Your test results are back...

"I'm responding in a different order, from highest confidence to least."

Mike, you did pretty good, considering two or three of these were obscure…and you probably didn’t get up in the morning expecting a pop quiz anyway.

"July 20, 1969 - This was the day Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the moon."

Yes indeed; an easy one for a fan of space exploration like me. I wonder if the knowledge of what that date represents is starting to be forgotten by a lot of people.

"April 18, 1906 - I think this is the day the Titanic sunk."

No, I hadn’t thought to look up the Titanic sinking until now (April 15, 1912). It was the great San Francisco earthquake.

"May 6, 1937 - Hindenburg Disaster?"

Yes, complete with the famous, emotion packed recording from the news reporter “…oh, the humanity!”

"December 17, 1903 - Orville and Wilbur's first flight at Kitty Hawk?"

Correct.

"December 24, 1877 - No idea. Let's try Alexander Graham Bell's invention - the phone."

You’re close to the right track. I was going to use Bell’s invention of the telephone, but found when I looked it up that the exact date wasn’t clear (at least, the article wasn’t clear enough to me to pin down one date). So I went with Thomas Edison’s patent application for the phonograph.

"November 19, 1863 - Still don't know, but assume it's Civil War related. Gettysburg? Vicksburg?"

Civil War related yes, but not a battle. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

"That was fun, regardless of the outcome."

I enjoy this trivial stuff. At least, now that I’m out of school and there’s no grade riding on the outcome of the test.

Where were you in '62?

This post's title was the tag from the film "American Graffiti" and is an appropriate rejoinder, I think, to Bob's history quiz in his last post.

Being slightly anal (I think. Maybe I should look it up.), I have decided to try the test without Googling anything. No Wikipedia, either. If you do them both, is it Gooki?

I'm responding in a different order, from highest confidence to least.

July 20, 1969 - This was the day Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the moon.
April 18, 1906 - I think this is the day the Titanic sunk.
May 6, 1937 - Hindenburg Disaster?
December 17, 1903 - Orville and Wilbur's first flight at Kitty Hawk?
December 24, 1877 - No idea. Let's try Alexander Graham Bell's invention - the phone.
November 19, 1863 - Still don't know, but assume it's Civil War related. Gettysburg? Vicksburg?

That was fun, regardless of the outcome.

I just don't test well.

November in history

Yesterday, November 10, was the 33rd anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Hard to believe that happened all the way back in 1975.



I saw that reminder on the internet yesterday afternoon, and I got to thinking about that more at the dinner table. I wondered if either of my two youngest kids had heard of that. So I asked, and sure enough, the reply was "I don't know what you're talking about".

Then again, I only know about it for two reasons. I did see an exhibit at the Valley Camp Museum in Sault Ste. Marie Michigan once. But even so, I wouldn't have paid attention if it hadn't been for the famous song by Gordon Lightfoot.

Along the lines of the question "Where were you when you heard about _____ ?" (usually in reference to the Kennedy assasination, the Challenger explosion, or 9-11), I wonder how many people these days could identify the historic event connected with the following dates?

November 19, 1863

December 24, 1877

December 17, 1903

April 18, 1906

May 6, 1937

July 20, 1969

I left out the obvious ones, July 4, 1776, December 7, 1941, November 22, 1963, and September 11, 2001. And admittedly, the second and the next to last ones are kind of obscure. Can you guess?

Today, November 11, is Veterans Day. I had a quiet day at home, but if you were out and encountered someone who is or was in the military, I hope you thanked him or her for his or her service. If not, that's okay...every day is a good day to do that.

Tomorrow, November 12, happens to be the birthday of my pastor's wife. Also that of former Olympic gymnist Nadia Comaneci, and Canadian rock guitarist & songwriter Neil Young. And it seems like somebody else has a birthday on the 12th...

Oh well, maybe it'll come to me.