The building above is Casa Vicens, Barcelona, Spain, which was designed and built starting in 1883. Who was the architect who designed it?
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?
Three
The ballet, The Firebird, premiered in 1910. Who composed the ballet, and at what venue did it premiere?
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?
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?
Pilkington Jackson’s statue of Robert I, aka Robert the Bruce, at Bannockburn. Image Wikimedia Commons
All of these questions are related to today’s date, 23 January but there is also a bit of a theme bubbling in the background.
One
A decisive battle on this day in 1314 saw Scotland regain independence and established Robert I as king. What was the battle, and of what Royal house was Robert I the first monarch ?
Answer: Bannockburn; Bruce.
The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 was a decisive victory for the Scots under Robert I against the English under Edward II. Despite being outnumbered, the Scots used strategic positioning and strong infantry to repel English cavalry charges. The battle resulted in heavy English losses and is considered a turning point in the Scottish Wars of Independence.
Two
A Canadian Parliamentary Act in 1887 created the country’s first national park which was originally called Rocky Mountains Park. What is the current name of Canada’s first national park?
Answer: Banff National Park.
Prime Minister John A. Macdonald set aside a small area around hot springs in 1885. This became Canada’s first national park with the passing of the Rocky Mountains Park Act in 1887. Originally named Rocky Mountains Park, it later became Banff National Park. The Canadian Pacific Railway promoted tourism with hotels like Banff Springs. Wealthy tourists from Europe, America, and England visited, engaging in mountaineering. By 1911, Banff was accessible by car, with motorcoach tours starting in 1916.
Three
In 1894, the International Olympic Committee was founded at the Sorbonne in Paris. This was at the initiative of a French noble; who, including his title, was this man?
Answer: Baron Pierre de Coubertin.
Charles Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (1863–1937), was a French educator and historian, co-founder and second president of the IOC, and the father of the modern Olympic Games. He promoted sports in French schools and inspired the Pierre de Coubertin World Trophy and Medal.
Four
In a game against the Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox pitcher Ernie Shore retires 26 batters in a row after replacing …, who had been ejected for punching the umpire. — Wikipedia
This Wikipedia quote refers to a game of baseball played on 23 June 1917. The name of the player who had been replaced is missing. Who is this player?
Answer: Babe Ruth.
On June 23, 1917, Ernie Shore overshadowed Babe Ruth by retiring 26 consecutive batters after Ruth was ejected for punching an umpire. Shore, a North Carolina native, played for the Red Sox and Yankees, ending his career in 1920. The Red Sox won 4-0, and the game was ruled a combined no-hitter.
Five
The 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum took place on 23rd June. What is the referendum and its aftermath commonly known as, and what prime minister finalised it on 31 January 2020?
Answer: Brexit; Boris Johnson.
Prime Minister David Cameron called a Brexit referendum in 2016, which the ‘leave’ campaign won. Theresa May succeeded him but faced party divisions and opposition to her Brexit deal, particularly over the Northern Ireland backstop, leading to her resignation. Boris Johnson, her successor, promised Brexit by 31 October 2019, and finalised it on 31 January 2020. In June 2022, Johnson proposed removing checks on goods to Northern Ireland, risking the trade agreement and peace.
All of these questions are related to today’s date, 23 January but there is also a bit of a theme bubbling in the background.
One
A decisive battle on this day in 1314 saw Scotland regain independence and established Robert I as king. What was the battle, and of what Royal house was Robert I the first monarch ?
Two
A Canadian Parliamentary Act in 1887 created the country’s first national park which was originally called Rocky Mountains Park. What is the current name of Canada’s first national park?
Three
In 1894, the International Olympic Committee was founded at the Sorbonne in Paris. This was at the initiative of a French noble; who, including his title, was this man?
Four
In a game against the Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox pitcher Ernie Shore retires 26 batters in a row after replacing …, who had been ejected for punching the umpire. — Wikipedia
This Wikipedia quote refers to a game of baseball played on 23 June 1917. The name of the player who had been replaced is missing. Who is this player?
Five
The 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum took place on 23rd June. What is the referendum and its aftermath commonly known as, and what prime minister finalised it on 31 January 2020?
All of these questions are connected to today’s date, 22 June.
One
The largest moon of the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered in 1978. Named after a mythological ferryman, what is it called?
Answer: Charon.
