Trivia

[phkrause]

The name of the sauce "beurre blanc" literally translates to what?

A. Butter beans
B. Black butter
C. White wine
D. White butter

C. White Wine

[dgrimm60]

PHKRAUSE

  the  answer  is   WHITE WINE

dgrimm60

[phkrause]

2 hours ago, phkrause said:

The name of the sauce "beurre blanc" literally translates to what?

A. Butter beans
B. Black butter
C. White wine
D. White butter

C. White Wine

 

1 hour ago, dgrimm60 said:

WHITE WINE

D. White butter

Beurre blanc, present in many French dishes, means "white butter" in English.

Source: various web sites.

 

ps:I was looking for this post, so I guess I did put it in the wrong thread, Oh well that's life!! ?

[phkrause]

6 Things You Never Knew About Mother's Day

May 10th is Mother's Day, and while you should probably celebrate by telling mom you love her, that doesn't mean you can't also stretch your brain with some trivia. Here are a 6 facts and about Mother's Day that might surprise you...

The History of American Mother's Day Starts With Ann Jarvis

The woman who had championed the day, Anna Jarvis, had for years campaigned for a day for mothers on the grounds that existing holidays tended to favor men. She was also dedicated to creating an official day to honor the work mothers put in to raising their children.  After the death of Ann Reeves Jarvis, her daughter Anna Jarvis continued her legacy by creating the official holiday.  Anna Reeves Jarvis sought to honor her own mother by establishing an intimate day of observance that is very obviously the basis of today's holiday. The very first Mother's Day was celebrated in 1908. A plaque commemorates the inaugural Mother’s Day celebration at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia.

President Woodrow Wilson Made the Holiday Official

Making Mother’s Day a state holiday wasn’t enough for Anna Jarvis, and she continued to press for it to become a national celebration. It was brought to the attention of President Woodrow Wilson. In 1914, he proclaimed that Mother’s Day would be celebrated nationwide on the second Sunday in May and directed that the flag be flown on all the government buildings to express reverence and love for all the country’s mothers.

Anna Jarvis Ended Up Hating Mother’s Day

The holiday quickly became a commercialized opportunity for producers to sell flowers, candies, and cards. Anna Reeves Jarvis felt this was detracting from the personal and intimate aspects of the holiday and defied this by starting boycotts, walkouts, and even condemned first lady Eleanor Roosevelt for using the day as a means of fundraising. Jarvis would eventually use all her money in this fight, and died at the age of 84 in a sanatorium.

The Record For The Most Children

A Russian woman, who lived between 1707 and 1782, holds the highest official record after giving birth to 69 children. She had 27 pregnancies, which included 16 sets of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets. Only two of them died in infancy.

The Oldest Mother Could Easily Have Been a Grandmother

India’s Daljinder Kaur was believed to be in her ?early 70s when she gave birth to a bouncing baby boy on April 19, 2016. Kaur and her 79-year-old husband, Mohinder Singh Gill, spent decades trying to have a baby—and finally succeeded after saving up enough money for fertility treatments.

Over $23 Billion Was Spent On Mother's Day Last Year

The National Retail Federation estimated that $23.6 billion was spent on Mother's Day gifts last year with shoppers spending an average of $186.39 on their mother. A nationwide total of $4.6 billion was spent on jewelry and $4.4 billion on dinners or brunches. As you might have guessed, Mother's Day is definitely a busy day for flower shops. One-fourth of the year's floral purchases are made around Mother's Day.  Twenty-five percent of their total sales are made around this holiday, according to the Society of American Florists.

[dgrimm60]

PHKRAUSE

I did  not  know  that  ANNA  REEVES JAVIS  did  not  like  that  the   Holiday  became  commercialized =====

dgrimm60

[phkrause]

5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Bob Marley_2

On May 11, 1981, Reggae star Bob Marley died at the age of 36, leaving a musical legacy that remains popular still today.  Get your reggae on with these 5 facts you probably didn’t know about Bob Marley...

