Tuesday, November 10, 2026

The tidbits, trivia answers and word pairs from Facts & Games on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Play today’s games · All past days · All past tidbits

Six tidbits

Commonly confused words

bemused vs. amused

bemused: Puzzled or bewildered. amused: Finding something funny or entertaining. Bemused means befuddled, not entertained.

perquisite vs. prerequisite

perquisite: A perk that comes with a job. prerequisite: Something required beforehand. Perquisite gives us the word perk.

envy vs. jealousy

envy: Wanting what someone else has. jealousy: Fear of losing what you have to a rival. Envy covets; jealousy guards.

empathy vs. sympathy

empathy: Feeling what another person feels, as if in their place. sympathy: Feeling sorry for someone’s trouble or loss. Empathy is feeling with someone; sympathy is feeling for them.

loath vs. loathe

loath: Unwilling or reluctant. loathe: To hate intensely. Loathe ends in e, like hate.

Beatles trivia

1. Which small island in Clew Bay, off the west coast of Ireland, did John Lennon buy in 1967?Answer: Dorinish. Lennon bought Dorinish in County Mayo and later let a group of hippies camp there.
2. Ringo Starr met his future wife Barbara Bach while making which 1981 comedy film?Answer: Caveman. They played prehistoric lovers in Caveman and married later that year.
3. Which school did Paul McCartney help found in his old school building in Liverpool?Answer: Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. LIPA opened in 1996 in the former Liverpool Institute, where Paul and George had been pupils.
4. Which Scottish band took a cover of “With a Little Help from My Friends” to No. 1 in Britain in 1988?Answer: Wet Wet Wet. Their version was part of a charity single for the children’s helpline ChildLine.
5. Desmond and Molly are the couple in which Beatles song?Answer: Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da. Desmond has a barrow in the marketplace and Molly sings with a band in Paul’s White Album story song.
6. Which actor played Clang, the cult leader chasing Ringo in the film Help!?Answer: Leo McKern. Leo McKern, later famous as TV’s Rumpole of the Bailey, played the high priest Clang.
7. What was the title of John Lennon’s 1975 album of oldies covers?Answer: Rock ’n’ Roll. On Rock ’n’ Roll he covered songs he loved as a teenager, such as “Stand by Me”.
8. Which drummer filled in for Ringo Starr on part of the Beatles’ 1964 world tour while Ringo was ill?Answer: Jimmie Nicol. Jimmie Nicol played about ten shows in Europe, Asia and Australia while Ringo recovered from tonsillitis.
9. In the film Magical Mystery Tour, which Beatle plays a waiter shovelling spaghetti onto a woman’s plate?Answer: John Lennon. John shovels the spaghetti onto Ringo’s Aunt Jessie’s plate in a dream sequence.
10. Which director made the 2011 documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World?Answer: Martin Scorsese. Martin Scorsese’s film runs over three hours and was shown in two parts on HBO.
11. Which Beatle guest-starred as himself in The Simpsons episode “Homer’s Barbershop Quartet”?Answer: George Harrison. George voiced himself in the 1993 episode, a spoof of the Beatles’ story.
12. Paul McCartney wrote and starred in which 1984 film?Answer: Give My Regards to Broad Street. In Give My Regards to Broad Street, Paul plays himself hunting for missing master tapes.
13. Which American singer-songwriter released his first album on the Beatles’ Apple label in 1968?Answer: James Taylor. Peter Asher signed James Taylor to Apple, and Paul played bass on one of the tracks.
14. What colour is the grand piano John Lennon plays in the film for “Imagine”?Answer: White. John plays a white grand piano in a white room at his home, Tittenhurst Park.
15. Paul McCartney’s 1984 hit “We All Stand Together” came from a cartoon about which character?Answer: Rupert Bear. The song, sung by a chorus of frogs, was from Paul’s short film Rupert and the Frog Song.
16. Which Beatle wrote and sang the 1972 hit “Back Off Boogaloo”?Answer: Ringo Starr. Ringo’s single, produced by George, reached No. 2 in Britain.
17. At which London theatre did the Beatles stage their Christmas shows starting in December 1963?Answer: The Finsbury Park Astoria. The Beatles’ Christmas Show mixed music with comedy sketches and ran into January 1964.
18. Which band had a US No. 1 in 1976 with “Silly Love Songs”?Answer: Wings. Paul McCartney wrote it partly as a reply to critics who said he only wrote love songs.
19. What was the name of the record label George Harrison started in 1974?Answer: Dark Horse Records. Dark Horse was also the title of George’s 1974 album and tour.
20. In which city did John Lennon spend most of his mid-1970s “lost weekend”?Answer: Los Angeles. He lived in Los Angeles for much of 1973 and 1974 before returning to New York.

