Alan Rock's Trivia, December 21, 2010

Questions:

1) Jack Lord played a police officer in what TV series (which aired from 1968 to 1980)?

2) Adolf Hitler, Joseph and Napoleon Bonaparte and King Henry III of England suffered from what phobia?

3) Insects breathe through spiracles. What are spiracles?

Answers:

1) Hawaii Five-O.

2) These famous leaders suffered from ailurophobia or a fear of cats.

3) Holes on each side of an insect's abdomen.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What was Stephen Spielberg's first directing job?

2) The ancient Chinese used what may have been the first insecticide. Name the compound and the insect it was intended to kill.

3) Born in Cleveland, this composer has been inextricably linked with the bop era. Writing for artists ranging from Count Basie to Dizzy Gillespie, this composer worked with Miles Davis in 1949 before sliding into drug worries and, ultimately, prison on 1959. Who was this man, composer of "If You Could See Me Now" and "On A Misty Night"?

Answers:

1) The TV pilot for Night Gallery in 1969. He directed the segment starring Joan Crawford.

2) They used powdered chrysanthemum as flea powder.

3) Tadd Dameron, who was born in Ohio in 1917, had a genius for jazz arrangements. He worked with some of the greatest jazz minds of all time, including: Miles Davis, Artie Shaw, Clifford Brown, Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie and Billy Eckstine. Though his life was curtailed at an early age by cancer in 1965, he is well remembered for his work with Miles Davis at the Paris Jazz Festival in 1949.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This specific title for a law enforcement officer has been in use since 992 AD and remains commonly used today. What is it?

2) Born this date in 1936, he was promoted as being England's answer to Elvis Presley. Who was he?

3) On this date in 1969, entertainer Herbert Khaury married his fiancee, Victoria Budinger, on The Tonight Show. What was his stage name?

Answers:

1) Sheriff

2) Tommy Steele

3) Tiny Tim. He referred to his bride as "Miss Vicky."

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) In the original Wizard of Oz, what were Dorothy's slippers made of?

2) Who was the first running back in the NFL to rush 2,000 yards in a single season?

3) What city was the setting for the TV show, Car 54, Where Are You?

4) Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on this date in 1770. When composing, to excite his brain, what did he do?

Answers:

1) Silver

2) O.J. Simpson completed more than 2000 yards rushing on this date in 1973.

3) New York

4) He would pour ice water over his head.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the first to put together a jazz trio of piano, guitar and bass?

2) What show holds the record for being the longest-running police-themed show?

3) Television's first mini-series premiered on ABC on this date in 1954. What was the name of the series?

Answers:

1) Nat King Cole

2) The "documentary" series, Cops. It is one of the longest running series of any genre.

3) Davy Crockett

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Robert May wrote a poem that was illustrated and published as a Montgomery Ward pamphlet in 1939. 8 years later, John Marks set it to music. What was the poem?

2) The U.S. Table Tennis Association wanted to call the sport "Ping-Pong" but ran into a snag. Why couldn't they use "Ping-Pong"?

3) What is Richard Starkey's stage name?

Answers:

1) "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

2) Parker Brothers already owned the rights to the name.

3) Ringo Starr

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This North Carolina native played tenor sax with some of the most influential jazz artists of his era. He's considered just as groundbreaking. Who was he?

2) This Philadelphia native cut his teeth playingwith the likes of Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman and Jimmy Dorsey, and gained widespread recognition as part of Woody Herman's "Second Herd." He helped popularize the bossa nova craze in the 60s, along with Jao Gilberto and Jobim. Who was he?

3) This Fort Worth, Texas native was an avant garde "free jazz" trailblazer. Who was he?

Answers:

1) John Coltrane

2) Stan Getz

3) Ornette Coleman

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) British Airways passengers consume six tons of this per year.

2) This New Orleans Creole musician proclaimed himself to be the inventor of jazz. Who was he?

3) In the U.S., what is the average number of people airborne per hour?

Answers:

1) caviar

2) Jelly Roll Morton

3) 60,000

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What is the biggest selling Christmas single of all time?

2) Who lost the $8,000 in It's a Wonderful Life?

3) On this day in 1992, this couple announced their separation. Who were they?

Answers:

1) "White Christmas"

2) Uncle Billy

3) Prince Charles and Lady Diana

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Sean Penn received best actor nominations for his portrayal of jazz guitar player in the 1999 film, Sweet and Lowdown. His character was actually based on a famed French guitarist who recorded during the 1930s and 40s. Who was this great French guitarist?

2) How did American Airlines cut their costs by nearly &40,000 in 1987?

3) What is the minimum number of electoral votes each state can have?

4) Architect James Hoban died on December 8, 1831. What famous national treasure did Hoban design?


Answers:

1) Django Reinhardt

2) Eliminating an olive from each salad served in-flight

3) Three electoral votes are based on representation at congress, which means two senators and at least on House member

4) He designed the White House.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) The late, great bass player Ray Brown was once married to which jazz singer?

2) What us the best-selling jazz album of all time?

3) What important battle in history did Osami Nagano command?

Answers:
1) Ella Fitzgerald

2) Kind of Blue. It still sells 5,000 copies a week!

3) Japanese Adm. Nagano plotted and commanded the assault on Pearl Harbor, which brought the United States into World War II

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) How many U.S. presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize?

2) This violinist was known for his jazz prowess and was the first to play jazz?

3) a) When was the Republican Party first organized, and b) who was the first Republican president?

4) This Billie Holiday hit was covered by a jazz/rock group in the late 60s. What was the song and who had the hit doing the cover?

Answers:

1) 4: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama.

2) Stuff Smith

3) 1854 and Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president.

4) The song was "God Bless the Child." The band was Blood, Sweat and Tears. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v96P_AXzto&feature=related

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Britney Spears was born December 2, 1981. She competed in her home state of Louisiana at age nine as an athlete in what sport?

2) Which sport has a "sin bin"?

3) Henry Ford unveiled the Model A December 2, 1927. It was the first model to be available in a choice of colors. What was the price of a Model A?

4) What animal was on board the Mayflower?

5) On December 3, 1967 Dr. Christian Barnard performed the first successful surgery of its type - a surgery that is very commonplace today. What procedure was it?

6) From 1941 - 1950, M&Ms candies included violet in their mix of colors. What color replaced violet in 1950?

7) Who played the lead in the 1952 musical fantasy about Hans Christian Andersen?

8) What was Arthur Conan Doyle's profession before he quit to write Sherlock Holmes novels full-time?

Answers:

1) Gymnastics

2) A 'sin bin" is another name for hockey's penalty box.

3) $385

4) It has been recorded that there was at least one cat on the Mayflower.

5) He performed the world's first successful transplant.

6) Violet was replaced by tan

7) Danny Kaye

8) He worked as an optometrist

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Bette Midler was born on this day in 1945. She won an Emmy in 1992 for her appearance on what show?

2) The first telephone to be installed in the White HOuse was put in on this date in 1878. The first received call was from a storm window salesman. Who was President at the time?

3) Where is the world's only roller skating museum located?

Answers:

1) She was awarded the Emmy for her appearance on the last night of Johnny Carson's stint as host for The Tonight Show.

2) Rutherford B. Hayes

3) Lincoln, Nebraska

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What is the longest river in Africa?

2) Which animal image is on the Canadian nickel?

3) In 1778, this European was the first to go to Hawaii?

4) Ottawa is the capital of Canada. Who was responsible for determining this and when?

