Tag: americas

Americana

Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, June 9th.

Grande Hermine with cameos of Jacques Cartier & Francis I, King of France in margins.
Image US Library of Congress
  1. The first European to describe and map North America’s Saint Lawrence River sailed into the river for the first time on 9 June 1534. Who was he?
    • Jacques Cartier
    • Jacques Chirac
    • Jacques Cousteau
  2. Michael J. Fox was born 9 June 1961, what role did he play in Spin City?
    • Frank Bannister
    • Mike Flaherty
    • Ben Stone
  3. On this date, a US President declared a national day of mourning following the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Which US president made this decision?
    • Gerald Ford
    • Lyndon B. Johnson
    • Richard Nixon
  4. Best known for her Kay Scarpetta novels, which author was born today in 1956?
    • Jane Adams
    • Patricia Cornwell
    • Sandra Brown
  5. On 9 June 1959, the world’s first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine was launched. Which of these was it?
    • K-19 (Soviet Union)
    • HMS Resolution (United Kingdom)
    • USS George Washington (United States)

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

An assassin, an invader, mutineers, mountaineers and religious revolutionaries walk into a bar | Answer

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

London Heathrow.
Image Wikipedia
  1. On 8 June 1968, James Earl Ray, who was later convicted of the assassination of Martin Luther King, was arrested at…
    • London Heathrow Airport, UK—James Earl Ray, convicted of assassinating Martin Luther King Jr., fled to London after the murder and was captured there. In 1999, after a civil trial in Memphis, a jury found Loyd Jowers liable for the assassination, concluding it was a conspiracy involving US government agencies.
  2. Today in 452, an invasion heading towards Rome, devastated the northern provinces of Italy. The invasion was lead by…
    • Attila the Hun—ruler of the Huns from 434 to 453, led an empire in Central and Eastern Europe. He invaded the Eastern and Western Roman Empires, attempting to conquer Constantinople and Gaul, but died before conquering Rome. Ivan the Terrible and Vlad the Impaler lived a millennium after Attila.
      Maximilien Robespierre.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. On 8 June 1794, during the French Revolution, a new religion was inaugurated, which was celebrated with festivals across France. It was called the Cult of the…
    • Supreme Being—a deistic religion established by Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution, was intended to replace Catholicism and the Cult of Reason. It was banned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.
      Mount Everest.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. On this date in 1924, British mountaineers Andrew Irvine and George Mallory went missing. Which expedition were they on?
    • British Mount Everest Expedition—The 1924 expedition, the second attempt to reach the summit, saw two summit attempts by Edward Norton and the disappearance of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine on the third attempt. Mallory’s body was found in 1999, but Irvine’s remains were only discovered in 2024.
      Descendants of Matthew Quintal and John Adams, the mutineers on Bounty, 1862.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. On 8 June 1856, a group of people arrived on Norfolk Island to be resettled from Pitcairn Island. These were descendants of the mutineers from the…
    • Bounty—In 1856, 193 Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian partners, resettled on Norfolk Island due to Pitcairn’s overpopulation. They established farming and whaling industries, and the island’s population continued to grow despite some families returning to Pitcairn.

An assassin, an invader, mutineers, mountaineers and religious revolutionaries walk into a bar

Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, June 8th.

  1. On 8 June 1968, James Earl Ray, who was later convicted of the assassination of Martin Luther King, was arrested at…
    • London Heathrow Airport, UK
    • Mexico City International Airport
    • Salisbury Airport, Rhodesia (now Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, Zimbabwe)
  2. Today in 452, an invasion heading towards Rome, devastated the northern provinces of Italy. The invasion was lead by…
    • Attila the Hun
    • Ivan the Terrible
    • Vlad the Impaler
  3. On 8 June 1794, during the French Revolution, a new religion was inaugurated which was celebrated with festivals across France. It was called the Cult of the…
    • Cathars
    • Huguenots
    • Supreme Being
  4. On this date in 1924, British mountaineers Andrew Irvine and George Mallory went missing. Which expedition were they on?
    • British Mount Everest Expedition
    • International Expedition to Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica
    • Lost World Expedition to Mount Roraima, Guyana
  5. On 8 June 1856, a group of people arrived on Norfolk Island to be resettled from Pitcairn Island. These were descendants of the mutineers from the…
    • Amistad
    • Bounty—
    • Caine

