Quizology.Online

Tag: art

  • Water Under the Bridge—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posed in my earlier post.

    All of these questions relate to today’s date, November 21st.

    Verrazano-Narrows Bridge from Brooklyn at night, 2012.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Which two boroughs of New York City were linked by the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, pictured above, upon its opening on 21 November 1964?

    Answer: Brooklyn and Staten Island

    The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, a suspension bridge connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn, spans the Narrows and carries 13 lanes of Interstate 278. Designed by Othmar Ammann and others, it opened in 1964 with a central span, 4,260 feet (1,298 m), that was the longest in the world until 1981. The bridge, named after explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, collects tolls in both directions.

    Two

    The first crewed hot air balloon flight took place on this day in 1783 in a balloon constructed by the Montgolfier brothers. Which of contemporary Paris’s over 400 public parks was the site of this historic flight?

    Answer: Bois de Boulogne

    The first untethered manned balloon ascent occurred on 21 November 1783, when two Frenchmen Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent, marquis d’Arlandes, travelling from the Château de la Muette across the Bois
    de Boulogne, Paris. The flight lasted 20 minutes in a hot air balloon designed and built by brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier. This historic event was witnessed by Louis XVI, the French Academy of Sciences, and the public, including Benjamin Franklin.

    Three

    On this date, Danish astronomer Ole Rømer presented the first quantitative measurements of the speed of light. Which century was this?

    Answer: 17th century

    In 1676, Danish astronomer Ole Rømer announced that an eclipse of Jupiter’s moon would occur ten minutes later than expected, a prediction based on his calculations of the speed of light. Despite this occurring as he predicted, there was initial scepticism from the Paris Académie des Sciences, including his patron, Cassini. Rømer’s claim was eventually confirmed by James Bradley’s discovery of the aberration of light in 1729.

    René Magritte shown with one of his works featuring his recurring motif, a bowler hat.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Four

    Who is this Belgian artist, born on 21 November 1898 and pictured above with one of his works?

    Answer: René Magritte

    René Magritte (1898 – 15 August 1967) was a Belgian surrealist artist renowned for his bizarre and enigmatic paintings that depicted ordinary objects in unsettling, unexpected contexts, challenging perceptions of reality and representation. Influenced by Giorgio de Chirico, Magritte developed a unique style characterised by carefully rendered objects in dreamlike juxtapositions. His work gained international popularity in the 1930s and influenced pop art, minimalist art, and conceptual art, continuing until his death in 1967.

    Five

    Frankenstein, the classic horror film, was released in the US today in 1931. Who played the monster in this film?

    Answer: Boris Karloff

    Frankenstein is a 1931 American horror film directed by James Whale, based on Peggy Webling’s 1927 stage play adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel. Starring Colin Clive and Boris Karloff, the film follows Dr. Frankenstein’s experiment to create life, resulting in tragic consequences. It was a commercial success, significantly impacting popular culture and spawning sequels and remakes, with its influence still felt today.

  • Today’s the Day—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions about October 10th which were posted earlier.

    Giant, film poster, 1956. Image Wikipedia

    One

    On this day in 1956, an American film premiered and became particularly notable as the final film featuring James Dean, who died in a car crash shortly after filming concluded. Which film was it?

    Answer: Giant

    James Dean, a 1950s Hollywood actor, became an influential figure despite a brief career. His three major films, Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, and Giant, are preserved in the National Film Registry.

    Two

    In 1969, the album In the Court of the … was released by a band which included Greg Lake. What words complete the album title and what was the band called?

    Answer: (In the Court of the) Crimson King and King Crimson

    King Crimson, an English progressive rock band formed in 1968, is known for its diverse musical influences and significant impact on the progressive rock movement. In the Court of the Crimson King, King Crimson’s debut album, is a pioneering work of progressive rock, blending rock with jazz, classical and symphonic music.

    Three

    In 1846, English astronomer William Lassell discovered Triton, a moon of which planet?

    Answer: Neptune

    William Lassell (18 June 1799 – 5 October 1880) was an English merchant and astronomer.  He’s best known for his improvements to the reflecting telescope which led to his discovery of four planetary satellites.

    Matt Monro, publicity picture for the single, Born Free, 1966.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    In 1963, the second film in the official James Bond franchise, From Russia with Love, premiered. Which Englishman sang the title song in the film?

