grand slam

  • June 6- History, Events, Births, Deaths Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 913 – The 8-year-old illegitimate son of Leo VI the Wise, Constantine VII, becomes nominal ruler of the Byzantine Empire, under the regency of a seven-man council headed by Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos, appointed by Constantine’s uncle Alexander III on his deathbed.
    • 1513 – Italian Wars: Battle of Novara. Swiss troops defeat the French under Louis II de la Trémoille, forcing the French to abandon Milan. Duke Massimiliano Sforza is restored.
    • 1523 – Gustav Vasa, the Swedish regent, is elected King of Sweden, marking a symbolic end to the Kalmar Union. This is the Swedish national day.
    • 1586 – Francis Drake’s forces raid St. Augustine in Spanish Florida.
    • 1674 – Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire, is crowned.
    • 1749 – The Conspiracy of the Slaves in Malta is discovered.
    • 1762 – Seven Years’ War: British forces begin a siege of Havana, Cuba, and temporarily capture the city in the Battle of Havana.
    • 1808 – Napoleon’s brother, Joseph Bonaparte, is crowned King of Spain.
    • 1809 – Sweden promulgates a new Constitution, which restores political power to the Riksdag of the Estates after 20 years of enlightened absolutism. At the same time, Charles XIII is elected to succeed Gustav IV Adolf as King of Sweden.
    • 1813 – War of 1812: Battle of Stoney Creek: A British force of 700 under John Vincent defeats an American force twice its size under William Winder and John Chandler.
    • 1822 – Alexis St. Martin is accidentally shot in the stomach, leading to William Beaumont’s studies on digestion.
    • 1832 – The June Rebellion in Paris is put down by the National Guard.
    • 1844 – The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) is founded in London.
    • 1844 – The Glaciarium, the world’s first mechanically frozen ice rink, opens.
    • 1857 – Sophia of Nassau marries the future King Oscar II of Sweden–Norway.
    • 1859 – Australia: Queensland is established as a separate colony from New South Wales (Queensland Day).
    • 1862 – American Civil War: Battle of Memphis: Union forces capture Memphis, Tennessee, from the Confederates.
    • 1882 – The Shewan forces of Menelik II of Ethiopia defeat the Gojjame army in the Battle of Embabo. The Shewans capture Negus Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam, and their victory leads to a Shewan hegemony over the territories south of the Abay River.
    • 1889 – The Great Seattle Fire destroys all of downtown Seattle.
    • 1892 – The Chicago “L” elevated rail system begins operation.
    • 1894 – Governor Davis H. Waite orders the Colorado state militia to protect and support the miners engaged in the Cripple Creek miners’ strike.
    • 1909 – French troops capture Abéché (in modern-day Chad) and install a puppet sultan in the Ouaddai Empire.
    • 1912 – The eruption of Novarupta in Alaska begins. It is the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.
    • 1916 – The death of Yuan Shikai marks the beginning of China’s Warlord Era.
    • 1918 – World War I: Battle of Belleau Wood: The U.S. Marine Corps suffers its worst single day’s casualties while attempting to recapture the wood at Château-Thierry.
    • 1919 – After eight days of existence, the Republic of Prekmurje is conquered by the Hungarian Soviet Republic.
    • 1921 – Southwark Bridge in London is opened to traffic by King George V and Queen Mary.
    • 1932 – The Revenue Act of 1932 is enacted, creating the first gas tax in the United States, at a rate of 1 cent per US gallon (​1⁄4¢/L) sold.
    • 1933 – The first drive-in theater opens in Camden, New Jersey, United States.
    • 1934 – New Deal: The U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 into law, establishing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
    • 1939 – Judge Joseph Force Crater, known as the “Missingest Man in New York”, is declared legally dead.
    • 1942 – World War II: Battle of Midway. U.S. Navy dive bombers sink the Japanese cruiser Mikuma and four Japanese carriers.
    • 1944 – World War II: The Allied invasion of Normandy—codenamed Operation Overlord—begins with the execution of Operation Neptune (commonly referred to as D-Day), the landing of 155,000 Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy in France. The Allied soldiers quickly break through the Atlantic Wall and push inland in the largest amphibious military operation in history.
    • 1946 – The Basketball Association of America is founded in New York City; the BAA was the precursor to the modern National Basketball Association.
    • 1954 – The grand opening of the sculpture of Yuriy Dolgorukiy took place in Moscow. This statue is one of the main monuments of Moscow.
    • 1964 – Under a temporary order, the rocket launches at Cuxhaven, Germany are terminated. They never resume.
    • 1971 – Soyuz program: Soyuz 11 is launched.
    • 1971 – A midair collision between a Hughes Airwest Douglas DC-9 jetliner and a United States Marine Corps McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II jet fighter near Duarte, California, claims 50 lives.
    • 1971 – Vietnam War: The Battle of Long Khanh between Australian and Vietnamese communist forces begins.
    • 1974 – A new Instrument of Government is promulgated making Sweden a parliamentary monarchy.
    • 1981 – Bihar train disaster: A passenger train travelling between Mansi and Saharsa, India, jumps the tracks at a bridge crossing the Bagmati River. The government places the official death toll at 268 plus another 300 missing; however, it is generally believed that the death toll is closer to 1,000.
    • 1982 – The Lebanon War begins. Forces under Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon invade southern Lebanon during Operation Peace for the Galilee, eventually reaching as far north as the capital Beirut.
    • 1985 – The grave of “Wolfgang Gerhard” is opened in Embu, Brazil; the exhumed remains are later proven to be those of Josef Mengele, Auschwitz’s “Angel of Death”; Mengele is thought to have drowned while swimming in February 1979.
    • 1993 – Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat wins the first presidential election in Mongolia.
    • 1994 – China Northwest Airlines Flight 2303 crashes near Xi’an, China, killing all 160 people on board.
    • 2002 – Eastern Mediterranean event. A near-Earth asteroid estimated at ten meters in diameter explodes over the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Libya. The explosion is estimated to have a force of 26 kilotons, slightly more powerful than the Nagasaki atomic bomb.
    • 2004 – Tamil is established as a “classical language” by the President of India, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, in a joint sitting of the two houses of the Indian Parliament.
    • 2005 – In Gonzales v. Raich, the United States Supreme Court upholds a federal law banning cannabis, including medical marijuana.

