New York Trivia & Tidbits - Page 5

Looking for New York trivia? Try our list New York little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

Thinly sliced, fried potatoes—known today as potato chips—were first noted in 1853 when a chef at a posh hotel in Saratoga Springs (pop. 26,186) was serving a guest named Cornelius Vanderbilt. The railroad magnate complained that his potatoes were too thick. The fried food was dubbed "Saratoga Crunch Chips."

first appeared: 7/2/2006

The tomb of the 18th U.S. President and Union Army Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant, rises 150 feet above ground at Riverside Park in New York City. Designed by architect John Duncan, the granite and marble monument was dedicated in 1897.

first appeared: 6/25/2006

New York's state motto is "Excelsior," which means "Ever Upward." The motto is written on the state flag, which also includes the state coat of arms and figures depicting liberty and justice.

first appeared: 6/4/2006

The 315-mile Hudson River, the state's longest river, originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Lake Tear of the Clouds, a teardrop-shaped lake the size of a football field on Mount Marcy, the state's highest peak.

first appeared: 5/21/2006

Lake Oneida is the Empire State's largest lake located entirely within its borders. Situated in the central part of the state, the lake encompasses 79.8 square miles, and is 20.9 miles long and 5.5 miles at its widest point.

first appeared: 5/14/2006

The first "Fort Ontario," built by the British in 1755 in Oswego (pop. 17,954), was destroyed during the French and Indian War, reconstructed, and destroyed again in 1778 by American troops. The British rebuilt the fort a third time, but ultimately forfeited it to the United States in 1796. Today, it stands as a state historic site.

first appeared: 4/23/2006

In 1990, young Mario Castro and his family moved to Brooklyn from Mexico. A decade later, the then 12-year-old boy joined Troop 986, sponsored by St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, and became the 100 millionth Boy Scout.

first appeared: 4/9/2006

Boxer and New York City native James Braddock (1905-1974) earned the nickname "Cinderella Man" from his fairytale-like rise from poor local fighter to world heavyweight champion. Sidelined when his powerful right hand shattered in a fight, he returned to defeat Max Baer in 1935 for the heavyweight title. He lost the title two years later to Joe Louis. Braddock’s story is depicted in last year’s movie Cinderella Man starring Russell Crowe.

first appeared: 3/26/2006

One of many explanations for New York City’s "Big Apple" moniker is that it was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930s who used the expression "apple" for any town or city. Thus, performing in New York City was referred to as "playing the Big Apple."

first appeared: 3/12/2006

Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910) earned a medical degree from Geneva Medical College in 1849, becoming the first woman in the United States to earn such a degree. When she applied to the school, the all-male student body thought it was a joke and voted for her acceptance.

first appeared: 2/26/2006

On May 24, 1861, Pvt. Francis Edwin Brownell of the 11th New York Infantry performed the first action of the Civil War to merit the awarding of the Medal of Honor. Brownell slew the Confederate soldier who had shot and killed Union Col. Ephraim Ellsworth.

first appeared: 2/12/2006

Located one mile north of Ellicottville (pop. 1,738), the 425-acre Griffis Sculpture Park features 225 sculptures in the midst of some of New York’s most stunning landscapes.

first appeared: 1/29/2006

Since opening in 1955, the Diamond Mines in Herkimer (pop. 9,962) have grown from a farmer’s small prospecting mine to a worldwide tourist attraction featuring hands-on mining opportunities. The "diamonds" actually are faceted quartz crystals with points at both ends.

first appeared: 1/15/2006

The International Exhibition of Modern Art, known as the Armory Show, opened in New York City’s 69th Regiment Armory in 1913. One-third of the show’s pieces were by Europeans. The exhibit introduced visitors to impressionism, postimpressionism, fauvism and cubism, but was widely criticized for its avant-garde nature.

first appeared: 1/15/2006

MISS NEW YORK 2006—Kandice Pelletier is a Radio City Rockette and a student at New York University. She also appeared on TV’s Law and Order and the film version of the Broadway musical The Producers, and performed on the televised Tony Awards with host Hugh Jackman.

first appeared: 1/8/2006

The National Horse Show began in 1883 at the original Madison Square Garden in New York City as a major social event. In its early years, military teams dominated the jumping competition, but civilians now constitute the majority of entrants.

first appeared: 1/1/2006

During the late 19th century, East Aurora (pop. 6,673) was known as "the world’s trotting nursery." Race horses were raised and trained on farms in the area, producing racing greats including Mambrino King, then judged the world’s most handsome horse.

first appeared: 12/18/2005

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, born in Oswego (pop. 17,954) in 1832, was the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award, for her care of the sick and wounded during the Civil War. When the award’s standards were revised in 1917, the medal was rescinded, but it was reinstated in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.

first appeared: 12/18/2005

At its peak in 1910, Roycroft, a handicraft community in East Aurora (pop. 6,673), employed more than 500 workers, known as Roycrofters, who were skilled furniture makers, metalsmiths, leathersmiths and bookbinders.

first appeared: 12/4/2005

Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome (pop. 34,950) commemorates both the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, signed with the Iroquois Indians in 1768, and the Continental Army’s stand against the British invasion from Canada in 1777.

first appeared: 11/20/2005

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