All of these questions are related to today, November 12th.
1955 Academy Awards. Image Wikipedia
One
Born on 12 November 1929, this actress won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1954 film The Country Girl. Who is she?
Two
Today in 1990, Emperor Akihito was enthroned in Japan. Tradition dictates that he is the 125th direct descendant of Japan’s legendary first emperor. Who was this legendary first emperor?
Three
On this date in 1990, a computer scientist published a formal proposal for the World Wide Web. Who was this scientist and what organisation did they work for at the time?
Four
Born in 1961, this gymnast became the first to score a perfect 10 at the Olympics. Who is this person and in which year’s Summer Olympics did this remarkable feat occur?
Image Encyclopædia Britannica
Five
The pictured facility, which ceased to operate today in 1954, is located on what island?
Born in 1922, this American singer and actress made history as the first African-American woman nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Carmen Jones (1954). Who is she?
Answer: Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Dandridge, the first African-American nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, faced racial barriers in Hollywood despite her success in Carmen Jones. Her career declined in the 1960s, leading to financial difficulties and her death at age 42.
Two
The last of the ‘canonical five’, victims of Jack the Ripper was found on 9 November. In what decade did these five murders take place?
Answer: 1880s (1888)
Between 31 August and 9 November 1888, an unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper terrorised Whitechapel, London. His brutal murders of five women, dubbed the ‘canonical five’, remain unsolved alongside several other women’s deaths over the next three years. This enduring public fascination and speculation continues to captivate people.
Three
Apollo 4, an unmanned test spacecraft, was launched from Cape Kennedy on this day in 1967. The spacecraft was on top of what rocket’s first flight?
Answer: Saturn V
Apollo 4, the first uncrewed test flight of the Saturn V rocket, launched from Kennedy Space Centre on 9 November 1967. The mission, a complete success, demonstrated the functionality of all rocket stages and key spacecraft revisions, paving the way for future lunar missions.
Four
What was the name given to the violent anti-Jewish pogrom that took place across Nazi Germany on the nights of 9–10 November 1938, during which Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues were destroyed in an event often seen as the start of the Holocaust?
Answer: Kristallnacht (also known as the Night of Broken Glass)
The name Kristallnacht refers to the shattered glass that covered the streets after Jewish-owned properties were vandalized. Around 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps, and the event marked a turning point from discrimination to open, state-sanctioned violence against Jews.
Five
Born today in 1923, Alice Coachman became the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. In what event did she achieve this?
Answer: High jump
Alice Coachman, born in 1923 in Albany, Georgia, overcame racial and gender barriers to become a celebrated athlete. She dominated the AAU outdoor high jump championship from 1939 to 1948 and won an Olympic gold medal in 1948, becoming the first black woman to achieve this feat. After her athletic career, she dedicated her life to education and the Job Corps.
Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.
Following the violent blow delivered by [Soviet Union’s] Valentin Prokopov, Hungarian Ervin Zador bleeds profusely from above his eyebrow. Image Bettmann / Getty Images via Yahoo! Sports
One
The violent Blood in the Water Olympic water polo match between Hungary and the Soviet Union erupted in the aftermath of the Soviet Union suppressing a Hungarian uprising. During which Olympics—year and host city—did this match take place?
Answer: 1956 Melbourne Olympics
The match became a powerful symbol of Cold War tensions. Hungary went on to win the gold medal, and player Ervin Zádor’s bloodied face was widely photographed, capturing global attention.
Two
On November 6, 2012, a US president was re-elected for a second term. Who were his defeated opponents in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections?
Answer: John McCain (2008) and Mitt Romney (2012)
Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, was the first African American to hold the office. He served two terms, from 2009 to 2017, during which he implemented significant domestic and foreign policies, including healthcare reform, economic stimulus and the end of the Iraq War. Obama left office with high approval ratings and remains politically active.
Three
A composer died on November 6, 1893. One of his symphonies, Symphony No. 6 in B minor, which premiered just nine days earlier, became known as his Pathétique. Who was the composer?
Answer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The Pathétique is often interpreted as an emotional farewell, blending passion and tragedy in what became Tchaikovsky’s final completed work.
Four
Switzerland officially abolished the death penalty on 6 November. Which decade was this?
Answer: 1990s (1992)
Though executions had already ceased decades earlier, the 1992 constitutional amendment made abolition permanent, aligning Switzerland with wider European human rights standards.
On 6 November 1966, NASA’s Lunar Orbiter 2 was launched with a primary mission objective of photographing specifically what on the Moon’s surface?
Answer: Potential landing sites on the Moon
The Lunar Orbiter 2 spacecraft was designed primarily to photograph smooth areas of the lunar surface for selection and verification of safe landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo missions.
Lunar Orbiter 2 transmitted over 800 high-resolution images, including the first detailed close-ups of the Moon’s surface. These images were crucial in selecting the Apollo 11 landing site.
Here are five questions related to today, November 6th.
