Tag: space

Ups and Downs!

Otis free-fall safety demonstration in 1853.
Wikipedia

All of the following relate to today, 23 March.

  1. On 23 March 1857 the first commercial elevator was installed in a New York City department store, it was powered by…
    • Steam
    • Electricity
    • Water
  2. Born today in 1910, a Japanese film director who according to Encyclopædia Britannica ‘won worldwide acclaim with subtle, brilliantly composed films, such as Rashōmon (1950) and
    Seven Samurai (1954), that combined Japanese historic themes with a Western sense of action and drama”; he was…
    • Yasujirō Ozu
    • Ishirō Honda
    • Akira Kurosawa
  3. On this date a nationwide television address in the US announced a space based defence system against nuclear attacks which came to be known as “Star Wars”; the address was made by…
    • President Jimmy Carter
    • President Ronald Reagan
    • President George HW Bush
  4. On this day in 1998 Titanic won 11 Academy Awards equalling the record set by…
    • All About Eve (1950)
    • Ben-Hur (1959)
    • The Godfather (1972)
  5. The space station Mir returned to Earth on 23 March. It had been launched by the Soviet space agency in 1986 with a design life expectancy of five years. In what year did it re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere?
    • 1991
    • 1996
    • 2001
Approach view of the Mir Space Station viewed from Space Shuttle Endeavour during the STS-89 rendezvous. A Progress cargo ship is attached on the left, a Soyuz manned spacecraft attached on the right. Image ID: STS089-340-035
NASA/Wikipedia

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Truth or Consequence—Answers

Truth and Consequence City Hall.
Wikipedia

Here, in bold, are the answers to my earlier post.

  1. False—It changed name to Truth or Consequence (not Tacos or Chocolate) in 1950 after the radio show of the same name ran a competition for a town or city to do so; the prize being that the show would be broadcast from the winner—the first settlement to change their town’s name. 
  2. False—Nothing to do with First Lady’s. It was chosen because it sounded like the French for help me, m’aider and was picked in 1920 by the head of radio in air traffic control at Croydon Aerodrome (then the world’s busiest) as most of their flights were from France.
  3. False—No, not Martin Luther King. It was about the assassination of JFK.
  4. False—Not the Inca Empire. Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire in what is now central Mexico in 1521 not the Inca’s in what is now Peru.
    Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
    Wikipedia
  5. True—Lucy was named after the Beatles song, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
  6. False—Pete Conrad, Apollo 12 was the third person to walk on the Moon. Michael Collins was the command module pilot of Apollo 11 and did not land on the Moon but remained in orbit while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the lunar surface.
    Goldeneye Estate
    Wikipedia
  7. False—Not Skyfall. Fleming’s house and estate were both named GoldenEye and are now a hotel complex.
  8. True—It is a neighbourhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan.
  9. False—Not Coprophagia which is dung-eating. Lalochezia is the release of stress etc by swearing.
  10. False—It wasn’t Please Mister Postman. The third number one, I Want to Hold Your Hand, was released in November 1963 with the B-side This Boy.
Pete Conrad
Conrad descends the Lunar Module ladder, moments before becoming the third human to walk on the Moon.
Wikipedia

Truth or Consequence

For some variety a selection of true or false questions unconnected to today.

Hot Springs, New Mexico.
Wikipedia
  1. True or false: the American city of Hot Springs, New Mexico is now known as ‘T or C’ after changing its name to Tacos or Chocolate in 1950.
  2. True or false: Mayday, the international distress signal, was chosen in honour of the then US First Lady.
  3. True or false: in 2020, Murder Most Foul was released as a single by Bob Dylan. The murder referred to in the title was the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1967.
  4. True or false: Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in the Americas in 1521.
  5. True or false: Lucy the 3.2 million-year-old skeleton found in Ethiopia was named after a Beatles song.
  6. True or false: the Apollo astronaut Michael Collins was the third person to walk on the Moon.
  7. True or false: Ian Fleming, the author who created James Bond, had a home on Jamaica’s north coast named Skyfall.
  8. True or false: there is a neighbourhood of New York City called Hell’s Kitchen.
  9. True or false: relief of stress, pain and frustration by swearing is known as coprophagia.
  10. True or false: The Beatles third UK No. 1 hit I Want to Hold Your Hand was released with the B-side Please Mister Postman.

