• QFTCIUA26 Game 2, Rounds 7-8: Ottomans, name changes

    From Mark Brader@3:633/10 to All on Friday, September 04, 2026 07:14:15
    These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2026-01-19,
    and should be interpreted accordingly.

    On each question you may give up to two answers, but if you give
    both a right answer and a wrong answer, there is a small penalty.
    Please post all your answers in a single followup to the newsgroup,
    based only on your own knowledge. (In your answer posting, quote
    the questions and place your answer below each one.) I will reveal
    the correct answers in about 3 days.

    All questions were written by members of Unnatural Axxxe, and are
    used here by permission, but have been reformatted and may have
    been retyped and/or edited by me. The posting and tabulation of
    current-events questions is independent of the concurrent posting
    of other rounds. For further information please see my 2026-03-10
    companion posting on "Questions from the Canadian Inquisition
    (QFTCI*)".


    * Game 2, Round 7 - History - Istanbul, Not Constantinople

    In the words of a popular song:
    "Istanbul was Constantinople
    Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
    Been a long time gone, Constantinople
    Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night."
    With that, pull up your Ottomans and let's talk empire.

    1. Within 50 years, how long did the Ottoman Empire last?
    2. Within 20 years, when did Constantinople fall to the Turks?

    3. Who was dubbed "the Magnificent" for presiding as Sultan over
    the Empire at its greatest reign, from the gates of Vienna to
    the Persian Gulf?

    4. What unprecedented human tragedy took place in the Ottoman
    Empire in 1915-16, in a shocking display of mass cruelty even
    in the context of the Great War?

    5. Who became the leader of Turkey after the First World War?

    6. In his bid to create a secular state, what major change did
    <answer 5> make to the written Turkish language>

    7. In 2022, Turkey had an official name change within the
    international community. Either give the new spelling or
    officially correct new pronunciation.

    8. The religious figure Bartholomew I lives in Istanbul. Give his
    title, mentioning the relevant religious group.

    9. The "whirling dervishes" are part of which mystical sect of
    Islam in Turkey?

    10. Hammams have been a popular way to socialize in Turkey for
    more than 1,000 years. What do we commonly call Hammams
    in English?


    * Game 2, Round 8 - Geography - The Metropolis Formerly Known As...

    Like people, cities change their names for myriad reasons.

    1. As you may remember, Istanbul was Constantinople. But before
    that, the Greeks and Romans called it something else. What?

    2. By what name do we know the former Polish city of Danzig?

    3. What is the former New Amsterdam known as these days?

    4. It used to be the Ontario city of Berlin. What do we call
    it now?

    5. For some reason, the name Stalingrad fell out of favor.
    You might say it was purged. What is it its current name?

    6. What is the current name of the former Burmese city of Rangoon?

    7. The Greeks called this now-Turkish city Smyrna. What is it
    called now?

    8. In another case of post-Soviet cleansing, in a 1991 referendum,
    Leningrad took back the name it had for hundreds of years.
    Name it.

    9. Back when it was still Rhodesia, the capital of what is now
    Zimbabwe was Salisbury. What's its name today?

    10. For 300 years, this Nordic capital went by the name Christiania.
    In 1925, it changed to the name we know it by today. Name that
    capital.

    --
    Mark Brader, Toronto | "She gave me the look she gives me."
    msb@vex.net | --Michael Wares

    My text in this article is in the public domain.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Erland Sommarskog@3:633/10 to All on Friday, September 04, 2026 15:49:48
    Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:
    * Game 2, Round 7 - History - Istanbul, Not Constantinople
    1. Within 50 years, how long did the Ottoman Empire last?

    Now that's a question! I mean, when did it big enough to count as an
    empire? I will count since the conquest of Bursa, but a town is not
    really an empire.

    631 years

    2. Within 20 years, when did Constantinople fall to the Turks?

    1453

    3. Who was dubbed "the Magnificent" for presiding as Sultan over
    the Empire at its greatest reign, from the gates of Vienna to
    the Persian Gulf?

    Suleyman

    4. What unprecedented human tragedy took place in the Ottoman
    Empire in 1915-16, in a shocking display of mass cruelty even
    in the context of the Great War?

    Genocide of Armenians

    5. Who became the leader of Turkey after the First World War?

    Kemal Atat?rk

    6. In his bid to create a secular state, what major change did
    <answer 5> make to the written Turkish language>

    Adopted?Latin script. (Preiously, Turkish used the Arabic script.)

