| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| This atoll was originally named Matthew Island after the owner of the Charlotte by Captain Thomas Gilbert. A garrison commanded by Keiji Shibazaki [[shee-bah-ZAH-kee]] withstood an offensive on this atoll, which saw heavy fighting at Betio. A battle on this atoll was the subject of the documentary With the Marines at [[this place]]. Fought over during the Gilbert Islands Campaign, for the point, name this island that hosts the capital of Kiribati [[KEE-reh-BAHSS]]. | Tarawa (accept With the Marines at Tarawa; accept South Tarawa) |
| Former Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge was the first holder of this office. This office came under scrutiny after Kirstjen Nielsen resigned, leading to the eventual unlawful appointment of former lobbyist Chad Wolf. The current holder of this office was formerly Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and is an exile from the Cuban Revolution. Currently held by Alejandro Mayorkas, for the point, name this office in charge of U.S. public safety. | Secretary of Homeland Security (accept Department of Homeland Security) |
| This non-European empire was once served by the privateer Timoji, who would assist Afonso de Albuquerque in one effort. Aliya was a statesman who served this empire, whose Aravidu Dynasty included rulers such as Tirumala Deva Raya. This empire was defeated by an alliance of Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, and other Deccan Sultanates at the Battle of Talikota. For the point, name this South Indian empire also called the Karnata Kingdom. | Vijayanagara Empire (accept Karnata Kingdom before "Karnata" is mentioned) |
| Counterculture proponents led a curfew riot on this road at the club Pandora's Box, which served as an inspiration for Buffalo Springfield's song "For What it's Worth." Billy Wilder directed a 1950 film that shares its name with this road, which centers around an actress named Norma Desmond. This street was home to venues that served alcohol during Prohibition along its namesake strip. For the point, name this boulevard that runs through Hollywood. | Sunset Boulevard (accept Sunset Strip) |
| Alongside Bo Gritz and later Floyd Parker, this man ran for president in 1988 under the far-right Populist Party. This man lost to Democrat Edwin Edwards in a notably tight race for Governor of Louisiana in 1991. Free Speech Press published this man’s lengthy autobiography My Awakening, and in 1974, this man founded the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. For the point, name this former Grand Wizard and Republican politician who is commonly called “America’s most famous racist.” | David Duke (or David Ernest Duke) |
| In this city, Slavi Merdzhanov led a bombing campaign by an anarchist circle known as this city’s “Boatmen.” King George the First was assassinated in this city in 1913, four years before it was almost completely destroyed by a fire. A sister of Alexander the Great is the namesake of this city, which was the economic center of the post-antiquity Byzantine Empire. For the point, name this central city of the Macedonian region of Greece. | Thessaloniki (or Thessalonica; or Saloniki; or Salonica) |
| As part of the Treaty of Ghent, William the First of the Netherlands was asked to arbitrate this conflict. In this dispute, Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli supported “Mitchell’s Map,” which favored the U.S. by placing a state’s border farther north. Ended by the Treaty of Webster-Ashburton, for the point, what is this late 1830s conflict over the boundaries between New Brunswick and Maine? | Aroostook War (or Pork and Beans War; or Madawaska War) |
| Runic Stone 194 in Uppland recounts how this monarch gave a local jarl [[YARL]] named Alli a danegeld following his conquest of a foreign land. This royal organized a mercenary force with 200 longships to depose Edmund Ironsides, king of England, culminating in his successful Siege of London. The North Sea Empire of the early 11th century was formed by, for the point, which son of Sven Forkbeard? | Cnut the Great (accept Canute the Great) |
| John Langdon preceded and succeeded this man as president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate. This Virginian drafted the “Westmoreland Resolutions,” which opposed the enforcement of the Stamp Act 1765. A resolution named for this man states "these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states." For the point, name this Founding Father who proposed "The Resolution for Independence." | Richard Henry Lee (accept Lee Resolution) |
| Checks on rebelliousness arising from these divisions were provided by a protonotarios [[pro-toh-noh-TAH-ree-ohs]]. The Kibyrrhaiotai [[KEE-bee-RAH-oh-toy]] was one of these divisions devoted to naval work. The largest of these divisions was the Armeniakon [[“Armenia”-KON]] and Anatolikon [[an-uh-toh-lee-KON]], whose strategoi originated as the former holders of magister militum posts. For the point, name these military districts that were the primary administrative units of the Byzantine Empire. | Themes (or Themata; prompt on descriptive answers) |
| In a 1992 speech, this man criticized single parenting and blamed television character Murphy Brown for “mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone.” In a debate, Lloyd Bentsen told this man, “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.” This politician tried to correct the spelling of a student by mistakenly adding an “e” at the end of the word “potato.” For the point, name this Indiana senator who served as vice president under George H. W. Bush. | Dan Quayle (or James Danforth Quayle) |
| This musician took inspiration from Toussaint Louverture [[too-SAHN loh-vehr- TOOR]] when creating his “Haitian Fight Song.” Drummer Dannie Richmond engaged in a call-and-response with this musician in a 1959 composition that accuses an Arkansas governor of having a “Jim Crow plan.” The “Fable of Faubus” was composed by this man, who also recorded an album titled [this man] Ah Um. For the point, name this renowned jazz bassist who released The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. | Charles Mingus Jr. (accept Mingus Ah Um) |
