Quizology.Online

Category: Pursuit of the Trivial

  • Spring to Mind — Answer

    Today’s Answers

    United Nations building.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question is related to today, 20 August. The subsequent ones relate to each other.

    One

    On 20 August 1968, the Soviet Union led the other member nations of the Warsaw Pact, with the exception of Albania and Romania, in an invasion of Czechoslovakia to end Alexander Dubček’s liberalisation, known as the Prague Spring.

    What country and city respectively are missing from the above statement?

    Answers: Czechoslovakia; Prague.

    The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalisation in Czechoslovakia from January to August 1968, led by Alexander Dubček. It ended with a Soviet-led invasion. Dubček’s reforms included media freedom and decentralisation. Czechoslovakia remained under Soviet control until 1989 and, in 1993, split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

    Two

    When the Warsaw Pact was established in 1955, how many nations were members, and what were they?

    Answers: Eight; Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Soviet Union.

    The Warsaw Pact, established in 1955, served as a Soviet-led military alliance opposing NATO during the Cold War. It encompassed the Eastern Bloc states listed above; Albania was removed in 1961 and officially left in 1968, while East Germany exited in 1990 and Romania remained an independent, non-Soviet member. Following the Revolutions of 1989 and German reunification, the pact ended in 1991. Former members such as East Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia later joined NATO.

    Three

    The Soviet Union was also known as the USSR; what did this abbreviation stand for in English; and for how many years did it exist?

    Answer: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; 69 years.

    Established in 1922 and ending in 1991, the Soviet Union was a transcontinental communist state directed by the Communist Party from Moscow. Stalin’s leadership produced industrialisation and purges, while World War II resulted in 27 million deaths. Cold War tensions emerged, and reforms under Gorbachev prompted secession and dissolution. As a superpower, it possessed the largest nuclear arsenal and served on the UN Security Council.

    Four

    Name the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council?

    Answer: China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States.

    The UN Charter grants China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States permanent Security Council seats with veto power. Ten elected members complete the 15-state body. The permanent members of the UN Security Council, known as the P5, are China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US. They were WWII Allies and possess nuclear weapons and veto power. The Council has 15 members, with 10 elected. Reform proposals face opposition from the Uniting for Consensus movement.

    Five

    The picture above shows the United Nations Building. What body of water is in the foreground of this picture?

    Answer: East River.

    The United Nations headquarters is located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, completed in 1952. It includes the Secretariat, Conference, and General Assembly buildings. Designed by Wallace Harrison, it is extraterritorial under a U.S. treaty. The UN has regional headquarters in Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi, but not its specialised agencies. The East River is not a river but a saltwater tidal estuary and strait in New York City linking Upper New York Bay to Long Island Sound. It separates Brooklyn and Queens from Manhattan and the Bronx.

  • Spring to Mind

    United Nations building.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question is related to today, 20 August. The subsequent ones relate to each other.

    One

    On 20 August 1968, the Soviet Union led the other member nations of the Warsaw Pact, with the exception of Albania and Romania, in an invasion of … to end Alexander Dubček’s liberalisation, known as the … Spring.

    What country and city respectively are missing from the above statement?

    Two

    When the Warsaw Pact was established in 1955, how many nations were members, and what were they?

    Three

    The Soviet Union was also known as the USSR; what did this abbreviation stand for in English; and for how many years did it exist?

    Four

    Name the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council?

    Five

    The picture above shows the United Nations Building. What body of water is in the foreground of this picture?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • It’s Just Not Cricket — Answers

    Today’s Answers

    See question one. Although this is not the Olympics it is Victorian-era cricket.
    W.G. Grace (right), batting in an 1890s cricket match.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Today’s first question relates to 19 August. The subsequent questions are not date-related but follow on (continuing the cricketing sayings).

    One

    Cricket first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1900. How many national teams competed in that tournament, and in how many Olympic events has the sport featured?

    Answers: Two; One.

    Cricket at the 1900 Paris Olympics featured only Great Britain and France, with the latter being a mixed team of English expatriates. The match, played over two days with 12-a-side, was won by Great Britain by 158 runs. John Symes preserved the game’s details with a handwritten scorecard. A cricket tournament was planned for the 1904 Summer Olympics in St Louis but was cancelled because there were insufficient entries. Cricket will return to the Olympics in 2028 at Los Angeles.

    Two

    The modern Olympics are numbered in Roman Numerals, for example the second and fifth would be referred to as the II Olympiad and the V Olympiad. What officially were the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China known as?

    Answer: XXIX Olympiad.

    Held in Beijing, China, the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, were officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. Inspired by Ancient Greece and led by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the modern Olympic Games began with the Games of the I Olympiad being held in Athens in 1896. The IOC governs the Olympic Movement, adapting to changes like professional athletes, media influence, and global events. The Games include various competitions, rituals, and symbols, fostering international representation and showcasing host cities. The Olympic Games promote global cooperation and cultural exchange. Hosting them offers economic benefits but also presents challenges, impacting infrastructure, tourism, and local communities.

