Second World War – Quizology Online

My Huckleberry Friend

Here are the answers to my earlier post.

Audrey Hepburn in *Breakfast at Tiffany’s*, 1961.
Image Wikipedia

One

In the 1961 comedy Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Audrey Hepburn stars as Holly Golightly. Born on this date in 1924, who wrote the novella that inspired the film?

Answer: Truman Capote

Truman Capote’s 1958 novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s is set in 1940s New York City’s Upper East Side. It follows a writer’s recollections of his neighbour Holly Golightly and her life in Manhattan. While based on the novella, the film’s screenplay deviates from the book’s original storyline.

Two

In an attempt to appease Adolf Hitler, Great Britain and France agreed to Hitler’s demand for the annexation of the Sudetenland, a region in what former country?

Answer: Czechoslovakia

The Munich Agreement, signed on September 30, 1938, was a settlement reached by Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy that allowed for the German annexation of the Sudetenland, a region in western Czechoslovakia. This agreement was part of the policy of appeasement, where European powers aimed to prevent war by conceding to some of Adolf Hitler’s territorial demands. The Czechoslovak government was not consulted during the negotiations and was forced to accept the terms. The agreement is often criticized for emboldening Hitler, as it failed to prevent further aggression, leading to the occupation of the rest of Czechoslovakia and eventually World War II.

Three

…professional tennis player who became the youngest person in the “open” era to win a Grand Slam singles title and the youngest to be ranked world number one. In her relatively short, injury-plagued career, she won five Grand Slam singles titles—the Australian Open (1997, 1998, 1999), Wimbledon (1997), and the United States Open (1997).

— Encyclopædia Britannica

This quote refers to a tennis player born in 1980 in Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia). Who is she?

Answer: Martina Hingis

Martina Hingis, who was named after Martina Navratilova, was introduced to sports by her tennis-playing parents and excelled in skiing and tennis from a young age. After moving to Switzerland, she became the youngest Grand Slam junior titleholder at 12. Hingis turned professional at 14, becoming the youngest player to win a Grand Slam match and the youngest Wimbledon doubles champion. The WTA later restricted participation for young players.

Four

Today in 1949, an airlift delivering 2,323,738 tons of food, fuel, machinery, and other supplies was officially ended. To what city was this relief supplied?

Answer: West Berlin

The Berlin Blockade (1948-49) was a Soviet attempt to force the Western Allies out of West Berlin by severing all land and water routes. In retaliation, the US and Britain launched the Berlin Airlift to deliver supplies to the city by air. This airlift symbolised the Allies’ unwavering commitment to resisting Soviet expansion. successfully supplying the city for 15 months. The operation, involving over 250,000 flights, underscored the ideological divide between East and West and solidified West Berlin’s alignment with the US and Britain.

Five

An opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart premiered in Austria on this day in 1791. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, ‘It is an allegory of the quest for wisdom and enlightenment presented through Freemasonry symbols’. What is the opera?

The Magic Flute

Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute, is an allegory of the quest for wisdom and enlightenment, rich with Masonic symbolism. The libretto, believed to draw from various sources including medieval romance and Freemasonry, was written by Emanuel Schikaneder, a close friend of Mozart.

See question 4 above. ‘A U.S. Air Force Douglas C-54 Skymaster making a “Little Vittles” candy drop (note the parachutes below the tail of the C-54) on approach to a Berlin airfield. Aircrews dropped candy to children during the Berlin Airlift.’
Image Wikipedia

My Huckleberry Friend

Today’s questions all relate to September 30th.

One

In the 1961 comedy Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Audrey Hepburn stars as Holly Golightly. Born on this date in 1924, who wrote the novella that inspired the film?

Two

In an attempt to appease Adolf Hitler, Great Britain and France agreed to Hitler’s demand for the annexation of the Sudetenland, a region in what former country?