Answers:

1) The Nile

2) The beaver

3) Captain James Cook

4) Queen Victoria pronounced Ottawa as the capital in 1867. Prior to that time, Kingston was the capital.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was Duke Ellington's first and long-time drummer?

2) What popular tourist attraction and natural wonder, formed as a result of receding glaciers, is located on Canada's border with the United States?

3) In whose swing band did Dizzy Gillespie play?

Answers:

1) Sonny Greer

2) Niagara Falls

3) Cab Calloway

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) It's now an annual White House tradition; what year was the first to see a presidential pardon of a turkey?

2) On this date in 1969, Apollo 12 astronauts landed on the moon, making the mission the second to have men on the moon. Who were the astronauts?

Answers:

1) 1947

2) Charles Conrad and Alan Bean

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Marlon Brando patented two items to modify a musical instrument. What instrument was it?

2) He wanted to designate the turkey as the national bird instead of the bald eagle. Who was he?

Answers:

1) The drum

2) Benjamin Franklin

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which president established the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day?

2) Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade first took place as a commercial event in 1924 to spur shoppers to start buying gifts for Christmas (a consumer tradition that is still in full swing). Which cartoon character was the first to become a balloon in the parade?

3) Julian Adderley is better known by his nickname. What is it?

4) Which domestic animal is more closely related to the hyena, cats or dogs?

Answers:

1) Franklin D. Roosevelt

2) Felix the Cat

3) Cannonball Adderley

4) Neither, hyenas have their own family, called Hyaenidae. Although they appear to be similar to dogs, they are closer to being related to cats.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which president helped to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday?

2) Who held the original patent for promotional stand up cards for tables at restaurants?

3) Which Hollywood actress patented a missile guidance system?

Answers:

1) Abraham Lincoln

2) Lawrence Welk

3) Hedy Lamarr

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Cats are one of only three animals that walk by moving their front and hind legs, first on one side and then the other.

2) The average dog makes about 10 different vocal sounds. How many can a cat make?

3) This hit musical, composed in the early 80s by Andrew Lloyd Webber, features feline festivities. What is the musical's name and what was the source for its book?

4) The world's first streetcar began operation in 1832, in what city?

Answers:

1) Camels and giraffes share the same gait as cats.

2) A cat makes about 100 different vocal sounds.

3) Cats was based on T.S. EWliot's book, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.

4) New York City.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the first NFL head coach to win 100 regular season games in 10 seasons?

2) A baby dog is called a puppy and a baby cat is called a kitten. What is a baby eel called?

3) Which famous sax player was arrested for robbing a drug store?

4) Controversial figure skater Tonya Harding was born on November 12, 1970. She appeared in a Fox TV Celebrity Boxing event in 2002. Who did she fight?

Answers:

1) On November 12, 1972, Don Shula, coach of the Miami Dolphins, won this distinction.

2) An elver

3) Stan Getz

4) Paula Jones

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) One of the most unique devices in the 1964 presidential campaign was an image used to project a candidate's name using a chemical element to project the name. What was it?

2) What is the city that is known as the "birthplace of the American Baseball League?"

3) What U.S. president is credited with the establishment of a national park system?

Answers:

1) Au and H2O were often seen on bumper stickers. Au is the scientific designation for gold, followed by H2O, the designation for water. Thus, AuH2O referred to presidential candidate Goldwater.

2) The Republican House, a hotel in Milwaukee, became the birthplace of the American League on March 5, 1900.

3) Though Ulysses S. Grant established Yellowstone National Park, Theodore Roosevelt is credited with this accomplishment.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This branch of the military was formed on this day on 1175.

2) Don McLean's song "American Pie" made reference to "the day that music died." What event is he referring to?

3) This vegetable's name means "large pearl." What is it?

Answers:

1) The U.S. Marine Corps

2) The day was February 3, 1959 when a small plane crash in Iowa took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper.

3) The onion

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) How many songs did Elvis Presley write?

2) Founded by Dr. Ethel Percy-Andrus in 1958, this organization has grown to be one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in the world.

3) Engraved at the front of the Veterans Affairs Headquarters in Washington, D.C. are these words: "to care for him [any veteran] who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.." What is the origin of this quote?

Answers:

1) None. Elvis recorded covers of other people's songs, which became a sort of Achille's heel for him as the era of the singer-songwriter overtook the music industry.

2) AARP

3) This is a partial quote from Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address, given just weeks prior to the end of the Civil War. The quote begins by saying, "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.."

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Of the two WWII axis powers, which country, Germany or Japan, were the first to surrender to the Allied Forces?

2) In 1937, the Count Basie Band featured one male and one female singer. The male was Jimmy Rushing. Who was the female?

3) Who was often introduced on the radio as "his mama's harmful little armful"?

4) This medal, signifying gallantry, is a highly coveted British decoration.

Answers:

1) Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945. Japan followed September 2.

2) Billie Holiday

3) Thomas "Fats" Waller. Waller also played the pipe organ.

4) The Victoria Cross

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) King of the Cowboys, Roy Rogers, was born on this date in 1911. His famous horse was called Trigger. What was his dog's name?

2) Who was the guitarist backing Ella Fitzgerald on her 1956 album, The Cole Porter Songbook?

Answers:

1) Bullet

2) Barney Kessel

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What item did Thelonious Monk forfeit in 1951 that made his life very difficult for a number of years?

2) What year did women gain the right to vote?

3) This big Texan trombone player was nicknamed "Big T." Who was he?

4) On this day in 1922, a big discovery was made in Egypt. What was it?

Answers:

1) He lost his cabaret card as a result of having been arrested for drug possession.

2) 1920

3) Jack Teagarden

4) King Tutankhamen's tomb was found.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) The world's longest suspension bridge was completed in 1998. Where is it?

2) What's the semantic difference between a "nook" and a "cranny"?

3) Which letter is the oldest in the Phoenician alphabet?

4) This tenor sax player was key to moving the bop sound forward. He's perhaps best known for his "A Night at the Village Vanguard" recordings.


Answers:

1) Traversing the city of Honshu on Awaji Island and Kobe, the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in Japan has a total length of 3,911 meters.

2) A "nook" is a corner and a "cranny" is a crack.

3) The letter "O" is the oldest letter. It has not changed in shape since its adoption in the Phoenician alphabet, c. 1300 B.C.

4) Sonny Rollins

Alan Rock's Trivia

Questions:

1) Set to the tune of a popular British drinking song, this song was originally derived from a poem written in 1814. For bragging rights, name the poem too.

2) This alto sax man played for Billy Joel, soloing on "Just the Way You Are." Who is he?

3) Who are the three best-selling musical performers?

Answers:

1) The drinking song became our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." The poem was "Defence of Fort McHenry."

2) Phil Woods

3) The Beatles, Elvis and Michael Jackson, in that order. Following them, are Abba, Madonna, Led Zeppelin and Queen.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which renowned author created the character, Perry Mason?

2) Before it was called the Cabinet, various areas related to the executive branch of government were called departments. How many departments were there in the earliest presidential administrations and what were they?

3) Who was the author of the original Little House on the Prairie series of books?

Answers:

1) Errol Stanley Gardner

2) In the early years of the U.S. there were four four departments: attorney general, state, treasury and war.

3) Laura Ingalls Wilder

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This vegetable is usually over 90% water, with healing and cooling properties beneficial to the skin. What is it?

2) What two states have the most number of lakes?

3) Thomas Jefferson and others introduced this popular vine-grown fruit that, for culinary purposes, is considered a vegetable. What is it?

Answers:

1) Cucumbers

2) Minnesota and Wisconsin each have over 10,000 lakes

3) The tomato!

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What Civil War-era fort was designed to protect San Francisco Bay?

2) In what national park was permission to erect a national monument denied twice by the state where it is now located?

3) What is Keibul Lamjao National Park's (in northeastern India) claim to fame?

Answers:

1) Fort Point located under the Golden Gate bridge.

2) Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota

3) Keibul National Park is the only floating national park in the world.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What organization claims it is the oldest and largest fraternal organization?

2) Who was the first U.S. president to not have signed the Declaration of Independence?

3) La Cosa Nostra is an alternate name for this criminal society.

4) Who was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence?

Answers:

1) Freemasons. The organization dates back to the late 16th - early 17th century.

2) George Washington

3) La Cosa Nostra is also known as the Mafia.

4) John Hancock.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the female vocalist for Gene Krupa's band?

2) Which two states have names with French origins?

3) Who was the first jazz violinist?

4) How many of the 48 continental states have Native American-derived names?

Answers:

1) Anita O'Day

2) Louisiana (King Louis XIV) and Vermont (vert mont, or green mountain).

3) Snuff Smith

4) Half of the contiguous states - 24 - have names with Native American origins.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1966, which group became the first all-female music group to have a #1 album in the U.S.?

2) The Pittsburgh Steelers are so named because of the steel industry that used to be prevalent in Pittsburgh. What other state has the natural resources needed to make iron and steel?

Answers:

1) The Supremes

2) Alabama

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which U.S. building in the U.S. is the tallest?

2) Founded by Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus in 1958, what organization has become one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in the world?

Answers:

1) Chicago's Sears Tower (now known as the Willis Tower) is the nation's tallest building.

2) Dr. Percy Andrus Founded the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) in 1958. She first formed the National Retired Teachers' Association in 1947.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This actor/director/writer once said, "I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead. Not sick, not wounded - dead!" Who was he?

2) This jazz singer dabbled in folk and soul music genres as well as jazz. She made the top 20 with her hit version of "I Loves You Porgy." Who was she?

3) This jazz and soul singer was born Ruth Lee Jones. She started out with Lionel Hampton and went on to record with Cannonball Adderly and Wynton Kelly. She was more famously known by what name?

Answers:

1) Woody Allen

2) Nina Simone

3) Dinah Washington

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1990, this Russian leader was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.

2) According to research in Science Journal, how did rats respond to a low-calorie diet?

3) On this date in 1903, Gordon Nance was born in Pattonsburg, Missouri. He played a cowboy in movies and serials. What was his character?

Answers:

1) Mikhail Gorbachev

2) They lived 50% longer.

3) Known as "Wild Bill" Elliot, he was the first movie cowboy to wear his gun backwards. He starred in the Saturday serial "The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickock" and played Red Ryder in both serials and feature films.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1947, this aviator broke the sound barrier. Who was he?

2) Roger Moore had a recurring role in the 1960 - 61 season of Maverick. Who did he play?

3) In the 1955 Italian farce, Frisky, who played the title role?

4) On this date in 1926, Winnie the Pooh was published. Who was the author?

Answers:

1) Chuck Yeager

2) He played Bret Maverick's cousin, Beauregard.

3) Gina Lollabrigida

4) A.A. Milne

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1957, these two superstars headlined an hour-long TV special devoted to introducing the 1958 Edsel. Who were the show's stars?

2) On this date in 1958, Warren Covington and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra had the #7 hit on the Billboard charts. What was it?

3) The first coffee sold in sealed tin cans were sold in the U.S. in 1879. What was the brand?

4) On this date in 1792 the cornerstone of the White House was laid. Who was the first presidential family to move in?

Answers:

1) Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra

2) "Tea-for-Two Cha-Cha"

3) Chase and Sanborn

4) John Adams

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the only president to have earned the Eagle Scout award?

2) This jazz genre, identified with the West Coast, made use of unconventional time signatures and crisper tones. Artists associated with this movement were Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan and Lee Konitz. What genre is it?

3) This flower was designated by Congress as the national flower. What is it?

Answers:

1) Gerald Ford

2) Cool Jazz

3) the rose

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1975, Saturday Night Live premiered. Who was the first host?

2) Who was the first leader of the band that eventually became known as the Count Basie Orchestra?

3) Which organization claims to be the oldest and largest fraternal organization?

Answers:

1) George Carlin hosted, with musical guests Janis Ian and Billy Preston

2) Benny Moton

3) Freemasons - the organization dates back to the 16th century.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1919, the U.S. Congress passed the Volstead Act. What did that law do?

2) Actress Susan Weaver took her stage name, "Sigourney," from this novel.

3) This 1970s jazz pianist is known to fusion fans for his solo albums as well as his work with his group, "Return to Forever." Who is he?

Answers:

1) The Volstead Act ushered in Prohibition, outlawing the sale and consumption of alcohol.

2) The Great Gatsby

3) Chick Corea

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Where does the modern-day art of bonsai come from?

2) What's the difference between regular boxing gloves and "Golden Gloves"?

3) Who was known as "The March King" and was the most noted leader of the U.S. Marine Corps Band?

4) This Bop Era composer from Cleveland composed "If You Could See Me Now" and "On a Misty Night." Who was he?

Answers:

1) China

2) Regular gloves weigh 8 ounces; Golden Gloves weigh 10 ounces.

3) John Philip Sousa. He led the U.S. Marine Corps Band for 12 years.

4) Tadd Dameron

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Where were streets first paved?

2) The Blackhawk, a jazz club, was located in what city?

3) How many varieties of tomatoes are there?

4) Which seven states are named after royalty?

Answers:

1) Rome - the first paved streets were laid out in 170 BCE.

2) Now long gone, The Blackhawk was where some of the best live jazz albums of all time were recorded. It was in San Francisco.

3) 57

4) Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, North and South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) You Bet Your Life debuted on this date in 1950 and was hosted by Groucho Marx. Attempts to revive the show were made in 1980 and 1992. Which celebrities were tapped for these outings?

2) What was the name of the famous night club in Harlem where Duke Ellington's Orchestra played?

3) This vegetable contains three times as much vitamin C as an orange and twicew as much iron as spinach?

4) This famous tenor sax player first came to be noticed while he played in whose band?

Answers:

1) Both revival attempts were short-lived. Buddy Hackett hosted in 1980, then Bill Cosby in 1992.

2) The Cotton Club

3) Bell peppers

4) Lester Young

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the saxophone player for Cab Calloway?

2) What was the first ready-made food sold commercially?

3) This pair of states produces nearly half of the U.S.’s produce. Which states are they?

4) Who wrote the song "Tuxedo Junction"?

Answers:

1) Chu Berry

2) Dating back to 1893, Aunt Jemima pancake flour mix was the first ready-made food to be sold commercially.

3) California and Arizona

4) Erskine Hawkins

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What TV Show was actor Randy Quaid once a regular on?


2) Who was regarded as the "James Dean of Jazz" in the 1950s?


3) Who was the Belgian-born gypsy who made his reputation as a musician in France, cemented it by performing with Duke Ellington in America, and was regarded as one of the first jazz masters on his instrument?



Answers:

1)"Saturday Night Live," where in the mid - 1980s he impersonated President Ronald Reagan. He started in show business as the straight man in a comedy team. Quaid voiced an animated character in TV commercials for Colonel Sanders (for KFC)


2)Chet Baker Baker's career lasted a remarkably lon time. He battled a drug addiction throughout his life, and finally succumbed to the other side by falling from the window of his hotel room in 1988.


3) Django Reinhardt. Django was the co-leader of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. He and French violinist Stephane Grappelli led the group to international renown. This group was interrupted by World War 2, but afterwards the pair travelled to the United States together.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This sax player is associated with helping to start the bossa nova craze, but had previously played with Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey and Benny Goodman. Who was he?

2) Which three states border on Yellowstone National Park?

3) Who was the legendary tenor player who played with Maynard Fewrguson and Miles Davis before he formed the seminal fusion group, Weather Report?

4) Frankln D. Roosevelt was famous for introducing the "New Deal," but the prior Roosevelt, Teddy, was responsible for another deal. What was it called?

Answers:

1) Stan Getz

2) Idaho, Montana and Wyoming

3) Wayne Shorter

4) Teddy Roosevelt's policy program was called the "Square Deal."

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) In the 1989 biopic Great Balls of Fire,who played Jerry Lee Lewis?

2) which jazz musician was known as "The Little Giant"?

Answers:

1) Dennis Quaid played Jerry Lee Lewis.

2) Johnny Griffin

Alan Rock's Trivia

Questions:

1) Raped at ten years old, by thirteen, she was a working prostitute. Someone heard her sing and she began a successful career as a jazz singer. Tragically, she later succumbed to drug addiction. One of Motown's singing sensations portrayed her in the 1972 movie, Lady Sings the Blues. Who was this singer who played "Lady Day"?

2) What singer is the only celebrity to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

3) What is the name of the company credited with having created the coin-operated video game industry?

4) She was known as the “Lady of 6000 Songs.” Featured both in John Berendt’s book and subsequent film, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, her ability to remember music and lyrics was phenomenal. Fridays and Saturdays she sang in local night clubs in Savannah and Sundays she performed in church. In her 70s, when fame had come to her, she maintained a hectic performing schedule. What was her name?

Answers:

1) Diana Ross played Billie Holiday in the movie.

2) Gene Autry

3) Atari

4) Emma Kelly

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This velvety baritone recorded an album with John Coltrane in 1963. Who was this singer?

2) This landmark is recognized all over the world for symbolizing freedom and democracy. What is it?

3) She was one of the great vocalists of the Swing era, performing as a regular at the Cotton Club and with Duke Ellington's band. Who was she?

4) Before texting, creative shorthand was used on bumper stickers to promote a 1964 presidential candidate. How did the sticker read?

Answers:

1) Johnny Hartman

2) the Statue of Liberty

3) Ivie Anderson

4) The stickers read "Au H20." Au was the elemental sign for "Gold" and H20 was to indicate "water." In that time, most people had memorized the periodic table, so they were able to make out that they were supposed to vote for Barry Goldwater.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1911, the first flight across the U.S. was successfully completed. It took pilot C.P. Rogers 82 hours to fly from New York City to where?

2) Before Three's Company, John Ritter played a recurring character on what show?

Answers:

1) Pasadena, California

2) For 5 years, he played Rev. Matthew Fordwick on The Waltons

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1620, The Mayflower left Plymouth, England to make its way across the Atlantic to America. Not counting the crew, how many pilgrims were on board for the journey?

2) On this date in 1953 the first movie filmed in widescreen Cinemascope premiered at the Roxy Theater in New York. What was the movie?

3) On this date in 1630, the village of Shawmut, Massachussetts changed its name. We now call this place what?


Answers:


1)There were 102 pilgrims on The Mayflower.

2) The Robe

3) Boston

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This international environmental advocacy group was founded on this date in 1971. What is the organization's name?

2) This jazz cornetist was portrayed by Danny Kaye. Who was the cornet player and what was the movie?

3) Who wrote the song, "Misty"?

4) What did director Oliver Stone do during the Vietnam War?

Answers:

1) Greenpeace

2) Danny Kaye played Eugene "Red" Nichols in the movie The Five Pennies.

3) Erroll Garner.

4) Stone served with the Army in Vietnam, was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What is it called when water particles, upon hitting the ground, freeze?

2) In 1937, the Count Basie Band featured two singers, Jimmy Rushing and who else?

3) This chief justice of the Supreme Court resigned in order to run for governor of New York. Who was he?

Answers:

1) freezing rain

2) Billie Holiday. Lady Day was with the band for a year, then was ousted. Rumor has it John Hammond forced her out.

3) John Jay

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) According to Forbes Magazine (2008), what is the most visited landmark in the United States?

2) What was trumpeter Harry Edison's nickname?

3) Which state is the only one not to have a National Park?

Answers:

1) Times Square

2) "Sweets"

3) Delaware

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Gunsmoke premiered on television on this date in 1955. How long did the western-themed TV show run?

2) Who had a hit with the jazz/pop oldie, "Stranger on the Shore"?

3) Cleo Laine was married to a bandleader. What was his name?

Answers:

1) 20 years

2) Acker Bilk

3) John Dankworth. He was the first British jazz musician to have been knighted -- so that's Sir John Dankworth, thank you.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This famous singer began his career as part of "The Hoboken Four" on th Major Bowes Amateur Hour on this date in 1935. Who was he?

2) The average person's brain is what percent water?

3) This Texas guitarist is considered the father of jazz guitar, bringing the guitar from a rhythm-keeping background to the solo spotlight. Who is he?

4) This retired Indian schoolteacher holds the record for being the oldest woman to have given birth. How old was she when her first child was born?

Answers:

1) Frank Sinatra

2) 80%

3) Charlie Christian

4) Satyabhama Mahapatra was 65 years old.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Where are the ripest olives produced?

2) ESPN debuted on cable on this date in 1979. What does "ESPN" stand for?

3) Which country produces the most cork?

4) Born Ruth Lee Jones, this jazz, soul and popsinger scored big with her version of "What a Difference a Day Makes." Who was she?

Answers:

1) California. Franciscan monks introduced olive trees to the region in the 1700s.

2) The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network

3) Portugal. Portugal has regulations protecting cork trees since 1320.

4) Dinah Washington.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Born on this date in 1923, this cartoonist created the strips "Beetle Bailey" and Hi and Lois." Who is it?

2) Which river basin has evidence of the earliest human civilization in Europe?

3) Which president was the first to have been born in the 20th century?

Answers:

1) Mort Walker

2) Danube

3) John F. Kennedy

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which president delivered his inaugural address without once using the word "I"?

2) The Renaissance period began in what country?

3) It was the year 1905. How old was Frank Epperson when he invented the popsicle?

Answers:

1) Theodore Roosevelt

2) Italy

3) Frank was 11 when he mixed some soda water powder to drink, but forgot it on the back porch with the stirring stick in it. It froze solid, thus creating the "Epsicle," now known as the popsicle.

Alan Rock's Trivia! (for 9/1/2010)

Questions:

1)September 1st, 1985 was a historic day for undersea discoveries. What was found?

2) Green Eggs and Ham was written on a dare. What was the challenge for Dr. Seuss?

3) Which company is credited for creating the coin-operated video game industry?

4) Lily Tomlin received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in what film?

Answers:

1) The Titanic

2) Seuss's editor dared him to write a book using fewer than 50 different words.

3) Atari

4) Robert Altman's Nashville.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What was the world's first airline?

2) Richard Gere's first three major film roles were all offered to, and turned down by, the same actor. Who was it?

3) Peggy Lee was once nominated for an Oscar for what film?

4) What did President Hoover do with his salary?

Answers:

1) Delag

2) John Travolta

3) Pete Kelly's Blues

4) The independently wealthy Hoover signed his checks over to charity.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What are the top three board games in the U.S.?

2) Of the wagering games in Las Vegas, which one is the most popular?

