Locations
Blast from the Past
Historical Women
May Flowers & More
100

This famous park is in the middle of New York City.

What is Central Park? It’s the crown jewel of urban open space, and it’s larger than the country of Monaco.

100

Children use this slang term for germs.

What is cooties? The term originated during World War I when troops used it to mean body lice.

100

She was the first person to fly solo across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Who is Amelia Earhart? She and her airplane disappeared while flying across the Pacific Ocean in her attempt to circumnavigate the globe. She was never found and was legally declared dead two years after her disappearance.

100

In many countries, we honor these people on the second Sunday in May.

What are mothers? The United States, Canada, and Australia are among the countries that celebrate on the second Sunday. However, in Mexico and parts of Latin America, Mother’s Day is celebrated annually on May 10.

200

This European city, built around canals, comprises a large number of islands.

What is Venice? It consists of 118 islands that are linked by a few hundred bridges. Your best bet is to walk or ride a water taxi to get around the city.

200

Before there were computer devices, we used to play here before dinner.

Where is outside? Remember when we came home from school, ditched our schoolbooks, and headed outside until our mothers called us in for dinner?

200

She founded the American Red Cross.

Who is Clara Barton? During the Civil War, Barton was a nurse and an educator. In 1881, she founded the American Red Cross. Barton and Susan B. Anthony were contemporaries and friends.

200

People dance around this long pole wrapped with flowers, fabric, and garland on a day named for it.

What is the maypole? May Day is celebrated on May 1, and the maypole has been in use since the 14th century in Britain.

300

This windy U.S. city is often cited as housing the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw.

What is Chicago? Polish immigration started in earnest in the 1860s.

300

In addition to watching films in the theater, we headed here to watch them on summer nights.

What are drive-ins? There are around 300 drive-ins still in operation in the United States and just over 40 remaining in Canada.

300

This Polish-born French scientist discovered polonium and radium.

Who is Marie Curie? She won two Nobel Prizes: one solo award in chemistry and one in physics with her husband, Pierre Curie, and Henri Becquerel.

300

Hawaii celebrates this welcome gift for visitors on the first day of May.

What is the lei? Lei Day is a statewide celebration. Each island has its own lei, and removing it in front of the person who gave it to you is considered rude.

400

France’s grapes that grow in this region are known for their famed “bubbly.”

What is Champagne? In some countries, sparkling wine from grapes grown outside of the Champagne region must be labeled as sparkling wine or labeled champagne with a lowercase C.

400

Gone are the days of spending entire days shopping here.

What is the mall? The first large-scale indoor mall in the United States opened in the early 1950s in Edina, Minnesota, and was called Southdale Center. It included 75 shops filling two levels of retail space.

400

This Golden Age Austrian American actress starred with luminaries such as Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy and played a crucial role in World War II due to her technological expertise.

Who is Hedy Lamarr? During World War II, she and George Antheil received a patent for a secret communications system that allowed messages to change radio frequencies so the enemy could not capture and decode them.

400

This May birthstone captures the splendor of mid-spring nature.

What is emerald? Some claim that those who wear emeralds are able to predict the future. The gem symbolizes rebirth and fertility.

500

This country has the longest street in the world.

What is Canada? Yonge Street is 1,178 miles (1,896 kilometers) long and runs through Toronto.

500

Long before streaming, kids used to record songs fromthe radio onto these.

What are cassette tapes? It wasn’t easy to hit stop and record on the recorder at precisely the right time.

500

This 18th-century British novelist ushered in the modern romantic comedy genre.

Who is Jane Austen? Her famous novels include Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.

500

This is the official Mother’s Day flower.

What is the carnation? White carnations are the most popular. They symbolize the purity of a mother’s love.