Cool Wiki Articles

SkiFree

coolwikiadmin — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 21:26:01 +0000

SkiFree is a computer game created by Chris Pirih, a Microsoft programmer, that was released in the Microsoft Entertainment Pack software bundle. A relatively simple skiing game, it is best remembered for the “Abominable Snowman” that appears after the player has completed the course. The yeti-like creature attempts to chase down and then eat the skier. Pirih had originally created the game for his own personal use, but a manager at Microsoft saw him playing it and requested that Microsoft be able to release the game commercially. In recent years, Pirih has developed an updated version of the game compatible with 32 bit operating systems.

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Longest professional baseball game

Medieval cuisine

coolwikiadmin — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 21:18:19 +0000

The foods, eating habits, and cooking methods during the Middle Ages (5th century to 16th century) varied by region and by class. The most common element is the reliance on cereal, particularly wheat consumed in the form of breads, porridge, gruel, and pastas, a staple of all class systems. Potatoes and rice, as well as spices and seasonings, were only introduced to the majority of individuals late in the Middle Ages. Beef was uncommon, and only the nobility regularly dined on meat. There were generally only two meals eaten per day, with a large dinner during the middle of the day and a light supper at night. Breakfast was generally only accepted for working men, young children, the elderly and infirm.

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Eddie Waitkus

coolwikiadmin — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 21:07:52 +0000

Eddie Waitkus was a professional baseball player in the 1940s and 1950s who partially inspired the character of Roy Hobbs in the 1952 book and 1984 film The Natural. Waitkus was a World War II veteran who became a star first baseman for the Chicago Cubs before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1949. Similar to the storyline of The Natural, an obsessed female fan (Ruth Ann Steinhagen) shot Waitkus in the chest with a rifle. He nearly died before the bullet was removed. Like the Roy Hobbs character, Waitkus returned to play baseball, but was plagued by post-traumatic stress related to the shooting. Steinhagen was committed to a mental institution.

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Kippumjo

coolwikiadmin — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 20:42:36 +0000

Kippumjo refers to a group of women, mostly between the ages of 18 and 25, who are used as entertainment by the government of North Korea. The group is known by various translations, such as “Joy Division”, “Joy Brigade”, “Pleasure Group”, and “Pleasure Squad”. The Kippumjo was established in 1978 by Kim Il-sung and still exists today. There are three sub-groups of the Kippumjo: the Manjokjo, a “satisfaction team” that provides sexual services, the Haengbokjo, a “happiness team” that provides massages, and the Gamujo, a “dancing and singing team” of exotic dancers.

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Canadian caper

coolwikiadmin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:59:53 +0000

The Canadian caper is the nickname for the rescue of six Americans who had been able to avoid capture during the Iran Hostage Crisis. The diplomats were not caught during the initial invasion of the United States Embassy in Tehran, and through a joint effort between the governments of the United States and Canada, were smuggled out of the country and to safety. A cover story was concocted by the CIA where the six diplomats were given fake Canadian passports and posed as filmmakers scouting locations for a fictitious science fiction movie named “Argo”.

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Blood in the Water match

coolwikiadmin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:58:21 +0000

The water polo match between Hungary and the USSR at the 1956 Summer Olympics has become known as the “blood in the water match” due to the violent nature of the competition. The match took place during a Hungarian revolution, and the crowd watching were largely pro Hungarian and anti Soviet. The Hungarian team had a strategy in place to taunt the Russians, and multiple punches were exchanged. With the Hungarians up 4-0 towards the end of the match, a near riot ensued after Hungarian player Ervin Zádor was forced to leave with a bloody gash from a punch inflicted by Russia’s Valentin Prokopov.

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George Metesky

coolwikiadmin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:56:23 +0000

George Metesky (“The Mad Bomber”) planted at least 33 pipe bombs in New York City between 1940 and 1956 due to his resentment of his former employer, ConEd. The first bomb was very crude and was located before it went off. Because it was surrounded in a note, it was thought that it may have been an intentional dud, since the note would have been destroyed had the bomb gone off. At the outbreak of World War II, Metesky halted his bombings due to “patriotic feelings”, but began again in 1951. 22 of his bombs exploded and 15 people were injured.

