OK, I thought it was time to bring this back.  Put on your thinking caps people:

1.  Hoe many people in show business were blacklisted during or because of the McCarthy Hearings?
Henk - None

2.  How many peace treaties that ended foreign wars have been signed in the US?
Henk - One, the Russo-Japanese War.  This was ended by the Treaty of Portsmouth.  This act earned Teddy Roosevelt the Nobel peace Prize.

3.  What American Indian was a Briadier General in the British Army?
loki 13 - Tecumseh

4.  What was the last battle between American Indians and the US Military?
loki 13 - The Battle of Wounded Knee

5.  What US government institution was created by the "Great Compromise"?
Doc Brown - Congress.  Smaller states wanted a legislature with a fixed number, large states wanted a legislature based on population.  The compromised created 2 legislatures, each with differing but equal powers.

6.  When was the last time the US has totally paid of it's national debt?
It was under a Democrat.
Rex - 1835-1836.

7.  What famous doctor once said "Yes, America is gigantic, but a gigantic mistake."?
thereshegoes - Sigmund Freud

8.  What US State did Sir Francis Drake name "New England"?
loki 13 - California

9.  Among the 6 disputed border areas of these two countries are North Rock and Machias Seal Island.
Philip Eno - USA and Canada.

10.  What do Harriet Tubman, Bob Hope, and Alex Haley have in common?
It is a form of Military Honour.
Mushroom - they have all had US Naval ships named after them.  The SS Harriet Tubman was a WWII Victory ship, the USNS Bob Hope is part of the Maritime Prepositioning Fleet, and the USCGC Alex Haley is a Coast Guard Cutter that is named after the retired Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer.

11.  How many members of Congress voted against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
loki 13 - 2, Sen Wayne Morse (D) of Oregon and Sen. Ernest Gruening (D) of Alaska cast the only Nay votes.  It passed the House unanimously.

12.  In which US Military Operation did the reporters on the beach outnumber the US Military forces that landed there? (by almost 2:1)
karen - On 9 December 1992 34 Navy Seals landed on the beach of Mogadishu, Somalia to assist UN Humanitarian efforts.  They were met by more then 80 reporters and camera crews.

#12 Something in Somalia

i think #12 may have been panama.

I think number 9 answered itself ;)

I think number 9 answered itself ;)


What are the two countries?

#9 Complete guess, Canada and the USA?

#9 Complete guess, Canada and the USA?


Good guess.  A lot of people don't realize that there are still disputed areas that both the US and Canada claim.  There has even a confrontation in 1859 called "The Pig War" on one of the islands between modern Washington state and British Columbia.  Both sides landed troops on the islands, but thankfully it was resolved peacefully.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_war

#7 It was Freud

#8 State or states? Aren't Maine,New Hampshire,Vermont,Massachusetts,Rhode Island and Connecticut, all considered New England :-\\

#8 State or states? Aren't Maine,New Hampshire,Vermont,Massachusetts,Rhode Island and Connecticut, all considered New England :-\\


State, singular.  This is the name given to it by Sir Francis Drake.

And by the way, the "New England" in the NE USA is not the only one.  There is a region of Australia also known as "New England".

State, singular.  This is the name given to it by Sir Francis Drake.

And by the way, the "New England" in the NE USA is not the only one.  There is a region of Australia also known as "New England".


Really? I know of New South Wales (what made them just name it after the south of wales I have no idea.. unless maybe it's the wales of the south.. and a new one.. as opposed to the first, but still.. why condemn a poor bunch of Australians to feel an attachment to the Welsh, natures mistake?) but not New England in Australia.

Really? I know of New South Wales (what made them just name it after the south of wales I have no idea.. unless maybe it's the wales of the south.. and a new one.. as opposed to the first, but still.. why condemn a poor bunch of Australians to feel an attachment to the Welsh, natures mistake?) but not New England in Australia.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_%28Australia%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_%28Australia%29


I stand corrected sir.