    Births on June 6

    pre-19th century

    • 1236 – Wen Tianxiang, Chinese general and scholar (d. 1283)
    • 1243 – Alix of Brittany, Dame de Pontarcy, Breton noble (d. 1288)
    • 1296 – Władysław of Legnica (d. 1352)
    • 1436 – Regiomontanus, German mathematician, astronomer, and bishop (d. 1476)
    • 1519 – Andrea Cesalpino, Italian philosopher, physician, and botanist (d. 1603)
    • 1539 – Catherine Vasa, Regent of East Frisia (d. 1610)
    • 1553 – Bernardino Baldi, Italian mathematician and author (d. 1617)
    • 1556 – Edward la Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche, English politician and diplomat (d. 1625)
    • 1580 – Godefroy Wendelin, Belgian astronomer and author (d. 1667)
    • 1584 – Yuan Chonghuan, politician, military general and writer (d. 1630)
    • 1599 – Diego Velázquez, Spanish painter and educator (d. 1660)
    • 1606 – Pierre Corneille, French playwright and producer (d. 1684)
    • 1622 – Claude-Jean Allouez, French-American missionary and explorer (d. 1689)
    • 1646 – Hortense Mancini, favourite Italian niece of Cardinal Mazarin (d. 1699)
    • 1661 – Giacomo Antonio Perti, Italian composer and educator (d. 1756)
    • 1699 – Johann Georg Estor, German historian and theorist (d. 1773)
    • 1714 – Joseph I of Portugal (d. 1777)
    • 1735 – Anton Schweitzer, German composer (d. 1787)
    • 1755 – Nathan Hale, American soldier (d. 1776)
    • 1756 – John Trumbull, American soldier and painter (d. 1843)
    • 1772 – Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily (d. 1807)
    • 1799 – Alexander Pushkin, Russian author and poet (d. 1837)

    19th century

    • 1807 – Thiệu Trị, Vietnamese emperor (d. 1847)
    • 1810 – Friedrich Wilhelm Schneidewin, German philologist and scholar (d. 1856)
    • 1829 – Honinbo Shusaku, Japanese Go player (d. 1862)
    • 1841 – Eliza Orzeszkowa, Polish author and publisher (d. 1910)
    • 1844 – Konstantin Savitsky, Russian painter and academic (d. 1905)
    • 1850 – Karl Ferdinand Braun, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1918)
    • 1857 – Aleksandr Lyapunov, Russian mathematician and physicist (d. 1918)
    • 1862 – Henry Newbolt, English historian, author, and poet (d. 1938)
    • 1867 – David T. Abercrombie, American surveyor and businessman, founded Abercrombie & Fitch (d. 1931)
    • 1868 – Robert Falcon Scott, English sailor and explorer (d. 1912)
    • 1872 – Alix of Hesse, German princess and Russian empress (d.1918)
    • 1875 – Thomas Mann, German author and critic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1955)
    • 1878 – Vincent de Moro-Giafferi, French lawyer and politician (d. 1956)
    • 1884 – Jock Hutchison, Scottish-American golfer (d. 1977)
    • 1890 – Ted Lewis, American singer, clarinet player, and bandleader (d. 1971)
    • 1891 – Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, Indian author and academic (d. 1986)
    • 1891 – Erich Marcks, German general (d. 1944)
    • 1896 – Henry Allingham, English World War I soldier and supercentenarian (d. 2009).
    • 1896 – Italo Balbo, Italian air marshal and politician (d. 1940)
    • 1898 – Walter Abel, American actor (d. 1987)
    • 1898 – Jacobus Johannes Fouché, South African politician, 2nd State President of South Africa (d. 1980)
    • 1898 – Ninette de Valois, English ballerina, choreographer, and director (d. 2001)
    • 1900 – Manfred Sakel, Ukrainian-American psychiatrist and physician (d. 1957)

    1901–1930

    • 1901 – Jan Struther, English author and hymnwriter (d. 1953)
    • 1901 – Sukarno, Indonesian engineer and politician, 1st President of Indonesia (d. 1970)
    • 1902 – Jimmie Lunceford, American saxophonist and bandleader (d. 1947)
    • 1903 – Aram Khachaturian, Armenian composer and conductor (d. 1978)
    • 1903 – Bakht Singh, Indian evangelist, well-known bible teacher and preacher (d. 2000)
    • 1906 – Max August Zorn, German mathematician and academic (d. 1993)
    • 1907 – Bill Dickey, American baseball player and manager (d. 1993)
    • 1907 – Robin Humphreys, British scholar of Latin America (d. 1999)
    • 1908 – Giovanni Bracco, Italian race car driver (d. 1968)
    • 1909 – Isaiah Berlin, Latvian-English historian and philosopher (d. 1997)
    • 1913 – Carlo L. Golino, Italian-American author, critic, and academic (d. 1991)
    • 1915 – Vincent Persichetti, American pianist and composer (d. 1987)
    • 1916 – Hamani Diori, Nigerien academic and politician, 1st President of Niger (d. 1989)
    • 1917 – Kirk Kerkorian, American businessman, founded the Tracinda Corporation (d. 2015)
    • 1918 – Edwin G. Krebs, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
    • 1919 – Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, English army officer and politician, 6th Secretary General of NATO (d. 2018)
    • 1923 – V. C. Andrews, American author, illustrator, and painter (d. 1986)
    • 1923 – Jean Pouliot, Canadian broadcaster (d. 2004)
    • 1925 – Maxine Kumin, American poet and author (d. 2014)
    • 1925 – Frank Chee Willeto, American soldier and politician, 4th Vice President of the Navajo Nation (d. 2013)
    • 1926 – Torsten Andersson, Swedish painter and illustrator (d. 2009)
    • 1926 – Erdal İnönü, Turkish physicist and politician, Prime Minister of Turkey (d. 2007)
    • 1926 – Klaus Tennstedt, German conductor (d. 1998)
    • 1929 – Sunil Dutt, Indian actor, director, producer, and politician (d. 2005)
    • 1930 – Frank Tyson, English-Australian cricketer, coach and journalist (d. 2015)

    1931–1945

    Tommie Smith, born 6 June 1944, at the 1968 Olympic medal ceremony where he and John Carlos (behind) protested against racism.

    • 1932 – David Scott, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut
    • 1932 – Billie Whitelaw, English actress (d. 2014)
    • 1933 – Eli Broad, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded KB Home
    • 1933 – Heinrich Rohrer, Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013)
    • 1934 – Albert II of Belgium
    • 1935 – Jon Henricks, Australian swimmer; winner of two Olympic gold medals in 1956.
    • 1936 – Mompati Merafhe, Botswana general and politician, Vice-President of Botswana (d. 2015)
    • 1936 – D. Ramanaidu, Indian actor, director, and producer, founded Suresh Productions (d. 2015)
    • 1936 – Levi Stubbs, American singer (d. 2008)
    • 1938 – Prince Luiz of Orléans-Braganza
    • 1938 – Ryuchi Matsuda, Japanese martial artist and author (d. 2013)
    • 1939 – Louis Andriessen, Dutch pianist and composer
    • 1939 – Gary U.S. Bonds, American singer-songwriter
    • 1939 – Eddie Giacomin, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster
    • 1940 – Kumar Bhattacharyya, Baron Bhattacharyya, Indian-English engineer and academic (d. 2019)
    • 1940 – Willie John McBride, Northern Irish rugby player, coach, and manager
    • 1941 – Alexander Cockburn, Scottish-American journalist and author (d. 2012)
    • 1943 – José de Jesús Gudiño Pelayo, Mexican lawyer and jurist (d. 2010)
    • 1943 – Richard Smalley, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2005)
    • 1943 – Joe Stampley, American country music singer-songwriter
    • 1944 – Monty Alexander, Jamaican jazz pianist.
    • 1944 – Phillip Allen Sharp, American molecular biologist; 1993 Nobel Prize laureate (Physiology or Medicine).
    • 1944 – Tommie Smith, American sprinter and football player; winner of 1968 Olympic 200m gold medal in a world record time.

