Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The Thursday Quiz XCIV

Stainless Steel is 96 years old today!

The Thursday Quiz!

The Thursday Quiz is a twelve item is-it-or-isn't-it test of your knowledge, reasoning, stamina, and moxie!

Remember always the Fundamental Rules of the Thursday Quiz:
1. The Thursday Quiz is a POP quiz. No research, Googling, Wikiing, or use of reference books. Violators will never be able to look at themselves in the mirror again.

2. Don't get all stressed out about it! It's supposed to be fun!

August 13th Through History!

Some of the following are actual events that happened on August 13ths of the past, while others are base confabulations of the lowest sort. Which is which?

Now, I know what you're thinking. But no, the wrong answers aren't otherwise accurate historical events that actually happened on, say, August 12th. It hurts me, in fact, that you even thought me capable of such a thing. No, the wrong answers have been carefully crafted to yield their wrongitude to the careful investigator. So go get 'em, Tiger.


327 - Julius Caeser completes the conquest of Britain, decisively defeating the Pictish army of Boudica at the Battle of Londinium.

1222 – Newton publishes “On Mathematics,” an important predecessor of his later invention of calculus. This work established the use of zero and negative numbers in European mathematics.

1521 – Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec Empire and one of the largest cities in the world, falls to a group of Spaniards led by Hernán Cortés after a siege of several months.

1704 – At the Battle of Blenheim, an important turning point in the War of the Spanish Succession, the Duke of Marlborough leads his British troops and their Austrian allies to victory over the formerly invincible French and the Bavarians. Contemporaries consider that this defeat prevented Louis XIV's France from becoming the sole superpower of Europe.

1774 – The Battle of Valley Forge. British troops under Lord Grenville attack George Washington army’s encampment in Southeastern Pennsylvania in an attempt to permanently cripple the American revolution. The British withdraw after a hard-fought battle with roughly equal losses on both sides, giving the colonial forces their first tactical victory of the conflict.

1792 – King Louis XVI of France, his powers already having been stripped, is formally arrested by the National Tribunal and declared an enemy of the people. Over the next five months he will be imprisoned, indicted, tried, convicted, and publically executed.

1831 – Nat Turner's Rebellion begins. Over the next few days, rebel slaves will kill approximately 55 white people in Southampton County, Virginia, the highest number of fatalities ever caused by an American slave uprising. The rebellion is crushed within a few days, however, and thousands of slaves are brutally killed over the next several weeks as hysterical rumors and paranoia circulates throughout the South.

1899 – The RMS Titanic strikes an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sinks within minutes. More than 5000 passengers die, most of them women and children – the concept of “women and children first,” here as in most naval disasters, having gone out the window in the general panic.

1918 – Opha Mae Johnson and 304 other women become the first to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. The women will fill functions such as secretary, cook, or military nurse in domestic facilities; female Marines will not be sent anywhere near war zones until the 1940s.

1960 – The French colony of Ubangi-Chari, part of French Equatorial Africa, declares independence as the Central African Republic.

1988 - George H.W. Bush, a former director of the FBI and Senator from Texas, takes office as the President of the United States.

2008 – American swimmer Michael Phelps takes his eighth gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, breaking the record for most gold medals ever taken at a single Olympics and tying the record for most medals of any type taken at a single Olympics.


Submit your answers to michael5000, who was born on this date in 1981, in the comments.

22 comments:

Elizabeth said...

1. No, Boudicca was the one who defeated the Romans (temporarily at least), but it was long before that year, though I can't swear to the date.

2. My goodness, your calendar is still off by 400 years or so. No.

3. Well, we're in the right century now, so okay, yes.

4. Have I mentioned that I failed pretty much every history class I ever took. All those damn dates. But I remember the name Blenheim, so either the history classes made an impression, or I read too many Regency romances (though this is a bit earlier, granted). Yes.

5. Oh, yes, why not. Might as well advertise my ignorance of my own country's history.

6. France, though, I want to live in France. I'll say "non, pas du tout" though if this quiz shows up on some visa application and I'm wrong, I'll be sorry.

7. Yes?

8. No, that's too many people.

9. Opha Mae! I have to give this a yes just for that name.

10. Now, "Ubangi" is something I recognize as being of Africa, but I'll have to say "no" on this one.

11. No, that was January the year after.

12. I think so ... I didn't have a television by this point, but I remember hearing something about this.

Are you sure this isn't Friday? Because I don't think I had much luck with this round.

sister jen said...

