Born on September 23, 1963, who was the first child of an astronaut?
I believe that the person you're referring to is Soviet-born Tatyana Titova, the daughter of Gherman Titov. Her father was the second human being to orbit the Earth. He did it aboard Vostok 2 in August of 1961. He still holds the record for the youngest person to reach Earth orbit, doing so at the age of 25.
For the record, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic (commercial space carriers) have only achieved sub-orbital space.
https://x.com/NASAhistory/status/911575885714788352
(LeoDaVinci)
3 answers
Sep 11 26 by pehinhota
What was the Bee Gees' first name, with a French reference?
Perhaps this question is being quite direct and actually asking about "the Bee Gees' first name"?
Maurice: The given name of Maurice Gibb comes via Old French (Maurice) and Latin (Mauritius), meaning "dark-skinned" or "Moorish.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_(name)
Robin: Robin Gibb's first name originated as a medieval French pet form or diminutive of the name Robert from Germanic elements meaning "bright fame"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_(name)
Is it just that simple?
J (misdiaslocos)
6 answers
Sep 06 26 by chabenao1
What was the Bee Gees' first name, with a French reference?
The "French" reference may be the "Brothers Gibb" first performance as "The Rattlesnakes" in 1956 at the Gaumont Theater.
[quote]This hobby would lead to the brothers' very first public performance in 1956 at The Gaumont, a nearby movie theater where children were allowed to pantomime songs on stage before Saturday matinees. The brothers practiced with two neighborhood friends, Paul Frost and Kenny Oricks, calling themselves The Rattlesnakes. Yet just before their big debut, the sound tech dropped and shattered Leslie's record.[/quote]
https://www.beegees.com/beginning-bee-gees/#/
(elburcher)
6 answers
Sep 06 26 by chabenao1
4 answers
Sep 02 26 by Sheep_Dip
6 answers
Sep 06 26 by chabenao1
Which German conquistador is buried in Maracaibo/Venezuela?
Ambrosius Ehinger aka Ambrosio Alfinger. Born in 1500 in Ulm, Ambrosius was appointed governor and captain general of the new province of Venezuela, where he arrived in March 1529. He settled in Santa Ana de Coro, the only European settlement along 2,000 km of the Venezuelan coast. In 1530, he became the first conquistador to reach the territories that now make up the departments of Cesar and Norte de Santander in Colombia. He died in Chinacota in 1533 after his throat was pierced by an arrow fired by a Chitarero Indian. He was originally buried there, but his remains were later exhumed and moved to Maracaibo, Venezuela, where they were reburied in the El Cuadrado Cemetery (mazza47)
2 answers
Sep 08 26 by pehinhota
6 answers
Sep 06 26 by chabenao1
What was the Bee Gees' first name, with a French reference?
The first name of the Bee Gees was The Rattlesnakes
https://www.beegees.com/bee-gees-way-redcliffe-australia/#/
"While still living in Manchester in 1955, the "Gibb" brothers formed their first band, 'The Rattlesnakes' - it was with The Rattlesnakes that first they learned to sing in harmony. In May of 1958, The Rattlesnakes disbanded and shortly after, the Gibb family moved to Redcliffe in Queensland, Australia."
The only thing is I cannot see a French reference in the name "The Rattlesnakes", and rattlesnakes belong to the family Viperidae (the vipers) and the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rattlesnake (Philip_Eno)
6 answers
Sep 06 26 by chabenao1
1 answer
Sep 05 26 by misdiaslocos
What is the best prospect for an as yet undiscovered megafauna? And while I love me some Bigfoot, have a soft spot for a Skunk Ape, and want to ride an Ogopogo, I really am looking for a scientific answer, not articles from the Fortean Times.
From a strict zoological and statistical standpoint, if you are looking for a completely undiscovered megafauna (defined scientifically as an animal weighing over 100 pounds/45 kg), the short answer from the scientific community is: look to the deep ocean, specifically for cryptic marine mammals like beaked whales, or deep-sea sharks and cephalopods. Terrestrial megafauna like Bigfoot, the Skunk Ape, or a giant lake monster like Ogopogo are virtually impossible under modern ecological and observational models. However, science does project that large animals are still waiting to be formally described. Here is how modern biology ranks the best prospects for undiscovered megafauna. (javelpaul143)
1 answer
Sep 05 26 by misdiaslocos
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Aug 27 26 by pehinhota
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Sep 03 26 by ozzz2002
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Sep 03 26 by pehinhota
2 answers
Sep 03 26 by pehinhota
Tottenham Hotspur is a longstanding club in English soccer, but what is a hotspur?
