Today’s questions revolve around March 21st and follow the 5W1H format: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. This results in six questions instead of the usual five.
Who
In a 1980 television series finale, who shot J.R.?
What
What did Jack Dorsey use to end the first public tweet in 2006: ‘just setting up my ——’?
Image Wikimedia Commons
Where
Represented by this flag, where, in 1990, gained independence after a combined period of 106 years German and then South African rule?
When
When was Gary Oldman’s year of birth?
Why
Why, in 1980, did U.S. President Jimmy Carter announce that the United States was boycotting that year’s Summer Olympics in Moscow?
How
How many visitors, according to the U.S. National Park Service, visit Alcatraz annually (to the nearest 100,000)?
The first Romani language operetta, Children of the Forests, premiered on 20 March 1888. Where was it staged?
Bucharest, Romania
Kyiv, Ukraine
Moscow, Russia
Answer: 3. Moscow, Russia.
The premiere of the very first Romani language operetta Children of the Forests was staged in the Maly Theatre, Moscow, Russia on 20 March 1888. It was performed solely by the Romani troupe. The production ran for 18 years and was a great success. The first Romani theatre troupe, founded by Nikolai Shishkin, performed in Moscow and Saint Petersburg in the late 19th century. The troupe’s success led to the establishment of the Romen Theatre in Moscow in 1931.
Two
In 1923, the Arts Club of Chicago hosted the United States’ first showing of Original Drawings by… This event signalled the club’s early embrace of modern art in America. There is an artist’s name missing from the show’s title: who is the artist?
Salvador Dali
Pablo Picasso
Jackson Pollock
Answer: 2. Pablo Picasso
The Arts Club of Chicago, founded in 1916, is a private club and public exhibition space dedicated to showcasing international contemporary art. The club, known for its pro-Modernist stance, has presented groundbreaking exhibitions by artists like Pablo Picasso and Jean Dubuffet. It curates its own exhibits, emphasising cutting-edge and avant-garde art.
Three
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was first published on this date in 1852. Between 1832 and 1850 she lived in a city where her personal observations and research informed the basis of her story. Where was this city?
Alexandria, Virginia
Baltimore, Maryland
Cincinnati, Ohio
Answers: 3. Cincinatti, Ohio.
On this day in 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin as a novel. The book, which had previously been serialised, played a crucial role in shifting public opinion towards abolitionism and contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.
Four
Who became the first woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and when did she achieve this?
Kelly Quinault in 1973
Libby Riddles in 1985
Molly Semyonova in 1997
Answers: 2. Libby Riddles in 1985
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual long-distance sled dog race in Alaska, covering the distance from Anchorage to Nome in eight to fifteen days. The race, which began in 1973, is a symbolic link to Alaska’s history and a popular sporting event, attracting competitors from around the world. The race is known for its challenging conditions, including blizzards, gale-force winds, and sub-zero temperatures, which with wind chill can reach −100 °F (−73 °C).
Five
Albert Einstein submitted his paper The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity in 1916. Where was he working at that time?
Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich
Prussian Academy of Sciences, Berlin
Charles University, Prague
Answer: Prussian Academy of Sciences, Berlin.
Albert Einstein was working at the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin when he published The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity in 1916. He had accepted a position at the Prussian Academy in 1914, specifically to work on his new theory of gravity. The paper was submitted on March 20, 1916, and published later that year in the journal Annalen der Physik. This period marked a significant time in Einstein’s career, as he was developing groundbreaking theories that would change our understanding of gravity and the universe.
All of today’s questions are connected to the date, March 20th. There are three places, two people and a year to find in these multiple-choice questions.
The first Romani language operetta, Children of the Forests, premiered on 20 March 1888. Where was it staged?
Bucharest, Romania
Kyiv, Ukraine
Moscow, Russia
Two
In 1923, the Arts Club of Chicago hosted the United States’ first showing of Original Drawings by… This event signalled the club’s early embrace of modern art in America. There is an artist’s name missing from the show’s title: who is the artist?
