Trivia Quiz?

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Which spacecraft did John Glenn pilot when he became the first man to orbit the Earth in 1962?

Lunar 7 Explorer 7 Friendship 7 Apollo 7

Friendship 7

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4 Things You May Not Know About John Glenn

John Glenn, who traveled to space in 1962 and then returned decades later as the oldest astronaut in history, died yesterday at age 95.  To celebrate his extraordinary life, try your luck with these trivia questions to see how much you know about this American hero...

What Was Glenn's Military Background?

How Was Glenn Selected to Become an Astronaut?

How Long Was Glenn's First Voyage into Space?

When Did Glenn Get into Politics?

[phkrause]

John Glenn served four terms as a U.S. senator for which state?

Ohio Colorado Michigan Massachusetts

Ohio!!

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On 12/9/2016 at 0:59 PM, phkrause said:

It's known as the "Twitter Bird" now, but since Twitter began in 2006, what did the brand call its iconic logo?

A. The Tweeter
B. Larry the Bird
C. Bob the Bird
D. The Oxley Bird

B. Larry the Bird?

B. Larry the Bird

Retweet this! Until its latest iteration, the 2012 Twitter Bird was known as Larry the Bird after the Boston Celtics basketball player, Larry Bird.

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

On 12/9/2016 at 1:07 PM, phkrause said:

Which spacecraft did John Glenn pilot when he became the first man to orbit the Earth in 1962?

Lunar 7 Explorer 7 Friendship 7 Apollo 7

Friendship 7

Answer: John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, died yesterday at the age of 95. On February 20, 1962, Glenn piloted the “Friendship 7” spacecraft, becoming the first American to orbit the planet. Glenn's flight aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft lasted only four hours and 56 minutes but completed three orbits of the Earth. The tiny spacecraft reached speeds in excess of 17,000 miles per hour before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. Thirty-six years later, at the age of 77, he returned to orbit aboard the space shuttle Discovery, becoming the oldest person, worldwide, to fly into space.

[phkrause]

22 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Was Glenn's Military Background?

In March 1942, not long after the United States became involved in World War II, Glenn quit college and enlisted as an aviation cadet with the U.S. Navy. He was first sent to the University of Iowa for preflight training, after which he headed to Naval Air Station Olathe in Kansas for pilot training. While undergoing advanced training at NAS Corpus Christi, Glenn was given a chance to transfer to the Marines, and he took it. During World War II, he saw combat over the Marshall Islands and later flew patrol missions elsewhere in the South Pacific theater. Glenn flew two combat tours during the Korean War, chalking up roughly 90 Korean War missions in all.

 

22 hours ago, phkrause said:

How Was Glenn Selected to Become an Astronaut?

Shortly after its founding on July 29, 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration launched a campaign to recruit the first team of astronauts for its manned space program. Applicants had to be military test pilots between the ages of 25 and 40 and no taller than 5 feet, 11 inches. From a field of 508 applicants, Glenn was chosen to be one of America's first seven astronauts. The others included Alan Shepard, who in 1961 became the first American to fly into space, Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, and Deke Slayton. NASA introduced its first team of astronauts to the public at an April 1959 press conference.

 

22 hours ago, phkrause said:

How Long Was Glenn's First Voyage into Space?

Glenn's flight aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft lasted only four hours and 56 minutes but completed three orbits of the Earth. The tiny spacecraft reached speeds in excess of 17,000 miles per hour before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean 800 miles southeast of Bermuda. Proclaimed a national hero by President John F. Kennedy, Glenn was honored with a ticker-tape parade down Broadway in New York City.

 

22 hours ago, phkrause said:

When Did Glenn Get into Politics?

Heeding a suggestion from President Kennedy that he consider a life in public service, Glenn in January 1964 resigned from NASA and announced that he was running as a Democrat for a U.S. Senate seat from Ohio. After a slip-and-fall mishap at home, he was forced to withdraw from the Senate race, but in 1970 once again ran for the Senate seat and was narrowly defeated in the Democratic primary by Howard Metzenbaum. Metzenbaum subsequently lost the general election to Republican Robert Taft Jr. Four years later, Glenn again ran against Metzenbaum in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat that Metzenbaum then held, having been appointed to fill the vacancy created when William Saxbe resigned to become attorney general under President Nixon. Glenn defeated Metzenbaum in the primary and went on to win the general election. He served as a U.S. senator until January 1999, having declined to run for re-election in 1998.

