Follow the Leader
This leader of the Teamsters vanished in 1975.
Who is Jimmy Hoffa? His remains have never been found. Hoffa served time in prison for bribery and jury tampering before President Richard Nixon commuted his sentence.
Tales of Roman and Greek gods and goddesses fall under this ology.
What is mythology? Three of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were inspired by mythology: the Colossus of Rhodes, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.
“Reach Out and Touch Someone” became AT&T’s slogan in 1979 to promote this service.
What is long-distance calling? At the time, long-distance calls were an expensive premium service reserved mostly for special occasions.
The first train car is sometimes called an engine. Its proper name is this.
What is a locomotive? There are approximately 30 different types of passenger cars, but not all cars will be on any train.
This natural water wonder spans Canada and the United States.
What is Niagara Falls? The three waterfalls have the highest flow rate of all falls on Earth.
Durum, semolina, self-rising, bread, and whole wheat are types of this.
What is flour? Flour is made by milling grains, beans, nuts, and seeds into a fine powder.
The name of this most famous/infamous and controversial FBI leader appears on the current agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Who is J. Edgar Hoover? He was FBI director from 1924–1972 and is credited with rebuilding the FBI into a professional agency by introducing a fingerprint repository, a crime-detection lab, and the FBI National Academy. He recruited on merit and instituted rigorous vetting of prospects.
This ology is a collection of literary works.
What is an anthology? The Chicken Soup for the Soul franchise is a best-selling series of anthologies.
He brought Chrysler back from the verge of bankruptcy.
Who is Lee Iacocca? He previously oversaw Ford’s production of the Mustang. He was also at Ford during the Pinto era. Iacocca thought about running for president until Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill told him he didn’t have the right temperament for the job.
The yellow rose is linked to this state.
What is Texas? “The Yellow Rose of Texas” is a tribute to Emily Morgan, an African American woman who is considered “the accidental heroine” of Texan independence.
Fruit and vegetable production relies heavily on these stinging pollinators.
What are bees? Honeybees also provide food. Bees must gather pollen from around two million flowers to make a pound of honey.
The United States grows avocados in California and this state.
What is Florida? California avocados are primarily rough-skinned Hass avocados. Florida avocados are larger, have smoother skin, and are lower in fat.
He led the Cultural Revolution in China.
Who is Mao Zedong? The revolution led to the death of two million Chinese people. Mao Zedong was also a major force in the Chinese Communist Party, aka the CCP.
This is the study of religious questions.
What is theology? During the Middle Ages, theology was known as the “queen of the sciences” because it was considered the universities’ highest subject of learning.
The idea for this sports channel was conceived in 1978, and the channel launched in 1979.
What is ESPN? Offering 24-hour sports TV via satellite, ESPN is now available on all streaming services.
In 1920, this competitor of Macy’s hosted the first Thanksgiving Day parade in New York.
What is Gimbels? The idiom “Does Macy’s tell Gimbels?” is a way to put off inquisitive people and imply that competitive businesses do not share secrets. Gimbels closed in 1986, but the expression lives on.
Today we have regulations and technologies to help lower carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But we still depend on these living things to pull the greenhouse gas out of the air.
What are plants or trees? In one year, a mature tree absorbs 22 pounds of carbon dioxide and releases enough oxygen for one person to breathe for two years.
This apple bears the partial name of a Japanese company that still makes camera film.
What is Fuji? The Fuji apple is one of the sweetest apples on the market. It was bred in Japan from two American varieties.
This military leader ruled Cuba twice—first from 1933–44 and then again when he seized control in a bloodless coup in 1952.
Who is Fulgencio Batista? Britannica describes Batista in his second term as “a dictator, jailing his opponents, using terrorist methods, and making fortunes for himself and his associates.”
This is a set of doctrines or beliefs.
What is ideology? Ideologies are not limited to politics; they encompass science, religion, life, etc., and they can be theoretical or practical.
This is the world’s most expensive stock.
What is Berkshire Hathaway? One share of BRK. A will set you back around $600,000.
This is the world’s largest rainforest.
What is the Amazon? It’s about as large as the continental United States. It comprises 54 percent of all rainforests in the world and spans several countries in South America, with 60 percent of it in Brazil.
This dwarf planet was discovered in 1930 and hasn’t made a revolution around the sun since then.
What is Pluto? It takes 248.09 years for Pluto to complete one revolution around the sun.
Dates are this dried fruit.
What are figs? Technically, figs aren’t fruit; they are flowers turned inside out.
He was the first Russian leader after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Who is Boris Yeltsin? Before the fall of the U.S.S.R., Yeltsin engaged in Soviet politics. At one time, he was secretary of the Communist Party.
This ology is the study of the antiquities from the land of the pharaohs.
What is Egyptology? Egyptology includes the study of the pyramids. The Great Pyramid at Giza is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing.
In 1979, R. J. Reynolds acquired this canned-fruit company.
What is Del Monte? In 1989, RJR Nabisco Inc., as the company had come to be known, sold Del Monte for $1.4 billion in cash to ease the company’s debt problem. This is not the only tobacco company to have merged with a food or beverage company. Philip Morris acquired Seven-Up Company in 1978.
Judd Hirsch, Jeff Conaway, Danny DeVito, and Marilu Henner worked for this company in the TV sitcom Taxi.
What is the Sunshine Cab Company? Andy Kaufman played the mechanic. All the taxi drivers except Alex (Hirsch) looked at the job as a temporary situation. Alex was convinced he would drive a cab forever.
It is often repeated that this crustacean never dies of old age.
What is the lobster? It’s not quite true that they don’t die of old age. Many factors go into aging; one is the shortening of telomeres, which contributes to cell replication. As we age and telomeres shorten, it is more difficult for the body’s cells to replicate. While lobsters’ telomeres do not shorten like ours do, other factors do contribute to their aging.
Farfalle belongs to this group of Italian staples.
What is pasta? Farfalle looks like little bow ties and is one of the oldest pasta shapes. It dates back to the 16th century, when women would use leftover pasta dough to make the little bow ties.
He became chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve System in 1979 and is credited with ending the sky-high inflation of the 1970s.
Who is Paul Volcker? He managed the money supply and raised interest rates to stem inflation. The measures led to a recession, but he did kill inflation, which had been out of control.
This is the study of the nature of disease.
What is pathology? Pathology is the study of disease causes and manifestations and provides diagnostic information and management protocols.
Kleenex, Viva, and Scott are all brands of this company.
What is Kimberly-Clark? The company acquired Scott Paper, one of its biggest competitors, in 1995 for $9.4 billion.
This Eastern European country gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1878 and has its own arc, similar to France’s Arc de Triomphe.
What is Romania? To celebrate its independence, Romania’s arc is known as the Arcul de Triumf.
This peak in the Himalayan Mountains straddles Nepal and Tibet.
What is Mount Everest? Visitors who don’t want to climb to the peak at 29,029 feet can book a sightseeing flight.
These are Mediterranean/Middle Eastern fried or baked balls or patties made with chickpeas, herbs, and spices and often drizzled with tahini.
What are falafel? Falafel are thought to have originated with the Coptic Christian Egyptians during Lent as a replacement for meat.