Quizology.Online

Tag: literature

  • A Drop in the Ocean — Answers

    Here’s the answers to my earlier questions.
    All of today’s questions are related to the date, April 28th.

    Kon-Tiki, on display inside the Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    In 1947, Thor Heyerdahl set sail in Kon-tiki, a handmade balsa wood raft, in an attempt to reach the islands of Polynesia. From what country did he set out?

    Answer: Peru.

    Thor Heyerdahl and five companions sailed the Kon-Tiki raft from South America to Polynesia in 1947, demonstrating the possibility of ancient American colonisation. The Kon-Tiki expedition, led by Heyerdahl, aimed to prove that pre-Columbian South Americans could have reached Polynesia by raft. Funded by private loans and equipment donations, the expedition successfully sailed 6,900 km across the Pacific Ocean in 101 days. Although Heyerdahl’s hypothesis of a Caucasian people reaching Polynesia has been rejected, the journey’s feasibility was demonstrated. The Kon-Tiki is now preserved in a museum in Oslo.

    Two

    In 1923, Wembley Stadium opened in London. What was it initially named?

    Answer: Empire Stadium.

    The original Wembley Stadium, or Empire Stadium, in London, was a renowned football venue that hosted the FA Cup final, the 1966 World Cup final, and Euro 1996. Demolished in 2003, it also hosted five European Cup finals, two European Cup Winners’ Cup finals and the 1948 Summer Olympics. Wembley was a key rugby league venue, hosting the Challenge Cup Final from 1929, and it also welcomed various sports, including speedway, stock car racing and American football. It hosted events such as the Horse of the Year Show, Live Aid, and concerts by Michael Jackson, Queen and U2, and is linked to an urban legend about a buried locomotive.

    Three

    Born in 1758, the fifth president of the United States is commemorated by a city at these coordinates: 6°18′48″N 10°48′5″W. Which city is it and in which country is it situated?

    Answer: Monrovia, Liberia.

    Monrovia, Liberia’s capital, sits on the Atlantic coast and serves as a political, administrative, economic and cultural centre. Established in 1822 by the American Colonisation Society as a settlement for formerly enslaved and freeborn African Americans, it was named after James Monroe and became the capital in 1847. The city’s population reached 1.76 million in 2022 with the metropolitan area exceeding 2.2 million.

    Four

    Born in 1948, Terry Pratchett is best known for a series of novels which began in 1983 with The Colour of Magic, and introduced Great A’Tuin, Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen. In the prologue of The Colour of Magic… 

    1. What one word describes Great A’Tuin? 
    2. What are Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen?

    Answers

    1. Turtle
    2. Elephants

    Wikipedia describes Discworld as follows

    The Discworld is the fictional world where English writer Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld fantasy novels take place. It consists of an interstellar planet-sized disc, which sits on the backs of four huge elephants, themselves standing on the back of a world turtle, named Great A’Tuin, as it slowly swims through space.

    Five

    A piece of paper found in China in 1986 has been dated to which century: Second century BCE; First century CE or Third century CE?

    Answer: Second century BCE.

    In 1986, archaeologists discovered over 400 artefacts in nearly 2,000-year-old Chinese tombs, including the world’s oldest surviving paper map fragment. Found in Fangmatan, Gansu Province, this second-century BCE map forced a rewrite of paper-making history.

  • A Drop in the Ocean


    All of today’s questions are related to the date, April 28th.

    Kon-Tiki, on display inside the Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    In 1947, Thor Heyerdahl set sail in Kon-tiki, a handmade balsa wood raft, in an attempt to reach the islands of Polynesia. From what country did he set out?

    Two

    In 1923, Wembley Stadium opened in London. What was it initially named?

    Three

    Born in 1758, the fifth president of the United States is commemorated by a city at these coordinates: 6°18′48″N 10°48′5″W. Which city is it and in which country is it situated?

    Four

    Born in 1948, Terry Pratchett is best known for a series of novels which began in 1983 with The Colour of Magic, and introduced Great A’Tuin, Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen. In the prologue of The Colour of Magic… 

    1. What one word describes Great A’Tuin? 
    2. What are Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen?

    Five

    A piece of paper found in China in 1986 has been dated to which century: Second century BCE; First century CE or Third century CE?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • The Eyes Have It — Answers

    Here are today’s answers.

