Episodes
Feb. 27, 2026
Elizabeth Taylor
Question 1: Elizabeth Taylor became one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, but before the fame and the violet-eyed mystique, what is her full birth date—the day fans celebrate every year? Question 2: Elizabeth Taylor earned two Best Actress Academy Awards; for which films did she receive those Oscars during the height of her career? Question 3: Before she was a glamorous leading lady, which 1944 horse-racing drama about a determined girl and her champion steed catapulted Elizabeth Taylor to s...
Feb. 26, 2026
Johnny Cash
Question 1: Known as the Man in Black, Johnny Cash was born on which date—now celebrated by fans each year—and in which U.S. state? Question 2: Which notorious California prison served as the venue for Johnny Cash’s groundbreaking 1968 live album that reignited his career and underscored his outlaw image? Question 3: In 1971, Johnny Cash released a protest song explaining his trademark wardrobe; what is the title of that song? Question 4: Name the four members of The Highwaymen, the 1980s–90s...
Feb. 25, 2026
George Harrison
Question 1: George Harrison’s birthday is a cause for celebration among Beatles fans each year. On what date is his birthday widely recognized, despite occasional debate over birth records? Question 2: Among the Beatles, who released the first solo album, and what was the title of that pioneering record inspired by Indian music and film? Question 3: In 1971, George Harrison organized rock’s first large-scale benefit concert to aid refugees from the Bangladesh Liberation War. What was the name ...
Feb. 24, 2026
Steve Jobs
Question 1: Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955—his birthday now celebrated by tech enthusiasts worldwide. In which U.S. city was he born? Question 2: Apple introduced the Macintosh with a landmark Super Bowl XVIII commercial in 1984. Which acclaimed filmmaker directed the '1984' ad that evoked George Orwell’s dystopian novel? Question 3: After leaving Apple, Steve Jobs founded NeXT. When Apple acquired NeXT in 1996, its software became the backbone of modern macOS. What NeXT operating sy...
Feb. 23, 2026
Emily Blunt
Question 1: Emily Blunt, the British star of A Quiet Place and Edge of Tomorrow, celebrates her birthday in late winter. On what date and year was Emily Blunt born? Question 2: In the 2014 sci‑fi action blockbuster where a soldier relives the same day battling alien invaders, Emily Blunt plays the legendary warrior Rita Vrataski, nicknamed the “Full Metal Bitch.” What is the title of this film? Question 3: A Quiet Place was a breakout modern blockbuster horror film starring Emily Blunt. Which ...
Feb. 22, 2026
George Washington
Question 1: Due to Britain’s switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1752, two dates are often cited for George Washington’s birth. Under the modern calendar, on what date is his birthday observed? Question 2: Americans commonly call the third-Monday-in-February holiday “Presidents Day,” but that isn’t its legal name. What is the official federal name of the holiday that originated with George Washington’s birthday? Question 3: On the icy night of December 25–26, 1776, George Washi...
Feb. 21, 2026
World Languages
Question 1: UNESCO created International Mother Language Day to celebrate linguistic diversity and promote multilingual education. Observed every year on February 21, it commemorates the 1952 Language Movement in which students were killed while defending the right to use their mother tongue in Dhaka. Which country’s movement is honored by this observance? Question 2: In linguistics, what do we call the smallest unit of sound that can distinguish meaning—for example, the contrast between /p/ an...
Feb. 20, 2026
The Music Industry
Question 1: Rihanna’s birthday is celebrated by fans around the world each February—on what date does the Barbadian pop icon blow out the candles? Question 2: Which hit single earned Rihanna her first Grammy Award, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2008 alongside Jay-Z and cementing her global pop superstar status? Question 3: As of 2023, which pop superstar holds the all-time record for the most Grammy wins, surpassing Georg Solti’s long-standing mark? Question 4: In 2024, who became th...
Feb. 19, 2026
Astronomy
Question 1: Born on February 19, 1473, which Renaissance astronomer transformed science by arguing that Earth and the other planets orbit the Sun, most famously presented in his 1543 book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium? Question 2: Using a telescope in 1610, Galileo observed that a certain planet shows a full set of phases like the Moon. Which planet’s phases proved it orbits the Sun, providing powerful support for heliocentric ideas? Question 3: Kepler refined Copernicus’s ideas into pre...
Feb. 18, 2026
John Travolta
Question 1: John Travolta celebrates his birthday on February 18, 1954. In back-to-back years he headlined two culture-defining films—one igniting the disco craze and the other reviving 1950s nostalgia. Name these two blockbuster movies that turned him into a global star. Question 2: Powered by Bee Gees hits like “Stayin’ Alive” and “Night Fever,” the soundtrack to John Travolta’s dance-fueled classic became a cultural phenomenon. Which Travolta film’s soundtrack won the 1979 Grammy for Album o...
Feb. 17, 2026
Michael Jordan
Question 1: Michael Jordan’s birthday is often a day to celebrate sports greatness. On what exact date and year was he born? Question 2: Sharing a birthday with Michael Jordan adds to the lore of sports greatness. Which NFL legend—widely considered one of the greatest running backs ever—was also born on February 17? Question 3: Among NBA legends, who holds the record for the most Finals MVP awards, reflecting sustained excellence on the biggest stage? Question 4: Before conquering the NBA, Mi...
Feb. 16, 2026
American Presidents
Question 1: Although the federal holiday is officially named Washington’s Birthday, many states observe a broader 'Presidents’ Day.' Which two presidents—both with February birthdays—are most commonly associated with this modern celebration? Question 2: Chosen through a 1792 design competition, who was the Irish-born architect that gave the White House its neoclassical look and later helped rebuild it after the War of 1812? Question 3: A technological leap for the executive mansion came in 189...
