State Capital Tribond Trivia Trivia Quiz

Answer: Denver

The capital of Colorado shares its name with a variety of people and things. John Denver is a singer widely known for hits such as "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and "Rocky Mountain High." He greatly admired Colorado's natural beauty and created his performance name "Denver" from the state. (He was born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.) Sadly, John Denver died when the plane he was piloting crashed into Monterey Bay, California. Bob Denver is the actor most known for his portrayal of Gilligan on the show "Gilligan's Island." This show featured a mismatched bunch of castaways and ran from 1964-1967. Bob Denver was also beloved for his role on the TV show "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis." The Denver omelette (also known as a western omelette) is usually made of eggs, diced ham, onions, and green bell peppers.

As with any food item, the recipes vary widely according to taste.

Answer: Austin

The capital of Texas too is seen in many locations. "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" is a wildly popular 1997 satire of James Bond movies. The womanizing secret agent is played by the boisterous Mike Myers (who also wrote the script for the movie). Myers' father's love of the legendary comedic actors Peter Sellers and Alec Guinness reportedly inspired the "Austin Powers" films. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is a former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star who has become a six-time WWE Champion.

He has recently turned his attention to acting, and has played parts in both "The Longest Yard" (2005) and "The Condemned" (2007). Sherrié Austin (singer) is a country artist born in Sydney, Australia. Some of her hits include "Son of a Preacher Man" and "Streets of Heaven."

Answer: Concord

The capital of New Hampshire shares its name with multiple items, including a variety of grape. Concord grapes are a North American variety of grape used for everything from jelly to wine. This grape was developed by a Mr. Bull, who planted the first Concord grape vine in Concord, Massachusetts in 1849.

Incidentally it was through the use of this Concord grape that a dentist named Dr. Welch created a grape juice process that evolved into the well-known American juice brand "Welch's." Lexington & Concord were the first skirmishes between the British and Americans during the Revolutionary War. British troops were ordered to seize weaponry the colonists had stored in Concord, Massachusetts.

A tiny group of colonists confronted these troops first in Lexington, then again at Concord, where the colonists were joined by reinforcements and drove off the British.

These confrontations set the stage for the war to come. Finally, the Concorde (it is spelled with an 'e' but 'Concord' was an official British spelling for a short time) was the first commercial passenger jet to travel faster than the speed of sound.

It was a collaborative effort between Air France and British Airways, introduced into service in 1974 and taken out of service in 2003. The Concorde could reach a cruising speed of up to 2,179 km per hour.

Answer: Madison

The capital of Wisconsin also sees its name crop up in a variety of places. "Billy Madison" is an Adam Sandler movie concerning 27 year old Billy Madison who is living solely off the family wealth. His father gets angry at the waste, and challenges him to repeat first grade through twelfth grade (I'm not sure what the international grade equivalents are, but Billy must learn all the class material covered between the ages of six through eighteen in about six months). If Billy does not complete the schoolwork, he will not inherit the lucrative family hotel business. James Madison University is a four-year public university located in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley.

It is often ranked well in college and university reports in terms of its value (quality of education for the cost) and its strong undergraduate research program. Finally, Madison Square Garden is a New York City indoor sports venue that is home to not only the Knicks but the Rangers hockey team and the Liberty basketball team, among others.

The first Madison Square Garden was an old railroad station; since then, there have been several moves and renovations, culminating in the current location (Seventh Avenue and 33rd Street).

Answer: Jackson

The capital of Mississippi lends its name to an illustrious group of people. Jesse Jackson became involved in civil rights while still in college. He was at one point a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) founded by Martin Luther King, Jr. Jesse Jackson has supported civil rights reforms in the United States, condemned apartheid (racial segregation) in South Africa, and negotiated the release of several international hostages. Additionally, he made two runs for President of the United States, although he never won the Democratic nomination. Peter Jackson, in addition to directing "King Kong," directed the blockbuster "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

He was born in Pukerua Bay, New Zealand, and has been interested in making movies since childhood. Peter Jackson was nominated for an Academy Award in "Best Writing" for an earlier film, "Heavenly Creatures" (1994). Alan Jackson is one of the most highly acclaimed country singers/songwriters in recent history.

Born in Georgia, he broke into the music industry from a chance encounter with Glen Campbell (a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee).

He was voted the Country Music Association "Entertainer of the Year" in both 1995 and 2002, and has had many hit songs including "Drive (for Daddy Gene)" and "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)."

