I’ll Show You
This media maven and celebrity, who starred in The Color Purple (1985), once had a wildly popular daytime show.
Who is Oprah Winfrey? She established the OWN network, publishes a magazine, and is a billionaire. Early in her career, Oprah was fired from a television reporting job and told she was “unfit for TV.”
This is the numbering system used by libraries to identify and locate a book.
hat is the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), or Dewey Decimal System? The system was devised by Melvil Dewey and published in 1876. Today, the DDC is in its 23rd edition. It is organized with 10 top-level classes, each class with 10 divisions, and each division with 10 sections.
Many believe animals can sense this type of major earth event in advance.
What is an earthquake? There’s no concrete evidence to suggest animals receive advanced warning, but researchers have documented unusual behavior in animals prior to earthquakes, clues that they might detect vibrations or changes in groundwater before humans do.
This term applies to the science of growing plants.
What is horticulture? Horticulturists study the processes of growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers for eating and for ornamental purposes.
Memorial Day is a solemn holiday that commemorates these brave people.
Who are those who died in service to their country? Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day.
Teachers told this creator of the first practical incandescent lightbulb that he was “too stupid to learn anything.”
Who is Thomas Edison? His first patented invention was the electric vote recorder in 1869, and the inventions kept on coming. Edison received 1,093 patents for his inventions.
When a writer uses another person’s words or ideas without giving credit to the original author, the writer can be accused of this infraction.
What is plagiarism? The concept is simple—don’t borrow words and ideas without giving proper credit. The application, however, is not that simple due to the “fair use” concept. Stanford University defines fair use as “any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and ‘transformative’ purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Such uses can be done without permission from the copyright owner.” The fine line between fair use and plagiarism has never been defined clearly.
Some call our representatives in Washington “congresscritters,” but on a serious note, in Talkeetna, Alaska, Mayor Stubbs was this kind of critter.
What is a cat? It seems the townsfolk wanted “none of the above” candidates on the ballot, so they campaigned for a write-in candidate and elected the feline Mayor Stubbs. He served as honorary mayor from 1997 to 2017.
This plant is one of the fastest-growing plants with a woody stem.
What is bamboo? It can grow up to 35 inches in a single day.
This general served as a U.S. president in the latter half of the 20th century.
Who is Dwight D. Eisenhower? He was a commanding general during World War II in the European theater, and he warned against “the military-industrial complex.”
This amusement park and media mogul lost his newspaper job because his editor felt he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”
Who is Walt Disney? He created Mickey Mouse in 1928, and the franchise is still going strong. Disney won 47 Academy Awards and seven Emmys during his lifetime.
In 1800, this library was established by an act of Congress to serve as its research arm.
What is the Library of Congress (LOC)? We the people think of the LOC as the national library, and in addition to funding it, we can tour the library in person or take a virtual tour on the internet and wander through the online collections.
This tallest animal in the world sleeps only a few minutes at a time, with its neck arched and its head on its hindquarters or on the ground.
What is the giraffe? The giraffe’s unique sleep position and duration allow it to stay vigilant for predators.
This country suffered from “tulip mania” during the 1600s.
What is the Netherlands? During this speculative craze, tulip bulbs traded like today’s futures rather than physical commodities. People invested, often with vouchers (IOUs), while the bulbs were still in the ground, receiving only a promissory note in return. In 1637, the bubble burst.
These two military academies are football rivals.
What are the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy? The annual Army–Navy game is required viewing for hardcore college football fans.
This famous sitcom actress’ agent “’splained” to her that she should look for a new career. Later, she and her husband had a hit sitcom that’s still popular today in syndication.
Who is Lucille Ball? I Love Lucy first aired in 1951, and today it’s enjoyed on cable TV.
The bookshelves in a library are sometimes known as this, though they’re not piled on top of each other.
What are the stacks? Stacks not only refers to the area where the bookshelves are located but also to the bookshelves themselves.
In 2008, these animals were observed to align their bodies facing north–south while grazing.
What are cows? German and Czech biologists noticed this on Google Earth, and in a paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they claimed that it’s due to Earth’s magnetic field. Later studies challenged the findings.
This popular backyard fruit has about 200 seeds on the outside.
What is the strawberry? The strawberry belongs to the rose family, and it’s the only fruit with seeds on the outside. There is some evidence that strawberries can help prevent macular degeneration and rheumatoid arthritis, and with only about 55 calories per cup, they are the perfect guilt-free treat.
These two federal holidays salute our members of the armed forces.
What are Memorial Day and Veterans Day? Memorial Day honors the sacrifices of the fallen. Veterans Day celebrates all who have served the country. It was originally called Armistice Day to honor the veterans of World War I.
When this beloved rhyming children’s author submitted his first manuscript, 27 publishers rejected it.
Who is Dr. Seuss? His real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, and he added “Dr.” to his
name as a joke—his father had wanted him to pursue a PhD and become a professor. Dr. Seuss
authored more than 40 books. He had no children of his own, and in fact, it was said that he wasn’t fond of children. Among his most popular books are The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.
This founding father established the first lending library in the nation.
Who is Ben Franklin? In 1731, Franklin established America’s first lending library in Philadelphia, known as the Library Company of Philadelphia. His company was a subscription-based service with 50 founding shareholders who paid 40 shillings apiece. You can still purchase shares today.
These large mammals can identify bones of their type, and they pay their respects to the dead.
What are elephants? They pay their respects not only to family members but also to other elephants by picking up and caressing the bones.
Grass is green because of this pigment.
What is chlorophyll? Chlorophyll absorbs mostly blue and red light while reflecting green light, which is why plants appear green.
This day recognizes the end of World War I.
What is Armistice Day? While Armistice Day will always signify the end of World War I, it has been folded into Veterans Day for purposes of a federal holiday. In 1971, when the U.S. moved most federal holidays to a Monday to give people a three-day weekend, there was a lot of confusion, because November 11 used to be Armistice Day. The new holiday was moved to the fourth Monday in October, which wasn’t even in the same month as Armistice Day. Veterans Day was moved back to November 11 beginning with the 1978 holiday.