All of the questions today relate to the date, April 20th.
One
In 1968, Pierre Trudeau became prime minister of Canada. What political party did he represent?
Two
In 2008, the IndyCar Japan race was won by a female driver, the first time a woman had won an IndyCar event. Who was this driver?
Three
In 1968, the Conservative Member of Parliament and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, Enoch Powell, made a speech which was about immigration. He referred to it as his ‘Birmingham Speech’, but it came to be known by what three words?
Four
Who, on 20 April 1534, sailed from France with a Royal Commission to find a western passage to India?
Five
In 1152, after an eight-year conflict, Baldwin III of … won sole control of the Kingdom of … from his mother Melisandre. What one word fills both the gaps in the preceding sentence?
On 19 April 1999, in politics, what returned to Berlin for the first time in almost fifty years, and where had it returned from?
Answers: Bundestag; Bonn.
The first German Bundestag, the West German parliament, convened in Bonn on 7 September 1949. The Bundestag remained in Bonn until after reunification of Germany, when it returned to Berlin on 19 April 1999.
Two
In 1775, during the opening stages of a revolutionary war, a city was besieged for eleven months from April 19th. What city?
Answer: Boston.
The Siege of Boston (1775-1776) marked the start of the American Revolutionary War. American forces, led by George Washington, besieged the British Army in Boston, ultimately forcing their retreat to Nova Scotia after eleven months.
Three
Observed on April 19th, a celebratory day remembering an experiment where a chemist intentionally ingested LSD, documented it and then went home. What is the day called?
Answer: Bicycle Day.
On 19 April 1943, a few days after accidentally discovering LSD’s effects, which he believed had potential in psychiatry and neurology, Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann intentionally ingested it and documented the first acid trip. After this experiment, he cycled home, leading to the observance of Bicycle Day, as Encyclopædia Britannica comments, ‘And now April 19 is observed as Bicycle Day—mostly by LSD enthusiasts, not cyclists’.
Four
A poet and playwright who died this day in 1824, first became a celebrity with the publication of the first two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage in 1812. Who is this poet?
Answer: Byron.
George Gordon Byron, a prominent British Romantic poet, is renowned for works like Don Juan and Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. He lived in Italy for seven years, befriending Percy Bysshe Shelley, and later joined the Greek War of Independence, becoming a folk hero before his death at 36. Byron, along with Shelley and Keats, was a major figure in the second generation of English Romantic writers and was a literary celebrity known for both his poetry and personality.
Five
IIn 2011, Fidel Castro resigned from Cuba’s Communist Party central committee. The following March, in his role as an elder statesman, Castro briefly met a visiting dignitary, the sixteenth of the name. Who was this dignitary?
Answer: (Pope) Benedict XVI.
On 19 April 2011, Castro resigned from the Communist Party central committee, thus stepping down as First Secretary. Raúl was selected as his successor. Now without any official role in the country’s government, he took on the role of an elder statesman. In late March 2012, Pope Benedict XVI visited Cuba for three days, during which time he briefly met with Castro despite the Pope’s vocal opposition to Cuba’s government.
Bits and Bobs
The title is simply another way of saying bits and pieces, an assortment. It was chosen as the title as all the answers begin with the letter B.
On 19 April 1999, in politics, what returned to Berlin for the first time in almost fifty years, and where had it returned from?
Two
In 1775, during the opening stages of a revolutionary war, a city was besieged for eleven months from April 19th. What city?
Three
Observed on April 19th, a celebratory day remembering an experiment where a chemist intentionally ingested LSD, documented it and then went home. What is the day called?
Four
A poet and playwright who died this day in 1824, first became a celebrity with the publication of the first two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage in 1812. Who is this poet?
Five
IIn 2011, Fidel Castro resigned from Cuba’s Communist Party central committee. The following March, in his role as an elder statesman, Castro briefly met a visiting dignitary, the sixteenth of the name. Who was this dignitary?
In 2019, the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris was very badly damaged by fire. On what island is the cathedral located?
Answer: Île de la Cité.
Notre-Dame de Paris, a medieval Catholic cathedral on Île de la Cité, in the River Seine, exemplifies French Gothic architecture with its rib vaults, flying buttresses, and rose windows. Construction began in 1163, completed by 1260, and it underwent restorations, notably after Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame inspired interest. Damaged in a 2019 fire, it reopened in 2024. A symbol of Paris, it was a minor basilica since 1805 and attracts 12 million visitors annually. Owned by the French government, it houses significant relics.
Two
On this day, the RMS Titanic sank two hours and forty minutes after hitting an iceberg. During her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York, USA, which two ports did she visit?
Answer: Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown, Ireland (now Cobh).
The RMS Titanic sank on 15 April 1912 after hitting an iceberg on 14 April, during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. With over 2,200 on board, up to 1,635 died, making it a deadly maritime disaster. Despite seven ice warnings, Titanic travelled at 22 knots. Her inadequate lifeboat system left many without refuge. RMS Carpathia rescued 710 survivors. The tragedy led to global outrage and the 1914 SOLAS convention for maritime safety.
Three
What event prompted the opening of parts of Buckingham Palace to the public for paid tours?
Answer: Windsor Castle fire (1992).
On 20 November 1992, a major fire broke out in Windsor Castle, affecting over 100 rooms, including St George’s Hall and the Grand Reception Room. Over 200 firefighters controlled the blaze after 15 hours. While much of the Royal Collection was saved, some significant works were lost. The fire led to public debate on royal funding, prompting Queen Elizabeth II to pay income tax. Restoration, completed in 1997, cost £36.5 million and was led by Donald Insall Associates. The fire occurred during what the Queen later described as her annus horribilis.
Four
In 1626, 20,000 people died when a factory in Wanggongchang, China exploded destroying part of the city. What was the factory manufacturing?
Answer: Gunpowder.
The Wanggongchang Explosion occurred on May 30, 1626, in Beijing, killing around 20,000 people. Located 3 km southwest of the Forbidden City, it was a major gunpowder production centre. The cause remains uncertain, but it was a key storage facility for the Shenjiying defending the capital.
Five
During what 1979 yachting race, with a course of 605 miles, did a storm in the Celtic Sea cause 21 fatalities?
Answer: Fastnet Race.
The 1979 Fastnet Race, the 28th edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s event, was a 605-nautical-mile course from Cowes to Fastnet Rock and Plymouth, marking the Admiral’s Cup climax. A severe windstorm on the third day caused chaos, resulting in 21 fatalities—15 yachtsmen and 6 spectators—on 14 August in the Celtic Sea. The largest peace-time rescue operation involved 4,000 people, including the Irish Naval Service, lifeboats, commercial boats, and helicopters.
Annus Horribilis
The post title is related to how Queen Elizabeth II referred to 1992. Not only was Windsor Castle the scene of a large fire but she also had the domestic problems of three of her children to contend with and said
1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an annus horribilis.
In 2019, the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris was very badly damaged by fire. On what island is the cathedral located?
Two
On this day, the RMS Titanic sank two hours and forty minutes after hitting an iceberg. During her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York, USA, which two ports did she visit?
Three
What event prompted the opening of parts of Buckingham Palace to the public for paid tours?
Four
In 1626, 20,000 people died when a factory in Wanggongchang, China exploded destroying part of the city. What was the factory manufacturing?
Five
During what 1979 yachting race, with a course of 605 miles, did a storm in the Celtic Sea cause 21 fatalities?
Ravi Shankar, an Indian musician and composer born in Varanasi, India on 7 April 1920, fathered a daughter in 1979. This daughter, a singer-songwriter and composer, is described by Wikipedia as blending jazz with country, blues, folk and pop. His younger daughter, Anoushka Shankar, born in 1981, is a sitarist and composer, and both daughters have won Grammy Awards. Who is the elder of his daughters?
Answer: Norah Jones.
Pandit Ravi Shankar, a renowned Indian sitarist and composer, popularised Indian classical music worldwide. He collaborated with Western musicians, such as the Beatles’ George Harrison and Yehudi Menuhin, influencing the use of Indian instruments in pop music. Shankar received numerous awards, including the Bharat Ratna and four Grammy Awards.
Two
What item of missing equipment did Spanish authorities find for the U.S. military in 1966?
Answer: Nuclear Bomb (Hydrogen Bomb).
Spanish authorities recovered a hydrogen bomb from the Mediterranean in 1966. The bomb had fallen from a U.S. B-52 after a collision with an airborne refuelling tanker, killing seven airmen.
Three
In 1939, the Albanian king went into exile after Albania became a protectorate of another nation. Who was the king? Which country declared the protectorate, and who was the prime minister of that country at the time?
