Quizology.Online

Tag: geography

  • Fire from the Earth—Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

    Krakatoa, East of Java.
    Image The Movie DB

    One

    In 1883, a significant volcanic eruption took place in the Sunda Strait. However, a 1968 Hollywood film title incorrectly located the volcano. Which volcano was it, and what was the film’s title?

    Answer: Krakatoa and Krakatoa, East of Java

    Krakatoa is west of Java not east! Apparently the film’s producers thought ‘West’ was more atmospheric than ‘East’. The eruption in 1883 destroyed over 70% of the island and its surrounding archipelago, collapsing into a caldera. The eruption, heard 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometres) away, caused at least 36,417 deaths and had significant global effects.

    Eruption of Kilauea, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, 1983.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Two

    Which archipelago contains two active volcanoes, one of which, Kīlauea, is considered one of the most active in the world?

    Answer: Hawaiian Islands

    Kilauea, an active shield volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island, is known for its frequent eruptions, notably the Pu’u ‘Ō’ō eruption, which created new land. Located on the island’s southeastern shore, it is between 210,000 and 280,000 years old and emerged above sea level about 100,000 years ago. Kilauea is the most active of the five volcanoes forming the island and among the most active globally. The most recent eruption began in December 2024, continuing into 2025. Historically, it was thought to be a satellite of Mauna Loa. From 2008 to 2018, Halemaʻumaʻu hosted an active lava lake. Eruptions from 1983 to 2018 caused significant property damage, including the destruction of Kalapana and Kaimū in 1990. Since 2020, eruptions have occurred within the enlarged Halemaʻumaʻu crater and along the southwest and east rift zones. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, established in 1961, houses two active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea.

    Mount Fuji from the International Space Station.
    Image NASA/Wikipedia

    Three

    In what century was the last eruption of Japan’s Mount Fuji?

    Answer: 18th century (December 16, 1707)

    Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain and a cultural icon, is an active stratovolcano with a symmetrical cone. Situated in central Honshu, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a prominent feature of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

    Devil’s Tower, Wyoming.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Geologists agree that a geological feature featured in a 1977 Steven Spielberg film began as magma, or molten rock, buried beneath the Earth’s surface. Please name the Spielberg film and identify the geological feature?

    Answer: Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Devils Tower (National Monument, Wyoming)

    Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 science fiction film by Steven Spielberg about a man whose life changes after a UFO encounter and a single mother whose son is abducted. The film’s climax is at Devil’s Tower. The film was a critical and financial success, grossing over $300 million worldwide and receiving numerous awards and nominations. It was preserved in the National Film Registry and has been released in multiple editions, including a Director’s Cut.

    Hekla and an Icelandic horse.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    Known to medieval Europeans as the ‘Gateway to Hell’, Hekla has erupted more than 20 times. In what country is Hekla?

    Answer: Iceland

    Hekla, Iceland’s most active volcano, is characterised by a 3.4-mile-long fissure and has erupted over 20 times since 1104. Its eruptions, including a major one in 1766, have caused significant damage and loss of life.

  • Fire from the Earth

    Mount Vesuvius rising above the ruins of Pompeii.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    August 24th is traditionally believed to be the date of the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, which destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum. Pliny the Younger witnessed and wrote about the eruption, while his uncle, Pliny the Elder, tragically died while on a seaborne rescue effort. Today’s questions are all connected to volcanic activity,

    One

    In 1883, a significant volcanic eruption took place in the Sunda Strait. However, a 1968 Hollywood film title incorrectly located the volcano. Which volcano was it, and what was the film’s title?

    Two

    Which archipelago contains two active volcanoes, one of which, Kīlauea, is considered one of the most active in the world?

    Three

    In what century was the last eruption of Japan’s Mount Fuji?

    Four

    Geologists agree that a geological feature featured in a 1977 Steven Spielberg film began as magma, or molten rock, buried beneath the Earth’s surface. Please name the Spielberg film and identify the geological feature?

    Five

    Known to medieval Europeans as the ‘Gateway to Hell’, Hekla has erupted more than 20 times. In what country is Hekla?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Hawaii Five-0

    The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

    Official portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1959.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On August 21st, Hawaii was officially proclaimed the 50th US state. Can you name the president who made this proclamation?

    Answer: Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Hawaii was officially proclaimed the 50th US state by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on 21 August 1959. Hawaii is an island state in the Pacific Ocean, consisting of 137 volcanic islands. It is the only US state not on the North American mainland and is known for its diverse culture, influenced by North American, East Asia and indigenous Hawaiian heritage. Hawaii’s economy, historically based on agriculture, has diversified to include tourism and military defence.

    Mona Lisa.
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    Where was the Mona Lisa stolen from on this day in 1911?