#5 - The Great Compromise of 1787 instituted the 2-house Congress. The Lower house is where states are represented according to population, hence the name House Of Representatives, while representation is equal in the Upper house, or Senate. This took up about half the debates in the Constitutional Convention!

Your Pal,
Doc
8)

I didn't see a limit so,

#3...Tecumseh?

#4...Wounded Knee?

#8...California?

I didn't see a limit so,

#3...Tecumseh?

#4...Wounded Knee?

#8...California?


Very good.  :)

Tecumseh was given the rank of Brigader General by the British during the War of 1812.

The Massacre at Wounded Knee was on 29 December 1890.  It followed the death of Sitting Bull, and was the last skirmish between the US Army and the Indiginous Tribes.

On 17 June 1579, Sir Francis Drake landed at Point Loma, which was north of the Spanish claimed area of Mexico.  He named the new land "Nova Albion", Latin for "New England".  He claimed the area roughly between San Diego and San Francisco for England.

I'm probably way off here, Mike...but since no-one else is trying, I might as well... :-\\


1.  Hoe many people in show business were blacklisted during or because of the McCarthy Hearings?


The rather obvious answer would be "none". Probably because there was no "blacklist".


2.  How many peace treaties that ended foreign wars have been signed in the US?


I'm guessing: just one. But even that may be too high a number. The only peace treaty (of some kind) I can think of are the Camp David Agreements (Israel and Palestine). I'm just not sure those Agreements actually ended a war.


Well, you can't blame me for not knowing (unless you want to blame me for not being American... )

6.  When was the last time the US has totally paid of it's national debt?

I'll take a(most likely incorrect) guess......

The Clinton adminstation?

#10. What do Harriet Tubman, Bob Hope and Alex Haley have in common?

They all appeared in films with Bing Crosby!

Well, probably not...but it would have been entertaining!

I'm hazarding a guess that they have all received some sort of military honour?

The rather obvious answer would be "none". Probably because there was no "blacklist".

I'm guessing: just one. But even that may be too high a number. The only peace treaty (of some kind) I can think of are the Camp David Agreements (Israel and Palestine). I'm just not sure those Agreements actually ended a war.


Well, those are right, but not for the reason given.

Contrary to popular belief, not one single person was "Blacklisted" under the McCarthy Hearings.  Those hearings were conducted to find and eliminate Soviet Agents that were working for the US Government (most specifically the State Department).

The Blacklist was part of the House Un-American Activities Comission, which had absolutely no connection with Senator McCarthy at all (since he was a Senator, and this was a commission by the House of Representatives).  In fact, the HUAC commission that created the Blacklist (and yes there was a "Blacklist") lasted from 1938-1947.  And the HUAC itself lasted until 1975 until it was finally abolished.

And yes, there was only 1 war ever ended by a Peact Treaty in the United States.  By tradition, peace treaties are signed on "Neutral Ground", some foreign nation that had no direct involvement in the war.  Camp David was a good guess, but it was not an actual Peace Treaty.  It was an "Accord", and was finalized with the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty" in Washington in 1978.  But since prior to that Egypt did not recognize the existance of Israel, there was no actual war between the two of them.


6.  When was the last time the US has totally paid of it's national debt?

I'll take a(most likely incorrect) guess......

The Clinton adminstation?


Good guess, but a wrong one.


#10. What do Harriet Tubman, Bob Hope and Alex Haley have in common?

They all appeared in films with Bing Crosby!

I'm hazarding a guess that they have all received some sort of military honour?


LOL!  Well, Harriet Tubman dies in 1913, so that would have been quite a trick for her to have been in a movie with them.

Military honour?  That is correct in a way, but I was looking for something a little more specific.

Well, those are right, but not for the reason given.

Contrary to popular belief, not one single person was "Blacklisted" under the McCarthy Hearings.  Those hearings were conducted to find and eliminate Soviet Agents that were working for the US Government (most specifically the State Department).

