Trivia: Which country does Earth’s equator NOT pass through?
Ecuador
Brazil
Bolivia
Indonesia
Correct Answer: Bolivia
So why is this answer correct? : The equator passes through 13 countries, most of which are located in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Bolivia, situated in Central South America, falls south of the midline of the globe.
Trivia: A famous opera house defines the skyline in what Southern Hemisphere city?
Buenos Aires
Cape Town
Sydney
São Paulo
Correct Answer: Sydney
So why is this answer correct? : The skyline of Sydney, Australia, includes buildings like Crown Sydney, the Chifley Tower, and the Citigroup Centre, but its most recognizable feature is only 222 feet tall. The Sydney Opera House, which opened in 1973, is one of the most famous and distinctive buildings of the 20th century. Designed by Jørn Utzon, who won a contest for the contract, the Opera House holds a few performance venues, the largest of which is a 2,679-seat concert hall.
Trivia: Which line separates the Northern Hemisphere from the Southern Hemisphere?
International Date Line
Equator
Prime Meridian
Tropic of Cancer
Correct Answer: Equator
So why is this answer correct? : Located at 0 degrees latitude, the Equator is the imaginary line that divides our planet in half, with the Northern Hemisphere above and the Southern Hemisphere below. Equidistant from the North Pole and South Pole, the Equator is also the place where the Earth is the widest, with a maximum circumference of 24,901 miles.
Trivia: The United States is located in which hemisphere?
Outer
American
Terrestrial
Western
Correct Answer: Western
So why is this answer correct? : Earth is divided into four geographical hemispheres: Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western. The United States is located in both the Western and Northern hemispheres. The Western Hemisphere includes all land west of the prime meridian and east of the international date line, which includes North and South America. The Northern Hemisphere includes North America, the northern part of South America, Europe, the northern part of Africa, and most of Asia.
Which American commander and his troops occupied the capital of New Mexico in August 1846 without firing a shot?
John C. Fremont
Edmund P. Gaines
Stephen Watts Kearney
Zachary Taylor
Seth Thornton
Correct Answer: Stephen Watts Kearney
What Mexican–American War campaign — which began on March 29, 1847 — featured the first major amphibious landing in U.S. history?
Churubusco
Contreras
Molino del Rey
Palo Alto
Vera Cruz
Correct Answer: Vera Cruz
What was the name of the unit comprised of Irish-American deserters that fought on the Mexican side in the Mexican-American War?
Brian Boru Brigade
Gael Brigade
Lucky Charms Brigade
St. Patrick’s Battalion
Starry Plough Battalion
Correct Answer: St. Patrick’s Battalion
Trivia: Which of these clothing innovations was developed during WWI?
Velcro
Zipper
Digital watch
Sunglasses
Correct Answer: Zipper
So why is this answer correct? : The B.F. Goodrich Company debuted the name “zipper” for its new fastener in 1923, but the invention itself first showed up during World War I. U.S. army uniforms did not have pockets at the time, so the army made an order for zippers to be used with money belts that would carry accessories. While buttons remained the standard for fastening uniforms, zippers also started being sewn into the suits of military pilots in the 1920s.
Trivia: What was the largest naval battle of World War I?
Jutland
Durazo
Somme
Isonzo
Correct Answer: Jutland
So why is this answer correct? : With more than 250 ships and 100,000 troops, the 1916 Battle of Jutland was WWI’s most important naval clash. Fought off the coast of Denmark, it was the first and only battle between the major British and German navies. Both sides suffered significant losses, but Germany was never again able to challenge British naval power during the war.
Trivia: Which international organization was founded in the wake of WWI?
League of Nations
NATO
United Nations
International Monetary Fund
Correct Answer: League of Nations
So why is this answer correct? : The League of Nations was first proposed by President Woodrow Wilson as a postwar international organization aimed at preventing future conflicts. However, growing isolationist sentiment in America meant the U.S. never joined the league. Largely ineffective, the league was unable to prevent the outbreak of WWII, and was disbanded in 1946 after the creation of the United Nations.