Random trivia
- Thread starter StrangerInAStrangeLand
- Start date
Cornfed Hick
Ancient Mariner
No, not Noam Chomsky.
That's correct. His name is Norman Borlaug. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. He is referred to as the father of the "Green Revolution," and his work implementing higher-yield crops and more advanced agricultural techniques in lesser-developed nations helped prevent famines and their associated wars. According to one estimate, his work has saved billions -- plural, with a b -- of lives. He is a living rebuttal to the Malthusian nightmare.
Edit: I hadn't seen IronDuke's previous post, obviously. (Here it is: http://forum.maidenfans.com/index.php?topic=15578.0.) He takes it one step further and calls him the "greatest human who ever lived," without the "American" or "20th century" qualifiers. Whether you agree or disagree with that assessment, he is truly a remarkable man. (Borlaug, not IronDuke.
) Even more remarkable is that almost no one in the U.S. has ever even heard of him.
Forostar said:
That's correct. His name is Norman Borlaug. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. He is referred to as the father of the "Green Revolution," and his work implementing higher-yield crops and more advanced agricultural techniques in lesser-developed nations helped prevent famines and their associated wars. According to one estimate, his work has saved billions -- plural, with a b -- of lives. He is a living rebuttal to the Malthusian nightmare.
Edit: I hadn't seen IronDuke's previous post, obviously. (Here it is: http://forum.maidenfans.com/index.php?topic=15578.0.) He takes it one step further and calls him the "greatest human who ever lived," without the "American" or "20th century" qualifiers. Whether you agree or disagree with that assessment, he is truly a remarkable man. (Borlaug, not IronDuke.
) Even more remarkable is that almost no one in the U.S. has ever even heard of him. 
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Which famous actor are the following words about? -->
The .... family had deep military roots as both grandfathers had fought in the Civil War, and his father had served during both the Spanish-American War and World War I. Since .... considered his father to be the biggest influence on his life, it was not surprising that when another war eventually came, he too served. Unlike his family's previous infantry service, .... chose to become a military flyer.
Nearly two years before the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, .... had become a private pilot and had accumulated over 400 hours of flying time. Considered a highly proficient pilot, he even entered a cross-country race as a co-pilot in 1939. Along with musician/composer Hoagy Carmichael, seeing the need for trained war pilots, .... teamed with other Hollywood moguls and put their own money into creating a flying school in Glendale, Arizona which they named Thunderbird Field. This airfield trained more than 200,000 pilots during the War, became the origin of the Flying Thunderbirds, and is now the home of Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Later in 1940, .... was drafted into the Army Air Corps but was rejected due to a weight problem. The USAAC had strict height and weight requirements for new recruits and .... was five pounds under the standard. To get up to 148 pounds he sought out the help of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's muscle man, Don Loomis, who was legendary for his ability to add or subtract pounds in his studio gymnasium. .... subsequently attempted to enlist in the United States Army Air Corps but still came in under the weight requirement although he persuaded the AAF enlistment officer to run new tests, this time passing the weigh-in, with the result that .... successfully enlisted in the Army in March 1941. He became the first major American movie star to wear a military uniform in World War II.
Since the United States had yet to declare war on Germany and because of the Army's unwillingness to put celebrities on the front, .... was held back from combat duty, though he did earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant and completed pilot training. He was later stationed in Albuquerque, NM, becoming an instructor pilot for the B-17 Flying Fortress.
The only public appearances after he went into flight school were limited engagements scheduled by the Air Corps. ".... appeared several times on network radio with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, he performed with Orson Welles, Edward G. Robinson, Walter Huston and Lionel Barrymore in an all-network radio program called 'We Hold These Truths,' dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Bill of Rights. But mostly, .... 's days and nights were spent preparing for his upcoming flight tests, ground school and academic examinations for his commission."
"Still, the war was moving on. For the thirty-six-year-old ...., combat duty seemed far away and unreachable, and he had no clear plans for the future. But then a rumor that .... would be taken off flying status and assigned to making training films or selling bonds called for his immediate and decisive action, because what he dreaded most was the hope-shattering spector of a dead end." So he appealed to his commander, a pre-war aviator, who understood the situation and reassigned him to a unit going overseas.
