Summer of 2026
The war in Ukraine — which on June 11 reached 1,569 days, or more than four years and three months — has now outlasted which war?
a) The 30 Year War. b) Vietnam War. c) World War I
C) World War i
What is the name of the tool used to measure angles in math class?
Protractor
The New York Knicks won their first N.B.A. title in 53 years. Which player — the team’s clutch point guard who scored 45 points in the final game of the series — was named finals M.V.P.?
a) Jalen Brunson b) OG Anunoby c) Victor Wembanyama
a) Jalen Brunson
Dolly Parton, who rose from rural poverty to become a top-selling singer, songwriter and entrepreneur, died on Aug. 25 at age 80. Which of the following is one of her most famous songs?
a) Fast Car b) Jolene c) R-E-S-P-E-C-T
B) Jolene
“The Odyssey,” a film adaptation of the nearly 3,000-year-old Greek epic, arrived in theaters in July. Who wrote the original poem?
a) Homer b) Plato c) Shakespeare
a) Homer
The Obama Presidential Center, with its imposing 225-foot granite-covered tower, opened in June in which city?
a) New York b) Chicago c) Miami d) Washington DC
b) Chicago
Which elementary school in South Portland is the newest?
Small School
Spain won the World Cup final, 1-0, against the defending champs. Which country did they beat?
a) Argentina b) England c) Norway
a) Argentina
Which of these songs was named the song of the summer on “Popcast,” The Times’s music podcast?
a) "Midnight Sun" by Zara Larsson
b) "Choosin' Texas" by Ella Langely
c) "E85" by Don Toliver
b) "Choosin' Texas" by Ella Langely
Red
An unusually round raccoon in Seattle went from being a local legend to a national celebrity after several videos of the critter circulated on social media in July. What’s his name?
Jimothy
How old is the building that used to be Mahoney Middle School?
a) 76 years b) 89 years c) 102 years
c) 102 years
According to an alarming new report on the dangers of playing professional football, what fraction of N.F.L. players might expect to develop the degenerative brain disease known as C.T.E.?
a) 1 in 25 b) 1 in 10 c) 1 in 4
c) 1 in 4
Which singer has the best-selling album of the 21st century thus far?
a) Adele b) Beyonce c) Billie Eilish d) Taylor Swift
a) Adele
6 and a half
In which two European nations did deadly wildfires, fueled by extreme heat and dry brush, force hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate in July?
a) France & Spain b) Greece & Italy c) Hungary & Romania
a) France & Spain
When was the pencil sharpener invented?
a) 1802 b) 1828 c) 1912
b) 1828
What numbers did Michael Jordan wear in the NBA?
23 and 45
What singer's album, YHLQMDLG, was the most-streamed album on Spotify in 2020?
a) Bruno Mars b) Bad Bunny c) Charli xcx d) Drake
b) Bad Bunny
Rajah
The United States is in the midst of its worst year yet for cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by a parasite transmitted through contaminated food or water. What food has been most linked to the illness this summer?
Iceberg Lettuce
What is the date AND time of this year's SPMS Back to School Night?
September 22, 4:30 - 6pm
How far apart are the bases on a Major League Baseball field?
a) 55 feet b) 67 feet c) 80 feet d) 90 feet
d) 90 feet
Shakira can speak all of these languages fluently, except which one?
a) Arabic b) English c) Mandarin d) Portuguese
c) Mandarin
Melman and Gloria