#6895, aired 2014-08-01 | AWARDS & HONORS: There were no winners for this award from 1939 through 1943; in 1944, it was won by the International Committee of the Red Cross the Nobel Peace Prize |
#6894, aired 2014-07-31 | BESTSELLING BOOKS: This novel is dedicated to Esther Earl, who died of thyroid cancer at 16 & never got to read it The Fault in Our Stars |
#6893, aired 2014-07-30 | GREAT MOMENTS IN 19th CENTURY SCIENCE: Matthias Schleiden found plants are made up of these; at dinner he told Theodor Schwann who said, hey, so are animals cells |
#6892, aired 2014-07-29 | DAYS OF THE WEEK: In Spanish & French, the word for Friday comes from Latin for "day of" this goddess Venus |
#6891, aired 2014-07-28 | HISTORIC TRANSPORTS: Its principal mast is at Arlington, its foremast is at the Naval Academy & a monument to it, restored in 2013, is located in Havana the U.S.S. Maine |
#6890, aired 2014-07-25 | WEBSITES: A slang term for Harvard's freshman register gave this website its name Facebook |
#6889, aired 2014-07-24 | NOVEL WORDS: This word for a person without certain abilities has made it from the realm of fantasy to the OED a muggle |
#6888, aired 2014-07-23 | LITERARY HEROINES: Fittingly, this character is named for a plant also known as arrowhead that belongs to the genus Sagittaria Katniss Everdeen |
#6887, aired 2014-07-22 | WORLD LANDMARKS: Built for a World's Fair in 1889, its visitors that year included the Prince of Wales & Buffalo Bill; it still gets 7 million a year the Eiffel Tower |
#6886, aired 2014-07-21 | RELIGIOUS HISTORY: This term comes from a 1529 event in which a group of Lutherans formally disagreed with a decision by a Catholic council Protestantism |
#6885, aired 2014-07-18 | FAMOUS HOMES: Purchased in 1957 & called "the second most famous home in America", it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006 Graceland |
#6884, aired 2014-07-17 | 16th CENTURY SCIENTISTS: It is often said of this man that he "stopped the Sun and moved the Earth" Copernicus |
#6883, aired 2014-07-16 | 20 YEARS AGO IN ENTERTAINMENT: In 1994 this comedian starred in a No. 1 sitcom, the No. 1 Christmas movie & had a No. 1 non-fiction bestseller Tim Allen |
#6882, aired 2014-07-15 | U.S. GOVERNMENT PEOPLE: A committee chaired by the official in this job released the influential 1964 report "Smoking and Health" the Surgeon General |
#6881, aired 2014-07-14 | LITERARY TITLE WORDS: It was Giovanni Boccaccio who added this adjective to another Italian author's work divine |
#6880, aired 2014-07-11 | AMERICAN LITERATURE: Published in 1925, it still sells 500,000 copies a year & was on the bestseller lists in 2013 The Great Gatsby |
#6879, aired 2014-07-10 | IN THE DICTIONARY: This adjective can mean "delicate", "heavenly" or, in chemistry, "related to C4H10O" ethereal |
#6878, aired 2014-07-09 | CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHIES: The constitution of this country allows the monarch to abdicate, which has happened in 1948, 1980 & 2013 the Netherlands |
#6877, aired 2014-07-08 | SCIENCE WORDS: Appropriately, this word from Latin for "unfold" isn't in the first edition of "Origin of Species", but does appear in later editions evolution |
#6876, aired 2014-07-07 | GOVERNMENT: "Features" at the website of this agency include "Protection", "Investigations" & "Know Your Money" the Secret Service |
#6875, aired 2014-07-04 | FICTIONAL LOCALES: Featured in a 1933 novel, it may have been inspired by the 1920s Tibetan travel writings of explorer Joseph Rock Shangri-La |
#6874, aired 2014-07-03 | FAMOUS OBJECTS: In 1950 the England-Scotland border was closed for the first time in 400 years to try to recover this stolen item the Stone of Scone |
#6873, aired 2014-07-02 | U.S. GEOGRAPHY: 2 places called Point Udall, referred to as the USA's easternmost & westernmost points, are in these 2 territories Guam & the Virgin Islands |
#6872, aired 2014-07-01 | THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: The first official use of this 4-word term is at The Declaration's beginning, immediately after "The thirteen" "United States of America" |
#6871, aired 2014-06-30 | 1970s FILMS: In 2013 Mario Cuomo said he finally saw this film, which he had boycotted for personal reasons, & called it "maybe... a masterpiece" The Godfather |
#6870, aired 2014-06-27 | BRITISH AUTHORS: The Pharmaceutical Journal praised her 1920 first novel, saying it dealt "with poisons in a knowledgeable way" Agatha Christie |
#6869, aired 2014-06-26 | SCIENCE & INDUSTRY: In 1891 this European said, "Perhaps my factories will put an end to war sooner than your congresses" Alfred Nobel |
#6868, aired 2014-06-25 | WORLD LEADERS: Since 1953 5 consecutive siblings have been this country's head of state Saudi Arabia |
#6867, aired 2014-06-24 | 2004: Watching the Super Bowl halftime show, the head of this government agency kept saying, "My day is going to" be lousy "tomorrow" the FCC |
