Quizology.Online

Tag: sport

  • Birthdays | Answers

    Supreme Leader Snoke.
    Image Wikipedia
    Andy Serkis.
    Image Wikipedia
    Gollum.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. Born 20 April 1964, this actor, who is best known for motion-capture acting, plays and provides the voice for the computer-generated Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars franchise. Who is he?
      • Andy Serkis—is an English actor and filmmaker renowned for his pioneering work in motion capture, portraying iconic characters such as Gollum, King Kong and Caesar. His performances have earned him critical acclaim, including an Empire Award, two Saturn Awards, nominations for a BAFTA and Golden Globe. In addition to acting, Serkis has directed films like Breathe and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. His portrayal of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy not only showcased his talent but also significantly influenced the use of motion capture in future films, impacting productions like King Kong and Planet of the Apes.
        Napoleon III, portrait by Xaver Winterhalter.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. Georges-Eugène Haussmann, known as Baron Haussmann, was commissioned in 1853 “to give it air and open space, to connect and unify the different parts of the city into one whole and to make it more beautiful”. Who, born this day in 1808, commissioned Haussmann?
      • Napoleon III—Napoleon III, born Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, was the first president, second emperor and last monarch of France. He seized power in 1851, proclaimed himself Emperor and modernised France through economic reforms, infrastructure development and colonial expansion. His reign ended with his capture by Prussia in 1870.
        Luther Vandross.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. Today in 1951, Luther Vandross was born. He was a singer/songwriter who went on to win eight Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year in 2004 for…
      • Dance With My Father—Luther Vandross, known as the “Velvet Voice”, was an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter and record producer. He achieved eleven consecutive platinum albums and sold over 40 million records worldwide. Vandross won eight Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year in 2004 for Dance With My Father. He died of a heart attack in 2005, aged 54.
        The Hitler birthplace memorial stone, in front of the building where Adolf Hitler was born. The writing on the stone translates as; ” For Peace, Freedom and Democracy. Never Again Fascism. Millions of Dead remind us.”
        Image Wikipedia
    4. Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, was born on this day in 1889; where was he born?
      • Braunau am Inn—Adolf Hitler, born in Austria-Hungary, led the Nazi Party in Germany and became Chancellor in 1933. His aggressive expansionist policies, including the invasion of Poland and the Soviet Union, led to World War II. Hitler’s regime was responsible for the Holocaust and millions of other deaths, making it the deadliest conflict in history. Hitler championed territorial expansion and racial supremacy.
    5. Who, born on 20 April 1997, is a professional tennis player, the current world No. 3, and the defeated finalist in the 2025 Australian Open?
      • Alexander Zverev—Alexander Zverev is a German professional tennis player, currently ranked world number 3. He has won 23 ATP Tour titles, including a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and titles at the 2018 and 2021 ATP Finals.
    Alexander Zverev.
    Image Wikipedia

  • Birthdays

    See #2. Georges-Eugène Haussmann. Image Wikipedia

    All of these are about people with a birthday on 20 April, although not Monsieur Haussmann.

    1. Born 20 April 1964, this actor, who is best known for motion-capture acting, plays and provides the voice for the computer-generated Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars franchise. Who is he?
      • Ahmed Best
      • Andy Serkis
      • Joseph Gatt
    2. Georges-Eugène Haussmann, known as Baron Haussmann, was commissioned in 1853 “to give it air and open space, to connect and unify the different parts of the city into one whole and to make it more beautiful”. Who, born this day in 1808, commissioned Haussmann?
      • Napoleon I
      • Napoleon II
      • Napoleon III
    3. Today in 1951, Luther Vandross was born. He was a singer/songwriter who went on to win eight Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year in 2004 for…
      • Dance with My Father
      • Endless Love
      • The Best Things in Life Are Free
    4. Adolf Hitler (Pictured below), the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, was born on this day in 1889; where was he born?
      • Berchtesgaden
      • Berlin
      • Braunau am Inn
    5. Who, born on 20 April 1997, is a professional tennis player, the current world No. 3, and the defeated finalist in the 2025 Australian Open?
      • Alexander Zverev
      • Jannik Sinner
      • Taylor Fritz
    See #4 above. Adolf Hitler. Image Wikipedia

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Spin, trials and unlucky 13 | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown, in bold, below.

