These are five questions which are related to today, February 5th.
Section of the border between East and West Germany. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
The term ‘Iron Curtain’ described the political and physical boundary dividing Europe from the end of World War II until the end of the Cold War. Who popularised its use in a speech at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, on 5 March 1946?
Two
A 31-year-old American country singer, who was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Virginia, died in a 1963 plane crash in Tennessee. She had enjoyed an eight-year recording career, which included two number ones as well as other major chart hits. By what name was she known professionally?
Three
In 1616, 73 years after publication, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres (De revolutionibus orbium coelestium) was added to the Index of Forbidden Books (Index Librorum Prohibitorum) by the Sacred Congregation of the Index. Which astronomer had written On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres?
Four
In 1942 Japanese forces captured what is now Jakarta, Indonesia. At that time, what was the city called and of where was it the capital?
Five
In 1496, England’s Henry VII issued letters patent authorising a navigator and his sons to explore unknown lands. This led to what is the earliest known exploration of the North American Atlantic coast since the Norse visits to Vinland in the eleventh century. Who was Henry VII’s explorer?
On this day in 1837, Chicago was incorporated as a city. To the nearest thousand, what was the population?
Answer: 4,000.
Chicago’s population surged dramatically during its early years. At incorporation, the city boasted around 4,000 residents according to the Chicago Historical Society. By 1860, it had grown to 109,000 and reached 1 million by 1890.
Two
To the nearest million, what was the population of England at the beginning of Elizabeth I’s reign in 1558?
Answer: 3 million
During Elizabethan England, the population grew from approximately 3.2 million in 1558 to about 4.1 million by 1603, marking an increase of over 25%. This rapid growth was significant for the time and contributed to various social changes.
Three
In what decade did the world’s population first reach the 3 billion mark?
Answer: 1960s
The world’s population reached three billion in 1960.
Which country has the fourth highest population with a current figure exceeding 287 million?
Answer: Indonesia
Indonesia, which has a population of 287,230,819, has the fourth highest population after India (1.47 billion), China (1.41 billion), and the USA (348.5 million).
Five
What two continents have the highest population?
Answer: Asia and Africa.
Asia’s population is 4,863,327,397 and Africa’s is 1,584,985,259.
The figures quoted are from various sources including Encyclopædia Britannica, Chicago Historical Society and Worldometer. The figures were sourced yesterday, 3 March 2026.
2005, a pilot became the first person to complete a solo, nonstop circumnavigation of the globe without refuelling. The pilot took off from and landed back at one of the several Salinas in the United States. Who was the pilot and specifically from which Salina did he depart and return?
Answers: Steve Fossett; Salina, Kansas.
In 2005, pilot Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo around the world without stopping or refuelling. He piloted the specially designed GlobalFlyer, equipped with 13 fuel tanks and a 7-foot cockpit. Taking off from Salina, Kansas, on February 28, he successfully completed the journey and returned to Salina approximately 67 hours later on March 3.
Two
Born in Navsari, Gujarat, India in 1839, an Indian industrialist who founded Jamshedpur, established the Taj Mahal Hotel and developed businesses in cotton, steel and hydroelectric power amongst others. Who was he?
Answer: Jamsetji Tata.
Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, an Indian industrialist and philanthropist, founded the Tata Group and the city of Jamshedpur. He established key institutions such as the Taj Mahal Hotel, Tata Steel, and Tata Power, significantly impacting India’s industrial and social landscape. Tata was also a prominent philanthropist, establishing the J.N. Tata Endowment and supporting the Indian Institute of Science.
Three
Born in 1962, which athlete set a world record of 7,148 points in the heptathlon?
Answer: Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee, born in 1962, is a retired American athlete who excelled in the heptathlon and long jump. She won three Olympic gold medals in the heptathlon and one in the long jump, setting world records in both events. In July 1986, she set a world record of 7,148 points in the heptathlon. Beyond her athletic achievements, Joyner-Kersee is known for her philanthropic work, including founding the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation and co-founding Athletes for Hope.
Four
Born in 1968, this physicist and television science presenter who is known for his work on the ATLAS experiment at CERN, played keyboards in live appearances with D:Ream. Who is This?
Answer: Brian Cox.
