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Strange America Trivia Quiz

If you think America is strange now, try to figure out how strange it has been at times in the past.

A multiple-choice quiz by grungey22067. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
grungey22067

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
202,015

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
1192

Last 3 plays: Guest 38 (5/10), Guest 152 (6/10), Guest 47 (3/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What deadly disaster struck Boston on January 15th, 1919? Hint

Nothing unusual happened

A swarm of deadly bees killed a mayor

A tidal wave of molasses flooded it

The "Great Boston Drought"

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which historical American figure had been involved in 103 duels and altercations by the time of his successful run for presidency? Hint

No-one

Andrew Jackson

George Washington

George W. Bush

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Question 3 of 10

3. What was tested by the U.S. in the Marshall Islands on July 1st, 1946? Hint

Nothing

New model hand grenades

The first of a series of new atomic bombs

Hydrogen bomb

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which columnist got their start from winning a newspaper contest? Hint

Cynthia Malburn

Esther Lederer

Edward Foulden

David Letterman

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Question 5 of 10

5. Who had the idea of giving every town a unique name by using the letters that stood for the number in its longitude and latitude, all keyed from a complex code of vowels and consonants? Hint

William Maclure

Stedman Whitwell

George Rapp

John Luce

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Question 6 of 10

6. In what year did Congress move to stop drugstores for selling over-the-counter narcotics? Hint

1906

1898

1911

1920

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which American poet was the first to win international acclaim for his writings, but could not do well in a school doing mathematics? Hint

None of the above

Walt Whitman

Edgar Allan Poe

William Shakespeare

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Question 8 of 10

8. Who lost the election in 1962 for governor of California to the incumbent, Pat Brown? Hint

Gerald Ford

Richard Nixon

Jimmy Carter

John F Kennedy

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which judge was nicknamed "Three-Legged Willie" around 1827 because he walked on a peg leg attached to his right knee? Hint

Robert Williamson

William Justice

Henry Plummer

Roger Sherman

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Question 10 of 10

10. What product sold more than 64 million pairs within the first year of coming on the market in 1939? Hint

Nylon stockings

Lip stick

Barbies

High-heeled shoes

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Most Recent Scores

Apr 17 2024 : Guest 38: 5/10
Apr 16 2024 : Guest 152: 6/10
Mar 31 2024 : Guest 47: 3/10
Mar 28 2024 : Guest 88: 8/10
Mar 25 2024 : Guest 174: 7/10
Mar 21 2024 : Guest 47: 4/10
Mar 20 2024 : Guest 64: 3/10
Mar 18 2024 : callie_ross: 3/10
Mar 17 2024 : Guest 73: 6/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What deadly disaster struck Boston on January 15th, 1919?

Answer: A tidal wave of molasses flooded it

The tidal wave of molasses was about 30 feet high, killed 21 people, and injured 50. A vast storage tank, high above street level, suddenly burst ... For those who think this is just another urban legend, see: http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/historical/a/molasses_flood.htm

2. Which historical American figure had been involved in 103 duels and altercations by the time of his successful run for presidency?

Answer: Andrew Jackson

By this time Jackson was already 60 years old.

3. What was tested by the U.S. in the Marshall Islands on July 1st, 1946?

Answer: The first of a series of new atomic bombs

It was dropped on Bikini Atoll, a small, deserted island. In Paris, there were rumors about this being a "superbomb" so they started throwing "end-of-the-world" or "bikini" parties. It was also the start of an explosion of success for Jacques Heim, the first designer of bikini swim suits. The first hydrogen bomb was not tested till 1952.

4. Which columnist got their start from winning a newspaper contest?

Answer: Esther Lederer

She started off as a housewife from Chicago that won a newspaper contest in 1955. Later, she took over from Ruth Crowley as the pseudonymous "Ann Landers".

5. Who had the idea of giving every town a unique name by using the letters that stood for the number in its longitude and latitude, all keyed from a complex code of vowels and consonants?

Answer: Stedman Whitwell

Using this method, Stedman Whitwell reasoned that every town could be instantly located on any map.

6. In what year did Congress move to stop drugstores for selling over-the-counter narcotics?

Answer: 1906

Cocaine was taken for toothaches(!) and was sold in corner drugstores, and opiates available as painkillers.

7. Which American poet was the first to win international acclaim for his writings, but could not do well in a school doing mathematics?

Answer: Edgar Allan Poe

Poe was considered "Too mad a poet to like mathematics."

8. Who lost the election in 1962 for governor of California to the incumbent, Pat Brown?

Answer: Richard Nixon

After losing the election, Nixon got back on his feet and ran for presidency in 1968 and won by more than 500,000 votes.

9. Which judge was nicknamed "Three-Legged Willie" around 1827 because he walked on a peg leg attached to his right knee?

Answer: Robert Williamson

For one of his first court sessions, Williamson had to use a general store as his courtroom and a dry goods box as his bench.

10. What product sold more than 64 million pairs within the first year of coming on the market in 1939?

Answer: Nylon stockings

Wallace H. Carothers (1896-1937) was the brilliant scientist who invented nylon. Although he and his team produced a perfect synthetic fiber, he saw himself as a failed scientist (despite having several patents). He became depressed and swallowed a fatal dose of cyanide, alone in his hotel room. He was only 41.

Source: Author grungey22067

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