| A statue in this park was melted and its remnants were used to cast over 42,000 bullets for the American Revolution. That statue in this park of King George the Third was toppled five days after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This park was the site where Peter Minuit purchased Manhattan for $24 in 1626. For the point, name this oldest park in New York City, perhaps named for a sport played on a lawn. | Bowling Green |
| A leader of this indigenous group named Atlanta led a trek to meet the recently arrived Europeans under Samuel de Champlain. A confederacy named for these people collapsed after it had to fight the Iroquois, who were armed with European weapons. This First Nation, also known as the Wyandot [[WEE-ahn-DOH]], originally occupied the northern shores of Lake Ontario. For the point, name this First Nations people who name a Great Lake. | Huron (accept Wyandot before mentioned) |
| An attempt to replace George Washington with this man as commander of the Continental Army was known as the Conway Cabal. This man was blamed for his defeat by Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of Camden. Three years prior, this man thwarted John Burgoyne's efforts attempts to meet British troops marching toward New York City. For the point, name this Continental Army officer who won the Battle of Saratoga. | Horatio Gates (or Horatio Lloyd Gates) |
| One person injured in this event was a visiting monk from Cambridge named Edward Grim. The people who were involved in this event fled to Knaresborough Castle and were eventually excommunicated by Pope Alexander the Third. The words, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” motivated this event. King Henry the Second inspired, for the point, what 1170 event that resulted in the death of the Archbishop of Canterbury? | Assassination of Saint Thomas Becket (accept "Killing,” “Murder,” or equivalents for “Assassination”) |
| This grandson of Vsevelod the Big Nest allied with the Karelians to defeat invading Swedes at the Battle of the Neva. The Bishop of Dorpat led the Livonian Order into a disastrous defeat at Lake Peipus [[“PIE”-puss]] against this commander, which became known as the Battle of the Ice. For the point, name this medieval Russian hero who briefly unified the princely states of Vladimir, Kiev, and Novgorod. | Alexander Nevsky |
| James Grant and John Forbes failed to take this location in a September 1758 battle. Capturing this location was the objective of the Braddock Expedition, whose Virginia Regiment was commanded by George Washington. For ten points, name this French fort located at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela [[moh-nohn-gah-HEH-lah]] Rivers that was replaced by the nearby British Fort Pitt in the French and Indian War. | Fort Duquesne [[doo-KANE]] (prompt on "Pittsburgh") |
| This treaty’s initial range was expanded by William Richards Castle, and its only “No” vote in the U.S. Senate was by John J. Blaine, who was suspicious of British imperial designs. Despite being criticized for failing in its main goal, this agreement was used as the legal basis for the Nuremburg and Tokyo Tribunals to punish those responsible for World War Two. Named for an American Secretary of State and a French Foreign Minister, for the point, what is this 1928 “Pact” signed by international powers to effectively ban war? | Kellogg-Briand Pact |
| Joan Crawford called this man a “young genius” after working with him in his first professional directorial gig on the Night Gallery. This man's early years were the subject of his 2022 film The Fabelmans. This man's directorial film debut was The Sugarland Express, marking his first collaboration with composer John Williams. For the point, name this filmmaker who directed Jaws and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. | Steven Spielberg (or Steven Allan Spielberg) |
| The exclusion of data points in this scientist's second experiment was questioned by Allan Franklin. This man coined the term "cosmic rays" to describe high-energy protons that move through space almost at the speed of light. A 1909 experiment by this man and Harvey Fletcher used namesake objects in an electric field to calculate the fundamental charge of an electron. For the point, name this American physicist who conducted the Oil Drop experiment. | Robert A (ndrew)s Millikan |
| In 1780, Lord Stirling led a Patriot raid on William Howe’s men at this location. America’s “Last Great Disgrace,” Willowbrook State School, was located in this region, which was formerly settled by the Lenape [[leh-NAH-peh]]. An apocryphal story suggesting this region was circumnavigated in a single day by Captain Billopp was repeated in 2007 by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. For the point, name this New York City borough off the coast of New Jersey. | Staten Island (prompt on “New York City”) |
| This dynasty’s conquest of the Champa people initiated the Third Era of Northern Domination in Vietnam. This dynasty introduced the Three Departments and Six Ministries administrative structure. This dynasty’s attempts to conquer the Korean Goguryeo kingdom contributed to its conquest by Gaozu. The Grand Canal was constructed during the reign of, for the point, what short-lived Chinese dynasty that preceded the Tang? | Sui Dynasty |
| For the last sixty years, a check was sent to the defunct position of the "Treasurer General of the Republic” for ownership of this area. Hamdan v. Rumsfeld concerned a challenge to Osama bin Laden’s chauffeur's imprisonment in this location. President Tomás Estrada Palma gave a lease over this bay to Theodore Roosevelt in a 1903 agreement. For the point, name this harbor in Cuba with a base where the U.S. has held prisoners in the 2000s. | Guantanamo Bay (accept Gitmo) |
