Category Archives: Celebrities and Entertainment

Charles Dickens

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Charles Dickens

Ever heard of Charles Dickens?

  • Charles Dickens was an English writer and became famous in 1836 from  his Pickwick Papers, which was first published as a serial.
  • The full name of Charles Dickens was Charles John Huffam Dickens, and early on in his career he used the pseudonymn Boz, a family nickname.
  • Charles Dickens was born on 7 February 1812 in Portsmouth, England and died on 9 June, 1870 in Kent, England.
  • Charles Dickens first started to write in 1832, when he was 20 years of age.
  • Charles Dickens was initially married to Catherine Thomson Hogarth, and had ten children.
    Charles Dickens, Books, Novel, Author, Popular, Penn State Special Collections, University Park, Mason & Co. (British), Flickr, Ten Random Facts, 1865
Charles Dickens
Image courtesy of Penn State Special Collections Library/Flickr
  • Charles Dickens’ novels have been made into at least 200 films and adaptations.
  • Charles Dickens was also a political journalist and a social critic.
  • Charles Dickens survived the major Staplehurst rail crash in 1865, and eventually died due to stroke exactly five years later, “on the ground” being his last words.
  • In 2003 in BBC’s Big Read, Charles Dickens had five books starring in the top 100; Great Expectations (no. 17), David Copperfield (no. 34), A Christmas Carol (no. 47), A Tale of Two Cities (no. 63) and Bleak House (no. 79).
  • Charles Dickens toured the United Kingdom and United States a number of times, for the purpose of undertaking a series of public readings, which were very popular.
Bibliography:
Charles Dickens 1 February 2013 , Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens>

Cluedo

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Cluedo

‘The Great Detective Game,’ Cluedo’s slogan.

  • Cluedo is a board game that requires the use of reasoning and logic skills and has a murder and mystery theme.
  • Cluedo was designed by Anthony Pratt, a successful musician, who thought of the game during World War II.
  • The game was first made in 1949 by Waddingtons who changed the name from ‘Murder’ (which the Pratt’s had called it) to ‘Cluedo’.
  • In North America, Cluedo is known as Clue and some of the character’s names are changed.
  • Cluedo was first designed to have 11 rooms, 10 characters and 9 weapons instead of the typical 9 rooms, 6 characters and six weapons.

Cluedo, Board, Cards, Reverend, Mr, Green, Rooms, Box, Weapons, Game, Ten Random Facts

  • Elva Pratt, Anthony’s wife, designed the original artwork for the Cluedo board.
  • ‘Cluedo’ is a combination of the word ‘clue’ and ‘ludo’, ‘ludo’ being Latin for ‘play’.
  • Although Cluedo was initially designed as a game, it has been turned into films, books and other types of media.
  • The murder victim of Cluedo is Dr Black, or Mr Boddy.
  • The typical weapons of Cluedo are the candlestick, dagger, revolver, lead pipe, wrench and the rope, however, Pratt’s original game included an axe, bomb, syringe and poison as well as some other interesting weapons.
Bibliography:
Cluedo 24 January 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluedo>

The Muppets

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The Muppets

Ever heard of Kermit the Frog or Miss Piggy?

  • The Muppets are puppets, used in various sketch comedies.
  • The concept of the Muppets was created in 1955 by Jim Henson and is now owned by The Walt Disney Company.
  • Kermit the Frog, the Muppets signature puppet, was one of the first Muppets created and is stilled used in the modern Muppets.
  • After the success of Jim Henson’s Muppets on Sesame Street in 1969 and early 70s, Henson decided to create a television show aimed at adults and children, The Muppet Show.
  • Muppets were first seen on a show called Sam and Friends which began in the 1950s.

Muppets, Disney, The Muppet Show, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppet Movie, Animal, Sam the eagle, Three, Movies, Video Cassette, The Best of the Muppets, Ten Random Facts

  • In 1976, The Muppet Show was created, and new Muppets were introduced, including Miss Piggy, the Great Gonzo and Fuzzie Bear.
  • The design of the Muppets are wide mouths and large eyes and were coined “Muppets” by Jim Hensen who said the word came from “marionette” and “puppet”.
  • The Muppets are performed by Muppeteers holding the Muppets in one hand and using the other hand, they move arms and hands. Sometimes modern technology is involved, so that the Muppeteers can be removed and the Muppets can appear to ride bikes or boats.
  • The Muppets is now owned by The Walt Disney Company, who purchased the rights and trademarks of the Muppets in 2004.
  • Walt Disney have released videos of the Muppets on You Tube and plan to release a new Muppet movie in 2014.
Bibliography:
The Muppets 19 January 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Muppets>

Anne of Green Gables

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Anne of Green Gables

Ever read a Lucy Maud Montgomery book?

