Quizology.Online

Author: Quizologist

  • In the Beginning

    Each question refers to a quote from the beginning of a novel.

    One

    A name appears in the first short sentence of chapter 1 (‘Loomings’) of a book by Herman Melville, which was originally published in London in October 1851 and in New York one month later. Three questions.

    1. What is the name from the first sentence? 
    2. What was the two word title of the book as published in London in October 1851?
    3. What was the longer title of the book as published in New York in November 1851?

    Two

    It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. … …, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of … …, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him.

    This quote is from Part 1, Chapter 1 of a novel originally published in 1949. In the second sentence, a person’s name has been omitted from the start, and the two-word name of the building that person is entering is also missing. 

    1. Who is the person named in the first two words of the second sentence?
    2. What building is that person entering?

    Three

    It was a pleasure to burn.

    This quote opens a 1953 novel by Ray Bradbury.

    1. What novel is the quote from?
    2. What does the title refer to?
    3. Who is the protagonist in the novel?

    Four

    We slept in what had once been the ….

    The opening line from a 1985 dystopian novel with a title which is reminiscent of the constituent parts of a work by Geoffrey Chaucer.

    1. What type of room, often found in a school, which ‘We slept in‘?
    2. Who was the author of the book?

    Five

    Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded … …. Orbiting this at a distance of roughly ninety-two million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think … … are a pretty neat idea.

    This quote is missing four words:

    1. What two words follow ‘a small unregarded …’ and complete the first sentence?
    2. What two words near the end of the quote ‘… are a pretty neat idea.’?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Gallimaufry IX — Answers

    Here are today’s answers.

    No theme today, just five general knowledge questions.

    Statue of Helvetia on the Federal Palace of Switzerland, Bern.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    The image shown is that of ‘Statue of Helvetia on the Federal Palace of …’. What country finishes the previous statement, and in what city is the Federal Palace located?

    Answers: Switzerland; Bern.

    Helvetia, the national personification of Switzerland, is depicted with flowing clothing, with the Swiss flag, braided hair, and often with shield and a wreath. The name derives from the Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe.

    Two

    The …, or boreal forest, is the world’s largest land biome. In North America, it covers most of inland Canada, Alaska, and parts of the northern contiguous United States. In Eurasia, it covers most of Sweden, Finland, much of Russia from Karelia in the west to the Pacific Ocean (including much of Siberia), much of Norway and, some of the Scottish Highlands, some lowland/coastal areas of Iceland, and areas of northern Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia, and northern Japan (on the island of Hokkaido).

    The above quote from Wikipedia describes a biome whose name has been omitted. What is that missing name?

    Answer: Taiga.

    taiga /ˈtʌɪɡə /
    ▸ (the taiga) noun [mass noun] the swampy coniferous forest of high northern latitudes, especially that between the tundra and steppes of Siberia: the coniferous forest of the taiga.

    – ORIGIN late 19th century: from Russian taĭga, from Mongolian.
    — Oxford English Dictionary

    Three

    What word completes the title of this 1957 sci-fi novel: The Midwich …; and who wrote it?

    Answers: Cuckoos; John Wyndham.

    The Midwich Cuckoos, a 1957 sci-fi novel by John Wyndham, explores moral ambiguities in an English village where women become pregnant by aliens.

    Four

    What calendar was replaced in England by the Gregorian in 1752?

    Answer: Julian.

    The Julian calendar, proposed by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, is a solar calendar with a leap year every four years. It gained one day every 128 years compared to the solar year, leading to a drift against the solar year. The Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582, corrected this by eliminating occasional leap days, reducing the average year length to 365.2425 days. Although introduced in 1582 it took a lot longer to be adopted by individual nations. As stated in the question England adopted it in 1752 but Greece and turkey did not adopt until the 1920s and Saudi Arabia’s adoption of it was not until 2016.

    Five

    Who played the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk television series which originally aired between 1978 and 1982?

    Answer: Lou Ferrigno.

    The Incredible Hulk is a CBS series starring Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. Banner, a scientist transformed by gamma radiation, travels the U.S. helping others while pursued by reporter Jack McGee. The series aired 80 episodes from 1978 to 1982, starting with a pilot on November 4, 1977. In 1988, New World Television acquired filming rights from MCA/Universal for TV movies to conclude The Incredible Hulk series, with NBC broadcasting. They produced three films: The Incredible Hulk Returns, The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, and The Death of the Incredible Hulk, directed by Nicholas J. Corea and Bill Bixby.

  • Gallimaufry IX

    No theme today, just five general knowledge questions.

    Statue of Helvetia on the Federal Palace of ….
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    The image shown is that of ‘Statue of Helvetia on the Federal Palace of …’. What country finishes the previous statement, and in what city is the Federal Palace located?

