Quizology.Online

Category: Pursuit of the Trivial

  • March 29th Mind Benders: Fart Powder to Firsts in the White House! | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below.

    Jo Nesbø.
    Wikipedia
    1. Jo Nesbø—a Norwegian author and musician, is best known for his crime novels featuring Inspector Harry Hole. He has also written children’s books, including Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder and a retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
      Map of Newfoundland by Vincenzo Coronelli, 1692.
      Library of Congress/Wikipedia
    2. Newfoundland—The British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada were united as the new Dominion of Canada. At the same time, the Province of Canada was split into Ontario and Quebec. Newfoundland did not become a Canadian province until 31 March 1949.
      John Major, 1993. Wikipedia
    3. John Major—a British politician, served as Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997, leading the Conservative Party and overseeing the UK’s negotiations over the Maastricht Treaty. Despite an economic recovery, his government faced unpopularity and lost the 1997 general election to the Labour Party. His father had been a circus performer and music hall entertainer.
      A terracotta general.
      Wikipedia
    4. 210–209 BCE—The Terracotta Army, a collection of life-size sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, was discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong County, China. The figures, dating from the late 200s BCE, include warriors, chariots, and horses, and are estimated to number over 8,000.
      Letita Tyler.
      Wikipedia
      Julia Gardiner Tyler.
      Wikipedia
    5. John Tyler—Born on 29 March 1790, John Tyler served as President from 1841 to 1845, taking office upon the death of President William Henry Harrison. Tragically, First Lady Letitia Tyler became the first president’s wife to die in the White House. In 1844, Tyler made history by marrying Julia Gardiner, becoming the first president to marry while in office.
    John Tyler.
    Wikipedia

  • March 29th Mind Benders: Fart Powder to Firsts in the White House!

    Terracotta Army.
    Wikipedia

    All of the following are connected to today’s date, 29 March.

    1. Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder, originally published in 2007, was the first children’s book by which author whose birthday it is today?
      • Henning Mankell
      • Jo Nesbø
      • Dag Solstad
    2. On this day in 1867, the British North America Act united colonies in a new Dominion of Canada. Which of these was NOT included in this new Dominion?
      • Newfoundland
      • Nova Scotia
      • New Brunswick
    3. A former British prime minister who was born this day, wrote a book about the history of cricket, More Than a Game: The Story of Cricket’s Early Years and another about music hall, My Old Man: A Personal History of Music Hall. Who is this prime minister?
      • John Major
      • Tony Blair
      • Gordon Brown
    4. The Terracotta Army, a collection of life-size sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, was discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong County, China. The figures date from when?
      • 210–209 BCE
      • 406–407 CE
      • 1153–1154 CE
    5. A US President born on this day holds the distinction of being connected to two firsts during his tenure in office. Tragically, his wife became the first First Lady to pass away within the White House walls. A few years later, he made history as the first president to marry while in office. Can you identify this president?
      • John Tyler
      • James Buchanan
      • Millard Fillmore
    Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder,
    Front cover (cropped).

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Quirky Queries: A Journey Through Art, History and Curiosities | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below.

    Ecstasy of St Teresa.
    Wikipedia
    1. Bernini—Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, depicting Teresa of Ávila’s mystical experience is in the Cornaro Chapel in Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome. The chapel was commissioned by Federigo Cardinal Cornaro and St. Teresa is surrounded by sculptures of the cardinal and his family. Teresa of Ávila was born 28 March 1515.
      Istanbul.
      Wikipedia
    2. Istanbul—Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, was the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Located on a peninsula between Europe and Asia, it has been a strategic city for over 2,500 years. The city’s name evolved from Byzantium to Constantinople, and finally to Istanbul in 1930.
      Virginia Woolf. Wikipedia
    3. Virginia Woolf—Virginia Woolf, an English writer, is known for her novels, essays, and letters. Her works, including Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse, influenced the genre through their non-linear narrative.
      Three Mile Island on the Susquehanna
      River.
      Wikipedia
    4. Susquehanna River—The Three Mile Island accident near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1979 was the most serious nuclear power accident in US history. A valve malfunction caused a partial core meltdown, but fortunately, radioactive gases did not pose a threat to the surrounding population.
    5. Spanish Civil War—The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was a conflict between the Nationalists, supported by Italy and Germany, and the Republicans, aided by the Soviet Union and International Brigades. The Nationalists, led by General Francisco Franco, emerged victorious, establishing a dictatorship that lasted until his death in 1975.
    General Francisco Franco.
    Wikipedia

  • Quirky Queries: A Journey Through Art, History and Curiosities

    All of today’s questions relate to 28 March.

