Back to School
At School…
Robin Williams was voted least likely to succeed
Emilio Estevez was elected Prom King
Joanna Lumley was relieved of her prefect duties after she was caught smoking
Sandra Bullock was voted Student Most Likely To Brighten up your Day
Sylvester Stallone was voted Student Most Likely To End Up in the Electric Chair
Bruce Willis and Christopher Reeve were both presidents of drama clubs
James Dean was bullied for taking violin lessons
Robbie Coltrane played rugby union for Scotland’s schoolboys
Carol Vorderman’s report card read, “Carol has a masterly hold of mathematical computations which should prove profitable in the future”
Laurence Olivier made his Shakespeare debut as a nine-year old in a school production of Julius Caesar playing Brutus
Sigourney Weaver and Meryl Streep were classmates at the Yale School of Drama
Charlie Sheen was expelled from school due to his poor attendance record
Steve McQueen was expelled from school for riding his motorcycle through the college building
Marlon Brando was expelled from military academy due to insubordination
Kevin Spacey was expelled from military academy for assaulting a fellow student
Owen Wilson was expelled from school for stealing a teacher’s answer book
Cary Grant was expelled from school after running away from home to join a theatre group
Steve Biko was expelled from high school due to his political activities
Sarah Miles was expelled from four schools due to her undiagnosed dyslexia
Spencer Tracy was expelled from 15 elementary
schools due to his unruly behaviour
Derivations of Company Names
Adidas- After founder Adolf Dassler
Amoco- Shortened from American Oil Company
Amstrad- From Alan Michael Sugar Trading
B & Q- Initial letters of the surnames of the founders Richard Block and David Quayle
BMW- Bavarian Motor Works
C & A- First names of the founding brothers Clementine and August Brenninkmeijer
Casio- After founder Kashio Tadao
Daewoo- Korean for “great universe”
EBay- Shortened from Echo Bay Technology Group
Hasbro- After founders Henry and Hela Hassenfield, the Hassenfield brothers
Honda- After founder Honda Soichiro
HSBC- Stands for Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporations
Ikea- After founder Ingvar Kamprad
JVC- Initials of Japan Victor Company
Lego- From the Danish phrase leg godt meaning “play well”
Nabisco- Shortened from National Biscuit Company
Nike- The Greek goddess of victory
Nokia- From the Finnish city of Nokia where it originated
QANTAS- Stands for Queensland and Northern Territories Aerial Services
RCA- Stands for Radio Corporation of America
SEGA- Shortened from Service Games of Japan
Suzuki- After founder Michio Suzuki
Tesco- After founders TE Stockwell and Jack Cohen
Volvo- From the Latin for “I roll”
Abbreviations for Businesses/Organisations
AA- Automobile Association and Alcoholics
Anonymous
AAA- Amateur Athletic Association
ABTA- Association of British Travel Agents
ACAS- Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service
ANC- African National Congress
BAFTA- British Academy of Film and Television Arts
BBC- British Broadcasting Corporation
BBFC- British Board of Film Classification
BMA- British Medical Association
BUPA- British United Provident Association
CAB- Citizen’s Advice Bureau
CIA- Central Intelligence Agency
CID- Criminal Investigations Department
CSA- Child Support Agency
EEC- European Economic Community
ENO- English National Opera
FBI- Federal Bureau of Investigation
FIFA- Federation Internationale de Football Association
FOREST- Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco
IRC- International Red Cross
IRS- International Revenue Service
KGB- Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti
LACS- League Against Cruel Sports
MAFF- Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
MANWEB- Merseyside and North Wales Electricity Board
MORI- Market and Opinion Research Institute
MOT- Ministry of Transport
NASA- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NATO- North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
NSPCC- National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
OFSTED- Office for Standards in Education
OPEC- Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
OXFAM- Oxford Committee for Famine Relief
P & O- Peninsula and Oriental
RAC- Royal Automobile Club
RADA- Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
RCMP- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
RNLI- Royal National Lifeboat Institution
RSPB- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
RSPCA- Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
RUC- Royal Ulster Constabulary
SHAPE- Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe
UDR- Ulster Defence Regiment
UNESCO- United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation
UNICEF- United Nations Children’s Fund
WHO- World Health Organisation
YMCA- Young Men’s Christian Association
Advertising Slogans
Abbey National – Because life’s complicated
enough
American Express- Don’t leave home without it
Alka Seltzer- Plink Plink Fizz Fizz
Bacardi- Welcome to the Latin Quarter
Bounty- The taste of paradise
British Airways- Fly the flag
Budweiser- The king of beers
Cadbury’s Cream Eggs- How do you eat yours?
Carlsberg- Probably the best lager in the world
Coca Cola- It’s the real thing
Cream cakes- Naughty but nice (slogan devised by Salman Rushdie)
Domestos- Kills all known germs dead
Esso- Put a tiger in your tank
Fry’s Chocolate Cream- Seven pieces of heaven
Fry’s Turkish Delight- Full of Eastern promise
Gillette- The best a man can get
Hamlet- Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet
Heineken- Refreshes the parts other beers can’t reach
Homepride- Graded grains make finer flour
HSBC- The world’s local bank
Irn Bru- Made in Scotland from girders
John Lewis stores- Never knowingly undersold
Kodak- Share moments share life
L’Oreal- Because I’m worth it
Maltesers- Chocolates with the less fattening centre
Mars- A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play
Maxwell House- Good to the last drop
Microsoft- Where do you want to go to today?
New York Times- All the news that’s fit to print
Nokia- Connecting people
Oxo- Gives a meal man appeal
Peugeot- The lion goes from strength to strength
Polo- The mint with the hole
Pringles- Once you pop, you can’t stop
Quality Street- Made for sharing
Ready Brek- Central heating for kids
Shredded Wheat- Bet you can’t eat three
Stella Artois- Reassuringly expensive
Tetley’s- Make teabags make tea
US Army- An army of one
Vladivar- Wodka from Warrington
Woodpecker cider- What a refreshing change
Xerox- The Document Company
Yellow Pages- Let your fingers do the walking
Yorkie- It’s not for girls
Zanussi- The appliance of science
Heraldry
Heraldic terms for animals
Aluda- Lark
Corbie- Raven
Grice- Wild boar
Enfield- Beast with the head of a fox, mane
of a horse, chest of an elephant,
body of a greyhound, front legs of an eagle, hind legs and tail of a lion
Halcyon- Kingfisher
Herison- Hedgehog
Hirondelle- Swallow
Morse- Sea lion
Remora- Snake
Talbot- Hunting dog
Heraldic terms for colours
Argent- Silver
Azure- Blue
Gules- Red
Murrey- Brown
Or- Gold
Purpure- Purple
Sable- Black
Sanguine- Blood red
Tenne- Orange
Vert- Green
Heraldic Terms- General
Accosted- Side by side
Appaume-Open hand
Caduceus- Pair of snakes entwined around a wand
Cinquefoil- Flower with five petals
Couchant- Animal in a lying position
Courant- Running
Dormant- Sleeping
Estoil- Six pointed star
Falchion- Broad sword
Field- Surface of a shield
Furnant- Emitting smoke
Gutte de sang- Sprinkled with blood
Halbert- A poleaxe
Hurse- Group of trees
Infula- A tiara
Nowed- Tied in a knot
Passant- Walking
Petronel- Pistol
Plentitude- Full moon
Rampant- Standing on hind legs
Regardant- Looking behind
Salient- Leaping
Sperver- Tent
Splendour- Sun with a human face
Volant- Flying
The First Wives Club
The first names of the wives of US
Presidents
George Washington- Martha
John Adams- Abigail
Thomas Jefferson- Martha
James Madison- Dolly
James Monroe- Elizabeth
John Quincy Adams- Louisa
Andrew Jackson- Rachel
Martin Van Buren- Hannah
William Henry Harrison- Anna
John Tyler- Julia
James K Polk- Sarah
Zachary Taylor- Margaret
Millard Fillmore- Abigail
Franklin Pierce- Jane
James Buchanan- Not applicable, the only bachelor president
Abraham Lincoln- Mary
Andrew Johnson- Eliza
Ulysses S Grant- Julia
Rutherford B Hayes- Lucy
James Garfield- Lucretia
Chester Arthur- Ellen
Grover Cleveland- Frances
Benjamin Harrison- Caroline
William McKinley- Ida
Theodore Roosevelt- Edith
William Howard Taft- Helen
Woodrow Wilson- Edith
Warren Harding- Florence
Calvin Coolidge- Anna
Herbert Hoover- Lou
Franklin D Roosevelt- Anna Eleanor
Harry S Truman- Elizabeth
Dwight D Eisenhower- Mary
John F Kennedy- Jacqueline
Lyndon B Johnson- Claudia
Richard Nixon- Thelma Patricia
Gerald Ford- Elizabeth (Betty)
James Carter- Eleanor Rosalynn
Ronald Reagan- Nancy
George Bush Snr- Barbara
Bill Clinton- Hillary
George Bush Jnr- Laura
20 Degrees of Separation
Rowan Atkinson has a degree in electrical engineering
Dean Cain has a degree in history
John Cleese in law
Glenn Close in anthropology
David Duchovny in English literature
Calista Flockhart in theatre arts
Jodie Foster in literature
Art Garfunkel in art and history
Hugh Grant in English
Anthony Hopkins an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of South Wales
Tommy Lee Jones in English
Julianne Moore has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree
Ed Norton in history
Gary Oldman in theatre arts
Michael Plain in history
Jimmy Stewart in architecture
Meryl Streep has a fine arts degree
Donald Sutherland in engineering
Denzel Washington in journalism
Gene Wilder has a Bachelor of Arts degree
On the Radio
Aire Radio Station- Based in Leeds
Beach- Lowestoft
Beacon- Wolverhampton
Broadland- Norwich
Channel 103 FM- Jersey
Coast FM- Colwyn Bay
Excalibur FM- Glastonbury
Hallam- Sheffield
Hereward- Peterborough
Manx Radio- Isle of Man
Mercia- Coventry
Orwell- Ipswich
Oxygen- Oxford
Piccadilly- Manchester
Radio Wave- Blackpool
Ram- Derby
Silk- Macclesfield
Viking- Hull
Wire- Warrington
YDR FM- Yeovil
The Chinese Calendar
The first Chinese year is the Year of the
Rat. According to Chinese folklore the twelve animals that make up the calendar
competed in a race across a river with their finishing position determining the
order of the Chinese calendar. The ox was leading the race but was unaware that
the rat had hitched a ride on his back and as they approached the riverbank the
rat leapt off the ox and won the race. The pig, traditionally a lazy animal came
last.
