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Who Knew Wednesday

Sleuths, Scavengers, structures, singers and siblings?

Yea. We’ve got it all today!

Who Knew that today was National Scavenger Hunt Day?

Developed from a tradition of folk games throughout ancient history, the scavenger hunt has been around in its modern form in the US for around a century. The game was made popular in the 1930s by New York gossip columnist and radio personality, Elsa Maxwell. Around that time, the concept of the game was even featured in the 1936 film, My Man Godfrey.

Elsa Maxwell (photo credit: iMDB)

By the ‘70s and ‘80s, college and university campuses had made the scavenger hunt their own. The University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt (called Scav Hunt or “Scav”) was founded in 1987 and continues to be held annually over four days in the month of May.

National Scavenger Hunt Day is celebrated on May 24 in honor of the 1883 birth date of Elsa Maxwell, the party hostess and promoter of the game who brought it into modern times in the 1930s.

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This week is also the birthdate of the mastermind behind fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born May 22, 1859. He wrote his first Holmes story in 1887 (he was 28 years old).

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This week is also the birthdate of America’s largest marble structure, the New York Public Library. It took 14 years and $9 million to build. The dedication was May 23, 1911, with the opening today – estimates say 40,000 people came through the library its first day!

The library’s exterior (photo credit: NYPL)
  1. I was born on May 24, 1819, in London, England.
  2. I was the only daughter of Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.
  3. I became queen in 1837, at the age of 18 when her uncle, King William IV, died.
  4. I reigned for 63 years.
  5. In 1840, I married my first cousin, Prince Albert. We had nine children together, who married into various royal families across Europe.
  6. That earned me the nickname, “the grandmother of Europe.”
  7. My reign witnessed significant social and industrial changes in Britain. I died in 1901.

I am...Queen Victoria – congratulations to Wendi from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the Matt Maher CD, ‘Alive and Breathing.’

Thank you to Mallory Thomas, Lilly Buckley, Aubrey Bailey, Abby Ralston and Dr. Bob Tocheff from calling in all the way from Croatia. We’ll be praying for traveling mercies as Collegians spreads the Gospel through music!

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and say hey to your brother (s) today – it’s Brother’s Day, according to its creator, Daniel Rhoades of Hoover, Alabama. Read more here and enjoy seeing these brothers we get the chance to play here at WNZR…

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Zoe

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Our Town and National Radio Day!

Today on the show we talked about how today is National Radio Day and we also talked with cast members from Our Town which is being performed by MTV Arts.

Here is the link that explains what National Radio Day is all about.

Here is the link to our Soundcloud page where you can find all of our interviews that we did with cast members from the show Our Town.

We gave away two sets of tickets to the performance Our Town presented by MTV Arts. Congratulations to Doug of Mount Vernon and Kristi of Mount Vernon who won two pairs of tickets to the performance!

Join us tomorrow for one more chance to win a pair of tickets to the performance!

Thanks for listening!

-Dylan

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Mount Vernon Presents!

Today for Who Knew Wednesday, we shared Marcy’s recent conversation with Martin Booker, Executive Director of the Mount Vernon Arts Consortium, about this year’s MVAC schedule and the Mount Vernon Presents initiative.

Listen to the conversation here at our WNZR Soundcloud!

  1. I was born on April 26, 1933, in San Antonio, Texas.
  2. I am an actress, comedian, and singer.
  3. I had a long-running CBS-TV show which aired from 1967-1978.
  4. On my show, I won numerous awards, including 25 Emmy Awards.
  5. I was in numerous films including “Annie” and “Noises Off”.
  6. I am still living and am 90 years old.

I am…Carol Burnett! Congratulations to Dawn from Fredericktown, who guessed correctly and wins the Anne Wilson CD, My Jesus.

We also got a special visit from Offenburg, Germany native Jessy Hetzel, a friend of students Lucy Prosek and Ricky Geyer, who is visiting Ohio this week! We got to talk a bit about her travels and future plans.

Dylan, Ricky, Jesse and Lucy in the studio today

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. 

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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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