Which Spanish Nobel laureate wrote the novels The Family of Pascual Duarte, The Hive and Christ Versus Arizona?
Camilo José Cela
Mario Vargas Llosa
Patrick Modiano
Answer: Camilo José Cela
Camilo José Cela y Trulock, a Spanish novelist and poet, was awarded the 1989 Nobel Prize in Literature for his prose. He was associated with the Generation of ’36 movement.
National Museum of Cameroon, Yaoundé. Image Wikipedia
Two
Yaoundé is the capital of which French-speaking West African country?
Answer: Cameroon
Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, is the second-largest city with a population of over 2.8 million. Founded as a German trading post in 1887, it became the French colonial capital in 1922 and the seat of government for independent Cameroon in 1960.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth acknowledge the crowds at Toronto City Hall during the 1939 Royal Tour of Canada. Image Wikipedia
Three
Camilla is Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. Who was the last person to be Queen consort of these realms?
Answer: Elizabeth (Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon wife of George VI and later Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother)
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married Prince Albert, the second son of King George V and Queen Mary. When King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, Prince Albert became King George VI, and Elizabeth, as his wife, became Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth. She was also the last Empress of India. After her husband’s death in 1952, her daughter Elizabeth became queen regnant, or queen in her own right. She reigned as Elizabeth II, and to avoid confusion, her mother was styled as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
Captain Archibald Haddock, introduced in The Crab with the Golden Claws, is Tintin’s best friend and a seafaring captain. Initially depicted as alcoholic, he becomes more respectable and heroicand quickly evolved into a loyal companion to Tintin. Hergé developed Haddock’s character, giving him a rich ancestry and a home, Marlinspike Hall, to provide a base for future adventures. Haddock’s name was suggested by Hergé’s wife, and his character was based on aspects of Hergé’s friends, adding humour to the Tintin stories.
The Women’s Lacrosse World Cup has been held eleven times, with the United States winning nine of these championships. The remaining two championships were won by which country?
Australia
Belgium
Canada
Answer: Australia
The World Lacrosse Women’s Championship, held every four years, is the international championship of women’s lacrosse. Sponsored by the Federation of International Lacrosse since 2009, it was previously sponsored by the International Federation of Women’s Lacrosse Associations. Australia’s victory over the United States in two finals means the US has been represented in all eleven championship finals.
Which Spanish Nobel laureate wrote the novels The Family of Pascual Duarte, The Hive and Christ Versus Arizona?
Camilo José Cela
Mario Vargas Llosa
Patrick Modiano
Two
Yaoundé is the capital of which French-speaking West African country?
Three
Camilla is Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as she is the wife of King Charles III. Who was the last person to be Queen consort of these realms?
Four
The picture at the top of the post is of Tintin’s friend, but what is his full name?
Five
The Women’s Lacrosse World Cup has been held eleven times, with the United States winning nine of these championships. The remaining two championships were won by which country?
The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.
The Marx Brothers. L to R. Groucho, Chico and Harpo. A Night in Casablanca, 1946. Image Wikipedia
One
Out of the three Marx Brothers most commonly seen in films, who was the oldest?
Chico
Groucho
Harpo
Answer: Chico
Chico born March 1887; Harpo, November 1888 and Groucho, October 1890.
Stage names
During a poker game with Art Fisher, the Marx brothers received their stage names. Groucho, Chico and Harpo were all derived from their personalities and interests. Groucho’s notably moody temperament is most commonly attributed to him, while Chico, originally Chicko, gained his reputation for chasing women (or ‘chicks’). Harpo’s name was simply a reference to his harp playing.
Genie in a Bottle, released June 1999, reached No. 1 in record charts in 21 countries for what singer?
Answer Christina Aguilera
Genie in a Bottle is a song by Christina Aguilera, released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album. The song, which topped charts in 21 countries, explores themes of self-respect and abstinence.
Vitalstatistix is a literary character in what fictional universe?
Answer: Asterix
Chief Vitalstatistix, the Gaulish village chief, is a middle-aged man with a love for food and drink. He is known for his bravery, even-tempered nature, and pride, and is carried on a shield by two unnamed bearers.
James Bond, a fictional character, is an agent of the British Secret Service, also known as MI6. What do the initials MI stand for?
Answer: Military Intelligence
The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom. Its primary mission is to collect and analyse human intelligence covertly overseas, primarily targeting foreign nationals, to support its Five Eyes partners. SIS is one of the British intelligence agencies, and the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (‘C’) is directly accountable to the Foreign Secretary.
Map of the Mackenzie River system in Canada, made using public domain Natural Earth and Atlas of Canada data. Image Wikipedia/Shannon1
Five
Which of these major North American rivers does not flow into the Pacific Ocean or one of its marginal seas?
