Trivia Quiz?

[phkrause]

Ho Ho Ho, It's Time for Some Christmas Trivia

Merry Christmas! We're sure you have presents under your tree that needs some opening, but if you're looking for something else to do today, try out these Christmas trivia questions...

Who Was the First Person to Play Santa in a Department Store?

Who is largely responsible for defining what the modern Santa Claus looks like?

What Were the Original Names of Santa’s Reindeer?

What Country Began the Tradition of Christmas Trees?

When Was the First Christmas Tree Placed at Rockefeller Center in New York?

[phkrause]

18 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which department store created "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"?

Sears, Roebuck and Company Montgomery Ward Macy's J. C. Penney

Answer: A copywriter named Robert L. May first invented the oddball reindeer in 1939 as a marketing gimmick for Montgomery Ward's holiday coloring books. May considered naming the reindeer "Rollo" and "Reginald" before deciding upon using the name "Rudolph". His nose wasn't originally going to be red. A red nose was viewed as a sign of sign of chronic alcoholism, and Montgomery Ward didn't want him to seem like a drunkard. Good thing they changed it. "Reginald, the blue-nosed reindeer" doesn't have quite the same ring.

ps:I would've thought Macy's or J.C. Penny, even Sears!! but Montgomery Ward???

[phkrause]

18 hours ago, phkrause said:

Who Was the First Person to Play Santa in a Department Store?

A Brockton, Massachusetts store owner named James Edgar was the first documented department store Santa Claus. Edgar had arrived in the United States from Scotland in 1878, opening a store on Main Street in Brockton. In 1890, he got the idea to dress like Santa from illustrations he had seen by illustrator Thomas Nast. 

His idea was so popular that children from as far away as Boston boarded a train to go see Santa. While Edgar played Santa in his store, a few years later he began walking around the town dressed in his Santa suit during the Christmas season. Edgar was known for helping the disadvantaged, paying for medical care for children, giving jobs to people who needed them and other acts of kindness. He obviously took the idea of Santa Claus to heart. 

 

18 hours ago, phkrause said:

Who is largely responsible for defining what the modern Santa Claus looks like?

Thomas Nast drew a picture of Santa Claus for the January 1, 1881 issue of Harper’s Weekly and the rest of the media ran with it. It became the visual prototype of the Santa Claus we all know and love. He also drew an earlier version of Santa Claus in the January 3, 1863 issue of Harper’s Weekly but it doesn’t resemble the modern Santa as much as his 1881 drawing.  Nast's depictions of iconic characters, such as Santa Claus and Uncle Sam, are widely credited as forming the basis of popular depictions used today.

 

18 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Were the Original Names of Santa’s Reindeer?

The names are contained in a poem written in 1823 entitled “A Visit From Saint Nicholas.” In modern times, the poem has come to be known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” However, changes have been made in the names of the reindeer since the poem was written. Originally, they were called Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixem. 

The last two names were changed by Clement Moore in 1836 to the German Donner and Blitzen when the poem was published as a reprint with his own name as author. However, Dunder and Blixem are Dutch words that mean “thunder and lightning.” Moore only spoke German. The true author may have been Henry Livingston, a Dutch poet living in New York at the time. As a Dutch speaker, he probably would have named the last two reindeer Dunder and Blixem. 

 

18 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Country Began the Tradition of Christmas Trees?

People in Germany began the tradition back in the 1500s. They would either bring trees into the home or construct them of piled wood that was decorated with candles and evergreens. Protestant reformer Martin Luther is widely credited with being the first person to place candles on a Christmas tree. The idea came to him as he enjoyed the view of the stars twinkling amid the trees outdoors while walking home one evening. 

The first recorded use of a Christmas tree in the United States was in Pennsylvania in the 1830s by German settlers. However, Christmas trees were unacceptable to most Americans into the 1840s because they were deemed pagan. This opinion continued until later in the 19th century with the large influx of Irish and German immigrants who influenced earlier views.

 

18 hours ago, phkrause said:

When Was the First Christmas Tree Placed at Rockefeller Center in New York?

In 1931, a small tree without any decorations placed at Rockefeller Center by construction workers in the area. The next year, the tree placed there was adorned with lights. The tallest tree ever placed at Rockefeller Center was in 1948. It was a Norway spruce with a height of 100 feet. 

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Which TV talk show host once worked as an aide to Robert F. Kennedy?

Geraldo Rivera Jerry Springer Phil Donahue Sally Jessy Raphael

[phkrause]

22 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which TV talk show host once worked as an aide to Robert F. Kennedy?

Geraldo Rivera Jerry Springer Phil Donahue Sally Jessy Raphael

Answer: Jerry Springer earned his bachelor's degree in political science at Tulane University and received his law degree from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. Shortly after earning his Juris Doctor in 1968, Springer met New York Senator Robert Kennedy and signed on with Kennedy's presidential campaign. Kennedy's assassination took an emotional toll on Springer, who felt compelled to continue Kennedy's political vision. In 1971, he won a seat on the Cincinnati City Council and served five terms before becoming mayor of Cincinnati at the age of 33.

