Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11, 20 July 1969. Image ABC News
The first question relates to today’s date, 20 July. The remainder, which are not date-related, follow on a theme from the first.
One
I’d like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way. — Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 on the Lunar surface, 20 July 1969
Why did Buzz Aldrin choose not to mention over the radio that he was taking Holy Communion on the Moon before the first moonwalk?
Two
The god Khnum was once regarded as the guardian of the source of which river?
Three
The Rehat Maryada is a code of conduct in which religion, founded in the late 15th century?
Four
In ancient myth, what God was the father of Heracles?
Five
William and Catherine Booth established an organisation in 1865 that functions as both a Methodist Christian church and an international charity. What is this organisation, and what is its motto?
The Mary Rose as depicted in the Anthony Roll of the 1540s. Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question relates to today’s date. The others aren’t date-related but build on the theme established in the first.
One
This English carrack-type warship, built for the king’s navy and involved in a battle with the French that resulted in its sinking in the Solent on 19 July 1545, had its wreck rediscovered by salvagers in 1971, ultimately leading to the opening of a museum dedicated to its history at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in 2013. What is the warship’s name and for what king’s navy was it built?
Answers: Mary Rose; Henry VIII.
On this day in 1545, Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose, sank during the Battle of the Solent. A sudden gust of wind flooded seawater through its open gunports, tragically resulting in the loss of over 400 crew members. Centuries later, the remarkably preserved wreck was rediscovered in the English Channel. It has since become one of the world’s most significant underwater archaeological finds.
Two
Although not the first such instance the action of soldiers and sailors during the 1852 sinking of HMS Birkenhead made which maritime protocol more prominent?
Answer: Women and children first.
‘Women and children first’ is an unofficial code prioritising their safety in life-threatening situations, like shipwrecks, due to limited resources. Celebrated as a chivalric ideal in the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was notably invoked during the HMS Birkenhead evacuation, SS Central America sinking, and Titanic disaster, though unevenly applied. The protocol is sometimes described as ‘Birkenhead Drill’.
Three
What 1960 musical and 1964 musical film told the story of a woman who survived the sinking of the Titanic?
Answer: The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a fictionalized account of the life of Margaret Brown, who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic. It originated as a 1960 musical with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson and a book by Richard Morris. In 1964, it was adapted into an American Western musical comedy film directed by Charles Walters and starring Debbie Reynolds, filmed in Panavision. The screenplay by Helen Deutsch is based on the musical’s book, and the song score was composed by Meredith Willson. Reynolds received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her portrayal of Brown.
Four
What ship did Ernest Shackleton and his Trans-Antarctic Expedition lose in 1915 when it was crushed by ice and sank?
Answer: Endurance.
Endurance, originally Polaris, was a three-masted barquentine used by Ernest Shackleton for the 1914–1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Built in 1912, it sank in 1915 after being trapped in ice. All crew survived. The wreck was found in 2022 at a depth of 3,008 metres and is a protected historic site.
Five
Which US state’s name completes this: the 1864 Battle of Cherbourg is also known as the Sinking of CSS…?
Answer: Alabama.
The CSS Alabama, a Confederate sloop-of-war built in 1862, was a successful commerce raider under Captain Raphael Semmes. It captured or sank 68 Union ships in just 22 months across the Atlantic, West Indies, and East Indies. On June 19, 1864, the USS Kearsarge sank the Alabama during the Battle of Cherbourg, France.
That Sinking Feeling.
The post title is an idiom meaning a feeling that something bad is going to happen. In today’s post, it is simply a play on words regarding the ‘sinking’ theme of the questions.
The ? as depicted in the Anthony Roll of the 1540s. See question one. Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question relates to today’s date. The others aren’t date-related but build on the theme established in the first.
One
This English carrack-type warship, built for the king’s navy and involved in a battle with the French that resulted in its sinking in the Solent on 19 July 1545, had its wreck rediscovered by salvagers in 1971, ultimately leading to the opening of a museum dedicated to its history at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in 2013. What is the warship’s name and for what king’s navy was it built?
Two
Although not the first such instance the action of soldiers and sailors during the 1852 sinking of HMS Birkenhead made which maritime protocol more prominent?
Three
What 1960 musical and 1964 musical film told the story of a woman who survived the sinking of the Titanic?
Four
What ship did Ernest Shackleton and his Trans-Antarctic Expedition lose in 1915 when it was crushed by ice and sank?
Five
Which US state’s name completes this: the 1864 Battle of Cherbourg is also known as the Sinking of CSS…?
