
| #3826, aired 2001-04-02 | GREEK & ROMAN MYTHOLOGY: The English names of this god's 2 companions are Panic & Fear Mars |
| #3825, aired 2001-03-30 | CARTOON CHARACTERS: This cartoon character was based in part on the woman who introduced the song "I Wanna Be Loved By You" Betty Boop (based on Helen Kane) |
| #3824, aired 2001-03-29 | BORN IN THE 1960s: She was on the April 22, 1974 cover of People magazine, holding an Oscar Tatum O'Neal (for Paper Moon) |
| #3823, aired 2001-03-28 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: In 1900 he sent the Library of Congress $2.20 to copyright his "The Navy Alphabet" & another, more "Wonderful", book L. Frank Baum |
| #3822, aired 2001-03-27 | BUSINESS HISTORY: By the time it was disbanded in 1858, this company controlled an area the size of Europe & home to 200 million people The British East India Company |
| #3821, aired 2001-03-26 | NO. 1 SONGS: "The Twist" & this seasonal favorite from 1942 are the only 2 records to re-enter the charts & return to No. 1 "White Christmas" |
| #3820, aired 2001-03-23 | TRANSPORTATION INNOVATIONS: This type of program that began in 1981 was inspired by Green Stamps Frequent flyer program |
| #3819, aired 2001-03-22 | CAMPAIGN SLOGANS: This 4-word slogan was also the name of a refreshing egg & fruit juice drink served at the 1924 GOP convention "Keep Cool With Coolidge" |
| #3818, aired 2001-03-21 | HISTORIC TERMS: This 2-word term for ambitious men had its origins in the group that replaced Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid in 1909 Young Turks |
| #3817, aired 2001-03-20 | THEATRE HISTORY: This playwright died in 406 B.C., so he never saw his famous tragedy at Colonus produced Sophocles |
| #3816, aired 2001-03-19 | AFRICAN HISTORY: Ruth Perry, modern Africa's first female head of state, headed a transitional government in this country in 1996 Liberia |
| #3815, aired 2001-03-16 | SPORTS NAME ORIGINS: This racket sport takes its name from the country home of the 19th century Duke of Beaufort Badminton |
| #3814, aired 2001-03-15 | THE CALENDAR: It's the second-shortest month in most of the U.S., beating out the third-shortest months by one hour April |
| #3813, aired 2001-03-14 | FAMOUS FILMS: He made the first home movie to be named to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry Abraham Zapruder (the film of the Kennedy Assassination) |
| #3812, aired 2001-03-13 | WORLD CAPITALS: Lucio Costa designed this new capital in 1957 to hold 500,000 people; today it has more than 3 times that number Brasilia, Brazil |
| #3811, aired 2001-03-12 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Founded as Pacific Aero Products in 1916, today this company is America's largest exporter, in total revenue Boeing |
| #3810, aired 2001-03-09 | 1920s FRENCH MILITARY MEN: First elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1910, this Minister of War advocated staunch military preparedness Andre Maginot (creator of the Maginot Line) |
| #3809, aired 2001-03-08 | U.S. HISTORY: This president signed the bill to create a transcontinental railroad; he didn't live to see its completion Abraham Lincoln |
| #3808, aired 2001-03-07 | LITERATURE & FILM: Nicole Kidman, Helena Bonham Carter & Cybill Shepherd have all starred in films based on this man's works Henry James |
| #3807, aired 2001-03-06 | PEOPLE ON POSTAGE: In 1893 this 15th century monarch became the first woman to appear on a U.S. postage stamp Queen Isabella |
| #3806, aired 2001-03-05 | WORLD DRAMA: In its first U.S. performance in English, this play was billed as "The Child Wife" in 1882 A Doll's House (by Ibsen) |
| #3805, aired 2001-03-02 | MUSIC & THE MOVIES: When this 1940 classic was on the drawing board, it was referred to simply as "The Concert Feature" Fantasia |
| #3804, aired 2001-03-01 | RECENT INNOVATIONS: Known by a 3-letter abbreviation, it was first proposed in 1989 by software developer Tim Berners-Lee World Wide Web (www) |
| #3803, aired 2001-02-28 | FAMOUS FAMILIES: In June 2000 descendants of these 2 families met in Pikeville, KY & in Matewan, WV for their first-ever joint reunion The Hatfields & the McCoys |
| #3802, aired 2001-02-27 | BRAND NAMES: A 1909 suit said this product must contain enough of the actual bean & leaf in order to claim its distinctive name Coca-Cola |
| #3801, aired 2001-02-26 | HISTORIC NAMES: This "Dragon" was first famous for resisting Ottoman domination of Romania Vlad the Impaler ("Count Dracula") |
| #3800, aired 2001-02-23 | OLYMPIC CITIES: 1 of 2 current national capitals that have hosted the Winter Olympics Oslo, Norway or Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| #3799, aired 2001-02-22 | WORD ORIGINS: Ironically, this synonym for a stupid person is based on the name of 1 of the most brilliant scholars of the 14th c. Dunce (from John Duns Scotus) |
| #3798, aired 2001-02-21 | PEOPLE: In honor of his 50th birthday, Nov. 14, 1998, 50 of his watercolors were displayed at Hampton Court Prince Charles |
| #3797, aired 2001-02-20 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 2 of 3 presidents who took their oaths of office in New York state (2 of) Chester Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt & George Washington |
| #3796, aired 2001-02-19 | THE U.S. SPACE PROGRAM: Of the Apollo missions, the total number that successfully landed men on the Moon 6 (Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 & 17) |
| #3795, aired 2001-02-16 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: Written in 1904, "Himno Istmeno" is the national anthem of this country that won its independence a year earlier Panama |
| #3794, aired 2001-02-15 | THE UNITED NATIONS: It's the point in the center of the circle in the U.N. emblem North Pole |
| #3793, aired 2001-02-14 | FAMOUS PLACES: It's the town where Francisco Marto, Jacinta Marto & their cousin became famous in 1917 Fatima, Portugal |
| #3792, aired 2001-02-13 | FRENCH NOVELISTS: A relative of Henri Bergson's wife, he used Bergson's mystical concepts of time in his most famous work Marcel Proust (Remembrance of Things Past) |
| #3791, aired 2001-02-12 | MOUNTAINS: The highest peak outside of Asia is found in this mountain range the Andes (Mount Aconcagua) |
| #3790, aired 2001-02-09 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: First line of the poem thought to be based on Mary Sawyer's experience at a Massachusetts school-house around 1815 "Mary had a little lamb" |
| #3789, aired 2001-02-08 | POLITICIANS: A current U.S. governor, he hosted the game show "Grudge Match" in 1991 Jesse Ventura |
| #3788, aired 2001-02-07 | SPACE EXPLORATION: In October 1998 this man went into space as the oldest U.S. astronaut ever John Glenn |
| #3787, aired 2001-02-06 | JFK: In an interview, Jackie confided that JFK regularly fell asleep listening to the soundtrack of this Broadway play Camelot |
| #3786, aired 2001-02-05 | FAMOUS SHIPS: In December 1620 this vessel came ashore at a secondary destination because of a shortage of beer the Mayflower |
| #3785, aired 2001-02-02 | HISTORIC LISTS: Sylvester IV & Calixtus III are 2 of the nearly 40 men now placed on the list of these anti-popes |
| #3784, aired 2001-02-01 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: The promotional slogan of this territory is "Where America's Day Begins" Guam |
| #3783, aired 2001-01-31 | -OLOGIES: In 1908 Hermann Ebbinghaus said this field "has a long past, but only a short history" Psychology |
| #3782, aired 2001-01-30 | WORLD LEADERS: From 1964 to 1982 this man was leader of a nation with nuclear weapons Leonid Brezhnev (of the Soviet Union) |
| #3781, aired 2001-01-29 | SPORTS PHRASES: This phrase for the sport of Sugar Ray Robinson is attributed to 19th century writer Pierce Egan The Sweet Science |
| #3780, aired 2001-01-26 | POTENT POTABLES: Named for the club where it was first made, this drink was created to honor Samuel Tilden's election as governor Manhattan |
| #3779, aired 2001-01-25 | SCIENTISTS: Bertrand Russell said that "What Galileo and Newton were to the 17th century," this man "was to the 19th" Charles Darwin |
| #3778, aired 2001-01-24 | JOURNALISTS: In 2000 the film center of the school of the Art Institute of Chicago was renamed in his honor Gene Siskel |
| #3777, aired 2001-01-23 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: After his death in 1994 at age 81, Time magazine put him on its cover for a record 55th time Richard M. Nixon |
| #3776, aired 2001-01-22 | WORLD MONUMENTS: A statue of Chang & Eng Bunker stands in Samut Songkram in this country Thailand |
| #3775, aired 2001-01-19 | BALLET: Russian, Chinese, Arabian & Spanish dances are highlights of this ballet that premiered December 18, 1892 The Nutcracker |
| #3774, aired 2001-01-18 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In 1888 he wrote he was working on an invention "which does for the eye what the phonograph does for the ear" Thomas Alva Edison |
| #3773, aired 2001-01-17 | RELIGIOUS NAMES: In commemoration of his predecessors, he was the first pope to choose a double name Pope John Paul I |
| #3772, aired 2001-01-16 | BUSINESS BIGGIES: In the 1890s he established steamer lines on the Great Lakes to control the transport of iron to Pittsburgh Andrew Carnegie |
| #3771, aired 2001-01-15 | DESIGN: Introduced to desktops in 1950, it was designed by Arnold Neustadter & featured a ball-bearing clutch Rolodex |
| #3770, aired 2001-01-12 | TELEVISION: An allusion to "Arabian Nights", the title of this show suggests a magic door to knowledge Sesame Street |
| #3769, aired 2001-01-11 | WOMEN IN SPORTS: She won America's only gold medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France Peggy Fleming |
| #3768, aired 2001-01-10 | WORLD RECORDS: In May 2000 Babu Chhiri, a Sherpa, set a record doing the last portion of this in about 16 hours Climbing Mount Everest |
| #3767, aired 2001-01-09 | FLAGS: On February 15, 1965 this country raised its new national flag for the first time on Parliament Hill Canada |
| #3766, aired 2001-01-08 | 1999 ART NEWS: It was the first U.S. city to host a cow parade, hundreds of fiberglass cows by artists, placed around the city Chicago |
| #3765, aired 2001-01-05 | LIFE SCIENCE: A study done in South Africa put these non-primates above chimpanzees, making them the world's second-smartest species Dolphins |
| #3764, aired 2001-01-04 | REPUBLICANS: The only election year since 1948 in which there was not a Dole, a Nixon or a Bush on the Republican national ticket 1964 (Barry Goldwater & Bill Miller) |
| #3763, aired 2001-01-03 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: In 1949 this Shakespeare-based show won the 1st Tony for Best Musical; in 2000 it won for Best Musical Revival Kiss Me, Kate |
| #3762, aired 2001-01-02 | LET'S TALK ABOUT SECTS: Because of their dog-like behavior, the name of this sneering sect comes from the Greek for "dog-like" Cynics |
| #3761, aired 2001-01-01 | CELEBRITY WOMEN: She said, "The reason I'm not a nun is...you can't take your own name...I have the most holy name a woman can have" Madonna |
| #3760, aired 2000-12-29 | TRAVEL: By population, it's the largest city on a Caribbean island, though you may not be allowed to go there Havana, Cuba |
| #3759, aired 2000-12-28 | TOY SAFETY: According to the P.I.R.G., the most dangerous toy for children up to age 8 is this common party decoration balloons |
| #3758, aired 2000-12-27 | THE CIVIL WAR: For his service in the Civil War Congress made him General in Chief of the Armies Ulysses S. Grant |
| #3757, aired 2000-12-26 | LEGENDARY HEROES: Hero whose son is seen here on a Swiss postage stamp William Tell |
| #3756, aired 2000-12-25 | U.S. CITIES: A city with this name is the most populous city in both Maine & Oregon Portland |
| #3755, aired 2000-12-22 | FAMOUS NAMES: This co-founder of United Artists returned to the U.S. in 1972 to pick up a special Oscar Charlie Chaplin |
| #3754, aired 2000-12-21 | PLANTS & FLOWERS: Named for a U.S. statesman, it was known in Central America as the "Flower of the Holy Night" Poinsettia |
| #3753, aired 2000-12-20 | BUSINESS NEWS: They were introduced in 1941, designated as just "Plain" in 1954 & rechristened as "Milk Chocolate" in 2000 M&M's |
| #3752, aired 2000-12-19 | POLITICAL HISTORY: Between 1894 & 1901 adherents of this political theory killed the heads of state of France, Spain, Italy & the U.S. Anarchy |
| #3751, aired 2000-12-18 | SPORTS LEGENDS: If Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak had gone one more game in 1941, this company would have given him a $10,000 contract H.J. Heinz (Heinz 57 Varieties) |
| #3750, aired 2000-12-15 | SCIENCE NEWS: Made available for download in July 2000 by UCSC, the 739MB file of this "Project" consists of As, Ts, Gs & Cs The Human Genome Project |
| #3749, aired 2000-12-14 | BIOGRAPHIES: Carl Sandburg co-wrote a 1932 biography of this woman, "Wife and Widow" Mary Todd Lincoln |
| #3748, aired 2000-12-13 | MUSICAL THEATRE: Currently, this show is performed by 3 troupes; the Liffey & Lagan Companies on tour & the Shannon Company on B'way "Riverdance" |
| #3747, aired 2000-12-12 | AMERICAN SPORTS: Called "Little Brother of War", it's the oldest team sport known to have been played in what's now the U.S. Lacrosse |
| #3746, aired 2000-12-11 | CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY: By 1948, all but one of the 9 in this group charged in a 1931 crime had been freed the Scottsboro Boys |
| #3745, aired 2000-12-08 | AFRICAN-AMERICAN AUTHORS: A conversation he had with Miles Davis became the first of the “Playboy Interviews” in 1962 Alex Haley |
| #3744, aired 2000-12-07 | POLITICIANS: In 1928 this oilman served as chairman of the Republican State Central Committee of Kansas Alf Landon |
| #3743, aired 2000-12-06 | AMERICAN HISTORY: In 1939 this state finally finished paying off a $12.4-million debt to the state from which it had separated West Virginia (paid debt to Virginia) |
| #3742, aired 2000-12-05 | AMERICAN DRAMA: The entire action of this Eugene O'Neill play takes place in 1850 at a New England farmhouse flanked by massive trees Desire Under the Elms |
| #3741, aired 2000-12-04 | THE SPACE RACE: In 1957 the Soviets sent up Sputnik 1 carrying a radio beacon & Sputnik 2 carrying one of these animals Dog (named Laika) |
| #3740, aired 2000-12-01 | SCIENCE: He invented carbonated water as a byproduct of his investigations into the chemistry of air Joseph Priestley |
| #3739, aired 2000-11-30 | CONTEMPORARY AMERICANS: This software billionaire, Bill Gates' rival, got his last name from his family's port of entry into the U.S. Larry Ellison |
| #3738, aired 2000-11-29 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: In 1829 he leaves an islet in Marseille's harbor & finds treasure on an islet in Italy's Tuscan Archipelago The Count of Monte Cristo (Edmond Dantes) |
| #3737, aired 2000-11-28 | ARCHITECTS: This woman designed NYC's Museum for African Art, as well as a famous memorial in Washington, D.C. Maya Ying Lin |
| #3736, aired 2000-11-27 | WORD ORIGINS: Used in the '40s for a sudden loss of power in a jet engine, Herbert Freudenberger applied it in 1974 to spent people Burnout |
| #3735, aired 2000-11-24 | AFRICAN MYTHOLOGY: The great creator said these animals couldn't eat the fish of the river, so they fed on the land at night Hippos |
| #3734, aired 2000-11-23 | STATE CAPITALS: This Midwest city is the only state capital whose unabbreviated name starts with 3 consonants Springfield, Illinois |
| #3733, aired 2000-11-22 | HISTORIC NAMES: 2 of the people who witnessed his execution were John Wilkes Booth & Stonewall Jackson John Brown |
| #3732, aired 2000-11-21 | COLLEGE SPORTS HISTORY: To prevent rivals from reading its hand signals, this university is said to have originated the huddle around 1892 Gallaudet University |
| #3731, aired 2000-11-20 | BRITAIN'S NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY: In April 2000 the portrait of this living woman was moved from the Contemporary section to History Margaret Thatcher |
| #3730, aired 2000-11-17 | POLITICAL NAMES: As House Majority Whip, he works to get laws passed, though his name sounds like he puts them off Tom DeLay |
| #3729, aired 2000-11-16 | HISTORIC TITLES: Since 1578, only 14 men have held this title, including a 1989 Nobel Prize winner The Dalai Lama |
| #3728, aired 2000-11-15 | ROYAL RESIDENCES: The only palaces on U.S. soil that were built for monarchs are found in this state Hawaii |
| #3727, aired 2000-11-14 | 20th CENTURY PEOPLE: David Ben-Gurion described her as "the only man in my cabinet" Golda Meir |
| #3726, aired 2000-11-13 | LIFE & LITERATURE: Cub Scouting & many of its terms like "akela", "law of the pack", "den" & "wolf" were inspired by this British work "The Jungle Book" (by Rudyard Kipling) |
| #3725, aired 2000-11-10 | ANNUAL EVENTS: This annual event was co-created in 1993 by Marie C. Wilson, mother of 5 & president of the National Ms. Foundation "Take Your Daughter to Work" Day |
| #3724, aired 2000-11-09 | PRESIDENTIAL PETS: As a warning to Congress, president James Garfield named his dog this Veto |
| #3723, aired 2000-11-08 | PRO BASKETBALL: The first NBA playoff game outside the United States was played in this city Toronto |
| #3722, aired 2000-11-07 | THE MOVIES: The night before their first mass jump in 1940, paratroopers at Fort Benning saw a Western about this man Geronimo |
| #3721, aired 2000-11-06 | WASHINGTON PEOPLE: This man in office since 1987 has a plaque in his office that reads, "The Buck Starts Here" Alan Greenspan |
| #3720, aired 2000-11-03 | RICH & FAMOUS: "Worth" magazine says with 1.7 million ranchland acres in 5 states, this mogul is the USA's largest private landowner Ted Turner |
| #3719, aired 2000-11-02 | STATE MOTTOES: The state motto of Ohio, adopted in 1959, was ruled unconstitutional in April 2000 as it included this word God |
| #3718, aired 2000-11-01 | MACHINES: This brand name comes from machines devised by Benjamin Holt to crawl over soft farmland Caterpillar |
| #3717, aired 2000-10-31 | MEDICAL CONDITIONS: Named for the outline it commonly produces, it affects about 40 million U.S. men male pattern baldness |
| #3716, aired 2000-10-30 | IN THE NEWS 2000: 40 years after a famous incident, he was awarded a DFC, POW Medal & Natl. Defense Service Medal posthumously Francis Gary Powers |
| #3715, aired 2000-10-27 | LANGUAGES: The eastern variety of this language is based on the dialect of the city of Yerevan & the Ararat Valley Armenian |
| #3714, aired 2000-10-26 | '90s NONFICTION: Around 3 years on the bestseller list, this book is subtitled "An Old Man, A Young Man and Life's Greatest Lesson" "Tuesdays With Morrie" |
| #3713, aired 2000-10-25 | RECENT FILMS: This movie was dedicated to the 10,000 Gloucester fishermen who have lost their lives since 1623 The Perfect Storm |
| #3712, aired 2000-10-24 | FAMOUS FIRSTS: The world's first one of these opened in 1925; it was in San Luis Obispo, Ca. & had parking in front of each door a motel |
| #3711, aired 2000-10-23 | ANATOMY: The petrous temporal bone, the hardest in the body, encases the delicate structures of this organ Inner ear |
| #3710, aired 2000-10-20 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: It was founded in 1851 to serve the territory that included Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois & part of Minnesota Northwestern |
| #3709, aired 2000-10-19 | INVENTORS: In September 1899 he equipped 2 ships to report the progress of the America's Cup yacht race to a NYC newspaper Guglielmo Marconi |
| #3708, aired 2000-10-18 | ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS: It took nearly 22 hours to achieve this in 1875; in 1994 it took only 7 hours & 17 minutes Swimming across the English Channel |
| #3707, aired 2000-10-17 | ACTORS & ACTRESSES: Gary Sinise & Meg Ryan have each co-starred in 3 feature films with this actor Tom Hanks |
| #3706, aired 2000-10-16 | SPORTS STARS: The Warriors, the 76ers, the Lakers & the Harlem Globetrotters all retired his number Wilt Chamberlain |
| #3705, aired 2000-10-13 | ORGANIZATIONS: Founded in 1887 to gain a "Monopoly" on fund-raising, it evolved into The United Way Community Chest |
| #3704, aired 2000-10-12 | BRITISH WORD ORIGINS: These political party names began as negative terms for the 2 factions warring over the 1678 Meal-Tub Plot Tories & Whigs |
| #3703, aired 2000-10-11 | 2000 PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS: This Harvard law grad who worked in Nixon's Consumer Affairs Dept. also served in the Reagan & Bush cabinets Elizabeth Dole |
| #3702, aired 2000-10-10 | MUSICALS: This musical inspired by an opera features the songs "The Gods Love Nubia" & "Another Pyramid" Aida |
| #3701, aired 2000-10-09 | THE 50 STATES: The 2 states that named their capitals for Christopher Columbus Ohio (Columbus) & South Carolina (Columbia) |
| #3700, aired 2000-10-06 | FAMOUS LANDMARKS: Its nose is 4 1/2 feet long, its right arm stretches 42 feet & its torch is 21 feet tall the Statue of Liberty |
| #3699, aired 2000-10-05 | INVENTIONS: In the 1860s an early version of this was called the velocipede, from Latin words meaning "quick" & "feet" bicycle |
| #3698, aired 2000-10-04 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: It's the only mainland country in the Western Hemisphere that borders only one country Canada |
| #3697, aired 2000-10-03 | FAMOUS TEENAGERS: This young man who turned 18 on June 21, 2000 has a dog named Widgeon & a younger brother named Harry Prince William |
| #3696, aired 2000-10-02 | POP MUSIC: In May 1999 he had the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100, Top 40, Hot Latin & Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Single Sales Billboard charts Ricky Martin |
| #3695, aired 2000-09-29 | OSCAR-WINNING ACTORS: His 2 acting Oscars have been awarded for playing a tough cop in 1971 & a brutal sheriff in 1992 Gene Hackman |
| #3694, aired 2000-09-28 | NOVELISTS: In the April 2000 National Geographic, he wrote an article dispelling myths about the great white shark Peter Benchley |
| #3693, aired 2000-09-27 | THE SUPREME COURT: 2 of the 3 current Supreme Court justices appointed from the D.C. Court of Appeals (2 of) Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Antonin Scalia & Clarence Thomas |
| #3692, aired 2000-09-26 | WORD ORIGINS: This term for those not Roman or Greek derives from the fact their languages sounded unintelligible Barbarians |
| #3691, aired 2000-09-25 | THE U.S. POPULATION: An August 1999 government report told of the strain on schools from the "echo" of this The "Baby Boom" |
| #3690, aired 2000-09-22 | THE THEATRE: The inspiration for this 1913 play was taken in part from the life of an Edwardian philologist named Henry Sweet Pygmalion |
| #3689, aired 2000-09-21 | LITERARY TREES: In a famous novel this type of tree grows beneath a bedroom window at Tara magnolia |
| #3688, aired 2000-09-20 | NEWSPAPERS: Sime Silverman founded it in 1905 after he was fired from another paper for panning a show Variety |
| #3687, aired 2000-09-19 | FAMOUS NAMES: The Hopi Indians gave this German-born man the name "The Great Relative" when he visited Arizona in the 1930s Albert Einstein |
| #3686, aired 2000-09-18 | THE MOVIES: On May 6, 2000 the 2 writers of this 1997 movie joined a rally trying to get the janitors at Harvard a raise Good Will Hunting (Ben Affleck & Matt Damon) |
| #3685, aired 2000-09-15 | EXPLORERS: He joined the London Missionary Society in 1838; after graduating medical school in 1840 he hoped to be sent to China David Livingstone |
| #3684, aired 2000-09-14 | WORD ORIGINS: This residential district of Dublin held an annual fair from 1204 to 1855, when it was closed due to frequent fights Donnybrook |
| #3683, aired 2000-09-13 | FAMOUS PEOPLE: On January 27, 1999 he returned home aboard a TWA 767 designated Shepherd I Pope John Paul II |
| #3682, aired 2000-09-12 | NOTORIOUS: Using the aliases James Ryan & Harry Place, they boarded a steamer for Argentina in February 1901 Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid |
| #3681, aired 2000-09-11 | AUTHORS: In 1961 John F. Kennedy helped this man's widow get permission to go to Cuba to pick up her late husband's papers Ernest Hemingway |
| #3680, aired 2000-09-08 | FINAL RESTING PLACES: The monument on his grave in Woodlawn Cemetery, Elmira, N.Y. is 12' high; in water depth that's 2 fathoms Mark Twain |
| #3679, aired 2000-09-07 | '50s POP HITS: A No. 1 hit in 1959, this song was originally written by a teacher as a history lesson for his students on the War of 1812 "The Battle Of New Orleans" |
| #3678, aired 2000-09-06 | XYZ AFFAIR: As part of the U.S. Treaty Negotiation Team, this future VP under Madison knew where to "draw the lines" Elbridge Gerry |
| #3677, aired 2000-09-05 | THE INTERNET: Among suffixes, .mx is Mexico, .jp is Japan, & in March 2000 .ps was assigned to this Palestine |
| #3676, aired 2000-09-04 | EXPLORING: 2 of the 4 flags flown on Mount Everest on May 29, 1953; strangely, New Zealand's wasn't one of them (2 of) Great Britain, India, Nepal & the United Nations flag |
| #3675, aired 2000-07-21 | HISTORIC CANADIAN GEOGRAPHY: It includes 3 present Atlantic provinces, & in the 18th C. 4,000 inhabitants of it took a long trip southwest Acadia |
| #3674, aired 2000-07-20 | CLASSICAL COMPOSERS: Siegfried's funeral march was played when this man's coffin reached the train station in 1883 Richard Wagner |
| #3673, aired 2000-07-19 | THE MAP OF EUROPE: Bordering Italy, Austria, Hungary & Croatia, it's one of the world's newest independent countries Slovenia |
| #3672, aired 2000-07-18 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: A 1965 novel by this author introduced his alter ego, sci-fi writer Kilgore Trout Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. |
| #3671, aired 2000-07-17 | THE MOVIES: 1937 film whose 1954 & 1976 musical remakes each produced soundtracks that hit No. 1 A Star is Born |
| #3670, aired 2000-07-14 | SPORTS BOOKS: In 1998 the author of this controversial 1970 book was finally invited to play in a Yankees old-timers' game "Ball Four" (by Jim Bouton) |
| #3669, aired 2000-07-13 | THE MARS PATHFINDER MISSION: The only landscape feature the mission named for a real person, this rock seemed to have a bowl haircut Moe (Moe Howard of the Three Stooges) |
| #3668, aired 2000-07-12 | WORLD CAPITALS: Founded in 1840, this city is the world's southernmost national capital Wellington, New Zealand |
| #3667, aired 2000-07-11 | THE PULITZER PRIZES: Theodore H. White, the first general nonfiction winner, won for an account of this man's election to the U.S. presidency John F. Kennedy ("The Making of the President, 1960") |
| #3666, aired 2000-07-10 | FAMOUS NAMES: "The Line King" is a film about this man whose work has been in the New York Times for the last 70 years Al Hirschfeld |
| #3665, aired 2000-07-07 | CURRENT TELEVISION: Dee Dee Myers is a consultant to this drama series The West Wing |
| #3664, aired 2000-07-06 | ACADEMY AWARD HISTORY: The first African-American Best Actress nominee, her life was the subject of a 1999 HBO film Dorothy Dandridge |
| #3663, aired 2000-07-05 | INVENTIONS: The delivery system for Ban deodorant, introduced in 1955, was based on this invention, patented in 1938 Ball Point Pen |
| #3662, aired 2000-07-04 | U.S. HISTORY: In 1965 President Johnson flew to this state to sign the Medicare bill with a former president as witness Missouri |
| #3661, aired 2000-07-03 | 1962: On October 28, 1962 this 68-year-old world leader "blinked" Nikita Khrushchev |
| #3660, aired 2000-06-30 | MOVIE DIRECTORS: Last name of the director whose production company is called 1492 Pictures (Chris) Columbus |
| #3659, aired 2000-06-29 | BRITISH LITERATURE: This 1901 novel named for its hero opens at the Lahore Museum Kim |
| #3658, aired 2000-06-28 | THE PULITZER PRIZES: The first man to win the Pulitzer Prize for his film criticism, he's lobbied for a Pulitzer Prize for the movies Roger Ebert |
| #3657, aired 2000-06-27 | ODD JOBS: Among men in this occupation, King Henry VIII's was Will Somers & King Arthur's was Dagonet Court jester |
| #3656, aired 2000-06-26 | STATE CAPITALS: Its name means "sheltered harbor" Honolulu, Hawaii |
| #3655, aired 2000-06-23 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: "Max et les Maximonstres" is the French title of this children's classic "Where the Wild Things Are" |
| #3654, aired 2000-06-22 | CONTEMPORARY AMERICANS: This man's father, an Omaha stockbroker & politician, once returned his Congressional pay raise Warren Buffett |
| #3653, aired 2000-06-21 | SCIENCE WORD ORIGINS: Coined by the chemist J.B. van Helmont, the word gas comes from this Greek word meaning "unformed mass" chaos |
| #3652, aired 2000-06-20 | U.S. PAPER CURRENCY: With one of each of the Treasury's currently produced denominations, you'd have this much money $188.00 |
| #3651, aired 2000-06-19 | HISTORIC PEOPLE: Venetians called him "Il Milione", man of the million lies Marco Polo |
| #3650, aired 2000-06-16 | RECENT MOVIES: This film was based in part on the 1974 autobiography "The 16th Round" The Hurricane |
| #3649, aired 2000-06-15 | THE SUPREME COURT: These 2 justices who graduated at the top of their classes were both first offered jobs as typists by the top law firms Ruth Bader Ginsburg & Sandra Day O'Connor |
| #3648, aired 2000-06-14 | AIRPORT CODES: The 3-letter code for this airport came from what was on the site before it -- Orchard Place O'Hare Airport, Chicago - ORD |
| #3647, aired 2000-06-13 | FAMOUS SCIENTISTS: At his death in 1727, he left over one million words he had written on alchemy & the occult Sir Isaac Newton |
| #3646, aired 2000-06-12 | MAGAZINES: In 1925 it was founded by an ex-editor of Stars and Stripes; in the '90s it was run by an ex-editor of Vanity Fair The New Yorker |
| #3645, aired 2000-06-09 | EXPLORATION: In 1498 Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut, India, "in search of Christians and" these spices |
| #3644, aired 2000-06-08 | THE BIBLE: According to the King James Version of the Bible, the number of people on Noah's Ark 8 |
| #3643, aired 2000-06-07 | WOMEN IN POEMS: Poe wrote "To" her, "Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, Thy Naiad airs have brought me home..." Helen |
| #3642, aired 2000-06-06 | NEW CLASSICAL MUSIC: In 1999 in Norfolk, the Virginia Symphony premiered Steve Heitzeg's "Aqua", an homage to this man Jacques Cousteau |
| #3641, aired 2000-06-05 | U.S. COLLEGES: This college for women was founded by Joseph Taylor, a physician who lived not far from Philadelphia Bryn Mawr College |
| #3640, aired 2000-06-02 | '90s OLYMPIC NAMES: She told Women's Sports & Fitness, "Strangers, fans, people on the street... always want to pick me up and carry me" Kerri Strug |
| #3639, aired 2000-06-01 | ARTISTS: He was born in 1864 to 2 first cousins Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec |
| #3638, aired 2000-05-31 | CLOTHING: Article of clothing named for an old character who dressed in loose trousers in Commedia Dell'arte Pantaloons (named for Pantalone) |
| #3637, aired 2000-05-30 | ACTORS: While pregnant with him, the mother of this actor, gazing at the Uffizi's art, 1st felt him move, hence his 1st name Leonardo DiCaprio |
| #3636, aired 2000-05-29 | WORLD CITIES: By the time it hosts the Summer Olympics in 2004, this city plans to have a car-free zone linking its ancient sites Athens |
| #3635, aired 2000-05-26 | BASEBALL HISTORY: Current name of the National League team that started out in the 1870s as the Boston Red Stockings Atlanta Braves |
| #3634, aired 2000-05-25 | SOCIAL SCIENCE: It's estimated that of 6,000 in the world today, half will vanish in the next 100 years, including Jingulu & Chamicuro Languages |
| #3633, aired 2000-05-24 | BOOKS & AUTHORS: Famous profession of the woman who wrote the 1999 inspirational book "The Long Program" Ice/Figure Skater (book written by Peggy Fleming) |
| #3632, aired 2000-05-23 | ASIA: It's Asia's southernmost national capital Jakarta (Indonesia) |
| #3631, aired 2000-05-22 | 19th CENTURY CRIMES: It resulted from the perpetrator's delusion that he was going to be ambassador to France The Garfield Assassination |
| #3630, aired 2000-05-19 | ASIAN HISTORY: This peninsula of 85,000 square miles was ruled by a single dynasty from 1392 to 1910 Korea |
| #3629, aired 2000-05-18 | CHIEF JUSTICES OF THE U.S.: He administered the presidential oath of office more times than any other chief justice -- 9 times John Marshall |
| #3628, aired 2000-05-17 | WORD ORIGINS: In Homer, Athena takes the form of this old friend of Odysseus to advise Odysseus' young son Mentor |
| #3627, aired 2000-05-16 | WORLD LEADERS: Early in the 20th century, he took one of many pseudonyms, Nguyen Ai Quoc, or "Nguyen the Patriot" Ho Chi Minh |
| #3626, aired 2000-05-15 | 19th CENTURY PERSONALITIES: Known to many as The Colossus, this man was elected to the Cape Colony Assembly in 1881 Cecil Rhodes |
| #3625, aired 2000-05-12 | WORLD LANDMARKS: In the 1920s this nation's churches pooled their money & erected a 120-foot religious monument on a 2,300-foot peak Brazil |
| #3624, aired 2000-05-11 | U.S. SYMBOLISM: By a 1782 resolution, they represent valor; purity & innocence; and vigilance, justice & perseverance red, white & blue |
| #3623, aired 2000-05-10 | LITERATURE: An edition of this 1934 book had on its cover a crab & "Not to be imported into Great Britain or U.S.A." Tropic of Cancer (by Henry Miller) |
| #3622, aired 2000-05-09 | FAMOUS WOMEN: 1 of the 2 women who've appeared the most on the cover of Time Magazine, they're separated by 2,000 years Princess Diana or The Virgin Mary |
| #3621, aired 2000-05-08 | U.S. STATES: Before Congress named it for a person, its residents wanted to call it the territory of Columbia Washington |
| #3620, aired 2000-05-05 | CLASSIC SITCOMS: This '70s character was given his last name because he talked ignorant nonsense Archie Bunker |
| #3619, aired 2000-05-04 | FILM CLASSICS: This 1951 classic stars the AFI's top picks for the greatest male & female film legends The African Queen (Humphrey Bogart & Katharine Hepburn) |
| #3618, aired 2000-05-03 | FAMOUS RELATIVES: Around 1780 this grandfather of Charles Darwin invented a pyrometer to measure high heat in his kilns Josiah Wedgwood |
| #3617, aired 2000-05-02 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: "Built From Scratch" is a book on how Bernie Marcus & Arthur Blank remodeled this chain founded in 1978 Home Depot |
| #3616, aired 2000-05-01 | SCULPTURE: This, the largest sculpture in the United States, is not located in South Dakota Stone Mountain (in Georgia) |
| #3615, aired 2000-04-28 | SPORTS CHAMPIONS: Winning in 1965 & 1966, he was the first man to win the Masters golf tournament in 2 consecutive years Jack Nicklaus |
| #3614, aired 2000-04-27 | STATE NAME ORIGINS: 3 of the 4 states whose names come from the first names of European kings (3 of) Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina & South Carolina |
| #3613, aired 2000-04-26 | U.S. CITIES: The 34 peaks of the roof of this city's airport represent mountains that are about 30 miles away Denver |
| #3612, aired 2000-04-25 | 20th CENTURY HEROES: Jean Moulin was one of the chief organizers & martyrs of this movement French Resistance (Maquis) |
| #3611, aired 2000-04-24 | PLAYS & PLAYWRIGHTS: Playwright who wrote the historical dramas "Erik XIV", "Gustav Adolf" & "Gustav Vasa" August Strindberg |
| #3610, aired 2000-04-21 | SPORTS LEGENDS: Retired since 1977, he said, "All I can say is I'm glad I never had to go up against Mia Hamm" Pele |
| #3609, aired 2000-04-20 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: The first person selected to the Intl. Swimming Hall of Fame, his last starring film role was in 1955's "Devil Goddess" Johnny Weissmuller |
| #3608, aired 2000-04-19 | ENGLISH: Group of 4 letters that sounds different within words for done, exhaustive, hack, idea, branch & coarse "O-U-G-H" |
| #3607, aired 2000-04-18 | WORLD WAR II BATTLES: In 1998 Bill Surgi helped locate the sunken aircraft carrier Yorktown, a ship he last saw during this WWII battle Midway |
| #3606, aired 2000-04-17 | BRAND NAME PEOPLE: Immigrating to the U.S. at age 17, he cooked at the Plaza in New York & catered Pres. Wilson's wedding reception in 1915 Chef Boyardee (real name Ettore Boiardi) |
| #3605, aired 2000-04-14 | POTENT POTABLES: Founded in Cuba in 1862, it's the world's bestselling brand of spirits Bacardi |
| #3604, aired 2000-04-13 | INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: Winner of the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize, this group once used the slogan "We Have Two Billion People in our Waiting Room" Doctors Without Borders |
| #3603, aired 2000-04-12 | SPACE EXPLORATION: A plaque left on the Moon in July 1969 contains the signatures of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin & these 2 men Richard Nixon & Michael Collins (the third Apollo 11 astronaut) |
| #3602, aired 2000-04-11 | NURSERY RHYME CHARACTERS: This nursery rhyme character's name goes back to the Jacobites' satiric nickname for the Prince of Orange Wee Willie Winkie |
| #3601, aired 2000-04-10 | '90s NOTABLES: In 1999 a stretch of I-70 that runs past Busch Stadium was renamed in his honor Mark McGwire |
| #3600, aired 2000-04-07 | TRAVEL & TOURISM: One of Iowa's top tourist attractions is a set from this 1989 movie Field of Dreams |
| #3599, aired 2000-04-06 | POLITICIANS: Later speaker, he replaced JFK in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1953 Thomas "Tip" O'Neill |
| #3598, aired 2000-04-05 | EUROPEAN AUTHORS: The name of this author who died in 1924 has become an adjective meaning surreal or nightmarish Franz Kafka (Kafkaesque) |
| #3597, aired 2000-04-04 | FAMOUS MIDDLE NAMES: This middle name of a famous composer means "beloved by God" (Wolfgang) Amadeus (Mozart) |
| #3596, aired 2000-04-03 | TECHNOLOGY: In 1933 Marconi set up one of the first microwave radio systems, between Castel Gandolfo & this sovereign state Vatican City |
| #3595, aired 2000-03-31 | VICE PRESIDENTS: He once wrote to his son-in-law, "In New York I am to be disenfranchised and in New Jersey hanged" Aaron Burr |
| #3594, aired 2000-03-30 | ACTRESSES: She's the granddaughter of an Oscar winner, the niece of a 2-time Oscar winner, & the daughter of a 1997 nominee Bridget Fonda |
| #3593, aired 2000-03-29 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: The title of this novella that won the 1953 Pulitzer Prize consists of 6 words, each of which is 3 letters long "The Old Man and the Sea" |
| #3592, aired 2000-03-28 | PLAYS: In 1998 the city of New Orleans gave the title object of this play to the city of San Francisco "A Streetcar Named Desire" |
| #3591, aired 2000-03-27 | FAMOUS WOMEN: This woman who made death masks of guillotine victims took the Bastille gate key after the 1789 storming Marie Tussaud |
| #3590, aired 2000-03-24 | FUN WITH FIRST FAMILIES: If the mother of the 35th president married the father of the 41st, she would have been named this Rose Bush |
| #3589, aired 2000-03-23 | MODERN MUSIC: His 1998 "Greatest Hits" album made him the first instrumentalist to have 7 consecutive multi-platinum albums Kenny G |
| #3588, aired 2000-03-22 | HISTORIC PEOPLE: After his 1955 death, his papers were given to Jerusalem's Hebrew Univ. & his violin was left to his grandson Albert Einstein |
| #3587, aired 2000-03-21 | PRETTY FLOWERS: Growing this pretty flower seen here can get you in big trouble the opium poppy |
| #3586, aired 2000-03-20 | ARMIES OF THE WORLD: The national orchestra of this nation on the Mediterranean Sea is larger than its army Monaco |
| #3585, aired 2000-03-17 | HISTORIC AMERICAN HOMES: In 1999 famous Shakespearean actors joined an effort to preserve this murderer's childhood home John Wilkes Booth (It's called Tudor Hall & it's near Baltimore) |
| #3584, aired 2000-03-16 | SPACE: On Nov. 13, 1999 a body circling HD 209458 became the first new planet to be photographed since this one Pluto |
| #3583, aired 2000-03-15 | ARTISTS: As of Oct. 1999, of the 10 most expensive paintings sold at public auction, these 2 artists had 4 each on the list Pablo Picasso & Vincent van Gogh |
| #3582, aired 2000-03-14 | ORGANIZATIONS: After the decline of cathedral building in the 1600s, this organization began to accept non-stoneworkers the Masons |
| #3581, aired 2000-03-13 | SPORTS STARS: Born in 1980, this world champion figure skater was named for a Beatles hit Michelle Kwan |
| #3580, aired 2000-03-10 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: In a 1963 book this character found out his family motto in Latin would be "Orbis Non Sufficit" James Bond ("The World Is Not Enough") |
| #3579, aired 2000-03-09 | WORLD CAPITALS: A large bay bearing its name borders this capital settled by the Spaniards in 1571 Manila, Philippines (Manila Bay) |
| #3578, aired 2000-03-08 | TEXTILES: This synthetic material is named for the sports venue where it was installed in 1966 AstroTurf (for the Houston Astrodome) |
| #3577, aired 2000-03-07 | MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: Newly discovered, perhaps the oldest playable instrument is one of these, made from a crane's bone Flute |
| #3576, aired 2000-03-06 | SINGERS: Popular 1950s vocalist who has written the autobiographies "Girl Singer" & "This for Remembrance" Rosemary Clooney |
| #3575, aired 2000-03-03 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: He coined the term "Usonian" for his U.S. designs that were meant to bring beauty & humanity to ordinary people Frank Lloyd Wright |
| #3574, aired 2000-03-02 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This U.S. firm is the world's largest processor of tomatoes H.J. Heinz |
| #3573, aired 2000-03-01 | ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY: In 1988 his body was moved to Arlington & buried next to Robert Peary Matthew Henson |
| #3572, aired 2000-02-29 | THE 13 COLONIES: 1 of the 2 original colonies whose names came from American Indian words (1 of) Connecticut or Massachusetts |
| #3571, aired 2000-02-28 | 1999 BOOKS: This controversial biography of a famous American has a foreign nationality as its title "Dutch" (presidential biography of Ronald Reagan by Edmund Morris) |
| #3570, aired 2000-02-25 | THEATRE: In 1999 Del Close willed this to the Goodman Theatre in Chicago to be used in Act 5, Scene 1 of "Hamlet" His own skull (to be used in the scene, "Alas, poor Yorick...") |
| #3569, aired 2000-02-24 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: The only person named Oscar to win an Oscar, he won twice Oscar Hammerstein II |
| #3568, aired 2000-02-23 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: On May 2, 1936 "Peter and the Wolf" had its world premiere in this capital city Moscow |
| #3567, aired 2000-02-22 | U.S. SENATORS: This former Navy SEAL is the only current member of Congress who has earned the Medal of Honor Robert Kerrey |
| #3566, aired 2000-02-21 | U.S. CITIES: This city's flag shows 2 rivers joining behind a fleur-de-lis St. Louis (at the confluence of the Missouri & Mississippi Rivers) |
| #3565, aired 2000-02-18 | GEOGRAPHIC EXTREMES: The city of Tromso in this country is home to the world's northernmost university & brewery Norway |
| #3564, aired 2000-02-17 | WORLD LEADERS: This world leader who left office as president in 1994 titled his autobiography "The Last Trek: A New Beginning" F.W. de Klerk (of South Africa) |
| #3563, aired 2000-02-16 | OSCAR-WINNING MOVIES: Its final scene includes the line "I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner" The Silence of the Lambs |
| #3562, aired 2000-02-15 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The 2 U.S. presidents who served as governors of states west of the Mississippi River Ronald Reagan (California) & Bill Clinton (Arkansas) |
| #3561, aired 2000-02-14 | HISTORIC QUOTATIONS: According to Suetonius it was inscribed on a parade wagon after the 5-day Pontic campaign of 47 B.C. "Veni, Vidi, Vici" ("I came, I saw, I conquered") |
| #3560, aired 2000-02-11 | MAMMALS: The 2 mammals that live at the highest altitude on a permanent basis are the pika & this animal Yak |
| #3559, aired 2000-02-10 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Title hero whose boarding school's motto is "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus", "Never Tickle A Sleeping Dragon" Harry Potter |
| #3558, aired 2000-02-09 | CLASSIC TOYS: In response to anti-tobacco protests, this toy gave up its attachable pipe in 1987 Mr. Potato Head |
| #3557, aired 2000-02-08 | POETRY: Title hero who "silently rowed to the Charlestown shore, just as the moon rose over the bay" Paul Revere |
| #3556, aired 2000-02-07 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: The land closest to zero longitude, zero latitude & zero altitude, Cape Three Points is found on this continent Africa |
| #3555, aired 2000-02-04 | FILMS OF THE '80s: The one-word title of this 1985 film refers to Samuel Lapp, a Penn. farm boy who makes his first visit to a city Witness |
| #3554, aired 2000-02-03 | SPORTS ORIGINS: This American sport traces its roots back to the '30s & Southern bootleggers who outran the law Stock car racing |
| #3553, aired 2000-02-02 | FINANCIERS: The Federal Reserve System was founded partly in response to his March 31, 1913 death J.P. Morgan |
| #3552, aired 2000-02-01 | HISTORIC NAMES: To honor his work, this man's daughter took the name Maria Celeste when she became a nun in 1616 Galileo |
| #3551, aired 2000-01-31 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: Hans Christian Andersen's "The Nightingale" was inspired by this famous woman Jenny Lind |
| #3550, aired 2000-01-28 | FRONT PAGE HISTORY: An August 6, 1945 Associated Press story described this as a "Japanese army base" Hiroshima (story about the dropping of the first atomic bomb) |
| #3549, aired 2000-01-27 | MEDIEVAL FIRSTS: In the Middle Ages, this man introduced fireworks to western Europe Marco Polo |
| #3548, aired 2000-01-26 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: In area, it's the largest country that does not belong to the United Nations Switzerland |
| #3547, aired 2000-01-25 | THE TONY AWARDS: (Hi, I'm Brian Dennehy) This man won a Tony for writing the Best Play of 1949 and I had the honor of presenting him with a Lifetime Achievement Tony in 1999 Arthur Miller (wrote "Death of a Salesman") |
| #3546, aired 2000-01-24 | FOOD & DRINK: Its name is from Gaelic for "water of life" Whiskey |
| #3545, aired 2000-01-21 | MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS: "You Can Leave Your Hat On" & "The Stripper" are on the soundtrack of this 1997 Oscar-nominated movie The Full Monty |
| #3544, aired 2000-01-20 | OPERA SINGERS: In 1999 Placido Domingo opened the Met for a record 18th time, breaking this man's record of 17 Enrico Caruso |
| #3543, aired 2000-01-19 | THE BOOK TRADE: According to USA Today, they're the 2 nonconsecutive months that see the highest cookbook sales May & December |
| #3542, aired 2000-01-18 | IN THE NEWS: The U.N. designated October 12, 1999 as the date the Earth's population reached this figure 6 billion |
| #3541, aired 2000-01-17 | U.S. STAMPS: FDR's in 1982 was the last stamp to show 1 of these; they were removed from photos of Jackson Pollock & Edward R. Murrow a cigarette |
| #3540, aired 2000-01-14 | HIGHWAYS & BYWAYS: On Dec. 7, 1995 this state officially renamed its portion of Interstate 10 as the Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway Arizona (because of the Arizona battleship that was sunk at Pearl Harbor) |
| #3539, aired 2000-01-13 | WORD & PHRASE ORIGINS: This phrase originally referred to the period between July & August, when Sirius rises with the Sun the dog days of summer |
| #3538, aired 2000-01-12 | NEOLOGISMS: In his 1984 novel "Neuromancer", William Gibson coined this 10-letter term for a virtual reality computer network Cyberspace |
| #3537, aired 2000-01-11 | TELEVISION HISTORY: In the late '60s this character was created to show children it's okay to be grumpy Oscar the Grouch (from "Sesame Street") |
| #3536, aired 2000-01-10 | MEDICAL HISTORY: Anne Miller, the first person whose life was saved by this drug, lived 57 more years, dying in 1999 penicillin |
| #3535, aired 2000-01-07 | YANKEE STADIUM HISTORY: A plaque in Monument Park honors this ex-"Cardinal" for a 1979 event held at the stadium Pope John Paul II |
| #3534, aired 2000-01-06 | NONFICTION AUTHORS: First published in 1946, a book written by this man became the bestselling book in the U.S. after the Bible Dr. Benjamin Spock ("Baby and Child Care") |
| #3533, aired 2000-01-05 | ECOLOGY: Former Monty Python member John Cleese has joined a campaign to save this bird from extinction Parrot |
| #3532, aired 2000-01-04 | THE MUSICAL U.S.: In 1999 this state acquired the rights to use John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" to promote tourism West Virginia |
| #3531, aired 2000-01-03 | FROM PLAY TO BALLET: This character became the heroine of the dramatic ballet "The Moor's Pavane" Desdemona |
| #3530, aired 1999-12-31 | TODAY'S SPORTS STARS: He was named after Japanese beef Kobe Bryant |
| #3529, aired 1999-12-30 | HISTORIC QUESTIONS: "'Yes,' said he, with a kind smile, lifting his cap slightly" was the reply to this 1871 question "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" |
| #3528, aired 1999-12-29 | THE 1970s: A change of procedure in 1979 led to 3 of these being named Bob, David & Frederic Hurricanes |
| #3527, aired 1999-12-28 | ARTISTS: Looking at kids' art, he said at "Their age I could draw like Raphael, but it took me a lifetime to learn to draw like them" Pablo Picasso |
| #3526, aired 1999-12-27 | AUTHORS: In 1594 he took a job as a tax collector in Andalusia Miguel de Cervantes |
| #3525, aired 1999-12-24 | RELIGION: A 1999 study concluded that this 13-foot-long, 3-foot-wide holy relic dates back to pre-8th century Jerusalem Shroud of Turin |
| #3524, aired 1999-12-23 | LANGUAGES: Of the 6 official languages of the United Nations, the one spoken by the fewest people worldwide French |
| #3523, aired 1999-12-22 | FOOD & SPORTS: In August 1999, for the first time in its 75-year history, Wheaties began featuring players of this sport on its boxes Soccer |
| #3522, aired 1999-12-21 | 1999 TELEVISION: The final episode of this sitcom was called "The Final Frontier" Mad About You |
| #3521, aired 1999-12-20 | POLITICIANS: This politician adopted his last name from a southern California beach & surfing community Governor Jesse Ventura |
| #3520, aired 1999-12-17 | NAME'S THE SAME: Name shared by a British film company & an American who made millions in oil & pharmaceuticals Hammer (Hammer Films/Armand Hammer) |
| #3519, aired 1999-12-16 | CONTROVERSIAL FOOD & DRINK: Pope Clement VIII said of this beverage around 1600, "We shall cheat Satan" by baptizing it as a Christian beverage Coffee |
| #3518, aired 1999-12-15 | OPERA: A 1920s discovery proved that some of the instruments used in this 1871 opera were historically accurate Aida |
| #3517, aired 1999-12-14 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: His bestselling first novel, published in 1846, was set in Polynesia Herman Melville ("Typee") |
| #3516, aired 1999-12-13 | STATE LICENSE PLATES: Utah changed one letter in "Greatest Show on Earth" to produce this phrase on its license plates "Greatest Snow on Earth" (skiing) |
| #3515, aired 1999-12-10 | CLASSIC TELEVISION: This series was set at 165 Eaton Place, 6 floors, basement to attic Upstairs, Downstairs |
| #3514, aired 1999-12-09 | HONORS: To remain "Free to blast and bollock Blairite Britain" Tony Harrison declined this post in 1999 Poet Laureate of England |
| #3513, aired 1999-12-08 | AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY: This man for whom a car is named previously worked for Daimler-Benz & designed the Volkswagen Ferdinand Porsche |
| #3512, aired 1999-12-07 | ROCK PERFORMERS: 2 of 4 performing duos inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2 of) The Everly Brothers, Ike & Tina Turner, Sam & Dave, and Simon & Garfunkel |
| #3511, aired 1999-12-06 | HISTORIC WOMEN: In 1998 the director of the U.S. Mint called her "a woman of exemplary physical courage and stamina" Sacajawea |
| #3510, aired 1999-12-03 | POLITICS: In 1999 the Bushes became the first brothers to serve as governor at the same time since these 2 brothers in 1971 Nelson & Winthrop Rockefeller |
| #3509, aired 1999-12-02 | NOVELISTS: "Omerta", the title of the last book he completed before his death in 1999, is Sicilian for "code of silence" Mario Puzo |
| #3508, aired 1999-12-01 | WORLD CITIES: Around 59 B.C. the Romans settled what is now this city, & gave it a Latin name that means "blossoming" Florence |
| #3507, aired 1999-11-30 | JAZZ SINGERS: Comedian Harry Anderson was among those who gave eulogies at this singer's June 1999 funeral Mel Torme |
| #3506, aired 1999-11-29 | U.S. STATES: It's the only state whose name & capital city both consist of 2 words New Mexico (Santa Fe) |
| #3505, aired 1999-11-26 | HIGHWAYS & BYWAYS: 2 of the 4 20th century U.S. presidents after whom streets in Paris are named (2 of) Eisenhower, Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt & Wilson |
| #3504, aired 1999-11-25 | U.S. STATES: The 2 states which have "Waltz" in the title of their state songs Missouri & Tennessee |
| #3503, aired 1999-11-24 | PUBLICATIONS: Its first issue was intended to be read on sabbath day, August 5, 1821 The Saturday Evening Post |
| #3502, aired 1999-11-23 | MONUMENTS: Over 90% of the sculpting on Mount Rushmore was done with this Dynamite |
| #3501, aired 1999-11-22 | FAMOUS WEDDINGS: In 1998 a 61-year-old piece of this couple's wedding cake sold for $26,000 at Sotheby's The Duke of Windsor (former King Edward VIII) & Wallis Simpson |
| #3500, aired 1999-11-19 | THE PLANETS: Containing less than 1% of the mass in the solar system, it's the second most massive object in it Jupiter |
| #3499, aired 1999-11-18 | MANHATTAN LANDMARKS: Appropriately, this hotel on West 44th Street has a Round Table Suite the Algonquin |
| #3498, aired 1999-11-17 | MODERN MARRIAGE: He's the only president of the United States who had been divorced Ronald Reagan |
| #3497, aired 1999-11-16 | DIRECTORS: Appropriately, the 100th anniversary of this director's birth was on a Friday the 13th -- August 13, 1999 Alfred Hitchcock |
| #3496, aired 1999-11-15 | FAMOUS NAMES: On a Feb. 1995 shuttle mission, pilot Eileen Collins took along a scarf that had belonged to this woman Amelia Earhart |
| #3495, aired 1999-11-12 | HISTORIC QUOTES: One month prior to his hanging on December 2, 1859, he said that he had no design to "excite slaves to rebel" John Brown |
| #3494, aired 1999-11-11 | U.S. LAKES: This lake is the remnant of former Lake Bonneville, which existed during the Pleistocene epoch The Great Salt Lake |
| #3493, aired 1999-11-10 | AFRICA: Towns in this country include Marshall & Tubmanburg Liberia |
| #3492, aired 1999-11-09 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: This Virginian, beloved in peace & war, is featured on the Great Seal of the Confederacy George Washington |
| #3491, aired 1999-11-08 | PEOPLE & PLACES: In 1999 only a few hundred Americans known as Zonians were left in this country Panama |
| #3490, aired 1999-11-05 | MODERN TECHNOLOGY: Common name given Douglas Engelbart's device, an "X-Y position indicator for a display system" a mouse |
| #3489, aired 1999-11-04 | PUBLICATIONS: This humor publication, known for its website, put out its first book in 1999, a No. 1 bestseller The Onion |
| #3488, aired 1999-11-03 | ADVERTISING: In Scandinavian countries these characters are known as Pif, Paf & Pof Snap, Crackle & Pop (from Rice Krispies) |
| #3487, aired 1999-11-02 | SCIENCE HISTORY: In 1672 Christiaan Huygens sketched its southern ice cap Mars |
| #3486, aired 1999-11-01 | 20th CENTURY AUTHORS: His "Fictional Memoir" about his last African safari was published in 1999, 38 years after his death Ernest Hemingway |
| #3485, aired 1999-10-29 | 19th CENTURY FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: This title horror character was created by its author at 6 Royal Crescent in the resort of Whitby in Yorkshire Dracula (created by Bram Stoker) |
| #3484, aired 1999-10-28 | WORLD CAPITALS: This capital's name is from the Greek for "Three Towns" Tripoli, Libya |
| #3483, aired 1999-10-27 | HOCKEY TEAMS: This National Hockey League team regularly practices for fans at the world's largest mall Edmonton Oilers |
| #3482, aired 1999-10-26 | RELIGIOUS HISTORY: Anglicanism got its name from the Latin "Anglicana Ecclesia", a phrase in this 13th century document Magna Carta |
| #3481, aired 1999-10-25 | THE CABINET: The seal of this cabinet department has an anvil on it Department of Labor |
| #3480, aired 1999-10-22 | SISTER CITIES: San Francisco, California is a sister city to this one in Italy Assisi (named after St. Francis of Assisi) |
| #3479, aired 1999-10-21 | EXPLORERS: On hearing of the discovery of George Mallory's body, this man told reporters he still thinks he was first Sir Edmund Hillary |
| #3478, aired 1999-10-20 | 20th CENTURY NEWSMAKERS: Due to police irregularities, this man's Arizona conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1966 Ernesto Miranda |
| #3477, aired 1999-10-19 | HISTORIC FIRSTS: Stopped by a cop on a bike, in 1896 Walter Arnold was the first man in England to receive a fine for this Speeding |
| #3476, aired 1999-10-18 | INDUSTRIALISTS: In 1916 he said, "The only history that is worth a tinker's damn is the history we make today" Henry Ford |
| #3475, aired 1999-10-15 | NATIONAL HEROES: This country's national heroes include Juan Pablo Duarte & Sammy Sosa Dominican Republic |
| #3474, aired 1999-10-14 | MAGAZINES: The title of this women's magazine that turned 60 in 1999 used to end with "of Hollywood" Glamour |
| #3473, aired 1999-10-13 | THE OSCARS: 1 of only 2 actors who directed themselves to a Best Acting Oscar Roberto Benigni (Life Is Beautiful) or Sir Laurence Olivier (Hamlet) |
| #3472, aired 1999-10-12 | MODERN SCIENCE: On January 12, 1998 19 European nations endorsed the first international ban of this practice on humans Cloning |
| #3471, aired 1999-10-11 | FAMOUS SCANDINAVIANS: The painter who said, "Illness, madness and death were the dark angels who watched over my cradle" Edvard Munch |
| #3470, aired 1999-10-08 | THE FUNNIES: Debuting November 18, 1985, the caption in its first box was "So long, Pop! I'm off to check my tiger trap!" Calvin and Hobbes |
| #3469, aired 1999-10-07 | FAMOUS BALLETS: A magic feather helps save the life of Prince Ivan in this Stravinsky ballet based on Russian folklore The Firebird |
| #3468, aired 1999-10-06 | ON THE MONEY: Of the 7 men pictured on the front of currently printed U.S. currency, the 3 who never lived in the White House Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton & George Washington |
| #3467, aired 1999-10-05 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: In 1958 this country's army overthrew its govt. & set up a council with a Kurd, a Shiite & a Sunni Arab Iraq |
| #3466, aired 1999-10-04 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM: John Cleveland defined it as "Nature's Confectioner" Bee |
| #3465, aired 1999-10-01 | AUTHORS: In 1995 a library at the Glasgow Veterinary School was named in his honor James Herriot |
| #3464, aired 1999-09-30 | CURRENT POLITICIANS: First elected in 1994, he's become one of the most prominent conservatives in Congress Steve Largent |
| #3463, aired 1999-09-29 | MAGAZINES: Conde Nast's Feb./Mar. 1999 issue of its magazine for these title people was a Guinness record 1,242 pages Brides (who are planning a June wedding) |
| #3462, aired 1999-09-28 | FAMOUS NAMES: In April 1999 Paul Simon took center field for the dedication of a monument to this man Joe DiMaggio |
| #3461, aired 1999-09-27 | FICTION: This 1937 mystery was written at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan "Death on the Nile" |
| #3460, aired 1999-09-24 | OLYMPICS 2000: Name of the new Olympic event that will cover a total of 51.5 kilometers the triathlon |
| #3459, aired 1999-09-23 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: This politician died on June 3, 1861, 39 days after giving a speech in Springfield, Illinois supporting the Union Stephen Douglas |
| #3458, aired 1999-09-22 | BUSINESS LEADERS: This fast food magnate subtitled his 1991 autobiography "A New Approach to Old-Fashioned Success" Dave Thomas |
| #3457, aired 1999-09-21 | TREES: This type of tree that includes the pecan is common in the eastern U.S., is noted for toughness & can live to 300 Hickory |
| #3456, aired 1999-09-20 | POLITICIANS: He began his political career by defeating Jerry Voorhis in 1946 for a California house seat Richard M. Nixon |
| #3455, aired 1999-09-17 | SWAHILI PHRASES: Hillary Clinton would translate the Swahili "Mkono mmoja haulei mwana" to this 8-word phrase "It takes a village to raise a child" |
| #3454, aired 1999-09-16 | ROCK MUSIC: This term for a rock genre came into popular usage from a line in Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" Heavy metal |
| #3453, aired 1999-09-15 | FAMOUS NOVELS: Chapter XVI of this novel concerns "The Inn Which He Took for a Castle" "Don Quixote" |
| #3452, aired 1999-09-14 | U.S. CITIES: Its former mayor William Hartsfield dubbed it the city "Too Busy to Hate" Atlanta (airport named for him) |
| #3451, aired 1999-09-13 | HISTORIC ARTIFACTS: In 1996 it came home to Scotland after 700 years Stone of Scone |
| #3450, aired 1999-09-10 | FUN WITH NUMBERS: Number of degrees the minute hand on a standard clock travels in one hour 360 |
| #3449, aired 1999-09-09 | HISTORIC DATES: It's reported that on this date King George III wrote in his diary, "Nothing of importance happened today" July 4, 1776 |
| #3448, aired 1999-09-08 | HOLIDAY QUOTES: In the end this Dickens character says, "I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" Ebenezer Scrooge |
| #3447, aired 1999-09-07 | EMPIRES: In the early 1800s, this man's empire included the duchy of Warsaw, the kingdom of Naples & Spain Napoleon |
| #3446, aired 1999-09-06 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: On July 20, 1999 it was 30 years since this man said, "Houston... the Eagle has landed" Neil Armstrong |
| #3445, aired 1999-07-23 | PUBLICATIONS: Henry Nichols' "Four Seasons" engraving has appeared on the cover of this publication each year since 1851 Farmers' Almanac |
| #3444, aired 1999-07-22 | WORLD LEADERS: This country's leaders have included Yusof Bin Ishak, Benjamin Sheares & Lee Kuan Yew Singapore |
| #3443, aired 1999-07-21 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: It's the only Nobel category in which the prize has not been awarded to a woman Economics |
| #3442, aired 1999-07-20 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM: The family Monodontidae is composed of 2 members: the beluga whale & this other marine mammal Narwhal |
| #3441, aired 1999-07-19 | PLACE NAMES: Its original name, Wai Momi, & its current name both come from the valuable mollusks once found there Pearl Harbor |
| #3440, aired 1999-07-16 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The 2 U.S. presidents who died at the youngest ages, 82 years apart James A. Garfield & John F. Kennedy |
| #3439, aired 1999-07-15 | FILMS OF THE '70s: 1976 film that contains the line: "...The only truth you know is what you get over this tube!" Network |
| #3438, aired 1999-07-14 | STATE GOVERNMENT: With only 49, this state's government has the fewest legislators Nebraska |
| #3437, aired 1999-07-13 | HISTORIC ISLANDS: A 900-year-old organization expelled in 1798 was allowed to return to this island in 1998 Malta |
| #3436, aired 1999-07-12 | IN THE BOOKSTORE: Bestselling author seen here Sue Grafton |
| #3435, aired 1999-07-09 | CLASSIC CINEMA: This 1957 film opens with the judge's instructions to the jury in a murder trial 12 Angry Men |
| #3434, aired 1999-07-08 | U.S.A.: In 1999 several counties around Cape Canaveral, Florida were assigned this new telephone area code 321 |
| #3433, aired 1999-07-07 | SPORTS SUPERSTARS: This tennis player was ranked No. 1 for the year a record 6 times in a row in the 1990s Pete Sampras |
| #3432, aired 1999-07-06 | VITAMINS & MINERALS: The name of this vitamin is from the Latin for "leaf" because leafy green vegetables are a good source Folic acid |
| #3431, aired 1999-07-05 | WORLD LEADERS: Francois Mitterand said this world leader "has the lips of Marilyn Monroe and the eyes of Caligula" Margaret Thatcher |
| #3430, aired 1999-07-02 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: William Wirt was attorney general for over 11 years, a record; this attorney general is second, with 6 years Janet Reno |
| #3429, aired 1999-07-01 | PRESIDENTIAL FACTS: FDR called it the Sacred Cow; for Truman it was Independence; for Eisenhower, the Columbine; & from JFK on, this Air Force One |
| #3428, aired 1999-06-30 | PARADES: The theme of Richard Nixon's second inaugural parade, he thought he'd be in office to celebrate it the Bicentennial |
| #3427, aired 1999-06-29 | U.S. CITIES: Among its sister cities are Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Turin, Italy; & Toyota City, Japan Detroit |
| #3426, aired 1999-06-28 | WORLD OF TELEVISION: This current U.S. TV show is shown in France as "Aux Frontieres du Reel" ("At the Borders of Reality") The X-Files |
| #3425, aired 1999-06-25 | BANDS OF THE '70s: In billing order, this quartet's members were born in Los Angeles, Dallas, Blackpool & Toronto Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young |
| #3424, aired 1999-06-24 | RECENT MOVIES: The young John Webster, who grew up to write "The Duchess of Malfi", is a character in this 1998 film Shakespeare in Love |
| #3423, aired 1999-06-23 | BRITISH LITERATURE: The original title of this 1895 novel was "The Chronic Argonauts" The Time Machine |
| #3422, aired 1999-06-22 | HISTORIC DATES: On this date a record 10,471 flags were flown above the U.S. Capitol, one at a time July 4, 1976 (the Bicentennial) |
| #3421, aired 1999-06-21 | AFRICA: 1 of the 3 African countries that are still kingdoms Lesotho, Morocco or Swaziland |
| #3420, aired 1999-06-18 | FAMOUS FATHERS: He played rhythm & blues guitar before working as a crane operator & raising a family in Gary, Indiana Joe Jackson |
| #3419, aired 1999-06-17 | LITERARY BOTANY: This Asian herb of the family Pedaliaceae is closely associated with a poor woodcutter in the "Arabian Nights" Sesame |
| #3418, aired 1999-06-16 | FAMOUS WOMEN: During WWI this American showed off her talents in a play called "The Western Girl" Annie Oakley |
| #3417, aired 1999-06-15 | INTERNET BUSINESS: A hot stock in 1999, this internet site began as a place to buy & sell Pez dispensers eBay |
| #3416, aired 1999-06-14 | COMPOSERS: "Reaching for the Note" was the subtitle of a 1998 film about this American music legend who died in 1990 Leonard Bernstein |
| #3415, aired 1999-06-11 | ART: This technique, from Latin for "to look through", began in Western painting in works like the one seen here Perspective |
| #3414, aired 1999-06-10 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: In 1903 Morris Michtom of New York began marketing these with presidential permission Teddy Bears (named after Theodore Roosevelt) |
| #3413, aired 1999-06-09 | TELEVISION: In a 1983 movie about a kidnapping, Daniel J. Travanti played the man who would later host this series America's Most Wanted (hosted by John Walsh) |
| #3412, aired 1999-06-08 | POP MUSIC: It's the opera mentioned in the lyrics of a 1970 No. 1 hit by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles Pagliacci |
| #3411, aired 1999-06-07 | STATE CAPITALS: Chartered in 1781, it's the only state capital named for a French city Montpelier, Vermont |
| #3410, aired 1999-06-04 | FAMOUS NAMES OF THE 1950s: The lyricist of the song "That's America to Me" adopted the 2 brothers with this last name, orphaned in 1953 Rosenberg |
| #3409, aired 1999-06-03 | WORLD EVENTS: The 3 people who did this most recently were Midori Ito, Muhammad Ali & Crown Prince Haakon of Norway Lighting the Olympic flame at the Olympic Games |
| #3408, aired 1999-06-02 | ITALIAN VOCABULARY: This word well known to sculpture lovers can be translated as "mercy" or "compassion" pieta |
| #3407, aired 1999-06-01 | QUOTABLE DEFINITIONS: Ted Hughes wrote that it's where a child can sit "with the genius of the Earth" Library |
| #3406, aired 1999-05-31 | SPORTS: The fact that he didn't play September 20, 1998 made headlines Cal Ripken |
| #3405, aired 1999-05-28 | '90s TRENDS: This adornment has been seen on Cher, Dennis Rodman & the 5,000-year-old "Iceman" found in 1991 tattoos |
| #3404, aired 1999-05-27 | DIRECTORS & THEIR FILMS: 1 of the 2 '90s films by German director Wolfgang Petersen concerned with a U.S. president's safety (1 of) Air Force One & In the Line of Fire |
| #3403, aired 1999-05-26 | 1950s ACHIEVEMENTS: On Nov. 20, 1953, in a Douglas D-558-2, Scott Crossfield reached this benchmark traveling twice the speed of sound |
| #3402, aired 1999-05-25 | ROMAN EMPERORS: The 2 Roman emperors during the time that Jesus Christ walked the Earth Augustus Caesar & Tiberius |
| #3401, aired 1999-05-24 | VICTORY CELEBRATIONS: This man received the first & only New York City ticker-tape parade ever given to a classical musician Van Cliburn |
