Flag of Côte d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast. See question three. Image Wikimedia Commons
All of these questions relate to today’s date, 7 August.
One
In what sport could a ‘Salchow’ be performed?
Answer: Ice skating.
Swedish skater Ulrich Salchow, born 7 August 1877. The salchow, named the Salchow, an edge jump, after him. It is the easiest figure skating jump. It involves taking off from the back inside edge of one skate, completing one or more full turns, and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite skate. American skater Theresa Weld was reprimanded at the 1920 Olympics for performing a single Salchow jump because her skirt would fly up to her knees, creating an image deemed too risqué.
Two
The six-month-long Battle of Guadalcanal, which began on 7 August 1942, unfolded in which country?
Answer: Solomon Islands.
Guadalcanal Island, the largest island in the Solomon Islands, is situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The Battle of Guadalcanal, occurring from August 1942 to February 1943, involved a series of World War II land and sea engagements between Allied and Japanese forces on and around Guadalcanal, one of the southern Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. Alongside the naval Battle of Midway, the combat on Guadalcanal signified a turning point in favour of the Allies in the Pacific War.
Three
In 1960, the country represented by the flag shown above gained independence from France. What country is it?
Answer: Côte d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast.
Côte d’Ivoire, located on the western coast of Africa, was previously a French colony. Abidjan functions as the de facto capital, while Yamoussoukro has been the administrative capital since 1983. Known as Ivory Coast, this West African nation is the leading cocoa exporter globally and has seen substantial economic growth since 2011. Nonetheless, 46.1% of its population remains in poverty. The economy is predominantly dependent on agriculture, especially smallholder cash-crop production.
Four
How many persons were onboard Thor Heyerdahl’s balsa wood raft, Kon-Tiki when it reached Raroia in the Tuamotu Islands after sailing 4,300 mile (7,000 km) in 101-days?
Answer: Six.
The Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, led by Thor Heyerdahl, was a raft journey from South America to Polynesia. Named after the Inca god Viracocha, it inspired Heyerdahl’s book and a 1950 Oscar-winning documentary. A 2012 dramatised film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.
Five
In 1926, in motor racing the first British Grand Prix was held. Where was the race held?
Answer: Brooklands.
Built in 1907 near Weybridge, Surrey, Brooklands was the first purpose-built motor racing venue and one of the UK’s first airfields. The British Grand Prix debuted there on 7 August 1926, won by Robert Sénéchal and Louis Wagner. The second race, on 1 October 1927, was also held there.
Bonus Question
The post title is two lines taken from a popular song, what song?
In olden days a glimpse of stocking Was looked on as something shocking
It is part of the lyrics from Anything Goes from the Cole Porter musical of the same name. It is used here only as an oblique remark about Ms Weld’s risqué performance; see answer one.
Anything Goes
By Cole Porter
[RENO] Times have changed, And we’ve often rewound the clock, Since the Puritans got a shock, When they landed on Plymouth Rock. If today, Any shock they should try to stem, ‘Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock would land on them.
In olden days a glimpse of stocking Was looked on as something shocking, But now, God knows, Anything Goes.
Good authors too who once knew better words, Now only use four letter words Writing prose, Anything Goes.
The world has gone mad today And good’s bad today, And black’s white today, And day’s night today, When most guys today That women prize today Are just silly gigolos And though I’m not a great romancer I know that you’re bound to answer When I propose, Anything goes
When grandmama whose age is eighty In night clubs is getting matey with gigolo’s, Anything Goes.
When mothers pack and leave poor father Because they decide they’d rather be tennis pros, Anything Goes.
If driving fast cars you like, If low bars you like, If old hymns you like, If bare limbs you like, If Mae West you like Or me undressed you like, Why, nobody will oppose! When every night, The set that’s smart Is intruding in nudist parties in studios, Anything Goes.
[RENO, PASSENGERS & CREW] The world has gone mad today And good’s bad today, And black’s white today, And day’s night today, When most guys today That women prize today Are just silly gigolos And though I’m not a great romancer I know that you’re bound to answer When I propose, Anything goes
[RENO] If saying your prayers you like, If green pears you like If old chairs you like, If back stairs you like, If love affairs you like With young bears you like, Why nobody will oppose!
[ALL] And though I’m not a great romancer And though I’m not a great romancer I know that you’re bound to answer When I propose, Anything goes… Anything goes! — All Musicals
All of these questions relate to today’s date, 7 August.
One
In what sport could a ‘Salchow’ be performed?