The Year of the Rat- 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972,
1960
Good points- Talented and charming
Bad points- Possessive and anxious
Born in this Chinese year- Winston Churchill, Eminem, Burt Reynolds
The Year of the Ox- 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973,
1961
Good points- Confident and strong
Bad points- Stubborn and bigoted
People born in this Chinese year- Walt Disney, Lady Diana, Eddie Murphy
The Year of the Tiger- 2010, 1998, 1986,
1974, 1962
Good points- Brave and idealistic
Bad points- Rash and argumentative
People born in this Chinese year- Marilyn Monroe, Robbie Coltrane, Mark Spitz
The Year of the Rabbit- 2011, 1999, 1987,
1975, 1963
Good points- Sensitive and humble
Bad points- Selfish and secretive
People born in this Chinese year- Albert Einstein, George Michael, Johnny Depp
The Year of the Dragon- 2012, 2000, 1988,
1976, 1964
Good points- Charismatic and energetic
Bad points- Egotistical and short tempered
People born in this Chinese year- Al Pacino, David Jason, John Lennon
The Year of the Snake-2013, 2001, 1989, 1977,
1965
Good points- Sexy and discreet
Bad points- Big headed and fickle
People born in this Chinese year- Liz Hurley, Bob Dylan, Shania Twain
The Year of the Horse- 2014, 2002, 1990,
1978, 1966
Good points- Friendly and generous
Bad points- Impulsive and defiant
People born in this Chinese year- John Thaw, Muhammed Ali, Harrison Ford
The Year of the Sheep- 2015, 2003, 1991,
1979, 1967
Good points- Gentle and kind
Bad points- Indecisive and self pitying
Born in this Chinese year- Matt Le Blanc, Rowan Atkinson, George Harrison
The Year of the Monkey- 2016, 2004, 1992,
1980, 1968
Good points- Inventive and intelligent
Bad points- Immature and insecure
People born in this Chinese year- Tom Hanks, Neil Diamond, Jerry Springer
The Year of the Rooster- 2017, 2005, 1993,
1981, 1969
Good points- Tenacious and resilient
Bad points- Vain and cynical
People born in this Chinese year- Stephen Fry, Donny Osmond, Joan Collins
The Year of the Dog- 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982,
1970
Good points- Devoted and intelligent
Bad points- Judgemental and self righteous
People born in this Chinese Year- Mariah Carey, André Agassi, Sharon Stone
The Year of the Pig- 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983,
1971
Good points- Charitable and caring
Bad points- Naïve and snobbish
People Born in this Chinese year- Simon Cowell, David Bowie, Elton John
The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
20 inventions that have stood
the test of time
In 1595 Zacharias Janssen invented the microscope
In 1620, William Oughtred invented the slide rule
In 1709, Bartolomeo Cristofori invented the piano
In 1798 Edward Jenner invented vaccination
In 1800 Alessandro Volta invented the battery
In 1819 Rene Laennec invented the stethoscope
In 1843 Charles Thurber invented the typewriter
In 1853 George Cayley invented the glider
In 1866 Alfred Nobel invented dynamite
In 1872 John W Hyatt invented celluloid
In 1879 James Ritty invented the cash register
In 1882 Schuyler Skatts Wheeler invented the electric fan
In 1884 Lewis Waterman invented the fountain pen
In 1885 Gottleib Daimler invented the motorbike
In 1888 John Loud invented the ballpoint pen
In 1895 Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine
In 1911 Jacques Brandenburg invented cellophane
In 1922 Robert Watson- Watt invented radar
In 1928 Otto Rohwedder invented sliced bread
Oh My Egyptian God!
Ammon, God of Creation, head of a falcon
Anubis, God of the Dead, head of a jackal
Apep, God of Darkness, head of a serpent
Apet, God of childbirth, head of a hippopotamus
Ba, God of Fertility, head of a ram
Bast, Goddess and Protector of Cats, head of a cat
Hap- Keeper of embalmed lungs, head of a baboon
Horus, God of the Sky, head of a falcon
Khepri, God of Renewal, head of a dung beetle
Khnum, Goddess of Pottery, head of a ram
Mahes, God of Summer Heat, head of a lion
Mertsegr, Goddess of Thebes, woman’s head on a cobra’s body
Ra, God of the Sun, head of a falcon
Sebek, God of Power and Might, head of a crocodile
Seker, God of Morbidity, head of a hawk
Sekhmet, Goddess of War and Destruction, head of a lion
Selket, Goddess of bandages, head of a scorpion
Set, God of Chaos, head of an aardvark
Tefnut, Goddess of Moisture, head of a lioness
Thoth, God of Wisdom, head of an ibis
The First Black…
The first black man to have a number one hit in the UK- Harry Belafonte
The first black woman to have a number one hit in the UK- Winifred Atwell
The first black footballer to be capped for England- Viv Anderson
The first black footballer to score for England- Luther Blisset
