Tag: entertainment

  • It might be possible that the world itself is without meaning. | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    THX1138
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica
    1. THX 1138 (1971) was the directorial debut of which filmmaker, who was born on 14 May 1944?
      • George Lucas—Warner Brothers–Seven Arts signed Lucas to direct a feature-length version of his student film, Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, with Francis Ford Coppola executive-producing. The film, a grim fantasy about a robotised society, received respectful reviews but was not widely embraced.
        The ruins at Jamestown, Virginia, USA from: Robert Sears, A pictorial description of the United States (s.n., 1854), pg. 315. Google Books
        Image Wikipedia
    2. On this day in 1607, the first English colony in North America was founded and named after England’s King James I. Who was the mother of the king?
      • Mary, Queen of Scots—James VI and I, the only son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the first Stuart monarch. He ruled Scotland as James VI from 1567 and England and Ireland as James I from 1603 until his death in 1625. He advocated for a single parliament, sponsored the King James Version of the Bible and saw the start of English colonisation of the Americas.
        Virginia Woolf.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. On 14 May 1925, the novel Mrs Dalloway was published. Who was the author?
      • Virginia WoolfMrs Dalloway, a novel by Virginia Woolf, follows Clarissa Dalloway, an upper-class woman in post-WWI England, on a day as she prepares for a party. The novel explores time and social structure through Clarissa’s life and the party. The title of this post is from Mrs Dalloway.
        Eric Morecambe.
        Image Pinterest
    4. John Eric Bartholomew was born today in 1926. Which comedian/actor is he better known as?
      • Eric Morecambe—Eric Morecambe, born John Eric Bartholomew, was an English comedian known for his double act with Ernie Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe’s death in 1984.
    5. May 14, saw the beginning of the last witchcraft trial held in the United States. In what year did this take place?
      • 1878—In 1878, Lucretia Brown accused Daniel Spofford of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. The case, considered the last witchcraft trial in the US, was dismissed by the judge.
  • It might be possible that the world itself is without meaning.

    THX1138
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 14 May.

    1. THX 1138 (1971) was the directorial debut of which filmmaker, who was born on 14 May 1944?
      • George Lucas
      • Steven Spielberg
      • Robert Zemeckis
    2. On this day in 1607, the first English colony in North America was founded and named after England’s King James I. Who was the mother of the king?
      • Mary I of England
      • Mary of Guise
      • Mary, Queen of Scots
    3. On 14 May 1925, the novel Mrs Dalloway was published. Who was the author?
      • Virginia Plain
      • Virginia Rogers
      • Virginia Woolf
    4. John Eric Bartholomew was born today in 1926. Which comedian/actor is he better known as?
      • Eric Idle
      • Eric Morecambe
      • Eric Sykes
    5. May 14, saw the beginning of the last witchcraft trial held in the United States. In what year did this take place?
      • 1778
      • 1828
      • 1878

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

    It might be possible that the world itself is without meaning.

  • Terrible Twos | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    Pratchett’s Night Watch at the top and Rembrandt’s The Night Watch below.
    Image Pinterest
    1. Willem van Ruytenburch, dressed in yellow, is depicted in a 1642 Rembrandt painting titled similarly to a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. What two words which form the novel’s title are also present in the painting’s title?
      • Night Watch—Rembrandt’s The Night Watch depicts a civic guard company, while Terry Pratchett’s novel follows Sir Samuel Vimes and the Ankh-Morpork City Watch.
    2. One was the Bond girl Solitaire, and the other was Henry VIII’s third wife. What was their shared name, first and last?
      • Jane Seymour—Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife, died of postnatal complications after giving birth to Edward VI. Jane Seymour, born Joyce Frankenberg, is a British actress known for roles in film and television. A Bond girl, she played psychic Solitaire in Live and Let Die (1973).
    3. What crow is also the name of a Tchaikovsky ballet?
      • Nutcracker—The nutcracker genus, Nucifraga, comprises four species of passerine birds in the Corvidae family. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1892 ballet, The Nutcracker, is based on Alexandre Dumas’s short story and features a nutcracker doll. The ballet’s score, particularly its use of the celesta, has become famous and is widely performed.
    4. What name links a London gunmaker, which is over 200-years old, and a character in The New Avengers, a British television series from the 1970s?
      • Purdey—James Purdey & Sons, a British gunmaker based in London, specialises in high-end bespoke sporting shotguns and rifles. The company holds Royal Warrants of appointment as gun and rifle makers to the British and other European royal families. Purdey, played by Joanna Lumley, was a spy working for British Intelligence in The New Avengers, a British television series in the seventies.
    5. The Royal Guardsmen’s song “_ vs. the Red Baron” peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1966. The fictional character missing from the song title became a mascot for aerospace safety in 1969 and has often since been associated with NASA. Can you name the character?
      • Snoopy—The Royal Guardsmen are an American band with several snoopy related hits. Snoopy has been associated with NASA since the Apollo era, inspiring generations to dream big about space exploration. During Artemis I, Snoopy will serve as the zero-gravity indicator, symbolising the journey to the Moon. This partnership continues to promote STEM education and excitement about space exploration. (Snoopy/NASA)
  • Terrible twos


