Humble Beginnings
This company that sells Barbie dolls began by selling wooden frames from a garage.
What is Mattel? In addition to the Barbie line and dollhouses, Mattel also sells the Fisher-Price line, Hot Wheels, and other toys.
A baby sheep
What is a lamb? Lamb is the meat of a sheep up to one year of age. The meat of a sheep older than one year is mutton. Lamb has a milder flavor than mutton.
This is an eight-armed marine animal.
What is octopus? Octopi die shortly after their offspring are born.
The game’s object is to capture this chess piece from your opponent.
What is the king? The king is a weak piece in the early phases of the game.
Mick Jagger and this band held their first performance.
Who are the Rolling Stones? Their debut took place at the Marquee Club on Oxford Street in London. Jazz News covered the band, and the rest is history.
This holiday falls on the third Sunday in June in the U.S. and Canada.
What is Father’s Day? In 1972, Father’s Day was recognized as a U.S. holiday. Fun fact: In Australia, it is celebrated on the first Sunday of September.
A multi-billion-dollar business that runs “the happiest place on Earth,” this company began life as a cartoon.
What is the Walt Disney Company? Walt Disney leveraged the money from selling his cartoon Alice’s Wonderland to build his first studio. In that studio, Mickey Mouse came to life.
The title of a lord’s wife
What is lady? Lords and ladies are British nobility belonging to the “landed gentry,” otherwise known as landowners. You might have read about it in Victorian novels. They don’t work but reap the rewards from those who work on land they own, either on the estates or in the towns where they own land and businesses.
Fish use these to breathe.
What are gills? Most fish have four gills on each side of their body.
Each player begins with eight of these pieces on the board.
What are pawns? They are often the piece each side moves to open the game.
This crisis was the most critical and dangerous crisis of the year.
What is the Cuban Missile Crisis? It was the closest the United States and the U.S.S.R. came to war.
The year’s longest day is called this.
What is (summer) solstice? The earliest sunrise of the year typically occurs a few days before the solstice, and the latest sunset typically occurs a few days after the solstice.
This famous chewing gum company’s owner started by selling baking powder and soap.
What is Wrigley’s? William Wrigley Jr. gave away sticks of gum to his customers. They grew more popular than his products, so he switched gears and built a chewing gum empire.
A light purple and flowering bush
What is lilac? Lilacs are hardy, and some varieties can survive in temperatures as cold as –60 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is a mythical half-human, half-animal sea creature.
What is mermaid, merman, or merfolk? In Greek mythology, Triton was a demigod and the “merman messenger of the sea.”
This one-word move ends the game.
What is checkmate? The king is under attack with no moves to save him.
He became the first American to orbit Earth.
Who is John Glenn? After he retired from the space program, he returned for a mission on the space shuttle Discovery.
If you were born in early June, you were born under this astrological sign.
What is Gemini? Those born late in the month were born under the sign of Cancer.
Two teachers and a writer founded this now-famous coffeehouse at Seattle Pike Place Market. They sold beans, not brewed coffee, and they sold their company to a former employee—Howard Schultz.
What is Starbucks? The three founders went to school together at the University of San Francisco.
E. B. White’s mouse character’s last name
What is Little? Two of E. B. White’s popular children’s books are Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web.
This seafood staple, found only in brackish or salt water, is often eaten raw on the half shell.
What are oysters? They filter 50 gallons of water each day, and they filter it better than countertop filters.
This is the term for attacking the king without capturing him.
What is check? Novices announce “Check!” but it’s considered rude for skilled chess players to announce it.
This was President Kennedy’s goal for U.S. space exploration, which he hoped would be accomplished by the end of the 1960s.
What is to put a man on the moon? President Kennedy asked Congress for $531 million to accomplish it.
This is June’s classic birthstone.
What is pearl? Pearls are the only gems made by living beings—mollusks.
This poultry franchise was one of the first fast-food outlets to go international, but it began as “a roadside stop in Utah during the Depression,” according to Inc. magazine.
What is KFC or Kentucky Fried Chicken? The Colonel started by trading his services for a place to sell his chicken.
A small, two-edged surgical instrument and the name of a prestigious British journal
What is lancet? A lancet is used for small incisions. The Lancet is a peer-reviewed medical journal.
This is the common name for edible crustaceans.
What is shellfish? Mollusks, oysters, and scallops all belong to the shellfish category.
These pieces begin the game on the board’s four corners.
What are rooks? These long-range pieces can travel to the end of the board in a straight line. They cannot move diagonally.
This pope convened the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II).
Who is Pope John XXIII? Vatican II lasted until 1965 and ended under Pope Paul VI. Among other significant changes, it is most well-known for changing the Latin Liturgy to the language(s) of the parishioners.
The name June comes from this calendar.
What is the Julian, or Roman, calendar? It comes from the Latin word Iunius (pronounced JU-nee-us) and from the Roman goddess Juno. The month initially had 29 days before Julius Caesar added a day.
At the turn of the century, this private dance instructor trained a baroness. This led to a string of dance studios across the country bearing his name.
What is Arthur Murray (Dance Studios)? Word-of-mouth was responsible for his growth. The company grew so large that he was forced to franchise.
A term that means to “make fun of in a satirical manner”
What is lampoon? National Lampoon was a humor magazine that ran from 1970 to 1998.
Only the males of these sea creatures give birth and raise their young.
What are seahorses? The seahorse is the only male animal to birth and raise its own young.
These pieces can be promoted by moving them to the end of the opponent’s side of the board.
What are pawns? They can be promoted into rooks, bishops, knights, and queens.
The first Walmart was opened in this city in Arkansas.
What is Rogers, Arkansas? By 1967, twenty-seven Walmart stores earned more than $12 million annually.
“June Is Bustin’ Out All Over” came from this musical.
What is Carousel? The 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical was adapted for the big screen in 1956. It stars Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones.