Here are some questions with no link to anything other than general miscellany.
Scimitar GTE. Image Wikipedia
Bikini Atoll is in which island group?
Marshall Islands
Solomon Islands
Wallis and Futuna Islands
Which king is credited with the unification of Denmark?
Harald Greycloak
Harald Bluetooth
Sweyn Forkbeard
The word “Pundit” comes from which language where it means “learned man”?
Mesopotamian
Egyptian
Sanskrit
A Scimitar GTE sports car was given to Princess Anne by her parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as a 20th birthday present in 1970. Which British car manufacturer had launched this model in 1968 ?
Jaguar
Lotus
Reliant
Two of these are real plants and one fictional, what is the fictional one?
Anne Boleyn was arrested and imprisoned on 2 May 1536. True or false, one of the charges she faced was witchcraft.
TRUE—Anne Boleyn was arrested and imprisoned on charges of adultery, incest, treason and witchcraft.
Baron Manfred von Richthofen. Image Wikipedia Oberleutnant Hermann Göring, the final Kommandeur of Jagdgeschwader I. Image Wikipedia
Manfred, Baron von Richthofen, born on 2 May 1892, became Germany’s top fighter ace in World War I until he was killed in action. True or false, he was eventually succeeded as commander of his fighter group by future Nazi leader Hermann Göring.
TRUE—Manfred von Richthofen, aka Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of the war and officially credited with 80 air combat victories. Hermann Göring, himself a veteran World War I fighter pilot ace, served as the last commander of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG I), the fighter wing—Flying Circus—once led by Manfred von Richthofen. In the above photo Göring is holding a walking stick (the Geschwader-Stock) passed down from von Richthofen.
A BOAC de Havilland Comet jet airliner, en route to Johannesburg from London, breaks its journey at Entebbe Airport, Uganda. 1952 Image Wikipedia https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/BOAC_Comet_1952_Entebbe.jpg
On this day in 1952, the first jetliner flight with fare-paying passengers took place. True or false, this flight was from Seattle, Washington to Washington DC.
FALSE—The de Havilland DH.106 Comet, the world’s first commercial jet airliner, entered service in 1952 with a flight from London, England to Johannesburg, South Africa. However, within a year, three Comets were lost in catastrophic mid-flight accidents.
Catherine the Great. Image Wikipedia
Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, was born today in 1729. True or false, she was born in the Kingdom of Prussia, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire.
TRUE—Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796, was born in Prussia in the Holy Roman Empire. She oversaw a cultural and scientific renaissance, expanding the empire through conquest and diplomacy. Her reign, marked by Enlightenment ideals, saw the founding of new cities, universities, and theatres, as well as the colonisation of Alaska and the annexation of the Crimean Khanate. Despite her modernising efforts, serfdom persisted, leading to rebellions.
James VI and I. (James VI of Scotland and I of England) Image Wikipedia
The King James Version of the Bible was first published on 2 May; True or false, the year of this first publication was1661.
FALSE—The King James Version, commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, is an Early Modern English translation of the Christian Bible. It is considered one of the most important books in English culture and a driving force in shaping the English-speaking world.
Jadstaffel 11: The Red Barons Squadron Image Wikipedia
Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 2 May.
Anne Boleyn was arrested and imprisoned on 2 May 1536. True or false, one of the charges she faced was witchcraft.
Manfred, Baron von Richthofen, born on 2 May 1892, became Germany’s top fighter ace in World War I until he was killed in action. True or false, he was eventually succeeded as commander of his fighter group by future Nazi leader Hermann Göring.
On this day in 1952, the first jetliner flight with fare-paying passengers took place. True or false, this flight was from Seattle, Washington to Washington DC.
Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, was born today in 1729. True or false, she was born in the Kingdom of Prussia, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire.
The King James Version of the Bible was first published on 2 May; True or false, the year of this first publication was 1661.
Here are some questions relating to today, 25 April.
See #2. Aerial view of the Suez Canal at Suez. Image Wikipedia
On 25 April 1901, New York became the first US state to mandate license plates with a law ordering automobiles and motorcycles to display “the separate initials of the owner’s name placed upon the back thereof in a conspicuous place.” But where was the first place to legally require a registration or licence plate?
France—France introduced registration plates in 1893, followed by Germany and the Netherlands. The US began requiring plates in 1903, with New York being the first state (this was after NY first requiring in 1901 that the owner’s initials be clearly visible on the back of the vehicle).
Today in 1859, construction of the Suez Canal officially began. How many countries does it pass through?
One—Egypt. The Suez Canal, a 120-mile (193 km) artificial waterway in Egypt, connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas, providing a direct trade route between Europe and Asia. Constructed between 1859 and 1869, it is operated by the Suez Canal Authority and offers a significant shortcut for vessels, reducing travel time between the Arabian Sea and Europe. Utilising several lakes, it is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. The canal’s strategic importance has led to historical events like its nationalisation in 1956 and closure during the Six-Day War.
The Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway. Image Wikipedia
Today in 1959, exactly 100 years after work began on the Suez Canal (see #2 above), the Saint Lawrence Seaway opened, completing the link from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes and allowing ocean-going ships to reach the westernmost point of Lake Superior. What distance is the westernmost point of Lake Superior from the Atlantic Ocean?
2,340 miles/3,766 km—The Saint Lawrence Seaway, a joint Canada-US project, connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. It opened North America’s industrial and agricultural heartlands to deep-draft ocean vessels and forged the final link in a 2,340 miles/3,766 km long waterway from Duluth, Minnesota, to the Atlantic by clearing a throughway in an 186-mile/299 km stretch of the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Lake Ontario.
Guglielmo Marconi. Image Wikipedia
On this day in 1874, a physicist and Nobel Prize laureate (Physics, 1909) was born. He invented a successful system of radio telegraphy. Who was he?
Guglielmo Marconi—an Italian electrical engineer and physicist, invented the wireless telegraph, or radio, in 1896, and received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1909. He later worked on shortwave wireless communication, the foundation of modern long-distance radio. Marconi’s early experiments in Italy led him to London, where he received support and filed his first radio patent in 1896. He founded the Marconi Company in the UK and was ennobled as a marquess in 1929.
On 25 April 1990, Violeta Barrios de Chamorro became Central America’s first female president. What country was she president of?
Nicaragua—Violeta Chamorro, became Central America’s first female president in 1990, serving until 1997. After her husband, Pedro Chamorro, was assassinated by the Somoza dictatorship in 1978, she took over his newspaper, La Prensa, and became a symbol of opposition against the Sandinista government that overthrew the Somozas. As president, Chamorro reversed Sandinista policies, privatised state industries and promoted national reconciliation. Her presidency was marked by economic strife and social unrest, but she successfully ended hyperinflation and re-established international banking relationships.
Here are some questions relating to today, 25 April.
See #1. The first automobile license plate issued in the State of Minnesota, 1903. Image Wikipedia
On 25 April 1901, New York became the first US state to mandate license plates with a law ordering automobiles and motorcycles to display “the separate initials of the owner’s name placed upon the back thereof in a conspicuous place.” But where was the first place to legally require a registration or licence plate?
Belgium
France
United Kingdom
Today in 1859, construction of the Suez Canal officially began. How many countries does it pass through?
One
Two
Three
Today in 1959, exactly 100 years after work began on the Suez Canal (see #2 above), the Saint Lawrence Seaway opened, completing the link from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes and allowing ocean-going ships to reach the westernmost point of Lake Superior. What distance is the westernmost point of Lake Superior from the Atlantic Ocean?
1,230 miles/1,979 km
1,785 miles/2,873 km
2,340 miles/3,766 km
On this day in 1874, a physicist and Nobel Prize laureate (Physics, 1909) was born. He invented a successful system of radio telegraphy. Who was he?
Alessandro Volta
Enrico Fermi
Guglielmo Marconi
On 25 April 1990, Violeta Barrios de Chamorro became Central America’s first female president. What country was she president of?
See #2 below. RMS Titanic departing Southampton on 10 April 1912. Wikipedia
Today’s post is all about today’s date, 14 April, and all the answers are numbers.
What two words are missing from this text regarding an April 14, 1881 gunfight: The ___ Dead in ___ Seconds Gunfight?
Four and five
Five and ten
Six and fifteen.
In 1912, the British passenger liner RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic, causing it to begin sinking. Where was it when it struck the iceberg?
220 miles (350 km) south of Iceland
370 miles (600 km) southeast of Newfoundland
590 miles (950 km) northwest of the Azores. William Grover-Williams at the 1929 Monaco Grand Prix. Wikipedia
In motor racing, the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix took place on this date when a number of invited participants started the race. In what year did this inaugural race take place and how many drivers participated?
1923 and 10 drivers
1929 and 16 drivers
1934 and 12 drivers.
On 14 April 1865, Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States, was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. What number President was Lincoln and how many days later was his assassin killed?
14th President and 17 days
15th President and 9 days
16th President and 12 days.
Today in 1986, the heaviest hailstones ever recorded fell on the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, resulting in fatalities. How heavy were the individual hailstones and how many people died?
0.5 kg (1.1 lb) and 47 persons
0.75 kg (1.65 lb) and 64 persons
1 kg (2.2 lb) and 92 persons.
On this day, Mark Antony was defeated at the Battle of Forum Gallorum. This was some 13 years before his death, so when was the battle?
43 BCE
3CE
43 CE
Good luck! As usual, I will post answers later today.
