Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Who is the creator of the Garfield comic strip?

2) When he was a child star Robert Blake played sidekick to this Western movies character.

3) What was Frankie Avalon's first top ten hit?

4)  From which Dr. Seuss book did this quote come?
"Unless someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

Answers:

1)  Jim Davis

2) He was Red Ryder's Indian buddy, Little Beaver.

3)  His first hit was "Dede Dinah."  That song reached #7 in 1958. Avalon's first #1 song, "Venus," came out in 1958.

4) The Lorax

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  On this date in 1901, President William McKinley died of gunshot wounds from an assassin who'd shot him eight days earlier.  Who was the Vice-President succeeding him?

2)  Who led the house band at the Savoy in the late 1930s?

3)  This Supreme Court Chief Justice resigned from the court to run for governor of New York.

4)  In 1967 the Count Basie Band featured two singers. One was Jimmy Rushing; who was the other singer?

5)  On this date in 1985, The Golden Girls premiered on NBC.  Who were the four actresses playing the primary roles?


Answers:

1)  President Theodore Roosevelt.  Here are images of the McKinley Monument in Canton, Ohio.

2)  Chick Webb. He was the person most responsible for launching Ella Fitzgerald's career.

3)  John Jay

4) Billie Holiday

5)  Bea Arthur: Dorothy; Estelle Getty: Sophia; Rue McClanahan: Blanche; Betty White: Rose

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  In Greek mythology, what is a cyclops?

2)  What was Glenn Close's character in Fatal Attraction?

3)  Which country has a greater land mass - Greenland or Iceland?

4)  What is the capital of Costa Rica?

Answers:

1)  A cyclops is a one-eyed giant.

2)  Close played "Alex Forrest."

3)  Greenland has the larger land mass (2,166,086 km) and is actually the largest island on earth in terms of area.

4)  San Jose

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  In what city is the famous opera house, La Scala, located?

2)  In Samuel Beckett's play, Waiting for Godot, when does the awaited Godot show up?

3)  Chris Haney and Scott Abbott were playing a game of Scrabble when they decided to invent their own game (from About.com).

4)  Lachanophobia is a fear of what?

Answers:

1)  La Scala (Italian: Teatro alla Scala) opened August 3rd, 1778, and is regarded as one of the leading, and most enduring, opera houses in the world.

2)  The conceit of Beckett's absurdist play is that Godot never arrives.


3)  Trivial Pursuit was first conceived on December 15, 1979 by Chris Haney and Scott Abbott. At the time, Chris Haney worked as a photo editor at the Montreal Gazette, and Scott Abbott was a sports journalist for The Canadian Press. The two friends came up with the basic concept of Trivial Pursuit within a few short hours (from About.com).

4)  vegetables

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  On this date in 1955,  the Miss America Pageant was televised for the first time. Who was first to wear the crown?

2)  Who once said, "This American system gives to everyone a great opportunity if we only seize it with both hands and make the most of it."?

3)  Who was the first African-American to host his own television program?

4)  This baseball player was the first to break Ty Cobb's record for number of hits.

Answers:

1)  Lee Ann Meriweather

2)  Al Capone

3)  Nat King Cole

4)  Pete Rose

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  The first frozen food "TV dinner" was sold on this date in 1953. What was the brand?

2)  Gunsmoke debuted on this date in 1955. Along with Marshall Matt Dillon there was Chester Goode, Doc and Miss Kitty. The "Chester" character was later replaced by this character.

3)  In Eintein's formula, E=mc2, what does "c" stand for?

4)  According to the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, for every dollar spent on produce at a supermarket, how much goes to the farmer who grew the item?

Answers:

1)  Swanson

2)  Festus Haggen (played by Ken Curtis)

3)  the speed of light

4)  about 5 cents

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  On this date in 1979 ESPN debuted on cable. What do the initials "ESPN" stand for?

2)  On this date in 1963, the National Pro Football Hall of Fame was dedicated in Canton, Ohio. Who was the first player to be enshrined there?

Answers:

1)  The "Entertainment and Sports Programming Network."

2)  Sammy Baugh. With him in the same class of inductees were Bert Bell, Joe Carr, Dutch Clark, Harold "Red" Grange,George Halas, Mel Hein, Pete Henry, Cal Hubbard, Don Hutson, Curly Lambeau, Tim Mara, George Preston Marshall, John (Blood) McNally, Bronko Nagurski, Ernie Nevers and Jim Thorpe.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  This TV game show premiered in 1983 and was modeled after the simple game of Hangman.

