Birthdays

The first and second questions are about two fictional characters’ birthdays on September 22nd. The remaining questions also revolve around fictional characters’ birthdays.

Bilbo’s Party.
Image Livia Prima via Tolkien Gateway

One

Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday: I am — today!

At the start of The Lord of the Rings, Bilbo Baggins is celebrating his 111th birthday. What two-word, hyphenated term, omitted above, does he use to describe his birthday?

Two

Bilbo’s nephew Frodo’s birthday was also the 22nd September and that year it marked his ‘coming of age’. How old was Frodo that day?

Three

Harry Potter’s birthday is 31 July, but in what year?

Four

When the Bond film series received a reboot with the 2006 film Casino Royale, the title character was given a birthday: 13 April 1968. What was significant about that date and that year?

Five

Which regular character from Scooby_Doo has their birthday confirmed as being on Christmas Day in In Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

An Unexpected Party—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.

An Unexpected Party.
Image Tea With Bilbo

One

Answers: Thirteen

The book is The Hobbit. Bilbo Baggins lives in the house. Gandalf, without Bilbo’s knowledge, organises a party. The dwarves arrive either singly or in groups:

  • Dwalin
  • Balin
  • Kili and Fili
  • Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin and Gloin
  • Bifur, Bofur and Bombur
  • Thorin Oakenshield

Two

Answer: Green Day

American Idiot, Green Day’s seventh studio album, is a concept album that follows the story of Jesus of Suburbia. The album, which marked a return to the band’s punk rock sound, was a critical and commercial success, selling over 23 million copies worldwide and winning several awards.

American Idiot
Image

Three

Answer: Moroni

Moroni, son of Mormon, was a Nephite prophet, historian and military commander. He completed the Nephite record, buried the plates, and later became the Angel Moroni in Latter Day Saint belief.

Four

Answer: Perry Mason

Perry Mason, a long-running American legal drama series, aired on CBS from 1957 to 1966. The show, based on Erle Stanley Gardner’s detective fiction, starred Raymond Burr as the titular lawyer and received numerous awards and accolades.


Janis Joplin photographed by Jim Marshall about one year before her death.
Image Wikipedia

Five

Answer: Leonard Cohen

Chelsea Hotel #2 recounts a sexual encounter at the Chelsea Hotel with Janis Joplin. Cohen later regretted revealing the song’s inspiration and the explicit details of their relationship. In 1994, on the BBC, Cohen said it was “an indiscretion for which I’m very sorry. If there is some way of apologising to the ghost, I want to apologise now for having committed that indiscretion.”
Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

An Unexpected Party

Five questions related to today, September 21st.

See question 3.
Image LDS

One

The opening chapter of a book, first published on 21 September 1937, is titled ‘An Unexpected Party’. Before the party begins, the householder is unexpectedly visited by a group of dwarfs. How many dwarfs are there?

Two

The Grammy-winning album American Idiot was released on 21 September 2004 by which band?

Three

According to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, on the night of September 21, 1823, Joseph Smith prayed to know God’s further will. A light steadily grew, “as though the house was filled with consuming and unquenchable fire.” …, a messenger sent from God stood before him. Who was this messenger?

Four

On this day in 1957, a mystery series based on Erle Stanley Gardner’s books debuted on American television. What was the TV series?

Five

Born on 21 September 1934, a singer-songwriter released an album titled New Skin for the Old Ceremony in 1974. This album included the song Chelsea Hotel No. 2, which Encyclopædia Britannica describes as a ‘frank recollection of a brief sexual encounter with Janis Joplin’. Who is this singer-songwriter?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

Initially FIVES—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.

Enable and Frankie Dettori at the 2018 Breeders’ Cup.
Image Wikipedia

One

Frankie Dettori

Italian jockey Lanfranco ‘Frankie’ Dettori, based in England for over 35 years, achieved significant success, including riding all seven winners at Ascot on 28 September 1996. He was British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and rode 287 Group 1 race winners. After a long career with Godolphin Racing and Al Shaqab Racing, he announced his retirement from professional riding in 2023.


Two

Answer: Invertebrates

Invertebrates are animals that lack a backbone, or spine. They include arthropods (such as insects and spiders), molluscs (like snails and clams), annelids (e.g. earthworms), echinoderms (like starfish and sea urchins), flatworms, cnidarians (such as jellyfish and corals), and sponges.


Virginia Woolf.
Image Wikipedia

Three

Answer: Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf’s third novel, Jacob’s Room, centres on the life of Jacob Flanders, presented through the impressions of other characters. The novel explores themes of emptiness and absence, portraying Jacob as a series of perceptions rather than a concrete reality.