    Five random questions today.

    Io.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    1 Greek mythology a priestess of Hera who was loved by Zeus. Trying to protect her from the jealousy of Hera, Zeus turned [her] into a heifer. Hera sent a gadfly to torture the heifer, which then fled across the world and finally reached Egypt, where Zeus turned her back into human form.
    2 Astronomy one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter, the fifth-closest satellite to the planet, being actively volcanic and coloured red and yellow with sulphur compounds (diameter 3,630 km.
    — Oxford English Dictionary 

    The above entry in the Oxford English Dictionary defines what word?

    Answer: Io.

    Io, a mortal lover of Zeus, was a princess whose descendants included Perseus and Heracles. Named after this princess, Io, the innermost Galilean moon of Jupiter, is the most geologically active object in the Solar System, with over 400 active volcanoes.

    Two

    Cato Fong is the manservant of which fictional inspector?

    Answer: Inspector Clouseau.

    Cato, Clouseau’s manservant and martial arts expert, is known for unexpectedly attacking Clouseau to keep his skills sharp. Despite Clouseau’s frequent humiliation, he always gets revenge. In later films, Cato helps Clouseau on cases and even runs a covert brothel in Clouseau’s apartment.

    Three

    Which Swedish actress played Ilsa Lund in the classic film Casablanca?

    Answer: Ingrid Bergman.

    Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress with a career spanning five decades. She is regarded as one of the most influential actresses in cinema history, winning numerous accolades including three Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. Bergman, who spoke five languages, starred in notable films like Casablanca, Gaslight, and Murder on the Orient Express.

    Four

    Which 2013 Dan Brown novel begins with Robert Langdon waking in a Florence hospital?

    Answer: Inferno.

    Harvard professor Robert Langdon, suffering from amnesia, escapes an assassin with the help of Dr. Sienna Brooks. He discovers he mumbled ‘Very sorry’ but later learns it was ‘Vasari’ and refers to the artist Giorgio Vasari.

    Five

    What was the title of Carrie Underwood’s debut single?

    Answer: Inside Your Heaven.

    Inside Your Heaven, written by Andreas Carlsson, Pelle Nylén, and Savan Kotecha, was released as a single by both Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice in June 2005. Underwood’s version debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Singles Chart, while Bice’s peaked at number two.

    The Eyes Have It

    The title is a pun on the word ’eyes’, with each of the answers beginning with the letter ‘I’.

  • The Eyes Have It

    Five random questions today.

    See question one.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    1 Greek mythology a priestess of Hera who was loved by Zeus. Trying to protect her from the jealousy of Hera, Zeus turned [her] into a heifer. Hera sent a gadfly to torture the heifer, which then fled across the world and finally reached Egypt, where Zeus turned her back into human form.
    2 Astronomy one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter, the fifth-closest satellite to the planet, being actively volcanic and coloured red and yellow with sulphur compounds (diameter 3,630 km.
    — Oxford English Dictionary 

    The above entry in the Oxford English Dictionary defines what word?

    Two

    Cato Fong is the manservant of which fictional inspector?

    Three

    Which Swedish actress played Ilsa Lund in the classic film Casablanca?

    Four

    Which 2013 Dan Brown novel begins with Robert Langdon waking in a Florence hospital?

    Five

    What was the title of Carrie Underwood’s debut single?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Randomness — Answers

    Here’s the answers to my earlier questions.

    Elvis at Prestwick Airport, 3 March 1960. See question four.
    Image Daily Record.


    No date-related theme today, just five very random questions for you to ponder.

    One

    Johann Ludwig Burckhardt is best known for rediscovering two of the world’s best-known examples of rock-cut architecture in Jordan in 1812 and Egypt the following year. What are these examples of rock-cut architecture?

    Answers: Petra and Abu Simbel.

