There is Only One Cure for Grey Hair — Answers

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Giacomo Puccini, 1924.
Image Wikimedia Commons

All of these questions are related to today’s date, April 25th.

One

In 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway was officially opened. What canal, part of the Seaway, extends from Port Weller to Port Colborne, and in what country is this canal located?

Answer: Welland Canal; Canada.

Part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Welland Canal in Ontario, Canada, connects Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, bypassing Niagara Falls. It facilitates 3,000 ships annually, transporting 40 million tonnes of cargo. First opened in 1829, the Welland Canal has undergone four reconstructions, with the current version featuring eight locks, allowing ships to pass in opposite directions.

Two

In 1926, Turandot premiered some sixteen months after the death of the opera’s composer. Who, pictured above, was the composer?

Answer: Giacomo Puccini.

Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) was an Italian composer renowned for his operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot. Puccini’s final opera, Turandot, was left unfinished at the composer’s death, and Franco Alfano completed the last two scenes using sketches from the composer. Turandot boasts several memorable arias, including the iconic Nessun dorma.

Three

In 1792, the louisette was first used in France. Originally named after its inventor, Antoine Louis, a surgeon and physiologist, it became more commonly known by the name used today. What is it now known as?

Answer: Guillotine.

The guillotine, introduced in France in 1792, was a device for capital punishment by decapitation, consisting of two upright posts and a weighted angled blade. Legislation promoted by Joseph-Ignace Guillotin to ensure equality and minimise suffering, it was first used on 25 April 1792. Originally called the louisette, it became infamous during the French Revolution and Reign of Terror, executing thousands including Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. Use declined after the 1960s, with it last being used in 1977, and France abolishing both capital punishment and the guillotine in 1981.

Four

As a precursor to licence or registration plates, what did New York State require that motor vehicle owners must display on the back of their vehicle from 1901?

Answer: Owners initials.

France introduced vehicle registration plates in 1893, followed by Germany in 1896. The Netherlands issued national plates in 1898. In the U.S., New York required that the owner’s initials be clearly visible on the back of the vehicle from 1901, and licence plates displayed from 1903.

Five

British and French engineers broke ground in 1859 at the site of a canal which has a terminus at Port Tewfik. What canal is it, and what rugged, arid peninsula is situated to the east of this canal?

Answer: Suez Canal; Sinai Peninsula.

The Suez Canal, a 193.30-kilometre-long waterway in Egypt, connects the Mediterranean Sea at Port Said with the Red Sea at Port Tewfik, Suez, separating Africa and Asia. Built in 1869 by Ferdinand de Lesseps’ Compagnie de Suez, it was nationalised in 1956. A new side channel opened in 2016, enhancing its role in global trade and military strategy.