All of the questions today relate to the date, April 20th.
One
In 1968, Pierre Trudeau became prime minister of Canada. What political party did he represent?
Two
In 2008, the IndyCar Japan race was won by a female driver, the first time a woman had won an IndyCar event. Who was this driver?
Three
In 1968, the Conservative Member of Parliament and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, Enoch Powell, made a speech which was about immigration. He referred to it as his ‘Birmingham Speech’, but it came to be known by what three words?
Four
Who, on 20 April 1534, sailed from France with a Royal Commission to find a western passage to India?
Five
In 1152, after an eight-year conflict, Baldwin III of … won sole control of the Kingdom of … from his mother Melisandre. What one word fills both the gaps in the preceding sentence?
On 19 April 1999, in politics, what returned to Berlin for the first time in almost fifty years, and where had it returned from?
Answers: Bundestag; Bonn.
The first German Bundestag, the West German parliament, convened in Bonn on 7 September 1949. The Bundestag remained in Bonn until after reunification of Germany, when it returned to Berlin on 19 April 1999.
Two
In 1775, during the opening stages of a revolutionary war, a city was besieged for eleven months from April 19th. What city?
Answer: Boston.
The Siege of Boston (1775-1776) marked the start of the American Revolutionary War. American forces, led by George Washington, besieged the British Army in Boston, ultimately forcing their retreat to Nova Scotia after eleven months.
Three
Observed on April 19th, a celebratory day remembering an experiment where a chemist intentionally ingested LSD, documented it and then went home. What is the day called?
Answer: Bicycle Day.
On 19 April 1943, a few days after accidentally discovering LSD’s effects, which he believed had potential in psychiatry and neurology, Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann intentionally ingested it and documented the first acid trip. After this experiment, he cycled home, leading to the observance of Bicycle Day, as Encyclopædia Britannica comments, ‘And now April 19 is observed as Bicycle Day—mostly by LSD enthusiasts, not cyclists’.
Four
A poet and playwright who died this day in 1824, first became a celebrity with the publication of the first two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage in 1812. Who is this poet?
Answer: Byron.
George Gordon Byron, a prominent British Romantic poet, is renowned for works like Don Juan and Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. He lived in Italy for seven years, befriending Percy Bysshe Shelley, and later joined the Greek War of Independence, becoming a folk hero before his death at 36. Byron, along with Shelley and Keats, was a major figure in the second generation of English Romantic writers and was a literary celebrity known for both his poetry and personality.
Five
IIn 2011, Fidel Castro resigned from Cuba’s Communist Party central committee. The following March, in his role as an elder statesman, Castro briefly met a visiting dignitary, the sixteenth of the name. Who was this dignitary?
Answer: (Pope) Benedict XVI.
On 19 April 2011, Castro resigned from the Communist Party central committee, thus stepping down as First Secretary. Raúl was selected as his successor. Now without any official role in the country’s government, he took on the role of an elder statesman. In late March 2012, Pope Benedict XVI visited Cuba for three days, during which time he briefly met with Castro despite the Pope’s vocal opposition to Cuba’s government.
Bits and Bobs
The title is simply another way of saying bits and pieces, an assortment. It was chosen as the title as all the answers begin with the letter B.
On 19 April 1999, in politics, what returned to Berlin for the first time in almost fifty years, and where had it returned from?
Two
In 1775, during the opening stages of a revolutionary war, a city was besieged for eleven months from April 19th. What city?
Three
Observed on April 19th, a celebratory day remembering an experiment where a chemist intentionally ingested LSD, documented it and then went home. What is the day called?
Four
A poet and playwright who died this day in 1824, first became a celebrity with the publication of the first two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage in 1812. Who is this poet?
Five
IIn 2011, Fidel Castro resigned from Cuba’s Communist Party central committee. The following March, in his role as an elder statesman, Castro briefly met a visiting dignitary, the sixteenth of the name. Who was this dignitary?
The Fairy Tale, a painting by James Sant in 1845. Image Wikimedia Commons
Once upon a time, on today’s date, a wedding which was described as a fairy tale was celebrated. The first question is about that wedding, while the remainder are about opening lines which could be considered modern versions of ‘Once Upon A Time’.
One
This actress, who had starred in High Noon in 1952 and won the Best Actress Academy Award for The Country Girl in 1954, retired from acting in 1956 to marry in Europe. Who is she, and who did she marry?
