Jane C. Flinn - All Things History: Learning the Past with Fun Facts

All Things History

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York London

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available

ISBN 9781475841244 (cloth: alk. paper) | ISBN 9781475841251 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781475841268 (electronic)

TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

When I moved with my family from New Jersey to Vero Beach, Florida, as a young child, I stayed in touch with friends and family up north by writing letterslots of letters. My passion for writing began then. I enjoyed sharing my thoughts and experiences with others and finding just the right words to express myself.

After graduating from school, I worked as a medical transcriptionist and a court reporterjobs that fascinated me because I learned legal and medical jargon and because they involved writing. My thirst for knowledge was being quenched, but I craved even more.

One day, I walked into a local bookstore, picked up a trivia book, and was hooked immediately. I realized there was no better way to learn a great deal about myriad subjects than by reading these fun facts. I was learningand I was having fun doing it.

The trivia book made me want to know more. The more I researched, the more I learned, and that led me to combine my fascination with facts with my love for writing into a series of trivia books, including the one in your hands.

They say that those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. This book provides a broad look at our pastdistant and not so distantthrough facts that will intrigue, startle, and even make you laugh out loud.

From prehistoric cave etchings to modern-day presidents, the topics bring history to life. By understanding our past, we can help shape the future.

• What is the significance of the word deadline in our history?

• What was the first minimum wage?

• What was the first pen made from?

• When tenor Luciano Pavarotti entertained, what good-luck charm did he have in his pocket?

You may know the answers to those questionsor you may not. If you dont know the answers, I am willing to bet youve already ventured a guess. And now you want to know more.

The multiple-choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and open-ended questions offer information, encourage critical thinking, and provide an opportunity for readers not only to test their knowledge of history but also to learn something new along the way.

Special Did You Know? facts expand on the answers and develop knowledge and understanding of the topic.

This book is written for all ages in an educational and entertaining style. Classroom teachers can use the questions as daily warm-up activities or as a preassessment review. They might plan a game-show activity around the questionscomplete with contestants and prizesor use the questions/answers as a basis for student research projects.

This book can be an effective learning tool at home, as well. Parents and their children can read the book together, taking turns asking and answering questions. They can use the questions and answers as conversation starters at the dinner table, in the car, or while on a walk.

The strength of this book is in its versatility.

Happy learning!

1. Sailors in the US Navy were looking pretty fashionable, as they were the first to wear this type of shirt.

2. In the first century CE, the Chinese discovered what we now call gunpowder by mixing saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal dust. Bamboo tubes were filled with this mixture and set ablaze, causing the first _____________ to be launched.

3. In 1926, Maxwell House Company patented the slogan, Good to the Last Drop, but which company was the very first to use this slogan in 1908?

   1. Pepsi

   2. Coca-Cola

   3. Lipton Tea

4. In 1716, Boston Light was Americas first lighthouse. True or false?

5. What country was the first to develop and begin to practice democracy?

   1. Egypt

   2. Greece

   3. Britain

6. The TV show Faraway Hill made its debut on October 2, 1946. This was considered the very first sitcom. True or false?

   
   

7. In 1869, sailing from London to Shanghai on its maiden voyage, what was the cargo on Britains clipper ship the Cutty Sark?

   1. Apple cider

   2. Lemonade

   3. Tea

8. In 1769, the first self-propelled ____________ rolled out.

9. In 1928, what was a weather maker?

   1. Meteorologist

   2. Air conditioner

   3. Southwest tribes that perform their ceremonial rain dance

10. Businessman Oliver Pollock must have struck it rich when he (unintentionally) created what sign on April 1, 1778?

11. When Harvard University was founded in 1636, its main purpose was to educate or train which group?

    1. Children who showed early signs of being prodigies, geniuses, entrepreneurs, etc.

    2. Clergy

    3. Librarians/teachers

12. When the first cars hit the road, the drivers bought this at the general store and poured it from a bucket through a funnel.

13. Henry Focke invented the first functional rotary ________________ in 1936.

14. The first use of the word deadline in America was during the Revolutionary War. True or false?

15. This everyday product, originally used by women to remove their cold cream, was used as a filter for gas masks during World War I.

16. In 1901, Connecticut was the first state to pass a law regulating motor vehicles. What was it?

17. Boy Scouts of America were originally known as Friends of Danny Boy. True or false?

18. On July 1, 1941, the worlds first television commercial aired on NBC advertising what?

    1. Bulova watches

    2. Gillette razors

    3. Keds sneakers

19. The ancient Egyptians were the first civilization to divide days using _____________ and shadow clocks.

20. Two thousand years ago, what material did the Romans use to build the Colosseum?

21. Where was Americas first stock exchange?

22. In 1758, men who loved their stogies were flocking to Cox and Kings, the worlds first cigar company. True or false?

23. In 1947, what was a whopping six feet tall, tipped the scales at 750 pounds, and cost up to five thousand dollars?