Page 52 - The 'X' Zone Book of Triviology

o The first woman to swim the English Channel was Gertrude Ederle, in 1926. It took 14 hours, 39 minutes. th o A human can only smell 1/20 as well as a dog. o In high school, Robin Williams was voted, “Least Likely to Succeed.” o Frenchman Nicolas Cugnot built the first auto, a steam-powered tricycle. o Karl Benz invented the first gas-powered auto in 1885. It had three wheels. o The first human blood transfusion on record was performed by Jean-Baptiste Denis in 1667. o In 1926 Jeannette Pickering Rankin became the first woman to serve in Congress. o Some popular names for boys in the U.S. in 1900: John, William, James, George. o Some popular names for boys in the U.S. in 2000: Jacob, Michael, Matthew, Joshua. o Some popular names for girls in the U.S. in 1900: Mary, Helen, Anna, Margaret. o Some popular names for girls in the U.S. in 2000: Emily, Hannah, Madison, Ashley. o In George Washington’s time, U.S. life expectancy was 34.5 year for males, 36.5 for females. o William Henry Pratt is the real name of actor Boris Karloff. o Joshua Slocum was the first man to sail around the world alone, from 1895 to 1898. o Jan Paderowski was told he couldn’t be a good pianist because his middle finger was too short. o Original name of rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival: The Blue Velvets. o Spencer Tracy’s middle name: Bonaventure. o The Ford Fairlane was named after Henry Ford’s estate in Dearborn, Michigan. o In the War of 1812, the British burned the White House and most of Washington, D.C. o Frank Sinatra’s epitaph: “The best is yet to come.” o General Robert E. Lee was offered command of both Union and Confederate armies. o The real name of Albanian-born Mother Teresa was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. o The world’s most common name is said to be Muhammad. o Vincent van Gogh didn’t start drawing until he was 27 years old. o Ferdinand Porsche, known for building sleek sports cars, designed the original Volkswagen in 1936. o Film star and racing enthusiast Steve McQueen invented (and patented) the bucket seat in 1969. o In Gone With the Wind, if dates and battles are correct, Melanie’s pregnancy lasted 21 months. o For her role in Cleopatra, Elizabeth Taylor was the first woman to get a $1 million film contract. o Muhammad Ali defended his heavyweight title 9 times; Joe Louis defended his title 25 times. o Tootsie Rolls were named after the inventor’s daughter whose pet name was “Tootsie.” o First Lady Barbara Bush was known as “the Silver Fox.” o The people in Grant Wood’s American Gothic painting are ostensibly father and daughter. o Ben Franklin used the pen name Richard Saunders to publish Poor Richard’s Almanack. o Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan and Pablo Picasso were all left-handed. o In 1972, Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on TV’s The Dating Game. o Seventeen-year-old Warren Beatty was a rat-catcher for the National Theatre in Washington D.C. o Oliver Cromwell banned the eating of pie in 1644. o Musician Captain Beefheart’s real name is Don Van Vliet. o James Bond creator Ian Fleming worked with Navy Intelligence during WWII. o More men than women are left-handed. o Truman Capote’s real name was Truman Streckfus Persons. o John Hanson was the first U.S. president under the Articles of Confederation. o Audrey Hepburn, whose mother was a duchess, was born Edda van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston. o Robert Frost used to milk cows on his farm late at night to avoid doing so early in the morning.