Mini-Challenge #1

Congratulations to Beth Mauldin of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for winning the first Mini-Challenge! Beth wins a free copy of The $25,000 Challenge and is the first inductee in the $25,000 Challenge Internet Hall of Fame.

Popular Entertainment
-By what name is Jim Heath better known as?
"Psychobilly" guitarist Heath is widely known as the Reverend Horton Heat, although that's actually the name of his band. He still answers to Jim.

Arts & Humanities
-What composer was exiled after supporting an 1830 Polish nationalist rebellion?
Frederick Chopin was one of many artists who opposed German, Austrian and Russian domination of Poland. Poland was occupied by the three powers from 1795 until 1918.

Technology
-What all-in-one computer system sold in the early 80s for $1295?
The short-lived Kaypro advertised itself as "The $1295 Computer for $1295." It came as a single unit with a small, built-in monitor and a floppy disk drive.

The Sciences
-By atomic number, what is the lightest element that is radioactive in its un-ionized form?
Technetium, with an atomic number of 43, does not occur naturally on Earth and is the first man-made element, discovered in 1937. While lighter elements such as hydrogen can be radioactive, they are more common in their stable forms. Technetium 98 is considered the most stable isotope.

History & Politics
-Which former Secretary of the Interior as a major party candidate lost a primary and a general gubernatorial election in the same year (1966)?
Cecil D. Andrus of Idaho earned this strange distinction by finishing second in the 1966 Democratic primary for governor, only to assume the nomination after the winner died in a plane crash that summer. He lost the general to Republican Don Samuelson. Andrus got his revenge though, beating Samuelson in a 1970 re-match and going on to win three more terms (1974, 1986, 1990). He retired in 1995 as the longest-serving governor in Idaho history. Andrus was Secretary of the Interior in the Carter Administration.

Geography
-Timbuktu is a real city. What country is it in?
Timbuktu is a trading center in the landlocked western African nation of Mali. Most modern maps spell the city "Tombouctou."

Sports & Leisure
-What did Doug Weaver, Mark Wiebe, Jerry Pate and Nick Price all do within less than two hours at the 1989 US Open? (be specific)
They all hit a hole-in-one on the same hole. The par-3 6th at the '89 Open was the scene of this incredible coincidence.

Miscellaneous
-What ship accidentally shot down an Iranian passenger plane over the Persian Gulf on July 3, 1988?
The USS Vincennes shot down the jet, mistaking it for an attacking fighter. The incident further complicated what was already a very unstable situation in the area.

Photo Challenge

Name this 1970s hockey player.
J.C. Tremblay was considered one of the top two-way defensemen of the era. Although he played several years with the Montreal Canadiens, he is best remembered as the leader of the old World Hockey Association Quebec Nordiques. His number 3 was retired by the Nordiques in 1979 shortly after they joined the NHL.

We had three winners for Mini-Challenge #2. Congratulations to Adam Blescia of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, and Steven Broughton of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Jennifer Mulvaney of New Philadelphia, Ohio. Adam, Steven and Jennifer all receive a free copy of The $25,000 Challenge.

Popular Entertainment
What talk show host is a former mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio?
Jerry Springer was Cincinnati’s mayor from 1977 to 1981. He previously served on the city council there.

Arts & Humanities
Who wrote the lyrics to the New Year's Eve standard, Auld Lang Syne?
Robert Burns, the celebrated 18th Century Scottish poet, is credited with writing the lyrics to the tune.

Technology
What was the name of the first atomic-powered submarine?
The USS Nautilus was commissioned by the US Navy in 1954 and launched in January 1955. It became the first ship to cross the North Pole in 1958. The Nautilus served on active duty until 1980. It can be seen today at a naval museum in Groton, Connecticut.

The Sciences
What is a protein that acts as a catalyst called?
An enzyme is the protein that carries out this vital biological function.

History & Politics
What four US states were at some point independent nations?
California, Texas, Hawaii and Vermont. California declared its independence from Mexico in 1846 but by 1850 was fully absorbed by the United States. Texas was independent from 1836 to 1845, also after breaking ties with Mexico. Hawaii was an independent monarchy until an 1893 revolution (it became a US territory in 1900). However, few people know Vermont was once the independent Republic of New Connecticut, taking advantage of political confusion during the Revolutionary War. (Upon further review, South Carolina, as the first state to secede from the union in 1860, was an acceptable answer as well.)

Geography
What tiny principality is jointly ruled by the president of France and the bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain?
Andorra, an enclave in the Pyrenees with a population of less than 75,000, is one of the smallest nations in the world. The country approved its first constitution ever in 1993.

Sports & Leisure
Former president Gerald Ford played college football for what team?
Ford played on scholarship for the University of Michigan Wolverines. He was a member of Michigan’s 1932 and 1933 national championship teams.

Miscellaneous
What is the Japanese counterpart to the Dow Jones Industrial Average?
The Nikkei average takes the pulse of the stock exchange in Tokyo. Because of the time difference, the Nikkei is open overnight in the United States.

Photo Challenge

Name this animal.
This is a chinchilla. These rodents are native to South America and raised for their fur. Since the 1960s, they have become popular pets in the United States. Chinchillas live an average of 15 years, although there have been reports of these animals reaching the age of 35 in captivity. Full-grown chinchillas are slightly smaller than a rabbit and bred in a wide variety of colors by furriers and pet owners alike.

Congratulations to Antionette R. Parker of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Jeffrey Newman of Ithaca, New York, for winning Mini-Challenge #3.

Popular Entertainment
Bono has been the frontman for the Irish band U2 for nearly 20 years. What is his real name?
Paul Hewson is Bono's alter ego. He got the nickname in the late 70s off an advertisement for hearing aids in Dublin, Ireland.

Arts & Humanities
Who won the 1964 Caldecott Medal for best children's picture book for Where the Wild Things Are?
Maurice Sendak wrote and illustrated the widely acclaimed book. It remains popular today, over 30 years after its first printing.

Technology
What did the IBM RS/6000 SP, better known as Deep Blue, accomplish in 1997?
Deep Blue shocked the information technology and chess communities alike when it beat world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a six-game match.

The Sciences
What planet has the most known moons?
Saturn has the most moons, 18 known to astronomers on this planet. Jupiter and Neptune, with 16 and 15 respectively, aren't far behind.

History & Politics
Who lost the 1876 presidential election despite winning 50.97 percent of the popular vote?
Samuel Tilden lost the hotly contested election to Rutherford Hayes by one electoral vote. No candidate has won the popular vote and lost the White House since.

Geography
What city was the capital of unoccupied France during World War II?
Vichy was the capital of a semi-fascist state in southern France while Nazi Germany occupied northern France, including Paris.

Sports & Leisure
What defunct professional sports league had a team named The Floridians?
The American Basketball Association was home of The Floridians between 1970 and 1972. The league folded in 1976. Some of the stronger teams joined the NBA.

Miscellaneous
What state did Brigham Young originally want to name "Deseret?"
Utah was originally to be named Deseret according to the first application for statehood submitted by the Mormon-dominated area. Squabbling between the church and the federal government delayed Utah's admission to the union until 1896, years after the area reached the minimum population requirement.

Photo Challenge

Whose national flag is this?
This is the national flag of Uruguay, a small South American nation located between Brazil and Argentina.

Congratulations to Roger Moyer of Alexandria, Virginia, winner of Mini-Challenge 4!

Popular Entertainment
What is located at 1697 Broadway in New York City?
The Ed Sullivan Theatre, home of the Late Show with David Letterman, is located at this Manhattan address.

Arts & Humanities
What Venetian School artist finished a number of paintings began by Giorgione after his untimely death in 1510?
Titian (aka Tiziano Vecellio) finished the works of his late mentor. As a result, there is some doubt as to who to attribute some of these paintings to.

Technology
Where was the original headquarters of Microsoft?
Bill Gates' first office was in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He first registered the name "Microsoft" with the State of New Mexico on November 26, 1976. The company moved to its current headquarters in Bellevue, Washington, in January 1979.

The Sciences
What type of chart has 33-day mental cycle?
The biorhythm chart features this cycle.

