Quizology.Online

Tag: exploration

  • To Boldly Go

    One

    On 13 September 1959, the first spacecraft successfully made contact with another celestial body. Which spacecraft and celestial body were involved?

    • Kal-L 1 and Mercury
    • Luna 2 and the Moon
    • Mariner 3 and Mars

    Answer: Luna 2 And the Moon

    …the Soviets launched their second Cosmic Rocket (later renamed Luna 2) on Sep. 12 and it successfully achieved escape velocity and placed the spacecraft, virtually identical to Luna 1, on an intercept course with the Moon. The upper stage once again released its one kilogram of sodium gas at a distance of 97,000 miles. On Sep. 13, Luna 2 became the first spacecraft to make contact with another celestial body when it impacted the Moon between Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis, about 160 miles from where Apollo 15 would land 12 years later. The spacecraft’s scientific instruments detected no magnetic field or radiation belts around the Moon. Luna 2 deposited Soviet emblems on the lunar surface, carried in two metallic spheres. During his only visit to the United States a few days after the Luna 2 mission, Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev presented a replica of the spherical pennant to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. That sphere is kept at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kansas, while a copy is displayed at the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas.

    — NASA

    Two

    The 13 September Japanese release of Super Mario Bros marked the start of the Super Mario series of platforming games.

    • 1985
    • 1991
    • 1997

    Answer: 1985

    Super Mario Bros. is a 1985 platform game developed by Nintendo for the NES. Players control Mario or Luigi to rescue Princess Toadstool from Bowser, traversing side-scrolling stages and collecting power-ups. The game is praised for its precise controls and is credited with reviving the video game industry after the 1983 crash.

    Three

    On 12 September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert set a record as the strongest hurricane in the Western Hemisphere, based on barometric pressure. Which 2005 hurricane surpassed this record?

    • Maria
    • Rita
    • Wilma

    Answer: Wilma

    Hurricane Gilbert, a Category 5 hurricane in 1988, caused widespread destruction in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. It was the second-most intense Atlantic landfalling hurricane (only behind 2005’s Hurricane Wilma) and the most intense to strike Mexico.

    Four

    Hannibal Goodwin patented celluloid photographic film on this date. In what decade did this occur?

    • 1890s
    • 1900s
    • 1910s

    Answer: 1890s

    Five

    On 13 September 1899, the first ascent of Batian was achieved. Of what mountain is Batian the highest peak?

    • Mount Erebus
    • Mount Fuji
    • Mount Kenya

    Answer: Mount Kenya

    Mount Kenya, located near the equator in Kenya, has three highest peaks: Batian, Nelion, and Point Lenana. It is the source of the country’s name.

  • To Boldly Go

    Five multiple choice questions related to today, September 13th.

    One

    On 13 September 1959, the first spacecraft successfully made contact with another celestial body. Which spacecraft and celestial body were involved?

    • Kal-L 1 and Mercury
    • Luna 2 and the Moon
    • Mariner 3 and Mars

    Two

    The 13 September Japanese release of Super Mario Bros marked the start of the Super Mario series of platforming games.

    • 1985
    • 1991
    • 1997

    Three

    On 12 September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert set a record as the strongest hurricane in the Western Hemisphere, based on barometric pressure. Which 2005 hurricane surpassed this record?

    • Maria
    • Rita
    • Wilma

    Four

    Hannibal Goodwin patented celluloid photographic film on this date. In what decade did this occur?

    • 1890s
    • 1900s
    • 1910s

    Five

    On 13 September 1899, the first ascent of Batian was achieved. Of what mountain is Batian the highest peak?

    • Mount Erebus
    • Mount Fuji
    • Mount Kenya

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Round the World—Answers

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

    V2-Rocket in the Peenemünde Museum.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 6 September 1944, Nazi Germany launched the first V-2 rocket, a precursor to modern long-range missiles. What city was the target of this inaugural launch?

