ROUND ONE: CURRENT EVENTS and HISTORY

1. After 67 years calling Dodgers games from Ebbets Field to Chavez Ravine, this Hall of Fame broadcaster retired. Name him.
Vin Scully

2. October 17 marked the 27th anniversary of what earthquake, which shook the Bay Area?
Loma Prieta earthquake (some slight misspellings allowed)

3. The government of Ecuador directed its London embassy to do what to long-term guest Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks?
Cut off his internet access

4. Last week, the world’s longest-reigning monarch died at age 88 after 70 years on the throne. Name him and the official name of his country at the start of his reign.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Siam (or simply Bhumibol or Adulyadej)

5. For a hot minute, America fell in love with an undecided voter at the second presidential debate. Name … the brand of the red sweater worn by Ken Bone.
Izod

6. Who is the vice-presidential running mate for Green Party candidate Jill Stein?
Ajamu Baraka

7. A popular ride at Disney’s California Adventure will close in January. What is the name of this ride, and what Marvel property will be the theme of the new attraction?
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (also accepted Tower of Terror)
Guardians of the Galaxy

8. At the final Democratic presidential primary debate in April, only Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders remained. Name the three other candidates who vied with them at the first debate in October 2015.
Lincoln Chafee, Martin O’Malley, Jim Webb

9. The Republican field was much more crowded, of course. How many candidates did the GOP have at the time of the first debate in August 2015?
17

10. Originally created in 1939, the now-famous “Keep Calm and Carry On” slogan was never actually used during World War II. Rediscovered and unveiled in 2000, the iconic poster bears an image of the crown of which British king?
King George VI or King George the Sixth

11. A design of a corn maze in Chino, California, celebrates the 50th anniversary of what animated TV special? We are looking for its title.
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”

12. In August, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the final concert for the band fronted by Gord Downie, who is battling brain cancer. What is the name of this band, one Trudeau said would be “forever in our hearts and playlists”?
The Tragically Hip

13. In September, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature reclassified the status of the giant panda from “endangered” to “vulnerable.” What is the scientific name of the giant panda?
Ailuropoda melanoleuca (also accepted Ailuropoda only)

14. Two seemingly unrelated personalities teamed up to write a controversial op-ed in the August 31 edition of the Wall Street Journal railing against the dangers of pornography. Name them.
Pamela Anderson, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

15. In 1883, Dutch researcher Emil Hansen discovered that undrinkable beer was caused by contamination from wild yeast strains. He isolated a single cell of favorable yeast to create a pure culture that, along with its descendants, has been used ever since to brew what popular style of beer?
Lager

16. The Olympic flag with five interlocking rings on a white background was designed in 1912 by whom?
Pierre de Coubertin

17. On October 14, it was announced that what San Diego-based company will provide power to 14 Navy and Marine Corps bases across California?
Sempra

18. Who was the prime minister of the United Kingdom at the start of 2016, and what is the name of the current U.K. prime minister?
David Cameron, Theresa May

19. In the middle of a concert, Kanye West found out that his wife, Kim Kardashian West, staying in Paris, was tied up, locked in a bathroom and robbed of millions in jewelry. He told the crowd, “I’m sorry. I have a family emergency. I have to stop the show.” What song was Kanye in the middle of performing when he said that quote and left?
“Heartless”

20. What is the name of the storm that slammed into China’s southern island province of Hainan on Tuesday?
Typhoon Sarika

ROUND TWO: SCIENCE, GEOGRAPHY and LITERATURE

1. In September, a team of U.S. doctors introduced the first baby born from “three-parent fertilization,” a technique used to avoid a genetic disease carried by the mother. In what country was this baby born?
Mexico

2. Name the longest river in Asia that does not flow through any part of China.
Lena River

3. South Korea has about 3,000 islands. What is the name of the country’s largest island?
Jeju or Jeju-do

4. A centerpiece of the Dinosaur Hall at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum is a 34-foot-long skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex named for the brother of schoolteacher Robert Curry, who found the bones in Montana. What is the T. rex’s name?
Thomas

5. Thanks to its unusually fast motion, about 2.7 inches northward a year, what continent will have to update its latitude and longitude later this year by about 5 feet in order to line up with its GPS coordinates?
Australia

