A dog named Laika went into space on this day in 1957. Which of these craft carried her: Soyuz 1, Sputnik 2 or Salyut 3?
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Four
On this date, the Caribbean island nation of Dominica was first sighted by Europeans. Four hundred and eighty-five years later, it gained independence from a European country. What does the island’s name mean and from which country did it achieve independence?
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Five
On this day in 1911, a racing driver and engineer, born in 1878, co-founded the American motor car manufacturer Chevrolet, who was he and in what country was he born?
Here are the answers to the questions posed earlier.
The Öresund Bridge, which features in the Nordic noir television drama series The Bridge, carries European Route E20, see question 1. Image Wikipedia
One
The European Route E20 stretches approximately 1,168 miles (1,880 km) from a river estuary airport in the west to the northernmost city of over a million people in the east. Which airport and city are these?
Answer: Shannon Airport, Republic of Ireland and Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The European route E20 is part of the United Nations International E-road network and runs roughly west-east through Ireland, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia and finally Russia. The road is not continuous and, at three points, a ferry must be used to continue along its length; although at one of those there is no ferry! The Øresund Bridge, which is known for featuring in the Nordic noir television series The Bridge, carries European Route E20.
Two
A television medical drama that ran from October 1982 to May 1988 was set in St Elegius Hospital, Boston. What was its title?
Answer: St Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere, a medical drama series, aired on NBC from 1982 to 1988. Although it never ranked higher than 47th in Nielsen ratings, it gained a loyal following and critical acclaim, winning 13 Emmy Awards. Set at the fictional St. Eligius Hospital in Boston, the show was known for its realistic portrayal of the medical profession and featured a large ensemble cast. It tackled contemporary issues like breast cancer, AIDS, and addiction, while also incorporating humour and inside jokes.
Three
In what novel by Charles Dickens does Esther Summerson tell her own story in the past tense?
Answer: Bleak House
Bleak House, a Dickens novel, satirises the legal system through the long-running case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce. The novel, partly narrated by Esther Summerson, is set in London and is credited with introducing urban fog to Gothic literature.
Four
The Chalcolithic period, an archaeological era, was primarily defined by a rise in the use of what specific material?
Answer: Copper (smelted copper)
The Chalcolithic, or Copper Age, was a period characterised by the increasing use of smelted copper, following the Neolithic (latter part of the Stone Age) and preceding the Bronze Age. It occurred at different times in different regions, with the earliest evidence of copper smelting dating back to around 5,000 BC in Serbia. In Britain, the Chalcolithic was a short period between 2,500 and 2,200 BC, marked by the arrival of Beaker culture people and the introduction of copper and gold objects.
Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III in the Sistine Chapel, October 2025. Image thedialog.org
Five
In October 2025, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England prayed with Robert Francis Prevost on the Apennine Peninsula. Who is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and who is Robert Francis Prevost known as?
Answer: King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV
The reigning British monarch is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, currently King Charles III. Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, is the first American pope. King Charles and Pope Leo met at the Vatican to pray together in the Sistine Chapel. It was the first occasion that the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the Pope had prayed together since the reformation 500 years ago.
Today we have five unrelated and unconnected questions.
The Öresund Bridge, which features in the Nordic noir television drama series The Bridge, carries European Route E20, see question 1. Image Wikipedia
One
The European Route E20 stretches approximately 1,168 miles (1,880 km) from a river estuary airport in the west to the northernmost city of over a million people in the east. Which airport and city are these?
Two
A television medical drama that ran from October 1982 to May 1988 was set in St Elegius Hospital, Boston. What was its title?
Three
In what novel by Charles Dickens does Esther Summerson tell her own story in the past tense?
Four
The Chalcolithic period, an archaeological era, was primarily defined by a rise in the use of what specific material?
Five
In October 2025, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England prayed with Robert Francis Prevost on the Apennine Peninsula. Who is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and who is Robert Francis Prevost known as?
On 20 September 1967, the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth 2 was launched from which shipyard?
