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Trivia Thread!

A few fun facts about my stare, Pennsylvania
  • There is only one town in Pennsylvania: Bloomsburg. Everywhere else is either a city, borough, or township.
  • Hugh J. Ward invented Bingo in Pittsburgh in the early 1920s. He originally called the game Beano and used beans as markers.
  • The Warner Brothers got their start leasing the Cascade Theater in New Castle from 1906-1907. They borrowed chairs from the nearby funeral home but had to return them (and thus were not able to show films) when someone died.
  • Crayola Crayons makes all of its products in Pennsylvania. They produce nearly three billion crayons each year, enough to encircle the globe six times.
  • The world’s first commercial radio station, KDKA, began broadcasting in Pittsburgh on November 2, 1920. The first programming was announcing the presidential election results.
 
A few fun facts about my stare, Pennsylvania
  • The world’s first commercial radio station, KDKA, began broadcasting in Pittsburgh on November 2, 1920. The first programming was announcing the presidential election results.
With Warren G. Harding being elected. Which confirms the tired old journalistic adage "no news is good news". 😏
 
 
What exactly is the difference?
I think it lies more in tradition and legal terminology than in practical governance differences. Bloomsburg’s status as a “town” is more of an honorary or historical distinction, as the responsibilities and powers of a town, borough, or city in Pennsylvania are generally determined by state law and are quite similar across these types of municipalities.
 
To those of you who live in the UK, my state is bigger than your whole country! 😂
To those of you who live in Michigan, my empire is slightly larger than your state.

The British Empire was the largest empire in history, with an estimated area of 35.5 million km2 (13.7 million sq mi), around 141 times larger than Michigan.

Dashed impressive for such a puny little island.
 
 
Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. that is divided into parishes and not counties. Starting under French and Spanish rule, Catholicism in Louisiana is the closest thing to a state religion that you'll find here. Mardi Gras Day and All Saints Day are actual state holidays.
 
Speaking of Louisiana…

In Louisiana (and maybe other places) they have festivals named Cochon de lait.

When I was a 1st grader (approximately 1972), we moved from St. Louis to New Orleans. I remember they had a Cochon de lait festival right across the street from our house on the grounds of my school, St. Edward the Confessor (Catholics always did not how to party.) I don’t remember the taste of the food, but the image of the giant slabs of meat roasting over the open fires is seared in my memory.


What is cochon de lait?
One of Acadiana’s most famous and delectable dishes is also its most impressive. To make cochon de lait, which literally translates to “suckling pig,” a whole marinated young pig is pit-roasted, sliced thin and then served with gravy on a plate or po'boy. Not only is the resulting taste out of this world, but the aroma of the pig cooking is down-right intoxicating. The roasting process itself is often a huge communal affair, with folks gathering to prepare the pig, then socialize and celebrate as it cooks.

If you’re a vegan, don’t watch this video:

 
Peanut butter has been a favored food item in space missions since the early days of NASA. Its first recorded space journey was aboard Gemini and Apollo missions in the 1960s. The reason for its popularity among astronauts is its familiar, comforting taste, and its non-perishable nature, making it ideal for long missions.

Notably, peanut butter was part of astronaut meals on the International Space Station, demonstrating its versatility and appeal even in zero-gravity environments.
 
 
Not to put too fine of a point on it, but being a chocolate lover, how could you not mention Hershey's chocolate??!!!
 

The Dog Who Played Toto Earned $125 per Week​

Considering how traumatic it probably was to be threatened by the the Wicked Witch of the West (the incomparable Margaret Hamilton) the dog deserved at least $125 per week if not more. 😬


 
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The Dog Who Played Toto Earned $125 per Week​

Considering how traumatic it probably was to be threatened by the the Wicked Witch of the West (the incomparable Margaret Hamilton) the dog deserved at least $125 per week if not more. 😬


The actress playing the Witch, Margaret Hamilton, perhaps deserved more money for getting badly burned during filming 😦

From IMDb.com:
 
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