history – Page 27 – Quizology Online

Mysteries and Meanings: A Trivial Journey Through Mike—Quebec

Queequeg and his harpoon.
Image: Illustration from 1902 edition of *Moby Dick*/Wikipedia

M is for Mike. This nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion went on to race cars in the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship?
- Haggar
- Hailwood
- Hawthorn

N is for Natalie. She married actor Robert Wagner in 1957 and again in 1972?
- Walnut
- Willow
- Wood
O is for Operation. That was launched on 6 June 1944?
- Overarch
- Overlord
- Overtake
P is for Pygmalion. This musical and a 1960s film were based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion?
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
- Half a Sixpence
- My Fair Lady
Q if for Queequeg. Queequeg is a character in the 1851 novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, but who had a dog named Queequeg?
- Dana Scully
- Dr Doug Ross
- Ross Geller

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Game of thrones

The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

Queen Juliana.
4 September 1948 — 30 April 1980.
Image Wikipedia

On 30 April 2013, Willem-Alexander became king of the Netherlands after his mother’s abdication. Who was his mother?
- Beatrix—see #2 below.
Willem—Alexander’s mother (see question 1) had became queen on 30 April 1980, on the abdication of her mother. Who was the Dutch queen who abdicated in 1980?
- Juliana—Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 to 1980, managed the decolonisation of the Dutch East Indies and Suriname before abdicating in favour of her daughter Beatrix in 1980. Juliana passed away in 2004 at the age of 94. Beatrix, born in 1938, reigned from 1980 to 2013, during which time the Netherlands experienced significant changes in its Caribbean territories, including Aruba’s secession and the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. She abdicated in favour of her son, Willem-Alexander, in 2013.
  
  King Carl XVI Gustaf.
  Image Wikipedia
Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus, who was born on 30 April 1946, has been king of where since 1973?
- Sweden—Carl XVI Gustaf, born in 1946, is the longest-reigning King of Sweden, having ascended to the throne in 1973. He married Silvia Sommerlath in 1976 and has three children: Victoria, Carl Philip and Madeleine
  
  King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile.
  Image Wikipedia
Today in 1492, Christopher Columbus was given his commission of exploration. Which monarchs issued this commission?
- King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile—After Ferdinand and Isabella conquered Granada they initially believed Columbus’s proposal to sail westwards to the Indies implausible but Ferdinand convinced Isabella to support Columbus’s voyage, promising him titles, revenues and commercial interests in the new lands he might discover.
  
  Wives of Henry VIII.
  Image Wikipedia
Nothing to do with the date. England’s Henry VIII and how many of his wives were related by a single common ancestor?
- Henry VIII plus six of his wives—were descended from Edward I of England. Henry VIII, born on 28 June 1491, reigned as King of England from 1509 to 1547. Known for his six marriages, he sought to annul his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon, leading to the English Reformation. Declaring himself Supreme Head of the Church of England, he dissolved convents and monasteries, resulting in excommunication. Legal attempts failed, with Cardinal Campeggio thwarting a trial in 1529, leading to Wolsey’s downfall. Thomas More, opposing the divorce, succeeded Wolsey but couldn’t resolve the issue. Thomas Cromwell emerged in 1532, orchestrating the church’s separation from Rome, allowing Henry to marry Anne Boleyn and have his first marriage annulled.

Game of thrones

Here are a few questions (most of) which are related to today’s date, 30 April.

On 30 April 2013, Willem-Alexander became king of the Netherlands after his mother’s abdication. Who was his mother? Annie—Beatrix—Catharina
Willem-Alexander’s mother (see question 1) had became queen on 30 April 1980, on the abdication of her mother. Who was the Dutch queen who abdicated in 1980? Jasmijn—Jolanda—Juliana
Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus, who was born on 30 April 1946, has been king of where since 1973? Denmark—Belgium—Sweden
Today in 1492, Christopher Columbus was given his commission of exploration. Which monarchs issued this commission? King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile—Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Empress Eleanor of Portugal—King Manuel I the fortunate and Queen Isabella of Aragon

Henry VIII.
Image Wikipedia
Nothing to do with the date. England’s Henry VIII and how many of his wives were related by a single common ancestor? Henry VIII plus two of his wives—Henry VIII plus four of his wives—Henry VIII plus six of his wives

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

From Springfield to the Führerbunker | Answers

The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

Marshal Matt Dillon, Gunsmoke.
Image Wikipedia

The Simpsons aired its 636th episode on 29 April 2018, becoming the longest-running scripted prime-time show in the US. What show had held the record until then?
- Gunsmoke—The Simpsons, created by Matt Groening, became the longest-running American scripted primetime television series in 2009–2010 and surpassed Gunsmoke as the show with the most episodes in 2018. It is also the highest-ranking animated series on TV Time’s top 50 most followed shows. The show, which centres on the dysfunctional Simpson family in the fictional town of Springfield, has significantly influenced popular culture by introducing catchphrases and expanding into comic books, video games and a feature film.
  
  Jeanne d’Arc at the Siege of Orléans by Jules Eugène Lenepveu, painted 1886–
  1890.
  Image Wikipedia
On today’s date in 1429, Joan of Arc and her troops relieved what besieged city?
- Orléans—The siege of Orléans, a crucial event in the Hundred Years’ War, began with English forces under Thomas de Montacute, earl of Salisbury, attempting to capture the French city. Following Salisbury’s death, William de la Pole, earl of Suffolk, took over the siege. However, the arrival of Joan of Arc in April 1429 forced the English to abandon the siege, marking a turning point that allowed the French to regain momentum and recapture lost territories.
  
  Obersalzberg- Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun with dogs (German Shepherd Dog “Blondi”?) at the Berghof, 1942
  Image Wikipedia
Who did Adolf Hitler marry on 29 April 1945?
- Eva Braun—In April 1945, Eva Braun defied Hitler’s orders to join him in Berlin, determined to remain with him until the end. In recognition of her loyalty, Hitler married her in a civil ceremony in the Chancellery bunker on April 29. The following day, as the situation in Berlin worsened, both Hitler and Braun committed suicide. Hitler either poisoned or shot himself, and Braun took poison. Their bodies were subsequently burned.
  
  Captain James Cook
  Portrait by William Hodges.
  Image Wikipedia
On this date in 1770, which explorer arrived in and named Botany Bay in Australia?
- James Cook—Endeavour continued northwards along the coastline, keeping the land in sight. As Cook charted and named landmarks, the crew made their first landfall on the continent on 29 April at a beach now known as Silver Beach on Botany Bay (Kamay Botany Bay National Park).
  
  Jerry Seinfeld, Late Show 2019.
  Image Wikipedia
Jerry Seinfeld, the star of the TV show Seinfeld, was born on April 29, 1954. Where was he born?
- Brooklyn, New York, NY—Jerry Seinfeld, an American comedian, actor, writer and producer from Brooklyn, New York, is renowned for his observational humour. He rose to fame with the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which he co-created with Larry David and starred in from 1989 to 1998. The show became a landmark in American popular culture and a cultural phenomenon, showcasing Seinfeld’s unique comedic style. Since then, he has created and produced several other series and films.

From Springfield to the Führerbunker

Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 29 April.

The Simpsons aired its 636th episode on 29 April 2018, becoming the longest-running scripted prime-time show in the US. What show had held the record until then?
- Family Guy
- Grey’s Anatomy
- Gunsmoke
On today’s date in 1429, Joan of Arc and her troops relieved what besieged city?
- Orléans
- Reims
- Tours
Who did Adolf Hitler marry on 29 April 1945?
- Eva Braun
- Elke Grün
- Ella Schwarz
On this date in 1770, which explorer arrived in and named Botany Bay in Australia?
- James Cook
- Willem Janszoon
- Abel Tasman
Jerry Seinfeld, the star of the TV show Seinfeld, was born on April 29, 1954. Where was he born?
- Bethesda, Maryland
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Brooklyn, New York

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Who, What, When, Where, Why and How III | Answers

(Left to right, per Getty Image crediting): Ed Pollack, Albert Wynn, Thomas A. Dorsey, Ma Rainey, Dave Nelson and Gabriel Washington in 1923.
Image Wikipedia

Who, born 26 April 1886, in Columbus, Georgia, US; performed as Ma Rainey and was known as the “Mother of the blues”?
- Gertrude Pridgett—Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, the “Mother of the Blues”, was a pioneering blues singer who began her career in vaudeville. Her powerful voice and flamboyant performances helped popularise the blues, influencing generations of singers.
  
  Mount Ventoux.
  Image Wikipedia
What best describes Petrarch who climbed Mount Ventoux today in 1336 and, at some point, wrote about it?
- Poet—Francis Petrarch, a prominent scholar and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, climbed Mont Ventoux in 1336. Inspired by the climb and a reading of Saint Augustine’s “Confessions,” Petrarch reflected on the true nature of wonder, shifting his focus from the external world to the inner soul.
  
