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Who Knew Wednesday

Bananas and Garlic?

Yea, it’s a weird combination, but they are both being celebrated today!

National Banana Day is a yearly event that is aimed at celebrating bananas in every conceivable sense of the word–because the banana is certainly a fruit worth celebrating!

While bananas are believed to have originated in Southeast Asia, mainly in India, they made their way west by Arab conquerors in 327 BC, and eventually bananas ended up in Europe. By the 1870s, bananas made their way to the Caribbean with missionaries.

Read more here!

National Garlic Day celebrates the history of garlic, in addition to its glorious taste and its incredible health benefits. National Garlic Day helps experts and average people alike to explore the history of this bulb, learning how it came to be one of the most popular flavors in the world.

Wild garlic has been traced back to Central Asia more than 5000 years ago.

Read more here from DaysOfTheYear.com

and by the way…YES, there are banana/garlic recipes! Here’s one from Food Network.

  • I was born on April 19, 1721, in Newton, Massachusetts
  • I was the only person to sign all four of the major documents that established the United States: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution.
  • In addition to my political career, I was also a successful lawyer, serving as a judge in Connecticut’s Superior Court and as a professor of law at Yale University.
  • I was instrumental in the creation of the Great Compromise, which resolved the issue of representation in the United States Congress by combining elements of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan.
  • I died on July 23, 1793, at the age of 72, in New Haven, Connecticut where a monument is named after me.

… I am Roger Sherman

Congratulations to Rodney from Gambier, who wins the We The Kingdom CD!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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What’s Up with MTVarts?

Today we shared the scoop on what’s going on with the MTVarts Summer Musical, now that the Knox Memorial will be closed for HVAC renovations.

Marcy talked with Janis Stone (Business Manager) and Bruce Jacklin (Artistic Director) about the changes, which include postponing ‘The Little Mermaid’ until 2024, and bringing ‘Sister Act’ to the Woodward Opera House in July. They also touch on the upcoming Classics Series, ‘Our Town,’ and the Arts IQ plans for ‘Matilda, Jr.’ this fall.

Listen to the conversations here on our WNZR Soundcloud page!

Janis: https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/sets/janis-stone-updates-whats-happening-with-mtvarts

Bruce: https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/sets/bruce-jacklin-mtvarts-2023-update

Also, listen for more about this weekend’s MVNU production of “Cinderella’ at the Knox Memorial by clicking here.
https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/sets/mvnu-presents-cinderella-this-weekend-at-the-knox-memorial-theater

  1. I was born on April 12th, 1947, in Indianapolis, Indiana
  2. I attended Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where I studied radio and television broadcasting.
  3. My father was a florist, and my mother was a church secretary.
  4. I was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995.
  5. I am an avid car collector who has a collection of more than 100 vehicles.
  6. I was a frequent guest on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” before becoming a host myself.
  7. I am 76 years old and live in Connecticut.

I am…David Letterman!

Congratulations to Kelly from Mount Vernon, who wins the CD as a gift from her friend, Paul.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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CAR-mel or CAIR-uh-mel?

No matter how you say it, celebrate it today! It’s National Caramel Day. This sweet confection and ice cream topping dates back to the crystallization of sugar by Arabs several centuries ago.

Some say that the history of caramel goes back more than a thousand years back to the year 1000 A.D. when the sweet treat was discovered. The name at the time was rather literal, calling it the “kurat al milh”, which means “sweet ball of salt”.

This original version would have been the crunchy type of caramel that was made by crystallizing sugar in boiling water, which is something more like what is known as crunchy toffee today.

Caramel and other treats were enjoyed in the mid-1600s in the Americas, where people were known to have been making hard candies in kettles. Later, caramel developed into a candy that was made not only with sugar, but also included cream or milk, making it a much softer and chewy treat.

By 1886, Lancaster Caramel Company was started by none other than Milton S. Hershey, who would eventually go on to start the Hershey Company, which is one of the most famous American chocolate and candy companies today.

