Four Births and a Funeral—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

Five questions which consist of four births on this date, February 21st, and one death.

Robert Mugabe, 1995.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

Born in 1924, Robert Mugabe served as the first prime minister of which African country from 1980 to 1987 and then as president from 1987 to 2017?

Answer: Zimbabwe

Robert Mugabe, a prominent Black nationalist leader, served as Zimbabwe’s prime minister (1980–87) and president (1987–2017). He resigned in 2017 after 37 years in power, facing pressure to prevent his wife from succeeding him.


Two

Born on this day, Barbara Jordan became the first African American woman to serve in the US House of Representatives from the South. In what year did she join the House?

Answer: 1972.

Barbara Jordan was a lawyer, educator and politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas. She was the first African American congresswoman from the South and gained national prominence during the Watergate scandal. After retiring from Congress, she taught at the University of Texas and remained influential in political affairs.


Three

Which poem by W. H. Auden, written in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II, famously opens with the line ‘I sit in one of the dives / On Fifty-second Street’?

Answer: September 1, 1939

Although it became one of his most quoted works—especially after major global crises—Auden later grew dissatisfied with the poem and even excluded it from some of his collected editions.


Four

Born in Linares, Spain in 1893, the Marquis of Salobreña was a celebrated musician and composer. What was his name and on which instrument was he renowned for his performances?

Answers: Andrés Segovia; Guitar.

Andrés Segovia, a Spanish classical guitarist, was a pivotal figure in the 20th century, known for re-establishing the guitar as a concert instrument. He significantly influenced the modern-romantic repertoire through commissions and transcriptions, and his expressive performances and distinctive style are highly remembered. Segovia’s career began in Granada in 1909, with notable performances in Madrid in 1912, Paris in 1924, and New York in 1928. His work inspired many composers to create specially composed pieces for the guitar.


and finally…

Five

In 2018, a prominent American Christian evangelist, born in North Carolina 99 years earlier, passed away in the same state.  He organised annual crusades drawing huge crowds eager to hear his preaching. His website boasts live audiences of at least 210 million people across over 185 countries and territories.  He was also known for rebuking a US president for profanity.  Who was this evangelist and which US president did he rebuke?

Answer: Billy Graham; Richard Nixon.

Graham rebuked Nixon for his behaviour regarding Watergate and for his profanity as heard on the Watergate tapes. Billy Graham, a prominent American evangelist, gained international influence through his crusades and media presence. He advocated for racial integration, supported the Civil Rights Movement, and founded the Lausanne Movement.


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Author: Quizologist

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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