Quizology.Online

A Serious Pursuit of the Trivial

  • Miscellany II

    Full Moon
    Image Wikipedia

    Here are a few questions which have no connections they are simply miscellany.

    1. US President Jimmy Carter was a farmer, what type of farming was he involved in?
      • Avocado
      • Peanut
      • Zucchini
    2. What the second-largest river on earth by discharge?
      • Ganges
      • Mississippi
      • Yangtze
    3. Brittany’s Brocéliande Forest (aka Paimpont Forest) is the site of the tomb of which legendary magical figure?
      • Circe
      • Merlin
      • Witch of Endor
    4. In 1969, the first wrist watch to be worn on the Moon was manufactured by…
      • Bulova
      • Omega
      • Rolex
    5. A person who’s actions are controlled by another could be described as a …
      • Quaalude
      • Quillaja
      • Quockerwodger
    Ancient Greek Terracotta dolls.
    National Archaeological Museum in Athens/Wikipedia

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Miscellany | Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier today. The answers are shown in bold below.

    Bikini Atoll.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. Bikini Atoll is in which island group?
      • Marshall Islands—Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands was used by the United States for atomic bomb testing from 1946 to 1958, contaminating the atoll and forcing the relocation of its 166 native inhabitants. Despite cleanup efforts, radiation levels remain too high for resettlement, though tourism is permitted.
        Bluetooth logo
        Image Wikipedia
    2. Which king is credited with the unification of Denmark?
      • Harald Bluetooth—ruled Denmark from c. 958 to c. 986, during which time he unified the various tribes, introduced Christianity and consolidated his power. His rule in Norway was brief, likely lasting only a few years in the 970s. The Bluetooth wireless specification would unite devices and so was named after Harald, who united the tribes of Denmark. The Bluetooth logo incorporates his initials, H and B, in Younger Futhark bind runes.
    3. The word “Pundit” comes from which language where it means “learned man”?
      • Sanskrit—A pundit is an expert who offers authoritative opinions on a particular subject area, typically through the mass media. The term originates from the Sanskrit word “pandit,” meaning “learned man,” and has historical roots in India, referring to scholars and advisors to the king.
        One of Princess Anne’s Reliant Scimitar GTE’s— she had eight apparently!
        Classicyorkshire.co.uk
    4. A Scimitar GTE sports car was given to Princess Anne by her parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as a 20th birthday present in 1970. Which British car manufacturer launched this model in 1968?
      • Reliant—a British company commonly known for their three-wheeled Robin produced this sports car from 1964 to 1986, during which time it evolved from a coupe to a sports estate and convertible. It featured a fibreglass body on a steel chassis and Ford engines. The Reliant Scimitar SE5, a sports estate hatchback, was designed in under a year and featured a new chassis, suspension, and fuel system. It was powered by a 3.0-litre Ford Essex engine and could reach over 120 mph. The SE5 was a success, with 4,311 units produced, and Princess Anne received one as a birthday present and reportedly owned eight or nine in total.
        Pipe-weed.
        Image lots.fandom.com
    5. Two of these are real plants and one fictional, what is the fictional one?
      • Pipe-weed—is a fictional strain of tobacco from JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth, with varieties such as Longbottom Leaf, Old Toby, Southern Star and Southlinch. In contrast, Polecat weed, also known as Symplocarpus foetidus or skunk cabbage, is a real low-growing plant found in eastern North American wetlands, characterised by its bruised leaves that emit a skunk-like odour. Additionally, Colic weed encompasses species like Aletris, Corydalis flavula and Dicentra.
    Merry and Pippin smoking pipe-weed.
    Image Pinterest

  • Miscellany

    Here are some questions with no link to anything other than general miscellany.