  • The classic novel Anne of Green Gables was written by Lucy Maud Montgomery, who has written many books.
  • The first publication of Anne of Green Gables was in 1908 by L. C. Page and Co and contained 429 pages.
  • Anne of Green Gables has sold more than 50 million copies and has been translated in 36 different languages.
  • Anne of Green Gables is about a young orphan named Anne Shirley.
  • Anne of Green Gables is extremely popular in Japan and has been read in Japanese schools for decades.

Anne of Green Gables, L. M. Montgomery, Classic, Wordsworth, 1994, Soft Cover, Ten Random Facts

  • Anne of Green Gables was inspired by a young couple who wanted an orphan boy but got a girl, and kept her.
  • Anne of Green Gables was ranked number 41 in BBC’s The Big Read survey of 2003.
  • Many movies from the novel Anne of Green Gables, have been produced, the first being a silent film in 1919.
  • Anne of Green Gables has many sequels. The first three are ‘Anne of Avonlea’ (1909), ‘Anne of the Island’ (1915) and ‘Anne of Windy Poplars’ (1936).
  • In 2009, an Anne of Green Gables 1908 first edition sold for $37,500 US.
Bibliography:
Anne of Green Gables 20 December 2012, Wikipedia,  <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_Green_Gables>

Enid Blyton

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Enid Blyton

Ever heard of the Famous Five or Secret Seven?

  • Enid Blyton was born on the 11th of August 1897, in East Dulwich, England and died on the 28th of November, 1968, aged 71, in Hampstead, England.
  • Enid Blyton is estimated to have written over 800 books, in a period of approximately 40 years.
  • Enid Blyton used the pen name ‘Mary Pollock’ at times.
  • Enid Blyton typically wrote adventure, mystery and fantasy books for children.
  •  Enid Blyton has been most famous for her Famous Five, Secret Seven, and the Noddy series.

 Enid Blyton, Human, Lady, Female, author, Secret Seven, Famous Five, Noddy, Black and White, Ten Random Facts

Enid Blyton
Image courtesy of Photobucket
  • Enid Blyton worked as an author, a poet and a teacher.
  • Enid Blyton married two men: Hugh Pollock (from 1924 – 1942) whom she divorced, and Kenneth Waters (from 1943-1967).
  • Enid Blyton’s books have sold over 600 million copies.
  • Enid Blyton tried several times over a number of years to get her work broadcasted by BBC and eventually in 1954 some of her work was aired.
  • Even though Enid Blyton remains a popular children’s author, her work has been long scrutinised due to its sometimes racial insensitivity and gender stereotyping, and the suggestion that she was a second rate, long-winded author.

 

Bibliography:
Enid Blyton 19 December 2012, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enid_Blyton>

Monopoly

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Monopoly

The Parker Brothers Real Estate Trading Game

  • Monopoly is the best selling, most popular game today, and was first produced in America.
  • Monopoly was invented by Charles B Darrow and was accepted by the Parker Brothers in 1935, 31 August.
  • At first, the Parker Brothers didn’t accept the game of Monopoly, because it took too long to play and was too complicated.
  • According to a computer probability analysis, the square that is most landed on in Monopoly is ‘Trafalgar Square’, and the square ‘Go!’ is second most likely.
  • There are more than 2000 versions of Monopoly, the original being the classic American game, and the classic British game produced soon after.
Monopoly, Parker Brother,s Box, Dice, Original, Ten Random Facts
  • The world’s most expensive Monopoly game set is worth 2 million Australian dollars.
  • Monopoly has been sold in 111 different countries and in 43 languages.
  • The longest Monopoly game took 70 days to complete.
  • Monopoly was used by the British Secret Service in World War II for smuggling purposes.
  • In 1978, an entirely edible edition made of chocolate was made and sold, and retailed for $600.
Bibliography:
About Monopoly 2012, Hasbro Gaming, <http://www.hasbro.com/monopoly/en_AU/discover/about.cfm>
Harrison, I 2004, The Book of Inventions, Cassell Illustrated, Great Britian
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