FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Thirteen
Quiz about Thirteen

Thirteen Trivia Quiz


Poor old thirteen is a much maligned number. Shunned by the superstitious, feared by the triskaidekaphobic and rued as the beginning of the pimple ridden teenage years. I'd like to change all that with a quiz written especially for number thirteen.

A multiple-choice quiz by Aussiedrongo. Estimated time: 7 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. General Knowledge Trivia
  6. »
  7. By The Numbers
  8. »
  9. 11-50

Author
Aussiedrongo
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
336,861
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
20
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
14 / 20
Plays
900
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: ssabreman (14/20), Guest 82 (12/20), Guest 75 (3/20).
- -
Question 1 of 20
1. Animals. If ever you are travelling in Minnesota, chances are you will come across this commonly seen rodent. With a rather apt specie name of tridecemlineatus, this animal is more commonly known as the thirteen-lined what? Hint


Question 2 of 20
2. Brain Teasers. Relax, take your time and think about clocks and sequences as you try to solve this riddle.

Q. Why is the number thirteen like afternoon tea?

A. Because it OVERCAME FELT STEW.

Umm, I don't think that's right. Can you unscramble the capitalised words to discover the real punchline?

Answer: (Three Words 5,5 and 6 letters)
Question 3 of 20
3. Celebrities. Sometimes celebrity marriages last the distance, but these happy unions are few and far between. Which actress, and star of her own 1960s sitcom, had her marriage to second husband Michael Tell, annulled just thirteen days after saying "I do"?


Hint


Question 4 of 20
4. Entertainment. You must be at least 120 centimetres tall to ride this question. On March 20th 2010, Alton Tower amusement park launched a world first in rollercoaster rides. This 'psychoaster' was given the name Thirteen, but how is this name officially depicted on the park's signage? Hint


Question 5 of 20
5. For Children. Which of the following words begins and ends with the thirteenth letter of the alphabet?

Hint


Question 6 of 20
6. General. Wedding anniversaries often bring tears of joy, and sometimes tears of regret. To help wipe away those tears, what would be a traditionally appropriate gift for an American couple celebrating their thirteenth wedding anniversary? Hint


Question 7 of 20
7. Geography. This is the smallest of all the fifty states that comprise the U.S.A. and was the thirteenth to officially declare statehood. What is it commonly known as? Hint


Question 8 of 20
8. History. Prior to allegedly succumbing to his wife's method of preparing his favourite mushroom dish, this man was the fourth Emperor of Rome and held the position for a full thirteen years. If you can complete the title of the book by Robert Graves which is based on this Emperor's life, you will have his name; 'I, ___'? Hint


Question 9 of 20
9. Hobbies. If you were playing with a standard English language Scrabble set, which of the following supposedly lucky items would bring you a pot of gold with a tile point value of thirteen? No bonuses, just the tiles. Hint


Question 10 of 20
10. Humanities. A number of pop artists were commissioned to provide artwork for the New York State pavilion at the 1964 World's Fair. Amongst the submissions was a piece titled 'Thirteen Most Wanted Men'. It was deemed too controversial however and, just like Campbell's soup, was canned. Which artist created this artwork? Hint


Question 11 of 20
11. Literature. June 1932 saw Agatha Christie publish a collection of thirteen short stories featuring the spinster sleuth Miss Jane Marple. Also known as 'The Tuesday Club Murders', what is the original title of this collection? Hint


Question 12 of 20
12. Movies. In 1922, the filming of a movie which had the working title 'Number 13' was abandoned due to a blowout in the budget. Can you end the suspense and tell me the name of the masterful director of this ill-fated project? Hint


Question 13 of 20
13. Music. The following lyrics are from a song titled 'Conversations With My 13 Year Old Self'.

