Night Moves
This nocturnal hunter is known for its near-silent flight.
What is the owl? The shape of owl wings and feathers significantly reduce the sound made when they fly.
This herb sometimes tops butter and/or sour cream on a baked potato.
What are chives? Onion and garlic varieties are easy to grow and adapt to most soils. They produce small bulbs below the surface, and both their stalks and leaves are edible and used for seasoning. They’re best served fresh as a raw garnish.
This 1972 Francis Ford Coppola film based on the book by Mario Puzo tells the story of an Italian American family in the 1930s and ’40s.
What is The Godfather? During filming, Marlon Brando read his lines from cue cards. He felt it made him look like he was searching for just the right words. Fun fact: You never hear the words mafia or mob in the movie.
This is the term for a prolonged dry period in nature.
What is drought? The drought that caused the Great Plains Dust Bowl lasted nearly a decade, and it couldn’t have happened at a worse time—during the Great Depression.
The book of Genesis speaks to the original sin in this garden.
What is Eden? Based on the description of the garden, it is believed it was located in the Middle East close to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
The Beatles landed in New York City in this decade.
What is the 1960s? On February 7, 1964, the Beatles phenomenon crossed the Atlantic Ocean. They were greeted by 100 police officers, 200 members of the press, and 4,000 screaming fans.
John Travolta plays a hardware store worker by day and a disco king by night in this 1970s film.
What is Saturday Night Fever? Disco music and dancing were all the rage in the 1970s, especially in New York when Studio 54 reigned supreme.
The Genovese variety of this herb is used to make pesto.
What is basil? It’s a member of the mint family and comes in many varieties, from lemon to licorice to cinnamon. It takes its name from the Greek basileus, meaning “king or royal.”
Tommy Dorsey, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, and Lawrence Welk were all leaders of this type of musical group.
What is big band? Though big bands are associated with the 1940s, their popularity launched during the Great Depression. So many performers were unemployed that it became easy to find 10 or more musicians to form a band. Radio was in full swing, which promoted the bands to those who could not attend in person.
This is the term for decomposing plants and animals that are used as an energy source.
What is fossil fuels? Coal, oil, and natural gas are fossil fuels. Sun and wind are renewable sources.
This is the Garden State.
What is New Jersey? The state’s moniker was first used in an 1876 political speech. The state issued its first Garden State license plates in 1954.
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson died in a plane crash while on tour during this decade.
What is the 1950s? On February 3, 1959, the plane crashed in Clear Lake, Iowa. The pilot was not instrument qualified, but he took off in inclement weather. There were no survivors.
This is the proper name of the North Star.
What is Polaris? Did you know that, while Polaris is the current North Star, it hasn’t always been? The title is given to a bright star that is closest to Earth’s celestial pole. Vega was the North Star 14,000 years ago.
This herb from a woody plant goes well with lamb dishes. It’s a member of the mint family and comes from Latin, meaning “dew of the sea.”
What is rosemary? The plant is a perennial, and its leaves are used abundantly in Mediterranean cooking.
He was Dean Martin’s comedic partner.
Who is Jerry Lewis? The duo appeared together on national radio, in 16 films, and on the Colgate Comedy Hour before they split. They reunited on Lewis’ Muscular Dystrophy Telethon when Martin made an unannounced appearance arranged by Frank Sinatra.
These wild, cat-like creatures have the highest incidence of rabies.
What are raccoons? Skunks, bats, and foxes are other species of wildlife that often become infected.
The Hanging Gardens were located here.
What is Babylon? They are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The timeframe of the gardens is estimated to be from around 602 to 320 BC.
This decade brought us the first televised presidential debate.
What is the 1960s? The debate was between Kennedy and Nixon, and it was broadcast in 1960 on CBS.
This U.S. state has the highest number of night-shift workers.
What is Nevada? This is due to the high percentage of third-shift workers in Las Vegas.
This herb is often used with fish and in pickling.
What is dill? It’s a member of the carrot family, and it resembles carrot tops.
These nationwide variety shows performed before live audiences across America before the advent of silent films.
What is vaudeville? Variety shows were nothing new, but they had gained infamy due to their graft and corruption, so the name was changed to vaudeville. The classy, French-sounding name helped promote the shows. Vaudeville’s popularity began to wane during World War I, and its run ended in the 1930s.
This is the most prevalent blood type in the world.
What is O positive? O negative is considered the universal blood donor type, and while not ideal, it can be used on anyone in a medical emergency.
This plant was once more valuable than gold.
What is a tulip? During the 17th-century era of Tulipmania in Holland, the highest-priced tulip bulb was around the same cost as a home.
Prince William married Kate Middleton in this decade.
What is the 2010s? The wedding was televised live on April 29, 2011, and it was the most-viewed event of the year.
This is the proper name for the northern lights.
What is aurora borealis? The phenomenon is caused by protons and electrons from the sun hitting Earth’s atmosphere.
It’s difficult to find a savory Greek dish without this herb.
What is oregano? It’s one of the top herbs used in the Mediterranean, and it has medicinal and culinary uses worldwide.
Brothers Larry, Daryl, and Daryl are featured in this TV sitcom.
What is Newhart? Bob Newhart got the inspiration for the show while people-watching at hotels. He decided there were just as many crazy people in hotels as there were in his previous sitcom, The Bob Newhart Show, where he played a psychologist.
This thick dairy ingredient is used in French food to thicken sauces and soups and as a dessert topping.
What is crème fraîche? Crème fraîche has a 30 percent fat content, while sour cream has a 20 percent fat content. The higher fat content makes crème fraîche richer and creamier, and it’s also less tangy than sour cream.
This is the fastest-growing woody plant.
What is bamboo? It can grow three feet in a day.
It was during this decade that Dolly the sheep was cloned.
What is the 1990s? In Scotland in 1996, Dolly became the first cloned animal. Scientists used a mammary gland for the process, and the sheep was named for Dolly Parton. Parton said, “I never met her, but I always said there’s no such thing as ‘baaad’ publicity.”
On the Doomsday Clock, the end of civilization is represented by this time.
What is midnight? The symbolic clock is set annually and is run by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a nonprofit organization.
This herb can be made into tea as a remedy for coughs and colds, and it gets its name from the Greek word for “courage.”
What is thyme? The woody varieties are evergreen, so you can use them straight from the garden to the kitchen year-round.
This detective first appeared in print, on the radio, and on stage before appearing on TV on the BBC in 1937.
Who is Hercule Poirot? Agatha Christie’s famous protagonist has been parodied by many, and he was the first fictional character to have an obituary published on the front page of the New York Times.
Princess Diana and Winston Churchill have this name in common.
What is Spencer? Before she was Diana, Princess of Wales, her full name was Lady Diana Spencer, and Winston Churchill’s full name was Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill. Princess Diana was related to Churchill, Humphrey Bogart, Louisa May Alcott, Rudolph Valentino, and Audrey Hepburn. She was also King Charles’ seventh cousin.
This country is the location of Butchart Gardens.
What is Canada? The 118-year-old botanical gardens are near Victoria, British Columbia, and are open year-round. It is a total of 55 acres.
This entire decade was focused on the possibility of a Y2K bug.
What is the 1990s? People feared that, because early computer code expressed years in two numerals, omitting the “19” before the year would cause power, communications, and access to electronic funds to be lost. In the end, nothing happened. Life went on without a hiccup.