Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1515–1518), attributed to Francesco Melzi. Royal Collection, United Kingdom. Image Wikimedia Commons
Here are five questions all connected to today, May 2nd.
One
Leonardo da Vinci, artist, architect and engineer, died on this day. In what century, and in what country, did he die?
Two
The King James Version of the Bible was published. In what decade was this, or as second prize, what century?
Three
Anne Boleyn was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Who was her predecessor as Queen and who succeeded her?
Four
On this day, a De Havilland Comet became the first jetliner to carry fare-paying passengers. The flight took place in what year and departed from where, with its destination being where?
Five
Born in 2015, who on their eleventh birthday is third in line of succession to the British throne? Secondly, who is the highest ranked non-titled person to currently appear on the line of succession?
Six questions on random topics, each beginning with one of these words: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.
Who
Who is the title character of The Lord of the Rings?
Answer: Sauron.
Sauron, the main antagonist in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, seeks to rule Middle-earth using the One Ring. He is depicted as a wholly evil being, comparable to Dracula and Balor of the Evil Eye.
What
What prompted the change in NASA’s 1967 mission designation AS-204 and what was the new designation?
Answer: Fatal cabin fire; Apollo 1.
Initially designated AS-204 and later renamed Apollo 1, the first planned crewed mission of the Apollo programme ended in tragedy when a cabin fire during a launch rehearsal killed all three crew members Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger B. Chaffee. The fire, caused by an electrical ignition and exacerbated by flammable materials and a high-pressure oxygen atmosphere, led to a 20-month suspension of crewed flights while safety measures were implemented.
When
When did Marco Polo journey to China? (The century will do)
Answer: 13th century.
Venetian merchant and explorer Marco Polo travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295, spending 17 years in China. His detailed accounts of the Mongol Empire and China, including his experiences in the emperor’s lands, provided Europeans with a comprehensive look into the Eastern world. Polo’s writings inspired future explorers like Christopher Columbus and influenced European cartography. His book, Il milione, is a classic of travel literature.
Where
Where does ‘Mr. Smith’ go in an early James Stewart movie?
Answer: Washington.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, a 1939 film by Frank Capra, depicts Jefferson Smith, an idealistic youth leader, battling corruption in the U.S. Senate. The film’s portrayal of political corruption angered real-life legislators, leading to calls for its banning and accusations of being anti-American and communist.
Why
Why was Dennis Tito in the news in May 2001?
Answer: He paid to go into space (the world’s first ‘space tourist’).
Dennis Tito is an American engineer and entrepreneur. During mid-2001, he became the first space tourist to fund his own visit to space, when he spent nearly eight days in orbit as a crew member of ISS EP-1, a visiting mission to the International Space Station. This mission was launched by the spacecraft Soyuz TM-32, and was landed by Soyuz TM-31. Dennis Tito, after paying $20 million, became the first space tourist, joining the Soyuz TM-32 mission to the International Space Station in 2001. Despite initial criticism from NASA, Tito spent over a week in space, conducting experiments and later testifying before Congress on commercial spaceflight.
How
How many championships are required to be won in one year to achieve a Grand Slam in golf, and what are these championships?
Answers: Four; US Masters; US PGA Chamionship; US Open Championship; and The Open Championship.
Masters Tournament, held the week ending on the 2nd Sunday in April – hosted as an invitational by and played at Augusta National Golf Club. 2026 saw the 90th edition of The Masters.
The 2026 PGA Championship will be the 108th edition of the PGA Championship, scheduled for May 14–17 at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a suburb west of Philadelphia.
The 2026 United States Open Championship will be the 126th edition of the U.S. Open, the national open golf championship of the United States. It will be held from June 18–21, 2026 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. It will be the sixth Open hosted at the club.
The 2026 Open Championship, officially the 154th Open Championship, is a golf tournament to be played from 16–19 July 2026 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. It will be the 11th Open held at the club. — Wikipedia, various articles on each championship.
Who currently (April 2026) is the principal occupant of the Quirinal Palace (pictured), and what is that person’s office?
Answer: Sergio Mattarella, the President of the Italian Republic.
The Quirinal Palace, the main official residence of the President of the Italian Republic, is located on the Quirinal Hill in Rome. It has served as a residence for popes, kings and presidents. Mattarella was elected on 31 January 2015, and re-elected on 29 January 2022.
What
What song gave Tom Jones his first UK number one single and his debut US hit, where it peaked at number ten.