    Martin Luther. Wikipedia
    1. The trial of Martin Luther over his teachings and efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church began on 17 April 1521 during the…
      • Diet of Worms—At an Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Emperor in the Imperial Free City of Worms, Martin Luther refused to recant his writings unless proven wrong by Scripture or reason, famously stating, “Here I stand; I can do no other.” The Diet declared Luther a heretic and banned his writings.
      Muttiah Muralitharan. Wikipedia
    2. On this day in 1972, Muttiah Muralitharan, cricketer, was born in…
      • Kandy—(Sri Lanka)—Muttiah Muralitharan, a Sri Lankan cricketer, is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He is the only bowler to take 800 Test wickets and over 530 One Day International (ODI) wickets. Muralitharan was a part of the Sri Lankan team that won the 1996 Cricket World Cup.
      Henry Ian Cusick. Wikipedia
    3. Henry Ian Cusick, born today in 1967, who is best known for his role as Desmond Hume in Lost, is described in Wikipedia as…
      • Peruvian-Scottish—Henry Ian Cusick is a Peruvian-Scottish actor known for roles in Lost, The Gospel of John, Scandal, The 100, The Passage, and MacGyver.
      Apollo 13 crew: Commander, James A. Lovell Jr., Command Module pilot, John L. Swigert Jr., and Lunar Module pilot, Fred W. Haise Jr. Wikipedia
    4. The damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft returned to Earth safely today in 1970; the commander was…
      • James A. Lovell Jr.—Jim Lovell, a US astronaut, participated in the Gemini and Apollo space programmes. He commanded the Apollo 13 mission to the Moon in 1970, which faced a critical oxygen tank explosion but successfully returned to Earth. Apollo 13 was his fourth and final spaceflight.
    5. Anneli Jäätteenmäki took office on 17 April 2003 as the first female prime minister of…
      • Finland—
    Anneli Jäätteenmäki. Wikipedia

  • Spin, trials and unlucky 13

    Apollo 13 mission insignia. Wikipedia
    1. The trial of Martin Luther over his teachings and efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church began on 17 April 1521 during the…
      • Diet of Weeds
      • Diet of Woods
      • Diet of Worms
    2. On this day in 1972, Muttiah Muralitharan, cricketer, was born in…
      • Bonbon
      • Kandy
      • Toffey
    3. Henry Ian Cusick, born today in 1967, who is best known for his role as Desmond Hume in Lost, is described in Wikipedia as…
      • Argentinian-Welsh
      • Chilean-Irish
      • Peruvian-Scottish
    4. The damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft returned to Earth safely today in 1970; the commander was…
      • Fred W. Haise Jr.
      • John “Jack” L. Swigert Jr.
      • James A. Lovell Jr.
    5. Anneli Jäätteenmäki took office on 17 April 2003 as the first female prime minister of…
      • Fiji
      • Finland
      • France

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today

  • Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below and an explanation of the title and a song are at the end.

