Autumn Traditions
Where does the tradition of carving pumpkins come from? (BONUS: what do they typically carve in Europe?)
Mocking/scaring away spirits of evil and despair as the weather changes color.
How old are the oldest stone tools to date?
3.3 million years old
Who created the Julian Calendar (the one we use today) in the 1st century BC?
Julius Caesar (and the Emperor Augustus)
What name describes the sea-faring raiders originally from Scandinavia who posed a large threat to any community near the water during the years AD 800-1000?
Vikings
What is the name of the princess who was rumored to have escaped murder of the Romanov family in the Russian Revolution?
Princess Anastasia
What autumn holiday was adapted from the traditional Catholic All Saints' and All Souls days? (Hint: it was combined with indigenous practices)
Dia de los Muertos!
How old is the oldest musical instrument?
30,000-40,000 years old, found in Southern Germany
What is the largest empire in history?
The British Empire :(
How many wives did King Henry VIII have? (double points if you can list their names or what happened to them)
Six! (Catherine of Aragon divorced, Anne Boleyn beheaded, Jane Seymour died, Anne of Cleves divorced, Catherine Howard beheaded, Catherine Parr survived)
What war of the 20th century had the fewest casualties?
The Cold War
What does the 5th of November represent in England?
Bonfire Night; a memorial of the Gunpowder Plot where people burn effigies of Guy Fawkes
Where is the oldest archaeological site in North America?
Virginia (Cactus Hill; 18,000 to 20,000 years old)
What was King Hammurabi known for? (Babylonian Empire)
He created the Code of Hammurabi, the first laws based around morality in known history.
What common historical profession most associated with the middle ages do the words jongleur, jogleor, joculator, sot, stultor, scurra, fou, fol, truhan, mimus, histrio, and morio all describe?
Court Jester
What country was the infamous Tank Man photographed in? (Double points if you tell me which conflict it was from)
China, in the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.
What modern-day autumn festival is referenced by Emperor Harsha in the 7th Century sanskrit play Nagananda, as Dīpapratipadotsava (dīpa = light, pratipadā = first day, utsava = festival), where lamps were lit and newly engaged brides and grooms received gifts.
Diwali
Where is the oldest mine in the Americas?
Wisconsin
Who founded the Roman Empire?
King Romulus
Which colonial empires appeared in the 17th century? (Hint: it's not the most obvious ones)
Dutch and French
Which country initiated the Suez Crisis by seizing control of the Suez Canal in 1956? (Hint: it was right after their war for independence)
Israel
What did Oktoberfest originally celebrate?
The marriage of the Crown Prince of Bavaria (later known as Louis I) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.
What is the Nebra Sky Disk?
The oldest depiction of the night sky from anywhere in the world, which is a painted bronze disk dated between 18000-16000 BCE.
When Plato announced the definition of 'Man' as a "featherless biped," what did Diogenes of Sinope do?
He unleashed a plucked chicken in Plato's school and said "Behold! A man."
What was the main religion of the Mongol Empire?
Mongols were traditionally Buddhist or followed a form of shamanism, though they were also very tolerant of different religions.
Name the first four countries who were a part of the Allies in WW1.
Russia, France, Belgium, and Great Britain.