His First Name Was Nesta

The famous Reggae singer was named Nesta Robert Marley by his mother when he was born in 1945 in Jamaica. Apparently people thought Nesta sounded more like a girl’s name, so he used his middle name. As a teen, Marley grew up in Trench Town in Kingston, where his nickname was “Tuff Gong.”

Marley Died From Cancer That Started in His Toe

Marley died at age 36 from a rare form of cancer called acral melanoma that began under his toenail. Acral melanoma forms on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet or under a nail and is not caused by sun exposure. Although he was advised to have the toe removed, he refused, and the cancer spread quickly, reaching his lungs, brain and other parts of his body. Marley was Rastafarian and cited his religious beliefs as the reason he refused the amputation, and by the time he sought medical treatment, it was too late.

A Jamaican Soup Kitchen Receives All the Royalties From One of Marley’s Songs

Marley attributed the song “No Woman No Cry” to an old friend Vincent Ford, even though Ford was neither a musician nor a songwriter. In Trenchtown, where Marley lived, Ford operated a soup kitchen for the needy, and the royalties from the song were meant to fund the soup kitchen and keep it going. Rolling Stone listed “No Woman No Cry” as number 37 on their 'Top 500 Songs of All Time' list.

The "Is This Love" Video Features a Very Young Naomi Campbell.

The video was shot at the Keskidee Community Centre, a black arts center in London in 1978. It shows him singing and playing with kids recruited from various stage schools, including a young Naomi Campbell, the future supermodel. "I was just seven, and didn't know what it would involve. I didn't realize Bob Marley would be standing right next to me, tucking me under a blanket. He was the most handsome man, with beautiful bone structure; mellow, too, and soft-spoken, with a strong Jamaican accent," she said.

An Attempt Was Made on Marley’s Life

Marley had been warned to not perform in Jamaica because of the political corruption of the times. Marley’s wife was wounded outside of their home as she was leaving in her car, then at least three persons entered Marley’s house and sprayed it with gunfire. Marley and his manager were wounded, but it didn’t deter Marley from performing several days later.

[phkrause]

5 Things You Didn't Know About Florence Nightingale

On May 12, 1820, Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, was born in Florence, Italy. More than 100 years after her death, she is still well known for her reforms that shaped the nursing profession. Here are 5 heroic facts you probably didn’t know about Florence Nightingale...

Her Birthday is Also International Nurses Day

We remember the extraordinary contributions by remembering Florence Nightingale on her birthday, which is the same day that we celebrate International Nurses Day: May 12.  Florence was born in 1820 in Florence, Italy, and died on August 13, 1910, at her home in London. 

Her Nickname is “Lady With The Lamp”

Florence Nightingale came to prominence while managing nurses she had trained, and tenderly nursing wounded soldiers, during the Crimean War.  At the time, there were no women working as nurses in the hospitals in Crimea, but that changed when Florence arrived with her newly formed group of nurses. An article in 1855 appeared about Nightingale in The London Times, which referred to her as a ministering angel. As the article continued, it said she was often seen alone checking on the patients and carrying a small lamp. Her nickname after that became “Lady with the Lamp.” 

She is Considered The Founder of Modern Nursing

During the Crimean War, Florence was concerned that some of the soldiers in the field hospitals near the battlefields seemed more likely to succumb to infectious disease than their war wounds. She proposed solutions such as improving sanitation, which are considered effectively the foundation of modern nursing. She also advocated for nursing education to elevate the profession’s reputation, which in turn enabled more women to enter the nursing profession.

She Inspired a Famous Poem

The great poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem titled “Santa Filomena” in which a wounded man in a field hospital sees a “lady with a lamp.” He imagined that her lovely vision would live on throughout history as “A noble type of good/heroic womanhood.”

Nightingale Helped Popularize the Use of Pie Charts

Florence Nightingale was also regarded as one of the most prominent statisticians in history and a pioneer in using statistics to influence social change. She used her passion for statistics to save lives of soldiers during the Crimean war, and do groundbreaking work in data visualization that continues to be influential to this day. Although pie charts had been around long before the birth of Nightingale, she promoted their use and used them regularly to illustrate her points.  Thousands of lives were saved through her facts and figures and the unique ways she developed to display them graphically.

