Wednesday December 31st
Category: Islands
A: Present name of an island settled by Europeans in the 1490's, today the most populous island in the Americas.
Q: What is Hispaniola?
Tuesday December 30th
Category: Royalty
A: He was the last English monarch to die in battle.
Q: Who is Richard III?
Monday December 29th
Category: Book Dedications
A: The 1853 dedication of "12 Years a Slave" was to this woman author "whose name.... is identified with the Great Reform".
Q: Who is Harriet Beecher Stowe?
Friday December 26th
Category: African Flags
A: The flag of Burundi has stars representing the Twa & these 2 other ethnic groups much in the news in the 1990's.
Q: Who are the Tutsi & Hutu?
Thursday December 25th
Category: International Symbols
A: Inspired by the 5th letter of the Greek alphabet, its symbol includes 2 horizontal lines to represent stability.
Q: What is the Euro?
Wednesday December 24th
Category: Oscar-Winning Actresses
A: With a total of 5 wins, they're the only 2 Best Actress winners who were known professionally by the same last name.
Q: Who are Katherine and Audrey Hepburn?
Tuesday December 23rd
Category: Word Origins
A: In the mid-1960's, a decade after it first appeared in a holiday tale, this word came to be used for any mean killjoy.
Q: What is Grinch?
Monday December 22nd
Category: American Authors
A: Celebrated in April, National Robotics Week honors this man who coined the word "robotics" in a 1941 story.
Q: Who is Isaac Asimov?
Friday December 19th
Category: International Motoring
A: One of the 3 European Union countries besides the United Kingdom that have not switched to driving on the right.
Q: What are Ireland, Cyprus, & Malta?
Thursday December 18th
Category: 20th Century Sculpture
A: Its sculptor asked for prayer that this work would "endure until the wind and the rain alone shall wear them away".
Q: What is Mt. Rushmore?
Wednesday December 17th
Category: The AFI's 100 Greatest Films
A: One of the Top 20, this 1946 film was based on a short story published as "The Man That Was Never Born".
Q: What is 'It's A Wonderful Life'?
Tuesday December 16th
Category: South America
A: In 2004 the Dollar replaced the Guilder as the monetary unit of this country.
Q: What is Suriname?
Monday December 15th
Category: Poetry
A: The narrator mistakes the presence of this title creature for the wind & later calls it Prophet.
Q: What is The Raven?
Friday December 12th
Category: Literary Travel
A: The romantic balcony seen here is one of the most popular tourist attractions in this Italian city. (Obviously there was a picture of a balcony shown)
Q: What is Verona?
Thursday December 11th
Category: The Bible
A: The first birthday celebration mentioned in the Bible takes place in Genesis 40 & is in honor of this ruler.
Q: Who was the Pharaoh in Egypt? (those are Trebek's words, not mine)
Wednesday December 10th
Category: U.S. Presidents
A: The first man in the 20th century to hold all 4 federally elected offices: congressman, senator, Vice President, & President.
Q: Who is Lyndon B. Johnson?
Tuesday December 9th
Category: Literary Inspirations
A: The Peat Bogs of Dartmoor, England inspired the fictional home of the beastly title character in this 1902 tale.
Q: What is The Hound of Baskervilles?
Monday December 8th
Category: Movie Title References
A: For this 1971 film the reference is to the 1948 film "Red River".
Q: What is The Last Picture Show?
Kids Week (Dec. 1 - 5)Category: Islands
A: Present name of an island settled by Europeans in the 1490's, today the most populous island in the Americas.
Q: What is Hispaniola?
Tuesday December 30th
Category: Royalty
A: He was the last English monarch to die in battle.
Q: Who is Richard III?
Monday December 29th
Category: Book Dedications
A: The 1853 dedication of "12 Years a Slave" was to this woman author "whose name.... is identified with the Great Reform".
Q: Who is Harriet Beecher Stowe?
Friday December 26th
Category: African Flags
A: The flag of Burundi has stars representing the Twa & these 2 other ethnic groups much in the news in the 1990's.
Q: Who are the Tutsi & Hutu?
Thursday December 25th
Category: International Symbols
A: Inspired by the 5th letter of the Greek alphabet, its symbol includes 2 horizontal lines to represent stability.
Q: What is the Euro?
Wednesday December 24th
Category: Oscar-Winning Actresses
A: With a total of 5 wins, they're the only 2 Best Actress winners who were known professionally by the same last name.
Q: Who are Katherine and Audrey Hepburn?
Tuesday December 23rd
Category: Word Origins
A: In the mid-1960's, a decade after it first appeared in a holiday tale, this word came to be used for any mean killjoy.
Q: What is Grinch?
Monday December 22nd
Category: American Authors
A: Celebrated in April, National Robotics Week honors this man who coined the word "robotics" in a 1941 story.
Q: Who is Isaac Asimov?
Friday December 19th
Category: International Motoring
A: One of the 3 European Union countries besides the United Kingdom that have not switched to driving on the right.
Q: What are Ireland, Cyprus, & Malta?
Thursday December 18th
Category: 20th Century Sculpture
A: Its sculptor asked for prayer that this work would "endure until the wind and the rain alone shall wear them away".
Q: What is Mt. Rushmore?
Wednesday December 17th
Category: The AFI's 100 Greatest Films
A: One of the Top 20, this 1946 film was based on a short story published as "The Man That Was Never Born".
Q: What is 'It's A Wonderful Life'?
Tuesday December 16th
Category: South America
A: In 2004 the Dollar replaced the Guilder as the monetary unit of this country.
Q: What is Suriname?
Monday December 15th
Category: Poetry
A: The narrator mistakes the presence of this title creature for the wind & later calls it Prophet.
Q: What is The Raven?
Friday December 12th
Category: Literary Travel
A: The romantic balcony seen here is one of the most popular tourist attractions in this Italian city. (Obviously there was a picture of a balcony shown)
Q: What is Verona?
