Quizology.Online

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

— Bertrand Russell

Tag: exploration

  • Who, What, When, Where, Why and How IX — Answers

    Canada–US Border: Boundary markers and a 25 foot (7.6 m) swath cut into the forest marking the Alberta–Montana border.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s Answers

    Six questions today, each starting with one of these words: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.

    One

    Who led the expedition which became the first undisputed to walk to the North Pole, and in what decade was this achieved?

    Answers: Wally Herbert; 1960s.

    In 1969, Wally Herbert led the British Trans-Arctic Expedition, completing a 3,800-mile (6,115 km) overland crossing of the Arctic Ocean from Alaska to Spitsbergen. Accompanied by Allan Gill, Roy Koerner and Kenneth Hedges, he reached the North Pole on 6 April after spending the winter drifting with the ice. His achievement coincided with the 60th anniversary of Robert Peary’s disputed expedition, and Herbert became the first man widely recognised as having reached the pole on foot. Sir Ranulph Fiennes later described him as “the greatest polar explorer of our time.”

    Two

    What Baltic capital, once labelled the ‘Jerusalem of the North’ by Napoleon, launched a campaign calling itself the ‘G-spot of Europe’, and which country does it serve as the capital of?

    Answers: Vilnius, Lithuania.

    The Vilnius tourist commission has launched a new campaign branding the city as ‘the G-spot of Europe’ to attract young British tourists, using the tagline “Nobody knows where it is, but when you find it – it’s amazing.” The campaign, which has gained international attention, plays on the idea that while few people know where Vilnius is, visitors quickly fall in love with it once they arrive.

    Three

    When did Nils Bohlin’s three-point seat belt first appear (year) as standard equipment in production cars, and which Swedish manufacturer employed him to develop and build them?

    Answers: 1959; Volvo.

    The three-point seat belt was invented by Nils Bohlin a mechanical engineer. Bohlin drew on his experience designing ejection seats for SAAB and spent roughly a year developing the seat belt. The seat belt was first fitted to the Volvo PV544 in 1959. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the seat belt saves approximately 15,000 lives annually in the US. Additionally a study of 28,000 accidents in Sweden, which showed that no belted occupants were fatally injured at speeds below 60 mph or as long as the passenger compartment remained intact.

    Four

    Where does ‘Mr. Smith’ go in the title of an early James Stewart movie?

    Answers: Washington

    Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was initially controversial in the U.S. for its portrayal of Washington politics but became a major box office success and made James Stewart a star. The film received eleven Academy Award nominations, winning Best Original Story, and was among the first 25 films selected for the U.S. National Film Registry in 1989 for its cultural and historical significance.

    Five

    Why was the Australian city of Darwin rebuilt twice in the 20th century (two answers one for each rebuilding)?

    Answers: Air raids; Cyclone

    On February 19, 1942, Japanese warplanes attacked Darwin, Australia, in two waves, using the same fleet that bombed Pearl Harbor. The attack caused extensive damage and killed at least 243 people, making it the most serious wartime attack on Australia. On December 25, 1974, Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin, killing 71 people and destroying over 70% of the city’s buildings. This led to the evacuation of 30,000 residents in Australia’s largest airlift. The city was rebuilt in the late 1970s using newer materials, and the satellite city of Palmerston was established nearby in the early 1980s.

    Six

    How many Canadian Provinces share an international border with the U.S.A., and how many U.S. states have such a border with Canada?

    Answers: Eight; Thirteen.

    The length of the terrestrial boundary is 8,891 km (5,525 mi), of which 6,416 km (3,987 mi) is between Canada and the contiguous 48 US states, and 2,475 km (1,538 mi) is between Canada and Alaska. Eight out of thirteen provinces and territories of Canada and thirteen out of fifty U.S. states share this international boundary.

    — Wikipedia

  • Who, What, When, Where, Why and How IX

    Canada–US Border: Boundary markers and a 25 foot (7.6 m) swath cut into the forest marking the border.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Six questions today, each starting with one of these words: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.

    One

    Who led the expedition which became the first undisputed to walk to the North Pole, and in what decade was this achieved?

    Two

    What Baltic capital, once labelled the ‘Jerusalem of the North’ by Napoleon, launched a campaign calling itself the ‘G-spot of Europe’, and which country does it serve as the capital of?

    Three

    When did Nils Bohlin’s three-point seat belt first appear (year) as standard equipment in production cars, and which Swedish manufacturer employed him to develop and build them?

    Four

    Where does ‘Mr. Smith’ go in the title of an early James Stewart movie?

