Mr. Write's Page

The Questions…

1. The Statue of Liberty, created by French sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi, was dedicated in 1886 as a gift to America from the people of France. That, however, was Bartholdi’s Plan B. He originally wanted to build the statue in Egypt. How did it end up in New York Harbor?

2. Which cartoon character was the first to appear on a U.S. postage stamp?

3. The first student protest at a college in the soon-to-be United States occurred in 1766. What was it about?

4. During World War I, because of their acute sense of hearing, birds were kept at the top of the Eiffel Tower to warn of approaching enemy planes. The birds were able to detect aircraft long before military lookouts could see or hear anything. What kind of birds were used?

5. Speaking of birds, when Edgar Allan Poe initially sat down to write “The Raven,” what bird did he envision tapping at the chamber door and uttering “Nevermore”?

The Answers…

1. In the 1860s, Bartholdi proposed building a giant lighthouse at the entrance of the Suez Canal in the form of the goddess Isis, holding a torch aloft. Egypt said no.

2. Bugs Bunny, 1997.

3. The protest occurred at Harvard University when sour butter was served in the dining hall. Known as the “Great Butter Rebellion,” the protest lasted a month and resulted in the suspension of half the Harvard student body.

4. Parrots.

5. A parrot. Fortunately, Poe came to his senses. He later admitted that the raven was “infinitely more in keeping with the intended tone” of the poem.