    Three

    What is the IATA code for Beijing Capital International Airport?

    Answer: PEK.

    Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is the busier of Beijing’s two international airports, located 32 km northeast of the city centre. Owned by a state-controlled company, it covers 1,480 hectares and opened in 1958. The IATA code PEK derives from the city’s former romanised name, Peking.

    Four

    In 2025 Beijing Capital (question two above) was the 15th busiest airport in the world for passenger traffic. What city’s airport was the world’s busiest that year with 106,302,208 passengers?

    Answer: Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

    Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport has been the world’s busiest since 1998 except in 2020 (Covid), regaining the position in 2021; London has the busiest city airport system.

    Five

    This Province was established as a proprietary colony in 1732 and a royal colony from 1752. One of thirteen, it was named after a reigning British monarch: what monarch?

    Answer: George II.

    The corporate charter for the colony was issued to General James Oglethorpe on 21 April 1732 by George II, the monarch for whom the territory was named. The King’s privy council completed the document on 9 June 1732. George II ruled Great Britain and Ireland from 1727 to 1760, the last monarch born abroad.

    It’s Just Not Cricket

    The post title means that something is contrary to traditional standards of fairness or rectitude, but here it is actually used to mean there are other things as well as cricket in these questions. The questions also link to each other:

    1. Cricket and Olympics
    2. Olympics and Beijing
    3. Beijing and airport
    4. Airport and Georgia
    5. Georgia and George II

  • It’s Just Not Cricket

    See question one. Although this is not the Olympics it is still Victorian-era cricket.
    W.G. Grace (right), batting in an 1890s cricket match.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Today’s first question relates to 19 August. The subsequent questions are not date-related but follow on (continuing the cricketing sayings).

    One

    Cricket first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1900. How many national teams competed in that tournament, and in how many Olympic events has the sport featured?

    Two

    The modern Olympics are numbered in Roman Numerals, for example the second and fifth would be referred to as the II Olympiad and the V Olympiad. What officially were the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China known as?

    Three

    What is the IATA code for Beijing Capital International Airport?

    Four

    In 2025 Beijing Capital (question two above) was the 15th busiest airport in the world for passenger traffic. What city’s airport was the world’s busiest that year with 106,302,208 passengers?

    Five

    This Province was established as a proprietary colony in 1732 and a royal colony from 1752. One of thirteen, it was named after a reigning British monarch: what monarch?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • We’re Going To Let It All Hang Down — Answers

    Today’s answers

    The Midnight Star, Deadwood, South Dakota close in 2017.
    Image Trip Advisor

    Today’s questions follow a theme.

    One

    The narrator and protagonist of the Booker Prize-winning novel in 1981 is Saleem Sinai, who is born in 1947 at midnight as India becomes independent. Saleem and children born in India between 12 a.m. and 1 a.m. on that date are found to have special powers. What is the novel and who wrote it?

    Answer: Midnight’s Children; Salman Rushdie.

    Midnight’s Children, Salman Rushdie’s second novel, narrates India’s transition from British rule to independence and partition through Saleem Sinai’s magical realist tale. Blending history with fiction, it echoes The Tin Drum and preserves history via fictional accounts. The novel sold over one million copies in the UK, winning the Booker Prize and James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1981. It later received the Booker of Bookers (1993), Best of the Booker (2008), and ranked 100th in the BBC’s The Big Read (2003).

    Two

    The song Everybody’s Talkin’ won the 1970 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Who was the singer awarded, and in what 1969 film did the song feature?

    Answer: Harry Nilsson: Midnight Cowboy.

    Fred Neil’s 1966 song Everybody’s Talkin’ was re-recorded by Harry Nilsson in 1969 for Midnight Cowboy, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and winning a Grammy. The original, recorded in 1967, was re-released by RCA, achieving similar Billboard success.

    Three

    It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind.

    The above quote is from which of the Harry Potter novels?

    Answer: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

    It is the opening sentence of ‘The Other Minister’, the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which is the sixth book in the series. Harry Potter enters his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As Voldemort’s dark forces gather and a mood of dread spreads across the country, Harry recognises that he must soon face his destiny. Can he prevail in the perilous trials ahead?

    Four

    Come On Eileen was a hit single for which English band?

    Answer: Dexy’s Midnight Runners.

    Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners, released in June 1982, topped charts in the UK and the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, it won Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards. Ranked No. 18 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of the ‘80s, it was Britain’s best-selling single of 1982.

    Five

    The Midnight Star was a casino owned by Kevin Costner. It opened in the spring of 1991, after Costner had, the previous year, directed and starred in an Academy Award-winning film which was filmed nearby. In what city and state was the casino sited, and what was the 1990 Oscar-winning film?

