| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| This woman employed the Munshi Abdul Karim as an Urdu teacher, and she described her grandson, William, as possessing "little heart and tact." This person was advised in her early rule by Lord Melbourne, before forming a longtime friendship with Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. The Crystal Palace Exhibition was the brainchild of this ruler's husband, Albert. For ten points, name this long-reigning monarch, who presided over much of nineteenth-century Britain. | Queen Victoria (or Alexandrina Victoria) |
| One theory about this event claimed Judah P. Benjamin perpetrated it by enlisting the help of the Rothschild banking family from Europe. Police officer John Frederick Parker's abandonment of his post to grab a drink made this event possible. Major Rathbone was stabbed with a dagger during this event, shortly before a man shouted "Sic Semper Tyrannus" during a performance of Our American Cousin. John Wilkes Booth perpetrated, for ten points, what killing of the sixteenth president? | The Abraham Lincoln Assassination in Ford's Theater (accept word forms and descriptions involving the killing of Lincoln) |
| A character in this short story passes British spy Major Andre’s tree and loses his horse Gunpowder’s saddle after a party in Tarry Town. In this story, Katrina Van Tassel marries Brom Bones, who laughs when a crushed pumpkin is found near where a schoolteacher, Ichabod Crane, has vanished while being chased by a Galloping Hessian. For ten points, name this short story by Washington Irving in which the title location is haunted by the Headless Horseman. | "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (do not accept or prompt on "Tale of Sleepy Hollow") |
| The Four Books and Five Classics are the authoritative texts of this man's philosophy, one of the so-called Hundred Schools of Thought. The first of this man's Five Constants is rén, or "humaneness." This man believed that the emperor's Mandate of Heaven must be subject to absolute moral principles, including virtues like filial piety. For ten points, name this ancient Chinese philosopher known for his interpretation of the Golden Rule. | Confucius (accept Kǒng Fūzǐ; or Kongzi) |
| A loan from this nation's Erlanger & Co. allowed the Confederacy to build ironclads as blockade runners. Three emissaries from this nation requested bribes from U.S. diplomats before allowing negotiations with Talleyrand in the XYZ Affair. The U.S. fought the Quasi-War with this nation, who earlier sent armed forces to the Thirteen Colonies during the Yorktown campaign. The Louisiana colony was sold to the United States by, for ten points, what European country? | Kingdom of France (or Royaume de France; accept Republic of France; or French First Republic; or République Française) |
| The building of this structure was supervised by Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, who also laid the foundations of the Red Fort. This building, whose name is derived from Persian, was ordered by an emperor who was put under house arrest by his successor, Aurangzeb [[ow- RAHNG-zeb]]. This building was originally constructed to house the tomb of Mumtaz. For ten points, name this enormous mausoleum in Agra, India, constructed by Shah Jahan. | Taj Mahal (or Rauza-i Munawwara) |
| While en route to Western Europe, this man had 4,000 denarii seized in the port of Trebizond, retaining some of his wealth by sewing precious stones into his coat. With Rustichello da Pisa, this man published his travelogue under the title Book of the Marvels of the World. That work describes this man's trip to the palace of Xanadu [[ZAN-ah-doo]] and his travels along the Silk Road. For ten points, name this Venetian merchant who explored the Far East and served Kublai Khan. | Marco Polo |
| Various speeches by this man were mixed with modern musical accompaniment by progressive rocker Giulio Neroni in the album Wake Up! Referencing the "calming of the storm" in the Book of Mark, this man gave an Urbi et Orbi address in the wake of the COVID- 19 pandemic. The 2021 Synod of Bishops was called by this figure following news of an abuse scandal in France. Jorge Bergoglio [[behr-GOH-lyoh]] is the birth name of, for ten points, what pope from Argentina? | Pope Francis (accept Francis I; accept Jorge Bergoglio before mentioned) |
| Verrocchio [[veh-ROH-kyoh]] depicted this figure in bronze following his most famous action, while Bernini sculpted a marble statue of this man during that same violent action. Donatello's sculpture of this figure was the first freestanding nude since antiquity, and another depiction of this hero has an oversized head to appear proportional from below. For ten points, name this Biblical king who was depicted in a marble sculpture by Michelangelo before he slays Goliath. | David (or Davit; accept Daud) |
