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Post by SOL Owner on Aug 15, 2016 9:41:44 GMT -6
about the Japanese Surrender in World War II
On August 15, 1945, Japanese Emperor Hirohito officially broadcast to the Japanese people the news of his country's surrender, thus bringing to a close World War II. To mark this historic event in 20th century history, try your luck with our trivia questions to test your knowledge of the Japanese surrender and the factors that hastened Tokyo's decision to end the war.
When Did the Allies First Learn of Japan's Decision? # Emperor Hirohito told the Japanese people about the surrender in a nationwide radio address. On August 10, 1945, five days before Hirohito's groundbreaking broadcast, Japan's War Council, at the emperor's urging, submitted a formal declaration of surrender to the United States and its allies. Nevertheless, fierce fighting between Japan and the Allies continued for the next few days. On August 12, a Japanese submarine sank two U.S. military vessels east of Okinawa. Those ships were the U.S.S. Oak Hill, a landing ship, and the U.S.S. Thomas F. Nickel, an American destroyer. At roughly the same time, fighting raged between Russian and Japanese forces in Manchuria. On the afternoon of August 14, 1945, official Japanese radio informed the people of Japan that an imperial confirmation of the surrender declaration was imminent.
What U.S. Military Actions Pressured Japan to Surrender? # The formal surrender ceremony on September 2, 1945, was held on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri, which was anchored in Tokyo Bay. Despite sustaining heavy losses, Japan showed no signs that it was ready to surrender as August 1945 began. Although Japan had lost many of its holdings in the western Pacific, the country's massive military forces seemed determined to fight to the death to protect the homeland from foreign invasion. U.S. President Harry Truman was faced with a daunting decision: Invade Japan and risk heavy losses in U.S. military personnel or threaten the use of the world's first nuclear weapon to pressure the Japanese. Truman opted for the latter course and directed U.S. military aircraft to drop leaflets over Japanese target cities warning of the coming devastation. Citizens were urged to evacuate such areas. On the morning of August 6, 1945, an American bomber dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, creating massive destruction and loss of life. Truman once again demanded that the Japanese surrender. When Japan failed to buckle under, a second U.S. atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Not long after the U.S. attack on Nagasaki, Emperor Hirohito directed the country's war council to accept the surrender terms spelled out in the Potsdam Declaration of July 26, 1945.
How Did the Japanese Military React to the News of Surrender? While it's likely that the vast majority of the men in Japan's armed forces welcomed word that the war was about to end, some hard-core soldiers were determined to do all they could to prevent surrender. In the wake of the August 14 broadcast hinting that the emperor was expected to confirm the country's surrender imminently, roughly 1,000 Japanese soldiers stormed the Imperial Palace hoping they could seize the declaration of surrender before it could be transmitted to the Allies. Little did they realize that the deed had already been done.
What is the Proper Date for V-J Day? It all depends on whom you ask. At varying points across the years, both August 14 and 15, as well as September 2, have been cited as "Victory over Japan Day," or V-J Day for short. August 14, 1945, was the date on which most of the world learned of Japan's unconditional surrender to the Allies. However, Emperor Hirohito's broadcast to the Japanese people on August 15, 1945, somehow made it all official. September 2, 1945, was the date of Japan's formal surrender ceremony aboard the U.S.S. Missouri while the vessel was anchored in Tokyo Bay. Whatever the most appropriate date might be, observation of the holiday has all but disappeared. Because Japan is today one of America's closest allies, U.S. government officials fear V-J Day celebrations would be offensive to that country, not to mention America's large population of Japanese-Americans.
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Post by SOL Owner on Aug 16, 2016 9:27:17 GMT -6
Trivia Questions about the Death of Elvis Presley
On August 16, 1977, Elvis Aaron Presley, widely acclaimed as the King of Rock and Roll, died at his home in Memphis at the age of 42. To mark the anniversary of this iconic entertainer's death, we've put together some trivia questions; try your luck with them to test your knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Presley's death
What Were the Circumstances of Presley's Death? # Elvis Presley was found unresponsive in the master bathroom of his beloved Memphis home known as Graceland. Despite taking an undisclosed amount of the powerful painkiller Dilaudid and three packets of pills prepared especially for him by his doctor for twice-daily use, Presley had been unable to sleep during the nighttime hours of August 15-16. Staying at Presley's Graceland mansion in Memphis with him was his fiancee Ginger Alden. At about 9:30 a.m. local time, having given up on his attempts to sleep, Presley grabbed a book and went from the bedroom he shared with Alden to the bathroom. As he went, Alden reportedly called out to him, "Don't fall asleep in there," to which Presley responded, "Okay, I won't." Alden then fell back to sleep, awakening at about 1:30 p.m. The bathroom door was still closed, and there was no sign of Presley. Alden knocked on the bathroom door but got no response. She entered the bathroom to find Presley's unresponsive body on the floor in front of the toilet. He was rushed to Baptist Memorial Hospital, but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was officially pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. local time.