    7. In 2022, Turkey had an official name change within the
    international community. Either give the new spelling or
    officially correct new pronunciation.

    Turkiye

    8. The religious figure Bartholomew I lives in Istanbul. Give his
    title, mentioning the relevant religious group.

    Patriarch of the Greek-Orthodux Church

    9. The "whirling dervishes" are part of which mystical sect of
    Islam in Turkey?

    Alavites

    10. Hammams have been a popular way to socialize in Turkey for
    more than 1,000 years. What do we commonly call Hammams
    in English?

    Baths

    * Game 2, Round 8 - Geography - The Metropolis Formerly Known As...

    Like people, cities change their names for myriad reasons.

    1. As you may remember, Istanbul was Constantinople. But before
    that, the Greeks and Romans called it something else. What?

    Byzantium

    2. By what name do we know the former Polish city of Danzig?

    Gdansk

    And it is still very much a Polish city. (But it was German for a while.)

    3. What is the former New Amsterdam known as these days?

    New York

    4. It used to be the Ontario city of Berlin. What do we call
    it now?

    Kitchener

    (And the only reason I would know this is that this comes up in these
    quizzes every now and then.)

    5. For some reason, the name Stalingrad fell out of favor.
    You might say it was purged. What is it its current name?

    Volgograd. (And before it became Stalingrad, it was Tsaritsyn)

    6. What is the current name of the former Burmese city of Rangoon?

    Yangoon

    7. The Greeks called this now-Turkish city Smyrna. What is it
    called now?

    Izimir

    8. In another case of post-Soviet cleansing, in a 1991 referendum,
    Leningrad took back the name it had for hundreds of years.
    Name it.

    Saint Petersburg

    (Actually, it only had that name for 211 years, just on the brink to
    count as "hundreds")

    9. Back when it was still Rhodesia, the capital of what is now
    Zimbabwe was Salisbury. What's its name today?

    Harare

    10. For 300 years, this Nordic capital went by the name Christiania.
    In 1925, it changed to the name we know it by today. Name that
    capital.

    Oslo



    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From James Dow Allen@3:633/10 to All on Friday, September 04, 2026 16:30:24

    msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) posted:

    1. Within 50 years, how long did the Ottoman Empire last?

    517 years

    2. Within 20 years, when did Constantinople fall to the Turks?

    1453


    3. Who was dubbed "the Magnificent" for presiding as Sultan over
    the Empire at its greatest reign, from the gates of Vienna to
    the Persian Gulf?

    4. What unprecedented human tragedy took place in the Ottoman
    Empire in 1915-16, in a shocking display of mass cruelty even
    in the context of the Great War?

    Massacre of Armenians


    5. Who became the leader of Turkey after the First World War?

    6. In his bid to create a secular state, what major change did
    <answer 5> make to the written Turkish language>

    Adoptimg a variation of the Roman alphabet


    7. In 2022, Turkey had an official name change within the
    international community. Either give the new spelling or
    officially correct new pronunciation.

    Turkiye


    8. The religious figure Bartholomew I lives in Istanbul. Give his
    title, mentioning the relevant religious group.

    Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church


    9. The "whirling dervishes" are part of which mystical sect of
    Islam in Turkey?

    10. Hammams have been a popular way to socialize in Turkey for
    more than 1,000 years. What do we commonly call Hammams
    in English?

    potlucks



    * Game 2, Round 8 - Geography - The Metropolis Formerly Known As...

    Like people, cities change their names for myriad reasons.

    1. As you may remember, Istanbul was Constantinople. But before
    that, the Greeks and Romans called it something else. What?

    Byzantium


    2. By what name do we know the former Polish city of Danzig?

    Gdansk


    3. What is the former New Amsterdam known as these days?

    New York


    4. It used to be the Ontario city of Berlin. What do we call
    it now?

    Toronto
    Ottawa


    5. For some reason, the name Stalingrad fell out of favor.
    You might say it was purged. What is it its current name?

    Volgograd


    6. What is the current name of the former Burmese city of Rangoon?

    Myanwaddy


    7. The Greeks called this now-Turkish city Smyrna. What is it
    called now?

    Ankara


    8. In another case of post-Soviet cleansing, in a 1991 referendum,
    Leningrad took back the name it had for hundreds of years.
    Name it.

    St.Petersburg


    9. Back when it was still Rhodesia, the capital of what is now
    Zimbabwe was Salisbury. What's its name today?

    10. For 300 years, this Nordic capital went by the name Christiania.
    In 1925, it changed to the name we know it by today. Name that
    capital.