  The seal of the London Company, also known as the Charter of the Virginia Company of London.
  Image Wikipedia
When did the Virginia Company colonists make landfall at Cape Henry?
- 1607—The Virginia Company, chartered by [Britain’s] King James I in 1606, aimed to colonise America’s eastern coast and established the Jamestown Colony in Virginia. Despite initial challenges, John Rolfe’s introduction of sweeter tobacco strains from the Caribbean improved the company’s prospects. The company also founded America’s first legislature, the General Assembly, in 1619. However, it was dissolved in 1624 after the Great Massacre, leading to Virginia becoming a royal colony.
  
  Wreckage of Messerschmitt Bf 110D flown by Rudolf Hess, Bonnyton Moor, Scotland.
  Image Wikipedia
Where, during World War II, was senior Nazi Rudolf Hess—born today in 1894—captured?
- Scotland—Rudolf Hess, a German National Socialist and Adolf Hitler’s deputy, flew to Scotland in 1941 to negotiate a peace between Britain and Germany. His proposals were rejected by both the British government and Hitler, who accused him of “pacifist delusions”. After the war, Hess was tried at the Nuremberg trials, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He served his sentence at Spandau prison in Berlin, where he was the sole inmate from 1966 onwards.
  
  The Hull-Ottawa fire, 26 April 1900.
  Image Wikipedia
Why were thousands of people in Canada left without a home on this date in 1900?
- Fire—In 1900, a fire caused by a defective chimney in Hull, Quebec, spread to Ottawa, Ontario, destroying two-thirds of Hull and one-fifth of Ottawa. The fire, fuelled by wind and lumber, caused significant property damage and loss of life, with seven people being killed in the conflagration which displaced 15,000 people.
How did John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln, die?
- Gunshot—Following Lincoln’s assassination, John Wilkes Booth fled to southern Maryland, seeking refuge with Confederate sympathisers. After a failed attempt to cross the Potomac, Booth was shot and killed in a tobacco barn by Sergeant Boston Corbett.

“The killing of Booth, the assassin—the dying murderer drawn from the barn where he had taken refuge, on Garrett’s farm, near Port Royal, Va., April 26, 1865.” (*Frank Leslie’s Illustrated News*)
Image Wikipedia

Who, What, When, Where, Why and How III

A “Who, What, When, Where, Why and How” which all relate to today, 26 April.

Who, born 26 April 1886, in Columbus, Georgia, US; performed as Ma Rainey and was known as the “Mother of the blues”?
- Beatrice Rutledge
- Gertrude Pridgett
- Hortense Gwinnett
What best describes Petrarch, who climbed Mount Ventoux today in 1336 and, at some point, wrote about it?
- Poet
- Politician
- Pundit
When did the Virginia Company colonists make landfall at Cape Henry?
- 1557
- 1607
- 1657
Where, during World War II, was senior Nazi Rudolf Hess—born today in 1894—captured?
- Scotland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Why were twelve thousand people in Canada left without a home on this date in 1900?
- Avalanche
- Fire
- Flood
How did John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln, die?
- Hanging
- Gunshot
- Drowning

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Three Kings | Answers

Here, in bold, are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

April.

The flag shown above is from a country where voting began on 23 April 1993, in a UN-monitored referendum to make its independence official. The country is…
- Eritrea—Eritrea, located in the Horn of Africa on the Red Sea, gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a nearly 30-year war. It is a multi-ethnic nation with nine recognised ethnic groups, primarily Tigrinya and Tigre, and is one of the least developed countries globally. Eritrea is a unitary one-party presidential republic, and its capital and largest city is Asmara.
  
  Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
  Image Wikipedia
On this day in 1998, James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin who had killed Martin Luther King, Jr., died in prison in the United States. Where had he assassinated King?
- Memphis, Tennessee—Martin Luther King Jr., a leading civil rights figure, was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on 4 April 1968, leading to widespread riots. James Earl Ray, a career criminal, initially pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in prison but later recanted, alleging a conspiracy. The King family also believes the assassination was part of a government conspiracy.
  
  Battle of Clontarf [1014] by Hugh Frazer, 1826.
  Image Wikipedia
Today in 1014, the Battle of Clontarf took place, where the High King Brian Boru defeated Viking invaders but was killed in battle. Brian Boru was the king of…
- Ireland—The Battle of Clontarf, fought on 23 April 1014 near Dublin, was a significant conflict between Brian Boru’s Irish forces and a coalition of Leinster, Dublin, and Vikings. Despite heavy casualties on both sides, including the deaths of Brian, his son, and grandson, as well as the opposing leaders, the battle marked a turning point in the decline of Viking power in Ireland and solidified Brian’s legacy as a prominent figure in Irish history.
  
