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?
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.
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?
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?
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
The opening paragraph of Encyclopædia Britannica‘s article on Wenceslas II is quoted below. What word is missing after ‘king of’?
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
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?
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
On 17 September 1940, Adolf Hitler postponed Operation Sea Lion. What was the purpose of this operation?
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
Martin Brian Mulroney became prime minister of what nation on this date in 1984?
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.
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?
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.
On 13 September 1959, the first spacecraft successfully made contact with another celestial body. Which spacecraft and celestial body were involved?
Kal-L 1 and Mercury
Luna 2 and the Moon
Mariner 3 and Mars
Answer: Luna 2 And the Moon
…the Soviets launched their second Cosmic Rocket (later renamed Luna 2) on Sep. 12 and it successfully achieved escape velocity and placed the spacecraft, virtually identical to Luna 1, on an intercept course with the Moon. The upper stage once again released its one kilogram of sodium gas at a distance of 97,000 miles. On Sep. 13, Luna 2 became the first spacecraft to make contact with another celestial body when it impacted the Moon between Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis, about 160 miles from where Apollo 15 would land 12 years later. The spacecraft’s scientific instruments detected no magnetic field or radiation belts around the Moon. Luna 2 deposited Soviet emblems on the lunar surface, carried in two metallic spheres. During his only visit to the United States a few days after the Luna 2 mission, Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev presented a replica of the spherical pennant to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. That sphere is kept at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kansas, while a copy is displayed at the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas.
The 13 September Japanese release of Super Mario Bros marked the start of the Super Mario series of platforming games.
1985
1991
1997
Answer: 1985
Super Mario Bros. is a 1985 platform game developed by Nintendo for the NES. Players control Mario or Luigi to rescue Princess Toadstool from Bowser, traversing side-scrolling stages and collecting power-ups. The game is praised for its precise controls and is credited with reviving the video game industry after the 1983 crash.
Three
On 12 September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert set a record as the strongest hurricane in the Western Hemisphere, based on barometric pressure. Which 2005 hurricane surpassed this record?
Maria
Rita
Wilma
Answer: Wilma
Hurricane Gilbert, a Category 5 hurricane in 1988, caused widespread destruction in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. It was the second-most intense Atlantic landfalling hurricane (only behind 2005’s Hurricane Wilma) and the most intense to strike Mexico.
Four
Hannibal Goodwin patented celluloid photographic film on this date. In what decade did this occur?
1890s
1900s
1910s
Answer: 1890s
Five
On 13 September 1899, the first ascent of Batian was achieved. Of what mountain is Batian the highest peak?
Mount Erebus
Mount Fuji
Mount Kenya
Answer: Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya, located near the equator in Kenya, has three highest peaks: Batian, Nelion, and Point Lenana. It is the source of the country’s name.
Five multiple choice questions related to today, September 13th.
One
On 13 September 1959, the first spacecraft successfully made contact with another celestial body. Which spacecraft and celestial body were involved?
Kal-L 1 and Mercury
Luna 2 and the Moon
Mariner 3 and Mars
Two
The 13 September Japanese release of Super Mario Bros marked the start of the Super Mario series of platforming games.
1985
1991
1997
Three
On 12 September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert set a record as the strongest hurricane in the Western Hemisphere, based on barometric pressure. Which 2005 hurricane surpassed this record?
Maria
Rita
Wilma
Four
Hannibal Goodwin patented celluloid photographic film on this date. In what decade did this occur?
1890s
1900s
1910s
Five
On 13 September 1899, the first ascent of Batian was achieved. Of what mountain is Batian the highest peak?
Marlene Dietrich and Robert W. Service on the set of The Spoilers (1942) Image Wikipedia
One
A bunch of the boys were whooping it up in the Malamute saloon; The kid that handles the music-box was hitting a jag-time tune; Back of the bar, in a solo game, sat Dangerous Dan McGrew, And watching his luck was his light-o’-love, the lady that’s known as Lou. — The Shooting of Dan McGrew by Robert W. Service
The above quote opens a verse by a man known as the ‘Bard of the Yukon’ and the ‘The Canadian Kipling’. What was his name?
Answer: Robert W. Service
Robert William Service, born in Preston, Lancashire, England, was the third of ten children. He lived with his aunts and grandfather in Kilwinning, Scotland, where he composed his first verse at age six before moving to Glasgow with his parents. After an early career in banking in Scotland he travelled to Canada in his early twenties and eventually returned to banking in British Columbia and Yukon. It was during this time that he was inspired to write about the communities he lived in and people he mingled with which led to his best known works. He passed away in France on 11 September 1958 at the age of 84.
‘Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony, that’s life Tryna make ends meet You’re a slave to money then you die I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down You know the one that takes you to the places Where all the veins meet yeah
The quote above is the first verse of a song co-written by Richard Ashcroft of The Verve who was born this day in 1971. What is the song?
Answer: Bittersweet Symphony
Bitter Sweet Symphony by the Verve, released in 1997, samples the Rolling Stones’ The Last Time. Legal issues led to the Verve relinquishing royalties, but in 2019, rights were returned to the Verve’s Richard Ashcroft.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover, US unexpurgated edition 1959. Image Wikipedia
Three
Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically.
An author, born on 11 September 1885 in Nottinghamshire, England, wrote this as the first line of a controversial book published in 1928. What is the book and who is the author?
Answer: Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
Lady Chatterley’s Lover, D. H. Lawrence’s final novel, was first published privately in 1928-29. Its explicit content and an obscenity trial in British courts in 1960 made it notorious.
William Sydney Porter/O. Henry in his thirties. Image Wikipedia
Four
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. — The Gift of the Magi
This opening paragraph is from The Gift of the Magi, which was written by William Sydney Porter, who was born on this day in 1862. An author and poet, he is best known for his short stories, which he wrote under a pseudonym consisting of an initial and second name. What is that pen name?
Answer: O. Henry
O. Henry’s stories are renowned for their observations, witty narration, and unexpected conclusions. The Gift of the Magi, quoted above, begins on Christmas Eve. Della realises she has hardly any money to buy her husband Jim a present. Determined, she cuts and sells her beloved long hair to buy a platinum fob chain for Jim’s watch. In turn, Jim sells his watch to buy Della combs. Despite the impracticality of their gifts, they realise the true value of their love.
‘Do you expect me to talk? / ‘No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.’ Goldfinger, 1964. Image Wikipedia
Five
Do you expect me to talk?” “No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.
Th sample from Goldfinger (1964) features on a remixed version of the James Bond Theme for Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) by Richard Melville Hall. Hall, born on 11 September 1965, is known by his professional name.
Answer: Moby
Moby produced a remixed version of the James Bond theme for the film Tomorrow Never Dies. The remix, which charted at number eight on the UK Singles Chart, features dialogue samples from the Bond films GoldenEye—Pierce Brosnan saying “Bond, James Bond”—and Goldfinger.
