The Weekday Ramble is a daily dose of sports, music, culture, and more from Rambling On founder Erik Ritland. For more information check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.
Wednesday June 10, 2015
For #FunFacts today we cover the history of the word soccer, explore information about Chattanooga’s most famous export, and learn that America didn’t gain its independence from France.
Snoozer
The word “soccer” is an abbreviation of “association,” first becoming “assoc” (short for Football Association) and then “socca,” “socker,” and eventually “soccer.”
So, in other words, the story about how soccer got its name is as boring as the sport itself.
Empress of the blues
Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Bessie Smith was one of the first blues singers. Her career took off in the 1920s and lasted, with some ebbs and flows, until her death in a car crash in 1937. At the height of her popularity she was the highest paid black entertainer in America, bringing in as much as $2,000 a week. Last month a movie about her life starring Queen Latifah was released to positive reviews.
Oh dear
In a recent study American teenagers were asked what country we gained our independence from. 15% answered France, another 5% Canada.
Be afraid, folks. Be very afraid.
Sources
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/04/sports-facts-unknown_n_4704083.html
http://nooga.com/161052/10-facts-about-bessie-smith-and-chattanooga/
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=92955
Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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