Final Jeopardy: European Countries (1-13-17)

The Final Jeopardy question (1/13/2017) in the category “European Countries” was:

Once the center of an empire, it didn’t exist as an independent nation from 1938 to 1955.

New champ Cheryl Guy won $20,600 yesterday. In her 2nd game, she is up against these two guys: Tanner Hesse, from San Diego, CA; and Eli Nehus, from Fayetteville, AR.

Round 1 Categories: States by City Trash-Talking – The 1860s – Biblical Big Screen – Up on Mt. Lushmore – Running a Hotel – Br-Exit

Tanner found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “The 1860s” under the $800 clue on the 7th pick of the round. He was in the lead with $1,200, $600 more than Cheryl in second place. He made it a true Daily Double but didn’t have a response so he was WRONG.

In 1867 this microbiologist was appointed Professor of Chemistry at the Sorbonne. show

WHO IS LOUIS PASTEUR?

Cheryl and Tanner finished in a tie for the lead with $4,200 each. Eli was next with $3,800.

Round 2 Categories: Castles – Short & Sweet – Books – On TV Now – Composers – Know Your Scales

Tanner found the first Daily Double in “Books” under the $1,200 clue on the 8th pick. He was in second place with $5,400 at this point, $4,400 behind Eli’s lead. He bet $3,000 but had no guess so he was WRONG.

Oscar-nominated, a 2015 film was based on this bestseller about Eilis, a young Irish immigrant in NYC in the 1950s. show

WHAT IS “BROOKLYN”?

Cheryl found the last Daily Double in “Know Your Scales” under the $1,200 clue, with 11 clues left after it. In second place with $9,400, she had $2,000 less than Eli’s lead. She bet $3,000 and she was RIGHT.

Conair makes a bathroom scale bearing the name of this group founded by Jean Nidetch. show

WHAT IS WEIGHT WATCHERS?

Cheryl finished in the lead with $11,600. Eli was next with $9,400 and Tanner was in third place with $2,000.

NONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS AUSTRIA?

The BBC has a timeline of key Austrian events beginning with the end of the Habsburg empire (1918). In 1938, Austria became part of Hitler’s Germany. In 1945, the period of Allied-occupied Austria began and in 1955, Austria regained its independence through a treaty with the Allies. Austrians celebrate this event on October 26 (Austrian National Day), because October 25, 1955 was the day that the last foreign troops left their land. (The links go to articles about the specific events).

Random Observation: The Austrian State Treaty went into effect on July 27, 1955, 3 days before Arnold Schwarzenegger turned 8 years old.

Tanner thought it was Hungary. He didn’t bet anything so he remained at $2,000.

Eli came up with Macedonia. He lost his $3,173 bet, leaving him with $6,227.

Cheryl wrote down Poland. That cost her $7,500. She finished with $4,100 and that meant Eli won the match. Eli Nehus is the new Jeopardy! champ who will be returning on Monday.

A triple stumper from each round:

UP ON MT. LUSHMORE ($800) Bill Clinton said this blotto Russian president tried to hail a cab on a D.C. street clad only in underwear; he wanted pizza

COMPOSERS ($1600) This Viennese composer’s “Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel” marks the rise of the German lied, or art song

2 years ago: NONE of the players got this FJ in “Epitaphs”

His headstone in Rome reads in part: “This grave contains all that was mortal, of a young English poet” show

WHO IS JOHN KEATS?

We may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made from Amazon.com links at no cost to our visitors. Learn more: Affiliate Disclosure.