Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon played Hans and Franz, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s moronic cousins, in a popular series of SNL sketches. Phil Hartman often appeared in these sketches as the flabby, effemininate Helmut.
German-born, South Africa-raised, but English actress Dana Wynter played numerous small parts in London and Hollywood, including *Lady Godiva Rides Again * in which other future leading ladies, Kay Kendall, Diana Dors and Joan Collins played similarly small roles. Besides her multiple roles in the TV series “Tweve O’Clock High”, she is probably best known for her leading role in Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Godiva chocolates, originally made in Belgium, are one of the many food brands owned by the Turkish firm Yıldız Holding.
Belgium produces over 1100 varieties of beer. The Trappist beer of the Abbey of Westvleteren has repeatedly been rated the world’s best beer. The biggest brewer in the world by volume is Anheuser-Busch InBev, based in Leuven.
Since the Anheuser-Busch brand is now Belgian-owned, and the Miller and Coors brands are South African-owned, the Boston Beer Compnay, brewer of the Samuel Adams brands, claims to be the largest American brewery, although it is virtually tied with Pottsville, Pennsylvania’s D.G. Yuengling & Son.
The Czech city of České Budějovice is called “Budweis” in German. A beer manufactured there and thus known as Budweiser was the inspiration for the Anheuser-Busch product of the same name. The “original” Budweiser continues to be marketed by that name in much of Europe despite Anheuser-Busch’s efforts to buy the exclusive worldwide rights to use the name.
As a symbol of France’s close integration with the rest of Europe, the European Union flag is usually displayed along with that of France when the French President appears in public.
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The anthem of both the European Union and the Council of Europe is the “Ode to Joy”, from the fourth movement of Beethoven’s Symphony #9 (“Choral”).
A comedy group named “Slap Happy” recorded “Ode to Billy Joel” in the 1980s, which was featured on the Dr. Demento show. In this version, the singer is alleged to have jumped from the Verazanno-Narrows Bridge.
Barry “Dr. Demento” Hansen describes himself as “an armchair railfan”, sometimes sampling his extensive collection of railroad-related songs on his show.
On July 30, 1968, Washington Senators shortstop Ron Hansen completed an unassisted triple play. On August 1, he hit a grand slam home run. On August 2, he was rewarded by being traded to the White Sox.
Washington state’s capitol building was the last state capitol building to be built with a rotunda.
George Washington educated his slaves, even though it was against Virginia law at the time; did not sell any slave against his or her will; respected slave marriages, even though he was not obliged to and it was not to his economic advantage; and freed all of his own slaves in his will (his wife Martha had many other slaves that belonged to her).
Martha Washington may have had an illegitimate half-sister, Ann Dandridge Costin, who was born into slavery; her enslaved mother was African and Cherokee and her father was believed to be John Dandridge. Her father may also have sired an illegitimate half-brother, Ralph Dandridge, who was probably white.
Ralph Nader was once chosen to be the keynote speaker for a convention of collectors of Chevrolet Corvairs, the car whose safety record he indicted with his 1965 book, Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile.
The Chevrolet Corvair was built and sold for 10 years, 1960-1969. It was an air-cooled rear-engined car, like the iconic Porsche 911. The Porsche 911 has been built and sold continuously since its introduction in 1963. Although still a rear-engine car, the Porsche 911 engine is no longer air-cooled but is now water-cooled.
President John F. Kennedy spoke at the commencement ceremony of American University in 1963, warning of the danger of a species-ending nuclear war and calling for a new era of peaceful coexistence with the Soviet Union.
President John F. Kennedy’s favorite Christmas song was “Silver Bells”.
Bob Hope introduced “Silver Bells” in the movie The Lemon Drop Kid.
Shooting of The Bells of St Mary’s (1945) was overseen by a Catholic priest who served as an adviser during the shooting. While the final farewell sequence was being filmed, Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman decided to play a prank on him. They asked director Leo McCarey to allow one more take, and as “Father O’Malley” and “Sister Benedict” said their last goodbyes, they embraced in a passionate kiss, while the offscreen priest-adviser jumped up roaring in protest.