    Answer: Matt Monro

    If I had to choose three of the finest male vocalists, Matt would be one of them.
    — Frank Sinatra

    Born on December 1, 1930, Terence Edward Parsons, known as Matt Monro on stage, was an English singer renowned as ’The Man with the Golden Voice’. The former London bus driver, performed internationally for 30 years and sold 23 million records. AllMusic called him ‘one of the most underrated pop vocalists of the ‘60s’, praising his ‘easiest, most perfect baritone’. Monro, a heavy smoker and drinker, died of liver cancer in 1985 after which ‘Frank Sinatra said of him, ‘If I had to choose three of the finest male vocalists, Matt would be one of them.’
    Monro’s recordings include UK top 10 hits Portrait of My Love, My Kind of Girl, Softly As I Leave You, Walk Away and a cover of the Beatles’ Yesterday. He also recorded film themes such as From Russia with Love, Born Free, and On Days Like These.

    Five

    In 1935, Porgy and Bess opened on Broadway. Who composed this opera?

    Answer: George Gershwin

    Porgy and Bess is an English-language opera by George Gershwin, based on a novel and play by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward. It premiered in 1935 and is now one of the most frequently performed operas, known for its story of Porgy’s attempts to rescue Bess from her violent lover and drug dealer.

  • Today’s the Day

    These five questions are about events that all happened on October 10th.

    James Dean, c. 1953.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On this day in 1956, an American film premiered and became particularly notable as the final film featuring James Dean, who died in a car crash shortly after filming concluded. Which film was it?

    Two

    In 1969, the album In the Court of the … was released by a band which included Greg Lake. What words complete the album title and what was the band called?

    Three

    In 1846, English astronomer William Lassell discovered Triton, a moon of which planet?

    Four

    In 1963, the second film in the official James Bond franchise, From Russia with Love, premiered. Which Englishman sang the title song in the film?

    Five

    In 1935, Porgy and Bess opened on Broadway. Who composed this opera?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

  • Raising the Dead—Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    The Raising of Lazarus and the Adoration of the Shepherds
    Regional Museum of Messina, Sicily, Italy
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Which Italian artist born this day in 1571, painted the works above which are displayed in Sicily?

    Answer: Caravaggio

    Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, (known mononymously as Caravaggio) an Italian painter from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, gained fame for his realistic religious works.

    Two

    In 1829 the Metropolitan Police was founded, by what name (two words the first contains eight letters) is the force, especially the Criminal Investigation Department, colloquially known?

    Answer: Scotland Yard

    Through the efforts of Robert Peel, England’s first professional police force, London’s Metropolitan Police (often called Scotland Yard), was founded; it became a model for future police departments in various other countries, including the United States.

    — Encyclopædia Britannica

    Three

    Born in Rome in 1901, who became an associate director of Manhattan Project in 1944?

    Answer: Enrico Fermi

    Enrico Fermi, an Italian-born American scientist, was a pivotal figure in the nuclear age. He developed mathematical statistics for subatomic phenomena, explored neutron-induced nuclear transformations, and directed the first controlled nuclear fission chain reaction, earning the 1938 Nobel Prize for Physics. Fermi is best known for creating the first artificial nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the Manhattan Project. His work spanned statistical mechanics, quantum theory, and nuclear and particle physics.

    Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Who was the first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister of Australia?

    Answer: Julia Gillard

    Julia Gillard, born in Wales, served as Australia’s 27th prime minister. She was the first and, as of September 2025, the only woman to hold the position.

    Five

    Following the Challenger disaster in January 1986 and the suspension of NASA’s space shuttle programme, it resumed on this day. In which year and with which shuttle did this happen?

    Answer: 1988 and Discovery

    On January 28, 1986, the Challenger shuttle exploded shortly after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. A presidential commission discovered a joint seal in a solid rocket booster had failed due to mechanical design flaws exacerbated by cold weather. Hot gases leaking from the joint ignited the shuttle’s external tank fuel leading to the devastating explosion. As a result, the shuttle fleet was grounded for necessary design corrections and administrative changes. On 29 September 1988, Discovery was the first shuttle to resume flights. Endeavour, a replacement orbiter, finally flew its first mission in 1992.

  • Raising the Dead

    Here are five questions related to today, September 29th.

    The Raising of Lazarus and the Adoration of the Shepherds
    Regional Museum of Messina, Sicily, Italy.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Which Italian artist born this day in 1571, painted the works above which are displayed in Sicily?

    Two

    In 1829 the Metropolitan Police was founded, by what name (two words the first contains eight letters) is the force, especially the Criminal Investigation Department, colloquially known?

    Three

    Born in Rome in 1901, who became an associate director of Manhattan Project in 1944?

