Today’s the Day—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.

All of these questions are related to today, November 12th.

Grace Kelly and Marlon Brando, 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?

Answer: Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly, an American actress, achieved stardom in Hollywood films before marrying Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956. As Princess of Monaco, she focused on charity work, particularly for children and the arts. Kelly passed away at the age of 52 due to injuries from a car crash.

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?

Answer: Jimmu

Emperor Jimmu, the legendary first emperor of Japan, is said to have ascended the throne in 660 BC. While his existence is debated, his legendary journey from Hyūga to Yamato is celebrated on National Foundation Day.

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?

Answer: Tim Berners-Lee; CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research)

The World Wide Web was invented by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN to address document storage and sharing challenges. He developed a decentralised system with hyperlinks, released it in 1991, and CERN made it royalty-free in 1993. The Web’s popularity surged with the release of graphical browsers like Mosaic and Netscape Navigator, leading to the dot-com bubble and the browser wars.

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?

Answer: Nadia Comăneci; 1976 (Montreal)

Nadia Comăneci, a retired Romanian gymnast, is the first gymnast to achieve a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympics. At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, she secured six more perfect 10s, leading to three gold medals. In Moscow, during the 1980 Summer Olympics, she won two more golds and achieved two more perfect 10s. Throughout her career, Comăneci amassed nine Olympic medals—including five gold—and four World Artistic Gymnastics Championship medals. Widely regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, she has lived in the United States since 1989.

Ellis Island, New York.
Image Encyclopædia Britannica

Five

The pictured facility, which ceased to operate today in 1954, is located on what island?

Answer: Ellis Island

The US government established its first federal immigration station on Ellis Island in 1892, replacing the mismanaged Castle Clinton. Initially a wooden station, it processed over 1.5 million immigrants before a fire in 1897 destroyed it. A new fireproof station designed by Edward Lippincott Tilton and William A. Boring opened in 1900 but quickly faced overcrowding necessitating further expansions and improvements. Construction also began on a third island for a contagious diseases ward. However, after the Immigration Act of 1924, the island’s role shifted, leading to its downgrade to a detention centre and eventual closure in 1954 due to declining immigration and high upkeep costs.

Today’s the Day

All of these questions are related to today, November 12th.

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?

Five

The pictured facility, which ceased to operate today in 1954, is located on what island?

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

Remember, remember, the fifth of November—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

King James VI of Scotland and James I of England.
Image Wikipedia

One

What event is commemorated in the United Kingdom on November 5th, when effigies of Guy Fawkes are traditionally burned on bonfires? Also, in what year did it occur?

Answer: The Gunpowder Plot of 1605

The failed plot was an attempt by Catholic conspirators to blow up the English Parliament and assassinate King James VI (of Scotland) & I (of England). ‘Remember, remember, the fifth of November’ became a famous rhyme, see below, recording the event.

Two

Which spacecraft, launched on 5 November 2013, was India’s first interplanetary mission?

Answer: The Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan)

Developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Mangalyaan made India the first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit and the first country in the world to do so successfully on its maiden attempt — all on a remarkably low budget.

Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.
Image Wikipedia

Three

On 5 November 1981, a small Caribbean nation achieved independence from the United Kingdom. Its capital is St. John’s. Can you name the country?

Answer: Antigua and Barbuda

The twin-island nation remains a member of the Commonwealth, recognizing the British monarch as its head of state, but governs itself independently.

Four

November 5th is a central date in the storyline of what 2005 film which opens with the line, ‘Remember, remember the fifth of November’?

Answer: V for Vendetta

The film, based on a graphic novel, turned the Guy Fawkes mask into a global symbol of resistance — later adopted by protest movements such as Anonymous and Occupy Wall Street.

Five

On November 5th, Google introduced its first Android-based mobile operating system, signalling the start of a new era in smartphones. In what year did this occur?

Answer: 2007

The Android OS announcement reshaped the mobile landscape — today, Android powers over 70% of the world’s smartphones.

Remember, remember, the 5th of November

Remember, remember, the 5th of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, ’twas his intent
To blow up the King and the Parliament
Three score barrels of powder below
Poor old England to overthrow
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match
Holler boys, holler boys, let the bells ring
Holler boys, holler boys
God save the King!

The undercroft beneath the House of Lords.
Image Wikipedia

Remember, remember, the fifth of November

Today’s five questions all relate to the date, November 5th.

One

What event is commemorated in the United Kingdom on November 5th, when effigies of Guy Fawkes are traditionally burned on bonfires? Also, in what year did it occur?

Two

Which spacecraft, launched on 5 November 2013, was India’s first interplanetary mission?

Three

On 5 November 1981, a small Caribbean nation achieved independence from the United Kingdom. Its capital is St. John’s. Can you name the country?

Four

November 5th is a central date in the storyline of what 2005 film which opens with the line, ‘Remember, remember the fifth of November’?

