Who Knew, Benghazi? Trivia Quiz

Answer: False

According to WorldAtlas.com, the countries that make up the traditional Middle East include those countries that are technically in southwest Asia and/or southeastern Europe. Benghazi, however, is the second largest city in the African country of Libya.

Answer: Mediterranean Sea

Benghazi sits on the edge of the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean Sea, essentially due south of Greece. It was known to be a fertile oasis and strategic location for many ancient civilizations.

Answer: Euesperides

The area was initially known as Euesperides and was mentioned by the writer Herodotus as he detailed the movement of the Persian armies. The city was renamed Berenice, after Ptolemy III's daughter and her marriage to a Cyrene governor. The name was again changed to Hesperides during Roman and Carthage rule because of its connection to fertility. Finally, the Ottomans began calling it Marsa ibn Ghazi from which we derive its modern name, Benghazi.

Answer: bubonic plague

As the bubonic plague raged across Europe, Italian and Greek merchants and fisherman carried the disease with their cargo across the Mediterranean Sea. The city of Benghazi had not one but two major outbreaks in 1858 and 1874.

Answer: General Erwin Rommel

The infamous "Desert Fox," General Rommel defeated the Allied forces throughout Africa, and briefly captured Benghazi from the Australian forces in 1941. The British eventually took back control of the city, holding it until the end of the war.

Answer: alcohol

As dictated by the faith-based laws of the city, alcohol is prohibited. The city closely follows the guidelines of the Muslim faith in regard to diet and activities.

Answer: soccer

Yes, I'm an American, thus referring to what they call "football" as soccer to help eliminate any confusion. Soccer is popular enough within Benghazi to host two professional soccer teams, Al-Ahly Benghazi and Al-Nasr.

Answer: The Green Book

Famed Libyan dictator General Muammar Gaddafi was captured and killed by rebel forces in Benghazi on October 20, 2011. Up until his death, Gaddafi had controlled Libya either directly or indirectly since he took control of the country in 1969 via a military coup, ousting Libyan King Idris. During Gaddafi's rule, he used The Green Book, a collection of his governing ideologies, to rule the country.

The main focus of the book was the rejection of democracy in favor of socialism.

Answer: Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens

Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens was killed by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) while taking cover in the consulate building in Benghazi as the compound came under fire of a well-armed mob. Ambassador Stevens had been pleading with the White House for months for additional security as evidenced in multiple emails, however his requests were denied.

All the other individuals listed in this question have been ambassadors to Libya as well.

Answer: Innocence of Muslims

The "Innocence of Muslims" was a movie allegedly created by Coptic Christian Nakoula Basseley Nakoula. Allegedly, a mob, angry at the trailer of this movie, retaliated against the U.S. consulate. As the possibility of this was disputed, another story began to emerge in October 2012, as major components of the story and factual evidence were released.

This included formerly-classified emails that proved that the embassy had been "scoped out" by "unknown entities," that the "spontaneous" mob was heavily armed with machine guns and grenades, and that Ambassador Stevens had noted the unrest for months and plead for more support.