I'm in a New York State of Mind: N.Y. Trivia Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Sometimes it's true that "the best things in life are free". The beautiful Brooklyn Bridge, which majestically spans the East River connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan, is a toll-free suspension bridge that opened in 1883. Who was the governor of New York at that time?

Answer: Grover Cleveland

Cleveland was the 28th Governor of N.Y. (1883-1885). Tilden held the office in 1875-1876, Teddy served in 1889-1900. John Augustus Roebling was the man who designed the bridge. The first person to cross the span was Emily Warren Roebling, who was the wife of Washington Roebling (John's son), the man who supervised the bridge's construction.

On hand for opening day, May 24, 1893, was none other than the President of the United States, Chester A. Arthur. The iconic structure, which has appeared in dozens of Hollywood films, was built at the cost of $15.5 million dollars and 27 lives. In 1964, the Brooklyn Bridge was designated a National Historic Landmark.

Interesting fact: One day, just months before construction was to begin, John Roebling's foot was crushed in a freak accident as he was conducting surveys.
After being diagnosed with tetanus, his toes were amputated, but he died 24 days later on July 22 1869. Construction began under the supervision of his son Augustus in January 1870. One more interesting sidebar: John's grandson, Washington Roebling II, perished when the Titanic went down in April 1912.

2. The Brooklyn Dodgers were a perennial National League baseball powerhouse in the 1940s-1950s, capturing the pennant seven times in the period from 1941-1956. They lost the World Series to the New York Yankees five times, before finally defeating the Bronx Bombers for the only time. In what year did the Brooklyn Dodgers finally win their first and only World Series Championship, by defeating their hated N.Y. rival?

Answer: 1955

After losing in 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953, the rallying cry of the Flatbush faithful was "Wait 'til Next Year". In 1955, even after shortstop Pee Wee Reese's throw landed in the glove of Dodger first baseman Gil Hodges to win the decisive game seven, hardly a Brooklynite could actually believe that "Next Year" had finally arrived. Behind the brilliant shutout pitching of rookie lefthander, Johnny Podres, and the clutch hitting of Hodges, who drove in both runs, Brooklyn finally had what would turn out to be the franchises only World Championship. The following year the Yankees turned the tables, but it didn't matter, no one was ever going to take 1955 away. At the conclusion of the 1957 season the Brooklyn franchise ceased to exist, as (sob) the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles.

Interesting fact: When the Yankees recaptured the crown in 1956, the series was highlighted by Yankee pitcher Don Larsen's perfect game, the first in World Series history.

3. The ultimate goal of many actors, singers, musicians etc. is to have an opportunity to perform on Broadway. Those who actually get there are able to compete to win the Tony Award for excellence in over 25 categories, including Best Actor, Best Director, Best Choreographer and more. The first Tony Award for Best Play was awarded in 1948. What show was the first Best Play?

Answer: Mister Roberts

The Tony, which is Broadway's equivalent to Hollywood's Oscar, was awarded at ceremonies held at The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. "Death of a Salesman" won the following year, "The Rose Tattoo" took The Tony in 1951 and "Cat" was nominated in 1956. Just getting a show to Broadway is a great accomplishment in itself, but to have the lasting power to record over 5,000 performances is extraordinary. "The Phantom of the Opera", "Cats", and "The Lion King" are a few of the shows that have managed to do so. ("Phantom" ran for over 10,000 performances.)

Interesting fact: Henry Fonda won the Tony for Best Actor for his portrayal of Mister Roberts.

4. Every city, no matter how bright the lights shine that on it, has its dark side. New York is certainly no exception. Between crooked politicians and legendary gangsters, the Big Apple has been known to turn out a few rotten ones. One of the most (in)famous politicians was William "Boss" Tweed, who plundered the city during the middle and latter parts of the 19th century. Several gangsters were born in New York, as well. Which of the following thugs was one of them?