Five

On November 5th, Google introduced its first Android-based mobile operating system, signalling the start of a new era in smartphones. In what year did this occur?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

An Apple a Day—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions posed earlier today.

See question 4. Watercolour portrait of Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, c. 1840, possibly by Alfred Edward Chalon.
Image Wikipedia

One

Is it true or false that Apple launched the iPod in 2006?

Answer: False

The 23 October 2001, was the date the iPod was first launched. Apple’s iPod, a series of portable media players, was sold from 2001 to 2022, with an estimated 450 million units sold. The iPod branding was used for the media player on iPhones and iPads until iOS 5, when it was separated into Music and Videos apps.

Two

Who is considered the ‘father of the computer’?

Answer: Charles Babbage

Charles Babbage is widely recognised as the “father of the computer” for his pioneering work in designing the first mechanical computer, the Difference Engine (1820s). He also conceptualised the Analytical Engine (1830s) incorporating many features of modern computers. His ideas laid the foundation for the development of digital programmable computers.

Three

What does ‘HTTP’ stand for in a web address?

Answer: Hypertext Transfer Protocol

HTTP, proposed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, is a foundational protocol for data exchange on the World Wide Web. It evolved from HTTP/1.0 (1996) to HTTP/1.1 (1997), introducing persistent connections and HTML decompression. HTTP/2 (2015) improved speed with binary data, while HTTP/3 (2022) uses QUIC for lower latency. HTTPS, adding encryption, is used by over 85% of websites. HTTP/3 supports 30.9% of websites as of February 2024.

Four

Who is often regarded as the world’s first computer programmer?

Answer: Ada Lovelace

Ada Lovelace, daughter of the poet Lord Byron, wrote the first algorithm intended for a machine — Babbage’s Analytical Engine — in 1843. She foresaw computers as more than calculating devices, imagining their creative potential over a century before the digital age began.

Mazda Eunos Cosmo, Mazda Museum.
Image Wikipedia

Five

Which manufacturer first offered a production car with a built-in satellite navigation system for public sale, and in what year was it available for purchase?

Answer: Mazda

Released in 1990, the Mazda Eunos Cosmo was the first production car equipped with a GPS-based navigation system. It featured a touchscreen display and digital maps stored on CD-ROMs — revolutionary technology at the time. The Cosmo was a showcase of luxury and innovation, years ahead of its rivals in in-car electronics.

An Apple a Day

The first question is relevant to today’s date, October 23rd. The others follow a theme related to the first.

Various iPod models. From left to right: iPod 5th generation in a case, iPod 4th generation, iPod Mini, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle.
Image Wikipedia

One

Is it true or false that Apple launched the iPod in 2006?

Two

Who is considered the ‘father of the computer’?

Three

What does ‘HTTP’ stand for in a web address?

Four

Who is often regarded as the world’s first computer programmer?

Five

Which manufacturer first offered a production car with a built-in satellite navigation system for public sale, and in what year was it available for purchase?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Googly—Answers

One

A search engine launched in 1996 was named after a fictional character created by English author PG Wodehouse. This character first appeared in print in 1915 and made his last appearance in Wodehouse’s last novel in 1974. Who is this character?

— Answer: Jeeves

Jeeves, a fictional valet created by PG Wodehouse, is renowned for his competence and has become synonymous with the role of a manservant. He serves the wealthy Bertie Wooster and occasionally fills in as a butler.

AskJeeves, a search engine founded in 1996, has since evolved into ask.com.

Two

A company based in Quebec City, Canada own desktop search software which runs on Microsoft Windows. Its name, when only one word is used, is almost that of an astronomer who was born in East Prussia in 1473. What is the one word name of the search software?

— Answer: Copernic

Copernic, founded in 1996, is a leading desktop and enterprise search provider. Acquired by Harris Computer Corporation in 2010, Copernic continues to develop innovative search solutions. The astronomer mentioned was Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543).

Three

A fictional character with the middle name Muriel was one of the lead characters in an American sitcom which ran from 1994 until 2004. This characters surname is what a search engine lainched in 2014 is commonly known as. What is the search engine?

— Answer: Bing

Chandler Muriel Bing, played by Matthew Perry, was a character in the TV show Friends. Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, offers web, video, image, and map search services. Launched in 2009, it introduced features like search suggestions and related searches. As of April 2024, Bing holds a 3.64% global market share, ranking second behind Google.

Four

Founded in 1994, a web portal and search engine has a name that means ‘rude, unsophisticated, uncouth’. A 1726 satire, written by an Anglo-Irish clergyman, is the origin of this meaning of the company name. What is the common two-word title of the satire, and who was the clergyman-novelist?

