Final Jeopardy: 20th Century People (9-20-23)
Today’s Final Jeopardy question (9/20/2023) in the category “20th CENTURY PEOPLE” was:
In 2022 the Dept. of Energy noted “a flawed process” & vacated a 1954 Commission’s decision “In the Matter of” this man
In Game 3 of the Second Chance Tournament (Week 2), the contestants are: Brian Ross, an attorney from Los Angeles, CA, Alex Lamb, a data scientist from Lake Forest, CA; and Pam Sung, a physician-scientist from Amherst, NY.
Round 1 Categories: Back in the Day – The Sporting News – The New York Knocks – Name that Play – European Vacation – B Minus
Alex found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Back in the Day” under the $1,000 clue on the 7th pick of the round. He was in the lead with $2,200, $200 more than Pam in second place. Alex made it a true Daily Double and said the Foreign Legion. That was WRONG.
This U.S. Agency began in 1961; its director Sargent Shriver said it had 15,000 volunteers in 50+ countries in less than 6 years show
Pam finished in the lead with $4,600. Brian was second with $2,600 and Alex was last with $1,400. All clues were shown.
Round 2 Categories: The Hand that Feeds You – Mickey’s Mantel – Also a State Postal Abbreviation – The Real (White House) Wives of D.C. – Opera – “High” Notes
Pam found the first Daily Double in “The Real (White House) Wives of D.C.” under the $2,000 clue with 11 clues left after it. She was in the lead with $15,400, $7,600 more than Rob in second place. Pam bet $3,000 and she was RIGHT.
A year before her death in 1962, she began chairing JFK’s commission on the status of women show
On the next pick, Pam got the last Daily Double in “Opera” under the $1,200 clue. She was in the lead with $18,400, $10,600 more than Brian in second place. Pam bet $3,000 and drew a blank so she was WRONG.
The title character of this Bellini opera set in ancient Gaul is a druid priestess show
Pam finished in the lead with $15,000. Brian was second with $9,800 and Alex was last with $2,200. All clues were shown.
ALL of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.
WHO IS J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER
J. Robert Oppenheimer was an American physicist who was appointed director of the Manhattan Project’s Los Alamos Laboratory. As such, he was instrumental in the developing nuclear weapons that ended the second World War. He has been called “Father of the Atomic Bomb”. In 1954, at a 4-week hearing of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), Oppenheimer was essentially framed on charges of being a Communist and a threat to national security. His reputation was destroyed and his security clearance was revoked.
In December 2022, the Department of Energy (DOE, the successor to the AEC) struck down the 1954 ruling after more evidence emerged “of the bias and unfairness of the process that Dr. Oppenheimer was subjected to, while the evidence of his loyalty and love of country have only been further affirmed.” The Los Alamos Laboratory’s website has an article indicating that the motivation behind the false charges was revenge!
Alex bet $117 and finished with $2,317.
Brian bet it all, doubling his score to $19,600.
Pam bet $5,000 and won the game with $20,000 and she advances to the Finals where she will compete with Deanna Bolio and Rob Kim for the tournament’s top prizes.
A triple stumper from each round:
BACK IN THE DAY ($400) In the 1400s, Edward IV could have said, “I want to be a part of it, this house, this house”, a branch of Plantagenet
OPERA ($2000) How meta is this Puccini opera? Its title character is an opera singer, it’s set in Rome in 1800 & premiered in Rome in 1900
2 years ago: TWO of the players got this FJ in “Authors”
In addition to knowing many languages & making up his own, he also taught language at the universities of Leeds & Oxford show
IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE SHOW OR COMPLAINTS, PLEASE SEND YOUR FEEDBACK DIRECTLY TO JEOPARDY!
We may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made from Amazon.com links at no cost to our visitors. Learn more: Affiliate Disclosure.
Hmmmm……..l initially thought that the 1954 decision was concerning someone’s civil rights. If I had read the answer better, I might have selected Robert Oppenheimer. Anyways, I believe that Robert Oppenheimer subsequently became an anti war activist (which was why he was labeled a communist).
I thought I knew a bit about opera, but, man, that category seemed really tough. I think I got one right.
Pam is from my area, so, I have to root for her!
And, I agree – first DD should have been a gimme.
I haven’t seen the movie yet, and I honestly don’t know much about Oppenheimer, but I did come up with it based on the 1954 clue.
What I know about opera could fit on the head of a pin, but somehow I came up with the $2000 Puccini opera and also the $400 clue. Very surprised that first DD was missed; it was chock full of clues to the JFK-era agency. I thought surely someone would know the play with the gentleman caller. I’ve seen a couple versions of it on film and TV. When I’d answer the phone and it was a male asking to speak with my wife, I’d hand her the phone and tell her she had a gentleman caller.
Also thought one of those sophisticates would know the lobster dish.