    Copenhagen



    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Pete Gayde@3:633/10 to All on Friday, September 04, 2026 13:41:29
    Mark Brader wrote:
    These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2026-01-19,
    and should be interpreted accordingly.

    On each question you may give up to two answers, but if you give
    both a right answer and a wrong answer, there is a small penalty.
    Please post all your answers in a single followup to the newsgroup,
    based only on your own knowledge. (In your answer posting, quote
    the questions and place your answer below each one.) I will reveal
    the correct answers in about 3 days.

    All questions were written by members of Unnatural Axxxe, and are
    used here by permission, but have been reformatted and may have
    been retyped and/or edited by me. The posting and tabulation of current-events questions is independent of the concurrent posting
    of other rounds. For further information please see my 2026-03-10
    companion posting on "Questions from the Canadian Inquisition
    (QFTCI*)".


    * Game 2, Round 7 - History - Istanbul, Not Constantinople

    In the words of a popular song:
    "Istanbul was Constantinople
    Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
    Been a long time gone, Constantinople
    Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night."
    With that, pull up your Ottomans and let's talk empire.

    1. Within 50 years, how long did the Ottoman Empire last?

    350; 451

    2. Within 20 years, when did Constantinople fall to the Turks?

    1152; 1193


    3. Who was dubbed "the Magnificent" for presiding as Sultan over
    the Empire at its greatest reign, from the gates of Vienna to
    the Persian Gulf?

    Saladdin


    4. What unprecedented human tragedy took place in the Ottoman
    Empire in 1915-16, in a shocking display of mass cruelty even
    in the context of the Great War?

    Armenian Genocide


    5. Who became the leader of Turkey after the First World War?

    Kemal Ataturk


    6. In his bid to create a secular state, what major change did
    <answer 5> make to the written Turkish language>

    Change from Cyrillic to Latin alphabet


    7. In 2022, Turkey had an official name change within the
    international community. Either give the new spelling or
    officially correct new pronunciation.

    Turkiye


    8. The religious figure Bartholomew I lives in Istanbul. Give his
    title, mentioning the relevant religious group.

    Greek Orthodox patriarch


    9. The "whirling dervishes" are part of which mystical sect of
    Islam in Turkey?

    Sufi


    10. Hammams have been a popular way to socialize in Turkey for
    more than 1,000 years. What do we commonly call Hammams
    in English?


    * Game 2, Round 8 - Geography - The Metropolis Formerly Known As...

    Like people, cities change their names for myriad reasons.

    1. As you may remember, Istanbul was Constantinople. But before
    that, the Greeks and Romans called it something else. What?

    Byzantium


    2. By what name do we know the former Polish city of Danzig?

    Gdansk


    3. What is the former New Amsterdam known as these days?

    New York


    4. It used to be the Ontario city of Berlin. What do we call
    it now?

    Kitchener


    5. For some reason, the name Stalingrad fell out of favor.
    You might say it was purged. What is it its current name?

    Volgagrad


    6. What is the current name of the former Burmese city of Rangoon?

    Yangon


    7. The Greeks called this now-Turkish city Smyrna. What is it
    called now?

    Ankara


    8. In another case of post-Soviet cleansing, in a 1991 referendum,
    Leningrad took back the name it had for hundreds of years.
    Name it.

    St Petersburg


    9. Back when it was still Rhodesia, the capital of what is now
    Zimbabwe was Salisbury. What's its name today?

    Harare


    10. For 300 years, this Nordic capital went by the name Christiania.
    In 1925, it changed to the name we know it by today. Name that
    capital.

    Oslo



    Pete Gayde

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Joshua Kreitzer@3:633/10 to All on Friday, September 04, 2026 19:38:00
    On 9/4/2026 2:14 AM, Mark Brader wrote:

    * Game 2, Round 7 - History - Istanbul, Not Constantinople

    In the words of a popular song:
    "Istanbul was Constantinople
    Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
    Been a long time gone, Constantinople
    Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night."
    With that, pull up your Ottomans and let's talk empire.

    1. Within 50 years, how long did the Ottoman Empire last?

    467 years

    2. Within 20 years, when did Constantinople fall to the Turks?

    1453

    3. Who was dubbed "the Magnificent" for presiding as Sultan over
    the Empire at its greatest reign, from the gates of Vienna to
    the Persian Gulf?

