# U.S. History trivia quiz

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [October 26, 2007, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091 "2007-10-26T12:09:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 51

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**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1001 "2008-01-09T23:33:31Z")

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1. Charles Hughes, who also served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Governor of New York.

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1002 "2008-01-10T21:44:18Z")

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[QUOTE=Governor Quinn]  
640. Charles Hughes, who also served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Governor of New York.  
[/QUOTE]

Chief Justice of the United States, but yes. My favorite story about him is that a reporter called his home late on Election Night and asked to speak with him about the latest returns from California. A pompous aide, thinking Hughes had won, sniffed, “The President has retired for the evening. May I take a message?” The reporter said, “Yeah, you can tell him he’s not President anymore.”

White House lore.

1. An entire room is set aside for the White House’s collection of this particular kind of antique utensils.
2. What used to occupy the ground now occupied by the West Wing?
3. JFK watched a military review on the South Lawn not long before he died, and Jackie asked an infantry unit from what foreign country to return for his funeral?
4. The Lincoln boys asked for the pardon of a doll, which the President granted in writing. What was the doll’s name?
5. What did FDR decide he needed in the White House, after learning of Churchill’s?

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1003 "2008-01-13T22:00:21Z")

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No takers? Hmmm…maybe these.

Ill-fated U.S. Navy ships.

1. This _City_-class ironclad went down on the Yazoo River in Mississippi, the first ever sunk by an electrically-detonated mine.
2. The Japanese later said they didn’t really mean to bomb and strafe this warship not long before WW2.
3. The Israelis later said they didn’t really mean to bomb and strafe this warship in the late 1960s.
4. The Iraqis later said they didn’t really mean to hit this warship with a missile in the late 1980s.
5. The North Koreans captured this warship and still maintain it as a propaganda display.

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**Author:** ![Enterprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/76d3ee/32.png) [@Enterprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enterprise)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1004 "2008-01-13T22:07:39Z")

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[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir]  
No takers? Hmmm…maybe these.

Ill-fated U.S. Navy ships.

1. This _City_-class ironclad went down on the Yazoo River in Mississippi, the first ever sunk by an electrically-detonated mine.

2. The Japanese later said they didn’t really mean to bomb and strafe this warship not long before WW2.

3. The Israelis later said they didn’t really mean to bomb and strafe this warship in the late 1960s.

4. The Iraqis later said they didn’t really mean to hit this warship with a missile in the late 1980s.

5. The North Koreans captured this warship and still maintain it as a propaganda display.  
[/QUOTE]

6. _Cairo_

7. _Panay_

8. _Liberty_

9. _Stark_

10. _Mayaguez_? I think that’s the wrong one…that was the Cambodian one, wasn’t it?

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**Author:** ![Enterprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/76d3ee/32.png) [@Enterprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enterprise)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1005 "2008-01-13T22:11:21Z")

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I only got one:

1. He was the only person to sign all four: the Articles of Association, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation and U.S. Constitution.

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**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1006 "2008-01-13T22:15:16Z")

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Yeah, post 1002 is a stumper.

I’ll make a guess on 642: tea service?

Post 1003 is a little easier.  
648. The Japanese later said they didn’t really mean to bomb and strafe this warship not long before WW2.  
**Panay**

1. The Israelis later said they didn’t really mean to bomb and strafe this warship in the late 1960s.  
**Liberty**??

2. The North Koreans captured this warship and still maintain it as a propaganda display.  
**USS Pueblo**

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**Author:** ![Enterprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/76d3ee/32.png) [@Enterprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enterprise)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1007 "2008-01-13T22:16:25Z")

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[QUOTE=5 time champ]

1. The North Koreans captured this warship and still maintain it as a propaganda display.  
**USS Pueblo**  
[/QUOTE]

Ah, that’s the one :).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Enterprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/76d3ee/32.png) [@Enterprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enterprise)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1008 "2008-01-13T22:28:51Z")

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U.S. Navy tidbits:

1. These three Rear-Admirals were awarded Medals of Honor in World War II.
2. The only U.S. Navy cruiser ever sunk by the Royal Navy.
3. No other ship received more battle stars (for battles participated in) than this one.

Ship nicknames:  
656. “Unlucky I”  
657. “Blue Swan”  
658. “Holiday Raider”  
659. “The Mighty Moo”  
660. “Bonny Dick”  
661. “Swayback Maru”

And apologies for the monocentristic tendency of my questions…it’s hard without looking stuff up…

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**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1009 "2008-01-13T22:31:55Z")

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[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir]  
No takers? Hmmm…maybe these.

Ill-fated U.S. Navy ships.

1. This _City_-class ironclad went down on the Yazoo River in Mississippi, the first ever sunk by an electrically-detonated mine.
2. The Japanese later said they didn’t really mean to bomb and strafe this warship not long before WW2.
3. The Israelis later said they didn’t really mean to bomb and strafe this warship in the late 1960s.
4. The Iraqis later said they didn’t really mean to hit this warship with a missile in the late 1980s.
5. The North Koreans captured this warship and still maintain it as a propaganda display.  
[/QUOTE]

I’m sure you’re quite shocked to hear that four of these five all strike memories with me. Alas, the only ones I can remember names for are the answers to 649 and 650.

1. I believe this was the USS _Pueblo_, but I’m not very confident of that answer.

2. This was the USS _Stark_.  
On preview: Oh, bugger. Not only am I wrong in one of these cases, I’m too bloody late. 😉

Here’s a couple of questions of my own.  
662. What was recently (5 year window, here) recovered off the wreck of a ship similar to that referenced in 651?

