A Blessing or a Curse Trivia Quiz

Answer: New York City

The Titanic sank in the North Atlantic somewhat near the Canadian city of Halifax, only two days away from New York City. Once it had reached New York City, it was to return to Southampton, England, on a similar path. Unfortunately, it never reached the U.S.

Newspaper text:

"OCEAN LINER ARRIVES SAFELY FROM SHORES OF SOUTHAMPTON

White Star Line saw the achievement of a lifetime with its crown jewel, the RMS Titanic, an ocean liner that has been advertised as the top of the line in luxury travel. Several wealthy patrons were excited to report that their experiences onboard were above anything that they could have previously imagined. The guest list included such incredible businessmen as John Jacob Astor IV and Benjamin Guggenheim, both who were reported to have been impressed with the voyage.

Other guests were also encouraged by the ship's safe crossing. White Star Line's successful completion of the RMS Titanic along with other Olympic class vessels are sure to make its future bright as they begin to dominate the luxury liner market.

However, some potential competitors have already begun a campaign to point out some of the ship's potential flaws, though none of their conjec-..."

Answer: Michael Collins

Thankfully all three astronauts survived the launch and completed their mission on the Moon. Michael Collins is often forgotten as the third member of this mission because he didn't step foot on the Moon, instead staying in its orbit.

Newspaper text:

"ALL SOULS ABOARD LOST AS FEARS OF SOVIET SPACE DOMINANCE RISE

Tragedy struck the Kennedy Space Center as America's hope to brave the last stage of the Space Race came to an abrupt and horrifying end. With authorities still in shock over the explosion that ultimately destroyed the Apollo 11 mission, few have wanted to go on public record over how such a thing could have happened, or what could have been done to prevent it.

NASA has yet to release an official statement, though one representative commented that, "This has been a terrible event not only for us here at NASA, but for all Americans and all of humankind."

With the destruction of the spacecraft, fears that the Soviets may yet best the United States once again in the Space Race have become a very real and very ominous possibility. While some government officials have expressed dismay at another attempt to land a man on the moon, others..."

Answer: Gavrilo Princip

As the archduke was quite against conflict with Russia, his assassination took away a strong voice which might have stopped the events leading to World War I. Had the bullets missed the archduke, he may have pleaded with Franz Joseph and Kaiser Wilhelm to back down. However, Princip's bullet hit its intended target on a street in Sarajevo.

Newspaper text:

"FRANCIS FERDINAND SEES PEACE WITH RUSSIA AS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD

Heir to the throne of Austria and Hungary, Archduke Francis Ferdinand implored European powers, including Emperor Franz Joseph and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, to look past two separate assassination attempts on his life in Sarajevo. His reasons included a prolonged war with Russia, which he believed would lead to the ruin of both nations.

Many have concluded that the archduke was said to have taken such strong stands because he knew that the Austrian emperor would not look kindly on the assassination attempts and that only the archduke could convince the emperor from going to war.

Tensions have led to a military build-up on Austrian, German, and Italian borders, leading Entente Alliance members to begin talks on bolstering their own military presences. Russian diplomats have begun their own push to influence..."

"A GRENADE AND A GUN DIDN'T STOP HIM

The would-be assassins who had targeted the archduke are unknown to authorities at this point, but what can be assumed about their identities is that they belong to resistance groups in Bosnia or Serbia. The first assassination attempt took place with an assailant throwing an explosive at the archduke's vehicle, but it missed and damaged the car behind. Reports indicate that the assassin then swallowed a cyanide pill meant to silence him forever as he jumped into the Miljacka River. Gatherers found the man and beat him into submission before police arrived. The archduke and his wife were reportedly shaken by this series of events, as the bomb had caused damage to a group of bystanders numbering between 16-20. Security officials warned the archduke of further dangers if they were to keep their same route on the drive back. Nonetheless, the caravan of vehicles followed the path they had originally laid out and a second assailant attacked the archduke and his wife with a pistol. Two shots rang out as a man approached the vehicle after which his pistol seemingly malfunctioned. The bullets were said to have lodged into the door of the vehicle, but otherwise left the archduke and his wife unharmed. Archduke Ferdinand was said to have shouted with a booming voice..."