[dgrimm60]

PHKRAUSE

 I did  not  know  that that  he  died  from  cancer and  he  refused treatment  until  it  was  to  late====

dgrimm60

[dgrimm60]

PHKRAUSE

I did  not  know  that  The  international  Nurses Day  was  to  celebrate   her  birthday=====

dgrimm60

[phkrause]

5 Things You Didn’t Know About The Mexican-American War

On May 13, 1846, President Polk declared war on Mexico following a border dispute over Texas.  Some viewed the war as a blatant land grab by the Americans and President Polk's reputation suffered as a result. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about the Mexican-American War...

Polk Wanted to Buy the Land, But Mexico Refused

Diplomat John Slidell was sent to Mexico in 1845 by President James Polk to settle a border dispute with Mexico or buy their territories in California and New Mexico for up to $25 million. The Mexicans refused to sell, so Polk sent Zachary Taylor, along with 4,000 troops to occupy land between the Rio Grande and Nueces River, which Mexico claimed as theirs. Mexico responded by sending their own troops, which attacked an American patrol. On May 13, 1846, Congress voted to declare war on Mexico by an overwhelming margin.

The Conflict Was Nicknamed “Mr. Polk’s War”

An anti-war movement arose as a result of the Mexican-American War as some viewed it as a land grab and referred to it as “Mr. Polk’s War,” and others saw it as a way to add additional slave states. Abraham Lincoln was a freshman in congress at the time and said the original skirmish was provoked because it occurred on land belonging to Mexico. His resolutions against the Mexican-American War brought him to the public’s attention but harmed his reputation with those who were pro-war.

The War Marked The Debut of Several Future Civil War Generals

Along with future presidents Zachary Taylor and Franklin Pierce, the U.S. force in Mexico included many officers who later made their name on the battlefields of the Civil War. Union Generals Ulysses S. Grant, George Meade and George McClellan all served, as did many of their Confederate adversaries such as Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and George Pickett. Lee, then a captain in the Army Corps of Engineers, emerged from the war a hero at the Battles of Cerro Gordo and Contreras.

The Casualty Rate Was Enormous

The U.S. never a lost a major battle during the Mexican-American War, but the victory still proved costly. Of the 79,000 American troops who took part, 13,200 died. The vast majority were victims of diseases such as dysentery, yellow fever, malaria and smallpox. According to scholar V.J. Cirillo, a higher percentage of U.S. troops died from sickness during the Mexican invasion than any war in American history. Mexican casualties were also high, with most historians estimating as many as 25,000 dead troops and civilians.

The War Reduced The Size of Mexico by More Than Half

Mexico relinquished its claim to Texas under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and was forced to accept $15 million for an enormous part of their territory. The lands that Mexico ceded all became future states. They included the areas that encompass California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

[phkrause]

6 Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Seinfeld

On the evening of May 14, 1998, an estimated 76 million TV viewers tuned in to watch the final episode of Seinfeld. Think you're a Seinfeld trivia expert? Here are six surprising facts you probably didn't know about about the show...

Kramer Was Originally Kessler

The names for both Kramer and George Costanza were based on the names of people who Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld knew in real life. In the pilot episode, Kramer was called Kessler, as the real Kramer—Larry David’s former neighbor, Kenny Kramer—was hesitant to let his name be used for the show. The real-life Kramer eventually agreed.  Though he says he was paid just $1,000 for the use of his name in the series, Kramer has since profited in other ways, namely with his Kramer’s Reality Tour bus tour. 

The Diner in the Show Has Another Claim to Fame

The diner that you see in most of the episodes has one of the most famous facades in New York City -- but that fame isn't due solely to Seinfeld. The diner, named "Monk's" in the show, is really named Tom's Restaurant. If a diner-style restaurant named Tom's sounds familiar, it's because Seinfeld was not the only piece of popular culture to mention it. The diner was also the inspiration for the song Tom's Diner by Suzanne Vega. Vega used to frequent the restaurant in the early 1980s and changed "restaurant" to "diner" for rhyming reasons.

