There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge. (Bertrand Russell)
Author: Quizologist
As a retired trivia writer, editor and quiz compiler, I wholeheartedly agree with Bertrand Russell’s quote: “There’s much pleasure to be gained in useless knowledge.” Trivia of all sorts has always fascinated me, and for many years, I’ve written and compiled trivia for various media, including traditional TV and radio quiz shows, newspapers and magazines, apps, and other digital platforms.
On 24 September 1906 Devils Tower, Wyoming was named the first national monument in the United States. What 290 miles (470 km) long river, a tributary of the Cheyenne River, passes Devil’s Tower?
An Early Medieval ecclesiastical site, an Irish National Monument and World Heritage Site, featured in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. What is this site?
Here are the answers for the questions I posted earlier.
Sylvia’s Mother, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. Image CD and LP
One
Mrs Avery is the title character in which 1972 song by Dr. Hook; and what was the full name of the band at the time of the original release?
Answer: Sylvia’s Mother and Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show
Sylvia’s Mother, written by Shel Silverstein and originally performed by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, was their first hit. It reached number five on the Billboard singles chart and topped charts in several countries. The band kept this name until 1975 when they shortened it to Dr. Hook.
Thetis Dipping the Infant Achilles into the River Styx by Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1625); Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam. Image Wikipedia
Two
Achilles was dipped into which river by his mother to make him invulnerable?
Answer: Styx
Legend claims Achilles was invulnerable except for his heel, which his mother held while dipping him in the River Styx. Achilles heel, a term derived from this, signifies a vulnerable point despite overall strength. The Achilles tendon is also named after this legend.
Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall by Spike Milligan. Image Libris
Three
September 3rd, 1939. The last minutes of peace ticking away. Father and I were watching Mother digging our air-raid shelter.
The opening lines of a novel first published in 1971 are quoted above. Can you name the novel and its author?
Answer: Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall by Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan’s war memoir, Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall, recounts his experiences from Britain’s declaration of war to the Allied liberation of Africa. The book, the first of seven volumes, blends anecdotes, photographs and sketches.
Who plays Lily on television’s How I Met Your Mother?
Answer: Alyson Hannigan
Lily Aldrin, portrayed by Alyson Hannigan, is a fictional character in How I Met Your Mother. She is a kindergarten teacher, amateur painter, and later becomes an art consultant.
Statue of Helena in the Musei Capitolini, Rome. Image Wikipedia
Five
Evelyn Waugh’s 1950 novel Helena is about the mother of which 4th-century Roman emperor?
Answer: Constantine I or Constantine the Great
Flavia Julia Helena, also known as Saint Helena, was a Roman Augusta and mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. Revered as a saint, she is believed to have discovered the True Cross during a religious tour.
Statue of Constantine I in York, England. Near the spot where he was proclaimed Augustus in 306 CE. Image Wikipedia
Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday: I am — today!
At the start of The Lord of the Rings, Bilbo Baggins is celebrating his 111th birthday. What two-word, hyphenated term, omitted above, does he use to describe his birthday?
Answer: Eleventy-one
See comment below next answer
Two
Bilbo’s nephew Frodo’s birthday was also the 22 September and that year it marked his ‘coming of age’. How old was Frodo that day?
Answer: 33
Hobbits, a fictional race in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, are about half the height of humans. They have tough, hairy feet and live in underground homes. Known as halflings, they first appeared in The Hobbit (1937), featuring Bilbo Baggins. In The Lord of the Rings, hobbits Frodo Baggins, Sam Gamgee, Pippin Took and Merry Brandybuck are central to saving Middle-earth. Hobbits reside in Hobbiton, part of the Shire and Bree-land. The name’s origins are debated, although Tolkien emphatically rejected any link to ‘rabbit’. Hobbits bridge the modern and ancient worlds, featuring modern items like umbrellas and clocks unlike the race’s of men in Rohan and Gondor.
Three
Harry Potter’s birthday is 31 July, but in what year?