    Scimitar GTE.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. Bikini Atoll is in which island group?
      • Marshall Islands
      • Solomon Islands
      • Wallis and Futuna Islands
    2. Which king is credited with the unification of Denmark?
      • Harald Greycloak
      • Harald Bluetooth
      • Sweyn Forkbeard
    3. The word “Pundit” comes from which language where it means “learned man”?
      • Mesopotamian
      • Egyptian
      • Sanskrit
    4. A Scimitar GTE sports car was given to Princess Anne by her parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as a 20th birthday present in 1970. Which British car manufacturer had launched this model in 1968 ?
      • Jaguar
      • Lotus
      • Reliant
    5. Two of these are real plants and one fictional, what is the fictional one?
      • Pipe-weed
      • Colic weed
      • Polecat weed

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • A year in the day | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    Let It Be
    Image Pinterest
    1. Almost a month after Paul McCartney’s announcement that he had left the band, The Beatles released their last original studio album, Let It Be on 8 May…
      • 1970—the Beatles’ final studio album, Let It Be, was released in 1970 after the band’s disbandment. The album, originally titled Get Back, was recorded in 1969 and included the iconic title track and popular songs like Across the Universe and I’ve Got a Feeling.
        Alex Van Halen.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. Drummer Alex Van Halen was born today in…
      • 1953—Alex Van Halen, drummer and co-founder of Van Halen, is known for his technical prowess and speed And widely regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time. Van Halen, the band, formed in 1972 andsigned with Warner Brothers Records in 1977.
        Smallpox Immunization, Niger, Africa.
        Image: CDC/ Dr. J. D. Millar/Wikipedia
    3. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it had eradicated smallpox, the announcement was made on 8 May…
      • 1980—The global eradication of smallpox was certified, based on intense verification activities, by a commission of eminent scientists on 9 December 1979 and subsequently endorsed by the World Health Assembly on 8 May 1980. The first two sentences of their resolution read:

        “Having considered the development and results of the global program on smallpox eradication initiated by WHO in 1958 and intensified since 1967 … Declares solemnly that the world and its peoples have won freedom from smallpox, which was a most devastating disease sweeping in epidemic form through many countries since earliest time, leaving death, blindness and disfigurement in its wake and which only a decade ago was rampant in Africa, Asia and South America.”

        Jaws, first edition cover.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. Peter Benchley, American author and screenwriter, was born on 8 May…
      • 1940—Peter Bradford Benchley was an American author best known for his novel Jaws. Later in life, he became an advocate for marine conservation, expressing regret for his writing about sharks.
        John S. Pemberton.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. Pharmacist John S. Pemberton sold a carbonated beverage for the first time as a patent medicine, naming it Coca-Cola, on 8 May…
      • 1886—Confederate Colonel John Pemberton, wounded in the Civil War and addicted to morphine, created Pemberton’s French Wine Coca nerve tonic in 1885. After prohibition legislation in Atlanta, he developed Coca-Cola, a non-alcoholic version, in 1886, marketing it as a cure for various ailments including morphine addiction.
    “Drink Coca-Cola 5¢“, an 1890s advertising poster.
    Image Wikipedia

  • A year in the day

    Coca-cola.
    Image Wikipedia

    Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 8 May. All the answers are a year.

    1. Almost a month after Paul McCartney’s announcement that he had left the band, The Beatles released their last original studio album, Let It Be on 8 May…
      • 1969
      • 1970
      • 1971
    2. Drummer Alex Van Halen was born on 8 May…
      • 1949
      • 1951
      • 1953
    3. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it had eradicated smallpox, the announcement was made on 8 May…
      • 1960
      • 1970—
      • 1980
    4. American author and screenwriter Peter Benchley was born on 8 May…
      • 1940—
      • 1950
      • 1960
    5. Pharmacist John S. Pemberton sold a carbonated beverage for the first time as a patent medicine, naming it Coca-Cola, on 8 May…
      • 1886
      • 1899
      • 1912

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • The Cult of… What? | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the text of each question simply for your information.

