Tag: birds

  • I’d Hate to Die on That Dung Heap — Answers

    Here’s today’s answers.

    All of today’s questions are date-specific, relating in one way or another to April 26th.

    One

    Akira Kurosawa‘s 1954 film is set in a village plagued by bandits, and a 1960 American western is a remake of this story.

    1. What was the title of Kurosawa’s 1954 film?
    2. What was the 1960 American film?
    3. What actors played the title characters in the American film?

    Answers

    1. Seven Samurai
    2. The Magnificent Seven
    3. Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Horst Buchholz, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and James Coburn.

    Seven Samurai, a 1954 Japanese action film by Akira Kurosawa, is hailed as one of the greatest films ever. Set in the 16th century, it depicts a village hiring samurai to fend off bandits, overcoming cultural tensions. Despite being Japan’s longest and costliest film at the time, it achieved global success, elevating Japanese cinema and influencing cinematography. Starring Mifune Toshirō, it inspired The Magnificent Seven.


    Flag of Tanzania.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Two

    The country represented by the above flag was founded in 1964.

    1. What is the full, official name of the new country founded?
    2. This new country was formed by the union of a sovereign state with a semi-autonomous region, what were this state and region?

    Answers

    1. United Republic of Tanzania
    2. Tanganyika and Zanzibar.

    Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is an East African nation with a 2024 population of 67.5 million. Formed in 1964 from the Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, it features Mount Kilimanjaro, three Great Lakes, and is a popular safari destination. Swahili is the national language, with Dodoma as its capital.


    Three

    In 1933, Hermann Göring established the Geheime Staatspolizei. What was it commonly known as?

    Answer: Gestapo.

    The Gestapo, Nazi Germany’s secret police, was established in 1933 by Hermann Göring and later controlled by Heinrich Himmler. It targeted political opponents, dissenters, and minorities, committing numerous atrocities. Despite its small size, it was effective due to citizen reporting and played a crucial role in the Holocaust. Post-WWII, it was declared a criminal organisation.


    Four

    American artist and ornithologist James Audubon was born in 1785. In what present day country was he born?

    Answer: Haiti.

    Born in Les Cayes, Saint-Domingue, West Indies, now Haiti, John James Audubon, a French-American artist and ornithologist, is known for his paintings and illustrations of North American bird species. However, he has been accused of fraud and misconduct, such as plagiarising data and trafficking Native American remains.


    Five

    On 26 April 1986, a nuclear disaster occurred in which Soviet Socialist Republic?

    Answer: Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

    On 26 April 1986, reactor no. 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Pripyat, exploded, causing one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. The explosion, due to a design flaw during a test, led to a power surge, steam explosions, and a reactor core fire, spreading radioactive contamination across Europe. Immediate evacuations affected 117,000 people. The disaster resulted in radiation-related fatalities and thousands of cancer cases, with varying death toll predictions. The city of Pripyat was abandoned and replaced by the purpose-built Slavutych. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant sarcophagus, completed in December 1986, limited radioactive contamination and protected undamaged reactors’ crews. Between 2016 and 2018, the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement was built around the old sarcophagus to facilitate reactor debris removal. The clean-up is expected to be completed by 2065. It has been described as the most expensive disaster in history costing an estimated US$700 billion.


    I’d Hate to Die on That Dung Heap

    The post title is a quote from the Seven Samurai said by Kikuchiyo, as he and the six Samurai arrive at the village.


  • I’d Hate to Die on That Dung Heap

    All of today’s questions are date-specific, relating in one way or another to April 26th.

    One

    Akira Kurosawa‘s 1954 film is set in a village plagued by bandits, and a 1960 American western is a remake of this story.

    1. What was the title of Kurosawa’s 1954 film?
    2. What was the 1960 American film?
    3. What actors played the title characters in the American film?

    Question two.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Two

    The country represented by the above flag was founded in 1964.

    1. What is the full, official name of the new country founded?
    2. This new country was formed by the union of a sovereign state with a semi-autonomous region, what were this state and region?

    Three

    In 1933, Hermann Göring established the Geheime Staatspolizei. What was it commonly known as?


    Four

    American artist and ornithologist James Audubon was born in 1785. In what present day country was he born?


    Five

    On 26 April 1986, a nuclear disaster occurred in which Soviet Socialist Republic?


    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.