Taylor Swift trivia

1. Which role did Taylor Swift play in the 2014 film The Giver?Answer: Rosemary. She played Rosemary, the Giver’s daughter, in a small part.
2. At age 11, Taylor Swift sang the national anthem before a game of which team?Answer: Philadelphia 76ers. Her anthem at a 76ers game was one of her first big public performances.
3. Swift was an opening act on which country star’s Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour in 2007?Answer: Brad Paisley. Opening for Brad Paisley helped bring her to big arena crowds early on.
4. Which song does Swift perform on screen in Hannah Montana: The Movie?Answer: Crazier. She sings “Crazier” at a hoedown scene in the 2009 film.
5. Swift famously flew to Super Bowl LVIII straight from concerts in which city?Answer: Tokyo. She finished an Eras Tour show at the Tokyo Dome the night before the game in Las Vegas.
6. Which Swift holiday single is named after the kind of place where she spent her early childhood?Answer: Christmas Tree Farm. Her family had a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania.
7. In the “Cardigan” video, what does Swift climb into to reach a stormy sea?Answer: A piano. She climbs into an upright piano in a cabin and comes out in a wild ocean.
8. Which Michael Jackson film did Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour pass to become the highest-grossing concert film?Answer: This Is It. The Eras Tour film beat the record set by Michael Jackson’s This Is It.
9. Which song is track 2 on Reputation?Answer: End Game. “End Game” follows the opener “…Ready for It?”.
10. Which song is track 2 on Speak Now?Answer: Sparks Fly. “Sparks Fly” comes right after the opener “Mine”.
11. Which song is track 2 on Red?Answer: Red. The title track follows the opener “State of Grace”.
12. Which song is track 2 on Lover?Answer: Cruel Summer. “Cruel Summer” follows the opener “I Forgot That You Existed”.
13. Which song is track 3 on Evermore?Answer: Gold Rush. “Gold Rush” comes after “Willow” and “Champagne Problems”.
14. Which song is track 3 on Folklore?Answer: The Last Great American Dynasty. It follows “The 1” and “Cardigan”.
15. Which song is track 3 on 1989?Answer: Style. “Style” follows “Welcome to New York” and “Blank Space”.
16. How many tracks are on the standard edition of Midnights?Answer: 13. Midnights has 13 tracks, from “Lavender Haze” to “Mastermind”.
17. How many tracks are on the standard edition of Evermore?Answer: 15. Evermore has 15 tracks, ending with the title song.
18. How many tracks are on the standard edition of The Tortured Poets Department?Answer: 16. The standard album has 16 tracks; The Anthology edition added 15 more.
19. How many tracks are on the standard edition of Fearless?Answer: 13. The original 2008 Fearless has 13 tracks, ending with “Change”.
20. Which Grammy did “Safe & Sound”, Swift’s song with The Civil Wars, win?Answer: Best Song Written for Visual Media. The Hunger Games song won the award at the Grammys in 2013.

Football trivia

1. Which Saints kicker set an NFL record with a 63-yard field goal against the Lions in 1970?Answer: Tom Dempsey. Tom Dempsey, born without toes on his kicking foot, made the kick on the final play to beat Detroit.
2. Who caught the lateral and ran for the winning touchdown in the Titans’ “Music City Miracle” against the Bills?Answer: Kevin Dyson. Frank Wycheck threw the lateral across the field to Kevin Dyson on a kickoff return.
3. Which Browns running back lost a fumble near the goal line in “The Fumble” against the Broncos?Answer: Earnest Byner. Earnest Byner was stripped just short of a tying touchdown in the AFC Championship Game after the 1987 season.
4. Before moving to St. Louis and later Arizona, the Cardinals played in which city?Answer: Chicago. The Chicago Cardinals moved to St. Louis in 1960 and to Arizona in 1988.
5. Who became the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl?Answer: Sarah Thomas. Sarah Thomas worked Super Bowl LV as the down judge.
6. Which Vikings defensive tackle was the first defensive player named NFL MVP?Answer: Alan Page. Alan Page won the award for the 1971 season.
7. Which Bears rookie running back scored six touchdowns in one game against the 49ers?Answer: Gale Sayers. Gale Sayers scored six times on a muddy field at Wrigley Field.
8. Which Eagles cornerback scooped up a fumble for the winning touchdown in the “Miracle at the Meadowlands”?Answer: Herm Edwards. Herm Edwards returned the botched handoff for a touchdown when the Giants could have just knelt down.
9. Who was the play-by-play announcer in Monday Night Football’s first season?Answer: Keith Jackson. Keith Jackson called the first season alongside Howard Cosell and Don Meredith before Frank Gifford took over.
10. Which country singer recorded the famous “Are you ready for some football?” Monday Night Football opening?Answer: Hank Williams Jr.. Hank Williams Jr. adapted his song “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight” for the opening.
11. Whose performance of the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV became a hit single?Answer: Whitney Houston. Whitney Houston’s rendition was released as a single and reached the Top 20.
12. Which star played the Super Bowl XLI halftime show in pouring rain in Miami?Answer: Prince. Prince closed his set with “Purple Rain” as rain fell on the stadium.
13. Which Saints receiver set the NFL single-season record with 149 catches?Answer: Michael Thomas. Michael Thomas broke Marvin Harrison’s record of 143 catches.
14. Which Chargers running back set the record for rushing touchdowns in a season with 28?Answer: LaDainian Tomlinson. LaDainian Tomlinson scored 28 rushing touchdowns and was named MVP that season.
15. Who was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV, when the Rams beat the Titans?Answer: Kurt Warner. Kurt Warner threw for a then-record 414 yards in the game.
16. Which Raiders tight end fell on the ball in the end zone to finish the “Holy Roller” play against the Chargers?Answer: Dave Casper. After Ken Stabler fumbled it forward, the ball was batted toward the goal line and Dave Casper recovered it for the winning score.
17. Which Raiders running back caught the “Sea of Hands” touchdown pass to beat the Dolphins in the playoffs?Answer: Clarence Davis. Clarence Davis snatched Ken Stabler’s pass from among several Dolphins defenders.
18. Which Chargers tight end had to be helped off the field after the “Epic in Miami” playoff game?Answer: Kellen Winslow. Kellen Winslow caught 13 passes and blocked a field goal in the overtime win over the Dolphins.
19. Who caught Steve Young’s winning touchdown pass, known as “The Catch II”, against the Packers?Answer: Terrell Owens. Terrell Owens caught it between defenders with three seconds left in the playoff game.
20. Which backup quarterback led the Bills back from 32 points down to beat the Oilers in “The Comeback”?Answer: Frank Reich. Frank Reich, filling in for the injured Jim Kelly, led the biggest comeback in NFL history at the time.