Four

The writer of the song Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is described by Wikipedia as a ‘actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, screenwriter and playwright’. Who is he?

Answer: Eric Idle

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is a comedy song by Eric Idle, featured in Monty Python’s Life of Brian. It became a popular singalong and reached No. 3 on the UK singles chart in 1991. In 2014, it was shown to be the most popular song choice for Britons to have played at their funerals.


Scapa Flow during World War II, 1942.
Image Wikipedia

Five

Answer: Scapa Flow

Scapa Flow, a sheltered body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, has been significant for travel, trade and conflict throughout history. It served as the UK’s chief naval base during both World Wars before closing in 1956. On 21 June 1919, the interned Imperial German Navy’s High Seas Fleet was scuttled by its sailors in Scapa Flow with 52 of the 74 vessels sank.


FIVES

The post-title FIVES provided the initial letters F-I-V-E-S for each answer in order, with a prompt at number 2—What ‘I’—to hopefully help you on the road.

Initially FIVES

Here are five random questions today, unrelated to the date, but with a clue in the title.

Enable.
Image Wikipedia

One

In 2018, which jockey won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the second year in a row riding Enable?

Two

What ‘I’ are animals that have no backbones?

Three

Which Hogarth Press co-founder published a third novel, Jacob’s Room, in 1922?

Four

The writer of the song Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is described by Wikipedia as an ‘actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, screenwriter and playwright’. Who is he?

Five

The Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet was based at which anchorage in the Orkney Islands during the First World War?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

All in a Day—Answers

One

On 18 September 1905, the actress Greta Garbo was born. In which capital city was she born?

Answer: Stockholm

Greta Garbo, was born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, in Stockholm, Sweden. The Swedish-American actress was a prominent figure in Hollywood’s silent and early golden eras. Known for her melancholic screen persona and subtle performances, she achieved international stardom with films like Flesh and the Devil and A Woman of Affairs. Despite her success, Garbo retired from acting in 1941, shunning publicity and leading a private life until her death in 1990.


Two

A Dictionary of the English Language, published 1755, was considered the most famous work of which English writer, poet, playwright and lexicographer who was born 18 September 1709?

Answer: Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson, an English writer, made significant contributions to literature as a poet, playwright, essayist, and lexicographer. His most famous work, A Dictionary of the English Language, was published in 1755 and remained influential for 150 years. Johnson’s friendship with James Boswell resulted in the renowned biography, Life of Samuel Johnson.


Three

Dylan Kwabena Mills, born today in 1984, is known professionally as whom?

Answer: Dizzee Rascal

Dizzee Rascal, a British rapper, is credited with pioneering British hip hop and grime music. His work, incorporating elements of UK garage, bassline, and R&B, brought UK rap into the mainstream and achieved international recognition.


Four

John G. Diefenbaker, who was born on this day in 1895, was the prime minister of which country from 1957 to 1963?

Answer: Canada

John G. Diefenbaker, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, served as Canada’s prime minister from 1957 to 1963, ending 22 years of Liberal rule. His government faced challenges, including a crisis over nuclear weapons, leading to his defeat in the 1963 election.


Five

American police officer J.D. Tippit was born on 18 September 1924. When he was 39 years of age he was shot and killed while on duty by a suspect he was questioning regarding an earlier shooting. Who was he shot by?

Answer: Lee Harvey Oswald

After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas at 1230 on 22 November 1963, bullet casings were found on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, where a rifle owned by Lee Harvey Oswald was discovered. Two employees were missing: one outside watching the motorcade and Oswald, who had been working there for a month. Oswald was seen on the sixth floor before the shooting and encountered by the building superintendent and a policeman afterward. Law enforcement circulated his description. Oswald returned to his boardinghouse, and then left again. At 1:15 pm he was confronted by Dallas policeman J.D. Tippit, whom he shot and killed. Witnesses saw Oswald enter the Texas Theatre, where he was apprehended by police at 1:50 PM.

All in a Day

These questions all relate to people born on September 18th.

Greta Garbo, 1925.
Image Wikipedia

One

On 18 September 1905, the actress Greta Garbo was born. In which capital city was she born?

Two

A Dictionary of the English Language, published 1755, was considered the most famous work of which English writer, poet, playwright and lexicographer who was born 18 September 1709?

Three

Dylan Kwabena Mills, born today in 1984, is known professionally as whom?

Four

John G. Diefenbaker, who was born on this day in 1895, was the prime minister of which country from 1957 to 1963?

Five

American police officer J.D. Tippit was born on 18 September 1924. When he was 39 years of age he was shot and killed while on duty by a suspect he was questioning regarding an earlier shooting. Who was he shot by?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Today—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.

