1. An astronomer from France born in the 18th century, he is credited with discovering the maximum number of comets visually by a human. He discovered 37 comets. He used to design his own telescopes, one of which was called the ‘Great Seeker’. Name the French astronomer we are talking about.

2. A Founding Father of the United States, he was also the first Secretary of the Treasury of the US. He was once a Senior Officer of The Army, a role which took over from George Washington, and also served in the Revolutionary War. He was wounded in a duel with Aaron Burr, and died after a few days. Name the person.

3. These brothers from France were one of the earliest filmmakers in human history, and an asteroid is named in their honour. They screened their first motion picture privately as early as 1895. In the same year, they made ten short films which were screened to the public. Name the brothers we are referring to.

4. His nickname was ‘Babe’, and he was one of the most famous baseball players in the beginning of the 20th century. He played for three Major League Baseball teams – Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Boston Braves. He is often considered one of the greatest athletes from the US – and his record of 60 home runs in one season remained unbroken for 34 years. Name the former baseball player.

5. This novel was authored by Harper Lee, which went on to win a Pullitzer Prize and was also made into a movie starring Gregory Peck. Dealing with issues related to race and class, it’s protagonist Atticus Finch is also one of the most memorable fictional characters of all time. Name the book.

Answers:

1. Jean-Louis Pons.

2. Alexander Hamilton.

3. Auguste and Louis Lumiere.

4. George Herman Ruth.

5. To Kill a Mockingbird.

1. A former President of the United States, he succeded Zachary Taylore after his death. He was famous for an Act known as the ‘Bloodhound Law’. He belonged to the Whig Party, and was the last from this party to become a US President. He was one of the founders of the University at Buffalo. Name the former US president.

2. A national park of the United States, it is located close to the Mojave desert. It is considered to be one of the hottest places on Earth, and has recorded the highest temperature in the United States. The ‘Devil’s Golf Course’ is part of this national park. Name the place.

3. His real name is Merwan Sheriar Irani, and he was an Indian spiritual leader who was also known as the ‘Compassionate Father’. On this day, he began his silence which lasted for 44 years till his death – this led to the creation of Silence Day. Name the person.

4. The name is used for a series of satellites, and was also the name of the first communications satellite in the world. It was owned by AT & T, and was created as a result of collaboration between American, British and French organizations. It shares its name with a character in the video game Final Fantasy VI. Name the satellite.

5. His middle name is Antonio, and he was once the military leader of a Central American country – a post he held for around 7 years. He was sentenced to prison separately by the United States and France and is currently serving a 40 year jail term in his home country. The 1992 film ‘Deep Cover’ was indirectly based on his life. Name the former political and military leader being talked about.

Answers:

1. Millard Fillmore.

2. Death Valley.

3. Meher Baba.

4. Telstar.

5. Manuel Noriega.

1. A British explorer born in the 18th century who later became a Canadian, he is considered to be one of the greatest explorers who ever lived. His nickname was ‘the Stargazer’ and over his lifetime he mapped millions of square kilometres of North America. He was the subject in one of the episodes of Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness, a programme broadcasted in BBC. Name the explorer.

2. A great swimmer who has won five Olympic Gold medals, he is also famous for playing the role of ‘Tarzan’ in a number of movies. He was the first person to swim a 100m freestyle in less than a minute. Name the former swimmer cum actor.

3. An American director primarily known for movies which have a supernatural element to it, he is also the recipient of the Padma Shri from the Government of India. His first movie was called ‘Praying With Anger’, and his company is called Blinding Edge Pictures. Name the director who we are talking about.

4. This book was written by author Yann Martel from Canada, and won the Man Booker Prize in 2002. The protagonists of the story are Piscine Molitor Patel and Richard Parker. Acclaimed director Ang Lee is making a film on this book which is supposed to be released around the end of 2012. Name the book.

5. Director Ang Lee was the first person of Asian descent to win an Academy Award for Best Director for this film. It had Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhal in leading roles and was nominated for eight Oscars, winning three of them. Name the movie.

Answers:

1. David Thompson.

2. John Weismuller.

3. M. Night Shyamalan.

4. Life of Pi.

5. Brokeback Mountain.

1. His last names are al-Takriti, and he played a key role in the July 17 Revolution in Iraq. He was one of the most famous leaders of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party. He was executed in 2006. It has been estimated that he is responsible for the death of a million people. Who are we talking about?

2. His middle name is Wilcken and he was a businessman and politician in the United States belonging to the Republican Party. He was a Governor of Michigan and his wife and son have been prominent politicians in the US. He was once the chief executive of American Motors Corporation. Name the person we are referring to.

