| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| An 1840 affair named for this city involved the arrest of several Jews accused of murdering Father Thomas. This city's Dome of the Treasury included eight Roman columns at the mosque Qubbat al-Khazna. An 1148 siege of this city was halted by Nur ad-Din to end the Second Crusade. John the Baptist's head was supposedly kept in this city, which was conquered in 750 by the Abbasids. Mu'awiya I [[the First]] and the Umayyad Caliphate ruled from, for the point, what capital known for producing a namesake steel? | Damascus (accept Damascus affair; accept Damascus steel) |
| This man, who taught law at St. Petersburg State University in the 1990s, became Vladimir Putin’s chief of staff in 2003. During this president’s tenure, he negotiated the new START treaty with U.S. president Barack Obama and oversaw Russia’s involvement in the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. For the point, name this deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia who served as prime minister of Russia from 2012 until 2020. | Dmitry Medvedev (or Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev) |
| After running out of prisoners, this emperor allegedly had an entire section of the audience at the Coliseum fed to wild animals. To spite a prophecy, this emperor may have created a three-mile long boat pontoon made to ride across on his horse. The assassination of this emperor resulted in the ascent of his uncle, Claudius. This emperor is most commonly known by a nickname meaning “little boot.” For the point, name this likely insane emperor who tried to have his horse made consul. | Caligula (or Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) |
| One piece of this type, by Krzysztof [[KSHISH-shtoff]] Penderecki, includes a ciaccona [[chah-KOH-nah]] dedicated to Pope John Paul II [[the Second]]. Another piece of this type was premiered at the consecration of the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral and featured text by Wilfred Owen. The Polish and War are two pieces of this type, and another piece of this type, identified as K626, had its Lacrimosa movement left unfinished at its composer's death. Mozart composed a notable example of, for the point, what type of mass for the dead? | Requiem (accept Polish Requiem; accept War Requiem; accept Mozart's Requiem in D Minor) |
| During his first presidential campaign, this man received support from the reform- minded Mugwump Republicans. This president used the Army to prevent discontented laborers in the Pullman Strike from obstructing railways. This man was the only president to hold their wedding in the White House, and this man lost the election of 1888 to Benjamin Harrison but defeated him in 1892. For the point, name this only man to serve two non-consecutive terms as U.S. president. | Grover Cleveland (or Stephen Grover Cleveland) |
| An area near this river is home to the oldest-known cotton garments and is likely where cotton cultivation originated. A civilization based around this river used a major port at Lothal. Artifacts recovered from an area near this river include the unicorn cylinder seal and the Dancing Girl. This river was at the center of the Harappan civilization, who built cities such as Mohenjo-Daro. For the point, name this river whose valley was home to an ancient Indian civilization. | Indus River (accept Indus River Valley Civilization) |
| While stationed in the Philippines, this man refused to execute the Rainbow Five plan for a strategic retreat, instead launching a failed defense of Luzon against Japanese forces. In another conflict, this man oversaw the successful amphibious landing at Inchon. This man commanded UN forces in Korea until he was dismissed by Harry S. Truman. For the point, name this American general who oversaw the defeat and occupation of Japan in the Pacific theatre of World War Two. | Douglas MacArthur |
| This family originally earned their fortune in the textile trade, and a member of this family named Salvestro represented the higher classes during the Ciompi [[chee-OHM-pee]] Revolt. This family began to accumulate power after the bankruptcy of the Gran Tavola. This family produced four popes who only served a combined 25 years, including Pius IV [[the Fourth]]. The Italian word for "Doctor" is the source of the name of, for the point, what powerful Florentine banking family led by Cosimo and Lorenzo? | de Medici (accept Salvestro de' Medici; accept Cosimo de' Medici; accept Lorenzo de' Medici) |
| This event caused the Murphy Oil USA refinery spill and resulted in the resignation of Michael D. Brown, the director of FEMA. During a live television benefit for this event, Kanye West appeared alongside Mike Myers and went off script to say, “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.” This event caused a flood from Lake Pontchartrain, and many people displaced by this event were housed in the SuperDome. For the point, name this 2005 hurricane that destroyed much of New Orleans. | Hurricane Katrina |
| Citizens of this island rebelled against its government in the Theriso Revolt. This island was conquered by Rome in 69 BC and later joined the Roman-created Panhellenion under the rule of Hadrian. Thanks to Venetian influence, this island experienced an artistic Renaissance largely powered by its native son, El Greco. Linear A was created on this island, and it eventually morphed into the script of the powerful Mycenaean Civilization. For the point, name this Greek Island which was the center of the Minoan civilization. | Crete (or Kríti) |
