Quizology.Online

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

— Bertrand Russell

Tag: space

  • Sausages — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Sausages, The Covered Market, Oxford, U.K.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    There is a simple theme running through today’s questions, which I’m sure you will work out very quickly.

    One

    What five-letter word means sausages and an area of, for example, St. Andrew’s, Scotland?

    Answer: Links.

    Sausages in a chain are links, as is a seaside golf course on ‘linksland’. The Oxford English Dictionary definition of the golf variety is shown below.

    links /lɪŋks /
    ▸ plural noun [treated as singular or plural] (also golf links) a golf course, especially one on grass-covered sandy ground near the sea: a couple of days’ golf on a sunny Spanish links. ▪ another term for linksland

    – ORIGIN Old English  hlinc ‘rising ground’, perhaps related to lean1.

    — Oxford English Dictionary

    Two

    What eight-letter word relates to all of these: Joe Gilmore, a barman at the Savoy Hotel, London in 1969; Apollo 11, 1969; Mr Bean, 1969; Michael Jackson, 1983?

    Answer: Moonwalk.

    Joe Gilmore created the Moonwalk cocktail to celebrate Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s landing on the Moon in Apollo 11 and their moonwalks. Mr. Bean was Apollo 12’s Alan Bean who, along with his colleague Pete Conrad, also walked on the Moon a few months later. Michael Jackson’s famous Moonwalk was first publicly performed in 1983.

    Three

    What connects Fort Providence to the Beaufort Sea?

    Answer: Mackenzie River.

    The Mackenzie River, in Canada’s Northwest Territories, is, with the Slave, Peace and Finlay Rivers, the longest river system in Canada, with the second-largest drainage basin of any North American river after the Mississippi. The Mackenzie’s main stem flows 1,738 km (1,079 miles) from Great Slave Lake at Fort Providence to the Arctic Ocean at the Beaufort Sea, in the Inuvik Region. Historically significant, it supports limited economic development, including oil, minerals, and agriculture.

    Four

    Dr. John Watson; Bilbo Baggins; Lester Nygaard; Chris Carson. Who is the connection?

    Answer: Martin Freeman.

    English actor Martin Freeman has won two Emmy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He portrayed Dr. John Watson in Sherlock (2010–2017); a young Bilbo Baggins in the The Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014); Lester Nygaard in Fargo (2014), and Chris Carson in The Responder (from 2022).

    Five

    What one title is shared by these: a 1956 film about Vincent van Gogh; an Iggy Pop album from 1977; a 2017 Lana Del Rey album?

    Answer: Lust for Life.

    Lust for Life is a 1956 biographical film about Vincent van Gogh, directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Kirk Douglas. Lust for Life was also the title of Iggy Pop’s second solo album, released in 1977. Finally, Lust for Life is Lana Del Rey’s fifth studio album, released in 2017.

    Sausages

    As explained in the first answer sausages in a chain are links and today’s questions are all about links.

  • Sausages

    Sausages, The Covered Market, Oxford, U.K.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    There is a simple theme running through today’s questions, which I’m sure you will work out very quickly.

    One

    What five-letter word means sausages and an area of, for example, St. Andrew’s, Scotland?

    Two

    What eight-letter word relates to all of these: Joe Gilmore, a barman at the Savoy Hotel, London in 1969; Apollo 11, 1969; Mr Bean, 1969; Michael Jackson, 1983?

    Three

    What connects Fort Providence to the Beaufort Sea?

    Four

    Dr. John Watson; Bilbo Baggins; Lester Nygaard; Chris Carson. Who is the connection?

    Five

    What one title is shared by these: a 1956 film about Vincent van Gogh; an Iggy Pop album from 1977; a 2017 Lana Del Rey album?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • First II — Answer

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Valentina Tereshkova, 1963.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Today’s first question is about a pioneering ‘first’, the rest follow a theme of ‘firsts’ rather than the letters of ’first’.

    One

    On this day in what year did Valentina V. Tereshkova become the first woman in space, and on what spacecraft did she travel?

    Answers: 1963; Vostok 6.

    On this day in 1963, Valentina V. Tereshkova, a Soviet cosmonaut, made history as the first woman to travel in space. She launched into orbit aboard Vostok 6 completing 48 orbits in just 71 hours. To date, she is the only woman to have flown in space solo and is the youngest, being 26 years of age at the time of Vostok 6.

    Two

    Who won the first of his three Wimbledon singles titles in 1934, and in what other sport was he a world champion?

    Answers: Fred Perry; Table tennis.