Two
The six-month-long Battle of Guadalcanal, which began on 7 August 1942, unfolded in which country?
Three
In 1960, the country represented by the flag shown above gained independence from France. What country is it?
Four
How many persons were onboard Thor Heyerdahl’s balsa wood raft, Kon-Tiki when it reached Raroia in the Tuamotu Islands after sailing 4,300 mile (7,000 km) in 101-days?
Five
In 1926, in motor racing the first British Grand Prix was held. Where was the race held?
Bonus Question
The post title is two lines taken from a popular song, what song?
See question two. Robinson Crusoe. Image Goodreads
Five questions which follow are not date related but do follow a theme.
One
The 2010 autobiography of whom is titled 9.58?
Answer: Usain Bolt.
Usain Bolt, born 21 August 1986, is a retired Jamaican sprinter, considered the greatest ever. An eight-time Olympic gold medallist, he holds world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. Known as ‘Lightning Bolt’, he won multiple World Championships and numerous prestigious awards, retiring in 2017.
Two
The location of the uninhabited island where Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked is described as being ‘near the mouth of the great river …’— what river mouth?
Answer: Oroonoque or Orinoco.
Either Oroonoque or Orinoco as the spelling varies between editions. Robinson Crusoe, published on 25 April 1719 by Daniel Defoe, is an English adventure novel often credited as the start of realistic fiction. It follows Robinson Kreutznaer’s 28-year survival on a desert island, inspired by real-life castaways. Initially believed non-fiction, it was well-received for its narrative style. By the end of 1719, the book had four editions and became one of history’s most published works. It inspired numerous imitations across literature, film, television, and radio, defining the Robinsonade genre
Three
Historically known as Alexandretta, this city featured in a 1984 film starring Sean Connery. What was the film, and by what name is the city now known?
Answer: İskenderun; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
İskenderun, historically known as Alexandretta, is a district in Hatay Province, Turkey, with a population of 251,682 as of 2022. Situated on the Mediterranean coast, it experienced significant damage from the earthquakes in February 2023. The city was likely founded during the Hellenistic period by a successor of Alexander the Great and has since been under the control of the Seleucid, Roman, Abbasid, and Mamluk empires. It became part of the Ottoman Empire until World War I, after which it was a French mandate sanjak until gaining independence in 1938 and officially joining Turkey in 1939. İskenderun appears in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Four
Which song begins:
Risin’ up, back on the street Did my time, took my chances
Answer: Eye of the Tiger
“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, written for Rocky III, topped charts worldwide and won a Grammy. It was also nominated for an Academy Award.
Five
Who played the title role in the 1973 film Serpico?
Answer: Al Pacino.
Serpico is a 1973 biographical crime drama film about Frank Serpico, a whistleblower who exposed corruption in the NYPD. The film, directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino, was a critical and commercial success, earning several award nominations.
The Great Vowel Shift
Today’s title really in this instance only refers to the answers starting with one of the five vowels which have been ‘shifted’ into reverse order, U – O – I – E – A. The Great Vowel Shift, occurring between 1400 and 1700, altered the pronunciation of all Middle English long vowels and some consonant sounds. This shift, beginning in southern England, significantly influenced English dialects and contributed to the divergence between English spelling and pronunciation.
See question two. Robinson Crusoe. Image Goodreads
Five questions which follow are not date related but do follow a theme.
One
The 2010 autobiography of whom is titled 9.58?
Two
The location of the uninhabited island where Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked is described as being ‘near the mouth of the great river …’— what river mouth?
Three
Historically known as Alexandretta, this city featured in a 1984 film starring Sean Connery. What was the film, and by what name is the city now known?
Four
Which song begins:
Risin’ up, back on the street Did my time, took my chances
Five
Who played the title role in the 1973 film Serpico?
The St Leger, the oldest of Britain’s five Classic races, is the last of the five to be run each year, and its distance is longer than any of the other four. In what decade was it first ran?
Answer: 1770s (1776).
The St Leger Stakes, established in 1776, is Great Britain’s oldest Group 1 flat horse race, held annually in September at Doncaster. It concludes the English and Fillies Triple Crowns. The race spans 2,921 metres and is the longest of Britain’s five Classic races, with Camelot being a recent notable contender.
Two
What J.K. Rowling book was first published in the U.K. in June 1997, and under what title was the same book published the following year in the U.S.?