John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, UK
Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Swan Hunter, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England, UK
Answer: John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, UK
The QE2 was built and launched into the River Clyde from John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, by HM Queen Elizabeth II. During the launch ceremony, the Queen said ‘I name this ship Queen Elizabeth the Second’, and the following day, newspapers including The Times and The New York Times printed the name as Queen Elizabeth II, which would be read as ‘Queen Elizabeth the Second’. When the ship was completed, the name on both the bow and stern of the vessel was Queen Elizabeth 2. Over the years, there has been debate as to whether the ship is named after Queen Elizabeth II; her mother, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Consort of King George VI; or simply the second Cunard liner named Queen Elizabeth. See Wikipedia for additional information.
The ‘Battle of the Sexes’ tennis match took place at Houston Astrodome on 20 September 1973. Who were the two players who competed in the match?
Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs
Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors
Evonne Goolagong and Marlon Brando
Answer: Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs
In 1973, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in an exhibition match, earning $100,000, equivalent to $707,000 in 2024. Riggs, a former top men’s player in the 1930s and 1940s, had won Wimbledon in 1939 and was World No. 1 in 1941, 1946, and 1947. He later became a tennis ‘hustler’, playing promotional matches. Riggs claimed the women’s game was inferior and challenged top female players, defeating Margaret Court 6–2, 6–1. King, initially rejecting his challenges, accepted a financial offer to play him, resulting in her victory and a significant win for women’s tennis.
On 20 September 1870, Rome was occupied, leading to the unification of Italy. Who was the ruler of the Kingdom of Italy at this time?
Victor Emmanuel I
Victor Emmanuel II
Victor Emmanuel III
Answers: Victor Emmanuel II
The unification of Italy, or Risorgimento, was a 19th-century movement that culminated in 1861 with the creation of the Kingdom of Italy through the annexation of various Italian states to the Kingdom of Sardinia. Key figures included King Victor Emmanuel II, Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, Giuseppe Garibaldi, and Giuseppe Mazzini. The movement was inspired by earlier rebellions and the Revolutions of 1848, concluding in 1870 with Rome’s capture. King Victor Emmanuel II was honoured as the Father of the Fatherland.
Four
Which explorer set out from Spain on 20 September 1519, embarking on a quest to circumnavigate the globe?
Bartolomeu Dias
Ferdinand Magellan
Vasco da Gama
Answer: Ferdinand Magellan
The Magellan expedition, led by Ferdinand Magellan and completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano, was a pivotal 16th-century Spanish voyage aimed at securing a maritime trade route to the Spice Islands. Departing Spain in 1519 with five ships and about 270 men, it achieved the first circumnavigation of Earth, crossing the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Despite hardships like mutinies, starvation, and Magellan’s death in the Philippines, only about 40 men and the ship Victoria returned in 1522. Funded by King Charles I, the expedition expanded European geographical knowledge, though the route proved commercially impractical.
Five
On 20 September 1881, a US Vice President was sworn in as president following the death of his predecessor who had died the previous day two months after being shot. Who was the vice president who was sworn in as president on this day?
Andrew Johnson
Chester A. Arthur
Theodore Roosevelt
Answer: Chester A. Arthur
James A. Garfield, the 20th US president, was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau in 1881. Guiteau, who believed he deserved a diplomatic post for his support of Garfield, shot him after his requests were denied. Garfield died from his injuries over two months later, and Vice President Chester A. Arthur became the 21st US President. Guiteau, who was apprehended at the scene of the shooting, was later executed for the murder.
The questions are all related to today’s date, September 20th.
The Queen Elizabeth 2 is now a hotel in Dubai. Image Wikipedia
One
On 20 September 1967, the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth 2 was launched from which company’s shipyard?
John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, UK
Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Swan Hunter, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England, UK
Two
The ‘Battle of the Sexes’ tennis match took place at Houston Astrodome on 20 September 1973. Who were the two players who competed in the match?
Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs
Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors
Evonne Goolagong and Marlon Brando
Three
On 20 September 1870, Rome was occupied, leading to the unification of Italy. Who was the ruler of the Kingdom of Italy at this time?
Victor Emmanuel I
Victor Emmanuel II
Victor Emmanuel III
Four
Which explorer set out from Spain on 20 September 1519, embarking on a quest to circumnavigate the globe?
Bartolomeu Dias
Ferdinand Magellan
Vasco da Gama
Five
On 20 September 1881, a US Vice President was sworn in as president following the death of his predecessor who had died the previous day two months after being shot. Who was the vice president who was sworn in as president on this day?
