Trivia Q&A: January 2

It was nice to see a good crowd in Professor Thom's for Trivia on a special Wednesday night to start the year of 2013. Many of the regulars were back after most passed on last week's Trivia Night that wasn't. We had 16 teams in for the festivities.
We didn't have any perfect scores until the fourth round, and it was close between the top five teams throughout the night. IQ Trivia was an unusual round, as we had five get all 5 correct, but most teams got either 1 or 2 correct. (It's usually spread out a bit more.) And we also had another unusual occurrence: a solo winner. My friend Dave, who is normally paired with some other friends, went alone and wound up winning by two points with 51, under the name If Abe Vigoda Were Alive Today... Great job, Dave!
Second place went to Trivia Killed The Michigan Bar with 49, and third place went to 18 Years, 18 Years & On His 18th Birthday, He Found It Was Ray J's with 46 points.
Current Events
1. Richard Engel, the chief foreign correspondent for NBC News, and four colleagues were released after being held captive for 5 days in what Middle Eastern country?
2. Who was named Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2012?
3. Robert Bork, former federal judge who was rejected after being nominated to the Supreme Court, died recently at the age of 85. What US president nominated him?
4. Which European country was number one in a recent survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit as "The Best Country To Be Born in 2013?"
5. The Associated Press selected what singer as the 2012 "Entertainer of the Year?"
6. What Asian country elected its first female president recently, the daughter of the country's ruler in the 1960s and '70s?
7. The Venus, a high-tech yacht commissioned by what late entrepreneur, was impounded by Dutch officials recently over a money dispute between the man's heirs and the yacht's designer?
The Year 2012 In Review
1. What action film became the UK's all-time biggest-selling movie in 2012, eclipsing "Avatar"'s record of 93.7 million pounds?
2. The Skytree, the tallest self-supporting tower in the world at 2,080 feet, opened in what world capital city last February?
3. What country got hit with an enormous power blackout, the largest in history last July, affecting over 620 million people over two days?
4. Felix Baumgartner made a space dive of 24 miles, breaking the sound barrier last October over what US state?
5. In August, Apple passed what company as the largest American one ever, with a stock market value of over $623 billion?
6. What restaurant chain overtook Burger King last March to become America's number two hamburger chain behind McDonald's?
7. Guggenheim Partners purchased what MLB franchise last May for $2.1 billion, the largest purchase of a sports team in history?
Did They Make It Through 2012? ("The Q Train")
1. Doris Day
2. Mickey Rooney
3. Andy Griffith
4. Maureen O'Hara
5. George McGovern
6. Buzz Aldrin
7. Dave Brubeck
8. Pete Seeger
9. Nancy Reagan
10. Jack Klugman
General Knowledge
1. How many days are in the month of February during a leap year? ( 1 pt)
2. Yo-Yo Ma is most closely associated with what genre of music? ( 1 pt)
3. Nicolas Cage won an Academy Award for what 1995 film? ( 1 pt)
4. Transylvania is a region in what modern-day country? ( 2 pt)
5. Jed Clampett was a character in what 1960s TV sitcom? ( 2 pt)
6. The Golden Gate Bridge is painted what color? ( 2 pt)
7. A "Baltimore chop" can be found in what activity? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. The Columbia River divides which two western US states? ( 3 points)
2. The city of Chichen Itza was built by which ancient civilization? ( 4 points)
3. What was the last US state admitted to the Union that was east of the Mississippi River? ( 4 points)
4. "Minister of Immigrant Absorption" and "Minister of Information & Diaspora" are two of thirty positions in what nation's cabinet? ( 5 points)
5. Nephritis is a medical condition which affects what part of the human body? ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. Syria; 2. Barack Obama; 3. Ronald Reagan; 4. Switzerland; 5. Adele; 6. South Korea; 7. Steve Jobs.
The Year 2012 In Review
1. "Skyfall;" 2. Tokyo; 3. India; 4. New Mexico; 5. Microsoft (I also accepted Exxon); 6. Wendy's; 7. Los Angeles Dodgers.
Did They Make It Through 2012? ("The Q Train")
1. yes; 2. yes; 3. no; 4. yes; 5. no; 6. yes; 7. no; 8. yes; 9. yes; 10. no.
General Knowledge
1. twenty-nine; 2. classical; 3. "Leaving Las Vegas;" 4. Romania; 5. "The Beverly Hillbillies; 6. orange; 7. baseball.
IQ Trivia
1. Washington and Oregon; 2. Mayan; 3. West Virginia; 4. Israel; 5. kidneys.