| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| This man allegedly ordered each of his soldiers to kill 24 civilians, resulting in a bloody massacre outside Urgench. Territories conquered by this man were governed by the Yassa code and included the Khwarazmian Empire. This man launched a campaign against the Western Xia and Jin dynasties, though his conquest of China was completed by his grandson. For ten points, name this founder of the Mongolian Empire and grandfather of Kublai Khan. | Genghis Khan (accept Temujin) |
| Frank DiPascali worked for 33 years under this man, who Genevievette Walker-Lightfoot attempted to investigate. Jeffry Picower was the largest beneficiary from this man’s core business, which led Picower to hand over $7.2 billion gained from it. This man was arrested after he told his son Mark that his business was “one big lie,” and he was sentenced to 150 years in prison in 2009. The New York Mets were among the victims of, for ten points, what fraudster who operated the largest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history? | Bernard Lawrence “Bernie” Madoff |
| Because he could not swim, this man was forced to awkwardly paddle around in water wings when Mao Zedong insisted on meeting in a swimming pool. This leader made a controversial declaration at the Polish Embassy in Moscow, and he protested Lorenzo Sumulong’s address to the UN by banging his shoe on a desk. This man, who denounced the cult of personality of his predecessor in the 1956 “Secret Speech,” presided over the Cuban Missile Crisis. For ten points, name this Soviet premier who succeeded Joseph Stalin in 1953. | Nikita Khrushchev |
| The protagonist of this work finds solace in the fact that “his wife and little ones are still beyond the invader’s farthest advance.” At the end of this work, a figure swings “gently from side to side beneath the timbers” of the central location in northern Alabama. The protagonist struggles to free himself of a noose as he falls into the water in, for ten points, what short story about Confederate supporter Peyton Farquhar, written by Ambrose Bierce? | An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge |
| Security guard William Barry and busboy Karl Uecker failed to prevent this event. A Boris Yaro photograph of this event depicts a crouched Juan Romero, who had been shaking hands with the target at the time. This event, which occurred prior to a press conference regarding the defeat of Eugene McCarthy in the California primary, took place at the Ambassador Hotel. For ten points, name this 1968 event in which Sirhan Sirhan shot a presidential candidate. | assassination (or murder, shooting, etc.) of Robert F. Kennedy (or assassination of RFK; prompt on partial answers) |
| Cyclists traversing this island usually take about two weeks to go the over 800 miles from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, taking motorways like the M5, which opened in 1962. In a 1967 paper that predated his coining of the term “fractal,” Benoit Mandelbrot discussed the length of this island’s coast. The Antonine Wall and Hadrian’s Wall were built on, for ten points, what largest European island that is home to the countries of Scotland, Wales, and England? | Great Britain (do not accept England, UK, etc.) |
| In opposition to this policy, Robert Taft declared that “you certainly don’t want the same gum back.” This policy inspired the Canadian “Billion Dollar Gift” and grew out of the “destroyers for bases” agreement. This policy, which was compared to giving a neighbor a garden hose to put out a fire, marked the end of the Neutrality Acts. For ten points, name this 1941 program that allowed for the United States to supply the Allies with food and weapons. | Lend-Lease Act |
| In 1511, a force from this country led by Alfonso de Albuquerque captured the city of Malacca. Prior to 1975, this country controlled East Timor, and prior to 1961, it controlled the city of Goa. An explorer from this country was the first European to reach the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Explorers Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias were from, for ten points, what country where Prince Henry the Navigator sponsored explorations as a rival to its neighbor, Spain? | Portugal |
| This university’s Ryerson Physical Laboratory was the site where Robert Millikan conducted his oil drop experiment in 1909. Sergio de Castro became a Minister of Finance after studying at this school as part of the Chile Project. A series of 1962 sit-ins at this university were organized by then-student Bernie Sanders. For ten points, name this university where Milton Friedman was a member of a prominent school of economics in Illinois. | University of Chicago |
