Wednesday 2 June 2010

The Daily Teaser …

Kaiju, you’re right!

You’ve got to love what happened to Marcus Didius Severus Julianus, haven’t you … ? I mean, he buys the throne, and then — after he’s spent all that money and time in making himself secure — he get’s assassinated.

By his successor!!

What is a Princeps to do … ?

I’m burbling, aren’t I … ?

I’ll be honest, I did manage to have a little bit of a late night, last night … !

•••••

Lest’s get moving on, shall we, though … ?

Yes …

Yesterday’s Teaser saw both Kaiju and Trevor putting and answers, and getting Six out of Six.

Let’s see how they — and you — do with today’s questions, shall we … ? Here they are, along with the ‘How To’ and License

Q1) 2nd June, 1834, saw P. T. Barnum start his first US tour with a circus: what’s the current name of that circus … ?

Q2) More to the point, what was the name of the musical about P. T. Barnum?

Q3) As a final question about the Prince of Humbug, what did he saw was “… born every minute” … ?

Q4) 2nd June, 1793, saw Jean-Paul Marat give the names of 29 people to the French National Convention: what happened to most of those people … ?

Q5) 2nd June, 1896, saw who patent radio … ?

Q6) Ten years earlier, 2nd June, 1886, saw who become the first US President to marry in both the White House and in office?

Q7) 2nd June, 1840, saw the birth of which English novelist … ?

Q8) And finally, while we’re on the subject of authors … Which racy French author was born on 2nd June, 1740 … ?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 1st June, 193AD, saw the assassination of which Roman Emperor?
A1) Marcus Didius Severus Julianus.

Q2) Many years later, 1st June, 1533, saw who crowned as Queen of England?
A2) Anne Boleyn. (Not that she lasted … )

Q3) 1st June, 1985, saw police stop a 140-caravan convoy of New Age travellers: which Wiltshire hotspot were those travellers going to … ?
A3) Stonehenge.

Q4) More to the point, how has that confrontation later become known?
A4) The Battle of the Beanfield. (You know, despite having hair this long, there’s something in me that look’s at that name, and is mildly disapproving …)

Q5) 1st June, 1980, saw the début broadcast by which US news channel … ?
A5) CNN. (Or Cable News Network, if you want to be posh.)

Q6) And finally … 1st June, 1979, saw the end of minority white rule in which African country … ?
A6) Rhodesia: which is now Zimbabwe.

Enjoy those, everyone. I’ll catch you later … !









3 comments:

trev-v said...

Q1 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Q2 Barnum
Q3 "There's a sucker born every minute" is credited to Barnum but he may not have said it
Q4 executed by the guillotine
Q5 Guglielmo Marconi
Q6 Stephen Grover Cleveland
Q7 Thomas Hardy
Q8 Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade


Trevor

“And yet to every bad there is a worse.”
“Do not do an immoral thing for moral reasons.”
“Fear is the mother of foresight.”
“I was court-martial in my absence, and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence.”
“Like the British Constitution, she owes her success in practice to her inconsistencies in principle.”

“That man's silence is wonderful to listen to.”

Quotes by Thomas Hardy

Kaiju said...

1. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
2. Barnum
3. sucker
4. The Assembly voted the proscription of all the 29 Girondist deputies. The sans-culottes returned on June 2nd the arrest of 29 Girdondists was finally voted. Brissot, Vergniaud, and other leaders went to the guillotine leaving the mountain in complete control of the Convention. Within weeks, Marat was dead, and the Reign of Terror ensued.

In other words, things got very messy in France. And bloody.

Makes U.S. politics look mild in comparison. But almost as fun as Ancient Roman politics...

5. Guglielmo Marconi
6. President Grover Cleveland
7. Thomas Hardy
8. Donatien Alphonse Francois, Count Sade ("racy" would be an understatement here... Try "freak".)

Andy Shirling said...

Q1) Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
Q2) Barnum
Q3) a sucker
Q4) Most of them were guillotined later that year
Q5) Gugliemo Marconi
Q6) Grover Cleveland
Q7) Thomas Hardy
Q8) Marquis de Sade
"I've seen Keith fall asleep at business meetings about millions of dollars for him-because of heroin, just nod out and then wake up and answer a question."
Charlie Watts