November 1
Which of the following does NOT take place in November?
A. Sadie Hawkins Day
B. Veterans Day
C. Super Bowl
D. All Souls’ Day
(C) Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is held on the first Sunday in February.
Harpo Marx was born on November 23, 1888. What instrument did he play?
Harp. Harpo was the second oldest of the Marx brothers. The brothers, from oldest to youngest, were Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo, and Zeppo.
Mocktail Day is November 12. What is a mocktail?
A. A non-alcoholic beverage
B. A bird
C. A fairy tale
D. A hairstyle
(A) A non-alcoholic beverage. A Shirley Temple is an example of a mocktail.
What American president declared Thanksgiving a holiday?
Abraham Lincoln was so enthused to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday that he decided it should be celebrated twice a year.
What medication can someone take to help control the symptoms of diabetes: Tylenol or insulin?
Insulin. 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin by Sir Frederick G. Banting, Charles H. Best, and J.J.R. Macleod at the University of Toronto.
True or False?
November gets its name from the Latin word novem, which means “nine.”
True. November was the ninth month in the Roman calendar. It is the eleventh month in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
True or False?
Every presidential election in U.S. history has been held in November.
False. Some states held elections as late as December. Before 1845, states were allowed to vote anytime within a 34-day window as long as it was completed by the first Wednesday in December.
Robert Louis Stevenson was born on November 13, 1850. Which is NOT one of his literary characters?
A. Mr. Hyde
B. Dr. Jekyll
C. Long John Silver
D. Lemuel Gulliver
(D) Lemuel Gulliver. Gulliver is one of Jonathan Swift’s characters from the novel Gulliver’s Travels.
Plymouth, Massachusetts, has historically been credited as the site of the first Thanksgiving feast. Historians have found records of an earlier Thanksgiving in another colony. What’s the name of the colony?
Jamestown (now Virginia)
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr all played music together in what band: the Supremes or the Beatles?
The Beatles. Lennon, Harrison, and McCartney met as teenagers in Liverpool, England. Starr joined the band a few years later.
What Muppet character was designed by Jim Henson on November 2, 1966?
A. Bert
B. Ernie
C. Big Bird
D. Cookie Monster
(D) Cookie Monster. The Sesame Street character frequently sings the song “C Is for Cookie.”
Who found Dr. Livingstone on November 9, 1871?
A. Henry Stanley
B. Horace Greeley
C. Daniel Boone
D. Robinson Crusoe
(A) Henry Stanley. Through a promotion sponsored by the New York Herald, Stanley started out looking for Livingstone eight months earlier. He found Dr. Livingstone in Ujiji, Africa.
On November 18, 1307, William Tell shot an arrow through a piece of fruit that was sitting on his son’s head. What kind of fruit was it?
Apple. According to legend, Tell had two crossbows prepared for shooting. If he killed his son, he then planned to execute the man who devised the punishment.
Is turkey hunting more popular in Texas or Alabama?
Alabama. The state worked hard and succeeded in restoring the dwindling numbers of wild turkeys. Now there are two turkey hunting seasons in the state to manage the population.
What nursery rhyme character ran away with the spoon: the cow or the dish?
The dish. The rhyme states, “Hey, diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle, The cow jumped over the moon; the little dog laughed to see such sport, and the dish ran away with the spoon.”
True or False?
November is one of five months with the length of 30 days.
False. November is one of four months (April, June, September, and November) with 30 days.
U.S. daylight saving time ends on November 1 at 2 a.m. Do we gain or lose one hour at this time?
Gain one hour. We get an extra hour of sleep when we “fall back” in autumn. We lose an hour when U.S. daylight saving time begins on March 14, 2021, at 2 a.m.
What song did Kate Smith sing for the very first time on November 11, 1938?
A. “When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain”
B. “Yankee Doodle Dandy”
C. “America”
D. “God Bless America
(D) “God Bless America.” The Irving Berlin song is her signature song.
What soup company invented the green bean casserole?
Campbell’s Soup Company published a recipe for the casserole in 1955. It sharply increased sales of their cream of mushroom soup.
What company throws the big Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City: Starbucks or Macy’s?
Macy’s. The first Macy’s parade was a Christmas parade in 1924. It started way up at 145th Street and included “floats, bands, animals from the zoo and 10,000 onlookers,” according to a Macy’s history page. They renamed it for Thanksgiving three years later
What Hans Christian Andersen story featuring a feathered animal was published in November of 1843?
The Ugly Duckling. In the story, the ugly duckling turns into a beautiful swan.
What is the birth flower for November?
A. Carnation
B. Tulip
C. Chrysanthemum
D. Rose
(C) Chrysanthemum. Mums are native to Asia and northeastern Europe.
What do turkeys and squirrels have in common?
Both turkeys and squirrels eat a diet high in acorns
True or false: The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is always the busiest air travel day of the year in the U.S.
No, often the busiest air travel day of the year falls in August. That’s because over 60% of people in the U.S. take a vacation in August.
The film It Happened One Night stars what handsome actor who plays a renegade reporter: Al Pacino or Clark Gable?
Clark Gable. Gable won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his work on the film. His co-star Claudette Colbert also won an award for her portrayal of the young runaway heiress Ellie Andrews.