Answer: Al Capone

Capone was born in Brooklyn N.Y. on January 17, 1899. Meyer Lansky who was born Meyer Suchowljansky entered the world in Russia, on of all dates, July 4th, 1902. "Legs" Diamond was born in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, PA, and John Dillinger was a Hoosier, born in Indianapolis, IN. Capone, of course, is better known for his shenanigans in the Windy City, shortly after he arrived there, just after his 20th birthday. He went on to rule Chicago with an iron fist during prohibition and ultimately died in the slammer in January 25, 1947 while serving an 11 year sentence.

Interesting fact: Although suspected of much mayhem and many murders, including the famous "St. Valentine's Day Massacre", the best the feds could finally convict him of was tax evasion. Some guys just get away with murder.

5. One of the most important structures in the world resides in New York. The 39-story United Nations building rises over 500 feet tall, on a 17 acre complex located just off the East River in Manhattan. It was constructed between 1947 and 1952. The head of the U.N. is the Secretary General. Trygve Lie of Norway was the first to hold the position. Who was the second?

Answer: Dag Hammarskjold

Hammarskjold, who was from Sweden, served from 1953-1961. Burmese diplomat U Thant held the post from between 1962-1971. Kurt Waldheim of Austria led the U.N from 1972-1981. American statesman Henry Kissinger never held the post.
The United Nations was established June 26, 1945 with the aim of maintaining world peace through dialog and discussions. In 2012, there were 194 sovereign states in the world and every one was a member of the U.N. with one single exception: Vatican City. In addition to the N.Y. headquarters, the U.N. operates main offices in Geneva, Switzerland, Nairobi, Kenya and Vienna, Austria.

Interesting fact: Hammarskjold was killed along with 15 others, when a plane he was on crashed in what is now Zambia. He was on his way to help with peace negotiations in the area. He was awarded a posthumous Nobel Peace Prize in 1961.

6. One of New York's most popular tourist attractions is the famous Staten Island Ferry. It normally operates 24/7/365, between the Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan and St. George Terminal on Staten Island. It provides breathtaking views of the Statue of Liberty and the magnificent N.Y.C. skyline. When their passenger toting days were over, what use was made of the tugboats "The Cornelius Kolff" and "The Private Joseph Merrell"?

Answer: They became prisons.

They became hoosegows on Riker's Island. Ferry service began in 1817 and until 1948 the fare for passengers was just a nickel. The round trip fare eventually rose to 50 cents in 1990, and in 1997 the fare was eliminated entirely. Up until 2001, both individual passengers as well as cars used the service, but after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, cars were no longer allowed. The fee for cars had been $3. It has been estimated that the ferry carries 75,000 passengers daily and about 20 million business commuters and sightseers annually.

Interesting fact: The trip across Upper New York Bay takes about 25 minutes and is approximately 5.2 miles across.

7. When it comes to entertainment, one of New York's favorite native sons is singer, musician, and songwriter Billy Joel. Born in The Bronx (May 9, 1949) and raised on Long Island, the "Piano Man" has been thrilling fans with his music since 1964. He has recorded over 25 albums and more than 55 singles, at least three of which became number one hits on The U.S. charts. In 2008, he performed a live concert at what famous New York venue?

Answer: Shea Stadium

He performed two shows, on July 16 and 18, at the home of the Mets. The album from those performances, "Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert", was released in 2011. It featured such hits as "My Life", "She's Always a Woman to Me" and "New York State of Mind", which he sang as a duet with Tony Bennett. Three of his hits that reached the number one spot were "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" (1980), "Tell Her About It" (1983) and "We Didn't Start the Fire" (1989). From 1985 to 1994, he was married to supermodel and actress Christie Brinkley. He has received over 20 Grammy Award nominations and won six times. In 2005 he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 1999 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Interesting fact: Those concerts at Shea Stadium were the last to be held there before it was demolished October 14, 2008. In addition to Tony Bennett, Billy had a couple of other popular guys as guests, such as Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney.

8. If you're gonna' do the crime, you gotta' do the time. That's the reason New York employs over 30,000 people in its prison system. There are about 60 state facilities and two federal facilities located in the Empire State. Such diverse luminaries as (not so) Lucky Luciano and Tupac Shakur have been guests of the state. What was the name of New York's famous third prison, which opened in the town of Ossining in 1826?

