Hashtag Trivia
Ampersands, Ants on a Log, and the Final Frontier
Turns out September 8th is stacked with things you probably had no idea you were supposed to be celebrating.
First up is National Ampersand Day. That little "&" symbol you use constantly is actually a ligature combining the letters E and T, spelling out "et," which is Latin for "and." Even wilder, the ampersand used to be the 27th letter of the English alphabet, all the way up until the 19th century, and school children of the era would recite it right at the end. So next time you type "&," just know you're using a retired letter of the alphabet.
Next on the calendar is National Ants on a Log Day, celebrated every second Tuesday in September. This one's a healthy snack classic, and all you technically need is a log, some mud, and a few ants. Translated out of the backyard and into your kitchen, that means celery sticks, peanut butter, and raisins. Tasty, healthy, and yes, there are "ants" involved, just not the kind that bite.
And finally, it's Star Trek Day. The original series beamed onto NBC on this exact date back in 1966, and the crew on set today definitely has their Trekkie credentials in order. In honor of the occasion, today's Pop Quiz features not one, but two Star Trek themed questions, so get ready to test your knowledge of the final frontier.
Think you know your 80s new wave hits and your starship registry numbers? Here's your shot. No spoilers here, the answers are waiting for you in the video, so press play and see how you do.
1) In 1984, pop radio and MTV were both playing a new wave hit single from a German band with English lyrics referencing a Star Trek character. Which of these 80s hits features the lyrics "Everyone's a superhero, everyone's a Captain Kirk, with orders to identify, to clarify, and classify"?
A) 99 Red Balloons
B) Major Tom
C) Space Age Love Song
2) The original late 60s sci fi series Star Trek followed the voyages of the starship Enterprise on its five year mission to explore strange new worlds. The Enterprise, a United Federation of Planets class Constitution starship, was issued which registry identification?
A) C-59D
B) NCC-1701
C) YT-1300
Think you nailed both? Watch the full segment above to find out if you're Starfleet material or if you need to head back to the academy.
And in true Star Trek Day fashion, the segment wrapped with Jerry accidentally wishing everyone a happy Star Wars Day instead. Someone might want to remind our weatherman which franchise he was actually celebrating.
By: NBC Palm Springs
September 8, 2026
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