2)  With the advent of the popularity in Rock in the 1950s, many Jazz musicians held the genre in disdain. There were some though that explored the musical vocabulary of Rock, incorporating elements into Jazz. This melding of the two genres became known as what?

3)  What Jazz style, identified with the West Coast, was made popular by Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan and Lee Konitz?

Answers:

 1)  Wheel. Of. Fortune!

2)  fusion

3)  "Cool Jazz." The most popular example of this sort of Jazz is Dave Brubeck's "Take Five."

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Who was the first athlete to win seven Olympic gold medals?

2)  Who was the first winner of American Idol?

3)  Which car was the first to have a wraparound windshield, electric door locks and four headlights?

4)  On this date in 1993, Jim Abbott pitched a perfect game, playing for the New York Yankees.
Aside from the relatively rare instance of a no-hitter, what else was remarkable about his accomplishment?

Answers:

1)  Mark Spitz

2)  Kelly Clarkson

3)  The Ford Edsel, which was introduced on this date in 1958.

4)  Abbott was born without a right hand.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  American workers spend an average of over 100 hours a year doing this.

2)  This U.S. President signed the bill designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day.

3)  On this date in 1967, the final show of the original What's My Line? aired. Who was that show's host?

4)   In the United States popcorn is a favorite snack for moviegoers.  What do their Chinese counterparts prefer?

Answers:

1)  Commuting

2)  Grover Cleveland made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894.

3)  John Charles Daly was the show's host during its 17-year run on CBS.

4)  Chicken feet

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Richard Gere's first three movie roles were all first turned down by this actor.

2)  Peggy Lee was nominated for an Oscar for what film?

3)  On this date in 1941, this program began airing on NBC radio as a spin-off from Fibber McGee and Molly.

Answers:

1)  The lead roles in Days of Heaven, American Gigolo and An Officer and a Gentleman were all first offered to John Travolta.

2)  Pete Kelly's Blues

3)  The Great Gildersleeve

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  He played the saxophone solo on Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are."

2)  This Irish actor got his break playing the male lead on Remington Steele.

3)  The Galapagos Islands are part  of which country?

4)  What is the most popular game in Las Vegas?

Answers:

1)  Phil Woods

2)  Pierce Brosnan

3)  Ecuador

4)  While slot machines may be the most popular gambling activity, Blackjack is the most popular game in Vegas.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  On this date in 1958, 15 year-old George Harrison joined John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ken Brown in a group that called themselves what?

2)  Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter formed Weather Report in 1970. They are also alumni of this jazz great, one of the first to venture into jazz fusion.

3)  This precious gemstone is regarded as a symbol of success.

4)  The smooth jazz group "Fourplay" had a hit in 1991 with a cover of Marvin Gaye's "After the Dance" (El DeBarge on lead vocal).  Who was the group's keyboardist?

Answers:

1)  The Quarrymen

2)  Miles Davis

3)  The emerald.

4)  Bob James

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  About how large is the Mars Rover, "Curiosity"?

2)  In Belgium, which language is most widely spoken?

3)  On this date in 1907, two Seattle teenagers started a local delivery service called the American Messenger Service.  It is still in business.  What's the current name of this delivery service?

4)  On this date in 1922, the first radio commercial aired on New York City's WEAF. What was the product?

Answers:

1)  Curiosity is roughly the size of a car.

2)  Dutch

3)  The American Messenger Service ultimately became UPS - United Parcel Service.

4)  The Queensboro Realty Company paid $100 for 10 minutes of airtime.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)   Brass is comprised of these two metals.

2)   This gas makes up 78% of the earth's atmosphere.

3)   He was the author of On the Road.

4)   The Society of Friends are more commonly known as what?

Answers:

1)  Copper and zinc

2)  Nitrogen

3)  Jack Kerouac

4)  Quakers

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  What color is a polar bear's skin?

2)  How many compartments does a cow's stomach have?

3)  A nephrectomy is the surgical removal of which organ?

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

Answers:

1)  black

2)  4

3)  kidney

4)  Chet Baker

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions: 

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

2)  What iconic car was featured in Back to the Future?

3)  He was Captain Midnight's mechanic in the 1940's radio program.

4)  Wes Montgomery taught himself to play guitar while still a teenager and consequently developed an interesting playing style. What was unique about it?

