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Re: Michael Churchill's weekly 'amazing' facts (with explanations)

Posted: 29 Sep 2020, 08:59
by michael_churchill
michael_churchill wrote: 10 Jul 2020, 09:48 Of the "Big Four" North American sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL), only one US state is home of one of the current champions.

The Kansas City Chiefs (NFL / American football) and St. Louis Blues (NHL / Ice hockey) are both in Missouri. The Toronto Raptors (NBA / Basketball) are in Canada. The Washington Nationals (MLB / Baseball) are in D.C., which is not a state.
This is no longer a fact as the Tampa Bay Lightning have just won the Stanley Cup.

Re: Michael Churchill's weekly 'amazing' facts (with explanations)

Posted: 30 Sep 2020, 10:10
by michael_churchill
Generally, call signs of radio and TV broadcasting stations in the United States start with K in the West and with W in the East, and the Mississippi river is the boundary.

One notable exception is KDKA in Pittsburgh, which claims to be the earliest broadcast radio station in the world, having reported on the results of the 1920 presidential election.

Re: Michael Churchill's weekly 'amazing' facts (with explanations)

Posted: 07 Oct 2020, 16:30
by michael_churchill
When the UK first won the Eurovision Song Contest, in 1967 with Sandie Shaw, the BBC's commentator was Rolf Harris.

In the days before Norton and Wogan, BBC commentators on the Eurovision Song Contest also included Dave Lee Travis, David Vine and Michael Aspel. Spokespeople announcing the UK vote have included Lorraine Kelly, Fearne Cotton, Alex Jones, Nigella Lawson and Richard Osman.

Re: Michael Churchill's weekly 'amazing' facts (with explanations)

Posted: 12 Oct 2020, 18:33
by GuyBarry
michael_churchill wrote: 07 Oct 2020, 16:30 When the UK first won the Eurovision Song Contest, in 1967 with Sandie Shaw, the BBC's commentator was Rolf Harris.

In the days before Norton and Wogan, BBC commentators on the Eurovision Song Contest also included Dave Lee Travis, David Vine and Michael Aspel. Spokespeople announcing the UK vote have included Lorraine Kelly, Fearne Cotton, Alex Jones, Nigella Lawson and Richard Osman.
Katie Boyle presented the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest wearing no underwear.

Re: Michael Churchill's weekly 'amazing' facts (with explanations)

Posted: 13 Oct 2020, 20:52
by Lunaticonthegrass
GuyBarry wrote: 12 Oct 2020, 18:33 Katie Boyle presented the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest wearing no underwear.
How on earth do we know this??

Do I even to know how we know this?!

Re: Michael Churchill's weekly 'amazing' facts (with explanations)

Posted: 13 Oct 2020, 20:53
by Lunaticonthegrass
Lunaticonthegrass wrote: 13 Oct 2020, 20:52
GuyBarry wrote: 12 Oct 2020, 18:33 Katie Boyle presented the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest wearing no underwear.
How on earth do we know this??

Do I even to know how we know this?!
*want to know...

Re: Michael Churchill's weekly 'amazing' facts (with explanations)

Posted: 14 Oct 2020, 11:28
by michael_churchill
Apple's promotional images of the iPhone and iPad always show the time as 9:41. This is a reference to the James Bond film 'A View To A Kill'.

In 'A View To A Kill' Max Zorin, played by Christopher Walken, plans to destroy Silicon Valley by detonating a bomb at the San Andreas fault to create an earthquake. The bomb is timed to explode at 9:41.

Re: Michael Churchill's weekly 'amazing' facts (with explanations)

Posted: 15 Oct 2020, 19:57
by GuyBarry
Lunaticonthegrass wrote: 13 Oct 2020, 20:52
GuyBarry wrote: 12 Oct 2020, 18:33 Katie Boyle presented the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest wearing no underwear.
How on earth do we know this??

Do I even to know how we know this?!
She told the story herself. Apparently, seconds before she went on stage, the producer said "I’m sorry but your underwear is showing through your dress, you’re going to have to take it off", and a couple of stage hands ripped it off from beneath her dress. There's a reference here and in many other places.

