| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| One explorer believed the widening of a river in the Tappan Zee meant he found this route. The MS Nordic Orion was the first large freighter to travel this route in 2013, although the first vessel to traverse it was Gjøa [[GYOO-uh]], commanded by Roald Amundsen over three years. One sailor was abandoned by the Discovery while attempting to find this route. For the point, name this long-sought sea route which travels between Canada’s Arctic islands to connect Europe and Asia. | Northwest Passages |
| This tribe attacked George Crook at the Battle of the Rosebud. Members of this tribe were massacred in a federal attempt to put down the Ghost Dance religious movement. This tribe allied with the Cheyenne and Arapaho when prospectors invaded the Black Hills, and it was led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. For the point, name this tribe that defeated Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. | Sioux (or Oceti Sakowin; accept Lakota; or Dakota; accept Oglala) |
| This explorer names a mountain pass between the volcanoes of Popocatépetl and Ixtaccíhuatl, where he led forces after conquering the city of Cholula. The Gulf of California is sometimes named for this explorer, who founded the city of Heroica Veracruz and served as the first governor of New Spain. The destruction of Tenochtitlán was led by, for the point, what conquistador who toppled the Aztecs? | Hernán Cortés (accept Paso de Cortés; accept Sea of Cortez) |
| This leader signed a Joint Declaration giving his country sovereignty over a territory governed by the "One country, two systems" model. This man used a proverb about a black or white cat to introduce reforms like his "Four Modernizations." For the point, name this paramount leader of China who was responsible for initiating economic reforms after the death of Mao Zedong. | Deng Xiaoping |
| Members of this religious group from India are called Parsis. This religion, which was promoted by the Sassanids, is governed by a chief text known as the Avesta, and its practitioners worship at fire temples. For the point, name this ancient Iranian religion, which was the primary faith practiced by the Persian Empire. | Zoroastrianism (or Mazdayasna; or Behdin; or Mazdaism) |
| After his arrest for not paying a head tax, this man said that he was freer than the people who walked outside of his jail cell. This man argued against paying taxes to an unjust government in an essay criticizing the Mexican-American War and slavery. “Civil Disobedience” was written by, for the point, what American Transcendentalist, who described an idyllic life in nature in Walden. | Henry David Thoreau |
| Allen Dulles, the longest-serving CIA director, was fired after this event. Brigada 2056, a group of exiles, led this invasion but were defeated at Playa Giron. This disastrous assault, code-named Operation Zapata, failed after one side canceled air support in order to conceal U.S. involvement. For the point, name this doomed 1961 invasion that failed to overthrow the communist government of Fidel Castro in Cuba. | Bay of Pigs Invasion |
| This deity was given offerings of 500 goats a year until the number of sacrificed animals equaled the number of slain Persians at the Battle of Marathon. This goddess’ cult at Brauron was said to be founded by Iphigenia [[ih-pheh-jeh-NYE-uh]]. This goddess turned the hunter Actaeon into a stag after he saw her bathing. For the point, name this sister of Apollo and Greek goddess of the hunt. | Artemis (prompt on "Diana" before "Greek" is mentioned) |
| After the “Wakarusa War” in this state, William Quantrill killed nearly 200 people. A conflict over the expansion of slavery involving “border ruffians” in this state led to a namesake bill admitting it into the Union alongside Nebraska. For the point, name this Great Plains state that was “bleeding” throughout the 1850s. | Kansas (accept Kansas-Nebraska Act; accept Bleeding Kansas) |
| Holders of this position led the Tent Government, or bakufu, and were traditionally served by several daimyo. The last holder of this title was deposed after the re-establishment of imperial authority in the Meiji Restoration. For the point, name this title once held by leaders of Japanese governments named for Ashikaga and Tokugawa. | Shogun (accept Ashikaga Shogunate; accept Tokugawa Shogunate) |
| A mythical emperor of China was named for this material, which was historically created from nephrite found along the Yangtze. Han dynasty royals were buried in suits made of this mineral, which was also highly valued by Mesoamerican cultures. For the point, name this green semi-precious gemstone commonly used in Chinese art and jewelry. | Jade (accept Jadeite; accept Nephrite before mentioned) |