    Suleiman
    4. What unprecedented human tragedy took place in the Ottoman
    Empire in 1915-16, in a shocking display of mass cruelty even
    in the context of the Great War?

    genocide of the Armenians

    5. Who became the leader of Turkey after the First World War?

    Ataturk

    6. In his bid to create a secular state, what major change did
    <answer 5> make to the written Turkish language>

    changed the writing system to the Latin alphabet

    7. In 2022, Turkey had an official name change within the
    international community. Either give the new spelling or
    officially correct new pronunciation.

    Turkiye

    8. The religious figure Bartholomew I lives in Istanbul. Give his
    title, mentioning the relevant religious group.

    Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church

    9. The "whirling dervishes" are part of which mystical sect of
    Islam in Turkey?

    Sufi

    10. Hammams have been a popular way to socialize in Turkey for
    more than 1,000 years. What do we commonly call Hammams
    in English?

    Turkish baths
    * Game 2, Round 8 - Geography - The Metropolis Formerly Known As...

    Like people, cities change their names for myriad reasons.

    1. As you may remember, Istanbul was Constantinople. But before
    that, the Greeks and Romans called it something else. What?

    Byzantium
    2. By what name do we know the former Polish city of Danzig?

    Gdansk

    3. What is the former New Amsterdam known as these days?

    New York City

    4. It used to be the Ontario city of Berlin. What do we call
    it now?

    Kitchener

    5. For some reason, the name Stalingrad fell out of favor.
    You might say it was purged. What is it its current name?

    Volgograd
    6. What is the current name of the former Burmese city of Rangoon?

    Yangon

    7. The Greeks called this now-Turkish city Smyrna. What is it
    called now?

    Izmir

    8. In another case of post-Soviet cleansing, in a 1991 referendum,
    Leningrad took back the name it had for hundreds of years.
    Name it.

    St. Petersburg

    9. Back when it was still Rhodesia, the capital of what is now
    Zimbabwe was Salisbury. What's its name today?

    Harare

    10. For 300 years, this Nordic capital went by the name Christiania.
    In 1925, it changed to the name we know it by today. Name that
    capital.

    Oslo

    --
    Joshua Kreitzer
    gromit82@hotmail.com

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Dan Blum@3:633/10 to All on Saturday, September 05, 2026 13:04:21
    Mark Brader <msb@vex.net> wrote:

    * Game 2, Round 7 - History - Istanbul, Not Constantinople

    1. Within 50 years, how long did the Ottoman Empire last?

    450

    2. Within 20 years, when did Constantinople fall to the Turks?

    1453

    3. Who was dubbed "the Magnificent" for presiding as Sultan over
    the Empire at its greatest reign, from the gates of Vienna to
    the Persian Gulf?

    Suleiman

    4. What unprecedented human tragedy took place in the Ottoman
    Empire in 1915-16, in a shocking display of mass cruelty even
    in the context of the Great War?

    Armenian genocide

    5. Who became the leader of Turkey after the First World War?

    Ataturk

    6. In his bid to create a secular state, what major change did
    <answer 5> make to the written Turkish language>

    decreed that it be written in the (modified) Latin alphabet

    7. In 2022, Turkey had an official name change within the
    international community. Either give the new spelling or
    officially correct new pronunciation.

    Turkiye

    8. The religious figure Bartholomew I lives in Istanbul. Give his
    title, mentioning the relevant religious group.

    Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church

    9. The "whirling dervishes" are part of which mystical sect of
    Islam in Turkey?

    Sufi

    10. Hammams have been a popular way to socialize in Turkey for
    more than 1,000 years. What do we commonly call Hammams
    in English?

    coffeehouses

    * Game 2, Round 8 - Geography - The Metropolis Formerly Known As...

    1. As you may remember, Istanbul was Constantinople. But before
    that, the Greeks and Romans called it something else. What?

    Byzantium

    2. By what name do we know the former Polish city of Danzig?

    Gdansk

    3. What is the former New Amsterdam known as these days?

    New York

    4. It used to be the Ontario city of Berlin. What do we call
    it now?

    Kitchener

    5. For some reason, the name Stalingrad fell out of favor.
    You might say it was purged. What is it its current name?

    Volgograd

    6. What is the current name of the former Burmese city of Rangoon?

    Yangon

    8. In another case of post-Soviet cleansing, in a 1991 referendum,
    Leningrad took back the name it had for hundreds of years.
    Name it.

