A Long-Term Senator

1. What member of the current U.S. Senate, who first took office in 1959, is the longest-term senator?

2. Name the library with the top collection of volumes in the United States. For Answer Man-ers' benefits, we'll list the top five U.S. sites of collections of volumes.

3. How much is the annual pay for the president of the United States?

4. What was President George Washington's annual salary for his term starting in 1789?

5. The penny was formerly made of copper. Of what is it made today?

6. Martha Jane Burke was often said to be one of the most notorious Wild West women -- a prostitute who often wore male clothing. By what nickname is she known in history?

7. Was the Congressional Medal of Honor limited to those in the Army?

8. When the British retreated from Dunkirk during World War II, from what country were they retreating?

9. In the British retreat noted in the preceding question, what body of water provided the route to follow in the Dunkirk evacuation?

10. From what country did the United States purchase what is now the state of Alaska? For Bragging Rights, how much was paid for the Alaska acreage?

Answers

1. The longest-term member of the current Senate is Robert C. Byrd, D-W.V.

2. The Library of Congress leads the collections with more than 30 million volumes, followed by: 2) Harvard University; 3) Boston Public Library; 4) Yale University; and 5) University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

3. The president's annual salary is $400,000 plus expenses, including travel and others.

4. Washington's annual salary was $25,000.

5. The penny is now composed of thinly copper-plated zinc. Thanks to Medina, Ohio, Answer Man-ers Karla and Lawrence Sayre for this question.

6. Burke was best known as Calamity Jane. Wantage, N.J., Answer Man-er Roger Seccia notes that her real name was Martha Jane Cannary or Canarray. Our source was "The New American Desk Encyclopedia."

7. No, it wasn't. The Congressional Medal of Honor, authorized in 1861, was for sailors and marines and was followed one year later by a Congressional Medal of Honor for the Army. Thanks to Ballwin, Mo., Answer Man-er John Stoeffler for this question.

8. They were backtracking from France. Thanks to Westervillle, Ohio, Answer Man-er John Reed for this and the following question.

9. Answer Man-er Reed tells us it was the famed English Channel.

10. Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million, which is two cents per acre.

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