Every Single Episode Contains Unique Opening Music

Listen closely to each episode and you might catch the subtle changes in the theme song, executed by composer Jonathan Wolff. The very brief intro music to each episode uses the same instruments and the same style of music, but the actual tune is slightly different each time. Wolf made each one individually and would base the tune on the opening monologue each week. "I would build each monologue based on this list, this computer printout of his voice and what he was saying, how long it was,” Wolff told Vice in 2015. “It was a little bit more labor-intensive than most other shows because I had to re-do that opening every time. But it was worth it. He was creating new material. As long as he’s creating new material, I’ll do the same thing, and I will create along with him.”

Elaine Benes Almost Wasn't in The Show

Elaine was not a character in the original concept of the show. In the show's pilot, another female character named Claire was intended to be a part of the supporting cast. Claire was a waitress at the diner who would verbally spar with Jerry and George, but Seinfeld said they wanted a female character who would be more of a core character in the show. There are rumors that the actress who played Claire was let go after rewriting lines, although Seinfeld said that wasn't the case. Once the series was picked up for a full season, Claire’s character was replaced with Elaine. As strange as it may seem, Julia Louis Dreyfus was not the original choice to play Elaine. Other actresses considered for the role included Rosie O'Donnell and Megan Mullally.

The Real George Costanza Sued for $100 Million

Like Kramer, George Costanza was named after a real person. Michael Costanza was a friend of Jerry Seinfeld and sued the show's creators along with NBC, claiming that they used more than just his last name for the character. Costanza wanted $100 million for supposed violations of privacy and said there were several similarities between the TV character and him. Courts sided with Seinfeld's creators.

[dgrimm60]

PHKRAUSE

I did  not  know  that there was  an anti- war movement during  the  MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR=====

dgrimm60

[dgrimm60]

PHKRAUSE

I did not  know that the  names COSTANZA AND  KRAMER  were  names  of  real  people====

dgrimm60

[phkrause]

5 Things You Didn't Know About The Seven Years War_2

On May 15, 1756, the Seven Years War, also known as the French and Indian War officially began when England declared war on France.  Here are 5 things you didn't know about the Seven Years War...

The Seven Years’ War Actually Lasted Nine Years

The war lasted nine years, despite the name, and changed the political and cultural face of the continent. Although hostilities began in 1754, Britain did not formally declare war on France until 1756. France reciprocated three weeks later. Nine years of armed conflict between the two countries on the North American continent ended with the ratification of the Treaty of Paris by the British Parliament on February 10, 1763.

It Was Actually a World War

We think of World War I as being the conflict that occurred in the 1910s, but the Seven Years War would be a more accurate candidate for that title. It was a global war that involved parties on five continents as the main combatants -- the British and French -- fought it out not only in North America but in their colonies in other parts of the world as well. While Britain kept up the fight in North America against France, it relied on its ally Prussia, led by Frederick the Great, to sustain the fight in Europe against France, Austria, Russia and Sweden.

George Washington Struck The War’s First Blow

In 1753, Virginia Governor Robert Dinwiddie dispatched 21-year-old George Washington to southwestern Pennsylvania with a written order to French forces to vacate the contested territory of the Ohio Valley. When the French refused, Lieutenant Colonel Washington returned the following year with a force of hundreds and ambushed a small scouting party on May 28, 1754. The first military action of Washington’s life resulted in the deaths of 13 enemy soldiers and launched the French and Indian War. Two decades after fighting to extend the dominion of King George III over the North American frontier, Washington would lead the armed rebellion to expel the king’s forces.

This Is The War That Led to The Cajun Culture

Hostilities built steadily after the Battle of Fort Necessity -- the one that Washington lost -- and the British wanted to ensure that they wouldn't face any more opposition than they had to. One area of concern was the large Acadian French population in eastern portions of what's now Canada. The Acadians promised to remain neutral and not oppose the British, but that wasn't good enough. As a result, in 1755, the British forcibly expelled a large portion of the Acadian French population, who fled to France and other parts of North America. Many settled in French-controlled Louisiana, and their name -- Acadian -- gradually changed into Cajun.

