Tower of Hercules, an ancient Roman lighthouse in A Coruña, Spain Image Wikipedia
Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 5 May.
On 5 May 1927, the novel To the Lighthouse was published. Who was the English author?
Hazel Adair
Margaret Jepson
Virginia Woolf
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?
Carrier_launched Aichi D3A dive-bomber
Gunfire from a surfaced I-15 submarine‘s deck gun
Japan launched Fu-Go high-explosive balloon bomb
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
Shura
Rhianna (Kenny)
Napoleon Bonaparte died on 5 May 1821, while in exile on the island of Saint Helena. Which is where?
Mediterranean Sea
North Atlantic Ocean
South Atlantic Ocean
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?
The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.
R2-D2 and C-3PO Image i.insider.comAnthony Daniels has been C-3PO since 1977. Image Wikipedia
Who is the only actor to have appeared in the same role in eleven Star Wars films, including the nine films commonly referred to as The Skywalker Saga, as well as Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story?
Anthony Daniels—as C-3PO. English actor Daniels also portrayed a white, pointy-faced protocol droid, CZ-3, in one shot in the original film. He appeared as Tak in Solo: A Star Wars Story, the second anthology film.
Darth Vader. Image Wikipedia
In which film does Anakin Skywalker transform into Darth Vader?
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith—Anakin Skywalker’s fear of losing his wife, Amidala, led him to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader and aiding Palpatine in destroying the Jedi Order.
Carrie Fisher, 2013. Image WikipediaDebbie Reynolds, 1987 Image Wikipedia
An 84-year-old actress passed away in 2016, the day after her daughter—also an actress who had portrayed Princess Leia in Star Wars—died. Who were the mother and daughter?
Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher—Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia, was the daughter of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, and was known for her candid discussions about bipolar disorder and drug addiction. She passed away from cardiac arrest in 2016 and was posthumously honoured as a Disney Legend. Fisher’s mother, Debbie Reynolds, a celebrated actress and singer, had a career spanning nearly 70 years, appearing in films like Singin’ in the Rain and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. She passed away from a haemorrhagic stroke in 2016, one day after her daughter’s death. According to her son, Todd Fisher, Debbie Reynolds died to be with her daughter Carrie, not from a broken heart. Reynolds was entombed with a portion of Carrie’s ashes. The remainder of her, Carrie’s, ashes are held in a giant, novelty Prozac pill.
Grand Moff Tarkin. Image Superherohype.com
Grand Moff Tarkin, the Death Star’s commander, ordered the super-weapon to be fired at Princess Leia’s home world, completely destroying it and killing all its inhabitants.
Which actor played the role of Grand Moff Tarkin?
Peter Cushing—was an English actor known for his roles in Hammer horror films as well as his role in Star Wars. His career spanned over six decades, including stage, television and radio roles.
Star Wars planet Alderaan (aka Lake Thun in Berner Oberland, Switzerland). Image Wikipedia
What was the name of Princess Leia’s home world that he destroyed?
Alderaan—Leia, daughter of Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, is adopted as a newborn baby by Bail Organa and Queen Breha on Alderaan. She becomes a Resistance General, fighting against the First Order, and, with Han Solo, has a son, Ben, who becomes Kylo Ren, a First Order warlord.
Theatrical poster Star Wars, 1977 Image
The first Star Wars film was released in 1977, what episode number was it?
IV—was followed by the sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), so the original trilogy were episodes IV, V and VI. The prequel trilogy, episodes I, II and III, consisted of the films The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). A sequel trilogy, episodes VII, VIII and IX, with The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019) completed the nine films. The chronological order of the story is I to IX but the release order was IV, V, VI, I, II, III, VII, VIII, IX.
Here are a few questions from a galaxy far, far away and where you’ll need to come up with your own answers, as there are no multiple-choice options.
Who is the only actor to have appeared in the same role in eleven Star Wars films, including the nine films commonly referred to as The Skywalker Saga, as well as Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story?
In which film does Anakin Skywalker transform into Darth Vader?
An 84-year-old actress passed away in 2016, the day after her daughter—also an actress who had portrayed Princess Leia in Star Wars—died. Who were the mother and daughter?
Grand Moff Tarkin, the Death Star’s commander, ordered the super-weapon to be fired at Princess Leia’s home world, completely destroying it and killing all its inhabitants.
Which actor played the role of Grand Moff Tarkin?
What was the name of Princess Leia’s home world that he destroyed?
The first Star Wars film was released in 1977, what episode number was it?
True or false MCMXCIX is the Roman numeral for 1999.
True—MCMXCIX is 1999. M=1,000; C=100; X=10; I=1. M + (M – C) + (C – X) + (X – I) = MCMXCIX. There are various online resources explaining this, but here is well-explained one.
True or false, Morecambe and Wise reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1975 with The Trail of the Lonesome Pine.