    Four

    Who was the first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister of Australia?

    Five

    Following the Challenger disaster in January 1986 and the suspension of NASA’s space shuttle programme, it resumed on this day. In which year and with which shuttle did this happen?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

  • Long to Reign Over Us—Answers

    Queen Victoria.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 8 September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. Her reign was the longest of any monarch in the United Kingdom. Is it true or false that in a list of the longest reigning monarchs within the UK, Queen Victoria would be placed second and George III, third?

    Answer: True

    Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years, 214 days, while Victoria reigned for 63 years, 216 days, and George III for 59 years, 96 days.

    George III.
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    Is this true or false that The Great Herding was a historical event in medieval Scotland which began on 8 September annually?

    Answer: False

    The Great Herding, or El Gran Arreo, began in 1888 when five settlers, led by Henry Jamieson, moved thousands of sheep hundreds of kilometres to Santa Cruz, Argentina, to establish large sheep farms.

    Three

    Is it true or false that on 8 September 1941, German and Finnish troops began a siege that would last 872 days?

    Answer: True

    The siege of Leningrad, lasting two years, four months, and nineteen days from 1941 to 1944, was a devastating blockade by Germany and Finland. It is renowned as the most destructive siege in history. Although Leningrad was never captured, the intentional starvation of its civilians resulted in an estimated 1.5 million deaths.

    Michelangelo’s David.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Is this true or false that on this day in 1644, Michelangelo’s David was unveiled in the Piazza della Signoria, in Milan.

    Answer: False

    1644 and Milan are incorrect. Michelangelo’s 5.17-metre marble statue, David, was created between 1501 and 1504. On 8 September 1504, it was unveiled in Piazza della Signoria, Florence. Originally intended for Florence Cathedral, David became a symbol of civil liberties and was moved to the Galleria dell’Accademia in 1873.

    The Man Trap (1966), Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in Star Trek.
    Image IMDB

    Five

    Is it true or false that the first episode of Star Trek premiered on American television on 8 September 1970?

    Answer: False

    The Man Trap, the first episode of Star Trek had premiered on NBC some four years earlier on 8 September 1966. The Man Trap follows Captain Kirk and his crew as they visit an outpost and encounter a shapeshifting alien.

  • Long to Reign Over Us

    Today’s questions are related to today’s date, 8 September. The answers are either true or false.

    Elizabeth II, 1959.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 8 September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. Her reign was the longest of any monarch in the United Kingdom. Is it true or false that in a list of the longest reigning monarchs within the UK, Queen Victoria would be placed second and George III, third?

    Two

    Is it true or false that The Great Herding was a historical event in medieval Scotland which began on 8 September annually?

    Three

    Is it true or false that on 8 September 1941, German and Finnish troops began a siege that would last 872 days?

    Four

    Is it true or false that on this day in 1644, Michelangelo’s David was unveiled in the Piazza della Signoria, in Milan?

    Five

    Is it true or false that the first episode of Star Trek premiered on American television on 8 September 1970?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Good Queen Bess—Answers

    Edward VI by William Scrots.
    Image Wikipedia
    Mary by Hans Eworth, 1554.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    England’s Elizabeth I was born on 7 September 1533, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. When she ascended the throne in 1558, she followed two siblings, whose regnal names were?

    Answers: Edward VI and Mary I

    Elizabeth I’s shrewdness, courage, and self-display inspired loyalty and unified England against foreign enemies. Her carefully crafted image as a symbol of the nation’s destiny, coupled with her authority to make critical decisions, defined the Elizabethan Age.

    Two

    Today marks the anniversary of ESPN’s debut on American television. In which decade did this event occur?

    Answer: Seventies (1970s)

    ESPN, founded in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen and his son Scott, revolutionised sports broadcasting. With backing from Getty Oil and later ABC, ESPN secured major sports contracts, including the NFL and NCAA football, establishing itself as a dominant force in the industry. Despite facing challenges in the 2010s, ESPN continues to evolve, launching streaming services and expanding its reach through partnerships and acquisitions.

    Napoleon I on the Borodino Heights, by Vasily Vereshchagin (1897).
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    The armies of what two nations fought at the Battle of Borodino on 7 September 1812?

    Answer: France and Russia

    The Battle of Borodino, fought on 7 September 1812, was the bloodiest single day of the Napoleonic Wars. Despite a French victory, the Imperial Russian army retreated, leading to the French occupation of Moscow and the eventual failure of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia.

