Quizology.Online

“There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge.”

— Bertrand Russell

Tag: entertainment

  • A Few Words

    Today’s questions focus on individuals and words associated with them. These individuals were either born or passed away on September 11th.

    Marlene Dietrich and ___ 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

    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?

    Two

    ‘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?

    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?

    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?

    Five

    Do you expect me to talk?”
    “No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.

    This 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.

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

  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?—Answers

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

    United Nations flag.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations on this day. In what decade did this occur?

    Answer: Noughties (2000s)

    Switzerland, fearing for its neutrality status, did not join the United Nations when it was created in 1945. However, in 2002, after a referendum, it became the first country to join based on a popular vote.

    Two

    On 10 September, the United States defeated a British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie. This battle took place during what war?

    Answer: War of 1812

    The Battle of Lake Erie, fought on 10 September 1813, saw the US Navy defeat the British Royal Navy, securing American control of the lake and enabling subsequent victories.

    Diana and Charles Ingram, 2006.
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    Who was the former major from the British Army who won £1 million on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on 10 September 2001, only to be later convicted of cheating and fraud?

    Answer: Charles Ingram

    In 2001, during his appearance on the British TV game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? contestant Charles Ingram reached the £1 million top prize. However, it was later revealed that he had cheated by listening to coughs from his wife and another contestant. All three were later found guilty of procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception by a court of law.

    Four

    The last full-scale military confrontation between Scotland and England took place on 10 September 1547. What was the battle? Was it the Battle of Finger, Pinkie, or Thumb?

    Answer: Pinkie

    Henry VIII’s proposal for an alliance with Scotland through the marriage of his son to Queen Mary was rejected. After Henry’s death, the Duke of Somerset, ruling as Lord Protector, continued the ‘Rough Wooing’ with a military campaign, culminating in the Battle of Pinkie (or Pinkie Cleugh) on 10 September 1547. The English victory, with significant Scottish losses, led to the young Queen Mary being sent to France.

    View of the LHC tunnel sector 3-4.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    In a novel published in 2000, the theft of antimatter created by a device described by the BBC as “the world’s biggest science experiment” was an essential part the plot of the novel and subsequent film. What is the three-word name of the device, and what is the title of the novel and film?

    Answers: Large Hadron Collider and Angels & Demons

    The novel Angels & Demons, by Dan Brown, involves antimatter created at the LHC to be used in a weapon against the Vatican. In response, CERN published a “Fact or Fiction?” page discussing the accuracy of the book’s portrayal of the LHC, CERN, and particle physics in general. The movie version of the book has footage filmed on-site at one of the experiments at the LHC; the director, Ron Howard, met with CERN experts in an effort to make the science in the story more accurate
    — Wikipedia

  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

    Some questions which are related to today, September 10th.

    United Nations flag.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations on 10 September. In what decade did this occur?

    Two

    On this day, the United States defeated a British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie. This battle took place during what war?

    Three

    Who was the former major from the British Army who won £1 million on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on 10 September 2001, only to be later convicted of cheating and fraud?

    Four

    The last full-scale military confrontation between Scotland and England took place on 10 September 1547. What was the battle? Was it the Battle of Finger, Pinkie, or Thumb?

    Five

    In a novel published in 2000, the theft of antimatter created by a device described by the BBC as “the world’s biggest science experiment” was an essential part the plot of the novel and subsequent film. What is the three-word name of the device, and what is the title of the novel and film?

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

  • Historical Truths (or are they?)—Answers

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

    Bayeux Tapestry – Scenes 55 & 56 – Duke William lifts his helmet to be recognized on the battlefield of Hastings.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Is it true or false that William the Conqueror died of smallpox on 9 September 1092?

    Answer: True

    King William of England died on 9 September 1087 at Rouen, France, several weeks after being seriously injured at the Battle of Mantes. In July 1087, while fighting a counter-offensive against the French, the King fell against the pommel of his saddle, severely damaging his intestines.

    Two

    Is it true or false that Elvis Presley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time on 9 September 1960?

    Answer: False

    Presley’s first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show was on 9 September 1956. He made two further appearances over the next four months, but he didn’t appear on the show again after his third appearance.

    Mary, Queen of Scots.
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    Is it true that a Scottish monarch was crowned at the age of nine months on 9 September 1543? If so, who was the monarch?

    Answer: True. Mary, Queen of Scots

    Mary Stuart became queen at the tender age of six days old in December 1543 upon her father James V’s death. Crowned as Mary, Queen of Scots on 9 September 1543 in Stirling, she remained queen until her forced abdication on 24 July 1567.

    Four

    Is it true or false that on 9 September 1759, forty-seven nations adopted Sauchie Fraser’s proposal for a standard time and time zones?

    Answer: False

    On this date in 1885, twenty-five nations adopted Sanford Fleming’s  proposal for standard time and time zones. 

    Five

    Captain William Bligh FRS RN, born on 9 September 1754, is best known for being cast adrift from HMS Bounty. Is it true or false that between 1806 and 1808, he served as Governor of New South Wales?