It Set The Stage For The American Revolution

After paying Prussia to fight in Europe and reimbursing the American colonies for military expenses, Britain found itself in deep debt at war’s end. As a result, it enacted the Sugar Act of 1764, the Stamp Act of 1765, the Townshend Acts of 1767 and other unpopular measures aimed at raising funds from its 13 American colonies, which gave birth to protests against “taxation without representation.” These acts were so detrimental to the colonists that eventually, the anger and stress boiled over into the American Revolutionary War.

[dgrimm60]

PHKRAUSE

I did  not  know that the  war  lasted 9 years not  7  years====

dgrimm60

[phkrause]

5 Things You Didn't Know About Jim Henson And His Muppets

Jim Henson, creator of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the other Muppets who entertained and educated millions of preschoolers around the world, died on this day in 1990.  Here are 5 things you may not know about Jim Henson and his Muppets...

Kermit Wasn't Originally A Frog

In the early days of the Muppets, the character Kermit was not a frog. His  body was made out of Jim Henson’s mother’s old coat, and his eyes were made out of ping pong balls. He was introduced in 1955 on the show Sam and Friends with roundish feet instead of flippers and no collar. He was more turquoise than his signature green. As Jim Henson described: "all the characters in those days were abstract"; Kermit was simply a lizard-like creature, and was not a specific species. According to Jim Henson himself, Kermit officially became a frog in the 1971 TV special The Frog Prince.

Cookie Monster's Real Name is Sid.

The original Cookie Monster went by the name Wheel-Steeler and was used in a 1966 snack-food commercial by General Foods Canada, complete with a full set of sharp teeth. Although the ad never aired, Cookie Monster reappeared a few years later, minus the sharp teeth, on “Sesame Street.” Instead of stuffing his mouth with food snacks, he switched to cookies. His signature song, "C Is For Cookie", was first aired during the 1971–72 season, and became one of the best-known songs from Sesame Street. In a song in 2004, Cookie Monster revealed that, before he ate his first cookie, his name was Sid.

Rowlf the Dog Was the First Famous Muppet

Rowlf originally appeared in a commercial for Purina Dog Chow and in 1963 became an addition to “The Jimmy Dean Show.” Rowlf was so popular he received tons of fan mail, even more than the star of the show. This made Rowlf the first national celebrity among the Muppets.

Kermit Testified in Front of Congress

It might be hard to imagine puppets mixing with politics, but it happens more often than you might think. For example, in 1989 Big Bird met with several congressmen on Capitol Hill, and discussed the issue of competition in children’s educational television. In 2002, Elmo testified in front of Congress, in order to urge for more funding for music education in schools. Those two characters were created by Jim Henson, so it might not be surprising that Muppet characters have also had a chance to testify in front of Congress. In 2000, Kermit the Frog appeared at a press event to support The Shambala Wild Animal Protection Act, a proposed amendment to the United States Animal Welfare Act introduced to the U.S. Congress by Representative Tom Lantos of California's 12th congressional district.

The Majority of The Muppets Are Left Handed

Puppeteers must use their dominant hand to control a puppet’s head and mouth while the other controls the arms and hands. Since most of the puppeteers are right-handed this means many of the Muppets are the opposite and are left-handed.

[dgrimm60]

PHKRAUSE

I did  not  know  that  puppeteers  must  use their dominant hand to control the head  and  mouth

and the  other  hand is to  control the  body and hand do  most  Muppets  are  left handed=====

dgrimm60

[phkrause]

5 Things You Didn't Know About The NYSE

On May 17, 1792, the New York Stock Exchange was founded by brokers meeting under a tree on what is now Wall Street. Here are five surprising facts you probably didn’t know about the NYSE...

It Isn’t America’s Oldest Stock Exchange

The New York Stock Exchange was established in 1792 when a few dozen merchants and stockbrokers gathered in front of 68 Wall Street and began trading. Yet despite its age, the NYSE doesn't have the distinction of being the first U.S. stock exchange. That instead goes to the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, which was founded in 1790. As the center of economic power shifted to New York from Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia exchange waned in importance, as the NYSE gained financial supremacy – a role that it maintains to this day.