| This man ordered grapeshot to be fired on his own soldiers to win the tightly contested Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Though he often feuded with his superior Henry Clinton, this man was able to embarrass Horatio Gates at Camden. After one battle, this man claimed he was sick and sent his second in command, Charles O’Hara, to surrender instead. For ten points, name this British commander who was defeated by Comte de Rochambeau and George Washington at Yorktown. | Charles Cornwallis |
| The Hekla 3 Eruption may have caused the end of this period. The Yamna Culture existed during the early stages of this period. The Hittites and Mycenaeans fell apart during this period’s namesake collapse. This period was the second in a classification scheme laid out by the antiquarian Christian Thomsen based on the artifacts used by people at the time. For ten points, name this period that succeeded the Stone Age and preceded the Iron Age. | Bronze Age |
| Among the cities to be destroyed during the Bronze Age collapse were Kadesh, Karkemish, and Ugarit, all of which lie on the shores or borders of this modern day country. In 2015, this country’s ancient ruins in Palmyra were heavily damaged during its civil war. | Syria |
| This instrument was the original medium for Le tombeau de Couperin, a suite dedicated to friends who fought and died in World War I, before it was orchestrated by its composer. The brother of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, Paul, played this instrument professionally; in 1929, he commissioned a D major “Concerto for the Left Hand” for this instrument, as he had lost his right arm in World War I. For ten points, name this musical instrument whose grand variety includes 88 keys. | pianoforte |
| This French composer of Le Tombeau de Couperin and Bolero wrote the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand for Paul Wittgenstein. | Maurice Ravel |
| This man was nearly removed in a recall election after the Sauk Prairie Star began a campaign saying he “must go.” This man attacked Margaret Chase Smith and her allies as “Snow White and the six dwarfs” after he was criticized in her Declaration of Conscience speech. This man’s notoriety came to an end during a series of hearings on the Army, where Joseph Welch asked him “have you no sense of decency?” For ten points, name this Wisconsin senator who fueled a 1950’s Red Scare. | Joseph McCarthy |
| In 1950 in West Virginia, McCarthy infamously claimed he possessed a list of 205 communists within this governmental department. | State Department |
| This leader advanced his country’s nuclear program by building the Osirak reactor, only to see it destroyed in Operation Opera. This man deployed chemical weapons in the town of Halabja as part of a genocide against Kurds. He led his nation into a nearly-decade war with Iran, triggered the Persian Gulf War with his invasion of Kuwait, and was toppled in 2003 after being accused of possessing weapons of mass destruction. For ten points, name this former dictator of Iraq. | Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti |
| Saddam Hussein led the Iraqi branch of this political party, whose main causes are socialism and Arab nationalism. | Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party (do not prompt on partial answers, like “Socialist Party” alone) |
| This man killed his own horse to show that he would not run prior to his last stand at the Silarius River. Earlier, this man used rope vines to surprise the forces of Gaius Glaber while defending his home base of Mount Vesuvius. After this man was defeated, he and his supporters were crucified along the Appian Way. For ten points, name this gladiator who led a 73 BC revolt against the Roman Republic. | Spartacus |
| Pompey the Great took credit for defeating Spartacus, upsetting this rival Roman politician, who joined with Pompey and Julius Caesar in the First Triumvirate. | Marcus Licinius Crassus |
| This thinker’s most famous work was interpreted as a satire and as a deliberate misdirection by Diderot and Rousseau, respectively. This philosopher who analyzed Ab urbe condita in his Discourses on Livy, argued that it was best to begin ruling harshly so that everything seems kinder in comparison in his most famous work. It is better for a ruler to be feared than loved according to, for ten points, what early 16th century Italian diplomat, the author of The Prince? | Niccolo Machiavelli |