    Portrait of Prince Charles Edward Stuart by Allan Ramsey.
    National Galleries of Scotland. Wikipedia
    1. This battle, the last fought on British soil, took place on 16 April 1746; it was the Battle of… 
      • The Battle of Culloden—fought on 16 April 1746—was the last Jacobite rising and the last full-scale battle on British soil. Led by Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward Stuart), the Jacobites, outnumbered and exhausted, were defeated by the Hanoverian forces under the Duke of Cumberland. The battle marked the end of the Highland clan culture and the Stuart dynasty’s last attempt to reclaim the British throne.
        Jim Clark, 1967 US Grand Prix
        Watkins Glen, NY. Wikipedia
    2. The Scot who won the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship for the second time in 1965 was…
      • Jim Clark—a Scottish racing driver, competed in Formula One from 1960 to 1968, winning two World Drivers’ Championship titles with Lotus in 1963 and 1965. He set records for most wins, pole positions and fastest laps. Clark also achieved success in American open-wheel racing, winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1965. He began racing in 1956 and tragically died in a racing accident in 1968.
        Portrait of John Witherspoon, Presbyterian minister and President of Princeton University. Wikipedia
    3. The only clergyman to sign the US Declaration of Independence was a Scottish minister; he was…
      • John Witherspoon—was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and president of the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University. He was a Founding Father of the United States and the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. After studying theology at the University of Edinburgh, he served as a pastor in Beith, Ayrshire and Paisley; he was known for his involvement in ecclesiastical debates. In 1768, he crossed the Atlantic to become president of the College of New Jersey, revitalising the institution by expanding its curriculum and increasing enrolment. A staunch supporter of American independence, Witherspoon was active in political affairs, serving in the Continental Congress and advocating for independence. He authored numerous works on religious and political subjects, including Ecclesiastical Characteristics and Considerations on the Nature and Extent of the Legislative Authority of the British Parliament.
        The Citie of Edinburgh from the South (detail) by Wenceslas Hollar (1670). Wikipedia
    4. The New Zealand city of Dunedin’s Scottish connection, is that it is named after…
      • Edinburgh—Dunedin’s name comes from the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, Dùn Èideann, which means “fort of Edin”. The name “Edin” derives from the Cumbric word Eidyn, referring to the region and its hillfort, Din Eidyn, located at Castle Rock.
    5. This Scottish-born actor received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jimmy Malone in a 1987 film; he was…
      • Sean Connery—Sir Sean Connery, a Scottish actor, gained international fame for his role as James Bond. He also starred in films by Hitchcock, Lumet and Huston, winning an Academy Award—Best Supporting Actor as Jimmy Malone in The Untouchables)—and a knighthood.
    Sean Connery as James Bond, Goldfinger, 1964. Wikipedia

    Skye Boat Song

    The post title is a line taken from the beginning of The Skye Boat Song which was composed in the late 19th century and recalled the journey of Bonnie Prince Charlie from Benbecula, an Atlantic island of the Outer Hebrides, to the Isle of Skye.

    Skye Boat Song

    Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
    Onward the sailors cry
    Carry the lad that's born to be king
    Over the sea to Skye

    Loud the winds howl loud the waves roar
    Thunderclaps rend the air
    Baffled our foes stand by the shore
    Follow they will not dare

    Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
    Onward the sailors cry
    Carry the lad that's born to be king
    Over the sea to Skye

    Many's the lad fought on that day
    Well the claymore could wield
    When the night came silently lay
    Dead in Culloden's field

    Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
    Onward the sailors cry
    Carry the lad that's born to be king
    Over the sea to Skye

    Though the waves leap soft shall ye sleep
    Ocean's a royal bed
    Rock'd in the deep Flora will keep
    Watch o'er your weary head

    Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
    Onward the sailors cry
    Carry the lad that's born to be king
    Over the sea to Skye

    Burned are our homes exile and death
    Scattered the loyal men
    Yet ere the sword cool in the sheath
    Charlie will come again

    Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
    Onward the sailors cry
    Carry the lad that's born to be king
    Over the sea to Skye

  • Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing

    See #1. Image Wikipedia
    1. This battle, the last fought on British soil, took place on 16 April 1746; it was the Battle of…
      • Bannockburn
      • Culloden
      • Stirling Bridge

      As question one was about a Scottish event I decided to give a Scottish flavour to the rest of this post.

    2. The Scot who won the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship for the second time in 1965 was…
      • Jackie Stewart
      • Jim Clark
      • Johnny Dumfries
    3. The only clergyman to sign the US Declaration of Independence was a Scottish minister; he was…
      • William Whipple
      • James Wilson
      • John Witherspoon.
    4. The New Zealand city of Dunedin’s Scottish connection, is that it is named after…
      • Dunfermline
      • Edinburgh
      • Stirling
    5. This Scottish-born actor received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jimmy Malone in a 1987 film; he was…
      • Ewan McGregor
      • Sean Connery
      • Ken Stott

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Number Crunching

    See #2 below. RMS Titanic departing Southampton on 10 April 1912. Wikipedia

    Today’s post is all about today’s date, 14 April, and all the answers are numbers.

