technology – Page 2 – Quizology Online

Brace for Impact—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

Today’s questions all relate to January 15th.

One

In what decade did the television comedy Happy Days premiere in the United States?

Answer: 1970s

Happy Days, a popular American sitcom that aired from 1974 to 1984, depicted an idealised view of 1950s and 60s America. The show’s most memorable character, Fonzie, became a pop culture icon, leading to several spin-off shows and launching the careers of its stars.

Two

The first national public museum in the world, opened in 1759, boasts a collection of over eight million artefacts. What museum?

Answer: British Museum

The British Museum was founded in 1753 and opened its doors in 1759. It was the first national museum to cover all fields of human knowledge, open to visitors from across the world.

Enlightenment ideals and values – critical scrutiny of all assumptions, open debate, scientific research, progress and tolerance – have marked the Museum since its foundation.

The Museum is driven by an insatiable curiosity for the world, a deep belief in objects as reliable witnesses and documents of human history, sound research, as well as the desire to expand and share knowledge.
— British Museum

Three

The 2016 film Sully, starring Tom Hanks as Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger III, depicts his remarkable landing of a crippled aircraft in a river. Which river did the aircraft land in, and who directed the film?

Answer: Hudson River; Clint Eastwood

On 15 January 2009, US Airways flight 1549, an Airbus A320, made an emergency landing in the Hudson River after both engines were damaged by a flock of geese shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport. Captain Chesley Sullenberger successfully ditched the plane, resulting in no fatalities but five serious injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded Sullenberger’s decision to land in the river was appropriate.

Four

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on this date in 1929 and dying at the age of 39 in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, this American religious leader became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Who was this?

Answer: Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent American civil rights activist and Baptist minister who led the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. He advocated for civil rights for people of colour through nonviolent resistance, achieving significant legislative gains like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal. Martin Luther King Day is observed on the third Monday in January and a memorial dedicated to him stands in the National Mall, Washington, DC.

Five

In 2001, Wikipedia saw its debut. The free Internet-based encyclopaedia was initially launched as a feature of Nupedia prior to being relaunched as an independent entity a few days later. Who were the two founders?

Answer: Jimmy Wales; Larry Sanger

Wikipedia, launched in 2001 as a complement to the expert-written Nupedia, quickly grew into the largest encyclopedia ever assembled. While initially experiencing rapid growth, the English Wikipedia’s growth rate in terms of new articles and editors peaked around 2007 and has since stabilised after a period of decline. Despite concerns about a decline in active editors and page views, Wikipedia remains a widely used and influential resource.

Brace for Impact

The title refers to Captain Sullenberger’s announcement to his passengers in the final approach of flight 1549 to the Hudson River, ‘This is the captain. Brace for impact.’

Brace for Impact

Today’s questions all relate to January 15th.

One

In what decade did the television comedy Happy Days premiere in the United States?

Two

The first national public museum in the world, opened in 1759, boasts a collection of over eight million artefacts. What museum?

Three

Four

Five

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Communicator—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.

These questions all relate to today’s date, January 9th.

First generation iPhone.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

What year was the first iPhone released?

2007
2008
2009

Answer: 1. 2007

iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, and went on sale later that year. It transformed the phone into a handheld computer, fusing communication, entertainment and internet access. Since its release, it has evolved with improved cameras, faster processors, and new features like face recognition.

Two

In 1982, Catherine, princess of Wales was born. What was her maiden surname?

Middleditch
Middlesmyth
Middleton

Answer: 3. Middleton

Catherine, Princess of Wales, born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, is the consort of Prince William, heir apparent to the British throne. She became Princess of Wales in 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Catherine is known for her warmth and relatability, and is actively involved in various charities, particularly those focused on children and mental health.

Three

Which traditional American folk song, recorded by Joan Baez on her 1960 debut album, became one of her signature performances and helped spark the 1960s folk revival?

This Land Is Your Land
Silver Dagger
John Henry

Answer: 2. Silver Dagger

Joan Baez was born this day in 1941. Her first album, Joan Baez (1960), was recorded in just a few days and featured only her voice and acoustic guitar. Despite its simplicity, it became a landmark folk record and influenced countless artists—including a young Bob Dylan—by bringing traditional ballads like Silver Dagger to a wide, modern audience.

Four

In 1816, Humphrey Davy tested what device at Hebburn Colliery in England?

Safety fuse
Safety helmet
Safety lamp

Answer: 3. Safety lamp

The Davy lamp, invented in 1815 by Sir Humphry Davy, is a safety lamp used in flammable atmospheres, particularly coal mines. It consists of a wick lamp enclosed in a mesh screen, acting as a flame arrestor to prevent explosions. Despite its initial promise, the Davy lamp’s unreliability and the false sense of security it provided contributed to an increase in mine accidents, highlighting the need for improved ventilation and safer practises.

Five

Born in 1913, Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States. During his presidency Nixon became associated with what group of tradesmen?

Carpenters
Mechanics
Plumbers

Answer: 3. Plumbers

The Watergate Plumbers, a covert group formed during Richard Nixon’s presidency, aimed to suppress leaks of classified information, especially the Pentagon Papers. Their most notorious involvement was the Watergate break-in, which ultimately led to Nixon’s resignation.

