The amended title page from first edition of Shake-Speares Sonnets. Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question concerns an event that happened on May 20th and, like the others, is connected to ‘Shakespeare’.
One
On this day, Shakespeare’s sonnets were first published. In what town or city, and in which century, was this?
Two
Who portrayed Elizabeth I in the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love?
Three
Falstaff is a comic opera in three acts by the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian-language libretto was adapted by Arrigo Boito from the play … and scenes from Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2, by William Shakespeare.
This quote from the text of the Wikipedia article about Verdi’s Falstaff has had a Shakespeare play removed from it. What play?
Four
In Julie Taymor’s 2010 film adaptation of which Shakespeare play did Helen Mirren play Prospera, Duchess of Milan?
Five
The port-city of Messina is the setting for a Shakespeare comedy. What comedy, and on what island is the port-city of Messina?
Happy Birthday, Mr. President. Robert F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy. Image Wikimedia Commons (cropped)
Five questions which in some way are connected to today, May 19th.
One
The world’s first national park service was established in 1911 in which country?
Answer: Canada.
In 1911, Canada established the first national parks service in the world. What began as a cluster of parks in the Rocky Mountains gradually became a national system, fostering tourism and economic growth while upholding conservation ideals. In 1914, the definition of a “Dominion Park” was expanded to include significant historic places, laying the groundwork for a modern system of iconic national parks and national historic sites, which welcome millions of visitors annually, and initiating a tradition of national and international leadership in the management of protected places that continues to this day. — Parks Canada
Two
Colin Chapman, an English engineer born in 1928, founded which sports car company, and Formula One team?
Answer: Lotus Cars; Team Lotus.
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman, founder of Lotus Cars, was an English design engineer known for his lightweight, high-handling sports cars. Under his direction, Team Lotus achieved significant success in Formula One and the Indianapolis 500.
Three
In 1959, the North Vietnamese Army’s Group 559 was established to determine how to maintain supply lines to South Vietnam. The supply route to fulfil this brief became known as what? And what countries, other than North and South Vietnam, did the route traverse?
Answer: Ho Chi Minh trail; Laos and Cambodia.
The Ho Chi Minh Trail, a logistical network of roads and trails, ran from North to South Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia, supporting the Viet Cong and People’s Army of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Despite being heavily targeted by air interdiction, the trail effectively supplied troops in the south.
Four
Charlotte, the future queen consort of George III, was born in 1744 in the small duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. This duchy was part of what empire?
Answer: Holy Roman Empire.
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from 1761 to 1818, was the longest-serving queen consort. She was a patron of the arts, introduced the Christmas tree to Britain, and was deeply affected by her husband’s illness and the French Revolution.
Five
On this day Marilyn Monroe famously sang Happy Birthday, Mr. President at a gala to mark John F. Kennedy’s birthday. The gala, a Democratic Party fundraiser, was held ten days before the president’s birthday. What age would the president become on that birthday, and where was the gala held?
Answers: 45 years of age; Madison Square Gardens, NYC.
Marilyn Monroe sang Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy at a 1962 gala, inserting ‘Mr. President‘ for his name and adding a snippet of Thanks for the Memory with new lyrics.
Happy Birthday, Mr. President
[Chorus] Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday, Mr President Happy birthday to you
[Verse] Thanks, Mr President, for all the things you’ve done The battles that you’ve won The way you deal with U.S. Steel and our problems by the ton We thank you so much
[Outro] Everybody, happy birthday
[Chorus] Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday, Mr President Happy birthday to you
[Verse] Thanks, Mr President, for all the things you’ve done The battles that you’ve won The way you deal with U.S. Steel and our problems by the ton We thank you so much
[Outro] Everybody, happy birthday — Lyrics from Genius.com
Happy Birthday, Mr. President. Robert F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy. Image Wikimedia Commons (cropped)
Five questions which in some way are connected to today, May 19th.
One
The world’s first national park service was established in 1911 in which country?
Two
Colin Chapman, an English engineer born in 1928, founded which sports car company, and Formula One team?
Three
In 1959, the North Vietnamese Army’s Group 559 was established to determine how to maintain supply lines to South Vietnam. The supply route to fulfil this brief became known as what? And what countries, other than North and South Vietnam, did the route traverse?
