Sports
The Olympic Games were originally held every two years?
True or False
False The ancient Olympic Games were held every four years. That interval, called an Olympiad, was also used as a unit of time in ancient Greece.
The Great Fire of London started in a bakery?
True or False
True The fire began in a bakery on Pudding Lane in 1666 and burned for four days, destroying large parts of the city.
The tradition of the Christmas tree originated in Germany?
True or False
True Decorating evergreen trees indoors during winter became popular in Germany in the 16th century and later spread throughout Europe and the United States.
A group of crows is called a murder?
True or False
True The term dates back to medieval English folklore and has been used since at least the 15th century.
A jiffy is an actual unit of time?
True or False
True In physics, a jiffy is the time it takes light to travel one centimeter, about 33.4 picoseconds.
Golf was the first sport played on the moon?
True or False
True Astronaut Alan Shepard hit two golf balls on the Moon during the Apollo 14 mission in 1971.
Cleopatra lived closer in time to the Moon landing than to the construction of the Great Pyramid?
True or False
True The Great Pyramid was completed around 2560 BC, Cleopatra lived around 30 BC, and the Moon landing occurred in 1969. Cleopatra is closer in time to the Moon landing.
Halloween has its roots in an ancient Celtic festival?
True or False
True Halloween traces back to the Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.
A group of cats is called a clowder?
True or False
True Another lesser-known term is a “glaring,” especially when the cats appear unfriendly.
The voices of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse were married in real life?
True or False
True Wayne Allwine, who voiced Mickey Mouse, married Russi Taylor, the voice of Minnie Mouse, in 1991.
Tennis scoring uses the term "love" to mean zero?
True or False
True The most common theory is that the term comes from the French word l'oeuf, meaning egg, which resembles the shape of zero.
The Titanic had enough lifeboats for everyone on board?
True or False
False The Titanic carried lifeboats with space for about 1,178 people, but more than 2,200 people were on board.
Groundhog Day is based on a German tradition?
True or False
True German immigrants brought a similar Candlemas tradition to Pennsylvania, originally using a hedgehog to predict the weather.
The color orange was named after the fruit?
True or False
True Before the fruit reached Europe, the color was often described as “yellow-red.” The English word “orange” comes from the Sanskrit word naranga.
The dot over a lowercase “i” or “j” has a name?
True or False
True The dot is called a tittle, a term used in typography and linguistics.
In baseball, a perfect game means a pitcher strikes out every batter?
True or False
False A perfect game means every batter is retired without reaching base. Outs can occur through strikeouts, groundouts, or flyouts.
The Eiffel Tower was originally intended to be permanent?
True or False
False The tower was built for the 1889 World’s Fair and was originally meant to be dismantled after 20 years, but it was preserved because it proved useful for radio transmissions.
St. Valentine’s Day has always been associated with romantic love?
True or False
False The holiday began as a religious feast day. Its connection to romantic love grew during the Middle Ages, especially through literature like Geoffrey Chaucer’s poetry.
Fortune cookies were invented in China?
True or False
False Fortune cookies were invented in the United States, most likely in California in the early 20th century.
The inventor of the frisbee was turned into a frisbee after his death?
True or False
True Walter Frederick Morrison, inventor of the modern flying disc, had his ashes mixed into commemorative frisbees after he died in 2010.
The New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world?
True or False
True The race regularly hosts around 50,000 runners, making it the largest marathon by number of participants.
The shortest war in recorded history lasted less than an hour?
True or False
True The Anglo-Zanzibar War in 1896 lasted roughly 38–45 minutes.
In the United States, Thanksgiving is held on the last Thursday of November?
True or False
False Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, which is not always the last Thursday of the month.
The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows?
True or False
True Many historians believe Leonardo da Vinci intentionally painted her without eyebrows, though some may also have faded during centuries of restoration.
It is illegal to own just one guinea pig in Switzerland?
True or False
True Swiss animal welfare laws recognize guinea pigs as social animals, so keeping only one is considered neglect.