Did one song bring the career of a 1940s musician to a halt?

We live in a wonderful world.

Sure, it has its drawbacks, and plenty of them. There’s war, famine, pestilence, disease, the list goes on and on.

But there are wonderful things in it as well. Such as sunshine.

Flowers.

The laughter of children.

And, of course, trivia … in my book one of the most wonderful things of all. (Naturally, since I make part of my living from bringing it to you.)

So clear the decks for this week’s incoming supply of wonderful trivia!

Did you know …

… a human brain’s cognitive decline starts around the age of 24? A 2014 study in the journal “PLOS One” showed that in most people, the age of peak cognitive development is 24. After that begins the slow downward slide to … whatever comes after that. (I’m 63 … you do the math.)

… you may be an anemologist? And you could also be a brontologist. In fact, you can be both at the same time. An anemologist studies wind, while a brontologist studies thunder. (And if you do it on television, you’re the weather person.)

… your breakfast food has a name that comes from mythology? Didn’t you ever wonder where the word “cereal” came from? Cereal is named after the Roman goddess Ceres, who is associated with plants that produce grains. Most cereal is made of one grain or another. (Now this makes me hungry, for some reason.)

… the uniforms worn by the Nazis before and during World War II were designed by a famous fashion designer? Hugo Boss (1885-1948), founder of Hugo Boss AG luxury fashion house, was hired by Nazi leaders in the early 1930s to design and sell the uniforms the National Socialist Party wore. Boss would go on to supply the party with uniforms for all of its organizations, including the Hitler Youth and the Waffen-SS. Following Germany’s defeat in the war, Boss’ company turned to designing men’s suits.

… a 1940s jazz pianist saw his career come to a screeching halt because of one song? Harry “the Hipster” Gibson (1915-1991) was one of the most popular jazz pianists of the 1940s, performing in a wild, frenetic, unrestrained style. Gibson recorded numerous singles and albums, but his career ended in 1946 when he wrote and recorded, “Who Put the Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphy’s Ovaltine,” a novelty song. Because of the song’s repeated mention of drug use, radio stations refused to play it, and Gibson suddenly found himself blacklisted from the industry. But by the 1970s, Gibson had made a comeback of sorts, playing rock piano, blues, novelty songs, and anything people wanted to hear. He would also play piano with some notable rock bands. The song that resulted in his blacklisting ended up being one of the most requested songs on the Dr. Demento radio show, which features novelty music. (But … who did put the Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphy’s Ovaltine?)

… no physical evidence exists that today is Wednesday (or Thursday or whatever day you’re reading this)? The day of the week is an arbitrary designation, just like weeks themselves, months, years, etc. All sorts of calendars are based on man’s desire to know when things happen. People simply have to trust that whoever is in charge of keeping such things straight is doing their job. (Oh, great … yet another thing in life to be unsure about.)

… the first roller coaster in America was built to distract people from sin? LaMarcus Thompson (1848-1919), an inventor and businessman, devised a gravity-powered ride called a “switchback railway” for Coney Island, New York, in 1884 because he hated the fact that Americans were tempted by such hedonistic places as saloons, brothels, and amusement parks. The idea of the roller coaster was to take people’s minds off such … seedier thoughts. (And give them thoughts like, “How do I avoid falling out of this thing?”)

… a town in Spain exists literally under a rock? The town of Setenil de Las Bodegas is home to about 3,000 people, all of whom live and work and play in a gorge beneath a huge rocky outcropping. The homes in the town are built right into the rock, and anthropologists believe that area has been a home and shelter for humans since before the Stone Age. (If you ever wondered where “The Flintstones” took place, this is Bedrock. Literally.)

… every day, 12 newborn babies are given to the wrong parents? (How many of those get sorted out eventually, I wonder?)

… a thirsty camel can drink up to 30 gallons of water in just 15 minutes? (That’s not drinking, that’s inhaling.)

… a major crime figure had a very humdrum business front? Mobster Al Capone (1899-1947), who ran the criminal element in Chicago during the 1920s and 1930s, had a business card that identified him as a “used furniture salesman.” (He could really cut you a deal, couldn’t he?)

… rubber bands last longer if they’re kept in the refrigerator? (But you can’t use them if they’re kept in the refrigerator!)

… the law in Pennsylvania prohibits singing in the bathtub? (Now there’s a law that should be shared!)

… Eve (of Adam and Eve) is depicted as having blonde hair for a reason? During the Middle Ages, women with blonde hair were viewed with suspicion, and by the middle of the 14th Century that suspicion had even worked its way into paintings set in the Garden of Eden. Eve was given flowing blonde locks that marked her as an evil temptress. (Only her hairdresser knows for sure, of course.)

Now … you know!

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