Originality Consists in Returning to the Origin — Answers

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Here are the answers to today’s questions.

Exterior view of Casa Vicens, Barcelona, Antoni Gaudí, 1883–85.
Image Encyclopædia Britannica

Today the questions all relate to June 25th

One

The building above is Casa Vicens, Barcelona, Spain, which was designed and built starting in 1883. Who was the architect who designed it?

Answer: Antoni Gaudí.

Antoni Gaudí, born 25 June 1852, began his architectural studies in Barcelona in 1869/70, graduating in 1878. He worked as a draughtsperson for architects like Francisco de Paula del Villar and Joan Martorell, who secured the Sagrada Família project for him in 1883. Gaudí dedicated much of his career to the Sagrada Família, which remained unfinished at his death in 1926. Known for his innovative structural systems and artistic projects like Park Güell, Casa Milà, and Casa Batlló, Gaudí is a candidate for sainthood, with Pope Francis declaring him ‘Venerable’ in April 2025.

Two

In 2024, China’s Chang’e 6 lunar probe returned from the Moon carrying samples collected on the lunar surface. What was unique about these samples, and from what does the craft’s name ‘Chang’e’ originate?

Answer: Samples were first from the far side of the Moon; Named after a Goddess.

Chang’e, a goddess from Chinese legend who flew from Earth to the Moon, inspired the name of Chang’e 6, a lunar sample return mission. This mission launched on 3 May 2024, landed on the lunar far side on 1 June, and returned the first far-side samples to Earth on 25 June.

Three

The ballet, The Firebird, premiered in 1910. Who composed the ballet, and at what venue did it premiere?

Answer: Igor Stravinsky; Paris Opéra.

The Firebird, a ballet by Igor Stravinsky, premiered in Paris on June 25, 1910, marking his international success. Commissioned by Serge Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes, Stravinsky, then 27, drew from Russian legend and the ballet’s originality earned Stravinsky immediate international acclaim.

Four

In 1876, George Armstrong Custer made his last stand with his U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of Little Bighorn. In what U.S. state are the Battle of Little Bighorn National Monument and the Indian Memorial located?

Answer: Montana.

George Armstrong Custer, a U.S. Army officer, graduated last from West Point in 1861 but became a brevet brigadier general by 23. He played key roles in the Civil War and Indian Wars, dying at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. His legacy was shaped by his wife, Libbie.

Five

St. George Island was discovered in 1786 by Russian sea captain Gavriil Pribylov. The group of islands now known as the Pribilof Islands is named after Pribylov. In what body of water is St. George Island located?

Answer: Bering Sea.

The Pribilof Islands, discovered by Gavril Pribylov in 1786, include St. Paul and St. George. Inhabited by Aleuts in 1788, they became U.S. territory with the Alaska Purchase in 1867. Known for 800,000 northern fur seals, commercial sealing was banned in 1973 and 1985. The islands host diverse wildlife and nearly three million migratory birds.