America, Asia and Australia – It’s A Global Quiz.

June 8, 2015June 7, 2015 fasab Questions, Tests above the surface of the Earth, acronym, America, An Lushan rebellion, art, Asia, astronaut, Australia, backgammon, band, Beaufort Scale, body, books, boxing, Brighton Rock, Cassius Clay, castle, city, commemoration day, court, Decoration Day, defeat, earth, education, ELO, enemy fleet, English naval commander, Entertainment, first Space Shuttle launched, functions, general knowledge, Geography, Heavyweight Championship of the World, history, honor, jfk, kangaroos, King Arthur, last Space Shuttle launch, literature, math, mathematics, maths, measured, most translated book in the world, music, nasa, novelist, Our Man In Havana, Pacific Ocean, Pearl of the Danube, People, Pietà sculpture, Presidency, questions, quiz, quizzes, Rasceta, science, sport, stop a game of bowls, test, tests, The Quiet American, triangles, trigonometry, Union and Confederate soldiers fallen in the American Civil War, word, young rabbit

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

Questions relating to most continents today so truly a global quiz.

Twenty more questions to test your general knowledge.

As always if you get stuck you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating.

Enjoy and good luck.

Q. 1. In Australia are there are more people than kangaroos or more kangaroos than people?

Q. 2. In America what commemoration day was in honor of the Union and Confederate soldiers fallen in the American Civil War, and known as the Decoration Day?

Q. 3. To be officially considered an astronaut by NASA you must travel how many miles above the surface of the Earth?

a) 50 miles b) 100 miles c) 150 miles d) 200 miles

Q. 4. In 755 AD the An Lushan rebellion in which over 30 million people died (almost a sixth of the world population) occurred in what country?

Q. 5. On what part of your body would you find Rasceta?

Q. 6. What is a young rabbit called?

Q. 7. What is the most translated book in the world, available in 2454 languages?

Q. 8. Approximately what proportion of the Earth is covered by the Pacific Ocean?

a) one eighth b) one fifth c) one quarter d) one third

Q. 9. In what year (excluding test flights) was the first Space Shuttle launched?

Q. 10. In what year (excluding test flights) was the last Space Shuttle launched?

Q. 11. What city is known as the ‘Pearl of the Danube’ ?

Q. 12. What is measured on the Beaufort scale?

Q. 13. What English naval commander reputedly refused to stop a game of bowls when an enemy fleet was sighted?

Q. 14. What famous novelists works include ‘Brighton Rock’, ‘The Quiet American’, and ‘Our Man In Havana’ ?

Q. 15. Which two figures are normally found in a Pietà sculpture?

Q. 16. What are the three main functions in trigonometry?

Q. 17. What word links a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur and the presidency of JFK?

Q. 18. Who did Cassius Clay first defeat to win the boxing Heavyweight Championship of the World?

Q. 19. What are the 12 long triangles on a backgammon board called?

Q. 20. In music what band is known by the acronym ELO?

ANSWERS

Q. 1. In Australia are there are more people than kangaroos or more kangaroos than people?

A. 1. In Australia there are approximately 23.87 million people, but current Federal Government estimates puts the number of kangaroos at 50 – 60 million.

Q. 2. In America what commemoration day was in honor of the Union and Confederate soldiers fallen in the American Civil War, and known as the Decoration Day?

A. 2. Memorial Day.

Q. 3. To be officially considered an astronaut by NASA you must travel how many miles above the surface of the Earth?

a) 50 miles b) 100 miles c) 150 miles d) 200 miles

A. 3. The correct answer is a) 50 miles.

Q. 4. In 755 AD the An Lushan rebellion in which over 30 million people died (almost a sixth of the world population) occurred in what country?

A. 4. In China.

Q. 5. On what part of your body would you find Rasceta?

A. 5. The lines on the back of your wrist are called Rasceta.

Q. 6. What is a young rabbit called?

A. 6. A young rabbit is called a ‘kitten’ or a ‘kit’, not a bunny.

Q. 7. What is the most translated book in the world, available in 2454 languages?

A. 7. The Bible.

Q. 8. Approximately what proportion of the Earth is covered by the Pacific Ocean?

a) one eighth b) one fifth c) one quarter d) one third

A. 8. The correct answer is d) one third.

Q. 9. In what year (excluding test flights) was the first Space Shuttle launched?

A. 9. It was launched in 1981, on April 12th.

Q. 10. In what year (excluding test flights) was the last Space Shuttle launched?

A. 10. It was launched in 2011, on July 8th.

Q. 11. What city is known as the ‘Pearl of the Danube’ ?

A. 11. Budapest.

Q. 12. What is measured on the Beaufort scale?

A. 12. Wind speed. It’s full name is the Beaufort wind force scale, although it is a measure of wind speed and not of force in the scientific sense.

Q. 13. What English naval commander reputedly refused to stop a game of bowls when an enemy fleet was sighted?

A. 13. Sir Francis Drake.

Q. 14. What famous novelists works include ‘Brighton Rock’, ‘The Quiet American’, and ‘Our Man In Havana’ ?

A. 14. Graham Greene.

Q. 15. Which two figures are normally found in a Pietà sculpture?

A. 15. The Pietà sculpture depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion.

Q. 16. What are the three main functions in trigonometry?

A. 16. They are ‘Sine’, ‘Cosine’ and ‘Tangent’, often shortened to ‘sin’, ‘cos’ and ‘tan’.

Q. 17. What word links a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur and the presidency of JFK?

A. 17. Camelot.

Q. 18. Who did Cassius Clay first defeat to win the boxing Heavyweight Championship of the World?

A. 18. Sonny Liston.

Q. 19. What are the 12 long triangles on a backgammon board called?

A. 19. They are known as ‘Points’.

Q. 20. In music what band is known by the acronym ELO?

A. 20. The Electric Light Orchestra.

=======================================

Columbia, Switzerland, North Korea And Mongolia. What A Collection Of Facts!

May 5, 2015May 4, 2015 fasab Factoids, Unusual average size home, Bada Bing strip club, beheaded the Mongolian envoy, born on the same day, Brazil, budget, burned down, cappuccino, Colombia, Ed White, education, Entertainment, EVA, fact, facts, first American to conduct a spacewalk, first man to die working on the Hoover Dam, founder of North Korea, Gemini 4 mission, Genghis Khan, go-go bar, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, information, Iran's population, Italians, J G Tierney, J G Tierney’s son, Kim Il-Sung, last man died working on the Hoover Dam, Lodi, Lord of the Rings trilogy, lowest crime rates in the world, mercury in milk, most liberal gun laws of any country, movies, New Jersey, nobody knows, Pacific Ocean, patent for fire hydrants, patent office, Persians, platinum, policy on pesticides in food, pre-Mongol levels, Satin Dolls, second largest economy in South America, somebody knows, Switzerland, The Hobbit, The Sopranos, Titanic sank, TV series, US Food and Drug Administration, War on Drugs, zero tolerance

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

What a collection of facts indeed and not one of them about Cinco de Mayo. How I resisted that I’, not sure. Maybe next year???

But today it’s facts that somebody knows and facts that nobody knows.

But at least after you read today’s post you will know the facts that nobody knows, except that then somebody will know them.

Enough of that, here they are.

Enjoy.

Nobody knows who owns the patent

for fire hydrants because the patent office

in which the records were being held burned down.

You could fit all the platinum every mined

into an average size home.

During the Gemini 4 mission on June 3, 1965,

Ed White became the first American

to conduct a spacewalk.

The EVA started over the Pacific Ocean

near Hawaii and lasted 23 minutes,

ending over the Gulf of Mexico.

Colombia is estimated to be the

second largest economy in South America,

right behind Brazil.

When the Persians beheaded the Mongolian envoy,

Genghis Khan retaliated by killing nearly 90% of their population.

According to some estimates, Iran’s population didn’t

reach its pre-Mongol levels until the mid-1900s.

Kim Il-Sung, the founder of North Korea,

was born on the same day that the Titanic sank.

It wasn’t really a great day, was it?

The first man to die working on the Hoover Dam

was killed on December 20 1922.

He was J G Tierney.

The last man to die working on the Hoover Dam

was killed on December 20 1935.

He was J G Tierney’s son.

