Tag: exploration

  • 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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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.

  • Roanoke

    The first question refers to the colony where Virginia Dare, the first child born in the Americas to European parents, was born on 18 August 1587. The other questions are random and have no connection to the date.

    Baptism of Virginia Dare, wood engraving 1880.
    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?

    Two

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

    Three

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

    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?

    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?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Theirs not to reason why, /  Theirs but to do and die. | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

    Colonel Paul Tibbets, in the B-29 he named Enola Gay, August 1945.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 6 August 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Firstly, what was the name of the bomb, and secondly, what name did the pilot of the aircraft which dropped the bomb give to that aircraft?

    Answer: Little Boy and Enola Gay

    On this day in 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, killing more than 70,000 people and destroying most of the city in an effort to hasten the end of World War II. The blast, caused by the atomic bomb Little Boy dropped by the U.S. B-29 Enola Gay, resulted in around 70,000 instant deaths, with tens of thousands more dying in subsequent years from burns and radiation poisoning.
    The B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay was named after Enola Gay Tibbets by the pilot, her son, Colonel Paul Tibbets.


    Two

    Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming, who was born on on the 6 August 1881, revolutionised antibiotics in 1928 with the discovery of…

    Answer: Penicillin

    Alexander Fleming, who was born on 6 August 1881 at Lochfield Farm, Darvel, Ayrshire, was a Scottish bacteriologist best known for discovering penicillin in 1928, which revolutionised antibiotics and earned him the Nobel Prize in 1945.


    Three

    This actor, who was born 6 August 1917, portrayed Sheriff J.P. Harrah in the 1966 western El Dorado and was Charles Shaughnessy in Ryan’s Daughter (1970). Who is he?

    Answer: Robert Mitchum

    Robert Mitchum, an American actor known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances, received numerous accolades including an Academy Award nomination and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He starred in numerous films, including Out of the Past and Cape Fear, and was praised by critics for his deep voice and weary eyes.


    Four

    The Old Man of Hoy, a 449-foot sea stack, was first climbed by three mountaineers including Chris Bonnington, born on 6 August 1934. This sea stack is located in which British archipelago?

    Answer: Orkney

    The Old Man of Hoy is a 449-foot sea stack on Hoy, in the Orkney archipelago, Scotland. Formed from Old Red Sandstone, it is popular with climbers and may soon collapse. It was first climbed in 1966 by mountaineers Chris Bonington, Rusty Baillie and Tom Patey.


    Five

    A poet born on this day in 1809, penned the lines quoted

    Someone had blundered.
       Theirs not to make reply,
       Theirs not to reason why,
       Theirs but to do and die.
    Who was the poet and what poem are the lines from?

    Answer: Alfred, Lord Tennyson and The Charge of the Light Brigade

    Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, was an English poet and Poet Laureate during Queen Victoria’s reign. He is known for his short lyrics, classical mythological themes, and blank verse, with many of his phrases becoming commonplace in the English language.
    The lines quoted were from The Charge of the Light Brigade which is a narrative poem by Tennyson (The full poem is shown bellow). It describes the Charge of the Light Brigade, a disastrous British cavalry attack against heavily defended Russian troops at the Battle of Balaklava in October 1854 during the Crimean War. The suicidal assault placed the British light horse brigade, commanded by the Earl of Cardigan, against a Russian infantry and cavalry defence supported by heavy artillery batteries that commanded three sides of a narrow valley.


    The Charge of the Light Brigade

    ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON

    I
    Half a league, half a league,
    Half a league onward,
    All in the valley of Death
       Rode the six hundred.
    “Forward, the Light Brigade!
    Charge for the guns!” he said.
    Into the valley of Death
       Rode the six hundred.

    II
    “Forward, the Light Brigade!”
    Was there a man dismayed?
    Not though the soldier knew
       Someone had blundered.
       Theirs not to make reply,
       Theirs not to reason why,
       Theirs but to do and die.
       Into the valley of Death
       Rode the six hundred.
       