Read full article on Wikipedia: George Metesky

Major Oak

coolwikiadmin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:53:38 +0000

The Major Oak is a very large, old oak tree located in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, which in folklore was a location used by Robin Hood and his band of outlaws. The tree is estimated to be between 800 and 1,000 years old and weighs approximately 23 tons. It is possible that the large tree was actually a group of trees that fused together as saplings. For some time, the Major Oak has been supported by a large scaffolding system.

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Sherman’s neckties

coolwikiadmin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:52:09 +0000

Sherman’s neckties are the name given to Confederate railroad rails destroyed by the Union Army under the command of William Tecumseh Sherman in the Civil War. The rails were heated until they could be twisted into a loop resembling a necktie and began to appear after Sherman gave the order during his Atlanta Campaign in the summer of 1864. Three days after the order, only one rail line leading into Atlanta remained functional, and the destruction proved devestating to the Confederacy, which had scarce supplies to repair or replace the damage.

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Nero Decree

Red Scare

coolwikiadmin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 19:01:10 +0000

Red Scare is a phrase used to refer to periods of anti-Communism in the United States. The first “red scare” took place began towards the end of World War I and was generally characterized by worker revolution as well as radical, anarchist political upheaval. As a result, laws were passed that limited free speech and outlawed supporting the use of violence to bring about social change. The second “red scare” took place beginning in 1947 after the end of World War II and increased Soviet control of Europe. The House Un-American Activities Committee, which had become a permanent fixture at this time, focused on all aspects of Soviet influence on American society. This period of “red scare” was almost entirely about the fear of communist influence on the United States, or the possibility of infiltration of the American government.

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James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh

coolwikiadmin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:53:46 +0000

James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh was a Scot who, in 1570, committed the first assassination with the use of a firearm (in this case, a carabine of nearly three and a half feet in length). Hamilton’s victim was James Stewart, a Regent of Scotland, with whom he and his family had been feuding for some time. The assassination itself was well planned and took a great deal of time to carry out, as Hamilton had stalked Stewart through many cities before the perfect opportunity finally presented itself.

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McLean House

coolwikiadmin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:45:25 +0000

On July 21, 1861, the first major battle of the American Civil War took place on farmland owned by Wilmer McLean. It was called the First Battle of Bull Run. Seeking to get away from the war, McLean, who was retired, moved his family to Clover Hill, Virginia. The village was later renamed to Appomattox Court House, and a few years later, on April 9, 1865, the war once again returned to McLean’s property when his home was the sight of the unconditional surrender of the Confederate forces. Thus, it can be said that the Civil War started and ended on the property of Wilmer McLean, although neither of these statements is entirely accurate as hostilities took place both before the First Battle of Bull Run and after the surrender at Appomattox Court House.

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Battle of Nuremberg

coolwikiadmin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:37:02 +0000

The Battle of Nuremberg refers to a particularly heated match between Portugal and the Netherlands in the second round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. The match saw four red cards and sixteen yellow cards handed out by the referee, both records for the competition. The game was ultimately won by Portugal by a score of 1-0. In addition to the multitude of fouls and bookings, the game also featured a brawl between the two teams. The referee of the match was criticized by FIFA officials.

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Joseph Force Crater

coolwikiadmin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:56:22 +0000

On August 6, 1930, Judge Joseph Force Crater left Billy Haas’s Chophouse on West 45th Street in New York City after eating dinner with two friends and disappeared forever. He had recently emptied his safety deposit box and had just over five thousand dollars in cash available, although the money was later discovered in his house. His mistress also disappeared a short time later and was never seen again. Crater was officially declared dead “in absentia” in 1939. He was referred to as “The Missingest Man in New York” and his disappearance made national headlines.

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Bushranger

coolwikiadmin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:48:33 +0000

Originally, bushrangers were convicts on the run in the British penal colony of Australia. These escapees lived in the bush and used their survival skills to evade capture. The term evolved to refer to outlaws who used the bush as their base of operations. Much like highwaymen in Britain, these criminals preyed on coaches and those who traveled along roads. It is believed that over two thousand bushrangers operated in the Australian countryside, and these convicts are held in some esteem due to their romanticized lifestyle, similar to American outlaws like Billy the Kid.

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