California Trivia | Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast

What’s up? It’s time for some trivia. Hey dudes and dudettes, it’s episode 204 of the Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast. I’m your host, Brian Rollins, and this week, we’ve got California Trivia.

It’s big. It’s beautiful. And it’s chock full of history, geography, and a lot of pop culture. It’s also where I was born and grew up. So, I’m excited to share it with you.

As always, it’s three rounds of ten questions each. I ask the question, you get a timer, then I’ll give you the answer.

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Episode Transcript/Quiz

Episode Intro

What’s up? It’s time for some trivia.

Hey dudes and dudettes, it’s episode 204 of the Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast. I’m your host, Brian Rollins, and this week, we’ve got California Trivia.

It’s big. It’s beautiful. And it’s chock full of history, geography, and a lot of pop culture. It’s also where I was born and grew up. So, I’m excited to share it with you.

As always, it’s three rounds of ten questions each. I ask the question, you get a timer, then I’ll give you the answer. If you need rules or score cards, visit the show’s website: DorkyGeekyNerdy.com. You’ll also find transcripts of the show as well as ways to help support DGN.

That covers the basics, so let’s get going with…

The Dorky Round

What is the name of the region of Northern California that serves as a global center for technology and innovation?
Silicon Valley
What city hosted the 1932, 1984, and will host the 2028 Olympics?
Los Angeles. It’s the only US city to host the games 3 times.
What Star Trek series is set aboard a ship named after a city in California?
Star Trek: Lower Decks. The Cerritos and all her sister ships are named for towns in CA.
What animal will you find on the California state flag?
A bear. Specifically, a California Grizzly Bear
Prior to 1848, California was part of what country?
Mexico. Before that it was a Spanish holding.
What city was devastated by a 7.9 earthquake on April 18, 1906?
San Francisco
What action star from Alameda starred in various Fast & Furious films, XXX, and currently voices Groot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Vin Diesel
What actor from Los Angeles played Jim Morrison, Doc Holliday, and Batman?
Val Kilmer.
What theme park was built just south of Disneyland and opened on February 8, 2001?
Disney California Adventure
In population, where does California rank in the US?
First. As of 2021, the state has just under 40 million people living in it.

The Geeky Round

What is the capital of California
Sacramento
In what national park will you find geological features like Half Dome and El Capitan?
Yosemite National Park
Who is the only US President born in California?
Richard Nixon. While Ronald Reagan was Governor of California, he was not born there.
What city does Apple call home?
Cuppertino
What was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in 1848 that would forever change the history of California?
Gold. The discovery would kick off the California Gold Rush
What 2015 disaster movie gets its name from the transform fault that forms the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate?
San Andreas
Prior to Michael Phelps, what swimmer from Modesto, CA held the record for most Olympic Gold Medals?
Mark Spitz. He held the record for 36 years
Three of the ten largest cities in the US are in California. Los Angeles, San Diego, and what other city?
San Jose
What is the official state sport of California?
Surfing
General Sherman is the largest tree by volume on the planet. What type of tree is it?
A Giant Sequoia

The Nerdy Round

What California city was the subject of a miniseries in the 1980s starring Carol Burnett and Dabney Coleman?
Fresno
Born in Culver City, what actress from a long line of actors released her autobiography under the title, Little Girl Lost?
Drew Barrymore
What prolific actor, born in San Diego, has starred in films like The Godfather, True Grit, and Apocalypse Now?
Robert Duvall
What native Californian, actor, and director served one term as mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea starting in 1986?
Clint Eastwood
Born in San Francisco in 1883, what cartoonist became famous for his drawings of complex machines built for doing simple tasks?
Rube Goldberg
What type of clothing was created in San Francisco in 1873?
Denim Jeans.
Born in Scotland, who will you find on the 2005 US quarter honoring California?
John Muir
What is the highest point in California and the highest point in the contiguous 48 states?
Mount Whitney
What’s the lowest point in California and the lowest point in the US?
Badwater Basin in Death Valley. It’s located 282 feet below sea level
What city hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics?
Squaw Valley, CA now known as Palisades Tahoe. California is the only state to have hosted both the Summer and Winter games

Episode Conclusion

And that’s it for California Trivia questions. Want some more trivia?

It’s the third largest state by landmass.
It became a state in 1850, just two years after gold was discovered.
The highest point is Mount Whitney. It’s also the highest point in the contiguous US.
Mount Whitney is about a three hour drive from Badwater Basin. You could visit the highest and lowest points in the lower 48 in a day.

I hope you enjoyed visiting California. As I said last week, it’s where I was born. I spent most of my childhood in Central California in Fresno. It’s a huge place and I know I couldn’t cover everything in 30 questions. We’ll definitely see more of the state in the season finale.

I’ll be back again next week with more questions from another state. Here’s a clue:

What state is home to the world’s largest bookstore?

We’re running out of states, so I have to make these a little harder. You’ll find out next Wednesday where we’re going next.

This has been episode 204 of the Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast. The music is by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com.

This show was written, produced, and hosted by me, Brian Rollins. You can find me at TheVoicesInMyHead.com.

Thanks for listening.