Answers: King Zog; Italy and Benito Mussolini.
Appointed Prime Minister in 1922, Mussolini established a one-party dictatorship, later aspiring to a totalitarian state. His foreign policy, driven by the doctrine of spazio vitale, led to the annexation of Albania, Fiume and Ethiopia.
Four
On this day, Attila the Hun captured Metz, France, setting fire to the town and killing most of the townspeople. In what century did this occur?
Answer: 5th century.
Metz, originally ruled by the Celtic Mediomatrici tribe, became a prominent Roman town known for its trade, wine exports, and impressive infrastructure like the aqueduct and amphitheatre. The city faced invasions from Germanic tribes in the 3rd century and was eventually conquered by the Franks.
Five
Actor Russell Crowe was born this day in 1964. For what film did he win his Academy Award, and what was his character’s name in the film?
Answers: Gladiator; Maximus Decimus Meridius.
Russell Crowe, an actor and film director, is known for his intense performances and has earned numerous accolades, including an Academy Award. He gained international recognition in the late 1990s and starred in films like Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, and Robin Hood. Crowe co-owns the National Rugby League team South Sydney Rabbitohs.
West Meets East
The post title is from an album title of a 1967 collaboration between Ravi Shankar and violinist Yehudi Menuhin.
Ravi Shankar, an Indian musician and composer born in Varanasi, India on 7 April 1920, fathered a daughter in 1979. This daughter, a singer-songwriter and composer, is described by Wikipedia as blending jazz with country, blues, folk and pop. His younger daughter, Anoushka Shankar, born in 1981, is a sitarist and composer, and both daughters have won Grammy Awards. Who is the elder of his daughters?
Two
What item of missing equipment did Spanish authorities find for the U.S. military in 1966?
Three
In 1939, the Albanian king went into exile after Albania became a protectorate of another nation. Who was the king? Which country declared the protectorate, and who was the prime minister of that country at the time?
Four
On this day, Attila the Hun captured Metz, France, setting fire to the town and killing most of the townspeople. In what century did this occur?
Five
Actor Russell Crowe was born this day in 1964. For what film did he win his Academy Award, and what was his character’s name in the film?
The Declaration of Arbroath. The ‘Tyninghame’ copy National Library of Scotland Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question concerns a national declaration and is linked to today’s date, April 6th. The other questions aren’t date-related but continue the declaration theme with some slightly more modern examples.
One
On this day in 1320, the Declaration of Arbroath was signed. It declared and asserted the independence of which nation?
Answer: Scotland.
The Declaration of Arbroath, written in 1320 by Scottish barons and addressed to Pope John XXII, asserted Scotland’s independence and right to self-defence against English subjugation. Believed to have been written by Bernard of Kilwinning, it was sealed by fifty-one magnates and nobles and remained largely unknown until the late 17th century when it was printed and translated into English. The Declaration strengthened Robert the Bruce’s position, and although he secured independence through the Treaty of Northampton in 1328, his successor faced the same struggle.
Two
In 1918, Estonia declared independence after the collapse of one empire and before a second invasion. Which empires were they?
Answer: Russian Empire and German Empire.
Following the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, Estonia declared independence on 24 February 1918, forming the Estonian Provisional Government. German occupation followed, but they relinquished power to the Estonian government on 19 November 1918 after their surrender at the end of the First World War.
Three
A 1965 Declaration of Independence, which was the first unilateral break from the United Kingdom by one of its colonies since the United States in 1776, was made by what colony? Secondly, what is that former colony now known as?
Answer: Rhodesia; Zimbabwe.
Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965, a move by the white minority government to break away from British rule, was deemed illegal by the UK, Commonwealth, and UN. This led to international isolation and economic sanctions, with Rhodesia receiving support from South Africa and Portugal. The conflict escalated into the Rhodesian Bush War, ultimately leading to the country’s reconstitution as Zimbabwe in 1980.
Four
In 1822 and in 1877, Greece and Romania both declared their independence from the same empire. What was that empire?
Answer: Ottoman Empire.
Greek merchants, inspired by the Modern Greek Enlightenment, promoted Greek nationalism, leading to the Greek War of Independence with the Ottomans. With assistance from France, Russian Empire and the United Kingdom, the Greeks gained control of Central Greece, resulting in the recognition of the Greek state in 1830. Meanwhile, Romania achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78) by signing a treaty with Russia and joining the Russian Army in the fight against the Ottomans.
