Can you ID these World Cities by Their Nicknames? Quiz

Answer: St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis was founded in 1764 as a trading post along the shores of the Mississippi River. The city fathers paid homage to King Louis IX of France by naming it in his honor. The western expedition of Merriwether Lewis and William Clark began in "St. Lou". In 1904 St. Louis hosted both the World's Fair and the Olympics. The Iconic "Gateway Arch" is the most prominent symbol of the city.

Among the famous people who were born in St. Louis are poet Maya Angelou, actress Betty Grable, singer Chuck Berry, author T.S. Eliot and baseball legend Yogi Berra.

Answer: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Calgary is located in the southern portion of the province of Alberta. It was first incorporated as a city in 1894. It is best known for being the home of the ten day "Calgary Stampede", which draws a million visitors annually to watch ridin' and ropin' as well as to enjoy live musical entertainment.
Calgary is also the home of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, and the Calgary Zoo is another popular attraction. In 1988, Calgary became the first Canadian city to play host to the Winter Olympic Games.

Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien, actress Elisha Cuthbert and WWII Royal Air Force hero and winner of The Victoria Cross, Ian Bazalgette were all born in Calgary.
Interesting note: In 2007 Forbes Magazine rated Calgary as "The World's Cleanest City".

Answer: Rome, Italy

The capital of Italy, Rome is 496 square miles in size, and the Tiber River runs through it. With nearly three million residents, it is the most populated city in the country as well. Among the many wonders the city has to offer visitors are The Colosseum, the Forum, Trevi Fountain and The Seven Hills. Also lying within Rome is Vatican City, the physical "home" of the Catholic Church. At just 110 acres, Vatican City is the smallest nation in the world.
I hear Rome has some pretty good pizza joints too.

Answer: Beijing, China

Beijing is home to approximately twenty million residents and is the capital of The People's Republic of China. "The Forbidden City" is actually a magnificent ancient palace in Beijing that was home to emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Tiananmen Square lies nearby. The city is home to over 100 museums including The National Art Museum of China and The Palace Museum in The Forbidden City. Portions of The Great Wall of China pass through Beijing, formerly known as Peking.

Actor Jet Li, who appeared in "Lethal Weapon 4" (1998) and "The Expendables" (2010), was born in this beautiful city.

Interesting fact: The Ming Dynasty ruled from 1368-1644. The Qing Dynasty followed and ruled from 1644-1912.

Answer: Nashville, TN

Nashville, which is the capital of Tennessee, lies on the banks of the Cumberland River. It was founded in 1779 and incorporated in 1806. It is named after American War hero Francis Nash who was killed at The Battle of Germantown on October 4, 1777 during the Revolutionary War. It has been the home of the Grand Ole Opry and its great country music since 1925. The Opryland Amusement Park was a vital part of the tourism business for 25 years (1972-1997). Nashville has been the home of The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum since 1961. It is also home to Vanderbilt University, among whose graduates are former Poet-Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner, Robert Penn Warren, James Dickey, author of "Deliverance" (1970), and legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice.

Singer Rita Coolidge, Major League pitcher R.A. Dickey and Julian Bond, the former chairman of the NAACP were born in Nashville.

Answer: International Falls, MN

Slightly over 6,000 brave souls choose to inhabit this 6.4 square mile portion of northeast Minnesota. While its frigidity is well documented, it may surprise you to know that it has recorded a high temperature of 103 F. With the lowest recorded temperature of -55 F. that gives it a an amazing difference of 158 degrees in extremes (both figures are as of 2011).

Professional football player and wrestler Bronko Nagurski grew up in International Falls. U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer Dick Dougherty who was a member of the silver medal winning U. S. team at the 1956 Winter Olympics held in Cortina d 'Ampezzo, Italy, was born in "The Icebox".

Answer: Manila, Philippines

Manila, the capital of the Philippines has the appealing appellation of "The Pearl of the Orient". Manila suffered great devastation during WWII but has been rebuilt and now is home to 1.6 million people (2010 census) over its 14.9 square miles inner urban area. It is home to the National Museum as well as the National Library of the Philippines and is also where the president and the Supreme Court reside.
In all of the Philippines only Quezon City with its 2.7 million inhabitants, spread over 64.1 square miles is larger than Manila.
The noted shoe collector and former first lady Imelda Marcos was born in Manila. Also natives of the capital are actress Angela Laprete from "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008), and former American Major League baseball pitcher Bobby Chouinard.

Answer: Budapest, Hungary

Located in the northern part of Hungary, Budapest became the capital when three cities, Buda, Obuda and Pest were united as one in 1873. Many beautiful churches, museums and different styles of architecture are spread throughout Budapest's 202 square miles. The Danube, Europe's second longest river at 1,785 miles in length, flows into Budapest from the north on its way to emptying into the Black Sea. Only the Volga River, with a length of 2,294 miles, stretches farther through Europe. Budapest's population first reached 2 million in 1970. Among those born there were the acting Gabor sisters, business magnate George Soros, and Erik Weisz was born there before he disappeared, only to resurface later as Harry Houdini.

Interesting fact: Zsa Zsa Gabor was named Miss Hungary in 1936 before heading to Hollywood.

Answer: Prague, Czech Republic

Prague, which was founded in the late ninth century, became the capital of Czechoslovakia following WWI and the capital of The Czech Republic in 1993. This beautiful city of 496 square miles sits on the bank of the Vltava river. Millions of tourists flood the city each year to see the varied architectural styles of some of its most popular buildings. Included among them are the Baroque styled St. Nicholas' church, established in 1756. The president's residence is The Prague Castle which contains St. Vitus Cathedral where visitors watch the changing of the guard outside each hour. Two of the most popular cultural sites in Prague are the National Museum in Wenceslas Square, and the Franz Kafka Museum.

Interesting fact: Madeline Albright, the 64th American Secretary of State, was born Maria Korbelova in Prague (1933).

Answer: Beaver , OK

Do NOT wear your "go to church" shoes if you are planning to visit the quaint burg of Beaver. It's my guess that the city fathers are not going to be losing any sleep about some other town stealing their lovely nickname any time soon. But seriously folks, each year Beaver's population of slightly over 1,500 swells as the 1.1 square mile town proudly plays host to "The World Cow Chip Throwing Competition".

Some interesting info about the event in case you are thinking of participating: All entrants must be 16 or older; each tosser gets two chips to hurl; the chips must be at least six inches in diameter.

There are separate divisions for men and women and there is also a team competition. Good seats for next year's event are still available, but going fast!