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100
What bacterial infection fighting drug did Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming create by discovering mold which held antibiotic properties?
Penicillin
It's one of the most famous discovery stories in history. In 1928, the Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming noticed a bacteria-filled Petri dish in his laboratory with its lid accidentally ajar. The sample had become contaminated with a mold, and everywhere the mold was, the bacteria was dead. That antibiotic mold turned out to be the fungus Penicillium, and over the next two decades, chemists purified it and developed the drug penicillin, which fights a huge number of bacterial infections in humans without harming the humans themselves.
100
What day is Tax Day on every year?
April 15th
Traffic accidents increase significantly on or around April 15th, so watch out for frantic drivers making a beeline for the post office! The Federal income tax filing deadline is midnight on April 15th of every year, with extensions occurring when the 15th lands on a Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday. In those circumstances, the returns are due the first succeeding day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday.
100
What is the largest library in the world?
The Library of Congress
The Library of Congress provides Congress with objective research to inform the legislative process, administers the national copyright system, and manages the largest collection of books, legal materials, films, maps, sheet music and, recordings, photographs and manuscripts in the world. The collection includes millions cataloged books and other print materials in 470 languages; millions of manuscripts; the largest rare book collection in North America.
100
What is the name of this famous New York City landmark which was gifted to the United States by the French?
The Statue of Liberty
"The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World" was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. It was also meant to celebrate the abolition of slavery following the U.S. Civil War. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886. It was designated as a National Monument in 1924.
100
This legendary creature has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead.
Unicorn
In European literature and art, the unicorn has for the last thousand years or so been depicted as a white horse-like or goat-like animal with a long straight horn with spiralling grooves, cloven hooves, and sometimes a goat's beard. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it was commonly described as an extremely wild woodland creature, a symbol of purity and grace, which could be captured only by a virgin. In encyclopedias, its horn was described as having the power to render poisoned water potable and to heal sickness. In medieval and Renaissance times, the tusk of the narwhal was sometimes sold as a unicorn horn.
200
True or False: The Viking who discovered Greenland was Sven the Blue.
False, it was Erik the Red!
The Norwegian Erik the Red, a Viking warrior and explorer, visited Greenland in 982 CE, the first known European to do so. He is credited for giving the country its name 'green land'. His son Leif Eriksson is credited in history as the first Viking to discover North America.
200
True or False: Americans submit their taxes to the FBI every year.
False, they are submitted to the IRS!
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory tax law. It is an agency of the Department of the Treasury and led by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, who is appointed to a five-year term by the President of the United States. The duties of the IRS include providing tax assistance to taxpayers; pursuing and resolving instances of erroneous or fraudulent tax filings; and overseeing various benefits programs, including the Affordable Care Act.
200
True or False: The Guinness Book of World Records is the most stolen book from public libraries.
True!
Guinness World Records is a reference book published each year. It has a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. The book itself holds a world record, as the best-selling copyrighted book series yet made. It is also one of the most often stolen books from public libraries in the United States. Another stolen book, apparently, thieves missed the "Thou shalt not steal" part of the Ten Commandments. According to experts, the Bible is the most commonly stolen book.
200
What is the name of this famous historical landmark depicting 4 United States presidents carved into the side of a mountain? Where is it located?
The Mount Rushmore National Memorial located in South Dakota.
Symbolizing the ideals of freedom and democracy, it is a tribute to four presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln and their invaluable contributions to the United States. Mount Rushmore National Memorial represents not only the past, but also a promise for the future. It is a place surrounded by American history, where the names of Gutzon Borglum and Crazy Horse are still heard; where the buffalo once again run free in Custer State Park and the vision of the Keystone miners still cast a dim shadow on long deserted claims.
200
This magical legendary creature appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide, often depicted as winged, horned and capable of breathing fire.
Dragon
Dragons in eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, four-legged, serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence. Commonalities between dragons' traits are often a hybridization of feline, reptilian, mammalian, and avian features. Some scholars believe large extinct or migrating crocodiles bear the closest resemblance, especially when encountered in forested or swampy areas, and are most likely the template of modern Asian dragon imagery.
