A Life, Lived: 4th of July Quiz

I hope that everyone had a fun time yesterday! I posted these questions bewfore the 4th, let's see how everyone did . . .

1. What is the one spot in the U.S. where you could stand in 4 States at one time?
Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.
2. Which of these cities--New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Miami--has the highest average temperature in July?

Phoenix averages 94deg to 96deg Fahrenheit in July, and is easily the most consistently hot city. Next comes Miami. New York and Chicago are last.

3. Which is farther west--Pensacola, Fla., or Washington Island, Wis.?
Pensacola, Fla., is farther west.
4. Which is farther west--Los Angeles, Calif., or Reno, Nev.?
Reno, Nev., is farther west.
5. Which 3 of these States were named after real persons--California, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Delaware, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma?
Delaware, Louisiana, and Georgia were named after real people. Delaware derived its name from Lord De La Warre, 1st governor of the Virginia Company. Louisiana was named after King Louis XIV of France. Georgia was named for King George II of England.
6. The 1st coeducational college in the U.S. was founded in Ohio. Can you name this school?
The 1st coeducational college in the U.S. was Oberlin College, founded in Oberlin, O., in 1833.
7. What city in Michigan is impossible to leave on the ground without going through another city?
Hamtramck, an independent community of 27,245 and almost entirely Polish, is surrounded by Detroit.
8. Name the 2 States that are touched by 8 other States.
Eight different States touch both Tennessee and Missouri.
9. In the State of Washington may be found the single largest concrete structure ever made by man. It was built in 1942 at a cost of $200 million. It weighs 3 times as much as the pyramid of Cheops in Egypt. The concrete that went into it could build a highway encircling the whole U.S.A., and the population of the entire county would fit inside it. What is it?
The Grand Coulee Dam, near Spokane, Wash., is the single largest concrete structure ever made by man. It is 4,300' long, 550' high, and the water has a drop of 330', twice that of Niagara Falls.
10. Part or all of what 2 States can be reached by land only if you leave the U.S.?
First, Minnesota. A northern portion of Minnesota is isolated from the rest of the State by the Lake of the Woods, which borders it on the north, east, and south--with Canada's Province of Manitoba on the west side. As a result, this section of Minnesota cannot be reached from the U.S. by land. And the new State of Alaska is separated from the State of Washington by Canada's British Columbia.
11. Can you name the State which has the largest man-made harbor in the country, and 2 cities named Ono and Igo?
California, of course. The harbor is the Port of Los Angeles.
12. What American river did Charles Dickens describe as "a slimy monster hideous to behold"?
The Mississippi River
13. Of what State is it said--it would be the biggest State in the union if it were ironed out flat?
Idaho.
14. Can you give the number of States in the U.S. that are named after Presidents?
Just one State in the U.S. was named after a President. This is the State of Washington. As new States were admitted to the Union, efforts were constantly made to name one or another after Jackson, Jefferson, Washington, but for a half century, these efforts failed. Finally, in 1853, the formation of a new territory came before the House of Representatives. It was to be named the Territory of Columbia. Rep. Richard H. Stanton, of Kentucky, rose to say that "we never yet have dignified a Territory with the name of Washington" and said that he would like to see "at some future day, a sovereign State bearing the name of the Father of His Country. I therefore move to strike out the word Columbia, wherever it occurs in the bill, and to insert in lieu thereof the word Washington." The amendment was approved and the bill passed. Washington became the 42nd State on November 11, 1889.
15. How many State capitals are named after Presidents?
Four State capitals are named after Presidents of the U.S. They are: Jackson, Miss.; Jefferson City, Mo.; Lincoln, Nebr.; Madison, Wis.
16. What year was Alaska admitted to the Union?
Alaska became the 49th State on January 3, 1959.
17. Have diamonds ever been mined in any State of the U.S.?
Diamonds are mined in Arkansas.
18. In what State did Adolf Hitler once own 8,960 acres of land?
In 1942, it was discovered that the German Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, then at war with the U.S., actually owned 8,960 acres of valuable land in Colorado. The Mayor of Kit Carson, Colo., revealed that Hitler had inherited the grazing land from relatives in Germany. The spread, 4 mi. from the small city of Kit Carson, was used by neighboring ranchers for grazing cattle.
19. Of the 5 Great Lakes, only one is located entirely inside the U.S. Can you name the one?
Lake Michigan, alone among the Great Lakes, is entirely in the U.S.
20. What State is populated with the most people per square mile?
New Jersey has the greatest population density in the U.S. It has an average of 953 people crowded into every square mile.
21. To what State do Basques come from northern Spain to work as sheepherders?
The Basques tend sheep in Idaho.
22. What State was an independent republic for 14 years before it joined the Union?
Vermont was a republic before it became a State. The governor of New Hampshire gave out land grants to settlers of the Vermont area, and the area was called New Hampshire Grants. In 1777, to protect themselves against New York, which considered their land grants invalid, the settlers of New Hampshire Grants held a convention and established "a true and independent State." They named their republic New Connecticut. Later, the name was changed to Vert-Mont, French for "Green Mountain." This became Vermont by 1791 when the State joined the Union.
23. What percentage of Utah's population is Mormon?
Seventy percent of Utah's population is Mormon.
24. If the U.S. Federal Government took over welfare payments, what 3 States would get 51% of all the money?
New York, Massachusetts, and California are the leading welfare States in the Union.
25. In recent years there have been proposals to create a new State to be called Columbia or Lincoln out of parts of 2 existing neighboring States. Can you name the 2 States?

It has been proposed that eastern Washington and western Montana be combined into a new State.

So . . . tricky? I know I was stumped on a bunch of them!

Comments

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This is a neat quiz, Jerry! I'm a little baffled by the last answer though, since Eastern Washington and Western Montana are separated by Idaho. I guess I'll have to see what google can tell me.

Posted by: Chris | July 05, 2009 at 09:23 AM

I can't find anything in google about this. There are references to making D.C a state called Columbia.

Posted by: Chris | July 05, 2009 at 09:25 AM

Cool quiz. I am sorry to admit that I was baffled by few questions. I could never have guessed that part of Minnesota can't be reached by land from the US.
Also, Hitler and Colorado?
Interesting quiz.

Posted by: Candi | July 05, 2009 at 09:29 PM