#6866, aired 2014-06-23 | BROADWAY: In 2013 this musical based on a movie became the first show to gross $1 billion on Broadway The Lion King |
#6865, aired 2014-06-20 | DOGS & GEOGRAPHY: In 2001 the names of these 2 breeds came together in the new official name of a Canadian province Newfoundland & Labrador |
#6864, aired 2014-06-19 | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Founded in 1908, this big company was removed from the S&P 500 in 2009 after filing for bankruptcy but returned in 2013 General Motors |
#6863, aired 2014-06-18 | MUSIC IN AMERICA: Established by Congress in 1798, it's the oldest continuously active U.S. professional music ensemble the Marine Corps Band |
#6862, aired 2014-06-17 | 19th CENTURY NOVEL CHARACTERS: His "spinal column was curved"... the "head was between the shoulder-blades and... one leg was shorter than the other" Quasimodo (the Hunchback of Notre Dame) |
#6861, aired 2014-06-16 | WORD ORIGINS: This noun meaning a secret plan comes from the Latin for "to breathe together" conspiracy |
#6860, aired 2014-06-13 | FOREIGN AFFAIRS: William Sullivan retired from the Foreign Service in 1979; he was the last U.S. Ambassador to this country Iran |
#6859, aired 2014-06-12 | CURRENT TELEVISION: George Romero declined to direct a few episodes of this series, calling it "basically... just a soap opera" The Walking Dead |
#6858, aired 2014-06-11 | CAPITAL CITY WORDPLAY: Ending in the same 2 letters, these 2 are capitals of a nation that covers a continent & of a nation reaching onto 2 continents Canberra & Ankara |
#6857, aired 2014-06-10 | SCIENTISTS: As a humorous tribute, an astronomical term equivalent to at least 4 billion has been named for him Carl Sagan |
#6856, aired 2014-06-09 | THE MEDITERRANEAN: It's the only U.N. member country in the Mediterranean where English is an official national language Malta |
#6855, aired 2014-06-06 | 20th CENTURY AMERICANS: In 1911 Glenn Curtiss received this document Number 1 a pilot's license |
#6854, aired 2014-06-05 | 19th CENTURY U.S. HISTORY: A dignitary at the dedication of this said it was "keeping watch and ward before the open gates of America" The Statue of Liberty |
#6853, aired 2014-06-04 | THE BEATLES: Of The Beatles' 20 U.S. No. 1 hits, this song has the shortest title "Help!" |
#6852, aired 2014-06-03 | COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: Team nicknames of the 8 Ivy League schools include 4 animals, 3 colors & this Christian denomination the Quakers (of the University of Pennsylvania) |
#6851, aired 2014-06-02 | OSCAR-WINNING WRITERS: Winning for 1999, this New England writer is the last person to win an Oscar for adapting his own novel John Irving |
#6850, aired 2014-05-30 | 19th CENTURY POLITICS: A Senate seat from this Southern state sat vacant for 4 years; when it was filled, its ex-occupant had become U.S. president Tennessee |
#6849, aired 2014-05-29 | FRUIT: It's the only commercially important edible fruit of the bromeliad family the pineapple |
#6848, aired 2014-05-28 | OPERA: In a bit of foreshadowing, the title character's dad has committed suicide before the action of this 1904 opera Madame Butterfly |
#6847, aired 2014-05-27 | 20th CENTURY PLAY TITLES: This play's title comes from the name of a Greek king said to have carved a statue of a woman & fallen in love with it Pygmalion |
#6846, aired 2014-05-26 | TITLE MOVIE ROLES: In 1984, in the first of the films featuring this character, he only has 21 lines, for a total of 133 words the Terminator |
#6845, aired 2014-05-23 | THE 1960s: In his last speech, he mentioned local newsmakers of the day, including his friend Cesar Chavez & Don Drysdale Robert F. Kennedy |
#6844, aired 2014-05-22 | TECHNOLOGY: When Apple sued for iPad patent infringement, Samsung cited this 1968 movie as the originator of the design 2001: A Space Odyssey |
#6843, aired 2014-05-21 | ORGANIZATIONS: The full name of this scholarly group founded after a lecture in 1660 includes "of London for Improving Natural Knowledge" the Royal Society |
#6842, aired 2014-05-20 | BRITISH NOVELS: Stephen King borrowed the name of his fictional town Castle Rock from this 1950s novel that greatly influenced him Lord of the Flies |
#6841, aired 2014-05-19 | BOARD GAMES: In the classic version of Monopoly, the only 2 improvable properties without Avenue or Place in their names Boardwalk & Marvin Gardens |
#6840, aired 2014-05-16 | SECRETARIES OF STATE: Serving 160 years apart, these 2 Secretaries of State are the only ones who never married Condoleezza Rice & James Buchanan |
#6839, aired 2014-05-15 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: 1 of the 2 movies in the last 30 years, one a drama & one a comedy, to win Oscars for Best Actor & Best Actress The Silence of the Lambs or As Good as It Gets |
