Trivium
The first day of a new century can never fall on a Sunday, a Wednesday, or a Friday.
It's a quirk of the Gregorian calendar.
Terse
Maine is the only state with a one-syllable name.
Good Enough
The 1933 a thoroughbred stallion named Brokers Tip won the Kentucky Derby.
It was the only win of his career.
Colossus
New York's Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is the largest suspension bridge in the United States.
Its towers are 1-5/8 inches farther apart at their tops than at their bases — to accommodate the curvature of the earth.
Undefined
The U.S. dime does not state its value. It's labeled simply "one dime."
Too Much Talent
John Cazale is not a household name, but he should be. When the actor died at age 42, he'd made only five films, but every one was nominated for best picture:
- The Godfather
- The Conversation
- The Godfather: Part II
- Dog Day Afternoon
- The Deer Hunter
That alone would have made him unique in Hollywood history, but he added a hat trick. In 1990, 12 years after his death, Francis Ford Coppola used archive footage to include Cazale in The Godfather Part III (as Fredo Corleone).
That too was nominated for best picture.
Four-Watt Methuselah
The world's longest-lived light bulb is in a fire station in Livermore, Calif.
It's been burning continuously since 1901.
Broken Keys
You can type the numbers ONE through NINETY-NINE without using the letters A, B, C, or D.
Straight Flush
The chance of being dealt a complete suit in bridge is 1 in 158,753,389,900.
The chance that all four players will be dealt a complete suit is 1 in 2,235,197,406,895,366,368,301,560,000.
Switzerland, Schmitzerland
Sweden holds the modern record for continuous peace.
It has not engaged in war since 1814.