    1946–2000

    • 1946 – Tony Levin, American bass player and songwriter.[
    • 1947 – David Blunkett, British Labour politician; Home Secretary 2001–2004.
    • 1947 – Robert Englund, American actor; best known for Nightmare on Elm Street.
    • 1947 – Ada Kok, Dutch butterfly stroke swimmer; winner of three Olympic medals including gold in 1968.
    • 1948 – Arlene Harris, American entrepreneur, inventor, investor and policy advocate.
    • 1949 – Holly Near, American folk singer and songwriter.
    • 1954 – Harvey Fierstein, American actor and playwright; twice a winner at the Tony Awards.
    • 1954 – Wladyslaw Zmuda, Polish footballer and manager; 91 caps for Poland and voted Best Young Player at the 1974 FIFA World Cup.
    • 1955 – Sam Simon, American director, producer and screenwriter; co-developer of The Simpsons (d. 2015).
    • 1956 – Björn Borg, Swedish tennis player; winner of eleven Grand Slam singles titles including five consecutive Wimbledons.
    • 1972 – Natalie Morales, American television journalist and NBC News anchor.

    Deaths

    • 184 – Qiao Xuan, Chinese official (b. c. 110).
    • 863 – Abu Musa Utamish, vizier to the Abbasid Caliphate.
    • 913 – Alexander III, Byzantine emperor (b. 870).
    • 1097 – Agnes of Aquitaine, Queen of Aragon and Navarre
    • 1134 – Norbert of Xanten, German bishop and saint (b. 1060)
    • 1217 – Henry I, King of Castile and Toledo (b. 1204)
    • 1237 – John of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon
    • 1251 – William III of Dampierre, Count of Flanders
    • 1252 – Robert Passelewe, Bishop of Chichester
    • 1333 – William Donn de Burgh, 3rd Earl of Ulster (b. 1312)
    • 1393 – Emperor Go-En’yū of Japan (b. 1359)
    • 1480 – Vecchietta, Italian painter, sculptor, and architect (b. 1412)
    • 1548 – João de Castro, Portuguese soldier and politician, Governor of Portuguese India (b. 1500)
    • 1561 – Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, Italian painter (b. 1483)
    • 1583 – Nakagawa Kiyohide, Japanese daimyō (b. 1556)
    • 1659 – Nadira Banu Begum, Mughal princess (b. 1618)
    • 1661 – Martino Martini, Italian Jesuit missionary (b. 1614)
    • 1730 – Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon, French general (b. 1646)
    • 1740 – Alexander Spotswood, Moroccan-American colonial and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (b. 1676)
    • 1784 – Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol, Dutch politician (b. 1741)
    • 1799 – Patrick Henry, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of Virginia (b. 1736)
    • 1813 – Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, French architect, designed the Hôtel de Mademoiselle de Condé (b. 1739)
    • 1813 – Antonio Cachia, Maltese architect, engineer and archaeologist (b. 1739)
    • 1832 – Jeremy Bentham, English jurist and philosopher (b. 1748)
    • 1840 – Marcellin Champagnat, French priest and saint, founded the Marist Brothers (b. 1789)
    • 1843 – Friedrich Hölderlin, German poet and author (b. 1770)
    • 1861 – Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, Italian politician, 1st Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1810)
    • 1862 – Turner Ashby, American colonel (b. 1828)
    • 1865 – William Quantrill, American captain (b. 1837)
    • 1878 – Robert Stirling, Scottish minister and engineer, invented the stirling engine (b. 1790)
    • 1881 – Henri Vieuxtemps, Belgian violinist and composer (b. 1820)
    • 1883 – Ciprian Porumbescu, Romanian composer and poet (b. 1853)
    • 1891 – John A. Macdonald, Scottish-Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1815)
    • 1916 – Yuan Shikai, Chinese general and politician, 2nd President of the Republic of China (b. 1859)
    • 1922 – Lillian Russell, American actress and singer (b. 1860)
    • 1924 – William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie, Irish businessman and politician, Lord Mayor of Belfast (b. 1847)
    • 1934 – Julije Kempf, Croatian historian and author (b. 1864)
    • 1935 – Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, English field marshal and politician, 12th Governor-General of Canada (b. 1862)
    • 1941 – Louis Chevrolet, Swiss-American race car driver and businessman, founded Chevrolet and Frontenac Motor Corporation (b. 1878)
    • 1943 – Pandelis Pouliopoulos, Greek politician (b. 1900)
    • 1946 – Gerhart Hauptmann, German novelist, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1862)
    • 1947 – James Agate, English author and critic (b. 1877)
    • 1948 – Louis Lumière, French director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1864)
    • 1951 – Olive Tell, American actress (b. 1894)
    • 1954 – Fritz Kasparek, Austrian mountaineer and author (b. 1910)
    • 1955 – Max Meldrum, Scottish-Australian painter and educator (b. 1875)
    • 1961 – Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist (b. 1875)
    • 1962 – Yves Klein, French painter (b. 1928)
    • 1962 – Tom Phillis, Australian motorcycle racer (b. 1934)
    • 1963 – William Baziotes, American painter and academic (b. 1912)
    • 1968 – Randolph Churchill, English journalist and politician (b. 1911)
    • 1968 – Robert F. Kennedy, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 64th United States Attorney General (b. 1925)
    • 1968 – Kâzım Özalp, Turkish general and politician, 3rd Turkish Minister of National Defence (b. 1880)
    • 1975 – Larry Blyden, American actor (b. 1925)
    • 1976 – J. Paul Getty, American businessman, founded the Getty Oil Company (b. 1892)
    • 1979 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
    • 1980 – Ruth Aarons, American table tennis player and manager (b. 1918)
    • 1982 – Kenneth Rexroth, American poet and academic (b. 1905)
    • 1983 – Hans Leip, German author, poet, and playwright (b. 1893)
    • 1984 – A. Bertram Chandler, English-Australian soldier and author (b. 1912)
    • 1991 – Stan Getz, American saxophonist (b. 1927)
    • 1994 – Barry Sullivan, American actor (b. 1912)
    • 1996 – George Davis Snell, American geneticist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
    • 1997 – Magda Gabor, Hungarian-American actress and socialite (b. 1915)
    • 2000 – Frédéric Dard, French author and screenwriter (b. 1921)
    • 2001 – Suzanne Schiffman, French screenwriter and director (b. 1939)
    • 2003 – Ken Grimwood, American author (b. 1944)
    • 2003 – Dave Rowberry, English singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1940)
    • 2005 – Anne Bancroft, American actress (b. 1931)
    • 2005 – Dana Elcar, American actor (b. 1927)
    • 2006 – Arnold Newman, American photographer and educator (b. 1918)
    • 2006 – Billy Preston, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor (b. 1946)
    • 2006 – Camille Sandorfy, Hungarian-Canadian chemist and academic (b. 1920)
    • 2009 – Jean Dausset, French-Spanish immunologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
    • 2009 – Jim Owens, American football player and coach (b. 1927)
    • 2010 – Marvin Isley, American singer-songwriter and bass player (b. 1953)
    • 2012 – Vladimir Krutov, Russian ice hockey player (b. 1960)
    • 2012 – Manuel Preciado Rebolledo, Spanish footballer and coach (b. 1957)
    • 2012 – Mykola Volosyanko, Ukrainian footballer and manager (b. 1972)
    • 2013 – Jerome Karle, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
    • 2013 – Eugen Merzbacher, German-American physicist and academic (b. 1921)
    • 2013 – Tom Sharpe, English-Spanish author and academic (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – Esther Williams, American swimmer and actress (b. 1921)
    • 2014 – Ado Bayero, Nigerian politician and diplomat (b. 1930)
    • 2014 – Eric Hill, English-American author and illustrator (b. 1927)
    • 2014 – Lorna Wing, English psychiatrist and physician (b. 1928)
    • 2015 – Pierre Brice, French actor (b. 1929)
    • 2015 – Vincent Bugliosi, American lawyer and author (b. 1934)
    • 2015 – Ronnie Gilbert, American singer-songwriter (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Ludvík Vaculík, Czech journalist and author (b. 1926)
    • 2016 – Viktor Korchnoi, Russian chess player (b. 1931)
    • 2016 – Peter Shaffer, English playwright and screenwriter (b. 1926)
    • 2018 – Ralph Santolla, American guitarist (b. 1969)

