Nathaniel Zylstra, a law student at Yale University from Sioux Center, Iowa, was a contestant on the U.S. version of the show on January 20-23, 2000. He walked away with $32,000 after incorrectly answering his $250,000 question.
He was among the five contestants on one of the most disastrous American episodes of all time, the infamous 1/20/00 show in which four contestants, including Brian Fodera, took home a combined $3,000. Nathaniel said that the group, whom he dined with after his first appearance, gave themselves the nickname "the legion of doom."
Place the following countries in geographical order, starting in the south.
⬥ A: Spain
⬥ B: South Africa
⬥ C: Chad
⬥ D: Finland
Out of 7 remaining contestants, 5 contestants got it right, but Nathaniel (with a time of 4.42 seconds) was the fastest to correctly answer B-C-A-D, making it to the hot seat.
Nathaniel's Run to the Million[]
$100 (1 of 15) - Not Timed
What do people wishing you a "bon voyage" literally hope that you have?
⬥ A: Good trip
⬥ B: Merry Christmas
⬥ C: Beautiful baby
⬥ D: Correct change
$200 (2 of 15) - Not Timed
Which of the following do microwave oven manufacturers recommend not be put in a microwave?
⬥ A: Plastic
⬥ B: Ceramic
⬥ C: Hamburger
⬥ D: Metal
$300 (3 of 15) - Not Timed
Which of the following events does Alice attend in the novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"?
⬥ A: Cricket match
⬥ B: Quilting bee
⬥ C: Tea party
⬥ D: Poker game
$500 (4 of 15) - Not Timed
"Maize" is another word for which of the following foods?
⬥ A: Apple
⬥ B: Wheat
⬥ C: Bread
⬥ D: Corn
Considering he's from Iowa, Nathaniel jokes that if he misses this, he can never go back home.
$1,000 (5 of 15) - Not Timed
Involuntary spasms of what result in a case of the hiccups?
⬥ A: Pancreas
⬥ B: Diaphragm
⬥ C: Lungs
⬥ D: Spleen
$2,000 (6 of 15) - Not Timed
What type of animal is a scarab-cut stone designed to resemble?
⬥ A: Beetle
⬥ B: Crab
⬥ C: Moth
⬥ D: Lizard
$4,000 (7 of 15) - Not Timed
What president referred to the nation's diverse population as "a thousand points of light"?
⬥ A: John F. Kennedy
⬥ B: Ronald Reagan
⬥ C: Lyndon Johnson
⬥ D: George Bush
Nathaniel answers the question in George H.W. Bush's voice, and Regis follows suit with an impression of his own.
$8,000 (8 of 15) - Not Timed
Which of the following is not an integer?
⬥ A: 2
⬥ B: 1/2
⬥ C: 0
⬥ D: -2
The klaxon sounds, and Nathaniel will return with all three lifelines.
$16,000 (9 of 15) - Not Timed
Which of these states regularly flies the Confederate battle flag over its Capitol building?
⬥ A: Tennessee
⬥ B: North Carolina
⬥ C: South Carolina
⬥ D: Alabama
$32,000 (10 of 15) - Not Timed
What ancient written language did the Rosetta Stone help decipher?
⬥ A: Babylonian
⬥ B: Sumerian
⬥ C: Sanskrit
⬥ D: Egyptian
$64,000 (11 of 15) - Not Timed
In the movie "Jerry Maguire", what team finally showed Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character the money?
⬥ A: Arizona Cardinals
⬥ B: Denver Broncos
⬥ C: Kansas City Chiefs
⬥ D: Tennessee Titans
$125,000 (12 of 15) - Not Timed
The Newbery Medal is awarded for excellence in what field? '50:50' lifeline used
⬥ A: Poetry
⬥ B: Nonfiction
⬥ C: Children's literature
⬥ D: Science fiction
Nathaniel has a hunch on this, but he's not sure, and decides to take the 50:50.
A and B are knocked out, leaving C, which was Nathaniel's hunch. He goes with it and wins $125,000.
$250,000 (13 of 15) - Not Timed
Which of the following architects is known for coining the phrase "Form follows function"? 'Phone-a-Friend' lifeline used
⬥ A: Frank Lloyd Wright
⬥ B: Louis Sullivan
⬥ C: Charles LeCorbusier
⬥ D: Dankmar Adler
Nathaniel doesn't know this, but he does have a gut feeling. He decides to call his friend Kyle, who also isn't sure, but guesses LeCorbusier.
As LeCorbusier was also Nathaniel's instinct, he decides to go for it, stating that even if he doesn't get it right, he's still happy with the $32,000.
Regis: "Could two Yale law students both be wrong?"
Unfortunately, they can be, as the correct answer was B: Louis Sullivan.