Answer: It’s Not Unusual.
Released in 1965, It’s Not Unusual became a chart-topper in the UK, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart. It also marked his first US hit, peaking at number ten; it further climbed to number three on Billboard’s easy listening chart. Initially rejected by the BBC in the UK due to Jones’ image, the song gained popularity on pirate radio. In the US, Jones performed it three times on The Ed Sullivan Show.
When
When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen.
The above sentence opens what English classic children’s story and who wrote it?
Answers: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
The Secret Garden, a classic English children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, was first published in 1911. It has been adapted for stage and film.
Where
Where are lemurs endemic?
Answer: Madagascar.
Lemurs are a diverse group of primates endemic to Madagascar, with around 100 extant species. They are social, nocturnal, and primarily arboreal, exhibiting a range of sizes and diets. Despite their importance for research and conservation efforts, many lemur species are endangered due to habitat loss and hunting.
Why
Why was Darwin, in Australia’s Northern Territory, extensively rebuilt twice during the twentieth century? (NB Two answers as it was rebuilt on two separate occasions.)
Answers: (First rebuild) World War II Japanese air raids; (Second rebuild) Cyclone Tracy.
On 19 February 1942, 188 Japanese warplanes attacked Darwin, killing at least 243 people and causing significant damage. This was the first of many air raids on Darwin and was the most serious attack on Australia during wartime. Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin on 25 December 1974, killing 71 people and destroying over 70% of the city. The Darwin Reconstruction Commission oversaw the city’s rebuilding with modern materials and techniques.
How
How old, according to television’s Smallville, was Lex Luther when he became bald?
Answer: Nine.
I’ve been bald since I was nine. I’m used to people judging me before they get to know me. — Lex Luther, Pilot episode Smallville
Lex Luthor, introduced in the pilot as the son of billionaire Lionel Luthor, is sent to Smallville by his father to manage the local fertiliser plant. As a child, he’s caught in the first meteor shower, which leaves him completely bald but also grants him perfect health.
Six questions on random topics, each beginning with one of these words: Who, What, When (When is the first word of a quote), Where, Why and How.
Court of the Quirinal Palace. Image Wikimedia Commons
Who
Who currently (April 2026) is the principal occupant of the Quirinal Palace (pictured), and what is that person’s office?
What
What song gave Tom Jones his first UK number one single and his debut US hit, where it peaked at number ten.
When
When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen.
The above sentence opens what English classic children’s story and who wrote it?
Where
Where are lemurs endemic?
Why
Why was Darwin, in Australia’s Northern Territory, extensively rebuilt twice during the twentieth century? (NB Two answers as it was rebuilt on two separate occasions.)
How
How old, according to television’s Smallville, was Lex Luther when he became bald?
Today’s questions are related to the date, April 29th..
See question two. Prince William and his bride, Catherine, leaving Westminster Abbey after their wedding, April 29, 2011. Image Encyclopædia Britannica
One
In a 1943 British deception plan, a corpse was given the identity of ‘Major William Martin’. The idea for the above operation, which was partly inspired by a plot device in a 1939 novel by Basil Thomson, The …’s Hat Mystery, had first been suggested in a memo.
What was the codename of this operation?
What word for a hat maker is missing from the book’s title?
A future spy novelist—later the creator of a fictional spy which spawned a massive media franchise—worked in British Naval Intelligence during the war where he circulated the memo outlining the above deception tactics. Who was he?
Answers
Operation Mincemeat
Milliner
Ian Fleming
The body was released from the submarine HMS Seraph off Spain, where authorities were known to share intelligence with Germany. The Milliner’s Hat Mystery (a milliner is someone who makes or sells hats) is by Basil Thomson who had himself worked in intelligence and blurred the line between fiction and real espionage long before the war. Ian Fleming’s memo was nicknamed the ’Trout Memo’, comparing deception to fly-fishing—luring the enemy with carefully chosen bait. He went on to create James Bond.
Two
In 2011, Prince William married his longtime girlfriend, Catherine, whom he had met at university.
What is Catherine’s maiden name?
At what university did they meet?
In what church did they marry?
Answers
Middleton
University of St. Andrews
Westminster Abbey
Prince William, heir to the British throne, married Catherine Middleton in 2011. They have three children: George, Charlotte, and Louis.
Three
In 2004, after 107 years of vehicle production, the final … was built in Lansing, Michigan. What make of vehicle is missing from the previous sentence?
Answer: Oldsmobile.
