americas – Quizology Online

Matchmaker—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posed in my earlier post.

Today’s questions are all connected to December 23rd.

Gwyneth Paltrow (left) and Toni Collette in *Emma* (1996).
Image © 1996 Miramax Films via Encyclopædia Britannica

One

In 1815, Jane Austen published her fourth novel, which was later adapted into a film in 1996. What was the title of the book?

Answer: Emma

Jane Austen’s 1815 novel, Emma, follows the matchmaking misadventures of Emma Woodhouse in the fictional town of Highbury.

Two

Who, born in 1933, became the 125th emperor of Japan in 1989, and how did his reign end in 2019?

Answer: Akihito; abdication

Akihito, the 125th emperor of Japan, reigned from 1989 to 2019. He abdicated in favour of his son, Crown Prince Naruhito.

Three

In 1888, what two artists were involved in ‘the incident at the Yellow House’, and what injury happened to one of them?

Answers: Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin; Van Gogh cut off part of his left ear

Vincent van Gogh cut off part of his ear in 1888 after a heated argument with fellow artist Paul Gauguin. The incident, possibly linked to van Gogh’s mental health struggles, led to his hospitalisation and Gauguin’s departure from Arles.

Four

In 2001, which South American nation announced the suspension of payments on its external debt marking the largest debt default in history?

Answer: Argentina

Argentina’s economy experienced a severe recession from 1998 to 2002, culminating in a US$93 billion debt default in 2001. This led to a rapid devaluation of the peso, soaring inflation, and a significant drop in GDP.

Five

Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was born in 1805. Which US state was his birthplace?

Answer: Vermont

Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, translated golden plates into the Book of Mormon. His teachings, including revelations and polygamy, were recorded and published.

December 6th—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions which were posted earlier.

All of these questions are related to today, December 6th.

One

In 1998, Hugo Chávez was victorious in presidential elections in what country?

Answer: Venezuela

Hugo Chávez was a Venezuelan politician and revolutionary who served as president from 1999 until his death in 2013. He founded the Fifth Republic Movement and later the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, implementing social reforms and nationalising industries as part of the Bolivarian Revolution. While his policies initially improved poverty and social welfare, they also led to economic instability and shortages.

1897 Bersey Electrical Cab, British Motor Museum, Gaydon.
Image Wikipedia

Two

In 1897, which capital city became the first in the world to host licensed self-propelled motorised taxicabs?

Answer: London, United Kingdom

The first of these motorised cabs were electric-powered vehicles, nicknamed ‘Hummingbirds’ due to the quiet sound of their electric motors. A fleet of these cabs, designed by Walter C. Bersey, was introduced on 19 August 1897, and officially licensed by 6 December of the same year. However, London had a system for licensed horse-drawn carriages (known as “hackney carriages”) much earlier, with the first official licences issued in 1662. The 1897 date specifically marks the introduction and licensing of motorised, rather than horse-drawn, cabs.

Three

In 1969, the ill-fated Altamont festival, a free one-day rock festival, at the Altamont Speedway, Livermore, California, United States, was put on by an act as a thank-you gesture to their fans? The haphazardly organised festival was put on by what act?

Answer: The Rolling Stones

The Altamont Speedway Free Festival in California was a counterculture rock concert intended as a thank-you to fans by The Rolling Stones. However, the event turned deadly when a security guard, a member of the Hell’s Angels, fatally stabbed Meredith Hunter. Marred by violence and three accidental deaths, the festival is often remembered as a dark ending to the 1960s counterculture.

Four

In 1912, a bust of a queen of Egypt was discovered during excavations at Tell el-Amarna, Egypt. Who was this queen from the 14th century BCE?

Answer: Nefertiti

Nefertiti, queen of Egypt and wife of King Akhenaton, played a prominent role in the cult of the sun god Aton. She bore six daughters, two of whom became queens, and is depicted in early images accompanying her husband and later usurping kingly privileges in religious rituals. The sculpture later went on display in a Berlin museum, and it became a source of controversy as an alleged plundered artefact.

Five

On this day in 1933, a US Federal judge declared a book featuring Stephen Dedalus, Leopold and Molly Bloom not obscene. Can you name the book and its author?

Answer: Ulysses by James Joyce

Ulysses, a modernist novel by James Joyce, parallels Homer’s Odyssey and chronicles the experiences of three Dubliners—Stephen Dedalus, Leopold Bloom and Molly Bloom—on 16 June 1904, representing Telemachus, Odysseus and Penelope. Published in Paris in 1922, the novel is considered a classic of modernist literature, known for its experimental style, rich characterisation, and exploration of themes like antisemitism, human sexuality and Irish nationalism.