"I wish you well little girl
I wish you well until we meet again
My little thirteen year old me"

I'd be tickled a certain hue if you could tell me the name of the colourful entertainer who sings this song.
Hint


Question 14 of 20
14. People. Politics can be a fickle business and politicians come and go. In the case of Gulzarilal Nanda, once was not enough. On two occasions he was named interim Prime Minister of his country with both tenures lasting for a period of thirteen days each. In which country did this occur? Hint


Question 15 of 20
15. Religion. Thirteen seems to be a common occurrence throughout many of the world's religions in both good and bad manifestations. Can you tell me which of these statements is correct about thirteen and faith? Hint


Question 16 of 20
16. Science/Technology. Thirteen is only divisible by one and itself making it a prime number. If you take the digits of thirteen and reverse them you get thirty-one which is also a prime number. Therefore, what reversible mathematical term is applied to thirteen for having such a quality? Hint


Question 17 of 20
17. Sports. Let's assume that you are playing snooker and have just pocketed a red ball taking your score to ten points. Which coloured ball should you pocket now to take your score to thirteen and make your opponent envious? Hint


Question 18 of 20
18. Television. Following on from his success with 'The Office', what was the name of Ricky Gervais' next television program which, when including the Christmas special, comprised a total of thirteen episodes? Hint


Question 19 of 20
19. Video Games. Providing you have done all that is necessary to unlock them, there are twelve characters you can race as in Nintendo's 'Mario Kart DS'. But utilising the download play function on your system gives you the option of a thirteenth character. C'mon now, don't be bashful, what is the name of this character? Hint


Question 20 of 20
20. World. Our final question takes us to the ancient Mayan site of Palenque in Mexico. It was here inside a structure dubbed Temple XIII that a coffin containing the body of a woman was discovered in 1994. While there is nothing to suggest the woman had a penchant for ordering decapitations, she was given the same name as a character from a Lewis Carroll story. What do you think this name was? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 16 2024 : ssabreman: 14/20
Feb 16 2024 : Guest 82: 12/20
Feb 06 2024 : Guest 75: 3/20

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Animals. If ever you are travelling in Minnesota, chances are you will come across this commonly seen rodent. With a rather apt specie name of tridecemlineatus, this animal is more commonly known as the thirteen-lined what?

Answer: Ground squirrel

The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is also known as the striped gopher, leopard ground squirrel, squinney and thirteen-liner. It has fur of a golden brown colour with thirteen alternating stripes that run down its back, seven stripes of a darker brown colour and six that are almost white. These stripes are also dotted with golden coloured squares or spots.

The typical length of this squirrel is eleven inches from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. It is a diurnal animal and feeds primarily on weed seeds, grass and leaves but will also eat insects, mice and small birds and lizards.

The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is the mascot for the University of Minnesota, the Golden Gophers.
2. Brain Teasers. Relax, take your time and think about clocks and sequences as you try to solve this riddle. Q. Why is the number thirteen like afternoon tea? A. Because it OVERCAME FELT STEW. Umm, I don't think that's right. Can you unscramble the capitalised words to discover the real punchline?

Answer: Comes after twelve

I know, that's terrible and I'm truly sorry. I hope the clues helped you to solve this.
3. Celebrities. Sometimes celebrity marriages last the distance, but these happy unions are few and far between. Which actress, and star of her own 1960s sitcom, had her marriage to second husband Michael Tell, annulled just thirteen days after saying "I do"?

Answer: Patty Duke

Patty was born as Anna Marie Duke on December 14th 1946 in New York. One of her best known roles was in 'The Patty Duke Show' in which she portrayed the characters Patty Lane and her Scottish cousin Cathy Lane. This television sitcom ran for 104 episodes between 1963-1966.

Following relationships with Desi Arnaz jr. and John Astin, Patty found herself pregnant whereupon she married rock'n'roll promoter Michael Tell. The marriage took place on June 26th 1970 but was annulled soon after on July 9th of the same year.

Patty later married John Astin who adopted her son Sean who is well known for his role as Samwise Gamgee in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy.
4. Entertainment. You must be at least 120 centimetres tall to ride this question. On March 20th 2010, Alton Tower amusement park launched a world first in rollercoaster rides. This 'psychoaster' was given the name Thirteen, but how is this name officially depicted on the park's signage?

Answer: Th13rteen

Th13rteen was built at a cost of £15,000,000 in an area of Alton Park known as Dark Forest. At its highest point it is eighteen metres tall and can reach a top speed of sixty-six kilometres per hour. It has the capacity to accommodate 1500 riders every hour.

One element of the ride has the passenger train entering a darkened room and coming to a complete stop. Creaking wood sound effects are generated before the train suddenly drops down two feet. A couple of seconds later the train and the track drop again a further five metres. This is the first time a rollercoaster has ever featured a vertical freefall drop element.

For superstitious reasons the name of the ride was changed to Fourteen for just one day. That day was Friday the 13th of August, 2010.
5. For Children. Which of the following words begins and ends with the thirteenth letter of the alphabet?