Answers:

1)  Nat King Cole

2)  The DeLorean

3)  Ichabod, "Icky" Mudd.

4) He played with his thumb.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  This U.S. President was the first to ride in an automobile.

2)  These two U.S. cities are known for producing some of the best thoroughbred horses in the world.

3)  Which blood type is the most rare?

4)  In the comic strip, B.C., what purpose do the talking clams serve?



Answers:


1)  President Theodore Roosevelt

2)  Lexington, KY and Ocala, FL

3)  Type AB

4)  Clams are used for money.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  On this date in 1935, this band leader introduced a new "big band" jazz style at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles and was thereafter hailed as the "King of Swing."

2)  What kind of doctor was Bill Cosby's character, Cliff Huxtable?

3)  How many bees, working their entire lifetimes, does it take to make a single tablespoon of honey?

4)  In Ferris Bueller's Day Off, what was the city Ferris and his friends go to for their fun-filled day?

Answers:

1)  Benny Goodman

2)  Dr. Huxtable was a pediatrician.

3)  It takes 12 bees to make one tablespoon of honey.

4)  Chicago

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  In which film did singer Connie Francis make her acting debut?

2)  Which cola was so named in recognition of its energy-giving and digestion-aiding properties?

3) According to the American Kennel Club, this breed was the most popular of pedigreed dogs in the U.S. in 2011.

4)  What was the Rolling Stone's first number one song in the U.S.?

Answers:

1) Although the New Jersey native songstress provided vocal tracks for Rock Rock Rock! and The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (where she provided the singing voice for Jayne Mansfield) Where the Boys Are was her first acting role.

2)  Pepsi Cola

3)  Labrador was the number one choice, followed by, in order: Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Poodle, Beagle, Dachsund, Cocker Spaniel, Yorkie and Pomeranian.

4)  "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" reached the number one spot on this date in 1965. Forty-seven years later, it still holds up.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  How many different animal shapes do Animal Crackers offer?

2)  On this date in 1994, David Caruso quit the gritty cop drama, NYPD Blue.  He joined the show just one year earlier and after just one season, Caruso reportedly demanded a huge pay increase. The New York City tabloids treated the gossip of the increasingly contentious contract negotiations like a sub-plot in the ongoing drama. Four episodes into the second season, Caruso left to pursue what turned out to be an ill-considered movie career (Time.com). Who replaced him on NYPD Blue?

3)  What is the periodic table's symbol for mercury?

4)   Mars is the name of the Roman god for what?

Answers:

1)  18

2)   Jimmy Smits

3)   Hg

4)   war

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  What is the approximate percentage of oxygen in the air we breathe?

2)  What was the name of Tarzan's chimpanzee companion?

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

Answers:

1)  21%

2)  "Cheetah"

3)  New York County, also known as the borough of Manhattan.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  In terms of mass, which country is second largest?

2)  How many humps does a dromedary camel have?

3)  In Greek mythology, a minotaur has the body of a man and the head of what?

4)  Which two states have the highest speed limits?

Answers:

1)  Canada is second to Russia


2)   One

3)  bull

4)  Utah and Texas both have stretches of highway that allow drivers to go 80 mph.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)   It's the 9th astrological sign in the zodiac, and those born under it are said to be unusually adaptable.

2)   The first encyclopaedias came from this ancient civilization.

3)   The BBC's audio recording of this event became the number one album in Great Britain in 1981.

Answers:

1)  Sagittarius

2)  Ancient Greece

3)  The Royal Wedding of Charles and Diana

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  A living situation where two people marry and leave their respective parents in order to live together is referred to as what?

2)  The island of Ceylon is now called what?

3)  Where was the site of the first hostile action in the Civil War?

Answers:

1)  "neolocal"

2)  Sri Lanka

3)  Fort Sumter, SC

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Who was the first to wear a white bridal gown?

2)  On this date in 1776, Ben Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson suggested the United States adopt "E pluribus unum" for its motto. This Latin phrase means what?

3)  This U.S. Senator was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.

4)  On this date in 1996, Senator Bob Dole chose this former congressman, Cabinet secretary and NFL quarterback to be his running mate in that year's presidential campaign in an attempt to unseat President Clinton.

Answers:

1)  In ancient times, the traditional color of bridal gowns was red. Napolean III's bride broke with tradition and wore white. Brides have been wearing white gowns (that were to be worn only once) as a symbol of wealth.

