Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  In Paul Simon's song, how many ways are there to leave your lover?

2)  Who played the lead character, Jack Ryan, in the 1992 film, Patriot Games?

3)  Kenny Rogers' song "The Gambler" expresses the philosophy that the best you can hope for is this.

4)  This author once said of Huckleberry Finn that "all American writing comes from that. There was nothing before."

Answers:

1) "there must be 50"

2)  Harrison Ford

3) "The best you can hope for is to die in your sleep."

4)  Hemingway

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  What is the oldest weekly television program?

2)  What did television news anchor Catherine Crier do before becoming a news presenter?

3) What does "bruxism" mean?

4)  The first organized football game was played on this date in 1869.  What two teams played?

Answers:

1)  Meet the Press is the oldest program; it was first broadcast on this date in 1947.

2) As a teenager Crier worked on her family's farm near Dallas. There she hauled hay, cleaned stalls, and competed in Arabian horse shows across the Southwest. In 1984, she was elected to the 162nd District Court in Dallas County as a State District Judge, becoming the youngest elected state judge in Texas history. During her tenure on the bench, Crier also served as Administrative Judge for the Civil District Courts and worked extensively with the ABA, National Judicial College, and Texas Legislature on legal issues.She has also authored 5 books: her first book, the NY Times bestseller, The Case Against Lawyers in October, 2002. Her second book, A Deadly Game: The Untold Story of the Scott Peterson Investigation became a #1 NY Times bestseller and was followed by Contempt—How the Right is Wronging American Justice, and Final Analysis: The Untold Story of the Susan Polk Murder Case. Her fifth book, Patriot Acts — What Americans Must Do to Save the Republic, was published on November 1, 2011. Fun fact: when Crier got married, she was escorted down the aisle by her favorite dog.



3) It means to grind one's teeth.

4) The game was between Rutgers and Princeton. Loosely based on Rugby and modified rules of the London Football Association, Princeton won with 6 goals to Rutgers' 4.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  This university was the first to award athletic scholarships to women.

2)  On this date in 1946, this Boston Celtic player became the first to shatter a glass backboard.

3)  How many sovereign nations are there in the European Union?

4)  This automaker was founded as the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922.



Answers:

1)  The University of Miami was the first to awards athletic scholarships to women and started doing so on May 5, 1973.

2)  It was TV's Rifleman star, Chuck Connors. Connors also played pro baseball for the Los Angeles Angels, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs.

3)  27

4)  Jaguar

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  The first U.S. postage stamps were sold in 1847. Whose images were on the 5-cent stamp and the 10-cent stamp?

2)  This letter is the oldest in the Phoenician alphabet.

3)  What's the difference between a nook and a cranny?

4)  How many letters are in the Greek alphabet?

Answers:

1)  Ben Franklin was on the 5-cent stamp and George Washington was on the 10-cent stamp.

2)  The letter "O" is the oldest, remaining unchanged from 1300, BCE.

3)  A nook is a corner and a cranny is a crack.


4)  24

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  This song was set to the tune of what was once a popular drinking song and its original lyrics came from an 1814 poem. How is the song known today and what was its original title?

2)  Who are the top three best-selling music artists of all time?

3)  This alto/soprano sax player from Brooklyn achieved wide acclaim with his smooth jazz group, Spyro Gyra.

4)  This alto sax man is remembered for his solo on the 1974 Billy Joel hit, "Just the Way You Are." He comes in at about 2:58 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjCoBTzrN9E

Answers:

1)  The drinking song, originally known as "Defence of Fort McHenry."

2)  The Beatles, Elvis and Michael Jackson

3)  Jay Beckenstein

4)  Phil Woods

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Who was the only Peanuts character to believe in the Great Pumpkin?

2)  Snoopy dressed as a WWI flying Ace and imagined this as his airplane.

3)  This country is associated most closely with mummies.

4)  Who kept getting rocks instead of candy when the gang was out trick-or-treating?

Answers:

1)  Linus

2)  Snoopy imagined his dog house was his airplane.

3)  Egypt

4)  Charlie Brown

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Who was the first woman to lie in honor in the U.S. Capital Rotunda?

2)  On this date in 1938, Orson Welles stirred a national panic with his radio drama. Listeners believed the "simulated" news bulletins in the drama were real and that Grovers Mill, NJ, actually was being invaded by men from Mars.

3)  Boxing fans may recall that on this date in 1974, Muhammed Ali regained the world championship title by knocking out this heavyweight champ.

4)  On this date in 1984, Linda Ronstadt performed

Answers:

1)   Rosa Perks was interred in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on this date in 2005.