| This man accomplished his most famous feat using the holy lance named Ascalon, and he subdued one monster with the girdle of a Libyan princess from Silene. This man is symbolized with an upright red cross on a white background and he is the namesake of the capital of Grenada. For the point, name this dragon-slaying patron saint of England. | Saint George (or George of Lydda) |
| This man declared Jihad against Switzerland in 2010 after demanding an inquiry into the deaths of Patrice Lumumba and Dag Hammarskjöld [[hah-mar-SKYOLD]]. This likely sponsor of the Lockerbie bombing saw his country bombed by US forces during the Reagan administration. Killed outside Sirte in 2011 during the Arab Spring revolts, this is, for the point, what this long-time dictator of Libya? | Muammar Gaddafi (or Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi) |
| This politician authored the senate version of a crime bill that included the Violence Against Women Act. This politician, who served as the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the Clarence Thomas hearings, used a stop at an Amtrak Station on Amtrak’s 50th anniversary to promote a $2.3 trillion dollar infrastructure bill. For the point, name this six-term senator from Delaware who later became president. | Joe Biden (or Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.) |
| On behalf of this location, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation purchased the land for an audiovisual campus in Culpeper. Nine maps were included in the original catalog of this body, which John Adams approved the appropriation of $5000 for buying “such books as may be necessary.” For the point, name this research facility located on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. | Library of Congress |
| While representing this state, Carol Moseley Braun became the first African American woman to serve in the senate. In 2016, this state elected the first Thai-American senator, who was also a double amputee. One governor of this state, Rod Blagojevich, was convicted of corruption for trying to sell a senate seat. In the senate, Tammy Duckworth represents, for the point, what state once represented by Barack Obama. | Illinois |
| A recent president of this country was elected as a member of the Partido Social Liberal. The Planalto Presidential Palace was stormed in this country after the inauguration of Lula da Silva. For the point, name this country which was led by Jair Bolsonaro from 2019 to 2022, under whom deforestation of the Amazon markedly increased. | Federative Republic of Brazil |
| This organization’s failure to respond to one emperor’s request for help indirectly led to the 1937 Yekatit Twelve Massacre in Addis Ababa. The American Congress failed to reach a two-thirds majority needed to join this organization. Established by the Treaty of Versailles, this is, for the point, what predecessor to the United Nations? | League of Nations |
| The pale of settlement came into being during the reign of this monarch, who hired John Paul Jones to head a non-American navy. This ruler was challenged by Pugachev’s revolt, with its namesake claiming to be this ruler’s deposed husband, Peter the Third. For the point, name this “great” Russian Empress who relied on ministers like Orlov and Potemkin. | Catherine the Great (or Catherine the Second; accept Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; accept Yekaterina in lieu of “Catherine”) |
| This figure was a student in the school of Gamaliel and worked as a lawyer before supporting himself by making tents. This figure may have supported the killing of St. Stephen, and he reported being blinded en route to Syria. This figure was supposedly looking for Christians to kill when Jesus asked him, “Why are you persecuting me?” For the point, name this figure, the accredited author of epistles to Philemon, the Galatians, and the Romans. | Paul the Apostle (accept Saul of Tarsus; or Saint Paul) |
| Henry Leavitt Ellsworth sought $30,000 in grant money for a technology developed by this man. Leonard Gale assisted this man in overcoming challenges regarding distance in his best-known effort. During the 1844 unveiling of one technology developed by this man, the words "What hath God wrought" were communicated using single-wire transmission. For the point, name this American inventor of the telegraph who names a code using dots and dashes. | Samuel Morse (or Samuel Finley Breese Morse; accept Morse Code) |
| A chaplain at a university in this city, William Sloane Coffin, gained a national audience for opposing the Vietnam War. Theophilus Eaton was the governor of a colony named for this city. Oliver Winchester first established his Repeating Arms Company in this city. Many dinosaur bones from the Bone Wars ended up at this city's Peabody Museum of Natural History. The third-oldest university in America was founded in, for the point, what Connecticut city, home to Yale University? | New Haven |