| #3400, aired 1999-05-21 | MOVIE CHARACTERS: Rand Brooks, Carroll Nye & Clark Gable played this character's 3 husbands Scarlett O'Hara |
| #3399, aired 1999-05-20 | AMERICAN FOLKLORE: Name of the animal that measured 42 axe handles & 1 plug of chewing tobacco between the horns Babe the Blue Ox |
| #3398, aired 1999-05-19 | INTERNATIONAL SPORTS: Jan Ullrich, the only German ever to win this event, has been nicknamed "Der Tourminator" the Tour de France |
| #3397, aired 1999-05-18 | TV CHARACTERS: The first name of this TV title character whose show debuted in 1998 is a synonym for "happiness" or "good fortune" Felicity |
| #3396, aired 1999-05-17 | BRITISH AUTHORS: In 1954 she became the first recipient of the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America Agatha Christie |
| #3395, aired 1999-05-14 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: This member of William & Mary's Class of 1762 founded a univ. that opened in 1825, one year before his death Thomas Jefferson (University of Virginia) |
| #3394, aired 1999-05-13 | STATE CAPITALS: Add one letter to a word meaning a religious rite & you get this U.S. state capital Sacramento, California |
| #3393, aired 1999-05-12 | RENAISSANCE LITERATURE: This book begins, "All states and dominions which hold or have held mankind are either republics or monarchies" "The Prince" (by Machiavelli) |
| #3392, aired 1999-05-11 | MONEY: The first of a series of 50 new U.S. quarters, released in January 1999, honored this state Delaware |
| #3391, aired 1999-05-10 | EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT: In October 1998 this country got its 56th govt. since WWII, with its first Communist cabinet ministers in 50 years Italy |
| #3390, aired 1999-05-07 | FROM BOOK TO FILM: This recent hit film was based on the book "Gesundheit: Good Health is a Laughing Matter" Patch Adams |
| #3389, aired 1999-05-06 | U.S. POLITICS: In 1952 this state became primary in politics by adding candidates' names to its primary ballots New Hampshire |
| #3388, aired 1999-05-05 | WORLD LITERATURE: A war described in this 1726 novel began over an argument about how to crack open an egg "Gulliver's Travels" |
| #3387, aired 1999-05-04 | HISTORIC GEOGRAPHY: Named for its shape, this region stretches NW from the Persian Gulf, W. to Syria, then S. through Palestine the Fertile Crescent |
| #3386, aired 1999-05-03 | ORGANIZATIONS: In 1901 Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Boston, D.C., Baltimore & Philadelphia made up this; Tampa Bay joined in 1998 the American League |
| #3385, aired 1999-04-30 | BRAND NAMES: This office supply product caught on in the Depression because it made worn & tattered items last longer Scotch Tape |
| #3384, aired 1999-04-29 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: Lawrence Walsh & Donald Smaltz have held this job created by 1978's Ethics in Government Act Special Prosecutor/Independent Counsel |
| #3383, aired 1999-04-28 | PEOPLE: People magazine's 1989 & 1998 Sexiest Men Alive, they played father & son in a blockbuster 1989 film Sean Connery & Harrison Ford |
| #3382, aired 1999-04-27 | ENGLISH HISTORY: 11th century England had 2 kings with this name, one a Dane & one a Saxon Harold |
| #3381, aired 1999-04-26 | LETTER PERFECT: The name of this show performed in a 1.5 mil.-gallon tank at the Bellagio in Vegas is a homophone of a French word O |
| #3380, aired 1999-04-23 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: This Peace Prize winner financed his medical studies partly through royalties from his Bach biography Dr. Albert Schweitzer |
| #3379, aired 1999-04-22 | THE ENVIRONMENT: Samples from a Swiss bog show the highest levels of this element in the past 14,000 years were from 1975 to 1982 Lead |
| #3378, aired 1999-04-21 | LANDMARKS: In 1913 prima ballerina Ellen Price inspired the look of this famous statue by Edvard Eriksen the Little Mermaid |
| #3377, aired 1999-04-20 | 20th CENTURY PERSONALITIES: In a 1998 interview, she said, "I see it as my apostolic duty to talk about art" Sister Wendy |
| #3376, aired 1999-04-19 | MACHINES: This type of machine, in the news in 1987, was developed in the '70s from a noodle-making device Paper shredder |
| #3375, aired 1999-04-16 | AUTHORS: In January 1999 this author issued a public statement reminding the world the third millennium really begins Jan. 1, 2001 Arthur C. Clarke |
| #3374, aired 1999-04-15 | MUSIC: In 1997 Agnes Grossmann took over as the 1st woman artistic director of this group in its 500-year history The Vienna Boys' Choir |
| #3373, aired 1999-04-14 | 1998: Bruce Jenner, Gail Devers & Willie Gault attended this woman's September 26, 1998 funeral Florence Griffith Joyner |
| #3372, aired 1999-04-13 | ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS: In 1998 she became the only woman to win an Oscar & an Emmy for Lead Actress in the same year Helen Hunt |
| #3371, aired 1999-04-12 | THE 1980s: On January 20, 1981 the U.S. released about $8 billion of this country's assets it had frozen Iran |
| #3370, aired 1999-04-09 | RELIGIOUS TERMS: John Paul II has eliminated this position whose duty was to present arguments against sainthood Devil's Advocate |
| #3369, aired 1999-04-08 | U.S. GEOLOGY: This 800-mile-long feature was discovered & named by Andrew Lawson San Andreas Fault |
| #3368, aired 1999-04-07 | THE GREAT LAKES: Now called Lake Michigan, the 17th century French called it the "Lake of" this Indian tribe Illini |
| #3367, aired 1999-04-06 | 20th CENTURY WOMEN: She titled her Ph.D. thesis "An Inquiry into the Question of Cultural Stability in Polynesia" Margaret Mead |
| #3366, aired 1999-04-05 | ANIMALS: There are only 3 of these animals in U.S. zoos: a 28-year-old in D.C.'s National Zoo & 2 younger ones in San Diego pandas |
| #3365, aired 1999-04-02 | STATUES: Its face was modeled after the features of Auguste-Charlotte Bartholdi Statue of Liberty |
| #3364, aired 1999-04-01 | POTPOURRI... NO FOOLIN': In 1956 Johnson Wax introduced Raid & this brand that got a Potpourri Country Garden version in 1989 Glade |
| #3363, aired 1999-03-31 | IN THE NEWS: In use from January 1, 1999, it's represented by the symbol seen here the euro |
| #3362, aired 1999-03-30 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: One story says this point was so named because it was a positive sign of a sea route from Europe to India Cape of Good Hope |
| #3361, aired 1999-03-29 | 1999 ANNIVERSARIES: A traveling exhibit honoring the 200th anniversary of his death features his false teeth George Washington |
| #3360, aired 1999-03-26 | AMERICAN HISTORY: As minister to Mexico, he was authorized by President Pierce to buy border land for the railroads James Gadsden |
| #3359, aired 1999-03-25 | CITY & STATE: Founded in 1801 & famous for its university, it's nicknamed "The Classic City of the South" Athens, Georgia |
| #3358, aired 1999-03-24 | WORD ORIGINS: Today meaning a self-employed person, this term derives from medieval knights who sold their skills Freelancer |
| #3357, aired 1999-03-23 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: A 1993 anthology of contemporary Asian-American fiction is titled this character "is Dead" Charlie Chan |
| #3356, aired 1999-03-22 | THE OLYMPICS: Before the first winter games in 1924, this sport was played in the summer games; Canada won gold in 1920 ice hockey |
| #3355, aired 1999-03-19 | SCIENTIFIC INVENTIONS: In 1608 its inventor offered it exclusively to the Dutch government for military use telescope |
| #3354, aired 1999-03-18 | PRESIDENTIAL BIRTHPLACES: 20th century president whose birthplace is depicted here Herbert Hoover |
| #3353, aired 1999-03-17 | IRISH-BORN AUTHORS: Once a drama critic in his native Dublin, he toured the U.S. as an actor's manager, but never visited Romania Bram Stoker |
| #3352, aired 1999-03-16 | SINGERS & THEIR MUSIC: 6 of his albums landed on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Chart for May 30, 1998, including 3 in the Top 10 Frank Sinatra |
| #3351, aired 1999-03-15 | NATIONAL PARKS: The writings of Marjory Stoneman Douglas helped preserve this area she dubbed "The River of Grass" Everglades National Park (in Florida) |
| #3350, aired 1999-03-12 | MOVIE QUOTES: First uttered in 1962, this 3-word self-introduction tops Guinness' list of the most famous movie quotes ever "Bond, James Bond" |
| #3349, aired 1999-03-11 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM: Next to humans, it's the land mammal with the longest lifespan Elephant |
| #3348, aired 1999-03-10 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: 1960 musical that contains the line: "Your table is cracking... can you hear the timbers split?" Camelot |
| #3347, aired 1999-03-09 | 20th CENTURY AMERICANS: Adela Rogers St. Johns, who was hired by this man in 1913, reported on his granddaughter's trial in 1976 William Randolph Hearst |
| #3346, aired 1999-03-08 | SHOW BIZ: In 1997 this singer & her husband opened a restaurant at Disney World called Bongo's Cuban Cafe Gloria Estefan |
| #3345, aired 1999-03-05 | AUTHORS: In June 1998 a museum dedicated to this author opened in Salinas, California John Steinbeck |
| #3344, aired 1999-03-04 | TELEVISION ACTORS: Starting in 1984, he's played the same character continuously on 2 primetime shows over the last 15 seasons Kelsey Grammer (Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers & Frasier) |
| #3343, aired 1999-03-03 | THE PRESIDENCY: In 1998, the highest-ranking person in the line of presidential succession who could not legally be president Madeleine Albright (Secretary of State) |
| #3342, aired 1999-03-02 | CORPORATE AMERICA: This Vermont food company's 1995 CEO search was an essay contest with the topic "Yo! I Want to be Your CEO" Ben & Jerry's |
| #3341, aired 1999-03-01 | ANIMALS: Coronado's men found them bearded like a goat, woolly like a sheep & with a hump larger than a camel's Bison (of North America) |
| #3340, aired 1999-02-26 | THE TITANIC: This man whose invention was used to call for help held a ticket for the voyage but changed his plans Guglielmo Marconi |
| #3339, aired 1999-02-25 | THE SOLAR SYSTEM: This planet's moons include Triton & the recently discovered Naiad Neptune |
| #3338, aired 1999-02-24 | LANDMARKS: In the 1879 Mathew Brady photo seen here, this structure was about 150 feet tall the Washington Monument |
| #3337, aired 1999-02-23 | SYMBOLS: In 1972 programmer Ray Tomlinson chose it to separate an e-mail user's name from the computer's name @ |
| #3336, aired 1999-02-22 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: It's the only body of water with shores on the continents of Asia, Africa & Europe Mediterranean Sea |
| #3335, aired 1999-02-19 | U.S. INDUSTRIES: Around 1850 it used a fleet of over 700 ships; by 1930 this U.S. industry was practically defunct whaling |
| #3334, aired 1999-02-18 | MODERN AFRICAN HISTORY: Africa's newest independent state, it was an Italian colony until WWII, & later incorporated into another country Eritrea (formerly part of Ethiopia) |
| #3333, aired 1999-02-17 | AUTHORS: In 1745 he bequeathed his estate to be used for the founding of a hospital for the mentally ill in Dublin Jonathan Swift |
| #3332, aired 1999-02-16 | MYTHOLOGICAL HEROES: To defeat some of his enemies, this son of Zeus turned them into stone Perseus |
| #3331, aired 1999-02-15 | WORLD CITIES: In May 1998 this metropolis of 7 million voted to start electing its mayor for the first time London |
| #3330, aired 1999-02-12 | LITERATURE: In 1998 Jose Saramago became the first writer in this language to win a Nobel Prize for Literature Portuguese |
| #3329, aired 1999-02-11 | MEDICAL HISTORY: In the 1850s he held the posts of demonstrator of & lecturer on anatomy at St. George's Hospital Henry Gray ("Gray's Anatomy") |
| #3328, aired 1999-02-10 | MUSICALS AROUND THE WORLD: In Mexico, this beloved American musical is sometimes known as "La Novicia Rebelde" The Sound of Music |
| #3327, aired 1999-02-09 | AMERICAN HISTORY: At the outbreak of hostilities of the Civil War, he was president of the Senate Hannibal Hamlin |
| #3326, aired 1999-02-08 | HISTORIC NAMES: He was the son of an Irish immigrant who was the viceroy of Peru Bernardo O'Higgins |
| #3325, aired 1999-02-05 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: The book of Jonah is quoted before Chapter One of this 1851 novel Moby-Dick |
| #3324, aired 1999-02-04 | FAMOUS NICKNAMES: This famous 20th century nickname is the Argentinian equivalent of "Y'know?" or "Hey, you!" Che (for Che Guevara, who was born in Argentina) |
| #3323, aired 1999-02-03 | NAMES IN PLAYS: The name of the Montecchi, a noble family of the 13th century, was anglicized to this Montague (from Romeo and Juliet) |
| #3322, aired 1999-02-02 | PRESIDENTIAL FIRSTS: He was the first president to preside over 14 states George Washington |
| #3321, aired 1999-02-01 | SPORTS: On Jan. 15, 1892 the first rules for this sport were published in the Triangle, the Springfield, Mass. YMCA newspaper Basketball |
| #3320, aired 1999-01-29 | ANIMALS: This animal's name is from Bantu for "mock man" Chimpanzee |
| #3319, aired 1999-01-28 | POETS' CORNER: One reason he is not buried in Westminster Abbey is his epitaph, which concludes, "Curst be he that moves my bones" William Shakespeare (he's buried at Stratford) |
| #3318, aired 1999-01-27 | VITAMINS & MINERALS: The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says it's the nutrient Americans are most likely to be deficient in Iron (Iron-deficient anemia) |
| #3317, aired 1999-01-26 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: This musical that premiered in 1975 & was revived in 1996 is set in part in the Cook County Jail Chicago |
| #3316, aired 1999-01-25 | CRIME WRITERS: 1 of the 2 female crime writers who were in the British House of Lords in 1998 P.D. James or Ruth Rendell |
| #3315, aired 1999-01-22 | SPACEFLIGHT: He made 2 Gemini flights, 2 Apollo flights & 2 shuttle flights, including the first in 1981 John Young |
| #3314, aired 1999-01-21 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: In 1998 America's second-largest federal building was named in his honor Ronald Reagan |
| #3313, aired 1999-01-20 | U.S. STAMPS: He's on the 1997 stamp honoring the European recovery program George Marshall |
| #3312, aired 1999-01-19 | SHOW BUSINESS: This 1957 Buddy Holly hit was inspired by a line of dialogue from the John Wayne film "The Searchers" "That'll Be The Day" |
| #3311, aired 1999-01-18 | ENTERTAINERS: Lauren Bacall coined this name for a carousing group including Humphrey Bogart, Judy Garland & Frank Sinatra "The Rat Pack" |
| #3310, aired 1999-01-15 | FAMOUS ARTISTS: In 1909 he exhibited a group of his paintings entitled "Nympheas: Series de paysages d'eau" Claude Monet |
| #3309, aired 1999-01-14 | ISLANDS: At 3,600 square miles, it's the largest island in the Mediterranean where Italian is not an official language Cyprus |
| #3308, aired 1999-01-13 | THE HUMAN BODY: It's the body part where you'll find the Mount of Apollo, the Mount of the Moon & the Girdle of Venus (the palm of) the hand |
| #3307, aired 1999-01-12 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: In its history this government body has had a total of 108 members, 106 of them men The Supreme Court |
| #3306, aired 1999-01-11 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: McDonald's' 2 most successful promotional campaigns both involved these Happy Meal toys Beanie Babies |
| #3305, aired 1999-01-08 | BALLET: Feeling the need for ballets about American life, this dancer choreographed his first ballet in 1944 Jerome Robbins |
| #3304, aired 1999-01-07 | AMERICAN BUILDINGS: Once an art gallery, since 1961 it's been a shrine to the musical style said to have originated nearby Preservation Hall (in New Orleans) |
| #3303, aired 1999-01-06 | PEOPLE: He made the cover of Life magazine 3 times in February & March of 1962, & again in October 1998 John Glenn |
| #3302, aired 1999-01-05 | THE 1970s: In April 1974 Jimmy Carter presented him with a license plate that read "HLA715" Hank Aaron |
| #3301, aired 1999-01-04 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: This title character was inspired by a girl who'd had her appendix out in a French hospital run by nuns Madeline |
| #3300, aired 1999-01-01 | THE CALENDAR: Of the 12 animals that represent years in the Chinese calendar, 2 of the 3 that are not mammals (2 of) dragon, rooster or snake |
| #3299, aired 1998-12-31 | U.S. ORGANIZATIONS: A New Deal agency & a present-day organization, both using an eagle symbol, share these initials NRA (National Recovery Administration & National Rifle Association) |
| #3298, aired 1998-12-30 | AMERICAN POLITICIANS: This Texas Democrat's funeral was attended by Truman, Eisenhower, JFK & LBJ Sam Rayburn |
| #3297, aired 1998-12-29 | CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS: It's believed this saint began the custom of the nativity scene in 1223, using real people & animals Saint Francis of Assisi |
| #3296, aired 1998-12-28 | LITERARY SETTINGS: Zhongdian & Deqin, China both claim to be the inspiration for this imaginary place Shangri-La |
| #3295, aired 1998-12-25 | NAME'S THE SAME: Name shared by any Englishman & a composer credited with England's national anthem "God Save The Queen" John Bull |
| #3294, aired 1998-12-24 | CLASSIC MOVIES & TELEVISION: Bert & Ernie of "Sesame Street" are named after characters in this classic Christmas film It's a Wonderful Life |
| #3293, aired 1998-12-23 | FOOD & DRINK: This coffee brand was so named because its creator served it only once a year at a yuletide dinner party Yuban |
| #3292, aired 1998-12-22 | 1998 OPERA NEWS: For his first opera, Andre Previn adapted this 1947 Pulitzer Prize play featuring sex, violence & insanity A Streetcar Named Desire |
| #3291, aired 1998-12-21 | TOYS: While making a torsion meter, an engineer got the idea for this classic toy Slinky |
| #3290, aired 1998-12-18 | PRESIDENTS: 2 of the 3 successive presidents who were Republicans, born in Ohio & generals in the Union army (2 of) Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes & James A. Garfield |
| #3289, aired 1998-12-17 | ENTREPRENEURS: In 1991 he flew the Pacific in the "Virgin Otsuka Pacific Flyer", the world's largest hot-air balloon Richard Branson |
| #3288, aired 1998-12-16 | THEATRICAL TERMS: Partly from Greek for "song", they began as plays with music, then acquired sensational plots melodramas |
| #3287, aired 1998-12-15 | CHARITIES: Major Bill Hendricks, a Warner Bros. publicist, founded this holiday charity in 1947 Toys for Tots |
| #3286, aired 1998-12-14 | TV & LITERATURE: The "X-Files" episode entitled "Post-Modern Prometheus" was an update of this classic 1818 tale Frankenstein |
| #3285, aired 1998-12-11 | FAMOUS WOMEN: This author was a contributing editor of Asia magazine from 1941 to 1946 Pearl S. Buck |
| #3284, aired 1998-12-10 | ISLANDS: A species of mammal is named for this appropriate site of Russia's first American settlement Kodiak Island |
| #3283, aired 1998-12-09 | TELEVISION: By September 1985 "A.M. Chicago" had been expanded to an hour & became this show; it's still on The Oprah Winfrey Show |
| #3282, aired 1998-12-08 | ORGANIZATIONS: Now with over a hundred chapters, the March of Dimes was first established by this president Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| #3281, aired 1998-12-07 | 1998: Opened on July 1, the museum devoted to her lies near a classical temple dedicated to her memory Princess Diana |
| #3280, aired 1998-12-04 | AWARDS: In 1927 Cedric Gibbons designed this award that he went on to win 11 times The Academy Award (Oscar) |
| #3279, aired 1998-12-03 | HOLIDAYS: It's observed on March 7 in California, March 26 in Spain & April 22 in Nebraska Arbor Day |
| #3278, aired 1998-12-02 | BRITISH POETS: Spurned in love, he joined the Light Dragoons in 1793 under the alias Silas Tomkyn Comberbache Samuel Taylor Coleridge |
| #3277, aired 1998-12-01 | THE OLYMPICS: Eddie Eagan, the only person to win golds in Summer & Winter Games, won in these 2 sports both beginning with "B" Bobsledding & boxing |
| #3276, aired 1998-11-30 | BANDS: This band's last surviving brother lives & records in St. Charles, Illinois, far from the ocean The Beach Boys |
| #3275, aired 1998-11-27 | BASEBALL TEAMS: In the early days, this baseball team was known as the Alleghenies Pittsburgh Pirates |
| #3274, aired 1998-11-26 | CLASSIC CHILDREN'S LIT: This children's story begins with a young farm girl saying to her mother, "Where's Papa going with that ax?" Charlotte's Web |
| #3273, aired 1998-11-25 | FRENCH LITERATURE: Written in exile in Turin & Brussels in the 1850s, his "The Royal House of Savoy", was finally published in France in 1998 Alexandre Dumas (pere, the father) |
| #3272, aired 1998-11-24 | 1998 DISCOVERIES: Discovered by a student, the largest known one of these fills as many pages as a good-sized novel a prime number |
| #3271, aired 1998-11-23 | FAMOUS NAMES: In a 15-minute-long ceremony, his New York townhouse was designated a "Cultural Landmark" in 1998 Andy Warhol |
| #3270, aired 1998-11-20 | THE SUPREME COURT: At the time of his 1902 nomination to the Supreme Court, he was Chief Justice of Massachusetts Oliver Wendell Holmes |
| #3269, aired 1998-11-19 | LANDMARKS: Plans are for steel cables to temporarily replace the over 800 tons of lead that counterbalance it The Leaning Tower of Pisa |
| #3268, aired 1998-11-18 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: With the same initials as the author, Harry Haller is the loner protagonist of this 1927 German novel Steppenwolf (by Hermann Hesse) |
| #3267, aired 1998-11-17 | SPORTS & RECREATION: Pioneered by pro hockey player Scott Olsen, it had 3 million U.S. participants in 1989 & has 30 million now rollerblading |
| #3266, aired 1998-11-16 | THESE UNITED STATES: This body meets on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, but only once every 4 years The Electoral College |
| #3265, aired 1998-11-13 | PLAYS: Written in 1953 & set in the late 17th c., this play takes place about 16 miles northeast of where we are right now The Crucible (by Arthur Miller) |
| #3264, aired 1998-11-12 | FAMOUS WOMEN: This 1904 Radcliffe graduate was a suffragist, political activist, Vaudeville performer & writer Helen Keller |
| #3263, aired 1998-11-11 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: In 1998 this 106-year-old company became the first in the U.S. to top $300 billion in market value General Electric |
| #3262, aired 1998-11-10 | FAMOUS NEW ENGLANDERS: Native New Englander seen here, modeling for his company's catalog sometime before WWI L.L. Bean |
| #3261, aired 1998-11-09 | WORLD CAPITALS: This city was once known as Dong Kinh & to Europeans as Tonquin Hanoi, Vietnam |
| #3260, aired 1998-11-06 | LEGENDARY PEOPLE: He lived with his girlfriend, a fat priest & a 7-foot-tall archer Robin Hood |
| #3259, aired 1998-11-05 | FAMOUS HOTELS: Cartoons from The New Yorker line the hallways of this hotel where Harold Ross conceived the magazine the Algonquin Hotel |
| #3258, aired 1998-11-04 | MUSEUMS: Its museums include the Borgia Apartments, the Etruscan Museum & the Raphael Rooms The Vatican |
| #3257, aired 1998-11-03 | 20th CENTURY WOMEN: At this woman's April 1998 funeral, Gloria Steinem called her "The woman we want to be after the revolution" Bella Abzug |
| #3256, aired 1998-11-02 | BIBLICAL TIMES: In Solomon's reign, she filled the new post of "queen mother" Bathsheba (wife of David) |
| #3255, aired 1998-10-30 | HALLOWEEN ON FILM: (Happy Halloween, I'm Janet Leigh.) In a 1953 film my then husband played this man, who died on Halloween in 1926; I played his wife Bess Harry Houdini |
| #3254, aired 1998-10-29 | TV CHARACTERS: Dozens of web sites are devoted to picking on this Sheryl Leach creation who only gives love Barney |
| #3253, aired 1998-10-28 | GEOGRAPHIC WORDPLAY: The name of this Asian country contains the name of a Mediterranean volcano Vietnam (contains the volcano Etna) |
| #3252, aired 1998-10-27 | FAMOUS PEOPLE: In 1998 the govt. of Ontario was forced to pay them $2.8 million for exploiting them decades ago the Dionne Quintuplets |
| #3251, aired 1998-10-26 | ARCHAEOLOGY: In 1997 aerial surveys found the Pleasure Dome he built in the 13th century Kublai Khan |
| #3250, aired 1998-10-23 | THE SPACE RACE: In July 1998 it became the third nation to launch an interplanetary craft Japan (launched a probe to Mars) |
| #3249, aired 1998-10-22 | THE 17th CENTURY: The 1648 Peace of Westphalia ended a war that began on May 23 of this year 1618 (when The Thirty Years' War began) |
| #3248, aired 1998-10-21 | PRESIDENTS: One of the two Whig Party presidents who did not die in office Millard Fillmore or John Tyler |
| #3247, aired 1998-10-20 | WORDS FROM PHYSICS: It means "relating to the motion of projectiles", or "very angry" ballistic |
| #3246, aired 1998-10-19 | HISTORIC LEADERS: His 1830 last testament read, "I aspire to no other glory than the consolidation of Colombia" Simon Bolivar |
| #3245, aired 1998-10-16 | TELEVISION: It's the longest-running prime time sports show in the history of network television Monday Night Football |
| #3244, aired 1998-10-15 | BRITISH AUTHORS: Among the poems this British novelist wrote in the 1920s were "Men in New Mexico" & "Autumn at Taos" D.H. Lawrence |
| #3243, aired 1998-10-14 | ROCK & ROLL HISTORY: The name "Beatles" was inspired by the backup group of this singer Buddy Holly (his backup group was called The Crickets) |
| #3242, aired 1998-10-13 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: In 1999 these related events will occur on Tuesday, February 16 & Sunday, April 4 Mardi Gras & Easter |
| #3241, aired 1998-10-12 | 20th CENTURY POLITICIANS: Last name shared by 2 third party U.S. presidential candidates who ran 20 yrs. apart & each got over a million votes Wallace (Henry & George) |
| #3240, aired 1998-10-09 | WORDS: Once luring men to danger, now one warns of it a siren |
| #3239, aired 1998-10-08 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the last man elected president who had served as a U.S. senator Richard M. Nixon |
| #3238, aired 1998-10-07 | MOVIE MUSICALS: The area in which this 1961 musical was filmed was soon razed to make way for the new Lincoln Center West Side Story |
| #3237, aired 1998-10-06 | AMERICAN SYMBOLS: In 1944 Smokey Bear replaced this Disney character as the symbol of the U.S. Forest Service Bambi |
| #3236, aired 1998-10-05 | STATE SONGS: The titles of the state songs of Kansas & Kentucky both contain this word Home |
| #3235, aired 1998-10-02 | SPORTS AUTHORS: Hemingway described this writer's 1961 book "Out of My League" as "The dark side of... Walter Mitty" George Plimpton |
| #3234, aired 1998-10-01 | INVENTORS: Mainz, Germany celebrates the life of this inventor in an annual festival called Johannisnacht Johannes Gutenberg |
| #3233, aired 1998-09-30 | THE 1980s: On Dec. 20, 1989 President Bush sent about 10,000 troops into this country as part of Operation Just Cause Panama |
| #3232, aired 1998-09-29 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: He was the proprietor of the "classical and geological hippodrome" that became Madison Square Garden P.T. Barnum |
| #3231, aired 1998-09-28 | 20th CENTURY ARTISTS: In 1912 he began creating abstract sculptures of Maiastra, a bird in Romanian legends Constantin Brancusi |
| #3230, aired 1998-09-25 | PEOPLE IN POLITICS: A former gov. & presidential candidate & now mayor-elect, in 1998 he quit the "corrupted" Democratic party Jerry Brown |
| #3229, aired 1998-09-24 | ACTRESSES & STATESMEN: During the '70s she worked where he works now & she was an ambassador to his country Shirley Temple (Black) & Kofi Annan |
| #3228, aired 1998-09-23 | HEALTH & MEDICINE: Its formula is C27H46O & its name is from Greek for "solid bile" cholesterol |
| #3227, aired 1998-09-22 | 20th CENTURY WORDS: In 1973, TIME Magazine blended 2 words to coin this term they gave to Rex Humbard as a job title televangelist |
| #3226, aired 1998-09-21 | HOTELS: The U.S. investigation into the Titanic was first held in this hotel owned by one of the victims Waldorf Astoria |
| #3225, aired 1998-09-18 | SPORTS HISTORY: He was president of France the first time France won soccer's World Cup Jacques Chirac |
| #3224, aired 1998-09-17 | OSCAR NOMINEES: Nominated for an Oscar in 1998, she was an original founding member of the Screen Actors Guild Gloria Stuart |
| #3223, aired 1998-09-16 | VOLCANOES: It's the only continent with no active volcanoes Australia |
| #3222, aired 1998-09-15 | U.S. SENATORS: This current senator's great-grandfather fought against Custer in the Battle of the Little Bighorn Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Cheyenne Indian) |
| #3221, aired 1998-09-14 | 1998 BUSINESS NEWS: The Silver Seraph, the 9th new model in its 92-year history, is its first built on a moving assembly line Rolls-Royce |
| #3220, aired 1998-09-11 | MUSICAL THEATER: In France, this musical was known as "Brillantine"; in Mexico, it was "Vaselina" Grease |
| #3219, aired 1998-09-10 | U.S. POLITICS: In a popular 1928 gubernatorial campaign slogan, it preceded "but no man wears a crown" "Every man a king" |
| #3218, aired 1998-09-09 | FOOD: In 1929 William Dreyer & Joseph Edy created this ice cream flavor, named in part to reflect the times ahead Rocky Road |
| #3217, aired 1998-09-08 | LITERARY GREATS: His last published work, an 1898 poem, was first issued under his cell number Oscar Wilde ("The Ballad of Reading Gaol") |
| #3216, aired 1998-09-07 | PRIME MINISTERS: 2 of the 4 countries that have had prime ministers who were father & daughter (2 of) India, Pakistan, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka |
| #3215, aired 1998-07-17 | STATUES: In 1820 a man named Yorgos unearthed 3 statues: 2 of Hermes & one of Aphrodite, later renamed this Venus de Milo |
| #3214, aired 1998-07-16 | TELEVISION & HISTORY: When "60 Minutes" premiered, this man was U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson (show premiered Sept. 24, 1968) |
| #3213, aired 1998-07-15 | U.S. RETAILING: A February 1998 study found the world's highest store rents, $580 a square foot, on this street Fifth Avenue (New York City) |
| #3212, aired 1998-07-14 | WORLD LEADERS: Valdas Adamkus, a resident of the Chicago area since 1949, became president of this country in 1998 Lithuania |
| #3211, aired 1998-07-13 | LITERARY TOURISM: This memoir, winner of a 1997 Pulitzer Prize, has made Limerick a hot tourist destination "Angela's Ashes" |
| #3210, aired 1998-07-10 | 1980s BESTSELLERS: A defection attempt by crew members of the Soviet frigate Storozhevoy inspired this 1984 bestseller The Hunt for Red October |
| #3209, aired 1998-07-09 | THE EARTH: On the line of latitude known as this, the Sun doesn't rise on the winter solstice or set on the summer Arctic Circle (or for people in the Southern Hemisphere, the Antarctic Circle) |
| #3208, aired 1998-07-08 | THE WINTER OLYMPICS: The southernmost city ever to host the Winter Olympics Nagano, Japan (this past winter) |
| #3207, aired 1998-07-07 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: He's the only GOP presidential nominee to lose 2 presidential elections Thomas E. Dewey (1944 & 1948) |
| #3206, aired 1998-07-06 | WESTERNS: Created by Clarence E. Mulford, in books he was a crusty guy with a bad leg; in film, a romantic lead Hopalong Cassidy |
| #3205, aired 1998-07-03 | WORLD LEADERS: On Dec. 25, 1991, he ended his farewell speech by saying, "I wish everyone all the best" Mikhail Gorbachev |
| #3204, aired 1998-07-02 | AMERICAN ARTISTS: From 1919 to 1924, this artist taught art in the public schools of Cedar Rapids, Iowa Grant Wood |
| #3203, aired 1998-07-01 | WORLD CAPITALS: One of the 2 European capitals closest to the United States (1 of) Lisbon or Reykjavik |
| #3202, aired 1998-06-30 | ASTRONOMY: It's the century during which Saturn's rings were first observed the 17th century (first observed by Galileo in 1610) |
| #3201, aired 1998-06-29 | TAXES: The tax on this was the subject of a 1794 "Rebellion" & an 1875 "Ring" scandal Whiskey |
| #3200, aired 1998-06-26 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: He's the only individual to be named Time magazine's Man of the Year 3 times Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| #3199, aired 1998-06-25 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: This author born in 1904 grew up near Mulberry Street in Springfield, Massachusetts Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) |
| #3198, aired 1998-06-24 | ENTERTAINMENT: It began in the early 1980s as Club des Talons Hauts, a stilt-walking troupe Cirque du Soleil |
| #3197, aired 1998-06-23 | FAMOUS POEMS: 1913 poem that includes the line "A nest of robins in her hair" "Trees" (by Joyce Kilmer) |
| #3196, aired 1998-06-22 | ISLANDS: In 1867 the U.S. bought this island group named for a Russian captain & leased it to seal hunting companies Pribilof Islands |
| #3195, aired 1998-06-19 | U.S. NEWSPAPERS: This paper made news when it was threatened with lawsuits & ad cancellation by Mayor Xavier Suarez The Miami Herald |
| #3194, aired 1998-06-18 | U.S. STATESMEN: In 1814 & 1815, before he was president, he served simultaneously as Secretary of State & Secretary of War James Monroe (under President Madison) |
| #3193, aired 1998-06-17 | TELEVISION PERSONALITIES: He was ordained by Pittsburgh Presbytery in 1962 with a charge to work with children through the media Fred Rogers (host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood) |
| #3192, aired 1998-06-16 | LATIN PHRASES: It can refer to the host used in the Eucharist, or a city southwest of Houston Corpus Christi |
| #3191, aired 1998-06-15 | MACBETH: Macbeth says to this character, "Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold" Banquo's ghost |
| #3190, aired 1998-06-12 | ORGANIZATIONS: This women's organization founded in 1890 was chartered by Congress in 1896 the Daughters of the American Revolution |
| #3189, aired 1998-06-11 | FAMOUS AMERICAN FAMILIES: In Hartford, Conn. over 200 manhole covers made from confiscated guns are engraved with the motto of this local family The Colt Family |
| #3188, aired 1998-06-10 | THE COLD WAR: 28 years apart, they are the year the Berlin Wall was created & the year it was torn down 1961 & 1989 |
| #3187, aired 1998-06-09 | BASKETBALL: 2 of the 3 NBA teams whose names don't end with the letter S (2 of) Miami Heat, Orlando Magic & Utah Jazz |
| #3186, aired 1998-06-08 | OLYMPIC TEAMS: Formed in 1988 & subject of a 1993 film, this team had its first sponsor, Red Stripe Lager, for the Nagano games Jamaican Bobsled Team |
| #3185, aired 1998-06-05 | ANCIENT GREECE: The Greeks had 4 national festivals: the Nemean Games, the Pythian Games, the Isthmian Games & these the Olympic Games |
| #3184, aired 1998-06-04 | 1998 BESTSELLERS: 35 years after her death, she's the subject of a new collection of poems by her husband Sylvia Plath (husband is Ted Hughes) |
| #3183, aired 1998-06-03 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: The 2 Civil War generals on the winning Republican presidential ticket of 1880 James Garfield & Chester A. Arthur |
| #3182, aired 1998-06-02 | COMPOSERS: When "Fantasia" was released in 1940, he was the only one of its composers still alive to hear his music Igor Stravinsky |
| #3181, aired 1998-06-01 | SHIPS: It was refloated, towed to Matauri Bay & sunk there Dec. 12, 1987, with full Maori ceremony The Rainbow Warrior (of Greenpeace) |
| #3180, aired 1998-05-29 | WORLD LEADERS: Name shared by the leaders of 2 nations that remain in a mutual state of war in 1998 Kim (Kim Dae Jung of South Korea & Kim Jong-il of North Korea) |
| #3179, aired 1998-05-28 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: The 3 most populous countries, they added up to an estimated 2.42 billion people in 1996 China, India, & the USA |
| #3178, aired 1998-05-27 | COMPOSERS: One of his most famous works had its premiere on a barge in 1717 George Frideric Handel (the Water Music) |
| #3177, aired 1998-05-26 | SINGERS: He first recorded in 1939, "retired" in 1971, returned & had a Top 10 album in 1993 Frank Sinatra |
| #3176, aired 1998-05-25 | OPERA ANAGRAMS: This druid priestess is the heroine of a Bellini opera about the Roman occupation of Gaul Norma |
| #3175, aired 1998-05-22 | SONGWRITERS: It was once said of this man who lived to be 101: He "has no place in American music. He is American music" Irving Berlin |
| #3174, aired 1998-05-21 | AROUND THE WORLD: Besides Great Britain, the 2 European countries through which the Greenwich Meridian passes France & Spain |
| #3173, aired 1998-05-20 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: 1 of the 2 women from the United States who have won the Nobel Prize for Literature Toni Morrison or Pearl Buck |
| #3172, aired 1998-05-19 | STATE CAPITALS: In 1765 this city was named in honor of the peaceful resolution of a boundary dispute Concord, New Hampshire |
| #3171, aired 1998-05-18 | THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION: In February 1998 David Satcher was sworn in to this post, left vacant since 1994 Surgeon General |
| #3170, aired 1998-05-15 | POWER PEOPLE: Under current succession laws, this former university head is the last woman in line for the U.S. presidency Donna Shalala (former chancellor of the University of Wisconsin) |
| #3169, aired 1998-05-14 | WORDS FROM THE BIBLE: A 17th C. sermon on the book of Judges led to this group's name being applied to uneducated townspeople Philistines |
| #3168, aired 1998-05-13 | MUSICAL INNOVATORS: Alphabetically, he's the last individual member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Frank Zappa |
| #3167, aired 1998-05-12 | PLACES IN CANADA: Renamed in the 1830s, this city of 28,000 & its river were both originally called Little Thames Stratford, Ontario |
| #3166, aired 1998-05-11 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: Phoenix lies on a river named for this substance found in the name of another state capital Salt |
| #3165, aired 1998-05-08 | GEOGRAPHY NEWS: On the initiative of Sen. Patrick Leahy, in 1998 it was designated the sixth Great Lake Lake Champlain |
| #3164, aired 1998-05-07 | SPORTS TEAMS: 1 of 2 names shared by both a Major League Baseball team & an NFL team Cardinals (St. Louis [baseball] & Arizona [football]) or Giants (San Francisco [baseball] & New York [football]) |
| #3163, aired 1998-05-06 | WORLD LEADERS: Unopposed, he was elected to his 5th term as president in 1998; he's been in power since 1959 Fidel Castro |
| #3162, aired 1998-05-05 | QUOTATIONS: In 1883 he wrote, "Your true pilot cares nothing about anything on Earth but the river" Mark Twain ("Life on the Mississippi") |
| #3161, aired 1998-05-04 | GREEK MYTHOLOGY: Pytho, the site of Apollo's oracle, was renamed this after Apollo appeared disguised as a sea creature Delphi |
| #3160, aired 1998-05-01 | WORDS: Merrythought is an old, chiefly British term for this part of a chicken Wishbone |
| #3159, aired 1998-04-30 | THE 1998 TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE: In the parade line-up, this company's float was 57th H.J. Heinz |
| #3158, aired 1998-04-29 | AWARDS: This international organization won the first Nobel Peace Prize given after the start of World War II the (International) Red Cross |
| #3157, aired 1998-04-28 | THE CALENDAR: It's the 5th month mentioned in the rhyme that begins, "Thirty days hath..." February |
| #3156, aired 1998-04-27 | WEIGHTS & MEASURES: A unit of length measuring 6 feet, or a verb meaning to comprehend Fathom |
| #3155, aired 1998-04-24 | ACTRESSES & ROLE: Kathy Bates played her in 1997; Debbie Reynolds played her in 1964 ("The Unsinkable") Molly Brown |
| #3154, aired 1998-04-23 | ENTERTAINERS: In 1997 this entertainer became the first American named an honorary U.S. veteran by Congress Bob Hope |
| #3153, aired 1998-04-22 | PSYCHOLOGY: This 1973 book & subsequent TV movie popularized the study of multiple personality disorder Sybil |
| #3152, aired 1998-04-21 | MEDICINE 1998: An aspirin-acetominophen-caffeine pill is the first FDA-approved over-the-counter pill for this malady migraine headaches |
| #3151, aired 1998-04-20 | WORLD BUSINESS: The offices of N.M. Rothschild in London fix this twice every weekday, at 10:30 A.M. & 3 P.M. the price of gold |
| #3150, aired 1998-04-17 | VOLCANOES: The 5 highest volcanoes on Earth are located in these mountains Andes |
| #3149, aired 1998-04-16 | RETAIL: Frustrated by department stores, Donald Fisher founded this chain in 1969 as a record & jeans store The Gap |
| #3148, aired 1998-04-15 | INVENTORS: He was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 1997 for inventing the supercomputer Seymour Cray |
| #3147, aired 1998-04-14 | WORLD CITIES: In 1634 a Spanish royal decree recognized it as the "Key to the New World and the Bulwark of the West Indies" Havana, Cuba |
| #3146, aired 1998-04-13 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: Among the 10 modern martyrs who will have statues in Westminster Abbey is this American, 1929-1968 Martin Luther King, Jr. |
| #3145, aired 1998-04-10 | IN THE KITCHEN: Now in over 44 million U.S. kitchens, this type of product was illegal in NYC until 1997 Garbage disposal |
| #3144, aired 1998-04-09 | CABLE TV: Spawning a web site, videos & a magazine, this A&E series has taken on a life of its own Biography |
| #3143, aired 1998-04-08 | ACTORS & THEIR FILMS: The title of Richard Burton's last feature film, or the year it was released 1984 |
| #3142, aired 1998-04-07 | CHILDREN'S BOOKS & AUTHORS: He also created a 2-letter land called Ix L. Frank Baum (creator of the Wizard of Oz) |
| #3141, aired 1998-04-06 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: This island nation is the only country in the world named for a biblical king the Solomon Islands |
| #3140, aired 1998-04-03 | PLAYS: Based on a myth, this 1913 play became a 1938 movie, a 1956 stage musical & a 1964 movie musical Pygmalion |
| #3139, aired 1998-04-02 | THE 20th CENTURY: In 1916, his assassins included a prince and a grand duke Rasputin |
| #3138, aired 1998-04-01 | APRIL 1 IN HISTORY: April 1 is the anniversary of the Battle of Five Forks, the last decisive battle of this war the Civil War |
| #3137, aired 1998-03-31 | AVIATION: On October 14, 1997 he re-created a feat he had performed exactly fifty years earlier Chuck Yeager |
| #3136, aired 1998-03-30 | WORD ORIGINS: This type of establishment gets its name from the Latin for "to restore" a restaurant |
| #3135, aired 1998-03-27 | FAMOUS STRUCTURES: In 1930 the Chrysler Building surpassed this foreign structure by over 60 feet to become the world's tallest the Eiffel Tower |
| #3134, aired 1998-03-26 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Abraham Lincoln was the first U.S. president to wear a beard; this man was the second Ulysses S. Grant |
| #3133, aired 1998-03-25 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: Graders, gaugers, spikers & bolters built these railroads |
| #3132, aired 1998-03-24 | 20th CENTURY LEADERS: He built the Valley of the Fallen, his final resting place, just north of El Escorial Francisco Franco |
| #3131, aired 1998-03-23 | SINGERS: Artist who released the 1991 double album "Who'll Buy My Memories: The I.R.S. Tapes" Willie Nelson |
| #3130, aired 1998-03-20 | FINANCE HISTORY: In the 19th c., selling stock you didn't yet own, hoping it would fall, was called selling this animal's skin a bear |
| #3129, aired 1998-03-19 | BROADCASTING: Founded in the early '50s, in 1995 it moved its headquarters from Munich to Prague Radio Free Europe |
| #3128, aired 1998-03-18 | 20th CENTURY PERSONALITIES: The French call him "Le Roi du Crazy" Jerry Lewis |
| #3127, aired 1998-03-17 | STATE CAPITALS: It's the only state capital whose name has 3 sets of double letters Tallahassee |
| #3126, aired 1998-03-16 | MODERN ARTISTS: Artist who said, "On the floor I am more at ease, I feel nearer, more a part of the painting" Jackson Pollock |
| #3125, aired 1998-03-13 | HOLY DAYS: On this day you can hear "Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return" ritually repeated Ash Wednesday |
| #3124, aired 1998-03-12 | MEDIEVAL DRAMA: The name of this title character of a morality play has become a synonym for the average, ordinary person Everyman |
| #3123, aired 1998-03-11 | TRANSPORTATION HISTORY: In 1807 he wrote, "The distance from New York to Albany is 150 miles; I ran it up in thirty-two hours" Robert Fulton (of the steamship Clermont) |
| #3122, aired 1998-03-10 | EPITAPHS: They're the 3 words found at the top of Mel Blanc's gravestone "That's All Folks" |
| #3121, aired 1998-03-09 | WORD ORIGINS: These 2 words, for a political plan of attack & a drink used to celebrate a win, come from the same root Campaign & champagne |
| #3120, aired 1998-03-06 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: On July 1, 1997 its population suddenly increased by over 6 million China (because on that day they got Hong Kong back) |
| #3119, aired 1998-03-05 | AUTOBIOGRAPHIES: His books include "Skyward" (1928), "Little America" (1930) & "Alone" (1938) Admiral Richard E. Byrd |
| #3118, aired 1998-03-04 | SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES: They got their name because the man who discovered them in 1895 had no idea what they were X-Rays (discovered by Wilhelm Roentgen) |
| #3117, aired 1998-03-03 | WORLD OF BUSINESS: According to McDonald's, it's the only country where their outlets do not sell beef hamburgers India |
| #3116, aired 1998-03-02 | TV SITCOMS: For your information, this series that premiered in 1988 is TV's longest-running sitcom still on the air Murphy Brown |
| #3115, aired 1998-02-27 | TELEVISION BIOGRAPHIES: The biography of this man on PBS' "American Masters" was subtitled "Submitted for Your Approval" Rod Serling |
| #3114, aired 1998-02-26 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: He launched his lecturing career in 1866 with a talk later titled "Our Fellow Savages of the Sandwich Islands" Mark Twain |
| #3113, aired 1998-02-25 | ASIA: 19th century novelist Jose Rizal was a hero of this country's independence movement the Philippines |
| #3112, aired 1998-02-24 | FAMOUS VOYAGES: Capt. Robert FitzRoy of this ship argued that its scientific discoveries supported the Bible the Beagle |
| #3111, aired 1998-02-23 | THE CARIBBEAN: This capital, founded by Columbus' brother, is the oldest European-founded city in the Western Hemisphere Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| #3110, aired 1998-02-20 | POP STARS: This pop star born in 1970 was named for a song in "Paint Your Wagon" Mariah Carey ("They Call The Wind Maria") |
| #3109, aired 1998-02-19 | 1990s TRENDS: One nickname for this product now back in vogue comes from a Penn. region also known for wagons a cigar |
| #3108, aired 1998-02-18 | AUTHORS: He claimed that as a Pinkerton detective, he had worked the Fatty Arbuckle & Nicky Arnstein cases Dashiell Hammett |
| #3107, aired 1998-02-17 | NATIVE AMERICANS: Before this great chief died in 1877, he reportedly prophesied, "I will return to you in stone" Crazy Horse |
| #3106, aired 1998-02-16 | POPULAR FICTION: In 1996 Raymond Benson took over a book series from John Gardner, who had taken over from this 1st author Ian Fleming |
| #3105, aired 1998-02-13 | EUROPEAN CITIES: City where Goethe & Nietzsche died, & a republic & a breed of dog were born Weimar (Weimar Republic & Weimaraner dog) |
| #3104, aired 1998-02-12 | U.S. STATESMEN: Between 1803 & 1848, he served as a U.S. senator, Sec. of State, president & congressman, in that order John Quincy Adams |
| #3103, aired 1998-02-11 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: 1 of the 2 Best Picture winners in the 1990s with one-word titles Braveheart or Unforgiven |
| #3102, aired 1998-02-10 | ENGLISH LITERATURE: The 5th edition of this work, published in 1676, included a section on fly fishing by Charles Cotton The Compleat Angler (by Izaak Walton) |
| #3101, aired 1998-02-09 | THE SMITHSONIAN: Displayed in a new case in September 1997, it's the centerpiece of the Harry Winston Gallery the Hope Diamond |
| #3100, aired 1998-02-06 | U.S. CITIES: This historic city was named for the Bishop of Hippo on whose feast day the area was first sighted St. Augustine, Florida |
| #3099, aired 1998-02-05 | ROYALTY: A capital in the West Indies is named for this family name of William of Orange, King of England Nassau |
| #3098, aired 1998-02-04 | WORLD LEADERS: In a September 18, 1978 speech, he said, "Blessed are the peacemakers" President Jimmy Carter |
| #3097, aired 1998-02-03 | ASIAN NATIONS: In population, it's the largest country that's not a member of the United Nations Taiwan (Republic of China) |
| #3096, aired 1998-02-02 | LEGAL EAGLES: In 1931 he narrated "The Mystery of Life", a full-length film about evolution Clarence Darrow |
| #3095, aired 1998-01-30 | MOVIE HISTORY: This resort island lent its name to a 1948 Bogart film; the African Queen is now moored there Key Largo |
| #3094, aired 1998-01-29 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: All the medals have Alfred Nobel on 1 side; these 2 categories share an identical design on the reverse Chemistry & Physics |
| #3093, aired 1998-01-28 | GREEK MYTHOLOGY: Ariadne got the ball of twine that she gave to Theseus from this man before his flight from Crete Daedalus |
| #3092, aired 1998-01-27 | MAN IN SPACE: Mission that put the third man on the Moon Apollo 12 |
| #3091, aired 1998-01-26 | ANIMALS OF THE NEW WORLD: Explorer Cabeza de Vaca wrote about this "animal with a pocket on its belly, in which it carries its young" the opossum |
| #3090, aired 1998-01-23 | LIBRARIES: The millionth visitor to this library received a signed copy of "My Turn", some jelly beans & a weekend getaway The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library |
| #3089, aired 1998-01-22 | SYNTHETICS: The name of this common kitchen material comes from its use in place of a mineral Formica |
| #3088, aired 1998-01-21 | THE POST OFFICE: Due to demand Bugs Bunny's U.S. commemorative stamp was the first to have a second printing since this one the Elvis Presley stamp |
| #3087, aired 1998-01-20 | PLACE NAME ORIGINS: Site of a famous leader's exile, it was named for the mother of Constantine the Great Saint Helena (where Napoleon was exiled in 1815) |
| #3086, aired 1998-01-19 | BESTSELLERS: A limited edition of this 1980 Stephen King novel featured an aluminum-coated asbestos-cloth cover Firestarter |
| #3085, aired 1998-01-16 | IN THE NEWS: Colin Powell & Jimmy Carter were among those who attended its dedication Nov. 6, 1997 at Texas A&M University George Bush Presidential Library and Museum |
| #3084, aired 1998-01-15 | SHAKESPEARE: Hamlet tells this man that Yorick was "a fellow of infinite jest" Horatio |
| #3083, aired 1998-01-14 | WORLD LEADERS: Current European head of state whose last name means "cabbage" Helmut Kohl (of Germany) |
| #3082, aired 1998-01-13 | WALL STREET: First traded in 1824 under the name New York Gas Light Co., it's the longest continually listed co. on the NYSE Consolidated Edison |
| #3081, aired 1998-01-12 | TV & MOVIE SETTINGS: The movie "Diner" & TV's "Homicide" are set in this hometown of director-producer Barry Levinson Baltimore |
| #3080, aired 1998-01-09 | NATIONAL ANTHEMS: New Zealand has 2 national anthems, "God Defend New Zealand" & this "God Save the Queen" |
| #3079, aired 1998-01-08 | ECONOMISTS: In 1980 he hosted a 10-part PBS series & co-authored the companion book, both titled "Free to Choose" Milton Friedman |
| #3078, aired 1998-01-07 | ENGLISH LITERATURE: This 1726 satire reported the existence of Mars' 2 moons 151 years before Asaph Hall discovered them Gulliver's Travels |
| #3077, aired 1998-01-06 | THE OSCARS: 1 of the 2 men who have been nominated for acting Oscars 10 times Jack Nicholson or Sir Laurence Olivier |
| #3076, aired 1998-01-05 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 2 of the 5 presidents buried west of the Mississippi River (2 of) Eisenhower, Hoover, Lyndon Johnson, Nixon & Truman |
| #3075, aired 1998-01-02 | IN THE NEWS 1997: 50 years after a famous incident, this city got a new flag, seen here, featuring a mysterious dot in the sky: Roswell, New Mexico |
| #3074, aired 1998-01-01 | U.S. RIVERS: The largest tributary of the Hudson, its name also refers to a hairstyle the Mohawk River |
| #3073, aired 1997-12-31 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: In Spanish this agency is known as "La Migra" the Immigration and Naturalization Service |
| #3072, aired 1997-12-30 | FOOD HISTORY: 13th century invading Asian people who brought the idea of eating raw, chopped meat into the Germany area the Tatars |
| #3071, aired 1997-12-29 | WOMEN IN POLITICS: In 1995 she became the first sitting governor to give the rebuttal to a State of the Union address Christine Todd Whitman |
| #3070, aired 1997-12-26 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Controversial even when serialized in the "National Era", it sold over 300,000 copies in book form in 1852 Uncle Tom's Cabin |
| #3069, aired 1997-12-25 | JOURNALISM: In an 1897 editorial that stated, "Thank God! He lives, and he lives forever" this question was answered "Is there a Santa Claus?" ("Yes, Virginia...") |
| #3068, aired 1997-12-24 | IN THE NEWS 1882: Queen Victoria was not amused when this animal ridden by kids at the London Zoo was sold to a U.S. showman Jumbo the elephant |
| #3067, aired 1997-12-23 | FOREIGN AIRLINES: In terms of number of passengers, it's the busiest foreign carrier operating at LAX Mexicana Airlines |
| #3066, aired 1997-12-22 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Although he graduated 64th out of 112 in his 1935 high school class, he was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" John Fitzgerald Kennedy |
| #3065, aired 1997-12-19 | HOLLYWOOD HISTORY: It was the first, first, first, first film to use Cinerama's single-projector system It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World |
| #3064, aired 1997-12-18 | WORLD WAR II: Launched Sept. 27, 1941, the first of the Liberty Ships was named for this Revolutionary War figure Patrick Henry |
| #3063, aired 1997-12-17 | PATRON SAINTS: Legend says Saint Rule brought this saint's relics to the coast of Fife in 368 St. Andrew |
| #3062, aired 1997-12-16 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: Among those who eulogized him on July 29, 1997 was his successor, David Souter William Brennan |
| #3061, aired 1997-12-15 | SPORTS: Dennis Conner is the only representative of the U.S. ever to lose this race -- he did it twice The America's Cup |
| #3060, aired 1997-12-12 | BRAND NAMES: Formulated in 1953, its first purpose was "water displacement" to prevent corrosion on missiles WD-40 |
| #3059, aired 1997-12-11 | AFRICAN WILDLIFE: It can attain a speed of about 40 mph, but has only 2 toes on each of its 2 feet the ostrich |
| #3058, aired 1997-12-10 | WOMEN: 1 of the 3 women in the only statue that depicts women in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda (1 of) Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott & Elizabeth Cady Stanton |
| #3057, aired 1997-12-09 | 16th CENTURY EXPLORERS: He was buried under a stone that read "Beneath this stone repose the bones of the valiant lion..." Ponce de Leon |
| #3056, aired 1997-12-08 | ACTORS & THEIR ROLES: Name shared by characters that Derek Jacobi played in a PBS miniseries & in Kenneth Branagh's film of "Hamlet" Claudius |
| #3055, aired 1997-12-05 | FOOD: Campbell Soup launched this flavor in 1990 with a recipe contest bearing President Bush in mind Cream of Broccoli |
| #3054, aired 1997-12-04 | HALLS OF FAME: Inductees into the Hall of Fame for these include Bob Keeshan, Oleg Popov & Red Skelton Clowns |
| #3053, aired 1997-12-03 | SCULPTURE: Standing on the banks of the Concord River, it's also known as the "Statue of the Embattled Farmer" the Minuteman Statue (by Daniel Chester French) |
| #3052, aired 1997-12-02 | 17th CENTURY LITERATURE: Part one of this English allegory ends, "So I awoke, and behold it was a dream" "Pilgrim's Progress" |
| #3051, aired 1997-12-01 | POLITICAL ANAGRAMS: 20th century world leader whose name is an anagram of "THAT GREAT CHARMER" Margaret Thatcher |
| #3050, aired 1997-11-28 | TELEVISION: TV's No. 1 show for the 1979-80 season, it was also tops 13 years later for the 1992-93 season 60 Minutes |
| #3049, aired 1997-11-27 | 20th CENTURY HISTORY: The NKVD, which liquidated its own first 2 chiefs in the 1930s, developed into this group in 1954 the KGB |
| #3048, aired 1997-11-26 | CANDY: Created in 1912, they were originally marketed with the slogan "For That Stormy Breath" Life Savers |
| #3047, aired 1997-11-25 | NOVELS: Critic Malcolm Cowley called it "a fable of the 1920s that has survived as a legend for other times" The Great Gatsby |
| #3046, aired 1997-11-24 | SOUTHERN NOVELISTS: She based the character of Dill Harris on her childhood friend Truman Capote Harper Lee (author of To Kill a Mockingbird) |
| #3045, aired 1997-11-21 | THE ARMED SERVICES: In September 1997 this branch of the U.S. Armed Services celebrated its 50th anniversary U.S. Air Force |
| #3044, aired 1997-11-20 | ART: The Italian name of this 15th century masterpiece is "L'Ultima Cena" "The Last Supper" |
| #3043, aired 1997-11-19 | POLITICAL CONNECTIONS: In 1832 when the House tried Sam Houston for contempt, he was defended by this lawyer & lyricist Francis Scott Key |
| #3042, aired 1997-11-18 | FLAGS: In 1971 the eagle replaced this animal on the flag of the U.S. Postal Service Horse |
| #3041, aired 1997-11-17 | FAMOUS SPEECHES: This 19th century speech included the line "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here..." the Gettysburg Address |
| #3040, aired 1997-11-14 | HOLIDAYS: The U.S. stamp for this December holiday used the work of "Waiting to Exhale" cover artist Synthia Saint James Kwanzaa |
| #3039, aired 1997-11-13 | TOYS: This co.'s 4-letter name is from Danish meaning "play well"; coincidentally, in Latin it means "I put together" Lego |
| #3038, aired 1997-11-12 | SHOPPING U.S.A.: The first store of this giant chain opened in Rogers, Arkansas, population 5,700, in 1962 Wal-Mart |
| #3037, aired 1997-11-11 | 18th CENTURY IN THE NEWS: On Dec. 17, 1773 342 chests of this were in the news Tea (the Boston Tea Party took place) |
| #3036, aired 1997-11-10 | THE CONSTITUTION: Word completing the line "Nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in" this jeopardy |
| #3035, aired 1997-11-07 | WOMEN AUTHORS: Tourists may visit the Chawton, England home of this sensible 19th C. novelist, still popular today Jane Austen |
| #3034, aired 1997-11-06 | CARTOON CHARACTERS: This foe of Bugs Bunny is a marsupial Tasmanian Devil |
| #3033, aired 1997-11-05 | HISTORIC NAMES: In 1935, at the request of President Manuel Quezon, he was appointed military advisor to the Philippines Douglas MacArthur |
| #3032, aired 1997-11-04 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: He delivered eulogies for Jackie Robinson in 1972 & Cleveland mayor Carl Stokes in 1996 Rev. Jesse Jackson |
| #3031, aired 1997-11-03 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: In 1900 he published his first collection of stories, "The Son of the Wolf" Jack London |
| #3030, aired 1997-10-31 | HALLOWEEN: Mythical Halloween being in the title of the oft-repeated animated TV special that debuted October 27, 1966 the Great Pumpkin (It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown) |
| #3029, aired 1997-10-30 | THE WESTERN U.S.: This city's official seal depicts a phoenix & a motto in Spanish: "Gold in Peace -- Iron in War" San Francisco |
| #3028, aired 1997-10-29 | SAME LAST NAMES: The 2 founders of a textbook publishing house, or the pair who sang the country hit "It's Your Love" McGraw & Hill |
| #3027, aired 1997-10-28 | 20th CENTURY POLITICIANS: He was the first incumbent vice president to be elected president since 1836 George (Herbert Walker) Bush |
| #3026, aired 1997-10-27 | FAMOUS BUILDINGS: Richard Burbage & Sam Wanamaker, about 400 years apart, were responsible for its building & rebuilding The Globe Theatre |
| #3025, aired 1997-10-24 | PLAYWRIGHTS: In 1948 he returned to Europe & soon co-founded the Berliner Ensemble to stage his works Bertolt Brecht |
| #3024, aired 1997-10-23 | MILITARY NEWS: On June 11, 1997 the Army deactivated the 43rd Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, its last, in this country (South) Korea |
| #3023, aired 1997-10-22 | MODERN U.S. HISTORY: This group consisted of the Chief Justice, 4 members of Congress, & ex-heads of the CIA & the World Bank The Warren Commission |
| #3022, aired 1997-10-21 | U.S. JUSTICE: This state carries out the most executions by far Texas |
| #3021, aired 1997-10-20 | MOVIE ACTRESSES: Her career began with the silent "An Unseen Enemy" in 1912 & ended with "The Whales of August" 75 years later Lillian Gish |
| #3020, aired 1997-10-17 | CONGRESSMEN: He was the chief sponsor of the Self-Employed Individuals Tax Retirement Act of 1962 Eugene Keogh |
| #3019, aired 1997-10-16 | FAMOUS PAIRS: A new Ford V-8, stolen by this pair in Topeka on April 29, 1934, became world famous a few weeks later Bonnie (Parker) & Clyde (Barrow) |
| #3018, aired 1997-10-15 | 20th CENTURY NOVELISTS: After success writing in English, he & his son Dmitri translated some of his earlier Russian novels Vladimir Nabokov |
| #3017, aired 1997-10-14 | AWARDS: The Maggie Awards given by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America are named for her Margaret Sanger |
| #3016, aired 1997-10-13 | BESTSELLERS: This 1974 bestseller was originally subtitled "A Novel of a Girl with a Frightening Power" Carrie (by Stephen King) |
| #3015, aired 1997-10-10 | MUSEUMS: The Conspiracy Museum opened in this U.S. city in 1995 Dallas |
| #3014, aired 1997-10-09 | FAMOUS WOMEN: In 1997, in honor of her 90th birthday, she was made honorary First Lady of Old Saybrook, Connecticut Katharine Hepburn |
| #3013, aired 1997-10-08 | SILENT MOVIES: A special 1996 comic book put Superman in the world of this classic 1926 German film Metropolis |
| #3012, aired 1997-10-07 | THE BIBLE: The Hebrew title of this 2-part Old Testament book can be translated as "the events of the days" Chronicles |
| #3011, aired 1997-10-06 | TELEVISION: In reviewing this May 1997 4-hour miniseries, TV Guide said NBC didn't "quite hit a Homer" The Odyssey |
| #3010, aired 1997-10-03 | BATTLES: Napoleon's plans to invade England were dashed by this October 21, 1805 battle Battle of Trafalgar |
| #3009, aired 1997-10-02 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: You can view the Jungfrau Peak from the main street of this town between the Brienz & Thun Lakes Interlaken, Switzerland |
| #3008, aired 1997-10-01 | AMERICANA: The first 24-hour 7-Eleven opened in 1963 in this city Las Vegas |
| #3007, aired 1997-09-30 | SHAKESPEARE: Shakespeare's only play named for a Tudor monarch Henry VIII |
| #3006, aired 1997-09-29 | RELIGIOUS TITLES: In 1996 the Roman Catholic church had 48 men with this title in the U.S.; the Anglican church has 2 in England Archbishop |
| #3005, aired 1997-09-26 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: This group that first met in 1942 didn't get a permanent chairman until 1949 The Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| #3004, aired 1997-09-25 | IN THE NEWS: Requested by Ulysses S. Grant in the 1870s, it was first used by Bill Clinton August 11, 1997 Line-Item Veto |
| #3003, aired 1997-09-24 | 19th CENTURY FICTION: The 1853 novel "Clotel, or The President's Daughter" alleges that this man had an affair with a slave Thomas Jefferson |
| #3002, aired 1997-09-23 | HISTORIC GEOGRAPHY: In 1756 Voltaire said of this political entity that none of the 3 parts of its name was accurate the Holy Roman Empire |
| #3001, aired 1997-09-22 | FOOD & DRINK HISTORY: Its original name meant "bitter water" & it was made palatable to Europeans after the Spaniards added sugar chocolate |
| #3000, aired 1997-09-19 | HOLIDAYS: Alphabetically, the federal legal public holidays in the U.S. run from Christmas to this Veterans Day |
| #2999, aired 1997-09-18 | FAMOUS NAMES: The Washington Post once described him as "the mother of all embarrassing brothers" Billy Carter |
| #2998, aired 1997-09-17 | 1997 FILMS: At the end of this 1997 film, the dedication "For Carl" appears onscreen "Contact" |
| #2997, aired 1997-09-16 | NEW ENGLAND COLONISTS: Thomas Morton of Merry Mount was arrested in 1628 by this neighbor & pilgrim he called "Captaine Shrimp" Miles Standish |
| #2996, aired 1997-09-15 | COMPOSERS: Composer whose works inspired stage hits by David Henry Hwang & Jonathan Larson Giacomo Puccini |
| #2995, aired 1997-09-12 | LAW ENFORCEMENT: This police force developed from bands of Indian fighters who protected American settlers in Mexico the Texas Rangers |
| #2994, aired 1997-09-11 | TELEVISION: A 1997 episode of this series guest-starred Philip Michael Thomas & Tommy Chong Nash Bridges |
| #2993, aired 1997-09-10 | WALL STREET: As part of 1997 changes to its industrial average group, Dow Jones replaced Woolworth with this retailer Wal-Mart |
| #2992, aired 1997-09-09 | STATE CAPITALS: Its full Spanish name originally meant "The Royal City of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi" Santa Fe, New Mexico |
| #2991, aired 1997-09-08 | BRITISH ROYALTY: She was 6 years old & still known by the name Catalina when Columbus set sail for the New World Catherine of Aragon |
| #2990, aired 1997-09-05 | U.S. STAMPS: Its anniversary was honored with the following: The Emancipation Proclamation |
| #2989, aired 1997-09-04 | REPUBLICANS: He died in Topeka October 12, 1987, a month after his 100th birthday Alf Landon |
| #2988, aired 1997-09-03 | FAMILIAR PHRASES: The phrase "Flower Power" was coined by this poet in the 1960s Allen Ginsberg |
| #2987, aired 1997-09-02 | RELIGION: Written in 1517, the 62nd of these is "The true treasure of the church is the holy gospel of... God" the 95 Theses |
| #2986, aired 1997-09-01 | FAMOUS NAMES: At this man's death in 1997, Jacques Chirac called him probably the best known Frenchman in the world Jacques-Yves Cousteau |
| #2985, aired 1997-07-18 | DETECTIVE STORIES: The murders in the Rue Morgue & the mystery of Marie Roget are mentioned in the 1st paragraph of this 1845 story "The Purloined Letter" |
| #2984, aired 1997-07-17 | SCIENTISTS: In the 1740s he published "Flora Suecica" & "Fauna Suecica", 2 volumes of his observations Carolus Linnaeus |
| #2983, aired 1997-07-16 | STATE CAPITALS: It was named for Britain's last Stuart monarch, who gave the city its charter in 1708 Annapolis, Maryland |
| #2982, aired 1997-07-15 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: On his mother's side, he was a descendant of Scottish Protestant reformer John Knox James Knox Polk |
| #2981, aired 1997-07-14 | WORLD CAPITALS: The Spaniards named it for the Virgin of the Fair Winds for bringing them safely across the Atlantic Buenos Aires |
| #2980, aired 1997-07-11 | THE COLD WAR: He died November 15, 1996, having outlived his accuser by 35 years Alger Hiss (accused by Whittaker Chambers) |
| #2979, aired 1997-07-10 | SHAKESPEAREAN CHARACTERS: One of this heroine's last lines is "Poor venomous fool, be angry, and dispatch" Cleopatra |
| #2978, aired 1997-07-09 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: One of the USA's greatest novelists, he lived most of his life, from 1876 to 1916, in England Henry James |
| #2977, aired 1997-07-08 | WORD ORIGINS: This word meaning an expert commentator is derived from the Sanskrit for "learned man" Pundit |
| #2976, aired 1997-07-07 | SOUTH AMERICA: Henck Arron was prime minister of this country when it gained its independence in 1975 Suriname (formerly Dutch Guiana) |
| #2975, aired 1997-07-04 | COMPOSERS: One of this Russian's best-known works is the fiendishly difficult Piano Concerto No. 3 of 1909 Sergei Rachmaninoff |
| #2974, aired 1997-07-03 | MEDICINE: While many diseases bear doctors' names, a nerve disease is named for this victim who died in 1941 Lou Gehrig |
| #2973, aired 1997-07-02 | VICE PRESIDENTS: 1 of 2 men who served as U.S. vice president & also won a Nobel Peace Prize Charles Dawes or Theodore Roosevelt |
| #2972, aired 1997-07-01 | HISTORIC U.S. SITES: Vitascope Hall in New Orleans is said to be the first of these in the U.S. movie theater |
| #2971, aired 1997-06-30 | AUTHORS: A new theory says this author died of rabies, not alcoholism or drug abuse, October 7, 1849 Edgar Allan Poe |
| #2970, aired 1997-06-27 | RELIGIOUS LEADERS: The boyhood home of this church founder still stands on Stafford Road in Palmyra, New York Joseph Smith (founder of the Mormon Church) |
| #2969, aired 1997-06-26 | POETS: He had already published "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" when Vachel Lindsay discovered him busing tables Langston Hughes |
| #2968, aired 1997-06-25 | SOUTHERN CITIES: In the 1830s settlers gave this city its name in the hope of having the University of Mississippi placed there Oxford |
| #2967, aired 1997-06-24 | GEOGRAPHY: Name given to the parallel of latitude at 66 degrees 30' S. the Antarctic Circle |
| #2966, aired 1997-06-23 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The Roosevelt dime made its debut the year this president was born Bill Clinton (born in 1946) |
| #2965, aired 1997-06-20 | 19th CENTURY POLITICS: These 7 events occurred between August 21 & October 15, 1858 & each lasted 3 hours the Lincoln-Douglas Debates for Senator in Illinois |