    Today’s trivia features a variety of questions without multiple-choice options, requiring you to come up with the answers yourself.

    Mrs Henry VIII, the third.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. Willem van Ruytenburch, dressed in yellow, is depicted in a 1642 Rembrandt painting titled similarly to a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. What two words, which form the novel’s title, are also present in the painting’s title?
    2. One was the Bond girl Solitaire, and the other was Henry VIII’s third wife. What was their shared name, first and last?
    3. What crow is also the name of a Tchaikovsky ballet?
    4. What name links a London gunmaker, which is over 200-years old, and a character in The New Avengers, a British television series from the 1970s?
    5. The Royal Guardsmen’s song “_ vs. the Red Baron” peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1966. The fictional character missing from the song title became a mascot for aerospace safety in 1969 and has often since been associated with NASA. Can you name the character?

  • The Cult of… What? | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the text of each question simply for your information.

    Portrait of Maximilien de Robespierre, c. 1790.
    Anonymous, Musée Carnavalet, Paris.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. 1. On 7 May 1794, the Cult of the Supreme Being was introduced by …
      • Maximilien Robespierre—a French lawyer and statesman, was a prominent figure in the French Revolution. He advocated for universal male suffrage, abolition of the slave trade, and other progressive policies. Robespierre, a Deist, disapproved of the anti-Christian movement and advocated for a civic religion centred around the Supreme Being.
        Mary, Queen of Scots.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. The burning of Edinburgh by an English army on this day in 1544, was the first action in the…
      • Rough wooing—Henry VIII’s final years saw wars in France and Scotland, including the Rough Wooing, a brutal conflict aimed at breaking the Auld Alliance and forcing a marriage alliance between Mary, Queen of Scots, and Edward, Prince of Wales.
        Honda Ishirō at the National Museum of Nature and Science, in Tokyo, during the filming of Frankenstein Conquers the World.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. The Japanese film director best known for his Godzilla movies was born 7 May 1911, in Asahi, Yamagata, Japan. He was…
      • Honda Ishirō—a Japanese filmmaker, directed Godzilla and its sequels, sparking Japan’s kaijū eiga craze. After directing over 40 films, he returned to assisting Akira Kurosawa.
        Official portrait of President Juan Domingo Perón accompanied with the First Lady, María Eva Duarte de Perón, ”Evita”, 1948.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. María Eva Duarte was born today in 1919, who did she become better known as…
      • Evita—Eva Perón, or Evita, was an Argentine politician, activist, actress and philanthropist who served as First Lady from 1946 until her death in 1952. She championed women’s suffrage, founded the Female Peronist Party, and ran the Ministries of Labour and Health.
        “Our submarine boats in the harbour”
        (German caption), 1914.
        U-20, which sank RMS Lusitania, is second from left in front row.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. On 7 May 1915, a German submarine sank a British ocean liner. The sinking resulted in the loss of 1,198 lives and played a part in the entry of the United States into World War I. The ocean liner was the…
      • Lusitania—The sinking of the British ocean liner Lusitania by a German U-boat in 1915, killing 1,198 people including 128 Americans, increased American support for entering World War I.
    RMS Lusitania, New York.
    Image Wikipedia
  • The Cult of… What?

    Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 7 May.

    Godzilla in Godzilla, 1954
    Image Wikipedia
    1. On 7 May 1794, the Cult of the Supreme Being was introduced by …
      • Cardinal Richelieu
      • Maximilien Robespierre
      • Jean-Jacques Rousseau
    2. The burning of Edinburgh by an English army on this day in 1544, was the first action in the…
      • Harsh courting
      • Rough wooing
      • Tough pursuing
    3. The Japanese film director best known for his Godzilla movies was born 7 May 1911, in Asahi, Yamagata, Japan. He was…
      • Honda Ishirō
      • Nissán Kenji
      • Toyota Masaki
    4. María Eva Duarte was born today in 1919, who did she become better known as…
      • Annie
      • Evita
      • May
    5. On 7 May 1915, a German submarine sank a British ocean liner. The sinking resulted in the loss of 1,198 lives and played a part in the entry of the United States into World War I. The ocean liner was the …
      • Aquitania
      • Lusitania
      • Mauretania

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Here, there and everywhere | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    View SE from the top level of the Eiffel Tower: the Champ de Mars, with Montparnasse Tower in the distance. The École Militaire is one third down from the top of the picture.
    Image Wikipedia (Mattgirling)
    1. On 6 May 1889, the Eiffel Tower is officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition, on the…
      • Champs de Mars, Paris—The Champ de Mars, a large public park in Paris, was originally a military parade ground. It hosted significant events during the French Revolution and later became a site for national expositions and world’s fairs.
        Coat of arms of Moravia.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. Sigmund Freud, a neurologist and psychoanalyst, was born in Freiberg in Mähren (now Příbor) on this day in 1856. His birthplace was in …
      • Moravia—Moravia, a historical region in the Czech Republic, was the centre of the medieval Great Moravian kingdom before becoming part of Bohemia in the 11th century. It later was part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and then became part of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic.
        Puente Nuevo de Ronda.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. Actor Orson Welles was born today in 1915. He passed away in Los Angeles, California, in 1985, and two years later his ashes were interred at the home of his long-time friend, bullfighter Antonio Ordóñez, in Ronda…
      • Spain—Ronda, a municipality in Málaga, Andalusia, is known for its cliffside location and deep canyon. It has a population of about 35,000 and is part of the Sierra de las Nieves National Park.
        The Grand Palace, Bangkok.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. Today in 1782, at the command of King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, construction began on the Grand Palace, the royal residence of the King of Siam. The palace was built in…
      • Bangkok—The Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, is a complex of buildings built in 1782 as the official residence of the Thai kings. It covers 2.4 million square feet and includes over 100 buildings, the most notable being the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
        Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. Tony Blair, British prime minister from 1997 to 2007, was born 6 May 1953, in the city of …
      • Edinburgh, Scotland—Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is a city known for its historic Old Town and Neoclassical New Town, both designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city’s complex character, blending reserved exterior with warmth and gaiety, is reflected in its rich history, including religious conflicts, riots and the influence of its intellectual elite during the Neoclassical period of the 18th and 19th centuries. Edinburgh remains a major centre for finance, law, tourism, education and cultural affairs.
  • Here, there and everywhere

    Eiffel Tower
    Image Wikipedia

    Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 6 May.

    1. On 6 May 1889, the Eiffel Tower is officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition, on the…
      • Champs de Mars, Paris
      • Champs de Neptune, Paris
      • Champs de Venus, Paris
    2. Sigmund Freud, a neurologist and psychoanalyst, was born in Freiberg in Mähren (now Příbor) on this day in 1856. His birthplace was in …
      • Carinthia
      • Galicia
      • Moravia
    3. Actor Orson Welles was born today in 1915. He passed away in Los Angeles, California, in 1985, and two years later his ashes were interred at the home of his long-time friend, bullfighter Antonio Ordóñez, in Ronda…
      • Ecuador
      • Mexico
      • Spain
    4. Today in 1782, at the command of King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, construction began on the Grand Palace, the royal residence of the King of Siam. The palace was built in…
      • Amman
      • Bangkok
      • Colombo
    5. Tony Blair, British prime minister from 1997 to 2007, was born 6 May 1953, in the city of …
      • Cardiff, Wales
      • Edinburgh, Scotland
      • London, England

