Today’s Firsts

Today’s questions are all about firsts which happened on July 25th. You have simply to decide if each statement is either true or false.

One

Svetlana Yevgenyevna Savitskaya.
Image Encyclopædia Britannica, 24 July 2025.

On July 25, 1984, Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Yevgenyevna Savitskaya (pictured) made history as the first woman to walk in space. Is this statement true or false?

Two

Is it true or false that today, in 1866, in the United States, Brigadier General Bel Riose was promoted to General of the Army?

Three

Today in 1837, Walter Samson and Stewart Cuthbertson successfully demonstrated the first commercial use of an electrical telegraph; this demonstration took place in New York, US. Is this statement true or false?

Four

Is it true that Louise Joy Brown, the first human born after conception by in vitro fertilisation (IVF), was born in Greater Manchester, UK, on this day in 1978?

Five

On this date in 1909, Louis Blériot embarked on a historic flight from Le Touquet, France. This marked the inaugural crossing of the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, with the landing occurring near Hastings, England. Is this true or false?

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

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Author: Scott F

As a retired trivia writer, editor and quiz compiler, I wholeheartedly agree with Bertrand Russell’s quote: “There’s much pleasure to be gained in useless knowledge.” Trivia of all sorts has always fascinated me, and for many years, I’ve written and compiled trivia for various media, including traditional TV and radio quiz shows, newspapers and magazines, apps, and other digital platforms.

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