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Heroic Failures Trivia Quiz

Success, says author Stephen Pile, is overrated. Below are examples of things which failed, misfired, or just didn't get the point of the exercise. The questions are taken from Pile's "The Book of Heroic Failures" and "The Return of Heroic Failures".

A multiple-choice quiz by jeffa. Estimated time: 7 mins.

Author
jeffa

Time
7 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
93,258

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
4 / 10

Plays
5117

Awards
Editor's Choice

Last 3 plays: OzGal56 (3/10), Reggyg (2/10), Guest 70 (3/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. During the British firemen's strike of 1978, an army unit, which had taken over emergency firefighting duties, was asked by an elderly lady to rescue her cat from a tree. How did this valiant effort end? Hint

The cat climbed higher up the tree and refused to come down

They arrived at the right address, but forgot to bring ladders

One of the soldiers himself got stuck up the tree and had to be rescued

They rescued the cat, only to drive over it and kill it as they were leaving

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which country - admittedly not a world power, due in large part to its tiny size - found itself in the unhappy position of being still at war with Germany long after World War I had ended, because no one remembered it when drawing up the Versailles Peace Treaty? Hint

Luxembourg

Liechtenstein

San Marino

Andorra

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Question 3 of 10

3. In 1977, in what became 'the least successful memorial', U.S. Agriculture Secretary Robert Bergland opened the Alferd Packer Memorial Dining Room at the Department of Agriculture, telling us all that new eatery, named after a 19th century Colorado pioneer, "exemplifies the spirit and fare that this agriculture department cafeteria will provide".
Why then was the cafeteria hurriedly renamed several months later? Hint

Officials found out that Packer had never existed

The food in the cafeteria was so bad no one would eat there

Packer was not a U.S. citizen, but had been from Canada

It turned out that Packer had been tried for cannibalism in 1874

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Question 4 of 10

4. Why was the 1966 rugby match between Colwyn Bay rugby team and Portmadoc unexpectedly abandoned? Hint

The referee forgot to turn up

The players forgot to bring a ball

They players were so busy fighting they couldn't be bothered to play

The score was so one-sided one team left the field in embarrassment

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Question 5 of 10

5. Driving tests - as most of us can testify - offer a great opportunity to join the ranks of the unsuccessful, at least initially. Until recently, a lady from California held the record for the fastest failure, after mistaking the accelerator for the clutch and shooting straight through the wall of the driving centre.
However, even this record was beaten by a British garage mechanic who managed to fail his test before the examiner had even got into the car. How did he achieve this magnificent feat? Hint

He illegally sounded the horn to summon the examiner, who promptly failed him

He fetched the examiner, and then forgot where he'd parked his car

He locked himself and the examiner out the car

His car was stolen while he was summoning the examiner

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Question 6 of 10

6. 'The Sound of Music' is one of the most popular movies of all time. Everybody - with the possible exception of one misanthropic quiz maker - thinks it one of their favourite things.
But what did the version shown in South Korea contain - or not contain - to qualify it for Mr. Pile's description of "The least satisfactory performance of 'The Sound of Music'"? Hint

The titles weren't screened

It contained the wrong subtitles

The songs were cut out

The ending was cut out

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Question 7 of 10

7. A magnificently unsuccessful prison escape occurred in Saltillo Prison, Northern Mexico in April 1976. Why? Hint

The prisoners dug a tunnel which surfaced in another part of the prison

None of the would-be escapees remembered the date of the escape

After the escape began, all the escapees got cold feet and returned to the cells

The tunnel the prisoners dug surfaced in a nearby courtroom

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Question 8 of 10

8. Douglas Corrigan was given a ticker-tape parade in 1938, after a spectacular feat of unsuccessful navigation. On July 16 he took off from New York, intending to fly to Los Angeles. He never made it. Where did he eventually end up? Hint

Miami

Ireland

Casablanca

Vancouver

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Question 9 of 10

9. An essential part of any robbery is getting away afterwards. Sometimes, however, things don't always work out as planned. In 1976 a man robbed a bar in San Fernando. Why did his getaway fail? Hint

He was knocked down by his own getaway car

He was caught by the police waiting for a bus

He forgot where he'd parked the getaway car

His car had been towed away while he was robbing the bar

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Question 10 of 10

10. The fine art of being wrong. Who predicted - not very successfully, it must be said - that "Radio has no future", "Heavier than air flying machines are impossible" and "X-rays will prove to be a hoax"? Hint

