Contest is fundraiser for Albert Lea Art Center

By Cathy Hay

What is the world’s longest running trivia contest?

That would be the Great Midwest Trivia Contest, founded in 1966, at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis. It’s known as the longest running because of its custom of asking the last question from one year as the first question the next year. The contest runs for 50 straight hours every January. Questions have included:

Question: On what date does Bruce Wayne’s birthday fall?

Answer: The actor who played Batman was born on Feb. 19.

Question: What band did Kurt Cobain call the best band in the world?

Answer: Teenage Fanclub.

Trivia — those little pieces of information of little importance that make for engaging conversation, fierce game competition and intellectual challenge. The quest to know obscure facts has led to books, games, contests, game shows, electronic device apps and now fundraisers.

Here are a few trivial questions about trivia:

Question: When was the game “Trivial Pursuit” invented?

Answer: December 1979.

Question: Trivia is a mainstay of what popular game show?

Answer: Jeopardy, which put a twist on traditional quiz bowls by providing the answer with contestants needing to come up with the right question.

Question: Where did the game app “Trivia Crack” originate?

Answer: Argentina.

Some questions appear frequently at bar trivia contests, like the following.

Question: What is the capital of Australia?

Answer: Canberra.

A less frequently asked question:

Question: What does Canberra mean in Aboriginal lingo?

Answer: Meeting place.

Here’s a local question: What group is holding a trivia contest fundraiser on Wednesday, May 27?

Answer: Albert Lea Art Center.

The event promises to be a fun time, according to Marty Shepard, artistic director for the Art Center. Held at the Interchange, 211 S. Broadway in downtown Albert Lea, the event will start at 5 p.m. with wine and beer tasting plus complimentary appetizers. Tickets are $5 in advance — available at the Art Center on Clark Street and at the Interchange — and at the door.

Chloe and Andrew Hanson will provide live vocal and guitar music.

At 6:30 p.m., players can put on their thinking caps and form teams of up to six people for the hour-long contest. There will be door prizes plus a $50 prize to the winning team.

The five categories will be art, local trivia, science, geography and general knowledge. Some questions will be simple and some difficult. Bev Jackson-Cotter read a number of sample questions on KATE Radio on Saturdays, but none of those questions will be at the trivia contest.