Thursday December 11th
Category: The Bible
A: The first birthday celebration mentioned in the Bible takes place in Genesis 40 & is in honor of this ruler.
Q: Who was the Pharaoh in Egypt? (those are Trebek's words, not mine)
Wednesday December 10th
Category: U.S. Presidents
A: The first man in the 20th century to hold all 4 federally elected offices: congressman, senator, Vice President, & President.
Q: Who is Lyndon B. Johnson?
Tuesday December 9th
Category: Literary Inspirations
A: The Peat Bogs of Dartmoor, England inspired the fictional home of the beastly title character in this 1902 tale.
Q: What is The Hound of Baskervilles?
Monday December 8th
Category: Movie Title References
A: For this 1971 film the reference is to the 1948 film "Red River".
Q: What is The Last Picture Show?
Friday December 5th
Category: Health & Medicine
A: In 1985 the Surgeon General called this "the best rescue technique in any choking situation".
Q: What is the Heimlich Maneuver?
Thursday December 4th
Category: Toy Brands
A: This product's website has stated, "helping imagination take shape for over 50 years!" & "fun to (use), not to eat".
Q: What is Playdoh?
Wednesday December 3rd
Category: U.S. Geography
A: This city of 650,000 people is the most populous U.S. city not found in a U.S. state.
Q: What is Washington D.C.?
Tuesday December 2nd
Category: Health & Medicine
A: In 1985 the Surgeon General called this "the best rescue technique in any choking situation".
Q: What is the Heimlich Maneuver?
Thursday December 4th
Category: Toy Brands
A: This product's website has stated, "helping imagination take shape for over 50 years!" & "fun to (use), not to eat".
Q: What is Playdoh?
Wednesday December 3rd
Category: U.S. Geography
A: This city of 650,000 people is the most populous U.S. city not found in a U.S. state.
Q: What is Washington D.C.?
Tuesday December 2nd
Category: Kings & Queens
A: Technically this monarch is the head of state of 16 countries including Jamaica & New Zealand.
Q: Who is the Queen of England?
Monday December 1st
Category: TV Characters
A: This 8'2" character who made his debut in 1969 is still going strong.
Q: Who is Big Bird?
Friday November 28th
Category: National Arlington Cemetery
A: The remains for Arlington's first monument to unknown soldiers mostly came from this battlefield 30 miles away.
Q: What is Bull Run?
Thursday November 27th
Category: Bodies of Water
A: First encountered in 1648 by a man born in Russia, it was eventually named after a man born in Denmark.
Q: What is the Bering Strait?
Wednesday November 26th
Category: 20th Century Novels
A: In 1940 House Representative from Oklahoma Lyle Boren denounced it as a "dirty, lying, filthy manuscript.
Q: What is The Grapes of Wrath?
Tuesday November 25th
Category: People in the Arts
A: He once said, "it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming wild things".
Q: Who is Maurice Sendak?
Monday November 24th
Category: British Musicmakers of the 90's
A: One critic called them "a social phenomenon", "the most widely recognized group ...since John, Paul, George, & Ringo".
Q: Who are the Spice Girls?
Friday November 21st
Category: Shakespearean Geography
A: Of the 5 cities mentioned in Shakespeare play titles, it's the only one not found in Europe.
Q: What is Tyre?
Thursday November 20th
Category: 20th Century Presidential Elections
A: In this year, there were no Presidents or Vice Presidents running, but 3 of the 4 men on the 2 major party ballots would become President.
Q: What is 1920?
Wednesday November 19th
Category: 21st Century Books
A: Set in the Great Depression, this 2006 novel has an epigraph from "Horton Hatches the Egg".
Q: What is Water for Elephants?
Tuesday November 18th
Category: French Literature
A: Its first chapter recalls "the little scallop-shell of pastry, so richly sensual under its severe, religious folds".
Q: What is Remembrance of Things Past?
Monday November 17th
Category: The Other Side of the Globe
A: This capital city, which at 12,330 miles is farthest from Madrid, is named for a soldier who spent time in Madrid.
Q: What is Wellington, New Zealand?
Friday November 14th
Category: Opera Characters
A: In an 1893 opera that was its composer's greatest success, Peter & Gertrud are the parents of these 2 characters.
Q: Who are Hansel & Gretel?
Thursday November 13th
Category: Tunnels
A: These 2 islands that begin with the same letter are linked by the 33.5-mile Seikan Rail Tunnel, the world's longest in operation.
Q: What are Hokkaido and Honshu?
Wednesday November 12th
Category: The U.S. Constitution
A: The 3 Latin phrases found in the Constitution are "pro tempore", "ex post facto", & this legal 2-word phrase.
Q: What is "Habeus Corpus"?
Tuesday November 11th
Category: Shakespearean Geography
A: Of the 5 cities mentioned in Shakespeare play titles, it's the only one not found in Europe.
Q: What is Tyre?
Thursday November 20th
Category: 20th Century Presidential Elections
A: In this year, there were no Presidents or Vice Presidents running, but 3 of the 4 men on the 2 major party ballots would become President.
Q: What is 1920?
Wednesday November 19th
Category: 21st Century Books
A: Set in the Great Depression, this 2006 novel has an epigraph from "Horton Hatches the Egg".
Q: What is Water for Elephants?
Tuesday November 18th
Category: French Literature
A: Its first chapter recalls "the little scallop-shell of pastry, so richly sensual under its severe, religious folds".
Q: What is Remembrance of Things Past?
Monday November 17th
Category: The Other Side of the Globe
A: This capital city, which at 12,330 miles is farthest from Madrid, is named for a soldier who spent time in Madrid.
Q: What is Wellington, New Zealand?
Friday November 14th
Category: Opera Characters
A: In an 1893 opera that was its composer's greatest success, Peter & Gertrud are the parents of these 2 characters.
Q: Who are Hansel & Gretel?
Thursday November 13th
Category: Tunnels
A: These 2 islands that begin with the same letter are linked by the 33.5-mile Seikan Rail Tunnel, the world's longest in operation.