Mary Pickford—Mary Pickford, born Gladys Louise Smith, was a Canadian-American actress and producer who became a pioneer in the American film industry. Known as “America’s Sweetheart” and “The Queen of the Movies,” she gained fame through silent films such as The Poor Little Rich Girl and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. Pickford co-founded United Artists alongside D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks. After retiring from acting in 1933, she focused on her work with United Artists and engaged in various charitable activities. Venus de Milo. Wikipedia
Aphrodite—The Venus de Milo, a larger-than-life marble statue of Aphrodite carved by Alexandros around 150 BCE, was discovered on Melos in 1820. Inspired by a 4th-century Corinthian statue, it exemplifies Hellenistic sculptural tradition. Missing both arms and with an uncertain original position, the Parian marble sculpture has been displayed at the Louvre since 1821 and has inspired many artistic works and cultural references.
Between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE— Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, established Buddhism in South Asia during the 6th or 4th century BCE. He advocated for a Middle Way between excessive indulgence and strict asceticism to achieve liberation from suffering. Buddhism developed into Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, expanding from India to Southeast and East Asia. Born in Lumbini, Nepal, and passing away in Kusinara, India, the Buddha’s teachings were spread by his followers, who commemorate significant events in his life, such as his birth, enlightenment and nirvana. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who designed the SS Great Western, pictured with launching chains of the SS Great Eastern. Wikipedia
SSGreat Western—The SS Great Western, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, was the first steamship built for transatlantic crossings. Wooden-hulled, it was the largest passenger ship from 1837 to 1839 and served as a model for future paddle-steamers.
P. Ruiz— Encyclopædia Britannica states that Picasso’s baptismal names are “Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Crispín Crispiniano María de los Remedios de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz Picasso”; Ruiz and Picasso being respectively his father’s and mother’s surnames. It further states in regard to his signing his works, “As a youth, Picasso was known as Pablo Ruiz, and he signed his earliest paintings P. Ruiz. By the turn of the 20th century he was using P.R. Picasso for paintings and drawings, but in late 1901 he finally settled on simply Picasso as his signature.”
Gladys Louise Smith was born on 8 April 1892 in Toronto, Canada, and later, as an actress in the silent era, became known as “Queen of the Movies” and “America’s Sweetheart“. What name did she use professionally?
Marion Davies
Lillian Gish
Mary Pickford
Fragments of the ancient statue Venus de Milo were found in pieces on the island of Melos in the Aegean Sea on 8 April 1920. Who is the statue believed to represent?
Aphrodite
Artemis
Athena.
A majority of Japanese Buddhists celebrate the birth of Buddha on 8 April, when is he believed to have lived?
Between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE
Between the 2nd century BCE and 2nd century CE
Between the 4th and 6th centuries CE
SS Great ? (See question 4)
On 8 April 1838, the first purpose-built and regular transatlantic steamer embarked on its maiden voyage. The ship, a wooden-hulled paddle steamer, was named what?
SS Great Britain
SS Great Eastern
SS Great Western
The artist Pablo Picasso died on 8 April 1973. Which of these was how he signed his earliest works?
Moon—The Moon, Earth’s satellite, is different from planets like Mercury and Mars. While the Moon orbits the Earth, Mercury and Mars, like Earth, orbit the Sun. Lotus Cars logo. Wikipedia
Emira—it has a petrol engine and is not electric, unlike the Eletre and Emeya. Lotus Group is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars and electric vehicles. It comprises Lotus Cars, Lotus Tech and Lotus Engineering. Currently majority-owned by Geely, Lotus has a history of Formula One racing and producing iconic cars like the Lotus Seven and Elise. Sargasso Sea. 1891 Krummel Petermanns lores/Wikipedia
Sargasso—aka Sargasso Sea is a marine ecosystem whereas the others are both land-based. The Sargasso Sea, a region of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by four currents, is distinguished by its brown Sargassum seaweed and calm blue water. The Gobi Desert, the sixth largest desert globally, is a vast cold desert and grassland area located in northern China and southern Mongolia. In contrast, the Atacama Desert in Chile is renowned as the driest nonpolar desert, characterised by its extreme aridity due to a temperature inversion, the rain shadow effect created by two mountain ranges, and the influence of the Humboldt ocean current. Poster for the 1935 film A Night at the Opera. Wikipedia
A Kind of Magic—A Day at the Races, like Queen’s previous album, A Night at the Opera, takes its name from Marx Brothers films. On the other hand, although A Kind of Magic has a film connection, it is not to a film title; it takes its name from a Connor MacLeod quote from the film Highlander: “Hey, it’s a kind of magic!” The Devil’s Alternative by Frederick Forsyth WikipediaDeception Point by Dan Brown WikipediaDigital Fortress by Dan Brown Wikipedia
The Devil’s Alternative—was written by British novelist Frederick Forsyth. Deception Point and Digital Fortress are two stand-alone novels by Dan Brown which, unlike The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons etc, do not feature Robert Langdon.
Botswana—Botswana is in Southern Africa while the others are in Asia—Brunei is in Southeast Asia and Bhutan in South Asia. They are all small countries and both Botswana and Bhutan are landlocked while Brunei has a coastline.
Sub-regional map of the World. The UN geoscheme/Wikipedia
Quizology Online 