Answer: Sing Sing

Construction on Sing Sing, in upstate N.Y., began in 1825 and was built mostly by the labor of prisoners from Auburn State Prison, which was N.Y.'s second prison. Elam Lynds was the first warden of Sing Sing (1825-1830). Newgate (1797) was the state's first prison and was located in Greenwich Village. Auburn State the second, opened in 1825. New York was the first state in the union to switch the method of putting prisoners to death from hanging to the electric chair. The first person to go out in the hot seat was hatchet murderer William Kemmler, who was executed August 6, 1890. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, the husband and wife team convicted of espionage, met their maker at Sing Sing, June 15, 1953. Leon Czolgosz, the man who assassinated President William McKinley, was smoked at Auburn State on October 29, 1901. New York outlawed capital punishment in 2009. The last person N.Y. put to death was Eddie Mays who was executed at Sing Sing in 1963.

Interesting fact: Over 600 convicts met their end by taking a seat in "Old Sparky" at Sing Sing.

9. To quote a line from a movie, "If you build it, they will come". Since its opening in 1931, over 100 million people have come to New York's Art Deco styled Empire State Building. Located at the corner of W. 34th St. and Fifth avenue, it was the world's tallest building from 1931 to 1972. On the evening of July 28, 1945 an unusual event happened there. Do you know what it was?

Answer: A plane crashed into it.

It was a fog shrouded time of day when a plane hit the building between the 79th and 80th floors, killing 14. Over 3,400 workers constructed it, with five men killed in the process. The skyscraper stands 102 stories high, has over 70 elevators and 6,500 windows. The 86th floor observatory rises 1,224 feet above ground level, and there is another (smaller) observation area on the 102nd floor. Admission fees are required for entrance to both.

The overall total height is 1,453 1/2 feet and over 30 radio and TV stations transmit their signals from the tip. It is so big that it has its own unique zip code (10118). Through the years it has been the site of over 30 suicides.
The building makes more money from tourists and native New Yorker's ticket sales than it does from the office rent charged to its tenants. It has been featured in many movies including "King Kong" (1933), "An Affair to Remember" (1957) and "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993).

Interesting fact: When Fay Wray, the star of "King Kong" died in 2004, the building's lights were turned off as a 15 minute tribute.

10. New York, also called "The Empire State", joined the union on July 26, 1789. It is comprised of 60 cities (New York is by far the largest), 62 counties and five boroughs. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, New York's population in 2011 was estimated at 19.5 million. Who was the President of the United States when New York became the 11th state to join the union?

Answer: George Washington

New York's capital is Albany and has been since 1797. Approximately 40% of New York state's population lives in New York City. The northern part of N.Y. shares a border with the Canadian province of Ontario. The highest point in N.Y. is Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains, at just over a mile in elevation (5,344 feet). New York is famous for the Bronx Zoo, The Hamptons, Fire Island, Rockefeller Center and Jones Beach. It has many ethnic enclaves such as Chinatown, the Bowery, Coney Island, Little Italy, Harlem and Greenwich Village. N.Y.C. has a number of famous business areas including the Garment Center, the Financial District, which houses Wall Street, and the Theatre District, including Times Square. And let's not forget those famous N.Y.C. cab drivers! It has hosted the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid in 1932 and 1980 and is home to seven professional teams in the four major sports of baseball, football, basketball and hockey.

As Francis Albert Sinatra crooned: "New York, New York, it's a Hell of a Town".

Interesting fact: Of the first 44 U.S. Presidents, four were born in New York. They were Martin van Buren (1782), Millard Fillmore (1800), Theodore Roosevelt (1858) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882).

Source: Author paulmallon

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
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I'm in a New York State of Mind: N.Y. Trivia Quiz

Times Square, Broadway, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Yankee Stadium are all in "New Yawk". The Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants once played baseball there and many famous people lived or died there. Let's visit "The City That Never Sleeps".

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