Tag: Second World War

We Have All the Time in the World | Answers

The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

One

Burkina Faso, an African country, changed to that name on August 4, 1984. What was its name prior to that?

Answer: Republic of Upper Volta

This landlocked West African country, which had been a French colony, gained full independence in 1960 and changed its name to Burkina Faso on this day in 1984.

Two

On this day in 1944, following a tip from an informer the Gestapo search a warehouse and find and arrest Jewish diarist Anne Frank, her family, and four others. In what city was the warehouse located?

Answer: Amsterdam

Diarist Anne Frank (Annelies Marie Frank), a German-born Jewish girl, documented her life in hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands in a diary. After being arrested by the Gestapo and transported to concentration camps, Anne and her sister Margot died in Bergen-Belsen, likely from typhus. Her diary, published posthumously by her father Otto, became a global bestseller and a powerful testament to the Holocaust. The warehouse, offices and secret annex are now a museum, Anne Frank House.

Three

An actor born today in 1955, played Dan Truman, a NASA executive, in Armageddon (1998) and Davy Crockett in The Alamo (2004). Who is he?

Answer: Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, filmmaker, singer, and songwriter. He gained international attention for his work in Sling Blade and has since appeared in numerous films and television series, winning several awards including an Academy Award and Golden Globes. Thornton is also a musician, having released four solo albums and performing with the Boxmasters.

Four

The last Empress of India was born 4 August 1900 in England. What was here name, and her primary title between December 1936 and February 1952?

Answer: Elizabeth and Her Majesty the Queen

Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, born on 4 August 1900, reigned as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952, as the wife of King George VI.  She held the title of Empress of India from 1936 until the dissolution of the British Raj on 15 August 1947. Following her husband’s passing, she was officially known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother to distinguish her from her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II.

Five

A man described by Encyclopædia Britannica as…

a prolifically gifted natural musician and the leading trumpeter in jazz history

…was born 4 august 1901. Almost seven decades later he sang We Have All the Time in the World in a Bond film. Who was he?

Answer: Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong, a highly influential American jazz trumpeter and vocalist, was born in New Orleans and rose to prominence in the 1920s. He shifted jazz’s focus from collective improvisation to solo performance and became an international icon by the 1950s. We Have All the Time in the World” was featured on the soundtrack of the James Bondfilm _On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

We Have All the Time in the World

These are all linked by today’s date, August 4th.

One

Burkina Faso, an African country, changed to that name on August 4, 1984. What was its name prior to that?

Two

On this day in 1944, following a tip from an informer the Gestapo search a warehouse and find and arrest Jewish diarist Anne Frank, her family, and four others. In what city was the warehouse located?

Three

An actor born today in 1955, played Dan Truman, a NASA executive, in Armageddon (1998) and Davy Crockett in The Alamo (2004). Who is he?

Four

The last Empress of India was born 4 August 1900 in England. What was her name, and her primary title between December 1936 and February 1952?

Five

A man described by Encyclopædia Britannica as…

a prolifically gifted natural musician and the leading trumpeter in jazz history

…was born 4 August 1901. Almost seven decades later he sang We Have All the Time in the World in a Bond film. Who was he?

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

What did you do in the war? | Answers

The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

Lt. (jg) John F. Kennedy aboard the PT-109, Tulagi, Solomon Islands, South Pacific, 1943.
Image Wikipedia

One

Which future president of the United States was in command of PT-109 when the incident described above occurred on August 2nd?

Answer: John F. Kennedy

On patrol the night of August 1–2, 1943, his boat was struck in the inky darkness by a Japanese destroyer. Two crew members died in the fiery collision, but eleven, one badly injured, clung to the hull until morning. Despite his own injuries, Kennedy managed to get all of them to shore and then secure their rescue, six days later, with the help of native islanders friendly to the Allies. For his courage and leadership, Kennedy was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and a Purple Heart. 

– The White House Historical Association

Two

Hedy Lamarr, 1944.
Image Wikipedia

Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in 1914 in Vienna this Austrian-American actress later sued Warner Brothers ‘for almost using her name’ in Blazing Saddles. During World War II, she co-invented a radio guidance system for torpedoes. Who is she?

Answer: Hedy Lamarr

During World War II, Hedy Lamarr co-invented a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes using spread spectrum and frequency hopping technology. However, this technology wasn’t used operationally until after the war. In 1974, Lamarr sued Warner Bros. for $10 million over the use of her name in the film Blazing Saddles which featured the character ‘Hedley Lamarr’. The case settled out of court for an apology.