Feb. 15, 2026
Matt Groening
Question 1: Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons and Futurama, was born in Portland, Oregon—on what date does his birthday fall, a day fans often celebrate for the man who reshaped animated comedy? Question 2: Before The Simpsons became a prime-time phenomenon, it began as animated shorts—on which variety show did the family first appear in 1987? Question 3: In Futurama’s pilot episode, delivery boy Philip J. Fry is accidentally cryogenically frozen; when the tube opens, what year does h...
Feb. 14, 2026
From Cupid to the Pale Blue Dot:
Question 1: Which NASA spacecraft, from about 6 billion kilometers away in 1990, captured the photograph known as the “Pale Blue Dot,” showing Earth as a tiny speck in a scattered sunbeam? Question 2: In classical mythology, what is the name of Cupid’s Greek counterpart—the god of desire whose image as a winged archer became a lasting symbol of romantic love? Question 3: Which shimmering white-marble mausoleum in Agra was commissioned by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumt...
Feb. 13, 2026
World Radio Day
Question 1: World Radio Day honors radio’s vital role in information, education, and emergency communication across the globe. On what date is it observed, and which organization proclaimed it a global day of recognition? Question 2: In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal, a landmark that proved radio could span oceans. Which single Morse code letter did he report receiving on Signal Hill in Newfoundland? Question 3: Radio moved from experimentation to mass...
Feb. 12, 2026
From Lincoln to Darwin
Question 1: Issued during the American Civil War, which executive order by President Abraham Lincoln declared enslaved people in the rebelling Confederate states free, and on what date did it take effect? Question 2: Charles Darwin’s observations in the Galápagos and beyond were made during a five-year voyage—what was the name of the ship he sailed on, and how did that journey shape his theory of evolution? Question 3: Which 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case unanimously ruled that racial segregatio...
Feb. 11, 2026
Women of STEM
Question 1: She broke barriers as the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different sciences and helped isolate new elements from pitchblende at the turn of the 20th century. Which pioneering physicist-chemist achieved this unique Nobel distinction? Question 2: In 1952, a single X-ray image nicknamed “Photo 51” captured the clues needed to decode DNA’s double-helix. What experimental technique did Rosalind Franklin use to produce this image? Question 3: During the 1962 Mercury-Atlas 6 missi...
Feb. 10, 2026
Laura Dern
Question 1: Laura Dern celebrates her birthday just as awards season hits its stride—on what exact date and year was she born? Question 2: In Jurassic Park (1993), Laura Dern’s Dr. Ellie Sattler isn’t a dinosaur wrangler but a scientist whose expertise shapes key decisions on the island—what is her field of study? Question 3: On HBO’s Big Little Lies, which character did Laura Dern portray to Emmy-winning effect, delivering ferocious, meme-worthy lines and a layered look at power and vulnerabi...
Feb. 9, 2026
Joe Pesci
Question 1: Joe Pesci’s birthday is a great excuse to revisit his career—on what date was the New Jersey–born actor actually born? Question 2: For which film did Joe Pesci win his only Academy Award, and in which category, delivering one of the shortest acceptance speeches in Oscar history? Question 3: In Goodfellas, which tense table-side exchange—drawn from a real incident Pesci experienced and largely improvised—has him snap, “Funny how? Funny like I’m a clown?” Question 4: In Home Alone, ...
Feb. 8, 2026
Jules Verne
Question 1: What is the full date of Jules Verne’s birth, celebrated each year as a nod to his pioneering imagination? Question 2: In Verne’s 1865 novel 'From the Earth to the Moon,' the Baltimore Gun Club builds the colossal Columbiad to launch a projectile toward the Moon—which U.S. state does Verne choose as the launch site? Question 3: Sharing a name with Captain Nemo’s craft from 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas,' which U.S. Navy vessel became the first nuclear-powered submarine an...
Feb. 7, 2026
Beatlemania
Question 1: On February 9, 1964, an estimated 73 million Americans tuned in as four mop-topped Britons changed U.S. pop culture overnight. What television program hosted the Beatles’ landmark American debut that ignited Beatlemania? Question 2: Released by Capitol Records in late 1963, which Beatles single rocketed to No. 1 in early 1964 and is widely credited with opening the floodgates for the British Invasion in the United States? Question 3: In 1965, a fuzz-drenched guitar riff carried a B...
Feb. 6, 2026
Bob Marley
Question 1: Bob Marley’s birthday is widely marked with concerts, community service, and tributes around the world. On what date was he born—a day Jamaica spotlights with its month-long Reggae Month celebrations? Question 2: In April 1978, amid violent political tension in Jamaica, Bob Marley invited rival leaders Michael Manley and Edward Seaga on stage and joined their hands in a symbolic call for unity. What was the name of this historic Kingston event? Question 3: Which Bob Marley song dra...
Feb. 5, 2026
National Weatherperson’s Day
Question 1: National Weatherperson’s Day is observed annually on February 5 in honor of which early American physician who kept some of the first continuous weather records and even carried instruments on a pioneering 1785 balloon flight? Question 2: Known to newspaper readers as “Old Probabilities,” which meteorologist is often called the Father of the U.S. Weather Service for organizing early forecast operations and issuing the nation’s first official weather forecasts in the 1870s? Question...
Feb. 4, 2026
The Social Network
Question 1: When Mark Zuckerberg and his classmates launched the site from a Harvard dorm in 2004, what name did it go by before dropping the definite article? Question 2: Before Facebook and MySpace dominated, which 2002 social network popularized the “friend‑of‑a‑friend” concept but faltered under technical scaling problems, pushing users to newer platforms? Question 3: In 2006, Facebook unveiled a feature that turned the homepage into a stream of friends’ updates and triggered immediate pri...