[phkrause]

21 hours ago, phkrause said:

John Glenn served four terms as a U.S. senator for which state?

Ohio Colorado Michigan Massachusetts

Ohio!!

Answer: After his decorated service in the U.S. Marine Corps and NASA, John Glenn went on to serve as a U.S. Senator from Ohio. Glenn served four terms in Congress, becoming chief author of the 1978 Nonproliferation Act, chairman of the Government Affairs Committee from 1978 until 1995, and sat on the Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees. In 1998, while still a senator, Glenn returned to space at the age of 77 to study the effects of space on the aging.

[phkrause]

How did the disease known as chickenpox get its name?

A. It makes skin look like a plucked chicken.
B. It is contracted from poultry.
C. It originated in the South, where fried chicken is popular.
D. It was originally thought to be a weak form of smallpox.

[phkrause]

The man who established the Nobel Peace Prize also invented what?

Saxophone Electric Chair Dynamite Atomic Bomb

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We Hope These Nobel Peace Prize Questions Don't Cause Any Conflict

December 10th is the day the Nobel Peace Prize gets awarded every year. See how much you know about some historic peace crusaders with these trivia questions...

Fill in the Blank: In 1978, the Nobel Committee Wanted to Give _____ a Prize, But They Missed the Deadline.

Who is the Youngest Male to Ever Win the Nobel Peace Prize?

In 2006, Whose House Consumed Over 20 Times as Much Electricity as the Average Home, According to Reports from the Tennessee Center for Policy Research?

Who Called His Own Win Controversial Because He Received the Prize While Fighting Two Wars?

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Who was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize?

Mother Teresa Susan B. Anthony Eleanor Roosevelt Marie Curie

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On 12/10/2016 at 4:23 PM, phkrause said:

How did the disease known as chickenpox get its name?

A. It makes skin look like a plucked chicken.
B. It is contracted from poultry.
C. It originated in the South, where fried chicken is popular.
D. It was originally thought to be a weak form of smallpox.

D. It was originally thought to be a weak form of smallpox.

Varicella, the virus that causes chickenpox, has nothing to do with smallpox, but because it was viewed as a weaker form of the deadly disease, people nicknamed the disease "chickenpox."

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

On 12/10/2016 at 4:29 PM, phkrause said:

The man who established the Nobel Peace Prize also invented what?

Saxophone Electric Chair Dynamite Atomic Bomb

Answer: In 1867, Alfred Bernhard Nobel patented a mixture of nitroglycerin and an absorbent substance, producing what he named "Dynamite." He used his vast fortune from his 350 patents to establish the Nobel Prizes, which has come to be known for awarding the greatest achievements throughout the world. When Nobel died of a stroke in 1896, he left 31,225,000 Swedish kronor (today about 265 million U.S. dollars) to fund the Nobel Prizes. The synthetic element nobelium was named after him.

[phkrause]

On 12/10/2016 at 4:57 PM, phkrause said:

Fill in the Blank: In 1978, the Nobel Committee Wanted to Give _____ a Prize, But They Missed the Deadline.

In 1978, Jimmy Carter helped broker a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, leading to peace prize nominations and eventually wins for both countries' leaders (Menachim Begin and Anwar Sadat respectively). But prior to the ceremony, some in the Nobel Committee realized they should probably honor a third guy. As in, the guy who actually brokered the treaties. Multiple former directors of the institute have confirmed that Carter would have shared in the prize if the committee hadn't missed the nominating deadline. For Carter, this had greater consequences than just his not winning the award. Former director Stig Ramel said Carter had confided that if he won the prize, he thinks he would have won reelection. Carter ultimately won the award in 2002, and at the ceremonial dinner afterwards, the tables were graced with peanuts.

 

On 12/10/2016 at 4:57 PM, phkrause said:

Who is the Youngest Male to Ever Win the Nobel Peace Prize?

Speaking of Georgian Nobel Peace Prize winners, back in 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. became, at age 35, the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. He won for his work in the field of civil rights and social justice, and he promptly donated his winnings to the Civil Rights movement. But while winning by age 35 is impressive, he's no longer the youngest recipient ever of the prize. Several women have since passed him including Malala Yousafzai who was just seventeen years old.

 

On 12/10/2016 at 4:57 PM, phkrause said:

In 2006, Whose House Consumed Over 20 Times as Much Electricity as the Average Home, According to Reports from the Tennessee Center for Policy Research?

