Aug. 5
WORD OF THE DAY
marigraph [mar-i-grahf] (noun) a device that automatically registers the rise and fall of the tide.
TV TRIVIA
In “Rescue Me,” who plays Tommy Gavin?
A. Phil Donahue
B. Denis Leary
C. Dean Winters
D. Steven Pasquale
(Answer at bottom of column)
NUMBER TO KNOW
1,000,000: Russia out-produces Saudi Arabia in oil production by 1,000,000 barrels per day.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Aug. 5, 1858: After several unsuccessful attempts, the first telegraph line across the Atlantic Ocean is completed.
FAMOUS BIRTHDAY
TV actress Maureen McCormick (63)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“You have succeeded in live when all you really want is only what you really need.” - Vernon Howard
TRIVIA ANSWER
B. Denis Leary
Aug. 6
WORD OF THE DAY
abulia [uh-byoo-lee-uh] (noun) a symptom of mental disorder involving impairment or loss of volition.
TV TRIVIA
In “The Rifleman,” what was Lucas McCain’s son’s name?
A. Tom
B. Johnny
C. Mark
D. Buddy
(Answer at bottom of column)
NUMBER TO KNOW
3: Three banana companies overthrew the government of Honduras.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Aug. 6, 1945: At 8:16 a.m. Japanese time, an American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, drops the world’s first atom bomb, over the city of Hiroshima.
FAMOUS BIRTHDAY
TV actress Soleil Moon Frye (43)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.” - Oscar Wilde
TRIVIA ANSWER
C. Mark
Aug. 7
WORD OF THE DAY
tapotement [tuh-poht-ment] (noun) the use of various light, quick chopping, slapping, or beating strokes on the body during massage.
TV TRIVIA
In “The Rockford Files,” what was the full name of the title character?
A. James Scott Rockford
B. Rockford Paul James
C. Jeffery James Rockford
D. Brian Rockford James
(Answer at bottom of column)
NUMBER TO KNOW
0.2: There is about 0.2 milligrams of gold in the human body, most of which is in blood.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Aug. 7, 1912: Theodore Roosevelt, the former U.S. president, is nominated for the presidency by the Progressive Party.
FAMOUS BIRTHDAY
Movie actress Charlize Theron (44)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The buried talent is the sunken rock on which most lives strike and founder.” - Frederick William Faber
TRIVIA ANSWER
A. James Scott Rockford
Aug. 8
WORD OF THE DAY
theriac [theer-ee-ak] (noun) a paste formerly used as an antidote to poison.
TV TRIVIA
In “Roseanne,” what street do the Conners live on?
A. Cleveland Street
B. Oak Street
C. Elm Street
D. Delaware Street
(Answer at bottom of column)
NUMBER TO KNOW
30%: The Xbox 360’s “Red Ring of Death” caused 30% of the consoles to fail in 2007.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Aug. 8, 1974: In an evening televised address, President Richard M. Nixon announces his intention to become the first president in American history to resign.
FAMOUS BIRTHDAY
Movie actor Dustin Hoffman (82)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Less is only more where more is no good.” - Frank Lloyd Wright
TRIVIA ANSWER
D. Delaware Street
Aug. 9
WORD OF THE DAY
haulm [hawm] (noun) stems or stalks collectively, as of grain or of peas, beans, or hops, especially as used for litter or thatching.
TV TRIVIA
In “The Rockford Files,” what was Rockford’s father’s nickname?
A. Rocky
B. Jimmy
C. Tricky
D. Chainsaw
(Answer at bottom of column)
NUMBER TO KNOW
5: President Abraham Lincoln survived five assassination plots before being shot by John Wilkes Booth.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Aug. 9, 1969: Members of Charles Manson’s cult kill five people in movie director Roman Polanski’s Beverly Hills, California, home, including Polanski’s pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate.
FAMOUS BIRTHDAY
Movie actress Anna Kendrick (34)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.” - Jean Paul
TRIVIA ANSWER
A. Rocky
Aug. 10
WORD OF THE DAY
eldritch [el-drich] (adjective) eerie; weird; spooky.
TV TRIVIA
Where did the TV series “The Rifleman” take place?
A. North Fork, Wyoming
B. Silver Springs, Colorado
C. North Fork, Texas
D. North Fork, New Mexico
(Answer at bottom of column)
NUMBER TO KNOW
6: Cheating on your spouse is a crime in New York, carrying a possible sentence of up to six months in jail.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Aug. 10, 1793: After more than two centuries as a royal palace, the Louvre is opened as a public museum in Paris by the French revolutionary government.
FAMOUS BIRTHDAY
Movie actor Antonio Banderas (59)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” - Confucius
TRIVIA ANSWER
D. North Fork, New Mexico
Aug. 11
WORD OF THE DAY
wale [weyl] (noun) a streak, stripe, or ridge produced on the skin by the stroke of a rod or whip; welt.
TV TRIVIA
In “Rescue Me,” what is Tommy Gavin’s profession?
A. Policeman
B. Unemployed
C. Doctor
D. Firefighter
(Answer at bottom of column)
NUMBER TO KNOW
4: Around 4% of all the cheese made in a year ends up being stolen.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Aug. 11, 1934: A group of federal prisoners classified as “most dangerous” arrives at Alcatraz Island, a 22-acre rocky outcrop situated 1.5 miles offshore in San Francisco Bay.
FAMOUS BIRTHDAY
Wrestler Hulk Hogan (66)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We all have ability. The difference is how we use it.” - Charlotte Whitton
TRIVIA ANSWER
D. Firefighter