Flag of ? See question one. Image Wikimedia Commons
All of today’s questions relate to the date, 3rd June.
One
Which country’s national flag is shown? From which state union did it gain independence in 2006?
Two
In 1965, Ed White became the first American astronaut to walk in space. Who was the first man and the first woman to walk in space? (Individually, not together.)
Three
The United Kingdom had three kings in 1936, one of whom had been born on this day in 1865. Who was he?
Four
In 1844, the last pair of Great auks were killed by fishermen on Eldey Island. In what nation is Eldey Island?
Five
In 1973. the first crash of a supersonic passenger aircraft happened in France with the loss of fourteen lives. What aircraft crashed?
Question two. Just Room Enough Island, Thousand Islands archipelago. Image Wikimedia Commons
Today’s first question concerns the date 2nd June. The other questions are random and unrelated.
One
In 1953, ‘Inquiring Camera Girl’ covered the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at London’s Westminster Abbey for the Washington Times-Herald. Shortly to become very famous herself, who was ‘Inquiring Camera Girl’?
Answer: Jackie Bouvier (Kennedy).
Jackie Bouvier, a reporter for the Washington Times-Herald and writer of the paper’s Inquiring Camera Girl column, was in the crowd outside the Abbey for the coronation. Three months later, she would marry John F. Kennedy, and in under eight years, she would be First Lady.
Two
In what body of water are North America’s Thousand Islands found, and to the nearest fifty, approximately how many islands are in the archipelago?
Answer: Saint Lawrence River; 1,850.
The Thousand Islands, an archipelago of 1,864 islands, straddles the Canada-US border in the Saint Lawrence River. The islands range in size and must have at least one square foot of land above water year-round, and have one or two living trees* to be considered part of the Thousand Islands. (*Number of trees varies depending on source.)
Three
The Olympic Rings are a symbol consisting of five interlocking coloured rings. What colours are the rings on top?
Answer: Blue, black and red.
The rings are interlaced from the left and are blue, yellow, black, green, and red. The founder of the modern Olympics stated the following in 1913:
… the six colours (including the flag’s white background) combined in this way reproduce the colours of every country without exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the tricolour flags of France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Hungary, and the yellow and red of Spain are included, as are the innovative flags of Brazil and Australia, and those of ancient Japan and modern China. This, truly, is an international emblem. —Baron Pierre Coubertin, Olympique, August 1913.
Four
The forum currently known as the Group of Seven (G7) has, since its founding, been variously the G6, G7, and the G8. Angela Merkel was the second woman to chair this forum; who was the first?
Answer: Margaret Thatcher.
The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental forum of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US, and the EU, focusing on pluralism and liberal democracy. Established in 1973, it addresses global issues like trade and climate change. Despite criticism for limited representation, the G7 has influenced initiatives like the Paris Agreement. Members, with a population of 780 million, contribute over 44% to the world’s nominal GDP and 30% by purchasing power parity.
Five
What colour are white rhinoceros?
Answer: Grey.
White rhinos, the second-largest land mammals, are named for their wide mouths, not their colour and there is no difference in the skin colour of white and black rhinos. There are two subspecies of white rhino: northern and southern. As of March 2018, only two female northern white rhinos remain, critically endangered due to poaching. Southern white rhinos, once thought extinct, now number around 18,000, classified as Near Threatened. They inhabit South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. White rhinos have complex social structures, with females forming groups and males defending territories.
Question two. Just Room Enough Island, Thousand Islands archipelago. Image Wikimedia Commons
Today’s first question concerns the date 2nd June. The other questions are random and unrelated.
One
In 1953, ‘Inquiring Camera Girl’ covered the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at London’s Westminster Abbey for the Washington Times-Herald. Shortly to become very famous herself, who was ‘Inquiring Camera Girl’?
Two
In what body of water are North America’s Thousand Islands found, and to the nearest fifty, approximately how many islands are in the archipelago?
Three
The Olympic Rings are a symbol consisting of five interlocking coloured rings. What colours are the rings on top?
Four
The forum currently known as the Group of Seven (G7) has, since its founding, been variously the G6, G7, and the G8. Angela Merkel was the second woman to chair this forum; who was the first?
Today’s first question relates to the date 1st June. The subsequent questions follow on, but I won’t reveal how.
One
The roles shown are from each decade between the 1980s and the present. Which actor born today links them? Hoke Colburn, Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir, Eddie Dupris, Sheikh Ilderim, and Thurmond Fowler.
Answer: Morgan Freeman.
Morgan Freeman was born in 1937. The roles referred to were 1989 Driving Miss Daisy Hoke Colburn 1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir 2004 Million Dollar Baby Eddie ’Scrap Iron’ Dupris 2016 Ben-Hur Sheikh Ilderim 2022 The Minute You Wake Up Dead Sheriff Thurmond Fowler
Two
I love the smell of … in the morning.
What word is missing from this quote from a 1979 film?
Answer: Napalm.
