80s Trivia: Who famously told Dan Quayle, 'Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy?'

Obviously, we love politics and history here at Pocket Trivia.  We have two other games - Pocket Trivia: US History and Pocket Trivia: US Presidents.  This question, off of Pocket Trivia: 80s Trivia, is a mix of the 80s and the politics.  It is also one of my favorite all-time moments of any political debate - mainly because Dan Quayle looks like he is about to cry.  Here's the question:  Who famously told Dan Quayle, "Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy?"  Was it Michael Dukakis, Lloyd Bentsen, George W. Bush or Dan Quayle?

Answer after the jump:

80s Trivia: Which of these nations gained formal independence in the 1980s?

Ahh, the 80s, filled with fun times in banana republics and bigger countries invading much smaller ones.  Yes, you couldn't throw a cat in the 80s without hitting some smaller nation that was in the midst of political issues.  However, there were some political transformations that occurred without any violence or bloodshed.  This is a random one, off our our Pocket Trivia: 80s Trivia:  80s Trivia:  Which of these nations gained formal independence in the 1980s? Was it Mexico, Canada, the USSR or Serbia?

Answer after the jump:

80s Trivia: How many studio albums did The Police release?

The Police were, arguably, one of the greatest bands of the late 70s and early 80s.  Originally a punk band, the group quickly expanded into other sounds, including New Wave and Rock.  The group broke up due to creative and personality differences in the mid-80s at the height of their popularity and left behind a massive void in the music scene (one that was filled quickly, of course).  So, here is today's question, courtesy of Pocket Trivia: 80s Trivia: How many studio albums did The Police release?  3, 5, 7 or 9?

Okay, this one is a little unfair, I'll be the first to admit it - you kind of have to be a Police fan to get it.  Anyways, the correct answer is five.  The Police released five studio albums before their break-up around 1984.  They are:

Outlandos d'Amour

Reggatta de Blanc

Zenyatta Mondatta

Ghost in the Machine

Synchronicity

80s Trivia: What actor originally played Marty McFly in 'Back to the Future'?

Who doesn't love Back to the Future?  The second one was always my favorite--I loved all of the futuristic stuff.  Anyways, we all know that Marty McFly was played by Michael J. Fox, and the role helped to launch his career.  What you may not know, however, is that Fox was NOT originally cast in the role.  So, from our 80s Trivia Game - 80s Trivia: What actor originally played Marty McFly in 'Back to the Future'?   Was it Tom Cruise?  C. Thomas Howell, Judd Nelson or Eric Stolz?

 As the picture probably indicates, the correct answer is Eric Stolz - but, keep an eye on the way the question was phrased.  McFly was originally the number one choice for the role of McFly - but, with Fox's filming of Family Ties, he couldn't commit to the schedule.  Producers then went to Stolz - and actually filmed four weeks of the movie - before the producers, director and Stolz himself all realized that Stolz was wrong for the role.  Stolz was found to be too "humorless" and was felt to look uncomfortable during the skateboard scenes.  Meanwhile, Fox's schedule opened up again - and he was able to take the role.

Look at that photo above - imagine if that was the cultural shot of the 80s.

80s Trivia Question: What was Michael Jackson shooting a commercial for when his hair caught fire?

As promised, we're going to start profiling some of the questions off of our new 80s Trivia game.  The format will remain the same, but the questions will just be that much more 80s-tastic.  Since its the 80s and not things that happened decades ago, we'll try and add some pictures and video wherever possible.  Anyway, here is today's 80s question:  What was Michael Jackson shooting a commercial for when his hair caught fire?   Pepsi, McDonalds, Burger King or Dunkin Donuts?  The answer after the jump.

Pocket Trivia: 80s Trivia is now OUT!

 

I am very pleased to say that our third game is now available!  Pocket Trivia: 80s Trivia is now available for download from the iTunes Store.  This game features 250 questions on a variety of 80s topics: everything from music, TV, movies, games, sports, politics, pop culture and more!  Of course, the game is on sale for a mere $.99.

We are very proud of this one - we're taking a bit of a chance here, getting away from our usual history games, but we are excited and optimistic about its prospects.  Please download it and let us know what you think!

What is the worst natural disaster, in terms of lives lost, to occur on U.S. soil?

Few things capture the hearts and minds of Americans more than disasters - and in a YouTube age where pictures and cameras are ubiquitous, this tendency has only grown.  The history of America is certainly replete with natural disasters, so its only fair that we included at least one question on the powerful subject.  This question comes off of our Pocket Trivia: US History game - What is the worst natural disaster, in terms of lives lost, to occur on U.S. soil?  Is it Hurricane Katrina, the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, the Okeechobee Hurricane or the 1900 Galveston Hurricane?