Following the violent blow delivered by [Soviet Union’s] Valentin Prokopov, Hungarian Ervin Zador bleeds profusely from above his eyebrow. Image Bettmann / Getty Images via Yahoo! Sports
One
The violent Blood in the Water Olympic water polo match between Hungary and the Soviet Union erupted in the aftermath of the Soviet Union suppressing a Hungarian uprising. During which Olympics—year and host city—did this match take place?
Two
On November 6, 2012, a US president was re-elected for a second term. Who were his defeated opponents in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections?
Three
A composer died on November 6, 1893. One of his symphonies, Symphony No. 6 in B minor, which premiered just nine days earlier, became known as his Pathétique. Who was the composer?
Four
Switzerland officially abolished the death penalty on 6 November. Which decade was this?
Five
On 6 November 1966, NASA’s Lunar Orbiter 2 was launched with a primary mission objective of photographing specifically what on the Moon’s surface?
What is the largest butterfly in the UK? It has a ten-letter name and lives in the Norfolk Broads.
Answer: Swallowtail
The swallowtail is the largest and most localised butterfly in the UK. Adults emerge from winter chrysalises, drying their wings in reedbeds before displaying their bright colours. Their swallow-like tails and false eye spots confuse predators. Even as caterpillars, they are striking, with bulging horns for defence and orange scent glands that release a pineapple-like odor when threatened.
Two
In what 1975 novel does IRA member Liam Devlin take part in a wartime plot to kidnap Winston Churchill?
Answer: The Eagle Has Landed
Irish Republican Liam Devlin and Joanna Grey, an Afrikaner woman and seasoned Abwehr agent residing in England, team up with German paratroopers to plan and execute the kidnapping of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Three
In the 1955 film, To Catch a Thief (1955), who is seen sitting beside Cary Grant and a pair of caged birds on a bus?
Answer: Alfred Hitchcock
Producer and director Alfred Hitchcock makes his signature cameo, approximately ten minutes into the film, as a bus passenger sitting next to Cary Grant and a caged pair of birds.
Four
What single answer satisfies all of the following: the title of Fleetwood Mac’s only number one hit on the UK Singles Chart; a significant being in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner; and in golf, refers to a score of three strokes under par for a hole?
Answer: Albatross
Albatross is a guitar-based instrumental by Fleetwood Mac, composed by Peter Green. It was released as a single in 1968 and became their only number one single on the UK charts. The albatross that saves the ship by leading the way from the ice in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and is then shot; and the word used as an alternative to double eagle meaning a score of three strokes under par for a hole.
A nesting pair of Macaroni penguins, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. Image Wikipedia
Five
Eudyptes chrysolophus: part of this bird’s name is also a type of pasta. What pasta?
Answer: Macaroni
The macaroni penguin—Eudyptes chrysolophus—is a crested penguin with a distinctive yellow crest, it is the most numerous penguin species, with an estimated 18 million individuals. Despite its abundance, the species is vulnerable due to widespread population declines since the mid-1970s.
Theme
The theme was of course Birds. Question 1. swallow (from swallowtail); 2. Eagle; 3. Caged birds mentioned in the question plus Hitchcock was the director of The Birds; 4. Albatross and 5. penguin.
What is the largest butterfly in the UK? It has a ten-letter name and lives in the Norfolk Broads.
Two
In what 1975 novel does IRA member Liam Devlin take part in a wartime plot to kidnap Winston Churchill?
Three
In the 1955 film, To Catch a Thief (1955), who is seen sitting beside Cary Grant and a pair of caged birds on a bus?
Four
What single answer satisfies all of the following: the title of Fleetwood Mac’s only number one hit on the UK Singles Chart; a significant being in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner; and in golf, refers to a score of three strokes under par for a hole?
Five
Eudyptes chrysolophus: part of this bird’s name is also a type of pasta. What pasta?
Here are the answers to the questions I asked earlier.
The Rumble in the Jungle. Muhammad Ali (standing) and George Foreman (on canvas). Image USA Today
One
On October 30, 1974, the legendary boxing event The Rumble in the Jungle took place. In which city and country did this event take place? Who were the two boxers involved? And which fighter emerged victorious, reclaiming the world heavyweight title that day?
Answer: Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo); Muhammad Ali and George Foreman; and Muhammad Ali (recovered title)
This fight took place in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). It drew a massive crowd of 60,000 and was one of the most-watched televised events at the time. Ali emerged victorious by knockout in the eighth round.
Orson Welles at the press conference after The War of the Worlds broadcast, 1938. Image Wikipedia
Two
The 1938 broadcast of a radio drama adaptation caused panic among listeners who thought it was real. What was the title of this drama and who wrote the original novel?
Answer: The War of the Worlds; (written by) H.G. Wells
The broadcast presented H.G. Wells’s story in a live news style format and reportedly caused panic by convincing some listeners that Martians were invading.