    Holidays and observances on June 6

    • Christian feast day:
      • Claude the Thaumaturge
      • Gottschalk
      • Ini Kopuria (Church of England, Episcopal Church, Anglican Church of Melanesia)
      • Marcellin Champagnat
      • Norbert of Xanten
      • June 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Engineer’s Day (Taiwan)
    • Korean Children’s Union Foundation Day (North Korea)
    • Memorial Day (South Korea)
    • National Day, marks the end of the Danish-ruled Kalmar Union. (Sweden)
    • National Huntington’s Disease Awareness Day (United States)
    • Normandy landings of the Allied Expeditionary Forces (D-Day), a.k.a. Operation Neptune, part of Operation Overlord (1944)
    • Queensland Day (Queensland)
    • Teachers’ Day (Bolivia)
    • UN Russian Language Day (United Nations)

  • March 14- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1590 – Battle of Ivry: Henry of Navarre and the Huguenots defeat the forces of the Catholic League under Charles, Duke of Mayenne, during the French Wars of Religion.
    • 1647 – Thirty Years’ War: Bavaria, Cologne, France and Sweden sign the Truce of Ulm.
    • 1663 – According to his own account, Otto von Guericke completes his book De Vacuo.
    • 1674 – The Third Anglo-Dutch War: The Battle of Ronas Voe results in the Dutch East India Company ship Wapen van Rotterdam being captured with a death toll of up to 300 Dutch crew and soldiers.
    • 1757 – Admiral Sir John Byng is executed by firing squad aboard HMS Monarch for breach of the Articles of War.
    • 1780 – American Revolutionary War: Spanish forces capture Fort Charlotte in Mobile, Alabama, the last British frontier post capable of threatening New Orleans.
    • 1794 – Eli Whitney is granted a patent for the cotton gin.
    • 1885 – The Mikado, a light opera by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, receives its first public performance at the Savoy Theatre in London.
    • 1900 – The Gold Standard Act is ratified, placing the United States currency on the gold standard.
    • 1903 – Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, the first national wildlife refuge in the US, is established by President Theodore Roosevelt.
    • 1920 – In the second of the 1920 Schleswig plebiscites, about 80% of the population in Zone II votes to remain part of Weimar Germany.
    • 1926 – The El Virilla train accident, Costa Rica, kills 248 people and wounds another 93 when a train falls off a bridge over the Río Virilla between Heredia and Tibás.
    • 1931 – Alam Ara, India’s first talking film, is released.
    • 1939 – Slovakia declares independence under German pressure.
    • 1942 – Anne Miller becomes the first American patient to be treated with penicillin, under the care of Orvan Hess and John Bumstead.
    • 1943 – The liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto is completed.
    • 1945 – The R.A.F. drop the Grand Slam bomb in action for the first time, on a railway viaduct near Bielefeld, Germany.
    • 1951 – Korean War: United Nations troops recapture Seoul for the second time.
    • 1961 – A USAF B-52 bomber crashes near near Yuba City, California whilst carrying nuclear weapons.
    • 1964 – Jack Ruby is convicted of killing Lee Harvey Oswald, the assumed assassin of John F. Kennedy.
    • 1967 – The body of U.S. President John F. Kennedy is moved to a permanent burial place at Arlington National Cemetery.
    • 1978 – The Israel Defense Forces launch Operation Litani, a seven-day campaign to invade and occupy southern Lebanon.
    • 1980 – LOT Flight 7 crashes during final approach near Warsaw, Poland, killing 87 people, including a 14-man American boxing team.
    • 1982 – The South African government bombs the headquarters of the African National Congress in London.
    • 1988 – In the Johnson South Reef Skirmish Chinese forces defeat Vietnamese forces in an altercation over control of one of the Spratly Islands.
    • 1995 – Norman Thagard becomes the first American astronaut to ride to space on board a Russian launch vehicle.
    • 2006 – The 2006 Chadian coup d’état attempt ends in failure.
    • 2007 – The Nandigram violence in Nandigram, West Bengal results in the deaths of at least 14 people.
    • 2008 – A series of riots, protests, and demonstrations erupt in Lhasa and subsequently spread elsewhere in Tibet.
    • 2019 – Cyclone Idai makes landfall near Beira, Mozambique, causing devastating floods and over 1000 deaths.

