On 9 February 1920 The Svalbard Treaty (originally the Spitsbergen Treaty) was signed, recognising ___’s sovereignty over the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.
What nation’s name fills the blank in the above statement?
The answer will be posted later today.
Firstly: C. Jules Verne
Secondly: Around the World in Eighty Days
Phileas Fogg, a wealthy Englishman, embarks on a journey around the world to win a wager. Along the way, he rescues Aouda from sati (being burned on her late husband’s funeral pyre) and encounters Detective Fix, who believes Fogg is a bank robber. Despite facing numerous challenges and delays, Fogg returns to London just in time to win the wager and marry Aouda.
The three authors were all born on February 8th: Dickens in 1812, Verne in 1828 and Lewis in 1885.
Firstly, one of these authors, born on February 8th, penned a novel which included the characters Aouda, a beautiful Indian woman, and Mr. Fix, a detective. Which author?
A. Charles Dickens
B. Sinclair Lewis
C. Jules Verne
Secondly, what was the title of the novel referred to above? (No multiple-choice this time)
The answers will follow later today.
Pinocchio
Pinocchio, a classic animated musical fantasy film from 1940 brought to life by Walt Disney Productions. It’s loosely based on Carlo Collodi’s beloved 1883 Italian children’s novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio. This was Disney’s second animated feature film after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).
Pinocchio made history as the first animated feature to win a competitive Academy Award! It won two awards: Best Original Score, Best Music, and Best Original Song for When You Wish Upon a Star.
On February 7, 1940, a Walt Disney animation made its debut at the Centre Theatre in New York City. This movie went on to become the first animated feature to win an Academy Award.
What was the film?
Elizabeth II, Kenya
As George VI’s health got worse in 1951, his daughter and heir Princess Elizabeth often took over his duties. In early 1952, she and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, set out to travel to Australia and New Zealand via Kenya but on 6 February 1952, at Sagana Lodge in Kenya, they received the news that George VI had died due to a coronary thrombosis. She was now Queen Elizabeth II.
Elizabeth’s 70-year and 214-day reign is the longest in British history, the second-longest in any country, and the longest of any queen regnant.
When the king passed away at Sandringham House in England on February 6th, his eldest child and heir, was approximately 4,200 miles away.
Who was the heir, and in what country were they at the time of their father’s demise?
The answer will be posted later today.
C. Panama Canal
The Hay-Pauncefote Treaties were two significant agreements between the United States and the United Kingdom, signed in the early 20th century, that facilitated the construction of the Panama Canal. These treaties addressed the control and management of the canal, which was a pivotal development in global maritime trade.
First Hay-Pauncefote Treaty (1900)
The first treaty was signed on 5 February 1900 by U.S. Secretary of State John Hay and British Ambassador to the United States, Lord Julian Pauncefote. This treaty aimed to supersede the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850, which had stipulated that neither country would have exclusive control over a canal across Central America. However, the U.S. Senate rejected this treaty due to concerns over restrictions on American control and fortification of the canal.
Second Hay-Pauncefote Treaty (1901)
The second treaty, successfully signed on 18 November 1901, resolved these issues by giving the United States the exclusive right to construct, operate, and fortify the Panama Canal. It stipulated that the canal should be open to the vessels of all nations on equal terms and without discrimination, whilst assuring that the canal would be neutral and available for peaceful use by all.
The Hay-Pauncefote Treaties marked a significant turning point in U.S.-British relations and set the stage for the construction of the Panama Canal, which greatly enhanced global maritime commerce by providing a quicker route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The (first) Hay-Pauncefote Treaty, signed on February 5, 1900, between the United States and the United Kingdom, pertained to which of these waterways?
A. Northwest Passage
B. St Lawrence River
C. Panama Canal
The answer will follow later today
C. 174.883 mph
On February 4, 1927, Malcolm Campbell achieved the land speed record at Pendine Sands in Wales. In an average of two runs, the Napier-Campbell Blue Bird covered the flying kilometre at 174.883 miles per hour (281.447 kilometres per hour) and the flying mile at 174.224 miles per hour (280.386 kilometres per hour).
In total, Campbell set nine land speed records between 1924 and 1935, with three at Pendine Sands and five at Daytona Beach. His initial two records were achieved while driving a racing car built by Sunbeam. Additionally, he set the world water speed record four times, with his fastest recorded speed reaching an astonishing 141.740 mph (228.108 km/h) in the Blue Bird K4. This remarkable feat was accomplished on August 19, 1939, at Coniston Water.
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