Answer: 1980
Harry Potter, the titular character of J.K. Rowling’s series, is an orphan who discovers he is a wizard on his eleventh birthday. The series of seven novels and subsequent film adaptations follows his journey at Hogwarts and his quest to defeat the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort.
Casino Royale, first published 13 April 1953. Image James Bond Fandom
Four
When the Bond film series received a reboot with the 2006 film Casino Royale, the title character was given a birthday: 13 April 1968. What was significant about that date and that year?
Answer: Casino Royale first publication plus Daniel Craig’s birth year
13 April 1953, was the date of publication of Casino Royale, Fleming’s first novel. The year chosen was that of Daniel Craig’s own birth year 1968 (March 2nd).
Five
Which regular character from Scooby_Doo has their birthday confirmed as being on Christmas Day in In Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!?
Answer: Daphne
The Scooby-Doo gang visits the town of Rockwellville in search of a Christmas mystery, but all they find is a pterodactyl who seems to have nothing to do with Christmas. Meanwhile, Daphne, who is tired of having her December 25th birthday overshadowed year after year, tries to convince the gang to celebrate her birthday instead of Christmas. In Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! ‘Scary Christmas’ First broadcast 10 December 2015 — Wikipedia
The first and second questions are about two fictional characters’ birthdays on September 22nd. The remaining questions also revolve around fictional characters’ birthdays.
Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday: I am — today!
At the start of The Lord of the Rings, Bilbo Baggins is celebrating his 111th birthday. What two-word, hyphenated term, omitted above, does he use to describe his birthday?
Two
Bilbo’s nephew Frodo’s birthday was also the 22nd September and that year it marked his ‘coming of age’. How old was Frodo that day?
Three
Harry Potter’s birthday is 31 July, but in what year?
Four
When the Bond film series received a reboot with the 2006 film Casino Royale, the title character was given a birthday: 13 April 1968. What was significant about that date and that year?
Five
Which regular character from Scooby_Doo has their birthday confirmed as being on Christmas Day in In Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!?
The opening chapter of a book, first published on 21 September 1937, is titled ‘An Unexpected Party’. Before the party begins, the householder is unexpectedly visited by a group of dwarfs. How many dwarfs are there?
Answers: Thirteen
The book is The Hobbit. Bilbo Baggins lives in the house. Gandalf, without Bilbo’s knowledge, organises a party. The dwarves arrive either singly or in groups:
Dwalin
Balin
Kili and Fili
Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin and Gloin
Bifur, Bofur and Bombur
Thorin Oakenshield
Two
The Grammy-winning album American Idiot was released on 21 September 2004 by which band?
Answer: Green Day
American Idiot, Green Day’s seventh studio album, is a concept album that follows the story of Jesus of Suburbia. The album, which marked a return to the band’s punk rock sound, was a critical and commercial success, selling over 23 million copies worldwide and winning several awards.
According to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, on the night of September 21, 1823, Joseph Smith prayed to know God’s further will. A light steadily grew, “as though the house was filled with consuming and unquenchable fire.” …, a messenger sent from God stood before him. Who was this messenger?
Answer: Moroni
Moroni, son of Mormon, was a Nephite prophet, historian and military commander. He completed the Nephite record, buried the plates, and later became the Angel Moroni in Latter Day Saint belief.
Four
On this day in 1957, a mystery series based on Erle Stanley Gardner’s books debuted on American television. What was the TV series?
Answer: Perry Mason
Perry Mason, a long-running American legal drama series, aired on CBS from 1957 to 1966. The show, based on Erle Stanley Gardner’s detective fiction, starred Raymond Burr as the titular lawyer and received numerous awards and accolades.
Janis Joplin photographed by Jim Marshall about one year before her death. Image Wikipedia
Five
Born on 21 September 1934, a singer-songwriter released an album titled New Skin for the Old Ceremony in 1974. This album included the song Chelsea Hotel No. 2, which Encyclopædia Britannica describes as a ‘frank recollection of a brief sexual encounter with Janis Joplin’. Who is this singer-songwriter?