3. An American actor whose middle name is Norwood,  he won the Golden Globe award for the TV movie ‘Taking Chance’. He is married to actress Kyra Sedgewick, and is known to have lost money in the Ponzi scheme run by Bernie Madoff. He played the role of a gay prostitute in the movie JFK by Oliver Stone. Name the actor.

4. An American rock and blues singer, she is best known for the song ‘One of Us’. Her first album was called ‘Relish’, and she has played with bands ‘Dixie Chicks’ and ‘Funk Brothers’. Name the singer.

5. This band was founded by Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. They are one of the most famous thrash metal bands, and became famous with their album ‘Reign In Blood’. They have been frequently criticized by religious groups due to their lyrics and album art. They have won the Grammy Awards twice, for songs ‘Eyes of the Insane’ and ‘Final Six’. Name the band.

Answers:

1. Saddam Hussein.

2. George Romney.

3. Kevin Bacon.

4. Joan Osborne.

5. Slayer.

1. This organization was founded in the Phillipines in 1892 to gain independence from the Spanish. Their flag comprised a white sun on a red background. They were a secret organization, and started a publication called Kalayaan which meant liberty. The group’s activities ultimately led to the collapse of the Spanish Empire in Asia. Name the organization.

2. This former President of the United States led his nation to victory against the Spanish. He was assassinated by a man named Leon Csolgosz in 1901. He was also responsible for raising tariffs to protect business interests in the United States. He was succeeded by Theodre Roosevelt. Which US President are we talking about?

3. An influential American businessman who is considered to be the father of the nation’s shipbuilding, his business interests were varied which included shipbuilding, aluminium and steel. His firm was the chief contractor in building what is now known as the Hoover Dam. He was inducted into the California Hall of Fame by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Name the businessman.

4. One of the most well known revolutionaries of all time, his first name is Ernesto and he was born in 1928 in Argentina. His journeys with his friend Alberto Granado across South America caused him to transform into a revolutionary as he witnessed the poverty all around. His photo, titled ‘Guerrillero Heroico’, is very famous in popular culture. Name the revolutionary.

5. His middle name is Franz and he is a former tennis player who was the youngest to win the Wimbledon at the age of 17. He is also an Olympic gold medallist and was known for his rivalry with Stefan Edberg. He was once married to actress Barbara Feltus. Name the former tennis player.

Answers:

1. Katipunan.

2. William McKinley.

3. Henry J Kaiser.

4. Che Guevara.

5. Boris Becker.

1. He was the King of England during the 12th century and was also referred to as ‘The Lionheart’. He succeeded his father King Henry II and was an influential figure in England and France where he mostly lived. He has appeared in Robin Hood movies and was also the subject of an opera composed by George Frideric Handel. Name the former king of England.

2. The official currency of one of the largest nations on earth, it has been known by various nicknames including ‘bean’, ‘paper’ and ‘smackeroo’. It is the sole currency in the British Virgin Islands. It’s name can be traced back to ‘Joachimstaler’, a German word for coins mined in the 16 century. Which currency?

3. A French scientist, he was an influential figure in founding the discipline of microbiology. He invented a process to prevent wine and milk from causing illness. He studied at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris. He is best remembered for administering one of his inventions to Joseph Meister. Name the scientist.

4. The first Asian man to become a member of the House Of Commons in the UK, he is often referred to as the ‘Grand Old Man of India’. He was appointed as a teacher in the Elphinstone Institution at a very young age, and started a publication called the ‘Rast Goftar’. Name the former founding member of the Indian National Congress.

5. This American woman was the first African-American woman to win a Grand Slam title in 1956. She has been called the ‘Jackie Robinson of tennis’ and is remembered for the quote ‘No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helps you’. She was also an accomplished golfer. Name the former US athlete.

Answers:

1. King Richard I.

2. Dollar.

3. Louis Pasteur.

4. Dadabhai Naoroji.

5. Althea Gibson.

1. An English polymath born in the 17th century, he is best known for his work on classical mechanics, gravitation and motion. He studied at the Trinity College in Cambridge. He developed the mathematical discipline of calculus, something which was also done independently by Gottfried Leibnitz. Name the person.

2. This organization was created by a man named William Booth in 1865. It’s a Christian Protestant Organization headquartered in London and has operations in over 120 countries. It’s motto is ‘Blood and Fire’ and the words can be found on it’s flag which has three colours – Yellow, Red and Blue. Name the organization.

3. This is a popular brand of meat product very popular in the United States. It is made by Hormel Food Corporation with pork as the main ingredient. There is a museum dedicated to this product in Austin, Texas and it shares its name with something which is often used for e-mail you are not interested in. Name the brand.