    Answer: Paris

    [The first] was fired against Paris on September 6, 1944. Two days later the first of more than 1,100 V-2s was fired against Great Britain (the last on March 27, 1945). Belgium was also heavily bombarded. About 5,000 people died in V-2 attacks, and it is estimated that at least 10,000 prisoners from the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp died when used as forced labour in building V-2s at the underground Mittelwerk factory. After the war, both the United States and the Soviet Union captured large numbers of V-2s and used them in research that led to the development of their missile and space exploration programs.

    — Encyclopædia Britannica

    Joseph Kenney, United States Ambassador to the Court of St James’s.
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    Joseph Kennedy Sr. was born on 6 September 1888. He was the father of the Kennedy dynasty, which included John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. He was appointed as the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom but what is the formal name for that post: US Ambassador to the…?

    Answer: US Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s

    The Court of St James’s serves as the official royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It formally receives all ambassadors accredited to the UK and, conversely, ambassadors representing the UK are formally accredited from this court. It is named after St James’s Palace, the most senior of Britain’s royal palaces.

    Three

    On 6 September 957, Liudolf, the Duke of Swabia and son of the Holy Roman emperor Otto I, passed away. Today, the area known as the Duchy of Swabia is located in which modern country?

    Answer: Germany

    Swabia is a cultural and linguistic region in southwestern Germany, roughly coinciding with the Swabian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. Swabians, natives of Swabia and speakers of Swabian German, numbered close to 800,000 as of 2006.

    William McKinley, President of the United States.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Four

    On 6 September, Leon Czolgosz shot a US president. Who was the president?

    Answer: William McKinley

    On 6 September 1901, President McKinley was attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, when he was shot twice in the chest and abdomen by Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist. He lingered for a week before succumbing to his injuries on 14 September, when Theodore Roosevelt succeeded him.

    Victoria, the sole ship of Magellan’s fleet to complete the circumnavigation. Detail from a map by Ortelius, 1590.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    The Victoria, the first known ship to circumnavigate the world returned to Spain on 6 September. In which decade did this event occur?

    Answer: 1520s

    On 6 September 1522, the Victoria, the only surviving ship of Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition, completed the circumnavigation of the world and arrived at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain. Of the 270 men who had set sail on the expedition on 20 September 1519, only 18 or 19 survived. Magellan had been killed approximately 18 months earlier.

  • Round the World

    V2-Rocket in the Peenemünde Museum.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 6 September 1944, Nazi Germany launched the first V-2 rocket, a precursor to modern long-range missiles. What city was the target of this inaugural launch?

    Two

    Joseph Kennedy Sr. was born on 6 September 1888. He was the father of the Kennedy dynasty, which included John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. He was appointed as the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom but what is the formal name for that post: US Ambassador to the…?

    Three

    On 6 September 957, Liudolf, the Duke of Swabia and son of the Holy Roman emperor Otto I, passed away. Today, the area known as the Duchy of Swabia is located in which modern country?

    Four

    On 6 September, Leon Czolgosz shot a US president. Who was the president?

    Five

    The Victoria, the first known ship to circumnavigate the world returned to Spain on 6 September. In which decade did this event occur?

    Good luck! As usual I will post the answers later today.

  • Quotology—Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

    George Mallory (3rd from left), Tibet, 1924.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    People ask me, ‘What is the use of climbing Mount Everest?’ and my answer is ‘because it’s there.’

    — George Mallory

    In what decade of the twentieth century did mountaineers George Mallory and Sandy Irvine go missing near the summit of Mount Everest?

    Answer: Twenties

    English mountaineer George Mallory participated in the first three British Mount Everest expeditions. In 1924, he and fellow Englishman Sandy Irvine were last seen near Everest’s summit, sparking debate about whether they reached the summit.

    Murray Walker, 2009.
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    What British motor racing commentator (1923-2021) said…

    The lead car is unique, except for the one behind it which is identical.