The first black footballer to captain England- Paul Ince
The first black entertainer to host his own TV show in the US- Nat King Cole
The first black film star to win an Oscar- Hattie McDaniel, Best Supporting Actress for Gone with the Wind
The first black actor to win Best Actor Oscar- Sidney Poitier
The first black film star to win Best Actress Oscar- Halle Berry
The first black film star to win two Oscars- Denzel Washington
The first black heavyweight boxing world champion- Jack Johnson
The first black baseball player to enter the Hall of Fame- Jackie Robinson
The first black woman to win a Wimbledon singles title- Althea Gibson
The first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title- Arthur Ashe
The first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons- Dianne Abbott
The first black man to hold a Cabinet post in Britain- Paul Boateng
The first black Secretary of State in the USA- Colin Powell
The first black man to be depicted on a US postage stamp- Booker T Washington
The first black astronaut to go into space- Guion Bluford
The first black man to win the Nobel Peace Prize- Ralph Bunche
Under the Hammer
Memorabilia of the stars sold at auction
In 2004, a guitar belonging to Johnny Cash sold for £692,000
In 2000, the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz sold for $600,000
In 2001, John Lennon’s piano from the Imagine video was bought by George Micheal for £1.45 million
In 1999, a wig worn by Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits fetched $29,900
In 1998, Geri Halliwell’s union jack dress sold for £36,200
In 2005, Bob Dylan’s poetry collection sold for £45,000
In 1991, Michael Jackson’s rhinestone glove sold for $28,050
In 2003, a four inch strand of one of Bob Marley’s dreadlocks sold for £2,585
In 2003, the jacket worn by John Wayne in True Grit sold for $11,000
In 2004, Eric Clapton’s guitar Blackie sold for $959,000
In 2004, Keith Moon’s five piece drum kit sold for £139,650
In 2006, the Aston Martin driven by Sean Connery in Goldfinger fetched $2,090,000
In 1996, Clark Gable’s personal script for Gone with the Wind fetched $244,500
In 2003, a hand written lyric by John Lennon for the song Nowhere Man sold for $455,500
In 1995, the white suit worn by John Travolta
in Saturday Night Fever sold for $145,500
In 2004, a drawing Kurt Cobain sketched as a
child of US President Ronald Reagan sold for $14,400
In 2003 Roy Rogers’s gold and ruby studded
saddle sold for $412,000
Packets of Ten
Definitions of ten ballet
terms
Arabesque- Balanced on one leg with the other
leg extended behind
Arriere- A step behind
Avant- A forward step
Glissade- A gliding step
Grand jete- A long jump
Pas de deux- A dance for two
Pirouette- Spinning on one foot
Plie- Bending of the knees
Sissone- Jumping from both feet on to one foot
Temps leve- Leaping in the air from one leg
Ten Things to be Avoided on your Wedding Day
Seeing an open grave
Marrying during Lent
Meeting a nun
Marrying in a church with bats
The bridegroom seeing the bride in her bridal costume before the ceremony
Seeing a pig
The bride making her own dress
If the groom drops the ring during the ceremony, the marriage will fail
Marrying on your birthday
Marrying someone born in the same month
Ten People who are the Subject of Statues in Central Park, New York
Christopher Columbus
Alice from Alice in Wonderland
Ludwig van Beethoven
Duke Ellington
Mother Goose
Robert Burns
William Shakespeare
Hans Christian Andersen
Simon Bolivar
Sir Walter Scott
Ten People that Died in the Bathroom
Nancy Spungeon
Catherine the Great
Elvis Presley
Lenny Bruce
Judy Garland
Jim Morrison
George II
Evelyn Waugh
Charlie Chaplin
Vivien Leigh
Ten Women Bedded by Warren Beatty
Carly Simon
Madonna
Joan Collins
Brigitte Bardot
Diane Keaton
Britt Ekland
Goldie Hawn
Julie Christie
Candice Bergen
Leslie Caron
Ten Bob Dylan songs that were hits for other acts
All Along the Watchtower for Jimi Hendrix
The Mighty Quinn for Manfred Mann
A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall for Bryan Ferry
Knocking on Heaven’s Door for Guns N Roses
Mr Tambourine Man for The Byrds
This Wheel’s on Fire for Julie Driscoll and the Brian Auger Trinity
This Wheel’s on Fire for Siouxsie and the Banshees
It Ain’t Me Babe for Johnny Cash
Blowin’ in the Wind for Marianne Faithful
If Not For You for Olivia Newton John
Ten Films in which Clint Eastwood did not Shoot Someone Dead
Space Cowboys
Million Dollar Baby
The Bridges of Madison County
Honky Tonk Man
Every Which Way But Loose
Any Which Way You Can
True Crime
Escape from Alcatraz
Tarantula
Pink Cadillac
The Ten Ways to be given out at Cricket
Bowled
LBW
Stumped
Ran out
Caught
Hit wicket
Hit the ball twice
Handling the ball
