The Crusades
Which city did the First Crusade capture in 1099?
Jerusalem
“Thomas Jefferson survives.”
John Adams
During the early years of WW2, Germany’s “blitzkrieg” strategy used speed and surprise to overwhelm opponents. Which stimulant, sold under the brand name Pervitin and issued to soldiers to keep them awake for days at a time, is now illegal for recreational use in the U.S.?
Methamphetamine
Which Dartmouth alum and children’s author wrote a book using just 50 different words to win a bet with his publisher? What book?
Dr. Seuss; Green Eggs and Ham
Which founding father is the subject of an apocryphal story involving a cherry tree?
George Washington
Which English king, nicknamed for an animal, led the Third Crusade? Hint: he’s mentioned in Robin Hood.
Richard the Lionheart
“Do not disturb my circles!”
Archimedes
Which German cipher machine did the codebreakers at Bletchley Park, including Alan Turing, crack?
The Enigma machine
Which famous Gothic novel is the result of a ghost story contest, suggested by Lord Byron?
Frankenstein
Which two founding fathers died on the same day, July 4th, 1826?
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
Which pope called for the First Crusade in 1095?
Pope Urban II
“Pardon me, sir, I did not do it on purpose.”
Which country’s army included a brown bear?
Poland
Which Russian novelist was sentenced to death by firing squad, only to have his sentence commuted moments before the execution?
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Who is the shortest founding father? He was 5 feet 4 inches and weighed about 100 pounds.
James Madison
Which order of warrior monks, known for white mantles with red crosses, protected pilgrims?
The Knights Templar
"I'm bored with it all."
Winston Churchill
What household myth originated from a British propaganda campaign to hide the existence of a new airborne radar system from the Germans?
Carrots are good for your eyes
Which British writer vanished for eleven days in December 1926, triggering a massive national manhunt?
Agatha Christie
Which founding father edited the Gospels to remove miracles, creating his own version of the Bible?
Thomas Jefferson
Which French king died of illness in Tunis in 1270 on the Eighth Crusade and was later canonized?
Louis IX
“The wallpaper and I are fighting to the death. One or the other of us must go.”
Oscar Wilde
Which Hollywood actress co-invented a form of frequency hopping, the basis for modern Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, to help guide torpedoes?
Hedy Lamarr
Which American author had an obsession with polydactyl (six-toed) cats? Hint: There are around 60 of these cats still living at his home in Key West.
Ernest Hemingway
Which founding father became the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
John Jay