"42"

42 questions on Universe, life and a few other things..
(answers at the bottom of this post)

1. Arthur _____ Son & Co. is a brewery founded Dublin Ireland in 1756.The brewery's most famous product is a dark stout beer (a type of porter), known widely as ____. The company also brought out another product, as a result of a debate involving its managing director Hugh Beaver. This product went on to become a huge hit. Name it.

2. Who is X?


X is the most controversial of Indian choreographers. X was one of the first to
experiment with Bharatanatyam, X blended it with Kalaripayattu and yoga. X calls her
performances ‘celebrations of the human body’, since X believes that the body is as
important as the spirit and X has been hailed as a priestess of erotic. X’s dancers
do not wear the classical bharatnatyam make-up and are dressed as simply as possible. As a sign of X's distance from traditional Indian dancing, Xdoes not have the dancers perform the traditional pranam, prayer, at the start.X has received many prizes like the Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 1992 , the international Time Out/Dance Umbrella Award for the best dance-performance in Great Britain, and the GAIA Award in Italy.
Identify X.

3.Truman Capote was the life long friend of x, who was his Monroeville neighbor. X assisted him
in the research work of his non fiction novel, “In Cold Blood”. X later published a book which became a classic. Capote is said to have inspired one of the characters in the novel. He frequently implied that he himself had written a considerable portion of her novel; some even say he ghosted the entire novel. Many people including x’s editor believed this story. Name x and the book.

4. How do we better know John Johnson, the servent of Thomas Percy ? Before assuming this identity he worked as weapons expert with the Spanish Army andheld a post of command when the Spaniards took Calais in 1596 under the orders of King Philip II of Spain.


5.Will Eisner,s book "A Contract with God, and Other Tenement Stories" published in 1978 is first of a kind, what?

6. Which club's fans are known as the culés? Roughly translated from language of the place where the club exists, it means arses. Far from being offensive, the name refers to fans seated in the highest row of the stadium. From outside passers-by could only see their arses.

7. ______ (1918-1982), former Chief Minister of Bihar, was born at Madhepura district in Bihar. He had his early education at Darbhanga and higher education at Patna. He worked as a Honorary Magistrate during 1945-51. Though his political career started with the Indian National Congress, he was soon attracted towards the 'Socialist' stream of thought, and joined the Samyukta Socialist Party. He took over as the Chief Minister of the State in 1968.He is very much in news these days due to a post he held from 1978.Whose is he?

8.______ is an opera in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille, based on the 1880 novel Rarahu ou Le Mariage de Loti by Pierre Loti. It was first performed in 1883 at the Opéra Comique in Paris.The story concerns ____, a girl who lives in India with her father, Nilakantha, who is a Hindu priest. She falls in love with Gérald, a young British man in the military service and consequently displeases her father. To avoid trouble between her father and Gérald, _____ chooses suicide over dishonor.Name it.

9. What was known as The pubic wars?

10. Electric rays are fish that have a rounded body and a pair of organs capable of producing an electric discharge, which is used to stun or kill prey. There are 69 species in two families.Perhaps the most known members are those of the genus _____, also called crampfish and numbfish. The genus name comes from a Latin word meaning to be stiffened or paralyzed, referring to the effect on someone who handles or steps on a living electric ray. A modern day device takes it name from this genus name what is it?

11.What did this statue inspire?




12.The Cacophony Society is “a randomly gathered network of free spirits united in the pursuit of experiences beyond the pale of mainstream society.” It was started in 1986 by surviving members of the now defunct Suicide Club of San Francisco. The anarchic nature of the Society means that membership is left open-ended and anyone may sponsor an event. Cacophony events often involve costumes and pranks in public places and sometimes going into places that are generally off limits to the public. Cacophonists have been known to dress as Santa Claus or dress in animal suits and go bowling. This has inspired something in pop culture or literature. What?

13 .The Order of the Dragon was an institution, similar to other chivalric orders of the time, modelled on the Order of St George (1318). It was created in 1408 by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund and his queen Barbara Cilli, mainly for the purpose of gaining protection for the royal family. According to its statute, the Order also required its initiates to defend the Cross and to do battle against its enemies, principally the Turks. Which character has a name which means “ son of the member of the order of Dragon”?

14. Herbert Samuel Leon bought over 300 acres of land in Buckinghamshire circa 1883. At the heart of the estate, he built a mansion in a curious mixture of architectural styles. Following the deaths of Sir Herbert and Lady Fanny Leon, the Park fell into the hands of property developer Captain Hubert Faulkner. In August 1939.The arrival of 'Captain Ridley's Shooting Party' changed the destiny of this place. Which place?


15. The statue shown below is from the city of Bukhara in Uzbekistan, the question is; who is being depicted?



16. Originally known as the Knights of Walpurgis, the members were branded on their left forearm with a mark of a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth.This fictional society is headed by a person whose name translates into french as "theft from death".The standard attire was a black cape with a white skull mask.Name of this "terrorist organisation"?


17. This is a schematic diagram of a fridge patented by whom?



18. It was the term used to describe a person of profound mental retardation having a
mental age below three years and generally being unable to learn connected speech or
guard against common dangers. The term belongs to a classification system no longer
in use and is now considered offensive.It is now replaced by "profound mental retardation", which term?

19. She was an active political figure in freedom movement against British Raj.Encouraged by her brother but opposed by the rest of her family, she received excellent early education. She joined the Bandra Convent in Bombay in 1902. In 1919 she got admitted to the highly competitive University of Calcutta where she attended the Dr. Ahmad Dental College. After she qualified and went along with her idea of opening a dental clinic in Bombay in 1923.In 1954 Hector Bolitho wrote a biography of her illustrious brother which she strongly felt failed to do justice to her brother's political life and prompted her to write "My Brother" a biography of her brother. Who is she?

20. Identify this Lady.



21. He started his European career in Monaco in 1988, with whom he won the French Cup in 1991. n the 1990s he subsequently played for Paris Saint Germain (1992 - 95), with whom he won the French league in 1994; and AC Milan (1995 - 2000), with whom he won the Italian league in 1996 and 1999. In 1995 he was named European Footballer of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year. After leaving Milan in August 1999 he moved to Chelsea, Manchester City and lympique Marseille in quick succession, before leaving Marseille in May 2001 for Al Jazira FC, in the United Arab Emirates.As successful as he was at club level, he was not able to bring over that success to his national team.He has done everything with the squad from playing to coaching to financing it, but his country failed to make a single World Cup,falling just a point short in qualifying for the 2002 tournament. This has all led to him being known as one of the best footballers never to have played in a World Cup.Name him.


Answers:

1. Guinness. This is how Guinness started sponsoring the Book of Records.

2. ChandraLekha, the legendary dancer.

3. Harper Lee, To Kill A Mocking Bird

4. Guy Fawkes

5. First Graphic novel

6. Barcelona FC, cules means arses in Catalan.

7. B.P. Mandal of Mandal Commission fame.

8. Lakme, this from where the company takes its name.

9. The great rivalry between Penthouse and Playboy where in they competed with each other by revealing little more than the other during the 60's. 70's and 80's.

10.Torpedo

11. This statue is called Nike of Samothrace. This inspired Abel Lafleur to design the Jules Rimet Trophy.

12. The Operation Mayhem in Fight Club

13. Dracula

14. The Bletchley Park

15. Naseeruddin Hodja

16. The Death Eaters in Harry Potter

17. Albert Einstein

18. Idiot

19. Fathima Jinna

20. Capt. Lakhsmi Sehgal

21. George Weah

Move on to the next post to answer the remaining questions

"42"(continued...) with answers

Please find answers for the next 21 questions at the bottom of this post

22. .He acted as a go-between for the drug barons Pablo Escobar and Carlos Molina when the latter’s daughter was kidnapped by the former. He was largely responsible for securing the release of Molina's daughter by delivering the ransom money. He received $64,000 for his services, which broke the national law, as it is an offence to profit from a kidnapping. He was incarcerated for 7 months before being released without charge. Who?

23. Leon Harrison Gross was an American playwright and theatrical producer. How do we better know him in literature?

24. The earliest settlers in the Valley of the Sun were the Hohokam Indian people, who lived there as early as 300 BC and later, disappeared mysteriously. In 1867, Jack Swilling of Wickenburg founded a small farming colony here. The town that grew out was named _____, memorializing the birth of a new civilization from the ruins left by the Hohokam. It is now the 6th largest city in the US, largest capital city by population, and the third-largest capital city by area in the U.S.

25. He died at the early age of thirty-four, and his body was buried under the riverbed of the Busento. The stream was temporarily turned aside from its course while the grave was dug .The king was buried with some of his treasures and when the work was finished the river was turned back into its usual channel. The captives who did the work were put to death so that none might learn their secret. The greatest accomplishment of the dead man was the sacking of Rome in AD 410.Who?


26. As a lawyer, X participated in the military commission trying the Lincoln assassination conspirators. X was also a Major General in the Union Army during the Civil War. While serving as governor of New Mexico (1878-81) he made the statement ``All calculations based on our experiences elsewhere fail in New Mexico.” This has been called the "The Curse of X". His greatest claim to fame is writing a novel during his gubernatorial stint. It was one of the best selling novels of the 19th century. Who?

27. This battle was fought on June 4, 1859 during the Austro-Sardinian War, resulting in a French-Sardinian victory under Napoleon III against the Austrians under Marshal Ferencz Gyulai. The Sardinians regard this as a great victory, which later paved the way for Italian unification under Garibaldi and Victor Emmanuel. How has this battle been immortalized?

28. In the movie "From Russia with Love”, James bond almost got killed by Rosa Klebb as a result of a mistake he made. He spent 6 months in a hospital. M disapproved of Bond’s action saying that, the casualty rates of double O agents had gone down 40% during his tenure and he wanted it to remain so. What did Bond finally do on M's insistence to prevent such an accident again?

29. Where do they appear together or connect:
John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, Sam Houston, Edmund G. Ross, Lucius Lamar, George Norris, Robert A. Taft.

