Let’s start with salad, specifically salad dressing, even more specifically salad dressing names. We’ll start with the king of salad dressings in the United States: ranch. Ranch dressing was first created in 1954 by Steve Henson, who owned a dude ranch called Hidden Valley Ranch, near Santa Barbara, California. His customers liked the dressing so m…

Today is the 14th day of competition at the 23rd Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. Here are a few things you might not have known about these Olympics and the Olympic Winter Games in general. Ninety-two nations are competing in 102 events in 15 sports during the 19-day competition. The host South Koreans marched with their counterpa…

I hope you’re asking yourself, where has this guy been for the past eight months? Well, my wife and I moved from Yakima, Washington, to Los Angeles in a so-far successful attempt to avoid winter. Also, I’ve recently started a new job, because unlike other podcasters, we’re not rolling in Blue Apron or SquareSpace money yet. So, inspired by my new-i…

To my listeners: I hope you've noticed there has been a lack of "Trivia Minute" podcasts lately. I have quite a few exciting and positive things going on in my life right now, so I've had to put the podcast on the back burner until things settle down (likely sometime this autumn). My promise: The show will return, so please stay subscribed using wh…

We’ll start off with a question: What nation did Mexican forces defeat in the Battle of Puebla, which is marked by Cinco de Mayo celebrations? We’ll have the answer later in the show. Today is Cinco de Mayo, which is celebrated more in the United States than it is in Mexico. It’s also Children’s Day in Japan and South Korea and Constitution Day in …

We’ll start off with a question: What was the only crime gangster Al Capone was ever convicted of? We’ll have the answer later in the show. Today is International Firefighters Day, Youth Day in Fiji, and Restoration of Independence Day in Latvia. It’s unofficially Star Wars Day, National Day of Prayer and National Orange Juice Day. It’s the birthda…

We’ll start off with a question: Who was the owner of the Dodgers when they moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles? We’ll have the answer later in the show. Today is World Press Freedom Day, Constitution Day in Poland, and Constitution Memorial Day in Japan. It’s Public Radio Day, Wordsmith Day, and National Raspberry Popover Day. It’s the birthday of …

We’ll start off with a question: The maiden flight of the De Havilland Comet, the first jet airliner, traveled between which two cities? We’ll have the answer later in the show. Today is Flag Day in Poland, National Education Day in Indonesia, and Teachers’ Day in Iran. It’s unofficially National Play Your Ukulele Day, International Scurvy Awarenes…

Our T-shirt giveaway came to an end on Sunday. We only had one entry from Doug Barbeau, who wins a Trivia Minute T-Shirt. Thanks, Doug. We’ll start off with a question: Which two of the contiguous 48 states are not served by Amtrak rail service? Today is Constitution Day in Argentina, Latvia and the Marshall Islands. It’s International Workers’ Day…

Today's trivia question: Who was the captain of the HMS Bounty? Today is International Workplace Safety Day, National Heroes Day in Barbados, and National Day of Mourning in Canada. It’s unofficially National Cubicle Day, National Superhero Day, and National Blueberry Pie Day. It’s the birthday of author Harper Lee, who was born in 1926; Supreme Co…

We’ll start off with a trivia question: Tanzania was formed from the merger of what two countries? We’ll have the answer later in the show. Today is World Intellectual Property Day. It’s unofficially Administrative Professionals Day, Audubon Day and Hug an Australian Day. It’s the birthday of architect I.M. Pei, who is 100; actress Carol Burnett, w…

We’ll start off with a trivia question: What is the name of the canal and lock system that connects the North American Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean? We’ll have the answer in the show. Today is World Malaria Day, Flag Day in Swaziland, and Liberation Day in Italy. It’s unofficially National Plumber’s Day, National Telephone Day, and Hairstylist…

We’ll start off with a trivia question: What city hosted the most recent World’s Fair held in the United States? We’ll have the answer later in the show. Today is Civil Service Day in India, National Tree Planting Day in Kenya, and Day of Self-Government in Russia. It’s unofficially Big Words Day, Kindergarten Day, and Keep Off the Grass Day. It’s …

We’ll start off with a trivia question: What sporting event is closely associated with World War I fighter pilot Roland Garros? We’ll have the answer later in the show. Today is World Heritage Day; Independence Day in Zimbabwe, Friend’s Day in Brazil and Coma Patients’ Day in Poland. It’s unofficially National Lineman Appreciation Day, National Ani…

Hey folks. We’re having some technical difficulties here at TriviaPeople.com HQ, so there won’t be a show today.

