Quiz Night Final PDF

Quiz
THE OFFICIAL WORLD ALMANAC
Trivia
Night
It’s Trivia Quiz Night Mania!
Hello, Quiz Night Partyers!
In The OfficialWorld Almanac Trivia Quiz Night kit you’ll find what you need to throw a
quiz night in your local pub, bookstore, or classroom using The World Almanac 2009. Each
question has been carefully crafted by The World Almanac expert editorial staff and every
answer can be found within the pages of The World Almanac 2009, the ultimate source for
essential and authoritative facts. The book contains over 1000 pages of facts and statistics
and each has been sourced and double-checked by our experts. Whether your goal is to have
a fun night, draw a crowd to your bookstore, or to raise money with the use of this kit, you’re
sure to throw a great party.
Enclosed you’ll find:
● Quiz questions and answers
● Game instructions
● Activity ideas to separate each quiz round
● A reproducible sign to advertise your event and/or send electronically
● A 3-step how-to guide for creating your own questions
Have a great Trivia Quiz Night!
Sincerely,
The World Almanac Editorial Team

Reader’s Digest Trade Publishing
1 Reader’s Digest Rd.
Pleasantville, NY 10570
A World Almanac Event Kit

www.WorldAlmanac.com
Trivia Quiz Night
game Instructions
Object of the Game
Your goal is to cor rectly answer as many questions as possible and have
the highest score when the game ends.
Contents
The Official World Almanac Trivia Quiz Night kit includes 3 color-
coded question cards for each of 6 categories. Each categor y includes
25 questions constr ucted by the editorial staff of The World Almanac.
Each question card contains an answer key on the bottom. The cards
are meant to be folded in half so that the answer s appear right side up
on the back. All answer s have page references to The World Almanac and
Book of Facts 2009.
Scoring
Each cor rect answer is wor th 5 points. Each bonus question is also wor th
5 points unless otherwise specified. Cor rect answer s in the lightning
round are wor th 10 points. The maximum score for the game (e xcluding
the use of bonus questions) is 150 points.
Rounds
The game consists of 6 rounds, and each round cover s a specific cate gor y.
The round consists of any 5 questions chosen from the 25 presented on
the question cards. The Question Master chooses the questions. (The
kit contains enough questions for 5 complete games.)
Teams
All teams should have the same number of player s, from 1 to 5 per
team.

The Role of the Question Master
A Question Master presides over the entire game. The role of the
Question Master is impor tant. He/she is responsible for e xplaining the
r ules, choosing and asking the questions, deter mining if the answer s
are cor rect, kee ping score, and mediating. The Question Master must
remain neutr al and objective throughout the game.
House Rules
● The decision of the Question Master is final.
● Print or write your answer s clearly. Spelling doesn’t matter but points
can only be given for answer s that the Question Master can read.
● Only one answer per question will be acce pted by the Question Master
(unless the question asks for more than one answer).
● No life lines can be used during this game. Absolutely no cell phones,
PDAs, laptops, newspaper s, magazines, books, or any other items can
be used to help answer questions.
● Have fun!
Answers
Use the most common for m of an answer. For e xample, if the answer is
Muhammad Ali, do not respond with Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. You must
also answer in enough detail to exclude other possibilities. For example, if
the answer is King Henry VIII, do not simply write King Henry.
There are no trick questions. Answers are based on the current,
mainstream understanding of the facts involved and have been checked by
The World Almanac experts.
Before Beginning the Game

Pick A Question Master
Identify a Question Master before beginning the game.
Form Teams
The par ticipants should for m even teams of 1 to 5 player s. Each team
comes up with a team name that can be posted on the scoreboard and
appoints a team captain who will write the answer s.

Optional Entry Fees
Fees or donations should be collected at the beginning of the game.
Establishing House Rules

The Question Master must read all r ules to the player s before play
be gins.
Choosing Questions to Be Used

Choose 5 questions from each categor y. Kee p tr ack of the questions
that you have chosen by checking them off on the question cards.
Also, deter mine the order in which each categor y will be presented.
Kee p in mind that the categor y chosen to be last will be used for the
lightning round.
At the Beginning of the Game

The Question Master will star t each round by passing out a sheet of
paper to each team. Teams will write their answer s on these sheets
of paper. Before the fir st round begins, the Question Master will ask
each team to write an estimated total score at the top of its Round
One answer sheet. This will be used in the event of a need for a
tiebreaker.
At the beginning of each round, teams will write their team name at
the top of the answer sheet.
Then the Question Master will ask a question. Each question will
be read twice. The Question Master will then tur n the timer on. Teams
will have 2 minutes to answer each question. During this time, player s
should discuss the answer with their teammates and decide on the best
answer to write on the paper.
For each round, play will continue like this until all 5 questions in
the cate gor y have been asked and answered.
At the End of Each Round

The Question Master will collect each piece of paper, reveal the cor rect
answer s, and deter mine which teams answered the questions cor rectly.
The Question Master will then calculate each team’s points and record
the scores on the scoreboard.

