2026 Chinese GP – Mercedes – Kimi Antonelli – Qualifying. Image Wikimedia Commons
Today’s first question concerns the date May 5th. Each subsequent question builds on the previous one.
One
In Shangdu on 5 May 1260 Kublai was unanimously elected khan. An English poet later wrote a poem featuring Kublai Khan in which he changed Shangdu’s name to what?
Two
Water, water, every where, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink.
The poet who wrote the poem mentioned in question one wrote another which includes the lines quoted above. Who was the poet, and what poem does the quote come from?
Three
A song released by a British American rock band in November 1968 has a creature from the poem mentioned in question two as its title. In January 1969, this instrumental track provided the band with its only UK number one hit in their more than fifty years of performing. Name the song and the band?
Four
A track by the above-mentioned band, which is from their Rumours album, is the only one written by all five band members at that time. It has been used on the BBC since 1978 as a theme tune for a sports programme. That sport is now covered in the UK by Channel 4, but they have kept the same theme. What is both the relevant track and sport?
Five
Following on from above a question about Formula One. In the 2026 F1 World Championship two races were cancelled during April because of the international situation. What circuits, and where are these circuits, were effected by these cancellations?
Six questions on random topics, each beginning with one of these words: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.
Who
Who is the title character of The Lord of the Rings?
Answer: Sauron.
Sauron, the main antagonist in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, seeks to rule Middle-earth using the One Ring. He is depicted as a wholly evil being, comparable to Dracula and Balor of the Evil Eye.
What
What prompted the change in NASA’s 1967 mission designation AS-204 and what was the new designation?
Answer: Fatal cabin fire; Apollo 1.
Initially designated AS-204 and later renamed Apollo 1, the first planned crewed mission of the Apollo programme ended in tragedy when a cabin fire during a launch rehearsal killed all three crew members Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger B. Chaffee. The fire, caused by an electrical ignition and exacerbated by flammable materials and a high-pressure oxygen atmosphere, led to a 20-month suspension of crewed flights while safety measures were implemented.
When
When did Marco Polo journey to China? (The century will do)
Answer: 13th century.
Venetian merchant and explorer Marco Polo travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295, spending 17 years in China. His detailed accounts of the Mongol Empire and China, including his experiences in the emperor’s lands, provided Europeans with a comprehensive look into the Eastern world. Polo’s writings inspired future explorers like Christopher Columbus and influenced European cartography. His book, Il milione, is a classic of travel literature.
Where
Where does ‘Mr. Smith’ go in an early James Stewart movie?
Answer: Washington.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, a 1939 film by Frank Capra, depicts Jefferson Smith, an idealistic youth leader, battling corruption in the U.S. Senate. The film’s portrayal of political corruption angered real-life legislators, leading to calls for its banning and accusations of being anti-American and communist.
Why
Why was Dennis Tito in the news in May 2001?
Answer: He paid to go into space (the world’s first ‘space tourist’).
Dennis Tito is an American engineer and entrepreneur. During mid-2001, he became the first space tourist to fund his own visit to space, when he spent nearly eight days in orbit as a crew member of ISS EP-1, a visiting mission to the International Space Station. This mission was launched by the spacecraft Soyuz TM-32, and was landed by Soyuz TM-31. Dennis Tito, after paying $20 million, became the first space tourist, joining the Soyuz TM-32 mission to the International Space Station in 2001. Despite initial criticism from NASA, Tito spent over a week in space, conducting experiments and later testifying before Congress on commercial spaceflight.
How
How many championships are required to be won in one year to achieve a Grand Slam in golf, and what are these championships?
Answers: Four; US Masters; US PGA Chamionship; US Open Championship; and The Open Championship.
Masters Tournament, held the week ending on the 2nd Sunday in April – hosted as an invitational by and played at Augusta National Golf Club. 2026 saw the 90th edition of The Masters.
The 2026 PGA Championship will be the 108th edition of the PGA Championship, scheduled for May 14–17 at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a suburb west of Philadelphia.
The 2026 United States Open Championship will be the 126th edition of the U.S. Open, the national open golf championship of the United States. It will be held from June 18–21, 2026 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. It will be the sixth Open hosted at the club.
The 2026 Open Championship, officially the 154th Open Championship, is a golf tournament to be played from 16–19 July 2026 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. It will be the 11th Open held at the club. — Wikipedia, various articles on each championship.
Who currently (April 2026) is the principal occupant of the Quirinal Palace (pictured), and what is that person’s office?
Answer: Sergio Mattarella, the President of the Italian Republic.