What Book Was Presley Reading at the Time of His Death? # Presley's final resting place is on the grounds of Graceland. In 1964, Elvis hired Larry Geller to serve as his personal hairstylist. Only five years earlier, Geller had partnered with hairdresser Jay Sebring to set up what was said to be America's first men's hair styling salon in Hollywood. During his time with Presley, Geller became the singer's confidant, and the two often discussed questions of spirituality, a topic in which both men were deeply interested. When Presley's lifeless body was found in the early afternoon of August 16, 1977, the book on the floor beside him was A Scientific Search for the Face of Jesus by Frank Adams, given to Presley by Geller.
What Was Presley's Cause of Death? The investigation into Presley's cause of death was the subject of considerable controversy. Even before the autopsy was completed and toxicology results were in hand, Shelby County Medical Examiner Jerry Francisco reportedly attributed the death to cardiac arrhythmia, a condition that can only be definitively diagnosed in live patients. Postmortem toxicology reports indicated that Presley's body was loaded with powerful prescription drugs, including the presence of codeine at roughly 10 times the therapeutic level. In light of continuing questions about Presley's cause of death, the Tennessee Department of Health in 1994 hired Dade County (Florida) Medical Examiner Joseph Davis to review Francisco's findings from 17 years earlier. Davis reported that he found no evidence that drugs were the direct cause of Presley's death, blaming it instead on "a sudden, violent heart attack." However, there's little doubt that Presley's overuse of prescription drugs were a contributing factor in his death at such an early age.
Was Anyone Ever Prosecuted in Connection with Presley's Death? George "Doctor Nick" Nichopoulos served as Presley's personal physician for the last decade of the singer's life. Lingering questions about the role of drugs in Presley's death hung over Doctor Nick for years after his patient's passing. In 1980, the doctor was indicted on charges of overprescribing prescription medicines to Presley and others. Evidence was uncovered showing that in 1977 alone, Nichopoulos had prescribed for Presley more than 10,000 doses of amphetamines, barbiturates, hormones, sleeping pills, tranquilizers, and other medications. During the trial, the doctor's defense attorneys pointed out that Nichopoulos was aware of Presley's growing dependency on prescription drugs and had gone so far as to supply the singer with roughly 1,000 pills that were nothing more than placebos. In the end, the jury acquitted the doctor of all charges.
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Post by SOL Owner on Aug 23, 2016 19:10:44 GMT -6
Take a Spin with Teddy Roosevelt Trivia
On August 22, 1902, President Teddy Roosevelt became the first American president to take a spin in an automobile in public, being driven along the highways and byways of Connecticut in an electric car. To mark the anniversary of this auspicious occasion, we have put together some trivia questions to see how much you know about America's early automotive history and Roosevelt's role in it.
Is It True That Another U.S. President Rode in a Car Before Roosevelt? # Shown in the photo above is a 1903 Columbia Electric automobile, identical to the one in which Teddy Roosevelt rode in the late summer of 1902. Although Roosevelt has the distinction of being the first American president to ride in a car in public, he was not the first chief executive to ride in an automobile. That honor goes to William McKinley, Roosevelt's predecessor in the White House. During his presidency, tragically cut short by an assassin's bullet in September 1901, McKinley was given a private ride in the Stanley Steamer, a steam-powered automobile built in the final decade of the 19th century by brothers Francis and Freelan Stanley. The brothers' Stanley Motor Carriage Company manufactured and sold steam-powered automobiles until the early 1920s.
Who Was the First President to Have an Automobile at His Disposal? # This equestrian statue of Roosevelt captures the president on the form of transport he favored above all others. Although he may have been hooked on the idea of the so-called horseless carriage after his 1902 ride in an electric car, Teddy Roosevelt's administration opted for a steam-driven car when it decided to purchase a presidential automobile. However, true to his love of the Old West and ranch life, Roosevelt reportedly preferred horses to automobiles.