Basketball trivia

1. Which Orlando Magic guard set the NBA single-game record with 30 assists?Answer: Scott Skiles. Scott Skiles dished out 30 assists against the Denver Nuggets in December 1990.
2. Which Celtics radio announcer made the famous “Havlicek stole the ball!” call?Answer: Johnny Most. Johnny Most called Celtics games on radio for nearly four decades.
3. Who was the Toronto Raptors’ first-ever draft pick?Answer: Damon Stoudamire. The Raptors took Damon Stoudamire seventh overall, and he won Rookie of the Year.
4. Which coach’s fast-paced Phoenix Suns were known as “Seven Seconds or Less”?Answer: Mike D’Antoni. Mike D’Antoni’s Suns, led by Steve Nash, tried to shoot within seven seconds of getting the ball.
5. Which general manager is most associated with the 76ers rebuilding plan called “The Process”?Answer: Sam Hinkie. Sam Hinkie traded for draft picks while the team lost many games in the mid-2010s.
6. Who beat Aaron Gordon in a famous Slam Dunk Contest final in Toronto?Answer: Zach LaVine. Zach LaVine won after several tie-breaking dunks in 2016.
7. Mychal Thompson, the first No. 1 draft pick born outside the U.S., came from which country?Answer: The Bahamas. Portland drafted the Bahamas-born center first overall in 1978.
8. Who coached the Detroit Pistons to the NBA title over the Lakers in 2004?Answer: Larry Brown. Larry Brown became the first coach to win both an NCAA title and an NBA title.
9. Who coached the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA championship?Answer: Michael Malone. Michael Malone’s Nuggets beat the Miami Heat in the 2023 Finals.
10. Who was Finals MVP when the Portland Trail Blazers won their only title?Answer: Bill Walton. Bill Walton led Portland past the 76ers in 1977.
11. Who was Finals MVP when the 76ers swept the Lakers in 1983?Answer: Moses Malone. Moses Malone, the season’s MVP, dominated the Lakers inside.
12. Who was Finals MVP for the Miami Heat’s first championship, in 2006?Answer: Dwyane Wade. Dwyane Wade averaged nearly 35 points a game as Miami came back from 0–2 against Dallas.
13. Before moving to Sacramento, the Kings played in which city?Answer: Kansas City. The Kansas City Kings moved to Sacramento in 1985.
14. The Los Angeles Clippers began as which team?Answer: Buffalo Braves. The Braves joined the NBA in 1970, moved to San Diego in 1978 and to Los Angeles in 1984.
15. The Detroit Pistons were founded in which Indiana city?Answer: Fort Wayne. They began as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, named after owner Fred Zollner.
16. Before Memphis, the Grizzlies played in which city?Answer: Vancouver. The Vancouver Grizzlies joined the league in 1995 and moved to Memphis in 2001.
17. Which of these ABA teams did NOT join the NBA when the two leagues merged?Answer: Kentucky Colonels. The Nuggets, Pacers, Spurs and Nets joined the NBA; the Colonels folded.
18. Which Syracuse Nationals owner pushed for the 24-second shot clock?Answer: Danny Biasone. Danny Biasone worked out the 24-second figure to speed up slow, low-scoring games.
19. Who was the first Black player to appear in an NBA game?Answer: Earl Lloyd. Earl Lloyd played for the Washington Capitols on October 31, 1950, one day before Chuck Cooper.
20. Which 7-foot-7 center, tied for the tallest player in NBA history, came from Romania?Answer: Gheorghe Mureșan. Gheorghe Mureșan won the Most Improved Player award with Washington in 1996.

Baseball trivia

1. Which Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher gave up Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ’Round the World”?Answer: Ralph Branca. Ralph Branca came in from the bullpen and Thomson homered on his second pitch.
2. Who hit a limping, pinch-hit walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series?Answer: Kirk Gibson. Kirk Gibson, barely able to walk on two hurt legs, homered off Dennis Eckersley.
3. Whose ground ball rolled through Bill Buckner’s legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series?Answer: Mookie Wilson. Ray Knight scored the winning run on Mookie Wilson’s grounder.
4. Which Twins star hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning of Game 6 of the 1991 World Series?Answer: Kirby Puckett. Kirby Puckett’s homer forced Game 7, which Minnesota won.
5. Which Cubs slugger set the single-season RBI record that still stands, with 191?Answer: Hack Wilson. Hack Wilson drove in 191 runs in 1930; his total was raised from 190 after a recount in 1999.
6. Which Red Sox owner sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees?Answer: Harry Frazee. Harry Frazee sold Ruth after the 1919 season.
7. Who managed the Anaheim Angels to their first World Series title?Answer: Mike Scioscia. Mike Scioscia’s Angels beat the Giants in seven games in 2002.
8. Who managed the Chicago White Sox to their 2005 World Series title?Answer: Ozzie Guillén. Ozzie Guillén led the White Sox to their first title since 1917.
9. Who managed the Philadelphia Phillies to their 2008 World Series title?Answer: Charlie Manuel. Charlie Manuel’s Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays in five games.
10. Who managed the Kansas City Royals to their 2015 World Series title?Answer: Ned Yost. Ned Yost’s Royals beat the New York Mets in five games.
11. Who managed the Kansas City Royals to their first World Series title, in 1985?Answer: Dick Howser. Dick Howser’s Royals came back from 3–1 down to beat the Cardinals.
12. Who managed the Washington Nationals to the 2019 World Series title?Answer: Dave Martinez. Dave Martinez’s Nationals beat the Houston Astros in seven games.
13. Dodger Stadium was built in which Los Angeles neighborhood?Answer: Chavez Ravine. The stadium opened in Chavez Ravine in 1962.
14. Which ballpark is nicknamed “the Big A”?Answer: Angel Stadium. The nickname comes from the giant A-shaped sign topped with a halo.
15. Which 1976 Tigers rookie pitcher, nicknamed “The Bird”, was famous for talking to the baseball?Answer: Mark Fidrych. Mark Fidrych won 19 games and started the All-Star Game as a rookie.
16. Which Hall of Fame relief pitcher was nicknamed “Goose”?Answer: Rich Gossage. Rich “Goose” Gossage was one of the most feared closers of the 1970s and 1980s.
17. Which pitcher, nicknamed “Kitty”, won 16 Gold Glove Awards?Answer: Jim Kaat. Jim Kaat won the award every year from 1962 to 1977.
18. Which Pirates pitcher made the slow, high-arcing “eephus” pitch famous?Answer: Rip Sewell. Rip Sewell lobbed it in the 1940s; Ted Williams famously homered off one in the 1946 All-Star Game.
19. Who won baseball’s Triple Crown in 2012, the first since 1967?Answer: Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera led the American League in average, home runs and RBIs.
20. Which Dodgers outfielder hit four home runs in one game against the Brewers in 2002?Answer: Shawn Green. Shawn Green also added a double and a single for a record 19 total bases.