| #2964, aired 1997-06-19 | GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS: Last name of 2 brothers, one currently a cabinet secretary & one mayor of a city of several million Daley (William M. & Richard M.) |
| #2963, aired 1997-06-18 | THE PLANETS: Most of this planet's moons are named for Shakespearean characters Uranus |
| #2962, aired 1997-06-17 | 1990s AFRICA: In 1994 these 2 African countries' presidents Habyarimana & Ntaryamira died in a plane crash Rwanda & Burundi |
| #2961, aired 1997-06-16 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Before its independence, this country was known as the Netherlands East Indies Indonesia |
| #2960, aired 1997-06-13 | SPACE EXPLORATION: Now 6 billion miles from Earth, Pioneer 10 originally was launched in 1972 on a mission to this planet Jupiter |
| #2959, aired 1997-06-12 | CLASSIC CINEMA: This 1946 holiday classic was based on "The Greatest Gift", a short story by Philip Van Doren Stern It's A Wonderful Life |
| #2958, aired 1997-06-11 | THE 1930s: Roosevelt's first Fireside Chat was designed to bolster the public confidence in these banks |
| #2957, aired 1997-06-10 | FASHION HISTORY: In 1849 Americans traveling to the California gold fields via boat popularized this hat the Panama hat |
| #2956, aired 1997-06-09 | AFRICA: In the 1980s the U.S.-backed FNLA & UNITA battled the Cuban-backed MPLA for control of this country Angola |
| #2955, aired 1997-06-06 | STOCK SYMBOLS: This name is the 4-letter stock symbol of Golden Bear Golf Inc., which went public in 1996 JACK (for Jack Nicklaus) |
| #2954, aired 1997-06-05 | AUTOBIOGRAPHIES: In 1791, one year after his death, part of this American's autobiography was published in Paris as "Memoires" Benjamin Franklin |
| #2953, aired 1997-06-04 | ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST: Added to the list in 1997 were the Quino Checkerspot & Laguna Mountains Skipper, types of these Butterflies |
| #2952, aired 1997-06-03 | AMERICAN BALLET: Characters in this 1942 ballet include the head wrangler & the champion roper Rodeo |
| #2951, aired 1997-06-02 | WORLD LEADERS: This world leader was the recipient of an Obie Award in 1984 Vaclav Havel |
| #2950, aired 1997-05-30 | ANGELS: Slaves rowing off South Carolina's coast often invoked the help of this patron angel of the Jews Michael |
| #2949, aired 1997-05-29 | SHAKESPEARE'S WOMEN: This heroine is murdered on the island of Cyprus, as is her waiting-woman Desdemona (from "Othello") |
| #2948, aired 1997-05-28 | AFRICAN COUNTRIES: The northernmost country in Africa, it's much smaller than the countries that border it Tunisia |
| #2947, aired 1997-05-27 | MUSICIANS: As a disc jockey in the 1940s, he was known as "The Blues Boy from Beale Street" B.B. King |
| #2946, aired 1997-05-26 | OSCAR-WINNING FILMS: This “Best Picture” of 1970 was based in part on the memoirs of General Omar Bradley Patton |
| #2945, aired 1997-05-23 | GENESIS: The final word in Genesis is the name of this country Egypt |
| #2944, aired 1997-05-22 | MONARCHS: Like his grandmother, Mary, Queen of Scots, this king was beheaded Charles I |
| #2943, aired 1997-05-21 | WORLD CAPITALS: Many homes in this city are heated by near-boiling water pumped in from hot springs at Nesjavellir Reykjavik, Iceland |
| #2942, aired 1997-05-20 | THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1963 letter from this city's jail is a historic document in the civil rights movement Birmingham, Alabama |
| #2941, aired 1997-05-19 | 18th CENTURY AMERICANS: A military post & a Tennessee city are both named for this first U.S. Secretary of War Henry Knox |
| #2940, aired 1997-05-16 | THE LAW: From Latin for "under penalty", you're under penalty if you don't obey one a subpoena |
| #2939, aired 1997-05-15 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: Anchorman is an informal term used for the lowest-ranking graduating senior of this school Naval Academy |
| #2938, aired 1997-05-14 | THE ELEMENTS: More than 95% of all known compounds contain this element hydrogen (or carbon) |
| #2937, aired 1997-05-13 | CHILDREN'S BOOKS: It's the first in a trilogy of books that also includes "In the Night Kitchen" & "Outside Over There" Where the Wild Things Are |
| #2936, aired 1997-05-12 | MOVIES: The stars of this 1977 film appeared on the February 10, 1997 cover of Time Star Wars |
| #2935, aired 1997-05-09 | PAINTERS: His grandson was the cinematographer of "Barbarella" & "The Spy Who Loved Me" Pierre-Auguste Renoir |
| #2934, aired 1997-05-08 | ROYAL COUPLES: Princess Sophia of Greece gave up her right of succession to Greece's throne before marrying him in 1962 King Juan Carlos of Spain |
| #2933, aired 1997-05-07 | ANCIENT PLAYWRIGHTS: This playwright born in Colonus around 496 B.C. wrote one of his finest plays when he was 90 Sophocles ("Oedipus at Colonus") |
| #2932, aired 1997-05-06 | THE 7 ANCIENT WONDERS: These 2 oldest wonders were built by non-Greek civilizations Hanging Gardens of Babylon & the Pyramids of Egypt |
| #2931, aired 1997-05-05 | NOTABLE NAMES: On January 30, 1997, the 49th anniversary of his death, some of his ashes were scattered in the Ganges River Mohandas K. Gandhi |
| #2930, aired 1997-05-02 | SCIENCE HISTORY: Announced by Ole Romer in 1676, the first measurement of this was 140,000 miles per second the speed of light |
| #2929, aired 1997-05-01 | QUOTATIONS ABOUT LAWYERS: Playwright who penned the famous line, "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers" William Shakespeare |
| #2928, aired 1997-04-30 | THE INSECT WORLD: The ancient Romans gave it its name, which means "hairy cat" caterpillar |
| #2927, aired 1997-04-29 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: His half-brother Lawrence served in the British navy under Admiral Edward Vernon George Washington |
| #2926, aired 1997-04-28 | MOUNTAINS: Range of mountains where Danny Kaye, Alan King & Rip Van Winkle gained fame the Catskills |
| #2925, aired 1997-04-25 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 2 of the 5 presidents in the 20th century who were former U.S. senators (2 of) Warren Harding, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson & Richard Nixon |
| #2924, aired 1997-04-24 | SPORTS: Last awarded in 1970, the Jules Rimet Cup was replaced by this trophy in 1974 The World Cup (of soccer) |
| #2923, aired 1997-04-23 | CONTEMPORARY AMERICANS: In December 1996 his reference to "Irrational Exuberance" sent stock prices plunging around the world Alan Greenspan |
| #2922, aired 1997-04-22 | TRANSPORTATION: In 1910 the "Deutschland" inaugurated commercial passenger service in one of these Zeppelin/dirigible |
| #2921, aired 1997-04-21 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: It's the only country whose name is the same as an American state's Georgia |
| #2920, aired 1997-04-18 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: First sold in 1912, the Maine hunting shoe was his first retail product Leon Leonwood (L.L.) Bean |
| #2919, aired 1997-04-17 | THE WORLD OF MATHEMATICS: Of ancient people, only the Hindus, Babylonians & Mayans invented a symbol for this; the Mayans' is seen here: Zero |
| #2918, aired 1997-04-16 | AIRPORTS: It's the site of a presidential swearing-in & the headquarters of Southwest Airlines Love Field (in Dallas) |
| #2917, aired 1997-04-15 | NONFICTION: This reference set's 1768 first edition was published by "A Society of Gentlemen in Scotland" the Encyclopædia Britannica |
| #2916, aired 1997-04-14 | STATE CAPITALS: Like its major streets Hope, Benefit & Friendship, its name is an abstraction Providence, Rhode Island |
| #2915, aired 1997-04-11 | PLAYWRIGHTS: The hero of this playwright's Absurdist novel "Watt" works for a mysterious Mr. Knott, who never appears Samuel Beckett |
| #2914, aired 1997-04-10 | NAVAL HEROES: In a difficult situation George Dewey would ask himself, what would this man, his former commander, do? Admiral David Farragut |
| #2913, aired 1997-04-09 | WORD HISTORY: Before this word came to mean an extraterrestrial, it was used as an adjective meaning "warlike" Martian |
| #2912, aired 1997-04-08 | MYSTERY NOVELS: The first line of dialogue in this 1930 novel is spoken to secretary Effie Perine, "Yes, sweetheart?" The Maltese Falcon |
| #2911, aired 1997-04-07 | GERMAN OPERA: The swan that pulls this title character's boat is actually Elsa's enchanted brother, Gottfried Lohengrin |
| #2910, aired 1997-04-04 | ARTISTS: This artist sculpted the famous statuary group that stands in front of the town hall in Calais Auguste Rodin ("The Burghers of Calais") |
| #2909, aired 1997-04-03 | INTERNATIONAL SONGS: Bush poet A.B. Paterson, who died in 1941, wrote the words to this internationally famous song "Waltzing Matilda" |
| #2908, aired 1997-04-02 | THE CALENDAR: In the U.S. it's the latest date in November on which Thanksgiving can fall November 28 |
| #2907, aired 1997-04-01 | TRINIDADIAN AMATEUR ICHTHYOLOGISTS: This common aquarium fish was named for a Trinidadian clergyman Guppy |
| #2906, aired 1997-03-31 | SECRETARIES OF STATE: This man who died in 1994 once said, "We're eyeball to eyeball and the other fellow just blinked" Dean Rusk |
| #2905, aired 1997-03-28 | FILMS OF THE '30s: 1933 film inspired by William Burden's 1926 Dutch East Indies trip & capture of the world's largest lizard King Kong |
| #2904, aired 1997-03-27 | ANCIENT CITIES: The ancient city of Byzantium occupied the site of what is now this city Istanbul, Turkey |
| #2903, aired 1997-03-26 | 20th CENTURY LEADERS: In 1914 Jan Smuts wrote of this man's departure, "The saint has left our shores, I hope forever" Mahatma Gandhi |
| #2902, aired 1997-03-25 | WORLD CAPITALS: It's the world's northernmost national capital Reykjavik, Iceland |
| #2901, aired 1997-03-24 | SCIENCE: Not long after its development, Robert Boyle renamed the Torricellian Tube this Barometer |
| #2900, aired 1997-03-21 | INVENTORS: Before the Monitor, John Ericsson designed a screw-driven steamboat & named it for this ancient Greek Archimedes |
| #2899, aired 1997-03-20 | HISTORIC SHIPS: The state silver serving pieces in Augusta's executive mansion were salvaged from this ship U.S.S. Maine |
| #2898, aired 1997-03-19 | OSCAR WINNERS: The only person -- male or female -- to win Oscars in acting & screenwriting categories Emma Thompson |
| #2897, aired 1997-03-18 | WORLD CAPITALS: This European city is alphabetically last among the world's national capitals Zagreb, Croatia |
| #2896, aired 1997-03-17 | JOURNALISTS: Before his death in 1920, he led America's Communist Labor Party, drew up its manifesto & edited its paper John Reed |
| #2895, aired 1997-03-14 | ADVERTISING: This product's "Whole Thing" commercial is in the Clio Hall of Fame Alka-Seltzer |
| #2894, aired 1997-03-13 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The first & last to preside over exactly 48 states William Howard Taft & Dwight Eisenhower |
| #2893, aired 1997-03-12 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: The 1996 Chemistry Prize went to the discoverers of a 60-carbon atom molecule called this Buckyball |
| #2892, aired 1997-03-11 | WORLD LEADERS: Peruvians incorrectly call this man "El Chinito" Alberto Fujimori |
| #2891, aired 1997-03-10 | NOTABLE WOMEN: As staff director of the Florida House Judiciary Committee, she helped revise the state constitution Janet Reno |
| #2890, aired 1997-03-07 | ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY: Performed in England since the restoration of Charles II, shows featuring this pair often include a dog named Toby Punch & Judy |
| #2889, aired 1997-03-06 | FAMOUS WOMEN: She worked as a model, caterer, cooking columnist & food stylist before starting her own magazine in 1990 Martha Stewart |
| #2888, aired 1997-03-05 | SHAKESPEAREAN CHARACTERS: At the end of "Macbeth", he tells his thanes they will "henceforth be Earls, the first" ever in Scotland Malcolm |
| #2887, aired 1997-03-04 | LITERATURE: Chapter 8 of this book first published in 1900 is titled "The Deadly Poppy Field" The Wizard of Oz |
| #2886, aired 1997-03-03 | SCOTTISH INVENTORS: In 1815 he was appointed Surveyor General of Roads in Bristol, England Sir John McAdam |
| #2885, aired 1997-02-28 | FLAGS: This saint's cross appears on the provincial flag of Nova Scotia St. Andrew |
| #2884, aired 1997-02-27 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: As a senator, he shared lodgings with future vice president William Rufus Devane King James Buchanan |
| #2883, aired 1997-02-26 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: In 1788 Cyrus Griffin became its last president The Continental Congress |
| #2882, aired 1997-02-25 | FAMOUS AUTHORS: Queen Victoria called his death "a very great loss. He had... the strongest sympathy with the poorer classes" Charles Dickens |
| #2881, aired 1997-02-24 | INVENTIONS: Introduced at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris, its name comes from Latin for "one that takes you up the ladder" an escalator |
| #2880, aired 1997-02-21 | BRITISH STATESMEN: In a 1940 eulogy of this man, Churchill spoke of his "Love of peace... toil for peace... strife for peace" Neville Chamberlain |
| #2879, aired 1997-02-20 | HANDICRAFTS: Supposedly made by William the Conqueror's wife, there's a 230' long copy of it in the V&A Museum The Bayeux Tapestry |
| #2878, aired 1997-02-19 | POP MUSIC: The only person to hit the Billboard Top 40 with "The Star-Spangled Banner" Whitney Houston |
| #2877, aired 1997-02-18 | THE OSCARS: 1 of only 2 movies since "It Happened One Night" to win Oscars for Best Picture, Actor, Actress & Director The Silence of the Lambs or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest |
| #2876, aired 1997-02-17 | FAMOUS FAMILIES: Chicago's Fire Academy was built in 1960 on the site where this family once lived The O'Learys |
| #2875, aired 1997-02-14 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: He was the fourth Secretary of State, & the fourth Chief Justice John Marshall |
| #2874, aired 1997-02-13 | NOVELS: Just before its 1897 publication, its title was changed from "The Un-Dead" to this Dracula (by Bram Stoker) |
| #2873, aired 1997-02-12 | NATIVE AMERICANS: A Pennsylvania city, a canal & a Great Lake are named for this tribe The Erie |
| #2872, aired 1997-02-11 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: The name of this country derives from an Iroquoian term meaning "village" or "community" Canada |
| #2871, aired 1997-02-10 | THE SOLAR SYSTEM: The 2 planets that have no moons Mercury & Venus |
| #2870, aired 1997-02-07 | HISTORIC GEOGRAPHY: The former kingdom of Saxony is now located in this country Germany |
| #2869, aired 1997-02-06 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The last names of 8 different presidents end with this 3-letter combination Son (Jefferson, Madison, Jackson, W.H. Harrison, A. Johnson, B. Harrison, Wilson & L. Johnson) |
| #2868, aired 1997-02-05 | RULERS: In 44 B.C. he was made dictator for life, a post abolished after he died the same year Julius Caesar |
| #2867, aired 1997-02-04 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: This New York univ. is named for the family whose company was the first to sell toothpaste in a tube Colgate University |
| #2866, aired 1997-02-03 | DEMOCRATS: Bill Clinton is the first Democrat since this man to be elected president twice Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| #2865, aired 1997-01-31 | THE CABINET: 1 of 2 women who served in the cabinet for a total of 6 or more years (1 of) Elizabeth Dole & Frances Perkins |
| #2864, aired 1997-01-30 | THE NEW TESTAMENT: Called the church's first theologian, a quarter of the books in the New Testament are credited to him Paul |
| #2863, aired 1997-01-29 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 2 of the 5 U.S. presidents who played football for their college teams (2 of) Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Ford & Reagan |
| #2862, aired 1997-01-28 | NATIONAL PARKS: Royal Palm State Park was incorporated into this national park when it was created in 1947 Everglades National Park |
| #2861, aired 1997-01-27 | POLITICIANS: His rise began when he upset Robert M. La Follette, Jr. in a 1946 Senate primary Joseph McCarthy |
| #2860, aired 1997-01-24 | U.S. CURRENCY: Of men pictured on currently printed paper money, he's the one most recently deceased Ulysses S. Grant (on the $50 bill; died in 1885) |
| #2858, aired 1997-01-22 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: This country won independence from Spain in 1821 & from France in 1867 Mexico |
| #2857, aired 1997-01-21 | WORD ORIGINS: From the Latin for "year" & "turn", it's literally "the turn of a year" anniversary (annus = year & verso = turn) |
| #2856, aired 1997-01-20 | AWARDS: The London Theatre's equivalent of Broadway's Tony Awards are named for him Sir Laurence Olivier |
| #2855, aired 1997-01-17 | THE 1996 ELECTION: Nicknamed for the sport their children play, they were part of the swing vote in 1996 soccer moms |
| #2854, aired 1997-01-16 | FOREIGN FILMS: With 6, this 1981 German film holds the record for most Oscar nominations for a foreign-language film "Das Boot" ("The Boat") |
| #2853, aired 1997-01-15 | FAMOUS NAMES: Before achieving fame in Hollywood, he was a cosmetician to the Russian royal court Max Factor |
| #2852, aired 1997-01-14 | WORLD CAPITALS: The Jose Marti Monument is a 450-foot tower in the Plaza de la Revolucion in this capital Havana, Cuba |
| #2851, aired 1997-01-13 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: Full & correct title of the post held by the person seen here: Chief Justice of the United States |
| #2850, aired 1997-01-10 | EXPLORERS: Books by this man include "North West Passage" (1908) & "The South Pole" (1912) Roald Amundsen |
| #2849, aired 1997-01-09 | CANADIAN PROVINCES: The Micmac Indians called it Abegweit, which means "cradled on the waves" Prince Edward Island |
| #2848, aired 1997-01-08 | ANCIENT HISTORY: Man with whom Cleopatra had the most children Mark Antony |
| #2847, aired 1997-01-07 | WORLD LEADERS: His brother Jonathan lost his life in 1976 leading the raid on Entebbe Benjamin Netanyahu (prime minister of Israel) |
| #2846, aired 1997-01-06 | CLASSICAL LITERATURE: 4 single biographies & 23 pairs of biographies make up this classical work "Plutarch's Lives" |
| #2845, aired 1997-01-03 | THE WESTERN U.S.: This state capital rose from the ruins of a Hohokam Indian settlement Phoenix |
| #2844, aired 1997-01-02 | WORD ORIGINS: This word is from the Old English for "the farmer who lives near you" Neighbor |
| #2843, aired 1997-01-01 | AUTHORS: In 1996, 7 years after giving up law, he returned to a Mississippi courtroom & won a case for an old client John Grisham |
| #2842, aired 1996-12-31 | THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION: Arrested twice at the 1968 convention for demonstrating, he was a delegate to the 1996 convention Tom Hayden |
| #2841, aired 1996-12-30 | THE 1500s: In 1520 he wrote Pope Leo X, "Let no person imagine that I will recant" Martin Luther |
| #2840, aired 1996-12-27 | BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: Benjamin Franklin was born in this city in 1706 Boston |
| #2839, aired 1996-12-26 | ASSASSINS: The knife he used to stab Major Henry Rathbone is in a Washington, D.C. museum John Wilkes Booth |
| #2838, aired 1996-12-25 | OSCAR NOMINEES: Billy Wilder & this actor-director are tied for the most Best Original Screenplay nominations: 12 apiece Woody Allen |
| #2837, aired 1996-12-24 | WOMEN IN SCIENCE: This British scientist titled her 1984 autobiography "Disclosing The Past" Mary Leakey |
| #2836, aired 1996-12-23 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: "America's Favorite Food", a book about this company, contains 12 pages of Andy Warhol's art Campbell Soup Company |
| #2835, aired 1996-12-20 | REPUBLICANS: 2 of the 3 Republicans elected vice president twice (2 of) Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew & George Bush |
| #2834, aired 1996-12-19 | POLITICAL PHRASES: Ike defined this as "All of the usable surface. The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters." Middle-of-the-road |
| #2833, aired 1996-12-18 | EUROPEAN CAPITALS: This city was named for a Byzantine church Sofia, Bulgaria |
| #2832, aired 1996-12-17 | ASIA: It's the largest landlocked country in the world Mongolia |
| #2831, aired 1996-12-16 | BRAND NAMES: Common household product named for a 19th century surgical pioneer Listerine (named for Sir Joseph Lister) |
| #2830, aired 1996-12-13 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: His love of music led him to found a school of music at the University of Rochester, N.Y. George Eastman (The Eastman School of Music) |
| #2829, aired 1996-12-12 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The 2 men whose presidencies each began & ended during one calendar year William Henry Harrison (1841) & James Garfield (1881) |
| #2828, aired 1996-12-11 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: AT&T says more collect calls are made on this holiday than on any other day of the year Father's Day |
| #2827, aired 1996-12-10 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: With 930 million people, it's the world's second-most populous country & its most populous democracy India |
| #2826, aired 1996-12-09 | AMERICAN HISTORY: Some attribute these 1692 proceedings to the psychotic effects of ergot poisoning the Salem witch trials |
| #2825, aired 1996-12-06 | BRITISH NOVELS: This 1895 novel is subtitled "An Invention" The Time Machine |
| #2824, aired 1996-12-05 | SOUTH AMERICA: In area, it's the largest country in South America entirely north of the Equator Venezuela |
| #2823, aired 1996-12-04 | BASEBALL: The best American League lefthanded pitcher 1916-18, he was moved to left field in 1919 Babe Ruth |
| #2822, aired 1996-12-03 | U.S. CITY NAME ORIGINS: Jagged rocks at this Florida city's narrow inlet suggested its name, from Spanish for "rat's mouth" Boca Raton |
| #2821, aired 1996-12-02 | NUMBER, PLEASE: Number of lines in the Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem that begins, "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways" 14 |
| #2820, aired 1996-11-29 | U.S. CITIES: Designed locally & cast in Japan, a peace & friendship bell was dedicated in this Tennessee city in 1996 Oak Ridge |
| #2819, aired 1996-11-28 | ENGLISH ROYALTY: Since the Norman Conquest, this royal house has supplied the most rulers, beginning with Henry II Plantagenet |
| #2818, aired 1996-11-27 | RIVERS: It was once believed that this river "originated in the Mountains of the Moon" the Nile |
| #2817, aired 1996-11-26 | SHORT STORIES: Set on Christmas Eve, it begins "One dollar and 87 cents. That was all. And 60 cents of it was in pennies." "The Gift of the Magi" |
| #2816, aired 1996-11-25 | NOTORIOUS: A corrections museum in Trenton, New Jersey contains the chair in which he was executed in 1936 Bruno Richard Hauptmann |
| #2815, aired 1996-11-22 | TELEVISION HISTORY: Set in the 1870s, it ran from 1955 to 1975 Gunsmoke |
| #2814, aired 1996-11-21 | TEXTBOOKS: Dr. Henry Van Dyke Carter provided 363 drawings for this work first published in 1858 Gray's Anatomy |
| #2813, aired 1996-11-20 | THE MIDWEST: Of the 4 states that border Lake Michigan, the one whose name is not derived from a Native American word Indiana |
| #2812, aired 1996-11-19 | PATRON SAINTS: He's the patron saint of the home town of Shakespeare's shrew St. Anthony of Padua |
| #2811, aired 1996-11-18 | VICE PRESIDENTS: He was the first Republican vice president Hannibal Hamlin |
| #2810, aired 1996-11-15 | PUBLISHING FIRSTS: In 1908 Ernest Henry Shackleton printed the first book on this continent Antarctica |
| #2809, aired 1996-11-14 | HISTORIC NAMES: In a 1935 poem this leader wrote, "The Red Army fears not the trials of the Long March" Mao Tse-tung |
| #2808, aired 1996-11-13 | GREAT ARTISTS: His first important commission in Amsterdam was to paint that city's guild of surgeons Rembrandt |
| #2807, aired 1996-11-12 | AMERICAN HISTORY: Lincoln said it was "the central act of my administration & the greatest event of the 19th century" the Emancipation Proclamation |
| #2806, aired 1996-11-11 | FRENCH NOVELISTS: Ideas in his novels that have come true include space travel, television & the submarine Jules Verne |
| #2805, aired 1996-11-08 | AIRPLANES: This Dutch company whose founder made the Red Baron's triplane went bankrupt in 1996 Fokker |
| #2804, aired 1996-11-07 | WORD ORIGINS: From Spanish Arabic for "the calendar", this type of book often contains astronomical data almanac |
| #2803, aired 1996-11-06 | EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: In 1996 it formed a commonwealth with Sao Tome & Principe, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau & Brazil Portugal |
| #2802, aired 1996-11-05 | AMERICAN ARTISTS: Among his paintings are "The Fog Warning", "Eight Bells" & "Undertow" Winslow Homer |
| #2801, aired 1996-11-04 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the last president born in the 19th century Dwight David Eisenhower (1890) |
| #2800, aired 1996-11-01 | AMERICANA: When formed in 1798, it consisted of 32 drummers & fifers United States Marine Band |
| #2798, aired 1996-10-30 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: His only full-length play, "The Fifth Column", is set in besieged Madrid Ernest Hemingway |
| #2797, aired 1996-10-29 | THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION: This advisor is the son & grandson of Greek Orthodox priests George Stephanopoulos |
| #2791, aired 1996-10-21 | FAMOUS FAMILIES: Family who lived by the motto "Life is on the wire. The rest is just waiting." the ("Flying") Wallendas |
| #2788, aired 1996-10-16 | 1960s AMERICANS: As a fugitive from the law, he assumed the identity of Barry Freed, an ecological crusader Abbie Hoffman |
| #2787, aired 1996-10-15 | SPORTS STARS: In June 1996 he came in second in the race for mayor of Bucharest Ilie Năstase |
| #2786, aired 1996-10-14 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: In June 1996 Rev. Njongonkulu Ndungane was named his successor Desmond Tutu |
| #2785, aired 1996-10-11 | ART: He said he painted one of his masterpieces with his "beard turned up to heaven" Michelangelo |
| #2784, aired 1996-10-10 | U.S. STATES: This state was named by Captain John Mason, former governor of Portsmouth, England New Hampshire |
| #2783, aired 1996-10-09 | TRAVEL & TOURISM: On a weekend package, Northwest Airlines flies Londoners to Bloomington, Minn. to visit this the Mall of America |
| #2782, aired 1996-10-08 | AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES: French Catholic missionaries led by Father Edward F. Sorin founded this university in 1842 Notre Dame |
| #2781, aired 1996-10-07 | HISTORIC BOOKS: It was written in 1924 in the fortress of Landsberg am Lech Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler |
| #2780, aired 1996-10-04 | 15th CENTURY MEN: In 1482 he told the Duke of Milan that he could "make armored wagons to carry artillery" Leonardo da Vinci |
| #2779, aired 1996-10-03 | 19th CENTURY AUTHORS: He rejected offers to run for Congress & Mayor of New York & to be Van Buren's Secretary of the Navy Washington Irving |
| #2778, aired 1996-10-02 | ACTOR-DIRECTORS: This 1990 winner is the most recent to win the Best Director Oscar for his directorial debut Kevin Costner |
| #2777, aired 1996-10-01 | PRESIDENTS: The only 2 consecutive U.S. presidents with the same first name James Madison & James Monroe |
| #2776, aired 1996-09-30 | GREEK MYTHOLOGICAL GROUPS: 2 groups, 1 of 9 & 1 of 3, that include a member named Thalia The Muses and the Graces |
| #2775, aired 1996-09-27 | STATESMEN: His "The Menace of Darwinism" & "The Bible and Its Enemies" were published in the 1920s William Jennings Bryan |
| #2774, aired 1996-09-26 | NATIONAL MOTTOES: Country whose motto is "L'Union Fait La Force" or "Eendracht Maakt Macht"—"Union provides strength" Belgium |
| #2771, aired 1996-09-23 | FACTS & FIGURES: An estimated 925 million of these were exchanged in 1996; the No. 1 recipients by far were teachers Valentine's Day cards |
| #2770, aired 1996-09-20 | SENATORS: Former man in space & future man in space both elected to the Senate in 1974 John Glenn & Jake Garn |
| #2769, aired 1996-09-19 | FILM DIRECTORS: This actor-writer-director born in 1963 was named for a Burt Reynolds TV character Quentin Tarantino |
| #2767, aired 1996-09-17 | PHOTOGRAPHERS: In 1851 this American won a medal for daguerreotypes at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in London Mathew Brady |
| #2766, aired 1996-09-16 | POTENT POTABLES: This famous cocktail was created at the Raffles Hotel in 1915 a Singapore Sling |
| #2765, aired 1996-09-13 | AMERICAN FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: An 1850 edition put the 5 novels about this variously-named character in the chronological order of his life Natty Bumppo (or Hawkeye or Deerslayer) |
| #2764, aired 1996-09-12 | 1996: On June 11, 1996 the U.S. Senate voted to name a balcony in his honor Bob Dole |
| #2763, aired 1996-09-11 | THE USA: This structure is the greatest single source of water power in the U.S. the Grand Coulee Dam |
| #2762, aired 1996-09-10 | RELIGION: On Dec. 19, 1894 2 books were formally ordained as the impersonal pastor of this denomination Christian Science |
| #2761, aired 1996-09-09 | AMERICANA: The canceled check for this purchase, in the amount of $7.2 million, is on display at the National Archives the Alaska Purchase |
| #2760, aired 1996-09-06 | CANADA: The flag & the coat of arms of this Canadian province feature a setting sun British Columbia |
| #2759, aired 1996-09-05 | TELEVISION HISTORY: On 1/19/96 in real life & fictionally on CBS, Marlee Matlin gave birth, duplicating this woman's 1/19/53 feat Lucille Ball |
| #2758, aired 1996-09-04 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: A 60-foot steel likeness of a transistor stands at its Holmdel, N.J. office Bell Labs |
| #2757, aired 1996-09-03 | POETS: In 1879 the children of Cambridge, Massachusetts gave him an armchair made of chestnut wood Longfellow |
| #2756, aired 1996-09-02 | PLAYS: The preface to this 1913 play was entitled "A Professor of Phonetics" Pygmalion |
| #2755, aired 1996-07-19 | WORLD CAPITALS: It's the easternmost mainland capital in the Americas Brasilia |
| #2754, aired 1996-07-18 | ARTISTS: In 1914 his brother's remains were moved from Holland to Auvers, France & buried beside him Vincent Van Gogh |
| #2753, aired 1996-07-17 | POP SINGERS: On March 10, 1996, this woman performed a song on the balcony of Buenos Aires' presidential palace Madonna |
| #2752, aired 1996-07-16 | SPAIN: This Catalonian city, once the capital of the Visigoths, may be named for a Carthaginian family Barcelona |
| #2751, aired 1996-07-15 | RULERS: Last name of the last man to sit in power on the Peacock Throne (Shah Reza) Pahlavi (of Iran) |
| #2750, aired 1996-07-12 | MYSTERY WRITERS: Mystery writer whose first book was an autobiography, "The Sport of Queens" Dick Francis |
| #2749, aired 1996-07-11 | NATURE: In December 1995 cold weather killed millions of these wintering in Michoacan monarch butterflies |
| #2748, aired 1996-07-10 | MODERN HISTORY: The airlift of aid to this city, which ran from July 3, 1992 to January 9, 1996, was the world's longest Sarajevo |
| #2747, aired 1996-07-09 | THE 20th CENTURY: This country's civil war actually began in Morocco on July 17, 1936 Spain |
| #2746, aired 1996-07-08 | SPORTS: The only 2 countries that have defeated the U.S. to win the America's Cup competition Australia & New Zealand |
| #2745, aired 1996-07-05 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In 1781 he wrote, "A national debt, if it is not excessive, will be to us a national blessing" Alexander Hamilton |
| #2744, aired 1996-07-04 | SCOTTISH INVENTORS: One of his early commissions was to outfit Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition to the Arctic (Charles) Macintosh |
| #2743, aired 1996-07-03 | THE ELEMENTS: The name of this noble gas is derived from the Greek for "strange" or "foreign" xenon |
| #2742, aired 1996-07-02 | DESIGNERS: This designer who died in 1892 got his first big break designing luggage for Empress Eugenie Louis Vuitton |
| #2741, aired 1996-07-01 | BLACK HISTORY: In 1920 he was named provisional president of Africa with a mandate to free it from white domination Marcus Garvey |
| #2740, aired 1996-06-28 | RIVERS: The world's first underwater tunnel was dug beneath this foreign river in the 1840s the Thames |
| #2739, aired 1996-06-27 | SOUTH AMERICA: Approximately 15% of this country's people are of Javanese descent Suriname |
| #2738, aired 1996-06-26 | ISLANDS: Until August 1883 it had an area of 18 square miles; today it's about 6 Krakatoa |
| #2737, aired 1996-06-25 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: It's the biggest single customer of the domestic airline industry, using about 15,000 flights a day the U.S. Postal Service |
| #2736, aired 1996-06-24 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: On Jan. 1, 1996 this oldest government regulatory agency, established in 1887, closed the Interstate Commerce Commission |
| #2735, aired 1996-06-21 | AMERICAN HISTORY: On May 29, 1765 Patrick Henry's Stamp Act protest was interrupted with this one word Treason |
| #2734, aired 1996-06-20 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: San Juan Hill, site of Herbert Hoover's home, is now home to the president of this university Stanford |
| #2733, aired 1996-06-19 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: In 1948 this sportswear company was founded in Germany by Adolph Dassler Adidas |
| #2732, aired 1996-06-18 | OPERA PREMIERES: This 1853 Verdi opera's debut failed, partly because its star was too stout to be believable as a consumptive La traviata |
| #2731, aired 1996-06-17 | ARTISTS: His "Young Corn" painting is featured on a 1996 stamp celebrating the 150th anniversary of Iowa's statehood Grant Wood |
| #2730, aired 1996-06-14 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Salvaged from a shipwreck in the 1850s the Lutine Bell hangs in its British headquarters Lloyd's of London |
| #2729, aired 1996-06-13 | U.S. STATE NAMES: The 2 states whose 1-word names are contained in other state names Kansas (Arkansas) & Virginia (West Virginia) |
| #2728, aired 1996-06-12 | THE WINTER OLYMPICS: The last 2 U.S. men to win the men's singles gold medal in figure skating, in 1984 & 1988 Scott Hamilton (1984) & Brian Boitano (1988) |
| #2727, aired 1996-06-11 | ADVENTURERS: This American adventurer & aviator discovered the world's highest waterfall in 1935 Jim Angel |
| #2726, aired 1996-06-10 | FAMOUS WOMEN: In 1849 Zachary Taylor eulogized her, saying, "She was truly our first lady for a half-century" Dolley Madison |
| #2725, aired 1996-06-07 | PLAYS: In one version of this play, the heroine stabs herself & says, "There rest"; in another, "There rust" Romeo and Juliet |
| #2724, aired 1996-06-06 | INVENTORS: In 1856 he addressed a British scientific association on "the manufacture of iron without fuel" Henry Bessemer |
| #2723, aired 1996-06-05 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: The College of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is named for him Howard Hughes |
| #2722, aired 1996-06-04 | SPELLING: This tree is the only 7-letter English word that contains all 5 vowels sequoia |
| #2721, aired 1996-06-03 | CANADIAN CAPITALS: The largest city in Canada's Maritime Provinces is named for George Montagu Dunk, the 2nd Earl of this Halifax |
| #2720, aired 1996-05-31 | WORLD CAPITALS: This city called "The Mother of Russian Cities" is capital of a country other than Russia Kiev |
| #2719, aired 1996-05-30 | WORLD WAR II NAMES: The 1st U.S. naval ship with a plural name honored their memory; a 2nd ship was christened in 1995 the Sullivans |
| #2718, aired 1996-05-29 | JAPANESE LITERATURE: One-word title of a 1915 story by Ryunosuke Akutagawa; it was filmed in 1950 Rashomon |
| #2717, aired 1996-05-28 | U.S. NICKNAMES: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania & Whittier, California share this two-word nickname "Quaker City" |
| #2716, aired 1996-05-27 | ANAGRAMS: Anagrams of each other, one is a synonym for home, the other the material it might be made of abode & adobe |
| #2715, aired 1996-05-24 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: Charles Laughton, Robert Shaw & Richard Burton were all nominated for playing this role Henry VIII |
| #2714, aired 1996-05-23 | INVENTIONS: Swiss inventor George de Mestral created this after closely examining burrs stuck to his pants velcro |
| #2713, aired 1996-05-22 | ASIA: These landmarks are the highest & lowest points in Asia Mount Everest & the Dead Sea |
| #2712, aired 1996-05-21 | WORLD MAGAZINES: The name of this German newsweekly means "The Mirror" Der Spiegel |
| #2711, aired 1996-05-20 | FOREIGN CURRENCY: The ngultrum, Bhutan's unit of currency, trades at par with this unit the (Indian) rupee |
| #2710, aired 1996-05-17 | FAMOUS NOVELS: Published in 1605, the first part of this novel was dedicated to the Duque de Bejar, Marques de Gibraleon... Don Quixote |
| #2709, aired 1996-05-16 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: On February 6, 1996 Binney & Smith produced its 100 billionth one of these a crayon |
| #2708, aired 1996-05-15 | PATRIOTIC PLACES: This site on the Schuylkill River was named for a small ironworks nearby Valley Forge |
| #2707, aired 1996-05-14 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the only president preceded & succeeded by the same man Benjamin Harrison |
| #2706, aired 1996-05-13 | CEREMONIES: At the coronation of a British monarch, this person presides over the ceremony Archbishop of Canterbury |
| #2705, aired 1996-05-10 | WORD ORIGINS: Now part of the English language, this Swahili word for "trip" or "journey" is derived from Arabic safari |
| #2704, aired 1996-05-09 | U.S. CITIES: This North Carolina city was the 1st in the U.S. to name itself after the Marquis de Lafayette Fayetteville |
| #2703, aired 1996-05-08 | MEDICINE: Latin for "poison", it's a disease-causing agent smaller than a bacterium virus |
| #2702, aired 1996-05-07 | THE ROMAN EMPIRE: Martial's "Book of Spectacles" in 80 A.D. was a book of poems published for this landmark's opening the (Roman) Colosseum (Coliseum) |
| #2701, aired 1996-05-06 | DATES: The building of the Erie Canal, B&O Railroad & Washington Monument began on this date in different years July 4th |
| #2700, aired 1996-05-03 | MYTHOLOGY: King Agamemnon was killed on his return to Greece after ignoring the warnings of this woman, his slave Cassandra |
| #2699, aired 1996-05-02 | THE EMMYS: He won Emmys for teleplay writing 3 years in a row, 1955-57 Rod Serling |
| #2698, aired 1996-05-01 | STATE CAPITALS: With 12 letters, it's the longest one-word state capital Indianapolis, Indiana |
| #2697, aired 1996-04-30 | THE U.N.: Switzerland & this country are the only 2 mainland European states which never joined the U.N. Vatican City |
| #2696, aired 1996-04-29 | NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: This organization is the world's largest private-sector employer of people with disabilities Goodwill |
| #2695, aired 1996-04-26 | EUROPEAN DRAMA: In Act One of this 1890 play, the heroine has just returned from her honeymoon; at the end, she shoots herself Hedda Gabler |
| #2694, aired 1996-04-25 | HISTORIC NAMES: The name of this ancient ruler translates as "It is well with the sun disk" Akhenaten |
| #2693, aired 1996-04-24 | THE OLYMPICS: The Summer Games in this city were opened by Queen Elizabeth II Montreal |
| #2692, aired 1996-04-23 | STATESMEN: He abandoned plans for a military career at age 17 &, in 1607, became Bishop of Lucon Cardinal Richelieu |
| #2691, aired 1996-04-22 | ISLANDS: Alvaro de Mendana named these Pacific islands believing they provided gold for the Jerusalem temple the Solomon Islands |
| #2690, aired 1996-04-19 | ARTISTS: 121-year-old Jeanne Calment remembers this man buying canvases at her in-laws' store in Arles Vincent van Gogh |
| #2689, aired 1996-04-18 | THE CONSTITUTION: According to the terms of the 22nd Amendment, it's the maximum number of years one can serve as president 10 years |
| #2688, aired 1996-04-17 | OPERA COMPOSERS: He set his last completed opera, "Gianni Schicchi", in Florence, & his last unfinished opera in China Giacomo Puccini |
| #2687, aired 1996-04-16 | MOVIE DEBUTS: Candice Bergen, Joanna Pettet, Kathleen Widdoes & Joan Hackett debuted as college alumnae in this 1966 film The Group |
| #2686, aired 1996-04-15 | SCIENTISTS: In 1543 he wrote, "Finally we shall place the Sun himself at the center of the universe" Nicolaus Copernicus |
| #2685, aired 1996-04-12 | ARTISTS: At a May 1995 auction, a painting by her sold for $3.2 million, barely topping one by her husband Frida Kahlo |
| #2684, aired 1996-04-11 | SPORTS: This Major League Baseball manager of the 1950s & 1960s received his nickname because he was born in Kansas City Casey Stengel |
| #2683, aired 1996-04-10 | SAINTS: He wrote, "Praise to thee, my Lord, for all thy creatures, above all brother sun" St. Francis of Assisi |
| #2682, aired 1996-04-09 | THE CABINET: James Wilson of Iowa, who headed this department for 16 years, served longer than any other cabinet officer Department of Agriculture |
| #2681, aired 1996-04-08 | FAMOUS ENGINEERS: In 1960 he became director of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama (Wernher) von Braun |
| #2680, aired 1996-04-05 | FOREIGN WARS: It was the first war covered by both newspaper reporters & photographers The Crimean War |
| #2679, aired 1996-04-04 | FAMOUS TEACHERS: In 1967 this former teacher published a memoir entitled "Center of the Storm" John Scopes (famous Scopes Trial) |
| #2678, aired 1996-04-03 | FAMOUS WOMEN: At the first U.N. meeting, held in 1946 in London, she was the only woman in the U.S. delegation Eleanor Roosevelt |
| #2677, aired 1996-04-02 | U.S. CITY NAME ORIGINS: Frederick, Maryland was named for the 6th Baron this Baltimore (the Barons Baltimore; the Calvert family) |
| #2676, aired 1996-04-01 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The two presidents whose fathers signed the Declaration of Independence William Henry Harrison & John Quincy Adams |
| #2675, aired 1996-03-29 | POETS: In 1942 his collection of verse "Shakespeare in Harlem" appeared Langston Hughes |
| #2674, aired 1996-03-28 | HISTORIC PEOPLE: Apsley House, the London home of this historic duke, boasts an 11' 4" nude statue of Napoleon the Duke of Wellington |
| #2673, aired 1996-03-27 | TRAVEL & TOURISM: This company established its first village in 1950 in Alcudia on the island of Majorca Club Med |
| #2672, aired 1996-03-26 | FOREIGN DIRECTORS: His fascination with clowns & make-believe may have begun when he ran off with Pierino's Circus as a child Federico Fellini |
| #2671, aired 1996-03-25 | THE ELEMENTS: The first inert gas discovered on Earth, its name is Greek for "without work" argon (Ar) |
| #2670, aired 1996-03-22 | CHILDREN'S THEATRE: 1904 British play that includes the line "To die will be an awfully big adventure" Peter Pan |
| #2669, aired 1996-03-21 | FAMOUS SHIPS: Commander Lloyd M. Bucher was the last captain of this U.S. ship USS Pueblo (attacked by North Korea in 1968) |
| #2668, aired 1996-03-20 | NONFICTION: The masthead of this publication says it was "established in 1792 and published every year thereafter" The Farmers Almanac |
| #2667, aired 1996-03-19 | THE AMERICAS: It's the only country in the Americas currently headed by a woman president & vice president Nicaragua |
| #2666, aired 1996-03-18 | BIRDS: Ectopistes migratorius is the scientific name of this now-extinct bird the passenger pigeon |
| #2665, aired 1996-03-15 | PUBLISHING FIRSTS: In 1570 Abraham Ortelius produced the first modern book of this type: "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" an atlas |
| #2664, aired 1996-03-14 | 20th CENTURY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: 1 of 3 presidential candidates who lost an election in which they received over 200 electoral votes Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford or Charles Evans Hughes |
| #2663, aired 1996-03-13 | OPERA: He conducted the world premieres of "Pagliacci", "La Boheme" & "The Girl of the Golden West" Arturo Toscanini |
| #2662, aired 1996-03-12 | SOUTH AMERICAN CAPITALS: Capital nearest which you'd find a monument called Mitad del Mundo, or "middle of the world" Quito |
| #2661, aired 1996-03-11 | MEDALS & DECORATIONS: U.S. sailors & Marines who participated in this battle were awarded the Dewey Medal the Battle of Manila Bay |
| #2660, aired 1996-03-08 | AUTHORS: He adapted a rejected treatise on exploring Africa by balloon into an 1863 novel, his first big success Jules Verne |
| #2659, aired 1996-03-07 | FAMOUS WOMEN: Karen, a suburb of Nairobi, is named in honor of this woman who once lived there Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen) |
| #2658, aired 1996-03-06 | ANCIENT HISTORY: He started the Third Servile War in 73 B.C. Spartacus |
| #2657, aired 1996-03-05 | THE OSCARS: Husband & wife who were both nominated for playing a married couple in a 1966 film; only the wife won Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor |
| #2656, aired 1996-03-04 | INVENTIONS: Oliver Wendell Holmes called it "the mirror with a memory" a camera |
| #2655, aired 1996-03-01 | THE CONTINENTS: The 3 longest rivers in the world are on these 3 continents Africa, South America, and Asia |
| #2654, aired 1996-02-29 | AUTHORS: He created his most famous character in 1952 at Goldeneye, a holiday home he bought in Jamaica Ian Fleming |
| #2653, aired 1996-02-28 | AIRLINES: In 1962 this airline used the ad line "My son, the pilot" El Al |
| #2652, aired 1996-02-27 | FAMOUS FAMILIES: The 1st man named this was a violinist, the 2nd, an actor & the 3rd, CEO at Times Mirror Magazines Efrem Zimbalist |
| #2651, aired 1996-02-26 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Olga Ivinskaya, who passed away in Moscow in 1995, was the inspiration for this character Lara |
| #2650, aired 1996-02-23 | 20th CENTURY AMERICANS: In 1941 & 1942 he served as a photo-muralist for the Department of the Interior Ansel Adams |
| #2649, aired 1996-02-22 | SCIENTISTS: In 1992 the Roman Catholic Church admitted that it had erred in condemning this man Galileo |
| #2648, aired 1996-02-21 | BRITISH MONARCHS: She was the niece of the last Hanoverian king Victoria |
| #2647, aired 1996-02-20 | QUOTATIONS: In 1947 Bernard Baruch told the Senate, "We are in the midst of" one of these "which is getting warmer" a cold war |
| #2646, aired 1996-02-19 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: This first American writer to earn $1 million received only $2,000 for a 1903 novel set in the Klondike Jack London |
| #2645, aired 1996-02-16 | ACTORS & ACTRESSES: This actor's first name is Hawaiian for "cool breeze over the mountains" Keanu Reeves |
| #2644, aired 1996-02-15 | NORTH AMERICA: This country contains North America's most southerly point Panama |
| #2643, aired 1996-02-14 | LAKES: After Lake Michigan, it's the largest natural lake entirely within the U.S. Great Salt Lake |
| #2642, aired 1996-02-13 | EXPLORERS: For many years after his death in 1324, he was considered Europe's greatest liar Marco Polo |
| #2641, aired 1996-02-12 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: This American general born in 1820 was called "Cump" by his siblings William Tecumseh Sherman |
| #2640, aired 1996-02-09 | DESIGN: Marc Chagall & Salvador Dali were among the artists who designed these for Baron Philippe de Rothschild wine labels |
| #2639, aired 1996-02-08 | FAMOUS NAMES: His 1958 article "The American Automobile--Designed for Death?" appeared in the Harvard Law Record Ralph Nader |
| #2638, aired 1996-02-07 | CRIME & PUNISHMENT: Charged with adultery, she, her brother & 4 others were locked in the Tower of London in 1536 Anne Boleyn |
| #2637, aired 1996-02-06 | SHAKESPEARE: Shakespeare's 2 plays with "King" in the title & no numbers following King Lear & King John |
| #2636, aired 1996-02-05 | 20th CENTURY COMPOSERS: This Italian-born American won his 2nd Pulitzer Prize in 1955, for an opera set in NYC's Little Italy (Gian Carlo) Menotti |
| #2635, aired 1996-02-02 | CONGRESS: On Nov. 23, 1973 Yvonne Braithwaite Burke became the first member of Congress to do this while in office give birth |
| #2634, aired 1996-02-01 | POETS: In 1968 Gwendolyn Brooks succeeded this man as Poet Laureate of Illinois Carl Sandburg |
| #2633, aired 1996-01-31 | U.S.A.: The new $92 million Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stands on the shores of this lake Lake Erie |
| #2632, aired 1996-01-30 | ENGLAND: Also known as New Sarum, this city famous for its cathedral is just a stone's throw from Stonehenge Salisbury |
| #2631, aired 1996-01-29 | HISTORIANS: In 1962 she said, "Nineteen-fourteen was the birthday of us all" Barbara Tuchman |
| #2630, aired 1996-01-26 | CENTRAL AMERICA: The least populous country in Central America, it extends the farthest north Belize |
| #2629, aired 1996-01-25 | STATE CAPITALS: This state capital is on the site of a cross erected by Capt. Christopher Newport May 24, 1607 Richmond, Virginia |
| #2628, aired 1996-01-24 | EXPLORERS: On March 18, 1912 he wrote in his diary, "My right foot has gone, nearly all the toes..." Robert Falcon Scott (in Antarctica) |
| #2627, aired 1996-01-23 | DISNEY FILMS: In Spanish-speaking countries, this Disney film is known as "La Sirenita" The Little Mermaid |
| #2626, aired 1996-01-22 | 1995: Frank C. Gaylord II sculpted the figures for the memorial to this, dedicated July 27, 1995 the Korean War |
| #2625, aired 1996-01-19 | 20th CENTURY LEADERS: His name means "son of the young lion" in Hebrew David Ben-Gurion |
| #2624, aired 1996-01-18 | MEDICAL FIRSTS: The death of Denise Darvall in a traffic accident permitted this historic December 3, 1967 event the first heart transplant |
| #2623, aired 1996-01-17 | THE CALENDAR: The next year that will be written in only 4 Roman numerals 2002 (MMII) |
| #2622, aired 1996-01-16 | SPORTS NICKNAMES: This French tennis player born in 1905 is nicknamed "The Crocodile" Rene Lacoste |
| #2621, aired 1996-01-15 | POLITICIANS: In 1961, Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as vice president by this mentor Sam Rayburn |
| #2620, aired 1996-01-12 | STATE CAPITALS: During the 1920s the Progressive Party was headquartered in this capital Madison, Wisconsin |
| #2619, aired 1996-01-11 | GEOGRAPHY: It's Europe's second-largest island Iceland |
| #2618, aired 1996-01-10 | FURNITURE: This upholstered seat, with or without a back, was introduced to Europe from Turkey in the 18th century an ottoman |
| #2617, aired 1996-01-09 | ENGLISH POETS: "Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind" precedes a famous line from his works (John) Donne |
| #2616, aired 1996-01-08 | I LOVE LUCY: On the May 9, 1955 show, Lucy imitated Gary Cooper, Clark Gable & this man who guest starred Harpo Marx |
| #2615, aired 1996-01-05 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: The first Russian winner, he was awarded the 1904 Prize in Physiology or Medicine Ivan Pavlov |
| #2614, aired 1996-01-04 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: He was born Newton Leroy McPherson in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on June 17, 1943 Newt Gingrich |
| #2613, aired 1996-01-03 | OSCAR-WINNING ACTORS: In the 1950s he won 2 Best Supp. Actor Oscars: 1 for playing a revolutionary, & 1 for playing an artist Anthony Quinn |
| #2612, aired 1996-01-02 | THE SUPREME COURT: He served as chief justice for more of the 20th century than any other man--17 years Warren Burger |
| #2611, aired 1996-01-01 | DEMOCRATS: In 1995 he cast his 14,000th vote in the Senate, a record for any party Senator (Robert) Byrd |
| #2610, aired 1995-12-29 | HISTORIC DOCUMENTS: Clause 40 of this document reads, "To none will we sell, to none deny or delay, right or justice" the Magna Carta |
| #2609, aired 1995-12-28 | AWARDS: Prior to winning a Nobel Peace Prize, she received the Nehru Award Mother Teresa |
| #2608, aired 1995-12-27 | ADVERTISING SYMBOLS: In a 1945 poll she ranked as the best-known woman in America after Eleanor Roosevelt Betty Crocker |
| #2607, aired 1995-12-26 | HISTORIC PEOPLE: Marie Antoinette called him "l'ambassadeur electrique" Benjamin Franklin |
| #2606, aired 1995-12-25 | ARCHITECTS: Frank Lloyd Wright had a fine collection of art from this country where he spent a lot of time 1915-1922 Japan |
| #2605, aired 1995-12-22 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: A statue of him stands at Yale's Connecticut Hall; a copy can be found at CIA headquarters in Virginia Nathan Hale |
| #2604, aired 1995-12-21 | ENGINEERING: Opened in 1994, it links the SNCB, SNCF & BR the Chunnel (the English Channel Tunnel) |
| #2603, aired 1995-12-20 | NATIONAL PARKS: East Temple, Angels Landing & the Altar of Sacrifice are landmarks in this park Zion National Park |
| #2602, aired 1995-12-19 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: The name of this country in the Southern Hemisphere comes from a Latin word for "southern" Australia |
| #2601, aired 1995-12-18 | MUSICAL THEATRE: Songs performed in a 1960 musical about her included "Beautiful People Of Denver" & "I Ain't Down Yet" (Unsinkable) Molly Brown |
| #2600, aired 1995-12-15 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: Book 1, Chapter 4 of this 1880 work is entitled "The Third Son Alyosha" The Brothers Karamazov |
| #2599, aired 1995-12-14 | FAMOUS NAMES: Famous name of Colonel Paul W. Tibbets' mother Enola Gay |
| #2598, aired 1995-12-13 | FAMOUS MUSICIANS: In the 1950s he composed the scores for Satyajit Ray's brilliant "Apu" trilogy of films Ravi Shankar |
| #2597, aired 1995-12-12 | HISTORIC QUOTES: In 1945 this Frenchman told his countrymen, "If I treated with the enemy, it was to spare you" Philippe Pétain |
| #2596, aired 1995-12-11 | BRITISH AUTHORS: Among guests who surprised him on a 1994 British "This is Your Life" were Buzz Aldrin & Alexi Leonov Arthur C. Clarke |
| #2595, aired 1995-12-08 | EUROPE: Excluding Russia, with over 81 million people, it's the most populous country in Europe Germany |
| #2594, aired 1995-12-07 | NICKNAMES: Poet Ezra Pound nicknamed this person "Old Possum" T.S. Eliot |
| #2593, aired 1995-12-06 | OSCAR-WINNING FILMS: WWII kept this 1941 movie from filming on location, so an entire Welsh village was built in California How Green Was My Valley |
| #2592, aired 1995-12-05 | WOMEN OF SCIENCE: With 32, Carolyn Shoemaker has discovered more of these than any other living person comets |
| #2591, aired 1995-12-04 | SHAKESPEARE: The most recent British monarch who's the title character of a Shakespeare play Henry VIII |
| #2590, aired 1995-12-01 | U.S. AIRPORTS: In terms of cargo this city's airport was the world's busiest in 1994, handling 1.65 million metric tons Memphis |
| #2588, aired 1995-11-29 | INVENTORS: In 1911 Willis H. Carrier presented a paper on this subject to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers air conditioning |
| #2587, aired 1995-11-28 | ARCHAEOLOGY: Discovered in 1799, it records the deeds of Egyptian king Ptolemy V Epiphanes the Rosetta Stone |
| #2586, aired 1995-11-27 | PEOPLE: According to Forbes, with an estimated worth of $12.9 billion, he's now the richest man in the world Bill Gates |
| #2585, aired 1995-11-24 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 1 of 3 U.S. presidents in the 20th c. who never had a house of Congress controlled by his party (1 of) Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford & George Bush |
| #2584, aired 1995-11-23 | ETHICS: Aesculapius, Hygeia, Panacea & Apollo are all mentioned in the first line of this The Hippocratic Oath |
| #2583, aired 1995-11-22 | THE OSCARS: 2 of the 5 actors before Tom Hanks to win 2 Best Actor Oscars (2 of) Marlon Brando, Gary Cooper, Dustin Hoffman, Fredric March & Spencer Tracy |
| #2582, aired 1995-11-21 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: This character in an 1838 novel was based on Ikey Solomon, a British thief & fence Fagin |
| #2581, aired 1995-11-20 | BESTSELLING NOVELISTS: From 1979 to 1986, he was dean of the college of business administration at the University of Northern Iowa Robert James Waller ("The Bridges of Madison County") |
| #2580, aired 1995-11-17 | FAMOUS NAMES: DNA from Prince Philip helped prove that Anna Anderson-Manahan was not this woman, as she had claimed Anastasia |
| #2579, aired 1995-11-16 | STATE CAPITALS: This state capital was a compromise choice between North Platters & South Platters Lincoln, Nebraska |
| #2578, aired 1995-11-15 | SCULPTORS: This American remarked, "Disparity in form, color, size, weight, motion is what makes a composition" Alexander Calder |
| #2577, aired 1995-11-14 | NOTABLE WOMEN: She said she healed from a near-fatal fall after reading a passage from the Bible in 1866 Mary Baker Eddy |
| #2576, aired 1995-11-13 | THE ELEMENTS: At its standard mass, it puts the red in red fireworks; its 90 isotope is found in nuclear fallout Strontium |
| #2575, aired 1995-11-10 | 20th CENTURY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: James B. Stockdale was his vice-presidential running mate Ross Perot |
| #2574, aired 1995-11-09 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: He's the co-founder & editor-in-chief of a new magazine that hit the stands on September 26, 1995 John F. Kennedy, Jr. |
| #2573, aired 1995-11-08 | VOCABULARY: This term for the ludicrous misuse of a word is from the name of a character in an 18th century play malapropism |
| #2572, aired 1995-11-07 | FRANCE: Jacques Chirac is the 5th president of the 5th Republic; he was the first Charles de Gaulle |
| #2571, aired 1995-11-06 | BUSINESS & LITERATURE: On March 24, 1994 this store held a breakfast to announce the new Truman Capote Literary Trust Tiffany's |
| #2570, aired 1995-11-03 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: He was director of the New York State Library from 1889 to 1906 (Melvil) Dewey |
| #2569, aired 1995-11-02 | NUCLEAR ENERGY: With 109 operable nuclear reactors, the U.S. leads the world; as of 1994 this country was No. 2 with 56 France |
| #2568, aired 1995-11-01 | ASTRONOMY: This term means "sun stands still" solstice |
| #2567, aired 1995-10-31 | THE UNITED NATIONS: Along with Antarctica, the 2 continents that have not supplied the U.N. with a secretary-general North America & Australia |
| #2566, aired 1995-10-30 | ANNUAL EVENTS: Between 1903 & the present, this event took place every year but 2: 1904 & 1994 the World Series |
| #2565, aired 1995-10-27 | BIRTHSTONES: 1 of the 2 months with the same first letter as their traditional birthstones (1 of) September or October |
| #2564, aired 1995-10-26 | SECRETARIES OF STATE: He said, "Looking far off into the northwest, I see the Russian as he busily occupies himself..." (William) Seward |
| #2563, aired 1995-10-25 | NATIVE AMERICANS: Indian tribes own more acreage in this state than in any other Arizona |
| #2562, aired 1995-10-24 | HISTORICAL QUOTES: In 1912 he said, "There is only one thing to do... go back to the Republican Party" Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt |
| #2561, aired 1995-10-23 | FAMOUS NAMES: As British ambassador to Turkey he was allowed to take away "any pieces of stone with old inscriptions" (Lord) Elgin |
| #2560, aired 1995-10-20 | STATE CAPITALS: The name of this capital is an Anglicized form of the Hebrew word for "peace" Salem |
| #2559, aired 1995-10-19 | OSCAR-WINNING FILMS: 1 of the 2 musicals set in France that won the Best Picture Oscar in the 1950s (1 of) Gigi or An American in Paris |
| #2558, aired 1995-10-18 | THE CARIBBEAN: Its peso is symbolized R.D.$ the Dominican Republic |
| #2557, aired 1995-10-17 | U.S. STATES: After Alaska, this state has the greatest difference between its highest & lowest points California |
| #2556, aired 1995-10-16 | DOGS: Boer farmers bred this big-game hunter from the Mastiff, Great Dane, Greyhound & others a Rhodesian Ridgeback |
| #2555, aired 1995-10-13 | GOVERNMENT: Bill Clinton did this for the first time as president June 7, 1995, 869 days into his term veto a bill |
| #2554, aired 1995-10-12 | FAMOUS NOVELS: The first of the 7 commandments in this 1945 novel is "Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy" Animal Farm |
| #2553, aired 1995-10-11 | VOCABULARY: A formicarium is an apparatus for raising & observing these creatures ants |
| #2552, aired 1995-10-10 | COMMEMORATIVE COINS: On a 1995 dollar commemorating the Special Olympics, she's the first living woman depicted on a U.S. coin Eunice Kennedy Shriver |
| #2551, aired 1995-10-09 | SUPREME COURT JUSTICES: He served as assistant attorney general of Missouri under John C. Danforth from 1974 to 1977 (Clarence) Thomas |
| #2550, aired 1995-10-06 | PRIMATES: A type of macaque, it's the only primate, other than man, found in Europe The Gibraltar Ape |
| #2549, aired 1995-10-05 | SPORTS: There are more patents issued in relation to this sport than any other golf |
| #2548, aired 1995-10-04 | FLOWERS: This flower's name comes from its use in scenting the ancient Romans' wash water lavender |
| #2547, aired 1995-10-03 | FAMOUS NAMES: Born June 27, 1880, she called March 3, 1887, the day she met her teacher, the birthday of her soul Helen Keller |
| #2546, aired 1995-10-02 | U.S. STATES: 2 of the 4 states that border only 2 other states (2 of) Florida, Washington, South Carolina & Rhode Island |
| #2545, aired 1995-09-29 | 19th CENTURY ARTISTS: He sued a man for libel over a criticism of his painting "Nocturne in Black and Gold"--& won (James Abbott McNeil) Whistler |
| #2544, aired 1995-09-28 | THE OLYMPICS: The last Summer Olympic Games of the 20th century are scheduled to be held in this city Sydney, Australia |
| #2543, aired 1995-09-27 | U.S. CURRENCY: On April 13, 1976 the reverse of this bill was changed from a presidential home to an event the $2 bill |
| #2542, aired 1995-09-26 | GREEK MYTHOLOGY: The name of this benefactor of man signifies "forethought" Prometheus |
| #2541, aired 1995-09-25 | NEXT IN LINE: Jacqueline, Claudia, Thelma, … Elizabeth "Betty" (Ford) |
| #2540, aired 1995-09-22 | ART HISTORY: Prior to 1508 it was covered by Pier Matteo d'Amelia's representation of a starry sky the (ceiling of the) Sistine Chapel |
| #2539, aired 1995-09-21 | U.S.A.: Its design includes 13 stars, 13 stripes, 13 arrows, 13 olives, 13 rows of stones & a 13-letter motto *the Great Seal of the U.S. (**the dollar) |
| #2538, aired 1995-09-20 | WORLD LEADERS: Published in 1989, "Daughter of Destiny" is this prime minister's autobiography (Benazir) Bhutto |
| #2537, aired 1995-09-19 | NOTABLE WOMEN: In 1995, 61 years after her death, she became the 1st woman entombed in France's Pantheon in her own right Marie Curie |
| #2536, aired 1995-09-18 | WORLD WAR II: On Jan. 29, 1944 Margaret Truman, accompanied by her senator father, christened this battleship USS Missouri |
| #2535, aired 1995-09-15 | RULERS: The 2 British kings whose royal names have the highest Roman numerals Henry VIII & Edward VIII |
| #2534, aired 1995-09-14 | OSCAR-WINNING ACTORS: Poet Carl Sandburg once described him as "the mightiest ballad singer of this or any other century" Burl Ives |
| #2533, aired 1995-09-13 | AMERICAN POETRY: In a famous poem, she's "the Arrow-maker's daughter...Handsomest of all the women" Minnehaha |
| #2532, aired 1995-09-12 | FAMOUS SPEECHES: Last word of a 1775 speech that includes "Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in illusions of hope" death |
| #2531, aired 1995-09-11 | FRENCH AUTHORS: In 1881 Paris' Avenue d'Eylau was renamed for this author who lived on it in honor of his 80th year Victor Hugo |
| #2530, aired 1995-09-08 | ANTHROPOLOGY: It's the more familiar name of the type of Homo erectus once classified as sinanthropus Peking man |
| #2529, aired 1995-09-07 | NATURALISTS: Before his death in 1914 he studied forests in Russia, India & Australia, as well as the U.S. John Muir |
| #2528, aired 1995-09-06 | FAMOUS WOMEN: Of a famous 1955 event she said, "My only concern was to get home after a hard day's work" Rosa Parks |
| #2527, aired 1995-09-05 | FAMOUS NAMES: Licensing rights to the likeness of this man born in Germany in 1879 belong to Jerusalem's Hebrew University Albert Einstein |
| #2526, aired 1995-09-04 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Other than in Germany, the U.S. has more military personnel stationed in this foreign country than in any other Japan |
| #2525, aired 1995-07-21 | EDUCATORS: In 1946 she published "Education for a New World" Maria Montessori |
| #2524, aired 1995-07-20 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 1 of 2 presidents who had military service in 4 wars (1 of) Andrew Jackson or Zachary Taylor |
| #2523, aired 1995-07-19 | FAMOUS NAMES OF THE '50s: It turned out to be the name of a childhood neighbor of hypnosis subject Virginia Tighe Bridey Murphy |
| #2522, aired 1995-07-18 | 20th CENTURY MONARCHS: This king fathered 6 children, 2 of whom reigned after him as British monarchs George V |
| #2521, aired 1995-07-17 | PLAYWRIGHTS: He was still writing plays in 1947 at age 91 when he said, "As long as I live I must write" George Bernard Shaw |
| #2520, aired 1995-07-14 | NOVEL CHARACTERS: The next-to-last line spoken by this man is "I wish I could care what you do or where you go, but I can't" Rhett Butler |
| #2519, aired 1995-07-13 | BALLET CHARACTERS: In a famous 1892 ballet, she rules over the Kingdom of Sweets the Sugar Plum Fairy |
| #2518, aired 1995-07-12 | CAMPAIGN SONGS: This 1948 campaign song was written by Eubie Blake for the 1921 musical "Shuffle Along" "I'm Just Wild About Harry" |
| #2517, aired 1995-07-11 | FAMOUS NAMES: "The Great Gatsby" author's 3-letter middle name Key |
| #2516, aired 1995-07-10 | 20th CENTURY PERSONALITIES: When he died in 1926, he was buried in the bronze casket he had toured with Harry Houdini |
| #2515, aired 1995-07-07 | NOTORIOUS: Oscar Collazo, serving a life sentence for his assassination attempt on this president, was released in 1979 Harry Truman |
| #2514, aired 1995-07-06 | FAMOUS PLAYS: Play that includes, "I was so mean as to kill this bird today... soon I shall kill myself in the same way" The Seagull |
| #2513, aired 1995-07-05 | LITERARY OPERAS: Operas based on this author's works include "Il Talismano", "Il Templario" & "La Prigione d'Edimburgo" Sir Walter Scott |
| #2512, aired 1995-07-04 | THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: 1 of the 3 things "we mutually pledge to each other" at the end of the Declaration (1 of) our lives, our fortunes, & our sacred honor |
| #2511, aired 1995-07-03 | THE ELEMENTS: It was discovered in 1898 when 2 scientists in France extracted a minute amount from a ton of pitchblende radium (or polonium) |
| #2510, aired 1995-06-30 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: He died July 12, 1804 of a gunshot wound received at Weehawken Heights, New Jersey Alexander Hamilton |
| #2509, aired 1995-06-29 | SHAKESPEARE & FILM: A poignant scene in "The Madness of King George" features George III reading aloud from this play King Lear |
| #2508, aired 1995-06-28 | GOVERNORS: On December 5, 1994, Tony Knowles was sworn in as its ninth governor Alaska |
| #2507, aired 1995-06-27 | ANCIENT HISTORY: In 41 B.C. Mark Antony named him tetrarch of Galilee Herod (the Great) |
| #2506, aired 1995-06-26 | THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR: The Bonhomme Richard defeated the Serapis in this sea the North Sea |
| #2505, aired 1995-06-23 | THE SUPER BOWL: With 7 appearances, this team has played in more Super Bowls than any other the Dallas Cowboys |
| #2504, aired 1995-06-22 | 1994 FILMS: This 1994 film is based on Mark Handley's play "Idioglossia" Nell |
| #2503, aired 1995-06-21 | ODD WORDS: The word lapidate refers to this ancient form of punishment stoning |
| #2502, aired 1995-06-20 | ORGANIZATIONS: This national Patriotic Society was organized in 1890 by First Lady Caroline Scott Harrison (The National Society of) the Daughters of the American Revolution |
| #2501, aired 1995-06-19 | ARTISTS: He painted a "Crouching Marquesan Woman Seen from the Back" circa 1902 Paul Gauguin |
| #2500, aired 1995-06-16 | THE WINTER OLYMPICS: In 1994 this country's 2 medals were won by women, one in figure skating, the other in the biathlon Ukraine |
| #2499, aired 1995-06-15 | THE PRESIDENCY: Annual salary of the first 17 presidents; double it 3 times for today's salary $25,000 |
| #2498, aired 1995-06-14 | AMERICAN WOMEN: From 1911 to 1935 she served as the first president of the National Federation of Settlements Jane Addams |
| #2497, aired 1995-06-13 | HISTORIC PAIRS: Stopped by Indians 36 miles short of their assigned task, they returned to Philadelphia in 1767 (Charles) Mason & (Jeremiah) Dixon |
| #2496, aired 1995-06-12 | FAMOUS NAMES: In a 1987 interview, he said, "In silence and movement you can show the reflection of people" Marcel Marceau |
| #2495, aired 1995-06-09 | AUSTRALIA: This 1987 event gained worldwide recognition for the city of Fremantle, a suburb of Perth The America's Cup |
| #2494, aired 1995-06-08 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: In September 1814 John S. Skinner & this Maryland atty. were sent to negotiate the release of William Beanes, a POW Francis Scott Key |