False—Laurel and Hardy reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1975 with The Trail of the Lonesome Pine. The song was from Laurel and Hardy’s 1937 film Way Out West and was performed by Laurel and Hardy with The Avalon Boys.
The first page of the edition of the Domenica del Corriere, an Italian paper, with a drawing by Achille Beltrame depicting Gavrilo Princip killing Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo. Image Wikipedia
True or false, Gavrilo Princip assassinated US President William McKinley.
False—It was Leon Czolgosz who assassinated President McKinley in 1901. On 28 June 1914, Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife Sophie, Duchess von Hohenberg, in Sarajevo. Their deaths led to the outbreak of World War I.
Margay in Costa Rica. Image Wikipedia
True or false, a margay is a small monkey native to Madagascar.
False—a margay is a small wild cat native to the Americas, ranging from Mexico to Uruguay and northern Argentina.
Procol Harum, 1967. Image Wikipedia
True or false, “Turned cartwheels ‘cross the floor” is a line from Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
False—it is the second line of the first verse, from Procol Harum’s 1967 number 1 A Whiter Shade of Pale. See quote below.
A Whiter Shade of Pale
Procol Harum
(1967)
We skipped the light fandango Turned cartwheels ‘cross the floor I was feeling kind of seasick But the crowd called out for more The room was humming harder As the ceiling flew away When we called out for another drink The waiter brought a tray
And so it was that later As the miller told his tale That her face, at first just ghostly Turned a whiter shade of pale
She said, “There is no reason And the truth is plain to see” But I wandered through my playing cards And would not let her be One of sixteen vestal virgins Who were leaving for the coast And although my eyes were open They might just as well have been closed
And so it was that later As the miller told his tale That her face, at first just ghostly Turned a whiter shade of pale
And so it was that later As the miller told his tale…
Anne Boleyn was arrested and imprisoned on 2 May 1536. True or false, one of the charges she faced was witchcraft.
TRUE—Anne Boleyn was arrested and imprisoned on charges of adultery, incest, treason and witchcraft.
Baron Manfred von Richthofen. Image Wikipedia Oberleutnant Hermann Göring, the final Kommandeur of Jagdgeschwader I. Image Wikipedia
Manfred, Baron von Richthofen, born on 2 May 1892, became Germany’s top fighter ace in World War I until he was killed in action. True or false, he was eventually succeeded as commander of his fighter group by future Nazi leader Hermann Göring.
TRUE—Manfred von Richthofen, aka Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of the war and officially credited with 80 air combat victories. Hermann Göring, himself a veteran World War I fighter pilot ace, served as the last commander of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG I), the fighter wing—Flying Circus—once led by Manfred von Richthofen. In the above photo Göring is holding a walking stick (the Geschwader-Stock) passed down from von Richthofen.
A BOAC de Havilland Comet jet airliner, en route to Johannesburg from London, breaks its journey at Entebbe Airport, Uganda. 1952 Image Wikipedia https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/BOAC_Comet_1952_Entebbe.jpg
On this day in 1952, the first jetliner flight with fare-paying passengers took place. True or false, this flight was from Seattle, Washington to Washington DC.
FALSE—The de Havilland DH.106 Comet, the world’s first commercial jet airliner, entered service in 1952 with a flight from London, England to Johannesburg, South Africa. However, within a year, three Comets were lost in catastrophic mid-flight accidents.
Catherine the Great. Image Wikipedia
Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, was born today in 1729. True or false, she was born in the Kingdom of Prussia, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire.
TRUE—Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796, was born in Prussia in the Holy Roman Empire. She oversaw a cultural and scientific renaissance, expanding the empire through conquest and diplomacy. Her reign, marked by Enlightenment ideals, saw the founding of new cities, universities, and theatres, as well as the colonisation of Alaska and the annexation of the Crimean Khanate. Despite her modernising efforts, serfdom persisted, leading to rebellions.
James VI and I. (James VI of Scotland and I of England) Image Wikipedia
The King James Version of the Bible was first published on 2 May; True or false, the year of this first publication was1661.
FALSE—The King James Version, commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, is an Early Modern English translation of the Christian Bible. It is considered one of the most important books in English culture and a driving force in shaping the English-speaking world.
Jadstaffel 11: The Red Barons Squadron Image Wikipedia
Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 2 May.
Anne Boleyn was arrested and imprisoned on 2 May 1536. True or false, one of the charges she faced was witchcraft.
Manfred, Baron von Richthofen, born on 2 May 1892, became Germany’s top fighter ace in World War I until he was killed in action. True or false, he was eventually succeeded as commander of his fighter group by future Nazi leader Hermann Göring.
On this day in 1952, the first jetliner flight with fare-paying passengers took place. True or false, this flight was from Seattle, Washington to Washington DC.
Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, was born today in 1729. True or false, she was born in the Kingdom of Prussia, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire.
The King James Version of the Bible was first published on 2 May; True or false, the year of this first publication was 1661.
Below are the questions from earlier today with the answers in bold.
