What is northernmost of New York City’s five boroughs?
Brooklyn
Queens
The Bronx
Three
Which of these is found on the human body?
Anthracite rim
Vermillion border
Zinfandel margin
Four
WhIch vessel achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first crewed vessel to reach the bottom of Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench – the deepest point on Earth’s seabed?
Trieste
Deepsea Challenger
Limiting Factor
Five
Which of these is a fairy creature from Celtic myth?
Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.
These are five questions which are related to today, February 5th.
Section of the border between East and West Germany. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
The term ‘Iron Curtain’ described the political and physical boundary dividing Europe from the end of World War II until the end of the Cold War. Who popularised its use in a speech at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, on 5 March 1946?
Answer: Winston Churchill.
…an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. — Winston Churchill, Former British prime minister, 5 March 1946, Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri
The Iron Curtain was a political and physical boundary dividing Europe from 1945 to 1990/1991, symbolising the ideological divide between the Soviet-controlled Eastern Bloc and the Western nations. Popularised by Winston Churchill in 1946, the term originally described physical barriers but later encompassed broader cultural and ideological differences. The Iron Curtain largely dissolved in 1989-90 with the fall of communism.
Two
A 31-year-old American country singer, who was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Virginia, died in a 1963 plane crash in Tennessee. She had enjoyed an eight-year recording career, which included two number ones as well as other major chart hits. By what name was she known professionally?
Answer: Patsy Cline.
Patsy Cline, born Virginia Patterson Hensley, was an American singer known for her crossover success from country to pop music. She achieved major hits like Walkin’ After Midnight and I Fall to Pieces, becoming a trailblazer for women in country music. Although, she died in a plane crash in 1963, her legacy endures through her influential music and posthumous recognition.
Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray
The post title, Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray, was the title of a Patsy Cline single from 1957.
Three
In 1616, 73 years after publication, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres (De revolutionibus orbium coelestium) was added to the Index of Forbidden Books (Index Librorum Prohibitorum) by the Sacred Congregation of the Index. Which astronomer had written On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres?
Answer: Nicolaus Copernicus
Copernicus’s book placed the Sun rather than the Earth at the centre, meaning the Earth and other planets orbited the Sun. The Index Librorum Prohibitorum, active from 1560 to 1966, was a list of publications deemed heretical or immoral by the Catholic Church. It banned thousands of books, including works by theologians, astronomers, philosophers, and unapproved Bible editions, to protect church members from potentially disruptive ideas.
Four
In 1942 Japanese forces captured what is now Jakarta, Indonesia. At that time, what was the city called and of where was it the capital?
Answers: Batavia; Dutch East Indies.
Batavia, now known as Jakarta, was founded in 1619 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a strategic trading post in the Dutch colonial empire. It became the capital of the Dutch East Indies and was pivotal for their trade routes, especially in spices and other commodities. Following Indonesia’s declaration of independence in 1945, Batavia was renamed Jakarta. The city evolved from a colonial outpost to a major urban centre reflecting Indonesia’s diversity and is a bustling metropolis and the capital of Indonesia. It is a hub for culture, economy, and politics in Southeast Asia.
Five
In 1496, England’s Henry VII issued letters patent authorising a navigator and his sons to explore unknown lands. This led to what is the earliest known exploration of the North American Atlantic coast since the Norse visits to Vinland in the eleventh century. Who was Henry VII’s explorer?
Answer: John Cabot.
John Cabot was an Italian navigator and explorer. His 1497 voyage to North America, commissioned by Henry VII, King of England, is the earliest known European exploration of the region’s coast since the Norse visits to Vinland in the eleventh century. To commemorate the 500th anniversary of Cabot’s expedition, both Canadian and British governments declared Cape Bonavista, Newfoundland, as his first landing site. However, alternative locations have also been suggested.
These are five questions which are related to today, February 5th.
Section of the border between East and West Germany. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
The term ‘Iron Curtain’ described the political and physical boundary dividing Europe from the end of World War II until the end of the Cold War. Who popularised its use in a speech at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, on 5 March 1946?
Two
A 31-year-old American country singer, who was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Virginia, died in a 1963 plane crash in Tennessee. She had enjoyed an eight-year recording career, which included two number ones as well as other major chart hits. By what name was she known professionally?
Three
In 1616, 73 years after publication, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres (De revolutionibus orbium coelestium) was added to the Index of Forbidden Books (Index Librorum Prohibitorum) by the Sacred Congregation of the Index. Which astronomer had written On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres?
Four
In 1942 Japanese forces captured what is now Jakarta, Indonesia. At that time, what was the city called and of where was it the capital?
Five
In 1496, England’s Henry VII issued letters patent authorising a navigator and his sons to explore unknown lands. This led to what is the earliest known exploration of the North American Atlantic coast since the Norse visits to Vinland in the eleventh century. Who was Henry VII’s explorer?
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.
What was the name of the submarine?
What was the operational name for the submerged Arctic transit?
The submarine had a namesake from an 1870s novel; what was the novel’s English title?
Who was the author of the novel?
Answers
USS Nautilus
Operations Sunshine
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
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
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.
What was the name of the submarine?
What was the operational name for the submerged Arctic transit?
The submarine had a namesake from an 1870s novel; what was the novel’s English title?
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).
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?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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?
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.
Quizology.Online 