The actress who played Countess Teresa ‘Tracy’ di Vicenzo in the Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) was born 20 July 1938. Who was she?
Diana Rigg
Jill St. John
Shirley Eaton
Two
Edmund Hillary, one of the first two men to reach the summit of Mount Everest, was born 20 July 1919. In what city was he born?
Auckland, New Zealand
Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Canberra, Australia
Three
Claus von Stauffenberg, a German army officer, is most renowned for his unsuccessful attempt on 20 July 1944, to assassinate Adolf Hitler. At which of Hitler’s headquarters was this attempt executed?
Felsennest, (Rocky Eyrie), Bad Münstereifel
Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle’s Nest), above Obersalzberg near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria
Wolfsschanze (Wolf’s Lair), East Prussia
Four
On 20 July 1992, Václav Havel resigned as president of…
Albania
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
Five
On July 20, 1969, during the Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin (Buzz) landed on the Moon in the Lunar Module Eagle. How long did they remain on the Moon between the Eagle’s landing and the ascent stage’s departure for their return journey?
The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.
Film poster for Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2001). Image MovieDB
One
Which Louis de Bernières novel begins with the line, “Dr. Iannis had enjoyed a satisfactory day in which none of his patients had died or deteriorated”?
Answer: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, released simultaneously in the United States as Corelli’s Mandolin, is a 1994 novel by the British writer Louis de Bernières, set on the Greek island of Cephalonia during the Italian and German occupation of the Second World War. In 2003, the novel was listed at number 19 on the BBC’s survey The Big Read. It has been adapted for radio, t#heatre and film, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2001)
The Camels are Coming was the first in the series of Biggles stories by Captain W.E. Johns. Image Wikipedia
Two
Who wrote the Biggles series of novels?
Answer: Captain W.E. Johns
Biggles, a fictional pilot and adventurer, is the hero of the Biggles series of adventure books written by W.E. Johns. The series, which includes nearly a hundred volumes, began in 1932 and continued until Johns’ death in 1968.
Created by US author Dav Pilkey, which superhero is the alter ego of elementary school principal Mr Krupp?
Answer: Captain Underpants
Captain Underpants is a children’s novel series about two fourth graders, George and Harold, who accidentally bring their comic book superhero to life.
Last expedition of Robert Falcon Scott. The image shows Wilson, Scott and Oates (standing); and Bowers and Evans (sitting). Image Wikipedia
Four
Who led the ill-fated Terra Nova expedition to Antarctica in June 1910?
Answer: Captain Robert F. Scott
The Terra Nova Expedition, led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, aimed to continue scientific research and reach the South Pole. Scott and four companions reached the pole in 1912, only to find they had been beaten by a Norwegian team. All five of the party died on their return journey from the Pole.
Puppets by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson for Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet at the National Media Museum, Bradford, England. Image Wikipedia
Five
Which 1960s sci-fi TV series featured the international security organisation, Spectrum?
Answer: Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons is a British science fiction television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. It was the sixth Anderson series to use Supermarionation puppetry and scale model special effects.
The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.
Post title
Reelin’ In the Years is a song by Steely Dan, released as the second single from their 1972 debut album, Can’t Buy a Thrill.
The first ascent of the Matterhorn by Gustave Doré, 1865. Image Wikipedia
One
The first successful ascent of the Matterhorn was made during the Golden Age of Alpinism. In what year was the mountain conquered?
Answer: 1865
The first ascent of the Matterhorn was achieved on 14 July 1865 by Edward Whymper, Lord Francis Douglas, Charles Hudson, Douglas Hadow, Michel Croz and Zermatt guides Peter Taugwalder and his son. During the descent, a tragic accident occurred when Hadow slipped, causing Douglas, Hudson and Croz to fall to their deaths. Whymper and the Taugwalder guides survived, leading to accusations that they cut the rope to save themselves. However, an inquiry found no evidence of such actions, and they were acquitted. Edward Whymper‘s successful ascent of the Matterhorn marked the end of the golden age of alpinism. Jean-Antoine Carrel’s team reached the summit three days later from the Italian side.
Fireworks of 14 July 2017 in Paris. Image Wikipedia
Two
The French National Day, le 14 juillet and commonly known in English as Bastille Day, is celebrated on 14 July. It commemmorates the storming of the Bastille on that date but in which year did this take place?
Answer: 1789
Bastille Day, celebrated annually on 14 July, commemorates the Storming of the Bastille in 1789 and the Fête de la Fédération. The day is marked by nationwide celebrations, including a military parade on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
The City of Chicago, showing the portion of the city burnt in the 1874 “little-big-fire” Currier & Ives, from Harper’s Weekly, August 8, 1874, pages 636 and 637; Image provided by Library of Congress Image Wikipedia
Three
A fire in Chicago ravished 47 acres of the city, destroyed over 800 buildings and killed 20 people. In what year was this fire?
Answer: 1874
The Chicago Fire of 1874, which occurred on 14 July, destroyed 812 structures, killed 20 people, and displaced Jewish and African-American communities. The fire insurance industry responded by demanding changes to fire prevention and firefighting efforts, leading to a temporary halt in insurance coverage for the city.