| The Prince emphatically praises the politics of this leader, the son of Pope Alexander VI, who came from a prominent Italo-Spanish royal house. | Cesare Borgia |
| This act, which was passed over a presidential veto, was subjected to an amendment that Thomas Eagleton introduced dealing with rescue operations. A 60 day limit was imposed as part of this act, which was once violated by Bill Clinton for his actions in Kosovo. This act requires 48 hours notice to be given before conducting military operations. For ten points, name this 1973 bill that was intended to check the president’s power to enter into war without Congressional approval. | War Powers Act (accept War Powers Resolution of 1973) |
| In December 2018, the Senate invoked the War Powers Act to end military assistance to Saudi Arabia in the wake of the murder of this journalist in October. | Jamal Khashoggi |
| Scholars recognize that this book was written as the second volume of a work, of which Luke is the first volume. In the early part of this book, the Holy Spirit descends upon the Christians in Jerusalem, who begin speaking in tongues. Later in this book, Saul changes his name to Paul after being blinded on the road to Damascus. For ten points, name this book detailing the history of the first-century Christian church, which immediately follows the Gospels in the New Testament. | Acts of the Apostles |
| In Acts, Paul is shown “unusual kindness” on this island, where he was shipwrecked on his way to Rome. | Malta |
| American capital that was burned by the British. | Washington, DC (accept either or both) |
| Treaty that ended the war. | Treaty of Ghent |
| Battle won by Andrew Jackson two weeks after that treaty had been signed. | Battle of New Orleans |
| Frigate that became known as “Old Ironsides” during the war, named for a governmental document. | USS Constitution |
| State represented in Congress by War Hawks like Richard Mentor Johnson and Henry Clay. | Kentucky |
| City that William Hull surrendered to Isaac Brock and Tecumseh in 1812. | Detroit |
| American defeat in August 1814 that allowed the British to burn the capital. | Battle of Bladensburg |
| British rocket, based on a Mysorean design, used at the siege of Fort McHenry. | Congreve rocket |
| Civilization whose culture was dominated by Athens, and the modern country where Athens is capital. | (ancient/modern) Greece |
| God of wine who Athenians celebrated with an annual theatrical festival. | Dionysus |
| Leader during the “Golden Age of Athens” who Thucydides called its “first citizen.” | Pericles |
| Temple to Athena on the Acropolis built during that man’s rule. | Parthenon |
| Athenian-led league of city-states formed to continue the fight against Persia. | Delian League |
| First lawgiver of Athens, whose law code was exceptionally harsh. | Draco |
| Leader who repealed those harsh laws in the 6th century BC and reformed the Ecclesia. | Solon |
| Statesman known as “the Just” who legendarily signed his own name on an ostracism ballot in the 480s BC. | Aristides |
| Modern country where the Aztec Empire was located. | Mexico |
| Spanish conquistador whose expedition to the Americas led to the collapse of the Aztec Empire. | Hernan Cortes |
| Capital of the Aztec Empire from 1325 until its 1521 capture by the Spanish. | Tenochtitlan |
| Aztec ruler who first made contact with Europeans, but was killed when Spanish invaders took over the capital. | Montezuma II (or Moctezuma II) |
| Agricultural method that used interwoven reeds beneath the surface of lakes to create artificial “fences.” | floating gardens (accept chinampas; prompt on gardens) |
| Language historically spoken by the Aztecs, which is still spoken by some of their descendants today. | Nahuatl ([nah-wah-tull], but be lenient) |
| Aztec slave who acted as an interpreter; she has historically been seen as a traitor to the Aztecs. | La Malinche |
| Ritual wars fought between the Aztec Triple Alliance and its enemies from the mid-1450s until the arrival of the Spanish. | Flowery war (s) |
| This man defeated Louis-Eugene Cavaignac, the general who put down the June Days uprising, in a presidential election. This man, who employed Baron Haussmann to redesign his capital, sponsored a failed attempt to place (+) Maximilian on the throne of Mexico. This ruler took personal command in a campaign that enjoyed a major victory at (*) Solferino, but he was forced to abdicate after his capture at Sedan during a war with Prussia. For ten points, name this last Emperor of France. | Napoleon III (or Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte; do not prompt on Napoleon alone) |
