Today's Trivia and What Happened on September 2

Does a duck's quack echo?

Does a duck's quack echo? Close Large View

Yes, just like any audible noise does. Yet for some reason, many trivia sources claim it doesn't. Nobody knows why…

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Quote: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference. Serenity Prayer - Reinhold Niebuhr

Quote: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference. Serenity Prayer - Reinhold Niebuhr Close Large View

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What Happened On

Representatives of the Empire of Japan on board USS Missouri during surrender ceremonies Representatives of the Empire of Japan on board USS Missouri during surrender ceremonies

Representatives of the Empire of Japan on board USS Missouri during surrender ceremonies Representatives of the Empire of Japan on board USS Missouri during surrender ceremonies
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World War II - Japan Signs Surrender Terms

September 2, 1945

After announcing their surrender two weeks earlier, Japan signs the formal surrender terms aboard the battleship USS Missouri.

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Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick

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Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick

September 2, 1901

Expressing his desire for a strong foreign policy, U.S. Vice President (soon to be President) Theodore Roosevelt makes his famous proclamation, "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick."
Roosevelt would become President two weeks later after the assassination of President McKinley. At age 42, this made Roosevelt the youngest U.S. President.

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Great Fire of London

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Great Fire of London

September 2, 1666

More than 13,000 homes were destroyed along with St. Paul's Cathedral. The fire burned for four days, destroying the homes of 70,000 of the city's 80,000 inhabitants. The fire started in a bakery; however, rumors of foreigners having set the fires caused them to be victims of lynchings and street violence.

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Hurricane Katrina - Heck of a Job Brownie

Hurricane Katrina - Heck of a Job Brownie Close Large View

Hurricane Katrina - Heck of a Job Brownie

September 2, 2005

U.S. President George W. Bush commends FEMA director Michael Brown, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." The previous day the FEMA director stated that he was unaware that people were trapped in the New Orleans Convention Center (Apparently he didn't have access to a TV set).

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Robocop

September 2, 1993

A five-hour standoff between Maryland police and a man who had killed his girlfriend is ended when a 3-foot tall remote-controlled robot enters the armed man's home and disables him with a water blast, allowing the police to enter.

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5½-Year Horseback Ride

September 2, 1993

Two men complete their horseback journey from the southern tip of South America to the Arctic Circle. They had started out in February of 1988.

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Chess

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Chess

September 2, 1992

Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky begin their controversial $5,000,000 chess rematch. Fischer won a month later, 10 games to 5.

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Baltic States

September 2, 1991

The U.S. Recognizes the independence of the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

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World's Shortest Professional Boxing Match

September 2, 1957

Teddy Barker of England TKO's Nigeria's Bob Roberts seven seconds into their welterweight match.

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Vietnam Independence

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Vietnam Independence

September 2, 1945

Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam an independent republic, naming himself as president.

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Civil War

September 2, 1864

General William Tecumseh Sherman (Union) takes Atlanta, after four weeks of fighting.

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U.S. Department of Treasury

September 2, 1789

U.S. Department of Treasury is established.

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Gregorian Calendar Adopted by Great Britain

September 2, 1752

This included the American colonies. The following day became September 14. Also, New Year's Day was moved from March 25th to January 1st.

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Birthdays

Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix

Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix
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Keanu Reeves

Born September 2, 1964

Canadian actor. Film: Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989, Ted), Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993, Jonathan), The Matrix (1993, Neo), and The Devil's Advocate (1997).

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Linda Purl

Born September 2, 1955

American actress. TV: Matlock (Charlene).

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Jimmy Connors

Born September 2, 1952

American tennis player, ranked #1 in world (1974-78). He has won the U.S. Open five times and Wimbledon twice.

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Mark Harmon

Born September 2, 1951

American actor. TV: St. Elsewhere (AIDS victim Dr. Caldwell).

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Terry Bradshaw

Born September 2, 1948

American football quarterback, Hall-of-Famer, two-time Super Bowl MVP (1979-80). He led Pittsburgh to four Super Bowl titles.

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Christa McAuliffe

Born September 2, 1948 d. 1986

American high school teacher. She died in the Challenger disaster. She would have been the first ordinary citizen in space.

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Daniel James White

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Twinkie Murderer

Daniel James White

Born September 2, 1946 d. 1985

American assassin. In 1978, he killed Harvey Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone. At his trial, White claimed diminished capacity due to depression caused by a diet of junk food and sugary drinks. This has become known as the "Twinkie Defense". Even though he avoided metal detectors, which would have detected his gun and 10 rounds of ammunition, by entering the building through a side window and later stated he intended to kill two other people as well, he was only convicted of voluntary manslaughter rather than first-degree murder and sentenced to seven years in prison. He served five years in prison before being paroled, but committed suicide less than two years later.
White had resigned from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, but then applied for reappointment. White was angry because Moscone and Milk had opposed his reappointment.

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Billy Preston

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Billy Preston

Born September 2, 1946 d. 2006

American singer, songwriter. Music: Will It Go Round in Circles (1973) and Nothing from Nothing (1974).

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Hal Ashby

Born September 2, 1929 d. 1988

American Oscar-winning editor, director. Film: In the Heat of the Night (1967, Oscar for Film Editing), Harold and Maude (1971), and Shampoo (1975).

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Cleveland Amory

Born September 2, 1917 d. 1998

American author, animal rights activist, founder of Fund for Animals (1967). Writings: The Cat Who Came for Christmas and The Cat and the Curmudgeon.

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Frederick Soddy

Born September 2, 1877 d. 1956

English chemist, formed the theory of isotopes and won the 1921 Nobel Prize for chemistry.

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Spalding Sports Equipment

Albert Goodwill Spalding

Born September 2, 1850 d. 1915

American Hall of Fame baseball player. As manager of the Chicago club, he won the first National League Pennant (1876). He and his brother founded the sporting goods company bearing their name (1876).

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Lili'uokalani

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Lili'uokalani (Lydia Lili'u Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamaka'eha)

Born September 2, 1838 d. 1917

Hawaiian Queen (1891-93). She was the last Hawaiian monarch. She also wrote the song Aloha Oe (Farewell to Thee).

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Kirkpatrick Macmillan

Born September 2, 1812 d. 1878

Scottish blacksmith. He is credited with inventing the rear-wheel-driven bicycle (1839), although many historians believe Thomas McCall was the inventor.

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Deaths

Bob Denver

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Bob Denver

Died September 2, 2005 b. 1935

American actor. TV: The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959-63, beatnik Maynard G. Krebs) and Gilligan's Island (1964-67, Gilligan).
Trivia: What was Gilligan's first name? Answer…

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Sgt. York

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Sgt. York (Alvin Cullum York)

Died September 2, 1964 b. 1887

American World War I hero. In 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, he killed 25 members of a German machine-gun battalion and captured 132 others.
He had originally applied for conscientious objector status, but was denied.

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Christiaan Barnard

Died September 2, 2001 b. 1922

South African surgeon. He performed the first successful human heart transplant (1967). The patient survived for 18 days.

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J.R.R. Tolkien (John Ronald Reuel Tolkien)

Died September 2, 1973 b. 1892

British author. Writings: The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954). He also worked on the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.

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Ho Chi Minh

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Ho Chi Minh

Died September 2, 1969 b. 1890

Vietnamese leader. Founder and first president of North Vietnam (1954-69).

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Baron Pierre de Coubertin

Died September 2, 1937 b. 1863

French educator, historian. He revived the Olympic games in 1896.

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