Thematic Places Trivia

1. Edward V of England and his younger brother Richard have become known throughout history as the 'Princes in the Tower'. To which dynasty, famous for its part in an ongoing civil war, did they belong?

From Quiz Trivia Towers

Answer: York

These civil wars (1455 - 1487) would later become known as the The Wars of the Roses where the Houses of Lancaster and York battled for the English Crown. The Plantagenet were directly preceding them - Edward the III had three children whose ancestors would fight for the right to sit on the throne. His eldest son was Edward, the Black Prince, who predeceased him so his son became Richard the II - the last true Plantagenet King. Richard II died with no heirs. Edwards's second son was John of Gaunt whose descendants would become the House of Lancaster and his youngest son was Edmund of York. Their heirs would fight until Elizabeth of York (the young princes' elder sister) married the Lancaster's heir and the houses united with Henry VII becoming the first Tudor King. The Hanovers were centuries later beginning in 1714 with George I. The young princes were only 12 and 9 respectively when their father died and were supposedly taken to the Tower to keep them safe and prepare them for the coronation. They disappeared in 1483 - presumed murdered, probably by their uncle who became Richard III.

From Quiz Magnifique Mozambique

Answer: Portugal

The voyage of Vasco da Gama around the Cape of Good Hope in 1498 facilitated the Portuguese in establishing coastal settlements along the south-east coast of Africa, displacing small Arab trading centres. These new ports were stopping-off points for the new trade with India. Later, the Portuguese captured thousands of people from Mozambique and dispatched them to the New World as slaves. Gold and diamonds were also mined and sent back to Portugal. Portugal's dictator refused to give up his three mainland colonies of Guinea-Bissau, Angola and Mozambique and none of them achieved independence until after he died in 1975; most other African nations achieved independence in the 1960s. This question was written into the quiz by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1 who remains a Lusophile despite the subject content of this question.

From Quiz Poetic Places

Answer: Lake Superior

Henry Longfellow took advice about the spelling of various people, places and things from the aptly named scholar Henry Schoolcraft who was an expert in the Ojibwe language. Modern writers in Ojibwe use various spellings such as gichi-gami, gitchi-gami or kitchi-gami, but all are names for Lake Superior in different dialects. The words really do imply big/huge/large, and sea/water. Longfellow could have used any version and it would still have fitted with his hypnotic poetic rhythm. [D]

From Quiz Country File

Answer: Japanning

This technique came became popular in Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries because of growing interest in, and admiration for, the lacquer work brought back by travellers. In Japan and other far eastern countries this technique was also often used to decorate pottery.

From Quiz Schools That Never Really Were, District 6

Answer: Archie, Jughead, Veronica

The innocent comic-book series "Archie" was created in 1941 around the adventures of a group of middle-class students at Riverdale High School. The editorial design was to make the characters relatable and normal. The characters and setting were broadly adapted in 2017 to a freaky supernatural television series. The chief writer, Robert Aguirre-Sacasa, described it as "'Riverdale' is Archie Meets Twin Peaks."

From Quiz It's Chinatown!

Answer: It is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people, located outside China, Hong Kong, Taiwan or Macau

As the name clearly suggests, the term "Chinatown" refers to an ethnic enclave of Chinese people, that is located outside China, Hong Kong, Taiwan or Macau. They exist throughout the world, in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia. For example, there are several places that are called Chinatown in a number of cities in the United States of America such as San Francisco in California and Edison in New Jersey.

From Quiz Famous Addresses

Answer: Sherlock Holmes

The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived at 221 Baker Street, with his friend and helper Doctor Watson and his long suffering landlady Mrs. Hudson. Today it is a museum dedicated to Sherlock.

From Quiz Cafés that Never Really Were

Answer: Rick's Café Américain

The motion picture "Casablanca" was based on Murray Burnett and Joan Allison's play "Everybody Comes to Rick's." Producer Hal Wallis bought the rights for $20,000 which sounds small in today's dollar but was, at the time, the largest royalty ever paid to film an unproduced play. In addition to Bogart, the cast included Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Dooley Wilson.

From Quiz A Trip Around Europe

Answer: Liechtenstein

In 1985, the Swiss miscalculated the trajectory of rockets during a training exercise, and caused a forest fire in Liechtenstein, for which they paid compensation. Then in 1992, members of the Swiss army on a training exercise set up a command post in Triesenberg. Unfortunately, Triesenberg is in Liechtenstein. They apologised for their mistake. Finally in 2007, 171 Swiss soldiers, training in bad weather, entered Liechtenstein, marched into the country for almost three kilometres, before they realised their mistake and turned around. A Liechtenstein spokesman later said "It's not like they invaded with attack helicopters. No problem, these things happen", which is quite probably the most laid back response ever to an invasion, even if it was accidental.

From Quiz Armchair Traveller 8

Answer: It's sticky and chewy.

Dondurma is common in Turkey, as well as in Greece. It is mixed in barrels and beaten with long metal rods. The orchid root is used to make salep, which (along with mastic resin) makes the ice cream chewy. Dondurma is often sold by street vendors, who trick their customers by twisting the ice cream and turning it upside down. The ice cream clings to the stick and stretches, rather than drips. Its consistency is similar to bread dough.

