Today’s first question centres around the date 12th July and a Wild West legend. The subsequent questions aren’t date-related but continue the legend theme.
One
On 12 July 1861, Wild Bill Hickok supposedly fought his first gunfight in which three men died. Hickok was acquitted in court after claiming self-defence. The court papers referred to Hickok by which of these names: Dollar Bill; Double Bill or Duck Bill?
Two
In which Rossini opera is Gesler, the Austrian governor of Uri and Schwyz, the villain?
Three
Born Robert MacGregor, this Scottish Jacobite outlaw and folk hero inspired a novel, a play, an operetta and several films. What was he better known as?
Four
Gjergj Kastrioti, known as Skanderbeg, is a national hero from the 15th century. In what modern-day country is he a hero for uniting principalities and influencing national awakening?
Five
Which of these is a film that is the 1993 retelling of the Robin Hood story?
Today’s first question is about the date 11 July. The other questions aren’t date-related but share a theme beginning with the first question.
One
At dawn on 11 July 1804, the U.S. vice president took part in a duel which resulted in Alexander Hamilton being fatally wounded.
Who was the vice president involved in this duel
What was Hamilton’s senior role in the U.S. government of George Washington between September 1789 and January 1795?
Answers
Aaron Burr
1st United States Secretary of the Treasury The Burr–Hamilton duel occurred on July 11, 1804, in Weehawken, New Jersey, between U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr and former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. Burr fatally shot Hamilton, weakening the Federalist Party and ending Burr’s career. The duel followed a long-standing political rivalry and was near Hamilton’s son’s duel site. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical Hamilton, based on Ron Chernow’s biography, debuted in 2015 and received critical acclaim, winning numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and 11 Tony Awards. The musical’s popularity even influenced the decision to keep Alexander Hamilton on the ten-dollar bill.
Two
The US vice-president referred to in question one was in that role during which president’s first term?
Answer: Thomas Jefferson
Aaron Burr Jr. (1756-1836) was the third US vice president (1801-1805) and a Democratic-Republican. He is remembered for the above duel and his conspiracy to form an independent country.
Three
Who was Richard Nixon’s first Vice President?
Answer: Spiro Agnew.
Spiro Agnew, the 39th U.S. vice president, served from 1969 to 1973 under Nixon. A Republican, he was Maryland’s governor and Baltimore County executive. Agnew resigned amid a tax evasion investigation, unrelated to Watergate. He later wrote a memoir and novel, blaming Zionists for his downfall, and died in 1996.
Four
Which TV crime drama’s theme tune was a Billboard Hot 100 number one for Jan Hammer in 1985?
Answer: Miami Vice, aka Miami Vice Theme.
Miami Vice Theme by Jan Hammer, the theme song for the TV series, topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985 and won Grammy Awards in 1986. The music video features Hammer as a fugitive, performing the theme while being chased by the show’s main characters.
Five
What former U.K. Deputy Prime Minister became Facebook’s vice-president of global affairs and communications in 2018?
Answer: Nick Clegg.
Sir Nicholas Clegg, born in 1967, was UK Deputy Prime Minister (2010-2015) and Liberal Democrat leader (2007-2015). Educated at Cambridge, he served as an MEP and MP. Clegg’s coalition with Conservatives led to controversy over tuition fees. Post-politics, he joined Facebook, becoming vice-president for global affairs and communications, a post he left in 2025. In 2026, Clegg joined the board of British AI startup NScale.
Vice Versa
The title originates from Latin and translates to ‘in-turned position’. It doesn’t have any direct relevance to today’s question aside from the word “vice” which appears in each question and answer groupings.
The first question concerns today’s date, 10th July. The others aren’t date-related but connect to the first.
One
On 10 July 1985, the flagship of a campaigning organisation sank after explosions caused by two bombs planted by agents of the Directorate General for External Security. Four questions:
What was the name of the ship?
For what campaigning organisation was it the flagship?
At a harbour in what city did the sinking occur?
What nationality was the organisation which planted the bombs?
