Quizology.Online

Category: Pursuit of the Trivial

  • Really Useful Robots—Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    Today the questions all relate to February 11th.

    An example of a robot but not one connected to question one.
    Marvin the Paranoid Android from
    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,
    Gunnersbury park museum, London
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    In what decade was the first science fiction television programme broadcast?

    Answer: 1930s.

    The first known science fiction television programme was produced by the BBC’s pre-war television service in Great Britain. On 11 February 1938, a 35-minute adapted extract of the play R.U.R., written by the Czech playwright Karel Čapek, was broadcast live from the BBC’s Alexandra Palace studios. Concerning a future world in which robots rise up against their human masters, it was the only piece of science fiction to be produced before the television service was suspended for the duration of the war. Today’s post title is a hint towards this play, using the same initials, but the play’s ‘R.U.R.’ stands for Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti—Rossum’s Universal Robots—and not Really Useful Robots.

    Two

    On this day in 1929, a treaty was signed recognising papal sovereignty over Vatican City. What was the treaty’s name and who was the Italian signatory?

    Answer: Lateran Treaty; Benito Mussolini.

    The Lateran Treaty of 1929 established Vatican City as an independent state and settled the Roman question between Italy and the Holy See. The treaty was named after the Lateran Palace where it was signed on 11 February 1929. It was revised in 1984, ending Catholicism as Italy’s sole state religion.

    Three

    Today marks the traditional date for Jimmu’s founding of which country’s empire in 660 BCE?

    Answer: Japan.

    Emperor Jimmu, the legendary first emperor of Japan, is said to have ascended the throne in 660 BCE. His story, recounted in the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki, involves a divine lineage from the sun goddess Amaterasu and a military expedition from Kyushu to Yamato. While his existence is debated by scholars, Jimmu’s legacy endures as a symbol of Japan’s imperial lineage and is celebrated annually on February 11th as National Foundation Day.

    Four

    In 1858, 14-year-old Mademoiselle Soubirous had visions of the Virgin Mary. Where did this occur, and what was Mademoiselle Soubirous’s first name?

    Answer: Lourdes, France; Bernadette.

    In February 1858, 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous reported seeing visions of a ‘small young lady’ at the grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, later believed to be the Virgin Mary. The apparitions, which continued daily for two weeks despite scepticism from local authorities and clergy, including Father Peyramale, instructed Bernadette to perform acts of penance. On 25 March, Bernadette claimed the Virgin revealed herself as the ‘Immaculate Conception’, prompting further investigation and increasing pilgrimages. The growing number of witnesses to Bernadette’s visions led to widespread attention and speculation.

    Five

    On this date, and in what year did the World Health Organisation officially name the coronavirus outbreak COVID-19? And up to February 2026, to the nearest million, how many people have died from COVID-19?

    Answer: 2020; 7 million.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an estimated 7.1 million confirmed deaths worldwide. Estimates indicate that the total number of deaths could range from 19.1 to 36 million.

  • Really Useful Robots

    Today the questions all relate to February 11th.

    An example of a robot but not one connected to question one.
    Marvin the Paranoid Android from
    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,
    Gunnersbury park museum, London
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    In what decade was the first science fiction television programme broadcast?

    Two

    On this day in 1929, a treaty was signed recognising papal sovereignty over Vatican City. What was the treaty’s name and who was the Italian signatory?

    Three

    Today marks the traditional date for Jimmu’s founding of which country’s empire in 660 BCE?

    Four

    In 1858, 14-year-old Mademoiselle Soubirous had visions of the Virgin Mary. Where did this occur, and what was Mademoiselle Soubirous’s first name?

    Five

    On this date, and in what year did the World Health Organisation officially name the coronavirus outbreak COVID-19? And up to February 2026, to the nearest million, how many people have died from COVID-19?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Gallimaufry V—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.

    Today, more gallimaufry — ‘a confused jumble or medley of things’.

    Snow leopard aka ounce.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Panthera uncia, native to Central and South Asia, inhabits mountain ranges like the Altai, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas. What is its name in English and by what other name, which could be confused with a measure, was it known?

    Answer: Snow leopard; ounce.