3) This alto sax player, featured in Billy Joel's hit, "Just the Way You Are," credits Charlie Parker for being a great influence on his playing. Who is he?

4) This tenor sax player played with Art Blakey and Maynard Ferguson and co-founded Weather Report. He also contributed to many of Joni Mitchell's later albums. Who is he?

Answers:

1) Monopoly, chess and checkers

2)Blackjack

3) Phil Woods

4) Wayne Shorter

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1859, the first U.S. oil well struck crude oil. In which state did this happen?

2) Dizzy Gillespie played in this bandleader's swing band. Who was the bandleader?

3) This musician is famous for having popularized jazz banjo. Who is he?

Answers:

1) Pennsylvania

2) Cab Calloway

3) Bela Fleck

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the vocalist for Gene Krupa's band?

2) Dr. Lee DeForest was born on this date in 1873. His invention made radio and television possible. What did he invent?

3) During the rise of bebop, who was the regular pianist at Minton's Playhouse?

Answers:

1) Anita O'Day

2) He invented the 3-element vacuum tube

3) Thelonious Monk

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Sean Connery was born this date in 1930. How many James Bond movies did he star in?

2) In 1939, Lina Medina became the youngest mother on record. How old was she?

Answers:

1) 7

2) 5 years old

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Prior to being president, George H.W. Bush served as CIA Director. Who appointed him to that position?

2) Who was nicknamed the "James Dean" of jazz?

3) What U.S. national park is 95% water?

4) This New Orleans Creole musician proclaimed himself to be the inventor of jazz. Who was he?

Answers:

1) President Gerald Ford

2) Chet Baker

3) Biscayne National Park

4) Jelly Roll Morton

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the first musician to assemble a jazz trio of piano, guitar and bass?

2) Kobe Bryant turns 32 today. In what country did the basketball star grow up?

3) 1940s era radio character, Captain Midnight had a mechanic. What was the mechanic's name?

4) Wes Montgomery taught himself to play guitar when he was a teenager. Left on his own, he developed a unique playing style. What was unique about it?

Answers:

1) Nat King Cole

2) Bryant was raised in Italy where his father played professional basketball for eight years.

3) The character's name was Ichabod "Icky" Mudd

4) Wes Montgomery played with his thumb.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Born this date in 1918, She wrote the bestsellers, Valley of the Dolls and The Love Machine. Who was she?

2) Brothers Adolph and Rudolph formed companies that sold the same thing. What product did they sell?

3) This jazz hyphenate is a pianist and vocalist. She's married to famous pop song composer and performer, Declan McManus (we know him as Elvis Costello). Who is she?

4) Francis Scott Key composed on the side. What was his profession?

Answers:

1) Jacqueline Susann

2) shoes

3) Diana Krall

4) lawyer

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Actor John Stamos was born on this date in 1963. In addition to his roles in television's Full House and ER - and forays into musical theater on Broadway, like his starring turns in Cabaret, Nine and Bye Bye Birdie - Stamos also has a standing musician's gig, performing with what band?

2) How many husbands did Calamity Jane have?

3) Who was the "victim" in the board game, "Clue"?

4) Who was the first world leader to send an e-mail?

Answers:

1) He plays drums from time to time for The Beach Boys.

2) 12

3) Mr. Boddy

4) Queen Elizabeth II

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:
1) The late Patrick Swayze was born on this date in 1952. Who played his love interest in the breakout hit, Dirty Dancing?

2) In the famous Abbott and Costello "Who's on 1st" skit, who played right field?

3) What was Little Red Riding Hood's given name?

4) This TV personality insured her legs for $2 million. Who is she?

Answers:

1) Jennifer Gray

2) Psych! There was no right fielder in that bit.

3) Blanchette

4) Mary Hart of Entertainment Tonight

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) How many different animal shapes are there in a typical box of animal crackers?

2) When plastic was first introduced, what kind of compound was used to create it?

3) Who helped George Washington write his farewell address?

4) Actor Sean Penn made his TV debut on what show?


Answers:

1) 18

2) Celluloid

3) Alexander Hamilton

4) Barnaby Jones

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Recycling one glass jar saves enough money to watch a television for how long?

2) What was the name of the ship sunk at Pearl Harbor?

3) The largest desert is in Africa. What is its name?

4) Which U.S. county occupies the smallest area?

Answers:

1) 3 hours

2) The USS Arizona

3) The Sahara Desert is the largest at 3.5 million square miles

4) The smallest county is New York County, which is comprised only of the city of Manhattan.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:
1) Born on this date in 1899, this film director once famously said, "I never said actors were like cattle. What I said was they should be treated like cattle."

2) Who was the first African-American to serve on the Supreme Court?

3) This commemorative U.S. postage stamp was the bestselling of all time.

Answers:

1) Alfred Hitchcock

2) Thurgood Marshall

3) The U.S. Postal Service's 1993 stamp commemorating Elvis Presley sold 122.3 million.

Trivia for August 12th, 2010

Questions:

1) On August 12th, 1973, Jack Nicklaus won the PGA championship for his 14th major title, surpassing Bobby Jones's record of 13 majors. Over his career, how many majors has Nicklaus won in total?

2) On August 12th, 1974, for the first time in history, two teammates were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame - together. Who were they?

3) What percentage of tornadoes happen in the U.S.?

4) Though a "blue moon" refers to the rare occurrence of a second full moon within a month, there are times when the moon actually appears to be blue. What is the explanation?

Answers:

1) Nicklaus won 18 major tournaments in his career.

2) NYY's Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford

3) 75%

4) Soot and water in the sky

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the first president to use the line-item veto.

2) Today is Terry Gene Bollea's birthday. Terry Gene is better known as who?

3) There is only one vegetable/fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed or cooked? In other words, it is only sold fresh. What is it?

Answers:

1) Bill Clinton used the line-item veto on this date in 1997. Congress had granted the option the year before.

2) Hulk Hogan

3) lettuce

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What was the original title of the hit, "Eleanor Rigby"?

2) What popular festival is marked as the eve of All Saints' Day?

3) On this date in 1996, Republican presidential nominee, Bob Dole, chose this former NFL quarterback as his running mate. Who was it?

4) In 1996, this current U.S. senator was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Who is he?

Answers:

1) "Miss Daisy Hawkins" was Sir Paul's initial vision for those famous five syllables and opening notes to the famous tune. McCartney said he later came up with the name Eleanor from actress Eleanor Bron, who had starred with the Beatles in the film Help!. Rigby came from the name of a store in Bristol, Rigby & Evens Ltd, Wine & Spirit Shippers, that he noticed while seeing his then-girlfriend Jane Asher act in The Happiest Days Of Your Life. He recalled in 1984, "I just liked the name. I was looking for a name that sounded natural. Eleanor Rigby sounded natural."

2) All Saints Day is preceded by Hallowe'en.

3) Jack Kemp was Dole's running mate.

4) Senator Jim Bunning (R - KY).

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Actor Sean Penn won an Oscar for his role as this famous Belgian/Romani (gypsy) jazz guitarist in the biopic, Sweet and Low.

2) She said to her "Lover," I have a "Fever." He didn't care and she wondered, has "Somebody Else Has Taken My Place" and if that's so, then "Is that All There is?" Who is she?

3) This jazz pianist defined "cool jazz" due to his less frantic approach to the music. Miles Davis was an admirer and the music certainly was cool. After all, this was the fellow who composed "Snowfall."

4) This famous drummer never learned to read music. He first performed at 18 months old in his parents' vaudeville act, where he was billed as "Traps, the Drum Wonder." He played with the Tommy Dorsey Band where he first met and performed with Frank Sinatra and later played for Harry James before leading his own big band. He did session work for Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson and many others and is considered a drumming icon. Who was he?