History & Politics
When was the last successful land invasion of Great Britain and who did it?
The Normans under William the Conqueror last pulled this off in 1066, culminating with their victory over the Saxons at Hastings. The island hasn't seen an enemy soldier set foot on it since.

Geography
What African nation declared its independence on May 27, 1993?
Eritrea became the continent's newest country on that day when it split from Ethiopia.

Sports & Leisure
Who won the NCAA Division I men's lacrosse championship in 1998?
Princeton defeated Maryland 15-5 in the finals to capture the NCAA crown in this fast-moving sport.

Miscellaneous
Fill in the blanks to find a word which describes a highly agitated patriot:
_ _ N _ _ _ _ T
JINGOIST is the answer to this fill-in-the-blank puzzle.

Photo Challenge

What professional team sported this logo in 1972-73?
This is the logo of the California Golden Seals, who represented the Bay Area in the NHL from 1967 to 1976. The team moved to Cleveland in 1976 and was absorbed by the Minnesota North Stars in 1979, who moved in 1993 to become the Dallas Stars.

The winner of Mini-Challenge #5 was Alan Chalker of Durham, North Carolina.

Popular Entertainment
Who was the original drummer for Rush?
John Rutsey was the Canadian band's first drummer. He appeared on the group's self-titled 1974 debut album and left soon after. He was replaced by Neil Peart in the band's only personnel change in nearly 25 years.

Arts & Humanities
Who composed the Symphonie Fantastique in 1832?
Hector Berlioz. Other works by this German composer include Romeo and Juliet, Rakoczy March and The Trojans.

Technology
What was the first city in the world which got its electricity from atomic energy?
Arco, Idaho, a small town in the central part of the state, earned this distinction in 1955. Arco is near a major Department of Energy site.

The Sciences
What is a tissue graft from a member of another species called?
This unusual procedure is called a xenograft.

History & Politics
Who was prime minister of Canada longer than anyone else?
W.L. Mackenzie King. King was in power a total of 22 years (1921-1926, 1926-1930 and 1935-1948), a full decade longer than his contemporary, American president Franklin D. Roosevelt. According to diaries discovered after his death, King held seances throughout his tenure in office and often tried to contact the spirits of dead statesmen and family members.

Geography
What was the original capital of England?
Winchester was the seat of government in Wessex and later England beginning in the 6th Century. Some have suggested Winchester Castle might be the original Camelot. William I moved the capital to London shortly after the Norman conquest in 1066.

Sports & Leisure
Who holds the all-time career NHL record for penalty minutes?
Dave "Tiger" Williams racked up 3,973 penalty minutes in 17 NHL seasons with Toronto, Vancouver, Detroit, Los Angeles and Hartford. That's over 66 hours solid in the "sin bin!" Dale Hunter of the Washington Capitals leads active players in PIMs.

Miscellaneous
What year were cigarette advertisements banned from US television?
No tobacco ads have appeared on American TV since 1971. A commercial for Virginia Slims became the final cigarette commercial, broadcast on The Tonight Show one minute before the ban took effect.

Photo Challenge

What is the name of this character?
Badtz-Maru. He is the creation of Sanrio, the same Japanese company responsible for Hello Kitty. Badtz-Maru has become one of the most popular Asian cartoon characters in recent years.

Popular Entertainment
In the first episode of the British TV series Red Dwarf, what is the name of Lister's cat?
Lister smuggled Frankenstein aboard Red Dwarf and was put in stasis for 18 months as punishment for bringing an unquarantined animal on board. While suspended, the ship experienced a radioactive meltdown, killing everyone on board except Lister, who was kept in suspended animation by the computer for 3 million years. A descendant of Frankenstein, who's offspring evolved into a humanoid race in the meantime, became a regular character on the show. He is known simply as "Cat."

Arts & Humanities
Who gave Harpo Marx a harp strung with barbed wire?
Salvador Dali was a big fan of the Marx Brothers and presented Harpo (an accomplished harp player, thus his name) with this odd gift.