    Saint Petersburg

    9. Back when it was still Rhodesia, the capital of what is now
    Zimbabwe was Salisbury. What's its name today?

    Harare

    10. For 300 years, this Nordic capital went by the name Christiania.
    In 1925, it changed to the name we know it by today. Name that
    capital.

    Stockholm

    --
    _______________________________________________________________________
    Dan Blum tool@panix.com
    "I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't just made it up."

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Dan Tilque@3:633/10 to All on Saturday, September 05, 2026 13:40:48
    On 9/4/26 00:14, Mark Brader wrote:


    * Game 2, Round 7 - History - Istanbul, Not Constantinople

    In the words of a popular song:
    "Istanbul was Constantinople
    Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
    Been a long time gone, Constantinople
    Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night."
    With that, pull up your Ottomans and let's talk empire.

    1. Within 50 years, how long did the Ottoman Empire last?

    750

    2. Within 20 years, when did Constantinople fall to the Turks?

    1453


    3. Who was dubbed "the Magnificent" for presiding as Sultan over
    the Empire at its greatest reign, from the gates of Vienna to
    the Persian Gulf?

    Suleiman


    4. What unprecedented human tragedy took place in the Ottoman
    Empire in 1915-16, in a shocking display of mass cruelty even
    in the context of the Great War?

    Armenian genocide


    5. Who became the leader of Turkey after the First World War?

    Kemal Atatrk


    6. In his bid to create a secular state, what major change did
    <answer 5> make to the written Turkish language>

    change the alphabet from Arabic to Latin


    7. In 2022, Turkey had an official name change within the
    international community. Either give the new spelling or
    officially correct new pronunciation.

    Trkiye


    8. The religious figure Bartholomew I lives in Istanbul. Give his
    title, mentioning the relevant religious group.

    Patriarch of Greek Orthodox Church


    9. The "whirling dervishes" are part of which mystical sect of
    Islam in Turkey?

    10. Hammams have been a popular way to socialize in Turkey for
    more than 1,000 years. What do we commonly call Hammams
    in English?


    * Game 2, Round 8 - Geography - The Metropolis Formerly Known As...

    Like people, cities change their names for myriad reasons.

    1. As you may remember, Istanbul was Constantinople. But before
    that, the Greeks and Romans called it something else. What?

    Byzantium


    2. By what name do we know the former Polish city of Danzig?

    Gdansk

    (I think you mean "former German City"?)


    3. What is the former New Amsterdam known as these days?

    New York


    4. It used to be the Ontario city of Berlin. What do we call
    it now?

    Kitchener


    5. For some reason, the name Stalingrad fell out of favor.
    You might say it was purged. What is it its current name?

    Volgograd


    6. What is the current name of the former Burmese city of Rangoon?

    7. The Greeks called this now-Turkish city Smyrna. What is it
    called now?

    Ismir


    8. In another case of post-Soviet cleansing, in a 1991 referendum,
    Leningrad took back the name it had for hundreds of years.
    Name it.

    St Petersburg


    9. Back when it was still Rhodesia, the capital of what is now
    Zimbabwe was Salisbury. What's its name today?

    Harare


    10. For 300 years, this Nordic capital went by the name Christiania.
    In 1925, it changed to the name we know it by today. Name that
    capital.

    Oslo

    --
    Dan Tilque

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Mark Brader@3:633/10 to All on Monday, September 07, 2026 07:24:29
    Mark Brader:
    These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2026-01-19,
    and should be interpreted accordingly... For further information
    please see my 2026-03-10 companion posting on "Questions from the
    Canadian Inquisition (QFTCI*)".


    * Game 2, Round 7 - History - Istanbul, Not Constantinople

    In the words of a popular song:
    "Istanbul was Constantinople
    Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
    Been a long time gone, Constantinople
    Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night."
    With that, pull up your Ottomans and let's talk empire.

    1. Within 50 years, how long did the Ottoman Empire last?

    623 (1299-1922). (Accepting 573-673.) 4 for Erland.

    2. Within 20 years, when did Constantinople fall to the Turks?

    1452 (accepting 1432-1472). 4 for Erland, James, Joshua, Dan Blum,
    and Dan Tilque.

    3. Who was dubbed "the Magnificent" for presiding as Sultan over
    the Empire at its greatest reign, from the gates of Vienna to
    the Persian Gulf?

    Suleiman. 4 for Erland, Joshua, Dan Blum, and Dan Tilque.

    4. What unprecedented human tragedy took place in the Ottoman
    Empire in 1915-16, in a shocking display of mass cruelty even
    in the context of the Great War?