    Fred Perry was a British tennis and table tennis player, achieving significant success in both sports. In table tennis, he became the World Champion in 1929. Perry began his tennis career aged 21, seven years after taking up the sport. He won 10 Majors in tennis, including eight Grand Slam singles titles and two Pro Slam singles titles, as well as six Major doubles titles. Perry was the first player to achieve a ‘Career Grand Slam’ by winning all four singles titles, completing this feat at the 1935 French Championships at age 26. He remains the only British player to do so. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships from 1934 to 1936 and was the world amateur No. 1 during those years. Perry also played a crucial role in Great Britain’s Davis Cup victories from 1933 to 1936. Disillusioned with the Lawn Tennis Club of Great Britain’s class-conscious nature, he turned professional in 1936, moved to the United States, and became a naturalised U.S. citizen in 1939. After retiring, he founded the Fred Perry clothing label in 1952 and worked as a tennis broadcaster for BBC Radio. Despite his contributions, Perry was not fully recognised by tennis authorities until later in life, but in 1984, a statue was unveiled at Wimbledon.

    Three

    In what year did the Wright Brothers achieve the first controlled, sustained flight of an engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft, and which of the brothers was the pilot?

    Answer: 1903; Orville Wright.

    The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, were American aviation pioneers credited with inventing the first successful airplane. They achieved the first controlled, sustained flight of an engine-powered aircraft, the Wright Flyer, on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Their innovation was a three-axis control system, crucial for fixed-wing flight. Unlike others, they focused on pilot control over engine power. Their mechanical skills, honed through bicycle work, were pivotal in their success.

    Four

    Absolute primogeniture is a form of primogeniture in which gender is irrelevant for inheritance. 

    1. What country became the first modern European monarchy to adopt this system in 1980?
    2. What two European monarchies still (June 2026) have male-preference primogeniture?

    Answers.

    1. Sweden.
    2. Spain and Monaco (have male-preference primogeniture).
      Sweden adopted absolute primogeniture in 1980, displacing Prince Carl Philip for Princess Victoria. Other monarchies followed: Netherlands (1983), Norway (1990), Belgium (1991), Denmark (2009), and Luxembourg (2011). In 2011, the realms within the Commonwealth, with Queen Elizabeth II as a common monarch, agreed to adopt absolute primogeniture; it became effective in 2015.

    Five

    In The Lord of the Rings who is/are the first to leave the Company of the Ring?

    Answer: Gandalf.

    The Company of the Ring consists of nine members: Legolas (Elf), Gimli (Dwarf), Aragorn and Boromir (Men), Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin (Hobbits), and Gandalf (Wizard). Led by Gandalf, they begin their journey at the start of winter, travelling south through Eriador. After failing to cross the Misty Mountains, they enter the mines of Moria, where Gandalf falls battling a Balrog, allowing the others to escape.

  • First II

    Valentina Tereshkova.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Today’s first question is about a pioneering ‘first’, the rest follow a theme of ‘firsts’ rather than the letters of ’first’.

    One

    On this day in what year did Valentina Tereshkova become the first woman in space, and on what spacecraft did she travel?

    Two

    Who won the first of his three Wimbledon singles titles in 1934, and in what other sport was he a world champion?

    Three

    In what year did the Wright Brothers achieve the first controlled, sustained flight of an engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft, and which of the brothers was the pilot?

    Four

    Absolute primogeniture is a form of primogeniture in which gender is irrelevant for inheritance. 

    1. What country became the first modern European monarchy to adopt this system in 1980?
    2. What two European monarchies still (June 2026) have male-preference primogeniture?

    Five

    In The Lord of the Rings who is/are the first to leave the Company of the Ring?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Number Games — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Maria Sharapova completed the Career Grand Slam after winning the 2012 French Open.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s answers are all single numbers — even the one that is a large number can be written as a single digit if you read the question carefully — and form part of a sequence.

    One

    How many of the eight planets in the solar system have one, and only one, natural satellite, and what are the names of this/these planet(s)?

    Answer: 1. Earth.

    Listing the eight planets in order from the nearest to the Sun: Mercury and Venus have no known moons. Earth has one known moon and is the only such planet. Mars has two; Jupiter, 115; Saturn, 292; Uranus, 29; and Neptune has 16. 

    Two

    Maria Sharapova retired from tennis in 2020. Of the five Grand Slam Singles Championships she won, how many were at the French Open, and who, if any, was/were her defeated finalist(s)?

    Answer: 2. Sara Errani; Simona Halep.

    Maria Sharapova won the French Open in 2012, beating Sara Errani in the final, 6–3, 6–2; and in 2014, she defeated Simona Halep in the final, 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–4. Sharapova, a former Russian professional tennis player, achieved the career Grand Slam in singles and was ranked world No. 1 for 21 weeks. She won 36 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including five major titles, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2025. Sharapova retired from tennis in 2020.

    Three

    How many siblings does King Charles III of Great Britain have, and what are they known as?

    Answer: 3. Anne, Princess Royal; Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh.

