Oh Canada
X
Two Word Country Names
This N That
Through the Ages
Notable May Events
100
This is the capital city of Canada.
What is Ottawa?
Ottawa was chosen as the capital for its location, which was perceived as neutral and less likely to cause conflict between English and French-speaking communities.
100
This short two letter word might refer to a former boyfriend or girlfriend
What is your Ex?
Studies on breakups show that people frequently default to thinking about exes, especially when feeling lonely, bored, or stressed out.
100
America won its independence from this two word nation in 1776
What is the United Kingdom?
At St. Martins Theatre in the West End in London, the world’s longest-running show is being played. Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap has been running since 1952, which means that the show has been running for more than 70 years now.
100
He plays the lead character, Tony, in 1977's Saturday Night Fever.
Who is John Travolta?
He practiced rigorously for the film's iconic dance scenes and personally oversaw the editing of his solo dance sequence.
100
Tom Brokaw called the people who contributed to this war effort “The Greatest Generation.”
What is World War II?
Seven U.S. Presidents were members of this generation, starting with John F. Kennedy and ending with George H.W. Bush.
100
May 27, 1937 - In San Francisco, 200,000 people celebrated the grand opening of this bridge by strolling across it.
What is the Golden Gate Bridge?
The architect Irving Morrow chose its signature color, International Orange, to complement the natural landscape while making the bridge highly visible in thick fog.
200
This famous waterfall lies on the border between Canada and the United States.
What is Niagara Falls?
Niagara Falls has stopped flowing completely on two occasions in recorded history: once due to a freak natural ice jam in 1848, and again in 1969 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intentionally diverted the water to study the cliffside and manage erosion
200
This luxury car brands biggest competition are Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Cadillac.
What is Lexus?
Lexus, Toyota's luxury division, was founded in 1989. Originally planned as "Alexis," the name was shortened to Lexus to avoid pop-culture confusion with a character in the hit 1980s TV show Dynasty.
200
This island nation is located off the eastern coast of Australia.
What is New Zealand?
Thanks to its narrow, elongated geography, you can never be more than 128 km (about 80 miles) from the ocean anywhere in the country.
200
The United States Air Force Academy is located in this city
What is Colorado Springs?
the U.S. Air Force Academy is the youngest of the U.S. military academies, having been established in 1954.
200
Members of this generation were born roughly between 1965 and 1980.
What is Generation X (or Gen X)?
They were called “latchkey kids” because many mothers entered the workforce, and the kids came home to an empty house after school.
200
This Mexican holiday, celebrated every year on May 5th, honors an unlikely victory over the French.
What is Cinco De Mayo?
The Mexican army, though outnumbered and poorly equipped, managed to defeat the French at the Battle of Puebla. Though many American's believe Cinco De Mayo to be the equivalent of the 4th of July, the event is much more similar to the Alamo than Independence day.
300
Head far up north to the Yukon Territory in Canada to get a great view of the vibrant colors displayed during this natural light show.
What is the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis?
The name "Aurora Borealis" combines "Aurora," the Roman goddess of dawn, and "Borealis," the Greek name for the north wind.
300
This is the second book in the bible
What is Exodus?
Book of Exodus is where the Ten Commandments are first given, in Exodus chapter 20.
300
The worlds first heart transplant was performed in this two word African nation 1967
What is South Africa?
The largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found (3,106 carats) was discovered near Pretoria in 1905. It was eventually cut to form parts of the British Crown Jewels.
300
This instrument is used in submarines to view objects at the surface of the water
What is a periscope?
Simon Lake, a pioneer of early submarine technology, patented an improved rotating periscope in 1903 that he called the omniscope, which allowed viewers to scan the entire horizon.
300
This descriptor is given to people who reach 100 years of age
What is a centenarian?
Being active, even just a few hours a week, can help people live longer. Many people who live to 100 stay active through everyday activities like walking or gardening
300
On May 2nd, 1946, an escape attempt from this notoriously inescapable maximum-security prison, on an island in San Francisco Bay, escalated into a firefight and a siege of one of the cellhouses.
What is Alcatraz?
After 48 hours of the so-called battle of Alcatraz, more than a dozen people were injured and five dead: two officers and three of the escaping prisoners.
400
Canada produces 75-80% of the world’s supply of this food item, commonly used for breakfast.