Good luck! The answers will be posted later today.

From Barbie’s Big Break to Sputnik’s Canine Crew—Answers

Kanmon Roadway Tunnel Moji side entrance, Route 2, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
Wikipedia

This is the correct order 1. Kanmon tunnel 1958, 2. Barbie in 1959 and 3. Sputnik 9 in 1961.

  1. The Kanmon tunnels, connecting Honshu and Kyushu. The first (railway tunnel) was the world’s first under-ocean tunnel. A highway and pedestrian tunnel was built in the 1950s using improved equipment with the roadway tunnel opening 9 March 1958.
    Ruth Handler, executive of Mattel Toy company, posing with collection of Barbie dolls, 1961
    Wikipedia
  2. Barbie, introduced by Mattel on 9 March 1959, is an iconic 11-inch doll modelled after the German Bild Lilli doll. Despite initial controversy over her figure, Barbie was marketed to children, becoming a symbol of financial independence with diverse careers. Over the years, Mattel expanded the Barbie line to include friends, siblings, and diverse versions, addressing criticisms of materialism and unrealistic body proportions. Barbie has inspired art and literature and remains a global brand, though not accepted in some Muslim countries. In 2023, a film directed by Greta Gerwig was released. Barbie continues to be a popular collectible, with annual sales exceeding a billion dollars.
    This test flight mannequin named “Ivan Ivanovich” orbited the Earth in 1961.
    Now on display at the National Air and Space Museum.
    Wikipedia
  3. Sputnik 9 (its western name), officially Korabl-Sputnik 4, launched on 9 March 1961 at 06:29:00 UTC from Baikonur Cosmodrome using a Vostok-K rocket. It reached low Earth orbit but was deorbited after one orbit, reentering on its first pass over the Soviet Union. The spacecraft landed at 08:09:54 UTC and was successfully recovered. A mannequin was ejected during descent to test the ejection seat, descending separately under a parachute. The dog, Chernushka, was recovered unharmed inside the capsule.

From Barbie’s Big Break to Sputnik’s Canine Crew

Barbie.
Wikipedia

Put these three events from 9 March in chronological order by year with the earliest first.

  1. Kanmon roadway tunnel opened to traffic. When it was built, it held the title of the longest undersea highway in the world. 
  2. The Barbie doll makes its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York.
  3. Sputnik 9 successfully launches—carrying a dog and a human dummy—demonstrating that the Soviet Union was ready to begin human spaceflight.

Good luck! The answers will be posted later.

Fabulous Fantastic Fiascoes—Answers

Answers to the questions in the earlier post are shown in bold below.

