Eh, Canada!
This body of water separates Vancouver Island from the British Columbia mainland and shares its name with a famous English explorer.
What is the Strait of Georgia?
Before Humphrey Bogart made it iconic, this legendary 1942 romantic drama set in Morocco originally considered Ronald Reagan and Hedy Lamarr for its lead roles.
What is Casablanca?
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson made this massive real estate deal with France, doubling the size of the United States—even though he wasn't entirely sure if the Constitution allowed him to buy it.
Who is Louisiana Purchase?
Composed in 1924 by George Gershwin, this iconic jazz-age orchestral composition famously begins with a thrilling, wailing clarinet glissando.
What is Rhapsody in Blue?
Named after the Danish physicist who developed it, this atomic model depicts electrons orbiting a central nucleus like tiny planets around a sun.
What is the Bohr model?
Spanning two provinces, this massive 2.3-million-hectare park is the largest national park entirely contained within the Canadian Rockies.
What is Jasper National Park?
This critically acclaimed 1950 film noir starred Gloria Swanson as a forgotten silent-film star living in a fantasy world with her former director, played by Erich von Stroheim.
What is Sunset Boulevard?
In 1932, the Australian military was deployed for a bizarre "war" against thousands of these large, flightless native birds that were destroying wheat crops—and the birds actually won.
What are emus (The Great Emu War)?
Born Reginald Dwight, this British piano-rock legend dominated the charts from the 1970s onward with hits like "Rocket Man" and "Your Song."
Who is Elton John?
Discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898, this highly radioactive chemical element glows with a faint blue light in the dark.
What is radium?
Flowing north into the Arctic Ocean, this river is the longest river system in Canada, stretching over 4,000 kilometers through the Northwest Territories.
What is the Mackenzie River?
Orson Welles' masterpiece Citizen Kane features a mysterious dying word that sets off a reporter's investigation. What was that word?
What is "Rosebud"?
In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. Critics at the time mocked the snowy region with this frosty nickname.
What is "Seward's Folly" (or Seward's Icebox)?
This legendary jazz trumpeter and vocalist, nicknamed "Satchmo," recorded the definitive 1964 version of "Hello, Dolly!" which knocked the Beatles off the top of the charts.
Who is Louis Armstrong?
This fundamental geological theory, heavily advanced in the mid-20th century by scientists like Alfred Wegener, explains how Earth's outer shell is divided into several plates that glide over the mantle.
What is plate tectonics (or continental drift)?
Before Confederation, this historic 1832 fortification project in Ontario was built to provide a secure supply route between Montreal and Kingston.
What is the Rideau Canal?
Holding the record for the most Academy Award nominations for a single performance until recent decades, this legendary actress played the sharp-tongued aging actress Margo Channing in All About Eve.
Who is Bette Davis?
In 1899, a multi-millionaire horse breeder tried to launch an early electric car company, but it was an absolute disaster because the vehicles had a range of only 25 miles and weighed over 7,000 pounds. What was the name of the billionaire?
Who is William K. Vanderbilt? (Alternative or classic blunder: The 1904 Olympic Marathon in St. Louis where the winner hitched a ride in a car for 11 miles).
Before she was a Motown legend, Diana Ross got her start fronting this legendary 1960s vocal group that scored twelve number-one pop hits.
Who are The Supremes?
Formulated by Gregor Mendel through his mid-19th-century pea plant experiments, this biological law states that allele pairs separate during gamete formation and randomly unite at fertilization.
What is the Law of Segregation?
This Canadian geographical feature—a massive ancient shield of exposed Precambrian rock—covers roughly what percentage of the country's total land area: 30%, 50%, or nearly 60%?
What is nearly 60% (specifically around 50-60% / The Canadian Shield)
In 1939's The Wizard of Oz, this actor who played the Tin Man had to be replaced mid-production after suffering a severe allergic reaction to the aluminum dust used in his makeup.
Who is Buddy Ebsen? (Note: Jack Haley finished the role).
During the California Gold Rush, many miners sent their dirty laundry all the way across the Pacific Ocean to be washed because it was cheaper than doing it locally in this unexpected place.
What is Hawaii? (Or Hong Kong/China depending on the shipping route—though Hawaii and China are the classic answers). Let's use: What is Hong Kong/China (shipped across the Pacific)?
This Canadian jazz pianist and vocalist from British Columbia has won multiple Grammy Awards and shares a birthdate with music history, having released globally charting albums like When I Look in Your Eyes.
Who is Diana Krall?
In astronomy, this boundary surrounding a black hole marks the point of no return, beyond which the gravitational pull becomes so strong that even light cannot escape.
What is the event horizon?