What event served as the catalyst for direct U.S. involvement in WWII
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor
What ancient civilization built The Pyramids at Giza?
The Ancient Egyptians
Tenochtitlan (modern day Mexico City) was the capital city what empire?
The Aztec Empire
Who is the current mayor of Chicago
Brandon Johnson
Who has served as Russia's de facto leader since 1999?
Vladimir Putin
Which US president delivered a series of radio addresses known as “fireside chats” during WWII?
Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)
The English Alphabet (the letters we use to write) got it's symbols from what ancient system?
(Hint: It's the farthest back that modern english characters are easily recognizable)
Latin
(I will accept earlier evolutions Greek or Phoenician for half points and Egyptian for quarter points; Latin got it's system from the Phoenicians with some later Greek mixed in; Phoenicians got many of it's characters from Egyptian hieroglyphs).
What was buried with China's first emperor to protect him in the afterlife.
The Terracotta Army
Excavations are ongoing! Recent estimates from the main 3 pits account for 8,000+ individual soldiers, 130 chariots (pulled by 520 horses), and 150 cavalry statues. In other pits, non-military statues of officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians have been found.
What leader came to power in Cuba after the Cuban Revolution?
Fidel Castro
What Noble Prize winner spent 27 years imprisoned during the anti-apartheid revolution of South Africa, only to serve as the nation's first Black President years later?
Nelson Mandela
What amendment abolished slavery in the United States? (except for as punishment for a crime)
The 13th Amendment
The Peloponnesian War was fought by what 2 powers?
Athens and Sparta (and their respective alliances)
What country did Haiti gain its independence from in 1804?
France
Who is the current president of China?
Xi Jinping
William Westmoreland was the commander of United States forces for what war?
What was the first permanent English settlement in North America?
Jamestown, Virginia
The Code of Hammurabi was a set of 282 laws that governed what ancient empire?
The Babylonian Empire
Which major Japanese city was once known as Edo?
Tokyo
What space shuttle exploded during it's launch sequence in 1986, killing all seven crew members onboard (including a teacher).
Challenger
Which female scientist is known for discovering DNA's helix structure?
Rosalind Franklin
What was the name of the theater where Abraham Lincoln was shot?
Ford's Theater
What was the first (well) recorded battle in history?
The Battle of Kadesh (Egypt v. Hittites)
What country was ruled by Pol Pot until he was overthrown by the Vietnamese army in 1979?
Cambodia
Who was the former computer intelligence consultant, turned whistleblower against the National Security Agency (NSA)?
Edward Snowden
The political pamphlet Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule, was written by who in 1909?
(Hint: it was a foundational text of the Indian independence movement)
Mahatma Gandhi