From Quiz Magic Carpet Ride

Answer: Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Of the "Seven Wonders of the World", the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is the only one whose existence is in doubt. The Gardens were supposedly ordered to be built up a terraced hillside by King Nebuchadrezzar in the 6th century BCE. According to legend, they were meant to remind his homesick Persian wife Amytis of the lush wooded mountainous area of her childhood. Even that is uncertain, because there are historians who claim that other kings who lived in later eras may have had them built. These gardens were built up a terraced hillside, with exotic trees and other plants spilling over the stone balustrades that were constructed to look like a mountain. With the plants spilling forward over the stonework, the illusion of a floating garden was created. Even into the 21st century, archaeologists and other investigators have found absolutely no evidence that the gardens even existed. One problem in finding the remains of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is that no one knows exactly where they may have been. But it is a sweet magical love story of a king's desire to make his wife happy. The Lighthouse of Alexandria, in Egypt; the pink, red and white city of Petra, in Jordan; and the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu, high up in the Andes in Peru, all existed. While the last parts of the lighthouse were destroyed around 1460 AD, both Petra and Machu Picchu still exist today.

From Quiz Armchair Traveller 7

Answer: Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum in Jordan was a seabed hundred of thousands of years ago. It is now a desert landscape and has been used as a filming location in a number of movies, including those set on other planets. In "Red Planet", Wadi Rum was used as a Martian landscape, and in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" it was used for the fictional desert moon, Jedha. The desert was used by famous historical figures like Lawrence of Arabia during the Great Arab Revolt. At the start of the 21st century, a Jordanian tourist company began to perform reenactments of a train robbery for tourists to experience the Arab Revolt for themselves.

From Quiz Hotels that Never Really Were, Suite B

Answer: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

A remarkable ensemble cast (Judi Dench, Celia Imrie, Bill Nighy, Ronald Pickup, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson and Penelope Wilton) take lodging in a hotel somewhere in India and find love. The film was based on a 2004 novel, "These Foolish Things," by Deborah Moggach. There was a rather lovely sequel in 2014.

From Quiz Armchair Traveller 6

Answer: Fez, Morocco

The University of Al Quaraouiyine was founded in Fez by a woman named Fatima al-Fihri. It first opened in 859 and is, according to UNESCO and Guinness World Records, the oldest functioning university in the world. In its beginnings, it was a hub for spirituality and education. The university's religious focus remained into the 21st century, as it mainly offers courses on Islam and legal sciences, as well as classical Arabic.

From Quiz Hotels that Never Really Were, Suite A

Answer: The Grand Budapest Hotel

"The Grand Budapest Hotel" is set variously in the present, the late 1960s and in 1932. It is the story of a concierge who must disprove a false allegation that he murdered one of his guests. It is also the story of the life cycle of a hotel. The film collected a suite of BAFTA nominations (11), Golden Globe nominations (4) and Academy Award nominations (9), as well it might.

From Quiz Schools That Never Really Were, District 5

Answer: Monsters University

The talents of Billy Crystal (Mike), John Goodman (Sully), Steve Buscemi, John Ratzenberger and Bonnie Hunt combine in voicing this 2013 film -- a sequel (prequel, actually) to "Monsters, Inc." (2001). Randy Newman composed the score. Michael "Mike" Wazowski matriculates at Monsters University in order to become a scarer. He meets first-year scare major James P. "Sulley" Sullivan and they become competitors and friends. Adventures ensue.

From Quiz Wedding Venues of British Prime Ministers

Answer: 6-9 Carlton House Terrace

The President, Council and Fellows of the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is the oldest national scientific institution in the world, having been founded in 1660. They started off meeting at Gresham College, then after the Great Fire of London (1666) moved to Arundel House, then returned back to Gresham in 1673. In 1710 they moved to Fleet Street and then in 1780 they moved to Somerset House. Three prime ministers have lived on Carlton House Terrace, Palmerston (No.5), Grey (No. 13) and Gladstone (No. 11). Numbers 6-9 were previously used by the German ambassador. The other three addresses were early meeting places for the Geological Society of London, the Royal Astronomical Society and the Society of Antiquaries, all of which moved into Burlington House in 1874, and are still there today. Both the Duke and Duchess were buried at St. Marylebone Parish Church, where another Prime Minister, Robert Peel, married Julia Floyd on 8th June 1820.

From Quiz Not Lloyd, Beau Or Jeff. That's Ludacris!

Answer: Capilano

All of the possible answers are in Canada, but Capilano in North Vancouver, British Columbia is the one we were looking to cross. The bridge sits (or sways) 70 metres above the Capilano River and spans 137 metres. Although the original was made from hemp ropes, these were replaced with steel cables in 1903. Ranney Gorge is in Ontario on the Trans Canada Trail, Lynn Canyon is in British Columbia and the surrounding parkland is home to several swimming holes while the bridge at Montmorency Falls takes you over the top of the falls which are taller than those at Niagara.

