ASK MR. KNOW-IT-ALL
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A: It is. The 26-year-old Patton finished in fifth place in that multi-event sport consisting of shooting, fencing, swimming, riding and running.
Q: In the 1960s, there was a country group called Young Country. Whatever happened to them? — I.H.A., Mobile, Ala.
A: Young Country performed for the first time in a talent contest at Section High School in Section, Ala., in 1969. They won first prize and a trip to the Grand Ole Opry. Not much happened on that trip to Nashville; in fact, the group went unnoticed. They changed the band’s name to Wildcountry in 1972 and shortly thereafter decided to go professional. In 1977, Wildcountry changed its name one more time, and we know them today as Alabama.
Q: Who is “Zeke from Cabin Creek”? — O.A., Huntington, Ala.
A: That was the nickname of future NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West when he attended West Virginia University. West was born on May 28, 1938, in Chelyan, W.Va., although his family’s mail was delivered to Cabin Creek, hence the erroneous nickname.
Q: One of my favorite characters in the “Star War” movies is Chewbacca. How did they make the character so tall? Who was in the costume? — H.J., Waycross, Ga.
A: In the very tall costume was the very tall (7-foot 3-inch) British actor Peter Mayhew. Mayhew, who was born in Barnes, England, in 1944, was working in a London hospital when he was discovered by producer Charles Schneer for the role of Minoton in “Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger” (1977). “Star Wars” director George Lucas needed a tall actor for the role of Chewbacca, and his first choice was the relatively diminutive (6-foot 7-inch) David Prowse. When Prowse opted to wear the Darth Vader outfit instead, Mayhew got the nod to wear play the Wookie.
Q: How did Yale University get its name? — W.B., Springfield, Ill.
A: Yale was founded in 1701 as the Collegiate School in Killingworth, Conn. In those early years, classes were held in the home of school rector Abraham Pierson. In 1716, the school moved to New Haven. Two years later, Elihu Yale (1649-1721) became a benefactor and the school was given its new name.
Q: What can you tell me about Daniel Radcliffe? He is the young actor who plays Harry Potter. — T.C., New Iberia, La.
A: Daniel Jacob Radcliffe was born on July 23, 1989, in London, England. At the age of 10 he made his first on-screen appearance as the young David Copperfield in the BBC-TV production of the same name. He made his first film appearance in 2001 as Mark Pendel in “The Tailor of Panama.” He is attending the City of London School, a private boys’ school in his hometown.
Q: What are sun dogs? — B.C., Peru, Ill.
A: Also called mock suns, false suns or parhelia, they are bright spots located on either side of the sun when it is low in the sky. Sun dogs are formed when the sun’s light travels through flat ice crystals called plates. This refracted light causes the spots. If you have access to a computer, type “sun dogs” into your favorite search engine. You’ll find some great sites with pictures and a more technical explanation of how sun dogs are formed.
Q: The chemical symbols for some elements don’t make sense to me. For instance, why is iron “Fe” and lead “Pb”? — O.R., Haines City, Fla.
A: The symbols come from the elements’ Latin names, ferrum and plumbum. The symbols for gold (Au) and silver (Ag) are also based on their Latin names, aurum and argentum.