Take this Pennsylvania Quiz! Easy Trivia | States

Answer: Secretary of Homeland Security

After the attacks of September 11, 2001 President Bush founded the Department of Homeland Security. Ridge accepted Bush's invitation to head the Department. The Secretary of State at the time was Colin Powell. When George W. Bush ran for President in 2000 Ridge was considered as an option for Bush's running mate. Dick Cheney ended up being Bush's running mate, and he became Vice President when Bush was inaugurated.

Answer: William Penn

Penn founded Pennsylvania in 1681. Penn was a Quaker who got the land in a grant from the King of England. Penn created Pennsylvania for Quakers, but he allowed for the freedom of worship. Penn formed Philadelphia as the capital of the colony. "Pennsylvania" is a Latin phrase meaning "Penn's Woodlands." George Calvert was the first Lord Baltimore, and he founded Maryland in 1634 as a haven for Catholics. Oglethorpe founded Georgia in 1733, the last of the Thirteen Original Colonies to be founded. I am sure that "Michael Sylvan" was a real person, but I made up his name for this quiz.

Answer: Penn State

Temple is located in the city of Philadelphia. Temple's mascot is the Owl. Villanova can be found in Villanova, PA, which is a suburb of Philadelphia. Villanova beat Georgetown to win the 1985 NCAA Basketball Championship. Many experts say that Villanova played a nearly perfect game to win it (Villanova shot over 78% from the field in that game). Villanova's nickname is "The Wildcats." Carnegie-Mellon University is in Pittsburgh. Carnegie-Mellon's nickname is "The Tartans." State College is located very near the geographic center of the state and, depending on traffic and how fast you drive, is about a three hour car trip from both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Penn State, whose nickname is "The Nittany Lions," won the 1982 and 1986 college football National Championship.

Answer: Pennsylvania is a commonwealth.

The term "commonwealth" comes from when Pennsylvania was formed as a colony. It is more a title than anything else, and it recognizes that government is based on the consent of the people. The other states which are commonwealths are Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Virginia. Puerto Rico is also a commonwealth.

The largest US state in terms of population is California and the second largest is Texas in both population and area (Alaska is largest in area). The capital of Pennsylvania is Harrisburg. I-90, which goes from Boston to Seattle, does run through Pennsylvania.

It goes through the northwest part of the state for about 40 miles and connects New York to Ohio. I-90 goes very near Erie, Pennsylvania. The nearest major city on the I-90 to the west of Erie is Cleveland, OH, and to the east it is Buffalo, NY.

Answer: It was the first limited-access toll highway in the US.

The Turnpike opened on October 1, 1940 and ran for 160 miles from Irwin (just east of Pittsburgh) to Middlesex (just west of Harrisburg). Between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, there are four tunnels. I-79, which runs from Erie to the West Virginia border (one end is in Erie, the other end is in Charleston, WV), composes no part of the Turnpike.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike is mostly I-76. I-70 joins I-76 in the south-central part of the state as a part of the Turnpike, from the New Stanton interchange to the Breezewood interchange. From New Stanton, I-70 continues on to, among other places, Columbus, OH. From Breezewood, I-70 goes on to Baltimore, MD.

In the Philadelphia area I-76 become the Schuylkill Expressway and at that point I-276 becomes the final approximately 32 miles of the eastern part of the Turnpike.

The Turnpike does have a "Northeast Extension." The Northeast Extension is I-476, and runs about 110 miles from just northwest of Philadelphia to near Scranton. There is one tunnel on the Northeast Extension.

The Turnpike does not run through downtown Pittsburgh. It goes east and north of the city. Among other roads, I-376 goes from the Turnpike into downtown Pittsburgh. Another claim to fame--the Turnpike cut the Oakmont Golf Course near Pittsburgh, site of past US Opens of golf, in half. The Westinghouse Bridge is on US Route 30, just east of Pittsburgh. The bridge crosses Turtle Creek.

Answer: South Williamsport

Each year the Little League World Series is played in August in South Williamsport. It is located in the north-central part of the state, about 60 miles from State College. Also, according to the Little League Website, The Little League World Series is held in Williamsport, not South Williamsport (www.littleleague.org). Wilkes-Barre is located in the northeast portion of the state, very near Scranton. Stroudsburg is located in the extreme eastern part of the state, very near New Jersey, and it is in the Poconos. Altoona is located southwest of the center of the state, and is about 40 miles from State College. Near Altoona is "Horseshoe Curve," which is a dramatic curve in the railroad tracks, so trains could go up the Appalachian Mountains.

Answer: Phil

Punxsutawney is located in the west-central part of the state, at the junction of State Route 36 and US Highway 119. Groundhog Day is on February 2nd. Legend has it that if Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter (a long time in Pennsylvania!). If Phil does not see his shadow, then, according to legend, spring is right around the corner.

More often than not, Phil sees his shadow. Phil was featured in the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day," where Murray relives February 2nd over and over again. Bill Murray's character's first name in the movie was Phil.

Answer: Richard Nixon

Yes, there is an "Intercourse, Pennsylvania." It is located near Lancaster. Other towns in Pennsylvania include Bird-in-Hand (also in the Lancaster area), Media (near Philadelphia), and California (about thirty miles south of Pittsburgh). The town of "Jim Thorpe" was originally Mauch Chunck and East Mauch Chunck.

When Thorpe, a Native American who won gold in the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, died in 1953 the two towns merged, Thorpe was buried there, and the new town's name was "Jim Thorpe." Up until then, the town(s) had no connection to Thorpe, and Thorpe was originally from Oklahoma.

The town of Jim Thorpe is in the eastern part of the state, and is located between Scranton and Allentown. Indiana is located in the western part of the state, east of Pittsburgh.

It is the home of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, also known as IUP. Actor Jimmy Stewart was from Indiana, Pennsylvania.

Answer: Allegheny County

There is no county in Pennsylvania called "Pittsburgh County." Pittsburgh is the county seat of Allegheny County. Delaware County is located west of Philadelphia. Delaware County borders the city of Philadelphia (the city of Philadelphia is also its own county). The county seat of Delaware County is Media. Harrisburg, the capital, is located in Dauphin County.

Answer: Pickett's Charge

Pickett's Charge took place on July 3, 1863. The "charge" of Confederate General George Pickett's troops went poorly. Many soldiers were killed, the Confederates lost the battle, and many historians consider this the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.

The Monitor (for the Union) and Merrimack (for the Confederacy) were the first two ironclad ships to square off. They battled on March 9, 1862 near Norfolk, Virginia. Many people consider their battle a draw. The US Civil War started when the Confederacy attacked Fort Sumter located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, in 1861. Charles Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781, essentially ending the Revolutionary War.