Salvador Dali
Pablo Picasso
Jackson Pollock
Three
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was first published on this date in 1852. Between 1832 and 1850 she lived in a city where her personal observations and research informed the basis of her story. Where was this city?
Alexandria, Virginia
Baltimore, Maryland
Cincinnati, Ohio
Four
Who became the first woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and when did she achieve this?
Kelly Quinault in 1973
Libby Riddles in 1985
Molly Semyonova in 1997
Five
Albert Einstein submitted his paper The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity in 1916. Where was he working at that time?
People, places, and events from today’s date, March 19th, feature in these questions.
One
On this date, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened. In what decade did this occur?
Answer: 1930s
Opened in 1932, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a steel through arch bridge, connects Sydney’s CBD to the North Shore. An iconic image of Sydney, nicknamed the ‘Coathanger’, it carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.
Two
A writer who had been born in 1917 died in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 19 March 2008. His best-known works include the script he wrote with director Stanley Kubrick for 2001: A Space Odyssey and his novel of that film. Who is this writer?
Answer: Arthur C. Clarke.
Arthur C. Clarke was an English writer known for his science fiction and non-fiction works. He co-wrote the script for the film 2001: A Space Odyssey and its novelisation. Clarke’s notable works include Childhood’s End, Rendezvous with Rama, and The Fountains of Paradise. He was knighted in 2000.
Three
This American actor, who was born in West Germany in 1955, earned a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe nomination in 1990 for his role as Emmett Smith in the film In Country. Who is he?
Answer: Bruce Willis
In Country (1989) follows Samantha Hughes, a recent high school graduate, as she becomes fixated on learning about her deceased father a Vietnam veteran. Staying with her Uncle Emmett (Bruce Willis) another veteran she embarks on a journey to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. seeking closure. Bruce Willis, a retired American actor, is renowned for his action roles, particularly his portrayal of John McClane in the Die Hard franchise. He starred in over 100 films including Pulp Fiction and The Sixth Sense, earning numerous accolades throughout his career. Willis retired in 2022 due to aphasia and was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023.
Four
This 20th-century national leader issued his ‘Nero Decree’, ordering that all of the nation’s ‘industries, military installations, shops, transportation facilities, and communications facilities be destroyed’? Who was he, and what was the country?
Answers: Adolf Hitler; Germany.
The Nero Decree, issued by Hitler in March 1945, ordered the destruction of German infrastructure to prevent its use by the Allies. It was disobeyed by Albert Speer, Minister of Armaments and War Production, before the Nazi regime’s fall.
Five
American actress Glenn Close, born on 19 March 1947 in Greenwich, Connecticut, received her first Academy Award nomination for her debut film. This was for her role as Jenny Fields in a 1982 film with a five-word title: The World ——. What film?
Answer: The World According to Garp.
Glenn Close is an American actress with a career spanning five decades. She has won numerous awards, including three Emmys, three Tonys, and three Golden Globes, as well as having been nominated for eight Academy Awards. Her debut film role earned her a Best Actress in a Supporting Role nomination for The World According to Garp. Close, who is known for her work in film, television, and theatre, is a vocal advocate for women’s rights, same-sex marriage, and mental health.
People, places, and events from today’s date, March 19th, feature in these questions.
One
On this date, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened. In what decade did this occur?
Two
A writer who had been born in 1917 died in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 19 March 2008. His best-known works include the script he wrote with director Stanley Kubrick for 2001: A Space Odyssey and his novel of that film. Who is this writer?
Three
This American actor, who was born in West Germany in 1955, earned a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe nomination in 1990 for his role as Emmett Smith in the film In Country. Who is he?
Four
This 20th-century national leader issued his ‘Nero Decree’, ordering that all of the nation’s ‘industries, military installations, shops, transportation facilities, and communications facilities be destroyed’? Who was he, and what was the country?
