Stage Names
This “Candle in the Wind” singer was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight
Who is Sir Elton John? His stage name is a tribute to members of the band Bluesology.
On August 18, 1971, the Lincoln Home National Historic Site opened in this U.S. state.
What is Illinois? The Springfield home is now open to the public year-round.
On April 12, 1981, this organization launched its first space shuttle mission.
What is NASA? The first Space Transportation System carried astronaut John Young and navy test pilot Robert Crippen.
Recorded the hit tune “Chances Are”
Who is Johnny Mathis? Mathis recorded “Chances Are” in 1957. It was included on his album Johnny’s Greatest Hits, his second record to sell more than one million copies.
In February 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers declared this California landmark one of the Seven Wonders of the United States.
What is the Golden Gate Bridge? Other “Wonders” designated that year were the Hoover Dam and the Kennedy Space Center.
This Ghost and Sister Act actress was born Caryn Elaine Johnso
Who is Whoopi Goldberg? She has said her first name is a nod to the whoopee cushion
In 1978, the Redwood National Park Expansion Act was passed to protect redwood trees in this state.
What is California? Logging and other land use near the park threatened the giant trees, so the act helped protect more of the redwood forests.
Introduced to the tech world in 1982, this would quickly gain popularity and become the preferred alternative to floppy disks.
What is the CD or CD-ROM? CDs had a larger storage capacity (680 megabytes) than floppy disks (1.4 megabytes).
Recorded the hits “Danny’s Song” and “Your Mama Don’t Dance”
Who are Loggins and Messina? Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina were a pop duo who had a few hit songs in the 1970s. They separated to start their own careers in 1976. Kenny Loggins went on to have a very successful solo career.
In October 1992, this system was proclaimed to be complete with the opening of I-70 in Colorado.
What is the Interstate Highway System? The longest interstate highway is I-90, which runs 3,000 miles from Seattle to Boston.
This basketballer was born Earvin Johnson Jr.
Who is Magic Johnson? He earned his nickname in high school for his seemingly magical sports prowess.
The Pu`ukoholā Heiau (POO-ko-HO-la HAY-o) National Historic Site was opened here in August 1972.
What is Hawai’i? Heiau is a Hawai’ian word meaning “a temple.”
Handheld communicators from the Star Trek universe are often credited with inspiring this ’80s invention.
What is the mobile phone (or cell phone)? Digital cell phones came into being with early models like the Motorola DynaTAC, which weighed over a kilogram.
Recorded “Sara Smile” and “Rich Girl”
Who are Hall and Oates? Pop artists Daryl Hall and John Oates had the most success from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is a 17.6-mile bridge and tunnel complex located in this U.S. state.
What is Virginia? Construction of the bridge-tunnel was completed in 1964 and has been recognized by the ASCE as an “Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement.”
The country artist who sings “Wild One,” she was born Audrey Faith Perry.
Who is Faith Hill? The song was her first single and reached No. 1 on the country music charts for four weeks.
Opened on October 27, 1972, this California recreation area shares its name with a landmark bridge.
What is the Golden Gate? The recreation area was created from military, private, and public lands in the San Francisco Bay area.
In 1981, the F-117 Nighthawk was introduced by Lockheed; it was this type of radarresistant craft.
What is an airplane? With its first flight on June 18, the F-117 became the world’s first stealth aircraft and changed military history.
Recorded “Ride My See-Saw” and “Nights in White Satin”
What is the Moody Blues? The band experienced commercial success and critical acclaim during the late 1960s and 1970s. The Moody Blues were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
After an older bridge partially collapsed in 1980, this structure was built over Tampa Bay in 1987 and stretches over six kilometers.
What is the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge? The new structure was named after Bob Graham, a former governor and U.S. senator from Florida.
Film director of such works as Malcolm X and Do the Right Thing, he was born Shelton Jackson Lee.
Who is Spike Lee? He began studying film while a student at Morehouse College
Opened on July 4, 1976, this Pennsylvania National Historical Park was the site of George Washington’s winter encampment from 1777 to 1778.
What is Valley Forge? The designation as a historical park came on the bicentennial of the American Revolution.
This Microsoft disk operating system was released in 1981 and was designed to work on IBM computers.
What is MS-DOS? It became the most prevalent operating system for PCs in the ’80s and helped launch Microsoft as a tech giant.
Recorded “Come Monday” and “Son of a Son of a Sailor”
Who is Jimmy Buffett? Buffett, the legendary troubadour of the laid-back lifestyle, created not only a musical empire but an entire “Margaritaville” state of mind, where time seems to slow down and every day feels like a beachside vacation. His death in 2023 saddened his fans, known as “Parrotheads.”
In 1990, Congress passed an act recognizing that this route had “become a symbol of the American people’s heritage of travel and their legacy of seeking a better life.”
What is Route 66? The act called for a study of the route by the National Park Service, including options for preserving the historic roadway.