Our Neighbors to the North
This is the capital city of Canada.
What is Ottawa?
Ottawa was chosen as the capital for its location, which was perceived as neutral and less likely to cause conflict between English and French-speaking communities.
These pants with extra wide legs were all the rage in the 1970s and the late 60s.
What are Bellbottoms?
Music played a significant role in popularizing bell bottoms. The song "Bell Bottomed Blues" by Eric Clapton is a prime example.
What is Maine?
The Portland, Maine native often writes books that feature his home state as the setting.
He plays the lead character, Tony, in 1977's Saturday Night Fever
Who is John Travolta?
The practiced rigorously for the film's iconic dance scenes and personally oversaw the editing of his solo dance sequence.
This Mexican holiday celebrates an unlikely victory over the French.
What is Cinco De Mayo?
The Mexican army, though outnumbered and poorly equipped, managed to defeat the French at the Battle of Puebla. Though many American's believe Cinco De Mayo to be the equivalent of the 4th of July, the event is much more similar to the Alamo than Independence day.
He was known as The King of Rock n Roll.
Who is Elvis Presley?
Elvis was a seventh-degree black belt in karate and even opened his own Tennessee Karate Institute. Also, despite his musical genius, Elvis never learned to read music and primarily played by ear.
The Canadian flag has colors of red and white, with this featured prominently in the center.
What is a Maple Leaf?
The design, featuring the 11-point maple leaf, was chosen for its clear visibility from a distance, even in windy conditions. The flag's colors also represent the national colours of Canada, red for England and white for France.
Working Women in the '80s were sporting this type of suit, often with shoulder pads and bold accessories.
What is a power suit?
The style was popularized by Princess Diana, Nancy Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, among others.
This King novel and film adaptation were influenced by his struggles with alcoholism and his time spent at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.
What is The Shining?
King famously dislikes the film adaptation of the book for a variety of reasons. Among them is that in the book, Jack slowly descends into madness, but in the film, he's presented as unhinged from the beginning, which King felt was a major deviation from his original vision.
Texas Holdem', Seven-Card Stud, and Omaha Hi/Lo are all types of this game.
What is Poker?
Poker's modern form is widely believed to have been developed in New Orleans in the late 18th century, where French settlers were likely playing Poque, a game with elements of chance and bluffing.
On May 4th, 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a group students protesting the Vietnam war at this U.S. College.
What is Kent State?
The May 4th shootings at Kent State University on May 4, 1970, saw the Ohio National Guard fire on student protesters, resulting in four deaths and nine injuries. The National Guard fired 67 rounds in 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others. The shootings occurred during student protests against the Vietnam War and President Nixon's expansion of the war into Cambodia.
This quartet from Liverpool, England was known as The Fab Four.
Who are the Beatles?
Decca Records, a major label, famously rejected the Beatles, stating they didn't see "groups of guitars" being a successful trend. According to Mental Floss, this decision is considered one of the biggest mistakes in music industry history.
Canada produces 75-80% of the world’s supply of this food item, commonly used for breakfast.
What is Maple Syrup?
91% of the maple syrup produced by Canada is produced in Quebec.
These popular skirts of the 1950s often had an embroidered dog on them.
What are Poodle skirts?
The poodle motif became synonymous with the skirt, likely due to the popularity of French poodles during that era and the playful, conversation-starting nature of the designs.
This Stephen King film adaptation, which released in 1994, stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman as inmates in a Maine prison.
What is Shawshank Redemption?
Stephen King never cashed his $5,000 check for rights to the film. Several years after the movie came out, King got the check framed, and mailed it back to Frank Darabont with a note inscribed, "In case you ever need bail money. Love, Steve."
This mountain range spans from Newfoundland, Canada in the north, all the way down to Georgia and Alabama in the south.
What are the Appalachian Mountains?
The Appalachians are the oldest mountain chain in North America. The highest peak is Mount Mitchell in North Carolina, at 6,684 feet.
On May 2nd, 1946, an escape attempt from this notoriously inescapable maximum-security prison, on an island in San Francisco Bay, escalated into a firefight and a siege of one of the cellhouses.
What is Alcatraz?
After 48 hours of the so-called battle of Alcatraz, more than a dozen people were injured and five dead: two officers and three of the escaping prisoners.
He was known as the King of Pop.
Who is Michael Jackson?
Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: Once as a member of the Jackson 5 and once for his solo career.
Located in Alberta and established in 1885, this is the oldest national park in Canada?
