Now I Know Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

Bananas contain potassium. In large quantities bananas may register on Geiger counters. However, bananas are a nutritious, edible, and safe fruit. Eating 1500 bananas is about equal to smoking one cigarette.

Answer: Toilet paper

Gayetty first marketed toilet paper in 1857. Gayetty used hemp paper containing aloe as a lubricant and advertised it as a anti-hemorrhoid medication and watermarked "J C Gayetty N Y". It was at first condemned by medical associations as 'unsafe' and was the subject of numerous law suits over ownership of the patent.

Answer: Slaves

The overloaded Zong left with 442 slaves on board. In a combination of poor management and even poorer navigation it did not find Tobago where it was scheduled for re-supplies hence quickly became short of food and potable water, at least not enough to care for the slaves. The crew then began to throw the slaves overboard. The ship mistook Hispania for Jamaica and when it finally arrived at its destination only 208 malnourished slaves had survived with 234 callously sent to their deaths at sea. The insurance company refused to pay for lost 'cargo' and sued the ship owners for fraud. Although the jury sided with the ship owners, the cause was lost on appeal.

During the abolitionist movement in the nineteenth century, the story of the Zong was used as fire to encourage the cause.

Answer: Ellis was under the influence of LSD

At about noon on June 12, believing he had the day off, Ellis dropped LSD. However, his girl friend told him that he was scheduled to start the first game of the double header at 6:05 pm. He hustled to the ballpark and pitched his one and only no-hitter of his twelve year career. It was not until 1984 that Ellis told the story.

In his own words:"I can only remember bits and pieces of the game. I was psyched. I had a feeling of euphoria. I was zeroed in on the [catcher's] glove, but I didn't hit the glove too much. I remember hitting a couple of batters, and the bases were loaded two or three times. The ball was small sometimes, the ball was large sometimes, sometimes I saw the catcher, sometimes I didn't. Sometimes, I tried to stare the hitter down and throw while I was looking at him. I chewed my gum until it turned to powder. I started having a crazy idea in the fourth inning that Richard Nixon was the home plate umpire, and once I thought I was pitching a baseball to Jimi Hendrix, who to me was holding a guitar and swinging it over the plate. They say I had about three to four fielding chances. I remember diving out of the way of a ball I thought was a line drive. I jumped, but the ball wasn't hit hard and never reached me."

Answer: A discarded character from the 'Peanuts' cartoons

The "Peanuts" cartoon started in 1950 and Charlotte was introduced in 1954. She was loud, abrasive, and did not get along with the other characters. Charles Schultz received so many letters from fans who disliked Charlotte that he decided to phase her out. To one protesting fan he wrote "You now have the death of an innocent child on your conscience." He included a drawing of Charlotte with an axe in her head.

Answer: Koreans believe that fans cause dehydration, hypothenia, and possible death

This is total nonsense according to scientists. Yet Koreans visiting other nations are reluctant to use fans or air conditioners even though they rationally do not believe the myth. In fact research has shown that the incidence of Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) is lower in homes with fans or air conditioners.

Answer: Chicago

Amid the onions and garlic the city of Chicago rose with a population of about 200 in 1833 but by 1860 it exceeded 100,000+. In 2016 the estimated population was 2.7 million serving a metropolitan community of 9.4 million. Chicago is the third largest city in the United States after New York City and Los Angeles.

Answer: New Zealand

The Antarctic continent is mostly an international site with few claims to a specific ownership. However, New Zealand claims an area around the South Pole but only an American research station is near that site. In 2000 Australian Rodney Marks, a scientist and researcher who suffered from Tourette's Syndrome and alcoholism, was found dead of 'natural causes'.

When it was realized that New Zealand had jurisdiction, the body was sent to New Zealand for autopsy. The autopsy revealed that he died of methanol poisoning, probably from drinking Sterno or antifreeze.

He was found with an ample supply of alcohol products, so ingesting these toxic substances voluntarily seemed unlikely. The mystery remains unsolved.

Answer: Hot dogs

Ray Kroc died in 1984 and kept the promise. Since then the market place has changed. In order to be competitive, McDonald's has offered the 'MacHotDog' on an experimental basis in select markets such as near athletic stadiums. Kroc said in his autobiography "...there's a damned good reason we should never have hot dogs.

There's no telling what's inside a hot dog's skin...and our standard of quality...wouldn't permit..."

Answer: Artichokes

La Guardia was fearless in opposing crime whatever shape it took. In 1935 the price of artichokes had skyrocketed because the market was being controlled by the Mafia. The ban was effective and artichokes returned to their normal value in 1936 when the act was rescinded. During his time as mayor he was also able to ban pin ball machines as they "preyed on children".