Tottenham Hotspur was named after Sir Henry Percy (1364-1403), better known as Harry Hotspur. The Percy family owned land in the Tottenham area, and the club's cockerel emblem also refers to Hotspur's association with fighting cocks fitted with spurs.
[quote]The club was based in the Northumberland Park area of Tottenham, named for the Dukes of Northumberland, and hence took its name from Harry Hotspur, a famous member of the Northumberland family.[/quote]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tottenham_Hotspur_F.C.#History
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Tottenham_Hotspur_F.C.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Percy_(Hotspur) (wellenbrecher)
2 answers
Sep 03 26 by ozzz2002
What was the closest "not quite an innings victory" in the history of test cricket? As there are two possible metrics (smallest number of runs chased and smallest number of balls/overs in the fourth innings), please provide both if different.
The smallest possible run chase target is one run, which can occur when:
- the team batting first scores the exact same across their two innings as the team batting second does in their first innings, leaving the latter with a target of just one to take the lead
- the team batting first scores over 200 runs more than the team batting second does in the first innings, the former enforces the follow-on, and the latter then equals the former's first innings total across their two innings.
A target of one can be reached in just one ball. Turns out it has happened four times in Test history: (winning team listed first)
Aus vs SA, Cape Town, 1921
Eng vs Aus, SCG, 1932
WI vs Eng, Manchester, 1963
WI vs Ind, Bridgetown, 1983
In the first three matches, the batter scored exactly the one run required - no extra running, fours or sixes. This left them all on a strike rate of 100. The last match between West Indies and India ended with a no ball, and no runs to the batters. I wonder if it was bowled intentionally?
https://www.cricinfo.com/series/australia-tour-of-south-africa-1921-22-61377/south-africa-vs-australia-3rd-test-62533/full-scorecard
https://www.cricinfo.com/series/england-marylebone-cricket-club-tour-of-australia-1932-33-61718/australia-vs-england-1st-test-62606/full-scorecard
https://www.cricinfo.com/series/west-indies-tour-of-england-1963-61874/england-vs-west-indies-1st-test-62929/full-scorecard
https://www.cricinfo.com/series/india-tour-of-west-indies-1982-83-62309/west-indies-vs-india-4th-test-63338/full-scorecard (patrickk)
1 answer
Sep 01 26 by WesleyCrusher
4 answers
Sep 02 26 by Sheep_Dip
2 answers
Sep 01 26 by chabenao1
4 answers
Sep 02 26 by Sheep_Dip
4 answers
Sep 02 26 by Sheep_Dip
1 answer
Sep 02 26 by Sheep_Dip
2 answers
Sep 01 26 by chabenao1
In which of the European countries occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II stands the only statue of a German soldier who saved the lives of two local children?
https://www.amusingplanet.com/2025/12/the-heroic-deed-that-earned-karl-heinz.html
In the Dutch village of Goirle on 6 October 1944, a German soldier carried two small children to the safety of a cellar whilst under mortar attack. After he got the two children to safety, Karl-Heinz Rosch was killed in the same spot where the two children were playing
These details were not in the public domain until townsfolk in the small town wanted to erect a monument to honour the seventeen-year-old soldier's bravery and humanity in 2008. Attempts to fund a statue through official channels were refused. The townsfolk paid for the statue themselves. It stands on private property. The statue is controversial as it depicts a Wehrmacht soldier in uniform. (1nn1)
2 answers
Aug 27 26 by pehinhota
1 answer
Aug 23 26 by Sheep_Dip
"Where books are burned, in the end, people will also be burned" — which poet is this quote from?
This quote is by the German poet Heinrich Heine (1797-1856). It comes from his tragedy "Almansor", written in 1821 and published in 1823.
The context is important: Heine was referring to the burning of the Quran following the Christian conquest of Granada in 1492. More than a century after publication, the Nazis burned Heine's own works during their book burnings in 1933, which gave the line an eerie historical resonance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Heine#Heine_in_Nazi_Germany
(wellenbrecher)
2 answers
Aug 20 26 by pehinhota
1 answer
Aug 23 26 by pehinhota
9 answers
Jul 17 26 by pehinhota
"Where books are burned, in the end, people will also be burned" — which poet is this quote from?
Heinrich Heine, a German writer, poet and critic of literature.
