Ask the Memphian: Did Memphians really freak out over a strange man’s earthquake prediction?
Thousands of Memphians freaked out 36 years ago when a fringe scientist predicted that a massive earthquake would strike the area.
Topic: Ask the Memphian
RSSThere are 57 article(s) tagged Ask the Memphian:
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April 2026
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Ask the Memphian: What is kratom? And is it legal in Tennessee?
Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke was charged with trafficking an illegal substance in Arkansas after he was found to be in possession of more than 200 grams of kratom. But what exactly is the drug?
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Ask the Memphian: Did Houdini ever perform in Memphis?
One hundred years after his untimely death, Harry Houdini still captivates the imaginations of magicians and magic fans worldwide, including in Memphis. In this installment of Ask the Memphian, we tell you about Houdini’s three visits to the Bluff City, the first of which came at the end of the 19th century.
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March 2026
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Ask the Memphian: How did the Black community help save Memphis during the Yellow Fever Epidemic?
The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878 was one of the worst disasters in American history, and it devastated Memphis. But during one of the saddest, darkest periods of the city’s history, Black Memphians helped save it.
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Ask the Memphian: Why do TV stations interrupt shows like the Oscars for weather coverage?
Many watched the Academy Awards earlier this month spent much of their night watching weathermen on the TV.
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Ask the Memphian: Why are five MSCS schools closing, and what happens now?
The closures prompted questions. What would happen to students, staff and the buildings themselves? Can more closures could happen in the future, and could charter schools could be among schools on the chopping block. Let’s get into it.
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Ask the Memphian: Who was the oldest person in Memphis history? She was also the oldest person in the world.
When Elizabeth Bolden died in 2006, she was 116, and had 40 grandchildren, 75 great-grandchildren, 150 great-great-grandchildren, 220 great-great-great-grandchildren and 75 great-great-great-great-grandchildren.
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Ask the Memphian: Your questions answered
The Daily Memphian’s “Ask the Memphian” series uncovers the stories behind some of the city’s myths, legends and downright weirdness.
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February 2026
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Ask the Memphian: Can a class of 6 CBU students help solve 2 cold-case murders? A grieving family hopes so.
Maybe, just maybe, a class at Christian Brothers University can focus attention back on the murders of Beau and Shea Grauer, two brothers killed seven months apart in two separate Midtown shootings that appear unconnected.
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Ask the Memphian: When will the repaving of I-240 be completed?
By the end of 2027, almost all of the Interstate 240 loop around the city should be repaved, state road officials said.
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Ask the Memphian: Who is John Corlew, and why is there a Midtown park named after him?
In this week’s Ask the Memphian, we delve into the history of John Corlew Park, the tiny sliver of greenspace in Midtown’s Idlewild neighborhood.
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Ask the Memphian: What was The Gray Hat Mystery?
A slain businessman, known as the “Hot Tamale King.” A young, fedora-wearing detective. And a tantalizing clue: a gray felt hat, left near the scene of the crime.
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January 2026
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Ask the Memphian: What is the record snowfall in Memphis?
The biggest snowstorm to ever hit Memphis walloped the city more than a century ago, but the city as it was in 1892 handled the storm well.
Related content:
MLGW not expecting significant outages as Memphis dodges ice
‘Much more difficult today than yesterday,’ and cold temps not expected to let up this week
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Ask the Memphian: What twists of fate led to the founding of the Dixon Gallery & Gardens?
Through improbable twists of fate and the generosity and foresight of Hugo and Margaret Dixon, the Dixon Gallery & Gardens has become a jewel in the city’s cultural landscape.
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Ask the Memphian: What happened to the Memphian who owned the most valuable coin in history?
The rarest and most valuable coin in history — the 1933 Double Eagle — was once owned by a coin collector in Memphis, until confiscated by the federal government.
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Ask the Memphian: Why does Memphis require liquor stores to be 1,500 feet away from a church or school?
In this week’s “Ask the Memphian,” we explain how that distance came to be and compare it to other populous cities across Tennessee.
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December 2025
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Ask the Memphian: Yes, Memphis, your city does actually recycle
Despite what many Memphians believe, the city does in fact recycle. But better efforts from Memphians could help successful recycling, officials said.
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Ask the Memphian: How did an Australian prime minister lose his pants in Memphis?
The Memphis Trousers Affair: One night in 1986, a former Australian prime minister endured his worst day in the Bluff City.
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Ask the Memphian: How did the St. Jude marathon grow from a small race to a mighty behemoth?
How did such a small-time endeavor grow into a massive phenomenon that requires 4,000 volunteers and the cooperation of an entire city for a safe and well-organized event?
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Ask the Memphian: What in the heck is going on with the San Diego Cantina restaurant?
What’s the deal with the once-popular Mexican restaurant in East Memphis? Why is the giant sign still glowing even though the place has been closed for eight years?
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November 2025
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Did Prince ever play Beale Street?
Yes, and it was legendary.
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Ask the Memphian: Why is the U of M’s mascot a tiger?
Tigers and what is now the University of Memphis go back to around 1914, and the partnership eventually led to the school having a live feline on the sidelines during football games.
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Ask the Memphian: Has Memphis ever had an art heist like the Louvre?
Curios, statues, Albrecht Durer and Elton John: How have Memphis museums been victimized by thieves in the last century?
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Is Earnestine & Hazel’s really haunted? That depends on who you ask, but the spooky stories are legion
This week, Ask the Memphian investigates reported sightings of ghosts at the South Main district bar. Oh, and we’ll also tell you about the abandoned cemetery right across the street.
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Ask the Memphian: What seasoning makes Memphis fries so good?
This week’s question comes to us from a reader who says she is obsessed with the seasoning on fries in Memphis. But is it all the same? The short answer is no.
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