    Johann Ludwig Burckhardt (1784 – 1817) was a Swiss traveller, geographer and Orientalist. During his travels in Arabia, he adopted the alias Sheikh Ibrahim Ibn Abdallah and wrote his letters in French, signing them Louis. He is best known for rediscovering two of the world’s most famous examples of rock-cut architecture: the ruins of Petra, an ancient Nabataean city in Jordan, and the temples of Abu Simbel in Egypt. Petra remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, when Burckhardt rediscovered it. The Great Temple at Abu Simbel remained unknown to Europeans until March 1813, when Burckhardt found the small temple and top frieze of the main temple.

    Two

    ‘I can resist everything except temptation’ is a line from what play and who wrote it?

    Answer: Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Play About a Good Woman by Oscar Wilde.

    Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Play About a Good Woman is a four-act comedy by Oscar Wilde, debuting on 20 February 1892 at London’s St James’s Theatre. Lady Windermere suspects her husband of infidelity and plans to leave him for Lord Darlington. Mrs. Erlynne, the other woman, intervenes, revealing herself as Lady Windermere’s mother. She sacrifices her reputation to save the marriage, allowing Lady Windermere to return to her husband unnoticed.

    Three

    What religious organisation was founded by Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Alba?

    Answer: Opus Dei.

    Opus Dei, founded in 1928 by Josemaría Escrivá, is a Catholic Church personal prelature promoting holiness through daily life. Approved by the Holy See in 1950 and affirmed in 1982, it faces controversy over abuse allegations. Members, mostly laypeople, engage in secular careers and spiritual training globally.

    Four

    Elvis Presley and the beginnings of Open Golf are both linked to what town?

    Answer: Prestwick.

    Prestwick, a town in South Ayrshire on Scotland’s west coast, is approximately 30 miles (50 kilometres) southwest of Glasgow. The Prestwick Old Course hosted the inaugural Open Golf Championship in 1860 and was the venue for the first twelve Open Championships from 1860 to 1872, although the event did not take place in 1871. During World War II, the US Army Air Corps set up and maintained a base at the airport. Elvis Presley made his only visit to the UK on 3 March 1960 when his US Army transport aircraft stopped at the airport for refuelling en route from Germany.

    Five

    Who in 1762 succeeded Peter III, Emperor of Russia, and what relationship was the successor to Peter?

    Answers: Catherine II (the Great); his wife.

    Peter III, Emperor of Russia for six months in 1762, was overthrown by his wife, Catherine the Great. Despite implementing notable reforms, he is criticised for his alliance with Prussia.
    On 28 June 1762, Catherine was proclaimed heir to the Russian throne. Peter attempted to flee to Kronstadt but was repelled by the fleet’s cannons. The people of St. Petersburg armed themselves against him. After losing support from the Senate, army, and fleet, Peter was arrested and abdicated on 9 July. He was transported to Ropsha, where he died under mysterious circumstances. Officially, he died from haemorrhoidal colic and a stroke, but assassination is suspected. Some accounts suggest suffocation attempts followed by strangulation. He was buried on 3 August 1762 in the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, Saint Petersburg.

  • Randomness

    Elvis, see question four.
    Image Daily Record.


    No date-related theme today, just five very random questions for you to ponder.

    One

    Johann Ludwig Burckhardt is best known for rediscovering two of the world’s best-known examples of rock-cut architecture in Jordan in 1812 and Egypt the following year. What are these examples of rock-cut architecture?

    Two

    ‘I can resist everything except temptation’ is a line from what play and who wrote it?

    Three

    What religious organisation was founded by Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Alba?

    Four

    Elvis Presley and the beginnings of Open Golf are both linked to what town?

    Five

    Who in 1762 succeeded Peter III, Emperor of Russia, and what relationship was the successor to Peter?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Bits and Bobs — Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    All of these questions are related to today’s date, April 19th. They also all start with the letter ‘B’.

    Brandenburg Gate, Berlin.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    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.

  • Bits and Bobs

    All of these questions are related to today’s date, April 19th. They also all start with the letter ‘B’.