From Quiz Armchair Traveller 5

Answer: A video game

MariCAR tours around the sights of Tokyo took place in go karts. But the uniqueness didn't stop there: customers could chose a costume to dress up in for the ride. The choices originally included video game characters like Mario and Luigi, but expanded to superheroes, Disney characters, and minions after a potential legal dispute with Nintendo. MariCAR was strictly a tour: no racing; no throwing banana peel; no turtle shells.

From Quiz Schools That Never Really Were, District 4

Answer: Faber College

The "men" of Delta (Tau Chi) House were students at Faber College. The producers sought to film the motion picture at the University of Missouri but were turned down by administrators who thought the film might reflect badly on the institution. The University of Oregon was persuaded to permit the filming on their campus in Eugene. While the university at first sought to conceal its participation in "Animal House," it is now a source of pride. For example, the Otis Day and the Knights version of the rock song "Shout," which figures in the film, is now sung at U of O football games.

From Quiz Schools That Never Really Were, District 3

Answer: Wossamotta U

Football scouts spotted Bullwinkle throwing Rocky around (for fun) and recruited them both to play football at Wossamotta U. Bullwinkle revived a failing football programme and was a hero. The alma mater of the school includes the line "Our praise for you will never cease. / All hail magenta and cerise." The school name is a mondegreen of "what's the matter [with] you?" At Universal Studios in Orlando, there is a Wossamotta U Stadium which is a Rocky-and-Bullwinkle themed gift shop which is also an Internet hot-spot and cell-phone charging station.

From Quiz All About the Jungle

Answer: Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling collected his stories about a feral human child (Mowgli) raised in the jungle by anthropomorphic animals in "The Jungle Book" (1894) and "The Second Jungle Book" (1895). Kipling proved himself an expert fabulist in writing stories where various animals represent archetypes of human behaviour. These stories may have been originally written for his daughter's entertainment but quickly become popular and successful. The stories have been through many adaptations including Percy Grainger's musical "Jungle Book Cycle" (1958) and Walt Disney's 1967 animated classic and its 2016 remake.

From Quiz All About Avalon

Answer: The magical island on which Excalibur was forged

From the 12th century, Avalon has been associated with King Arthur. Some legends hold that it was the place where his sword was forged. Others hold that it was where he was taken to be nursed after the Battle of Camlann. Still others hold that it was ruled by Morgan le Fay. One strain suggests it was an island of apple orchards and another that it was the home of the Holy Grail.

From Quiz Schools That Never Really Were, District 2

Answer: Star Trek

Starfleet Academy is a department within Starfleet for the training of officers. Its headquarters is located at the Presidio of San Francisco, its campus across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. The basic programme was four years; a few courses lasted as long as eight. The motto of the academy is "Ex Astris, Scientia" which appears on its insignia.

From Quiz Russian Around

Answer: Borzoi

Borzoi means swift or fast and the breed is also known as the Russian Wolfhound and is mentioned in Leo Tolstoy's epic "War and Peace."

From Quiz Schools That Never Really Were, District 1

Answer: Hogwarts

The full name of the school is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is located in a large castle in Scotland 'tho its exact location is concealed from Muggles (non-magical mortals) by magic spells. A large coeducational student body of eleven- to eighteen-year-olds attends and lives in four "houses" in the castle. Founded in the 9th or 10th Century, the Latin motto of the school is "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus" which means "Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon."

From Quiz Armchair Traveller 4

Answer: Uluru / Ayers Rock, Australia

The Anangu (the indigenous people of central Australia) owned Uluru after a 1985 handover agreement. Although they didn't want people to climb the sacred rock, the activity was so popular that it remained an option for tourists at the site. An agreement was made that in 2019 there would be a complete ban on climbing Uluru. There are, however, other activities to do at the site: there is a 10.6 kilometer walk around the base, helicopter and camel tours, and stargazing experiences. The red sandstone rock is the focus of Aboriginal creation stories.

From Quiz Castles that Never Really Were, Second Parapet

Answer: Minas Tirith

Built partly as a city and partly as a castle, Minas Tirith sits atop seven stories, each a hundred meters high. To conquer the castle, an invader would have to defeat its defenses seven times. The film "The Return of the King" (2003) shows how ridiculously difficult this is. In the Sindarin language, minas means tower and tirith means watch or guard. The coronation of Aragorn II Elessar, the son of Arathorn II and Gilraen, occurred there.

From Quiz Castles that Never Really Were, First Parapet

Answer: Barad-dûr, the "Dark Tower"

Sauron's castle, Barad-dûr, as described in "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Silmarillion" as gigantic. It is built as a fortress to protect the Dark Lord it harbours. It is found near Mount Doom in Northwest Mordor.

From Quiz Houses that Never Really Were, Door #4

Answer: Wayne Manor

Bruce Wayne lives in his family's mansion: Wayne Manor. It is usually depicted (in comic books and films) as a large late-Victorian house. In the 1960s television series, the announcer (who was William Dozier, the executive producer) refers invariantly to it as "stately Wayne Manor."

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