The A to Z Knowledge Quiz

The annual Academy Awards, perhaps the most globally popular movie awards show, is facilitated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, or AMPAS. AMPAS is an organization composed of many professionals in the film industry. While it is based in the U.S., membership is open to global filmmakers as well.

It was in February 1964 when the U.K. band the Beatles played in America for the first time, after enjoying immense success in their own country. They first appeared on the popular show called "The Ed Sullivan Show," then went on to perform in sold-out concerts in the country’s capital. This immense success in the U.S. for the Beatles and other British artists was dubbed as “The British Invasion.”

Hollywood is actually a boulevard in downtown Los Angeles, and it intersects with Highland Avenue, where you can see a huge entertainment area that’s all about the American entertainment industry. Prepare for a great walk around this area to immerse yourself in both old and new Hollywood!

Different cultures around the world have varying depictions of the mythical creature called the dragon, but the common characteristics are that it’s huge and breathes fire. Aside from that, it’s also scary and dangerous, and it has the ability to fly.

Albert Einstein is one of the most recognizable scientists of the world, thanks to his contributions as well as his trademark look as that scientist with the disheveled hair and the distinct mustache. His work helped develop quantum theory, aside from formulating the theory of relativity, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1922 for Physics.

If you're familiar with the military-connected building in the U.S. called the Pentagon, you'd know that its shape is based on the polygon of the same name, and it also has five sides. This building is a regular pentagon because all sides are equal, but a pentagon can also be irregular, with sides that are not all of equal length.

"A Game of Thrones" is actually the title of the first book in the book series called "A Song of Ice and Fire," authored by George R.R. Martin. He began the first volume in 1991, and four more titles were published after that. Two more novels, completing the series, are in the works.

Recent studies have shown that the hypothalamus, or the specific brain region that regulates our basic human impulses, might be the culprit that's making us feel what we feel when we're in love, because of the release of dopamine. Dopamine is also termed as the "feel-good chemical" that induces happy responses in our being, such as when we eat good food.

Sometimes it's hard for people to detect what indigo is as a color, but a sure-fire way of seeing it is to look at the sky right before sunset, since there's a kind of dark blue and deep violet that meshes there in the sky which is identified as indigo. For fashion, the dark blue denim kind of shade is the indigo type, which people sometimes say borders on black.

Japan is a country located in the East Asian region, where many of today's global influences and technologies originate. Their culinary contributions, for example, stem from the popular ramen to the diverse sushi, and of course everybody knows their entertainment contributions, such as their art forms called animé and manga.

The koala is a marsupial that's endemic to Australia. It is mostly found up in eucalyptus trees, since its diet consists mainly of those leaves. The koala is sometimes referred to as a bear, but it is really not from that lineage – plus it has a pouch.

The lilac is a very pleasant plant to have around in a home garden, since it bears beautiful flowers that smell amazing. They are actually easy to grow and are very low maintenance, so it won't be that hard to keep them.

Michael Jackson is the undeniable King of Pop, and he is one of the musical "royals" to have such a nickname. Louis Armstrong is the "King of Jazz," James Brown is the "King of Soul" and, of course, Elvis Presley is the "King of Rock and Roll."

In maritime navigation, people often use the nautical mile to measure distances on the water's surface. People who plan to undergo some basic or advanced navigating trips on the water must know how to calculate such things. Water depth is measured in fathoms.

Oranges are the fifth most consumed fruit in the U.S., according to market trends. The first are actually bananas, second are apples, third are grapes, and strawberries are in fourth place.

Brazilian soccer players are sometimes known by one name as a professional name or nickname, and Pelé is one such example – if not the best example. People still hail him as one of the best players that the sport has produced. His real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento.

"Quid" is actually the slang term for the pound sterling currency in the U.K. It's also the Australian slang for the Australian pound currency that is no longer in use today.

When Europe transitioned out of the Middle Ages and into a period of modernity, a sweeping rebirth took place in many aspects of human existence, primarily seen in the arts, in philosophy, literature, science and other intellectual endeavors. This rebirth was called the Renaissance, and it took place from the 14th century up to the 17th century.