Optional Break Between Rounds
Play a Trivia Quiz Night Activity (see the Trivia Quiz Night Activities page).
Lightning Round
The cate gor y that was deter mined to be the final round is the lightning round. Play
during the lightning round will continue in the same manner as the preceding rounds
e xce pt—the time allotted to answer each question will be 1 minute and each cor rect
answer will be wor th 10 points.
At the End of the Game

At the end of the lightning round, the final scores should be tallied. The team with
the most points is the winner.
Tiebreaker
Before the fir st round, teams write an estimated final score on their Round One answer
sheet. If there is a need for a tiebreaker, the team that is closest to its estimated final
score wins.
Bonus Questions
Some questions include a bonus por tion. Bonus questions appear on the question
cards as par t “b.” A bonus question should be asked in conjunction with its primar y
question. It is at the Question Master’s discretion whether to allot additional time
to answer bonus questions.
CheckList
Questions and The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009
Blank answer sheets
Scoreboard
Refreshments (optional)
Donation bowls (optional)
Timer (optional)

Trivia Quiz Night

Activities
Activities are essential to a good Quiz Night. They make things more entertaining,
break up competitive seriousness, and serve as an ice-breaker. Additionally, they may
help you feature your cause or raise more money and draw patrons to your bookstore!
Process of Elimination
Pass a bucket around to collect donations from the participants. The amount may be fixed
or at each participant’s discretion. After the participants have made their contributions,
all of them stand while a series of statements are read out loud. These statements can
be either serious or whimsical, but all must be possible to prove. These statements
should be created ahead of time. Those who do not have the items mentioned must sit
down. The host/hostess or Question Master must continue reading statements until
there is only one person standing. The winner receives the bucket.
Sample statements:
Your ears are pierced.
You are wearing jeans.
You have more than one key in your pocket.
A member of the opposite sex is within 2 feet of you.
You are drinking a soda (pub night).
You are holding a cell phone.
You are carrying The World Almanac 2009.
Auction
An auction is a good way to raise money and advertise sponsors (if you have them).
After acquiring items to auction, make sure you have a confident auctioneer to take
bids.
Heads and Tails

After collecting money from the participants, ask them to stand. For each
round, the players must guess on which side a flipped coin will land. All of
those with the correct answer remain standing while all others sit. This
game continues until there is only one person left standing. The winner
receives the bucket.

USING THE WORLD ALMANAC TO
CreatE your own quiz

IN 3 EASY STEPS
Step One
Decide what your theme will be for your Quiz Night.
Your Quiz Night can be a general trivia night with each round covering a different
topic (see The World Almanac Trivia Quiz Night). An alternative would be to create a
themed Quiz Night, such as “Sports” or “Science and Technology.”
Step Two
Select the categories you would like to include in your Quiz Night.
The easiest way to construct quiz questions is to use the Table of Contents as a guide.
Use chapter headings as the overall theme, while each subchapter can be used as a
separate round. You will then be able to pull your questions from these subchapters.
If you have chosen to have a general trivia night, your options for constructing
questions are much broader. Use The World Almanac News Quiz as a jumping off
point.
Step Three
Tips for creating your questions.
These are the easiest places to begin:
● The World Almanac News Quiz
● Top Ten News Topics
● The World at a Glance
● Special Features
● Year in Review
There are several sections that contain an introduction titled “At a Glance.” These
introductions will prove to be very useful when constructing questions. These sections
contain information that will be at the forefront of people’s minds, avoiding the use of
obscure facts. Once you choose a round topic, simply go to that chapter or subchapter
and reword facts so that they are questions. In some cases this may mean reading an
entire article or section.
Things to avoid:
Charts and graphs in which you have to compare many different numbers and the
answers may be controversial or unclear.
Additional possibilities:
You may want to provide multiple-choice options or fill in the blanks. This allows for a
more diverse crowd and opens up the possibility for more people to know the answers.