2)  Out of many, one.

3)  Senator Jim Bunning, R-Kentucky

4)  Jack Kemp

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Where was Interpol founded?

2)  What was Victoria's first act as Queen?

3)  Musophobia is an irrational fear of what?

Answers:

1)  Vienna, Austria

2)  She had her bed moved from her mother's room to a room of her own.

3)   It should be "mice-a-phobia" because it's the fear of mice and rats.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Whether or not English was a second language for Queen Victoria is the cause for much debate.  Why the controversy?

2)  Chicago's Wrigley Field experienced this first back on this date in 1988.

3)  What does a Jeroboam contain?

4)  A 19th-century entrepreneur started out with a ferry service between Staten Island and Manhattan. Who was he?

Answers:

1)  According to UK/Irish History, during her infancy, Victoria said that she spoke nothing but German, but at the age of three, her mother decided that is was imperative that her daughter must not turn out like the senior members of the royal family whose English was engulfed by their guttural Germanic accents. From that age she was permitted to read but not speak German, and she was taught English - the language of her nation and French - the language of the courts, with some Italian and Latin instruction. Though she ruled England for 64 years, she was never able to speak English perfectly.

2)  39,012 fans were in attendance for Wrigley Field's very first night game.

3)  A Jeroboam is a double magnum-sized bottle containing champagne or wine. As the picture (courtesy of Wikipedia - public domain) shows, the bottles are named after Biblical kings.

Side-by-side comparison of champagne bottles (left to right), on the ladder: magnum, full, half and quarter; on the floor: Balthazar, Salmanazar, Methuselah and Jeroboam

4)  Cornelius Vanderbilt, Sr.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  According to the U.S. flag code, no flag may fly higher than the U.S. flag. What is the one exception to this rule?

2)  Of all vegetables, these are the only two that can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. Other vegetables have to be replanted every season.

3)  Which appliance consumes the most energy per hour of use?

 Answers:

1)  The U.N. building

2)  asparagus and rhubarb

3) the lowly toaster

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Who was the first woman to swim the English Channel?

2)   This track star won four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics.

3)  When did the first income tax law become effective?

4)  Mesothelioma is thought to be caused by what?


Answers:

1)  Gertrude Ederle forever disproved the popular notion that women couldn't swim the  English Channel when she completed the swim on August 7, 1926.

2)   Jesse Owens won the four gold medals, greatly upsetting Hitler, who was hoping to prove his theory of a "superior" Aryan race.

3)  Abraham Lincoln signed into law a 3% tax on incomes exceeding $800, which became effective January 1, 1861. It was rescinded in 1872.

4)  Asbestos inhalation

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

!)  This river is the longest river in Europe.

2)  What do the Roman numerals "XC" stand for?

3)  Who was the first American to win gold in Olympic Women's Gymnastics competition?

4)  Who wrote the song, "Tuxedo Junction"?

Answers:

1)  the Volga.

2)  90 (C = 100; X = 10; the X before the C means less than)

3)  Mary Lou Retton edged past the Romanian gymnast, Ekaterina Szabo on this date in 1984.

4)  Erskine Hawkins

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Michael Phelps' medal count makes him the most decorated Olympian ever. This has to be the easiest trivia question ever: how many Olympic medals as of August 1, 2012, does Phelps have?

2)  What does the "DC" in DC Comics stand for?

3)  Which comic strip was the first to appear in 2,000 newspapers?

4)  What was the name of the musical group Roy Rogers performed with?

Answers:

1) As of 3:50 PM, ET, 20! Update 8/6/12: Phelps finished his Olympic career with 22 medals, 18 of which were gold, making him the most awarded Olympian in modern times.

2)  Detective Comics





















3)  Peanuts

4)  Sons of the Pioneers

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:


1)  What is the name of the trophy given to the winning team of the NBA Finals?

2)  On this date in 1964, Hasbro Toys introduced an action figure based on a 1945 movie. What was the action figure's and the movie's name?

3)  On this date in 1790, the first U.S. census was completed. What was the population then?

4)  On The Garry Moore Show, Dom DeLuise became popular as the recurring character, Dominic the Great. What was the bit?

Answers:

1)  The Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy - here with Julius Irving:









 
2)  G.I. Joe



3)  The U.S. population in 1790 was reported as being just under 4 million people.

4)  DeLuise played a terribly inept magician, to great comical effect.