    Five

    Why was the Australian city of Darwin rebuilt twice in the 20th century (two answers one for each rebuilding)?

    Six

    How many Canadian Provinces share an international border with the U.S.A., and how many U.S. states have such a border with Canada?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Yet More What ‘*’ — Answers

    Expedition ship Terra Nova during the British Antarctic Expedition, c.1911.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s Answers

    Day 4 of our continuing theme.

    One

    What ‘P’ links a creature from Greek myth and Bénouville Bridge, Normandy?

    Answer: Pegasus.

    Pegasus is a winged white stallion in Greek mythology, sired by Poseidon and born from Medusa after she was decapitated by Perseus. He later ascended to heaven to serve Zeus by bringing lightning and thunder from Olympus.

    Pegasus Bridge, originally the Bénouville Bridge, is a historic road crossing over the Caen Canal in Normandy. Built in 1934, it became famous during the Second World War when a British glider-borne force captured it intact on 6 June 1944 to limit German counter-attacks after the Normandy invasion. Renamed in honour of the operation and the shoulder emblem worn by British airborne forces, the original bridge is now a war memorial at the Memorial Pegasus museum, having been replaced by a modern bascule bridge in 1994.

    Two

    What ‘Q’ is a capital city; sits on the equator; and is amongst the highest capitals by elevation? Of what country is this city the capital, and what other country’s two capitals vie with this one as highest capitals?

    Answers: Quito, Ecuador; Bolivia.

    Quito, formally known as San Francisco de Quito, serves as the capital and second-largest city of Ecuador. Its population is estimated at 1.7 million within the city and 2.8 million across the metropolitan area. Situated in a valley on the eastern slopes of the active stratovolcano Pichincha in the Andes at 2,850 metres (9,350 ft), Quito ranks as either the highest or second-highest national capital globally, depending on whether La Paz or Sucre is regarded as Bolivia’s capital.

    Three

    Which ‘R’ was somewhat of a maverick before becoming a saint, then adopted a licence to kill on seven occasions? Who is the actor, and in which television production did Tony Curtis appear as a co-star?

    Answers: Roger Moore; The Persuaders!.

    Sir Roger George Moore was an English actor best known as the third actor to portray James Bond, starring in seven feature films between 1973 and 1985. On television, he played the lead role of Simon Templar in The Saint, starred in the American Western Maverick, and appeared alongside Tony Curtis in The Persuaders!.

    Four

    What ‘S’, in 1991, superseded SALT, which dated from the sixties? The answers are both an acronym and its meaning.

    Answers: START; Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

    The START I treaty, proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan, led to the removal of about 80% of strategic nuclear weapons by late 2001. Following the Soviet Union’s collapse, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan agreed to its terms. After START I there were START II, III and then the New START Treaty in 2010, which extended nuclear weapon reductions until its expiration in February 2026, despite Russia suspending its participation in 2023.

    Five

    What ‘T’ was Captain Robert F. Scott’s ship on his ill-fated trip to Antarctica? Which explorer beat him to the South Pole by a few weeks?

    Answers: Terra Nova; Roald Amundsen.

    Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his party of five reached the South Pole on January 17, 1912, only to find Roald Amundsen had arrived first. On their return journey, a planned meeting with supporting dog teams failed, and the entire party died from exhaustion, starvation, and extreme cold just miles from their next supply depot. When their bodies were discovered, they were found with the first Antarctic fossils, which later proved the continent was once forested and connected to other landmasses.

  • Yet More What ‘*’

    See question five. Expedition ship … during the British Antarctic Expedition, c.1911.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Day 4 of our continuing theme.

    One

    What ‘P’ links a creature from Greek myth and Bénouville Bridge, Normandy?

    Two

    What ‘Q’ is a capital city; sits on the equator; and is amongst the highest capitals by elevation? Of what country is this city the capital, and what other country’s two capitals vie with this one as highest capitals?

    Three

    Which ‘R’ was somewhat of a maverick before becoming a saint, then adopted a licence to kill on seven occasions? Who is the actor, and in which television production did Tony Curtis appear as a co-star?

    Four

    What ‘S’, in 1991, superseded SALT, which dated from the sixties? The answers are both an acronym and its meaning.

    Five

    What ‘T’ was Captain Robert F. Scott’s ship on his ill-fated trip to Antarctica? Which explorer beat him to the South Pole by a few weeks?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Today: Carpe Diem — Answers

    Today’s Answers

    Tallinn old town during sunrise. View from Patkul viewing platform in September 2018.
    Wikipedia Picture of the Day 5 September 2026.
    Image Hendrik Mändla.via Wikimedia Commons

    Today: carpe diem! Following on from yesterday, we again have five questions but ten answers.

