November 20th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Denver, Colorado is one of the most fascinating places in the world and is worth the time to visit of anyone who has the opportunity. The city is widely known for a number of features, but here are seven things you don’t know about Denver, Colorado.
1. The city of Denver was named after James W. Denver who had been the Kansas Territorial Governor. The city founder was hoping naming the city after him would carry enough favor for Denver to be named the county seat.
2. Denver’s Grant-Frontier Park sits on the site of the first settlement in the area which at the time was named Montana City.
3. The city of Denver was selected to host the 1976 Winter Olympics, but for the first time ever in Olympics history the voters declined hosting an Olympics and the games were instead moved to Innsbruck, Austria.
4. There have been three United States Navy ships named after the city of Denver. A USS Denver cruiser served from 1904 to 1931, a light cruiser commissioned the USS Denver served from 1942 to 1947, and there is currently an amphibious dock named the USS Denver that was commissioned in 1968.
5. Most of the streets in the older downtown area of Denver run NW-SE and NE-SW. This was by design, giving snow accumulation on both cross streets the ability to be melted off by the sun.
6. The first public school opened in Denver in 1859.
7. Denver does have ties to the American folk music movement as John Denver, Judy Collins and even Bob Dylan all called the city home at one time or another.
Denver has a rich history and has grown from a mining town on the banks of the South Platte River into a powerful and important major city in the west. Denver truly has something for everyone whether they are visiting or choose to live there.
November 17th, 2008 at 7:30 am
One of the best known vacation destinations in the world is the island of Jamaica. Many people every year head to Jamaica either as the main stop on their vacation or as a stop on a cruise vacation. Jamaica is much more than that though, it has a rich history in the area stretching back to the time of European settlement. Here are seven things you don’t know about the island of Jamaica.
1. The island of Jamaica was seized by the British in 1655, this move was led by Admiral William Penn who was the father of William Penn of Pennsylvania fame.
2. Jamaica did not achieve full independence from the United Kingdom until 1962.
3. Jamaica is divided up by 14 parishes, half of them are named after saints: Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Mary, Saint Andrew and Saint Thomas.
4. Ian Fleming, author of the best selling James Bond novels, lived a large portion of his adult life in the nation of Jamaica.
5. Hollywood legend Errol Flynn, famous for roles such as Robin Hood, kept a home in Jamaica for many years.
6. In 2005, Jamaica had the highest per capita murder rate in the entire world.
7. The country of Jamaica operates nine lighthouses to aid in the shipping industry that is a large part of their economy.
Jamaica has a long and colorful history, but is best known as a tropical paradise that caters to romantic getaways. This reputation is much deserved to as some of the nicest weather, beautiful stretches of beaches, and secluded surroundings are found in Jamaica. But, Jamaica is much more than suntanning on a beach – Jamaica has a history and industrial world that most people don’t know about at all.
November 13th, 2008 at 7:54 am
The 1932 Summer Olympics were a fascinating event in sporting history. There were many dramatic story lines that took place both in and around the Olympic events. Due to their natural appeal to a worldwide audience, a great deal of information is known about Olympic games, but here are seven things you don’t know about the 1932 Summer Olympics.
1. The 1932 Summer Olympics was the first Olympics where the head of the host nation did not appear at the games. Herbert Hoover was the President of the United States during this time and he chose not to travel to Los Angeles where the games were being held.
2. The 1932 Summer Olympics were the first Olympic Games where an Olympic Village had been built to house the athletes.
3. The 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles were the first Olympics where a victory podium was used for the medal presentations.
4. The USA won a bronze medal in field hockey in the 1932 Summer Olympics, this was mainly due to the fact that only three countries competed in the sport that year.
5. Japan’s Takeichi Nishi would win the gold medal in the equestrian event, individual show jumping. This would be the only equestrian gold medal that Japan would ever win. Nishi would go on to fight for Japan in World War II and die defending Iwo Jima.