| The first large-scale use of this campaign’s central tactic was carried out by Thomas Power, who claimed it left a “lasting impression” on him. Mass suffocations in foxholes affected those who did not flee during this event, sometimes known as Operation Meetinghouse. This event originally targeted industrial facilities until B-29s shifted to civilian targets. For the point, name this event which left much of the Japanese capital in flames. | Bombing of Tokyo (both underlined portions required; or Firebombing of Tokyo; or Tōkyōdaikūshū; accept Operation Meetinghouse before mentioned) |
| In some stories, this city was founded by, and once named for, Ilus. During the reign of Laomedon, this city’s walls were built by Apollo and Poseidon. Hector and Priam were part of the Royal family of this city, one of whose members awarded the golden apple to Aphrodite in exchange for marrying Helen. For the point, name this home city of Paris, the namesake of a lengthy war with the Greeks. | Troy (accept Troia; accept Ilium; accept Ilion; accept Willusa; accept Trojan War) |
| One force of these soldiers under Jan Sobieski [[soh-BYES-kee]] were called the Winged Hussars and assisted the Holy League at the Battle of Vienna. The Michigan Brigade, sometimes called the Wolverines, were a unit of this type during the Civil War. Including the Light Brigade, this is, for the point, what military unit often used to charge an enemy’s flank? | Cavalry (accept Light Cavalry or Heavy Cavalry; accept Horseback or equivalents) |
| This writer crafted a heavily excised revision of the New Testament titled The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth. This writer composed the first manual of procedures for the U.S. Senate, and he anonymously penned the Kentucky Resolution, which laid the groundwork for the doctrine of nullification. For the point, name this writer and president, the chief author of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. | Thomas Jefferson |
| While the site of nuclear weapons tests, this city hosted several Miss Atomic Pageants. This city’s entertainment district was built up with funds from Jewish Mafia member Bugsy Siegal, who also funded the construction of the Flamingo Hotel. This city rapidly urbanized following the construction of the nearby Hoover Dam, which supplies this city with water and electricity. For the point, name this western city where many mafia groups operated casinos along the Strip. | Las Vegas (accept Las Vegas Strip) |
| This man ended the Creek War with his victory against the Red Sticks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. With the aid of pirates under Jean Lafitte, this man defeated Edward Pakenham to end the Gulf Campaign. Although it happened after the Treaty of Ghent ended the War of 1812, the Battle of New Orleans was won by this commander. For the point, name this seventh president nicknamed “Old Hickory.” | Andrew Jackson |
| A speech written by Peggy Noonan about one of these vehicles described its occupants as having "touched the face of God." A disaster involving one of these vehicles was investigated by the Rogers Commission, which found that a failure of its O-ring seals had caused the death of its crew, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. For the point, name these spacecrafts which included the Challenger and the Columbia. | Space Shuttles (accept Space Transportation System or STS; accept Spaceplanes; prompt on "Rocket"; prompt on "Spacecraft"; prompt on "Challenger") |
| Fort Maurepas was the earliest establishment in this colony, for which Robert de La Salle provided the name. Following the Seven Years' War, this colony's lands were transferred to Britain and Spain. Named for a Bourbon king, this is, for the point, what colony of New France that now names a state governed from Baton Rouge? | French Louisiana |
| Artkraft Strauss designed the central object used in this event, which was first conducted at the behest of Adolph Ochs, a publisher who was looking to replace fireworks display that promoted one location. The central object used in this event was once decorated red, white and blue to honor troops participating in Operation Desert Shield, and is now made of LEDs. That object descends a flagpole during this event at 11:59 PM on a certain day. For the point, name this event that commemorates the New Year. | Times Square Ball Drop (prompt on partial answers; prompt on “Ball Drop in New York City”; prompt on “Times Square New Year’s Day Celebration” or similar answers) |