Brian Cox is an English physicist and musician, known for his work on the ATLAS experiment at CERN and his role as a presenter of science programmes for the BBC. He has co-authored several popular science books and continues to perform music sporadically. Cox’s career spans from being a keyboard player for bands like Dare and D:Ream to becoming a professor of particle physics at the University of Manchester.
Five
Decommissioned on this day in 1980, a U.S. nuclear submarine made history by sailing under the Arctic ice pack and the North Pole in 1958.
What was the name of the submarine?
What was the operational name for the submerged Arctic transit?
The submarine had a namesake from an 1870s novel; what was the novel’s English title?
Who was the author of the novel?
Answers
USS Nautilus
Operations Sunshine
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Jules Verne
A Greek derivative meaning sailor or ship; a tropical mollusk having a many chambered, spiral shell with a pearly interior; and the namesake of Jules Verne’s submersible in his novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. — Navy History and Heritage Command
2005, a pilot became the first person to complete a solo, nonstop circumnavigation of the globe without refuelling. The pilot took off from and landed back at one of the several Salinas in the United States. Who was the pilot and specifically from which Salina did he depart and return?
Two
Born in Navsari, Gujarat, India in 1839, an Indian industrialist who founded Jamshedpur, established the Taj Mahal Hotel and developed businesses in cotton, steel and hydroelectric power amongst others. Who was he?
Three
Born in 1962, which athlete set a world record of 7,148 points in the heptathlon?
Four
Born in 1968, this physicist and television science presenter who is known for his work on the ATLAS experiment at CERN, played keyboards in live appearances with D:Ream. Who is This?
Five
Decommissioned on this day in 1980, a U.S. nuclear submarine made history by sailing under the Arctic ice pack and the North Pole in 1958.
What was the name of the submarine?
What was the operational name for the submerged Arctic transit?
The submarine had a namesake from an 1870s novel; what was the novel’s English title?
An otherworld castle from Arthurian Romance is located at the same spot as the Oxford English Dictionary identifies as Europe’s highest active volcano?
Answer: Mount Etna
Mount Etna, is an active stratovolcano in eastern Sicily, Italy, standing at 3,323 meters (10,902 feet). It is the highest and most active volcano in Europe. Its fertile volcanic soils support agriculture, and its historical activity has earned it the designation of a Decade Volcano and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In various stories, Mongibel is associated with the legendary figure Morgan le Fay, depicted as her magical stronghold linked to Avalon.
Two
Svetlana Savitskaya on 25 July 1984; Kathryn D. Sullivan, 11 October 1984; and Wang Yaping, 8 November 2021 all achieved a first. What common milestone do these dates mark??
Answer: They were the first females of their nationalities and for their space programs to perform extravehicular activity (EVA) or spacewalk
Specifically, they were the first females of their nationalities and space programs to perform EVAs. EVAs. The first woman to perform an extravehicular activity (EVA) was Soviet Svetlana Savitskaya on 25 July 1984, while aboard the Salyut 7 space station. Her EVA lasted 3 hours and 35 minutes. The first American woman to perform an EVA was Kathryn D. Sullivan on 11 October 1984, during the STS-41-G mission. The first female Asian and Chinese woman to perform an EVA was Wang Yaping on 8 November 2021, outside the Chinese Tiangong space station.
Three
The University of St Andrews, Scotland, was founded in what century?
Answer: 15th century.
The University of St Andrews, founded in 1413, is the oldest university in Scotland and the third-oldest in the English-speaking world — after Oxford and Cambridge. Located in St Andrews, Scotland, it is part of the ancient universities of Scotland and played a role in the Scottish Enlightenment. The university consists of three colleges and 18 academic schools across four faculties, with a diverse student body representing over 145 nationalities. It is known for its selective undergraduate admissions and traditional student customs. Notable alumni include Alex Salmond, Chris Hoy, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, with five Nobel laureates among its graduates and staff.
Four
The cave system with the world’s longest known length, Mammoth Cave is in which US state and, according to the U.S. National Park Service, what length is it at present (March 2026) to the nearest 25 miles/40 km?
Answer: Kentucky; 425 miles or 680 km.
Mammoth Cave is currently mapped and explored at 426 miles (686 km), but that is just what has been discovered to date. — U.S. National Park Service.