    III
    Cannon to right of them,
    Cannon to left of them,
    Cannon in front of them
       Volleyed and thundered;
    Stormed at with shot and shell,
    Boldly they rode and well,
    Into the jaws of Death,
    Into the mouth of hell
       Rode the six hundred.

    IV
    Flashed all their sabres bare,
    Flashed as they turned in air
    Sabring the gunners there,
    Charging an army, while
       All the world wondered.
    Plunged in the battery-smoke
    Right through the line they broke;
    Cossack and Russian
    Reeled from the sabre stroke
       Shattered and sundered.
    Then they rode back, but not
       Not the six hundred.

    V
    Cannon to right of them,
    Cannon to left of them,
    Cannon behind them
       Volleyed and thundered;
    Stormed at with shot and shell,
    While horse and hero fell.
    They that had fought so well
    Came through the jaws of Death,
    Back from the mouth of hell,
    All that was left of them,
       Left of six hundred.

    VI
    When can their glory fade?
    O the wild charge they made!
       All the world wondered.
    Honour the charge they made!
    Honour the Light Brigade,
       Noble six hundred!

    The Charge of the Light Brigade
    The Poetry Foundation

  • Theirs not to reason why, /  Theirs but to do and die.

    One

    On 6 August 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Firstly, what was the name of the bomb, and secondly, what name did the pilot of the aircraft which dropped the bomb give to that aircraft?

    Two

    Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming, who was born on on the 6 August 1881, revolutionised antibiotics in 1928 with the discovery of…

    Three

    This actor, who was born 6 August 1917, portrayed Sheriff J.P. Harrah in the 1966 western El Dorado and was Charles Shaughnessy in Ryan’s Daughter (1970). Who is he?

    Four

    The Old Man of Hoy, a 449-foot sea stack, was first climbed by three mountaineers including Chris Bonnington, born on 6 August 1934. This sea stack is located in which British archipelago?

    Five

    A poet born on this day in 1809, penned the lines quoted

    Someone had blundered.
       Theirs not to make reply,
       Theirs not to reason why,
       Theirs but to do and die.

    Who was the poet and what poem are the lines from?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Candle in the Wind | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

    Joseph Merrick, c 1889. See #2 below.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Answer: Los Angeles, California

    Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson, was an American actress and model who became a popular sex symbol in the 1950s and early 1960s. Known for her ‘blonde bombshell’ characters, she starred in numerous successful films, including Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Some Like It Hot. Despite her success, Monroe’s personal life was troubled, and she died of a barbiturate overdose at the age of 36.


    Two

    Answer: John Hurt

    Joseph Carey Merrick, known as ‘The Elephant Man’ was an English man born in 1862 who suffered from a rare disorder causing severe physical deformities, possibly Proteus syndrome. After being exhibited in freak shows, he lived at the London Hospital under the care of Sir Frederick Treves. There he became well-known in London society and received visits from prominent individuals. Merrick died at age 27 from accidental suffocation. A film The Elephant Man starring John Hurt as Merrick was made about his life.


    Three

    Answer: Atacama Desert

    In 2010, a collapse at the San José copper-gold mine in Chile‘s Atacama Desert trapped 33 miners underground for 69 days. Despite the mine’s history of safety violations and geological instability, the miners were successfully rescued after a global effort involving multiple organisations and governments.


    Four

    Answer: Smoking Gun (tape)

    The US Supreme Court ordered President Nixon to release tapes of conversations, including the ‘Smoking Gun’ tape, which revealed his involvement in the Watergate coverup. This led to the loss of his political support and imminent impeachment, prompting his resignation on August 8, 1974.


    Five

    Answer: Denmark

    Vitus Bering, a Danish-born Russian explorer, led two expeditions exploring the north-eastern coast of Russia and the western coast of North America. He discovered the Bering Strait, proving that Asia and America were not connected by land. Bering died of scurvy on Bering Island in 1741, along with 28 of his men.

  • Candle in the Wind

    Marilyn Monroe.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Marilyn Monroe was found dead on the morning of 5 August 1962 in her Los Angeles home. Where was she born?

