On 22 August 1953, the maximum-security penal colony on Devil’s Island, which had operated for 100 years, was permanently closed. The subject of the front page article from L’Aurore (13 January 1898) was imprisoned on Devil’s Island. Who was the subject of Émile Zola’s J’Accuse and in which country is Devil’s Island located?
Two
On this date in 2004, a painting was stolen from the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway. What painting?
Three
On 22 August, a U.S. President named Henry A. Kissinger as Secretary of State. Which president?
Four
In 1851, the yacht America (US) won what is considered the first America’s Cup. Around which island did the race take place?
Five
A battle on 22 August 1485 was the last significant battle of England’s Wars of the Roses. What was the battle, and what king died during it?
Official portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1959. Image Wikipedia
One
On August 21st, Hawaii was officially proclaimed the 50th US state. Can you name the president who made this proclamation?
Answer: Dwight D. Eisenhower
Hawaii was officially proclaimed the 50th US state by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on 21 August 1959. Hawaii is an island state in the Pacific Ocean, consisting of 137 volcanic islands. It is the only US state not on the North American mainland and is known for its diverse culture, influenced by North American, East Asia and indigenous Hawaiian heritage. Hawaii’s economy, historically based on agriculture, has diversified to include tourism and military defence.
Where was the Mona Lisa stolen from on this day in 1911?
Answer: The Louvre
The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911 by Vincenzo Peruggia, who believed it should be returned to Italy. After keeping it for two years, Peruggia attempted to sell it and was caught, leading to the painting’s return to the Louvre in 1914.
Born 21 August 1904, an American musician who will, 70 years later, feature in a desert scene from Blazing Saddles. Who is he?
Answer: Count Basie
Count Basie plays himself in Mel Brooks 1974 film Blazing Saddles. He and his orchestra play April in Paris in the middle of the desert as Bart (Cleavon Little) rides towards Rock Ridge to assume the post of sheriff.
Born on this day in 1930 at Glamis Castle, Scotland, this princess’s 1960 marriage would be the first royal wedding to be televised. Who is she?
Answer: Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, born in 1930, was the second daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, who, following the abdication of Edward VIII, became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Known for her independent spirit, she famously renounced her engagement to Peter Townsend due to his divorce. A celebrated socialite, she was the Countess of Snowdon and had a glamorous lifestyle with notable romances. Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, but their marriage ended in divorce in 1978, marking the first royal divorce in 400 years.
The Dumbarton Oaks Conference, opening on 21 August 1944, was instrumental in the founding of what?
Answer: United Nations
The ‘Allied Big Four’ (UK, US, USSR, Republic of China) formulated the new international organisation at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in 1944. The Yalta Conference in 1945 and further negotiations with the Soviet Union resolved all issues.
Phoebe Ann Mosey was born this day in 1860. Named ‘Little Sure Shot’ by Sitting Bull, she was a star in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. What was her stage name?
— Answer: Annie Oakley
Oakley never failed to delight her audiences, and her feats of marksmanship were truly incredible. At 30 paces she could split a playing card held edge-on, she hit dimes tossed into the air, she shot cigarettes from her husband’s lips, and, a playing card being thrown into the air, she riddled it before it touched the ground
Opha May Johnson (2 Feb 1900 – Jan 1976) was the first woman to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. This is a photo of her shortly after enlisting, c. 1918. Image Wikipedia
Women were permitted to enlist in the United States Marine Corps for the first time on August 13th. In which decade of the 20th century did this occur?
— Answer: 1910s (1918)
Women first enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1918, Private Opha May Johnson being the first woman to enlist. Although deactivated after the First World War there was a significant increase during World War II. The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 made women a permanent part of the Marine Corps.
Opha May Johnson monument, St. Paul’s Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C. Image WikipediaAlfred Hitchcock’s birthplace. Image Wikipedia
Four
Alfred Hitchcock, the renowned film director and producer, was born today in 1899. In which city was he born?
— Answer: London, UK
Alfred Hitchcock, an English-born American director, was renowned for his suspenseful films and TV programmes, characterised by a macabre sense of humour and a bleak view of humanity.
On 13 August 1624, Cardinal Richelieu was appointed principal minister in France. Who was the monarch who made this appointment?
— Answer: Louis XIII
Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642) served as the chief minister to King Louis XIII of France from 1624 to 1642. His primary objectives, which he largely achieved, were the establishment of royal absolutism in France and the end of Spanish-Habsburg dominance in Europe.