Re: Michael Churchill's weekly 'amazing' facts (with explanations)

Posted: 21 Oct 2020, 21:23
by michael_churchill
Back To The Future... So, the trilogy is now available in 4K and it's exactly five years since the "future" depicted in Part II - and we still don't have hoverboards! To celebrate I have a number of Back To The Future facts...

Re: Michael Churchill's weekly 'amazing' facts (with explanations)

Posted: 21 Oct 2020, 21:25
by michael_churchill
In the original script, the time machine was built into a refrigerator. It was changed because they feared children would imitate it and lock themselves in fridges.

The original time machine uses a ray gun powered by a nuclear reactor - no need to get to 88mph! To get Marty back to 1982 from 1952, they plan to use a nuclear bomb test in Nevada - the date of which would be top secret, but a page from a history book plays the same part as the flyer about the lightning strike on the clock tower in the film. The ray gun is installed in the fridge and placed in the fake town which will be destroyed by the bomb - enough energy to send Marty back can be collected before the bomb destroys the town and the fridge. The similarity to the "nuclear fridge" scene in 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' may not be coincidental.

The formula that Doc Brown has been searching for, that will enable his "power converter" to work efficiently enough to power the time travel ray turns out to be in Coca Cola. The 1950s Doc insists that he shouldn't be told this fact as it is knowledge of his future. In the finale, Marty is separated from his supply of Coca Cola and has to source it from a house in the fake town. Upon returning to the 1980s, Marty finds Doc is extremely rich, having become successful making power converters in co-operation with the Coca Cola Company.

Re: Michael Churchill's weekly 'amazing' facts (with explanations)

Posted: 28 Oct 2020, 09:19
by michael_churchill
More "Back To The Future"...

Eric Stoltz was replaced in the role of Marty McFly, but is still in the movie (sort of)!

Michael J. Fox was the original choice for the role of Marty, but he was also committed to the TV series "Family Ties" at the time. Filming started with Eric Stoltz in the role. After five weeks filming, a deal was made so that Fox could film "Family Ties" during the day and "Back To The Future" at night, and all the scenes with Stoltz were reshot. Some shots not featuring Marty were kept - one being that of Marty punching Biff in the cafe, leading to the "skateboard" chase around the square. The actor who played Biff, Thomas F. Wilson, has confirmed that the shot was not redone, and it is Eric Stoltz's fist in the final movie.

Re: Michael Churchill's weekly 'amazing' facts (with explanations)

Posted: 26 Oct 2021, 09:01
by michael_churchill
The baseball World Series...

Because of COVID, the entire 2020 World Series was played at a neutral site, Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, near Dallas. The last two games of the 2019 World Series were hosted by the Houston Astros and the first two games of the 2021 World Series that starts today will be hosted by the Houston Astros. That will make 10 consecutive World Series games played in Texas!

Re: Michael Churchill's weekly 'amazing' facts (with explanations)

Posted: 26 Oct 2021, 16:45
by jamesthegill
michael_churchill wrote: 26 Oct 2021, 09:01 The baseball World Series...

Because of COVID, the entire 2020 World Series was played at a neutral site, Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, near Dallas. The last two games of the 2019 World Series were hosted by the Houston Astros and the first two games of the 2021 World Series that starts today will be hosted by the Houston Astros. That will make 10 consecutive World Series games played in Texas!
The current record for most World Series games in the same state have all taken place in the same city - the city of New York, helped by strong New York teams in the League opposite the perennially successful Yankees. 1950 had the final two games of the series taking place at Yankee Stadium, as the Yankees completed a four game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies. 1951 saw the Yankees face the Giants, six years before the latter moved to San Francisco, in a six game series; 1952 and '53 saw the Yankees face and beat the Brooklyn Dodgers (who also moved to California in 1957), across seven and six game series respectively. 1954 saw the first World Series since '48 not to feature the Yankees, but the city of New York was still represented - the Giants played (and beat) the Cleveland Indians, with the first two games taking place in New York for a run of 23 consecutive World Series games in the same state.