What was "Life" like 50 years ago? The cover story of the Sept. 22, 1958, issue was the retirement of comedienne Gracie Allen, ending the "Burns and Allen" sitcom after an eight-year run. A full-page ad for Budweiser cited the 101 words on the label of each can and asked, "Ever read it?" Is that word count still correct? If you've got a Bud handy, please give it a read and let us know.

Did you know that the Titanic had two sister ships? The other two "Olympic-class" liners of the White Star Line were the Olympic and the Britannic. Although the Olympic twice collided with other ships, it was in service from 1911 to 1935 and became known as "Old Reliable." The Britannic, however, was in service for less than a year. It sank in November 1916 after hitting a mine.

The British call it an "adjustable spanner." Americans call it a:
A) Drawbridge
B) Dog collar
C) Marionette
D) Monkey wrench

Previous answer: Abstract painter Jackson Pollock was born in Cody, Wyo.

TRIVIA FANS: Send the trivia questions you've always wanted answered, or original TriviaBits ideas of your own, with your full name and hometown, to Stan Newman at StanTrivia@aol.com or on a postcard to P.O. Box 69, Massapequa Park, NY 11762.

Stanley Newman is the editor of the Newsday Crossword and author/editor of more than 125 books on crosswords, word games and trivia, including "15,003 Answers: The Ultimate Trivia Encyclopedia" (Random House). To find out more about Stanley Newman visit StanXwords.com, or e-mail him at StanTrivia@aol.com.
COPYRIGHT 2008 STANLEY NEWMAN
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE