Tag: aviation

The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below.

1. 18 months—The Pony Express, a horse-and-rider relay system, operated for 18 months between Missouri and California, delivering mail in 10 days. Despite its short lifespan and financial failure, it demonstrated the feasibility of a transcontinental communication system.
   

   

2. Osborne 1—The Osborne 1, released in 1981, was the first commercially successful portable computer. It weighed 24.5 lb (11.1 kg) and cost US$1,795 (equivalent to $6,273 in April 2025).
   

   

3. 1933—In April 1933, two Westland aircraft piloted by Douglas Douglas-Hamilton and David McIntyre flew over Mount Everest, financed by Lucy, Lady Houston. The expedition, led by Peregrine Fellowes, aimed to promote British aviation and was made possible by technological advancements in aircraft engines during World War I.
   

   

4. Sofia—Sofia, liberated from Ottoman rule by Russian troops in 1878, became Bulgaria’s capital in 1879. Its population was 11,649 at the time of liberation.
5. 1973—Motorola produced the first handheld mobile phone, weighing 2 kilograms and offering 30 minutes of talk time. It was commercially launched in the US in October 1983.

All of the following happened on today’s date, 3 April.

1. On this day in 1860, the Pony Express mail delivery system was launched in the US. How long did the service operate?
   • 18 months
   • 32 months
   • 53 months
2. On 3 April 1981, the first successful handheld portable computer was sold. By what name was it known?
   • Osborne 1
   • Page 1
   • Cooper 1
3. In aviation, in what year did the first flight over Mount Everest take place?
   • 1927
   • 1933
   • 1939
4. What city which had been liberated from the Ottoman Empire by Russian troops was named the capital of Bulgaria on 3 April 1879?
   • Bucharest
   • Sofia
   • Zagreb
5. On this date in what year was the first handheld mobile telephone call made?
   • 1973
   • 1981
   • 1988

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.