    One

    The above picture is of a national capital city (population population of 452,563), sitting on its country’s north coast and on the Gulf of Finland. What is the city, and of what country is it the capital?

    Answers: Tallinn; Estonia.

    Tallinn is Estonia’s capital and main centre, with 452,563 residents in 2026 and a 2024 metropolitan estimate of 646,315. Historically known as Reval, it gained Lübeck rights in 1248 and hosts the EU IT agency and NATO Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. The picture above is by Hendrik Mändla and shows Tallinn old town during sunrise. It was taken from the Patkul viewing platform in September 2018 and was a Wikipedia Picture of the Day on 5 September 2026. The image is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

    Two

    The Moon landing in November 1969 landed in one of the Moon’s maria: what was the landing site named, and what mission was it?

    Answers: Oceanus Procellarum aka Ocean of Storms; Apollo 12.

    Award yourself a bonus point if you answered Oceanus Procellarum. The landing site for the Apollo 12 mission in 1969, Oceanus Procellarum, which translates from Latin as the ‘Ocean of Storms’, is the largest of the dark plains (maria) on the near side of the Moon, and unique in being the only one to be named an ocean. It covers roughly 10.5% of the total lunar surface and was formed by ancient volcanic eruptions that flooded the area with solidified magma.

    Three

    … 45 is a 170 m high tourist attraction in a desert in the Sossusvlei area of Namibia, which gets its name from being at the 45th kilometre on the Sesriem–Sossusvlei road. What word is missing from … 45, and what desert is it in?

    Answer: Dune; Namib Desert.

    Dune 45 is a star dune in Namibia’s Sossusvlei area, named after the 45th kilometre of the Sesriem–Sossusvlei road. Over 170 m high, it comprises 5-million-year-old sand from the Orange River and Kalahari Desert. It is frequently photographed and climbed.

    Four

    What 2009 film became the first film to gross more than $2 billion, and who directed it?

    Answers: Avatar; James Cameron.

    James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar depicts humans mining Pandora and using genetically engineered bodies to interact with the Na’vi. It used new visual effects, earned over $2 billion, won three Academy Awards and became the highest-grossing film.

    Five

    The Wallis WA-116 featured in a James Bond film: what film, and what was it?

    Answers: You Only Live Twice; autogyro.

    Sean Connery’s James Bond is sent to Japan after American and Soviet spacecraft disappear. On a remote island, he confronts SPECTRE’s Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who is inciting Cold War conflict for an unnamed Asian power. During his investigation of Blofeld’s base Bond uses the autogyro Little Nellie on a reconnaissance mission.

    Today: Carpe Diem

    This post is headed ‘Today: Carpe Diem‘ (seize the day). My intention is that you seize the specific ‘day’ mentioned: Today. The answers therefore begin with the letters T, O, D, A, Y.

  • Today: Carpe Diem

    Tallinn old town during sunrise. View from Patkul viewing platform in September 2018.
    Image Hendrik Mändla.via Wikimedia Commons

    Today: carpe diem! Following on from yesterday, we again have five questions but ten answers.

    One

    The above picture is of a national capital city (population population of 452,563), sitting on its country’s north coast and on the Gulf of Finland. What is the city, and of what country is it the capital?

    Two

    The Moon landing in November 1969 landed in one of the Moon’s maria: what was the landing site named, and what mission was it?

    Three

    … 45 is a 170 m high tourist attraction in a desert in the Sossusvlei area of Namibia, which gets its name from being at the 45th kilometre on the Sesriem–Sossusvlei road. What word is missing from … 45, and what desert is it in?

    Four

    What 2009 film became the first film to gross more than $2 billion, and who directed it?

    Five

    The Wallis WA-116 featured in a James Bond film: what film, and what was it?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • In olden days a glimpse of stocking / Was looked on as something shocking — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Flag of Côte d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast.
    See question three.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    All of these questions relate to today’s date, 7 August.

    One

    In what sport could a ‘Salchow’ be performed?

    Answer: Ice skating.

    Swedish skater Ulrich Salchow, born 7 August 1877. The salchow, named the Salchow, an edge jump, after him. It is the easiest figure skating jump. It involves taking off from the back inside edge of one skate, completing one or more full turns, and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite skate. American skater Theresa Weld was reprimanded at the 1920 Olympics for performing a single Salchow jump because her skirt would fly up to her knees, creating an image deemed too risqué.