| In modern Spain, this general created a makeshift bridge to cross the Baetis [[BAY- tiss]] River to win the Battle of Munda. Tribes like the Bibroci [[bee-BROH-kee]] and the Ancalites united around Cassibelanus [[cah-see-beh-LAH-nus]] in a failed attempt to repel this man's invasion of Britannia. This writer of De Bello Gallico defeated and captured the King Vercingetorix [[ver-sin-GEH-toh-riks]] during the Siege of Alesia. The Rubicon was crossed by, for ten points, what Roman dictator? | Gaius Julius Caesar (prompt on "Caesar" alone) |
| This journalist wrote for the newspaper Avanti!, but during World War One abandoned both it and his country's Socialist Party. This prime minister's followers, sometimes dubbed "Squadristis," were known as the Black Shirts. Declaring himself "Il Duce," [[eel-DOO-cheh]] this man aligned with Nazi Germany, though his armed forces failed to secure North Africa or stop the Allied invasion of Sicily. For ten points, name this leader of Italy during most of World War Two. | Benito Mussolini (or Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini) |
| Mussolini signed the Lateran Treaty to give independence to this tiny European city-state. | Vatican City State (or Stato della Città del Vaticano; or Status Civitatis Vaticanae) |
| Practitioners of the Kumbhi Mela, a pilgrimage to this site, were attacked by the British during the seizure of Allahabad during the Sepoy Mutiny. The capital of the Nanda empire, Pataliputra [[pah-tah-lee-POO-trah]], was founded where this river meets the Son. Varanasi lies on this river, and Delhi lies on its second-largest tributary, the Yamuna. A namesake "Action Plan" by Rajiv Gandhi failed to clean-up, for ten points, which heavily polluted river in the eastern Indian sub-continent? | Ganges River (or the Ganga) |
| Rajiv Gandhi's administration also oversaw the recovery from the Bhopal disaster, a deadly event caused by a gas leak from what type of chemical used to protect crops from harm? | Pesticides (accept more specific varieties like Herbicide or Insecticide) |
| A group of Democratic representatives known as this scandal's "Babies" includes Vermont senator Patrick Leahy. During this scandal, Archibald Cox's refusal to drop a subpoena led to the "Saturday Night Massacre." This scandal involved wiretapping of the Democratic party's headquarters by the Committee to Re-elect the President. The resignation of Richard Nixon was motivated by, for ten points, what scandal revolving around a break-in at a namesake hotel? | Watergate Scandal |
| Which vice president of Richard Nixon later pardoned him during his own two-year presidential term, a deal often dubbed a "corrupt bargain"? | Gerald Ford (or Gerald R (udolph) Ford, Jr.; accept Leslie Lynch King, Jr.) |
| A cavalry commander with this last name surprised the namesake commander in Pyle's Massacre while campaigning with Francis Marion's Carolina militia. A head of the Army of Northern Virginia with this last name repelled McClellan's Peninsula Campaign and fought the Battle of Antietam. That man with this last name formally surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. Military officers "Light-Horse Harry" and his son Robert E. possessed, for ten points, what last name? | Lee (accept Robert E. Lee or Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee) |
| Robert E. Lee triumphed over Joseph Hooker at Chancellorsville, though it is considered a pyrrhic victory due to the loss of which subordinate general from friendly fire? | Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (or Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson) |
| The Hashemite monarch Faisal II ruled this nation until a 1958 officer coup executed him during the July Revolution. To counter Shia influence, this country invaded a neighbor led by Ayatollah Khomeini [[kho-MAY-nee]], resulting in a costly eight-year stalemate. This nation was the target of a 2003 U.S. invasion in an effort to depose its Ba'ath Party. The dictator Saddam Hussein led, for ten points, what Middle Eastern nation? | Republic of Iraq (or Jumhūriīyah al-ʿIrāq; or Komarî Êraq; accept the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq; or al-Mamlakah al-ʿIrāqiyyah ʾal-Hāshimyyah) |
| The Iran-Iraq War degenerated into this style of warfare, most associated with World War One, in which dug-out systems of defenses are created on a large scale. | Trench Warfare (accept descriptive answers involving battling in trenches) |
| This man's son, Martin [[mahr-TEEN]], was exiled by Philip II of Spain after being in a plot to overthrow the Marqués de Falces [[FAHL-sess]]. Defying the governor of Cuba's return order, this man burned his own ships upon landing near modern-day Veracruz. Chroniclers report this man was mistaken for the god Quetzalcoatl [[KET-zahl-KWAH-til]], and he captured the city of Tenochtitlan [[teh-nohtch-teet-LAHN]] following the death of Moctezuma II. For ten points, name this conquistador who defeated the Aztec Empire. | Hernán Cortés |