Charon, Pluto’s largest moon, was discovered on June 22, 1978, by James W. Christy and Robert S. Harrington. With a diameter of 1,212 km and a mass over one-tenth of Pluto’s, it is considered part of a double system. Named after the Greek mythological ferryman, Charon.
Two
The Walt Disney animated musical film Lady and the Tramp was released on 22 June 1955. On their romantic date, Tramp takes Lady to eat at Tony’s Restaurant, where they eat a spaghetti dinner. What song do Tony and Joe serenade them with while they are eating?
Answer: Bella Notte.
Lady and the Tramp, a Disney classic released in 1955, tells the story of a refined Cocker Spaniel and a stray mutt. It was the first Disney film not distributed by RKO and the first animated feature filmed in CinemaScope.
Three
In 1633, Galileo was compelled by the Inquisition to renounce his support for the heliocentric model, which places the Sun as the centre of the solar system. What astronomer had developed and published this model in 1543?
Answer: Nicolaus Copernicus.
Nicolaus Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, proposed the heliocentric system, suggesting the Sun as the fixed point for planetary motions. He argued that Earth orbits the Sun and rotates daily on its axis, with axis changes causing the precession of the equinoxes. This revolutionary idea redefined astronomical understanding.
Four
Born in Sucha, Austria (now Poland) on 22 June 1906, this film director work included The Lost Weekend (1945), A Foreign Affair (1948) and Sunset Boulevard (1950). Who is he?
Answer: Billy Wilder.
Billy Wilder (1906–2002) was an Austrian-born American director, scenarist, and producer. Known for humorously controversial films, he tackled taboo topics like alcoholism, The Lost Weekend; prisoner of war camps,Stalag 17; and prostitution, Irma La Douce. His works, including Sunset Boulevard and The Apartment, studied modern life’s emptiness.
Five
In 1611, this English explorer, who had tried to discover a short route from Europe to Asia by sailing west through the Arctic, was abandoned and set adrift in Arctic Canada by mutineers, including his son. Who was he?
Answer: Henry Hudson.
Henry Hudson, who was born circa 1565 and died sometime after being set adrift on 22 June 1611, was an English navigator and explorer seeking a Northwest Passage from Europe to Asia. He sailed for the English in 1607, 1608, and 1610–11; and the Dutch in 1609. North America’s Hudson River, Hudson Strait, and Hudson Bay are all named after him.
They Have Stars in Their Eyes
The post title is a line from Bella Notte, which is sung by Tony and Joe as Lady and Tramp eat at the restaurant. The lyrics are copied below.
Bella Notte
(Tony) Oh this is the night It’s a beautiful night And we call it bella notte
Look at the skies They have stars in their eyes On this lovely bella notte
Side by side with your loved one You’ll find enchantment here The night will weave its magic spell When the one you love is near
(Both) For this is the night And the heavens are right On this lovely bella notte…
Chorus This is the night It’s a beautiful night And we call it bella notte
Look at the skies They have stars in their eyes On this lovely bella notte
Side by side with your loved one You’ll find enchantment here The night will weave its magic spell When the one you love is near
For this is the night And the heavens are right On this lovely bella notte…
All of these questions are connected to today’s date, 22 June.
One
The largest moon of the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered in 1978. Named after a mythological ferryman, what is it called?
Two
The Walt Disney animated musical film Lady and the Tramp was released on 22 June 1955. On their romantic date, Tramp takes Lady to eat at Tony’s Restaurant, where they eat a spaghetti dinner. What song do Tony and Joe serenade them with while they are eating?
Three
In 1633, Galileo was compelled by the Inquisition to renounce his support for the heliocentric model, which places the Sun as the centre of the solar system. What astronomer had developed and published this model in 1543?
Four
Born in Sucha, Austria (now Poland) on 22 June 1906, this film director work included The Lost Weekend (1945), A Foreign Affair (1948) and Sunset Boulevard (1950). Who is he?
Five
In 1611, this English explorer, who had tried to discover a short route from Europe to Asia by sailing west through the Arctic, was abandoned and set adrift in Arctic Canada by mutineers, including his son. Who was he?
Going back to the ‘first’ theme, but today’s questions also all relate to 21 June.
One
She was the first woman elected to head a democratic government in a Muslim-majority country. — Wikipedia
Who, born in 1953, is the politician referred to in the above quote?
Answer: Benazir Bhutto.
