Print Page | Close Window

Death in the Graveyard!

Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Topics not related to music
Forum Name: Just for Fun
Forum Description: Participate in trivia and knowledge games, share jokes, etc.
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=112073
Printed Date: February 05 2025 at 20:06
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Death in the Graveyard!
Posted By: Dragon Drop
Subject: Death in the Graveyard!
Date Posted: October 08 2017 at 11:28

This is one of those questions that appears impossible to answer, but actually CAN be answered.

In 1952, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected President of the United States, defeating Democrat Adlai E. Stevenson.

Late that night, after the polls were closed, an American man received an anonymous phone call daring him to go to the town cemetery at midnight. He wasn't afraid of any ghosts or pranksters, so he went there and stood by his family plot where his parents were buried. It was a still night, lighted only by a thin crescent moon.

As the town clock struck midnight, he heard footsteps approaching. "Who's there?" he called out, but received no answer except an eerie laugh. The footsteps came closer ... and closer ... and closer ......

The next morning he was found dead on his mother's grave, with an expression of unspeakable horror frozen on his face.

Did that man vote for Eisenhower?




Replies:
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: October 09 2017 at 08:33
I don't know the answer and I cannot find a clue, but I have a few remarks:
  • A thin crescent moon cannot be seen late at night, only just after sunset.
  • The US presidential elections of 1952 were on 4 November. This was c. 2 days afer the full moon.

Geek


-------------


Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 09 2017 at 16:16
Clearly his death and look of horror was when he realized Richard Nixon was a heartbeat away from being president.  

But that doesn't tell us who he voted for or even if he voted at all, though he is an "American man" presumably meaning a citizen old enough to vote. 



-------------
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy


Posted By: ClemofNazareth
Date Posted: October 09 2017 at 18:28
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

...though he is an "American man" presumably meaning a citizen old enough to vote. 



Pretty sure "American" probably refers to a Central or South American and has something to do with how the crescent moon is viewed in the Southern Hemisphere, and he didn't vote for Eisenhower because he wasn't a U.S. citizen but that's about as far as I can get ...

-------------
"Peace is the only battle worth waging."

Albert Camus


Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: October 10 2017 at 08:11
Eisenhower used to clog up his toilet with hamburger buns.

-------------
----------
i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag
that's a happy bag of lettuce
this car smells like cartilage
nothing beats a good video about fractions


Posted By: Dragon Drop
Date Posted: October 10 2017 at 08:25

No, "American" was here intended to mean a United States resident. And the actual appearance of the moon on that historical date was not part of the equation. It's a pleasure to see how you guys are all thinking, coming up with ideas and conjectures, some going far beyond the degree of thought commonly shown by those who make up puzzles like this. I ran across this one years ago in some old book, and I don't know what its original source may have been. But here's the solution as it was given:

If you picture the relative positions of the Earth, Moon and Sun, you will see that in order to appear as a thin crescent, the Moon has to be almost directly between the Earth and Sun. That means that the Sun and Moon will appear close together in the sky. So that could happen just after nightfall or just before sunrise, with the Moon just above the horizon and the Sun just below it. But this could not occur at midnight, because then the Sun is a long way below the horizon, and that's where the moon must also be if it appears near the Sun. (It might then appear as a thin crescent to those on the other side of the Earth, but to you it would not be visible at all.)

But there is an exception: If you live near the North or South Pole, there are times of the year when you have continuous or almost-continuous daylight for long periods; so even when the time is midnight by the clock, the Sun could still be just below the horizon. Consequently, in those regions, you COULD see a thin crescent moon at midnight.

So, if the story were true, the man's home would have to be in Alaska. But in 1952, Alaska was only a U.S. territory and not yet a state, so residents of Alaska at that time could not vote in Federal elections.

So the answer is no, he did NOT vote for Eisenhower!

 



Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: October 10 2017 at 09:57
^Nice one Thumbs Up.

-------------



Print Page | Close Window

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Copyright ©2001-2014 Web Wiz Ltd. - http://www.webwiz.co.uk