12 Trivia Tidbits for Thursday, March 7, 2024
Knowledge is power! So here’s a very, very small amount of power.
The First Hollywood Actress to Appear on A Postage Stamp
Grace Kelly was the first actress to ever appear on a postage stamp.
The First American Pretzel Maker
In 1861, a baker named Julius Sturgis, in Lititz, Pennsylvania, was the first bakery in America to sell pretzels.
Explosive Onions, Carrots and Goats
British demolition squads in World War II used carrots, onions and goats to place explosives. Sadly, or maybe happily for the goat population, I don’t mean the actual items and animals: These were nicknames given to different attachments used to deliver explosives, with the “carrot” seen on the front of the tank above.
In what’s a supremely frustrating bit of almost-not-quite recognition, Peter O’Toole was nominated for more Oscars than any other actor — without ever winning. He was eventually given an honorary award, but the word “honorary” holds a lot of grief there.
The Extraterrestrial Highway Is Only Half As Cool As It Sounds
It might sound like your grandma trying to remember the name of Rainbow Road from Mario Kart, but the Extraterrestrial Highway is the nickname for Nevada State Route 375, thanks to one central curiosity: Area 51.
Get Yer Groundnuts Here!
I have to say, “peanut” is an absolutely delightful word, and it makes me happy that’s the one the U.S. settled on, while other countries stuck with an alternative: “groundnuts,” given that they mature underground. Informational, sure, but I’m not eating Groundnut Butter.
Where Does the Name Orangutan Come From?
The name orangutan comes from orang utan in the Malay language, which means “man of the forest.” Spot on, give or take a whole lot of evolutionary progress.
What Is the “Ring of the Fisherman”?
The Fisherman’s Ring is a signet ring that’s presented to each pope at their inauguration. It features St. Peter, a fisherman and disciple of Jesus who's considered the first Pope.
The Meaning of Sasquatch
Pulling a page from the Malay people’s orangutan naming strategy are the Salish people of the Northwest. The name “Sasquatch” for Bigfoot is thought to come from the Salish word Sasq'ets, which means “wild man.” You got that right!
The Alaskan Flag Features the Big Dipper
Alaska’s flag features a constellation best known as the “Big Dipper,” but its place on the flag is a reference to its proper name: “Ursa Major” meaning “Great Bear,” an iconic and indigenous Alaskan animal. It’s a great flag, which makes it even more impressive that a 13-year-old designed it.
So What Is Cher’ s Last Name, Anyways?
The answer: Sarkisian. Yeah, the single-nomer strategy makes more sense now. Cheryl Sarkisian is a paralegal at best, not an entertainment icon.
The Ankh Was Also Known As “The Key of Life”
Any modern kid with a geography textbook has probably noticed how much the Egyptian ankh resembles a key — this similarity wasn’t lost on the people who invented it either. It was also known as the “key of life," or the “key to the Nile.”
