Author: Evelyn Beresford

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which woman’s name appears on the Declaration of Independence?” …Mary Katherine Goddard is unfamiliar to many Americans, but her name sits on the Declaration of Independence alongside those of founding fathers like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. If you look closely at the document, you will find her name. While she didn’t sign it, she did publish it. Congress approached the Baltimore postmaster to print the second copy of the Declaration in 1777. To ensure her name would go down in history, she wrote, “Baltimore, in Maryland: Printed by Mary Katharine Goddard” at the bottom…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which Marlon Brando movie was banned in Italy?” The movie Last Tango in Paris starring Marlon Brando was released in Italy on December 15, 1972, grossing an unprecedented $100,000 in only six days. One week later, however, police seized all copies on the order of a prosecutor, who defined the movie as “self-serving pornography”, and its director Bernardo Bertolucci was put to trial for “obscenity”. On January 26, 1976 the Italian Supreme Court ordered all copies to be destroyed. Bertolucci was served with a four month suspended sentence in prison and had his civil rights…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Who actually framed Roger Rabbit?” Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 fantasy-comedy-mystery film that combines live-action and animation, depicting a world in which cartoon characters interact directly with human beings. Who Framed Roger Rabbit stars Bob Hoskins as a private detective who investigates a murder involving the famous cartoon character, Roger Rabbit. What follows next is a wild ride through Toontown where a host of cartoon characters become entangled in the murder investigation. In the end, it’s revealed that Judge Doom (portrayed by Christopher Lloyd) is the villain behind the framing of Roger Rabbit.…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “What color is the majuscule in Google’s current logo?” …A majuscule is simply the capital or uppercase letter of a word. With roughly 3.5 billion Google searches each day, it’s not unlikely that the average person might see the Google logo anywhere from one to 30 times each day. Given its popularity, it is probably the most viewed logo in the entire world. The colors found in the logo are blue, red, yellow and green. Google has been using its colorful and recognizable design since Larry Page first created the logo in 1997. The actual…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “What is the term for a single strand of spaghetti?” Consider the following scenario: You have a big bowl of spaghetti bolognese in front of you, and you dig your fork in, only to twirl up one lone noodle. What exactly are you supposed to call this single strand of pasta? It turns out, there is a word for an individual piece of spaghetti: spaghetto. The term “spaghetti” is actually a plural form of the word spaghetto. A quick crash course in Italian language: An i on the end of a word indicates that it’s…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Are there more cats or dogs on our planet?” If you were to add up all the dogs in the world, you would have … well, a lot of dogs. Although the exact number is impossible to determine, according to the most recent estimations, there are approximately 900 million dogs around the globe compared to approximately 600 million cats. The vast majority of these 900 million dogs do not have a home and are referred to as free-range dogs. There are 89.7 million dogs living as pets in US households. The most dog-friendly state is…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Where was the first ZIP code issued?” In 1963 America adopted the postal code, and named it Zone Improvement Plan code or ZIP code for short. The Zip code is used in all 50 states as well as the American territories. The first ZIP code was issued to Agawam, Massachusetts. The town’s postal code is 01001. Agawam is a town rich in history – from its founding in 1636, to its incorporation in 1855, to having the first Zip Code in the United States. Agawam’s ZIP code of 01001 is the lowest number in the…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “What chemical element gives the blood of a lobster a bluish tint?” While humans and many other species have red blood, due to the iron in their hemoglobin, other animals have different colored blood. The bluish tint of a lobster’s blood is due to the presence of copper found in the blue haemocyanin molecule in their blood. Hemoglobin, an iron-containing protein found in the blood of other animals—including humans—serves the same oxygen-transporting function but turns blood red. Some animals, such as the sea cucumbers, even have yellow blood. What could make blood yellow? The yellow…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young is a descendant of the founder of what college?” Steve Young is a former professional football quarterback who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and is best known for his 13 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Young played college football for Brigham Young University, setting school and NCAA records en route to being runner-up for the 1983 Heisman Trophy. Steve Young is a great-great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for whom BYU is named. Step 2…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which animal is often blamed for starting the Great Chicago Fire of 1871?” …In all of history, no cow is more infamous than Mrs. O’Leary’s. On this day in 1871, the Great Chicago Fire began when a fire broke out in the barn behind the home of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary. Legend has it, their cow kicked over a kerosene lamp during milking, setting fire to the O’Leary barn. At least 300 people were dead, 17,450 buildings were destroyed, and 100,000 people were homeless. The fire was one of the most spectacular events of the…