On July 25, 1984, Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Yevgenyevna Savitskaya (pictured) made history as the first woman to walk in space. Is this statement true or false?
Two
Is it true or false that today, in 1866, in the United States, Brigadier General Bel Riose was promoted to General of the Army?
Three
Today in 1837, Walter Samson and Stewart Cuthbertson successfully demonstrated the first commercial use of an electrical telegraph; this demonstration took place in New York, US. Is this statement true or false?
Four
Is it true that Louise Joy Brown, the first human born after conception by in vitro fertilisation (IVF), was born in Greater Manchester, UK, on this day in 1978?
Five
On this date in 1909, Louis Blériot embarked on a historic flight from Le Touquet, France. This marked the inaugural crossing of the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, with the landing occurring near Hastings, England. Is this true or false?
The Avro Vulcan, a jet-powered, tailless, delta-wing bomber, was operated by the RAF from 1956 to 1984. It served as the backbone of the UK’s airborne nuclear deterrent during the Cold War and was later adapted for maritime reconnaissance and aerial refuelling. Vulcan, the Roman god of fire, volcanoes, deserts, metalworking and the forge, is often depicted with a blacksmith’s hammer. His Greek counterpart is Hephaestus, and his Etruscan counterpart is Sethlans.
Two
King Neptune, SpongeBob SquarePants. Image Pinterest
Can you name a powerful, trident-wielding merman from SpongeBob SquarePants?
Answer: King Neptune
In SpongeBob SquarePants King Neptune, a powerful merman god, rules the sea from Atlantis with his wife and son. He is portrayed as arrogant and selfish, but is a fan of Patrick Star, releasing the Star family from trespassing charges and moving his ball to their house. In mythology, Neptune, the Roman god of freshwater and the sea, is the counterpart of the Greek god Poseidon. He is associated with horses and horse-racing, and his festival, Neptunalia, is celebrated on July 23rd.
Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed. A yellow dressinggown, ungirdled, was sustained gently behind him on the mild morning air. He held the bowl aloft and intoned: —Introibo ad altare Dei.
The opening words of a novel are quoted above. What is this work that chronicles the events of a single day, the 16 June 1904?
Answer: Ulysses
Ulysses, a modernist novel by James Joyce, chronicles the experiences of three Dubliners on 16 June 1904. The novel, published in 1922, parallels the Odyssey and explores themes of antisemitism, sexuality, British rule, Catholicism and Irish nationalism. Bloomsday, celebrated annually on 16 June, commemorates the life of Irish writer James Joyce. The day is named after Leopold Bloom, the protagonist Ulysses, and the events of the novel take place on this date. Odysseus (Roman Ulysses), the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, is the hero of Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey. He is known for his cunning and intelligence, and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War.
Quicksilver is connected to this United States human spaceflight programme (1958–1963): Project…
Answer: (Project) Mercury
Quicksilver is defined as ‘the liquid metal mercury’. Project Mercury, the first US human spaceflight programme, ran from 1958 to 1963. It conducted 26 flights, six with astronauts, and cost $2.76 billion. Mercury is a major Roman god, associated with commerce, communication, travellers and thieves. He is the son of Maia and Jupiter, and is often depicted holding the caduceus, a staff with intertwined snakes.
Five
Archaeological Museum in Herakleion. Statue of Isis-Persephone holding a sistrum. Temple of the Egyptian gods, Gortyn. Roman period (180-190 C.E.). Image Wikipedia
PRONE SHEEP
…can be rearranged to give the name of a daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She was abducted by Hades and became the queen of the underworld. Who is she?
Answer: Persephone
In Greek mythology, Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, became the queen of the underworld after being abducted by her uncle Hades. Her myth symbolises spring and vegetation, representing the eternal cycle of life and death.
Can you name a powerful, trident-wielding merman from SpongeBob SquarePants?
Three
Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed. A yellow dressinggown, ungirdled, was sustained gently behind him on the mild morning air. He held the bowl aloft and intoned: —Introibo ad altare Dei.
The opening words of a novel are quoted above. What is this work that chronicles the events of a single day, June 16th, 1904?
Four
Quicksilver is connected to this United States human spaceflight programme (1958–1963): Project…
Five
PRONE SHEEP
…can be rearranged to give the name of a daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She was abducted by Hades and became the queen of the underworld. Who is she?