| At this location, Polish glass-blowing artisans refused to work in the first recorded labor strike in U.S. history. This location was burned during Bacon's Rebellion, which likely caused the House of Burgesses to move from this location to Middle Plantation. This location's third supply mission introduced the Orinoco breed of tobacco through the trader John Rolfe. For the point, name this first permanent English settlement in the Americas, located in the Virginia Tidewater region. | Jamestown |
| This man called for destroying synagogues in a book that was used by Nazis to justify the holocaust titled On the Jews and Their Lies. Prior to being excommunicated, this man stated, "Here I stand, I can do no other.” This man wrote the popular hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" and was condemned as a heretic by Charles V [[the Fifth]] at the Diet of Worms [[VURMS]]. For the point, name this German theologian whose Ninety-five Theses was an impetus for the Protestant Revolution. | Martin Luther |
| Credit for saving this type of plant is often given to Collingwood Ingram, an English botanist. One popular folk song about these plants asks, "Is it mist, or clouds?" Since 1967, part of these plants appears on the reverse of 100-yen coins. Viscountess Chinda Iwa and First Lady Helen Taft planted the first two of these trees in the Tidal Basin in 1912. For the point, name this type of flowering tree, called sakura in Japanese, which do not produce red edible fruit like other similarly named plants. | Cherry blossoms (or Japanese cherry; accept Sakura before mentioned; prompt on partial answers) |
| Rosser Reeves worked in this industry on behalf of Dwight Eisenhower. Major companies in this industry during the 1950s included Young & Rubicam and J. Walter Thompson. Vance Packard’s 1957 The Hidden Persuaders heavily criticized this industry during a wave of panic over its use of “subliminal” tactics, and this industry honors excellence through the Clio Awards. The growth of television was largely driven by the expansion of, for the point, what industry, traditionally headquartered on Madison Avenue? | Advertising (accept Television advertising; accept Commercials; accept word forms) |
| A speech given in early support of this cause was entitled Blut und Eisen [[BLOOT UND "EYE"-zen]], based on a poem written by Max von Schenkendorf. This process was complicated by the Congress of Vienna, which attempted to deter the rise of large empires. This event was completed in France with the crowning of Kaiser Wilhelm I [[the First]] in Versailles [[vehr-"SIGH"]]. For the point, identify this process, which involved joining several Central European kingdoms to form an empire centered in Berlin. | Unification of Germany (accept descriptive answers involving making Germany into one country) |
| After coming to power in the wake of the Winter of Discontent, this leader pushed through an agenda weakening labor unions. This leader became known as the “milk snatcher” for ending a school lunch program while serving as education secretary. This leader, who was targeted in the Brighton Hotel bombing, served as prime minister during Britain’s conflict with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. For the point, name this Conservative British prime minister, nicknamed the 'Iron Lady.' | Margaret Thatcher (or Margaret Hilda Thatcher; or Margaret Hilda Roberts; or Baroness Thatcher) |
| This person experienced a loss of esteem in the royal court following the failed sieges of La Charité [[lah-shah-ree-TEH]] and Paris. This person organized the Loire [[LWAHR]] Campaign, which culminated in the Battle of Patay. This person is credited with boosting Charles VII [[the Seventh]] from ruler of Bourges [[BOORZH]] to king of all France at Reims [[REHM]]. Captured by Burgundian forces and burned at the stake for crossdressing, for the point, who was this woman who lifted the English siege of Orleans [[or-leh-AHN]]? | St. Joan of Arc (or Jeanne d'Arc; or Saint Joan) |
| The assassination and overthrow of this man were the goals of Operation Mongoose. The Kennedy administration partnered with the Mafia in an attempt to assassinate this man. The CIA-backed Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed attempt to oust this man, who had himself deposed Fulgencio Batista. For the point, name this long-time leader of communist Cuba, who was succeeded by his brother, Raul. | Fidel Castro (or Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruiz; prompt on "Castro") |
| This city's Urca neighborhood is connected to one mountain by a cable car system built in 1912. One song about a person from a neighborhood in this city who is described as "tall and tan and young and lovely" won the 1965 Grammy for Record of the Year. One Art Deco statue in this city was designed by Paul Landowski and is located on Corcovado Mountain in Tijuca [[tee-HOO-kah]] National Park. For the point, name this South American city, known for its Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. | Rio de Janeiro |
| During this conflict, one side failed to provoke a retaliatory strike from a certain country by launching 42 Scud missiles at cities such as Tel Aviv. This conflict was preceded by accusations of horizontal drilling into the Rumaila oil field. While retreating, one army in this conflict set fire to over 700 oil wells. A namesake syndrome struck soldiers in, for the point, what conflict of the early 1990s, during which American forces liberated Kuwait from Iraqi troops? | Gulf War (or Persian Gulf War; or First Gulf War; or Gulf War I; accept First Iraq War before mentioned; accept Operation Desert Storm; accept Kuwait War before mentioned) |
