Tag: geography

  • Flight of Fancy | Answers

    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.


    Rosetta Stone.
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    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.

  • Flight of Fancy

    Today’s questions cover a range of topics, all related to July 15th.

    William E Boeing, 1929.
    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

    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?

    • 241
    • 298
    • 356

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Z is for… | Answers

    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


    Ziggurat of Ur.
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    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). 

    origin from Akkadian ziqqurratu.

    – Oxford English Dictionary


    Victoria Falls.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    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.


    David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    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

    Ziggy played guitar

  • Z is for…

    Continuing, and finishing, the alphabet theme and all today’s answers begin with the letter ‘Z’.

    Aerial view of the Boudewijnkanaal linking the city of Bruges (middle of image) with the port of … (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).


    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

    … of Ur.
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    The above picture is of the … of Ur. What word is missing?


    Victoria Falls.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    What river flows over these falls, and on which international border are they situated?


    Five

    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?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Y is for… | Answers

    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.


    Yokohama, Japan.
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    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.


    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    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, 2006. Image Wikipedia

    Four

    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.


    Flag of Sweden.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    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
  • Y is for…

    Continuing the alphabet theme with all of today’s answers beginning with the letter ‘Y’.

    This is known as a Sarlyk in Altai, see question one.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Remembering the theme, the animal pictured is a…

    Two

    Located on the island of Honshu, what is Japan’s second-largest city in terms of population?

    Three

    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?

    Four

    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?

    Five

    What colour links these?
    – The cross on the flag of Sweden
    – A ball with a value of two points snooker

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • W is for… | Answers

    Dastardly and Muttley.
    Image Pinterest

    One

    In what television programme did the above characters first appear?

    Answer: Wacky Races

    Dick Dastardly is a fictional character and the main antagonist in various animated series by Hanna-Barbera Productions Wacky Races and its spin-off Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines. The first appearance was in 1969. He is known for his catchphrases ’Muttley, do something!‘; ‘Curses, foiled again!’; ‘Drat, and double drat!’; or even ‘Triple dat!’.


    Wellington, New Zealand.
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    41°17′20″S is the latitude of the World’s windiest city. What is the city?

    Answer: Wellington, New Zealand

    Wellington, New Zealand’s capital, the world’s windiest city, by average wind speed—it is also the world’s southernmost capital. It is a cultural hub with a diverse, youth-driven culture, known for its film industry, financial services and livability. The city’s economy is service-based, with a focus on finance, business, government and technology.


    Kate Bush, 1985.
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy

    The quote above is a line in the chorus of what song?

    Answer: Wuthering Heights

    Wuthering Heights is Kate Bush’s debut single, released in 1978. It spent four weeks at number one in the UK and was the first number-one single by a female artist to be entirely self-written. Kate Bush wrote in a few hours after seeing the 1967 BBC adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights, which she had not read. Subsequently reading the novel she discovered she shared her birthday with Emily Brontë.
    Lyrics are shown at the end of the post.


    Tungsten (Wolfram).
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    The chemical element Tungsten has the symbol ‘W’. What word does this symbol represent?

    Answer: Wolfram

    Tungsten, or wolfram, is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. It is known for its high melting and boiling points, density, and hardness, making it useful in various applications such as light bulb filaments, X-ray tubes and tungsten carbide. Tungsten is also found in some biomolecules, though it can be toxic to most animal life.


    Fort Laramie, Wyoming.
    Watercolour by Alfred Jacob Miller, c 1858-1860.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    This US State has a northern border with Montana and a southern border with Colorado. What state is it?

    Answer: Wyoming

    Wyoming is a landlocked state in the Mountain West, bordered by several states including Montana to the north and Colorado to the south. It is the least populous state despite being the 10th largest, with a semi-arid to continental climate and a significant portion of its land owned by the federal government.


    Wuthering Heights

    Kate Bush

    Out on the wily, windy moors
    We’d roll and fall in green
    You had a temper like my jealousy
    Too hot, too greedy
    How could you leave me
    When I needed to possess you?
    I hated you. I loved you, too

    Bad dreams in the night
    They told me I was going to lose the fight
    Leave behind my wuthering, wuthering
    Wuthering Heights

    Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy
    I’ve come home. I’m so cold
    Let me in-a-your window

    Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy
    I’ve come home. I’m so cold
    Let me in-a-your window

    Ooh, it gets dark! It gets lonely
    On the other side from you
    I pine a lot. I find the lot
    Falls through without you
    I’m coming back, love
    Cruel Heathcliff, my one dream
    My only master

    Too long I roam in the night
    I’m coming back to his side, to put it right
    I’m coming home to wuthering, wuthering
    Wuthering Heights

    Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy
    I’ve come home. I’m so cold
    Let me in-a-your window

    Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy
    I’ve come home. I’m so cold
    Let me in-a-your window

    Ooh! Let me have it
    Let me grab your soul away
    Ooh! Let me have it
    Let me grab your soul away
    You know, it’s me – Cathy

    Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy
    I’ve come home. I’m so cold
    Let me in-a-your window

    Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy
    I’ve come home. I’m so cold
    Let me in-a-your window

    Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy
    I’ve come home. I’m so cold

    AZ Lyrics

  • W is for…

    Continuing the alphabet theme and all today’s answers begin with the letter ‘W’.

