Quizology.Online

Tag: africa

  • Down by the river

    Here are a few questions to do with rivers.

    Three Gorges dam locks and bridge.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. Europe’s largest river delta, the Volga River delta, is mostly in Russia, but part of it extends into which other country?
      • Azerbaijan
      • Kazakhstan
      • Turkmenistan
    2. How many US states does the Mississippi River border or pass through?
      • 10
      • 16
      • 21
    3. What river is the major tributary of the Amazon?
      • Madeira
      • Madre de Dios
      • Marañón
    4. The River Nile is formed when its two major tributaries, the Blue Nile and the White Nile, meet. In which country does this meeting occur?
      • Egypt
      • Sudan
      • Uganda
    5. Where is China’s Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric power station, located?
      • Yangtze River
      • Yellow River
      • Yuan River

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Three Kings | Answers

    Here, in bold, are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

    April.

    Flag of Eritrea.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. The flag shown above is from a country where voting began on 23 April 1993, in a UN-monitored referendum to make its independence official. The country is…
      • Eritrea—Eritrea, located in the Horn of Africa on the Red Sea, gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a nearly 30-year war. It is a multi-ethnic nation with nine recognised ethnic groups, primarily Tigrinya and Tigre, and is one of the least developed countries globally. Eritrea is a unitary one-party presidential republic, and its capital and largest city is Asmara.
        Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. On this day in 1998, James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin who had killed Martin Luther King, Jr., died in prison in the United States. Where had he assassinated King?
      • Memphis, Tennessee—Martin Luther King Jr., a leading civil rights figure, was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on 4 April 1968, leading to widespread riots. James Earl Ray, a career criminal, initially pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in prison but later recanted, alleging a conspiracy. The King family also believes the assassination was part of a government conspiracy.
        Battle of Clontarf [1014] by Hugh Frazer, 1826.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. Today in 1014, the Battle of Clontarf took place, where the High King Brian Boru defeated Viking invaders but was killed in battle. Brian Boru was the king of…
      • Ireland—The Battle of Clontarf, fought on 23 April 1014 near Dublin, was a significant conflict between Brian Boru’s Irish forces and a coalition of Leinster, Dublin, and Vikings. Despite heavy casualties on both sides, including the deaths of Brian, his son, and grandson, as well as the opposing leaders, the battle marked a turning point in the decline of Viking power in Ireland and solidified Brian’s legacy as a prominent figure in Irish history.

        Drink Coca-Cola 5¢”, an 1890s advertising poster.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. On this day in 1985, a company replaced its tried-and-tested product with a new version. However, in the face of public backlash, they were forced to revert to the original within months. What company?
      • Coca-Cola—In April 1985, Coca-Cola introduced a new flavour, New Coke, to combat declining market share, following a formula developed through taste tests. Despite initial taste tests showing most consumers preferred New Coke over both the original Coke and Pepsi, the company faced significant public backlash due to nostalgia for the original taste. Consequently, Coca-Cola reverted to the original formula on 10 July 1985, marketing it as Coca-Cola Classic. New Coke continued to be available, was renamed Coke II in 1992, and was eventually discontinued in 2002.
        Ethelred the Unready, circa 968-1016. Illuminated manuscript, The Chronicle of Abindon, c.1220. MS Cott. Claude B.VI folio 87, verso, The British Library.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. On 23 April 1016, King Ethelred II of England passed away. What was his epithet?
      • Ethelred the Unready—Ethelred II, known as Ethelred the Unready— was King of the English from 978 to 1013 and again from 1014 until his death in 1016. His 37-year reign, the longest of any Anglo-Saxon English king, was marked by conflict with the Danes, including the St Brice’s Day massacre and the Danegeld tribute. As an ineffectual ruler, he failed to prevent Danish invasions, leading to distrust, disloyalty, and failed attempts to buy peace, ultimately resulting in his exile in 1013.

  • Three Kings

    Here are a few questions related to today’s date, 23 April.