Q: What are Hokkaido and Honshu?
Wednesday November 12th
Category: The U.S. Constitution
A: The 3 Latin phrases found in the Constitution are "pro tempore", "ex post facto", & this legal 2-word phrase.
Q: What is "Habeus Corpus"?
Tuesday November 11th
Category: The Oxford English Dictionary
A: As of 2013 this 3-letter verb common in sports, theater, & politics has the largest entry in the online OED.
Q: What is Run?
Monday November 10th
Category: State Holidays
A: This is the only state that honors a former U.S. Secretary of State with his own legal holiday.
Q: What is Alaska?
Friday November 7th
Category: Sports Logos
A: This NFL team's logo is the only one that is a plant.
Q: Who are the New Orleans Saints?
Thursday November 6th
Category: Highways & Byways
A: The Hiram Bingham Highway, opened in 1948, is the last leg linking Machu Picchu with this world heritage site, a city about 50 miles off.
Q: What is Cusco?
Wednesday November 5th
Category: Artists
A: Illustrations by this man show why his name has become the standard for children's book artistry. (A picture is shown of a guy riding a horse or something)
Q: Who is Randolph Caldecott?
Tuesday November 4th
Category: The Supreme Court
A: After Washington and FDR, he is, perhaps fittingly, the President who appointed the most Supreme Court Justices.
Q: Who is William Howard Taft?
Monday November 3rd
Category: Scientists
A: Accepting his 1922 Nobel Prize in Stockholm, he spoke of "the intellectual solidarity" in the Scandinavian countries.
Q: Who is Niels Bohr?
Friday October 31st
Category: Inventions
A: This machine was invented in 1929; the govt. began buying them to help prevent any more in a series of Army Air Corps fatalities.
Q: What is the Flight Simulator?
Thursday October 30th
Category: Monarchs of England
A: The fifth king & the eighth king of this name share the distinction of both having been proclaimed king but never crowned.
Q: What is Edward?
Wednesday October 29th
Category: American-Born Authors
A: In 1915 his reasons for naturalization included "having lived and worked in England for the best part of forty years".
Q: Who is Henry James?
Tuesday October 28th
Category: The Bible
A: The first conversation recounted in the bible is in Genesis 3, between these 2; it leads to trouble.
Q: Who are Eve and the Serpent?
Monday October 27th
Category: Rock & Roll
A: A restaurant chain took its name from a British band's fourth chart-topper, this 1967 song.
Q: What is "Ruby Tuesday"?
Friday October 24th
Category: Tony Nominations
A: Although she has appeared in only 2 Broadway musicals, she got Tony nominations for both, for 1962 & 1964.
Q: Who is Barbra Streisand?
Thursday October 23rd
Category: French Food History
A: A popular product was born when Jean Naigon of this city substituted the juice of unripe grapes for vinegar.
Q: What is Dijon?
Wednesday October 22nd
Category: Eponymous Geography
A: Named around 1616, it's the world's fifth-largest island & the largest named after a person.
Q: What is Baffin Island?
Tuesday October 21st
Category: The 18th Century
A: Losses in this event included 12 chests of Souchong.
Q: What is the Boston Tea Party?
Monday October 20th
Category: Literature
A: A chapter heading in this 19th century work calls the title character "one-eyed, lame", another calls him "deaf".
Q: What is The Hunchback of Notre Dame?
Friday October 17th
Category: Coats of Arms
A: This country's coat of arms features a palm tree & a 19th century American sailing ship.
Q: What is Liberia?
Thursday October 16th
Category: Literature
A: This title 1864 adventure is embarked upon by a descent into Iceland's Mount Sneffels.
Q: What is Journey to the Center of the Earth?
Wednesday October 15th
Category: Wordplay
A: Subtract a letter from the name of a keystroke found in computer commands & you get this violent reaction to social change.
Q: What is Backlash?
Tuesday October 14th
Category: Business
A: Today this company markets more than 100 times the number of products found in a slogan it used in 1896.
Q: What is Heinz?
Monday October 13th
Category: Sports Figures
A: He was featured on the September 22, 1947 cover of Time with the caption "he and the boss took a chance".
Q: Who is Jackie Robinson?
Friday October 10th
Category: Countries of the World
A: It became a colony of the U.S. in 1898, a commonwealth in 1935, & an independent country in 1946.
Q: What are the Philippines?
Thursday October 9th
Category: Historical Figures
A: A 2012 poll by Britain's National Army Museum voted this man, born in 1732, as the nation's greatest military enemy.
Q: Who is George Washington?
Wednesday October 8th
Category: Novel Title Characters
A: "His madness being stronger than any other faculty", he "resolved to have himself dubbed a knight by the first person he met".
Q: Who is Don Quixote?
Tuesday October 7th
Category: Fauxbituaries
A: He received a real obituary in The Albuquerque Journal in 2013 noting his "long battle with lung cancer".
Q: Who is Walter White?
Monday October 6th
Category: Music
A: John Williams said his music for this event, not a film, tried to capture "the spirit of cooperation, of heroic achievement".
Q: What are the Olympics?
Friday October 3rd
Category: TV in the 2000s
A: A key scene of this sitcom's 2014 finale after 9 seasons was actually filmed in season 2.
Q: What is How I Met Your Mother?
Thursday October 2nd
Category: 2014 Newsmakers
A: Both making news in June, these 2 Davids with similar last names are LeBron's new coach & Eric Cantor's conqueror.
Q: Who are David Blatt & David Brat?
Wednesday October 1st
Category: U.S. City Firsts
A: Among its first are underwater auto tunnel to a foreign country & corp. to net more than $1 billion in a single year.
Q: What is Detroit?
Tuesday September 30th
Category: World Leaders
A: He came to power 34 days before FDR & left it 19 days after him.
Q: Who was Hitler?
Monday September 29th
Category: Agatha Christie
A: In the 400-page book "Agatha Christie A to Z", entries beginning with this 6-letter word start on pg. 224 & end on 238.
