| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| While serving on the D.C. Circuit, this future Supreme Court justice ruled in favor of the Bush administration’s military tribunals in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld. This man denounced the “individual mandate” as excessive under the Commerce Clause, but defended it under Congress’s authority as a tax in the majority opinion to NFIB v. Sebelius. This man gained his current post in 2005 after the death of his predecessor, William Rehnquist. The Affordable Care Act was upheld by a mostly-conservative Supreme Court led by, for the point, what current Chief Justice? | John G. Roberts Jr. |
| Haim Moussa Douek was the last leader of these people in Egypt, having left in 1972. The Ethiopian- based Falashas are “wandering” groups of these people, some of whom were rescued during Operation Solomon. The Lemba people claim common ancestry with these people, though their matrilineal descent is disputed. Some of these people were repatriated from Sudanese refugee camps under the Law of Return. For the point, name these people who likely migrated to Africa from present-day Israel. | Jewish people |
| An 1861 riot on this city’s Pratt Street led to the first deaths of the U.S. Civil War. George Peabody, the father of modern philanthropy, was based in this city, where he established his namesake Institute and Library. A railroad named for this city and Ohio led to prosperity for this city during the 1830s, which is home to Johns Hopkins University. For the point, name this city named for the Catholic founder of its home state of Maryland. | Baltimore |
| In one speech, this man praised Jacob Ruppert, Ed Barrow, Joe McCarthy, and others, and said that despite his “bad break,” this successor of Wally Pipp considered himself “the luckiest man on the face of this earth.” This man’s most famous accomplishment was bested in 1995 by “Iron Man” Cal Ripken when he played in his 2,131st consecutive game. For the point, name this New York Yankees first baseman who died in 1941 from ALS, a disease that now bears his name. | Henry Louis “Lou” Gehrig |
| The Seguro Obrero Massacre took place in this country in response to an attempted 1938 National Socialist coup. Carlos Ib´an˜ez del Campo began the nationalization of this country’s largest industry; that process was completed by a Popular Unity-backed president who defeated Jorge Alessandri in 1970. That leader of this country was overthrown in a 1973 coup by a dictator advised in economics by the Chicago Boys. For the point, name this nation led by Augusto Pinochet after the overthrow of Salvador Allende. | Chile |
| This ruler survived an assassination attempt in which his winter clothes protected him from the knife of Robert-Franc¸ois Damiens. This ruler’s finance minister Machault d’Arnouville attempted to establish a 5 percent income tax that, unlike previous taxes, was imposed on everyone. This ruler, whose minister was Cardinal Fleury, had multiple mistresses, including Madame de Pompadour. For the point, name this French monarch who ruled during the Wars of Spanish and Austrian Succession in the 1700s after succeeding the Sun King. | Louis XV [fifteenth] of France |
| The Chain Home system, part of the Dowding system, was one of the early users of this technology. The Pinetree Line was part of a project that used this technology during the Cold War. One use of this technology was shrouded in secrecy, with carrots instead praised during the Battle of Britain for helping the early detection of Luftwaffe fighters at night. For the point, name this technology that uses long electromagnetic waves, whose Doppler variety is used in meteorology. | RADAR (or radio detection and ranging, prompt on “radio”) |
| This country’s history is the subject of the Ibadan School, established by Kenneth Dike. One leader of this country, Yakubu Gowon, gave a speech proclaiming “no victim, no vanquished” at the end of its civil war. That civil war in this country led Bernard Kouchner and others to establish Doctors Without Borders. The Igbo people attempted to break away from this country and establish the Republic of Biafra. For the point, name this most populous African country whose capital moved from Lagos to Abuja in 1991. | Nigeria |
| This composer’s final work was prefaced with a quatrain and depicts a wood spirit. In one piece, this composer uses the English horn to depict a bird that guards the land of the dead. A piece by this man, originally written for the Press Celebrations, was performed under alternate names to prevent Russian censorship. This man was inspired by Elias Lonnrot’s Kalevala to write tone poems such as Tapiola and The Swan of Tuonela. For the point, name this composer of Finlandia. | Jean Sibelius |
| William Drummond was killed for participating in this rebellion. After the perpetrator of this rebellion had a military commission rejected, he pointed a gun at the colonial governor in protest. John Ingram took over this rebellion’s leadership after its namesake fermenter died of dysentery, and William Berkeley was ousted from the House of Burgesses in Jamestown as part of this rebellion. The city of Jamestown was burned to the ground by this revolt, which was quelled in 1677. For the point, name this Virginian colonial uprising. | Bacon’s Rebellion |
