Did you know … who was the first female super hero?

Next Thursday is that wonderful holiday of Thanksgiving.  The day after, of course, is the official start of the Christmas shopping season.

While I love the holidays and what they mean, I also realize that this time of the year has been set up especially to help separate people from their money.  So go into the holidays fully aware of what’s at stake!

Meanwhile, since it’s our last visit before turkey day, please accept my best wishes for a happy, fun-filled and joyous holiday with your family and friends.  May the day be all you want it to be, and then some.

How about a trivia appetizer?

Did you know …

… what the collective word is for a group of gnus is?  It’s an implausibility.  (So are gnus.  What’s a gnu?  Nothing much, what’s a-new with you?)

… the creator of Star Trek helped inspire a popular toy?  In 1963, before his classic science fiction series was even a dream, Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991) created and produced a series called The Lieutenant, about a young officer in the Marine Corps.  The show, which starred Gary Lockwood (born 1937) in the title role, helped convince the Hasbro toy company to release an action figure called G.I. Joe™ to the market.  The toy, aimed at boys, is still popular today. (The show, on the other hand, only lasted one season.)

… the first female superhero was Wonder Woman?  Created in 1941 by Charles Moulton (pen name of William Moulton Marston, 1893-1947), Wonder Woman was first introduced in All Star Comics #8, published by DC.  Marston said of his creation, “Frankly, Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who, I believe, should rule the world.”  As a superhero, she was largely confined to comic books, but came “alive” on television in 1974 with the movie Wonder Woman, starring Cathy Lee Crosby (born 1944).  While that movie did not sell a series, another attempt in 1975 did, starring Lynda Carter (born 1951).  Also a staple of Saturday morning cartoons in the 1970s and 1980s, the character was revamped and updated for the 2016 film Batman v. Superman, and was played by Gal Gadot (born 1985).  Gadot would go on to play the character in two films in 2017, Wonder Woman and Justice League.  (To quote the TV theme, “You’re a wonder, Wonder Woman!”)

… a modern European nation was without a government for almost two years?  On June 13, 2010, the nation of Belgium held a general election.  The resulting fragmented political landscape left eleven political parties with seats in the Chamber of Representatives, none of which had more than 20% of the seats.  Since that Chamber selects the country’s prime minister, there was – as you might conclude – no consensus on who it should be.  The outgoing prime minister, Yves Laterne (born 1960), submitted his resignation to King Albert II (born 1934).  Without a successor, however, Laterne was forced to remain in the position as a “caretaker” while negotiations on forming the new government continued.  And continued.  And continued.  Finally, on November 21, 2011 – 589 days after the election that shattered the Chamber of Representatives and caused the government to fail – agreements were reached for the formation of a new government and Elio DiRupo (born 1951) was sworn in as prime minister.  (Funny thing was … nobody noticed.)

… the world’s oldest tennis court is in England?  It is the one built in 1530 at Hampton Court, for King Henry VIII (1491-1547).  It was not the first tennis court, though; that honor goes to one in Paris in 1496. (It’s said that His Majesty had a wicked backhand.)

… you won’t find penguins just in Antarctica?  Sure, that’s where most of them are, but you’ll also find significant populations of the flightless swimmers in New Zealand, Chile, Australia, South Africa, and Argentina. (One thing’s certain – they didn’t fly to all those places!)

… a well-known author once refused a presidential invitation to dinner?  William Faulkner (1897-1962) was invited to dine at the White House by President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) when Kennedy held a dinner to honor Americans who had won the Nobel Prize.  Faulkner declined, saying, “Why, that’s a hundred miles away!  That’s a long way to go just to eat.”  Additional trivia note:  It was at this dinner where Kennedy made his famous comment, “This is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House – with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”  Jefferson (1743-1826) was the nation’s third president.

… on average, Thanksgiving trips are shorter than Christmas trips?  Trips taken by families at Thanksgiving average 214 miles, while at Christmas the journeys average 275 miles.  (That’s a long way to go just to eat.  Now where have I heard that before?)

… Duncan Hines was a real person?  Now best known as the brand name for cake mixes and frostings, Hines (1880-1959) was a pioneer of restaurant ratings for travelers.  He used his background as a traveling salesman, eating many meals on the road and staying in hundreds of hotels, as the jumping-off point for a series of books which rated restaurants and hotels.  Hines’ first foray into selling food items was with bread in 1952, but the next year he sold the rights to use his name to Park Foods, which began making and selling the popular Duncan Hines cake mixes.  (Mr. Hines’ mixes are part of the reason I’m overweight today.  I’m just sayin’.)

Now … you know!