Quizology.Online

Tag: exploration

  • What Goes Around Comes Around—Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Today’s questions are all related to March 3rd.

    Virgin Atlantic Airways GlobalFlyer.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    2005, a pilot became the first person to complete a solo, nonstop circumnavigation of the globe without refuelling. The pilot took off from and landed back at one of the several Salinas in the United States. Who was the pilot and specifically from which Salina did he depart and return?

    Answers: Steve Fossett; Salina, Kansas.

    In 2005, pilot Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo around the world without stopping or refuelling. He piloted the specially designed GlobalFlyer, equipped with 13 fuel tanks and a 7-foot cockpit. Taking off from Salina, Kansas, on February 28, he successfully completed the journey and returned to Salina approximately 67 hours later on March 3.

    Two

    Born in Navsari, Gujarat, India in 1839, an Indian industrialist who founded Jamshedpur, established the Taj Mahal Hotel and developed businesses in cotton, steel and hydroelectric power amongst others. Who was he?

    Answer: Jamsetji Tata.

    Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, an Indian industrialist and philanthropist, founded the Tata Group and the city of Jamshedpur. He established key institutions such as the Taj Mahal Hotel, Tata Steel, and Tata Power, significantly impacting India’s industrial and social landscape. Tata was also a prominent philanthropist, establishing the J.N. Tata Endowment and supporting the Indian Institute of Science.

    Three

    Born in 1962, which athlete set a world record of 7,148 points in the heptathlon?

    Answer: Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

    Jackie Joyner-Kersee, born in 1962, is a retired American athlete who excelled in the heptathlon and long jump. She won three Olympic gold medals in the heptathlon and one in the long jump, setting world records in both events. In July 1986, she set a world record of 7,148 points in the heptathlon. Beyond her athletic achievements, Joyner-Kersee is known for her philanthropic work, including founding the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation and co-founding Athletes for Hope.

    Four

    Born in 1968, this physicist and television science presenter who is known for his work on the ATLAS experiment at CERN, played keyboards in live appearances with D:Ream. Who is This?

    Answer: Brian Cox.

    Brian Cox is an English physicist and musician, known for his work on the ATLAS experiment at CERN and his role as a presenter of science programmes for the BBC. He has co-authored several popular science books and continues to perform music sporadically. Cox’s career spans from being a keyboard player for bands like Dare and D:Ream to becoming a professor of particle physics at the University of Manchester.

    Five

    Decommissioned on this day in 1980, a U.S. nuclear submarine made history by sailing under the Arctic ice pack and the North Pole in 1958. 

    1. What was the name of the submarine?
    2. What was the operational name for the submerged Arctic transit?
    3. The submarine had a namesake from an 1870s novel; what was the novel’s English title? 
    4. Who was the author of the novel?

    Answers

    1. USS Nautilus
    2. Operations Sunshine
    3. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
    4. Jules Verne

    A Greek derivative meaning sailor or ship; a tropical mollusk having a many chambered, spiral shell with a pearly interior; and the namesake of Jules Verne’s submersible in his novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
    — Navy History and Heritage Command

  • What Goes Around Comes Around

    Today’s questions are all related to March 3rd.

    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    2005, a pilot became the first person to complete a solo, nonstop circumnavigation of the globe without refuelling. The pilot took off from and landed back at one of the several Salinas in the United States. Who was the pilot and specifically from which Salina did he depart and return?

    Two

    Born in Navsari, Gujarat, India in 1839, an Indian industrialist who founded Jamshedpur, established the Taj Mahal Hotel and developed businesses in cotton, steel and hydroelectric power amongst others. Who was he?

    Three

    Born in 1962, which athlete set a world record of 7,148 points in the heptathlon?

    Four

    Born in 1968, this physicist and television science presenter who is known for his work on the ATLAS experiment at CERN, played keyboards in live appearances with D:Ream. Who is This?

    Five

    Decommissioned on this day in 1980, a U.S. nuclear submarine made history by sailing under the Arctic ice pack and the North Pole in 1958. 

    1. What was the name of the submarine?
    2. What was the operational name for the submerged Arctic transit?
    3. The submarine had a namesake from an 1870s novel; what was the novel’s English title? 
    4. Who was the author of the novel?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Gallimaufry V—Answers

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

    Today, more gallimaufry — ‘a confused jumble or medley of things’.