Q: What is "Murder"?
Friday September 26th
Category: Famous Americans
A: In 1936 at age 79, he published an article in Esquire Magazine in which he described how to pick a jury.
Q: Who was Clarence Darrow?
Thursday September 25th
Category: 20th Century Leaders
A: In May 1980 over 200 leaders from more than 120 countries attended his funeral in Belgrade.
Q: Who was Josip Broz Tito?
Wednesday September 24th
Category: Alliteration
A: This metaphor used by Shakespeare & Coleridge to denote an ending is based on a legend that never really happens in nature.
Q: What is "Swan Song"?
Tuesday September 23rd
Category: English Monarchs
A: She was born near London; her mother, near Madrid.
Q: Who is Mary Tudor?
Monday September 22nd
Category: The Billboard Album Charts
A: 11 movie soundtrack albums by this performer hit the Billboard Top 10, with 4 hitting no. 1.
Q: Who is Elvis Presley?
Friday September 19th
Category: Movies About Movies
A: The title character of this 2013 film was played by David Tomlinson, who was actually seen only in clips from a 1964 film.
Q: What is Saving Mr. Banks?
Thursday September 18th
Category: Foreign Words
A: The Holy Roman Empire from 800 to 1806 was the first; the German Empire from 1871 to 1918 was the second.
Q: What is a Reich?
Wednesday September 17th
Category: Musical Theater
A: In "Godspell" this character leads the company in singing, "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord".
Q: Who is John the Baptist or Judas?
Tuesday September 16th
Category: European Capitals
A: At 200 miles, this capital of just over a million people is the continental capital closest to London.
Q: What is Brussels?
Monday September 15th
Category: Authors
A: In 1937 his sister said he had "hats of every description" which he would use as a "foundation for his next book".
Q: Who is Dr. Seuss?
New Season Started September 15th
Teen Tournament (July 21 - Aug 1)
Thursday July 31st
Wednesday July 30th
Tuesday July 29th
Monday July 28th
Friday July 25th
Thursday July 24th
Wednesday July 23rd
Tuesday July 22nd
Monday July 21st
Friday August 1st
Category: Awards & Honors
A: There were no winners for this award from 1939 through 1943; in 1944, it was won by the Intl. Committee of the Red Cross.
Q: What is the Nobel Peace Prize?
Thursday July 31st
Category: Bestselling Books
A: This novel is dedicated to Esther Earl, who died of Thyroid Cancer at 16 & never got to read it.
Q: What is The Fault in our Stars?
Wednesday July 30th
Category: Great Moments in 19th Century Science
A: Matthias Schleiden found plants are made up of these; at dinner he told Theodor Schwann who said, hey, so are animals.
Q: What are Cells?
Tuesday July 29th
Category: Days of the Week
A: In Spanish & French, the word for Friday comes from Latin for "Day of" this goddess.
Q: Who is Venus?
Monday July 28th
Category: Historic Transports
A: Its principal mast is at Arlington, its foremast is at the Naval Academy, & a monument to it, restored in 2013, is located in Havana.
Q: What is the USS Maine?
Friday July 25th
Category: Websites
A: A slang term for Harvard's freshman register gave this website its name.
Q: What is Facebook?
Thursday July 24th
Category: Novel Words
A: This word for a person without certain abilities has made it from the realm of fantasy to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Q: What is Muggle?
Wednesday July 23rd
Category: Literary Heroines
A: Fittingly, this character is named for a plant also known as Arrowhead that belongs to the Genus Sagittaria.
Q: Who is Katniss Everdeen?
Tuesday July 22nd
Category: World Landmarks
A: Built for a World's Fair in 1889, its visitors that year included the Prince of Wales & Buffalo Bill; it still gets 7 million a year.
Q: What is the Eiffel Tower?
Monday July 21st
Category: Religious History
A: This term comes from a 1529 event in which a group of Lutherans formally disagreed with a decision by a Catholic council.
Q: What is "Protestantism"?
Friday July 18th
Category: Famous Homes
A: Purchased in 1957 & called "The Second Most Famous Home in America", it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006.
Q: What is Graceland?
Thursday July 17th
Category: 16th Century Scientists
A: It is often said of this man that he "stopped the sun and moved the Earth".
Q: Who is Copernicus?
Wednesday July 16th
Category: 20 Years Ago In Entertainment
A: In 1994 this comedian starred in a no.1 sitcom, the no.1 Christmas movie, & had a no.1 non-fiction bestseller.
Q: Who is Tim Allen?
Tuesday July 15th
Category: U.S. Government People
A: A committee chaired by the official in this job released the influential 1964 report "Smoking and Health".
Q: What is the Surgeon General?
Monday July 14th
Category: Literary Title Words
A: It was Giovanni Boccaccio who added this adjective to another Italian author's work.
Q: What is Divine (Comedy)?
Friday July 11th
Category: American Literature
A: Published in 1925, it still sells 500,000 copies a year & was on the bestseller lists in 2013.
Q: What is The Great Gatsby?
Thursday July 10th
Category: In The Dictionary
A: This adjective can mean "delicate", "heavenly", or in chemistry, "related to C4H10O".
Q: What is Ethereal?
Wednesday July 9th
Category: Constitutional Monarchies
A: The constitution of this country allows the monarch to abdicate, which has happened in 1948, 1980, & 2013.
Q: What is the Netherlands?
Tuesday July 8th
Category: Science Words
A: Appropriately, this word from Latin for "unfold" isn't in the 1st edition of "Origin of Species" but does appear in later editions.
Q: What is Evolution?
Monday July 7th
Category: Government
A: "Features" at the website of this agency include "Protection", "Investigations", & "Know Your Money".
Q: What is the Secret Service?
Friday July 4th
Category: Fictional Locales
A: Featured in a 1933 novel, it may have been inspired by the 1920's Tibetan travel writings of explorer Joseph Rock.