30. Who was killed by a man named Khalid Islambouli who shouted "Death to the Pharaoh!” as he shot him?

31. He was the child of Sarek, a diplomat, and Amanda Grayson, a schoolteacher.
He often relaxed by playing tri-dimensional chess and was also skilled at playing the lute. He had green blood, of the group T-negative. Who?

32. It was originally constructed in June 1869 to commemorate the victims of the Boshin War. Originally named Shōkonsha, it was renamed in 1879. In October 1979, 14 controversial figures were declared as martyrs, at this place.Since then it has been a center of controversy. Which site?

33. X is a marker used in poker. It is placed in front of the player who is to deal the next hand. Which popular phrase/phrases originate from this marker?

34.
“Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at ________, under the presidency of the Reverend Father ______, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Thus started an invitation to discuss a set of propositions.
Proposition 1 states that “Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance”. The last one goes like “And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace.” What propositions are we talking about?

35. In 1884 the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, inspired by labor's 1872 success in Canada, demanded an eight-hour workday in the United States to come in effect. This resulted in a general strike and the riot in Chicago of 1886, but eventually also in the official sanction of the eight-hour workday. In 1889, the first congress of the Second International called for international demonstrations on the 1890 anniversary of the Chicago riot. These were so successful that it was formally recognized as an annual event at the International's second congress in 1891.What originated as a result?

36. He was in love with a girl called Rosaline and was heartbroken when he learnt that she had taken a chastity vow and wouldnot be able to return his love. He then went to a party hoping to meet her again and met another girl whom he found to be better than Rosaline.The new girl was actually being courted by Paris and was only 14 years of age.Who are we talking about?

37. A man named Eustache Dauger was arrested in Dunkirk and sent to prison on July 1, 1669. He died on November 19, 1703, and was buried the next day under the name of Marchioly. What is his claim to fame?

38. . In March 1967, a tribal youth named Wimal Kesan went to plough his field after obtaining a judicial order. The goons of the local landlord beat him up. The incidents that followed soon brought global attention to this village and contributed a new word to the English language. Which village/word?

39. Pierre Laval, the French foreign minister in 1935 requested X to go easy on religion so as to enlist all round support for WWII. Laval was worried that X's intolerance could alienate religious heads. X's response is now legendary. Identify X and his quote.

40.This author spent three or four years writing copy for a St.Louis advertising agency. It was in this job that he received inspiration for the name of a new character in his strip. While mulling over a pile of trade papers on his desk, he came across one from the National Association of Retail Druggists.He immediately decided on the name of his character.Which character?

41. The operation was assigned to the Raider Brigade, which was part of the 4th infantry division. It involved over 600 soldiers Colonel James Hickey of the 4th Infantry Division. The two main check points were named as wolverine1 and wolverine2. The operation itself was named after a 1984 movie which featured groups called wolverines. Which operation?

42. In 1948, The Nobel Peace Prize was not awarded to any one although they were awarded in other disciplines. What was the official reason stated for the non-awarding of prizes?

Answers:

22. Rene Higuitta of Columbia.(The name "Escobar" should have led you to Columbia courtesy Andres Escobar.Pablo Escobar, incidentally was the head of the Medellin drug cartel in Columbia)

23. Lee Falk

24. Phoenix, Arizona (" memorializing the birth of a new civilization from the ruins..")

25. Alaric, King of Visigoths

26. Lew Wallace, the author of Ben Hur.

27. This was the Battle of Magenta, which inspired somebody to name a newly discovered color in its honour.

28. He replaced his Berratta, which had got stuck while drawing, with a Walther PPK.This was how the gun became part of Bond folklore.

29. They are the 8 case studies presented in “Profiles in Courage”, the Pulitzer winning work
by John F Kennedy.

30. Anwar Saadat of Egypt.("Pharaoh" was the clue)

31. Spock in Startrek.

32. Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, where the ‘kamis’ (spirits) of the war dead are kept. Hidekki Tojo (Japanese Premier during WWII) and many other war criminals were declared as martyrs by the shrine authorities, which makes it controversial. China, South Korea etc raise formal protests whenever a Japanese premier visits the sacred Shinto shrine.

33. Buck as in “passing the buck”, “the buck stops here “, ”making a buck (money)” etc.

34. Martin Luther’s 95 theses against the sale of indulgence put up first at Wittemberg church.

35. May Day celebrations.

36. Romeo and Juliet.

37. The Man in the Iron Mask.

38. Naxalbari.

39. “How many divisions has the Pope?” X was Joseph Stalin. Laval had asked Stalin to tone down his actions against the Catholics when he received this response.

40. NARDA in Mandrake. Lee Falk apparently liked the abbreviation NARD.

41. Operation Red Dawn, which led to the arrest of Saddam Hussein.

42. “There are no suitable living candidates.” This was an obvious reference to Mahatma
Gandhi even though the Nobel committee has never acknowledged this.

Hope you enjoyed the quiz. Send in your comments to kmanjith@yahoo.com.