    Two

    The …, or boreal forest, is the world’s largest land biome. In North America, it covers most of inland Canada, Alaska, and parts of the northern contiguous United States. In Eurasia, it covers most of Sweden, Finland, much of Russia from Karelia in the west to the Pacific Ocean (including much of Siberia), much of Norway and, some of the Scottish Highlands, some lowland/coastal areas of Iceland, and areas of northern Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia, and northern Japan (on the island of Hokkaido).

    The above quote from Wikipedia describes a biome whose name has been omitted. What is that missing name?

    Three

    What word completes the title of this 1957 sci-fi novel: The Midwich …; and who wrote it?

    Four

    What calendar was replaced in England by the Gregorian in 1752?

    Five

    Who played the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk television series which originally aired between 1978 and 1982?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Who and Where — Answers

    Today’s answers are shown below.

    Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, 1953.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    These questions all relate to people born this day, 15th May, and where they were born.

    One

    Born on this day in 1914, the Sherpa who, along with Edmund Hillary, was the first to stand on the summit of Mount Everest. Who was this Sherpa, and in what country was he born according to either his own autobiography or a later biography co-written by his son?

    Answers: Tenzing Norgay (aka Sherpa Tenzing); (either) Nepal or Tibet.

    Conflicting accounts exist regarding his birthplace so either Nepal or Tibet is acceptable. Tenzing Norgay was born to Tibetan parents in either in Nepal or Tibet, and likely grew up in Khumbu, Nepal. His birth name was Namgyal Wangdi, and at some point in his childhood, he took the name Tenzing Norgay. Norgay and Hillary stood on the summit of Mount Everest on 29 May 1953.

    Two

    Born this day in 1937, the woman who would become the first female U.S. Secretary of State. Who was she, and in what city was she born?

    Answers: Madeleine Albright; Prague.

    Madeleine Albright, born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), was the first female U.S. Secretary of State (1997-2001) and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (1993-1997). Her family fled Czechoslovakia twice, first due to Nazi occupation and later due to a communist coup, eventually settling in the United States. As a human rights advocate, Albright championed military intervention, democracy, and human rights, notably advocating for NATO bombings in Kosovo. After leaving government service, she founded the Albright Group and supported Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns.

    Three

    Abraham …, born on this day in 1905, a clothing manufacturer, became famous for a short piece—less than 30 seconds—of 8 mm film captured in Texas in 1963. What was Abraham’s surname, in what country was he born and what event did the film capture?

    Answers: Zapruder; Ukraine; the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

    Abraham Zapruder, a Ukrainian-born American clothing manufacturer, captured the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on film in Dallas, Texas. His footage, considered the most complete of the event, captured 26.6 seconds in 486 frames of the motorcade including the fatal headshot (frame 313). He sold the rights of the film to Life magazine, donating part of the proceeds to the widow of J.D. Tippet, the Dallas police officer shot by Lee Harvey Oswald less than an hour after the president’s assassination.

    Four

    Tik-Tok of Oz (1914) was the eighth book in a series. Who, born this day in 1856, was the author of this book and series, and in what U.S. state was this author born?

    Answers: L. Frank Baum; New York.

    American author Lyman Frank Baum, best known for his children’s fantasy books set in the land of Oz, especially The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was born in Chittenango, New York. Tik-Tok of Oz is the eighth book of Baum’s Oz Series in which Tik-Tok is a ’mechanical man’. He has been termed ‘the prototype robot’, and is widely considered to be one of the first robots to appear in modern literature, though the term ‘Robot’ was not used until the 1920s, in the play R.U.R.

    Five

    Born this day in 1859, a scientist who, along with his wife, became the first married couple to win a Nobel Prize. Who was this male scientist and in what city was he born?

    Answer: Pierre Curie; Paris.

    Pierre Curie (1859–1906) was a French physicist and chemist known for his work in crystallography, magnetism, and radioactivity. He shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics with his wife, Marie Curie, marking the first Nobel win by a married couple. Born in Paris, he excelled in mathematics and became a Professor of Physics. With his brother Jacques, he discovered piezoelectricity and invented the piezoelectric quartz electrometer. Their research led to the isolation of polonium and radium, coining the term ‘radioactivity’. Curie’s work on magnetic coefficients and radiation emissions advanced nuclear physics, influencing fields like plate tectonics and nuclear energy. Pierre Curie in 1906, in a street accident in Paris after slipping and being struck by a horse-drawn carriage.

  • Who and Where

    Edmund Hillary and …, 1953.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    These questions all relate to people born this day, 15th May, and where they were born.

    One

    Born on this day in 1914, the Sherpa who, along with Edmund Hillary, was the first to stand on the summit of Mount Everest. Who was this Sherpa, and in what country was he born according to either his own autobiography or a later biography co-written by his son?