| As a twelve-year-old, this man once personally called Bill Hewlett of Hewlett-Packard for parts to build a frequency counter. Tim Berners-Lee ran the first browser on the World Wide Web using a device created by this man’s company (+) NeXT Inc. This man became a member of Disney’s board of directors following the purchase of (*) Pixar, of which he was CEO. This man is most famous for founding a company that sold “Nano” and “Shuffle” versions of its iPod. For ten points, name this late co-founder and CEO of Apple. | Steve Jobs |
| This organization was named for a chief of the Lenape tribe and accordingly granted the title of “Grand Sachem” upon its leaders. This organization turned off the lights in meetings to stifle dissidents, leading their opposition to be called the (+) Locofocos. A leader of this organization died in Ludlow Jail after he was deported from Spain; locals in Spain recognized him thanks to (*) cartoons from Thomas Nast. For ten points, name this notoriously corrupt New York political machine once headed by Boss Tweed. | Tammany Hall |
| This artist rose to prominence for a depiction of a crowd being led away before Philip III, though that portrayal was lost in a fire. A row of vertical pikes are held by men behind Ambrogio Spinola in this artist’s depiction of a battle in the (+) Eighty Years War, The Surrender of Breda. This court painter for Philip IV depicted that king’s (*) daughter, Margaret Theresa, being attended to by maids of honor in his most famous work. For ten points, name this painter of Las Meninas. | Diego Velasquez |
| This battle led to the sacking of Ian Hamilton after numerous unsuccessful attempts to capture Scimitar Hill during the August Offensive. The losing side attempted to secure footholds at (+) Cape Helles and ANZAC Cove during this battle. Winston Churchill (*) resigned as First Lord of the Admiralty as a result of this battle, where Allied troops were repulsed by Mustafa Kemal. For ten points, name this 1915 campaign that sought to capture a namesake strait from the Ottoman Empire. | Battle of Gallipoli (accept Dardanelles Campaign) |
| William Richardson was the first person to receive a land grant in this city, in which he names a bay. A popular destination of bootleggers during Prohibition was the fishing village of Sausalito near this city. A dangerous (+) neighborhood in this city received its name after policemen working in it claimed you could afford a high-quality steak from working shifts in it. This home of the (*) Tenderloin District is also home to a one end of a structure designed by Joseph Strauss and Charles Ellis that links it to Marin County by crossing a namesake bay. For ten points, name this home city of the Golden Gate Bridge. | San Francisco |
| A governor of this city committed suicide after being unable to stop the HMS Phaeton from harassing ships in its harbor. Inhabitants of this city nicknamed arriving carracks “black ships” while it was briefly under Portuguese rule. During a period of seclusion, only (+) Dutch traders were allowed to trade with this city via its artificially built Dejima Island. Because cloud cover obscured Kokura, the (*) Fat Man weapon was used against, for ten points, what city that was attacked with a nuclear weapon three days after Hiroshima? | Nagasaki |
| This man agreed to put his troops under the command of the Australian John Monash during the Battle of Hamel. During his early service, this man captured Datu Amil in the Moro Rebellion and fought with the (+) Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry, granting him his nickname. This man later led the Punitive Expedition to (*) avenge the raid on Columbus and sought to capture Pancho Villa in 1916. For ten points, name this leader of the American Expeditionary Force in World War I, a general nicknamed “Black Jack.” | John “Black Jack” Pershing |
| Army officers stationed in this country threatened to resign in the Curragh incident. Charles Stewart Parnell created a party for this nation and fought for its independence. This country’s (+) Home Rule movement was advocated for by William Gladstone in the House of Commons. The repeal of the (*) Corn Laws was prompted by a food shortage in this country that killed nearly a million people. For ten points, name this island that was controversially ruled by its neighbor, Great Britain, in the 19th century. | Ireland |
| What English statistician and nurse became known as the “Lady With the Lamp” during the Crimean War? | Florence Nightingale |