Answer: Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
Grace Kelly made her film debut in Fourteen Hours (1951) and quickly rose to stardom with roles in High Noon (1952) and Mogambo (1953). Her performance in The Country Girl (1954) earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. In Monaco on 18 April 1956, she married Prince Rainier III in a civil ceremony, with a second religious ceremony taking place the next day. Now known as Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco, she and her husband had three children. Grace focused on children’s rights and the arts, founding the Princess Grace Foundation and AMADE Mondiale. She died in a car crash in 1982, aged 52. Her son, Prince Albert established the Princess Grace Awards in 1984.
The remaining questions are about opening words, which could be considered a modern equivalent of ‘Once Upon a Time’.
Two
What work of historical fiction published in the mid-nineteenth century opens with the line ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…’, and who wrote it?
Answers: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
A Tale of Two Cities, published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, is a historical novel set in London and Paris during the French Revolution. It follows Doctor Manette’s 18-year imprisonment in the Bastille and his reunion with his daughter Lucie in London. The novel explores the conditions leading to the Revolution and the Reign of Terror. Renowned as Dickens’s best-known historical fiction, it ranks 63rd on the BBC’s The Big Read poll and has inspired numerous adaptations.
Three
This Lego product, which debuted in 2001 in an online game, has appeared in comics, books, movies, and animations where it is associated with the opening words ‘In the time before time …’. What product is this?
Answer: Bionicle.
Bionicle, a discontinued Lego line launched in 2001, featured biomechanical heroes called Toa. The theme, which included books, comics, games and films, was a major success and influenced later Lego themes.
Four
In the Star Wars universe what ten words open the nine ‘Skywalker saga’ films?
Answer: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Each Star Wars film, from the original episodes IV, V, and VI; the prequels, I, II, and III; and the sequels, VII, VIII, and XI, opens with the same text, logo, episode number, subtitle, and a three-paragraph summary beginning with ‘A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…’
Five
In music, which 1971 chart-topper begins with the phrase ‘A long, long time ago…’, and what singer-songwriter wrote and recorded it?
Answer: American Pie by Don McLean.
American Pie by Don McLean, released in 1971, became a number-one hit in the US in 1972 and topped charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. It reached number 2 in the UK. The song, at 8 minutes and 42 seconds, was the longest to reach number one until 2021. Its lyrics, including the phrase ‘the day the music died’, reflect cultural changes and loss of innocence after the 1959 plane crash in which Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper all died. McLean’s original recording was preserved in the US National Recording Registry in 2017. He celebrated its 50th anniversary with a 2022 European tour.
The Fairy Tale, a painting by James Sant in 1845. Image Wikimedia Commons
Once upon a time, on today’s date, a wedding which was described as a fairy tale was celebrated. The first question is about that wedding, while the remainder are about opening lines which could be considered modern versions of ‘Once Upon A Time’.
One
This actress, who had starred in High Noon in 1952 and won the Best Actress Academy Award for The Country Girl in 1954, retired from acting in 1956 to marry in Europe. Who is she, and who did she marry?
The remaining questions are about opening words, which could be considered a modern equivalent of ‘Once Upon a Time’.
Two
What work of historical fiction published in the mid-nineteenth century opens with the line ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…’, and who wrote it?
Three
This Lego product, which debuted in 2001 in an online game, has appeared in comics, books, movies, and animations where it is associated with the opening words ‘In the time before time …’. What product is this?
Four
In the Star Wars universe what ten words open the nine ‘Skywalker saga’ films?
Five
In music, which 1971 chart-topper begins with the phrase ‘A long, long time ago…’, and what singer-songwriter wrote and recorded it?
The first question today relates to the date, April 17th. The rest follows a theme but I’m not going to say what that theme is.
Martin Luther appearing before Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, at the Diet of Worms. Image Encyclopædia Britannica
One
On 17 April 1521, Martin Luther made his initial appearance at the Diet of Worms which eventually found him to be a heretic and enemy of the state. In what modern country is Worms?
Answer: Germany.
Martin Luther, a German priest and theologian, was a key figure in the Protestant Reformation. He challenged the Catholic Church’s teachings, particularly on indulgences and papal authority, and translated the Bible into German, making it more accessible to ordinary people. Luther’s beliefs, emphasising justification by faith alone and the authority of the Bible, laid the foundation for Lutheranism.