When was the ‘Lost City of the Incas’, Machu Picchu, discovered?
Answer: 1902
“Agustín Lizárraga is the discoverer of Machu Picchu, and lived at San Miguel Bridge just before passing” — Hiram Bingham in his diary on July 25, 1911
In 1902, Agustín Lizárraga discovered the ruins of Machu Picchu while exploring for new farmland. He later recruited families to settle there and shared the discovery with friends and intellectuals in Cuzco. Tragically, Lizárraga drowned in the Vilcanota River in 1912 while crossing a bridge on his way to his fields. He had inscribed his name and ‘1902’ in charcoal in Machu Picchu which was seen and noted by Hiram Bingham (see quote above) but later erased by him.
In what year was Billy the Kid shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in the Maxwell House at Fort Sumner, New Mexico?
Answer: 1881
On 14 July 1881, Pat Garrett shot and killed Billy the Kid in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The killing occurred when William Bonney (Billy the Kid) unexpectedly entered a room where Garrett was questioning Pete Maxwell, a friend of Bonney’s. Despite the bounty on Bonney’s head, Garrett was initially denied the reward by the acting governor but later received it from the territorial legislature.
Five events, five years but which event happened in which year. The years are
1789 — 1865 — 1874 — 1881 — 1902
The first ascent of the Matterhorn by Gustave Doré, 1865. Image Wikipedia
One
The first successful ascent of the Matterhorn was made during the ‘Golden Age of Alpinism’. In what year was the mountain conquered?
Two
The French National Day, le 14 juillet and commonly known in English as Bastille Day, is celebrated on 14 July. It commemmorates the storming of the Bastille in which year?
Three
A fire in Chicago ravished 47 acres of the city, destroyed over 800 buildings and killed 20 people. In what year was this fire?
Four
The ‘Lost City of the Incas’, Manchu Picchu was discovered in what year?
Five
In what year was Billy the Kid shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in the Maxwell House at Fort Sumner, New Mexico?
Valentina Tereshkova, a Russian engineer and former Soviet cosmonaut, was the first woman in space, completing a solo mission on Vostok 6 in 1963. She later became a prominent member of the Communist Party and a State Duma member.
A fictional patriarch who founded the Genco Pura Olive Oil Company was…
Answer: Vito Corleone
Vito Corleone, a fictional character in Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather and the subsequent film trilogy by Francis Ford Coppola, is an Italian immigrant to America who builds a Mafia empire. He is known for his strict moral code of loyalty and respect, and is succeeded by his son Michael as Don of the Corleone crime family.
What sculpture in the Louvre Museum was discovered on the Greek island of Milos in 1820?
Answer: Venus de Milo
The Venus de Milo, a Parian marble statue of a Greek goddess, is likely Aphrodite. It stands over 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) tall and is missing both arms, the left foot and earlobes. Discovered in 1820 by a Greek farmer on the island of Milos, the discovery was witnessed by a French sailor, Olivier Voutier, who encouraged further excavation. It has been in the Louvre since 1821.
Amerigo Vespucci upon his arrival on his first voyage to the New World, 1497. Vespucci is offered native women, notice hammocks in the background. As described in Vespucci’s Letter to Soderini. description (uncertain location, prob. Central America, around Honduras or Yucatan; alternatively poss. Gulf of Paria in Venezuela). Engraving from c.1592 by Theodor de Bry (Flemish, 1528-1598). Image Wikipedia
Four
America is named after Amerigo who?
Answer: Vespucci (Amerigo Vespucci)
Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer and navigator, participated in voyages between 1497 and 1504, claiming to have discovered the New World in 1501. His accounts, though disputed, popularised the discoveries and led to the continent being named ‘America’ in his honour.
A Vogon guard, as seen in the 1981 TV series of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Image Hitchhikers Fandom
Five
At the start of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy a ____ Constructor Fleet arrives to destroy Earth to make way for a hyperspace bypass? What word is missing?
Answer: Vogon (Constructor Fleet)
The ships of the Vogon Constructor Fleet were described as ‘impossibly huge yellow somethings,’ resembling the bulldozers that demolish Arthur’s house. They appeared to have been congealed rather than constructed and hung in the air in a peculiar manner, similar to bricks. Radar was said to be unable to detect them, and they were capable of travelling through hyperspace.
A fictional patriarch who founded the Genco Pura Olive Oil Company was…
Three
What sculpture in the Louvre Museum was discovered on the Greek island of Milos in 1820?
Four
America is named after Amerigo who?
Five
At the start of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy a ___ Constructor Fleet arrives to destroy Earth to make way for a hyperspace bypass? What word is missing?
On 8 June 1968, James Earl Ray, who was later convicted of the assassination of Martin Luther King, was arrested at…
London Heathrow Airport, UK—James Earl Ray, convicted of assassinating Martin Luther King Jr., fled to London after the murder and was captured there. In 1999, after a civil trial in Memphis, a jury found Loyd Jowers liable for the assassination, concluding it was a conspiracy involving US government agencies.
