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Previous Reference Questions - 2002
Q: Who was the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize?
A: Alex Haley, born in 1921, was the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for his novel Roots . His first major accomplishment was the Autobiography of Malcom X written with Malcom X in 1964. While tracing his family ancestry, Haley traveled to West Africa and began to write a blend of fiction and nonfiction, creating Roots: The Saga of an American Family, published in 1976. Besides winning the Pulitzer Prize, the novel also won a National Book Award.
Source: African American Breakthroughs: 500 Years of Black Firsts, Eds. Pederson & Smith, 1995.
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn,Reference Assistant
Q: What is the percentage of U.S. Households that have internet access and what is the most visited website on the internet?
A: According to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, in the year 2000, 41.5% of U.S. Households had internet access. The most -visited website as of July 2001 was .
Source: The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2002.
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn,Reference Assistant
Q: How long is the Iditarod race?
A: The Iditarod runs 1,151 miles across Alaska. The 10-17 day race begins in Anchorage and ends in Nome located on the western Bering Sea coast. Although conceived of in the sixties, the race as we know it today began in 1973. For more information on the Iditarod which begins on March 2, 2002, visit Iditarod.com
Submitted by Laureen Clark and Kate Carroll,Reference Assistants
Q: What and when was the first music video to appear on MTV?
A: On August 1, 1981, the Music television station on cable premiered with a showing of "Video Killed the Radio Star." Ironically enough, this song and video by the British duo, the Buggles, was a foreshadowing of the music industry today. Although there were very few videos at that time, the idea of the music video itself began as early as the 1940's with such jazz artists, as Count Basie and Louie Armstrong. By the early 1980's, MTV believed that an audience was ready for a 24hr. music video channel
Source: St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, edited by Tom and Sara pedergast, 2000.
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn,Reference Assistant
Q: Why do people kiss the Blarney Stone?
A: Legend has it that the Blarney Stone, situated on a parapet of Blarney Castle in County Cork, Ireland, is a magic stone. It is believed that when kissed the individual will be bestowed with eloquence or "blarney," the ability to placate with small talk or deceive without offending. Although the legend varies, many believe the story originates with Cormac MacCarthy "smooth talking" his way out of surrendering his castle to Elizabeth I .
Source: Larousse's Dictionary of World Folklore by Alison Jones, 1995.
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn,Reference Assistant
Q: What is the history of Daylight Saving Time?
A: The earliest notion of daylight saving time is believed to have been from an essay written by Benjamin Franklin in 1784. This concept was strongly advocated by a British Builder, William Willit, in his pamphlet "Waste of Daylight" in 1907. Britain, following the lead of Germany passed a bill for Daylight Saving Time in 1916. The United States was not far behind when Congress placed the Country on DST in 1918 during WWI. This was done as a measure to conserve fuel needed to produce electric power. The public opposition to this law served as a catalyst to its repeal in 1919. Although DST was observed for a short period during WWII, it was not until the Uniform Time Act of 1966 that the country officially alternated between standard time and daylight saving time. This public law signed by Lyndon Johnson and amended in 1986 states that Daylight Saving Time will begin at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April and end at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in October..
Source: webexhibits.org
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn,Reference Assistant
Q: Who is "Little Bett" and why is she known in Rhode island?
A: "Little Bett," named after "Old Bet," was one of Hachaliah Bailey's elephants that toured with his circus. Born in India, She was only the second elephant to come to the North American continent. Unfortunately, Little Bett met her fate on the evening of May 25, 1826, in Chepachet, RI. As the elephant and her trainer were walking home after a show, seven locals used their muskets to end her life. In honor of the 12 year old "Learned Elephant", The Rhode Island General Assembly proclaimed May 25, 1976 "Elephant Day" in Chepachet and placed a commemorative plaque on the bridge where she was shot.
Source: Road Side America & Chepachet Homepage
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn,Reference Assistant
Q: Why is the date May 3rd significant to the television station, CBS?