Italians don’t usually drink

cappuccino after 11 AM.

The term ‘Zero tolerance’ was first used

by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

in referring to their policy on pesticides

in food items (e.g. no mercury in milk).

It was later attributed to the famous

War on Drugs by strictly applying

the law in problem areas.

The Bada Bing strip club location used throughout

the hit TV series ‘The Sopranos’

is actually a go-go bar in Lodi, NJ, called Satin Dolls.

Switzerland has some of the most

liberal gun laws of any country,

with 2.3 to 4.5 million guns in

a population of 8 million.

It also has one of the lowest

crime rates in the world.

The budget for the two “The Hobbit” movies

is almost twice the budget of

the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

============================

Oranges, Oceans And Olympics? – Oh, Oh, Oh, It Has To Be Quiz Day!

July 28, 2014July 22, 2014 fasab Questions, Tests American woman, Andes Mountains, archaeologists, axe murders, baby eel, bacteria, baseball star, Bolivia, color, countries, country, crimes of treason, deepest part of the world's oceans, detective, discovery, Earth's moon, education, English language words, Entertainment, Fall River, father, feet, Frank Sinatra, fruit, games, general knowledge, Geography, history, I Get A Kick Out Of You, jail sentence, key to understanding, Kojak, lake, Lizzie Borden, longest border with Canada, married to Marilyn Monroe, mass of our solar system, Massachusetts, millions of dollars, modern Egyptian hieroglyphs, modern Olympics, mountain, movies, music, New York Yankees, official capitals, one billion, one million, one thousand, one trillion, Orange, Pacific Ocean, paintings, Paramount Pictures logo, pardoned, Peru, politics, posthumously, Queensland And Northern Territories Air Service, questions, quiz, Quiz Day, quizzes, Robert E Lee, science, skipping-rope rhyme, sought after, South Africa, space, sport, stars, stepmother, sun, television, therein, tv, TV series, US president, US state, Vincent Van Gogh, volume, wrote the song

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

Welcome to another fasab quiz.

A good mixture of easy, difficult and maybe one or two tricky questions for you today.

But if you get stuck you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating!

Enjoy and good luck.

Q. 1: Was the color orange named after the fruit, or was the fruit named after the color orange?

Q. 2: Approximately how much of the mass of our solar system does the Sun take up?

a) 59% b) 69% c) 79% d) 89% e) 99%

Q. 3: What is the deepest part of the world’s oceans known as?

Q. 4: What was the discovery that gave archaeologists the key to understanding modern Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Q. 5: You’ve seen it hundreds of times at least, but how many stars surround the mountain on the Paramount Pictures logo?

a) 12 b) 22 c) 32 d) 42

Q. 6: Since the beginning of the modern Olympics, in 1896, what are the only two countries to have participated in every Games. (A point for each correct answer.)

Q. 7: Who played detective Kojak in the long running TV series?

Q. 8: Approximately how many bacteria are on each of your feet?

a) one thousand b) one million c) one billion d) one trillion

Q. 9: What is the name of the lake situated on the border of Peru and Bolivia in the Andes Mountains? (You know it, it’s a very well known name.)

Q. 10: What was the name of the New York Yankees baseball star who was once married to Marilyn Monroe?

Q. 11: Which US state has the longest border with Canada?

Q. 12: Lizzie Borden was an American woman, from Fall River, Massachusetts, who was famously accused of the axe murders of her father and stepmother. It was a famous case memorialized in a popular skipping-rope rhyme: “Lizzie Borden took an axe, And gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one.” How long was her jail sentence?

Q. 13: Without rearranging any of its letters, how many English language words can you make from the seven letter word “therein”? (You can have a point for each word you can make, so potentially a good score here!)

Q. 14: They are now worth millions of dollars each and much sought after, but how many of his paintings did Vincent Van Gogh sell while he was alive?

Q. 15: What is Queensland And Northern Territories Air Service better known as?

Q. 16: South Africa is the only country with three official capitals, what are they? (A point for each correct answer, and a bonus point if you can correctly name all three.)

Q. 17: What is a baby eel called?

Q. 18: What is greater, the volume of the Earth’s moon OR the volume of the Pacific Ocean?

Q. 19: Which US President pardoned Robert E. Lee posthumously of all crimes of treason?

Q. 20: Probably the most famous version is by Frank Sinatra, but who wrote the song “I Get A Kick Out Of You”?

ANSWERS

Q. 1: Was the color orange named after the fruit, or was the fruit named after the color orange?

A. 1: The color orange was named after the fruit.

Q. 2: Approximately how much of the mass of our solar system does the Sun take up?

a) 59% b) 69% c) 79% d) 89% e) 99%

A. 2: The correct answer is e) 99%.

Q. 3: What is the deepest part of the world’s oceans known as?

A. 3: The deepest part of the world’s oceans is known as the Mariana Trench or Marianas Trench, located in the western Pacific Ocean, to the east of the Mariana Islands.

Q. 4: What was the discovery that gave archaeologists the key to understanding modern Egyptian hieroglyphs.

A. 4: The discovery of the Rosetta Stone finally provided the key to understanding modern Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Q. 5: You’ve seen it hundreds of times at least, but how many stars surround the mountain on the Paramount Pictures logo?

a) 12 b) 22 c) 32 d) 42

A. 5: The correct answer is b), there are 22 stars surrounding the mountain on the Paramount Pictures logo.

Q. 6: Since the beginning of the modern Olympics, in 1896, what are the only two countries to have participated in every Games. (A point for each correct answer.)

A. 6: The only two countries to have participated in every modern Olympic Games are Greece and Australia.

Q. 7: Who played detective Kojak in the long running TV series?

A. 7: Telly Savalas.

Q. 8: Approximately how many bacteria are on each of your feet?

a) one thousand b) one million c) one billion d) one trillion

A. 8: There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

Q. 9: What is the name of the lake situated on the border of Peru and Bolivia in the Andes Mountains? (You know it, it’s a very well known name.)

A. 9: It is called Lake Titicaca.

Q. 10: What was the name of the New York Yankees baseball star who was once married to Marilyn Monroe?

A. 10: He was Joe DiMaggio.

Q. 11: Which US state has the longest border with Canada?

A. 11: Alaska.

A. 12: She was acquitted and no one else has ever been charged with the murders.

A. 13: There are ten English language words that can be made out of the word “therein” without rearranging any of its letters: the, there, he, in, rein, her, here, here, ere, therein, herein.

Q. 14: They are now worth millions of dollars each and much sought after, but how many of his paintings did Vincent Van Gogh sell while he was alive?

A. 14: Vincent Van Gogh sold exactly one painting while he was alive, the Red Vineyard at Arles.

Q. 15: What is Queensland And Northern Territories Air Service better known as?

A. 15: QANTAS, the name of the Australian national airline.

Q. 16: South Africa is the only country with three official capitals, what are they? (A point for each correct answer, and a bonus point if you can correctly name all three.)