Three


Drawing by Nicholas Volpe after Guinness won an Oscar in 1957 for his role in The Bridge on the River Kwai.
Image Wikipedia

During the 1943 invasion of Sicily, an actor who once portrayed a wartime bridge builder in Asia and played a forceful character in Star Wars commanded a landing craft. Who was this actor?

Answer: Alec Guinness

Sir Alec Guinness played Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. During the Allied invasion of Sicily Guinness commanded a Landing Craft. Later, in the eastern Mediterranean theatre, he ferried supplies and agents to the Yugoslav partisans.

Four

Christopher Lee at the Women’s World Awards 2009 in Vienna, Austria. Image Wikipedia

At one time, he was known as Scaramanga, famous for his love of gold. However, later in life, his colour changed to white, fittingly, as Saruman the Wise. This title was appropriate considering his time in Royal Air Force Intelligence during World War II. Who is he?

Answer: Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee was Scaramanga in the Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun and Saruman in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
After volunteering for the Finnish Army during the Winter War, Lee joined the Royal Air Force in 1941. His flying career was cut short due to optic nerve issues, leading him to intelligence work in North Africa and Italy. After the war, Lee worked with the Central Registry of War Criminals and Security Suspects, tracking down Nazi war criminals.

Five

Official Navy portrait of Paul Newman, 1944-45.
Image Wikipedia

John Joseph Vincent Murphy III, an officer at Fort Apache, had previously been Butch. In real life, he served as an airborne turret gunner in the US Navy. Who is he?

Answer: Paul Newman

Paul Newman was a police officer named Murphy who was stationed at Fort Apache: The Bronx. He was previously Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He served in the US Navy during World War II, initially as a radioman and tail gunner, later qualifying as a turret gunner in an Avenger torpedo bomber. His unit was assigned to the USS Bunker Hill, but he and his crew were grounded due to a pilot’s earache, missing a kamikaze attack that killed several hundred crewmen.

What did you do in the war?

At 02:27 on 2 August 1943, the US Navy’s PT-109 was cut in two by a Japanese destroyer.

Today’s questions focus on individuals who gained recognition in other fields but had roles in World War II.

One

Which future president of the United States was in command of PT-109 when the incident described above occurred on August 2nd, 1943.

Two

Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in 1914 in Vienna this Austrian-American actress later sued Warner Brothers ‘for almost using her name’ in Blazing Saddles. During World War II, she co-invented a radio guidance system for torpedoes. Who is she?

Three

During the 1943 invasion of Sicily, an actor who once portrayed a wartime bridge builder in Asia and played a forceful character in Star Wars commanded a landing craft. Who was this actor?

Four

At one time, he was known as Scaramanga, famous for his love of gold. However, later in life, his colour changed to white, fittingly, as Saruman the Wise. This title was appropriate considering his time in Royal Air Force Intelligence during World War II. Who is he?

Five

John Joseph Vincent Murphy III, an officer at Fort Apache, had previously been Butch. In real life, he served as an airborne turret gunner in the US Navy. Who is he?

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Legs 11 | Answers

The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

Statue of Constantine the Great in the Capitoline museums.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Where, on 11 May 330, was dedicated as the “New Rome”? Byzantium—Constantine the Great renamed Byzantium as “New Rome” in 330 CE, later changing it to Constantinople. The city, founded in 657 BCE, was officially renamed Istanbul in the 20th century.
    Rhinoceros. Salvador Dali.
    Image Wikipedia
  2. Which Spanish artist born today in 1904, at Figueras, Spain, also died there in 1989? Salvador Dali—Salvador Dalí was a Spanish surrealist artist known for his technical skill and striking, bizarre images. He joined the Surrealist group in 1929 and achieved commercial success in the United States in the 1940s. Dalí’s work influenced Surrealism, pop art and contemporary artists.
    Entrance to the German death camp Auschwitz I in Poland. The sign “Arbeit macht frei” translates as “Work makes you free”.
    Image Wikipedia
  3. Former senior Nazi official Adolf Eichmann was captured by Israeli intelligence agents on 11 May 1960. Near what capital city was he captured? Buenos Aires, Argentina—Otto Adolf Eichmann, a German-Austrian Nazi official, was a key organiser of the Holocaust. He participated in the Wannsee Conference, where the Final Solution was planned, and oversaw the mass deportation of Jews to extermination camps. After the war, he escaped to Argentina but was captured by Mossad in 1960 and tried in Israel, where he was convicted and executed.
    Gary Kasparov vs Deep Blue, IBM Computer
    Encyclopædia Britannica
  4. On this day in 1997, Garry Kasparov was defeated in the final game of a six-game chess match. Which computer defeated him? Deep Blue—Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, was the first to defeat a reigning world champion under regular time controls. It first played Garry Kasparov in 1996, losing the match, but won a rematch in 1997.
    Gordon Brown.
    Image Wikipedia
  5. 11 May 2010, saw the resignation of which British prime minister? Gordon Brown—James Gordon Brown, a British politician, served as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. Prior to this, he was Chancellor of the Exchequer under Tony Blair, overseeing significant economic reforms and the longest period of economic growth in British history. After leaving office, Brown continued to serve as an MP and later became a UN Special Envoy and WHO Ambassador.