2)  It was a dramatization of H.G. Wells' novel War of the Worlds.

3)  George Foreman

4)  Ronstadt attempted the role of Mimi in Puccini's La Boheme.  The performance was a production of Joseph Papp for the New York Shakespeare Festival.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  What was Superman's given name by his father?

2)  Cleek, mashie and niblick are varieties of these.


3)  On this date in 1997, he was made an honorary U.S. veteran at the age of 94.

4)   On this date in 1956, The Huntley-Brinkley Report debuted on NBC TV, replacing what other news show?

Answers:

1)  Kal-El

2)  golf clubs

3)  Bob Hope was awarded this honor, the first of its kind in recognition of his many years entertaining U.S. troops via the USO.

4)  The Huntley-Brinkley Report's predecessor was The Camel News Caravan. Its catchphrase was "bringing you today's news today," which now seems silly, but then the idea of getting news of events in the same day was a new technological development.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions: 

!)  Kilts were first worn in which country?

2) This style of jazz, at the height of popularity in the 30s and 40s, dominated social events and dances. What was the name of this style?

3) In a deck of playing cards, which king does not have a moustache?

4)  This jazz genre, associated with Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan and Lee Konitz, de-emphasized blues in favor of crisper tones. What was the name of this style of jazz?

Answers:

1)  Though most strongly associated with Scotland, kilts first appeared in France. Here's some history if you're interested.

2)  Swing

3)  The King of Hearts

4)  "Cool Jazz"

Alan Rick's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Gout is a condition caused by elevated levels of this.

2)  Saturday Night Live debuted on NBC on this date in 1975. Who was the first host?

3)  This auto maker recently recalled 7.43 million cars due to a problem with a sticky power window switch.

4)  This female shuttle astronaut was the first woman to walk in space.

Answers:

1)  uric acid

2)  George Carlin

3)  Toyota. "Recalled in North America are the Yaris, Corolla, Matrix, Camry, RAV4, Highlander, Tundra, Sequoia and Scion models xB and xD, spanning 2.47 million vehicles" (Detroit Free Press, October 11, 2012).

4) Kathy Sullivan

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)   As of 2012, only five jazz musicians have been featured the cover of Time magazine. Who were they?

2)  Who wrote The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People?

3)  What is the capital of Pakistan?

4)  What is the current official name of Chicago's Sears Tower?

Answers:

1)  Louis Armstrong (Feb. 1949), Dave Brubeck (Nov. 1954), Duke Ellington (Aug. 1956), Thelonius Monk (Feb. 1964), and Wynton Marsalis (Oct. 1990).

2)  Stephen R. Covey

3)  Islamabad

4)  Though Sears' naming rights expired in 2003, people persist in still referring to the skyscraper as the Sears Tower.  In 2009, Willis Group Holdings purchased the building and its official name became the Willis Tower.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  On this date in 1930, Laura Ingalls Wilder became the first woman to do this.

2)  On this date in 1967, Doc Henderson became the new musical director for The Tonight Show.  Who did he replace?

3)  In our solar system, which planet is the largest?

4)  What color is Midori liqueur?

Answers:

1)  She was the first woman to fly across the U.S., completing a nine-stop journey from Roosevelt Field in New York to Glendale, California.

2)  Skitch Henderson

3)  Jupiter

4)  green

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:


1)  Who was the only pitcher to pitch a perfect game in the World Series?

2)  What do deltiologists collect?

3)  In what sport is sabermetrics used for analysis?

4)  When is the next presidential election?

Answers:

1)  Don Larson pitched a perfect game for the Yankees on this date in 1956.

2)  postcards

3)  Baseball. Saber metrics gets its name from the acronym, SABR, which stands for the Society of Baseball Research. The book and subsequent movie, Moneyball, made Sabermetrics famous.

4)  November 6.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  What was Che Guevera's given first name?

2)  According to Greek mythology, Arges, Brontes and Steropes were all  _______________.

3)  The temporalis muscle is used to do this.

Answers:

1)  Ernesto

2)  They were all cyclops.

3)  The temporalis muscle is used for chewing.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) When was Halley's Comet last visible to the naked eye?

2)  The Beatles released their first single ____ years ago.

3)  For what film did Susan Sarandon win an Oscar for Best Actress?

4)  This is blood type the rarest.

Answers:

1) 1986

2)  The song was "Love Me Do." It was released 50 years ago, October 5th, 1962.

3)  Dead Man Walking.

4)  Type AB is rarest. There is even the extremely rare type A-H; it's so rare, only three people in the world are known to have it.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  In filming Janet Leigh's famous shower scene in the Hitchcock thriller, Psycho, what was used for blood?