[quote]In 1823, Heinrich Heine wrote, "Dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man auch am Ende Menschen" which translates to "Where books are burned, in the end, people will also be burned." Heine was a German writer, poet and critic of literature.[/quote]
https://mylibrarycardworeout.com/2019/10/where-books-are-burnt-why-it-is-wrong/ (elburcher)
2 answers
Aug 20 26 by pehinhota
Who executed Topsy the elephant, why, and what was the connection between the execution and the War of the Currents?
Topsy the elephant was executed by her owners, Frederick Thompson and Elmer Dundy, the proprietors of Coney Island's Luna Park. She was put to death because she was deemed too volatile and dangerous after killing a spectator who had cruelly burned her trunk with a lit cigar.The connection between Topsy's execution and the War of the Currents is a widespread historical myth. While popular culture often claims Thomas Edison electrocuted Topsy to discredit alternating current (AC) power, historical evidence proves otherwise. (javelpaul143)
3 answers
Aug 05 26 by misdiaslocos
Which Formula One World Drivers' Champion never held a driver's license during his motorsport career?
The correct answer is none. Every single Formula One World Drivers' Champion has held a standard road driver's license at some point during their motorsport career. Max Verstappen: The three-time World Champion made his historic F1 debut at just 17 years old during the 2015 season. Because he was under the legal age limit in his home country, he competed in multiple Grand Prix races using only his FIA Super Licence before finally passing his road driving test on his 18th birthday later that year. Juan Manuel Fangio: The legendary five-time World Champion dominated the 1950s without ever holding an official civilian driver's license in his home nation. The Argentinian racing icon did not actually pass a standard road driving test until 1961, which was a few years after he had already retired from professional motorsport. (javelpaul143)
2 answers
Aug 05 26 by pehinhota
2 answers
Aug 06 26 by FatherSteve
3 answers
Aug 05 26 by misdiaslocos
1 answer
Aug 07 26 by serpa
Nabisco Premium Saltine Crackers boast on the box that they are "topped with sea salt." Isn't there a geologic sense in which ALL salt is sea salt?
The definition of Salt is fairly broad, with many compounds making up salts, many of which are inedible to humans. A good example being Lead Acetate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead(II)_acetate which is made without any nod to the sea. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_(chemistry)#Properties
Common Salt (NaCl) is almost always derived from sea water, although often having been deposited underground and eventually pushed to the surface over several million years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_edible_salts
So ALL salts, no - but all edible salts - mostly. Things like MSG and Ammonium Chloride do not come from the sea, and could be used to flavor your crackers, but they'd certainly taste different (maripp2002)
2 answers
Aug 06 26 by FatherSteve
Who executed Topsy the elephant, why, and what was the connection between the execution and the War of the Currents?
Topsy had become something of a liability, having killed one man and, understandably, threatened others who abused her. Having failed to sell her, her owners decided to kill her with electrocution being chosen as the most humane method. An earlier suggestion of hanging had been vetoed. The connection to the 'War of the Currents' is less clear. Thomas Edison had nothing to do with the execution and the 'war' had been over well before the demise of Topsy. The electricity was supplied by a company bearing his name and was filmed by another company with the Edison name. Edison himself had nothing to do with the first company, and was not active in the second.
The story quoted in the first answer seems to be a myth, as is discussed thoroughly in this article: https://edison.rutgers.edu/life-of-edison/essaying-edison/essay/myth-buster-topsy-the-elephant (rossian)
3 answers
Aug 05 26 by misdiaslocos
2 answers
Aug 05 26 by pehinhota
Who said: "The problem with a rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat"?
Also, just looking at the origin of the phrase "rat race"...it seems to have started in the 1930s in the USA. It was a literal race for rats that people gambled on. By 1939 it was being used in the current sense of a competition to maintain your position in a corporate environment.
https://www.etymonline.com/word/rat-race (misdiaslocos)
2 answers
Aug 04 26 by chabenao1
2 answers
Aug 04 26 by chabenao1
Carlshafen was the first name for which present-day ghost town in Texas?
In an AWFUL choice of name right up there with Chernobyl being called Wormwood, the city of Indianola, devastated by hurricane tidal surges, was actually called wave.
"The settlement's name was changed to Indianola in 1849 by combining the word Indian with ola, the Spanish word for "wave"."
https://calhouncountymuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Indianola-Visitors-Guide5.pdf
J (misdiaslocos)
4 answers
Jul 27 26 by pehinhota
3 answers
Aug 03 26 by serpa
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