People & Places
While over two dozen towns claim the title, Lyndon B. Johnson signed an official presidential proclamation in 1966 declaring what New York village the official birthplace of Memorial Day?
What is Waterloo?
What haunting 24-note bugle call, famously played at military funerals and Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremonies, was adapted during the Civil War by Union General Daniel Butterfield from an earlier signal called the "Scott Tattoo?"
What is "Taps?"
From its official founding in 1868 all the way until 1970, Memorial Day (or Decoration Day) was strictly observed on what specific calendar date every single year, regardless of the day of the week?
What is May 30th?
What is the specific botanical species name of the common red corn poppy used for Memorial Day, which thrives in disturbed battlefields because its seeds require lime from shattered rubble and sunlight from cleared vegetation to germinate?
What is Papaver rhoeas?
The inaugural Indianapolis 500 was held on Decoration Day in 1911. What simple yet revolutionary automotive innovation did winner Ray Harroun install on his "Marmon Wasp" racecar so he wouldn't need a riding mechanic to look out for oncoming traffic?
What is The rearview mirror?
In 1868, What Union General and Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic issued General Order No. 11, establishing "Decoration Day" on May 30th?
Who is John A. Logan?
Dedicated in 1897, What famous Boston Common bronze relief monument by Augustus Saint-Gaudens honors this historic, all-Black Union regiment and their commander, Robert Gould Shaw, who perished at Fort Wagner?
What is the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment?
What controversial 1968 federal law, which took full effect in 1971, officially moved Memorial Day from its traditional fixed calendar date to the last Monday in May to create three-day weekends for federal employees?
What is the Uniform Monday Holiday Act?
Millions of Memorial Day flags are placed at Arlington National Cemetery. Geologically, what specific metamorphic rock—prized for its uniform texture and durability—makes up the iconic, rounded white headstones standard in US National Cemeteries?
What is white marble?
On the Sunday before Memorial Day, ultra-ambitious racing drivers sometimes attempt "Double Duty"—competing in the Indy 500 in Indiana during the afternoon, and then flying straight to North Carolina to compete in what grueling 600-mile NASCAR event that evening?
What is The Coca-Cola 600 (originally the World 600)
Located in Arlington National Cemetery, the neoclassical white marble sarcophagus of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is physically situated on what historic estate, which originally belonged to the family of Confederate General Robert E. Lee?
What is Arlington House (or the Custis-Lee Mansion)?
What1946 William Wyler film, a staple of Memorial Day movie marathons, won 7 Academy Awards for its deeply moving portrayal of three World War II veterans adjusting to civilian life after the trauma of combat?
What is The Best Years of Our Lives?
Established during the Civil War in 1862, What Virginia site became the nation’s very first official National Cemetery?
What is Alexandria National Cemetery?
In the traditional military 21-gun salute, the chemistry relies on modern "blank" cartridges. What compound, traditionally made of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate, was the original propellant that created the massive white smoke clouds historic battlefields were known for?
What is Gunpowder (or Black Powder)?
Memorial Day weekend is the traditional midpoint marker for Major League Baseball. What Hall of Fame legendary hitter—famously a combat Marine pilot who missed nearly five full seasons to fight in WWII and the Korean War—hit his first career home run on a Memorial Day weekend back in 1939?
Who is Ted Williams?
Inspired by McCrae's poem, what American professor and humanitarian campaigned tirelessly from her base in Athens, Georgia, to make the red poppy the official international symbol of remembrance?
Who is Moina Michael?
Composed in 1936 by Samuel Barber, what deeply somber classical piece has become America's unofficial national anthem for mourning, famously broadcast to the public following the deaths of FDR and JFK, and played at countless memorial services?
What is Adagio for Strings?
Which major Union Field Army was completely missing from the massive May 1865 "Grand Review of the Armies" parade in Washington D.C. because they were deployed to Texas to secure the Mexican border?
What is the Army of the Southwest (or the Thirteenth Army Corps)?
When a bugler plays "Taps" at a Memorial Day service, they alter the pitch of the instrument without using valves or keys. What physical, anatomical structure in the human throat and mouth regulates the shape and tension of the lips to control these different pitch frequencies?
What is the embouchure (specifically controlled by muscles like the orbicularis oris)
Regarded as the oldest continuous sporting event in America outside of the Kentucky Derby, what historic Pennsylvania equestrian event, founded in 1896, has traditionally been held over the entire multi-day Memorial Day weekend?
What is The Devon Horse Show?
What Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel wrote the famous poem "In Flanders Fields" after presiding over the funeral of his friend and fellow soldier at the battlefields of Ypres, Belgium?
Who is John McCrae?
What iconic American illustrator featured a somber, elderly veteran and his grandson looking at a uniform trunk in his famous 1945 painting "Homecoming G.I." (also known as "The Veteran"), which served as a poignant tribute on a Saturday Evening Post cover?
Who is Norman Rockwell?
Who was the final surviving member of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) whose death in Duluth, Minnesota, in 1956 at age 106 officially dissolved the veteran organization?
Albert Woolson
Arlington National Cemetery is famous for its massive canopy of old-growth trees. What specific genus of tree, symbolized by the "Arlington Oak" that stood for over 200 years near Robert E. Lee's former mansion, is historically associated with strength and military valor?
What is Quercus (The Oak tree)?
In May 1919, the Indianapolis 500 was intentionally delayed and moved to Saturday, May 31st, rather than its traditional fixed date of May 30th. For what specific historical reason did track management push the race back a day?
So the race would not detract from or conflict with the first Memorial Day services held after the end of World War I.