?
?
A Great Night of Entertainment!
With Trivia Questions Constructed by the Experts at The World Almanac

Come and Enjoy the Fun!
?
?
Event:
Where:
When:
World Almanac Books, A Reader’s Digest Company

THE WORLD ALMANAC
Popular culture
1. Which sitcom won the Best Comedy Emmy award five years in a row, from 1994-98?
b.) For bonus points: Name the two shows that each won the Best Drama Emmy
four years in a row—one 1981-84, the other 2000-03.
2. Which television show won the Best Comedy Emmy award the last two years
(2007-08)?
3. Who is the most recent American to have won the Nobel Prize in Literature?
4. Who is the only singer to have won back-to-back Record of the Year Grammy awards,
for “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly with His Song”?
5. What is the longest-running Broadway show?
6. Jack Nicholson has won three Oscars; he has been nominated for a dozen. For which films did he win?
7. Name the last five films to win Academy Awards for Best Picture (2003-07).
b.) For bonus points: Name the only film on this list that also won the Best Actress award and the
person who won that award.
8. For which movie did Martin Scorsese win his first Best Director Academy Award?
b.) For bonus points: Name the first Martin Scorsese movie to win the Best Picture Academy Award.
9. In order, name the three top-selling music genres in the U.S. in 2007.

3. Country (p. 289)

2. R & B/Urban
9. 1. Rock
b.) The Departed (p. 312)
8. The Departed (p. 312)
b.) Hilary Swank, for Million Dollar Baby (p. 312)
2003–The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (p. 312)
2004–Million Dollar Baby
2005–Crash
2006–The Departed
7. 2007–No Country for Old Men
6. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Terms of Endearment, As Good as It Gets (pp. 311-12)
5. The Phantom of the Opera (p. 282)
4. Roberta Flack (p. 314)
3. Toni Morrison, in 1993 (p. 297)
2. 30 Rock (p. 309)
b.) Hill Street Blues (1981-84) and The West Wing (2000-03) (p. 309)
1. Frasier (p. 309)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
Popular culture
10. Name the two top-selling albums of all-time in the U.S.
11. What was the best-selling newspaper in the United States in 2008?
12. What was the most popular musical genre for commercial radio stations in the U.S.
in 2008?
13. What U.S. magazine has the highest paid circulation?
14. What is the single highest-rated television episode in U.S. history, with more than 50
million households tuned in?
15. In the 2007-08 U.S. TV season, what was the top-rated show?
16. What does the Caldecott Medal honor?
17. Each of these book awards is given for a specific genre; name the genre for each.
(One point for each)
Edgar Award Hugo Award
Coretta Scott King Award Nebula Award
PEN/Faulkner Award
18. Who is the only Miss America winner to have originally been the runner-up?
19. Who was the first winner on American Idol?

19. Kelly Clarkson (p. 291)

18. Suzette Charles (p. 307)
PEN/Faulkner Award Fiction (p. 306)
Nebula Award Science Fiction/Fantasy
Coretta Scott King Award Books for Children and Young Adults
Hugo Award Science Fiction
17. Edgar Award Mysteries
16. Children’s book illustration (p. 304)
15. American Idol (p. 292)
14. The final episode of M*A*S*H (p. 293)
13. AARP the Magazine (p. 284)
12. Country (almost 20% of U.S. stations) (p. 288)
11. USA Today (p. 286)
2. Thriller, Michael Jackson (p. 288)
10. 1. Eagles/Their Greatest Hits, 1971-75, Eagles
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
Popular culture
20. The American Film Institute called Citizen Kane the best American film of all time.
What movie did they judge was #2?
21. Each of the following is the real name of a famous singer. By what name is he or she
better known? (One point for each)
Curtis Jackson Robert Zimmerman
Gordon Summer Marshall Mathers
Patricia Andrejewski Reginald Dwight
22. How many copies must an album sell to be certified as platinum in the U.S.?
23. Where did the first season of the U.S. TV show Survivor take place?
b.) For bonus points: In what year did the show debut?
24. Which of the following performers has not been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (as of
October 2008): Miles Davis, Journey, Pink Floyd, or Steely Dan?
25. Which of the following celebrities will NOT turn 40 in 2009: Jay-Z, Gwen Stefani, Tina Fey, or Jennifer
Aniston?

25. Tina Fey (pp. 258-271)

24. Journey (pp. 256-57)
b.) 2000 (p. 291)
23. Borneo (p. 291)
22. 1 million (p. 289)
Elton John (pp. 277-78) Reginald Dwight
Pat Benatar Patricia Andrejewski
Eminem Marshall Mathers
Sting Gordon Summer
Bob Dylan Robert Zimmerman
50 Cent 21. Curtis Jackson
20. The Godfather (1972) (p. 281)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
Sports
1. Which major league baseball team has won a record 26 World Series?
2. Which major league baseball team has lost a record 13 World Series?
3. Which currently active NCAA Division I basketball coach has won more games,
and more championships, than any other in history?
4. Game 5 of the 2008 World Series was suspended after 5 1/2 innings due to rain.
In what year was the first World Series game suspended because of rain?
5. The NHL team Thrashers play in what city?
6. The Detroit Red Wings have played in the same arena since 1979. It is named after what
heavyweight champion boxer?
7. What major league pitcher threw the most recent perfect game, in 2004?
8. Which member of the Boston Celtics played in more NBA games than any other player in history?
9. What NFL stadium, built in 1924, is the oldest in the U.S.?
10. What trophy is awarded annually to the NHL’s most gentlemanly player?

10. Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (p. 931)

9. Soldier Field, Chicago (p. 892)
8. Robert Parish (p. 922)
7. Randy Johnson (p. 905)
6. Joe Louis (p. 932)
5. Atlanta (p. 929)
4. 2008 (p. 895)
3. Pat Summitt (p. 868)
2. New York Yankees (p. 917)
1. New York Yankees (p. 917)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
Sports
11. Which country has won the last two Women’s World Cup soccer tournaments?
12. What two cities will host the next Winter and next Summer Olympics?
13. Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals at the 2008 Olympics. How many of his
victories were also set in world record times?
14. Which two Major League pitchers threw no-hitters in the 2008 regular season?
15. In what city are the 2014 Winter Olympic Games scheduled to be held?
16. In what year did the Chicago Cubs last win the World Series?
17. Since 2003, what significance has the All-Star Game had in Major League Baseball?
18. Which of the following is not the name of a major college football game: Fiesta Bowl, Gator Bowl,
Lemon Bowl, or Orange Bowl?
19. What driver won the Daytona 500 auto race a record seven times?
20. What do the rings in the Olympic flag represent?

20. 5 geographic areas: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas (p. 861)
19. Richard Petty (p. 945)
18. Lemon Bowl (pp. 870-73)
17. The winning league gets home-field advantage in the World Series. (p. 918)
16. 1908 (p. 917)
15. Sochi, Russia (p. 861)
14. Carlos Zambrano and Jon Lester (p. 813)
13. 7 (p. 837)
12. Vancouver and London (p. 861)
11. Germany (p. 935)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
Sports
21. When did the first modern Olympic games take place?
b.) For bonus points: How many nations took part?
22. What is the official motto of the Olympics (in either Latin or English)?
b.) For bonus points: Provide BOTH Latin and English.
23. In 2007, Barry Bonds broke Major League Baseball’s all-time home run record.
What was the old record?
24. The St. Louis Rams football franchise has called three other cities home since it was
founded in the 1930s. Name at least one of those cities.
25. In France, what is the “French Open” tennis championship called?

25. Roland Garros (p. 940)

Anaheim (p. 893)
Los Angeles
24. Cleveland
23. 755 (p. 904)
b.) “Swifter, higher, stronger” (p. 861)
22. “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (p. 861)
b.) 13 nations (p. 861)
21. 1896 (p. 861)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
History
1. The marriage of Henry VII to Elizabeth, the daughter of Edward IV, ended what 15th
century war?
2. Which follower of cult leader Charles Manson tried to assassinate then-president
Gerald R. Ford?
3. Who was Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush?
4. Who was the first president to appear on TV?
5. What country was once led by an authoritarian president who erected a 40-foot-tall
gold-covered statue of himself that rotated to continuously face the sun?
6. Who was the last U.S. president elected in the 19th century?
7. Which U. S. president was the first to appoint a woman to the cabinet?
b.) For bonus points: Name the woman.
8. This ship sank off the coast of Nantucket in 1956. This ship also figures in an episode of Seinfeld, in
which a survivor of the sinking is given priority over George Costanza in renting an apartment. What is
the name of this ship?
9. The so-called “kitchen debate” took place in 1959 between which two world leaders?
10. Which U.S. president issued the executive order establishing the Peace Corps?

10. John F. Kennedy (pp. 524-25)

9. Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev (p. 484)
8. Andrea Doria (p. 350)
b.) Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins (p. 482)
7. Franklin Roosevelt (p. 482)
6. William McKinley (p. 522)
5. Turkmenistan (p. 827)
4. Franklin D. Roosevelt (p. 529)
3. Dick Cheney (p. 440)
2. Lynette (Squeaky) Fromme (p. 165)
1. Wars of the Roses (pp. 637, 658)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
History
11. Put the following events in chronological order: Coca-Cola first goes on sale; the
Spanish-American War; first modern World Series is played.
b.) For bonus points: What two cities’ teams played in the first World Series?
12. Which of these countries was NOT a founding member of the United Nations:
Brazil, China, Switzerland, or the U. S. ?
13. Which American president also served, earlier in his career, as the U.S. ambassador
to the United Nations?
14. Who was the British prime minister for the seven years before Tony Blair assumed the post in 1997?
15. Prior to 1989, what was the official name of the nation of Myanmar?
16. In 1815, Napoleon’s troops were defeated by British and Prussian troops near what region of Belgium?

