A fictional patriarch who founded the Genco Pura Olive Oil Company was…
Three
What sculpture in the Louvre Museum was discovered on the Greek island of Milos in 1820?
Four
America is named after Amerigo who?
Five
At the start of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy a ___ Constructor Fleet arrives to destroy Earth to make way for a hyperspace bypass? What word is missing?
The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.
The remains of Francis Gary Powers’ U-2 (s/n 56-6693, msn 360) are now on display in the Central Armed Forces Museum, Moscow, Russia. Image Wikipedia
One
On 1 May 1960, an aircraft flown by American pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down over Soviet territory. By what short name is the aircraft commonly known?
Answer: U-2
On 1 May 1960, a US Lockheed U-2 spy plane, flown by American pilot Francis Gary Powers, was shot down by the Soviet Air Defence Forces while conducting photographic aerial reconnaissance inside Soviet territory. The aircraft had taken off from Peshawar, Pakistan, and crashed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) after being hit by a surface-to-air missile. Powers parachuted to the ground and was subsequently captured.
U Thant Island, in East River, New York City, in front of the UN Building. Image Wikipedia
Two
Belmont Island, located in front of the United Nations Secretariat Building in New York City, was, in 1982, officially renamed in with a UN connection. What name was it given?
Answer: U Thant Island
U Thant Island, formerly Belmont Island, is a small artificial island in New York City’s East River. It’s the smallest island in Manhattan and is home to a colony of double-crested cormorants. Belmont Island was renamed U Thant Island on October 7, 1982, in honour of the late U Thant, a former Secretary-General of the United Nations.
An alias the main protagonist is told to use in The Fellowship of the Ring
The first human settlement on Mars in Kim Stanley Robinson‘s novel Red Mars
A fictional character in Ursula K. Le Guin‘s short story The Rule of Names
Answer: Underhill
Underhill answered all three points in the question.
In JRR Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring Frodo Baggins was told by Gandalf to use the alias Mr Underhill from when he left Hobbiton and until they met up at The Prancing Pony in Bree.
Red Mars follows the first hundred colonists on their journey to Mars, their first settlemet, Underhill; their efforts to terraform the planet, and their struggle for independence from Earth’s control. Led by differing ideologies, the colonists debate terraforming and Mars’ relationship with Earth, ultimately leading to a revolution against Earth’s influence.
The Rule of Names is a short story by Ursula K. Le Guin, introducing the Earthsea realm and its magic system. It features the dragon Yevaud and explains the significance of true names in Earthsea. A resident wizard is nicknamed Underhill because he lives in a cave below a hill.
Gandantegchinlen Monastery, Bayangol, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Image Wikipedia
Four
With an average annual temperature of 0.2 °C (32.4 °F), and coldest January temperatures dropping to between −36 and −40 °C (−32.8 and −40.0 °F), which capital city holds the distinction of being the coldest in the world?
Answer: Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, is the coldest capital city in the world with an average annual temperature of 0.2 °C or 32.4 °F. It was founded in 1639 as a Buddhist monastic centre and became the country’s capital in 1924, now serving as its cultural, industrial and financial hub.
The Vasari Corridor’s bridge from the Palazzo Vecchio to Uffizi. Image Wikipedia
Five
Florence’s Vasari Corridor is a long, raised passageway that connects Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria to Palazzo Pitti. What gallery is found along its route?
Answer: Uffizi
The Vasari Corridor in Florence connects the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti, passing through the Uffizi Gallery. Stretching approximately one kilometre, it crosses the Arno River at Ponte Vecchio and winds through the Oltrarno district.
On 1 May 1960, an aircraft flown by American pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down over Soviet territory. By what short name is the aircraft commonly known?
Two
Belmont Island, located in front of the United Nations Secretariat Building in New York City, was, in 1982, officially renamed in with a UN connection. What name was it given?
Three
What one word answers all of these?
