Riddles With Answers

NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson was the subject of which Academy Award-nominated film?

October Sky
Hidden Figures
The Right Stuff
A Beautiful Mind

Fact: Katherine Johnson was a brilliant NASA mathematician whose calculations helped make NASA’s early space missions possible. Her story was brought to a worldwide audience in the 2016 film Hidden Figures, which follows Johnson and fellow NASA pioneers Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. Johnson’s precise orbital calculations were critical to the success of missions involving astronaut John Glenn and others during the Space Race. The film helped shine a spotlight on the previously overlooked contributions of these remarkable women.

Correct Answer: Hidden Figures

Which type of onion can only be legally grown in the state of Georgia?

Pearl onion
Red onion
White onion
Vidalia onion

Fact: According to the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986, Vidalia onions can only be grown in a designated region of the U.S. state of Georgia. Federal regulations protect the name “Vidalia,” much like certain wines or cheeses are protected by their place of origin. To be labeled a Vidalia onion, the onion must be grown within a specific 20-county production area in southeastern Georgia. Their famously sweet, mild flavor is attributed to the region’s low-sulfur soil and favorable growing conditions, making them highly sought after by consumers nationwide.

Correct Answer: Vidalia onion

Which of the following men did NOT serve as President of the United States during the 1960s?

Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Lyndon B. Johnson
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Fact: Though President Dwight D. Eisenhower first took office in 1953, his second term continued until January 20, 1961, giving him a brief tenure in the 1960s. He was succeeded by John F. Kennedy, whose presidency was cut short by his assassination in 1963, leading Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson to assume the office. Johnson served through most of the decade before Richard Nixon was inaugurated on January 20, 1969. Gerald Ford, meanwhile, did not become president until 1974, when he succeeded Nixon following his resignation.

Correct Answer: Gerald Ford

How many teeth does the average adult human typically have, including wisdom teeth?

28
30
32
34

Fact: The average adult human has 32 permanent teeth, including four wisdom teeth, also known as third molars. These teeth are made up of 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars, and 12 molars. Each type of tooth plays a unique role in chewing, speaking, and supporting facial structure. By contrast, children typically have 20 primary (baby) teeth before their permanent teeth begin to emerge. The full set of 32 teeth helps humans bite, tear, chew, and grind a wide variety of foods throughout their adult lives, helping prepare food for digestion.

Correct Answer: 32

Which world leader did Donald Trump nickname “Little Rocket Man”?

Xi Jinping
Vladimir Putin
Nicolás Maduro
Kim Jong Un

Fact: Donald Trump began referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as “Little Rocket Man” in 2017 during a period of heightened tensions between the United States and North Korea. The nickname was a reference to North Korea’s ongoing ballistic missile and nuclear weapons tests, which drew widespread international concern. Despite the heated rhetoric, the two leaders later met in a series of historic summits in 2018 and 2019, marking the first face-to-face meetings between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader.

Correct Answer: Kim Jong Un

Joan Ganz Cooney received the Medal of Freedom for producing what TV program?

60 Minutes
Sesame Street
Jeopardy!
Saturday Night Live

Fact: Joan Ganz Cooney received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024 for her pioneering contributions to television and education. As the co-creator of Sesame Street, she helped create a program that combined entertainment with learning and transformed children’s television around the world. Since its debut in 1969, the show has reached generations of viewers and become one of the most influential and beloved programs in television history. The series has helped millions of children develop early literacy, math, and social skills while making learning fun and accessible.

Correct Answer: Sesame Street

Which car holds the all-time U.S. record for the most units sold in a single year?

Ford Model T
Chevrolet Impala
Ford Mustang
Volkswagen Beetle

Fact: The 1965 Chevrolet Impala set an American automotive sales record that still stands today, with 1,074,925 units sold in a single year. The fourth-generation Impala struck a chord with buyers thanks to its sleek new styling, wide range of body styles, powerful engine options, and affordable pricing. Remarkably, more than one out of every three Chevrolets sold in 1965 was an Impala, making it the only car model to surpass one million U.S. sales in a single year. That extraordinary achievement remains unmatched in the American auto industry.

Correct Answer: Chevrolet Impala

What box office star was hired by SNL early on in their career but left after only four episodes?

John Goodman
Jim Carrey
Kevin Hart
Ben Stiller

Fact: Early in his career, Ben Stiller made a short parody of the Tom Cruise movie The Color of Money that caught the attention of SNL, which aired it in 1987. Those connections landed Stiller as a cast member on Saturday Night Live (Season 14). Unfortunately, Stiller quit after only four episodes due to creative differences with Lorne Michaels. Everything came full circle though when he returned in 1998 to host SNL and played Cruise in a “Celebrity Jeopardy” sketch. Stiller is the son of the late comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.

Correct Answer: Ben Stiller

John C. Calhoun became the first U.S. Vice President to do what?

Resign
Die in office
Become chief justice
Get married in office

Fact: John C. Calhoun made history in 1832 when he became the first Vice President of the United States to resign from office. Serving under both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, Calhoun stepped down amid political disagreements with Jackson, particularly over states’ rights and the Nullification Crisis. He resigned to accept a seat in the U.S. Senate representing South Carolina, where he continued to wield influence in national politics. For more than 140 years, he remained the only vice president to resign, until Spiro Agnew left office in 1973.

Correct Answer: Resign

Which part of a turtle’s body is made of fused bones?

A. Shell
B. Beak
C. Flipper

Fact: A turtle’s shell is part of its skeleton and is made up of dozens of fused bones, providing both protection and structural support.

Correct Answer: Shell