| The ruins of Tenochtitlan lie beneath what North American capital city? | Mexico City (accept Ciudad de México; or CDMX) |
| A senator from this U.S. state introduced the Sunshine Protection Act, which aimed to make Daylight Savings year-round. This state's Department of Health fined Leon County 3.5 million dollars for violating this state's anti-vaccine passport laws. Failure to fix major cracks in this state's Champlain Towers led to a deadly 2021 collapse of that condo, killing 97 residents in Surfside. In 2019, Ron DeSantis became governor of, for ten points, what Southern U.S. state? | Florida |
| The Sunshine Protection Act was introduced by this Florida senator and Cuban- American who ran for president in 2016. | Marco Rubio (or Marco Antonio Rubio) |
| This entertainer, who openly advocated for the desegregation of Las Vegas casinos, was shamed by the media for performing at the Mafia-organized Havana Conference. Those ties to organized crime led to this singer being removed from the close circle of President Kennedy. With Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Joey Bishop, this man formed a group known as "The Rat Pack." The songs "My Way" and "Fly Me to the Moon" were performed by, for ten points, which Italian-American crooner? | Frank Sinatra (or Francis Albert Sinatra) |
| Sinatra was born in Hoboken in this U.S. state, also the birthplace of singers Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. | New Jersey |
| Democratic president whose policies led to the highest number of U.S. ground troops. | Lyndon Baines Johnson (or LBJ) |
| Republican president who gradually pulled out of the war through his policy of Vietnamization. | Richard M (ilhous) Nixon |
| Neighboring Southeast Asian nation which, along with Laos, was secretly bombed. | Kingdom of Cambodia (or Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea) |
| South Vietnamese capital whose 1975 fall signaled the end of the war. | Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City) |
| 1968 "Offensive" named for a holiday, which included the Hue [[WAY]] Massacre and the Battle of Khe Sanh [[KAY SAHN]]. | Tet Offensive (or Sự kiện Tết Mậu Thân) |
| North Vietnamese-supported guerillas who fought against U.S. forces. | Viet Cong (or National Liberation Front of South Vietnam) |
| Carcinogenic defoliant used by the U.S. army to destroy Vietnamese agriculture and lessen jungle thickness. | Agent Orange |
| 1964 "Incident" named for a body of water which was cited as an impetus for increasing the U.S. presence. | Gulf of Tonkin Incident (prompt on "Tonkin") |
| Holy wars first called by Urban II which aimed to Christianize foreign lands. | Crusades (accept First Crusade) |
| "Great" Pope who names both a "Calendar" and a "Chant." | Pope Gregory I (or Gregory the Great; accept Gregorian calendar; accept Gregorian chant) |
| Papal-appointed officers who rooted out heresy across Western Europe. | Inquisitors (accept the Inquisition) |
| "Permit" bought by the faithful, purported to absolve them of sins. | Indulgences |
| Most common order of monks in medieval Western Europe, known for their black clothes and their mantra, "Work and Pray." | Benedictine monks (or Benedictines; accept Order of St. Benedict) |
| Saint and namesake of the Slavic alphabet who proselytized the Slavs with his brother, Methodius. | Saint Cyril (accept Cyrillic) |
| Dualist Christian heresy originating in Southern France which was eradicated following the Albigensian war. | Catharism (accept Cathars; accept Albigensians before mentioned; prompt on "Good Christians") |
| Father of Richard the Lionheart who supported the papal call during the Third Crusade. | Henry II (prompt on "Henry") |
| Andean crop, a famine of which killed over one million Irish people in the 19th century. | Potatoes (accept Irish Potato Famine) |
| Bird once found exclusively in the New World supposedly eaten at the first Thanksgiving. | Turkey |
| American plant often ceremonially smoked by natives, which was first successfully planted in Europe in a region called "Los Cigarrales." | Tobacco |
| Animal introduced from Europe that was adopted by Plains Indians to assist in herding bison. | Horses |
| New World bean, the basis of chocolate, that was once used as a currency throughout Mesopotamia. | Cacao (accept Cocoa; prompt on "Chocolate") |
| Nightshade fruit which was believed to be poisonous until a gardener proved to Philip II that it was good for sauces. | Tomatoes |
| Venereal disease from the Americas which ravaged Europe after Columbus's soldiers campaigned in Italy in the late 15th century. | Syphilis |
| Pseudo-cereal in the Amaranth family cultivated in the Andes and banned by the colonial Spanish in favor of maize. | Quinoa (or Kinwa) |
