Where does the term “dog days of summer” come from?

The “dog days of summer” refer to the hot and humid days between July and August. It comes from the Dog Star, Sirius, which is part of the constellation Canis Major. Each summer between July and August the constellation appears in the northern hemisphere during what is usually the hottest time of the summer. It is the brightest star in Canis Major and is easily recognizable with the naked eye.
 

Source: http://voices.yahoo.com/dog-days-summer-meaning-phrase-3791650.html

Who is the Stanley Cup named after?

The Stanley Cup is named for Frederick Stanley, the 16^th Earl of Derby who served as Governor General of Canada in the 1890s. He bought the original bowl that was used as a trophy and awarded it to Canada's top-ranking amateur ice hockey club. Also known as The Cup, Lord Stanley’s Cup and The Holy Grail, the current Stanley Cup is topped with a copy of the original bowl. 

Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Cup

When is the “supermoon” in 2013?

The “supermoon” or the closest and largest full moon of the year falls on June 23, 2013. This full moon is the moon’s closest encounter with Earth for all of 2013. The moon will not be this close to Earth again until August 2014.  

Source: http://earthsky.org/tonight/is-biggest-and-closest-full-moon-on-june-23-2013-a-supermoon

What is the most popular tourist attraction in the United States?

With 41,900,000 annual visitors, Times Square in New York City is the most visited tourist attraction in the U.S. according to Travel and Leisure Magazine.  Central Park, Union Station, the Las Vegas Strip, and Grand Central Terminal round out the top 5 most visited attractions.

For the full list visit: http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-most-visited-tourist-attractions.html

When did the U.S. Postal service begin using zip codes?

 Announced on April 30, 1963, and put into effect on July 1, ZIP—or Zoning Improvement Plan codes gave the post office a better, more efficient way to sort mail. "The first digit designated a broad geographical area of the United States, ranging from zero for the Northeast to nine for the far West. This number was followed by two digits that more closely pinpointed population concentrations and those sectional centers accessible to common transportation networks. The final two digits designated small Post Offices or postal zones in larger zoned cities."

Source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/50450/50-things-turn-50-2013

What is the World’s longest commercial flight?

Flying 9,535 miles, for a total duration of 18 hours and 50 minutes, the longest non-stop flight is from Newark, New Jersey to Singapore. Singapore Airlines flight SQ21 carries up to 100 business class passengers across 12 time zones. This title will soon change as this flight will be cancelled, as it proved to be too costly.  When the flight from New Jersey to Singapore ends in November 2013, the new record for longest flight will be Qanta’s service from Dallas to Sydney totaling 8,576 miles or 15 hours and 25 minutes. 

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/05/19/worlds-longest-flights/