Oldsmobile, an American automobile brand, was established by Ransom Eli Olds in 1897 as Olds Motor Vehicle Company and produced over 35 million vehicles. Despite peaking sales in the 1980s, the brand faced declining sales in the 1990s and was discontinued in 2004.
Four
On this day in 2018, a U.S. TV series became the longest-running scripted prime-time show, overtaking a Western that had aired from 1955 to 1975. Name both these shows.
Answer: The Simpsons; Gunsmoke.
The record-breaking episode was the show’s 636th, surpassing Gunsmoke’s long-standing total.
Five
Also on this day, in 1770, which British explorer made his first recorded landing on the east coast of Australia, at Botany Bay?
Answer: James Cook.
Cook’s voyage aboard the HMS Endeavour was originally intended to observe the transit of Venus before turning to exploration.
The Man Who Never Was
The Man Who Never Was (1956) is a British espionage thriller directed by Ronald Neame, starring Clifton Webb and Gloria Grahame. Based on Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu’s book, it depicts Operation Mincemeat, a 1943 British intelligence operation to mislead the Axis about the Allied invasion of Sicily. It was featured at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. Nigel Balchin’s screenplay received the BAFTA award for that year.
Today’s questions are related to the date, April 29th..
See question two. Prince William and his bride after their wedding, April 29, 2011. Image Encyclopædia Britannica
One
In a 1943 British deception plan, a corpse was given the identity of ‘Major William Martin’. The idea for the above operation, which was partly inspired by a plot device in a 1939 novel by Basil Thomson, The …’s Hat Mystery, had first been suggested in a memo.
What was the codename of this operation?
What word for a hat maker is missing from the book’s title?
A future spy novelist—later the creator of a fictional spy which spawned a massive media franchise—worked in British Naval Intelligence during the war where he circulated the memo outlining the above deception tactics. Who was he?
Two
In 2011, Prince William married his longtime girlfriend, Catherine, whom he had met at university.
What is Catherine’s maiden name?
At what university did they meet?
In what church did they marry?
Three
In 2004, after 107 years of vehicle production, the final … was built in Lansing, Michigan. What make of vehicle is missing from the previous sentence?
Four
On this day in 2018, a U.S. TV series became the longest-running scripted prime-time show, overtaking a Western that had aired from 1955 to 1975. Name both these shows.
Answer: The Simpsons; Gunsmoke.
The record-breaking episode was the show’s 636th, surpassing Gunsmoke’s long-standing total.
Five
Also on this day, in 1770, which British explorer made his first recorded landing on the east coast of Australia, at Botany Bay?
Here’s the answers to my earlier questions. All of today’s questions are related to the date, April 28th.
Kon-Tiki, on display inside the Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
In 1947, Thor Heyerdahl set sail in Kon-tiki, a handmade balsa wood raft, in an attempt to reach the islands of Polynesia. From what country did he set out?
Answer: Peru.
Thor Heyerdahl and five companions sailed the Kon-Tiki raft from South America to Polynesia in 1947, demonstrating the possibility of ancient American colonisation. The Kon-Tiki expedition, led by Heyerdahl, aimed to prove that pre-Columbian South Americans could have reached Polynesia by raft. Funded by private loans and equipment donations, the expedition successfully sailed 6,900 km across the Pacific Ocean in 101 days. Although Heyerdahl’s hypothesis of a Caucasian people reaching Polynesia has been rejected, the journey’s feasibility was demonstrated. The Kon-Tiki is now preserved in a museum in Oslo.
Two
In 1923, Wembley Stadium opened in London. What was it initially named?
Answer: Empire Stadium.
The original Wembley Stadium, or Empire Stadium, in London, was a renowned football venue that hosted the FA Cup final, the 1966 World Cup final, and Euro 1996. Demolished in 2003, it also hosted five European Cup finals, two European Cup Winners’ Cup finals and the 1948 Summer Olympics. Wembley was a key rugby league venue, hosting the Challenge Cup Final from 1929, and it also welcomed various sports, including speedway, stock car racing and American football. It hosted events such as the Horse of the Year Show, Live Aid, and concerts by Michael Jackson, Queen and U2, and is linked to an urban legend about a buried locomotive.
Three
Born in 1758, the fifth president of the United States is commemorated by a city at these coordinates: 6°18′48″N 10°48′5″W. Which city is it and in which country is it situated?
Answer: Monrovia, Liberia.