Answers:

1) Django Reinhardt

2) The oddly constructed sentence used for the question incorporated the names of her hits. They were the songs of Miss Peggy Lee.

3) Claude Thornhill

4) Buddy Rich

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Timothy Dalton was the 4th actor to take on this movie role. What was it?

2) She began as a gospel singer, and got her big break as a vocalist with Lionel Hampton's band. Her signature tune was "What a Difference a Day Makes." Who was she?

3) What tune is the official march of the U.S.?

Answers:

1) That's Bond. James Bond.

2) Dinah Washington

3) "The Stars and Stripes Forever"

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This actress was discovered dead on this date in 1962. The circumstances of her death remain a mystery even to this day.

2) Which U.S. president signed the legislation designating that Martin Luther King be honored with a federal holiday?

3) American Bandstand debuted on this date in 1957. Dick Clark was of course, the host. What was the first record played?

4) This storm was a Level 5 hurricane, making landfall in 1969. What was its name?

Answers:

1) Marilyn Monroe

2) Ronald Reagan

3) Buddy Holly's "That'll Be the Day"

4) Camille

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Yesterday was Jay North's birthday. What TV character did he play?

2) Ben Franklin believed a warm bed would sap his strength, so when his bed became warm, he'd switch to a cold one. How many beds did he sleep in per night?

Answers:

1) "Dennis the Menace"

2) 4

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Dino Crocetti and Joseph Levitch were a stage and screen duo of much fame under their adopted showbiz names. What were their stage names?

2) What commission is awarded to graduates from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point?

3) Who wrote "Tuxedo Junction"?

4) What is the longest river in Europe?

Answers:

1) Dino Crocetti and Joseph Levitch are known to us as Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

2) West Point graduates are awarded a Bachelor of Science degree and receive the rank of second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

3) Erskine Hawkins

4) The Volga River in Russia is the longest at 2,300 miles.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the trombonist in Louis Armstrong's Hot Five combo?

2) What was Bud Powell's real first name?

3) How many countries make up the continent of Africa?

4) Because he was underweight, this movie star was turned away when he wanted to join the military in WWII. Who was he?


Answers:

1) Kid Ory

2) Earl

3) 55

4) James Stewart. Stewart eventually was accepted and went on to become a Brigadier General in the Air Force.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1957 Jack Paar debuted as host of The Tonight Show. Who hosted the show prior to Paar?

2) Who was the only WWII veteran to walk on the moon?

Answers:

1) Before Jack Paar, The Tonight Show was hosted by Steve Allen and Ernie Kovacs.

2) Alan Shepard

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1981, a certain momentous wedding took place in London. Who was the happy couple?

Answers:

1) Prince Charles and Lady Diana

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This lead singer for the Commodores went on to a very successful solo career. Who was he?

2) This 1953 broadcast was the first internationally televised event. What was it?

3) What actor was the first to win a second Best Actor Academy award?

4) Who was the NFL coach with the most wins?

Answers:

1) Lionel Richie sang for the Commodores, lending the lead vocals on "Easy (Like Sunday Morning)." Contrary to popular notion, he did not sing the lead vocal on their huge hit, "Brickhouse."

2) Queen Elizabeth II's coronation ceremony was the first internationally televised event.

3) Spencer Tracy was awarded Best Actor in both 1937 and 1938, for Captains Courageous and Boys Town, respectively.

4) Don Shula has the most wins in the NFL with 347 games.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) In the 1976 film inspired by the Bobbi Gentry hit, Ode to Billy Joe, who played Billy Joe McAllister?

2) Who was the first movie comic to be hit in the face with a pie?

3) How many songs did Irving Berlin write?

Answers:

1) Robby Benson

2) Fatty Arbuckle

3) More than 900 songs, 19 musicals and the scores of 18 movies

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1984, this TV show became the first to be broadcast in stereo. What was it?

2) Which singer/movie star is the only celebrity to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

3) How much can a thirsty camel drink?

Answers:

1) The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

2) Gene Autry

3) A thirsty camel can drink 25 gallons of water in less than 3 minutes.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1961 actor Woody Harrelson was born. He received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his starring role in what movie?

2) She called herself the "Empress of Blues." Who was she?

3) She wrote about contemporary issues of her day, issues such as women's suffrage, temperance, prison reform and child labor. Who was she?

Answers:

1) The People vs. Larry Flynt

2) Bessie Smith (1894 - 1937)

3) Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women.

Alan Rock's Trivia! (for July 22, 2010)

Questions:

1) On July 22, 1934, this famous gangster was gunned down by FBI agents in Chicago. Who was he?

2) She had just turned 19 when she became the first woman to swim the English Channel. Who was she?

Answers:

1) John Dillinger

2) Gertrude Ederle

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Thomas Edison had a fear of this.

2) On this date in 1955, the last episode of a popular radio program aired. Popular since its debut in 1944, it starred Leonard Slye. What was his character's name?

3) You are hired to be part of a claque. What will you be doing?

Answers:

1) the dark

2) Roy Rogers

3) You've been hired to applaud an act or a performer. For example, the people who pour out onto the football field to scream for Springsteen during the SuperBowl halftime are paid claquers.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) If you are hedenophobic, you have an aversion to what?

2) Which president issued the first military draft during peace time?

3) This state is known as the "Cowboy State," but it's also known as the "Equality State" for having been the first state to grant voting rights to women. Which state is it?

Answers:

1) You are averse to pleasure.

2) Harry S. Truman issued the first military draft during peace time on this date in 1948.

3) Wyoming

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What does AFL/CIO stand for?

2) Who won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of George M. Coohan?

3) The Beatles made their first U.S. appearance on what television show?

4) Did any women sign the Declaration of Independence?

Answers:

1) American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

2) James Cagney

3) The Ed Sullivan Show

4) No. Women were not participants in the Declaration of Independence

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1963, the U.S. Postal Service began using ZIP codes. ZIP is an acronym which stands for what?

2) Which two universities were headed by Robert E. Lee?

3) From where do we get oil of wintergreen?

Answers:

1) "Zone Improvement Plan"

2) Robert E. Lee was once superintendent of West Point prior to the Civil War. After the war, he was president of Washington University, later called Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA.

3) Oil of wintergreen does not come from the wintergreen plant but from the bark of the sweet birch.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Someone with the condition known as aphonia is affected in what way?

2) In which fictional city did Popeye live?

3) Which noted female author served as a nurse in the Civil War?

4) Which U.S. "founding father" is also referred to as the "Father of the Constitution"?

Answers:

1) Someone with aphonia is unable to speak. It is a severe form of a vocal disorder. A primary cause of aphonia is bilateral disruption of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which supplies nearly all the muscles in the larynx. Damage to the nerve may be the result of surgery (e.g., thyroidectomy) or a tumor.

2) Sweetwater (though there are some who insist it's Sweethaven). Since 1977, Popeye has been honored with his own statue in Chester, Illinois - so perhaps that's his new hometown.

3) Louisa May Alcott

4) James Madison

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What river forms the northern border of Kentucky?

2) What did the first vending machines in this country dispense?

3) In what country did the kilt originate?

4) Practitioners of this profession use the most extensive vocabulary. What do they do?


Answers:

1) The Ohio River

2) chewing gum

3) France (surprised?)

4) They are journalists.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which of the Great Lakes is entirely within U.S. territory?

2) Which country has the highest number of doughnut shops per capita?

