Author: Evelyn Beresford

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “The Pythagorean theorem helps calculate the size of which shape?” …In mathematics, the Pythagorean theorem is a fundamental relation in Euclidean geometry among the three sides of a right triangle. The theorem can be written in one short equation: a² + b² = c². The theorem states that the square of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. The theorem, named after the ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras, is used any time we have a right triangle, we know the length of…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which U.S. state capital is closest to the equator?” …Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii and is located on the island of Oahu. Honolulu is located approximately 1474 miles north of the equator, making it the closest U.S. state capital to the equator. Honolulu is also both the westernmost and the southernmost major American city. The city gained worldwide recognition following Japan’s attack on nearby Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which prompted decisive entry of the U.S. into World War II; the harbor remains a major naval base, hosting the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which game show was at the center of the cheating scandal chronicled in the movie “Quiz Show”?” In 1956, the game show Twenty-One featured a contestant, Herb Stempel, who had been coached by producer Dan Enright to allow his opponent, Charles Van Doren, to win the game. A year later, Stempel claimed that his winning run as champion had been choreographed, and that the show’s producer then ordered him to purposely lose to Van Doren. The program became notorious for being a rigged quiz show which nearly caused the demise of the entire genre in…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which sport uses the largest ball in professional play?” …The basketball used in the National Basketball Association (NBA) is 29.5 inches in circumference, which makes it the largest ball used in professional sports. Spalding was the first company to produce a basketball for official use. Company founder A.G. Spalding made the first dedicated basketball in the last years of the 19th century. Spalding has produced basketballs since that time and has produced the NBA’s official game ball since 1983. Curious about the smallest ball? That would be a squash ball which is just a little…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “What is traditionally eaten at the stroke of midnight to ring in the New Year in Spain?” On New Year’s Eve, Spaniards traditionally eat 12 grapes at midnight; one grape for each stroke of the clock to represent the 12 months of the New Year. Eating the grapes on New Year’s Eve is both a Spanish tradition and superstition to bring good fortune in the coming year. The goal for each person to swallow all 12 grapes before the last stroke of midnight. The tradition is believed to have started in 1909 as a creative…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Who became one of the richest men in Hungary thanks to a toy he developed?” …Erno Rubik is a Hungarian inventor and a professor of architecture. He is best known for the invention of Rubik’s Cube, a 3-D combination puzzle that he invented in 1974. The Rubik’s Cube was an instant success worldwide, and a staple of the 1980’s popular culture. To date, over 350 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sold, making it the best selling toy of all time. It is estimated that one in seven people in the world have touched a Rubik’s…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which famous prisoner played the banjo in a prison band?” In 1934, one of America’s most notorious prisoners, gangster Al Capone, was carted off from an Atlanta penitentiary to the United States’ most cutting-edge prison: a maximum-security prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. So how did Al Capone spend his time while in the pen? Capone took up music and formed a small band, playing banjo in a band called “The Rock Islanders.” The band gave regular Sunday concerts for other inmates inside Alcatraz. Capone even wrote a love song, “Madonna Mia,” that…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “What town changed its name in 2005 to get free TV?” DISH is a town in Denton County, Texas. In November 2005, the community accepted an offer to rename itself “DISH” (all capital letters) as part of a commercial agreement with the satellite television company. In exchange for renaming the town to DISH, all 125 residents of the town formerly known as Clark, received free basic television service for ten years and a free DVR from Dish Network. There was no formal opposition to renaming Clark; twelve citizens attended the council meeting to support the…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “What is Africa’s oldest continuous democracy?” …1. Morocco 2. South Africa 3. Botswana 4. Zambia Step 2 : Answer to the question “What is Africa’s oldest continuous democracy?” Botswana – In 1966, Botswana gained its independence from Great Britain and, ever since, it has held a regular general election. That makes it the oldest democracy in Africa. Before gaining independence, Botswana was one of the world’s poorest countries; afterward, it experienced a sustained economic boom that led political economists to label it an “African Success Story.” Although the Botswana Democratic Party has held power since its…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which U.S. city named an airport for Ronald Reagan in 1998?” Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is the smaller of two commercial airports operated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority that serve the National Capital Region around Washington, D.C. Located on the west bank of the Potomac in Arlington, Virginia, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is the nearest and most convenient commercial airport to the capital. The airport’s original name was Washington National Airport. Congress adopted the present name to honor President Ronald Reagan in 1998. Step 2 : Answer to the question “Which U.S. city…