    Answer: Deadwood, South Dakota; Dances With Wolves.

    The Midnight Star was a casino in Deadwood owned by American film actor Kevin Costner. After directing and starring in the Academy Award-winning film Dances With Wolves (1990), which was filmed largely in South Dakota, Costner opened the venue in spring 1991. The casino operated as a saloon that had appeared prominently in Silverado (1985), one of his early major roles. International posters from many of his films lined the walls. The casino closed in 2017.

    We’re Going To Shake Your Tambourine

    The post title is taken from Eric Clapton’s After Midnight, and midnight was the theme running through today’s quiz, with it being in either the question or the answer.

  • We’re Going To Let It All Hang Down

    The Midnight Star, Deadwood, South Dakota close in 2017.
    Image Trip Advisor

    Today’s questions follow a theme.

    One

    The narrator and protagonist of the Booker Prize-winning novel in 1981 is Saleem Sinai, who is born in 1947 at midnight as India becomes independent. Saleem and children born in India between 12 a.m. and 1 a.m. on that date are found to have special powers. What is the novel and who wrote it?

    Two

    The song Everybody’s Talkin’ won the 1970 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Who was the singer awarded, and in what 1969 film did the song feature?

    Three

    It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind.

    The above quote is from which of the Harry Potter novels?

    Four

    Come On Eileen was a hit single for which English band?

    Five

    The Midnight Star was a casino owned by Kevin Costner. It opened in the spring of 1991, after Costner had, the previous year, directed and starred in an Academy Award-winning film which was filmed nearby. In what city and state was the casino sited, and what was the 1990 Oscar-winning film?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • One Thing Leads to Another — Answer

    Today’s Answers

    Question One.
    Klondikers carrying supplies ascending the Chilkoot Pass, 1898.
    Source

    Today’s first question relates to 17 August and the subsequent ones follow on from the first.

    One

    Set during the Klondike Gold Rush, complete the title of British-Canadian poet Robert Service’s The Shooting of …?

    Answer: Dan McGrew.

    Gold found in 1896 launched the Klondike Gold Rush. Robert William Service, an English-born Canadian writer, became well known for his Klondike poems, including The Shooting of Dan McGrew and The Cremation of Sam McGee. Commercial success from collections such as Songs of a Sourdough allowed for travel and a leisurely life.

    Two

    Which nesosilicate mineral derives its name from the Persian word for ‘gold-hued’?

    Answer: Zircon.

    Zircon is a tetragonal nesosilicate (ZrSiO₄) yielding zirconium and containing hafnium at 1–4%. It precipitates from silicate melts and occurs in varied colours. The name comes from Persian zargun (“gold-hued”), becoming jargoon for light zircons; English zircon derives from German Zirkon.

    Three

    Which Persian king, ruler of the Achaemenid Empire, was assassinated in 465BC by Artabanus, the commander of the royal guard?

    Answer: Xerxes I or Xerxes the Great.

    Founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC, the Achaemenid Empire became the largest of its time, spanning from the Balkans to the Indus Valley. Alexander the Great conquered it in 330 BC; later, the Parthian Empire emerged. Its bureaucracy, tolerance and infrastructure influenced later empires.

    Four

    Alexander the Great extended the Macedonian kingdom as far east as what modern country?

    Answer: India.

    The Beas River, in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab in northwestern India, marked Alexander the Great’s eastern limit in 326 BC after his troops mutinied at Mukerian. Alexander yielded after three days and raised twelve altars; their fate is unknown.

    Five

    What novel by Herman Wouk, which is about a mutiny, was turned into a 1954 film starring Humphrey Bogart?

    Answer: The Caine Mutiny.

    Herman Wouk’s 1951 novel The Caine Mutiny draws on Pacific Theater service to explore officers’ moral choices. A legalistic mutiny during Typhoon Cobra leads to a court-martial climax.

    One Thing Leads to Another

    The post title points to a trail through the questions. One is set during the Klondike Gold Rush; Two derives from Persian for ‘gold-hued’; Three is about a Persian king of the Achaemenid Empire; Four is about the conqueror of the Achaemenid Empire facing a mutiny; and Five is about a fictional mutiny.

  • One Thing Leads to Another

    Question One.
    Klondikers carrying supplies ascending the Chilkoot Pass, 1898.
    Source

    Today’s first question relates to 17 August and the subsequent ones follow on from the first.

    One

    Set during the Klondike Gold Rush, complete the title of British-Canadian poet Robert Service’s The Shooting of …?

    Two

    Which nesosilicate mineral derives its name from the Persian word for ‘gold-hued’?

    Three

    Which Persian king, ruler of the Achaemenid Empire, was assassinated in 465BC by Artabanus, the commander of the royal guard?