    Answer: True

  • Historical Truths (or are they?)

    Here are some historical truths and falsehoods related to today, September 9th.

    Elvis Presley.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Is it true or false that William the Conqueror died of smallpox on 9 September 1092?

    Two

    Is it true or false that Elvis Presley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time on 9 September 1960?

    Three

    Is it true or false that a Scottish monarch was crowned at the age of nine months on 9 September 1543? If so, who was the monarch?

    Four

    Is it true or false that on 9 September 1759, forty-seven nations adopted Sauchie Fraser’s proposal for a standard time and time zones?

    Five

    Captain William Bligh FRS RN, born on 9 September 1754, is best known for being cast adrift from HMS Bounty. Is it true or false that between 1806 and 1808, he served as Governor of New South Wales?

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

  • Long to Reign Over Us—Answers

    Queen Victoria.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 8 September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. Her reign was the longest of any monarch in the United Kingdom. Is it true or false that in a list of the longest reigning monarchs within the UK, Queen Victoria would be placed second and George III, third?

    Answer: True

    Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years, 214 days, while Victoria reigned for 63 years, 216 days, and George III for 59 years, 96 days.

    George III.
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    Is this true or false that The Great Herding was a historical event in medieval Scotland which began on 8 September annually?

    Answer: False

    The Great Herding, or El Gran Arreo, began in 1888 when five settlers, led by Henry Jamieson, moved thousands of sheep hundreds of kilometres to Santa Cruz, Argentina, to establish large sheep farms.

    Three

    Is it true or false that on 8 September 1941, German and Finnish troops began a siege that would last 872 days?

    Answer: True

    The siege of Leningrad, lasting two years, four months, and nineteen days from 1941 to 1944, was a devastating blockade by Germany and Finland. It is renowned as the most destructive siege in history. Although Leningrad was never captured, the intentional starvation of its civilians resulted in an estimated 1.5 million deaths.

    Michelangelo’s David.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Is this true or false that on this day in 1644, Michelangelo’s David was unveiled in the Piazza della Signoria, in Milan.

    Answer: False

    1644 and Milan are incorrect. Michelangelo’s 5.17-metre marble statue, David, was created between 1501 and 1504. On 8 September 1504, it was unveiled in Piazza della Signoria, Florence. Originally intended for Florence Cathedral, David became a symbol of civil liberties and was moved to the Galleria dell’Accademia in 1873.

    The Man Trap (1966), Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in Star Trek.
    Image IMDB

    Five

    Is it true or false that the first episode of Star Trek premiered on American television on 8 September 1970?

    Answer: False

    The Man Trap, the first episode of Star Trek had premiered on NBC some four years earlier on 8 September 1966. The Man Trap follows Captain Kirk and his crew as they visit an outpost and encounter a shapeshifting alien.

  • Long to Reign Over Us

    Today’s questions are related to today’s date, 8 September. The answers are either true or false.

    Elizabeth II, 1959.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 8 September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. Her reign was the longest of any monarch in the United Kingdom. Is it true or false that in a list of the longest reigning monarchs within the UK, Queen Victoria would be placed second and George III, third?

    Two

    Is it true or false that The Great Herding was a historical event in medieval Scotland which began on 8 September annually?

    Three

    Is it true or false that on 8 September 1941, German and Finnish troops began a siege that would last 872 days?

    Four

    Is it true or false that on this day in 1644, Michelangelo’s David was unveiled in the Piazza della Signoria, in Milan?

    Five

    Is it true or false that the first episode of Star Trek premiered on American television on 8 September 1970?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Good Queen Bess—Answers

    Edward VI by William Scrots.
    Image Wikipedia
    Mary by Hans Eworth, 1554.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    England’s Elizabeth I was born on 7 September 1533, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. When she ascended the throne in 1558, she followed two siblings, whose regnal names were?

    Answers: Edward VI and Mary I

    Elizabeth I’s shrewdness, courage, and self-display inspired loyalty and unified England against foreign enemies. Her carefully crafted image as a symbol of the nation’s destiny, coupled with her authority to make critical decisions, defined the Elizabethan Age.

    Two

    Today marks the anniversary of ESPN’s debut on American television. In which decade did this event occur?

    Answer: Seventies (1970s)

    ESPN, founded in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen and his son Scott, revolutionised sports broadcasting. With backing from Getty Oil and later ABC, ESPN secured major sports contracts, including the NFL and NCAA football, establishing itself as a dominant force in the industry. Despite facing challenges in the 2010s, ESPN continues to evolve, launching streaming services and expanding its reach through partnerships and acquisitions.

    Napoleon I on the Borodino Heights, by Vasily Vereshchagin (1897).
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    The armies of what two nations fought at the Battle of Borodino on 7 September 1812?

    Answer: France and Russia

    The Battle of Borodino, fought on 7 September 1812, was the bloodiest single day of the Napoleonic Wars. Despite a French victory, the Imperial Russian army retreated, leading to the French occupation of Moscow and the eventual failure of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia.