16. Waterloo (p. 641)

15. Burma (p. 790)
14. John Major (p. 659)
13. George H.W. Bush (p. 526)
12. Switzerland (p. 727)
b.) Boston and Pittsburgh (p. 917)
Series, 1903 (pp. 473-494)
11. (1) Coca-Cola first sold, 1886; (2) the Spanish-American War, 1898; (3) first modern World
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
History
17. Who was the first to call himself King of Great Britain?
18. Who was the first prime minister of Great Britain?
19. As of September 2008, which eight countries were officially known
to have nuclear weaponry?
20. Of the 15 member nations of the U.N. Security Council, how many
are permanent members?
21. Which of these four religions was founded most recently: Baha’i, Buddhism,
Mormonism, Sikhism?
22. In World War II, on what date did D-Day occur?
23. In what month and year did the first manned lunar landing occur?
24. What historic demolition began in November 1989?
25. What other name was the Hoover Dam known by?

25. Boulder Dam or Boulder Canyon Dam (p. 482)

24. The fall of the Berlin Wall (p. 651)
23. July 1969 (p. 485)
22. June 6, 1944 (Allied invasion of Normandy, France) (p. 482)
21. Baha’i (in the mid-19th century) (p. 690)
20. Five (p. 725)
have them as well, but this has never been officially confirmed.) (p. 722)
19. China, France, India, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the U.K., the U.S. (Israel is believed to
18. Sir Robert Walpole (p. 659)
17. James I of England (who was also James VI of Scotland) (p. 658)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
Geography and Demography
1. What do China, India, the U.S., Indonesia, and Brazil have in common?
2. Which has the largest land area: Russia, China, or the U.S.?
3. Which nation has the smallest land area, less than one-fifth of a square mile?
4. What is the southernmost territory of the U.S.?
5. Which state has the lowest highest point?
6. Identify the following states by their nicknames (one point for each correct answer):
Gopher State Prairie State
Treasure State Grand Canyon State
Show-Me State Constitution State
Empire State Empire State of the South
Land of Enchantment Buckeye State
7. Name the five largest cities in the U.S., as of 2007.
b.) For bonus points: Name them in numerical order.

5. Phoenix (p. 594)

4. Houston
3. Chicago
2. Los Angeles
7. 1. New York
Buckeye State Ohio (pp. 556-588)
Land of Enchantment New Mexico
Empire State of the South Georgia
Empire State New York
Constitution State Connecticut
Show-Me State Missouri
Grand Canyon State Arizona
Treasure State Montana
Prairie State Illinois
6. Gopher State Minnesota
5. Florida (p. 448)
under U.S. sovereignty. (p. 584)
4. American Samoa, about 2,300 miles Southwest of Honolulu, is the most southerly of all lands
3. Vatican City (p. 717)
2. Russia (p. 717)
1. They are, in order, the five most populous nations as of mid-2008. (p. 717)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
8. What are the five largest cities in the world, as of 2007?
b.) For bonus points: Name them in numerical order. (One point for each correct answer)
9. In 2008, four states (and Washington, DC) were majority-minority states. That is,
more than half their population was made up of people who were not “single-race
non-Hispanic whites.” Name these four states. (Partial credit for each correct answer.)
10. Which of these cities is farthest north of the equator: Berlin, Germany; London,
England; or Toronto, Ontario?
11. Which of the Great Lakes has the smallest area?
b.) For bonus points: Name all five Great Lakes. (One point for each correct answer.)
12. Excluding continents, what is generally considered the largest island in the world?
13. Only two countries in the world are doubly landlocked; that is, they are surrounded by countries that are
themselves landlocked. Name these two countries.
14. Which two countries have the largest Muslim populations?
15. Which U.S. state has the longest coastline?
16. After the U.S., which nation boasts the greatest number of Internet users?

