The Fisheries office of the Canadian government now uses the gender-neutral term “fisher” instead of “fisherman.” Although some have criticised it as a PC neo-logism, in fact it dates back at least 400 years, and was used in the King James Version, where Christ calls Simon Peter and Andrew as they are fishing: “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)
British actor Simon Pegg appears as USS Enterprise chief engineer Montgomery Scott in both Star Trek and the upcoming Star Trek Into Darkness.
Christopher Doohan, son of James Doohan (who played Montgomery Scott originally), will appear in Star Trek Into Darkness, due at least partly to fan support.
The ship James B Chester was found floating in the middle of the Atlantic in the winter of 1855 with no sign of its crew. While it appeared that many personal belongings and papers had been taken, all lifeboats were in place and the ship itself was in excellent shape. No trace of those aboard was ever found and their fate is unknown.
The Beach Boys classic tune about a ship “Sloop John B” has been popular with English football (soccer) fans since the mid-2000s. It was first sung en masse by Liverpool fans after winning the Champions League for the fifth time in 2005. It was adopted by the supporters of English non-league team F.C. United of Manchester as a club anthem in 2007.
Bill Mumy and Marta Kristen sang a version of “The Sloop John B” on a 1967 episode of Lost in Space.
“John” and its French version, “Jean”, has been the most common name for Canadian prime ministers: six out of twenty-two prime ministers have had that name.
The French press coffee brewing device was patented by an Italian, Attilio Calimani in 1929.
Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau was the French general at the 1781 Battle of Yorktown; François Joseph Paul, comte de Grasse was the French admiral. George Washington and the Continental Army could not have defeated Lord Cornwallis without them.
The USS Yorktown (CV-5) was commissioned in 1937. She was in port in Norfolk VA when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 07 Dec 1941. She was in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, the first carrier-based naval battle and also the first naval battle where the enemy ships did not see each other directly. She was sunk during the Battle of Midway on 07 Jun 1942.
The geographical midway point of the entire USA (including Alaska and Hawaii) is a point northeast of Belle Fourche, South Dakota.
Milk is the official state beverage of North Dakota.
Fargo is the capital of North Dakota, but almost the entire movie Fargo takes place in Minnesota.
On the TV show Eureka, Fargo’s first name was Douglas.
Fargo, ND was originally named “Centralia,” but was later renamed “Fargo” after Northern Pacific Railway director and Wells Fargo Express Company founder William Fargo (1818–1881).
William Howard Taft, Republican of Ohio, was President Theodore Roosevelt’s friend and his handpicked successor in the White House in 1908. Four years later, they ran against each other for the GOP nomination.
President Taft had a pet cow named Pauline Wayne. Pauline gave him fresh milk every day.
Wooster is the county seat of Wayne County, Ohio, and also home to the College of Wooster, a top-rated small liberal arts college. As the initials of the school are “COW,” it is sometimes humorously referred to as “Moo U.”
The foppishness of Bertie Wooster, PG Wodehouse’s recurring fictional character in his Jeeves novels, was not popular with everyone. Papers released by the Public Record Office have disclosed that when Wodehouse was recommended for a Companion of Honor in 1967, Sir Patrick Dean, British ambassador in Washington, argued it “would also give currency to a Bertie Wooster image of the British character which we are doing our best to eradicate.”
John de Chastelain served twice as Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff, with a short stint in-between as Ambassador to the United States. Of Scottish descent, he often wore his kilt to formal functions while serving as Ambassador. He began his military career as a private in the Regimental Pipes and Drums of the Calgary Highlanders. He has appeared in a DVD, “They Pipe Among Us,” hosted and narrated by Johnny “Bagpipes” Johnston.