Hockey trivia

1. Who scored the Cup-winning goal for the Bruins in Game 7 of the 2011 Final in Vancouver?Answer: Patrice Bergeron. Patrice Bergeron’s first-period goal held up in Boston’s 4–0 win.
2. Which Anaheim goalie won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2003 even though his team lost the Final?Answer: Jean-Sébastien Giguère. Jean-Sébastien Giguère was named playoff MVP after the Ducks lost to the Devils in seven games.
3. Who coached the Tampa Bay Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021?Answer: Jon Cooper. Jon Cooper is the longest-serving coach in Lightning history.
4. Who coached the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014?Answer: Darryl Sutter. Darryl Sutter took over mid-season in 2011–12 and won the Cup that spring.
5. Who coached the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup?Answer: Barry Trotz. Barry Trotz’s Capitals beat the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018.
6. Who coached the St. Louis Blues to their first Stanley Cup?Answer: Craig Berube. Craig Berube replaced Mike Yeo in November 2018 and won the Cup in June 2019.
7. Which Laura Branigan hit became the St. Louis Blues’ victory song during their 2019 Cup run?Answer: Gloria. Some Blues players heard it at a Philadelphia bar in January and it was played after every home win.
8. Which Detroit arena was known simply as “The Joe”?Answer: Joe Louis Arena. The Red Wings played at Joe Louis Arena from 1979 to 2017.
9. Which arena did the Toronto Maple Leafs leave in 1999?Answer: Maple Leaf Gardens. The Leafs moved from Maple Leaf Gardens to what is now Scotiabank Arena.
10. Which arena did the Montreal Canadiens leave in 1996 after more than 70 years?Answer: The Montreal Forum. The Canadiens moved from the Forum to the arena now called the Bell Centre.
11. Which three Red Wings formed the “Production Line”?Answer: Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay and Sid Abel. The trio led Detroit to Stanley Cups in 1950 and 1952.
12. Who won the first Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman?Answer: Red Kelly. Red Kelly of the Red Wings won it in 1954.
13. Which Blackhawks forward scored the fastest hat trick in NHL history, in 21 seconds?Answer: Bill Mosienko. Bill Mosienko scored three times in 21 seconds against the Rangers in 1952.
14. Which Islanders goalie was the first NHL goalie to be credited with a goal?Answer: Billy Smith. Billy Smith was the last Islander to touch the puck before a Colorado player shot it into his own empty net in 1979.
15. Which young center was the key player the Oilers received when they traded Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles?Answer: Jimmy Carson. Jimmy Carson, a 55-goal scorer, came to Edmonton with picks and cash.
16. The California Golden Seals moved in 1976 and became which team?Answer: Cleveland Barons. The Barons lasted two seasons before merging with the Minnesota North Stars.
17. Which arena is home to both the New York Rangers and the New York Knicks?Answer: Madison Square Garden. Both teams play at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.
18. Which broadcaster made “He shoots, he scores!” famous on Hockey Night in Canada?Answer: Foster Hewitt. Foster Hewitt called Maple Leafs games on radio and TV for decades.
19. Which captain led the Flyers’ “Broad Street Bullies” to Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975?Answer: Bobby Clarke. Bobby Clarke won three Hart Trophies in his Flyers career.
20. Who coached the Florida Panthers to the Stanley Cup in 2024 and 2025?Answer: Paul Maurice. Paul Maurice won his first Cup after more than 25 years as an NHL head coach.