In 2007 Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work increasing awareness of, and the measures that needed to be taken to prevent, global warming. Of course, that made it an issue for some when it turned out his own house was doing a number on the environment. The Tennessee Center for Policy Research, a free-market think tank, came after Al Gore when they got ahold of the former vice president's gas and electric bills. They found that Gore's 20-room home and pool house consumed over 20 times as much electricity as that of the average home. An ABCnews.com article quoted the Center's president, Drew Johnson as saying, "If this were any other person with $30,000-a-year in utility bills, I wouldn't care ... But he tells other people how to live and he's not following his own rules."

(Exactly!!)

On 12/10/2016 at 4:57 PM, phkrause said:

Who Called His Own Win Controversial Because He Received the Prize While Fighting Two Wars?

People were pretty surprised when President Barack Obama won a Nobel Peace Prize less than a year into his presidency. Including Obama himself. But a couple of paragraphs into his speech, he acknowledged being surprised for another reason, "But perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-in-Chief of the military of a nation in the midst of two wars." Followed closely by "And so I come here with an acute sense of the costs of armed conflict -- filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other." But perhaps that shouldn't have been so surprising. Sadly, we only see the efforts of those striving to create peace when it is thrown into relief by the conflict happening around it. So one shouldn't be surprised to be honored for their contributions to peace when in the midst of war. That's when the world needs those contributions the most.

[phkrause]

On 12/10/2016 at 5:30 PM, phkrause said:

Who was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize?

Mother Teresa Susan B. Anthony Eleanor Roosevelt Marie Curie

Answer: Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only woman to win the award in two different fields (physics and chemistry). In 1903, Curie won the prestigious honor along with her husband and Henri Becquerel, for their work on radioactivity. She won her second Nobel Prize in 1911, this time in chemistry. She was selected for her discovery of radium and polonium, and became the first scientist to win two Nobel Prizes. While she received the prize alone, she shared the honor jointly with her late husband in her acceptance lecture.

[phkrause]

What toy was banned at a number of U.S. military bases in 1999?

Cabbage Patch Kids Talking Elmo Chatty Cathy Furby

Furby??

[phkrause]

Germany And Italy Declare War On The United States

On December 11, 1941, Germany, along with Italy, declared war on the United States, drawing clear the sides of battle in World War II. Today we look back and see how much you know about that event.

What Events Led Up to Germany's Decision to Declare War?

How Did Adolf Hitler Frame Germany's Decision to Declare War?

How Did Roosevelt Communicate With Congress About the Declaration of War?

How Did Jeanette Rankin Vote Regarding Declaring War on Germany and Italy?

[phkrause]

Which NFL Quarterback has been to the most Super Bowls?

Tom Brady Joe Montana Terry Bradshaw John Elway

Well lets see! Tom Brady has won a few, also lost a few. Joe Montana has won at least 3 or 4! Terry Bradshaw has won 4 I believe, don't remember him losing any! I believe John Elway has won at least 1, maybe 2! I'm gonna go with Tom Brady!!

[phkrause]

18 hours ago, phkrause said:

What toy was banned at a number of U.S. military bases in 1999?

Cabbage Patch Kids Talking Elmo Chatty Cathy Furby

Furby??

Answer: The NSA once banned Furbies as a threat to national security. The fluffy, bug-eyed toy was banned because its ability to record and reply speech made it a potential security risk. The National Security Agency feared that they would listen in on classified conversations. In 1999, the NSA issued a memo banning them from its offices in Fort Meade. Because the commercials advertised Furbies as "learning" English over time, the folks in charge believed that Furbies contained an internal recording device, and they feared the toys would spill secrets in their cutesy voices. According to a 1999 BBC News article, anyone who came across a Furby on NSA premises was instructed to "contact their Staff Security Office for guidance."

[phkrause]

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Events Led Up to Germany's Decision to Declare War?

The inevitability of war had long been on the horizon for Germany and the US. The two sides were already attacking each other's ships, the United States had entered into numerous agreements with the Allies including giving aid to the Soviets and British under the lend-lease program, and both sides spoke harshly about the other in their speeches. Japan and Germany had even signed the Tripartite Pact, in which Germany had committed to support Japan if they were attacked by the United States. The sides would soon be fighting a war, the only question was when. A question that was answered when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

 

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

How Did Adolf Hitler Frame Germany's Decision to Declare War?

