That John Jackson was Stonewall’s great-grandfather. Stonewall’s father was named Jonathan, which was also Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s middle name.
In play:
Former Texas Governor Coke Stevenson was the man defeated by LBJ in the disputed 1948 U.S. Senate primary runoff that sarcastically earned Johnson the nickname “Landslide Lyndon”. The official margin was 87 popular votes, and the Democratic State Central Committee certified the result by a razor-thin margin of 29-28. Johnson subsequently made it to the Senate in November during the “Solid South” era when a Democratic nomination was tantamount to eventual victory in the general election.
American historian and author Robert Caro has made it his life’s work to research and write a multivolume biography of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Although the series has generally been praised, some critics accused him of idealizing Coke Stevenson.
On October 9, 2012 at 11:48 a.m. the final 6.5 ounce returnable glass Coca Cola bottle, in a bottling run of 5,880 bottles, was filled and capped at the Winona, Minnesota Coca-Cola Bottling Company. This was the final production run of the iconic glass Coke bottles in the United States. These returnable bottles had been in circulation for many years (all were pre-1960), and the last bottle to be filled was originally made in 1948 in Minneapolis.
Deep Purple’s most successful lineup, the so-called “Mach II” lineup, featured vocalist Ian Gillan (who’d replaced Rod Evans) and bassist Roger Glover (who’d replaced Nicky Simper). Glover wrote most of the band’s lyrics.
Singer Janis Ian is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. She has had short fiction published to qualify. There was also an anthology of science fiction stories, with authors like Jane Yolen, Greg Benford, Harry Turtledove, and (ironically, since Ian had come out as a lesbian) Orson Scott Card.
Fig Newtons are over 120 years old. The first Fig Newtons were baked at the F. A. Kennedy Steam Bakery in Cambridge, MA in 1891. The product was named “Newton” after the town of Newton, Massachusetts. Until the late 19th century, many physicians believed that most illnesses were related to digestion problems, and recommended a daily intake of biscuits and fruit. Fig rolls were ideal for this.
*Giving the fig *(French faire la figue, Spanish dar la higa) was an indecent gesture of ancient provenance, made by putting the thumb between two fingers or into the mouth, with the intended effect of the modern gesture of “flipping the bird”.
Giving “the finger” (this one, just to be absolutely clear here) is a gesture that dates back before NY Taxi Cab drivers and originated in ancient Greece. It was also used in Ancient Rome. It was a symbol of anal intercourse.
In Greek the gesture was known as the katapugon, for “rump, buttocks”. Yes, there’s even a Wikipedia page for it. Imagine that.
The theme song for the sitcom Taxi is titled “Angela”. It was written by Bob James, whose “Touchdown” had originally been chosen as the theme, while “Angela” was slated to appear as incidental music for one episode.
Angela Lansbury’s son was a follower of Charles Manson’s gang. After the Sharon Tate murders, she thought it best to get him out of the country. She took him to Ireland to help him with his drug problems.
Both Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones have voiced parts in Disney movies, as Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast and Mufasa in The Lion King respectively.
In The Lion King: for the hyenas, the original intention was to reunite Cheech & Chong, but while Cheech Marin accepted to play Banzai, Tommy Chong was unavailable. His role was changed into a female hyena, Shenzi, who was voiced by Whoopi Goldberg. Dave is still not here, man.
Aragorn, by then known as King Elessar of the reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor, is crowned in the city of Minas Tirith by the wizard Gandalf in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Return of the King.
Tolikien was a member of the Inklings, a group of writers at Oxford who got together to discuss fiction and their own work. C.S. Lewis was also a member.
An Oxford is a style of laced shoe characterized by shoelace eyelet tabs that are stitched underneath the vamp, a construction method that is also sometimes referred to as “closed lacing”. Oxfords first appeared in Scotland and Ireland, where they are occasionally called Balmorals after the Queen’s castle in Scotland, Balmoral.