Answer: Museum

K is the eleventh letter, L is the twelfth letter and N is the fourteenth letter of the alphabet.

According to figures compiled by 'The Art Newspaper', the thirteenth most visited museum in the world for the year 2009 was the Tokyo National Museum in Japan with a total of 2,273,634 visitors.

Established in 1872 it is both the oldest and largest museum in Japan. On display here are many works of art and archaeological artifacts from Asia. It houses more than 100,000 objects.
6. General. Wedding anniversaries often bring tears of joy, and sometimes tears of regret. To help wipe away those tears, what would be a traditionally appropriate gift for an American couple celebrating their thirteenth wedding anniversary?

Answer: Lace handkerchiefs

Traditional anniversary gifts differ between the U.K. and the U.S. and that's why the American couple get the lace handkerchiefs. Unfortunately British couples will go empty handed according to my research as there is no traditional thirteenth wedding anniversary gift.

A box of tissues (paper) would be suitable in the U.S. as a first wedding anniversary gift but in the U.K. they would have to wait for the second anniversary.

Cotton sheets can be given as a first anniversary present in the U.K. but in the U.S. they would be more appropriate for the second anniversary.

Woolen jumpers can be gifted for the seventh anniversary in both the U.K. and U.S.

It is possible that the tradition of giving gifts for wedding anniversaries began in medieval Germany. Women here were given a silver wreath from friends and neighbours upon reaching twenty-five years of marriage. After fifty years she would be presented with a gold wreath.
7. Geography. This is the smallest of all the fifty states that comprise the U.S.A. and was the thirteenth to officially declare statehood. What is it commonly known as?

Answer: Rhode Island

Officially known as Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Rhode Island was the first of the thirteen New England states to declare independence from British control but the last to officially become a state on the 29th of May 1790.

Situated on the east coast, it shares borders with Massachusetts to the north and east, Connecticut to the west and the Atlantic ocean to the south. The capital and largest city of Rhode Island is Providence and the state flag features thirteen stars.
8. History. Prior to allegedly succumbing to his wife's method of preparing his favourite mushroom dish, this man was the fourth Emperor of Rome and held the position for a full thirteen years. If you can complete the title of the book by Robert Graves which is based on this Emperor's life, you will have his name; 'I, ___'?

Answer: Claudius

Claudius was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and was thought to be somewhat dim-witted. Childhood illness had left him with a limp, slight deafness and a stammer and the family kept him from making public appearances. This was a bit unfair as Claudius proved himself to be quite intelligent and scholarly. He wrote many literary works, including histories of the Etruscans and Carthaginians as well as adding new letters to the Roman alphabet.

Claudius was instantly declared Emperor upon the assassination of his nephew Emperor Caligula. His reign started fairly well and he gained popularity by approving many public works. This did not last long though and in his later years was responsible for the deaths of many senators and knights who he felt were a threat to his position.

After his death, Claudius was succeeded by his adopted stepson Nero whose reign as Emperor also lasted for a period of thirteen full years.
9. Hobbies. If you were playing with a standard English language Scrabble set, which of the following supposedly lucky items would bring you a pot of gold with a tile point value of thirteen? No bonuses, just the tiles.

Answer: Rainbows

One point - A E I L N O R S T U
Two points - D G
Three points - B C M P
Four points - F H V W Y
Five points - K
Eight points - J X
Ten points - Q Z

It is believed that if ever you find the end of a rainbow a pot of gold will be waiting there for you. Thirteen points.

By placing a used horseshoe with its open end facing upwards on your front doorframe, you are inviting good luck into your home. Fifteen points.

Feng-shui beliefs say that having a small bamboo plant in the house will bring good luck. This will only work if the bamboo is given as a gift and not if you have bought it yourself. Twelve points.

Carrying a dried acorn about will bring wealth and the gift of youth your way, as well as attracting members of the opposite sex. Seven points. (Now I'm off to find an oak tree).
10. Humanities. A number of pop artists were commissioned to provide artwork for the New York State pavilion at the 1964 World's Fair. Amongst the submissions was a piece titled 'Thirteen Most Wanted Men'. It was deemed too controversial however and, just like Campbell's soup, was canned. Which artist created this artwork?