The New York Times

Lord Reith

Albert Einstein

Lord Kelvin

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Most Recent Scores

Apr 17 2024 : OzGal56: 3/10
Apr 17 2024 : Reggyg: 2/10
Apr 16 2024 : Guest 70: 3/10
Apr 14 2024 : Guest 67: 3/10
Apr 10 2024 : Guest 4: 5/10
Apr 10 2024 : Guest 90: 6/10
Mar 30 2024 : Guest 166: 4/10
Mar 30 2024 : PolyanaK: 4/10
Mar 25 2024 : snhha: 10/10

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: They rescued the cat, only to drive over it and kill it as they were leaving

It was, says Mr. Pile, "The least successful animal rescue", made worse perhaps by the fact the soldiers inadvertently killed the cat after its grateful owner had given them all tea.

Answer: Andorra

Andorra signed a private peace treaty with Germany, officially concluding the First World War, on September 25, 1939.
"Since the regular army of this tiny Pyrenean state comprised only one officer, six privates and four general staff, Andorra was perhaps the country least able to continue the First World War on its own", says Pile.

3. In 1977, in what became 'the least successful memorial', U.S. Agriculture Secretary Robert Bergland opened the Alferd Packer Memorial Dining Room at the Department of Agriculture, telling us all that new eatery, named after a 19th century Colorado pioneer, "exemplifies the spirit and fare that this agriculture department cafeteria will provide". Why then was the cafeteria hurriedly renamed several months later?

Answer: It turned out that Packer had been tried for cannibalism in 1874

This stirring example of bureaucratic incompetence provided the inspiration for the title of the U.S. edition of 'The Return of Heroic Failures' - 'Cannibals in the Cafeteria'.

4. Why was the 1966 rugby match between Colwyn Bay rugby team and Portmadoc unexpectedly abandoned?

Answer: The players forgot to bring a ball

The players had a grand old time running onto the pitch and limbering up, jumping around, flexing their muscles and doing all the things rugby players do before a match. It was only when they lined up for the kick off that they realized they didn't have the ball.
"At this point", Mr. Pile points out helpfully, "the game was abandoned."

5. Driving tests - as most of us can testify - offer a great opportunity to join the ranks of the unsuccessful, at least initially. Until recently, a lady from California held the record for the fastest failure, after mistaking the accelerator for the clutch and shooting straight through the wall of the driving centre. However, even this record was beaten by a British garage mechanic who managed to fail his test before the examiner had even got into the car. How did he achieve this magnificent feat?

Answer: He illegally sounded the horn to summon the examiner, who promptly failed him

The examiner, hearing the horn, strode out to the car, informed the mechanic that sounding your horn while the vehicle is stationary is illegal, failed the mechanic, and promptly strode inside again.
"Genius of this kind cannot be taught. It is a natural gift", is Mr. Pile's verdict.

6. 'The Sound of Music' is one of the most popular movies of all time. Everybody - with the possible exception of one misanthropic quiz maker - thinks it one of their favourite things. But what did the version shown in South Korea contain - or not contain - to qualify it for Mr. Pile's description of "The least satisfactory performance of 'The Sound of Music'"?

Answer: The songs were cut out

The Koreans found the movie too long, so shortened it by cutting out the songs. They still called it "The Sound of Music" though, thus perhaps adding a welcome air of mystery to the film, which played to packed houses.

7. A magnificently unsuccessful prison escape occurred in Saltillo Prison, Northern Mexico in April 1976. Why?

Answer: The tunnel the prisoners dug surfaced in a nearby courtroom

The courtroom was the one from which many of the prisoners had been sentenced. The surprised judge promptly sent them back to jail.

Answer: Ireland

His flight lasted 28 hours, 13 minutes, and in the USA he was, believe it or not, hailed as another Lindbergh. He had to settle, however, for being known to posterity as "Wrong Way Corrigan".

9. An essential part of any robbery is getting away afterwards. Sometimes, however, things don't always work out as planned. In 1976 a man robbed a bar in San Fernando. Why did his getaway fail?

Answer: He was knocked down by his own getaway car

Mr. Alfred Rovera left the bar after the robbery and sprinted down the road to the arranged meeting place, where his getaway car knocked him over.
It was a bankrobber in Malta who was caught by the police waiting for a bus while clutching 3,000 new banknotes to his chest.

Answer: Lord Kelvin

Lord Kelvin was President of the Royal Society from 1890 - 1895.

Source: Author jeffa

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ozzz2002 before going online.
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