Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was born on 21 April 1926. To the nearest year how long did she reign?
Two
On this day In 1918, the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, Germany’s top World War I flying ace, was shot down and killed near Amiens, France. What act had a novelty song Snoopy vs. The Red Baron in the 1966 charts?
Three
What was the musical Annie based on, and what type of work was it?
Four
Whose visit to a Caribbean Island nation in 1966 led to the annual celebration of April 21st as Grounation Day?
Five
According to legend Rome was founded in what century?
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.
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?
All of these questions are related to today, April 13th.
Apollo13 – view of the crippled Service Module after separation. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
In 1970, Apollo 13 suffered an explosion in a tank en route to the Moon. What did the tank contain, and who were the three crew?
Answers: Oxygen; James A. Lovell, John L. Swigert and Fred W. Haise (aka Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise).
Apollo 13, the seventh crewed Apollo mission, was aborted after an oxygen tank explosion two days into the mission. The crew used the Lunar Module as a lifeboat, facing hardships like limited power and water, but successfully returned to Earth. The incident highlighted the need for improved safety measures, leading to changes in oxygen tank design for future missions.
Two
In accordance with the Nanakshahi calendar, a religion was formalised as the Khalsa – the brotherhood of Warrior-Saints. In what century did this occur, and what religion was formalised as described?
Answers: 17th century; Sikh or Sikhism.
Sikhism, founded in the 15th century in the Punjab region, is a monotheistic religion based on the teachings of Guru Nanak and nine successors. It emphasises faith in one creator, equality, selfless service, and honest conduct. Since 1699, Sikhs follow the Guru Granth Sahib as their eternal guru and are identified by the five Ks, which are:
Kesh — unshorn hair and beard
Kangha — a comb for the kesh, usually made of wood
Kara — a bracelet, usually made of iron or steel
Kachhera — an undergarment
Kirpan — a small curved sword or knife made of iron or steel
Three
In 1953, the CIA launched Project MKUltra. What was the purpose of this programme?
Answer: Mind-control (alter human behaviour).
MKUltra was a CIA programme that ran from 1953 to 1973, experimenting on unwitting subjects to alter behaviour using drugs, hypnosis, and other methods. The programme, which involved illegal activities and violated individual rights, was exposed in 1975, and further information was declassified in 2001. Encyclopædia Britannica notes that MK-ULTRA was a CIA mind-control programme from 1953 to 1964, continuing work from concentration camps with the aim of controlling minds for Cold War purposes.
Four
George Frideric Handel’s Messiah made its world premiere on this date. In what century, and in what capital city, did this premiere take place?
Answers: 18th century; Dublin, Ireland.
Messiah, an oratorio by George Frideric Handel, premiered in Dublin in 1742 and is now a popular Easter performance. Based on biblical texts by Charles Jennens, it features the famous ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ and combines Old and New Testament verses. Originally for a small Baroque orchestra, performances have since expanded.
Five
On this day in 1964, Sidney Poitier became the first African-American man to win the Best Actor Academy Award.
Who was the first African-American to win an Academy Award in any category, and for which film was the award made?
Who was the first African-American woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, and for which film was the award made?
Answers
Hattie McDaniel; Gone with the Wind.
Halle Berry; Monster’s Ball. Hattie McDaniel played Mammy in Gone with the Wind (1939) and won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Halle Berry won the Best Actress Oscar as Leticia Musgrove in Monster’s Ball (2001). Berry was also the first person of colour to win Best Actress, and that year was the first time two African-American performers won Oscars in the same year — Denzel Washington for Training Day.
We’ve had a Problem
The post title reflects what was first said from Apollo 13 to Houston after the explosion. Jack Swigert called Mission Control, ‘Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here’. Capsule communicator (Capcom) astronaut Jack R. Lousma asked, ‘This is Houston. Say again, please’. Lovell replied, ‘Ah, Houston, we’ve had a problem here. We’ve had a Main B Bus Undervolt’.
All of these questions are related to today, April 13th.
Apollo13 – view of the crippled Service Module after separation. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
In 1970, Apollo 13 suffered an explosion in a tank en route to the Moon. What did the tank contain, and who were the three crew?
Two
In accordance with the Nanakshahi calendar, a religion was formalised as the Khalsa – the brotherhood of Warrior-Saints. In what century did this occur, and what religion was formalised as described?
Three
In 1953, the CIA launched Project MKUltra. What was the purpose of this programme?
Four
George Frideric Handel’s Messiah made its world premiere on this date. In what century, and in what capital city, did this premiere take place?
Five
On this day in 1964, Sidney Poitier became the first African-American man to win the Best Actor Academy Award.
Who was the first African-American to win an Academy Award in any category, and for which film was the award made?
Who was the first African-American woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, and for which film was the award made?
On this day in 1970, who became the first to publicly announce that he was leaving The Beatles?
Answer: Paul McCartney.
The Beatles’ internal strife, evident in the White Album and Get Back sessions, escalated over business disagreements, leading to Lennon’s departure in September 1969 and McCartney’s making the first public announcement when he issued a press release advising of his departure in April 1970.
Two
Name the official theme song for Mission: Impossible III; whose song it was, and who featured on it?
Answer: Impossible; Kanye West featuring Twista, Keyshia Cole and BJ.
Impossible by American hip-hop artist Kanye West featuring Twista, Keyshia Cole, and BJ. Composed for the film Mission: Impossible III, it served as its official theme but wasn’t included on the soundtrack. The song charted on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts in 2006.
Three
Add up the numbers from the titles that these clues point you to, and the total sum is the answer.
