Quizology.Online

Tag: Second World War

  • The Best Way to Observe Fish is to Become a Fish — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    RV Calypso.
    Image francebleu.fr

    Today’s first question is the only one connected to the date 11 June. The others continue a theme created in the first.

    One

    Born in 1910, this French author, explorer, inventor, diver, and biologist was awarded the Legion of Honour, the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, for espionage work while a member of the French resistance during World War II. Who is this?

    Answer: Jacques Cousteau.

    Jacques Cousteau (1910–1997) was a French naval officer, ocean explorer, filmmaker and co-inventor of the Aqua-Lung, which revolutionised scuba diving. A World War II resistance member and decorated naval officer, he pioneered underwater research, photography, and filmmaking. Using his research vessel Calypso (pictured), he led expeditions worldwide and helped popularise ocean exploration through books, documentaries and television. Cousteau also directed Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum, developed underwater habitats, and founded organisations dedicated to marine conservation and environmental protection.

    Two

    This actor, who links Hamlet and Ealing comedies with adaptations of John Le Carré’s novels and Star Wars, commanded a World War II landing craft during the invasions of Sicily and Elba. Who is he?

    Answer: Alec Guinness.

    Sir Alec Guinness, born Alec Guinness de Cuffe, was a renowned English actor, noted for his roles in nine of the BFI’s 100 most important British films. He won numerous awards, including an Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, Tony, and Volpi Cup. Knighted in 1959, he starred in films like Great Expectations, Lawrence of Arabia, and was Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy. Guinness also excelled in theatre and television, notably as George Smiley in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley’s People.

    Three

    This actress, who played Delilah in 1949’s Samson and Delilah, was the co-inventor of a 1941 torpedo radio guidance system which utilised pioneering spread spectrum and frequency hopping technology to prevent jamming. Who was she?

    Answer: Hedy Lamarr.

    Hedy Lamarr, an Austrian-American actress and inventor, co-invented a radio guidance system during World War II with composer George Antheil. Their invention utilised spread spectrum and frequency hopping technology to protect Allied torpedoes from Axis jamming. Lamarr received numerous awards for her contributions to spread-spectrum technology, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Pioneer Award, the BULBIE Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award, and the Viktor Kaplan Medal. Its principles are utilised for secure wireless networking, such as Bluetooth and early versions of Wi-Fi, which use variants of spread spectrum to protect data from interception and interference. She was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

    Four

    This actor, who worked in Royal Air Force Intelligence during World War II, links all of these: Count Dracula; a 1970s Bond villain; baddies in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit; a High Councillor in The Golden Compass and the voice of Death in animated versions from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Who is he?

    Answer: Christopher Lee.

    He was renowned for his portrayal of Count Dracula in Hammer Horror films, starting with Dracula (1958). He also starred as Bond villain Francisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Count Dooku in the Star Warsprequel trilogy (2002–2005), and Saruman in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies (2001–2003 and 2012–2014, respectively). Lee voiced the character Death in two animated fantasy-comedy television series adaptations of the Discworld novels Soul Music and Wyrd Sisters (both 1997).

    Five

    An actor who flew US Liberator bombers over Europe during World War II had a starring role in 1939 in which he ‘went to Washington’. The following year, a ‘tale about Philadelphia’ won him a Best Actor Oscar. Who was this actor and pilot whose time in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve spanned 1941 to 1968?

    Answer: James Stewart.

    The two films referenced in the question are Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and The Philadelphia Story (1940). James Stewart, initially rejected for being underweight, enlisted in 1941 after gaining weight. An experienced pilot, he served in the Air Corps, becoming a second lieutenant in 1942. His celebrity aided recruitment, leading to 150,000 new troops. Volunteering for combat, he flew a B-24 Liberator in Europe, earning promotions to Major in 1944 and Colonel in 1945. Stewart received the Distinguished Flying Cross, French Croix de Guerre, and Air Medal. He served in the Air Force Reserve until 1968, retiring as a brigadier general. 

    The Best Way to Observe a Fish is to Become a Fish

    The post title is a quote from Jacques Cousteau

    “The best way to observe fish is to become a fish,” wrote Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1952. “And the best way to become a fish…is to don an underwater breathing device called the Aqua-Lung.”
    — Time magazine

  • The Best Way to Observe Fish is to Become a Fish

    Image francebleu.fr

    Today’s first question is the only one connected to the date 11 June. The others continue a theme created in the first.

    One

    Born in 1910, this French author, explorer, inventor, diver, and biologist was awarded the Legion of Honour, the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, for espionage work while a member of the French resistance during World War II. Who is this?