It Originally Used “Deer” to Deliver Stock Quotes

Before the age of the telephone or any other suitable technology, the exchange would employ runners who would run from the exchange to the offices of local brokers to deliver quotes on the stock. These people were known as ‘deer’. From 1903 stock orders were sent by way of pneumatic tubes. This practice continued until the 1960s despite telephones being available from 1878.

The NYSE Is One of the Few That Uses Floor Traders

Electronic trading has caused many trading floors around the world to close, but it is still alive and well in New York. The NYSE is the only place in the world where the trading floor is still used. Designated brokers and market makers remain on the stock exchange floor matching sellers and buyers as well as minimizing the volatility of share prices. Although there are far fewer floor traders than there used to be, 500 to 1,000 have responsibilities on the NYSE trading floor on typical days.

The Stock Exchange Used to Ring in the Day With a Chinese Gong

Until 1903, a day at the NYSE began by ringing a Chinese gong. The gong was replaced with two brass bells that rang at the same time, but it was annoyingly loud and one was moved to a separate room to lower the noise. There are four bells used now, which are located in the four main parts of the stock exchange, and they are rung each day at 9:30 a.m. and again at closing at 4:00 p.m. The bell is rung for 10 seconds to open the exchange in the morning and for 15 seconds to close it in the afternoon. Any deviation from those times often sees traders booing the ringer!

Guests Are Invited to Ring the Opening Bell

A little boy, age 10, was the first person to ring the opening bell as a guest back in 1956 as a prize in a television quiz. After the 1990s, the practice of inviting a guest to ring the bell became more common and was granted to companies who had just announced a public offering or were starting a new business unit. Celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone and world leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Tony Blair have also pushed the button that starts the day.

[dgrimm60]

PHKRAUSE

I did  not know  that the  SNYE  was the only  stock exchange  that  still  have  floor traders===

dgrimm60

[phkrause]

5 Things You Didn't Know About Mount St. Helens_2

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens, a volcanic peak in southwestern Washington, suffered a massive eruption, killing 57 people and devastating some 210 square miles of wilderness. Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about the eruption of Mount St. Helens...

Scientists Had Advance Warning

Several months before the devastating eruption of Mount St. Helens, small earthquakes began occurring, so a new seismograph system was installed by the University of Washington, particularly near the volcano. On March 20, there was a 4.2-magnitude earthquake and tremors grew steadily. The U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey held conferences and deployed teams, which went out and placed research posts, along with taking readings and photos. It was determined that the north side of Mount St. Helens had developed a bulge that was increasing six feet each day, and it was just a matter of time before an eruption occurred.

The Blast Radius Was Enormous

The material that was ejected by the eruption was so much that one million Olympic-sized pools could have been filled and caused the mountain to depressurize. This caused an explosion out the side of the mountain, shooting out material and hot, poisonous gasses at more than 300 mph, which was hundreds of times stronger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. All the structures and trees were destroyed for 19 miles or more to the east and 12 miles to the north, and it happened within moments.

The Explosion Was Heard a Long Distance Away

The blast of the volcanic explosion at Mount St. Helens was so strong that people in California, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia heard it. However, those living in closer cities such as Portland, Oregon, which is 50 miles away, heard nothing because they were inside the quiet zone. This is related to the complexity of sound waves, depending on air motion, temperature, topography and atmosphere.

The Eruption Killed 57 People

Even though the area around Mount St. Helens was lightly populated, it destroyed hundreds of houses, and killed thousands of animals. Fifty-seven people died from breathing in the ash or were buried alive. One local resident, Harry Randall Truman, was adamant about staying in his home and is assumed to have died because of the eruption, but his body was never found. Robert Landsburg was a photographer who died as a result of the explosion because he didn’t have enough time to get to safety but had protected his camera, which showed the approaching ash cloud as it overtook him.