Answers
Rainbow Warrior
Greenpeace
Auckland, New Zealand
French
The sinking of Rainbow Warrior on 10 July 1985, codenamed Opération Satanique, was a French state-terrorism act. The Rainbow Warrior was docked in Auckland prior to sailing to lead planned protests against French nuclear testing at Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia in the South Pacific. Two French operatives sank the Greenpeace ship in Auckland, killing photographer Fernando Pereira. France initially denied involvement but later apologised, paid reparations, and the agents served two years in French Polynesia.
Two
This 1947 musical is set in ‘Missitucky’, U.S. and features a newly arrived Irishman, his daughter and a leprechaun named Og. What is this musical?
Answer: Finian’s Rainbow.
Finian’s Rainbow follows Irishman Finian and daughter Sharon in Missitucky (a concoction of Missi-ssippi and Ken-tucky), where he buries a stolen leprechaun’s gold, believing wealth will follow. Leprechaun Og pursues the gold, turning increasingly human. A wish leads to chaos: transforming a bigoted senator, while love blossoms, and moral lessons unfold about dreams, humanity, prejudice, and the folly of greed.
Three
Which metallic element derives its name from the Greek goddess of the rainbow?
Answer: Iridium
iridium /ɪˈrɪdiəm, ʌɪˈrɪdiəm/ ♫ ▶ noun [mass noun] (Symbol: Ir) the chemical element of atomic number 77, a hard, dense silvery-white metal. Iridium is a member of the transition series and is one of the densest metals. Iridium–platinum alloys are hard and corrosion-resistant and are used in jewellery and for electrical contacts – ORIGIN early 19th century: modern Latin, from Latin iris, irid– ‘rainbow’ (so named because it forms compounds of various colours). — Oxford English Dictionary
Four
What is the common name for the bird pictured at the top of this post?
Answer: Rainbow lorikeet.
Rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus), a parrot species native to Australia, inhabit rainforests, coastal bush, and woodlands along the eastern seaboard. Rainbow lorikeets are medium-sized parrots with bright, colourful plumage. Males and females are visually indistinguishable, requiring surgical sexing or DNA analysis to determine sex.
Five
A ballad by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg was written for a 1939 film where it would be sung by a character whose name in part is ‘Gale’. The song contains a reference to bluebirds.
What is the song?
What is the full name of ‘Gale’?
What is the film?
Answers
Over the Rainbow
Dorothy Gale
The Wizard of Oz
Over the Rainbow, a ballad by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, was sung by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz (1939). It won an Academy Award, became Garland’s signature song, and was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2017 for its cultural significance.
Over the Rainbow
Somewhere over the rainbow way up high There’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true
Someday I’ll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds are far Behind me Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That’s where you’ll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly Birds fly over the rainbow Why then, oh, why can’t I?
If happy little bluebirds fly Beyond the rainbow Why, oh, why can’t I? — AZ Lyrics
ROYGBIV
The mnemonic ROYGBIV helps remember the colours of the rainbow: Richard of York gave battle in vain.
(mnemonic) A mnemonic phrase to help remember the order of the seven colours of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Wiktionary
See question four. …? (Trichoglossus moluccanus moluccanus), Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question concerns today’s date, 10th July. The others aren’t date-related but connect to the first.
One
On 10 July 1985, the flagship of a campaigning organisation sank after explosions caused by two bombs planted by agents of the Directorate General for External Security. Four questions:
What was the name of the ship?
For what campaigning organisation was it the flagship?
At a harbour in what city did the sinking occur?
What nationality was the organisation which planted the bombs?
Two
This 1947 musical is set in ‘Missitucky’, U.S. and features a newly arrived Irishman, his daughter and a leprechaun named Og. What is this musical?
Three
Which metallic element derives its name from the Greek goddess of the rainbow?
Four
What is the common name for the bird pictured at the top of this post?
Five
A ballad by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg was written for a 1939 film where it would be sung by a character whose name in part is ‘Gale’. The song contains a reference to bluebirds.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs theatrical poster. Image Wikimedia Commons
Today’s questions are not date related but are all connected by type.