16. China (p. 403)

15. Alaska (p. 448)
14. Pakistan and India (p. 690)
13. Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan (pp. 782, 832)
12. Greenland (pp. 672, 752)
b.) Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario (p. 677)
11. Lake Erie (p. 677)
10. Berlin (p. 680)
9. Hawaii, New Mexico, California, Texas (p. 602)
5) São Paulo, Brazil (p. 717)
4) Mumbai, India
3) Mexico City, Mexico
2) New York, NY, U.S.
8. 1) Tokyo, Japan
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
17. In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization delimited a fifth world ocean.
Name all five.
18. In 1790, slaves accounted for approximately what percentage of the total U.S
population: 8%, 18%, or 38%?
19. Which number is closest to the estimated population of the world, as of mid-2008:
300 million, 7 billion, or 1 trillion?
20. Which nation’s flag consists of a plain green field, without symbols or other colors?
21. The red, white, and blue flag of the United Kingdom is incorporated into four other nations’ flags,
including Australia and New Zealand. Name one of them.
22. What is the most common national ancestry claimed by American citizens?
23. Which country was the world’s top tourist destination in 2007?
24. After Mexico, which nation accounts for the largest percentage of the U.S.’s foreign-born population?
25. Canada was explored in 1534 by what French explorer?

25. Jacques Cartier (p. 666)

24. China (p. 596)
23. France (p. 127)
22. German (p. 601)
21. Fiji or Tuvalu (pp. 458, 460)
20. Libya (p. 458)
19. 7 billion (p. 715)
18. 18% (p. 591)
17. Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Indian, Southern (p. 673)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
General Knowledge
1. What is the longest suspension bridge in North America?
2. The highest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. occurred in which state?
b.) For 1 bonus point: Name the exact location. For 5 bonus points: Name the
temperature.
3. What building is on the back of the $20 bill?
b.) For 1 bonus point: What building is on the back of the $100 bill?
4. Excluding the U.S. and Iraq, in which country does the U.S. military have the
largest portion of its armed forces stationed?
5. Name the top three causes of death in the U.S.
6. Thirteen-year-old Sameer Mishra won the 2008 National Spelling Bee with the word guerdon
(pronounced gur-dun), meaning “reward.” Spell it.
7. In the U.S., are men or women responsible for more automobile accidents?
8. Who invented the World Wide Web?
9. According to the National Flag Foundation, what is the preferred, “dignified” way to dispose of a worn
American flag?
10. The current tallest building in the world is located in which country?

10. United Arab Emirates (p. 701)

9. Burning (p. 512)
8. Tim Berners-Lee (p. 402)
7. Men (p. 215)
6. G U E R D O N (p. 693)
3. Stroke (p. 215)
2. Cancer
5. 1. Heart disease
4. Germany (p. 169)
b.) Independence Hall (p. 94)
3. White House (p. 94)
b.) Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley; 134 degrees Fahrenheit (p. 342)
2. California (p. 342)
1. Verrazano-Narrows in New York, NY (p. 710)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
General Knowledge
11. Which organ transplant procedure is the most common?
12. Which branch of the U.S. military has the highest percentage of women serving in it?
13. Which was the world’s busiest airport, as measured by the number of passengers
who went through in 2007?
14. What is the significance of the date Muharram 1 in the Islamic calendar?
15. As of June 2008, how much is the price of a first-class stamp?
b.) For 1 bonus point: How much does it cost to mail a regular-size postcard?
16. In American usage, how many zeroes are in a trillion?
17. The official measurement “1 stone” is exactly equal to how many pounds?
18. How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
19. Which liquid measurement is larger, a quart or a liter?
20. Which is smaller, a petameter or a picometer?

20. A picometer (A picometer is 1 trillionth of a meter; a petameter is a quadrillion meters.) (p. 396)
19. A liter (It’s 1.057 quarts.) (p. 399)
18. 3 (p. 399)
17. 14 (p. 399)
16. 12 (p. 395)
b.) 27 cents (p. 408)
15. 42 cents (p. 408)
14. New Year’s Day (p. 683)
13. Hartsfield-Jackson International, in Atlanta, GA (p. 129)
12. Air Force (p. 170)
11. Kidney (p. 183)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
General Knowledge
21. Which five astronomical bodies have been designated as dwarf planets? (One point
for each correct answer)
22. What rank is English among the world’s most widely-spoken languages?
b.) For bonus points: What two languages are more widely spoken than English?
23. What day of the week is called “mercredi” in French and “Mittwoch” in German?
24. What was the most common name given to American boys born between 1990
and 1999?
b.) For bonus points: What was the most common name given to American girls
born between 1990 and 1999?
25. What is the most common last name in the United States?
26. Each of the following is the real name of a famous writer. By what pen name is he or she better
known? (One point for each correct answer)
Chloe Anthony Wofford Daniel Handler
Eric Arthur Blair Samuel Clemens
Theodor Geisel

Theodor Geisel Dr. Seuss (p. 698)

