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
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?
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?
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?
Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.
The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges — aka Gateway Bridges — crossing the Brisbane River, 2011. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
The pictured ‘Gateway Bridges’ at Brisbane in Queensland, Australia cross what 214 mile (344 km) long river?
Answer: Brisbane River
The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges, formerly known as the Gateway Bridge, are twin road bridges over the Brisbane River. The original bridge opened in 1986, and the duplicate bridge opened in 2010, carrying twelve lanes of traffic, six in each direction. The western bridge carries northbound traffic while the eastern bridge carries traffic to heading to the south. A toll is imposed on both bridges until 2051.
Two
In 1787, William Herschel discovered two Moons which were later named Titania and Oberon.These moons are satellites of which planet?
Answer: Uranus
Titania and Oberon, both discovered by William Herschel in 1787, are moons of Uranus. They were later named respectively after the Queen and King of the Fairies in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Titania is the largest moon of Uranus and the eighth largest in the Solar System. It’s composed of ice and rock with a rocky core, icy mantle and possibly a liquid water layer at the core-mantle boundary. Its surface, shaped by impacts and internal processes, features canyons and scarps and may have a tenuous carbon dioxide atmosphere. Oberon is the outermost and second-largest moon of Uranus. Like Titania, it’s composed of ice and rock with a dark cratered surface. Voyager 2 provided the only close-up images of Oberon in 1986 mapping 40% of its surface.
Three
The Throgs Neck Bridge, which opened in 1961, crosses the East River and links two New York City boroughs. Which two?
Answer: The Bronx and Queens
The Throgs (or Throggs) Neck Bridge, a suspension bridge in New York City, connects the Bronx and Queens boroughs. Opened in 1961, it carries six lanes of Interstate 295 over the East River. The bridge, designed by Othmar Ammann, features a centre span of 1,800 feet and is supported by two main cables.
Four
In 1935, a renowned aviator achieved the first successful flight from Hawaii to California. Who was this aviator?
Answer: Amelia Earhart
On 11 January 1935, Amelia Earhart became the first solo aviator to fly from Honolulu to Oakland in a Lockheed 5C Vega. This feat followed unsuccessful attempts by other aviators including an air race which resulted in three deaths. Earhart’s flight was routine with no mechanical issues.
Five
In 1972, this country’s name was changed. It’s now the eighth most populous nation globally and shares a border with the Siliguri Corridor. Which country?
Answer: Bangladesh
Bangladesh, officially the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, is a densely populated country in South Asia. It gained independence from Pakistan in 1971 after a war for independence. Despite challenges like corruption and climate change, Bangladesh is a middle power with a growing economy and the fourth-largest Muslim population in the world. India’s Siliguri Corridor is a vital land connection between India’s mainland and its northeastern states, crucial for logistics and military movements.
The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges — aka Gateway Bridges, 2011. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
The pictured ‘Gateway Bridges’ at Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, cross what 214-mile (344-km) long river?
Two
In 1787, William Herschel discovered two moons which were later named Titania and Oberon. These moons are satellites of which planet?
Three
The Throgs Neck Bridge, which opened in 1961, crosses the East River and links two New York City boroughs. Which two?
Four
In 1935, a renowned aviator achieved the first successful flight from Hawaii to California. Who was this aviator?
Five
In 1972, this country’s name was changed. It’s now the eighth most populous nation globally and shares a border with the Siliguri Corridor. Which country?
On this day in 1997, what family commemorated 700 years of ruling the place represented by the flag shown above? Who are the family and where do they rule?
Borgia, Republic of San Marino
Grimaldi family, Principality of Monaco
Medici family, Vatican City State
Answer: 2. Grimaldi family, Principality of Monaco.
Monaco, a sovereign city-state on the French Riviera, is the second smallest sovereign state in the world. It is a semi-constitutional monarchy with Prince Albert II as head of state. Monaco is known for its wealth, casinos, and as a tax haven, attracting a high percentage of millionaires.
Two
What year and state complete the following sentence? In …, Elvis Presley was born in …
1933; Alabama
1935; Mississippi
1937; Tennessee
Answer: 2. 1935; Mississippi.
Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, was a highly influential American singer and actor. Born on 8 January 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, he rose to fame in the 1950s with his unique blend of country and rhythm and blues, becoming a cultural icon despite initial controversy. Presley’s successful music career spanned multiple genres, and he remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Three
On this day, Charles de Gaulle was inaugurated as president of France’s …
First Republic
Fourth Republic
Fifth Republic
Answer: 3. Fifth Republic.