The Blacklist was part of the House Un-American Activities Comission, which had absolutely no connection with Senator McCarthy at all (since he was a Senator, and this was a commission by the House of Representatives).  In fact, the HUAC commission that created the Blacklist (and yes there was a "Blacklist") lasted from 1938-1947.  And the HUAC itself lasted until 1975 until it was finally abolished.

And yes, there was only 1 war ever ended by a Peact Treaty in the United States.  By tradition, peace treaties are signed on "Neutral Ground", some foreign nation that had no direct involvement in the war.  Camp David was a good guess, but it was not an actual Peace Treaty.  It was an "Accord", and was finalized with the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty" in Washington in 1978.  But since prior to that Egypt did not recognize the existance of Israel, there was no actual war between the two of them.


I realized it had to be Egypt instead of Palestine just this morning, but then...it wouldn't have made any real difference.

I'm very glad you've given me credit for those two anyway. :)

I realized it had to be Egypt instead of Palestine just this morning, but then...it wouldn't have made any real difference.

I'm very glad you've given me credit for those two anyway. :)


Well, those questions did not ask for the specific answer, but just the general ones.  The problem when I make the "Impossible Trivia" questions (as I discovered before) is that if I make them to hard, often times nobody can answer them.  In fact, about half of the questions like this I make are actually designed to "debunk" answers that everybody knows.

Everybody seems to "know" that Sen. McCarthy was involved in blacklisting actors, which in fact was not true.  In much the same way, one of my favorites was "Who is burried in Grants' Tomb".  Of course everybody thinks they know the answer.  But the irony is that very few people actually know the answer.

#10 They have all appeared on postage stamps

#10 They have all appeared on postage stamps


Good guess, but neither Hope nor Haley have appeared on US postage stamps.

#10. What do Harriet Tubman, Bob Hope and Alex Haley have in common?

They all appeared in films with Bing Crosby!

Well, probably not...but it would have been entertaining!

I'm hazarding a guess that they have all received some sort of military honour?



Military honour?  That is correct in a way, but I was looking for something a little more specific.


Some sort of military honour... :-\\ Again, I don't know zilch about the subject so I'm just guessing.

Although I can't think of any reason why they should be...but were they all buried with military honours? ???

I should have answered this in my first post, but I didn't want to answer too many so others could have
a chance, like it matters though, I think I only know one more.  ;D

#11...2...Wayne Morse of Oregon and the guy from Alaska, Ernest (something-or-other) his last name escapes me at the moment?

11.  How many members of Congress voted against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
loki 13 - 2, Sen Wayne Morse (D) of Oregon and Sen. Ernest Gruening (D) of Alaska cast the only Nay votes.  It passed the House unanimously.

Only because Congressman Eugene Siler of Kentucky wasn't present - he would've casted a nay vote.


OK - I looked that one up. ;)

11- Harriet Tubman, Bob Hope & Alex Haley all had something to do with roads.

11- Harriet Tubman, Bob Hope & Alex Haley all had something to do with roads.


Hmmm, not that I am aware of.  Harriet worked on the "Underground Railroad", and of course Bob made the Road movies.  But I can't think of anything to do with roads around Alex Haley.

Of course Der Bingle was also in the Road movies, but his name has nothing to do with the others in reguards.

#6 Andrew Jackson

#6 Andrew Jackson


That was not the answer, but it is close enough.

During the administration of President Andrew Jackson, one of his first acts was to disolve the Bank of the United States.  By absorbing all assets of that bank, he was able to pay off the National Debt.

However, the closure also led to the Great Panic of 1837, which was the second worst depression the nation has ever been through.

When President Jackson paid off the National Debt, it was around $81k (most of it was money borrowed to make the Louisiana Purchase).  After increased borrowing because of the economic collapse of 1837, the National Debt was up to $3.3 million.

And the National Debt has never decreased a single time in the years to follow.  It increased $2 trillion during the Clinton Administration, and has increased $2.1 trillion under the Bush Administration (2005 figures are the most current).  And for all the build-up of the Reagan Administration, it only increased $1.2 trillion.

http://www.swivel.com/data_columns/spreadsheet/1944692?page=1