A picture of the band Les Horribles Cernettes taken on 18 July 1992 later led to what technological first?
Answer: The first non-technical picture uploaded to the web.
In 1992, Silvano de Gennaro started the Cern Hardronic Festival, leading to the first non-technical photo uploaded to the web: the Cernettes. The image, 120×50 pixels, took a minute to load. Now scattered globally, the Cernettes reunited in 2012, celebrating their iconic status and historical significance. It is recognised by Guinness World Records as the ‘First photo posted to the World Wide Web’ but it is more spcifically the ‘the first non-technical photo uploaded to the web’.
Two
Who is the first, and to date only, First Lady of the United States to have won an award at the Emmys?
Answer: Jacqueline Kennedy.
Jacqueline Kennedy received a Trustees Award at the 1962 Emmys, accepted by Lady Bird Johnson, for her television special A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy, which aired on 14 February 1962. The broadcast, watched by over 100 million globally, highlighted a restoration. Kennedy’s award is housed at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
Three
In 1958, Billboard‘s Hot 100 premiered as an all-genre singles chart with Poor Little Fool being the first number one. Two questions:
What act achieved that first number one?
By 18 July 2026, to the nearest hundred, how many different number one entries has there been?
Answers
Ricky Nelson
≈ 1,200 (1,194 exactly)
The Billboard Hot 100 is a U.S. music chart ranking songs based on sales, streaming, and radio airplay. Released weekly on Tuesdays, it reflects data from Friday to Thursday. Since July 2015, sales and streaming are tracked weekly, with radio airplay following the same cycle since July 2021. Poor Little Fool by Ricky Nelson was the first Billboard Hot 100 number-one song on August 4, 1958. By July 18, 2026, the chart had 1,194 different number-one entries. The current top song is Choosin’ Texas by Ella Langley.
Astronomers announced in 2026 that they’d detected an atmosphere around an Earth-like planet in the habitable zone of another star for the first time. This planet, named LHS 1140 b, is how far away from Earth:
49 light years
76 light years
127 light years
Answer: 49 light years.
Astronomers discovered an atmosphere on LHS 1140 b, an Earth-like planet in the habitable zone, marking a milestone in the search for alien life. The planet, 1.7 times Earth’s width and 5.6 times its mass, retains helium, suggesting potential water presence. Findings published in Science, based on 2024 observations, highlight atmospheric stability.
Five
Who was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Answer: Aretha Franklin.
Lady Soul. The first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Aretha Franklin was an artist of passion, sophistication and command, whose recordings remain anthems that defined soul music. Long live the Queen. — Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena
The post title, which was brought to mind by question four, is a quote by American scientist Carl Sagan –
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena Carl Sagan — James Webb discovery
Astronomers announced in 2026 that they’d detected an atmosphere around an Earth-like planet in the habitable zone of another star for the first time. This planet, named LHS 1140 b, is how far away from Earth:
49 light years
76 light years
127 light years
Five
Who was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. See question three. Image Lucasfilm
Today’s answers are all fictional places
One
In the 2000 film, in what fictional town did Billy Elliot live?
Answer: Everington.
In 1984, 11-year-old Billy Elliot from the fictional town of Everington in County Durham secretly pursues ballet despite his father’s disapproval. With support from his dance teacher and community, Billy auditions for the Royal Ballet School. Accepted in 1985, he later performs Swan Lake, watched proudly by his family.
Two
Where is home to all of these fictional characters Magrat Garlick, Corporal Buggy Swires and Professor A.A. Dinwiddie?
Answer: Discworld.
The witch Magrat Garlick was the original Maiden in the Lancre coven with Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. She is a gentle parody of New Age pagans, believing in crystals and folk wisdom. Corporal Buggy Swires, a gnome with a tough personality, leads the Ankh-Morpork City Watch’s Airborne Section. He uses birds for reconnaissance and messaging. Professor Dinwiddie, a quiet and reserved individual, became the Unseen University’s Bursar due to his affinity for numbers and less competition for the role.
Three
At the start of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana meets singer Willie Scott in a nightclub which is named after a character from another Harrison Ford franchise, although not his character. What is its name?
Answer: Club Obi Wan.
Club Obi Wan, a Shanghai hideaway for the wealthy, was a nightclub, brothel, and gaming establishment. It featured fine furnishings, decorations, and entertainment and was the headquarters of Lao Che’s criminal enterprises. It was named after Star Wars’ Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Four
In Tolkien’s Middle-Earth Ered Luin, also known as Ered Lindon or Mountains of Lune, became the new home for Durin’s Folk who were exiled by Smaug the Dragon. What two-word term, which includes a primary colour, is Ered Luin known as in English?
