Quizology.Online

Tag: americas

  • “Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men — the other 999 follow women.”

    Groucho Marx.
    Publicity portrait, 1947.
    Image Wikipedia

    Today’s post title, a quote by Groucho Marx, is only slightly relevant to these questions about leaders and rulers.

    1. The American colonies gained independence during the reign of which British king?
      • George I
      • George II
      • George III
    2. Who was the Chairman of the French National Committee from June 1940 until June 1944 during World War II?
      • Charles De Gaulle
      • Félix Gouin
      • Philippe Pétain
    3. The Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Ancient Egypt from 305 BC until 30 BC. Where served as the Ptolemy’s capital city?
      • Alexandria
      • Memphis
      • Thebes
    4. A Norse chieftain is thought to have been the first European to set foot on continental America, who is he?
      • Leif Erikson
      • Erik Thorvaldsson
      • Thorstein Eiriksson
    5. Arrange these three assassins in chronological order based on the date of their infamous assassinations (earliest first).
      • Charles Julius Guiteau
      • John Bellingham
      • Nathuram Godse

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Flying solo | Answers

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

    Icon from the Mégalo Metéoron Monastery in Greece, representing the First Ecumenical Council of Nikea 325 A.D., with the condemned Arius in the bottom of the icon.
    Image Wikipedia

    Image

    1. On 20th May 325, the first council in the history of the Christian church took place. Where did they meet?
      • Nicaea—The First Council of Nicaea, convened by Emperor Constantine I in 325, addressed the Christological issue of the divine nature of God the Son and his relationship to God the Father. The council also constructed the first part of the Nicene Creed, mandated uniform Easter observance, and promulgated early canon law.
        Portrait of Tomás Estrada Palma
        Image Wikipedia
    2. Tomás Estrada Palma became his country’s first President when it gained independence from the United States. Of what country was he president?
      • Cuba—Tomás Estrada Palma was a Cuban politician, serving as the first President of Cuba from 1902 to 1906. He improved Cuba’s infrastructure, communication, and public health during his presidency.
        Vasco da Gama.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. On this day in 1498, an explorer’s fleet arrived in India, marking the discovery of a sea route to India from Europe. Who was the explorer?
      • Vasco de Gama—Vasco da Gama led a fleet from Lisbon in 1497, successfully sailing to Calicut, India, and returning two years later. This voyage, the first direct European route to India, opened up new trade opportunities and is celebrated in Luís de Camões’ epic poem, Os Lusíadas.

        Two questions with a theme next.

        Charles Lindbergh with Spirit of St. Louis
        Image Wikipedia
    4. On this day in 1927 Charles Lindbergh took to the skies in the Spirit of St. Louis on the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Where did he take off from?
      • Long Island, New York—On 20 May 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, in his Spirit of St. Louis aeroplane. After a 33.5-hour flight across the Atlantic, facing challenges like icing and fog, he landed at Le Bourget Aerodrome near Paris, France, on 21 May 1927. His transatlantic flight made him the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic.
        Amelia Earhart, 1928.
        Image Wikipedia https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Amelia_Earhart_1928.jpg
    5. Five years after Charles Lindbergh’s historic solo flight across the Atlantic, Amelia Earhart also made history on 20th May 1932. She embarked on the world’s first solo nonstop flight by a female pilot, taking off from Newfoundland, Canada. Where did she land?
      • Derry, Northern Ireland—On 20 May 1932, Amelia Earhart flew solo from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland in a Lockheed Vega 5B, facing strong winds, icy conditions, and mechanical problems. After 14 hours and 56 minutes, she landed in a pasture near Derry.

  • Flying solo

    Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, May 20th.

    Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis airplane, circa late 1920s.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. On 20th May 325, the first council in the history of the Christian church took place. Where did they meet?
      • Constantinople
      • Ephesus
      • Nicaea
    2. Today in 1902, Tomás Estrada Palma became his country’s first President when it gained independence from the United States. Of what country was he president?
      • Aruba
      • Barbados
      • Cuba
    3. On this day in 1498, an explorer’s fleet arrived in India, marking the discovery of a sea route to India from Europe. Who was the explorer?
      • Ferdinand Magellan
      • Fernão do Pó
      • Vasco de Gama

        Two questions with a theme next.

    4. On this day in 1927 Charles Lindbergh took to the skies in the Spirit of St. Loius on the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Where did he take off from?
      • Bar Harbor, Maine
      • Cape Cod, Massachusetts
      • Long Island, New York
    5. Five years after Charles Lindbergh’s historic solo flight across the Atlantic, Amelia Earhart also made history on 20th May 1932. She embarked on the world’s first solo nonstop flight by a female pilot, taking off from Newfoundland, Canada. Where did she land?
      • Derry, Northern Ireland
      • Dumbarton, Scotland
      • Dieppe, France