Following on in the theme …
Two
Ben Ainslie is the most successful sailor in Olympic history. In what two classes did he win his four gold and one silver medal?
Answer: Laser and Finn.
Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie is a British competitive sailor and the most successful Olympian in sailing history. He is CEO of Athena Sports Group and a Patron of the 1851 Trust which supports young people in sailing and STEM education.
Three
List the stages of a butterfly’s life cycle?
Answer: Eggs, caterpillar larva, pupa and adult (or butterfly).
Butterflies undergo complete metamorphosis through a four-stage life cycle like other holometabolous insects. Winged adults lay eggs on plant leaves where their caterpillars, or larvae, will feed. These caterpillars grow rapidly and eventually pupate in a chrysalis. Once metamorphosis is complete the pupal skin splits revealing the adult butterfly which then climbs out, dries its wings and flies away.
Four
Name the planets in the solar system?
Answer: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
The Solar System, formed 4.6 billion years ago, consists of the Sun and orbiting bodies, including eight planets. The Sun, comprising 99.86% of the system’s mass, fuses hydrogen into helium, creating the heliosphere. The system also includes dwarf planets, small bodies like asteroids and comets, and natural satellites, or moons.
Five
Can you name the states between Louisiana and Ohio in an alphabetical list of US states?
Answer: Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina and North Dakota.
Sixteen states, eight with names starting with M and, eight with N.
Double Trouble
Today’s title refers to each question doubling the number of answers. Question one has only one answer which was obvious in the question and then number two asks for two answers. You had to work out that the remaining double each time so four, eight and finally sixteen for question five.
The first question today relates to the date, April 17th. The rest follows a theme but I’m not going to say what that theme is.
Martin Luther appearing before Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, at the Diet of Worms. Image Encyclopædia Britannica
One
On 17 April 1521, Martin Luther made his initial appearance at the Diet of Worms which eventually found him to be a heretic and enemy of the state. In what modern country is Worms?
Following on in the theme …
Two
Ben Ainslie is the most successful sailor in Olympic history. In what two classes did he win his four gold and one silver medal?
Three
List the stages of a butterfly’s life cycle?
Four
Name the planets in the solar system?
Five
Can you name the states between Louisiana and Ohio in an alphabetical list of US states?
Harriet Quimby, prior to her English Channel flight, 1912. Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question today relates to the date, April 16th, with the remainder following the theme created by the first.
One
On this day in 1912, American aviator Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across an arm of the Atlantic Ocean from one country to another. What was the body of water she crossed, and what countries did she fly between?
Answers: English Channel; England to France.
Harriet Quimby, born in 1875, was an American aviator and the first female pilot to cross the English Channel. Initially a writer and drama critic, she became interested in aviation by 1910 and earned her pilot’s license in 1911. On April 16, 1912, she flew her Blériot monoplane from Dover to Hardelot, achieving international acclaim. Quimby participated in several air meets but tragically died on July 1, 1912, when she lost control over Dorchester Bay.
The remaining questions continue the aviation theme.
Two
The first major aerial combat involving jet fighters took place between US F-86 Sabres and Russian MiG-15s. Which conflict and decade did this occur in?
Answers: Korean War; 1950s.
F-86 Sabres, despite being outmatched in some areas, achieved air superiority over MiG-15s in Korea due to superior handling. In 1958, Sabres, flown by Chinese Nationalists, became the first jets to fire guided missiles in combat.
Three
What V/STOL aircraft developed in the UK in the 1960s was used by both the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy and later by the US Marine Corps?
Answer: Harrier.
The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is a British jet-powered attack aircraft known for its V/STOL capabilities, developed from the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel. First flown in 1967, it entered RAF service in 1969 and was used by the USMC as the AV-8A. Positioned in West Germany during the Cold War, it provided close air support and dispersed forces. The Harrier and Sea Harrier were crucial in the 1982 Falklands War. Later, it evolved into the AV-8B Harrier II and British Aerospace Harrier II.
Howard Hughes’s H-4 Hercules flying boat, the ‘Spruce Goose’, was made almost entirely of what wood?
Answer: Birch.
