Trivia

In order to stave off the boredom, we play a quick game of trivia every day while on shift. It's amazing how much ten minutes of trivia helps to boost the morale.

The other day, I was responsible for compiling trivia questions. Below are the questions, with annotations as to which questions the group got correct, along with the number of guesses, if I remembered how many. We forbid Googling and Wiki-ing for answers while on shift, and the same should apply to you.

I have to say, I was pleased with the performance.

June 6, 1944 is famous for D-Day. What actor from the original Star Trek was involved in the D-Day landings and what country did he fight for? (Correct after guessing every single cast member)

June 6, 1984 is also an important day in history. What video game was released on this date? (Correct after four guesses)

10th Mountain Division History--Two brothers, Werner and Rupert von Trapp, served in the 10th Mountain Division during WW2, when the division specialized in Alpine Skiing. What are these two brothers famous for? (Correct)

10th Mountain Division History--what US Senator served in the 10th Mountain Division? (Correct after about a minute of guessing)

The First Amendment Guarantees what five things? (All five guessed correctly, the most elusive of which was guessed by an enlisted man, not an officer)

How many future US Presidents signed the Declaration of Independence, and who were they? (Correct)

In the 1986 World Series, the Red Sox first baseman allowed a ball to pass through his legs, causing the Red Sox to lose game Six, and eventually, game Seven of the World Series. This was apparently due to the "Curse of the Bambino". Who was the Red Sox First Baseman? (Correct. I would have gone with a question about Don Denkinger and Game 5 of the 1985 World Series, but, unfortunately, not everyone is a St. Louis Cardinals fan. Interestingly enough, I knew of a brigade commander who shared the same name as this particular first baseman and allegedly had an autographed picture of the ball player in his office)

When was the last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series? (Correct)

When was the last time the Chicago Cubs appeared in the World Series? (Correct after a few guesses)

In what year did a Cubs fan interfere with the catch a foul ball, contributing to that team's loss of the playoffs? (Correct on 2^nd guess)

Star Wars Trivia--This actor was working as a carpenter when he was asked to read lines to assist with screen tests for other actors. He wound up reading the lines better than any other actor, and wound up winning the part. Which actor was this? (Correct)

The weapons used by the Stormtroopers in Star Wars are actually what British machine gun? (Correct. As a hint, I noted that it is showcased at our ad-hoc museum on the FOB)

The character of Chewbacca was modeled after a dog that George Lucas had when he was a child. What is the name of George Lucas' dog? (Hint: Another Lucas character is named for a dog) (Incorrect)

The grunts and growls of a giant monsterous creature called the "Rancor" in Jabba the Hutt's palace were actually made by what animal? (Incorrect)

Bonus question: What is the only Star Wars film to not feature R2-D2 in the final shot? (Correct only after guessing every episode)

Finally, we end with a brain teaser. Today's was an interesting one—name all twelve Knights of the Round Table. I was surprised that I guessed as many as I did, including an obscure one, Sir Bedevere. This isn't because I'm an expert in Arthurian legend, however. It's because I remembered the Medieval quack Sir Bedevere from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and wouldn't you know it, he was actually one of the Knights of the Round Table. Surprisingly, though, Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Film was not an actual Knight of the Round Table. Who knew.