Tag: americas

Roamin’ in the Gloamin’

Some questions connected to today’s date, June 1st.

Map of Arctic Circle (shown in blue).
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
    • Ittoqqortoormiit, Sermersooq, Greenland
    • Nuvuk, Murchison Promontory, Alaska, USA
  2. Today in 1812, the US President asked Congress to declare war on the United Kingdom. Who was this president?
    • Thomas Jefferson
    • James Madison
    • James Monroe
  3. On this date, a monk recorded the first known batch of Scotch whisky. In which year was this record made?
    • 1009
    • 1243
    • 1495
  4. All celebrating birthdays today, but who was born the earliest?
    • Brandi Carlile, singer-songwriter
    • Heidi Klum, model
    • Jason Donovan, actor and singer
  5. On 1 June 1919, as one of its first acts after independence from the Russian Empire, Finland imposed which of these?
    • Conscription (Military draft)
    • Prohibition (Ban on alcohol)
    • Women’s suffrage (Right to vote)

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Exploring history | Answers

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

Sunset over the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, as seen from the town of Sekiu, Washington, USA.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Manuel Quimper explored the Strait of Juan de Fuca on this day in 1790. What international boundary runs down the centre of the strait?
    • Canada and USA—The Strait of Juan de Fuca, named after Greek navigator Juan de Fuca, is the Salish Sea’s main outlet to the Pacific Ocean. Its existence was confirmed by Charles Barkley in 1787, though John Meares later attempted to claim credit. The strait was further explored between 1789 and 1791 by Spanish explorers including Manuel Quimper.
      HMS Warspite and Malaya on 31 May 1916 during the battle of Jutland.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. On this day in 1916, the largest naval battle of the First World War took place. What is it known as?
    • Battle of Jutland—The Battle of Jutland, known by the Germans as Skagerrakschlacht (Battle of the Skagerrak), fought between the British and German navies in 1916, was the largest naval battle of World War I. The outcome denied the German surface fleet access to the North Sea and Atlantic for the remainder of the war.
      Painting of the Pont Neuf project as approved by King Henry III in 1578. The bridge was completed in 1607 with a less ornate design.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. Today in 1578, France’s King Henry III laid the first stone for what is now Paris’s oldest bridge. What is its name?
    • Pont Neuf (New Bridge)—The Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, spans the Seine and connects the left and right banks to the Île de la Cité. It was named Pont Neuf, meaning New Bridge, to distinguish it from older bridges lined with houses.
      A Japanese Ko-hyoteki class midget submarine, believed to be the vessel known as Midget No. 14, is raised from the bed of Sydney Harbour. The night before the picture was taken, the submarine’s two crew members were part of a raid on shipping in Sydney Harbour. (Photo 1 June 1942)
      Image Wikipedia
  4. On this day in 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a series of attacks on Sydney, Australia. What was used to in these attacks?
    • Midget submarines—Between 31 May and 8 June 1942, three Japanese midget submarines launched a series of attacks on Sydney Harbour. Two submarines were detected and sunk, while the third sank a converted ferry, resulting in the loss of 21 sailors.
      Genghis Khan.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. On 31st May 1223, Genghis Khan’s armies emerged victorious at the Battle of the Kalka River. In which modern-day country was this battle fought?
    • Ukraine—The Battle of the Kalka River in 1223, on the Kalka River, in present-day Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, was a decisive Mongol victory against a coalition of Rus’ principalities and Cumans.

Exploring history

A few questions related to today’s date, May 31st.

Pont Neuf.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Manuel Quimper explored the Strait of Juan de Fuca on this day in 1790. What international boundary runs down the centre of the strait? Argentina and Chile—Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand—Canada and USA
  2. On this day in 1916, the largest naval battle of the First World War took place. What is it known as? Battle of the Baltic Sea—Battle of Jutland—Battle of Scapa Flow
  3. Today in 1578, France’s King Henry III laid the first stone for what is now Paris’s oldest bridge. What is its name? Pont Jeanne-d’Arc (Joan of Arc Bridge)—Pont Neuf (New Bridge)—Pont Nord (North Bridge)
  4. On this day in 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a series of attacks on Sydney, Australia. What was used to in these attacks? Dive bombers—Midget submarines—Ninja sleepers
  5. On 31st May 1223, Genghis Khan’s armies emerged victorious at the Battle of the Kalka River. In which modern-day country was this battle fought? Georgia—Kazakhstan—Ukraine

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

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

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

George III of Great Britain.
Image Google Art Project/Wikipedia
  1. The American colonies gained independence during the reign of which British king?
    • George III—George III’s reign (1760–1820) saw the British Empire expand during the Seven Years’ War but shrink with the loss of the American colonies. The Napoleonic Wars solidified Britain’s position as a European power.
      Charles De Gaulle, 1942.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. Who was the Chairman of the French National Committee from June 1940 until June 1944 during World War II?
    • Charles De Gaulle—Charles de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II. He later founded the Fifth Republic, served as its first President, and pursued a policy of “national independence” that included withdrawing from NATO and developing an independent nuclear force. De Gaulle also advocated for a Europe of sovereign nations and opposed US intervention in Vietnam.
      Ptolemaic Kingdom in the 3rd–2nd centuries BCE.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. The Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Ancient Egypt from 305 BC until 30 BC. Where served as the Ptolemy’s capital city?
    • Alexandria—Alexandria had been founded by Alexander the Great. After Alexander’s death, Ptolemy Lagides took control of Egypt, executed Cleomenes, and declared himself Pharaoh in 305 BC, moving the capital to Alexandria.
      Leif Erikson, modern statue, Duluth.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. A Norse chieftain is thought to have been the first European to set foot on continental America, who is he?
    • Leif Erikson—Leif Erikson, a Norse explorer, is believed to have been the first European to reach continental America, establishing a settlement in Vinland (possibly Newfoundland, Canada). He later became chief of the Greenland settlement after his father’s death.
      John Bellingham.
      Image Wikipedia
      Charles J. Guiteau.
      Image Wikipedia
      Nathuram Godse.
      Image India Today
  5. Arrange these three assassins in chronological order based on the date of their infamous assassinations (earliest first).
    • John Bellingham (1812), Charles Julius Guiteau (1881) and Nathuram Vinayak Godse (1948)—
      • Bellingham assassinated Spencer Perceval, a British statesman and barrister who served as Prime Minister from 1809 until his assassination in 1812. He is the only British prime minister to have been assassinated.
      • Guiteau assassinated James Garfield, the 20th US president, who served from March to his death in September 1881. Garfield had a diverse background, having served as a preacher, lawyer, Civil War general, and nine terms in the House of Representatives.
      • Godse assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian lawyer and anti-colonial nationalist, in 1948. Gandhi led India’s independence movement through nonviolent resistance and championed civil rights, religious pluralism, and self-sufficiency, inspiring global movements. Godse, a Hindu nationalist, opposed Gandhi’s support for Muslims and shot him.
Spencer Percival.
Image Wikipedia
James A. Garfield.
Image Wikipedia
Mahatma Gandhi.
Image Wikipedia

“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.