One Trivia Quiz

Answer: Diamond

You would indeed be looking at a diamond and not just at any old diamond either. You would be viewing one that weighs 530.4 carats and that is internally flawless. The Cullinan I, or the Great Star of Africa as it has been named, is the largest of the nine major stones cut from the mighty Cullinan Diamond. This monster diamond, which weighed a phenomenal 3106 carats in its rough state, was found at the Premier 2 Mine in South Africa on 26 January 1905 and named after the mine's owner, Thomas Cullinan. In 1907 it was acquired by the Transvaal Colony government and then presented to King Edward VII by the then premier, Louis Botha.

The King consigned this treasure to the master cutters of Joseph A. Asscher and Co in Amsterdam to be cut. Legend has it that the first attempt to cleave the diamond merely resulted in a broken knife. The nine major stones that resulted from eight months of intense labour were named I to IX. In 1910, the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross, part of the regalia used in the coronation of British monarchs, was altered to include the mighty Cullinan I where it has since remained.

Answer: Roulette

Roulette is a popular casino game that dates back to 18th-century France. Roulette, which means "little wheel" in French, is believed to have been invented by the French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal in the 17th century while he was attempting to create a perpetual motion machine.

The premise of the game is for a wheel with a cambered circular track on its outer edge to be spun one way and then for a ball to be sent in the opposite direction. The ball will eventually lose speed and fall into one of the numbered slots on the wheel. A standard roulette wheel has numbered pockets (usually 0-36 for European and 0-36 plus a 00 for American). The game is for players to place bets on where they think the ball will land, either on specific numbers or groups of numbers.

There are different bets to be made depending on which combination of numbers a player wishes to cover in a single spin. Bets can also be made by picking the colour of the pocket into which the ball will land. The "Bet One" and "Neighbours" bets are specific types of bets that players can make. "Bet One" typically refers to a bet on a single number. The "and the Neighbours" bet involves betting on a specific number and the two numbers on either side of it on the roulette wheel. You just have to choose the number that you want, and your bet will include both the numbers on each side of your number. The number of "neighbours" allowed varies from casino to casino, but the most common version covers five numbers.

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909, was a dynamic and larger-than-life figure known for his boundless energy, progressive policies, and robust leadership. He was also an avid pugilist and continued to box during his tenure as President. Unfortunately, an incident occurred while he was sparring with an officer named Captain William Craig when he was struck in the face with a punch that detached the retina in his left eye. The injury resulted in permanent damage and ultimately caused him to lose sight in that eye. Despite the injury, Roosevelt continued with the match and eventually won by knockout. However, after this incident he gave up boxing and was reported to have taken up ju-jitsu instead.

Theodore Roosevelt was born in 1858 into a wealthy New York family. He emerged as a war hero during the Spanish-American War, leading the Rough Riders. His political career included serving as Governor of New York and Vice President under William McKinley. Following McKinley's assassination, Roosevelt became President, championing progressive reforms like trust-busting and conservation. An advocate for a "Square Deal" and social justice, he expanded the national parks system and enacted consumer protection laws. After leaving office, Roosevelt embarked on an African safari and later ran for president as a Progressive ("Bull Moose") candidate in 1912. Theodore Roosevelt passed away on January 6, 1919,

Answer: True

Yes, it's true. The Krugerrand contains precisely one troy ounce of gold which is 31.1035 grams. As it is made from an alloy of gold and copper, the coin itself is actually slightly heavier than one ounce to compensate for the inclusion of copper. This mixture gives the coin its distinctive reddish tinge.The popular coin originated in South Africa when it was introduced in 1967 by the South African Mint as a way of making the ownership of gold convenient and affordable for private investors. The first 22 karat gold Krugerrand was minted on 3 July 1967 becoming the world's first modern bullion gold coin aimed at private investors. Named after Paul Kruger, the South African Republic's president during the late 19th century, and the rand, South Africa's currency, the Krugerrand quickly gained international recognition. It does not have a face value but is valued based on the gold content and the current price of gold.

The Krugerrand's weight and gold content are internationally recognized and it has played a notable role in making gold ownership accessible to private individuals and became a symbol of South Africa's gold-producing industry. Over the years, it has remained a prominent and widely traded gold coin in the global market.

Answer: Botswana

Botswana, located in the heart of southern Africa, is a landlocked country known for its stable democracy, vibrant culture, and natural beauty. The country's geography is characterized by the vastness of the Kalahari Desert which occupies over 70% of its area. However, the country is also home to one of the most unique places on earth - the glorious Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's largest inland deltas as a result of the emptying of the Okvango River into the desert sands. It is truly a spectacular sight to behold. Botswana is considered to Africa's success story at it boasts a unique history of peaceful independence, having avoided the conflicts that affected some of its neighbors. It also has a strong economy based on the abundance of diamonds mined within its borders.

"The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series, written by Alexander McCall Smith, is a captivating collection of novels set in Botswana's capital, Gaborone, and follows the adventures of Mma Precious Ramotswe, the first female private detective in the country. Precious, with her keen intuition and wisdom, tackles a variety of cases, ranging from missing persons to family secrets, all while navigating the challenges of daily life.

Answer: Rugby Union

Rugby Union is a close contact team sport involving two teams of 15 players each. The objective is to score points by carrying, passing, and kicking the ball to cross the opponent's goal line and ground the ball (a try) or by kicking the ball between the opponent's goalposts (a penalty or conversion).