#6838, aired 2014-05-14 | NAMES ON THE MAP: Visited by Jacques Cartier in 1534, it was later renamed for Queen Victoria's father, the Duke of Kent Prince Edward Island |
#6837, aired 2014-05-13 | MONARCHS: 2 teen Hashemite cousins officially took the thrones of their respective countries May 2, 1953:
Faisal of Iraq & him King Hussein of Jordan (the Hashemite Kingdom) |
#6836, aired 2014-05-12 | 19th CENTURY POEMS: Written about the U.S. occupation of the Philippines, a Kipling poem said, "Take up" this now-controversial phrase the White Man's burden |
#6835, aired 2014-05-09 | FAMOUS BOOKS: It was published March 26, 1830; a very popular work with the same name premiered March 24, 2011 The Book of Mormon |
#6834, aired 2014-05-08 | BRITISH THINKERS: His works include "The Economic Consequences of the Peace" in 1919 & "The End of Laissez-Faire" from 1926 John Maynard Keynes |
#6833, aired 2014-05-07 | SUPREME COURT DECISIONS: On December 20, 1956 the Court's ruling on Browder v. Gayle went into effect, bringing an end to this 381-day event the Montgomery bus boycott |
#6832, aired 2014-05-06 | U.S. STATES: Between 2006 & 2013 it went from 39th to 6th in per capita income & its unemployment rate dropped to the nation's lowest North Dakota |
#6831, aired 2014-05-05 | WORD ORIGINS: This word for a timid person comes from the last name of a character in a 1920s newspaper comic called "The Timid Soul" milquetoast |
#6830, aired 2014-05-02 | BUSINESS HISTORY: In 1945 this product added a plaid design to its "snail" dispenser Scotch Tape |
#6829, aired 2014-05-01 | U.S. STATES: Other than Q, these 2 letters appear the least in the names of states, each appearing only once J & Z |
#6828, aired 2014-04-30 | ALBUM COVERS: This band used a picture of the Hindenburg disaster on the cover of its eponymous debut album Led Zeppelin |
#6827, aired 2014-04-29 | U.S. HISTORY: Messrs. Gusenberg, Gusenberg, May, Weinshank, Clark, Heyer & Schwimmer famously died on this day in 1929 February 14 (or Valentine's Day) |
#6826, aired 2014-04-28 | NOBEL PRIZE-WINNING AUTHORS: Due to injuries suffered in 2 plane crashes in Africa, he was unable to accept his 1954 Nobel Prize in person Ernest Hemingway |
#6825, aired 2014-04-25 | COMPUTERS: The creator of this computer command called it "a 5-minute job"; in 2013 Bill Gates called it "a mistake" Ctrl-Alt-Delete |
#6824, aired 2014-04-24 | DIARIES & JOURNALS: This archaeologist's diary for November 26, 1922 mentions 2 "ebony-black effigies of a king, gold sandalled" Howard Carter |
#6823, aired 2014-04-23 | HOLIDAYS IN OTHER COUNTRIES: William Tubman's nearly 3 decades of leadership is celebrated on his birthday, November 29, in this country Liberia |
#6822, aired 2014-04-22 | BASEBALL: Vine Line is the official magazine of this Major League Baseball team the Chicago Cubs |
#6821, aired 2014-04-21 | HISTORIC GROUPS: With fewer than 10 member cities in attendance, this association based in Lubeck held its last assembly in 1669 the Hanseatic League |
#6820, aired 2014-04-18 | CHARACTERS IN NOVELS: One of this man's "most priceless memories" is of "a delicately nurtured Southern belle with her Irish up" Rhett Butler |
#6819, aired 2014-04-17 | 19th CENTURY PRESIDENTS: Good looks weren't enough as he became the only full-term president rejected in a bid for his party's 2nd term nomination Franklin Pierce |
#6818, aired 2014-04-16 | TV MUSIC: "Crystal Blue Persuasion" by Tommy James & the Shondells was heard in this drama's "Gliding Over All" episode Breaking Bad |
#6817, aired 2014-04-15 | THE ANCIENT WONDERS: Far apart alphabetically, they're the 2 deities in the names of the 7 ancient wonders Artemis & Zeus |
#6816, aired 2014-04-14 | SIGNS & SYMBOLS: Meant to evoke a person with arms outstretched & pointed downward, it was designed in 1958 by Gerald Holtom the peace symbol (or sign) |
#6815, aired 2014-04-11 | HISTORIC IRONY: Theodor Herzl was inspired to begin the work that's the foundation for modern Zionism by an opera by this composer Richard Wagner |
#6814, aired 2014-04-10 | FOREIGN LEADERS: In 1964 he was convicted of sabotage & conspiracy & served over 20 years in prison Nelson Mandela |
#6813, aired 2014-04-09 | AROUND THE USA: The Mayo Clinic Mile is a walking path that features 1 mile, 5K & 10K routes within this structure the Mall of America |
#6812, aired 2014-04-08 | MUSIC MAKERS: Salisbury Cathedral's dean said this man, via his 2013 album, "is creating a huge awareness of" an historic document Jay-Z |
#6811, aired 2014-04-07 | FOOD & DRINK: The corporate website for this product says it leaves its container at .028 miles per hour Heinz ketchup |
#6810, aired 2014-04-04 | 20th CENTURY NOVEL QUOTES: "It was one of those pictures... so contrived that the eyes follow you... beneath" the picture was this 5-word quote Big Brother is watching you |