How Long Had Electric Cars Been Around before Roosevelt's Historic Ride? Although many 21st century Americans tend to think of electric cars as the cutting edge of automotive engineering, in fact they've been around in one form or another since the late 19th century. Scottish inventor Robert Anderson gets the credit for his 1830s creation of the first crude electric carriage, which is powered by non-rechargeable primary cells, according to PBS.org. Nearly six decades later in 1891, American William Morrison builds the first successful electric car. Six years later, the first electric-powered taxis hit the streets of New York City. In 1900, the earliest incarnation of electric automobiles enjoys its heyday, accounting for 28 percent of all the cars manufactured that year. Seven years later, Henry Ford introduces the Model T, a mass-produced, gasoline-powered car that in just over a decade renders the manufacture and sale of electric cars no longer commercially viable.
What Was the First Presidential Limousine? For most of the first four decades of the 20th century, America's presidents were chauffeured about in standard production cars from U.S. automakers. The transition to limousines began in 1939 when the U.S. Secret Service took delivery of a custom-made stretched version of Lincoln's K-series model powered by a V-12 engine. Dubbed the Sunshine Special because it was seen most often with its top down, the Sunshine Special had a 160-inch wheelbase and was customized for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's use by coachbuilder Brunn & Company of Buffalo, New York. The limo featured oversize rear-hinged rear doors to facilitate easy access for the wheelchair-bound Roosevelt.
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Post by SOL Owner on Oct 31, 2016 12:58:04 GMT -6
Don't Get Scared: It's Just a Halloween Trivia Quiz!
Why Do We Give Out Candy on Halloween? [IMG] We're just going to say it: Halloween is the best holiday. Sorry, Thanksgiving. Where exactly the tradition of trick or treating started is a matter of some debate. But when the custom first came to America in the 1920s and 30s, it wasn't just kids going door to door for candy. The practice back then would yield all sorts of treats including toys and money. And let's be honest, if you're a kid, you love candy, but you probably wouldn't have minded if you got a few less bags of candy corn and a bit more cash. So why did we make the transition to virtually everyone just giving fun-sized candy? You guessed it, the candy companies. They saw an opportunity and started marketing tiny, individually wrapped candies to families who mostly adopted the idea because it was just easier.
Why Do Certain Animal Shelters Not Give Out Black Cats Around Halloween? [IMG] This is nice, but do you have anything I can play on my Xbox instead? Call a local animal shelter asking to adopt a black cat today and there's a solid chance they'll say no. Most people trace this tradition to the late 1980s when shelters became worried that people would sacrifice black cats as some sort of Satanic ritual. However, it's not the case everywhere. Said Vice President of Shelter Research and Development at the ASPCA, Emily Weiss, in a piece on the Huntington Post, "Years ago, this used to be pretty common - that shelters would not adopt out cats during Halloween for fear of something horrible happening to the cats, but we don't hear too much anymore. And many, many shelters are actually [holding] a special black cat promotion around the holiday."
Certain Halloween Traditions Used to Focus More Around What Green Vegetable? Halloween used to focus a lot more on a food that's almost the opposite of candy: cabbage. In fact, some towns even called Halloween "Cabbage Night." Girls used cabbage stumps as part of a fortune-telling game to make predictions about their future husbands, and kids threw cabbages at neighbors' houses. It's umm... it's amazing the tradition didn't hold up.
What Irish Tradition Turned the Fortunes of a Once-Unpopular Food? In the olden days, people didn't really like pumpkins, and they were more something farmers had to deal with getting rid of than something harvested for delicious pies. But in the 19th century, Irish immigrants started coming to America, bringing their traditions with them. Traditions that included carving turnips into lanterns for the Celtic festival of Samhain - a key originator of the Halloween holiday. And they found the perfect American substitute for the turnip: The pumpkin. Pumpkin sales and they became a staple of fall eating. All in all, it's hard to argue that it's a better choice than cabbage.[IMG]
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Post by SOL Owner on Mar 11, 2017 12:04:28 GMT -6
4 Electrifying Trivia Questions About Frankenstein
On March 11, 1818, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley at age 18, was published. Answering these trivia questions should not be too horrifying.
Where Did the Idea for the Book Come From?
# Frankenstein may have been the precursor to the self-made man. At least, he made for a great Halloween costume. There is some suggestion that Mary Godwin, before her marriage to Percy Bysshe Shelley, traveled through Southern Germany by boat in 1814 and stayed near Darmstadt. The Frankenstein Castle sits on a hill overlooking the town, and even then, was the subject of numerous myths and folktales. One, in particular, is the story of alchemist, theologian, and physician Johann Conrad Dippel, who was born in Frankenstein Castle.
Although little has been proven about Dippel's life, many rumors exist, including that he was searching for the Elixir of Life and the Philosopher's Stone, which could turn metals into gold. He did develop Dippel's Oil, a substance composed of charred animal bones, hooves and hides, similar to Neat's Foot Oil. However, dark rumors existed at the time that Dippel was experimenting that might have involved bodies stolen from graveyards, reanimation experiments and transferring the soul of a body into another.