The Quirinal Palace, the main official residence of the President of the Italian Republic, is located on the Quirinal Hill in Rome. It has served as a residence for popes, kings and presidents. Mattarella was elected on 31 January 2015, and re-elected on 29 January 2022.
What
What song gave Tom Jones his first UK number one single and his debut US hit, where it peaked at number ten.
Answer: It’s Not Unusual.
Released in 1965, It’s Not Unusual became a chart-topper in the UK, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart. It also marked his first US hit, peaking at number ten; it further climbed to number three on Billboard’s easy listening chart. Initially rejected by the BBC in the UK due to Jones’ image, the song gained popularity on pirate radio. In the US, Jones performed it three times on The Ed Sullivan Show.
When
When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen.
The above sentence opens what English classic children’s story and who wrote it?
Answers: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
The Secret Garden, a classic English children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, was first published in 1911. It has been adapted for stage and film.
Where
Where are lemurs endemic?
Answer: Madagascar.
Lemurs are a diverse group of primates endemic to Madagascar, with around 100 extant species. They are social, nocturnal, and primarily arboreal, exhibiting a range of sizes and diets. Despite their importance for research and conservation efforts, many lemur species are endangered due to habitat loss and hunting.
Why
Why was Darwin, in Australia’s Northern Territory, extensively rebuilt twice during the twentieth century? (NB Two answers as it was rebuilt on two separate occasions.)
Answers: (First rebuild) World War II Japanese air raids; (Second rebuild) Cyclone Tracy.
On 19 February 1942, 188 Japanese warplanes attacked Darwin, killing at least 243 people and causing significant damage. This was the first of many air raids on Darwin and was the most serious attack on Australia during wartime. Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin on 25 December 1974, killing 71 people and destroying over 70% of the city. The Darwin Reconstruction Commission oversaw the city’s rebuilding with modern materials and techniques.
How
How old, according to television’s Smallville, was Lex Luther when he became bald?
Answer: Nine.
I’ve been bald since I was nine. I’m used to people judging me before they get to know me. — Lex Luther, Pilot episode Smallville
Lex Luthor, introduced in the pilot as the son of billionaire Lionel Luthor, is sent to Smallville by his father to manage the local fertiliser plant. As a child, he’s caught in the first meteor shower, which leaves him completely bald but also grants him perfect health.
Six questions on random topics, each beginning with one of these words: Who, What, When (When is the first word of a quote), Where, Why and How.
Court of the Quirinal Palace. Image Wikimedia Commons
Who
Who currently (April 2026) is the principal occupant of the Quirinal Palace (pictured), and what is that person’s office?
What
What song gave Tom Jones his first UK number one single and his debut US hit, where it peaked at number ten.
When
When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen.
The above sentence opens what English classic children’s story and who wrote it?
Where
Where are lemurs endemic?
Why
Why was Darwin, in Australia’s Northern Territory, extensively rebuilt twice during the twentieth century? (NB Two answers as it was rebuilt on two separate occasions.)
How
How old, according to television’s Smallville, was Lex Luther when he became bald?
Today’s questions are related to the date, April 29th..
See question two. Prince William and his bride, Catherine, leaving Westminster Abbey after their wedding, April 29, 2011. Image Encyclopædia Britannica
One
In a 1943 British deception plan, a corpse was given the identity of ‘Major William Martin’. The idea for the above operation, which was partly inspired by a plot device in a 1939 novel by Basil Thomson, The …’s Hat Mystery, had first been suggested in a memo.
What was the codename of this operation?
What word for a hat maker is missing from the book’s title?
A future spy novelist—later the creator of a fictional spy which spawned a massive media franchise—worked in British Naval Intelligence during the war where he circulated the memo outlining the above deception tactics. Who was he?
Answers
Operation Mincemeat
Milliner
Ian Fleming
The body was released from the submarine HMS Seraph off Spain, where authorities were known to share intelligence with Germany. The Milliner’s Hat Mystery (a milliner is someone who makes or sells hats) is by Basil Thomson who had himself worked in intelligence and blurred the line between fiction and real espionage long before the war. Ian Fleming’s memo was nicknamed the ’Trout Memo’, comparing deception to fly-fishing—luring the enemy with carefully chosen bait. He went on to create James Bond.
Two
In 2011, Prince William married his longtime girlfriend, Catherine, whom he had met at university.
What is Catherine’s maiden name?
At what university did they meet?
In what church did they marry?
