Immediately after the earthquake event, mobile and terrestrial telecommunications were cut to the affected and surrounding area, with all internet capabilities cut to the Sichuan area too. Elements of telecommunications were restored by the government piece by piece over the next number of months as the situation in the Sichuan province gradually improved. Eventually, a handful of major news and media websites were made accessible online in the region, albeit with dramatically pared back webpages.

What kinds of telecommunications were cut?

mobile and terrestrial

What capabilities were cut to the entire Sichuan area?

internet

How long did it take for these capabilities to be restored?

months

What was cut after the earthquake?

telecommunications

Where were the internet cut?

Sichuan area

Who restored communications over a period of months?

the government

What internet services were decreased in the area?

news and media websites

What services were finally online again?

major news and media


China Mobile had more than 2,300 base stations suspended due to power disruption or severe telecommunication traffic congestion. Half of the wireless communications were lost in the Sichuan province. China Unicom's service in Wenchuan and four nearby counties was cut off, with more than 700 towers suspended.

How many base stations did China Mobile have suspended?

How many Unicom towers were suspended?

more than 700

How many China Mobile base stations stopped working?

Besides power disruption, what caused telecommunications to be suspended?

traffic congestion

How many wireless communications failed in Sichuan?

Half

Whose service in Wenchuan was cut off?

China Unicom

How many of China Unicom's towers were cut?


Initially, officials were unable to contact the Wolong National Nature Reserve, home to around 280 giant pandas. However, the Foreign Ministry later said that a group of 31 British tourists visiting the Wolong Panda Reserve in the quake-hit area returned safe and uninjured to Chengdu. Nonetheless, the well-being of an even greater number of pandas in the neighbouring panda reserves remained unknown. Five security guards at the reserve were killed by the earthquake. Six pandas escaped after their enclosures were damaged. By May 20, two pandas at the reserve were found to be injured, while the search continued for another two adult pandas that went missing after the quake. By May 28, 2008, one panda was still missing. The missing panda was later found dead under the rubble of an enclosure. Nine-year-old Mao Mao, a mother of five at the breeding center, was discovered on Monday, her body crushed by a wall in her enclosure. Panda keepers and other workers placed her remains in a small wooden crate and buried her outside the breeding centre.

What place could officials not contact?

the Wolong National Nature Reserve

How many pandas live at the Reserve?

around 280

How many British visitors to the Reserve left unharmed?

How many pandas were injured?

What nature center was cutoff?

Wolong National Nature Reserve

How many pandas escaped the reserve?

Six

How many security guards died at the reserve?

five

What famous panda was killed under the rubble?

Mao Mao


The Zipingpu Hydropower Plant (simplified Chinese: 紫坪铺水库; traditional Chinese: 紫坪鋪水庫) located 20 km east of the epicenter was damaged. A recent inspection indicated that the damage was less severe than initially feared, and it remains structurally stable and safe. The Tulong reservoir upstream is in danger of collapse. About 2,000 troops have been allocated to Zipingpu, trying to release the pressure through spillway. In total, 391 dams, most of them small, were reported damaged by the quake.

What power plant was damaged?

Hydropower Plant

How far away was the plant located from the epicenter?

20 km east

How many troops were allocated to Zipingpu?

How many dams were damaged?

What power plant was damaged by the earthquake?

Zipingpu Hydropower Plant

How near to the epicenter was the power plant?

20 km

What has a recent inspection found about the damage to the power plant?

less severe

What might possibly collapse upstream from the power plant?

Tulong reservoir

What is the total number of dams damaged?


According to Chinese state officials, the quake caused 69,180 known deaths including 68,636 in Sichuan province; 18,498 people are listed as missing, and 374,176 injured, but these figures may further increase as more reports come in.[dated info] This estimate includes 158 earthquake relief workers who were killed in landslides as they tried to repair roads.

How many deaths were reported?

How many deaths were reported only in the Sichuan province?

How many people were listed as missing?

How many people were injured?

How many earthquake relief workers were killed?

How many died in Sichuan?

What is the total tally of known deaths caused by the earthquake?

What is the number of missing persons?

How many people were injured?

What were the 158 relief workers doing when they were killed?

tried to repair roads


One rescue team reported only 2,300 survivors from the town of Yingxiu in Wenchuan County, out of a total population of about 9,000. 3,000 to 5,000 people were killed in Beichuan County, Sichuan alone; in the same location, 10,000 people were injured and 80% of the buildings were destroyed. The old county seat of Beichuan was abandoned and preserved as part of the Beichuan Earthquake Museum. Eight schools were toppled in Dujiangyan. A 56-year-old was killed in Dujiangyan during a rescue attempt on the Lingyanshan Ropeway, where due to the earthquake 11 tourists from Taiwan had been trapped inside cable cars since May 13. A 4-year-old boy named Zhu Shaowei (traditional Chinese: 朱紹維; simplified Chinese: 朱绍维; pinyin: Zhū Shàowéi) was also killed in Mianzhu City when a house collapsed on him and another was reported missing.

How many survivors were there from Yingxiu?

Where is Yingxiu located?

in Wenchuan

How many people in total lived in Yingxiu?

How many people were killed in Beichuan County?

3,000 to 5,000

How many people were injured in Beichuan County?

How many survivors were there in the town of Yingxiu?

What was the previous population of Yingxiu?

about 9,000

How many residents were killed in Beichuan County?

3,000 to 5,000

How large was the number of injured in Beichuan County?

What is the number of schools that collapsed in Dujiangyan?

Eight schools


Experts point out that the earthquake hit an area that has been largely neglected and untouched by China's economic rise. Health care is poor in inland areas such as Sichuan, highlighting the widening gap between prosperous urban dwellers and struggling rural people. Vice Minister of Health Gao Qiang told reporters in Beijing that the "public health care system in China is insufficient." The Vice Minister of Health also suggested that the government would pick up the costs of care to earthquake victims, many of whom have little or no insurance: "The government should be responsible for providing medical treatment to them," he said.

What is poor about inland areas such as Sichuan?

Health care

Who was the Vice Minister of Health?

Gao Qiang

What did Gao Qiang tell reporters in Beijing?

public health care system in China is insufficient

How economically forward has this area been?

neglected and untouched

Where is health care poor in China?

inland areas

What did the Vice Minster of Health call the public health system in China?

insufficient

What should the government of China be responsible for providing to earthquake survivors?

medical treatment


In terms of school casualties, thousands of school children died due to shoddy construction. In Mianyang City, seven schools collapsed, burying at least 1,700 people. At least 7,000 school buildings throughout the province collapsed. Another 700 students were buried in a school in Hanwang. At least 600 students and staff died at Juyuan Elementary School. Up to 1,300 children and teachers died at Beichuan Middle School.

How many school children died due to shoddy construction?

thousands

How many schools collapsed in Mianyang City?

seven

How many people were buried in the collapsed schools?

How many school buildings collapsed in the province?

How many students were buried in a school in Hanwang?

What caused the deaths of many school children?

shoddy construction

How many schools collapsed in Mianyang City

seven

How many people were buried under rubble in Mianyang City?

How many school buildings fell in the entire province?

How many were killed at the Juyuan Elementary School?


Details of school casualties had been under non-governmental investigation since December 2008 by volunteers including artist and architect Ai Weiwei, who had been constantly posting updates on his blog since March 2009. The official tally of students killed in the earthquake was not released until May 7, 2009, almost a year after the earthquake. According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, the earthquake killed 5,335 students and left another 546 children disabled. In the aftermath of the earthquake, the Chinese government declared that parents who had lost their only children would get free treatment from fertility clinics to reverse vasectomies and tubal ligations conducted by family planning authorities.

When did an investigation occur under school casualties?

December 2008

When was the official tally of students killed in the earthquake released?

May 7, 2009

How many students were killed in Xinhua?

How many students were disabled in Xinhua?

What date were the official numbers of students killed in the earthquake released?

May 7, 2009

Who kept a blog about the school deaths?

Ai Weiwei

What is the total of school children killed?

How many children are disabled?

Where did the Chinese government decide that parents who had lost children could go for free treatment?

fertility clinics


The earthquake left at least 5 million people without housing, although the number could be as high as 11 million. Millions of livestock and a significant amount of agriculture were also destroyed, including 12.5 million animals, mainly birds. In the Sichuan province a million pigs died out of 60 million total. Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide reported official estimates of insurers' losses at US$1 billion from the earthquake; estimated total damages exceed US$20 billion. It values Chengdu, at the time having an urban population of 4.5 million people, at around US$115 billion, with only a small portion covered by insurance.

How many people were left without housing?

5 million

How many people could be potentially without housing?

11 million

How many animals were killed?

12.5 million

How many pigs died in Sichuan?

1 million

Because of the earthquake, how many people did not have housing?

at least 5 million

How many people might actually be homeless?

11 million

How much livestock was lost?

12.5 million animals

How many pigs died from the earthquake in Sichuan ?

a million


Reginald DesRoches, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Georgia Tech, pointed out that the massive damage of properties and houses in the earthquake area was because China did not create an adequate seismic design code until after the devastating 1976 Tangshan earthquake. DesRoches said: "If the buildings were older and built prior to that 1976 earthquake, chances are they weren't built for adequate earthquake forces."

Who was a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Georgia Tech?

Reginald DesRoches

What is the profession of Reginald DesRoches?

professor of civil and environmental engineering

When did China create a seismic design code for building?

What catastrophe inspired them to make a building design code/

Tangshan earthquake


In the days following the disaster, an international reconnaissance team of engineers was dispatched to the region to make a detailed preliminary survey of damaged buildings. Their findings show a variety of reasons why many constructions failed to withstand the earthquake.

