A Panoply of Trivia 7 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Roman

January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was often depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions. He was the god of beginnings, endings, transitions, and doorways, and was believed to have the power to see both the past and the future. The month of January was significant because it marked the beginning of the new year in the Roman calendar, and Janus was seen as a fitting deity to preside over this time of transition and new beginnings.

Interestingly, Janus was also closely associated with war and peace. His famous temple in the Roman Forum featured ceremonial gates that were opened during times of war to allow the soldiers to pass through for good fortune, and tightly closed during times of peace. Because the Roman Empire was almost constantly expanding and engaging in military campaigns across the ancient world, these temple doors were famously recorded as having been closed only a handful of times throughout centuries of Roman history.

Answer: Perseus

Perseus is a well-known figure in Greek mythology, and is often depicted as a hero who slayed monsters and saved damsels in distress. One of his most famous feats was killing the Gorgon Medusa, whose terrifying gaze could instantly turn people to stone.

According to legend, Perseus was able to defeat Medusa by using a mirrored shield to safely avoid her direct gaze, and then decapitating her with a sword given to him by the gods. Interestingly, it is said that Medusa's head still retained its full power even after her death. Subsequently, Perseus used it as a potent weapon in later battles before gifting it to the goddess Athena.

Answer: Ethiopia

The Live Aid concert, which took place in July of 1985, was a historic dual-venue benefit concert that raised vital funds for emergency famine relief in Ethiopia. The massive event was organized by musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, and featured iconic performances by some of the biggest names in rock and pop music at the time, including Queen, U2, David Bowie, and Madonna. Staged simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London, England, and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, PA, USA, the concert was broadcast live via satellite on television and radio around the globe, and it is estimated to have been watched by a mind-blowing 1.5 billion people.

The unprecedented success of Live Aid transformed the landscape of charitable giving, proving that rock music, and music in general, could mobilize the entire planet for a humanitarian cause. The event inspired a wave of similar mega-benefit concerts, such as Farm Aid later that same year and the Live 8 concerts two decades later. Ultimately, the broadcast raised over 140 million dollars and helped raise global awareness about international poverty.

Answer: Apples

Calvados is a type of brandy that is made from apples, specifically from the Normandy region of France. The apples used in the production of calvados are typically bitter and tart, and are harvested in the fall. After being pressed into juice, the liquid is fermented into a hard cider, which is then distilled into a clear spirit.

The spirit is then aged in oak barrels for at least two years, giving it a golden hue and a rich, complex flavor profile. Calvados is traditionally enjoyed as an after-dinner drink, or as a palate cleanser between courses known as the 'le trou normand' (the Norman hole). It is also frequently used in regional cooking to add depth and complexity to classic French sauces and desserts.

Pears can be used to make 'perry', a pear-based cider. Cherries are distilled into kirsch, a famous clear European fruit brandy with a similar culinary footprint. Oranges are the base for several liqueurs like Grand Marnier, Triple Sec, and Curaçao.

Answer: Dutch courage

The popular expression "Dutch courage" refers to the false bravado gained from consuming alcohol. This is a phrase that traces its roots back to the bloody battlefields of Western Europe during the Thirty Years' War. Then, English soldiers observed that their Dutch allies routinely took hearty gulps of genever, a potent, malt-wine spirit distilled with juniper berries, before charging into active combat. Consumption successfully took the edge off the terror of battle, prompting the impressed English troops to adopt the beverage themselves while creating the famous expression.

While the English eventually modified the potent recipe back home into what the world now knows as modern dry gin, traditional genever remains a distinct and protected spirit. Authentically produced primarily in the Netherlands and Belgium, it features a much heavier and maltier flavour profile than its English descendant.

Answer: 60 seconds

In high jump, official regulations do not specify a maximum physical distance for an athlete's run-up, meaning a competitor can theoretically utilize as much space as the stadium's layout allows. However, a major logistical constraint exists in the form of a strict sixty-second clock. Once an official calls an athlete's name to start their attempt, the timer begins ticking down. This forces the competitor to quickly execute their approach or face an automatic foul.

Due to this time restriction and the physical layout of the surrounding track, elite high jumpers never waste time with excessively long approaches. How much velocity are you actually going to gain versus the fatigue of constantly doing a long run-up? Instead, competitors rely on a highly calculated "J-shaped" run-up that typically spans only eight to twelve precise strides. This specific curve allows the jumper to safely maximize their acceleration, transforming horizontal velocity into explosive vertical lift just fractions of a second before they launch their mortal bodies over the crossbar and reach a new high into immortal fame.

Answer: Buddhism

Buddhists use prayer wheels as a vital part of their daily religious practices, particularly within Mahayana traditions. These hollow cylinders are filled with thousands of tightly rolled mantras, and spinning them clockwise is spiritually equivalent to reciting those sacred texts aloud. The practice is believed to have originated in Tibet around the fourth century before spreading globally across the Himalayan region and into other areas where Buddhism is actively practiced.

Buddhist practitioners utilize various sizes of these, ranging from small, handheld brass wheels to massive cylinders mounted outside monasteries. In many rural communities, inventive designs even harness natural elements to spin the devices, creating prayer wheels powered by flowing water or mountain winds, finding the harmony with the forces of nature. This constant motion is believed to radiate blessings, effortlessly purifying the surrounding environment and benefiting all living beings.

Answer: South Asia

Mangoes originated in South Asia, particularly in the fertile region that encompasses modern India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. They have been passionately cultivated there for over four thousand years, deeply embedding themselves in local spiritual traditions and sacred Vedic literature (for example, Buddha himself was said to have meditated under the shade of mango trees) before gradually spreading to other tropical zones of the world.

The historical footprint of the fruit expanded significantly around the fifth century BCE when Buddhist monks transported mango seeds on voyages to East Asia. Centuries later, intrepid Portuguese explorers encountered the delicious crop in India and introduced it to East Africa and Brazil during the sixteenth century, transforming the local agriculture. Today, India remains the leading global producer, cultivating hundreds of distinct varieties of this stone fruit.

Answer: Sonnet

A sonnet is a type of poem that originated in Italy in the thirteenth century. It consists of fourteen lines and typically follows a specific rhyme scheme, traditionally used to express love and other real and intense emotions. The form has remained popular throughout history, with famous poets such as William Shakespeare and Elizabeth Barrett Browning writing many celebrated collections of sonnets.

Early Italian sonnets were divided into an octave and a sestet (eight-liner and six-liner, respectively) where the first part posed a question and the second part posed the solution or resolution. However, the English variation altered this format. In this Shakespearean style, the first twelve lines are divided into three quatrains, with each having its own rhyme scheme, while the final two lines form a rhyming couplet. This structure showcased the flexibility of the form, or perhaps of the poets that used it.

Answer: Finland

Turku Airport is located in Finland, specifically serving the coastal city of Turku. The airport is currently the fifth busiest in the nation, acting as a crucial regional gateway for both domestic hops to Helsinki and international routes across Europe. Additionally, the airport boasts a rich heritage that stretches back to the early 20th century, when the surrounding region served as a vital military airfield during wartime before transitioning into a commercial and cargo site.

Fascinatingly, the city of Turku holds a legendary status in Finnish aviation history because its original 1930s site, Artukainen, was Finland's very first land-based civil airport. That historic airfield was famous for its innovative star-shaped layout, which utilized an unusual mix of gravel and experimental vibrated concrete runways to handle pioneering aircraft. The modern airport moved to its current location in 1955 and features a standard, highly durable asphalt runway which was extended to accommodate international jet traffic.