In August 1943 he was finally assigned to the 445th Bombardment Group in Sioux City, Iowa, first as Operations Officer of the 703rd Bombardment Squadron and then its commander. In December, the 445th Bombardment Group flew its B-24 Liberator bombers to RAF Tibenham, England and immediately began combat operations. While flying missions over Germany, .... was promoted to Major. In March 1944, he was transferred as group operations officer to the 453rd Bombardment Group, a new B-24 outfit that had been experiencing difficulties. As a means to inspire his new group, .... flew as command pilot in the lead B-24 on numerous missions deep into Nazi-occupied Europe. These missions went uncounted at ....'s orders. His "official" total is listed as 20 and are limited to those with the 445th. In 1944, he twice received the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions in combat and was awarded the Croix de Guerre. He also received the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters. In July 1944, after flying 20 combat missions, .... was made chief of staff of the 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing of the Eighth Air Force. Before the war ended, he was promoted to colonel, one of only a few Americans to rise from private to colonel in four years.
At the beginning of June 1945, .... was the presiding officer of the Court-Martial of a pilot and navigator who were charged with dereliction of duty when they accidentally bombed the Swiss city of Zurich the previous March - the first instance of US personnel being tried over an attack on a neutral country. The Court acquitted the accused.
.... continued to play an active role in the United States Air Force Reserve after the war, achieving the rank of Brigadier General on 23 July 1959. .... did not often talk of his wartime service, perhaps due to his desire to be seen as a regular soldier doing his duty instead of as a celebrity. He did appear on the TV series, The World At War to discuss the 14 October 1943, bombing mission to Schweinfurt, which was the center of the German ball bearing manufacturing industry. This mission is known in USAF history as Black Thursday due to the incredibly high casualties it sustained; in total 60 aircraft were lost out of 291 dispatched, as the raid consisting entirely of B17s was unescorted all the way to Schweinfurt and back due to the current escort aircraft available lacking the range. Fittingly, he was identified only as "...., Squadron Commander" in the documentary.
In 1966, Brigadier General .... rode along as an observer on a B-52 Stratofortress bombing run during the Vietnam War; he also flew combat duty missions during that conflict. At the time of his B-52 mission, he refused the release of any publicity regarding his participation as he did not want it treated as a stunt, but as part of his job as an officer in the Air Force Reserve. He served as Air Force Reserve commander of Dobbins Air Reserve Base in the early 1950s and after 27 years of service, .... retired from the Air Force on 31 May 1968.
The .... family had deep military roots as both grandfathers had fought in the Civil War, and his father had served during both the Spanish-American War and World War I. Since .... considered his father to be the biggest influence on his life, it was not surprising that when another war eventually came, he too served. Unlike his family's previous infantry service, .... chose to become a military flyer.
Nearly two years before the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, .... had become a private pilot and had accumulated over 400 hours of flying time. Considered a highly proficient pilot, he even entered a cross-country race as a co-pilot in 1939. Along with musician/composer Hoagy Carmichael, seeing the need for trained war pilots, .... teamed with other Hollywood moguls and put their own money into creating a flying school in Glendale, Arizona which they named Thunderbird Field. This airfield trained more than 200,000 pilots during the War, became the origin of the Flying Thunderbirds, and is now the home of Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Later in 1940, .... was drafted into the Army Air Corps but was rejected due to a weight problem. The USAAC had strict height and weight requirements for new recruits and .... was five pounds under the standard. To get up to 148 pounds he sought out the help of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's muscle man, Don Loomis, who was legendary for his ability to add or subtract pounds in his studio gymnasium. .... subsequently attempted to enlist in the United States Army Air Corps but still came in under the weight requirement although he persuaded the AAF enlistment officer to run new tests, this time passing the weigh-in, with the result that .... successfully enlisted in the Army in March 1941. He became the first major American movie star to wear a military uniform in World War II.
Since the United States had yet to declare war on Germany and because of the Army's unwillingness to put celebrities on the front, .... was held back from combat duty, though he did earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant and completed pilot training. He was later stationed in Albuquerque, NM, becoming an instructor pilot for the B-17 Flying Fortress.
The only public appearances after he went into flight school were limited engagements scheduled by the Air Corps. ".... appeared several times on network radio with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, he performed with Orson Welles, Edward G. Robinson, Walter Huston and Lionel Barrymore in an all-network radio program called 'We Hold These Truths,' dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Bill of Rights. But mostly, .... 's days and nights were spent preparing for his upcoming flight tests, ground school and academic examinations for his commission."