2)  Who was the mother of Queen Mary I?

3)   Lachanophobia is the fear of what?

Answers:

1)  Chocolate syrup - remember the movie was filmed in black and white.


2)  Catherine of Aragon, the youngest daughter of Duke Ferdinand and Queen Isabella; she was Henry VIII's first wife.

3)  vegetables

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Which character is usually associated with Gepetto?

2)  Charles Schulz' comic strip Peanuts debuted on this date in 1950. What were the names of the four original characters?

3)  What position did Snoopy play on Charlie Brown's baseball team?

4)  What were Bonnie and Clyde's full names?

Answers:

1)  Pinocchio

2)  The original Peanuts characters were Charlie, Snoopy, Patty and Shermy.

3)  shortstop

4)  Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  What is the term for a baby oyster?

2)  According to Great Britain's Imperial system of measurement, how many pounds equal one stone?

3)  On TV's The Simpsons, what is Homer Simpson's brother's name?

4)  What is the birthstone for October?

5)  What is the flower associated with October?


Answers:

1)  A baby oyster is called a "spat."

2)  14 pounds are considered to be one "stone."

3)   Homer's brother is a half-brother named Herb Powell. The character was introduced in the 15th show of the second season and was voiced by Danny DeVito.

4)  Both tourmaline and opal are gemstones for October.

5)  Calendula and cosmos are the flowers for October.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Who was the last baseball player to finished the season with a batting average of .400?

2)  The song "Moon River" was originally sung by Audrey Hepburn in this film.

3)  This actor/singer is the only celebrity with five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

4)  This company is credited with creating the first coin-operated video game.

Answers:

1)  Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox.

2)  Breakfast at Tiffany's

3)  Gene Autry

4)  Atari

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  On this date in 1954,  The Tonight Show made its national debut. Who was the show's first host?

2)  This landmark is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.

3)  This fruit comes in varieties with names like Anjou and Bartlett.

4)  This often overlooked male singer collaborated with John Coltrane on a particularly brilliant album in 1963.

Answers:

1)  Steve Allen was the first, hosting 1954-57; Jack Paar followed, hosting the show from 1957-62 and Johnny Carson took over the seat and stayed for 30 years until 1992.

2)  The Statue of Liberty

3)  Pears

4)  Johnny Hartmann

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Grover Cleveland was eligible to have fought in the Civil War; instead of going to battle, what did he do?

2)  Who was the oldest baseball player to play in a major league game?

3)  The Pacific Ocean was discovered on September 25, 1513 by whom?

4)  What does it mean when a gorilla sticks out its tongue?


Answers:

1)  He hired someone to fight in his stead. An option that at the time, was legal.

2)  Born July 7, 1906, Satchel Paige was 59 years, 2 months and 18 days old when he threw three shutout innings for what was then the Kansas City Athletics on this date in 1965. At the age of 42 Paige become the oldest rookie in major league history when he joined the Cleveland Indians during the 1948 pennant race.

3)  Vasco de Balboa

4)  Gorillas stick their tongues out when they're angry.  This one is registering his disapproval from the cheap seats.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  On this date in 1979, the operation of the world's first public computer information service went into effect. What was the name of the company?


2)  What was the name of the B-29 bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima during WWII?

3)  On this date in 1968, CBS premiered this new "magazine" style news and information program.

4)  Velcro was invented in which decade?

Answers:

1)  Compuserve

2)  Enola Gay

3)  60 Minutes

4)  Velcro was invented in the 1940s and was described as hook and loop material until the Velcro brand name ... um ... stuck.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  These two countries are less than one square mile each in size.

2)  Who succeeded Moses as the leader of the Israelites?

3)  A speleologist explores these.

4)  Charles Manson murder victim, Sharon Tate was married to this man.

Answers:

1) Vatican City and Monaco

2)  Joshua

3)  caves

4)  A budding movie actress herself, Tate was married to director Roman Polanski.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  How many baby teeth does a child have?

2)  What year did Congress declare July Fourth a national holiday?

3)  The comic book division of this company began in 1939 and was known as Timely Publications, later changing the name to Atlas Comics. The company continues to thrive, operating under this name.

4)  Where was the first traffic light installed?

Answers:

1)  20

2) 1870

3)  Marvel Comics

4)  At the intersection of Euclid Avenue and E. 105th Street in Cleveland, Ohio.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Which country grows more bananas than any other?

2)  What was Edward Teach more commonly known as?

3)  This country is credited with having invented paper money in the 9th century.

4)  U.S. coins minted prior to 1965 contained this precious alloy.


Answers:

1)  India

2)  Blackbeard

3)  China

4)  Silver

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