Total Quiz IX

Archived questions and answers to AE's history contest
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Questions for the 9th edition of the Total Quiz are listed below.

-- Summary and Results --
Total Quiz IX (Series) Champion: Styrbiorn
Quiz Title  Date  Champion  Moderator
Total Quiz IX-4  April 2004  Serge L  TJK
Total Quiz IX-3  Feb 2004  Styrbiorn  TJK
Total Quiz IX-2  Nov. 2003  Serge L  TJK
Total Quiz IX-1  Aug. 2003  Serge L  TJK

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Total Quiz IX Part 1

1. In Roman names, what does the common abbreviation "C" usually stand for?
Answer: Gaius
2. At some time in the 20th century, the corpse of a particularly notable historical figure was exhumed from the earth. The corpse was then examined and a sculpture was made from the dead figure's remains. Interestingly, there was a prophecy that if this figure's body was disturbed after death, a great disaster would come about on the world. Indeed, later on the same day the sculpture was made, the prophecy came true, and a great disaster came upon the "world". Who was this historical figure that was dug up, and what SPECIFIC event "of great disaster" happened (from the perspective of the one who made the sculpture from the corpse).
Answer: Tamerlane (Timer Lenk, Tamburlaine) / German invasion of Russia in WWII
3. A woman, absolute monarch of an ancient and glorious kingdom, loved to be portrayed with a fake beard. Which was her name?
Answer: Hatshepsut, 18th dynasty she-Pharaoh. She has been depicted with both feminine and masculine attires -- the latter in order to keep the "traditional" Praraoh look and possibly to have people overlook the fact she was a woman. She dressed as a Pharaoh with fake beard.
4. When William I took power in England, he transfered offices in English Hands to Continental Man. In this way who was the new Archbishop of Cantebury.
Answer: Lanfranc
5. In the late 15th century, a certain location in Africa was given a "negative" name when it was first rounded by a European explorer. However, before the end of the 15th century, this location was re-designated with a "positive" name. What was this new name the loction received that is still in use today?
Answer: Cape of Good Hope. The Cape of Good Hope was first rounded by Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias in 1488, who named it "Cape of Storms" (Cabo Tormentoso). It was later renamed by John II of Portugal as "Cape of Good Hope" (Cabo de Bõa Esperança) because of the opening of a route to the east.
6. From which Oghuz (Turkoman) tribe did the royal family of Salchuqids (Seljuks) came from?
Answer: Kinik or Khynykh
7. Who was the commander of the Türük (Gokturk/Tujue) army at the Battle of Bolchu?
Answer: Ayghuchy Bigle Tonyukhukh
8. The title "Khan" (and related ones such as "Kaghan", Kha'an, etc) came from which Nomadic horde?
Answer: Juan Juan = Ru Ruan or Avars (Editor: this answer is the traditional view and may be disputable by more recent evidence)
9. What happened to philosopher Jeremy Bentham's body after his death?
Answer: It was dissected; his skeleton was then clothed, given a fake head, and put on display at University College
10. From what two words does the word "Armageddon" derive?
Answer: Har Megiddo
11. born in the Americas more than 170 years ago, Ana Maria became, in many countries, and together with her husband, a heroine of her time. How, where and when did she die?