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Through the looking glass

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

First public demonstration in Annonay, 4 June 1783.
Image Wikipedia
  1. On 4 June 1783, an uncrewed hot-air balloon was launched at Annonay in southeastern France. This marked the first public demonstration of the discovery that hot air in a large, lightweight bag rises. Who made this discovery and constructed and launched the balloon? Who made this discovery and constructed and launched the balloon?
    • Montgolfier Brothers—Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne, invented the hot air balloon and conducted the first untethered flights in 1783.
      Transcontinental Express.
      Image Pinterest
  2. On this day in 1876, the first Transcontinental Express arrived in San Francisco after travelling from New York. How long did the journey take?
    • 83 hours and 39 minutes—On 4 June 1876, the Transcontinental Express, an express train, arrived in San Francisco, California, via the first transcontinental railroad. This remarkable feat was achieved in just 83 hours and 39 minutes, leaving New York City behind. The news of the Transcontinental Express’s arrival spread rapidly across the United States, captivating newspapers and sparking widespread excitement.
      Ariane 5 flight VA-256 on the launch pad with the James Webb Space Telescope
      Image Wikipedia
  3. Today in 1996, the maiden flight of the European Space Agencies Ariane 5 rocket ended in an explosion after 37 seconds. What was the cause of this incident?
    • Software bug—Ariane flight V88, the maiden flight of Ariane 5, failed due to software errors causing the rocket to veer off course and self-destruct. The failure, costing over US$370 million, is known as one of the most infamous software bugs in history.
      Henry Ford sits in his first automobile, the Ford Quadricycle, in 1896.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. In 1896, Henry Ford completed a successful test on his first gasoline-powered automobile. What did he call it?
    • Ford Quadricycle—in 1896, Henry Ford completed his first experimental automobile, the Quadricycle, in Detroit. This success led to his founding of the Ford Motor Company in 1903 and become one of the world’s richest men. The original Quadricycle is in The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
      Illustration of Humpty Dumpty by John Tenniel, from Through the Looking Glass, 1871.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. On 4 June 1937, an American supermarket chain introduced one of the world’s first shopping carts. What was the supermarket chain?
    • Humpty Dumpty—Sylvan Goldman, owner of the Humpty Dumpty supermarket chain in Oklahoma. Inspired by a night of contemplation in his office in 1936, Goldman wondered how customers could move more groceries.

Through the looking glass

Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, June 4th.

Illustration from Through the Looking Glass.
Image Wikipedia
  1. On 4 June 1783, an uncrewed hot-air balloon was launched at Annonay in southeastern France. This marked the first public demonstration of the discovery that hot air in a large, lightweight bag rises. Who made this discovery and constructed and launched the balloon? Who made this discovery and constructed and launched the balloon?
    • Leclerc Bothers
    • Meirovitz Brothers
    • Montgolfier Brothers
  2. On this day in 1876, the first Transcontinental Express arrived in San Francisco after travelling from New York. How long did the journey take?
    • 67 hours and 54 minutes
    • 75 hours and 22 minutes
    • 83 hours and 39 minutes
  3. Today in 1996, the maiden flight of the European Space Agencies Ariane 5 rocket ended in an explosion after 37 seconds. What was the cause of this incident?
    • Fuel leak
    • Lightning strike
    • Software bug
  4. In 1896, Henry Ford completed a successful test on his first gasoline-powered automobile. What did he call it?
    • Ford Gasoline-Carriage
    • Ford Model A
    • Ford Quadricycle
  5. On 4 June 1937, an American supermarket chain introduced one of the world’s first shopping carts. What was the supermarket chain?
    • Humpty Dumpty
    • Daisy
    • Tweedledum and Tweedledee

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Hatches, matches and despatches | Answers