— Answer: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

The web portal etc is Yahoo. The word ‘yahoo’ is a backronym for ‘Yet Another Hierarchically Organized Oracle’ or ‘Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle’. Founders Filo and Yang chose the name because they liked the slang definition of a ‘yahoo’ as ‘rude, unsophisticated, uncouth’.
Yahoos, in Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, are filthy, unpleasant creatures representing materialism and ignorant elitism. The term ‘yahoo’, which was coined by Swift, can now be defined as ‘a crude, brutish person’. By the way, the full name of Gulliver’s Travels is Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships.

Five

… Firefox, or simply Firefox, is a free and open-source web browser developed by the … Foundation and its subsidiary, the … Corporation.
— Wikipedia

The above description of the web browser Firefox is from Wikipedia. What one name has been omitted three times from the quote?

— Answer: Mozilla

Firefox, originally named Phoenix, was created as a standalone browser to replace the Mozilla Suite. After several name changes due to trademark issues, it was officially released as Mozilla Firefox in 2004. The browser gained popularity for its features like tabbed browsing and an extension mechanism, and underwent significant improvements with the Quantum project in 2017 to enhance performance and modernise its architecture.

Googly

19 August 2004…
The search engine company Google Inc. raised $1.66 billion in its initial public offering; in an unusual move, the shares were sold in a public auction intended to put the average investor on an equal footing with financial industry professionals.
— Encyclopædia Britannica

As you’ll see above on 19 August 2004, Google had its initial public offering. Today’s questions are about other tech entities.

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

… Firefox, or simply Firefox, is a free and open-source web browser developed by the … Foundation and its subsidiary, the … Corporation.
— Wikipedia

The above description of the web browser Firefox is from Wikipedia. What one name has been omitted three times from the quote?

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

Crossing the pond | Answers

The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.

Live Aid, John F Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia.
Image Wikipedia

One

The Live Aid concerts were held on Saturday, 13 July 1985 in the UK and the USA. In which two stadiums were these concerts held?

Answer: Wembley Stadium, London and John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia

Live Aid, a benefit concert for the Ethiopian famine, was held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium and John F. Kennedy Stadium on 13 July 1985. The event, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, was broadcast to an estimated 1.9 billion people in 150 nations.

British dirigible R.34 at Mineola, Long Island, N.Y. 6 July 1919.
Image Wikipedia

Two

R.34 became the first aircraft to make a return transatlantic flight. What seven letter word best describes R.34?

Answer:

R.34, the first aircraft of any type to carry passengers across the Atlantic. Flying from RAF East Fortune in Scotland R.34 completed the first east-west aerial crossing in 108 hours, arriving in Mineola, Long Island on 6 July 1919. On arrival, and to assist the ground crew, Major E. M. Pritchard jumped by parachute and so became the first person to reach American soil by air from Europe. The return journey to RNAS Pulham took 75 hours.

Football used in the 1930 World Cup Final on display at the National Football Museum, Preston. Due to a dispute between the teams, two balls were used in the final, one in each half. This ball, chosen by the Uruguayan team, was used in the second half.
Image Wikipedia

Three

Today, in 1930, the inaugural FIFA World Cup began in Uruguay. Thirteen teams participated in the competition. Can you name as many of the four European teams that took part?

Answer: Belgium, France, Romania and Yugoslavia

The 1930 FIFA World Cup, the inaugural tournament, was held in Uruguay to celebrate the country’s centenary and its Olympic football victory. Thirteen teams participated, with Uruguay defeating Argentina in the final to become the first World Cup champions.

Ronald reagan and George HW Bush. Image Wikipedia

Four

On this day, Vice President George HW Bush became the Acting President for the day while the President was undergoing surgery. Who was the President?

Answer:

President Reagan temporarily transferred power to Vice President Bush for about eight hours while undergoing surgery. Reagan sent a letter to the President pro tem of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, transferring Presidential power to Bush. Reagan reclaimed his authority after the surgery, signing another letter in the presence of his chief of staff, counsel and surgeon.

Five

The Dartmouth workshop, widely considered as the first conference on artificial intelligence, was held during the summer of…

1956
1961
1965

Answer:

The Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence in 1956, organised by John McCarthy, is considered the founding of AI as a field. The workshop, which brought together experts in computing and cognitive science, hypothesised that machines could simulate human intelligence and learning. The term “AI” was coined during this conference.

Crossing the pond

Today a mixture of questions, some of which entail crossing the Atlantic.

Pink Floyd at Live Aid, London.
Image Wikipedia

One

The Live Aid concerts were held on Saturday, 13 July 1985 in the UK and the USA. In which two stadiums were these concerts held?

Two

R.34 became the first aircraft to make a return transatlantic flight. What seven letter word best describes R.34?

Three

Today, in 1930, the inaugural FIFA World Cup began in Uruguay. Thirteen teams participated in the competition. Can you name as many of the four European teams that took part?

Four

On this day, Vice President George HW Bush became the Acting President for the day while the President was undergoing surgery. Who was the President?

Five

The Dartmouth workshop, widely considered as the first conference on artificial intelligence, was held during the summer of…

1956
1961
1965

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.