Obstructing the field
Timed out
Ten Fictional Home Planets
The Daleks- Skaro
Dr Who- Galifrey
Emperor Ming- Mongo
Ewoks- Endor
Luke Skywalker- Tatooine
Princess Leia- Alderaan
Mork- Ork
Superman- Krypton
Mr Spock- Vulcan
The Kilngons- Qo’ noS
Ten National Animals
Argentina- Puma
Botswana- Zebra
Canada- Beaver
China- Panda
Denmark- Squirrel
East Timor- Crocodile
India- Bengal tiger
Nepal- Cow
South Africa- Springbok
Thailand- Elephant
Ten Statues of Footballers
Billy Bremner at Elland Road
Matt Busby at Old Trafford
Bobby Robson at Portman Road
Billy Wright at Molineux
Lev Yashin at Dinamo Central Stadium, Moscow
Jackie Milburn in Newcastle town centre
Bill Shankly at Anfield
Stanley Matthews at the Britannia Stadium
Bobby Moore at Boleyn Road Junction
Pele in Tres Coracoes in Brazil on a street renamed Pele Street
Ten State Songs of the USA
Alaska- Alaska’s Flag
California- I Love California
Colorado- Where the Columbines Grow
Connecticut- Yankee Doodle
Indiana- On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away
Kansas- Home on the Range
Missouri- Missouri Waltz
North Carolina- The Old North State
Ohio- Hang on Sloopy
Vermont- These Green Mountains
Ten Novels Originally Turned Down by Publishers
Animal Farm
Catch 22
Dr Zhivago
Gone with the Wind
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Lord of the Flies
Robinson Crusoe
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
The Wind in the Willows
Wuthering Heights
Ten Champagne Bottle Sizes
Quarter bottle- Split
Two bottle- Magnum
Four- Jeroboam
Six- Rehoboam
Eight- Methuselah
Twelve- Salmanazar
Sixteen- Balthazar
Twenty- Nebuchadnezzar
Twenty-four- Melchior
Sixty-seven- Sovereign
Ten Foods Recommended as Aphrodisiacs
Almonds
Caviar
Chocolate
Figs
Goat’s cheese
Honey
Pineapple
Pomegranate
Raisins
Walnuts
The Ten Favourite English Words around the World in a 2004 Survey by the British Council
1 Mother
2 Passion
3 Smile
4 Love
5 Eternity
6 Fantastic
7 Destiny
8 Freedom
9 Liberty
10 Tranquillity
Ten Comedians that got their TV break on Opportunity Knocks
Stan Boardman
Max Boyce
Frank Carson
Bernie Clifton
Freddy "Parrot Face" Davies
Les Dawson
Les Dennis
Ken Goodwin
Tom O'Connor
Freddie Starr
Ten Pop groups/Singers that appeared on Opportunity Knocks
The Bachelors
Candlewick Green
Bernie Flint
Mary Hopkin
Middle of the Road
Paper Lace
Peters and Lee
The Real Thing
Iris Williams
Lena Zavaroni
Added Good Friday, 2006
The Mercalli Scale
Prior to the introduction of the Richter Scale the Mercalli Scale was used to measure the intensity of earthquakes with each level accompanied by an adjective
1 = Instrumental
2 = Feeble
3 = Slight
4= Moderate
5 = Rather strong
6 = Strong
7= Very strong
8 = Destructive
9= Ruinous
10 = Disastrous
11 = Very disastrous
12 = Catastrophic
Goodbye Cruel World
Famous people that committed suicide
Marc Anthony- Fell on his own sword in 30 BC
Charles Boyer- Overdose in 1978
Cleopatra- Allegedly from the bite of an asp in 30 BC
Kurt Cobain- Shotgun wound to the head in 1994
Ian Curtis- Lead singer of Joy Division, hanging in 1980
Pete Duel- Played Hannibal Hayes in Alias Smith and Jones, shot himself New Year's Eve, 1971
Justin Fashanu- Hanging in 1998
Sigmund Freud- Lethal dose of morphine in 1939
Tony Hancock- Overdose in a Sydney hotel in 1968
Donny Hathaway- Singer, jumped from the 15th floor of a New York hotel in 1979
Ernest Hemingway- Shotgun wound to the head in 1961
Rudolf Hess- Self asphyxiation in 1987
Michael Hutchence- Hanging in 1997
Jack London- Author, lethal dose of morphine in 1916
Marilyn Monroe- Overdose of sleeping pills in 1962( suspected)
George Reeves- Actor who played Superman in the 50s, shot himself in 1959
George Sanders- Overdose of barbiturates in 1972
Bobby Sands- Hunger strike in 1981
Screaming Lord Sutch- Hanging in 1999
Del Shannon- Shot himself in 1990
Harold Shipman- Hanging in 2004
Hunter S Thompson- Shot himself in 2004
Vincent van Gogh- Shot himself in 1890
Sid Vicious- Overdose in 1979
Stephen Ward- Doctor at the centre of the Profumo affair, overdose of sleeping pills in 1963
Fred West- Hanging in 1995
Kenneth Williams- Overdose of barbiturates in 1988
Virginia Woolf- Drowned herself in the River Ouse in 1941
The Final Word
The alleged last words of famous people
Louisa May Alcott- Is it not meningitis?
Archimedes- Wait till I have finished my problem
Jane Austen- I want nothing but death
PT Barnum- How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?
JM Barrie- I can't sleep
Beethoven- I shall hear in heaven
Humphrey Bogart- I should never have switched from scotch to martinis
Simon Bolivar- The three biggest fools in the world have been Jesus Christ, Don Quixote and me
Julius Caesar- Et tu Brute?
