Know it all

The first professional baseball team was the Cincinnati Reds, established in 1869.

***

A sociopath is a person with a personality disorder marked by antisocial behavior. A psychopath is a person who has an antisocial personality disorder with perverted, criminal or amoral behavior.

***

Lollipop is the longest word that is typed with only the right hand.

***

Cheddar cheese is the most purchased and consumed cheese in the world.

***

A hippopotamus can open its jaws to an angle of 180 degrees.

***

Dandelions are edible. Dandelion leaves are similar in flavor to endive. The roots can be dried and roasted to be used as a coffee substitute. The blossoms are used to make dandelion wine.

***

It took Michelangelo (1475-1564) four years, from1508 to 1512, to paint the frescos on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

***

The traditional bridal color in Russia is blue.

***

The Great Lakes contain six quadrillion gallons of fresh water. Can you name the Great Lakes? See answer at end.

***

The construction of the Statue of Liberty began in France in 1875. The statue was completed in 1884. The next year it was dismantled and shipped to the United States in 350 pieces.

***

The human heart relaxes for about half a second between beats.

***

The legendary soul singer Barry White (1944-2003) is known by his fans as the Walrus of Love. His number one hit songs include "Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Babe” (1974) and "You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” (1975).

***

There was a false floor fitted in Adolf Hitler’s (1889-1945) Mercedes 770K to make him look taller when he stood up in the car.

***

The metal with the highest melting point is tungsten, at 6,170 degrees Fahrenheit.

***

Half a million people from around the world came to California to search for gold during the Gold Rush.

***

The state of Georgia is the world’s top pecan producer. They produce 105 million pounds of pecans per year.

***

If an alligator attacks you don’t try to pry the jaws open, you won’t be able to. Hit the alligator repeatedly on its nose, poke it in the eyes and scream. Alligators don’t like resistance.

***

The active ingredient in catnip is called nepetalactone.

***

Joan Collins (born 1933) was 50 years old when she posed semi-nude for Playboy magazine in 1983. The issue sold out.

***

Glenn Miller (1904-1944), a bandleader in the 1940s, died in a plane crash over the English Channel. It was never determined if the plane crashed due to mechanical failure, or was shot down.

***

The geographical center of North America is Rugby, N.D.

Answer: The Great Lakes are Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Superior, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Lake Michigan lies entirely in the United States. The rest of the lakes are shared by the United States and Canada and form part of the border between the countries.

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 call 344-5200 x114.