US Military Academy, West Point, Coat of Arms
Image Wikipedia
  1. West Point military academy—Edgar Allan Poe attended the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1830. His time there was marked by academic success in subjects like mathematics, but he struggled with the strict military discipline. Poe deliberately sought dismissal by neglecting his duties and violating academy regulations. His tenure at West Point was brief, lasting less than a year, but it significantly influenced his literary career, as he turned his focus entirely to writing after leaving the academy.
    Pietà (1498–1499), by Michaelangelo. St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
    Image Wikipedia
  2. 1475—Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475–1564), known simply as Michelangelo, was an influential Italian sculptor, painter, architect and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in Florence, his work drew inspiration from classical antiquity, leaving a profound impact on Western art. Renowned for masterpieces like the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the statue of David, Michelangelo epitomised the Renaissance man alongside Leonardo da Vinci. His exceptional talents spanned multiple disciplines, and extensive surviving records highlight his artistic journey. Celebrated by contemporaries, Michelangelo remains one of the most documented and revered artists of the 16th century.
    Penny Black with Queen Victoria profile.
    Image Wikipedia
  3. Victoria, queen of Great Britain —The Penny Black, introduced in the United Kingdom on 1 May 1840 and valid from 6 May, was the world’s first adhesive postage stamp for public postal use. Featuring Queen Victoria’s profile, it revolutionised postal services based on Sir Rowland Hill’s proposal to simplify complex, costly rates. Prior to this, recipients paid postage based on distance and sheet count. The Penny Black marked a shift to sender-paid postage, enabling letters up to ½ ounce (14 grams) to be delivered nationwide for a uniform rate of one penny, streamlining and democratising communication across distances.
    Valentina Tereshkova.
    Image Wikipedia
  4. Valentina Tereshkova—Valentina Tereshkova, a Russian engineer and former Soviet cosmonaut, was the first woman in space, completing a solo mission on Vostok 6 in 1963. It was her only space flight.
    This is a drawing of the Alamo Mission in San Antonio. It was first printed in 1854 in Gleason’s Pictorial Drawing Room Companion and was reprinted in Frank Thompson’s 2005 “The Alamo”, p 106.
    Image Wikipedia
  5. 13 days—The Siege of the Alamo took place from 23 February to 6 March 1836 during the Texas Revolution. Mexican forces led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna besieged the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, defended by Texian rebels including James Bowie, William B. Travis and Davy Crockett. Despite fierce resistance, the Texians were vastly outnumbered. After 13 days of relentless bombardment and attacks, the Mexican army overran the mission, killing nearly all defenders. The defeat became a rallying cry, “Remember the Alamo!”, inspiring Texian forces to eventual victory in the revolution.
    Old Package of Aspirin, 20 tabs 0.5 g
    Image Wikipedia
  6. Aspirin—Aspirin, a genericized trademark for acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to alleviate pain, fever, and inflammation and as an antithrombotic. It treats specific inflammatory conditions like Kawasaki disease, pericarditis, and rheumatic fever. Long-term use helps prevent heart attacks, ischaemic strokes and blood clots in high-risk individuals. Effects for pain or fever usually start within 30 minutes. Aspirin functions like other NSAIDs but uniquely suppresses platelet function.
    Muhammad Ali.
    Image Wikipedia
  7. Cassius Clay—In 1964, Cassius Clay stunned the world by defeating Sonny Liston to win the heavyweight championship, defying the odds as an underdog. Just two days after his historic victory, Clay made headlines again by announcing his conversion to the Nation of Islam. This pivotal decision marked a profound personal transformation, as he embraced the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. On 6 March 1964, he adopted the name Muhammad Ali, symbolising his new identity and faith. Ali’s name change reflected not just a religious shift but a declaration of self-determination, which resonated throughout his illustrious boxing career and beyond.
    World Premiere Poster, 1853
    Image Wikipedia
  8. Fiasco—La traviata premiered at La Fenice, Venice, in March 1853, amidst Verdi’s lingering apprehensions. The production faced hurdles from the start: Verdi disagreed with the casting of 38-year-old Fanny Salvini-Donatelli as Violetta, feeling she was ill-suited for the role of a youthful, consumptive heroine. Despite Verdi’s protests, no changes were made. The opening act received applause, but enthusiasm waned in the second act, where performances by baritone Felice Varesi and tenor Lodovico Graziani met with disapproval. Verdi later lamented in a letter, “La traviata last night a failure. Was the fault mine or the singers’? Time will tell.” He further said, “It was a fiasco!”
    Eleanor Roosevelt with female reporters at her first White House press conference on March 6, 1933.
    Credit: FDR Presidential Library & Museum
    Image via National Woman’s History Museum
  9. Eleanor Roosevelt—Eleanor Roosevelt recounted to journalist Lorena Hickok that the first White House press conference for women reporters, held on 6 March 1933—two days after FDR’s inauguration—was held in the Red Room. Thirty-five women attended, but there weren’t enough chairs, so some sat on the floor. These weekly conferences, open only to women, helped preserve their jobs and ensured news access. As Mrs Roosevelt noted without fresh stories, women reporters risked losing their jobs. The conferences focused on topics of interest to women, avoiding politics. Over twelve years, 348 conferences provided the First Lady with a national audience and significant publicity.
    Dmitri Mendeleev.
    Image Wikipedia
  10. 1869—On 6 March 1869, a scientist presented to the Russian Chemical Society about how elements’ properties relate to their atomic weights. He found that elements arranged by atomic weight show a pattern in their properties. Similar elements often have similar atomic weights or a regular increase in weight. Elements in groups based on atomic weight also match their valencies and chemical properties. He noted that widely spread elements have small atomic weights and that atomic weight influences an element’s nature. He predicted the discovery of new elements and suggested that atomic weights could help predict element properties.
Coloured periodic table showing the most common sets of elements (2023)
Image Wikipedia
Pietà (1498–1499), by Michaelangelo. St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
Image Wikipedia

