Pursuit of the Trivial – Page 5

Steamboat Willie—Answers

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

These questions all relate to today’s date, December 5th.

Walt Disney’s business envelope featured a self-portrait, c. 1921.
Image Wikipedia

One

Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Chicago, this visionary American producer created a global entertainment empire that truly began with a mouse. What was that mouse originally going to be called?
A. Maxwell Mouse
B. Meredith Mouse
C. Mortimer Mouse

Answer: C. Mortimer Mouse

The mouse was originally called Mortimer Mouse but Lillian Disney, Walt’s wife, suggested Mickey. Disney received a record 59 Oscar nominations and won 22 competitive Academy Awards – still the most for any individual in history.

The post title Steamboat Willie is a nod to Mickey. It is the title of what was Mickey’s third film, which was the first to be distributed and so considered to be his public debut.

Two

Which pope issued the 1484 papal bull Summis desiderantes affectibus, condemning witchcraft and empowering inquisitors in Germany?
A. Pope Alexander VI
B. Pope Julius II
C. Pope Innocent VIII

Answer: C. Pope Innocent VIII

The bull later helped legitimise Malleus Maleficarum (1487), one of the most notorious witch-hunting manuals of the era.

Three

Which modern television series featured the Great Smog of London as the central focus of a Season 1 episode, portraying the political and social impact of the 1952 crisis?
A. Downton Abbey
B. The Crown
C. Call the Midwife

Answer: B. The Crown

The Great Smog has also inspired satirical and fictional treatments—including a Goon Show episode in 1954 and the Doctor Who audio drama The Creeping Death, both of which use the choking fog as a dramatic backdrop.

Four

Born in Vienna, which director known for visually striking films such as Metropolis and M became one of the major figures in early cinema?
A. F.W. Murnau
B. Sergei Eisenstein
C. Fritz Lang

Answer: C. Fritz Lang

Lang fled Nazi Germany the same day he was offered a high-ranking propaganda role, later becoming influential in shaping American film noir.

Five

On December 5, 2006, which military commander declared himself acting president of Fiji after leading a coup?
A. Sitiveni Rabuka
B. Frank Bainimarama
C. Epeli Nailatikau

Answer: B. Frank Bainimarama

Bainimarama later served as Fiji’s elected prime minister from 2014 to 2022, overseeing the country’s return to democratic elections.

Steamboat Willie

These questions all relate to today’s date, December 5th.

One

Two

Which pope issued the 1484 papal bull Summis desiderantes affectibus, condemning witchcraft and empowering inquisitors in Germany?
A. Pope Alexander VI
B. Pope Julius II
C. Pope Innocent VIII

Three

Four

Born in Vienna, which director known for visually striking films such as Metropolis and M became one of the major figures in early cinema?
A. F.W. Murnau
B. Sergei Eisenstein
C. Fritz Lang

Five

On December 5, 2006, which military commander declared himself acting president of Fiji after leading a coup?
A. Sitiveni Rabuka
B. Frank Bainimarama
C. Epeli Nailatikau

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

All at Sea—Answers

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

Today’s questions focus on abandoned boats and ships. The first question centres on the Mary Celeste, discovered abandoned on December 4th, 1872.

One

When the Mary Celeste was found drifting and abandoned on 4 December 1872, which everyday object—left untouched—helped show the ship had not been ransacked by pirates?
A. The ship’s telegraph terminal
B. A basketball
C. A sewing machine

Answer: A. The ship’s sewing machine

Its presence in perfect condition suggested the crew left suddenly rather than under attack, since pirates would never have ignored valuable portable items.

Two

After HMS Resolute was abandoned in Arctic ice in 1854, how did the United States symbolically return the vessel to Britain after it was recovered?
A. By selling it back to Britain at auction
B. By sailing it back and gifting it to Queen Victoria
C. By towing it to Canada and scuttling it ceremonially

Answer: B. By sailing it back and gifting it to Queen Victoria

Timbers from the ship were later made into the Resolute desk, used by many U.S. Presidents—an enduring symbol of Anglo-American friendship.

Three

What key items were missing when the abandoned Carroll A. Deering was found aground on Diamond Shoals in 1921?
A. The ship’s logbook and navigation equipment
B. All cargo and provisions
C. The entire foremast

Answer: A. The ship’s logbook and navigation equipment

The loss of these items intensified the mystery, especially because the vessel was otherwise intact in the dangerous waters of the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic’.

Four

Which country was the ghost yacht Kaz II navigating around when it departed from Airlie Beach before its three-man crew mysteriously disappeared in 2007?
A. Australia
B. Belize
C. Canada

Answer: A. Australia

The yacht which was travelling from Queensland to Perth, Western Australia via the north of Australia was found with food set out and the engine running, sparking comparisons to the Mary Celeste because no sign of struggle or storm damage was present.