Three

…professional tennis player who became the youngest person in the “open” era to win a Grand Slam singles title and the youngest to be ranked world number one. In her relatively short, injury-plagued career, she won five Grand Slam singles titles—the Australian Open (1997, 1998, 1999), Wimbledon (1997), and the United States Open (1997).

— Encyclopædia Britannica

This quote refers to a tennis player born in 1980 in Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia). Who is she?

Four

Today in 1949, an airlift delivering 2,323,738 tons of food, fuel, machinery, and other supplies was officially ended. To what city was this relief supplied?

Five

Good luck!. I’ll post the answers later today.

Raising the Dead—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

*The Raising of Lazarus* and the *Adoration of the Shepherds*
Regional Museum of Messina, Sicily, Italy
Image Wikipedia

One

Which Italian artist born this day in 1571, painted the works above which are displayed in Sicily?

Answer: Caravaggio

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, (known mononymously as Caravaggio) an Italian painter from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, gained fame for his realistic religious works.

Two

In 1829 the Metropolitan Police was founded, by what name (two words the first contains eight letters) is the force, especially the Criminal Investigation Department, colloquially known?

Answer: Scotland Yard

Through the efforts of Robert Peel, England’s first professional police force, London’s Metropolitan Police (often called Scotland Yard), was founded; it became a model for future police departments in various other countries, including the United States.

— Encyclopædia Britannica

Three

Born in Rome in 1901, who became an associate director of Manhattan Project in 1944?

Answer: Enrico Fermi

Enrico Fermi, an Italian-born American scientist, was a pivotal figure in the nuclear age. He developed mathematical statistics for subatomic phenomena, explored neutron-induced nuclear transformations, and directed the first controlled nuclear fission chain reaction, earning the 1938 Nobel Prize for Physics. Fermi is best known for creating the first artificial nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the Manhattan Project. His work spanned statistical mechanics, quantum theory, and nuclear and particle physics.

Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia.
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Four

Who was the first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister of Australia?

Answer: Julia Gillard

Julia Gillard, born in Wales, served as Australia’s 27th prime minister. She was the first and, as of September 2025, the only woman to hold the position.

Five

Following the Challenger disaster in January 1986 and the suspension of NASA’s space shuttle programme, it resumed on this day. In which year and with which shuttle did this happen?

Answer: 1988 and Discovery

On January 28, 1986, the Challenger shuttle exploded shortly after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. A presidential commission discovered a joint seal in a solid rocket booster had failed due to mechanical design flaws exacerbated by cold weather. Hot gases leaking from the joint ignited the shuttle’s external tank fuel leading to the devastating explosion. As a result, the shuttle fleet was grounded for necessary design corrections and administrative changes. On 29 September 1988, Discovery was the first shuttle to resume flights. Endeavour, a replacement orbiter, finally flew its first mission in 1992.

Raising the Dead

Here are five questions related to today, September 29th.

One

Which Italian artist born this day in 1571, painted the works above which are displayed in Sicily?

Two

In 1829 the Metropolitan Police was founded, by what name (two words the first contains eight letters) is the force, especially the Criminal Investigation Department, colloquially known?

Three

Born in Rome in 1901, who became an associate director of Manhattan Project in 1944?

Four

Who was the first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister of Australia?

Five

Following the Challenger disaster in January 1986 and the suspension of NASA’s space shuttle programme, it resumed on this day. In which year and with which shuttle did this happen?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

Today—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.

One

M*A*S*H debuted on television on 17 September 1972. It was based on the 1970 film of the same name, which was directed by whom?

Answer: Robert Altman

M*A*S*H*, an American war comedy-drama TV series, aired from 1972 to 1983. It follows a team of doctors and support staff at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) during the Korean War. Renowned for its blend of comedy and drama, the show is considered one of the greatest TV series of all time. It was based on Robert Altman’s film, which in turn was adapted from a 1968 novel by Richard Hooker.

Two

The opening paragraph of Encyclopædia Britannica‘s article on Wenceslas II is quoted below. What word is missing after ‘king of’?

