# Trivia questions which, amazingly, have two answers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 7, 2017, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849 "2017-12-07T22:56:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/1 "2017-12-07T22:56:20Z")
I was watching a game show recently (_The Chase_, which I recommend quite highly, currently available on Netflix), and the question asked was: “What movie actor immediately preceded Jerry Brown as governor of California?” The contestant answered with “Ronald Reagan”. This was counted as incorrect, with the correct answer being “Arnold Schwarzenegger”. However, at the end of the round, ad judgment was made that Ronald Reagan was ALSO correct, and the contestant was awarded the point. Which, when you think about it, is pretty remarkable. “What movie actor immediately preceded Jerry Brown as governor of California?” is not a question that even HINTS at the possibility that it has two correct answers. For it to have two correct answers, then (a) Jerry Brown had to have been elected governor of California twice, nonconsecutively. Which is certainly not unknown, but is certainly unusual. And then (b) each of those times had to be immediately following a movie actor. Which is even less likely. In fact, Arnie and Reagan are between them probably at least half of the movie actors ever elected governor of ANY state. So the fact that there are two valid answers that question is quite an amazing coincidence. And, for the purposes of this thread, one that you would not even get a hint was possible just from the question itself. Anyone else have an example of a question of this sort? ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/2 "2017-12-07T23:10:44Z")
Is light a particle or a wave? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/3 "2017-12-07T23:18:06Z")
Once on Jeopardy, I heard them say “this president was the only one who was preceded and succeeded by the same man”. The answer given was Benjamin Harrison who was elected between Cleveland’s two terms. But if you think about it, Cleveland was succeeded and preceded by Harrison, too. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/4 "2017-12-07T23:22:26Z")
What is the capital of Bolivia? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/5 "2017-12-07T23:23:40Z")
“This Harvard graduate from the most powerful family in Massachusetts became President shortly after his predecessor, America’s top general, gave a famed speech warning America against foolish military policies.” ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/6 "2017-12-07T23:23:44Z")
Who lives at 123 fake street? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/7 "2017-12-07T23:25:55Z")
“Like his father, he was elected US President; unlike his father, he did not win the majority of the popular vote.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/8 "2017-12-07T23:45:39Z")
“This actor won an Oscar for playing the role of Vito Corleone.” ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/9 "2017-12-08T00:07:14Z")
Jerusalem is the capital of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/10 "2017-12-08T00:23:09Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Jerusalem is the capital of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_? > > 😉 Nicosia is the capital of this nation. Hyderabad is the capital of this Indian state. Umm… this state has Dakota in the name? Carolina? No? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/11 "2017-12-08T00:29:21Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > I was watching a game show recently (_The Chase_, which I recommend quite highly, currently available on Netflix), and the question asked was: > > “What movie actor immediately preceded Jerry Brown as governor of California?” > > The contestant answered with “Ronald Reagan”. This was counted as incorrect, with the correct answer being “Arnold Schwarzenegger”. However, at the end of the round, ad judgment was made that Ronald Reagan was ALSO correct, and the contestant was awarded the point. > Which, when you think about it, is pretty remarkable. > > “What movie actor immediately preceded Jerry Brown as governor of California?” is not a question that even HINTS at the possibility that it has two correct answers. For it to have two correct answers, then (a) Jerry Brown had to have been elected governor of California twice, nonconsecutively. Which is certainly not unknown, but is certainly unusual. And then (b) each of those times had to be immediately following a movie actor. Which is even less likely. In fact, Arnie and Reagan are between them probably at least half of the movie actors ever elected governor of ANY state. > > So the fact that there are two valid answers that question is quite an amazing coincidence. And, for the purposes of this thread, one that you would not even get a hint was possible just from the question itself. > Anyone else have an example of a question of this sort? We call that: Only in California. 😃 What was FDR’s wife’s married and maiden names? That’s a trivia question that has only one answer, but usually has two!! ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/12 "2017-12-08T00:30:04Z")
What actor from the cast of _All in the Family_ was nominated for an Academy Award, but not for acting? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/13 "2017-12-08T00:34:30Z")
This one actually happened to me. It was on the Usenet trivia newsgroup. What was the first Nasdaq-traded stock included in the Dow-Jones Industrial Average? Well I happened to know that the first two were added on the same day, so I chose one of them (Intel). Everyone else gave the other answer (Microsoft) and that was the official answer too. I had to protest, which was upheld. I probably should have pointed it out when I answered. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/14 "2017-12-08T00:34:56Z")
What actor who starred in the 1987 sci-fi action thriller _Predator_ later went on to become governor of a U.S. state? Bathurst Island (named after Henry Bathurst, the British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies) and Melville Island (named after Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville, First Lord of the Admiralty) are part of what country? Which U.S. President: Graduated from Harvard Attended Columbia University Law School Served in the New York state legislature Served as Governor of New York Served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy Defied tradition by running for third term as President Was noted for promoting a major domestic program with the nickname “\_\_\_\_ Deal” (HINT: His last name was “Roosevelt”.) ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/15 "2017-12-08T00:37:35Z")
What American President, who was also a signatory of the Declaration of Independence, died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/16 "2017-12-08T00:38:54Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Hyderabad is the capital of this Indian state. Hyderabad is a city of over 1 million people located in which country? ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/17 "2017-12-08T00:45:50Z")
One from the original (1981) Trivial Pursuit boardgame: What was Tycho Brahe’s nose made of? ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/18 "2017-12-08T00:56:40Z")
And one from the UK version of Trivial Pursuit: Who were the enemy at the Battle of Rorke’s Drift? ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/19 "2017-12-08T01:31:57Z")
Who is the Stryker armored personnel transport named after? ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849/20 "2017-12-08T01:33:14Z")
Most questions that can be answered with “Istanbul” could also be answered with “constantinople” if time isn’t a factor. (sorry, I’ve had that song stuck in my head forever) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-questions-which-amazingly-have-two-answers/803849.md?page=2)