The USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) created the "Food Guide Pyramid" in 1992 as a replacement for the four food groups. The food groups in the pyramid are grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat, and fats and oils.
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The largest pyramid in the world is not in Egypt. It is in Cholula, Mexico, 60 miles southeast of Mexico City.
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The banks in Mexico City include Banamex, Bancomer and Banco Santander.
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The first time that Mexico City was occupied by an enemy force was in 1848, when Mexico was defeated in the two-year Mexican-American War.
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After the United States' victory in the Mexican-American War, the United States paid $15 million to Mexico as compensation for the seized territories of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
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An American general in the Mexican-American War was nicknamed "Old Rough and Ready." Do you know who it was and what he went on to do after the war? See answer at end.
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The Mexican-American War was the first war in which a telegraph was used to constantly report the progress of the battles to newspapers.
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Samuel F. B. Morse (1791-1872) invented Morse Code in 1838. Five years later, the U.S. Congress funded $30,000 to construct an experimental 40-mile telegraph line from Washington to Baltimore.
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The first telegraph message was sent on May 24, 1844. The message read "What hath God wrought."
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In Morse Code, the duration of a "dash" is three times the duration of a "dot."
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At the International Radiotelegraphic Convention at London in 1912, an international distress signal was chosen. The signal was SOS, expressed in Morse Code as three dots, three dashes, three dots. SOS does not refer to any words. It was chosen because it easy to transmit.
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The word mayday has been used as a distress signal for aviators since 1925. The word is similar to the French term "m'aider," which means "come help me!"
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May Day is celebrated in Germany, Sweden and England with festivities and a May pole. The May pole is a tall wooden pole with long ribbons hanging from it. Boys and girls each hold a ribbon and weave them around the pole.
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The 1973 song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" by Tony Orlando (born 1944) and Dawn was the top-selling single of the year.
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Until three years ago, the largest white oak tree in the United States was in Wye Mills, Md. The Wye Oak tree was 460 years old and measured 382 feet in circumference.
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Lightning rods were installed in the Wye Oak tree in the 1940s. The crown of the tree was stabilized with over a 100 yards of steel cable. Despite the precautions, the massive tree was destroyed in a thunderstorm in 2002.
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The lightning rod was invented by Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
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Benjamin Franklin's funeral was attended by 20,000 people.
Answer: General Zachary Taylor (1784-1850) became a national hero when he led troops to victory in four major battles during the Mexican-American War. His popularity from the war helped him win the presidential election. Taylor was president of the United States from 1849 to 1850, the year he died.
Know It All is by Kerry McArdle. It runs in the weekend and Wednesday editions of the Daily Journal. Questions? Comments? E-mail knowitall@smdailyjournal.com or fax 344-5290
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