    Brandenburg Gate, Berlin.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    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?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Once Upon A Time — Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    The Fairy Tale, a painting by James Sant in 1845.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Once upon a time, on today’s date, a wedding which was described as a fairy tale was celebrated. The first question is about that wedding, while the remainder are about opening lines which could be considered modern versions of ‘Once Upon A Time’.

    One

    This actress, who had starred in High Noon in 1952 and won the Best Actress Academy Award for The Country Girl in 1954, retired from acting in 1956 to marry in Europe. Who is she, and who did she marry?

    Answer: Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

    Grace Kelly made her film debut in Fourteen Hours (1951) and quickly rose to stardom with roles in High Noon (1952) and Mogambo (1953). Her performance in The Country Girl (1954) earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. In Monaco on 18 April 1956, she married Prince Rainier III in a civil ceremony, with a second religious ceremony taking place the next day. Now known as Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco, she and her husband had three children. Grace focused on children’s rights and the arts, founding the Princess Grace Foundation and AMADE Mondiale. She died in a car crash in 1982, aged 52. Her son, Prince Albert established the Princess Grace Awards in 1984.

    The remaining questions are about opening words, which could be considered a modern equivalent of ‘Once Upon a Time’.

    Two

    What work of historical fiction published in the mid-nineteenth century opens with the line ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…’, and who wrote it?

    Answers: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

    A Tale of Two Cities, published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, is a historical novel set in London and Paris during the French Revolution. It follows Doctor Manette’s 18-year imprisonment in the Bastille and his reunion with his daughter Lucie in London. The novel explores the conditions leading to the Revolution and the Reign of Terror. Renowned as Dickens’s best-known historical fiction, it ranks 63rd on the BBC’s The Big Read poll and has inspired numerous adaptations.

    Three

    This Lego product, which debuted in 2001 in an online game, has appeared in comics, books, movies, and animations where it is associated with the opening words ‘In the time before time …’. What product is this?

    Answer: Bionicle.

    Bionicle, a discontinued Lego line launched in 2001, featured biomechanical heroes called Toa. The theme, which included books, comics, games and films, was a major success and influenced later Lego themes.

    Four

    In the Star Wars universe what ten words open the nine ‘Skywalker saga’ films?

    Answer: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

    Each Star Wars film, from the original episodes IV, V, and VI; the prequels, I, II, and III; and the sequels, VII, VIII, and XI, opens with the same text, logo, episode number, subtitle, and a three-paragraph summary beginning with ‘A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…’

    Five

    In music, which 1971 chart-topper begins with the phrase ‘A long, long time ago…’, and what singer-songwriter wrote and recorded it?

    Answer: American Pie by Don McLean.

    American Pie by Don McLean, released in 1971, became a number-one hit in the US in 1972 and topped charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. It reached number 2 in the UK. The song, at 8 minutes and 42 seconds, was the longest to reach number one until 2021. Its lyrics, including the phrase ‘the day the music died’, reflect cultural changes and loss of innocence after the 1959 plane crash in which Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper all died. McLean’s original recording was preserved in the US National Recording Registry in 2017. He celebrated its 50th anniversary with a 2022 European tour.

  • Once Upon A Time

    The Fairy Tale, a painting by James Sant in 1845.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Once upon a time, on today’s date, a wedding which was described as a fairy tale was celebrated. The first question is about that wedding, while the remainder are about opening lines which could be considered modern versions of ‘Once Upon A Time’.

    One

    This actress, who had starred in High Noon in 1952 and won the Best Actress Academy Award for The Country Girl in 1954, retired from acting in 1956 to marry in Europe. Who is she, and who did she marry?

    The remaining questions are about opening words, which could be considered a modern equivalent of ‘Once Upon a Time’.

    Two

    What work of historical fiction published in the mid-nineteenth century opens with the line ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…’, and who wrote it?

    Three

    This Lego product, which debuted in 2001 in an online game, has appeared in comics, books, movies, and animations where it is associated with the opening words ‘In the time before time …’. What product is this?

    Four

    In the Star Wars universe what ten words open the nine ‘Skywalker saga’ films?

    Five

    In music, which 1971 chart-topper begins with the phrase ‘A long, long time ago…’, and what singer-songwriter wrote and recorded it?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.