Benazir Bhutto, the daughter of former Pakistani leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, became the first female leader of a Muslim nation. She served two terms as Prime Minister of Pakistan, facing challenges including corruption charges and political instability. Bhutto was assassinated in 2007 while campaigning for parliamentary elections.
Two
The world’s first Ferris wheel made its debut in 1893 at a World Fair. What was the official title of this World Fair, and what event was the fair commemorating?
Answer: Answer: World’s Columbian Exposition; 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World.
The World’s Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893, celebrated the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in the New World. The fair showcased Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse’s alternating current system, featured the world’s first Ferris wheel, and attracted over 27 million visitors. Designed in Beaux-Arts style, the exposition left a lasting impact on American architecture and culture.
Three
What was the name of the craft which, in 2004, completed the first crewed private spaceflight?
Answer: SpaceShipOne.
Piloted by Mike Melvill, SpaceShipOne, an experimental air-launched rocket-powered aircraft, achieved sub-orbital spaceflight in 2004, completing the first crewed private spaceflight and winning the Ansari X Prize. Developed by Mojave Aerospace Ventures, the project, named ‘Tier One’, aimed to take passengers into space with a successor ship.
Four
Which team won the very first game in Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) history when the league debuted in 1997?
Answer: New York Liberty.
The WNBA’s inaugural game was played at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California, on 21 June 1997. The New York Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, marking the beginning of the league’s first season.
Five
The country represented by the flag above first became self-governing in 2009; its parliament is the Inatsisartut; and it appears first on list of a specific geographic superlative. What country is this?
Answer: Greenland.
Greenland, officially the world’s largest island that is not a continent, is home to 56,000 people. It has its own extensive local government but is also part of the Realm of Denmark. Most of its inhabitants live in the 20% of the country that is not covered by ice and snow.
See question five. Flag of …. Image Wikimedia Commons
Going back to the ‘first’ theme, but today’s questions also all relate to 21 June.
One
She was the first woman elected to head a democratic government in a Muslim-majority country. — Wikipedia
Who, born in 1953, is the politician referred to in the above quote?
Two
The world’s first Ferris wheel made its debut in 1893 at a World Fair. What was the official title of this World Fair, and what event was the fair commemorating?
Three
What was the name of the craft which, in 2004, completed the first crewed private spaceflight?
Four
Which team won the very first game in Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) history when the league debuted in 1997?
Five
The country represented by the flag above first became self-governing in 2009; its parliament is the Inatsisartut; and it appears first on list of a specific geographic superlative. What country is this?
Queen Victoria, Coronation portrait by George Hayter. Image Wikimedia Commons
The first four questions are connected to today’s date, 20 June. The fifth is not date-related but is connected to the post title.
One
In 1789, French Deputies of the Third Estate found themselves locked out of their meeting hall. Nearby, they regrouped indoors and swore an oath promising not to separate until a written constitution was established. This oath, named after their location, became known as the what, and who was the French king at the time?
Answer: Tennis Court Oath; Louis XVI.
‘We swear never to separate and to meet wherever circumstances require until the kingdom’s Constitution is established and grounded on solid foundations.’
This event was a founding act of French democracy and a major contributing factor in the separation of authority and national sovereignty. It gave birth to the National Constituent Assembly, which in August 1789 voted for the abolition of feudalism and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. — Palace of Versailles
Two
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1967, this actor made their stage debut in London. They played five different roles in Sir David Hare’s The Blue Room and then transferred the play to New York, where they made their Broadway debut. Also credited as a producer of 2015’s The Family Fang, who is this actor?
Answer: Nicole Kidman.
Nicole Kidman, an American-born Australian actress, is known for her versatility and glamorous looks. She began her career in Australia, gaining recognition in films like Dead Calm and Days of Thunder, and later transitioned to Broadway and Hollywood.
Three
On this date, American racing driver Barney Oldfield achieved the feat of becoming the first driver to cover a mile in a minute. This incredible speed translates to 60 miles per hour or 96.56 kilometres per hour. In what year did Oldfield accomplish this?
Answer: 1903.
Born in Ohio in 1878, Barney Oldfield moved to Toledo in 1889 where he worked various jobs including as a bicycle racer. He met Henry Ford and bought two cars and gained fame by defeating Alexander Winton in the ‘999’ race. Later he became Winton’s professional driver setting speed records and earning the nickname ‘speed king’.
Four
On this day, Victoria became queen of the United Kingdom. Her succession followed the death of her predecessor. Who was her predecessor and what was their relationship to Victoria?