    Births on March 14

    • 1638 – Johann Georg Gichtel, German mystic (d. 1710)
    • 1790 – Ludwig Emil Grimm, German painter and engraver (d. 1863)
    • 1800 – James Bogardus, American inventor and architect (d. 1874)
    • 1801 – Kristjan Jaak Peterson, Estonian poet (d. 1822)
    • 1804 – Johann Strauss I, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1849)
    • 1813 – Joseph P. Bradley, American lawyer and jurist (d. 1892)
    • 1820 – Victor Emmanuel II of Italy (d. 1878)
    • 1822 – Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies (d. 1889)
    • 1823 – Théodore de Banville, French poet and critic (d. 1891)
    • 1833 – Frederic Shields, English painter and illustrator (d. 1911)
    • 1833 – Lucy Hobbs Taylor, American dentist and educator (d. 1910)
    • 1835 – Giovanni Schiaparelli, Italian astronomer and historian (d. 1910)
    • 1836 – Isabella Beeton, English author of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management (d. 1865)
    • 1837 – Charles Ammi Cutter, American librarian (d. 1903)
    • 1844 – Umberto I of Italy (d. 1900)
    • 1844 – Arthur O’Shaughnessy, English poet and herpetologist (d. 1881)
    • 1847 – Castro Alves, Brazilian poet and playwright (d. 1871)
    • 1853 – Ferdinand Hodler, Swiss painter (d. 1918)
    • 1854 – Paul Ehrlich, German physician and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1915)
    • 1854 – John Lane, English publisher, co-founded The Bodley Head (d. 1925)
    • 1854 – Alexandru Macedonski, Romanian author and poet (d. 1920)
    • 1854 – Thomas R. Marshall, American lawyer and politician, 28th Vice President of the United States of America (d. 1925)
    • 1862 – Vilhelm Bjerknes, Norwegian physicist and meteorologist (d. 1951)
    • 1863 – Casey Jones, American engineer (d. 1900)
    • 1868 – Emily Murphy, Canadian jurist, author, and activist (d. 1933)
    • 1869 – Algernon Blackwood, English author and playwright (d. 1951)
    • 1874 – Anton Philips, Dutch businessman, co-founded Philips Electronics (d. 1951)
    • 1879 – Albert Einstein, German-American physicist, engineer, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1955)
    • 1882 – Wacław Sierpiński, Polish mathematician and academic (d. 1969)
    • 1885 – Raoul Lufbery, French-American soldier and pilot (d. 1918)
    • 1886 – Firmin Lambot, Belgian cyclist (d. 1964)
    • 1887 – Sylvia Beach, American-French publisher, founded Shakespeare and Company (d. 1962)
    • 1898 – Reginald Marsh, French-American painter and illustrator (d. 1954)
    • 1899 – K. C. Irving, Canadian businessman, founded Irving Oil (d. 1992)
    • 1901 – Sid Atkinson, South African hurdler and long jumper (d. 1977)
    • 1903 – Adolph Gottlieb, American painter and sculptor (d. 1974)
    • 1904 – Doris Eaton Travis, American actress and dancer (d. 2010)
    • 1905 – Raymond Aron, French journalist, sociologist, and philosopher (d. 1983)
    • 1906 – Ulvi Cemal Erkin, Turkish composer and educator (d. 1972)
    • 1908 – Ed Heinemann, American designer of military aircraft (d. 1991)
    • 1908 – Maurice Merleau-Ponty, French philosopher and academic (d. 1961)
    • 1908 – Philip Conrad Vincent, English engineer and businessman, founded Vincent Motorcycles (d. 1979)
    • 1911 – Akira Yoshizawa, Japanese origamist (d. 2005)
    • 1912 – Cliff Bastin, English footballer (d. 1991)
    • 1912 – Les Brown, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (d. 2001)
    • 1912 – W. Graham Claytor, Jr. American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 15th United States Secretary of the Navy (d. 1994)
    • 1912 – W. Willard Wirtz, American lawyer and politician, 10th United States Secretary of Labor (d. 2010)
    • 1914 – Lee Hays, American singer-songwriter (d. 1981)
    • 1914 – Bill Owen, English actor and songwriter (d. 1999)
    • 1914 – Lee Petty, American race car driver and businessman, founded Petty Enterprises (d. 2000)
    • 1915 – Alexander Brott, Canadian violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 2005)
    • 1916 – Horton Foote, American author, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 2009)
    • 1917 – Alan Smith, English lieutenant and pilot (d. 2013)
    • 1918 – Zoia Horn, American librarian (d. 2014)
    • 1919 – Max Shulman, American author and screenwriter (d. 1988)
    • 1920 – Hank Ketcham, American author and cartoonist, created Dennis the Menace (d. 2001)
    • 1920 – Dorothy Tyler-Odam, English high jumper (d. 2014)
    • 1921 – S. Truett Cathy, American businessman, founded Chick-fil-A (d. 2014)
    • 1921 – Ada Louise Huxtable, American author and critic (d. 2013)
    • 1922 – Les Baxter, American pianist and composer (d. 1996)
    • 1923 – Diane Arbus, American photographer (d. 1971)
    • 1925 – William Clay Ford, Sr., American businessman (d. 2014)
    • 1925 – Joseph A. Unanue, American sergeant and businessman (d. 2013)
    • 1926 – François Morel, Canadian pianist, composer, conductor, and educator (d. 2018)
    • 1928 – Frank Borman, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut
    • 1928 – Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente, Spanish environmentalist (d. 1980)
    • 1929 – Bob Goalby, American golfer
    • 1932 – Mark Murphy, American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2015)
    • 1932 – Naina Yeltsina, Russian wife of Boris Yeltsin, First Lady of Russia
    • 1933 – Michael Caine, English actor and author
    • 1933 – Quincy Jones, American singer-songwriter, trumpet player, and producer
    • 1934 – Eugene Cernan, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2017)
    • 1934 – Paul Rader, American 15th General of The Salvation Army
    • 1936 – Bob Charles, New Zealand golfer
    • 1937 – Peter van der Merwe, South African cricketer and referee (d. 2013)
    • 1938 – Eleanor Bron, English actress and screenwriter
    • 1938 – Jan Crouch, American televangelist, co-founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (d. 2016)
    • 1938 – John Gleeson, Australian cricketer (d. 2016)
    • 1939 – Raymond J. Barry, American actor
    • 1939 – Bertrand Blier, French director and screenwriter
    • 1939 – Yves Boisset, French director and screenwriter
    • 1941 – Wolfgang Petersen, German-American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1942 – Rita Tushingham, English actress
    • 1943 – Anita Morris, American actress and singer (d. 1994)
    • 1944 – Boris Brott, Canadian composer and conductor
    • 1944 – Václav Nedomanský, Czech ice hockey player and manager
    • 1944 – Bobby Smith, English footballer and manager
    • 1944 – Tom Stannage, Australian historian and academic (d. 2012)
    • 1945 – Jasper Carrott, English comedian, actor, and game show host
    • 1945 – Michael Martin Murphey, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1945 – Walter Parazaider, American saxophonist
    • 1946 – William Lerach, American securities and class action attorney
    • 1946 – Wes Unseld, American basketball player, coach, and manager
    • 1947 – Roy Budd, English pianist and composer (d. 1993)
    • 1947 – William J. Jefferson, American lawyer and politician
    • 1947 – Jona Lewie, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player
    • 1948 – Tom Coburn, American physician and politician (d. 2020)
    • 1948 – Billy Crystal, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1948 – Theo Jansen, Dutch sculptor
    • 1950 – Rick Dees, American actor and radio host
    • 1951 – Jerry Greenfield, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Ben & Jerry’s
    • 1953 – Nick Keir, Scottish singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1955 – Jonathan Kaufer, American director and screenwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1956 – Alexey Pajitnov, Russian video game designer and computer engineer, creator of Tetris
    • 1956 – Butch Wynegar, American baseball player and coach
    • 1957 – Tad Williams, American author
    • 1958 – Albert II, Prince of Monaco
    • 1959 – Laila Robins, American actress
    • 1959 – Tamara Tunie, American actress
    • 1960 – Heidi Hammel, American astronomer and academic
    • 1961 – Garry Jack, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1961 – Mike Lazaridis, Turkish–Canadian businessman and philanthropist, founded BlackBerry Limited
    • 1963 – Bruce Reid, Australian cricketer and coach
    • 1965 – Kevin Brown, American baseball player and coach
    • 1965 – Aamir Khan, Indian film actor, producer, and director
    • 1965 – Billy Sherwood, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1965 – Kevin Williamson, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1966 – Jonas Elmer, Danish actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1966 – Elise Neal, American actress and producer
    • 1968 – Megan Follows, Canadian-American actress
    • 1969 – Larry Johnson, American basketball player and actor
    • 1970 – Kristian Bush, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1972 – Irom Chanu Sharmila, Indian poet and activist
    • 1973 – Rohit Shetty, Indian film director and producer
    • 1974 – Patrick Traverse, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1975 – Steve Harper, English footballer and referee
    • 1975 – Dmitri Markov, Belarusian-Australian pole vaulter
    • 1976 – Phil Vickery, English rugby player and sportscaster
    • 1977 – Vadims Fjodorovs, Latvian footballer and coach
    • 1977 – Naoki Matsuda, Japanese footballer (d. 2011)
    • 1977 – Jeremy Paul, New Zealand-Australian rugby player
    • 1978 – Pieter van den Hoogenband, Dutch swimmer
    • 1979 – Nicolas Anelka, French footballer and manager
    • 1979 – Chris Klein, American actor
    • 1979 – Sead Ramović, German-Bosnian footballer
    • 1980 – Aaron Brown, English footballer and coach
    • 1980 – Ben Herring, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1981 – Bobby Jenks, American baseball player
    • 1981 – George Wilson, American football player
    • 1982 – Carlos Marinelli, Argentinian footballer
    • 1982 – François Sterchele, Belgian footballer (d. 2008)
    • 1983 – Bakhtiyar Artayev, Kazakh boxer
    • 1986 – Elton Chigumbura, Zimbabwean cricketer
    • 1986 – Jessica Gallagher, Australian skier and cyclist
    • 1986 – Andy Taylor, English footballer
    • 1988 – Stephen Curry, American basketball player
    • 1988 – Rico Freimuth, German decathlete
    • 1989 – Kevin Lacroix, Canadian race car driver
    • 1990 – Joe Allen, Welsh footballer
    • 1990 – Tamás Kádár, Hungarian footballer
    • 1990 – Haru Kuroki, Japanese actress
    • 1990 – Kolbeinn Sigþórsson, Icelandic footballer
    • 1991 – Emir Bekrić, Serbian hurdler
    • 1991 – László Szűcs, Hungarian footballer
    • 1991 – Steven Zellner, German footballer
    • 1993 – Philipp Ziereis, German footballer
    • 1994 – Ansel Elgort, American actor and DJ
    • 1996 – Batuhan Altıntaş, Turkish footballer
    • 1997 – Simone Biles, American gymnast
    • 2008 – Abby Ryder Fortson, American actress