On this date in 1992, The Walt Disney Company opened Euro Disneyland. Here are some things you may not have known about Disney parks. Walt Disney originally wanted to build a theme park in Burbank, California, near his studios. Because of the limited size of the property, Disney chose instead to buy 160 acres of orange grove in Anaheim, about 30 mi…

We’ll start off with a question: Despite not landing on the Moon, what record did the crew of Apollo 13 set? Today is Juan Santamaria Day in Costa Rica and World Parkinson’s Disease Day. It’s unofficially International Louie Louie Day, National Eight-Track Tape Day, and National Pet Day. It’s the birthday of fashion designer Oleg Cassini, who was b…

On this date in 1858, the bell known as Big Ben was cast in London. Here are some things you may not have known about Big Ben. The nickname Big Ben refers to the bell only. The clock is called the Great Clock, while the tower is named Elizabeth Tower. The namesake of the bell is disputed. It may have been named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who was in c…

Hey folks, no show today, but I wanted to make sure to give you the answer to this week’s question. Also, be sure to listen to Monday’s podcast when we’ll have details on our first T-shirt giveaway contest. As a refresher, the question was: What is the second fastest land mammal? Listen to the show for the answer. The first correct answer came from…

On this date in 1792, George Washington used his presidential veto power for the first time. Here are a few things you may not have known about the veto. The history of the veto, which means “I forbid” in Latin, can be traced to the Roman Empire. Roman consuls had to act unanimously, so one essentially held veto power over the other, while tribunes…

We’ll start off with a random trivia question: Which actors played the character of Jay Gatsby in the 1949, 1974, and 2013 film versions of “The Great Gatsby”? We’ll have the answer later in the show. Today is International Landmine Awareness Day, Children’s Day in Hong Kong and Taiwan; Independence Day in Senegal. It’s unofficially World Rat Day, …

On this date in 1860, the Pony Express began operations. Here are some things you may not have known about the Old West mail service. After the discovery of gold in 1849 and the admission of California as a state in 1850, a faster way to deliver transcontinental mail was needed. At the time, mail could take up to a month to travel from coast to coa…

March 31, 2017: Still Under the Weather

We’ll start off with a random trivia question: What are the three sites at which U.S. space shuttles have landed? We’ll have the answer later in the show. Today is unofficially National Doctors' Day, Pencil Day and World Bipolar Day. It’s the birthday of musician Eric Clapton, who is 72; rapper MC Hammer, who is 55; and musician Tracy Chapman, who …

On this date in in 1806, the first major improved highway in the United States was authorized. Here are some things you might not know about The National Road. The National Road began in 1751 as the Braddock Road, which ran from Fort Cumberland, Maryland, which is navigable limit of the Potomac River, to Fort Duquesne at the site of modern-day Pitt…

On this date in 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania suffered a partial core meltdown. What is the name of the river in which Three Mile Island is located? We’ll have the answer later in the show. Today is Teachers’ Day in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and Serfs Emancipation Day in Tibet. It’s unofficially National Hot …

On this date in 1977, 583 people died in the deadliest accident in aviation history. Here are some things you may not have known about the Tenerife Airport Disaster. KLM Flight 4805 from Amsterdam, and Pan Am Flight 1736 from Los Angeles via New York, were both traveling to Gran Canaria Airport at Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. A bomb explosion …

I am a bit under the weather today, so there won’t be a show today, but I wanted to make sure we answered this week’s question. The question was: How much did the United State pay per acre for Alaska in 1867? Listen to the show for the answer! The first correct answer was from Kevin Lazar. We also had correct responses from Trent Harris, Alex Thomp…

We’ll start off with a random trivia question: What university was founded on this date in 1868? Today is World Meteorological Day, Day of Hungarian-Polish Friendship, and Day of the Sea in Bolivia. It’s unofficially National Puppy Day, National Chip and Dip Day, and National Melba Toast Day. It’s the birthday of actress Joan Crawford, who was born…

On this date in 1894, the first Stanley Cup playoff game was held. Here are a few things you may not have known about the oldest trophy in North American professional team sports. The cup was commissioned as the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup by Lord Stanley of Preston, who was then the governor general of Canada. It was awarded for the first time i…

We’ll start off with a random trivia question: What is the largest city named after a U.S. President? Today is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, International Color Day, International Day of Forests, World Down Syndrome Day, World Poetry Day and World Puppetry Day. It’s Independence Day in Namibia, and Human Rights Day…