| #2493, aired 1995-06-07 | ITALIAN OPERA: The title of this Puccini opera is the last name of the opera's heroine, a famous singer named Floria Tosca |
| #2492, aired 1995-06-06 | POSTAL ABBREVIATIONS: Among the 2-letter abbreviations for U.S. states, this state's is 1st alphabetically Alaska |
| #2490, aired 1995-06-02 | ORGANIZATIONS: This organization was started in 1935 by William Griffith Wilson & Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) |
| #2488, aired 1995-05-31 | FAMOUS NAMES: Best known as a novelist, in 1973 he directed his first feature film, "Westworld" Michael Crichton |
| #2487, aired 1995-05-30 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 4 Republican, 2 Democrat & these 2 Whig presidents have died while in office William Henry Harrison & Zachary Taylor |
| #2486, aired 1995-05-29 | SPORTS: This race first run in 1903 covers 2,500-3,000 miles & includes at least 1 mountain over 7,500 The Tour de France |
| #2485, aired 1995-05-26 | ISLANDS: Residents of this island were forced to leave in 1946, returned in the '70s & were relocated again in 1978 Bikini (Atoll) |
| #2484, aired 1995-05-25 | MAMMALS: A colony of 400 million of these animals in Texas once covered 25,000 square miles prairie dogs |
| #2483, aired 1995-05-24 | ENGLISH LITERATURE: Though not named in the title, Oliver Mellors is the title character of this 1928 novel Lady Chatterley's Lover |
| #2482, aired 1995-05-23 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: At the beginning of the Civil War, this school moved from Maryland to Newport, Rhode Island the U.S. Naval Academy |
| #2481, aired 1995-05-22 | WORD ORIGINS: The name of this type of food is derived from the Roman goddess of agriculture cereal |
| #2480, aired 1995-05-19 | CANADA: The 2 capitals of Canadian provinces named in honor of Prince Albert's wife Victoria (British Columbia) & Regina (Saskatchewan) |
| #2479, aired 1995-05-18 | PHILANTHROPISTS: In the early 1900s, he was Lord Rector of the Universities of St. Andrews & Aberdeen Andrew Carnegie |
| #2477, aired 1995-05-16 | AMERICAN BOOKS: Its author said of this 1906 book, "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach" The Jungle |
| #2476, aired 1995-05-15 | SHAKESPEARE: Ajax, Achilles & Agamemnon are all characters in this play Troilus and Cressida |
| #2475, aired 1995-05-12 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: In 1790 this cabinet officer wrote his "Report on the Public Credit" Alexander Hamilton |
| #2474, aired 1995-05-11 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Chapter XI of this 1826 novel is prefaced by a Shakespearean quote: "Cursed be my tribe, if I forgive him" The Last of the Mohicans |
| #2473, aired 1995-05-10 | POLITICS 1995: 1 of 2 Republican senators who cast votes against the balanced budget amendment on March 2, 1995 (1 of) Mark Hatfield or Senator Dole |
| #2472, aired 1995-05-09 | U.S. POSTAGE STAMPS: 1994's most popular commemorative stamp was one observing this event's 25th anniversary the Apollo Moon landing |
| #2471, aired 1995-05-08 | WORLD LITERATURE: This 1513 work concludes with "An Exhortation to Liberate Italy from the Barbarians" The Prince |
| #2470, aired 1995-05-05 | SCULPTURE: "The shot heard round the world" is carved in the base of this Daniel Chester French statue The Minute Man |
| #2469, aired 1995-05-04 | POLITICAL TERMS: In a 1906 speech Teddy Roosevelt said he agreed with their aims but their methods were sensational & irresponsible muckrakers |
| #2468, aired 1995-05-03 | THE CENSUS: In 1994 this state surpassed New York to become the second most populous state Texas |
| #2467, aired 1995-05-02 | THE ELEMENTS: Highest atomic numbered element whose symbol is a single letter uranium |
| #2466, aired 1995-05-01 | SCIENCE HISTORY: In 1317 Pope John XXII called these people evil: "They present a false metal for gold and silver" alchemists |
| #2465, aired 1995-04-28 | OSCAR-WINNING FILMS: The first scene of this biographical film, the Best Picture of 1982, is set in South Africa Gandhi |
| #2464, aired 1995-04-27 | WORLD CAPITALS: Monuments & public buildings in this city line the wide Avenida Bernardo O'Higgins Santiago, Chile |
| #2463, aired 1995-04-26 | BODIES OF WATER: The meridian of Cape Agulhas, Portuguese for "needles", is the boundary between these 2 oceans the Atlantic & the Indian Oceans |
| #2462, aired 1995-04-25 | PRESIDENTS: Emily Tennessee Donelson served as his hostess because his wife died 7 weeks after the election Andrew Jackson |
| #2461, aired 1995-04-24 | OPERA: It was the first opera by a U.S.-born composer performed at La Scala Porgy and Bess |
| #2460, aired 1995-04-21 | FAMOUS FAMILIES: Between 1680 & 1765, 5 members of this family were elders of the town of Ajaccio, Corsica the Bonapartes |
| #2459, aired 1995-04-20 | MODERN AUTHORS: His last novel opens in Yokohama on 14th September 1862 James Clavell |
| #2458, aired 1995-04-19 | WARS: This war began with the Uitlanders fighting for political rights the Boer War |
| #2453, aired 1995-04-12 | 20th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: He said, "If you have not chosen me by secret ballot, neither have I gained office by any secret promises" Gerald Ford |
| #2452, aired 1995-04-11 | WORLD CITIES: It's the capital of South Africa located in the geographic center of the country Bloemfontein |
| #2448, aired 1995-04-05 | FOREIGN AID: These 2 countries, once each other's enemies, are the 2 biggest recipients of U.S. foreign aid Israel & Egypt |
| #2446, aired 1995-04-03 | MEN OF MEDICINE: This British physician introduced the term "vaccine" in a 1798 report Edward Jenner |
| #2445, aired 1995-03-31 | ANCIENT EGYPT: The most common name for rulers of ancient Egypt was Ptolemy at 15; the next most common was this name at 11 Ramses |
| #2444, aired 1995-03-30 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Part of the largest archipelago, it consists of more than 13,600 islands & is 3,200 miles long Indonesia |
| #2442, aired 1995-03-28 | COLONIAL AMERICA: President of the Continental Congress 1775-77, he was reelected in 1785 but didn't serve due to illness John Hancock |
| #2441, aired 1995-03-27 | SCIENTISTS: In 1928 he published "Introduzione alla fisical atomica", a university physics textbook Enrico Fermi |
| #2440, aired 1995-03-24 | THE 1960s: John Froines, Lee Weiner, David Dellinger & 4 others made up this group the Chicago Seven |
| #2439, aired 1995-03-23 | U.S. CITIES: This Florida city is named for a man born in Tagaste, Numidia November 13, 354 St. Augustine |
| #2438, aired 1995-03-22 | AUTHORS: His father, Apollo Korzeniowski, helped organize Polish rebellion against Russia in the 1860s Joseph Conrad |
| #2437, aired 1995-03-21 | OPERA: Considered the most popular of all Czech operas, it ends with a betrothal The Bartered Bride |
| #2435, aired 1995-03-17 | PHILANTHROPISTS: In 1887 the remains of James Lick were placed inside one of these that he endowed a telescope |
| #2434, aired 1995-03-16 | LITERARY QUOTES: In an 1840s work, this British author wrote, "Ah! Vanitas Vanitatum! which of us is happy in this world?" William Makepeace Thackeray |
| #2433, aired 1995-03-15 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: The first 4 notes of this 1808 work supposedly represent fate knocking at the door Beethoven's 5th Symphony |
| #2432, aired 1995-03-14 | FAMOUS NAMES: This shipowner was at the helm of the Britannia as it left Liverpool for Boston in 1840 Samuel Cunard |
| #2431, aired 1995-03-13 | WORLD CURRENCY: On an alphabetical list of the world's basic monetary units, this one is last the złoty |
| #2430, aired 1995-03-10 | POETS: His wife Caitlin, who outlived him by 41 years, passed away in 1994 at age 80 Dylan Thomas |
| #2429, aired 1995-03-09 | AMERICAN HISTORY: This British monarch authorized the first English colony in North America Elizabeth I |
| #2428, aired 1995-03-08 | RULERS: At his death at age 62 in 1993, he was Europe's longest-reigning monarch King Baudouin |
| #2427, aired 1995-03-07 | MYSTERY FICTION: The title character in this 1932 detective story is a missing inventor, not the detective looking for him The Thin Man |
| #2426, aired 1995-03-06 | THE 1980s: In 1989 a statue called "Goddess of Democracy" was erected in this square Tiananmen Square |
| #2425, aired 1995-03-03 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: Frederick Barnard was president of this university from 1864 to 1889 Columbia |
| #2424, aired 1995-03-02 | TRANSPORTATION: It's the only city in the Deep South to have a subway system Atlanta |
| #2423, aired 1995-03-01 | NONFICTION: In the 1870s he wrote "The Molly Maguires and the Detectives" & "Criminal Reminiscences and Det. Sketches" Pinkerton |
| #2422, aired 1995-02-28 | EPIC POETRY: In the 16th century epic "The Faerie Queene", the Red Crosse Knight represents this patron saint St. George |
| #2421, aired 1995-02-27 | THE OLD TESTAMENT: The words "Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin" appear in this book the Book of Daniel |
| #2420, aired 1995-02-24 | KINGS & QUEENS: This royal wife, Queen of England for just 6 months in 1540, was the daughter of a German duke Anne of Cleves |
| #2419, aired 1995-02-23 | ARTISTS: One of the few known portraits of this American painter is of her "in the Louvre", by her friend Edgar Degas Mary Cassatt |
| #2418, aired 1995-02-22 | SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS: Berlioz based his last opera, "Beatrice et Benedict", on this Shakespeare play Much Ado About Nothing |
| #2417, aired 1995-02-21 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: On October 18, 1938, Hermann Goering decorated him with a service cross Charles Lindbergh |
| #2416, aired 1995-02-20 | THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: At 70, he was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence Benjamin Franklin |
| #2415, aired 1995-02-17 | ENGLISH LITERATURE: Set in Scandinavia, not in Britain, it's the longest surviving epic poem written in Old English Beowulf |
| #2414, aired 1995-02-16 | AMERICAN HISTORY: This South Dakota community was the site of 2 clashes between the U.S. gov't & Indians, in 1890 & 1973 Wounded Knee |
| #2413, aired 1995-02-15 | COMPOSERS: Hans von Bulow said his favorite key was E-flat major because it had 1 flat for each of these composers Bach, Brahms & Beethoven (The Three Bs) |
| #2412, aired 1995-02-14 | NATIONAL MONUMENTS: It was completed in 1886 & until 1902 was administered by the Federal Lighthouse Board the Statue of Liberty |
| #2411, aired 1995-02-13 | ORGANIZATIONS: The name of this organization comes from the phrase "philosophia biou kubernetes" Phi Beta Kappa |
| #2410, aired 1995-02-10 | WORD ORIGINS: This word for sudden, wild fear comes from the name of a god who was believed to cause it panic |
| #2409, aired 1995-02-09 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: Its 4 statutory members are the President, Vice President & Secretaries of Defense & State the National Security Council (the NSC) |
| #2408, aired 1995-02-08 | BODIES OF WATER: When Jim Bridger discovered this body of water in 1824, he mistook it for an arm of the Pacific the Great Salt Lake |
| #2407, aired 1995-02-07 | THE OLYMPICS: It was the last national capital to host the Summer Olympic Games Seoul |
| #2406, aired 1995-02-06 | PHILANTHROPISTS: A college & an oceanographic institution are named for this newspaper family the Scripps family |
| #2405, aired 1995-02-03 | BIOLOGY: In humans the red hemoglobin contains iron; in mollusks the blue hemocyanin contains this metal copper |
| #2404, aired 1995-02-02 | HISTORIC AMERICANS: When he died in 1746, his wife became editor of the New-York Weekly Journal John Peter Zenger |
| #2403, aired 1995-02-01 | SENATORS: A protege of Chicago mayor Harold Washington, she was elected Cook County recorder of Deeds in 1988 Carol Moseley-Braun |
| #2402, aired 1995-01-31 | THE OSCARS: She's the only performer to win a Best Actress Oscar for a foreign-language film Sophia Loren |
| #2400, aired 1995-01-27 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: He said "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains...must be the truth" Sherlock Holmes |
| #2399, aired 1995-01-26 | CLASSIC TV: Sitcom whose title character was born in Baghdad in 64 B.C. I Dream of Jeannie |
| #2398, aired 1995-01-25 | AUTHORS: Once rejected as too far-fetched, his 1863 novel "Paris in the 20th Century" was published for the 1st time in 1994 Jules Verne |
| #2397, aired 1995-01-24 | THE AMERICAN THEATRE: This Robert E. Sherwood play about a president won the 1939 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Abe Lincoln in Illinois |
| #2396, aired 1995-01-23 | THE SOUTHERN U.S.: At 345 feet, this southern state's highest elevation is the lowest among the 50 states Florida |
| #2395, aired 1995-01-20 | WOMEN AUTHORS: In 1910 she became the first woman novelist elected to the Hall of Fame for Great Americans Harriet Beecher Stowe |
| #2394, aired 1995-01-19 | COINS: This gold coin was so named because its value was originally twice that of an Escudo a doubloon |
| #2393, aired 1995-01-18 | ANCIENT TIMES: While conquering Asia, he carried a copy of the "Iliad" in a special gold casket Alexander the Great |
| #2392, aired 1995-01-17 | 20th CENTURY PERSONALITIES: During WWI this singer raised several million dollars for the Italian Red Cross Enrico Caruso |
| #2391, aired 1995-01-16 | U.S. HISTORY: John Sevier, the only gov. of the self-proclaimed state of Franklin, later became the 1st gov. of this state Tennessee |
| #2390, aired 1995-01-13 | ARCHITECTURE: The name of this type of structure comes from the unit of length of an ancient foot race--606 feet a stadium |
| #2389, aired 1995-01-12 | BRITISH MONARCHS: 9-year-old Henry III became king of England when this king, his father, died in 1216 King John |
| #2388, aired 1995-01-11 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This flatware company can be traced back to a New York religious colony founded in 1848 Oneida |
| #2387, aired 1995-01-10 | BOOKS & AUTHORS: Among his books are "About Zionism" & "The Evolution of Physics" Albert Einstein |
| #2384, aired 1995-01-05 | MUSIC COMPETITIONS: The piano competition named for him is sponsored by the Kosciuszko Foundation Frederic Chopin |
| #2383, aired 1995-01-04 | UNIVERSITIES: The golden spike removed after the May 10, 1869 ceremony is now at this university Stanford |
| #2382, aired 1995-01-03 | POLITICIANS: In 1953 he moved to Arkansas, where he set up the Experimental Ranch "Winrock" Winthrop Rockefeller |
| #2381, aired 1995-01-02 | AUTOMAKERS: It's Europe's largest & the world's fourth-largest automaker Volkswagen |
| #2380, aired 1994-12-30 | SURNAMES: Ionesco & Ivanovich are equivalents of this English surname Johnson |
| #2379, aired 1994-12-29 | 1994 MOVIES: The title of this 1994 action hit can be traced to a 1919 Supreme Court opinion by Oliver Wendell Holmes Clear and Present Danger |
| #2378, aired 1994-12-28 | ETYMOLOGY: Until 1946, this word usually meant a mathematician; since then, it's come to mean a machine a computer |
| #2377, aired 1994-12-27 | ORGANIZATIONS: Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America is headquartered in this city Philadelphia |
| #2376, aired 1994-12-26 | NOTABLE WOMEN: In 1957, at age 90, author & scholar Edith Hamilton was made an honorary citizen of this city Athens |
| #2375, aired 1994-12-23 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: A college was named for this woman, the first person to establish a scholarship at Harvard (Anne) Radcliffe |
| #2374, aired 1994-12-22 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: With over 55 million visitors, this country is the world's most popular tourist destination France |
| #2373, aired 1994-12-21 | U.S. ISLANDS: Mount Ada on this island is named for the wife of chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Catalina Island |
| #2372, aired 1994-12-20 | HISTORY: The 7-year revolt by the Front de Liberation Nationale led this country to independence in 1962 Algeria |
| #2371, aired 1994-12-19 | AMERICAN ARTISTS: His "Triple Self-Portrait" was put on a 29¢ stamp in 1994 Norman Rockwell |
| #2370, aired 1994-12-16 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: In 1928 Washburn Crosby joined with Red Star, Rocky Mountain Elevator & Kalispell Flour to create this co. General Mills |
| #2369, aired 1994-12-15 | DRAMA: 1611 play possibly inspired by the 1609 wreck of the ship carrying future Virginia governor Thomas Gates The Tempest |
| #2368, aired 1994-12-14 | AMERICANA: This New York town that was the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton has a Women's Hall of Fame Seneca Falls |
| #2367, aired 1994-12-13 | AMERICAN HISTORY: Appointed minister to Mexico in 1853, he was recalled in 1856 James Gadsden |
| #2366, aired 1994-12-12 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: In 1920 he ran using the campaign slogan "Convict No. 9653 for President" Eugene Debs |
| #2365, aired 1994-12-09 | PSYCHOLOGY: The grandfather of this psychiatrist founded the Institute of Hope, a mental hospital in Basel (Carl) Jung |
| #2364, aired 1994-12-08 | ROYALTY: Collier's Encyclopedia calls this man "the most famous of Polynesians" King Kamehameha |
| #2363, aired 1994-12-07 | POETIC HEROINES: The heroine of this 1847 poem is driven into exile by British soldiers during the French & Indian War Evangeline |
| #2362, aired 1994-12-06 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: Last name of the 18th c. bookseller & publisher known as the first to specialize in children's books Newbery |
| #2361, aired 1994-12-05 | THE BIBLE: Ehud, Jephthah & Gideon are 3 of the people for whom this Old Testament book is named Judges |
| #2360, aired 1994-12-02 | WORLD FACTS: Country whose monetary unit is the Swiss franc & whose only official language is German Liechtenstein |
| #2359, aired 1994-12-01 | BESTSELLING AUTHORS: He was 50 yards from victory in Britain's Grand National Steeplechase of 1956 when his horse collapsed Dick Francis |
| #2358, aired 1994-11-30 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: 1 of the top 10 companies that operated food services in 1964, in 1994 its lunch counters ranked No. 264 Woolworth's |
| #2357, aired 1994-11-29 | PLAYS: The title of a Sean O'Casey play refers to these symbols on the flag of the Irish Citizen Army a plow & stars |
| #2356, aired 1994-11-28 | BRITISH HEROES: At his death in 1852, he was interred in St. Paul's near Lord Nelson the Duke of Wellington |
| #2355, aired 1994-11-25 | AMERICAN POLITICAL TERMS: This phrase first appeared in 1845, followed by "to overspread the continent alloted by providence" Manifest Destiny |
| #2354, aired 1994-11-24 | SOUTH AFRICA: Province discovered by Vasco da Gama on Christmas Day, 1497 Natal |
| #2353, aired 1994-11-23 | DEMOCRATS: When Grandma Moses was born, this man was president; at her death, JFK was president James Buchanan |
| #2352, aired 1994-11-22 | HISTORIC NAMES: Though he spent most of his life in Europe, he was governor of the Bahamas for most of World War II Edward VIII/Duke of Windsor |
| #2351, aired 1994-11-21 | PLAYWRIGHTS: In 1936 he wrote his last play, "The Boy David"; an actress played the title role James M. Barrie |
| #2350, aired 1994-11-18 | OPERA: One-word title of the Verdi opera set in Windsor, England in the 15th century "Falstaff" |
| #2349, aired 1994-11-17 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: This former U.N. ambassador is a co-chairman of the host city's committee for the 1996 Olympic Games Andrew Young |
| #2348, aired 1994-11-16 | HISTORIC NAMES: A midshipman at age 9, he served in the War of 1812 at age 11, & became a Civil War hero while in his 60s David Farragut |
| #2347, aired 1994-11-15 | AFRICAN LANDMARKS: Discovered November 16, 1855, its Makalolo name, Mosioatunya, means "the smoke that thunders" Victoria Falls |
| #2346, aired 1994-11-14 | ROYALTY: The last king of the Hellenes, he was the second to bear this name King Constantine II (former King Constantine) |
| #2345, aired 1994-11-11 | ANCIENT ROME: One of these commanded 100 of the 6000 men in a legion a centurion |
| #2344, aired 1994-11-10 | FAMOUS SHIPS: It left Spithead, England December 23, 1787 & arrived in Tahiti October 26, 1788 the Bounty |
| #2343, aired 1994-11-09 | DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: Alphabetically, he was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence John Adams |
| #2342, aired 1994-11-08 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: In his 1913 autobiography, he said "Do not hit at all if it can be avoided; but never hit softly" Teddy Roosevelt |
| #2341, aired 1994-11-07 | U.S. LANDMARKS: James Hoban, who designed & built this, had to rebuild it after a fire in 1814 the White House |
| #2340, aired 1994-11-04 | VICE PRESIDENTS: This Republican was the first V.P. to succeed to the presidency and then win the office by election Theodore Roosevelt |
| #2339, aired 1994-11-03 | PLAYWRIGHTS: He's won 3 Pulitzer Prizes for drama--in 1967, 1975 & 1994 Edward Albee |
| #2338, aired 1994-11-02 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: In 1993 this American company received more U.S. patents than any other in the world IBM |
| #2337, aired 1994-11-01 | FRUITS & VEGETABLES: The name of this common apple variety probably refers to its growth from seeds rather than by grafting the pippin |
| #2336, aired 1994-10-31 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: Excluding the U.S. Canada, these 2 countries share the longest continuous border in the world, nearly 3,300 miles Chile & Argentina |
| #2335, aired 1994-10-28 | WORD ORIGINS: This term for a small place of worship goes back to the veneration of the cape of St. Martin of Tours chapel |
| #2334, aired 1994-10-27 | 1994: In July 1994 these 2 foreign leaders became the first to address the same joint session of Congress Rabin and King Hussein |
| #2333, aired 1994-10-26 | MYTHOLOGY: This prize was inscribed "for the fairest" the golden apple |
| #2332, aired 1994-10-25 | ORCHESTRAL MUSIC: Described as a "Grand Zoological Fantasy" in 14 movements, it was written by a Frenchman in 1886 Carnival of the Animals |
| #2331, aired 1994-10-24 | SPACE: The names of these 2 space shuttles, the first & last built, are synonyms Enterprise & Endeavour |
| #2330, aired 1994-10-21 | AMERICANA: The phrase "Great Faces Great Places" appears on this state's license plates South Dakota |
| #2329, aired 1994-10-20 | 1960s THEATRE: In the 1966-'67 Broadway season, this playwright had 4 shows running simultaneously Neil Simon |
| #2328, aired 1994-10-19 | MUSICIANS: In 1958 he recorded the first classical LP to sell one million copies Van Cliburn |
| #2326, aired 1994-10-17 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: It was created in 1931 by a merger of, among others, Boeing Air Transport & National Air Transport United Airlines |
| #2325, aired 1994-10-14 | RULERS: In the Mayflower Compact this king was called a "dread sovereign lord" King James I of England (or King James VI of Scotland) |
| #2324, aired 1994-10-13 | LITERARY AWARDS: 2 of 3 men from Ireland awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature (2 of) (William Butler) Yeats, (George Bernard) Shaw or (Samuel) Beckett |
| #2323, aired 1994-10-12 | GREEK MYTHOLOGY: To cure his affliction he was told to bathe in the Pactolus River King Midas |
| #2322, aired 1994-10-11 | BIOGRAPHIES: Isaac Deutscher's final biographical volume on this Russian was "The Prophet Outcast", covering 1929-1940 (Leon) Trotsky |
| #2321, aired 1994-10-10 | FAMILIAR PHRASES: Jefferson said it "is no excuse in any country... because it can always be pretended" ignorance of the law |
| #2320, aired 1994-10-07 | ART HISTORY: In 1894 Alphonse Mucha began designing posters of Sarah Bernhardt that popularized this decorative style art nouveau |
| #2319, aired 1994-10-06 | HISTORY: Henry VIII made Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury; she had him burned at the stake for heresy Mary I (Bloody Mary) |
| #2318, aired 1994-10-05 | ARCHAELOGISTS: This archaeologist named his children Andromache & Agamemnon Heinrich Schliemann |
| #2317, aired 1994-10-04 | AWARDS: The National Arbor Day Foundation presents an annual award named for this poet Joyce Kilmer |
| #2316, aired 1994-10-03 | MODERN QUOTATIONS: In 1962 she wrote, "...the chemical barrage has been hurled against the fabric of life" Rachel Carson |
| #2315, aired 1994-09-30 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Of the presidents who attended a service academy, the only one who graduated in the top 10 percent of his class Jimmy Carter |
| #2314, aired 1994-09-29 | ART & AUTHORS: The Honolulu Academy of Arts has this U.S. author's collection of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints James Michener |
| #2313, aired 1994-09-28 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Famous story that contains the line "I wish I may never hear of the United States again!" The Man Without a Country |
| #2312, aired 1994-09-27 | BOTANY: In 1872 he introduced seedless grape cuttings to California William Thompson |
| #2311, aired 1994-09-26 | EUROPEAN GEOGRAPHY: It has the shortest coastline of any independent country, 3.49 miles Monaco |
| #2310, aired 1994-09-23 | NOVELISTS: In 1918 he proudly wrote to his family "I'm the first American wounded in Italy" Ernest Hemingway |
| #2309, aired 1994-09-22 | WORD ORIGINS: This nickname for a non-Spanish speaker comes from the Spanish word for "Greek" gringo |
| #2308, aired 1994-09-21 | QUEENS: She was Queen Consort of France 1137-1152 & Queen Consort of England 1154-1204 Eleanor of Aquitaine |
| #2307, aired 1994-09-20 | WOMEN IN SPORTS: With 5, she's won more Olympic gold medals than any other U.S. female athlete Bonnie Blair |
| #2306, aired 1994-09-19 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: In 1864 the Comm. of Agriculture advocated that the government issue daily ones of these via telegraphs a weather report |
| #2305, aired 1994-09-16 | BODIES OF WATER: In the time of the Roman Republic, this river separated Cisalpine Gaul from Italy the Rubicon |
| #2304, aired 1994-09-15 | 1994: James Gregory, a former Robben Island warden, was an invited guest at this May 10, 1994 event the inauguration of Nelson Mandela |
| #2303, aired 1994-09-14 | NOTABLE WOMEN: On Good Housekeeping's 1994 list of the most admired people, this 1979 Nobel laureate led the women Mother Teresa |
| #2302, aired 1994-09-13 | TECHNOLOGY: The first commercial product to use the transistor; the radio came 2 years later in 1954 a hearing aid |
| #2301, aired 1994-09-12 | WORLD CAPITALS: This city was founded in the 6th century as a capital in the Tonkin Lowland Hanoi |
| #2300, aired 1994-09-09 | LANDMARKS: This barrier is situated in the British Isles about 100 miles south of the Antonine Wall Hadrian's Wall |
| #2299, aired 1994-09-08 | HISTORIC NAMES: In 1877 his remains were buried at West Point, where he had graduated last in his class George A. Custer |
| #2298, aired 1994-09-07 | AUTHORS: The novelist who wrote, "The beginning of the end of war lies in remembrance" Herman Wouk |
| #2297, aired 1994-09-06 | THE OLD TESTAMENT: 1 of the 2 talking animals of the Old Testament the serpent or Balaam's ass |
| #2296, aired 1994-09-05 | THE OLYMPICS: Of all the cities that have hosted the Winter Olympics, this one is the farthest north Lillehammer, Norway |
| #2295, aired 1994-07-22 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 2 of 4 men who served as president without having been elected to another public office (2 of) Ulysses Grant, Zachary Taylor, Dwight David Eisenhower & Herbert Hoover |
| #2294, aired 1994-07-21 | HISTORIC DYNASTIES: Muzio Attendolo, who founded a Renaissance dynasty, took this surname that means "the forcer" Sforza |
| #2293, aired 1994-07-20 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This electronics company is named for an early product, the first commercially successful car radio Motorola |
| #2292, aired 1994-07-19 | 19th CENTURY AUTHORS: D.H. Lawrence said he probably did "more than any writer to present the Red Man to the white man" James Fenimore Cooper |
| #2291, aired 1994-07-18 | STAGE STARS: Her stage name came from reading fellow performers' tea leaves Gypsy Rose Lee |
| #2290, aired 1994-07-15 | ISLANDS: The Dutch & French, who occupied this Caribbean island, divided it between them on March 23, 1648 St. Martin (Saint-Martin, Sint Maarten) |
| #2289, aired 1994-07-14 | 20th CENTURY WOMEN: C.B. Luce said of her, "No woman has ever so comforted the distressed or so distressed the comfortable" Eleanor Roosevelt |
| #2288, aired 1994-07-13 | SENATORS: As a child in 1938, this current senator cut the ribbon opening London's Children's Zoo (Edward) Ted Kennedy |
| #2287, aired 1994-07-12 | NEWSMAKERS: She played the Favorite Aunt in the Washington Ballet's Dec. 26, 1993 performance of "The Nutcracker" Chelsea Clinton |
| #2286, aired 1994-07-11 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: 2 of the 3 countries in the Western Hemisphere that have a "Z" in their names (2 of) Venezuela, Brazil & Belize |
| #2285, aired 1994-07-08 | MOUNTAINS: The second peak surveyed in this range was Mount Godwin Austen the Karakoram Range |
| #2284, aired 1994-07-07 | PRESIDENTIAL HOMES: Name shared by a state capital & a president's home in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains Montpelier |
| #2283, aired 1994-07-06 | THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: Established in 1795, this committee has jurisdiction over social security, tariffs & all revenue measures Ways & Means |
| #2282, aired 1994-07-05 | WOMEN IN SPORTS: Charmayne Rodman, the only woman to earn $1 million in the rodeo, did it in this event barrel racing |
| #2281, aired 1994-07-04 | SPACE EXPLORATION 1994: The USA's 1st lunar probe in 21 years is named this because after the mission it'll be "lost and gone forever" Clementine |
| #2280, aired 1994-07-01 | OPERETTAS: In this operetta, the title character has made flirting a capital offense; violators will be beheaded The Mikado |
| #2279, aired 1994-06-30 | IN THE NEWS: In 1994 the Navy named a new class of cargo ships after this entertainer Bob Hope |
| #2278, aired 1994-06-29 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: The only category in which an American did not win an award in 1993 Peace |
| #2277, aired 1994-06-28 | ASTRONOMY: It was discovered by a Czechoslovak-born astronomer in March 1973 (Comet) Kohoutek |
| #2276, aired 1994-06-27 | WORLD CITIES: Now a national capital, Gurkha kings made it their capital after capturing it in 1768 Katmandu |
| #2275, aired 1994-06-24 | LAST LINES: A J.M. Synge play ends, "Oh my grief, I've lost him surely. I've lost the only" one of these Playboy of the Western World |
| #2274, aired 1994-06-23 | RULERS: 4 sons of the founder of this kingdom have served as its king; 1 reigns now Saudi Arabia |
| #2273, aired 1994-06-22 | FAMOUS WOMEN: She was quoted as saying that as a mother, "I modeled my behavior on chimps... they are very loving" Jane Goodall |
| #2272, aired 1994-06-21 | ISLANDS: This isolated Pacific island 1400 miles SE of Tahiti is named for the first European who sighted it, in 1767 Pitcairn Island |
| #2271, aired 1994-06-20 | FICTIONAL TRANSPORTATION: It's 70 meters long, powered by electricity, displaces 1500 cubic meters of water & cost 1,687,000 francs the Nautilus |
| #2270, aired 1994-06-17 | LANGUAGES: This island country's 2 official languages are Sinhalese & Tamil Sri Lanka |
| #2269, aired 1994-06-16 | LETTER PERFECT: Hottinguer, Bellamy & Hauteval, agents of Talleyrand, were called this in a 1798 report to Congress X, Y & Z |
| #2268, aired 1994-06-15 | BOOKS & AUTHORS: JFK donated some of this book's royalties to the city of Plymouth in Great Britain Why England Slept |
| #2267, aired 1994-06-14 | FAMOUS NAMES: In 1921 he was appointed an advisor on Arab affairs to then British colonial minister Winston Churchill T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) |
| #2266, aired 1994-06-13 | COMMUNICATIONS: This first passive communications satellite, launched in 1960, simply reflected radio signals Echo |
| #2265, aired 1994-06-10 | 19th CENTURY HUMANITARIANS: Like her sister Parthenope, who was named for Naples, she was named for the city of her birth Florence Nightingale |
| #2264, aired 1994-06-09 | RULERS: Manuel II, deposed in 1910, was this country's last king Portugal |
| #2263, aired 1994-06-08 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: 2 of the 3 presidents elected with over 500 electoral votes (2 of) Nixon, Reagan or Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| #2262, aired 1994-06-07 | SCULPTURE: Since 1948 over 8 million tons of granite have been removed in sculpting this man & he's not finished Chief Crazy Horse |
| #2261, aired 1994-06-06 | BRITISH HISTORY: Over 300 years after his 1658 death, his head was laid to rest by his alma mater, a college at Cambridge Oliver Cromwell |
| #2260, aired 1994-06-03 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: At 193 square miles, this mountain lake is the largest alpine lake in the United States Lake Tahoe |
| #2259, aired 1994-06-02 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: In 1912 he organized the Keystone Company Mack Sennett |
| #2258, aired 1994-06-01 | WORD ORIGINS: This term for one who exposes political corruption comes from a character in "The Pilgrim's Progress" a muckraker |
| #2257, aired 1994-05-31 | AUTHORS: Her last book "A Garland For Girls" was completed shortly before her death in 1888 Louisa May Alcott |
| #2256, aired 1994-05-30 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: 3 of the last 5 presidents have earned degrees from this university Yale |
| #2255, aired 1994-05-27 | STATE CAPITALS: It lies on the east bank of the Missouri River about 150 miles south of the Canadian border Bismarck, North Dakota |
| #2254, aired 1994-05-26 | COMPOSERS: This pianist & composer died in 1886 while attending a Wagner music festival at Bayreuth Franz Liszt |
| #2253, aired 1994-05-25 | WOMEN IN TELEVISION: Joan Ganz Cooney was president of this company 1970-1990 the Children's Television Workshop |
| #2252, aired 1994-05-24 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: The people of this kingdom call it Druk Yul, meaning the realm or land of the dragon Bhutan |
| #2251, aired 1994-05-23 | BEST SELLERS: The title of this 1987 novel comes from the burning of valuables in Florence, Italy in the 1490s Bonfire of the Vanities |
| #2250, aired 1994-05-20 | EXPLORERS: He published the aptly titled memoir "High Adventure" in 1955 Sir Edmund Hillary |
| #2249, aired 1994-05-19 | 18th CENTURY AMERICA: In 1785 he became America's first minister to England John Adams |
| #2248, aired 1994-05-18 | POETS: On his death, April 27, 1882, the church bells of Concord, Mass. tolled 79 times in his memory Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| #2247, aired 1994-05-17 | ARCHITECTURE: Montreal, Tehran & Jerusalem are cities for which Moshe Safdie has designed these communities of prefab modules Habitats |
| #2246, aired 1994-05-16 | MEMOIRS: In 1981 he published "A Knight at the Opera" Rudolf Bing |
| #2245, aired 1994-05-13 | MYTHOLOGICAL WOMEN: The name of this woman in mythology is Greek for "weaver" or "bobbin worker" Penelope |
| #2244, aired 1994-05-12 | ALPHABETICALLY FIRST: Among the men who have walked on the Moon, his last name is alphabetically first (Buzz) Aldrin |
| #2243, aired 1994-05-11 | IN THE NEWS: His daughter Alina Fernandez Revuelta, was granted political asylum by the U.S. in 1993 Fidel Castro |
| #2242, aired 1994-05-10 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Headings in this 1854 work include "Solitude", "Brute Neighbors" & "The Pond in Winter" Walden (Life in the Woods) |
| #2241, aired 1994-05-09 | THE SUPREME COURT: While Chief Justice, he was made special envoy to England, where he made a very unpopular treaty John Jay |
| #2240, aired 1994-05-06 | ARTISTS: "Red Vineyard" was one of the few of his paintings sold during his lifetime Vincent van Gogh |
| #2239, aired 1994-05-05 | THE BIBLE: Although blind, he killed 3,000 at a religious festival Samson |
| #2238, aired 1994-05-04 | GOVERNMENT: In the majority of the state legislatures, this person presides over the senate lieutenant governor |
| #2237, aired 1994-05-03 | BANKS: This New York City bank is named for the 25th Secretary of the Treasury the Chase Manhattan Bank |
| #2236, aired 1994-05-02 | MUSEUMS: Founded in 1846, it's the world's largest museum complex with 16 museums & over 140 million items Smithsonian |
| #2235, aired 1994-04-29 | FIRST LADIES: At 21, she was the youngest wife of a sitting president Frances Folsom Cleveland |
| #2234, aired 1994-04-28 | OPERA: In Act I of this 1875 opera, the title character stabs a fellow factory worker Carmen |
| #2233, aired 1994-04-27 | SHAKESPEARE: The play in which Edward, Prince of Wales says, "I do not like the tower, of any place" Richard III |
| #2232, aired 1994-04-26 | LITERARY LANDMARKS: A home built in 1668 at 54 Turner St. in Salem, Massachusetts inspired this 1851 novel The House of the Seven Gables |
| #2231, aired 1994-04-25 | ECOLOGY: From 1949 to 1952 she was editor-in-chief for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Rachel Carson |
| #2230, aired 1994-04-22 | OLD RADIO: This comedian said he took his last name from a Revolutionary War hero who was no longer using it Fred Allen |
| #2229, aired 1994-04-21 | FAIRS & EXPOSITIONS: The Century of Progress Exposition in 1933 marked the 100th anniversary of this city Chicago |
| #2228, aired 1994-04-20 | THE 50 STATES: This Atlantic state's highest point is 442 feet on Ebright Road in New Castle County Delaware |
| #2227, aired 1994-04-19 | BRITISH ROYALTY: In the line of succession to the British throne, she's Number 5, the female highest on the list Beatrice |
| #2226, aired 1994-04-18 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: Jennifer Greenway's "A Real Little Bunny" is a sequel to this Margery Williams classic The Velveteen Rabbit |
| #2225, aired 1994-04-15 | MOVIE ACTRESSES: 1 of only 4 women who have won the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award (1 of) Lillian Gish, Bette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck |
| #2224, aired 1994-04-14 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: On receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she said, "I accept in the name of the poor" Mother Teresa |
| #2223, aired 1994-04-13 | 1990s BESTSELLERS: The pivotal item in a 1992 bestseller, it was written by Darby Shaw the Pelican Brief |
| #2222, aired 1994-04-12 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: This university was founded in 1870 at the urging of Rutherford B. Hayes Ohio State University |
| #2221, aired 1994-04-11 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 1 of 2 presidents who became widowers & remarried while in office John Tyler or Woodrow Wilson |
| #2220, aired 1994-04-08 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This company was founded in the 1930s to produce anti-glare products such as sunglasses Polaroid |
| #2219, aired 1994-04-07 | THE OLD TESTAMENT: Nahum 1:3 describes these as the dust of God's feet clouds |
| #2218, aired 1994-04-06 | WOMEN AUTHORS: In the 1920s she wrote, "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction" Virginia Woolf |
| #2217, aired 1994-04-05 | DRAMA: This Tony-winning "Best Play" of 1988 is set in Paris & Beijing M. Butterfly |
| #2216, aired 1994-04-04 | VICE PRESIDENTS: At the age of 20 he helped manage Hubert Humphrey's 1948 Senate campaign Walter Mondale |
| #2215, aired 1994-04-01 | BUSINESS LEADERS: In 1986 he published his autobiography, "Pizza Tiger" Tom Monaghan |
| #2214, aired 1994-03-31 | SCIENTISTS: By his own account, he was born "in Diamond Grove, Missouri, about the close of the Great Civil War" George Washington Carver |
| #2213, aired 1994-03-30 | PULITZER PRIZE NOVELS: The first Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by a woman, it became a movie in 1993 The Age of Innocence |
| #2212, aired 1994-03-29 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 2 of the 3 presidents elected in a year ending with "0" who did not die in office (2 of) Ronald Reagan, Thomas Jefferson, or James Monroe |
| #2211, aired 1994-03-28 | AUSTRALIA: In the 1800s many dangerous felons were sent here, now Australia's southernmost state Tasmania |
| #2210, aired 1994-03-25 | THE CARIBBEAN: Charlotte Amalie, the largest city in the Virgin Islands, is named for a queen of this country Denmark |
| #2209, aired 1994-03-24 | LESSER-KNOWN NAMES: You're most likely to see the names Catalina Villalpando & Nicholas Brady together on one of these a $1 bill |
| #2208, aired 1994-03-23 | THE BIBLE: The first person mentioned for whom no children are listed Abel |
| #2207, aired 1994-03-22 | PLAYWRIGHTS: Mrs. Patrick Campbell said of this vegetarian, "God help us if he should ever eat a beefsteak" George Bernard Shaw |
| #2206, aired 1994-03-21 | ISLANDS: At 122 square miles, it's Europe's smallest island nation Malta |
| #2205, aired 1994-03-18 | MASCULINE NAMES: This common English man's name is from the Greek for "God's gift" Theodore |
| #2204, aired 1994-03-17 | TRAVEL & TOURISM: In November 1993 Disney announced plans to build a Disney's America Theme Park in this U.S. state Virginia |
| #2203, aired 1994-03-16 | LITERARY LANDMARKS: In 1923 Henry Ford bought this Mass. tavern & turned part of it into a museum honoring Longfellow the Wayside Inn |
| #2202, aired 1994-03-15 | AFRICA: The French Foreign Legion was created in 1831 to occupy this country Algeria |
| #2201, aired 1994-03-14 | THE UNITED NATIONS: The only member of the League of Nations that has never joined the United Nations under any name Switzerland |
| #2200, aired 1994-03-11 | THE WINTER OLYMPICS: In some events of this competition, each miss requires a 150-meter penalty lap the biathlon |
| #2199, aired 1994-03-10 | THE CONSTITUTION: Name given the plan proposed by William Paterson at the Constitutional Convention the New Jersey plan |
| #2198, aired 1994-03-09 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 1 of only 2 men elected to Congress after serving as president John Quincy Adams or Andrew Johnson |
| #2197, aired 1994-03-08 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: In 1993 she became the first American woman since Pearl Buck to win the Nobel Prize in Literature Toni Morrison |
| #2196, aired 1994-03-07 | WEATHER: Europe's highest recorded temperature, over 120º F., was in this country in 1881 Spain |
| #2195, aired 1994-03-04 | ENGLISH LITERATURE: Penguin's edition of this 1830's classic includes a glossary of thieves' slang Oliver Twist |
| #2194, aired 1994-03-03 | CHINA: Today this historic region of China is simply referred to as the Northeast Manchuria |
| #2193, aired 1994-03-02 | THE FOUNDING FATHERS: He wrote newspaper essays under pseudonyms such as Pacificus, Camillus & Publius Alexander Hamilton |
| #2192, aired 1994-03-01 | BRAND NAMES: In the 1930s this product was advertised with the phrase "Don't put a cold in your pocket" Kleenex |
| #2191, aired 1994-02-28 | JAZZ: Real name of the American jazz musician whose compositions include "Ornithology" Charlie Parker |
| #2190, aired 1994-02-25 | FAMOUS NAMES: In 1970 he made his first visit to a Tennessee classroom since his conviction 45 years earlier John Scopes |
| #2189, aired 1994-02-24 | FAMOUS WOMEN: A 1953 graduate of Mount St. Vincent College in NYC, she was a world leader 1986-1992 Corazon Aquino |
| #2188, aired 1994-02-23 | HISTORIC CAPES: On October 21, 1805 the Victory won a victory off this Spanish cape Trafalgar |
| #2187, aired 1994-02-22 | POETS: An 1863 poem by this man includes the line "On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five" Longfellow |
| #2186, aired 1994-02-21 | U.S. LANDMARKS: This building has the world's biggest switchboard with about 1 million calls per day on 34,500 lines the Pentagon |
| #2185, aired 1994-02-18 | LEGENDARY PAIRS: In the late 1100s, monks at Glastonbury Abbey claimed they'd found the bodies of this royal couple Arthur & Guinevere |
| #2184, aired 1994-02-17 | PERFORMING ARTS: A famous U.S. school is named for this philanthropist who was born at sea to French parents in 1836 Juilliard |
| #2183, aired 1994-02-16 | FAMOUS SPEECHES: In a 1963 speech JFK declared, "2,000 years ago the proudest boast was 'civis romanus sum.' Today" it's this Ich bin ein Berliner |
| #2182, aired 1994-02-15 | WORLD LEADERS: In 1992 he became the first foreign head of state to be convicted by a U.S. jury Manuel Noriega |
| #2181, aired 1994-02-14 | THE 1970s: In August 1993 the last of the contaminated water from this 1979 accident site was evaporated Three Mile Island |
| #2180, aired 1994-02-11 | ISLANDS: Henry Hudson named this island for the Dutch legislature Staten Island |
| #2179, aired 1994-02-10 | PRESIDENTS: Both of his sons were given the name Doud, their mother's maiden name Dwight David Eisenhower |
| #2178, aired 1994-02-09 | TRAVEL & TOURISM: This European resort was founded in 1856 & named for Prince Charles III Monte Carlo |
| #2177, aired 1994-02-08 | HISTORIC NAMES: In 1895 he founded the Wyoming town now considered the eastern entrance to Yellowstone Buffalo Bill Cody |
| #2176, aired 1994-02-07 | POETIC HEROINES: In Tennyson she calls herself "that wicked one, who broke the vast design and purpose of the king" Guinevere |
| #2175, aired 1994-02-04 | DIRECTORS & THEIR FILMS: 1 of only 2 films directed by Clint Eastwood that did not star Clint Eastwood (1 of) Bird or Breezy |
| #2174, aired 1994-02-03 | U.S. HISTORY: Laura Keene, who first came to the U.S. in the 1850s, was best known for her starring role in this play Our American Cousin |
| #2173, aired 1994-02-02 | ORGANIZATIONS: As a declaration of faith, soldiers in this organization sign the Articles of War The Salvation Army |
| #2172, aired 1994-02-01 | ANCIENT CITIES: Antony & Cleopatra met in this city, later home to an apostle & now in Turkey Tarsus |
| #2171, aired 1994-01-31 | THE WHITE HOUSE: 1 of the 2 presidents who died in the White House William Henry Harrison & Zachary Taylor |
| #2170, aired 1994-01-28 | WORD ORIGINS: From the same root as "bottle", this job in Old England involved pouring wine butler |
| #2169, aired 1994-01-27 | EUROPEAN GEOGRAPHY: Name shared by the southernmost province of Belgium, a country on its border & a capital city Luxembourg |
| #2168, aired 1994-01-26 | FAMOUS NAMES: Eisenhower said on his 1955 death that no other man contributed so much to the growth of 20th c. knowledge Albert Einstein |
| #2167, aired 1994-01-25 | AMERICAN NOVELS: The first sentence of this 1957 novel is "I first met Dean not long after my wife and I split up" On the Road |
| #2166, aired 1994-01-24 | FAMOUS PAIRS: On radio, this pair was played by the creator's daughter, Joan Burroughs, & her husband Tarzan & Jane |
| #2165, aired 1994-01-21 | THE KENNEDY CENTER HONORS: The first ballet company founder honored by the Kennedy Center, he was born in St. Petersburg in 1904 George Balanchine |
| #2164, aired 1994-01-20 | INVENTORS: He & his wife are buried on an estate called Beinn Bhreagh on Canada's Cape Breton Island Alexander Graham Bell |
| #2163, aired 1994-01-19 | THE 50 STATES: Though 46th largest in area, this state ranks 9th largest in population New Jersey |
| #2162, aired 1994-01-18 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: A Massachusetts city & college are named after this British commander at the 1759 capture of Ticonderoga Amherst |
| #2161, aired 1994-01-17 | SPAIN: The name of this southern region of Spain probably came from a word that means "land of the Vandals" Andalusia |
| #2160, aired 1994-01-14 | LEGENDS: According to Sir Thomas Malory, the name of this object means "cut-steel" Excalibur |
| #2159, aired 1994-01-13 | SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS: Sir William Catesby's last line in this play is "Withdraw, my lord; I'll help you to a horse" Richard III |
| #2158, aired 1994-01-12 | HISTORIC NAMES: The town in which he was born in 1870 was later renamed Ulyanovsk Vladimir Lenin |
| #2157, aired 1994-01-11 | FAMOUS WOMEN: In an 1875 book she wrote, "Disease is an experience of so-called mortal mind" Mary Baker Eddy |
| #2156, aired 1994-01-10 | MONARCHS: King William IV's daughters died in infancy, so this niece succeeded him on the British throne Victoria |
| #2155, aired 1994-01-07 | ETHNIC GROUPS: 1/4 of Americans claim this central European ancestry, making it the nation's largest ethnic group German(s) |
| #2154, aired 1994-01-06 | FAMOUS NOVELS: Chapter 32 of this novel is titled "Cetology" Moby-Dick |
| #2153, aired 1994-01-05 | CARD GAMES: Best poker hand that can be formed from the last 5 monarchs of England four of a kind (four kings) |
| #2152, aired 1994-01-04 | COMPOSERS: He had 3 children: Eva, Isolde & Siegfried Richard Wagner |
| #2151, aired 1994-01-03 | POP MUSIC: He has surpassed Elvis with a Top 40 hit in 24 consecutive years Elton John |
| #2150, aired 1993-12-31 | POLITICIANS: Elected to the House of Representatives in 1966, he was the first Republican to represent Houston George Bush |
| #2149, aired 1993-12-30 | SHAKESPEARE: The 2 female title characters in Shakespearean tragedies who die by their own hand Cleopatra & Juliet |
| #2148, aired 1993-12-29 | FOOD & DRINK: This coffee is known by the name of the Nashville hotel where it built its reputation Maxwell House |
| #2147, aired 1993-12-28 | WOMEN IN BUSINESS: This woman who began selling her products in the 1930s is estimated to be America's richest self-made woman Estée Lauder |
| #2146, aired 1993-12-27 | FAMOUS NAMES: This English innkeeper kept 40 horses ready for customers but gave them no choice in the one they got Hobson |
| #2145, aired 1993-12-24 | THE CALENDAR: By our calendar, the first British East India Co. was founded on this date, the last day of the 16th century December 31, 1600 |
| #2144, aired 1993-12-23 | MAGAZINES: After the TV show premiered in 1964, The New Yorker wouldn't allow this family in its cartoons the Addams family |
| #2143, aired 1993-12-22 | ORGANIZATIONS: This organization was dissolved in 1956 after its last member, Albert Woolson, died at age 109 the Grand Army of the Republic |
| #2142, aired 1993-12-21 | THE 1990 CENSUS: According to the 1990 census this state now contains 3 of the 10 most populous U.S. cities Texas |
| #2141, aired 1993-12-20 | THE BILL OF RIGHTS: As president of the Senate, he signed the Bill of Rights John Adams |
| #2140, aired 1993-12-17 | EDUCATION: Its 1st headline in '28 read, "2 Poor Boys Who Made Good Are Now Running for the Highest Office in the World" the Weekly Reader |
| #2139, aired 1993-12-16 | 20th CENTURY WOMEN: She was Time magazine's Woman of the Year for 1953 Queen Elizabeth II |
| #2138, aired 1993-12-15 | WOMEN ARTISTS: "Diego and I" by this artist was the 1st painting by a Latin American to sell for more than $1 million Frida Kahlo |
| #2137, aired 1993-12-14 | THE OSCARS: His 1991 Supporting Actor Oscar came nearly 40 years after his 1st nomination for "Sudden Fear" Jack Palance |
| #2136, aired 1993-12-13 | TOYS & GAMES: This toy company with a theme park in Billund, Denmark plans to open parks near London & in the U.S. LEGO |
| #2135, aired 1993-12-10 | WORD ORIGINS: This word for mass destruction once referred to the killing of every 10th Roman soldier after a mutiny decimation |
| #2134, aired 1993-12-09 | SUPREME COURT JUSTICES: 1 of 2 20th c. justices who lay in repose at the Supreme Court building in Washington Earl Warren or Thurgood Marshall |
| #2133, aired 1993-12-08 | TELEVISION HISTORY: Connie Chung & Dan Rather are the 2nd male-female network news pair; Barbara Walters & this man were 1st Harry Reasoner |
| #2132, aired 1993-12-07 | FRANCE: 2 of the 4 presidents of France's Fifth Republic (2 of) Mitterrand, Pompidou, de Gaulle & Valéry Giscard d'Estaing |
| #2131, aired 1993-12-06 | U.S. STATES: The U.S. gov't owns 85% of this state's land, the largest portion for any of the lower 48 states Nevada |
| #2130, aired 1993-12-03 | WOMEN PLAYWRIGHTS: 1 of 3 women who won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in the 1980s (1 of) Beth Henley (for Crimes of the Heart), Marsha Norman (for 'night, Mother) & Wendy Wasserstein (for The Heidi Chronicles) |
| #2129, aired 1993-12-02 | WORLD CAPITALS: The capital of Albania is named for this other world capital Tehran |
| #2128, aired 1993-12-01 | U.S. HISTORY: Frank Harris' 1908 novel "The Bomb" deals with this 1886 U.S. incident the Haymarket Riot |
| #2127, aired 1993-11-30 | 1990s GEOGRAPHY: In area, it's now the largest country whose boundaries are wholly within Europe Ukraine |
| #2126, aired 1993-11-29 | PRESIDENTS: Under an act passed in 1958, they became the first two former presidents eligible for a pension Harry S. Truman & Herbert Hoover |
| #2125, aired 1993-11-26 | THE CABINET: In the 1970s he held more Cabinet posts than anyone in U.S. history—4, including Attorney General Elliot Richardson |
| #2124, aired 1993-11-25 | 20th CENTURY LEADERS: At age 13 in 1926, he was accepted as a novice at the abbey of Kykkos; he later taught there Archbishop Makarios |
| #2123, aired 1993-11-24 | NONFICTION: His autobiography was the bestselling hardcover book of the 1980s Lee Iacocca |
| #2122, aired 1993-11-23 | HISTORIC FRENCHMEN: In 1704 he was commandant of Detroit; a few years later, he was made governor of Louisiana Antoine de Cadillac |
| #2121, aired 1993-11-22 | MONEY: On July 27, 1971 Richard Nixon gave her the first of the new U.S. dollar coins Mamie Eisenhower |
| #2120, aired 1993-11-19 | WORD ORIGINS: The name of this dialect comes from a Hindi word, mantri, meaning "counselor" Mandarin |
| #2119, aired 1993-11-18 | HISTORIC NAMES: On June 27, 1525 he married former nun Katherine von Bora Martin Luther |
| #2118, aired 1993-11-17 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: It's the northernmost mountain in the world over 20,000 feet in elevation Mt. McKinley (Denali) |
| #2117, aired 1993-11-16 | LITERARY TERMS: Jonathan Swift defined it as a "glass wherein beholders... discover everybody's face but their own" satire |
| #2116, aired 1993-11-15 | LANDMARKS: Lord Byron wrote, "I stood in Venice on" this, "a palace and a prison on each hand" the Bridge of Sighs |
| #2115, aired 1993-11-12 | COMEDIANS: On meeting this comedian, Gerald Ford said, "You're a very funny suburb" Chevy Chase |
| #2114, aired 1993-11-11 | CLASSICAL LITERATURE: 2nd century A.D. author Aulus Gellius gave us the story of this runaway Roman slave who befriends a lion Androcles |
| #2113, aired 1993-11-10 | POLITICAL QUOTATIONS: In '77 this foreign affairs adviser quipped, "There cannot be a crisis next week, my schedule is already full" Henry Kissinger |
| #2112, aired 1993-11-09 | IN THE NEWS: AP says about half its clients used the Ron Edmonds photo of these 2 men shaking hands 9/13/93 Yasser Arafat & Yitzhak Rabin |
| #2111, aired 1993-11-08 | THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR: The first battle of the war took place April 19, 1775 in what's now this state Massachusetts |
| #2110, aired 1993-11-05 | MAMMALS: They make up the second-largest order of mammals, Chiroptera bats |
| #2109, aired 1993-11-04 | RULERS: 1 of the 2 countries that have been ruled by members of the Braganza family (1 of) Portugal or Brazil |
| #2108, aired 1993-11-03 | REPUBLICANS: 2 of only 3 Republican Presidents who completed 2 full terms in office (2 of) U.S. Grant, Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan |
| #2107, aired 1993-11-02 | PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS: Since 1952 he's hosted a weekday talk & interview show on Chicago's fine arts radio station WFMT Studs Terkel |
| #2106, aired 1993-11-01 | SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES: Its discovery was announced on March 13, 1930, Percival Lowell's birthday Pluto |
| #2105, aired 1993-10-29 | SPORTS FIGURES: In 1993 a commemorative stamp was issued in Detroit honoring this boxer, the 1st to be so recognized Joe Louis |
| #2104, aired 1993-10-28 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: This holiday is the top avocado-eating day of the year in the U.S.; Super Bowl Sunday is second Cinco de Mayo |
| #2103, aired 1993-10-27 | BILLIONAIRES: On Fortune magazine's 1993 list of 101 billionaires, this American family ranked second the Waltons |
| #2102, aired 1993-10-26 | WORLD CITIES: This North African city controlled the red dye used to color Tarboosh caps Fez |
| #2101, aired 1993-10-25 | FAMOUS PAIRS: They were elected the first president & secretary of American Express Wells & Fargo |
| #2100, aired 1993-10-22 | TELEVISION: This series noted for the highest rated single episode of the '60s had a 1993 film based on it The Fugitive |
| #2099, aired 1993-10-21 | ORGANIZATIONS: When this U.S. organization was established in 1912, Daisy Gordon became its first registered member the Girl Scouts |
| #2098, aired 1993-10-20 | DISASTERS: This began Sept. 2, 1666 in the house of the King's baker in Pudding Lane the Great Fire of London |
| #2097, aired 1993-10-19 | LAST WILLS & TESTAMENTS: He left $50,000 to the "poor of Walldorf near Heidelberg in the Grand Duchy of Baden" John Jacob Astor |
| #2096, aired 1993-10-18 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the first president to visit all 50 states while in office Richard M. Nixon |
| #2095, aired 1993-10-15 | FAMOUS HOMES: The ticket office at this presidential home hands out dozens of $2 bills as change every day Monticello |
| #2094, aired 1993-10-14 | FILM DIRECTORS: He was the first director to win 4 Oscars & the first to receive the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award John Ford |
| #2093, aired 1993-10-13 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Founded as a nail enamel co. in 1932, it has been called "the General Motors of beauty" Revlon |
| #2092, aired 1993-10-12 | DRAMA: Moliere based part of "Les Fourberies de Scapin" on a play by this man about whom Rostand wrote Cyrano de Bergerac |
| #2091, aired 1993-10-11 | WORD & PHRASE ORIGINS: This term for a deadbeat came from a poker player whose hole card didn't fill out his hand four-flusher |
| #2090, aired 1993-10-08 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This department store now has America's biggest catalog J.C. Penney |
| #2089, aired 1993-10-07 | 19th CENTURY POLITICS: In 1872 he was the Liberal Republican Party's first & last presidential candidate; he lost Horace Greeley |
| #2088, aired 1993-10-06 | WORLD CAPITALS: Uhuru Highway & Moi Avenue are important streets in this capital city Nairobi |
| #2087, aired 1993-10-05 | WORLD WAR II: Jan Gies, who was best known for his friendship with this family, died in 1993 at age 87 the Frank Family |
| #2086, aired 1993-10-04 | EXPLORERS: This famous explorer was born in Larvik, Norway October 6, 1914 (Thor) Heyerdahl |
| #2085, aired 1993-10-01 | HORSES: This breed was named for an area around Scotland's most important river Clydesdale |
| #2084, aired 1993-09-30 | U.S. CITIES: The closest port to Asia in the lower 48 states, it was named 1992's best U.S. city for doing business Seattle |
| #2083, aired 1993-09-29 | FLOWERS: This flower whose name is from the Greek for "wind" is also called a windflower anemone |
| #2082, aired 1993-09-28 | FAMOUS NAMES: Bartlett's lists the quotation "Viva la huelga!", which means "Long live the strike!", under his name Cesar Chavez |
| #2081, aired 1993-09-27 | THE GREAT LAKES: It's the only Great Lake whose bottom is above sea level Lake Erie |
| #2080, aired 1993-09-24 | IN THE NEWS: On St. Patrick's Day in 1993, she was appointed ambassador to Ireland Jean Kennedy Smith |
| #2079, aired 1993-09-23 | SCIENTISTS: He is Cambridge Univ.'s Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, a chair held 300 years ago by Isaac Newton Stephen Hawking |
| #2078, aired 1993-09-22 | THE U.S. CONGRESS: This state lost the most seats in the House of Representatives, 3, after the 1990 census New York |
| #2077, aired 1993-09-21 | TREATIES: These were 2 states involved in the 1929 Lateran Treaty Italy & the Vatican |
| #2076, aired 1993-09-20 | STATE CAPITALS: It's the only state capital whose name ends with 3 vowels Juneau |
| #2075, aired 1993-09-17 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Its population center is farther north than any other country's Iceland |
| #2074, aired 1993-09-16 | TELEVISION: 1993's "Skylark" with Glenn Close was a sequel to this highest-rated "Hallmark Hall of Fame" film Sarah, Plain and Tall |
| #2073, aired 1993-09-15 | IN THE NEWS: Pres. Mitterand & Bishop Alanis signed a new constitution giving this country sovereignty in '93 Andorra |
| #2072, aired 1993-09-14 | SCIENTISTS: In 1955 2 elements were named for these 2 Nobel Prize-winning scientists then recently deceased Albert Einstein & Enrico Fermi |
| #2071, aired 1993-09-13 | LAKES: 2 of this large lake's biggest gulfs are Emin Pasha in the southwest & Speke in the southeast Lake Victoria |
| #2070, aired 1993-09-10 | ACTORS: He called his 1992 autobiography "What's It All About?" Michael Caine |
| #2069, aired 1993-09-09 | WORD ORIGINS: This word for one who willfully destroys comes from a group that sacked Rome in 455 vandal |
| #2068, aired 1993-09-08 | U.S. CITIES: Name shared by cities on the Kennebec & Savannah rivers; one of them is a state capital Augusta |
| #2067, aired 1993-09-07 | LANDMARKS: The Sceptre with the Dove & the Sword of Mercy are part of a collection housed here the Tower of London |
| #2066, aired 1993-09-06 | AMERICAN HISTORY: In 1919 he became the first General of the Armies of the U.S. John Pershing |
| #2065, aired 1993-07-23 | HISTORIC NAMES: Following his appointment as engineer in 1482, he planned & constructed canals in Milan, Italy Leonardo da Vinci |
| #2064, aired 1993-07-22 | QUOTES OF THE 1960s: He once told Newsweek, "I have no country. For me a country is just a place to dance" Nureyev |
| #2063, aired 1993-07-21 | ARCHITECTURE: This complex was built between 1631 & 1654 at a cost of about 40,000,000 rupees the Taj Mahal |
| #2062, aired 1993-07-20 | ATTORNEYS GENERAL: Last name of the father & son attorneys general under Truman & Lyndon Johnson (Ramsey) Clark |
| #2061, aired 1993-07-19 | ISLANDS: This is the largest island in Europe Great Britain |
| #2060, aired 1993-07-16 | TELEVISION HISTORY: The Texaco Star Theater debuted on June 8, 1948, this day of the week Tuesday |
| #2059, aired 1993-07-15 | THEATRES: Martha Graham & The Wallendas were among the acts featured on the opening night of this 6200-seat theatre 12/27/32 Radio City Music Hall |
| #2058, aired 1993-07-14 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: Based on a ballet, this 1944 musical begins at 6 A.M. in the Brooklyn Navy Yard "On the Town" |
| #2057, aired 1993-07-13 | FAMOUS AUTHORS: He used his fishing boat, the Pilar, for counter-intelligence work during World War II Ernest Hemingway |
| #2056, aired 1993-07-12 | PHILANTHROPY: At the time of his death in 1937, he had given over $500 million to charity John D. Rockefeller |
| #2055, aired 1993-07-09 | ACTRESSES & THEIR ROLES: In 1992 Angela Bassett played the Jacksons' mother on TV & Betty Shabazz in this film Malcolm X |
| #2054, aired 1993-07-08 | POETS' HOMES: The home of poet James Whitcomb Riley is a tourist attraction in this state capital Indianapolis |
| #2053, aired 1993-07-07 | WOMEN: Gloria Steinem, Susan Strasberg & Norman Mailer have all written books about her Marilyn Monroe |
| #2052, aired 1993-07-06 | PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATIONS: He used more words in his one inaugural address than FDR used in all four of his William Henry Harrison |
| #2051, aired 1993-07-05 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Chile's Juan Fernandez islands include a pair named for Alexander Selkirk & this fictional character Robinson Crusoe |
| #2050, aired 1993-07-02 | LANGUAGES: Dublin's famous Book of Kells is written in this language Latin |
| #2049, aired 1993-07-01 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: The Brooklyn Flint Glass Works changed its name to this after moving to a N.Y. town of the same name Corning |
| #2048, aired 1993-06-30 | AMERICAN MUSICALS: A 1920s French production of this musical about 19th c. entertainers was titled "Mississippi" Show Boat |
| #2047, aired 1993-06-29 | U.S. RIVERS: The name of this river, famous in song, may be a corruption of the Spanish for "little Saint John" the Swanee |
| #2046, aired 1993-06-28 | GODS & GODDESSES: Augustus Caesar encouraged the worship of this god who was considered the avenger of Julius Caesar Mars |
| #2045, aired 1993-06-25 | MOVIE DIRECTORS: This director's last film, 1976's "A Matter of Time", starred Ingrid Bergman & his Oscar-winning daughter (Vincente) Minnelli |
| #2044, aired 1993-06-24 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Before Clinton, he was the last U.S. president who was a law school graduate (Gerald) Ford |
| #2043, aired 1993-06-23 | POETS & POETRY: He was buried in a country churchyard in Buckinghamshire, England in 1771 Thomas Gray |
| #2042, aired 1993-06-22 | THE 50 STATES: Texas has the most farms with 185,000; this state has the fewest with about 500 Alaska |
| #2041, aired 1993-06-21 | EXPLORATION: What mapmaker Martin Waldseemuller labeled "America" for Amerigo Vespucci is now this country Brazil |
| #2040, aired 1993-06-18 | SOUTH AMERICA: The name of this capital city is a corruption of Rimac, the river on which it lies Lima, Peru |
| #2039, aired 1993-06-17 | PORT CITIES: In population, it was by far the largest city in the Confederacy at the start of the Civil War New Orleans |
| #2038, aired 1993-06-16 | THE 1950s: June 2, 1953 event telecast worldwide & filmed in Technicolor Queen Elizabeth II's coronation |
| #2037, aired 1993-06-15 | CORPORATE AMERICA: Using letters from their names, Harold Matson & Elliot Handler named their toy company this Mattel |
| #2036, aired 1993-06-14 | POETS: In 1993 Maya Angelou became the first poet to read at a presidential inauguration since this poet in 1961 Robert Frost |
| #2035, aired 1993-06-11 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: The success of this book in 1957 prompted Random House to create its "Beginner Books" series The Cat in the Hat |
| #2034, aired 1993-06-10 | BIOGRAPHIES: He was the subject of Hendrik Willem van Loon's "R. v. R." Rembrandt van Rijn |
| #2033, aired 1993-06-09 | THE 50 STATES: New in the 1993 World Almanac is the spelling of this state's name, which now has a glottal stop mark in it Hawai'i |
| #2032, aired 1993-06-08 | WORD ORIGINS: From the French for "to go out", it's a flight of combat aircraft on a mission a sortie |
| #2031, aired 1993-06-07 | 19th CENTURY ELECTIONS: In 1836 Van Buren ran against Harrison for U.S. president & these 2 ran for president of Texas Sam Houston & Stephen F. Austin |
| #2030, aired 1993-06-04 | U.S. HISTORY: Albert Gallatin played the leading role in the negotiations that ended this war the War of 1812 |
| #2029, aired 1993-06-03 | ENGLISH LITERATURE: In this 1653 work, Piscator tries to convince Venator, a hunter, that fishing is the better sport The Compleat Angler |
| #2028, aired 1993-06-02 | AFRICA: Blantyre, the largest city in Malawi, is named after this missionary's birthplace David Livingstone |
| #2027, aired 1993-06-01 | NOTORIOUS: He was working as an explosives expert for the Spanish army when he was hired to return to England in 1604 Guy Fawkes |
| #2026, aired 1993-05-31 | SOUTH AMERICA: The original name of this capital city translates as "Our Lady of Peace" La Paz |
| #2025, aired 1993-05-28 | WORLD AIRLINES: This airline's business class is named for Marco Polo Cathay Pacific |
| #2024, aired 1993-05-27 | MEN OF SCIENCE: In addition to a pendulum, Jean Foucault made a simple one of these to prove the Earth rotated gyroscope |
| #2023, aired 1993-05-26 | WOMEN'S FIRSTS: In 1992 Mona Van Duyn became the first woman named this by the Library of Congress poet laureate of the United States |
| #2022, aired 1993-05-25 | IN THE NEWS: In 1992 he opened his own Institute for Architecture near Regent's Park Prince Charles |
| #2021, aired 1993-05-24 | SINGERS: The widow of this singer who died in 1992 donated 16 boxes of his clothing & shoes to the National Hobo Association Roger Miller |
| #2020, aired 1993-05-21 | POETRY: The woman with the most quotes in the new edition of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations is this American Emily Dickinson |
| #2019, aired 1993-05-20 | HISTORIC NAMES: In 1529 this Spaniard was made Marques del Valle de Oaxaca Hernán Cortés |
| #2018, aired 1993-05-19 | FAMOUS WOMEN: In 1949 she founded Welcome House, a foster home for Asian-American children Pearl Buck |
| #2017, aired 1993-05-18 | MUSEUMS: This U.S. city is the home of a permanent historical exhibit called "The Sixth Floor" Dallas |
| #2016, aired 1993-05-17 | THE 1970s: Construction on this massive project began at Sheep Creek camp March 9, 1975 the Alaska pipeline (Trans-Alaska pipeline) |
| #2015, aired 1993-05-14 | ANCIENT ROME: General Publius Scipio won the surname "Africanus" for beating this man at the 202 B.C. Battle of Zama Hannibal |