    Deaths on March 14

    • 840 – Einhard, Frankish scholar
    • 968 – Matilda of Ringelheim, Saxon queen (b. c. 896)
    • 1555 – John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford (b. 1485)
    • 1647 – Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange (b. 1584)
    • 1648 – Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron, English general and politician (b. 1584)
    • 1696 – Jean Domat, French lawyer and jurist (b. 1625)
    • 1748 – George Wade, Irish field marshal and politician (b. 1673)
    • 1757 – John Byng, British admiral and politician, 11th Commodore Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1704)
    • 1791 – Johann Salomo Semler, German historian and critic (b. 1725)
    • 1803 – Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, German poet (b. 1724)
    • 1811 – Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, English academic and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1735)
    • 1823 – Charles François Dumouriez, French general and politician, French Minister of War (b. 1739)
    • 1860 – Carl Ritter von Ghega, Italian engineer, designed the Semmering railway (b. 1802)
    • 1877 – Juan Manuel de Rosas, Argentinian general and politician, 17th Governor of Buenos Aires Province (b. 1793)
    • 1883 – Karl Marx, German philosopher and theorist (b. 1818)
    • 1884 – Quintino Sella, Italian economist and politician, Italian Minister of Finances (b. 1827)
    • 1932 – George Eastman, American inventor and businessman, founded Eastman Kodak (b. 1854)
    • 1953 – Klement Gottwald, Czechoslovak Communist politician and 14th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1896)
    • 1957 – Evagoras Pallikarides, Cypriot activist (b. 1938)
    • 1965 – Marion Jones Farquhar, American tennis player (b. 1879)
    • 1968 – Erwin Panofsky, German historian and academic (b. 1892)
    • 1969 – Ben Shahn, Lithuanian-American painter, illustrator, and educator (b. 1898)
    • 1973 – Howard H. Aiken, American computer scientist and engineer (b. 1900)
    • 1973 – Chic Young, American cartoonist (b. 1901)
    • 1975 – Susan Hayward, American actress (b. 1917)
    • 1976 – Busby Berkeley, American director and choreographer (b. 1895)
    • 1977 – Fannie Lou Hamer, American activist and philanthropist (b. 1917)
    • 1980 – Mohammad Hatta, Indonesian politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Indonesia (b. 1902)
    • 1980 – Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente, Spanish environmentalist (b. 1928)
    • 1984 – Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet (b. 1915)
    • 1989 – Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary (b. 1892)
    • 1991 – Howard Ashman, American playwright and composer (b. 1950)
    • 1995 – William Alfred Fowler, American physicist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
    • 1997 – Fred Zinnemann, Austrian-American director and producer (b. 1907)
    • 1999 – Kirk Alyn, American actor (b. 1910)
    • 1999 – John Broome, American author (b. 1913)
    • 2003 – Jack Goldstein, Canadian-American painter (b. 1945)
    • 2003 – Jean-Luc Lagardère, French engineer and businessman (b. 1928)
    • 2006 – Lennart Meri, Estonian director and politician, 2nd President of Estonia (b. 1929)
    • 2007 – Lucie Aubrac, French educator and activist (b. 1912)
    • 2008 – Chiara Lubich, Italian activist, co-founded the Focolare Movement (b. 1920)
    • 2010 – Peter Graves, American actor (b. 1926)
    • 2012 – Pierre Schoendoerffer, French director and screenwriter (b. 1928)
    • 2012 – Ċensu Tabone, Maltese general and politician, 4th President of Malta (b. 1913)
    • 2013 – Jack Greene, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1930)
    • 2013 – Aramais Sahakyan, Armenian poet and author (b. 1936)
    • 2013 – Ieng Sary, Vietnamese-Cambodian politician, Cambodian Minister for Foreign Affairs (b. 1925)
    • 2014 – Tony Benn, English politician, Postmaster General of the United Kingdom (b. 1925)
    • 2014 – Meir Har-Zion, Israeli commander (b. 1934)
    • 2016 – John W. Cahn, German-American metallurgist and academic (b. 1928)
    • 2016 – Peter Maxwell Davies, English composer and conductor (b. 1934)
    • 2016 – Suranimala Rajapaksha, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician (b. 1949)
    • 2018 – Jim Bowen, English stand-up comedian and TV personality (b. 1937)
    • 2018 – Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician and human rights activist (b. 1979)
    • 2018 – Stephen Hawking, English physicist and author (b. 1942)
    • 2018 – Liam O’Flynn, Irish uileann piper (b. 1945)
    • 2019 – Jake Phelps, American skateboarder and Thrasher editor-in-chief (b. 1962)

