Trivia Quiz?

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You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat for These Trivia Questions

What's the first film to gross over $100 million at the box office? If you're good at trivia (or at reading titles), you probably know the answer is Jaws, which debuted at the box office on June 20, 1975. We decided to celebrate its anniversary with these trivia questions...

What Book is the Film Based Upon?

Why Didn’t Spielberg Use a Real Great White Shark in the Movie?

How Did the Locals Feel About the Film?

How Was The Book Different From the Movie?

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What was the nickname director Steven Spielberg gave the mechanical shark in the film Jaws?

Buster Oliver Bruce Rosie

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19 hours ago, phkrause said:

What was the name of William Shakespeare's only son?

A. Hamnet
B. Romeon
C. Mercutia
D. William

A. Hamnet

Hamnet Shakespeare, who was the fraternal twin of Shakespeare's daughter, Judith, died at age 11, presumably of plague.

Source: various web sites.

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18 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which of the following is the oldest creature that has ever lived?

"Ming the Clam" "Betsey the Giant Tortoise" "Gus the Hedgehog" "Emma the Whale"

Answer: “Ming the clam” has been confirmed by researchers as the oldest creature that ever lived. Ming was the name given to a mollusk that was dredged off the coast of Iceland in 2006 and whose age was calculated by counting annual growth lines in the shell. Ming was unfortunately killed by researchers when they opened its shell. Following analysis, experts from Bangor University determined Ming was born in 1499, making it 507 when it was found. It was named after the Chinese Ming dynasty, which was still in power while it was alive.

[phkrause]

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Book is the Film Based Upon?

In early 1974, novelist Peter Benchley published his first book. He had initially planned to call the book Silence in the Deep, but after discussing with his editors, they all agreed upon a title proposed by Benchley’s father: Jaws.

Though the story is a work of fiction, Benchley claimed to have been inspired by the story of a Long Island fisherman catching a 4,500-pound shark off the coast of Montauk ten years earlier. Spielberg saw the book sitting on the desk of a producer. He initially thought the book was about dentists.

Later in life, Benchley expressed regret at having published a book that portrayed sharks as vicious man-eaters. He became a marine life advocate and frequently spoke out against shark poaching.

 

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

Why Didn’t Spielberg Use a Real Great White Shark in the Movie?

Though the option was briefly considered, at the time, no one could keep a Great White alive in captivity. The longest one had stayed alive after capture was 11 days, so Spielberg immediately needed an alternative. The crew built 3 mechanical sharks that cost around $1 million in today’s dollar, but they were complete junk. There were constant mechanical issues - including the sinking of the largest, full-size shark - that forced Spielberg to get creative with filming. He claimed to channel Alfred Hitchcock to use the “invisible threat” of the shark to scare the audience. That’s why you don’t actually see the shark until 1-hour, 21-minutes into the two-hour movie.

 

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

How Did the Locals Feel About the Film?

Filming took place in Martha’s Vineyard during the summer of 1974 and the locals were less than welcoming. The crew was banned from building any sets aside from one on an abandoned lot, with the condition they replace everything just as it was on the lot (including the trash).

Spielberg extended their stay an additional 3 months due to filming complications, prompting a local to leave a dead brown shark on the doorstep of the production office.

One thing the locals didn’t mind was playing extras in the film. Each beach-goer was paid $64 to run screaming from the beach when the shark makes his first appearance.

 

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

How Was The Book Different From the Movie?

Warning: spoilers ahead. By now you likely know that Jaws ends in a bloody explosion of shark guts. But that’s not how it originally was supposed to go. In the book (and original film script), the ending is a bit more boring. Benchley had the shark dying of blood loss while circling Brody on the boat.

When Spielberg announced he was changing the ending, Benchley got so heated he was thrown off set.  

[phkrause]

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

What was the nickname director Steven Spielberg gave the mechanical shark in the film Jaws?

Buster Oliver Bruce Rosie

Answer: On this day in 1975, Jaws, a film directed by Steven Spielberg opened in theaters. The mechanical shark that terrorized audiences in the film was simply called “Bruce” on set. Named after Spielberg’s lawyer, Bruce Ramer, the mechanical shark was around 25 feet long and weighed around three tons, making him gigantic for a great white shark. Bruce became such a public icon that his name was used several times in various other films and documentaries, including the the great white shark in Finding Nemo.