An alias the main protagonist is told to use in The Fellowship of the Ring
The first human settlement on Mars in Kim Stanley Robinson‘s novel Red Mars
A fictional character in Ursula K. Le Guin‘s short story The Rule of Names
Four
With an average annual temperature of 0.2 °C (32.4 °F), and coldest January temperatures dropping to between −36 and −40 °C (−32.8 and −40.0 °F), which capital city holds the distinction of being the coldest in the world?
Five
Florence’s Vasari Corridor is a long, raised passageway that connects Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria to Palazzo Pitti. What gallery is found along its route?
Mary Quant, a British fashion designer, was a key figure in the 1960s Mod and youth fashion movements. She is credited with designing the miniskirt and hotpants.
James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell and Mary, Queen of Scots third husband. Image Wikipedia
Two
Who married James Hepburn, the 4th Earl of Bothwell, in 1567 at Holyrood, Edinburgh, Scotland?
Answer: Mary, Queen of Scots
James Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney and 4th Earl of Bothwell (c. 1534 – 1578), known simply as Lord Bothwell, was the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. Accused of murdering Mary’s second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, he was acquitted of the charge. However, his marriage to Mary was controversial and divided the country. When he fled the growing rebellion to Norway, he was arrested and spent the rest of his life imprisoned in Denmark.
First Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery), The Hunt for Red October (1990). Image Pinterest
Three
Captain First Rank … of the Soviet Navy was dressed for the Arctic conditions normal to the Northern Fleet submarine base at Polyarnyy.
The above quote is the opening sentence of Tom Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October. What two-word name is missing from this quote?
Answer: Marko Ramius
The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy’s debut novel, was published in 1984 and introduced Jack Ryan. The book, which popularised the techno-thriller genre, was adapted into a film starring Sean Connery as Ramius in 1990.
Who partnered Chris Evert to win the 1976 Wimbledon ladies’ doubles title?
Answer: Martina Navratilova
Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova defeated Billie Jean King and Betty Stöve in the final of the 1976 Wimbledon ladies’ doubles title with a score of 6–1, 3–6, 7–5. This victory marked Evert’s only Wimbledon doubles title and third major doubles title, while it was Navratilova’s first Wimbledon doubles title and second doubles major title.
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa gained global fame in 1911 when Vincenzo Peruggia stole it, believing it belonged to Italy. The theft and subsequent recovery generated unprecedented publicity, leading to numerous cultural depictions and a Guinness World Record for the highest known painting insurance valuation.
Forth Bridge—The Forth Bridge, a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth (estuary of the River Forth) in Scotland, was completed in 1890 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the world’s longest single cantilever bridge span until 1919 and remains the second longest.
Frida Kahlo, by Guillermo Kahlo. Image Wikipedia
Which Mexican painter’s final work, Viva La Vida (1954), depicts a still-life of watermelons?
Frida Kahlo—was a Mexican painter known for her self-portraits and works inspired by Mexican culture. Her paintings, often autobiographical and mixing realism with fantasy gained international recognition in the late 1970s and early 1990s, becoming an icon for Chicanos, feminists and the LGBTQ+ community.
Felix in Oceantics (1930). Image Wikipedia
Which feline has been described as the world’s most popular cartoon star before Mickey Mouse?
Felix the cat—created in 1919, is a cartoon character known for his black body, white eyes, and grin. He starred in animated shorts, a comic strip and merchandise, but his popularity declined with the advent of sound cartoons. Despite a brief revival in the 1930s and television appearances in the 1950s, Felix’s success waned.
Enrico Fermi, 1943. Image Wikipedia
Which synthetic element, atomic No 100, is named after an Italian-born physicist?
Fermium—a synthetic actinide with the symbol Fm and atomic number 100, is the heaviest element produced by neutron bombardment. Discovered in the debris of the first hydrogen bomb explosion in 1952 it is named after Enrico Fermi.
Ray Bradbury. Image Wikipedia
Author Ray Bradbury is best known for what 1953 novel?
Fahrenheit 451—Ray Bradbury was an American author and screenwriter known for his works in fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery and realistic fiction. His other well-known works include The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man.