Communicator

These questions all relate to today’s date, January 9th.

One

What year was the first iPhone released?

2007
2008
2009

Two

In 1982, Catherine, princess of Wales was born. What was her maiden surname?

Middleditch
Middlesmyth
Middleton

Three

Which traditional American folk song, recorded by Joan Baez on her 1960 debut album, became one of her signature performances and helped spark the 1960s folk revival?

This Land Is Your Land
Silver Dagger
John Henry

Four

In 1816, Humphrey Davy tested what device at Hebburn Colliery in England?

Safety fuse
Safety helmet
Safety lamp

Five

Born in 1913, Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States. During his presidency Nixon became associated with what group of tradesmen?

Carpenters
Mechanics
Plumbers

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

How’s the Weather—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posed in my earlier post.

These questions concerning various ’firsts’ also all relate to today’s date, January 7th.

One

The first ‘official’ commercial transatlantic telephone service was established on this date. In what decade, and between what two cities, was the connection made?

Answer: 1920s; New York City, United States and London, United Kingdom

On January 6 and 7, 1927, the first transatlantic telephone conversations took place between the United States and London. The initial test call, a casual conversation about the weather and travel distances, was followed by a formal ‘official’ inauguration call between AT&T President W.S. Gifford and Sir Evelyn P. Murray, head of the British General Post Office. This historic achievement marked the beginning of a new era of global communication. The previous day, the across-the-ocean ‘test’ conversation was also recorded for the purposes of history — ‘How’s the weather over in London?’. These calls travelled over 3,000 miles, via wire from New York City to a radio transmitter at Rocky Point, Long Island, New York, and then via radio waves—to a radio receiving station at Rugby, England, and finally via wire from there to London. The return conversation went from London via wire to Cupar, Scotland, from there via radio waves to a receiving station at Houlton, Maine, and finally via wire back to New York City. — Sourced from Library of Congress

Two

The first observation of the Galilean moons was made with two being visible. Who made this first observation and in what century was it made?

Answer: Galileo Galilei; 17th century

The Galilean moons, discovered by Galileo in 1610, are the four largest moons of Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa. They are planetary-mass moons, larger than any dwarf planet, and Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System. Their discovery challenged the geocentric Ptolemaic world system and demonstrated the importance of the telescope.

Three

In 1985, which country’s space agency launched the Sakigake spacecraft, the first deep space probe launched by a nation other than the United States or the Soviet Union?

Answer: Japan

Sakigake, a practice mission for Japan’s Suisei, flew by Comet Halley, providing data on the comet and Earth’s magnetic tail.

Four

What first three-letter distress signal was established in 1904, only to be replaced two years later by SOS?

Answer: CQD

CQD, one of the first radio distress signals, was adopted by the Marconi International Marine Communication Company on 7 January 1904. SOS, agreed upon by the International Radio Telegraphic Convention in 1906, was merely a distinctive Morse code sequence of three dots, three dashes and three dots with no spaces between the letters. Although not an abbreviation, SOS is often associated with phrases like ‘save our souls’ or ‘save our ship’.

Five

In 1954, the Georgetown-IBM experiment at the head office of IBM in New York City was the first public demonstration of a computer doing which of these?

Performing arithmetic and complex mathematical calculations
Scanning text and graphics
Translating from one input language to another output language

Answer: 3. Translating from one input language to another output language

The Georgetown–IBM experiment, a 1954 demonstration of machine translation, showcased the automatic translation of over sixty Russian sentences into English. Developed by Georgetown University and IBM, the experiment utilised a limited vocabulary and grammar rules, focusing on specific domains like politics and science. While the demonstration received widespread attention and encouraged government investment, progress in machine translation was slower than anticipated.

How’s the Weather

These questions concerning various ’firsts’ also all relate to today’s date, January 7th.

One

The first ‘official’ commercial transatlantic telephone service was established on this date. In what decade, and between what two cities, was the connection made?

Two

The first observation of the Galilean moons was made with two being visible. Who made this first observation and in what century was it made?

Three

In 1985, which country’s space agency launched the Sakigake spacecraft, the first deep space probe launched by a nation other than the United States or the Soviet Union?

Four

What first three-letter distress signal was established in 1904, only to be replaced two years later by SOS?

Five

In 1954, the Georgetown-IBM experiment at the head office of IBM in New York City was the first public demonstration of a computer doing which of these?

Performing arithmetic and complex mathematical calculations
Scanning text and graphics
Translating from one input language to another output language

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

Go With a Bang—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions in my earlier post.

Today’s questions are all connected to the date, November 27th.

The obverse side of the Nobel Prize medals for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and literature.
Image Encyclopædia Britannica

One

On this day, the Nobel Prizes were established by a provision in Alfred Nobel’s will. In which capital city was Nobel born in October 1833? What eight-letter word is the name of a Nobel invention from 1867?