What is the first name of Professor McGonagall, a staff member at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?
Answer: Minerva
Maggie Smith portrayed Minerva McGonagall in seven Harry Potter films, enjoying the franchise for bonding with her grandchildren.
Minerva is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory and the arts. She is often depicted with her sacred creature, an owl, and is revered as a symbol of wisdom and knowledge.
In the 2007 film, The Golden Compass, Lyra Belacqua has a short pet name for her dæmon. What is it?
Answer: Pan
Lyra’s dæmon is named Pantalaimon but she generally shortens this to Pan.
Pan, the Greek god of shepherds and goatherds, originated in Arcadia and was worshipped in caves. He is depicted as a lecherous figure who roams the mountains and plays the syrinx.
Released on 12 December 1972, this disaster film featured Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Albertson, Shelley Winters and Red Buttons. What was its title?
Answer: The Poseidon Adventure
The Poseidon Adventure is a disaster film about a luxury liner capsized by a tsunami. The film was a commercial success, grossing over $125 million worldwide and winning two Academy Awards.
Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, earthquakes and horses, was worshipped in coastal and inland areas. He is the son of Cronus and Rhea, brother of Zeus and Hades and husband of Amphitrite.
In Ridley Scott’s 2015 film, Dr. Mark Watney becomes stranded. But where is he stranded?
Answer: Mars
In The Martian, Matt Damon plays Dr. Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded on Mars after being presumed dead.
Mars is the Roman god of war and agriculture, embodying the dual role of protecting the Roman people and securing peace through military power. He is the son of Jupiter and Juno, and father of Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.
What was Samuel L. Jackson’s character name in Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)?
Answer: Zeus Carver
Zeus Carver, a resourceful shopkeeper, reluctantly assists John McClane, forming a love-hate relationshipship as his ingenuity helps solve Gruber’s puzzles.
Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, is the most powerful deity and the only one of Indo-European origin. He overthrew his father Cronus and the Titans in the Titanomachy, becoming the father of many heroes and progenitors of prominent family lines.
Today’s film-related questions all share a connection: each answer features a deity from Greek or Roman mythology.
Hogwarts castle at Universal Islands of Adventure amusement park in Orlando, Florida. Image Wikipedia
One
What is the first name of Professor McGonagall, a staff member at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?
Two
In the 2007 film, The Golden Compass, Lyra Belacqua has a short pet name for her dæmon. What is it?
Three
Released on 12 December 1972, this disaster film featured Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Albertson, Shelley Winters and Red Buttons. What was its title?
Four
In Ridley Scott’s 2015 film, Dr. Mark Watney becomes stranded. But where is he stranded?
Five
What was Samuel L. Jackson’s character name in Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)?
As usual the answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below and additionally I have underlined the monetary connection in the relevant answers.
Ha’penny Bridge, River Liffey, Dublin. Image Wikipedia
One
Which pedestrian bridge crossing Dublin’s River Liffey, as shown in the image above, bears a name derived from an old Irish coin?
Answer: Ha’penny Bridge
Ha’penny Bridge. The common name of the bridge derives from the ha’penny toll the bridge’s buider was allowed to charge anyone crossing it for a period of 100 years. Originally named the Wellington Bridge and after the Irish War of Independence renamed as the Liffey Bridge, Droichead na Life, its official name to this day.
Can you name a 1965 Western film by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef as bounty hunters?
Answer: For a Few Dollars More
For a Few Dollars More is a 1965 Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef as bounty hunters. It was the second instalment of the Dollars trilogy.
There is continent with a name which might derive from words meaning ‘wide-gazing’ or ‘sunset’. Another theory suggests the name is from a Goddess, who was a Phoenician princess. What is this continent?
Answer: Europe
The euro, the currency of the European Union, was introduced in 1999 and became the sole currency of 12 EU member states in 2002. The European Central Bank manages the euro, which is used by 20 EU countries and several non-EU countries. Euro banknotes feature Europa and European symbols, while coins have common and country-specific designs. The euro is the official currency of 20 European Union member states, collectively known as the eurozone. It is also used by several non-EU states and territories, making it the second-largest reserve currency and the second-most traded currency globally. The euro replaced the former European Currency Unit and became the day-to-day currency in 2002.
