Question 1: In what French town was Vincent van Gogh living when he painted his famous work "Starry Night"?
Question 2: Who is believed to have written the poem that the song "Auld Lang Syne" is based on?
The poem was written by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788. "Auld Lang Syne" is traditionally sung to celebrate the start of the New Year at midnight. The phrase "auld lang syne" roughly translates to "times gone by."
Question 3: Who founded the fast food chain McDonald's?
The McDonald brothers started the first McDonald's restaurant in 1940 in San Bernardino, California. Ray Kroc later partnered with the brothers to franchise the restaurants, eventually buying them out in 1961 for $2.7 million.
Question 4: Why was Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa painting attacked with a rock in 1956?
On 30 December 1956, a vandal threw a rock at the painting, damaging a speck of pigment near the left elbow. The mentally ill man claimed he did it out of love for the painting. The damage is not visible to the naked eye today.
Question 5: When was the Eiffel Tower in Paris officially opened to the public?
The Eiffel Tower was constructed for the 1889 Paris Exposition (World's Fair) celebrating the centennial of the French Revolution. It opened on March 31, 1889 and was the tallest man-made structure in the world at the time at 1,063 feet (324 meters) tall.
Question 6: Which famous actor changed his name from Maurice Micklewhite to avoid confusion with another actor?
Born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Jr., the actor changed his name to Michael Caine in 1954 to avoid confusion with another actor named Michael Scott. Caine chose the name after seeing the 1954 film "The Caine Mutiny."
Question 7: Why is the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah celebrated for 8 days?
According to Jewish tradition, when the Maccabees reclaimed the ancient Temple, they found only enough pure olive oil to light the Temple's menorah for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days until more pure oil could be prepared. Hanukkah celebrates this miracle.
Question 8: In the Harry Potter book series, what is the name of Harry's pet owl?
Hedwig was a gift to Harry from Rubeus Hagrid on Harry's 11th birthday. She's a Snowy Owl and served as Harry's loyal companion and mail carrier throughout the series until her tragic death in the final book.
Question 9: Which battle marked the turning point of the American Civil War in favor of the Union?
The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1-3, 1863, was a decisive Union victory that halted Confederate General Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North. It resulted in the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is often considered the war's turning point.
Question 10: What was the name of the first commercially available computer mouse?
The Xerox Alto was the first computer to use a mouse when it was released in 1973. However, it was not commercially sold. The Xerox Alto mouse used a steel ball to track movement, had three buttons, and connected to the computer with a cable.
Van Gogh painted "Starry Night" in June 1889 while he was a self-admitted patient at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. He painted the view from the east-facing window of his room just before sunrise.