Answer: Stockholm, Sweden; Dynamite

Alfred Nobel, inventor of powerful explosives, established the Nobel Prizes, possibly to avoid a negative posthumous reputation. His interests in physics, chemistry, physiology and literature, along with his friendship with pacifist Bertha von Suttner, influenced the prize categories.

Two

An author known for writing 14 novels featuring the fictional detective Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard died today in 2014. Who was this author?

Answer: PD James

PD James, a British mystery novelist, is best known for her fictional detective Adam Dalgliesh. She wrote 14 Dalgliesh novels, as well as other works including An Unsuitable Job for a Woman and The Children of Men. James was made OBE in 1983 and was named a life peer in 1991.

Three

The king of the Franks from 481 until his death in 511 was the ruler of much of Gaul. Was this Clovis I, Louis I, or Pippin I?

Answer: Clovis I

Clovis I, king of the Franks from 481 to 511, consolidated power in Gaul and expanded his influence through military conquests. His conversion to Catholicism, a pivotal moment in Frankish history, is shrouded in legend and debate, with some suggesting he leaned towards Arianism before his baptism. Clovis’s legacy endures as the founder of France and a significant figure in the spread of Christianity in Europe.

Rock guitarist and singer Jimi Hendrix in his last concert performance, the Open Air Love & Peace Festival on Fehmarn island, Germany, September 6, 1970. Image Encyclopædia Britannica

Four

Jimi Hendrix was born on this date. Which two cities were his birthplace and his place of death? How old was he when he died?

Answer: Seattle, Washington, US; London, UK; 27 years old

Jimi Hendrix, an American rock guitarist, singer and composer, redefined the electric guitar by fusing American blues, jazz, rock and soul with British avant-garde rock. Despite a brief career, Hendrix’s innovative techniques, charismatic performances and genre-defying music made him a highly influential figure in popular music. His impact continues to inspire musicians, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

Five

The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade was held in New York City. In what decade did this occur?

Answer: 1920s

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924 as a Christmas parade to promote holiday shopping. It features giant balloons, floats, marching bands and performers, with Santa Claus marking the parade’s end. The parade has been televised since 1947, becoming a beloved Thanksgiving morning ritual for millions.

Go With a Bang

Today’s questions are all connected to the date, November 27th.

One

Two

An author known for writing 14 novels featuring the fictional detective Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard died today in 2014. Who was this author?

Three

The king of the Franks from 481 until his death in 511 was the ruler of much of Gaul. Was this Clovis I, Louis I, or Pippin I?

Four

Jimi Hendrix was born on this date. Which two cities were his birthplace and his place of death? How old was he when he died?

Five

The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade was held in New York City. In what decade did this occur?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Over the Air—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.

The first question concerns today’s date, November 13th. The subsequent questions follow a theme based on the first.

Guglielmo Marconi, 1908. See question 2.
Image Wikipedia

One

On 13 November 1965, which critic reportedly became the first person to say the word ‘f**k’ on British television during a discussion on the BBC-1 show BBC-3?

Answer: Kenneth Tynan

The incident caused a storm of controversy, prompting the BBC to issue a public apology. Although later research indicates the word had been used at least twice before, this event is still widely cited as the first major public controversy over profanity on British TV.

Two

Which pioneering inventor is often credited as the ‘father of radio’ or the ‘father of long-distance radio communication’, and in what decade did he transmit the first transatlantic wireless signal?

Answer: Guglielmo Marconi; 1900s

Marconi successfully transmitted the first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901 from Cornwall, England, to Newfoundland, Canada — a major leap in global communication.

Three

Which European country launched the world’s first regular television service in 1935?

Answer: Germany

Fernsehsender Paul Nipkow, operated by the Nazi regime, was broadcast from Berlin and featured newsreels and cultural programming shown in ‘television rooms’ for public viewing.

ABBA after winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with the song *Waterloo*.
Image Wikipedia

Four

Could you identify this annual television broadcast? First aired in the 1950s, it’s not a sporting event but a cultural one. It now attracts over 160 million viewers annually. What is it?

Answer: The Eurovision Song Contest

First held in 1956, Eurovision now reaches an audience of over 160 million worldwide and has launched international careers — notably that of ABBA and Celine Dion.

Five

RCA introduced the first mass produced colour television set for sale to the American public. What did the initials RCA stand for, and in what decade did this occur?

Answer: Radio Corporation of America; 1950s

This occurred in 1954 when the RCA CT-100 colour TV cost $1,000 — equivalent to about $11,000 today — and few could afford it, delaying widespread adoption of colour broadcasting.

Over the Air

The first question concerns today’s date, November 13th. The subsequent questions follow a theme based on the first.

Who is this pioneering inventor? See question 2.

One

On 13 November 1965, which critic reportedly became the first person to say the word ‘f**k’ on British television during a discussion on the BBC-1 show BBC-3?

Two

Three

Which European country launched the world’s first regular television service in 1935?

Four

Could you identify this annual television broadcast? First aired in the 1950s, it’s not a sporting event but a cultural one. It now attracts over 160 million viewers annually. What is it?

Five

RCA introduced the first mass produced colour television set for sale to the American public. What did the initials RCA stand for, and in what decade did this occur?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.