[phkrause]

Which advertising icon is usually depicted carrying a cane?

Chef Boyardee Mr. Peanut Pillsbury Doughboy Jolly Green Giant

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What was the name of the ship in which Charles Darwin, the naturalist, sailed around the world?

HMS Beagle HMS Victory HMS Bounty HMS Seagull

[phkrause]

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which advertising icon is usually depicted carrying a cane?

Chef Boyardee Mr. Peanut Pillsbury Doughboy Jolly Green Giant

Answer: Mr. Peanut is the advertising logo and mascot of Planters. He is dressed in the formal clothing of an old-fashioned gentleman: a top hat, monocle, white gloves, and a cane. Mr. Peanut was born in 1916 when schoolboy Antonio Gentile submitted his sketch to win the Planters contest for a brand icon. A commercial artist later added a top hat, a monocle and a cane to create the iconic image. While Gentile's family originally received $5 for winning the contest, the founder of Planters paid Antonio’s, and four of his siblings', way through college.

[phkrause]

18 hours ago, phkrause said:

What was the name of the ship in which Charles Darwin, the naturalist, sailed around the world?

HMS Beagle HMS Victory HMS Bounty HMS Seagull

Answer: On this day in 1831, British naturalist Charles Darwin sets out from Plymouth, England, aboard the HMS Beagle on a five-year surveying expedition of the southern Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Visiting such diverse places as the Galapagos Islands and New Zealand, Darwin acquired an intimate knowledge of the flora, fauna, and geology of many lands. This information proved invaluable in the development of his theory of evolution, first put forth in his groundbreaking scientific work of 1859, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

[phkrause]

What mountainous Asian nation is the only country in the world with a flag that is not square or rectangular?

North Korea China Japan Nepal

[phkrause]

20 hours ago, phkrause said:

What mountainous Asian nation is the only country in the world with a flag that is not square or rectangular?

North Korea China Japan Nepal

Answer: Nepal is the only nation in the world with a flag that is not a rectangle or square. The flag is a simplified combination of two single pennants. Its crimson red is the color of the rhododendron, the country's national flower. The blue border is the color of peace. Until 1962, the flag's emblems, the sun and the crescent moon, had human faces. They were removed to modernize the flag. The small country contains eight of the 10 highest peaks in the world, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga -- the world's tallest and third tallest respectively.

[phkrause]

Who interned for the CIA in college, causing some to believe that he is an active agent?

Matt Damon Anderson Cooper James Franco Conan O'Brien

[phkrause]

Where do the annual Wife-Carrying World Championships take place?

Russia Finland Germany Poland

[phkrause]

On 12/29/2017 at 3:52 PM, phkrause said:

Who interned for the CIA in college, causing some to believe that he is an active agent?

Matt Damon Anderson Cooper James Franco Conan O'Brien

Answer: Anderson Cooper is the son of Gloria Vanderbilt and a descendant of Cornelius Vanderbilt. He attended Yale University, a well-known recruiting ground for the CIA, where he studied political science. He interned for two summers at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia in a program for students interested in intelligence work. Cooper later called the work “pretty bureaucratic” and “mundane” and decided not to pursue intelligence work as a profession. However, he did not find it interesting enough and decided to become a journalist instead.

[phkrause]

On 12/29/2017 at 5:57 PM, phkrause said:

Where do the annual Wife-Carrying World Championships take place?

Russia Finland Germany Poland

Answer: The first modern day wife carrying event was held in Finland in 1992 and foreign contestants were admitted in 1995. This event is now held annually in Sonkajärvi, Finland as the World Championship. The objective is for the male to carry the female through a special obstacle track in the fastest time. Official rules dictate the "wife" can be any woman 18 years or older who weighs at least 108 pounds. If she is too light, contest officials will outfit her with additional weight. First place wins the wife’s weight in beer, per competition rules.

[phkrause]

What is the official name of the eye chart at the doctor's office - the one with the big "E" at the top?

A. Sloan Chart
B. Jaeger Chart
C. Holland Chart
D. Snellen Chart

[phkrause]

The musical Jersey Boys tells the story of what real-life group's rise to fame?

The Temptations The Four Tops The Platters The Four Seasons

You'd think the 4 Seasons?? Since they also are from NJ!!

[phkrause]

20 hours ago, phkrause said:

What is the official name of the eye chart at the doctor's office - the one with the big "E" at the top?

A. Sloan Chart
B. Jaeger Chart
C. Holland Chart
D. Snellen Chart

D. Snellen Chart

Named after Dutch opthamologist Herman Snellen, the Snellen chart is the one doctors use to check vision.

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

20 hours ago, phkrause said:

The musical Jersey Boys tells the story of what real-life group's rise to fame?

The Temptations The Four Tops The Platters The Four Seasons

You'd think the 4 Seasons?? Since they also are from NJ!!

Answer: Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical that dramatizes the formation, success and eventual break-up of the 1960s rock 'n roll group The Four Seasons. Songs include "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Sherry", "December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)", "My Eyes Adored You", "Stay", "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", "Working My Way Back to You" and "Rag Doll", among others. The title refers to the fact that the members of The Four Seasons are from New Jersey. Jersey Boys won four 2006 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and the 2009 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

[phkrause]

4 Trivia Questions about New Year's Eve

December 31st is New Year's Eve, so we're inviting you to see how much you know about New Year's traditions with some trivia questions. They start in 10 ... 9 ... 8 ... 7 ...