Edward VI by William Scrots. Image WikipediaMary by Hans Eworth, 1554. Image Wikipedia
One
England’s Elizabeth I was born on 7 September 1533, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. When she ascended the throne in 1558, she followed two siblings, whose regnal names were?
Answers: Edward VI and Mary I
Elizabeth I’s shrewdness, courage, and self-display inspired loyalty and unified England against foreign enemies. Her carefully crafted image as a symbol of the nation’s destiny, coupled with her authority to make critical decisions, defined the Elizabethan Age.
Two
Today marks the anniversary of ESPN’s debut on American television. In which decade did this event occur?
Answer: Seventies (1970s)
ESPN, founded in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen and his son Scott, revolutionised sports broadcasting. With backing from Getty Oil and later ABC, ESPN secured major sports contracts, including the NFL and NCAA football, establishing itself as a dominant force in the industry. Despite facing challenges in the 2010s, ESPN continues to evolve, launching streaming services and expanding its reach through partnerships and acquisitions.
Napoleon I on the Borodino Heights, by Vasily Vereshchagin (1897). Image Wikipedia
Three
The armies of what two nations fought at the Battle of Borodino on 7 September 1812?
Answer: France and Russia
The Battle of Borodino, fought on 7 September 1812, was the bloodiest single day of the Napoleonic Wars. Despite a French victory, the Imperial Russian army retreated, leading to the French occupation of Moscow and the eventual failure of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia.
Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses), born on this day in 1860, became internationally renowned as a painter of naïve folk art depicting rural life in the United States. Where was born: Greenwich, New York; Greenwich, Ohio; or Greenwich, Pennsylvania?
Answer: Greenwich, New York
Grandma Moses, an American folk artist, gained fame in her 70s for her paintings of rural life. Her work, characterised by simple realism and nostalgic atmosphere, has been widely exhibited and merchandised. Greenwich, New York, is a town in Washington County with a population of 4,868. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area and has historical significance as part of the Underground Railroad.
RMS Lusitania, possibly New York, c.1907. Image Wikipedia
Five
Launched on this day in 1907, what Cunard liner was named after an ancient Roman province on the Iberian Peninsula?
Answer: Lusitania (RMS Lusitania)
The ship’s name was inspired by Lusitania, an ancient Roman province located on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula. This region is now known as southern Portugal and Extremadura, Spain. Lusitania was targeted by a German submarine, torpedoed and sunk with the loss of 1,193 lives in May 1915.
England’s Elizabeth I was born on 7 September 1533, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. When she ascended the throne in 1558, she followed two siblings, whose regnal names were?
Two
Today marks the anniversary of ESPN’s debut on American television. In which decade did this event occur?
Three
The armies of what two nations fought at the Battle of Borodino on 7 September 1812?
Four
Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses), born on this day in 1860, became internationally renowned as a painter of naïve folk art depicting rural life in the United States. Where was born: Greenwich, New York; Greenwich, Ohio; or Greenwich, Pennsylvania?
Answer: RMS Lusitania
The ship’s name was inspired by Lusitania, an ancient Roman province located on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula. This region is now known as southern Portugal and Extremadura, Spain. Lusitania was targeted by a German submarine, torpedoed and sunk with the loss of 1,193 lives in May 1915.
George Mallory (3rd from left), Tibet, 1924. Image Wikipedia
One
People ask me, ‘What is the use of climbing Mount Everest?’ and my answer is ‘because it’s there.’
— George Mallory
In what decade of the twentieth century did mountaineers George Mallory and Sandy Irvine go missing near the summit of Mount Everest?
Answer: Twenties
English mountaineer George Mallory participated in the first three British Mount Everest expeditions. In 1924, he and fellow Englishman Sandy Irvine were last seen near Everest’s summit, sparking debate about whether they reached the summit.
What British motor racing commentator (1923-2021) said…
The lead car is unique, except for the one behind it which is identical.