What happened days following the disaster?

an international reconnaissance team of engineers was dispatched to the region

What did the team of engineers do?

make a detailed preliminary survey of damaged buildings

What did their findings show?

a variety of reasons why many constructions failed to withstand the earthquake.

After the quake what kind of international team was sent to the area?

team of engineers

What was the team sent to China to make?

survey of damaged buildings

What kind of reasons do their findings show?

variety of reasons


News reports indicate that the poorer, rural villages were hardest hit. Swaminathan Krishnan, assistant professor of civil engineering and geophysics at the California Institute of Technology said: "the earthquake occurred in the rural part of China. Presumably, many of the buildings were just built; they were not designed, so to speak." Swaminathan Krishnan further added: "There are very strong building codes in China, which take care of earthquake issues and seismic design issues. But many of these buildings presumably were quite old and probably were not built with any regulations overseeing them."

What areas were the hardest hit?

the poorer, rural villages

Who was an assistant professor of civil engineering and geophysics at the California Institute of Technology?

Swaminathan Krishnan

What part of China did the earthquake occur in?

rural part

What did Swaminathan Krishnan mean when he said the buildings were just built?

not designed

What manner of building codes are there in China?

very strong

What were many of these old buildings built without?

regulations


Even with the five largest cities in Sichuan suffering only minor damage from the quake, some estimates of the economic loss run higher than US$75 billion, making the earthquake one of the costliest natural disasters in Chinese history.

What is an estimate of the economic loss from the quake?

$75 billion

What damage did the major Sichuan cities have?

minor damage

What is an estimate of losses to economics?

US$75 billion

Whose is this one of the costliest disasters in history of?

Chinese history

Which cities in Sichuan had minor damage?

five largest cities


Strong aftershocks continued to strike even months after the main quake. On May 25, an aftershock of 6.0 Mw (6.4 Ms according to CEA) hit northeast of the original earthquake's epicenter, in Qingchuan County, Sichuan, causing eight deaths, 1000 injuries, and destroying thousands of buildings. On May 27, two aftershocks, one 5.2 Mw in Qingchuan County and one 5.7 Mw in Ningqiang County, Shaanxi, led to the collapse of more than 420,000 homes and injured 63 people. The same area suffered two more aftershocks of 5.6 and 6.0 Ms (5.8 and 5.5 Mw, respectively, according to USGS) on July 23, resulting in 1 death, 6 serious injuries, collapse of hundreds of homes and damaging kilometers of highways. Pingwu County and Beichuan County, Sichuan, also northeast of Wenchuan and close to the epicenter of a 7.2 Ms earthquake in 1976, suffered a 6.1 Ms aftershock (5.7 Mw according to USGS) on August 1; it caused 2 deaths, 345 injuries, collapse of 707 homes, damages to over 1,000 homes, and blocked 25 kilometres (16 mi) of country roads. As late as August 5, yet another aftershock of 6.1 Ms (6.2 Mw according to USGS) hit Qingchuan, Sichuan, causing 1 death, 32 injuries, telecommunication interruptions, and widespread hill slides blocking roads in the area including a national highway.

How many buildings collapsed as a result of the May 27th aftershocks?

How strong was the May 25 aftershock in Qingchuan county?

6.0 Mw

How many people were injured in the May 25 aftershock?

How many homes were destroyed because of the May 27 aftershocks?

more than 420,000

During the May 27 aftershock, how many people were injured?

Where was the aftershock of August 5 that caused widespread hill slides?

Qingchuan, Sichuan


Executive vice governor Wei Hong confirmed on November 21, 2008 that more than 90,000 people in total were dead or missing in the earthquake. He stated that 200,000 homes had been rebuilt, and 685,000 were under reconstruction, but 1.94 million households were still without permanent shelter. 1,300 schools had been reconstructed, with initial relocation of 25 townships, including Beichuan and Wenchuan, two of the most devastated areas. The government spent $441 billion on relief and reconstruction efforts.

Who was the executive vice governor?

Wei Hong

How many homes were rebuilt?

How many homes were left without permanent shelter?

1.94 million

How many schools were reconstructed?

Who spoke about the dead and missing people on November 21, 2008?

Wei Hong

How many people did Wei Hong say were dead or missing?

How many homes had been rebuilt?

How many houses were still under construction?

How many families were still without permanent homes?

1.94 million


General Secretary and President Hu Jintao announced that the disaster response would be rapid. Just 90 minutes after the earthquake, Premier Wen Jiabao, who has an academic background in geomechanics, flew to the earthquake area to oversee the rescue work. Soon afterward, the Ministry of Health said that it had sent ten emergency medical teams to Wenchuan County. On the same day, the Chengdu Military Region Command dispatched 50,000 troops and armed police to help with disaster relief work in Wenchuan County. However, due to the rough terrain and close proximity of the quake's epicenter, the soldiers found it very difficult to get help to the rural regions of the province.

Who flew to the earthquake area 90 minutes after it hit?

Premier Wen Jiabao

What was Premier Wen Jiabao's background in?

geomechanics

What did Jiabao oversee in the region?

the rescue work

How many troops were dispatched by the Chengdu military?

How soon after the earthquake was Premier Wen Jiabao on his way to the area?

90 minutes after

How many medical teams were sent to Wenchuan county?

ten

How many troops were sent to the area for relief work?

Besides the rough terrain, why was it difficult to get to the area?

proximity of the quake's epicenter


The National Disaster Relief Commission initiated a "Level II emergency contingency plan", which covers the most serious class of natural disasters. The plan rose to Level I at 22:15 CST, May 12.

What did the National Disaster Relief Commission initiate?

Level II emergency contingency plan

What does a Level II emergency contingency plan cover?

the most serious class of natural disasters

When did the plan rise to Level I?

at 22:15 CST, May 12

What level alert was instated for the quake?

Level II emergency

What class of disasters is a level II emergency?

most serious

What level was the disaster set at 22:15 CST, May 12?

Level II

What department initiated the emergency contingency plan?

National Disaster Relief Commission


An earthquake emergency relief team of 184 people (consisting of 12 people from the State Seismological Bureau, 150 from the Beijing Military Area Command, and 22 from the Armed Police General Hospital) left Beijing from Nanyuan Airport late May 12 in two military transport planes to travel to Wenchuan County.

How many people were in the earthquake emergency relief team?

How many of the relief team were from the State Seismological Bureau?

How many of the team were from the military?

How many of the team were from the police?

What kind of team left Beijing to go to Wenchuan?

earthquake emergency relief

How many people comprised the relief team?

How many soldiers were from the Beijing Military?

Where did 22 of the relief team come from?

Armed Police General Hospital

How did the relief team travel to Wenchuan county?

in two military transport planes


In the China Digital Times an article reports a close analysis by an alleged Chinese construction engineer known online as “Book Blade” (书剑子), who stated:

What did the China Digital Times report?

a close analysis by an alleged Chinese construction engineer

Who was the construction engineer known as?

Book Blade

Where was an article reported about the scandal?

China Digital Times

What was the name of the person who published a report in the China Digital Times?

Book Blade


On Children's Day, June 1, 2008, many parents went to the rubble of schools to mourn for their children. The surviving children, who were mostly living in relief centres, performed ceremonies marking the special day, but also acknowledging the earthquake.

What was June 1, 2008 called?

Children's Day

Where were most of the surviving children?

living in relief centres

What did these children do on that day?

performed ceremonies

Where did parents go to mourn their children?

rubble of schools

When is Children's Day?

June 1

Where were surviving children living?

in relief centres


Central State-owned enterprises have accumulatively donated more than $48.6 million. China National Petroleum Corp and Sinopec donated 10 million yuan each to the disaster area.

How much did central state-owned enterprises donate?

more than $48.6 million

How much did China National Petroleum Corp and Sinopec donate?

10 million yuan

How much have Central state enterprises donated?

48.6 million

How much did China National Petroleum and Sinopec donate?

10 million yuan each


On May 16 China stated it had also received $457 million in donated money and goods for rescue efforts so far, including $83 million from 19 countries and four international organizations. Saudi Arabia was the largest aid donor to China, providing close to €40,000,000 in financial assistance, and an additional €8,000,000 worth of relief materials.

How much did China receive in donated money and goods?

$457 million

How many countries donated?

19 countries

How many international organizations donated?

four

What country was the largest aid donor to China?

Saudi Arabia

How much financial assistance did Saudi Arabia give China?

How much money was donated from foreign sources?

83 million

What country was the largest aid donor to China?

Saudi Arabia

How many international organizations made donations?

four


In 2008, State Council established a counterpart support plan (《汶川地震灾后恢复重建对口支援方案》). The plan is to arrange 19 eastern and central province and municipalitie to help 18 counties, on "one province to one affected county" basis. The plan spanned 3 years, and cost no less than one percent of the province or municipality's budget.

What did the State Council establish in 2008?

a counterpart support plan

How long did the plan last?

3 years

What did the state council set up in 2008?

counterpart support plan

What is the basis for this plan?

one province to one affected county

How long is the plan due to last?

3 years

What is the cost per province's budget?

one percent


An article in Science suggested that the construction and filling of the Zipingpu Dam may have triggered the earthquake. The chief engineer of the Sichuan Geology and Mineral Bureau said that the sudden shift of a huge quantity of water into the region could have relaxed the tension between the two sides of the fault, allowing them to move apart, and could have increased the direct pressure on it, causing a violent rupture. The effect was "25 times more" than a year's worth of natural stress from tectonic movement. The government had disregarded warnings about so many large-scale dam projects in a seismically active area. Researchers have been denied access to seismological and geological data to examine the cause of the quake further.

What was concluded about the construction?

that the sudden shift of a huge quantity of water into the region could have relaxed the tension between the two sides of the fault, allowing them to move apart, and could have increased the direct pressure on it, causing a violent rupture

What structure did an article contemplate could have caused the quake?

