Quizology.Online

Tag: Second World War

  • Every Picture Tells a Story — Answers

    The answers to my earlier questions are shown below.

    Five pictures and some questions all of which are related to today’s date, March 24th.

    One

    Brandenburg Gate, Berlin.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    In 1721, a collection of six instrumental works—the composer’s own title was Six Concerts Avec plusieurs Instruments (Six Concertos With several Instruments)—were presented by Johann Sebastian Bach to Christian Ludwig, a marquess and younger brother of King Frederick I of Prussia. Using the above picture as a clue, by what name is this collection commonly known today?

    Answer: Brandenburg Concertos

    Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, now his most popular work, were likely never performed during his lifetime. Bach sent the original manuscript to the Margrave (Marquess) of Brandenburg in 1721, possibly as a job application, but the Margrave never acknowledged the gift. The concertos were forgotten for over a century until they were rediscovered and published in the 19th century.

    Two

    James VI and I.
    Image Wikimedia Commons
    Elizabeth I.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The male monarch pictured above succeeded the female one on her death in 1603. 

    1. Who is the queen?
    2. Who was the king?
    3. What was the familial relationship between them?

    Answers

    1. Queen Elizabeth I
    2. King James VI and I
    3. Cousins.

    Queen Elizabeth I’s death in 1603 ended her reign of England and Ireland, leading to her cousin King James VI of Scotland’s succession as King of England and Ireland. Now both James VI and I, his reign saw the beginning of the Plantation of Ulster and English colonisation of the Americas.

    Three

    From Jules Verne’s novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
    Image Wikimedia Commons
    From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The two illustrations above are from novels by an author, ‘the father of science fiction’, who died in 1905, aged 77. Since 1979, he has been the second most translated author.

    1. Who was the author?
    2. From what novel is the first illustration?
    3. From what novel is the second illustration?

    Answers

    1. Jules Verne 
    2. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
    3. From the Earth to the Moon

    Jules Verne was a French novelist, poet, and playwright, best known for his adventure novels like Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Around the World in Eighty Days His work, often set in the 19th century, incorporated contemporary scientific knowledge and technological advances. Verne is considered an important author in Europe and has been the second most-translated author in the world since 1979.

    Four

    Harry Houdini, performing The Chinese Water Torture Cell.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Erik Weisz, who was born in 1874, is pictured above during one of his acts, although he’s better known by his stage name.

    1. In what European city was he born?
    2. Who is he better known as?

    Answers

    1. Budapest
    2. Harry Houdini.

    Harry Houdini, a Hungarian-American escapologist, gained fame for his daring escape acts, including freeing himself from handcuffs, chains, and straitjackets. He also pursued a crusade against fraudulent spiritualists and was a pioneer aviator.

    Five

    Stalag Luft III.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The prisoner of war camp above was made famous by a 1963 film which features the inmates attempts to leave it on the night of 24 March 1944.

    1. By what name is this POW camp commonly known?
    2. What was the 1963 film?
    3. In what modern country is the site of the camp today?

    Answers

    1. Stalag Luft III
    2. The Great Escape
    3. Poland

    Stalag Luft III (in full Stammlager Luft III; literally meaning Main Camp, Air, III) was a World War II POW camp for Allied airmen, known for escape plots including the Great Escape. Of the 76 men who escaped that night, 73 were recaptured, and fifty of those were executed. The camp, which was liberated in 1945 and is now a museum, was the subject of two feature films about the escape attempts that were made: The Wooden Horse (1950) and The Great Escape (1963).

  • Every Picture Tells a Story

    Five pictures and some questions all of which are related to today’s date, March 24th.

    One

    Image Wikimedia Commons

    In 1721, a collection of six instrumental works—the composer’s own title was Six Concerts Avec plusieurs Instruments (Six Concertos With several Instruments)—were presented by Johann Sebastian Bach to Christian Ludwig, a marquess and younger brother of King Frederick I of Prussia. Using the above picture as a clue, by what name is this collection commonly known today?