    Grandma Moses.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses), born on this day in 1860, became internationally renowned as a painter of naïve folk art depicting rural life in the United States. Where was born: Greenwich, New York; Greenwich, Ohio; or Greenwich, Pennsylvania?

    Answer: Greenwich, New York

    Grandma Moses, an American folk artist, gained fame in her 70s for her paintings of rural life. Her work, characterised by simple realism and nostalgic atmosphere, has been widely exhibited and merchandised.
    Greenwich, New York, is a town in Washington County with a population of 4,868. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area and has historical significance as part of the Underground Railroad.

    RMS Lusitania, possibly New York, c.1907.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    Launched on this day in 1907, what Cunard liner was named after an ancient Roman province on the Iberian Peninsula?

    Answer: Lusitania (RMS Lusitania)

    The ship’s name was inspired by Lusitania, an ancient Roman province located on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula. This region is now known as southern Portugal and Extremadura, Spain. Lusitania was targeted by a German submarine, torpedoed and sunk with the loss of 1,193 lives in May 1915.

  • Good Queen Bess

    Elizabeth I of England, c.1575.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    England’s Elizabeth I was born on 7 September 1533, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. When she ascended the throne in 1558, she followed two siblings, whose regnal names were?

    Two

    Today marks the anniversary of ESPN’s debut on American television. In which decade did this event occur?

    Three

    The armies of what two nations fought at the Battle of Borodino on 7 September 1812?

    Four

    Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses), born on this day in 1860, became internationally renowned as a painter of naïve folk art depicting rural life in the United States. Where was born: Greenwich, New York; Greenwich, Ohio; or Greenwich, Pennsylvania?

    Answer: RMS Lusitania

    The ship’s name was inspired by Lusitania, an ancient Roman province located on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula. This region is now known as southern Portugal and Extremadura, Spain. Lusitania was targeted by a German submarine, torpedoed and sunk with the loss of 1,193 lives in May 1915.

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

  • J’Accuse—Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

    Captain Alfred Dreyfus. Image Wikipedia
    J’Accuse. Image Wikipedia

    One

    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?

    Answer: Captain Alfred Dreyfus and French Guiana

    The Dreyfus affair was a political scandal in France from 1894 to 1906, centred around the wrongful conviction of Captain Alfred Dreyfus for treason. Despite evidence of his innocence, Dreyfus was convicted and imprisoned, sparking a national debate between Dreyfusards, who supported him, and anti-Dreyfusards, who condemned him. The affair highlighted issues of injustice and antisemitism in France.

    Two

    Edvard Munch, 1893, The Scream, oil, tempera and pastel on cardboard, 91 x 73 cm, National Gallery of Norway.
    Image Wikipedia

    On this date in 2004, a painting was stolen from the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway. What painting?

    Answer: The Scream

    Edvard Munch’s 1893 painting The Scream depicts an agonised face and is considered an iconic representation of existential dread. Munch created multiple versions, including two paintings and two pastels, with one pastel version selling for a record price in 2012. The Scream has been stolen twice, in 1994 and 2004. In both cases, the perpetrators were eventually apprehended. The painting was recovered after a few months in 1994 and two years after the 2004 theft.

    Henry Kissinger, 1982.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Three

    On 22 August, a U.S. President named Henry A. Kissinger as Secretary of State. Which president?

    Answer: Richard Nixon

    Henry Kissinger, national security adviser and secretary of state (from 1973) under Nixon and Ford, significantly shaped US foreign policy from 1969-1976. He advanced détente with the Soviet Union, initiated SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks), opened relations with China, and played a crucial role in Vietnam War peace negotiations.

    The America, schooner yacht.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    In 1851, the yacht America (US) won what is considered the first America’s Cup. Around which island did the race take place?

    Answer: Isle of Wight

    The America’s Cup, originally the R.Y.S. £100 Cup, was donated to the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) in 1857 and renamed after the winning yacht, America. The NYYC held the trophy for 132 years until 1983. The class of yachts used in the competition has evolved over time, from large yachts to smaller, more affordable classes, and currently features high-tech foiling catamarans.

    Richard III, Battle of Bosworth Field.
    From A Chronicle of England, B.C. 55-A.D. 1485 by James E. Doyle, 1864.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    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?

    Answer: Battle of Bosworth Field and King Richard III

    The Battle of Bosworth, fought on 22 August 1485, was the decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses. Henry Tudor’s victory over Richard III marked the end of the Plantagenet dynasty and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty. The exact location of the battle is disputed, with memorials erected at different sites.