Financial History Issue 117 (Spring 2016) | Page 41

WALL STREET WALKS

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT FINANCIAL HISTORY?

TRIVIA

By Bob Shabazian QUIZ

Wall Street Walks takes visitors through the historic capital of world finance— the one-square-mile of downtown Manhattan known as“ Wall Street.” Our visitors learn about people, places and events comprising over 200 years of history, as they walk among locations where it all happened.
• Regular public tours daily, except Sunday.
• Group and private tours available.
Proud walking tour partner of the Museum of American Finance.
CONTACT: www. WallSreetWalks. com tours @ wallstreetwalks. com 212-666-0175( office) 212-209-3370( ticket hotline)
1. How many income tax returns does the Internal Revenue Service audit each year?
2. Who was Ida M. Tarbell?
3. What territorial acquisition by the United States was labelled Seward’ s Folly?
4. In the early part of the19th century, what other major land deal involved the United States and France?
5. MetLife is considering the sale of its life insurance units. How did the company get started in the life insurance business?
6. The US Postal Service recently reduced the price of first class postage from 49 to 47 cents an ounce. What was the cost in 1885?
7. The Dow Jones Industrial Average consists of nine sectors. In terms of market capitalization, which is the largest sector?
8. What did the Wilson-Gorman Act of 1894 provide for in regard to taxes?
9. What university has the largest endowment?
10. When did the US Mint become part of the Treasury Department?
1. Nearly 1.4 million, or less than one percent of the 192 million tax returns, according to figures available for 2014. 2. Managing editor of McClure’ s Magazine, whose investigative journalism led to the eventual breakup of the Standard Oil Trust in 1911. 3. The purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $ 7.2 million. 4. The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 for $ 15 million. 5. It sold policies dealing with Civil War related disabilities. At the end of 1864, the company had written 17 life insurance policies and 56 accident policies. 6. Three cents an ounce. 7. Financials 8. It restored the federal income tax( later ruled unconstitutional but made permanent in 1913 through ratification of the 16th Amendment). 9. Harvard University, with an endowment of $ 36.4 billion. 10. 1873 www. MoAF. org | Spring 2016 | FINANCIAL HISTORY 39