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • To the Lighthouse | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf.
    First edition cover – designed by Vanessa Bell.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. On 5 May 1927, the novel To the Lighthouse was published. Who was the English author?
      • Virginia Woolf—Virginia Woolf’s 1927 novel, To the Lighthouse, follows the Ramsay family’s visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The novel explores life through the perspectives of Mrs. Ramsay, Mr. Ramsay and their eight children.
        n A Japanese 10-meter diameter Mulberry paper balloon re-inflated at NAS Moffett Field, CA following its downing by a Navy aircraft about 30 miles west of Alturas, CA on January 10, 1945.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. On this day in 1945, six people picnicking in Oregon were killed in an attack by the Japanese. These were the only deaths by enemy action in the continental United States during World War II. How was the attack launched?
      • Japan launched Fu-Go high-explosive balloon bombFu-Go was an incendiary balloon weapon deployed by Japan against the United States during World War II. The balloons, launched in Japan and carried by the jet stream, were intended to ignite forest fires and spread panic. On 5 May 1945, six civilians, including four boys and two women, were killed near Bly, Oregon, when they discovered a balloon bomb in Fremont National Forest. This was the only fatality from Axis action in the continental US during World War II.
        Adele.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. Born today in 1988, this singer-songwriter has won 16 Grammy Awards, 12 Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Who is she?
      • Adele—Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, known as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. Her albums, including 21 and 25, are among the best-selling of the 21st century, with 25 breaking first-week sales records in the UK and US. Adele has won numerous awards, including 16 Grammys and an Academy Award.
        Jonathan, the tortoise at Plantation House, Saint Helena, 2021.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. Napoleon Bonaparte died on 5 May 1821, while in exile on the island of Saint Helena. Which is where?
      • South Atlantic Ocean—Napoleon I was exiled to St. Helena, a remote British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean, after his second abdication in 1815. He spent his final years in isolation at Longwood House, dying in 1821 from a stomach ulcer. On a cheerier note, Saint Helena is home to the world’s oldest land animal…

        The oldest known living terrestrial animal is Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa), originally from the Seychelles but now a long-time resident of the remote South Atlantic island of St Helena. He is believed to have been born c. 1832, thus making him 192 years old in 2024. Guinness World Records

    5. On 5th May, rebel barons in England renounced their allegiance to King John, a pivotal event leading to the Magna Carta. In which year did this occur?
      • 1215—During the 12th century, English kings issued charters promising liberties and good government to nobles and clergy. However, King John, facing challenges from his nephew and France, did not issue a general charter upon his accession. This, coupled with increased taxes and conflicts with the church, led to baronial unrest and demands for a formal grant of liberties.
    King John of England, 1167-1216.
    Illuminated manuscript, De Rege Johanne, 1300-1400.
    MS Cott. Claud DII, folio 116, British Library.
    Image Wikipedia
  • To the Lighthouse

    Tower of Hercules, an ancient Roman lighthouse in A Coruña, Spain
    Image Wikipedia

    Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 5 May.

    1. On 5 May 1927, the novel To the Lighthouse was published. Who was the English author?
      • Hazel Adair
      • Margaret Jepson
      • Virginia Woolf
    2. On this day in 1945, six people picnicking in Oregon were killed in an attack by the Japanese. These were the only deaths by enemy action in the continental United States during World War II. How was the attack launched?
      • Carrier_launched Aichi D3A dive-bomber
      • Gunfire from a surfaced I-15 submarine‘s deck gun
      • Japan launched Fu-Go high-explosive balloon bomb
    3. Born today in 1988, this singer-songwriter has won 16 Grammy Awards, 12 Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Who is she?
      • Adele
      • Shura
      • Rhianna (Kenny)
    4. Napoleon Bonaparte died on 5 May 1821, while in exile on the island of Saint Helena. Which is where?
      • Mediterranean Sea
      • North Atlantic Ocean
      • South Atlantic Ocean
    5. On 5th May, rebel barons in England renounced their allegiance to King John, a pivotal event leading to the Magna Carta. In which year did this occur?
      • 1015
      • 1215
      • 1415

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.