    Two

    The six-month-long Battle of Guadalcanal, which began on 7 August 1942, unfolded in which country?

    Answer: Solomon Islands.

    Guadalcanal Island, the largest island in the Solomon Islands, is situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The Battle of Guadalcanal, occurring from August 1942 to February 1943, involved a series of World War II land and sea engagements between Allied and Japanese forces on and around Guadalcanal, one of the southern Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. Alongside the naval Battle of Midway, the combat on Guadalcanal signified a turning point in favour of the Allies in the Pacific War.

    Three

    In 1960, the country represented by the flag shown above gained independence from France. What country is it?

    Answer: Côte d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast.

    Côte d’Ivoire, located on the western coast of Africa, was previously a French colony. Abidjan functions as the de facto capital, while Yamoussoukro has been the administrative capital since 1983. Known as Ivory Coast, this West African nation is the leading cocoa exporter globally and has seen substantial economic growth since 2011. Nonetheless, 46.1% of its population remains in poverty. The economy is predominantly dependent on agriculture, especially smallholder cash-crop production.

    Four

    How many persons were onboard Thor Heyerdahl’s balsa wood raft, Kon-Tiki when it reached Raroia in the Tuamotu Islands after sailing 4,300 mile (7,000 km) in 101-days?

    Answer: Six.

    The Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, led by Thor Heyerdahl, was a raft journey from South America to Polynesia. Named after the Inca god Viracocha, it inspired Heyerdahl’s book and a 1950 Oscar-winning documentary. A 2012 dramatised film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.

    Five

    In 1926, in motor racing the first British Grand Prix was held. Where was the race held? 

    Answer: Brooklands.

    Built in 1907 near Weybridge, Surrey, Brooklands was the first purpose-built motor racing venue and one of the UK’s first airfields. The British Grand Prix debuted there on 7 August 1926, won by Robert Sénéchal and Louis Wagner. The second race, on 1 October 1927, was also held there.

    Bonus Question

    The post title is two lines taken from a popular song, what song?

    In olden days a glimpse of stocking 
    Was looked on as something shocking

    It is part of the lyrics from Anything Goes from the Cole Porter musical of the same name. It is used here only as an oblique remark about Ms Weld’s risqué performance; see answer one.

    Anything Goes

    By Cole Porter

    [RENO]
    Times have changed,
    And we’ve often rewound the clock,
    Since the Puritans got a shock,
    When they landed on Plymouth Rock.
    If today,
    Any shock they should try to stem,
    ‘Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock,
    Plymouth Rock would land on them. 

    In olden days a glimpse of stocking
    Was looked on as something shocking,
    But now, God knows,
    Anything Goes. 

    Good authors too who once knew better words,
    Now only use four letter words
    Writing prose, Anything Goes. 

    The world has gone mad today
    And good’s bad today,
    And black’s white today,
    And day’s night today,
    When most guys today
    That women prize today
    Are just silly gigolos
    And though I’m not a great romancer
    I know that you’re bound to answer
    When I propose,
    Anything goes 

    When grandmama whose age is eighty
    In night clubs is getting matey with gigolo’s,
    Anything Goes. 

    When mothers pack and leave poor father
    Because they decide they’d rather be tennis pros,
    Anything Goes. 

    If driving fast cars you like,
    If low bars you like,
    If old hymns you like,
    If bare limbs you like,
    If Mae West you like
    Or me undressed you like,
    Why, nobody will oppose!
    When every night,
    The set that’s smart
    Is intruding in nudist parties in studios,
    Anything Goes. 

    [RENO, PASSENGERS & CREW]
    The world has gone mad today
    And good’s bad today,
    And black’s white today,
    And day’s night today,
    When most guys today
    That women prize today
    Are just silly gigolos
    And though I’m not a great romancer
    I know that you’re bound to answer
    When I propose,
    Anything goes 

    [RENO]
    If saying your prayers you like,
    If green pears you like
    If old chairs you like,
    If back stairs you like,
    If love affairs you like
    With young bears you like,
    Why nobody will oppose! 

    [ALL]
    And though I’m not a great romancer
    And though I’m not a great romancer
    I know that you’re bound to answer
    When I propose,
    Anything goes…
    Anything goes!
    — All Musicals

  • In olden days a glimpse of stocking / Was looked on as something shocking

    Flag of ?
    See question three.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    All of these questions relate to today’s date, 7 August.

    One

    In what sport could a ‘Salchow’ be performed?

