A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley.
Quiz | Easy like Sunday morning: What has Feb 18 ever given us?
1 / 10 |
Born on February 18 in 1745, Alessandro ____ was an Italian scientist who discovered methane gas and invented the electric battery. His invention was a revolution as it proved that electricity could be generated chemically, and debunked the prevalent theory that it was generated solely by humansthrough only natural sources as the belief was at that time. What is the SI unit of electric potential named in his honour?
2 / 10 |
Born on February 18 in 1838, Ernst Mach was an Austrian physicist who was the first to describe how the movement of a bullet over a particular speed created a compression of air in front of it. His work eventually led to his name being used to describe a ratio of speed. If something is travelling at Mach 1, what is it considered to be faster than?
3 / 10 |
On February 18 in 1879, the sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi was finally awarded a patent for his design. He had come up with the idea for a massive statue as a gift from the French to the Americans, in honour of the centennial of American Independence. A huge crowdsourcing initiative was started, and one million francs were raised. This finally led to which design of his getting built in New York Harbor?
4 / 10 |
On February 18 in 1885, this book was published in the United States. Although it is a sequel to another book, it was written entirely in vernacular English as it is narrated by the titular character. Set along the Mississippi river, it follows a young boy who runs away from an abusive father, befriends an escaped slave, and has a slew of adventures. What Great American Novel is this?
5 / 10 |
On February 18 in 1911, Henri Pequet, a 23-year-old French pilot who was in India for an airshow, was offered an opportunity. He was asked to fly a Humber-Sommer biplane for 10 km, from Allahabad to Naini. The journey lasted just 13 minutes, and was historical as the plane contained 6500 letters all marked ‘First ___ ___, UP Exhibition 1911’. What was this the first instance of?
6 / 10 |
On February 18 in 1930, American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh was studying some photographs taken by the Lowell Observatory. He was systematically examining pairs of photographs of the night sky over time, to determine whether any objects had shifted position. What heavenly body did he discover, that was part of an exclusive group for a brief period of time?
7 / 10 |
On February 18 in 1954, the first church of this particular religious movement was established in Los Angeles. Conceived by the science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, it was built around a set of therapeutic ideas he called ‘Dianetics’. He subsequently reframed his ideas as a religious belief, probably with the intention of getting tax advantages. What controversial ‘church’ is this?
8 / 10 |
Born on February 18 in 1954, this American actor was nominated for an Oscar for his roles in Saturday Night Fever, and Pulp Fiction. Known for playing varied roles, he is particularly famous for his action and thriller films. A licensed pilot, he even has a Boeing 707 parked outside his Florida home. Who is this actor?
9 / 10 |
On February 18 in 1978, this particular race was held for the first time on the island of O‘ahu in Hawaii. The organizers decided to clump together three events that had been contested separately: a 3.86 km rough water swim, a 185 km bicycle race, and the Honolulu Marathon. What is the name of this physically demanding event?
10 / 10 |
On February 18 in 2009, English fantasy author Terry Pratchett received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. When he was told he can bring his own sword for the event, he smelted one in a kiln he built in his backyard. As a prolific writer of stories of magic and wizardry, he gave the sword his own twist by adding something he called ’thunderbolt iron’. What was this ‘magical’, unearthly item he added?