    The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a large cat native to Central and South Asia’s mountain ranges. It is listed as Vulnerable due to poaching and habitat destruction, with fewer than 10,000 mature individuals remaining. The snow leopard is legally protected in most of its range and is culturally significant in Kyrgyzstan.

    Two

    The acronym SONAR means what?

    Answer: Sound navigation and ranging. (SO(und) NA(vigation and) R(anging).

    sonar
    noun [mass noun] a system for the detection of objects under water by emitting sound pulses and detecting or measuring their return after being reflected: [as modifier] a weak sonar signal. – [count noun] an apparatus used in sonar: we reduced the sensitivity of our scanning sonars. – the method of echolocation used in air or water by animals such as whales and bats: the fishing nets are detectable by dolphin sonar. – ORIGIN 1940s: from so(und) na(vigation and) r(anging), on the pattern of radar. — Oxford English Dictionary iOS App ©Oxford English Dictionary.

    Three

    The name of a 2003 Grammy Award winner and the title of a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in 1839 are linked by a single word. Can you supply the word and the full title of Poe’s short story?

    Answer: Usher; The Fall of the House of Usher.

    Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic fiction short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, delves into themes of madness, family and isolation. In 2003, Usher won his second consecutive Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for U Don’t Have to Call.

    Four

    What was the name of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s ship during his ill-fated Antarctic expedition?

    Answer: Terra Nova.

    The Terra Nova Expedition, led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, aimed to reach the South Pole and conduct scientific research. Although they achieved this goal on January 17, 1912, they arrived second—a month after Amundsen. Scott and his team tragically died on the Ross Ice Shelf during their return journey, leading to debate about the expedition’s organisation and management.

    Five

    In December 1969, on a television programme, a Norwegian Blue was purchased, and then an attempt was made to return it. What was the name that this sketch is known by, and in what TV programme was it featured?

    Answer: ‘Dead Parrot sketch’; Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

    The ‘Dead Parrot sketch’ from Monty Python’s Flying Circus satirises poor customer service. It features a customer, Mr Praline, arguing with a shopkeeper about a dead parrot. Mr Praline complains about a deceased parrot he bought. The shopkeeper, using euphemisms for death, sends him to his brother’s shop in Bolton for a refund, but Praline discovers it’s the same shop. The shopkeeper, claiming it’s a prank, is interrupted by a Colonel who orders the sketch to stop.

  • Gallimaufry V

    Today, more gallimaufry — ‘a confused jumble or medley of things’.

    Snow leopard aka ounce.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Panthera uncia, native to Central and South Asia, inhabits mountain ranges like the Altai, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas. What is its name in English and by what other name, which could be confused with a measure, was it known?

    Two

    The acronym SONAR means what?

    Three

    The name of a 2003 Grammy Award winner and the title of a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in 1839 are linked by a single word. Can you supply the word and the full title of Poe’s short story?

    Four

    What was the name of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s ship during his ill-fated Antarctic expedition?

    Five

    In December 1969, on a television programme, a Norwegian Blue was purchased, and then an attempt was made to return it. What was the name that this sketch is known by, and in what TV programme was it featured?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Hard Rock Café—Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    Today’s questions all pertain to February 9th.

    Carmen Miranda.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Born in 1909, this Hollywood star made her film debut in Down Argentine Way alongside Don Ameche and Betty Grable.  Who was she and where was she born?

    Answer: Carmen Miranda; Portugal

    Carmen Miranda, a Portuguese-born Brazilian singer, dancer and actress, gained fame in Brazil as a samba dancer. She became a Hollywood star in the 1940s, known for her exotic image and fruit-hat outfits, and popularised Brazilian music and Latin culture in the United States. Despite her success, she struggled with the stereotypical ‘Brazilian Bombshell’ image and later focused on nightclub appearances and television.

    Two

    On this day in 1893, Giuseppe Verdi’s final opera premiered at La Scala in Milan.  What was its title?

    Answer: Falstaff.

    Giuseppe Verdi’s comic opera Falstaff is based on Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and incorporates scenes from Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2. While not as popular as his earlier works, it’s now a staple of the operatic repertoire, championed by conductors like Toscanini, Karajan, Solti and Bernstein. Following its first performance, Verdi made numerous changes to the music resulting in a somewhat fluid score.

    Three

    On this day in what year was the Davis Cup established and which teams competed in the inaugural tournament?