The origin of the game dates back to 1823 at Rugby School in Warwickshire, England. Popular legend goes that in 1823, during a football (soccer) match at the school, William Webb Ellis, a student, picked up the ball and ran with it, effectively disregarding the established rules of football. The game began to develop its own distinct set of rules, leading to the formation of rugby as a separate sport. Rugby union's first official rules were codified in 1845 at Rugby School by the pupils, and the sport continued to evolve and spread. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) was founded in 1871, formalizing the rules and establishing the governance of the sport. From then on, the sport rapidly spread to other countries, becoming one of the most widely played and watched sports globally.

In rugby union, players are traditionally numbered from 1 to 15, and each number corresponds to a specific position on the field. The position of the player wearing jersey number 1 is known as the loosehead prop.They are one of the three players in the front row of the scrum, which is a set piece where the two opposing packs of forwards bind together and contest for possession of the ball. In the scrum, the loosehead prop binds on the left side (the left-hand side when facing the opposition) of the hooker while the tighthead prop, number 3, does the same on the right side.

Answer: Berlin

Berlin, the once divided city characterised by a wall, is today the capital and largest city in a reunited Germany. A vibrant city, it is home to the Reichstag, the seat of the German Bundestag, the country's national parliament. The Platz der Republik is the large public square in front of the Reichstag. Both are iconic symbols of Germany's political history and contemporary democracy and are surrounded by significant landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate.

The Platz der Republik was established during the late 19th century and is closely tied to the history of the Reichstag building, which was completed in 1894. Originally, the square served as a grand entrance square for the Reichstag, providing a significant civic space in front of the parliamentary building.The square is often used for public gatherings, events, and celebrations.

Following the reunification of Germany in 1990, the Reichstag, which was badly damaged during World War II, underwent significant renovation which was completed in 1999. The most notable addition is the glass dome on the roof, designed by the architect Norman Foster, which symbolizes transparency in government. Visitors can ascend the dome for panoramic views of Berlin.

Answer: Harry Styles

The pop sensation that was so beloved of tweenie girls, One Direction was a British-Irish boy band formed in 2010 during the seventh season of the television music competition show "The X Factor" in the United Kingdom. The group quickly rose to international fame and became one of the most successful boy bands of its generation, amassing a massive fan base known as "Directioners" with their catchy pop tunes, charming personalities, and energetic performances. The original lineup consisted of members Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik (who left the band in 2015). Their debut album, "Up All Night" (2011), marked a record-breaking success, and subsequent albums like "Take Me Home" (2012) and "Midnight Memories" (2013) continued to top charts worldwide. In 2016, much to the devastation of the previously mentioned "Directioners", the band announced that they were going on hiatus in 2016 to pursue individual projects.

One of these individual projects occurred when Harry Styles appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine in November 2020, generating widespread attention and acclaim as the first solo male to grace the cover of Vogue. The photo-shoot, shot by photographer Tyler Mitchell, featured Styles in a variety of outfits that challenged traditional gender norms, including wearing a dress. A tad different then from the iconic Playboy cover of Burt Reynolds who appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine in April 1979 posing with only a bearskin rug!

Answer: False

It is quite the opposite in fact. The word "monotheistic" is derived from two Greek words: "mono," meaning "one," and "theos," meaning "god.". A monotheistic religion, therefore, is a belief system that centers around the worship or acknowledgment of a single, supreme, and transcendent deity. In monotheistic religions, followers believe in the existence of only one God, who is considered the ultimate source of all creation, power, and authority. Key characteristics of monotheistic religions include the belief in the oneness of God, the idea of divine revelation, and often the adherence to sacred scriptures or texts.

There are three major monotheistic religions, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Judaism is the oldest of the three and is rooted in the covenant between God and the patriarch Abraham, as outlined in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh). Christianity is based on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, whom believers recognize as the Messiah and the Son of God. The Bible, consisting of the Old Testament and the New Testament, is the sacred scripture. Islam, founded in the 7th century CE by the Prophet Muhammad, centers on the belief in one God (Allah) and the guidance provided in the Quran, which is considered the final and complete revelation. Muslims also follow the Hadith, which records the sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad.

Answer: Jackson Pollock

Jackson Pollock, sometimes irreverently known as "Jack the Dripper" was an influential American painter. Born in Cody, Wyoming, on 18 January 1912, he moved to New York in the 1930s, where he became associated with a group of artists who would later be known as the Abstract Expressionists. Pollock's signature style, often referred to as "drip painting" or "action painting," emerged in the late 1940s. He would lay a canvas on the floor and, using unconventional tools such as sticks and hardened brushes, drip, pour, and fling paint onto the canvas. This technique allowed for a more spontaneous and gestural form of expression, with the canvas becoming a field of energetic and rhythmic drips and splatters.

"One: Number 31, 1950" is a prime example of Pollock's distinctive drip painting technique. The painting is characterized by its large scale, measuring over eight feet in height and nearly 17 feet in width. In the painting Pollock abandoned the use of traditional brushes and instead placed the canvas on the floor, allowing him to drip, pour, and fling paint from above. This process resulted in a complex web of intertwining lines, swirls, and drips. "One: Number 31, 1950" is housed in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City and is considered one of Pollock's masterpieces.

Tragically, Jackson Pollock's life was marked by personal struggles, including alcoholism and emotional difficulties. He died in a car crash in Springs, New York on 11 August 1956 at the age of 44.