Tag: americas

  • Fiddler’s Bridge Rings—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions posed earlier today plus some additional information.

    A portrait in oils in the Museo Internazionale e Biblioteca della Musica di Bologna is generally believed to be of Vivaldi.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. Venice, Republic of Venice (now Italy)—Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678–1741) was a pivotal Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era, known for his innovative contributions to orchestration, violin technique and the concerto form. Born in Venice, he was ordained a priest in 1703, earning the nickname Il Prete Rosso—the red priest. Vivaldi worked at the Ospedale della Pietà, composing numerous concertos, sacred works, and over fifty operas, including the famous The Four Seasons. Despite initial success, his popularity declined in the 1730s. He moved to Vienna in 1740, seeking royal support, but died in poverty. His works were rediscovered in the 1920s, reviving interest in his music.
      Forth Bridge pier off Inchgarvie Island. The Forth Road Bridge can be seen in the background.
      Image Wikipedia
    2. Edinburgh—The Forth Bridge, a cantilever railway bridge over the Firth of Forth (Estuary of the River Forth) in Scotland, was designed by Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker in the late 1880s and opened on 4 March 1890. Initially criticised for its aesthetics, it is now a symbol of Scotland and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located 9 miles west of Edinburgh, it carries the Edinburgh–Aberdeen line, is 8,094 feet (2467 m) long and features three 1,348 ft (411 m) cantilevers and two 351 ft (107 m) suspended spans, with a total clear span of 1,699 ft (518 m). Constructed with 58,000 tons of steel at a cost of £3,000,000 (£493,000,000 in 2025). Recent research by the Queensferry Historian Group has discovered that 78 men died during the construction of the bridge.
      A plaque honoring Perkins at Boston’s Logan Airport.
      Image Wikipedia
    3. Franklin D. Roosevelt—Frances Perkins was appointed Secretary of Labor on 4 March 1933. Born on 10 April 1880, in Boston she was a pioneering American workers-rights advocate and the first woman in the U.S. cabinet, serving as Secretary of Labour from 1933 to 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A key figure in the New Deal coalition, she focused on labour issues and social security policy, developing the Social Security Act in 1935. Perkins championed reforms like the minimum wage, maximum workweek, and child labour restrictions. Educated at Mount Holyoke College, Wharton School, and Columbia University, she passed away on 14 May 1965, in New York.
      Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon during a Beatles performance for Dutch television, 1964.
      Image Wikipedia
    4. John Lennon, Beatles—In 1966, during a controversial interview, John Lennon of the Beatles made a bold statement that would spark widespread debate and backlash around the world. Lennon asserted that the band had become “more popular than Jesus”. This comment was part of a larger discussion about the changing role of religion and the cultural influence of rock music, particularly among the youth of the 1960s. The remark was initially unnoticed in the UK but gained significant attention in the United States, leading to protests and record burnings by those who viewed the statement as blasphemous. Despite the uproar, the Beatles continued to dominate the music scene and influence the cultural landscape, solidifying their legacy as one of the most iconic bands in history.
    5. Voyager 1—Voyager 1, launched by NASA on September 5, 1977, is a pioneering interplanetary probe that visited Jupiter and Saturn, becoming the first spacecraft to reach interstellar space. Part of a twin mission with Voyager 2, it utilised a rare planetary alignment for a multiplanet tour. Voyager 1 discovered Jupiter’s ring and volcanic activity on Io, and revealed Saturn’s ring structures. It carries a gold-plated phonograph record with Earth’s images and sounds. By 2012, it entered interstellar space and is now the most distant human-made object. It is expected to operate until 2030.
    Distance from Earth screenshot, 12:42 4 March 2025*
    Image JPL NASA Voyager

    *Voyager Live information can be viewed at JPL NASA Voyager.

  • Fiddler’s Bridge Rings

    Image Wikipedia

    Here are some questions based on this day in history.

    1. Antonio Vivaldi, composer and virtuoso violinist was born on 4 March 1678. Where was he born?
      • Vigo, Kingdom of Galicia (now Spain)
      • Vienna, Austria
      • Venice, Republic of Venice (now Italy) 
    2. What Scottish city is located about nine miles east of the bridge, which opened this day in 1890, pictured above? 
      • Aberdeen
      • Dundee
      • Edinburgh
      Frances Perkins
      Image Wikipedia
    3. Frances Perkins was the first woman ever to serve in a presidential cabinet in the United States. Which president appointed her as the fourth US Secretary of Labor?
      • Calvin Coolidge
      • Herbert Hoover
      • Franklin D. Roosevelt 
    4. On 4 March 1966, it was claimed during an interview that we are ‘more popular than Jesus’. Who made this claim?
      • John Lennon of the Beatles
      • Cass Elliot of the Mamas & the Papas
      • Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones
    5. On this day in 1979 the first photograph of the rings of Jupiter (below) was sent back to Earth by what spacecraft?
      • Voyager 1
      • Galileo
      • Pioneer 11
    Jupiter.
    Image Wikipedia

    Good luck! The answers will be posted later today.

  • Brief Encounter—Answer

    45 minutes

    President Francisco Madero. 37th President of Mexico.
    [Image from Wikipedia]

    Pedro Lascuráin’s 45-minute presidency, unlike other brief period in office, was entirely intentional. Lascuráin played a crucial role in the Mexican Revolution, which involved the transfer of power from President Francisco Madero to dictator Victoriano Huerta. Here’s how it unfolded.

    Pedro Lascuráin. 38th President of Mexico.
    [Image from Wikipedia]

    As the minister of foreign affairs, Lascuráin held the third position—after the president and vice president—in the line of succession to the presidency. However, Huerta exploited this position to his advantage. He orchestrated a fake battle to create unrest and persuade Madero and his vice president to resign. Tragically, they were later murdered while attempting to flee Mexico. Lascuráin ascended to the presidency, but his tenure was marked by only one significant act: appointing Huerta as a member of his cabinet. Subsequently, he promptly resigned, paving the way for the next in line, his new cabinet minister, Victoriano Huerta.

    Victoriano Huerta. 39th President of Mexico.
    [Image from Wikipedia]
  • Brief Encounter

    Pedro Lascuráin
    [Image from Wikipedia]

    Pedro Lascuráin became president of Mexico on 19 February 1938.

    • The duration of his presidency was…
      • 45 minutes
      • 45 hours
      • 45 days

    The answer will be posted later.