Answer: Andy Warhol

Warhol's piece was a mural measuring thirty-six square feet and featured large scale images of thirteen wanted criminals. The pictures were believed to have been copied from a New York Police Department handbook titled 'Thirteen Most Wanted Men'. One popular theory for the controversy surrounding the work was that the majority of the criminals featured were of Italian descent and that the large Italian population within New York might take offence at it. The mural was subsequently covered over with silver paint before the exhibition opened.

Warhol later claimed that he was glad that his piece was painted over as he did not want to feel responsible for somebody being turned over to the F.B.I. after being recognised in one of his artworks.
11. Literature. June 1932 saw Agatha Christie publish a collection of thirteen short stories featuring the spinster sleuth Miss Jane Marple. Also known as 'The Tuesday Club Murders', what is the original title of this collection?

Answer: The Thirteen Problems

'The Thirteen Problems' is comprised of three separate sets of narrative; the first two are made up of six stories each while the thirteenth and final story stands alone. Each of the thirteen stories however are tied in together in the general concept of the book.

The first six stories take place at the home of Miss Marple where a group of people known as the 'Tuesday Night Club' tell each other tales of mystery. Miss Marple of course, is able to resolve these mysteries. The second set of stories follows the same pattern but in a different location where Miss Marple is a dinner guest.

'Death by Drowning' is the thirteenth tale in which Miss Marple enlists the aid of Sir Henry Clithering in solving a mysterious death in her home village. Sir Henry is a retired Scotland Yard commisioner and was present at both meetings in the first two parts of the book and it is through this character that all thirteen stories interrelate.

Agatha Christie's next publication was the 1933 novel 'Lord Edgware Dies', also known as 'Thirteen At Dinner'.
12. Movies. In 1922, the filming of a movie which had the working title 'Number 13' was abandoned due to a blowout in the budget. Can you end the suspense and tell me the name of the masterful director of this ill-fated project?

Answer: Alfred Hitchcock

'Number 13', Hitchcock's debut as director, was intended to be a silent film for Gainsborough Pictures in the U.K. The script was written by a female employee of the studio.

It is believed that only two rolls of film had been used in shooting before the budget dried up. It is not known for sure what has happened to these rolls of film but they are much sought after by film historians. It is possible that the film studio melted the rolls down to obtain the silver nitrate contained within them.

The intended female star of 'Number 13' was Clare Greet who helped finance the film with her own money. Hitchcock repaid her generosity by casting her in a further six films that he directed.
13. Music. The following lyrics are from a song titled 'Conversations With My 13 Year Old Self'. "I wish you well little girl I wish you well until we meet again My little thirteen year old me" I'd be tickled a certain hue if you could tell me the name of the colourful entertainer who sings this song.

Answer: Pink

'Conversations With My 13 Year Old Self' is featured on Pink's 2006 album 'I'm Not Dead'. Whether by design or purely coincidental, it is the thirteenth track on the album.

The songwriting is accredited to Pink and Billy Mann who co-wrote about half of the album as well as producing a number of the tracks contained on it.

The other colourful yet incorrect answer options are a play on the names of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Christina Aguilera.
14. People. Politics can be a fickle business and politicians come and go. In the case of Gulzarilal Nanda, once was not enough. On two occasions he was named interim Prime Minister of his country with both tenures lasting for a period of thirteen days each. In which country did this occur?

Answer: India

Gulzarilal Nanda was a member of the Indian National Congress Party. His first brief stint as Prime Minister of India came after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru and lasted from the 27th of May to the 9th of June 1964. He was succeeded by Lal Bahadur Shastri following a party vote, but when Shastri also passed away while in office, Nanda once again assumed the Prime Ministership from the 11th of January to the 24th of January 1966.

His successor on this occasion was Indira Gandhi.
15. Religion. Thirteen seems to be a common occurrence throughout many of the world's religions in both good and bad manifestations. Can you tell me which of these statements is correct about thirteen and faith?

Answer: Bar Mitzvah occurs at the age of thirteen for boys in Judaism

While the modern English corruption of the term Bar Mitzvah usually refers to the religious ceremony undertaken by thirteen year old Jewish males, its true meaning relates to the boy himself as becoming a Bar Mitzvah or 'son of the commandment'. This is seen as an important coming of age for the boy as he is now responsible for his own actions regarding the following of the Jewish laws, traditions and ethics. In certain Jewish observances, girls celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah, 'daughter of the commandment' at the age of twelve.

There are five pillars of wisdom in Islam.

