Quizology.Online

“There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge.”

— Bertrand Russell

Tag: space

  • Raising the Dead—Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

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

    One

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

    Answer: Caravaggio

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

    Two

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

    Answer: Scotland Yard

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

    — Encyclopædia Britannica

    Three

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

    Answer: Enrico Fermi

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

    Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

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

    Answer: Julia Gillard

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

    Five

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

    Answer: 1988 and Discovery

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

  • Raising the Dead

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

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

    One

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

    Two

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

    Three

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

    Four

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

    Five

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

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

  • A Sporting First—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

    Althea Gibson, victorious at Wimbledon Ladies Singles in 1957, at parade in her honour, New York. 
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Althea Gibson, aged 76, died on this day in 2003. In the mid-1950s she achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first African-American woman to win titles in what sport?

    Answer: Tennis

    Althea Gibson was a dominant American tennis player who ruled women’s competition in the late 1950s. She achieved historic milestones as the first Black player to win the French Open (1956), Wimbledon (1957–58) and the US Open (1957–58) singles championships.

    Two

    Brigitte Bardot was born on 28 September 1934.  She gained international recognition in which 1956 film directed by Roger Vadim?

    Answer: And God Created Woman

    Born in Paris, Bardot aspired to be a ballerina before starting her acting career in 1952. She gained international fame in 1957 for her role in And God Created Woman.

    Three

    In 1928, a physician and microbiologist observed a mould growth in a laboratory that would later be identified as penicillin.  Who was this individual?

    Answer: Alexander Fleming

    Scottish physician and microbiologist Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first broadly effective antibiotic, in 1928. He shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 for this discovery.

    Four

    On 28 September, a European ‘discovered’ California. In which century did this happen?

    Answer: 16th century

    Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the “discoverer” of California, landed near present-day San Diego in 1542, becoming the first European to set foot on the west coast of the future United States.

    Five

    On 28 September 2008 Singapore hosted its inaugural Formula One race, making it the first night race in the sport’s history. Almost a year later allegations emerged of a driver being instructed by his team to crash his car. Who was the driver and which team was he representing?

    Answer: Nelson Piquet Jr. and Renault F1 (or Renault)

    The 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, the first Formula One race held at night, was won by Fernando Alonso after a controversial incident involving his teammate, Nelson Piquet Jr. Piquet deliberately crashed, bringing out the safety car and benefiting Alonso’s strategy. This incident led to Renault’s disqualification from Formula One, later overturned in court.

  • A Sporting First

    Here are five questions about today, September 28th.

    Althea Gibson, 1957.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Althea Gibson, aged 76, died on this day in 2003. In the mid-1950s she achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first African-American woman to win titles in what sport?

    Two

    Brigitte Bardot was born on 28 September 1934.  She gained international recognition in which 1956 film directed by Roger Vadim?

    Three

    In 1928, a physician and microbiologist observed a mould growth in a laboratory that would later be identified as penicillin.  Who was this individual?

    Four

    On 28 September, a European ‘discovered’ California. In which century did this happen?

    Five

    On 28 September 2008 Singapore hosted its inaugural Formula One race, making it the first night race in the sport’s history. Almost a year later allegations emerged of a driver being instructed by his team to crash his car. Who was the driver and which team was he representing?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later.

  • To Boldly Go

    One

    On 13 September 1959, the first spacecraft successfully made contact with another celestial body. Which spacecraft and celestial body were involved?

    • Kal-L 1 and Mercury
    • Luna 2 and the Moon
    • Mariner 3 and Mars

    Answer: Luna 2 And the Moon

    …the Soviets launched their second Cosmic Rocket (later renamed Luna 2) on Sep. 12 and it successfully achieved escape velocity and placed the spacecraft, virtually identical to Luna 1, on an intercept course with the Moon. The upper stage once again released its one kilogram of sodium gas at a distance of 97,000 miles. On Sep. 13, Luna 2 became the first spacecraft to make contact with another celestial body when it impacted the Moon between Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis, about 160 miles from where Apollo 15 would land 12 years later. The spacecraft’s scientific instruments detected no magnetic field or radiation belts around the Moon. Luna 2 deposited Soviet emblems on the lunar surface, carried in two metallic spheres. During his only visit to the United States a few days after the Luna 2 mission, Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev presented a replica of the spherical pennant to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. That sphere is kept at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kansas, while a copy is displayed at the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas.

    — NASA

    Two

    The 13 September Japanese release of Super Mario Bros marked the start of the Super Mario series of platforming games.

    • 1985
    • 1991
    • 1997

    Answer: 1985

    Super Mario Bros. is a 1985 platform game developed by Nintendo for the NES. Players control Mario or Luigi to rescue Princess Toadstool from Bowser, traversing side-scrolling stages and collecting power-ups. The game is praised for its precise controls and is credited with reviving the video game industry after the 1983 crash.

    Three

    On 12 September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert set a record as the strongest hurricane in the Western Hemisphere, based on barometric pressure. Which 2005 hurricane surpassed this record?

    • Maria
    • Rita
    • Wilma

    Answer: Wilma

    Hurricane Gilbert, a Category 5 hurricane in 1988, caused widespread destruction in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. It was the second-most intense Atlantic landfalling hurricane (only behind 2005’s Hurricane Wilma) and the most intense to strike Mexico.

    Four

    Hannibal Goodwin patented celluloid photographic film on this date. In what decade did this occur?

    • 1890s
    • 1900s
    • 1910s

    Answer: 1890s

    Five

    On 13 September 1899, the first ascent of Batian was achieved. Of what mountain is Batian the highest peak?

    • Mount Erebus
    • Mount Fuji
    • Mount Kenya

    Answer: Mount Kenya

    Mount Kenya, located near the equator in Kenya, has three highest peaks: Batian, Nelion, and Point Lenana. It is the source of the country’s name.

  • To Boldly Go

    Five multiple choice questions related to today, September 13th.

    One

    On 13 September 1959, the first spacecraft successfully made contact with another celestial body. Which spacecraft and celestial body were involved?

    • Kal-L 1 and Mercury
    • Luna 2 and the Moon
    • Mariner 3 and Mars

    Two

    The 13 September Japanese release of Super Mario Bros marked the start of the Super Mario series of platforming games.

    • 1985
    • 1991
    • 1997

    Three

    On 12 September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert set a record as the strongest hurricane in the Western Hemisphere, based on barometric pressure. Which 2005 hurricane surpassed this record?

    • Maria
    • Rita
    • Wilma

    Four

    Hannibal Goodwin patented celluloid photographic film on this date. In what decade did this occur?

    • 1890s
    • 1900s
    • 1910s

    Five

    On 13 September 1899, the first ascent of Batian was achieved. Of what mountain is Batian the highest peak?

    • Mount Erebus
    • Mount Fuji
    • Mount Kenya

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • All in a Day: 1609 to 1939—Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

    Henry Hudson’s voyages to North America.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 3 September 1609, an English navigator and explorer sailed into what is now known as New York Harbour. He made four expeditions to find a route from Europe to Asia, and a bay, river and strait are named after him. What are his first and second names?

    Answer: Henry Hudson

    In 1606, Henry Hudson sailed up the river that now bears his name. In Canada, the Hudson Strait links the North Atlantic Ocean (Labrador Sea) to Hudson Bay.

    Sir Malcolm Campbell.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Two

    On 3 September 1935, who became the first person to drive an automobile at over 300 miles per hour?

    Answer: Sir Malcolm Campbell

    On September 3, 1935, at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, his automobile was timed at 301.1292 miles (484.62 km) per hour, the first officially clocked land-vehicle performance exceeding 300 miles (483 km) per hour.
    — Encyclopædia Britannica

    Three

    On 3 September 1939, after the invasion of Poland, Britain, France, and which two of these countries – Australia, Canada, or New Zealand – declared war on Germany?

    Answer: Australia and New Zealand

    On 3 September 1939, Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King announced the recommendation for a declaration of war in a radio broadcast. On 10 September 1939, a declaration of war by Canada against Germany was made by order-in-council signed by King George VI, King of Canada.

    NASA’s Viking 2 on the surface of Mars.
    Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

    Four

    On this day in 1976, Viking 2, a NASA spacecraft, completed its journey, landed at its destination, and began sending information back to Earth. What planet had it landed on?

    Answer: Mars

    The Viking 2 mission, part of the American Viking programme, included an orbiter and a lander. The lander operated for 1,316 days, while the orbiter functioned for 706 orbits until July 25, 1978.

    James Stewart, Jean Arthur and Frank Capra on the set of Mr Smith Goes to Washington.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    The director of 1939’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life died on 3 September 1991. Who was he?

    Answer: Frank Capra

    Italian-American film director Frank Capra, known for his influence in the 1930s and 1940s, won three Academy Awards for Best Director. Despite a career decline after World War II, his films, including It’s a Wonderful Life, were later critically acclaimed.