One
The 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was adapted from a 1812 fairy tale by whom? In this film, which dwarf was beardless?
Answer: Brothers Grimm; Dopey.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American animated musical fantasy film based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. It was Walt Disney’s first feature-length animated film and the first major American film photographed in Technicolour. The film was a critical and commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1938 and is considered a landmark in animation history. Dopey, a dwarf in the film, is beardless, unlike the others; bald with pale skin, and unique attire, of a purple stocking cap and medieval-style shoes.
Two
In the 1988 comedy fantasy Who Framed Roger Rabbit what is the name of the human judge, and what animated animals make up the judge’s Toon Patrol?
Answer: Judge Doom; Weasels.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 fantasy comedy directed by Robert Zemeckis, blending live-action and animation. Based on Gary K. Wolf’s novel, it stars Bob Hoskins and Christopher Lloyd, with Charles Fleischer voicing Roger Rabbit. Set in 1947 Hollywood, it follows private investigator Eddie Valiant helping Roger, framed for murder. Produced by Steven Spielberg, it was filmed in England. Released by Disney, it grossed $351 million, won three Oscars, and revived American animation. In 2016, the film was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
Three
The Yankee Doodle…, a 1943 Tom and Jerry cartoon became the first in the series to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. What is the film’s complete title, and what real-world conflict inspired the pseudo-warfare style and military references in the film?
Answer: The Yankee Doodle Mouse; World War II.
The 1943 animated short The Yankee Doodle Mouse, featuring Tom and Jerry, won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. In this film, Tom and Jerry engage in a series of comedic battles, with Jerry outsmarting Tom at every turn. Despite Tom’s various attempts to catch Jerry, including using a mallet, dynamite, and a rocket, Jerry’s cleverness and agility always prevail. The story culminates with Tom being sent flying into the sky on a rocket, leaving Jerry to celebrate his victory.
Four
In the 2025 film Zootopia 2, who is the Chief of the Zootopia Police Department? What actor voices the character and what animal is it?
Answer: Chief Bogo; Idris Elba; African buffalo.
Zootopia 2, directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, is a 2025 animated film featuring Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde pursuing a pit viper. The film, starring Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, grossed $1.870 billion, won Best Animated Feature at the BAFTAs, and received numerous award nominations.
Five
The 1948 cartoon I Taw a Putty Tat stars which two characters, which were both voiced by the same voice actor. Who were the two star characters and who was the voice actor?
Answer: Tweety and Sylvester the Cat
I Taw a Putty Tat, a 1948 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Friz Freleng, premiered in April 1948. The short stars Tweety, the yellow canary, and Sylvester the cat, both voiced by Mel Blanc. Bea Benaderet provides the uncredited voice of the lady of the house, seen only from the neck down as she talks on the phone. This is the first film to feature Tweety’s speech-impaired term for a cat. Mel Blanc, known as ‘The Man of a Thousand Voices’, was an American voice actor and radio personality. He voiced numerous characters for Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoons, including Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, and later voiced characters for Hanna-Barbera’s television cartoons.
Whistle While You Work
The post title Whistle While You Work is a song from Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, performed by Adriana Caselotti. It was featured in the 1979 stage adaptation and appears in the 2025 live-action remake.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs theatrical poster. Image Wikimedia Commons
Today’s questions are not date related but are all connected by type.
One
The 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was adapted from a 1812 fairy tale by whom? In this film, which dwarf was beardless?
Two
In the 1988 comedy fantasy Who Framed Roger Rabbit what is the name of the human judge, and what animated animals make up the judge’s Toon Patrol?
Three
The Yankee Doodle…, a 1943 Tom and Jerry cartoon became the first in the series to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. What is the film’s complete title, and what real-world conflict inspired the pseudo-warfare style and military references in the film?
Four
In the 2025 film Zootopia 2, who is the Chief of the Zootopia Police Department? What actor voices the character and what animal is it?
Five
The 1948 cartoon I Taw a Putty Tat stars which two characters, which were both voiced by the same voice actor. Who were the two star characters and who was the voice actor?