#6809, aired 2014-04-03 | 19th CENTURY POLITICS: In 1884 George Pillsbury became mayor of this city Minneapolis |
#6808, aired 2014-04-02 | MONARCHS: In 2005 the Kul Sharif Mosque of Tatarstan was reopened 453 years after it was destroyed by this man Ivan the Terrible |
#6807, aired 2014-04-01 | FAMOUS WOMEN: This crusader, in 1906: "More than 60 years of hard struggle for a little liberty, & then to die without it seems so cruel" Susan B. Anthony |
#6806, aired 2014-03-31 | LITERATURE & OPERA: An aria in this Shakespeare-based opera says, "Di scozia a te promettono le profetesse il trono... Che tardi?" Macbeth |
#6805, aired 2014-03-28 | OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Prior to "Silver Linings Playbook", the last film to get Oscar nominations in all 4 acting categories was this film partly set in Russia Reds |
#6804, aired 2014-03-27 | ADAPTED FROM ANTIQUITY: It begins with a vow to an ancient god & ends with "if I transgress it & swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot" the Hippocratic Oath |
#6803, aired 2014-03-26 | AGRICULTURE: Prunus dulcis, this snack high in calcium & vitamin E, is native to the Mideast, but 80% of the world crop comes from California almonds |
#6802, aired 2014-03-25 | MEDICAL ETYMOLOGY: Because of where in the body it is produced, this hormone's name comes from the Latin for "island" insulin |
#6801, aired 2014-03-24 | HISTORICAL NICKNAMES: Nickname shared by George Armstrong Custer, Native American chief Crazy Horse & a member of a 1930s comedy act Curly |
#6800, aired 2014-03-21 | CURRENT REALITY TV: On learning what his series would be called, the star of this reality show said, "That sounds like a Chinese food place!" Duck Dynasty |
#6799, aired 2014-03-20 | OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES: In 1908 this animal appropriately became the mascot of the Prohibition Party the camel |
#6798, aired 2014-03-19 | THE MUSIC INDUSTRY: She beat out newcomers like Bieber & Gaga to top Forbes' list of the highest-paid people in music for 2013 Madonna |
#6797, aired 2014-03-18 | BRITISH AUTHORS: The author of more than 50 books, he won 6 Hugo awards & was nominated for a 1968 Oscar Arthur C. Clarke |
#6796, aired 2014-03-17 | BODIES OF WATER: More than 1/5 of all the world's people live in countries bordering this, the world's biggest bay the Bay of Bengal |
#6795, aired 2014-03-14 | ACTORS & OSCARS: He was nominated for Oscars in 5 consecutive decades; the last nod was for his 1978 role as a Nazi hunter Sir Laurence Olivier |
#6794, aired 2014-03-13 | WORLD CAPITALS: At 4,000 miles, the farthest-apart capitals of bordering countries are these 2 cities, one on a peninsula Moscow & Pyongyang |
#6793, aired 2014-03-12 | BRITISH ROYALTY: He was the last male monarch who had not previously been Prince of Wales George VI |
#6792, aired 2014-03-11 | NOVEL TITLES: The title of this 1951 novel comes from the hero's fantasy of rescuing children falling from a cliff The Catcher in the Rye |
#6791, aired 2014-03-10 | AMERICAN COMPOSERS: A protege of Oscar Hammerstein, he's won Grammys, an Oscar, a Pulitzer Prize & the most Tony Awards by a composer Stephen Sondheim |
#6790, aired 2014-03-07 | BIBLICAL NAMES: In Genesis 4 this name is chosen because God "hath appointed me another seed" Seth |
#6789, aired 2014-03-06 | PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING AUTHORS: He's the most recent winner of 2 Pulitzer Prizes for Fiction, winning in 1982 & 1991 for books in the same series John Updike |
#6788, aired 2014-03-05 | 4-LETTER WORDS: New research says this word that has become ubiquitous dates back to young men also called "macaronis" dude |
#6787, aired 2014-03-04 | BORDERS: Twice as long as Hadrian's Wall, Offa's Dyke was the traditional border between these 2 lands England & Wales |
#6786, aired 2014-03-03 | PRESIDENTS: He is the only 19th century president to serve 2 complete terms with the same vice president James Monroe |
#6785, aired 2014-02-28 | MODERN DAY SUFFIXES: Dating from 1973, this 4-letter suffix indicates a person or thing that has become associated with public scandal -gate |
#6784, aired 2014-02-27 | LANDMARKS: From 1936 to 1987, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power helped operate this facility in another state Hoover Dam |
#6783, aired 2014-02-26 | SINGERS: The only solo artist to have 5 Billboard No. 1 albums before the age of 19 Justin Bieber |
#6782, aired 2014-02-25 | BUSINESS: "The Everything Store" is a book about this company that in 2012 was home to 1% of all North American Internet traffic Amazon.com |
#6781, aired 2014-02-24 | 19th CENTURY PEOPLE: Frederick Douglass said this man's "zeal in the cause of my race was far greater than mine" John Brown |
#6780, aired 2014-02-21 | THE BRITISH EMPIRE: 1713's Treaty of Utrecht concluding the War of the Spanish Succession granted this small 2.3-square-mile area to Great Britain Gibraltar |