Believe it or not, it is not Hurricane Katrina - a confirmed 1,836 people died as a direct or indirect result of Katrina, but it is not the "leader" in terms of all-time deaths. 

Not the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 - over 3,000 people died there, however, and it is the worst natural disaster in California history.

The Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928 killed 300 people and was the 2nd Category Five hurricane to ever be recorded - but it is not the worst in terms of death toll.

No, that "honor" belongs to the 1900 Galveston Hurricane.  This hurricane killed between 6,000 - 12,000 and utterly destroyed the city of Galveston.  The city was close to sea level and was hits with winds of over 100 mph (though that estimate is likely low, as the weather bureau's low as the weather bureau's measurement tools were blown away in the storm).  Thankfully, this record has stood for over 100 years.  Here's to hoping it won't be broken!

What political party has had the most Presidents?

Ahh, partisanship.  Despite Washington's warnings, America is a party that has thrived on its partisan divisions.  Though taking many forms and many different names, with relatively few exceptions, America has been a two party country, with control of the Presidency always reigning supreme.  So, here is today's question, off of our Pocket Trivia: U.S. Presidents:  What political party has won the Presidency the most times?  Whig, Republican, Democrat or Federalist?

Not the Federalist party.  You can only really count Adams as a Federalist President, though you can make the argument that Washington was a Federalist as well, even if he wasn't an official "member" of the party.

Not the Whigs - they went the way of the dodo bird in the 19th century.  Only four Whigs ever served as President:  Harrison, Tyler, Taylor & Fillmore.

Not the Democrats either - excluding Democratic-Republicans, fifteen Democrats have served as President:  Jackson, Martin Van Buren, Polk, Pierce, Buchanan, Johnson, Cleveland, Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Clinton & Obama.

Thus, it is the Republicans that are the correct answer to this question, with a league-leading eighteen men that have occupied the oval office:  Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Harrison, McKinley, Taft, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush Sr., Bush Jr.

What Presidential candidate was shot on May 15, 1972?

Presidential assassinations (and related) have always been an a topic of interest of mine.  Thankfully, there hasn't been an assassination attempt that has come close to succeeding since the 1980s, and there hasn't been a successful attempt since 1968.  It's fascinating, in a horrible, macabre sense, that someone could feel such anger or insanity towards another individual that they try to alter the political system via murder.

Anyway, here is today's trivia question, off of our Pocket Trivia: US History - What Presidential candidate was shot on May 15, 1972?   Was it Robert Kennedy, Walter Mondale, George Wallace or Tom Eagleton?

Mondale was Vice President under Jimmy Carter and ran for President in 1984 - but he was never shot at.  Not him.

Tom Eagleton was George McGovern's Vice Presidential nominee in 1972 - for about five seconds - before disclosures of mental illness, including depression, suicidal tendencies and electro-shock therapy.  He withdrew at McGovern's request - and that was that.  So not him.

Robert Kennedy, of course, was assassinated while running for President - but his death was in 1968, shortly after winning the California primary.

The correct answer is George Wallace.  Wallace was running for President as an independent for a second time.  He was campaigning in Laurel, Maryland and was wadding into the assembled crowd after giving a speech (against the advice of the Secret Service).  Wallace was shot four times by Arthur Bremer - one shot lodged in Wallace's spine, paralyzing him for the rest of his life.  Bremer was subdued immediately after the shooting and spent 35 years in jail before being paroled in 2007.  Bremer was motivated by fame, not politics.

Like most assassinations attempts after the 1960s, this one was caught on tape.  For a chilling view, see the video below (graphic content):

What President's election marked the end of Reconstruction?

We've been on a Civil War kick lately, so why stop a good thing now?  This one comes off of our Pocket Trivia: US Presidents game: What President's election marked the end of Reconstruction?  Was it Rutherford Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland or Ulysess Grant?

The correct answer is Rutherford Hayes - but there's an interesting twist to this story.

The Presidential Election of 1876 was, without a doubt, one of the most controversial of all time.  It featured Republican Rutherford Hayes against Democrat Samuel Tilden.  When all of the votes were counted, 20 electoral votes were in dispute: Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina.  Those states all appeared to have favored Tilden.  Allegations of fraud and intimidation came from both sides.  Meanwhile, in Oregon, a single vote was disputed when the Democratic Governor said that the Republican elector was ineligible to serve as an elector under the constitution.  Tilden needed just one Electoral Vote to get to 185, the magic number - Hayes needed 20.