    Two

    This actor, who links Hamlet and Ealing comedies with adaptations of John Le Carré’s novels and Star Wars, commanded a World War II landing craft during the invasions of Sicily and Elba. Who is he?

    Three

    This actress, who played Delilah in 1949’s Samson and Delilah, was the co-inventor of a 1941 torpedo radio guidance system which utilised pioneering spread spectrum and frequency hopping technology to prevent jamming. Who was she?

    Four

    This actor, who worked in Royal Air Force Intelligence during World War II, links all of these: Count Dracula; a 1970s Bond villain; baddies in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit; a High Councillor in The Golden Compass and the voice of Death in animated versions from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Who is he?

    Five

    An actor who flew US Liberator bombers over Europe during World War II had a starring role in 1939 in which he ‘went to Washington’. The following year, a ‘tale about Philadelphia’ won him a Best Actor Oscar. Who was this actor and pilot whose time in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve spanned 1941 to 1968?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • A Word to the Wise — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    See question four. Water crowfoot.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s questions are all about words and their meanings.

    One

    What is the meaning of the adjective glabrescent?

    • Hairless
    • Raucous
    • Shrinking

    Answer: Hairless.

    glabrescent in British English

    (ɡleɪˈbrɛsənt)
    adjective botany
    1. becoming hairless at maturity
    > glabrescent stems
    2. nearly hairless 
    Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers 
    Word origin
    C19: from Latin glabrescere to become smooth
    — Collins Dictionary

    Two

    What does the name of the dinosaur Falcarius mean?

    • Ground scraper
    • Sickle cutter
    • Wood driller

    Answer: Sickle cutter.

    Falcarius, meaning ‘sickle cutter’, is a primitive therizinosaur from the Early Cretaceous in North America. Discovered in the Cedar Mountain Formation, it was a 4 m long bipedal herbivore with a small head, elongated neck, and tail. It is considered a transitional form between theropods and Therizinosauridae.

    Three

    Spectrophobia, catoptrophobia and eisoptrophobia can all relate to what household item?

    • Kettle
    • Linoleum
    • Mirror

    Answer: Mirror.

    Catoptrophobia, eisoptrophobia and spectrophobia are terms related to fear of mirrors, but they have distinct meanings. Catoptrophobia is the fear of mirrors themselves, eisoptrophobia is the fear of seeing one’s reflection, and spectrophobia can mean fear of mirrors or ghosts. Etymologically, catoptro– and eisoptron– mean ‘mirror’, whereas spectrum means ‘apparition’, explaining spectrophobia’s dual association.

    Four

    What word can be added to crow to complete this plants name: crow …?

    • Foot
    • Quill
    • Steps

    Answer:

    Crowfoot is a herbaceous plant of the genus Ranunculus, related to the buttercups, typically having lobed or divided leaves and white or yellow flowers.

    Many kinds are aquatic with flowers held above the water.
    Crow quill is a quill pen made from a large feather of a crow’s wing and used in fine writing.
    Crow steps are projections resembling steps on the sloping part of a gable, common in Flemish architecture and in 16th- and 17th-century Scottish buildings. Also called corbie steps.
    — all three definitions from Oxford English Dictionary. 

    Five

    Which of these words means the 1938 annexation of Austria by Hitler’s Nazi Germany?

    • Anschluss
    • Rindereintopf
    • Schlafwandeln

    Answer: Anschluss.

    Anschluss /ˈanʃlʊs /
    ▸ the annexation of Austria by Germany in 1938. Hitler had forced the resignation of the Austrian Chancellor by demanding that he admit Nazis into his cabinet. The new Chancellor, a pro-Nazi, invited German troops to enter the country on the pretext of restoring law and order.
    – ORIGIN German, from anschliessen ‘to join’.
    — Oxford English Dictionary 

    Rindereintopf is a beef stew, and Schlafwandeln is sleepwalking.

  • A Word to the Wise

    See question four. Water crow …
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s questions are all about words and their meanings.

    One

    What is the meaning of the adjective glabrescent?

    • Hairless
    • Raucous
    • Shrinking

    Two

    What does the name of the dinosaur Falcarius mean?

    • Ground scraper
    • Sickle cutter
    • Wood driller

    Three

    Spectrophobia, catoptrophobia and eisoptrophobia can all relate to what household item?

    • Kettle
    • Linoleum
    • Mirror

    Four

    What word can be added to crow to complete this plants name: crow …?