Mammoth Cave, currently mapped at 426 miles (686 km), is the longest known cave system in the world. Early explorers, including Stephen Bishop and the Hanson and Hunt families, significantly contributed to its discovery. The 1972 connection between the Flint Ridge and Mammoth Cave systems, achieved by a team of six explorers, solidified its status as the longest cave system.
Five
NOUN the scientific study of old age, the process of ageing, and the particular problems of old people. — Oxford English Dictionary.
What word, an –ology, is defined above?
Answer: Gerontology.
Gerontology, a multidisciplinary field, aims to understand the ageing process to minimise age-related disabilities. While geriatrics focuses on treating diseases in older adults, gerontology encompasses a broader study of ageing.
Post title — Mongibel
The name Mongibel, associated with Morgan le Fay and King Arthur, originates from Arthurian Romance and is linked to Etna (Mongibello). Welsh conceptions of a Celtic underworld were adapted and transplanted to Sicily by Bretons.
An otherworld castle from Arthurian Romance is located at the same spot as the Oxford English Dictionary identifies as Europe’s highest active volcano?
Two
Svetlana Savitskaya on 25 July 1984; Kathryn D. Sullivan, 11 October 1984; and Wang Yaping, 8 November 2021 all achieved a first. What common milestone do these dates mark?
Three
The University of St Andrews, Scotland, was founded in what century?
Four
The cave system with the world’s longest known length, Mammoth Cave is in which US state and, according to the U.S. National Park Service, what length is it at present (March 2026) to the nearest 25 miles/40 km?
Five
NOUN the scientific study of old age, the process of ageing, and the particular problems of old people. — Oxford English Dictionary.
On 1 March, the President of the United States signed the Act of Dedication, which established Yellowstone National Park. Which president signed it and in which decade did this occur?
Answers: President Ulysses S. Grant; 1870s.
Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872, is the first national park in the US and the world. It spans three states and is renowned for its geothermal features, diverse wildlife, and the Yellowstone Caldera.
Two
The Massacre of Vassy (French: massacre de Wassy) was the murder of … worshippers and citizens in an armed action by troops of the Duke of Guise, in Wassy, France on 1 March 1562.— Wikipedia
A word has been omitted from the text ‘murder of the … worshippers’ in the above edited version of the opening sequence of the Wikipedia article The Massacre of Vassy. This omission is a noun describing the worshippers as being of the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. What is this missing word?
Answer: Huguenot.
The Massacre of Vassy in 1562, where about 60 Huguenot worshippers were murdered, marked the start of the French Wars of Religion. The conflict ended with the Peace of Amboise in 1563.
Three
On 1 March 1936, after five years of construction, the Hoover Dam was officially handed over to the US government. The reservoir it created was named Lake Mead. Here are three statements about Lake Mead: two are true and one is false. Which one is false?
Lake Mead is named after Fort Mead
Lake Mead provides water to Mexico
Lake Mead stretches for 115 miles (185 km) upstream from the Hoover Dam
Answer: No. 1 is false.
The dam created Lake Mead which was named after Elwood Mead, Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation from 1924 to 1936. It supplies water to the states of Arizona, California and Nevada as well as some parts of Mexico. It stretches for 115 miles (185 km) upstream from the dam.
Four
In 1956, the International Air Transport Association finalised the Radiotelephony spelling alphabet for the International Civil Aviation Organization which implemented it on this date. It was later adopted by the International Telecommunications Union and is still in place today. Spelling of the words in this alphabet is important to assist with correct pronunciation over the air. What words represent these six letters: A — F — J — Q — W — Z?
Alfa is spelled with an f as it is in most European languages. This is because the spelling Alpha may not be pronounced properly by some who do not realise that ph should be pronounced as f. Similarly, Juliett is used rather than Juliet for French speakers, because they might otherwise treat a single final t as silent.
Five
On this day, a U.S. president established the Peace Corps by executive order. Which decade saw this event and who was the president involved?
Answers: 1960s; John F. Kennedy.
The Peace Corps, established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, is a U.S. government agency that trains and deploys volunteers to assist developing countries in fields like education, agriculture, and health. Typically American citizens with a college degree, volunteers serve for at least two years, living and working alongside local communities. Since its inception, the Peace Corps has grown significantly, expanding its reach to 141 countries by 2018.