Four
Charlotte, the future queen consort of George III, was born in 1744 in the small duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. This duchy was part of what empire?
Five
On this day Marilyn Monroe famously sang Happy Birthday, Mr. President at a gala to mark John F. Kennedy’s birthday. The gala, a Democratic Party fundraiser, was held ten days before the president’s birthday. What age would the president become on that birthday, and where was the gala held?
No theme today, just five general knowledge questions.
Statue of Helvetia on the Federal Palace of Switzerland, Bern. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
The image shown is that of ‘Statue of Helvetia on the Federal Palace of …’. What country finishes the previous statement, and in what city is the Federal Palace located?
Answers: Switzerland; Bern.
Helvetia, the national personification of Switzerland, is depicted with flowing clothing, with the Swiss flag, braided hair, and often with shield and a wreath. The name derives from the Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe.
Two
The …, or boreal forest, is the world’s largest land biome. In North America, it covers most of inland Canada, Alaska, and parts of the northern contiguous United States. In Eurasia, it covers most of Sweden, Finland, much of Russia from Karelia in the west to the Pacific Ocean (including much of Siberia), much of Norway and, some of the Scottish Highlands, some lowland/coastal areas of Iceland, and areas of northern Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia, and northern Japan (on the island of Hokkaido).
The above quote from Wikipedia describes a biome whose name has been omitted. What is that missing name?
Answer: Taiga.
taiga /ˈtʌɪɡə / ▸ (the taiga) noun [mass noun] the swampy coniferous forest of high northern latitudes, especially that between the tundra and steppes of Siberia: the coniferous forest of the taiga.
– ORIGIN late 19th century: from Russian taĭga, from Mongolian. — Oxford English Dictionary
Three
What word completes the title of this 1957 sci-fi novel: The Midwich …; and who wrote it?
Answers: Cuckoos; John Wyndham.
The Midwich Cuckoos, a 1957 sci-fi novel by John Wyndham, explores moral ambiguities in an English village where women become pregnant by aliens.
Four
What calendar was replaced in England by the Gregorian in 1752?
Answer: Julian.
The Julian calendar, proposed by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, is a solar calendar with a leap year every four years. It gained one day every 128 years compared to the solar year, leading to a drift against the solar year. The Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582, corrected this by eliminating occasional leap days, reducing the average year length to 365.2425 days. Although introduced in 1582 it took a lot longer to be adopted by individual nations. As stated in the question England adopted it in 1752 but Greece and turkey did not adopt until the 1920s and Saudi Arabia’s adoption of it was not until 2016.
Five
Who played the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk television series which originally aired between 1978 and 1982?
Answer: Lou Ferrigno.
The Incredible Hulk is a CBS series starring Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. Banner, a scientist transformed by gamma radiation, travels the U.S. helping others while pursued by reporter Jack McGee. The series aired 80 episodes from 1978 to 1982, starting with a pilot on November 4, 1977. In 1988, New World Television acquired filming rights from MCA/Universal for TV movies to conclude The Incredible Hulk series, with NBC broadcasting. They produced three films: The Incredible Hulk Returns, The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, and The Death of the Incredible Hulk, directed by Nicholas J. Corea and Bill Bixby.
No theme today, just five general knowledge questions.
Statue of Helvetia on the Federal Palace of …. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
The image shown is that of ‘Statue of Helvetia on the Federal Palace of …’. What country finishes the previous statement, and in what city is the Federal Palace located?
Two
The …, or boreal forest, is the world’s largest land biome. In North America, it covers most of inland Canada, Alaska, and parts of the northern contiguous United States. In Eurasia, it covers most of Sweden, Finland, much of Russia from Karelia in the west to the Pacific Ocean (including much of Siberia), much of Norway and, some of the Scottish Highlands, some lowland/coastal areas of Iceland, and areas of northern Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia, and northern Japan (on the island of Hokkaido).
The above quote from Wikipedia describes a biome whose name has been omitted. What is that missing name?
Three
What word completes the title of this 1957 sci-fi novel: The Midwich …; and who wrote it?
Four
What calendar was replaced in England by the Gregorian in 1752?
Five
Who played the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk television series which originally aired between 1978 and 1982?
