Portland, Oregon, was nearly named Boston.
Founder William Overton owed money to benefactors in Boston and in Portland, Maine. A coin toss in 1845 decided which city would give its name.
Trivia
Well Prepared
Eagle Scouts:
- Neil Armstrong
- Stephen Breyer
- Clive Cussler
- Gerald Ford
- L. Ron Hubbard
- David Lynch
- Michael Moore
- Steven Spielberg
- Wallace Stegner
- John Tesh
- Sam Walton
- E.O. Wilson
“Regarding the Boy Scouts,” said George Carlin, “I’m very suspicious of any organization that has a handbook.”
Trivium
The Hoover Dam spans two time zones.
What’s in a Name?
Condoleezza Rice’s name is derived from the Italian musical expression con dolcezza.
It means “with sweetness.”
Trivium
Play-Doh was originally designed as a wallpaper cleaner.
Pith
Complete lyrics to the world’s shortest song, “You Suffer” by British grindcore band Napalm Death:
“You suffer–but why?”
It’s 1.316 seconds long, and band often performs it live.
Skill Sets
Discontinued merit badges:
- Clerk (1911)
- Horseman (1911)
- Seaman (1911)
- Mining (1937)
- Airplane Design (1952)
- Blacksmithing (1952)
- Cement Work (1952)
- Foundry Practice (1952)
- Soil Management (1952)
- Stalking (!) (1952)
- Wood Turning (1952)
- Farm Home and Its Planning (1959)
- Dairying (1975)
- Pigeon Raising (1980)
- Rabbit Raising (1993)
- Agribusiness (1995)
- Beekeeping (1995)
What did the Boy Scout say when he’d fixed the pager? “Beep repaired.”
Bad Advice
In 1887, president Grover Cleveland welcomed an old friend to the White House. Weary of the office, he said to the man’s 5-year-old son, “My little man, I am making a strange wish for you. It is that you may never be president of the United States.”
The boy was Franklin Roosevelt.
Love American Style
The Playboy Mansion is the only private residence in Los Angeles with a fireworks permit.
Hello, Goodbye
Individually and as a band, the Beatles have appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone more than 30 times.