Answer: "As far as I know, effective immediately, without delay."

The regulations decided on by the East Germans to allow limited travel between the borders on a round-trip basis were to take effect the next morning to give border guards a chance to adapt. However, after Schabowski's statement and subsequent news reporting, thousands of people massed around the East German checkpoints and demanded to be let through citing Schabowski. The overwhelmed guards asked their leaders for help, but none wanted to take responsibility for a massacre and relented to the mass migration across the border.

Newspaper text:

"PARTY BOSS ANNOUNCES NEW POLICY, ONLY TO TAKE IT BACK HOURS LATER

Günter Schabowski, spokesman for the SED Politburo, announced a new movement policy regarding round-trip private travel between East and West Germany, but was later contradicted by East German authorites after a series of violent altercations along the border. When asked when the new policy would be implemented, Schabowski did not give a firm answer and seemed evasive.

Several news organizations reported the changes in regulations, leading to thousands of protestors demanding to cross into West Germany through the six checkpoints between East and West Berlin. East German border guards were under strict guidance not to let anyone cross until the next day, leading to mass confrontations.

East German authorities sent orders to arrest agitators in the crowd. Angered, a group of protestors swarmed the guards, who fired their rifles, resulting in dozens of fatalities including seventeen..."

Answer: black

Black Tuesday refers to the collapse of share prices on the New York Stock Exchange. If is often considered the beginning of the Great Depression in the United States. There are several debates over what the causes of the Great Depression are with two mainstream theories, the Keynesian and the monetarist.

Newspaper text:

"CONFIDENCE GROWS AFTER SLIGHT BLIP IN THE STOCK MARKET

After a startling decline in the markets on "Black Thursday," October 24, markets have apparently rebounded after buyers felt more confidence, creating a surge in stock purchases. Several economists have been warning that after the London Stock Exchange's crash in Septemeber, there might be a willingness for buyers to opt out of the marketplace altogether.

In the confusion, industrialist John D. Rockefeller was quoted as saying, "In the 90 years of my life, depressions have come and gone. Prosperity has always returned." His words bolstered an already-anxious country as the previous drops in the stock market ceased.

Investors describe the atmosphere at the New York Stock Exchange as euphoric, as fears that a deeper recession might have steeped the United States into a terrible ordeal much like other nations in the world have been suffering due to..."

Answer: Lying on his belly

It was decided that Orville Wright would take this flight as Wilbur had previously attempted a different flight and failed. The Wright Flyer retrospectively became named the Flyer I as the brothers continued their ventures in the aviation world and created the Flyer II.

Newspaper text:

"KITTY HAWK A FAILURE FOR INTREPID DUO

Famed inventors, Orville and Wilbur Wright, saw their latest creation fall from the skies and ingloriously crash into the ground in their latest attempts at powered aircraft. The scene turned nearly tragic as Orville was found injured at the scene of the crash. However, since the Wright Flyer hadn't achieved significant altitude during its attempt, he was able to survive.

Friends of the duo are said to be distraught over the accident and worried that Orville's injury might lead to the brothers' bankruptcy. Few had faith that the brothers would achieve their intended goal of sustained flight, and this episode has led to speculation that other companies may look to surpass the Wrights in their achievements.

With the failure of their flight at Kitty Hawk, there is no telling if humans will one day be capable of flight, something that scientists and leaders have long been skeptical of. It remains to... "

Answer: Austin, TX

Austin is the capital city of Texas, and it was the last of five Texas cities that President Kennedy had planned to travel. He had barely won the state, which had leaned Democratic at the time, and he wanted to solidify the party's hold there, which was why he was in Dallas. The five-city tour included San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth and Dallas, and Austin.

Newspaper text:

"MANHUNT FOR SHOOTER BEGINS IN TEXAS

U.S. President John F. Kennedy sought to comfort an ailing American public after an assassination attempt that nearly ended his life. One of the other passengers riding in the car with the president, Texas Governor John Bowden Connally Jr., was killed. Officials say that three shots were fired at the motorcade that carried Preisdent Kennedy, and that none of the bullets hit him.