    Four

    Alexander the Great extended the Macedonian kingdom as far east as what modern country?

    Five

    What novel by Herman Wouk, which is about a mutiny, was turned into a 1954 film starring Humphrey Bogart?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Superlatives — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Inaugural Transatlantic Telegram.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question is connected to today, 16 August. The subsequent questions are not date-related but continue a Superlative’s theme which moves on from first, to furthest, heaviest, furthest (again) and finally shortest.

    One

    In 1858, Queen Victoria sent the U.S. President the first message via the Transatlantic telegraph. How long did the transmission of the message take:

    1. 7 minutes 
    2. 9 hours
    3. 16 hours

    Answer: 3. 16 hours

    On this day in 1858, the first successful transatlantic telegraph exchange between heads of state took place. Queen Victoria sent the initial message to U.S. President James Buchanan. Although nearly instantaneous by 19th-century standards, the transmission required more than 16 hours. Unfortunately, the cable failed on 1 September, and a functioning line was not restored until 1866.

    Two

    The summit of what stratovolcano is the furthest point from the centre of the Earth?

    1. Chimborazo, Ecuador
    2. Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland
    3. Kogajajima, Japan

    Answer: 1. Mount Chimborazo, Ecuador.

    Chimborazo, an inactive volcano which sits between Guayaquil and Quito, wins due to Earth’s oblate spheroid shape, placing Whymper — the tallest of its four summits — 7,096 feet (2,163 m) farther from the centre of the Earth than Everest. 

    Three

    Which species is the heaviest living monkey?

    1. Mandrill
    2. Nepal Grey Langur
    3. Olive Baboon 

    Answer: 1. Mandrill

    Mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), is a colourful, sexually dimorphic Old World monkey from west central Africa, closely related to the drill and white-eyelid mangabeys. Active by day on the ground, it eats fruit, seeds and animals in large female-centred hordes; dominant males are solitary outside breeding.

    Four

    On 15 August 2026, how far was Voyager 1 from Earth?

    1. 8.7 billion miles (14.0 billion km)
    2. 11.3 billion miles (18.2 billion km)
    3. 15.9 billion miles (25.6 billion km)

    Answer: 3. 15.9 billion miles.

    Voyager 1 was launched on the 5 September 1977 16 days after Voyager 2. 

    On Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026, at 2:16:07 a.m. PST, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft will be 16,094,799,096 miles (25,902,068,356 kilometers) away from Earth — or, the distance light travels in 24 hours, also known as one light-day.  
    Voyager 1 will be the first human-made object to reach this distance from Earth, adding to a long list of historic firsts for the mission. Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, are the only spacecraft to ever operate outside the heliosphere, or the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields generated by the Sun.
    — NASA

    Five

    What is the fastest time taken to complete the world’s shortest domestic scheduled flight?

    1. 53 seconds
    2. 97 seconds
    3. 131 seconds

    Answer: 1. 53 seconds.

    The shortest domestic scheduled flight is 2.74 km (1.7 miles) between the Orkney islands of Westray and Papa Westray. The flight takes two minutes (including taxiing) and is operated by Loganair which has been flown with Britten-Norman Islander eight-seat aircraft since September 1967. The total distance is less than either of the runways at Heathrow Airport, London, UK. Stuart Linklater announced his retirement as airplane pilot on the record route and between Stronsay, Sanday, North Ronaldsay and Eday in May 2013. He flew the routes 12,000 time over more than 24 years, clocking up 1.3 million miles. Loganair reported that he had set the fastest time for the Westray and Papa Westray route, with 53 seconds.
    — Guinness World Records

  • Superlatives

    Inaugural Transatlantic Telegram.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question is connected to today, 16 August. The subsequent questions are not date-related but continue a Superlative’s theme which moves on from first, to furthest, heaviest, furthest (again) and finally shortest.

    One

    In 1858, Queen Victoria sent the U.S. President the first message via the Transatlantic telegraph. How long did the transmission of the message take:

    1. 7 minutes 
    2. 9 hours
    3. 16 hours

    Two

    The summit of what stratovolcano is the furthest point from the centre of the Earth?

    1. Chimborazo, Ecuador
    2. Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland
    3. Kogajajima, Japan

    Three

    Which species is the heaviest living monkey?

    1. Mandrill
    2. Nepal Grey Langur
    3. Olive Baboon 

    Four

    On 15 August 2026, how far was Voyager 1 from Earth?

    1. 8.7 billion miles (14.0 billion km)
    2. 11.3 billion miles (18.2 billion km)
    3. 15.9 billion miles (25.6 billion km)

    Five

    What is the fastest time taken to complete the world’s shortest domestic scheduled flight?

    1. 53 seconds
    2. 97 seconds
    3. 131 seconds

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.