Memphis, Tennessee Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mississippi

Memphis is situated in the far west of the state of Tennessee on the east bank of the Mississippi River. It is connected to the state of Arkansas by road bridges that carry Interstates 40 and 55.

Answer: Mississippi

The Memphis metropolitan area covers an area of around 4,600 square miles, with a total population at the 2010 US census of over 1.3 million. Large communities in the state of Mississippi that come under its umbrella include Southaven, Olive Branch and Horn Lake.

Answer: Egypt

The area on which Memphis now stands originally belonged to the Chickasaw Nation. They ceded the land to the United States in January, 1819. The new city was founded by Andrew Jackson, John Overton and James Winchester, and they named it after the ancient capital of Egypt.

Answer: Beale Street

Beale Street is just under two miles long and is home to numerous blues clubs and restaurants. Tom Lee Park sits at the Mississippi River end of the street, and is home to the annual Beale Street Music Festival.

Answer: Martin Luther King Jr

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr was staying at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis in April, 1968. He was leaning over his motel room balcony talking to Jesse Jackson when he was shot with a rifle bullet fired by James Earl Ray. He died in hospital shortly afterwards. The motel is now the site of the National Civil Rights Museum.

Answer: Tigers

The University of Memphis has undergone a few name changes over the years, with the current name replacing Memphis State University in 1994. The school's sports teams were informally known as "Blue and Gray Warriors" until Tigers was officially adopted in 1939. They became members of the American Athletic Conference in 2013.

Answer: Sun Studio

Sun Studio has been nicknamed "the birthplace of rock and roll". Opened in 1950, Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats recorded "Rocket 88" there, reputedly the first ever rock and roll single. Among the famous musicians to have recorded there are Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and U2.

Answer: Vancouver

The Vancouver Grizzlies were an NBA expansion team that began play in 1995. After just six seasons in British Columbia, low attendances and subsequent loss of revenue saw the owners apply for permission to relocate to Memphis, with approval being given in July, 2001.

The Memphis Grizzlies play home games at the FedEx Forum, and made it all the way to the Western Conference finals in 2013, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs.

Answer: Ducks

The Peabody Ducks, five mallards, live in their own penthouse apartment on the roof of the Peabody Hotel on Union Avenue. Every day between 11.00 and 5.00 pm they are on parade in the fountain in the hotel's lobby. The tradition dates back to the 1930s when the hotel's then manager brought live ducks back to the hotel from a hunting trip.

Answer: The bedroom where Elvis Presley was born

Elvis Presley was actually born in Tupelo, Mississippi - the small house where he was born is now a museum. Elvis bought Graceland in 1957, and he died there in 1977. The estate is a National Historic Landmark, and attracts around 650,000 visitors each year.