    Ecstasy of St Teresa
    Wikipedia
    1. The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, shown above, is in the Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome. Whose work is the sculpture?
      • Bernini
      • Donatello
      • Michelangelo
    2. This city, dating back to c657 BCE, underwent name changes under the Romans in the 4th century and again in 1930. Can you name it?
      • Baghdad
      • Istanbul
      • Sofia
    3. This author, who passed away on this day in 1941, is best known for her novels Mrs. Dalloway (1925) and To the Lighthouse (1927). Who is she?
      • Rebecca West
      • Katherine Mansfield
      • Virginia Woolf
    4. The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant experienced an accident on 28 March 1979 that resulted in radioactive leakage. On what river does the plant stand?
      • Atchafalaya River
      • Susquehanna River
      • Willamette River
    5. On this day in 1939, General Franco, the leader of the Nationalist forces during a civil war, captured his nation’s capital city. This was one of the last events before he declared victory. What civil war?
      • Austrian Civil War
      • Greek Civil War
      • Spanish Civil War

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

    Three Mile Island nuclear generating station, 1979.
    Wikipedia

  • Vexillological Fluttering Part II | Answers

    Flag of Switzerland.
    Wikipedia
    1. Switzerland—The Swiss national flag, featuring a white cross on a red field, adheres to heraldic tradition by being square in proportion when displayed on land.
      Flag of the United States.
      Wikipedia
    2. 7—The US flag has 50 white stars on a blue canton and 13 alternating red and white stripes. The stars represent the 50 states, while the stripes represent the original 13 states.
      Flag of India.
      Wikipedia
    3. India—The Indian flag prominently features the Ashoka Chakra, a wheel symbolising the dharmachakra. Adopted on 22 July 1947, it replaced the charkha symbol.
      Flag of Hawaii.
      Wikipedia
    4. Hawaii—The flag of Hawaii, the US state flag, features alternating horizontal stripes of white, red and blue, with the Union Jack in the canton.
    5. Denmark—The flag of Denmark, Dannebrog, is red with a white Nordic cross. It has been used since the 14th century and is the oldest continuously used national flag.
    Flag of Denmark
    Wikipedia

  • Vexillological Fluttering Part II

    Flag of the United Nations.
    Wikipedia

    Part I, posted 25 March 2025, was multiple choice but today’s offering is not

    1. Vexillological Fluttering Part I’s questions revealed the Vatican City State as being only one of two square national flags, what other nation has a national flag which is square?
    2. How many red stripes are on the flag of the United States?
    3. The Ashoka dharmachakra is on which national flag?
    4. The official flag of what US State has a British Union Jack on it?
    5. What European national flag is the oldest continuously used national flag?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Who, What, When, Where, Why and How II | Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier post.

    Calvin Coolidge.
    Wikipedia
    1. Calvin Coolidge—was US President on the 26 March 1925. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th US President, served from 1923 to 1929. He is known for his small-government conservatism, taciturn personality, and support for racial equality. Coolidge oversaw economic growth during the “Roaring Twenties” but is criticised for failing to address economic inequality and for his potential role in the Great Depression.
    2. World War I—The First Battle of Gaza, fought on 26 March 1917, was a British defeat during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I. The British Desert Column, nearing capture of Gaza, withdrew due to darkness and Ottoman reinforcements.
    3. 2000—Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer, has served as President of Russia since 2012, with previous terms from 2000 to 2008. His rule has been marked by economic growth, military conflicts, authoritarian tendencies, and human rights violations. Putin’s actions have led to international sanctions and a war crimes warrant.
      Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat with U.S. president Jimmy Carter at Camp David in September 1978.
      Wikipedia
    4. Camp David, Maryland—the Camp David Accord was reached the previous September (1978) when President Carter hosted Egypt’s President Sadat and Israel’s Prime Minister Begin at his Maryland retreat.
    5. They believed a spacecraft was arriving to take them as immortal extraterrestrials to a better place—
    6. 16-years—

  • Who, What, When, Where, Why and How II

    Kremlin, Moscow.
    Wikipedia

    All of the following relate to today’s date, 26 March.

