Tag: asia

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.

On top of the world

Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 15 May.

Looking north to Mount Everest.
Image Wikipedia
  1. On 15 May 1836, Francis Baily observed a phenomenon, now known as Baily’s beads, during what event?
    • Papal inauguration Mass
    • Solar eclipse
    • Swimming underwater in a coral lagoon
  2. On this day, nylon stockings first became available for the general public in the United States. In what year did this take place?
    • 1902
    • 1921
    • 1940
  3. The mountaineer who conquered Mount Everest with Edmund Hillary was possibly born on 15 May 1914. What was he commonly known as?
    • Sherpa Doqing
    • Sherpa Laxing
    • Sherpa Tenzing
  4. Mickey Mouse’s debut was made today in 1928 with the premiere of what cartoon?
    • House Mouse
    • Monkey Business
    • Plane Crazy
  5. Las Vegas was founded on 15 May 1905. What historic site stands at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Washington Avenue?
    • Old Baptist Mission
    • Old Quaker Meeting House
    • Old Mormon Fort

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Main St. to Westminster Abbey via the North Pole | Answers

Exile on Main St. Rolling Stones.
Image Pinterest.
  1. Exile on Main St., a double album was released on 12 May 1972 by…
    • Rolling Stones—Exile on Main St. is the Rolling Stones’ tenth studio album, released in 1972. The album, recorded in France and Los Angeles, features a mix of blues, rock and roll, swing, country and gospel influences. It is considered a pivotal hard rock album and is often regarded as the Rolling Stones’ best work.
      Norge airship.
      Image Wikipedia
  1. The first verified flight over the North Pole took place on this date in 1926. The flight was made in a…
    • Semirigid airship—The Norge, an Italian-built airship, completed the first verified flight to the North Pole on 12 May 1926. The expedition, led by Roald Amundsen and funded by Lincoln Ellsworth, was the first to fly over the polar ice cap between Europe and America.
      Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
      Portrait by Richard Stone
      Image Wikipedia
  2. On 12 May 1937, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were crowned. George had been king since December 1936, following his brother Edward VIII’s abdication. Prior to Edward’s abdication, the new king and queen were known by what titles?
    • Duke and Duchess of York—George VI, born Albert, and titled Duke of York, became king after his brother Edward VIII abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson.. He led the UK through World War II, symbolising British determination. He died in 1952, his daughter becoming Queen Elizabeth II. His widowed consort, now styled Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, lived for a further 50 years.
      During the Berlin Airlift in 1948, U.S., British, and French planes delivered food and other goods to Berlin, which was blockaded by Soviet forces. In this photo, German children stand on a hillside and watch a U.S. plane fly overhead.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. On this day in 1949, the Soviet Union lifted its blockade of…
    • Berlin—The Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin in 1948–49, cutting off all land and water access. The Western Allies responded with the Berlin Airlift, supplying West Berlin by air for nearly a year until the Soviets lifted the blockade.
      Florence Nightingale, an angel of mercy. Crimean War: Florence Nightingale with her candle making the night round of the wards at Scutari hospital.
      Coloured mezzotint, c. 1855, by Tomkins after Butterworth.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. Three English people are listed, but one was born while her parents were on an extended honeymoon in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Can you identify which one?
    • Florence Nightingale, nurse and social reformer—Florence Nightingale, an English social reformer and statistician, revolutionised modern nursing. During the Crimean War, she led a team of nurses in Scutari, Turkey, improving hospital conditions and reducing mortality rates. Her dedication, known as the “Lady with the Lamp,” earned her international acclaim and led to the establishment of the first scientifically based nursing schools.
Mission of Mercy: Florence Nightingale receiving the Wounded at Scutari.
(Jerry Barrett, 1857)
Image National Portrait Gallery, London/Wikipedia https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Nightingale_receiving_the_Wounded_at_Scutari_by_Jerry_BarrettFXD.jpg

Main St. to Westminster Abbey via the North Pole

George VI and Elizabeth, coronation portrait.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Exile on Main Street, a double album, was released on 12 May 1972 by…
    • Bob Dylan
    • Chicago
    • Rolling Stones
  1. The first verified flight over the North Pole took place on this date in 1926. The flight was made in a…
    • Fokker bi-plane
    • Hot air Balloon
    • Semirigid airship
  2. On 12 May 1937, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were crowned. George had been king since December 1936, following his brother Edward VIII’s abdication. Prior to Edward’s abdication, the new king and queen were known by what titles?
    • Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh
    • Duke and Duchess of Sussex
    • Duke and Duchess of York
  3. On this day in 1949, the Soviet Union lifted its blockade of…
    • Baghdad
    • Baku
    • Berlin
  4. Of the three English people listed one was born while their parents were on an extended honeymoon in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Can you identify which one?
    • Edward Lear, poet and illustrator
    • Florence Nightingale, nurse and social reformer
    • Dante Gabriel Rossetti, poet and painter