    Portrait of Maximilien de Robespierre, c. 1790.
    Anonymous, Musée Carnavalet, Paris.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. 1. On 7 May 1794, the Cult of the Supreme Being was introduced by …
      • Maximilien Robespierre—a French lawyer and statesman, was a prominent figure in the French Revolution. He advocated for universal male suffrage, abolition of the slave trade, and other progressive policies. Robespierre, a Deist, disapproved of the anti-Christian movement and advocated for a civic religion centred around the Supreme Being.
        Mary, Queen of Scots.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. The burning of Edinburgh by an English army on this day in 1544, was the first action in the…
      • Rough wooing—Henry VIII’s final years saw wars in France and Scotland, including the Rough Wooing, a brutal conflict aimed at breaking the Auld Alliance and forcing a marriage alliance between Mary, Queen of Scots, and Edward, Prince of Wales.
        Honda Ishirō at the National Museum of Nature and Science, in Tokyo, during the filming of Frankenstein Conquers the World.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. The Japanese film director best known for his Godzilla movies was born 7 May 1911, in Asahi, Yamagata, Japan. He was…
      • Honda Ishirō—a Japanese filmmaker, directed Godzilla and its sequels, sparking Japan’s kaijū eiga craze. After directing over 40 films, he returned to assisting Akira Kurosawa.
        Official portrait of President Juan Domingo Perón accompanied with the First Lady, María Eva Duarte de Perón, ”Evita”, 1948.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. María Eva Duarte was born today in 1919, who did she become better known as…
      • Evita—Eva Perón, or Evita, was an Argentine politician, activist, actress and philanthropist who served as First Lady from 1946 until her death in 1952. She championed women’s suffrage, founded the Female Peronist Party, and ran the Ministries of Labour and Health.
        “Our submarine boats in the harbour”
        (German caption), 1914.
        U-20, which sank RMS Lusitania, is second from left in front row.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. On 7 May 1915, a German submarine sank a British ocean liner. The sinking resulted in the loss of 1,198 lives and played a part in the entry of the United States into World War I. The ocean liner was the…
      • Lusitania—The sinking of the British ocean liner Lusitania by a German U-boat in 1915, killing 1,198 people including 128 Americans, increased American support for entering World War I.
    RMS Lusitania, New York.
    Image Wikipedia

  • The Cult of… What?

    Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 7 May.

    Godzilla in Godzilla, 1954
    Image Wikipedia
    1. On 7 May 1794, the Cult of the Supreme Being was introduced by …
      • Cardinal Richelieu
      • Maximilien Robespierre
      • Jean-Jacques Rousseau
    2. The burning of Edinburgh by an English army on this day in 1544, was the first action in the…
      • Harsh courting
      • Rough wooing
      • Tough pursuing
    3. The Japanese film director best known for his Godzilla movies was born 7 May 1911, in Asahi, Yamagata, Japan. He was…
      • Honda Ishirō
      • Nissán Kenji
      • Toyota Masaki
    4. María Eva Duarte was born today in 1919, who did she become better known as…
      • Annie
      • Evita
      • May
    5. On 7 May 1915, a German submarine sank a British ocean liner. The sinking resulted in the loss of 1,198 lives and played a part in the entry of the United States into World War I. The ocean liner was the …
      • Aquitania
      • Lusitania
      • Mauretania

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Here, there and everywhere | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    View SE from the top level of the Eiffel Tower: the Champ de Mars, with Montparnasse Tower in the distance. The École Militaire is one third down from the top of the picture.
    Image Wikipedia (Mattgirling)
    1. On 6 May 1889, the Eiffel Tower is officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition, on the…
      • Champs de Mars, Paris—The Champ de Mars, a large public park in Paris, was originally a military parade ground. It hosted significant events during the French Revolution and later became a site for national expositions and world’s fairs.
        Coat of arms of Moravia.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. Sigmund Freud, a neurologist and psychoanalyst, was born in Freiberg in Mähren (now Příbor) on this day in 1856. His birthplace was in …
      • Moravia—Moravia, a historical region in the Czech Republic, was the centre of the medieval Great Moravian kingdom before becoming part of Bohemia in the 11th century. It later was part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and then became part of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic.
        Puente Nuevo de Ronda.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. Actor Orson Welles was born today in 1915. He passed away in Los Angeles, California, in 1985, and two years later his ashes were interred at the home of his long-time friend, bullfighter Antonio Ordóñez, in Ronda…
      • Spain—Ronda, a municipality in Málaga, Andalusia, is known for its cliffside location and deep canyon. It has a population of about 35,000 and is part of the Sierra de las Nieves National Park.
        The Grand Palace, Bangkok.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. Today in 1782, at the command of King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, construction began on the Grand Palace, the royal residence of the King of Siam. The palace was built in…
      • Bangkok—The Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, is a complex of buildings built in 1782 as the official residence of the Thai kings. It covers 2.4 million square feet and includes over 100 buildings, the most notable being the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
        Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. Tony Blair, British prime minister from 1997 to 2007, was born 6 May 1953, in the city of …
      • Edinburgh, Scotland—Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is a city known for its historic Old Town and Neoclassical New Town, both designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city’s complex character, blending reserved exterior with warmth and gaiety, is reflected in its rich history, including religious conflicts, riots and the influence of its intellectual elite during the Neoclassical period of the 18th and 19th centuries. Edinburgh remains a major centre for finance, law, tourism, education and cultural affairs.