    Snow leopard aka ounce.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Panthera uncia, native to Central and South Asia, inhabits mountain ranges like the Altai, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas. What is its name in English and by what other name, which could be confused with a measure, was it known?

    Answer: Snow leopard; ounce.

    The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a large cat native to Central and South Asia’s mountain ranges. It is listed as Vulnerable due to poaching and habitat destruction, with fewer than 10,000 mature individuals remaining. The snow leopard is legally protected in most of its range and is culturally significant in Kyrgyzstan.

    Two

    The acronym SONAR means what?

    Answer: Sound navigation and ranging. (SO(und) NA(vigation and) R(anging).

    sonar
    noun [mass noun] a system for the detection of objects under water by emitting sound pulses and detecting or measuring their return after being reflected: [as modifier] a weak sonar signal. – [count noun] an apparatus used in sonar: we reduced the sensitivity of our scanning sonars. – the method of echolocation used in air or water by animals such as whales and bats: the fishing nets are detectable by dolphin sonar. – ORIGIN 1940s: from so(und) na(vigation and) r(anging), on the pattern of radar. — Oxford English Dictionary iOS App ©Oxford English Dictionary.

    Three

    The name of a 2003 Grammy Award winner and the title of a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in 1839 are linked by a single word. Can you supply the word and the full title of Poe’s short story?

    Answer: Usher; The Fall of the House of Usher.

    Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic fiction short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, delves into themes of madness, family and isolation. In 2003, Usher won his second consecutive Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for U Don’t Have to Call.

    Four

    What was the name of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s ship during his ill-fated Antarctic expedition?

    Answer: Terra Nova.

    The Terra Nova Expedition, led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, aimed to reach the South Pole and conduct scientific research. Although they achieved this goal on January 17, 1912, they arrived second—a month after Amundsen. Scott and his team tragically died on the Ross Ice Shelf during their return journey, leading to debate about the expedition’s organisation and management.

    Five

    In December 1969, on a television programme, a Norwegian Blue was purchased, and then an attempt was made to return it. What was the name that this sketch is known by, and in what TV programme was it featured?

    Answer: ‘Dead Parrot sketch’; Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

    The ‘Dead Parrot sketch’ from Monty Python’s Flying Circus satirises poor customer service. It features a customer, Mr Praline, arguing with a shopkeeper about a dead parrot. Mr Praline complains about a deceased parrot he bought. The shopkeeper, using euphemisms for death, sends him to his brother’s shop in Bolton for a refund, but Praline discovers it’s the same shop. The shopkeeper, claiming it’s a prank, is interrupted by a Colonel who orders the sketch to stop.

  • Gallimaufry V

    Today, more gallimaufry — ‘a confused jumble or medley of things’.

    Snow leopard aka ounce.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Panthera uncia, native to Central and South Asia, inhabits mountain ranges like the Altai, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas. What is its name in English and by what other name, which could be confused with a measure, was it known?

    Two

    The acronym SONAR means what?

    Three

    The name of a 2003 Grammy Award winner and the title of a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in 1839 are linked by a single word. Can you supply the word and the full title of Poe’s short story?

    Four

    What was the name of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s ship during his ill-fated Antarctic expedition?

    Five

    In December 1969, on a television programme, a Norwegian Blue was purchased, and then an attempt was made to return it. What was the name that this sketch is known by, and in what TV programme was it featured?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Here and There—Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier posted questions.

    All of today’s questions relate to February 4th, and each of them has at least one place in the answer, although there may be other requirements to the answer.

    Flag of Sri Lanka.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    The flag shown above represents a modern country which gained independence from Great Britain on this date in 1948. What was the country’s name at independence, and to what was that name changed in 1972?

    Answer: Ceylon; Sri Lanka.

    Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. It gained independence from British rule in 1948 and became a republic in 1972. Despite a prolonged civil war, Sri Lanka has emerged as a developing country with a strategically important location in the Indian Ocean.

    Two

    Roman emperor Septimius Severus died at Eboracum on this date in 211 CE. What modern city was Roman Eboracum, and in what country is it located?

    Answer: York, England, United Kingdom

    Septimius Severus led a military campaign in Caledonia, facing hardships but achieving significant gains before his death in 211. His death led to the abandonment of the campaign and the withdrawal of Roman forces from Caledonia.