On this date in 1985, Libby Riddles became the first woman to win the Iditarod Trail sled dog race. Here are some things you might not have known about the annual tradition. The Iditarod is run in honor of the 1925 serum run, which was a sled dog relay to deliver a diphtheria antitoxin to the town of Nome during an outbreak. 20 mushers combined to …

Today is St. Patrick's Day. Here are some things you should know. While a four-leaf clover may be lucky, it’s not a shamrock. Shamrocks have three leaves and are more common than their quad-leaved brethren. It’s said that St. Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock to help explain the Christian Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish. St. Patrick is …

Today is Day of the Book Smugglers in Lithuania, and Latvian Legion Day. It’s unofficially National artichoke heart day, national orange and lemon day, freedom of information day, and black press day. It’s the birthday of former US President James Madison, I was born in 1751; actor and comedian Jerry Lewis, who is 91; and actor Erik Estrada, who is…

On this date in 1820, Maine was admitted to the Union. Here are some things you may not have known about the 23rd state. The first inhabitants of what would become Maine was a loose confederacy of Algonquin-speaking people, called the Wabanaki. The first European contact came about 800 years ago when Norwegians arrived on the coast. The Norwegians …

For the foreseeable future, we’ll be scaling back our episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We’ll still bring you all the features that usually run in the second half of the show. Today is Pi Day, in celebration of the mathematical constant pi, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. In several Asian countries, it’s White Day, where me…

On this date in 1930, the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered. Here are some things you may not have known about what was once considered the ninth planet in the solar system. Although it wasn’t discovered until 1930, astronomers had predicted in the late 19th century that something besides the newly discovered Neptune was disturbing the orbit of the…

On this date in 1926, the first Book of the Month Club selection was published. Here are some things you might not have known about it. The Book of the Month Club was founded by Harry Scherman in New York. Scherman had earlier success selling a collection of 30 leather-bound books for just under $3. Over the course of five years, he sold more than …

Today is Teachers’ Day in Lebanon. It’s unofficially False Teeth Day, Barbie Day, and National Meatball Day. It’s the birthday of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who was born in 1934; actor Raul Julia, who was born in 1940; and actress Juliette Binoche, who is 53. This week in 1967, the top song in the U.S. was “Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone” by The Sup…

On this date in 1985, the charity song “We Are The World” was released. Here are some things you may not have known about it. More than a million people died as a result of a widespread famine in Ethiopia between 1983 and 1985, in the midst of more than two decades of insurrection and civil war. In response to this, musician Bob Geldof organized a …

On this date in 1899, Bayer registered the name “Aspirin” as a trademark. Here are some things you might not have known about aspirin. Aspirin is also known as acetylsalicylic acid. People have been using willow and myrtle trees, both rich in salicylate for thousands of years to treat pain and fever. Aspirin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory dru…

On this date in 1986, the Australia Act of 1986 came into effect. Here are some things you may not have known about Australia’s independence from the United Kingdom. The Australia Act of 1986 cut the last constitutional ties between Australia and the UK. The process began in 1901 with the creation of the Dominion of Australia. Dominions were semi-i…

On this date in 1933, the film “King Kong” premiered in New York. Here are some things you may not have known about it. “King Kong” is the tale of a wildlife filmmaker and his crew, who stumble upon an enormous gorilla-like ape on an uncharted island off of Indonesia. The ape falls in love with the actress, Ann Darrow, played by Fay Wray. The ape i…

On this date in 1954, four Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire in the House of Representatives chamber in the United States Capitol building. Here are some things you may not have known about it. The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party was founded in the 1920s in an attempt to secure the island’s independence from the United States. The U.S. had gaine…

On this date in 1983, the series finale of the television show “MASH” aired in the United States. Here are some things you may not have known about the most-watched scripted television episode in American history. The final episode of the series was called “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.” The comedy/drama ran for 11 seasons, eight years longer than th…

On this date in 1942, anti-aircraft guns blazed over the city of Los Angeles during what was eventually determined to be a false alarm. Here are some things you might not have known about “The Battle of Los Angeles.” The United States was three months into its involvement in World War II following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Califo…

On this date in 1886, Charles Martin Hall used an economical method to produce aluminum for the first time. Here are some things you may not have known about it. Aluminum is the third most common element in the Earth’s crust, and the most common metal. Aluminum compounds occur naturally, and have been used in clay pottery for thousands of years. Ho…

On this date in 1959, Lee Petty won the first Daytona 500. Here are some things you may not have known about stock car racing’s crown jewel. The Daytona 500 is the direct descendant of earlier races held on the Daytona Beach Road Course. Stock car races were held on a stretch of Daytona Beach and an adjacent stretch of highway. The first stock car …