Today’s Answers

Day 4 of our continuing theme.

One

What ‘P’ links a creature from Greek myth and Bénouville Bridge, Normandy?

Answer: Pegasus.

Pegasus is a winged white stallion in Greek mythology, sired by Poseidon and born from Medusa after she was decapitated by Perseus. He later ascended to heaven to serve Zeus by bringing lightning and thunder from Olympus.

Pegasus Bridge, originally the Bénouville Bridge, is a historic road crossing over the Caen Canal in Normandy. Built in 1934, it became famous during the Second World War when a British glider-borne force captured it intact on 6 June 1944 to limit German counter-attacks after the Normandy invasion. Renamed in honour of the operation and the shoulder emblem worn by British airborne forces, the original bridge is now a war memorial at the Memorial Pegasus museum, having been replaced by a modern bascule bridge in 1994.

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Two

What ‘Q’ is a capital city; sits on the equator; and is amongst the highest capitals by elevation? Of what country is this city the capital, and what other country’s two capitals vie with this one as highest capitals?

Answers: Quito, Ecuador; Bolivia.

Quito, formally known as San Francisco de Quito, serves as the capital and second-largest city of Ecuador. Its population is estimated at 1.7 million within the city and 2.8 million across the metropolitan area. Situated in a valley on the eastern slopes of the active stratovolcano Pichincha in the Andes at 2,850 metres (9,350 ft), Quito ranks as either the highest or second-highest national capital globally, depending on whether La Paz or Sucre is regarded as Bolivia’s capital.

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Three

Which ‘R’ was somewhat of a maverick before becoming a saint, then adopted a licence to kill on seven occasions? Who is the actor, and in which television production did Tony Curtis appear as a co-star?

Answers: Roger Moore; The Persuaders!.

Sir Roger George Moore was an English actor best known as the third actor to portray James Bond, starring in seven feature films between 1973 and 1985. On television, he played the lead role of Simon Templar in The Saint, starred in the American Western Maverick, and appeared alongside Tony Curtis in The Persuaders!.

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Four

What ‘S’, in 1991, superseded SALT, which dated from the sixties? The answers are both an acronym and its meaning.

Answers: START; Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

The START I treaty, proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan, led to the removal of about 80% of strategic nuclear weapons by late 2001. Following the Soviet Union’s collapse, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan agreed to its terms. After START I there were START II, III and then the New START Treaty in 2010, which extended nuclear weapon reductions until its expiration in February 2026, despite Russia suspending its participation in 2023.

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Five

What ‘T’ was Captain Robert F. Scott’s ship on his ill-fated trip to Antarctica? Which explorer beat him to the South Pole by a few weeks?

Answers: Terra Nova; Roald Amundsen.

Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his party of five reached the South Pole on January 17, 1912, only to find Roald Amundsen had arrived first. On their return journey, a planned meeting with supporting dog teams failed, and the entire party died from exhaustion, starvation, and extreme cold just miles from their next supply depot. When their bodies were discovered, they were found with the first Antarctic fossils, which later proved the continent was once forested and connected to other landmasses.

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