Tag: physics

  • Where – Who – Where – Who (& When) – Where—Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    All of today’s questions are connected to the date, March 20th. There are three places and two people to find in these multiple-choice questions.

    The Gypsy Theatre, Moscow, c.1931. Image New York Public Library via Wikimedia Commons

    One

    The first Romani language operetta, Children of the Forests, premiered on 20 March 1888. Where was it staged?

    1. Bucharest, Romania
    2. Kyiv, Ukraine
    3. Moscow, Russia

    Answer: 3. Moscow, Russia.

    The premiere of the very first Romani language operetta Children of the Forests was staged in the Maly Theatre, Moscow, Russia on 20 March 1888. It was performed solely by the Romani troupe. The production ran for 18 years and was a great success. The first Romani theatre troupe, founded by Nikolai Shishkin, performed in Moscow and Saint Petersburg in the late 19th century. The troupe’s success led to the establishment of the Romen Theatre in Moscow in 1931.


    Two

    In 1923, the Arts Club of Chicago hosted the United States’ first showing of Original Drawings by… This event signalled the club’s early embrace of modern art in America. There is an artist’s name missing from the show’s title: who is the artist?

    1. Salvador Dali
    2. Pablo Picasso
    3. Jackson Pollock

    Answer: 2. Pablo Picasso

    The Arts Club of Chicago, founded in 1916, is a private club and public exhibition space dedicated to showcasing international contemporary art. The club, known for its pro-Modernist stance, has presented groundbreaking exhibitions by artists like Pablo Picasso and Jean Dubuffet. It curates its own exhibits, emphasising cutting-edge and avant-garde art.


    Three

    Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was first published on this date in 1852. Between 1832 and 1850 she lived in a city where her personal observations and research informed the basis of her story. Where was this city?

    1. Alexandria, Virginia
    2. Baltimore, Maryland
    3. Cincinnati, Ohio

    Answers: 3. Cincinatti, Ohio.

    On this day in 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin as a novel. The book, which had previously been serialised, played a crucial role in shifting public opinion towards abolitionism and contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.


    Four

    Who became the first woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and when did she achieve this?

    1. Kelly Quinault in 1973
    2. Libby Riddles in 1985
    3. Molly Semyonova in 1997

    Answers: 2. Libby Riddles in 1985

    The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual long-distance sled dog race in Alaska, covering the distance from Anchorage to Nome in eight to fifteen days. The race, which began in 1973, is a symbolic link to Alaska’s history and a popular sporting event, attracting competitors from around the world. The race is known for its challenging conditions, including blizzards, gale-force winds, and sub-zero temperatures, which with wind chill can reach −100 °F (−73 °C).


    Five

    Albert Einstein submitted his paper The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity in 1916. Where was he working at that time?

    1. Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich
    2. Prussian Academy of Sciences, Berlin
    3. Charles University, Prague

    Answer: Prussian Academy of Sciences, Berlin.

    Albert Einstein was working at the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin when he published The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity in 1916. He had accepted a position at the Prussian Academy in 1914, specifically to work on his new theory of gravity. The paper was submitted on March 20, 1916, and published later that year in the journal Annalen der Physik. This period marked a significant time in Einstein’s career, as he was developing groundbreaking theories that would change our understanding of gravity and the universe.