Aerial photo taken over Lake Cote, Costa Rica, by Sergio Loaiza (1971) Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question is related to today’s date, while the remainder are not alienated from question one..
One
On 8 July 1947, U.S. Army Air Force personnel issued a press release regarding a flying disc which had landed on a ranch. The ranch was near what city, and in what state is that city?
Answer: Roswell, New Mexico.
On 8 July, Roswell Army Air Field’s public information officer, Walter Haut, issued a press release.
The many rumors regarding the flying disc became a reality yesterday when the intelligence office of the 509th Bomb group of the Eighth Air Force, Roswell Army Air Field, was fortunate enough to gain possession of a disc through the cooperation of one of the local ranchers and the sheriff’s office of Chaves County. The flying object landed on a ranch near Roswell sometime last week. Not having phone facilities, the rancher stored the disc until such time as he was able to contact the sheriff’s office, who in turn notified Maj. Jesse A. Marcel of the 509th Bomb Group Intelligence Office. — Associated Press (July 8, 1947)
The press release was refuted within a day. The official position changed to the debris coming from a weather balloon.
Two
In The X-Files, FBI agent Fox Mulder had a poster featuring a UFO above trees on the wall of his office. What four words were written on the lower part of the poster?
Answer: I Want to Believe.
Mulder acquired multiple versions of the ‘I Want to Believe’ poster, starting with a flat UFO design and evolving to a fatter UFO. The poster, a constant in his office, survived a fire and was swapped out for newer versions over the years. In 2016, a fifth version appeared in his Virginia office, and a similar one was seen in the FBI office, with Scully claiming it as hers.
Three
What fictional spacecraft shares its name with a 1904 Joseph Conrad novel, and in what did this spacecraft first appear?
Answer: Nostromo; Alien.
Joseph Conrad’s 1904 novel, Nostromo, is set in the fictional South American republic of Costaguana. It is considered Conrad’s best work and was ranked 47th on the Modern Library 100 Best Novels list. Alien (1979), directed by Ridley Scott, is a seminal sci-fi horror film about the Nostromo, named after Conrad’s novel, crew encountering a deadly alien. It won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and its iconic design, suspense, and Sigourney Weaver’s performance made it a classic, spawning a successful franchise.
Four
Elvis Presley found working as a bar singer on an alien planet in a novel which is part of a comedy science fiction franchise. What is the title of both the novel and the comedy science fiction franchise?
Answer: Mostly Harmless; The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
In the novel Mostly Harmless, Elvis is discovered by Ford Prefect and Arthur Dent working as a bar singer on an alien planet, and owning a large pink spaceship. Ford, having become a huge fan of Elvis while he was stranded on Earth, watched the performance intently for its entire duration. Presley is not actually named, but his identity is easy to determine from the facts that the bar is called ‘The Domain of The King’, the ‘EP’ initials in the pink spaceship which Ford and Arthur buy from him, and the accent in which he sings. He tells Ford that, contrary to popular belief, he was not abducted by aliens; he went with them of his own free will.
Five
‘Na-Nu Na-Nu’ was an alien greeting used in a sitcom which was a Happy Days spin-off. What alien character said ‘Na-Nu Na-Nu’, what planet was he from, and who played him in the sitcom?
Answer: Mork; Ork; Robin Williams.
Mork, played by Robin Williams, first appeared in Happy Days in 1978. The character’s popularity led to the spin-off Mork & Mindy, set in Boulder, Colorado. Mork, an alien from the planet Ork, arrives on Earth to observe human behaviour and befriends Mindy, who helps him adjust to life on Earth, resulting in humorous situations as Mork struggles to understand human customs. The show, which was Robin Williams’s first major acting role, was extremely popular in its first season but later faced declining ratings after being moved to a less favourable time slot.
The Truth is Out There
Was the tagline for the majority of the episode of The X-Files.
Aerial photo taken over Lake Cote, Costa Rica, by Sergio Loaiza (1971) Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question is related to today’s date, while the remainder are not alienated from question one..
One
On 8 July 1947, U.S. Army Air Force personnel issued a press release regarding a flying disc which had landed on a ranch. The ranch was near what city, and in what state is that city?