The quote is from Apocalypse Now and is said by Robert Duvall‘a character Lieutenant Colonel William ‘Bill‘ Kilgore, who was a composite character based on several real-life officers. Duvall requested changes to the character, finding the original portrayal too over-the-top, and sought advice from military personnel to portray the character authentically.
Three
Singer Jack Jones had a top forty hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1966 with The Impossible Dream. What Broadway musical had the song been written for?
Answer: Man of La Mancha.
Man of La Mancha based on Cervantes’s Don Quixote, is a 1965 musical adapted as a play within a play. The original Broadway production ran for 2,328 performances and won five Tony Awards. The Impossible Dream, a song from this musical, was composed by Mitch Leigh with lyrics by Joe Darion. It was later recorded by Jack Jones, reaching number one on the Easy Listening chart.
Four
In the United States, the state dog of the 49th state to be admitted to the Union is what?
Answer: Alaskan Malamute.
The Alaskan Malamute is a large dog breed originally bred for its strength and endurance. This made it ideal for hauling heavy freight as a sled dog. It shares similarities with other Arctic breeds like the Siberian Husky, Greenland Dog, Canadian Eskimo Dog and Samoyed.
Five
Which composer won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for the 2015 film The Hateful Eight?
Answer: Ennio Morricone.
Ennio Morricone (1928–2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, trumpeter, and pianist. He wrote music for over 400 films and television shows, including Sergio Leone’s films and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and received numerous accolades including two Academy Awards. Morricone also composed music for artists like Paul Anka and Andrea Bocelli.
Last to First
The post title refers to the fact that the last letter of the first answer, N, is the first letter of the second, and so on.
Today’s first question relates to the date 1st June. The subsequent questions follow on, but I won’t reveal how.
One
The roles shown are from each decade between the 1980s and the present. Which actor born today links them? Hoke Colburn, Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir, Eddie Dupris, Sheikh Ilderim, and Thurmond Fowler.
Two
I love the smell of … in the morning.
What word is missing from this quote from a 1979 film?
Three
Singer Jack Jones had a top forty hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1966 with The Impossible Dream. What Broadway musical had the song been written for?
Four
In the United States, the state dog of the 49th state to be admitted to the Union is what?
Five
Which composer won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for the 2015 film The Hateful Eight?
The first question relates to an event on this day, and the remainder follow a theme created by the first?
One
In 1578, King Henry III of France (pictured) laid the first stone of a bridge on the River Seine, which is now the oldest of all the bridges in Paris. The bridge is in two separate spans with an island between them. What is the name of the bridge, and what is the island?
Answer: Pont Neuf; Île de la Cité.
The Pont Neuf (New Bridge), Paris’s oldest bridge across the Seine, connects the left bank, Île de la Cité, and the right bank. Despite its name it is actually the oldest in the city. The Île de la Cité (Island of the City), a natural island in the Seine, is a historic centre in Paris. It boasts significant landmarks like Notre-Dame cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle and the Hôtel-Dieu hospital, as well as important government buildings.
Two
In what capital city did the world’s first underground passenger railway open in 1863?
Answer: London.
The London Underground, also called the Underground or Tube, is a rapid transit system in Greater London and parts of several surrounding counties. The Underground began with the steam locomotives and gas-lit wooden carriages of the Metropolitan Railway in 1863, the first underground passenger railway. The first electrified underground line was opened in London in 1890, making it the first metro system in the world. The system has expanded to 11 lines with 250 miles of track which serves up to 5 million daily journeys, with 1.216 billion in 2024/25.
Three
The Brooklyn Bridge, New York, opened in May 1883. What body of water does it cross, and what two islands does it join?
Answers: East River; Manhattan and Long Island.
The Brooklyn Bridge, a cable-stayed suspension bridge in New York City, connects boroughs of Manhattan (on Mahattan Island) and Brooklyn (Long Island), opening on May 24, 1883. Initially called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, it was the world’s longest suspension bridge at its opening. Designed by John A. Roebling and completed by his son Washington and wife Emily, construction took thirteen years. Now a National Historic Landmark, it serves only passenger vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, remaining a major tourist attraction and New York City icon.
Four
Paris’s largest public park was opened to the public by Louis XV. What park is it?
Bois de Vincennes.
The Bois de Vincennes, Paris’s largest public park, spans 995 hectares, slightly larger than Bois de Boulogne and three times larger than New York’s Central Park. Created by Napoleon III (1855–1866), it features an English garden, lakes, a zoo, arboretum, botanical garden, hippodrome, velodrome, and a sports institute. Known for nighttime prostitution, it occupies 10% of Paris, nearly the size of the first six arrondissements.
Five
In what decade was London’s Royal Albert Hall opened, and who opened it?
Answers: 1860s.
