Know It All

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Types of fireworks include rockets, missiles, fountains, cones, wheels and spinners.

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Last year, California’s Disneyland started launching its fireworks with compressed air rather than black powder. Using compressed air reduces fumes and has greater accuracy in height and timing for the nightly fireworks display.

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An international fireworks competition is held every summer in Montreal, Canada. In the competition, called le Mondial SAQ, eight pyrotechnical companies are chosen from different countries to present a 30-minute fireworks show. The winning companies receive a trophy and prestige.

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The presidential inauguration of George Washington (1732-1799) was celebrated with fireworks.

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Washington, D.C. became the U.S. capital in 1800.

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During the War of 1812, a three-year long conflict between the United States and Great Britain, the British burned the White House and the Capitol building. The White House survived and was repainted white.

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Uncle Sam was based on an actual person. Samuel Wilson (1766–1854) of New York supplied meat to the U.S. Army during the War of 1812. His crates were stamped with "U.S.,” and workmen joked that it stood for "Uncle Sam.” The nickname came to symbolize the federal government.

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The image of Uncle Sam wearing a top hat with stars and stripes and a white beard was created by Thomas Nast (1840-1902) for a political cartoon. Nast also created the image of a chubby white haired and bearded Santa Claus.

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The most famous image of Uncle Sam is on a World War I Army recruitment poster with the caption "I WANT YOU.” The poster was painted by James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960) in 1916. Flagg designed 45 military posters during the war.

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Ellis Island, an island of upper New York and the home of the Statue of Liberty, was the main immigration station of the United States from 1892 to 1943. The island was closed in 1954. Ellis Island was designated as a National Monument in 1965.

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The base of the Statue of Liberty is inscribed with one of the most quoted American poems. Do you know the poem? The author? Can you recite to oft-quoted lines in the poem? See answer at end.

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An inscription on the Liberty Bell reads "By Order of the Assembly of the Province of Pensylvania for the State House in Philad.” Spelling the name of the state with one ‘n’ was acceptable when the bell was cast in 1752.

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The strike note of the Liberty Bell is E-flat.

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The bald eagle builds the largest nest of any bird in North America. Their nests average five feet across and two feet deep.

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The four presidents on Mount Rushmore were selected for their symbolism. George Washington represents the struggle for independence. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) symbolizes equality. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) stands for democracy. Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) represents leadership in the 20th century.

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President Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) dedicated Mount Rushmore as a National Memorial on Aug. 10, 1927.

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Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872.

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Answer: "The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus (1849-1887) was written in 1883. The poem has the famous lines "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

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.