World Capitals
In 1973, Congress passed a law allowing citizens to elect a mayor and a city council for this capital city for the first time.
Answer: What is Washington, D.C.? Prior to this law, the president chose the mayor of the city. Walter Washington was the first person elected by the citizens of D.C. and the first Black mayor.
M is for this first female prime minister of the U.K. who served as the “Iron Lady” from 1979 until 1990.
Answer: Who is Margaret Thatcher? She started her career as a research chemist and first entered politics in 1950.
This is the temperature in Fahrenheit at which water turns to ice
Answer: What is 32 degrees F? The typical freezer is set at zero to five degrees, and it takes three to four hours to make standard ice cubes.
These little powerhouses of nutrients look like miniature cabbages.
Answer: What are brussels sprouts? Around an ounce of these veggies provides five grams of protein and five grams of fiber. They can grow all winter in moderate climates.
The UK’s longest-serving monarch, she served her country from February 6, 1952, to September 8, 2022.
Answer: Who is Queen Elizabeth II? Her full official name is Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.
On April 15, 1983, the first Disney park outside of the United States, opened its gates in this capital city in Japan.
Answer: What is Tokyo? The theme park was built on land reclaimed from the Tokyo Bay and designed to mimic the look of an American theme park.
B is for this Brit-rock band who announced their split in 1970.
Answer: Who are the Beatles? Paul McCartney was first to announce the split, though at the time it was uncertain if the split would be permanent.
This determines the color of a flame.
Answer: What is temperature or materials being burned? Sodium burns yellow, calcium burns red, and potassium burns violet. Additionally, the flames with the hottest temperatures burn a white-blue color.
These red root vegetables are often found in smoothie mixes or cooked and added to salads.
Answer: What are beets? Nineteenth-century women in England rinsed their hair in beet juice to give it a red sheen.
He was a legendary actor known for starring in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night.
Answer: Who is Sidney Poitier? He was the first African American man to win a Best Actor Academy Award.
Sir Laurence Olivier opened the National Theatre Company in 1963 in this English capital city.
Answer: What is London? Originally housed in the Old Vic Theatre, the company’s first play was Hamlet, starring Peter O’Toole.
J is for this 1975 hit film about a seaside town beset by a shark.
Answer: What is Jaws? The film is considered the first summer blockbuster, as it attracted an audience of over 67 million people upon release.
Dry ice is made of this element.
Answer: What is carbon dioxide, or CO2? When it melts, it turns to gas, not liquid
This vegetable is full of iron, and its tender leaves are often found in salads.
Answer: What is spinach? During the Great Depression, spinach consumption rose 33 percent.
She was an Australian singer-actress best known for starring in the 1978 film Grease in the role of Sandy Olsson.
Answer: Who is Olivia Newton-John? She almost turned down the role in Grease that launched her career into the stratosphere.
On April 21, 1960, this planned city became the capital of Brazil.
Answer: What is Brasilia? Construction on the grand city included a presidential palace, monumental government buildings, and planned green spaces.
A is for this NASA mission that landed a rover on the moon for the first time.
Answer: What is Apollo 15? In addition to the first lunar rover, the mission broke ground with the first satellite placed in lunar orbit by a crewed spacecraft.
This Nordic country is known as “the land of fire and ice.”
Answer: What is Iceland? The fire part of the moniker comes from the more than 100 active volcanoes in Iceland.
This is a white carrot look-alike.
Answer: What is a parsnip? They’re sweeter when harvested after the first frost.
This Grammy Award–winning performer is known for the songs “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” and “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).” Hint: His stage name is a comfort food.
Answer: Who is Meat Loaf? He was born Marvin Lee Aday.
Picasso’s painting Guernica was displayed in this Spanish capital in 1981 to celebrate his 100th birth anniversary.
Answer: What is Madrid? The painting was returned to Madrid after spending decades on loan to the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
P is for this video game, whose simple design was based on a game of table tennis.
Answer: What is Pong? Pong is considered the first commercially successful video game and was sold as an arcade game as well as a console system.
Most uncontrollable fires are caused by one of these two common, burning items found in the home.
Answer: What are cigarettes or candles? When smoking was more common, fires were often started by people falling asleep in bed with a cigarette. Lit candles are particularly dangerous around pets’ swatting tails and playful paws.
Hardy varieties of scallions, also known by this common name, can survive freezing weather.
Answer: What are green onions? The entire plant is edible—the green sprouts as well as the bulbous root.
This Judd of the family of country singers has a daughter named Wynonna.
Answer: Who is Naomi? She frequently performed with her daughter.