  Drink Coca-Cola 5¢”, an 1890s advertising poster.
  Image Wikipedia
On this day in 1985, a company replaced its tried-and-tested product with a new version. However, in the face of public backlash, they were forced to revert to the original within months. What company?
- Coca-Cola—In April 1985, Coca-Cola introduced a new flavour, New Coke, to combat declining market share, following a formula developed through taste tests. Despite initial taste tests showing most consumers preferred New Coke over both the original Coke and Pepsi, the company faced significant public backlash due to nostalgia for the original taste. Consequently, Coca-Cola reverted to the original formula on 10 July 1985, marketing it as Coca-Cola Classic. New Coke continued to be available, was renamed Coke II in 1992, and was eventually discontinued in 2002.
  
  Ethelred the Unready, circa 968-1016. Illuminated manuscript, The Chronicle of Abindon, c.1220. MS Cott. Claude B.VI folio 87, verso, The British Library.
  Image Wikipedia
On 23 April 1016, King Ethelred II of England passed away. What was his epithet?
- Ethelred the Unready—Ethelred II, known as Ethelred the Unready— was King of the English from 978 to 1013 and again from 1014 until his death in 1016. His 37-year reign, the longest of any Anglo-Saxon English king, was marked by conflict with the Danes, including the St Brice’s Day massacre and the Danegeld tribute. As an ineffectual ruler, he failed to prevent Danish invasions, leading to distrust, disloyalty, and failed attempts to buy peace, ultimately resulting in his exile in 1013.

Three Kings

Here are a few questions related to today’s date, 23 April.

The flag shown above is from a country where voting began on 23 April 1993, in a UN-monitored referendum to make its independence official. The country is…
- Eritrea
- South Sudan
- Eswatini
On this day in 1998, James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin who had killed Martin Luther King, Jr., died in prison in the United States. Where had he assassinated King?
- Montgomery, Alabama
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Macon, Georgia
Today in 1014, the Battle of Clontarf took place, where the High King Brian Boru defeated Viking invaders but was killed in battle. Brian Boru was the king of…
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Wales
On this day in 1985, a company replaced its tried-and-tested product with a new version. However, in the face of public backlash, they were forced to revert to the original within months. What company?
- Budweiser
- Coca-Cola
- McDonald’s
On 23 April 1016, King Ethelred II of England passed away. What was his epithet?
- Ethelred the Unready
- Ethelred the Unsteady
- Ethelred the Unwieldy

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Voyage of Discovery | Answers

The answers to the questions I posted earlier are shown in bold below.

On 22 April 1500, Pedro Álvares Cabral, a Portuguese navigator, is credited as the first European to reach…
- Brazil—Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral sighted the mainland of South America near the present-day city of Pôrto Seguro, Brazil.
  
  Blue Marble photograph taken by the crew of Apollo 17.
  Image NASA/Wikipedia
Earth Day was first celebrated today in…
- 1970—Earth Day, celebrated annually on 22 April, is a global event that honours environmental achievements and promotes sustainability. It originated in the US in 1970, organised by Gaylord Nelson and Denis Hayes, involving 20 million Americans and leading to significant environmental legislation. Today, it is observed worldwide with various activities addressing environmental concerns like climate change, involving a billion people in over 193 countries, with notable milestones such as the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2016.
  
  The First German Gas Attack at Ypres by William Roberts.
  Image Wikipedia
Where was modern chemical warfare initiated on 22 April 1915?
- Belgium—Chemical weapons have a long history, dating back to ancient times when warring forces poisoned water supplies. However, they became true weapons of mass destruction during World War I with the introduction of modern chemical warfare by the German army by launching a chlorine attack at Ypres, Belgium, on 22 April 1915, killing 5,000 French and Algerian troops.
  
  Vladimir Nabokov.
  Image Wikipedia
All of these Americans were born on 22 April, but who was born first?
- Vladimir Nabokov, author—was born in 1899; Oppenheimer, 1904, and Nicholson, 1937. Vladimir Nabokov, a Russian-born American novelist and critic, wrote in both Russian and English, achieving international acclaim for his English-language works such as Lolita and Pale Fire.
  
  Hernán Cortés.
  Image Wikipedia
On this day in 1519, a Spanish conquistador established a settlement at Veracruz, Mexico. Who was he?
- Hernán Cortés—a Spanish conquistador, led an expedition from 1519 to 1521 that overthrew the Aztec Empire in Mexico, bringing much of mainland Mexico under Spanish rule. He strategically allied with local tribes, particularly the Tlaxcaltecs, who resented Aztec dominance, and used a native interpreter to aid his efforts. Despite defying orders from the governor of Cuba, Cortés’s leadership and the Aztecs’ internal conflicts resulted in the conquest of Tenochtitlán in 1521. For his achievements, he was awarded the title of marqués del Valle de Oaxaca.