Tag: motor cars

  • Happy Birthday, Mr. President — Answers

    Happy Birthday, Mr. President.
    Robert F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy.
    Image Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

    Five questions which in some way are connected to today, May 19th.


    One

    The world’s first national park service was established in 1911 in which country?

    Answer: Canada.

    In 1911, Canada established the first national parks service in the world. What began as a cluster of parks in the Rocky Mountains gradually became a national system, fostering tourism and economic growth while upholding conservation ideals. In 1914, the definition of a “Dominion Park” was expanded to include significant historic places, laying the groundwork for a modern system of iconic national parks and national historic sites, which welcome millions of visitors annually, and initiating a tradition of national and international leadership in the management of protected places that continues to this day.
    — Parks Canada


    Two

    Colin Chapman, an English engineer born in 1928, founded which sports car company, and Formula One team?

    Answer: Lotus Cars; Team Lotus.

    Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman, founder of Lotus Cars, was an English design engineer known for his lightweight, high-handling sports cars. Under his direction, Team Lotus achieved significant success in Formula One and the Indianapolis 500.


    Three

    In 1959, the North Vietnamese Army’s Group 559 was established to determine how to maintain supply lines to South Vietnam. The supply route to fulfil this brief became known as what? And what countries, other than North and South Vietnam, did the route traverse?

    Answer: Ho Chi Minh trail; Laos and Cambodia.

    The Ho Chi Minh Trail, a logistical network of roads and trails, ran from North to South Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia, supporting the Viet Cong and People’s Army of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Despite being heavily targeted by air interdiction, the trail effectively supplied troops in the south.


    Four

    Charlotte, the future queen consort of George III, was born in 1744 in the small duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. This duchy was part of what empire?

    Answer: Holy Roman Empire.

    Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from 1761 to 1818, was the longest-serving queen consort. She was a patron of the arts, introduced the Christmas tree to Britain, and was deeply affected by her husband’s illness and the French Revolution.


    Five

    On this day Marilyn Monroe famously sang Happy Birthday, Mr. President at a gala to mark John F. Kennedy’s birthday. The gala, a Democratic Party fundraiser, was held ten days before the president’s birthday. What age would the president become on that birthday, and where was the gala held?

    Answers: 45 years of age; Madison Square Gardens, NYC.

    Marilyn Monroe sang Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy at a 1962 gala, inserting ‘Mr. President‘ for his name and adding a snippet of Thanks for the Memory with new lyrics.

    Happy Birthday, Mr. President

    [Chorus]
    Happy birthday to you
    Happy birthday to you
    Happy birthday, Mr President
    Happy birthday to you 

    [Verse]
    Thanks, Mr President, for all the things you’ve done
    The battles that you’ve won
    The way you deal with U.S. Steel and our problems by the ton
    We thank you so much 

    [Outro]
    Everybody, happy birthday

    [Chorus]
    Happy birthday to you
    Happy birthday to you
    Happy birthday, Mr President
    Happy birthday to you 

    [Verse]
    Thanks, Mr President, for all the things you’ve done
    The battles that you’ve won
    The way you deal with U.S. Steel and our problems by the ton
    We thank you so much 

    [Outro]
    Everybody, happy birthday
    — Lyrics from Genius.com


  • Happy Birthday, Mr. President

    Happy Birthday, Mr. President.
    Robert F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy.
    Image Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

    Five questions which in some way are connected to today, May 19th.


    One

    The world’s first national park service was established in 1911 in which country?


    Two

    Colin Chapman, an English engineer born in 1928, founded which sports car company, and Formula One team?


    Three

    In 1959, the North Vietnamese Army’s Group 559 was established to determine how to maintain supply lines to South Vietnam. The supply route to fulfil this brief became known as what? And what countries, other than North and South Vietnam, did the route traverse?


    Four

    Charlotte, the future queen consort of George III, was born in 1744 in the small duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. This duchy was part of what empire?


    Five

    On this day Marilyn Monroe famously sang Happy Birthday, Mr. President at a gala to mark John F. Kennedy’s birthday. The gala, a Democratic Party fundraiser, was held ten days before the president’s birthday. What age would the president become on that birthday, and where was the gala held?


    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.


  • On the Road—Answers

    Here are the answers to my questions from earlier.

    Five questions all connected to today’s date, March 8th?

    Volkswagen Type 2 T1.
    Image Motorauthority.com

    One

    Today, production of the iconic Type 2 Volkswagen began. In which even-numbered year did this occur?