| Due to the 8.4 million pound cost of this effort, the country where it took place was forced to abandon the gold standard in favor of paper currency. Sometimes known as the Southwestern War, this event’s successful use of conscription among the heimin signaled the end of a particular warrior class. This 1877 event ended with the death of Saigo Takamori. For the point, name this samurai rebellion during the Meiji Restoration. | Satsuma Rebellion |
| A site with this name was intended to be the southern branch of the U.S. military academy but plans were disrupted following its occupation by Confederates. The Menshikov Palace is attached to another site with this name. The merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky's sale of nearly 300 paintings led Catherine the Great to build a site with this name. For the point, identify this name shared between Andrew Jackson's southern estate and an art museum in Saint Petersburg. | The Hermitage (accept Hermitage Museum) |
| This man’s tone poem Kossuth was a tribute to Lajos Kossuth, the leader of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. This composer’s Mikrokosmos are a series of 153 progressively more difficult piano etudes. This composer’s only opera, Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, incorporates several Hungarian folk songs. For the point, name this 20th century Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist who wrote six string quartets and a Concerto for Orchestra. | Béla Bartok (or Béla Viktor János Bartók) |
| In the Skáldskaparmál, the ferryman Harbardr [[HAR-bar-der]] claims that this figure has taken a lover due to her husband's shoddy appearance in an effort to infuriate him. In one tale, the supernatural being Hrungnir [[RUNG-neer]] threatened to kill all the gods except Freya and this figure. This fertility deity gave birth to Magni and Modi. The mischievous Loki replaced, for the point, which goddess’s golden locks in an attempt to pacify her husband, Thor? | Sif |
| This monarch almost died in Operation Steinbock after a bomb attacked South Mimms. This monarch led her country as a government-in-exile from London and broadcasted to her country’s people via the Radio Oranje. This European queen, who died in her residence at Het Loo Palace, abdicated the throne to her daughter, Juliana, in 1948. For the point, name this queen who ruled the Netherlands during both world wars. | Wilhelmina (or Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria) |
| Muhammad Ali Pasha took control of one country by defeating these people in the Massacre at the Citadel. One state ruled by these people defeated the Mongol Ilkhanate under Kitbuga at the Battle of Ain Jalut. After assassinating Qutuz, a leader of these people named Baibars began the process of ending the Crusader presence in the Levant. For the point, name this cast of Turkish slaves who ruled Egypt from the mid-1200s to the early 1500s. | Mamluks (or Mameluks) |
| This unit’s distinctive dress included a single ruby earring and a dragon emblem sewn onto clothing. This unit originated from a donation of soldiers made under the agreement that resolved the Siege of Dorostolon. This unit, which was originally comprised of men from Kievan Rus, grew to include many Anglo-Saxons and Norsemen. For the point, name this bodyguard unit that served the Byzantine emperor. | Varangian Guard (accept Englinbarrangoi) |
| This ruler, whose title translates to “one who speaks,” courted popular dissatisfaction after prohibiting commoners from mingling with the pipitin nobility. This monarch incorporated the Yopi and Zapotec into his realm, which he shared with the cities of Texcoco and Tlacopan. This ruler was taken captive and stoned to death by his populace after a Spanish invasion led by Hernan Cortes. For the point, name this ninth and final fully- independent emperor of the Aztecs. | Moctezuma the Second (or Montezuma the Second; or Moctezuma Xocoyotzin) |
| This author’s first published story was titled “Hollerbochen’s Dilemma.” This author urged filmmaker Michael Moore to change the name of a documentary about the September 11 attacks because it alluded to the title of one of his novels. The 100th episode of The Twilight Zone was adapted from this author’s story I Sing the Body Electric. For the point, name this American author of The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451. | Ray Bradbury (or Ray Douglas Bradbury) |
| A warlord in what is now this country, named Seru Epenisa Cakobau, had Kamisese Mara among his direct descendants. The chiefly rank of ratu is used by males in this country, whose earliest cane sugar mill was constructed in 1872. According to oral tradition, the earliest Melanesians to arrive to this country landed on an island southwest of Vanua Levu. For the point, name this country where a British colonial government established its capital at Suva. | Republic of Fiji (or Fijī Gaṇarājya; or Matanitu Tugalala o Viti) |
| This man's mistranslation of the word pithos may have been the origin of the term "Pandora's Box." A work falsely attributed to this man, later found to have been written by Richard Pace, was a satire of Pope Julius the Second titled Julius Exclusus. Paul's metaphor regarding "spiritual armor" inspired the title of this man's Handbook of a Christian Knight. For the point, name this thinker from Rotterdam who wrote In Praise of Folly. | Erasmus (or Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus; or Erasmus of Rotterdam) |
| George Psalmanazar [[SAL-man-a-zar]] spent several years in the early 18th century pretending to be from this island. The Kingdom of Tungning was based on this island, which replaced a Dutch colony governed from Fort Zeelandia. The Ming dynasty loyalist general, Koxinga, used this island as a base of operations. Once known as Formosa, this is, for the point, what Chinese-speaking island governed from Taipei? | Taiwan (accept Formosa) |