    Flag of Eritrea.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. The flag shown above is from a country where voting began on 23 April 1993, in a UN-monitored referendum to make its independence official. The country is…
      • Eritrea
      • South Sudan
      • Eswatini
    2. On this day in 1998, James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin who had killed Martin Luther King, Jr., died in prison in the United States. Where had he assassinated King?
      • Montgomery, Alabama
      • Memphis, Tennessee
      • Macon, Georgia
    3. Today in 1014, the Battle of Clontarf took place, where the High King Brian Boru defeated Viking invaders but was killed in battle. Brian Boru was the king of…
      • Ireland
      • Scotland
      • Wales
    4. On this day in 1985, a company replaced its tried-and-tested product with a new version. However, in the face of public backlash, they were forced to revert to the original within months. What company?
      • Budweiser
      • Coca-Cola
      • McDonald’s
    5. On 23 April 1016, King Ethelred II of England passed away. What was his epithet?
      • Ethelred the Unready
      • Ethelred the Unsteady
      • Ethelred the Unwieldy

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Let’s Dance | Answers

    See #3 below. Superman shield. Wikipedia
    1. On 18 April 1980, Elmore City, Oklahoma, held the first dance in the town’s history. The Kevin Bacon film, which was loosely based on this, was…
      • Footloose—Footloose is a 1984 American musical drama film about Ren, a Chicago teenager who moves to Bomont, a town with a ban on rock ‘n’ roll and dancing. Ren struggles to fit in and gets into trouble when he falls for Ariel Moore, the preacher’s daughter. To challenge the ban, Ren confronts prejudice and the town’s strict preacher through dance. The film was a box office success, grossing $80 million in North America. It was loosely based on real events in Elmore City, where a ban on public dancing existed before statehood. In the 1979-1980 school year, students lobbied for a school prom with dancing, facing opposition from church leaders. Ultimately, the town mayor supported the students, declaring the prom a non-public event, and the school board authorised it. The controversy gained national attention, inspiring songwriter/screenwriter Dean Pitchford to create the film.
      Interior of dome, St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. Wikipedia
    2. In Vatican City, the cornerstone of the current St. Peter’s Basilica was laid on this day in…
      • 1506—Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, a renowned Italian Renaissance church designed by Bramante, Michelangelo and Maderno, is considered one of the holiest Catholic shrines and the largest church in the world by interior measure. Believed to be the burial site of Saint Peter, it was begun in 1506 and completed in 1615. The basilica, designed as a Latin cross with a prominent dome, serves as a major pilgrimage site and the church of the popes. Its construction involved several architects, including Michelangelo, who designed the iconic dome, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who designed the elliptical piazza in front of it.
    3. The publication, on 18 April 1938, of Action Comics #1 saw the debut of…
      • Superman—Superman, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938. He is the archetypal superhero, fighting crime as a vigilante with extraordinary abilities and popularised the superhero genre.
      Flag of Eswatini. Wikipedia
    4. Today in 2018, King Mswati III announced that his country’s name would change to Eswatini. The name it changed from was…
      • Swaziland—Eswatini, formerly Swaziland— is a landlocked country in Southern Africa bordered by South Africa and Mozambique. It has a lower-middle income economy, with agriculture and manufacturing as the main employment sectors. The country is an absolute monarchy ruled by King Mswati III since 1986 and faces significant health challenges, including high HIV/AIDS rates. Its capital is Phondvo, while Mbabane serves as the administrative centre.
    5. On 18 April 1942, Pierre Laval became Prime Minister of…
      • Vichy France—Vichy France, established in 1940 under Marshal Philippe Pétain, governed the unoccupied zone of France after the Nazi German defeat. Initially collaborating with Germany, the regime shifted towards a corporatist state, emphasising “Work, family, fatherland”. However, after the Allied invasion of North Africa and the German occupation of the entire country, Vichy became increasingly subservient to Germany, ultimately collapsing with the Allied liberation in 1944. They were known as “Vichy France” as that city was the seat of their government.
    Marshal Philippe Pétain meeting Hitler in October 1940. Wikipedia