  • Here, there and everywhere

    Eiffel Tower
    Image Wikipedia

    Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 6 May.

    1. On 6 May 1889, the Eiffel Tower is officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition, on the…
      • Champs de Mars, Paris
      • Champs de Neptune, Paris
      • Champs de Venus, Paris
    2. Sigmund Freud, a neurologist and psychoanalyst, was born in Freiberg in Mähren (now Příbor) on this day in 1856. His birthplace was in …
      • Carinthia
      • Galicia
      • Moravia
    3. Actor Orson Welles was born today in 1915. He passed away in Los Angeles, California, in 1985, and two years later his ashes were interred at the home of his long-time friend, bullfighter Antonio Ordóñez, in Ronda…
      • Ecuador
      • Mexico
      • Spain
    4. Today in 1782, at the command of King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, construction began on the Grand Palace, the royal residence of the King of Siam. The palace was built in…
      • Amman
      • Bangkok
      • Colombo
    5. Tony Blair, British prime minister from 1997 to 2007, was born 6 May 1953, in the city of …
      • Cardiff, Wales
      • Edinburgh, Scotland
      • London, England

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • To the Lighthouse | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf.
    First edition cover – designed by Vanessa Bell.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. On 5 May 1927, the novel To the Lighthouse was published. Who was the English author?
      • Virginia Woolf—Virginia Woolf’s 1927 novel, To the Lighthouse, follows the Ramsay family’s visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The novel explores life through the perspectives of Mrs. Ramsay, Mr. Ramsay and their eight children.
        n A Japanese 10-meter diameter Mulberry paper balloon re-inflated at NAS Moffett Field, CA following its downing by a Navy aircraft about 30 miles west of Alturas, CA on January 10, 1945.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. On this day in 1945, six people picnicking in Oregon were killed in an attack by the Japanese. These were the only deaths by enemy action in the continental United States during World War II. How was the attack launched?
      • Japan launched Fu-Go high-explosive balloon bomb—Fu-Go was an incendiary balloon weapon deployed by Japan against the United States during World War II. The balloons, launched in Japan and carried by the jet stream, were intended to ignite forest fires and spread panic. On 5 May 1945, six civilians, including four boys and two women, were killed near Bly, Oregon, when they discovered a balloon bomb in Fremont National Forest. This was the only fatality from Axis action in the continental US during World War II.
        Adele.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. Born today in 1988, this singer-songwriter has won 16 Grammy Awards, 12 Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Who is she?
      • Adele—Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, known as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. Her albums, including 21 and 25, are among the best-selling of the 21st century, with 25 breaking first-week sales records in the UK and US. Adele has won numerous awards, including 16 Grammys and an Academy Award.
        Jonathan, the tortoise at Plantation House, Saint Helena, 2021.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. Napoleon Bonaparte died on 5 May 1821, while in exile on the island of Saint Helena. Which is where?
      • South Atlantic Ocean—Napoleon I was exiled to St. Helena, a remote British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean, after his second abdication in 1815. He spent his final years in isolation at Longwood House, dying in 1821 from a stomach ulcer. On a cheerier note, Saint Helena is home to the world’s oldest land animal…

        The oldest known living terrestrial animal is Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa), originally from the Seychelles but now a long-time resident of the remote South Atlantic island of St Helena. He is believed to have been born c. 1832, thus making him 192 years old in 2024. Guinness World Records

    5. On 5th May, rebel barons in England renounced their allegiance to King John, a pivotal event leading to the Magna Carta. In which year did this occur?
      • 1215—During the 12th century, English kings issued charters promising liberties and good government to nobles and clergy. However, King John, facing challenges from his nephew and France, did not issue a general charter upon his accession. This, coupled with increased taxes and conflicts with the church, led to baronial unrest and demands for a formal grant of liberties.
    King John of England, 1167-1216.
    Illuminated manuscript, De Rege Johanne, 1300-1400.
    MS Cott. Claud DII, folio 116, British Library.
    Image Wikipedia