A 1996 novel by the British writer Ben Elton shares its name with a variety of corn kernel?
Answer: Popcorn
This is the red herring with no monetary connection. Ben Elton’s novel is titled Popcorn.
Popcorn, a variety of corn kernel that expands when heated, is one of the oldest snacks. It is commonly eaten salted, buttered, sweetened, or with artificial flavourings.
The remarkable achievement of a swimmer, the most successful athlete at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, established a record that stood for 36 years. Can you identify the athlete in question?
Answer: Mark Spitz
The mark was most notabally a currency used in Germany until 1999 although Bosnia and Herzegovina currently use the convertible mark as their currency.
Mark Spitz, a retired American competitive swimmer, achieved remarkable success by winning nine Olympic gold medals between 1968 and 1972. Notably, he secured seven Olympic gold medals in Munich, all of which were achieved in world-record times. This remarkable feat stood as a record for an impressive 36 years.
There is a theme related to money today. Four of the answers will contain a coin, a currency etc but there is one red herring which has nothing to do with the theme and is not related to money.
Which pedestrian bridge crossing Dublin’s River Liffey, as shown in the image above, bears a name derived from an old Irish coin?
Two
Can you name a 1965 Western film by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef as bounty hunters?
Three
There is continent with a name which might derive from words meaning ‘wide-gazing’ or ‘sunset’. Another theory suggests the name is from a Goddess, who was a Phoenician princess. What is this continent?
Four
A 1996 novel by the British writer Ben Elton shares its name with a variety of corn kernel?
Five
The remarkable achievement of a swimmer, the most successful athlete at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, established a record that stood for 36 years. Can you identify the athlete in question?
The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.
Space shuttle Atlantis (STS-135) touches down at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, completing the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program. July 21, 2011, Cape Canaveral, Florida. Image (NASA/Bill Ingalls)/Wikipedia
One
On July 21, 2011, the Space Shuttle program concluded with the landing of a shuttle at NASA’s Cape Canaveral. Which shuttle made this landing, marking the end of the Space Shuttle program?
Answer: Atlantis
From the first launch on April 12, 1981 to the final landing on July 21, 2011, NASA’s space shuttle fleet flew 135 missions, helped construct the International Space Station and inspired generations. NASA’s space shuttle fleet began setting records with its first launch on April 12, 1981 and continued to set high marks of achievement and endurance through 30 years of missions. Starting with Columbia and continuing with Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, the spacecraft has carried people into orbit repeatedly, launched, recovered and repaired satellites, conducted cutting-edge research and built the largest structure in space, the International Space Station. The final space shuttle mission, STS-135, ended July 21, 2011 when Atlantis rolled to a stop at its home port, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. – NASA
Lyndon B. Johnson at the LBJ ranch, 1972. Image LBJ Library
Two
On this date in 2024, President Joe Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the presidential election. Prior to this announcement, who was the most recent sitting United States president to decline to seek reelection?
Answer: Lyndon B. Johnson
On March 31, 1968, President Johnson delivered a national address that made three significant announcements: he had recently ordered substantial reductions in the bombing campaign against North Vietnam, he was requesting peace negotiations, and he would neither seek nor accept his party’s nomination for re-election.
What was the title of the final book in the Harry Potter series, released on July 21, 2007?
Answer: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter, a fictional boy wizard created by British author J.K. Rowling, is the subject of seven immensely popular novels (1997–2007) and eight films (2001–11). His coming-of-age exploits were further adapted into a play and a book of its script in 2016.
Four
Today in 1954, the Geneva Accords divided what country along the 17th parallel?
Answer: Vietnam
The Geneva Accords, signed in 1954, divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel, establishing a cease-fire and calling for troop withdrawals. The Accords also stipulated all-Vietnamese elections by 1956 to reunify the country, though the U.S. and South Vietnam withheld approval.
On 21 July 1960, Sirimavo Bandaranaike made history as the world’s first female prime minister in which country?
Answer: Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the world’s first female prime minister, served three terms in Sri Lanka. She carried on her assassinated husband’s socialist policies, promoting Buddhism and Sinhalese culture. However, she encountered economic crisis and defeat in 1965. She subsequently returned to serve two more terms as prime minister (1970–77, 1994–2000).
