Enormous Things
Almanac Says
Where in the World?
Random Trivia
Potpourri
100

This is the largest metropolitan area in Mexico.

Answer: What is Mexico City? 

Its population is 24.7 million people. With more people than New York City, it’s the largest city in North America.

100

January is a great month to wipe the leaves of indoor plants with water that is this temperature

Answer: What is lukewarm?

It’s also wise to check your houseplants for bugs when you wipe the leaves.

100

This country’s flag is known as the “Stars and Stripes.”

Answer: What is the United States? 

The 50-star flag was designed as a high school project. Discussions were ongoing about bringing Alaska and Hawaii into the union, and student Bob Heft designed the flag in anticipation of their admission. He was given a B– for his efforts.

100

Which playwright is known for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof?

Answer: Tennessee Williams. 

Williams’ own father was the inspiration for Big Daddy’s character in the play.

100

What candy bar has used slogans like “Don’t let hunger happen to you” and “You’re not you when you’re hungry”?

Answer: Snickers. 

According to the brand’s website, the first Snickers bars were sold in Chicago in 1930 for five cents apiece.

200

This country has the largest landmass in the world.

Answer: What is Russia? 

It covers more than 6.6 million square miles and 11 time zones, so imagine doing business across the entire nation.

200

A cat was once elected mayor in this U.S. state—the final state to be admitted to the union.

Answer: What is Alaska? 

In 1997, a yellow tabby named Stubbs was elected mayor of Talkeetna.

200

This country’s capital city is Cairo.

Answer: What is Egypt? 

The Egyptians are building a new capital city 30 miles from Cairo to ease congestion in the city. It is known as the New Administrative Capital, or NAC, and features skyscrapers, light rail, and a park twice the size of New York City’s Central Park. The government began relocating to the NAC in 2022.

200

Who holds the Guinness World Record for the most career goals in soccer?

Answer: Pelé. 

The record-setting 1,279 goals were scored across 1,363 games.

200

Carolyn Keene, a pen name used by several authors, wrote which series of children’s mystery novels?  

Answer: The Nancy Drew novels. 

The first person to use the pen name was Mildred Wirt Benson.

300

This is the largest cold desert in the world.

Answer: What is Antarctica? 

The polar desert covers the entire continent, and it’s also the coldest desert in the world. Experts suspect that some inland areas of Antarctica have not had rain for 14 million years.

300

After the new moon, you’ll see a sliver of the moon shaped like this.

Answer: What is crescent? 

The crescent, when it appears on the bottom of the moon, looks like a smile. You’ll never spot the crescent moon when it’s dark; you’ll see it only during dawn and dusk.

300

This country, which lies at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, has a “cotton castle.”

Answer: What is Turkey?

Pamukkale (puh-MOO-kayl), which translates to “cotton castle,” is not a building; it’s a natural area of hot springs and thermal pools that includes a five-square?mile area of fluffy-looking white calcite rocks. Pamukkale has been designated a World Heritage Site.

300

What creature is featured on the Welsh flag?

Answer: A dragon. 

Adopted in 1959, the flag features a white-and-green background behind a fiery red dragon that has been a symbol of the country since the 1400s.

300

In what modern-day country is Machu Picchu located?

Answer: Peru. 

These Inca ruins were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

400

We measure travel time across vast distances of space using this unit of measure.

Answer: What is a light-year? 

NASA defines a light-year as “the distance light can travel in one Earth year.”

400

This is why George Washington rarely smiled, aside from the fact that he was a somber man.

Answer: What is his teeth were bad? 

Washington suffered from dental problems his entire adult life. He did wear false teeth, but they were not wooden. One set of his dentures was carved from hippopotamus ivory.

400

This Pacific Rim country has 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes that measure 6.0 or higher on the Richter scale.

Answer: What is Japan? 

It’s also the country with the densest seismic network in the world.

400

Which U.S. national park is known for its geysers, including one called Old Faithful?

Answer: Yellowstone.

The incredible park has over 10,000 hydrothermal features, including geysers and hot springs.

400

The Netherlands once banned the wearing of what color?

Answer: Orange. 

The color, which is associated with William of Orange, was banned in the 1700s in an attempt to prevent rebellion.

500

The largest aircraft ever made of wood was commonly known by this name.

Answer: What is Spruce Goose? 

It was built by Howard Hughes during World War II and was made of wood because of a shortage of metal. Known also as Hughes’ Flying Boat, its only flight lasted for 30 seconds, and the craft reached an altitude of 30 feet

500

Do this with refrigerated flower bulbs during January if conditions allow.

Answer: What is plant them? 

If the ground is still frozen, wait until you can lift the soil to plant them. Top the bulbs with mulch after covering them with soil.

500

One-third of all foreign nurses in the United States come from this country.

Answer: What is the Philippines? 

Filipinos make up one-quarter of all overseas nurses worldwide.

500

Nelson Mandela, the politician and social activist, was born in what nation?

Answer: South Africa. 

Among his accomplishments was a Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

500

Which ocean creature has three hearts, blue blood, and eight limbs?

Answer: The octopus. 

Octopus fossils have been found dating back as far as 296 million years ago.

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