#6779, aired 2014-02-20 | AUTHORS: On his death in 1862 a Massachusetts paper said, "No man ever lived closer to nature, and reported her secrets more eloquently" Thoreau |
#6778, aired 2014-02-19 | SHAKESPEARE CHARACTERS: He has the most speeches of any character with 471 in 3 plays, of which 2 are histories & 1 is a comedy Falstaff |
#6777, aired 2014-02-18 | PHYSICS: The name of this theory is from viewing sub-atomic particles as 1-dimensional objects, not as 0-dimensional points string theory |
#6776, aired 2014-02-17 | 19th CENTURY NAMES: In preparation for a work he published in 1828 that was over 20 years in the making, he learned 26 languages Noah Webster |
#6775, aired 2014-02-14 | GETTING A "D" IN COLLEGE: The USA's oldest endowed chair is a Harvard chair of this subject, given in 1721 when that was largely what Harvard taught divinity |
#6774, aired 2014-02-13 | HISTORIC PLACES: Administered by the Army, its first graves were dug by former slave James Parks, the only one buried there who was born on the site Arlington National Cemetery |
#6773, aired 2014-02-12 | BIBLE CHARACTERS: "Take care of him", says the man called this in Luke 10 after giving money to an innkeeper the Good Samaritan |
#6772, aired 2014-02-11 | SOCIAL MEDIA: The most retweeted tweet of all time happened on November 6, 2012 & started with "four" & ended with these 2 words more years |
#6771, aired 2014-02-10 | ISLANDS: In a satellite photo, volcanic activity can be seen on this 10,000-square-mile island Sicily |
#6770, aired 2014-02-07 | WORLD POLITICS: When these 2 men swapped jobs in 2012, their country's media described the move as "castling" Putin & Medvedev |
#6769, aired 2014-02-06 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: Once a poor British protectorate, in 2012 this peninsular country ranked as the world's richest per capita Qatar |
#6768, aired 2014-02-05 | THE PERIODIC TABLE: Of the element symbols that don't match the element's English name, this element's symbol is alphabetically 1st silver |
#6767, aired 2014-02-04 | 20th CENTURY WOMEN AUTHORS: Readers' letters to this author about her 1948 short story asked where the title event was held & if they could go & watch Shirley Jackson |
#6766, aired 2014-02-03 | PRESIDENTS & FIRST LADIES: The only foreign-born First Lady was the wife of this man who served in the diplomatic corps from age 14 John Quincy Adams |
#6765, aired 2014-01-31 | INVENTORS: In an 1854 demonstration, he said, "Cut the rope"; his invention kicked in, then he said, "All safe, gentlemen" Elisha Otis |
#6764, aired 2014-01-30 | COMEDIC ACTRESSES: She's won Emmys for 3 different TV shows & in 2013 she broke Lucille Ball's record for most nominations by a comedic actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus |
#6763, aired 2014-01-29 | CAPITAL CITIES: One of the 2 world capitals that end in the letter "Z"; one is in Europe & one in the Americas (1 of) La Paz & Vaduz |
#6762, aired 2014-01-28 | LITERARY QUOTES: A maxim of Ayn Rand was "Man's ego is" this "of human progress" the fountainhead |
#6761, aired 2014-01-27 | THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT: This office is named for a tablecloth imprinted with squares that was once used as an abacus the Chancellor of the Exchequer |
#6760, aired 2014-01-24 | GROUNDBREAKING NONFICTION: Chapters in this 1962 classic include "Earth's Green Mantle", "Needless Havoc", "Rivers of Death" & "And No Birds Sing" Silent Spring |
#6759, aired 2014-01-23 | NOTABLE NAMES: During a jubilee celebration in 2003, he became the first foreigner to be made an honorary citizen of Nepal (Edmund) Hillary |
#6758, aired 2014-01-22 | LITERARY TITLE CHARACTERS: Lord Henry tells him, "What an exquisite life you have had!... It has not marred you. You are still the same" Dorian Gray |
#6757, aired 2014-01-21 | INTERNATIONAL SPORTS: Twice the host country, this nation of 4 1/2 million leads the world in total winter Olympic medals Norway |
#6756, aired 2014-01-20 | GOVERNMENT SITES: Begun as part of a 1930s project to reclaim Maryland mountain land, it's officially "Naval Support Facility Thurmont" Camp David |
#6755, aired 2014-01-17 | AMERICAN THEATER: This 1949 drama that ends with a requiem asks, "Why did you do it? I search & search & I search, & I can't understand it" Death of a Salesman |
#6754, aired 2014-01-16 | SHAKESPEARE: This 5-letter name appears 7 times in Shakespeare titles, more than any other name Henry |
#6753, aired 2014-01-15 | 16th CENTURY PEOPLE: This non-Brit said in 1532, "I advised (Henry VIII) that it would be better for him to take a concubine than to ruin his people" Martin Luther |
#6752, aired 2014-01-14 | OCCUPATIONAL FIRST NAMES: It's once again in demand repairing old stone infrastructure, & is 1 of the 5 most popular U.S. boys' names today Mason |