Answer: Leonard Cohen
Chelsea Hotel #2 recounts a sexual encounter at the Chelsea Hotel with Janis Joplin. Cohen later regretted revealing the song’s inspiration and the explicit details of their relationship. In 1994, on the BBC, Cohen said it was “an indiscretion for which I’m very sorry. If there is some way of apologising to the ghost, I want to apologise now for having committed that indiscretion.” Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.
The opening chapter of a book, first published on 21 September 1937, is titled ‘An Unexpected Party’. Before the party begins, the householder is unexpectedly visited by a group of dwarfs. How many dwarfs are there?
Two
The Grammy-winning album American Idiot was released on 21 September 2004 by which band?
Three
According to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, on the night of September 21, 1823, Joseph Smith prayed to know God’s further will. A light steadily grew, “as though the house was filled with consuming and unquenchable fire.” …, a messenger sent from God stood before him. Who was this messenger?
Four
On this day in 1957, a mystery series based on Erle Stanley Gardner’s books debuted on American television. What was the TV series?
Five
Born on 21 September 1934, a singer-songwriter released an album titled New Skin for the Old Ceremony in 1974. This album included the song Chelsea Hotel No. 2, which Encyclopædia Britannica describes as a ‘frank recollection of a brief sexual encounter with Janis Joplin’. Who is this singer-songwriter?
On 20 September 1967, the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth 2 was launched from which shipyard?
John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, UK
Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Swan Hunter, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England, UK
Answer: John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, UK
The QE2 was built and launched into the River Clyde from John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, by HM Queen Elizabeth II. During the launch ceremony, the Queen said ‘I name this ship Queen Elizabeth the Second’, and the following day, newspapers including The Times and The New York Times printed the name as Queen Elizabeth II, which would be read as ‘Queen Elizabeth the Second’. When the ship was completed, the name on both the bow and stern of the vessel was Queen Elizabeth 2. Over the years, there has been debate as to whether the ship is named after Queen Elizabeth II; her mother, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Consort of King George VI; or simply the second Cunard liner named Queen Elizabeth. See Wikipedia for additional information.
The ‘Battle of the Sexes’ tennis match took place at Houston Astrodome on 20 September 1973. Who were the two players who competed in the match?
Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs
Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors
Evonne Goolagong and Marlon Brando
Answer: Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs
In 1973, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in an exhibition match, earning $100,000, equivalent to $707,000 in 2024. Riggs, a former top men’s player in the 1930s and 1940s, had won Wimbledon in 1939 and was World No. 1 in 1941, 1946, and 1947. He later became a tennis ‘hustler’, playing promotional matches. Riggs claimed the women’s game was inferior and challenged top female players, defeating Margaret Court 6–2, 6–1. King, initially rejecting his challenges, accepted a financial offer to play him, resulting in her victory and a significant win for women’s tennis.
On 20 September 1870, Rome was occupied, leading to the unification of Italy. Who was the ruler of the Kingdom of Italy at this time?
Victor Emmanuel I
Victor Emmanuel II
Victor Emmanuel III
Answers: Victor Emmanuel II
The unification of Italy, or Risorgimento, was a 19th-century movement that culminated in 1861 with the creation of the Kingdom of Italy through the annexation of various Italian states to the Kingdom of Sardinia. Key figures included King Victor Emmanuel II, Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, Giuseppe Garibaldi, and Giuseppe Mazzini. The movement was inspired by earlier rebellions and the Revolutions of 1848, concluding in 1870 with Rome’s capture. King Victor Emmanuel II was honoured as the Father of the Fatherland.
Four
Which explorer set out from Spain on 20 September 1519, embarking on a quest to circumnavigate the globe?
Bartolomeu Dias
Ferdinand Magellan
Vasco da Gama
Answer: Ferdinand Magellan
The Magellan expedition, led by Ferdinand Magellan and completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano, was a pivotal 16th-century Spanish voyage aimed at securing a maritime trade route to the Spice Islands. Departing Spain in 1519 with five ships and about 270 men, it achieved the first circumnavigation of Earth, crossing the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Despite hardships like mutinies, starvation, and Magellan’s death in the Philippines, only about 40 men and the ship Victoria returned in 1522. Funded by King Charles I, the expedition expanded European geographical knowledge, though the route proved commercially impractical.