The Royal Albert Hall in London, opened by Queen Victoria in 1871 and named in memory of her consort, Prince Albert, seats 5,272. It hosts over 390 main auditorium shows annually, including BBC Proms, concerts, and events. Amongst its diverse range of events, it hosts the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance annually on the evening before Remembrance Sunday, has featured speeches by Winston Churchill, and exhibition fights by Muhammad Ali. Eric Clapton has appeared there over 200 times, starting with Cream’s farewell concerts in 1968.
The first question relates to an event on this day, and the remainder follow a theme created by the first?
One
In 1578, King Henry III of France (pictured) laid the first stone of a bridge on the River Seine, which is now the oldest of all the bridges in Paris. The bridge is in two separate spans with an island between them. What is the name of the bridge, and what is the island?
Two
In what capital city did the world’s first underground passenger railway open in 1863?
Three
The Brooklyn Bridge, New York, opened in May 1883. What body of water does it cross, and what two islands does it join?
Four
Paris’s largest public park was opened to the public by Louis XV. What park is it?
Five
In what decade was London’s Royal Albert Hall opened, and who opened it?
Quokkas—two adults and a juvenile at Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Image Wikimedia Commons
No theme, just a mixed bag of questions today.
One
A family of what cat-sized macropod with the Latin name Setonix brachyurus is pictured?
Answer: Quokka.
The quokka, a small herbivorous marsupial, is found in southwestern Australia, including Rottnest Island and Bald Island.
Two
What colour and make of car features in the title of a 1964 film starring Rex Harrison and Jeanne Moreau?
Answer: The Yellow Rolls-Royce.
The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964) is a British film about three owners of a yellow Rolls-Royce Phantom II, set before and during WWII. The film features an all-star cast and won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song.
Three
What was the first single released from 50 Cent’s album Get Rich or Die Tryin’?
Answer: In Da Club.
In da Club by 50 Cent, from his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’, was released in 2003 and peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song, which was 50 Cent’s first number one, received critical acclaim and was nominated for several awards.
Four
Cambria is the Latinised form of what country’s name?
Answer: Wales.
Cambria is the Latinised form of Cymru — the Welsh name for Wales. It was not used during the period when the Romans were in Britain but emerged in the 12th century as an alternative to Britannia and Wallia, gaining popularity in the late Middle Ages.
Five
Janmashtami, a Hindu festival, celebrates the birth of which avatar of Vishnu?
Answer: Krishna.
Krishna Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. An important festival in Vaishnavism, it is observed with recitations, devotional singing, dance, dramatic reenactments, fasting, and midnight celebrations, ending with a feast. Celebrated worldwide, it usually falls in August or September.
Woodcut representing the waterfront of Memphis, Tennessee, published 1879. Image Wikimedia Commons
Today’s five questions form a theme, and that is all I am alluding to.
One
The Perry Index sorts fables attributed to which ancient Greek writer?
Answer: Aesop.
The Perry Index is a comprehensive index of Aesop’s Fables, attributed to the ancient Greek storyteller Aesop (620-560 BC). Created by Ben Edwin Perry, a University of Illinois classics professor, it categorises and references the fables. Modern scholarship suggests Aesop didn’t compose all of the fables attributed to him; some predate him, others appear over a millennium after him.
Two
What singer’s debut album was Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number?
Answer: Aaliyah.
Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number is Aaliyah’s debut album, released on 24 May 1994. Produced by R. Kelly, it blends R&B with new jack swing, peaking at number 18 on the US Billboard 200. It sold over three million copies in the US and six million worldwide, featuring two gold-certified singles.
Three
In 1938, which national leader was named Time magazine’s Man of the Year?
Answer: Adolf Hitler.
TIME explained what was perhaps the most controversial of its choices thus: “Hitler became in 1938 the greatest threatening force that the democratic, freedom-loving world faces today” (1/2/39).
Hitler’s rise began in 1919, when he joined the German Workers Party, which was renamed the Nazi party. Within two years he was the party’s leader. In 1933, Hitler became chancellor of Germany and soon consolidated his power, banning other parties and establishing totalitarian rule. He put the unemployed to work in public programs, rebuilt the army and sent Jews, communists and others to concentration camps. On September 1, 1939, Hitler began World War II by invading Poland. By 1941, German troops had become bogged down in Russia, and in 1944 the Allies began their advance on Germany. Hitler lived his final months in a Berlin bunker, committing suicide on April 29, 1945.
Big River, a 1984 musical, is based on which Mark Twain novel?
Answer: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Roger Miller’s Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a musical based on Mark Twain’s novel, featuring bluegrass and country music. The 1985 Broadway production ran for over 1,000 performances and won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Five
What word describes the repetition of the same sound at the start of each word?
Answer: Alliteration.
alliteration | əˌlɪtəˈreɪʃn | noun [mass noun] the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words: the alliteration of ‘sweet birds sang’ | [count noun] : alliterations are clustered in the last few lines. – ORIGIN early 17th century: from medieval Latin alliteratio(n-), from Latin ad– (expressing addition) + littera ‘letter’. Oxford English Dictionary
In the Beginning
The post title refers to all the answers beginning with ‘A’.