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

Josephine Baker, 1940.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Born in St Louis, Missouri, on 3 June 1926, this singer and dancer was a resistance member and spy in occupied France during World War II. Who was she?
    • Josephine Baker—born in St. Louis, Missouri, was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. She renounced her US citizenship and became a French national in 1937. Baker aided the French Resistance during World War II, working with the British and US Secret Services. After the war, she received French honours. Baker was inducted into the Panthéon in Paris in 2021, the first black woman to receive this honour.
      Rafael Nadal, 2009.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. Tennis player Rafael Nadal was born on this day in 1986. He won his first Grand Slam singles title in 2005 at the …
    • French Open—Rafael Nadal, a former Spanish professional tennis player, won 92 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including 22 major titles and an Olympic gold medal. He holds the record for the longest single-surface win streak in the Open Era.
      Château de Candé, Monts, Indre-et-Loire, France, 2007.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. On this day in 1937, the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII, married Wallis Simpson, the woman for whom he had abdicated the British throne. Where were they married?
    • Château de Candé, Tours, France—The Dukedom of Windsor was created in 1937 for Edward VIII after his abdication to marry Wallis Simpson. The title, derived from Windsor Castle, became extinct upon Edward’s death in 1972 as he died without issue. They were married in France where he lived in exile, no members of his family attended the wedding.
      Anthony Quinn in Barabbas (1961)
      Image Wikipedia
  4. An actor who died today in 2001 had played the following roles during a long career. In 1961, he was Andrea Stavros in The Guns of Navarone; the same year, he took the title role in Barrabas and the following year, he was the Bedouin sheikh Auda Abu Tayi in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Who was he?
    • Anthony Quinn—Anthony Quinn, born in Mexico and raised in the US, was a two-time Academy Award-winning actor known for his passionate roles in over 100 films, television shows and stage productions. He was also a civil rights activist, painter and author.
      Frank Kafka, 1923.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. An author and lawyer who died on this day in 1924 has an adjective named after him. The adjective is defined as ‘characteristic or reminiscent of the oppressive or nightmarish qualities of …’s fictional world’. What name is omitted from this definition?
    • Frank Kafka—the adjective is kafkaesque. Kafka was a Jewish, Austrian and Czech writer from Prague, known for exploring alienation and absurdity. His best-known works include The Metamorphosis, The Trial and The Castle. Despite being prolific, he burned much of his work due to self-doubt and was relatively unknown until his influence spread globally after World War II, two decades after his death.

Hatches, matches and despatches

A few questions related to people who were born, got married or died on today’s date, June 3.

King Edward VIII, 1936.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Born in St Louis, Missouri, on 3 June 1926, this singer and dancer was a resistance member and spy in occupied France during World War II. Who was she?
    • Josephine Baker
    • Mata Hari
    • Edith Cavell
  2. Tennis player Rafael Nadal was born on this day in 1986. He won his first Grand Slam singles title in 2005 at the …
    • Australian Open
    • French Open
    • US Open
  3. On this day in 1937, the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII, married Wallis Simpson, the woman for whom he had abdicated the British throne. Where were they married?
    • Chapel Royal, Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, Scotland
    • Château de Candé, Tours, France
    • Crathie Kirk, Balmoral, Scotland
  4. An actor who died today in 2001 had played the following roles during a long career. In 1961, he was Andrea Stavros in The Guns of Navarone; the same year, he took the title role in Barrabas and the following year, he was the Bedouin sheikh Auda Abu Tayi in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Who was he?
    • Anthony Daniels
    • Anthony Perkins
    • Anthony Quinn
  5. An author and lawyer who died on this day in 1924 has an adjective named after him. The adjective is defined as ‘characteristic or reminiscent of the oppressive or nightmarish qualities of …’s fictional world’. What name is omitted from this definition?
    • Lewis Carroll
    • Frank Kafka
    • Bram Stoker

