All of today’s questions relate to February 4th, and each of them has at least one place in the answer, although there may be other requirements to the answer.
Image Wikimedia Commons
One
The flag shown above represents a modern country which gained independence from Great Britain on this date in 1948. What was the country’s name at independence, and to what was that name changed in 1972?
Two
Roman emperor Septimius Severus died at Eboracum on this date in 211 CE. What modern city was Roman Eboracum, and in what country is it located?
Three
The Yalta Conference opened on this day in 1945 in the final stages of Second World War and was the second meeting of the ‘Big Three’ allied leaders. On what peninsula is Yalta located and who were the three allied leaders?
Four
In what year was Facebook founded, and which university campus did it originally launch from?
Five
Charles Lindbergh was born on this day in 1902. He was an American aviator who made the first non-stop solo transatlantic flight in his aircraft, Spirit of St. Louis. In what decade did he make this flight, and where were his departure and destination locations?
A German composer who was born this day in 1809 wrote an 1830 overture which has been credited with popularising Fingal’s Cave as a tourist destination. Who was the composer, and in what country is the cave located?
Answer: Felix Mendelssohn; Scotland.
Fingal’s Cave, popularised by Mendelssohn’s overture, inspired many 19th-century artists and writers, including Verne, Wordsworth, Keats, and Turner, and more recently Pink Floyd. Its unique basalt columns and echoing chambers captivated visitors like Sir Walter Scott and Queen Victoria. The cave continues to inspire modern artists, featuring in films and exhibitions.
Two
In a Beatles’ song, the lyrics in verses I and III respectively mention a barber showing photographs and a fireman with an hourglass. Where are these characters located?
Answer: Penny Lane.
Penny Lane, a Beatles song written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, was inspired by a Liverpool street familiar to both. The song, evoking nostalgic childhood memories, was released in 1967 and topped the US Billboard Hot 100.
Three
An unexpected pairing led to this 1987 song, which has been described as ‘a spectacular blend of rock and opera, celebrating both the city of __ and the Olympic spirit with its grandiose composition’. What is both the name of the city and the song; and what are the names of the rock legend and world-famous soprano who formed the pairing?
Answer: Barcelona; Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé
Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé’s iconic song Barcelona was performed at the 1992 Olympics opening ceremony a year after Mercury’s death. The song, a collaboration between the rock legend and the operatic soprano, was recorded in 1987 and became a hit single. Mercury’s love for opera and his admiration for Caballé led to this memorable musical pairing.
Four
What place is in the title of a 1938 novel by Graham Greene and a 1974 song by Queen?
Answer: Brighton.
Both are set in Brighton, England. Brighton Rock is the title of both Greene’s novel and Queen’s song. Queen’s song, written by Brian May in 1973, features a famous guitar solo and was on the 1974 album Sheer Heart Attack. It gained renewed popularity after being featured in the 2017 film Baby Driver. Graham Greene’s 1938 novel is a murder thriller set in Brighton. It explores moral issues, class privilege, and evil.
Five
Sinfonia Antartica, which premiered in 1953 incorporated music from the 1948 film Scott of the Antarctic. Who composed Sinfonia Antartica?
Answer: Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Vaughan Williams composed his Seventh Symphony, Sinfonia Antartica, inspired by the musical score he had written for the film Scott of the Antarctic depicting Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated 1912 Terra Nova Expedition to the South Pole. The film, shot in Technicolour, follows Scott’s fundraising efforts, the expedition’s journey, and the tragic deaths of Scott and his team on their return journey from the pole.
A German composer who was born this day in 1809 wrote an 1830 overture which has been credited with popularising Fingal’s Cave as a tourist destination. Who was the composer, and in what country is the cave located?
Two
In a Beatles’ song, the lyrics in verses I and III respectively mention a barber showing photographs and a fireman with an hourglass. Where are these characters located?
Three
An unexpected pairing led to this 1987 song, which has been described as ‘a spectacular blend of rock and opera, celebrating both the city of __ and the Olympic spirit with its grandiose composition’. What is both the name of the city and the song; and what are the names of the rock legend and world-famous soprano who formed the pairing?
Four
What place is in the title of a 1938 novel by Graham Greene and a 1974 song by Queen?
Five
Sinfonia Antartica, which premiered in 1953 incorporated music from the 1948 film Scott of the Antarctic. Who composed Sinfonia Antartica?
Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.
Today’s questions revolve around animals but the specific types are concealed within capitalised anagrams. The solution lies in identifying the animal type hidden within the anagram.
SING ODE to wild, perhaps half-domesticated, members of the family Canidae.
Answer: Dingoes
dingo, (Canis lupus dingo, Canis dingo), member of the family Canidae native to Australia. Most authorities regard dingoes as a subspecies of the wolf (Canis lupus dingo); however, some authorities consider dingoes to be their own species (C. dingo). The name dingo is also used to describe wild dogs of Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and New Guinea.
LAID MORALS are nocturnal insectivorous mammals, which are found from South America to southern North America; they have large claws for digging and a body covered in bony plates.
Answer: Armadillos
Armadillos (Spanish for ‘little armoured ones’) are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are distinguished by the number of bands on their armour.
HEATHER TWIGS ARK while Peter Benchley researched this species, Carcharodon carcharias.
Answer: Great white shark
The great white was the villain in Peter Benchley’s novel Jaws and its film adaptation by Steven Spielberg. The white shark, a vulnerable apex predator, is widely protected due to its low productivity and human impacts. Despite being well-studied, many questions about its abundance, life history, habitats, and movements remain unanswered.
Four
PUP DULY BLACKLISTED when a specimen arrived in England, it was assumed to be a hoax or practical joke.
Answer: Duckbilled platypus (aka platypus)
When the first platypus specimen reached England from Australia in 1799, the scientific community claimed that it was a hoax. On closer investigation, dubious European naturalists eventually declared it to be real, though in an age obsessed with classification, the category-defying platypus sparked heated debates across Europe for a century.
— Publishers note for Platypus: The Extraordinary Story of How a Curious Creature Baffled the World by Ann Mayal.*
Five
A ‘water boa’ has another name which can be unravelled from DANCE GOER NANA.
Answer: Green anaconda
The green anaconda, the largest snake in the world by mass and length, is dark green with black spots and can grow up to 10 metres long. It feeds on aquatic and amphibious animals, and cannibalism has been observed.
*Moyal, Ann. Platypus: The Extraordinary Story of How a Curious Creature Baffled the World*. United States: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004.
Geese migrating. Which has no relevance to today’s questions. Image Wikimedia Commons
Today’s questions revolve around animals but the specific types are concealed within capitalised anagrams. The solution lies in identifying the animal type hidden within the anagram.
One
SING ODE to wild, perhaps half-domesticated, members of the family Canidae.
Two
LAID MORALS are nocturnal insectivorous mammals, which are found from South America to southern North America; they have large claws for digging and a body covered in bony plates.
Three
HEATHER TWIGS ARK while Peter Benchley researched this species, Carcharodon carcharias.
Four
PUP DULY BLACKLISTED when a specimen arrived in England, it was assumed to be a hoax or practical joke.
Five
A ‘water boa’ has another name which can be unravelled from DANCE GOER NANA.
In 2021, the military of this country staged a coup d’état, ousting the country’s de facto leader. What country and who was the de facto leader?
Answer: Myanmar; Aung San Suu Kyi
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, is a Southeast Asian country with a population of about 55 million. Aung San Suu Kyi, a prominent politician, State Counsellor, and Nobel laureate, faced criticism for her leadership and was arrested following the 2021 military coup.
In 1946, who was elected as this organisation’s first head and what was their title?
Answer: Trygve Lie; Secretary-General of the United Nations
Trygve Lie, the first UN Secretary-General, served from 1946 to 1952. He resigned due to Soviet opposition stemming from his support for UN intervention in the Korean War. Lie also faced challenges from McCarthyism in the United States.
Today’s remaining questions continue the flag theme but are not related to the date.
Nepal stands alone as the only modern nation without a rectangular national flag. The flag, which was adopted in 1962, consists of two united pennant shapes, crimson with blue borders, and decorated with stylised sun and moon symbols. It uses traditional designs with symbolic elements representing bravery, peace and Nepal’s national flower.
What does it signify if a ship in harbour displays this international maritime signal flag as a single flag?
Answer: All persons should report on board as the vessel is about to proceed to sea.
In English, the flag is known as the Blue Peter. It represents the letter ‘P’ if being used with other flags to spell out a message, and when flown on its own, in a harbour, it is an indication that the ship is preparing to depart, and all crew and passengers should report onboard.