| #2014, aired 1993-05-13 | WORLD CAPITALS: Roxas Boulevard in this capital city was formerly named Dewey Boulevard Manila |
| #2013, aired 1993-05-12 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: For his unconventional but effective use of the media, Advertising Age named him its 1992 Adman of the Year Ross Perot |
| #2012, aired 1993-05-11 | CANADA: It's the only Canadian province separated entirely from the North American mainland Prince Edward Island |
| #2011, aired 1993-05-10 | PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS: His 1856 campaign slogan emphasized "Free press, free soil, free men" John C. Frémont |
| #2010, aired 1993-05-07 | BOOKS & AUTHORS: First published in 1732, its author said it sold "annually, near ten thousand" Poor Richard's Almanack |
| #2009, aired 1993-05-06 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: It's the oldest executive department of the U.S. government Department of State |
| #2008, aired 1993-05-05 | IN THE NEWS: In January 1993 he was elected president of a country 2/3 the size of the one he led 7 months earlier Vaclav Havel |
| #2007, aired 1993-05-04 | NATURE: About 1250 miles long, it's the largest structure ever formed by creatures other than man the Great Barrier Reef |
| #2006, aired 1993-05-03 | DISNEY FILMS: "Beauty and the Beast" is set in this country France |
| #2005, aired 1993-04-30 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: One of Canada's largest universities, it was endowed by a Scottish- born fur trader McGill University |
| #2004, aired 1993-04-29 | THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: This was a separate city within the district until joined with Washington in 1878 Georgetown |
| #2003, aired 1993-04-28 | MODERN NOVELS: Chapter VII of this James Michener novel is titled "Mazurka" Poland |
| #2002, aired 1993-04-27 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the last unmarried man elected president Grover Cleveland |
| #2001, aired 1993-04-26 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: Peter J. McGuire, this holiday's originator, set its date to fall about midway between July 4th & Thanksgiving Labor Day |
| #2000, aired 1993-04-23 | ACTORS & THEIR ROLES: "Hero" co-stars Dustin Hoffman & Geena Davis last appeared together in this film Tootsie |
| #1999, aired 1993-04-22 | FORMS OF ADDRESS: The first form of address transmitted by telephone Mr. |
| #1998, aired 1993-04-21 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: The highest point in this South American country is Julianatop in the Wilhelmina Mountains Suriname |
| #1997, aired 1993-04-20 | U.S. LANDMARKS: A bell in its steeple is inscribed: "We are the first ring of bells cast for the British Empire in North America" the Old North Church (Christ Church) |
| #1996, aired 1993-04-19 | JOURNALISM: The origins of this go back to 6 papers that combined to telegraph news from Boston to NYC the Associated Press |
| #1995, aired 1993-04-16 | ASSASSINATIONS: On February 21, 1965 he was killed in the Audubon Ballroom in New York City Malcolm X |
| #1994, aired 1993-04-15 | LITERARY QUOTES: This title is the only quote by playwright John Osborne in Bartlett's Look back in anger |
| #1993, aired 1993-04-14 | ROCK STARS: This Brit. rocker is the 1st non-sports figure to be honored on Madison Square Garden's Walk of Fame Elton John |
| #1992, aired 1993-04-13 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: President born the earliest in the 20th century (Lyndon) Johnson |
| #1991, aired 1993-04-12 | KINGS & QUEENS: He was king of England during the War of 1812, though his son served as regent George III |
| #1990, aired 1993-04-09 | NEWS OF THE '30s: In 1935 Ontario made this group wards of the crown the Dionne quintuplets |
| #1989, aired 1993-04-08 | STATE CAPITALS: This city in the northwest is the "City of Trees"; its name comes from the French for "wooded" Boise |
| #1988, aired 1993-04-07 | AFRICA: This country gained its independence from France in March 1956 & from Spain a month later Morocco |
| #1987, aired 1993-04-06 | FAMOUS HOMES: There's a famous home on a piece of land called Walker's Point in this U.S. town Kennebunkport, Maine |
| #1986, aired 1993-04-05 | THE CALENDAR: This religion's calendar dates from 622 A.D. Islam |
| #1985, aired 1993-04-02 | THE TONY AWARDS: He won his first of 9 Tonys for the first Broadway musical he choreographed, "The Pajama Game" Bob Fosse |
| #1984, aired 1993-04-01 | EXPLORERS: This contemporary of Columbus established the concept of a New World in his 1504 letter "Mundus Novus" Amerigo Vespucci |
| #1983, aired 1993-03-31 | MONARCHS: In 1942 she become the first reigning queen to address the U.S. Congress Wilhelmina |
| #1982, aired 1993-03-30 | MEDICAL HISTORY: The first triple transplant, performed in 1986, involved these 3 different organs the heart, the lungs & the liver |
| #1981, aired 1993-03-29 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: The Klickitat Indians referred to this peak as Tah-One-Lat-Clah, meaning "fire mountain" Mount St. Helens |
| #1980, aired 1993-03-26 | U.S. STATES: It's the newest state east of the Mississippi River West Virginia |
| #1979, aired 1993-03-25 | ISLANDS: After its ruler left February 26, 1815, this island was restored to Tuscany Elba |
| #1978, aired 1993-03-24 | GOVERNORS: The first President after Franklin Roosevelt who had also been a state governor Jimmy Carter |
| #1977, aired 1993-03-23 | FRENCH DRAMA: This 1897 play contains the line "I never loved but one man in my life, and I have lost him-- twice" Cyrano de Bergerac |
| #1976, aired 1993-03-22 | U.S. CITIES: This city, its state's largest, was named for a co-founder of a banking & express transport company Fargo |
| #1975, aired 1993-03-19 | MUSEUMS: In 1971 Michael Collins was named director of this museum The (National) Air & Space Museum |
| #1974, aired 1993-03-18 | FAMOUS WOMEN: The Greek equivalent of Eve, the first woman on Earth; she got in trouble too Pandora |
| #1973, aired 1993-03-17 | PULITZER PRIZE PLAYS: In 1991 Neil Simon won his first Pulitzer Prize, for this play Lost in Yonkers |
| #1972, aired 1993-03-16 | WORLD CITIES: The original full name of this Mexican port translates to "Rich Town of the True Cross" Veracruz |
| #1971, aired 1993-03-15 | PUBLISHING: Last name of the Scottish brothers who began publishing textbooks in 1843 & put out their first novel in 1855 MacMillan |
| #1970, aired 1993-03-12 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This electronics company's New York Stock Exchange symbol is "TXN" Texas instruments |
| #1969, aired 1993-03-11 | POPULATION: With almost 9 million residents, this is the U.S.A.'s most populous county Los Angeles County |
| #1968, aired 1993-03-10 | ISLANDS: These islands about 400 miles from Cape Horn were named for a British treasurer of the Navy the Falklands |
| #1967, aired 1993-03-09 | MONEY MATTERS: According to Forbes magazine, this country ranks between the U.S. & Japan in the number of billionaires Germany |
| #1966, aired 1993-03-08 | U.S. CITIES: Abraham Lincoln's first home in Illinois was near this city named after a naval hero Decatur |
| #1965, aired 1993-03-05 | WORLD CITIES: In population, it ranks second to Mexico City as the largest city in the Western Hemisphere São Paulo, Brazil |
| #1964, aired 1993-03-04 | MOVIE MOGULS: U.S. movie studio founder whose family name was derived from the French village of Isigny-sur-Mer (Walt) Disney |
| #1963, aired 1993-03-03 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: The category in which the U.S. has won the fewest medals--10 Literature |
| #1962, aired 1993-03-02 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: In 1977 S.S. Kresge Company changed its name to this K-Mart |
| #1961, aired 1993-03-01 | U.S. CITIES: To shorten its name to fit a newspaper's masthead, this Ohio city lost an "A" in 1832 Cleveland |
| #1960, aired 1993-02-26 | NOTABLE NAMES: Eugene Cernan is the last person to stand here the Moon |
| #1959, aired 1993-02-25 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: The execution of this man & his followers in 1859 is believed to be the only one for treason against a state John Brown |
| #1958, aired 1993-02-24 | GEMS: The Star of Africa is a diamond & the Star of India is one of these a sapphire |
| #1957, aired 1993-02-23 | AMERICAN HISTORY: Of the 9 tried for this 1770 event, 7 were acquitted & 2 charged with manslaughter, branded & let go the Boston Massacre |
| #1956, aired 1993-02-22 | MILITARY LEADERS: This U.S. general was born April 5, 1937 to parents who had emigrated from Jamaica Colin Powell |
| #1955, aired 1993-02-19 | NEW ENGLAND: In Washington, D.C.'s Statuary Hall, the state of Vermont is represented by this patriot Ethan Allen |
| #1954, aired 1993-02-18 | TELEVISION HISTORY: When this service hit the air August 1, 1981, the first act it presented was The Buggles MTV |
| #1953, aired 1993-02-17 | IN THE NEWS: Tennessee governor Ned McWherter chose Harlan Mathews to fill this man's Senate seat until 1994 Al Gore |
| #1952, aired 1993-02-16 | EUROPE: 2 of the 5 mainland European nations that touch only 1 other country (2 of) Portugal, Denmark, San Marino, Vatican City & Monaco |
| #1951, aired 1993-02-15 | FLAGS: A flag bearing a white anchor & caduceus on a blue field represents this U.S. government official Surgeon General of the United States |
| #1950, aired 1993-02-12 | FASHION HISTORY: Listing the great men of the 19th century, Lord Byron ranked himself 3rd, Napoleon 2nd & this man 1st Beau Brummel |
| #1949, aired 1993-02-11 | SUPREME COURT JUSTICES: His father, Eugene, an immigrant from Sicily, taught romance languages at Brooklyn College Antonin Scalia |
| #1948, aired 1993-02-10 | NEWSPAPERS: It was once advertised as "The Daily Diary of the American Dream" The Wall Street Journal |
| #1947, aired 1993-02-09 | ORGANIZATIONS: The symbol of this organization is a lighted candle with barbed wire surrounding it Amnesty International |
| #1946, aired 1993-02-08 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Abandoned as a child in Liverpool, he was raised by the Earnshaw family Heathcliff |
| #1945, aired 1993-02-05 | OPERA: This 20th century opera was inspired by Hieronymus Bosch's painting "The Adoration of the Magi" Amahl and the Night Visitors |
| #1944, aired 1993-02-04 | OSCAR-WINNING FILMS: A series of articles about corruption in the longshoremen's union inspired this 1954 film On the Waterfront |
| #1943, aired 1993-02-03 | SPORTS: He's the only man voted NBA MVP under 2 completely different names Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) |
| #1942, aired 1993-02-02 | HISTORIC NAMES: A U.S. naval squadron brought back his remains from France in 1905, 113 years after his death John Paul Jones |
| #1941, aired 1993-02-01 | ORGANIZATIONS: This service organization's name comes from American Indian dialect meaning "we make ourselves known" Kiwanis International |
| #1940, aired 1993-01-29 | BRITISH MONARCHS: 1 of 4 British monarchs whose reigns were longer than Elizabeth I's 45 years (1 of) Victoria, Henry III, Edward III, & George III |
| #1939, aired 1993-01-28 | WORLD BUSINESS: In April 1992 McDonald's opened its biggest restaurant ever in this world capital Beijing |
| #1938, aired 1993-01-27 | U.S. CITIES: The name of this California college town is Spanish for "tall tree" Palo Alto |
| #1937, aired 1993-01-26 | ODD JOBS: It was the profession of Lou Jacobs, the model for a 1966 postage stamp, who died in Sarasota in 1992 a clown |
| #1936, aired 1993-01-25 | IN THE NEWS: In 1992 it missed its 1st Monday Night Football opener in 23 yrs.; it was in Miami transmitting relief messages the Goodyear Blimp |
| #1935, aired 1993-01-22 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Excluding FDR, 1 of the 4 presidents since the Civil War to have had more than 1 vice president (1 of) Richard Nixon, Grover Cleveland, Ulysses Grant & William McKinley |
| #1933, aired 1993-01-20 | PLANTS & FLOWERS: Common name of the plants that make up the genus Helianthus the sunflower |
| #1932, aired 1993-01-19 | POLITICAL LEADERS: His books "No Easy Walk to Freedom" & "The Struggle Is My Life" were published during his imprisonment Nelson Mandela |
| #1931, aired 1993-01-18 | NATIONAL PARKS: The original entrance to this southwest U.S. park was via a miner's bucket lowered almost 200 feet Carlsbad Caverns |
| #1930, aired 1993-01-15 | WOMEN: In 1971 she was honored by Pope Paul VI with the first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize Mother Teresa |
| #1929, aired 1993-01-14 | MOVIE ROLES: Ed Wynn & W.C. Fields turned down the title role in this 1939 film The Wizard of Oz |
| #1928, aired 1993-01-13 | FAMOUS STRUCTURES: Prior to the completion of the Eiffel Tower, this U.S. structure was the world's tallest the Washington Monument |
| #1927, aired 1993-01-12 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: He was born William Jefferson Blythe IV on August 19, 1946 Bill Clinton |
| #1926, aired 1993-01-11 | SHAKESPEARE: The 2 leading female characters in this play are the marriageable Minola sisters The Taming of the Shrew |
| #1925, aired 1993-01-08 | THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR: A letter from Ben Franklin introduced him as "a lieut. genl. in the King of Prussia's service" Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben |
| #1924, aired 1993-01-07 | 19th CENTURY AUTHORS: In 1863 he published his rules for castle croquet, which he played with the Liddell Sisters Lewis Carroll |
| #1923, aired 1993-01-06 | PLANTS & TREES: Botany Bay kino, a resin used to protect wood from worms, is derived from this type of tree eucalyptus |
| #1922, aired 1993-01-05 | CABLE TELEVISION: This TV evangelist's son Tim is president & CEO of the Family Channel Pat Robertson |
| #1921, aired 1993-01-04 | FOOTBALL: 3 of the 4 California cities in which the Super Bowl has been played (3 of) L.A., Pasadena, San Diego & Palo Alto |
| #1920, aired 1993-01-01 | FOREIGN CARS: August Horch named this car by translating his last name, which means "listen", to a Latin equivalent Audi |
| #1919, aired 1992-12-31 | GOVERNORS: This governor sent in the militia after the 1919 Boston police strike was under control (Calvin) Coolidge |
| #1918, aired 1992-12-30 | FAMOUS NAMES: Volume 1 of the New Book of Knowledge Ency. has an article on this man written by Danny Kaye Hans Christian Andersen |
| #1917, aired 1992-12-29 | QUOTES: The author who wrote, "Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me." F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| #1916, aired 1992-12-28 | LANGUAGES: Swahili contains many words borrowed from this language, including the word "Swahili" Arabic |
| #1915, aired 1992-12-25 | WORLD LEADERS: At age 25 in 1908, this future European leader wrote his only novel, "The Cardinal's Mistress" Benito Mussolini |
| #1914, aired 1992-12-24 | AUTHORS' BIRTHPLACES: Author DuBose Heyward was born in this city & set his most famous work on its waterfront Charleston |
| #1913, aired 1992-12-23 | BOTANY: The genus of this herb used in crop rotation & to feed livestock is Trifolium clover |
| #1912, aired 1992-12-22 | THE OLYMPICS: In 1988 she became the first Black American to win a Winter Olympic medal Debi Thomas |
| #1911, aired 1992-12-21 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: Founded by a Philadelphia Baptist in 1884 as an evening college, it became a university in 1907 Temple |
| #1910, aired 1992-12-18 | HISTORIC NAMES: This prominent European family took its name from a red shield painted on an ancestral home the Rothschilds |
| #1909, aired 1992-12-17 | THE ELEMENTS: Alphabetically the first among gases, it's the third most abundant gas in the air argon |
| #1908, aired 1992-12-16 | U.S. LAKES: Wizard Island sits in this lake in what was once Mount Mazama Crater Lake |
| #1907, aired 1992-12-15 | ANATOMY: You have this bone, snakes don't, & in bats, it's keeled a breastbone (or sternum) |
| #1906, aired 1992-12-14 | ROMAN EMPERORS: In 54 A.D., as the result of his mother's scheming, he became the first teenage emperor of Rome at age 16 Nero |
| #1905, aired 1992-12-11 | TRANSPORTATION: Last names of the motor car maker & motor car dealer who merged in Manchester, England in 1906 Rolls & Royce |
| #1904, aired 1992-12-10 | VICE PRESIDENTS: He wrote 2 books inspired by his career: "The Canfield Decision" & "Go Quietly... or Else" (Spiro) Agnew |
| #1903, aired 1992-12-09 | BALLET: The elaborate prologue of this 1890 ballet features a christening & a curse Sleeping Beauty |
| #1902, aired 1992-12-08 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: The gasoline brand named for its founder & a famous highway Phillips 66 |
| #1901, aired 1992-12-07 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: This island nation has the world's largest Muslim population Indonesia |
| #1900, aired 1992-12-04 | LANGUAGES: The official langauge shared by Niger, Rwanda & Senegal French |
| #1899, aired 1992-12-03 | PUBLISHING: This publishing company's logo is a dwelling that's been described as half cottage & half mansion Random House |
| #1898, aired 1992-12-02 | ANCIENT POETS: Plato called her "The Tenth Muse" Sappho |
| #1897, aired 1992-12-01 | FAMOUS NAMES: The last of his 56 children, Mabel Sanborn, died in 1950 at age 87 Brigham Young |
| #1896, aired 1992-11-30 | MUSICIANS: On his 1986 death he was called "arguably the only white jazz player to be the best on his instrument" Benny Goodman |
| #1895, aired 1992-11-27 | ISLANDS: This is the largest island in the Indian Ocean Madagascar |
| #1894, aired 1992-11-26 | THE CABINET: This cabinet department is in charge of printing all postage stamps Treasury |
| #1893, aired 1992-11-25 | STATE CAPITALS: John Tyler, James Monroe & Jefferson Davis are buried in this capital's Hollywood Cemetery Richmond, Virginia |
| #1892, aired 1992-11-24 | HISTORIC PAIRS: They were the maternal grandparents of England's Queen Mary I Ferdinand & Isabella |
| #1891, aired 1992-11-23 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: He retired after the only woman he ever loved, opera singer Irene Adler, passed away Sherlock Holmes |
| #1890, aired 1992-11-20 | PRESIDENTS' HOMES: The exterior of the governor's mansion in Florida is modeled after the home of this president Andrew Jackson |
| #1889, aired 1992-11-19 | POETRY: William Blake called them "The Two Contrary States of the Human Soul" and wrote songs of them innocence & experience |
| #1888, aired 1992-11-18 | WORLD DRAMA: Sophocles, Euripides & Eugene O'Neill all wrote plays with this woman's name in their titles Electra |
| #1887, aired 1992-11-17 | NEWSPAPERS: It was first published between 1861 and 1865; it was revived in 1918; stopped in 1919, and revived again in 1942 Stars and Stripes |
| #1886, aired 1992-11-16 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: Henry Moore's sculpture, "Nuclear Energy", can be seen on the campus of this university the University of Chicago |
| #1885, aired 1992-11-13 | THE AUTO INDUSTRY: This automaker's trademark symbolizes the 3 places where its engines were used: land, air & water Mercedes-Benz |
| #1884, aired 1992-11-12 | POLAND: Laid to rest temporarily at Arlington in 1941, his remains were returned to Poland in 1992 Jan Paderewski |
| #1883, aired 1992-11-11 | VICE PRESIDENTS: He served as vice president for the shortest length of time: one month John Tyler |
| #1882, aired 1992-11-10 | MYTHS & LEGENDS: What the ancient Greek writer Theseus called a "monokeros", we call this a unicorn |
| #1881, aired 1992-11-09 | GEOGRAPHY: Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, this is the largest country in area in the world Russia |
| #1880, aired 1992-11-06 | OPERETTAS: Sigmund Romberg wrote the music for this 1926 operetta inspired by an Arab revolt in French Morocco The Desert Song |
| #1879, aired 1992-11-05 | EXPLORERS: He died after his ship the St. Peter was wrecked in the Komandorskiye Islands in 1741 Vitus Bering |
| #1878, aired 1992-11-04 | INSECTS: Lampyridae is the scientific name of this family of insects fireflies (lightning bugs) |
| #1877, aired 1992-11-03 | AMERICAN HISTORY: His left arm is buried at Ellwood Farm near Fredericksburg, Virginia Stonewall Jackson |
| #1876, aired 1992-11-02 | TELEVISION: This program grew out of evening updates on the Iran hostage crisis hosted by Frank Reynolds Nightline |
| #1875, aired 1992-10-30 | THE SUPREME COURT: The 1973 case Doe v. Bolton was decided with this more famous case Roe v. Wade |
| #1874, aired 1992-10-29 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The first two presidents not born in Virginia were born in what is now this state Massachusetts |
| #1873, aired 1992-10-28 | U.S. STATES: This state with several hundred ghost towns was admitted to the Union on Halloween in 1864 Nevada |
| #1872, aired 1992-10-27 | WORD & PHRASE ORIGINS: This phrase meaning the aristocracy is derived from the part of a loaf served to honored guests the upper crust |
| #1871, aired 1992-10-26 | HISTORIC NAMES: For his licentious behavior, monk Grigori Yefimovich Novykh earned this nickname meaning "debauched one" Rasputin |
| #1870, aired 1992-10-23 | BUSINESS BIGGIES: This, the world's largest food company, is based in Vevey, Switzerland Nestle |
| #1869, aired 1992-10-22 | FAMOUS SHIPS: This research vessel named for a character in the "Odyssey" is a former WWII minesweeper the Calypso |
| #1868, aired 1992-10-21 | CHRONOLOGY: Dionysius Exiguus, a monk in Rome, is credited with inspiring the use of these 2 abbreviations B.C. & A.D. |
| #1867, aired 1992-10-20 | MEN OF SCIENCE: In 1927, a year after his death, his autobiography "Harvest of the Years" was published Luther Burbank |
| #1866, aired 1992-10-19 | WORD ORIGINS: The name of this swift current between 2 of the Lofoten Islands off Norway has come to refer any whirlpool a maelstrom |
| #1865, aired 1992-10-16 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: This Southern lake ranks 2nd in size to Lake Michigan among freshwater lakes entirely within the U.S. Lake Okeechobee |
| #1864, aired 1992-10-15 | ANIMALS: Legend says this dog is descended from ones shipwrecked on the coast of Maryland in 1807 the Chesapeake (Bay Retriever) |
| #1863, aired 1992-10-14 | RELIGIOUS GROUPS: "The War Cry" & "The Young Soldier" are publications of this religious movement Salvation Army |
| #1862, aired 1992-10-13 | PRESIDENTS: Before Eisenhower, he was the last president to preside over the admission of a new state (William Howard) Taft |
| #1861, aired 1992-10-12 | ISLANDS: This U.S. possession was named for its location on the sea route from California to Japan the Midway Islands |
| #1860, aired 1992-10-09 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: Famous nickname of the woman who was born Mary Elizabeth Aitcheson Tipper Gore |
| #1859, aired 1992-10-08 | THE SUPREME COURT: He is the only bachelor serving on the Supreme Court David Souter |
| #1858, aired 1992-10-07 | AMERICANA: The Ryan NYP hanging from a ceiling in Washington, D.C. is better known by this name the Spirit of St. Louis |
| #1857, aired 1992-10-06 | THE OSCARS: In 1992 John Singleton replaced this 1941 nominee as the youngest director nominated Orson Welles |
| #1856, aired 1992-10-05 | LANGUAGES: The 2 languages on the Rosetta Stone Egyptian & Greek |
| #1855, aired 1992-10-02 | HISTORICAL OPERAS: This queen is a leading character in Donizetti's opera "Roberto Devereux, Conte d'Essex" Elizabeth I |
| #1854, aired 1992-10-01 | THE CALENDAR: It was the last year that was just two letters long in Roman numerals 1500 (MD) |
| #1853, aired 1992-09-30 | ORGANIZATIONS: Founded in Michigan in 1936, it's the largest philanthropic organization in the world the Ford Foundation |
| #1852, aired 1992-09-29 | FAMILIAR PHRASES: In England, it was a place set aside at balls where servants would attend to people's wigs the powder room |
| #1851, aired 1992-09-28 | ENTERTAINERS OF THE PAST: This Missouri-born expatriate starred in the 1935 French film "Princess Tam-Tam" Josephine Baker |
| #1850, aired 1992-09-25 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: This holy day may be named for an Anglo-Saxon spring goddess Easter |
| #1849, aired 1992-09-24 | THE 20th CENTURY: Containing Army surplus food, the first of these arrived in France in 1946 & cost $15 a box to send care packages |
| #1848, aired 1992-09-23 | SPORTING EVENTS: In 1911, it took 6 hours, 42 minutes to win this event; in 1991, 2 hours, 50 minutes the Indianapolis 500 |
| #1847, aired 1992-09-22 | THE SOVIET UNION: After this hero's death in 1968, the town of Gzhatsk was renamed in his honor Yuri Gagarin |
| #1846, aired 1992-09-21 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: The name of this mountain chain means "bark eaters", a derogatory name the Iroquois gave their neighbors the Adirondack chain |
| #1845, aired 1992-09-18 | FILMS OF THE '40s: In the 1940s this star made 8 films with Bing Crosby, more than any other actress Dorothy Lamour |
| #1844, aired 1992-09-17 | U.S. ELECTIONS: He's been on the Republican national ticket more than anyone else, 5 times Richard Nixon |
| #1843, aired 1992-09-16 | WORLD LEADERS: This dictator's original surname was Al-Tikriti Saddam Hussein |
| #1842, aired 1992-09-15 | PSYCHOLOGY: In Freud's "Interpretation of Dreams", he mentions this king of Thebes Oedipus |
| #1841, aired 1992-09-14 | POETRY: About her Tennyson wrote, "She took the tax away and built herself an everlasting name" Lady Godiva |
| #1840, aired 1992-09-11 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: The name of this country is New Latin for "place of freedom" Liberia |
| #1839, aired 1992-09-10 | SHIPS: This British navy ship left Devenport Dec. 27, 1831 & went around the world on a 5-year survey mission the HMS Beagle |
| #1838, aired 1992-09-09 | FAMOUS WOMEN: On her death, Will Rogers said her "consideration of others will live as a mark for any woman to shoot at" Annie Oakley |
| #1837, aired 1992-09-08 | FAMOUS SCIENTISTS: In 1969 the N.Y. Times retracted a 1920 editorial ridiculing his claim that rockets could fly to the Moon Robert Goddard |
| #1836, aired 1992-09-07 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This chain of 748 shoe stores was named for a Scottish professional golfer Thom McAn |
| #1835, aired 1992-07-17 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: He was the last president elected with less than 50% of the popular vote Nixon |
| #1834, aired 1992-07-16 | FILMS OF THE '50s: One of the 1st lines in this William Holden film is "The poor dope. He always wanted a pool." Sunset Boulevard |
| #1833, aired 1992-07-15 | WORLD WAR II: During WWII this Mediterranean island was called Britain's "only unsinkable aircraft carrier" Malta |
| #1832, aired 1992-07-14 | GERMAN AUTHORS: Composer Paul Dukas based "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" on a story by this poet, novelist & scientist Goethe |
| #1831, aired 1992-07-13 | OPERA: Operas by Rossini, Bizet & Beethoven are set in or near this city Seville |
| #1830, aired 1992-07-10 | 20th CENTURY WOMEN: This legendary 71-year-old performer, the widow of a diplomat, died in Panama in 1991 Margot Fonteyn |
| #1829, aired 1992-07-09 | LITERATURE: The prologue of "The Canterbury Tales" calls him "the hooly blisful martir" Becket |
| #1828, aired 1992-07-08 | NATIONS OF THE WORLD: In one of its official languages, this country is called Repiblik Dayti Haiti |
| #1827, aired 1992-07-07 | 1991: Time's 1991 Man of the Year, he made viewers around the world "instant witnesses to history" Ted Turner |
| #1826, aired 1992-07-06 | SHAKESPEARE: The play in which a fool says, "This cold night will turn us all to fools and madmen" King Lear |
| #1819, aired 1992-06-25 | MEDICINE: It was the last of the 4 major blood groups to be discovered AB |
| #1818, aired 1992-06-24 | U.S. STATES: The 2 states formed from counties of the state of Virginia West Virginia & Kentucky |
| #1815, aired 1992-06-19 | IN THE NEWS: In an unannounced December 1991 speech at Columbia Univ., this author said, "Free speech is life itself" Salman Rushdie |
| #1806, aired 1992-06-08 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: He received the most electoral votes of any third party candidate in the 20th century Teddy Roosevelt |
| #1800, aired 1992-05-29 | VICE PRESIDENTS: He served FDR as Commerce Secretary, Agriculture Secretary, and Vice President Henry Wallace |
| #1799, aired 1992-05-28 | FOOD & DRINK: Before the introduction of Diet Coke, this was the leading diet soft drink in the U.S. Tab |
| #1796, aired 1992-05-25 | THE 1991 EMMYS: This show won the Best Comedy Series, Actress & Supporting Actress awards Cheers |
| #1795, aired 1992-05-22 | COMPOSERS: An anthem that he composed for George II's 1727 coronation has been used for British crownings ever since George Frederick Handel |
| #1794, aired 1992-05-21 | AMERICAN STORIES: Story that begins, "Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson must remember the Kaatskill Mountains" "Rip Van Winkle" |
| #1793, aired 1992-05-20 | TRAVEL & TOURISM: This sparsely populated state has the highest percentage of its workforce in tourism, about a third Nevada |
| #1792, aired 1992-05-19 | ARTISTS: 2 of his major works are "Synagogue at Safed" (1931) & "King David" (1951) Chagall |
| #1791, aired 1992-05-18 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: A native Kentuckian, he was the first president born outside of the original 13 states Abraham Lincoln |
| #1790, aired 1992-05-15 | AMERICAN HISTORY: John Alden was the last surviving signer of this the Mayflower Compact |
| #1789, aired 1992-05-14 | RELIGIOUS LEADERS: Gan-den Trup-pa, a monk, scholar & author, was the first man to be given this title the Dalai Lama |
| #1788, aired 1992-05-13 | ZOOLOGY: The scientific name of this mammal is abbreviated H. amphibius a hippopotamus |
| #1787, aired 1992-05-12 | COLONIAL AMERICA: Charles II's brother, the Duke of this, was put in charge of getting the Dutch out of New Amsterdam York |
| #1786, aired 1992-05-11 | SECRETARIES OF STATE: This Secretary of State's original first name was Heinz Henry Kissinger |
| #1785, aired 1992-05-08 | VICE PRESIDENTS: He was the most recent Democratic Vice President to become President Lyndon Johnson |
| #1784, aired 1992-05-07 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: At about 1 million square miles, it's the world's largest peninsula Arabian |
| #1783, aired 1992-05-06 | WORLD LEADERS: On Feb. 24, 1992, this Nobel Peace Prize winner's first column appeared in the New York Times Gorbachev |
| #1782, aired 1992-05-05 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Verona, Italy has someone who answers dozens of letters sent each week to this 13-year-old girl Juliet |
| #1781, aired 1992-05-04 | THE 1970s: These documents revealed the Truman admin. gave military aid to France in its war against the Viet Minh Pentagon Papers |
| #1780, aired 1992-05-01 | OSCAR WINNING FILMS: It ends as the main character, Don Birnam, begins work on a new novel, "The Bottle" The Lost Weekend |
| #1779, aired 1992-04-30 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the first Navy veteran to become president Kennedy |
| #1775, aired 1992-04-24 | VICE PRESIDENTS: 2 of only 6 vice presidents who served 2 full terms in office (2 of) Adams, Nixon, Bush, Tompkins (Monroe's), Marshall (Wilson's) or Garner (FDR's 1st & 2nd terms) |
| #1774, aired 1992-04-23 | SHAKESPEAREAN CHARACTERS: The 3 characters who die in the last scene of "Romeo and Juliet" are Romeo, Juliet & this person Paris |
| #1773, aired 1992-04-22 | THE ELEMENTS: It has the lowest melting point of any metallic element, -38° F. mercury |
| #1772, aired 1992-04-21 | AMERICAN ART: This painting commemorating the 100th anniv. of the American Revolution was inspired by a July 4th parade The Spirit of '76 |
| #1771, aired 1992-04-20 | MONARCHS: After more than 40 years in exile, King Michael returned to this country in 1990 only to be expelled again Romania |
| #1770, aired 1992-04-17 | INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: It was founded in Baghdad, Iraq in September 1960 OPEC |
| #1768, aired 1992-04-15 | AUTHORS: His exact birthday is unknown, but it's believed to be Sept. 29, 1547, the feast day of San Miguel Miguel de Cervantes |
| #1766, aired 1992-04-13 | AUSTRALIA: The flags of these 2 Australian states have crowns on them Queensland & Victoria |
| #1765, aired 1992-04-10 | AWARDS: The Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal features an engraving of this 18th century American Benjamin Franklin |
| #1756, aired 1992-03-30 | ANCIENT ROME: Profession of those who said, "Ave, Caesar, morituri te salutant" gladiators |
| #1755, aired 1992-03-27 | MYTHS & LEGENDS: One legend says he was the Earl of Huntingdon & lived from 1160 to 1247 Robin Hood |
| #1754, aired 1992-03-26 | WORLD BUSINESS: After a heraldic lion was placed over its entrance in 1522, a German brewery took this name Lowenbrau |
| #1753, aired 1992-03-25 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He served 8 years each as a member of the House, secretary of state & president James Madison |
| #1752, aired 1992-03-24 | OPERETTAS: Hanna Glawari, whose late husband has left her a fortune, is the heroine of this 1905 operetta "The Merry Widow" |
| #1751, aired 1992-03-23 | BRITISH RULERS: He was the first Hanoverian monarch born in England; his father was Frederick, Prince of Wales George III |
| #1750, aired 1992-03-20 | POETRY: Much of this poem was probably written at the Indian Queen Inn in Baltimore in September 1814 "The Star-Spangled Banner" |
| #1749, aired 1992-03-19 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: This 1948 show, the 1st to win a Tony as Best Musical was inspired by a Shakespeare play Kiss Me, Kate |
| #1748, aired 1992-03-18 | LANGUAGES: Swedish is an official language of these 2 European countries Sweden & Finland |
| #1747, aired 1992-03-17 | NOTORIOUS: No one was ever convicted of the double murder committed in this Massachusetts town on August 4, 1892 Fall River, Massachusetts |
| #1746, aired 1992-03-16 | FRANCE: The name of this coastal city is believed to be derived from the Greek for "victory" Nice |
| #1745, aired 1992-03-13 | THE OSCARS: This children's author won 3 Oscars: 2 for documentaries & 1 for a Gerald McBoing-Boing cartoon Dr. Seuss |
| #1744, aired 1992-03-12 | FAMOUS NAMES: In 1789, while commander of Paris' National Guard, he saved Marie Antoinette from a mob that invaded Versailles Marquis de Lafayette |
| #1743, aired 1992-03-11 | 20th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: With 10 letters, his middle name was the longest of any U.S. president (John Fitzgerald) Kennedy |
| #1742, aired 1992-03-10 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This company that operates over 1400 discount stores is based in Bentonville, Arkansas Wal-Mart (Stores) |
| #1741, aired 1992-03-09 | THE U.S.A.: With 8, this state has the most national parks Alaska |
| #1740, aired 1992-03-06 | 20th CENTURY VICE PRESIDENTS: The only VP to become president not immediately after his vice presidential term Richard Nixon |
| #1739, aired 1992-03-05 | LITERATURE: In "The Jungle Book" it's called "the Red Flower" & "every beast lives in fear of it" fire |
| #1738, aired 1992-03-04 | U.S. STATES: 2 of only 3 U.S. states which have all straight-line boundaries (2 of) Colorado, Utah, & Wyoming |
| #1737, aired 1992-03-03 | COMPOSERS: The Royal Liverpool Harmonic marked its 150th anniversary by premiering his oratorio Paul McCartney |
| #1736, aired 1992-03-02 | ANIMALS: It's 1 of only 2 mammals with a beak (1 of) (duck-bill(ed)) platypus or an echidna |
| #1735, aired 1992-02-28 | IN THE NEWS: In November 1991, 2 people from this country were indicted for the 1988 Pan Am 103 bombing Libya |
| #1734, aired 1992-02-27 | SCIENCE: 1 of 2 chemical elements whose symbol is a pronoun (1 of) iodine or helium |
| #1733, aired 1992-02-26 | EXPLORERS: In the 1480s his brother Bartholomew gave England's Henry VII a world map to show him their plan Christopher Columbus |
| #1732, aired 1992-02-25 | ASTRONOMY: Areology is the scientific study of this planet Mars |
| #1731, aired 1992-02-24 | CHILDREN'S BOOKS: You'll find this Martin Hanford character is Charlie in France & Ubaldo in Italy Waldo |
| #1730, aired 1992-02-21 | SPORTS: In the 1970s & 1980s over half the Little League World Series champions came from this island Taiwan |
| #1729, aired 1992-02-20 | ARTISTS: His 1979-1986 "Retrospectives & Reversals" reversed & juxtaposed images from his earlier work Andy Warhol |
| #1728, aired 1992-02-19 | GEOGRAPHY: The name of this Greek mountain pass means "hot gates" Thermopylae |
| #1727, aired 1992-02-18 | NOTORIOUS: Some believe the "suicide" of this man on August 17, 1987 in West Berlin was murder Rudolf Hess |
| #1726, aired 1992-02-17 | LAKES & RIVERS: The 2 Great Lakes that border only 1 U.S. state Lake Ontario & Lake Huron |
| #1725, aired 1992-02-14 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: He was listed as the author of 1726's "Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World" (Lemuel) Gulliver |
| #1724, aired 1992-02-13 | SCIENTISTS: From 1937-1970 he taught physics & seismology at Caltech Charles Richter |
| #1723, aired 1992-02-12 | MOVIE MUSICALS: Among the characters in this 1950 film are Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull & Kaiser Wilhelm II Annie Get Your Gun |
| #1722, aired 1992-02-11 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: James River Corp., maker of Brawny towels & Dixie cups, is based in this state capital Richmond, Virginia |
| #1721, aired 1992-02-10 | U.S. CITIES: Pedro Menendez de Aviles founded this city September 8, 1565 St. Augustine, Florida |
| #1720, aired 1992-02-07 | THE CIVIL WAR: It was the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi never captured by Union troops Tallahassee, Florida |
| #1719, aired 1992-02-06 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 1 of the 4 presidents who never had a vice president (1 of) Tyler, Fillmore, Andrew Johnson & Arthur |
| #1718, aired 1992-02-05 | FAMOUS WOMEN: She was granted free use of the mails in December 1963 Jacqueline Kennedy |
| #1717, aired 1992-02-04 | MAGAZINES: This late actor was on the July 13, July 20 & July 27, 1991 TV Guide covers Michael Landon |
| #1716, aired 1992-02-03 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: 2 of the 3 U.S. states that have Erie Counties New York, Ohio & Pennsylvania |
| #1715, aired 1992-01-31 | ACTORS OF THE PAST: Born in 1895, 2 of his greatest film roles were Julio Desnoyers & Ahmed Ben Hassan Rudolph Valentino |
| #1714, aired 1992-01-30 | ART: Rodin originally conceived "The Thinker" as a seated portrait of this author for "The Gates of Hell" Dante |
| #1713, aired 1992-01-29 | AFRICAN HISTORY: Taitu, the wife of Emperor Menelik II, gave this capital city its name; it means "new flower" Addis Ababa |
| #1712, aired 1992-01-28 | THE ELEMENTS: It's the only radioactive element that occurs naturally as a gas radon |
| #1711, aired 1992-01-27 | U.S. HISTORY: Ironically, U.S. Grant's 1854 resignation from the Army was accepted by this Secretary of War Jefferson Davis |
| #1710, aired 1992-01-24 | THE BIBLE: The book of Genesis ends with his death "and he was put in a coffin in Egypt" Joseph |
| #1709, aired 1992-01-23 | WOMEN AUTHORS: In 1901 she published what has become the best-selling children's book of all time Beatrix Potter |
| #1708, aired 1992-01-22 | ISLAND GROUPS: The last place Columbus stopped for supplies before reaching the New World the Canary Islands |
| #1707, aired 1992-01-21 | U.S.A.: This community outside Washington, D.C. is named after a Presbyterian church built there in 1820 Bethesda, Maryland |
| #1706, aired 1992-01-20 | THE STATUE OF LIBERTY: At her feet is a broken one of these chain |
| #1705, aired 1992-01-17 | WORD ORIGINS: This verb meaning to consider carefully or weigh in the mind comes from Latin for "weight" ponder |
| #1704, aired 1992-01-16 | MOVIE MUSICALS: This 1955 movie musical featured Rod Steiger in a dream ballet choreographed by Agnes de Mille Oklahoma! |
| #1703, aired 1992-01-15 | HISTORIC NAMES: In exile from the U.S., he lived in St. John, New Brunswick from 1787 to 1791 Benedict Arnold |
| #1702, aired 1992-01-14 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: The New York Stock Exchange symbol of this Montreal-based company is "VO" Seagram |
| #1701, aired 1992-01-13 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: It has the largest population of any country completely south of the Equator South Africa |
| #1700, aired 1992-01-10 | AMERICAN DRAMA: This 1938 play's 3 acts are titled "Daily Life", "Love and Marriage" & "Death" Our Town |
| #1699, aired 1992-01-09 | THE SENATE: In 1961 he became the first Republican senator from Texas since Reconstruction John Tower |
| #1698, aired 1992-01-08 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: These 2 brothers-in-law merged their soap- & candle-making businesses in 1837 Procter & Gamble |
| #1697, aired 1992-01-07 | EDUCATION: Friedrich Froebel wanted children to grow naturally, like plants, so he named his school this kindergarten |
| #1696, aired 1992-01-06 | MYTHOLOGY: Jupiter made Chiron, the wisest & most just of all centaurs, this constellation Sagittarius |
| #1695, aired 1992-01-03 | EUROPEAN NOVELS: A BBC Radio musical called "The Blooms of Dublin" was based on this novel Ulysses |
| #1694, aired 1992-01-02 | LITERATURE: This 1952 novel is based on a Biblical story & set in California's Salinas Valley East of Eden |
| #1693, aired 1992-01-01 | INSECTS: This pest escaped from a Mass. lab where it was brought in the 19th c. as a possible silkworm the gypsy moth |
| #1692, aired 1991-12-31 | THE MOVIES: This 1971 musical featured violin solos by Isaac Stern Fiddler on the Roof |
| #1691, aired 1991-12-30 | NOTORIOUS WOMEN: This Dutchwoman claimed she was the daughter of an Indian dancer & was raised in a Hindu temple Mata Hari |
| #1690, aired 1991-12-27 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: The heroines in this novel perform an original melodrama called "The Witch's Curse" Little Women |
| #1689, aired 1991-12-26 | FAMOUS ADDRESSES: His home address is the Admiral's House, 34th Street & Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC the Vice President of the U.S. (Dan Quayle) |
| #1688, aired 1991-12-25 | CHINA: The Ch'in Dynasty gave China its first emperor, this dynasty gave it its last the Ch'ing (or Manchu) Dynasty |
| #1687, aired 1991-12-24 | HISTORIC ROUTES: Also called the "Regina Viarum", Queen of Roads, it was named after the censor who started it the Appian Way |
| #1686, aired 1991-12-23 | U.S. CITIES: The Colorado city named for its location at the confluence of 2 major rivers Grand Junction |
| #1685, aired 1991-12-20 | THEATRE: The patriarch of this family was born Herbert Blythe in 1847; he took a stage name in 1872 the Barrymores |
| #1684, aired 1991-12-19 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: In 1952 he set up a law practice with partner Oliver Tambo Nelson Mandela |
| #1683, aired 1991-12-18 | AMERICAN NOVELS: The narrative in this 1851 novel contains a dissertation on cetology Moby-Dick |
| #1682, aired 1991-12-17 | PRESIDENTIAL RELATIVES: He's the grandson of one president & the son-in-law of another David Eisenhower |
| #1681, aired 1991-12-16 | ANCIENT WORLDS: In the early 1800s hieroglyphics were first translated by an Egyptologist from this country France |
| #1680, aired 1991-12-13 | THEATRE: Peter Shaffer omitted the death of Emperor Joseph II from the NYC production of this play Amadeus |
| #1679, aired 1991-12-12 | BRIDGES: In 1941 the Rainbow Bridge replaced the Honeymoon Bridge over this river the Niagara River |
| #1678, aired 1991-12-11 | THE SOVIET UNION: The head of the Leningrad Communist Party in the 1920s; an opera & ballet theatre is named for him Sergei Kirov |
| #1677, aired 1991-12-10 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: In its native language this island is called Kalaallit Nunaat Greenland |
| #1676, aired 1991-12-09 | OPERA: This 1926 opera was inspired by a Carlo Gozzi play written in 1762 & described as a "Chinese fairy tale" Turandot |
| #1675, aired 1991-12-06 | SONG STANDARDS: According to Irving Berlin, "They can play a bugle call like you never heard before" Alexander's Ragtime Band |
| #1674, aired 1991-12-05 | U.S. MONUMENTS: Commissioned in 1916 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, it was finally completed in 1972 Stone Mountain |
| #1673, aired 1991-12-04 | ORGANIZATIONS: It grew out of vigilance committees set up by local advertising clubs to monitor false advertising the Better Business Bureau |
| #1672, aired 1991-12-03 | THE BRITISH EMPIRE: This country which gained independence in 1981 was Britain's last colony on the mainland of the Americas Belize (British Honduras) |
| #1671, aired 1991-12-02 | U.S. STATES: At the time of the first U.S. census, in 1790, this state was the most populous & the largest in area Virginia |
| #1670, aired 1991-11-29 | SCIENTISTS: In 1902, at age 23, he was appointed to a position in the patent office in Bern, Switzerland Albert Einstein |
| #1669, aired 1991-11-28 | ORGANIZATIONS: The forerunner of this organization was founded in 1887 to coordinate 22 Denver charities United Way |
| #1668, aired 1991-11-27 | SHAKESPEARE: In his diary Samuel Pepys described this play as silly, "and not related at all to the name or day" Twelfth Night, or What You Will |
| #1667, aired 1991-11-26 | FAMOUS NAMES: In the late 1880s this engineer earned the nickname "Magician of Iron" Alexandre Gustave Eiffel |
| #1666, aired 1991-11-25 | THE CENSUS: This state has the highest percentage of Hispanics — 38% New Mexico |
| #1665, aired 1991-11-22 | THE ELEMENTS: This element, whose name is from the Greek, would be Lucifer in Latin phosphorus |
| #1664, aired 1991-11-21 | U.S. CURRENCY: The Treasury prints more bills in these 2 denominations than any other $1 bills & $20 bills |
| #1663, aired 1991-11-20 | INTERNATIONAL CUISINE: Robert Burns called this dish "Great chieftain o' the puddin'-race!"; it's still eaten to honor his birthday haggis |
| #1662, aired 1991-11-19 | PLAYS: This 1954 play is actually 2 one-acts, "Table by the Window" & "Table Number Seven" Separate Tables |
| #1661, aired 1991-11-18 | LITERARY SETTINGS: This "sequestered glen" lies about 2 miles from the Tappan Zee Sleepy Hollow |
| #1660, aired 1991-11-15 | COLONIAL AMERICA: The colonists referred to the first three French & Indian Wars using the names of these three British monarchs George, Anne & William |
| #1659, aired 1991-11-14 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The first two consecutive presidents who were from the same state Thomas Jefferson & James Madison (both from Virginia) |
| #1658, aired 1991-11-13 | AFRICAN AMERICANS: In 1978 she became the first black woman honored on a U.S. postage stamp Harriet Tubman |
| #1657, aired 1991-11-12 | SOUTH AFRICA: The University of Cape Town is on the grounds of Groote Schuur, the former home of this statesman Cecil Rhodes |
| #1656, aired 1991-11-11 | AUTHORS: His father was a general under Napoleon & he took part in Garibaldi's liberation of Sicily in 1860 Alexandre Dumas |
| #1655, aired 1991-11-08 | ACTRESSES & THEIR ROLES: This American actress won a 1960 Tony & a 1962 Oscar for playing the same teacher Anne Bancroft |
| #1654, aired 1991-11-07 | THE BIBLE: The English title of this book is a translation of the Greek word "arithmoi" Numbers |
| #1653, aired 1991-11-06 | TRANSPORTATION: The world's 14th largest airline is based in this 240-square-mile island nation Singapore (Singapore Airlines) |
| #1652, aired 1991-11-05 | WORLD LEADERS: He died in 1965 & was buried in St. Martin's churchyard near the palace where he was born in 1874 Winston Churchill |
| #1651, aired 1991-11-04 | ANCIENT LITERATURE: More writings of this orator survive than of any other Latin author Cicero |
| #1650, aired 1991-11-01 | ASIAN CAPITALS: This city was designed in 1912 by English architect Edwin Lutyens New Delhi |
| #1649, aired 1991-10-31 | THE WINTER OLYMPICS: 2 of the 3 cities that have hosted the games twice St. Moritz, Lake Placid & Innsbruck, Austria |
| #1648, aired 1991-10-30 | ACTORS & THEIR ROLES: Ronald Reagan, Errol Flynn, Richard Mulligan & Gary Cole have all played this historical role George Armstrong Custer |
| #1647, aired 1991-10-29 | INVENTORS: In 1852 he invented an automatic safety device to prevent the fall of hoisting machinery (Elisha) Otis |
| #1646, aired 1991-10-28 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This Minneapolis company was incorporated in 1928 when 5 flour-making firms merged General Mills |
| #1645, aired 1991-10-25 | LITERARY SEQUELS: "Perchance to Dream" is Robert B. Parker's sequel to this 1939 Raymond Chandler novel The Big Sleep |
| #1644, aired 1991-10-24 | THE SENATE: The 2 former major party vice presidential nominees who are now senators Robert Dole & Lloyd Bentsen |
| #1643, aired 1991-10-23 | THE MOVIE INDUSTRY: This motion picture process was invented by an alumnus of MIT & named in honor of the school Technicolor |
| #1642, aired 1991-10-22 | THE NEW TESTAMENT: At his mother's request, Jesus performed his first miracle in public at this event the wedding at Cana |
| #1641, aired 1991-10-21 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Of our 4 assassinated presidents, these 2 were shot in Washington, D.C. Lincoln & Garfield |
| #1640, aired 1991-10-18 | SCIENCE: It's the only chemical element named for a U.S. state Californium |
| #1639, aired 1991-10-17 | ORGANIZATIONS: The USA’s oldest nationwide voluntary health agency, it was founded in 1904 to combat tuberculosis the American Lung Association |
| #1638, aired 1991-10-16 | MUSICAL THEATRE: The title of this 1932 Pulitzer Prize winner comes from the patriotic song "America" Of Thee I Sing |
| #1637, aired 1991-10-15 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: This president kept a personally significant coconut shell on his White House desk John Fitzgerald Kennedy |
| #1636, aired 1991-10-14 | WORLD WAR II: H.M.S. Hood, then the world's largest warship, was sunk by this battleship May 24, 1941 the Bismarck |
| #1635, aired 1991-10-11 | U.S. CITIES: The paper making Winston Churchill an honorary U.S. citizen is in this city named for an inventor Fulton, Missouri |
| #1634, aired 1991-10-10 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: The oldest U.S. food trademark still in use, a red devil, was granted to this company in 1870 Underwood |
| #1633, aired 1991-10-09 | DANCERS: In 1912, she bought a London home which became famous for its ornamental lake with swans Anna Pavlova |
| #1632, aired 1991-10-08 | SPACE EXPLORATION: After his Mercury flight, he named his Gemini capsule "Molly Brown" Gus Grissom |
| #1631, aired 1991-10-07 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: Howard R. Garis wrote some 12,000 stories about this "Uncle" & his friends between 1910-1947 Uncle Wiggily |
| #1630, aired 1991-10-04 | FAMOUS NAMES: This future foreign prime minister attended Milwaukee Teachers Training College in 1916 & '17 Golda Meir |
| #1629, aired 1991-10-03 | THE ELEMENTS: The 2 metallic elements whose names end in "D" lead & gold |
| #1628, aired 1991-10-02 | STAMPS & COINS: 2 of the 3 countries in whose currencies United Nations stamps are issued (2 of) United States, Switzerland & Austria |
| #1627, aired 1991-10-01 | THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: Last name of the 2 brothers from Virginia who signed the Declaration of Independence Lee |
| #1626, aired 1991-09-30 | THE OLD TESTAMENT: The 2 books that list the Ten Commandments Exodus & Deuteronomy |
| #1625, aired 1991-09-27 | SOUTHEAST ASIA: It's the only country in Southeast Asia with a Christian majority the Philippines |
| #1624, aired 1991-09-26 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: 12 of the 15 persons impeached by the federal gov't held this position (federal) judge(s) (judgeship) |
| #1623, aired 1991-09-25 | BUSINESS & FINANCE: The Bank of N.Y., America's oldest continuously operating bank, was founded by him in 1784 Alexander Hamilton |
| #1622, aired 1991-09-24 | THE PULITZER PRIZE: In 1991 he won his second Pulitzer for fiction, with a book that was a sequel to his first winner John Updike |
| #1621, aired 1991-09-23 | WOMEN IN HISTORY: In 1909 she became the 1st woman pres. of what later became the National Conference of Social Work Jane Addams |
| #1620, aired 1991-09-20 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The first president to serve 8 full years Thomas Jefferson |
| #1619, aired 1991-09-19 | ORGANIZATIONS: It was founded in 1938 as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis March of Dimes |
| #1618, aired 1991-09-18 | MEDALS & DECORATIONS: The first Victoria Cross was made from Russian guns captured during this war the Crimean War |
| #1617, aired 1991-09-17 | FAMOUS MOVIE PAIRS: The only Tracy & Hepburn film with their characters' names in its title Pat and Mike |
| #1616, aired 1991-09-16 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: An accomplished author, his masterpiece was a "Practical Handbook of Bee Culture" Sherlock Holmes |
| #1615, aired 1991-09-13 | THE 20th CENTURY: He was attacked by R. Mercader, a Spanish Communist agent, on Aug. 20, 1940 & died the following day Leon Trotsky |
| #1614, aired 1991-09-12 | INVENTORS: Advised to invent something to be used & thrown away, he did in 1895 & made a fortune King Gillette |
| #1613, aired 1991-09-11 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: The day Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving, Americans observe this day Columbus Day |
| #1612, aired 1991-09-10 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: At the premiere of this Handel work, explosions destroyed part of the outdoor pavilion Music for the Royal Fireworks |
| #1611, aired 1991-09-09 | THE OLYMPICS: This country hoped to get the 1996 games as it would have been 100 years since it last had them Greece |
| #1610, aired 1991-09-06 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: It's the largest company on the Fortune 500 named for a person (Henry) Ford |
| #1609, aired 1991-09-05 | ACTRESSES: She was the special guest at the Empire State Building's 60th anniversary celebration on May 1, 1991 Fay Wray |
| #1608, aired 1991-09-04 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the 1st Democrat elected president after the Civil War (Grover) Cleveland |
| #1607, aired 1991-09-03 | NOVELS: Hemingway novel that begins, "Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton" The Sun Also Rises |
| #1606, aired 1991-09-02 | POETRY: Robert Browning's poem about him contains the line "Rats! They fought the dogs and killed the cats" Pied Piper (of Hamelin) |
| #1605, aired 1991-07-19 | POETS: This baron was England's poet laureate from 1850 to 1892, longer than anyone else Alfred Lord Tennyson |
| #1604, aired 1991-07-18 | TELEVISION: She has won 8 Emmys, more than any other performer, the 1st for Best Female Singer in 1954 Dinah Shore |
| #1603, aired 1991-07-17 | MUSICIANS: This famed musician disappeared on December 16, 1944 & was never found Glenn Miller |
| #1602, aired 1991-07-16 | HISTORIC NAMES: He married Edith Bolling Galt, a widow, on December 18, 1915 in her Washington, D.C. drawing room Woodrow Wilson |
| #1601, aired 1991-07-15 | GOVERNMENT & POLITICS: Ronald E. Paul, the candidate of this party, got the third most votes in the 1988 presidential election Libertarian |
| #1600, aired 1991-07-12 | AFRICA: 2 of the 4 African countries that have been members of the UN since its founding (2 of) Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia & Liberia |
| #1599, aired 1991-07-11 | FAMOUS DANCERS: The only real-life couple Astaire & Rogers played in their 10 films together was this dance team Vernon & Irene Castle |
| #1598, aired 1991-07-10 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: A 40-year old widower, he was engaged to remarry when he died mysteriously in Baltimore in 1849 Edgar Allan Poe |
| #1597, aired 1991-07-09 | STATE CAPITALS: 1 of 2 state capitals that formerly served as capital of the U.S. (1 of) Annapolis or Trenton |
| #1596, aired 1991-07-08 | 20th CENTURY EUROPE: As Europe chose sides before WWI, Russia joined these 2 nations in the Triple Entente France and Great Britain |
| #1595, aired 1991-07-05 | SHAKESPEARE: In "Hamlet", this character says, "The apparel oft proclaims the man" Polonius |
| #1594, aired 1991-07-04 | THE SILENT SCREEN: 1-word title of the blockbuster 1927 film that catapulted Clara Bow to stardom It |
| #1593, aired 1991-07-03 | ROYALTY: At his death in January 1991, the king of this country was the world's oldest reigning monarch Norway |
| #1592, aired 1991-07-02 | FAMOUS NAMES: This survivor of WWII's Bataan Death March went on to become a world leader Ferdinand Marcos |
| #1591, aired 1991-07-01 | THE PRESIDENCY: By custom, presidents add these 4 words to the constitutionally dictated oath of office so help me God |
| #1590, aired 1991-06-28 | COLONIAL AMERICA: Their marriage in 1614 brought eight years of peace to the Jamestown Colony Pocahontas & John Rolfe |
| #1589, aired 1991-06-27 | COMPOSERS: He originally titled his work "How Petya Outwitted the Wolf", but that gave away the end Prokofiev |
| #1588, aired 1991-06-26 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: Of all the independent agencies of the U.S. government, this one has the most employees the Postal Service (the Post Office) |
| #1587, aired 1991-06-25 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: The name of this automaker is an abbreviation of "Japan Industries" Nissan |
| #1586, aired 1991-06-24 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: Named for a U.S. president, this author wrote a 5-volume biography of that president in the 1850s Washington Irving |
| #1585, aired 1991-06-21 | AMERICAN POLITICS: He was the only man to preside over both the House & the Senate on the same day, March 4, 1933 John Nance Garner |
| #1584, aired 1991-06-20 | MUSEUMS: Since 1899 this museum of decorative arts has borne the names of two first cousins the Victoria and Albert Museum |
| #1583, aired 1991-06-19 | FIRST LADIES: The two 20th century women who were "Second Lady" for 8 years before becoming "First" Barbara Bush & Pat Nixon |
| #1582, aired 1991-06-18 | EUROPE: 2 of the 3 European countries officially called principalities (2 of) Monaco, Liechtenstein or Andorra |
| #1581, aired 1991-06-17 | WORLD LEADERS: In 1969 he became Peru's first ambassador to the Soviet Union (Javier) Pérez de Cuéllar |
| #1580, aired 1991-06-14 | MOVIE STARS: This former dance teacher & ditch digger made his film debut in 1942; his leading lady was Judy Garland Gene Kelly |
| #1579, aired 1991-06-13 | TELEVISION: This spin-off from "All in the Family" ran for more episodes than its parent show The Jeffersons |
| #1578, aired 1991-06-12 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: On Feb. 5, 1924 he became the only president buried in Washington, D.C. Woodrow Wilson |
| #1577, aired 1991-06-11 | TRAVEL EUROPE: Amusement park, known for its gardens, built in 1843 on the old ramparts of a capital city Tivoli Gardens |
| #1576, aired 1991-06-10 | WORLD CITIES: Its name translates to "capital city" & for Japan it was, from 794 to 1868 Kyoto |
| #1575, aired 1991-06-07 | U.S. CITIES: Marietta, Ohio, made capital of the Northwest Territory in 1788, was named after this person Marie Antoinette |
| #1574, aired 1991-06-06 | AMERICAN BUSINESS: In the 1980s, this company bought Kraft & General Foods, making it No. 1 in food as well as in cigarettes Philip Morris |
| #1573, aired 1991-06-05 | VICE PRESIDENTS: He was the last vice president who didn't serve a full 4-year term Nelson Rockefeller |
| #1572, aired 1991-06-04 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: By its calendar this country became independent on the 5th day of Iyar, 5708 Israel |
| #1571, aired 1991-06-03 | FAMOUS NAMES: He was the first chairman of the SEC & later became ambassador to Great Britain Joseph Kennedy |
| #1570, aired 1991-05-31 | TELEVISION: This documentary series was the highest-rated series in PBS history The Civil War |
| #1569, aired 1991-05-30 | FINAL RESTING PLACES: More than 100 years after his death, he was reburied with honors at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1913 John Paul Jones |
| #1568, aired 1991-05-29 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He served as president during the 49th, 50th, 53rd & 54th Congresses Grover Cleveland |
| #1567, aired 1991-05-28 | BEST SELLERS: 1 of 2 authors to have 3 books among the Top 10 Fiction Best Sellers of the 1980s (1 of) Stephen King or Tom Clancy |
| #1566, aired 1991-05-27 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: 2 characters in this American classic were named for a king of Israel & the oldest son of Abraham Moby-Dick |
| #1565, aired 1991-05-24 | BRITISH HISTORY: The last name of Lord Darnley, whose son became King of England in 1603 Stuart |
| #1564, aired 1991-05-23 | ACTRESSES: In NYC in 1955 she said, "An actress's life is so transitory--suddenly you're a building" Helen Hayes |
| #1563, aired 1991-05-22 | QUOTES: Nobel Laureate & Reagan advisor who titled 1 of his books "There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch" Milton Friedman |
| #1562, aired 1991-05-21 | THE 1950s: He died October 9, 1958 at Castel Gandolfo Pope Pius XII |
| #1561, aired 1991-05-20 | WORLD POLITICS: The 2 island nations that are members of NATO Iceland & United Kingdom (England) |
| #1560, aired 1991-05-17 | SCIENTISTS: In 1879 he showed that gastric juices can be produced without food being put in the stomach Ivan Pavlov |
| #1559, aired 1991-05-16 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: To keep a balance, an 1820 compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state & this as a free state Maine |
| #1558, aired 1991-05-15 | POP MUSIC: Their grandfather had a No. 1 record in 1935; their father, No. 1's in 1958 & 1961; and they hit No. 1 in 1990 Gunnar & Matthew Nelson |
| #1557, aired 1991-05-14 | WORD ORIGINS: The word "jot" comes from this Greek word, as back then I's & J's were the same iota |
| #1556, aired 1991-05-13 | BRITISH HISTORY: In 1661, 2 1/2 years after his death, his body was exhumed & hanged at Tyburn Oliver Cromwell |
| #1555, aired 1991-05-10 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: Other than North America, it's the closest continent to South America Antarctica |
| #1554, aired 1991-05-09 | THE OSCARS: The 3rd most nominated actress ever, she received her 9th Oscar nomination in 1991 Meryl Streep |
| #1553, aired 1991-05-08 | GOVERNMENT & POLITICS: 1 of 2 federal positions that by law pay the same salary as the vice presidency, $160,600 a year (1 of) Speaker of the House or Chief Justice (of the United States) |
| #1552, aired 1991-05-07 | AMERICAN HISTORY: The only 1 to sign the Declaration of Independence, 1778 alliance w/France, peace treaty w/G.B. & Constitution Benjamin Franklin |
| #1551, aired 1991-05-06 | THE UNITED NATIONS: In 1972 he succeeded U Thant to become the U.N's 4th secretary-general Kurt Waldheim |
| #1550, aired 1991-05-03 | ACTRESSES & ROLES: Greer Garson, Jane Alexander, & Jean Stapleton have all played this first lady Eleanor Roosevelt |
| #1549, aired 1991-05-02 | WARS: As of February 1991 the V.A. was still paying death pensions to 5 widows of veterans of this war the Civil War |
| #1548, aired 1991-05-01 | SHAKESPEARE: Character who says, "The evil that men do lives after them" Marc Antony |
| #1547, aired 1991-04-30 | THE WHITE HOUSE: He submitted a design for the executive mansion under a pseudonym, A.Z.; it was rejected Thomas Jefferson |
| #1546, aired 1991-04-29 | WORLD POPULATION: The World Bank estimates that by the year 2100, this country will have more people than China India |
| #1545, aired 1991-04-26 | THE 50 STATES: California & this southern state have the only U.S. points below sea level Louisiana |
| #1544, aired 1991-04-25 | PRESIDENTS: The last president to enter office with his party controlling both houses of Congress Jimmy Carter |
| #1543, aired 1991-04-24 | ROYALTY: He was sixth in line to the Greek throne when he renounced his claim in 1947 Prince Philip |
| #1542, aired 1991-04-23 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: 3 of the 5 jurisdictions that send non-voting representatives to the House (3 of) District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and U.S. Virgin Islands |
| #1541, aired 1991-04-22 | EXPLORERS: He is the European credited with the discovery of Alaska Vitus Bering |
| #1540, aired 1991-04-19 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Founded in 1850 by a Bavarian immigrant, this firm is the world's largest clothing manufacturer Levi Strauss |
| #1539, aired 1991-04-18 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: Queen Victoria's daughter picked music by these 2 composers for the processional & recessional of her 1858 wedding (Richard) Wagner & (Felix) Mendelssohn |
| #1538, aired 1991-04-17 | FAMOUS QUOTES: Washington Irving called it "that great object of universal devotion throughout our land" the (almighty) dollar |
| #1537, aired 1991-04-16 | MOUNTAINS: This granite peak is the most famous of the Black Hills Mount Rushmore |
| #1536, aired 1991-04-15 | SPORTS: This classic race was first won by Ray Harroun on May 30, 1911 the Indianapolis 500 |
| #1535, aired 1991-04-12 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: This musical featured such songs as "Heart" & "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo." Damn Yankees |
| #1534, aired 1991-04-11 | AMERICAN DRAMA: 1 of the last 2 Pulitzer Prize-winning plays with a woman's name in the title; they won in 1988 & 1989 The Heidi Chronicles or Driving Miss Daisy |
| #1533, aired 1991-04-10 | TRANSPORTATION: About 80% of the air traffic at Chicago's O'Hare airport comes from these 2 airlines American & United |
| #1532, aired 1991-04-09 | WORLD LEADERS: This woman, elected president of Ireland in 1990, used a 1968 Simon & Garfunkel hit in her campaign Mary Robinson |
| #1531, aired 1991-04-08 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: Connecticut was the last of the original 13 states to ratify this & didn’t do it until 1939 the Bill of Rights |
| #1530, aired 1991-04-05 | FILMS OF THE '40s: Still making money in re-release, the 4 top-grossing films made in the '40s are by this studio Disney |
| #1529, aired 1991-04-04 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: Upon his death in 1972, he became the 1st civil servant to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda J. Edgar Hoover |
| #1528, aired 1991-04-03 | U.S. CURRENCY: The 2 non-presidents on the fronts of currently issued bills Hamilton & Franklin |
| #1527, aired 1991-04-02 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the only president who fought in both the Revolutionary War & the War of 1812 Andrew Jackson |
| #1526, aired 1991-04-01 | NATIONAL ANTHEMS: This country's national anthem is "William of Nassau" the Netherlands |
| #1525, aired 1991-03-29 | WOMEN IN HISTORY: Her 1st husband, Alexandre de Beauharnais, fought in both the American & French Revolutions Empress Josephine |
| #1524, aired 1991-03-28 | PROVERBS: It's sometimes completed with "but satisfaction brought it back" Curiosity killed the cat |
| #1523, aired 1991-03-27 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 1 of 2 men elected president while serving as a U.S. senator Warren G. Harding or John F. Kennedy |
| #1522, aired 1991-03-26 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This cosmetics company got its name because of its owner's fondness for Shakespeare Avon |
| #1521, aired 1991-03-25 | AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS: He was 61 when he made his acting debut in 1 of his own plays, "Small Craft Warnings", in 1972 Tennessee Williams |
| #1520, aired 1991-03-22 | AVIATION: 1 of the 2 airlines that began the 1st regularly-scheduled commercial supersonic flights in 1976 Air France or British Airways |
| #1519, aired 1991-03-21 | RIVERS: 1 of the 2 rivers longer than 1200 miles that begin in Canada & flow to the sea through part of the U.S. Yukon River or Columbia River |
| #1518, aired 1991-03-20 | THE MOVIES: She won the Best Actress Oscar for 1933, '67, '68 & '81 Katharine Hepburn |
| #1517, aired 1991-03-19 | AMERICAN REVOLUTION: The bloodiest engagement of the war, it was fought a year before we declared independence the Battle of Bunker Hill (also the Battle of Breed's Hill) |
| #1515, aired 1991-03-15 | ELECTIONS: A Democratic slogan in the 1800s went "We Polked 'em in '44, we'll" do this to "'em in '52" Pierce |
| #1514, aired 1991-03-14 | LITERATURE: A line in Keats' "Ode to a Nightingale" provided the title of this F. Scott Fitzgerald work Tender is the Night |
| #1513, aired 1991-03-13 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: This country in the Southern Hemisphere was named for a province of the Netherlands New Zealand |
| #1512, aired 1991-03-12 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: In 1977 James Schlesinger became the first man appointed to this post Secretary of Energy |