Fabulous Fantastic Fiascoes

Michelangelo.
Image Wikipedia
  1. On this day in 1831, American writer Edgar Allan Poe was court-martialled for disobedience and expelled from…
    • Annapolis naval academy
    • Marine Corps Base Quantico
    • West Point military academy
  2. Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo was born on 6 March in…
    • 1375
    • 1475
    • 1575
  3. On 6 March 1840, the world’s first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black, went into use featuring an image of…
    • Jonas Furrer, president of Switzerland
    • Victoria, queen of Great Britain
    • Martin Van Buren, president of the US
  4. The first female to travel in space was born on this day in 1937, she was…
    • Valentina Ponomaryova
    • Svetlana Savitskaya
    • Valentina Tereshkova 
  5. The Alamo, San Antonio fell and was captured today in 1836 following a siege which had lasted…
    • 3 days
    • 13 days
    • 31 days
  6. On 6 March 1899, acetylsalicylic acid is patented by Felix Hoffmann at the German company Bayer under the genericized trademark…
    • Aspirin
    • Ibuprofen
    • Paracetamol 
  7. This day in 1964 a boxer changed his name to Muhammad Ali. He had had changed his name from…
    • Augustus Amber
    • Balbinus Beryl
    • Cassius Clay
  8. Today in 1853, La traviata, by Giuseppe Verdi, was premiered at La Fenice opera house in Venice. The composer later described it as…
    • Fabulous
    • Fantastic
    • Fiasco
  9. The first First Lady to hold an official press conference in the White House did so on 6 March. She was…
    • Eleanor Roosevelt
    • Jackie Kennedy
    • Pat Nixon
  10. At a meeting of the Russian Chemical Society, Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev presented the first periodic table on this day in …
    • 1869
    • 1895
    • 1921

Good luck! The answers will be posted later today.

Fiddler’s Bridge Rings—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions posed earlier today plus some additional information.