    Holidays and observances on March 14

    • Christian feast day:
      • Leobinus
      • March 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Constitution Day (Andorra)
    • Heroes’ Day (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
    • Mother Tongue Day (Estonia)
    • Nanakshahi New Year, first day of the month of Chet (Sikhism)
    • Pi Day
    • Summer Day (Albania)
    • White Day on which men give gifts to women; complementary to Valentine’s Day (Japan and other Asian nations)
  • | |

    Unique 100 General Knowledge Questions & Answers

    Unique 100 General Knowledge Questions & Answers

    1. Which British actor who starred as Jimmy in the film Quadrophenia later appeared in Blur’s video for the single Parklife? – Phil Daniels


    2. Which Argentinian striker is Barcelona’s all-time leading goalscorer? – Lionel Messi


    3. In the video game Dark Souls, one of the locations in the game, Anor Londo is heavily based on which Milan landmark? – Milan Cathedral


    4. Planned and begun in 1850 by King Maximilian II of Bavaria, Maximilianstrasse is a major shopping district in which German city? – Munich


    5. Wise, methodical detective Lester Freamon is a fictional character in which TV series? – The Wire


    6. Which Europe’s most southerly capital city? – Nicosia, Cyprus


    7. Clark Kent is the real name of which superhero? – Superman


    8. The film Grease was mostly filmed in which US state? – California


    9. Which Irish writer and clergyman wrote Gulliver’s Travels? – Jonathan Swift


    10. The largest tower located OUTSIDE of London in the United Kingdom is found in which English city? – Portsmouth(Spinnaker Tower)


    11. Which Hollywood, California born actor is known for starring in films including Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street and The Departed, amongst others? – Leonardo DiCaprio


    12. Who was the Greek god of the Sea? – Poseidon


    13. Which soul singer enjoyed fleeting success in the UK as the first winner of the TV series X-Factor? – Steve Brookstein


    14. Which is the only country to have taken part in every football World Cup finals? – Brazil


    15. Charles Darwin features on which British bank note? – Ten pound note


    16. How old was Frodo when he came of age in the book Fellowship of the Rings? – 33 years old


    17. Which former American Footballer when on to play Apollo Creed in the Rocky film series? – Carl Weathers


    18. What is the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Beatrice of York? – Grandmother-granddaughter


    19. What is the name of the founder of the company Amazon who later went on to purchase The Washington Post newspaper? – Jeff Bezos


    20. Which Spanish region is known for the Tempranillo black grape wine variety? – Rioja


    21. Which actress won the 1981 Academy Award for Best Actress aged seventy-four for her role in the film On a Golden Pond? – Katharine Hepburn


    22. Which is the only inanimate sign of the zodiac? – Libra


    23. What was the name of The Jam’s debut album, released in 1977, that shared its name with a hit single on the album? – In The City


    24. Since 1987, which Tennis Grand Slam tournament has been the fourth and final in the tennis calendar? – US Open


    25. Nelson’s Column is a monument in which London square? – Trafalgar Square


    26. Which Oasis song opens with the lyrics ‘Today is gonna be the day’? – Wonderwall


    27. Where was playwright Oscar Wilde born in October 1854? – Dublin, Ireland


    28. Which is the largest moon of the planet Saturn, by diameter? – Titan


    29. Bella Swan (later Bella Cullan) is a character in which film series? – The Twilight Saga


    30. At 119 miles long, what is the name of Scotland’s longest river? – River Tay


    31. The Bolshoi Ballet is based in which city? – Moscow


    32. Charleroi is a city in which northern European county? – Belgium


    33. What colour is the distinctive King of the Mountains jersey in cycling’s Tour de France? –Red polka dots on white


    34. Sharon Osbourne, wife of aging rocker Ozzy, was a judge on which TV music program? – X-Factor


    35. In a game of cricket, how many runs are awarded for hitting the ball over the boundary rope without bouncing? – Six runs


    36. What is the name of the branch of medicine that focuses on eyesight? – Optometry


    37. Which silent film starring Jean Dujardin won the Best Film Oscar in 2011? – The Artist


    38. William Shakespeare was born in which English market town? – Stratford-upon-Avon


    39. The Baggies is the nickname of which English football club? – West Bromwich Albion


    40. Prior to join the Euro and taking it’s name from the Greek verb ‘to grasp’, what was the former currency of Greece? – Drachma


    41. Which country has the most football clubs? – South Africa


    42. Where was the first nuclear reactor built? – The USA


    43. Which brewery invented the widget for the beer can? – Guinness


    44. Which is the only mammal that able to kneel on all fours? – Elephant


    45. Who designed the Statue of Liberty? – Bartholdi


    46. Which country is Santiago the capital of? – Chile

    47. What is the name of the dog in the ‘Back to the Future’ films? – Einstein


    48. Who was the first female governor of India? – Sarojini Naidu


    49. Who wrote the music for West Side Story? – Bernstein


    50. Which is the largest species of crocodile? – Saltwater


    51. During which year did the Apple iPhone first go on sale? – 2007


    52. What was the nationality of the famous 18th century poet Robert Burns? – Scottish


    53. Where did King Arthur hold court? – Camelot


    54. In which year was Michael Jackson’s song Thriller released? – 1982


    55. Which sign of the zodiac is represented by the scales? – Libra


    56. Which country was Arnold Schwarzenegger born in? – Austria


    57. What is the name of Washington’s active stratovolcano? – Mount St. Helen


    58. Which nuts are used to make marzipan? – Almonds


    59. What is the name given to a skydiver’s canopy? – A parachute


    60. What type of shark was Jaws? – A great white


    61. How many consonants are there in the English Alphabet? – 21 consonants


    62. In which country were ‘The Lord of the Rings’ movies filmed? – New Zealand


    63. What do the stripes of the US flag represent? – The 13 original colonies of the United States (sign of uniting as one)