The Beatles — Days of the Week (1964)
The Rolling Stones — Nervous Breakdown (1966)
Bob Marley and the Wailers — Little Birds (1977)
Bryan Adams — Summer (1985)
The Proclaimers Miles (1988)
Vanessa Carlton — Miles
Adele — Album (2008)
Christina Perri — Years (2011)
Adele — Album (2021)
Belinda Carlisle — Loneliest Number (2025) (A long time previously Harry Nilsson followed by Three Dog Night)
Answer: 2,649.
8 — Eight Days a Week (1964) The Beatles
19 — 19th Nervous Breakdown (1966) Rolling Stones
3 — Three Little Birds (1977) Bob Marley & The Wailers
69 — Summer of ’69 (1985) Bryan Adams
500 — I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) (1988) The Proclaimers
1,000 — A Thousand Miles (2002) Vanessa Carlton
19 — 19 (2008) Adele
1,000 — A Thousand Years (2011) Christina Perri
30 — 30 (2021) Adele
1 — One (Is the Loneliest Number) Belinda Carlisle (2025) (Originally Harry Nilsson in 1968, followed by Three Dog Night in 1969.)
Four
Creedence Clearwater Revival topped the UK singles charts and reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969 with a song from their Green River album, which had a three-word title. What song?
Answer: Bad Moon Rising.
Bad Moon Rising, a song by John Fogerty and performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival, was their lead single from the album Green River. Released on 16 April 1969, four months before the album’s release, it peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on 28 June 1969. It also spent three weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart in September of the same year. Bad Moon Rising became CCR’s second gold single.
Five
Who were the four named members of the rock supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young?
Answer: David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young.
CSN formed in 1968 after Crosby, Stills, and Nash discovered their harmonious blend. Crosby left the Byrds in late 1967, Buffalo Springfield (Stills) disbanded in early 1968, and Nash departed the Hollies in December. In early 1969, they released their debut album, Crosby, Stills & Nash, which featured Top 40 hits Suite: Judy Blue Eyes and Marrakesh Express. They added Neil Young, Stills’s former Buffalo Springfield bandmate, and as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, performed at Woodstock in 1969. Their first album with Young, Déjà Vu (1970), topped international charts, selling over eight million copies and producing hits like Woodstock and Teach Your Children. Tensions during their second tour led to the group’s disbandment. They reunited multiple times, releasing eight studio and four live albums, with their final studio album, Looking Forward, in 1999. CSN was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, with individual members also recognised for their work with other groups. Crosby passed away in 2023.
Let it Be
The post-title ‘Let it Be’, released in 1970, was their final single before McCartney’s departure. The song, written by McCartney, topped charts internationally and was certified Platinum in several locations and double Platinum in both the UK and US.
On this day in 1970, who became the first to publicly announce that he was leaving The Beatles?
Two
Name the official theme song for Mission: Impossible III; whose song it was, and who featured on it?
Three
Add up the numbers from the titles that these clues point you to, and the total sum is the answer.
The Beatles — Days of the Week (1964)
The Rolling Stones — Nervous Breakdown (1966)
Bob Marley and the Wailers — Little Birds (1977)
Bryan Adams — Summer (1985)
The Proclaimers — Miles (1988)
Vanessa Carlton — Miles
Adele — Album (2008)
Christina Perri — Years (2011)
Adele — Album (2021)
Belinda Carlisle — Loneliest Number (2025) (previously Harry Nilsson followed by Three Dog Night)
Four
Creedence Clearwater Revival topped the UK singles charts and reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969 with a song from their Green River album, which had a three-word title. What song?
Five
Who were the four named members of the rock supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young?
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?
Ludwig van Beethoven with the manuscript of the Missa solemnis, 1820. Image Wikimedia Commons
On 2 April 1800, Ludwig van Beethoven led the premiere of his First Symphony, Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21 in Vienna, so today’s questions are all about music.
One
When Hans von Bulow referred to three composers as ‘The three Bs’, one was Ludwig van Beethoven, but who were the other two?
Answer: Johann Sebastian Bach and Johannes Brahms.
’The Three Bs’ refers to the primacy of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms in classical music. The term originated from an expression by Peter Cornelius in 1854, who included Berlioz as the third B before Hans von Bülow substituted Brahms for Berlioz.
Two
What is the name of the priest in Eleanor Rigby ?
Answer: Father McKenzie
Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles, from their 1966 album Revolver, is a song about loneliness featuring a double string quartet arrangement. Paul McCartney, who came up with the melody and most of the lyrics has variously stated the name came from an old lady he knew; the actress Eleanor Bron; and a Bristol store, Rigby & Evens Ltd. The song topped singles charts in several countries.
Three
Who composed the opera Aida, and where was it set?
Answer: Giuseppe Verdi; Ancient Egypt.
Aida is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, set in ancient Egypt. Commissioned by Cairo’s Khedivial Opera House, it premiered there on 24 December 1871. The opera was met with great acclaim and quickly became a staple in the operatic canon, receiving performances worldwide.
Four
‘But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die’, are lyrics from what song, and who wrote it?
Answer: Folsom Prison Blues; Johnny Cash
Folsom Prison Blues is a song by Johnny Cash, written in 1953 and released as a single in 1955. The song, inspired by the movie Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison, combines elements of train and prison songs, and became one of Cash’s signature songs. A live version recorded at Folsom State Prison in 1968 became a number-one hit and won a Grammy Award.
Five
First performed in 1934, A Boy was Born is a choral composition by which English composer?
Answer: Benjamin Britten.
A Boy Was Born, Op. 3, is a choral composition by Benjamin Britten, subtitled Choral variations for men’s, women’s and boys’ voices, unaccompanied. Composed between 1932 and 1933, it was first performed in 1934 and revised in 1955. The work, a musical theme and six variations, sets ten different texts related to Christmas.
Quizology.Online 