Sally Ride was the first American woman to venture into space, back in 1983. The very first woman to go into space was the Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963 – on a solo mission.

King Tutankhamun is also known by the moniker “King Tut,” which archaeologists gave him when they discovered his nearly intact tomb and mummy in the Valley of the Kings back in 1922. From their studies, they concluded that he rose to power at a very young age, specifically when he was only a boy, and also died very young, about 19 years of age, under mysterious circumstances.

Like Saturn, Uranus has a ring system. Uranus has the coldest atmosphere among the planets in the solar system. It is actually referred to as an "ice giant," like Neptune and unlike the gas giant planets.

One of the most celebrated artists in the whole world is the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, but this recognition only came about posthumously. That means he didn't receive much fame or recognition when he was alive. He suffered from lifelong episodes of psychiatric breakdowns, which sadly led to him taking his own life.

Maurice Sendak wasn't solely a children's book author; he was also an illustrator. He wrote and drew the images in his popularly acclaimed picture book entitled "Where the Wild Things Are," which was first published in 1963 and continues to be immensely popular today.

Unlike other kinds of anxiety disorders, xenophobia is not exactly a phobia in the medical sense. It's primarily a term used in a political and sociological context to describe an utmost disdain for foreign cultures and foreign people. This is basically a form of racism.

Yemen is one of the countries found in the Arabian Peninsula, which is located in Western Asia. Other countries in this area include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and United Arab Emirates.

Zürich is a city that intersects banking, finance, art and medieval history. This city in northern Switzerland is a good way to introduce the extent of Swiss culture to first-time visitors. Don't miss Old Town!

Greek mythology has always mentioned ambrosia as the identified food of the Gods on Olympus, which is usually partnered with their favorite drink, nectar. But in modern times, ambrosia refers to a kind of fruit salad that is American in origin. It contains a variety of fruits that may include oranges, pineapples, coconut, maraschino cherries, strawberries and bananas, sometimes with pecans, and mixed with sour cream, whipped cream, cream cheese or yogurt.

The infamous mysterious area called the Bermuda Triangle is in the North Atlantic Ocean, where superstition rules about disappearing big ships and aircraft that fly over the area or cross it on water. This area is somewhere near the waters off Florida, Puerto Rico and the Bermuda Islands.

If you’re a huge fan of soft, creamy and moist types of cheese, then you will find your favorite in wedges of Camembert cheese. It is named for the place where the French first made it – Camembert is located in Normandy, in the northern part of France.

Among the classic paintings out there, the series called "Dogs Playing Poker" has proven to be one of the most popularly recognized in the world, even if the work doesn't technically belong to any specific art movement. The paintings were commissioned by Brown & Bigelow Publishing for cigar advertisements back in the early 1900s, and the artist is Cassius Marcellus Coolidge.

The Earth is divided into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere by the equator. Thirteen countries actually touch the equator – notably Ecuador, but also Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Gabon, both the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia, Brazil, Sao Tome and Principe, Kiribati, Maldives, and Indonesia.

"Flock" is the term often used for a group of specific birds, while a "fever" is a group of stingrays and a group of otters is known as a "family." Collectively, all of these animals fall under the category of "fauna," as opposed to "flora."

There are three U.S. presidents named George: George Washington and the Bush father-and-son tandem. They are outnumbered by the name James, with six U.S. presidents – namely, Monroe, Madison, Garfield, Polk, Buchanan and, of course, Jimmy Carter.

Readers and followers of the "Harry Potter" novels and film series are very familiar with Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But did you know that its exact location in the story is somewhere in Scotland, even though the main characters travel to London's King's Cross Station to access it, via Platform 9 3/4? It was in the third book, "The Prisoner of Azkaban," where we get a clue as to its exact location, because it is mentioned there that the school is near a town called Dufftown, which is located in Moray, Scotland, in real life.

Inuit people are found in cold North American regions, Igorot people can be found in the mountains of northern Philippines, and the Ijaw people can be found in the Niger Delta in West Africa. All of them belong to one universal grouping called indigenous peoples, or populations belonging to a specific ethnic group that existed before their current countries were colonized or formed into nation-states that we now know.