300
What was the first spacecraft to land on the moon?
a. Apollo 11
b. Apollo 8
c. Gemini 2
d. Sputnik
b. Apollo 11
Apollo 11 landed on the moon on July 20, 1969, the first spacecraft to do so. After four days traveling to the Moon, the Lunar Module Eagle, carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon. Neil Armstrong exited the spacecraft and became the first human to walk on the moon. As an estimated 650 million people watched, Armstrong proclaimed "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
300
Who would you hire to help file your taxes?
a. Investment Banker
b. Accountant
c. Cost-Effective Cowboy
d. Management Consultant
b. Accountant
Cahan & Sun (2015) used archival study to find out that accountants' personal characteristics may exert a very significant impact during the audit process and further influence audit fees and audit quality. Practitioners have been portrayed in popular culture by the stereotype of the humorless, introspective bean-counter. It has been suggested that the stereotype has an influence on those attracted to the profession with many new entrants underestimating the importance of communication skills and overestimating the importance of numeracy in the role.
300
What does ISBD stand for?
a. International Standard Bibliographic Description
b. Interactive Supervision of Book Department
c. Internal Subjects of Bill Discretion
d. Interesting Scribblements of Bibiomaniacal Delights
a. International Standard Bibliographic Description
The International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD) is a set of rules produced by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) to create a bibliographic description in a standard, human-readable form, especially for use in a bibliography or a library catalog.
300
This observation tower is the icon of a certain city in Washington with a rotating restaurant just below the observation deck.
The Space Needle in Seattle
The design for the Space Needle is inspired by a flying saucer, symbolizing and dramatizing Space Age architecture. The Committee Hoping for Extra-Terrestrial Encounters to Save the Earth (CHEESE) claims to have plans from the 1962 World’s Fair that show the Space Needle was constructed to send transmissions to advanced beings in other solar systems. As well as this, apparently the first Space Needle Manager, Hoge Sullivan, had acrophobia, a fear of heights!
300
This immortal bird cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again as it rises from the ashes of its predecessor.
Phoenix
Phoenix, in ancient Egypt and in Classical antiquity, a fabulous bird associated with the worship of the sun. The Egyptian phoenix was said to be as large as an eagle, with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry. Only one phoenix existed at any time, and it was very long-lived—no ancient authority gave it a life span of less than 500 years. As its end approached, the phoenix fashioned a nest of aromatic boughs and spices, set it on fire, and was consumed in the flames. From the pyre miraculously sprang a new phoenix, which, after embalming its father’s ashes in an egg of myrrh, flew with the ashes to Heliopolis (“City of the Sun”) in Egypt, where it deposited them on the altar in the temple of the Egyptian god of the sun, Re.
400
What scientific theory was Charles Darwin the architect of through his discoveries about the animals on the Galapagos Islands?
Bonus: What was marine biologist Jacques Cousteau known for inventing through his research and exploring?
The Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection
The theory of natural selection was explored by 19th-century naturalist Charles Darwin. Natural selection explains how genetic traits of a species may change over time. This may lead to speciation, the formation of a distinct new species.
Bonus: With his partner Emile Gagnan, Cousteau created the Aqualung, a self-contained system that made it possible to breathe for long periods of time underwater.
400
During which war did the United States begin taxing personal incomes in order to raise money?
The Civil War
In 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed a bill that imposed a 3% tax on incomes between $600 and $10,000 and a 5% tax on higher incomes. The law was amended in 1864 to levy a tax of 5% on incomes between $600 and $5,000, a 7.5% tax on incomes in the $5,000-$10,000 range and a 10% tax on everything higher. The law was repealed in 1872 and declared to be unconstitutional.
400
Describe the following genres of books:
1. Biography
2. Non-Fiction
3. Self-Help
4. Graphic Novel
1. A detailed description of a person's life.
2. Any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to convey information only about the real world, rather than being grounded in imagination.
3. Written with the intention to instruct its readers on solving personal problems.
4. A long-form work of sequential art, typically distinct from comic books.
What is your favorite type of book?
400
Also known as "The Bean" this mirrored landmark is a popular sight and photo opportunity which reflects the city's skyline.