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

A trivial pursuit | Answers

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

Alfred Deakin.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Alfred Deakin became prime minister for the third time on the 2 June 1909. In what country was he premier?
    • Australia—Alfred Deakin, Australia’s second Prime Minister, was a key figure in Federation and early Australian politics. He served three terms, leading the Protectionist Party and later the Liberal Party, and is remembered for his influence on the “Australian settlement” and the establishment of a two-party system.
      Coronation portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, June 1953.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, today in 1953, took place at…
    • Westminster Abbey—The coronation of Elizabeth II as Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey. The ceremony, televised for the first time, included an oath, anointing, and crowning.
  3. On this day in 1962, during the FIFA World Cup, police had to intervene multiple times in a match to stop violence between Italian players and those from…
    • Chile—The Battle of Santiago, a 1962 FIFA World Cup match between Chile and Italy, was known for its violence, including two red cards, numerous punches, and four police interventions.
      Painting of two alleged witches being tried in Salem, Massachusetts as part of the infamous witchhunts.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. Today in 1692, the first person to be tried for witchcraft in Salem went on trial and was found guilty. Who was she?
    • Bridget Bishop—Bridget Bishop was accused of witchcraft by five young women and tried in the first case of the Salem Witchcraft Trials. Multiple witnesses testified against her, claiming she harmed them through apparitions and physical attacks. Despite a jury finding a third nipple on her, Bishop was ultimately convicted of witchcraft based on the sheer number of accusations and her perceived dishonesty in court. She was sentenced to death and hanged.
      Surveyor 1.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. On 2 June 1966, Surveyor 1 became the first US spacecraft to soft-land on another world when it touched down in Oceanus Procellarum on…
    • Moon—Surveyor 1, the first US lunar soft-lander, successfully landed on the Ocean of Storms (Oceanus Procellarum) on 2 June 1966. It transmitted 11,237 photos of the lunar surface to Earth, providing valuable data for the Apollo Moon landings.

A trivial pursuit

Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, June 2nd.

Queen Elizabeth II, 1959.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Alfred Deakin became prime minister for the third time on the 2 June 1909. In what country was he premier?
    • Australia
    • Barbados
    • Canada
  2. Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, today in 1953, took place at…
    • St Paul’s Cathedral
    • Westminster Abbey
    • Windsor Castle
  3. On this day in 1962, during the FIFA World Cup, police had to intervene multiple times in a match to stop violence between Italian players and those from…
    • Australia
    • Belgium
    • Chile
  4. Today in 1692, the first person to be tried for witchcraft in Salem went on trial and was found guilty. Who was she?
    • Abigail Abbott
    • Bridget Bishop
    • Catherine Chaplain
  5. On 2 June 1966, Surveyor 1 became the first US spacecraft to soft-land on another world when it touched down in Oceanus Procellarum on…
    • Mars
    • Mercury
    • Moon

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Roamin’ in the Gloamin’ | Answers

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

Positions of North Magnetic Pole of the Earth. Poles shown are dip poles, defined as positions where the direction of the magnetic field is vertical. Red circles mark magnetic north pole positions as determined by direct observation, blue circles mark positions modelled using the GUFM model (1590–1890) and the IGRF-12 model (1900–2020) in 1 year increments. For the years 1890–1900, a smooth interpolation between the two models was performed. The modelled locations after 2015 are projections.
Image Wikipedia
  1. On 1 June 1831, British naval officer James Clark Ross made history as the first person to precisely locate the position of the Earth’s north magnetic pole. Using current locations, where was it discovered?
    • Boothia Peninsula, Nunavut, Canada—The north magnetic pole was located on the Boothia Peninsula, Nunavut, Canada—the northernmost portion of mainland Canada and North America—since then it has roamed the Arctic, gradually drifting north-northwest by more than 600 miles (1,100 km).
      James Madison.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. Today in 1812, the US President asked Congress to declare war on the United Kingdom. Who was this president?
    • James Madison—After failed sanctions and policies, Madison believed war with Britain was necessary. A “war hawk” Congress, elected by an angry public, declared war on 1 June 1812, despite the country’s small, poorly trained military.
      Scotch Whisky.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. On this date, a monk recorded the first known batch of Scotch whisky. In which year was this record made?
    • 1495—John Cor, a fifteenth-century Scottish friar, is linked to the earliest written record of Scotch whisky. King James IV ordered Cor to use malt to make whisky in 1495, marking the first mention of whisky in a Scottish source.
      Jason Donovan.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. All celebrating birthdays today, but who was born the earliest?
    • Jason Donovan, actor and singer—the former Neighbours and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat star was born in 1968. Heidi Klum was 1973 and Brandi Carlile, 1981.
  5. On 1 June 1919, as one of its first acts after independence from the Russian Empire, Finland imposed which of these?
    • Prohibition (Ban on alcohol)—Finland enacted prohibition in 1919 after independence from Russia, but repealed it in 1932 following a referendum after widespread smuggling and increased crime.