Trivia Q&A: February 27

We had 15 teams take part in Trivia Night on Tuesday. We debuted a new category, "This Day In History" about events surrounding February 27. Most teams did fairly well in it. The Q Train lighning round was the True Or False category, and that went well for the second straight week. (I'm thinking about putting a new wrinkle into it next week.)

The winners were "One Blind Guy, Two Egg Heads With Glasses and Chopped Liver." You've got to love that name! They won by five points, as they rolled up 15 out of a possible 20 points in Multiple Points Trivia. Well done, guys. (There was a slight bit of controversy at the end, as two teams thought I said "Old Testament" in the second question, when everyone else heard me correctly that I said "New Testament." Sorry guys.)

We also did something special in the "This Day In History" category at the end. We honored trivia player Trivia Pete, as it was his birthday. As a bonus point, we asked everyone to guess his age. Two teams got it right: 31. (His own team could not take part in that question of course.) Happy birthday, Pete!

Current Events
1. This film won 4 Oscars on Sunday, including one for Best Picture.
2. This restaurant chain in NYC was invaded by a gang of rats last week, forcing its closing, possibly for good.
3. This film, starring Nicolas Cage, was number one at the box office last week.
4. The new Chinese New Year honors this animal.
5. The fight over Anna Nicole Smith's 5-month-old child switched to this place on Monday, where her son is buried.
6. This nation's Catholic Church has banned mentions of sex and drunkeness in eulogies at all funeral masses.
7. This filmmaker is part of a film that claims to have found Jesus Christ's actual tomb.
8. Vice President Dick Cheney met with this nation's leader on Monday in hopes that they will step up their fight against terrorism.
9. This Boston Red Sox player reported to spring training yesterday, three days before he was expected to appear.
10. Tom Vilsack dropped out of the Democratic presidential race last week. What midwest state was he once governor of?

Answers: 1. The Departed; 2. KFC/Taco Bell; 3. Ghost Rider; 4. pig; 5. Bahamas; 6. Australia; 7. James Cameron; 8. Pakistan; 9. Manny Ramirez; 10. Iowa.

This Day In History, February 27
1. Which nation gained its independence on this day in 1844? a. Dominican Republic; b. Haiti; c. Jamaica; d. Guyana.
2. Which popular magazine was published on this day for the first time in 1974? a. Life; b. People; c. Crain's; d. Woman's Day.
3. The American Indian Movement occupied the Pine Ridge Reservation at Wounded Knee in 1973 on this day? What state is Wounded Knee in? a. North Dakota; b. South Dakota; c. Montana; d. Idaho.
4. Which US president announced "Kuwait is liberated" on this date in 1991? a. Ronald Reagan; b. Bill Clinton; c. George H.W. Bush; d. Jimmy Carter.
5. The Exxon tanker Valdez was involved in a disasterous oil spill on this date in 1990. Off which coast did it occur? a. Alaska; b. Russia; c. Venezuela; d. Canada.
6. The presidential limitation to 2 terms amendment was ratified on this day in 1951. What number amendment was it? a. 21, b. 22, c. 23, d. 24.
7. The infamous Civil War confederate prison at Andersonville was opened today in 1864. Which state was the prison located in? a. Florida, b. South Carolina, c. Alabama, d. Georgia.
8. On this date in 1900, this British political party, which is currently headed by Tony Blair, was founded. Which is it? a. Liberal, b. Conservative, c. Labour, d. Liberal Democrats.
9. The British won a major battle in the Second Boer War on this day in 1900. In which country was it fought in? a. The Philippines, b. South Africa, c. Tanzania, d. Ethiopia.
10. The first Christian emperor of Rome was born on this date in 280 AD. Who was it? a. Marcus Aurelius, b. Nero, c. Constantine, d. Caesar Augustus.

Answers: 1. a; 2. b; 3. b; 4. c; 5. a; 6. b; 7. d; 8. c; 9. b; 10. c.

True Or False Trivia (The Q Train)
1. Besides the Milky Way, the only other galaxy that can be seen by the naked eye is Andromeda.
2. Tenzing Norgay is most famous for exploring the Pacific Ocean.
3. Sumo wrestlers throw salt in the ring before every wrestling match.
4. Stendhal's Syndrome is when a person has a marked physical reaction to beautiful art.
5. There are four valves on a typical modern trumpet.
6. The flour in a cheese souffle causes it to rise.
7. Utah was the last state admitted to the Union in the 19th Century.
8. The Philippines are made up of just more than 7000 islands.
9. The Australian Open tennis tournament is played every year at Roland Garros Stadium.
10. The New York Yankees franchise originally started in Baltimore in 1901.

Answers: 1. true; 2. false, he was one of the first men to climb Mt. Everest; 3. true; 4. true; 5. false, there are three; 6. false, egg whites make it rise; 7. true; 8. true; 9. false, The French Open is played at Roland Garros; 10. true.

General Knowledge
1. Which rock band had a 1987 song that mentions Lenny Bruce, Leonard Bernstein, and Leonid Brezhnev?
2. The Dominican Republic borders the Caribbean Sea and which ocean?
3. The first televised US presidential debate took place between which two candidates?
4. Which western US state's name is believed to be based on a mythical paradise in a 16th Century Spanish novel?
5. Amber is a shade of which color?
6. In the 1988 film, "A Fish Called Wanda," what are the main characters trying to steal?
7. Which North American city has hosted the Summer Olympics more than once?
8. Which US president recorded greetings to extraterrestials on the Voyager space probes?
9. How many syllables does the word, "independence" have?
10. "Myocardial infarction" is the medical term for what condition?

Answers: 1. REM ("The End Of The World As We Know It"), 2. Atlantic; 3. John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon; 4. California; 5. yellow; 6. jewels; 7. Los Angeles; 8. Jimmy Carter; 9. four; 10. heart attack.

Multiple Answers Trivia
1. Name 3 of the 5 largest cities in California by population.
2. Name 4 of the first 6 books of the New Testament.
3. Name 4 of the 6 actors to have portrayed James Bond in the movies.
4. Name 4 of the 6 most widely spoken languages in the world.

Answers: 1. Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Long Beach; 2. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans; 3. Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig; 4. Mandarin, English, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, Russian.