    Two

    Born this day in 1937, the woman who would become the first female U.S. Secretary of State. Who was she, and in what city was she born?

    Three

    Abraham …, born on this day in 1905, a clothing manufacturer, became famous for a short piece—less than 30 seconds—of 8 mm film captured in Texas in 1963. What was Abraham’s surname, in what country was he born and what event did the film capture?

    Four

    Tik-Tok of Oz (1914) was the eighth book in a series. Who, born this day in 1856, was the author of this book and series, and in what U.S. state was this author born?

    Five

    Born this day in 1859, a scientist who, along with his wife, became the first married couple to win a Nobel Prize. Who was this male scientist and in what city was he born?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Picture This — Answers

    Images from an Exhibition at Lahore.
    The Illustrated London News, 1864.
    Image Victoria & Albert Museum.

    These are all connected to today’s date, May 14th.

    One

    1842 saw the first publication of an illustrated weekly news magazine, named The Illustrated … News. The image is from a later edition. What city completed the name of this periodical?

    Answer: London. The Illustrated London News

    Founded by Herbert Ingram, The Illustrated London News debuted on 14 May 1842 as the first illustrated weekly news magazine. It published weekly until 1971, then less frequently, ceasing in 2003. The company, now Illustrated London News Ltd, remains a publishing and digital agency in London, preserving its archives.

    Two

    The United States’ first space station was launched on this date. In what year was this, and what was it called?

    Answers: 1973; Skylab.

    Skylab, the US’s first space station, was occupied for 24 weeks in 1973-1974. It was constructed from a repurposed Saturn V third stage and included an orbital workshop, solar observatory, and Earth observation capabilities. Skylab’s orbit eventually decayed and it disintegrated in the atmosphere on July 11, 1979 scattering debris across the Indian Ocean and Western Australia.

    Three

    In 2004, the then Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark married Mary Donaldson at Copenhagen Cathedral. The couple are now the king and queen of Denmark. On what island was the bride born?

    Answer: Tasmania.

    Mary, born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson in 1972 at Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, is the Queen of Denmark and wife of King Frederik X. They met at the 2000 Olympics and married in 2004, having four children together. Mary is a patron of over 30 charities and founded the Mary Foundation in 2007.

    Four

    The practice of holding a two-minute silence to remember the dead from the First World War began on 14 May 1918. In what port city of the then British Empire did it begin?

    Answer: Cape Town, South Africa.

    The Remembrance Day two-minute silence began in Cape Town in 1918, when Mayor Sir Harry Hands introduced a daily pause after the death of his son in the First World War. Organised with councillor Robert Rutherford Brydone, the ceremony halted traffic while buglers played the ‘Last Post’ and ‘Reveille’. The practice spread across the British Empire after Sir Percy FitzPatrick promoted it to King George V, who officially adopted the two-minute Armistice Day silence in 1919.

    Five

    Born Catherine Élise today in 1969 in Victoria. This actress won an award for her role as Katharine Hepburn and later played KGB agent Irina Spalko. Who is she?

    Answer: Cate Blanchett.

    Cate Blanchett, an Australian actress born Catherine Élise Blanchett on 14 May 1969 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, is 56 years old. Known for her multidimensional characters and wide range of roles, her breakthrough came playing a young Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth (1998). She later appeared in The Lord of the Rings series, The Aviator (2004), and Blue Jasmine (2013). Blanchett won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator and another for her performance in Blue Jasmine. She also portrayed Irina Spalko, the main antagonist in the 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.

  • Picture This

    Images from an Exhibition at Lahore (cropped).
    The Illustrated … News, 1864.
    Image Victoria & Albert Museum.

    These are all connected to today’s date, May 14th.

    One

    1842 saw the first publication of an illustrated weekly news magazine, named The Illustrated … News. The image above is from a later edition. What city completed the name of this periodical?

    Two

    The United States’ first space station was launched on this date. In what year was this, and what was it called?

    Three

    In 2004, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark married Mary Donaldson at Copenhagen Cathedral. The couple are now the king and queen of Denmark. On what island was the bride born?

    Four

    The practice of holding a two-minute silence to remember the dead from the First World War began on 14 May 1918. In what port city of the then British Empire did it begin?

    Five

    Born Catherine Élise today in 1969 in Victoria. This actress won an award for her role as Katharine Hepburn and later played KGB agent Irina Spalko. Who is she?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Cardinal Richelieu — Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    See question five. Dhaulagiri, at 8167 m, the world’s seventh-highest mountain above sea level.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s date-related questions are all connected to May 13th.

    One

    In 1637, according to tradition France’s Cardinal Richelieu invented the table knife by having the tips of knives rounded. He did this to prevent what?