Answer: Blue Mountains.
After the Two Lamps fell, the Blue Mountains formed Arda’s western wall. Dwarven Fathers founded Nogrod and Belegost under Mount Dolmed. In the First Age, they separated Eriador from Beleriand. Ruined in the War of Wrath, the mountains split, forming the Gulf of Lune. Dwarves later settled in the east. Exiled from Erebor by Smaug, Durin’s Folk found refuge under the Blue Mountains. King Thráin II established a throne there, succeeded by his son Thorin. Prosperous during Thorin’s reign, many Longbeards joined. Erebor was retaken in T.A. 2941, likely prompting most of Durin’s Folk to return.
Five
What is the fictional prison in the Harry Potter films and where is it located?
Answer: Azkeban; (somewhere in the) North Sea.
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Azkaban is located ‘somewhere in the North Sea’. It serves as a prison for British and Irish wizarding criminals, guarded by Dementors who cause inmates to lose happiness and often starve. Sirius Black was the first person to escape. After Voldemort, Kingsley Shacklebolt abolishes the Dementors at Azkaban.
Everywhere to Anywhere
The post title was a bit of a hint to the answers going from Everywhere (E) to Anywhere (A) — the first five letters of the alphabet in reverse: E, D, C, B and A.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. See question three. Image Lucasfilm
Today’s answers are all fictional places
One
In the 2000 film, in what fictional town did Billy Elliot live?
Two
Where is home to all of these fictional characters Magrat Garlick, Corporal Buggy Swires and Professor A.A. Dinwiddie?
Three
At the start of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana meets singer Willie Scott in a nightclub which is named after a character from another Harrison Ford franchise, although not his character. What is its name?
Four
In Tolkien’s Middle-Earth Ered Luin, also known as Ered Lindon or Mountains of Lune, became the new home for Durin’s Folk who were exiled by Smaug the Dragon. What two-word term, which includes a primary colour, is Ered Luin known as in English?
Five
What is the fictional prison in the Harry Potter films and where is it located?
The first question relates to today’s date, 16 July. The subsequent questions follow a theme established by the first.
One
The world’s first atomic bomb exploded in a test on 16 July.
What code name was given to the test?
In what year was the test?, and
In what U.S. state was the test site located?
Answers
Trinity
1945
New Mexico
The Trinity test, the first nuclear detonation, occurred on July 16, 1945, in New Mexico as part of the Manhattan Project. Directed by Kenneth Bainbridge, it tested an implosion-design plutonium bomb, releasing 25 kilotons of energy and creating trinitite. Observed by 425 people, the site became a National Historic Landmark in 1965. The Manhattan Project established Los Alamos for nuclear weapon development, leading to the first atomic bomb, Gadget, tested at the Trinity Site. The Trinity Site is now a national historic landmark with limited public access.
Two
When asked why he chose the nuclear test code name referred to in question one above, Robert Oppenheimer alluded to the work of which English poet?
Answer: John Donne.
In 1962 Oppenheimer said:
Why I chose the name is not clear, but I know what thoughts were in my mind. There is a poem of John Donne, written just before his death, which I know and love.” Oppenheimer then quoted the sonnet “Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness” about a man unafraid to die because he believed in resurrection.
Oppenheimer continued:
That still does not make a Trinity, but in another, better-known devotional poem Donne opens, ‘Batter my heart, three person’d God.’ Beyond this, I have no clues whatever. — Los Alamos National Laboratory
Three
Who is traditionally said to have used a clover-like plant, which is now a national symbol, as a metaphor for a Christian doctrine, and what was the plant?
Answer: St. Patrick; shamrock.
In 5th-century Ireland, Saint Patrick reportedly used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to pagans. Today, the shamrock is Ireland’s national symbol and a key emblem of Saint Patrick’s Day, celebrated worldwide with parades and festivities.
Four
Which charity is the official authority for lighthouses in England and Wales?
Answer: Trinity House.
Trinity House, established in 1514, is the UK’s largest maritime charity and General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands, and Gibraltar. It ensures maritime safety through navigation aids, pilot licensing, and audits. Annually, it donates £4m to support cadet training, retired mariners’ welfare, and sea safety education.
Five
Of the seven surviving British and Irish medieval and early modern universities founded before 1600 AD, one with a name appropriate for this theme was founded in 1592. Under what name was this 1592 establishment founded?