    King Charles III has three siblings: Anne, Princess Royal, who was born in 1950; Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, born in 1960; and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, born in 1964. Mountbatten-Windsor was previously known as Prince Andrew, Duke of York, but was stripped of his titles, royal styles and honours as a result of his association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 

    Four

    The World Health Organisation estimates that approximately how many million people worldwide are bitten by snakes each year?

    Answer: 5. (i.e. 5 million).

    World Health Organisation estimates that annually, 5.4 million people are bitten by snakes, with 1.8 to 2.7 million envenomings. Snake bites result in 81,410 to 137,880 deaths and three times more amputations. Venomous bites cause paralysis, bleeding disorders, kidney failure, and tissue damage. Agricultural workers and children, especially, are severely affected.

    Five

    How many countries share a land border with Turkey (officially the Republic of Türkiye), and list them in alphabetical order?

    Answer: 8. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

    If we make a start at the Black Sea to the north and go in a clockwise direction, they are Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Syria (Mediterranean Sea and then Aegean Sea), Greece, and Bulgaria.

    Numbers Game

    Today’s title referred to the answers all being a number, but these are five numbers from near the start of the Fibonacci sequence: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21.

  • Number Games

    Maria Sharapova.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s answers are all single numbers — even the one that is a large number can be written as a single digit if you read the question carefully — and form part of a sequence.

    One

    How many of the eight planets in the solar system have one, and only one, natural satellite, and what are the names of this/these planet(s)?

    Two

    Maria Sharapova retired from tennis in 2020. Of the five Grand Slam Singles Championships she won, how many were at the French Open, and who, if any, was/were her defeated finalist(s)?

    Three

    How many siblings does King Charles III of Great Britain have, and what are they known as?

    Four

    The World Health Organisation estimates that approximately how many millions of people worldwide are bitten by snakes each year?

    Five

    How many countries share a land border with Turkey (officially the Republic of Türkiye), and list them in alphabetical order?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Walk Amongst the Stars — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Flag of Montenegro.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    All of today’s questions relate to the date, 3rd June.

    One

    Which country’s national flag is shown? From which state union did it gain independence in 2006? 

    Answer: Montenegro; Serbia and Montenegro** (or the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro).

    Montenegro, located in Southeast Europe on the Balkan Peninsula, has a population of 633,158 across 25 municipalities. It borders Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania, Croatia, and the Adriatic Sea, with Podgorica as its capital and Cetinje as its cultural centre. Historically inhabited by Illyrians, it became a semi-independent principality under the rule of the Prince-Bishops beginning in 1696 and gained independence in 2006. Montenegro has an upper-middle-income, service-based economy and is a member of several international organisations, pursuing EU membership since 2012.

    Two

    In 1965, Ed White became the first American astronaut to walk in space. Who was the first man and the first woman to walk in space? (Individually, not together.)

    Answer: Alexei Leonov; Svetlana Savitskaya.

    Extravehicular activity (EVA) involves astronauts performing tasks outside spacecraft, including spacewalks and moonwalks. Conducted by nations like Russia, the U.S., and China, EVAs require space suits for life support. Notable milestones include Alexei Leonov’s first spacewalk in March 1965, Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk in July 1969, and Svetlana Savitskaya’s first female spacewalk in July 1984. EVAs can be tethered or untethered, with untethered walks using the Manned Manoeuvring Unit in 1984 and SAFER in 1994.

    Three

    The United Kingdom had three kings in 1936, one of whom had been born on this day in 1865. Who was he?

    Answer: George V.

    George V reigned as King of the United Kingdom from 1910 to 1936. The second son of Prince Albert Edward, later King Edward VII, he unexpectedly became heir to the throne after the death of his elder brother, Prince Albert Victor.
    Upon George V’s death in January 1936, he was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VIII, who abdicated later that year to marry Wallis Simpson. Edward was then succeeded by his younger brother Albert, who became King George VI.

    Four

    In 1844, the last pair of Great auks were killed by fishermen on Eldey Island. In what nation is Eldey Island?

    Answer: Iceland.

    Great Auk.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The great auk (Pinguinus impennis), also known as the garefowl or penguin, is an extinct species of flightless alcid that first appeared around 400,000 years ago and was driven to extinction by human exploitation in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus. It was not closely related to the penguins of the Southern Hemisphere, which were named for their resemblance to this species.
    — Wikipedia 

    Five

    In 1973. the first crash of a supersonic passenger aircraft happened in France with the loss of fourteen lives. What aircraft crashed?

    Answer: Tupolev Tu-144.