6. American football was a demonstration sport at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
7. The USA finished first in the medal count with 103 different medals won during the 1932 Summer Olympics, Italy finished second with 36 and Finland was third with 25.
The 1932 Summer Olympics were an important event during their time and affected more than just the sporting world. The entire world focused on Los Angeles during those summer days in the early part of the last century, and people were not disappointed as some great drama unfolded both inside and outside of the main coliseum. The Summer Olympics have the ability to capture the imagination and wonder of the entire world’s population every four years. It is no wonder that they are some of the most watched events in recent world history.
October 27th, 2008 at 7:29 am
When it comes to the interesting lives that a President leads before they become President, George Herbert Walker Bush sits near the top of the list. The man has held many positions and accomplished many things, including raising a son who would also reach the office of the presidency, but here are 7 things you don’t know about George Herbert Walker Bush.
1. Following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan In 1941, at the age of 18, George H.W. Bush became the youngest naval aviator in United States history.
2. The first President Bush played baseball on the Yale University baseball team and appeared in the first two College World Series ever played.
3. In 1988, while George H.W. Bush was running for President, his opponent Michael Dukakis’ running mate was Lloyd Bentsen. Bentsen had defeated Bush in 1970 in a race for the United States Senate.
4. George H.W. Bush won the first primary (Iowa) in the 1980 Republican Primary before eventually bowing out in the wake of Ronald Reagan’s successful candidacy for President.
5. The last Nimitz class supercarrier produced for the United States Navy was christened the USS George H.W. Bush.
6. When in 1966 he was elected to the United States House of Representatives representing the 7th District of Texas, in doing so he became the first Republican to represent the city of Houston.
7. George H.W. Bush was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1993, he is the third President to have such an honor bestowed upon him after Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan.
Only serving one term has led many to believe that George H.W. Bush was one of the least fascinating men to rise to the level of President of the United States of America. It is obvious looking at his history that this is far from the truth.
September 30th, 2008 at 7:05 am
Due in part to her successful reality series, My Life On The D List, Kathy Griffin has become extremely popular lately. The series follows her around as she navigates the world of the lower rungs of celebrity. It shows her traveling from show to show and also gives great behind the scenes looks at being a guest on a daytime talk show. With her newfound popularity, there is a great deal known about Ms. Griffin, but here are 7 things you don’t know about Kathy Griffin:
1. Among the many jobs that Kathy Griffin had while trying to become an actress/comedian was sales girl at a infant clothing boutique.
2. Other members of the Groundlings comedy group at the time that she was there included: Will Ferrell, Cheri Oteri, Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Lisa Kudrow, and more.
3. In 2005, Kathy Griffin played a limo driver on an episode of the daytime soap opera ‘Days Of Our Lives’.
4. In her 1981 marriage to Matt Moline, Kathy walked down the aisle to the song “Sister Christian” by the 1980s rock group Night Ranger.
5. It has been noted that she has been banned from appearing on a number of shows
6. Kathy Griffin was dating Quentin Tarrantino at the time of the filming of Pulp Fiction and the director gave her a two line part in the movie.
7. During her wedding in 2001, her maid of honor was none other than Brooke Shields.
One of the most popular parts of her reality show is her interaction with her assistants. This gives good insight into her as a person, although she makes fun of them, she also treats them almost like family. Kathy Griffin’s style of celebrity humor is often described as irreverent, and to her fans this is something she is loved for. When it comes to what heights Kathy Griffin can achieve, there is no stopping this feisty redhead.
August 30th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
When John McCain announced that his vice-presidential running mate was the fresh faced Sarah Palin, he not only made headlines every where, but he also launched the entire country into a quest to answer the question “Who is Sarah Palin?” Sarah Palin grew up to become mayor of the same small town she graduated high school from and then went on to eventually become the Governor of Alaska. She is still relatively new to many Americans, but here are seven things you don’t know about Sarah Palin.