Monrovia, Liberia’s capital, sits on the Atlantic coast and serves as a political, administrative, economic and cultural centre. Established in 1822 by the American Colonisation Society as a settlement for formerly enslaved and freeborn African Americans, it was named after James Monroe and became the capital in 1847. The city’s population reached 1.76 million in 2022 with the metropolitan area exceeding 2.2 million.
Four
Born in 1948, Terry Pratchett is best known for a series of novels which began in 1983 with The Colour of Magic, and introduced Great A’Tuin, Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen. In the prologue of The Colour of Magic…
What one word describes Great A’Tuin?
What are Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen?
Answers
Turtle
Elephants
Wikipedia describes Discworld as follows
The Discworld is the fictional world where English writer Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld fantasy novels take place. It consists of an interstellar planet-sized disc, which sits on the backs of four huge elephants, themselves standing on the back of a world turtle, named Great A’Tuin, as it slowly swims through space.
Five
A piece of paper found in China in 1986 has been dated to which century: Second century BCE; First century CE or Third century CE?
Answer: Second century BCE.
In 1986, archaeologists discovered over 400 artefacts in nearly 2,000-year-old Chinese tombs, including the world’s oldest surviving paper map fragment. Found in Fangmatan, Gansu Province, this second-century BCE map forced a rewrite of paper-making history.
All of today’s questions are related to the date, April 28th.
Kon-Tiki, on display inside the Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
In 1947, Thor Heyerdahl set sail in Kon-tiki, a handmade balsa wood raft, in an attempt to reach the islands of Polynesia. From what country did he set out?
Two
In 1923, Wembley Stadium opened in London. What was it initially named?
Three
Born in 1758, the fifth president of the United States is commemorated by a city at these coordinates: 6°18′48″N 10°48′5″W. Which city is it and in which country is it situated?
Four
Born in 1948, Terry Pratchett is best known for a series of novels which began in 1983 with The Colour of Magic, and introduced Great A’Tuin, Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen. In the prologue of The Colour of Magic…
What one word describes Great A’Tuin?
What are Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen?
Five
A piece of paper found in China in 1986 has been dated to which century: Second century BCE; First century CE or Third century CE?
1 Greek mythology a priestess of Hera who was loved by Zeus. Trying to protect her from the jealousy of Hera, Zeus turned [her] into a heifer. Hera sent a gadfly to torture the heifer, which then fled across the world and finally reached Egypt, where Zeus turned her back into human form. 2 Astronomy one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter, the fifth-closest satellite to the planet, being actively volcanic and coloured red and yellow with sulphur compounds (diameter 3,630 km. — Oxford English Dictionary
The above entry in the Oxford English Dictionary defines what word?
Answer: Io.
Io, a mortal lover of Zeus, was a princess whose descendants included Perseus and Heracles. Named after this princess, Io, the innermost Galilean moon of Jupiter, is the most geologically active object in the Solar System, with over 400 active volcanoes.
Two
Cato Fong is the manservant of which fictional inspector?
Answer: Inspector Clouseau.
Cato, Clouseau’s manservant and martial arts expert, is known for unexpectedly attacking Clouseau to keep his skills sharp. Despite Clouseau’s frequent humiliation, he always gets revenge. In later films, Cato helps Clouseau on cases and even runs a covert brothel in Clouseau’s apartment.
Three
Which Swedish actress played Ilsa Lund in the classic film Casablanca?
Answer: Ingrid Bergman.
Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress with a career spanning five decades. She is regarded as one of the most influential actresses in cinema history, winning numerous accolades including three Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. Bergman, who spoke five languages, starred in notable films like Casablanca, Gaslight, and Murder on the Orient Express.
Four
Which 2013 Dan Brown novel begins with Robert Langdon waking in a Florence hospital?
Answer: Inferno.
Harvard professor Robert Langdon, suffering from amnesia, escapes an assassin with the help of Dr. Sienna Brooks. He discovers he mumbled ‘Very sorry’ but later learns it was ‘Vasari’ and refers to the artist Giorgio Vasari.
Five
What was the title of Carrie Underwood’s debut single?
Answer: Inside Your Heaven.
Inside Your Heaven, written by Andreas Carlsson, Pelle Nylén, and Savan Kotecha, was released as a single by both Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice in June 2005. Underwood’s version debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Singles Chart, while Bice’s peaked at number two.
The Eyes Have It
The title is a pun on the word ’eyes’, with each of the answers beginning with the letter ‘I’.
Quizology.Online 