Tag: Europe

True of false

Jadstaffel 11: The Red Barons Squadron
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Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 2 May.

  1. Anne Boleyn was arrested and imprisoned on 2 May 1536. True or false, one of the charges she faced was witchcraft.
  2. Manfred, Baron von Richthofen, born on 2 May 1892, became Germany’s top fighter ace in World War I until he was killed in action. True or false, he was eventually succeeded as commander of his fighter group by future Nazi leader Hermann Göring.
  3. On this day in 1952, the first jetliner flight with fare-paying passengers took place. True or false, this flight was from Seattle, Washington to Washington DC.
  4. Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, was born today in 1729. True or false, she was born in the Kingdom of Prussia, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire.
  5. The King James Version of the Bible was first published on 2 May; True or false, the year of this first publication was 1661.

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Game of thrones

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

Queen Juliana.
4 September 1948 — 30 April 1980.
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Queen Beatrix.
30 April 1980 — 30 April 2013.
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King Willem-Alexander.
30 April 2013 — incumbent.
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  1. On 30 April 2013, Willem-Alexander became king of the Netherlands after his mother’s abdication. Who was his mother?
    • Beatrix—see #2 below.
  2. Willem—Alexander’s mother (see question 1) had became queen on 30 April 1980, on the abdication of her mother. Who was the Dutch queen who abdicated in 1980?
    • Juliana—Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 to 1980, managed the decolonisation of the Dutch East Indies and Suriname before abdicating in favour of her daughter Beatrix in 1980. Juliana passed away in 2004 at the age of 94. Beatrix, born in 1938, reigned from 1980 to 2013, during which time the Netherlands experienced significant changes in its Caribbean territories, including Aruba’s secession and the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. She abdicated in favour of her son, Willem-Alexander, in 2013.
      King Carl XVI Gustaf.
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  3. Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus, who was born on 30 April 1946, has been king of where since 1973?
    • Sweden—Carl XVI Gustaf, born in 1946, is the longest-reigning King of Sweden, having ascended to the throne in 1973. He married Silvia Sommerlath in 1976 and has three children: Victoria, Carl Philip and Madeleine
      King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile.
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  4. Today in 1492, Christopher Columbus was given his commission of exploration. Which monarchs issued this commission?
    • King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile—After Ferdinand and Isabella conquered Granada they initially believed Columbus’s proposal to sail westwards to the Indies implausible but Ferdinand convinced Isabella to support Columbus’s voyage, promising him titles, revenues and commercial interests in the new lands he might discover.
      Wives of Henry VIII.
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  5. Nothing to do with the date. England’s Henry VIII and how many of his wives were related by a single common ancestor?
    • Henry VIII plus six of his wives—were descended from Edward I of England. Henry VIII, born on 28 June 1491, reigned as King of England from 1509 to 1547. Known for his six marriages, he sought to annul his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon, leading to the English Reformation. Declaring himself Supreme Head of the Church of England, he dissolved convents and monasteries, resulting in excommunication. Legal attempts failed, with Cardinal Campeggio thwarting a trial in 1529, leading to Wolsey’s downfall. Thomas More, opposing the divorce, succeeded Wolsey but couldn’t resolve the issue. Thomas Cromwell emerged in 1532, orchestrating the church’s separation from Rome, allowing Henry to marry Anne Boleyn and have his first marriage annulled.

Game of thrones

Here are a few questions (most of) which are related to today’s date, 30 April.

