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

Got anything to say that's not about the Tube? Say it here!
michael_churchill
Zone 6
Posts: 821
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 16:30
Location: Southampton
Contact:

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

Post 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.
michael_churchill
Zone 6
Posts: 821
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 16:30
Location: Southampton
Contact:

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

Post 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.
michael_churchill
Zone 6
Posts: 821
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 16:30
Location: Southampton
Contact:

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

Post 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.
GuyBarry
The Twilight Zone
Posts: 5464
Joined: 01 Aug 2011, 09:24

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

Post 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.
Undefeated Tumbleweed champion, Oct 2015

Inventor of Grumbleweed, Nimbleweed, Timesnap, Postsnap and several other silly games
User avatar
Lunaticonthegrass
Zone 4
Posts: 247
Joined: 18 Nov 2019, 22:47
Location: North of Watford

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

Post 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?!
Full Network (270 stations) - 18:22:43
Parks - 7:57:23
Alphabet - 5:30:40
Roads, Streets and Lanes - 3:51:51
Zone 1 - 3:03:50 (Former record)
Bottle - 1:57:43
1 pint in 18 seconds
User avatar
Lunaticonthegrass
Zone 4
Posts: 247
Joined: 18 Nov 2019, 22:47
Location: North of Watford

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

Post 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...
Full Network (270 stations) - 18:22:43
Parks - 7:57:23
Alphabet - 5:30:40
Roads, Streets and Lanes - 3:51:51
Zone 1 - 3:03:50 (Former record)
Bottle - 1:57:43
1 pint in 18 seconds
michael_churchill
Zone 6
Posts: 821
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 16:30
Location: Southampton
Contact:

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

Post 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.
GuyBarry
The Twilight Zone
Posts: 5464
Joined: 01 Aug 2011, 09:24

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

Post 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.
Undefeated Tumbleweed champion, Oct 2015

Inventor of Grumbleweed, Nimbleweed, Timesnap, Postsnap and several other silly games
michael_churchill
Zone 6
Posts: 821
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 16:30
Location: Southampton
Contact:

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

Post 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...
michael_churchill
Zone 6
Posts: 821
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 16:30
Location: Southampton
Contact:

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

Post 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.
michael_churchill
Zone 6
Posts: 821
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 16:30
Location: Southampton
Contact:

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

Post 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.
michael_churchill
Zone 6
Posts: 821
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 16:30
Location: Southampton
Contact:

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

Post 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!
User avatar
jamesthegill
All Zones
Posts: 1773
Joined: 22 Apr 2007, 15:23
Location: Domus clamantium

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

Post 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.
Holder of the slowest recorded 274 attempt: 4 months, 1 day, 9 hours, 17 minutes, 32 seconds.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 21 guests