December 6th

All of these questions are related to today, December 6th.

One

In 1998, Hugo Chávez was victorious in presidential elections in what country?

Two

In 1897, which capital city became the first in the world to host licensed self-propelled motorised taxicabs?

Three

Four

In 1912, a bust of a queen of Egypt was discovered during excavations at Tell el-Amarna, Egypt. Who was this queen from the 14th century BCE?

Five

On this day in 1933, a US Federal judge declared a book featuring Stephen Dedalus, Leopold and Molly Bloom not obscene. Can you name the book and its author?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Who, What, When, Where or Why—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.

Today’s questions are simply either Who, What, When, Where or Why.

Apollo 13 launches from Kennedy Space Center, April 11, 1970.
Image Wikipedia

One

Who was the only astronaut on the Apollo program to be the only person to fly to the Moon twice without landing?

Answer: Jim Lovell

James Lovell was an American astronaut, naval aviator, and engineer. He flew on four space missions, including Apollo 8 and Apollo 13, and was the first person to fly into space four times. Lovell received numerous awards and honours for his contributions to space exploration.

Two

What uninvited stony visitor injured Elizabeth Hodges while she napped on her couch in Alabama in 1954?

Answer: Meteorite

Ann Elizabeth Fowler Hodges, the first documented person struck by a meteorite and survive, was injured when a meteorite fragment crashed through her roof and hit her while she napped on 30 November 1954.

Three

When was the Mongol Empire founded by Genghis Khan, was it (i) 11th Century; (ii) 12th Century; (iii) 13th Century

Answer: (iii) 13th Century

The Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan in 1206, eventually covering some 9 million square miles (23 million square km) from the Pacific Ocean to the Danube River and the Persian Gulf by the late 13th century.

Four

Where on the planet is the farthest point from the Earth’s centre. Is it the summit of (i) Chimborazo, Ecuador; (ii) Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland or (iii) Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica?

Answer: (i) Chimborazo, Ecuador

Chimborazo, a stratovolcano in Ecuador, is the highest mountain in the country and the 39th-highest peak in the Andes. Despite not being the tallest mountain on Earth, its summit is the farthest point from the Earth’s centre due to its equatorial location on the planet’s equatorial bulge.

Five

Why was 1936 a year of three kings in the United Kingdom, and who were they?

Answer: Abdication crisis; George V, Edward VIII and George VI

On the death of George V his eldest son became Edward VIII but he abdicated only 326 days later and his younger brother Albert became king as George VI.
Edward VIII, later the Duke of Windsor, proposed marriage to Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée, led to a constitutional crisis and his abdication in favour of his brother, George VI. After his abdication, Edward, who was made Duke of Windsor by the new king, married Simpson and they lived in France until his death in 1972.

Who, What, When, Where or Why

Today’s questions are simply either Who, What, When, Where or Why.

An Apollo launch from Kennedy Space Center.
Image Wikipedia

One

Who was the only astronaut on the Apollo program to be the only person to fly to the Moon twice without landing?

Two

What uninvited stony visitor injured Elizabeth Hodges while she napped on her couch in Alabama in 1954?

Three

When was the Mongol Empire founded by Genghis Khan, was it (i) 11th Century; (ii) 12th Century; (iii) 13th Century

Four

Where on the planet is the farthest point from the Earth’s centre. Is it the summit of (i) Chimborazo, Ecuador; (ii) Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland or (iii) Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica?

Five

Why was 1936 a year of three kings in the United Kingdom, and who were they?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Pleading the Belly—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier post.

These questions all relate to today’s date, November 28th.

Anne Bonny and Mary Read, pirates. Life-size bronze statues. Image CN Statue https://www.cnstatue.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Anne-Bonny-and-Mary-Read-statue.jpg

One

Mary Read and Anne Bonny were put on trial in Jamaica in 1720. For what were they tried, convicted, and sentenced to death?

Answer: Piracy

In 1720, Read and her crew commandeered a sloop, leading the Bahamas governor to declare them enemies of the Crown. Captured, they faced trial in Jamaica, where they were found guilty and sentenced to death. All the male crew members were executed by hanging, but Read and Bonny claimed pregnancy—pleading the belly, which granted them a stay of execution. Read eventually died in prison, likely from a fever, and Bonny was eventually freed.