On 1 March, the President of the United States signed the Act of Dedication, which established Yellowstone National Park. Which president signed it and in which decade did this occur?
Two
The Massacre of Vassy (French: massacre de Wassy) was the murder of … worshippers and citizens in an armed action by troops of the Duke of Guise, in Wassy, France on 1 March 1562.— Wikipedia
A word has been omitted from the text ‘murder of the … worshippers’ in the above edited version of the opening sequence of the Wikipedia article The Massacre of Vassy. This omission is a noun describing the worshippers as being of the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. What is this missing word?
Three
On 1 March 1936, after five years of construction, the Hoover Dam was officially handed over to the US government. The reservoir it created was named Lake Mead. Here are three statements about Lake Mead: two are true and one is false. Which one is false?
Lake Mead is named after Fort Mead
Lake Mead provides water to Mexico
Lake Mead stretches for 115 miles (185 km) upstream from the Hoover Dam
Four
In 1956, the International Air Transport Association finalised the Radiotelephony spelling alphabet for the International Civil Aviation Organization which implemented it on this date. It was later adopted by the International Telecommunications Union and is still in place today. Spelling of the words in this alphabet is important to assist with correct pronunciation over the air. What words represent these six letters: A — F — J — Q — W — Z?
Five
On this day, a U.S. president established the Peace Corps by executive order. Which decade saw this event and who was the president involved?
On this date sometime during the 20th century, the country which is currently represented by the flag above gained independence. Which decade did this independence occur in, and from what empire was independence gained?
Answers: 1920s; British Empire
Egypt, a de facto independent state under Ottoman rule, became a British protectorate in 1914. Despite the 1919 revolution and subsequent negotiations, British control persisted, leading to dissatisfaction, partial independence in 1922 and the ‘reserved points’ clause in the 1923 Egyptian constitution.
Two
In 1983 the final episode of M*A*S*H aired. Who was the only actor to appear in every single episode and what character did they play?
Answer: Alan Alda; Captain Benjamin Franklin ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce.
An American television comedy drama series, aired on CBS for 11 seasons (1972–83), a total of 256 episodes. The show, set during the Korean War, followed the medical staff at a mobile army surgical hospital and received critical acclaim, winning 14 Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award. Despite cast changes, the series maintained its continuity through strong performances and writing, with a unique use of multiple plot lines and an antiwar message.
Three
Olaf Palme, a globally recognised politician, was assassinated in 1986. At the time of his death he was prime minister of which country?
Answer: Sweden.
Olof Palme, a Swedish Social Democratic leader, served as Prime Minister twice and was known for his pacifist stance and criticism of U.S. war policy. He was assassinated in 1986, and the case remained unsolved until 2020 when Stig Engström, who died in 2000, was identified as the likely perpetrator although this is widely disputed with many believing the true identity of his assassin is still unknown.
Four
In 2013 Pope Benedict XVI resigned. How many years to the nearest hundred had elapsed since a previous pope had resigned?
Answer: 600 years
Pope Gregory XII had resigned in 1415, 598 years before Benedict. Pope Benedict XVI, born Joseph Ratzinger, led the Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013. A renowned theologian, he was appointed Pope after John Paul II’s death. During his papacy, he faced challenges such as declining church attendance and the sexual abuse scandal, for which he received criticism. He also advocated for traditional Catholic values and opposed condom use. Benedict resigned in 2013, citing health issues.
Five
Before filming Goldfinger, in which Bond would have to play golf, Sean Connery received golf lessons from which former golf professional and television golf commentator who was born on this day?
Answer: Peter Alliss
Born this day in 1931, Peter Alliss, an English golfer and broadcaster, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012. He won 20 professional tournaments, including three British PGA Championships, and played on eight Ryder Cup teams. Alliss worked for the BBC, ESPN and ABC Sports, and designed over 70 golf courses, including The Belfry, contributing significantly to golf course architecture. He received numerous honours, such as honorary degrees and the Golf Foundation’s ‘Spirit of Golf award’. Before the filming of Goldfinger, Alliss gave Sean Connery golf lessons, which sparked Connery’s lifelong love for the sport.
Post Title
‘Through early morning fog I see’ is the first line from the theme to M*A*S*H, Suicide is Painless, the lyrics are at AZ Lyrics.
