Hands Across America united millions in 1986 to fight hunger and homelessness. Explore its history, impact, celebrity roots, surprising gaps, and the legacy of one of the most ambitious charity events ever staged.
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Dr. Pangloss in Voltaire’s book Candide, was a professor of “metaphysico-theologo-cosmonigology.” This is a fictional philosophy that satirizes the optimistic belief that everything is created for the best and will work out fine. source
“He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know.” — President Abraham Lincoln
“I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.” — Clarence Darrow
“I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.” — Groucho Marx
Find out why W.C. Fields opened bank accounts throughout the country in fictitious names.
When a man sues himself, he should be prepared to lose. That’s what happened to Robert Lee Brock.
Divorces generally involve broken hearts, but how often do they address kidneys? When Dr. Richard Batista donated his kidney to his wife, Dawnell, in 2001, he undoubtedly thought that kidney would remain in the family. Seven years later as their marriage disintegrated, Batista decided he wanted the kidney back. The petition for divorce asked for…
In 2008 Hüseyin Kalkan, the mayor of the city of Batman, Turkey, threatened to sue Warner Bros. and the director The Dark Knight, for using the name “Batman” without the city’s permission. “There is only one Batman in the world,” Kalkan said. “The American producers used the name of our city without informing us.” Kalkan’s allegations…
Robert the Bruce (1274 – 1329) was crowned King of Scots on March 25, 1306, by Bishop William de Lamberton at Scone, near Perth, Scotland.
The SR-71 Blackbird was one of the greatest tools of espionage ever built. Flying at speeds of Mach 3, it could out-fly any enemy fighter or surface-to-air missile. In addition to its unmatched speed, the design of the aircraft made it nearly invisible to radar. In short, it was a technological marvel that gave the…
President Ronald Reagan was not someone who let a disappointment get in the way of greatness. The opening words to his presidential memoir: “If I’d gotten the job I wanted at Montgomery Ward, I suppose I would never have left Illinois.”
The lifespan of a mayfly, once it reaches the adult stage, ranges from a few minutes to a few days, depending on the species. source
WC Fields (1880 – 1946) was one of the greatest comedic geniuses of all time. Recognized on sight for his distinctive large, red nose, enhanced by his love for liquor, Fields was also well known for his ability to turn a phrase: “I never drink anything stronger than gin before breakfast.” When asked, “How do…
President Calvin Coolidge did not say much, but he certainly caused others to say quite a bit about him. Unfortunately, not all of it was particularly flattering: When Coolidge showed up to take his seat after being elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, one of his new colleagues looked at him and said, “This…
The super-sophisticated, miracle machine of the 20th century was the guidance computer for the Apollo rockets. This technological marvel made it possible for manned flight to and from the moon. Developed by MIT in the 1960’s, it was one of the first integrated-circuit devices. It had a clock speed of 2.048 MHz — about one…