Answer: Ana Maria de Jesus Ribeiro, best known as Anita Garibaldi, wife of hero Giuseppe Garibaldi; died in 1849 in a fishermen hut near Ravenna (Italy), because of a typhoid fever complicated by her state of pregnancy and by the fact she could not rest since she and her husband were hunted by Austrian troops.
12. What did Columbus, according to himself, want to do with the profits of his voyages?
Answer: Send a new crusade to conquer Jerusalem. Additional information: Columbus wrote in his diary: "...and that in so great quantity that the Sovereigns within three years would undertake and prepare to go and conquer the Holy Places." Furthermore he wrote: "I declared to Your Highness that all the gain of this my enterprise should be spent in the conquest of Jerusalem; and Your Highness smiled and said that it pleased you and that even without this you had that strong desire."
13. During the Second World War, Pablo Picasso stayed in Paris. When he was visited by the Germans, an officer saw his painting "Guernica" (on which the German bombardment on Guernica is shown). The officer found it very ugly, so he asked: "Das haben Sie gemacht?" (Did you made that?). What was Picasso's answer?
Answer: "Nein, das haben sie gemacht!" {No, you made it!)
14. How was the English word 'to mesmerise' formed?
Answer: The father of modern hypnotism is Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician. Mesmer believed hypnosis to be a mystical force flowing from the hypnotist into the subject (he called it "animal magnetism"). Although critics quickly dismissed the magical element of his theory, Mesmer's assumption that the power behind hypnosis came from the hypnotist, and was in some way inflicted upon the subject, took hold for some time. Hypnosis was originally known as mesmerism, after Mesmer and we still use its derivative, "mesmerize," today. (http://people.howstuffworks.com/hypnosis1.htm) Additional info: Mesmerize (MEZ-merr-eyes) To command attention; to be riveting or hypnotic. In the 1760s, the Austrian physician Dr. F. A. Mesmer became convinced that celestial bodies exerted some sort of force affecting the nervous systems of all creatures. Mesmer began to suspect the force was magnetism, and proceeded to try to cure his patients by stroking them with magnets. Eventually he ditched the magnets and instead tried to use what he called "animal magnetism": As soft music played in the background, he'd have patients stand in a circle and join hands. Then he'd move from one to the other, taking a few moments to stare intently into their eyes and touch them with his hand. Some people claimed that Mesmer's methods had cured them, but a government commission investigated him and branded him a charlatan. Mesmer moved to Switzerland, where he died in obscurity in 1815. His hypnotic, spellbinding methods live on in the word mesmerize, sometimes spelled mesmerise. "She seemed to be momentarily mesmerised by a complete inert soft surprise." - William Faulkner, in "The Hamlet."
15. Who did Ceteway want to suceed him as ruler of Zululand?
Answer: Dinuzulu
16. On 18th June 1811, Napoleon ordered to form 9 regiments of lancers. What was the event which convinced him to this decision?
Answer: Devastating charge of Polish Lancers (Vistula Uhlans)against British infantry at Albuera (16 May 1811) More about Vistula Uhlans and battle of Albuhera
Question Authors: (user who contributed the question) 1. Imperator Invictus; 2. Imperator Invictus; 3. Serge L; 4. fastspawn; 5. Imperator Invictus; 6. Ihsan; 7. Ihsan; 8. Imperator Invictus; 9. Silla; 10. X27; 11. Serge L; 12. Mad Manitou; 13. Mad Manitou; 14. Marcus Petrius; 15. F18fett; 16. TJK;