Read more here from the awesome website, DaysOfTheYear.com https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/caramel-day/

and we can’t forget about Deep Dish Pizza Day! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/deep-dish-pizza-day/

Today’s winner? Rhonda from Fredericktown – congratulations!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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Water, frozen water and CAIN!

Today’s Who Knews:

  • today is the United Nations’ designated World Water Day, meant to bring awareness that water is such a precious commodity that many take for granted. World Water Day is a chance to think about those people and places where water needs are still paramount, and seek to work together to find a solution.
  • It is an extremely sad but true fact: across the world there are 783 million people who still do not have access to clean water. While over 2.5 million people from across the globe still lack access to adequate sanitation facilities. This concerning lack of accessible options for meeting these two basic human needs is a tragedy that people from across the globe are looking to reduce and manage, bringing clean water and better sanitation facilities to underprivileged communities across the world.
  • today is also the anniversary of the first Stanley Cup tournament championship, long before the NHL’s current format. The Hockey Hall of Fame says the Stanley Cup, notably the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in North America, was donated in 1892 by Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston and son of the Earl of Derby. He purchased the trophy for 10 Guineas ($50.00 at that time) to be presented to “the championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada.”
  • The first team ever awarded the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association on March 22, 1893.
  • Since 1910, when the National Hockey Association took possession of the Stanley Cup, the trophy has been symbolic of professional hockey supremacy. Beginning in 1926, only NHL teams have competed for this prized trophy!

We also shared Allison’s conversation with Madison Cain Johnson from the band CAIN – they are headlining the LIVE AND IN COLOR tour this Sunday in Mansfield. Click here to go to our Soundcloud page and listen.

Today’s winner: Kristi from Mount Vernon – congratulations!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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Books, presidents and…records?

Today’s Who Knews…

Madcap Living History presents ‘An Evening with the Presidents: The War Years,’ this Saturday at noon and 5:30pm at the Knox Memorial Ballroom. We gave away tickets today thanks to our friend Jim Stoner. Learn more here!

Congratulations to Troy and Deanna, our winners!

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Hipsters, you’ve done it. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, vinyl records outsold CDs in 2022 – the first time since 1987. Streaming still accounts for 84% of music revenue, but physical formats have increased lately.

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Room-temperature soup? Bad. Room-temperature superconductors? Good! This week, researchers said they’d made a breakthrough toward creating superconductors that don’t need extremely cold temperatures to run. Though it’s still a long way off, practical applications could include cool stuff for phones, energy, and transportation.

Today’s book winner: Tim from Mount Vernon. Congrats!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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Celebrating women!

Who Knew?

Today is International Women’s Day! Guys, this is our time to say THANK YOU to all the amazing women in our lives, including, of course, our mothers!

Women’s Day is all about celebrating these incredible people and showing them how much we love, respect and value them.

This holiday is perhaps especially important in parts of the world where women are still forced to deal with shocking inequality on a daily basis and is meant to raise awareness of the challenges and struggles faced by these women. 

—

Who Knew?

Today is the anniversary (March 8, 1962) of the first song by The Beatles to make it to the radio! The song, “Dream Baby” was broadcast on the BBC show, Teenager’s Turn.

Question #1: How many children and grandchildren did Dr. Seuss have?
Answer #1: None
Winner: Congratulations to Jana from Fredericktown! She wins tickets to Saturday night’s 7:30 show.

Question #2: What is Dr. Seuss’s real name?
Answer #2: Theodor Geisel
Winner: Christy from Fredericktown! She wins tickets to Sunday’s 2:00 matinee.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

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March 1 brings…crunchy or creamy?

Today is National Peanut Butter Lovers Day!

From daysoftheyear.com, a brief timeline

1884

Marcellus Gilmore Edson patents peanut butter: Peanut “paste” is patented by a Canadian inventor, Marcelllus Gilmore Edson.