| #1511, aired 1991-03-11 | MUSEUMS: When he died in 1936 he left his Sarasota estate & museum, with a vast Rubens collection, to Florida John Ringling |
| #1510, aired 1991-03-08 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the first Democrat to die in office FDR |
| #1509, aired 1991-03-07 | AWARDS: The Fermi Award with a prize of $100,000 is given annually by this U.S. Cabinet department the Department of Energy |
| #1508, aired 1991-03-06 | POLITICS: A political organization took the name of this man who it considers the 1st U.S. casualty of the Cold War (Captain) John Birch |
| #1507, aired 1991-03-05 | MOVIE CLASSICS: This 1952 film was advertised with the slogan: "When the hands point up...the excitement starts!" High Noon |
| #1500, aired 1991-02-22 | WORLD CAPITALS: This capital completely surrounds a separate, independent country Rome |
| #1499, aired 1991-02-21 | VICE PRESIDENTS: The first vice president to become President of the United States John Adams |
| #1498, aired 1991-02-20 | U.S. CITIES: Tho not founded until 1791, this city has the most historic places listed in the National Register Washington, D.C. |
| #1497, aired 1991-02-19 | FAMOUS NAMES: Sometime on May 29, 1953 this New Zealander had everyone in the world under his feet Hillary |
| #1496, aired 1991-02-18 | ANCIENT LEGENDS: It was built by Epeius, a master carpenter, & was supposedly an offering to the goddess Athena the Trojan Horse |
| #1495, aired 1991-02-15 | LANDMARKS: The inscription on this U.S. monument ends with the words "known but to God" the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (the Tomb of the Unknown) |
| #1494, aired 1991-02-14 | THE 50 STATES: The only one of the 50 states that has a 1-syllable name Maine |
| #1493, aired 1991-02-13 | FRENCH HISTORY: He was in his 70s when he commanded the French National Guard during the Revolution of 1830 Lafayette |
| #1492, aired 1991-02-12 | ANATOMY: Called "the master chemistry lab", it's your largest internal organ the liver |
| #1491, aired 1991-02-11 | AMERICAN HISTORY: Edward Everett gave the principal speech here November 19, 1863 Gettysburg |
| #1490, aired 1991-02-08 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: This musical, which won 5 Tonys in 1990, was inspired by a 1928 novel & a 1932 Greta Garbo film Grand Hotel |
| #1489, aired 1991-02-07 | GEOGRAPHY: It's the largest island on the West Coast of North America Vancouver Island |
| #1488, aired 1991-02-06 | MONARCHS: He was born in 1938 in Rome, where his parents were living with his grandfather, an exiled king Juan Carlos |
| #1487, aired 1991-02-05 | PRESIDENTS: Prior to Ronald Reagan, he was the only President who served past the age of 70 Dwight Eisenhower |
| #1486, aired 1991-02-04 | NOVEL CHARACTERS: Striking soft chords on the piano, he says, "Like the painting of a sorrow; a face without a heart" Dorian Gray ("The Picture of Dorian Gray") |
| #1485, aired 1991-02-01 | THE AMERICAN FLAG: Total number of horizontal rows of stars on the U.S. flag 9 |
| #1484, aired 1991-01-31 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: In the 1880s, this company's advertising slogan was, "You press the button, we do the rest" Kodak |
| #1483, aired 1991-01-30 | EUROPE: The two European countries that have the letter Z in their English names Czechoslovakia & Switzerland |
| #1482, aired 1991-01-29 | GEOGRAPHY: These 2 states contain 10 of the 30 largest cities in the United States Texas & California |
| #1481, aired 1991-01-28 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: In 1976, the same year her creator died, she made her final appearance, in "Sleeping Murder" Miss (Jane) Marple |
| #1480, aired 1991-01-25 | MONARCHS: One of two English kings since William the Conqueror who were never crowned Edward V or Edward VIII |
| #1479, aired 1991-01-24 | WORLD HISTORY: On July 15, 1815 he surrendered to the captain of the Bellerophon Napoleon (I) |
| #1478, aired 1991-01-23 | MYTHOLOGY: The Oracle at Delphi was believed to be speaking the words of this god Apollo |
| #1477, aired 1991-01-22 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: In 1935 this country officially changed its name to one that means "Land of the Aryans" Persia (or Iran) |
| #1476, aired 1991-01-21 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: The company named for this man is Sweden's largest manufacturer of chemicals Alfred Nobel |
| #1475, aired 1991-01-18 | THE POST OFFICE: 2 of the 1st 3 men depicted on U.S. stamps (2 of) George Washington, Benjamin Franklin & Thomas Jefferson |
| #1474, aired 1991-01-17 | FAMOUS WOMEN: 1 of 2 women who made the Top 10 on Forbes' list of the highest-earning entertainers of 1989-90 (1 of) Madonna & Oprah Winfrey |
| #1473, aired 1991-01-16 | OPERA CHARACTERS: This German author is a character in Offenbach's last opera, which was based on his stories (E.T.A.) Hoffmann |
| #1472, aired 1991-01-15 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: Working here, Lewis Terman adapted Binet's test & came up with the term "intelligence quotient" Stanford University |
| #1471, aired 1991-01-14 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The 2 U.S. Presidents who served in the military in World War I Harry Truman & Dwight Eisenhower |
| #1470, aired 1991-01-11 | BEST SELLERS: "The Saga of an American Family" is the subtitle of this 1976 best seller Roots |
| #1469, aired 1991-01-10 | THE EMMYS: This actress, whose father was the first president of the TV Academy, won her first 2 Emmys in 1989 & 1990 Candice Bergen |
| #1468, aired 1991-01-09 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Name of the 1883 autobiographical work whose 6th chapter is titled "A Cub-Pilot's Experience" Life on the Mississippi |
| #1467, aired 1991-01-08 | ART: This artist's only known seascape, "Storm on the Sea of Galilee", was stolen in 1990 Rembrandt |
| #1466, aired 1991-01-07 | ISLANDS: 3 of the world's 10 largest islands are in the Arctic Ocean & belong to this country Canada |
| #1465, aired 1991-01-04 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The 2 Presidents whose assassins were sentenced to death & executed James Garfield & William McKinley |
| #1464, aired 1991-01-03 | BIBLICAL QUOTES: It comes between "Ask, and it shall be given you" & "Knock, and it shall be opened unto you" "Seek, and you shall find" |
| #1463, aired 1991-01-02 | THE 50 STATES: The 2 states bordering both Dakotas, they each begin with the same letter Montana & Minnesota |
| #1462, aired 1991-01-01 | THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE: This 1952 winner earned theology & philosophy doctorates at Strasbourg before becoming an M.D. Albert Schweitzer |
| #1461, aired 1990-12-31 | SPORTS: The American Professional Football Association, which became the NFL in 1922, was organized in 1920 in this city Canton, Ohio |
| #1460, aired 1990-12-28 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: This World Chess champ is Deputy Chairman of the new Democratic Party of Russia (Garry) Kasparov |
| #1459, aired 1990-12-27 | ANCIENT HISTORY: The group who fought over his empire after his death was called the "Diadochi", successors Alexander the Great |
| #1458, aired 1990-12-26 | THE 50 STATES: 3 of the 5 states which, along with part of Minnesota, were formed from the Northwest Territory (3 of) Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio |
| #1457, aired 1990-12-25 | OPERA: Verdi eliminated all of the Venetian scenes in this opera based on a Shakespearean play Otello |
| #1456, aired 1990-12-24 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: The DuPont Company, which was founded in 1802, initially made only this product gunpowder |
| #1455, aired 1990-12-21 | OSCAR-WINNING FILMS: This 1950 film was the only "Best Picture" that featured Marilyn Monroe; she played an actress All About Eve |
| #1454, aired 1990-12-20 | AMERICAN HISTORY: 2 of the 4 Americans who negotiated the Treaty of Paris with the British in 1782 (2 of) Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay, or Henry Laurens |
| #1453, aired 1990-12-19 | PEN NAMES: He Latinized his first 2 names to Carolus Ludovicus, anglicized & reversed them Lewis Carroll |
| #1452, aired 1990-12-18 | MONARCHS: After Elizabeth II, this queen is the world's wealthiest woman Queen Beatrix (of the Netherlands) |
| #1449, aired 1990-12-13 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: When this soap was 1st made in 1898, it was named for the 2 oils it contained Palmolive |
| #1444, aired 1990-12-06 | MOVIES: This 1951 Humphrey Bogart film was based on a book by C.S. Forester The African Queen |
| #1443, aired 1990-12-05 | MAN IN SPACE: He was the only Mercury astronaut to walk on the Moon Alan Shepard |
| #1442, aired 1990-12-04 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: A jilted lover almost breaks a magic spell by running away from a village in this 1947 musical Brigadoon |
| #1441, aired 1990-12-03 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Of the South American countries, the one that comes last alphabetically Venezuela |
| #1440, aired 1990-11-30 | WEATHER: The only continent on which the recorded temperature has not gone below -8 F. Australia |
| #1439, aired 1990-11-29 | MUSICAL THEATER: This lyricist was the grandson of a German-American opera impresario whose name he shared Oscar Hammerstein |
| #1438, aired 1990-11-28 | AMERICAN HISTORY: He was elected Governor of New York in 1817, right after the state agreed to finance his pet project Dewitt Clinton |
| #1437, aired 1990-11-27 | ARTISTS: The woman in his 1862 painting "Symphony in White, No. 1" was his mistress Joanna Hiffernan James Whistler |
| #1436, aired 1990-11-26 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: In population, it's the largest city in Africa Cairo, Egypt |
| #1435, aired 1990-11-23 | THE OLYMPICS: The 1932 Summer & Winter Olympics, both held in the United States, were hosted by these 2 cities Los Angeles & Lake Placid |
| #1434, aired 1990-11-22 | TRAVEL & TOURISM: In 1841 his 1st package tour took 570 people from Leicester to Loughborough for a temperance rally Thomas Cook |
| #1433, aired 1990-11-21 | ACTRESSES: This actress who co-wrote 2 Tracy & Hepburn films was 88 years old when she died in 1985 Ruth Gordon |
| #1432, aired 1990-11-20 | U.S. CITIES: The name of this Ohio city comes from a Greek word meaning "high" Akron |
| #1431, aired 1990-11-19 | THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH: By population, this republic is the largest member of the British Commonwealth India |
| #1430, aired 1990-11-16 | ISLANDS: It's the only inhabited U.S. territory south of the equator American Samoa |
| #1429, aired 1990-11-15 | SPACE EXPLORATION: Next pair in the sequence:
Gumdrop, Spider;
Charlie Brown, Snoopy;... the Columbia & the Eagle |
| #1428, aired 1990-11-14 | U.S. HISTORY: After Virginia, more Civil War battles were fought in this state than in any other Tennessee |
| #1427, aired 1990-11-13 | WORLD HISTORY: The 2 countries that became independent on Aug. 14 & 15, 1947 Pakistan & India |
| #1426, aired 1990-11-12 | THE COMMON MARKET: Only permanent Common Market member whose official language doesn't use the Latin alphabet Greece |
| #1425, aired 1990-11-09 | U.S. POLITICS: This city has been the site of more major party presidential nominating conventions than any other Chicago |
| #1424, aired 1990-11-08 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: This country contains South America's highest & lowest points Argentina |
| #1423, aired 1990-11-07 | SHAKESPEARE: The 3-word title of this play begins & ends with the same 7-letter word Measure for Measure |
| #1422, aired 1990-11-06 | THE BIBLE: This Old Testament book opens "The words of the preacher, the son of David, King in Jerusalem" Ecclesiastes |
| #1421, aired 1990-11-05 | U.S. CITIES: The name of this Iowa city commemorates the powwow Lewis & Clark held with area Indians in 1804 Council Bluffs |
| #1420, aired 1990-11-02 | THE 50 STATES: The only state whose name ends with 3 consonants Massachusetts |
| #1419, aired 1990-11-01 | HISTORIC NAMES: John Adams was the great great grandson of this couple who came to America in 1620 John & Priscilla Alden |
| #1418, aired 1990-10-31 | LANDMARKS: The tomb of Britain's "Unknown Warrior" is in this British landmark Westminster Abbey |
| #1417, aired 1990-10-30 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: When he died in New York City in 1848, this merchant was the richest man in America John Jacob Astor |
| #1416, aired 1990-10-29 | SAINTS: Founder of the Friars Minor in the 13th c., he was made patron saint of ecologists in 1979 St. Francis of Assisi |
| #1415, aired 1990-10-26 | THE OLYMPICS: 2 of the 5 countries that have attended every Summer Olympics in the modern era (2 of) England, France, Greece, Switzerland & Australia |
| #1414, aired 1990-10-25 | HISTORY: It was the first elected legislative body in the New World House of Burgesses |
| #1413, aired 1990-10-24 | SHAKESPEARE: The name of Shakespeare's acting company, the King's Men, referred to this king James I |
| #1412, aired 1990-10-23 | ANIMALS: The Columbian white-tailed deer isn't native to Colombia but to these 2 U.S. states Oregon & Washington |
| #1411, aired 1990-10-22 | FAMOUS NAMES: The former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon is now known by this title the Queen Mother (Queen Mum) |
| #1410, aired 1990-10-19 | ENGLISH LITERATURE: "From this world to that which is to come" completes the title of this 1678 work The Pilgrim's Progress |
| #1409, aired 1990-10-18 | THE ZODIAC: Besides the archer, who can be a centaur, 2 of the 3 signs symbolized by human figures (2 of) Gemini, Virgo & Aquarius |
| #1408, aired 1990-10-17 | AUTOBIOGRAPHIES: Numerical phrase in the title of the 1955 autobiography of British physician Roger Bannister The Four-Minute Mile |
| #1407, aired 1990-10-16 | MOVIE ACTRESSES: She was usually cast in exotic Asian roles before her huge success playing a detective's wife in 1934 Myrna Loy |
| #1406, aired 1990-10-15 | BRITISH AUTHORS: He was the first winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature who was born in Asia; he won in 1907 Rudyard Kipling |
| #1405, aired 1990-10-12 | ELECTIONS: Of the 10 states Governor Dukakis won in the 1988 presidential election, this 1 has the most electoral votes New York |
| #1404, aired 1990-10-11 | LANDMARKS: The tallest structure built for the Universal Exposition of 1889 Eiffel Tower |
| #1403, aired 1990-10-10 | ASTRONOMY: It's the first planet whose discoverer is known Uranus |
| #1402, aired 1990-10-09 | WOMEN: Elected in 1972, she's the woman with most seniority in Congress Pat Schroeder |
| #1400, aired 1990-10-05 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This New York company introduced the direct-mail sweepstakes concept in 1962 Reader's Digest |
| #1396, aired 1990-10-01 | SPORTS: For the 1st half of this century, it was the westernmost city represented in Major League Baseball St. Louis |
| #1394, aired 1990-09-27 | MEDICINE: Country in which the first successful human heart transplant was performed South Africa |
| #1393, aired 1990-09-26 | FRANCE: Its construction was begun in 1546 by Francis I, but it wasn't opened to the public until 1793 the Louvre |
| #1392, aired 1990-09-25 | BRITISH HISTORY: She & her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley, were executed on Tower Hill February 12, 1554 Lady Jane Grey |
| #1391, aired 1990-09-24 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He's the only president to ask the U.S. Congress to declare war on Great Britain (James) Madison |
| #1390, aired 1990-09-21 | DIRECTORS: Born in Turkey, he won 2 Tonys before directing Marlon Brando in his first Oscar-winning performance Elia Kazan |
| #1389, aired 1990-09-20 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: In the 1890s this company introduced the pneumatic tire for cars; in 1948 the steel-belted radial tire Michelin |
| #1388, aired 1990-09-19 | SHAKESPEAREAN TITLE CHARACTERS: Before he stabs himself he confesses that he "threw a pearl away richer than all his tribe" Othello |
| #1387, aired 1990-09-18 | GEOGRAPHY: It's bordered by 4 countries, the most of any Central American nation Guatemala |
| #1386, aired 1990-09-17 | THE CIVIL WAR: 1 of 2 states of the Confederacy that do not have a seacoast (1 of) Arkansas or Tennessee |
| #1385, aired 1990-09-14 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He was the last president who was not a college graduate Harry Truman |
| #1384, aired 1990-09-13 | POETRY: The last words spoken by this title character were "I 'ope you liked your drink" Gunga Din |
| #1383, aired 1990-09-12 | SPACE EXPLORATION: In 1990 it became the third country to place a satellite in lunar orbit Japan |
| #1382, aired 1990-09-11 | RELIGION: More popes have taken this name than any other, but only the first one was declared a saint John |
| #1381, aired 1990-09-10 | AUTOBIOGRAPHIES: Helen Keller dedicated "The Story of My Life" to this man who "taught the deaf to speak" Alexander Graham Bell |
| #1380, aired 1990-09-07 | FAMOUS WOMEN: Dying in 1903, she said, "It's the 27th anniversary of Bill's death. Bury me next to Bill." Calamity Jane (Martha Jane Canary) |
| #1379, aired 1990-09-06 | ORGANIZATIONS: Its 1st 2 headquarters were Central Hall in London & Hunter College in the Bronx the United Nations |
| #1378, aired 1990-09-05 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: The only country crossed by the Equator & the Tropic of Capricorn Brazil |
| #1377, aired 1990-09-04 | THE BIBLE: If this event hadn't happened, Methuselah might have lived past age 969 flood |
| #1376, aired 1990-09-03 | EARLY MAN: It was the first nonprecious metal man made into tools & decorative items copper |
| #1375, aired 1990-07-20 | AMERICAN HISTORY: In 1839 & '40 France & Great Britain signed commercial treaties with this new republic Texas |
| #1374, aired 1990-07-19 | WORLD CITIES: Built between 1666 & 1667, the Castle of Good Hope is the oldest monument in this capital city Cape Town |
| #1373, aired 1990-07-18 | FIRST LADIES: The two 20th century first ladies whose first name was Elizabeth Ford & Truman |
| #1372, aired 1990-07-17 | VOCABULARY: From Greek for "little world", it's the body seen as a mini-universe animated by its own soul microcosm |
| #1371, aired 1990-07-16 | THE BIBLE: "The dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life" Samson |
| #1370, aired 1990-07-13 | WEAPONS: In the Civil War contact mines, like the ones that didn't slow Farragut in Mobile Bay, were called this torpedos |
| #1369, aired 1990-07-12 | EXPLORATION: This country's flag was the first to be planted at the South Pole Norway |
| #1368, aired 1990-07-11 | HISTORICAL DRAMA: John Dryden's "All for Love: or, the World Well Lost" is based on this play by Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra |
| #1367, aired 1990-07-10 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: President with the most recent birth date Jimmy Carter |
| #1366, aired 1990-07-09 | SPORTS: This sport requires the largest field of any ball game--12.4 acres polo |
| #1364, aired 1990-07-05 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: He was in charge of the band training center at Great Lakes Naval Base during WWI John Philip Sousa |
| #1363, aired 1990-07-04 | VICE PRESIDENTS: 11 of our 44 Vice Presidents were residents of this state New York |
| #1362, aired 1990-07-03 | WOMEN: In 1906 she became the first woman to teach at the Sorbonne Marie Curie |
| #1359, aired 1990-06-28 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: In 1988 Nevada was the only state to offer this choice on the ballot, & 6,934 people took it none of the above (no preference) |
| #1358, aired 1990-06-27 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Harry Bailly, host of the Tabard Inn, serves as the M.C. in this collection of stories The Canterbury Tales |
| #1356, aired 1990-06-25 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: He wrote: "They spell it Vinci & pronounce it Vinchy; foreigners always spell better than they pronounce" Mark Twain |
| #1355, aired 1990-06-22 | AMERICAN WRITERS: The only American woman awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, she won hers in 1938 Pearl Buck |
| #1354, aired 1990-06-21 | COINS: On its reverse the Susan B. Anthony dollar commemorated this historic event of the 1960s Moon landing |
| #1353, aired 1990-06-20 | LANDMARKS: Its name is Italian for "theater at the stairway" La Scala |
| #1352, aired 1990-06-19 | FAMOUS NAMES: She wrote several books: the first, titled "20 Hrs. 40 Min.", was published in 1928 Amelia Earhart |
| #1350, aired 1990-06-15 | WORLD WAR I: 2 of World War I's "Big Four" leaders who met in Paris in 1919 to draft the Treaty of Versailles (2 of) Wilson, Clemenceau, Orlando or David Lloyd George |
| #1347, aired 1990-06-12 | REPUBLICANS: This California Senator was the first Republican nominee for president, but he lost (John Charles) Fremont |
| #1346, aired 1990-06-11 | MINERALS: These 2 nations lead the world in the production of gold South Africa & USSR |
| #1345, aired 1990-06-08 | THE CALENDAR: The 3 days named after a mythological father & 2 of his sons Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday |
| #1344, aired 1990-06-07 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: 1st & last name of the man who brought insanity proceedings against his famous mother in 1875 Robert Lincoln |
| #1343, aired 1990-06-06 | LANDMARKS: First identified in 1741, it split while being dragged to Liberty Pole Square in 1774 Plymouth Rock |
| #1341, aired 1990-06-04 | HISTORIC NAMES: When the city of Podgorica became capital of Montenegro after WWII, it was renamed in his honor Tito |
| #1340, aired 1990-06-01 | FAMOUS WOMEN: While a regular on Major Bowes' radio show, she said, "I'm 7 years old & I can sing 23 arias." Beverly "Bubbles" Sills |
| #1339, aired 1990-05-31 | GEOGRAPHY: It's the southernmost independent country in the world Chile (which goes down around Tierra Del Fuego & sweeps a little south of Argentina) |
| #1338, aired 1990-05-30 | ENGLAND: Legend says if the ravens ever leave this historic site on the Thames, England will fall Tower of London |
| #1337, aired 1990-05-29 | WORD ORIGINS: Name for a festival from the Italian meaning farewell to meat Carnival |
| #1336, aired 1990-05-28 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: London's College of Heralds granted this American college a coat of arms in 1694 William & Mary |
| #1335, aired 1990-05-25 | THE BIBLE: The third man mentioned in the Bible; his name means "breath" in Hebrew Abel |
| #1333, aired 1990-05-23 | BRITISH HISTORY: The 14th Earl of this was prime minister in 1852; the 12th Earl of this had a race named for him Earl of Derby |
| #1332, aired 1990-05-22 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Merlin the Magician cast a spell putting this title character to sleep for 1,300 years A Connecticut Yankee (In King Arthur's Court) |
| #1331, aired 1990-05-21 | SCIENTISTS: When Einstein won the 1921 Nobel Prize in physics, he was a naturalized citizen of this country Switzerland (He came to the U.S. later on) |
| #1330, aired 1990-05-18 | THE SUPREME COURT: Son of a famous poet, this oldest justice ever didn't retire until he was 90 Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. |
| #1329, aired 1990-05-17 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: In 1839, at age 19, he joined the crew of the freighter St. Lawrence that ran between NYC & Liverpool Herman Melville |
| #1328, aired 1990-05-16 | GEOGRAPHY: It's the only country whose name begins with "A", but doesn't end with "A" Afghanistan |
| #1327, aired 1990-05-15 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: This winner of the 1970 Nobel Literature Prize was born in 1918 into a family of Cossack intellectuals Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn |
| #1326, aired 1990-05-14 | THE BIBLE: Of the men mentioned in the King James Version, he's first alphabetically Aaron (Moses' brother) |
| #1325, aired 1990-05-11 | MEDICINE: His vaccine was announced safe in April '55, the 10th anniversary of FDR's death Dr. Jonas Salk |
| #1324, aired 1990-05-10 | U.S. CITIES: Massachusetts city named for an industrialist whose family included several poets & an astronomer Lowell |
| #1323, aired 1990-05-09 | NATIONAL ANTHEMS: This country's national anthem was written on the night of April 24, 1792 France ("La Marseillaise") |
| #1322, aired 1990-05-08 | ISLANDS: The largest island in the Tuscan Archipelago, its most famous resident left in 1815 Elba (former home of Napoleon) |
| #1321, aired 1990-05-07 | COMPOSERS: His most famous work includes "La primavera", "L'estate", "L'autunno" & "L'inverno" Vivaldi |
| #1320, aired 1990-05-04 | THE SENATE: The 2 astronauts who went on to become U.S. senators John Glenn (Ohio) & Harrison Schmitt (New Mexico) |
| #1319, aired 1990-05-03 | ACTORS & THEIR ROLES: Robert Shaw, Richard Burton & Charles Laughton all played this ruler on film Henry VIII |
| #1318, aired 1990-05-02 | ARCHITECTURE: Once a professor of astronomy, he designed the Royal Observatory at Greenwich Sir Christopher Wren |
| #1317, aired 1990-05-01 | U.S. STATES: The only U.S. state that borders 4 Great Lakes Michigan (borders Huron, Michigan, Erie & Superior) |
| #1316, aired 1990-04-30 | PRESIDENTS: The first U.S. president who had served as a governor of a state Thomas Jefferson |
| #1315, aired 1990-04-27 | EUROPE: In this country domestic mail is free & int'l mail can be sent from French or Spanish post offices Andorra |
| #1314, aired 1990-04-26 | U.S. HISTORY: Some say he was shot by Sergeant Boston Corbett, & other believe he killed himself John Wilkes Booth |
| #1312, aired 1990-04-24 | PLAYWRIGHTS: His most famous play was first produced in 1895, the year he was sent to jail, & he never wrote another Oscar Wilde (The Importance of Being Earnest) |
| #1311, aired 1990-04-23 | STATE CAPITALS: This city was named for a first century Roman citizen & missionary St. Paul, Minnesota |
| #1310, aired 1990-04-20 | ACTRESSES: She suffered a serious injury while starring in "La Tosca", a play written for her Sarah Bernhardt |
| #1309, aired 1990-04-19 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This company was incorporated in 1946 as Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation Sony |
| #1308, aired 1990-04-18 | 13-LETTER WORDS: Word meaning "immeasurably small"; its first 8 letters are a word meaning "immeasurably great" infinitesimal |
| #1307, aired 1990-04-17 | MAGAZINES: The 2 major literary monthlies founded in the 1850s that survive today The Atlantic Monthly & Harpers |
| #1306, aired 1990-04-16 | BASEBALL: This major league manager was born July 30, 1890 in Kansas City, Missouri Casey Stengel |
| #1305, aired 1990-04-13 | THE BIBLE: Though he fought against the Philistines, his wife was one, & so was his paramour Samson |
| #1304, aired 1990-04-12 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: Alaska has the longest seacoast & this state is second Florida |
| #1303, aired 1990-04-11 | THE ROARING '20s: Term given to the flowering of Black American arts & letters the Harlem Renaissance |
| #1302, aired 1990-04-10 | CABLE TELEVISION: The name of this channel can be traced back to a movie theater that opened in 1905 in McKeesport, Pa. Nickelodeon |
| #1301, aired 1990-04-09 | AMERICAN HISTORY: Virginia's motto since 1776; it was shouted in another context on April 14, 1865 "Sic Semper Tyrannis" |
| #1300, aired 1990-04-06 | MONEY: Country whose basic monetary unit is the Balboa Panama |
| #1299, aired 1990-04-05 | CANADA: Early documents & maps referred to this future Canadian province as "Terra Nova" Newfoundland |
| #1296, aired 1990-04-02 | ACTORS & THEIR ROLES: This actor won a 1952 Tony & a 1956 Oscar for playing the same ruler Yul Brynner (The King and I) |
| #1295, aired 1990-03-30 | WORLD HISTORY: He became a nat'l hero when he led the Spanish Foreign Legion against Moroccan rebels in the 1920s Gen. Francisco Franco |
| #1294, aired 1990-03-29 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: The only state that's home to 2 Ivy League schools New York (Columbia, in NYC & Cornell, in Ithaca) |
| #1291, aired 1990-03-26 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: The world's most populous democracy India |
| #1290, aired 1990-03-23 | AUTHORS: After his death in 1745, he was buried in St. Patrick's cathedral in Dublin Jonathan Swift |
| #1289, aired 1990-03-22 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: This president was the last surviving signer of the U.S. Constitution James Madison |
| #1287, aired 1990-03-20 | WORD ORIGINS: Word derived from the act of breaking up a failed Italian moneylender's market bench bankruptcy |
| #1286, aired 1990-03-19 | THE CALENDAR: Civilization that produced the first known calendar with 365 days Ancient Egypt |
| #1285, aired 1990-03-16 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: He first appeared as the title character in the 1630 drama "The Seducer of Seville" Don Juan |
| #1284, aired 1990-03-15 | EUROPE: The 2 European countries whose 7-letter names differ by just 1 letter Iceland & Ireland |
| #1283, aired 1990-03-14 | AMERICAN POETRY: The poem that includes the line: "Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!" "The Raven" (by Edgar Allan Poe) |
| #1282, aired 1990-03-13 | THE CALENDAR: In 8 B.C., when this month was renamed, a day from Feb. was added so it equaled the month before it August |
| #1281, aired 1990-03-12 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: The only peace prize awarded posthumously went to this man in 1961 Dag Hammarskjold (the secretary-general of the UN who was killed in the plane crash in Africa) |
| #1280, aired 1990-03-09 | STATE CAPITALS: 2 of the 4 state capitals named for a place in England (2 of) Richmond, Dover, Hartford or Boston |
| #1279, aired 1990-03-08 | FAMOUS NAMES: He published a history of Virginia & New England in 1624, after escaping from Turks, Indians & pirates Captain John Smith |
| #1278, aired 1990-03-07 | PLAYS: It closes with "Then let's play poker--and watch your cigarettes, will you? This is my house, not a pig sty." The Odd Couple |
| #1277, aired 1990-03-06 | PRESIDENTS: Black Jack was the riderless horse at the funerals of these 3 presidents JFK, LBJ & Eisenhower |
| #1276, aired 1990-03-05 | SHAKESPEAREAN TITLE CHARACTERS: He is introduced as "the triple pillar of the world transformed into a strumpet's fool" Marc Antony |
| #1275, aired 1990-03-02 | NOTORIOUS: Probably born in France, a U.S. hero in 1815, he burned down his own colony in 1821 & disappeared Jean Lafitte |
| #1274, aired 1990-03-01 | WORLD HISTORY: City that was the seat of government of the viceroyalty of New Spain Mexico City |
| #1273, aired 1990-02-28 | WORLD TRADE: 3 of the 5 founding members of OPEC (3 of) Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia & Venezuela |
| #1272, aired 1990-02-27 | BRITISH ROYALTY: Before Prince Andrew, he was the last Duke of York King George VI |
| #1271, aired 1990-02-26 | U.S. STATES: After Rhode Island & Delaware, it's the next smallest state in area Connecticut |
| #1270, aired 1990-02-23 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: Simultaneously on the covers of Time, Newsweek & S.I. in 1973, he was buried in 1989 in a 6' X 6' casket Secretariat |
| #1269, aired 1990-02-22 | MUSIC: The melody for "Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here" comes from this comic operetta The Pirates of Penzance |
| #1267, aired 1990-02-20 | GOVERNMENT: This man resigned his Senate seat January 3, 1989 Dan Quayle |
| #1266, aired 1990-02-19 | ANCIENT HISTORY: Crassus, Julius Caesar & this man formed the 1st Triumvirate Pompey |
| #1265, aired 1990-02-16 | AMERICAN NOVELS: Chapter 15 of this 1881 novel is entitled "Tom as King" The Prince and the Pauper |
| #1264, aired 1990-02-15 | U.S. STATES: In 1820 it became the last New England state admitted to the Union Maine |
| #1263, aired 1990-02-14 | ASTRONOMY: In 1910 it could be seen with the naked eye; in 1911 a telescope was necessary; by 1912 it was gone Halley's Comet |
| #1262, aired 1990-02-13 | THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR: In April 1775 Gen. J. Warren made him an official messenger of the Committee of Safety Paul Revere |
| #1261, aired 1990-02-12 | MONEY: Name of the structure seen on the back of the currently minted nickel Monticello |
| #1260, aired 1990-02-09 | SHAKESPEARE: Tho Shakespeare wrote many plays about kings, she is the only title character who is a queen Cleopatra |
| #1259, aired 1990-02-08 | PRESIDENTS: The only U.S. president who served previously as U.S. representative to the U.N. George Bush |
| #1258, aired 1990-02-07 | EUROPEAN CITIES: The name of this Italian city comes from the Greek word for "new city" Naples |
| #1257, aired 1990-02-06 | LANDMARKS: Slated for demolition, it held 2 madmen, 4 forgers & a nobleman when the mob came for its gunpowder The Bastille |
| #1256, aired 1990-02-05 | FAMOUS QUOTES: One of the most famous questions in history, it was asked in 1871 in the village of Ujiji "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" |
| #1255, aired 1990-02-02 | POLITICS: He was the last man holding the office of gov. when elected vice president of the U.S. Spiro Agnew (1968) |
| #1254, aired 1990-02-01 | PUNCTUATION: The name of this punctuation mark is Greek for "together" Hyphen |
| #1252, aired 1990-01-30 | EUROPE: 2 of the 3 countries which today share the region of ancient Macedonia (2 of) Bulgaria, Greece & Yugoslavia |
| #1251, aired 1990-01-29 | ROYALTY: If Prince Charles keeps his name when he becomes king, this number will follow it III |
| #1250, aired 1990-01-26 | AMERICAN AUTHORS: He died at age 28, just 5 years after his Civil War novel was published Stephen Crane (The Red Badge of Courage) |
| #1248, aired 1990-01-24 | DIRECTORS: He was an actor for 21 years before he directed his 1st feature film at age 23 in 1977 Ron Howard |
| #1247, aired 1990-01-23 | AMERICAN HISTORY: He was born in Connecticut in 1800 & hanged for treason in Virginia in 1859 John Brown |
| #1246, aired 1990-01-22 | DISNEY: The last full-length cartoon feature Walt Disney supervised personally, it was set in India The Jungle Book |
| #1245, aired 1990-01-19 | ANCIENT TIMES: This city didn't exist at the time of the Trojan War so Paris couldn't have abducted Helen from there Sparta (Helen was married to the king of Sparta) |
| #1242, aired 1990-01-16 | PUBLISHING: Annual publication whose 1992 issue will mark its bicentennial The Old Farmer's Almanac |
| #1241, aired 1990-01-15 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Of the 1st 7 presidents, only these 2 were not re-elected John Adams & John Quincy Adams |
| #1240, aired 1990-01-12 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: The Welch's Company has its corporate headquarters in this Mass. town Concord |
| #1239, aired 1990-01-11 | ORGANIZATIONS: It moved its HQ from Savannah to Wash. D.C. in 1913, & in 1917 began making each First Lady honorary pres. the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. |
| #1238, aired 1990-01-10 | PLAYS: 1949 Pulitzer Prize play in which the title character commits suicide for the insurance money Death of a Salesman |
| #1237, aired 1990-01-09 | GEOGRAPHY: The 2 independent South American countries named after famous men Bolivia and Colombia |
| #1236, aired 1990-01-08 | ANAGRAMS: 2 words having to do with parenthood that are anagrams of "parental" paternal & prenatal |
| #1235, aired 1990-01-05 | FOREIGN CURRENCY: The 2 world currencies, 1 European & 1 Mideastern, that are anagrams of "LIAR" lira & rial |
| #1234, aired 1990-01-04 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: In 1954 the U.N. won for Peace, Hemingway for Literature & this U.S. chemist for Chemistry Linus Pauling |
| #1233, aired 1990-01-03 | WOMEN IN SPORTS: The last 2 U.S. women to win Olympic gold medals in individual figure skating Peggy Fleming & Dorothy Hamill |
| #1232, aired 1990-01-02 | THE OSCARS: Of Cecil B. De Mille's 70 films, only this non-Biblical one won "Best Picture" The Greatest Show on Earth |
| #1231, aired 1990-01-01 | SHAKESPEARE: Act I, Scene III of this play involves a heated discussion about 3,000 ducats The Merchant of Venice |
| #1230, aired 1989-12-29 | WORD ORIGINS: This word for a close friend or an old chum comes from the Greek word for time Crony (from the Greek god Chronos) |
| #1229, aired 1989-12-28 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: Surprisingly, it was not made a legal U.S. holiday until 1941, over 150 yrs. after it was 1st celebrated July 4th (Independence Day) |
| #1228, aired 1989-12-27 | WORLD CAPITALS: City that's the westernmost capital on the European mainland Lisbon, Portugal |
| #1227, aired 1989-12-26 | TEXAS: The front of the state seal of Texas has 1 star & the back of the seal has 6 of these Flags (Six flags over Texas) |
| #1226, aired 1989-12-25 | THE SUPREME COURT: 1 of 4 presidents who left office without having appointed a Supreme Court justice Jimmy Carter, Andrew Johnson, Zachary Taylor or William Henry Harrison |
| #1225, aired 1989-12-22 | MOUNTAINS: The names of the tallest peak in the Alps & the tallest peak in Hawaii both mean this in English white mountain |
| #1224, aired 1989-12-21 | AWARDS: More Congressional Medal of Honor winners have come from this war than any other the Civil War |
| #1223, aired 1989-12-20 | MODERN HISTORY: In 1980 Vigdis Finnbogadottir became this country's 1st female president Iceland |
| #1222, aired 1989-12-19 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: Near the end of this 1960 musical set in Britain, the heroine is almost burned at the stake Camelot |
| #1221, aired 1989-12-18 | FAMOUS NAMES: He said, "I saw a fleet of fishing boats, ...flew down...& yelled at them, asking if I was on the right road to Ireland" Charles Lindbergh |
| #1220, aired 1989-12-15 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: It's the smallest state in land area of those not in the original 13 colonies Hawaii (6,423 sq. mi.) |
| #1219, aired 1989-12-14 | THEATRE: This 1955 play set in Mississippi takes place on a family patriarch's birthday Cat on a Hot Tin Roof |
| #1218, aired 1989-12-13 | CONGRESS: Beginning with Theodore Sedgwick in 1799, 8 House Speakers have represented this state, more than any other Massachusetts |
| #1217, aired 1989-12-12 | WOMEN: In 1976 she became the 1st woman to serve as Chief of Protocol of the United States Shirley Temple Black |
| #1216, aired 1989-12-11 | BRITISH ROYALTY: The name of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was changed to Windsor during this monarch's reign George V |
| #1215, aired 1989-12-08 | RIVERS: The single greatest source of water power in the U.S. is on this river The Columbia River (Grand Coulee Dam) |
| #1214, aired 1989-12-07 | THE MOVIES: The only film role Jimmy Cagney played twice; the 2nd time was in "The 7 Little Foys" George M. Cohan |
| #1213, aired 1989-12-06 | THE COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS: In terms of area it's the largest country in the British Commonwealth Canada |
| #1212, aired 1989-12-05 | FINAL RESTING PLACES: This town was the 1st to serve as the burial place for 2 U.S. presidents Quincy, Massachusetts (Braintree, Massachusetts) |
| #1211, aired 1989-12-04 | AMERICAN HISTORY: He was captured near Irwinville, Georgia on May 10, 1865 Jefferson Davis |
| #1210, aired 1989-12-01 | LANGUAGES: To have taken the 1st modern IQ test in 1905 you had to understand this language French (the Binet-Simon test) |
| #1209, aired 1989-11-30 | THE POST OFFICE: From 1837-1970 this animal was on the seal of the Post Office Department a horse |
| #1208, aired 1989-11-29 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: From March 4, 1933 to January 20, 1953, he was the only living former president Herbert Hoover |
| #1207, aired 1989-11-28 | SHAKESPEARE: Shakespeare's only play with an English locale in its title The Merry Wives of Windsor |
| #1206, aired 1989-11-27 | STATE CAPITALS: Genoa, Italy gave this state capital a 20' statue which was put in front of City Hall Columbus, Ohio |
| #1205, aired 1989-11-24 | MAN IN SPACE: America's 1st civilian in space Neil Armstrong |
| #1204, aired 1989-11-23 | LANDMARKS: Its name is literally Persian for "crown of palaces" Taj Mahal |
| #1203, aired 1989-11-22 | THE OSCARS: This Irish-born actor has received 7 "Best Actor" nominations without winning an Oscar Peter O'Toole |
| #1202, aired 1989-11-21 | THE SOLAR SYSTEM: It's the smallest of the 4 giant planets Neptune |
| #1201, aired 1989-11-20 | THE CENSUS: 3 of the 6 U.S. states averaging fewer than 10 people per square mile (3 of) Alaska, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota & Wyoming |
| #1200, aired 1989-11-17 | U.S. HISTORY: The states admitted to the Union in the 20th century were Alaska, Hawaii & these 3 Arizona, New Mexico & Oklahoma |
| #1199, aired 1989-11-16 | UNREAL ESTATE: Originally this legendary place name referred to a ruler near Bogota who dusted his body with gold El Dorado |
| #1198, aired 1989-11-15 | VICE PRESIDENTS: At 39 he was the youngest man to take the office of vice president Richard Nixon (in 1953) |
| #1197, aired 1989-11-14 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Hired as a ship's cook, he led the mutiny aboard the Hispaniola Long John Silver (in Treasure Island) |
| #1196, aired 1989-11-13 | STATE CAPITALS: 2 of the 3 state capitals lying on the Missouri River (2 of) Jefferson City (MO), Bismarck (ND) & Pierre (SD) |
| #1195, aired 1989-11-10 | THE CENSUS: 2 of the 4 U.S. states with a population density greater than 500 people per square mile (2 of) Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey & Rhode Island |
| #1194, aired 1989-11-09 | COMMUNICATIONS: The "T" in TASS, an agency founded in the Soviet Union in 1925, stands for this Telegraph |
| #1193, aired 1989-11-08 | THE OSCARS: Only Pulitzer Prize-winning novels to become Oscar-winning “Best Pictures” are “All The King's Men” & this one Gone with the Wind |
| #1192, aired 1989-11-07 | U.S. POLITICS: He served as Sec'y of H.E.W., Sec'y of Defense & Att'y General, all in the same year--1973 Elliot Richardson |
| #1191, aired 1989-11-06 | U.S. STATES: With over 35,000 miles, this state has the longest highway system in the U.S. Texas |
| #1190, aired 1989-11-03 | PRESIDENTS: The last president who did not serve in the armed forces Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| #1189, aired 1989-11-02 | THE CALENDAR: The 1st leap year of the 21st century 2004 |
| #1188, aired 1989-11-01 | IN THE NEWS: In June 1989 this country changed its name to the Union of Myanmar & its capital to Yangon Burma |
| #1187, aired 1989-10-31 | HISTORIC NAMES: In 1805 he was named Gov. of New South Wales & was overthrown in a mutiny 3 years later Captain William Bligh |
| #1186, aired 1989-10-30 | BOXING: He lost a heavyweight championship bout in 1938 & is now a Coca-Cola bottler in West Germany Max Schmeling |
| #1185, aired 1989-10-27 | FILMS OF THE '50s: The 2 "High" films in which Grace Kelly starred High Noon (1952) & High Society (1955) |
| #1184, aired 1989-10-26 | WORD ORIGINS: Where you'd naturally find armalcolite, named for the 3 men who 1st handled it the Moon |
| #1183, aired 1989-10-25 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: He married the same woman twice: in 1791 & again in 1794 Andrew Jackson |
| #1182, aired 1989-10-24 | SCULPTURE: It's the largest copper statue in the world the Statue of Liberty |
| #1181, aired 1989-10-23 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: After Haiti, it's the oldest independent black republic in the world Liberia |
| #1180, aired 1989-10-20 | STATE CAPITALS: Lying at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo range, it's the highest state capital Santa Fe, New Mexico |
| #1179, aired 1989-10-19 | MONARCHS: Between 1700 & the present all the kings of England have been named George, Edward or this William |
| #1178, aired 1989-10-18 | PUBLISHING: For its 1990 edition Guinness is dropping all records of this 1 of the 7 deadly sins gluttony |
| #1177, aired 1989-10-17 | THE UNITED NATIONS: It's the largest country in Europe that is not a member of the United Nations Switzerland |
| #1176, aired 1989-10-16 | DISNEY FEATURE FILMS: This 1940 Disney title character wore a Tyrolean hat Pinocchio |
| #1175, aired 1989-10-13 | SHAKESPEARE: He appears in 3 of Shakespeare's plays & his death is reported in "King Henry V" Sir John Falstaff |
| #1174, aired 1989-10-12 | AMERICANA: When the "Star-Spangled Banner" was written, this man was president of the U.S. James Madison |
| #1173, aired 1989-10-11 | THE BIBLE: Created on the 3rd day, it was, according to Genesis, the 1st form of life on Earth plant life |
| #1172, aired 1989-10-10 | FAMOUS NAMES: The story of this man who rented a house in Omaha, Nebraska in 1917 was made into a 1938 film Father Flanagan |
| #1171, aired 1989-10-09 | U.S. CITIES: Pennsylvania City named for the home of William Penn's ancestors; its name is found on a Monopoly board Reading (Railroad) |
| #1170, aired 1989-10-06 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: The only native Californian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature John Steinbeck (in 1940 for The Grapes of Wrath) |
| #1169, aired 1989-10-05 | MYTHOLOGY: In Greek mythology, he was the most famous son of Hypnos, the god of sleep Morpheus |
| #1168, aired 1989-10-04 | TELEVISION: This NBC special was performed live in 1955 & 1956; videotaped in 1960; & re-run in '63, '66, '78 & '89 Peter Pan |
| #1167, aired 1989-10-03 | U.S. STATES: It's the only letter not used in the spelling of the 50 states Q |
| #1166, aired 1989-10-02 | VOCABULARY: From the Latin for "at the same time", this 12-letter adjective contains all 5 vowels simultaneous |
| #1165, aired 1989-09-29 | WORLD CAPITALS: It's the only world capital on the Tigris River Baghdad, Iraq |
| #1164, aired 1989-09-28 | LEGENDS: She abducted Lancelot when he was a baby & kept him on an island the Lady of the Lake (or Vivien or Nimue) |
| #1163, aired 1989-09-27 | FAMOUS WOMEN: Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 in what is now Yugoslavia, she became a citizen of India in 1948 Mother Teresa |
| #1162, aired 1989-09-26 | BEST SELLERS: A juvenile edition of this 1961 best seller was called "The Great Adventure of Michelangelo" The Agony & The Ecstasy |
| #1161, aired 1989-09-25 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: The 2 nations planning to build a 10-mile bridge between them to link Europe to Africa Morocco & Spain |
| #1160, aired 1989-09-22 | THE U.S. CONGRESS: As long as Hawaii's been a state, he's represented it in Congress Daniel Inouye |
| #1158, aired 1989-09-20 | LONDON LANDMARKS: It was built originally on the Whitehall site of a medieval palace used to house visiting Scottish kings Scotland Yard |
| #1152, aired 1989-09-12 | LITERATURE: The next-to-last chapter of this novel is entitled "The Knitting Done" A Tale of Two Cities |
| #1150, aired 1989-09-08 | THE CABINET: When this department was established in 1849, it was called the Home Department the Department of the Interior |
| #1147, aired 1989-09-05 | WORLD LEADERS: This famous man was the grandfather of the current prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru |
| #1146, aired 1989-09-04 | SOVIET HISTORY: He was Premier when Yuri Gagarin, the 1st cosmonaut, went into space Nikita Khrushchev |
| #1145, aired 1989-07-21 | AMERICAN POETS: He wrote a biography that won Pulitzer Prize for history in 1940 & won for his poetry in 1951 Carl Sandburg |
| #1144, aired 1989-07-20 | MONARCHS: Berengaria, who never set foot in England, was its queen for 8 yrs. after marrying this king on Cyprus Richard the Lionhearted |
| #1143, aired 1989-07-19 | THE '30s: 2 of the 5 states in the Dust Bowl (2 of) Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Texas or New Mexico |
| #1142, aired 1989-07-18 | AMERICANA: Hotel made famous by Dorothy Parker, Franklin Pierce Adams & Robert Benchley the Algonquin |
| #1141, aired 1989-07-17 | OPERA: Based on a French novel by Henri Murger, its title refers to the carefree life artists lead La bohème |
| #1139, aired 1989-07-13 | IN THE NEWS: The European Community's target year for lifting all economic barriers among its 12 members 1992 |
| #1138, aired 1989-07-12 | FAIRY TALES: 4-letter boy's name that appears most often in the titles of Grimm's fairy tales Hans |
| #1137, aired 1989-07-11 | MOVIES: Title of a 1960 S. Tracy film, it completes the bib. quote "He that troubleth his own house shall..." Inherit the Wind |
| #1136, aired 1989-07-10 | AMERICAN HISTORY: Alexander Hamilton Stephens of Georgia was the only person to hold this office Vice President of the Confederacy |
| #1135, aired 1989-07-07 | ACTRESSES: In 1955, she was the 1st adult actress to win an honorary Oscar, but she didn't attend the ceremony Greta Garbo |
| #1134, aired 1989-07-06 | MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: The name of this instrument played with the mouth goes back to a Greek word for "agreement" harmonica |
| #1133, aired 1989-07-05 | MONARCHS: This late ruler was born in 1892, & his original name was Tafari Makonnen Haile Selassie |
| #1132, aired 1989-07-04 | STATE CAPITALS: The 2 state capitals, both east of the Mississippi, that begin with the same 6 letters Columbus (Ohio) & Columbia (South Carolina) |
| #1131, aired 1989-07-03 | NATIONAL PARKS: Besides Wyoming, the 2 other states in which Yellowstone park is located Montana & Idaho |
| #1130, aired 1989-06-30 | CORPORATE AMERICA: This company began in 1914, transporting passengers in Minnesota between Alice & Hibbing Greyhound |
| #1128, aired 1989-06-28 | POETRY: They're described as "Snowy, Flowy, Blowy, Showery, Flowery, Bowery, Hoppy, Croppy, Droppy, Breezy, Sneezy, Freezy" 12 months |
| #1127, aired 1989-06-27 | FOREIGN PHRASES: Latin phrase found on the face of the Great Seal of the United States E pluribus unum |
| #1126, aired 1989-06-26 | WOMEN: 1 of 3 states that currently has a woman governor (1 of) Vermont, Nebraska, or Arizona |
| #1125, aired 1989-06-23 | MAN IN SPACE: On May 25, 1973 it took the crew in an Apollo capsule 9 tries to dock with this craft Skylab |
| #1124, aired 1989-06-22 | PULITZER PRIZES: 1 of 2 Black women who won Pulitzer Prizes for their fiction, 1 in 1983 & 1 in 1988 Alice Walker or Toni Morrison |
| #1123, aired 1989-06-21 | THE CABINET: Department whose 1st secretary was Oveta Culp Hobby & whose last was Patricia Roberts Harris HEW (Health, Education & Welfare) |
| #1122, aired 1989-06-20 | HISTORIC NAMES: In 1916 he was poisoned & shot, but died by drowning Rasputin |
| #1121, aired 1989-06-19 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: In a Eugene Field poem, the wooden shoe stands for a trundle bed, & these 3 for 2 eyes & a head Wynken, Blynken, and Nod |
| #1120, aired 1989-06-16 | AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS: M. Stapleton,
Eli Wallach,
Jessica Tandy &
M. Leighton all won Tonys for performances in his plays Tennessee Williams |
| #1119, aired 1989-06-15 | TECHNOLOGY: French scientist Rene de Reaumur got the idea to make this out of wood from watching a wasp paper |
| #1117, aired 1989-06-13 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This national chain of 1,248 stores was named after a pond Waldenbooks |
| #1116, aired 1989-06-12 | VOCABULARY: This 7-letter synonym for dictionary is from a Greek word for "word" lexicon |
| #1115, aired 1989-06-09 | THE OSCARS: British actress who won Oscars for playing Southern women in 2 different films Vivien Leigh |
| #1108, aired 1989-05-31 | BEST SELLERS: The title of this 1970 best seller referred to brothers Rudolph & Thomas Jordache Rich Man, Poor Man |
| #1107, aired 1989-05-30 | COINS: She became the only monarch to appear on a U.S. coin, when a commemorative quarter was issued in 1893 Queen Isabella |
| #1106, aired 1989-05-29 | THE 50 STATES: The 2 states whose names end with the letter "Y" Kentucky & New Jersey |
| #1105, aired 1989-05-26 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: According to the Browning poem, he could also get rid of "The mole and toad and newt and viper" the Pied Piper of Hamelin |
| #1104, aired 1989-05-25 | MONEY: It was the 1st country to use paper money China |
| #1103, aired 1989-05-24 | WORLD CITIES: Linked by the world's 5th longest suspension bridge, it lies in both Europe & Asia Istanbul |
| #1102, aired 1989-05-23 | LITERATURE: It's where Philip Nolan asked to be buried at sea |
| #1101, aired 1989-05-22 | AWARDS: In 1931 this social worker became the 1st American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize Jane Addams |
| #1100, aired 1989-05-19 | PEOPLE & PLACES: Plato mentioned this place in "Critias" & "Timaeus", & people today are still looking for it Atlantis |
| #1099, aired 1989-05-18 | EUROPE: Alphabetically it's the 1st member of both the European Community & NATO Belgium |
| #1098, aired 1989-05-17 | SPORTS: Both volleyball & basketball were invented by Y.M.C.A. staff members in the 1890s in this state Massachusetts |
| #1097, aired 1989-05-16 | AMERICANA: It was published annually from 1732-1757 & credited to an imaginary astronomer Poor Richard's Almanack |
| #1096, aired 1989-05-15 | WORLD POPULATIONS: The U.S. Census Bureau predicts by 2050 this country could surpass China in population India |
| #1095, aired 1989-05-12 | BODIES OF WATER: Covering more than half a million square miles, it's the world's largest gulf the Gulf of Mexico |
| #1094, aired 1989-05-11 | MONEY: "In God we trust" & this word appear on the front of every current U.S. coin liberty |
| #1093, aired 1989-05-10 | THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR: 1 of 2 current U.S. possessions acquired as a result of the Spanish-American War Puerto Rico or Guam |
| #1092, aired 1989-05-09 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: This character, created about 1850, has an artificial leg made of white polished bone Captain Ahab |
| #1091, aired 1989-05-08 | MOUNTAINS: It's name means "great mountain" & it has 2 peaks, Kibo & Mawenzi, that are 7 miles apart Kilimanjaro |
| #1090, aired 1989-05-05 | WOMEN IN POLITICS: In 1974 she became the 1st woman head of state anywhere in the Americas Isabel Peron (of Argentina) |
| #1089, aired 1989-05-04 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: "Best Actress" for 1968, she was the only one in Oscar history to win for playing a queen Katharine Hepburn (The Lion in Winter) |
| #1088, aired 1989-05-03 | HISTORY: At the request of the king of England, Pope Innocent III annulled this in 1215 Magna Carta |
| #1087, aired 1989-05-02 | SLANG: The credit for coining this slang word goes to Alben W. Barkley's grandson veep |
| #1086, aired 1989-05-01 | U.S. STATES: This state's seal includes an eagle holding a serpent in its beak & grasping a cactus in its talons New Mexico |
| #1085, aired 1989-04-28 | FILMS OF THE '50s: The 1st part of this classic 1959 comedy is set in Chicago in February 1929 Some Like It Hot |
| #1084, aired 1989-04-27 | MONARCHS: He married a woman with royal blood & then killed his own cousin to become king of Scotland Macbeth |
| #1083, aired 1989-04-26 | HOLLYWOOD: Cowboy star who has 5 stars on Hollywood's Walk of Fame--1 each for film, TV, recording, theater & radio Gene Autry |
| #1082, aired 1989-04-25 | FAMOUS ENGLISHMEN: The last names of surveyors Charles & Jeremiah, who did their most famous work in the 1760s Mason & Dixon |
| #1081, aired 1989-04-24 | THE 1988 ELECTION: 2 states carried by Michael Dukakis besides Massachusetts, his home state (2 of) Rhode Island, Minnesota, New York, Hawaii, Iowa, Oregon, Washington, West Virginia or Wisconsin |
| #1080, aired 1989-04-21 | FAMOUS PAIRS: One was born in Ulverson, England; the other in Harlem, Georgia, & they 1st teamed up in 1926 Laurel & Hardy |
| #1079, aired 1989-04-20 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: The world's best-selling pen is this company's "Crystal" model BIC |
| #1078, aired 1989-04-19 | THE PULITZER PRIZE: 3 years after this William Kennedy novel won a Pulitzer Prize, it came out as a film starring Meryl Streep Ironweed |
| #1077, aired 1989-04-18 | CIVIL WAR: He was the only U.S. senator who did not leave the Senate when his state seceded Andrew Johnson |
| #1076, aired 1989-04-17 | U.S. COINS: Images replaced on the front of the penny & the nickel by the presidents on them today Indian heads |
| #1075, aired 1989-04-14 | OLD TESTAMENT: His adventure began when he "rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord" Jonah |
| #1074, aired 1989-04-13 | EUROPE: 3 of the 6 original members of the European Common Market (3 of) Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Italy & West Germany |
| #1073, aired 1989-04-12 | BOOKS & AUTHORS: The 1st book in David Saperstein's trilogy that continued into "Metamorphosis" & will end with "Butterfly" Cocoon |
| #1072, aired 1989-04-11 | THE CALENDAR: On the old Celtic calendar this was the last day of the year, & some of its pagan rites still exist Halloween |
| #1071, aired 1989-04-10 | WORLD CITIES: With over 2 million people, it's the largest city in the West Indies Havana, Cuba |
| #1070, aired 1989-04-07 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The 3 presidents, besides Bush, whose last names contain only 4 letters William Taft, Gerald Ford & James Polk |
| #1069, aired 1989-04-06 | SHAKESPEAREAN QUOTES: In a Shakespearean tragedy, this famous farewell follows "Now cracks a noble heart" Good night, sweet prince |
| #1068, aired 1989-04-05 | CANADA: The two Canadian provinces without coastlines Alberta & Saskatchewan |
| #1067, aired 1989-04-04 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: Great American Smokeout, urging smokers to quit the habit, is held each year a week before this holiday Thanksgiving |
| #1066, aired 1989-04-03 | WORLD AFFAIRS: In 1963 these 3 nations signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty the U.S., U.S.S.R. & the U.K. |
| #1065, aired 1989-03-31 | PLAYWRIGHTS: The son of an actor, he won 4 Pulitzer Prizes for Drama, more than any other playwright Eugene O'Neill |
| #1064, aired 1989-03-30 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Headquartered near St. Paul, this company churns out the top-selling brand of butter in the U.S. Land O Lakes |
| #1063, aired 1989-03-29 | MOVIE STARS: She made only 11 Hollywood films during her brief career, co-starring twice with B. Crosby & winning an Oscar Grace Kelly |
| #1062, aired 1989-03-28 | BODIES OF WATER: The only U.S. state whose coastline touches a body of water called a sea Alaska |
| #1061, aired 1989-03-27 | ISLANDS: It's the most volcanic country in the world Iceland |
| #1060, aired 1989-03-24 | WESTERN HEMISPHERE: When it broke away from France in 1804, it became the 2nd independent country in the New World Haiti |
| #1059, aired 1989-03-23 | FIRST FAMILIES: The last member of a first family to have been married at the White House Tricia Nixon |
| #1058, aired 1989-03-22 | ANIMALS: The elephant is the largest land animal by weight; this animal is 2nd the Rhino |
| #1057, aired 1989-03-21 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Though his 2nd administration was scandal ridden, he was almost nominated for a 3rd term 4 years later Ulysses Grant |
| #1056, aired 1989-03-20 | BRITISH HISTORY: Since 1700 Britain has had only 3 reigning queens: Victoria, Elizabeth II, & this woman Queen Anne |
| #1055, aired 1989-03-17 | MONARCHS: In her will, she wrote of her hope of just rule for the Indians of the New World Queen Isabella |
| #1054, aired 1989-03-16 | FOOD & DRINK: The letters in "made" can be made into these 2 different words, one a food & one a drink Edam & mead |
| #1053, aired 1989-03-15 | THE OSCARS: In 1938, he was the 1st boy actor to win an honorary Oscar, & he's still performing today Mickey Rooney |
| #1052, aired 1989-03-14 | THE PLANETS: This planet is named for the original god of the sky in Greek mythology Uranus |
| #1051, aired 1989-03-13 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: When Rip Van Winkle fell asleep, this ruler's portrait hung in front of the inn King George III |
| #1050, aired 1989-03-10 | ORGANIZATIONS: Its roots go back to two 1850s organizations: the General Female Training Institute & a prayer union the YWCA (the Young Women's Christian Association) |
| #1046, aired 1989-03-06 | EXPLORERS: Henry & David are the 1st names of these men who are often paired but mainly worked separately Stanley & Livingstone |
| #1045, aired 1989-03-03 | THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR: 1 of 2 famous patriots hiding in Lexington when Paul Revere warned "The British are coming" Samuel Adams or John Hancock |
| #1044, aired 1989-03-02 | STATE CAPITALS: One of three state capitals with the shortest names--only five letters long (1 of) Dover, DE, Boise, ID & Salem, OR |
| #1043, aired 1989-03-01 | LANDMARKS: de Maupassant & Dumas fils were among those who signed a protest against building this landmark Eiffel Tower |
| #1042, aired 1989-02-28 | ACADEMY AWARDS: The 1st person to win a special Oscar, he won in 1929 for writing, acting, directing & producing Charlie Chaplin |
| #1041, aired 1989-02-27 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: A movement of this symphony Beethoven supposedly was writing on his deathbed premiered in 1988 the "Tenth Symphony" |
| #1040, aired 1989-02-24 | CANADA: In 1621 this Canadian province was named to honor the homeland of the reigning king, James Nova Scotia (New Scotland) |
| #1039, aired 1989-02-23 | THE UNITED NATIONS: Much in the news in Sept.-Oct. 1988, it's the largest in population that's not a U.N. member (South) Korea |
| #1038, aired 1989-02-22 | WORLD POLITICS: 2 countries whose governments are headed by a chancellor (West) Germany & Austria |
| #1037, aired 1989-02-21 | HISTORIC LAST LINES: It concludes, "...we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor" the Declaration of Independence |
| #1035, aired 1989-02-17 | STATE CAPITALS: 2 of the 4 state capitals with "City" in their names (2 of) Carson City, Oklahoma City, Jefferson City, or Salt Lake City |
| #1034, aired 1989-02-16 | AWARDS: She was the 1st woman to win a Nobel Prize Marie Curie |
| #1033, aired 1989-02-15 | AMERICANA: The 1st of these to fly officially in the U.S. was raised at Fort McHenry at 12:01 A.M. July 4, 1960 50 star U.S. flag |
| #1032, aired 1989-02-14 | SOUTH AMERICA: This South American country is named for an Italian city Venezuela |
| #1031, aired 1989-02-13 | FILMS OF THE '80s: Oscar-winning film whose title character was played at age 3 by Richard Vuu & as an adult by John Lone The Last Emperor |
| #1030, aired 1989-02-10 | HOLIDAYS: Holiday on which the U.S. flag is to be flown at half staff until noon Memorial Day |
| #1029, aired 1989-02-09 | WORLD LEADERS: She was the guest of honor at the last state dinner President Reagan hosted Margaret Thatcher |
| #1028, aired 1989-02-08 | VICE PRESIDENTS: The only 2 vice presidents who previously represented Minnesota in the Senate (Hubert) Humphrey & (Walter) Mondale |
| #1027, aired 1989-02-07 | THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR: He served as a major general in the Continental Army & a brigadier gen. for the British Benedict Arnold |
| #1026, aired 1989-02-06 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: The 7 largest banks in the free world are headquartered in this country Japan |
| #1025, aired 1989-02-03 | GREAT BRITAIN: 1 of the 3 former prime ministers currently sitting in the British House of Lords (1 of) James Callaghan, Harold Wilson & Alexander Douglas-Home |
| #1024, aired 1989-02-02 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: The Census Bureau is part of this federal department Commerce |
| #1023, aired 1989-02-01 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: In 1975 he became the only Soviet citizen to win the Nobel Peace Prize (Andrei) Sakharov |
| #1022, aired 1989-01-31 | POLITICAL QUOTES: President who said, "The ballot is stronger than the bullet" Abraham Lincoln |
| #1021, aired 1989-01-30 | ISLANDS: In 1542 this island group was named for the future King of Spain Philippines |
| #1020, aired 1989-01-27 | STATE CAPITALS: Of the state capitals, this one has the busiest airport Atlanta |
| #1019, aired 1989-01-26 | U.S. STATES: It's the only state besides Hawaii whose name has 3 adjacent vowels Louisiana |
| #1018, aired 1989-01-25 | AUTHORS: This U.S. poet laureate is the only writer who won Pulitzer Prizes for both poetry & fiction Robert Penn Warren |
| #1017, aired 1989-01-24 | FILMS OF THE '40s: This 1941 film is the only one with a color in its title to win the "Best Picture" Oscar How Green Was My Valley |
| #1016, aired 1989-01-23 | CHEMISTRY: Chemical formula for the most abundant molecule found in the human body H2O |
| #1015, aired 1989-01-20 | U.S. STATES: This state's current license plate has a biplane pictured on it North Carolina |
| #1014, aired 1989-01-19 | FAMOUS NAMES: His father, whose first & middle names were also Charles Augustus, was a Minnesota congressman Charles Lindbergh |
| #1013, aired 1989-01-18 | THE OSCARS: This 1951 musical is the only movie with a world capital in the title to win "Best Picture" An American in Paris |
| #1012, aired 1989-01-17 | ASIA: The 4 official languages of this Southeast Asian country are Chinese, Malay, English & Tamil Singapore |
| #1011, aired 1989-01-16 | POETRY: In a famous poem, the Mongol Empire summer palace called Shangtu is known as this Xanadu |
| #1010, aired 1989-01-13 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: Originally called Vera Cruz, this country was renamed for a type of tree Brazil |
| #1009, aired 1989-01-12 | FASHION: The 2 Asian leaders in the 1960s & '70s for whom popular jacket styles were named Nehru & Mao |
| #1008, aired 1989-01-11 | COLONIAL AMERICA: This colony was named for the 1st governor of the colony of Virginia Delaware |
| #1007, aired 1989-01-10 | THE OLYMPICS: In 1960 he became the 1st black athlete to carry the U.S. flag in the Olympic procession Rafer Johnson |
| #1006, aired 1989-01-09 | PRESIDENTS: 2 presidents who didn't go to college (2 of) Washington, Jackson, Van Buren, Taylor, Fillmore, Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Cleveland & Truman |
| #1005, aired 1989-01-06 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: 2 of the 9 mainland countries of the world through which the Equator passes (2 of) Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Gabon, Congo, Zaire, Kenya, Somalia & Uganda |
| #1004, aired 1989-01-05 | WORLD RELIGION: This country has the most Protestants of any in the world United States |
| #1003, aired 1989-01-04 | THE CIVIL WAR: The 2 Union states that were invaded by General Lee's Confederate armies Maryland & Pennsylvania |
| #1002, aired 1989-01-03 | LEADING LADIES: The 2 blonde sex symbols who made their last films with Gable, 1 released in 1937, 1 in 1961 Jean Harlow & Marilyn Monroe |
| #1001, aired 1989-01-02 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: "The Revenge of the Hound" was published in 1987 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this hero Sherlock Holmes |
| #1000, aired 1988-12-30 | EXPLORERS: Puerto Rico's 2nd largest city is named for this explorer, its 1st governor Ponce de Leon |
| #999, aired 1988-12-29 | LANDMARKS: Irish-born architect J. Hoban designed this building in 1792 & finished rebuilding it 25 years later White House |
| #998, aired 1988-12-28 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: He was the 1st incumbent president to debate his opponent for office on TV Gerald Ford |
| #997, aired 1988-12-27 | WEIGHTS & MEASURES: This English word is derived from the Latin "duodecim" dozen |
| #996, aired 1988-12-26 | MOUNTAINS: Soviet mountain range thought to be where the white race originated Caucasus Mountains |
| #995, aired 1988-12-23 | TELEVISION: It was on for 6 years, giving it the longest run of any animated TV show in prime time The Flintstones |
| #994, aired 1988-12-22 | WOMEN IN SPORTS: This California teenager was the 1st American to win a regular gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics Janet Evans |
| #993, aired 1988-12-21 | MOVIE DIRECTORS: Joan Fontaine is the only performer who won an Oscar for acting in any of his 53 films Alfred Hitchcock |
| #992, aired 1988-12-20 | LANGUAGE: The Hawaiian alphabet uses 12 of the 26 letters in the English alphabet & runs from "A" to this letter W |
| #991, aired 1988-12-19 | BEST SELLERS: In 1964, 5 of the top 10 nonfiction best sellers were by or about this man John F. Kennedy |
| #990, aired 1988-12-16 | ADVERTISING: 1 of the top 5 advertisers on network TV sports shows in 1987 was this Cabinet department the Department of Defense |
| #989, aired 1988-12-15 | AMERICANA: The U.S. flag flies 24 hours a day over both his birthplace & his grave Francis Scott Key |
| #988, aired 1988-12-14 | PUBLISHING: The World Almanac is published either 48 hrs. after a presidential election or this October event World Series |
| #987, aired 1988-12-13 | MONARCHS: He was the last person to hold the title Emperor of India King George VI |
| #986, aired 1988-12-12 | FRUITS & VEGETABLES: In pounds per capita, the most consumed fresh fruit in U.S.--mostly the yellow Cavendish variety bananas |