  • All in a Day: 1609 to 1939

    Another five questions which are related to today, September 3rd.

    Set of Mr Smith Goes to Washington. See question 5.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 3 September 1609, an English navigator and explorer sailed into what is now known as New York Harbour. He made four expeditions to find a route from Europe to Asia, and a bay, river and strait are named after him. What are his first and second names?

    Two

    On 3 September 1935, who became the first person to drive an automobile at over 300 miles per hour?

    Three

    On 3 September 1939, after the invasion of Poland, Britain, France, and which two of these countries – Australia, Canada, or New Zealand – declared war on Germany?

    Four

    On this day in 1976, Viking 2, a NASA spacecraft, completed its journey, landed at its destination, and began sending information back to Earth. What planet had it landed on?

    Five

    The director of 1939’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life died on 3 September 1991. Who was he?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Five for Twenty-five—Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

    Never Say Never Again.
    Image Pinterest

    One

    Who was the actor born on 25 August 1930 who played James Bond in a 1980s film directed by Irvin Kershner?
    Sean Connery
    George Lazenby
    Roger Moors

    Answer: Sean Connery

    Irvin Kershner directed the 1983 non-Eon Productions Never Say Never Again, the seventh and final Bond film starring Sean Connery. The film‘s title referenced Connery’s 1971 declaration that he would never play the role again. The storyline follows Bond as he investigates the theft of nuclear weapons by SPECTRE. It is based on Ian Fleming’s 1961 novel Thunderball, which was originally written by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham, and Fleming. The novel had previously been adapted into the 1965 film Thunderball.

    Two

    On 25 August 1916, US President Woodrow Wilson signed the … Act, which established the National Park Service. What word completes the name of the act?
    Operational
    Organic
    Oversight

    Answer: Organic Act

    Stephen Mather, worried about the condition of national parks, was instrumental in founding the National Park Service (NPS) with his assistant Horace Albright through the Organic Act of 1916. They consolidated NPS properties, marketed the parks, and facilitated the establishment of many new parks and monuments. The act sought to preserve and enhance the enjoyment of national parks, monuments, and reservations.

    Three

    On 25 August 1530, Ivan IV Vasilyevich, commonly known as Ivan the Terrible, was born. He became the Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia. Was he the… person to hold this position. What word completes the previous sentence?
    First
    Fifth
    Fourteenth

    Answer: First

    Ivan the Terrible, first Tsar of Russia, transformed Russia into an empire but at a great cost. His later years were marked by paranoia, violence and the massacre of Novgorod, leading to the end of the Rurik dynasty.

    Four

    On this date in 1825, the Thirty-three Orientals, a revolutionary group, began an insurrection against…
    Benin
    Bhutan
    Brazil

    Answer: Brazil

    The Treinta y Tres Orientales, led by Lavalleja and Oribe, fought for the independence of Oriental Province from Brazil in 1825, leading to the foundation of modern Uruguay.

    Neptune image taken by Voyager 2, August 1989.
    Image NASA via Wikipedia

    Five

    On 25 August 1989, the first human-made object to fly by Neptune made its closest approach to the planet. Which spacecraft was it?
    Viking 1 Voyager 2 Vulcan 3

    Answer: Voyager 2

    Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to visit Uranus and Neptune. The probe is now in interstellar space, the region outside the heliopause, or the bubble of energetic particles and magnetic fields from the Sun.
    — NASA

  • Five for Twenty-five

    All these questions are related to today, August 25th.

    Yellowstone Lake showing geyser, Yellowstone National Park.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Who was the actor born on 25 August 1930 who played James Bond in a 1980s film directed by Irvin Kershner?
    Sean Connery
    George Lazenby
    Roger Moore

    Two

    On 25 August 1916, US President Woodrow Wilson signed the … Act, which established the National Park Service. What word completes the name of the act?
    Operational
    Organic
    Oversight

    Three

    On 25 August 1530, Ivan IV Vasilyevich, commonly known as Ivan the Terrible, was born. He became the Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia. Was he the… person to hold this position. What word completes the previous sentence?
    First
    Fifth
    Fourteenth

    Four

    On this date in 1825, the Thirty-three Orientals, a revolutionary group, began an insurrection against…
    Benin
    Bhutan
    Brazil

    Five

    On 25 August 1989, the first human-made object to fly by Neptune made its closest approach to the planet. Which spacecraft was it?
    Viking 1 Voyager 2 Vulcan 3

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.