Capital Gain—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier post.

One

What decade saw the first time that residents of Washington, D.C. could vote in a U.S. presidential election

Answer: 1960s (1964)

Twenty-Third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961, granted D.C. three electoral votes—the same number as the least-populous state. Before this, its residents had no say in electing the president or vice-president.

---

Two

Today Henry VIII of England became the first Supreme Head of the Church of England. In which century was this?

Answer: 16th century (1534)

The Act of Supremacy officially severed England’s ties with the Roman Catholic Church and papal authority, paving the way for the English Reformation. Henry’s motivations were both political and personal; he desired an annulment from Catherine of Aragon.

---

Three

A dog named Laika went into space on this day in 1957. Which of these craft carried her: Soyuz 1, Sputnik 2 or Salyut 3?

Answer: Sputnik 2

Laika, a stray from Moscow’s streets, became a global icon of the Space Race. Sadly, she died within hours due to overheating, although the Soviets initially claimed she survived for several days.

⸻

Four

On this date, the Caribbean island nation of Dominica was first sighted by Europeans. Four hundred and eighty-five years later, it gained independence from a European country. What does the island’s name mean and from which country did it achieve independence?

Answer: United Kingdom; and Sunday

On 3 November 1493, Christopher Columbus sighted Dominica and named it Dies Dominica, meaning ‘the Lord’s Day’. Four hundred and eighty-five years later, on 3 November 1978, Dominica achieved independence after being a British colony and briefly a French one.

⸻

Five

On this day in 1911, a racing driver and engineer, born in 1878, co-founded the American motor car manufacturer Chevrolet, who was he and in what country was he born?

Answer: Louis Chevrolet; Switzerland

Louis Chevrolet’s name lives on in one of America’s most famous car brands, but he sold his stake early and never profited from its later success. Ironically, he died while working for a rival carmaker.