Question 1

Which famous fashion designer's iconic little black dress, worn by Audrey Hepburn in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' sold at auction in 2006 for nearly $1 million?

Accepted Answer

Hubert de Givenchy. The sleeveless black Givenchy gown worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 opening scene sold for £467,200 — nearly $1 million — at Christie's in 2006. Hubert de Givenchy and Hepburn had a close personal friendship that made their collaboration one of fashion's most celebrated partnerships.

Question 2

Which U.S. president ordered the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945?

Accepted Answer

Harry S. Truman. Harry Truman, who had been president for less than a month when Germany surrendered in May 1945, later made the decision to use atomic weapons against Japan to end World War II without a costly land invasion. Roosevelt, who oversaw most of the war, died in April 1945 before the bombs were ready.

Question 3

Mary Shelley wrote 'Frankenstein' in 1818 — but what unusual circumstance prompted her to write it in the first place?

Accepted Answer

Lord Byron challenged the group to each write a ghost story during a stormy Swiss summer. Trapped indoors during the famously cold and stormy summer of 1816 — caused by volcanic ash from Mount Tambora — Byron challenged his guests at Villa Diodati to each write a horror story. The 18-year-old Mary Shelley's contribution became one of literature's most enduring novels.

Question 4

The Olympic Games were banned for over 1,500 years before being revived in 1896. Which Roman emperor issued the decree that ended the ancient Games in 393 AD?

Accepted Answer

Theodosius I. Emperor Theodosius I, a devout Christian, banned the Olympics as part of a broader suppression of pagan religious festivals — since the Games were dedicated to Zeus. They weren't held again until Pierre de Coubertin organized the modern revival in Athens, 1,503 years later.

Question 5

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system — but coral reefs aren't actually plants. What are the colorful animals that build reef structures actually called?

Accepted Answer

Polyps. Coral reefs are built by tiny animals called polyps, which secrete calcium carbonate skeletons. The vivid colors often come from symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae living inside the polyps — when the reef 'bleaches,' it means those algae have been expelled due to stress.

July 4, 2026 Trivia

1. Which famous fashion designer's iconic little black dress, worn by Audrey Hepburn in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' sold at auction in 2006 for nearly $1 million?

2. Which U.S. president ordered the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945?

3. Mary Shelley wrote 'Frankenstein' in 1818 — but what unusual circumstance prompted her to write it in the first place?

4. The Olympic Games were banned for over 1,500 years before being revived in 1896. Which Roman emperor issued the decree that ended the ancient Games in 393 AD?

5. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system — but coral reefs aren't actually plants. What are the colorful animals that build reef structures actually called?