Q: What is Shangri-La?
Thursday July 3rd
Category: Famous Objects
A: In 1950 the England-Scotland border was closed for the first time in 400 years to try to recover this stolen item.
Q: What is the Stone of Scone?
Wednesday July 2nd
Category: U.S. Geography
A: 2 places called Point Udall, referred to as the USA's easternmost & westernmost points, are in these 2 territories.
Q: What are Guam and the Virgin Islands?
Tuesday July 1st
Category: The Declaration of Independence
A: The first official use of this 4-word term is at the Declaration's beginning, immediately after "the thirteen".
Q: What is "United States of America"?
Monday June 30th
Category: 1970s Films
A: In 2013 Mario Cuomo said he finally saw this film, which he had boycotted for personal reasons, & called it "maybe... a masterpiece".
Q: What is The Godfather?
Friday June 27th
Category: British Authors
A: The Pharmaceutical Journal praised her 1920 first novel, saying it dealt "with poisons in a knowledgeable way".
Q: Who is Agatha Christie?
Thursday June 26th
Category: Science & Industry
A: In 1891 this European said, "perhaps my factories will put an end to war sooner than your congresses".
Q: Who is Alfred Nobel?
Wednesday June 25th
Category: World Leaders
A: Since 1953 5 consecutive siblings have been this country's head of state.
Q: What is Saudi Arabia?
Tuesday June 24th
Category: 2004
A: Watching the Super Bowl halftime show, the head of this government agency kept saying, "my day is going to" be lousy "tomorrow".
Q: What is the FCC?
Monday June 23rd
Category: Broadway
A: In 2013 this musical based on a movie became the first show to gross $1 billion on Broadway.
Q: What is The Lion King?
Friday June 20th
Category: Dogs & Geography
A: In 2001 the names of these 2 breeds came together in the new official name of a Canadian province.
Q: What are Newfoundland and Labrador?
Thursday June 19th
Category: Business & Industry
A: Founded in 1908, this big company was removed from the S&P 500 in 2009 after filing for bankruptcy but returned in 2013.
Q: What is General Motors?
Wednesday June 18th
Category: Music In America
A: Established by Congress in 1798, it's the oldest continuously active U.S. professional music ensemble.
Q: What is the President's Own (Marine Corps Band)?
Tuesday June 17th
Category: 19th Century Novel Characters
A: His "spinal column was curved" ...the "head was between the shoulder-blades and...one leg was shorter than the other".
Q: Who is Quasimodo?
Monday June 16th
Category: Word Origins
A: This noun meaning a secret plan comes from the Latin for "to breathe together".
Q: What is Conspiracy?
Friday June 13th
Category: Foreign Affairs
A: William Sullivan retired from the Foreign Service in 1979; he was the last U.S. Ambassador to this country.
Q: What is Iran?
Thursday June 12th
Category: Current Television
A: George Romero declined to direct a few episodes of this series, calling it "basically... just a soap opera".
Q: What is The Walking Dead?
Wednesday June 11th
Category: Capital City Wordplay
A: Ending in the same 2 letters, these 2 are capitals of a nation that covers a continent & of a nation reaching onto 2 continents.
Q: What are Canberra, Australia and Ankara, Turkey?
Tuesday June 10th
Category: Scientists
A: As a humorous tribute, an astronomical term equivalent to at least 4 billion has been named for him.
Q: Who is Carl Sagan?
Monday June 9th
Category: The Mediterranean
A: It's the only U.N. member country in the Mediterranean where English is an official national language.
Q: What is Malta?
Friday June 6th
Category: 20th Century Americans
A: In 1911 Glenn Curtiss received this document Number 1.
Q: What is the first Pilot's License?
Thursday June 5th
Category: 19th Century U.S. History
A: A dignitary at the dedication of this said it was "keeping watch and ward before the open gates of America".
Q: What is the Statue of Liberty?
Wednesday June 4th
Category: The Beatles
A: Of The Beatles' 20 U.S. no.1 hits, this song has the shortest title.
Q: What is "Help"?
Tuesday June 3rd
Category: Colleges & Universities
A: Team nicknames of the 8 Ivy League schools include 4 animals, 3 colors, & this Christian denomination.
Q: What are the (Penn) Quakers?
Monday June 2nd
Category: Oscar-Winning Writers
A: Winning for 1999, this New England writer is the last person to win an Oscar for adapting his own novel.
Q: Who is John Irving?
Friday May 30th
Category: 19th Century Politics
A: A senate seat from this southern state sat vacant for 4 years; when it was filled, its ex-occupant had become U.S. President.
Q: What is Tennessee?
Thursday May 29th
Category: Fruit
A: It's the only commercially important edible fruit of the Bromeliad family.
Q: What is Pineapple?
Wednesday May 28th
Category: Opera
A: In a bit of foreshadowing, the title character's dad has committed suicide before the action of this 1904 opera.
Q: What is Madame Butterfly?
Tuesday May 27th
Category: 20th Century Play Titles
A: This play's title comes from the name of a Greek king said to have carved a statue of a woman & fallen in love with it.
Q: What is Pygmalion?
Monday May 26th
Category: Title Movie Roles
A: In 1984, in the first of the films featuring this character, he only has 21 lines, for a total of 133 words.
Q: Who is the Terminator?
Friday May 23rd
Category: The 1960s
A: In his last speech, he mentioned local newsmakers of the day, including his friend Cesar Chavez & Don Drysdale.
Q: Who is Robert F. Kennedy?
Thursday May 22nd
Category: Technology
A: When Apple sued for iPad patent infringement, Samsung cited this 1968 movie as the originator of the design.
Q: What is 2001: A Space Odyssey?
Wednesday May 21st
Category: Organizations
A: The full name of this scholarly group founded after a lecture in 1660 includes "of London for improving natural knowledge".
Q: What is the Royal Society of Science?
Tuesday May 20th
Category: British Novels
A: Stephen King borrowed the name of his fictional town Castle Rock from this 1950s novel that greatly influenced him.