Samuel Clemens Mark Twain (p. 698)
Eric Arthur Blair George Orwell (p. 698)
Daniel Handler Lemony Snicket (p. 698)
26. Chloe Anthony Wofford Toni Morrison (p. 698)
25. Smith (p. 698)
b.) Ashley (p. 697)
24. Michael (p. 697)
23. Wednesday (p. 694)
b.) Chinese (Mandarin) is first; Spanish is second (p. 699)
22. Third (p. 699)
21. Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Makemake, and Haumea (p. 376)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
U.S. Presidents
1. President George W. Bush was elected in 2000 by winning the electoral vote but
not the popular vote. Name one of the two other presidents who won a majority of
electoral votes but not the popular vote. (One bonus point if both are named.)
2. Which president received more electoral votes than any other president in history,
with 525 votes?
3. With which Democratic senator did Senator John McCain partner to pass his
hallmark campaign finance reform legislation in 2002?
4. Which of the following was not a memoir written by one of the 2008 presidential
candidates: Dreams from My Father, Life with Father, or Faith of My Fathers?
(b.) For 1 bonus point, identify which candidate wrote which book.
5. Which president taught public speaking before entering politics?
6. Which U.S. state has been the birthplace of more presidents than any other state?
7. Who was the first president to visit China while in office?
8. Who was the most recent president to work as a farmer?
9. Who was the only president to win the Pulitzer Prize?
10. Three presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize. Name them. (One point for each correct answer)

10. Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Jimmy Carter (pp. 297-98)
9. John F. Kennedy (p. 524)
8. Jimmy Carter (p. 526)
7. Richard Nixon (p. 525)
6. Virginia (p. 529)
5. Lyndon Johnson (p. 525)
Faith of My Fathers—John McCain
b.) Dreams from My Father—Barack Obama
4. Life with Father (pp. 10-11)
3. Russ Feingold (p. 11)
2. Ronald Reagan (p. 545)
1. Rutherford B. Hayes (1876) and Benjamin Harrison (1888) (p. 543)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
U.S. Presidents
11. For which president did former Senator Elizabeth Dole (R, NC) serve as secretary of
labor?
12. Who is the only former president to go on to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court?
13. What disease struck President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1921, leaving him barely
able to walk?
14. Who was the first president to give a live televised news conference?
15. What political party did the first two presidents belong to?
16. Which presidents have been impeached by the House of Representatives?
17. Who was the only president who never married?
18. Who was the only president to have been divorced?
b.) For 1 bonus point, who was his first wife?
19. Who was the only president who was never elected to either the presidency or the vice presidency?
20. Who was the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms?

20. Grover Cleveland (p. 522)

19. Gerald Ford (p. 525)
b. The actress Jane Wyman (p. 529)
18. Ronald Reagan (p. 529)
17. James Buchanan (p. 529)
16. Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton (p. 529)
15. Federalist (p. 518)
14. John F. Kennedy (p. 529)
13. Polio (p. 524)
12. William Howard Taft (p. 444)
11. George H. W. Bush (p. 442)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
U.S. Presidents
21. Who was the last president who was neither a Democrat nor a Republican when
elected?
22. Which president suffered a stroke, effectively leaving his wife and doctors to
function as president during much of his second term?
23. Pressident-elect Barack Obama began broadcasting “fireside chats” on YouTube in
Nov. 2008; which president initiated the practice of “fireside chats” via radio?
24. President-elect Barack Obama was the first African-American president of the
Harvard Law Review; who was the first Harvard-educated lawyer to serve as president?
25. The law of succession to the presidency states that after the vice president, the speaker of the
house, the senate president pro tempore, and then the secretary of state is the next person in line to
serve. Who would follow?

25. secretary of the treasury (p. 510)

24. John Adams, the second president of the U.S. (p. 518)
23. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (p. 524)
22. Woodrow Wilson (p. 523)
21. Millard Fillmore (p. 516)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
2008 Year in Review
1. Which of the following did not win an acting award at the 2008 Academy Awards:
Daniel Day Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Tilda Swinton, Tommy Lee Jones?
2. In Hillary Clinton’s June 7 concession speech, how many cracks did she say her
supporters had made in “the highest, hardest glass ceiling”?
3. On May 14, 2008, what animal became the first to be listed as “threatened” under
the Endangered Species Act due to the effects of climate change on its habitat?
4. What world leader married a former model and singer in February, 4 months
after divorcing his former wife?
5. The world’s largest particle accelerator was switched on – and 9 days later, switched off again – in
2008. What is its tongue-twisting name?
6. Which province of China was struck by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake on May 12, 2008?
7. What was the name of the cyclone that devastated Myanmar (Burma) on May 2-3, 2008?
8. What was the name of the NASA probe that touched down on Mars in May 2008, and later confirmed
the presence of water ice on the red planet?
9. Sir Edmund Hillary passed away on Jan. 11, 2008. What was his main claim to fame?
10. In August, Russian troops were deployed to suppress insurgent activity in which Georgian province?