What word connects the painter of the first image with the content of the second image?
Constable—John Constable, artist, is the painter of The Vale of Dedham , pictured, and Police Constable, three of whom are shown in London.
A 21-foot bronze statue of Shakira erected in 2023 in Barranquilla, Colombia. Image Wikipedia
In what country was the singer Shakira born?
Colombia—Shakira, a Colombian singer, songwriter, musician, and dancer achieved success in both Spanish- and English-speaking markets. Her early career included songwriting, talent competitions, and acting in a Colombian telenovela before releasing her breakthrough album, Pies descalzos, in 1995.
Roadrunner Image Wikipedia
To which family does the roadrunner belong? (Hint, the answer is one word which features in the title of a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey which was adapted into a 1975 Academy Award winning film of the same name.)
Cuckoo—Roadrunners (genus Geococcyx), or chaparral birds, are two species of fast-running ground cuckoos found in the southwestern and south-central United States, Mexico and Central America. They are capable of flight but typically flee predators on the ground, reaching speeds of up to 32 km/h. Ken Kesey’s book and subsequent film were One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest poster.
Only one of the countries that border Mongolia fits this theme. Can you name it?
China—Mongolia, a landlocked country in north-central Asia, is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It has a continental climate with long, cold winters and short, cool-to-hot summers, featuring a variety of landscapes including steppes, semi-deserts, deserts and mountain ranges.
Madonna, The Celebration Tour Image Wikipedia
The lyric shown below is from a 2009 Madonna single. Which one?
I guess I just don’t recognise you with your clothes on
Celebration—is a dance pop party song by Madonna, released in 2009 as the lead single from her compilation album of the same name. The song received mixed reviews, with some praising its dance nature and others finding it forgettable. It peaked at number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 but reached the top spot in several European countries.
What word connects the painter of the first image with the content of the second image?
In what country was the singer Shakira born?
To which family does the roadrunner belong? (Hint, the answer is one word which features in the title of a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey, which was adapted into a 1975 Academy Award winning film of the same name.)
Only one of the countries that border Mongolia fits this theme. Can you name it?
The lyric shown below is from a 2009 Madonna single. Which one?
I guess I just don’t recognise you with your clothes on
Who were the four anthropomorphic turtle brothers who first appeared in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book stories, co-created by Kevin Eastman, who was born today in 1962?
Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo—Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American media franchise about four anthropomorphic turtle brothers trained in ninjutsu. Created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird the franchise began as a comic book in 1984 and expanded to include television series, films, video games and merchandise.
Born on 30th May 1908, the voice actor who voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Tweety was who?
Mel Blanc—Melvin Jerome Blanc was an American voice actor and radio personality known for his work in the Golden Age of American Animation, voicing characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. He also voiced characters for Hanna-Barbera’s television cartoons, including Barney Rubble and Mr. Spacely.
Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife. Image Google Art Project/Wikipedia
Today marks the anniversary of England’s King Henry VIII’s third marriage. Who was his third wife?
Jane Seymour—Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife, died of postnatal complications after giving birth to Edward VI. She was the only wife of Henry VIII to receive a queen’s funeral.
The Kharan Desert was the location of an underground test of a nuclear device on this day in 1998. Which country carried out this test?
Pakistan—The Kharan Desert is a sandy and mountainous desert located in Balochistan, Pakistan which was the site of Pakistan’s second nuclear test, Chagai-II.
Bouquet of Lilies Clock, made in 1899 by Fabergé for Alexandra Feodorovna as a gift from her husband, Czar Nicholas II. Image Wikipedia
Born on this day in 1846, a goldsmith and jeweller was known for his Easter eggs made from precious metals and gems. Who was he?
Peter Carl Fabergé—Peter Carl Fabergé and his brother Agathon transformed their father’s jewellery business into an international phenomenon. Their success, driven by design-led artistry and a focus on colour, included the creation of deluxe objets like the Imperial Easter Eggs, renowned for their craftsmanship.
Quizology.Online 
