Do you qualify as an “early achiever?” Pope John XII was elected pope on December 16 in the year 955. He was 18 years old. Unfortunately, PJ-12 was murdered December 4, 963.
According to experts who tally vital information, about 50 million kangaroos and 25 million people reside in Australia. Four distinct species of Macropodidae are extant today. I am told Macropodidae means “Large Foot,” which should not be confused with “Big Foot.” My Latin name in high school was “Magna Os.” I think that means “Big Brain.” Maybe.
On a much more serious note – a national consumer safety study has revealed that between the years 2000 and 2017, two hundred six people in the U.S.A. were fatally injured by furniture in tip-over accidents. Nearly all the victims were elderly or children. Tragic. Do be careful.
In 1943, a chef named Ignacio Anaya made a spicy, cheesy snack that is today widely recognized as the first nacho in the world. Nachos are a big deal in my home state (Texas). I have eaten a “few” (ha ha). Ignacio’s nickname was “Nacho” even before he or the food gained fame.
On September 13, 1987, Pope John Paul II celebrated mass with more than 350,000 people in San Antonio, Texas. At that time, the crowd was the largest single event audience ever in Texas.
Talk about a successful idea/promotion: Boxer George Foreman has made more than $138 million from the sales of his famous George Foreman Grill. He has grossed another $11 million for appearing in Grill commercials. Those sums would seem to make merchandising more attractive than getting hit in the head by professional fighters.
The border between Oklahoma and Texas is 715 miles long. It is the longest border shared by any two states in the USA. For the shortest borders between two states that abut (clean word), we offer the states of Utah and New Mexico which are tied with Colorado and Arizona. If the reader takes a gander at a USA map, he/she can observe that the borders in question are both the same “length” — measuring just over zero miles.
A 2018 study involving 68,000 college football plays was conducted to determine whether new rules relating to tackling techniques and “targeting” effectively reduced the rate of concussions. Analyses revealed that in 2017, concussions occurred at the rate of 11 per 1,000 plays. After the rule changes (effective for the 2018 season), it was reported that the concussion rate was 2 per 1,000 plays.
Should you chow down on some yummy nachos today, you might give Mr. Anaya a quick “gracias.” Have a great day.
James White is a retired mathematics teacher who enjoys sharing fascinating trivia. He can be reached at [email protected].