    Two

    Image Wikimedia Commons
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The male monarch pictured above succeeded the female one on her death in 1603. 

    1. Who is the queen?
    2. Who was the king?
    3. What was the familial relationship between them?

    Three

    First illustration.
    Image Wikimedia Commons
    Second illustration.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The two illustrations above are from novels by an author, ‘the father of science fiction’, who died in 1905, aged 77. Since 1979, he has been the second most translated author.

    1. Who was the author?
    2. From what novel is the first illustration?
    3. From what novel is the second illustration?

    Four

    Eric Weisz.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Erik Weisz, who was born in 1874, is pictured above during one of his acts, although he’s better known by his stage name.

    1. In what European city was he born?
    2. Who is he better known as?

    Five

    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The prisoner of war camp above was made famous by a 1963 film which features the inmates attempts to leave it on the night of 24 March 1944. 

    1. By what name is this POW camp commonly known?
    2. What was the 1963 film?
    3. In what modern country is the site of the camp today?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • The Wind in the Wires Made a Tattle-tale Sound—Answers

    Five random questions for you to ponder today. 

    Edmund Fitzgerald.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    On which of the Great Lakes did the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sink with the loss of her entire crew in 1975?

    1. Lake Michigan
    2. Lake Ontario
    3. Lake Superior

    Answer: 3. Lake Superior.

    The SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the largest ship on the Great Lakes, sank during a storm on November 10, 1975, with all 29 crew members lost. The cause of the sinking remains unknown, though it is believed to have been due to a combination of factors such as structural failure and high waves. The disaster led to changes in Great Lakes shipping regulations and practices. The Edmund Fitzgerald disaster, immortalised in Gordon Lightfoot’s ballad, led to significant changes in Great Lakes shipping regulations, including mandatory survival suits and increased inspections.

    Two

    This Eurasian woodland plant, Allium uranium, with broad shiny leaves and round heads of flowers, producing a strong aroma of garlic is also called wild garlic. What is it?

    1. Larsons
    2. Ramsons
    3. Tamsons 

    Answer: 2. Ramsoms.

    Allium ursinum, or wild garlic, is a bulbous perennial flowering plant native to Eurasia. It is a wild relative of onion and garlic. It has several names including ramsons; it is also known as buckrams, broad-leaved garlic, cowleekes, cows’s leek, cowleek, wood garlic, Eurasian wild garlic, onion grass, bear leek and bear’s garlic. 

    Three

    What letter(s) is the symbol which represents the element tungsten?

    1. T
    2. Gs
    3. W

    Answer: 3. W.

    Tungsten, also known as wolfram, is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. It is a metal found naturally in compounds and was first isolated as a metal in 1783.

    Four

    Who, on a sixties album, released a version of the Christmas carol Silent Night with a simulated 7 O’clock News, which featured real events from the preceding summer, being read over it? 

    1. Crosby, Stills and Nash
    2. Joni Mitchell
    3. Simon & Garfunkel

    Answer: 3. Simon & Garfunkel.

    7 O’Clock News/Silent Night by Simon & Garfunkel is a sound collage from their 1966 album, combining Silent Nightwith a simulated news bulletin. A sound collage juxtaposes Silent Night with a news report, highlighting social issues like civil rights, Lenny Bruce’s death, and the Vietnam War. The track’s mix emphasises the contrast between the news and the Christmas song.

    Five

    In which Scottish body of water was the German High Seas Fleet scuttled in June 1919?

    1. Loch Ness
    2. Scapa Flow
    3. Firth of Lorn

    Andwer: 2. Scapa Flow.

    Scapa Flow is a strait in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It was an important British naval base, especially in the First World War. The German High Seas Fleet was interned there after its surrender, and was scuttled in 1919 as an act of defiance against the terms of the Versailles peace settlement.

    The Wind in the Wires Made a Tattle-tale Sound — Post Title

    The post title is a line from The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot. Full lyrics below from AZ Lyrics.

    The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald

    By Gordon Lightfoot.