Columbia River
Mackenzie River
Yukon River
Answer: Mackenzie River
The Mackenzie River, the longest river system in Canada, flows through the Northwest Territories, draining about 20% of the country. Its main stem is 1,738 kilometres long, flowing north-northwest from Great Slave Lake to the Beaufort Sea, a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean
The Columbia River flows from the Canadian Rockies into the United States, where it discharges into the Pacific Ocean between the states of Washington and Oregon
The Yukon River rises in British Columbia and flows through Yukon Territory, both in Canada, before crossing into the United States and flowing across the width of Alaska before reaching the Bering Sea, a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean
The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.
Boeing 737-900. ‘Boeing 100 years strong’, Alaska Airlines. Image Wikipedia
One
On 15 July 1916, in Seattle, Washington, William Boeing and George Conrad Westervelt incorporated…
BoWes Aviation Company
Northwest Airplane Corporation
Pacific Aero Products Company
Answer: Pacific Aero Products Company
William E. Boeing, fascinated by airplanes after seeing one in 1909, bought a shipyard in 1910 and built his first airplane factory. After a crash damaged his Martin seaplane, he built his own, the ‘B&W’, with the help of George Conrad Westervelt and later Wong Tsu. Boeing incorporated his business as Pacific Aero Products Company in 1916 and changed the name to Boeing Airplane Company in 1917.
The Rosetta Stone was discovered on 15 July 1799. Where was it found?
Egypt
Greece
Rome
Answer: Egypt
In 1799, French soldiers in Napoleon’s army in Egypt discovered a stone with three inscriptions, including hieroglyphs and Greek, at Fort Julien near Rosetta. The Rosetta Stone, a granodiorite stele, contains a 196 BC decree in hieroglyphic, Demotic and Ancient Greek, aiding in deciphering Egyptian scripts.
Drawing of the Mount Bandai eruption by Yamamoto Hōsui, 1888. Image Wikipedia
Three
On 15 July 1888, Mount Bandai, a stratovolcano, erupted, resulting in an estimated 500 fatalities. Mount Bandai is located in which country?
Indonesia
Japan
Philippines
Answer: Japan
On 15 July 1888, Mount Bandai in the Iwashiro Province (now part of Fukushima Prefecture) in the Empire of Japan erupted. The eruption, preceded by earthquakes, caused pyroclastic flows that buried villages and devastated the eastern part of the Bandai region. The tragedy resulted in at least 477 fatalities and hundreds of injuries.
Mariner 4: Image No. 11, Mariner Crater. Image NASA
Four
On this day in 1964, a NASA space probe took the first close-up pictures of another planet and began transmitting them back to Earth the following day. What planet was photographed?
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Answer: Mars
Picture No. 11 of the Mariner sequence must surely rank as one of the most remarkable scientific photographs of this age. – ROBERT B. LEIGHTON. Mariner 4 Principal Investigator, Caltech, speaking at the White House. July 29, 1965
Mariner 4: Image No. 11, Mariner Crater (shown above) This photo clearly showed craters upon craters — and nothing else — a “scientifically startling fact,” according to the Mariner imaging team. They saw a desolate landscape that had scarcely changed in 2 to 5 billion years, an environment more like the lifeless Moon than any place on Earth. They called the revelation “profound,” not just for what it suggested about Mars’ past and present, but because it “further enhances the uniqueness of Earth within the solar system.” NASA
Monty Python members Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones performing The Spanish Inquisition sketch during the 2014 Python reunion. Image Wikipedia
Five
The Spanish Inquisition was officially disbanded on 15 July 1834. How many years had it been in operation?
241
298
356
Answer:
The Spanish Inquisition, established in 1478 by the Catholic Monarchs, aimed to maintain Catholic orthodoxy and replace the Medieval Inquisition. It targeted heretics, particularly those who converted from Judaism and Islam, leading to forced conversions, torture, executions, and mass expulsions. The Inquisition, which lasted until 1834, expanded to other Spanish territories and targeted various offences, resulting in around 150,000 prosecutions and 3,000 to 5,000 executions.
On 15 July 1916, in Seattle, Washington, William Boeing and George Conrad Westervelt incorporated…
BoWes Aviation Company
Northwest Airplane Corporation
Pacific Aero Products Company
Two
The Rosetta Stone was discovered on 15 July 1799. Where was it found?
Egypt
Greece
Rome
Three
On 15 July 1888, Mount Bandai, a stratovolcano, erupted, resulting in an estimated 500 fatalities. Mount Bandai is located in which country?
Indonesia
Japan
Philippines
Four
On this day in 1964, a NASA space probe took the first close-up pictures of another planet and began transmitting them back to Earth the following day. What planet was photographed?
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Five
The Spanish Inquisition was officially disbanded on 15 July 1834. How many years had it been in operation?
The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.
Aerial view of the Boudewijnkanaal linking the city of Bruges (middle of image) with the port of Zeebrugge (top). Image Wikipedia
One
The caption (copied below) for the above photo is missing the name of a port. What port?
Aerial view of the Boudewijnkanaal linking the city of Bruges (middle of image) with the port of … (top).