A: On May 3rd, 1948, "CBS Evening News" premiered on national television. It began as a 15-minute telecast with Douglas Edwards as its anchor. It was an innovative concept for the late 1940's when all the news was listened to on the radio. The show has persisted for over fifty years with such leading newscasters as Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather. Edwards, however, is considered the inventor and father of television news anchoring.
Source:Chase's Calendar of Events, 2001
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn,Reference Assistant
Q: Who holds the record for the most appearances on the cover of Time magazine?
A: Richard M. Nixon, our 37th President of the United States was featured on the cover of Time magazine 55 times. He was voted Time Man of the Year in 1971.
Source:Guinness World Records, 2002
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn,Reference Assistant
Q: When and where was the first World Cup Soccer held?
A: The Federation International Football Association established the World Cup competition in 1930. Thirteen nations participated in the first World Cup which occurred the South American country of Uruguay. This Championship occurs every 4 years in various locations around the globe. Presently the World Cup 2002 is hosted by both Korea and Japan with 32 participating teams.
Source:The World Encyclopedia of Soccer, Edited by Michael LaBlanc and Richard Henshaw, 1994
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn,Reference Assistant
Q: Where did the expression "eat me out of house and home" originate?
A: With credit to over two thousand words and expressions used in the English language, Shakespeare coined this phrase in the play, King Henry IV, Part II. The saying comes from Act II, Scene I of the play when Mistress Quickly, the hostess of the Boar's Head Tavern complains to The Lord Chief Justice of Sir John Falstaff.
Source:Absoluteshakespeare.com
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn,Reference Assistant
Q: Of all the nations in the world, which one is the smallest?
A: The Vatican City or Holy See is the smallest nation in the world measuring a mere .44 sq. miles. The Vatican City, known as Stato della Citta del Vaticano in Italy, is located in central Rome. The independent state of Vatican City was established in 1929 with the official religion of Roman Catholicism. Pope John Paul II is the chief of state of the nation with a population of almost 900. This smallest nation possess its own railway station, radio station, and post office.
Source:CIA World Factbook 2001
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn,Reference Assistant
Q: What are the names chosen for the Atlantic hurricanes of 2002 and who chooses those names?
A: Each Hurricane or Tropical Cyclone season the World Meteorological Organization assigns an alternating boy or girl name ranging from A-W to each sequential hurricane. The National Hurricane Center originated the six lists that are used in rotation every six years. At its conception in 1953, only female names were chosen. In 1979, they began to incorporate male names and if a major storm makes landfall and is associated with "grave economic impact", the name is retired. Note missing names, such as Carol, Bob, Hugo, and Andrew. .
Source:National Hurricane Center
Submitted by Kate Carroll,Reference Assistant
Q: Which baseball card is considered the most valuable?
A: A special series of cards, featuring baseball major and minor leaguers, was released by the American Tobacco Company in 1909. The T-206 cards were the most popular of the early tobacco cards because of the unique design. On the card, the baseball player was depicted in color lithographs surrounded by a white border. The most valuable of the series, as well as all other baseball cards, is the Honus Wagner card. John Peter Honus Wagner played for Pittsburg and had a batting average of .381. The particular card that is so valuable is the one that was owned by Wagner himself. The card recently sold on Ebay for 1.2 million dollars.
Source:Baseball Almanac Website
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn,Reference Assistant
Q: Is there some way to find out if a medical rumor (i.e. the flesh-eating banana) is a hoax?
A: Yes, the Center for Disease Control has a website that debunks and sets straight alarming "health alerts" that are indeed hoaxes or rumors. To learn more about these types of false medical reports visit the CDC's website at CDC: Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors.
Source: The Providence Journal; August 23, 2002.
Submitted by Kate Carroll, Reference Assistant
Q: How many people have stepped on landmines in Afghanistan?
A: In 2000 there were 2,400 landmine victims in Afghanistan. In Viet Nam, for the same period, there were 2,000 people injured.
Source: Vital Signs 2002: Trends that are shaping our future, published by The Worldwide Institute
Submitted by Maureen Delovio, Head of Reference Department
Q: Where can I find information about the proper protocol of conducting business with foreign countries?