Answer: Salem

The capital of Oregon is also versatile. The Salem witch trials panic is one of the most well-known cases of public hysteria in history. A group of young girls started tossing around allegations of witchcraft in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. No one knows for sure exactly why these girls began to point fingers, but explanations tend to range from boredom (the most generally accepted reason) to hallucinations (brought on by gas released from molding wheat).

In any event, people suddenly became fearful that they were surrounded by witches and were given free rein to accuse their enemies.

As a result, nineteen people were executed on the charge of witchcraft and over a hundred others were imprisoned before the hysteria wore off. Salem is also a brand of cigarette manufactured by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. According to the company's description, Salem cigarettes are a variety of menthol cigarettes (the first filtered brand to come into the market). Salem cigarettes entered the market in 1956, and were popular for many years.

Their recent sales have slowed, however, as R.J Reynolds now lists them as a support brand and not a growth brand. "'Salem's Lot" is a Stephen King novel about vampires in a tiny town called "Jerusalem's Lot." Some of the sections of the book that deal with hidden information and the isolation of the town inhabitants reportedly mimic the events of the Watergate trial, which was unfolding as King wrote the book.

Answer: Springfield

The capital of Illinois shares its name with many cities around the country (and around the world). One of these towns is the fictional setting of "The Simpsons." The show never reveals where Springfield is located, which aids in the use of "The Simpsons" as a parody of American life. Several neighboring states are mentioned throughout the show, as well as other landmarks, but there is no possible way that all clues to Springfield's location refer to the same place.

The Springfield rifle has gone through many different models since its introduction. Named after the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts, the Springfield rifles were used by the US infantry in WWI.

Finally, Dusty Springfield was a British singer in the 1960s who achieved great success. Other than "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," she also recorded "Wishin' and Hopin'" and "Son of a Preacher Man." The honors Dusty Springfield earned for her career include the Order of the British Empire and induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Answer: Montgomery

The capital of Alabama has some interesting namesakes as well. Montgomery Ward & Co., founded by a man of the same name, revolutionized the shopping industry. His work as a traveling salesman taught him the lesson that struggling farmers hated the idea of paying two sets of markups (one to the company that manufactured the goods and one to the salesman).

This inspired Ward to develop a mail-order business where the customer could order directly from a catalog to cut out the middle people. His idea was extremely successful. Montgomery Ward & Co. also pioneered the "money-back guarantee" to ensure the customer's satisfaction. Montgomery Ward & Co. filed for bankruptcy in 1997. Montgomery Clift is an Academy Award winning actor known for his roles in "Red River" with John Wayne, "From Here to Eternity," "A Place in the Sun," and "Judgment at Nuremburg." For this final film that he was nominated for a "Best Supporting Actor" Academy Award, a particularly remarkable feat considering his total screen time was roughly seven minutes. Addison Montgomery is a character from "Grey's Anatomy." She is a neo-natal surgeon who was married to another doctor on the show, Derek Shepherd.

Her character is the lead in a "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off called "Private Practice."

Answer: Boston

The capital of Massachusetts crops up often too. The Boston Tea Party is arguably one of the most well-known events in American history. In response to a Tea Act passed by the British Parliament in 1773 that gave the East India Company control over the colonial tea trade, a group of colonists costumed as Native Americans sneaked into the Boston Harbor and dumped chests of tea located on East India Company ships into the water. An angry Parliament punished the rebellious colonists with even harsher legislation, known as the Intolerable Acts.

The Boston terrier is a small dog (usually under 25 pounds) that has the distinction of being a breed developed in America (the vast majority of dog breeds originated elsewhere). The Boston terrier is a cross between an English bulldog and a white English terrier.

The Boston stapler is a common brand of staplers sold at many office supply companies. In the movie "Office Space," one of the company employees, Milton, is very unhappy with the switch to Boston staplers, preferring his red Swingline stapler. When the Swingline is taken away from him (on top of a great deal of mistreatment by management), Milton takes drastic measures to vent his displeasure!

Answer: Lincoln

The capital of Nebraska is ever-present in American life. The Lincoln Tunnel is a tunnel consisting of three tubes that connects Manhattan Island, New York and Weehawken, New Jersey. It allows traffic to cross underneath the Hudson River, and is approximately 8200 feet long (around a mile and a half). Lincoln is also the name of a line of high-end automobiles manufactured by Ford Motor Company. Lincoln was founded in 1917 and acquired by Ford in 1922.

Its more famous models include the Town Car and the Continental. According to the company website, many famous Americans have purchased a Lincoln, including Thomas Edison, W.C. Fields and Herbert Hoover. Lincoln Logs are a toy building set constructed of tiny logs that can be notched together. Lincoln Logs have been around since the 1910s, and are still available at many toy retailers.

Answer: Phoenix

The capital of Arizona has a myriad of namesakes, including the AIM-54 Phoenix missile. The Phoenix missile is produced by the Raytheon Company, and is an air-to-air missile. It was developed for use by the United States Navy in 1974, and has a range of over one hundred miles. River Phoenix is an Academy Award-nominated actor known for his role in "Stand by Me" (1986).

He also appeared as a young Indiana Jones, and received his Oscar nomination for "Running on Empty" (1988). He died of a drug overdose in 1993 at the age of twenty-three. Finally, the phoenix is one of the most well-known mythological creatures. Originating in Egypt, the most fantastic characteristic of the phoenix is that when it dies, it will be born again from its own ashes.

This cycle of death and rebirth holds great appeal to many, and as a result the phoenix has been incorporated symbolically into more than one religion.

Answer: St. Paul

The capital of Minnesota shares its name with several important Christian religious figures. Saint Paul was born as Saul of Tarsus. He was not one of the twelve original apostles, although he is known by the title "Apostle to the Gentiles." He is credited with writing thirteen books of the New Testament of the Bible, as well as several letters, and is one of the most important personages in Christianity. Pope John Paul II was the leader of the Roman Catholic church from 1978-2005.

Born Karol Józef Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II was the first Pope in over four hundred years that was not Italian.

He is credited with easing the disbanding of the Soviet Union and encouraged the use of non-violent methods of political protest. Paul Anka is a Canadian singer and songwriter of Lebanese descent.

In addition to recording hits like "Diana," Paul wrote "My Way" for Frank Sinatra and "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" theme song.

Answer: Columbus

The capital of Ohio shares its name with several people, the most obvious of whom is Christopher Columbus. However, the question refers to another Christopher (Chris) Columbus, who is an acclaimed movie director born in Pennsylvania. Not only did he direct the first two "Harry Potter" movies, but he also was the director of "Home Alone," "Mrs. Doubtfire," and "Rent" (2005). Columbus Day is an American holiday in honor of the most famous Christopher Columbus, the explorer credited with discovering America.

The Knights of Columbus is a service organization headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut. The Knights of Columbus describe Roman Catholic teachings and beliefs. As stated on the official website, the goals of the Knights are to promote charity, unity, and fraternity.

Answer: Raleigh

The capital of North Carolina is actually named after the explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, who established a colony near Roanoke Island in North Carolina. Named Virginia by Sir Walter Raleigh after Queen Elizabeth I (the Virgin Queen), it became known in history as the Lost Colony when all of the settlers disappeared before ships bringing supplies back from England arrived. To this day, no one knows whether the colony was eradicated by unfriendly Native Americans or if the starving settlers joined a friendly tribe (or if Martians came... well, it hasn't been disproved yet!). Sir Walter Raleigh himself was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth's for part of her rule, but was imprisoned by the next ruler of England, King James I, in the Tower of London. He was eventually executed, but not before writing "The History of the World." Thoreau wrote an essay called "Sir Walter Raleigh" in tribute to the explorer. Thoreau did so both to pay tribute to the man and to urge Americans to try to follow Raleigh's example. Raleigh Bicycle Company is based in Nottingham and sells all sorts of bikes and accessories.

There are branches in Canada, Germany, Holland, Ireland, and the United States, as well as licensed distributors all over the world.

Answer: Carson City

The capital of Nevada shares some of its name with a varied gang of people and places. Carson Pirie Scott bills itself as a "traditional" department store with locations in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Its main store building (located on State Street in Chicago) was designed by eminent architect Louis Sullivan, although that particular store closed in February 2007. Carson Daly's claim to fame was his role as host of "Total Request Live" from 1998 - 2003 (in the days of Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys).

He now hosts his own show "Last Call with Carson Daly" on the NBC network. Carson Drew is the name of Nancy Drew's father in the Nancy Drew mystery series. He is not really developed as a character; he is a lawyer and a single parent (having raised Nancy with the help of his housekeeper after Nancy's mother died).

His role in the series is mainly one of support and wisdom upon which Nancy can rely.