Answers: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling’s debut, follows young wizard Harry Potter discovering his magical heritage. Published in 1997, it became a bestseller, translated into 85 languages, and adapted into a film. Praised for imagination and plot, it sold over 120 million copies, influencing education and marketing.
Three
What geometric shape is also the path of the Earth around the Sun, and how far approximately, in miles or km, does the Earth travel on that path in a year?
Answer: Ellipse; 584 million miles or 940 million km.
Earth orbits the Sun every 365.256 days in a counterclockwise, elliptical path at an average distance of 149.6 million km. Travelling at 29.78 km/s, it appears to move 1° eastward daily relative to the stars. This orbit’s near-circular eccentricity keeps the Sun close to its centre.
The cover of which debut studio album from 1969 depicts the Hindenburg exploding?
Answer: Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin, the debut album by the English rock band of the same name, was released in January 1969 in the US and March 1969 in the UK. Recorded in 36 hours at Olympic Studios, London, it features a mix of original and rearranged blues and folk songs. The album achieved top 10 success in the UK and US.
Five
What tennis Grand Slam takes place in a stadium which is named after a World War 1 fighter pilot who was killed in action?
Answer: French Open.
Eugène Adrien Roland Georges Garros, a French aviation pioneer, first crossed the Mediterranean by airplane in 1913. A self-taught pilot, he joined the French Army in World War I and helped to developed a forward-firing machine gun. He was killed in action in 1918. The Roland Garros tennis stadium in Paris, opened in 1928, honours him and the French Open is alternatively called Roland-Garros.
Off the Shelf
Today’s answers were straight off the ‘shelf’ in that the letters from that word provided the initial letter of each answer.
The St Leger, the oldest of Britain’s five Classic races, is the last of the five to be run each year, and its distance is longer than any of the other four. In what decade was it first ran?
Two
What J.K. Rowling book was first published in the U.K. in June 1997, and under what title was the same book published the following year in the U.S.?
Three
What geometric shape is also the path of the Earth around the Sun, and how far approximately, in miles or km, does the Earth travel on that path in a year?
Four
The cover of which debut studio album from 1969 depicts the Hindenburg exploding?
Five
What tennis Grand Slam takes place in a stadium which is named after a World War 1 fighter pilot who was killed in action?
Fresh brown loaf sliced to uniform thickness by a bread slicing machine. Image Wikimedia Commons
All of today’s questions relate to the date, 7 July.
One
On this day, bread loaves that had been pre-sliced by a machine designed by jeweller Otto Rohwedder were sold for the first time. In what decade and on what continent did this occur?
Answer: 1920s; North America.
Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented the first bread-slicing machine, with a working model in 1928. The Chillicothe Baking Company, Chillicothe, Missouri, U.S., sold the first sliced bread on 7 July 1928. Gustav Papendick improved slicing by using cardboard trays, and W.E. Long promoted packaging. Wonder Bread marketed sliced bread nationwide in 1930. The first slicing and wrapping machine in the UK was installed at Wonderloaf Bakery, Tottenham, London, in 1937. By the 1950s, approximately 80% of bread sold in Britain was pre-sliced, reflecting a significant shift in bread consumption habits and bakery practices during that era.
Two
The archipelago in which the six-month-long World War II Battle of Guadalcanal took place gained independence in 1978. By what name is this island country known today, and what country did it gain independence from?
Answer: Solomon Islands; Great Britain.
The Solomon Islands, an archipelagic country in Melanesia, consists of six major islands and over 1,000 smaller islands. Settled since at least 30,000 BC, it became a British protectorate in 1893 and gained independence in 1978, becoming a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II as queen, succeeded by King Charles III in 2022.
Three
Also in 1978, Martina Navratilova won the first of her Wimbledon singles titles. Who was the defeated semi-finalist in that match, and how many singles titles did Navratilova win at Wimbledon in total?
Answer: Chris Evert; nine.
Martina Navratilova, a Czech-American former tennis player, dominated women’s tennis in the 1980s. She holds numerous records, including 18 singles majors, 31 women’s doubles majors, and 10 mixed doubles majors. Navratilova, who became a US citizen in 1981 and later reacquired Czech citizenship, is also known for her activism on gay rights.
Four
The final film adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter book series premiered in London. What was the film’s title, and in what year was this?
Answer: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2; 2011.
The Harry Potter series, written by J.K. Rowling, follows the life of a young wizard and his friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The series explores themes of prejudice, corruption, love, and death, and has sold over 600 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling book series in history. The franchise has expanded to include films, a play, a television series, and various other derivative works.
