# Trivia Dominoes: Play Off the Last Bit of Trivia **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [February 4, 2010, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657 "2010-02-04T08:12:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2293
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45852 "2019-12-31T02:26:16Z")
Sam Houston was the first elected president of the Republic of Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45853 "2019-12-31T03:28:40Z")
When the Republic of Texas was formed in 1836, it recognized its border with Mexico as the Rio Grande River. Mexico, however, claimed the Nueces River as the boundary. When the United States annexed Texas and admitted it as a state in 1846, the boundary was still in dispute. This was a primary cause of the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45854 "2019-12-31T04:35:00Z")
In 1988, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railway merged with the Southern Pacific Transportation Company. The merged railroad company operated as the Southern Pacific, though the Rio Grande remained a distinct division within the Southern Pacific. This arrangement only lasted for 8 years; in 1998, the combined SP/D&RGW system was sold to the Union Pacific Railroad, and eventually folded into UP’s operations. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45855 "2019-12-31T06:12:16Z")
The Union Pacific Railroad was originally formed in 1862. In 1869 it joined its line from Council Bluffs IA with the Central Pacific Railroad line from Oakland CA at Promontory Summit UT to form the first Transcontinental Railroad in the US. Today, its 6936 locomotive built in 1971 is the largest and most powerful operational diesel-electric locomotive in the world. UP 6936 is stored in the roundhouse at Cheyenne WY. Today, the Union Pacific Railroad has over 32,000 miles of track. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45856 "2019-12-31T06:36:42Z")
When O.J. Simpson played for the Buffalo Bills, his number was 32. Simpson’s name and number are on the Wall of Fame at the Bills’ New Era Field and over the years since his trial there has been debate about removing it. A 2018 poll conducted by Buffalo radio station WBLK showed 61% of respondents in favor of letting his name remain and 33% in favor of taking it down. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45857 "2019-12-31T07:00:57Z")
This year is the 100th Anniversary of the NFL. League representatives and leading sportscasters selected the top 100 players in the 100-year history of the NFL, and in doing so they selected the top running backs of all time. OJ Simpson made the list. The top running backs selected in the NFL’s 100 year history are: Jim Brown (1957-1965) Earl Campbell (1978-1985) Earl “Dutch” Clark (1931-1932; 1934-1938) Eric Dickerson (1983-1993) Lenny Moore (1956-1967) Marion Motley (1946-1953; 1955) Walter Payton (1975-1987) Barry Sanders (1989-1998) Gale Sayers (1965-1971) O.J. Simpson (1969-1979) [NFL 100 All-Time Team running backs revealed](http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001079486/article/nfl-100-alltime-team-running-backs-revealed) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45858 "2019-12-31T13:41:24Z")
In 1938, Olivia de Havilland starred as Maid Marian in _The Adventures of Robin Hood_. She rode a yellow-maned palomino stallion named Golden Cloud, which went on to appear in a 1938 western called _Under Western Stars_ as the mount of a new actor named Leonard Slye. Republic Pictures didn’t think that was an appealing name for a leading man, so he changed his name to Roy Rogers. He so liked the palomino he rode in that picture, he bought the horse in 1943 and renamed it Trigger, and rode it in dozens of film and television roles until Trigger died in 1965. Rogers had Trigger mounted by a taxidermist, and displayed it at his Roy Rogers museum. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45859 "2019-12-31T14:05:02Z")
Besides Roy Rogers, Republic Pictures also advanced the careers of Gene Autry and John Wayne. Republic was mostly known for westerns and B movies but was responsible for the financing and distribution of _MacBeth_, directed by Orson Welles. Republic produced many serials, such as _Dick Tracy, Zorro Rides Again_ and _The Lone Ranger_ (long before the TV show with Clayton Moore). Other serials included _Captain America_ and _Zombies of the Stratosphere_, with Leonard Nimoy. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45860 "2019-12-31T14:59:10Z")
Future USS _Enterprise_ Capt. James T. Kirk served aboard the starship USS _Republic_ early in his Starfleet career. In some _Star Trek_ fandom, the _Republic_ is a school ship, much like the USCGC _Eagle_. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45861 "2019-12-31T15:44:24Z")
James T. Kirk, captain of the Starship Enterprise, will be born in Riverside, Iowa, on March 22, 2228. Today in Riverside IA, you can visit the marker at 51 W. 1st St., Riverside, IA. ETA — [Future Birthplace of James T. Kirk, Riverside, Iowa](https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2081) ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45862 "2019-12-31T15:51:46Z")
Julie Ward Howe, who wrote the lyrics to _Battle Hymn of the Republic_, was married to Samuel Gridley Howe. They were both active in anti-slavery politics, and Samuel was a member of the Secret Six, a group which funded the abolitionist activities of John Brown. _Battle Hymn of the Republic_ is set to the tune of the song _John Brown’s Body_. Both songs use the same refrain of “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah.” ETA: John Brown, for a time, led an anti-slavery force headquartered in Springdale, Iowa. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45863 "2019-12-31T15:55:31Z")