    • Foot
    • Quill
    • Steps

    Five

    Which of these words means the 1938 annexation of Austria by Hitler’s Nazi Germany?

    • Anschluss
    • Rindereintopf
    • Schlafwandeln

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • 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.

  • The Man Who Never Was — Answers

    Here’s the answers to my earlier questions.

    Today’s questions are related to the date, April 29th..

    See question two. Prince William and his bride, Catherine, leaving Westminster Abbey after their wedding, April 29, 2011.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    One

    In a 1943 British deception plan, a corpse was given the identity of ‘Major William Martin’. The idea for the above operation, which was partly inspired by a plot device in a 1939 novel by Basil Thomson, The …’s Hat Mystery, had first been suggested in a memo.

    1. What was the codename of this operation?
    2. What word for a hat maker is missing from the book’s title? 
    3. A future spy novelist—later the creator of a fictional spy which spawned a massive media franchise—worked in British Naval Intelligence during the war where he circulated the memo outlining the above deception tactics. Who was he?

    Answers

    1. Operation Mincemeat
    2. Milliner
    3. Ian Fleming

    The body was released from the submarine HMS Seraph off Spain, where authorities were known to share intelligence with Germany. The Milliner’s Hat Mystery (a milliner is someone who makes or sells hats) is by Basil Thomson who had himself worked in intelligence and blurred the line between fiction and real espionage long before the war. Ian Fleming’s memo was nicknamed the ’Trout Memo’, comparing deception to fly-fishing—luring the enemy with carefully chosen bait. He went on to create James Bond.

    Two

    In 2011, Prince William married his longtime girlfriend, Catherine, whom he had met at university. 

    1. What is Catherine’s maiden name?
    2. At what university did they meet?
    3. In what church did they marry?

    Answers

    1. Middleton
    2. University of St. Andrews
    3. Westminster Abbey

    Prince William, heir to the British throne, married Catherine Middleton in 2011. They have three children: George, Charlotte, and Louis.

    Three

    In 2004, after 107 years of vehicle production, the final … was built in Lansing, Michigan. What make of vehicle is missing from the previous sentence?

    Answer: Oldsmobile.

    Oldsmobile, an American automobile brand, was established by Ransom Eli Olds in 1897 as Olds Motor Vehicle Company and produced over 35 million vehicles. Despite peaking sales in the 1980s, the brand faced declining sales in the 1990s and was discontinued in 2004. 

    Four

    On this day in 2018, a U.S. TV series became the longest-running scripted prime-time show, overtaking a Western that had aired from 1955 to 1975. Name both these shows.

    Answer: The Simpsons; Gunsmoke.

    The record-breaking episode was the show’s 636th, surpassing Gunsmoke’s long-standing total.

    Five

    Also on this day, in 1770, which British explorer made his first recorded landing on the east coast of Australia, at Botany Bay?

    Answer: James Cook.

    Cook’s voyage aboard the HMS Endeavour was originally intended to observe the transit of Venus before turning to exploration.

    The Man Who Never Was

    The Man Who Never Was (1956) is a British espionage thriller directed by Ronald Neame, starring Clifton Webb and Gloria Grahame. Based on Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu’s book, it depicts Operation Mincemeat, a 1943 British intelligence operation to mislead the Axis about the Allied invasion of Sicily. It was featured at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. Nigel Balchin’s screenplay received the BAFTA award for that year.

  • The Man Who Never Was

    Today’s questions are related to the date, April 29th..

    See question two. Prince William and his bride after their wedding, April 29, 2011.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    One

    In a 1943 British deception plan, a corpse was given the identity of ‘Major William Martin’. The idea for the above operation, which was partly inspired by a plot device in a 1939 novel by Basil Thomson, The …’s Hat Mystery, had first been suggested in a memo.

    1. What was the codename of this operation?
    2. What word for a hat maker is missing from the book’s title? 
    3. A future spy novelist—later the creator of a fictional spy which spawned a massive media franchise—worked in British Naval Intelligence during the war where he circulated the memo outlining the above deception tactics. Who was he?

    Two

    In 2011, Prince William married his longtime girlfriend, Catherine, whom he had met at university. 

    1. What is Catherine’s maiden name?
    2. At what university did they meet?
    3. In what church did they marry?

    Three

    In 2004, after 107 years of vehicle production, the final … was built in Lansing, Michigan. What make of vehicle is missing from the previous sentence?

    Four

    On this day in 2018, a U.S. TV series became the longest-running scripted prime-time show, overtaking a Western that had aired from 1955 to 1975. Name both these shows.