    1. Who was the president of the United States of America 100 years ago today, 26 March 1925?
      • Warren G. Harding
      • Calvin Coolidge
      • Herbert Hoover
    2. What conflict saw the First Battle of Gaza take place on this date?
      • The Six Day War
      • World War I
      • World War II
    3. When was Vladimir Putin, a Russian intelligence officer and politician, elected president of Russia for the first time.
      • 2000
      • 2004
      • 2006
    4. Where did talks, mediated by US President Jimmy Carter, between Menachem Begin, the Israeli Prime Minister, and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt take place? These talks led to an historic peace treaty between Israel and Egypt that was signed on 26 March 1979.
      • Camp David, Maryland
      • Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
      • Plains, Georgia
    5. Why did these members of Heaven’s Gate kill themselves? On 26 March 1997 the bodies of 39 members of Heaven’s Gate were found after a mass suicide.
      • They believed they alone would be reincarnated as gods in an earthly paradise
      • They believed a spacecraft was arriving to take them as immortal extraterrestrials to a better place
      • They believed they had to poison themselves to meet Jesus
    6. How long had this interlude lasted? After a hiatus, the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who made a triumphant return to television with a new episode in which Christopher Eccleston reprised the iconic role of the Doctor.
      • 6-years
      • 10-years
      • 16-years

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

    Tardis
    Wikipedia

  • Vexillological Fluttering Part I | Answers

    Flag of Vatican City State
    Wikipedia
    1. Vatican City State—Both the coat of arms and flag of Vatican City feature crossed gold and silver keys bound with a red cord, topped with a tiara. The yellow and white stripes of the flag date back to the early 19th century.
      Flag of Nepal
      Wikipedia
    2. Nepal—Nepal’s national flag is unique in the modern world as it is non-rectangular. It consists of two united pennant shapes, resembling a triangular flag. The flag is crimson with blue borders and incorporates stylised symbols of the sun and moon.
    3. Wales—Until the early 17th century, England and Scotland were two entirely independent kingdoms. Wales had been annexed into the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542.
      Flag of Mozambique
      Wikipedia
    4. Mozambique—The national flag of Mozambique is a horizontal tricolour of green, black, and golden-yellow with a red isosceles triangle at the hoist. The triangle contains a gold star, a gun, a hoe, and an open book, representing the Mozambican people and their war of independence. Although the constitution doesn’t mention the specific gun used in the design, it’s generally understood to be an AK-47 with a bayonet attached.
    5. Triskelion—a Celtic symbol consisting of three legs or lines radiating from a centre. The Manx triskelion, a sun symbol, has been used since the late 13th century. It became the basis for the Manx flag after Sir Thomas Randolph became ruler in 1313.
    6. Brazil—The national flag of Brazil, adopted in 1889, features a green field with a yellow rhombus and a blue disc depicting a starry sky. The stars represent Brazilian states and the federal district, with their sizes proportional to their geographical size.
    Flag of Brazil
    Wikipedia

  • Vexillological Fluttering Part I


    The Allée des Nations in front of the Palace of Nations (United Nations Office at Geneva)/Wikipedia

    Vexillology is the study of flags and below are some questions related to that subject.

    1. Out of the only two national flags that are square in shape, where can you a gold and white flag bearing a coat of arms?
      • Principality of Monaco
      • Republic of San Marino
      • Vatican City State
    2. Only one national flag is non-quadrilateral, ie NOT rectangular or square, which one is it?
      • Namibia
      • Nepal
      • Nicaragua
    3. Which of these is NOT represented on the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom?
      • Scotland
      • Wales
      • Ireland
    4. A gun, generally understood to be an AK-47 with a bayonet attached, features on what national flag?
      • Kazakhstan
      • Liberia
      • Mozambique
      Flag of the Isle of Man
      Wikipedia
    5. What word describes the symbol on this Isle of Man flag?
      • Triskelion
      • Treiskaideka
      • Tristesse
    6. The second highest number of stars on a national flag, after the USA with 50, is a country with 27 where the stars represent 26 states and a federal district. What country?
      • Brazil
      • Micronesia
      • India

    Good Luck! The answers will be posted later today.