Legs 11

Here are some questions related to today, 11 May.

Adolf Eichmann.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Where, on 11 May 330, was dedicated as the “New Rome”?
    • Avignon
    • Byzantium
    • Cordoba
  1. Which Spanish artist born today in 1904, at Figueras, Spain, also died there in 1989?
    • Salvador Dali
    • Francisco Goya
    • Pablo Picasso
  2. Former senior Nazi official Adolf Eichmann was captured by Israeli intelligence agents on 11 May 1960. Near what capital city was he captured?
    • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Brasilia, Brazil
    • Santiago, Chile
  3. On this day in 1997, Garry Kasparov was defeated in the final game of a six-game chess match. Which computer defeated him?
    • Deep Blue
    • Deep Mind
    • Deep Thought
  4. 11 May 2010, saw the resignation of which British prime minister?
    • Gordon Brown
    • David Cameron
    • Tony Blair

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

The Cult of… What? | Answers

The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the text of each question simply for your information.

Portrait of Maximilien de Robespierre, c. 1790.
Anonymous, Musée Carnavalet, Paris.
Image Wikipedia
  1. 1. On 7 May 1794, the Cult of the Supreme Being was introduced by …
    • Maximilien Robespierre—a French lawyer and statesman, was a prominent figure in the French Revolution. He advocated for universal male suffrage, abolition of the slave trade, and other progressive policies. Robespierre, a Deist, disapproved of the anti-Christian movement and advocated for a civic religion centred around the Supreme Being.
      Mary, Queen of Scots.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. The burning of Edinburgh by an English army on this day in 1544, was the first action in the…
    • Rough wooing—Henry VIII’s final years saw wars in France and Scotland, including the Rough Wooing, a brutal conflict aimed at breaking the Auld Alliance and forcing a marriage alliance between Mary, Queen of Scots, and Edward, Prince of Wales.
      Honda Ishirō at the National Museum of Nature and Science, in Tokyo, during the filming of Frankenstein Conquers the World.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. The Japanese film director best known for his Godzilla movies was born 7 May 1911, in Asahi, Yamagata, Japan. He was…
    • Honda Ishirō—a Japanese filmmaker, directed Godzilla and its sequels, sparking Japan’s kaijū eiga craze. After directing over 40 films, he returned to assisting Akira Kurosawa.
      Official portrait of President Juan Domingo Perón accompanied with the First Lady, María Eva Duarte de Perón, ”Evita”, 1948.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. María Eva Duarte was born today in 1919, who did she become better known as…
    • Evita—Eva Perón, or Evita, was an Argentine politician, activist, actress and philanthropist who served as First Lady from 1946 until her death in 1952. She championed women’s suffrage, founded the Female Peronist Party, and ran the Ministries of Labour and Health.
      “Our submarine boats in the harbour”
      (German caption), 1914.
      U-20, which sank RMS Lusitania, is second from left in front row.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. On 7 May 1915, a German submarine sank a British ocean liner. The sinking resulted in the loss of 1,198 lives and played a part in the entry of the United States into World War I. The ocean liner was the…
    • Lusitania—The sinking of the British ocean liner Lusitania by a German U-boat in 1915, killing 1,198 people including 128 Americans, increased American support for entering World War I.
RMS Lusitania, New York.
Image Wikipedia

The Cult of… What?

Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 7 May.