    Two

    The six-month-long Battle of Guadalcanal, which began on 7 August 1942, unfolded in which country?

    Three

    In 1960, the country represented by the flag shown above gained independence from France. What country is it?

    Four

    How many persons were onboard Thor Heyerdahl’s balsa wood raft, Kon-Tiki when it reached Raroia in the Tuamotu Islands after sailing 4,300 mile (7,000 km) in 101-days?

    Five

    In 1926, in motor racing the first British Grand Prix was held. Where was the race held? 

    Bonus Question

    The post title is two lines taken from a popular song, what song?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • That Sinking Feeling — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    The Mary Rose as depicted in the Anthony Roll of the 1540s.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question relates to today’s date. The others aren’t date-related but build on the theme established in the first.

    One

    This English carrack-type warship, built for the king’s navy and involved in a battle with the French that resulted in its sinking in the Solent on 19 July 1545, had its wreck rediscovered by salvagers in 1971, ultimately leading to the opening of a museum dedicated to its history at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in 2013. What is the warship’s name and for what king’s navy was it built?

    Answers: Mary Rose; Henry VIII.

    On this day in 1545, Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose, sank during the Battle of the Solent. A sudden gust of wind flooded seawater through its open gunports, tragically resulting in the loss of over 400 crew members. Centuries later, the remarkably preserved wreck was rediscovered in the English Channel.  It has since become one of the world’s most significant underwater archaeological finds.

    Two

    Although not the first such instance the action of soldiers and sailors during the 1852 sinking of HMS Birkenhead made which maritime protocol more prominent?

    Answer: Women and children first.

    ‘Women and children first’ is an unofficial code prioritising their safety in life-threatening situations, like shipwrecks, due to limited resources. Celebrated as a chivalric ideal in the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was notably invoked during the HMS Birkenhead evacuation, SS Central America sinking, and Titanic disaster, though unevenly applied. The protocol is sometimes described as ‘Birkenhead Drill’.

    Three

    What 1960 musical and 1964 musical film told the story of a woman who survived the sinking of the Titanic?

    Answer: The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

    The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a fictionalized account of the life of Margaret Brown, who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic. It originated as a 1960 musical with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson and a book by Richard Morris. In 1964, it was adapted into an American Western musical comedy film directed by Charles Walters and starring Debbie Reynolds, filmed in Panavision. The screenplay by Helen Deutsch is based on the musical’s book, and the song score was composed by Meredith Willson. Reynolds received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her portrayal of Brown.

    Four

    What ship did Ernest Shackleton and his Trans-Antarctic Expedition lose in 1915 when it was crushed by ice and sank?

    Answer: Endurance.

    Endurance, originally Polaris, was a three-masted barquentine used by Ernest Shackleton for the 1914–1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Built in 1912, it sank in 1915 after being trapped in ice. All crew survived. The wreck was found in 2022 at a depth of 3,008 metres and is a protected historic site.

    Five

    Which US state’s name completes this: the 1864 Battle of Cherbourg is also known as the Sinking of CSS…?

    Answer: Alabama.

    The CSS Alabama, a Confederate sloop-of-war built in 1862, was a successful commerce raider under Captain Raphael Semmes. It captured or sank 68 Union ships in just 22 months across the Atlantic, West Indies, and East Indies. On June 19, 1864, the USS Kearsarge sank the Alabama during the Battle of Cherbourg, France.

    That Sinking Feeling.

    The post title is an idiom meaning a feeling that something bad is going to happen. In today’s post, it is simply a play on words regarding the ‘sinking’ theme of the questions.

  • That Sinking Feeling

    The ? as depicted in the Anthony Roll of the 1540s.
    See question one.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question relates to today’s date. The others aren’t date-related but build on the theme established in the first.

    One

    This English carrack-type warship, built for the king’s navy and involved in a battle with the French that resulted in its sinking in the Solent on 19 July 1545, had its wreck rediscovered by salvagers in 1971, ultimately leading to the opening of a museum dedicated to its history at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in 2013. What is the warship’s name and for what king’s navy was it built?

    Two

    Although not the first such instance the action of soldiers and sailors during the 1852 sinking of HMS Birkenhead made which maritime protocol more prominent?

    Three

    What 1960 musical and 1964 musical film told the story of a woman who survived the sinking of the Titanic?

    Four

    What ship did Ernest Shackleton and his Trans-Antarctic Expedition lose in 1915 when it was crushed by ice and sank?

    Five

    Which US state’s name completes this: the 1864 Battle of Cherbourg is also known as the Sinking of CSS…?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.