    Answer: 1900; USA and Great Britain (or British Isles*).

    Davis Cup began in 1900 as a competition between USA and Great Britain. It’s now the world’s largest annual international team competition in sport, with 157 nations entering in 2025. — Davis Cup

    *Some sources, for example Encyclopædia Britannica, list the first competition to have been between the USA and the British Isles; others, such as the official competition website, show Great Britain.

    Four

    Born in 1940, this novelist is the first writer to win the Booker Prize twice – in 1983 and 1999. His first win was for Life & Times of Michael K and his second for Disgrace. He’s also the second writer from his nationality, after Nadine Gordimer, to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Who is he, and what is his nationality?

    Answer: J.M. Coetzee; South African.

    J.M. Coetzee, a South African-Australian author, is a Nobel Prize winner and recipient of numerous literary awards. He was born in Cape Town but now resides in Adelaide, South Australia.

    Five

    Who, born in New York City in 1942, was the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts from 1962 to 2005?

    Answer: Carole King

    Carole King is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She wrote or co-wrote numerous hit songs and achieved success as a solo performer, releasing 25 albums and selling over 75 million records worldwide. Today’s post title refers to her song Hard Rock Café from her 1977 album Simple Things.

  • Hard Rock Café

    Today’s questions all pertain to February 9th.

    Carmen Miranda.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Born in 1909, this Hollywood star made her film debut in Down Argentine Way alongside Don Ameche and Betty Grable.  Who was she and where was she born?

    Two

    On this day in 1893, Giuseppe Verdi’s final opera premiered at La Scala in Milan.  What was its title?

    Three

    On this day in what year was the Davis Cup established and which teams competed in the inaugural tournament?

    Four

    Born in 1940, this novelist is the first writer to win the Booker Prize twice – in 1983 and 1999. His first win was for Life & Times of Michael K and his second for Disgrace. He’s also the second writer from his nationality, after Nadine Gordimer, to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Who is he, and what is his nationality?

    Five

    Who, born in New York City in 1942, was the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts from 1962 to 2005?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Space Debris—Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    Today’s questions all relate to February 8th.

    Skylab.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    The US space station launched in 1973 and operational until 1974 ceased operations on this date. What was its name and how many weeks was it occupied?

    Answer: Skylab; 24 weeks.

    Skylab, the first U.S. space station, was launched in 1973 and constructed from a repurposed Saturn V stage. It hosted three crews for missions lasting 28, 59, and 84 days, conducting research on human adaptation to space, solar studies, and Earth observations. Skylab’s use came to an end after 171 days and it disintegrated in 1979 due to faster-than-expected orbital decay resulting in debris coming down in the Indian Ocean and Western Australia.

    Two

    Who was executed on this date in 1587, as a suspect in the Babington Plot to murder England’s Queen Elizabeth I?

    Answer: Mary, Queen of Scots.

    Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed at Fotheringhay Castle, England. Her execution was notoriously botched, requiring multiple blows to sever her head. Despite appearing uninvolved, Elizabeth I faced significant backlash for the event and refused Mary’s request for a Catholic burial. A controversial figure throughout her life, she remains the subject of historical debate and public fascination.

    Three

    What film, which premiered in 1915, was hailed for its technical and dramatic innovations but condemned for its overt racism and positive portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan?

    Answer: The Birth of a Nation.

    The Birth of a Nation (1915), a silent film starring Lillian Gish, was a groundbreaking Hollywood blockbuster. While praised for its technical and dramatic innovations, it was also criticised for its racist portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan.

    Four

    In what decade did Sandford Fleming propose at the Royal Canadian Institute the adoption of Universal Standard Time?

    Answer: 1870s.

    In 1879, Fleming proposed a single 24-hour clock for the world, with 24 time zones based on the Greenwich meridian. His system, initially linked to the Greenwich meridian, was later revised to use the anti-meridian. Although the International Meridian Conference adopted the Greenwich Meridian, it rejected Fleming’s time zones.

    Five

    In the biographical film Iris, both Kate Winslet and Judith Dench portrayed the title character. Who was the real Iris?

    Answer: Iris Murdoch.

