Entertaining History—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.

One

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, both actors, share the same birthday on 25 September. How many years apart are their birth years, and where were they born?

Answer: 25 years; New Jersey, US and Wales, UK

Douglas was born in 1944, in the city of New Brunswick, New Jersey, US. The birth of Catherine Zeta-Jones was in 1969 in Swansea, a city in Wales, UK

---

Two

Tostig Godwinson died in England on 25 September in a battle against his brother. His victorious brother would die less than three weeks later in another battle over 250 miles away. Who was the victorious brother, and in what battle did he die?

Answer: King Harold II of England aka Harold Godwinson and Battle of Hastings

On 25 September 1066, Tostig Godwinson, allied with the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada, faced his brother Harold II, the king of England, at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Both Tostig and Harald died in the battle. The victorious Harold was then compelled to march his armies to the English Channel coast to confront the Norman invasion led by William, Duke of Normandy. At the Battle of Hastings, Harold was killed and his armies defeated, and the Duke of Normandy became William the Conqueror, the first Norman king of England, known as William I.

---

Three

Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick, a multi-page newspaper, first published on 25 September 1690, was the first publication of its kind in the British American colonies. Is this true or false?

Answer: True

It is true. It was short lived though as the following quote explains.

His newspaper, Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and Domestick (Sept. 25, 1690), the first newspaper printed in the colonies, was suppressed by Boston authorities after one issue.
— Encyclopædia Britannica

---

Four

On 25 September 1962, Sonny Liston became the world heavyweight boxing champion with a first-round knockout to win the title. Who did he defeat?

Answer: Floyd Paterson

Floyd Patterson became the youngest heavyweight champion in 1956, defeating Archie Moore. He lost the title to Ingemar Johansson in 1959 but regained it in 1960, holding it until 1962 when he was defeated by Sonny Liston.

---

Five

On 25 September 1513, Vasco Núñez de Balboa became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean. What was that body of water known as to Balboa and his contemporaries at that time?

Answer: Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean was originally called the South Sea by Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa in 1513, due to its location along the southern shore of the Isthmus of Panama. Later, in 1520, Ferdinand Magellan renamed it the Pacific, being a ‘peaceful sea’, after his journey through the stormy waters surrounding Cape Horn to reach it.