Charles de Gaulle, a pivotal figure in French history, led the Free French forces during WWII, became the provisional president, and was instrumental in establishing the Fifth Republic. As President from 1959 to 1969, he navigated challenges like the Algerian War, strengthened France’s economy and international position, and aimed to increase France’s global influence.
__
Four
Born on this day, Stephen Hawking, a British theoretical physicist and cosmologist, who suffered from motor neurone disease did NOT take part in which one of these?
Have I Got News for You
Monty Python
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio series
Answer: 1. Have I Got News for You.
Stephen Hawking was an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, known for his work on black holes and cosmology. He was diagnosed with motor neurone disease at age 21, but continued his work and achieved commercial success with his book A Brief History of Time. He featured at the Monty Python Live (Mostly) show in 2014. He was shown to sing an extended version of the Galaxy Song, after running down Brian Cox with his wheelchair, in a pre-recorded video. In 2018, Hawking was the voice of The Book Mark II on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio series
The ocean liners RMS Queen Mary 2 and her namesake Queen Mary are both named after the same person. Who?
Mary I
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary of Teck
Answer: 3. Mary of Teck.
Queen Mary, now berthed permanently at Long Beach, California, United States, was launched in 1934 when she was named after, and by, Queen Mary, the consort of Britain’s King George V. On 8 January 2004, Queen Mary’s granddaughter, Elizabeth II, named Queen Mary 2 after her grandmother, the same Queen Mary who was born Mary of Teck. Cunard legend has it that the 1934 ship was to be named after Queen Victoria, and following protocol, they advised the king, ‘We have decided to name our new ship after England’s greatest queen.’ George V allegedly responded, ‘My wife [Queen Mary] will be delighted that you are naming the ship after her.’
Flag details with answers. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
On this day in 1997, what family commemorated 700 years of ruling the place represented by the flag shown above? Who are the family and where do they rule?
Borgia, Republic of San Marino
Grimaldi family, Principality of Monaco
Medici family, Vatican City State
Two
What year and state complete the following sentence? In …, Elvis Presley was born in …
1933; Alabama
1935; Mississippi
1937; Tennessee
Three
On this day, Charles de Gaulle was inaugurated as president of France’s …
First Republic
Fourth Republic
Fifth Republic
__
Four
Born on this day, Stephen Hawking, a British theoretical physicist and cosmologist, who suffered from motor neurone disease did NOT take part in which one of these?
Have I Got News for You
Monty Python
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio series
Five
The ocean liners RMS Queen Mary 2 and her namesake Queen Mary are both named after the same person. Who?
Here are the answers to the questions in my earlier post.
The first question directly relates to today’s date, December 9th. The others follow the road traffic theme introduced in the first question.
The Westminster street semaphore, from the Illustrated Times, 16 January 1869. Copyright the British Library Board via the British Newspaper Archive. Image Londonist.com
One
In 1868, the world’s first traffic light began operation in which city?
Answer: London, United Kingdom
Designed by railway engineer JP Knight and installed at Parliament Square, Westminster, this gas-powered semaphore signal was manually operated by a police officer. However, a gas leak and subsequent explosion led to its removal just a month later. This delay significantly hindered the adoption of traffic lights in Britain.
Two
According to Guinness World Records, which road—stretching over 24,140 km (15,000 miles)—is recognised as the world’s longest motorable road?
Answer: Pan-American Highway
See three below
Three
Continuing from question two, despite being the world’s longest motorable road, driving its entire length isn’t possible. This is because there’s a section at approximately 7.9° north latitude where there’s no road. What’s the common name for this interrupted stretch?
Answer: Darién Gap
Guinness World Records describe the Pan-American Highway as going from Fairbanks, Alaska, United States, to Panama and then—after shipping their vehicles to Colombia or Venezuela—to Santiago, Chile, and then east to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Rio de Janeiro and Brazilia in Brazil. Wikipedia starts/ends the route at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States, to Puerto Montt, Quellón, Chile, or Ushuaia, Argentina. Encyclopædia Britannica says …from Alaska and Canada to Chile, Brazil, and the southern tip of Argentina. The Darién Gap is a remote and dangerous rainforest area on the Colombia-Panama border, acting as a natural barrier between North and South America. Its inhospitable terrain, lack of roads or other infrastructure, and presence of criminal enterprises make it a perilous route for travel and migration. Despite these challenges, it has become a major migration route for individuals from Haiti and Venezuela seeking to reach the Mexico-United States border.