Alfred Hitchcock, c. 1960s. (Question 4) Image Wikipedia
One
What Cold War event led to 13 August 1961 being known as Barbed Wire Sunday?
Two
Phoebe Ann Mosey was born this day in 1860. Named ‘Little Sure Shot’ by Sitting Bull, she was a star in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. What was her stage name?
Three
Women were permitted to enlist in the United States Marine Corps for the first time on August 13th. In which decade of the 20th century did this occur?
Four
Alfred Hitchcock, the renowned film director and producer, was born today in 1899. In which city was he born?
Five
On 13 August 1624, Cardinal Richelieu was appointed principal minister in France. Who was the monarch who made this appointment?
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking…
The above quote is from the opening sentence of a dystopian novel published in 1949. Can you identify the missing number?
Answer: Thirteen
Nineteen Eighty-Four, a dystopian novel by George Orwell, examines the effects of totalitarianism, mass surveillance, and truth manipulation. Set in a future where Airstrip One is part of Oceania, the story portrays a society under the control of Big Brother and the Party’s Thought Police. Winston Smith, a Party member, attempts to rebel against the oppressive regime but is eventually captured, tortured, and forced to betray Julia, ultimately submitting to Big Brother.
Two
If the Fibonacci sequence starts with F0 = 0 and F1 = 1, what is F13 equal to?
Answer: 233
The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers in which each number (Fibonacci number) is the sum of the two preceding numbers. The simplest is the series 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, etc. In fiction they had a role to play in Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.
F0
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5
F6
F7
0
1
1
2
3
5
8
13
F8
F9
F10
F11
F12
F13
F14
F15
21
34
55
89
144
233
377
610
Three
What birthday does Bilbo celebrate near the beginning of the novel The Fellowship of the Ring (1954) and the 2001 film adaptation?
Answer: 111th
The beginning of the first chapter in the book begins quite lightly, following on from The Hobbit which is more of a children’s story than The Lord of the Rings. It begins with Bilbo Baggins celebrating his 111th (or eleventy first, as it is called) birthday, on the same day that Frodo celebrates his 33rd birthday. (His ‘coming of age’) At the birthday party, Bilbo disappears after his speech, to the surprise of all. Frodo later learns about the ring which he had used to make himself invisible, and also to some of its darker powers. — Tolkien Gateway
Four
In what year was Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States, born?
Answer: 1946
Donald Trump (born June 14, 1946, New York, New York, U.S.) is the 45th and 47th president of the United States (2017–21; 2025– ). Following his inauguration on January 20, 2025, Trump became only the second president to serve two nonconsecutive terms, the first being Grover Cleveland (1885–89; 1893–97). In January 2025, upon his sentencing without punishment for a felony conviction in 2024, Trump officially became the first convicted felon to be elected president. At age 78, Trump is the oldest person to win the office. — Encyclopædia Britannica
Five
Ray Bradbury’s 1953 dystopian novel, Fahrenheit…, is missing a number from its title. What is it?
Answer: 451
Fahrenheit 451‘s title. The title page of the book explains the title as follows: Fahrenheit 451—The temperature at which book paper catches fire and burns…. On inquiring about the temperature at which paper would catch fire, Bradbury had been told that 451 °F (233 °C) was the autoignition temperature of paper. In various studies, scientists have placed the autoignition temperature at a range of temperatures between 424 and 475 °F (218 and 246 °C), depending on the type of paper.
One of the regular characters in the television series Cheers has the first name Hilary. Who is that?
Answer: Norm (Hilary Norman Peterson)
Norm Peterson, a regular at Cheers, is known for his witty remarks and love of beer. His enormous tab at the bar is a running gag, with jokes about its size and his occasional attempts to pay it off. Despite his unemployment, Norm remains the bar’s best customer, receiving a complimentary beer on his birthday.
Two
George Clinton, Fourth Vice-President of the United States, Portrait by Ezra Ames, 1814. Image Wikipedia
Born on 26 July 1739, the fourth vice president of the United States and the first governor of New York was…
Answer: George Clinton
George Clinton was an American soldier, statesman and Democratic-Republican. He served as the fourth vice president, first governor of New York, and holds the record for the second-longest gubernatorial tenure in U.S. history. He was also the first vice-president to die in office, and the first of two to hold office under two consecutive presidents, Thomas Jefferson (1805–1809) and James Madison (1809–1812).