Answer: Trinity College Dublin (Coláiste na Tríonóide, Baile Átha Cliath).
(or in full The Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin (Coláiste Thríonóid Naofa Neamhroinnte na Banríona Eilís gar do Bhaile Átha Cliath)).
Trinity College Dublin, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, is Ireland’s oldest university and a member of LERU and the Coimbra Group. It houses the Book of Kells and has notable alumni like Oscar Wilde and Jonathan Swift. The college, a major tourist destination, has an academic partnership with Oxford and Cambridge.
Now I am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds
Robert Oppenheimer later recalled a moment, after the Trinity Test, when the line ‘Now I am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds’ from the Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita came to mind.
The first question relates to today’s date, 16 July. The subsequent questions follow a theme established by the first.
One
The world’s first atomic bomb exploded in a test on 16 July.
What code name was given to the test?
In what year was the test?, and
In what U.S. state was the test site located?
Two
When asked why he chose the nuclear test code name referred to in question one above, Robert Oppenheimer alluded to the work of which English poet?
Three
Who is traditionally said to have used a clover-like plant, which is now a national symbol, as a metaphor for a Christian doctrine, and what was the plant?
Four
Which charity is the official authority for lighthouses in England and Wales?
Five
Of the seven surviving British and Irish medieval and early modern universities founded before 1600 AD, one with a name appropriate for this theme was founded in 1592. Under what name was this 1592 establishment founded?
The first question concerns today’s date, 15 July. The others are unrelated to the date but share a nautical theme.
One
On 15 July 1815, almost a month after his defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon surrendered to the captain of a British warship. Named after a son of Poseidon and Eurynome from Greek mythology, what was the warship’s name?
Answer: HMS Bellerophon.
Following his defeat at Waterloo in July 1815, Napoleon sought refuge aboard the British warship HMS Bellerophon, surrendering to Captain Maitland. This marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Transported to England on Bellerophon, he was kept isolated from the public though word of his presence eventually leaked out attracting sightseers. After two weeks in Plymouth harbour, Napoleon learned of his exile to Saint Helena and was transferred to HMS Northumberlandfor the journey.
Two
Which warship was scuttled in Montevideo harbour on the 17th December 1939 after the Battle of the River Plate?
Answer: Admiral Graf Spee.
Admiral Graf Spee, a Deutschland-class Panzerschiff of Nazi Germany’s Kriegsmarine during World War II, was named after Admiral Maximilian von Spee. Exceeding the Treaty of Versailles’ size limit, she sank nine vessels in 1939 before the Battle of the River Plate. Convinced by false British reports suggesting superiority in gathering British numbers, she was ultimately scuttled in Montevideo.
Three
Cher’s use of a ship for the 1989 music video caused offence. Which song was it for and which ship was it filmed on?
Answer: If I Could Turn Back Time; USS Missouri.
The If I Could Turn Back Time video, directed by Marty Callner, features Cher performing on the USS Missouri with her band and son. Filmed in 1989, it faced controversy over Cher’s revealing outfit, leading to network bans. The Navy supported the shoot for recruitment, despite criticism from WWII veterans. No Navy officials faced discipline for supporting the video, despite the Secretary of the Navy considering firing the USS Missouri captain. However, other Navy sections praised the event.
Four
The third published novel in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia features a ship’s name in its title. What is that ship’s name?
Answer: Dawn Treader.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, a 1952 novel by C. S. Lewis, is the third published in The Chronicles of Narnia. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes, it follows Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace as they join King Caspian X on a quest to find the seven lost Lords of Narnia.
Five
After being appointed in 1768 to lead a joint Royal Society and Admiralty expedition, Captain James Cook circumnavigated the world aboard HMS Endeavour. What size was the ship Endeavour approximately:
98 feet (30 m) and 368 tons
175 feet (53 m) and 1,954 tons
248 feet (75 m) and 2,998 tons
Answer: 98 feet (30 m) and 368 tons.
In 1768, the Royal Society and Admiralty appointed James Cook, aged 40, to lead a Pacific expedition. He commanded HMS Endeavour, a sturdy Whitby bark, to Tahiti for observing Venus’s transit and to find Terra Australis. Scientists included Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, with Cook as an astronomer. James Cook’s Endeavour charted New Zealand and discovered Australia’s east coast, navigating the Great Barrier Reef. Despite grounding and repairs, Cook returned to England, avoiding scurvy by ensuring cleanliness, ventilation, and a nutritious diet. Tragically, 30 crew members died of fever and dysentery in Batavia.
Quizology.Online 