Five
In 1918, Czechoslovakia declared independence form what empire?
Answer: Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The Czechoslovak Declaration of Independence published on 18 October 1918, declared the independence of the Czechoslovak Nation from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This empire had encompassed the Czech and Slovak lands for nearly four centuries and its downfall followed World War I.
The Declaration of Arbroath. The ‘Tyninghame’ copy Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question concerns a national declaration and is linked to today’s date, April 6th. The other questions aren’t date-related but continue the declaration theme with some slightly more modern examples.
One
On this day in 1320, the Declaration of Arbroath was signed. It declared and asserted the independence of which nation?
Two
In 1918, Estonia declared independence after the collapse of one empire and before a second invasion. Which empires were they?
Three
A 1965 Declaration of Independence, which was the first unilateral break from the United Kingdom by one of its colonies since the United States in 1776, was made by what colony? Secondly, what is that former colony now known as?
Four
In 1822 and in 1877, Greece and Romania both declared their independence from the same empire. What was that empire?
Five
In 1918, Czechoslovakia declared independence form what empire?
See question three. Aerial view of the New York City metropolitan area. Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question concerns an island and is linked to today’s date, April 5th. The other questions aren’t date-related but continue the island theme including a wee bonus at the end.
One
On 5 April 1946, Soviet military forces ended their year-long occupation of what island in the Baltic Sea?
Answer: Bornholm, Denmark.
On 9 May 1945, Soviet forces captured Bornholm after German commander Gerhard von Kamptz refused to surrender, preferring the Western Allies. Soviet air raids destroyed over 800 houses and killed 10 civilians. The Soviet Union occupied Bornholm for 11 months post-World War II, despite its location east of the agreed East-West dividing line. Initially seen as a bargaining chip for Soviet influence in Denmark, the occupation aimed to secure Western goodwill and focus resources on the war with Japan and Eastern Europe’s reconstruction. The Soviets withdrew on 5 April 1946, reinforcing Denmark’s alignment with the west.
Not date related anymore but continuing the island theme.
Two
Of what island nation is Antananarivo the capital city?
Answer: Madagascar.
Madagascar, the fourth largest island, is situated off the southeastern coast of Africa. Although close to Africa, its population, language, and culture are more akin to Indonesia, while its unique wildlife and vegetation differ significantly from the continent. As an island nation in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is celebrated for its unique biodiversity due to its long isolation. It gained independence from France in 1960 but has since faced political instability, transitioning through four republics. Despite economic growth, Madagascar remains a least-developed country with notable income disparities and a low quality of life for many.
New York City’s Five Boroughs: 1. Manhattan; 2. Brooklyn; 3. Queens; 4. The Bronx and 5. Staten Island. JFK and La Guardia Airports are shown (brown) in lower and upper Queens. Image Wikimedia Commons
Three
Brooklyn and Queens, two of New York’s five boroughs, are mainly located on what island?
Answer: Long Island.
Brooklyn and Queens are both at the western end of Long Island. The Bronx is the only borough mostly on the mainland. The remaining boroughs are Manhattan, chiefly on Manhattan Island, and Staten Island.
Four
What two distinct islands are home to the Althing and the Tynwald, the oldest legislatures in the world?
Answers: Iceland; Isle of Man.
Guinness World Records describe the Althing and the Tynwald thus…
The oldest recorded legislative body is the Icelandic Althing, founded in AD930. This body, which originally comprised 39 local chieftains at Thingvellir, was abolished in 1800 but restored by Denmark to a consultative status in 1843 and a legislative status in 1874. It is often cited as the oldest existing parliament. However, the legislative assembly with the oldest continuous history is the Isle of Man Tynwald, which may have its origins in the late ninth century and hence possibly pre-date the Althing. — Guinness World Records
Easter Island, a special territory of Chile in the eastern Pacific Ocean, is renowned for its nearly 1,000 moai statues created by the early Rapa Nui people. Originally called Rapa Nui, the island has a mixed population predominantly of Polynesian descent. In 1995, UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage Site, with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park.
Islands in the Stream
Today’s post title managed to top the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 as well as several other national charts in 1983-84. What performer(s) achieved this success, and who wrote the song?
Answer: Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton; (songwriters were) Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.
Islands in the Stream, a Bee Gees song recorded by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Country and Adult Contemporary charts. It was certified triple Platinum by the RIAA.