1. What US vessel is often named as a victim of the Bermuda Triangle?

2. A sister ship of the vessel in 663 was refitted in the post WWI years to become the USS _Langley_. What was her pre-refit name?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1010 "2008-01-13T22:35:20Z")

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[QUOTE=Enterprise]  
655. No other ship received more battle stars (for battles participated in) than this one.  
[/QUOTE]

1. I believe this is the USS _Enterprise_. (The WWII one, that is. I can’t recall her hull number.)

Another question, sparked by **Enterprise** ’s list of ship nicknames.

1. What USN WWII vessel had a couple of nicknames that were forbidden, on pain of being kicked off the crew, by that vessel’s captain?

2. Why did the captain in 665. care so much about these nicknames?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Enterprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/76d3ee/32.png) [@Enterprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enterprise)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1011 "2008-01-13T23:14:56Z")

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[QUOTE=OtakuLoki]  
655. I believe this is the USS _Enterprise_. (The WWII one, that is. I can’t recall her hull number.)

[/QUOTE]

That’s right. CV-6…maybe a little to easy in a poster-post combo :).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1012 "2008-01-13T23:24:11Z")

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[QUOTE=Enterprise]  
That’s right. CV-6…maybe a little to easy in a poster-post combo :).  
[/QUOTE]

FWIW, I didn’t make the poster-post connection until I looked up again to see what your name was to credit you with sparking more questions from me.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1013 "2008-01-14T03:03:19Z")

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The **OP** says we can go back to 1492 for questions, can’t think of any from the 15th Century, but here’s a couple from the 16th

This Spaniard “discovered” the Mississippi River.

What was the _conquistador_ Coronado looking for?

and a couple three Navy themed  
Who commanded, or miscommanded the aforementioned USS Pueblo?

This Navy flier had a ringside seat for the Battle of Midway?

What was the first WW II Liberty ship named?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1014 "2008-01-14T03:24:40Z")

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[QUOTE=5 time champ]  
The **OP** says we can go back to 1492 for questions, can’t think of any from the 15th Century, but here’s a couple from the 16th

This Spaniard “discovered” the Mississippi River.

What was the _conquistador_ Coronado looking for?  
[/QUOTE]

Hernando de Soto.

The Seven Cities of Cibola, supposedly made of gold.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1015 "2008-01-14T03:48:43Z")

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[QUOTE=Enterprise]

1. _Cairo_
2. _Panay_
3. _Liberty_
4. _Stark_
5. _Mayaguez_? I think that’s the wrong one…that was the Cambodian one, wasn’t it?  
[/QUOTE]

All correct except 651, which **5 time champ** got: the USS _Pueblo_.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1016 "2008-01-14T03:52:59Z")

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[QUOTE=Enterprise]  
U.S. Navy tidbits:

1. These three Rear-Admirals were awarded Medals of Honor in World War II.
2. The only U.S. Navy cruiser ever sunk by the Royal Navy.
3. No other ship received more battle stars (for battles participated in) than this one.

Ship nicknames:  
656. “Unlucky I”  
657. “Blue Swan”  
658. “Holiday Raider”  
659. “The Mighty Moo”  
660. “Bonny Dick”  
661. “Swayback Maru”

And apologies for the monocentristic tendency of my questions…it’s hard without looking stuff up…  
[/QUOTE]

Per the OP, please ask no more than five questions at a time.

1. USS _Intrepid_
2. USS _Missouri_
3. USS _Bonhomme Richard_
4. USS _Cyclops_

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1017 "2008-01-14T03:58:20Z")

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[QUOTE=5 time champ]  
The **OP** says we can go back to 1492 for questions, can’t think of any from the 15th Century, but here’s a couple from the 16th

[667.] This Spaniard “discovered” the Mississippi River.

[668.] What was the _conquistador_ Coronado looking for?

and a couple three Navy themed  
[669.] Who commanded, or miscommanded the aforementioned USS Pueblo?

[670.] This Navy flier had a ringside seat for the Battle of Midway?

[671]. What was the first WW II Liberty ship named?  
[/QUOTE]

Numbers added, per the OP, for ease in later reference.

1. DeSoto.
2. Ens. George Gay, sole survivor of the doomed torpedo squadron
3. Seems too easy, but… the _Liberty_?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1018 "2008-01-14T04:08:01Z")

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[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir]  
663. USS _Cyclops_  
[/QUOTE]

Correct.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1019 "2008-01-14T06:20:32Z")

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654: The only one I can think of was the _Brooklyn_, I believe, which at the time of its demise was the Argentine Navy’s _Belgrano_

And I think the captain of the _Pueblo_ was LCDR Bucher, possibly Lloyd Bucher.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Enterprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/76d3ee/32.png) [@Enterprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enterprise)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1020 "2008-01-14T10:52:01Z")

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[QUOTE=movingfinger]  
654: The only one I can think of was the _Brooklyn_, I believe, which at the time of its demise was the Argentine Navy’s _Belgrano_

[/QUOTE]

Close, but not quite. The second part is correct.

[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir]

Per the OP, please ask no more than five questions at a time.

1. USS Intrepid
2. USS Missouri
3. USS Bonhomme Richard

[/QUOTE]

Sorry about the too many questions. I didn’t really check the OP again. Your answers are correct except for 659: _Missouri_ was the “Mighty Mo”, not the “Mighty Moo”.

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