  • Let’s Dance

    Kevin Bacon. Wikipedia
    1. On 18 April 1980, Elmore City, Oklahoma, held the first dance in the town’s history. The Kevin Bacon film, which was loosely based on this, was…
      • American Pie
      • Footloose
      • Prom Night.
    2. In Vatican City, the cornerstone of the current St. Peter’s Basilica was laid on this day in…
      • 1506
      • 1568
      • 1630
    3. The publication, on 18 April 1938, of Action Comics #1 saw the debut of…
      • Batman
      • Spider-Man
      • Superman
    4. Today in 2018, King Mswati III announced that his country’s name would change to Eswatini. The name it changed from was…
      • Basutoland
      • Nyasaland
      • Swaziland
    5. On 18 April 1942, Pierre Laval became Prime Minister of…
      • Avignon France
      • Lyon France
      • Vichy France

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • To Boldly Go…to a Musical—Answers

    Montreal.
    Wikipedia
    1. Montreal, Quebec – William Shatner, a Canadian actor, is renowned for his prolific output and self-deprecating humour, which have solidified his place in North American pop culture. He is best known for his iconic role as Captain James T. Kirk in the science fiction television series Star Trek (1966–69) and several Star Trek films.
    2. Amerigo Vespucci—is best remembered for the place named after him. He believed Brazil was part of a new continent, inspiring Waldseemüller to name it “America”—the Latinised Amerigo—in 1507. This name became standard on maps of the New World.
      Ruins of the Great Dam of Marib, Yemen.
      Wikipedia
    3. Yemen—The Arab League, formed in Cairo in 1945 with seven members, is a regional organisation in the Arab world. It now has 22 members and its main goals are to strengthen relations, safeguard independence, and consider the affairs of Arab countries.
    4. 1934—The 1934 Masters Tournament, the first of its kind, was held at Augusta National Golf Club. Horton Smith won the event with a 284 (−4), one stroke ahead of Craig Wood.
    5. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat—the following quote is about Lloyd Webber and Rice’s collaboration: “The names of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice are, of course, forever bound together in musical theatre history, like those of Gilbert and Sullivan.”—Theatre critic Mark Shenton on the partnership of Lloyd Webber and Rice.
    Andrew Lloyd Webber.
    Wikipedia

  • To Boldly Go…to a Musical

    All of the following are about today’s date, 22 March, but in a variety of years.

    William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk.
    Wikipedia
    1. William Shatner was born today in 1931 in the Canadian city of…
      • Montreal, Quebec
      • Toronto, Ontario
      • Vancouver, British Columbia
    2. On this day in 1508, Ferdinand II of Aragon commissioned a new chief navigator of the Spanish Empire. Born in the Republic of Florence, he was…
      • Amerigo Vespucci
      • Vasco da Gama
      • Christopher Columbus.
    3. The Arab League was formed this day in Cairo by Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan (now Jordan) and…
      • Tunisia
      • United Arab Emirates
      • Yemen
    4. The first Masters Tournament took place at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia on this date in…
      • 1934
      • 1938
      • 1941
    5. The 22nd March 1948 saw the birth of the English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is well known for his collaboration with Tim Rice. The first of their works to be performed publicly was…
      • Evita
      • Jesus Christ Superstar
      • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
    Amerigo Vespucci. Wikipedia

    Good luck! The answers will be posted later today.

  • Historical Milestones and Cultural Icons: From Bach’s Birth to Twitter’s First Tweet—Answers

    Field of Battersea.
    A print caricaturing the Wellington–Winchilsea duel
    by William Heath.
    Wikipedia

    The answers to my earlier pot are shown in bold below.