Answer: William IV; Uncle.
William IV, the ‘Sailor King‘, reigned as King of the United Kingdom and Hanover from 1830 to 1837. His reign saw significant reforms, including the Poor Law, child labour restrictions, and the abolition of slavery. Queen Victoria reigned over the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901, a period known as the Victorian era. She married Prince Albert, had nine children, and became known as the ‘grandmother of Europe’.
Five
The theme song for the The Savage Seven, a 1968 biker film, was performed by what rock group?
Answer: Cream.
Cream guitarist Eric Clapton wrote Anyone for Tennis for the 1968 film The Savage Seven with lyricist Martin Sharp. It was recorded during Wheels of Fire sessions and was released as a single and on The Savage Seven soundtrack. It reached number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 40 on the UK Singles Chart in 1968. The track is on several Cream compilation albums.
Anyone for Tennis
Today’s post title was supposed to give a hint to the location of question one’s oath-taking; but I suppose I introduced some obfuscation by including question five.
Queen Victoria, Coronation portrait by George Hayter. Image Wikimedia Commons
The first four questions are connected to today’s date, 20 June. The fifth is not date-related but is connected to the post title.
One
In 1789, French Deputies of the Third Estate found themselves locked out of their meeting hall. Nearby, they regrouped indoors and swore an oath promising not to separate until a written constitution was established. This oath, named after their location, became known as the what, and who was the French king at the time?
Two
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1967, this actor made their stage debut in London. They played five different roles in Sir David Hare’s The Blue Room and then transferred the play to New York, where they made their Broadway debut. Also credited as a producer of 2015’s The Family Fang, who is this actor?
Three
On this date, American racing driver Barney Oldfield achieved the feat of becoming the first driver to cover a mile in a minute. This incredible speed translates to 60 miles per hour or 96.56 kilometres per hour. In what year did Oldfield accomplish this?
Four
On this day, Victoria became queen of the United Kingdom. Her succession followed the death of her predecessor. Who was her predecessor and what was their relationship to Victoria?
Five
The theme song for the The Savage Seven, a 1968 biker film, was performed by what rock group?
Today’s question continue the sausages theme with more links for you to digest.
One
Two events in a sport link Prestwick, Scotland, in 1860 with Newport, Rhode Island, in 1895. What sport, and what notable events?
Answer: Golf; the inaugural Open Championship and the inaugural U.S. Open.
The Open Championship, founded in Scotland at Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Ayrshire, in 1860, where it was originally played annually on its links course, is the oldest and one of the most prestigious golf tournaments. It is organised by the R&A. The U.S. Open, first played at the Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1895, was initially dominated by British players until John J. McDermott became the first American winner in 1911. It is organised by the USGA.
Two
The Hudson Strait links what bay to what sea?
Answer: Hudson Bay to Labrador Sea.
The Hudson Strait is a 750-kilometre-long waterway linking Hudson Bay with the Atlantic Ocean and Labrador Sea, separating Baffin Island from northern Quebec. First entered by Europeans in 1578 by Sir Martin Frobisher, it was later explored and named after Henry Hudson. The strait remains an important maritime route connecting central Canadian ports to the Atlantic, though Arctic ice limits its use as a Northwest Passage route.
Three
According to Wikipedia what character in a long-running film series ‘has been portrayed by Jack Lord, Cec Linder, Rik Van Nutter, Norman Burton, David Hedison, John Terry, and Jeffrey Wright’?
Answer: Felix Leiter.
Felix Leiter, James Bond’s CIA ally, is introduced in Casino Royale as a former U.S. Marine and NATO intelligence officer. He is described as a cool, no-nonsense character who understands Bond’s strengths and weaknesses.
Four
What three words link a Neil Young song from 1972 with a fictional spacecraft?
Answer: Heart of Gold.
Heart of Gold was a 1972 single from Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young taken from his fourth album Harvest. Heart of Gold was also the name of a spaceship in Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Five
What British TV quiz programme, first broadcast on 9 and 10 September 2001, links these real-life people: Charles and Diana Ingram and Tecwen Whittock?
Answer: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.
Charles Ingram, a contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, raised suspicions during his run on the show. Despite using two lifelines early on, he progressed to the £1 million question, which he answered correctly, leading to further scrutiny from the production team.
Sausages II
As explained yesterday, sausages in a chain are links, and today’s questions are all about links.
Quizology.Online 
