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Trivia of the Day Blog
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Trivia for 4/16
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answer for 4/15: What is SMERSH?
SMERSH was the counterintelligence arm of the KGB. It only lasted about 3 years before being absorbed into the NKVD. The name is an acronym of the Russian words SMERrt SHpionam meaning "Death to Spies." It is also well known as an enemy of James Bond. 58 players answered correctly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Question for 4/16: A phanerogam is a plant that ________. (A) produces seeds (B) grows without sunlight (C) can move along the ground ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Trivia for 4/15
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answer for 4/14: "Wathahuck" is the Native American name of which legendary athlete? Jim Thorpe, who was a member of the Sac and Fox tribes. The name means "bright path." 61 players answered correctly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Question for 4/15: What is SMERSH? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday, April 14, 2008
Trivia for 4/14
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answer for 4/11: Out of these five actors, which is the only one who hasn't been nominated for an Oscar twice for playing the same role in two separate films? (A) Bing Crosby (B) Tom Hanks (C) Paul Newman (D) Peter O'Toole (E) Al Pacino Ans: (B) Tom Hanks. Crosby was nominated for playing Father O'Malley in "Going My Way" (1944) and "The Bell's of St. Mary's"; Newman for Fast Eddie Felson in "The Hustler" (1961) and "The Color of Money" (1986); O'Toole for Henry II in "Becket" (1964) and "The Lion in Winter" (1968); and Pacino for Michael Corleone in "The Godfather" (1972) and "The Godfather: Part II" (1974). And thanks to player JRGIVMEMO for pointing out that Cate Blanchett can be added to the list. She played Queen Elizabeth I in both "Elizabeth" (1998) and "Elizabeth: The Golden Years" (2007), and was nominated for Oscars both times. 44 players answered correctly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Question for 4/14: "Wathahuck" is the Native American name of which legendary athlete? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday, April 11, 2008
Trivia for 4/11
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answer for 4/10: 1816 is called "The Year Without a Summer" due to severe climate abnormalities that destroyed crops in Europe, the American Northeast and Canada. What is now believed to have been the catalyst for this rough year? (A) The Moon had developed an orbital shift (B) The Earth tilted on it's axis (C) The biggest volcanic eruption in recorded history
Ans: (C) The biggest volcanic eruption in recorded history. Mount Tambora on Sumbawa in the Dutch East Indies erupted over the time from of April 5 to April 15, 1815. Awesome amounts of volcanic dust filled the atmosphere, adding to substantial amounts already present from previous volcanic eruptions in 1812 and 1814. 61 players answered correctly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Question for 4/11: Out of these five actors, which is the only one who hasn't been nominated for an Oscar twice for playing the same role in two separate films? (A) Bing Crosby (B) Tom Hanks (C) Paul Newman (D) Peter O'Toole (E) Al Pacino
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Trivia for 4/10
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answer for 4/9: This word, taken from the Czech word for "forced labor", made it's public debut in 1921, appearing in Karel Capek's play "R.U.R." What is this word? Robot. From the Czech word robota, the word appeared in the play about robots that performed manual labor for humans, until they rebelled and took over the world. "R.U.R." stood for "Rossum's Universal Robots", and the term robot soon was more popluar than previous words android and automaton. 51 players answered correctly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Question for 4/10: 1816 is called "The Year Without a Summer" due to severe climate abnormalities that destroyed crops in Europe, the American Northeast and Canada. What is now believed to have been the catalyst for this rough year? (A) The Moon had developed an orbital shift (B) The Earth tilted on it's axis (C) The biggest volcanic eruption in recorded history
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Trivia for 4/9
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answer for 4/8: On this day in 1820, a peasant farmer named Kentrotas found this now-renowned work of art, buried in a niche within ancient city ruins on the Aegean island of Melos. What did he find? The statue called The Venus de Milo, also known as The Aphrodite of Milos. The statue was in two main parts, the upper torso and lower legs, and was found with other pillars and fragments of her left arm and hand, which was holding an apple, and an inscribed plinth. 53 players answered correctly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Question for 4/9: This word, taken from the Czech word for "forced labor", made it's public debut in 1921, appearing in Karel Capek's play "R.U.R." What is this word?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Trivia for 4/8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answer for 4/7: True or False: The late Charlton Heston had a cameo in the 2001 remake of his classic film "Planet of the Apes". True. Heston had an uncredited cameo as Zaius. 62 players answered correctly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Question for 4/8: On this day in 1820, a peasant farmer named Kentrotas found this now-renowned work of art, buried in a niche within ancient city ruins on the Aegean island of Melos. What did he find?
Monday, April 7, 2008
Trivia for 4/7
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answer for 4/4: Today marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive what? The Nobel Peace Prize, which he received for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means. Now, the youngest recipient is Mairead Corrigan, who received the prize in 1976 at age 32. Corrigan and Betty Williams won it for their work as founders of the Northern Ireland Peace Movement. 60 players answered correctly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Question for 4/7: True or False: The late Charlton Heston had a cameo in the 2001 remake of his classic film "Planet of the Apes".
Friday, April 4, 2008
Trivia for 4/4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answer for 4/3: Boston Red Sox player Kevin Youkilis just set a Major League Baseball record for what? Playing consecutive game No. 194 at first base without an error, surpassing Steve Garvey's previous record, set in 1985. 57 players answered correctly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Question for 4/4: Today marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive what?
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Trivia for 4/3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answer for 4/2: Speaking in terms of astronomy, what is the "Goldilocks Zone"? It is the habitable or life zone, the area of space in which a planet is just the right distance from its home star so that it isn't too hot nor is it too cold, and could possibly host liquid water and maybe even life. 53 players answered correctly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Question for 4/3: Boston Red Sox player Kevin Youkilis just set a Major League Baseball record for what?
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