    Answer: Murray Walker

    Murray Walker (1923-2021) did his first broadcast commentary in 1948 and became a full-time commentator in the mid-seventies. He was known for making comical blunders which became known as ‘Murrayisms’ Wikipedia has supplied the following examples:

    We’ve had cars going off left, right and centre
    Do my eyes deceive me, or is Senna’s Lotus sounding rough?
    With half of the race gone, there is half of the race still to go
    There is nothing wrong with the car, apart from that it is on fire, and
    The gap between them is now nine-tenths of a second; that’s less than a second!
    — Wikipedia

    Alfred Hitchcock.
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    I think it was Shaw who advised young playwrights to gear the length of each act to the endurance of the human…
    — Alfred Hitchcock

    What human organ completes the above Alfred Hitchcock quote?

    Answer: Bladder

    Hitchcock believed that a ‘movie should be quick, terse and all of a piece’.

    Yogi Berra, 1957.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    What American sportsman said…

    If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

    Answer: Yogi Berra

    Yogi Berra, an American professional baseball catcher, manager and coach, played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball, winning 10 World Series championships with the New York Yankees. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Berra was known for his malapropisms and paradoxical statements, some examples below courtesy of Wikipedia
    It’s déjà vu all over again.
    You can observe a lot by watching
    On why he no longer went to Ruggeri’s, a St. Louis restaurant: ‘Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded’
    When complimented by a woman in the grandstands on how he seemed to be enduring the heat well on a hot summer’s day: ‘Thanks, ma’am. You don’t look so hot yourself’
    Always go to other people’s funerals; otherwise they won’t go to yours
    The future ain’t what it used to be
    A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore
    If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him
    I really didn’t say everything I said
    — Wikipedia

    Chuck Yeager next to experimental aircraft Bell X-1 Glamorous Glennis.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    If you can walk away from a landing, it’s a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it’s an outstanding landing.

    The above quote was from a pilot who, on 14 October 1947, while piloting Glamorous Glennis broke the sound barrier. Who was the pilot?

    Answer: Chuck Yeagar

    Yeagar became the first person to break the sound barrier on that flight. Piloting Glamorous Glennis, a Bell X-1 named after his wife, he reached Mach 1.05 st 45,000 feet (13,700. metres) over the Mojave Desert, California.

  • All in a Day: 1609 to 1939—Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

    Henry Hudson’s voyages to North America.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 3 September 1609, an English navigator and explorer sailed into what is now known as New York Harbour. He made four expeditions to find a route from Europe to Asia, and a bay, river and strait are named after him. What are his first and second names?

    Answer: Henry Hudson

    In 1606, Henry Hudson sailed up the river that now bears his name. In Canada, the Hudson Strait links the North Atlantic Ocean (Labrador Sea) to Hudson Bay.

    Sir Malcolm Campbell.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Two

    On 3 September 1935, who became the first person to drive an automobile at over 300 miles per hour?

    Answer: Sir Malcolm Campbell

    On September 3, 1935, at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, his automobile was timed at 301.1292 miles (484.62 km) per hour, the first officially clocked land-vehicle performance exceeding 300 miles (483 km) per hour.
    — Encyclopædia Britannica

    Three

    On 3 September 1939, after the invasion of Poland, Britain, France, and which two of these countries – Australia, Canada, or New Zealand – declared war on Germany?

    Answer: Australia and New Zealand

    On 3 September 1939, Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King announced the recommendation for a declaration of war in a radio broadcast. On 10 September 1939, a declaration of war by Canada against Germany was made by order-in-council signed by King George VI, King of Canada.

    NASA’s Viking 2 on the surface of Mars.
    Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

    Four

    On this day in 1976, Viking 2, a NASA spacecraft, completed its journey, landed at its destination, and began sending information back to Earth. What planet had it landed on?

    Answer: Mars

    The Viking 2 mission, part of the American Viking programme, included an orbiter and a lander. The lander operated for 1,316 days, while the orbiter functioned for 706 orbits until July 25, 1978.

