Happy New Year. Yet another random mix of questions for today
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The Palace of Westminster seen from east. Victoria Tower and the House of Lords are on the left. The Clock Tower of Big Ben and the House of Commons are on the right. The spire left of centre is the 300ft ventilation chimney above the central lobby. The twin white towers of Westminster Abbey are just visible in the background. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
How are the hours nine, ten, eleven and twelve shown on the clock faces of the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster, which is also known as Big Ben?
Two
What is the complete title of this 1987 Hanna-Barbera made-for-television film: The Jetsons Meet…
Three
Rabbit underground, rabbit safe and sound
This quote is from a story which features anthropomorphised animals living in their natural habitats, complete with their own language, culture and mythology. Originally a 1972 novel, there have been both film (1978) and television adaptations (1999 and 2018), with the most recent being a co-production by the BBC and Netflix. Could you tell me the title and author of this novel?
Four
Through how many countries does the Andes mountain range extend and what are they?
Five
We are drinking beer at noon on Tuesday
The above quote is from a song which also mentions a boulevard. Could you please identify the song, the singer-songwriter who wrote it, and the specific boulevard mentioned in the lyrics?
The Beatles held the festive top spot with four singles topping the UK singles chart on Christmas Day in 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1967. Which songs secured these number one positions?
Answers: I Wanna Hold Your Hand
The Beatles hold the record for the most British Christmas number ones according to Guinness World Records,
The Beatles (UK) have had four singles in the festive top spot: “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” which went to No.1 on 12 December 1963, “I Feel Fine” (10 December 1964), “Day Tripper/We Can Work it Out” (16 December 1965) and “Hello Goodbye” (6 December 1967).
In 2004, researchers discovered that the rock summit of Mont Blanc was located west of the ice-covered summit. What is the distance between these two summits?
4 m (13 feet)
26 m (85 feet)
40 m (130 feet)
Answer: 40 m (130 feet)
Researchers discovered that the rock summit of Mont Blanc is 40 metres west of its ice summit. The rock summit, which reaches 4,792 metres, is actually 40 metres west of the ice summit at 4,807 metres. This finding informed an ice core drilling programme beginning in autumn 2004.
Three
What words are missing from this book title — The … at the … of the … — the second book in a ‘trilogy’?
Answer: Restaurant; End; Universe
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, the second book in Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a trilogy in five parts, follows Arthur Dent and his companions on their cosmic adventures. The book, like its predecessor, was an adaptation of Adams’ BBC radio series.
Four
What Australian city, a state capital, stands on the Swan River?
Answer: Perth
The Swan River in southwestern Western Australia flows 224 miles from the Avon River to the Indian Ocean. It is known for its black swans and was the site of Western Australia’s first free settlement in 1829.
Five
Who played Eloise Chandler, a florist, in the 2009 film Love Happens?
Answer: Jennifer Aniston
Love Happens is a 2009 romantic drama film starring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston. The film, about a grieving widower finding love again.
The Beatles held the festive top spot with four singles topping the UK singles chart on Christmas Day in 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1967. Which songs secured these number one positions?
Two
In 2004, researchers discovered that the rock summit of Mont Blanc was located west of the ice-covered summit. What is the distance between these two summits?
4 m (13 feet)
26 m (85 feet)
40 m (130 feet)
Three
What words are missing from this book title — The … at the … of the … — the second book in a ‘trilogy’?
Four
What Australian city, a state capital, stands on the Swan River?
Five
Who played Eloise Chandler, a florist, in the 2009 film Love Happens?
Jean-Luc Picard, commanding officer of the Federation starship USS Enterprise, is known for this catchphrase ‘tea, … …, hot’. What two words are missing?
Answer: Earl Grey
Earl Grey tea is a black tea blend flavoured with bergamot oil, though many use artificial flavouring. Traditionally made from Chinese keemun, it can also be blended with lapsang souchong or made with green or oolong tea.
Two
The Italian hero Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi, Italian general, revolutionary and republican, was born in what city?
Answer: Nice (France)
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian general, revolutionary, and republican who played a key role in the Unification of Italy. He embraced republican nationalism but allied with the monarchist Cavour for unification. Garibaldi led successful military campaigns, including the Expedition of the Thousand, and became an international figurehead for national independence and republican ideals.
Three
New York’s Central Park is bordered by what four roadways?
Answer: Central Park North, Fifth Avenue, Central Park South and Central Park West
Central Park, a 843-acre urban park in Manhattan, is the most visited urban park in the United States. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, it opened in 1858 and was completed in 1876. The park features attractions like the Ramble and Lake, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, and Central Park Zoo. It also offers recreational activities such as carriage rides and concerts.
Four
Jennifer Grey plays ‘Baby’ in 1987’s Dirty Dancing but what is the character’s actual name?