A portrait in oils in the Museo Internazionale e Biblioteca della Musica di Bologna is generally believed to be of Vivaldi.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Venice, Republic of Venice (now Italy)—Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678–1741) was a pivotal Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era, known for his innovative contributions to orchestration, violin technique and the concerto form. Born in Venice, he was ordained a priest in 1703, earning the nickname Il Prete Rosso—the red priest. Vivaldi worked at the Ospedale della Pietà, composing numerous concertos, sacred works, and over fifty operas, including the famous The Four Seasons. Despite initial success, his popularity declined in the 1730s. He moved to Vienna in 1740, seeking royal support, but died in poverty. His works were rediscovered in the 1920s, reviving interest in his music.
    Forth Bridge pier off Inchgarvie Island. The Forth Road Bridge can be seen in the background.
    Image Wikipedia
  2. Edinburgh—The Forth Bridge, a cantilever railway bridge over the Firth of Forth (Estuary of the River Forth) in Scotland, was designed by Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker in the late 1880s and opened on 4 March 1890. Initially criticised for its aesthetics, it is now a symbol of Scotland and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located 9 miles west of Edinburgh, it carries the Edinburgh–Aberdeen line, is 8,094 feet (2467 m) long and features three 1,348 ft (411 m) cantilevers and two 351 ft (107 m) suspended spans, with a total clear span of 1,699 ft (518 m). Constructed with 58,000 tons of steel at a cost of £3,000,000 (£493,000,000 in 2025). Recent research by the Queensferry Historian Group has discovered that 78 men died during the construction of the bridge.
    A plaque honoring Perkins at Boston’s Logan Airport.
    Image Wikipedia
  3. Franklin D. Roosevelt—Frances Perkins was appointed Secretary of Labor on 4 March 1933. Born on 10 April 1880, in Boston she was a pioneering American workers-rights advocate and the first woman in the U.S. cabinet, serving as Secretary of Labour from 1933 to 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A key figure in the New Deal coalition, she focused on labour issues and social security policy, developing the Social Security Act in 1935. Perkins championed reforms like the minimum wage, maximum workweek, and child labour restrictions. Educated at Mount Holyoke College, Wharton School, and Columbia University, she passed away on 14 May 1965, in New York.
    Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon during a Beatles performance for Dutch television, 1964.
    Image Wikipedia
  4. John Lennon, Beatles—In 1966, during a controversial interview, John Lennon of the Beatles made a bold statement that would spark widespread debate and backlash around the world. Lennon asserted that the band had become “more popular than Jesus”. This comment was part of a larger discussion about the changing role of religion and the cultural influence of rock music, particularly among the youth of the 1960s. The remark was initially unnoticed in the UK but gained significant attention in the United States, leading to protests and record burnings by those who viewed the statement as blasphemous. Despite the uproar, the Beatles continued to dominate the music scene and influence the cultural landscape, solidifying their legacy as one of the most iconic bands in history.
  5. Voyager 1—Voyager 1, launched by NASA on September 5, 1977, is a pioneering interplanetary probe that visited Jupiter and Saturn, becoming the first spacecraft to reach interstellar space. Part of a twin mission with Voyager 2, it utilised a rare planetary alignment for a multiplanet tour. Voyager 1 discovered Jupiter’s ring and volcanic activity on Io, and revealed Saturn’s ring structures. It carries a gold-plated phonograph record with Earth’s images and sounds. By 2012, it entered interstellar space and is now the most distant human-made object. It is expected to operate until 2030.
Distance from Earth screenshot, 12:42 4 March 2025*
Image JPL NASA Voyager

*Voyager Live information can be viewed at JPL NASA Voyager.

Fiddler’s Bridge Rings

Image Wikipedia

Here are some questions based on this day in history.

  1. Antonio Vivaldi, composer and virtuoso violinist was born on 4 March 1678. Where was he born?
    • Vigo, Kingdom of Galicia (now Spain)
    • Vienna, Austria
    • Venice, Republic of Venice (now Italy) 
  2. What Scottish city is located about nine miles east of the bridge, which opened this day in 1890, pictured above? 
    • Aberdeen
    • Dundee
    • Edinburgh
    Frances Perkins
    Image Wikipedia
  3. Frances Perkins was the first woman ever to serve in a presidential cabinet in the United States. Which president appointed her as the fourth US Secretary of Labor?
    • Calvin Coolidge
    • Herbert Hoover
    • Franklin D. Roosevelt 
  4. On 4 March 1966, it was claimed during an interview that we are ‘more popular than Jesus’. Who made this claim?
    • John Lennon of the Beatles
    • Cass Elliot of the Mamas & the Papas
    • Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones
  5. On this day in 1979 the first photograph of the rings of Jupiter (below) was sent back to Earth by what spacecraft?
    • Voyager 1
    • Galileo
    • Pioneer 11
Jupiter.
Image Wikipedia

Good luck! The answers will be posted later today.