Casanova- I have lived as a philosopher and die as a Christian
Charles II- Let not poor Nelly starve
Winston Churchill- I' n so bored with it all
Lou Costello- That was the best ice cream soda I ever tasted
Noel Coward- Goodnight my darlings, I'll see you tomorrow
Bing Crosby- That was a great game of golf fellas
James Dean- That guys got to stop. He'll see us
Joe DiMaggio- I finally get to meet Marilyn
Thomas Alva Edison- It is very beautiful over there
Elizabeth I- All my possessions for a moment of time
Adam Faith- Isn't Channel 5 shit
WC Fields- On the whole I'd rather be in Philadelphia
George V- Bugger Bognor
Che Guevara- I know you've come to shoot me. Shoot coward, you're only going to kill the man
Henry VIII- All is lost, monks, monks, monks
Doc Holliday- This is funny
Victor Hugo- I see black light
John Paul II- Let me go the the house of the father
Al Jolson- This is it. I'm going, I'm going
Ned Kelly- Such is life
Leonardo da Vinci- I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have
Karl Marx- Last words are for fools who haven't said enough
Florence Nightingale- I smell burning
Anna Pavlova- Get my swan costume ready
Picasso- Drink to me
Cecil Rhodes- So little done, so much to do
Franklin D Roosevelt- I have a terrific headache
Babe Ruth- I'm going over the valley
Socrates- Crito, I owe a rooster to Asclepius. Will you remember to pay the debt?
Dylan Thomas- I've had eighteen straight whiskies. I think that's a record
George Washington- I die but am not afraid to go
HG Wells- Go away, I am all right
Oscar Wilde- Either that wallpaper goes or I do
Malcolm X- Cool it brothers
Added May 8th 2006
Whodunit?
Who killed Who
Joy Adamson - Author of Born Free murdered by Wakwaro Ekai in 1980
Thomas Becket- Assassinated in 1170 by Reginald Fitzurse, Richard le Breton, Hugh de Moreville and William de Tracey in Canterbury Cathedral
Sam Cooke- Shot dead in 1964 by Bertha Franklin the manager of the Hacienda Motel
Jill Dando- Murdered by Barry George in 1999 on her own doorstep on Gowan Avenue
Andres Escobar- Colombian footballer killed in 1994 after a scoring an own goal that knocked Colombia out of the World Cup. According to witnesses the unknown assassin shouted "Goal" for each of the 12 bullets he fired into Escobar's body
Archduke Franz Ferdinand- Assassinated in 1914 by Gavrilo Principi, an event that precipitated World War One . Known as "The Shot Heard Around the World"
Mahatma Gandhi- Assassinated by Nathuram Godse in 1948
Marvin Gaye- Shot dead by his own father Marvin Senior in 1984
Robert Kennedy- Assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan in 1968
Martin Luther King- Assassinated by James Earl Ray in 1968
John Lennon- Killed by Mark Chapman in 1980.At the time Chapman had in his possession the novel Catcher in the Rye
Joe Orton- Killed in 1967 by his gay lover Kenneth Halliwell
Lee Harvey Oswald- Shot by Jack Ruby in 1963, the first murder to be screened live on television
Aleksandr Pushkin- Author of the play Boris Godunov, killed in a duel by his wife's lover George d'Anthes
Anwar Sadat-Assassinated in 1981 by Khalid Islambouli whilst attending a military parade
Dutch Schultz- Murdered in 1935 in a contract killing carried out by Charlie "The Bug" Workman and Emanuel Weiss, hit men employed by Louis Buchalter Murder Inc.
Sharon Tate- Murdered in 1969 by the Manson Family
Gianni Versace- Murdered by Andrew Cunanan in 1997
Malcolm X- Assassinated in 1965 by Norman Butler, Thomas Johnson and Talmadge Hayes
20 Famous People that died in Plane Crashes
1942- Carole Lombard
1943- Leslie Howard
1944- Glen Miller
1944- Guy Gibson
1958- Duncan Edwards
1958- Mike Todd
1959- Buddy Holly
1963- Patsy Cline
1964- Jim Reeves
1967- Otis Redding
1968- Yuri Gagarin
1969- Rocky Marciano
1971- Audie Murphy
1975- Graham Hill
1975- Ricky Nelson
1997- John Denver
1999- John F Kennedy Jnr
1999- Payne Stewart
2001- Aaliyah
2002- Hanse Cronje
Ten Famous People that Died in Water
Natalie Wood
Robert Maxwell
Brian Jones
Percy Shelley
Virginia Woolf
Icarus
Josef Mengele
Dennis Wilson
Mary Jo Kopechne
Rasputin
Ten Famous People that died of AIDS
Arthur Ashe
Liberace
John Curry
Rock Hudson
Freddie Mercury
Rudolf Nureyev
Kenny Everett
Denholm Elliott
Brad Davis, actor that played Billy Hayes in Midnight Express
Anthony Perkins
Ten Famous People that lived beyond the age of 100
George Burns
Bob Hope
Queen Mother
Irving Berlin
Hastings Banda
Rose Kennedy
Thomas Sopwith
Manny Shinwell
Hal Roach
Lord Alfred Denning
Only the Good Die Young
25 famous people that died before the age of 40.
Martin Luther King aged 39
George Gershwin aged 38
Bobby Darin aged 37
Marilyn Monroe aged 36
Mozart aged 35
Yuri Gagarin aged 34
Eva Cassidy aged 33
Karen Carpenter aged 32
Richard Beckinsale aged 31
Patsy Cline aged 30
Anne Bronte aged 29
Brandon Lee aged 28
Jimi Hendrix aged 27
Ned Kelly aged 26
John Keats aged 25
James Dean aged 24
River Phoenix aged 23
Buddy Holly aged 22
Eddie Cochran aged 21
Billy the Kid aged 20
Joan of Arc aged 19
Tutankhamen aged 18
Ritchie Valens aged 17
Lady Jane Grey aged 16
Anne Frank aged 15
Added May 14th,2006
Ship Ahoy!
