Problem: Farmer was born on September 19, 1913 in Seattle, Washington, the daughter of Lillian (nee Van Ornum 1873-1955), a boardinghouse operator and dietician and Ernest Melvin Farmer, a lawyer. Farmer was the youngest of four children; she had two older sisters, and one older brother. At age four, Farmer's parents separated, and her mother relocated with the children from their home in North Seattle to Los Angeles, where her sister lived. Two years later, Farmer and her siblings were sent back to Seattle to live with their father.

On October 19, 1942, Farmer was stopped by Santa Monica Police for driving with her headlights on bright in the wartime blackout zone that affected most of the West Coast. Some reports say she was unable to produce a driver's license and was verbally abusive. The police suspected her of being drunk and she was jailed overnight. Farmer was fined $500 and given a 180-day suspended sentence. She immediately paid $250 and was put on probation.  By January 1943, she failed to pay the rest of the fine and a bench warrant was issued for her arrest. At almost the same time, a studio hairdresser filed an assault charge alleging that Farmer had dislocated her jaw on the set. The police traced Farmer to the Knickerbocker Hotel in Hollywood. Getting no answer, they entered her room with a pass key. They reportedly found her in bed (some stories include an episode involving the bathroom) and made her dress quickly. "By all accounts, she did not surrender peacefully."  At her hearing the next morning, she behaved erratically. She claimed the police had violated her civil rights, demanded an attorney, and threw an inkwell at the judge. He immediately sentenced her to 180 days in jail. She knocked down a policeman and bruised another, along with a matron. She ran to a phone booth where she tried to call her attorney, but was subdued by the police. They physically carried her away as she shouted, "Have you ever had a broken heart?"  Newspaper reports gave sensationalized accounts of her arrest. Through the efforts of her sister-in-law, a deputy sheriff in Los Angeles County, Farmer was transferred to the psychiatric ward of Los Angeles General Hospital. There she was diagnosed with "manic depressive psychosis".

Did she serve any time in jail?

Answer with quotes: Farmer was fined $500 and given a 180-day suspended sentence. She immediately paid $250 and was put on probation.


Problem: Matthew Fontaine Maury (January 14, 1806 - February 1, 1873) was an American astronomer, United States Navy officer, historian, oceanographer, meteorologist, cartographer, author, geologist, and educator. He was nicknamed "Pathfinder of the Seas" and "Father of Modern Oceanography and Naval Meteorology" and later, "Scientist of the Seas" for his extensive works in his books, especially The Physical Geography of the Sea (1855), the first such extensive and comprehensive book on oceanography to be published. Maury made many important new contributions to charting winds and ocean currents, including ocean lanes for passing ships at sea.

The war brought ruin to many in Fredericksburg, where Maury's immediate family lived. Thus, returning there was not immediately considered. After the war, after serving Maximilian in Mexico as "Imperial Commissioner of Immigration" and building Carlotta and New Virginia Colony for displaced Confederates and immigrants from other lands, Maury accepted a teaching position at the Virginia Military Institute, holding the chair of physics.  Maury advocated the creation of an agricultural college to complement the institute. That led to the establishment of the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia, in 1872. Maury declined the offer to become its first president partly because of his age. He had previously been suggested as president of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1848 by Benjamin Blake Minor in his publication the Southern Literary Messenger. Maury considered becoming president of St. John's College in Annapolis Maryland, the University of Alabama, and the University of Tennessee. It appears that he preferred being close to General Robert E. Lee in Lexington from statements that Maury made in letters. Maury served as a pall bearer for Lee.  During his time at Virginia Military Institute, Maury wrote a book, entitled The Physical Geography of Virginia. He had once been a gold mining superintendent outside Fredericksburg and had studied geology intensely during that time and so was well equipped to write such a book. During the Civil War, more battles took place in Virginia than in any other state (Tennessee was second), and Maury's aim was to assist wartorn Virginia in discovering and extracting minerals, improving farming and whatever else could assist it to rebuild after such a massive destruction.  Maury later gave talks in Europe about co-operation on a weather bureau for land, just as he had charted the winds and predicted storms at sea many years before. He gave the speeches until his last days, when he collapsed giving a speech. He went home after he recovered and told Ann Hull Herndon-Maury, his wife, "I have come home to die."

Did he have any other spouses during his life?

Answer with quotes: 


Problem: Tamia Marilyn Hill (nee Washington) was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario with her mother Barbara, and three younger brothers Tiras, Tajhee, and Trajan. Aside from the music she heard and sang at church, Tamia was exposed to diverse music from an early age by her mother. Singing was always her passion. As early as age six, she was on stage singing at the local church, and by age 12, had already been involved in several musicals which helped hone her musical skills.

In 2005, Tamia split from Elektra Records, and created her own record label, Plus One Music Group. The first record to be released on the company was her fourth studio album Between Friends. First released on South African independent label Gallo Records in May 2006, it was later distributed by Image Entertainment in the United States. Entirely produced by Shep Crawford, with additional production from Rodney Jerkins, it reached number nine on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Its first two singles, "Can't Get Enough" and "Me", both reached the top 30 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.  In November 2009, a great hits compilation was released in South Africa. The same year, Tamia announced that she was working with longtime contributor Shep Crawford to form a supergroup called TDK along with singers Kelly Price and Deborah Cox. Their joint album The Queen Project failed to materialize however due timing issues and label politics.  In August 2012, Tamia's fifth studio Beautiful Surprise was released on Plus One Music and EMI. The singer worked with a vast of different producers on the album, including Chuck Harmony, The Runners, and Carvin & Ivan. Upon its released, it debuted 23 on the Billboard 200 and number six on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with first week sales of 41,521 copies. Lead single "Beautiful Surprise", written by Claude Kelly, Salaam Remi and the herself peaked at number 24 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and was later nominated for Best R&B Song at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. In support of the album, Tamia went on tour with R. Kelly during his The Single Ladies tour from October until December 2012.

Did either of these albums go gold or platinum?

Answer with quotes: