THE GREAT CHICAGO TRIBUNE HOLIDAY NEWS QUIZ
Phew! 2023 has been a year. Have you been paying attention?
Get your loved ones together, open a bottle of something you all like and test your current events knowledge on what happened this year in Chicago and far beyond. Googling and other forms of digitized cheating are strictly prohibited.
You’ll find the answers at the bottom of Page 15. If you score highly, congratulations on being a well-informed Chicagoan.
If your results disappoint, you may need to subscribe to a Tribune newsletter or two at membership.chicagotribune.com/newsletters to keep up with current events in 2024.
Either way, have fun and happy holidays from the Opinion team!
15. Over what did the Ravinia Festival and the Ravinia Brewing Company fight this year?
A. Rising concessions costs B. Artist discounts
C. Noise issues D. Trademark infringement
16. Which company took over McDonald’s former Oak Brook headquarters in 2023?
A. DraftKings
B. Salesforce
C. Ace Hardware
D. United Airlines
17. What seemingly benign entity did Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, target in 2023?
A. Unlicensed dog runs
B. Little Free Libraries
C. Unpermitted block parties
D. Farmers markets in Chicago parks
18. What kind of city-owned business did Chicago officials contemplate starting in 2023?
A. Grocery stores B. Cannabis dispensaries C. Thrift stores D. Restaurants
19. What happened in August to the Friday Morning Swim Club?
A. It was shut down.
B. It was forced to diversify.
C. It was moved across state lines.
D. It was forced to move to the weekend.
20. What happened in July to Charley Crockett and Miranda Lambert in Chicago?
A. Their concert at the NASCAR race event was canceled due to flooding.
B. They were cited for ignoring an end-time curfew. C. Their concert was postponed for several hours due to security concerns.
D. Their tour bus was towed.
21. What happened in May to the so-called “ComEd Four”?
A. They were acquitted.
B. They were convicted.
C. The verdict in their collective case was unexpectedly split.
D. They were given probation.
22. Which Chicago institute of higher learning was severely affected by a strike involving adjunct faculty members?
A. Northwestern University B. DePaul University C. Loyola University D. Columbia College
23. Where along the Chicago River did a botanist and a friend spot Chonkosaurus, a massive snapping turtle and soon-to-be viral sensation, sunning itself?
A. Near trees at Ping Tom Park
B. On a pylon in Goose Island
C. Among geese next to WMS Clark Boathouse D. In the grass near the Damen Silos
24. Google plans to open offices in the Thompson Center in 2026, and there’s hope the rehab it is undertaking will set off what’s known as the Google effect. According to Tribune reporting this year, which Chicago neighborhood has previously benefited from the Google effect?
A. Bridgeport
B. Englewood
C. Fulton Market
D. River North
25. What positions did Larry Snelling, Chicago’s new police superintendent, previously serve in at the Chicago Police Department?
A. Chief of counterterrorism B. Trainer at the police academy C. Deputy chief of Area 2
D. All of the above
26. Which of these quotes is from Brandon Johnson’s victory speech after he won the mayoral election?
A. “It’s a multicultural, multigenerational movement that has literally captured the imagination of not just the city of Chicago but the rest of the world.”
B. “An uneducated child is a child who is hungry in all of the most important ways.”
C. “It’s a new day, Chicago, and the dawn is as bright as the first day Adam and Eve woke up in the garden.” D. “How can a city with so much wealth and so many really tall buildings say it can’t afford the reasonable demands of those who educate its children?”
27. How many candidates were on the ballot for Chicago mayor in the February municipal election? A. 7
B.9
C. 8
D. 27
28. Which of these elected offices in Illinois has Paul Vallas not sought in his political career?
A. Mayor of Chicago
B. Governor of Illinois
C. Mayor of Palos Heights
D. Lieutenant governor of Illinois