Willem-Alexander
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  1. On 30 April 2013, Willem-Alexander became king of the Netherlands after his mother’s abdication. Who was his mother? Annie—Beatrix—Catharina
  2. Willem-Alexander’s mother (see question 1) had became queen on 30 April 1980, on the abdication of her mother. Who was the Dutch queen who abdicated in 1980? Jasmijn—Jolanda—Juliana
  3. Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus, who was born on 30 April 1946, has been king of where since 1973? Denmark—Belgium—Sweden
  4. Today in 1492, Christopher Columbus was given his commission of exploration. Which monarchs issued this commission? King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile—Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Empress Eleanor of Portugal—King Manuel I the fortunate and Queen Isabella of Aragon
    Henry VIII.
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  5. Nothing to do with the date. England’s Henry VIII and how many of his wives were related by a single common ancestor? Henry VIII plus two of his wives—Henry VIII plus four of his wives—Henry VIII plus six of his wives

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

From Springfield to the Führerbunker | Answers

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

Marshal Matt Dillon, Gunsmoke.
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  1. The Simpsons aired its 636th episode on 29 April 2018, becoming the longest-running scripted prime-time show in the US. What show had held the record until then?
    • Gunsmoke—The Simpsons, created by Matt Groening, became the longest-running American scripted primetime television series in 2009–2010 and surpassed Gunsmoke as the show with the most episodes in 2018. It is also the highest-ranking animated series on TV Time’s top 50 most followed shows. The show, which centres on the dysfunctional Simpson family in the fictional town of Springfield, has significantly influenced popular culture by introducing catchphrases and expanding into comic books, video games and a feature film.
      Jeanne d’Arc at the Siege of Orléans by Jules Eugène Lenepveu, painted 1886–
      1890.
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  2. On today’s date in 1429, Joan of Arc and her troops relieved what besieged city?
    • Orléans—The siege of Orléans, a crucial event in the Hundred Years’ War, began with English forces under Thomas de Montacute, earl of Salisbury, attempting to capture the French city. Following Salisbury’s death, William de la Pole, earl of Suffolk, took over the siege. However, the arrival of Joan of Arc in April 1429 forced the English to abandon the siege, marking a turning point that allowed the French to regain momentum and recapture lost territories.
      Obersalzberg- Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun with dogs (German Shepherd Dog “Blondi”?) at the Berghof, 1942
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  3. Who did Adolf Hitler marry on 29 April 1945?
    • Eva Braun—In April 1945, Eva Braun defied Hitler’s orders to join him in Berlin, determined to remain with him until the end. In recognition of her loyalty, Hitler married her in a civil ceremony in the Chancellery bunker on April 29. The following day, as the situation in Berlin worsened, both Hitler and Braun committed suicide. Hitler either poisoned or shot himself, and Braun took poison. Their bodies were subsequently burned.
      Captain James Cook
      Portrait by William Hodges.
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  4. On this date in 1770, which explorer arrived in and named Botany Bay in Australia?
    • James Cook—Endeavour continued northwards along the coastline, keeping the land in sight. As Cook charted and named landmarks, the crew made their first landfall on the continent on 29 April at a beach now known as Silver Beach on Botany Bay (Kamay Botany Bay National Park).
      Jerry Seinfeld, Late Show 2019.
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  5. Jerry Seinfeld, the star of the TV show Seinfeld, was born on April 29, 1954. Where was he born?
    • Brooklyn, New York, NY—Jerry Seinfeld, an American comedian, actor, writer and producer from Brooklyn, New York, is renowned for his observational humour. He rose to fame with the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which he co-created with Larry David and starred in from 1989 to 1998. The show became a landmark in American popular culture and a cultural phenomenon, showcasing Seinfeld’s unique comedic style. Since then, he has created and produced several other series and films.

From Springfield to the Führerbunker

Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 29 April.

Joan of Arc
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  1. The Simpsons aired its 636th episode on 29 April 2018, becoming the longest-running scripted prime-time show in the US. What show had held the record until then?
    • Family Guy
    • Grey’s Anatomy
    • Gunsmoke
  2. On today’s date in 1429, Joan of Arc and her troops relieved what besieged city?
    • Orléans
    • Reims
    • Tours
  3. Who did Adolf Hitler marry on 29 April 1945?
    • Eva Braun
    • Elke Grün
    • Ella Schwarz
  4. On this date in 1770, which explorer arrived in and named Botany Bay in Australia?
    • James Cook
    • Willem Janszoon
    • Abel Tasman
  5. Jerry Seinfeld, the star of the TV show Seinfeld, was born on April 29, 1954. Where was he born?
    • Bethesda, Maryland
    • Indianapolis, Indiana
    • Brooklyn, New York

