General Knowledge
City Nickname
Bible
History
100
What is the only mammal capable of true flight?
The bat
100
City by the Bay
a. San Francisco
b. New York City
c. Detroit
d. Lansing
Answer: San Francisco
100
Jesus visited the home of Mary and Martha. Martha was upset because Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to him speak. What were the first words he said to Martha (in the King James Version)?
a. 'If you love me....'
b. 'Martha, sit and listen'
c. 'Martha, Martha'
d. 'Mary knows what is needed'
Answer: 'Martha, Martha'
Martha did all the preparing of food for Jesus' visit to their home while Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to him preach. Martha asked Jesus if he would tell Mary to help. Jesus replied, 'Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things.' Luke 10:41
100
All quiet on the Western Front: In which year did the big guns fall silent at the end of WWI?
a. 1917
b. 1918
c. 1919
d. 1916
Answer: 1918
The 'War To End All Wars' was fought between 1914 and 1918. An armistice came into force at 11am on November 11th, 1918. The main belligerents were the 'Entente Powers', which comprised Russia, France, the British Empire, Italy, Japan and the United States; and the 'Central Powers', which comprised Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.
200
How many keys are on a standard full-size piano?
88
200
The Big Easy
a. New Orleans
b. Phoenix
c. Miami
d. Los Angeles
Answer: New Orleans
200
Why were the people of Israel forbidden to eat pork?
a. Swine have cloven hooves
b. Swine smell bad and are dirty
c. Swine chew cud
d. Swine do not chew cud
Answer: Swine do not chew cud
Edible animals had to have cloven hooves and chew cud. Historically, not eating pork was also a wise idea practically: pork meat can have parasites that could be deadly to those who eat it if the meat isn't cooked properly. It seems God really was taking care of the people of Israel when he forbade the consumption of pork!
200
A day that shook the world: In which year was the first atomic bomb used in warfare?
a. 1943
b. 1945
c. 1941
d. 1946
Answer: 1945
The first bomb, nicknamed "Little Boy", was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945. Three days later, "Fat Man" exploded over Nagasaki. By the end of that year, an estimated 220,000 people had died. The Allied authorities justified the attacks by saying that the number of military and civilian casualties would have been higher in a prolonged and bitterly opposed invasion of the main Japanese islands.
300
What is the largest internal organ in the human body?
The liver
300
Twin Cities
a. Richmond and Montpelier
b. Santa Barbara and San Jose
c. Atlantic City and Las Vegas
d. St. Paul and Minneapolis
Answer: St. Paul and Minneapolis
300
Who was Miriam?
a. Sister to Jesus
b. Sister to Moses and Aaron
c. Wife of Moses
d. Mother of John the Baptist
Answer: Sister to Moses and Aaron
This is noted in Numbers 26:59: 'And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.'
300
A day that shook the world II: In which year did terrorists crash aircraft into New York's World Trade Center?
a. 2001
b. 2003
c. 2000
d. 1998
Answer: 2001
Almost 3,000 people died on September 11th, 2001 when terrorists hijacked four planes in US airspace. Two were crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City and a third into the Pentagon building in Washington DC. The fourth crashed in farmland in Pennsylvania after, it is thought, passengers fought with the hijackers.
400
What language has the most native speakers?
Mandarin Chinese
400
The Big Apple
a. Atlanta
b. St. Augustine
c. New York City
d. Allentown
Answer: New York City
400
From what tree was Adam forbidden to eat fruit?
a. Apple
b. The Tree of the Serpent
c. Kumquat
d. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
Answer: The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
The Bible mentions it was the 'fruit' of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, not an apple tree like many people think, in Genesis 3:2: 'But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.'
400
"It's all bunkum to me": In which year did the Ford Motor Company first produce its Model T?
a. 1908
b. 1928
c. 1888
d. 1878
Answer: 1908
The Model-T Ford is credited as being the first successfully mass-produced automobile. An estimated 15 million were made between 1908 and 1927 in a variety of body styles.
500
How many wives did Henry VIII have?
6
500
Bean Town
a. Montpelier
b. Boston
c. Buffalo
d. Baton Rouge
Answer: Boston
500
What was the name of the child God gave Eve to replace her dead son Abel?
a. John
b. Jacob
c. Seth
d. Noah
Answer: Seth
This is told in Genesis 4:25: 'And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.'
500
"Buddy can you spare a dime?" In which year of the 20th century did the Wall Street stock market crash?
a. 1919
b. 1929
c. 1939
d. 1949
Answer: 1929
(Frequently used alternative to "Buddy" is "Brother"). October of 1929 saw the start of a series of disastrous trading days on Wall Street. The American economy - and the world's economy - had risen steadily throughout the 1920s. There was mini slump in September, but stock prices rallied, until, on October 28th, a slump began that was not to bottom out until 1932.
