Firstly, on 11 February in which year did the first science fiction piece ever aired on television make its debut?
A. 1938
B. 1945
C. 1950
Secondly, the play that was adapted for this television programme had, when originally published in 1920, introduced a new word to the English language. What was that word?
A. Cyborg
B. Droid
C. Robot
The answer will be posted later today.
C. Jasper
Puss Gets the Boot is a 1940 American animated short film, the first in the Tom and Jerry series. It is based on the Aesop’s Fable, The Cat and the Mice. It was released to cinemas by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on 10 February 1940.
Jasper, a cat, torments a mouse, leading to a series of misadventures. The mouse outwits Jasper, framing him for breaking a flowerpot and later dishes, resulting in Jasper being kicked out of the house. The mouse celebrates his victory, enjoying the spoils of his triumph.
Puss Gets the Boot (10 February 1940) marked the debut of the Tom and Jerry series. In this initial instalment, the mouse remains unnamed, while the feline antagonist is given a name. What is the name of the cat?
A. Jacob
B. Jason
C. Jasper
The answer will be posted later
Norway
The Svalbard Treaty, signed in 1920, recognizes Norway’s sovereignty over the archipelago while granting equal commercial rights to signatories. The treaty restricts military use and establishes a visa-free zone, with 48 parties to the treaty as of 2024.
Svalbard is located in the Arctic Ocean, north of mainland Europe. The largest island, Spitsbergen, is home to the largest settlement, Longyearbyen. Spitsbergen, the original name of the archipelago, comes from Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz, who described the pointed mountains (Dutch, spitse bergen) he saw on the west coast of the main island in 1596.
On 9 February 1920 The Svalbard Treaty (originally the Spitsbergen Treaty) was signed, recognising ___’s sovereignty over the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.
What nation’s name fills the blank in the above statement?
The answer will be posted later today.
Firstly: C. Jules Verne
Secondly: Around the World in Eighty Days
Phileas Fogg, a wealthy Englishman, embarks on a journey around the world to win a wager. Along the way, he rescues Aouda from sati (being burned on her late husband’s funeral pyre) and encounters Detective Fix, who believes Fogg is a bank robber. Despite facing numerous challenges and delays, Fogg returns to London just in time to win the wager and marry Aouda.
The three authors were all born on February 8th: Dickens in 1812, Verne in 1828 and Lewis in 1885.
Firstly, one of these authors, born on February 8th, penned a novel which included the characters Aouda, a beautiful Indian woman, and Mr. Fix, a detective. Which author?
A. Charles Dickens
B. Sinclair Lewis
C. Jules Verne
Secondly, what was the title of the novel referred to above? (No multiple-choice this time)
The answers will follow later today.
Pinocchio
Pinocchio, a classic animated musical fantasy film from 1940 brought to life by Walt Disney Productions. It’s loosely based on Carlo Collodi’s beloved 1883 Italian children’s novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio. This was Disney’s second animated feature film after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).
Pinocchio made history as the first animated feature to win a competitive Academy Award! It won two awards: Best Original Score, Best Music, and Best Original Song for When You Wish Upon a Star.
On February 7, 1940, a Walt Disney animation made its debut at the Centre Theatre in New York City. This movie went on to become the first animated feature to win an Academy Award.
What was the film?
Elizabeth II, Kenya
As George VI’s health got worse in 1951, his daughter and heir Princess Elizabeth often took over his duties. In early 1952, she and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, set out to travel to Australia and New Zealand via Kenya but on 6 February 1952, at Sagana Lodge in Kenya, they received the news that George VI had died due to a coronary thrombosis. She was now Queen Elizabeth II.
Elizabeth’s 70-year and 214-day reign is the longest in British history, the second-longest in any country, and the longest of any queen regnant.
Quizology Online 