Mount St. Helen’s Is an Active Volcano

Mount St. Helens experienced a smaller eruption in 2004, sending steam and ash 10,000 feet into the air and continued to experience periodic eruptions into 2008. Since then, although there has been some earthquake activity, it has not erupted. Because of the danger to nearby Seattle and other towns, the volcano is closely monitored.

[dgrimm60]

PHKRAUSE

I did  not  know  that there  were smaller eruptions  in  2004 and  2008=====

dgrimm60

[phkrause]

5 Things You Didn't Know About Lawrence of Arabia

On May 19, 1935, T.E. Lawrence, also known as "Lawrence of Arabia," died in England from injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash six days earlier. Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about Lawrence of Arabia...

The Real “Lawrence of Arabia” Was a Man of Short Stature

While six-foot, three-inch Peter O’Toole cut a towering figure as the lead in the 1962 epic biopic “Lawrence of Arabia,” the real Lawrence was only five feet, five inches tall. Lawrence remained self-conscious about his height, which may have been caused by a childhood case of the mumps.

He Never Had Any Battlefield Training

In 1914, the British military sent Lawrence on an archaeological expedition of the Sinai Peninsula and Negev Desert, a research trip that was actually a cover for a secret military survey of areas controlled by the Ottoman Turks. Once World War I began, Lawrence joined the British military as an intelligence officer in Cairo. In 1916, in spite of his nonexistent military training, he helped to lead battlefield expeditions and dangerous missions behind enemy lines during the two-year Arab Revolt against the Turks.

Lawrence Re-enlisted After the War Using Fake Names

After completing his diplomatic service under Churchill, Lawrence returned to the military in 1922 by enlisting in the Royal Air Force. But in an attempt to avoid the glare of celebrity, he did so under a pseudonym: John Hume Ross. Months later, the press revealed his secret, and he was discharged. Lawrence subsequently enlisted as a private in the Royal Tank Corps, but under the assumed name Thomas Edward Shaw, a nod to his friend, the famed Irish writer George Bernard Shaw. This is the name he used when he published a translation in English of Homer’s Odyssey. This is the name he used when he published an English translation of Homer’s Odyssey. 

He Refused Knighthood

King George V summoned Lawrence to Buckingham Palace on October 30, 1918. Lawrence hoped that the private audience was to discuss borders for an independent Arabia, but instead the king wished to bestow a knighthood on his 30-year-old subject. Believing that the British government had betrayed the Arabs by reneging on a promise of independence, Lawrence told the befuddled monarch that he was refusing the honor before turning and walking out of the palace.

Lawrence Died in Motorcycle Accident

Lawrence owned a number of Brough Superior motorcycles and was an avid motorcyclist. He was speeding along the English countryside on one of his bikes on May 13, 1935, when he swerved to avoid hitting several boys riding their bicycles. However, he clipped one of the bikes and was thrown forward over the handlebars. Lawrence never recovered from his massive brain injuries and died six days later at the age of 46.

[dgrimm60]

PHKRAUSE

I did not know that  the  real  Lawrence of  Arabia was  short only 5 feet 5 inches====

I did  not  know that  he  refused Knighthood=====

dgrimm60

 

[phkrause]

5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Blue Jeans_3

On May 20, 1873, Levi Strauss and his partner Jacob Davis received a patent for riveted pants that became known as blue jeans. Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about the history of these iconic jeans in America…

Blue Jeans Were The Creation of Two Immigrants

Although Levis are an iconic symbol of America, two immigrants were involved in their original design. Jacob Davis, an immigrant from Latvia, who was living in Reno, Nevada, came up with the idea of placing copper rivets at particular points in work pants to make them stronger. He contacted Levi Strauss, a German-born wholesale dry goods merchant, who supplied his fabric. Strauss financed the application for the patent and became the name of the popular denim jeans.

There’s a Reason Jeans Have Rivets

It wasn't just for style that Levi's jeans have had copper rivets on the pockets since the beginning.  Copper rivets placed on the pockets made the seams more durable and prevented tearing, which was important to the miners who originally wore them.  In the 1930s, the pockets were sewn to the pants so that the rivets were covered because of complaints that they scratched furniture. But they were returned to view in 1947. A small fifth pocket was added as a handy carrying case for a pocket watch.