Two
In The X-Files, FBI agent Fox Mulder had a poster featuring a UFO above trees on the wall of his office. What four words were written on the lower part of the poster?
Three
What fictional spacecraft shares its name with a 1904 Joseph Conrad novel, and in what did this spacecraft first appear?
Four
Elvis Presley found working as a bar singer on an alien planet in a novel which is part of a comedy science fiction franchise. What is the title of both the novel and the comedy science fiction franchise?
Five
‘Na-Nu Na-Nu’ was an alien greeting used in a sitcom which was a Happy Days spin-off. What alien character said ‘Na-Nu Na-Nu’, what planet was he from, and who played him in the sitcom?
Fresh brown loaf sliced to uniform thickness by a bread slicing machine. Image Wikimedia Commons
All of today’s questions relate to the date, 7 July.
One
On this day, bread loaves that had been pre-sliced by a machine designed by jeweller Otto Rohwedder were sold for the first time. In what decade and on what continent did this occur?
Answer: 1920s; North America.
Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented the first bread-slicing machine, with a working model in 1928. The Chillicothe Baking Company, Chillicothe, Missouri, U.S., sold the first sliced bread on 7 July 1928. Gustav Papendick improved slicing by using cardboard trays, and W.E. Long promoted packaging. Wonder Bread marketed sliced bread nationwide in 1930. The first slicing and wrapping machine in the UK was installed at Wonderloaf Bakery, Tottenham, London, in 1937. By the 1950s, approximately 80% of bread sold in Britain was pre-sliced, reflecting a significant shift in bread consumption habits and bakery practices during that era.
Two
The archipelago in which the six-month-long World War II Battle of Guadalcanal took place gained independence in 1978. By what name is this island country known today, and what country did it gain independence from?
Answer: Solomon Islands; Great Britain.
The Solomon Islands, an archipelagic country in Melanesia, consists of six major islands and over 1,000 smaller islands. Settled since at least 30,000 BC, it became a British protectorate in 1893 and gained independence in 1978, becoming a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II as queen, succeeded by King Charles III in 2022.
Three
Also in 1978, Martina Navratilova won the first of her Wimbledon singles titles. Who was the defeated semi-finalist in that match, and how many singles titles did Navratilova win at Wimbledon in total?
Answer: Chris Evert; nine.
Martina Navratilova, a Czech-American former tennis player, dominated women’s tennis in the 1980s. She holds numerous records, including 18 singles majors, 31 women’s doubles majors, and 10 mixed doubles majors. Navratilova, who became a US citizen in 1981 and later reacquired Czech citizenship, is also known for her activism on gay rights.
Four
The final film adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter book series premiered in London. What was the film’s title, and in what year was this?
Answer: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2; 2011.
The Harry Potter series, written by J.K. Rowling, follows the life of a young wizard and his friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The series explores themes of prejudice, corruption, love, and death, and has sold over 600 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling book series in history. The franchise has expanded to include films, a play, a television series, and various other derivative works.
Five
On this day in 1937, an incident occurred at the Marco Polo Bridge between troops of two armies. This became the first incident in a war that lasted eight years. In what country is the Marco Polo Bridge? The belligerents in this war were a republic and an empire. Who were they?
Answer: China; Republic of China and the Empire of Japan.
The Marco Polo Bridge, officially the Lugou Bridge, located southwest of Beijing, is famous for its praise by Marco Polo and the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which sparked the Second Sino-Japanese War. This war, referred to in China as the War of Resistance Against Japan, was a conflict between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, along with its puppet states, from 1937 to 1945. This war followed a localised conflict in Manchuria that began in 1931. It is frequently considered the start of World War II in Asia, as the two wars became closely linked after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. It stands as the largest Asian war of the 20th century.
The best thing since sliced bread
the best thing since sliced bread (also the greatest thing since sliced bread) informal used to emphasize one’s enthusiasm about a new idea, person, or thing: they think that she is the greatest thing since sliced bread. — Oxford English Dictionary
