Feel free to post your answers in the comments section. Try not to read any comments until you've figured out the answers for yourself. No prize on the line this time, except bragging rights:
This one's a five-parter.
• Which country, despite having an ancient history, was only briefly an empire at the turn of the 20th century? Now it's a republic ... Partly in name, partly in truth.
• Name the architect who built a masterpiece home that was (initially, at least) a sore point for its owner. The home shares a name with an under-appreciated inventor.
• Which independently minded Western community is named for the 12th president?
• What man is often credited with keeping Islam from dominating Europe?
• What was the date a man-made object first touched the moon?
OK go.
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CLARIFICATION: Friend Dawn e-mailed me her answers, and one of her guesses made me realize I should clarify the first one. This empire existed only around the turn of the century. I realized it could be interpreted as an empire that died shortly after 1900.
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7 comments:
I was never really any good at scholars bowl. I think I was only on the team because of some sort of equal opportunity, BJHS affirmative action plan, but I am guessing that the answer to the architect question is Frank Lloyd-Wright. Without research, I don't think I could answer the rest.
Feel free to research. These aren't made to be answered off the top of your head. I just tried to make them relatively Google-proof.
And you're 0/5, by the way.
Sorry man, you're only 1/5. I'm starting to think I made No. 1 a bit too vague. No. 5 is a bit rough just because the Internet seems to disagree on the exact date, but you're pretty damn close.
So far, the best score is Dawn's (she e-mailed me her answers). She got 3/5. She correctly answered 2, 3 and 5.
I'll wait a bit longer before posting the answers this afternoon.
I E-mailed my answers before I read the comments, but I think only one correct answer has been posted here so far (and I'm pretty sure I'm wrong on the Islam question, but it's definitely something I haven't seen mentioned yet).
Oops, make that two. =)
Christian's answers, for the record:
China. The imperial period ended in the early 20th century, at which point it because the Republic (and later, Peoples’ Republic) of China. Now Taiwan styles itself the “Republic of China”, and is much closer to an actual republic than mainland China. I assume this is what you mean by “Partly in name, partly in truth”.
I’m stumped. For “under-appreciated inventor”, I was thinking Nikola Tesla, but I can’t find any links between him and any particular architect (though he and Frank Lloyd Wright apparently share the same birthday – thanks, Wikipedia!).
In 1844, the Democrats were split. The three nominees for the Presidential candidate were Martin Van Buren… wait, sorry, that’s the eleventh president. How about Rough and Ready, California, after Zachary Taylor’s nickname. The town briefly seceded from the Union, thus “independently-minded”. Knowing where you used to live helped narrow it down. =)
Every Western Civ class I’ve ever had credited the inability of the Arabs to take Constantinople for halting the spread of Islam to Western Europe. The Byzantine emperor at the time was Leo III the Issurian, but Theodosius II was originally responsible for fortifying the walls of Constantinople and basically making it impregnable. So take your pick.
September 14, 1959. Luna 2, launched by the Soviet Union, impacted on the moon.
And Dawn's answers:
Russia
Mies van der Rohe
Rough and Ready
(No guess on 4)
Sept 14, 1959
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