Educational Trivia

Dear Mark:  I’ve always wondered about this, but didn’t know whom to ask.  Is there really a country called Timbuktu?  If so, where is it? - Bethany in Richmond, VA

Dear Bethany:  There is indeed a real place called Timbuktu. It’s not a country, though.  It’s a city located in the country of Mali in the southwestern Sahara desert of Africa.  It has a current population of only 4,000, which is down from only 30,000 about 15 years ago.  Start booking your travel plans now, especially if you are the adventurous type.  Though there is access by car or plane, you can still arrive by camel!

Dear Mark: Why is each denomination of coin wrapper for a different amount? For example, pennies are only 50 cents per roll while quarters are 10 dollars.  Wouldn’t it be much easier to count if they were all the same? - Tony in Lawton, OK

Dear Tony:  Put all the different wrappers side by side.  What do you notice?  They are all roughly the same length.  (One notable exception is the half dollar roll which is about half the length of the others.) I suspect this is for ease of use for manufacturing, shipping, and storage.  Imagine if your 10 dollars was the target number for a roll of coins.  That would be one gigantic roll of 1,000 pennies. If 50 cents was your standard, you would have a roll only two quarters high.  So while it might be easier to count them under your system, it would definitely not be easier to handle them. 

Dear Mark: I was at the beach the other day.  My uncle said my sandcastle looked as good as any of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. When I asked him what those seven things were, he could only come up with one and a half - Egyptian Pyramids and something about gardens. He suggested I write to you for the answer. - Regina in Pensacola, FL

Dear Regina: Your uncle is a smart man. Sister Alice always said that knowing where to find the answer is as important as knowing the answer itself.  (She never bought that argument if we hadn’t memorized the words for the French test.)  Anyway, after a bit of research, I have your Seven Wonders in no particular order: The Colossus of Rhodes, The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, The Lighthouse of Alexandria, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Mausoleum in Halicarnassus, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and The Pyramids of Egypt.

Dear Mark: What’s the most amount of rain that ever fell?  Where? – Elizabeth – Arundel, Maryland

Dear Elizabeth: Get out your umbrella!  That distinction belongs to Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean where 73.62 inches of rain fell on March 15-16, 1952. 

Dear Mark: What is the world’s largest island? – Troy

Dear Troy:  You are probably thinking of Hawaii or some tropical paradise with coconuts, umbrella drinks, and bikini-clad bartenders. You are in for a surprise; you should pack your mittens!  Greenland is the world’s largest island at about 840,000 square miles. Technically, Australia is an island too, but it's so large that it's considered a continent.

Dear Mark:  Why is John Hancock’s name the biggest one on the Declaration of Independence? - Lorraine in Bayonne, NJ

Dear Lorraine: He signed it that way on purpose supposedly saying as he did, “There!  King George ought to be able to see this!”  One theory of his intentions is that John Hancock was being sarcastic, the same way you would write a note in huge letters if your son claimed he didn’t take out the trash because he didn’t see your (clearly visible) previous note.  The other theory is that John Hancock genuinely wanted to make sure that King George of England could see his name on the document even if he looked at without wearing his glasses.  Either way (or both), it was a smart move.  How many other signers of the Declaration of Independence can you name?

Dear Mark: You know how people write all over paper money, stuff like “Martha was here” and Happy Birthday Miss Tupelo.”  I hate it.  I wonder if it's legal? It seems like it's probably a federal offense for defacing government property or something. - Clean Cash in Spokane WA

Dear Clean Cash: I checked with the US Department of the Treasury, the good folks who print all those crisp new bills.  It is indeed perfectly legal to skip the Hallmark card and wish “Miss Tupelo” a happy birthday directly on her twenty dollars.  The next time someone hands you cash, be thankful that you are receiving money, and try not to notice that some artist has used your “mula” as his or her palette.

(Is there some educational trivia in your future? What would you like to learn today? Write to Mark and watch for your question to appear in the column and on the website. Want to share your enthusiasm for his column with the world?  Don’t forget to browse the Question Mark merchandise.)