3) Which Constitutional Amendment provided women voting rights?

Answers:

1) Lake Michigan

2) Canada

3) The 19th Amendment provided voting rights to women.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the first woman to serve as U.S. National Security Advisor?

2) Who was the first African-American woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress?

3) Who was the first balloonist to fly solo around the world, landing in Australia, July 4th, 2002?

4) Who was the U.S. military's first female four-star general?

Answers:

1) Condoleeza Rice

2) Halle Berry (Hattie McDaniel won Best Supporting Actress in 1940)

3) Steve Fossett

4) Ann Dunwoody

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) A vexillologist specializes in what?

2) Only one U.S. state has a unicameral legislature. Which one is it?

3) In 1833, this educational institution was the first college to go co-ed. Which college was it?

4) According to a recent survey, what percentage of people sing along with their radios?

Answers:

1) A vexillologist is an expert on flags.

2) Nebraska

3) Oberlin College in Ohio

4) 75%

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Two presidents -two!- died on the Fourth of July in 1826. Who were they?

2) What was Flipper's real name?

3) On this date in 1932, the Dow Jones bottomed out at what?

4) On this date in 1958, the RIAA presented the first gold album for this recording having sold one million copies. What was it?

Answers:

1) John Adams and Thomas Jefferson

2) For Flipper, the movie, the real dolphin's name was Mitzi. For the TV series, Flipper was played by Suzy and Cathy.

3) 41.22

4) The Oklahoma soundtrack received that first gold album. Perry Como's "Catch a Falling Star" received gold for the first single to have sold one million copies.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which governmental official heads up the American Red Cross?

2) He was the president of the Continental Congress and the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. Who was he?

3) Who coined the term "Iron Curtain" in order to describe the Soviet Union?

Answers:

1) the President

2) John Hancock

3) Winston Churchill, in a speech given in Fulton, Missouri in 1946.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Along with Thomas Jefferson, how many other presidents signed the Declaration of Independence?

2) On this date in 2002, Serena Williams beat sister, Venus, to win her first Wimbledon title and her second straight Grand Slam tournament. Who was the first black player to win a Wimbledon singles title?

3) Disney's The Lion King was inspired by a Shakespeare play. Which one?

Answers:

1) One other president signed - John Adams.

2) Althea Gibson became the first black player to win a singles title at Wimbledon when she defeated Darlene Hard (6-3, 6-2)in 1957.

3) Hamlet.

Alan Rock's Trivia for 7/5/2010

Questions:

1) What was the city and building where the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence?

2) In 1781, this state was the first to declare a holiday to celebrate Independence. Which state was it?

3) Who was the first U.S. president to be voted out of office?

4) On July 5, 1947, the first black player in the American League signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians. What was his name?

Answers:

1) Philadelphia and Independence Hall

2) Massachusetts

3) John Adams was voted out of office during his run for a second term; he was defeated by Thomas Jefferson.

4) Larry Doby

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Paul McCartney is a citizen of which country/ies?

2) What is the name of the Camel cigarette's mascot?

3) What four states are known as commonwealths?

4) Leslie Lynch King, Jr. was adopted and renamed. What was his new name?

Answers:

1) Sir Paul has dual citizenship both in Great Britain and in the U.S.

2) "Old Joe"

3) Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky

4) Gerald R. Ford

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) How many official holidays are observed in the U.S.?

2) On this date in 1941, NBC broadcast the first FCC-sanctioned television commercial, during a Dodgers - Phillies game. The ad cost $9.00. What product was advertised?

3) Where was the pledge of allegiance first published?

Answers:

1) 10

2) Bulova watches

3) The Youth's Companion

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast went on to star as Peter Pan on Broadway. Who was she?

2) Who was the first woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500?

3) In which instance is it acceptable to fly the American flag upside down?

Answers:

1) Cathy Rigby

2) Janet Guthrie

3) In times of national distress

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) When asked if there was anything she didn't play, this female athlete replied, "Yeah. Dolls." Who was she?

2) Why is the monarch butterfly never eaten?

Answers:

1) Babe Didrickson

2) It's poisonous

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This day in 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed. What did it do?

2) Which country, according to recent figures, provides the highest number of adopted children in U.S. households?

3) Congress ordered that the motto, "In God We Trust" be stamped or printed on all U.S. currency as of what year?

4) This South Dakota mountain that bears the sculpted images of presidents Washington, Jefferson, T. Roosevelt and Lincoln. What is its name - and - can you name the artist who created the work?

Answers:

1) The Treaty of Versailles ended World War I.

2) Figures from 2008 show that Guatemala has provided the most, with 4,802 children adopted and sent to the U.S.

3) 1955

4) Mount Rushmore, and its creator is Gutzon Borglum.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) At his heaviest, how much did James Madison weigh?

2) On this date in 1949, Billboard began charting what is now called "Country & Western" songs. What did they initially call the genre?

3) The human kidney is comprised of over a million small tubes. Placed end-to-end, these tubes, from both kidneys are a total length of how long?

4) Which language has the longest alphabet?

Answers:

1) 98 pounds

2) Hillbilly music

3) Approximately 40 miles

4) The Cambodian alphabet has 74 letters, compared with 26 letters in English.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) NBC debuted this show, the first television western, on this date in 1949. What was the name of the show?

2) How many presidents were born British subjects?

3) Gunther Schuller is responsible for forging elements of jazz and classical music together, creating the movement that is referred to as what?

4) Who was the oldest person to have been elected president?

Answers:

1) Hopalong Cassidy

2) There were eight: Washington, both John and John Quincy Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson and W.H. Harrison.

3) "Third Stream"

4) Ronald Reagan. He famously deflected any objections related to his age by humorously remarking in his debate that he would not "exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience."

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1888, Frederick Douglass became the first African American to have done what?

2) Ho Chi Minh City was formerly known as what?

3) Prior to moving to its own headquarters in the J. Edgar Hoover building, where were the FBI offices?

Answers:

1) Frederick Douglass was the first African-American to have been nominated for president.

2) Saigon

3) The Department of Justice

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Name the first operating state university in the U.S.

2) On this date in 1937, Joe Louis, AKA the Brown Bomber, knocked out his opponent in the 8th round in this fight held in Chicago, winning the world heavyweight champion title. Who did Joe defeat?

3) Phoebe Ann Moses was a star of "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Revue." What was Phoebe's stage name?

Answers:

1) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2) Jim Braddock

3) Annie Oakley

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:
1) What are the three longest running Broadway shows?

2) Which denominations of currency are in use (as of 1969)?

3) Name the three corporations to have the largest revenues in 2009 (according to Fortune Magazine).

4) Name the seven people whose portraits are on seven denominations of U.S. currency.

Answers:

1) Phantom of the Opera is number one, with over 9,300 performances, Cats, with nearly 7,500 performances, and Les Miserables, with nearly 6,700 performances.

2) Currently printed denominations are $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. Notes above the $100 denomination ceased being printed in 1946 and were officially withdrawn from circulation in 1969. These notes were used primarily in inter-bank transactions or by organized crime; it was the latter usage that prompted President Richard Nixon to issue an executive order in 1969 halting their use.

3) In order, they are: Royal Dutch Shell (Shell Oil), with $458.4 billion, Exxon, with $442.9 billion, and Wal-Mart, with $405.6 billion.

4) $1 - George Washington, $1.00; Thomas Jefferson, $2.00; Abraham Lincoln, $5.00; Alexander Hamilton, $10.00; Andrew Jackson, $20.00; Ulysses Grant, $50.00; Benjamin Franklin, $100.00.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who dubbed Lauren Bacall's singing voice in her screen debut "To Have and Have Not"?