    Answer: The Louvre

    The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911 by Vincenzo Peruggia, who believed it should be returned to Italy. After keeping it for two years, Peruggia attempted to sell it and was caught, leading to the painting’s return to the Louvre in 1914.

    Count Basie, Blazing Saddles, 1974.
    Image

    Three

    Born 21 August 1904, an American musician who will, 70 years later, feature in a desert scene from Blazing Saddles. Who is he?

    Answer: Count Basie

    Count Basie plays himself in Mel Brooks 1974 film Blazing Saddles. He and his orchestra play April in Paris in the middle of the desert as Bart (Cleavon Little) rides towards Rock Ridge to assume the post of sheriff.

    Princess Margaret, 1950.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Born on this day in 1930 at Glamis Castle, Scotland, this princess’s 1960 marriage would be the first royal wedding to be televised. Who is she?

    Answer: Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

    Princess Margaret, born in 1930, was the second daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, who, following the abdication of Edward VIII, became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Known for her independent spirit, she famously renounced her engagement to Peter Townsend due to his divorce. A celebrated socialite, she was the Countess of Snowdon and had a glamorous lifestyle with notable romances. Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, but their marriage ended in divorce in 1978, marking the first royal divorce in 400 years.

    Dumbarton Oaks, Washington D.C., 1999.
    Image US Library of Congress via Wikipedia

    Five

    The Dumbarton Oaks Conference, opening on 21 August 1944, was instrumental in the founding of what?

    Answer: United Nations

    The ‘Allied Big Four’ (UK, US, USSR, Republic of China) formulated the new international organisation at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in 1944. The Yalta Conference in 1945 and further negotiations with the Soviet Union resolved all issues.

  • Hawaii Five-0

    All the questions are related to today, August 21st.

    Flag of Hawaii.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On August 21st, Hawaii was officially proclaimed the 50th US state. Can you name the president who made this proclamation?

    Two

    Where was the Mona Lisa stolen from on this day in 1911?

    Three

    Born 21 August 1904, an American musician who, 70 years later, will feature in a desert scene from Blazing Saddles. Who is he?

    Four

    Born on this day in 1930 at Glamis Castle, Scotland, this princess’s 1960 marriage would be the first royal wedding to be televised. Who is she?

    Five

    The Dumbarton Oaks Conference, opening on 21 August 1944, was instrumental in the founding of what?

    Good luck! I’ll 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.

  • Smorgasbord—Answers

    The Hoof and Horn flag described in Animal Farm has painted on it a ‘hoof and a horn in white’, which resembles the communist hammer and sickle
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes.

    The above quote is the opening line of a classic satire published on 17 August 1945. What was the title of this novella?

    — Answer: Animal Farm

    Animal Farm is a satirical allegorical novella by George Orwell, published in 1945. It reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution and the Stalinist era, criticising Stalin’s dictatorship. The book was initially rejected by several publishers but became a commercial success after World War II.

    Two

    The official name of an Asian capital city is

    krungthepmahanakhonamonrattanakosinmahintharaayuthayamahadilokphopnoppharatratchathaniburiromudomratchaniwetmahasathanamonpimanawatansathitsakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit

    What is this city commonly known as in English?

    — Answer: Bangkok

    The 168-letter official name for Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, translates as

    The city of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the Nine Gems, seat of the King, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Vishvakarman at Indra’s behest.

    Rufus the Harris Hawk.
    Image The Telegraph

    Three

    Rufus took over from Hamish in 2000 to perform a specific duty at The Championships on Wimbledon’s famous grass tennis courts. His social media manager reveals that Rufus has undergone an intensive training process for this role, which includes starting work each day at 5 am. What is Rufus’s two-word job title?

    — Answer: Bird scarer

    Rufus the Harris Hawk, Wimbledon’s official bird scarer, prevents pigeons from disrupting play. Trained to scare birds away, Rufus works from 5am before the gates open, ensuring a bird-free environment for the tournament. His handler, Imogen Davis, manages his training and monitors his weight to ensure optimal performance. Imogen also manages his social media where he has more than 11,000 followers on X (Twitter).

    Don Juan Pond, Wright Valley, Victoria Land, Antarctica.
    Image NASA/Wikipedia

    Four

    The Don Juan Pond, located in Wright Valley, Victoria Land, is one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth. It is situated on which continent?

    —Answer: Antarctica

    Don Juan Pond, located in Victoria Land, Antarctica, is the saltiest lake in the continent with a salinity level of 45.8%. Discovered in 1961, it remains liquid even at temperatures as low as −50 °C (−58 °F).

