Old Names
Raiders of the Lost Archaeology
18th Century Stuff
Math in the Old Days
March 2 in History
Final Jeopardy
100
Holland
What is the Netherlands?
100
In 1870 Heinrich Schliemann began his excavation of Troy following the descriptions in this epic poem
What is the Iliad?
100
When the king of Great Britain wanted a barge party, Handel composed the orchestral suite called this
What is Water Music?
100
The Mayans were using this by the 4th century; the concept of that number didn't make it to Europe until the 1200s or so
What is zero?
100
On this day in 1974 a grand jury concludes that this US President was involved in Watergate cover-up
Who was Richard Nixon?
100
NOVELISTS: In a 1952 novel, he wrote, "But there were dry years too, & they put a terror on the valley. The water came in a thirty-year cycle"
Who was John Steinbeck (East of Eden)?
200
Czech Republic
What is Czechia?
200
Archaeologists have found some remains of this structure mentioned in Genesis 11 (but it only had 7 stories)
What is the Tower of Babel?
200
She became a wealthy widow when hubby Daniel Custis died in 1757; she'd bring 2 kids into her next marriage with a Virginia commander (full name needed)
Who was Martha Washington?
200
An ancient Hindu text calculates the square root of this integer as 1.4142156, which is correct to 5 decimal places
What is 2?
200
One of the most popular musical films of all time premiered this day in 1965 -- it would win the Best Picture Oscar in 1966
What is The Sound of Music?
200
NUCLEAR NATIONS: On May 18, 1974 this country tested its first nuclear device, nicknamed "Smiling Buddha"
What is India?
300
East Pakistan
What is Bangladesh?
300
In 1978 she found at Laetoli, south of Olduvai Gorge, footprints in volcanic ash made by hominins living 3.5 mil. years ago (full name needed)
Who was Mary Leakey?
300
Born on the Big Island, this king known as "the Great" set out to unify the Hawaiian Islands
Who was Kamehameha?
300
Their numerals weren't handy for arithmetic, so ancient Romans did most of their calculating on this device
What was an abacus?
300
This Communist revolutionary was elected President of North Vietnam this day in 1946, a position he held until his death in 1969 (b. 1890)
Who was Ho Chi Minh?
300
U.S. CITIES: Named for the ore once mined there, this city at an altitude of 10,152 feet is home to the National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum
What is Leadville (Colorado)?
400
Dutch East Indies
What is Indonesia?
400
Beginning in 1900 Sir Arthur Evans uncovered the Palace of Minos at Knossos on this island
What is Crete?
400
When his sound effect method was copied in a staging of "Macbeth", John Dennis accused perpetrators of this, now an idiom
What was "stealing his thunder"?
400
The Babylonians used base 60, which could be counted on 5 fingers of one hand & the 12 these on 4 fingers of the other
What are knuckles?
400
This American Baseball Hall of Fame right fielder and manager (MLB All-Star; World Series 1933) was born on this day in 1909 (d. 1958) -- his name is an oft-used crossword puzzle clue
Who is (Mel) Ott?
400
THE SUPREME COURT OF THE 19th CENTURY: Citing the "language of the people whether sellers or consumers", in 1893 the S.C. ruled on the botanical designation of this
What is a tomato?
500
Swaziland
What is eSwatini?
500
In 1923 this British archaeologist published "The Tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen"; fitting, 'cause he found it
Who was (Howard) Carter?
500
Georges Danton was the first president of the Committee of Public Safety, which oversaw this awful period of the French Revolution
What was "the Terror"?
500
Some think Ancient Egyptians represented fractions using symbols from the eye of this falcon god
What is Horus?
500
This British archaeologist and Egyptologist who found King Tutankhamun's tomb, died on this day in 1939 at age 64 (b. 1874)
Who was Howard Carter?
500
CITY ORIGIN STORIES: The mythical founder Byzas consulted the Oracle of Delphi before establishing what's now known as this city
What is Istanbul?