Answers
Middleton
University of St. Andrews
Westminster Abbey
Prince William, heir to the British throne, married Catherine Middleton in 2011. They have three children: George, Charlotte, and Louis.
Three
In 2004, after 107 years of vehicle production, the final … was built in Lansing, Michigan. What make of vehicle is missing from the previous sentence?
Answer: Oldsmobile.
Oldsmobile, an American automobile brand, was established by Ransom Eli Olds in 1897 as Olds Motor Vehicle Company and produced over 35 million vehicles. Despite peaking sales in the 1980s, the brand faced declining sales in the 1990s and was discontinued in 2004.
Four
On this day in 2018, a U.S. TV series became the longest-running scripted prime-time show, overtaking a Western that had aired from 1955 to 1975. Name both these shows.
Answer: The Simpsons; Gunsmoke.
The record-breaking episode was the show’s 636th, surpassing Gunsmoke’s long-standing total.
Five
Also on this day, in 1770, which British explorer made his first recorded landing on the east coast of Australia, at Botany Bay?
Answer: James Cook.
Cook’s voyage aboard the HMS Endeavour was originally intended to observe the transit of Venus before turning to exploration.
The Man Who Never Was
The Man Who Never Was (1956) is a British espionage thriller directed by Ronald Neame, starring Clifton Webb and Gloria Grahame. Based on Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu’s book, it depicts Operation Mincemeat, a 1943 British intelligence operation to mislead the Axis about the Allied invasion of Sicily. It was featured at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. Nigel Balchin’s screenplay received the BAFTA award for that year.
Today’s questions are related to the date, April 29th..
See question two. Prince William and his bride after their wedding, April 29, 2011. Image Encyclopædia Britannica
One
In a 1943 British deception plan, a corpse was given the identity of ‘Major William Martin’. The idea for the above operation, which was partly inspired by a plot device in a 1939 novel by Basil Thomson, The …’s Hat Mystery, had first been suggested in a memo.
What was the codename of this operation?
What word for a hat maker is missing from the book’s title?
A future spy novelist—later the creator of a fictional spy which spawned a massive media franchise—worked in British Naval Intelligence during the war where he circulated the memo outlining the above deception tactics. Who was he?
Two
In 2011, Prince William married his longtime girlfriend, Catherine, whom he had met at university.
What is Catherine’s maiden name?
At what university did they meet?
In what church did they marry?
Three
In 2004, after 107 years of vehicle production, the final … was built in Lansing, Michigan. What make of vehicle is missing from the previous sentence?
Four
On this day in 2018, a U.S. TV series became the longest-running scripted prime-time show, overtaking a Western that had aired from 1955 to 1975. Name both these shows.
Answer: The Simpsons; Gunsmoke.
The record-breaking episode was the show’s 636th, surpassing Gunsmoke’s long-standing total.
Five
Also on this day, in 1770, which British explorer made his first recorded landing on the east coast of Australia, at Botany Bay?
1 Greek mythology a priestess of Hera who was loved by Zeus. Trying to protect her from the jealousy of Hera, Zeus turned [her] into a heifer. Hera sent a gadfly to torture the heifer, which then fled across the world and finally reached Egypt, where Zeus turned her back into human form. 2 Astronomy one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter, the fifth-closest satellite to the planet, being actively volcanic and coloured red and yellow with sulphur compounds (diameter 3,630 km. — Oxford English Dictionary
The above entry in the Oxford English Dictionary defines what word?
Answer: Io.
Io, a mortal lover of Zeus, was a princess whose descendants included Perseus and Heracles. Named after this princess, Io, the innermost Galilean moon of Jupiter, is the most geologically active object in the Solar System, with over 400 active volcanoes.
Two
Cato Fong is the manservant of which fictional inspector?
Answer: Inspector Clouseau.
Cato, Clouseau’s manservant and martial arts expert, is known for unexpectedly attacking Clouseau to keep his skills sharp. Despite Clouseau’s frequent humiliation, he always gets revenge. In later films, Cato helps Clouseau on cases and even runs a covert brothel in Clouseau’s apartment.
Three
Which Swedish actress played Ilsa Lund in the classic film Casablanca?
Answer: Ingrid Bergman.
Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress with a career spanning five decades. She is regarded as one of the most influential actresses in cinema history, winning numerous accolades including three Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. Bergman, who spoke five languages, starred in notable films like Casablanca, Gaslight, and Murder on the Orient Express.
Four
Which 2013 Dan Brown novel begins with Robert Langdon waking in a Florence hospital?
Answer: Inferno.