    The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
    Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
    The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
    When the skies of November turn gloomy
    With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
    Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
    [Former version:] That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
    [Latter version:] That good ship and crew was a bone to be chewed
    When the gales of November came early 

    The ship was the pride of the American side
    Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
    As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
    With a crew and good captain well seasoned
    Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
    When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
    Then later that night when the ship’s bell rang
    Could it be the north wind they’d been feelin’? 

    The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
    When the wave broke over the railing
    And every man knew, as the captain did too
    ‘Twas the witch of November come stealin’
    The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
    When the gales of November came slashin’
    When afternoon came it was freezing rain
    In the face of a hurricane west wind 

    When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck
    Saying, “Fellas, it’s too rough to feed ya.”
    [Former version:] At seven PM a main hatchway caved in
    [Latter version:] At seven PM it grew dark, it was then
    He said, “Fellas, it’s been good to know ya.”
    The captain wired in he had water comin’ in
    And the good ship and crew was in peril
    And later that night when his lights went out of sight
    Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald 

    Does anyone know where the love of God goes
    When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
    The searchers all say they’d have made Whitefish Bay
    If they’d put fifteen more miles behind her
    They might have split up or they might have capsized
    They may have broke deep and took water
    And all that remains is the faces and the names
    Of the wives and the sons and the daughters 

    Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
    In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
    Old Michigan steams like a young man’s dreams
    The islands and bays are for sportsmen
    And farther below, Lake Ontario
    Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
    And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
    With the gales of November remembered 

    [Former version:] In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
    [Latter version:] In a rustic old hall in Detroit they prayed
    In the Maritime Sailors’ Cathedral
    The church bell chimed ’til it rang twenty-nine times
    For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
    The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
    Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
    Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
    When the gales of November come early.
    AZ Lyrics.

  • The Wind in the Wires Made a Tattle-tale Sound

    Five random questions for you to ponder today. 

    Edmund Fitzgerald.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    On which of the Great Lakes did the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sink with the loss of her entire crew in 1975?

    1. Lake Michigan
    2. Lake Ontario
    3. Lake Superior

    Two

    This Eurasian woodland plant, Allium uranium, with broad shiny leaves and round heads of flowers, producing a strong aroma of garlic is also called wild garlic. What is it?

    1. Larsons
    2. Ramsons
    3. Tamsons 

    Three

    What letter(s) is the symbol which represents the element tungsten?

    1. T
    2. Gs
    3. W

    Four

    Who, on a sixties album, released a version of the Christmas carol Silent Night with a simulated 7 O’clock News, which featured events from the preceding summer, being read over it? 

    1. Crosby, Stills and Nash
    2. Joni Mitchell
    3. Simon & Garfunkel

    Five

    In which Scottish body of water was the German High Seas Fleet scuttled in June 1919?

    1. Loch Ness
    2. Scapa Flow
    3. Firth of Lorn

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

    These are five questions which are related to today, February 5th.

    Section of the border between East and West Germany.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    The term ‘Iron Curtain’ described the political and physical boundary dividing Europe from the end of World War II until the end of the Cold War. Who popularised its use in a speech at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, on 5 March 1946?

    Answer: Winston Churchill.

    …an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe.
    — Winston Churchill, Former British prime minister, 5 March 1946, Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri

    The Iron Curtain was a political and physical boundary dividing Europe from 1945 to 1990/1991, symbolising the ideological divide between the Soviet-controlled Eastern Bloc and the Western nations. Popularised by Winston Churchill in 1946, the term originally described physical barriers but later encompassed broader cultural and ideological differences. The Iron Curtain largely dissolved in 1989-90 with the fall of communism.

    Two

    A 31-year-old American country singer, who was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Virginia, died in a 1963 plane crash in Tennessee. She had enjoyed an eight-year recording career, which included two number ones as well as other major chart hits. By what name was she known professionally?

    Answer: Patsy Cline.

    Patsy Cline, born Virginia Patterson Hensley, was an American singer known for her crossover success from country to pop music. She achieved major hits like Walkin’ After Midnight and I Fall to Pieces, becoming a trailblazer for women in country music. Although, she died in a plane crash in 1963, her legacy endures through her influential music and posthumous recognition.

    Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray

    The post title, Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray, was the title of a Patsy Cline single from 1957.

    Three

    In 1616, 73 years after publication, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres (De revolutionibus orbium coelestium) was added to the Index of Forbidden Books (Index Librorum Prohibitorum) by the Sacred Congregation of the Index. Which astronomer had written On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres?

    Answer: Nicolaus Copernicus

    Copernicus’s book placed the Sun rather than the Earth at the centre, meaning the Earth and other planets orbited the Sun. The Index Librorum Prohibitorum, active from 1560 to 1966, was a list of publications deemed heretical or immoral by the Catholic Church. It banned thousands of books, including works by theologians, astronomers, philosophers, and unapproved Bible editions, to protect church members from potentially disruptive ideas.

    Four

    In 1942 Japanese forces captured what is now Jakarta, Indonesia. At that time, what was the city called and of where was it the capital?

    Answers: Batavia; Dutch East Indies.

    Batavia, now known as Jakarta, was founded in 1619 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a strategic trading post in the Dutch colonial empire. It became the capital of the Dutch East Indies and was pivotal for their trade routes, especially in spices and other commodities. Following Indonesia’s declaration of independence in 1945, Batavia was renamed Jakarta. The city evolved from a colonial outpost to a major urban centre reflecting Indonesia’s diversity and is a bustling metropolis and the capital of Indonesia. It is a hub for culture, economy, and politics in Southeast Asia.

    Five

    In 1496, England’s Henry VII issued letters patent authorising a navigator and his sons to explore unknown lands. This led to what is the earliest known exploration of the North American Atlantic coast since the Norse visits to Vinland in the eleventh century. Who was Henry VII’s explorer?

    Answer: John Cabot.

    John Cabot was an Italian navigator and explorer.  His 1497 voyage to North America, commissioned by Henry VII, King of England, is the earliest known European exploration of the region’s coast since the Norse visits to Vinland in the eleventh century.  To commemorate the 500th anniversary of Cabot’s expedition, both Canadian and British governments declared Cape Bonavista, Newfoundland, as his first landing site. However, alternative locations have also been suggested.

  • Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray

    These are five questions which are related to today, February 5th.

    Section of the border between East and West Germany.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    The term ‘Iron Curtain’ described the political and physical boundary dividing Europe from the end of World War II until the end of the Cold War. Who popularised its use in a speech at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, on 5 March 1946?

    Two

    A 31-year-old American country singer, who was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Virginia, died in a 1963 plane crash in Tennessee. She had enjoyed an eight-year recording career, which included two number ones as well as other major chart hits. By what name was she known professionally?

    Three

    In 1616, 73 years after publication, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres (De revolutionibus orbium coelestium) was added to the Index of Forbidden Books (Index Librorum Prohibitorum) by the Sacred Congregation of the Index. Which astronomer had written On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres?

    Four

    In 1942 Japanese forces captured what is now Jakarta, Indonesia. At that time, what was the city called and of where was it the capital?

    Five

    In 1496, England’s Henry VII issued letters patent authorising a navigator and his sons to explore unknown lands. This led to what is the earliest known exploration of the North American Atlantic coast since the Norse visits to Vinland in the eleventh century. Who was Henry VII’s explorer?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • From the land of the Pima Indian—Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    Today’s first question concerns this date, February 23rd, while the others follow on and share a common theme.

    Ira Hayes Memorial.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Which famous photograph featuring US Marine Ira Hayes shows him and fellow servicemen raising the American flag during a pivotal World War II battle?

    Answer: Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima

    The photograph, taken by Joe Rosenthal during the Battle of Iwo Jima atop Mount Suribachi on 23 February 1945, became one of the most reproduced images in history and later inspired the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Among the six men in the iconic Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima photograph was Ira Hamilton Hayes, a US Marine and Gila River Indian Community member who fought in WWII’s Bougainville and Iwo Jima campaigns. Hayes later struggled with PTSD and alcoholism and died in 1955, being commemorated in art, film, and song, The Ballad of Ira Hayes. The lyrics are copied at the end of the post.