    Three

    The Yalta Conference opened on this day in 1945 in the final stages of Second World War and was the second meeting of the ‘Big Three’ allied leaders. On what peninsula is Yalta located and who were the three allied leaders?

    Answer: Crimean Peninsula; Franklin. D Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.

    Yalta, a resort city on Crimea’s south coast, is today internationally recognised as part of Ukraine but controlled by Russia. It is known for its historic significance, including the 1945 Yalta Conference held in February 1945, which was a meeting of the US, UK, and Soviet Union leaders to discuss the postwar reorganisation of Germany and Europe. The conference aimed to establish collective security and self-determination for liberated European nations.

    Four

    In what year was Facebook founded, and which university campus did it originally launch from?

    Answer: 2004, Harvard University.

    Facebook was founded on this day in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and a small group of fellow students while they were attending Harvard University. It originally began as a social networking site exclusively for Harvard students before quickly expanding to other universities and eventually becoming a global platform with billions of users worldwide.

    Five

    Charles Lindbergh was born on this day in 1902. He was an American aviator who made the first non-stop solo transatlantic flight in his aircraft, Spirit of St. Louis. In what decade did he make this flight, and where were his departure and destination locations?

    Answer: 1920s; Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York, United States to Le Bourget Aerodrome, Paris, France.

    Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo transatlantic flight, departing from Roosevelt Field on Long Island and landing at Le Bourget Aerodrome in Paris. The flight, lasting over 33 hours, involved navigating through fog, icing, and fatigue, with Lindbergh relying on dead reckoning for navigation. Upon landing, he was greeted by a massive crowd, who damaged the Spirit of St. Louis in their excitement.

  • Here and There

    All of today’s questions relate to February 4th, and each of them has at least one place in the answer, although there may be other requirements to the answer.

    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    The flag shown above represents a modern country which gained independence from Great Britain on this date in 1948. What was the country’s name at independence, and to what was that name changed in 1972?

    Two

    Roman emperor Septimius Severus died at Eboracum on this date in 211 CE. What modern city was Roman Eboracum, and in what country is it located?

    Three

    The Yalta Conference opened on this day in 1945 in the final stages of Second World War and was the second meeting of the ‘Big Three’ allied leaders. On what peninsula is Yalta located and who were the three allied leaders?

    Four

    In what year was Facebook founded, and which university campus did it originally launch from?

    Five

    Charles Lindbergh was born on this day in 1902. He was an American aviator who made the first non-stop solo transatlantic flight in his aircraft, Spirit of St. Louis. In what decade did he make this flight, and where were his departure and destination locations?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Crop Duster—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.

    Cary Grant, North by Northwest.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    What actor is pictured above, and what film is the picture taken from?

    Answers: Cary Grant; North by Northwest

    See after question two for some additional trivia.

    Two

    Where was the above actor born on this day in 1904, and what was his birth name?

    Answers: Bristol, England, United Kingdom; Archibald Leach (or Archibald Alexander Leach)

    Cary Grant, born Archibald Alexander Leach in Bristol, England, was a British-born American film actor celebrated for his debonair style and talent in romantic comedies. He gained fame in the 1930s and 1940s, starring in a variety of classic films, including screwball comedies, action-adventures, and suspense thrillers. Grant frequently collaborated with Alfred Hitchcock and received two Academy Award nominations along with an honorary Oscar, though he never won a competitive Oscar for acting. He retired from acting in 1966 and passed away in 1986.

    The ‘Where were they born’ theme continues with the following questions.

    Three

    Where was Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland born?

    Answer: Britain (or Roman Britain)

    St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is credited with bringing Christianity to the country in the 5th century. Born in Roman Britain, he was enslaved in Ireland at 16 but later escaped and returned to spread Christianity. Known for his missionary work and writings, St. Patrick’s legacy is celebrated annually on St. Patrick’s Day, 17 March.

    Four

    Where was Angus Young, the only continuous member of the hard rock band AC/DC, born?

    Answer: Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

    Angus Young, born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1955, is best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of AC/DC. He emigrated to Australia with his family in 1963 and grew up in Sydney, where he developed his musical talents and later became a self-taught guitarist. Young’s early life in Scotland, his family’s musical background, and his move to Australia all played a significant role in shaping his career as a musician.