    1. 1685—Johann Sebastian Bach, a German composer, blended northern and southern German styles in his early compositions. He composed numerous cantatas, including the St. John Passion, and is known for his mastery of counterpoint and harmonic organisation.
      Jack Dorsey, 2014.
      Wikipedia
    2. $2.9m—Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is a social networking service that allows users to share short text messages, images, and videos. It was created in 2006 and quickly grew to over 100 million users by 2012.
    3. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington—The Duke of Wellington and Lord Winchilsea engaged in a duel at Battersea Fields, with Wellington firing first and missing, and Winchilsea firing into the air. This act of deloping cleared Winchilsea of cowardice allegations, allowing him to apologise unconditionally. The duel was the second, and last, fought by a sitting Prime Minister following the 1798 Pitt–Tierney duel on Putney Heath.
    4. San Diego, California—San Diego Comic-Con, founded in 1970, is a multi-genre entertainment event showcasing comic books, science fiction/fantasy media, and pop culture. It is the largest convention of its kind, attracting over 130,000 attendees annually.
      Stanley, a newspaper reporter and tireless self-promoter, was hired by the New York Herald to find the missing Livingstone in 1871, winning himself wealth and reputation. Kalulu is in the backgound.
      Wikipedia
    5. 700 miles (1,125 km)—Stanley travelled to Zanzibar in March 1871, claiming to have outfitted an expedition with 192 porters, though his diaries suggest a smaller number. After facing challenges including the death of his horse and desertion of porters, he found David Livingstone in Ujiji, Tanzania, famously greeting him with “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”; this phrase was probably made up by Stanley after the event. Stanley joined Livingstone in exploring the region, later recounting his experiences in a book.
    Routes of Henry Morton Stanley.
    The Red route is the 1871-1872 is the expedition to find Livingstone.
    Wikipedia

  • Historical Milestones and Cultural Icons: From Bach’s Birth to Twitter’s First Tweet

    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Wikipedia

    All questions relate to today, 21 March.

    1. Johann Sebastian Bach, the composer of the Brandenburg Concertos and The Well-Tempered Clavier, was born this day in…
      • 1685
      • 1745
      • 1815
    2. Twitter, now X, was founded today in 2006 and Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder, sent the first public tweet, “just setting up my twttr.” Fifteen years later Dorsey auctioned this tweet as a nonfungible token (NFT) with the proceeds going to charity. It was bought using ether cryptocurrency for the equivalent of…
      • $1.4m
      • $2.9m
      • $5.8m
    3. 21 March saw the last time a serving UK Prime Minister fought a duel. Who was the Prime Minister?
      • Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
      • William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
      • William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
    4. A Comic-Con held its inaugural event on this date in 1970 and is now described by Forbes magazine as being “the largest pop and culture festival in the world”: it is held in…
      • Red Rock, Arizona
      • San Diego, California
      • Las Vegas, Nevada
    5. Henry Morton Stanley set out to find Dr David Livingstone today in 1871. His expedition was successful, finding Livingstone after trekking through tropical forest for…
      • 300 miles (482 km)
      • 450 miles (725 km)
      • 700 miles (1,125 km)

    “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”, an illustration from Stanley’s 1872 book How I Found Livingstone. Wikipedia

  • Blessed Be This Noble Land—Answer

    Flag of Botswana
    [Image from Wikipedia]
    1. Bechuanaland
    2. Rain

    The title of this post Blessed Be This Noble Land is the national anthem of Botswana.

    Coat of Arms of Botswana.
    [Image from Wikipedia]

    The motto Pula, which means rain and also blessing, is the name of Botswana’s currency.

    On the 21 February 1966 the Earl of Longford, the British Colonial Secretary, announced that Bechuanaland, a British protectorate, would gain independence on 30th September 1966, subsequently being renamed Botswana.

    This landlocked country in Southern Africa is bordered by Namibia (including the Caprivi Strip) to the west and north, Zambia and Zimbabwe to the northeast, and South Africa to the southeast and south. Botswana’s borders feature a minor section along the Zambezi River with Zambia, while its boundary along the Chobe River with Namibia was settled in a 1999 International Court of Justice ruling favoring Botswana. Despite remaining one of the least densely populated nations globally, with over 2.4 million people inhabiting an area similar in size to France, Botswana, named after its dominant Tswana ethnic group, has transitioned from being one of the world’s poorest and least-developed states to a peaceful and increasingly prosperous democratic state. Approximately 70 percent of its flat, topographically consistent territory forms part of the Kalahari Desert.