Mike Hailwood (Honda, number 63)… Image WikipediaMike Hailwood (GB) at the… Image Wikipedia(1) Mike Hailwood (Honda, number 63) is ahead of Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta, number 1)…at the 1969 500 cc race on the Riccione street-circuit, one race in a traditional series of Italian road courses held between 1945 and 1971 in the early part of the calendar year, prior to the start of Grands Prix racing. (2) Mike Hailwood (GB) at the Simoniz Daily Mail Race of Champions driving for Yardley Team McLaren (GB). The car is a McLaren M23 #M23/1 – Ford Cosworth DFV V8.
M is for Mike. This nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion went on to race cars in the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship?
Mike Hailwood—Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, nicknamed “the Bike”, was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer. He won nine Grand Prix motorcycle World Championships and 14 Isle of Man TT victories before transitioning to Formula One and other car racing classes.
Natalie Wood. Image Wikipedia
N is for Natalie. She married actor Robert Wagner in 1957 and again in 1972?
Wood—Natalie Wood, an American actress, began acting at four and starred in films like Rebel Without a Cause and West Side Story. She drowned in 1981 at age 43 during a break from filming Brainstorm, with her husband Robert Wagner and co-star Christopher Walken. An ongoing investigation into her death named Wagner as a person of interest in 2018.
Operation Overlord. Image Wikipedia
O is for Operation. That was launched on 6 June 1944?
Overlord—Operation Overlord, the codename for the Battle of Normandy, was the Allied operation that liberated German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation, launched on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings, involved nearly 160,000 troops crossing the English Channel. German forces retreated east across the Seine on 30 August 1944, marking the close of Operation Overlord.
MY Fair Lady, Playbill magazine cover, Broadway, 1952. Image Wikipedia
P is for Pygmalion. This musical and a 1960s film were based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion?
My Fair Lady—George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion is a comedy about a phonetician who bets he can transform a Cockney flower seller into a duchess. The play, later adapted into My Fair Lady, starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, explores love and the English class system.
Dana Scully and Queequeg Image Pinterest
Q if for Queequeg. Queequeg is a character in the 1851 novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, but who had a dog named Queequeg?
Dana Scully—In Moby-Dick, Queequeg is a skilled harpooneer from the cannibal tribe of Rokovoko. Scully, in The X-Files, named Queequeg (the dog) because of his cannabalistic behaviour in eating the dead body of his former owner.
The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.
Queen Juliana. 4 September 1948 — 30 April 1980. Image WikipediaQueen Beatrix. 30 April 1980 — 30 April 2013. Image WikipediaKing Willem-Alexander. 30 April 2013 — incumbent. Image Wikipedia
On 30 April 2013, Willem-Alexander became king of the Netherlands after his mother’s abdication. Who was his mother?
Beatrix—see #2 below.
Willem—Alexander’s mother (see question 1) had became queen on 30 April 1980, on the abdication of her mother. Who was the Dutch queen who abdicated in 1980?
Juliana—Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 to 1980, managed the decolonisation of the Dutch East Indies and Suriname before abdicating in favour of her daughter Beatrix in 1980. Juliana passed away in 2004 at the age of 94. Beatrix, born in 1938, reigned from 1980 to 2013, during which time the Netherlands experienced significant changes in its Caribbean territories, including Aruba’s secession and the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. She abdicated in favour of her son, Willem-Alexander, in 2013.
King Carl XVI Gustaf. Image Wikipedia
Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus, who was born on 30 April 1946, has been king of where since 1973?
Sweden—Carl XVI Gustaf, born in 1946, is the longest-reigning King of Sweden, having ascended to the throne in 1973. He married Silvia Sommerlath in 1976 and has three children: Victoria, Carl Philip and Madeleine
King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile. Image Wikipedia
Today in 1492, Christopher Columbus was given his commission of exploration. Which monarchs issued this commission?
King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile—After Ferdinand and Isabella conquered Granada they initially believed Columbus’s proposal to sail westwards to the Indies implausible but Ferdinand convinced Isabella to support Columbus’s voyage, promising him titles, revenues and commercial interests in the new lands he might discover.
Wives of Henry VIII. Image Wikipedia
Nothing to do with the date. England’s Henry VIII and how many of his wives were related by a single common ancestor?
Henry VIII plus six of his wives—were descended from Edward I of England. Henry VIII, born on 28 June 1491, reigned as King of England from 1509 to 1547. Known for his six marriages, he sought to annul his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon, leading to the English Reformation. Declaring himself Supreme Head of the Church of England, he dissolved convents and monasteries, resulting in excommunication. Legal attempts failed, with Cardinal Campeggio thwarting a trial in 1529, leading to Wolsey’s downfall. Thomas More, opposing the divorce, succeeded Wolsey but couldn’t resolve the issue. Thomas Cromwell emerged in 1532, orchestrating the church’s separation from Rome, allowing Henry to marry Anne Boleyn and have his first marriage annulled.