Four
Introduced in the UK in 1951 and named after its distinctive striped pattern, which type of pedestrian crossing quickly became a road-safety icon?
Answer: Zebra Crossing
The first official zebra crossing was unveiled in Slough. Its black-and-white design and Belisha beacons dramatically improved pedestrian visibility and contributed to a significant drop in road accidents.
In 1888, the wife of a German inventor made the first long-distance car journey. This German inventor had received a patent in 1886 for what is widely considered the first practical automobile powered by an internal combustion engine. Who was the lady who made the long-distance car journey?
Answer: Bertha Benz (wife of Karl Benz)
In 1888, Bertha Benz embarked on the first long-distance car journey without informing Benz himself. This demonstrated the vehicle’s practicality and effectively staged the world’s first car publicity stunt. Encyclopædia Britannica describes it as…
Benz’s journey with her sons marked the first long-distance journey in an automobile. The trio travelled from Mannheim to Pforzheim in about 13 hours, driving on about 60 miles (96.6 km) of unpaved roads. Karl was notified of the Motorwagen’s success by telegram. During the journey, Bertha made several repairs with simple on-hand items. She used her garter to fix the ignition and her hat pin to unclog a blocked fuel pipe. They even stopped at a pharmacy in Wiesloch to purchase a few litres of Ligroin from a chemist. Ligroin was a cleaning agent that served as petroleum fuel for the single-cylinder engine motor. (To this day, many consider this pharmacy the world’s first fueling station.)
On the journey back, the Motorwagen’s brake blocks wore out. Benz had a cobbler fit the brakes with leather strips, thus inventing brake pads. Through her trip, she proved to naysayers that the Motorwagen had potential and helped make improvements on its design. Along the way, she and her sons had to push the Motorwagen uphill, so she suggested that Karl add a third, lower gear and brake pads to his next model. These suggestions were implemented in all of the following models. — Encyclopædia Britannica
The first question directly relates to today’s date, December 9th. The others follow the road traffic theme introduced in the first question.
Image attribution will be shown in the answer post.
One
In 1868, the world’s first traffic light began operation in which city?
Two
According to Guinness World Records, which road—stretching over 24,140 km (15,000 miles)—is recognised as the world’s longest motorable road?
Three
Continuing from question two, despite being the world’s longest motorable road, driving its entire length isn’t possible. This is because there’s a section at approximately 7.9° north latitude where there’s no road. What’s the common name for this interrupted stretch?
Four
Introduced in the UK in 1951 and named after its distinctive striped pattern, which type of pedestrian crossing quickly became a road-safety icon?
Image attribution will be shown in the answer post.
Five
In 1888, the wife of a German inventor made the first long-distance car journey. This German inventor had received a patent in 1886 for what is widely considered the first practical automobile powered by an internal combustion engine. Who was the lady who made the long-distance car journey?
When the Mary Celeste was found drifting and abandoned on 4 December 1872, which everyday object—left untouched—helped show the ship had not been ransacked by pirates? A. The ship’s telegraph terminal B. A basketball C. A sewing machine
Answer: A. The ship’s sewing machine
Its presence in perfect condition suggested the crew left suddenly rather than under attack, since pirates would never have ignored valuable portable items.
Two
After HMS Resolute was abandoned in Arctic ice in 1854, how did the United States symbolically return the vessel to Britain after it was recovered? A. By selling it back to Britain at auction B. By sailing it back and gifting it to Queen Victoria C. By towing it to Canada and scuttling it ceremonially
Answer: B. By sailing it back and gifting it to Queen Victoria
Timbers from the ship were later made into the Resolute desk, used by many U.S. Presidents—an enduring symbol of Anglo-American friendship.
Three
What key items were missing when the abandoned Carroll A. Deering was found aground on Diamond Shoals in 1921? A. The ship’s logbook and navigation equipment B. All cargo and provisions C. The entire foremast
Answer: A. The ship’s logbook and navigation equipment
The loss of these items intensified the mystery, especially because the vessel was otherwise intact in the dangerous waters of the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic’.
Four
Which country was the ghost yacht Kaz II navigating around when it departed from Airlie Beach before its three-man crew mysteriously disappeared in 2007? A. Australia B. Belize C. Canada
Answer: A. Australia
The yacht which was travelling from Queensland to Perth, Western Australia via the north of Australia was found with food set out and the engine running, sparking comparisons to the Mary Celeste because no sign of struggle or storm damage was present.