    Answer: 1950.

    The first generation Volkswagen Type 2, known as the Microbus or Splitscreen, was produced from 8 March 1950 to the end of 1967. Initially assembled in Wolfsburg from 1950 to 1956, production shifted to Hanover’s Transporter factory in 1956. Like the Beetle, it featured an 1100 cc air-cooled flat-four engine. Initially, only two models were available: the Kombi and the Commercial. The Microbus debuted in May 1950, followed by the Deluxe Microbus in June 1951. In its first year, 9,541 Type 2s were manufactured, marking the beginning of a popular and versatile vehicle line.


    Two

    In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished from radar an hour and 40 minutes after takeoff and has never been seen again. Its fate remains a mystery. What was the departure city and destination of the flight?

    Answer: Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

    Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared on 8 March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite extensive searches and investigations, the cause of the disappearance remains unknown, with theories ranging from hypoxia to hijacking. The disappearance led to safety recommendations and regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future. The official search concluded in January 2017 but was succeeded by a private search the following year that lasted six months.


    Three

    In 1979, the NASA spacecraft Voyager 1 witnessed volcanic eruption on the moon Io. Of what planet is Io a moon of?

    Answer: Jupiter.

    Io, Jupiter’s third largest moon, is the most volcanically active world in the solar system, featuring hundreds of volcanoes that can erupt lava fountains dozens of miles high. These powerful eruptions are sometimes visible with large telescopes on Earth, and leave Io’s surface with lakes of molten silicate lava. Slightly larger than Earth’s Moon, Io is about one-quarter the diameter of Earth.


    Four

    The compact disc was first demonstrated in 1979. Its subsequent development was the result of a collaboration between what two companies?

    Answer: Philips and Sony.

    The 1979 demonstration was made by Philips in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The compact disc, an evolution of LaserDisc technology, was developed through a collaboration between Philips and Sony in the late 1970s. The Red Book CD-DA standard, published in 1980, utilised Sony’s error correction system and Philips’ eight-to-fourteen modulation, leading to the CD’s commercial success and dominance in the home music market.


    Five

    The Battle of Guadalajara commenced in 1937. Which war was it a part of?

    Answer: Spanish Civil War.

    The Battle of Guadalajara (March 8–23, 1937) saw the Spanish Republican Army and International Brigades defeat the Italian and Nationalist forces attempting to encircle Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. The Italian Corps of Volunteer Troops led the Nationalist offensive, which began on March 8 but was halted by March 11. Renewed attacks were repelled between March 12 and 14. A Republican counter-offensive from March 18 to 23 was successful, largely due to superior Soviet armoured vehicles. Italian and Nationalist losses were 17,400, while Republicans suffered 6,258.


  • On the Road

    Five questions all connected to today’s date, March 8th?

    Volkswagen Type 2 T1.
    Image Motorauthority.com

    One

    Today, production of the iconic Type 2 Volkswagen began. In which even-numbered year did this occur?


    Two

    In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished from radar an hour and 40 minutes after takeoff and has never been seen again. Its fate remains a mystery. What was the departure city and destination of the flight?


    Three

    In 1979, the NASA spacecraft Voyager 1 witnessed volcanic eruption on the moon Io. Of what planet is Io a moon of?


    Four

    The compact disc was first demonstrated in 1979. Its subsequent development was the result of a collaboration between what two companies?


    Five

    The Battle of Guadalajara commenced in 1937. Which war was it a part of?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.


  • Malcolm Campbell—Answer

    C. 174.883 mph

    On February 4, 1927, Malcolm Campbell achieved the land speed record at Pendine Sands in Wales. In an average of two runs, the Napier-Campbell Blue Bird covered the flying kilometre at 174.883 miles per hour (281.447 kilometres per hour) and the flying mile at 174.224 miles per hour (280.386 kilometres per hour).

    In total, Campbell set nine land speed records between 1924 and 1935, with three at Pendine Sands and five at Daytona Beach. His initial two records were achieved while driving a racing car built by Sunbeam. Additionally, he set the world water speed record four times, with his fastest recorded speed reaching an astonishing 141.740 mph (228.108 km/h) in the Blue Bird K4. This remarkable feat was accomplished on August 19, 1939, at Coniston Water.

  • Malcolm Campbell

    On February 4, 1927, Malcolm Campbell set a world land speed record at Pendine Sands in Wales. What speed did he achieve?

    A. 83.606 mph

    B. 104.937 mph

    C. 174.883 mph

    The answer will be posted later today