Postal Trivia
Is the Canada Post funded by taxpayer dollars today?
No
In fact, the Crown corporation that runs the Canada Post has not received funding from the government for decades.
This iconic national highway was decommissioned in June 1985 but is immortalized in songs like Nat King Cole’s “Get Your Kicks on _____ _____.”
What is Route 66?
The road also features prominently in
John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath.
This American civil rights activist was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
Who is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?
As head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he helped create the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and end segregation in the U.S.
In 1964, Harold Wilson took up this top government post.
What is prime minister? British prime ministers
are elected by the people and appointed by the monarch (king or queen) of the nation.
In 1974, President Nixon signed the first national speed limit of this many miles per hour on interstate roads
What is 55?
The speed limit was part of his Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act
What famous silent film actor was an avid stamp collector?
Charlie Chaplin
Many countries have used an image of the actor on their own stamps.
Shortages of this began in 1973 when OPEC raised its
prices, leading to long waits for American motorists
What is gasoline?
The shortage led to rationing, sometimes by license plate numbers, and to reduced speed limits, which
were intended to conserve fuel.
This children’s show, with characters like Elmo, Big Bird, and Oscar the Grouch, won the 1970 Emmy Award for outstanding achievement in children’s programming.
What is Sesame Street?
The show was created by Jim Henson.
In 1961, this iconic British author published
James and the Giant Peach.
Who is Roald Dahl?
The book established Dahl as a successful children’s author and met widespread acclaim.
Starring Danny DeVito as a cab dispatcher in New York
City, this TV show won three Outstanding Comedy Series awards between 1978–1983.
What is Taxi? The show was canceled
twice, in both 1982 and 1983, by two separate networks.
What state holds the oldest continuously operating post office in the United States?
Hint: The state’s motto is “Live free or die.”
New Hampshire
Since 1816, this post office in Hinsdale has been in the same building. It even survived a fire that took out the Town Hall building next door.
This company’s rhyming roadside signs were a hallmark of American roads like Route 66
from the 1920s to the 1960s.
What is Burma-Shave? Slogans like “If you don’t know whose signs these are, you can’t have driven very far” made Burma-Shave a highlight of many road trips.
In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded this for her
work with the poor and sick.
What is the Nobel Peace Prize?
Originally a teacher in Calcutta, she went on to a lifetime of humanitarian work.
Christine Keeler found herself in the middle of a
huge scandal with this British secretary of state for war.
Who is John “Jack” Profumo?
He resigned from the cabinet in June 1963.
This British fashion designer is often credited with
popularizing the miniskirt.
Who is Mary Quant?
As the ’60s progressed, this fashionable item
spread overseas and grew in popularity.
It also became progressively shorter.
What does zip (as in zip code) stand for?
Zone improvement plan
The basic zip is five digits long: the first digit signifies a group of states, the second and third represent a region, and the fourth and fifth signify addresses in that region.
The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signed into law by this man, who was president from 1953–1961.
Who is Dwight D. Eisenhower?
This act changed the face of America throughout the
’60s and ’70s by creating jobs and promoting tourism.
She was the biggest Grammy winner of 1971 and won Record of the Year for “It’s too Late,” Album of
the Year for Tapestry, and Song of the Year for “You’ve Got a Friend.”
Who is Carole King?
King wasn’t able to attend the 1971 Grammy Awards, as she was home with a newborn at the time
In 1963, this British sci-fi show premiered and ran for
26 years. It later had a revival in 2005 and is still filming today.
What is Doctor Who?
The role of Dr. Who has been played by many
Brits, including William Hartnell, Tom Baker, David
Tennant, and Matt Smith
The first Super Bowl was played by the Green Bay
Packers and this team.
Who are the Kansas City Chiefs?
The Super Bowl is a competition between AFL and NFL football teams, but its creators never intended
for the name Super Bowl to stick.
What kind of animal was once the USPS’s unofficial mascot?
A dog
In the late 1800s, Owney the terrier traveled the country delivering the mail until his death in 1897. Owney’s body was preserved and is now on display in
the National Postal Museum.
The Microbus comes from this German automaker.
What is Volkswagen?
The VW Microbus was favored by Jerry Garcia
and other legends of the 1960s counterculture.
Alice Walker won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for this novel.
What is The Color Purple?
A 1985 movie adaptation of Walker’s novel stars
Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, and Oprah Winfrey.
The passage of this act in 1970 was meant to
prevent discrimination in employment and wages.
What is the Equal Pay Act?
It provided equal treatment in the workplace for men and women.
What countries made up the original Axis powers in World War II?
Germany, Italy, and Japan