Cloud Gate in Chicago, Illinois!
The Bean’s reflective surface was inspired by liquid mercury. This shiny exterior reflects the people moving around the park, the lights of Michigan Avenue, and the surrounding skyline and green space — perfectly encapsulating the Millennium Park experience. The polished surface also invites visitors to touch the surface and observe their own reflection, giving it an interactive quality. The reflection of the sky above the park, not to mention the curved underside of The Bean serves as an entrance that visitors can walk under to enter the park, inspired the sculpture’s creator to name the piece Cloud Gate.
400
Spoken of in Greek and Roman mythology, this creature is known for having gigantic proportions, especially when it comes to his enormous singular eye.
Cyclops
The Cyclopes were known for their great strength, and also their ability of craftsmanship. They created Zeus' lightning bolts, in return for freeing them, while he was fighting the Titans. They also forged Poseidon's trident. They were also known for going around eating humans. They worked as Hephaestus helpers under the volcano Etna making Zeus's lightning, but were killed by Apollo as revenge for Zeus's killing his son Asclepius. Cyclopes are also very well known for their powerful resistance to fire.
500
What did the following explorers map out which helped to connect the world?
1. Ferdinand Magellan
2. Marco Polo
3. Amerigo Vespucci
4. Lewis, Clark and Sacagawea
1. Explorer for Portugal, and later Spain, who discovered the Strait of Magellan while leading the first expedition to successfully circumnavigate the globe.
2. Traveled throughout China and wrote a book about his travels and discoveries which helped establish trade routes between China and Europe.
3. Discovered present-day Rio de Janeiro and Rio de la Plata. Believing he had discovered a new continent, he called South America the New World. In 1507, America was named after him.
4. Mapped uncharted land, rivers, and mountains. They brought back journals filled with details about Native American tribes and scientific notes about plants and animals they'd never seen before.
500
What are the three main things which are taxed in the United States?
Income, Property, Goods and Services
Most U.S. states charge a state sales tax, but some do not. However, states without a sales tax or an income tax may add or raise other taxes to make up for the deficit, such as implementing higher property tax rates. Finally, most governments that levy taxes charge different percentages based upon the amount of income or type of goods being taxed. For example, a person who makes $40k a year may pay 12% in income taxes while their next-door neighbor, who makes $200k, pays 25% or more. Similarly, sales of basic needs such as groceries are typically taxed at a much lower rate than sales of luxury items such as tobacco products or a new car.
500
What is the Dewey Decimal System?
A proprietary library classification system which allows new books to be added to a library in their appropriate location based on subject.
It was first published in the United States by Melvil Dewey in 1876. Originally described in a 44-page pamphlet, it has been expanded to multiple volumes and revised through 23 major editions, the latest printed in 2011. The decimal number classification introduced the concepts of relative location and relative index. Libraries previously had given books permanent shelf locations that were related to the order of acquisition rather than topic. The classification's notation makes use of three-digit numbers for main classes, with fractional decimals allowing expansion for further detail.
500
Measuring 41 feet in circumference and weighing 17,000 pounds, this quirky monument is located almost directly in the middle of the United States.
The World's Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, Kansas!
Mention Kansas and one of the first things anyone will talk about is the Ball of Twine. People may give a chuckle when the Ball of Twine is mentioned, but curiosity gets them best of them and they to go see it. The Ball of Twine is also part of the most highly debated topic in the arena of the world's largest things. Which town does have the world's largest ball of twine? Cawker City Kansas wins the debate if you're looking for the World's Largest Ball of Sisal Twine still growing! Frank Stoeber started winding twine December 24, 1953 on his farm and soon neighbor farmers started bringing their twine to him.
500
First depicted in Greek mythology, this mythical creature is known for being "part man and part bull", dwelling at the center of a large labyrinth.
Minotaur!
As the unnatural offspring of a woman and a beast, the Minotaur had no natural source of nourishment and thus devoured humans for sustenance. Ruler Minos, following advice from the oracle at Delphi, had the craftsman Daedalus construct a gigantic Labyrinth to hold the Minotaur. Many brave warriors were sent to fight the minotaur, famously written of and depicted in old and new media.