Answer: Frances Houseman
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. The film, based on screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein’s childhood, was a commercial success, earning over $214 million worldwide and spawning a successful franchise.
Five
In music, what ten-letter noun means ‘a passage marked to be performed very loudly’. What word?
Answer: Fortissimo
Fortissimo, abbreviated ff, is an Italian musical term meaning ‘very loud’. Italian has been the standard language for musical dynamics since the Baroque era. Pipe organs are among the few acoustic instruments capable of sustaining true fortissimo levels for long periods, sometimes producing sound pressures that can be physically felt. Some modern composers and film scores push beyond traditional notation, using ffff or textual instructions to indicate overwhelming or explosive sound effects.
Jean-Luc Picard, commanding officer of the Federation starship USS Enterprise, is known for this catchphrase ‘tea, … …, hot’. What two words are missing?
Two
The Italian hero Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi, Italian general, revolutionary and republican, was born in what city?
Three
New York’s Central Park is bordered by what four roadways?
Four
Jennifer Grey plays ‘Baby’ in 1987’s Dirty Dancing but what is the character’s actual name?
Five
In music, what ten-letter noun means ‘a passage marked to be performed very loudly’. What word?
Here are the answers to the questions posed in my earlier post.
Today’s questions all relate to December 24th.
See question 5. Taken aboard Apollo 8 by Bill Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell aboard. Image NASA
One
The Wrong Sort of Bees, published in London’s Evening News on 24 December 1925, introduced a fictional anthropomorphic character to children’s literature and entertainment. Who was this character, and who was the author?
Answer: Winnie-the-Pooh; AA Milne
Winnie-the-Pooh, a fictional teddy bear created by AA Milne and EH Shepard, first appeared in a 1925 children’s story. The character, inspired by Milne’s son’s toy and a bear at London Zoo, became the subject of several books and was later adapted into a successful Disney franchise.
Two
Kiritimati (pronounced Kir-is-Maas) part of the Republic of Kiribati was named by a British naval officer and explorer who visited in 1777. In what ocean is Kiritimati, and who named it?
Answer: Pacific Ocean; Captain James Cook
The name given to it by Captain Cook as he visited on Christmas Eve was Christmas Island. In Gilbertese, ‘Christmas’ is ‘Kiritimati’, the combination ‘ti’ is pronounced as ‘s’.
Three
In which year did the first Christmas truce of World War I occur?
Answer: 1914
The Christmas truce was a series of unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front during World War I.
Four
What armed forces invaded Afghanistan on this day in 1979?
Answer: Soviet Union
Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, supporting the communist government against anti-communist Muslim guerrillas until February 1989.
Five
In 1968, in a television broadcast from space the crew of Apollo 8 read the first ten verses of the Genesis creation narrative from the King James Bible. What specific feat did the Apollo 8 mission achieve?
Answer: The answer is any, or all, of the points listed below
Apollo 8 was the first crewed spacecraft to leave Earth’s gravitational sphere of influence.
It was also the first human spaceflight to reach the Moon.
The crew orbited the Moon ten times without landing.
The three astronauts, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders, were the first humans to see and photograph the far side of the Moon.
They also witnessed and photographed an Earthrise (see image).
On Christmas Eve 1968, the Apollo 8 crew, the first humans to orbit the Moon, read from the Book of Genesis during a live television broadcast from lunar orbit. The reading, which was heard by an estimated one billion people worldwide, was a suggestion from Christine Laitin, the wife of one of those working on the project. Mrs Laitin had been a member of the French Resistance during World War II.
See question 5. Taken aboard Apollo 8 by Bill Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell aboard. Image NASA
One
The Wrong Sort of Bees, published in London’s Evening News on 24 December 1925, introduced a fictional anthropomorphic character to children’s literature and entertainment. Who was this character, and who was the author?
Two
Kiritimati (pronounced Kir-is-Maas) part of the Republic of Kiribati was named by a British naval officer and explorer who visited in 1777. In what ocean is Kiritimati, and who named it?
Three
In which year did the first Christmas truce of World War I occur?
Four
What armed forces invaded Afghanistan on this day in 1979?
Five
In 1968, in a television broadcast from space the crew of Apollo 8 read the first ten verses of the Genesis creation narrative from the King James Bible. What specific feat did the Apollo 8 mission achieve?
In 1990, the country whose flag is shown above put into effect its constitution. What is that country?
Answer: Croatia
The Republic of Croatia’s Constitution was promulgated today in 1990. It grants civil rights, including freedom of speech, religion, information, and association, as well as guaranteeing equality of nationalities.
Two
What gate in Berlin was reopened in 1989, having been obstructed and inaccessible during the Cold War?
