Historic Firsts
The century during which the first U.S. transcontinental railroad
What is 19th century? In 1869, the inauguration of the railroad led to the country’s westward expansion.
It’s not only a bog fruit associated with the holidays but also a shade of red.
What is cranberry? It comes from the German word kraneberrie, which means “crane berry.” It earned this name because the flower of the cranberry plant looks like a crane’s head and neck.
Citrus fruit with a bright yellow rind, pink interior, pulp, and seed
What is grapefruit? Grapefruit can interfere with some prescription drugs. If you’re unsure about interactions, check with your doctor or pharmacis
The New Testament of the Bible was originally written in this language
What is ancient Greek? It’s also known as Koine Greek. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew
This everyday expression includes the color of Ireland and a word similar to jealousy
What is green with envy? The idiom may have begun with Shakespeare’s writings. He wrote about jealousy in at least two of his plays: In Othello, he refers to “the green-eyed monster,” a phrase we still hear. In Antony and Cleopatra, he uses “the green sickness.”
Tie-dye fashions emerged on the scene in this decade
What is the 1960s? At the time, it was a counterculture statement. It has rememerged as part of 21st-century “anything goes” fashion and crossed into home furnishings as well, sans the counterculture statement
The first American self-made businesswoman to become a millionaire
Who is Sarah Breedlove (or Madam C. J. Walker)? Breedlove had a problem with hair loss, so she started a hair-care company for Black women that focused on healthy hair. Madam C. J. Walker was her business name and the name of her line of products.
This shade of tan is named for an animal that has a hump for storing fat and that you can ride at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt.
What is camel? The name for this hue of tan comes from the color of camel hair.
Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions
What are parts of speech?
At a minimum, most sentences have a noun and a verb. Some sentences are one-word sentences comprised of only an interjection, such as Yes! No! and Ouch
Aside from the ability to speak to others in their language and increase confidence, learning a new language boosts this.
What is brainpower (or similar)? Language learning is another tool in the arsenal for keeping the brain engaged.
In 1920, this Macy’s competitor (now closed) was the first to host a Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia
: What is Gimbel’s? The department store, founded in 1887, closed its doors in 1986
These were the big and bulky predecessor to women’s slips.
What are petticoats? Also called crinolines, petticoats added bulk as well as modesty to skirts and dresses in the 19th century.
First woman to win a Nobel Prize; did so for her work in the field of radioactivity and then again for her work in chemistry
Who is Marie Curie? In 1903, the Nobel committee awarded the prize to Curie, her husband Pierre, and physicist Becquerel, “in recognition of the extraordinary services they have rendered by their joint research on the radiation phenomena discovered by [Becquerel].”
Chartreuse is a hue of this secondary color.
What is green? It derives its name from the herbal liqueur Chartreuse, first created by the Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse monastery in the French Alps.
Individual stars that form a shape within a defined boundary
What is a constellation? NASA recognizes 88 constellations, 48 of which were named by the ancient Greeks. Each constellation is often named for its brightest star, and most have a backstory
Snap! Crackle! Pop! The mascots of this cereal are known as Cric, Crac, and Croc in France.
What is Rice Krispies? In Spain, their names are Cris, Cras, and Cros.
When translated, the Italian title of this 1960 Federico Fellini film starring Marcello Mastroianni means “The Sweet Life.”
What is La Dolce Vita? It was filmed in Italy, mostly in Rome and the surrounding area
Umbrellas used by women in the sun were called this.
What are parasols? Around 4,000 years ago, ancient Egypt, Assyria, and China brought us the parasol as we know it. They were made of non-waterproof material and not only shielded women from the sun but also were decorative in nature.
Origin country of the first woman in space
What is Soviet Union (not Russia)? In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova orbited Earth for three days
A shade of this color is associated with Tiffany & Co.
What is blue? Tiffany has used the distinctive hue, also known as robin egg blue, since 1845. Tiffany Blue received a trademark in 1998, and it is now Pantone standard color “1837 Blue,” in commemoration of the year Tiffany was founded. Pantone colors are used by designers around the globe to ensure standardization and accuracy.
The colder of the two appliances that have a compressor, condenser coils, evaporator, evaporator fan, thermostat, and door gaske
What is a freezer? The freezer and refrigerator both have the named components but have differing safe-operating temperatures
The original language of One Thousand and One Nights
What is Arabic? The collection of tales comes from a translation of other stories written in Persian and other languages. The first person to translate the work into English remains anonymous.
A female merchant hawks marine carcass coverings on the beach
What is “She sells seashells by the seashore”? This popular tongue twister is often used to illustrate alliteration, or groups of words with a repeated initial consonant
You couldn’t walk into a soda shop in the 1950s without seeing these trendy circle skirts on girls and young women
What are poodle skirts? The skirts were usually adorned with appliquéd poodles, but sometimes they featured other themes
) Country in which Dr. Christian Barnard performed the first human heart transplant
What is South Africa? The heart transplant took place in Cape Town. While the patient survived only 18 days, Dr. Barnard’s success laid the foundation for research and heart transplants to continue
This shade of pink is also the name of a plant with exquisite, delicate petals.
What is fuchsia? It’s a very bright purplish-pink color used in home furnishings as well as in fashion. It dates to the 16th century, when the fuchsia plant was discovered in Central America
Has a needle, bobbin winder, hand wheel, and foot peda
What is a sewing machine? Even though sewing machines today are computerized and can do much more than their predecessors, their essential parts remain the same
The English word piano is a borrowed word from this language.
What is Italian? Piano is a shortened version of the Italian pianoforte. Other borrowed words include entrepreneur, which comes from the French, and kindergarten, from the Germans.
This type of light causes wrinkles and ages skin
What is ultraviolet (or UV)? According to the Cleveland Clinic, too much UV light exposure can cause wrinkles, freckles, skin discolorations, and even cancer.
This straw hat for men was introduced in the 1920s and made in Ecuador
What is Panama hat?
The hat was made in bulk in Ecuador and sent to a port in Panama. There, they were loaded on ships for distribution to Asia, the Americas, and Europe