Charlotte Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg County is bordered by seven different counties--Iredell to the north, Cabarrus to the northeast, Union to the southeast, Lancaster and York (South Carolina) to the south, Gaston to the west, and Lincoln to the northwest.

Answer: 1949

Signing on from studios in downtown Charlotte on July 15, 1949, WBTV moved to its present location at One Julian Price Place, west of downtown, in the 1950s. In 2006, WBTV's original parent company, Greensboro-based Jefferson Pilot, merged with Philadelphia-based Lincoln Financial Group. In 2008, the station was sold to Raycom Media.

Answer: Bill Lee

The late Bill Lee was the grandson of engineer William States Lee, who worked for Duke Power. The younger Lee served as Duke's CEO for many years. Interstate 77, Charlotte's primary north-south freeway, is named for him as it runs through the city.

Answer: 49ers

Founded as Charlotte College in 1946, UNC-Charlotte joined the University of North Carolina system in 1963. The university sits on state highway 49 in northeast Charlotte. In recent years, the teams have been known specifically as the Charlotte 49ers, to avoid confusion with the system's main campus, simply known as UNC, in Chapel Hill.

Answer: I-485

By the time the Charlotte Outer Belt is finished, sometime before 2020, it will be about 67 miles long, making it one of the longest beltways in the United States.

Answer: Sharky's Machine

In recent years, Charlotte has appeared in a number of motion pictures, whether it actually got credit on screen or not. In 2002, the city was the setting for the hit movie "Juwanna Mann".

Answer: Charles Kuralt

In an interesting twist of fate, Kuralt lost a lucrative local TV news anchoring job to rival Doug Mayes. While Mayes remained a fixture in Charlotte TV for many years, Kuralt took his act "On the Road", becoming an international broadcasting legend in the process.

Answer: First Union and Wachovia

Combining the lucrative deposit assets of Charlotte-based First Union and the customer-friendly reputation of Winston-Salem based Wachovia, the new Wachovia Corporation was officially born September 1, 2001. Corporate headquarters were moved to Charlotte, but a strong presence was maintained in Winston-Salem. On January 1, 2009, Wachovia became part of San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Company

Answer: 1988

With a lineup featuring aging veterans Robert Reid and Kelly Tripucka and rookie sensation Rex Chapman, the Hornets lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 133-93 in front of a sold-out crowd on November 4, 1988. The Hornets moved to New Orleans at the end of the 2001-02 season.

Answer: Spirit

The Hornets nickname was chosen by popular vote, replacing the more nebulous Spirit as the team nickname.

Answer: Independence Boulevard

The second most-travelled highway in Charlotte, behind Interstate 77, Independence Boulevard carries traffic into downtown Charlotte from points east and southeast. The road has been turned into a freeway from Interstate 277 to Sharon Amity Road, on Charlotte's east side.

Answer: Trade and Tryon

Long before the advent of the automobile, these two paths were used by Indians and settlers to reach the trading posts in the area. Today, they still mark the hub of commerce and finance in the city.

Answer: Harvey Gantt

In addition to being elected as Charlotte's first African-American mayor, Gantt was the first African-American student admitted to Clemson University. He graduated from the school with a degree in architecture.

Answer: Bank of America

After playing their first season at Clemson's Death Valley, the Carolina Panthers moved into their new home, title-sponsored by cellular-phone manufacturer Ericsson, in 1996. The stadium seats over 72,000 people, and its three main entrances are guarded by six giant panther statues. Bank of America took over corporate sponsorship in 2004.

Answer: Catawba and McGuire

Only three of the plants listed in this question--Catawba, McGuire and Oconee--are operational. The Cherokee Nuclear Station near Gaffney, South Carolina, was scrapped midway through construction. It was later converted into a movie set, and served as the backdrop for the science fiction drama "The Abyss".

The Perkins Nuclear Station, planned for construction near Mocksville, North Carolina, was cancelled.