Zipingpu Dam

What was the affect of the dam on the stresses in that area?

25 times more

Who disregarded warnings about dams in the area?

The government

What type of area is Sichuan?

seismically active

What have researchers been denied?

access to seismological and geological data


The earthquake also provided opportunities for researchers to retrofit data in order to model future earthquake predictions. Using data from the Intermagnet Lanzhou geomagnetic observatory, geologists Lazo Pekevski from the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje in Macedonia and Strachimir Mavrodiev from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences attempted to establish a "time prediction method" through collecting statistics on geomagnetism with tidal gravitational potential. Using this method, they were said to have predicted the time of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake with an accuracy of ±1 day. The same study, however, acknowledges the limitation of earthquake prediction models, and does not mention that the location of the quake could be accurately predicted.

What did the earthquake allow?

opportunities for researchers to retrofit data in order to model future earthquake predictions

What did the professors predict?

the time of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake

What did they try to establish?

time prediction method

What did they collect to use in this method?

statistics


In a press conference held by the State Council Information Office the day after the earthquake, geologist Zhang Xiaodong, deputy director of CEA's Seismic Monitoring Network Center, restated that earthquake prediction was a global issue, in the sense that no proven methods exist, and that no prediction notification was received before the earthquake. Seismologist Gary Gibson of Monash University in Australia told Deutsche Presse-Agentur that he also did not see anything that could be regarded as having 'predicted' the earthquake's occurrence.

What was stated in the press conference?

that earthquake prediction was a global issue

What do many geologists believe about earthquake prediction?

no proven methods exist

What kind of issue is earthquake prediction?

a global issue

What was received before the quake occurred?

no prediction notification

What did  seismologist Gary Gibson have to say about the prediction of the quake?

did not see anything


In 2002, Chinese geologist Chen Xuezhong published a Seismic Risk Analysis study in which he came to the conclusion that beginning with 2003, attention should be paid to the possibility of an earthquake with a magnitude of over 7.0 occurring in Sichuan region. He based his study on statistical correlation. That Sichuan is a seismically active area has been discussed for years prior to the quake, though few studies point to a specific date and time.

When was a Seismic Risk Analysis published?

In 2002

Who published the Seismic Risk Analysis?

Chen Xuezhong

Who published a Seismic Risk Analysis Study?

Chen Xuezhong

In what year did Chen Xuezhong publish an earthquake study?

What strength did he predict the next quake in Sichuan to be?

over 7.0


The earthquake was the worst to strike the Sichuan area in over 30 years. Following the quake, experts and the general public sought information on whether or not the earthquake could have been predicted in advance, and whether or not studying statistics related to the quake could result in better prediction of earthquakes in the future. Earthquake prediction is not yet established science; there was no consensus within the scientific community that earthquake "prediction" is possible.

How long had it been since an earthquake of similar magnitude?

over 30 years

How long since the Sichuan area has had  a severe quake?

30 years

Does the scientific community agree that earthquake prediction is possible?

no consensus

People wanted to know if the study of what math could produce better predictions?

statistics

What is not an established science?

Earthquake prediction


Many rescue teams, including that of the Taipei Fire Department from Taiwan, were reported ready to join the rescue effort in Sichuan as early as Wednesday. However, the Red Cross Society of China said that (on May 13) "it was inconvenient currently due to the traffic problem to the hardest hit areas closest to the epicenter." The Red Cross Society of China also stated that the disaster areas need tents, medical supplies, drinking water and food; however it recommended donating cash instead of other items, as it had not been possible to reach roads that were completely damaged or places that were blocked off by landslides. Landslides continuously threatened the progress of a search and rescue group of 80 men, each carrying about 40 kg of relief supplies, from a motorized infantry brigade under commander Yang Wenyao, as they tried to reach the ethnically Tibetan village of Sier at a height of 4000 m above sea level in Pingwu county. The extreme terrain conditions precluded the use of helicopter evacuation, and over 300 of the Tibetan villagers were stranded in their demolished village for five days without food and water before the rescue group finally arrived to help the injured and stranded villagers down the mountain.

What department was ready to join the rescue effort by Wednesday?

the Taipei Fire Department

How many Tibetan villagers were stranded?

over 300

What was the reason that many rescue teams could not join the relief efforts?

the traffic problem

What action did the Red Cross recommend ?

donating cash

What problem continued to stop rescue teams from reaching affected areas?

landslides

Where were the soldiers under commander Yang Wenyao trying to go?

Tibetan village of Sier


Persistent heavy rain and landslides in Wenchuan County and the nearby area badly affected rescue efforts. At the start of rescue operations on May 12, 20 helicopters were deployed for the delivery of food, water, and emergency aid, and also the evacuation of the injured and reconnaissance of quake-stricken areas. By 17:37 CST on May 13, a total of over 15,600 troops and militia reservists from the Chengdu Military Region had joined the rescue force in the heavily affected areas. A commander reported from Yingxiu Town, Wenchuan, that around 3,000 survivors were found, while the status of the other inhabitants (around 9,000) remained unclear. The 1,300 rescuers reached the epicenter, and 300 pioneer troops reached the seat of Wenchuan at about 23:30 CST. By 12:17 CST, May 14, 2008, communication in the seat of Wenchuan was partly revived. On the afternoon of May 14, 15 Special Operations Troops, along with relief supplies and communications gear, parachuted into inaccessible Mao County, northeast of Wenchuan.

What natural disasters were occurring in Wenchuan County?

landslides

How many helicopters were deployed?

How many militia reservists joined in on rescue efforts?

How many survivors were found?

around 3,000

How many troops parachuted into Mao County?

What were the biggest difficulties in reaching affected areas?

heavy rain and landslides

How many helicopters were sent to deliver aid to the affected areas?

By May 13, how many troops had been added to the rescue efforts?

How people were reported to be survivors in Yingxiu Town?

around 3,000

How many persons were still unaccounted for in Yingxiu?

around 9,000


By May 15, Premier Wen Jiabao ordered the deployment of an additional 90 helicopters, of which 60 were to be provided by the PLAAF, and 30 were to be provided by the civil aviation industry, bringing the total of number of aircraft deployed in relief operations by the air force, army, and civil aviation to over 150, resulting in the largest non-combat airlifting operation in People's Liberation Army history.

What did Premier Wen Jiabao order?

the deployment of an additional 90 helicopters

How many helicopters were provided by the PLAAF?

How many helicopter were to be provided by the civil aviation industry?

How many aircraft were there in total?

over 150

What is the total number of aircraft used in the relief operation?

over 150

How many helicopters came from the PLAAF?

Who provided the other 30 helicopters?

civil aviation industry

What kind of operation did this massing of aircraft produce?

non-combat airlifting


Beijing accepted the aid of the Tzu Chi Foundation from Taiwan late on May 13. Tzu Chi was the first force from outside the People's Republic of China to join the rescue effort. China stated it would gratefully accept international help to cope with the quake.

What Foundation wanted to aid Beijing?

the Tzu Chi Foundation

Where was the foundation based?

Taiwan

When did Beijing agree to aid from Taiwan?

late on May 13

What was the first group from outside China to join in the relief operation?

Tzu Chi Foundation

What did China say they would accept?

international help

What did China need help for?

cope with the quake


A direct chartered cargo flight was made by China Airlines from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport sending some 100 tons of relief supplies donated by the Tzu Chi Foundation and the Red Cross Society of Taiwan to the affected areas. Approval from mainland Chinese authorities was sought, and the chartered flight departed Taipei at 17:00 CST, May 15 and arrived in Chengdu by 20:30 CST. A rescue team from the Red Cross in Taiwan was also scheduled to depart Taipei on a Mandarin Airlines direct chartered flight to Chengdu at 15:00 CST on May 16.

Who made a direct chartered cargo flight?

China Airlines

What date did the cargo flight leave?

May 15

When did a rescue team depart?

May 16

How did the move the relief supplies from Taiwan to the stricken area?

chartered cargo flight

From what airport did the chartered flight leave?

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

Where did the chartered flight from Taiwan land?

Chengdu

What Red Cross team left Taipei on May 16

rescue team

Where did the Red Cross team from Taiwan land?

Chengdu


On May 16, rescue groups from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Russia and Taiwan arrived to join the rescue effort. The United States shared some of its satellite images of the quake-stricken areas with Chinese authorities. During the weekend, the US sent into China two U.S. Air Force C-17's carrying supplies, which included tents and generators. Xinhua reported 135,000 Chinese troops and medics were involved in the rescue effort across 58 counties and cities.

What did the US share?

satellite images of the quake-stricken areas

Who did the US share the satellite images with?

Chinese authorities

How many Chinese troops were involved in the rescue efforts?

When did groups from South Korea, Japan, and others arrive in China?

May 16

What did the U.S. share with China?

satellite images

What was included in the the Air Force C-17 supplies?

tents and generators

How many Chinese troops and medics were involved in the relief efforts?


The Internet was extensively used for passing information to aid rescue and recovery efforts. For example, the official news agency Xinhua set up an online rescue request center in order to find the blind spots of disaster recovery. After knowing that rescue helicopters had trouble landing into the epicenter area in Wenchuan, a student proposed a landing spot online and it was chosen as the first touchdown place for the helicopters[not in citation given]. Volunteers also set up several websites to help store contact information for victims and evacuees. On May 31, a rescue helicopter carrying earthquake survivors and crew members crashed in fog and turbulence in Wenchuan county. No-one survived.

What was extensively used to pass information to aid rescue and recovery efforts?

The Internet

What did the Xinhua news agency set up?

an online rescue request center

What was the purpose of this online rescue request center?

to find the blind spots of disaster recovery

Where did rescue helicopters have trouble landing?