    Two

    Joseph Merrick, born on 5 August 1862, was renowned for his severe physical deformities and was exhibited in freak shows for a period. A film about Merrick’s life was made by David Lynch in 1980. In this film, who portrayed Joseph Merrick?

    Three

    On 5 August 2010, thirty-three miners became trapped in a mine collapse for a prolonged period of time, attracting international attention. In what desert area was the mine situated?

    Four

    On this day in 1974, President Richard Nixon released subpoenaed tapes after being ordered to do so by the US Supreme Court. One tape, recorded on 23 June 1972, clearly showed the president’s connection to the Watergate burglaries from shortly after they occurred. This tape is known by what two-word term?

    Five

    Vitus Bering, born on 5 August 1681, led two Russian expeditions to explore the northeast Russian coast and the western coast of North America. Despite being an officer in the Russian Navy, in what country was he born?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • What’s in a Name | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

    One

    George Wendt as Norm Peterson. Image Cheers Fandom

    One of the regular characters in the television series Cheers has the first name Hilary. Who is that?

    Answer: Norm (Hilary Norman Peterson)

    Norm Peterson, a regular at Cheers, is known for his witty remarks and love of beer. His enormous tab at the bar is a running gag, with jokes about its size and his occasional attempts to pay it off. Despite his unemployment, Norm remains the bar’s best customer, receiving a complimentary beer on his birthday.


    Two

    George Clinton, Fourth Vice-President of the United States,
    Portrait by Ezra Ames, 1814.
    Image Wikipedia

    Born on 26 July 1739, the fourth vice president of the United States and the first governor of New York was…

    Answer: George Clinton

    George Clinton was an American soldier, statesman and Democratic-Republican. He served as the fourth vice president, first governor of New York, and holds the record for the second-longest gubernatorial tenure in U.S. history. He was also the first vice-president to die in office, and the first of two to hold office under two consecutive presidents, Thomas Jefferson (1805–1809) and James Madison (1809–1812).


    Three

    Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
    Image Wikipedia

    Best known for an achievement with Norgay in 1953, he later became New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh, and Ambassador to Nepal. What is his first and last name, and where did the 1953 achievement take place?

    Answer: Edmund Hillary, Mount Everest

    Sir Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer, who with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first confirmed climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. He later served as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh and Ambassador to Nepal, and founded the Himalayan Trust to assist the Sherpa people.


    Four

    Clint Eastwood, 2010.
    Image Wikipedia

    Elected in 1986, this well-known entertainment figure served as the mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, for a two-year term. Can you identify this individual?

    Answer: Clint Eastwood (Clinton Eastwood)

    Clint Eastwood is an American actor and film director known for his roles in Westerns and action films. He served as the mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California from 1986 to 1988 and has received numerous awards, including four Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards.


    Five

    Hilary Mantel, 2020.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    The author of the historical novel The Mirror & the Light, the concluding instalment in a trilogy and the author’s final novel published during their lifetime, is who?

    Answer: Hilary Mantel

    Hilary Mantel was a British writer known for historical fiction, personal memoirs, and short stories. She won the Booker Prize twice for the first and second novels in her Cromwell trilogy, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, and sold over 5 million copies.

  • What’s in a Name

    Hilary Clinton, 2003.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    On July 26, 2016, Hillary Clinton was officially nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate. Today’s questions revolve around people named Hillary, Hilary, or Clinton, whether as a first or last name.

    One

    Cheers logo.
    Image Wikipedia

    One of the regular characters in the television series Cheers has the first name Hilary. Who is that?

    Two

    Born on 26 July 1739, the fourth vice president of the United States and the first governor of New York was…

    Three

    Best known for an achievement with Norgay in 1953, he later became New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh, and Ambassador to Nepal. What is his first and last name, and where did the 1953 achievement take place?

    Four

    Elected in 1986, this well-known entertainment figure served as the mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, for a two-year term. Can you identify this individual?

    Five

    The author of the historical novel The Mirror & the Light, the concluding instalment in a trilogy and the author’s final novel published during their lifetime, is who?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.