    1. What two words are missing from this text regarding an April 14, 1881 gunfight: The ___ Dead in ___ Seconds Gunfight?
      • Four and five
      • Five and ten
      • Six and fifteen.
    2. In 1912, the British passenger liner RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic, causing it to begin sinking. Where was it when it struck the iceberg?
      • 220 miles (350 km) south of Iceland
      • 370 miles (600 km) southeast of Newfoundland
      • 590 miles (950 km) northwest of the Azores.
        William Grover-Williams at the 1929 Monaco Grand Prix. Wikipedia
    3. In motor racing, the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix took place on this date when a number of invited participants started the race. In what year did this inaugural race take place and how many drivers participated?
      • 1923 and 10 drivers
      • 1929 and 16 drivers
      • 1934 and 12 drivers.
    4. On 14 April 1865, Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States, was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. What number President was Lincoln and how many days later was his assassin killed?
      • 14th President and 17 days
      • 15th President and 9 days
      • 16th President and 12 days.
    5. Today in 1986, the heaviest hailstones ever recorded fell on the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, resulting in fatalities. How heavy were the individual hailstones and how many people died?
      • 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) and 47 persons
      • 0.75 kg (1.65 lb) and 64 persons
      • 1 kg (2.2 lb) and 92 persons.
    6. On this day, Mark Antony was defeated at the Battle of Forum Gallorum. This was some 13 years before his death, so when was the battle?
      • 43 BCE
      • 3CE
      • 43 CE

    Good luck! As usual, I will post answers later today.

  • An A to Z Cornucopia of Trivia. Part V | Answers

    See #2 below. Laphroaig Distillery, Islay, Scotland.
    Geograph UK/Wikipedia

    As usual, the answers to my earlier questions are in bold below. But in a change from normal, I have decided to include the questions as well but will strike out the incorrect alternative answers. I am not sure if it will be permanent or not.

    Naulakha, Rudyard Kipling’s house. Wikipedia
    1. (V) In which state is Naulakha, the home built for Rudyard Kipling in 1892-93?
      • Veracruz, Mexico
      • Vermont, US—Naulakha, a historic Shingle Style house in Dummerston, Vermont, was built in 1893 and served as Rudyard Kipling’s home until 1896. During this time, Kipling wrote several notable works, including Captains Courageous and The Jungle Book. The house, named after the Naulakha Pavilion in Lahore, is now owned by the Landmark Trust and available for rent.
      • Virginia, US
      Islay distilleries. Pinterest UK
    2. (W) What are Caol Ila, Laphroaig and Rosebank?
      • Water (spring water)
      • Wine
      • Whisky—Malt whisky is made from malted barley and can be single malt if produced at a single distillery. Other malted grains can be used, but the whisky is then specified by the grain. Caol Ila and Laphroaig are both from the Isle of Islay, Scotland; Rosebank is a malt from the Scottish lowlands.
    3. (X) Which of these words is omitted from this poem’s opening lines?
      • Xagacía
      • Xai-xai
      • Xanadu—the quote is below and the complete poem is at the bottom of the post.

        In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
        A stately pleasure-dome decree:
        Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
        Through caverns measureless to man
        Down to a sunless sea.

    4. (Y) Which former Soviet republic capital is located on the Hrazdan River?
      • Yaounde
      • Yaren
      • Yerevan—the capital of Armenia, is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Founded in 782 BC as the fortress of Erebuni, it has served as Armenia’s capital since 1918. Yerevan is a cultural and industrial centre, home to numerous landmarks, museums and theatres.
    5. (Z) What activity consisting of rolling downhill inside an orb, typically made of transparent plastic, pictured, is taking place here?
      • Zooming
      • Zorbing—or globe-riding, involves rolling downhill inside a transparent plastic orb. There are two types of orbs: harnessed for one to two riders and non-harnessed for up to three riders.
      • Zowing
    Zorbing Wikipedia

    Kubla Khan

    By Samuel Taylor Coleridge

    Or, a vision in a dream. A Fragment.