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Which is the only American city to have hosted the Summer Olympics twice?

A. Atlanta
B. New York City
C. St. Louis
D. Los Angeles

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What soft drink was originally named "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda?"

Mountain Dew 7 Up Sprite Mello Yello

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Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity Trivia

On June 21st, 1982, John Hinckley Jr. was found innocent by reason of insanity in the shooting of President Ronald Reagan. Today we're seeing how much you know about some famous cases where people pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

Who Was the First Person in the United States to Plead Insanity?

What Brothers Who Pleaded Insanity Set a Record for How Fast Their Jury Reached a Verdict?

John Hinckley Jr.'s Assassination Attempt Was Blamed on His Obsession with What Movie?

When Railroad Heir Harry Thaw Used the Insanity Defense, the Courts Tried Him Three Times, and Ultimately Came to What Verdict?

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Which actor got his first major role as Alex P. Keaton the the TV show Family Ties?

Leonardo DiCaprio Michael J. Fox Matthew Broderick Keanu Reeves

Michael J. Fox

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22 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which is the only American city to have hosted the Summer Olympics twice?

A. Atlanta
B. New York City
C. St. Louis
D. Los Angeles

D. Los Angeles

Only two cities have hosted the Olympics twice: Los Angeles hosted the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics, and Lake Placid, N.Y., hosted two Winter Olympics.

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

22 hours ago, phkrause said:

What soft drink was originally named "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda?"

Mountain Dew 7 Up Sprite Mello Yello

Answer: 7 Up was created by Charles Leiper Grigg. Grigg came up with the formula for a lemon-lime soft drink in 1929. The product, originally named "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda", was launched two weeks before the Wall Street Crash of 1929. It contained lithium citrate, a mood-stabilizing drug, until 1950. Its name was later shortened to "7 Up Lithiated Lemon Soda" before being further shortened to just "7 Up" by 1936. The origin of the name is unclear, though Britvic claims that the name comes from the seven main ingredients in the drink, while others have claimed that the number was a coded reference to the lithium contained in the original recipe, which has an atomic mass of approximately 7.

[phkrause]

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

Who Was the First Person in the United States to Plead Insanity?

Congressman Daniel Sickles wasn't the most upstanding of people when it came to his interactions with women. He'd brought a prostitute onto the state Senate floor, and he'd impregnated and married a 15-year-old when he was 33. But he still got plenty angry when he learned his wife was having an affair. And so on a Sunday afternoon, in 1859, when his wife's lover (a man named Philip Barton Key who was, fun fact, the son of Star-Spangled Banner author Francis Scott Key) came to Sickles' window, Sickles ran outside ready for battle. Key used the only weapon he could find on his body to defend himself: a pair of opera glasses that he threw at Sickles.

Somehow, Sickles managed to overcome this glasses assault and shot Key dead. At that point, Sickles realized he had just killed a man in broad daylight. Sickles' lawyer pleaded insanity, saying his client was so enraged when he learned his wife was having an affair, he didn't know what he was doing. And it worked. Not only did Sickles get off, but the public praised him for taking out such a vile adulterer as Key and keeping the other women of the area safe from his seductive abilities. The court of public opinion only eventually turned on Sickles when he did the unspeakable: He took his wife back despite the fact that she had cheated on him.

 

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Brothers Who Pleaded Insanity Set a Record for How Fast Their Jury Reached a Verdict?

Anthony and William Esposito committed a double murder during a truck robbery gone bad, then attempted to get out of a conviction with the insanity defense. To convince the jury they were crazy, well ... they started acting really crazy. Banging their heads against the table and barking like dogs throughout the trial. Did it work? Um, no, not really. The jury was so unimpressed they set a record for how fast they reached a guilty verdict: one minute.

 

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

John Hinckley Jr.'s Assassination Attempt Was Blamed on His Obsession with What Movie?

