It Happened on a Tuesday Trivia Quiz

Answer: Empire State Building

No planes crashed into the Empire State Building that day but in 1945 it was accidentally struck by a B-25 Mitchell bomber. 14 people died in that incident. According to Wikipedia*, that crash weakened the elevator cables. Betty Lou Oliver, who was being rescued after being injured as a result of the plane crash, plunged 75 stories after the cables broke.

She set a Guinness World Record for the highest survived elevator fall ever recorded as a result.

Answer: Barack Obama

Barack Obama, formerly a Democratic Senator from Illinois, was chosen to be the United States of America's first African-American president. He defeated his Republican opponent John McCain, Senator from Arizona, in the election.

A note about the incorrect choices:
Colin Powell is a retired U.S. Army General and the former Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush.

Bill Cosby was a popular stand-up comedian and star of his own sitcom "The Cosby Show".

Louis Armstrong was an influential jazz musician, noted for his trumpet play and unique singing voice.

Answer: Space shuttle Challenger disintegrated shortly after liftoff

The Space Shuttle Challenger appeared to explode about 73 seconds into its flight on that fateful Tuesday morning. The cause of the incident is believed to have been caused by the failure of an O-ring seal in one of its rocket boosters. All seven crew members died, including Christa McAuliffe, who was chosen to be the first teacher in space. Sadly, she never made it.

The other crew members were: Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis and Judith Resnik.

*Info from Wikipedia.

Answer: Black Tuesday

October 29, 1929 is commonly referred to as Black Tuesday. The previous Thursday which kick started the stockmarket crash is known as Black Thursday. The disastrous market in October of 1929 is one the main causes of the Great Depression.

Answer: King of Rock and Roll

"Elvis Presley's death deprives our country of a part of itself. He was unique and irreplaceable. More than 20 years ago, he burst upon the scene with an impact that was unprecedented and will probably never be equaled. His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. His following was immense, and he was a symbol to people the world over of the vitality, rebelliousness, and good humor of his country."

*Statement issued by President Jimmy Carter the day after Elvis' death.

Answer: 1944

D-day occurred on June 6, 1944. It is also known as the Normandy Invasion and Operation Overlord. The operation consisted of an amphibious landing of troops on Normandy's Nazi-controlled beaches and an airborne assault in which thousands of paratroopers landed behind enemy lines.

Answer: Uranus

Uranus was discovered by William Herschel. He was a German-born British astronomer and composer. He was renowned for the discovery of Uranus along with two of its biggest moons, Titania and Oberon. Herschel was also the discoverer of infrared radiation. In addition to his astronomical endeavors, he composed twenty-four symphonies.

*Info from Wikipedia.

Answer: The Day the Music Died

Pilot Roger Peterson was also killed along with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. Don McLean was the first to call it "The Day the Music Died" in his song "American Pie".

Holly was known for singing "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue". He was also part of a band called The Crickets.

Valens was one of the first Mexican-American musicians to have success in the U.S. He is most famous for singing "La Bamba".

Richardson was best known for singing "Chantilly Lace".

*Info from Wikipedia.

Answer: MV Wilhelm Gustloff

On January 30, 1945, the MV Wilhelm Gustloff sank in the Baltic after being hit by torpedoes fired from a Soviet submarine. It was estimated that over 9,000 people were killed in this incident.

FYI: The Titanic and the Edmund Fitzgerald were sunk on Mondays, and the USS Yorktown was sunk on a Sunday.

*Info from Wikipedia.

Answer: Colorado

Columbine High School is located in Colorado. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were in their senior year at the school when they decided to go on a rampage. Sadly, they killed twelve students and one teacher before killing themselves.