Driving Notes

It’s Who Knew Wednesday on the afternoon drive! Who knew that it was National Dog Day, National Toilet Paper Day, and National Spark of the World Day?

WHO KNEW FACT CHECK: Modern commercial toilet paper began appearing in the 1800s. 

NATIONAL DOG DAY: A dog’s nose print is unique—kind of like a human fingerprint.  

NATIONAL TOILET PAPER DAY: Toilet paper rolls can be installed over or under, but the original 1891 patent illustration showed the paper going over the top.

NATIONAL SPARK OF THE WORLD DAY: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16

1. I was born on 26 August 1910 in Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in the Ottoman Empire
2. I became interested in missionaries early in my life, so much so that I devoted my life to mission at age 12
3. I left my home at age 18 to move to Ireland and joined the “sisters of Loreto, there I learned English
4. In 1946, I felt ordered by God to go and serve the poor while living among them in India; there I continued my Ministry until my health gave out in 1991
5. I passed away in 1997, and I was given the title of Catholic Saint in 2016

I am Mother Teresa! Congratulations to Barb from Fredericktown, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Daniel

Today on the Afternoon Drive, we talked about Oysters, Couscous, and Traffic lights; here’s what we talked about…

WHO KNEW FACT CHECK: Even though it looks like one, couscous is actually tiny pellets of rolled semolina wheat.

NATIONAL OYSTER DAY: A single adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day, removing algae and tiny particles as it feeds.

NATIONAL COUSCOUS DAY: Traditional couscous can be ready in about 5 minutes, making it one of the quickest side dishes you can prepare.

INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC LIGHT DAY: The first electric traffic light debuted in the U.S. It was installed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1914 and used only red and green lights with a buzzer to warn drivers when the signal changed.

WHO AM I?

1. I was born in rural Washington Township, in Auglaize County, Ohio, on August 5, 1930.
2. I earned a student flight certificate on my 16th birthday, and flew solo within August, all before I had a driver’s license.
3. I was called up for the Korean War to serve in the Naval Air Station, where I flew in 78 missions.
4. After my time in the Navy and college, I became an experimental Research Test pilot.
5. I joined NASA and was involved in four space missions: Gemini 5, 8, and 11 Missions; and the Apollo 11 Mission.

I am Neil Armstrong! Congratulations to Terasa from Howard, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Daniel & Joe

It’s a day to celebrate Hot Dogs and Gummy Worms!

A few fun facts from DaysoftheYear.com:

Each year, Americans eat about 20 billion hot dogs—that’s roughly 70 hot dogs per person! 

Baseball fans consume around 20 million hot dogs every season, making them the ultimate stadium snack. 

The term “hot dog” dates back to the early 1900s and may have been inspired by jokes about dachshund-shaped sausages. 

A true Chicago-style hot dog is famously served with NO ketchup—only mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, pickles, peppers, and celery salt. 

Los Angeles eats more hot dogs than any other U.S. city—from 27-30 million pounds per year! (source: National Hot Dog and Sausage Council) Per capita, though, it’s Greensboro, North Carolina!

Gummi worms were inspired by gummi bears and first created in the early 1980s by the German candy company Haribo. 

The “worm” idea was meant to be funny—not gross. 
In Europe, making candy shaped like creepy-crawlies was meant to be playful and a little silly… and it totally worked! 
 
Most gummi worms combine two different flavors and colors in a single piece—so every bite is a mix. 

The tangy, sugar-coated version didn’t show up until later, adding that sweet-and-sour combo people love today. 

Traditional gummi worms get their chewy texture from gelatin, along with sugar, flavoring, and coloring—giving them that signature bounce.

I was born on July 15, 1936, in Cleveland, Ohio.  

I served as mayor of Cleveland for nearly a decade, helping lead the city out of financial crisis.  

I was elected the 65th governor of Ohio and served from 1991 to 1998 during a time of strong economic growth.  

During my time as governor, Ohio created more than 500,000 jobs and unemployment dropped to a 25-year low.  

I later represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate, continuing my commitment to public service at the national level. 

Congratulations to April from Mt. Gilead, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

For this Who Knew Wednesday, we talked about National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day, National Chicken Wing Day, and some American Independence Fun Facts! Here is what we talked about…

WHO KNEW FACT CHECK – The history of ice cream begins in ancient Persia around 550 BC; Persian engineering techniques for storing and using ice laid the foundation for cold desserts.

National Chicken Wing Day – Americans consume ~1.25 billion chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday alone!

National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day – The average American eats roughly 20 pounds of ice cream each year, or about 4 gallons. 

https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/art/travelling-exhibits/the-american-navy-in-the-revolutionary-war/john-paul-jones.html

American History Fun Fact – John Paul Jones: the “Father of the American Navy” sunk over a dozen ships during the Revolutionary War.

WHO AM I?

1. I was born into British nobility on July 1, 1961, in London. 
2. I married Charles III in 1981 in a globally watched royal wedding.  
3. I was known as the “People’s Princess” for my compassion and connection with the public.  
4. I used my platform to raise awareness about issues like children’s health and landmine victims.  
5. My life was tragically cut short in a car accident in Paris in 1997, deeply impacting people around the world. 

I am Princess Diana Spencer! Congratulations to Kevin from Bladensburg, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Daniel and Joe

It’s another mix of fun facts for today’s Who Knew:

SWIM A LAP DAY? You bet! Swimming is frequently recommended as a low-impact form of aerobic activity because the water’s buoyancy reduces stress on joints. That can make it appealing for people managing arthritis, recovering from injuries, or dealing with chronic pain. The resistance of the water still provides muscular work, but without the pounding that comes with many land-based workouts. 

PRALINES DAY – is it a PRAY-leen or a PRAH-leen? Depends on who you ask, I guess. In New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast, where there are many communities settled by the French, the pronunciation is prah-leen, with the long aaah sound, which is closer to that of the candy’s namesake du Plessis-Praslin. Other regions of the country, including parts of Texas, Georgia, and New England pronounce it pray-leen.

What is it? Pralines are popular confections made primarily from nuts and sugar. The traditional American version features pecans, butter, and cream, offering a soft, fudgy texture.   

1. I was born in Redruth, Cornwall, England on June 24, 1947  

2. I took up drums after my parents, bought me a drum when I was thirteen  

3. My first real gig was in August 1967 at the seventh annual Windsor Jazz and Blues Festival.  

4. My band’s biggest hits were “Dreams” in 1977 and “Don’t Stop,” which were top 3 hits from the album Rumours

5. My band is named partly after me and I am the only member of the band to have remained throughout its entire history

I am Mick Fleetwood! From the band Fleetwood Mac. Congratulations to Bob from Howard, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

FINALLY, check out this cute link about June 24th as ‘World Cat Domination Day.’ Yep, it’s a thing!

https://petsitters.org/page/CatWorldDominationDay

Thanks for listening!
– Joe