Did a flu bug help lead indirectly to World War II?

A couple of weeks ago, I introduced the column with a note about the recent elections and said, “I hope your candidate won.”  Last week, I received an e-mail from a reader who took a bit of exception to that thought.

Seems the reader thought I should have expressed who I had hoped won the voting.  

There are two things I seldom if ever discuss, religion and politics.  But that isn’t why I didn’t mention a candidate two weeks ago.

The reason I didn’t is … this column is written several weeks in advance, and at the time I had no idea who the winner would be.

I adjust the introduction when needed, but otherwise, what you see is what I wrote quite some time ago.  Like the trivia which follows.

Did you know …

… a famous Revolutionary War battle had an audience?  Thousands of people living in the area of Boston, Massachusetts sat on rooftops, in trees, and even on church steeples to watch the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775.  Additional trivia note:  though it is called the Battle of Bunker Hill, it did not take place on Bunker Hill.  The battle was actually fought on nearby Breed’s Hill.  (Bunker Hill just sounds better, I suppose.)

… the crime rate in Vatican City is 133.6%?  This is particularly surprising when you realize that the population is only about 1,000 people.  Most of the crimes are committed by tourists, however.  (Wow, you’re not even safe in one of the holiest places in the world!)

… wolves do not make good guard dogs?  Sure, they seem fierce, but they actually are afraid of the unfamiliar, and will usually hide from visitors rather than bark at them.  (They do howl, however, and that makes it fun.)

… the Atari 2600™ video game was released less than 24 hours after the last execution by guillotine in France?  Of course, the two events had nothing to do with each other.  But many people worldwide thought France had long retired its head-chopper, only to learn that the last use of the guillotine was on September 10, 1977.  On September 11, 1977, the popular Atari Video Computer System, later renamed the 2600, hit the market.  (Just a reminder of the “old” meeting the “new,” it seems.)

… a U.S. president’s favorite snack may surprise you?  Richard Nixon (1913-1994), 37th president and the only one to ever resign the office, had a favorite snack of cottage cheese and ketchup.  (Make of that what you will.)

… a flu bug may have indirectly led to World War II?  Following the end of the first World War in 1918, the victorious Allies were debating the punishment to be imposed on Germany for its role in the start of the conflict.  A strong opponent to harsh penalties was U.S. President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), but Wilson was suffering from a case of the Spanish flu and in his weakened state, he caved to French demands for the extreme punishment placed on Germany.  Historians say the terms of the Treaty of Versailles led to the rise of Nazism, Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) and the Second World War, and had Wilson been healthier, that harsh treaty might not have been imposed.

… sometimes, more than just weather can delay baseball games?  Take, for instance, the 1989 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics.  Game three of the series was about to begin on October 17, 1989, when – at 5:04 p.m. – the ground began to shake.  The Loma Prieta Earthquake, which resulted in 63 deaths, more than 3,700 injuries, and over $6 billion in damages, postponed that game and the rest of the Series by ten days.  (If the game was actually underway when the earthquake hit, would the errors count?)

… the horse borrowed by Paul Revere for his famous 1775 midnight ride was never returned to its owner?  Revere (1735-1818) was one of two riders who set off on April 18, 1775 to warn the Colonial militia about the approach of British forces to the towns of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.  Revere made the ride on a horse named Brown Beauty, which he had borrowed from Deacon John Larkin (1735-1807).  But Larkin, who had the horse on loan from his own father, never received Brown Beauty back.  It is thought that Brown Beauty was confiscated by the British.  (Confiscated?  Neigh!)

… polar bears can eat up to ten penguins at a single meal?  They never, ever do, however.  That’s because polar bears are only found near the North Pole, while penguins are only found near the South Pole.  (That’s a long way to travel just to eat out.)

… the fastest known random speaker was a U.S. President?  According to some, John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) could speak articulately at a rate of more than 350 words per minute.  (No wonder he got into politics.)

… Heinz™ does not actually have 57 varieties of ketchup, or anything else?  If that’s the case, what’s up with the “57” on each bottle of ketchup?  Well, company founder Henry J. Heinz (1844-1919) thought the product should have a number, and he was particularly fond of the number 57.  The company had more than 60 different products when Heinz added his favorite number.  Additional trivia note:  if you find your Heinz ketchup flowing too slowly, hit the bottle on the “57,” not the bottom.  (It doesn’t make it go 57 times faster, though.)

… wearing a necktie reduces blood flow to the brain?  A study conducted in 2018 found that if you wear a necktie, blood flow to your brain is reduced by up to 7.5%.  Ties also increase pressure on your eyes if they’re too tight, leading to an increased risk of glaucoma.  (These days, if you see me in a coat and tie, it’s because someone is paying me to wear it.)

Now … you know!