Trivia Q&A: January 6

We had another huge crowd in Professor Thom's on Tuesday night for the first Trivia Night of 2009. We had 23 teams taking part, one of the largest number of teams ever. (25 is still the record.) And it was one of the closest Trivia Nights we have ever had.

After the second round we had a logjam of teams at the top, with 10 teams within one point of the lead. It remained close throughout the night. The new Q Train, the Which Came First Trivia round, went down pretty well and will be back. General Knowledge was a bit difficult but most teams still had respectable scores.

In IQ Trivia, we had one team that ran the table in that round, and got all 20 points. That was the team that was just two points behind, Blue Thunder, and they wound up winning a tight round by just two points. Congratulations to them on their victory, their first ever.

Current Events

1. The New York Times is actively shopping its 17% stake in this MLB team, of which the Times is the second-largest shareholder.

2. This basketball legend was arrested by police in Arizona last week for DWI and he admitted he was going to pick up a woman for oral sex.

3. 59 people were killed in a nightclub fire on New Year's Eve in this Asian city.

4. This singer was voted "The Least Desirable Celebrity Neighbor" in a recent poll at Zillow.com, a real estate site.

5. This legendary ballpark hosted the NHL's Winter Classic game on New Year's Day, the second outdoor hockey game in league history.

6. John Atta Mills was elected last week as president of this West African nation.
7. New Mexico governor Bill Richardson announced on Sunday he was withdrawing his nomination for this cabinet post due to a federal probe in his home state over a contract given to a firm that contributed to Richardson's presidential bid.

Answers: 1. Boston Red Sox; 2. Charles Barkley; 3. Bangkok; 4. Britney Spears; 5. Wrigley Field; 6. Ghana; 7. Secretary of Commerce.

The Year in Music History Trivia

1. Live Aid concerts were held in London and Philadelphia to benefit African hunger relief: a. 1985; b. 1984; c. 1988; d. 1986.
2. American Idol debuts on the Fox network: a. 2000; b. 2001; c. 2002; d. 2003.

3. The Beatles release "Let It Be" and split up: a. 1969; b. 1970; c. 1971; d. 1968.

4. Elvis Presley dies at age 42: a. 1977; b. 1978; c. 1981; d. 1976.

5. Kurt Cobain commits suicide: a. 1992; b. 1995; c. 1997; d. 1994.

6. 500,000 attend the Woodstock music festival in New York State: a. 1968; b. 1969; c. 1972; d. 1970.

7. Janet Jackson has an infamous "wardrobe malfunction" at halftime of the Super Bowl: a. 2003; b. 2004; c. 2005; d. 2006.

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

Which Came First Trivia ("The Q Trivia")
1. a. John F. Kennedy is inaugurated president; b. Barack Obama is born.
2. a. Mets win their first World Series; b. Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on the moon.
3. a. Richard Nixon resigns as president; b. South Vietnam is overrun by the North, ending the Vietnam conflict for good.
4. a. Marlon Brando declines his Best Actor Oscar; b. George C. Scott declines his Best Actor Oscar.
5. a. Ronald Reagan is inaugurated for his second term as president; b. Madonna has her first Top 10 single.
6. a. Watergate scandal erupts after the DNC offices are broken into; b. 11 Israeli athletes are killed at the Munich Summer Olympics.
7. a. New England Patriots win their first Super Bowl; b. Arizona Diamondbacks win their first World Series.

Answers: 1. a; 2. b; 3. a; 4. b; 5. b; 6. a; 7. b.

General Knowledge

1. In the novel "The Count of Monte Cristo," Edmond Dantes is imprisoned after he's accused of being an agent for whom?

2. "Salix Babylonica" is the scientific name for what type of tree?

3. What does the "S" stand for in the auto racing acronym NASCAR?

4. The US invasion of the Port of Inchon was a turning point of what war?

5. What is the medical term for the procedure known as a "nose job?"

6. Sold in 2001 for $5.6 million, a sculpture by Jeff Koons depicts what celebrity holding a chimpanzee?

7. "Klick" is a military term that refers to what distance of measurement?

Answers: 1. Napoleon Bonaparte; 2. Weeping Willow; 3. stock; 4. Korean War; 5. rhinoplasty; 6. Michael Jackson; 7. kilometer.

IQ Trivia

1. How many months of the year in 2008 did not have a federal holiday in it? ( 3 points)

2. What female writer had a poem with the line "Men seldom make passes/At girls who wear glasses?" ( 4 points)

3. In Scrabble, what is it called when a player uses all seven of his tiles during one turn? ( 4 points)

4. What 19th century US president regularly consulted with a group of advisors known as "The Kitchen Cabinet?" (5 points)

5. In 1961, Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev sought political asylum while on tour in what European country? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. four (March, April, June and August); 2. Dorothy Parker; 3. bingo; 4. Andrew Jackson; 5. France.