Today’s question continue the sausages theme with more links for you to digest.
One
Two events in a sport link Prestwick, Scotland, in 1860 with Newport, Rhode Island, in 1895. What sport, and what notable events?
Two
The Hudson Strait links what bay to what sea?
Three
According to Wikipedia what character in a long-running film series ‘has been portrayed by Jack Lord, Cec Linder, Rik Van Nutter, Norman Burton, David Hedison, John Terry, and Jeffrey Wright’?
Four
What three words link a Neil Young song from 1972 with a fictional spacecraft?
Five
What British TV quiz programme, first broadcast on 9 and 10 September 2001, links these real-life people: Charles and Diana Ingram and Tecwen Whittock?
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.
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?
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.
What country became the first modern European monarchy to adopt this system in 1980?
What two European monarchies still (June 2026) have male-preference primogeniture?
Answers.
Sweden.
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.
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.
What country became the first modern European monarchy to adopt this system in 1980?
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?
There is no theme with these questions but the five answers are linked to something written in this post prior to the questions.
One
What is American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald’s first name?
Answer: Francis.
Francis Scott Fitzgerald, an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer, is best known for his novels depicting the Jazz Age. He achieved transient success in the 1920s and is now regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century.
Two
What title was shared by both of these: a 1966 single by Cream from their album Fresh Cream, and a 1988 track from Belinda Carlisle’s album, Heaven on Earth?
Answer: I Feel Free.
I Feel Free by Cream, released in 1966, blends blues rock and psychedelic pop. It reached number 11 on the UK singles chart and was the band’s debut single in the US. In 1987, American singer Belinda Carlisle recorded a cover of the song for her second studio album Heaven on Earth.
Three
John Updike’s 1960 novel was the first in a series of books with titles which included the nickname of the main character. What was the title of that 1960 novel?
Answer: Rabbit, Run.
Rabbit, Run, a 1960 novel by John Updike, follows Harry ’Rabbit’ Angstrom, a former basketball player trapped in a loveless marriage and a boring job. The novel spawned several sequels and a novella, exploring Rabbit’s life against the backdrop of major events in the latter half of the 20th century.
Four
This character is normally known by a nickname but Popeye named them in 1933 as ‘Schooner Seawell Georgia Washenting Christiffer Columbia Daniel Boom’. What is the nickname?
Answer: Swee’Pea.
Swee’Pea, a character in E.C. Segar’s comic strip Thimble Theatre/Popeye, is named after the sweet pea flower. He debuted in 1933 and, despite ageing, remained a crawling baby who could speak and fight.
Five
In what sport are these the major prizes at the world championships. Swaythling Cup (men’s team), Corbillon Cup (women’s team), St. Bride’s Vase (men’s singles) and Geist Prize (women’s singles)?
Answer: Table tennis.
These world championship prizes are described by Wikipedia as
Team competition:
Swaythling Cup for men’s team, donated in 1926 by Gladys, Baroness Swaythling, mother of the first ITTF president, Ivor Montagu.
Corbillon Cup for women’s team, donated in 1933 by Marcel Corbillon, president of the French Table Tennis Association. The original Cup was won by German team in 1939, and disappeared during Berlin occupation after World War II; the current Corbillon Cup is a replica made in 1949.
Singles competition:
St. Bride Vase for men’s singles, donated in 1929 by C.Corti Woodcock, member of the exclusive St. Bride Table Tennis Club in London, after Fred Perry of England won the title in Budapest.
Geist Prize for women’s singles, donated in 1931 by Dr. Gaspar Geist, president of the Hungarian Table Tennis Association for women’s singles, donated in 1931 by Dr. Gaspar Geist, president of the Hungarian Table Tennis Association.
First
The post title provided the first letter of each of the answers. The reason for the title ‘First’ was a personal one: today marks the anniversary of me starting out in my chosen career — 15 June 1970 — long before I entered the trivia world that has provided a second career.
There is no theme with these questions but the five answers are linked to something written in this post prior to the questions.
One
What is American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald’s first name?
Two
What title was shared by both of these: a 1966 single by Cream from their album Fresh Cream, and a 1988 track from Belinda Carlisle’s album, Heaven on Earth?
Three
John Updike’s 1960 novel was the first in a series of books with titles which included the nickname of the main character. What was the title of that 1960 novel?
Four
This character is normally known by a nickname but Popeye named them in 1933 as ‘Schooner Seawell Georgia Washenting Christiffer Columbia Daniel Boom’. What is the nickname?
Five
In what sport are these the major prizes at the world championships. Swaythling Cup (men’s team), Corbillon Cup (women’s team), St. Bride’s Vase (men’s singles) and Geist Prize (women’s singles)?
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?
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.
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?
Question two. Just Room Enough Island, Thousand Islands archipelago. Image Wikimedia Commons
Today’s first question concerns the date 2nd June. The other questions are random and unrelated.
One
In 1953, ‘Inquiring Camera Girl’ covered the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at London’s Westminster Abbey for the Washington Times-Herald. Shortly to become very famous herself, who was ‘Inquiring Camera Girl’?
Answer: Jackie Bouvier (Kennedy).
Jackie Bouvier, a reporter for the Washington Times-Herald and writer of the paper’s Inquiring Camera Girl column, was in the crowd outside the Abbey for the coronation. Three months later, she would marry John F. Kennedy, and in under eight years, she would be First Lady.
Two
In what body of water are North America’s Thousand Islands found, and to the nearest fifty, approximately how many islands are in the archipelago?
Answer: Saint Lawrence River; 1,850.
The Thousand Islands, an archipelago of 1,864 islands, straddles the Canada-US border in the Saint Lawrence River. The islands range in size and must have at least one square foot of land above water year-round, and have one or two living trees* to be considered part of the Thousand Islands. (*Number of trees varies depending on source.)
Three
The Olympic Rings are a symbol consisting of five interlocking coloured rings. What colours are the rings on top?
Answer: Blue, black and red.
The rings are interlaced from the left and are blue, yellow, black, green, and red. The founder of the modern Olympics stated the following in 1913:
… the six colours (including the flag’s white background) combined in this way reproduce the colours of every country without exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the tricolour flags of France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Hungary, and the yellow and red of Spain are included, as are the innovative flags of Brazil and Australia, and those of ancient Japan and modern China. This, truly, is an international emblem. —Baron Pierre Coubertin, Olympique, August 1913.
Four
The forum currently known as the Group of Seven (G7) has, since its founding, been variously the G6, G7, and the G8. Angela Merkel was the second woman to chair this forum; who was the first?
Answer: Margaret Thatcher.
The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental forum of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US, and the EU, focusing on pluralism and liberal democracy. Established in 1973, it addresses global issues like trade and climate change. Despite criticism for limited representation, the G7 has influenced initiatives like the Paris Agreement. Members, with a population of 780 million, contribute over 44% to the world’s nominal GDP and 30% by purchasing power parity.
Five
What colour are white rhinoceros?
Answer: Grey.
White rhinos, the second-largest land mammals, are named for their wide mouths, not their colour and there is no difference in the skin colour of white and black rhinos. There are two subspecies of white rhino: northern and southern. As of March 2018, only two female northern white rhinos remain, critically endangered due to poaching. Southern white rhinos, once thought extinct, now number around 18,000, classified as Near Threatened. They inhabit South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. White rhinos have complex social structures, with females forming groups and males defending territories.