Answer: Dover

The capital of Delaware pops up all over the world. Dover Publications is a publisher of "special-interest books." Founded in 1941, Dover Publications was created by Hayward and Blanch Cirker. The company was acquired by the Courier Corporation in 2000, and releases 8000 book titles per year according to the Courier website. Dover is also the name of a Spanish rock band that released its first album in 1995. Amparo and Cristina Llanos are the leaders of the band.

Their single "Let Me Out" won an Ondas Award for Best Song in 2006. Dover, England is a port city along the Strait of Dover, which connects Dover with Calais, France.

Its strategic location has led to the establishment of settlements in the area since before Roman times. The harbor at Dover is over 600 acres in area, and the strait is the most often-crossed section of the English Channel.

Answer: Columbia

The capital of South Carolina (although very similar to Columbus) has its own set of namesakes. NASA built a series of four space shuttles to be used in space exploration: 'Challenger', 'Discovery', 'Atlantis', and 'Columbia'. 'Endeavour' was added to the fleet in 1992 to replace 'Challenger' after its 1986 explosion. 'Columbia' was the first of these to be launched into space, and completed many missions in its twenty years of service. Sadly, in 2003 'Columbia' broke up over Texas, killing all seven crew members. Columbia Broadcasting System, now the CBS Corporation, traces its roots back to the 1920s (and the full name endured until 1974). William Paley invested in a small radio network and turned it into a media giant. CBS expanded to television quickly, and was bought out by Westinghouse Electric in 1995 and subsequently renamed CBS Corporation. Columbia Sportswear is an American manufacturer of outdoor clothing and accessories.

The company was founded in 1938 as a hat company by Paul and Marie Lamfrom. Run since 1970 by the Lamfrom's daughter (and their grandson), Columbia Sportswear has weathered some financial difficulties to begin the 21st century as a thriving business.

Answer: Helena

The capital of Montana shows up in numerous applications. Helena is an alternate name for the single appearance of St. Elmo's Fire, also known as a corposant. (The corresponding name for a double sighting is Castor and Pollux, a set of mythological twins.) St. Elmo's Fire is a phenomenon in which light appears near the ends of pointed objects.

It almost always occurs during an electrical storm, and was taken as a good luck sign by sailors. The other situation in which St. Elmo's Fire is visible is around power lines.

Helena is also the name of one of the main characters in the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The play is a comedy involving the interaction of three couples (two human, one fairy) and a roguish fairy with a love potion. The two human males fall in love with Helena, though only one has been given the potion, and she becomes upset that they are mocking her with their sudden admissions of love. On the other hand, Helena's friend is in love with Helena's love-potioned suitor (and he with her).

In the end, however, the problems are resolved in quite a satisfactory manner. Finally, Helena Bonham Carter is a British actress involved in movies such as "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and "Howard's End." She was nominated for an Academy Award for her leading role in "The Wings of the Dove," but was beaten by Helen Hunt for "As Good as It Gets."

Answer: Olympia

The capital of Washington appears in several contexts, including in the name of a butterfly species called the Olympia Marble. These butterflies are white with a brown marbling pattern underneath the wings, and range from southern Canada to central Texas. Olympia Dukakis is an American actress from Massachusetts.

In addition to her Academy Award for "Moonstruck," Dukakis has appeared in numerous films, such as "Steel Magnolias" and "Mr. Holland's Opus." Olympia was also the first site of the Olympic Games.

The earliest historically verifiable games took place in 776 B.C. and consisted only of foot races in those first seventy years. Located on the Peloponnese peninsula, Olympia originally was an ancient sanctuary. One of the Seven Wonders of the World (the Statue of Zeus) used to reside there.

Answer: Jefferson City

The capital of Missouri has famous namesakes as well. "The Jeffersons" is a television show featuring the Jefferson family introduced in "All in the Family." George Jefferson's dry-cleaning business has become quite successful, so the family moves to a ritzier place.

The show was nominated for many Emmy Awards and Golden Globes, and has earned a spot in American television history. Jefferson, Mississippi is the town repeatedly seen in Faulkner's works. The town is the county seat of Yoknapatawpha County (the fictional county about which Faulkner wrote.) Similarities between Jefferson and Oxford, Mississippi (Faulkner's hometown) have often been reported. Finally, the Jefferson Airplane is the seminal 1960s psychedelic rock band that released such hits as "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love." The band later changed its name to 'Jefferson Starship' and 'Starship' and became Rock and Roll Hall of Famers in 1996.