    Answer: To stop his companions picking their teeth with the knife-points.

    The distinguishing feature of a table knife is a blunt or rounded end. The origin of this, and thus of the table knife itself, is attributed by tradition to Cardinal Richelieu around 1637, reputedly to cure dinner guests of the habit of picking their teeth with their knife-points.
    — Wikipedia

    Two

    On this day in 1940, some eight months into World War II, Winston Churchill faced the United Kingdom’s House of Commons for the first time as prime minister and informed them that “I have nothing to offer but …, …, … and ….” What four words have been removed from this quotation?

    Answer: Blood, toil, tears [and] sweat.

    I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this government: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”
    — International Churchill Society

    Three

    97-year-old Doris von Kappelhoff died on this day in 2019. Who was she better known as?

    Answer: Doris Day.

    Doris Day, born Doris Von Kappelhoff, was an American singer and actress who rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s. She starred in numerous musicals and sex comedies, becoming a leading Hollywood star and embodying the ideal American woman of the era. Later in life, she dedicated herself to animal welfare, founding several organisations to advocate for animal rights.

    Four

    In 1981, the pope survived an assassination attempt. What pope and where did this happen?

    Answers: Pope John Paul II; St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City.

    On 13 May 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot and critically wounded by Mehmet Ali Ağca in St. Peter’s Square. The Pope credited the Blessed Virgin Mary with saving his life and later visited Ağca in prison, forgiving him. Numerous theories emerged about the assassination attempt, including a controversial claim that the Soviet Union was responsible, though the Pope publicly denied this.

    Five

    The world’s seventh-highest mountain above sea level has several peaks exceeding 25,000 feet (7,620 m) and one at 26,795 feet (8,167 m). It has a name meaning ‘white mountain’; what is that name?

    Answer: Dhaulagiri.

    Dhaulagiri, a Himalayan massif in Nepal, features peaks over 25,000 feet, including Dhaulagiri I at 26,795 feet. Known as ‘white mountain’ in Sanskrit, its steep south wall and cold climate delayed its ascent until May 13, 1960, when a Swiss team led by Max Eiselin reached the summit.

  • Cardinal Richelieu

    See question five. The world’s seventh-highest mountain 8167 m above sea level.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s date-related questions are all connected to May 13th.

    One

    In 1637, according to tradition France’s Cardinal Richelieu invented the table knife by having the tips of knives rounded. He did this to prevent what?

    Two

    On this day in 1940, some eight months into World War II, Winston Churchill faced the United Kingdom’s House of Commons for the first time as prime minister and informed them that “I have nothing to offer but …, …, … and ….” What four words have been removed from this quotation?

    Three

    97-year-old Doris von Kappelhoff died on this day in 2019. Who was she better known as?

    Four

    In 1981, the pope survived an assassination attempt. What pope and where did this happen?

    Five

    The world’s seventh-highest mountain above sea level has several peaks exceeding 25,000 feet (7,620 m) and one at 26,795 feet (8,167 m). It has a name meaning ‘white mountain’; what is that name?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Initial Diagnosis II — Answers

    Today’s answers are shown below.

    CNN Logo.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Another five sets of initials for you to flesh out.

    One

    What, in the American broadcasting industry, do the initials CNN stand for?

    Answer: Cable News Network.

    CNN, founded in 1980 by Ted Turner, is a 24-hour cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. As of December 2023, CNN had 68,974,000 subscribers in the United States and its programming airs globally through CNN International.

    Two

    What do the initials stand for in author J.R.R. Tolkien’s name?

    Answer: John Ronald Reuel.

    J.R.R. Tolkien, an English writer and philologist, authored The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He was a professor at Oxford and a devout Catholic.

    Three

    What names do the two Rs in American author George R.R. Martin’s name represent?

    Answer: Raymond Richard.

    George Raymond Richard Martin, who writes as George R.R. Martin, is an American author, screenwriter and television producer, best known for his epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, adapted into the award-winning television series Game of Thrones. He also contributed to the Wild Cards anthology series and the video game Elden Ring.

    Four

    Geographically in North America what is HOMES, and what does each letter represent?

    Answer: The Great Lakes; Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior.

    The Great Lakes — Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior — a group of five interconnected freshwater lakes on the Canada-US border, are the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total area. They formed around 14,000 years ago and have been a major source of transportation, migration, trade, and fishing.

    Five

    What words are represented by the letters in the abbreviation NASA?

    Answer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

    NASA, established in 1958, is the U.S. government agency responsible for the civil space program and aeronautics research. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., it operates ten field centres and leads various spaceflight programmes, including Artemis. NASA collaborates internationally and domestically, with a budget of $24.4 billion for fiscal year 2026.