Total Quiz IX Part 2

1. At Evesham, Prince Edward(later Edward I) did something to sully his honor in order to defeat Simon de Montfort. What did he do?
Answer: he displayed the banners of simon's captured comrades including his son's, in order to trick De Montford into the river's bend and massacred the baronial forces which was outnumbered 4:1
2. What was the title of the last non-communist Mongolian who ruled Mongolia?
Answer: The Bogd Khan. Alternative answer: Living Buddha
3. The sub-continent in which this man was born and lived is divided in two main religions, although the man did not belong to any of them, but to a third. At very young age he ascended the throne of a very loose confederacy, and despite his young age he used military force to gain a firm control over it. With the help of European commanders, he created a most formidable force and expanded the borders of his nation. He is also known for being the temporary owner of maybe the most famous diamond in existance. However, his nation could not survive without his leadership, and after his death, the British conquered it. His name?
Answer: Ranjit Singh
4. which group of western missionaries arrived in China in the 1580s where they introduced to the chinese many things, such as their "automatic ringing bells". The same group of missionaries arrived in Japan 30 years earlier.
Answer: Jesiuts or The society of Jesus.
5. Which well-distinguish piece of literature ends (at least the main part of it ends) where after returning from a quest that came to an abrupt failure, the hero arrives at the gates of the city he built, describing it's grandur and its immortal place in the world.
Answer: Epic of Gilgamesh
6. After which battle did the Seljuks became independent? Whom did they fight with? In which year?
Answer: The Seljuks defeated a Gaznawid army at Dandanaqan in 1040, establishing the Greak Seljuk Empire
7. Shaving and haircuts helped a famous man to conquer a kingdom. Before the attack, enemy king's spies venture out to gather intelligence; they return with the report of a very large group of "priests" seen nearby, but no enemy soldiers. Those "priests" were actually soldiers, mistaken for Holy Men due to the clean-shaven appearance on their faces and exaggerated pageboy haircuts. They shaved off the hair on the back of their heads but kept a short back and sides look, which gave them all a monk-like appearance. Who was the lord of the shaven and cropped soldiers, who was his enemy, and which kingdom was won by the former from the latter?
Answer: 1) William of Normandy 2) Harold the Saxon 3) England Source
8. At what political convention did America's Federalist Party destroy their reputation?
Answer: Hartford Convention.
9. After the fall of Rome in 476, there was one area still in West-Roman hands. It was ruled by Flavius Syagrius. In 486 the last city was captured. What is the name of that city.
Answer: Noviodunum (modern: Soissons)
10. Who was the first one to use the term "Iron Curtain"?
Answer: Joseph Goebbels
11. An English soldier and explorer who was knighted for his services to the queen, including taking part in the capture of an Iberian city, where he was wounded. Seven years after a certain Armada had been defeated, he sailed West in the hope of finding legendary site, among other things. The question is, what site?
Answer: El Dorado (Sir Walter Raleigh is the man)
12. What was the seasonal capital of the Türküt (Gokturks/Tu Jue)?
Answer: Mount Ötüken
13. Which (medieval) emperor of the Holy Roman Empire had the same nickname as a famous North African pirate (of the Renaissance)?
Answer: Fredrick I. Barbarossa, Chaireddin Barbarossa was the pirate!
14. Where and when did the first successful offensive operation of Red Army (on the armies level) against German troops during Great Patriotic War (1941-1945)
Answer: Elnia operation (August,30-September,8 1941) Source:http://www.shortway.to/1941/eeln.htm I consider this question as simple, correct and extremely difficult in the same time. In West Elnia operation is completely overlooked, despite of the participation of Zhukov, the birth of Soviet Guard, first Soviet success against Germans and the liquidation of very dangerous springboard for offensive to Moscow.
15. The newly founded German Empire had a conflict with the Catholic Church. As the Pope refused to welcome the German emissary, Bismarck had a speech in the Reichstag in which he used a term which reffered to a similar event in the history of the Holy Roman Empire. What term was it and what is the date of this event?
Answer: "to go to Canossa." This event was very significant in the history of Germany. In 1077 Emperor Heinrich (Henry) IV. was excommunicated by Pope Gregor VII. It is said that Henry waited three days bare-footed in the snow at Canossa castle until the pope finally lifted the ban. the original sentence used by Bismarck in the Reichstag was "be assured, we won't go to Canossa, neither physically nor psychologically."
Question Authors: (user who contributed the question) 1. fastspawn; 2. Tobodei; 3. Styrbiorn; 4. Imperator Invictus; 5. Imperator invictus; 6. Ihsan; 7. Not Available; 8. Silla; 9. Mad Manitou; 10. Mad Manitou; 11. Styrbiorn; 12. Ihsan; 13. Temujin; 14. Not Available; 15. Temujin;