| Stephen Mallory was responsible for the development of this military force. A branch of this military force was responsible for the destruction of the USS Housatonic. Raphael Semmes, a commander in this military force, destroyed 65 consecutive ships before being sunk off the coast of France in 1864. Submarines developed by this force include the Hunley, and the USS Monitor was built to counter the modified USS Merrimack, owned by this force, at the Battle of Hampton Roads. For the point, name this navy that fought against the Anaconda Plan during the U.S. Civil War. | Navy of the Confederacy (accept Confederate States of America or CSA for “Confederacy;” do not accept references to the USA or America; prompt on partial answers) |
| This author founded a journal whose literary editor was Jessie Faucet. This sociologist wrote a book whose opening chapter, “Of Our Spiritual Strivings,” states that the title group experiences America through “the veil” and develops a “double consciousness.” This first editor of The Crisis advocated for the development of a small African-American elite, the “talented tenth,” which was opposed to the Atlanta Compromise proposed by Booker T. Washington. For the point, name this sociologist who wrote The Souls of Black Folk and co-founded the NAACP. | W. E. B. DuBois (William Edward Burghardt DuBois) |
| The winning side in this battle took the losing side’s mobile field brothels and sent the prostitutes to be “re-educated.” Operation Vulture rescued the forces of the losing side in this battle. Charles Piroth blew himself up with a grenade during this battle, which was preceded by Jean Gilles’ [zhon zheel’s] Operation Castor. The winning side in this battle was assisted by the anti-artillery provided by Vo Nguyen Giap. For the point, name this 1954 victory for Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh that ended French occupation in modern-day Vietnam. | Battle of Dien Bien Phu |
| One election win for this politician was aided by George Mahoney’s slogan of “Your home is your castle, protect it.” This man’s resignation led to the first application of Section 2 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment. This first Greek-American governor of Maryland was the second to resign in his highest position after John C. Calhoun, after he pled no contest to charges of tax evasion in 1973. For the point, name this man replaced by Gerald Ford as Vice President of Richard Nixon. | Spiro Agnew |
| One secretary of war from this party had an affair with Christine Keeler, resulting in the Profumo Affair. This party removed its country’s currency from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, resulting in Black Wednesday. Prime Ministers from this party have included Harold Macmillan and John Major. In May 2015, this party defeated Ed Miliband’s party to retain control of the House of Commons. For the point, name this party which has led British Parliament since defeating Labour, with Liberal Democrat help, in 2010 under David Cameron. | Conservative Party of the United Kingdom |
| One piece by this artist, which was ridiculed as a “snowman in a bathrobe,” depicts the author of La pere Goriot. Six men are depicted with bare feet and nooses around their neck in another of his works, which commemorates their sacrifice in a siege during the Hundred Years’ War. This sculptor of Balzac and The Burghers of Calais also depicted a seated man with his right elbow on his left knee. For the point, name this French sculptor of The Thinker, part of his Dante-inspired Gates of Hell. | Auguste Rodin |
| This dynasty was forced to give concessions after the deaths of German missionaries in the Juye incident. The Self-Strengthening movement was launched by this dynasty. In one rebellion against this dynasty, Hong Xiuquan proclaimed himself to be the brother of Jesus, and during the Xinhai Revolution, this dynasty’s last emperor, Pu Yi, was forced to abdicate. The Taiping Rebellion opposed, for the point, what last imperial dynasty of China, that succeeded the Ming Dynasty? | Qing [cheeng] Dynasty |
| Arthur Waley, the first translator of this work into English, believed that it was finished, but other translators such as Edward Seidensticker disagree. This work’s protagonist has a mid-life crisis after turning 40 and contemplates his future in the “Illusion” chapter, which precedes “Vanished into the Clouds,” a completely blank chapter. The protagonist of this work marries Princess Aoi in its first chapter and has an affair with Lady Fujitsubo. For the point, name this Heian-era work by Lady Murasaki, often considered the world’s first novel. | Tale of Genji (or Genji monogatari) |
| The largest stock exchange that trades in this currency is the TSX. This currency’s record-low conversion rate of 62 American cents was reached in January 2002 under Prime Minister Jean Chr´etien [kreh-tee-enn]. This currency has suffered recently due to falling oil prices reducing the value of its country’s Athabasca oil sands. For the point, name this currency, nicknamed the “loonie,” whose weakness hinders sports teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs. | Canadian dollar (accept loonie before mentioned; prompt on partial answers) |
| This man’s forces defeated those of Sampson Matthews in a raid on Richmond. This man began using Samuel Wallis as a courier after being betrayed by Joseph Stansbury; Wallis delivered this man’s messages to Henry Clinton. One plan conceived by this man failed when the HMS Vulture was attacked, leading to the capture of John Andre. For the point, name this general who attempted to sell West Point to the British during the American Revolution. | Benedict Arnold |
| Lucius Arruntius the Elder convinced the winner of this battle to spare the life of Gaius Sosius. Quintus Dellius divulged battle plans to one side in this battle after he defected. The losers of this battle fled the Ambracian Gulf to the city of Alexandria, where they eventually committed suicide. The Roman Empire was established in the aftermath of, for the point, what naval battle in which Octavian defeated the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra? | Battle of Actium |