| #985, aired 1988-12-09 | THE CENSUS: Decade in the 20th century in which the fewest immigrants were admitted to the U.S. the 1930s |
| #984, aired 1988-12-08 | INVENTORS: A unit used to measure the intensity of sound is named after this inventor Alexander Graham Bell |
| #983, aired 1988-12-07 | TELEVISION: This TV star was posthumously honored by having a bus depot in Brooklyn named for him Jackie Gleason |
| #982, aired 1988-12-06 | THE CIVIL WAR: Confederate troops wounded this general May 2, 1863 at Chancellorsville; he died 8 days later Stonewall Jackson |
| #981, aired 1988-12-05 | U.S. LANDMARKS: Its cornerstone was laid February 12, 1915 the Lincoln Memorial |
| #980, aired 1988-12-02 | MONARCHS: This Queen of England was the granddaughter of Ferdinand & Isabella of Spain Mary I (Bloody Mary) |
| #979, aired 1988-12-01 | STATE CAPITALS: The 2 state capitals located on the Mississippi River St. Paul, Minnesota & Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| #978, aired 1988-11-30 | FAMOUS NAMES: Surveyor general of India from 1830-43, in 1865 a mountain was renamed in his honor Sir George Everest |
| #977, aired 1988-11-29 | AMERICAN HISTORY: Historically significant event of June 17, 1972 the Watergate break-in |
| #976, aired 1988-11-28 | HISTORIC DATES: Date in 1777 on which the Continental Congress approved a flag of 13 stripes & 13 stars June 14 |
| #974, aired 1988-11-24 | ACADEMY AWARDS: 2 of the 3 "Best Picture" winners of the '80s with 1-word titles (2 of) Gandhi, Amadeus or Platoon |
| #973, aired 1988-11-23 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Alice in Wonderland character named after the county in which Lewis Carroll was born Cheshire Cat |
| #972, aired 1988-11-22 | NATIONAL PARKS: The only national park named for a president is named for him Theodore Roosevelt |
| #971, aired 1988-11-21 | MUSICALS OF THE '80s: The hero of this Tony Award-winning "Best Musical" is sometimes known by a number, 24601 Les Misérables |
| #970, aired 1988-11-18 | ELECTIONS: 3 twentieth century presidents who were defeated when running to retain the office (3 of) Taft, Hoover, Carter, & Ford |
| #969, aired 1988-11-17 | GEOGRAPHY: Now independent, this island has been ruled by Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, French & British Malta |
| #968, aired 1988-11-16 | MAN IN SPACE: 3 months after John Glenn, he became the second American to orbit the Earth (Malcolm) Scott Carpenter |
| #967, aired 1988-11-15 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: This country's authors have won more Nobel literature prizes than any other, including the U.S. France |
| #966, aired 1988-11-14 | THE CIVIL WAR: The bloodiest single day of fighting in the Civil War took place in this state Maryland |
| #965, aired 1988-11-11 | THE SUPREME COURT: Only member of the current Court who has been elected to a public office Sandra Day O'Connor (state senator from Arizona) |
| #964, aired 1988-11-10 | THE OSCARS: Husband & wife who won Oscars almost 30 years apart, she in 1958, he in 1987 Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward |
| #963, aired 1988-11-09 | FOREIGN PHRASES: The Greek expression meaning "philosophy (is) the guide of life" is abbreviated by these three Greek letters phi beta kappa |
| #962, aired 1988-11-08 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: He was the only incumbent vice president to defeat a president in a presidential election Thomas Jefferson |
| #961, aired 1988-11-07 | WORLD CITIES: This major North American city is built around the mountain it's named for Montreal |
| #960, aired 1988-11-04 | LETTER PERFECT: Vowel found in the names of 7 of the 9 planets U |
| #959, aired 1988-11-03 | THE BIBLE: While there were lots of animals on Noah's Ark, there were this many humans 8 |
| #958, aired 1988-11-02 | THE SPACE RACE: Sputnik was the Soviet's 1st satellite, while this was ours Explorer |
| #957, aired 1988-11-01 | POLITICIANS: Carl Hayden represented this state in Congress from when it joined the Union until 1969 Arizona |
| #956, aired 1988-10-31 | AUTHORS: One of this author's two middle names was Balfour Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson |
| #955, aired 1988-10-28 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: He was the 1st candidate to receive Hawaii's electoral vote John F. Kennedy |
| #954, aired 1988-10-27 | WEATHER: With an average of 7.4 inches of rain annually, it's the driest state in the U.S. Nevada |
| #953, aired 1988-10-26 | RELIGION: Almost struck by lightning in 1505, this young man vowed to become a monk & did soon after Martin Luther |
| #952, aired 1988-10-25 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: He was knighted in 1953, the same year he won the Nobel Prize for Literature Winston Churchill |
| #951, aired 1988-10-24 | WORLD HISTORY: On May 20, 1902 U.S. rule ended & this country became independent Cuba |
| #950, aired 1988-10-21 | EUROPEAN HISTORY: Germany's 3rd Reich was the Nazi regime, the 2nd was the 1871-1918 monarchy, while the 1st Reich was this Holy Roman Empire |
| #949, aired 1988-10-20 | THE UNITED NATIONS: In the course of its 43-year history, the UN has had this many Secretaries-General 5 |
| #948, aired 1988-10-19 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: By June 30, 1988 every U.S. residence should have received a gov't booklet w/this man's photo on the cover C. Everett Koop |
| #947, aired 1988-10-18 | WORLD CAPITALS: Canada agreed to abide by this person's choice for its capital city, & in 1858, Ottawa was chosen Queen Victoria |
| #946, aired 1988-10-17 | ACADEMY AWARDS: He was nominated posthumously for "Best Actor" 2 years in a row, in February 1956 & February 1957 James Dean |
| #945, aired 1988-10-14 | WORLD HISTORY: An allied army of Americans, Britons, Germans, Frenchmen, Russians & Japanese ended this in 1900 Boxer Rebellion |
| #944, aired 1988-10-13 | ELECTIONS: He was the last major party presidential candidate to lose 2 elections to 2 different men Thomas Dewey |
| #943, aired 1988-10-12 | THE MILITARY: The Marines' Hymn was written during this war the Mexican (American) War |
| #942, aired 1988-10-11 | 1988: In April the late Dr. Paul D. White became familiar to many people who saw his portrait on this A stamp |
| #941, aired 1988-10-10 | THE CIVIL WAR: 1 of 2 states admitted to the Union during the Civil War (1 of) West Virginia or Nevada |
| #940, aired 1988-10-07 | SPORTS & GAMES: Invented in 1895 in Massachusetts, it became an Olympic sport at the 1964 Tokyo games volleyball |
| #939, aired 1988-10-06 | THE CABINET: The flag of the secretary of this department bears a clipper ship & a lighthouse the Department of Commerce |
| #938, aired 1988-10-05 | SEE THE USA: Latest figures show this U.S. state is the most popular destination for Japanese tourists Hawaii |
| #936, aired 1988-10-03 | TECHNOLOGY: They 1st appeared in British shops, hotels & railway stations in 1884 & were called silence cabinets telephone booths |
| #935, aired 1988-09-30 | THE MOVIES: Under the system begun in 1968, the MPAA has assigned this rating to more films than any other R |
| #934, aired 1988-09-29 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: It didn't become a federal holiday until 1971, though it was 1st celebrated in 1792 Columbus Day |
| #933, aired 1988-09-28 | MONARCHS: The world's oldest dynasty, some 2000 years old, still reigns in this country Japan |
| #932, aired 1988-09-27 | THE BIBLE: The only 3 men to reign as king over all 12 tribes of Israel Saul, David & Solomon |
| #931, aired 1988-09-26 | AMERICANA: In 1986 Coke & Kodak were among 19 firms who pledged over $66 mil. to use its image in their ads the Statue of Liberty |
| #930, aired 1988-09-23 | ROYAL FAMILIES: England's Queen Elizabeth I had this many stepmothers 4 |
| #929, aired 1988-09-22 | MAGAZINES: In June 1988 he appeared on the covers of Time, People, Life & Sports Illustrated Mike Tyson |
| #928, aired 1988-09-21 | THE MOVIES: Charles Laughton, Trevor Howard & Anthony Hopkins all played this historic figure William Bligh |
| #927, aired 1988-09-20 | 1978: Upon Golda Meir's death, this leader said, "I must, for history's sake, praise her as an honest foe" (Anwar) Sadat |
| #926, aired 1988-09-19 | MYTHOLOGY: 2 of the 3 goddesses who were contestants in the famous beauty contest judged by Paris (2 of) Aphrodite, Athena or Hera |
| #925, aired 1988-09-16 | THE U.S. CAPITOL: Only state to contribute a statue of a king for our Capitol's National Statuary Hall Hawaii |
| #924, aired 1988-09-15 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Inspired by Cornell's new team colors, in 1898 it changed its orange & black labels to red & white Campbell's |
| #923, aired 1988-09-14 | MUSICALS: This Lerner & Loewe musical was written directly for the screen & wasn't a Broadway musical 'til 1973 Gigi |
| #922, aired 1988-09-13 | THE CALENDAR: 1st year of the 100th century 9901 |
| #921, aired 1988-09-12 | WORLD LEADERS: He was named president of the Soviet Union twice; once in 1960 & again in 1977 (Leonid) Brezhnev |
| #920, aired 1988-09-09 | FAMOUS NAMES: The assassin John Wilkes Booth admired this other assassin, for whom his father was named Brutus |
| #919, aired 1988-09-08 | SHAKESPEARE: The 1st line spoken in this Shakespearean play is 1 word:
"Bos'n!" The Tempest |
| #918, aired 1988-09-07 | PRESIDENTS: (2 of 4) U.S presidents who married divorced women (2 of) (Ronald) Reagan (Andrew) Jackson, (Gerald) Ford or (Warren) Harding |
| #917, aired 1988-09-06 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: Observances that fell in 1988 on Wednesday February 17 & Thursday March 17 Ash Wednesday & St. Patrick's Day |
| #916, aired 1988-09-05 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: Longest boundary between any 2 U.S. states is the one between these 2 Texas & Oklahoma |
| #915, aired 1988-07-22 | ROYALTY: Before his marriage in 1956, he slipped out of Los Angeles using the alias "C. Monte" Prince Rainier |
| #914, aired 1988-07-21 | U.S. CITIES: It was the first spoken word transmitted by radio from the surface of the Moon Houston |
| #913, aired 1988-07-20 | THE 50 STATES: The 2 states that begin with "M" whose capitals begin with "J" Mississippi (Jackson) & Missouri (Jefferson City) |
| #912, aired 1988-07-19 | THE OLYMPICS: The 2 inhabited continents that have never hosted the modern Summer Games South America & Africa |
| #911, aired 1988-07-18 | WORLD RELIGION: The oldest & largest Protestant denomination in the world Lutheran |
| #910, aired 1988-07-15 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: His 1889 book "The Gospel of Wealth" said it's the duty of the rich to share surplus wealth, & he did Andrew Carnegie |
| #909, aired 1988-07-14 | WORLD GOVERNMENTS: This nation's 1936 & 1977 constitutions guarantee its 15 political divisions the right to secede the USSR |
| #907, aired 1988-07-12 | PRESIDENTS: 2 of the 5 presidents who were never elected president (2 of) Gerald Ford, Andrew Johnson, (John) Tyler, (Millard) Fillmore or (Chester) Arthur |
| #906, aired 1988-07-11 | INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: The World Bank & the International Monetary Fund are both headquartered in this national capital Washington, D.C. |
| #905, aired 1988-07-08 | ASIA: This country has been Communist since 1924, longer than any other except the USSR Mongolia (the Mongolian People's Republic) |
| #904, aired 1988-07-07 | SONG CLASSICS: In a song from the '30s musical "Roberta" this line follows "When a lovely flame dies..." smoke gets in your eyes |
| #903, aired 1988-07-06 | MEDIEVAL MONARCHS: Richard the Lion-Hearted & his parents are buried at an abbey in this country France |
| #902, aired 1988-07-05 | CIVIL WAR: 1 of 2 states represented in the 13 stars on the Confederate flag even though they stayed in the Union (1 of) Missouri & Kentucky |
| #901, aired 1988-07-04 | SCIENCE: John Flamsteed was appointed the 1st Astronomer Royal in 1675, when this was founded the Greenwich Observatory |
| #900, aired 1988-07-01 | POLITICAL NICKNAMES: 40 years after "Happy Warrior" Al Smith lost a pres. election, this other "Happy Warrior" also lost Hubert Humphrey |
| #899, aired 1988-06-30 | RIVERS: The USA's 2 longest rivers meet just 10 miles north of this major city St. Louis |
| #898, aired 1988-06-29 | THE 20th CENTURY: In Jan. of 1923, U.S. occupation troops completed their "final withdrawal" from this country Germany |
| #897, aired 1988-06-28 | AMERICAN WOMEN: On Aug. 25, 1835, at age 22, she died in a farmhouse outside New Salem, Illinois Ann Rutledge |
| #896, aired 1988-06-27 | BROADCASTING: According to Nielsen, it's the night of the week on which the most people are watching prime time TV Sunday |
| #895, aired 1988-06-24 | 20th CENTURY PERSONALITIES: Johnny Carson became permanent host of "The Tonight Show" when this man was U.S. president John Kennedy |
| #894, aired 1988-06-23 | COLONIAL AMERICA: This So. colony w/rich neighbors was called "a vale of humility between 2 mountains of conceit" North Carolina |
| #893, aired 1988-06-22 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: Even though he died in 1965, he won 2 Tony Awards for the 1982 musical "Cats" T.S. Eliot |
| #892, aired 1988-06-21 | THE U.S. CONGRESS: He is the oldest member of Congress Claude Pepper |
| #891, aired 1988-06-20 | BODIES OF WATER: This African river carries more water than any in the world except the Amazon the Congo River |
| #890, aired 1988-06-17 | CINEMA: The last film Cecil B. De Mille directed, it was a partial remake of a silent epic he'd directed 33 years before The Ten Commandments |
| #889, aired 1988-06-16 | MILITARY MEN: "A better army...probably never faced an enemy," Grant wrote of his service as a lieutenant in this war Mexican War |
| #888, aired 1988-06-15 | THE BIBLE: In Chapter 1, Verse 1, authorship of the book of Proverbs is attributed to this man Solomon |
| #887, aired 1988-06-14 | THE OLYMPICS: The 2 U.S. states that have hosted the Summer Olympic Games California & Missouri |
| #886, aired 1988-06-13 | PRESIDENTS: 1 of the 2 presidents who were both widowed & remarried while in office Woodrow Wilson or John Tyler |
| #885, aired 1988-06-10 | REPUBLICANS: He was the 1st Republican popularly elected to the Senate from Tennessee Howard Baker |
| #884, aired 1988-06-09 | AMERICAN HISTORY: With only 115 days of hostilities, it was the shortest declared war in U.S. history the Spanish-American War |
| #883, aired 1988-06-08 | WORLD RELIGION: At 121 million, it has the most Catholics of any country in the world Brazil |
| #882, aired 1988-06-07 | PROVERBS: "Nature needs but 5, custom gives thee 7, laziness takes 9, & wickedness 11" refers to this hours of sleep |
| #881, aired 1988-06-06 | GOVERNMENT: The use of civil service examinations began over 1000 years ago in this country China |
| #880, aired 1988-06-03 | THE CABINET: The State Dept. helps Americans abroad, while this department urges foreigners to visit the U.S. the Department of Commerce |
| #879, aired 1988-06-02 | THE UNITED NATIONS: In 1971, it became the only country to be officially expelled from the United Nations Taiwan (also known as Nationalist China) |
| #878, aired 1988-06-01 | BRIDGES: The longest bridge over the Mississippi crosses the river at this major city New Orleans |
| #877, aired 1988-05-31 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: More than half the free world's commercial jetliners have been assembled in this U.S. state Washington |
| #876, aired 1988-05-30 | 1988: At the opening ceremonies for the 1988 Winter Olympics, "Happy Birthday" was played for this country Australia |
| #875, aired 1988-05-27 | THE BIBLE: In the order in which it appears in most versions, it is the 1st book of the Bible named for its hero Joshua |
| #874, aired 1988-05-26 | HISTORIC HOMES: His Virginia estate, Montpelier, was finally opened to the public in 1987, in celebration of the Constitution James Madison |
| #873, aired 1988-05-25 | THE MOVIES: Of the 10 top-grossing films of 1987, the 2 with the titles of classic U.S. TV series The Untouchables & Dragnet |
| #872, aired 1988-05-24 | THE U.S. SENATE: The only state ever to elect a Black senator by popular vote Massachusetts |
| #871, aired 1988-05-23 | POP SINGERS: Only artist to hit Top 10 with a remake of his own #1 hit, the original in '62, the remake in '76 Neil Sedaka |
| #870, aired 1988-05-20 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: Set in England, this play by Tom Taylor was probably the most talked-about play in 1865 Our American Cousin |
| #869, aired 1988-05-19 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: The 2 Black Americans who have won the Nobel Peace Prize Ralph Bunche & Martin Luther King |
| #868, aired 1988-05-18 | RIVERS: 2 of the 3 European rivers that begin with "T" on which a national capital is located (2 of) Thames, Tiber or Tagus |
| #867, aired 1988-05-17 | THE 50 STATES: More of this state's governors have gone on to be president than any other New York |
| #866, aired 1988-05-16 | THE CABINET: The only people to have held this post are Shirley Hufstedler, Terrel Bell & Wm. J. Bennett Secretary of Education |
| #865, aired 1988-05-13 | THE RICH & FAMOUS: According to Fortune magazine, she's the richest woman in the world Queen Elizabeth II |
| #864, aired 1988-05-12 | PRESIDENTS: He was last president to have a Secretary of War & 1st to have a Secretary of Defense Truman |
| #863, aired 1988-05-11 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: 2 of the 5 states whose highest point of elevation is less than 1000 feet above sea level (2 of) Florida, Delaware, Louisiana, Mississippi & Rhode Island |
| #862, aired 1988-05-10 | FAMOUS ATHLETES: In her 1st Olympics, she finished last but later won 3 consecutive gold medals in figure skating Sonja Henie |
| #861, aired 1988-05-09 | RADIO: Now numbering some 320, this group has been heard over national radio weekly since 1929 Mormon Tabernacle Choir |
| #860, aired 1988-05-06 | BODIES OF WATER: It has the largest surface area of any lake south of the equator Lake Victoria |
| #859, aired 1988-05-05 | 19th C. AMERICANS: Sam Houston served under Andrew Jackson in this war the War of 1812 |
| #857, aired 1988-05-03 | ADVERTISING: This slogan was created in 1933 for a cereal's billboard in a Minneapolis baseball park "The Breakfast of Champions" |
| #855, aired 1988-04-29 | COMMUNICATION: While the U.S. has the most telephones by far, this country is 2nd Japan |
| #854, aired 1988-04-28 | TELEVISION: When "Saturday Night Live" announced this man would host, the candidate & the singer both "showed up" Paul Simon |
| #853, aired 1988-04-27 | ASTROLOGY: It's the only traditional sign of the zodiac with a total of 4 legs & no tail Gemini |
| #852, aired 1988-04-26 | PRESIDENTS: 1 of 2 20th century presidents who were the only 2 ever sworn in during August (1 of) Gerald Ford or Calvin Coolidge |
| #851, aired 1988-04-25 | HOLIDAYS: The latest date on which Thanksgiving Day can occur in the U.S. November 28 |
| #848, aired 1988-04-20 | INTERNATIONAL TRADE: From 1820-1860, this accounted for a least 2/3 of U.S. exports cotton |
| #847, aired 1988-04-19 | WORD ORIGINS: This word for a newspaper with capsule stories was originally a trade name of a capsule-like pill tabloid |
| #846, aired 1988-04-18 | MAN IN SPACE: The names of the 1st two Space Shuttle orbiters actually launched into space Columbia & Challenger |
| #845, aired 1988-04-15 | MYTHOLOGY: Legend says one of these sacred animals chose the site near Rome of the Temple of Aesculapius, the god of medicine a snake |
| #844, aired 1988-04-14 | NORTH AMERICAN GEOGRAPHY: The number of states completely west of the Mississippi River that border Canada 5 |
| #843, aired 1988-04-13 | NAMES OF STATES: This U.S. state was named for a king, the grandson of Henry of Navarre Louisiana |
| #842, aired 1988-04-12 | EUROPE: This capital some 1500 miles from London has surpassed it as the most populous city in Europe Moscow |
| #841, aired 1988-04-11 | TIME: The total number of times in a day the 2 hands of a clock pass the number 1 26 |
| #840, aired 1988-04-08 | NONFICTION: In 1983, Derek Freeman refuted this late author's book about life in the South Pacific Margaret Mead |
| #839, aired 1988-04-07 | ISLANDS: This island of 5 million has 3 million fewer people now than it had 150 years ago Ireland |
| #838, aired 1988-04-06 | WORLD TRADE: Of all fresh fruits, the U.S. imports more of this one than any other bananas |
| #837, aired 1988-04-05 | U.S. HISTORY: Of those who served as president or vice president, more men have had this surname than any other Johnson |
| #836, aired 1988-04-04 | THE OSCARS: Of Katharine Hepburn's 4 Oscar wins, only film for which her co-star also won an Oscar On Golden Pond |
| #835, aired 1988-04-01 | DEMOCRATS: Elected in 1957 to fill Joe McCarthy's seat, he was still in the Senate in 1987 William Proxmire |
| #834, aired 1988-03-31 | THE CIVIL WAR: 1st major battle with heavy casualties was at this Tennessee site named for a church on the battlefield Shiloh |
| #833, aired 1988-03-30 | SAINTLY CITIES: Most populous U.S. city named for a male saint, it's not on the Mississippi San Diego |
| #832, aired 1988-03-29 | PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATIONS: He was the last U.S. president to take the oath of office on March 4th Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| #831, aired 1988-03-28 | TELEVISION HISTORY: 2 of only 3 women who have been inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame (2 of) Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett & Mary Tyler Moore |
| #830, aired 1988-03-25 | CENTRAL AMERICA: Some 18 years before starting Panama Canal, the U.S. began a canal in this country but abandoned it Nicaragua |
| #829, aired 1988-03-24 | EDUCATION: The 1st of these was published in 1958 by Cliff Hillegass of Lincoln, Nebraska Cliff's Notes |
| #827, aired 1988-03-22 | POP MUSIC: This narrative #1 song from 1968 was only hit record to inspire a movie & TV series of the same name "Harper Valley P.T.A." |
| #825, aired 1988-03-18 | THE OLYMPICS: Due to war, the modern Olympic Games were canceled 3 times, in these years 1916, 1940 & 1944 |
| #824, aired 1988-03-17 | WORLD HISTORY: 1st U.S. President to visit the U.S.S.R. Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| #823, aired 1988-03-16 | CAPITAL CITIES: While Qatar is the only country that begins with "Q", this is the only national capital that does Quito |
| #822, aired 1988-03-15 | COLONIAL AMERICA: 1 of 3 colonies which as late as 1775 was still controlled by a proprietary family (1 of) Pennsylvania, Delaware or Maryland |
| #821, aired 1988-03-14 | ANAGRAMS: Star of many Westerns, his name can be an anagram of "OLD WEST ACTION" Clint Eastwood |
| #820, aired 1988-03-11 | WORLD POLITICS: After a 9/25/87 coup, this South Pacific island severed its 113-year link with the British Crown Fiji |
| #819, aired 1988-03-10 | U.S. CITIES: Appropriately, there's a small town by this name midway between Napoleon, Mo. & Wellington, Mo. Waterloo |
| #818, aired 1988-03-09 | RIVERS: Below sea level for most of its course, it's called "the lowest river on Earth" the Jordan |
| #817, aired 1988-03-08 | PRESIDENTS: This 8th president was the last to be elected president while serving as vice president Martin Van Buren |
| #816, aired 1988-03-07 | JOAN OF ARC: Joan of Arc's battles against the English were part of this war Hundred Years' War |
| #815, aired 1988-03-04 | AFRICA: 1 of 3 countries that make up the "horn" of Africa Ethiopia, Somalia, or Djibouti |
| #814, aired 1988-03-03 | WORD ORIGINS: 2 or more governments' joint dominion over a territory, it's come to mean a form of home ownership condominium |
| #813, aired 1988-03-02 | TRAVEL & TOURISM: To serve U.S. tourists, there are 9 American consulates there, more than in any other country Mexico |
| #811, aired 1988-02-29 | WOMEN IN HISTORY: Famous woman depicted on the Crimean monument in Waterloo Place, London Florence Nightingale |
| #810, aired 1988-02-26 | THE OSCARS: 1 of 2 consecutive "Best Pictures"--1949 & 1950--whose titles begin with "All" (1 of) All the King's Men or All About Eve |
| #809, aired 1988-02-25 | WORLD WAR II: In North Africa, Patton was this general's superior; in Europe, their roles were reversed Omar Bradley |
| #808, aired 1988-02-24 | WASHINGTON, D.C.: Appropriately, congressional pages attend school in this building the Library of Congress |
| #807, aired 1988-02-23 | FAMOUS WOMEN: Called "Vermont's most cherished matriarch", this Austrian emigre died in 1987 at the age of 82 Maria von Trapp |
| #806, aired 1988-02-22 | ASIA: 2 of the 5 independent Asian countries that are landlocked (2 of) Nepal, Mongolia, Laos, Afghanistan or Bhutan |
| #805, aired 1988-02-19 | VICE PRESIDENTS: 2 of 3 men in the 20th century who became president within a year of becoming vice president (2 of) Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman & Gerald Ford |
| #804, aired 1988-02-18 | THE NORTH & THE SOUTH: Rhode Island was smallest state in size in the Union, while this was the smallest in the Confederacy South Carolina |
| #803, aired 1988-02-17 | WORLD CAPITALS: More European national capitals begin with this letter than any other, 7 in all B |
| #802, aired 1988-02-16 | SHAKESPEARE: Hamlet called him "A fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy" Yorick |
| #801, aired 1988-02-15 | 1987: British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock became well known in the U.S. after this man "quoted" him Joseph Biden |
| #800, aired 1988-02-12 | AMERICAN POETRY: This verb is the last word in Robert Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" sleep |
| #799, aired 1988-02-11 | QUOTES: President Nixon's words "This has been the greatest week... since the creation" referred to this event the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969 |
| #798, aired 1988-02-10 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: It's the only country with coasts on both the Atlantic & Indian Oceans South Africa |
| #797, aired 1988-02-09 | THE PRESIDENT'S CABINET: Only individual in U.S. history to receive a cabinet appointment from his brother Robert F. Kennedy (from his brother John) |
| #796, aired 1988-02-08 | U.S. CITIES: Before Washington, D.C., this city served longest as capital of the United States Philadelphia |
| #795, aired 1988-02-05 | BEST SELLERS: Pen name of veterinarian James Alfred Wight James Herriot |
| #794, aired 1988-02-04 | WORLD CAPITALS: Among Communist countries, the 2 national capitals that begin with "H" Hanoi (Vietnam) & Havana (Cuba) |
| #793, aired 1988-02-03 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: According to the Constitution, minimum number of electoral votes to which a state is entitled 3 |
| #792, aired 1988-02-02 | THE 50 STATES: 5-digit number found on all current Minnesota auto license plates 10,000 (for Minnesota, "The Land of 10,000 Lakes") |
| #791, aired 1988-02-01 | POP MUSIC: Solo or in a duet or group, this artist has had more Billboard #1 hits than any other, 29 in all Paul McCartney |
| #790, aired 1988-01-29 | AFRICA: This African country has been an independent nation for all but 5 of its 3000 years Ethiopia |
| #789, aired 1988-01-28 | STATE CAPITALS: 1 of 2 letters that begins the names of 6 state capitals, more than any other C or S |
| #788, aired 1988-01-27 | TELEVISION: His record 10,000 hrs. on U.S. network TV includes stints on late night, early morning & a game show Hugh Downs |
| #787, aired 1988-01-26 | 20th CENTURY POLITICIANS: He was an undersecretary of Health, Education & Welfare, a governor & vice president Nelson Rockefeller |
| #786, aired 1988-01-25 | THE MOVIES: This musical drama was made in 1927 & remade in 1953 and 1980 The Jazz Singer |
| #785, aired 1988-01-22 | BOOKS & AUTHORS: Born in Bengal in 1903, this author's most famous book was set 81 years later George Orwell |
| #784, aired 1988-01-21 | WOMEN'S RIGHTS: U.S. women finally won the right to vote in nat'l elections during this president's administration (Woodrow) Wilson |
| #783, aired 1988-01-20 | WORLD HISTORY: Ironically, the 1958 Communist Chinese economic drive that fell flat on its face was called this the Great Leap Forward |
| #782, aired 1988-01-19 | TV WESTERNS: 2 of only 3 westerns to achieve the #1 rating for a season (2 of) Bonanza, Gunsmoke or Wagon Train |
| #781, aired 1988-01-18 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: This mountain was formerly called Bolshaya, Russian for "large" or "great" Mt. McKinley |
| #780, aired 1988-01-15 | PRESIDENTS: Of the 5 vowels, only these are the 1st letter of a president's last name A & E |
| #779, aired 1988-01-14 | U.S. RIVERS: The 2 longest rivers found in Idaho, both named for animals which begin with "S" the Snake River & the Salmon River |
| #778, aired 1988-01-13 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: As the Constitutional bicentennial reminded us, the Constitution was signed on this date in 1787 September 17th |
| #777, aired 1988-01-12 | DRAMA: This play is divided into "parts", not acts, with the 2nd titled "The Gentleman Calls" The Glass Menagerie |
| #776, aired 1988-01-11 | SOUTH AMERICA: These are the only 2 independent countries in South America named for a famous person Colombia & Bolivia |
| #775, aired 1988-01-08 | WORLD CITIES: Having "married" the sea annually for over 600 years, this city is still called "The Bride of the Sea" Venice, Italy |
| #773, aired 1988-01-06 | ASTRONOMY: Appropriate mythological name given the asteroid in our solar system that passes closest to the Sun Icarus |
| #772, aired 1988-01-05 | BROADWAY MUSICALS: 2 of the 3 19th c. authors on whose stories the last 3 Tony Award winning musicals were based (2 of) Victor Hugo (Les Misérables), Charles Dickens (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), & Mark Twain (Big River) |
| #771, aired 1988-01-04 | TELEVISION HISTORY: This variety show that replaced the Smothers Brothers on CBS 20 years ago is still in production Hee Haw |
| #770, aired 1988-01-01 | TRAVEL & TOURISM: The 2 major cities you'd 'fly to, 1 in the USA, 1 in the USSR, to visit landmarks called "The Hermitage" Leningrad & Nashville |
| #769, aired 1987-12-31 | ELECTIONS: He was the last major party presidential candidate to fail to carry his home state George McGovern |
| #768, aired 1987-12-30 | NATIONAL PARKS: In this national park just east of the town of Navajo, taking even a small "wood" chip is illegal Petrified Forest National Park |
| #767, aired 1987-12-29 | VOCABULARY: This word is from the Greek for "sailor of the universe" cosmonaut |
| #766, aired 1987-12-28 | THE CALENDAR: From 1793-1805 this country used a calendar that included months of Germinal, Fructidor & Thermidor France |
| #765, aired 1987-12-25 | SYMBOLS & SIGNS: The Great Seal of the U.S. has an eagle on the front & this in the center of the reverse pyramid & on top of it the eye |
| #764, aired 1987-12-24 | HEROES: He murdered Augeas, the king of Elis, when he refused to pay his cleaning fee Hercules |
| #763, aired 1987-12-23 | 18th CENTURY AMERICA: 2 of the 3 cities that served as capitals of the U.S. while also serving as state capitals (2 of) New York City, Philadelphia & Annapolis |
| #762, aired 1987-12-22 | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: The last time the Republicans had a majority in the House of Representatives was during this decade the 1950s |
| #761, aired 1987-12-21 | PRESIDENTIAL FIRSTS: These 2 presidents from the same state were the 1st two presidents to serve just 1 term each John Adams & John Quincy Adams |
| #760, aired 1987-12-18 | FAMOUS PAIRS: Last names of collaborators whose 1st & middle names were William Schwenk & Arthur Seymour Gilbert and Sullivan |
| #759, aired 1987-12-17 | RELIGION: On Jan. 1, 1977, in Indianapolis, Mrs. J. Means became 1st woman legally ordained a priest by this church the Episcopal Church |
| #758, aired 1987-12-16 | THE NEW TESTAMENT: Never mentioned by name in the Bible, this daughter of Herodias is one of the most famous women in it Salome |
| #757, aired 1987-12-15 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: The only 2 countries whose capitals end in "K", their names both end in "land" Iceland and Thailand |
| #756, aired 1987-12-14 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: The 2, a Russian & a Frenchman, who refused the Literature Prize Jean-Paul Sartre and Boris Pasternak |
| #755, aired 1987-12-11 | ELECTIONS: 1st president for whom 18-year-olds across the USA could have voted Richard Nixon |
| #754, aired 1987-12-10 | CANADA: In the stone sculptures on Canada's parliament walls, this province is represented by a cowboy Alberta |
| #753, aired 1987-12-09 | THE 7 WONDERS: This ancient wonder represented the sun god Helios Colossus of Rhodes |
| #752, aired 1987-12-08 | U.S. STATES: The names of these 2 adjacent states are Choctaw for "red people" & Spanish for "red" Colorado & Oklahoma |
| #751, aired 1987-12-07 | PRESIDENTS: This letter begins the last names of 3 20th century presidents, more than any other R |
| #750, aired 1987-12-04 | FAMOUS BATTLES: In 1836, Wm. Travis ended his request for more troops to be sent here, with "Victory or death" the Alamo |
| #749, aired 1987-12-03 | TRAVEL & TOURISM: Amusement complex with highest paid attendance of any in U.S. in 1986 Disney World, Epcot |
| #748, aired 1987-12-02 | THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: With N.H. delegates signing 1st, Constitution wasn't signed in alphabetical order, but in this order geographically north to south |
| #747, aired 1987-12-01 | OLD TESTAMENT: Number of books in the Old Testament which precede the book of Numbers 3 |
| #746, aired 1987-11-30 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: The Antilles are a group of islands that arc between Florida & this South American country Venezuela |
| #745, aired 1987-11-27 | CONSTELLATIONS: 1 of the 2 constellations that are mother & daughter in mythology & are adjacent in the sky Cassiopeia & Andromeda |
| #744, aired 1987-11-26 | IN THE NEWS: In August 1987, Lynne Cox made headlines by going from the U.S. to the U.S.S.R. in this manner swimming |
| #743, aired 1987-11-25 | WORLD CAPITALS: Only national capital of a foreign country named for a U.S. President Monrovia, Liberia |
| #741, aired 1987-11-23 | LOVE & MARRIAGE: In vast majority of states, in order to marry without parental consent, you must be at least this old 18 |
| #740, aired 1987-11-20 | 19th CENTURY DEMOCRATS: He said, "I am the last president of the United States" James Buchanan |
| #739, aired 1987-11-19 | RULERS: The only name shared by four consecutive kings of England George (I - IV) |
| #738, aired 1987-11-18 | ISLANDS: Just over 4000 square miles, it's the largest single island under the U.S. flag Big Island of Hawaii |
| #737, aired 1987-11-17 | STATE CAPITALS: Of the 4 U.S. state capitals named after presidents, this is farthest north and east Madison, Wisconsin |
| #736, aired 1987-11-16 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: This former British colony, which gained independence in 1960, is the most populous country in Africa Nigeria |
| #735, aired 1987-11-13 | THE CABINET: 1 of 2 Cabinet dept. heads who have held their position for the entire Reagan administration thus far Caspar Weinberger (Secretary of Defense) or Samuel Pierce of HUD |
| #734, aired 1987-11-12 | AMERICAN INDIANS: This famed Sauk Indian had both a war and a pro sports team named for him Black Hawk |
| #733, aired 1987-11-11 | PRESIDENTS: This consonant begins the last names of five presidents, more than any other letter H |
| #732, aired 1987-11-10 | THE BIBLE: The first verse of this book says, "There was a man in the land of Uz that feared God and eschewed evil" Job |
| #731, aired 1987-11-09 | FAMOUS WOMEN: Both Detroit, her home now, and Montgomery, Alabama, her home in 1955, have streets named for her Rosa Parks |
| #730, aired 1987-11-06 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: For nearly 7 years, it's been the national minimum hourly wage $3.35 |
| #729, aired 1987-11-05 | CONTEMPORARY MUSIC: 1 of 2 singers who have hit #1 as a solo, & in a duo & trio, both have had hits with "You Can't Hurry Love" Diana Ross or Phil Collins |
| #728, aired 1987-11-04 | MONARCHS: Ruler whose 59-yr. reign over England ending in 1820, is 2nd only to his granddaughter Victoria's 63 yrs. King George III |
| #727, aired 1987-11-03 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: 3 of the states that have areas known as "panhandles" (3 of) Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, West Virginia, Idaho, Alaska & Maryland |
| #726, aired 1987-11-02 | THE SUPREME COURT: He served the longest on the court, having been an associate justice from 1939 to 1975 William O. Douglas |
| #725, aired 1987-10-30 | THEATER: After finding a new way to make this sound in 1709, John Dennis accused another play of stealing it thunder |
| #724, aired 1987-10-29 | 100 YEARS AGO: He was president of the United States 100 years ago Grover Cleveland |
| #723, aired 1987-10-28 | COMEDIANS: To win a bet with Frankie Laine, this man composed 350 songs in just 1 week Steve Allen |
| #722, aired 1987-10-27 | BRITISH HISTORY: The 1st Tudor monarch of England, he was grandfather of the last Tudor monarch, Elizabeth I Henry VII |
| #721, aired 1987-10-26 | POETRY: This animal in Dixon Merritt's limerick "can take in his beak food enough for a week" pelican |
| #720, aired 1987-10-23 | CARD GAMES: Term for marker passed around to designate who is dealer in poker, Truman is associated with one a buck |
| #719, aired 1987-10-22 | WORD ORIGINS: Term for what jewelers in London's Goldsmiths' Hall stamped on their work to verify quality hallmark |
| #718, aired 1987-10-21 | ELECTIONS: State that's gone Republican more times than any other in Presidential elections is this 1 in New England Vermont |
| #717, aired 1987-10-20 | THE 50 STATES: Though it touches no ocean, this state has 1 of the 10 longest shorelines in the U.S. Michigan |
| #716, aired 1987-10-19 | MYTHOLOGY: The father of King Midas was famous for this, which he used to connect his ox cart's pole & yoke Gordian knot |
| #715, aired 1987-10-16 | ACADEMY AWARDS: 1 of the 2 "Best Picture" Oscar winners to contain North, South, East or West in its title (1 of) All Quiet on the Western Front or West Side Story |
| #714, aired 1987-10-15 | BODIES OF WATER: Country in which you'd have to be to build a bridge on the River Kwai Thailand |
| #713, aired 1987-10-14 | THE CABINET: Dr. Robert C. Weaver was both 1st black to serve in the cabinet & 1st head of this department H.U.D. (Housing and Urban Development) |
| #712, aired 1987-10-13 | HISTORIC NAMES: This man was killed in a duel in Weehawken, New Jersey 2 1/2 years after his son died in a duel there Alexander Hamilton |
| #711, aired 1987-10-12 | CONGRESS: 2 of 3 20th c. presidents who had previously served in both the House & the Senate (2 of) (Richard) Nixon, (John) Kennedy or (Lyndon) Johnson |
| #710, aired 1987-10-09 | FRANCE: In 1965, he defeated Francois Mitterand for the French presidency Charles de Gaulle |
| #709, aired 1987-10-08 | AUTOMOBILES: This foreign company, which didn't make any cars until early 1960s, is now 4th largest U.S. automaker Honda |
| #708, aired 1987-10-07 | THE CONSTITUTION: Article II states that to be president a person has to have done this for 14 years reside in the U.S. |
| #707, aired 1987-10-06 | MONEY: The sum of the 2 pieces of current U.S. money that feature Jefferson's portrait $2.05 |
| #706, aired 1987-10-05 | ISLANDS: Most populous island in the U.S., it has more people than 41 of the 50 states Long Island |
| #705, aired 1987-10-02 | CONSTELLATIONS: The flags of Australia, Papua New Guinea & New Zealand bear stars in the shape of this constellation Southern Cross |
| #704, aired 1987-10-01 | ELECTIONS: Last third-party presidential candidate to carry any state George Wallace |
| #703, aired 1987-09-30 | MAGAZINES: This magazine, published in the U.S., got its name from the Greek for "citizen of the world" Cosmopolitan |
| #702, aired 1987-09-29 | HORSES: William Russell bought over 400 horses for this business & branded them "XP" Pony Express |
| #701, aired 1987-09-28 | THE 50 STATES: 2 of the 4 states that are officially called "Commonwealths" (2 of) Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky or Virginia |
| #700, aired 1987-09-25 | PRESIDENTS: President in office the longest under the 50-star U.S. flag Ronald Reagan |
| #699, aired 1987-09-24 | SOUTH AMERICA: Of the 12 South American countries, the only 2 that don't border on Brazil Chile & Ecuador |
| #698, aired 1987-09-23 | WORLD POLITICS: The 2 non-European countries that originally signed the NATO Pact in 1949 United States & Canada |
| #697, aired 1987-09-22 | RELIGIOUS HISTORY: Because founder George Fox told a judge to "Tremble at the word of the Lord", his sect was called this Quakers |
| #696, aired 1987-09-21 | SUPREME COURT: Justice Wm. J. Brennan, the current senior member of the court, was appointed by this president Dwight Eisenhower |
| #695, aired 1987-09-18 | COLLEGES: Located in New England, it's the only Ivy League school that is a college, not a university Dartmouth |
| #694, aired 1987-09-17 | U.S. STATES: 1 of only 2 states bordered by 8 other states apiece, they border each other across the Mississippi River (1 of) Tennessee or Missouri |
| #693, aired 1987-09-16 | THE SOLAR SYSTEM: Recent studies show this planet has a moon that's more than half its size Pluto |
| #692, aired 1987-09-15 | CHESS: Of its 16 pieces, the number that can make white's 1st move 10 |
| #691, aired 1987-09-14 | THE MIDDLE EAST: The Al-Aqsa Mosque & Dome of the Rock now stand on this ancient building's site the Temple of Solomon (Herod's Temple, the Temple of Jerusalem) |
| #690, aired 1987-09-11 | U.S. LANDMARKS: When he left to fight Civil War, the U.S. took his family's land & established Arlington Nat'l Cemetery on it Robert E. Lee |
| #689, aired 1987-09-10 | THE CENSUS: Last year in the 19th century in which a general census of the United States was taken 1900 |
| #688, aired 1987-09-09 | EASTERN EUROPE: 1 of only 2 landlocked countries behind the Iron Curtain Hungary or Czechoslovakia |
| #687, aired 1987-09-08 | DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: Of the 56 people to sign the Declaration, the greatest number, 9, represented this state Pennsylvania |
| #686, aired 1987-09-07 | FAMOUS QUOTES: Though Neil Armstrong says he uttered it, this word is missing from tapes of his famous quote a |
| #681, aired 1987-07-20 | ACADEMY AWARDS: He was nominated for writing, directing, & acting in a 1978 film, & again for a 1981 film Warren Beatty |
| #679, aired 1987-07-16 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: 19th century novel whose alternate title is "Life Among the Lowly" Uncle Tom's Cabin |
| #678, aired 1987-07-15 | MYTHS & LEGENDS: In Greek mythology, Zeus turned King Lycaon & his entire family into these animals wolves |
| #676, aired 1987-07-13 | U.S. CITIES: Of the 10 largest cities in population in the U.S., only these 2 are less than 100 miles apart New York City & Philadelphia |
| #674, aired 1987-07-09 | ASTRONOMY: Since it can be seen w/ the naked eye, it was the farthest planet away from the Sun known to the ancients Saturn |
| #673, aired 1987-07-08 | PERFORMING ARTS: 1 of the 6 performers who received Kennedy Center honors December 7, 1986 (1 of) Lucille Ball, Ray Charles, Yehudi Menuhin, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy & Antony Tudor |
| #672, aired 1987-07-07 | GAMBLING: 3 of the 4 states with the highest lottery sales in dollars in calendar year 1986 (3 of) California, New York, Illinois & Pennsylvania |
| #671, aired 1987-07-06 | 20th CENTURY AMERICA: The 2 contenders in the closest U.S. presidential popular vote in the 20th century John Kennedy & Richard Nixon |
| #670, aired 1987-07-03 | MONARCHS: Last 3 reigning monarchs of this European country have all been women the Netherlands |
| #669, aired 1987-07-02 | THE BIBLE: Man of Gath whose height was six cubits & a span Goliath (Raphah or Lahmi) |
| #668, aired 1987-07-01 | WORD PLAY: "Cruciverbalist" is a 14-letter word for one who constructs these crossword puzzles |
| #667, aired 1987-06-30 | ORGANIZATIONS: While Easter Seals is a group in itself, this group sponsors Christmas Seals the American Lung Association |
| #666, aired 1987-06-29 | N. AMERICAN GEOGRAPHY: Only state east of the Mississippi that borders Canada but not the Atlantic or a Great Lake Vermont |
| #665, aired 1987-06-26 | SOUTH AMERICA: 1 of 2 South American countries whose name & capital's name have the same # of letters (1 of) Peru & Paraguay |
| #664, aired 1987-06-25 | THE CABINET: 2 of the 4 original cabinet posts, which despite widespread belief, did not include Postmaster General (2 of) Secretary of State, Treasury, War and Attorney General |
| #663, aired 1987-06-24 | SCULPTURE: Dedicated in Concord, Mass. in 1875, it was Daniel Chester French's 1st commission The Minuteman |
| #662, aired 1987-06-23 | POP MUSIC: Elvis Presley record which held Billboard #1 singles position for 11 weeks, longest in rock era "Hound Dog"/"Don't Be Cruel" |
| #661, aired 1987-06-22 | RELIGION: After being a hostage in Lebanon, he became head of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Rev. Benjamin Weir |
| #660, aired 1987-06-19 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: He served as Speaker of the House longer than anyone else, almost 17 years Sam Rayburn |
| #659, aired 1987-06-18 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: "The world's largest art department", with 606 artists, can be found at this company in Kansas City Hallmark |
| #658, aired 1987-06-17 | TRANSPORTATION: Only transcontinental U.S. airline named for its founder; in 1984 it came back from near-bankruptcy Braniff |
| #657, aired 1987-06-16 | THE CONTINENTS: Besides Antarctica, the other 2 continents that have no communist countries Australia & South America |
| #656, aired 1987-06-15 | YOUNG WOOD: Monthly, over 3 boxcars of ponderosa pine become this toy invented in 1916 by F.L. Wright's son John Lincoln Logs |
| #655, aired 1987-06-12 | MOVIE CLASSICS: "I cannot live without my life, I cannot die without my soul", are Olivier's last lines in this 1939 film Wuthering Heights |
| #654, aired 1987-06-11 | TOYS & GAMES: This marionette was the mystery guest on "What's My Line?" on August 15, 1954 Howdy Doody |
| #653, aired 1987-06-10 | TRAINS: 1 of 3 other European capitals thru which route of original Paris to Istanbul "Orient Express" pass (1 of) Vienna, Budapest or Bucharest |
| #652, aired 1987-06-09 | SPECTATOR SPORTS: In 1951, 1952, 1959, & 1986, this team performed for an audience of 1, the pope the Harlem Globetrotters |
| #651, aired 1987-06-08 | ANTHROPOLOGY: Extinct species of man named for a German valley where the 1st remains were found in 1856 Neanderthal |
| #650, aired 1987-06-05 | 20th CENTURY ELECTIONS: Only year in which the winner defeated not only the incumbent but the previous president, too 1912 |
| #649, aired 1987-06-04 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: Renaissance man, "he seized the lighting from heaven & the scepter from tyrants" Ben Franklin |
| #648, aired 1987-06-03 | WORLD STATISTICS: This continent currently has both the world's highest birthrate & the world's highest death rate Africa |
| #647, aired 1987-06-02 | SCIENCE: Of the 106 elements, the greatest #, incl. aluminum & silicon, were identified in this century the 19th century |
| #645, aired 1987-05-29 | THE CABINET: 1st Attorney General under LBJ Robert Kennedy |
| #644, aired 1987-05-28 | 1968: On Christmas Eve & Christmas Day, 1968, Frank Borman, William Anders & James Lovell, Jr. did this 10 times circle the Moon |
| #643, aired 1987-05-27 | CANDY: Of brown, green, orange, tan, or yellow, the color you'll find in plain M&Ms but not peanut M&Ms tan |
| #642, aired 1987-05-26 | THE CALENDAR: When spelling all 7 days of the week, the 2 letters which appear most often D & A |
| #641, aired 1987-05-25 | GEOLOGY: 3 of the 5 U.S. states with volcanoes active within the last two centuries (3 of) Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon & California |
| #640, aired 1987-05-22 | PRESIDENTS: 1st president who was not born in either the original 13 colonies or the original 13 states Abraham Lincoln (in Kentucky) |
| #639, aired 1987-05-21 | WORLD CITIES: The most populous city in the world south of the equator is this one in South America Sao Paulo |
| #638, aired 1987-05-20 | THE OSCARS: Tied with Olivier for most "Best Actor" nominations at 9, he won 2 years in a row as a sailor & a priest Spencer Tracy |
| #637, aired 1987-05-19 | LANGUAGES: Language in which the famous Gutenberg Bibles were printed Latin |
| #636, aired 1987-05-18 | AMERICANA: Title 4 of the U.S. Code states its length must be exactly 1.9 times its width the flag |
| #635, aired 1987-05-15 | WORD ORIGINS: New York City borough named for Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II of England Queens |
| #634, aired 1987-05-14 | WARS: If you "Remember the Maine", you know it blew up February 15, 1898 in this city's harbor Havana |
| #633, aired 1987-05-13 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: The book "Sold American!" deals with this industry tobacco industry |
| #632, aired 1987-05-12 | THE 1930s: In the '30s, these 2--a little girl & a big ape--were both called "The 8th Wonder of the World" Shirley Temple & King Kong |
| #631, aired 1987-05-11 | TELEVISION: It was Steve Allen who coined this show's question, "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" What's My Line? |
| #630, aired 1987-05-08 | U.S. CURRENCY: This not-widely circulated bill is the only 1 to have a famous historic event depicted on the back the $2 bill |
| #629, aired 1987-05-07 | ELECTIONS: The only 2 presidential candidates who have won 49 states in an election Nixon & Reagan |
| #628, aired 1987-05-06 | STATE SONGS: The state animal of Kansas is the buffalo & this its state song "Home On The Range" |
| #627, aired 1987-05-05 | ART NEWS: In December 1986, a computer analyst claimed that the model for the "Mona Lisa" was this person Leonardo da Vinci |
| #626, aired 1987-05-04 | PRESIDENTS: Number of Vice Presidents of the last 50 years who later became President 4 |
| #625, aired 1987-05-01 | TRANSPORTATION: In its ads it claims to be the first airline to fly to all 50 states United |
| #624, aired 1987-04-30 | MEDICINE: In 1977, the world's last naturally-occurring case of this disease occurred in Somalia smallpox |
| #623, aired 1987-04-29 | MOUNTAINS: Rising to 8651 feet, Mount Sinai is the highest point in this country Egypt |
| #622, aired 1987-04-28 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Total number of presidents who died while in office 8 |
| #621, aired 1987-04-27 | CODES OF HONOR: As bushido was to 16th century samurai, this was to 12th century knights chivalry |
| #620, aired 1987-04-24 | LONDON: Borough in which Henry VIII was born, they say you can stand in 2 different hemispheres there Greenwich |
| #619, aired 1987-04-23 | GAY '90s: By 1897, as many as half of Seattle's police & firemen had left the city to go there the Yukon |
| #618, aired 1987-04-22 | THE OSCARS: The last movie in black & white to win Best Picture was this 1960 Billy Wilder film The Apartment |
| #617, aired 1987-04-21 | FAMOUS QUOTES: In 1946 in Missouri, Churchill said, "From Stettin... to Trieste," it "has descended across the continent" an Iron Curtain |
| #616, aired 1987-04-20 | 1978: 1978 was 1st time since 1447 that this many men have been pope of the Roman Church in 1 year three |
| #615, aired 1987-04-17 | WORLD LEADERS: In 1962, he asked "How can you... govern a country that has 246 different kinds of cheese?" Charles de Gaulle |
| #614, aired 1987-04-16 | LANGUAGES: Language spoken by the most people in South America Portuguese |
| #613, aired 1987-04-15 | IN THE NEWS: FDR was named this 3 times, Ike, Truman & Churchill twice; but for 1966 it was the 25 & under generation Time Man of the Year |
| #612, aired 1987-04-14 | THE MOVIES: The 2 highest grossing films of 1965, both musicals, starred this actress Julie Andrews |
| #611, aired 1987-04-13 | SPORTS: They are the only Major League Baseball team which prints their media guide in 2 languages Montreal Expos |
| #610, aired 1987-04-10 | GOVERNMENT: In 1977, James R. Schlesinger became the 1st person to hold this Cabinet position Secretary of Energy |
| #609, aired 1987-04-09 | PRESIDENTS: President who's buried the farthest south Lyndon B. Johnson |
| #608, aired 1987-04-08 | ROYAL FAMILIES: In 1932, this Mideast country took on the name of its ruling family which still rules today Saudi Arabia |
| #607, aired 1987-04-07 | ISLANDS: It's the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea Sicily |
| #606, aired 1987-04-06 | ANIMALS: With a young one valued at $1.4 million, Guinness calls them the most costly zoo animals giant pandas |
| #605, aired 1987-04-03 | THE DOLLAR BILL: Number of times the word "one" appears on the front of a $1 bill 2 |
| #603, aired 1987-04-01 | SITCOMS: On the final episode of "My 3 Sons", 1 of only 2 grown male characters that remained unmarried Ernie or Uncle Charley |
| #602, aired 1987-03-31 | VICE PRESIDENTS: 1st vice president who did not become president, he's famous for other reasons Aaron Burr |
| #600, aired 1987-03-27 | THE CONTINENTS: With an average elevation of over 6000 feet, it's the highest continent Antarctica |
| #599, aired 1987-03-26 | BOARD GAMES: In Scrabble, the colors of the 2 squares that double & triple the word value pink & red |
| #598, aired 1987-03-25 | U.S. STATES: Only state whose entire territory we acquired directly from Spain Florida |
| #597, aired 1987-03-24 | THE U.N.: Now 2nd largest contributor of U.N. operating budget, this country isn't a perm. member of Security Council Japan |
| #596, aired 1987-03-23 | EDUCATION: The oldest existing public school in the United States opened in 1635 in this city Boston |
| #593, aired 1987-03-18 | U.S. CITIES: It's the largest city, by far, with parts on both banks of the Mississippi River New Orleans |
| #592, aired 1987-03-17 | FAMOUS MEN: Howard Hughes, Edwin Link & Glen Curtiss are enshrined in the National Hall of Fame honoring this aviation |
| #591, aired 1987-03-16 | WORLD POLITICS: This socially conservative European country didn't give women the vote until '71 Switzerland |
| #590, aired 1987-03-13 | MONARCHS: This Eng. king who saved his country from conquest & promoted learning is the only 1 called "the Great" Alfred |
| #589, aired 1987-03-12 | POP MUSIC: They're the only father-daughter pair to have had Billboard #1 hits both individually & as a duet Frank and Nancy Sinatra |
| #584, aired 1987-03-05 | ASIA: This country is the world's most populous monarchy Japan |
| #583, aired 1987-03-04 | LETTER PERFECT: All the letters that appear on the top row across on a standard touch-tone phone ABC, DEF |
| #582, aired 1987-03-03 | COMEDY: The 1st star ever elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame for comedy, not music Minnie Pearl |
| #581, aired 1987-03-02 | ISLANDS: Of Canada's 3 largest cities, the one that's on an island Montreal |
| #580, aired 1987-02-27 | U.S. HISTORY: The presidential message delivered to Congress December 2, 1823 is better known as this Monroe Doctrine |
| #579, aired 1987-02-26 | TIME: Only state entirely in the Pacific Time Zone that doesn't border on the Pacific Nevada |
| #578, aired 1987-02-25 | WORD PLAY: Man's name formed by using, in order, the 1st letters of 5 consecutive months Jason |
| #577, aired 1987-02-24 | NUMBERS: Setting a pair of standard dice on a table, total of numbers on sides, not including tops & bottoms 28 |
| #576, aired 1987-02-23 | FAMOUS QUOTES: It's the only mathematical formula in the current Bartlett's "Familiar Quotations" E = mc2 |
| #575, aired 1987-02-20 | WEIGHTS & MEASURES: A unit of weight in Spain, it's also a sign of the zodiac Libra |
| #574, aired 1987-02-19 | LANDMARKS: The Library of Congress was originally housed in this building the Capitol |
| #573, aired 1987-02-18 | HISTORY: It arrived in the U.S. in June of 1885 in 214 cases aboard the French ship Isere Statue of Liberty |
| #572, aired 1987-02-17 | THE MOVIES: He has starred in 5 of the top 10 grossing films of all time Harrison Ford |
| #571, aired 1987-02-16 | BODIES OF WATER: Bordering on Mich. & N.Y., these 2 Great Lakes are the only ones to border on 1 state each Lake Huron & Lake Ontario |
| #570, aired 1987-02-13 | FAMOUS LASTS: The very last to do this so far was Eugene Cernan walk on the Moon |
| #569, aired 1987-02-12 | MYTHOLOGY: Her name indicates she received "gifts from all" the gods Pandora |
| #568, aired 1987-02-11 | ACTORS & ACTRESSES: In 1977, he became only actor to win Best Actor Oscar posthumously Peter Finch |
| #567, aired 1987-02-10 | WORD ORIGINS: In the 1860s, sailors aboard this British ship were ordered to wear identical brass-buttoned blue jackets the HMS Blazer |
| #566, aired 1987-02-09 | TRANSPORTATION: Guinness says world's largest fleet of taxis is found in this North American capital Mexico City |
| #565, aired 1987-02-06 | LAKES & RIVERS: Alexandria, Herculaneum & Memphis can be found on banks of this 2348-mile-long river Mississippi |
| #564, aired 1987-02-05 | THE CONSTITUTION: The 26th Amendment gave these people the right to vote in federal elections 18-year-olds |
| #563, aired 1987-02-04 | THE OSCARS: 3 actors, including Kim Hunter & Karl Malden, won Oscars for this film but Brando didn't A Streetcar Named Desire |
| #562, aired 1987-02-03 | DEMOCRATS: With 61.32%, he amassed highest percentage of popular vote in any 20th cent. presidential election Lyndon Baines Johnson (in 1964) |
| #561, aired 1987-02-02 | ANIMALS: It's believed elephants rarely lived beyond 60, about the age the last of these wear out teeth |
| #560, aired 1987-01-30 | U.S. STATES: Number of states whose names end with the same vowel they begin with 4 |
| #559, aired 1987-01-29 | BRIDGES: It's spanned by the Bridge of the Americas Panama Canal |
| #558, aired 1987-01-28 | FAMOUS WOMEN: When she died on Jan. 22, 1901, Henry James wrote, "We all feel a bit motherless today" Queen Victoria |
| #557, aired 1987-01-27 | WORLD POPULATIONS: With a birthrate of zero, this country has no trouble remaining world's smallest state the Vatican City |
| #556, aired 1987-01-26 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Aerospace engineer Howard Head made his fortune designing equipment for these 2 sports skiing & tennis |
| #555, aired 1987-01-23 | THE CONTINENTS: The only continent crossed by the Tropic of Cancer, the Equator & the Tropic of Capricorn Africa |
| #554, aired 1987-01-22 | CITIES: In 1904, this city hosted the Democratic National Convention, a World's Far & the Olympics St. Louis |
| #553, aired 1987-01-21 | THE CABINET: The Secret Service is part of this Cabinet department Department of the Treasury |
| #552, aired 1987-01-20 | PETS: 1 of 2 breeds with most dogs registered on A.K.C. lists from 1981-85 (1 of) Cocker Spaniels or Poodles |
| #551, aired 1987-01-19 | WOMEN: Former Arizona state senator who received a historic federal appointment in 1981 Sandra Day O'Connor |
| #550, aired 1987-01-16 | THE CIVIL WAR: Site of half the major battles, this state is considered the war's chief battleground Virginia |
| #549, aired 1987-01-15 | THE OSCARS: It was the first sports film to win Best Picture Rocky |
| #548, aired 1987-01-14 | THE SOVIET UNION: He was top Soviet leader longer than anyone else Joseph Stalin |
| #547, aired 1987-01-13 | THE CENSUS: Of the 10 largest cities in population in the U.S., 3 are in this state Texas (Dallas, Houston & San Antonio) |
| #546, aired 1987-01-12 | KINGS & QUEENS: Number of Henry VIII's wives who outlived him 2 |
| #545, aired 1987-01-09 | STATE CAPITALS: The only person from whom the names of 2 current state capitals are derived Christopher Columbus |
| #544, aired 1987-01-08 | NOBEL PRIZE: The only 2 presidents to win the Nobel Peace Prize, they ran against each other in 1912 Theodore Roosevelt & Woodrow Wilson |
| #543, aired 1987-01-07 | MOVIES: Charlton Heston, who's played "3 presidents, 3 saints & 2 geniuses", won his Oscar for this role Ben-Hur |
| #542, aired 1987-01-06 | ASTROLOGY: While Gemini is represented by 2 humans, this sign is represented by a pair of animals Pisces |
| #541, aired 1987-01-05 | WORLD POLITICS: The 1986 Reader's Digest Almanac lists this city as "The Capital of the World" New York |
| #540, aired 1987-01-02 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Inspirational 19th century song from which John Steinbeck got the title "The Grapes of Wrath" "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic" |
| #539, aired 1987-01-01 | AMERICAN INDIANS: America's largest reservation houses mainly members of this tribe Navajo |
| #538, aired 1986-12-31 | 4-LETTER WORDS: The two 4-letter words found on a U.S. penny, one in English, one not cent & unum |
| #537, aired 1986-12-30 | INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: 1 of only 2 Western Hemisphere nations that are members of OPEC Venezuela or Ecuador |
| #536, aired 1986-12-29 | U.S. CITIES: This city has the oldest zoo, hospital, art museum & circulating library in the U.S. Philadelphia |
| #535, aired 1986-12-26 | SCIENTISTS: Called father of the Soviet H-bomb, he's a hero in the West but not in Russia Andrei Sakharov |
| #534, aired 1986-12-25 | WORLD CAPITALS: 2 of the 3 European capitals on the banks of the Danube (2 of) Vienna, Budapest or Belgrade |
| #533, aired 1986-12-24 | THE BIBLE: Author credited for more New Testament books by far than anyone else Paul |
| #532, aired 1986-12-23 | MYTHOLOGY: Though it's said he fathered 50 sons, Priam was the last king of this city-state Troy |
| #531, aired 1986-12-22 | STAMPS & COINS: These people are only exception to the rule "Must be dead 10 years to be on a U.S. stamp" presidents of the United States |
| #530, aired 1986-12-19 | BLACK AMERICA: Of the 6 U.S. cities with over a million people, number that currently have Black mayors 4 |
| #529, aired 1986-12-18 | THE MOVIES: "Wuthering Heights", "Of Mice and Men", & "Stagecoach" all came out in this "Best year ever for Amer. films" 1939 |
| #528, aired 1986-12-17 | KID STUFF: In tic-tac-toe, maximum number of X's you can have on the board without winning 5 |
| #527, aired 1986-12-16 | THE MONTHS: It's only month that can start on the same day of the week as the month before it March |
| #526, aired 1986-12-15 | THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: This western hemisphere country consists of 31 "United States" & a Federal District Mexico |
| #525, aired 1986-12-12 | MEDICINE: Condition whose name is Latin for "waterfall", because it's like looking through one a cataract |
| #524, aired 1986-12-11 | FLAGS: The only 2 colors on the flag of the USSR, as well as those of the People's Republic of China & Vietnam red & yellow |
| #523, aired 1986-12-10 | THE OSCARS: Both "The Color Purple" & this 1977 ballet drama got 11 nominations & no Oscars The Turning Point |
| #522, aired 1986-12-09 | U.S. CITIES: Cities in which G. Washington, only U.S. president inaugurated in 2 different cities, took the oath of office New York & Philadelphia |
| #521, aired 1986-12-08 | NOTORIOUS: The most famous families of Logan County, Virginia & Pike County, Kentucky The Hatfields & the McCoys |
| #520, aired 1986-12-05 | WOOD: Percussion instrument whose name combines Greek words for "wood" & "sound" xylophone |
| #519, aired 1986-12-04 | WOMEN IN BUSINESS: The largest publicly-held U.S. firm headed by a woman publishes this major daily newspaper The Washington Post |
| #518, aired 1986-12-03 | SPORTS: 1 of 3 state capitals which have an NFL team (1 of) Atlanta, Indianapolis & Denver |
| #517, aired 1986-12-02 | MODERN LITERATURE: "Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy," said Doc Daneeka of this title rule Catch-22 |
| #516, aired 1986-12-01 | THE 50 STATES: This state, whose flag features a bison, also has a town founded by & named for Buffalo Bill Wyoming |
| #515, aired 1986-11-28 | TOYS & GAMES: 2 of 3 point values from 1-10 not represented on Scrabble tiles (2 of) 6, 7 & 9 |
| #514, aired 1986-11-27 | FACTS & FIGURES: Since 1937, NYC has officially kept the number of these constant at 11,787 the taxi cabs |
| #513, aired 1986-11-26 | THE OLYMPICS: The U.S.A. has hosted the Summer & Winter Olympic games this many times each 3 |
| #512, aired 1986-11-25 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: With over twice as many U.S. cardholders as its nearest competitor, the credit card held by most people Visa |
| #511, aired 1986-11-24 | MILITARY HISTORY: The famous "Damn the torpedoes" command was shouted by a rear admiral during this war the Civil War |
| #510, aired 1986-11-21 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: Last year in which we went an entire calendar year without a vice president in office 1964 |
| #509, aired 1986-11-20 | AGRICULTURE: Of the world's 4 largest countries in area, it has smallest percentage of farmland Canada |
| #508, aired 1986-11-19 | MAN IN SPACE: Now seen as a TV spokesman, he was only astronaut to orbit Earth in Mercury, Gemini, & Apollo craft Wally Schirra |
| #507, aired 1986-11-18 | U.S. HISTORY: Of 9 "wars" in which the U.S. has been actively involved, these 2 lasted the longest Vietnam and the Revolutionary War |
| #506, aired 1986-11-17 | AMERICAN MOUNTAINS: Of the more than 80 U.S. peaks over 14,000' that have names, most are in this state Colorado |
| #505, aired 1986-11-14 | HEALTH: Iceland shares the longest average life expectancy of 77 years with this other island country Japan |
| #504, aired 1986-11-13 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This company's figures show about 7% of present U.S. work force got its start working for them McDonald's |
| #503, aired 1986-11-12 | ANCIENT WONDERS: Of the other 6 wonders, this one was nearest to the only wonder which still exists, the pyramids Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria |
| #502, aired 1986-11-11 | BEST SELLERS: In 1985, autobiographies of these 2 men topped hardcover best seller lists Chuck Yeager & Lee Iacocca |
| #501, aired 1986-11-10 | ACTORS & ACTRESSES: 2 of 3 performers to win three or more Academy Awards for acting (2 of) Katharine Hepburn, Walter Brennan or Ingrid Bergman |
| #500, aired 1986-11-07 | ASIA: Only SE Asian nation never a colony of the West, its name aptly means "land of the free" Thailand |
| #499, aired 1986-11-06 | TELEVISION: In 1986, 3 stars of this Emmy winning 1966 comedy series went on a 20th anniversary tour The Monkees |
| #498, aired 1986-11-05 | POETRY: Colorful common title of the most famous poem written by Gelett Burgess the "Purple Cow" |
| #497, aired 1986-11-04 | ADVERTISING: In the U.S., more money is spent advertising in this medium than any other newspapers |
| #496, aired 1986-11-03 | VICE PRESIDENTS: Last vice president who was not elected, but nominated by the president & confirmed by Congress Nelson Rockefeller |
| #495, aired 1986-10-31 | AFRICA: Last 2 countries in world alphabetically; Victoria Falls lies on their mutual border Zambia & Zimbabwe |
| #494, aired 1986-10-30 | GENERALS: 1 of the only 2 generals in American history to serve as Secretary of State (1 of) (Alexander) Haig or George Marshall |
| #493, aired 1986-10-29 | ELECTIONS: Third-party candidate who got nearly 7% of the popular vote in the 1980 presidential election John Anderson |
| #492, aired 1986-10-28 | NEWSPAPERS: With the weekday circulation close to that of "The N.Y. Times" & the "L.A. Times" combined, this is the largest-selling U.S. daily The Wall Street Journal |
| #491, aired 1986-10-27 | THE OSCARS: Only family in which 3 generations have won Oscars the Hustons |
| #490, aired 1986-10-24 | U.S. CITIES: Largest city in population east of the Rockies & west of the Mississippi River Houston |
| #489, aired 1986-10-23 | MAN IN SPACE: President who signed the bill which created NASA Dwight Eisenhower |
| #488, aired 1986-10-22 | WORLD HISTORY: Its 25th anniversary, Aug. 13, 1986, was celebrated with parades to the east & mourning to the west the Berlin Wall |
| #487, aired 1986-10-21 | MOUNTAINS: Highest mountain outside Asia is on this continent South America |
| #486, aired 1986-10-20 | LITERATURE: Title of this 1940 novel is taken from the words of John Donne, which begin "No man is an island" For Whom the Bell Tolls |
| #485, aired 1986-10-17 | ROYALTY: Of the wives of Henry VIII, the only one who didn't share her 1st name with any of the others Jane Seymour |
| #484, aired 1986-10-16 | ACTORS AND ROLES: 2 stars who have portrayed author/reporter Carl Bernstein or a character directly based on him in film Jack Nicholson & Dustin Hoffman |
| #483, aired 1986-10-15 | THE CALENDAR: Most recent year which reads numerically the same backward & forward 1881 |
| #482, aired 1986-10-14 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: In 1985, this Michigan-based company was the nation's largest single exporter General Motors |
| #481, aired 1986-10-13 | THE POST OFFICE: Only state whose official 2-letter abbreviation consists of 2 vowels Iowa |