What is Bannf National Park?
Banff National Park holds the distinction of being Canada's inaugural national park, a designation it received in 1885.
These daring skirts became a symbol of the 1960's rebellious spirit.
What are mini skirts?
Fashion designer Mary Quant is often credited with bringing the miniskirt to mainstream fashion, though the idea of shorter skirts existed before.
Stephen's kings debut novel, about a troubled teen with telekenitic powers, was adapted into a 1976 horror movie starring Sissy Spacek.
What is Carrie?
Carrie was Stephen King's first big-screen adaptation, and he was paid $2,500 for the rights to his story.
He is the star of such films as True Grit, The Searchers, and Stagecoach
What is John Wayne?
He was a skilled equestrian, loved chess (and was known to cheat), and had a strong appreciation for antiques and interior decorating. Wayne was also a passionate advocate for early cancer checkups after battling and beating lung cancer.
On May 29th, 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Napalese Sherpa Tanzig Norgay became the first people to do this.
What is climb Mount Everest?
Hillary and Tenzing spend only 15 minutes at the top, reaching the summit of the 29,032′ mountain at around 11.30am. That was enough time to bury some sweets and biscuits in the ice and for the Kiwi to have “no choice but to urinate”.
This popular jazz musician also went by his names such as "Satchmo" and "Pops"
Who is Louie Armstrong?
Armstrong revolutionized jazz with his innovative trumpet playing and soulful vocals, making him a key figure in the transition from traditional jazz to modern styles. At the age of 62, Armstrong achieved a number one hit with "Hello, Dolly!", becoming the oldest musician to do so in American history.
Often considered to be the best hockey player of all time, this Canadian played for the Edmonton Oilers from 1979-1988, winning four Stanley Cup victories during that time.
Who is Wayne Gretzky?
He was ice skating by the age of two years and ten months, and was already playing against older kids when he was just six years old.
These thick-soled shoes became very popular during the disco era.
What are Platform Shoes?
Platform shoes, with their thick, elevated sole, have a long and interesting history, ranging from ancient practicality to modern fashion statements. They were first used in ancient Greece to make characters in plays appear taller and in Europe to keep people's feet off the muck and grime of the streets.
Fittingly, this was King's day job when we began his writing career.
What is an English teacher?
He taught English at a high school in Hampden, Maine.
This is the boiling point of water in Celcius.
What is 100°C ?
The Celsius temperature scale, often called centigrade, is a metric system scale where 0°C represents the freezing point of water and 100°C represents its boiling point. This scale was created by Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius in 1742, and it's widely used in science and many parts of the world.
On May 13th, 1981, this pope survived an assassination attempt in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
Who is Pope John Paul II?
Pope John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years, is known for his extensive travels and his canonization of numerous saints. Among his travels, he visited the White House, a synagogue, and Cuba, all firsts for a pope.
This rock n roll musician from New Jersey is known as The Boss.
Who is Bruce Springsteen?
His longest show was in Helsinki, Finland in 2012, lasting four hours and six minutes.
Head far up north to the Yukon Territory in Canada to get a great view of the vibrant colors displayed during this natural light show.
What is the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis?
The name "Aurora Borealis" combines "Aurora," the Roman goddess of dawn, and "Borealis," the Greek name for the north wind.
These high boots, often paired with miniskirts, were a popular footwear trend.
What are Go-Go Boots?
Nancy Sinatra is considered a poster child for go-go boots, wearing them to promote her hit song "These Boots Are Made For Walking".
King also publishes work under this pen name.
Who is Richard Bachman?
King invented the pseudonym to see if he could market books without the attachment of his more famous name.
This is the number of red and white stripes found on the American flag.
What is 13?
The original flag of the United States featured 13 stars, along with 13 alternating stripes of red and white, all of which represented the original 13 colonies. As the U.S. added more states, more stars were added to the flag, but the 13 stripes still remain the same.
On May 17th, 1954, in this landmark case, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously ruled that racial segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.
What is Brown Vs The Board of Education?
A major victory of the civil rights movement, it was a pivotal challenge to the long-established doctrine of ‘separate but equal’.
This controversial lead singer for The Doors was also known as The Lizard King.
Who is Jim Morrison?
He used the term "Lizard King" in the lyric "I am the Lizard King, I can do anything" from the song "Not to Touch The Earth" and the nickname just kind of stuck with him. Morrison later wrote a poem where he also referred to himself as the Lizard King.