10. South Ossetia (pp. 66-67)

9. First to climb Mt. Everest (p. 72)
8. Phoenix Mars Lander (p. 62)
7. Nargis (p. 61)
6. Sichuan (p. 61)
5. Large Hadron Collider (p. 69)
4. Nicolas Sarkozy (p. 198)
3. Polar Bear (p. 61)
2. 18 million (p. 4)
1. Tommy Lee Jones (p. 312)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
2008 Year in Review
11. What major league baseball player became the sixth member of the 600-home-run
club in 2008?
12. What quarterback led the New York Giants to victory over the previously
undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII?
13. For what small Alaskan town did Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah
Palin serve as mayor prior to being elected the state’s governor?
14. In Sept. 2008, this company made the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history to
date.
15. By what nickname is Vice President Joseph R. Biden’s son, Joseph R. Biden III, commonly known?
16. What Democratic senator delivered a fiery speech at the Democratic National Convention in August,
mere months after being hospitalized for a malignant brain tumor?
17. Pres. Obama came under fire during the 2008 campaign for his ties to what religious figure?
18. From which polygamous religious sect did Texas authorities seize hundreds of children in April 2008?
19. What blockbuster became the all-time 2nd-highest-grossing film in North America in the summer of
2008?
20. On Oct. 6, 2008, NASA’s Messenger spacecraft provided the first high-definition images of which
planet’s surface?

20. Mercury (p. 812)

19. The Dark Knight (p. 200)
18. Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (p. 59)
17. Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. (p. 57)
16. Ted Kennedy (p. 198)
15. Beau (p. 10)
14. Lehman Bros. (p. 80)
13. Wasilla (p. 11)
12. Eli Manning (p. 56)
11. Ken Griffey Jr. (p. 64)
Answers:
THE WORLD ALMANAC
2008 Year in Review
21. Tiger Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open just two months after undergoing surgery on
what part of his body?
22. What was the nickname of the gold-medal-winning U.S. men’s basketball team at
the 2008 Olympic Games?
23. What California ballot initiative, passed in 2008, banned same-sex marriage in
that state?
24. What staple food, tainted with melamine, poisoned at least 53,000 children in
China by Sept. 2008?
25. As part of a 2008 plea agreement, Kwame Kilpatrick resigned as the mayor of what major U.S. city?

25. Detroit (p. 68)

24. Milk (p. 69)
23. Proposition 8 (p. 44)
22. “The Redeem Team” (p. 67)
21. Knee (left) (p. 64)
Answers:

Quiz Night Final PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Quiz Night Final PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Quiz

THE OFFICIAL WORLD ALMANAC

The World Almanac Editorial Team

A World Almanac Event Kit

A World Almanac Event Kit

Before Beginning the Game

A World Almanac Event Kit

Establishing House Rules

Choosing Questions to Be Used

At the Beginning of the Game

At the End of Each Round

A World Almanac Event Kit

At the End of the Game

A World Almanac Event Kit

Trivia Quiz Night

Heads and Tails

A World Almanac Event Kit

CreatE your own quiz

A World Almanac Event Kit

A Great Night of Entertainment!

With Trivia Questions Constructed by the Experts at The World Almanac

World Almanac Books, A Reader’s Digest Company

A World Almanac Event Kit

3. Country (p. 289)

A World Almanac Event Kit

19. Kelly Clarkson (p. 291)

A World Almanac Event Kit

25. Tina Fey (pp. 258-271)

A World Almanac Event Kit

10. Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (p. 931)

A World Almanac Event Kit

A World Almanac Event Kit

25. Roland Garros (p. 940)

A World Almanac Event Kit

10. John F. Kennedy (pp. 524-25)

A World Almanac Event Kit

16. Waterloo (p. 641)

A World Almanac Event Kit

25. Boulder Dam or Boulder Canyon Dam (p. 482)

A World Almanac Event Kit

5. Phoenix (p. 594)

A World Almanac Event Kit

16. China (p. 403)

A World Almanac Event Kit

25. Jacques Cartier (p. 666)

A World Almanac Event Kit

10. United Arab Emirates (p. 701)

A World Almanac Event Kit

A World Almanac Event Kit

Theodor Geisel Dr. Seuss (p. 698)

A World Almanac Event Kit

A World Almanac Event Kit

20. Grover Cleveland (p. 522)

A World Almanac Event Kit

25. secretary of the treasury (p. 510)

A World Almanac Event Kit

10. South Ossetia (pp. 66-67)

A World Almanac Event Kit

20. Mercury (p. 812)

A World Almanac Event Kit

25. Detroit (p. 68)

You might also like