Answer: Zeebrugge
The Port of Zeebrugge, a major North Sea port in Bruges, Belgium, handles over 50 million tonnes of cargo annually. In 1987, the ferry Herald of Free Enterprise capsized outside the port, killing 193 passengers.
Detail of Zephyrus with Aura from Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. Image Wikipedia
Two
What six letter word can mean all of the following?
a soft, gentle breeze
a personification of the west wind
a fine cotton gingham
a very light article of clothing
Answer: Zephyr
late Old English zefferus, denoting a personification of the west wind, via Latin from Greek zephuros ‘(god of the) west wind’. The sense ‘soft, gentle breeze’ dates from the late 17th century. – Oxford English Dictionary
The above picture is of the … of Ur. What word is missing?
Answer: Ziggurat
The Ziggurat in Ur, dedicated to Nanna/Sîn, was built by King Ur-Nammu and completed by King Shulgi in the 21st century BC. It served as the centre of a temple complex and a shrine to the moon god.
(in ancient Mesopotamia) a rectangular stepped tower, sometimes surmounted by a temple. Ziggurats are first attested in the late 3rd millennium BC and probably inspired the biblical story of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1–9).
What river flows over these falls, and on which international border are they situated?
Answer: Zambezi. (Border of) Zimbabwe and Zambia
Victoria Falls, on the Zambezi River, is one of the world’s largest waterfalls. It was named after Queen Victoria by David Livingstone in 1855. The Lozi name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning ‘The Smoke That Thunders’, is also commonly used.
Now … played guitar Jamming good with Weird and Gilly And The Spiders from Mars
The first three lines of a song originally released in 1972 are shown above. What word is missing from the first line?
Answer: Ziggy
Ziggy Stardust is a glam rock song about a bisexual alien rock star. The character, created by David Bowie, symbolised an over-the-top rock star and commented on celebrity worship. The lyrics for Ziggy Stardust are shown below.
Ziggy Sturdust
David Bowie
Now Ziggy played guitar Jamming good with Weird and Gilly And The Spiders from Mars He played it left hand But made it too far Became the special man Then we were Ziggy’s Band
Ziggy really sang Screwed-up eyes and screwed-down hairdo Like some cat from Japan He could lick ’em by smiling He could leave ’em to hang He came on so loaded, man, Well-hung, snow-white tan
So where were the spiders While the fly tried to break our balls? Just the beer light to guide us So we bitched about his fans And should we crush his sweet hands? Oh yeah
Ziggy played for time Jiving us that we were Voodoo The kids was just crass He was the naz With God-given ass He took it all too far But boy, could he play guitar
Making love with his ego Ziggy sucked up into his mind (ah) Like a leper messiah When the kids had killed a man I had to break up the band
The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.
Tibetan Yak or Sarlyk, as they say in Altai. Image Wikipedia
One
Remembering the theme, the animal pictured is a…
Answer: Yak
The yak, a long-haired domesticated cattle species, inhabits the Himalayan region, Tibetan Plateau, and parts of Central Asia. It is descended from the wild yak.
Located on the island of Honshu, what is Japan’s second-largest city in terms of population?
Answer: Yokohama
Yokohama, the second-largest city in Japan, is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture and a major economic, cultural, and commercial hub. It is home to many of Japan’s firsts, including the first foreign trading port and Chinatown, and is a prominent port city.
The lyrics of this 1972 song by Carly Simon describe a self-absorbed lover, whose identity has long been a matter of speculation. What is the song?
Answer: You’re So Vain
In 2015, the Los Angeles Times published some more information about Carly Simon’s 1972 hit You’re So Vain—
Carly Simon has confirmed the answer — at least in part — to one of the most puzzling questions in recent history: Who is the song “You’re So Vain” really about?
“I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren,” the 70-year-old told People magazine. That’d be Warren Beatty, long suspected of being the vain one. The other verses (“You walked into the party … “ and “I hear you went up to Saratoga …”) are about other men, she said. – Los Angeles Times
Susanna Clarke’s novel Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell begins,
‘Some years ago there was in the city of … a society of magicians. They met upon the third Wednesday of every month and read each other long, dull papers upon the history of English magic.’
What city is missing from this quote?
Answer: York
In 1806, during the Napoleonic Wars, the reclusive magician Mr Norrell emerges, captivating England with his displays of magic. However, his cautious nature is challenged by the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange, leading to a dangerous battle between the two magicians.
What colour links these? – Cross on the flag of Sweden – A ball with a value of two points snooker
Answer: Yellow
The Swedish flag features a yellow Nordic cross on a light blue field, inspired by the 1442 coat of arms. Blue and yellow have been used in Swedish heraldry since 1275. The yellow ball has a value of two points in the game of snooker.
A snooker table, drawn exactly to scale. Image Wikipedia
Quizology Online 
 in the Bushveld, Limpopo, South Africa. Image Wikipedia https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Orycteropus_afer_175359469.jpg){kind=link}