    James Stewart, Jean Arthur and Frank Capra on the set of Mr Smith Goes to Washington.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    The director of 1939’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life died on 3 September 1991. Who was he?

    Answer: Frank Capra

    Italian-American film director Frank Capra, known for his influence in the 1930s and 1940s, won three Academy Awards for Best Director. Despite a career decline after World War II, his films, including It’s a Wonderful Life, were later critically acclaimed.

  • All in a Day: 1609 to 1939

    Another five questions which are related to today, September 3rd.

    Set of Mr Smith Goes to Washington. See question 5.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 3 September 1609, an English navigator and explorer sailed into what is now known as New York Harbour. He made four expeditions to find a route from Europe to Asia, and a bay, river and strait are named after him. What are his first and second names?

    Two

    On 3 September 1935, who became the first person to drive an automobile at over 300 miles per hour?

    Three

    On 3 September 1939, after the invasion of Poland, Britain, France, and which two of these countries – Australia, Canada, or New Zealand – declared war on Germany?

    Four

    On this day in 1976, Viking 2, a NASA spacecraft, completed its journey, landed at its destination, and began sending information back to Earth. What planet had it landed on?

    Five

    The director of 1939’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life died on 3 September 1991. Who was he?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Lord of the…—Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

    Bookplate of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
    Tarzan, shown with one of his great-ape family, is holding the planet Mars and is surrounded by other characters from Burroughs’ stories and symbols relating to his personal interests and career. 
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 1 September 1875, an American novelist was born. Starting in 1914, following a 1912 magazine story, he wrote a series of novels about an ape-man who was also known as John Clayton. Who was this novelist?

    Answer: Edgar Rice Burroughs

    Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950) was an American writer known for creating Tarzan and John Carter. Tarzan, aka John Clayton and Viscount Greystoke, first appeared in Tarzan of the Apes as a 1912 magazine serialisation and 1914 novel. This was followed by 23 further novels and Tarzan became a cultural icon, spawning comic strip, films and merchandise.

    Muammar Gaddafi, 1970.
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    On this date in 1969, Muammar al-Qaddafi, or al-Gaddafi, along with a group of fellow young army officers, deposed the king and declared Libya a republic. Who was the deposed king?

    Answer: King Idris I

    Muammar Gaddafi ruled Libya from 1969 to 2011, initially as a revolutionary leader and later as the Brotherly Leader of the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. He implemented his Third International Theory, nationalised the oil industry, and promoted Islamic socialism. Gaddafi’s rule was marked by authoritarianism, human rights abuses, and support for terrorism, leading to his overthrow and assassination during the 2011 Libyan Civil War.

    Grace Kelly.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Three

    On 1 September 1954, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window opened in American film theatres. Starring James Stewart, it also featured a future princess. Who was this future princess?

    Answer: Grace Kelly (Princess Grace of Monaco)

    Grace Kelly, an American actress, achieved stardom in Hollywood films before marrying Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956. As Princess of Monaco, she focused on charity work, particularly for children and the arts. Kelly passed away at the age of 52 due to injuries from a car crash.

    Bobby Fischer, 1972.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    On this date in 1972, the first native-born American to become world champion achieved that title. Who was the American and who did he defeat to win the world title?

    Answer: Bobby Fischer (USA) defeated Boris Spassky (USSR)

    The 1972 World Chess Championship, held in Reykjavík, Iceland, marked the end of 24 years of Soviet dominance. The first game was played on 11 July 1972. The 21st and last game, begun on August 31, was adjourned after 40 moves, with Spassky resigning the next day without resuming play or attending the venue. Fischer won the match 12½–8½, becoming the eleventh undisputed world champion. This victory made Fischer the first US-born world champion.

    Bow of the Titanic, 2024.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    On 1 September 1985, a search found the wreck of the Titanic lying at a depth of 13.000 feet (4,000 metres). Who was the oceanographer who led this search?