#6751, aired 2014-01-13 | ASIAN NATIONS: Since 1991, it's the only former Communist nation to restore its monarchy, which it still has Cambodia |
#6750, aired 2014-01-10 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: It's the largest country in area completely south of the equator that has a female president Argentina |
#6749, aired 2014-01-09 | MAGAZINES: This title, launched in early 1930, seemed at odds with the Great Depression in subject & $1 cover price Fortune |
#6748, aired 2014-01-08 | 2013 OBITUARIES: She was called a "savior", a "heartless tyrant", a "trailblazer", "intimidating" & a "real toughie" Margaret Thatcher |
#6747, aired 2014-01-07 | THE TITANIC: A member of Parliament said, "Those who have been saved have been saved through one man", this Italian Marconi |
#6746, aired 2014-01-06 | BROADWAY ACTRESSES: She originated 2 famous Broadway roles: one later played on film by Marilyn Monroe, another by Barbra Streisand Carol Channing |
#6745, aired 2014-01-03 | 20th CENTURY QUOTATIONS: In 1947 Churchill called it "the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried" democracy |
#6744, aired 2014-01-02 | ACTORS: In the '50s he won a Tony for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical & a Best Actor Oscar for playing the same role, a monarch Yul Brynner |
#6743, aired 2014-01-01 | NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: This intellectual forum started in 1984, bringing together people from 3 different industries, hence its 3-letter name TED |
#6742, aired 2013-12-31 | 19th CENTURY VICE PRESIDENTS: Woodrow Wilson said this man had enough genius to be immortal & "unschooled passion enough to have made him infamous" (Aaron) Burr |
#6741, aired 2013-12-30 | WORD ORIGINS: When evidence was lacking, juries of yore would reply with this Latin word meaning "we do not know"; now it means a dunce ignoramus |
#6740, aired 2013-12-27 | 18th CENTURY AMERICA: There were just 13 of these, the title of an historic document; one offered admission to Canada the Articles of Confederation |
#6739, aired 2013-12-26 | TECH TERMS: In a July 1990 post Yisrael Radai called this 7-letter term "a word I just coined for Trojans, viruses, worms etc." malware |
#6738, aired 2013-12-25 | AUTHORS: "The American Tolkien" was what Time magazine called this author with the same 2 middle initials as Tolkien George R.R. Martin |
#6737, aired 2013-12-24 | GEOPOLITICAL HOT SPOTS: On the Grand Trunk Road, the Wagah border separating these 2 countries since 1947 is called the "Berlin Wall of Asia" India & Pakistan |
#6736, aired 2013-12-23 | PRESIDENTS & FILM: Jimmy Carter held 480 screenings at the White House; his first was this film set in 1970s Washington, D.C. All the President's Men |
#6735, aired 2013-12-20 | 20th CENTURY LITERARY TERMS: The writer who named this U.S. movement said the term referred to supreme blessedness, not exhaustion the Beat movement |
#6734, aired 2013-12-19 | TV CHARACTERS: Jerry Jones, Mark Cuban & Mayor Mike Rawlings were 3 of the real folks at the 2013 memorial for this TV character J.R. Ewing |
#6733, aired 2013-12-18 | CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: Joy, Nellie & Aranea are 3 of the many children of this title character Charlotte |
#6732, aired 2013-12-17 | CLASSICAL MUSIC: "Royal March of the Lion", "The Aquarium" & "The Aviary" are thematically related 1886 works from this man Camille Saint-Saens |
#6731, aired 2013-12-16 | COUNTRIES FOR SHORT: North Korea is the DPRK; this country is the LPDR Laos |
#6730, aired 2013-12-13 | HEALTH & MEDICINE 2013: There's news of the first lab test for this 10-letter condition the NIH calls the leading cause of disability for Americans 15 to 44 depression |
#6729, aired 2013-12-12 | 21st CENTURY NOVELS: In a letter to the author, President Obama called this "a lovely book--an elegant proof of God, and the power of storytelling" Life of Pi (by Yann Martel) |
#6728, aired 2013-12-11 | SPORTS TERM HISTORY: After throwing a long, last-second touchdown in 1975, Roger Staubach said, "I closed my eyes & said" this Hail Mary |
#6727, aired 2013-12-10 | STATE CAPITALS: It's the Southern city in which the building seen here is located; counting the panels may help Austin |
#6726, aired 2013-12-09 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: Although born in the United States, he was the only president who spoke English as a second language Martin Van Buren |
#6725, aired 2013-12-06 | HISTORIC LETTERS: In April 1865 she wrote to Mary Lincoln, "I cannot remain silent... brokenhearted by the loss of my own beloved husband" Queen Victoria |
#6724, aired 2013-12-05 | 20th CENTURY ARTS: Pretending to be a tree is an exercise in a key textbook of this system that spread from Russia to Broadway & then to Hollywood method acting (the Stanislavski system) |