When partisan conflict left Congress incapable of solving the problem, an electoral commission was formed.  The commission consisted of an even number of Republicans and Democrats, as well as one independent judge from Illinois, David Davis.  Democrats in Illinois promptly elected Davis to the Senate, believing that they had won his support by doing so - however, Davis resigned from the Commission to take his seat - and a Republican was appointed in his place.  As a result, the commission voted 8-7 to give all votes to Hayes - thus electing Hayes by a 185-184 margin.

However, the result was filibustered by Democrats in the Senate.  Ultimately, Democrats agreed to drop their filibuster in return for the withdrawal of troops from the South - thus marking the formal end of reconstruction.

Who said, "Everywhere that freedom stirs, let tyrants fear"?

This one is almost a trick question, and when you see the answers, you'll see exactly what I mean.  From our Pocket Trivia: US President game - What President said, "Everywhere that freedom stirs, let tyrants fear"? Was it George W. Bush, Franklin Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt or Woodrow Wilson?

Okay, sorry, this really isn't fair.  All of these President's served within 100 years of each other, and given the various colloquialisms of the English language, its highly possible that any of them could have uttered this sentence.  Plus, all four faced challenges that would have caused them to make the above statement: George Bush with the War or Terror, Franklin Roosevelt with World War 2, Theodore Roosevelt with his military past and Woodrow Wilson with World War 1.  So, which was it?

George W. Bush.

It is an outstanding quote, but the quote is not what is best remembered from this speech.  It was given on March 2, 2003, on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, to mark the end of major combat operations in Iraq.  The speech is often referred to by Bush supporters as the "Let Tyrants Fear" speech; to his detractors, however, the speech is best known for an iconic image:

Above:  Mission Accomplished...or maybe not.

What papers, published by the New York times, revealed the systematic deception of the American people in regards to the Vietnam War?

Given all of the recent controversy over Wikileaks, I can think of few questions that would be more appropriate than this one right here.  This one comes off of our Pocket Trivia: U.S. History game: What papers, published by the New York times, revealed the systematic deception of the American people in regards to the Vietnam War?  Was it The Kissinger Compilation, The Defense Report, The Pentagon Papers or The Dreyfuss Report?

The correct answer would be The Pentagon Papers.  The Papers, published by the New York Times, was actually a Defense Department study of U.S. involvement in Vietnam from 1945-1967.  The study was put together by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.  It was leaked by Daniel Ellsberg, who had once worked on the report, to the New York Times.  It showed that four Presidential administrations had actually lied to the American public about the war and had expanded the war greater than was previously known, among other accusations.

The Nixon administration sued to stop the publication of the Pentagon Papers, fearing that its publication would set a bad precedent for future National Security leaks (sound fimiliar?).  The Nixon Administration obtained an injunction to stop the Papers publication, but the decision was overturned 6-3 in a U.S. Supreme Court decision, allowing the publication of the Papers to continue.

Others in the Nixon administration would later admit that the report was a classic example of "overclassification" and that there was never a threat to national security, so the parallel to Wikileaks is unclear - but nonetheless, certainly makes you think, doesn't it?

Which of these countries has the United States never declared war on?

Ahh, foreign policy.  War, trade, tariffs, sanction, mental evaluations of foreign leaders health...wait, what?  Let's just move on.  We don't deal with foreign policy much in either of our games, but this is one of those questions that does, and it's on a big subject: war.  So, from our Pocket Trivia: US History game:  Which of these countries has the United States never declared war on?  Britain, France, Spain or Hungary?  


This one isn't too hard if you know your foreign history.

The U.S. declared war on Britain in 1812 during the appropriately named War of 1812.  I didn't count the revolutionary war since that wasn't necessarily the "United States" declaring war (at least as the United States exists today), but the War of 1812 was the first time that the United States ever actually declared war.

The U.S. declared war on Spain in 1898 during the Spanish-American war.  The war lasted a mere four months and saw the U.S. bushwhacking the Spanish and annexing Puerto Rico, the Philippians and Guam.

The U.S. declared war on Hungary during World War II.  The U.S. actually made three separate declarations of war during World War II - on December 8, 1941, the U.S. declared war on Japan, then followed up three days later by declaring war on Nazi Germany.  A third and final declaration of war was issued on June 5, 1942, against Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania.  That is the last time that the U.S. has declared war on anyone.

That leaves France - yes, despite the advent of Freedom Fries, the U.S. has never declared war on France - in fact, were it not for their assistance during the Revolutionary War, the U.S. may not be a country to this day.

Above: An Undeclared War?