"The death of my friend, Governor Connally, has weighed heavily on my mind these past several hours," the president began in his address to the nation, "and it is with a heavy heart that this country begins to reckon with what has happened in Dallas."

Authorities say that they are interviewing witnesses that attended the event and are asking anyone who has any information concerning the attempted assassination to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which has opened a telephone..."

Answer: Clement Attlee

India's independence was far from a guarantee when the Atlantic Charter was agreed upon. Winston Churchill was said to have wanted to keep the Asian and African colonies postwar.

With Clement Attlee's administration, the Indian Independence Movement got its wish and the Indian Independence Act 1947 became law in the U.K. Attlee had assigned Lord Mountbatten to be the viceroy in India, and he suggested a quick resolution to the problem for fear of war.

Newspaper text:

"CHURCHILL RALLIES HIS PARTY TO KEEP THE RAJ IN PLACE

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill blocked an initiative to grant independence to the United Kingdom's colonies in South Asia as he sought to keep the continued self-determination movement from succeeding there. The prime minister, buoyed by a newly reinvigorated party, told the nation that voters had given him a mandate to hold onto the colonies.

Churchill's adversaries pointed to the Atlantic Charter as evidence that the United Kingdom was backtracking on its promises to allow other nations to determine their own rule. Some U.S. politicians were apparently disappointed in the outcome of the vote, though there was no official comment from the White House.

Indian Independence leader Mohandas Gandhi met with the Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, in what he expressed to be an emergency meeting. The viceroy and his wife listened intently..."

Answer: Second Sino-Japanese War

The Nanjing Massacre was an event that caught the attention of the Western world in a time when Asia was not something they thought about often. Yet, the atrocities were so terrible and had been documented thoroughly by expatriate journalists living in the city. Due to low morale caused by the extraordinary losses Japan had faced after taking Shanghai, they had originally decided not to invade Nanjing, but changed their mind. It was said that the Japanese military rushed more quickly than normal to get to Nanjing due to the fact that the soldiers had been promised they could sack the city with impunity.

Newspaper text:

"HIGH CASUALTIES AND LOW MORALE SEND JAPAN'S SOLDIERS AWAY

The Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office in Tokyo declared that it would cease forward progress in mainland China after the Battle of Shanghai left its soldiers demoralized and longing for home. With reports of nearly 100,000 Japanese deaths, it was apparent that some generals had little appetite for another lengthy and brutal battle in the Chinese capital city of Nanking.

Subsequent to the Marco Polo Bridge incident, Japanese forces have conquered large areas of the Republic of China, including Shanghai. With such high casualty rates, officials believe that the Japanese army plans to secure its holdings while sending some soldiers back home to Japan.

With this new development, expatriates in Nanking have reported on the residents of that city coming together to help the refugees that have been flooding in due to the war. Many residents had previously believed in an inevitable invasion..."

Answer: UN

The idea behind the League of Nations was a lofty ambition, but the issues that led to World War II weren't being adequately addressed by the member nations. This led to several nations joining the organization and then leaving it. Germany, Italy, and Spain were notable European defections, while the Soviet Union briefly joined, and then left again. Despite Woodrow Wilson endorsing the League of Nations, the United States never became a member.

During WWII, the league became a skeleton of its former self and later disbanded. Establishing the United Nations became a goal of the Allies in the later days of WWII, and it became a reality on June 26, 1945.

Newspaper text:

"GATHERED NATIONS FIND LITTLE IN WAY OF COMPROMISE

With little chance of American involvement, talks over creating a League of Nations to combat war and poverty have fallen prey to the various disagreements between the nations involved. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson had originally proclaimed his support for the visionary world organization, but domestic pressure led to his pulling out of the conference.

World leaders, particularly in Europe, held talks on a way forward, but bickering between several factions led to a breakdown in negotiations. Some world leaders criticized the lack of any significant armed forces as toothless, questioning the efficacy of such an organization without a source of possible enforcement.

With the failure of the talks, some officials believe that a return to the alliance system that led to the Great War will return and that a reliance on this system may lead to another large-scale war in..."