From Monarch Mishaps to Cosmic Capers! (with some grave robbing in between.)—Answers

Queen Victoria receiving the news of her accession to the throne, 1837.
[Image Wikipedia]

The answers to today’s earlier post about a few events from 2 March are shown in bold below.

  1. Eight—On March 2, 1882, Roderick Maclean, a poet who had apparently been offended by Queen Victoria’s rejection of one of his poems, attempted to assassinate her as her carriage departed Windsor railway station. Gordon Chesney Wilson and another Eton College student struck him with their umbrellas until a policeman intervened and escorted him away. Notably, there were eight attempts to assassinate Victoria, with two separate attempts by the same person. In 1842, while riding in a carriage along The Mall in London, Queen Victoria was shot at by John Francis, but the gun failed to discharge. Francis managed to escape, but the following day, Victoria deliberately drove the same route, albeit faster and with a larger escort, in an attempt to lure Francis into a second attempt and capture him in the act. As anticipated, Francis fired at her, but he was apprehended by plainclothes policemen and subsequently convicted of high treason. His death sentence was commuted to transportation for life.
    Publicity poster for King Kong, 1933.
    [Image Wikipedia]
  2. King Kong—The landmark monster movie King Kong had its world premiere. In addition to pioneering special effects by Willis O’Brien, it was the first significant feature film to star an animated character. The film’s final lines were Police Lieutenant: “Well, Denham, the airplanes got him.” Carl Denham responded: “Oh no, it wasn’t the airplanes. It was beauty that killed the beast.”
    British Airways Concorde G-BOAC, 1986.
    [Image Wikipedia]
  3. Toulouse, France—Concorde was a supersonic airliner developed by the United Kingdom and France, first flying on 2 March 1969. Known for its sleek design and ability to fly at twice the speed of sound, it significantly reduced transatlantic flight times. However, high development costs, environmental concerns like sonic booms, and high operating costs limited its use to transoceanic flights. Only 20 aircraft were built, operated by Air France and British Airways, with service starting in 1976. Despite initial routes to destinations like Bahrain, Rio de Janeiro, Washington, D.C., and New York City, financial losses and competition from subsonic airliners led to route cuts, with New York City becoming the only regular destination. A fatal crash on 25 July 2000, resulting in 113 deaths, led to a temporary grounding. Concorde was retired in 2003, with most aircraft preserved in museums. The program was a significant European cooperative venture but never achieved financial profitability.
    Charlie Chaplin’s grave in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland.
    [Image Wikipedia]
  4. Vaud, Switzerland—In March 1978, Oona Chaplin was informed by police that her husband Charlie Chaplin’s grave in Switzerland had been disturbed and his body stolen. The film star, who had died just months earlier, was taken by two thieves, Roman Wardas and Gantscho Ganev, who demanded a ransom of $600,000, threatening the Chaplins’ children. Oona dismissed the ransom as absurd. The police effectively tracked the thieves, leading to their capture in May. Wardas and Ganev, driven by desperation, had hidden Chaplin’s body in a cornfield. They expressed regret for their crime, which Oona forgave, even exchanging letters with them. Wardas was imprisoned for four years, while Ganev received an 18-month suspended sentence. Charlie Chaplin was reburied with a concrete vault to deter further theft. Though a 2014 film revived interest in the odd incident, his grave has remained undisturbed since.
  5. Czech—Vladimír Remek, the first Czechoslovak in space, is also considered the first EU astronaut. He served in the European Parliament and as Czech Ambassador to Russia.
Charlie Chaplin, The Tramp, 1915.
[Image Wikipedia]