Three
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Image Wikipedia
Best known for an achievement with Norgay in 1953, he later became New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh, and Ambassador to Nepal. What is his first and last name, and where did the 1953 achievement take place?
Answer: Edmund Hillary, Mount Everest
Sir Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer, who with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first confirmed climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. He later served as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh and Ambassador to Nepal, and founded the Himalayan Trust to assist the Sherpa people.
Elected in 1986, this well-known entertainment figure served as the mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, for a two-year term. Can you identify this individual?
Answer: Clint Eastwood (Clinton Eastwood)
Clint Eastwood is an American actor and film director known for his roles in Westerns and action films. He served as the mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California from 1986 to 1988 and has received numerous awards, including four Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards.
The author of the historical novel The Mirror & the Light, the concluding instalment in a trilogy and the author’s final novel published during their lifetime, is who?
Answer: Hilary Mantel
Hilary Mantel was a British writer known for historical fiction, personal memoirs, and short stories. She won the Booker Prize twice for the first and second novels in her Cromwell trilogy, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, and sold over 5 million copies.
On July 26, 2016, Hillary Clinton was officially nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate. Today’s questions revolve around people named Hillary, Hilary, or Clinton, whether as a first or last name.
One of the regular characters in the television series Cheers has the first name Hilary. Who is that?
Two
Born on 26 July 1739, the fourth vice president of the United States and the first governor of New York was…
Three
Best known for an achievement with Norgay in 1953, he later became New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh, and Ambassador to Nepal. What is his first and last name, and where did the 1953 achievement take place?
Four
Elected in 1986, this well-known entertainment figure served as the mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, for a two-year term. Can you identify this individual?
Five
The author of the historical novel The Mirror & the Light, the concluding instalment in a trilogy and the author’s final novel published during their lifetime, is who?
The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.
Space shuttle Atlantis (STS-135) touches down at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, completing the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program. July 21, 2011, Cape Canaveral, Florida. Image (NASA/Bill Ingalls)/Wikipedia
One
On July 21, 2011, the Space Shuttle program concluded with the landing of a shuttle at NASA’s Cape Canaveral. Which shuttle made this landing, marking the end of the Space Shuttle program?
Answer: Atlantis
From the first launch on April 12, 1981 to the final landing on July 21, 2011, NASA’s space shuttle fleet flew 135 missions, helped construct the International Space Station and inspired generations. NASA’s space shuttle fleet began setting records with its first launch on April 12, 1981 and continued to set high marks of achievement and endurance through 30 years of missions. Starting with Columbia and continuing with Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, the spacecraft has carried people into orbit repeatedly, launched, recovered and repaired satellites, conducted cutting-edge research and built the largest structure in space, the International Space Station. The final space shuttle mission, STS-135, ended July 21, 2011 when Atlantis rolled to a stop at its home port, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. – NASA
Lyndon B. Johnson at the LBJ ranch, 1972. Image LBJ Library
Two
On this date in 2024, President Joe Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the presidential election. Prior to this announcement, who was the most recent sitting United States president to decline to seek reelection?
Answer: Lyndon B. Johnson
On March 31, 1968, President Johnson delivered a national address that made three significant announcements: he had recently ordered substantial reductions in the bombing campaign against North Vietnam, he was requesting peace negotiations, and he would neither seek nor accept his party’s nomination for re-election.
What was the title of the final book in the Harry Potter series, released on July 21, 2007?
Answer: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter, a fictional boy wizard created by British author J.K. Rowling, is the subject of seven immensely popular novels (1997–2007) and eight films (2001–11). His coming-of-age exploits were further adapted into a play and a book of its script in 2016.
Four
Today in 1954, the Geneva Accords divided what country along the 17th parallel?
Answer: Vietnam
The Geneva Accords, signed in 1954, divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel, establishing a cease-fire and calling for troop withdrawals. The Accords also stipulated all-Vietnamese elections by 1956 to reunify the country, though the U.S. and South Vietnam withheld approval.
On 21 July 1960, Sirimavo Bandaranaike made history as the world’s first female prime minister in which country?
Answer: Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the world’s first female prime minister, served three terms in Sri Lanka. She carried on her assassinated husband’s socialist policies, promoting Buddhism and Sinhalese culture. However, she encountered economic crisis and defeat in 1965. She subsequently returned to serve two more terms as prime minister (1970–77, 1994–2000).