Two

Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first in a series of movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book, had its world premiere in what country?

Answer: New Zealand

The film premiered in Wellington, New Zealand—the capital of Middle-earth—on 28 November 2012. An Unexpected Journey, set in Middle-earth sixty years before The Lord of the Rings, follows Bilbo Baggins on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain. The film, released in 2012, received mixed reviews but grossed $1.017 billion and was nominated for three Academy Awards.

Three

The Vlorë proclamation, issued on this day in 1912, declared independence for ____. Which country is missing from this statement?

Answer: Albania

Independent Albania was declared a parliamentary state in Vlorë on 28 November 1912 during the First Balkan War. Despite seeking international recognition based on ethnic rights, the London Conference of 1913 partitioned much of the claimed Albanian lands, leaving only a central region as an independent territory under Great Power protection. This led to the establishment of the Principality of Albania as a constitutional monarchy in August 1913.

Four

In 1582, Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant at the time, married whom in the Diocese of Worcester, England?

Answer: William Shakespeare

Aged 18, William Shakespeare married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway and had three children: Susanna—six months after their marriage—and twins Hamnet and Judith. After the twins’ birth, he disappeared from historical records until 1592, leading to speculation about his ‘lost years’, including deer poaching, horse minding, and school teaching.

Five

In World War II, the first conference of the ‘Big Three’—Winston Churchill (United Kingdom), Franklin Delano Roosevelt (United States), and Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union)—began on this day in 1943. Which of these was the location: Tehran, Iran; or Yalta, Crimea, Soviet Union?

Answer: Tehran, Iran

The Tehran Conference, held from 28 November to 1 December 1943, was the first meeting of the ‘Big Three’ Allied leaders during World War II. The main outcome was a commitment to open a second front against Nazi Germany by 1 June 1944. The conference also addressed relations with Turkey and Iran, operations in Yugoslavia and against Japan, and the envisioned post-war settlement.

Pleading the Belly

These questions all relate to today’s date, November 28th.

One

Mary Read and Anne Bonny were put on trial in Jamaica in 1720. For what were they tried, convicted, and sentenced to death?

Two

Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first in a series of movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book, had its world premiere in what country?

Three

The Vlorë proclamation, issued on this day in 1912, declared independence for ____. Which country is missing from this statement?

Four

In 1582, Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant at the time, married whom in the Diocese of Worcester, England?

Five

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

My great-grandmother was your great-great grandfather’s mistress—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

Today’s questions are simply a random mix.

Two-colour gold, guilloché enamel, brilliant and rose-cut diamonds. It was given to King Edward VII by his favourite mistress, Mrs George Keppel, in 1908.
Image Royal Collection Trust

One

‘My great-grandmother was your great-great grandfather’s mistress,’ she is said to have joked. ‘So how about it?’

— Tatler, 11 December 2024

This quote was reportedly made in the second half of the twentieth century by one Briton speaking to another. Who is the person speaking, and who is listening?

Answer: Camilla Shand (later Parker Bowles) and Charles, Prince of Wales (now Queen Camilla and King Charles III)

Alice Keppel, a mistress of King Edward VII, gifted him a Fabergé cigarette case symbolising her love. History has somewhat repeated itself: Alice Keppel’s great-granddaughter is none other than Queen Camilla, who was, of course, in a relationship with Prince Charles when he was married to Princess Diana. Queen Camilla, is married to King Charles III.

Two

Stay With Me ___ was a 1979 single by Judie Tzuke. What two words complete the title?

Answer: Till Dawn (Stay With Me Till Dawn)

Her debut album Welcome to the Cruise included the single that peaked at number 8 in Australia and 16 in the UK. It also reached number 47 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Three

The rings of ___, comprising 13 planetary rings, were discovered in 1977. Which body in the Solar System has been omitted from the previous sentence?

Answer: Uranus

Uranus has 13 planetary rings, discovered in 1977. Their complexity is between Saturn’s extensive rings and Jupiter and Neptune’s simpler systems. In 1789, William Herschel reported observing rings. However modern astronomers are divided on whether he could have seen them as they are very dark and faint.

Four

This wall, which began construction in AD 142, served as the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire while garrisoned. What wall is this and in which modern country is this wall located?