Five

SS Baychimo became a ‘wandering ghost’ of the Arctic, remaining adrift and being seen numerous times after being abandoned in 1931. For how many years did sightings continue?
A. 18 years
B. 28 years
C. 38 years

Answer: C. 38 years

Sighted intermittently for almost four decades, the Baychimo was finally lost to history—its last confirmed appearance occurring in 1969 when frozen in ice.

All at Sea

Today’s questions focus on abandoned boats and ships. The first question centres on the Mary Celeste, discovered abandoned on December 4th, 1872.

One

Two

Three

Four

Which country was the ghost yacht Kaz II navigating around when it departed from Airlie Beach before its three-man crew mysteriously disappeared in 2007?
A. Australia
B. Belize
C. Canada

Five

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

Hatches, Matches and Despatches Part Deux—Answers

*Apocalypse Now*. See question 3.
Image Encyclopædia Britannica

Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

Today’s questions focus on individuals born, married or deceased on December 3rd.

One

Which heavy metal band, formed in Birmingham in 1968 and known for pioneering the genre, featured Ozzy Osbourne as its original lead vocalist?

Answer: Black Sabbath

Ozzy Osbourne was born this day in 1948. Black Sabbath’s 1970 self-titled debut album is often cited as one of the first true heavy-metal records, in part because its tritone-based title track was considered unusually dark and ominous for its time.

Two

Which pioneering psychoanalyst, daughter of Sigmund Freud, became one of the founders of child psychoanalysis?

Answer: Anna Freud

During World War II, Anna Freud co-founded the Hampstead War Nurseries in London, providing care for bomb-displaced children and shaping her influential theories on child development. She was born in Vienna, Austria, on this day in 1895.

Three

Which Polish-born British novelist wrote Heart of Darkness, the novella that later inspired the 1979 film Apocalypse Now?

Answer: Joseph Conrad

Conrad did not speak fluent English until his twenties, yet became one of the language’s most celebrated stylists. He was born on this day in 1857.

Four

Which Baroque composer, known for works such as the Brandenburg Concertos, married Anna Magdalena Wilcken on 3 December 1721?

Answer: Johann Sebastian Bach

Anna Magdalena herself was an accomplished singer, and Bach compiled two Notebooks for Anna Magdalena Bach, collections of keyboard pieces for her to study and perform.

Five

Which co-founder of the Jesuit order, famed for missionary work in India, Japan and Southeast Asia, died off the coast of China in 1552?

Answer: St. Francis Xavier

Xavier’s extensive travels—over 60,000 miles by ship—made him one of the most widely travelled religious figures of the 16th century.

Hatches, Matches and Despatches Part Deux

Today’s questions focus on individuals born, married or deceased on December 3rd.

One

Which heavy metal band, formed in Birmingham in 1968 and known for pioneering the genre, featured Ozzy Osbourne as its original lead vocalist?

Two

Which pioneering psychoanalyst, daughter of Sigmund Freud, became one of the founders of child psychoanalysis?

Three

Which Polish-born British novelist wrote Heart of Darkness, the novella that later inspired the 1979 film Apocalypse Now?

Four

Which Baroque composer, known for works such as the Brandenburg Concertos, married Anna Magdalena Wilcken on 3 December 1721?

Five

Which co-founder of the Jesuit order, famed for missionary work in India, Japan and Southeast Asia, died off the coast of China in 1552?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Who, What, When, Where or Why—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.

Today’s questions are simply either Who, What, When, Where or Why.

Apollo 13 launches from Kennedy Space Center, April 11, 1970.
Image Wikipedia

One

Who was the only astronaut on the Apollo program to be the only person to fly to the Moon twice without landing?

Answer: Jim Lovell

James Lovell was an American astronaut, naval aviator, and engineer. He flew on four space missions, including Apollo 8 and Apollo 13, and was the first person to fly into space four times. Lovell received numerous awards and honours for his contributions to space exploration.

Two

What uninvited stony visitor injured Elizabeth Hodges while she napped on her couch in Alabama in 1954?

Answer: Meteorite

Ann Elizabeth Fowler Hodges, the first documented person struck by a meteorite and survive, was injured when a meteorite fragment crashed through her roof and hit her while she napped on 30 November 1954.

Three

When was the Mongol Empire founded by Genghis Khan, was it (i) 11th Century; (ii) 12th Century; (iii) 13th Century

Answer: (iii) 13th Century

The Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan in 1206, eventually covering some 9 million square miles (23 million square km) from the Pacific Ocean to the Danube River and the Persian Gulf by the late 13th century.

Four

Where on the planet is the farthest point from the Earth’s centre. Is it the summit of (i) Chimborazo, Ecuador; (ii) Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland or (iii) Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica?