Five
On 20 September 1881, a US Vice President was sworn in as president following the death of his predecessor who had died the previous day two months after being shot. Who was the vice president who was sworn in as president on this day?
Andrew Johnson
Chester A. Arthur
Theodore Roosevelt
Answer: Chester A. Arthur
James A. Garfield, the 20th US president, was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau in 1881. Guiteau, who believed he deserved a diplomatic post for his support of Garfield, shot him after his requests were denied. Garfield died from his injuries over two months later, and Vice President Chester A. Arthur became the 21st US President. Guiteau, who was apprehended at the scene of the shooting, was later executed for the murder.
The questions are all related to today’s date, September 20th.
The Queen Elizabeth 2 is now a hotel in Dubai. Image Wikipedia
One
On 20 September 1967, the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth 2 was launched from which company’s shipyard?
John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, UK
Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Swan Hunter, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England, UK
Two
The ‘Battle of the Sexes’ tennis match took place at Houston Astrodome on 20 September 1973. Who were the two players who competed in the match?
Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs
Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors
Evonne Goolagong and Marlon Brando
Three
On 20 September 1870, Rome was occupied, leading to the unification of Italy. Who was the ruler of the Kingdom of Italy at this time?
Victor Emmanuel I
Victor Emmanuel II
Victor Emmanuel III
Four
Which explorer set out from Spain on 20 September 1519, embarking on a quest to circumnavigate the globe?
Bartolomeu Dias
Ferdinand Magellan
Vasco da Gama
Five
On 20 September 1881, a US Vice President was sworn in as president following the death of his predecessor who had died the previous day two months after being shot. Who was the vice president who was sworn in as president on this day?
Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.
Enable and Frankie Dettori at the 2018 Breeders’ Cup. Image Wikipedia
One
In 2018, which jockey won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the second year in a row riding Enable?
Frankie Dettori
Italian jockey Lanfranco ‘Frankie’ Dettori, based in England for over 35 years, achieved significant success, including riding all seven winners at Ascot on 28 September 1996. He was British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and rode 287 Group 1 race winners. After a long career with Godolphin Racing and Al Shaqab Racing, he announced his retirement from professional riding in 2023.
Two
What ‘I’ are animals that have no backbones?
Answer: Invertebrates
Invertebrates are animals that lack a backbone, or spine. They include arthropods (such as insects and spiders), molluscs (like snails and clams), annelids (e.g. earthworms), echinoderms (like starfish and sea urchins), flatworms, cnidarians (such as jellyfish and corals), and sponges.
Which Hogarth Press co-founder published their third novel, Jacob’s Room, in 1922?
Answer: Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf’s third novel, Jacob’s Room, centres on the life of Jacob Flanders, presented through the impressions of other characters. The novel explores themes of emptiness and absence, portraying Jacob as a series of perceptions rather than a concrete reality.
Four
The writer of the song Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is described by Wikipedia as a ‘actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, screenwriter and playwright’. Who is he?
Answer: Eric Idle
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is a comedy song by Eric Idle, featured in Monty Python’s Life of Brian. It became a popular singalong and reached No. 3 on the UK singles chart in 1991. In 2014, it was shown to be the most popular song choice for Britons to have played at their funerals.
Scapa Flow during World War II, 1942. Image Wikipedia
Five
The Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet was based at which anchorage in the Orkney Islands during the First World War?
Answer: Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow, a sheltered body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, has been significant for travel, trade and conflict throughout history. It served as the UK’s chief naval base during both World Wars before closing in 1956. On 21 June 1919, the interned Imperial German Navy’s High Seas Fleet was scuttled by its sailors in Scapa Flow with 52 of the 74 vessels sank.
FIVES
The post-title FIVES provided the initial letters F-I-V-E-S for each answer in order, with a prompt at number 2—What ‘I’—to hopefully help you on the road.
Quizology Online 