Answer: Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate, a Berlin landmark, symbolises both Germany’s division and reunification. Built in the late 18th century, it was closed off during the Berlin Wall era and reopened in 1989, marking a pivotal moment in German history.
Three
In 1965, Doctor Zhivago premiered. Who played Larissa Ameliava Antipova in the film and whose 1957 novel was the film an adaption?
Answers: Julie Christie; Boris Pasternak
Doctor Zhivago, a 1965 American film directed by David Lean, is a sweeping adaptation of Boris Pasternak’s novel. The film, set against the backdrop of World War I and the Russian Revolution, follows the love story between physician and poet Yury Zhivago and Larissa Ameliava Antipova, ‘Lara’. Despite mixed reviews, the film became a box-office success, known for its grand scale, cinematography, and Maurice Jarre’s score. Boris Pasternak’s novel, Doctor Zhivago, although published in 1957, was banned in the Soviet Union until 1987.
Four
In 1894, Alfred Dreyfus, a French army officer, was sentenced to life imprisonment for treason and sent to Devil’s Island, a remote penal colony, to serve his sentence. Four years later, his case was the subject of a now-famous letter, *J’Accuse…!, *which was published in the French press. Where was Devil’s Island, and who wrote J’Accuse…!?
Answers: French Guiana; Émile Zola
The Devil’s Island penal colony, officially the penal colony of Cayenne, in French Guiana operated from 1852 to 1952. It was notorious for harsh treatment, high mortality rates, and the exile of political prisoners like Captain Dreyfus. Émile Zola’s open letter, J’Accuse…!, published in 1898, accused the French government of antisemitism and the unlawful jailing of Alfred Dreyfus. The letter, published in L’Aurore, sparked international outrage and led to Zola’s prosecution for libel. The letter heightened support for Dreyfus
Five
In 1941, two weeks after Pearl Harbor, the US president and British prime minister met in Washington DC to discuss World War II. Who were these two men?
Answers: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill
The First Washington Conference, attended by Roosevelt and Churchill, prioritised defeating Germany and established the Combined Chiefs of Staff. Allies committed to the Declaration by United Nations, vowing no separate peace and full resource utilisation.
Today’s five questions are on a government-related theme.
Parliament House, Canberra, Australia. Image Wikipedia
One
The parliament of what country is pictured above and in what city is it sited?
Answer: Australia; Canberra
Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, is the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia and houses the executive branch. It replaced Old Parliament House and was officially opened on 9 May 1988.
Two
How many individuals were president of the United States during the 20th century? (The answer is a number.)
Answer: 18
This list displays each president and their respective years in office.
William McKinley 1897–1901
Theodore Roosevelt 1901–1909
William Howard Taft 1909–1913
Woodrow Wilson 1913–1921
Warren G. Harding 1921–1923
Calvin Coolidge 1923–1929
Herbert Hoover 1929–1933
Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933–1945
Harry S. Truman 1945–1953
Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953–1961
John F. Kennedy 1961–1963
Lyndon B. Johnson 1963–1969
Richard Nixon 1969–1974
Gerald Ford 1974–1977
Jimmy Carter 1977–1981
Ronald Reagan 1981–1989
George H. W. Bush 1989–1993
Bill Clinton 1993–2001
Three
What building is located at 55, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France?
Answer: Élysée Palace
The Élysée Palace, completed in 1722, is the official residence of the French president. Located on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, its name derives from the Elysian Fields in Greek mythology.
Four
How many individuals were prime minister of the United Kingdom during the 20th Century? (The answer is a number.)
Answer: 20
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury 1895–1902
Arthur Balfour 1902–1905
Henry Campbell-Bannerman 1905–1908
H. H. Asquith 1908–1916
David Lloyd George 1916–1922
Andrew Bonar Law 1922–1923
Stanley Baldwin 1923–1924; 1924–1929; 1935–1937
Ramsay MacDonald 1924; 1929–1935
Neville Chamberlain 1937–1940
Winston Churchill 1940–1945; 1951–1955
Clement Attlee 1945–1951
Anthony Eden 1955–1957
Harold Macmillan 1957–1963
Alec Douglas-Home 1963–1964
Harold Wilson 1964–1970; 1974–1976
Edward Heath 1970–1974
James Callaghan 1976–1979
Margaret Thatcher 1979–1990
John Major 1990–1997
Tony Blair 1997–2007
Five
The National People’s Congress, the highest organ of state power in the People’s Republic of China, convenes annually for how many weeks?
Answer: Two weeks
The National People’s Congress (NPC) is the highest organ of state power in China, responsible for amending the Constitution, legislating, and overseeing government operations. It is a unicameral legislature with 2,977 members, elected for a five-year term, and operates under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. The NPC meets annually for two weeks, with most power delegated to its Standing Committee.
Quizology.Online 