#6723, aired 2013-12-04 | ASIA: Consisting of a peninsula & 2 islands, it was the longest-lasting European colony in Asia: 442 years, ending in 1999 Macau |
#6722, aired 2013-12-03 | THE INTERNET: The inventor of this image format said the OED wrongly has 2 pronunciations of it--the right one is with a soft "G" gif |
#6721, aired 2013-12-02 | POP GROUPS: In 2012, 22 years after their first album, they released a new one that includes "Good Vibrations" & "Monday Monday" Wilson Phillips |
#6720, aired 2013-11-29 | COLLEGE SPORTS MASCOTS: In 1947 Walt Disney made a handshake deal to let this university use one of his major characters as its mascot, still in use today the University of Oregon |
#6719, aired 2013-11-28 | 20th CENTURY NAMES: In 1942 Winston Churchill said, "I can handle this peasant"; historians aren't sure things turned out that way Joseph Stalin |
#6718, aired 2013-11-27 | GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS: Over 8,000 people have been saved from harm by this program authorized in a 1970 law, but we're not allowed to name any the Witness Protection Program |
#6717, aired 2013-11-26 | AUTHORS: An international airport in Jamaica is named for this author who set many of his stories of the 1950s & 1960s there Ian Fleming |
#6716, aired 2013-11-25 | NOBEL LAUREATES: The 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner from this country was under arrest at the time of the award Myanmar |
#6715, aired 2013-11-22 | COUNTRY NAMES: In England in 1933, Choudhry Rahmat Ali coined this name, a country that wouldn't be formed until 14 years later Pakistan |
#6714, aired 2013-11-21 | U.S. PRESIDENTS: The second man to become president who was never elected to the job, he twice ran for the position unsuccessfully Millard Fillmore |
#6713, aired 2013-11-20 | NOVEL TITLES: These are not found in the Koran, & the angel Gabriel told Muhammad that they were not revealed by God the Satanic Verses |
#6712, aired 2013-11-19 | THE 2012 OLYMPICS: NBC reported that in the first days of Olympic coverage, this sport seen in recent books & on film was the most watched on cable archery |
#6711, aired 2013-11-18 | BUILDINGS: Charles Evans Hughes laid the cornerstone for this building on October 13, 1932 & got to work in it for about 6 years the U.S. Supreme Court Building |
#6710, aired 2013-11-15 | PLAY CHARACTERS: In Peter Roach's phonetics glossary, this alliterative guy is "the best-known fictional phonetician" Henry Higgins |
#6709, aired 2013-11-14 | SYMBOLS: One legend says Clovis, king of the Franks, adopted this symbol after flowers revealed a safe river crossing for his army the fleur-de-lis |
#6708, aired 2013-11-13 | MYTHOLOGY: Rich with electrum, the Turkish river Pactolus is where this legendary man was said to have washed off his curse King Midas |
#6707, aired 2013-11-12 | HISTORIC OBJECTS: In 1802, 3 years after it was discovered, it was moved to London under the terms of the surrender of Alexandria the Rosetta Stone |
#6706, aired 2013-11-11 | 2013 NEWSMAKERS: The name of this woman who achieved a long-held goal in 2013 is a homophone of a word for a water nymph Diana Nyad |
#6705, aired 2013-11-08 | OLYMPIC HISTORY: In London in 2012, judo & the 800m run included the first female Olympians ever from this Mideastern country Saudi Arabia |
#6704, aired 2013-11-07 | LITERARY INFLUENCES: The "Gossip Girl" series of books was inspired by this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel also set in New York City but 120 years earlier The Age of Innocence |
#6703, aired 2013-11-06 | ON THE GLOBE: Of the 5 named circles of latitude on a standard Earth globe, it's the one with the longest name the Tropic of Capricorn |
#6702, aired 2013-11-05 | FIRST FAMILIES: Sasha & Malia Obama are the first presidential children who were not old enough to vote for Dad since this one Chelsea Clinton |
#6701, aired 2013-11-04 | FOOD & DRINK: This soft drink was named for a digestive enzyme & a native African plant Pepsi-Cola |
#6700, aired 2013-11-01 | NATIONS OF THE WORLD: The only 2 countries in the Americas that border each other & begin with the same letter Brazil & Bolivia |
#6699, aired 2013-10-31 | THE TUDORS: "Alone in prison strong / I wail my destiny" & "let pass my weary, guiltless ghost" are lines from a poem attributed to her Anne Boleyn |
#6698, aired 2013-10-30 | INTERNET FIRSTS: A broken laser pointer for $14.83 in 1995 holds this distinction the first item sold on eBay |
#6697, aired 2013-10-29 | MOVIE COMEDIES: The hero of this 1993 comedy says he's "been stabbed, shot, poisoned, frozen, hung, electrocuted & burned" Groundhog Day |
#6696, aired 2013-10-28 | LITERARY CHARACTERS: This 19th century character talks about his own writings about tattoo marks & on the tracing of footsteps Sherlock Holmes |
#6695, aired 2013-10-25 | EUROPEAN LITERATURE: This 1922 novel's first chapter is titled "The Son of the Brahman" Siddhartha |