Wenchuan

What was used as a communications aid in the relief efforts?

The Internet

Who set up an online site to focus on blind spots in recovery?

news agency Xinhua

What person suggested a landing spot for helicopters near the epicenter?

a student

What kind of information were websites set up to store?

contact information

On what date did a rescue helicopter crash with no survivors?

May 31


On May 12, 2009, China marked the first anniversary of the quake with a moment of silence as people across the nation remembered the dead. The government also opened access to the sealed ruins of the Beichuan county seat for three days, after which it will be frozen in time as a state earthquake relic museum, to remind people of the terrible disaster. There were also several concerts across the country to raise money for the survivors of the quake.

What was done for the anniversary?

a moment of silence

Where did the government open access to?

the sealed ruins of the Beichuan county seat

How long was it opened for?

three days

What did China do to mark the first anniversary of the quake?

a moment of silence

What will the Beichuan county seat be used for?

earthquake relic museum

What kind of event were given to raise money for quake survivors?

several concerts

What is the Beichuan museum meant to remind people of?

the terrible disaster


Following the earthquake, donations were made by people from all over mainland China, with booths set up in schools, at banks, and around gas stations. People also donated blood, resulting in according to Xinhua long line-ups in most major Chinese cities. Many donated through text messaging on mobile phones to accounts set up by China Unicom and China Mobile By May 16, the Chinese government had allocated a total of $772 million for earthquake relief so far, up sharply from $159 million from May 14.

What was also donated?

blood

What companies received the money?

China Unicom and China Mobile

After the quake, people from where in China made donations?

all over mainland China

What caused long lines in most major cities?

donated blood

What were the Chinese setting up to take in donations?

booths

How did a lot of people donate using mobile phones?

text messaging

How much had the Chinese government designated by May 16?

$772 million


The Red Cross Society of China flew 557 tents and 2,500 quilts valued at 788,000 yuan (US$113,000) to Wenchuan County. The Amity Foundation already began relief work in the region and has earmarked US$143,000 for disaster relief. The Sichuan Ministry of Civil Affairs said that they have provided 30,000 tents for those left homeless.

How many tents were flown to the region?

How many quilts were flown to the region?

How much were both supplies worth?

788,000 yuan

What county were the supplies flown to?

Wenchuan County

How many tents did the Sichuan Ministry provide for the homeless?

What group took tents and quilts to Wenchuan county?

Red Cross Society of China

How much has the Amity Foundation designated for disaster relief?

How many tents did the Sichuan Ministry of Affairs provide?

What were all these tents and quilts for?

those left homeless

What foundation had already begun relief work in the area?

The Amity Foundation


The central government estimates that over 7,000 inadequately engineered schoolrooms collapsed in the earthquake. Chinese citizens have since invented a catch phrase: "tofu-dregs schoolhouses" (Chinese: 豆腐渣校舍), to mock both the quality and the quantity of these inferior constructions that killed so many school children. Due to the one-child policy, many families lost their only child when schools in the region collapsed during the earthquake. Consequently, Sichuan provincial and local officials have lifted the restriction for families whose only child was either killed or severely injured in the disaster. So-called "illegal children" under 18 years of age may be registered as legal replacements for their dead siblings; if the dead child was illegal, no further outstanding fines would apply. Reimbursement would not, however, be offered for fines that were already levied.

How many schoolrooms collapsed in the quake?

What catch-phrase was invented as a result of collapsed schools?

tofu-dregs schoolhouses

Why did so many schools collapse during the earthquake?

inadequately engineered

What are the estimations of how many schoolrooms collapsed?

over 7,000

What has the citizenry started calling these type of schools?

tofu-dregs schoolhouses

What can illegal children be registered as in place of their dead siblings?

legal replacements


On the evening of May 18, CCTV-1 hosted a special four-hour program called The Giving of Love (simplified Chinese: 爱的奉献; traditional Chinese: 愛的奉獻), hosted by regulars from the CCTV New Year's Gala and round-the-clock coverage anchor Bai Yansong. It was attended by a wide range of entertainment, literary, business and political figures from mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. Donations of the evening totalled 1.5 billion Chinese Yuan (~US$208 million). Of the donations, CCTV gave the biggest corporate contribution at ¥50 million. Almost at the same time in Taiwan, a similarly themed programme was on air hosted by the sitting president Ma Ying-jeou. In June, Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan, who donated $1.57 million to the victims, made a music video alongside other artists entitled "Promise"; the song was composed by Andy Lau. The Artistes 512 Fund Raising Campaign, an 8-hour fundraising marathon, was held on June 1 in Hong Kong; it was attended by some 200 Sinosphere musicians and celebrities. In Singapore, MediaCorp Channel 8 hosted a 'live' programme 让爱川流不息 to raise funds for the victims.

What did CCTV-1 host on the evening of May 18th?

four-hour program called The Giving of Love

Who was the show hosted by?

Bai Yansong

How large were the donations from the program?

Donations of the evening totalled 1.5 billion Chinese Yuan

How much did Jackie Chan donate to support?

$1.57 million

What was the name of the music video that Jackie Chan made for the event?

Promise

What was the program that CCTV-1 hosted?

The Giving of Love

What did the donations total for the program?

US$208 million

What company gave the most?

CCTV

How much did actor Jackie Chan donate?

1.57 million

What was the name of Chan's music video?

Promise


Rescue efforts performed by the Chinese government were praised by western media, especially in comparison with Myanmar's blockage of foreign aid during Cyclone Nargis, as well as China's previous performance during the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. China's openness during the media coverage of the Sichuan earthquake led a professor at the Peking University to say, “This is the first time [that] the Chinese media has lived up to international standards”. Los Angeles Times praised China's media coverage of the quake of being "democratic".

What did a professor at the Peking University say about the handling of the earthquake?

This is the first time [that] the Chinese media has lived up to international standards

What did Myanmar block after Cyclone Nargis?

foreign aid

What did a Peking professor say about Chinese media coverage?

up to international standards

Who praised Chinese media coverage as being democratic?

Los Angeles Times

In which previous catastrophe not live up to international standards?

1976 Tangshan earthquake


As a result of the magnitude 7.9 earthquake and the many strong aftershocks, many rivers became blocked by large landslides, which resulted in the formation of "quake lakes" behind the blockages; these massive amounts of water were pooling up at a very high rate behind the natural landslide dams and it was feared that the blockages would eventually crumble under the weight of the ever-increasing water mass, potentially endangering the lives of millions of people living downstream. As of May 27, 2008, 34 lakes had formed due to earthquake debris blocking and damming rivers, and it was estimated that 28 of them were still of potential danger to the local people. Entire villages had to be evacuated because of the resultant flooding.

What formed behind blockages?

quake lakes

How many quake lakes formed?

How many of the lakes were a danger to people?

What was the magnitude of the Sichuan earthquake?

What blocked many of the area's rivers?

large landslides

What formed behind the blocked rivers?

quake lakes

By May 27, how many earthquake lakes had formed up behind landslide debris?

What had to be evacuated due to potential flooding?

Entire villages


The most precarious of these quake-lakes was the one located in the extremely difficult terrain at Mount Tangjia in Beichuan County, Sichuan, accessible only by foot or air; an Mi-26T heavy lift helicopter belonging to the China Flying Dragon Special Aviation Company was used to bring heavy earthmoving tractors to the affected location. This operation was coupled with the work done by PLAAF Mi-17 helicopters bringing in PLA engineering corps, explosive specialists and other personnel to join 1,200 soldiers who arrived on site by foot. Five tons of fuel to operate the machinery was airlifted to the site, where a sluice was constructed to allow the safe discharge of the bottlenecked water. Downstream, more than 200,000 people were evacuated from Mianyang by June 1 in anticipation of the dam bursting.

Where was the most precarious quake lake located?

Mount Tangjia in Beichuan County, Sichuan

How could you only get to this quake lake?

by foot or air

What machinery was airlifted into the location?

tractors

How many people were evacuated downstream?

What was the fear that caused 200,000 people to be evacuated from Mianyang?

the dam bursting

Where was the worst of the quake lakes located?

Mount Tangjia

Where is Mount Tangjia?

Beichuan County, Sichuan

How many soldiers had to travel to the area by foot?


The State Council declared a three-day period of national mourning for the quake victims starting from May 19, 2008; the PRC's National Flag and Regional Flags of Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions flown at half mast. It was the first time that a national mourning period had been declared for something other than the death of a state leader, and many have called it the biggest display of mourning since the death of Mao Zedong. At 14:28 CST on May 19, 2008, a week after the earthquake, the Chinese public held a moment of silence. People stood silent for three minutes while air defense, police and fire sirens, and the horns of vehicles, vessels and trains sounded. Cars and trucks on Beijing's roads also came to a halt. People spontaneously burst into cheering "Zhongguo jiayou!" (Let's go, China!) and "Sichuan jiayou" (Let's go, Sichuan!) afterwards.

Who declared the mourning period?

The State Council

What did the State Council declare a period of?

national mourning

This was the biggest display of mourning since the death of who?

Mao Zedong

When did the Chinese hold a moment of silence?

May 19, 2008

What came to a halt during the moment of silence?

Cars and trucks

How long was the national mourning for the quake victims to last?

three-day period


The Ningbo Organizing Committee of the Beijing Olympic torch relay announced that the relay, scheduled to take place in Ningbo during national morning, would be suspended for the duration of the mourning period. The route of the torch through the country was scaled down, and there was a minute of silence when the next leg started in city of Ruijin, Jiangxi on the Wednesday after the quake.

What was suspended for the duration of the mourning period?

Olympic torch relay

Where was the relay scheduled to take place?