Images from an Exhibition at Lahore. The Illustrated London News, 1864. Image Victoria & Albert Museum.
These are all connected to today’s date, May 14th.
One
1842 saw the first publication of an illustrated weekly news magazine, named The Illustrated … News. The image is from a later edition. What city completed the name of this periodical?
Answer: London. The Illustrated London News
Founded by Herbert Ingram, The Illustrated London News debuted on 14 May 1842 as the first illustrated weekly news magazine. It published weekly until 1971, then less frequently, ceasing in 2003. The company, now Illustrated London News Ltd, remains a publishing and digital agency in London, preserving its archives.
Two
The United States’ first space station was launched on this date. In what year was this, and what was it called?
Answers: 1973; Skylab.
Skylab, the US’s first space station, was occupied for 24 weeks in 1973-1974. It was constructed from a repurposed Saturn V third stage and included an orbital workshop, solar observatory, and Earth observation capabilities. Skylab’s orbit eventually decayed and it disintegrated in the atmosphere on July 11, 1979 scattering debris across the Indian Ocean and Western Australia.
Three
In 2004, the then Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark married Mary Donaldson at Copenhagen Cathedral. The couple are now the king and queen of Denmark. On what island was the bride born?
Answer: Tasmania.
Mary, born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson in 1972 at Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, is the Queen of Denmark and wife of King Frederik X. They met at the 2000 Olympics and married in 2004, having four children together. Mary is a patron of over 30 charities and founded the Mary Foundation in 2007.
Four
The practice of holding a two-minute silence to remember the dead from the First World War began on 14 May 1918. In what port city of the then British Empire did it begin?
Answer: Cape Town, South Africa.
The Remembrance Day two-minute silence began in Cape Town in 1918, when Mayor Sir Harry Hands introduced a daily pause after the death of his son in the First World War. Organised with councillor Robert Rutherford Brydone, the ceremony halted traffic while buglers played the ‘Last Post’ and ‘Reveille’. The practice spread across the British Empire after Sir Percy FitzPatrick promoted it to King George V, who officially adopted the two-minute Armistice Day silence in 1919.
Five
Born Catherine Élise today in 1969 in Victoria. This actress won an award for her role as Katharine Hepburn and later played KGB agent Irina Spalko. Who is she?
Answer: Cate Blanchett.
Cate Blanchett, an Australian actress born Catherine Élise Blanchett on 14 May 1969 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, is 56 years old. Known for her multidimensional characters and wide range of roles, her breakthrough came playing a young Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth (1998). She later appeared in The Lord of the Rings series, The Aviator (2004), and Blue Jasmine (2013). Blanchett won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator and another for her performance in Blue Jasmine. She also portrayed Irina Spalko, the main antagonist in the 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.
Images from an Exhibition at Lahore (cropped). The Illustrated … News, 1864. Image Victoria & Albert Museum.
These are all connected to today’s date, May 14th.
One
1842 saw the first publication of an illustrated weekly news magazine, named The Illustrated … News. The image above is from a later edition. What city completed the name of this periodical?
Two
The United States’ first space station was launched on this date. In what year was this, and what was it called?
Three
In 2004, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark married Mary Donaldson at Copenhagen Cathedral. The couple are now the king and queen of Denmark. On what island was the bride born?
Four
The practice of holding a two-minute silence to remember the dead from the First World War began on 14 May 1918. In what port city of the then British Empire did it begin?
Five
Born Catherine Élise today in 1969 in Victoria. This actress won an award for her role as Katharine Hepburn and later played KGB agent Irina Spalko. Who is she?
See question five. Dhaulagiri, at 8167 m, the world’s seventh-highest mountain above sea level. Image Wikimedia Commons
Today’s date-related questions are all connected to May 13th.
One
In 1637, according to tradition France’s Cardinal Richelieu invented the table knife by having the tips of knives rounded. He did this to prevent what?
Answer: To stop his companions picking their teeth with the knife-points.