Soccer trivia

1. Who scored the only goal of the Euro 2008 final, giving Spain the win over Germany?Answer: Fernando Torres. Fernando Torres beat Philipp Lahm to a through ball and chipped Jens Lehmann.
2. Who scored the first golden goal to decide a major tournament final, for Germany against the Czech Republic at Wembley?Answer: Oliver Bierhoff. Oliver Bierhoff came off the bench to score both of Germany’s goals in the European Championship final.
3. Whose golden goal won the Euro 2000 final for France against Italy?Answer: David Trezeguet. David Trezeguet volleyed the winner in extra time in Rotterdam.
4. Who headed the winning goal for Greece in the Euro 2004 final against Portugal?Answer: Angelos Charisteas. Angelos Charisteas scored as huge underdogs Greece beat the hosts 1–0 in Lisbon.
5. Which German coach led Greece to the Euro 2004 title?Answer: Otto Rehhagel. Otto Rehhagel built a tight defensive team that shocked Europe.
6. Who coached Spain to its first men’s World Cup title?Answer: Vicente del Bosque. Vicente del Bosque’s Spain beat the Netherlands in the 2010 final.
7. Who coached Germany to the 2014 World Cup title?Answer: Joachim Löw. Joachim Löw’s team beat Brazil 7–1 in the semifinal and Argentina in the final.
8. Who coached the U.S. women to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019?Answer: Jill Ellis. Jill Ellis became the first coach to win two Women’s World Cups.
9. Which national team’s nickname is the Red Devils?Answer: Belgium. Belgium’s team has been called the Red Devils since the early 1900s.
10. Which national team is known as the Taeguk Warriors?Answer: South Korea. The name comes from the taegeuk symbol on the South Korean flag.
11. Which English club plays its home games at Molineux?Answer: Wolverhampton Wanderers. Wolves have played at Molineux since 1889.
12. Which London club plays at Craven Cottage, beside the River Thames?Answer: Fulham. Fulham’s riverside ground has hosted the club since 1896.
13. Which club, managed by Brian Clough, won back-to-back European Cups?Answer: Nottingham Forest. Forest won the European Cup in 1979 and again in 1980.
14. Which Romanian club became the first from Eastern Europe to win the European Cup, in 1986?Answer: Steaua Bucharest. Goalkeeper Helmuth Duckadam saved all four Barcelona penalties he faced in the shootout.
15. Which club won the European Cup in 1991 with a penalty shootout win over Marseille?Answer: Red Star Belgrade. Red Star won the shootout 5–3 in Bari after a 0–0 draw.
16. Which Dutch club won the European Cup in 1988, beating Benfica on penalties?Answer: PSV Eindhoven. Guus Hiddink’s PSV won the treble that season.
17. Which England forward won the Ballon d’Or in 2001?Answer: Michael Owen. Michael Owen won it after scoring a hat trick for England in Munich and helping Liverpool win three cups.
18. Which Brazilian won the Ballon d’Or in 2005 while playing for Barcelona?Answer: Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho also won FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005.
19. Which club won the first FIFA Club World Championship, in 2000?Answer: Corinthians. Corinthians beat fellow Brazilians Vasco da Gama on penalties in the final at the Maracanã.
20. Which Portuguese winger won the Ballon d’Or in 2000, the year he moved from Barcelona to Real Madrid?Answer: Luís Figo. Luís Figo’s transfer to Barcelona’s great rivals made him a hate figure at the Camp Nou.

Movies trivia

1. Who became the first actor to win an Oscar after his death, for Network?Answer: Peter Finch. Peter Finch died in January 1977, weeks before he won Best Actor.
2. Who played Dorothy Boyd opposite Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire?Answer: Renée Zellweger. The role made Renée Zellweger a star.
3. Who played The Dude in The Big Lebowski?Answer: Jeff Bridges. Jeff Bridges played Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski in the Coen brothers’ comedy.
4. Who played New York cop John McClane in Die Hard?Answer: Bruce Willis. Bruce Willis was mostly known for TV’s Moonlighting before the film.
5. Who played Frances “Baby” Houseman in Dirty Dancing?Answer: Jennifer Grey. Jennifer Grey starred opposite Patrick Swayze.
6. Who played Cher Horowitz in Clueless?Answer: Alicia Silverstone. The film updates Jane Austen’s Emma to a Beverly Hills high school.
7. Who voiced Dory in Finding Nemo?Answer: Ellen DeGeneres. Ellen DeGeneres returned for the sequel, Finding Dory.
8. Who played Wednesday Addams in the 1991 film The Addams Family?Answer: Christina Ricci. Christina Ricci played Wednesday in both 1990s films.
9. Which romantic comedy has the famous deli scene that ends with “I’ll have what she’s having”?Answer: When Harry Met Sally.... The line was delivered by Estelle Reiner, the director’s mother.
10. Who composed the score for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly?Answer: Ennio Morricone. Ennio Morricone scored all of Sergio Leone’s “Dollars” westerns.
11. Who composed the Oscar-winning score for Chariots of Fire?Answer: Vangelis. The Greek composer’s synthesizer theme became a worldwide hit.
12. Who composed the theme for The Pink Panther?Answer: Henry Mancini. Henry Mancini also wrote “Moon River” for Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
13. Which song from Titanic won the Oscar for Best Original Song?Answer: My Heart Will Go On. Celine Dion sang the song, written by James Horner and Will Jennings.
14. Which was the first James Bond film made by Eon Productions?Answer: Dr. No. Sean Connery starred as Bond in Dr. No.
15. In which Bond film does the henchman Oddjob throw his deadly bowler hat?Answer: Goldfinger. Oddjob is the bodyguard of the gold-obsessed Auric Goldfinger.
16. Who played James Bond in the most official Eon films?Answer: Roger Moore. Roger Moore played Bond in seven Eon films.
17. In which city is Chinatown, with Jack Nicholson as detective Jake Gittes, set?Answer: Los Angeles. The 1930s story revolves around the water supply of Los Angeles.
18. Nurse Ratched is the villain of which Best Picture winner?Answer: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Louise Fletcher won Best Actress for the role.
19. Who composed the score for Lawrence of Arabia?Answer: Maurice Jarre. Maurice Jarre won the first of his three Oscars for the film.
20. Who played Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s Batman films?Answer: Christian Bale. Christian Bale starred in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.