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Down by the river | Answers


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

    Volga Delta.
    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?
      • Kazakhstan—The Volga Delta, Europe’s largest river delta, is located in Russia’s Astrakhan Oblast, draining into the Caspian Sea. It spans the Caspian Depression, with its easternmost part extending into Kazakhstan.
        Mississippi River.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. How many US states does the Mississippi River border or pass through?
      • 10—The Mississippi River, originating in Minnesota, flows south for 2,340 miles through or bordering ten states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. It eventually flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The river’s watershed drains 32 US states and two Canadian provinces.
        The steamships Aymoré and Sucre on the Madeira river.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. What river is the major tributary of the Amazon?
      • Madeira—The Madeira River, a major South American waterway, is the largest tributary of the Amazon, accounting for 15% of its water. It is estimated to be 1,450 km long, with the Madeira-Mamoré tributary extending to 3,250-3,380 km.
        River Nile, Cairo.
        Image Wikipedia
    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?
      • Sudan—The Nile River has two major tributaries: the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The White Nile, being the longer river, is traditionally considered the headwaters stream. However, the Blue Nile actually contributes 80% of the water and silt below the confluence of the two rivers. The White Nile’s source is still being disputed d discussed. Traditionally, it rises in the Great Lakes region, beginning at Lake Victoria and flowing through Uganda and South Sudan. The Blue Nile begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia and flows into Sudan from the southeast. The two rivers meet at the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.
        Yangtze River.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. Where is China’s Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric power station, located?
      • Yangtze River—The Yangtze River, the longest in Eurasia and third longest in the world, flows 6,300 kilometres from the Tibetan Plateau to the East China Sea.  Crucial to China’s history, culture, and economy, the Yangtze Delta generates 20% of China’s GDP. However, the river faces environmental challenges such as pollution, siltation, and habitat loss, impacting its diverse ecosystems and endangered species.  Notably, the Three Gorges Dam in China is the world’s largest hydroelectric power station, generating an impressive average of 95 TWh of electricity annually.

  • 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.

  • On top of the world | Answers

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

    Baily’s beads. The effect is also called the diamond ring and is a feature of total and annular solar eclipses. As the Moon covers the Sun during a solar eclipse, the rugged topography of the lunar limb allows beads of sunlight to shine through in some places while not in others. Image Wikipedia
    1. On 15 May 1836, Francis Baily observed a phenomenon, now known as Baily’s beads, during what event?
      • Solar eclipse—During a solar eclipse, Baily’s beads, named after Francis Baily who observed them in 1836, occur when sunlight shines through the Moon’s uneven edge, creating a ring of light with beads. The diamond ring effect happens when only one or two beads remain.
    2. On this day nylon stockings first became available for the general public in the United States. In what year did this take this take place?
      • 1940—Nylon stockings were first made available to the general public, and American stores sold out within days.
        Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. The mountaineer who conquered Mount Everest with Edmund Hillary was possibly born on 15 May 1914, what was he commonly known as?
      • Sherpa Tenzing—Tenzing Norgay, a Nepali-Indian Sherpa mountaineer, along with Edmund Hillary, was the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. He was named one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.
        Mickey Mouse Plane Crazy.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. Mickey Mouse’s debut was made today in 1928 with the premiere of what cartoon?
      • Plane Crazy—Plane Crazy, the first Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse film, was originally a silent film released in 1928. After the success of Steamboat Willie, it was officially released as a sound cartoon in 1929. The plot sees Mickey trying to imitate Charles Lindbergh‘s flying achievements.
        Old Mormon Fort.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. Las Vegas was founded on 15 May 1905. What historic site stands at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Washington Avenue?
      • Old Mormon Fort—Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park contains the Old Mormon Fort, the first permanent structure built in Las Vegas. The fort, built in 1855, was a midpoint between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, later occupied by the U.S. Army and renamed Fort Baker.

  • On top of the world

    Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 15 May.

    Looking north to Mount Everest.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. On 15 May 1836, Francis Baily observed a phenomenon, now known as Baily’s beads, during what event?
      • Papal inauguration Mass
      • Solar eclipse
      • Swimming underwater in a coral lagoon
    2. On this day, nylon stockings first became available for the general public in the United States. In what year did this take place?
      • 1902
      • 1921
      • 1940
    3. The mountaineer who conquered Mount Everest with Edmund Hillary was possibly born on 15 May 1914. What was he commonly known as?
      • Sherpa Doqing
      • Sherpa Laxing
      • Sherpa Tenzing
    4. Mickey Mouse’s debut was made today in 1928 with the premiere of what cartoon?
      • House Mouse
      • Monkey Business
      • Plane Crazy
    5. Las Vegas was founded on 15 May 1905. What historic site stands at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Washington Avenue?
      • Old Baptist Mission
      • Old Quaker Meeting House
      • Old Mormon Fort

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • It might be possible that the world itself is without meaning. | Answers