    Two

    Goodbye, Norma Jeane
    Though I never knew you at all
    You had the grace to hold yourself
    While those around you crawled
    They crawled out of the woodwork
    And they whispered into your brain
    They set you on the treadmill
    And they made you change your name

    AZ Lyrics

    Goodbye England’s rose
    May you ever grow in our hearts
    You were the grace that placed itself
    Where lives were torn apart
    You called out to our country
    And you whispered to those in pain
    Now you belong to heaven
    And the stars spell out your name

    AZ Lyrics

    This song has two versions, and the first verse of each is shown above. The first was written in 1973, and it was adapted 24 years later; both were written about different people. There are several questions…

    1. What’s the song title in each case?
    2. Who were the songwriters?
    3. Who is the subject of each respective version?

    Answers

    1. Candle in the Wind and Candle in the Wind 1997
    2. Elton John and Bernie Taupin
    3. Marilyn Monroe and Diana, princess of Wales

    Candle in the Wind is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, originally in honour of Marilyn Monroe. A rewritten version, Candle in the Wind 1997, was performed as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales at her funeral. Adapted from Elton John’s 1973 song, Candle in the Wind 1997 became the best-selling single in UK and US chart history and won a Grammy Award.

    Three

    This 20th-century singer-songwriter wrote about the 1959 plane crash referred to as ‘The Day the Music Died’. He also wrote a song about a 19th-century artist whose opening line references a painting often mistaken for the song’s title. There are four questions…

    1. Who is the singer-songwriter?
    2. What are the titles of the two songs?
    3. Who were the three rock and roll musicians who died in the crash?
    4. Finally, who was the artist?

    Answers

    1. Don McLean
    2. American Pie and Vincent
    3. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper
    4. Vincent van Gogh

    American Pie by Don McLean, released in 1971, was a number-one hit in the US and several other countries. Known for its length and cryptic lyrics, the song reflects on the musicians deaths, the cultural changes and loss of innocence experienced by McLean’s generation. In 2017, the original recording was selected for preservation in the US National Recording Registry. McLean also wrote Vincent as a tribute to Vincent van Gogh, which topped the UK Singles Chart in 1972 and was ranked No. 94 by Billboard for that year.

    Four

    Lori Lieberman co-wrote this song with lyrics about Don McLean after watching him in performance. Arguably the best known version is Roberta Flack’s 1973 cover which became a number-one hit in the US, Australia and Canada, and a top ten hit in the UK. What is the song?

    Answer: Killing Me Softly with His Song.

    Killing Me Softly with His Song, composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel, was inspired by a Don McLean performance. Roberta Flack’s 1973 version topped charts worldwide, winning Grammy Awards. The Fugees’ 1996 cover also achieved global success, winning a Grammy and topping the Billboard Hot 100.

    Five

    Je t’aime… moi non plus was written in 1967 by Serge Gainsbourg. The best known version of it was Gainsbourg’s 1969 duet with Jane Birkin which topped the UK charts. Who, often referred to as ‘B.B.’, had Gainsbourg originally written the song for?

    Answer: Brigitte Bardot.

    Je t’aime… moi non plus (meaning ‘I love you… me neither’) is a 1967 song written by Serge Gainsbourg for Brigitte Bardot.  In 1969, Gainsbourg recorded a popular duet version with British actress Jane Birkin. While this version topped the charts in Birkin’s native United Kingdom, becoming the first foreign-language song to achieve this feat and reaching number two in Ireland, it faced censorship in several countries due to its explicit sexual content.  In 1976, Gainsbourg directed Birkin in an erotic film of the same name.