Ningbo

What was suspended during the period of mourning?

Beijing Olympic torch relay

Where was the torch relay supposed to take place?

in Ningbo

What part of the relay did they change?

The route

Where was there a minute of silence during the relay?

Ruijin, Jiangxi


Many websites converted their home page to black and white; Sina.com and Sohu, major internet portals, limited their homepages to news items and removed all advertisements. Chinese video sharing websites Youku and Tudou displayed a black background and placed multiple videos showing earthquake footage and news reports. The Chinese version of MSN, cn.msn.com, also displayed banner ads about the earthquake and the relief efforts. Other entertainment websites, including various gaming sites, such as the Chinese servers for World of Warcraft, had shut down altogether, or had corresponding links to earthquake donations. After the moments of silence, in Tiananmen Square, crowds spontaneously burst out cheering various slogans, including "Long Live China". Casinos in Macau closed down.

What colors did many websites convert their home pages to?

black and white

What did internet portals remove from their home pages?

all advertisements

Many of what shut down completely?

various gaming sites

What did the crowds in Tiananmen Square do after the moment of silence?

burst out cheering

What business closed in Macau?

Casinos


Ye Zhiping, the principal of Sangzao Middle School in Sangzao, one of the largest in An County, has been credited with proactive action that spared the lives of all 2,323 pupils in attendance when the earthquake happened. During a three-year period that ended in 2007, he oversaw a major overhaul of his school. During that time he obtained more than 400,000 yuan (US$60,000) from the county education department, money used to widen and strengthen concrete pillars and the balcony railing of all four storeys of his school, as well as secure its concrete floors.

Who was the principal of Sangzao Middle School?

Ye Zhiping

What was the principal credited with?

proactive action that spared the lives of all 2,323 pupils in attendance when the earthquake happened

How many students attended the school?

How much money was used to strengthen the construction of the school?

400,000 yuan

What school principal strengthened his school?

Ye Zhiping

Where is the Sangzao Middle School?

Sangzao

The Sangzao school is one of the biggest in what county?

An County

How many years was Ye Zhiping involved in the school overhaul?

three-year period


However, Reuters reported in June that, to date, Chinese prosecutors have joined an official inquiry into ten collapsed schools during May's devastating earthquake to gain first-hand material of construction quality at the collapsed schools, launch preliminary inquiries and prepare for possible investigations into professional crime. It was also reported that safety checks were to be carried out at schools across China after last month's earthquake.

Why were the schools inspected?

to gain first-hand material of construction quality

What was to be carried out at schools after the quake?

safety checks

Who has joined an official inquiry into the school scandal?

Chinese prosecutors

What investigation are the prosecutors pursuing?

professional crime

Where are the Chinese going to perform safety checks?

schools across China

What group reported that Chinese prosecutors were involved in investigating the schoolhouse collapses?

Reuters


The New York Times reported that "government officials in Beijing and Sichuan have said they are investigating the collapses. In an acknowledgment of the weakness of building codes in the countryside, the National Development and Reform Commission said on May 27 that it had drafted an amendment to improve construction standards for primary and middle schools in rural areas. Experts are reviewing the draft, the commission said." To limit protests, officials pushed parents to sign a document, which forbade them from holding protests, in exchange of money, but some who refused to sign were threatened. The payment amounts varied from school to school but were approximately the same. In Hanwang, parents were offered a package valued at 8,800 USD in cash and a per-parent pension of nearly 5,600 USD. Furthermore, officials used other methods of silencing: riot police officers broke up protests by parents; the authorities set up cordons around the schools; and officials ordered the Chinese news media to stop reporting on school collapses.

What was given in exchange of signing the document?

money

What other methods were used to break up protests?

riot police

Who did the New York Times report was investigating the school collapses?

government officials

What are officials seeking to do about protesting parents?

limit protests

What are officials offering parents in exchange of protests?

money

What has happened to some who refuse to agree to not protest?

were threatened

What did officials order Chinese news media to stop reporting?

on school collapses


Besides parents, Liu Shaokun (刘绍坤), a Sichuan school teacher, was detained on June 25, 2008 for "disseminating rumors and destroying social order" about the Sichuan earthquake. Liu’s family was later told that he was being investigated on suspicion of the crime of inciting subversion. Liu had travelled to the Shifang, taken photos of collapsed school buildings, and put them online. He had also expressed his anger at “the shoddy tofu-dregs buildings” (豆腐渣工程) in a media interview. He was ordered to serve one year of re-education through labor (RTL). According to the organization Human Rights in China, Liu has been released to serve his RTL sentence outside of the labor camp.

Who was a Sichuan school teacher?

Liu Shaokun

What was Liu's family told?

that he was being investigated on suspicion of the crime of inciting subversion

What was Liu Shaokun's profession?

Sichuan school teacher

Why was he investigated?

crime of inciting subversion

What did Liu Shankun do with the pictures he took of collapsed schools?

put them online

Where did he call the schoolhouses shoddy?

in a media interview

What was his assigned punishment ?

one year of re-education


In January 2010, Hong Kong-based English newspaper The Standard reported that writer Tan Zuoren attempted to document shoddy construction that may have led to massive casualties in schools, was sentenced to in prison ostensibly for his writing an article in 2007 in support of the pro-democracy movement in 1989.

When did the sentencing occur?

in 2007

When was the article published about the case?

January 2010

What did he think that the poor construction led to?

massive casualties


Because of the magnitude of the quake, and the media attention on China, foreign nations and organizations immediately responded to the disaster by offering condolences and assistance. On May 14, UNICEF reported that China formally requested the support of the international community to respond to the needs of affected families.

What did UNICEF report?

that China formally requested the support of the international community

What did foreign nations offer China because of the severity of the quake?

condolences and assistance

When did China formally ask for help from the international community?

May 14

What organization reported that China asked for help?

UNICEF

Why did the world community notice the need for help?

magnitude of the quake


By May 14, the Ministry of Civil Affairs stated that 10.7 billion yuan (approximately US$1.5 billion) had been donated by the Chinese public. Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, one of the country's most popular sports icons, gave $214,000 and $71,000 to the Red Cross Society of China. The association has also collected a total of $26 million in donations so far. Other multinational firms located in China have also announced large amounts of donations.

How much did Yao Ming donate?

$214,000 and $71,000

How much did the Red Cross collect in donations?

$26 million

How much money had been donated by May 14?

10.7 billion yuan

What group donated the 10.7 yuan?

the Chinese public

What famous basketball player made two large donations to the crisis?

Yao Ming

How much has the Red Cross Society  collected?

26 million


Francis Marcus of the International Federation of the Red Cross praised the Chinese rescue effort as "swift and very efficient" in Beijing on Tuesday. But he added the scale of the disaster was such that "we can't expect that the government can do everything and handle every aspect of the needs". The Economist noted that China reacted to the disaster "rapidly and with uncharacteristic openness", contrasting it with Burma's secretive response to Cyclone Nargis, which devastated that country 10 days before the earthquake.

What did Francis Marcus say of the Chinese relief effort?

swift and very efficient

What uncharacteristic attitude did China display?

openness

What kind of attitude did Burma display in response to a cyclone a few days earlier?

secretive

How long before the quake did Cyclone Nargis strike Burma?

10 days

What organization did Francis Marcus represent?

International Federation of the Red Cross


All Mainland Chinese television stations (along with some stations in Hong Kong and expatriate communities) cancelled all regularly-scheduled programming, displayed their logo in grayscale, and replaced their cancelled programmes with live earthquake footage from CCTV-1 for multiple days after the quake. Even pay television channels (such as Channel V) had their programmes suspended.

What did stations replace programming with?

live earthquake footage

What was the source of the live feeds?

What about pay TV channels?

programmes suspended


Although the Chinese government was initially praised for its response to the quake (especially in comparison to Myanmar's ruling military junta's blockade of aid during Cyclone Nargis), it then saw an erosion in confidence over the school construction scandal.

What government blocked aid after Cyclone Nargis?

Myanmar

Over what scandal did the Chinese government lose in public opinion?

school construction scandal

What was the Chinese government first praised for?

response to the quake


On May 29, 2008, government officials began inspecting the ruins of thousands of schools that collapsed, searching for clues about why they crumbled. Thousands of parents around the province have accused local officials and builders of cutting corners in school construction, citing that after the quake other nearby buildings were little damaged. In the aftermath of the quake, many local governments promised to formally investigate the school collapses, but as of July 17, 2008 across Sichuan, parents of children lost in collapsed schools complained they had yet to receive any reports. Local officials urged them not to protest but the parents demonstrated and demanded an investigation. Furthermore, censors discouraged stories of poorly built schools from being published in the media and there was an incident where police drove the protestors away.

What did parents accuse builders of doing?

cutting corners

As of July 17, 2008 what did parents complain of not receiving?

any reports

What kind of stories were being censored in the media?

poorly built schools


The AP reported that "The state-controlled media has largely ignored the issue, apparently under the propaganda bureau's instructions. Parents and volunteers who have questioned authorities have been detained and threatened."

Who has ignored the school issue?

state-controlled media

Who gave instructions to ignore the school issue?

propaganda bureau

What media source has reported this happening?

The AP


On May 15, 2008 Geoffery York of the Globeandmail.com reported that the shoddily constructed buildings are commonly called "tofu buildings" because builders cut corners by replacing steel rods with thin iron wires for concrete re-inforcement; using inferior grade cement, if any at all; and using fewer bricks than they should. One local was quoted in the article as saying that "the supervising agencies did not check to see if it met the national standards."