6. Emily Blunt currently stats as the protagonist of the film version of bestselling thriller “The Girl on the Train.” Who is the novel’s author?
Paula Hawkins

7. Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for literature last week. Among his most cited lyrics is “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” What 1965 song does that line come from?
“Subterranean Homesick Blues”

8. Manzanar, California, is widely known as a site of a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Name the county in which it is located.
Inyo County

9. Bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz uses that name to write suspense romance novels and her maiden name Jayne Castle to write futurist romance. What pen name does she use to write historical romance?
Amanda Quick

10. This Atlantic nation, a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark, can claim to have the most Nobel winners per capita: 1 per 48,000 residents. Name the nation.
Faroe Islands

11. Julianne Moore may be an Oscar- and Emmy-winning actress, but she is also the writer of a popular children’s book series starring what character?
Freckleface Strawberry

12. Everest and K2 are the highest mountain peaks in the world. The third-highest is in the Himalayan mountain range between Nepal and India. Name it.
Kangchenjunga

13. On Wednesday night, an unusual lunar event was visible over large portions of the U.S. in which the waning gibbous moon passed over the large orange star of Aldebaran. What is the name of this event?
An occultation (also accepted Blood Moon or Hunter’s Moon)

14. A visiting archaeologist announced last month that he had made a startling discovery in a medieval castle on the island of Okinawa. What 10 copper things did he suspect he found?
Roman coins (also accepted simply coins)

15. Vietnam is bordered by the South China Sea as well as two gulfs. Name them.
Gulf of Tonkin, Gulf of Thailand

16. Motoko Kusanagi is the protagonist for what 1990s manga series?
“Ghost in the Shell”

17. This month, the FAST radio telescope came online in China. At 500 meters in diameter, it is the largest radio telescope in the world. What have scientists nicknamed this device?
The Eye of Heaven or Heavenly Eye

18. Viet Thanh Nguyen received this year’s Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his debut novel. What is its title?
“The Sympathizer”

19. What two countries sit on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola?
Haiti, Dominican Republic

20. If you suffer from alektorophobia, which farm animal are you scared of?
Chickens (and like fowl, such as roosters)

ROUND THREE: POP CULTURE, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

1. By popular demand, Funko Pop! TV has just released the “Golden Girls” vinyl figure collection. What are the first names of the four Miami-based characters from the 1990s sitcom?
Rose, Dorothy, Blanche, Sophia

2. Former One Direction member Zayn Malik has been named the new designer for what fashion line?
Versus Versace

3. 2016 brought to the box office the highest-grossing R-rated animated film of all time. Name the film.
“Sausage Party”

4. How many Tony Awards did Lin-Manuel Miranda’s phenomenon “Hamilton” win?
11

5. In the 1976 Steve Miller Band song “Rock’n Me,” Miller sings, “I went from Phoenix, Arizona, all the way to Tacoma,” and then what three cities before he goes to Northern California?
Philadelphia, Atlanta, L.A.

6. Esquire magazine just named “2 Dope Queens” the most essential podcast of 2016. Name the two Brooklyn comedians who host the show.
Phoebe Robinson, Jessica Williams

7. In June, toy company Hasbro produced an action figure in the image of Candace Payne. By what nickname is Payne better known?
The Chewbacca Mom

8. The American Dialect Society annually names a Word of the Year. For 2012, it was “hashtag.” For 2014, the winner was an actual hashtag. Name it.
#BlackLivesMatter

9. Who was the first artist to do “Carpool Karaoke” with James Corden on “The Late Late Show”?
Mariah Carey

10. “Saturday Night Live” kicked off its 42nd season on October 1. Actress Margot Robbie was the host. Who was the musical guest, and who is the musical guest dating?
The Weeknd, Bella Hadid

11. What is the name of the character Rami Malek plays in the USA Network show “Mr. Robot”?
Elliot Anderton
(Note: Our answer key and thus emcee gave this wrong answer. The correct answer is Elliot Alderson, but we accepted Anderton and Elliot.)