Television trivia

1. Which sitcom was set at New York’s Sunshine Cab Company?Answer: Taxi. Taxi followed the drivers and dispatcher of the Sunshine Cab Company.
2. Kevin Arnold was the narrator and hero of which coming-of-age series?Answer: The Wonder Years. An adult Kevin, voiced by Daniel Stern, looked back on growing up in the late 1960s.
3. “Thank You for Being a Friend” was the theme song of which sitcom?Answer: The Golden Girls. Andrew Gold’s song was rerecorded by Cindy Fee for the show.
4. The Rembrandts’ “I’ll Be There for You” was the theme of which sitcom?Answer: Friends. The song became a radio hit after the show took off.
5. Which actor was the voice of the never-seen boss Charlie Townsend on Charlie’s Angels?Answer: John Forsythe. John Forsythe gave the Angels their orders over a speakerphone.
6. “Believe It or Not” was the theme of which 1980s show about a reluctant superhero?Answer: The Greatest American Hero. Joey Scarbury’s recording of the theme reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
7. Alabama 3’s “Woke Up This Morning” was the opening theme of which drama?Answer: The Sopranos. The opening shows Tony driving from New York into New Jersey.
8. Detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs starred in which 1980s series?Answer: Miami Vice. Miami Vice was famous for its pastel fashions and pop music.
9. Which show’s hero often ended a case by saying “Book ’em, Danno”?Answer: Hawaii Five-O. Steve McGarrett said it to his right-hand man, Danny Williams.
10. Flo’s catchphrase “Kiss my grits!” came from which sitcom?Answer: Alice. Alice was set at Mel’s Diner in Phoenix; Flo later got her own spin-off.
11. Jerry’s mail carrier nemesis Newman appears on which sitcom?Answer: Seinfeld. Jerry greets him with a pointed “Hello, Newman.”
12. On which cable channel did Mad Men first air?Answer: AMC. Mad Men was AMC’s first original drama series.
13. Which streaming service releases Stranger Things?Answer: Netflix. The series about Hawkins, Indiana, became one of Netflix’s biggest hits.
14. Which streaming service is home to Ted Lasso?Answer: Apple TV+. Ted Lasso won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in its first two seasons.
15. Who hosted Jeopardy! from 1984 until 2020?Answer: Alex Trebek. Alex Trebek hosted more than 8,000 episodes.
16. Who hosted The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992?Answer: Johnny Carson. Johnny Carson’s 30-year run made him the “King of Late Night.”
17. Who hosted American Bandstand for more than 30 years?Answer: Dick Clark. Dick Clark took over the show in 1956.
18. Who created and hosted Soul Train?Answer: Don Cornelius. Don Cornelius started the show in Chicago before it went national.
19. Who created Grey’s Anatomy?Answer: Shonda Rhimes. Shonda Rhimes went on to create Scandal and produce Bridgerton.
20. Who created Breaking Bad?Answer: Vince Gilligan. Vince Gilligan earlier wrote for The X-Files.

Fantasy trivia

1. Who played the elf queen Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films?Answer: Cate Blanchett. Cate Blanchett played Galadriel in both the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films.
2. Which actor played both Boromir in The Lord of the Rings and Ned Stark in Game of Thrones?Answer: Sean Bean. Both of Sean Bean’s characters famously meet unhappy ends.
3. Who played Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter films from Goblet of Fire on?Answer: Ralph Fiennes. Ralph Fiennes first appeared as Voldemort in the fourth film.
4. Who played the grown-up Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith?Answer: Hayden Christensen. Hayden Christensen returned to the role in the series Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka.
5. Which actress played Captain Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager?Answer: Kate Mulgrew. Kate Mulgrew was the first woman to lead a Star Trek series as its captain.
6. Who played Paul Atreides in David Lynch’s film of Dune?Answer: Kyle MacLachlan. Kyle MacLachlan later starred in Lynch’s Twin Peaks.
7. Who played the bully Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future films?Answer: Thomas F. Wilson. Thomas F. Wilson also played Biff’s grandson Griff and his ancestor Buford.
8. Who played Arya Stark in Game of Thrones?Answer: Maisie Williams. Maisie Williams was 12 when she was cast.
9. Who played the White Witch in the 2005 film of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?Answer: Tilda Swinton. Tilda Swinton played Jadis in all three Narnia films.
10. Who starred as Wonder Woman in the 2017 film?Answer: Gal Gadot. Gal Gadot first played Diana in Batman v Superman.
11. Which artist co-created the Fantastic Four, the Hulk and the X-Men with Stan Lee?Answer: Jack Kirby. Jack Kirby is often called “the King” of comics.
12. Which psychologist created Wonder Woman?Answer: William Moulton Marston. William Moulton Marston, who also worked on an early lie detector, gave her the Lasso of Truth.
13. What is the name of Gandalf’s sword in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings?Answer: Glamdring. Gandalf found Glamdring in a troll hoard; Thorin took its twin, Orcrist.
14. What is the name of Arya Stark’s thin sword in Game of Thrones?Answer: Needle. Jon Snow gave Arya the sword before they parted at Winterfell.
15. What is the name of the commercial spaceship in the first Alien film?Answer: Nostromo. The Nostromo was a towing ship hauling ore back to Earth.
16. What is the name of Ron Weasley’s pet rat?Answer: Scabbers. Scabbers turns out to be Peter Pettigrew in disguise.
17. What is the name of Dumbledore’s phoenix?Answer: Fawkes. Fawkes brings Harry the Sorting Hat in the Chamber of Secrets.
18. Wade Wilson is the real name of which Marvel character?Answer: Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds has played Deadpool in three films.
19. Steve Rogers is the alter ego of which superhero?Answer: Captain America. Steve Rogers became Captain America after taking the super-soldier serum.
20. Who played Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man films?Answer: Tom Holland. Tom Holland first appeared as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War.