4. His middle name was Robert and he is a fomer no. 1 tennis player from the United States. He won three Grand Slam titles, and was the first African American to be in the US Davis Cup team. He was once arrested for protesting against apartheid in South Africa. Name the tennis legend.

5. Vallipuram Vasanthan was the first of them, and they were an organizational wing of LTTE who specialised in carrying out suicide attacks. Considered to be an extremely effective unit, they were responsible for the assassination of former Sri Lankan President Premdasa. Which sub-organization of LTTE are we referring to?

Answers:

1. Isaac Newton.

2. Salvation Army.

3. SPAM.

4. Arthur Ashe.

5. Black Tigers.

1. This term is used to describe an explosion which releases an extreme amount of energy, sometimes as much as would be emitted by the sun over its lifetime. This term was created by Walter Baade and Fritz Wicky. ‘Crab Nebula’ was produced as a result of this. Which term are we talking about?

2. This former President of the United States died on the same day as his predecessor John Adams. He is considered to be a Founding Father as well as one of the main authors of the Declaration of Independence. He was the founder of the University of Virginia. Name the from US President.

3. An American author and poet who lived in the 19th century, he was born on Long Island and is considered to be the father of free verse. His most famous work was ‘Leaves of Grass’ which was also controversial in nature. One of his most famous poems was ‘O Captain, My Captain!’. Name the person.

4. This structure originally comprised seven buildings, and one of them was the tallest in the world when completed in 1971. Minoru Yamasaki was the head architect for the project. It has been featured in the movies ‘Home Alone 2′ and ‘King Kong’. Which set of buildings are we talking about?

5. A German man who belonged to the Gestapo, he is also known by the name ‘Butcher of Lyon’. At the age of 29, he was sent to Lyon during the Second World War where he was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. It has been suggested that once he helped the CIA capture the revolutionary Che Guevara. Name the person.

Answers:

1. Supernova.

2. Thomas Jefferson.

3. Walt Whitman.

4. World Trade Center.

5. Klaus Barbie.

1. A French explorer born in the 16th century, he is known as the ‘The Father of New France’. On this day in 1608, he founded the city in Canda called Quebec. He initially explored North America under the guidance of other explorers, and was the first European explorer to describe the Great Lakes. Name the explorer we are talking about.

2. It’s scientific name is Pinguinus Impennis and it was a species of bird which became extinct in the 19th century. They were flightless, and could be in areas around the Atlantic Ocean. The American Ornithologist’s Union is named after this bird. Name the species of bird being referred to.

3. His middle name is Friedrich, and he was a German engineer who is considered to be a pioneer in designing automobiles using gasoline as the main source of fuel. His last name is part of a company producing high end cars. He received a patent for his car engine design in 1879. Name the German inventor.

4. This company was founded in 1999 by two of the most well known media groups Reuters and Dow Jones. It provides services related to business information and research, and is part of the Microsoft Office program for doing research. It is now fully owned by News Corporation. Name the company.

5. This award is conferred unofficially to a passenger line which crosses the Atlantic Ocean with the highest speed. It shares its name with a brand of gin. The name itself was borrowed from horse racing. It is also known as the Hales Trophy. Name the award being referred to.

Answers:

1. Samuel de Champlain.

2. Great Auk.

3.Karl Benz.

4. Factiva.

5. Blue Riband.

1. An English inventor who was born in the 17th Century, he was the earliest to patent a steam engine on this day in 1698. He described it in a book called ‘The Miner’s Friend; Or An Engine To Raise Water by Fire’. Name the inventor.

2. This company was created in 1962, has over two million employees making it one of the biggest private sector employers in the world, is known as Asda in UK and Seiyu in Japan and has a subsidiary called ‘Sam’s Club’. Which company?

3. This fictional character appears in multiple books – primarily in Spanish or Italian – over the last few hundred years. One of the first books in which the character appears is ‘The Trickster of Seville and The Stone Guest’. A play with this character is conducted on the 2nd of November ever year in the Spanish speaking world – and he was made legendary by an opera composed by musical genius Mozart. Name the character we are talking about.

4. This American actor’s middle name is Christopher and was first noticed in a television show called ’21 Jump Street’. He has portrayed a number of real life characters in movies for which he has won critical acclaim – Joseph Pistone and John Dillinger are two of them. His first film appearance was in the movie ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’. Name the actor.

5. This American singer and musician’s real last name is Zimmerman, even though he is famous by a different name all over the world. One of his songs was used as a title song in the movie ‘Watchmen’. He has been romantically involved with Joan Baez. Name the singer.

Answers:

1. Thomas Savery.

2. Walmart.

3. Don Juan (or Don Giovanni).

4. Johnny Depp.

5. Bob Dylan.