Memorable Mates
One was a pig, the other a spider, yet their friendship became one of children's literature's most beloved stories.
Who are Charlotte and Wilbur?
Fun Fact: Author E.B. White was inspired to write Charlotte's Web after trying to save a sick pig on his farm.
This notorious criminal couple robbed banks throughout the Great Depression.
Who are Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow?
Fun Fact: Bonnie Parker was only 23 years old, and Clyde Barrow was 25 when they were killed in 1934.
This creamy soup and sandwich duo have comforted Americans for generations.
What are tomato soup and grilled cheese?
Fun Fact: Grilled cheese sandwiches didn't become a staple with tomato soup until the 1920s and 1930s, when sliced bread and processed cheese became widely available.
This cat spent decades trying—and failing—to catch this clever little mouse.
Who are Tom and Jerry?
Fun Fact: Tom wasn't originally named Tom—he was called Jasper in the very first Tom and Jerry cartoon in 1940.
This duo recorded "Bye Bye Love," helping launch the rock-and-roll era.
Who are the Everly Brothers?
Fun Fact: Their close harmonies influenced The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, and the Bee Gees.
This meerkat and warthog duo taught Simba the meaning of "Hakuna Matata" in Disney's "The Lion King".
Who are Timon and Pumbaa?
Fun Fact: The phrase "Hakuna Matata" is a real Swahili expression that means "no worries."
This pair became the first humans to walk and work together on the Moon during Apollo 11.
Who are Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin?
Fun Fact: Michael Collins remained alone in orbit while they explored the Moon.
In this Dr. Seuss classic, Sam-I-Am spends the entire book trying to convince his friend to try these unusual foods.
What are Green Eggs and Ham?
Fun Fact: Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham using only 50 different words after accepting a challenge from his publisher.
This shepherd boy defeated a giant warrior with only a sling and a stone.
Who are David and Goliath?
Fun Fact:Modern tests suggest that an experienced slinger could launch a stone with enough force to be comparable to the impact of a handgun bullet, making the sling a surprisingly powerful ancient weapon.
This duo's television variety show featured comedy, music, and the catchphrase "And that's the way it is!"
Question: Who are Sonny and Cher?
Fun Fact: The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour was one of television's highest-rated variety shows in the early 1970s.
Sandy became the loyal K9 companion of this red-haired orphan who believed "The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow.
Who is Annie?
Fun Fact: Annie began as the newspaper comic strip Little Orphan Annie in 1924—more than 50 years before the hit Broadway musical premiered in 1977.
Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, these explorers, with the help of their Native American interpreter, Sacagawea, led an expedition across the American West after the Louisiana Purchase.
Who are Meriwether Lewis and William Clark?
Fun Fact: Their expedition traveled more than 8,000 miles between 1804 and 1806 and included the invaluable help of Sacagawea, who served as a guide and interpreter.
Police officers aren't the only ones known for enjoying this classic morning combination.
What are coffee and donuts?
Fun Fact: The connection between police officers and coffee & donuts began because many donut shops stayed open all night, making them a convenient stop for officers working the overnight shift.
This pirate captain spent years trying to capture this boy who wouldn't grow up.
Who are Peter Pan and Captain Hook?
Fun Fact: Some literary scholars argue that Peter Pan—not Captain Hook—is the true villain because he refuses to grow up, forgets his friends, and never learns empathy.
Dolly Parton wrote this farewell song after leaving Porter Wagoner's television show.
What is "I Will Always Love You"?
Fun Fact: Whitney Houston's version became one of the best-selling singles of all time.
These adventurous boys, created by Mark Twain, famously explored caves, rafts, and the Mississippi River together.
Who are Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn?
Fun Fact: Mark Twain based parts of both characters on real boys he knew while growing up in Hannibal, Missouri, a town along the Mississippi River.
This pair of World War II leaders formed one of history's most important wartime alliances.
Who were Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill?
Fun Fact: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill exchanged nearly 2,000 letters and telegrams during World War II as they coordinated the Allied war effort.
Elvis Presley made this unusual sandwich combination famous.
What are peanut butter and bananas?
Fun Fact: Many versions of the Elvis sandwich also include crispy bacon, making it a sweet-and-savory favorite.
Batman's greatest nemesis is known for his purple suit and sinister grin.
Who is the Joker?
Fun Fact: The Joker was originally intended to appear in only one comic, but editors decided he was too memorable to kill off.
This duo recorded the hit "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
Who are Simon & Garfunkel?
Fun Fact: Before becoming Simon & Garfunkel, they performed under the name "Tom & Jerry" in the late 1950s.
Although they argued constantly, these Sesame Street roommates remained lifelong friends.
Who are Bert and Ernie?
Fun Fact: Jim Henson always insisted they were simply best friends.
This deaf and blind author and the teacher who unlocked her ability to communicate remained lifelong friends and companions.
Who are Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan?
Fun Fact: Anne Sullivan stayed by Helen Keller's side for nearly 50 years.
This age-old philosophical question asks which of these two things came first.
What are the chicken and the egg?
Fun Fact: The phrase "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" has been debated by philosophers for more than 2,000 years, dating back to ancient Greece.
These two feuding families were at the center of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Who are the Montagues and the Capulets?
Fun Fact: Shakespeare never tells readers what started the family feud, making it one of literature's longest-running mysteries.
Before this musical artist's solo career, she performed alongside this husband, Ike, in songs like "Proud Mary."
Who is Tina Turner?
Fun Fact: Tina Turner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice—once with Ike Turner and later as a solo artist.