Tag: comics

  • The Royal Guardsmen — Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier post.
    All of today’s questions relate to the date, April 21st.

    Queen Elizabeth II, 1959.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was born on 21 April 1926. To the nearest year how long did she reign?

    Answer: 71 years.

    Elizabeth II, born on 21 April 1926, was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death in 2022 — 70 years and 214 days — the longest reign of any British monarch. She was queen regnant of 32 states and monarch of 15 at her death. Educated privately, she served in World War II and married Philip Mountbatten in 1947. Her reign saw significant political changes and historic visits. Despite challenges, her popularity remained high. She died at 96, succeeded by Charles III.


    Two

    On this day In 1918, the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, Germany’s top World War I flying ace, was shot down and killed near Amiens, France. What act had a novelty song Snoopy vs. The Red Baron in the 1966 charts?

    Answer: The Royal Guardsmen.

    Snoopy vs. the Red Baron is a 1966 novelty song by The Royal Guardsmen, peaking at No.2 on the Hot 100 and No.1 in Australia and Canada. It sold nearly three million copies. The band released other Snoopy-themed songs, including The Return of the Red Baron and Snoopy’s Christmas.


    Three

    What was the musical Annie based on, and what type of work was it?

    Answer: Little Orphan Annie; Newspaper comic strip.

    Annie is a musical with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and a book by Thomas Meehan, based on the 1924 comic strip Little Orphan Annie. It premiered in 1977, ran for nearly six years, won seven Tony Awards, and features popular songs like ‘Tomorrow‘ and ‘It’s the Hard Knock Life‘.


    Four

    Whose visit to a Caribbean Island nation in 1966 led to the annual celebration of April 21st as Grounation Day?

    Answer: Haile Selassie.

    In 1966, the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I, believed by many Rastas to be the Second Coming of Christ, arrived in Jamaica for a visit. This event is now celebrated annually in the Rastafari movement as Grounation Day, specifically on April 21.


    Five

    According to legend Rome was founded in what century?

    Answer: 8th Century BCE

    Ancient Rome, spanning from 753 BCE to 476 CE, evolved from a small Italic settlement into a dominant Mediterranean power. It encompassed the Roman Kingdom, Republic, and Empire, controlling vast territories including North Africa, Egypt, and much of Europe. At its peak in CE 117, it covered 5 million square kilometres with 50-90 million people. Rome’s influence on language, law, architecture, and governance persists, inspiring modern republics and achieving remarkable technological feats like aqueducts and roads. In Ancient Rome, its founding by Romulus was celebrated annually on April 21st.


    The Royal Guardsmen

    The post title had nothing to do with question one, but everything to do with question two.


  • The Royal Guardsmen

    All of today’s questions relate to the date, April 21st.

    Queen Elizabeth II, 1959.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was born on 21 April 1926. To the nearest year how long did she reign?


    Two

    On this day In 1918, the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, Germany’s top World War I flying ace, was shot down and killed near Amiens, France. What act had a novelty song Snoopy vs. The Red Baron in the 1966 charts?


    Three

    What was the musical Annie based on, and what type of work was it?


    Four

    Whose visit to a Caribbean Island nation in 1966 led to the annual celebration of April 21st as Grounation Day?


    Five

    According to legend Rome was founded in what century?


    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.


  • Let’s Dance | Answers

    See #3 below. Superman shield. Wikipedia
    1. On 18 April 1980, Elmore City, Oklahoma, held the first dance in the town’s history. The Kevin Bacon film, which was loosely based on this, was…
      • Footloose—Footloose is a 1984 American musical drama film about Ren, a Chicago teenager who moves to Bomont, a town with a ban on rock ‘n’ roll and dancing. Ren struggles to fit in and gets into trouble when he falls for Ariel Moore, the preacher’s daughter. To challenge the ban, Ren confronts prejudice and the town’s strict preacher through dance. The film was a box office success, grossing $80 million in North America. It was loosely based on real events in Elmore City, where a ban on public dancing existed before statehood. In the 1979-1980 school year, students lobbied for a school prom with dancing, facing opposition from church leaders. Ultimately, the town mayor supported the students, declaring the prom a non-public event, and the school board authorised it. The controversy gained national attention, inspiring songwriter/screenwriter Dean Pitchford to create the film.
      Interior of dome, St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. Wikipedia
    2. In Vatican City, the cornerstone of the current St. Peter’s Basilica was laid on this day in…
      • 1506—Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, a renowned Italian Renaissance church designed by Bramante, Michelangelo and Maderno, is considered one of the holiest Catholic shrines and the largest church in the world by interior measure. Believed to be the burial site of Saint Peter, it was begun in 1506 and completed in 1615. The basilica, designed as a Latin cross with a prominent dome, serves as a major pilgrimage site and the church of the popes. Its construction involved several architects, including Michelangelo, who designed the iconic dome, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who designed the elliptical piazza in front of it.
    3. The publication, on 18 April 1938, of Action Comics #1 saw the debut of…
      • Superman—Superman, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938. He is the archetypal superhero, fighting crime as a vigilante with extraordinary abilities and popularised the superhero genre.
      Flag of Eswatini. Wikipedia
    4. Today in 2018, King Mswati III announced that his country’s name would change to Eswatini. The name it changed from was…
      • Swaziland—Eswatini, formerly Swaziland— is a landlocked country in Southern Africa bordered by South Africa and Mozambique. It has a lower-middle income economy, with agriculture and manufacturing as the main employment sectors. The country is an absolute monarchy ruled by King Mswati III since 1986 and faces significant health challenges, including high HIV/AIDS rates. Its capital is Phondvo, while Mbabane serves as the administrative centre.
    5. On 18 April 1942, Pierre Laval became Prime Minister of…
      • Vichy France—Vichy France, established in 1940 under Marshal Philippe Pétain, governed the unoccupied zone of France after the Nazi German defeat. Initially collaborating with Germany, the regime shifted towards a corporatist state, emphasising “Work, family, fatherland”. However, after the Allied invasion of North Africa and the German occupation of the entire country, Vichy became increasingly subservient to Germany, ultimately collapsing with the Allied liberation in 1944. They were known as “Vichy France” as that city was the seat of their government.
    Marshal Philippe Pétain meeting Hitler in October 1940. Wikipedia
  • Let’s Dance

    Kevin Bacon. Wikipedia
    1. On 18 April 1980, Elmore City, Oklahoma, held the first dance in the town’s history. The Kevin Bacon film, which was loosely based on this, was…
      • American Pie
      • Footloose
      • Prom Night.
    2. In Vatican City, the cornerstone of the current St. Peter’s Basilica was laid on this day in…
      • 1506
      • 1568
      • 1630
    3. The publication, on 18 April 1938, of Action Comics #1 saw the debut of…
      • Batman
      • Spider-Man
      • Superman
    4. Today in 2018, King Mswati III announced that his country’s name would change to Eswatini. The name it changed from was…
      • Basutoland
      • Nyasaland
      • Swaziland
    5. On 18 April 1942, Pierre Laval became Prime Minister of…
      • Avignon France
      • Lyon France
      • Vichy France

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.