Vessels from TV, Films & Literature
Carry on Camping - SS Happy Wanderer
Captain Nemo- Nautilus (submarine)
Captain Pugwash- The Black Pig
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- Wonkatania
The Cruel Sea- HMS Compass Rose
Cut Throat Jake, arch foe of Pugwash- The Flying Dustman
Gilligan's Island- SS Minnow
Gulliver's Travels- Gulliver was surgeon aboard The Antelope
Horatio Hornblower- Several including HMS Atropus, HMS Hotspur, HMS Lydia
Jason and the Argonauts- The Argo
King Kong- SS Venture
The Love Boat- Pacific Princess
Master and Commander - HMS Surprise skippered by Captain Jack Aubrey
Moby Dick- The Pequod skippered by Captain Ahab
The Onedin Line- Charlotte Rhodes
Para Handy- The Vital Spark
The Perfect Storm- The Andrea Gail
Pinky and Perky- SS Melodymaker
Pirates of the Caribbean- The Black Pearl skippered by Captain Jack Sparrow
Popeye- The Olive
Quint in Jaws- The Orca
Run Silent Run Deep- USS Nerka
Treasure Island- Hispaniola
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea- Seaview (submarine)
Back to School
Schools from TV, Film & Literature
Adrian Mole- Neil Armstrong Comprehensive School
Back to the Future- Hill Valley High School
Billy Bunter- Greyfriars
Brady Bunch- Clifton Avenue Elementary School
Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Sunnydale High School
Chalk- Galfast High School
Coronation Street- Weatherfield Comprehensive
Dawson's Creek- Capeside High School
Fame- New York School of Performing Arts
Flintstones- Bedrock High School
Grease- Rydell High
Happy Days- Jefferson High School
Harry Potter- Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Little House on the Prairie- Walnut Grove School
Neighbours- Erinsborough High School
Nicholas Nickleby- Dothebys Hall
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie- Marcia Blaine School for Girls
Sesame Street- Roosevelt Franklin Elementary
Simpsons- Springfield Elementary School
Spiderman- Midtown High School, attended by Peter Parker
Spongebob Squarepants- Bikini Bottom Elementary School
Tom Brown's Schooldays- Rugby
The Wonder Years- Robert F Kennedy Junior High
The X Men- Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
The Young Ones- Scumbag College
Added Friday May 26, 2006
Born Where
Famous Folk of the past and their birthplaces
Marie Antoinette- Vienna
Jane Austen- Steventon, Hampshire
Beethoven- Bonn, Germany
Alexander Graham Bell- Edinburgh
Simon Bolivar- Caracas, Venezuela
Robert Burns- Alloway, Ayrshire
Casanova- Venice
Charlie Chaplin- London
Christopher Columbus- Genoa, Italy
Oliver Cromwell- Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
James Cook- Marton, North Yorkshire
Marie Curie- Warsaw
George Custer- New Rumley, Ohio
Charles Darwin- Shrewsbury
Charles Dickens- Portsmouth
Walt Disney- Chicago
Francis Drake- Tavistock, Devon
Amelia Earhart- Atchinson, Kansas
Wyatt Earp- Monmouth, Illinois
Thomas Alva Edison- Milan, Ohio
Albert Einstein- Ulm, Germany
Elizabeth Fry- Earlham, Norwich
William Gladstone- Liverpool
Vincent van Gogh- Zundert, Netherlands
Che Guevara- Rosario, Argentina
Nell Gwynne- St Martin in the Field, London
Rudolf Hess- Alexandria, Egypt
Jesse James- Centerville, Missouri
Amy Johnson- Kingston Upon Hull
Ned Kelly- Beveridge, north of Melbourne
John F Kennedy- Brookline, Massachusetts
Martin Luther King- Atlanta, Georgia
TE Lawrence- Tremadog, Caernarvonshire, Wales
Charles Lindbergh- Detroit, Michigan
David Livingstone- Blantyre, South Lanarkshire
Ferdinand Magellan- Sabrosa, Portugal
Karl Marx- Trier, Germany
Mary Queen of Scots- Linlithgow, West Lothian
Samuel Morse- Charlestown, Massachusetts
Horatio Nelson- Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk
Florence Nightingale- Florence
Louis Pasteur- Dole, France
Pablo Picasso- Malaga, Spain
Edgar Allan Poe- Boston. Massachusetts
Marco Polo- Venice
Pope John Paul II- Wadowice, Poland
Elvis Presley- East Tupelo, Mississippi
Walter Raleigh- Hayes Barton, Devon
Rembrandt- Leiden, Netherlands
Theodore Roosevelt- New York
William Shakespeare- Stratford upon Avon
Wallis Simpson- Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania
Mother Teresa- Skopje, Macedonia
JRR Tolkien- Bloemfontein, South Africa
Leon Trotsky- Yanovka, Ukraine
Antonio Vivaldi- Venice
Mae West- Brooklyn, New York
Thomas Wolsey- Ipswich, Suffolk
Birthplaces of 20th Century
British Prime Ministers
Arthur Balfour- Whittingehame, East Lothian, Scotland
Henry Campbell- Bannerman- Kelvinside, Glasgow
Herbert Asquith- Morley, Yorkshire
David Lloyd George- Manchester
Andrew Bonar Law- Rexton, New Brunswick, Canada
Stanley Baldwin- Bewdley, Worcestershire
Ramsay MacDonald- Lossiemouth, Morayshire, Scotland
Neville Chamberlain- Edgbaston, Birmingham
Winston Churchill- Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
Clement Attlee- Putney, London
Anthony Eden- Bishop Auckland, County Durham