1904

Peanut Butter is introduced at the World’s Fair: A St. Louis business man starts selling peanut butter as a snack food, and he introduces it at the St. Louis World’s Fair.

1941

National Peanut Week gets started: Started by the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, National Peanut Week has its first celebration in early March.

1990

First National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day: In celebration of the anniversary of the commercial availability of peanut butter in the US, National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day is founded.

As it turns out, there may just be a great geographical divide in the United States among peanut butter lovers! It seems that those people who live in the West Coast of the US tend to prefer crunchy peanut butter while those living toward the East Coast would typically prefer creamy peanut butter.

  1. I was born on March 1, 1904, in Clarinda, Iowa.
  2. I began my musical career in the 1920s as a trombone player in various bands. I eventually formed my own band in 1937.
  3. I was known for my unique style of arranging and conducting and for my use of clarinets.
  4. During World War II, I served as a captain in the United States Army Air Forces, leading the Army Air Force Band,
  5. On December 15, 1944, I boarded a plane from England to France to perform for troops there. The plane disappeared over the English Channel and was never found. I was declared dead in absentia a year later.
  6. Some of my most famous songs include “Moonlight Serenade,” “In the Mood,” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo.”
  7. I was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 .

I am…Glenn Miller! Congratulations to David from Fredericktown, who wins the Chris Tomlin CD, “Always.”

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

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Ashes, aged bibles, and Cougar hoops!

Today is Ash Wednesday – launching a time of prayer, reflection and repentance, marking the first day of lent. The ash normally comes from the palm branches of the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the printing of Gutenberg’s Bible in 1455 – there are only 48 known surviving copies…12 of them are printed on animal skins. Three of them reside at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City.

MVNU men’s basketball opens the postseason tonight against Huntington in the Crossroads League Quarterfinals. Jonathon and Dylan will be on the call. You can hear student assistant coach Ryan Wolfe at halftime for Cougar Conversations. Pregame tonight at 6:45!

  1. I was born  February 22, 1934, in Bridgewater, South Dakota.
  2. I was a player in the Brooklyn Dodgers organization, but never made it to the Major Leagues.
  3. I began my managerial career in the minor leagues in 1964
  4. I managed the Cincinnati Reds for 9 seasons, leading them to back-to-back World Series victories in 1975 and 1976.
  5. In 1984, I became the manager of the Detroit Tigers, and led them to a World Series victory that first season
  6. I retired in 1995 with 2,194 wins
  7. I was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000
  8. I passed away on November 4, 2010, at the age of 76.

I am George “Sparky” Anderson. Congratulations to Jerry from Fredericktown, who guessed correctly and wins a copy of the Action Bible – Easter Edition!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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Fun facts for this week…

Today’s Who Knews:

  • today in 1908, President Teddy Roosevelt declared the Grand Canyon as a national monument
  • the Grand Canyon National Park covers 1,217,403 acres
  • tomorrow (Thu 1/12) is National Hot Tea Day
  • it takes around 2,000 tiny leaves to make one pound of finished tea
  • this week is also the anniversary of Thomas Paine’s pro-independence pamphlet, ‘Common Sense.’ It was published six months before the Declaration of Independence was signed
  • I was born January 11, 1963 in Winona, Minnesota
  • I started training to swim when I was 9 years old
  • I competed for the first time at nationals in 1976
  • I would have swam in five events in the 1980 Olympics, but the US boycotted the Games
  • I enrolled at the University of Florida and kept training
  • I captained the US Women’s Swim Team in the 1984 Olympics and won 3 gold medals
  • When I retired, I held five world records and 63 American records
  • I married Mark Stockwell, an Australian swimmer who also attended Florida
  • I now hold dual citizenship in the US and Australia

I am…Tracy Caulkins

Congratulations to Dawn from Fredericktown, who wins the CeCe Winans CD, ‘Believe for It.’

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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