Technology
What year was the first version of Microsoft Windows released?
1985. However, the operating system didn't become popular until version 3.0 was released in 1990. Today it is estimated 90 percent of all computers run on some version of Windows.

The Sciences
Fill in the blanks to find the technical name of the genetic defect in which the fertilized ovum has an extra chromosome (2 words):
_ R _ S _ _ _ - _ _
TRISOMY 21. This condition is better known as Down's Syndrome.

History & Politics
Who was the first female governor of a US state who did not succeed her husband in office?
Ella Grasso was elected governor of Connecticut in 1974 and served until shortly before her death in 1981.

Geography
What will be the capital of the semi-autonomous Canadian territory of Nunavut when it splits from the Northwest Territories in 1999?
Iqaluit will be the administrative center for this Inuit territory in the Canadian eastern Arctic. Although Nunavut will take up about 20 percent of Canada, Iqaluit, with a population of only 3,700, will easily be its largest city.

Sports & Leisure
In NFL history, who were the "Steagles?"
The Steagles were a team created by merging the rosters of the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers for the 1943 season. The temporary merger became necessary after World War II depleted the NFL's player base.

Miscellaneous
Fill in the blanks to find an expression which could be restated as "lack of cognition leads to the perfect joy of heaven." (3 words)
_ _N _ _A _ _ _ - _ _ - _ _ _ _ S
IGNORANCE IS BLISS is the common phrase we're looking for.

Photo Challenge

Who is this world leader?
This is Said Musa, prime minister of Belize. Musa's People's United Party won nearly 60 percent of the vote and 26 out of 29 seats in the country's House of Representatives in elections August 28, 1998, soundly defeating the United Democratic Party, who formed the government prior to the election.

Congratulations to Julie Bell of Austintown, Ohio, winner of Mini-Challenge 7!

Popular Entertainment
What noted actor made his debut in a commercial for Matchbox cars?
Leonardo DiCaprio made this commercial as a small boy. He also appeared in a spot titled "How to Deal with a Parent Who Takes Drugs," ironic considering both his parents were marijuana smokers.

Arts & Humanities
What did Allen Ginsburg do for the first time on October 13, 1955?
Ginsburg publicly read "Howl" for the first time in a San Francisco bookstore on this date. The bookstore owner was later charged with and acquitted of obscenity because he carried this work.

Technology
What year was the first video recorder put into use?
1956. These first machines were the size of a small car, but they revolutionized television production. Prior to 1956, all TV had to be done live and was recorded by crude film devices, if at all. Hundreds of hours of early TV were never recorded and therefore lost forever.

The Sciences
What is the name of the property of the strong nuclear force that always binds particles together into combinations that have no "color?"
Confinement is the term for this property.

History & Politics
Who's 1977 coronation was estimated to cost one-quarter of his country's gross national product?
Military dictator of the Central African Republic since 1966, Jean Bédel Bokassa crowned himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire in one of the most ostentatious spectacles ever witnessed on the continent. He was deposed two years later by a French-sponsored coup.

Geography
What is the world's southernmost permanent city?
Ushuaia, Argentina, capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, holds this distinction. The city is at 54 degrees south latitude and is a gateway to Antarctica for scientists and explorers.

Sports & Leisure
What is the name of the minor league hockey team in Macon, Georgia?
The Macon Whoopee has been a member of the Central Hockey League since 1996. The team's logo is a fig leaf.

Miscellaneous
Fill in the blanks to find a person wired for sound: _ _ N _ _ - _ R I _ _
LINDA TRIPP is the snoop we're looking for.

Photo Challenge

Name this British TV character (be specific).
This is Edmund Blackadder from the first Blackadder series (there were four). He was played by noted comic Rowan Atkinson, who went on to even greater fame as the mischievous Mr. Bean some years later on British TV.

Congratulations to Eric Yount of Raleigh, North Carolina, winner of Mini-Challenge 8!

Popular Entertainment
In what Woody Allen film does Martin Landau star as an opthalmologist?
Crimes and Misdemeanors, a 1989 Woody Allen vehicle, featured Landau as the eye doctor.