This national flag was raised for the first time at the UN headquarters in 2015. Where does it represent?
Answer: Vatican City State (or Holy See)
The flag of Vatican City, adopted in 1929, features a vertical yellow and white bicolour with the emblem of the Holy See. It symbolises the Catholic faith and can be displayed at Catholic churches.
True or false: ferries operating between Gothenburg, Sweden, and Frederikshavn in Denmark cross the Kattegat.
Answer: True
The Swedish company Stena Line operates between Gothenburg/Frederikshavn in Denmark. The Kattegat is a 140-mile (225 km) long strait which is linked to the North Sea by the Skagerrak and to the Baltic Sea by the Øresund.
Two
True or false: Humphrey Bogart’s character name in The African Queen (1951) was Charlie Allnut.
Answer: True
The African Queen was a John Huston film based on C.S. Forester’s 1935 novel of the same name. Bogart starred as Charlie Allnut alongside Katharine Hepburn as Rose Sayer.
Three
True or false: Harald Hardrada was the king of England who died at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066.
Answer: False
Hardrada was an epithet of Harald Sigurdsson, king of Norway, who did die in England that year, but on 25 September 1066 when he was defeated by the forces of Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Godwinson, aka Harold II, king of England, died at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066 to be succeeded by William I (William the Conqueror).
Four
True or false: the film The Exorcist was based on the novel of the same name written by Stephen King.
Answer: False
The Exorcist (1973) is a horror film about a young girl’s demonic possession and the priests’ exorcism attempt. It was based on a screenplay by William Peter Blatty, which itself was based on his 1971 novel of the same name.
Five
True or false: pangolins are only native to Africa.
Answer: False
Pangolins are armoured placental mammals found in tropical Asia and Africa. They are nocturnal, feed mainly on termites, and defend themselves by rolling into a ball. Pangolins are the only mammals covered in scales and are threatened by poaching not only for meat but for their scales, which are used in traditional medicine. They are also believed to be a potential intermediate host for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
On 30 January 1945, the greatest maritime disaster in history occurred as the German ocean liner Wilhelm Gustloff was sunk. In what body of water was this sinking, and approximately how many people perished?
Answer: Baltic Sea; ≈ 9,000 lives were lost
The MV Wilhelm Gustloff, a German ocean liner originally built as a cruise ship for the Nazi Strength Through Joy organisation, was sunk by a Soviet submarine S-13 in the Baltic Sea on 30 January 1945, during Operation Hannibal. The ship, carrying an estimated 10,000 people, including refugees and military personnel, sank in one hour after being hit by three torpedoes. This disaster resulted in the greatest maritime disaster in history, with an estimated 8,761 to 9,343 casualties. Despite the high civilian death toll, the sinking is not considered a war crime due to the presence of military personnel and weapons on board.
Two
On this day in 1847, Yerba Buena became what North American city?
Answer: San Francisco
Yerba Buena (good herb), now San Francisco, was claimed by the US in 1846 during the Mexican-American War. The city became a US military territory in 1848 and was admitted to the Union as a state in 1850.
Three
Charles I, king of England, Scotland, and Ireland, was executed in London. In what decade did this occur?
Answer: 1640s
Charles I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1625 to 1649, believed in the divine right of kings and clashed with Parliament over his policies, including taxation without consent and religious reforms. His actions led to the English Civil War, his defeat, and his execution for high treason in 1649. The monarchy was abolished but restored in 1660 with his son, Charles II.
Four
Oliver Cromwell was one of the regicides responsible for Charles I’s execution. What happened to Cromwell two years after his own death?
Answer: He was disinterred and ritually executed.
Oliver Cromwell, who had died in 1658, was subjected to a posthumous execution. His body was disinterred, hanged at Tyburn, and beheaded. Then it was thrown into a pit and his head placed on a spike at the end of Westminster Hall facing the spot where Charles I had been executed.
Five
On this day in 1931 City Lights premiered. The film was written, produced, directed by, and starred whom?
Answer: Charlie Chaplin
City Lights is a 1931 American romantic comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. The film, which follows the Tramp’s misadventures, was released with a synchronised musical score and sound effects despite the rise of talking pictures. City Lights was a critical and commercial success, and is considered one of Chaplin’s greatest films.
Good Herb
The post title is the translation of Yerba Buena, which is now the city of San Francisco. See question two.
Quizology Online 