A. 16: South Africa’s three official capitals are Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein.

Q. 17: What is a baby eel called?

A. 17: A baby eel is called an elver.

Q. 18: What is greater, the volume of the Earth’s moon OR the volume of the Pacific Ocean?

A. 18: Bit of a trick question here. The volume of the Earth’s moon is the same as the volume of the Pacific Ocean.

Q. 19: Which US President pardoned Robert E. Lee posthumously of all crimes of treason?

A. 19: Gerald Ford.

Q. 20: Probably the most famous version is by Frank Sinatra, but who wrote the song “I Get A Kick Out Of You”?

A. 20: Cole Porter. Sorry Frank but this is MY favorite version….

================================================

Significant Number Factoid Friday – Today The Number Had To Be 1776

July 4, 2014 fasab Factoids, Numbers 1776, Adam Smith, Adam Weishaupt, America, American colonies, American Continental Army, American Continental Navy, American Continentals, American friends, American gunboats, American navy, American Patriots, American Patriots Royal Navy, American Revolution, American Revolutionary War, American Southwest, American submersible craft Turtle, americans, an independent nation, Andrew Doria, Arctic, Assembly of New Hampshire, Austria, Bahamas, battle, Battle of Harlem Heights, Battle of Long Island, Battle of Pell's Point, Battle of the Rice Boats, Battle of Trenton, Battle of White Plains, Bavaria, Benedict Arnold, Benjamin Franklin, bigamy, bird tail, Boston, Bowling Green, Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, British, British Admiral Richard Howe's flagship HMS Eagle, British authority, British control, British fleet, British parliament, British Royal Navy, Brooklyn, California, Captain James Cook, Chatterton Hill, Cherokee, Cherokee Nation, cock tail, Col. Johann Rall, Committee of Five, common sense, Continental Army, Continental Congress, Continental Congress delegates, Continental Union Flag, crossed the Delaware River, Crown Prince Paul, customer, declaration of independence, Delaware General Assembly, Doncaster, Dorchester Heights, Duchess of Kingston, Dutch flag, education, Edward Gibbon, England, enlistment of free blacks, Entertainment, espionage, facts, fatal, Father Francisco Palou, first Europeans, first governor, first state constitution, first US fraternity, Fort Orange, Fort Washington, France, Francisco Atanasio Domínguez, Francisco Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, French support, Gen George Washington, George III of Great Britain, George Mason, George Washington, Gregorian calendar, Guadeloupe, Haffner, Halifax Resolves, hanged, happy Fourth of July, Hessian mercenaries, Hessian troops, HMS Resolution, horse races, hurricane, Illuminati, independence day, independence from British rule, Ingolstadt, interrogation torture, invading spaceships, Jersey bank, Johannes de Graaff, Juan Bautista de Anza, Julian calendar, King George III, Kips Bay, Lake Champlain, leap year, Lee Resolution, Liberty Bell, Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen, loyalist leaders, Lt Jose Joaquin Moraga, Manhattan, Marines, Marquis de Lafayette, Massachusetts, McKonkey's Ferry, MDCCLXXVI, Mission Dolores, Mission San Francisco de Asis, Monterey Presidio, Moore's Creek bridge, Mozart, Nassau, Nathan Hale, new york, New York City, New York Harbor, Norfolk, North Carolina, number, number factoid, numbers, Pacific Ocean, pamphlet, Patriot cannons, Patriot forces, patriot victory, peace conference, Phi Beta Kappa, Philadelphia, Plymouth, Presidio of San Francisco, Province of Georgia, published, rebels, renounce allegiance to King George III of Great Britain, Rhode Island, Richard Caswell, Richard Henry Lee, Roman numerals, Royal Colony of North Carolina, Royal Navy, Russia, Salzburg, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Savannah River, Scottish economist, Scottish North Carolina Loyalists, Second Continental Congress, Serenade No. 7, Significant Number Factoid Friday, significant numbers, Sir Guy Carleton, Sophie Marie Dorothea, South Carolina, Spaniards, spy, St Leger, State of North Carolina, Staten Island, successful assault, The American Crisis, The Bronx, The Crisis, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, the Rockies, the Sierras, The Wealth of Nations, the world's first submarine attack, These are the times that try men's souls, third voyage, thirteen colonies, Thomas Paine, time bomb, Trenton, United States Declared Independence, Valcour Island, Virginia, Virginia Convention of Delegates, Virginia Declaration of Rights, vote for independence, Washington, Washington's troops, Württemberg, William & Mary College, William Howe, Wilmington

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

Hello everyone.

And a very happy Fourth of July to everyone, particularly my American friends.

Independence Day again, and no sign of invading spaceships so I’m assuming its safe to do another number factoid.

And what else could it be today other than 1776, the year America became an independent nation.

Here we go.

Enjoy

And where else to start but with….

American Revolutionary War

On January 1^st, 1776 Gen George Washington hoisted the Continental Union Flag. The same day the town of Norfolk, Virginia, was destroyed by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces.
On Jan 5^th the Assembly of New Hampshire adopts its 1st state constitution.
On January 10^th Thomas Paine published his pamphlet Common Sense “written by an Englishman” in Philadelphia arguing for independence from British rule in what were then the Thirteen Colonies.

On Jan 16^th the Continental Congress approves enlistment of free blacks.
On February 27^th Scottish North Carolina Loyalists charge across Moore’s Creek bridge near Wilmington to attack what they mistakenly believed to be a small force of rebels. Several loyalist leaders are killed in the ensuing battle. The patriot victory virtually ended all British authority in the province.
On March 2^nd and 3^rd the American Continental Navy and Marines made a successful assault on Nassau, Bahamas, and in the Battle of the Rice Boats, American Patriots resisted the Royal Navy on the Savannah River effectively ending British control over the Province of Georgia.
On March 4^th American Patriots capture Dorchester Heights thereby dominating the port of Boston, Massachusetts. Threatened by the Patriot cannons on Dorchester Heights, the British evacuate Boston on March 17^th.
On April 12^th the Royal Colony of North Carolina produced the Halifax Resolves making it the first British colony officially to authorize its Continental Congress delegates to vote for independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
On May 4^th Rhode Island became the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III of Great Britain.
On June 7^th Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Second Continental Congress (meeting in Philadelphia) that “these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states.”
On June 11^th the Continental Congress appointed a Committee of Five to draft a Declaration of Independence.

On June 12^th the Virginia Declaration of Rights by George Mason was adopted by the Virginia Convention of Delegates and three days later on June 15^th the Delaware General Assembly voted to suspend government under the British Crown.
On July 2^nd the final (despite minor revisions) U.S. Declaration of Independence was written. The Continental Congress passed the Lee Resolution.
And as we all know, on July 4^th the United States Declared Independence: The Continental Congress ratified the declaration by the United States of its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
On July 8^th the Liberty Bell rang in Philadelphia for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence and the following day an angry mob in New York City toppled the equestrian statue of George III of Great Britain in Bowling Green.

On August 2^nd most of the American colonies ratify the Declaration of Independence.
On August 15^th the first Hessian troops land on Staten Island to join British forces.
On August 27^th in the Battle of Long Island, Washington’s troops were routed in Brooklyn by British under William Howe.
On September 1^st the Cherokee Nation was invaded by 6,000 patriot troops from Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina begins. The troops destroyed thirty-six Cherokee towns.
On September 7^th saw the world’s first submarine attack when the American submersible craft Turtle attempted to attach a time bomb to the hull of British Admiral Richard Howe’s flagship HMS Eagle in New York Harbor.
On September 11^th an abortive peace conference took place between British and Americans on Staten Island.
On September 15^th British troops landed on Manhattan at Kips Bay.
On September 16^th in the Battle of Harlem Heights, the Continental Army under Washington are victorious against the British on Manhattan.
On September 22^nd the British hanged spy Nathan Hale in New York City for espionage.
The following month, on October 11^th on Lake Champlain near Valcour Island, a British fleet led by Sir Guy Carleton defeated 15 American gunboats commanded by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. Although nearly all of Arnold’s ships are destroyed, the two day-long battle gave Patriot forces enough time to prepare defenses of New York City.
On October 18^th in the Battle of Pell’s Point, forces of the American Continental Army resisted a British and Hessian force in The Bronx, whilst on October 28 in the Battle of White Plains, British forces attacked and captured Chatterton Hill from the Americans.
On October 26^th Benjamin Franklin departed from America for France on a mission to seek French support for the American Revolution.

The last day of that month, October 31^st saw King George III make his first speech before British Parliament since the Declaration of Independence that summer, in which in perhaps the understatement of the year, told the British Parliament that all was not going well for Britain in the war with the United States.
On November 16^th Hessian mercenaries under Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen captured Fort Washington from the American Continentals. The captain of the American navy ship Andrew Doria fired a salute to the Dutch flag on Fort Orange and Johannes de Graaff answers with eleven gun shots.
On December 7^th the Marquis de Lafayette attempted to enter the American military as a major general.
And on December 21^st the Royal Colony of North Carolina reorganizes into the State of North Carolina after adopting its own constitution. Richard Caswell becomes the first governor of the newly formed state.
On December 23^rd Thomas Paine, living with Washington’s troops, began publishing The American Crisis, containing the stirring phrase, “These are the times that try men’s souls.”
At Christmas 1776, Gen. George Washington ordered the first issue of The Crisis to be read to his troops on Christmas Eve, then at 6 p.m. all 2600 of them march to McKonkey’s Ferry, crossed the Delaware River and land on the Jersey bank at 3 a.m.
And finally December 26^th saw the Battle of Trenton, in which Washington’s troops surprised and defeated the 1500 Hessian troops under the command of Col. Johann Rall outside Trenton, taking 948 prisoners while suffering only 5 wounded.