Q: What is Lord of the Flies?
Battle of the Decades Tournament (May 5 - 16)
Thursday May 15th
Wednesday May 14th
Tuesday May 13th
Monday May 12th
Friday May 9th
Thursday May 8th
Wednesday May 7th
Tuesday May 6th
Monday May 5th
Friday May 16th
Category: Secretaries of State
A: Serving 160 years apart, these 2 Secretaries of State are the only ones who never married.
Q: Who are Condoleezza Rice and James Buchanan?
Thursday May 15th
Category: The Academy Awards
A: 1 of the 2 movies in the last 30 years, one a drama & one a comedy, to win Oscars for Best Actor & Best Actress.
Q: What are Silence of the Lambs and As Good As It Gets?
Wednesday May 14th
Category: Names on the Map
A: Visited by Jacques Cartier in 1534, it was later renamed for Queen Victoria's father, the Duke of Kent.
Q: What is Prince Edward Island?
Tuesday May 13th
Category: Monarchs
A: 2 teen Hashemite cousins officially took the thrones of their respective countries May 2, 1953: Faisal of Iraq & him.
Q: Who is King Hussein of Jordan?
Monday May 12th
Category: 19th Century Poems
A: Written about the U.S. occupation of the Philippines, a Kipling poem said, "take up" this now-controversial phrase.
Q: What is "The White Man's Burden"?
Friday May 9th
Category: Famous Books
A: It was published March 26, 1830; a very popular work with the same name premiered March 24, 2011.
Q: What is The Book of Mormon?
Thursday May 8th
Category: British Thinkers
A: His works include "The Economic Consequences of the Peace" in 1919 & "The End of Laissez-Faire" from 1926.
Q: Who is John Maynard Keynes?
Wednesday May 7th
Category: Supreme Court Decisions
A: On Dec. 20, 1956 the court's ruling on Browder v. Gayle went into effect, bringing an end to this 381-day event.
Q: What is the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
Tuesday May 6th
Category: U.S. States
A: Between 2006 & 2013 it went from 39th to 6th in per capita income & its unemployment rate dropped to the nation's lowest.
Q: What is North Dakota?
Monday May 5th
Category: Word Origins
A: This word for a timid person comes from the last name of a character in a 1920s newspaper comic called "The Timid Soul".
Q: What is Milquetoast?
Friday May 2nd
Category: Business History
A: In 1945 this product added a plaid design to its "snail" dispenser.
Q: What is Scotch Tape?
Thursday May 1st
Category: U.S. States
A: Other than Q, these 2 letters appear the least in the names of states, each appearing only once.
Q: What are Z and J?
Wednesday April 30th
Category: Album Covers
A: This band used a picture of the Hindenburg disaster on the cover of its eponymous debut album.
Q: What is Led Zeppelin?
Tuesday April 29th
Category: U.S. History
A: Messrs. Gusenberg, Gusenburg, May, Weinshank, Clark, Heyer, & Schwimmer famously died on this day in 1929.
Q: What is on the Valentine's Day Massacre?
Monday April 28th
Category: Nobel Prize-Winning Authors
A: Due to injuries suffered in 2 plane crashes in Africa, he was unable to accept his 1954 Nobel Prize in person.
Q: Who is Ernest Hemingway?
Thursday April 24th
Category: Diaries & Journals
A: This archaeologist's diary for Nov. 26 1922 mentions 2 "ebony-black effigies of a king, gold sandalled".
Q: Who is Howard Carter?
Wednesday April 23rd
Category: Holidays in Other Countries
A: William Tubman's nearly 3 decades of leadership is celebrated on his birthday, November 29, in this country.
Q: What is Liberia?
Tuesday April 22nd
Category: Baseball
A: Vine Line is the official magazine of this Major League Baseball team.
Q: Who are the Chicago Cubs?
Monday April 21st
Category: Historic Groups
A: With fewer than 10 member cities in attendance, this association based in Lubeck held its last assembly in 1669.
Q: What is the Hanseatic League?
Thursday April 17th
Category: 19th Century Presidents
A: Good looks weren't enough as he became the only full-term president rejected in a bid for his party's 2nd term nomination.
Q: Who is Franklin Pierce?
Wednesday April 16th
Category: TV Music
A: "Crystal Blue Persuasion" by Tommy James & the Shondells was heard in this drama's "Gliding Over All" episode.
Q: What is Breaking Bad?
Tuesday April 15th
Category: The Ancient Wonders
A: Far apart alphabetically, they're the 2 deities in the names of the 7 ancient wonders.
Q: Who are Zeus and Artemis?
Monday April 14th
Category: Signs & Symbols
A: Meant to evoke a person with arms outstretched & pointed downward, it was designed in 1958 by Gerald Holtom.
Q: What is the Peace Sign?
Friday April 11th
Category: Historic Irony
A: Theodor Herzl was inspired to begin the work that's the foundation for modern Zionism by an opera by this composer.
Q: Who is Richard Wagner?
Thursday April 10th
Category: Foreign Leaders
A: In 1964 he was convicted of sabotage & conspiracy & served over 20 years in prison.
Q: Who is Nelson Mandela?
Wednesday April 9th
Category: Around The USA
A: The Mayo Clinic Mile is a walking path that features 1 mile, 5K & 10K routes within this structure.
Q: What is the Mall of America?
Tuesday April 8th
Category: Music Makers
A: Salisbury Cathedral's dean said this man, via his 2013 album, "is creating a huge awareness of" an historic document.
Q: Who is Jay-Z?
Monday April 7th
Category: Food & Drink
A: The corporate website for this product says it leaves its container at .028 miles per hour.
Q: What is Heinz Ketchup?
Battle of the Decades - 2000's (Mar 31 - Apr 4)
Friday April 4th
Category: 20th Century Novel Quotes
A: "It was one of those pictures...so contrived that the eyes follow you...beneath" the picture was this 5-word quote.