"Still, the war was moving on. For the thirty-six-year-old ...., combat duty seemed far away and unreachable, and he had no clear plans for the future. But then a rumor that .... would be taken off flying status and assigned to making training films or selling bonds called for his immediate and decisive action, because what he dreaded most was the hope-shattering spector of a dead end." So he appealed to his commander, a pre-war aviator, who understood the situation and reassigned him to a unit going overseas.
In August 1943 he was finally assigned to the 445th Bombardment Group in Sioux City, Iowa, first as Operations Officer of the 703rd Bombardment Squadron and then its commander. In December, the 445th Bombardment Group flew its B-24 Liberator bombers to RAF Tibenham, England and immediately began combat operations. While flying missions over Germany, .... was promoted to Major. In March 1944, he was transferred as group operations officer to the 453rd Bombardment Group, a new B-24 outfit that had been experiencing difficulties. As a means to inspire his new group, .... flew as command pilot in the lead B-24 on numerous missions deep into Nazi-occupied Europe. These missions went uncounted at ....'s orders. His "official" total is listed as 20 and are limited to those with the 445th. In 1944, he twice received the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions in combat and was awarded the Croix de Guerre. He also received the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters. In July 1944, after flying 20 combat missions, .... was made chief of staff of the 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing of the Eighth Air Force. Before the war ended, he was promoted to colonel, one of only a few Americans to rise from private to colonel in four years.
At the beginning of June 1945, .... was the presiding officer of the Court-Martial of a pilot and navigator who were charged with dereliction of duty when they accidentally bombed the Swiss city of Zurich the previous March - the first instance of US personnel being tried over an attack on a neutral country. The Court acquitted the accused.
.... continued to play an active role in the United States Air Force Reserve after the war, achieving the rank of Brigadier General on 23 July 1959. .... did not often talk of his wartime service, perhaps due to his desire to be seen as a regular soldier doing his duty instead of as a celebrity. He did appear on the TV series, The World At War to discuss the 14 October 1943, bombing mission to Schweinfurt, which was the center of the German ball bearing manufacturing industry. This mission is known in USAF history as Black Thursday due to the incredibly high casualties it sustained; in total 60 aircraft were lost out of 291 dispatched, as the raid consisting entirely of B17s was unescorted all the way to Schweinfurt and back due to the current escort aircraft available lacking the range. Fittingly, he was identified only as "...., Squadron Commander" in the documentary.
In 1966, Brigadier General .... rode along as an observer on a B-52 Stratofortress bombing run during the Vietnam War; he also flew combat duty missions during that conflict. At the time of his B-52 mission, he refused the release of any publicity regarding his participation as he did not want it treated as a stunt, but as part of his job as an officer in the Air Force Reserve. He served as Air Force Reserve commander of Dobbins Air Reserve Base in the early 1950s and after 27 years of service, .... retired from the Air Force on 31 May 1968.
Cornfed Hick
Ancient Mariner
That's even easier than mine...
Brig-Gen. James Stewart, USAF, of course.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Correct LC !
How did you know that? Is this taught on every school on the North American continent or are you much into James Stewart that you know this? Or is it your interest in militairy history (not everyone's hobby on this forum, I suppose
)? How many films did you see with Stewart in it? Just curious. Thanks in advance!
@cornfed: If it was so easy (how come easy without looking on internet??), why didn't you answer it? Next time, less arrogance please, just answer!
How did you know that? Is this taught on every school on the North American continent or are you much into James Stewart that you know this? Or is it your interest in militairy history (not everyone's hobby on this forum, I suppose
)? How many films did you see with Stewart in it? Just curious. Thanks in advance!@cornfed: If it was so easy (how come easy without looking on internet??), why didn't you answer it? Next time, less arrogance please, just answer!