2) Who was the first head of a Cabinet-level department to become president? For bragging rights, also name the department he headed.

3) Who was the only baseball player in sports history to be named Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season?

4) What designation does the Atlantic Ocean have on wall maps in Philadelphia's Independence Hall?

Answers:

1) It was dubbed by teenager Andy Williams.

2) Thomas Jefferson, who had headed the Department of State, was elected president in 1800.

3) Fred Lynn of the Boston Red Sox. On June 18, 1975 he hit three home runs, a triple, and a single in a game in which Boston massacred the Detroit Tigers 15-1.

4) Western Ocean.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This day in 1955 was a historic one for Anaheim, California. What happened?

2) Before he had his big hit "Mandy," Barry Manilow used to be the accompanist for which singer?

3) What is the proper term for a "bunch" of bananas?

4) How many presidents never attended college?

Answers:

1) It's the day DisneyLand first opened.

2) The Divine Miss M, herself - Bette Midler.

3) A cluster or bunch of bananas is called a hand; a single banana is a finger.

4) Nine presidents did not attend college: George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Grover Cleveland and Harry Truman.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Question:

1) Michael Jackson was known to collect these.

2) Who was the first president to have been inaugurated in Washington, D.C.?

Answers:

1) Mannequins

2) On March 4, 1801, Thomas Jefferson was the first president to have been inaugurated in Washington, D.C.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) For what was the screwdriver first used?

2) In hot weather, avoid foods high in what?

3) What color clothing is best to wear in high heat?

4) Who was the first Speaker of the House to have gone on to be elected president?

Answers:

1) The screwdriver helped knights put on their armor.

2) Protein

3) White

4) James K. Polk

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the first U.S. president to broadcast a message over the radio?

2) Elephant herds are unique among mammal herds. What's different about them?

3) In Hawaii's ecology, what is unique about the hoary bat and the monk seal?

Answers:

1) On this date in 1922, Warren G. Harding became the first U.S. president to broadcast a message over the radio. The occasion was the dedication of the Francis Scott Key Memorial in Baltimore.

2) Unlike most mammal herds, females are the heads of elephant herds.

3) They are the only two mammals native to Hawaii.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1979, Marion Morrison died. Marion is better known as who?

2) Oceanographer Jacques Cousteau was born on this date in 1910. Scuba is an acronym that stands for what?

3) The box office hit, E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial , was released on this date in 1982. Who did the voicing for E.T. in the movie?

Answers:

1) Marion Morrison is better known as John Wayne.

2) Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

3) Debra Winger

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which worldwide organization was founded by two friends, Dr. Robert Smith and William G. Wilson, on this date in 1935?

2) Actress Elizabeth Shue made her debut in this movie. Hint: it was a movie whose sequel is currently showing in theaters.

3) The first TV debate between vice-presidential candidates was held in 1976. Who were the participating candidates?

4) Who was the first African-American to win an Oscar?

Answers:

1) Alcoholics Anonymous

2) The Karate Kid

3) Walter Mondale and Bob Dole

4) Hattie McDaniel received the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Gone With the Wind.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1934, this cartoon character made his debut doing a bit part in the Walt Disney cartoon The Little Wise Hen. Who was he?

2) The first president to appear on a U.S. coin was who?

3) Who was the first president to appear in a live telecast, coast-to-coast?

4) Who transformed popular music by inventing the solid body electric guitar?

Answers:

1) Donald Duck

2) Abraham Lincoln, appearing on the penny in 1909.

3) Harry Truman, in 1951.

4) Les Paul

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) By water content, how much snow is equal to one inch of rain?

2) Pepperoni is the most popular pizza topping in the U.S. Which topping is the least popular?

3) Which country was the first to grant women the right to vote?

Answers:

1) Ten inches of snow = one inch of rain.

2) Anchovies are the least popular pizza topping.

3) New Zealand was the first, granting women voting rights in 1893. Australia followed in 1902, then Finland in 1906. A total of fifteen nations gave women the right to vote before the U.S. acquiesced in 1920.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This WWI flying ace's nickname was "Captain Eddie." What was his real name?

2) Before her success as a comedienne, Ellen Degeneres considered becoming another profession. What was it?

3) In 1976, this military academy was the first to enroll women. It admitted 155 women that year, ending a tradition of all male attendance. Which military academy was it?

4) Who was the lone dissenter in the House vote for declaration of war against Japan, following the bombing of Pearl Harbor?

Answers:

1) Edward "Eddie" Rickenbacker

2) Ellen was eager to pursue a career as a professional golfer.

3) The U.S. Air Force Academy

4) Rep. Jeannette Rankin (R - Montana) dissented. She was the first woman elected to Congress.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Question:

1) What city was the home base for King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Bix Beiderbecke and Benny Goodman?

Answer:
1) Chicago

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the original host of the evening version of The Gong Show?

2) He got his start playing with such greats as Art Blakey, Maynard Ferguson and Miles Davis. He is the legendary tenor player and co-founder of jazz fusion group Weather Report. Who is he?

3) This Massachusetts alto man was greatly influenced by Charlie Parker and is remembered for his solo work on Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are." Who is he?

4) This Hollywood star was born this date in 1925. He appeared in The Defiant Ones, Houdini, and The Count of Monte Cristo, but perhaps most remembered for his role in drag opposite Marilyn Monroe, in Some Like It Hot. Who is he?

Answers:

1) Gary Owens (Rowan and Martin's Laugh In) hosted initially, then the show's creator and producer, Chuck Barris, took on hosting duties.

2) Wayne Shorter

3) Phil Woods

4) Tony Curtis

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Congress granted citizenship to these people on this date in 1924. What people?

2) On this date in 1886, a president did something while in office no president had done. What was it?

3) What was Disney's first feature-length animated film?

4) If your doctor tells you your otoplasty was successful, what does it mean?

Answers:

1) All American Indians

2) Grover Cleveland got married.

3) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

4) Your ears will no longer stick out.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) According to the National Climatic Center, which U.S. city is the windiest?

2) How many member nations make up the United Nations?

3) What phrase was designated by Congress in 1956 as the U.S. national motto?

4) Name the highest point in the U.S.

Answers:

1) Dodge City, Kansas. Ironically, Chicago - the famed "Windy City" - is ranked 53rd.

2) 192

3) "In God We Trust."

4) Mount McKinley, in Alaska has the highest point at 20,320 feet.

Alan Rock's Trivia! 5/31/2010

Questions:

1) The tradition of observing Memorial Day began as a way to honor veterans of which war?

2) On what date was Memorial Day first observed?

3) Memorial Day used to be known as ______________ Day.

4) Which community was declared to be the birthplace of Memorial Day?

5) Which war had the highest percentage of U.S. casualties, based on number of troops served?

6) Why is Gen. John Alexander Logan important to the celebration of Memorial Day?

Answers:

1) The Civil War

2) May 5th, 1866

3) Decoration Day

4) Waterloo, New York

5) The Civil War

6) He ordered thaat the holiday be observed by decorating the graves of the fallen.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Originally, what were the New York Yankees' name and original city?

2) What does OPEC actually stand for?

Answers:

1) The Yankees used to be the Baltimore Orioles until 1903, which begs the question who did the Baltimore Orioles used to be?! (so confusing!) So here's that scoop, from Wikipedia: [The Baltimore Orioles was] "one of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901; it spent its first year as a major league club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Milwaukee Brewers before moving to St. Louis to become the St. Louis Browns."

2) Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries