Spring Fling
Vive la France
For the Birds
Weather
Hodge Podge
100
What is the first day of spring also known as?
vernal equinox or spring equinox
On the vernal equinox the day and the night are equal lengths
100
What are the colors that appear on the flag of France?
Blue, White, and Red
100
What are these colorful birds, who are sometime associated with pirates?
Parrots (or scarlet macaw parrots)
There are 398 species of parrots.
100
During a thunder storm what happens first, thunder or lightning?
Lightning
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack.
100
Who married Marilyn Monroe on January 14th, 1954?
Joe DiMaggio
The union was troubled from the start by DiMaggio's jealousy and controlling attitude. After returning from New York City to Hollywood in October 1954, Monroe filed for divorce from DiMaggio after only nine months of marriage. After the divorce DiMaggio underwent therapy, stopped drinking alcohol, and expanded his interests beyond baseball.
200
In what month does spring begin?
March
Astronomically speaking, the first day of spring falls on March 19, 20, or 21 every year.
200
What famous statue was a gift from the French to America?
The Statue of Liberty
The statue is a figure of Libertas, a robed Roman liberty goddess. She holds a torch above her head with her right hand, and in her left hand carries a tabula ansata inscribed with July 4, 1776 in Roman numerals. A broken shackle and chain lie at her feet as she walks forward, commemorating the recent national abolition of slavery. After its dedication, the statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, seen as a symbol of welcome to immigrants arriving by sea.
200
What is this large beaked bird found in Central and South America?
Toucan
Toucans are highly social and most occur in groups of up to 20 or more birds for most of the time. Pairs may retire from the groups during the breeding season, then return with their offspring after the breeding season. Larger groups may form during irruptions, migration or around a particularly large fruiting tree.
200
Breeze and gale describe the speed of what?
Wind
The general terms that differentiate winds of different average speeds are: a breeze, a gale, a storm, or a hurricane. Within the Beaufort scale, gale-force winds lie between 28 knots (52 km per hour) and 55 knots (102 km per hour)
200
What amendment to the U.S. Constitution ended prohibition?
The 21st Amendment
The Twenty-first Amendment was proposed by the 72nd Congress on February 20, 1933, and was ratified by the requisite number of states on December 5, 1933. It effectively repealed the 18th amendment and ended alcohol prohibition.
300
In what country do they traditionally hold a cherry blossom festival to mark the start of springtime?
Japan
Hanami, or the Cherry Blossom Festival, is celebrated all over Japan when thousands of locals and tourists alike descend on popular viewing spots, gardens, and parks to view the blossoms. Picnics, food stalls, drinking, and songs are all part of the celebrations.
300
Who is credited with the quote "Let them eat cake"
Queen Marie Antoinette
As the story goes, "Let them eat cake" was the queen’s response upon being told that her starving peasant subjects had no bread. Because cake is more expensive than bread, the anecdote has been cited as an example of Marie-Antoinette’s obliviousness to the conditions and daily lives of ordinary people.
300
What is this red bird that can be found in America?
Cardinal
The cardinal is a territorial song bird. The male sings in a loud, clear whistle from the top of a tree or another high location to defend his territory. He will chase off other males entering his territory. He may mistake his image on various reflective surfaces as an invading male, and will fight his reflection relentlessly.
300
What do you call a scientist that studies weather?
meteorologist
Meteorologists work in government agencies, private consulting and research services, industrial enterprises, utilities, radio and television stations, and in education. They are not to be confused with weather presenters, who present the weather forecast in the media and range in training from journalists having just minimal training in meteorology to full fledged meteorologists.
300
Who was the first African American player in Major League Baseball?
Jackie Robinson
During his 10-year MLB career, Robinson won the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, was an All-Star for six consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1954, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949—the first black player so honored
400
What animal predicts if spring will arrive early by looking for it's shadow?
Groundhog
Groundhog Day derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat to its den, and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow because of cloudiness, spring will arrive early.
400
What is the French dish consisting of cooked snails?
Escargot
In French cuisine, snails are typically purged, killed, shelled, and cooked (usually with garlic butter, chicken stock or wine), and then placed back into the shells with the butter and sauce for serving
400
What is this large flightless bird that can be found in Africa?
Ostrich
The common ostrich's diet consists mainly of plant matter, though it also eats invertebrates and small reptiles. It lives in nomadic groups of 5 to 50 birds. When threatened, the ostrich will either hide itself by lying flat against the ground or run away. If cornered, it can attack with a kick of its powerful legs.
400
What is the term for a very heavy snow storm with strong winds?
A Blizzard
The difference between a blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind, not the amount of snow. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have sustained winds or frequent gusts that are greater than or equal to 35 mph with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to a quarter mile or less and must last for a prolonged period of time—typically three hours or more.
400
Who were the "big 3" countries in the Allies during World War 2?
The United States, the U.K., and the Soviet Union
It is also often called the "Strange Alliance", because it united the leaders of the world's greatest capitalist state (the United States), the greatest socialist state (the Soviet Union) and the greatest colonial power (the United Kingdom).
500
Do days get longer or shorter in the springtime?
longer
During early spring, the axis of the Earth is increases its tilt towards the Sun, and the length of daylight rapidly increases for the relevant hemisphere. The hemisphere begins to warm significantly, causing new plant growth to "spring forth," giving the season its name.
500
What is the name of the famous Paris art museum that houses the Mona Lisa?
the Louvre Museum
The Louvre became a public museum during the French Revolution. In May 1791, the National Constituent Assembly declared that the Louvre would be "a place for bringing together monuments of all the sciences and arts"
500
What is this bird, who is associated with delivering babies?
Stork
German folklore held that storks found babies in caves or marshes and brought them to households in a basket on their backs or held in their beaks. The babies would then be given to the mother or dropped down the chimney. Households would notify when they wanted children by placing sweets for the stork on the window sill.
500
What is the term for the amount of moisture in the air?
Humidity
The most humid cities on earth are generally located closer to the equator, near coastal regions. Cities in parts of Asia and Oceania are among the most humid. Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, and Singapore have very high humidity most or all year round because of their proximity to water bodies and the equator and often overcast weather.
500
Who was the actor who starred in "Rebel Without a Cause"?
James Dean
The other two roles that defined his stardom were loner Cal Trask in "East of Eden" (1955) and surly ranch hand Jett Rink in "Giant" (1956).