    Grandma Moses.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses), born on this day in 1860, became internationally renowned as a painter of naïve folk art depicting rural life in the United States. Where was born: Greenwich, New York; Greenwich, Ohio; or Greenwich, Pennsylvania?

    Answer: Greenwich, New York

    Grandma Moses, an American folk artist, gained fame in her 70s for her paintings of rural life. Her work, characterised by simple realism and nostalgic atmosphere, has been widely exhibited and merchandised.
    Greenwich, New York, is a town in Washington County with a population of 4,868. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area and has historical significance as part of the Underground Railroad.

    RMS Lusitania, possibly New York, c.1907.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    Launched on this day in 1907, what Cunard liner was named after an ancient Roman province on the Iberian Peninsula?

    Answer: Lusitania (RMS Lusitania)

    The ship’s name was inspired by Lusitania, an ancient Roman province located on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula. This region is now known as southern Portugal and Extremadura, Spain. Lusitania was targeted by a German submarine, torpedoed and sunk with the loss of 1,193 lives in May 1915.

  • Good Queen Bess

    Elizabeth I of England, c.1575.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    England’s Elizabeth I was born on 7 September 1533, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. When she ascended the throne in 1558, she followed two siblings, whose regnal names were?

    Two

    Today marks the anniversary of ESPN’s debut on American television. In which decade did this event occur?

    Three

    The armies of what two nations fought at the Battle of Borodino on 7 September 1812?

    Four

    Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses), born on this day in 1860, became internationally renowned as a painter of naïve folk art depicting rural life in the United States. Where was born: Greenwich, New York; Greenwich, Ohio; or Greenwich, Pennsylvania?

    Answer: RMS Lusitania

    The ship’s name was inspired by Lusitania, an ancient Roman province located on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula. This region is now known as southern Portugal and Extremadura, Spain. Lusitania was targeted by a German submarine, torpedoed and sunk with the loss of 1,193 lives in May 1915.

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

  • Why a Duck?—Answers

    Freddie Mercury, 1977.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Freddie Mercury, born on 5 September 1946 in Stone Town, the Sultanate of Zanzibar, is best known as the frontman of Queen. Which two Queen albums from the mid-seventies are named after Marx Brothers films?

    Answer: A Night at the Opera (1975) and A Day at the Races (1976)

    Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara in the Sultanate of Zanzibar, was a British rock singer and songwriter known for his flamboyant showmanship and powerful vocals. He joined the band Smile in 1970, renamed it Queen, and became its lead singer. Queen achieved international fame with albums like A Night at the Opera, and Mercury’s solo career included collaborations with Montserrat Caballé.

    Gerald R. Ford, presidential portrait.
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    On 5 September 1975, Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, attempted to assassinate the US president. This was one of two assassination attempts in that month, Who was the president who was targeted?

    Answer: Gerald R Ford

    Twice in September 1975, Ford was the target of assassination attempts. In the first instance, Secret Service agents intervened before shots were fired; in the second, the would-be assassin fired one shot at Ford but missed by several feet.
    — Encyclopædia Britannica

    Jim Henson with Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear in 1979.
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    The first episode of The Muppet Show aired on 5 September 1976. In which country was it broadcast?

    Answer: United Kingdom

    The Muppet Show, created by Jim Henson, premiered in the UK on 5 September 1976 and ended on 23 May 1981. Five seasons, totalling 120 episodes, were broadcast on ATV and other ITV franchises in the UK and in syndication in the United States from 1976 to 1981. It featured iconic characters like Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, with its success leading to films, merchandise, and other series. The Muppets were acquired by Disney in 2004.

    Sam Houston, 1861.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Sam Houston was elected as the first president of the Republic of Texas on 5 September. In which decade of the 19th century did this event occur?
    Thirties

    Answer: Thirties

    Houston was elected in 1836.
    Samuel Houston was an American general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas, a U.S. Senator, and the governor of both Tennessee and Texas. Houston opposed secession and was forced out of office as Texas governor in 1861.

    Flag of Tuvala.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    On 5 September 2000, the Pacific island nation whose flag is shown above became the 189th member of the United Nations. Please name that country?

    Answer: Tuvala

    Tuvalu, a Polynesian island country in the Pacific Ocean, comprises three reef islands and six atolls. It gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1978 and is a constitutional monarchy. The economy relies on imports, fishing, and remittances, while facing challenges from climate change and sea level rise.

    Why Why a Duck?

    The title of the post, Why a Duck?, doesn’t directly relate to the content, except for the mention of the Marx Brothers in the first question. However, I’ve always enjoyed the routine it originates from. This routine comes from The Cocoanuts. A bit of an explanation follows.

    “Why a Duck?” is a comedy routine featured in the Marx Brothers movie The Cocoanuts (1929). In a scene in which Groucho and Chico are discussing a map, Groucho mentions the presence of a viaduct between the mainland and a peninsula. Chico, who is playing the role of an immigrant with poor English skills, replies “Why a duck?” This leads into a long schtick with Chico responding “Why a no chicken?”, “I catch ona why a horse”, and so forth
    — Wikipedia

    The routine can be read here at The Marx Brothers.