Total Quiz IX Part 3

1. In the 16th (XVI) century, a particularly notable building was built; Part of its architecture design symbolizes the turbans of the leaders of a certain Muslim nation that was conquered. What is the name of this building?
Answer: Saint Basil's Cathedral or equivalent names such as Pokhrovsky Cathedral, Theotokos
2. This monarch died less than a century ago after a very long reign. He is noted for the modernization of his country he carried through and that he managed to keep his nation independent despite that all neighbouring countries were made into European colonies. He was, and still is, very popular among his subjects. So popular, that people from his Eastern homeland even in this day erect monuments to him on the other side of the globe, on a place he had visited. Who was he?
Answer: Chulalongkorn, aka Rama V of Siam
3. Which English Monarch had a unique attribute in which his urine was purple?
Answer: George III. "James I" was also accepted as a correct answer.
4. Which battle was the first conflict between the Seljuk Turks and Eastern Romans (Byzantines)
Answer: Battle of Pasinler in 1048
5. What was the name of the vigilantes who monitored government activites in North and South Carolina?
Answer: The Regulators
6. Who is "Monty" in the name of Monty Pythons Flying circus?
Answer: General Montgomery
7. Who is Saloth Sar?
Answer: Pol Pot
8. The Maya had the most sophisticated calender of their time. Except for time counting, they used it to predict the future. Maya priests had already calculated the end of the earth. At the 23th of Decembre of which year is, according to the Mayans, the end of the Earth?
Answer: 2012
9. More than a thousand winters after the death of Christ, a large expedition left a Northern land. This campaign, which is said to have reached as far as to the rim of the Khorazm, was to a beginning very succesful, but after many hardship, too many battles and disease very few came back - when the adventurers dragged their boats over the Caucasian passes on their way back home, only twelve boats remained. Many runestones were raised by the wives and mothers of those who did not see their home again. The leader of the journey was one of the dead, what was his name?
Answer: Ingvar the Far-traveller
10. A genius, and firm opponent of capital punishment, eventually created an execution device just to show the alleged dangers inherent in an enhancement of his own ideas, that was promoted by two rival inventors, one of whom was a former employee of his. Nevertheless, he failed, and his rivals' variation of the invention prevailed. Who were the tree inventors, what was the difference between their respective technologies, and what was the execution machine?
Answer: The first inventor was Thomas Alva Edison His ex-employee was Nikola Tesla who was hired and helped by the third inventor, George Westinghouse who was also a businessman. The invention was the electric current or, better, the ways to produce, transfer and use it; difference was that Edison used Direct Current, while Tesla and Westinghouse employed Alternate Current. Edison embarked in a series of public demonstrations of the alleged danger inherent in AC (actually, AC and DC are almost equally dangerous), by killing with it rabid dogs and even a mad Elephant, that had to be suppressed because dangerous. Finally, he invented the Electric Chair, proposed it as a human and painless mean for Capital Punishment (which it is not), and certainly lethal providing -- in his words -- that it was used with the dangerous AC. The Electric Chair was adopted as a mean for executions, but AC nevertheless won the match, because it allows easy voltage conversion, which is very useful when transmitting power.
11. I was born October 22,1844. Some think I was a hero, the government thought I was a traitor. I was almost a preist, almost a Lawyer,almost a politician and exacuted as a Traitor. It took only an hour for an all English Jury to find me guilty. Among other things I was held responsible for one of the largest massacres in my country's history. Who am I, where and how was I executed and what was my lasting contribution to my country?
Answer: Lois Riel executed by hanging in Regina Saskatchewan Canada He was the man most responsible for bring Manatoba into the Confederation of Canada
12. There was a famous Arab tribe in a region around modern Kufah in Iraq, In Sassanid era this tribe revolted against emperor Khosrow II (Khosrow Parviz), so Khosrow sent one of his commander to fight against them, a battle took place between persians and arabs and in this battle Persians were defeated and Sassanid commander was killed, What were the names of that Arab tribe, Sassanid commander and Battle.
Answer: Arab tribe = Bani Shaiban, Sassanid commander = Harmez and battle = Zughar. Moderator's Note: "This was the question which cause me the most trouble..Cyrus have suggest that only source in which the event is mentioned is Tabari's chronicle but I have found the battle is mentioned in my History of Persia as well as in many websites under a little other name, the Arab tribe have also other then in answer given by Cyrus and no one source gave the commander name..so I decided to accept all the answers which mentioned the battle of Dhu Qar and one of name of Arab tribe"
13. The German Empire had three emperors of which one died just after 99 days of reign, so it happened that within one year the German Empire had three different rulers. Which year was it and what was the name of the second Emperor who died of cancer?
Answer: 1888, Friedrich III
14. What was the name of Hitler's dog (female, German shepherd)?
Answer: Blondie
15. The current British royal family changed their Dynastic name from to Windsor. Which specific event led to this?
Answer: The bombardment of London during WW1 by the so-called Gotha Bombers; they've been manufactured in Gotha and thus named after the city...(old Dynastic name was Saxe-Coburg-Gotha)
Question Authors: (user who contributed the question) 1. Imperator Invictus; 2. Styrbiorn; 3. Imperator Invictus; 4. Ihsan; 5. Silla; 6. Mad Manitou; 7. Mad Manitou; 8. Mad Manitou; 9. Styrbiorn; 10. Serge L; 11. Dawn; 12. Cyrus Shahmiri; 13. Temujin; 14. Temujin; 15. Temujin;