One Pair of Levis Sold for More Than $46,000

One of the world’s oldest pairs of Levi’s jeans - made in the 1880s and sold for around a dollar- was reacquired by Levi Strauss & Co. for $46,532. The jeans were found in an old gold mine in the Mojave Desert in California in 1999 and were reported to be 100 years old.  In what is believed to be the highest price ever paid for denim, Levi’s bought the jeans during an online eBay auction. Levi’s historian Lynn Downey said the company would use the jeans as a template for part of a vintage collection. Historians for Levi Strauss examined the fabric and patented copper rivets and concluded the jeans were produced between 1880 and 1885.

Jeans Weren’t Always Called Jeans

What people know today as jeans were originally called waist overalls when they were first sold by Bavarian immigrant Levi Strauss and his partner Jacob Davis in 1873. People continued to call them waist overalls or just plain overalls until the 1960s. Jean (or jeane) was the name for the cotton corduroy fabric made in Genoa, Italy, that was used to fashion the pants.

Hollywood Made Jeans Popular With Teens

Originally, jeans were associated with the working class and Westerners such as cowboys, but Hollywood films changed that. It started first with Marlon Brando wearing jeans as a tough biker in The Wild One in 1953, and then with heartthrob James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause in 1955. By the time Marilyn Monroe appeared in The Misfits in 1961, everyone wanted to own at least a few pairs of jeans, including women.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About "The Empire Strikes Back"

On May 21, 1980, The Empire Strikes Back was released in theaters. This was the second film in the Star Wars series although it was technically the fifth film in a planned saga. Here are 5 things you didn't know about The Empire Strikes Back...

It Has One of the Best-Known Misquoted Movie Lines.

The most well-known line in the film is often the commonly quoted plot twist, in which Darth Vader says, "Luke, I am your father." However, the line has actually been misquoted for decades. The real quote from The Empire Strikes Back is "No, I am your father." Either way, the news that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father remains one of the most devastating moments in the entire saga.

Yoda Almost Had A Very Different Name

It's not unusual for scripts to undergo major changes in each draft, and names usually get rearranged and changed, too. In an early draft of the film, Luke was going to travel to the planet of Bog (instead of Dagobah), and receive training from a frog-like Jedi named Minch. In later drafts, Minch was renamed to Yoda. The name "Minch" however did end up making an appearance in Star Wars comics and was used by another member of Yoda's species. He was much older, with his story taking place seven hundred years before the events in the Skywalker Saga.

George Lucas Self-Funded The Whole Movie

Swimming in cash thanks to the success of the original Star Wars, George Lucas opted to fund all subsequent sequels out of his own pocket. If his strategy seems impressive today, it seemed very radical way back in 1979 when Empire rolled into production. Lucas also retained sequel rights from Fox, who saw no future in the series. We’d imagine someone lost his job over that one…Lucas had fought to maintain sequel rights as a way of guaranteeing himself total creative freedom with the Star Wars universe. By paying for everything himself, it would be easier for him to keep all the rights, as well as all the profits.

Jim Henson Turned Down The Voice Of Yoda

To create Yoda, George Lucas knew it would require some innovative techniques. He consulted with Jim Henson, who’s Muppets had become cultural icons. Lucas and Henson became fast friends, and Lucas asked Henson to play the role of Yoda. Henson declined his offer to direct "The Great Muppet Caper." Henson did, however, suggest his frequent collaborator Frank Oz for the part. Oz accepted, performing Yoda's voice.

Lucas Tried To Get Oz An Oscar Nomination

Yoda has become one of the best-loved characters in the Star Wars franchise. His performance was so important to the film's success that George Lucas spent thousands of dollars campaigning to get Frank Oz a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Oscars. Unfortunately, the Academy declared that puppeteers were not actors, and ineligible for the award. Lucas made the snub up to Oz by bringing him back for the next four Star Wars films.