Harvard professor Robert Langdon, suffering from amnesia, escapes an assassin with the help of Dr. Sienna Brooks. He discovers he mumbled ‘Very sorry’ but later learns it was ‘Vasari’ and refers to the artist Giorgio Vasari.
Five
What was the title of Carrie Underwood’s debut single?
Answer: Inside Your Heaven.
Inside Your Heaven, written by Andreas Carlsson, Pelle Nylén, and Savan Kotecha, was released as a single by both Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice in June 2005. Underwood’s version debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Singles Chart, while Bice’s peaked at number two.
The Eyes Have It
The title is a pun on the word ’eyes’, with each of the answers beginning with the letter ‘I’.
1 Greek mythology a priestess of Hera who was loved by Zeus. Trying to protect her from the jealousy of Hera, Zeus turned [her] into a heifer. Hera sent a gadfly to torture the heifer, which then fled across the world and finally reached Egypt, where Zeus turned her back into human form. 2 Astronomy one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter, the fifth-closest satellite to the planet, being actively volcanic and coloured red and yellow with sulphur compounds (diameter 3,630 km. — Oxford English Dictionary
The above entry in the Oxford English Dictionary defines what word?
Two
Cato Fong is the manservant of which fictional inspector?
Three
Which Swedish actress played Ilsa Lund in the classic film Casablanca?
Four
Which 2013 Dan Brown novel begins with Robert Langdon waking in a Florence hospital?
Five
What was the title of Carrie Underwood’s debut single?
All of today’s questions are date-specific, relating in one way or another to April 26th.
One
Akira Kurosawa‘s 1954 film is set in a village plagued by bandits, and a 1960 American western is a remake of this story.
What was the title of Kurosawa’s 1954 film?
What was the 1960 American film?
What actors played the title characters in the American film?
Answers
Seven Samurai
The Magnificent Seven
Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Horst Buchholz, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and James Coburn.
Seven Samurai, a 1954 Japanese action film by Akira Kurosawa, is hailed as one of the greatest films ever. Set in the 16th century, it depicts a village hiring samurai to fend off bandits, overcoming cultural tensions. Despite being Japan’s longest and costliest film at the time, it achieved global success, elevating Japanese cinema and influencing cinematography. Starring Mifune Toshirō, it inspired The Magnificent Seven.
The country represented by the above flag was founded in 1964.
What is the full, official name of the new country founded?
This new country was formed by the union of a sovereign state with a semi-autonomous region, what were this state and region?
Answers
United Republic of Tanzania
Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is an East African nation with a 2024 population of 67.5 million. Formed in 1964 from the Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, it features Mount Kilimanjaro, three Great Lakes, and is a popular safari destination. Swahili is the national language, with Dodoma as its capital.
Three
In 1933, Hermann Göring established the Geheime Staatspolizei. What was it commonly known as?
Answer: Gestapo.
The Gestapo, Nazi Germany’s secret police, was established in 1933 by Hermann Göring and later controlled by Heinrich Himmler. It targeted political opponents, dissenters, and minorities, committing numerous atrocities. Despite its small size, it was effective due to citizen reporting and played a crucial role in the Holocaust. Post-WWII, it was declared a criminal organisation.
Four
American artist and ornithologist James Audubon was born in 1785. In what present day country was he born?
Answer: Haiti.
Born in Les Cayes, Saint-Domingue, West Indies, now Haiti, John James Audubon, a French-American artist and ornithologist, is known for his paintings and illustrations of North American bird species. However, he has been accused of fraud and misconduct, such as plagiarising data and trafficking Native American remains.
Five
On 26 April 1986, a nuclear disaster occurred in which Soviet Socialist Republic?
Answer: Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
On 26 April 1986, reactor no. 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Pripyat, exploded, causing one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. The explosion, due to a design flaw during a test, led to a power surge, steam explosions, and a reactor core fire, spreading radioactive contamination across Europe. Immediate evacuations affected 117,000 people. The disaster resulted in radiation-related fatalities and thousands of cancer cases, with varying death toll predictions. The city of Pripyat was abandoned and replaced by the purpose-built Slavutych. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant sarcophagus, completed in December 1986, limited radioactive contamination and protected undamaged reactors’ crews. Between 2016 and 2018, the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement was built around the old sarcophagus to facilitate reactor debris removal. The clean-up is expected to be completed by 2065. It has been described as the most expensive disaster in history costing an estimated US$700 billion.
I’d Hate to Die on That Dung Heap
The post title is a quote from the Seven Samurai said by Kikuchiyo, as he and the six Samurai arrive at the village.
Quizology.Online 