    Five

    Where was Christopher Columbus born, between August and October 1451?

    Answer: Genoa (Republic of Genoa)

    Christopher Columbus, a Genoese explorer from the Republic of Genoa, completed four Spanish-sponsored voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. His expeditions, beginning in 1492, opened the way for European exploration and colonisation of the Americas, though his legacy is now viewed more critically due to the impact on indigenous populations.

  • Crop Duster

    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    What actor is pictured above, and what film is the picture taken from?

    Two

    Where was the above actor born on this day in 1904, and what was his birth name?

    The ‘Where were they born’ theme continues with the following questions.

    Three

    Where was Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland born?

    Four

    Where was Angus Young, the only continuous member of the hard rock band AC/DC, born?

    Five

    Where was Christopher Columbus born, between August and October 1451?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Bridge Over What Water—Answers

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

    The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges — aka Gateway Bridges — crossing the Brisbane River, 2011.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    The pictured ‘Gateway Bridges’ at Brisbane in Queensland, Australia cross what 214 mile (344 km) long river?

    Answer: Brisbane River

    The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges, formerly known as the Gateway Bridge, are twin road bridges over the Brisbane River. The original bridge opened in 1986, and the duplicate bridge opened in 2010, carrying twelve lanes of traffic, six in each direction. The western bridge carries northbound traffic while the eastern bridge carries traffic to heading to the south. A toll is imposed on both bridges until 2051.

    Two

    In 1787, William Herschel discovered two Moons which were later named Titania and Oberon.These moons are satellites of which planet?

    Answer: Uranus

    Titania and Oberon, both discovered by William Herschel in 1787, are moons of Uranus. They were later named respectively after the Queen and King of the Fairies in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Titania is the largest moon of Uranus and the eighth largest in the Solar System. It’s composed of ice and rock with a rocky core, icy mantle and possibly a liquid water layer at the core-mantle boundary. Its surface, shaped by impacts and internal processes, features canyons and scarps and may have a tenuous carbon dioxide atmosphere. Oberon is the outermost and second-largest moon of Uranus. Like Titania, it’s composed of ice and rock with a dark cratered surface. Voyager 2 provided the only close-up images of Oberon in 1986 mapping 40% of its surface.

    Three

    The Throgs Neck Bridge, which opened in 1961, crosses the East River and links two New York City boroughs. Which two?

    Answer: The Bronx and Queens

    The Throgs (or Throggs) Neck Bridge, a suspension bridge in New York City, connects the Bronx and Queens boroughs. Opened in 1961, it carries six lanes of Interstate 295 over the East River. The bridge, designed by Othmar Ammann, features a centre span of 1,800 feet and is supported by two main cables.

    Four

    In 1935, a renowned aviator achieved the first successful flight from Hawaii to California. Who was this aviator?

    Answer: Amelia Earhart

    On 11 January 1935, Amelia Earhart became the first solo aviator to fly from Honolulu to Oakland in a Lockheed 5C Vega. This feat followed unsuccessful attempts by other aviators including an air race which resulted in three deaths. Earhart’s flight was routine with no mechanical issues.

    Five

    In 1972, this country’s name was changed. It’s now the eighth most populous nation globally and shares a border with the Siliguri Corridor. Which country?

    Answer: Bangladesh

    Bangladesh, officially the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, is a densely populated country in South Asia. It gained independence from Pakistan in 1971 after a war for independence. Despite challenges like corruption and climate change, Bangladesh is a middle power with a growing economy and the fourth-largest Muslim population in the world. India’s Siliguri Corridor is a vital land connection between India’s mainland and its northeastern states, crucial for logistics and military movements.

  • Bridge Over What Water

    The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges — aka Gateway Bridges, 2011.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    The pictured ‘Gateway Bridges’ at Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, cross what 214-mile (344-km) long river?

    Two

    In 1787, William Herschel discovered two moons which were later named Titania and Oberon. These moons are satellites of which planet?

    Three

    The Throgs Neck Bridge, which opened in 1961, crosses the East River and links two New York City boroughs. Which two?

    Four

    In 1935, a renowned aviator achieved the first successful flight from Hawaii to California. Who was this aviator?

    Five

    In 1972, this country’s name was changed. It’s now the eighth most populous nation globally and shares a border with the Siliguri Corridor. Which country?

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