2024 TRIVIA BOWL XXVI QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
ROUND 1: CURRENT EVENTS
1. In February, the House of Representatives attempted to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas for allegedly violating laws regarding border security. Mayorkas holds what position in the US government?
2. While Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is a senator from Ohio, Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz is the governor of what Midwest state?
3. In July, the re-election of authoritarian ruler Nicolas Maduro set off widespread protests in what South American country?
4. A New York jury found Donald Trump guilty on 34 felony counts for a scheme involving hush money payments to what adult film star?
5. In late September and early October, what hurricane battered America’s Southeast, causing extensive damage in North Carolina and other states? Hint: It’s not Milton.
6. In February, what Russian opposition leader and Sakharov Prize winner died in an Arctic penal colony?
7. In late September, Israel expanded its conflict with Hezbollah by launching a ground invasion into the southern part of what neighboring country?
8. What Southeast Asian country legalized same sex marriage this year, making them just the second Asian nation to do so, after Taiwan?
9. An inverted American flag has come to represent the “Stop the Steal” movement. What Supreme Court Justice got into hot water this year after an upside-down flag was seen flying at his home?
10. After 14 years of Conservative rule, Britons elected what Labour Party leader to become prime minister of the UK?
11. In a major Hollywood merger, what company led by David Ellison announced it would be taking over Paramount in an $8 billion deal?
12. Congress has passed a bill to ban TikTok in the US unless the app is sold by what Chinese parent company?
13. In August, prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled what Asian nation after student protesters refused to back down following brutal government crackdowns?
14. In March, what Scandinavian country finally became NATO’s newest member?
15. On October 1st, what woman was inaugurated as president of Mexico, becoming the first woman and the first Jewish person to hold the post?
ROUND 2: POLITICS, LITERATURE & HISTORY
1. After Kamala Harris announced she would be stepping up to run for president, pop singer Charli XCX declared “Kamala is” what four-letter word?
2. How many total syllables are in a haiku?
3. In the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the “Hanging Gardens” were built in what ancient city located in modern-day Iraq?
4. What term, which takes its name from a 19th century US Vice President, refers to the political manipulation of electoral boundaries in order to create an advantage for a particular party?
5. Sun Wukong is a classic character from Chinese literature. In English, he is known as BLANK King. What animal fills in the blank?
6. In 1959, Daniel Inouye became the first US Representative for what state? He would eventually serve as Senator of this state from 1963 until 2012.
7. In 2007, what prime minister of Pakistan was assassinated as she was driving away from a rally?
8. “James” by Percival Everett is a 2024 re-telling of what Mark Twain novel from the perspective of the escaped slave Jim?
9. Posthumously known as Emperor Showa, who was the emperor of Japan during World War II and was the country’s longest-serving monarch?
10. Often considered a third rail of California politics, a proposition known by what number was passed in 1978 to cap property taxes and limit property reassessments?
11. What 2020 novel by Charles Yu won the National Book Award that year? It is currently being adapted into a Hulu show starring Jimmy O. Yang.
12. The “Jeepney”, originating during the US colonial period, is a popular type of public transportation in what Asian nation?
13. The president of the United States lives in the White House. The president of South Korea lives in what colored house?
14. What 2007 novel by Afghan American author Khaled Hosseini was the best-selling follow-up to his 2003 debut “The Kite Runner”?
15. What modern-day country traces its historic roots to Lan Xang, one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia from 1353 to 1707?
ROUND 3: 2024 POP CULTURE
1. What FX television show starring Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai won the 2024 Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series?
2. In a viral Tik Tok song, Megan Boni says she’s looking for a man in what industry? Preferably with a trust fund. 6’5. Blue eyes.
3. What pop singer shot to superstardom this year with hits such as “Good Luck, Babe!”, “Pink Pony Club,” and “HOT TO GO!”?
4. What is the name of the baby pygmy hippopotamus living in Khao Kheow Open Zoo that has gone Internet viral?
5. Vietnamese American Jenn Tran became the first Asian lead of what ABC reality series?
6. What brand, established by Chef David Chang, drew controversy this year when it attempted to trademark the term “chili crunch”?
7. What Amazon Prime show by Lulu Wang follows a group of foreigners living in Hong Kong?
8. In “Inside Out 2”, what emotion, voiced by Maya Hawke, becomes the primary antagonist to Joy?
9. One of the viral lines from Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” is “I’m working late, cuz I’m a BLANK.” What six-letter word fills in the blank?
10. Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu is behind what highly anticipated and heavily marketed movie musical, set to be released in November?
11. During a Juneteenth show, what Billboard No. 1 song did Kendrick Lamar perform five consecutive times? Psst, he sees dead people.
12. At the 2024 Academy Awards, what Japanese kaiju film won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, becoming the first non-English film to win the category?
13. What Chinese word meaning “little brother” is also the title of a coming-of-age indie film that won the Audience Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival?
14. In July, the wedding between Radhika Merchant and an Indian man with what surname made headlines for its extravagance? The price tag of the wedding was speculated to be around $600 million.
15. What K-pop girl group, which were named as brand ambassadors to the NBA, has hits such as “Easy” and “Crazy”? Their cherubic name is an anagram of the phrase “I’m Fearless.”
