A Sporting First—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

One

Althea Gibson, aged 76, died on this day in 2003. In the mid-1950s she achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first African-American woman to win titles in what sport?

Answer: Tennis

Althea Gibson was a dominant American tennis player who ruled women’s competition in the late 1950s. She achieved historic milestones as the first Black player to win the French Open (1956), Wimbledon (1957–58) and the US Open (1957–58) singles championships.

Two

Brigitte Bardot was born on 28 September 1934.  She gained international recognition in which 1956 film directed by Roger Vadim?

Answer: And God Created Woman

Born in Paris, Bardot aspired to be a ballerina before starting her acting career in 1952. She gained international fame in 1957 for her role in And God Created Woman.

Three

In 1928, a physician and microbiologist observed a mould growth in a laboratory that would later be identified as penicillin.  Who was this individual?

Answer: Alexander Fleming

Scottish physician and microbiologist Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first broadly effective antibiotic, in 1928. He shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 for this discovery.

Four

On 28 September, a European ‘discovered’ California. In which century did this happen?

Answer: 16th century

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the “discoverer” of California, landed near present-day San Diego in 1542, becoming the first European to set foot on the west coast of the future United States.

Five

On 28 September 2008 Singapore hosted its inaugural Formula One race, making it the first night race in the sport’s history. Almost a year later allegations emerged of a driver being instructed by his team to crash his car. Who was the driver and which team was he representing?

Answer: Nelson Piquet Jr. and Renault F1 (or Renault)

The 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, the first Formula One race held at night, was won by Fernando Alonso after a controversial incident involving his teammate, Nelson Piquet Jr. Piquet deliberately crashed, bringing out the safety car and benefiting Alonso’s strategy. This incident led to Renault’s disqualification from Formula One, later overturned in court.