| Robert Haslam rose to prominence in this organization during its involvement in the Pyramid Lake War. Raymond and Nancy Settle tried to compile a list of (*) riders in this organization in Saddles & Spurs. During this organization’s eighteen- month run, only six riders died according to the National Park Service. Buffalo Bill Cody (*) worked for, for ten points, what organization that delivered mail from Missouri to California on horseback? | Pony Express (accept Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company) |
| This company briefly purchased Columbia Pictures but sold it to Sony following the failure of Ishtar. Near its headquarters, this company operates a multi- storied tourist attraction called the "World of" (+) [this company]. Founded by Asa Griggs Candler to sell a namesake drink invented in 1886 by John Pemberton, (*) for ten points, name this multinational beverage corporation based in Atlanta, Georgia, the chief rival of Pepsi. | The Coca-Cola Company (prompt on "Coke") |
| In the aftermath of this event, the victor fled to St. Simon's Island in Georgia to hide at Pierce Butler's plantation. The victim of this event supposedly told Dr. David Hosack he intended to (+) shoot into the ground, and this event occurred in part because one participant opposed the other's 1800 U.S. presidential run. Weehawken, (*) New Jersey was the site of, for ten points, what violent confrontation between the former Secretary of the Treasury and the sitting vice president? | Burr-Hamilton Duel (accept answers describing combat between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton) |
| These specific people were banned from working on the Sabbath in the "Manifesto of three-day Corvee [[kor-VEH]]" passed by Paul I. During the "Forbidden Years," the hardship of the (*) Livonian wars and crop failure led to these specific people losing their right to move from their estate. These people paid a rent known as obrok to the landed (*) boyars they served. In 1861, Alexander II emancipated, for ten points, what peasant class of Russia? | Russian Serfs (accept Krepostnoy Krest'yanin; accept Peasants before mentioned; prompt on "Unfree Person"; do not accept or prompt on "slave") |
| In this nation, Hezekiah Ochuka was hanged for his leadership of a 1982 coup attempt, which failed after most of his soldiers got drunk instead of arresting the sitting president. The White Highlands of this nation were seized during the (+) Mau Mau Uprising, whose participants included Daniel arap Moi and Jomo (*) Kenyatta. Formerly known as British East Africa, for ten points, what nation includes cities such as Mombasa and Nairobi? | Republic of Kenya (or Jamhuri ya Kenya) |
| Known as heket to the Egyptians, this good fills the "mouth of a perfectly contented man," according to a 23rd century BC proverb. Shorting a customer of this substance is punishable by (+) drowning per the Code of Hammurabi, and the Sumerians drank a thick version of this beverage through a straw. Cereals like barley and (*) wheat are used to make, for ten points, what ancient alcoholic drink often made at a brewery? | Beer |
| One composer from this modern-day country used a "sacred minimalist" sound that is exemplified by his Symphony of Sorrowful Songs and the (*) Copernican Symphony. Another composer from this country wrote a series of pieces based on music from this country, including mazurkas and polonaises, though he is best known for his études and the Minute Waltz. (*) For ten points, name this home country of Henryk Górecki and Frédéric Chopin [[shoh-PAHN]], who was born in the Duchy of Warsaw. | Republic of Poland (or Rzeczpospolita Polska; accept Polish; accept Second Polish Republic; prompt on "Duchy of Warsaw" before mentioned) |
| After the Great Flood of 1927 on this body of water, over 200,000 displaced Black people moved north, joining the Great Migration. The longest (+) levee system in the world was authorized in response to this body overflowing in the most destructive flood in U.S. history. Many downriver parishes in (*) Louisiana were destroyed during the 1927 "Great Flood" of, for ten points, what major U.S. river that enters the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans? | Mississippi River |
| This man's middle name meant "troublemaker" in the Xhosa [[KOH-sah]] language. As a member of his country's Communist Party, this man lived on the Liliesleaf Farm while heading "Spear of the Nation." (+) In 1964, this man declared "I Am Prepared to Die" during the Rivonia Trial. During his country's first free elections in 1994, this man's African (*) National Congress defeated F.W. de Klerk's National Party. For ten points, name this first post-apartheid South African president. | Nelson Mandela (or Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela; accept Rolihlahla Mandela; prompt on "Madiba" or "Dalibunga") |
| The "Great" Mughal emperor, Akbar, created the "Divine Faith," which incorporated aspects of Islam, Hinduism, and what other religion which is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama? | Buddhism (accept Buddhist religion or Buddhists; prompt on "Buddha") |