Why are the buildings so shoddily built?

builders cut corners

What did builder's use in place of steel rods as re-inforcement?

thin iron wires

Who was supposed to inspect building to see if they met national standards?

supervising agencies


However questions still remain, as some of the corrupt government officials have still not been brought to justice, while the many families who lost their only child, are still seeking compensation and justice to what had happened. According to the Times, many parents were warned by the government not to stage a protest under the threat of arrest.

Who has not been brought to justice?

corrupt government officials

Who is still looking for compensation and justice?

many families

What has the government threatened people with to keep them from protesting?

threat of arrest

What media reported the threat of arrest?

the Times

What did many families lose in the earthquake?

their only child


New York—often called New York City or the City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a part—is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York metropolitan area, the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. A global power city, New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment, its fast pace defining the term New York minute. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural and financial capital of the world.

What city in the United States has the highest population?

New York

In what city is the United Nations based?

New York

What city has been called the cultural capital of the world?

New York

What American city welcomes the largest number of legal immigrants?

New York

The major gateway for immigration has been which US city?

New York City

The most populated city in the United States is which city?

New York City


Situated on one of the world's largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, each of which is a separate county of New York State. The five boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island – were consolidated into a single city in 1898. With a census-estimated 2014 population of 8,491,079 distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles (790 km2), New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. By 2014 census estimates, the New York City metropolitan region remains by a significant margin the most populous in the United States, as defined by both the Metropolitan Statistical Area (20.1 million residents) and the Combined Statistical Area (23.6 million residents). In 2013, the MSA produced a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of nearly US$1.39 trillion, while in 2012, the CSA generated a GMP of over US$1.55 trillion, both ranking first nationally by a wide margin and behind the GDP of only twelve and eleven countries, respectively.

How many boroughs comprise New York City?

five

In what year were the five boroughs combined into one city?

In 2014, what did the census estimate the population of New York City to be?

What is the size of New York City in square miles?

What is the population of New York's Combined Statistical Area?

23.6 million

How man boroughs does New York City contain?

five

The five boroughs of New York City are named what?

Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island

All five boroughs of New York City formed into one city on what date?

What is the population of New York City as of 2014?

How many languages are spoken by the people of New York City?


New York City traces its roots to its 1624 founding as a trading post by colonists of the Dutch Republic and was named New Amsterdam in 1626. The city and its surroundings came under English control in 1664. New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. It has been the country's largest city since 1790. The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to the Americas by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is a globally recognized symbol of the United States and its democracy.

What was the trading post that preceded New York City called?

New Amsterdam

What nation founded New Amsterdam?

the Dutch Republic

In what year did New York become the largest city in the United States?

When did the English take over the area from the Dutch?

In what year did New York cease the be the capital of the United States?

When was New York City established?

New Amsterdam became the title of New York City in what past date?

The English occupied New York City beginning on what date?

New York City is the biggest city in the United States since what historical date?


Many districts and landmarks in New York City have become well known, and the city received a record 56 million tourists in 2014, hosting three of the world's ten most visited tourist attractions in 2013. Several sources have ranked New York the most photographed city in the world. Times Square, iconic as the world's "heart" and its "Crossroads", is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway Theater District, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry. The names of many of the city's bridges, skyscrapers, and parks are known around the world. Anchored by Wall Street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City has been called both the most economically powerful city and the leading financial center of the world, and the city is home to the world's two largest stock exchanges by total market capitalization, the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. Manhattan's real estate market is among the most expensive in the world. Manhattan's Chinatown incorporates the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere, with multiple signature Chinatowns developing across the city. Providing continuous 24/7 service, the New York City Subway is one of the most extensive metro systems worldwide, with 469 stations in operation. New York City's higher education network comprises over 120 colleges and universities, including Columbia University, New York University, and Rockefeller University, which have been ranked among the top 35 in the world.

How many tourists visited New York in 2014?

56 million

How many stations are operated by the New York City Subway?

In what borough is Wall Street located?

Manhattan

How many school and universities are in NYC?

NYC has the two largest stock exchanges in the world which are called what?

New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ


During the Wisconsinan glaciation, the New York City region was situated at the edge of a large ice sheet over 1,000 feet in depth. The ice sheet scraped away large amounts of soil, leaving the bedrock that serves as the geologic foundation for much of New York City today. Later on, the ice sheet would help split apart what are now Long Island and Staten Island.

What island was once a part of Long Island?

Staten Island

During what period was the area around New York City located at the edge of an ice sheet 1,000 feet deep?

the Wisconsinan glaciation

Long Island and Staten Island were split in half by what geographical phenomenon?

ice sheet


In the precolonial era, the area of present-day New York City was inhabited by various bands of Algonquian tribes of Native Americans, including the Lenape, whose homeland, known as Lenapehoking, included Staten Island; the western portion of Long Island, including the area that would become Brooklyn and Queens; Manhattan; the Bronx; and the Lower Hudson Valley.

What was the name of the Lenape homeland?

Lenapehoking


The first documented visit by a European was in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazzano, a Florentine explorer in the service of the French crown, who sailed his ship La Dauphine into New York Harbor. He claimed the area for France and named it "Nouvelle Angoulême" (New Angoulême).

In what year did the first European arrive in the New York area?

What was the name of the first European who arrived in the New York area?

Giovanni da Verrazzano

What was the name of Giovanni da Verrazzano's ship?

La Dauphine

What nation did Giovanni da Verrazzano serve?

France

What did Giovanni da Verrazzano call the area when he staked claim on it?

Nouvelle Angoulême

When was the first European to visit the area of NYC?

Giovanni da Verrazzano's ship that sailed to New York was named what?

La Dauphine

Giovani da Verrazzano was an explorer from which country?

France


A Spanish expedition led by captain Estêvão Gomes, a Portuguese sailing for Emperor Charles V, arrived in New York Harbor in January 1525 aboard the purpose-built caravel "La Anunciada" and charted the mouth of the Hudson River, which he named Rio de San Antonio. Heavy ice kept him from further exploration, and he returned to Spain in August. The first scientific map to show the North American East coast continuously, the 1527 world map known as the Padrón Real, was informed by Gomes' expedition, and labeled the Northeast as Tierra de Esteban Gómez in his honor.

In what year did a Spanish expedition visit New York Harbor?

Who commanded the Spanish expedition?

Estêvão Gomes

What was the nationality of Estêvão Gomes?

Portuguese

What monarch did Estêvão Gomes serve?

Charles V

What was the name of Estêvão Gomes's ship?

La Anunciada

The front of the Hudson River was named what by Estevao Gomes?

Rio de San Antonio

What was the first map to show the whole North American East coast?

Padrón Real


In 1609, English explorer Henry Hudson re-discovered the region when he sailed his ship the Halve Maen ("Half Moon" in Dutch) into New York Harbor while searching for the Northwest Passage to the Orient for his employer, the Dutch East India Company. He proceeded to sail up what he named the North River, also called the Mauritis River, and now known as the Hudson River, to the site of the present-day New York State capital of Albany in the belief that it might represent an oceanic tributary. When the river narrowed and was no longer saline, he realized it was not a maritime passage and sailed back downriver. He made a ten-day exploration of the area and claimed the region for his employer. In 1614, the area between Cape Cod and Delaware Bay would be claimed by the Netherlands and called Nieuw-Nederland (New Netherland).

What was the name of the explorer who visited the area in 1609?

Henry Hudson

Who was Henry Hudson working for?

Dutch East India Company

In what year did the Netherlands claim the area between Delaware Bay and Cape Cod?

How many days did Henry Hudson spend exploring the region?

ten

What did Henry Hudson call the river that is now called the Hudson River?

North River

Henry Hudson worked for which company in the 1600s?

Dutch East India Company

In what year was the land between Cape Cod and Delaware Bay claimed by the Dutch?

Which explorer sailed his ship into New York harbor in 1609?

Henry Hudson


The first non-Native American inhabitant of what would eventually become New York City was Dominican trader Juan Rodriguez (transliterated to Dutch as Jan Rodrigues). Born in Santo Domingo of Portuguese and African descent, he arrived in Manhattan during the winter of 1613–1614, trapping for pelts and trading with the local population as a representative of the Dutch. Broadway, from 159th Street to 218th Street, is named Juan Rodriguez Way in his honor.

Where was Juan Rodriguez born?

Santo Domingo

What did the Dutch call Juan Rodriguez?

Jan Rodrigues

What was Juan Rodriguez's occupation?

trader

What is the street that is named after Juan Rodriguez?

Juan Rodriguez Way

During what season did Juan Rodriguez first come to New York?

winter

Who was the first non-Indian person to live in what is now NYC?

Juan Rodriguez

Which street in NYC today is now named after Juan Rodriguez?

Broadway, from 159th Street to 218th Street


A permanent European presence in New Netherland began in 1624 – making New York the 12th oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the continental United States  – with the founding of a Dutch fur trading settlement on Governors Island. In 1625, construction was started on a citadel and a Fort Amsterdam on Manhattan Island, later called New Amsterdam (Nieuw Amsterdam). The colony of New Amsterdam was centered at the site which would eventually become Lower Manhattan. The Dutch colonial Director-General Peter Minuit purchased the island of Manhattan from the Canarsie, a small band of the Lenape, in 1626 for a value of 60 guilders (about $1000 in 2006); a disproved legend says that Manhattan was purchased for $24 worth of glass beads.

On what island did the Dutch set up a settlement to trade furs?

Governors Island

On what island was Fort Amsterdam built?

Manhattan Island

In what year did construction begin on Fort Amsterdam?

What person bought Manhattan from the Canarsie for the Dutch?

Peter Minuit

In what year did the Dutch buy Manhattan?

New Netherland established a permanent European presence in what year?

What year did building begin of Fort Amsterdam on Manhattan Island?