Five
On this day in 1937, an incident occurred at the Marco Polo Bridge between troops of two armies. This became the first incident in a war that lasted eight years. In what country is the Marco Polo Bridge? The belligerents in this war were a republic and an empire. Who were they?
Answer: China; Republic of China and the Empire of Japan.
The Marco Polo Bridge, officially the Lugou Bridge, located southwest of Beijing, is famous for its praise by Marco Polo and the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which sparked the Second Sino-Japanese War. This war, referred to in China as the War of Resistance Against Japan, was a conflict between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, along with its puppet states, from 1937 to 1945. This war followed a localised conflict in Manchuria that began in 1931. It is frequently considered the start of World War II in Asia, as the two wars became closely linked after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. It stands as the largest Asian war of the 20th century.
The best thing since sliced bread
the best thing since sliced bread (also the greatest thing since sliced bread) informal used to emphasize one’s enthusiasm about a new idea, person, or thing: they think that she is the greatest thing since sliced bread. — Oxford English Dictionary
Fresh brown loaf sliced to uniform thickness by a bread slicing machine. Image Wikimedia Commons
All of today’s questions relate to the date, 7 July.
One
On this day, bread loaves that had been pre-sliced by a machine designed by jeweller Otto Rohwedder were sold for the first time. In what decade and on what continent did this occur?
Two
The archipelago in which the six-month-long World War II Battle of Guadalcanal took place gained independence in 1978. By what name is this island country known today, and what country did it gain independence from?
Three
Also in 1978, Martina Navratilova won the first of her Wimbledon singles titles. Who was the defeated semi-finalist in that match, and how many singles titles did Navratilova win at Wimbledon in total?
Four
The final film adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter book series premiered in London. What was the film’s title, and in what year was this?
Five
On this day in 1937, an incident occurred at the Marco Polo Bridge between troops of two armies. This became the first incident in a war that lasted eight years. In what country is the Marco Polo Bridge? The belligerents in this war were a republic and an empire. Who were they?
Bear Garden (left) and Globe Theatre (right), Southwark, London. Engraving, 1597. Image Encyclopædia Britannica
Today’s selection of trivia is all related to the date, 29 June.
One
London’s Globe Theatre was destroyed by fire in 1613, which took hold during a performance of William Shakespeare’s Henry VIII. What caused the fire?
Answer: Cannon fire.
A theatrical cannon misfired during a performance, causing a fire in the wooden beams and thatching. Only one person was injured, with his burning breeches extinguished by ale. The building was rebuilt the next year with a tile roof, costing £1,400.
Two
Brazil won their first FIFA World Cup on this day. In what year was this victory, and who were their defeated opponents in the final?
Answer: 1958; Sweden.
The 1958 FIFA World Cup final in Sweden saw Brazil win their first title by defeating the hosts. The match, which was the first final between European and American teams, set records for goals, winning margin, and age of the youngest and oldest goal scorers. Pelé was only 17 years and 249 days old, while Nils Liedholm was 18 years and 15 days older than Pelé at 35 years and 263 days.
Three
In 1534, Canada’s Prince Edward Island was ‘discovered’ by Europeans. In 1908, a Canadian author wrote a children’s novel about an orphan sent to live at Avonlea, PEI. Who made the 1534 discovery; who was the author, and what was the title of the 1908 novel?
Answer: Jacques Cartier; Lucy Maud Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables.
Lucy Maud Montgomery, known as L. M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author famous for Anne of Green Gables (1908). She published 20 novels and over a thousand short stories and poems. Her work, set on Prince Edward Island, inspired adaptations and tourism.
Four
Born in 1978, Nicole Scherzinger played what role in the film Men in Black 3?
Answer: Lilly Poison.
Nicole Scherzinger is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She gained fame as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls and later pursued a successful solo career. Scherzinger has also served as a judge on various talent shows and has received numerous accolades for her work in music and theatre.
Five
On this day in 1861, in Florence, Italy, an English poet died at the age of 55. She was living in Florence with her English husband, also a poet. She is known for the line, ’How do I love thee? Let me count the ways’, which, in part, has been used in the title of several works of music and literature? Who is this poet?
Answer: Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, an English poet, is celebrated for Sonnets from the Portuguese and Aurora Leigh, an early feminist text. Despite a spinal injury at 15, she married Robert Browning in 1846, moved to Florence, and engaged in Italian politics. Her influential work advocated social reforms, impacting slavery and child labour laws.
Quizology.Online 