| #480, aired 1986-10-10 | THE CIVIL WAR: The southernmost point in the Union was in this state west of the Mississippi California |
| #479, aired 1986-10-09 | MEDICINE: Often quoted, it's the weekly publication of the Massachusetts Medical Society The New England Journal of Medicine |
| #478, aired 1986-10-08 | REPUBLICANS: Born in 1874 during Grant's administration, this President died in 1964 during Johnson's Herbert Hoover |
| #477, aired 1986-10-07 | FAMOUS NAMES: Hero of World War II, last viceroy of India, & victim of the IRA Lord Mountbatten |
| #476, aired 1986-10-06 | THE 1970s: Group, much in the news in the months following Feb. 4, 1974, their symbol was a seven-headed snake S.L.A. (Symbionese Liberation Army) |
| #475, aired 1986-10-03 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: In 1971, this agency left the Cabinet & became a non-profit corporation the U.S. Postal Service |
| #474, aired 1986-10-02 | THE UNITED NATIONS: City in which the United Nations Charter was signed in 1945 San Francisco |
| #473, aired 1986-10-01 | HISTORIC YEARS: A famous channel crossing ended on September 28th of this year, as familiar to the British as 1492 is to us 1066 |
| #472, aired 1986-09-30 | TELEVISION: This mini-series & its sequel featured Ed Asner, Lorne Greene, Henry Fonda & Marlon Brando Roots |
| #471, aired 1986-09-29 | INVENTIONS: The "gin" in Eli Whitney's cotton gin is a variant of this common English word engine |
| #470, aired 1986-09-26 | GAMES: The 4 corners on a Monopoly board are "Go", "Free Parking" & these 2 Jail & Go To Jail |
| #469, aired 1986-09-25 | THE CONSTITUTION: The next amendment to the Constitution will have this number 27 |
| #468, aired 1986-09-24 | STATE CAPITALS: The 2 New England state capitals that are also their states' most populous cities Boston, MA & Providence, RI |
| #467, aired 1986-09-23 | THE FLAG: "Star-Spangled Banner" that flew over Ft. McHenry in War of 1812 had this same # of both stars & stripes 15 |
| #466, aired 1986-09-22 | POP MUSIC: "Singers" named in 1958 after Liberty Records engineer Ted Keep & execs Al Bennett & Simon Waronker the Chipmunks |
| #465, aired 1986-09-19 | FIRST LADIES: Of all the First Ladies past & present still living, she is the youngest Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis |
| #464, aired 1986-09-18 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The number of U.S. presidents in the 20th century to serve out at least 2 full terms 3 |
| #463, aired 1986-09-17 | THE BIBLE: According to Genesis 7:16, it's who shut the door on Noah's Ark the Lord |
| #462, aired 1986-09-16 | MONARCHS: This early 13th cent. king was so despised that no other British monarch has borne his name John |
| #461, aired 1986-09-15 | FRUITS & VEGETABLES: According to Guinness Book of Records, the heaviest fruit or vegetable ever grown is 1 of these pumpkin |
| #460, aired 1986-09-12 | THE CALENDAR: Barring the unforeseen, the last presidential election of the 20th century will be held in this year 2000 |
| #459, aired 1986-09-11 | ACTORS & ROLES: In a 3-year period, 2 actors won Oscars for playing this character in different films The Godfather |
| #457, aired 1986-09-09 | U.S. STATES: Despite govt. predictions to the contrary, in 1985 this became the least populated U.S. state Wyoming |
| #456, aired 1986-09-08 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: World's #1 maker of infant formula, this company does 98.2% of its business outside its home country Nestle |
| #455, aired 1986-06-06 | THE '70s: In '73, it happened to B. Devlin, J. Fonda & T. Hayden, & Fr. P. Berrigan admitted it had happened to him getting married |
| #450, aired 1986-05-30 | GENERALS: Highest rank, General of the Armies of U.S., was given only to Pershing in 1919 & this deceased president in 1976 George Washington |
| #449, aired 1986-05-29 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: It's the only organization to have been awarded 3 Nobel Peace Prizes the Red Cross |
| #448, aired 1986-05-28 | The '40s: This world leader did not complete the Potsdam Conference, but was replaced by his successor Winston Churchill |
| #447, aired 1986-05-27 | SEPTEMBER: The only 2 presidents to die in September; both were assassinated Garfield & McKinley |
| #446, aired 1986-05-26 | TRADITIONS: It was with widespread use of this that the practice of celebrating birthdays came into being calendars |
| #445, aired 1986-05-23 | WARS: War in which the ship "Constitution" received the name "Old Ironsides" the War of 1812 |
| #444, aired 1986-05-22 | THE OLYMPICS: Sex tests for women, protests by Blacks, & the altitude were controversies of the Olympics in this year 1968 |
| #443, aired 1986-05-21 | MATHEMATICS: Besides 0, the only number that yields the same result when added to itself or multiplied by itself 2 |
| #442, aired 1986-05-20 | THE FLAG: Feature & its color common to flags of U.S., Venezuela & Pakistan white stars |
| #441, aired 1986-05-19 | THE CENSUS: When 1st U.S. census was taken in 1790, this state, 1st settled in 1607, had largest population Virginia |
| #440, aired 1986-05-16 | THE CALENDAR: Day of the week Valentine's Day will be if New Year's Day falls on a Monday Wednesday |
| #439, aired 1986-05-15 | EUROPE: Only European country named for its establishing family, which still rules today Liechtenstein |
| #438, aired 1986-05-14 | STATE CAPITALS: The 1st letter in the alphabet that does not begin the name of a state capital E |
| #437, aired 1986-05-13 | THE OLD WEST: He made the longest single ride--322 miles--in the brief history of the Pony Express William "Buffalo Bill" Cody |
| #436, aired 1986-05-12 | THE SUPREME COURT: Warren Harding's 1st appointment to the court set a precedent by making him Chief Justice William Howard Taft |
| #435, aired 1986-05-09 | DIPLOMACY: Speaking of this, Sec'y of State Dean Rusk said, "We're eyeball to eyeball, & the other fellow just blinked" the Cuban Missile Crisis |
| #434, aired 1986-05-08 | CARTOONS: After debuting in opening credits of a 1963 film, this character got his own theatrical cartoon series the Pink Panther |
| #433, aired 1986-05-07 | KINGS AND QUEENS: More English kings have reigned under these 2 names than any others Edward & Henry |
| #432, aired 1986-05-06 | IN THE NEWS: Although Mt. St. Helens provided the big bang that year, everyone asked, "Who shot J.R.?" 1980 |
| #431, aired 1986-05-05 | FLAGS: The 3 objects on the Soviet Union's red national flag hammer, sickle & star |
| #430, aired 1986-05-02 | WORLD EVENTS: Muzak has b'cast words twice, for simulcast of "We Are The World" & announcement of this 1/20/81 event the release of the Iran hostages |
| #429, aired 1986-05-01 | HOLIDAYS: Ranked #2 after Christmas, about 850 million greeting cards are sold yearly for this holiday Valentine's Day |
| #428, aired 1986-04-30 | ACTORS & ROLES: Star, who's played Queen Elizabeth twice, as well as empresses of Mexico and Russia Bette Davis |
| #427, aired 1986-04-29 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: Capital of this English-speaking country is southernmost national capital in the world New Zealand |
| #426, aired 1986-04-28 | THE CIVIL WAR: Source from which Lincoln quoted, "a house divided against itself cannot stand" the Bible (the Gospel according to Mark) |
| #425, aired 1986-04-25 | MAN IN SPACE: With the new Vandenberg spaceport, total number of manned-flight launch sites in the world 3 |
| #424, aired 1986-04-24 | THE AMERICAS: Central Amer. country whose 1904 constitution contained a provision authorizing U.S. intervention Panama |
| #423, aired 1986-04-23 | THE OSCARS: This Best Picture had the shortest title, using only 2 different letters Gigi |
| #422, aired 1986-04-22 | GAMBLING: Next to slots, Nevada casinos make more money from this game than any other, nearly $3/4 billion in 1985 blackjack |
| #421, aired 1986-04-21 | POLITICIANS: Total number of former vice presidents still living today 4 (Nixon, Agnew, Ford, Mondale) |
| #420, aired 1986-04-18 | EXPLORERS: President who sent Lewis & Clark to explore the way to the Pacific Ocean Jefferson |
| #419, aired 1986-04-17 | ART: Term for the work a craftsman presented to the guild to qualify for a raise to the top rank masterpiece |
| #418, aired 1986-04-16 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: 1st given in 1969, it's the only Nobel Prize category added since awards began in 1901 Economics |
| #417, aired 1986-04-15 | THE MILITARY: With MacArthur & Eisenhower, 1 of 3 WWII generals who were only men to ever hold 5-star rank (Omar) Bradley, (George) Marshall or (Henry) Arnold |
| #416, aired 1986-04-14 | MEDICINE: Accounting for 3.9 million visits last year, it's the leading reason for a hospital stay childbirth (giving birth) |
| #415, aired 1986-04-11 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Title of O. Henry's collection of short stories, "The Four Million" refers specifically to this the population of New York (the citizens of NYC) |
| #414, aired 1986-04-10 | THE CONTINENTS: Of the 7, this continent has the world's longest total coastline, over 96,000 miles North America |
| #413, aired 1986-04-09 | HISTORIC NAMES: 2 of the 3 men--a Frenchman, an Englishman, & a Swede--to receive honorary citizenship in the U.S. (2 of) Lafayette, Churchill or Raoul Wallenberg |
| #412, aired 1986-04-08 | THE OSCARS: 1 of the only 2 films whose entire casts were nominated for Oscars, they were both based on plays (1 of) Sleuth or Give 'em Hell, Harry! |
| #411, aired 1986-04-07 | ENGINEERING: Country which tried to build a canal across Panama before we did it France |
| #410, aired 1986-04-04 | TELEVISION: In each TV season from 1958 to 1961, the 3 top-rated shows were of this genre Westerns |
| #409, aired 1986-04-03 | U.S. STATES: Only 2 states with capitals west of the Mississippi River which were part of the Confederacy Texas & Arkansas |
| #408, aired 1986-04-02 | WORLD LEADERS: During Reagan admin., USSR has had this many different heads of Communist Party, & therefore, the nation 4 |
| #407, aired 1986-04-01 | NAMES: The most popular papal name after "John", it's associated with music & chronology Gregory |
| #406, aired 1986-03-31 | THE PLANETS: Its only known moon is appropriately named after the boatman Charon Pluto |
| #405, aired 1986-03-28 | POP MUSIC: Co-writer of '76s Best Song Oscar winner, she said it was 2nd song she'd ever written Barbra Streisand |
| #404, aired 1986-03-27 | DEMOCRATS: In 1920, the Harding-Coolidge ticket defeated James Cox & this future president Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| #403, aired 1986-03-26 | THE OLYMPICS: The games held in this city were the only ever staged in the Southern Hemisphere Melbourne |
| #402, aired 1986-03-25 | CARTOONS: His theme was the only song from a cartoon short ever nominated for "Best Song" Oscar Woody Woodpecker |
| #401, aired 1986-03-24 | WORLD TRADE: Country second only to the U.S. in value of both its exports & imports West Germany |
| #400, aired 1986-03-21 | WORD ORIGINS: From a medieval occupation, this common English surname is Ferrer in Spanish & Kovacs in Hungarian Smith |
| #399, aired 1986-03-20 | THE OLD WEST: Though John C. Fremont was called "The Pathfinder", it was he who served as Fremont's guide Kit Carson |
| #398, aired 1986-03-19 | ELECTIONS: Of the 4 Republican presidential candidates to lose to FDR, he won the most electoral votes Thomas Dewey |
| #397, aired 1986-03-18 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: 1 year after winning an Oscar, she was honored on a postage stamp, but not for her acting Grace Kelly |
| #396, aired 1986-03-17 | MAN IN SPACE: This Space Shuttle, the only 1 named for a spaceship, is the only 1 not to have flown in space the Enterprise |
| #395, aired 1986-03-14 | THE '70s: Due to '73 energy crisis, Congress stopped the environmental impact review & ordered its construction the Alaska Pipeline |
| #394, aired 1986-03-13 | SPORTING EVENTS: Established in 1911, this yearly event has largest single day attendance in sports the Indy 500 |
| #393, aired 1986-03-12 | STATE CAPITALS: 2 of 4 state capitals with the word "city" in their name (2 of) Oklahoma City, Carson City, Salt Lake City or Jefferson City |
| #392, aired 1986-03-11 | MOVIES: 1951 Best Acting Oscars went to H. Bogart & V. Leigh in films named for these modes of transportation streetcars & steamships |
| #391, aired 1986-03-10 | LANGUAGES: Of the Teutonic family of languages, the one most widely spoken English |
| #390, aired 1986-03-07 | WORLD LEADERS: This elected official also served, until 1870, as king of most of central Italy the Pope |
| #389, aired 1986-03-06 | AMERICAN STATISTICS: Highest birth rate in the U.S. is in this state, where almost 70% of the population has same religion Utah |
| #388, aired 1986-03-05 | ART: The 2 geometric shapes containing da Vinci's famous "Vitruvian Man" circle & square |
| #387, aired 1986-03-04 | DEMOCRATS: No. of times the Democratic Party has lost the presidential election since WWII 6 |
| #386, aired 1986-03-03 | POP MUSIC: Since 1955, this song, originally known as "Moritat", has made Billboard Top 40 more times than any other "Mack the Knife" |
| #385, aired 1986-02-28 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: 10 years before publishing book subtitled "Life in the Woods", he caused a 300-acre forest fire Henry David Thoreau |
| #384, aired 1986-02-27 | WORLD TRADE: In value of both its imports & exports with the U.S., this country is our foremost trading partner Canada |
| #383, aired 1986-02-26 | TELEVISION: In fall of 1985, 5 of 8 prime time network series on Mondays had this word in their title and |
| #382, aired 1986-02-25 | LIFESTYLE, U.S.A.: This state has consistently had the highest divorce rate, by far Nevada |
| #381, aired 1986-02-24 | ELECTIONS: Total of senators & congressman, plus vote of D.C., it's # of electors in Electoral College 538 |
| #375, aired 1986-02-14 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: Geographic distinction of the city of Leadville, Colorado the highest incorporated U.S. city |
| #374, aired 1986-02-13 | FAMOUS NAMES: In 1985, this person became the 1st professional athlete ever to appear on the front of a Wheaties box Pete Rose |
| #373, aired 1986-02-12 | THE OSCARS: In '48, she became the only performer in the sound era to win Best Actress without uttering a word in the film Jane Wyman |
| #372, aired 1986-02-11 | EUROPE: All of Denmark is surrounded by water except for its 42 mile boundary with this country Germany |
| #371, aired 1986-02-10 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Mother of Bonnie Blue, she ran a sawmill after the Civil War Scarlett O'Hara |
| #370, aired 1986-02-07 | ROYALTY: Just as wife of U.S. President is called "First Lady", husband of a reigning British Queen is called this Prince Consort |
| #369, aired 1986-02-06 | PRESIDENTS: Of the 25 lawyers who have been President, he served most recently Gerald Ford |
| #368, aired 1986-02-05 | ACTORS & ROLES: 1 of 3 actors who won Best Actor Oscar for playing an actor Jimmy Cagney (for George M. Cohan), Ronald Colman, or Richard Dreyfuss |
| #367, aired 1986-02-04 | ENERGY: While U.S. is #2 petroleum producer in the world, this country produces the most the Soviet Union |
| #366, aired 1986-02-03 | THE SUPREME COURT: This 20th century president was only 1 in history to serve full term but appoint no Supreme Court justice Jimmy Carter |
| #365, aired 1986-01-31 | POP MUSIC: This singer had 3 number 1 hits in 1957, & 20 years later his daughter had one Pat Boone |
| #364, aired 1986-01-30 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: 2 of 3 world capitals on the Danube River (2 of) Vienna, Budapest, and Belgrade |
| #363, aired 1986-01-29 | U.S. CURRENCY: Besides "In God We Trust", the other word found on the face of all current U.S. coins Liberty |
| #362, aired 1986-01-28 | THE OLYMPICS: Only the medley relay & this type of race begin with swimmers in water, not on starting block the backstroke |
| #361, aired 1986-01-27 | LANGUAGES: In the 16th & 17th centuries it replaced Latin as the language of diplomacy & official documents French |
| #360, aired 1986-01-24 | TWENTIETH CENTURY: To honor him in 1965, Elizabeth II was the 1st reigning British monarch to attend a commoner's funeral Winston Churchill |
| #359, aired 1986-01-23 | INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS: Besides Australia, 2 other countries who have challenged the U.S. in the America's Cup (2 of) Canada, England or Scotland |
| #358, aired 1986-01-22 | SPORTS: Only U.S. Major League Baseball team in which both city & team names are in a foreign language San Diego Padres |
| #357, aired 1986-01-21 | THE '40s: Mussolini, Hitler, & FDR all died during this month in 1945 April |
| #356, aired 1986-01-20 | WEATHER: All states have recorded temperatures below zero (F.), except this one Hawaii |
| #355, aired 1986-01-17 | DEMOCRATS: Nichols & May; Peter, Paul & Mary; and Simon & Garfunkel all reunited at a 1972 benefit for this Democrat George McGovern |
| #354, aired 1986-01-16 | THE OSCARS: The 2 Black males who have won Academy Awards for acting Sidney Poitier & Lou Gossett (Jr.) |
| #353, aired 1986-01-15 | TELEVISION: It ran on CBS for 20 years, longer than any other U.S. prime-time series with continuing characters Gunsmoke |
| #352, aired 1986-01-14 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: In U.S., by $ value, the most popular type of goods purchased through mail order sales clothing |
| #351, aired 1986-01-13 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: They were the last president & vice-president to be elected to a second term Ronald Reagan & George Bush |
| #350, aired 1986-01-10 | SCIENCE: Abbreviations of the 2 radio frequency ranks falling between high frequency & super high frequency VHF & UHF |
| #349, aired 1986-01-09 | VICE PRESIDENTS: 2 of the 3 Vice Presidents to serve under FDR (2 of) Harry S. Truman, Henry A. Wallace, and John Nance Garner |
| #348, aired 1986-01-08 | THE MILITARY: Foreign country in which the most American soldiers are stationed Germany |
| #347, aired 1986-01-07 | AMERICAN HISTORY: McLean House in Virginia was site of this event the Confederate surrender |
| #346, aired 1986-01-06 | EUROPE: The most famous bell tower in the world sits adjacent to a cathedral in this Italian city Pisa |
| #345, aired 1986-01-03 | ENERGY: 1st plant to use this lunar-related power opened in 1966 on French side of the English Channel tidal power (wave generated energy, tides) |
| #344, aired 1986-01-02 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: 2 of 4 presidents never to appear on a regular U.S. stamp or coin (2 of) Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan & Jimmy Carter |
| #343, aired 1986-01-01 | ELECTIONS: 2 of 6 states that cast only 3 electoral votes for president in 1984 (2 of) Wyoming, Alaska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Vermont, and Delaware |
| #342, aired 1985-12-31 | ACTORS & ROLES: Role played by J. Gilbert in the silents, R. Donat in the talkies, & R. Chamberlain in TV movie the Count of Monte Cristo |
| #341, aired 1985-12-30 | WOMEN IN SPORTS: In 1975, 11-year-old Karen Stead coasted to victory as 1st female winner of this racing event Soap Box Derby |
| #340, aired 1985-12-27 | LANDMARKS: Of the 6 current standard U.S. coins, the number that feature U.S. landmarks 2 |
| #339, aired 1985-12-26 | AGRICULTURE: Though 65% of its workers are in agriculture, this continent has lowest farming output, per capita Africa |
| #338, aired 1985-12-25 | GOVERNMENTS: Country with the oldest written constitution still in use The United States |
| #337, aired 1985-12-24 | SPORTS: 1 of 2 sports which, in order to avoid injuries, ban left-handed playing (1 of) jai alai or polo |
| #336, aired 1985-12-23 | THE FLAG: Per U.S. flag code, only place in U.S. where another flag may be legally flown higher than ours The United Nations |
| #335, aired 1985-12-20 | ELECTIONS: Winner of the Presidential election in which Ronald Reagan got one electoral vote Jimmy Carter |
| #334, aired 1985-12-19 | THE MOVIES: Of Disney's 7 dwarfs, the 2 whose names do not end in "Y" Bashful & Doc |
| #333, aired 1985-12-18 | RECENT HISTORY: Total number of men who have been U.S. President during the current British monarch's rule 8 |
| #332, aired 1985-12-17 | THE 50 STATES: Besides X, Y, & Z, 3 other letters that do not begin the name of an American state (3 of) B, E, J & Q |
| #331, aired 1985-12-16 | U.S. CURRENCY: Up to & including the $100 bill, the sum total of all U.S. paper currency denominations in current use $188 |
| #330, aired 1985-12-13 | LANDMARKS: They are America's only National Historic Landmark on wheels the San Francisco cable cars |
| #329, aired 1985-12-12 | IN THE NEWS: Year when 1st test-tube baby was born, Oscar turned 50, & John Paul II became pope 1978 |
| #328, aired 1985-12-11 | KINGS & QUEENS: Eleanor of Aquitaine was only woman ever to be married to kings of both these countries England and France |
| #327, aired 1985-12-10 | LANGUAGES: Per 1980 census, after English & Spanish, the 3rd most popular language spoken at home in the U.S. Italian |
| #324, aired 1985-12-05 | MONEY: Smallest U.S. denomination, it appears on no coins, just trading stamps, & tax notices 1 mill (1/10 of a cent) |
| #316, aired 1985-11-25 | BROADCASTING: Though British born, he has been under contract to NBC continuously since 1938 Bob Hope |
| #315, aired 1985-11-22 | THE AMERICAS: Westernmost national capital in the Americas Mexico City |
| #314, aired 1985-11-21 | THE SUPREME COURT: This president appointed more Supreme Court justices than any other George Washington |
| #313, aired 1985-11-20 | THE OSCARS: Winning Best Actress Oscars in 1964 & 65, these 2 British-born actresses share the same 1st name Julie Andrews & Julie Christie |
| #312, aired 1985-11-19 | LITERATURE: 1952 novel that begins off the coast of Cuba, & ends on shore 3 days later The Old Man and the Sea |
| #311, aired 1985-11-18 | THE 50 STATES: Aside from the Dakotas & Carolinas, # of states with 2 words in their names as commonly used 6 |
| #310, aired 1985-11-15 | LANDMARKS: Popular name for the Jefferson Nat'l Expansion Memorial Gateway Arch |
| #309, aired 1985-11-14 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: Individual receiving 2nd-highest U.S. gov't salary--$104,700 per year excluding expenses chief justice |
| #308, aired 1985-11-13 | BIOLOGY: Of the 4, blood group of the universal recipient AB |
| #307, aired 1985-11-12 | FLAGS: This color appears on more different national flags than any other red |
| #306, aired 1985-11-11 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: Since it was established in 1901, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to these 2 U.S. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt & Woodrow Wilson |
| #305, aired 1985-11-08 | MISS AMERICA: More Miss Americas have come from this populous state than any other California |
| #304, aired 1985-11-07 | MATHEMATICS: The only positive whole number that is the sum of the two whole numbers before it 3 |
| #303, aired 1985-11-06 | LAKES & RIVERS: The 2 Great Lakes that border on Wisconsin Lake Superior & Lake Michigan |
| #302, aired 1985-11-05 | TIME: Though perhaps borrowed from the Chaldeans, this religious group established use of a 7-day week the Jews |
| #301, aired 1985-11-04 | LANGUAGES: Of Switzerland's 3 official languages, the one used by about 70% of the population German |
| #300, aired 1985-11-01 | WORLD HISTORY: In 1794, 1830, 1846, 1848, 1861, & 1863 this neighbor unsuccessfully revolted against Russia Poland |
| #299, aired 1985-10-31 | SOLAR SYSTEM: This planet's orbit comes closest to Earth Venus |
| #298, aired 1985-10-30 | FAMOUS AMERICANS: Famous American after whom B.F. Goodrich was named Benjamin Franklin |
| #297, aired 1985-10-29 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: The only elected official in the fed. gov't. with duties in both the executive & legislative branches vice president |
| #296, aired 1985-10-28 | THE OSCARS: In 1937 & '38, he became only man to win Best Actor Oscar in consecutive years Spencer Tracy |
| #295, aired 1985-10-25 | SCIENCE: From name of Greek sun god, it is the 2nd most abundant element in the universe helium |
| #294, aired 1985-10-24 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Having acquired Hughes Aircraft, it's now the world's largest industrial corporation again General Motors |
| #293, aired 1985-10-23 | HISTORIC NAMES: 1 of the "heroes" of the Alamo, he was also a slave-trader, land-swindler, & notorious brawler Jim Bowie |
| #292, aired 1985-10-22 | ENGINEERING: 20th century engineering feat whose slogan was "the land divided, the world united" the Panama Canal |
| #291, aired 1985-10-21 | MARK TWAIN: State capital where Mark Twain lived 20 yrs. & wrote "Tom Sawyer", "Huck Finn", & "Life on the Miss." Hartford, Connecticut |
| #290, aired 1985-10-18 | LANDMARKS: According to the famous poem, its name is "Mother of Exiles" the Statue of Liberty |
| #289, aired 1985-10-17 | GENERALS: Former West Pt. superintendent & future general, in 1859 he led troops that captured John Brown Robert E. Lee |
| #288, aired 1985-10-16 | MONEY: 1 of 2 pieces of U.S. currency on which an automobile is shown the $10 bill or the $50 bill |
| #287, aired 1985-10-15 | FOOD & DRINK: Worldwide, more of this fruit is produced for food & drink than any other grapes |
| #286, aired 1985-10-14 | THE BIBLE: Only 1 of the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse specifically named in text of King James or Douay Bible Death |
| #285, aired 1985-10-11 | TELEVISION: For 2 years, NBC didn’t call it “Saturday Night Live” because of 18 wk. ABC “SNL” series starring him Howard Cosell |
| #284, aired 1985-10-10 | AGRICULTURE: Though a leader in wheat production, this country also imports more wheat than any other the USSR |
| #283, aired 1985-10-09 | LANGUAGES: In population, it's the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world Mexico |
| #282, aired 1985-10-08 | GEOGRAPHY: Other than North America, the continent closest to South America Antarctica |
| #281, aired 1985-10-07 | EARLY AMERICA: From 1752 to 1799, it was state house for both the colony & state of Pennsylvania Independence Hall |
| #280, aired 1985-10-04 | BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY: Over 1/2 of Fortune 500 and 42% of all N.Y. Stock Exchange companies are incorporated in this state Delaware |
| #279, aired 1985-10-03 | WORLD POLITICS: Last Communist party chief of the U.S.S.R. to leave office without dying Nikita Khrushchev |
| #278, aired 1985-10-02 | THE CONTINENTS: Of the 7, this continent has the greatest number of independent countries Africa |
| #277, aired 1985-10-01 | MOVIES: Compass directions of the Wicked Witches killed in "The Wizard of Oz" west & east |
| #276, aired 1985-09-30 | RECENT HISTORY: President under whom the U.S. gave full recognition to Communist China Jimmy Carter |
| #275, aired 1985-09-27 | THE FLAG: After a former president's death, the flag is flown at half-mast for this many days 30 |
| #274, aired 1985-09-26 | GAMES: The 1 word most frequently found in the center square of a bingo card Free |
| #273, aired 1985-09-25 | IN THE NEWS: A mid-August 1980 strike in the Lenin Shipyard led to the formation of this now famous group Solidarity |
| #272, aired 1985-09-24 | HISTORIC NAMES: On Sept. 8, 1825, he left for France with honorary U.S. citizenship, $200,000 & 23,000 acres in Florida Marquis de Lafayette |
| #271, aired 1985-09-23 | SPORTS: With a total of 20, this player holds record for most Wimbledon titles ever Billie Jean King |
| #270, aired 1985-09-20 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Our 8th president, he was 1st to be born an American citizen & not a British subject Martin Van Buren |
| #269, aired 1985-09-19 | THE CALENDAR: Date of the final day of the 20th century December 31, 2000 |
| #268, aired 1985-09-18 | U.S. POPULATION: The Census Bureau estimates this state will not exceed any other in population before year 2000 Alaska |
| #267, aired 1985-09-17 | HOLIDAYS: Then called Decoration Day, Memorial Day was 1st observed after this war the Civil War |
| #266, aired 1985-09-16 | THE OSCARS: Though better known for TV work, she won an Oscar for 1971's "The Last Picture Show" Cloris Leachman |
| #265, aired 1985-09-13 | SCIENCE: This Polish-born scientist was 1st person to win 2 Nobel prizes Marie Curie |
| #264, aired 1985-09-12 | MISS AMERICA: He replaced Bert Parks as host of Miss America pageant for 1980 Ron Ely |
| #263, aired 1985-09-11 | EXPLORERS: Of Columbus' 3 ships on his 1st voyage, the one that never returned to Spain the Santa Maria |
| #262, aired 1985-09-10 | WORLD LEADERS: His daughter & grandson have also served as India's prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru |
| #261, aired 1985-09-09 | WOMEN IN SPORTS: Among the women prominent in this sport are Rachel McLish, Lori Bowen, & Cory Everson bodybuilding |
| #193, aired 1985-06-05 | FAMOUS NAMES: In 1974, this baseball figure set record for most letters received in the mail in a year, some 900,000 Hank Aaron |
| #191, aired 1985-06-03 | RIVERS: 2 of the 3 "rivers" which surround Manhattan (2 of) East River, Hudson River & Harlem River |
| #189, aired 1985-05-30 | LANGUAGES: It was the 1st human language Tarzan spoke French |
| #188, aired 1985-05-29 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: Two of the three states to join the Union in the first half of the 20th century (2 of) Arizona, Oklahoma & New Mexico |
| #187, aired 1985-05-28 | HISTORY: It was the world's largest city for the entire 19th century London |
| #186, aired 1985-05-27 | LITERATURE: Since no one had trademarked this ancient title, Thomas Nelson Publ. was allowed to in 1979 The Bible |
| #185, aired 1985-05-24 | ISLANDS: Two of three islands on which Napoleon was born exiled, and died (2 of) Corsica, Elba and St. Helena |
| #184, aired 1985-05-23 | REPUBLICANS: The 2 who were presidents during the Centennial and Bicentennial years Ulysses Grant & Gerald Ford |
| #183, aired 1985-05-22 | THE OSCARS: From 1978-81, all Oscar winners for Best Supporting Actress had these same initials M.S. |
| #182, aired 1985-05-21 | THE MILITARY: Maintaining the world's largest army, this country has about 3½ million troops on active duty China |
| #181, aired 1985-05-20 | U.S. STATES: State that was southernmost of original 13 colonies Georgia |
| #180, aired 1985-05-17 | BRITISH MONARCHS: In 1553, she became 1st woman to be crowned Queen of England Mary (Bloody Mary/Mary Tudor) |
| #179, aired 1985-05-16 | TELEVISION: Only "M·A·S·H" regular to really serve in Korea, he also served in "AfterMASH" Jamie Farr |
| #178, aired 1985-05-15 | THE AMERICAS: One of only two countries in South America not bordering Brazil (1 of) Chile & Ecuador |
| #177, aired 1985-05-14 | ACTORS & ROLES: Sean Connery, Richard Todd & Dick Gautier have all played this legendary fugitive hero Robin Hood |
| #176, aired 1985-05-13 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Last Democratic president to serve 2 complete terms, no more, no less Woodrow Wilson |
| #175, aired 1985-05-10 | TOYS AND GAMES: Of the six different chess pieces, the only two which can make the opening move pawn & knight |
| #174, aired 1985-05-09 | WORLD CAPITALS: This Mideast city gave its name to a type of cloth, steel & a jeweler's technique Damascus |
| #173, aired 1985-05-08 | ANCIENT HISTORY: Cornelia was his 1st wife; Calpurnia his 2nd Julius Caesar |
| #172, aired 1985-05-07 | GOVERNMENT: The highest ranking member of the U.S. President's Cabinet the Secretary of State |
| #171, aired 1985-05-06 | MEDICINE: A vaccine developed in 1796 made this disease the 1st conquered by man smallpox |
| #170, aired 1985-05-03 | STATE CAPITALS: The closest state capital to the nation's capital Annapolis |
| #169, aired 1985-05-02 | FLAGS: Number of stars on the U.S. flag which served the longest 48 |
| #168, aired 1985-05-01 | NAMES IN THE NEWS: This U.S. president made the cover of "Time" magazine 64 times, almost twice as much as anyone else Richard Nixon |
| #167, aired 1985-04-30 | POLITICAL QUOTES: According to Samuel Johnson, it "is the last refuge of a scoundrel" patriotism |
| #166, aired 1985-04-29 | U.S. STATES: Though this state has no reservations, it has largest American Indian population Oklahoma |
| #165, aired 1985-04-26 | FAIRY TALES: Worldwide, this fairy tale has been subject of 58 films, more than any other story Cinderella |
| #164, aired 1985-04-25 | THE CONSTITUTION: The first person to sign the Constitution George Washington |
| #163, aired 1985-04-24 | ROYALTY: Queen Elizabeth II's father, he became this king when his brother abdicated the throne George VI |
| #162, aired 1985-04-23 | EDUCATION: The first university in the Western Hemisphere was founded in 1553 in this Latin American capital Mexico City |
| #161, aired 1985-04-22 | GOVERNMENT: Since the Bill of Rights' ten amendments, only this many more have been added to the Constitution 16 |
| #160, aired 1985-04-19 | KINGDOMS: Possessing the northernmost island in the world makes this kingdom the world's northernmost Denmark |
| #159, aired 1985-04-18 | THE AUTOMOBILE: In 1972, it surpassed the Model T to become largest single car model ever sold Volkswagen Beetle |
| #158, aired 1985-04-17 | SOAP OPERAS: CBS soap opera which is the only soap left on the air which began on radio The Guiding Light |
| #157, aired 1985-04-16 | BOOKS & AUTHORS: Upon completion of his "Answered Prayers", this late author would have received $1 million Truman Capote |
| #156, aired 1985-04-15 | U.S. GOVERNMENT: Highest elected official who can serve an unlimited number of terms the Vice President |
| #155, aired 1985-04-12 | MEDICINE: In 1806, France was 1st major Eur. country to forbid this profession from practicing surgery barbers |
| #154, aired 1985-04-11 | SHAKESPEARE: Besides "A Midsummer Night's Dream", the other Shakespearean play with a season in title The Winter's Tale |
| #153, aired 1985-04-10 | PRESIDENTS: The only president to be sworn in by a woman Lyndon B. Johnson |
| #152, aired 1985-04-09 | THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: In the Websters 3rd International Dictionary, it's the letter with the most entries S |
| #151, aired 1985-04-08 | THE CALENDAR: In 1984, the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Rose & Sugar Bowls were all played on this date January 2 |
| #150, aired 1985-04-05 | THE CIVIL WAR: As early as 1862, federal troops occupied this largest city in the Confederacy New Orleans, Louisiana |
| #149, aired 1985-04-04 | THE OSCARS: This 1969 film was the last time the Best Actor Oscar was awarded for a western True Grit |
| #148, aired 1985-04-03 | GAMES: In a standard deck of playing cards, the only suit that does not have a one-eyed face card clubs |
| #147, aired 1985-04-02 | WOMEN IN SPORTS: Only Olympic events in which women compete directly with men equestrian |
| #146, aired 1985-04-01 | THE ZODIAC: Unlike Scorpio, these 2 water signs are actual water creatures Pisces & Cancer |
| #145, aired 1985-03-29 | WORLD HISTORY: It's the oldest independent country in the Western Hemisphere the United States of America |
| #144, aired 1985-03-28 | TECHNOLOGY: On std. touch tone phone, tot. No. of buttons with characters also appearing on top row of a typewriter 12 |
| #143, aired 1985-03-27 | RIVERS: Second longest river in Europe, it flows through or borders eight countries, more than any other the Danube |
| #142, aired 1985-03-26 | PUBLIC HEALTH: Since vaccinations are not yet available, it’s most widespread of communicable childhood diseases chicken pox |
| #141, aired 1985-03-25 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: This cereal co. which owns Parker Bros. & Lionel Trains is the largest toy maker in the world General Mills |
| #139, aired 1985-03-21 | COLLEGES: One of the two "Big Ten" schools without a state name (1 of) Northwestern or Purdue |
| #138, aired 1985-03-20 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: As result of 20th Amendment, his 2nd inauguration was the 1st to be held Jan. 20th, not March 4th Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| #137, aired 1985-03-19 | SHOW BUSINESS: The only major Hollywood movie studio currently owned by one person, Denver oilman Marvin Davis 20th Century Fox |
| #136, aired 1985-03-18 | THE CONSTITUTION: First branch of the government the Constitution deals with the legislative branch |
| #135, aired 1985-03-15 | THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: Site of Nov. '78 headline tragedy, it's the only S.A. country with English as official language Guyana |
| #134, aired 1985-03-14 | HIGHER EDUCATION: Besides JFK, 1 of 4 presidents who was a Harvard graduate (1 of) John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, or Franklin Roosevelt |
| #133, aired 1985-03-13 | MATHEMATICS: Branch of mathematics that means "to measure the earth" geometry |
| #130, aired 1985-03-08 | ANATOMY: Between leaving right ventricle & entering left atrium, blood passes through this major organ the lungs |
| #129, aired 1985-03-07 | COLORS: The three colors of the Cuban flag red, white & blue |
| #128, aired 1985-03-06 | THE OSCARS: Best Actress in '72, her father won Oscar in '58 & mother a special "baby" Oscar in '39 Liza Minnelli |
| #127, aired 1985-03-05 | BODIES OF WATER: Only Great Lake not forming part of Michigan's borders Lake Ontario |
| #126, aired 1985-03-04 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Gunmakers Remington & Sons began making this different product in 1874 typewriter |
| #125, aired 1985-03-01 | THE ARMED SERVICES: Defense Dept. that in wartime controls 3 of the 5 armed services the Navy |
| #124, aired 1985-02-28 | TELEVISION: Number of children originally in the Howard & Marion Cunningham family of Milwaukee, WI 3 |
| #123, aired 1985-02-27 | WORLD CAPITALS: In less than 40 years, Karachi, Rawalpindi & Islamabad have all been its capital Pakistan |
| #122, aired 1985-02-26 | 20th CENTURY: In 1927, he was named "Time" magazine's first "Man of the Year" (Charles) Lindbergh |
| #121, aired 1985-02-25 | THE CABINET: In '61, President Kennedy began the custom of having this diplomatic ofcr. take part in Cabinet meetings U.N. Ambassador |
| #120, aired 1985-02-22 | THE WORLD: Nation that is not a member of the United Nations, but is home to U.N. European headquarters Switzerland |
| #119, aired 1985-02-21 | AWARDS: The only U.S. military decoration that may not be awarded to citizens of other countries the Congressional Medal of Honor |
| #118, aired 1985-02-20 | TOYS & GAMES: The 2 spaces that adjoin Boardwalk in Monopoly GO and Luxury Tax |
| #117, aired 1985-02-19 | THE CONSTITUTION: Insisting on inclusion of a Bill of Rights, this N. Eng. state was last of original 13 to ratify the Constitution Rhode Island |
| #116, aired 1985-02-18 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: It's the largest state in area east of the Mississippi Georgia |
| #115, aired 1985-02-15 | THE MOVIES: The movie studio that released the landmark film "The Jazz Singer" in 1927 Warner Bros. |
| #114, aired 1985-02-14 | THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: Old English resembles this modern language more than it does Modern English German |
| #113, aired 1985-02-13 | THE CALENDAR: The 1930s were this decade of the 20th century the 4th decade |
| #112, aired 1985-02-12 | FAIRY TALES: Number of characters who sang the song "Heigh Ho" in '37 Disney film 6 |
| #111, aired 1985-02-11 | NEW TESTAMENT: Only New Testament writer believed not to have been originally Jewish Luke |
| #110, aired 1985-02-08 | THE ZODIAC: Appropriate astrological sign shared by Britain's Princesses Anne & Margaret Leo |
| #109, aired 1985-02-07 | PRESIDENTS: Last President to appoint a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Richard Nixon |
| #108, aired 1985-02-06 | U.S. STATES: State with the smallest population Alaska |
| #107, aired 1985-02-05 | SHOW BUSINESS: Only actress to win an Oscar, a Tony, a Grammy & an Emmy Rita Moreno |
| #106, aired 1985-02-04 | WORLD CAPITALS: A major foreign tourist center with many American-owned hotels & businesses, but only til '59 Havana |
| #105, aired 1985-02-01 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: 60% of the world's pumpkins end up in this company's cans Libby's |
| #104, aired 1985-01-31 | FAMOUS QUOTES: In '60s speech to Congress he said, "All I have I would have gladly given not to be standing here today" Lyndon Johnson |
| #103, aired 1985-01-30 | TELEVISION: Mt. Vernon, NY native who now hosts shows on all three major networks Dick Clark |
| #102, aired 1985-01-29 | COLORS: The 2 colors on either side of yellow in the spectrum orange & green |
| #101, aired 1985-01-28 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Since Hoover, number of presidents known to have faced unsuccessful assassination attempts 4 |
| #100, aired 1985-01-25 | THE WORLD: With 168 persons per sq. mi., the continent with the highest population density Europe |
| #99, aired 1985-01-24 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: Each one of these 2 letters begins the names of 8 states M & N |
| #98, aired 1985-01-23 | MARTYRS: Executed by English for sorcery, later declared innocent and, in 1920, made a saint Joan of Arc |
| #97, aired 1985-01-22 | THE THEATER: The musical "Hello Dolly!" was based on this Thornton Wilder play The Matchmaker |
| #96, aired 1985-01-21 | HISTORY: In 1952, it became the 3rd country to test an atomic bomb Great Britain (England) |
| #95, aired 1985-01-18 | TOYS & GAMES: The highest number under the "N" on an American bingo game 45 |
| #94, aired 1985-01-17 | STATE CAPITALS: Most populous state capital, it falls alphabetically between Olympic & Pierre Phoenix, Arizona |
| #93, aired 1985-01-16 | DANCE: After its appearance in the Black musical "Runnin' Wild" in 1923, it became a national craze the Charleston |
| #92, aired 1985-01-15 | THE OSCARS: They won '34's Best Acting awards from opposite sides of blanket in "It Happened One Night" Claudette Colbert & Clark Gable |
| #91, aired 1985-01-14 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Domestically oriented co. which in '68 discovered largest N. American oil field, in Alaska Arco (Atlantic Richfield) |
| #90, aired 1985-01-11 | HOLIDAYS: Current name of holiday 1st established to mark armistice ending World War I Veterans Day |
| #89, aired 1985-01-10 | FAMOUS FAMILIES: Illinois family that included a vice-president, governor & U.N. ambassador, & a U.S. senator the Stevensons |
| #88, aired 1985-01-09 | MYTHOLOGY: Name of the ship Jason & crew traveled on to fetch the Golden Fleece the Argo |
| #87, aired 1985-01-08 | EUROPEAN HISTORY: On May 1, 1945, Admiral Karl Doenitz assumed this office in Germany Fuhrer (or dictator) |
| #86, aired 1985-01-07 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: Country nearly surrounded by the Ligurian, Adriatic, Tyrrhenian & Mediterranean Seas Italy |
| #85, aired 1985-01-04 | SPACE: Lunar sea on which Apollo 11 landed the Sea of Tranquility |
| #83, aired 1985-01-02 | FOOD: By weight of total catch, the world's leading fishing nation Japan |
| #82, aired 1985-01-01 | SPORTS: Only 2 cities with both a National & American League baseball team New York & Chicago |
| #80, aired 1984-12-28 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: Number of states that touch the Pacific Ocean 5 |
| #78, aired 1984-12-26 | ROCKS & MINERALS: Carat for carat, these corundum gems are the most expensive in the world rubies |
| #77, aired 1984-12-25 | WORLD CAPITALS: The closest foreign capital to Washington, D.C. Ottawa |
| #72, aired 1984-12-18 | THE CALENDAR: Total days in a year which fall in months with 31 days 217 |
| #70, aired 1984-12-14 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Cincinnati company that is #1 TV advertiser, spending $½ billion per yr. Procter & Gamble |
| #69, aired 1984-12-13 | DANCE: American who founded dance schools in Fra., Ger. & Russia, but was played by Brit. actress in '68 film Isadora Duncan |
| #68, aired 1984-12-12 | FLAGS: Country whose flag includes pictures of the British & Dutch flags South Africa |
| #67, aired 1984-12-11 | WOMEN IN HISTORY: Arrested for voting in 1872 election, she died 14 years before the 19th Amendment Susan B. Anthony |
| #66, aired 1984-12-10 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: The 2 states on both sides of the Mississippi Louisiana and Minnesota |
| #65, aired 1984-12-07 | TITLED HEADS: Queen of France 1559-60; Catholic Europe considered her the rightful queen of England Mary, Queen of Scots |
| #64, aired 1984-12-06 | WORLD HISTORY: In 1804 this Caribbean country became 1st black nation to gain freedom from European colonial rule Haiti |
| #63, aired 1984-12-05 | SHOW BUSINESS: Barrymore, Rathbone, Roger Moore & Larry Hagman are among 61 actors to play this character Sherlock Holmes |
| #62, aired 1984-12-04 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: President elected to 2nd term with 523 electoral votes, the greatest number in any election Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| #61, aired 1984-12-03 | EUROPE: The Soviet army was welcome in this capital in May of '45 but unwelcome in August '68 Prague |
| #60, aired 1984-11-30 | WORLD CAPITALS: Birthplace of Beethoven, it has been a capital only since 1949 Bonn |
| #59, aired 1984-11-29 | THE CALENDAR: The only day of the week named for a Roman god Saturday |
| #58, aired 1984-11-28 | TRAVEL & TOURISM: City that boasts the tallest U.S. monument, completed in 1965 St. Louis |
| #57, aired 1984-11-27 | GOVERNMENT: Decade the last amendment to the Constitution was ratified in the 1970s |
| #56, aired 1984-11-26 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Country that manufactures the most cars per year Japan |
| #55, aired 1984-11-23 | THE OSCARS: In 1971 & 1973, these 2 Best Actors refused the Oscars they had won Marlon Brando & George C. Scott |
| #54, aired 1984-11-22 | DANCE: Balanchine called him "the most interesting, inventive & elegant dancer of our time" Fred Astaire |
| #52, aired 1984-11-20 | THE BIBLE: First person in the Bible to be imprisoned Joseph |
| #51, aired 1984-11-19 | SPORTS: Either of 2 current pro baseball team names that don't end in "S" (1 of) Chicago White Sox & Boston Red Sox |
| #48, aired 1984-11-14 | FOOD: By worth, the largest single grocery item imported into the U.S. coffee |
| #45, aired 1984-11-09 | ROYALTY: This king became the Duke of Windsor after he abdicated Edward VIII |
| #44, aired 1984-11-08 | AMERICAN GOVERNMENT: Along with president, these 2 must sign a bill for it to become law the speaker of the House & the vice president |
| #43, aired 1984-11-07 | MATHEMATICS: Only current Arabic number which cannot be expressed in Roman numerals zero |
| #42, aired 1984-11-06 | RIVERS: Mark Antony's journey to Cleopatra's Nile began on this river the Tiber |
| #41, aired 1984-11-05 | THE ZODIAC: The only sign of the zodiac not symbolized by a living thing Libra |
| #40, aired 1984-11-02 | NUMBER, PLEASE: Number of most recent year that reads the same when turned up-side down 1961 |
| #38, aired 2024-05-22 | AMERICAN WOMEN: The New York Times wrote of this woman who had died in 1951, "Though she was forgotten at the time, part of her remained alive" Henrietta Lacks |
| #37, aired 2024-05-22 | POLITICIANS: This man was the 1st to be governor of one state & then senator from another; 173 years later, Mitt Romney became the second Sam Houston |
| #37, aired 1984-10-30 | FAMOUS FAMILIES: Members of this acting family starred in "Grand Hotel", the Dr. Kildare films & "E.T." the Barrymores |
| #36, aired 2024-05-20 | 21st CENTURY LITERARY CHARACTERS: The last name adopted by Damon Fields, the title character of this novel, refers to his red hair Demon Copperhead |
| #35, aired 2024-05-20 | METALLIC ELEMENTS: As it's rarely found in pure form, one explanation of its name is that it comes from Greek for "not alone" or "not one" antimony |
| #35, aired 1984-10-26 | U.S. STATES: This state was once an independent monarchy Hawaii |
| #34, aired 2024-05-17 | ALSO SEEN AT THE CIRCUS: FDR gets credit for implementing this as a concept in the U.S. & the metaphor was used by FDR Jr., running for office in 1966 safety net |
| #33, aired 2024-05-17 | NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE: In 1612 John Smith published a Powhatan word list including these 2 words familiar to us today, one worn in pairs & one wielded moccasins & tomahawk |
| #32, aired 2024-05-15 | SHORT STORIES: "Down--steadily down it crept... downward with its lateral velocity. To the right--to the left" is in this 1842 tale "The Pit and the Pendulum" |
| #31, aired 2024-05-15 | MILITARY PEOPLE: In April 2020 Chief Master Sergeant Roger Towberman became the first enlisted member of this Space Force |
| #30, aired 2024-05-13 | ANAGRAMS: One is a procedure foundational to computer science; the other was made in large part obsolete by computers algorithm & logarithm |
| #30, aired 1984-10-19 | ASTRONOMY: After the Sun & the Moon, the brightest astronomical object regularly seen in our sky the planet Venus |
| #29, aired 2024-05-13 | AROUND THE WORLD: Almost twice the size of Texas but with the population of Lubbock, this part of Australia rejected statehood in a 1998 referendum the Northern Territory |
| #28, aired 2024-05-10 | THE AMERICAN THEATER: Director & author, their 1960 rift over a new play set in the South ended "the most important... collaboration" of 20th century U.S. theater Elia Kazan & Tennessee Williams |
| #27, aired 2024-05-10 | THE 20th CENTURY: Hearing about the speech that launched this eponymous process, the head of the CIA wondered if Nikita Khrushchev had been drunk destalinization |
| #26, aired 2024-05-08 | FAMOUS LAST WORDS: In 1530 he made his last confession & wished that "I had served God as diligently as I have done the king" Cardinal Wolsey |
| #26, aired 2024-01-23 | LITERARY CLICHÉS: Many mystery fans blame "The Door", a 1930 Mary Roberts Rinehart novel in which a servant kills a nurse, for this 4-word cliché the butler did it |
| #25, aired 2024-05-08 | THE THEATER: This show debuted December 30, 1879 in a theater on the Devon coast, with the cast in costumes from a related show The Pirates of Penzance |
| #25, aired 2024-01-16 | ICONIC DESIGNERS: Once married to a publishing heir who owned citrus groves, her brightly printed dresses were originally designed to hide juice stains Lilly Pulitzer |
| #25, aired 1984-10-12 | FICTIONAL CHARACTERS: Alphabetically, the last of the 7 Dwarfs Sneezy |
| #24, aired 2024-05-06 | 20th CENTURY WRITERS: Becoming a British subject in 1927, he described himself as a classicist in literature, royalist in politics & Anglo-Catholic in religion T.S. Eliot |
| #24, aired 2024-01-09 | TELEVISION HISTORY: According to the BBC, this 1953 event "did more than any other to make television a mainstream medium" the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II |
| #24, aired 1984-10-11 | THE SUPREME COURT: He successfully argued Brown vs. Board of Education before Supreme Court, then became its 1st black justice Thurgood Marshall |
| #23, aired 2024-05-06 | 20th CENTURY LEADERS: 1 of the "Big Four" at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference & a former journalist, he'd supported the Impressionists & Alfred Dreyfus Clemenceau |
| #23, aired 2024-01-02 | AWARD-WINNING ACTRESSES: Her 2019 Oscar win & 2021 Emmy win were both for portraying a British queen Olivia Colman |
| #23, aired 1984-10-10 | DANCE: Introduced in 1650 at court of Louis XIV, it’s a slow, dignified dance done in 3/4 time the minuet |
| #22, aired 2024-05-01 | WORLD HERITAGE SITES: This entire capital is a World Heritage Site "linked to the history of the Military & Charitable Order of St. John of Jerusalem" Valletta |
| #22, aired 2023-12-06 | APPLIED GEOMETRY: Thomas Hales proved hexagonal structures are the most compact way to fill a plane, a centuries-old theory based on the behavior of these honeybees |
| #22, aired 1984-10-09 | U.S. STATES: Only state bordering on 4 of the 5 Great Lakes Michigan |
| #21, aired 2024-05-01 | LATIN SCIENCE TERMS: In 1694 the latest in bio-knowledge was Tournefort's "Elements of Botany" listing 698 of these, like Ambrosia & Chrysanthemum genera |
| #21, aired 2023-11-29 | UNIQUE BUILDINGS: Despite 17.5 miles of hallways, you can walk anywhere in this Virginia building within about five minutes, due to its concentric layout the Pentagon |
| #21, aired 1984-10-08 | THE ARMED SERVICES: The last military branch to be established United States Air Force |
| #20, aired 2023-11-15 | ARTISTS: Exhumed in 2017 to settle a paternity suit, his mustache had "preserved its classic 10-past-10 position" according to the Spanish press Salvador Dalí |
| #20, aired 2023-05-24 | LATIN IN LITERATURE: A work by this 15th century English writer quotes the phrase "rex quondam rexque futurus" Thomas Malory |
| #20, aired 1984-10-05 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: It has more people than all the other South American countries combined Brazil |
| #19, aired 2023-11-01 | PLAY TITLES: This 1959 play's title was taken from a Langston Hughes poem that begins, "What happens to a dream deferred?" A Raisin in the Sun (by Lorraine Hansberry) |
| #19, aired 2023-05-24 | AFRICA: A major seaport & formerly a world capital, this city has a name from Arabic for "house of peace" Dar es Salaam |
| #19, aired 1984-10-04 | THE CALENDAR: Number of leap years between 1985 & 2001 4 |
| #18, aired 2023-10-25 | TWEEN LIT: Referring to the lengthy title of her much-discussed novel, this author lamented that she didn't just call the book "Margaret" Judy Blume |
| #18, aired 2023-05-23 | OPERA & HISTORY: Appropriately, the last performance at the Vienna State Opera before it was destroyed in 1945 by Allied bombs was this opera from 1876 Götterdämmerung |
| #18, aired 2022-02-22 | THE 19th CENTURY: An 1873 book title gave us this phrase for the period in the late 1800s of growth & prosperity & also greed & corruption the Gilded Age |
| #18, aired 1984-10-03 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: In the 1860 election for his 1st term, more Americans voted against him than for him Abraham Lincoln |
| #17, aired 2023-10-18 | FAMOUS WOMEN: She joined the Sisters of Loreto at age 18, then took her good works to Calcutta, where she was called this Mother Teresa |
| #17, aired 2023-05-23 | REAL PEOPLE IN SHAKESPEARE: In Shakespeare this man is a rival of Prince Hal; in real life he was older than Hal's father Hotspur |
| #17, aired 2022-02-22 | THE PERIODIC TABLE: By 1890, discoveries of 3 "nationalist elements" filled table gaps: scandium in Sweden, germanium in Germany, this in France gallium |
| #17, aired 1984-10-02 | TRAVEL & TOURISM: This country draws the most American tourists each year Canada |
| #16, aired 2023-10-11 | RALLYING CRIES: Don't mess with Texas: Sam Houston's troops shouted this 3-word battle cry while attacking Santa Anna's army at San Jacinto Remember the Alamo! |
| #16, aired 2023-05-22 | HISTORIC SHIPS: This 16th century ship got its name from the crest of patron Christopher Hatton, which featured a deer the Golden Hind |
| #16, aired 2022-02-18 | CHARACTERS IN BANNED BOOKS: Introduced in 1928, this character has a disappointing affair with a writer before she begins a more satisfying relationship Lady Chatterley |
| #16, aired 1984-10-01 | WORLD CITIES: It's the most populous city in the Western Hemisphere Mexico City |
| #15, aired 2023-10-04 | WORLD LANDMARKS: Also famously cracked like the Liberty Bell, this 14-ton landmark still sounds its distinctive bong every hour Big Ben |
| #15, aired 2023-05-22 | LITERATURE: In reviewing this novel, Carl Jung said it took place in one single & senseless day "on which, in all truth, nothing happens" Ulysses |
| #15, aired 2022-02-18 | HISTORIC STRUCTURES: In 1100 the Bishop of Durham became the first prisoner here &, after plying his guards with wine, became the first to escape the Tower of London |
| #15, aired 1984-09-28 | MATHEMATICS: The number of zeros in 1 trillion 12 |
| #14, aired 2023-09-27 | ASTRONOMY: Discovered in the '60s and '70s, Cygnus X-1 was the first of these light-trapping gravitational bodies to be identified black holes |
| #14, aired 2023-05-17 | 20th CENTURY FRENCH AUTHORS: He said a famous book of his was inspired by a visit to the zoo, where he observed the gorillas' humanlike expressions Pierre Boulle (author of Planet of the Apes) |
| #14, aired 2022-02-17 | WORDS FROM MYTHOLOGY: A 1525 textbook on anatomy says this, being "so different of colours", could also be called "rain bowys" iris |
| #14, aired 1984-09-27 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Automaker that introduced the alternator, power steering & electric ignition Chrysler |
| #13, aired 2023-05-17 | THE LAKE SHOW: 12 years before meeting Stanley at Lake Tanganyika, David Livingstone reached this national body of water in 1859 Lake Malawi |
| #13, aired 2023-02-02 | ARTISTS: Despite how he's known, he was probably actually born in Anchiano, near Florence Leonardo da Vinci |
| #13, aired 2022-02-17 | WESTERN HEMISPHERE COUNTRIES: In 1882, when these 2 countries' border was settled, a minister in the southern one quit in protest out of loyalty to Central America Mexico & Guatemala |
| #13, aired 1990-09-08 | THE 20th CENTURY: He was vice president of the U.S. for just 82 days before becoming president Harry Truman |
| #13, aired 1984-09-26 | THE SOLAR SYSTEM: Only 1 of 9 planets not named for a Greek or Roman mythological figure the Earth |
| #12, aired 2023-05-16 | LANDMARKS: For more than a millennium, a huge embroidered work known as the Kiswa has been used to adorn & protect this structure the Kaaba |
| #12, aired 2023-01-26 | NOVELS: "Breeders, Wives and Unwomen" was the headline of the New York Times' 1986 review of this novel The Handmaid's Tale |
| #12, aired 2022-02-16 | COMPOUND WORDS: The OED says this 9-letter word is literary & poetic, & it appears 11 times in an 1845 American poem, including as the last word nevermore |
| #12, aired 1990-09-01 | THE NOBEL PRIZE: In 1930 this novelist became the 1st American to win the Nobel Prize for literature Sinclair Lewis |
| #12, aired 1984-09-25 | RIVERS: It carries more water than the longest rivers in Asia, Africa & No. America combined the Amazon |
| #11, aired 2023-05-16 | WORLD CITIES: This capital city founded in 1567 was where the founding statute of OPEC was adopted in 1961 Caracas |
| #11, aired 2023-01-19 | NOTORIOUS PLACES: Al Capone played banjo in a band called the Rock Islanders at this notorious spot Alcatraz |
| #11, aired 2022-02-16 | HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES: The first national observance of Memorial Day was held May 30, 1868 at this site, on land that had belonged to Robert E. Lee's wife Arlington National Cemetery |
| #11, aired 1990-08-25 | THE CALENDAR: This month was formerly called Quintilis July |
| #11, aired 1984-09-24 | TITLED HEADS: N.Y. financier Al Grimaldi is next in line for throne of this Mediterranean principality Monaco |
| #10, aired 2023-05-15 | 19th CENTURY FIRST LADIES: After her husband left office, a minister wrote the White House was "purer because" this first lady "has been its mistress" Lucy Hayes ("Lemonade Lucy") |
| #10, aired 2023-01-12 | CORPORATE MASCOTS: Born on an island in a sea of milk, this pitchman was jokingly disavowed by the U.S. Navy by saying he is not in personnel records Cap'n Crunch |
| #10, aired 2022-02-15 | RECENT BIOGRAPHIES: A 2021 book about his "Misunderstood Reign" argues that he hated slavery & actually suffered from bipolar disorder George III |
| #10, aired 1990-08-18 | THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: A member of this famous family proposed it and he and his brother signed it for Virginia Lee |
| #10, aired 1984-09-21 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Adventurous 26th president, he was 1st to ride in an automobile & an airplane Theodore Roosevelt |
| #9, aired 2023-05-15 | THE U.S. GOVERNMENT: Not a department head but of Cabinet rank, the person in this post has had an official residence in a 42nd floor Park Avenue penthouse ambassador to the United Nations |
| #9, aired 2023-01-05 | 20th CENTURY PEOPLE: Calling him "the embodiment of pure intellect", in December 1999 Time magazine named him Person of the Century Albert Einstein |
| #9, aired 2022-02-15 | PHYSICISTS: A 1927 principle by this Nobel Prize winner says that some knowledge is inaccessible Werner Heisenberg |
| #9, aired 1990-08-11 | THE CIVIL WAR: Re-admitted to the Union under Andrew Johnson, this Confederate state avoided Reconstruction Tennessee |
| #9, aired 1984-09-20 | SCIENCE: The mammal that holds the record for the longest lifespan man |
| #8, aired 2023-05-12 | FICTIONAL PLACES: The dominions of this land "extend five thousand blustrugs (about twelve miles in circumference)" Lilliput |
| #8, aired 2022-11-13 | ADVENTURE NOVELS: The villainess in this French novel kind of undercuts the title when she says, "among these four men two only are to be feared" The Three Musketeers |
| #8, aired 2022-02-11 | EUROPEAN GEOGRAPHY: This country, the largest in area entirely within Europe, borders the largest country in the world Ukraine |
| #8, aired 2020-01-14 | SHAKESPEARE'S TRAGEDIES: He has 272 speeches, the most of any non-title character in a Shakespeare tragedy Iago |
| #8, aired 1990-08-04 | SHAKESPEAREAN QUOTES: The famous line "Out, out, brief candle!" is spoken after the announcement of this woman's death Lady Macbeth |
| #8, aired 1984-09-19 | AMERICAN HISTORY: He served as congressman from 1 state, senator from another, governor of both & president of Texas Sam Houston |
| #7, aired 2023-05-12 | NEW ENGLAND WOMEN: At her funeral in 1936, it was said that "The touch of her hand... literally emancipated a soul" Annie Sullivan |
| #7, aired 2022-11-06 | BRANDS: With wood becoming more difficult to source, this company turned to plastic for its automatic binding bricks, introduced in 1949 Lego |
| #7, aired 2022-02-11 | WORD ORIGINS: In 1793 a French clergyman called the destruction of libraries & sculptures this, using the name of a 5th century tribe vandalism |
| #7, aired 2020-01-14 | IT'S ALL GREECE TO ME: This area of Greece, home to Pan, is synonymous with a rural paradise; it's a setting for Virgil's shepherd poems the "Eclogues" Arcadia |
| #7, aired 1990-07-28 | TRANSPORTATION: This ship was launched September 26, 1934 by the woman for whom it was named the Queen Mary |
| #7, aired 1984-09-18 | WORLD HISTORY: Country where Napoleon met his "Waterloo" Belgium |
| #6, aired 2023-05-10 | HISTORIC HOMES: This residence is part of an estate that includes Ballochbuie Forest, a remnant of the ancient Caledonian pine forest Balmoral |
| #6, aired 2022-10-30 | 19th CENTURY PEOPLE: In 1863 Walt Whitman wrote that this politician "has a face like a Hoosier Michael Angelo, so awful ugly it becomes beautiful" Lincoln |
| #6, aired 2022-02-10 | POETRY: It contains the line "whereat In either hand the hastening Angel caught Our lingering parents, & to the eastern gate Led them direct" Paradise Lost |
| #6, aired 2020-01-09 | 21st CENTURY OSCAR WINNERS: These 2 foreign-born directors have each won 2 Best Director Oscars, but none of their films has won Best Picture Ang Lee & Alfonso Cuarón |
| #6, aired 1990-07-21 | LITERATURE: Parts of this epic work published in 1667 were dictated by its author to family members Paradise Lost |
| #6, aired 1984-09-17 | EUROPE: Country where the current king succeeded his grandfather after a 44-year gap Spain |
| #5, aired 2023-05-10 | THE FIRST MILLENNIUM: In 303, to celebrate 20 years of his reign, the emperor Diocletian visited this city for the first time Rome |
| #5, aired 2022-10-23 | WORLD LANDMARKS: Built of more than 18,000 metal parts & 2.5 million rivets, it was the world's tallest manmade structure from 1889 to 1930 the Eiffel Tower |
| #5, aired 2022-02-10 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY: About 200 miles of the Tyrrhenian Sea separates the cities of Cagliari & Trapani in these 2 "regioni autonome" of Italy Sardinia & Sicily |
| #5, aired 2020-01-09 | U.S. POLITICAL HISTORY: These 2 now-defunct parties each gave the U.S. 4 presidents in the 19th century Democratic-Republican & Whig |
| #5, aired 1990-07-14 | SCIENCE: Martin Klaproth named uranium after Uranus & this element after Uranus' children titanium |
| #5, aired 1984-09-14 | THE OLYMPICS: Of the 5 continents symbolized by Olympic rings, only one never to hold Games Africa |
| #4, aired 2023-05-09 | WESTERN HEMISPHERE HISTORY: In 1915 the assassination of President Sam brought Uncle Sam to this country, beginning a 19-year military occupation Haiti |
| #4, aired 2022-10-16 | ANNUAL EVENTS: In 1986 Larry Harvey called a friend & said, let's do this, no one knows exactly why; it evolved into an annual festival in the desert Burning Man |
| #4, aired 2022-02-09 | 20th CENTURY LEADERS: He's called "a flame of inspiration in freedom's darkest hour" in the proclamation making him an honorary U.S. citizen Winston Churchill |
| #4, aired 2020-01-08 | 19th CENTURY LEADERS: Tall, lanky Joel Barlow was an ambassador carrying messages between these 2 world leaders, both mocked for being short Napoleon & Madison |
| #4, aired 1990-07-07 | GEOGRAPHY: In area, it's the second-largest country on the second-largest continent; both begin with the letter "A" Algeria (in Africa) |
| #4, aired 1984-09-13 | AMERICAN GOVERNMENT: Since 1970, the only cabinet department not headed by a secretary the Attorney General's Department |
| #3, aired 2024-02-02 | LANDMARKS: Then 71, a reluctant Michelangelo took on the design of this building "only for the love of God and in honor of the Apostle" St. Peter's Basilica |
| #3, aired 2023-05-09 | 21st CENTURY AUTHORS: Once a journalist himself, he began his first novel with his hero being fined 150,000 kronor for aggravated libel Stieg Larsson |
| #3, aired 2022-10-09 | NEWSPAPER HEADLINES: A New York Times headline about this disaster included "866 rescued" & "noted names missing" the Titanic |
| #3, aired 2022-02-09 | USA: In 2012 these 2 neighboring states celebrated the centennial of their admission to the Union Arizona & New Mexico |
| #3, aired 2020-01-08 | INFLUENTIAL WRITING: Its second line is "All the powers of old Europe have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre: Pope & Czar, Metternich & Guizot..." The Communist Manifesto |
| #3, aired 1990-06-30 | EXPLORERS: When he died in 1957, he was buried with full military honors at Arlington Cemetery Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd |
| #3, aired 1984-09-12 | LANGUAGE: It is the 2nd most spoken language in the world English |
| #2, aired 2024-01-12 | LITERARY INSPIRATION: A book by historian Thomas Carlyle that Dickens said he'd read 500 times has this title subject that Charles would write about himself the French Revolution |
| #2, aired 2023-05-08 | USA: Opened in 1909 & less famous than an older neighbor, it connects Brooklyn & Chinatown the Manhattan Bridge |
| #2, aired 2022-10-02 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: William Brodie, an upstanding Scottish tradesman by day & leader of a gang of burglars by night, helped inspire these 2 title characters Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde |
| #2, aired 2022-02-08 | BIOLOGICAL ETYMOLOGY: Dionaea, the genus of this plant, is a reference to the Greek goddess Aphrodite, the daughter of Dione the Venus flytrap |
| #2, aired 2020-01-07 | ASTRONOMERS: This man's name was given to a comet that crashed into Jupiter in 1994; he's the only human whose remains lie on the Moon Shoemaker |
| #2, aired 1990-06-23 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The most ex-presidents, 5, were alive when he was inaugurated; all had served 1 term or less Lincoln |
| #2, aired 1984-09-11 | THE CALENDAR: Calendar date with which the 20th century began January 1, 1901 |
| #2, aired 1984-01-01 | LITERATURE: Classic American novel which begins "Call me Ishmael" Moby-Dick |
| #1, aired 2024-01-12 | TOURIST SPOTS: Originally known as Longacre, it got its name after a newspaper moved its offices there in 1904 Times Square |
| #1, aired 2023-05-08 | POETRY: A colossal head of Ramses II brought to the British Museum inspired this 1818 poem "Ozymandias" |
| #1, aired 2022-09-25 | LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES: It's the world's smallest landlocked country in both area & population Vatican City |
| #1, aired 2022-02-08 | AMERICAN HISTORY: One theory says Charles T. Torrey, a worker on this, coined its name, which appeared in The Liberator on October 14, 1842 the Underground Railroad |
| #1, aired 2020-01-07 | PRESIDENTS & THE BIBLE: "Silent" Calvin Coolidge was inaugurated in 1925 on a Bible open to this 6-word first line of the Gospel According to John "In the beginning was the Word" |
| #1, aired 1998-05-03 | RELIGION: This religious order founded in 1209 is sometimes called the Gray Friars or Begging Brothers the Franciscans |
| #1, aired 1990-06-16 | THE 50 STATES: Of all the states named after Indian tribes, this one is the farthest west Utah |
| #1, aired 1984-09-10 | HOLIDAYS: The third Monday of January starting in 1986 Martin Luther King Day |
| #1, aired 1983-09-18 | U.S. LANDMARKS: This state boasts Mt. Rushmore South Dakota |