    Answer: Robert Ballard

    Robert Ballard, an American oceanographer, is renowned for discovering the Titanic in 1985 using the submersible Argo. He pioneered deep-sea archaeology and explored the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Galapagos Rift, uncovering thermal vents and chemosynthesis. Ballard also founded the JASON project, the Institute for Exploration, and the Ocean Exploration Trust, continuing his search for shipwrecks and sharing his discoveries through writing.

    Lord of the…

    The post title refers to both Lord of the Jungle and Lord of the Apes which have been used for Tarzan.

    Tarzan and the Golden Lion.
    Illustration by James Allen St. John.
    Image Wikipedia

  • Lord of the…

    One

    On 1 September 1875, an American novelist was born. Starting in 1914, following a 1912 magazine story, he wrote a series of novels about an ape-man who was also known as John Clayton. Who was this novelist?

    Two

    On this date in 1969, Muammar al-Qaddafi, or al-Gaddafi, along with a group of fellow young army officers, deposed the king and declared Libya a republic. Who was the deposed king?

    Three

    On 1 September 1954, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window opened in American film theatres. Starring James Stewart, it also featured a future princess. Who was this future princess?

    Four

    On this date in 1972, the first native-born American to become world champion achieved that title. Who was the American and who did he defeat to win the world title?

    Five

    On 1 September 1985, a search found the wreck of the Titanic lying at a depth of 13.000 feet (4,000 metres). Who was the oceanographer who led this search?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Roanoke—Answers

    Virginia Dare by Maria Louisa Lander, 1859. Imaginatively portrayed as an adult Indian princess.
    Elizabethan Gardens, Manteo, NC, US.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    The person who sent ships and colonists to set up a fort at Roanoke in what is now North Carolina, US is described by Wikipedia as an ‘English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer’. Who is he?

    — Answer: Sir Walter Raleigh

    The Roanoke Colony, established by Sir Walter Raleigh, refers to two attempts to found a permanent English settlement in North America. The first colony, established in 1585, was abandoned due to supply shortages and strained relations with local tribes. The second colony, known as the ‘Lost Colony’, was established in 1587 but found abandoned in 1590, with the word ‘CROATOAN’ carved into a palisade. Virginia Dare was never seen again, and her fate remains unknown.

    Two

    Which Elton John song, released in 1997, remained in the Canadian Singles Charts for three years. What was that song?

    — Answer: Candle in the Wind 1997

    Elton John and Bernie Taupin, who had originally written Candle in the Wind as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, rewrote it for the 1997 funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. 

    Three

    Zupaysaurus. Image Wikipedia

    Zupaysaurus, ‘devil lizard’ from the Queshua word supay meaning ‘devil’ and sauros, ‘lizard’, is an early theropod dinosaur. In what country was this discovered?

    — Answer: Argentina

    Zupaysaurus (/ˌzuːpeɪˈsɔːrəs/; “ZOO-pay-SAWR-us”) is an extinct genus of early theropod dinosaurliving during the Norian stage of the Late Triassic in what is now Argentina. Fossils of the dinosaur were found in the Los Colorados Formation of the Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin in northwestern Argentina. Although a full skeleton has not yet been discovered, Zupaysaurus can be considered a bipedalpredator, up to 4 metres (13 ft) long. It may have had two parallel crests running the length of its snout.

    —Wikipedia 

    Abel Tasman.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Tasmania, an island state of Australia, is named after Dutch seafarer and explorer Abel Tasman. In 1642, Tasman became the first reported European to sight the island. What name did Tasman give the island?

    — Answer: Anthony van Diemen’s Land

    Tasmania, named after Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, was originally called Anthony van Diemen’s Land after his sponsor. The British shortened it to Van Diemen’s Land, and it was officially renamed Tasmania in 1856.

    Male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex).
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    An ibex is any of several species of wild…

    What is the next word in the above quote from the Wikipedia article on the ibex?

    —Answer: Goat

    Ibex are wild goats with large, recurved horns, found in Eurasia, North and East Africa.