Five
American actress Glenn Close, born on 19 March 1947 in Greenwich, Connecticut, received her first Academy Award nomination for her debut film. This was for her role as Jenny Fields in a 1982 film with a five-word title: The World ——. What film?
Born 1980. Actress who links the following roles: Penelope (in 2004), Isolde (2006), Erika (2003 and 2006), Darcy (2014) and Freya (2008). Who is she?
Rose Keegan
Sophia Myles
Lucy Russell
Answer: 2. Sophia Myles.
Sophia Myles, an English actress, who portrayed the following characters in the associated film. Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in Thunderbirds(2004), Isolde in Tristan & Isolde(2006), Darcy in Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), Erika in Underworld(2003) and Underworld: Evolution (2006), and Freya in Outlander (2008)”
Two
Born 1837, Grover Cleveland, served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Where was he born?
Amherst, New Hampshire
Brighton, New York
Caldwell, New Jersey
Answer: 3. Caldwell, New Jersey.
Stephen Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, was the first Democrat elected after the Civil War and the first president to serve non-consecutive terms. A Bourbon Democrat, he championed political reform, fiscal conservatism and classical liberalism. His presidency was marked by significant legislation like the Interstate Commerce Act and the Dawes Act, as well as challenges like the Panic of 1893 and the Pullman Strike.
Three
Anthem for Doomed Youth was written by a war poet born this day in 1893. Who was he?
Rupert Brook
Wilfred Owen
Siegfried Sassoon
Answer: 2. Wilfred Owen.
Wilfred Owen, an English poet and soldier, expressed anger at war’s cruelty and waste through his poetry. Based on his World War I experiences, his war poetry was about the horrors of trenches and gas warfare. At only 25 years of age, he was killed in action at the Battle of the Sambre on 4 November 1918, exactly a week before the war’s end. His best-known works— most of which were published posthumously— are Anthem for Doomed Youth, Dulce et Decorum est, Futility, and Spring Offensive.
Four
Who is Dana Elaine Owens, born 18 March 1970, a musician and actress, better known as?
Lauryn Hill
Missy Elliott
Queen Latifah
Answer: 3. Queen Latifah.
An American musician and actress, Queen Latifah rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album, All Hail the Queen, which blended diverse styles and feminist themes. The name Latifah is Arabic for ‘delicate’ or ‘sensitive’.
Five
Born today in 1869, this British prime minister returned from Germany with a ‘piece of paper’ promising to ‘have brought you back peace — but a peace I hope with honour’. Who was he?
Stanley Baldwin
Neville Chamberlain
Winston Churchill
Answer: 2. Neville Chamberlain.
Prime Minister of the UK from 1937 to 1940 Neville Chamberlain is known for his policy of appeasement towards Hitler’s Germany. He served in various government positions, including Chancellor of the Exchequer, before becoming Prime Minister. Despite signing the Munich Agreement with Hitler in 1938, Chamberlain declared war on Germany less than a year later following the Nazi invasion of Poland.
Born 1980. Actress who links the following roles: Penelope (in 2004), Isolde (2006), Erika (2003 and 2006), Darcy (2014) and Freya (2008). Who is she?
Rose Keegan
Sophia Myles
Lucy Russell
Two
Born 1837, Grover Cleveland, served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Where was he born?
Amherst, New Hampshire
Brighton, New York
Caldwell, New Jersey
Three
Anthem for Doomed Youth was written by a war poet born this day in 1893. Who was he?
Rupert Brook
Wilfred Owen
Siegfried Sassoon
Four
Who is Dana Elaine Owens, born 18 March 1970, a musician and actress, better known as?
Lauryn Hill
Missy Elliott
Queen Latifah
Five
Born today in 1869, this British prime minister returned from Germany with a ‘piece of paper’ promising to ‘have brought you back peace — but a peace I hope with honour’. Who was he?
