More Totally Random Useless Bits of Knowledge Quiz

Answer: Eugene Cernan

According to www.corisnet.com/trivia: " U.S. Astronaut Eugene Cernan is the last person to set foot on the moon - December 1972.

The last words spoken from the moon were from Eugene Cernan, Commander of the Apollo 17 Mission on 11 December, 1972. "As we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came, and, God willing, we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind".

In all, 12 people have walked on the Moon.

Answer: Suicide Is Painless

"Suicide Is Painless" is used as the theme music for M*A*S*H, though those people who are only familiar with the television series might not be able to name it, despite being able to 'play back' the tune in their head! The full worded version of the song was played in the 1970 movie.

Answer: Adrian II

It was Adrian II. According to www.corsinet.com/trivia: "Adrian II (867-872) was the last married Catholic Pope. He was actually married before he became Pope, but refused to adopt celibacy or give up his wife when he ascended the papal throne".

Pope Gregory V was the first German Pope, and was in charge from 3 May, 996 to 18 February, 999. Boniface III was in power from 19 February, 607 to 12 November, 607, and Benedict I preceded Boniface during the period 2 June, 575 to 30 July, 579.

Answer: Inflammation of the pancreas

According to www.mamashealth.com: "Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach. It secretes insulin, which is of fundamental importance in the handling of glucose. If the pancreas is not functioning properly, diabetes may develop.

Acute pancreatitis is usually caused by drinking too much alcohol or by gallstones. A gallstone can block the pancreatic duct, trapping digestive enzymes in the pancreas and causing pancreatitis.

Chronic pancreatitis occurs when digestive enzymes attack and destroy the pancreas and nearby tissues. Chronic pancreatitis is usually caused by many years of alcohol abuse, excess iron in the blood, and other unknown factors. However, it may also be triggered by only one acute attack, especially if the pancreatic ducts are damaged".

Answer: Friends applaud, the comedy is finished

According to http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/dying.html, Beethoven uttered: "Friends applaud, the comedy is finished".

Also credited to the other choices:

"Ah, that tastes nice, thank you" - Johannes Brahms, composer, died 3 April, 1897

"I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have" - Leonardo da Vinci, artist, died 1519

"Either that wallpaper goes, or I do" - Oscar Wilde, writer, died 30 November, 1900

Answer: Seesaw

Ah! Who among us that are old enough could not help to remember the dreary Brady Bunch episode where Bobby and Cindy became world teeter totter champions? As you may recall however, only on a technicality, due to their age! Oh, and only so far as their family was concerned, but let's not split hairs!

According to www.answers.com: "The outdoor toy usually called a seesaw has a number of regional names, New England having the greatest variety in the smallest area. In southeast New England it is called a tilt or a tilting board. Speakers in northeast Massachusetts call it a teedle board; in the Narragansett Bay area the term changes to dandle or dandle board. Teeter or teeterboard is used more generally in the northeast United States, while teeter-totter, probably the most common term after seesaw, is used across the inland northern states and westward to the West Coast. Both seesaw (from the verb saw) and teeter-totter (from teeter, as in to teeter on the edge) demonstrate the linguistic process called reduplication, where a word or syllable is doubled, often with a different vowel. Reduplication is typical of words that indicate repeated activity, such as riding up and down on a seesaw".

Answer: 1908 - London

According to www.corsinet.com/trivia/last.html, Lacrosse was last competed for at the London Olympics in 1908.

Answer: Edmund Barton

The office of Prime Minister of Australia has existed since the inauguration of the Commonwealth. Edmund Barton was the first Prime Minister and served from 1 January, 1901 to 24 September, 1903. He was a member of the Protectionist Party.

According to www.answers.com: "Sir Edmund Barton (January 18 1849 - January 7 1920), Australian politician and judge, was the first Prime Minister of Australia and a founding justice of the High Court of Australia".

As an interesting aside: "In 1879, Barton umpired a cricket game at Sydney Cricket Ground between New South Wales and an English touring side captained by Lord Harris. After a controversial umpiring decision by Barton's fellow umpire, the crowd spilled onto the pitch, leading to international cricket's first riot".

Answer: Aja

Steely Dan recorded "Aja" in the 70s. "Live Evil" is the name of album for both Black Sabbath and Miles Davis. "Aoxomoxoa" belongs to The Greatful Dead and "UFO Tofu" is by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

Answer: He was the only casualty of the Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse

The bridge collapsed on 7 November, 1940, it's structure weakened by a previously unforeseen combination of circumstances due to the weather and the bridge design. As for Tubby, according to www.answers.com: "No human life was lost in the collapse of the bridge. However, Tubby, a cocker spaniel dog, was left in one of the cars on the bridge. Two people attempted to rescue Tubby, but the dog was too terrified to leave the car and bit one of the rescuers. Tubby died when the bridge fell, and neither his body nor the car were ever recovered".

The dog that found the stolen Jules Rimet Trophy (World Cup) under a London suburban bush was named Pickles.

As for the grenade, according to www.cdli.ca: "Gander (a Newfoundland dog) showed his greatest and last act of bravery and loyalty during another Japanese attack. During the battle, an enemy grenade landed near a group of Canadian soldiers. Probably out of concern for his friends, Gander grabbed the grenade in his mouth and carried it to where it would do no harm. Unfortunately, the grenade exploded in Gander's mouth, killing him instantly. He had given his life saving the lives of the Canadian soldiers".

And a dog DID storm a gun emplacement! According to www.petcem.com: "Chips first served in General Patton's brutal Africa campaign, then waded ashore with the 3rd Division of Patton's Seventh Army as it was swept into battle in Sicily...Shortly after Chips and the men had made their way ashore and established a beachhead on Sicily, the soldiers, thinking they were momentarily out of danger, slowly inched their way to an abandoned pillbox where they decided to take a short rest. Tired and weary, Chips, however, could not relax. His senses told him there was danger nearby and suddenly he broke away from his handler - violating a sacred rule - dashed across a stretch of No Man's Land. A bullet pierced his body, but he ignored the pain and threw himself into an enemy machine gun nest. The firing stopped. There was deadly silence, and for a moment Chips was not seen or heard. When his comrades got to the scene, they saw Chips holding onto the throat of the enemy gunner, and five other terrified men with their arms raised in surrender".