In other things and other places in 1776

The year 1776 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and a leap year starting on Friday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar.
In Roman Numerals 1776 is written as MDCCLXXVI.
On January 2^nd Austria ended interrogation torture
On February 17^th Edward Gibbon published the first volume of his famous work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

On March 9^th Scottish economist Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations in London.
On March 28^th Juan Bautista de Anza found the site for the Presidio of San Francisco.
On April 15^th the Duchess of Kingston was found guilty of bigamy.
On May 1^st Adam Weishaupt founded the Illuminati in Ingolstadt, Bavaria.
On June 17^th Lt. Jose Joaquin Moraga leads a band of colonists from Monterey Presidio, landing on June 29^th and constructing the Mission Dolores of the new Presidio of San Francisco.
On July 12^th Captain James Cook sets off from Plymouth, England, in HMS Resolution on his third voyage, to the Pacific Ocean and Arctic, which would turn out to be fatal.

On July 21^st Mozart’s Serenade No. 7 (the “Haffner”) is first performed in Salzburg, Austria.
On July 29^th Francisco Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, Francisco Atanasio Domínguez, and eight other Spaniards set out from Santa Fe on an eighteen-hundred mile trek through the American Southwest. They were the first Europeans to explore the vast region between the Rockies and the Sierras.
On September 6^th a hurricane hit Guadeloupe, killing more than 6000 people.
On September 24^th the first of the now very famous St Leger horse races were held at Doncaster, England.
On October 7^th Crown Prince Paul of Russia married Sophie Marie Dorothea of Württemberg.
On October 9^th Father Francisco Palou founded the Mission San Francisco de Asis in what is now San Francisco, California.
On October 18^th in a New York bar decorated with a bird tail, a customer orders “cock tail”.
On December 5^th the first US fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa (William & Mary College), is formed.

The Standard Practice for Conditioning and Testing Textiles is Active Standard ASTM D1776
The Standard Specification for Eye Protective Devices for Paintball Sports is Active Standard ASTM F1776.
MTE M-1776 is a Surge Protective Device
P1776 is the code for solenoid stuck in low/reverse which is a fairly common problem and can be prevented most of the time by keeping the fluid clean.
The 1776 Premier Program offers a venue for highly-committed, elite players to receive professional, year-round coaching and to seek competition at the highest levels of US Youth Soccer.

==========================================

If It’s Monday It Must Be Quiz Day!

July 22, 2013July 4, 2013 fasab Questions, Tests 1918, Albert Einstein, America, atlantic, band, beard, birthday, Chicago, citizens, city, college days, comic strips, continent, country, cover of Cosmopolitan, difficult, difficult question, donuts, earth, easy, education, Entertainment, European country, false teeth, first ever registered domain name, former president, founder, genius, hibernation, hood ornament, hot and dry periods, http, Illinois, Indian, indicate swearing, Japanese, july 4th, killing, learned how to drive, located, male model, Misc, Miscellaneous, Name, never to sign a bill into law, O'Hare International Airport, outbreak, Pacific Ocean, People, per capita, Poopo, puzzle, puzzles, questions, quiz, quizzes, Random, Rolls Royce, skyscraper capital, sleeping, Snellen chart, Spanish Flu, start, summer, surname, symbols, tallest mountains, tens of millions, test, tests, three oceans, Titicaca, United States, US president, web URLs, winter, world, world famous company, world's largest hot desert, world’s leading exporter, ZZ Top

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

Another chance to pit your wits against the fasab quiz archives with another random set of twenty questions.

Although there are one or two very easy ones, I think quite a lot of them are difficult this time, but here’s your chance to prove me wrong.

As always the answers are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below – but NO cheating.

Enjoy and good luck!

Q. 1: What does the http:// in web URLs stand for?

Q. 2: What is the hood ornament on a Rolls Royce called?

Q. 3: Which former president of the United States, in his college days, worked as a male model, and even appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan?

Q. 4: In what country would you find the strangely named lakes “Titicaca” and “Poopo”?

Q. 5: Sleeping through the winter is called “hibernation,” but what is the word that describes sleeping through hot and dry periods like summer?

Q. 6: Members of the band “ZZ Top” are famous for their beards, but what was the surname of the only member who hadn’t got one?

Q. 7: In 1918 the so-called “Spanish Flu” spread around the world killing tens of millions of people, but where did the outbreak start?

Q. 8: Who was the only U.S. president never to sign a bill into law?

Q. 9: On which continent are the 50 tallest mountains on Earth are all located? (This is easy if you think about it)

Q. 10: Which world famous company’s name means “three oceans” in Japanese because the company’s founder wanted to sell his wares across the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans?

Q. 11: How old was Albert Einstein, a genius if ever there was one, when he learned how to drive?

Q. 12: What was the first ever registered domain name?

Q. 13: What city is America’s skyscraper capital?

Q. 14: Earlier this month the United States celebrated its birthday, but what is the only other country in the world to celebrate its birthday on July 4^th?

Q. 15: Who is O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois named after?

Q. 16: The citizens of which country eat more donuts per capita than any other?

Q. 17: What European country is the world’s leading exporter of false teeth?

Q. 18: At more than 3.3 million square miles, what is the name of the world’s largest hot desert?

Q. 19: We have all seen a Snellen Chart, but what is it?

Q. 20: Possibly some of you have said “!#@%” when faced with a difficult question in this test, but what is the name for symbols such as “!#@%” that are used to indicate swearing in comic strips?

ANSWERS

Q. 1: What does the http:// in web URLs stand for?

A. 1: The http:// in web URLs stands for “Hyper Text Transfer Protocol.”

Q. 2: What is the hood ornament on a Rolls Royce called?

A. 2: The Spirit of Ecstasy.

Q. 3: Which former president of the United States in his college days, worked as a male model, and even appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan?

A. 3: Former president Gerald Ford wasn’t always gray-haired and paunchy — in his college days, he worked as a male model, and even appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan.

Q. 4: In what country would you find the strangely named lakes “Titicaca” and “Poopo”?

A. 4: In Bolivia, South America.

Q. 5: Sleeping through the winter is called “hibernation,” but what is the word that describes sleeping through hot and dry periods like summer?

A. 5: Sleeping through hot and dry periods like summer is called “estivation.”

Q. 6: Members of the band “ZZ Top” are famous for their beards, but what was the surname of the only member who hadn’t got one?

A. 6: Ironically, the only member of ZZ Top without a beard has the last name Beard.

Q. 7: In 1918 the so-called “Spanish Flu” spread around the world killing tens of millions of people, but where did the outbreak start?

A. 7: The so-called “Spanish Flu” of 1918 started at a military camp in Kansas before spreading around the world and killing millions.

Q. 8: Who was the only U.S. president never to sign a bill into law?

A. 8: William Henry Harrison was the only U.S. president never to sign a bill into law — he died before having the opportunity.

Q. 9: On which continent are the 50 tallest mountains on Earth are all located? (This is easy if you think about it)

A. 9: Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth is located in the Himalayas in Asia so since it has to be one of the 50 tallest mountains on Earth, they all have to be located in Asia.

Q. 10: Which world famous company’s name means “three oceans” in Japanese because the company’s founder wanted to sell his wares across the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans?

A. 10: Sanyo means “three oceans” in Japanese.

Q. 11: How old was Albert Einstein, a genius if ever there was one, when he learned how to drive?

A. 11: Albert Einstein never learned how to drive.

Q. 12: What was the first ever registered domain name?

A. 12: The first registered domain name was symbolics.com. It was registered on March 15th, 1985.

Q. 13: What city is America’s skyscraper capital?

A. 13: Chicago is America’s skyscraper capital. The city has more 1,000-foot tall buildings than any other U.S. city.

Q. 14: Earlier this month the United States celebrated its birthday, but what is the only other country in the world to celebrate its birthday on July 4^th?

A. 14: The only other country in the world to celebrate the United States’ birthday, July 4th, is Denmark.

Q. 15: Who is O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois named after?

A. 15: O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois is named after Al Capone’s lawyer’s son, Lt. Cmdr. Butch O’Hare.