Harold Macmillan- Brixton, London
Alec Douglas Home- Mayfair, London
Harold Wilson- Huddersfield, Yorkshire
Edward Heath- Broadstairs, Kent
James Callaghan- Portsmouth, Hampshire
Margaret Thatcher- Grantham, Lincolnshire
John Major- Carshalton, Surrey
Tony Blair- Edinburgh
Added June 7, 2006
20 Famous People of the Past Who had Red Hair
King Arthur
Winston Churchill
William the Conqueror
Boadicea
Eric the Red
Vincent van Gogh
Napoleon Bonaparte
George Bernard Shaw
Antonio Vivaldi
Queen Elizabeth I
Galileo
Mark Twain
Henry VIII
George Washington
Alexander the Great
Rob Roy Macgregor
Mary Queen of Scots
William Shakespeare
DH Lawrence
Christopher Columbus
Added July 2nd 2006
Middle Names of US Presidents
John Quincy Adams
William Henry Harrison
James Knox Polk
Ulysses Simpson Grant
Rutherford Birchard Hayes
James Abram Garfield
Chester Alan Arthur
Stephen Grover Cleveland
William Howard Taft
Thomas Woodrow Wilson
Warren Gamaliel Harding
Herbert Clark Hoover
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Dwight David Eisenhower
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Lyndon Baines Johnson
Richard Milhous Nixon
Gerald Rudolph Ford
James Earl Carter
Ronald Wilson Reagan
George Herbert Walker Bush
William Jefferson Clinton
George Walker Bush Jnr.
Added 21 July,2006
Coincidental Shared Birthdays
Star Trek stalwart Deforest Kelley and moon trekker Buzz Aldrin were both born on January 20
Robert Baden Powell and his wife Lady Baden Powell (Olave Soames) were both born on February 22
Booker T Washington, the first black man to appear on a US postage stamp and Colin Powell the first black US Secretary of State were both born on April 5
Emma Thompson who plays Professor Sybil Trelawney in the Harry Potter films and Emma Watson who plays Hermione Granger were both born on April 15
Horror movie actors Christopher Lee and Vincent Price were both born on May 27. Peter Cushing the nemesis of Lee in numerous movies was born the day before on May 26.
Patrick Viera and Zinedine Zidane team mates for the French national football team were both born on June 23
Aviators Louis Bleriot and Amy Johnson were both born on July1
Renowned dancers Ginger Rogers and Michael Flatley were both born on July 16
Kate Bush who topped the charts with Wuthering Heights and Emily Bronte who penned the novel Wuthering Heights were both born on July 30
Robert De Niro and Sean Penn co-stars in the film We're No Angels were both born on August 17
Film director Oliver Stone and actor Tommy Lee Jones were both born on September 15. Oliver Stone directed Tommy Lee Jones in the films JFK, Natural Born Killers and Heaven & Earth
Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta Jones were both born on September 25
US Presidents Warren Harding and James Polk were both born on November 2
Bette Midler and Woody Allen were both born on December 1. The pair played husband and wife Nick and Deborah Fifer in the film Scenes From a Mall
Christopher Plummer and Dick Van Dyke who played the leading men opposite Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins were both born on December13
Howard Hughes and Ava Gardner were both born on December 24. The pair were played by Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Beckinsale in the film The Aviator
Added August 25th
10 Fictional Characters that Lost an Eye
Steve Austin in the Six Million Dollar Man
Rooster Cogburn as played by John Wayne in True Grit
Dangermouse
William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting in Gangs of New York
Elle Driver in Kill Bill- in the sequel she lost her remaining eye
Alastor Mad Eye Moody in the Harry Potter tales
Snake Plissken as played by Kurt Russell in Escape from New York and Escape from LA
Popeye the Sailor Man
Ragetti the pirate played by Mackenzie Crook in the Pirates of the Caribbean films
Einar played by Kirk Douglas in The Vikings
20 Famous People born on Christmas Day
Sir Isaac Newton in 1642 Louis Chevrolet in 1878 Humphrey Bogart in 1899 Princess Alice Duchess of Gloucester in 1901
Lew Grade in 1906 Cab Calloway in 1907 Quentin Crisp in 1908 Anwar Sadat in 1918
Princess Alexandra of Kent in 1931 Jairzinho in 1944 Kenny Everett in 1944 Noel Redding in 1945
Sissy Spacek in 1949 Annie Lennox in 1954 Chris Kamara in 1957 Shane Macgowan in 1957
Gary McAllister in 1964 Helena Cristensen in 1968 Dido in 1971 Marcus Trescothick in 1975
30 Famous Stutterers
Rowan Atkinson Boris Becker Michael Bentine Richard Branson Lewis Carroll Winston Churchill
Charles Darwin Gerard Depardieu Gareth Gates Hugh Grant Samuel L Jackson Thomas Jefferson
James Earl Jones Harvey Keitel Charles Kinglsey Philip Larkin Greg Louganis Marilyn Monroe
Sir Isaac Newton Bruce Oldfield Nicholas Parsons Kim Philby Anthony Quinn Theodore Roosevelt
Nevil Shute Carly Simon Michael Spinks Jimmy Stewart Bruce Willis Tiger Woods