    The Ballad Of Ira Hayes
    By Peter La Farge

    Ira Hayes, 
    Ira Hayes

    [CHORUS:]
    Call him drunken Ira Hayes
    He won’t answer anymore
    Not the whiskey drinkin’ Indian 
    Nor the Marine that went to war

    Gather round me people there’s a story I would tell
    About a brave young Indian you should remember well
    From the land of the Pima Indian 
    A proud and noble band
    Who farmed the Phoenix valley in Arizona land

    Down the ditches for a thousand years 
    The water grew Ira’s peoples’ crops
    ‘Till the white man stole the water rights 
    And the sparklin’ water stopped

    Now Ira’s folks were hungry 
    And their land grew crops of weeds
    When war came, Ira volunteered 
    And forgot the white man’s greed

    [CHORUS:]
    Call him drunken Ira Hayes
    He won’t answer anymore
    Not the whiskey drinkin’ Indian 
    Nor the Marine that went to war

    There they battled up Iwo Jima’s hill, 
    Two hundred and fifty men
    But only twenty-seven lived to walk back down again

    And when the fight was over 
    And when Old Glory raised
    Among the men who held it high 
    Was the Indian, Ira Hayes

    [CHORUS:]
    Call him drunken Ira Hayes
    He won’t answer anymore
    Not the whiskey drinkin’ Indian 
    Nor the Marine that went to war

    Ira returned a hero 
    Celebrated through the land
    He was wined and speeched and honored; Everybody shook his hand

    But he was just a Pima Indian
    No water, no crops, no chance
    At home nobody cared what Ira’d done 
    And when did the Indians dance

    [CHORUS:]
    Call him drunken Ira Hayes
    He won’t answer anymore
    Not the whiskey drinkin’ Indian 
    Nor the Marine that went to war

    Then Ira started drinkin’ hard;
    Jail was often his home
    They’d let him raise the flag and lower it
    like you’d throw a dog a bone!

    He died drunk one mornin’ 
    Alone in the land he fought to save
    Two inches of water in a lonely ditch 
    Was a grave for Ira Hayes

    [CHORUS:]
    Call him drunken Ira Hayes
    He won’t answer anymore
    Not the whiskey drinkin’ Indian 
    Nor the Marine that went to war

    Yeah, call him drunken Ira Hayes 
    But his land is just as dry
    And his ghost is lyin’ thirsty 
    In the ditch where Ira died

    AZ Lyrics

  • From the land of the Pima Indian

    Today’s first question concerns this date, February 23rd, while the others follow on and share a common theme.

    Ira Hayes Memorial.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Which famous photograph featuring US Marine Ira Hayes shows him and fellow servicemen raising the American flag during a pivotal World War II battle?

    Two

    Goodbye, Norma Jeane
    Though I never knew you at all
    You had the grace to hold yourself
    While those around you crawled
    They crawled out of the woodwork
    And they whispered into your brain
    They set you on the treadmill
    And they made you change your name

    AZ Lyrics

    Goodbye England’s rose
    May you ever grow in our hearts
    You were the grace that placed itself
    Where lives were torn apart
    You called out to our country
    And you whispered to those in pain
    Now you belong to heaven
    And the stars spell out your name

    AZ Lyrics

    This song has two versions, and the first verse of each is shown above. The first was written in 1973, and it was adapted 24 years later; both were written about different people. There are several questions…

    1. What’s the song title in each case?
    2. Who were the songwriters?
    3. Who is the subject of each respective version?

    Three

    This 20th-century singer-songwriter wrote about the 1959 plane crash referred to as ‘The Day the Music Died’. He also wrote a song about a 19th-century artist whose opening line references a painting often mistaken for the song’s title. There are four questions…

    1. Who is the singer-songwriter?
    2. What are the titles of the two songs?
    3. Who were the three rock and roll musicians who died in the crash?
    4. Finally, who was the artist?

    Four

    Lori Lieberman co-wrote this song with lyrics about Don McLean after watching him in performance. Arguably the best known version is Roberta Flack’s 1973 cover which became a number-one hit in the US, Australia and Canada, and a top ten hit in the UK. What is the song?