A: The book, Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: How to Do Business with Sixty Countries, serves as a valuable resource to learn the behavior styles, negotiating techniques, protocol, and business practices of the different countries. Background information is provided on each country, as well as detailed information on cultural orientation, punctuality, business meetings and entertainment, greetings, gestures, gifts, and dress. For example, shaking with the left hand or using the "thumbs up" gesture is offensive in Egypt and other Arab countries. In Brazil, punctuality is not as important as in most western countries, while in Singapore, the word "no" is rarely used since they do not like to disagree openly.
Source: Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: How to Do Business with Sixty Countries, by Terri Morrison, Wayne A. Conaway, and George A. Borden, Ph.D.
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn, Reference Department
Q: On the television show, Gilligan's Island, Gilligan had a pet duck, what was her name?
A: According to the book the Sitcom Factfinder, 1948-1984, Gilligan's pet duck was named Gretchen. This book is a great resource to discover the details of over 160 television shows.
Source: Sitcom Factfinder, 1948-1984 by Vincent Terrace, 2002
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn, Reference Department
Q: Who was the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize?
A: In 1900, Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, bequeathed 9 million dollars to create the Nobel Foundation. The foundation would award prizes for excellence in the areas of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace each year. The Nobel prizes were first awarded in 1901, with the Peace Prize awarded on the basis of who "conferred the greatest benefit on mankind" or who "did the most or best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the holding and promotion of peace congresses." The first two recipients of this award in 1901, were Jean Henri Dunant from Switzerland and Frederic Passy from France. (Jimmy Carter was just awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize.)
Source: Nobel e-Museum
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn, Reference Department
Q: What is film noir and which movie is considered the first noir film?
A: Film noir is a film movement that is distinctive for "its dark and oppressive visual style, as well as its narratives of desperation and entrapment." This unique style of filming began in the early forties and defied the conventional happy ending of most Hollywood movies of that period. Many of the films of this genre were derived from hard-boiled crime and detective novels of the 1930s. The classic style of such films included a male protagonist telling a story of greed and desire in the form of flashbacks. Many consider the first true noir film to be The Maltese Falcon based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett.
Source: A World History of Film by Robert Sklar, 2002.
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn, Reference Department
Q: How many sets of presidents were related and who were they?
A: So Far, there are four sets of presidents that were related. Our 2nd president, John Adams, was the father of our 6th president, John Quincy Adams; William Henry Harrison our 9th president was the grandfather of Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president; Teddy Roosevelt, president number 26 was cousins with Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president; lastly, our current president, George W. is the son of our 41st president, George Bush. These facts, along with a myriad of information, make up the book, The Rat; Real-World Aptitude Test, by Homer E. Moyer, Jr. The book is designed to provide information on the essential skills and knowledge for leaving home.
Source: The Rat; Real-World Aptitude Test by Homer E. Moyer, Jr., 2001
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn, Reference Department
Q: What is the definition of weapons of mass destruction?
A: According to the U.S. Code, Title 50, "War and National Defense," weapons of mass destruction are defined as "any weapon or device that is intended, or has the capability, to cause death or serious bodily injury to a significant number of people through the release, dissemination, or impact of - (A) toxic or poisonous chemicals; (B) a disease organism; (C) radiation or radioactivity": In other words, nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. The Nuclear Threat Initiative has created a web page as an information resource for all issues pertaining to weapons of mass destruction.
Source: Nuclear Threat Initiative
Submitted by Jennifer Quinn, Reference Department
Q: What is the origin of Boxing Day?
A: Each December 26th, servants, trades people, and others who rendered services to the public throughout the year would carry little earthenware boxes to collect their tips and year-end bonuses. Although the tradition of carrying boxes no longer exists, the holiday is still observed in England, Canada, Australia, and many other nations.
Source: Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary compiled by Sue Ellen Thompson and Barbara W. Carlson.
Submitted by, Jennifer Quinn, Reference Assistant