    64. True or false: the diameter is half of the radius? – False: the radius is half of the diameter


    65. Which is the only English football team to play in the Scottish league? – Berwick Rangers


    66. Which character did Clark Gable play in Gone With The Wind? – Rhett Butler


    67. Which Roman numerals represent the number 40? – XL


    68. Which word can come before: moon, house and time? – Full


    69. What religion does a Rabi belong too? – Jewish


    70. How many hours are there in one full week? – 168 hours


    71. Which English actor starred in Gangs of New York and Lincoln? – Daniel Day Lewis


    72. Who was the president of the United States in 2000? – Bill Clinton


    73. What is the largest country in Great Britain? – England


    74. What theory did the scientist Charles Darwin help to develop? – The theory of evolution


    75. What ‘M’ is a popular egg white dessert? – Meringue


    76. How many known planets are there in our solar system? – Eight


    77. Canberra is the capital city of which country? – Australia

    78. What is an obtuse angle? – An angle measuring between 90 and 180 degrees


    79. What was the name of Moses’ brother? – Aaron


    80. Who sang the 2015 hit song ‘All About That Bass’? – Meghan Trainor


    81. Three countries of the world begin with the letter J, can you name them all? – Jamaica, Japan, Jordan


    82. Which 2015 movie features a song called ‘Writing’s on the Wall’ by Sam Smith? – Spectre (James Bond)


    83. Beginning with the fastest first, put the following body features in order of growth rate: finger nails, toe nails, hair? – Hair, finger nails, toe nails


    84. In medieval legend, what name was given to the cup from which Jesus drank from at the Last Supper? – Grail (The Holy Grail)


    85. Does the British noble title Viscount rank above or below a Baron? – Above


    86. Which solar system planet experiences the hottest surface temperature? – Venus


    87. Which George Michael song begins with the lyrics, ‘I feel so unsure, As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor’? – Careless Whisper


    88. In 1912, which ocean did RMS Titanic sink in? – Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic)


    89. What film series stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as leaders of a New York Mafia family? – The Godfather


    90. What traditional Easter cake is toasted and decorated with 11 to 12 marzipan balls? – Simnel Cake


    91. What type of animals make up the biggest group of amphibians? – Frogs


    92. Which naturalist wrote ‘The Voyage of the Beagle’? – Charles Darwin


    93. The inauguration of which American President took place on January 20, 2009? – Barack Obama


    94. Can you unscramble the following word to reveal the name of a hormone produced by the pancreas: NNLUSII? – Insulin


    95. What was the first fully animated feature film released by Walt Disney? – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)


    96. Which Asian country was formerly named Ceylon? – Sri Lanka


    97. What type of gas primarily forms the Earth’s atmosphere? – Nitrogen


    98. What is the opposite of nocturnal? – Diurnal


    99. Which Winter Olympic event combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting? – The biathlon


    100. Who plays Jack Bauer in the American television series 24? – Kiefer Sutherland

  • | |

    MCQs Misc. Topics (September 9, 2018)

    What type of animals make up the biggest group of amphibians? –
    a. Bats
    b. Frogs

    What film series stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as leaders of a New York Mafia family? –
    a. The Godfather
    b. American Gangster

    How many hours are there in one full week? –
    a. 168 hours
    b. 192 hours

    Which Roman numerals represent the number 40? –
    a. LX
    b. XL

    The diameter is half of the radius? –
    a. True
    b. False

    Which country was Arnold Schwarzenegger born in? –
    a. America
    b. Cuba
    c. Australia
    d. Austria

    During which year did the Apple iPhone first go on sale? –
    a. 2000
    b. 2004
    c. 2005
    d. 2007

    Which country is Santiago the capital of? –
    a. Somalia
    b. Chile

    Who designed the Statue of Liberty? –
    a. Bartholdi
    b. Igor Sikorsky

    Which is the only mammal that able to kneel on all fours? –
    a. Elephant
    b. Camel

    Where was the first nuclear reactor built? –
    a. USA
    b. France

    Which country has the most football clubs? –
    a. Spain
    b. South Africa

    What is the name of the branch of medicine that focuses on eyesight?
    a. Oncology
    b. Optometry

    In a game of cricket, how many runs are awarded for hitting the ball over the boundary rope without bouncing? –
    a. Four Runs
    b. Six Runs

    At 119 miles long, what is the name of Scotland’s longest river?
    A. River Tay
    B. River Dublin

    Since 1987, which Tennis Grand Slam tournament has been the fourth and final in the tennis calendar? –
    a. Australian Open
    b. US Open

    What is the name of the founder of the company Amazon who later went on to purchase The Washington Post newspaper?
    a. Jeff Bezos
    b. Steve Jobs

    Which is the only country to have taken part in every football World Cup ?
    a. Brazil
    b. France

    Writer of Gulliver’s Travels Jonathan Swift is ?
    a. American
    b. British
    c. Irish 
    d. Greek

    Clark Kent is the real name of which superhero?
    a. Superman
    b. Mr. Bean

    “Alter Ego”
    a. Close friend
    b. Worst enemy
    c. Distant relative
    d. Forgotten Incident

    Into how many regions the brain is mainly divided
    a. 2
    b. 3
    c. 4
    d. 5

    Cuba is located in:
    a. Central Asia
    b. Eastern Europe
    c. North America 
    d. Far Fast

    Which out of the flowing took place in 1963?
    a. Indo Soviet Military Pact
    b. Settlement of Pak Chin Border dispute
    c. Uprising in Kashmir
    d. Indo China war

    During the anti- government movement of 1977, who was the President of PNA(Pakistan National Alliance)
    a. Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan
    b. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
    c. Air Marshall Asghar Khan
    d. Khan Abdul Wali Khan

    Who is considered to be the Chief Architect of 1956 Constitution ?
    a. Muhammad Ali Bogra
    b. Ch. Muhammad Ali

    Who was the 1st Muslim Caliph of Spain ?
    a. Abd Al Malik
    b. Abd ar-Rahman

    The Muslim Invaded Spain in :
    a. 714
    b. 713
    c. 712
    d. 711

    The Secon Ummayiad Caliph was:
    a. Walid bin Abul Malik
    b. Yazid bin Muawiya

    Whic Abbasid Caliph laid the foundation of “Baghdad”
    a. Harun Ur Rashid
    b. Abbasi al Safah
    c. Mamun Ur Rashid
    d. Al Mansoor

    “A Short History of the Saracens” was written by?
    a. Allama Hibli Naumani
    b. Syed Ameer Ali 
    c. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
    d. None

    Iron Lady ??
    a. Margret Thatcher
    b. Inda Gandhi
    c. Razia Sultana
    d. Benazir Bhutto

    Correct Spellings
    a. Tusion
    b. Tuition

    A remedy for all deceases is know as :
    a. Antiseptic
    b. Panacea

    Opposite of “Paucity”
    a. Scanty
    b. Abundance