Total Quiz IX Part 4

1. What was the first single engined American aircraft to exceed a velocity of 400 MPH?
Answer: The F4U Corsair
2. A first hour fascist, who volunteered to fight in Spain on the side of Generalissimo Franco with such courage and effectiveness to merit a letter where he was authorized to ask everything from Spanish authorities in case of need, eventually used that same letter to save thousands of East Europe jews from Nazi persecutions. He was eventually arrested by Nazi agents, but he managed to escape, and continued his old life at home, never mentioning anybody what he has done, till just some years before he died. Who was he?
Answer: Giorgio Perlasca
3. During what activity would you use the "Filipino Bomb" What is it and when was the term first used?
Answer: The game of Vollyball. In 1916, in the Philippines, an offensive style of passing the ball in a high trajectory to be struck by another player (the set and spike) were introduced. It was called the "Filipino Bomb". "1920" was also accepted as an alternative answer by the moderator
4. The two most grandiose military enterprises of this famous general were destroyed by two one-eye enemies. Who was the general and who were two one-eye mens?
Answer: Napoleon, Nelson, Kutuzov.
5. Which polish king has the largest number of childrens (legitimate nad illegitimate)?
Answer: August II was called August the Strong for his bearlike strength and also for his numerous offspring. It is sometimes written that he sired 365 children. Although this figure would be extremely difficult to verify, August II did sire a very large number of illegitimate children, the most famous of which were Maurice de Saxe, Aleksander Józef Su³kowki,Fryderyk August Rutowski, Aurora Maria Rutowska, Jan Jerzy Bokum and Anna Orzelska.
6. What is a name of persian priest who set the Zoroastrianism as the state religion?
Answer: Magupat (Master of Mags) Kartir (Karder, Kerdit, Kidir, Kirder)
7. There was ancient Greek commander and military reformer by name of whom a name of leather sandals came from. What was the name of this men
Answer: Ifikrates
8. What is the name of the famous regiment whom supported a monarchist rebellion during the Weimar Republic? What was the rebellion called
Answer: The answer is that the regiment was Freikorp Ehrhardt, with their leader Hermann Ehrhardt, and the rebellion was lead by Wolfgang Kapp, and the rebellion was kalled the Kapp-Putsch.
9. What was the capital of the Orkhun Uyghurs?
Answer: Khara Balghasun (Ordu Balykh)
10. Which monarch was the first one to always wear a uniform, a practice later to be followed by other monarchs all over the world?
Answer: Friedrich Wilhelm I. of Prussia, called 'Soldierking'
11. Italian anti-fascist general in Mussolini Army, he was one of the very few ones to beat the German ex-allies in an action where he showed great ability and courage, leading in person the troops and being wounded more than once. However, other circumstances, leading to his death, (maybe undeservedly) sully his reputation. 1) Who was him? 2) What was the a/m brave action? 3) How did he die?
Answer: 1) General Nicola Bellomo 2) German troops try to occupy Bari harbor. General Nicola Bellomo, commander of the XII MVSN Zone, forms a group of Italian forces and counter-attacks the German position, with himself personally leading the action. Bellomo joins men of 151st Militia Legion, 9th Engineer Regiment and some sailors, guardie di finanza and carabinieri. At least 100 men, more or less, with few support weapons comprise this emergency Italian force. After two hours of fighting, The Germans were ousted out of Bari. General Bellomo was wounded more than one time in this event. http://www.comandosupremo.com/1943.html 3) He was tried for war crimes (in particular, for killing escaped British officers, prisoners of war, after recapture) by British Military. Sentenced to death 28.7.45; shot on 11.9.45. (http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/WCC/warcrimgenrls.htm) He was suggested to ask for pardon, but he refused, writing that he would have wanted the trial to be reviewed, accepting witnesses and evidences proving he was not involved in the war crimes, which the British authorities did not accept. According to his son, he was offered to safely escape from prison, but he declined again. Some historians, among which Former Chief of OSS intelligence service in Rome, Peter Tompkins, believes that Bellomo was framed, by means of a false, perjurer witness, in order to sully his name and thus make other ones, like those of the Italian King and of Supreme General Badoglio, who just escaped instead of stay and fight, look less bad by contrast. (http://www.anpi.it/uomini/bellomo.htm)
12. Which essential safety item was patented in 1863? Who obtained the patent?
Answer: The fire extinguisher, patented by Alanson Crane, Virginia on February 10th, 1863
Question Authors: (user who contributed the question) 1. Ace_Cataphract; 2. Serge L; 3. Dawn; 4. Kolovrat; 5. TJK; 6. TJK; 7. TJK; 8. MikaelXII; 9. Ihsan; 10. Temujin; 11. Serge L; 12. Serge L;



(The questions have been edited from their original state for grammar and clarity. Authors whose username have changed from the time of the quiz are given in their current form)

Sources: The original quizzes can still be found on Heavengames' history forum: www.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/forums...