Broadway trivia

1. Which songwriting team wrote the score for Dear Evan Hansen?Answer: Pasek and Paul. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul also wrote songs for La La Land and The Greatest Showman.
2. Which composer of The Light in the Piazza is a grandson of Richard Rodgers?Answer: Adam Guettel. Adam Guettel’s mother, Mary Rodgers, wrote Once Upon a Mattress.
3. Who composed the music for Fun Home, the first Best Musical winner written entirely by women?Answer: Jeanine Tesori. Jeanine Tesori wrote the music and Lisa Kron the book and lyrics.
4. Which songwriting team wrote the score for Hairspray?Answer: Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman won the Tony for Best Original Score.
5. Who composed the music for Les Misérables?Answer: Claude-Michel Schönberg. Claude-Michel Schönberg wrote the music to Alain Boublil’s French lyrics.
6. Whose poems were turned into the musical Cats?Answer: T. S. Eliot. The show is based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.
7. Who choreographed Hamilton?Answer: Andy Blankenbuehler. Andy Blankenbuehler won a Tony for the show’s choreography.
8. Who originated the role of Belle in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway?Answer: Susan Egan. Susan Egan was nominated for a Tony for the role.
9. Who won a Tony for originating Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton?Answer: Renée Elise Goldsberry. Renée Elise Goldsberry won Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
10. Who originated Fiyero in Wicked on Broadway?Answer: Norbert Leo Butz. Norbert Leo Butz starred opposite Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.
11. Who originated Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon?Answer: Josh Gad. Josh Gad later voiced Olaf in Frozen.
12. Who won a Tony for originating Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray?Answer: Marissa Jaret Winokur. Marissa Jaret Winokur won Best Actress in a Musical in 2003.
13. Who won a Tony for originating Diana Goodman in Next to Normal?Answer: Alice Ripley. Alice Ripley won Best Actress in a Musical in 2009.
14. In which Broadway theatre did The Phantom of the Opera play for its entire run?Answer: The Majestic Theatre. The show never moved from the Majestic before it closed in April 2023.
15. Aladdin plays at which restored Disney-owned theatre on 42nd Street?Answer: The New Amsterdam Theatre. Disney’s restoration of the New Amsterdam helped revive Times Square in the 1990s.
16. Which Broadway theatre has been home to Hadestown?Answer: The Walter Kerr Theatre. Hadestown opened at the Walter Kerr in April 2019.
17. Which musical won the very first Tony Award for Best Musical?Answer: Kiss Me, Kate. Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate took the first Best Musical award.
18. Which Sondheim musical ends with Bobby singing “Being Alive”?Answer: Company. Bobby, a single man turning 35, finally admits he wants to share his life.
19. “I Am What I Am” is the first-act finale of which musical?Answer: La Cage aux Folles. Albin sings it in Jerry Herman’s La Cage aux Folles.
20. “Stranger in Paradise” comes from which musical?Answer: Kismet. Kismet’s score adapts melodies by the Russian composer Alexander Borodin.

U.S. History trivia

1. Which Wampanoag leader made a peace agreement with the Plymouth colonists in 1621?Answer: Massasoit. Massasoit’s alliance with the Pilgrims lasted for decades; his son Metacom later led King Philip’s War.
2. Who founded the colony of Georgia?Answer: James Oglethorpe. James Oglethorpe led the first settlers to Savannah.
3. Who was the first child born to English parents in the Americas, at the Roanoke colony?Answer: Virginia Dare. Virginia Dare was born in 1587, shortly before the colony vanished.
4. Where was the golden spike driven to complete the first transcontinental railroad?Answer: Promontory Summit, Utah. The Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines met at Promontory Summit.
5. Who invented the mechanical reaper that changed American farming?Answer: Cyrus McCormick. Cyrus McCormick’s horse-drawn reaper cut grain far faster than by hand.
6. Who sent the first long-distance telegraph message, “What hath God wrought”?Answer: Samuel Morse. Samuel Morse sent it from Washington to Baltimore.
7. Which sculptor made the giant seated statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial?Answer: Daniel Chester French. The statue was carved from Georgia marble by the Piccirilli brothers to French’s design.
8. Who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.?Answer: Maya Lin. Maya Lin won the design competition while still a student at Yale.
9. Which general gave his name to the failed Confederate charge on the third day at Gettysburg?Answer: George Pickett. Pickett’s Charge crossed open fields under heavy Union fire.
10. What was the first major land battle of the Civil War?Answer: The First Battle of Bull Run. The Confederate victory near Manassas, Virginia, ended hopes of a short war.
11. Which Confederate ironclad fought the USS Monitor at Hampton Roads?Answer: CSS Virginia. The Virginia was rebuilt from the burned hull of the USS Merrimack.
12. Which American explorer claimed to have reached the North Pole in 1909?Answer: Robert Peary. Peary’s claim was widely accepted for decades, though historians now doubt he got all the way.
13. Which astronaut stayed in lunar orbit while Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the Moon?Answer: Michael Collins. Michael Collins piloted the command module Columbia.
14. Which space shuttle made the first shuttle flight?Answer: Columbia. Columbia lifted off on April 12, 1981, with John Young and Robert Crippen.
15. What is the oldest continuously inhabited city founded by Europeans in the continental U.S.?Answer: St. Augustine. Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565.
16. Which Spanish explorer searched the Southwest for the legendary Seven Cities of Gold?Answer: Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. Coronado’s expedition reached as far as present-day Kansas.
17. Who bought Manhattan from the Lenape for the Dutch West India Company?Answer: Peter Minuit. The deal was traded for goods valued at 60 guilders.
18. Which Pennsylvania town was destroyed by a flood after the South Fork Dam failed?Answer: Johnstown. The Johnstown Flood of 1889 killed more than 2,200 people.
19. What was the land the U.S. bought from Mexico in 1853 for a southern railroad route called?Answer: The Gadsden Purchase. It added land in what is now southern Arizona and New Mexico.
20. Which New York building, finished in 1931, was the world’s tallest for nearly 40 years?Answer: Empire State Building. It held the title until the World Trade Center’s North Tower passed it in 1970.