#6694, aired 2013-10-24 | ART IN THE U.S. CAPITOL: Members of the Hungarian, Swedish & Israeli parliaments spoke when a bust of this foreign diplomat was unveiled Raoul Wallenberg |
#6693, aired 2013-10-23 | FOREIGN CURRENCY: Iran's 50,000 rial note includes an international symbol for one of these, featuring 3 well-defined orbits an atom |
#6692, aired 2013-10-22 | THE CARIBBEAN: Pico Duarte & Lago Enriquillo in this country 650 miles from Florida are the highest & lowest points in the Caribbean the Dominican Republic |
#6691, aired 2013-10-21 | AFI's 100 FUNNIEST FILMS: These 2 films were No. 1 & No. 2 on the AFI's list of funniest American films; both involve cross-dressing Tootsie & Some Like it Hot |
#6690, aired 2013-10-18 | CARS: Introduced as a 2-seater & later celebrated in song, it was Motor Trend's Car of the Year for 1958, 1987, 1989 & 2002 the T-Bird |
#6689, aired 2013-10-17 | TRADEMARKS: Facebook & TiVo have both claimed trademarks for an icon representing this gesture thumbs-up |
#6688, aired 2013-10-16 | FEMALE SINGERS: In 2013 she became only the third female singer after Aretha Franklin & Madonna to chart over 40 Top 40 hits Taylor Swift |
#6687, aired 2013-10-15 | NOVELS: Chapter 1 of this 1952 book ends, "This is about the way the Salinas valley was when my grandfather... settled in the foothills" East of Eden |
#6686, aired 2013-10-14 | BIG COUNTRIES: In area, it's the largest former Soviet republic after Russia & the largest nation that doesn't border an ocean Kazakhstan |
#6685, aired 2013-10-11 | WORLD CAPITALS: It's the capital city of the only country that borders both the Mediterranean Sea & the Black Sea Ankara |
#6684, aired 2013-10-10 | LITERARY ILLUSTRATIONS: Emile Bayard's illustration of this character seen here first appeared in the 1860s Cosette |
#6683, aired 2013-10-09 | LITERARY LOCALES: The creator of this title place said its name came from the letters labeling the last drawer of his file cabinet Oz |
#6682, aired 2013-10-08 | PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HISTORY: In 1948 he won South Carolina with 72% of the vote & 3 other states but finished a distant third overall Strom Thurmond |
#6681, aired 2013-10-07 | TOYS: A caveman-themed game in which "rocks" were thrown at other players led to the creation of this product in 1969 NERF Ball |
#6680, aired 2013-10-04 | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: By population, it's the largest country in the world without nuclear weapons Indonesia |
#6679, aired 2013-10-03 | CHILDREN'S BOOK SERIES: The impetus for these books came from a vision the author had "of a faun carrying an umbrella & parcels in a snowy wood" (The Chronicles of) Narnia |
#6678, aired 2013-10-02 | INVENTORS: Last name of the man whose 1934 patent application for a tool is seen here Phillips |
#6677, aired 2013-10-01 | THE ACADEMY AWARDS: With 3 each, "On the Waterfront" is tied with this film & its sequel for most Best Supporting Actor nominations The Godfather |
#6676, aired 2013-09-30 | MOUNT RUSHMORE: 2 of the 4 men on Mount Rushmore were born in Virginia; these 2 states were the birthplaces of the other 2 men New York & Kentucky |
#6675, aired 2013-09-27 | EUROPEAN CAPITALS: Since a national split in 1993, it's the only world capital that borders 2 other countries--Austria & Hungary Bratislava |
#6674, aired 2013-09-26 | THE INTERNET: The animal for which this computer program is named is actually a red panda Firefox |
#6673, aired 2013-09-25 | 20th CENTURY NAMES: Since his 1988 death, he's been inducted into the U.S. Hockey, World Figure Skating & National Inventors Halls of Fame Zamboni |
#6672, aired 2013-09-24 | NEWSPAPERS: On July 23, 2013 this bestselling British tabloid re-spelled its name on its masthead to honor big British news The Sun |
#6671, aired 2013-09-23 | CLASSIC FILMS: The first scene of this movie was shot on the first day of filming, Oct. 2, 1960 at 5 A.M. at 727 5th Ave. at 57th St. in New York City Breakfast at Tiffany's |
#6670, aired 2013-09-20 | FRENCH GEOGRAPHY: 8 countries border mainland France; its smallest border, at 2.7 miles, is with this country Monaco |
#6669, aired 2013-09-19 | CLASSIC ALBUMS: This 1960s album ends with the line "I'd love to turn you on" Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band |
#6668, aired 2013-09-18 | WORLD WAR II: Because time was short, only this ship's starboard side, used for boarding, was repainted September 1, 1945 the USS Missouri |
#6667, aired 2013-09-17 | U.S. PLACES: A logo on this town's website includes its incorporation date, 1981, as well as the historic date December 17, 1903 Kitty Hawk, North Carolina |
#6666, aired 2013-09-16 | POETS: Funds provided by his widow were used to set up a literary charity called Old Possum's Practical Trust T.S. Eliot |