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Who, What, When, Where, Why and How III | Answers

(Left to right, per Getty Image crediting): Ed Pollack, Albert Wynn, Thomas A. Dorsey, Ma Rainey, Dave Nelson and Gabriel Washington in 1923.
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  1. Who, born 26 April 1886, in Columbus, Georgia, US; performed as Ma Rainey and was known as the “Mother of the blues”?
    • Gertrude Pridgett—Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, the “Mother of the Blues”, was a pioneering blues singer who began her career in vaudeville. Her powerful voice and flamboyant performances helped popularise the blues, influencing generations of singers.
      Mount Ventoux.
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  2. What best describes Petrarch who climbed Mount Ventoux today in 1336 and, at some point, wrote about it?
    • Poet—Francis Petrarch, a prominent scholar and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, climbed Mont Ventoux in 1336. Inspired by the climb and a reading of Saint Augustine’s “Confessions,” Petrarch reflected on the true nature of wonder, shifting his focus from the external world to the inner soul.
      The seal of the London Company, also known as the Charter of the Virginia Company of London.
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  3. When did the Virginia Company colonists make landfall at Cape Henry?
    • 1607—The Virginia Company, chartered by [Britain’s] King James I in 1606, aimed to colonise America’s eastern coast and established the Jamestown Colony in Virginia. Despite initial challenges, John Rolfe’s introduction of sweeter tobacco strains from the Caribbean improved the company’s prospects. The company also founded America’s first legislature, the General Assembly, in 1619. However, it was dissolved in 1624 after the Great Massacre, leading to Virginia becoming a royal colony.
      Wreckage of Messerschmitt Bf 110D flown by Rudolf Hess, Bonnyton Moor, Scotland.
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  4. Where, during World War II, was senior Nazi Rudolf Hess—born today in 1894—captured?
    • Scotland—Rudolf Hess, a German National Socialist and Adolf Hitler’s deputy, flew to Scotland in 1941 to negotiate a peace between Britain and Germany. His proposals were rejected by both the British government and Hitler, who accused him of “pacifist delusions”. After the war, Hess was tried at the Nuremberg trials, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He served his sentence at Spandau prison in Berlin, where he was the sole inmate from 1966 onwards.
      The Hull-Ottawa fire, 26 April 1900.
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  5. Why were thousands of people in Canada left without a home on this date in 1900?
    • Fire—In 1900, a fire caused by a defective chimney in Hull, Quebec, spread to Ottawa, Ontario, destroying two-thirds of Hull and one-fifth of Ottawa. The fire, fuelled by wind and lumber, caused significant property damage and loss of life, with seven people being killed in the conflagration which displaced 15,000 people.
  6. How did John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln, die?
    • Gunshot—Following Lincoln’s assassination, John Wilkes Booth fled to southern Maryland, seeking refuge with Confederate sympathisers. After a failed attempt to cross the Potomac, Booth was shot and killed in a tobacco barn by Sergeant Boston Corbett.
“The killing of Booth, the assassin—the dying murderer drawn from the barn where he had taken refuge, on Garrett’s farm, near Port Royal, Va., April 26, 1865.” (Frank Leslie’s Illustrated News)
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Who, What, When, Where, Why and How III

A “Who, What, When, Where, Why and How” which all relate to today, 26 April.