Answer: (i) Chimborazo, Ecuador

Chimborazo, a stratovolcano in Ecuador, is the highest mountain in the country and the 39th-highest peak in the Andes. Despite not being the tallest mountain on Earth, its summit is the farthest point from the Earth’s centre due to its equatorial location on the planet’s equatorial bulge.

Five

Why was 1936 a year of three kings in the United Kingdom, and who were they?

Answer: Abdication crisis; George V, Edward VIII and George VI

On the death of George V his eldest son became Edward VIII but he abdicated only 326 days later and his younger brother Albert became king as George VI.
Edward VIII, later the Duke of Windsor, proposed marriage to Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée, led to a constitutional crisis and his abdication in favour of his brother, George VI. After his abdication, Edward, who was made Duke of Windsor by the new king, married Simpson and they lived in France until his death in 1972.

Who, What, When, Where or Why

Today’s questions are simply either Who, What, When, Where or Why.

An Apollo launch from Kennedy Space Center.
Image Wikipedia

One

Who was the only astronaut on the Apollo program to be the only person to fly to the Moon twice without landing?

Two

What uninvited stony visitor injured Elizabeth Hodges while she napped on her couch in Alabama in 1954?

Three

When was the Mongol Empire founded by Genghis Khan, was it (i) 11th Century; (ii) 12th Century; (iii) 13th Century

Four

Where on the planet is the farthest point from the Earth’s centre. Is it the summit of (i) Chimborazo, Ecuador; (ii) Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland or (iii) Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica?

Five

Why was 1936 a year of three kings in the United Kingdom, and who were they?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Working the Line—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

Today the first question is related to December 1st. The remaining questions are not date related but follow a theme.

1919 Ford Model T Phoenix Police cruiser.
Image Wikipedia

One

On 1 December 1913, the world’s first moving assembly line began operating at a factory in Highland Park, Michigan—an innovation that transformed industrial production. This breakthrough was introduced to manufacture which automobile?

Answer: Model T

The Ford Model T, produced from 1908 to 1927, was a practical and affordable car that became a symbol of American culture. Its assembly-line production made it accessible to the masses, with over 15 million units sold. Despite its popularity, the Model T was eventually surpassed by more powerful and luxurious cars. It was the first mass-affordable automobile, making car travel accessible to middle-class Americans, and its low price, achieved through efficient fabrication and assembly line production, made it a symbol of innovation and modernisation.

Two

John Boyd Dunlop’s 1888 invention was initially designed to improve his son’s comfort while riding. This invention ultimately became a major breakthrough in transportation. What was it?

Answer: The pneumatic (air-filled) tyre (tire)

Dunlop’s pneumatic tyre dramatically improved ride comfort and speed for bicycles and, later, automobiles. Its adoption helped fuel the cycling boom of the 1890s and became essential for the development of modern motor vehicles, transforming personal and commercial transport.

Three

Alexander Graham Bell was granted several US patents for something that revolutionised global communication. What nine-letter word describes what the patents were for, and in what decade were these patents granted?

Answer: Telephone; 1870s (1875, 1876 and 1877)

Bell’s telephone transformed how people connected across distances, rapidly replacing the telegraph. Early telephones required operators to manually connect callers, and long-distance calls were expensive luxuries. Within decades, however, the telephone became an essential household and business tool, shaping the modern communications network.

Wright Flyer. First airplane flight, taking off from rail, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903.
Image Wikipedia

Four

Which early 20th-century aircraft, flown by the Wright brothers, achieved the first controlled, sustained powered flight in 1903?

Answer: The Wright Flyer

The Wright Flyer’s 12-second flight near Kitty Hawk marked the dawn of modern aviation. Built of spruce wood and muslin fabric, and powered by a custom lightweight engine, the Flyer demonstrated principles still used in aircraft design today, paving the way for commercial and military aviation.

Artist rendering of Voyager 1.
Image NASA via Wikipedia

Five

Which spacecraft, launched by NASA in 1977, became the first human-made object to enter interstellar space?

Answer: Voyager 1

At some 15,809,070,600* miles from Earth, Voyager 1 continues to transmit data from beyond the solar system, powered by a long-lasting radioisotope generator. It carries the Golden Record—a phonograph disc containing sounds and images meant to represent Earth’s diversity—intended for any extraterrestrial civilisation that might encounter it on its billion-year journey.

*Distance source NASA 01-12-2025

Working the Line

Today the first question is related to December 1st. The remaining questions are not date related but follow a theme.

One

Two

John Boyd Dunlop’s 1888 invention was initially designed to improve his son’s comfort while riding. This invention ultimately became a major breakthrough in transportation. What was it?

⸻

Three

⸻

Four

Which early 20th-century aircraft, flown by the Wright brothers, achieved the first controlled, sustained powered flight in 1903?

⸻

Five

Which spacecraft, launched by NASA in 1977, became the first human-made object to enter interstellar space?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.