Q. 16: The citizens of which country eat more donuts per capita than any other?

A. 16: Canadians eat more donuts per capita than any other country.

Q. 17: What European country is the world’s leading exporter of false teeth?

A. 17: Liechtenstein is the world’s leading exporter of false teeth.

Q. 18: At more than 3.3 million square miles, what is the name of the world’s largest hot desert?

A. 18: At more than 3.3 million square miles, the Sahara Desert is as large as the world’s next 20 largest hot deserts combined.

Q. 19: We have all seen a Snellen Chart, but what is it?

A. 19: The eye test chart with the big ‘E’ on top is known as the Snellen Chart.

A. 20: Symbols such as “!#@%” that are used to indicate swearing in comic strips are called grawlix.

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A New Quiz To Start A New Month

July 1, 2013July 1, 2013 fasab Questions, Tests, Unusual 15 letter word, answers, atlantic ocean, atom, Black, bra cup sizing system, caribou, city, color, construction, construction workers, Corset Company, dark room, difficult, disaster, easy, Edo, education, Empire State Building, Entertainment, every nine years, famous American, goldfish, good quiz, gray, hard hats, invented, largest denomination bill, Miscellaneous, most common, Mount Everest, movies, national animal, new quiz, no shell, nut, ocean, Pacific Ocean, People, puzzle, puzzles, questions, quiz, quizzes, Random, red, RMS Titanic, rocking chair, saltier, ship, spelled, tallest mountain in the world, tallest structure in the world, test, tests, Thailand, Titanic, today, today comes before yesterday, tricky, Universe, US state, US Treasury, used, without repeating a letter, Yesterday

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

What better way to start a new week and a new month than with a good quiz.

It’s the usual random mixture of difficult, easy and tricky

And again as usual the answers are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below – but NO cheating!

Enjoy.

Q. 1: Where is the only place today comes before yesterday?

Q. 2: What is another way to say “every 9 years”?

Q. 3: What US State has almost twice as many caribou as people?

Q. 4: What is the only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter?

Q. 5: What is the national animal of Thailand?

Q. 6: What kind of nut has no shell?

Q. 7: What is the largest denomination bill produced by the US Treasury?

Q. 8: Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the tallest mountain in the world?

Q. 9: What is the most common atom in the Universe?

Q. 10: Whoever makes it tells it not, whoever takes it knows it not, and whoever knows it wants it not. What is it?

Q. 11: Which Ocean is saltier, the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean?

Q. 12: What well known city was originally called Edo?

Q. 13: We all know about the Titanic and probably seen the movies about the disaster. The full name of the Titanic ship is R.M.S. Titanic, but what do the letters “R.M.S.” stand for?

Q. 14: What was the tallest structure in the world prior to the construction of the Empire State Building in 1930?

Q. 15: Construction workers hard hats were first invented and used in 1933 in the building of what?

Q. 16: What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?

Q. 17: What belongs to you, but is used mostly by others?

Q. 18: If you keep a Goldfish in the dark room what color will it eventually turn?

Q. 19: What famous American invented the rocking chair?

Q. 20: Which Corset Company, with a very famous name not necessarily related to the corset business, created the bra cup sizing system, which is now used universally by manufacturers?

ANSWERS

Q. 1: Where is the only place today comes before yesterday?

A. 1: In a Dictionary

Q. 2: What is another way to say “every 9 years”?

A. 2: Another way to say “every 9 years” is “Novennial”

Q. 3: What US State has almost twice as many caribou as people?

A. 3: The state of Alaska has almost twice as many caribou as people.

Q. 4: What is the only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter?

A. 4: The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is “uncopyrightable”.

Q. 5: What is the national animal of Thailand?

A. 5: The elephant is the national animal of Thailand

Q. 6: What kind of nut has no shell?

A. 6: A doughnut.

Q. 7: What is the largest denomination bill produced by the US Treasury?

A. 7: The largest denomination bill U.S. bill produced by the US Treasury is for $100,000.

Q. 8: Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the tallest mountain in the world?

A. 8: Mount Everest, just because it hadn’t been discovered didn’t mean it wasn’t there!

Q. 9: What is the most common atom in the Universe?

A. 9: Hydrogen is the most common atom in the universe

Q. 10: Whoever makes it tells it not, whoever takes it knows it not, and whoever knows it wants it not. What is it?

A. 10: Counterfeit Money

Q. 11: Which Ocean is saltier, the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean?

A. 11: The Atlantic Ocean is saltier than the Pacific Ocean

Q. 12: What well known city was originally called Edo?

A. 12: The city of Tokyo was originally called Edo

Q. 13: We all know about the Titanic and probably seen the movies about the disaster. The full name of the Titanic ship is R.M.S. Titanic, but what do the letters “R.M.S.” stand for?

A. 13: “R.M.S.” stands for Royal Mail Steamship

Q. 14: What was the tallest structure in the world prior to the construction of the Empire State Building in 1930?

A. 14: The Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in the world prior to the construction of the Empire State Building in 1930.

Q. 15: Construction workers hard hats were first invented and used in 1933 in the building of what?

A. 15: Construction workers hard hats were first invented and used in 1933 in the building of the Hoover Dam.

Q. 16: What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?

A. 16: Charcoal

Q. 17: What belongs to you, but is used mostly by others?

A. 17: Your Name

Q. 18: If you keep a Goldfish in the dark room what color will it eventually turn?

A. 18: A lot of people think it will become darker and eventually black because there is no light, but the reverse is actually the case, it will become paler and eventually turn white. This is because the pigmentation cells in the fish’s scales that control color cannot work without light.

Q. 19: What famous American invented the rocking chair?

A. 19: Benjamin Franklin invented the rocking chair.

Q. 20: Which Corset Company, with a very famous name not necessarily related to the corset business, created the bra cup sizing system, which is now used universally by manufacturers?

A. 20: Warner Brothers Corset Company!

================================================

How did you do?