We couldn't go the entire article without bringing up John Hinckley Jr. who shot the president of the United States than blamed it on... having watched Taxi Driver too much. In fact, Hinckley once watched the film 15 straight times. He began stalking the films young starlet, Jodie Foster, even taking a class at Yale, where she went to school, so he could get closer to her. He ultimately concluded the best way to get her attention would be to try to shoot the president of the United States, just as Robert DeNiro's character had wanted to shoot the president in Taxi Driver. Hinckley shot President Ronald Reagan and several others, then ended up cleared on all charges due to the insanity defense. There was such public outrage that a number of states ultimately changed their laws concerning the insanity defense.

 

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

When Railroad Heir Harry Thaw Used the Insanity Defense, the Courts Tried Him Three Times, and Ultimately Came to What Verdict?

When railroad heir Harry Thaw shot architect Stanford White, the ensuing trial was labeled by many historians as the first "Trial of the Century." Thaw's motive came from the fact that White had seduced his wife, despite the fact that White did it years ago, before she and Thaw were even married. And so, the nonstop media coverage (which, yes, was a thing even back then in 1906) began. Papers ran constant coverage of the trial and Thomas Edison even put together a movie about the murder a week after it happened.

A lot of the coverage favored Thaw but that might have had something to do with the fact that his family was bribing the papers. They also bribed a slew of doctors to diagnose Thaw with something called Dementia Americana. Insanity caused by someone violating "the sanctity of his home or the purity of his wife." We're pretty sure it's not a real thing and it's worth noting that since the alleged seduction happened before Thaw was even married it seems like it wouldn't apply. But hey, what do we know about the law? After two trials, Thaw was found not guilty by reason of insanity, sent to a mental institution, then escaped by walking out the front door, then was caught, put on trial again and ultimately found... not guilty and totally sane. Now that's a guy who must have had some good lawyers.

[phkrause]

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which actor got his first major role as Alex P. Keaton the the TV show Family Ties?

Leonardo DiCaprio Michael J. Fox Matthew Broderick Keanu Reeves

Michael J. Fox

Answer: Michael J. Fox rose to fame as Alex P. Keaton on the popular sitcom Family Ties. The fictional character was a young conservative often spouting viewpoints at odds with his hippie parents, Steven (Michael Gross) and Elyse Keaton (Meredith Baxter). Fox had received the role after Matthew Broderick turned it down. President of the United States Ronald Reagan once stated that Family Ties was his favorite television show. The show won multiple awards, including three consecutive Emmy Awards for Michael J. Fox as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

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Whose likeness has appeared on the most currency worldwide?

A. George Washington
B. Queen Elizabeth
C. Winston Churchill
D. Abraham Lincoln

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If all of these celebrities were still alive today, who would be the oldest?

Jimi Hendrix Janis Joplin John Lennon James Dean

I'd guess James Dean??

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March Through These Trivia Questions About the G.I. Bill

On June 22, 1944 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the G.I. Bill, authorizing a broad package of benefits for World War II veterans.  See if you can answer these trivia questions about the passage of GI Bill of Rights...

What Was the Real Name of the G.I. Bill?

How Many Vets Took Advantage of the Bill's Educational Benefits?

Where Did the Term G.I. Originate?

What Cartoonist Popularized the Name G.I. Joe?

[phkrause]

Julian Assange is the founder of which Internet site?

Wikipedia The Huffington Post WikiLeaks PayPal

WikiLeaks!!

[phkrause]

On 6/22/2017 at 6:30 PM, phkrause said:

Whose likeness has appeared on the most currency worldwide?

A. George Washington
B. Queen Elizabeth
C. Winston Churchill
D. Abraham Lincoln

B. Queen Elizabeth

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has appeared on 35 countries' currencies. Queen Victoria is in a distant second with 19 countries' currencies.

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

On 6/22/2017 at 6:36 PM, phkrause said:

If all of these celebrities were still alive today, who would be the oldest?

Jimi Hendrix Janis Joplin John Lennon James Dean

I'd guess James Dean??