    Image Pinterest

    One

    In what television programme did the above characters first appear?

    Two

    41°17′20″S is the latitude of the World’s windiest city. What is the city?

    Three

    Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy

    The quote above is a line in the chorus of what song?

    Four

    The chemical element Tungsten has the symbol ‘W’. What word does this symbol represent?

    Five

    This US State has a northern border with Montana and a southern border with Colorado. What state is it?


    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • U is for… | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.

    The remains of Francis Gary Powers’ U-2 (s/n 56-6693, msn 360) are now on display in the Central Armed Forces Museum, Moscow, Russia.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 1 May 1960, an aircraft flown by American pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down over Soviet territory. By what short name is the aircraft commonly known?

    Answer: U-2

    On 1 May 1960, a US Lockheed U-2 spy plane, flown by American pilot Francis Gary Powers, was shot down by the Soviet Air Defence Forces while conducting photographic aerial reconnaissance inside Soviet territory. The aircraft had taken off from Peshawar, Pakistan, and crashed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) after being hit by a surface-to-air missile. Powers parachuted to the ground and was subsequently captured.


    U Thant Island, in East River, New York City, in front of the UN Building.
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    Belmont Island, located in front of the United Nations Secretariat Building in New York City, was, in 1982, officially renamed in with a UN connection. What name was it given?

    Answer: U Thant Island

    U Thant Island, formerly Belmont Island, is a small artificial island in New York City’s East River. It’s the smallest island in Manhattan and is home to a colony of double-crested cormorants. Belmont Island was renamed U Thant Island on October 7, 1982, in honour of the late U Thant, a former Secretary-General of the United Nations.


    Frodo Baggins.
    Image Pinterest

    Three

    What one word answers all of these?

    • An alias the main protagonist is told to use in The Fellowship of the Ring
    • The first human settlement on Mars in Kim Stanley Robinson‘s novel Red Mars
    • A fictional character in Ursula K. Le Guin‘s short story The Rule of Names

    Answer: Underhill

    Underhill answered all three points in the question.

    • In JRR Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring Frodo Baggins was told by Gandalf to use the alias Mr Underhill from when he left Hobbiton and until they met up at The Prancing Pony in Bree.
    • Red Mars follows the first hundred colonists on their journey to Mars, their first settlemet, Underhill; their efforts to terraform the planet, and their struggle for independence from Earth’s control. Led by differing ideologies, the colonists debate terraforming and Mars’ relationship with Earth, ultimately leading to a revolution against Earth’s influence.
    • The Rule of Names is a short story by Ursula K. Le Guin, introducing the Earthsea realm and its magic system. It features the dragon Yevaud and explains the significance of true names in Earthsea. A resident wizard is nicknamed Underhill because he lives in a cave below a hill.

    Gandantegchinlen Monastery, Bayangol, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    With an average annual temperature of 0.2 °C (32.4 °F), and coldest January temperatures dropping to between −36 and −40 °C (−32.8 and −40.0 °F), which capital city holds the distinction of being the coldest in the world?

    Answer: Ulaanbaatar

    Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, is the coldest capital city in the world with an average annual temperature of 0.2 °C or 32.4 °F. It was founded in 1639 as a Buddhist monastic centre and became the country’s capital in 1924, now serving as its cultural, industrial and financial hub.


    The Vasari Corridor’s bridge from the Palazzo Vecchio to Uffizi.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    Florence’s Vasari Corridor is a long, raised passageway that connects Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria to Palazzo Pitti. What gallery is found along its route?

    Answer: Uffizi

    The Vasari Corridor in Florence connects the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti, passing through the Uffizi Gallery. Stretching approximately one kilometre, it crosses the Arno River at Ponte Vecchio and winds through the Oltrarno district.

    Vasari Corridor
    Image

  • U is for…

    Continuing the alphabet theme, today all answers begin with the letter ‘U’.

    Image

    One

    On 1 May 1960, an aircraft flown by American pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down over Soviet territory. By what short name is the aircraft commonly known?

    Two

    Belmont Island, located in front of the United Nations Secretariat Building in New York City, was, in 1982, officially renamed in with a UN connection. What name was it given?

    Three

    What one word answers all of these?

    • An alias the main protagonist is told to use in The Fellowship of the Ring
    • The first human settlement on Mars in Kim Stanley Robinson‘s novel Red Mars
    • A fictional character in Ursula K. Le Guin‘s short story The Rule of Names

    Four

    With an average annual temperature of 0.2 °C (32.4 °F), and coldest January temperatures dropping to between −36 and −40 °C (−32.8 and −40.0 °F), which capital city holds the distinction of being the coldest in the world?

    Five

    Florence’s Vasari Corridor is a long, raised passageway that connects Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria to Palazzo Pitti. What gallery is found along its route?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.