U.S. Presidents trivia

1. Which president was sworn in by his own father, a notary public, at the family farmhouse?Answer: Calvin Coolidge. John Coolidge gave his son the oath by lamplight in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, after Warren G. Harding died.
2. Which president chose to “affirm” rather than “swear” the oath of office?Answer: Franklin Pierce. Franklin Pierce is the only president known to have affirmed the oath.
3. Which president was honored with the first official inaugural ball?Answer: James Madison. Dolley Madison hosted the ball at Long’s Hotel in Washington in 1809.
4. Which president was the grandson of another president?Answer: Benjamin Harrison. Benjamin Harrison’s grandfather was William Henry Harrison.
5. Laddie Boy, an Airedale terrier, was the dog of which president?Answer: Warren G. Harding. Laddie Boy even had his own chair at Harding’s Cabinet meetings.
6. Bo, a Portuguese water dog, lived in the White House with which president?Answer: Barack Obama. Bo arrived in 2009 and was later joined by another Portuguese water dog, Sunny.
7. Barney, a Scottish terrier, belonged to which president?Answer: George W. Bush. Barney starred in short “Barney Cam” videos filmed around the White House.
8. Which president signed the Homestead Act, offering 160 acres of free land to settlers?Answer: Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln signed it in 1862, in the middle of the Civil War.
9. Which president signed the law creating the Federal Reserve?Answer: Woodrow Wilson. Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act in December 1913.
10. Which president called his program for workers, consumers and business the “Square Deal”?Answer: Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal focused on conservation, consumer protection and controlling big corporations.
11. Which president used the slogan “New Frontier”?Answer: John F. Kennedy. Kennedy introduced the phrase when he accepted the Democratic nomination in 1960.
12. Which president became the first to travel outside the U.S. while in office, to see the Panama Canal being built?Answer: Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt visited Panama in November 1906.
13. Which president had an indoor swimming pool built at the White House, paid for by public donations?Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt. The pool, opened in 1933, helped FDR exercise his legs after polio.
14. Which president appointed John Marshall as Chief Justice?Answer: John Adams. Adams named Marshall shortly before leaving office, and Marshall served for 34 years.
15. Which president’s California ranch was called Rancho del Cielo?Answer: Ronald Reagan. Reagan spent many vacations clearing brush and riding horses at the ranch near Santa Barbara.
16. Who was president when the Panama Canal opened to ships?Answer: Woodrow Wilson. The canal opened in August 1914, during Wilson’s first term.
17. Which president had owned and edited a newspaper, the Marion Star, in Ohio?Answer: Warren G. Harding. Harding bought the struggling paper as a young man and built it up.
18. Which president worked as a land surveyor as a teenager?Answer: George Washington. Washington became the official surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia, at 17.
19. Which president laid out mastodon fossils in the White House’s East Room?Answer: Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, a keen naturalist, had the bones dug up at Big Bone Lick in Kentucky.
20. Which president lit the first National Christmas Tree near the White House?Answer: Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge lit the tree on the Ellipse on Christmas Eve 1923.

Geography trivia

1. What is the capital of Mongolia?Answer: Ulaanbaatar. Ulaanbaatar is home to nearly half of Mongolia’s people.
2. What is the capital of Guatemala?Answer: Guatemala City. Guatemala City is the largest city in Central America.
3. What is the capital of Haiti?Answer: Port-au-Prince. Port-au-Prince sits on the Gulf of Gonâve.
4. What is the capital of Fiji?Answer: Suva. Suva is on the island of Viti Levu.
5. What is the capital of Myanmar?Answer: Naypyidaw. The government moved the capital from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2005–06.
6. What is the capital of Montenegro?Answer: Podgorica. Podgorica was called Titograd from 1946 to 1992.
7. What is the capital of North Macedonia?Answer: Skopje. Mother Teresa was born in Skopje in 1910.
8. What is the capital of Kyrgyzstan?Answer: Bishkek. Bishkek sits at the foot of the Tian Shan mountains.
9. What is the capital of the Canadian province of Manitoba?Answer: Winnipeg. Winnipeg lies where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet.
10. What is the capital of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan?Answer: Regina. Regina, not the larger Saskatoon, is the provincial capital.
11. What is the capital of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador?Answer: St. John’s. St. John’s is one of the oldest cities in North America.
12. What is the capital of the Australian state of Western Australia?Answer: Perth. Perth is one of the most isolated big cities in the world.
13. What is the capital of the Australian state of Tasmania?Answer: Hobart. Hobart sits on the River Derwent at the foot of kunanyi/Mount Wellington.
14. What is the capital of Malawi?Answer: Lilongwe. Lilongwe replaced Zomba as Malawi’s capital in 1975.
15. What is the smallest country in South America by area?Answer: Suriname. Suriname, a former Dutch colony, is on the continent’s northern coast.
16. Which river flows through Seville?Answer: Guadalquivir. The Guadalquivir is navigable from the Atlantic up to Seville.
17. Which river flows through St. Petersburg, Russia?Answer: Neva. The short Neva carries water from Lake Ladoga to the Baltic Sea.
18. What is the highest mountain in Japan?Answer: Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji, a volcano, rises 3,776 meters.
19. Which river flows through Bordeaux?Answer: Garonne. The Garonne joins the Dordogne below Bordeaux to form the Gironde estuary.
20. Which river flows through Kolkata?Answer: Hooghly. The Hooghly is a channel of the Ganges that flows south to the Bay of Bengal.