The Autobiography of Malcolm X gives one of the most in-depth analyses of “The Numbers”, the illegal private lotteries run in NYC and most other major (and many minor) cities. People chose three numbers between 000 and 999 (a few were excluded, such as 123 and 666, because so many people played them they’d have caused a catastrophe in payout) and the winning number was chosen by some official number that nobody could possibly rig: during WW2 it was the number of war bonds that were sold the previous day which was printed on the front page of the paper, thus if 3,894,208 bonds had sold then 208 was the winning number. Pay off was 600:1 (minus a 15% “tip” for your numbers runner) and you could bet anything from a penny upwards. Though illegal those responsible rarely got into trouble as even policemen and city officials played the numbers.
Not for play:- He sent the very famous memo (now on a T-shirt) “Gentlemen: You have undertaken to cheat me. I won’t sue you, for the law is too slow. I’ll ruin you. Yours truly, Cornelius Vanderbilt” and he did. He was far from as rich as he would eventually have but he was already one of the richest men in the country (a multimillionaire in the 1850s- by 1877 his fortune was over $100 million, richer than Bill Gates in terms of his net worth as percentage of the GDP) and he went after their California interests strictly for vindictiveness. Everybody ended up losing big in Nicaragua due to the nationalization of their efforts, but Vanderbilt himself partly funded the overthrow and execution of Nashville native William Walker, who was in cahoots with his former partners, and today Vanderbilt University is situated on part of the farm where Walker grew up, though it’s not known whether this was intentional.
Due to the Blacklist, Abraham Polonsky only directed two films: Force of Evil (starring fellow blacklist member John Garfield), about an attempt by a crime syndicate to displace smaller numbers dealers by fixing the results, and Tell Them Willie Boy is Here twenty years later, about a Native American (played by Robert Blake) who is being chased by the law, filmed as an allegory of relations between the US and the Indians.
Although the President of the United States functions as both head of government and head of state, and is recognized as such by other countries, he is not explicitly designated as the latter by the Constitution.
The Lockheed R6V Constitution, a double-decker transport airplane designed late in World War 2, remains the largest fixed-wing aircraft ever operated by the US Navy, even though only two were built due to its being underpowered. A more successful double-decker design was the contemporaneous Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, based on the B-29, but no more appeared until the current Airbus A380.
In a Forbes study of presidential net worths George Washington was listed as probably the richest U.S. president when his ealth was adjusted for inflation with Lyndon B. Johnson also near the top*. Harry Truman and James Garfield were among the the most modest estates, both of them relatively penniless at the beginning of their terms. WW2 Veteran JFK’s estate was difficult to judge since he was a full heir to and received enormous support from his parents [whose estate was considerably more than a billion dollars in today’s value] and his share (inherited by his children) would ultimately be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, but he was survived by both parents and was worth relatively little in his own right save for a townhouse and a trust fund, neither of which made him anywhere near as rich as even Obama.
The Pittsburgh Pirates for many years played their home games in Forbes Field, known for its enormous outfield dimensions, with the left center field fence 457 feet for much of its existence. The field was so far that they would often store the batting practice cage in center field, confident that no one would ever hit it. Despite its generous dimensions, no one ever pitched a no-hitter at Forbes.
Many fans in his own lifetime considered Ty Cobb the greatest baseball player who ever lived, but Cobb (who was anything but modest) considered himself the second best. He considered Honus Wagner of the Pittsburgh Pirates his superior. In 1936, when all three were still alive, Cobb, Wagner, and Babe Ruth were the first three men inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Boston Pilgrims (now the Red Sox) won the first World Series in 1903 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. One factor in the win was an indifferent batting performance by Honus Wagner - that may have been attributable to Boston’s “Royal Rooters” fan club, led by barkeeper “Nuf Ced” McGreevy of the Third Base Saloon (your last stop before going home). They took a trip to the Steel City, congregating behind third base, and sang the obnoxious song “Tessie” nonstop, often with orginal Wagner-oriented lyrics. An updated version by the punk-Irish bar band Dropkick Murphys came out just in time to help Boston win the 2004 Series, their first title since 1918.
Stephen King and Stewart O’Nan, two diehard Red Sox fans, had long talked about co-writing a book chronicling an entire season. They finally got around to it in 2004, thus writing about the historical season where the Sox won eight games straight, thus winning the American League championship (coming back from 3 down to the Yankees) and the World Series.
King Henry III of France was also briefly the King of Poland. He left Poland when his brother died, putting him on the French throne. The Pole demanded he return or lose the crown, but Henry didn’t bother.
McMurdo Station is the major U.S. research base in Antarctica, not the South Pole itself. McMurdo is occupied year-round, and although getting in and out during the winter is very dangerous and difficult, it can and has been done in medical emergencies.
The ice sheet that covers almost all of Antarctica is the largest body of fresh water on earth, containing about 91% of the world’s ice and 70% of the fresh water. If it were to melt, it would raise the level of the world’s oceans about 200 feet, or 70 meters.
[del]The US bases at McMurdo Sound and the South Pole research facility are all serviced via Christchurch, New Zealand, using ski-equipped C-130 Hercules transports flown by the New York Air National Guard.[/del]
Seven countries currently have territories on the continent of Antarctica – Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
Marie Byrd Land, a part of West Antarctica east of the Ross Ice Shelf, named by explorer Adm. Richard Byrd for his wife, is the largest single part of the world not claimed by any nation.
The last role played by Irene Ryan, who starred as Granny on The Beverly Hillbillies, was in the original cast of the hit Broadway musical Pippin. She played Bertha, the lusty aged mother of Charlemagne, and was said to get two ovations during the show each night, the first being for her character’s line “I think men raise flags when they can’t get anything else up” (which as a surprise coming from a character known from such a wholesome show) and the other from a line in her song- “it’s hard to believe I’m being led astray/by a man who calls me Granny”.
Song-and-dance man Buddy Ebsen, who played family patriarch Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies, was originally cast as the Tin Man in MGM’s 1939 The Wizard of Oz. He was forced to relinquish the role due to an allergic reaction to the aluminized paint he had to wear, and was replaced by Jack Haley. His final film role was in the 1993 film version of The Beverly Hillbillies, in which he played detective Barnaby Jones.
Earlier, Walt Disney had used shadow film of his dancing in front of a grid, as an aid to animating Mickey Mouse’s dancing in Silly Symphonies.
Though Ebsen was cast as the Tin Man, he was originally hired to play the Scarecrow. Ray Bolger was first cast as the Tin Man, but pestered Ebsen to switch roles. Bolger wanted to role because he became a dancer after seeing someone perform the Tin Man on stage.