    Armenian genocide. 4 for everyone -- Erland, James, Pete, Joshua,
    Dan Blum, and Dan Tilque.

    5. Who became the leader of Turkey after the First World War?

    Mustafa Kemal Atat?rk. 4 for Erland, Pete, Joshua, Dan Blum,
    and Dan Tilque.

    6. In his bid to create a secular state, what major change did
    <answer 5> make to the written Turkish language>

    He replaced the Arabic script with a new alphabet based on Latin
    script. 4 for Erland, James, Joshua, Dan Blum, and Dan Tilque.
    3 for Pete.

    7. In 2022, Turkey had an official name change within the
    international community. Either give the new spelling or
    officially correct new pronunciation.

    T?rkiye, "TUR-key-yeh". 4 for everyone.

    8. The religious figure Bartholomew I lives in Istanbul. Give his
    title, mentioning the relevant religious group.

    Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, the spiritual leader
    of Orthodox Christians. 4 for James, Joshua, and Dan Blum.
    3 for Erland, Pete, and Dan Tilque.

    I scored references to "Greek" Orthodox as almost correct.

    9. The "whirling dervishes" are part of which mystical sect of
    Islam in Turkey?

    Sufi. 4 for Pete, Joshua, and Dan Blum.

    10. Hammams have been a popular way to socialize in Turkey for
    more than 1,000 years. What do we commonly call Hammams
    in English?

    Turkish baths. 4 for Erland and Joshua.


    * Game 2, Round 8 - Geography - The Metropolis Formerly Known As...

    Like people, cities change their names for myriad reasons.

    1. As you may remember, Istanbul was Constantinople. But before
    that, the Greeks and Romans called it something else. What?

    Byzantium. 4 for everyone.

    2. By what name do we know the former Polish city of Danzig?

    Gdansk. 4 for everyone.

    3. What is the former New Amsterdam known as these days?

    New York. 4 for everyone.

    4. It used to be the Ontario city of Berlin. What do we call
    it now?

    Kitchener. 4 for Erland, Pete, Joshua, Dan Blum, and Dan Tilque.

    5. For some reason, the name Stalingrad fell out of favor.
    You might say it was purged. What is it its current name?

    Volgograd. 4 for everyone.

    6. What is the current name of the former Burmese city of Rangoon?

    Yangon. 4 for Erland, Pete, Joshua, and Dan Blum.

    7. The Greeks called this now-Turkish city Smyrna. What is it
    called now?

    Izmir. 4 for Erland, Joshua, and Dan Tilque.

    8. In another case of post-Soviet cleansing, in a 1991 referendum,
    Leningrad took back the name it had for hundreds of years.
    Name it.

    St. Petersburg. 4 for everyone.

    9. Back when it was still Rhodesia, the capital of what is now
    Zimbabwe was Salisbury. What's its name today?

    Harare. 4 for Erland, Pete, Joshua, Dan Blum, and Dan Tilque.

    10. For 300 years, this Nordic capital went by the name Christiania.
    In 1925, it changed to the name we know it by today. Name that
    capital.

    Oslo. 4 for Erland, Pete, Joshua, and Dan Tilque.


    Scores, if there are no errors:

    GAME 2 ROUNDS-> 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 BEST
    TOPICS-> Sci Ent Lit Aud Spo His Geo FIVE
    Joshua Kreitzer 35 35 40 32 40 36 40 191
    Dan Blum 36 20 40 0 8 32 32 160
    Dan Tilque 28 0 24 0 12 27 36 127
    Erland Sommarskog 0 4 3 4 4 35 40 87
    Pete Gayde 6 11 -- -- -- 22 36 75
    James Dow Allen -- -- 16 4 4 20 20 64

    --
    Mark Brader | "Oh, sure, you can make anything sound sleazy if you,
    Toronto | you know, tell it exactly the way it happened."
    msb@vex.net | -- Bruce Rasmussen: "Anything But Love"

    My text in this article is in the public domain.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Erland Sommarskog@3:633/10 to All on Monday, September 07, 2026 22:32:55
    Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:
    2. Within 20 years, when did Constantinople fall to the Turks?

    1452 (accepting 1432-1472). 4 for Erland, James, Joshua, Dan Blum,
    and Dan Tilque.

    I quote Wikipedia:

    On 29 May 1453, after a 55-day siege during which the last Roman emperor,
    Constantine XI, was killed, Sultan Mehmed II "the Conqueror" captured
    Constantinople.

    My guess is that 1452 is a typo somewhere.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)