Category: Brain Teasers

Trivia: Which auto brand was founded by Ransom Eli Olds in 1897?

Volvo
Oldsmobile
Buick
Dodge

Correct Answer: Oldsmobile

So why is this answer correct? : Ransom Eli Olds grew up in a family of mechanics and built his own gasoline-powered vehicle in his early 30s. He founded Olds Motor Works with one flagship model, the Oldsmobile. In 1902, the company began large-scale production of the car in Lansing, Michigan. Olds left the company in 1904 due to strategic disagreements with the board, and in 1908 it was acquired by General Motors.

Trivia: Which airline was the first to offer regular international flights?

Delta
Southwest
Pan Am
JetBlue

Correct Answer: Pan Am

So why is this answer correct? : Pan Am was founded in 1927 and grew quickly thanks in part to its involvement in World War II. In postwar America, the airline’s sophisticated technology, distinct uniforms, and international travel — it was the first airline to offer regular international flights — elevated the brand to a pop culture icon seen today in movies and TV shows. The Beatles intentionally chose a Pan Am 707 for their famous 1964 trip to America.

Trivia: A&P dominated which industry in the 20th century?

Tobacco
Grocery
Furniture
Hardware

Correct Answer: Grocery

So why is this answer correct? : The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, better known as A&P, was founded in 1859 as a tea-importing business. Over the decades, it expanded into multiple retail stores and began offering goods such as spices, coffee, and food items. By 1969, A&P was the largest grocery chain in the U.S., with thousands of locations, and roughly double the sales of its closest competitor, Safeway.

Trivia: Which company released the popular 737 airplane in 1967?

Lockheed Martin
Boeing
Airbus
Northrop Grumman

Correct Answer: Boeing

So why is this answer correct? : William E. Boeing was a timber merchant who founded Boeing in 1916 as a military aircraft manufacturer. Over the next few decades, the company expanded into other markets, including mail services and commercial jet manufacturing. The latter — especially its 700-series of passenger jets that were used all over the world — greatly contributed to the company’s growing success.

On September 20, 1586, several Babington Plot conspirators were executed in the wake of their failed plan to kill Queen Elizabeth I and replace her as monarch of England with which person?

William of Orange
Oliver Cromwell
Mary, Queen of Scots
Walter Raleigh
Robert Dudley

Correct Answer: Mary, Queen of Scots

What was the name of the nearly 10-year revolution that began on September 20, 1835, when rebel general Bento Goncalves captured the city of Porto Alegre in Southern Brazil?

The Vagabond War
The Beggars War
The Wastrels War
The Guttersnipe War
The Ragamuffin War

Correct Answer: The Ragamuffin War

Who commanded the Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Chickamauga, which ended on September 20, 1863, in a decisive defeat for the Union side?

Ulysses Grant
George Meade
Winfield Scott
William Rosecrans
George McClellan

Correct Answer: William Rosecrans

Trivia: In 1477, the archduke of Austria commissioned the first what?

Brooch
Tiara
Engagement ring
Locket

Correct Answer: Engagement ring

So why is this answer correct? : Wedding bands have been a tradition for centuries longer than engagement rings. The first record of a true engagement ring dates to the 15th century, when Archduke Maximillian of Austria commissioned a diamond engagement ring for his betrothed, Mary of Burgundy. News of this ring sparked an interest in the practice of engagement rings and the use of diamonds rather than other gemstones.

Trivia: What is the oldest-known jewelry made of?

Pearls
Petrified wood
Bone
Shell beads

Correct Answer: Shell beads

So why is this answer correct? : The Guinness World Record holder for the oldest piece of jewelry ever discovered is a 142,000-year-old necklace made out of 33 shell beads. It was created and worn during the Middle Stone Age in modern-day Morocco. The shells came from a small species of sea snail with pearlescent shells, making for an appealing piece of jewelry in any period.

Trivia: Mellerio, the oldest family jeweler in the world, is headquartered where?

Milan, Italy
Barcelona, Spain
Casablanca, Morocco
Paris, France

Correct Answer: Paris, France

So why is this answer correct? : Located at 9 Rue de la Paix in Paris, Mellerio has been operating since 1613. Mellerio was granted a royal decree by Queen Marie de’ Medici to trade throughout Europe, which gained the family access to Versailles, where Marie Antoinette became one of their clients. Mellerio also has long-standing relationships with Spanish and Dutch royalty.