Robert Altman.
Image Wikipedia

One

Answer: Robert Altman

M*A*S*H*, an American war comedy-drama TV series, aired from 1972 to 1983. It follows a team of doctors and support staff at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) during the Korean War. Renowned for its blend of comedy and drama, the show is considered one of the greatest TV series of all time. It was based on Robert Altman’s film, which in turn was adapted from a 1968 novel by Richard Hooker.


Two

Wenceslas II (born Sept. 17, 1271—died June 21, 1305) was the king of Bohemia from 1278 and of Poland from 1300 who ably ruled his Bohemian kingdom and spread his influence not only into Poland but also into Hungary.

Answer: Bohemia

Wenceslas II, King of Bohemia from 1278 and Poland from 1300, ruled successfully after overcoming early challenges. He expanded his influence into Hungary and increased his kingdom’s wealth. He is not the Good King Wenceslas of Christmas carol fame who was St Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia (907–935).


Anwar Sadat, Jimmy Carter and Menachem Begin (left to right), at Camp David, 1978.
Image Wikipedia

Three

Answers: Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat

The Camp David Accords, signed in 1978, were agreements between Israel and Egypt brokered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter. The accords, officially titled the ‘Framework for Peace in the Middle East’, led to a peace treaty between the two countries.


Four

Answer: The invasion of Great Britain (or United Kingdom)

Operation Sea Lion was Nazi Germany’s planned invasion of the United Kingdom during World War II. Despite preparations, the invasion was indefinitely postponed due to the German Luftwaffe’s losses in the Battle of Britain.


Brian Mulroney, Prime Minister of Canada, 1993.
Image Wikipedia

Five

Answer: Canada

Brian Mulroney, a Canadian lawyer and businessman, served as the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. He led the Progressive Conservative Party to a landslide victory in the 1984 federal election and later secured a second majority government in 1988.

Today

Five questions which are all related to today’s date, September 17.

M*A*S*H (From left) Actors McLean Stevenson, Wayne Rogers, Gary Burghoff, and Alan Alda in a scene from the television series M*A*S*H
Image Encyclopædia Britannica

One

M*A*S*H debuted on television on 17 September 1972. It was based on the 1970 film of the same name, which was directed by whom?

Two

The opening paragraph of Encyclopædia Britannica‘s article on Wenceslas II, who was born on this date, is quoted below. What word is missing after ‘king of’?

Wenceslas II (born Sept. 17, 1271—died June 21, 1305) was the king of … from 1278 and of Poland from 1300 who ably ruled his …n kingdom and spread his influence not only into Poland but also into Hungary.

Three

In 1978, the Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded to two leaders who signed the Camp David Accords on 17 September of that year. Name these two leaders?

Four

On 17 September 1940, Adolf Hitler postponed Operation Sea Lion. What was the purpose of this operation?

Five

Martin Brian Mulroney became prime minister of what nation on this date in 1984?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

Multiples of… — Answers

One

A cathedral located in the Bebelplatz, Berlin, Germany is named St …

  • Hagrid’s
  • Hedwig’s
  • Hogwart’s

Answer: Hedwig’s

St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, the Catholic cathedral of the Archdiocese of Berlin, was built in Baroque style from 1747 to 1773. Damaged in WWII, it was restored in post-war modernist style and reopened in 2024 with a modern interior design.


Two

This has connected Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsula’s since 1957?

  • Big Bang
  • Big Easy
  • Big Mac

Answer: Big Mac

The Mackinac Bridge, a suspension bridge connecting Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas, spans the Straits of Mackinac. Opened in 1957, it is the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere and part of Interstate 75.


Three

Who played the bride’s father in the 1950 version of Father of the Bride?

  • Cary Grant
  • James Stewart
  • Spencer Tracy

Answer: Spencer Tracy

Father of the Bride is a 1950 romantic comedy film about a man coping with his daughter’s wedding preparations.


Four

What is the community of Ballarat in Australia most associated with?

  • Ballet
  • Gold
  • Surfing

Answer: Gold

Ballarat, a city in Victoria, Australia, experienced rapid growth during the Victorian gold rush in the 1850s. The Eureka Rebellion, a significant event in Australian history, occurred in Ballarat in 1854. Today, Ballarat is a major regional centre known for its history, culture and well-preserved colonial heritage.


Five

What channel is found between mainland Italy and Sicily?

  • Strait of Bonifacio
  • Strait of Messina
  • Strait of Otranto

Answer: Strait of Messina

The Strait of Messina, connecting the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, separates Sicily from Calabria in Southern Italy.