Today in 452, an invasion heading towards Rome, devastated the northern provinces of Italy. The invasion was lead by…
Attila the Hun—ruler of the Huns from 434 to 453, led an empire in Central and Eastern Europe. He invaded the Eastern and Western Roman Empires, attempting to conquer Constantinople and Gaul, but died before conquering Rome. Ivan the Terrible and Vlad the Impaler lived a millennium after Attila.
Maximilien Robespierre. Image Wikipedia
On 8 June 1794, during the French Revolution, a new religion was inaugurated, which was celebrated with festivals across France. It was called the Cult of the…
Supreme Being—a deistic religion established by Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution, was intended to replace Catholicism and the Cult of Reason. It was banned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.
Mount Everest. Image Wikipedia
On this date in 1924, British mountaineers Andrew Irvine and George Mallory went missing. Which expedition were they on?
British Mount Everest Expedition—The 1924 expedition, the second attempt to reach the summit, saw two summit attempts by Edward Norton and the disappearance of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine on the third attempt. Mallory’s body was found in 1999, but Irvine’s remains were only discovered in 2024.
Descendants of Matthew Quintal and John Adams, the mutineers on Bounty, 1862. Image Wikipedia
On 8 June 1856, a group of people arrived on Norfolk Island to be resettled from Pitcairn Island. These were descendants of the mutineers from the…
Bounty—In 1856, 193 Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian partners, resettled on Norfolk Island due to Pitcairn’s overpopulation. They established farming and whaling industries, and the island’s population continued to grow despite some families returning to Pitcairn.
Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, June 8th.
On 8 June 1968, James Earl Ray, who was later convicted of the assassination of Martin Luther King, was arrested at…
London Heathrow Airport, UK
Mexico City International Airport
Salisbury Airport, Rhodesia (now Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, Zimbabwe)
Today in 452, an invasion heading towards Rome, devastated the northern provinces of Italy. The invasion was lead by…
Attila the Hun
Ivan the Terrible
Vlad the Impaler
On 8 June 1794, during the French Revolution, a new religion was inaugurated which was celebrated with festivals across France. It was called the Cult of the…
Cathars
Huguenots
Supreme Being
On this date in 1924, British mountaineers Andrew Irvine and George Mallory went missing. Which expedition were they on?
British Mount Everest Expedition
International Expedition to Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica
Lost World Expedition to Mount Roraima, Guyana
On 8 June 1856, a group of people arrived on Norfolk Island to be resettled from Pitcairn Island. These were descendants of the mutineers from the…
The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.
Sunset over the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, as seen from the town of Sekiu, Washington, USA. Image Wikipedia
Manuel Quimper explored the Strait of Juan de Fuca on this day in 1790. What international boundary runs down the centre of the strait?
Canada and USA—The Strait of Juan de Fuca, named after Greek navigator Juan de Fuca, is the Salish Sea’s main outlet to the Pacific Ocean. Its existence was confirmed by Charles Barkley in 1787, though John Meares later attempted to claim credit. The strait was further explored between 1789 and 1791 by Spanish explorers including Manuel Quimper.
HMS Warspite and Malaya on 31 May 1916 during the battle of Jutland. Image Wikipedia
On this day in 1916, the largest naval battle of the First World War took place. What is it known as?
Battle of Jutland—The Battle of Jutland, known by the Germans as Skagerrakschlacht (Battle of the Skagerrak), fought between the British and German navies in 1916, was the largest naval battle of World War I. The outcome denied the German surface fleet access to the North Sea and Atlantic for the remainder of the war.
Painting of the Pont Neuf project as approved by King Henry III in 1578. The bridge was completed in 1607 with a less ornate design. Image Wikipedia
Today in 1578, France’s King Henry III laid the first stone for what is now Paris’s oldest bridge. What is its name?
Pont Neuf (New Bridge)—The Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, spans the Seine and connects the left and right banks to the Île de la Cité. It was named Pont Neuf, meaning New Bridge, to distinguish it from older bridges lined with houses.
A Japanese Ko-hyoteki class midget submarine, believed to be the vessel known as Midget No. 14, is raised from the bed of Sydney Harbour. The night before the picture was taken, the submarine’s two crew members were part of a raid on shipping in Sydney Harbour. (Photo 1 June 1942) Image Wikipedia
On this day in 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a series of attacks on Sydney, Australia. What was used to in these attacks?
Midget submarines—Between 31 May and 8 June 1942, three Japanese midget submarines launched a series of attacks on Sydney Harbour. Two submarines were detected and sunk, while the third sank a converted ferry, resulting in the loss of 21 sailors.
Genghis Khan. Image Wikipedia
On 31st May 1223, Genghis Khan’s armies emerged victorious at the Battle of the Kalka River. In which modern-day country was this battle fought?
Ukraine—The Battle of the Kalka River in 1223, on the Kalka River, in present-day Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, was a decisive Mongol victory against a coalition of Rus’ principalities and Cumans.
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