The Tripartite Pact only obligated Germany to support Japan if they had been attacked, not if they were the ones doing the attacking, as had been the case at Pearl Harbor. But Germany could see the writing on the wall and decided to declare war on the US before the US could declare it on them. 

Hitler came before the Reichstag to make his case, first harshly criticizing Woodrow Wilson and the US action in World War I, then moving on to criticizing FDR and the New Deal. He called New Deal legislation "the biggest failure ever experienced by one man," and claimed it was the failure of this legislation that caused FDR and the Jewish people who influenced him to create foreign conflict to distract US citizens from the New Deal's failings at home. He accused Roosevelt of starting the war itself back in 1939.

 

18 hours ago, phkrause said:

How Did Roosevelt Communicate With Congress About the Declaration of War?

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously stood before Congress and delivered his "a date which will live in infamy" speech, asking the legislative branch to declare war on Japan. This time, there was no rallying speech, only a message sent to Congress while Roosevelt stayed in the White House to work. He said, "Never before has there been a greater challenge to life, liberty and civilization." But "Rapid and united effort by all of the peoples of the world who are determined to remain free will insure a world victory of the forces of justice and righteousness over the forces of savagery and barbarism."

 

18 hours ago, phkrause said:

How Did Jeanette Rankin Vote Regarding Declaring War on Germany and Italy?

Loyal Trivia Today readers will remember just a few days ago we mentioned that one member of Congress voted against declaring war on Japan: Jeanette Rankin. Rankin (in addition to being the answer to the trivia question "Who was the first female elected to Congress?") was a pacifist and had also been one of a small number of people to vote against entering World War I. But what did she do this time? Did she vote for war against the Nazi regime that had just declared war on the US? Or did she stick to her earlier resolution? Well, she found a sort of middle ground. 

As explained in the day's New York Times, "In the House, Miss Jeanette Rankin, Republican, of Montana, who cast the lone dissenting vote on Monday against declaring war on Japan, today voted a non-committal 'present' with regard to Germany and Italy." While several members of Congress and the Senate could not make it to the vote, she was the only person in attendance not to vote for war.

Congress and the Senate passed their resolutions without debate, and agreed to "adjourn politics" until the fighting was over so they could focus on the war they had just joined.

[phkrause]

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which NFL Quarterback has been to the most Super Bowls?

Tom Brady Joe Montana Terry Bradshaw John Elway

Well lets see! Tom Brady has won a few, also lost a few. Joe Montana has won at least 3 or 4! Terry Bradshaw has won 4 I believe, don't remember him losing any! I believe John Elway has won at least 1, maybe 2! I'm gonna go with Tom Brady!!

Answer: In Tom Brady's 14 seasons as a starter, the Patriots have earned six trips to the Super Bowl, the most for any quarterback in history. He has won more playoff games than any other quarterback, and appeared in more playoff games than any player at any position. He has subsequently played his entire professional career with the Patriots and has enjoyed a distinguished and decorated career including four Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl MVPs and two League MVPs. Brady is considered among the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

[phkrause]

Who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016?

Oprah Winfrey Dan Rather Barbara Walters Bob Dylan

Bobby!!

[phkrause]

Don't Let These Frank Sinatra Trivia Questions Get Under Your Skin

On December 12th, 1915, Frank Sinatra was born. See how much you know about the famous crooner with these trivia questions...

What Sinatra Song Being Sung During Karaoke Has Been Tied to So Many Deaths It's Actually Banned in the Philippines?

The Improvised Skat at the End of "Strangers in the Night" Served as the Inspiration for Naming What Cartoon Character?

Is It True That Sinatra Almost Died at Birth?

Why Was Frank Sinatra Buried with a Roll of Dimes in his Pocket?

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Which film won Frank Sinatra an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor?

Guys and Dolls High Society From Here to Eternity The Man with the Golden Arm

From here to Eternity??

[phkrause]

22 hours ago, phkrause said:

Who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016?

Oprah Winfrey Dan Rather Barbara Walters Bob Dylan

Bobby!!

Answer: On October 13, 2016, the Nobel Prize committee announced it had awarded Dylan the Nobel Prize in Literature "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition". The New York Times reported: "Mr. Dylan, 75, is the first musician to win the award, and his selection on Thursday is perhaps the most radical choice in a history stretching back to 1901." As a musician, Dylan has sold more than 100 million records, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.