1. In the 1999 political race for the position of Mayor of Wasilla which she had won, she received just 909 votes.
2. She graduated from Wasilla High School in Wasilla, Alaska where she also won the Miss Wasilla beauty contest. Her talent in the competition was playing the flute.
3. She gave birth to her fifth child, son Trig, while serving as Governor of Alaska. She returned to the office for work three days after giving birth.
4. Although elected the Governor of Alaska, she was born in Sandpoint, Idaho.
5. She was chosen to be Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain’s vice-presidential running mate after serving just a little over one year and eight months as Governor of the state of Alaska.
6. She holds the distinction of winning the 2006 Republican gubernatorial primary against a sitting Governor before winning the general election as well.
7. While mayor of Wasilla, Alaska she was seen wearing a Pat Buchanan button during his 1996 presidential run.
To many, Sarah Palin seemed to have come out of nowhere when John McCain thrust her into the spotlight of the national political scene. She remained a controversial selection to many while others saw her as a distinctive and refreshing anti-Washington D.C. pick. No matter what her history is, there is no escaping the fact that Sarah Palin will be in the public eye for quite some time now.
August 26th, 2008 at 8:56 am
One of the most popular football teams in the entire National Football League is the San Francisco 49ers. From the success they found early as an organization in the mid 1940s to their dominant teams of the 1980s and 1990s, the 49ers have not only played in some of the biggest games in league history, they have also had some of the best players in NFL history. A great deal is known about this pro football team, but here are 7 Things You Don’t Know About The San Francisco 49ers:
1. During the strike shortened 1982 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers finished with a 3-6 record. Interestingly, the team won three of its four road games and lost all five of their home games.
2. The San Francisco 49ers posted double digit victory totals in every season from 1983 through 1998, a total of sixteen seasons.
3. Though the San Francisco 49ers are one of the best teams to ever play in the National Football League, they didn’t originally start out as an NFL team. The organization was a founding member of the All American Football Conference along with fellow future NFL franchise, the Cleveland Browns.
4. During a 1957 game against the Chicago Bears, onetime San Francisco 49ers owner Tony Morabito collapsed and died of a heart attack. The team, after being notified during halftime of their owner’s passing, would rebound from a 17-7 deficit to win the game 21-17.
5. Though thought of as one of the more successful teams in NFL history, the San Francisco 49ers did not win a division title until 1970 and would not win their first NFL Championship until the 1980s. During the decade of the 1980s though, the team would go on to win four Super Bowl titles, cementing itself as one of the greatest teams in league history.
6. The original coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Buck Shaw, coached the team from their inception in 1946 through the 1954 season. During his tenure and even though it was a brand new franchise, Shaw and the 49ers only had one season where there win-loss record was below .500.
7. The 1980s San Francisco 49ers teams were built largely through the successful drafting of college players. In 1979, the team drafted both Joe Montana and Dwight Clark (in the tenth round incidentally). In 1981, the 49ers would add both Ronnie Lott and Eric Wright to their defensive backfield. The 1982 and 1983 NFL Drafts would see Bubba Paris, Roger Craig, Riki Ellison, and Jesse Sapolu added to the team. 1984 would bring Guy McIntyre, Michael Carter, and Jeff Fuller to the team. And after adding future legend Jerry Rice to the team in the 1985 draft, the 49ers would gain the services of Tom Rathman, Tim McKyer, John Taylor, Charles Haley, Steve Wallace, and Don Griffin in the 1986 NFL Draft.
The 49ers popularity remains incredibly high, even in times when the team is not as successful on the field as it once was. With the track record the franchise has, fans always feel that the team is just one or two personnel moves away from rejoining the best teams in the league, a place they feel their team always deserves to be. The San Francisco 49ers truly are one of the best teams in National Football League history.