ROUND 4: SCIENCE, TECH & GEOGRAPHY
1. After landing the SLIM lunar lander in January, what Asian nation became the fifth country to put a spacecraft on the Moon?
2. In June, what company led by CEO Jensen Huang surpassed Microsoft to briefly become the most valuable company in the world?
3. What densely populated island of Indonesia shares its name with a type of coffee bean and a computer programming language?
4. In the physics equation F = ma, what does the “a” stand for?
5. What is the name of the “spatial computer” and mixed reality headset released by Apple in February of this year?
6. What UNESCO World Heritage site located in Siem Reap, Cambodia is a Hindu-Buddhist temple complex considered one of the largest religious structures in the world?
7. What periodic table element with the symbol Co derives its name from the German word for “goblin”?
8. What neurotechnology company, founded by Elon Musk, successfully implanted its first brain chip into a human patient earlier this year?
9. The 88-story Petronas twin towers serve as a major landmark in what Malaysian city?
10. What four-letter acronym is given to the tingling sensation that some people experience from audiovisual stimuli? YouTube channels such as Gentle Whispering feature sounds devoted to triggering this sensation.
11. A dress, a rocking horse, a shoe, and a handbag on a bright orange background make up the logo of what Chinese e-commerce site, known for their cheap products and rivalry with Shein?
12. What northern Thai city, popular amongst digital nomads, is the second largest city in Thailand, after Bangkok?
13. In classical mechanics, what name is given to the attempt to calculate the trajectories of a trio of orbiting points in space? This is also the title of a Cixin Liu science fiction novel that has been adapted into a Netflix show.
14. Although he was more commonly known as “Clippy,” what was the official name of the Microsoft Paperclip Office Assistant?
15. Ulaanbaatar, located in the Tuul River Valley, is the capital of what Asian nation?
ROUND 5: SPORTS & CALIFORNIA LIVING
1. What Los Angeles Dodger became the first player in MLB history to achieve a 50-50: 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season?
2. Spicy pork tacos and kimchi quesadillas are a few items that can be found at Kogi, a food truck franchise founded by what chef?
3. Before the Clippers moved to Los Angeles, they played in what other Southern California city from 1978-1984?
4. 99.1 KGGI is a radio station that calls itself “the IE’s hottest music.” What does “IE” stand for?
5. A viral photo from the 2024 Paris Olympics saw Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles bowing to what Brazilian gymnast, who won the gold medal in the floor exercise event?
6. Of the ten campuses in the University of California system, which UC is northernmost?
7. Younghoe Koo is one of the few Asian players in the NFL. He is the kicker for what NFC South team?
8. What tourist attraction in Santa Cruz is an oddly tilted environment in which visitors can experience gravitational anomalies?
9. In February, what basketball player broke the all-time scoring record in the NCAA? She was selected by the Indiana Fever as the 1st overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.
10. What Bay Area city, named after an Irish village, is home to the headquarters of Meta?
11. What NHL team won their first Stanley Cup championship this year, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in the Finals?
12. The largest concentration of Vietnamese Americans in the United States is located not in Orange County, but in what northern California city?
13. What Indian tennis player, one of the greatest doubles players of all-time, won a bronze medal in the men’s singles event at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, making him the first Asian player to win a tennis medal?
14. What Chinese American figure skater, a five-time world champion, currently serves as the US ambassador to Belize?
15. What area code covers the San Gabriel Valley? This area code appears in the name of a popular Night Market located at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia.
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ROUND 1 ANSWERS:
- Secretary of Homeland Security
- Minnesota
- Venezuela
- Stormy Daniels
- Hurricane Helene
- Alexei Navalny
- Lebanon
- Thailand
- Sameul Alito
- Keir Starmer
- Skydance Media
- ByteDance
- Bangladesh
- Sweden
- Claudia Sheinbaum
ROUND 2 ANSWERS:
- Brat
- 17 Syllables
- Babylon
- Gerrymandering
- Monkey
- Hawaii
- Benazir Bhutto
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- Emperor Hirohito
- Prop 13
- Interior Chinatown
- Philippines
- Blue House
- A Thousand Splendid Suns
- Laos
ROUND 3 ANSWERS:
- Shogun
- Finance
- Chappell Roan
- Moo Deng
- The Bachelorette
- Momofuku
- Expats
- Anxiety
- Singer
- Wicked
- “Not Like Us”
- Godzilla Minus One
- Didi
- Ambani
- LE SSERAFIM
ROUND 4 ANSWERS:
- Japan
- Nvidia
- Java
- Acceleration
- Apple Vision Pro
- Angkor Wat
- Cobalt
- Neuralink
- Kuala Lumpur
- ASMR
- Temu
- Chiang Mai
- Three body problem
- Clippit
- Mongolia
ROUND 5 ANSWERS:
- Shohei Ohtani
- Roy Choi
- San Diego
- Inland Empire
- Rebecca Andrade
- UC Davis
- Atlanta Falcons
- The Mystery Spot
- Caitlin Clark
- Menlo Park
- Florida Panthers
- San Jose
- Leander Paes
- Michelle Kwan
- 626