12. With what piece of music did conductor Gustavo Dudamel open the Carnegie Hall season on October 3?
“The Rite of Spring”

13. The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., last month. What is the name of the architect for the building?
Philip Freelon

14. Speaking of museums, a unique one opened in June on the site of the old Frederick’s of Hollywood lingerie store on Hollywood Boulevard. It consists of artifacts reflecting lost love. What is the name of this museum?
The Museum of Broken Relationships

15. Which Gilbert and Sullivan opera is set in Venice?
“The Gondoliers”

16. Who is the current president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?
Cheryl Boone Isaacs

17. Derek Zoolander can devastate with his looks Blue Steel and Magnum, but what is the name of the look his son Derek. Jr unleashes at the end of “Zoolander 2”?
El Niño

18. What is the name of the company that unleashed Pokémon Go on the world?
Niantic

19. Who was named the United Nations’ Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls?
Wonder Woman

20. The original “Star Trek” TV series celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. It lasted three seasons but has produced five spin-offs. Name, in chronological order, those five spin-offs, including the one launching in 2017.
“The Next Generation,” “Deep Space Nine,” “Voyager,” “Enterprise,”
“Discovery”

ROUND FOUR: SPORTS & CALIFORNIA

1. When the Los Angeles Rams left the region in 1994, Chuck Knox was the team’s head coach. He has also been head coach of two other NFL teams. Name them.
Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills

2. Taekwondo athlete Pita Taufatofua became a viral video sensation after he appeared all greased up while carrying his country’s flag in the Olympic opening ceremonies in Rio. What country does he represent?
Tonga

3. Kobe Bryant wore two numbers during his career with the Lakers. What number was he wearing in 2006 during the game against the Toronto Raptors in which he scored 81 points?
No. 8

4. What is the motto for the city of Palm Springs?
“The People Are the City”

5. California cities and towns are famous for holding festivals for everything from garlic to roses. What California town has celebrated poison oak in an annual show for the last 30 years?
Columbia

6. In 1979, the National Hockey League announced that it would no longer allow incoming players to forgo helmets. Those players with existing contracts could go helmet-less if they signed a waiver. Who was the last NHL hockey player to go without a helmet, and what team did he play for?
Craig MacTavish, St. Louis Blues

7. What is the most widely produced wine varietal in California?
Chardonnay

8. An American brother-sister duo won the silver medal in ice dancing at the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships and became the highest-ranked team of ice dancers of Asian heritage in world championships history. What is their last name?
Shibutani

9. What Los Angeles County city erected a 26-foot monument in 2010 that was inspired by both the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and a Spanish castle?
Alhambra

10. Former Yankee Alex Rodriguez holds the record for career grand slams with 25. Name the two players who are tied for most grand slams in one season.
Don Mattingly, Travis Haffner

11. What is the quote inscribed above the public doorway in Los Angeles City Hall’s John Ferraro Council Chamber?
“Law is reason without passion”

12. What is the combined age of California’s two current U.S. senators?
158

13. Joseph Schooling won Singapore’s first-ever Olympic gold medal when he prevailed in the 100-meter butterfly in Rio. Another record-making mark in that race — the next three swimmers tied for silver. Who were they?
Michael Phelps, Chad le Clos, Lazslo Czeh

14. What is depicted inside the six-pointed star within the insignia for the L.A. County Sheriff’s Office?
A grizzly bear (or simply bear)

15. What town in Nevada County holds an annual memorial to the Donner Party, a group of ill-fated pioneers who met disaster in the mid-1800s?
Truckee

16. Name the men’s and women’s champions of Wimbledon this year.
Andy Murray, Serena Williams

17. The International Olympic Committee agreed to add baseball, softball and karate to its lineup for Tokyo 2020. It also agreed to three other sports designed to appeal to a younger audience. What are they?
Skateboarding, sports climbing, surfing

18. According to the National Park Service, what is the maximum number of people, including children, allowed per campsite at Yosemite National Park?
6

19. For the first time in its 132-year history, which club won this year’s English Premier League, overcoming 5,000-to-1 odds?
Leicester City

20. In 2013, musician Dave Grohl directed a documentary about legendary recording studio Sound City, which was located in what L.A. neighborhood?
Van Nuys