Despite headlines to the contrary, who actually lost the election of 1948? Harry S. Truman Henry A. Wallace Thomas E. Dewey Adlai Stevenson Fact: The 1948 presidential election is one of the most famous upsets in American political history. Many polls and major media outlets confidently predicted that Republican candidate Thomas E. Dewey would defeat … Read more
At which Olympic Games did sprinter Jesse Owens win four gold medals? 1948 London Olympics 1936 Berlin Olympics 1932 Los Angeles Olympics 1960 Rome Olympics Fact: Jesse Owens achieved one of the most iconic performances in Olympic history at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he won four gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 meters, … Read more
George Washington played a key role in the development of what dog breed? Labrador retriever American foxhound Yorkshire terrier American bulldog Fact: George Washington was an avid dog lover, who played a central role in the development of the breed now known as the American foxhound. Washington maintained extensive kennels at Mount Vernon and bred … Read more
What major event prompted the United States government to introduce its first federal income tax? War of 1812 Great Chicago Fire American Civil War San Francisco Earthquake Fact: The first federal income tax in the United States was introduced during the American Civil War as a way to help fund the Union’s war efforts. In … Read more
Which war film was made by the director of the “Godfather” trilogy? The Deer Hunter Saving Private Ryan Full Metal Jacket Apocalypse Now Fact: Apocalypse Now (1979) was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the visionary filmmaker behind The Godfather trilogy. Set during the Vietnam War, the film is loosely based on Heart of Darkness by … Read more
The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs is believed to have landed where? Russia Indian Ocean Gulf of Mexico Sahara Desert Fact: The asteroid impact widely believed to have caused the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago struck near the Yucatán Peninsula along the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. … Read more
Which legendary baseball player famously declared himself “the luckiest man on the face of the earth”? Babe Ruth Ted Williams Mickey Mantle Lou Gehrig Fact: On July 4, 1939, at Yankee Stadium, Lou Gehrig delivered one of the most famous speeches in sports history during his farewell ceremony with the New York Yankees. Forced to … Read more
Who is credited with coining the political term “fascism”? Joseph Stalin Winston Churchill Franklin D. Roosevelt Benito Mussolini Fact: Italian dictator Benito Mussolini is widely credited with coining and popularizing the term “fascism.” The word comes from the Italian fascismo, derived from the Latin fasces—a bundle of rods tied around an axe blade that symbolized … Read more
Which author is widely recognized as the bestselling novelist of all time? Danielle Steel Stephen King Agatha Christie James Patterson Fact: Agatha Christie is widely regarded as the bestselling novelist of all time, with an estimated two billion copies of her books sold around the globe, according to Guinness World Records. Known as the “Queen … Read more
Which two U.S. states do not observe Daylight Saving Time? Alaska & Hawaii New Mexico & Alaska Arizona & Hawaii Arizona & New Mexico Fact: Most of the nation “sprang forward” and lost an hour of sleep switching to daylight saving time. Arizona and Hawaii did not. Hawaii opts out because its tropical location near … Read more