Why Did Mary Shelley Write the Novel?
# Frankenstein's creature, as depicted by Edison Studios in 1910. This was obviously before he went with the flattop haircut and neck bolt body piercings. She traveled to the Swiss villa near Lake Geneva belonging to poet George Gordon Lord Byron, along with Percy Bysshe Shelley, and others during the summer of 1816. Because of the eruption of Mt. Tambora in 1815 in Indonesia, it created incessant rain, forcing the group to spend a great deal of time indoors. That year became known as "the year without a summer." They passed much of the time telling ghost stories, writing, and reading, and it was Byron who suggested they have a contest writing such stories. Mary, Shelley's soon to be wife, said the idea for the story came to her because of conversations between Percy Shelley and Lord Byron about life and the possibility of the reanimation of corpses, among other subjects. Mary Shelley's novel was published two years later with no author listed. However, the preface to the book was written by her husband, Percy Shelley, and includes the reasons they decided to write stories with a supernatural theme.
Was Frankenstein the Monster's Name?
No. Victor Frankenstein was the name of the monster's creator, not the creature itself. Nowhere in Mary Shelley's novel does she call the monster by a name. Instead, she refers to the monster as "it," "creature," and by other words. As for the monster, it refers to itself as when speaking to Victor as "the Adam of your labours." It goes on to say, "I should have been your Adam but instead I am your fallen angel."
Has the Book Frankenstein Ever Been Out of Print?
No. Since its initial release of 500 copies in 1818, the book has continuously been in print. It has also inspired numerous movies, musicals, comic books and toys. The first film depiction of the book was made in 1910 by Edison Studios, the company owned by inventor Thomas Edison. One of the most popular movies was released in 1931. Frankenstein starred Boris Karloff as the monster and Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein.
The duo starred again in Bride of Frankenstein in the 1935 movie, with Elsa Lanchester as the bride. The monster even made its way into comedies such as the 1948 Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and Young Frankenstein, the Mel Brooks' comedy starring Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle. In television programming, it extended to Fred Gwynne's character of Herman Munster.
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Post by SOL Owner on Mar 14, 2017 14:15:55 GMT -6
Celebrate Albert Einstein's Birthday With Some Trivia!
Today is March 14th, and that makes it the birthday of Billy Crystal, Michael Caine, and Quincy Jones. But we decided to focus on someone else born today: Albert Einstein. So Join us and see how much you know about one of history's most brilliant minds!
What Happened to Einstein's Brain after He Died?
# I'm just gonna put "brain missing" on this tag and hope no one calls me on it. When Einstein died, the autopsy was performed by a man named Thomas Harvey, and, well, apparently it's true what they say about people with two first names: You never can trust them. Harvey stole Einstein's brain and put it in formaldehyde, deciding that it was too important to not be researched. You probably won't be surprised to learn that Harvey lost his job. But you might be surprised to learn that NOBODY MADE HIM RETURN THE BRAIN HE HAD STOLEN. We can only conclude that there is a hole somewhere in the criminal justice system if brain theft is going unpunished.
Harvey would occasionally send off pieces of the brain to scientists for research, once even sending a portion in a mayonnaise jar. Harvey eventually gave the brain to the pathology department at Princeton University, only a few decades after first stealing it.
How Did Einstein Attempt to Solve the Problems He was Experiencing with His Wife, Mileva Maric?
# He's good, but could he have pulled off the title role in When Harry Met Sally? When Einstein's first marriage hit a rough patch, he came up with an idea that really makes us wonder about this whole genius label he gets: He gave his wife a list of rules that would allow him to stay with her. The rules included making sure that his clothes and laundry were handled, that he got three meals a day served to him in his room and that his office was kept neat.
He asked her to forego, "my sitting at home with you" and "my going out or travelling with you," which would seem to cover most forms of interaction. And, of course, he stipulated "you will not expect any intimacy from me." There's more, but we think you get the point. Anyway, you're not going to believe this, but she took the kids and moved out a couple months later. We're surprised she lasted that long.
For What Did Albert Einstein Win the Nobel Prize?
In 1922, Albert Einstein received the Nobel Prize in Physics, seventeen years after discovering the theory of relativity. But that's not what he won for. The theory of relativity wasn't the only thing Einstein unlocked in 1905. That same year he helped scientists to better understand why light carried electricity, a discovery that decades later would prove pivotal in the development of solar panels. Despite his troubles with his then-ex-wife, she still received all the prize money from the award to help their family amidst illness and Germany's inflation problems.