Answer: Born on February 8, 1931, James Dean would have been the oldest of the group. John Lennon was born in 1940, Jimi Hendrix was born in 1942, and Janis Joplin was born in 1943. What they all had in common was a death that came too soon. James Dean died in a tragic car accident at the age of 24. Lennon was assassinated by a crazed fan at the age of 40. Hendrix died at 27 when he overdosed on a mixture of red wine and prescription sleeping pills. Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose, also at 27, less than three weeks after Hendrix.

[phkrause]

On 6/22/2017 at 7:48 PM, phkrause said:

What Was the Real Name of the G.I. Bill?

The official name of the bill was the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944, which was passed to provide benefits for World War II veterans. Later legislation amended the act to provide services for Korean War veterans. In 1966, the benefits were extended to everyone who served in the armed forces, whether the country was at peace or war.

Through the enactment of the G.I. bill, veterans’ hospitals were established and vocational rehabilitation provided. It also granted money to cover tuition and expenses for those attending trade schools or colleges, in addition to supplying low-interest mortgage loans.

The newspaper publisher, William Randolph Hearst, was a fervent supporter of the G.I. Bill. In fact, he used his influence and that of his newspapers to rally the public and urge Congress to pass the bill.

 

On 6/22/2017 at 7:48 PM, phkrause said:

How Many Vets Took Advantage of the Bill's Educational Benefits?

By the time the original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, an estimated 2.2 million veterans had used benefits from the bill to attend a college or university. An additional 5.6 million veterans had used the bill to finance vocational training courses. The G.I. Bill had a transformative effect on higher education in the United States. Before World War II, only about 15 percent of the country's high school graduates went on to college or university. And these fortunate few were mostly from well-to-do families. By 1947, World War II veterans made up roughly half of all college enrollments. 

 

On 6/22/2017 at 7:48 PM, phkrause said:

Where Did the Term G.I. Originate?

No one really knows for certain, but there are several theories. One is that G.I. was found stamped on military supplies, such as buckets. The G.I. designation stood for galvanized iron. By the time World War I rolled around, the term referred to anything that was related to the Army and became reinterpreted as “government issue” or as “general issue.” By World War II, servicemen referred to themselves as G.I.s sarcastically. It intimated that they were also “government issue.”

 

On 6/22/2017 at 7:48 PM, phkrause said:

What Cartoonist Popularized the Name G.I. Joe?

In 1941, Dave Breger began working on a comic strip that was distributed domestically through the Saturday Evening Post, called Private Breger. Breger was also drafted in 1941 into the Army. In June 1942, he began publishing cartoons for Yank, a military magazine that was published weekly. His comic strip for the military was titled G.I. Joe. The main character in the cartoon was named Joe Trooper. By the end of October 1942, the cartoon became syndicated and appeared in newspapers in the United States. In addition to G.I. Joe, Breger drew cartoons that depicted the Nazis and Hitler, entitled G.I. Jerry. The collection of his cartoons is at Syracuse University and contains about 2,414 of his original cartoons.

[phkrause]

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

Julian Assange is the founder of which Internet site?

Wikipedia The Huffington Post WikiLeaks PayPal

WikiLeaks!!

Answer: Julian Assange is the founder of the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks. In 2006, Assange began work on WikiLeaks, a website intended to collect and share secret information and classified media provided by anonymous sources. For his efforts, the internet activist earned the Time magazine "Person of the Year" title in 2010. In 2016, his work drew international attention when WikiLeaks published thousands of emails from U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee.

[phkrause]

What company has advertised the slogan "We'll leave the light on for you" since 1988?

A. General Electric
B. Holiday Inn
C. Super 8
D. Motel 6

Pretty sure its not A or B!! From what I recall it was a Motel?? So I'm gonna go with D, Motel 6!!

[phkrause]

Who led a team of Chicago law enforcement agents nicknamed "The Untouchables"?

Eliot Ness Wyatt Earp Butch Cassidy Billy the Kid

Eliot Ness, no less!! LOL

[phkrause]

A Trivia Quiz about John Gotti's Final Sentence

On June 23, 1992, mob boss John Gotti was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.  Let's see how much you know about the “Teflon Don” with these trivia questions...

How Did Gotti Come to Power?

Why the Nickname ¨Teflon Don¨?

What Was Gotti's Estimated Income as Boss?

How Did Gotti Die?