    Answer: The Simpsons; Gunsmoke.

    The record-breaking episode was the show’s 636th, surpassing Gunsmoke’s long-standing total.

    Five

    Also on this day, in 1770, which British explorer made his first recorded landing on the east coast of Australia, at Botany Bay?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • I’d Hate to Die on That Dung Heap — Answers

    Here’s today’s answers.

    All of today’s questions are date-specific, relating in one way or another to April 26th.

    One

    Akira Kurosawa‘s 1954 film is set in a village plagued by bandits, and a 1960 American western is a remake of this story.

    1. What was the title of Kurosawa’s 1954 film?
    2. What was the 1960 American film?
    3. What actors played the title characters in the American film?

    Answers

    1. Seven Samurai
    2. The Magnificent Seven
    3. Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Horst Buchholz, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and James Coburn.

    Seven Samurai, a 1954 Japanese action film by Akira Kurosawa, is hailed as one of the greatest films ever. Set in the 16th century, it depicts a village hiring samurai to fend off bandits, overcoming cultural tensions. Despite being Japan’s longest and costliest film at the time, it achieved global success, elevating Japanese cinema and influencing cinematography. Starring Mifune Toshirō, it inspired The Magnificent Seven.

    Flag of Tanzania.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Two

    The country represented by the above flag was founded in 1964.

    1. What is the full, official name of the new country founded?
    2. This new country was formed by the union of a sovereign state with a semi-autonomous region, what were this state and region?

    Answers

    1. United Republic of Tanzania
    2. Tanganyika and Zanzibar.

    Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is an East African nation with a 2024 population of 67.5 million. Formed in 1964 from the Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, it features Mount Kilimanjaro, three Great Lakes, and is a popular safari destination. Swahili is the national language, with Dodoma as its capital.

    Three

    In 1933, Hermann Göring established the Geheime Staatspolizei. What was it commonly known as?

    Answer: Gestapo.

    The Gestapo, Nazi Germany’s secret police, was established in 1933 by Hermann Göring and later controlled by Heinrich Himmler. It targeted political opponents, dissenters, and minorities, committing numerous atrocities. Despite its small size, it was effective due to citizen reporting and played a crucial role in the Holocaust. Post-WWII, it was declared a criminal organisation.

    Four

    American artist and ornithologist James Audubon was born in 1785. In what present day country was he born?

    Answer: Haiti.

    Born in Les Cayes, Saint-Domingue, West Indies, now Haiti, John James Audubon, a French-American artist and ornithologist, is known for his paintings and illustrations of North American bird species. However, he has been accused of fraud and misconduct, such as plagiarising data and trafficking Native American remains.

    Five

    On 26 April 1986, a nuclear disaster occurred in which Soviet Socialist Republic?

    Answer: Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

    On 26 April 1986, reactor no. 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Pripyat, exploded, causing one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. The explosion, due to a design flaw during a test, led to a power surge, steam explosions, and a reactor core fire, spreading radioactive contamination across Europe. Immediate evacuations affected 117,000 people. The disaster resulted in radiation-related fatalities and thousands of cancer cases, with varying death toll predictions. The city of Pripyat was abandoned and replaced by the purpose-built Slavutych. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant sarcophagus, completed in December 1986, limited radioactive contamination and protected undamaged reactors’ crews. Between 2016 and 2018, the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement was built around the old sarcophagus to facilitate reactor debris removal. The clean-up is expected to be completed by 2065. It has been described as the most expensive disaster in history costing an estimated US$700 billion.

    I’d Hate to Die on That Dung Heap

    The post title is a quote from the Seven Samurai said by Kikuchiyo, as he and the six Samurai arrive at the village.

  • I’d Hate to Die on That Dung Heap

    All of today’s questions are date-specific, relating in one way or another to April 26th.

    One

    Akira Kurosawa‘s 1954 film is set in a village plagued by bandits, and a 1960 American western is a remake of this story.

    1. What was the title of Kurosawa’s 1954 film?
    2. What was the 1960 American film?
    3. What actors played the title characters in the American film?
    Question two.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Two

    The country represented by the above flag was founded in 1964.

    1. What is the full, official name of the new country founded?
    2. This new country was formed by the union of a sovereign state with a semi-autonomous region, what were this state and region?

    Three

    In 1933, Hermann Göring established the Geheime Staatspolizei. What was it commonly known as?

    Four

    American artist and ornithologist James Audubon was born in 1785. In what present day country was he born?

    Five

    On 26 April 1986, a nuclear disaster occurred in which Soviet Socialist Republic?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.