Wenceslas II (born Sept. 17, 1271—died June 21, 1305) was the king of Bohemia from 1278 and of Poland from 1300 who ably ruled his Bohemian kingdom and spread his influence not only into Poland but also into Hungary.

Answer: Bohemia

Wenceslas II, King of Bohemia from 1278 and Poland from 1300, ruled successfully after overcoming early challenges. He expanded his influence into Hungary and increased his kingdom’s wealth. He is not the Good King Wenceslas of Christmas carol fame who was St Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia (907–935).

Anwar Sadat, Jimmy Carter and Menachem Begin (left to right), at Camp David, 1978.
Image Wikipedia

Three

In 1978, the Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded to two leaders who signed the Camp David Accords on 17 September of that year. Name these two leaders?

Answers: Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat

The Camp David Accords, signed in 1978, were agreements between Israel and Egypt brokered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter. The accords, officially titled the ‘Framework for Peace in the Middle East’, led to a peace treaty between the two countries.

Four

On 17 September 1940, Adolf Hitler postponed Operation Sea Lion. What was the purpose of this operation?

Answer: The invasion of Great Britain (or United Kingdom)

Operation Sea Lion was Nazi Germany’s planned invasion of the United Kingdom during World War II. Despite preparations, the invasion was indefinitely postponed due to the German Luftwaffe’s losses in the Battle of Britain.

Brian Mulroney, Prime Minister of Canada, 1993.
Image Wikipedia

Five

Martin Brian Mulroney became prime minister of what nation on this date in 1984?

Answer: Canada

Brian Mulroney, a Canadian lawyer and businessman, served as the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. He led the Progressive Conservative Party to a landslide victory in the 1984 federal election and later secured a second majority government in 1988.

Today

Five questions which are all related to today’s date, September 17.

*M*A*S*H* (From left) Actors McLean Stevenson, Wayne Rogers, Gary Burghoff, and Alan Alda in a scene from the television series *M*A*S*H*.
Image Encyclopædia Britannica

One

M*A*S*H debuted on television on 17 September 1972. It was based on the 1970 film of the same name, which was directed by whom?

Two

The opening paragraph of Encyclopædia Britannica‘s article on Wenceslas II, who was born on this date, is quoted below. What word is missing after ‘king of’?

Wenceslas II (born Sept. 17, 1271—died June 21, 1305) was the king of … from 1278 and of Poland from 1300 who ably ruled his …n kingdom and spread his influence not only into Poland but also into Hungary.

Three

In 1978, the Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded to two leaders who signed the Camp David Accords on 17 September of that year. Name these two leaders?

Four

On 17 September 1940, Adolf Hitler postponed Operation Sea Lion. What was the purpose of this operation?

Five

Martin Brian Mulroney became prime minister of what nation on this date in 1984?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

Big Stick Diplomacy, Among Other Things—Answers

The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

Japanese surrender on USS *Missouri*, 2 September 1945.
Image Wikipedia

One

On 2 September 1945, the Japanese formally surrendered, ending World War II. The following quote is from the US National Archives:

That morning, on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, the Japanese envoys, Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu, signed their names on the Instrument of Surrender.

Please provide the names of the ship and the body of water that are missing from the quote above?

Answer: USS Missouri and Tokyo Bay

Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allies on 15 August 1945, following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Soviet Union’s declaration of war and invasion of Manchukuo. The formal surrender ceremony took place on 2 September aboard the USS Missouri. The Treaty of San Francisco, effective 28 April 1952, formally ended the state of war.

Two

Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry were characters created by what 81-year-old author, who died on 2 September 1973?

Answer: JRR Tolkien

Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry are supporting characters in JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. They feature in the novel The Fellowship of the Rings but are omitted from various adaptations, including Peter Jackson’s film trilogy, due to their non-essential role.

*William Allen Rogers‘s 1904 cartoon recreates an episode in Gulliver’s Travels*,
Image Wikipedia

Three

On 2 September 1901, future US president Theodore Roosevelt said…

Speak softly and carry a big stick

…he claimed he was paraphrasing a proverb which originated from what continent?