The distinguishing feature of a table knife is a blunt or rounded end. The origin of this, and thus of the table knife itself, is attributed by tradition to Cardinal Richelieu around 1637, reputedly to cure dinner guests of the habit of picking their teeth with their knife-points. — Wikipedia
Two
On this day in 1940, some eight months into World War II, Winston Churchill faced the United Kingdom’s House of Commons for the first time as prime minister and informed them that “I have nothing to offer but …, …, … and ….” What four words have been removed from this quotation?
Answer: Blood, toil, tears [and] sweat.
I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this government: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” — International Churchill Society
Three
97-year-old Doris von Kappelhoff died on this day in 2019. Who was she better known as?
Answer: Doris Day.
Doris Day, born Doris Von Kappelhoff, was an American singer and actress who rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s. She starred in numerous musicals and sex comedies, becoming a leading Hollywood star and embodying the ideal American woman of the era. Later in life, she dedicated herself to animal welfare, founding several organisations to advocate for animal rights.
Four
In 1981, the pope survived an assassination attempt. What pope and where did this happen?
Answers: Pope John Paul II; St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City.
On 13 May 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot and critically wounded by Mehmet Ali Ağca in St. Peter’s Square. The Pope credited the Blessed Virgin Mary with saving his life and later visited Ağca in prison, forgiving him. Numerous theories emerged about the assassination attempt, including a controversial claim that the Soviet Union was responsible, though the Pope publicly denied this.
Five
The world’s seventh-highest mountain above sea level has several peaks exceeding 25,000 feet (7,620 m) and one at 26,795 feet (8,167 m). It has a name meaning ‘white mountain’; what is that name?
Answer: Dhaulagiri.
Dhaulagiri, a Himalayan massif in Nepal, features peaks over 25,000 feet, including Dhaulagiri I at 26,795 feet. Known as ‘white mountain’ in Sanskrit, its steep south wall and cold climate delayed its ascent until May 13, 1960, when a Swiss team led by Max Eiselin reached the summit.
See question five. The world’s seventh-highest mountain 8167 m above sea level. Image Wikimedia Commons
Today’s date-related questions are all connected to May 13th.
One
In 1637, according to tradition France’s Cardinal Richelieu invented the table knife by having the tips of knives rounded. He did this to prevent what?
Two
On this day in 1940, some eight months into World War II, Winston Churchill faced the United Kingdom’s House of Commons for the first time as prime minister and informed them that “I have nothing to offer but …, …, … and ….” What four words have been removed from this quotation?
Three
97-year-old Doris von Kappelhoff died on this day in 2019. Who was she better known as?
Four
In 1981, the pope survived an assassination attempt. What pope and where did this happen?
Five
The world’s seventh-highest mountain above sea level has several peaks exceeding 25,000 feet (7,620 m) and one at 26,795 feet (8,167 m). It has a name meaning ‘white mountain’; what is that name?
Another five sets of initials for you to flesh out.
One
What, in the American broadcasting industry, do the initials CNN stand for?
Answer: Cable News Network.
CNN, founded in 1980 by Ted Turner, is a 24-hour cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. As of December 2023, CNN had 68,974,000 subscribers in the United States and its programming airs globally through CNN International.
Two
What do the initials stand for in author J.R.R. Tolkien’s name?
Answer: John Ronald Reuel.
J.R.R. Tolkien, an English writer and philologist, authored The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He was a professor at Oxford and a devout Catholic.
Three
What names do the two Rs in American author George R.R. Martin’s name represent?
Answer: Raymond Richard.
George Raymond Richard Martin, who writes as George R.R. Martin, is an American author, screenwriter and television producer, best known for his epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, adapted into the award-winning television series Game of Thrones. He also contributed to the Wild Cards anthology series and the video game Elden Ring.
Four
Geographically in North America what is HOMES, and what does each letter represent?
Answer: The Great Lakes; Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior.
The Great Lakes — Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior — a group of five interconnected freshwater lakes on the Canada-US border, are the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total area. They formed around 14,000 years ago and have been a major source of transportation, migration, trade, and fishing.
Five
What words are represented by the letters in the abbreviation NASA?
Answer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
NASA, established in 1958, is the U.S. government agency responsible for the civil space program and aeronautics research. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., it operates ten field centres and leads various spaceflight programmes, including Artemis. NASA collaborates internationally and domestically, with a budget of $24.4 billion for fiscal year 2026.
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