600
What is the smallest planet in our solar system?
Mercury
600
The City of Brotherly Love
a. Hartford
b. Bismarck
c. Columbus
d. Philadelphia
Answer: Philadelphia
600
During the Feast of Weeks, described in Deuteronomy, what kind of offering was to be given to the Lord?
a. A freewill offering
b. 20 denari
c. A virgin sheep
d. Snake blood
Answer: A freewill offering
This is in Deuteronomy 16:10. They were to give a freewill offering according to the blessing the Lord had given them: 'And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the Lord thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the Lord thy God, according as the Lord thy God hath blessed thee...'
600
D'oh!: When were the animated adventures of "The Simpsons" first broadcast in their own TV series?
a. 1999
b. 1989
c. 1979
d. 1969
Answer: 1989
The dysfunctional yellow family first appeared in short animated inserts on "The Tracey Ullman Show" in 1987. Fox TV thought they were worth more, and the first show of their very own aired on December 17, 1989. It went on to set a new record as the longest-running American sitcom and won a clutch of awards.
700
What is the fastest bird in the world?
Peregrine falcon
700
The Windy City
a. Chicago
b. Chattanooga
c. New York City
d. Flagstaff
Answer: Chicago
700
Who was King Saul's army commander?
a. Abner
b. Moses
c. Joseph
d. Peter
Answer: Abner
Abner was later murdered by Joab when David came to power. This is described in 2 Samuel 3:27: 'And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.'
700
Gateway to a New World: When did the Ellis Island immigrants' reception centre open?
a. 1852
b. 1892
c. 1792
d. 1752
Answer: 1892
Between January 1st 1892 and its closure on November 12th 1954, Ellis Island, New York City, was the main point of entry for immigrants to the USA. It is thought that more than 12 million people entered through this portal.
800
What planet is closest to Earth?
Venus
800
The Mistake by the Lake
a. Niagara
b. Lake George
c. Cleveland
d. Helena
Answer: Cleveland
800
She is now known as the epitome of the wicked woman. What was the name of King Ahab's spouse?
a. Jezebel
b. Ruth
c. Sarai
d. Martha
Answer: Jezebel
It was Jezebel who later sought to kill Elijah; she and Ahab installed the religion of Baal. Her story is told in the Book of Kings. The saga begins in 1 Kings 16:31: 'And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.'
800
'Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee'. When did Muhammad Ali first become world heavyweight champion?
a. 1960
b. 1954
c. 1964
d. 1958
Answer: 1964
Muhammad Ali (birth name Cassius Clay Jr) defeated Sonny Liston in 1964 to take the title for the first time. In a 61-fight career, Ali was defeated just five times, and was World Heavyweight champion on three occasions.
900
What country invented the sport of basketball?
United States
900
City of Angels
a. Los Alamos
b. San Diego
c. San Antonio
d. Los Angeles
Answer: Los Angeles
900
The plucky David killed Goliath with stones. How many did he put in his bag before he went to fight Goliath?
a. 5
b. 25
c. 2
d. 10
Answer: 5
I Samuel 17:40 tells this story: 'And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.'
900
And the wall came tumbling down: In which year did the dream of free travel between East and West Germany became a reality with the (metaphorical) fall of the Berlin Wall?
a. 1999
b. 1994
c. 1984
d. 1989
Answer: 1989
Almost immediately following the Allied victory over the Nazis that ended WW2, Germany was a divided land. There were various zones of influence that crystalized into Communist East Germany and the democratic West Germany. The Soviet dominance of East Germany meant that travel between the two 'sides' was restricted.
1000
What was the first country to use paper money?
China
1000
Dorothy's Home
a. Lincoln, TN
b. Topeka, KS
c. Butte, MN
d. Bismarck, SD
Answer: Topeka, KS
1000
How many days were the Jews forbidden to eat leavened bread at Passover?Hint
a. 20
b. 1
c. 7
d. 5
Answer: 7
Passover was also known as the feast of the unleavened bread. It occurred when the Lord wished to punish the people of Egypt by killing each family's first born son, while passing over the children of Israel. In order to be passed over, the children of Israel were instructed to do specific things, including avoiding leavened bread.
1000
In which year did the Large Hadron Collider conduct its first experiment?
2002
2008
1998
1996
Answer: 2008
The Large Hadron Collider was part of the biggest international physics experiment ever attempted. The aim, the scientists said, was to learn more about 'The Big Bang" that had created the universe. The experiment took place in a huge circular 17-mile tunnel on the border between France and Switzerland.