What Wise Fictional Character Had His Face Modeled After Einstein?
# Unruly white hair have I. Makeup artist Stuart Freeborn was the man in charge of designing the face of Yoda, from Star Wars. Like any good designer, he based the character in part on himself. But then he also pulled from another brilliant visionary: Albert Einstein.
It's kind of fitting that one of Earth's wisest men became the inspiration for one of the galaxy's wisest creatures.
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Post by SOL Owner on May 28, 2017 10:00:22 GMT -6
Trivia: The Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam War
It was May 28, 1984, that President Ronald Reagan laid to rest an unidentified American soldier from the Vietnam War at Arlington Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Test your knowledge of our nation’s fallen heroes with these trivia questions.
How Many Americans Died in the Vietnam War?[IMG]According to the National Records and Archives Administration, 58,220 Americans died as a result of the war in Vietnam. That’s an average of nearly 20 American deaths per day that the US had military forces on the ground in Vietnam.
As staggering as that number may be, it doesn’t come close to touching the number of deaths experienced in other major US conflicts.
Which War is Responsible for the Highest Number of US Fallen Soldiers?According to data from the Department of Defense and Department of Veteran Affairs, Vietnam is only the fourth deadliest war for US military personnel.
The first World War killed over 100,000 American soldiers. World War II more than tripled that number with over 400,000 fallen. The most deadly war of all for US military though? Our own Civil War.
Estimates of the number dead vary but generally hover around approximately 500,000 US military deaths as a result of the Civil War. Combined with eight other US military conflicts not mentioned thus far, the total number of US military deaths in history is now well over 1.1 million.
The deadliest battle of all-time? That was actually in World War I at the Battle of Argonne Forest where over 26,000 American soldiers lost their lives.
What is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?[IMG]The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.On March 4, 1921, Congress approved the burial of an unidentified US soldier on a hilltop facing Washington DC in Arlington National Cemetery. President Harding oversaw the burial of the soldier later that year. A new post-wartime ceremony was born. The Unknown Soldiers from each war buried in that tomb are meant to symbolize all of the fallen Americans from their respective conflicts.
President Eisenhower was the next to hold the honor. He buried two unknowns: one selected from World War II and the other from the Korean War. Both were awarded the Medal of Honor and buried in a ceremony presided over by Eisenhower.
It wasn’t until 1984 - over 10 years after the Paris Peace Accords effectively put an end to the Vietnam War - that President Reagan buried the Unknown Soldier alongside his fallen comrades from the two World Wars and Korea.
Why Did it Take So Much Time to Choose a Soldier from Vietnam for the Tomb?In the years between Eisenhower’s induction of the two unknowns from World War II and Korean Wars and Reagan’s burial of the unknown from Vietnam, there had been significant technological, militaristic and scientific advancements that made actually finding an unknown soldier difficult.
By 1982, all but four fallen US soldiers had been identified and their next of kin notified. Of the four remaining, two were identified later that year and one couldn’t be 100% verified as American. That left the one remaining unknown, who was chosen and later buried by President Reagan on May 28, 1984.
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Post by SOL Owner on Oct 7, 2017 8:26:11 GMT -6
Gaw Hong
=================
More than 200 years ago, the Chinese on Formosa were having a
difficult time stamping out the barbaric practice of headhunting
among native Taiwanese inhabitants.
Because of the coming of the Chinese gentleman named Gaw Hong
who had been appointed magistrate to the region, the practice
was almost wiped out except for a few spots here and there.
He was a just man and a kind man. Soon he had won the hearts of
all the people in the area. By his good dealings with the
people, he won their affection. Even the fiercest of the tribes
couldn’t help but love, respect and revere him.
Because he was such an incredibly fine gentleman, he managed to
stamp out this barbaric practice bit by bit. Unfortunately,
when it appeared that he had almost succeeded, a religious
festival approached and the local inhabitants felt that they
needed to appease the Gods by offering human heads.
Gaw Hong appealed to them with every ounce of persuasion he had,
not to do it, but they wore him down.
Eventually, he said to them, “I will give you permission to take
one head, only one. And, you will take it when and where I shall
appoint.”
When the feast came, he told them explicitly what he wanted them
to do. They were to take the first man using a certain path at
dawn the next day. In keeping with his instructions, the
assassins lay in wait for that first person to appear on the
road. The arrow of the assassin found its target, and they
quickly cut off the head of the victim, put it in a bag and took
it to the tribal chief.
When the sack was opened, it was the head of Gaw Hong.
On that day in Formosa, headhunting ceased forever.
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