What is Maple Syrup?
91% of the maple syrup produced by Canada is produced in Quebec.
400
The X is silent in this French word for fake
What is Faux?
Some examples of how we use this word in English are "Faux fur" (synthetic fur), "faux leather" (imitation leather), "faux pas" (a false step or social mistake).
400
This enclave within Italy is the smallest recognized country in the world
What is Vatican City?
Because it attracts millions of tourists annually while having a tiny resident population, the Vatican mathematically logs the highest crime rate per capita globally (mostly petty pickpocketing).
400
This is the number of red and white stripes found on the American flag.
What is Thirteen?
When Vermont and Kentucky joined the Union, Congress added two extra stripes and two stars. ealizing that adding a new stripe for every state would ruin the flag's proportions, Congress passed the Flag Act of 1818. It permanently reverted the stripes to 13 and stipulated that new states would be represented by adding stars.
400
Generation Y follows Generation X and is often referred to by this name
Who are Millennials?
Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials entered adulthood during major economic downturns and faced far higher housing and education costs compared with previous generations.
400
On May 29th, 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Napalese Sherpa Tanzig Norgay became the first people to do this.
What is climb Mount Everest?
Hillary and Tenzing spend only 15 minutes at the top, reaching the summit of Everest at around 11.30am. That was enough time to bury some sweets and biscuits in the ice and for the New Zealander to have “no choice but to urinate”.
500
Widely considered to be the best professional hockey player of all time, this Canadian played for the Edmonton Oilers from 1979-1988, winning four Stanley Cup victories during that time.
Who is Wayne Gretzky?
He was ice skating by the age of two years and ten months, and was already playing against older kids when he was just six years old.
500
This is a percussion instrument featuring wooden bars tuned to pitches and arranged in a scale, which are struck with mallets to produce sound.
What is a Xylophone?
The colorful, miniature xylophones found in many toy chests are modeled after a cousin instrument called the glockenspiel, which features metal bars instead of wood.
500
On January 1, 1993, The nation of Czechoslovakia ceased to exist when it peacefully separated into the nations of Slovakia and this country
What is the Czech Republic?
The Czech Republic officially adopted Czechia as its short English name in 2016. The government approved the single-word name to make it easier for international use, similar to how "France" is used instead of "the French Republic".
500
This is the boiling point of water in Celcius.
What is 100°C?
The Celsius temperature scale, often called centigrade, is a metric system scale where 0°C represents the freezing point of water and 100°C represents its boiling point.
500
The 50th wedding anniversary is often called this
What is golden anniversary?
Gold is chosen for its rarity, value, and ability to withstand the test of time without tarnishing, representing a marriage that has flourished through decades.
500
On May 13th, 1981, this pope survived an assassination attempt in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
Who is Pope John Paul II?
The Pope visited his shooter, Mehmet Ali Ağca, in prison in 1983, offering him personal forgiveness.
600
The CN Tower, located in this Canadian city, held the record for the world's tallest free-standing structure for 32 years, from 1975 until 2007, when it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa.
What is Toronto?
The "CN" in CN Tower stands for Canadian National, referencing the railway company that originally built the structure to solve broadcasting interference issues caused by Toronto's growing skyline.
600
This “X” word means to officially remove someone from a religious community.
What is excommunicate?
Despite its fearsome reputation, it is officially intended as an act of mercy rather than permanent banishment, designed as a "spiritual timeout" to prompt repentance and reconciliation.
600
This Caribbean nation shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti
What is Dominican Republic?
Baseball is a national passion. The Dominican Republic has produced more Major League Baseball players than any other country outside the United States.
600
U.S. Senators serve of a term of this length.
What is 6 Years?
U.S. Senators serve staggered six-year terms, meaning that one-third of the Senate is up for election every two years.
600
Not quite the youngest generation anymore, this is the name for people born between 1997 and 2012.
What is Gen Z?
Despite their high digital usage, a recent poll found 43% of Gen Zers prefer in-person communication, valuing it over texting or social media.
600
May 5th, 1961 - This man became the first American in space as he piloted the "Freedom 7" spacecraft during a 15 suborbital flight .
Who is Alan Shepard?
Shepard famously named his Mercury capsule Freedom 7. The "7" was in honor of the original group of American astronauts, affectionately known as the "Mercury Seven"