Arts & Humanities
Who composed the opera Lohengrin?
Richard Wagner composed the piece in 1850.

Technology
What was the name of the first American space satellite?
Explorer I became the first US-produced object in space in 1958.

The Sciences
What year was Darwin's The Origin of Species first published?
The British naturalist's revolutionary work was introduced in 1859.

History & Politics
Who is the current Leader of the Opposition in the British House of Commons?
The Rt. Hon. William Hague, MP succeeded John Major as leader of the Conservative Party soon after it was routed by the Labour Party in Britain's 1997 elections.

Geography
Westminster College was the site of Winston Churchill's famous "Iron Curtain" speech in 1946. In what city is it located?
Despite its very English name, the college is located in Fulton, Missouri.

Sports & Leisure
Fill in the blanks to find a players' union president:
_ _ _ R _ _ _- _ _ _ _ G
PATRICK EWING is the chosen leader among the NBA's players.

Miscellaneous
What musician received 6,600 votes for mayor of San Francisco in 1979?
Jello Biafra (aka Eric Boucher) who was then frontman of the punk rock group Dead Kennedys, finished fourth in the race, much to the surprise of the more mainstream candidates. Among his campaign promises was a pledge to force all businessmen to wear clown suits from 9 to 5.

Who is this recently deposed government official?
This is Anwar Ibrahim, who until recently was Malaysia's finance minister. He is currently standing trial in Kuala Lumpur on corruption and sodomy charges. His supporters claim he is being unfairly targeted by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

We have three winners for Mini-Challenge 9! Congratulations to Martin Doublesin, John Thumm and Chris Boyle!

Popular Entertainment
What 1969 film begins with the flaming red of a blast furnace to represent the hellish power of the Nazis?
The Damned. Directed by Luchino Visconti, this grim drama is set in pre-war Germany. Other films by Visconti include Death in Venice (1971), Conversation Piece (1974) and The Innocent (1979).

Arts & Humanities
Translated into English in 1937, what is the original German title of the famous short story in which the hero wakes up in the body of an insect?
Franz Kafka wrote Die Verwandlung in 1915. Anglophones know the story as The Metamorphosis.

Technology
What is the name for a communications network, usually constructed with serial lines, that extends over distances greater than one kilometer?
This is a Wide Area Network (WAN). The smaller Local Area Network (LAN) is more common, however.

The Sciences
What Greek philosopher created the first recorded classification of minerals?
Theophrastus. A student of Aristotle, he is probably best known for his philisophical contributions to psychology.

History & Politics
In the Middle Ages, the "Apostolic Camera" dealt with:
(a) The appearance of the Vatican
(b) Church finances
(c) Moral issues
(d) Papal documents
(e) None of the above
(b) Church finances. This organization served as the accountants for the medieval Roman Catholic Church.

Geography
Fill in the blanks to find a group of North American volcanic islands:
_ _ _ _ S - _ _ - _ E _ I _ L _ _ I G _ D _
ISLAS DE REVILLAGIGEDO. Also known as the "Galapagos of the North Pacific," these four islands approximately 420 miles from Manzanillo, Mexico, are noted for their unique biology. Socorro is perhaps the best-known island of the group.

Sports & Leisure
What is the name of the event dubbed the "World's Greatest Motorcycle Race?"
The Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle race held on the Isle of Man which draws competitors from all over the world. Originally an automobile race, the Tourist Trophy became an all-motorcycle event in 1907. A carnival atmosphere prevails on this island off the coast of Great Britain during the event. The Daytona 200 by Arai, a major North American race, is similarly billed and upon further review was also accepted as correct.

Miscellaneous
Fill in the blanks to find a popular expression which could be restated as the "low and linear series of dots."
_ _ T _ _ _ - _ _ N _
BOTTOM LINE is the bottom line here.

Photo Challenge

How did this 80s video game hero vanquish his enemies?
Dig Dug defeated the Pookas and Fygars by shooting his air pump at them and literally blowing them up. He also crushed them with rocks, but could get crushed himself if he wasn't careful. Released in 1983, Dig Dug was a staple of video arcades nationwide in their pre-Nintendo heyday.