    Iris Murdoch (1919-1999) was a British novelist and philosopher known for her psychological novels with philosophical and comic elements. Her works, characterised by convoluted plots and realistic observations of 20th-century life, explore the influence of the unconscious mind and societal forces on human behaviour. Murdoch’s novels, plays, verse and philosophical works continue to be celebrated for their intelligence, wit, and high seriousness.

  • Space Debris

    Today’s questions all relate to February 8th.

    Skylab.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    The US space station launched in 1973 and operational until 1974 ceased operations on this date. What was its name and how many weeks was it occupied?

    Two

    Who was executed on this date in 1587, as a suspect in the Babington Plot to murder England’s Queen Elizabeth I?

    Three

    What film, which premiered in 1915, was hailed for its technical and dramatic innovations but condemned for its overt racism and positive portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan?

    Four

    In what decade did Sandford Fleming propose at the Royal Canadian Institute the adoption of Universal Standard Time?

    Five

    In the biographical film Iris, both Kate Winslet and Judith Dench portrayed the title character. Who was the real Iris?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • What the Dickens—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posed in my earlier post.

    Each of these questions relates to today’s date, February 7th.

    Charles Dickens.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    British novelist Charles Dickens was born on this day in 1812. But what does the word ‘Dickens’ refer to in the phrase ‘What the dickens’?

    Answer: Devil.

    dickens /ˈdɪkɪnz / 
noun [in singular] informal, dated used for emphasis, or to express annoyance or surprise when asking questions: what the dickens is going on? they work like the dickens. – ORIGIN late 16th century: a euphemism for ‘devil’, probably a use of the surname Dickens. — Oxford English Dictionary

    Two

    After the death of King Hussein in 1999, his son Abdullah II became king in what country, and what countries border it?

    Answer: Jordan; (bordering countries are) Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, West Bank.

    Syria is to the north; Iraq to the east; Saudi Arabia to the southeast and south; Israel to the west; and the West Bank to the west. There is also a maritime border with Egypt on the Gulf of Aqaba to the south.

    Three

    On this day, Michael Romanov became Tsar of Russia as Michael I and founded the Romanov dynasty. In what century was it founded? In what year did it end, and who was the last Tsar?

    Answer: 17th century. 1917 and Nicholas II

    Michael Romanov, elected Tsar of Russia in 1613 at age 16, initially relied on his mother’s relatives to restore order. His father, Philaret, returned from Polish captivity in 1619, becoming co-ruler and patriarch, and significantly influencing the government until his death in 1633. Michael’s reign (1613-1645) saw increased European contact, financial reforms, and the strengthening of serfdom. The dynasty ended with the Russian Revolution of 1917 when Nicholas II abdicated and, with his family, was later executed.

    Four

    The Beatles arrived in the United States for the first time on this day in 1964 in what the press named the ‘British Invasion’. What single gave the Beatles their first Billboard Hot 100 number one?

    Answer: I Want to Hold Your Hand.

    It became the Beatles’ first US number-one single when it topped the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1964, kicking off full-blown Beatlemania in America. They held the number one spot for a then-record fourteen straight weeks, from February 1st through May 2nd, and on April 4th, the Beatles held the top five positions in the Hot 100 simultaneously.

    Five

    Walt Disney’s Pinocchio premiered in 1940. Who wrote the novel it was based on?

    Answer: Carlo Collodi.

    Pinocchio, a 1940 Disney animated film, follows the adventures of a wooden puppet who becomes a real boy. The film is renowned for its animation, storytelling, and music. The film won two Academy Awards: Best Original Score and Best Original Song for When You Wish Upon a Star. This made it the first Disney film to win either category.

  • What the Dickens

    Each of these questions relates to today’s date, February 7th.

    Charles Dickens.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    British novelist Charles Dickens was born on this day in 1812. But what does the word ‘Dickens’ refer to in the phrase ‘What the dickens’?

    Two

    After the death of King Hussein in 1999, his son Abdullah II became king in what country, and what countries border it?

    Three

    On this day, Michael Romanov became Tsar of Russia as Michael I and founded the Romanov dynasty. In what century was it founded? In what year did it end, and who was the last Tsar?

    Four

    The Beatles arrived in the United States for the first time on this day in 1964 in what the press named the ‘British Invasion’. What single gave the Beatles their first Billboard Hot 100 number one?

    Five

    Walt Disney’s Pinocchio premiered in 1940. Who wrote the novel it was based on?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.