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

    THX1138
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica
    1. THX 1138 (1971) was the directorial debut of which filmmaker, who was born on 14 May 1944?
      • George Lucas—Warner Brothers–Seven Arts signed Lucas to direct a feature-length version of his student film, Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, with Francis Ford Coppola executive-producing. The film, a grim fantasy about a robotised society, received respectful reviews but was not widely embraced.
        The ruins at Jamestown, Virginia, USA from: Robert Sears, A pictorial description of the United States (s.n., 1854), pg. 315. Google Books
        Image Wikipedia
    2. On this day in 1607, the first English colony in North America was founded and named after England’s King James I. Who was the mother of the king?
      • Mary, Queen of Scots—James VI and I, the only son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the first Stuart monarch. He ruled Scotland as James VI from 1567 and England and Ireland as James I from 1603 until his death in 1625. He advocated for a single parliament, sponsored the King James Version of the Bible and saw the start of English colonisation of the Americas.
        Virginia Woolf.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. On 14 May 1925, the novel Mrs Dalloway was published. Who was the author?
      • Virginia Woolf—Mrs Dalloway, a novel by Virginia Woolf, follows Clarissa Dalloway, an upper-class woman in post-WWI England, on a day as she prepares for a party. The novel explores time and social structure through Clarissa’s life and the party. The title of this post is from Mrs Dalloway.
        Eric Morecambe.
        Image Pinterest
    4. John Eric Bartholomew was born today in 1926. Which comedian/actor is he better known as?
      • Eric Morecambe—Eric Morecambe, born John Eric Bartholomew, was an English comedian known for his double act with Ernie Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe’s death in 1984.
    5. May 14, saw the beginning of the last witchcraft trial held in the United States. In what year did this take place?
      • 1878—In 1878, Lucretia Brown accused Daniel Spofford of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. The case, considered the last witchcraft trial in the US, was dismissed by the judge.

  • It might be possible that the world itself is without meaning.

    THX1138
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 14 May.

    1. THX 1138 (1971) was the directorial debut of which filmmaker, who was born on 14 May 1944?
      • George Lucas
      • Steven Spielberg
      • Robert Zemeckis
    2. On this day in 1607, the first English colony in North America was founded and named after England’s King James I. Who was the mother of the king?
      • Mary I of England
      • Mary of Guise
      • Mary, Queen of Scots
    3. On 14 May 1925, the novel Mrs Dalloway was published. Who was the author?
      • Virginia Plain
      • Virginia Rogers
      • Virginia Woolf
    4. John Eric Bartholomew was born today in 1926. Which comedian/actor is he better known as?
      • Eric Idle
      • Eric Morecambe
      • Eric Sykes
    5. May 14, saw the beginning of the last witchcraft trial held in the United States. In what year did this take place?
      • 1778
      • 1828
      • 1878

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

    It might be possible that the world itself is without meaning.

  • Main St. to Westminster Abbey via the North Pole | Answers

    Exile on Main St. Rolling Stones.
    Image Pinterest.
    1. Exile on Main St., a double album was released on 12 May 1972 by…
      • Rolling Stones—Exile on Main St. is the Rolling Stones’ tenth studio album, released in 1972. The album, recorded in France and Los Angeles, features a mix of blues, rock and roll, swing, country and gospel influences. It is considered a pivotal hard rock album and is often regarded as the Rolling Stones’ best work.
        Norge airship.
        Image Wikipedia
    1. The first verified flight over the North Pole took place on this date in 1926. The flight was made in a…
      • Semirigid airship—The Norge, an Italian-built airship, completed the first verified flight to the North Pole on 12 May 1926. The expedition, led by Roald Amundsen and funded by Lincoln Ellsworth, was the first to fly over the polar ice cap between Europe and America.
        Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
        Portrait by Richard Stone
        Image Wikipedia
    2. On 12 May 1937, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were crowned. George had been king since December 1936, following his brother Edward VIII’s abdication. Prior to Edward’s abdication, the new king and queen were known by what titles?
      • Duke and Duchess of York—George VI, born Albert, and titled Duke of York, became king after his brother Edward VIII abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson.. He led the UK through World War II, symbolising British determination. He died in 1952, his daughter becoming Queen Elizabeth II. His widowed consort, now styled Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, lived for a further 50 years.
        During the Berlin Airlift in 1948, U.S., British, and French planes delivered food and other goods to Berlin, which was blockaded by Soviet forces. In this photo, German children stand on a hillside and watch a U.S. plane fly overhead.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. On this day in 1949, the Soviet Union lifted its blockade of…
      • Berlin—The Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin in 1948–49, cutting off all land and water access. The Western Allies responded with the Berlin Airlift, supplying West Berlin by air for nearly a year until the Soviets lifted the blockade.
        Florence Nightingale, an angel of mercy. Crimean War: Florence Nightingale with her candle making the night round of the wards at Scutari hospital.
        Coloured mezzotint, c. 1855, by Tomkins after Butterworth.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. Three English people are listed, but one was born while her parents were on an extended honeymoon in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Can you identify which one?
      • Florence Nightingale, nurse and social reformer—Florence Nightingale, an English social reformer and statistician, revolutionised modern nursing. During the Crimean War, she led a team of nurses in Scutari, Turkey, improving hospital conditions and reducing mortality rates. Her dedication, known as the “Lady with the Lamp,” earned her international acclaim and led to the establishment of the first scientifically based nursing schools.
    Mission of Mercy: Florence Nightingale receiving the Wounded at Scutari.
    (Jerry Barrett, 1857)
    Image National Portrait Gallery, London/Wikipedia https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Nightingale_receiving_the_Wounded_at_Scutari_by_Jerry_BarrettFXD.jpg