August 4th, 2008 at 8:06 am
One of the most reliable names in the automobile market is Honda. Honda has developed popular looking cars that are also reliable and fuel efficient, but here are 7 Things You Don’t Know About: Honda.
1. Though Honda is not the largest car maker in the world, it is the largest engine maker in the world.
2. the Honda company, operating in war torn Japan following World War II, got its start attaching engines to bicycles and marketing them as cheap transportation.
3. Honda didn’t start developing prototype road cars until the 1960s.
4. The first production vehicle built by Honda was the 1963 T360 which was a small pickup truck that also had a panel van version.
5. The popular Honda Civic first came to the United States in 1972.
6. In 1986, the Acura line made Honda the first Japanese automaker to introduce and market a separate luxury line of cars.
7. Honda is also the maker of the first motorcycle equipped with an airbag (the 2006 Gold Wing).
With some of the more sought after car models on the market today, Honda is poised to stay at or near the top of the automobile world for years to come.
July 31st, 2008 at 11:02 am
From the time he was a small boy, Wayne Gretzky showed the promise of the future that would be his. He dominated youth hockey, made a much anticipated debut into the National Hockey League, and went on to truly earn the nickname of “The Great One”. There is so much known about Wayne Gretzky, but here are 7 Things You Don’t Know About: Wayne Gretzky.
1. First played professional hockey in the now defunct World Hockey Association (WHA) before he entered the National Hockey League.
2. After his first season in the NHL, Wayne Gretzky did not win the Calder Memorial Trophy that is awarded to the NHL’s top rookie player because of his one year of experience in the WHA. Instead the award was won by Boston Bruins defenseman Ray Bourque.
3. When Wayne Gretzky played for the New York Rangers, it was the only time during his NHL career that he was not the team captain.
4. When the Edmonton Oilers traded Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings, the trade included 15 million dollars in cash and three first round draft picks going back to the Oilers.
5. When Wayne Gretzky requested a trade during the 1996 season, the two teams most interested were the New York Rangers and the St. Louis Blues. The trade would eventually be carried out with the Blues. After a half season in St. Louis, Gretzky would then sign with the Rangers.
6. Early in Wayne Gretzky’s career he broke the long standing “50 goals in 50 games” record that had been held by Maurice “The Rocket” Richard and Mike Bossy. Gretzky scored his 50 goals in the first 39 games of the season.
7. Wayne Gretzky’s name appears on the Grey Cup that is awarded to the champion of the Canadian Football League. He was a part owner of the Toronto Argonauts in the early 1990′s when they won the championship.
Wayne Gretzky is not only one of the most famous hockey players in the world, but one of the most famous professional athletes. He has successfully made the transition from hockey player to front office to head coach and is poised to make just as big of an impact off the ice that he made while on the ice. Wayne Gretzky will definitely go down as one of the most important professional athletes in history.
July 27th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Nissan has made a name for itself as a company focused on fuel efficiency and reliability, but here are 7 Things You Don’t Know About: Nissan.
1. Nissan Motors was founded in 1934, it traces its history back to the Kwaishinsha Motorcar Works which was established in 1911.
2. At one point during World War II, the Nissan company’s main manufacturing plant was moved to China making use of land that had been captured by Japan.
3. Nissan and Ford partnered in 1993 to manufacture consumer-friendly minivans. The Mercury Villager and the Nissan Quest were virtually identical automobiles and were manufactured with mostly the same parts.
4. Nissan has had a few non-automobile business interests as well including boat motor manufacturing and cell phone service.
5. The D-A-T portion of the Datsun moniker is an acronym of the last names of the founding company families.
6. One of the early chief designers for the DAT and Nissan companies was an American, William R. Gorham.
7. The decision to drop the name Datsun for use in the United States and go with the global company name of Nissan was made in late 1981.
Nissan has made a great name for itself in the automobile industry. The company has proven itself year in and year out to be a maker of quality cars and will go on to be one of the more successful auto makers in the world.