Q: What is "Big Brother is Watching You"?
Thursday April 3rd
Category: 19th Century Politics
A: In 1884 George Pillsbury became mayor of this city.
Q: What is Minneapolis?
Wednesday April 2nd
Category: Monarchs
A: In 2005 the Kul Sharif Mosque of Tatarstan was reopened 453 years after it was destroyed by this man.
Q: Who was Ivan the Terrible?
Tuesday April 1st
Category: Famous Women
A: This crusader, in 1906: "More than 60 years of hard struggle for a little liberty, & then to die without it seems so cruel".
Q: Who is Susan B. Anthony?
Monday March 31st
Category: Literature & Opera
A: An aria in this Shakespeare-based opera says, "Di scozia a te promettono le profetesse il trono...che tardi?".
Q: What is MacBeth?
Friday March 28th
Category: Oscar Nominations
A: Prior to "Silver Linings Playbook", the last film to get Oscar nominations in all 4 acting categories was this film partly set in Russia.
Q: What is "Reds"?
Thursday March 27th
Category: Adapted From Antiquity
A: It begins with a vow to an ancient god & ends with "If I transgress it & swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot".
Q: What is the Hippocratic Oath?
Wednesday March 26th
Category: Agriculture
A: Prunus Dulcis, this snack high in calcium & vitamin E, is native to the Mideast, but 80% of the world crop comes from California.
Q: What are Almonds?
Tuesday March 25th
Category: Medical Etymology
A: Because of where in the body it is produced, this hormone's name comes from the Latin for "Island".
Q: What is Insulin?
Friday March 21st
Category: Current Reality TV
A: On learning what his series would be called, the star of this reality show said, "That sounds like a Chinese food place!".
Q: What is Duck Dynasty?
Wednesday March 19th
Category: The Music Industry
A: She beat out newcomers like Bieber & Gaga to top Forbes' List of the Highest-Paid People in Music for 2013.
Q: Who is Madonna?
Tuesday March 18th
Category: British Authors
A: The author of more than 50 books, he won 6 Hugo Awards & was nominated for a 1968 Oscar.
Q: Who is Arthur C. Clarke?
Monday March 17th
Category: Bodies of Water
A: More than 1/5 of all the world's people live in countries bordering this, the world's biggest bay.
Q: What is the Bay of Bengal?
Friday March 14th
Category: Actors & Oscars
A: He was nominated for Oscars in 5 consecutive decades; the last nod was for his 1978 role as a Nazi hunter.
Q: Who is Sir Laurence Olivier?
Thursday March 13th
Category: World Capitals
A: At 4,000 miles, the farthest-apart capitals of bordering countries are these 2 cities, one on a peninsula.
Q: What are Moscow, Russia and Pyongyang, North Korea?
Wednesday March 12th
Category: British Royalty
A: He was the last male monarch who had not previously been Prince of Wales.
Q: Who is George VI?
Tuesday March 11th
Category: Novel Titles
A: The title of this 1951 novel comes from the hero's fantasy of rescuing children falling from a cliff.
Q: What is The Catcher in the Rye?
Monday March 10th
Category: American Composers
A: A protege of Oscar Hammerstein, he's won Grammys, an Oscar, a Pulitzer Prize & the most Tony Awards by a composer.
Q: Who is Stephen Sondheim?
Battle of the Decades - 1990's (Mar 3 - 7)
Friday March 7th
Category: Biblical Names
A: In Genesis 4 this name is chosen because God "hath appointed me another seed".
Q: What is Seth?
Thursday March 6th
Category: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Authors
A: He's the most recent winner of 2 Pulitzer Prizes for Fiction, winning in 1982 & 1991 for books in the same series.
Q: Who is John Updike?
Wednesday March 5th
Category: 4-Letter Words
A: New research says this word that has become ubiquitous dates back to young men also called "Macaronis".
Q: What is "Dude"?
Tuesday March 4th
Category: Borders
A: Twice as long as Hadrian's Wall, Offa's Dyke was the traditional border between these 2 lands.
Q: What are England & Wales?
Monday March 3rd
Category: Presidents
A: He is the only 19th century President to serve 2 complete terms with the same Vice President.
Q: Who is James Monroe?
Friday February 28th
Category: Modern Day Suffixes
A: Dating from 1973, this 4-letter suffix indicates a person or thing that has become associated with public scandal.
Q: What is "-Gate"?
Thursday February 27th
Category: Landmarks
A: From 1936 to 1937, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power helped operate this facility in another state.
Q: What is the Hoover Dam?
Wednesday February 26th
Category: Singers
A: The only solo artist to have 5 Billboard No.1 Albums before the age of 19.
Q: Who is (sadly) Justin Bieber?
Tuesday February 25th
Category: Business
A: "The Everything Store" is a book about this company that in 2012 was home to 1% of all North American internet traffic.
Q: What is Amazon.com?
Monday February 24th
Category: 19th Century People
A: Frederick Douglas said this man's "zeal in the cause of my race was far greater than mine".
Q: Who is John Brown?
College Championship (Feb 10 - 21)
Friday February 21st
Category: The British Empire
A: 1713's Treaty of Utrecht concluding the War of the Spanish Succession granted this small 2.3-square-mile area to Great Britain.
Q: What is the Strait of Gibraltar?
Thursday February 20th
Category: Authors
A: On his death in 1862 a Massachusetts paper said, "no man ever lived closer to nature, and reported her secrets more eloquently".
Q: Who is Henry David Thoreau?
Wednesday February 19th
Category: Shakespeare Characters
A: He has the most speeches of any character with 471 in 3 plays, of which 2 are histories & 1 is a comedy.
Q: Who is Falstaff?
Tuesday February 18th
Category: Physics
A: The name of this theory is from viewing sub-atomic particles as 1-dimensional objects, not as 0-dimensional points.
Q: What is String Theory?
Monday February 17th
Category: 19th Century Names
A: In preparation for a work he published in 1828 that was over 20 years in the making, he learned 26 languages.