    School of trumpetfishes (Macroramphosus scolopax), Faial-Pico Channel, Azores Islands, Portugal
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    Is it true or false that there are more species of mammals than there are amphibians, birds, fish and reptiles combined?

    — Answer: False

    There are over 33,000 extant species of fish, surpassing the combined total of all amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Most fish belong to the class Actinopterygii, which represents about half of all living vertebrates, making fish the largest group of vertebrates by species count.

  • Smorgasbord

    The first question relates to today’s date, August 17th. The rest of the post, apart from being posted today, has no connection to this date.

    One

    Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes.

    The above quote is the opening line of a classic satire published on 17 August 1945. What was the title of this novella?

    Two

    The official name of an Asian capital city is

    krungthepmahanakhonamonrattanakosinmahintharaayuthayamahadilokphopnoppharatratchathaniburiromudomratchaniwetmahasathanamonpimanawatansathitsakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit

    What is this city commonly known as in English?

    Three

    Rufus took over from Hamish in 2000 to perform a specific duty at The Championships on Wimbledon’s famous grass tennis courts. His social media manager reveals that Rufus has undergone an intensive training process for this role, which includes starting work each day at 5 am. What is Rufus’s two-word job title?

    Four

    The Don Juan Pond, located in Wright Valley, Victoria Land, is one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth. It is situated on which continent?

    Five

    Is it true or false that there are more species of mammals than there are amphibians, birds, fish and reptiles combined?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Where on Earth—Answers

    Ross’s Antarctic expedition.
    HMS Erebus and Terror in the Antarctic by John Wilson Carmichael.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 16 August 1923, the UK named the Ross Dependency. On what continent is the Ross Dependency?

    — Answer: Antarctica

    The Ross Dependency, claimed by New Zealand, is a region of Antarctica defined by specific longitudes and latitude. While New Zealand’s claim is recognised by a few countries, the 1961 Antarctic Treaty holds all claims in abeyance. The Dependency, named after Sir James Clark Ross, includes the Ross Sea, Ross Ice Shelf, and several islands.

    Two

    Born in 1888, a military strategist and archaeological scholar also authored Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Who is he, and what by-name is he commonly known?

    — Answer: T.E. Lawrence aka Lawrence of Arabia

    T.E. Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia, was a British Army officer, archaeologist, and writer. He gained fame for his role in the Arab Revolt during the First World War and his subsequent work with Emir Faisal. Lawrence published his autobiography, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, and later served in the Army and RAF before his death in a motorcycle accident in 1935. His life was dramatised in the 1962 film Lawrence Of Arabia.

    1834 portrait of James Buchanan at age 42–43 by Jacob Eichholtz.
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    On 16 August 1858, a new transatlantic telegraph cable was inaugurated. The inaugural event involved an exchange of greetings between the Heads of State of the United Kingdom and the United States. Who were these two Heads of State?

    — Answer: Queen Victoria and President James Buchanan

    The Atlantic Telegraph Company, led by Cyrus West Field, constructed the first transatlantic telegraph cable. On that day, the first official telegram to cross two continents was a congratulatory letter from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom to President James Buchanan of the United States. Despite initial success, the cable’s poor signal quality and subsequent destruction after three weeks undermined confidence and delayed restoration efforts.

    Madonna, 2020.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Madonna, the singer and actress, celebrates her birthday on August 16th. In which city and state was she born?

    — Answer: Bay City, Michigan

    Madonna, the ‘Queen of Pop’, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. She is the best-selling female recording artist of all time, with numerous accolades including seven Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Madonna is also a successful businesswoman, philanthropist and advocate for gender equality and LGBT rights.

    Richard Wagner, 1871.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    On this day in 1876, Richard Wagner’s penultimate opera in his Ring cycle premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. What was the name of the opera?

    — Answer: Siegfried

    Siegfried is the third of Richard Wagner’s four epic music dramas, Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). It premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 16 August 1876, marking the first complete performance of the cycle.

    Written over twenty-six years, from 1848 to 1874. The Ring cycle comprises:

    • Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold)
    • Die Walküre (The Valkyrie)
    • Siegfried
    • Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)

  • Where on Earth

    One

    On 16 August 1923, the UK named the Ross Dependency. On what continent is the Ross Dependency?

    Two

    Born in 1888, a military strategist and archaeological scholar also authored Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Who is he, and what by-name is he commonly known?

    Three

    On 16 August 1858, a new transatlantic telegraph cable was inaugurated. The inaugural event involved an exchange of greetings between the Heads of State of the United Kingdom and the United States. Who were these two Heads of State?

    Four

    Madonna, the singer and actress, celebrates her birthday on August 16th. In which city and state was she born?

    Five

    On this day in 1876, Richard Wagner’s penultimate opera in his Ring cycle premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. What was the name of the opera?