The Hughes H-4 Hercules, also known as the Spruce Goose (registration NX37602), is a prototype strategic airlift flying boat by Hughes Aircraft Company. Designed for transatlantic transport during World War II, it was completed too late for wartime use. The aircraft made its only flight on November 2, 1947, and the project remained a prototype, never advancing further. Built from birch using the Duramold process due to wartime aluminium restrictions, the aircraft was nicknamed the Spruce Goose despite being mostly birch. Mechanics allegedly called it the Birch Bitch. The Hercules, the largest seaplane ever built, held the record for the largest wingspan until the Stratolaunch flew in 2019. It remains in good condition, displayed in Long Beach from 1980 to 1992, then moved to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in Oregon. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2024.
Five
In what decade of the 20th century did Igor Sikorsky fly the prototype of the first mass-produced helicopter?
Answer: 1930s.
In 1939 Sikorsky designed and flew the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300, the first viable American helicopter. This pioneering design introduced the single main rotor and single antitorque tail rotor configuration that’s standard in most helicopters today. Sikorsky then modified the VS-300 into the Sikorsky R-4, which became the world’s first mass-produced helicopter in 1942.
The first question today relates to the date, April 16th, with the remainder following the theme created by the first.
One
On this day in 1912, American aviator Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across an arm of the Atlantic Ocean from one country to another. What was the body of water she crossed, and what countries did she fly between?
The remaining questions continue the aviation theme.
Two
The first major aerial combat involving jet fighters took place between US F-86 Sabres and Russian MiG-15s. Which conflict and decade did this occur in?
Three
What V/STOL aircraft developed in the UK in the 1960s was used by both the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy and later by the US Marine Corps?
In 2019, the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris was very badly damaged by fire. On what island is the cathedral located?
Answer: Île de la Cité.
Notre-Dame de Paris, a medieval Catholic cathedral on Île de la Cité, in the River Seine, exemplifies French Gothic architecture with its rib vaults, flying buttresses, and rose windows. Construction began in 1163, completed by 1260, and it underwent restorations, notably after Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame inspired interest. Damaged in a 2019 fire, it reopened in 2024. A symbol of Paris, it was a minor basilica since 1805 and attracts 12 million visitors annually. Owned by the French government, it houses significant relics.
Two
On this day, the RMS Titanic sank two hours and forty minutes after hitting an iceberg. During her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York, USA, which two ports did she visit?
Answer: Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown, Ireland (now Cobh).
The RMS Titanic sank on 15 April 1912 after hitting an iceberg on 14 April, during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. With over 2,200 on board, up to 1,635 died, making it a deadly maritime disaster. Despite seven ice warnings, Titanic travelled at 22 knots. Her inadequate lifeboat system left many without refuge. RMS Carpathia rescued 710 survivors. The tragedy led to global outrage and the 1914 SOLAS convention for maritime safety.
Three
What event prompted the opening of parts of Buckingham Palace to the public for paid tours?
Answer: Windsor Castle fire (1992).
On 20 November 1992, a major fire broke out in Windsor Castle, affecting over 100 rooms, including St George’s Hall and the Grand Reception Room. Over 200 firefighters controlled the blaze after 15 hours. While much of the Royal Collection was saved, some significant works were lost. The fire led to public debate on royal funding, prompting Queen Elizabeth II to pay income tax. Restoration, completed in 1997, cost £36.5 million and was led by Donald Insall Associates. The fire occurred during what the Queen later described as her annus horribilis.
Four
In 1626, 20,000 people died when a factory in Wanggongchang, China exploded destroying part of the city. What was the factory manufacturing?
Answer: Gunpowder.
The Wanggongchang Explosion occurred on May 30, 1626, in Beijing, killing around 20,000 people. Located 3 km southwest of the Forbidden City, it was a major gunpowder production centre. The cause remains uncertain, but it was a key storage facility for the Shenjiying defending the capital.
Five
During what 1979 yachting race, with a course of 605 miles, did a storm in the Celtic Sea cause 21 fatalities?
Answer: Fastnet Race.
The 1979 Fastnet Race, the 28th edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s event, was a 605-nautical-mile course from Cowes to Fastnet Rock and Plymouth, marking the Admiral’s Cup climax. A severe windstorm on the third day caused chaos, resulting in 21 fatalities—15 yachtsmen and 6 spectators—on 14 August in the Celtic Sea. The largest peace-time rescue operation involved 4,000 people, including the Irish Naval Service, lifeboats, commercial boats, and helicopters.
Annus Horribilis
The post title is related to how Queen Elizabeth II referred to 1992. Not only was Windsor Castle the scene of a large fire but she also had the domestic problems of three of her children to contend with and said
1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an annus horribilis.
Quizology.Online 