What creature is missing from the title of this Nathaniel West novel: The Day of the ——?
Answer: Locust.
The Day of the Locust, a novel by Nathanael West from 1939, paints a picture of Hollywood’s darker side through the character Tod Hackett, a young artist. It really gets into how Americans feel let down when they realise the American dream is just out of reach, and it all comes to a head in a violent mob scene.
Two
Also, the oldest, who was the fifth Apollo astronaut to walk on the Moon?
Answer: Alan Shepard.
Three
200 million years ago all land on Earth was in one landmass, what name do scientists give to this super-continent?
Alan Shepard, a US astronaut and naval aviator, was the first American in space and the oldest person to walk on the moon. He commanded the Apollo 14 mission and was the only Mercury Seven astronaut to walk on the moon. He also hit two golf shots on the moon — hence the post name Luna Links.
Answer: Pangaea.
Pangea, a supercontinent that existed during the Early Permian Epoch, began breaking apart around 200 million years ago, eventually forming the modern continents.
Four
Who played Simon Templar in a 1997 film and what was the film?
Val Kilmer; The Saint.
The Saint is a 1997 action thriller film starring Val Kilmer as a high-tech thief and master of disguise. The film, loosely based on the character created by Leslie Charteris, was a modest financial success.
Five
In Judaism hat is the only insect which is considered kosher?
Answer: Locust.
Locust is the only insect which is considered kosher. Specific extracts in the Torah, external state that four types of desert locust – the red, the yellow, the spotted grey, and the white – can be eaten. — BBC
This is a tale of a meeting of two lonesome, skinny, fairly old white men on a planet which was dying fast…
This quote is the opening of Breakfast of Champions, a 1973 novel by a writer born in Indianapolis in 1922. Who is the writer?
Answer: Kurt Vonnegut.
Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions is a satirical novel critiquing American society through the story of Kilgore Trout and Dwayne Hoover, whose meeting leads to Hoover’s insanity. The novel addresses themes of free will, suicide and race relations.
Two
Following Sauron’s defeat in The Lord of the Rings, Aragorn is crowned king. What name does he adopt on his coronation?
Answer: Elessar (aka Elfstone).
After Sauron’s defeat, Aragorn is crowned King Elessar, meaning ‘Elfstone’. This Quenya name was given to him by his grandmother, Galadriel. He marries Arwen at midsummer and becomes the twenty-sixth King of Arnor, the thirty-fifth King of Gondor, and the first High King of the united Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor. His lineage is known as the House of Telcontar, meaning ’Strider’ in Quenya.
Three
Time it was And what a time it was, it was A time of innocence A time of confidences
These are the opening lyrics to a 1968 song that served as the title track for an album. Please name the track/album and the artist?
Bookends by Simon and Garfunkel
The post title Bookends derives from this track and album. Bookends is a concept album exploring a life journey from childhood to old age. Side one marks life stages, while side two includes singles and unused material. Today’s quiz is bookended by questions one and five being about books.
Four
T.E. Lawrence is commonly known by what name?
Answer: Lawrence of Arabia.
T.E. Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia, was a British Army officer, archaeologist, and writer. He gained fame for his role in the Arab Revolt during World War I and his subsequent work with Emir Faisal. Lawrence published his autobiography, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, and later served in the Army and RAF before his death in a motorcycle accident in 1935.
Five
What fish does the fisherman have an epic struggle to catch in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea?
Answer: Marlin.
Ernest Hemingway’s short, heroic novel The Old Man and the Sea, published in 1952 and winning the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, marked his final major work of fiction. The story follows an ageing fisherman’s epic struggle to catch a giant marlin.
Bookends — Post title
See explanation in Three above.
Bookends
Simon and Garfunkel
Time it was And what a time it was, it was A time of innocence A time of confidences
Long ago it must be I have a photograph Preserve your memories They’re all that’s left you — AZ Lyrics
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