Three
In 1817, who became president of the newly formed Third Republic of Venezuela?
Answer: Simón Bolívar
Bolívar played a crucial role in Latin American independence, significantly shaping Venezuela’s early republican era.
Comparison of Nuclear Explosions. Image World of Engineering via Reddit
Four
In 1961, the Tsar Bomba test — the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated — was detonated in what archipelago and by which country?
Answer: Novaya Zemlya (archipelago); Soviet Union (USSR)
The Tsar Bomba, or AN602, was the most powerful nuclear weapon ever created and tested, designed by Soviet physicists under Andrei Sakharov’s oversight. The bomb’s yield was around 50 megatonnes, and the test took place over the Novaya Zemlya archipelago.
Five
In 1905, to quell revolutionary pressure in Russia, a significant concession was made: the establishment of an elected parliament, the Duma, and the guarantee of civil liberties. Who made this concession?
Answer: Tsar Nicholas II
This was part of the aftermath of the 1905 Russian Revolution and marked the beginning of attempts at constitutional government in Russia, with Tsar Nicholas II issuing the October Manifesto in 1905, promising civil rights and an elected parliament, the Duma, after being pressured by Sergei Witte and Grand Duke Nicholas.
Here are five questions related to today, October 30th.
Orson Welles, 1937. See question 2. Image Wikipedia
One
On October 30, 1974, the legendary boxing event The Rumble in the Jungle took place. In which city and country did this event take place? Who were the two boxers involved? And which fighter emerged victorious, reclaiming the world heavyweight title that day?
Two
The 1938 broadcast of a radio drama adaptation by Orson Welles caused panic among listeners who thought it was real. What was the title of this drama and who wrote the original novel?
Three
In 1817, who became president of the newly formed Third Republic of Venezuela?
In 1961, the Tsar Bomba test — the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated — was detonated in what archipelago and by which country?
Five
In 1905, to quell revolutionary pressure in Russia, a significant concession was made: the establishment of an elected parliament, the Duma, and the guarantee of civil liberties. Who made this concession?
Five questions which are all related to today, October 28th.
Unveiling of the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World by Edward Moran. Oil on canvas. The J. Clarence Davies Collection, Museum of the City of New York via Wikipedia
One
On October 28, 1922, a march on Rome resulted in the rise to power of whom?
Two
On October 28, the Statue of Liberty was officially dedicated in New York Harbor. In what decade did this occur, and which US President dedicated the statue?
Three
A vote in the British House of Commons on this day in 1971 approved plans for the UK’s membership of what regional organisation had been created by the Treaty of Rome in 1957?
Four
At the 2023 Rugby World Cup final held at the Stade de France, South Africa defeated … (team), and became the first nation to win the Webb Ellis Cup … times. What team fills the first blank space, and what number is missing from the second blank?
Five
On October 28, 1919, legislation was passed in the United States that enforced the 18th Amendment and ushered in the era of Prohibition. What was the name of that act?
Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.
Edison incandescent light bulb enclosed in cage. Image Wikipedia
One
On October 21, Thomas Edison applied for a patent for his design for an incandescent light bulb. In which decade did he make this application?
Answer: 1870s
Thomas Edison, an American inventor and businessman, developed influential devices like the phonograph and electric light bulb. He pioneered organised scientific invention and established the first industrial research laboratory.
Two
In 1984, Niki Lauda clinched Formula One’s World Drivers’ Championship for the final time. How many times had he won the title in total?
Answer: Three
Austrian racing driver Niki Lauda competed in Formula One from 1971 to 1979 and 1982 to 1985, winning three World Drivers’ Championships—1975, 1977 and 1984—with Ferrari and McLaren. He survived a horrific crash in 1976 and made a remarkable comeback to win his second and third titles. Beyond racing, Lauda founded three airlines and held advisory and team principal roles in Formula One.
Three
In 1940, the first edition of Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls was published. In what war was the story set?
Answer: Spanish Civil War
Ernest Hemingway’s 1940 novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls, follows Robert Jordan, an American volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, tasked with destroying a bridge. The book assumes knowledge of the war between the Republican government and the Nationalist faction, supported by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.
Four
The Guggenheim Museum opened in New York on this date in 1959. Which architect designed its iconic spiral building?
Answer: Frank Lloyd Wright
Wright’s radical design broke from traditional gallery layouts, using a continuous ramp to display art in a flowing, organic space. The museum is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for its innovation.
Five
The Battle of Trafalgar, fought on 21 October 1805, took place in the …. It was named after a prominent geographic feature: …. Firstly, what body of water and secondly, what geographic feature fill the two gaps in the previous sentence?
Answer: Atlantic Ocean; Cape Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a decisive victory for the British Royal Navy against the combined French and Spanish fleets during the Napoleonic Wars. Admiral Lord Nelson’s tactics ensured Britain’s naval supremacy but cost him his life. Trafalgar Square in London was named to commemorate this victory.
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