Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac (159 page)

SEPTEMBER 24

1848
B
RANWELL
B
RONTË,
the only brother of literature’s famous Brontë sisters, dies of tuberculosis. Branwell was a hard-partying alcoholic and probably a drug addict—as you could no doubt tell from the bad-ass heavy-metal umlaut over the “e” in his name.

PUNK-TUATION

Correctly place the unnecessary umlauts in each of these bands’ names.

1.
Blue Oyster Cult

2.
Husker Du

3.
Motley Crue

4.
Motorhead

5.
Queensryche

6.
Spinal Tap

1906
T
HEODORE
R
OOSEVELT
M
AKES
Devils Tower, Wyoming, the first National Monument, possibly because aliens have been giving him visions of the spot for months.

MONUMENT VALLEY

1.
What part of New York’s Statue of Liberty National Monument is actually in New Jersey?

2.
For whom is the cemetery at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument named?

3.
Baseball’s “inventor,” Abner Doubleday, fired the first shot defending what current national monument?

4.
What two men, one named for the other, both have national monuments at their birthplaces, in Virginia and Missouri, respectively?

5.
What national monument lies entirely within a missile-testing range?

6.
Central Park, Battery Park, or Bryant Park—what Manhattan park is home to Castle Clinton National Monument?

7.
What national monument is named for the world’s largest “natural bridge”?

8.
By tradition, newly designed U.S. flags always fly first over what national monument?

9.
What kind of tree has both a national park and national monument named for it?

10.
Despite not being part of the U.S. proper, what territory has a national park and two national monuments?

1958
W
ORLD
W
AR
I
FINALLY ENDS
in the tiny Pyrenees nation of Andorra, as a ceremonial peace is signed with Germany. Apparently, Andorra wasn’t invited to sign the Treaty of Versailles forty years ago.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

1.
Who was finally convicted in 1994 for the 1963 murder of the civil rights leader Medger Evers?

2.
What country was originally selected to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics of 1940 but due to World War II hosted neither until the 1960s?

3.
In 2004, who finally released a new version of his unfinished 1966 album,
Smile
?

4.
In 1984, blacklist victims Michael Wilson and Carl Foreman posthumously got screen credit—and Oscars—for writing
Bridge on the River Kwai.
Why was novelist Pierre Boulle’s solo writing credit on
Kwai
particularly suspicious?

5.
How many other people die as a result of Hamlet’s actions before he finally kills his intended victim, his uncle Claudius?

SEPTEMBER 25

1790
T
HE
C
HINESE EMPEROR
Qianlong summons opera troupes from the provinces to perform at his lavish eightieth birthday party. This leads to the formation of the Beijing Opera, still the most famous presenters of Chinese theater worldwide.

CONCRETE GALOSHES

Speaking of Chinese theater, who’s the only star to leave these unusual imprints outside the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood?

1.
Ice skates

2.
Eyeglasses

3.
Braids

4.
Legs

5.
Wheels

6.
Mouth

7.
Fist

8.
Knees

9.
Cigar (two answers)

10.
Hooves (three answers)

1971
B
RIAN
D
UNKLEMAN
—aka “that genius who bailed on
American Idol
because he thought it would kill his stand-up career”—is born in Ellicottville, New York.

PITCHY KEEN

Give the full name of the
Idol
contestant cheered on by these fan clubs.

1.
Blaker Girls

2.
Clay-mates

3.
Care Bears

4.
The Soul Patrol

5.
Sparklers

6.
McPhans

1988
F
LORENCE
G
RIFFITH
-J
OYNER
sets a new Olympic record in the 100-meter sprint. Yesterday, her sister-in-law Jackie Joyner-Kersee set a new world record in the heptathlon.

RELATIVELY RELATED

Test your knowledge on these famous in-laws.

1.
Denny McLain, Bob Gibson, or Sandy Koufax—what Hall of Fame pitcher was actor Richard Widmark’s son-in-law?

2.
What two
West Wing
cast members were real-life brothers-in-law?

3.
Who named his “Coffee Talk” character, Linda Richman, after his mother-in-law?

4.
The wives of George Washington and Robert E. Lee were grandmother and granddaughter. What last name did they share?

5.
Which two
Dukes of Hazzard
characters are actually brothers-in-law?