A common anti-abortion claim is that Margaret Sanger was a slave endorser who spoke to the Klu Klux Klan. Since the Klan was very down on woman and would never let them speak at one of their meetings, it’s amazing people can be stupid enough to believe this. The real story: Sanger was asked to speak at a meeting of the women’s branch of the Klan, and went out of curiosity. When asked about the experience, she stated she didn’t like the women’s simple mindedness and submission to the Klans men. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45864 "2019-12-31T16:55:52Z")
Margaret Sanger was born in Corning NY in 1879. Corning is in western and southern NY, about 20 miles north of the Pennsylvania state line. Corning NY is where the Corning Glass Works was founded, giving us Corningware. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45865 "2019-12-31T17:35:16Z")
Corning was called Corning Glass Works until 1989, when it was changed to Corning, Incorporated. In addition to Corningware, the company also makes Corelle and Pyrex, and in step with modern times is the manufacturer of Gorilla Glass, which is the protective cover for smart phones. I highly recommend a tour of the place. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45866 "2019-12-31T17:54:19Z")
Pyrex [-](http://washingtonglassschool.com/historical-glass-fun-facts-invention-of-pyrex-the-studio-glass-movement) Pyrex was created when, in the early 1900s, the railroads needed a hot glass on lanterns that would not fail when hit by rain or snow. Corning developed globes made from low-expansion glass that could withstand the abuses of weathering and handling which readily broke the flint glass globes. Ironically, the shatterproof lantern globes generated were so good that Corning‘s managers witnessed a decline in sales of replacement globes. This super-tough “fire glass”, as it was called, was resistant to temperature fluctuations, chemical corrosion and even breakage. This borosilicate low-expansion glass reduced breakage in shock-resistant lantern globes and battery jars. Borosilicate glass was originally developed at the Jena Glass worksz in Leipzig, Germany. This then led to the development of Pyrex bakeware. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45867 "2019-12-31T18:59:43Z")
The term “battery,” as used to describe a device which can hold (and discharge) an electrical charge, was coined by Benjamin Franklin in 1748. Franklin described a grouping of Leyden jars as a “battery,” borrowing the term from the military definition (i.e., a group of weapons being fired together). ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45868 "2019-12-31T19:47:33Z")
Back to the creation of Pyrex, while tying into “battery”… In July 1913, a series of events involving Bessie Littleton, the wife of the Corning Glass Work’s newest scientist, Jessie Littleton, forced Corning managers to focus their attention on the consumer venture of heat-resistant glassware. Apparently, Mrs. Littleton had used a Guernsey brand casserole only twice when it fractured in the oven. Knowing the strength of the glass her husband worked with on a daily basis, she implored him to bring home a substitute from the Corning Glass Works plant. He returned the next evening with the bottoms of two sawed-off battery jars made from low-expansion glasses. Mrs. Littleton cooked a sponge cake in one of the surrogate baking dishes. She noted several remarkable findings: the cooking time was shorter, the cake did not stick to the glass; it was easy to remove with little adhesion, the cake was unusually uniform, the flavor of the cake did not remain in the dish after washing, and she could watch the cake bake and know it was done by looking at the underside. Mr. Littleton brought his wife’s creation to work the following day. Laboratory researchers inspected the cake, which was a “remarkable uniform shade of brown all over.” The men deemed it delicious and very well baked. Thus began a two-year process to perfect this new invention. The notion of baking in glass was a whole new concept to the public. In 1915, a wondrous new line of “glass dishes for baking” appeared in the nation’s hardware, department and china stores. On May 18, 1915, Boston department store Jordan Marsh placed the first PYREX bakeware order. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2020, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45869 "2020-01-01T16:22:27Z")
A marsh is defined as a wetland which is dominated by herbaceous plants, such as grasses, reeds, or rushes. The vegetation is what differentiates a marsh from a swamp, as swamps are dominated by trees. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2020, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45870 "2020-01-01T18:31:38Z")
Despite being a semi-arid state with plenty of desert land, New Mexico also contains wetlands, mostly along the Rio Grande. Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is a good place to see many species of waterfowl, several species of gulls and even White pelicans. Thousands of Sandhill cranes and Canada geese stop there on their migration. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45871 "2020-01-01T19:36:05Z")
Until recently, the New Mexico Constitution officially barred “idiots” from voting. In New Mexico, people with intellectual disabilities were formally known as “idiots.” But that law was overturned in 2016. And yet, New Mexico has more PhDs per capita than any other state. That is largely due to government hiring. Albuquerque hosts Sandia National Laboratories and a number of other research facilities. And then there is Los Alamos National Laboratory, Intel, and several land management agencies including the Forest Service and National Park Service. Also, Microsoft was established in an Albuquerque garage. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657.md?page=2292) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657.md?page=2294)