Q: Who is Noah Webster?
Friday February 14th
Category: Getting A "D" In College
A: The USA's oldest endowed chair is a Harvard chair of this subject, given in 1721 when that was largely what Harvard taught.
Thursday February 13th
Category: Historic Places
A: Administered by the Army, its 1st graves were dug by former slave James Parks, the only one buried there who was born on the site.
Wednesday February 12th
Category: Bible Characters
A: "Take care of him", says the man called this in Luke 10 after giving money to an innkeeper.
Tuesday February 11th
Category: Social Media
A: The most retweeted tweet of all time happened on November 6, 2012 & started with "Four" & ended with these 2 words.
Q: What is "More Years"?
Monday February 10th
Category: Islands
A: In a satellite photo, volcanic activity can be seen on this 10,000-square-mile island.
Q: What is Sicily?
Battle of the Decades
Friday February 7th
Category: World Politics
A: When these 2 men swapped jobs in 2012, their country's media described the move as "Castling".
Thursday February 6th
Category: Countries of the World
A: Once a poor British protectorate, in 2012 this peninsular country ranked as the world's richest per capita.
Wednesday February 5th
Category: The Periodic Table
A: Of the element symbols that don't match that element's English name, this element's symbol is alphabetically first.
Tuesday February 4th
Category: 20th Century Women Authors
A: Readers' letters to this author about her 1948 short story asked where the title event was held & if they could go & watch.
Q: Who is Shirley Jackson?
Monday February 3rd
Category: Presidents & First Ladies
A: The only foreign-born First Lady was the wife of this man who served in the Diplomatic Corps from age 14.
Q: Who is John Quincy Adams?
Friday January 31st
Category: Inventors
A: In an 1854 demonstration, he said "cut the rope"; his invention kicked in, then he said "all safe, gentlemen".
Q: Who is Elijah Otis?
Thursday January 30th
Category: Comedic Actresses
A: She's won Emmys for 3 different TV shows & in 2013 she broke Lucille Ball's record for most nominations by a comedic actress.
Q: Who is Julia Louis-Dreyfus?
Wednesday January 29th
Category: Capital Cities
A: One of the 2 world capitals that end in the letter "Z"; one is in Europe & one in the Americas.
Q: What are La Paz & Vaduz?
Tuesday January 28th
Category: Literary Quotes
A: A maxim of Ayn Rand was "man's ego is" this "of human progress".
Q: What is The Fountainhead?
Monday January 27th
Category: The British Government
A: This office is named for a tablecloth imprinted with squares that was once used as an abacus.
Q: What is the Chancellor of the Exchequer?
Friday January 24th
Category: Groundbreaking Nonfiction
A: Chapters in this 1962 classic include "Earth's Green Mantle", "Needless Havoc", "Rivers of Death", & "And No Birds Sing".
Q: What is Silent Spring?
Thursday January 23rd
Category: Notable Names
A: During a Jubilee Celebration in 2003, he became the first foreigner to be made an honorary citizen of Nepal.
Q: Who is Sir Edmund Hillary?
Wednesday January 22nd
Category: Literary Title Characters
A: Lord Henry tells him, "What an exquisite life you have had!...it has not marred you. You are still the same".
Q: Who is Dorian Gray?
Tuesday January 21st
Category: International Sports
A: Twice the host country, this nation of 4.5 million leads the world in total Winter Olympic medals.
Q: What is Norway?
Monday January 20th
Category: Government Sites
A: Begun as part of a 1930s project to reclaim Maryland mountain land, it's officially "Naval Support Facility Thurmont".
Q: What is Camp David?
Friday January 17th
Category: American Theater
A: This 1949 drama that ends with a requiem asks, "why did you do it? I search & search & I search, & I can't understand it".
Q: What is Death of a Salesman?
Thursday January 16th
Category: Shakespeare
A: This 5-letter name appears 7 times in Shakespeare titles, more than any other name.
Q: What is Henry?
Wednesday January 15th
Category: 16th Century People
A: This non-Brit said in 1532, "I advised (Henry VIII) that it would be better for him to take a concubine than to ruin his people".
Q: Who is Martin Luther?
Tuesday January 14th
Category: Occupational First Names
A: It's once again in demand repairing old stone infrastructure, & is 1 of the 5 most popular U.S. boys' names today.
Q: What is Mason?
Monday January 13th
Category: Asian Nations
A: Since 1991, it's the only former Communist nation to restore its monarchy, which it still has.
Q: What is Cambodia?
Friday January 10th
Category: Countries of the World
A: It's the largest country in area completely south of the equator that has a female president.
Q: What is Argentina?
Thursday January 9th
Category: Magazines
A: This title, launched in early 1930, seemed at odds with the Great Depression in subject & $1 cover price.
Q: What is Fortune?
Wednesday January 8th
Category: 2013 Obituaries
A: She was called a "Savior", a "Heartless Tyrant", a "Trailblazer", "Intimidating", & "a "Real Toughie".
Q: Who is Margaret Thatcher?
Tuesday January 7th
Category: The Titanic
A: A member of Parliament said, "those who have been saved have been saved through one man", this Italian.
Q: Who is Guglielmo Marconi (he invented the wireless)?
Monday January 6th
Category: Broadway Actresses
A: She originated 2 famous Broadway roles: one later played on film by Marilyn Monroe, another by Barbara Streisand.
Q: Who is Carol Channing?
Friday January 3rd
Category: 20th Century Quotations
A: In 1947 Churchill called it "the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried".
Q: What is Democracy?
Thursday January 2nd
Category: Actors
A: In the 50's he won a Tony for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical & a Best Actor Oscar for playing the same role, a monarch.
Q: Who is Yul Brynner?
Wednesday January 1st
Category: Nonprofit Organizations
A: This intellectual forum started in 1984, bringing together people from 3 different industries, hence its 3-letter name.
Q: What is TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design)?
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