Answer: Antonine Wall

The Antonine Wall, a turf fortification built by the Romans in Scotland, spanned 63 kilometres and was the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire. Constructed under Emperor Antoninus Pius, it was abandoned after eight years and its remains are less evident than Hadrian’s Wall due to weathering. It is now under the care of Historic Environment Scotland and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Five

The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event is the most recent mass extinction and the only one definitively connected to a major asteroid impact. Some ___ percent of all species on the planet, including all nonavian dinosaurs, went extinct.

— National Geographic, September 26, 2019

Complete the quote by selecting one of these percentages: 43, 61 or 76.

Answer: 76

The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, 66 million years ago, wiped out 76% of species, including all non-avian dinosaurs, due to an asteroid impact near Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

My great-grandmother was your great-great grandfather’s mistress

Today’s questions are simply a random mix.

One

‘My great-grandmother was your great-great grandfather’s mistress,’ she is said to have joked. ‘So how about it?’

— Tatler, 11 December 2024

This quote was reportedly made in the second half of the twentieth century by one Briton speaking to another. Who is the person speaking, and who is listening?

Two

Stay With Me ___ was a 1979 single by Judie Tzuke. What two words complete the title?

Three

The rings of ___, comprising 13 planetary rings, were discovered in 1977. Which body in the Solar System has been omitted from the previous sentence?

Antonine Wall near Bar Hill showing ditch.
Image Wikipedia

Four

This wall, which began construction in AD 142, served as the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire while garrisoned. What wall is this and in which modern country is this wall located?

Five

The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event is the most recent mass extinction and the only one definitively connected to a major asteroid impact. Some ___ percent of all species on the planet, including all nonavian dinosaurs, went extinct.

— National Geographic, September 26, 2019

Complete the quote by selecting one of these percentages: 43, 61 or 76.

Today’s the Day—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.

All of these questions are related to today, November 12th.

Grace Kelly and Marlon Brando, 1955.
Academy Awards. Image Wikipedia

One

Born on 12 November 1929, this actress won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1954 film The Country Girl. Who is she?

Answer: Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly, an American actress, achieved stardom in Hollywood films before marrying Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956. As Princess of Monaco, she focused on charity work, particularly for children and the arts. Kelly passed away at the age of 52 due to injuries from a car crash.

Two

Today in 1990, Emperor Akihito was enthroned in Japan. Tradition dictates that he is the 125th direct descendant of Japan’s legendary first emperor. Who was this legendary first emperor?

Answer: Jimmu

Emperor Jimmu, the legendary first emperor of Japan, is said to have ascended the throne in 660 BC. While his existence is debated, his legendary journey from Hyūga to Yamato is celebrated on National Foundation Day.

Three

On this date in 1990, a computer scientist published a formal proposal for the World Wide Web. Who was this scientist and what organisation did they work for at the time?

Answer: Tim Berners-Lee; CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research)

The World Wide Web was invented by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN to address document storage and sharing challenges. He developed a decentralised system with hyperlinks, released it in 1991, and CERN made it royalty-free in 1993. The Web’s popularity surged with the release of graphical browsers like Mosaic and Netscape Navigator, leading to the dot-com bubble and the browser wars.

Four

Born in 1961, this gymnast became the first to score a perfect 10 at the Olympics. Who is this person and in which year’s Summer Olympics did this remarkable feat occur?

Answer: Nadia Comăneci; 1976 (Montreal)

Nadia Comăneci, a retired Romanian gymnast, is the first gymnast to achieve a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympics. At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, she secured six more perfect 10s, leading to three gold medals. In Moscow, during the 1980 Summer Olympics, she won two more golds and achieved two more perfect 10s. Throughout her career, Comăneci amassed nine Olympic medals—including five gold—and four World Artistic Gymnastics Championship medals. Widely regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, she has lived in the United States since 1989.

Ellis Island, New York.
Image Encyclopædia Britannica

Five

The pictured facility, which ceased to operate today in 1954, is located on what island?

Answer: Ellis Island

The US government established its first federal immigration station on Ellis Island in 1892, replacing the mismanaged Castle Clinton. Initially a wooden station, it processed over 1.5 million immigrants before a fire in 1897 destroyed it. A new fireproof station designed by Edward Lippincott Tilton and William A. Boring opened in 1900 but quickly faced overcrowding necessitating further expansions and improvements. Construction also began on a third island for a contagious diseases ward. However, after the Immigration Act of 1924, the island’s role shifted, leading to its downgrade to a detention centre and eventual closure in 1954 due to declining immigration and high upkeep costs.