Why Do We Even Drop a Ball?

The First New Year's Eve in Times Square Was Meant to Celebrate What Business' Arrival There?

In 2011, Who Was Inside the Ball That Dropped in Seaside Heights, New Jersey?

In Spain, It Is Customary to Try to Fit How Many Grapes in Your Mouth When the Clock Strikes Twelve?

[phkrause]

On what date will the 2018 Chinese New Year begin?

January 3, 2018 January 21, 2018 February 16, 2018 March 15, 2018

[phkrause]

On 12/31/2017 at 9:05 PM, phkrause said:

Why Do We Even Drop a Ball?

Over 1 million people are expected to pack into New York's Times Square to ring in 2018 by watching the ball drop, and millions more will watch on television.  The concept of dropping a ball to mark time dates back to the mid-1800s in England. One of the earliest time-balls was the one atop the Flamsteed House of the Greenwich Observatory along the River Thames. Starting in 1833, it was lowered every day at exactly 1 p.m. to signal the time to sailors and Londoners who could not afford clocks and watches.

 

On 12/31/2017 at 9:05 PM, phkrause said:

The First New Year's Eve in Times Square Was Meant to Celebrate What Business' Arrival There?

In 1904, Adolph Ochs, the owner of The New York Times, was looking for a way to celebrate the newspaper's new building in Times Square. So he decided to throw a party. That party saw 200,000 people turn out for the all-day celebration which was finished off with a round of fireworks. Three years later, they decided to drop a 700-pound ball made of iron and wood, and covered in light bulbs, as part of the celebration. Today, there's over one million people coming out to Times Square on New Year's Eve, and that ball is just shy of 12,000 pounds, with somewhere in the neighborhood of a billion viewers tuning in to watch it all happen on their TVs. In other words, it seems the tradition has taken off.

 

On 12/31/2017 at 9:05 PM, phkrause said:

In 2011, Who Was Inside the Ball That Dropped in Seaside Heights, New Jersey?

"You know the New Year's Eve ball drop? Wouldn't it be awesome if we put a reality TV star INSIDE the ball?" is a thought that apparently at least one person has had. In 2010, the folks at MTV thought it would be fun to put Snooki inside a ball being dropped on New Year's Eve in Times Square. Not, THE BALL, mind you, because that would apparently be too much. But maybe a nearby one. In a statement released beforehand, producers of Times Square New Year's Eve announced that, "The request to have her in a separate ball on a set-back roof came too late and was too impractical to fit into our outdoor events." Which is ridiculous, because we don't see how that could be at all impractical. Snooki went ahead with the drop anyway, but she did it in the place that made the most sense: Jersey Shore.

 

On 12/31/2017 at 9:05 PM, phkrause said:

In Spain, It Is Customary to Try to Fit How Many Grapes in Your Mouth When the Clock Strikes Twelve?

On New Year's Eve, Spaniards traditionally eat 12 grapes at midnight; one grape for each stroke of the clock to represent the 12 months of the New Year. Eating 12 grapes on New Year's Eve is a Spanish tradition and superstition to bring good fortune in the coming year. The goal for each person participating in the New Year's Eve tradition is to swallow all 12 grapes before the last stroke of midnight. The tradition began in 1909 as a way to consume the grape surplus in the Alicante region. Of course, that's not the only country who does it differently. In Stonehaven, Scotland, revelers swing around a blazing ball of fire in the streets, and in Romania, people dress up like bears to try to scare evil away.

[phkrause]

On 12/31/2017 at 10:37 PM, phkrause said:

On what date will the 2018 Chinese New Year begin?

January 3, 2018 January 21, 2018 February 16, 2018 March 15, 2018

Answer: Chinese New Year in 2018 is on Friday, the 16th of February. According to the Chinese 12-year animal zodiac cycle, the Chinese year beginning in 2018 is the year of the Dog. Each Chinese zodiac year begins on Chinese New Year's Day. Chinese New Year, also known as the "Spring Festival" is China's most important traditional festival, celebrated at the turn of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar, which consists of both Gregorian and lunar-solar calendar systems. Chinese New Year can begin anytime between late January and mid-February.

[phkrause]

Which nations celebrated the New Year first?

Japan & South Korea New Zealand & Australia Philippines & Singapore Kiribati & Samoa

Samoa??

[phkrause]

Start 2018 Off With New Year's Day Trivia!

Welcome to 2018, folks. It's a brand new year, so join us as we celebrate New Year's Day, Trivia Today style!

What Happened For the First Time on January 1st, 45 B.C.?

What Percentage of Americans Make New Year's Resolutions. What Percentage Achieve Their Goals?

How Many Tons of Trash Were Created by the New Year's Eve Celebration in Time Square?

January 1st is the Busiest Holiday of the Year for What Criminal?

When was the first Times Square Ball Drop?