Legs 11 | Answers

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

Statue of Constantine the Great in the Capitoline museums.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Where, on 11 May 330, was dedicated as the “New Rome”? Byzantium—Constantine the Great renamed Byzantium as “New Rome” in 330 CE, later changing it to Constantinople. The city, founded in 657 BCE, was officially renamed Istanbul in the 20th century.
    Rhinoceros. Salvador Dali.
    Image Wikipedia
  2. Which Spanish artist born today in 1904, at Figueras, Spain, also died there in 1989? Salvador Dali—Salvador Dalí was a Spanish surrealist artist known for his technical skill and striking, bizarre images. He joined the Surrealist group in 1929 and achieved commercial success in the United States in the 1940s. Dalí’s work influenced Surrealism, pop art and contemporary artists.
    Entrance to the German death camp Auschwitz I in Poland. The sign “Arbeit macht frei” translates as “Work makes you free”.
    Image Wikipedia
  3. Former senior Nazi official Adolf Eichmann was captured by Israeli intelligence agents on 11 May 1960. Near what capital city was he captured? Buenos Aires, Argentina—Otto Adolf Eichmann, a German-Austrian Nazi official, was a key organiser of the Holocaust. He participated in the Wannsee Conference, where the Final Solution was planned, and oversaw the mass deportation of Jews to extermination camps. After the war, he escaped to Argentina but was captured by Mossad in 1960 and tried in Israel, where he was convicted and executed.
    Gary Kasparov vs Deep Blue, IBM Computer
    Encyclopædia Britannica
  4. On this day in 1997, Garry Kasparov was defeated in the final game of a six-game chess match. Which computer defeated him? Deep Blue—Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, was the first to defeat a reigning world champion under regular time controls. It first played Garry Kasparov in 1996, losing the match, but won a rematch in 1997.
    Gordon Brown.
    Image Wikipedia
  5. 11 May 2010, saw the resignation of which British prime minister? Gordon Brown—James Gordon Brown, a British politician, served as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. Prior to this, he was Chancellor of the Exchequer under Tony Blair, overseeing significant economic reforms and the longest period of economic growth in British history. After leaving office, Brown continued to serve as an MP and later became a UN Special Envoy and WHO Ambassador.

Legs 11

Here are some questions related to today, 11 May.

Adolf Eichmann.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Where, on 11 May 330, was dedicated as the “New Rome”?
    • Avignon
    • Byzantium
    • Cordoba
  1. Which Spanish artist born today in 1904, at Figueras, Spain, also died there in 1989?
    • Salvador Dali
    • Francisco Goya
    • Pablo Picasso
  2. Former senior Nazi official Adolf Eichmann was captured by Israeli intelligence agents on 11 May 1960. Near what capital city was he captured?
    • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Brasilia, Brazil
    • Santiago, Chile
  3. On this day in 1997, Garry Kasparov was defeated in the final game of a six-game chess match. Which computer defeated him?
    • Deep Blue
    • Deep Mind
    • Deep Thought
  4. 11 May 2010, saw the resignation of which British prime minister?
    • Gordon Brown
    • David Cameron
    • Tony Blair

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

The Cult of… What? | Answers

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

Portrait of Maximilien de Robespierre, c. 1790.
Anonymous, Musée Carnavalet, Paris.
Image Wikipedia
  1. 1. On 7 May 1794, the Cult of the Supreme Being was introduced by …
    • Maximilien Robespierre—a French lawyer and statesman, was a prominent figure in the French Revolution. He advocated for universal male suffrage, abolition of the slave trade, and other progressive policies. Robespierre, a Deist, disapproved of the anti-Christian movement and advocated for a civic religion centred around the Supreme Being.
      Mary, Queen of Scots.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. The burning of Edinburgh by an English army on this day in 1544, was the first action in the…
    • Rough wooing—Henry VIII’s final years saw wars in France and Scotland, including the Rough Wooing, a brutal conflict aimed at breaking the Auld Alliance and forcing a marriage alliance between Mary, Queen of Scots, and Edward, Prince of Wales.
      Honda Ishirō at the National Museum of Nature and Science, in Tokyo, during the filming of Frankenstein Conquers the World.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. The Japanese film director best known for his Godzilla movies was born 7 May 1911, in Asahi, Yamagata, Japan. He was…
    • Honda Ishirō—a Japanese filmmaker, directed Godzilla and its sequels, sparking Japan’s kaijū eiga craze. After directing over 40 films, he returned to assisting Akira Kurosawa.
      Official portrait of President Juan Domingo Perón accompanied with the First Lady, María Eva Duarte de Perón, ”Evita”, 1948.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. María Eva Duarte was born today in 1919, who did she become better known as…
    • Evita—Eva Perón, or Evita, was an Argentine politician, activist, actress and philanthropist who served as First Lady from 1946 until her death in 1952. She championed women’s suffrage, founded the Female Peronist Party, and ran the Ministries of Labour and Health.
      “Our submarine boats in the harbour”
      (German caption), 1914.
      U-20, which sank RMS Lusitania, is second from left in front row.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. On 7 May 1915, a German submarine sank a British ocean liner. The sinking resulted in the loss of 1,198 lives and played a part in the entry of the United States into World War I. The ocean liner was the…
    • Lusitania—The sinking of the British ocean liner Lusitania by a German U-boat in 1915, killing 1,198 people including 128 Americans, increased American support for entering World War I.
RMS Lusitania, New York.
Image Wikipedia