Special Sub-Topic: The Queens Borough Click Here To Play: The Queens Borough

What do the flowers on the flag of Queens represent?

The Dutch and English settlers. The flag shows two flowers. One is a tulip, for the Dutch; the other is the English 'Tudor rose.' The red outer petals are intertwined with the inner white inner petals, for the Houses of Lancaster and York respectively.

Industrialization and immigration led to considerable population growth in the 1800s. What was the first town in Queens to be founded during the 19th century?

Astoria. The town was founded in 1837. It became home for thriving communities of Greek and Irish immigrants.

What company opened its doors in East Astoria in the 1870s?

William Steinway. The piano manufacturer, which became known as the best in the business, opened up shop in the 1870s. Steinway Avenue in Astoria bears the company's name.

Of the following towns, which one opposed the union of the five boroughs into New York City in 1898?

Flushing. An 1894 referendum brought together most Queens towns in support of the prospective union of outlying New York towns and counties. However, Flushing stood in opposition. So did the entire then-county of Brooklyn. However, the objections failed. In 1898, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx and Brooklyn joined the already established Manhattan as boroughs of New York City.

What feature of the Queens landscape was referred to as "the valley of ashes" by F. Scott Fitzgerald?

The industrial dump sites in Corona. Fitzgerald coined the nickname in "The Great Gatsby." The sites had to be cleared in preparation for the World's Fair of 1939 and 1940. The Whitestone Bridge was also built at that time.

What inventor and music legend graduated from Queens College in 1957?

Robert Moog. Moog's synthesizer was the first to use piano-style keys. Others of the era relied on dials and buttons; Moog's innovation made the instrument accessible to anyone who knew how to play a keyboard, and enabled the synthesizer's exponential growth in electronic music. On April 28, 2005, Moog died of the effects of a brain tumor. Rest in peace.

What jazz musician moved to Queens in 1943?

Louis Armstrong. Armstrong lived in Queens from 1943 until his death in 1971. One of his former homes is a local landmark. A middle school is also named after him.

What influential music group got its start rehearsing in the back room of a paint shop in Forest Hills?

The Ramones. The band would go on to be called the godfathers of punk. Sadly, three of the original four musicians passed away in the 2000s. Blondie memorialized them in the song "Good Boys."

For what female monarch was Queens named?

Catherine of Braganza. She was born in Portugal in 1638. She married King Charles II of England in 1662.

What landmark opened in Queens on April 17, 1964?

Shea Stadium. It was named for William Shea. Construction of the stadium took longer than expected, forcing the expansion New York Mets to play their first two seasons at the Polo Grounds.