    In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
    A stately pleasure-dome decree:
    Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
    Through caverns measureless to man
    Down to a sunless sea.
    So twice five miles of fertile ground
    With walls and towers were girdled round;
    And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
    Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
    And here were forests ancient as the hills,
    Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

    But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
    Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
    A savage place! as holy and enchanted
    As e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted
    By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
    And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
    As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
    A mighty fountain momently was forced:
    Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
    Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
    Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher’s flail:
    And mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
    It flung up momently the sacred river.
    Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
    Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
    Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
    And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean;
    And ’mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
    Ancestral voices prophesying war!
    The shadow of the dome of pleasure
    Floated midway on the waves;
    Where was heard the mingled measure
    From the fountain and the caves.
    It was a miracle of rare device,
    A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!

    A damsel with a dulcimer
    In a vision once I saw:
    It was an Abyssinian maid
    And on her dulcimer she played,
    Singing of Mount Abora.
    Could I revive within me
    Her symphony and song,
    To such a deep delight ’twould win me,
    That with music loud and long,
    I would build that dome in air,
    That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
    And all who heard should see them there,
    And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
    His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
    Weave a circle round him thrice,
    And close your eyes with holy dread
    For he on honey-dew hath fed,
    And drunk the milk of Paradise.

  • An A to Z Cornucopia of Trivia. Part V

    Some trivia related to the letters V to Z.

    1. V) In which state is Naulakha, the home built for Rudyard Kipling in 1892-93?
      • Veracruz, Mexico
      • Vermont, US
      • Virginia, US
    2. (W) What are Caol Ila, Laphroaig and Rosebank?
      • Water (spring water )—
      • Wine
      • Whisky
    3. (X) Which of these words is omitted from this poem’s opening lines?
      • Xagacía
      • Xai-xai
      • Xanadu

        In ___ did Kubla Khan
        A stately pleasure-dome decree:
        Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
        Through caverns measureless to man
        Down to a sunless sea.

    4. (Y) Which former Soviet republic capital is located on the Hrazdan River?
      • Yaounde
      • Yaren
      • Yerevan
    5. (Z) What activity consisting of rolling downhill inside an orb, typically made of transparent plastic, pictured, is taking place here?
      • Zooming
      • Zorbing
      • Zowing

    Zorbing Wikipedia

  • An A to Z Cornucopia of Trivia. Part III | Answers

    Flag of Kazakhstan. Wikipedia
    1. (K) Kazakhstan—The flag of Kazakhstan was adopted on 4 June 1992, replacing the Soviet-era flag. The flag was designed by Shaken Niyazbekov.
    2. (L) Lake Huron—Manitoulin Island, the largest lake island in the world, is located in Lake Huron, Ontario. With an area of 2,766 sq km, it contains over 100 lakes, including Lake Manitou, Lake Kagawong and Lake Mindemoya.
      Lady Macbeth, Sleepwalking scene, Macbeth. Wikipedia
    3. (M) Macbeth—In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth sleepwalks, rubbing her hands and recalling the deaths of King Duncan, Lady Macduff and Banquo. The Doctor, observing her guilt-ridden state, believes she needs divine help rather than medical treatment.
    4. (N) Naughtiest—Enid Blyton’s Naughtiest Girl series, set at a progressive boarding school, was written in the 1940s and 1950s. Anne Digby later added to the series.
      Poster for Hyde Park of Hudson Wikipedia
    5. (O) Olivia Colman—is an English actress, is known for her roles in television series like Peep Show, Broadchurch and The Crown, as well as films like The Favourite, The Father and The Lost Daughter. She has received numerous awards, including an Academy Award, four BAFTAs, two Emmys and three Golden Globes. As well as playing Elizabeth II in The Crown she played her mother, Queen Elizabeth, who was King George VI’s consort and the future Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, in Hyde Park on Hudson.
    6. (P) Putney Bridge—The Boat Race is an annual rowing competition between Cambridge and Oxford universities, held on the River Thames in London. The men’s race began in 1829 and the women’s race in 1927. Cambridge leads in both the men’s and women’s races, with 87 and 47 wins respectively.
    Putney Bridge at Dusk as viewed from the south-west at the boat sheds along the Thames. Wikipedia