    Nicknamed ‘Concordski’ by the press, the Tupolev Tu-144 is a Soviet supersonic passenger airliner designed by Tupolev that operated commercially from 1975 to 1983, including a passenger service between 1977–1978. It was the first commercial supersonic transport, first flew on 31 December 1968, ahead of Concorde. Produced by Tupolev, 16 units were made, conducting 102 commercial flights, with only 55 carrying passengers. It reached Mach 2 on 26 May 1970. Reliability issues, a 1973 crash, and high costs led to its withdrawal from passenger service in 1978. It served as a cargo aircraft until 1983 and was later used for space and research programs, making its final flight in 1999.

  • Walk Amongst the Stars

    Flag of ? See question one.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    All of today’s questions relate to the date, 3rd June.

    One

    Which country’s national flag is shown? From which state union did it gain independence in 2006? 

    Two

    In 1965, Ed White became the first American astronaut to walk in space. Who was the first man and the first woman to walk in space? (Individually, not together.)

    Three

    The United Kingdom had three kings in 1936, one of whom had been born on this day in 1865. Who was he?

    Four

    In 1844, the last pair of Great auks were killed by fishermen on Eldey Island. In what nation is Eldey Island?

    Five

    In 1973. the first crash of a supersonic passenger aircraft happened in France with the loss of fourteen lives. What aircraft crashed?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Picture This — Answers

    Images from an Exhibition at Lahore.
    The Illustrated London News, 1864.
    Image Victoria & Albert Museum.

    These are all connected to today’s date, May 14th.

    One

    1842 saw the first publication of an illustrated weekly news magazine, named The Illustrated … News. The image is from a later edition. What city completed the name of this periodical?

    Answer: London. The Illustrated London News

    Founded by Herbert Ingram, The Illustrated London News debuted on 14 May 1842 as the first illustrated weekly news magazine. It published weekly until 1971, then less frequently, ceasing in 2003. The company, now Illustrated London News Ltd, remains a publishing and digital agency in London, preserving its archives.

    Two

    The United States’ first space station was launched on this date. In what year was this, and what was it called?

    Answers: 1973; Skylab.

    Skylab, the US’s first space station, was occupied for 24 weeks in 1973-1974. It was constructed from a repurposed Saturn V third stage and included an orbital workshop, solar observatory, and Earth observation capabilities. Skylab’s orbit eventually decayed and it disintegrated in the atmosphere on July 11, 1979 scattering debris across the Indian Ocean and Western Australia.

    Three

    In 2004, the then Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark married Mary Donaldson at Copenhagen Cathedral. The couple are now the king and queen of Denmark. On what island was the bride born?

    Answer: Tasmania.

    Mary, born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson in 1972 at Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, is the Queen of Denmark and wife of King Frederik X. They met at the 2000 Olympics and married in 2004, having four children together. Mary is a patron of over 30 charities and founded the Mary Foundation in 2007.

    Four

    The practice of holding a two-minute silence to remember the dead from the First World War began on 14 May 1918. In what port city of the then British Empire did it begin?

    Answer: Cape Town, South Africa.

    The Remembrance Day two-minute silence began in Cape Town in 1918, when Mayor Sir Harry Hands introduced a daily pause after the death of his son in the First World War. Organised with councillor Robert Rutherford Brydone, the ceremony halted traffic while buglers played the ‘Last Post’ and ‘Reveille’. The practice spread across the British Empire after Sir Percy FitzPatrick promoted it to King George V, who officially adopted the two-minute Armistice Day silence in 1919.

    Five

    Born Catherine Élise today in 1969 in Victoria. This actress won an award for her role as Katharine Hepburn and later played KGB agent Irina Spalko. Who is she?

    Answer: Cate Blanchett.

    Cate Blanchett, an Australian actress born Catherine Élise Blanchett on 14 May 1969 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, is 56 years old. Known for her multidimensional characters and wide range of roles, her breakthrough came playing a young Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth (1998). She later appeared in The Lord of the Rings series, The Aviator (2004), and Blue Jasmine (2013). Blanchett won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator and another for her performance in Blue Jasmine. She also portrayed Irina Spalko, the main antagonist in the 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.

  • Picture This

    Images from an Exhibition at Lahore (cropped).
    The Illustrated … News, 1864.
    Image Victoria & Albert Museum.

    These are all connected to today’s date, May 14th.

    One

    1842 saw the first publication of an illustrated weekly news magazine, named The Illustrated … News. The image above is from a later edition. What city completed the name of this periodical?

    Two

    The United States’ first space station was launched on this date. In what year was this, and what was it called?

    Three

    In 2004, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark married Mary Donaldson at Copenhagen Cathedral. The couple are now the king and queen of Denmark. On what island was the bride born?

    Four

    The practice of holding a two-minute silence to remember the dead from the First World War began on 14 May 1918. In what port city of the then British Empire did it begin?

    Five

    Born Catherine Élise today in 1969 in Victoria. This actress won an award for her role as Katharine Hepburn and later played KGB agent Irina Spalko. Who is she?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.