Answer: Murray Walker
Murray Walker (1923-2021) did his first broadcast commentary in 1948 and became a full-time commentator in the mid-seventies. He was known for making comical blunders which became known as ‘Murrayisms’ Wikipedia has supplied the following examples:
We’ve had cars going off left, right and centre Do my eyes deceive me, or is Senna’s Lotus sounding rough? With half of the race gone, there is half of the race still to go There is nothing wrong with the car, apart from that it is on fire, and The gap between them is now nine-tenths of a second; that’s less than a second! — Wikipedia
Yogi Berra, an American professional baseball catcher, manager and coach, played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball, winning 10 World Series championships with the New York Yankees. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Berra was known for his malapropisms and paradoxical statements, some examples below courtesy of Wikipedia It’s déjà vu all over again. You can observe a lot by watching On why he no longer went to Ruggeri’s, a St. Louis restaurant: ‘Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded’ When complimented by a woman in the grandstands on how he seemed to be enduring the heat well on a hot summer’s day: ‘Thanks, ma’am. You don’t look so hot yourself’ Always go to other people’s funerals; otherwise they won’t go to yours The future ain’t what it used to be A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him I really didn’t say everything I said — Wikipedia
Chuck Yeager next to experimental aircraft Bell X-1 Glamorous Glennis. Image Wikipedia
Five
If you can walk away from a landing, it’s a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it’s an outstanding landing.
The above quote was from a pilot who, on 14 October 1947, while piloting Glamorous Glennis broke the sound barrier. Who was the pilot?
Answer: Chuck Yeagar
Yeagar became the first person to break the sound barrier on that flight. Piloting Glamorous Glennis, a Bell X-1 named after his wife, he reached Mach 1.05 st 45,000 feet (13,700. metres) over the Mojave Desert, California.
Henry Hudson’s voyages to North America. Image Wikipedia
One
On 3 September 1609, an English navigator and explorer sailed into what is now known as New York Harbour. He made four expeditions to find a route from Europe to Asia, and a bay, river and strait are named after him. What are his first and second names?
Answer: Henry Hudson
In 1606, Henry Hudson sailed up the river that now bears his name. In Canada, the Hudson Strait links the North Atlantic Ocean (Labrador Sea) to Hudson Bay.
On 3 September 1935, who became the first person to drive an automobile at over 300 miles per hour?
Answer: Sir Malcolm Campbell
On September 3, 1935, at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, his automobile was timed at 301.1292 miles (484.62 km) per hour, the first officially clocked land-vehicle performance exceeding 300 miles (483 km) per hour. — Encyclopædia Britannica
Three
On 3 September 1939, after the invasion of Poland, Britain, France, and which two of these countries – Australia, Canada, or New Zealand – declared war on Germany?
Answer: Australia and New Zealand
On 3 September 1939, Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King announced the recommendation for a declaration of war in a radio broadcast. On 10 September 1939, a declaration of war by Canada against Germany was made by order-in-council signed by King George VI, King of Canada.
NASA’s Viking 2 on the surface of Mars. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Four
On this day in 1976, Viking 2, a NASA spacecraft, completed its journey, landed at its destination, and began sending information back to Earth. What planet had it landed on?
Answer: Mars
The Viking 2 mission, part of the American Viking programme, included an orbiter and a lander. The lander operated for 1,316 days, while the orbiter functioned for 706 orbits until July 25, 1978.
James Stewart, Jean Arthur and Frank Capra on the set of Mr Smith Goes to Washington. Image Wikipedia
Five
The director of 1939’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life died on 3 September 1991. Who was he?
Answer: Frank Capra
Italian-American film director Frank Capra, known for his influence in the 1930s and 1940s, won three Academy Awards for Best Director. Despite a career decline after World War II, his films, including It’s a Wonderful Life, were later critically acclaimed.
Another five questions which are related to today, September 3rd.
Set of Mr Smith Goes to Washington. See question 5. Image Wikipedia
One
On 3 September 1609, an English navigator and explorer sailed into what is now known as New York Harbour. He made four expeditions to find a route from Europe to Asia, and a bay, river and strait are named after him. What are his first and second names?
Two
On 3 September 1935, who became the first person to drive an automobile at over 300 miles per hour?
Three
On 3 September 1939, after the invasion of Poland, Britain, France, and which two of these countries – Australia, Canada, or New Zealand – declared war on Germany?
Four
On this day in 1976, Viking 2, a NASA spacecraft, completed its journey, landed at its destination, and began sending information back to Earth. What planet had it landed on?
Five
The director of 1939’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life died on 3 September 1991. Who was he?
Quizology Online 