What was the myth that Manhattan was bought for by General Peter Minuit ?

glass beads


In 1664, Peter Stuyvesant, the Director-General of the colony of New Netherland, surrendered New Amsterdam to the English without bloodshed. The English promptly renamed the fledgling city "New York" after the Duke of York (later King James II).

What did the English call New Amsterdam after its capture?

New York

What was the regnal name of the Duke of York?

James II

What person gave up New Amsterdam to the English?

Peter Stuyvesant

What was Peter Stuyvesant's title?

Director-General

In what year did the English take over New Amsterdam?

Who gave up New Amsterdam to the English without a fight in 1664?

Peter Stuyvesant


On August 24, 1673, Dutch captain Anthonio Colve took over the colony of New York from England and rechristened it "New Orange" to honor the Prince of Orange, King William III. However, facing defeat from the British and French, who had teamed up to destroy Dutch trading routes, the Dutch returned the island to England in 1674.

What was the regnal name of the Prince of Orange?

William III

What was the date of Anthonio Colve's capture of New York?

August 24, 1673

What did Colve call New York after he captured it?

New Orange

In what year did the Dutch give New York back to the English?

August 24, 1673 is when which Dutch officer  took control of NYC?

Anthonio Colve

The Dutch gave back the island to which country in 1674 after their trade routes had been destroyed?

England

New York was called New Orange for a period based off which historical figure?

King William III


At the end of the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the English gained New Amsterdam (New York) in North America in exchange for Dutch control of Run, an Indonesian island. Several intertribal wars among the Native Americans and some epidemics brought on by contact with the Europeans caused sizable population losses for the Lenape between the years 1660 and 1670. By 1700, the Lenape population had diminished to 200.

After what war did the English receive New Amsterdam?

Second Anglo-Dutch War

How many Lenape lived in the area in 1700?

What was the name of the island the English traded to the Dutch in return for New Amsterdam?

Run

In 1700, the Lenape Native American population had dwindled to how many?

After which war did England gain New York in exchange for Run, an Indonesian island?

Second Anglo-Dutch War


New York grew in importance as a trading port while under British rule in the early 1700s. It also became a center of slavery, with 42% of households holding slaves by 1730, more than any other city other than Charleston, South Carolina. Most slaveholders held a few or several domestic slaves, but others hired them out to work at labor. Slavery became integrally tied to New York's economy through the labor of slaves throughout the port, and the banks and shipping tied to the South. Discovery of the African Burying Ground in the 1990s, during construction of a new federal courthouse near Foley Square, revealed that tens of thousands of Africans had been buried in the area in the colonial years.

In 1730, what percentage of New York households were slave-holding?

In 1730, what American city had the highest percentage of slaveholders?

Charleston, South Carolina

Near what square was the African Burial Ground unearthed?

Foley Square

What was being built that resulted in the discovery of the African Burial Ground?

courthouse

Which city in North America held the most slaves in the 1700s?

Charleston, South Carolina

When was as African burial ground discovered after the building of new courthouse?


The trial in Manhattan of John Peter Zenger in 1735 helped to establish the freedom of the press in North America. In 1754, Columbia University was founded under charter by King George II as King's College in Lower Manhattan. The Stamp Act Congress met in New York in October 1765 as the Sons of Liberty organized in the city, skirmishing over the next ten years with British troops stationed there.

In what year was John Peter Zenger tried?

On what island did Zenger's trial occur?

Manhattan

In what year was Columbia University chartered?

Under what king did the founding of Columbia University occur?

George II

What was the original name of Columbia University?

King's College

Which trial in Manhatten helped establish the right of freedom of the press?

John Peter Zenger

Columbia University of New York was founded in what year?

The Stamp Act Congress had a meeting in 1765 in which US city?

New York


The Battle of Long Island, the largest battle of the American Revolutionary War, was fought in August 1776 entirely within the modern-day borough of Brooklyn. After the battle, in which the Americans were defeated, leaving subsequent smaller armed engagements following in its wake, the city became the British military and political base of operations in North America. The city was a haven for Loyalist refugees, as well as escaped slaves who joined the British lines for freedom newly promised by the Crown for all fighters. As many as 10,000 escaped slaves crowded into the city during the British occupation. When the British forces evacuated at the close of the war in 1783, they transported 3,000 freedmen for resettlement in Nova Scotia. They resettled other freedmen in England and the Caribbean.

What was the biggest battle of the American Revolution?

Battle of Long Island

In what borough did the Battle of Long Island occur?

Brooklyn

In what month and year was the Battle of Long Island fought?

August 1776

About how many escaped slaves were in New York during the time the British occupied it?

In what year did the American Revolutionary War end?

Which battle was the largest battle of the American Revolutionary war?

The Battle of Long Island

Which borough of New York was the Battle of Long Island fought?

Brooklyn

When did the English army start to retreat and evacuate NYC during the Battle of Long Island?


The only attempt at a peaceful solution to the war took place at the Conference House on Staten Island between American delegates, including Benjamin Franklin, and British general Lord Howe on September 11, 1776. Shortly after the British occupation began, the Great Fire of New York occurred, a large conflagration on the West Side of Lower Manhattan, which destroyed about a quarter of the buildings in the city, including Trinity Church.

On what date did the peace conference on Staten Island occur?

September 11, 1776

Who was the British representative at the Conference House meeting?

Lord Howe

What notable catastrophe took place under the British occupation?

Great Fire of New York

In what modern-day borough did the Great Fire happen?

Manhattan

What noted religious building was destroyed in the Great Fire?

Trinity Church

Who was the English general who met with Benjamin Franklin on Septermber 11, 1776?

Lord Howe

Which natural disaster happened after English occupation of Lower Manhattan?

the Great Fire of New York


In 1785, the assembly of the Congress of the Confederation made New York the national capital shortly after the war. New York was the last capital of the U.S. under the Articles of Confederation and the first capital under the Constitution of the United States. In 1789, the first President of the United States, George Washington, was inaugurated; the first United States Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States each assembled for the first time, and the United States Bill of Rights was drafted, all at Federal Hall on Wall Street. By 1790, New York had surpassed Philadelphia as the largest city in the United States.

In what year did New York become the United States capital?

Who was the United States' first President?

George Washington

In what building did the Supreme Court of the United States first sit?

Federal Hall

On what street did the writing of the Bill of Rights occur?

Wall Street

What was the second largest city in the United States in 1790?

Philadelphia

Which organization made New York the national capital in 1785?

Congress of the Confederation

New York City became the first what under the new Constitution of the United States?

capital

The first president, George Washington, took office in what year?

By which year, did New York City become the largest city in the United States?


Under New York State's gradual abolition act of 1799, children of slave mothers were born to be eventually liberated but were held in indentured servitude until their mid-to-late twenties. Together with slaves freed by their masters after the Revolutionary War and escaped slaves, a significant free-black population gradually developed in Manhattan. Under such influential United States founders as Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, the New York Manumission Society worked for abolition and established the African Free School to educate black children. It was not until 1827 that slavery was completely abolished in the state, and free blacks struggled afterward with discrimination. New York interracial abolitionist activism continued; among its leaders were graduates of the African Free School. The city's black population reached more than 16,000 in 1840.

In what year did the state of New York pass a law to free the slaves?

What borough was home to a notable population of free African-Americans?

Manhattan

Along with John Jay, who founded the New York Manumission Society?

Alexander Hamilton

In what year did the state of New York eliminate slavery?

In 1840, about how many African-Americans lived in New York City?

The gradual abolition act in New York was formed in what year?

When was slavery completely outlawed in the state of New York?


In the 19th century, the city was transformed by development relating to its status as a trading center, as well as by European immigration. The city adopted the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, which expanded the city street grid to encompass all of Manhattan. The 1825 completion of the Erie Canal through central New York connected the Atlantic port to the agricultural markets and commodities of the North American interior via the Hudson River and the Great Lakes. Local politics became dominated by Tammany Hall, a political machine supported by Irish and German immigrants.

What plan of 1811 spread a grid of streets across Manhattan?

Commissioners' Plan

In what year did the Erie Canal finish building?

What political machine controlled New York politics in this era?

Tammany Hall

Along with German immigrants, immigrants of what nationality supported Tammany Hall?

Irish

The Erie Canal was finished being built in what year?


Several prominent American literary figures lived in New York during the 1830s and 1840s, including William Cullen Bryant, Washington Irving, Herman Melville, Rufus Wilmot Griswold, John Keese, Nathaniel Parker Willis, and Edgar Allan Poe. Public-minded members of the contemporaneous business elite lobbied for the establishment of Central Park, which in 1857 became the first landscaped park in an American city.

What was the name of the first urban landscaped park in the United States?

Central Park

In what year was Central Park founded?

Central park, in 1857, became the first park in America to become what?

first landscaped


The Great Irish Famine brought a large influx of Irish immigrants. Over 200,000 were living in New York by 1860, upwards of a quarter of the city's population. There was also extensive immigration from the German provinces, where revolutions had disrupted societies, and Germans comprised another 25% of New York's population by 1860.

What event brought many Irish immigrants to the United States?

Great Irish Famine

In 1860, approximately how many people of Irish extraction were in New York?

In 1860, what fraction of the city population was composed of Irish immigrants?

a quarter

In 1860, what percentage of the city population was composed of German immigrants?

What events provoked the immigration of people from Germany?

revolutions

Which event brought upon a lot of Irish immigrants to NYC?

Great Irish Famine

How many immigrants that were Irish were living in New York in 1860?

