Some trivia about Filipinos...
Filipinos were introduced to the English language in 1762 by British invaders, not Americans.
What is the world's 3rd largest English-speaking nation, next to the USA and UK? The Philippines.
Los Angeles, California was co-founded in 1781 by a Filipino named Antonio Miranda Rodriguez, along with 43 Latinos from Mexico sent by the Spanish government.
What antibiotic did Filipino doctor Abelardo Aguilar co-discover? Hint: Brand is Ilosone, named after Iloilo. Erythromycin.
The one-chip video camera was first made by Marc Loinaz, a Filipino inventor from New Jersey.
The first ever international Grandmaster from Asia was Eugenio Torre who won at the Chess Olympiad in Nice, France in 1974.
This son of two Filipino physicians scored over 700 on the verbal Portion of the Standardized Achievement Test (SAT) before age 13 - Kiwi Danao Camara of Punahou School, Hawaii... Edward Sanchez, a Mensa member, bagged the Grand prize in the first Philippine Search for Product Excellence in Information Technology.
Who was the Filipino-American dancer who scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT? Joyce Monteverde of California.
Who invented the fluorescent lamp? Thomas Edison discovered the electric light and the fluorescent Lighting was thought up by Nikola Tesla. But the fluorescent lamp we use today was invented by Agapito Flores (a Cebu man named Benigno Flores of Bantayan Island, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer), a Filipino scientist. Americans helped then-Philippine leader Ramon Magsaysay to develop it for worldwide commerce. (Yes! Many foreigners have noted that the
Filipino population has Asia's highest rates of inventors and international beauty queens.)
Two Filipina beauties, Gloria Diaz and Margie Moran, were chosen as Miss Universe in 1969 and 1973, respectively.
Pure- or part-Filipino celebrities in American showbiz include Von Flores, Tia Carrere, Paolo Montalban, Lea Salonga, Ernie Reyes Jr., Nia Peeples, Enrique Iglesias, Lou Diamond Phillips, Phoebe Cates, Rob Schneider, apl.de.ap of Black Eyed Peas, Prince, Cheryl Burke.
Latina-American pop star Christina Aguilera lost to Filipina vocalist Josephine Roberto aka Banig during the International Star Search years ago. In a mid-1999 MTV chat, she said that competing against someone of Banig's age was "not fair."
Besides gracing fashion magazine covers, this international supermodel from Manila had walked the runways since the 1970s for all the major designers, like Calvin Klein, Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Donna Karan, Gianni Versace and Yves Saint Laurent - Anna Bayle.
Who is the personal physician of United States Pres. Bill Clinton? Dr. Eleanor "Connie" Concepcion Mariano, a Filipina doctor who was the youngest captain in the US Navy.
The first Filipino-American in US Congress was Virginia Rep. Robert Cortez-Scott, a Harvard alumnus.
The first Filipino-American state governor was Benjamin Cayetano who was elected as Governor of Hawaii for two consecutive terms. He is the son of migrant Filipino farm workers.
Founded in 1595 by Spaniards, the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, Philippines is older than Harvard and is the oldest university in Asia. University of Santo Tomas in Manila, established in 1611, is Asia's second oldest.
The first female president of the Philippines sworn into office in 1986 was Corazon Cojuangco Aquino.
Who was the first Asian and/or Filipino to snatch America's Pulitzer Prize? Philippines Herald war journalist Carlos P. Romulo in 1941. (He was also the first Asian to become President of the UN General Assembly.)
Filipino national hero/writer Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2, and grew up to speak more than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French and Chinese. What were his last words? "Consummatum est!" ("It is done!")