Significant Number Factoid Friday – Today The Number Is Fifty-Five 55

May 17, 2013May 17, 2013 fasab Cars, Factoids, Numbers, Religion, Unusual, War 1101112, 55, 55 Cadillac, 55 Days at Peking, 55 Degrees North, 55th Aero Squadron, 55th Fighter Squadron, 8 Series, 850i, Abellio, administrative headquarters, Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft, Advanced Development Programs, Air Force Research Laboratory, Alan Alda, Albanian newspaper, American band, Andrew W K, angel, Annunciation, Anu, apartments, Assumption of the Virgin, Assyrian-Babylonian mythology, atomic number, Australian rock band, automaker, Bantam, Battle of the Bulge, Battle of the Denmark Strait, Battle-class destroyer, Bel, Bible, binary, Bismarck, blowing the whistle, BMW K55, BMW tuner Racing Dynamics, Bodø, Boise, books, Bouriates, Brazil, British Indie Rock Band, British TV series, Brixton Academy, Cabala, California, Cape Finisterre, Captain Eugene Tatom, Celtic, Cesium, cesium atomic clock, cesium clock, Charlton Heston, child sex ring, China, Christ, Christie's Auction, Christie's Catalog cover, Class of '55, Club Foot, Cold War, Comment of Rachi, Communist Albania, constellation Sagittarius, constellation Sculptor, Constitutional Convention, County class, crematory, crime drama, Cristian Vogel, cruise missile, Daimler AG, David Niven, David Seltzer, death, delegates, Denmark Straits, Disneyland, Divine Person, E, Ea, earthly numbers, education, EL, Elohim, Emerald wedding anniversary, entertainment complex, epsilon, euro, Europe, events, factoid, Faroe Islands, Fibonacci number, fifty-five, film, FJ40, Gazeta 55, Genesis, german, German battleship, German tanker, globular cluster, God, Gospel, Greek alphabet, Group X, Halley’s Comet, Halloween, Happy Birthday Mr President, heavenly numbers, heavy cruiser, Hebrews, heptagonal number, HMS Finisterre, HMS Hereward, HMS Janus, HMS Juno, HMS Kipling, HMS Suffolk, HMS Truculent, hospital, humanity, I Can't Drive 55, I Ching, Idaho, Indian Ocean, Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, international direct dial, investigators, Italy, Jah, Japan, Japanese, Jeeps, Jehovah, John Archer, José Saramago, K55, K55 Sport Coupe, Kaprekar number, Kasabian, Kawasaki ZX-14R, Kelly Field, Kh-55, King James Version, Korea, Kuwait, L, Lambda, Lockheed Martin, Lockheed Martin X-55, London detective, luxury sedans, LV, Malaysia, Marilyn, Marilyn Monroe, Mary, mathematics, Mather Field, Mediterranean, Mercedes Benz, Mercedes-Benz S-55, Messier object M55, middle-east, Militaria, military, military action, Misc, Miscellaneous, Mitsubishi Jeep, Mitsubishi Jeep J55, MKB Raduga, Morals Drive, mother, movies, music, nation, National Defense Reserve Fleet, National Maximum Speed Law, National Police Reserve Forces, NATO, New General Catalogue, New Testament, Newcastle, newspapers, nonagonal number, North America, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, northern Iraq, Norway, Norwegian Campaign, Novator RK-55 Granat, novel, NT, nuclear warheads, number, numbers, object NGC 55, Ol' 55, Old 55, Old Testament, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Northern Watch, Operation Southern Watch, Pacific Ocean, Palmdale, perihelion, Philadelphia, Phoenicians, phone calls, Platonic Lambda, politics, Prayer, prime numbers, Primer 55, prophetess, prophets, Pythagorean arithmetic, rabbinical study, Random, religion, Resurrection, Rhineland, Roman numeral, Royal Navy, S-Class, Saint John, saint Martin, Sammy Hagar, Scapa Flow, Schfifty Five, science, semiprime, Semitic, Seth Randal, sex with teenage boys, Sharon Cintron, shopping mall, Skagerrak, Skunk Works, Slip-On Exhaust, Sola, song, Southwest Asia, Soviet, Soviet Union, Soviet/Russian, space, speed Limit, spiral galaxy, square numbers, square pyramidal number, SS Matchless, Station 55, sun, Swedish merchant ship, T-54, T-55, tanks, Tórshavn, Texas, Thames Estuary, the Bible, The Cave, The Eagles, The Fall Of '55, throne, Time Magazine, tip of the iceberg, Tom Waits, Toyota, Toyota Jeep, transportation, triangular number, trinity, tv, TV comedy, United States, United States Air Force, United States Constitution, US Navy, USS Aludra, USS Valcour, Vietnam, Vietnamese, Virgin Mary, virtual reality, Warsaw Pact, Willys Jeep, witch hunt, woman, world war ii, WWI, WWII, Yaw, Yoshimura R-55

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

Another numbers factoid today. This time the number is fifty-five, along with its various associations.

Enjoy.

The Number Fifty-Five 55

In religion

The number 55 is used 2 times in the Bible.
The 55th word of the King James Version of the Bible’s Old Testament Genesis is “light”;
At the end of his Gospel, Saint John devotes 55 verses (chapter 20 and 21) to describe the resurrection and his appearances of the Christ which took place after his death.
The words throne and number are used 55 in the NT.
55 is the representative number of the Virgin Mary. In the New Testament the name Mary is referred to 55 times (26 times by the word mother; 10 times by the word woman; and 19 times by the name of Mary).
Fifty-five years separate the Annunciation from the Assumption of the Virgin.

A rabbinical study enumerates 55 prophets, divided into 48 prophets and 7 prophetess. This list appears in the Comment of Rachi on Meguilla 14a.

Epsilon, E, is the 5th letter of the Greek alphabet, and Lambda, L, is the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet and the product of the 3rd & 5th prime numbers: 5 x 11 = 55 = EL
EL is an ancient Semitic title for God. In Assyrian-Babylonian mythology, the great trinity Anu (sky), Bel (light), and Ea (sea) emanated from EL. EL was used by the Phoenicians for the high-one. Elohim is the plural form of EL. The Hebrews associated EL or Elohim with a sun-deity absorbed by Yaw (Jah or Jehovah). In Hebrew poetry EL appears as First Cause, God, Mighty One, principle or beginning of all things.
In Cabala, EL is a name of Chesed, the 4th Sephira.
EL is Celtic for angel.

55 represent the Divine Person, according to Abellio.
55 represent the limit of the humanity, according to E. Bindel.
55 represent the total and complete man, symbolized by the two hands which join at the moment of the prayer to remake the unit in the form of ten, but being able also to express that under the form of 55, “addition in the senses of the divine wisdom” according to saint Martin.
The Bouriates knew 99 gods, divided into 55 goods and 44 bad. These two groups of gods would fight for a very long time between them.

In Mathematics

55 is the sum of the first 10 numbers: 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10 = 55
55 is the sum of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th triangular numbers: 3 + 6 + 10 + 15 + 21 = 55
55 is the sum of the first 5 square numbers (also known as a square pyramidal number): 1 + 4 + 9 + 16 + 25 = 55
The sum of 5 odd heavenly numbers: 1+3+5+7+9 = 25; the sum of 5 even earthly numbers: 2+4+6+8+10 = 30; the sum of the heavenly & earthly series (I Ching): 25 + 30 = 55
Fifty-five is the 10th Fibonacci number and a triangular number (the sum of the numbers 1 to 10), it is the largest Fibonacci number to also be a triangular number.

55 is heptagonal number, and a centered nonagonal number.
In base 10, 55 is a Kaprekar number.
55 is a semiprime, being the product of 5 and 11 and it is the 2nd member of the (5.q) semiprime family.
In Roman numeral 55 is written as LV
55 in Binary is 00110111
In Pythagorean arithmetic, 2 is the first even number, 3 the first odd number. The even & odd tetractyes both radiate from the One, which is the source of all numbers. The sum of these two series is 55

In Science

55 is the Atomic Number of Cesium (Cs).
The cesium clock is used as a standard in measuring time. Its accuracy is one second in 30,000 years. The cesium atomic clock is based on the frequency corresponding to hyperfine structure transition in the atoms of cesium nuclides Cs-133.

In space

Messier object M55, is a magnitude 7.0 globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius

The New General Catalogue object NGC 55, is a magnitude 7.9 barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor
On February 9, 1986, Halley’s Comet made its closest approach to the sun (perihelion) at a distance of only about 55 million miles.
The velocity of Halley’s comet at perihelion is 55 kilometers per second.

In politics

55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia (1787) and 39 signed the United States Constitution.
Agitation and Propaganda against the State, also known as Constitution law 55, was a law in Communist Albania.

Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia 1787

In Books, Music, Movies and TV

A song produced by Group X was called “Schfifty Five”.
55 is the name of a song by British Indie Rock Band Kasabian. The song was released as a B side to Club Foot and was recorded live when the band performed at London’s Brixton Academy.
“I Can’t Drive 55”, is a song by Sammy Hagar
“Old 55” is the title of a song by Tom Waits and The Eagles
Cristian Vogel released an album in 2005 with the title “Station 55”
“Ol’ 55”, is an Australian rock band.
“Primer 55” is the name of an American band
“55 Cadillac”, is an album by Andrew W.K.

“55 Days at Peking” is a film starring Charlton Heston and David Niven

“55 Degrees North” (2004–2005) is a British TV series about a London detective who moves to Newcastle after blowing the whistle on a corrupt colleague.
“Class of ’55”, is a TV comedy created by writer David Seltzer, and starring Alan Alda, John Archer, Sharon Cintron
“The Fall Of ’55”, a crime drama, written by Seth Randal, about an incident in late 1955 and early 1956, when the citizens of Boise, Idaho believed there was a menace in their midst. On Halloween, investigators arrested three men on charges of having sex with teenage boys. The investigators claimed the arrests were just the tip of the iceberg-they said hundreds of boys were being abused as part of a child sex ring. There was no such ring, but the result was a widespread investigation which some people consider a witch hunt. By the time the investigation ended, 16 men were charged. Countless other lives were also touched.In some cases, men implicated fled the area. At least one actually left the country. The investigation attracted attention in newspapers across the nation, including Time Magazine. The “Morals Drive” left scars which remain to this day.

José Saramago’s novel “The Cave” features the Center, a vast multistoried shopping mall whose catalog runs to 55 volumes of 1,500 pages each, an entertainment complex offering Disneyland versions of virtual reality, and apartments, a hospital, a crematory and administrative headquarters.

In Transportation

Speed Limit
55 was the highest speed limit allowed in the United States between 1974 and 1986 per the National Maximum Speed Law.

Yoshimura R-55 GP Style Slip-On Exhaust
The Yoshimura R-55 is a legendary exhaust building experience that gives the sportbike rider power in a lightweight, stylish package, using a tapered trapezoidal shape, finished off in either carbon fiber or stainless steel.

The R-55 on the Kawasaki ZX-14R looks seamless and will weigh less than the ones that come stock.

BMW K55
In 1991 BMW tuner Racing Dynamics of Italy produced a special version of the 8 Series dubbed the K55 Sport Coupe. The K55 5.5 Coupe was based on the 850i, powered by the 5.0-liter M70 that was stroked to 5.5 liters, new valves, camshafts lifters and intakes along with extrude honed heads. The one US version engine producing 475 bhp (354 kW; 482 PS) and the Euro version producing 401 bhp (299 kW).
40 K55s were produced for the Euro market and one in the US.
In addition to engine modifications, The K55 offered a variety of body, suspensions, rear end options.

Mercedes-Benz S-55
The S-Class is a series of luxury sedans produced by German automaker Mercedes-Benz, a division of German company Daimler AG.
The classification was officially introduced in 1972 with the W116 S-Class, which succeeded previous Mercedes-Benz models dating to the mid-1950s.
The S-Class has served as the flagship model for Mercedes for over fifty years in its various incarnations and has debuted many of the company’s latest innovations, including drivetrain technologies, interior features, and safety systems (such as the first seatbelt pre-tensioners).
The S-Class has ranked as the world’s best-selling luxury sedan

Mercedes Benz G55 AMG
The G-Wagen, or Gelandewagen as it is officially named, started out as a complete off roading machine. Mercedes-Benz built it for the German armed forces and as with any military vehicle, it was designed to take on the harshest of terrain and remain rather trouble free.
A civilian version was introduced a couple years after the G-Class first made its debut, and it too displayed the same level of ruggedness and ‘go anywhere’ ability.
The G Wagen has been around since the 70s and though it has received upgrades over the years, it still remains the ultimate off roading machine that is sought after by anyone and everyone who wishes to tour the world, go lion spotting in the Savannah or drive up Mount Everest!
The G-Wagen’s reliability has grown to legendary heights and it commands an imposing presence as it drives by.
There is no doubting the fan following garnered by the G Wagen over the years and in order to cater to the growing demand, Mercedes-Benz has toyed with the vehicle to make it more exciting and usher in a level of performance and sheer ludicrousness through their AMG subsidiary.
The latest incarnation of the G Wagen is the G55 AMG. Considered to be the most powerful G Class vehicle yet, it boasts of having performance figures that one would normally find associated with sportscars and it can still handle the rough.

Hamann_Typhoon_Mercedes_Benz_G55_AMG_4 — Photo showing the Hamann Typhoon enhanced version of the Mercedes Benz G55 AMG

Mitsubishi Jeep J55
In 1950 the Japanese wanted a prototype 4X4 trucks and other vehicles and in response by January 1951 Toyota had produced a prototype. Toyota based their design on the Bantam vehicle that had seen military action in Malaysia. At the time there were many Jeeps being driven in Japan and the Jeep came to be the symbol of the 4X4. For this reason Toyota called it’s prototype the Toyota Jeep. These became the FJ40 that Americans found to be a rugged and reliable off road vehicle.
However, largely unknown to those in North America, there was another strong contender to the legend, the Mitsubishi Jeep. Their design was based on the Willys Jeep, the vehicle ultimately selected for procurement by the National Police Reserve Forces, and in 1953 Mitsubishi secured the rights to build the Willys under their own name. Thus the Mitsubishi Jeep was born.
In the USA the Willys was built till 1965 but in Japan Mitsubishi had a good thing going so they kept the line in production till 1998.

In militaria

HMS Suffolk (55)
HMS Suffolk (55) was a Royal Navy County class heavy cruiser and part of the Kent subclass. She was launched on 16 March 1926, and commissioned on 25 June 1928.
Like her sister ships, Suffolk served on the China Station until the outbreak of WWII when she returned to Europe and patrolled the Denmark Straits.
In April 1940 Suffolk participated in the Norwegian Campaign and arrived at Tórshavn to commence the British pre-emptive occupation of the Faroe Islands. On 14 April 1940 Suffolk sank the German tanker Skagerrak northwest of Bodø, Norway.
On 17 April 1940, Suffolk and four destroyers, HMS Kipling, HMS Juno, HMS Janus and HMS Hereward, were sent to bombard the airfield at Sola, Norway. The operation had little effect and the retaliation from German bombers severely damaged the aft of the ship, forcing her to return to Scapa Flow.
Suffolk was out of action from April 1940 until February 1941 while she was repaired at the Clyde.
During May 1941, as part of the 4th Cruiser Squadron, Suffolk was involved in the Battle of the Denmark Strait and the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck. Suffolk had engaged the battleship twice during the battle, making several salvoes on her. Using her radar, Suffolk was able to track the Bismarck through the Denmark Strait and maintained contact long enough for other units to vector into Bismarck’s path.
After repairs Suffolk served with the Home Fleet in Arctic waters until the end of 1942, then underwent a refit between December 1942 and April 1943. On completion of this the ship was ordered to the Eastern Fleet, operating in the Indian Ocean until the end of the war.
Suffolk was scrapped on 24 June 1948.

HMS Finisterre (D55)
HMS Finisterre (D55) was a Battle-class destroyer of the Royal Navy (RN). She was named after one of the battles of Cape Finisterre. Launched on the 22 June 1944 and commissioned on 11 September 1945.
She first joined the Home Fleet upon her commissioning. After duties in the Far East, Finisterre returned to the UK via the Mediterranean. In January 1950, she took part in the rescue attempt of the submarine HMS Truculent, which had sunk after colliding with a Swedish merchant ship Divina in the Thames Estuary. The collision had resulted in the loss of 64 of those on board. The following year Finisterre became the Gunnery Training Ship, based at Whale Island, Portsmouth as part of HMS Excellent.
In 1953, Finisterre took part in the 1953 Coronation Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
The following year Finisterre was placed in Reserve. After her sister-ship HMS Hogue collided with an Indian cruiser in 1959, Finisterre replaced her in the 1st Destroyer Squadron, based in the Far East. She was one of a number of Royal Navy ships stationed off Kuwait to keep the peace as the country gained its independence in 1961.
In 1965 she was sold for scrap.

USS Aludra (AF-55)
The USS Aludra (AF-55) was an Alstede-class stores ship acquired by the U.S. Navy and tasked to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet, and to remote stations and staging areas.
Originally ordered as refrigerated cargo ship “SS Matchless” she was launched on 14 October 1944 and delivered to the United States Lines under a bare boat charter on 23 March 1945.
She operated in the Pacific Ocean during the final months of the war and during the first four years following Japan’s capitulation and then laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet berthing area at Bay Minette, Alabama.
She was reactivated in November 1950, as the result of an expansion of the Fleet to meet its greatly increased responsibilities because of the United Nations decision to oppose communist aggression in Korea. Renamed Aludra on 16 January 1951, she was assigned to Service Squadron 3, Service Force, Pacific Fleet and took up the tasks of supporting Task Force (TF) 77 in strikes along the east coast of Korea and TF 72 in patrols in the East China Sea and off Formosa.
Ending her first deployment to the western Pacific, she returned to San Francisco, California, on 4 May 1953. Thereafter, for more than 16 years, she alternated operations on the west coast of the United States with tours in the Far East resupplying ships serving in the Orient. Among the highlights of her service was her participation in Operation Passage to Freedom, the evacuation of thousands of Vietnamese refugees from communist-controlled areas of Vietnam after that country had been partitioned in 1954.
The ship again visited Vietnamese waters in March 1965 and, for a bit over three and one-half years thereafter, devoted most of her efforts to supporting American warships fighting aggression there. She left that war-torn country for the last time on 19 April 1969 and headed—via Sasebo, Japan—for home.
Aludra was decommissioned on 12 September 1969 and withdrawn from the reserve fleet on 19 January 1977 for stripping by the Navy prior to sale. She was purchased from MARAD by Sea World Processors Inc., for non-transportation use, 16 November 1977 and delivered, 16 February 1978. In 1981 she was burned and scuttled.

