|
This is how The Almaniac works:
We'll honor entries as received by the entry deadline, Thanksgiving, November 24.
We’ll send you the really big 1008-page World Almanac as well as The Old Maltese’s book of Almaniac instructions & questions.
The challenge will be to use the clues (there are clues) and avoid the tricks in tracking down the answers in the World Almanac. They are there.
You’ll have until the birthday of Jennifer Connelly and Frank Sinatra (December 12) to send us your answers. Custom-designed awards will
go to the top finishers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: the Fall 2022 Almaniac entries closed on Thanksgiving.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You'll delve into the World Almanac, at your kitchen table or wherever you want,
an hour or two at a time whenever you want, cruising through the index on your way to deciphering the clues.
What kind of questions do we ask? Here's one from the spring 2016 event:
What is the only color that's been in the title of an Oscar-winning movie (Best Picture)?
(Scroll down for the answer.)
Once you're underway, you'll have until the December 12 deadline to send us your answers.
After you've sent in your answers, we'll score your answer sheets and send you a complete set of results. To the top competitors will go custom-designed Almaniac awards.
Plus, local champion certificates will go to the best from each state, province, and country.
Here's the spring 2016 answer:
It's green, for 1941's How Green Was My Valley, starring Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O'Hara and directed by John Ford. (2016 World Almanac pp. 274-76)
(Oscars have been won for acting in other 'colorful' movies, such as by Cate Blanchett in 2013's Blue Jasmine,
but none of those films won as well for Best Picture.)
And here's a question from the spring 2017 Almaniac:
Which of these is closer to the North Pole: St. Paul, Minnesota, or Toronto, Ontario?
Here's the spring 2017 answer:
St. Paul's latitude is approximately 45° North; Toronto's is only 44° North. (2017 World Almanac p. 696)
And here's a question from the spring 2018 Almaniac:
Where is the world's largest island that's in a freshwater lake?
The spring 2018 answer:
In Lake Huron; it's Canada’s Manitoulin Island. (2018 World Almanac pp. 689, 694)
And one from the spring 2019 Almaniac:
Who invented the girls name Jessica?
The spring 2019 answer:
William Shakespeare invented the name Jessica [for Shylock’s daughter in The Merchant of Venice].
[2019 World Almanac, p. 712]
And one from the spring 2020 Almaniac:
Which of these was built first?
a) Angkor Wat in Cambodia
b) Forbidden City in China
c) St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice
d) Taj Mahal in India
The spring 2020 answer:
St. Mark’s Basilica was built in the 11th century [Angkor Wat 12th, Forbidden City 15th, Taj Mahal 17th].
[2020 World Almanac, p. 727]
And one from the spring 2021 Almaniac:
In which century, 20th or 21st, have Oscars been won by both Dern and Hudson?
The spring 2021 answer:
21st century: Jennifer Hudson won as supporting actress for 2006’s Dreamgirls;
Laura Dern for 2019’s Marriage Story. [2021 World Almanac, p. 310]
[Bruce Dern was nominated in both centuries –
1979’s Coming Home and 2014’s Nebraska – but won for neither;
Rock Hudson was nominated for 1956’s Giant but did not win.]
And a question from last spring's 2022 Almaniac:
What is a young kangaroo called – a boomerang, a joey, or a roo?
The spring 2022 answer:
A young kangaroo is called a joey, as a young bear is called a cub. [2022 World Almanac, p. 711]
[Roo is the name of a joey in Winnie-the-Pooh.]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
