A cathedral located in the Bebelplatz, Berlin, Germany is named St …
Hagrid’s
Hedwig’s
Hogwart’s
Answer: Hedwig’s
St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, the Catholic cathedral of the Archdiocese of Berlin, was built in Baroque style from 1747 to 1773. Damaged in WWII, it was restored in post-war modernist style and reopened in 2024 with a modern interior design.
Two
This has connected Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsula’s since 1957?
Big Bang
Big Easy
Big Mac
Answer: Big Mac
The Mackinac Bridge, a suspension bridge connecting Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas, spans the Straits of Mackinac. Opened in 1957, it is the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere and part of Interstate 75.
Three
Who played the bride’s father in the 1950 version of Father of the Bride?
Cary Grant
James Stewart
Spencer Tracy
Answer: Spencer Tracy
Father of the Bride is a 1950 romantic comedy film about a man coping with his daughter’s wedding preparations.
Four
What is the community of Ballarat in Australia most associated with?
Ballet
Gold
Surfing
Answer: Gold
Ballarat, a city in Victoria, Australia, experienced rapid growth during the Victorian gold rush in the 1850s. The Eureka Rebellion, a significant event in Australian history, occurred in Ballarat in 1854. Today, Ballarat is a major regional centre known for its history, culture and well-preserved colonial heritage.
Five
What channel is found between mainland Italy and Sicily?
Strait of Bonifacio
Strait of Messina
Strait of Otranto
Answer: Strait of Messina
The Strait of Messina, connecting the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, separates Sicily from Calabria in Southern Italy.
Bunker on the Old Course, St Andrews. Image Lee Abbamonte
One
Golf courses traditionally include hazards like bunkers (sand traps). Is it true or false that the word ‘bunker’ originates from the Flemish dialect of Dutch?
— Answer: False
The word bunker originates from the Scots language.
OED’s earliest evidence for bunker is from before 1758, in the writing of Allan Ramsay, poet.
Bunker
1 a large container or compartment for storing fuel: a coal bunker.
2 a reinforced underground shelter, typically for use in wartime.
3 a hollow filled with sand, used as an obstacle on a golf course.
– ORIGIN mid 16th century (originally Scots, denoting a seat or bench): perhaps related to bunk1.
— Oxford English Dictionary
Brooklyn Bridge. Chromolithograph of the “Great East River Suspension Bridge” by Currier and Ives, created in 1883. Image Wikipedia
Two
Is it true or false that vaults constructed within the ramps of New York’s Brooklyn Bridge were used as arsenals storing weapons for the National Guard?
— Answer: False
The New York City government rented out vaults under the Manhattan anchorage of the bridge starting in 1876 to fund maintenance. These vaults, used for wine storage due to their consistent temperature, were closed during WWI and Prohibition but reopened later. By the late 20th-century the spaces were being used as storage for maintenance equipment.
This 3D topographical view of Antarctica gives an idea of its high elevations and mountains with ice that covers them. A topographical map shows the elevation and other features of a land surface in greater detail. Credit: NASA
Three
The South Pole is significantly colder than the North Pole during both summer and winter, as shown in a comparison of their average temperatures. Is the foregoing statement true or false?
The North Pole is located in the Arctic Ocean, which is mostly covered in sea ice due to its cold climate. This sea ice floats over water, affecting its thickness as the ocean warms the air and the water below the ice changes temperature. In contrast, Antarctica is a dry, high continent with extremely thick ice, up to 3 miles (5 kilometres), forming a plateau above sea level. The ice sits on tall mountains, and as altitude increases, the air becomes colder. The South Pole is significantly colder than the North Pole due to strong winds surrounding Antarctica, which prevent warmer air from mixing with the cold polar air. These winds are unimpeded by land, unlike around the Arctic, where land slows down the winds, allowing warmer air from the south to occasionally mix with the polar air, making the Arctic relatively warmer.
Four
Millvina Dean Memorial Stone, Southampton, UK. Image Wikipedia
Is it true or false that the last survivor of the RMS Titanic died in 2009?
— Answer: True
Millvina Dean, the last living survivor of the Titanic, was born in 1912 and boarded the ship as a nine-week-old infant with her family. After the Titanic sank, her mother returned to England with Millvina and her brother, as their father perished. Millvina became involved in Titanic-related events in her later years, but declined to see the film Titanic and criticised the BBC for a Doctor Who episode featuring a similar ship.
Five
The US State of New Hampshire had a law which required margarine to be dyed pink. Is this statement true or false?
— Answer: True
Margarine, created in 1869 as a cost-effective substitute for butter, encountered significant resistance from the American dairy industry. Although it was favoured by the lower classes, margarine was taxed and prohibited in various states, with critics arguing it endangered the American lifestyle. By 1902, 32 states imposed restrictions on margarine’s colour, with Vermont, New Hampshire, and South Dakota requiring pink dye. The Supreme Court eventually invalidated the ‘pink laws’ but maintained the ban on yellow margarine.
We have five random true or false questions today.
One
Golf courses traditionally include hazards like bunkers (sand traps). Is it true or false that the word ‘bunker’ originates from the Flemish dialect of Dutch?
Two
Is it true or false that vaults constructed within the ramps of New York’s Brooklyn Bridge were used as arsenals storing weapons for the National Guard?
Three
The South Pole is significantly colder than the North Pole during both summer and winter, as shown in a comparison of their average temperatures. Is the foregoing statement true or false?
Four
Is it true or false that the last survivor of the RMS Titanic died in 2009?
Five
The US State of New Hampshire had a law which required margarine to be dyed pink. Is this statement true or false?
Jim Lovell, Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13. (March 25, 1928—August 7, 2025). Image Wikipedia
One
In 1968, what became the first crewed spacecraft to reach the Moon, orbit it and return?
Answer: Apollo 8
Apollo 8, launched on 21 December 1968, became the first human spaceflight to reach the Moon. During its mission, the crew orbited the Moon ten times, conducting various tasks such as photography and navigation, while also transmitting telecasts worldwide. The spacecraft safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on 27 December, 147 hours after launch. This question was prompted by the death of Jim Lovell, aged 97, on 7 August 2025. He flew to the Moon and back twice but never landed.
Two
The 1999 Open Championship was decided in a play-off between Jean Van de Velde and which two other players?
Answer: Justin Leonard and Paul Lawrie
Jean Van de Velde, ranked 152nd, nearly won the 1999 Open Championship but famously collapsed on the 18th hole. His triple-bogey seven led to a playoff, which he lost to Paul Lawrie.
What word is missing from the end of the above quote?
Answer: Christianity
Nietzsche’s quote suggests that he viewed both Christianity and alcohol as ‘narcotics’, substances or influences that dull the senses and provide an escape from reality.
Four
Which Canadian province is named after the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, born in 1848?
The above quote is the opening line of which poem?
Answer: Anthem for Doomed Youth
Wilfred Owen’s poem Anthem for Doomed Youth, written in 1917, vividly captures the horrors of war. Enlisting in the British army in 1915, Owen was sent to France with the Lancashire Fusiliers to fight in the trenches during World War I. In 1917, during his first six months of battle, his troop was gassed and forced to sleep in an open field of snow. One incident involved Owen spending several days huddled in a foxhole near the body of a fallen soldier. These experiences profoundly impacted Owen as a poet, leading to rapid maturity. The poems written after January 1917 are characterised by anger at war’s brutality, and pity for those who ‘die as cattle’.
Is it true or false that velociraptors were only about the size of turkeys?
Answer: True
Velociraptor, commonly known as “raptor,” is one of the dinosaur genera most familiar to the general public. This is largely due to its prominent role in the Jurassic Park films. However, in reality, Velociraptor was roughly the size of a turkey, considerably smaller than the approximately 2 metres (6.6 feet) tall and 90 kilograms (200 pounds) reptiles depicted in the novels and films. These depictions were based on members of the related genus Deinonychus.
Is it true or false that P.T. Barnum started his career as a showman by publicly displaying an elderly African slave he claimed was George Washington’s 161-year-old former nursemaid?
Answer: True
In 1834 he moved to New York City, where he found his vocation as a showman one year later when he successfully presented Joice Heth, a wizened Black woman whom he advertised as the 161-year-old nurse to Gen. George Washington. On her death, however, the story was exposed as a hoax.
Is it true or false that if broccoli is left unharvested, each green bud usually produces a flower with four yellow petals?
Answer: True
Broccoli, a nutritious vegetable from the mustard family, is high in fibre and vitamins. It can be eaten fresh or cooked and should be dark green with firm stalks. If left unharvested, those buds produce yellow flowers with four petals and dry capsule fruits called siliques.
Four
Is it true or false that elephants can communicate with each other using ambisonic calls?
Answer: False
Elephants can communicate with each other using infrasonic calls that are below the range of human hearing. They also stomp messages on the ground that can be felt and understood by other elephants miles away.
Five
Is it true or false that on Venus, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east?
Answer: True
Venus is unusual because it spins the opposite direction of Earth and most other planets…
…And because Venus rotates backwards, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.
Is it true or false that velociraptors were about the size of turkeys?
Two
Is it true or false that P.T. Barnum started his career as a showman by publicly displaying an elderly African slave he claimed was George Washington’s 161-year-old former nursemaid?
Three
Is it true or false that if broccoli is left unharvested, each green bud usually produces a flower with four yellow petals?
Four
Is it true or false that elephants can communicate with each other using ambisonic calls?
Five
Is it true or false that on Venus, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east?
Joseph Merrick, c 1889. See #2 below. Image Wikipedia
One
Marilyn Monroe was found dead on the morning of 5 August 1962 in her Los Angeles home. Where was she born?
Answer: Los Angeles, California
Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson, was an American actress and model who became a popular sex symbol in the 1950s and early 1960s. Known for her ‘blonde bombshell’ characters, she starred in numerous successful films, including Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Some Like It Hot. Despite her success, Monroe’s personal life was troubled, and she died of a barbiturate overdose at the age of 36.
Two
Joseph Merrick, born on 5 August 1862, was renowned for his severe physical deformities and was exhibited in freak shows for a period. A film about Merrick’s life was made by David Lynch in 1980. In this film, who portrayed Joseph Merrick?
Answer: John Hurt
Joseph Carey Merrick, known as ‘The Elephant Man’ was an English man born in 1862 who suffered from a rare disorder causing severe physical deformities, possibly Proteus syndrome. After being exhibited in freak shows, he lived at the London Hospital under the care of Sir Frederick Treves. There he became well-known in London society and received visits from prominent individuals. Merrick died at age 27 from accidental suffocation. A film The Elephant Man starring John Hurt as Merrick was made about his life.
Three
On 5 August 2010, thirty-three miners became trapped in a mine collapse for a prolonged period of time, attracting international attention. In what desert area was the mine situated?
Answer: Atacama Desert
In 2010, a collapse at the San José copper-gold mine in Chile‘s Atacama Desert trapped 33 miners underground for 69 days. Despite the mine’s history of safety violations and geological instability, the miners were successfully rescued after a global effort involving multiple organisations and governments.
Four
On this day in 1974, President Richard Nixon released subpoenaed tapes after being ordered to do so by the US Supreme Court. One tape, recorded on 23 June 1972, clearly showed the president’s connection to the Watergate burglaries from shortly after they occurred. This tape is known by what two-word term?
Answer: Smoking Gun (tape)
The US Supreme Court ordered President Nixon to release tapes of conversations, including the ‘Smoking Gun’ tape, which revealed his involvement in the Watergate coverup. This led to the loss of his political support and imminent impeachment, prompting his resignation on August 8, 1974.
Five
Vitus Bering, born on 5 August 1681, led two Russian expeditions to explore the northeast Russian coast and the western coast of North America. Despite being an officer in the Russian Navy, in what country was he born?
Answer: Denmark
Vitus Bering, a Danish-born Russian explorer, led two expeditions exploring the north-eastern coast of Russia and the western coast of North America. He discovered the Bering Strait, proving that Asia and America were not connected by land. Bering died of scurvy on Bering Island in 1741, along with 28 of his men.
Marilyn Monroe was found dead on the morning of 5 August 1962 in her Los Angeles home. Where was she born?
Two
Joseph Merrick, born on 5 August 1862, was renowned for his severe physical deformities and was exhibited in freak shows for a period. A film about Merrick’s life was made by David Lynch in 1980. In this film, who portrayed Joseph Merrick?
Three
On 5 August 2010, thirty-three miners became trapped in a mine collapse for a prolonged period of time, attracting international attention. In what desert area was the mine situated?
Four
On this day in 1974, President Richard Nixon released subpoenaed tapes after being ordered to do so by the US Supreme Court. One tape, recorded on 23 June 1972, clearly showed the president’s connection to the Watergate burglaries from shortly after they occurred. This tape is known by what two-word term?
Five
Vitus Bering, born on 5 August 1681, led two Russian expeditions to explore the northeast Russian coast and the western coast of North America. Despite being an officer in the Russian Navy, in what country was he born?
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