Five questions today, each requiring a single answer without multiple choices or additional hints.
A space shuttle lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, beginning the final mission of the Space Shuttle program. Image NASA.
One
On July 21, 2011, the Space Shuttle program concluded with the landing of a shuttle at NASA’s Cape Canaveral. Which shuttle made this landing, marking the end of the Space Shuttle program?
Two
On this date in 2024, President Joe Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the presidential election. Prior to this announcement, who was the most recent sitting United States president to decline to seek reelection?
Three
What was the title of the final book in the Harry Potter series, released on July 21, 2007?
Four
Today in 1954 the Geneva Accords divided what country along the 17th parallel?
Five
On 21 July 1960, Sirimavo Bandaranaike made history as the world’s first female prime minister in which country?
The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.
Diana Rigg and George Lazenby. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, 1969. Image Wikipedia
One
The actress who played Countess Teresa ‘Tracy’ di Vicenzo in the Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) was born 20 July 1938. Who was she?
Diana Rigg
Jill St. John
Shirley Eaton
Answer: Diana Rigg
Dame Enid Rigg was an English actress known for roles in The Avengers, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and Game of Thrones. She won a Tony Award for her role in Medea and received numerous accolades for her contributions to drama.
All three were Bond Girls with Jill St John appearing as Tiffany Case in Diamonds Are Forever and Shirley Eaton as Jill Masterson in Goldfinger.
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Image Wikipedia
Two
Edmund Hillary, one of the first two men to reach the summit of Mount Everest, was born 20 July 1919. In what city was he born?
Auckland, New Zealand
Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Canberra, Australia
Answer: Auckland, New Zealand
In 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay of the 1953 British Mount Everest expedition became the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest using the South Col route. The news of their success reached London on the morning of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.
Claus von Stauffenberg, a German army officer, is most renowned for his unsuccessful attempt on 20 July 1944, to assassinate Adolf Hitler. At which of Hitler’s headquarters was this attempt executed?
Felsennest, (Rocky Eyrie), Bad Münstereifel
Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle’s Nest), above Obersalzberg near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria
Wolfsschanze (Wolf’s Lair), East Prussia
Answer: Wolfsschanze (Wolf’s Lair), East Prussia
On 20 July 1944, German resistance members, led by Claus von Stauffenberg, attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler and overthrow the Nazi regime. The assassination attempt failed, and the subsequent coup d’état, codenamed ‘Operation Valkyrie’, was quickly suppressed by the Nazi regime, resulting in the execution of many conspirators including von Stauffenberg.
On 20 July 1992, Václav Havel resigned as president of…
Albania
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
Answer: Czechoslovakia
In 1990, Czechoslovakia held its first free elections in 44 years, resulting in a victory for Civic Forum and Public Against Violence. Despite increasing tensions and the Slovak Declaration of Independence, Václav Havel supported the retention of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic and resigned as president in 1992. When the Czech Republic was created as one of two successor states, Havel successfully stood for election as its first president on 26 January 1993.
Aldrin next to the Passive Seismic Experiment Package with the Lunar Module Eagle in the background. Image Wikipedia
Five
On July 20, 1969, during the Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin (Buzz Aldrin) landed on the Moon in the Lunar Module Eagle. How long did they remain on the Moon between the Eagle’s landing and the ascent stage’s departure for their return journey?
21 hours and 36 minutes
24 hours and 3 minutes
32 hours and 28 minutes
Answer: 21 hours and 36 minutes
On 20 July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended to the Moon’s surface in the Eagle lunar module. During the descent, they encountered programme alarms and navigated through a boulder-strewn area. Armstrong successfully landed Eagle with only 216 pounds of fuel remaining, signalling to Mission Control, ‘Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed’.
After a longer-than-expected preparation period, Armstrong became the first human to step onto the Moon’s surface, famously declaring, ‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’.
Armstrong and Aldrin deployed scientific instruments, collected rock samples, and planted a flag on the Moon and left behind memorial items, including a message disk with goodwill statements from world leaders. After a 21 hours and 36 minutes, they safely lifted off in the LM ascent stage to rejoin Michael Collins in lunar orbit.
Quizology.Online 