Cornfed Hick
Ancient Mariner
Not taught in school, that I recall, though it is fairly well-known (at least in the U.S.) that Jimmy Stewart was a war hero. Jimmy Stewart is about as big a movie star as Hollywood has ever produced, and is often referred to as a "national treasure." It's A Wonderful Life is aired all the time, particularly this time of year, and often with commentary in the "bumps" between commercials. And, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is one of my favorite Westerns. I was simply leaving it open for someone else rather than answer it a few minutes after it had been posted, on the assumption that this information is less well known outside the U.S., where most members reside. Not trying to be arrogant -- to the contrary, I feel a little foolish for posting a trivia question that had already been discussed on this forum not long ago. As for your last comment, Forostar [later removed by edit], the only time I've looked up an answer to a question on this thread was on Donuts' dinosaur question, and that was after I posted my guess (which, as I recall, wasn't even close) and after it became clear no one would get it. My knowledge of the Golden Earring thing was random -- I'm not really a fan, and I don't know anything other than Radar Love and Twilight Zone -- I learned it at a dinner I had with a record executive (I represent a major music company) in which the topic of "geriatric" rock bands (and my love of Iron Maiden) came up.
Genghis Khan
Ancient Mariner
cornfedhick said:That's correct. His name is Norman Borlaug. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. He is referred to as the father of the "Green Revolution," and his work implementing higher-yield crops and more advanced agricultural techniques in lesser-developed nations helped prevent famines and their associated wars. According to one estimate, his work has saved billions -- plural, with a b -- of lives. He is a living rebuttal to the Malthusian nightmare.
Edit: I hadn't seen IronDuke's previous post, obviously. (Here it is: http://forum.maidenfans.com/index.php?topic=15578.0.) He takes it one step further and calls him the "greatest human who ever lived," without the "American" or "20th century" qualifiers. Whether you agree or disagree with that assessment, he is truly a remarkable man. (Borlaug, not IronDuke.
Pen and Teller's show Bullshit dedicated an episode to him. They're American and they were pretty convinced he was the greatest human being ever. Sadly, they said the same thing as you: "... and chances are you've probably never even heard of him".
If I may...
Which flying ace serving under the British Empire had won most dog fights?
Forostar said:
My experience with Gen. Stewart's acting is limited to repeated forced exposure to It's A Wonderful Life. Actually, I seem to remember reading about it in a book on the origin of the USAF.
Genghis Khan said:
Shenanigans. This question is worded ambiguously. Do you mean most credited kills, or most actual dogfights? Does "most" mean they lost one or two? Because that was usually fatal. Is it a percentage?
(By the way, the answer is Billy Bishop (official), and likely Raymond Collishaw (unofficial, if you are like me and believe that his victory count was reduced compared to Bishop's due to his arm of service).)
A
Anonymous
Guest
LooseCannon said:
Why does that sound so familiar?
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Together with Humphrey Bogard and Henry Fonda, James Stewart is in my top 3 of favourite actors.
It’s A Wonderful Life is a classic but there are so many other (and quite some of them also more exciting) films than that.
To mention just a few:
The essential Hitchcocks:
Rope
Rear Window
Vertigo
Call Northside 777
Anatomy Of A Murder
And further many westerns (mostly his Anthony Mann-collaborations, but also The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, directed by John Ford) and films which I haven’t seen yet.
It’s A Wonderful Life is a classic but there are so many other (and quite some of them also more exciting) films than that.
To mention just a few:
The essential Hitchcocks:
Rope
Rear Window
Vertigo
Call Northside 777
Anatomy Of A Murder
And further many westerns (mostly his Anthony Mann-collaborations, but also The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, directed by John Ford) and films which I haven’t seen yet.
Genghis Khan
Ancient Mariner
LooseCannon said:
Yes. And you got it.
Forostar said:
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a great film. I'm not a big fan of Westerns, but that one is great.
Also see Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Very very good.
And The Philadelphia Story. Stewart is great in that one, especially the scenes where he plays drunk.
Now, if I've been reading this thread correctly, it seems there is no question currently posed. So let me see what I can dig up...
A Beatles question. Should be easy.
In the lyrics to "A Day In The Life", Lennon sings:
I saw a film today, oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
But I just had to look, having read the book
These lyrics refer to a particular incident in Lennon's life. What is it?
thousand_suns
Prowler
Stupid-ass question deleted by moderator.
<-- This worthless snot is getting on my last nerve.
<-- This worthless snot is getting on my last nerve.
thousand_suns
Prowler
As my last question was not answered, I will now post a new one. I hope this one does get answered as well as the last one.
Who was the last King of Hawaii?
Who was the last King of Hawaii?