| Jabir Ibn Hayyan attempted to decipher this writing system which Thomas Young later helped to decipher by recognizing the importance of names inscribed within a cartouche [[kar-TOOSH]]. A decree establishing the cult of Ptolemy V [[the Fifth]] was part of the text on an object used to decipher this script as it also included a parallel text in Greek. For the point, identify this Ancient Egyptian writing system which was deciphered via the Rosetta Stone. | Hieroglyphics (accept Hieroglyphs) |
| This man helped William Thompson win a mayoral election against Charles Deneen in the Pineapple Primary, and injuries sustained in a fight with Frank Galluccio led to this man's nickname. This man was incarcerated after the Eliot Ness-led “Untouchables” charged him with tax evasion. Ordering the murder of seven of Bugs Moran’s men in the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, for the point, who was this Chicago gangster, nicknamed Scarface? | Al Capone (or Alphonse Gabriel “Al” Capone; prompt on “Scarface”) |
| This thinker responded to criticism of his work in the essay “General Scholium.” In a letter to Robert Hooke, this thinker coined the phrase “standing on the shoulders of giants.” This thinker established the field of classical mechanics with the publication of his Principia Mathematica, and one law named for this thinker equates force with the product of mass and acceleration. For the point, name this English physicist, who described the Three Laws of Motion. | Isaac Newton (accept Newton's Laws of Motion) |
| The People's Action Party in this country has won every single parliamentary election. This country's first prime minister listed multicultural tolerance and air conditioning as vital factors in its rapid economic development. That prime minister, Lee Kwan Yew, led this country's independence from another former British colony. Initially set up as a trading post by Sir Stamford Raffles, for the point, what is this Southeast Asian country at the tip of the Malay Peninsula? | Republic of Singapore (or Republik Singapura) |
| This nation clashed with Britain over the Shire Highlands during the Scramble for Africa, and this country's hopes for a “Rose-Colored Map” were dashed by the 1890 “British Ultimatum.” This nation's Carnation Revolution overthrew the “Estado Novo” regime of Antonio Salazar. The oldest international alliance in history is shared between England and, for the point, what Iberian country? | Portugal (or Portuguese Republic; or República Portuguesa; accept Kingdom of Portugal; accept Reino de Portugal) |
| A politician from this U.S. state was known as the "Financier of the Revolution." Another politician from this state sponsored a failed proviso to ban the expansion of slavery to the Mexican Cession. The Walnut Street Prison was located in this state, where Robert Morris served as superintendent of finance. Once led by a man who created the political cartoon Join or Die, for the point, what is this U.S. state, whose university was established by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia? | Pennsylvania (accept PA; accept University of Pennsylvania; prompt on "UPenn") |
| According to legend, a golden example of these animals named Kim Quy [[KWEE]] gave Le Loi the Heaven's Will sword. Vessels named for these animals, which were used during the Imjin War and invented by Admiral Yi, were used to defend the Joseon Kingdom from Toyotomi Hideyoshi's forces. Along with oxen, these animals provided the material used for oracle bones. For the point, name these reptiles, revered in some Asian myth systems, known for their shelled exterior. | Turtles (accept Tortoises; accept Bixi) |
| This man recorded a special version of the song "Unbroken" with Bon Jovi, and this man and his older sibling began the "Heads Together" mental health campaign. The Invictus Games were founded by this man who was trained as a military officer at Sandhurst. This man's children include Lilibet and Archie, whom he has raised with an actress who played Rachel Zane on the legal drama Suits. For the point, name this British royal and husband of Meghan Markle. | Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (accept Duke of Sussex; accept Prince Henry of Wales; accept Henry Charles Albert David) |
| This island's Banuae [[BAH-nah-weh]] Rice Terraces are fed by an ancient irrigation system which was built by the Ifugao [[ee-foo-GAO]] people. This island's Cavite [[kah-VEE- teh]] City became a main port for galleons traveling to Acapulco. One peninsula on this island was home to Camp O'Donnell, which was one of the destinations of prisoners forced to take part in the Bataan Death March. For the point, name this Philippine island on which Manila was founded in 1571. | Luzon |
| This dynasty’s Yongle [[YOHNG-LUH]] Emperor commissioned the Forbidden City palace complex. Land reforms under this dynasty included the Fish Scale Records, which were put forward by the Hongwu Emperor. During this dynasty, the Muslim eunuch and explorer Zheng He [[ZHUNG-HUH]] carried out his "treasure voyages." Falling to the Manchus after the Battle of Shanhai Pass, for the point, what was this Chinese dynasty which preceded the Qing [[CHING]] and is famed for its blue and white pottery? | Ming Dynasty (accept Great Ming; or Dà Míng; accept Ming Treasure Voyages; accept Ming pottery or vases) |
| This ruler allegedly won a bet over who could host the most expensive feast by dissolving a pearl in a cup of vinegar and drinking it. According to legend, this ruler forced a meeting with another ruler by being rolled up inside of a carpet. This ruler famously had affairs with both Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. For the point, name this final Ptolemaic pharaoh of Egypt who, according to legend, was murdered with a snakebite. | Cleopatra (or Cleopatra VII Philopator) |