Godzilla in Godzilla, 1954
Image Wikipedia
  1. On 7 May 1794, the Cult of the Supreme Being was introduced by …
    • Cardinal Richelieu
    • Maximilien Robespierre
    • Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  2. The burning of Edinburgh by an English army on this day in 1544, was the first action in the…
    • Harsh courting
    • Rough wooing
    • Tough pursuing
  3. The Japanese film director best known for his Godzilla movies was born 7 May 1911, in Asahi, Yamagata, Japan. He was…
    • Honda Ishirō
    • Nissán Kenji
    • Toyota Masaki
  4. María Eva Duarte was born today in 1919, who did she become better known as…
    • Annie
    • Evita
    • May
  5. On 7 May 1915, a German submarine sank a British ocean liner. The sinking resulted in the loss of 1,198 lives and played a part in the entry of the United States into World War I. The ocean liner was the …
    • Aquitania
    • Lusitania
    • Mauretania

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

To the Lighthouse | Answers

The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf.
First edition cover – designed by Vanessa Bell.
Image Wikipedia
  1. On 5 May 1927, the novel To the Lighthouse was published. Who was the English author?
    • Virginia Woolf—Virginia Woolf’s 1927 novel, To the Lighthouse, follows the Ramsay family’s visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The novel explores life through the perspectives of Mrs. Ramsay, Mr. Ramsay and their eight children.
      n A Japanese 10-meter diameter Mulberry paper balloon re-inflated at NAS Moffett Field, CA following its downing by a Navy aircraft about 30 miles west of Alturas, CA on January 10, 1945.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. On this day in 1945, six people picnicking in Oregon were killed in an attack by the Japanese. These were the only deaths by enemy action in the continental United States during World War II. How was the attack launched?
    • Japan launched Fu-Go high-explosive balloon bomb—Fu-Go was an incendiary balloon weapon deployed by Japan against the United States during World War II. The balloons, launched in Japan and carried by the jet stream, were intended to ignite forest fires and spread panic. On 5 May 1945, six civilians, including four boys and two women, were killed near Bly, Oregon, when they discovered a balloon bomb in Fremont National Forest. This was the only fatality from Axis action in the continental US during World War II.
      Adele.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. Born today in 1988, this singer-songwriter has won 16 Grammy Awards, 12 Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Who is she?
    • Adele—Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, known as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. Her albums, including 21 and 25, are among the best-selling of the 21st century, with 25 breaking first-week sales records in the UK and US. Adele has won numerous awards, including 16 Grammys and an Academy Award.
      Jonathan, the tortoise at Plantation House, Saint Helena, 2021.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. Napoleon Bonaparte died on 5 May 1821, while in exile on the island of Saint Helena. Which is where?
    • South Atlantic Ocean—Napoleon I was exiled to St. Helena, a remote British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean, after his second abdication in 1815. He spent his final years in isolation at Longwood House, dying in 1821 from a stomach ulcer. On a cheerier note, Saint Helena is home to the world’s oldest land animal…

      The oldest known living terrestrial animal is Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa), originally from the Seychelles but now a long-time resident of the remote South Atlantic island of St Helena. He is believed to have been born c. 1832, thus making him 192 years old in 2024. Guinness World Records

  5. On 5th May, rebel barons in England renounced their allegiance to King John, a pivotal event leading to the Magna Carta. In which year did this occur?
    • 1215—During the 12th century, English kings issued charters promising liberties and good government to nobles and clergy. However, King John, facing challenges from his nephew and France, did not issue a general charter upon his accession. This, coupled with increased taxes and conflicts with the church, led to baronial unrest and demands for a formal grant of liberties.
King John of England, 1167-1216.
Illuminated manuscript, De Rege Johanne, 1300-1400.
MS Cott. Claud DII, folio 116, British Library.
Image Wikipedia

To the Lighthouse

Tower of Hercules, an ancient Roman lighthouse in A Coruña, Spain
Image Wikipedia

Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 5 May.

  1. On 5 May 1927, the novel To the Lighthouse was published. Who was the English author?
    • Hazel Adair
    • Margaret Jepson
    • Virginia Woolf
  2. On this day in 1945, six people picnicking in Oregon were killed in an attack by the Japanese. These were the only deaths by enemy action in the continental United States during World War II. How was the attack launched?
    • Carrier_launched Aichi D3A dive-bomber
    • Gunfire from a surfaced I-15 submarine‘s deck gun
    • Japan launched Fu-Go high-explosive balloon bomb
  3. Born today in 1988, this singer-songwriter has won 16 Grammy Awards, 12 Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Who is she?
    • Adele
    • Shura
    • Rhianna (Kenny)
  4. Napoleon Bonaparte died on 5 May 1821, while in exile on the island of Saint Helena. Which is where?
    • Mediterranean Sea
    • North Atlantic Ocean
    • South Atlantic Ocean
  5. On 5th May, rebel barons in England renounced their allegiance to King John, a pivotal event leading to the Magna Carta. In which year did this occur?
    • 1015
    • 1215
    • 1415

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.