Ma Rainey.
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  1. Who, born 26 April 1886, in Columbus, Georgia, US; performed as Ma Rainey and was known as the “Mother of the blues”?
    • Beatrice Rutledge
    • Gertrude Pridgett
    • Hortense Gwinnett
  2. What best describes Petrarch, who climbed Mount Ventoux today in 1336 and, at some point, wrote about it?
    • Poet
    • Politician
    • Pundit
  3. When did the Virginia Company colonists make landfall at Cape Henry?
    • 1557
    • 1607
    • 1657
  4. Where, during World War II, was senior Nazi Rudolf Hess—born today in 1894—captured?
    • Scotland
    • Sweden
    • Switzerland
  5. Why were twelve thousand people in Canada left without a home on this date in 1900?
    • Avalanche
    • Fire
    • Flood
  6. How did John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln, die?
    • Hanging
    • Gunshot
    • Drowning
John Wilkes Booth.
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Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Cars, boats and telegraphy | Answers

Here are some questions relating to today, 25 April.

See #2. Aerial view of the Suez Canal at Suez.
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  1. On 25 April 1901, New York became the first US state to mandate license plates with a law ordering automobiles and motorcycles to display “the separate initials of the owner’s name placed upon the back thereof in a conspicuous place.” But where was the first place to legally require a registration or licence plate?
    • France—France introduced registration plates in 1893, followed by Germany and the Netherlands. The US began requiring plates in 1903, with New York being the first state (this was after NY first requiring in 1901 that the owner’s initials be clearly visible on the back of the vehicle).
  2. Today in 1859, construction of the Suez Canal officially began. How many countries does it pass through?
    • One—Egypt. The Suez Canal, a 120-mile (193 km) artificial waterway in Egypt, connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas, providing a direct trade route between Europe and Asia. Constructed between 1859 and 1869, it is operated by the Suez Canal Authority and offers a significant shortcut for vessels, reducing travel time between the Arabian Sea and Europe. Utilising several lakes, it is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. The canal’s strategic importance has led to historical events like its nationalisation in 1956 and closure during the Six-Day War.
      The Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway.
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  3. Today in 1959, exactly 100 years after work began on the Suez Canal (see #2 above), the Saint Lawrence Seaway opened, completing the link from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes and allowing ocean-going ships to reach the westernmost point of Lake Superior. What distance is the westernmost point of Lake Superior from the Atlantic Ocean?
    • 2,340 miles/3,766 km—The Saint Lawrence Seaway, a joint Canada-US project, connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. It opened North America’s industrial and agricultural heartlands to deep-draft ocean vessels and forged the final link in a 2,340 miles/3,766 km long waterway from Duluth, Minnesota, to the Atlantic by clearing a throughway in an 186-mile/299 km stretch of the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Lake Ontario.
      Guglielmo Marconi.
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  • On this day in 1874, a physicist and Nobel Prize laureate (Physics, 1909) was born. He invented a successful system of radio telegraphy. Who was he?
    • Guglielmo Marconi—an Italian electrical engineer and physicist, invented the wireless telegraph, or radio, in 1896, and received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1909. He later worked on shortwave wireless communication, the foundation of modern long-distance radio. Marconi’s early experiments in Italy led him to London, where he received support and filed his first radio patent in 1896. He founded the Marconi Company in the UK and was ennobled as a marquess in 1929.
  • On 25 April 1990, Violeta Barrios de Chamorro became Central America’s first female president. What country was she president of?
    • Nicaragua—Violeta Chamorro, became Central America’s first female president in 1990, serving until 1997. After her husband, Pedro Chamorro, was assassinated by the Somoza dictatorship in 1978, she took over his newspaper, La Prensa, and became a symbol of opposition against the Sandinista government that overthrew the Somozas. As president, Chamorro reversed Sandinista policies, privatised state industries and promoted national reconciliation. Her presidency was marked by economic strife and social unrest, but she successfully ended hyperinflation and re-established international banking relationships.
    • Flag of Nicaragua.
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    Cars, boats and telegraphy

    Here are some questions relating to today, 25 April.