Five
SS Baychimo became a ‘wandering ghost’ of the Arctic, remaining adrift and being seen numerous times after being abandoned in 1931. For how many years did sightings continue? A. 18 years B. 28 years C. 38 years
Answer: C. 38 years
Sighted intermittently for almost four decades, the Baychimo was finally lost to history—its last confirmed appearance occurring in 1969 when frozen in ice.
When the Mary Celeste was found drifting and abandoned on 4 December 1872, which everyday object—left untouched—helped show the ship had not been ransacked by pirates? A. The ship’s telegraph terminal B. A basketball C. A sewing machine
Two
After HMS Resolute was abandoned in Arctic ice in 1854, how did the United States symbolically return the vessel to Britain after it was recovered? A. By selling it back to Britain at auction B. By sailing it back and gifting it to Queen Victoria C. By towing it to Canada and scuttling it ceremonially
Three
What key items were missing when the abandoned Carroll A. Deering was found aground on Diamond Shoals in 1921? A. The ship’s logbook and navigation equipment B. All cargo and provisions C. The entire foremast
Four
Which country was the ghost yacht Kaz II navigating around when it departed from Airlie Beach before its three-man crew mysteriously disappeared in 2007? A. Australia B. Belize C. Canada
Five
SS Baychimo became a ‘wandering ghost’ of the Arctic, remaining adrift and being seen numerous times after being abandoned in 1931. For how many years did sightings continue? A. 18 years B. 28 years C. 38 years
Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.
The questions all relate to today, November 14th.
Alan L Bean prepares to step onto the lunar surface. Image Wikipedia
One
Apollo 12, launched on 14 November 1969, became the second mission to land on the Moon. Among the three-man crew, who landed and walked on the lunar surface, was which of these: Mr Bean, Mr Hyde or Mr Spock?
Answer: Mr. Bean
Alan L Bean. Apollo 12’s crew consisted of Charles Conrad Jr., Richard F Gordon Jr and Alan L Bean. Alan Bean, an American astronaut, piloted the lunar module during the mission. He made two walks on the lunar surface, totalling eight hours, and later commanded the Skylab 3 mission. After retiring from NASA, Bean became a painter specialising in spaceflight themes.
Two
Is it true or false that Hannibal the Great was crowned pharaoh of Egypt today in 332 BCE?
Answer: False
It was Alexander the Great who was crowned pharaoh of Egypt today in 332 BCE. In Egypt, Alexander was portrayed as the son of Nectanebo II, the final pharaoh before Persian conquest. His victory over Darius was celebrated as Egypt’s salvation, demonstrating that Egypt remained under Egyptian rule.
Three
In Moby-Dick—which was published in the US today in 1851—Captain Ahab offers a gold coin as a reward for spotting the white whale. What real-world coin does he nail to the mast — and from which country does it come?
Answer: A Spanish gold doubloon from Ecuador.
The coin is a gold Spanish doubloon, specifically a sixteen-dollar piece from Ecuador. Its design includes symbols of the sun, zodiac signs, and the Andean mountains, which the crew interprets differently—each seeing their own meaning in it. The coin thus mirrors Ahab’s monomania and the novel’s larger theme of how individuals project their own beliefs and destinies onto the same object or event.
Eugene B. Ely flies his Curtiss pusher airplane from USS Birmingham (Scout Cruiser # 2), in Hampton Roads, Virginia, during the afternoon of Nov. 14 1910. Image General Aviation News
Four
On this date, Eugene Burton Ely achieved the first aircraft takeoff from a ship. In which decade did this happen?
Answer: 1910s
In 1910, Ely took off from a makeshift deck on the USS Birmingham in a Curtiss Pusher aircraft and safely made landfall. A year later he made the first shipboard landing, complete with hooks attached to his Pusher to catch sandbagged ropes to abbreviate the landing roll.
Five
In the television series MASH*, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, played by McLean Stevenson, was discharged and sent home in the final episode of Season 3. What shocking event was revealed at the end of that episode?
Answer: His plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan, with no survivors.
McLean Stevenson was born on this day in 1927. The twist ending of the episode ‘Abyssinia, Henry’ (1975) was kept secret from most of the cast until filming; their shocked reactions during Radar’s announcement were genuine. It marked one of the most memorable and emotional moments in television history.
