Great Lakes
Lake Ontario (and its drainage basin) covers part of Ontario as well as which two U.S. states?
New York and Pennsylvania. Cities on the shore of Lake Ontario include Hamilton and Toronto
A cat named Stubbs held what elected position in an Alaskan town for 20 years?
Mayor. Through several uncontested elections, Stubbs held this (honorary) office in Talkeetna, Alaska.
What is the name of the fairy-tale creature who teaches a girl to spin straw into gold?
Rumpelstiltskin. The tale of Rumpelstiltskin was collected and recorded by the brothers Grimm in 1812.
In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Americans were captivated by the romance between Jacqueline Kennedy and him.
Who is Aristotle Onassis? The couple married in 1968 after a long friendship.
In 1971, his Rabbit Redux made the list of bestsellers; it is a sequel to his well-known earlier work.
Who is John Updike? There are four total books in Updike’s Rabbit series.
Split Rock Lighthouse is located on which Great Lake?
Superior. The lighthouse was completed in 1910 to guide ships along what is called “the most dangerous piece of water in the world.”
In the 1993 movie Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, Chance, Sassy, and Shadow are pets trying to find their way home. How many of the trio are dogs?
Two. Chance is an American bulldog, Shadow is a golden retriever, and Sassy is a Himalayan cat. The film is an adaptation of an earlier film, 1963’s The Incredible Journey
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, what is the name of the fairy queen?
Titania. Her fairy servants in the play have imaginative names like Peaseblossom and Mustardseed.
While dating this musician in 1989, Kim Basinger reportedly recorded an unreleased album with him.
Who is Prince? Her family did not approve of the relationship and reportedly caused the split between them.
His Islands in the Stream was a bestseller in 1970.
Who is Ernest Hemingway? Islands was the first of his unpublished novels released by Mrs. Mary Hemingway.
Located on Lake Superior, what is the farthest-inland freshwater seaport in the United States?
The Port of Duluth-Superior (Duluth, Minnesota). The port serves many cargo ships in spite of the logistical challenges of a colder climate.
Though thoroughly discredited, legend persists that what famous scientist invented the cat door?
Isaac Newton. The rumor that he created the door to prevent his cat from interrupting his experiments has lasted for centuries, though there is no evidence that Newton had a cat
Which of these is not a fairy tale collected by the brothers Grimm: “Tom Thumb,” “Snow White,” or Ella Enchanted?
Ella Enchanted. The brothers collected over 200 stories, most recorded from oral traditions.
Through romantic ups and downs, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham’s relationship inspired the music of this group.
Who is Fleetwood Mac? Their turbulent relationship also inspired the 2019 novel Daisy Jones & The Six.
In the 1980s, Robert Ludlum penned a series of bestsellers about this CIA operative.
Who is Jason Bourne? The books are continued now by Brian Freeman and have inspired several films.
What freighter sank in a storm in 1975 on Lake Superior and was later immortalized in a ballad by Gordon Lightfoot?
The Edmund Fitzgerald. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has conducted three expeditions to explore her wreck.
What breed is the title dog in the 1992 film Beethoven?
Saint Bernard. The star pooch was trained for the film by Eleanor Keaton, Buster Keaton’s widow.
The Aarne-Thompson-Uther index is an organizational system for what?
Fairy/folk tales. The ATU index categorizes these tales by common themes and assigns a number to similar groups of stories.
Iconic in French culture as well as globally, her relationship with Serge Gainsbourg began as costars in the film Slogan.
Who is Jane Birkin? Despite initial dislike, they fell in love after a cast party
A bestseller in 1977, The Silmarillion includes the history of this fictional land conceived by J. R. R. Tolkien.
What is Middle Earth? The book is notably complex and delves into the mythology of this created world.
Where did the name for Lake Huron come from?
From the Huron Indigenous people, among the first inhabitants of the region. When French explorers first visited Lake Huron in the 1600s, they found thriving Indigenous socities with established economies and travel routes.
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Gidget the chihuahua worked as the mascot for what fast-food chain?
Taco Bell. A book based on her life was published in 2011.
Notable fairy tale author Charles Perrault was born in what European country?
France. Trained as a lawyer, he began writing around 1660 and became known for the Mother Goose stories.
This former power couple and parents of Alexa Ray Joel still host Christmas sing-alongs together.
Who are Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel? Their daughter is also a singer-songwriter, following in her father’s footsteps.
A best-selling author throughout the ’80s, Danielle Steel is known for novels like Secrets in this genre.
What is romance? Steel has sold over one billion books worldwide, in 43 languages.