    See #1. The first automobile license plate issued in the State of Minnesota, 1903.
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    1. On 25 April 1901, New York became the first US state to mandate license plates with a law ordering automobiles and motorcycles to display “the separate initials of the owner’s name placed upon the back thereof in a conspicuous place.” But where was the first place to legally require a registration or licence plate?
      • Belgium
      • France
      • United Kingdom
    2. Today in 1859, construction of the Suez Canal officially began. How many countries does it pass through?
      • One
      • Two
      • Three
    3. Today in 1959, exactly 100 years after work began on the Suez Canal (see #2 above), the Saint Lawrence Seaway opened, completing the link from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes and allowing ocean-going ships to reach the westernmost point of Lake Superior. What distance is the westernmost point of Lake Superior from the Atlantic Ocean?
      • 1,230 miles/1,979 km
      • 1,785 miles/2,873 km
      • 2,340 miles/3,766 km
    4. On this day in 1874, a physicist and Nobel Prize laureate (Physics, 1909) was born. He invented a successful system of radio telegraphy. Who was he?
      • Alessandro Volta
      • Enrico Fermi
      • Guglielmo Marconi
    5. On 25 April 1990, Violeta Barrios de Chamorro became Central America’s first female president. What country was she president of?
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

    A Star is Born | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below.

    Poster for A Star is Born.
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    1. Barbra Streisand, who was born on 24 April 1942, starred in the 1976 iteration of A Star is Born (1976). How often, up to April 2025, has the film been made?
      • Four times—A Star is Born has been made four times. The original film, released in 1937, starred Janet Gaynor and Fredric March and was directed by William A. Wellman. It was followed by a 1954 remake starring Judy Garland and James Mason, directed by George Cukor. Streisand starred with Kris Kristofferson in the 1976 remake, directed by Frank Pierson. The fourth film, released in 2018, starred Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, who also directed it.
        Tuthmosis III basalt statue in Luxor Museum.
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    2. On this day in 1479 BCE, Thutmose III ascended to the throne of…
      • Egypt—Thutmose III, the fifth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, ruled Egypt from around 1479 to 1425 BC. Known as the “Napoleon of Egypt,” he led many successful military campaigns, expanding Egypt’s empire, creating its navy and conquering all of Syria. He crossed the Euphrates to defeat the Mitannians and penetrated south along the Nile River to Napata in Sudan. Thutmose III was a skilled warrior who brought the Egyptian empire to its zenith and built numerous temples and monuments to commemorate his achievements.
        Pope Benedict XVI.
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    3. Joseph Ratzinger was installed as Pope on 24 April. What papal name did he choose?
      • Benedict XVI—Benedict XVI—born Joseph Ratzinger— served as head of the Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013. During his tenure, he faced challenges such as declining vocations, church attendance and the sexual abuse scandal. A prominent theologian, he advocated for traditional Catholic values and revived several church traditions. Benedict resigned due to age-related health concerns, becoming the first pope to do so since 1415.
        Francis II of France and Mary, Queen of Scots, aged 14 and 15 respectively.
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    4. On April 24, 1558, fifteen-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots, was married. Where did the wedding take place?
      • Notre-Dame de Paris, France—Mary, Queen of Scots, married Francis, Dauphin of France, at Notre-Dame de Paris in 1558 in a political alliance between Scotland and France, orchestrated by her mother, Mary of Guise, to strengthen their bond. Mary was sent to France at the age of five to be raised at the court of King Henry II, where she grew up to be a Frenchwoman, excelling in hunting, dancing and languages. At 15, she married Francis, the eldest son of Henry and Catherine, in a political union between France and Scotland.
        Portrait of Anthony Trollope by Samuel Laurence, c.1864
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    5. Born on 24 April 1815, this English novelist, essayist and short story writer is credited with introducing Britain’s ubiquitous pillar box (mail box). Who is he?
      • Anthony Trollope—The first British wayside letter boxes were introduced in the Channel Islands in 1852 to address mail collection issues due to irregular sailing times. Designed by Anthony Trollope, the cast iron pillar boxes were an instant success, though initially, they faced rainwater ingress problems.