    Five

    Je t’aime… moi non plus was written in 1967 by Serge Gainsbourg. The best known version of it was Gainsbourg’s 1969 duet with Jane Birkin which topped the UK charts. Who, often referred to as ‘B.B.’, had Gainsbourg originally written the song for?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Hello Dolly!—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

    Todays questions are all related to the date, February 22nd.

    Dolly the Sheep.
    The taxidermy mount of Dolly on exhibit at the National Museum of Scotland, 2009.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    On this day in 1997, the world was introduced to Dolly the sheep. Cloned at a Scottish institute sharing a name with a nearby chapel featured in a Dan Brown novel and film, both the institute and chapel’s names originate from that of a village with multiple spellings. What is it?

    Answer: Roslin (Institute) or Rosslyn (Chapel) or Roslyn.

    Dolly the Sheep was cloned at the Roslin Institute, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell. The nearby Rosslyn Chapel, founded in 1446 by Sir William St. Clair, is a remarkable example of ornate Gothic architecture. The chapel, known as a ‘Bible in stone’, features intricate carvings and sculptures, including the Apprentice Pillar, which is the subject of much speculation. Despite its association with the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail, the chapel’s true significance lies in its historical and architectural value. It featured in Dan Brown’s novel and film The Da Vinci Code.

    Two

    George Washington, the first president of the United States, was born on 22 February 1732 in Westmoreland, Virginia. This Virginian county was named after the British County of Westmorland, but on what island was this latter county found?

    Answer: Great Britain.

    Westmorland, a former county in North West England, is situated on the island of Great Britain. It encompassed part of the Lake District and the southern Vale of Eden. In 1974 it was incorporated into Cumbria and now forms part of the larger Westmorland and Furness unitary authority area.

    Three

    Exactly 200 years after the birth of George Washington, a United States politician was born into a political dynasty on this day. Who was he?

    Answer: Ted Kennedy (in full Edward Moore Kennedy).

    Edward Moore Kennedy, a prominent American politician and member of the Democratic Party, served as a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1962 until his death in 2009. Known for his oratorical skills and liberal views, Kennedy championed numerous significant pieces of legislation, including the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Despite his political achievements, his career was marred by the Chappaquiddick incident in 1969.

    Four

    In 1942, three members of an anti-Nazi group were executed by beheading in Munich. Over the following months, others were also executed and many more imprisoned for alleged connections to the group. The group’s two-word name was that of a colour and a flower; what was this name?

    Answer: White Rose.

    The White Rose was a non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany, led by students and a professor. They conducted a leaflet and graffiti campaign against the Nazi regime, denouncing its crimes and calling for resistance. Their activities ended with further arrests and executions in 1943.

    Five

    On this date, NASCAR held the first Daytona 500. In what year was this, and which driver won the race?

    Answers: 1959; Lee Petty.

    The 1959 Daytona 500, the second race of the NASCAR Grand National Series season, was the inaugural race at the newly built Daytona International Speedway. The track, built by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr., is a 2.5-mile superspeedway and is considered the most prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar.

  • Hello Dolly!

    Todays questions are all related to the date, February 22nd.

    Dolly the Sheep.
    The taxidermy mount of Dolly on exhibit at the National Museum of Scotland, 2009.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    On this day in 1997, the world was introduced to Dolly the sheep. Cloned at a Scottish institute sharing a name with a nearby chapel featured in a Dan Brown novel and film, both the institute and chapel’s names originate from that of a village with multiple spellings. What is it?

    Two

    George Washington, the first president of the United States, was born on 22 February 1732 in Westmoreland, Virginia. This Virginian county was named after the British County of Westmorland, but on what island was this latter county found?

    Three

    Exactly 200 years after the birth of George Washington, a United States politician was born into a political dynasty on this day. Who was he?

    Four

    In 1942, three members of an anti-Nazi group were executed by beheading in Munich. Over the following months, others were also executed and many more imprisoned for alleged connections to the group. The group’s two-word name was that of a colour and a flower; what was this name?

    Five

    On this date, NASCAR held the first Daytona 500. In what year was this, and which driver won the race?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.