Over 200,000


Democratic Party candidates were consistently elected to local office, increasing the city's ties to the South and its dominant party. In 1861, Mayor Fernando Wood called on the aldermen to declare independence from Albany and the United States after the South seceded, but his proposal was not acted on. Anger at new military conscription laws during the American Civil War (1861–1865), which spared wealthier men who could afford to pay a $300 (equivalent to $5,766 in 2016) commutation fee to hire a substitute, led to the Draft Riots of 1863, whose most visible participants were ethnic Irish working class. The situation deteriorated into attacks on New York's elite, followed by attacks on black New Yorkers and their property after fierce competition for a decade between Irish immigrants and blacks for work. Rioters burned the Colored Orphan Asylum to the ground, but more than 200 children escaped harm due to efforts of the New York City Police Department, which was mainly made up of Irish immigrants. According to historian James M. McPherson (2001), at least 120 people were killed. In all, eleven black men were lynched over five days, and the riots forced hundreds of blacks to flee the city for Williamsburg, Brooklyn, as well as New Jersey; the black population in Manhattan fell below 10,000 by 1865, which it had last been in 1820. The white working class had established dominance. Violence by longshoremen against black men was especially fierce in the docks area. It was one of the worst incidents of civil unrest in American history.

Who was the mayor of New York City in 1861?

Fernando Wood

What was the commutation fee to avoid being conscripted during the American Civil War?

People of what ethnicity most visibly participated in the Draft Riots of 1863?

Irish

About how many people died during the Draft Riots of 1863?

What was the approximate African-American population of New York City in 1865?

The Draft Riots caused which building to burn down in 1863?

Colored Orphan Asylum


In 1898, the modern City of New York was formed with the consolidation of Brooklyn (until then a separate city), the County of New York (which then included parts of the Bronx), the County of Richmond, and the western portion of the County of Queens. The opening of the subway in 1904, first built as separate private systems, helped bind the new city together. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the city became a world center for industry, commerce, and communication.

In what year was the modern City of New York founded?

In what year did the subway begin operation?

Portions of what modern-day borough were included in the County of New York?

the Bronx

The subway of New York was first available in what year?


In 1904, the steamship General Slocum caught fire in the East River, killing 1,021 people on board. In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, the city's worst industrial disaster, took the lives of 146 garment workers and spurred the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and major improvements in factory safety standards.

In what year did the General Slocum disaster occur?

How many people died on the General Slocum?

In what building did the city's deadliest industrial disaster occur?

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

How many people died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire?

The growth of what organization was prompted by the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire?

International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union

A catastrophe in 1911 that killed 146 workers was called what?

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire


New York's non-white population was 36,620 in 1890. New York City was a prime destination in the early twentieth century for African Americans during the Great Migration from the American South, and by 1916, New York City was home to the largest urban African diaspora in North America. The Harlem Renaissance of literary and cultural life flourished during the era of Prohibition. The larger economic boom generated construction of skyscrapers competing in height and creating an identifiable skyline.

How many non-white people lived in New York in 1890?

What was the name of the Prohibition-era African-American cultural flourishing in New York?

Harlem Renaissance

What was the population of people in New York that were not Caucasian in 1890?


New York became the most populous urbanized area in the world in the early 1920s, overtaking London. The metropolitan area surpassed the 10 million mark in the early 1930s, becoming the first megacity in human history. The difficult years of the Great Depression saw the election of reformer Fiorello La Guardia as mayor and the fall of Tammany Hall after eighty years of political dominance.

In the early 1920s, what was the second most highly populated city in the world?

London

What is the term for a city with a population of over 10 million?

megacity

Who was mayor of New York during the Great Depression?

Fiorello La Guardia

For about how many years did Tammany Hall control New York political life?

eighty

In the 1930s, New York City had more than 10 million people becoming the first what in history?

megacity


Returning World War II veterans created a post-war economic boom and the development of large housing tracts in eastern Queens. New York emerged from the war unscathed as the leading city of the world, with Wall Street leading America's place as the world's dominant economic power. The United Nations Headquarters was completed in 1952, solidifying New York's global geopolitical influence, and the rise of abstract expressionism in the city precipitated New York's displacement of Paris as the center of the art world.

When was construction finished on the United Nations Headquarters?

Prior to New York, what city was the center of the world of art?

Paris

What artistic movement caused New York to overtake Paris as the global art center?

abstract expressionism

The headquarters what organization was done being build in 1952 in New York?

United Nations


The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay community against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan. They are widely considered to constitute the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights in the United States.

The Stonewall riots are named after what building?

the Stonewall Inn

In what neighborhood did the Stonewall riots occur?

Greenwich Village

On what date did the Stonewall riots take place?

June 28, 1969

In what borough did the Stonewall riots happen?

Manhattan

What event provoked the Stonewall riots?

a police raid

Where did the Stonewall riots happen?

Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan


In the 1970s, job losses due to industrial restructuring caused New York City to suffer from economic problems and rising crime rates. While a resurgence in the financial industry greatly improved the city's economic health in the 1980s, New York's crime rate continued to increase through that decade and into the beginning of the 1990s. By the mid 1990s, crime rates started to drop dramatically due to revised police strategies, improving economic opportunities, gentrification, and new residents, both American transplants and new immigrants from Asia and Latin America. Important new sectors, such as Silicon Alley, emerged in the city's economy. New York's population reached all-time highs in the 2000 Census and then again in the 2010 Census.

In what year did the population of New York first reach an all-time high in this period?

In what year did the population of New York reach an all-time high for the second time in this period?

What was the name of a new sector of the New York economy that appeared in the 1990s?

Silicon Alley

In what decade did the crime rate drop significantly?

In what decade was there a significant decline in industrial jobs?

Which decade did massive job losses happen in NYC due to industrial issues?


The city and surrounding area suffered the bulk of the economic damage and largest loss of human life in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks when 10 of the 19 terrorists associated with Al-Qaeda piloted American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center and United Airlines Flight 175 into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, and later destroyed them, killing 2,192 civilians, 343 firefighters, and 71 law enforcement officers who were in the towers and in the surrounding area. The rebuilding of the area, has created a new One World Trade Center, and a 9/11 memorial and museum along with other new buildings and infrastructure. The World Trade Center PATH station, which opened on July 19, 1909 as the Hudson Terminal, was also destroyed in the attack. A temporary station was built and opened on November 23, 2003. A permanent station, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, is currently under construction. The new One World Trade Center is the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth-tallest building in the world by pinnacle height, with its spire reaching a symbolic 1,776 feet (541.3 m) in reference to the year of American independence.

What was the name of the aircraft that crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower on September 11, 2001?

American Airlines Flight 11

What was the name of the aircraft that crashed into the World Trade Center's South Tower on September 11, 2001?

United Airlines Flight 175

How many firefighters died in the World Trade Center attack?

On what date did the World Trade Center PATH begin operation?

July 19, 1909

How tall is One World Trade Center in meters?

The Hudson Terminal which was also demolished was build in what year?

How many leader terrorists of Al Quada were involved with the 9/11 attacks directly that day?

What was the plane named that crashed into the World Trade Center?

American Airlines Flight 11


The Occupy Wall Street protests in Zuccotti Park in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan began on September 17, 2011, receiving global attention and spawning the Occupy movement against social and economic inequality worldwide.

On what date did the Occupy Wall Street protests commence?

September 17, 2011

In what park did the Occupy Wall Street protests occur?

Zuccotti Park

In what borough did the Occupy Wall Street protests take place?

Manhattan

In what district of Manhattan were the Occupy Wall Street protests?

Financial District

The Occupy Wall Street protests that took place in Zuccotti Park was on which date?

September 17, 2011


When one Republican presidential candidate for the 2016 election ridiculed the liberalism of "New York values" in January 2016, Donald Trump, leading in the polls, vigorously defended his city. The National Review, a conservative magazine published in the city since its founding by William F. Buckley, Jr. in 1955, commented, "By hearkening back to New York's heart after 9/11, for a moment Trump transcended politics. How easily we forget, but for weeks after the terror attacks, New York was America."

What individual established the National Review?

William F. Buckley, Jr.

In what year was the National Review founded?

What public figure defended New York in January 2016?

Donald Trump

A presidential candidate from what party derided the city for its liberalism?

Republican


New York City is situated in the Northeastern United States, in southeastern New York State, approximately halfway between Washington, D.C. and Boston. The location at the mouth of the Hudson River, which feeds into a naturally sheltered harbor and then into the Atlantic Ocean, has helped the city grow in significance as a trading port. Most of New York City is built on the three islands of Long Island, Manhattan, and Staten Island.

In what geographical region of the United States is New York City located?

Northeastern

In what geographical region of New York state is New York City located?

southeastern

New York City is about half the distance between Washington DC and what city?

Boston

New York City is adjacent to what ocean?

Atlantic

What river is New York City located on?

Hudson River

New York City is at the base of which American river?

Hudson

The Hudson River flows into which body of water?

Atlantic Ocean

The three islands that make up New York city are named what?

Long Island, Manhattan, and Staten Island.


The Hudson River flows through the Hudson Valley into New York Bay. Between New York City and Troy, New York, the river is an estuary. The Hudson River separates the city from the U.S. state of New Jersey. The East River—a tidal strait—flows from Long Island Sound and separates the Bronx and Manhattan from Long Island. The Harlem River, another tidal strait between the East and Hudson Rivers, separates most of Manhattan from the Bronx. The Bronx River, which flows through the Bronx and Westchester County, is the only entirely fresh water river in the city.

The Hudson River serves as a dividing line between New York and what state?

New Jersey

What river flows between the Hudson and East Rivers?

Harlem River

What is the city's sole fresh water river?

Bronx River

Into what body of water does the Hudson River terminate?

New York Bay

Between New York City and what city is the Hudson River an estuary?

Troy, New York

The Hudson River separates NYC from which US state?

New Jersey

The single only freshwater river in NYC is what river?

The Bronx River

Which river seperates The Bronx from Manhatten?

The Harlem River