USS Valcour (AVP-55)
USS Valcour (AVP-55), later AGF-1, was commissioned on 5 July 1946 as a seaplane tender from 1946 to 1965 and as a flagship from 1965 to 1973. She was the last of the 35 Barnegat-class ships to commission.
Valcour was designated as flagship for the Commander, Middle Eastern Force (ComMidEastFor) and served in the Middle East from 5 September 1950 to 15 March 1951.
On the morning of 14 May 1951, two months after she returned to Norfolk from her second Middle East tour, Valcour suffered a steering casualty and power failure and collided with another vessel. An intense fire broke out aboard Valcour causing the commanding officer, Captain Eugene Tatom, to order abandon ship. Eleven men died, 16 more were injured and another 25 were listed as “missing”, later to be confirmed as dead.
After an extensive overhaul and improvements, and from 1952–1965 she rotated yearly between the United States and the Middle East.
In January 1972 Valcour was for inactivationand was decommissioned on 15 January 1973. On 1 May 1977, the U.S. Navy sold Valcour for scrapping.

Kh-55 (missile family)
The Kh-55 is a Soviet/Russian air-launched cruise missile, designed by MKB Raduga. It has a range of up to 3,000 km (1,620 nmi) and can carry conventional or nuclear warheads. Kh-55 is launched exclusively from bomber aircraft and has spawned a number of conventionally armed variants mainly for tactical use, such as the Kh-65SE and Kh-SD, but only the Kh-101 and Kh-555 appear to have made it into service. Contrary to popular belief, the Kh-55 was not the basis of the submarine- and ground-launched RK-55 Granat (SS-N-21 ‘Sampson’ and SSC-X-4 ‘Slingshot’).
A Kh-55 production unit was delivered to Shanghai in 1995 and appears to have been used to produce a similar weapon for China.

RK-55 Granat
The Novator RK-55 Granat was a Soviet land-based cruise missile with a nuclear warhead.
It was about to enter service in 1987 when such weapons were banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
A version launched from submarine torpedo tubes, the S-10 Granat (SS-N-21 ‘Sampson’;GRAU:3M10), has apparently been converted to carry conventional warheads and continues in service to this day.
The RK-55 is very similar to the air-launched Kh-55 (AS-15 ‘Kent’) but the Kh-55 has a drop-down turbofan engine[3] and was designed by MKB Raduga. Both have formed the basis of post-Cold-War missiles, in particular the 3M-54 Klub (SS-N-27 ‘Sizzler’) which has a supersonic approach phase.

55th Fighter Squadron
The 55th Fighter Squadron was originally organized as the 55th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas. By November 1917 the squadron was deployed to Issoudun, France. It was demobilized on 6 March 1919, following the end of WWI, but was reactivated in November 1930, at Mather Field, California.
At the beginning of World War II, the 55^th continued to train aviators for squadrons in Europe and the Pacific. In May 1942, it was redesignated a fighter squadron and operated from several locations in the United States.
The 55th was deployed in Europe in August 1943, operating from RAF Wittering, England, and flew 175 combat missions. With the rest of the 20th Fighter Group, the 55th flew daily strafing, long-range-patrol and bomber-escort missions. In June, they provided air cover during the massive allied invasion of Normandy.
The 55th also performed escort and fighter-bomber missions supporting the Allied advance through Central Europe and the Rhineland. In December 1945, they took part in the Battle of the Bulge, escorting bombers to the battle area.
The 55th was demobilized on 18 October 1945, after the end of WWII, but was reactivated on 29 July 1946, at Biggs Field, Texas.
The 55th entered the jet age in February 1948, with the F-84G Thunderjet. In January 1950, and was redesignated the 55th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. The squadron returned to England at RAF Wethersfield in June 1952, where it was redesignated the 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron and then moved to RAF Upper Heyford in June 1970. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the 55th participated in countless North Atlantic Treaty Organization and U.S. exercises and operations, which directly contributed to containment of Soviet threats to Europe.
In January 1991, elements of the 55th deployed to Turkey during Operation Desert Storm. They flew more than 144 sorties, amassing 415 combat hours without a loss. These missions neutralized key facilities throughout northern Iraq and helped to liberate Kuwait and stabilize the region. The squadron was inactivated in December 1993.
It was transferred and reactivated on 1 January 1994, to its present home, Shaw Air Force Base, flying the A-10 Thunderbolt II. In July 1996, the squadron transferred its aircraft to Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, and stood down.
In July 1997, the 55th made history when it stood up as a combat-ready F-16CJ squadron in only 60 days. It has since made numerous deployments to Southwest Asia, continuing to contain the Iraqi threat. In the meantime, the squadron has earned awards and recognition, including the David C. Schilling Award in 1999 and 2000, as well as the Air Force Association Citation of Honor.
In the summer of 2000, the 55th deployed to Southwest Asia for Operation Northern Watch. It followed that deployment with Operation Southern Watch in the fall of 2001, and in the winter of 2002, deployed again in support of Operation Northern Watch. Most recently the 55th deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in late 2008.

Lockheed Martin X-55
The Lockheed Martin X-55 Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft (ACCA) is an experimental twin jet engined transport aircraft intended to demonstrate new cargo-carrier capabilities using advanced composites. It is a project of the United States Air Force’s Air Force Research Laboratory, and was built by the international aerospace company Lockheed Martin, at its Advanced Development Programs (Skunk Works) facility in Palmdale, California.

The T-55 tank
The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of medium tanks that were designed in the Soviet Union. The first T-54 prototype appeared in March 1945, just as the Second World War ended. The T-54 entered full production in 1947 and became the main tank for armored units of the Soviet Army, armies of the Warsaw Pact countries, and others. T-54s and T-55s were involved in many of the world’s armed conflicts during the late 20th and early 21st century.
The T-54/55 series eventually became the most-produced tank in history. Estimated production numbers for the series range from 86,000 to 100,000. They were replaced by the T-62, T-64, T-72, T-80, and T-90 in the Soviet and Russian Armies, but remain in use by up to 50 other armies worldwide, some having received sophisticated retrofitting.
Soviet tanks never directly faced their NATO Cold War adversaries in Europe. However, the T-54/55’s first appearance in the West in 1960 spurred the United States to develop the M60 Patton.

K55 SPG Self-Propelled Gun
Since 1985 when it entered service, and until recently, when it has been replaced by the more miodern K9 Thunder platform, the South Korean Army relied on the K55.
It was a localized development of the US military’s M109A2 Paladin SPG family, license-produced by Samsung Techwin / Samsung Aerospace Industries (SSA).
Over 1,100 (1,180) of the type were procured by the South Korean government, supplying the Army with a long range, heavy hitter capable of lobbing conventional, chemical and nuclear shells at any potential enemies – namely North Korea.
The 25-ton K55 borrowed much from the American M109 including its conventional design consisting of an armored tracked chassis and boxy turret superstructure. The vehicle is crewed by six personnel and primary armament is a 155mm main gun of 30 caliber length. Defense is through 1 x 12.7mm K6 heavy machine gun. Power is served through a Detroit Diesel 8V-71T turbocharged, diesel-fueled engine of 450 horsepower. Maximum road speed across ideal surfaces is 56 kmh. The main gun can supply a rate-of-fire of 4 shots per minute while targeting is through manual means. A full ammunition load aboard the K55 is 36 projectiles.
The K55 entered a modernization program in 1994, producing the K55A1 designation.
The newer 47-ton K9 Thunder formally entered service in 1999 and is crewed by five personnel, carried 48 projectiles and features a rate-of-fire of 6 shots per minute with manual or automatic targeting. Additionally, the powerplant provides road speeds of up to 66 kph.

Other stuff

55 is the code for international direct dial phone calls to Brazil
55 gallon is a standard size for a drum container
Gazeta 55, an Albanian newspaper
An Emerald wedding anniversary celebrates 55 years.
Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday Mr. President” dress was assigned Lot #55 at the Christie’s Auction on October 27, 1999. It sold for a record price for a dress— $1,267,500.

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