| This leader gave himself the Order of Victory Medal, the only one awarded after World War II, which was posthumously revoked. Despite reforms attempted by Premier Alexei Kosygin, this leader’s emphasis on military spending led to the Era of Stagnation. This leader began a failed ten-year invasion of Afghanistan, and justified the suppression of the Prague Spring and invasion of Czechoslovakia with a namesake doctrine. For the point, name this leader of the Soviet Union throughout the 1970s. | Leonid Brezhnev |
| The Algiers Agreement attempted to resolve a border dispute with this country and its eastern neighbor. The 14 of July Revolution overthrew King Faisal II in this country. This country launched the Al-Anfal campaign, which resulted in the gassing of the Kurdish village of Halabja. The United States launched Operation Desert Storm against this country after it tried to annex Kuwait. For the point, name this Middle Eastern country that was led by Saddam Hussein. | Iraq |
| According to legend, this city’s first settlement was the Vysehrad [vi-shay-heh-rad] Castle. Jan Zizka’s [yan zhee-zhka’s] Hussite forces won the Battle of Vitkov Hill outside of this city, and the Count of Tilly won the Battle of White Mountain outside of this city. Two noblemen representing Emperor Ferdinand II were thrown out of a window in this city, sparking the Thirty Years’ War. Two notable defenestrations have taken place in, for the point, what capital of the Czech Republic? | Prague [or Praha] |
| The non-fictional Battle of the Windmill defeated the Hunters’ Lodges’ attempt to perform this action in 1838. David Wooster’s occupying forces were deeply unpopular in an unsuccessful attempt of this action, in which Richard Montgomery died. Isaac Brock’s victory at the Battle of Queenston Heights foiled another attempt to perform this action during the War of 1812, and Benedict Arnold was forced to retreat from Quebec during his effort to do this during the Revolutionary War. For the point, name this military action, often unsuccessfully taken by U.S. troops to capture a northern neighbor. | U.S. invasions of Canada |
| This man decried a “dictatorship of relativism” while condemning science’s purported claim to knowledge. He restored papal use of red shoes while serving as Pope, and he served as a consultant at Vatican II to Pope Paul VI. This man served as Archbishop of Munich and Freising before ascending to the papacy, and in 2013, made an announcement that hadn’t been made since Celestine V in 1294. Francis I succeeded, for the point, what retired Pope? | Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (prompt on partial, accept Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger) |
| California’s 2008 Proposition 1A allocated about 10 billion dollars to the funding of this technology. The Japanese Shinkansen and French TGV were early examples of this technology. Elon Musk’s hyperloop is an alternative to developing one of these technologies in California, which is only currently present in the United States as Amtrak’s Acela. For the point, name this technology that would allow for rapid intercity travel. | high speed railways or high speed train or bullet train (prompt on “train” or “railroads” or “railways”) |
| The “Mother” one of these buildings in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the oldest one of these structures still used in the United States, and one of these in Yuba City, California was destroyed by arson in 1994. The planned “Cordoba House” was one of these locations that led to protests against its developer, Sharif El-Gamel, in 2010. For the point, name these religious locations, such as the planned Park51 near Ground Zero, which usually contain niches pointed towards Mecca. | mosques (prompt on “houses of worship”) |
| The “Ley de Lamas” is one way of organizing these events in several South American countries. The Gallagher index is a measure of the disproportional nature of these events, which are the subject of Condorcet’s Paradox and Arrow’s impossibility theorem. In early 19th century Britain, “rotten boroughs” held very small versions of these events. The act of re-organizing borders to affect eligibility for these events is known as gerrymandering. For the point, name these political events in which government leaders are chosen. | elections or voting (accept word forms) |
| Thisman’scontributionstothe1964World’sFairincludedhisdevelopmentof“Audio-Animatronics.” Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and The Hall of Presidents were created by this man, whose “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow” was turned into an amusement park, featuring the “World Showcase” in 1982. For the point, name this founder and namesake of amusement parks in Anaheim and Orlando, the latter of which includes EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom. | Walt Disney |
| One pope with this name denounced Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II during the Council of Lyon. One pope with this name denounced the Peace of Westphalia in the bull Zelo Domus Dei and is the subject of Francis Bacon’s Screaming Popes series of paintings, based on works of Diego Velazquez. Another pope with this name convoked the Fourth Lateran Council and called for the Albigensian Crusade. King John was excommunicated by a pope with, for the point, what common name, meant to invoke a lack of guilt? | Innocent |