Answer: Africa (specifically West Africa)

The phrase was supposed to come from West Africa but there is little evidence of that. Theodore Roosevelt’s ‘big stick’ diplomacy, characterised by a powerful military and a willingness to negotiate peacefully, emphasised intelligent forethought and decisive action. This approach, rooted in Realpolitik, involved possessing a strong navy, acting justly and striking decisively when necessary.

“This painting shows the great fire of London as seen from a boat in vicinity of Tower Wharf. The painting depicts Old London Bridge, various houses, a drawbridge and wooden parapet, the churches of St Dunstan-in-the-West and St Bride’s, All Hallow’s the Great, Old St Paul’s, St Magnus the Martyr, St Lawrence Pountney, St Mary-le-Bow, St Dunstan-in-the East and Tower of London. The painting is in the [style] of the Dutch School and is not dated or signed.
Image Wikipedia

Four

What city was largely destroyed by a great fire which began on 2 September 1666?

Answer: London, England

The Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed much of the medieval city, including St. Paul’s Cathedral. The fire, which started in a bakery, spread rapidly due to strong winds and indecisive firefighting efforts. The city was rebuilt on the same medieval street plan.

*The Battle of Actium, 2 September 31 BC*, oil on canvas by Lorenzo A. Castro, 1672. Image Encyclopædia Britannica

Five

On 2 September 31 BCE, Octavian, the future Roman emperor Augustus, won the Battle of Actium. Which historical figure, who appeared in two Shakespearean tragedies, was defeated in this battle?

Answer: Mark Antony

The Battle of Actium, fought on 2 September 31 BC, was a decisive naval battle between Octavian’s fleet and the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Octavian’s victory led to the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire, with Octavian becoming Augustus.

Big Stick Diplomacy, Among Other Things

Five questions which all are connected to today, September 2nd.

One

On 2 September 1945, the Japanese formally surrendered, ending World War II. The following quote is from the US National Archives:

That morning, on the deck of the (ship) in (body of water), the Japanese envoys, Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu, signed their names on the Instrument of Surrender.

Please provide the names of the ship and the body of water that are missing from the quote above?

Two

Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry were characters created by what 81-year-old author, who died on 2 September 1973?

Three

On 2 September 1901, future US president Theodore Roosevelt said…

Speak softly and carry a big stick

…he claimed he was paraphrasing a proverb which originated from what continent?

Four

What city was largely destroyed by a great fire which began on 2 September 1666?

Five

On 2 September 31 BCE, Octavian, the future Roman emperor Augustus, won the Battle of Actium. Which historical figure, who appeared in two Shakespearean tragedies, was defeated in this battle?

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Fly Me to the Moon | Answers

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.

Three

The two great European narcotics, alcohol and…

— Friedrich Nietzsche: Twilight of the Idols

— Encyclopædia Britannica

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?

Answer: Alberta

Alberta was named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the wife of John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, who served as Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. The name was originally given to the District of Alberta in 1882. The Princess also gave her name to Mount Alberta and Lake Louise.

Five

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?

— Wilfred Owen

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’.

Anthem for Doomed Youth

BY WILFRED OWEN

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?

      — Only the monstrous anger of the guns.

      Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle

Can patter out their hasty orisons.

No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;

      Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—

The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;

      And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?

      Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes

Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.

      The pallor of girls’ brows shall be their pall;

Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,

And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

— Wilfred Owen

— Poetry Foundation

Fly Me to the Moon

One

In 1968, what became the first crewed spacecraft to reach the Moon, orbit it and return?

Two

The 1999 Open Championship was decided in a play-off between Jean Van de Velde and which two other players?

Three

The two great European narcotics, alcohol and…

— Friedrich Nietzsche: Twilight of the Idols

What word is missing from the end of the above quote?

Four

Which Canadian province is named after the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, born 1848?

Five

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?

— Wilfred Owen

The above quote is the opening line of which poem?

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.