There are ten avatars of Vishnu in Hinduism.

Traditionally there are fourteen stations of the cross in Christianity.
16. Science/Technology. Thirteen is only divisible by one and itself making it a prime number. If you take the digits of thirteen and reverse them you get thirty-one which is also a prime number. Therefore, what reversible mathematical term is applied to thirteen for having such a quality?

Answer: Emirp

There are twenty-five prime numbers between one and one-hundred, eight of these are emirp (prime spelt backwards) numbers; 13, 17, 31, 37, 71, 73, 79 and 97. Eleven is not considered an emirp as it is a palindromic prime, that is it reads the same backwards as it does forwards.

By definition, one is not considered a prime number as it only has one divisor, namely itself. Prime numbers must have two divisors.

While some people may consider an emirp to be really, really special, it is not the term that mathematics has applied to them, neither is Optimus Prime who is a character from Transformers.
17. Sports. Let's assume that you are playing snooker and have just pocketed a red ball taking your score to ten points. Which coloured ball should you pocket now to take your score to thirteen and make your opponent envious?

Answer: Green

The objective of snooker is to obtain a score higher than that of your opponent by pocketing or 'potting' various coloured balls with differing point values. Red = one point, Yellow = two, Green = three, Brown = four, Blue = five, Pink = six and Black = seven.

A game or 'frame' begins with fifteen red balls arranged in a triangular shape and one each of the other coloured balls placed in designated spots on the table. A player must pot a red ball before they are allowed to attempt potting any of the other coloured balls.

Once a red ball has been potted it remains in the pocket for the remainder of the frame. Any of the other coloured balls when potted are removed from the pocket and returned to their designated point on the table before play continues.
18. Television. Following on from his success with 'The Office', what was the name of Ricky Gervais' next television program which, when including the Christmas special, comprised a total of thirteen episodes?

Answer: Extras

'Extras' was first screened on BBC2 in the U.K. on July 21st, 2005 and ended with the movie length thirteenth episode on December 27th, 2007.

'Extras' is a comedy program that follows the lives of Andy Millman (Gervais) and his friend Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen) who both work as extras in the film and television industry. As the series progresses Andy eventually gets to star in his own television program 'When The Whistle Blows'.

Each episode of 'Extras' features guest appearances by celebrities playing themselves. Amongst those to have been featured are David Bowie, Robert De Niro, Kate Winslet, Daniel Radcliffe and Sir Ian McKellen.
19. Video Games. Providing you have done all that is necessary to unlock them, there are twelve characters you can race as in Nintendo's 'Mario Kart DS'. But utilising the download play function on your system gives you the option of a thirteenth character. C'mon now, don't be bashful, what is the name of this character?

Answer: Shy Guy

Shy Guy is an enemy character who has appeared in many of the games within the Mario series as well as games from the Yoshi series. Typically dressed in a cloak and wearing a mask that covers its face, Shy Guy appears in a number of different guises, with each type having its own unique power, from cannons on top of their heads (Boom Guy) to propellors that enable them to fly (Fly Guys).

Using the Nintendo DS download play function with 'Mario Kart DS', multiple players may choose to race as Shy Guy. When this occurs each player is assigned their own individually coloured character. The incorrect options for this question are three of the unlockable characters from the same game.
20. World. Our final question takes us to the ancient Mayan site of Palenque in Mexico. It was here inside a structure dubbed Temple XIII that a coffin containing the body of a woman was discovered in 1994. While there is nothing to suggest the woman had a penchant for ordering decapitations, she was given the same name as a character from a Lewis Carroll story. What do you think this name was?

Answer: The Red Queen

Palenque is located at Chiapas in the southern region of Mexico and is dated from around the first century B.C. to around 800 A.D.

Temple XIII was first discovered by Mexican archaeologist Arnoldo Gonzales Cruz in 1994. It consisted of three rooms with the central room containing the coffin and body of the woman he dubbed the Red Queen owing to her body having been covered in cinnabar.

While it is not known for certain who the woman was, many believe her to be Lady Sak-Kuk, the mother of the Mayan ruler Pacal the Great. Pacal's tomb, known as the Temple of the Inscriptions, was discovered at Palenque in the 1950s and is located next to Temple XIII. A small passage that leads between the two structures is thought to symbolise an umbilical cord hence the maternal link to the Red Queen.
Source: Author Aussiedrongo

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nannanut before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/29/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us