Thanks for the extra thirteen years, Bro5000--

Elaine said...

Happy, happy Birthday, M5000! 1981? Seriously?

327 NO. If the Romans built Londinium, that would have been AFTER the conquest...and wasn't Julius a B.C. kinda guy?

1222 No...too early! plus some of the credits are suspect

1521 Yes (probably fallen for some obvious trick, like "one of largest cities")

1704 Time for a Yes

1774 Um, we declared Independence in 1775, so I don't think this one will fly. No

1792 I'll say yes

1831 No..numbers seem high

1899 Titanic sank in ?1912? so NO

1918 I find this hard to believe

1960 Sure (like I would know)

1988 No, inauguration is in January

2008 I'll say yes. Eight is right, at least...

Cartophiliac said...

327. BS
1222. BS
1521. sad but true
1704. OK
1774. BS
1792. off with his head!
1831. bout right
1899. BS
1918. she can do it!
1960. I'll say yes, as the date and CAR sound right, (wouldn't be surprised if you made up the name Ubangi-Chari, you're sneaky like that)
1988. BS. He was director of CIA and never a Senator. You are evil on your birthday.
2008. true, unless it was some number other than 8, sad to have so little trust in our trivia-master.

The Calico Cat said...

1 - n
2 - n
3 - y
4 - y
5 - n
6 - y
7 - n
8 - n
9 - n
10 - n
11 - n
12 - y

Christine M. said...

Never was good with dates. Sigh. Here goes:

1. no
2. no
3. yes
4. no
5. no
6. yes
7. no
8. no
9. yes
10. yes
11. no
12. yes

d said...

1n 2n 3y 4y 5n 6y 7y 8n 9y 10y 11n 12y

happy birthday, m5k. may the next year be filled with peace and bunnies.

mhwitt said...

Happy birthday, Mr. 5000.

1. Ceaser v. Boudica: No.
2. Newton "On Mathematics:" No. 1222 is way too early for starters.
3. Tenochtitlan v. Spaniards: Yes.
4. Blenheim: Yes.
5. Valley Forge: Yes.
6. King Louis XVI: Yes.
7. Nat Turner's Rebellion: Yes.
8. Titanic on ice: Yes.
9. Womanly marines: No.
10. Ubangi-Chari: Yes.
11. Bush I: No, not on that date, or even in that year.
12. Phelps medals: Yes, I think so, though hard to believe it's been a full year.

Elaine said...

I can see M5000 is already highly pleased at the success of his ruses-- including, apparently, his supposed age.

Anonymous said...

1. No
2. No
3. Hmm, I always get my conquistadores mixed up. I say yes.
4. Yes?
5. No
6. Yes
7. Yes
8. Nope
9. No idea, I say yes.
10. No idea, I say no.
11. Nope, Prez takes office in January and I don't think he was ever a Senator.
12. Yes.

fingerstothebone said...

Happy Birthday! August 13 is a good day, but not as good as August 15, I'm afraid.

DrSchnell said...

1. nope
2. nope
3. yes
4. Who cares? I mean, nope.
5. That seems highly unlikely given that we hadn't declared independence yet.
6. yes
7. yes
8. nope.
9. nope
10. yes
11. Nope. Prez comes in in January.
12. yes

And you're lying about your birth year by quite a ways, you old fart.

Anonymous said...

1. No, too late and ass-backwards
2. No, too early
3. Yes
4. War in Europe. I am ignorant. Yes?
5. No, too early.
6. No
7. Yes
8. No, too many people.
9. No way.
10. Yes.
11. No, wrong date.
12. Yes.

No, you were not born in 1981 what are you talking about? And happy birthday!

mrs.5000 said...

327 yes
1222 no
1521 yes
1704 yes
1774 um, didn't they mostly stand around being cold? which is tougher to do there in August. no
1792 yes
1831 yes
1599 no
1918 no
1960 yes
1988 after summering at Valley Forge. no
2008 yes
A most excellent and historical day!

Eversaved said...

Happy Birthday!

1-n
2-n
3-y
4-y
5-n
6-y
7-y
8-n
9-n
10-y
11-n
12-y

PS: As a small birthday present, I have a little y/n quiz for you. The following people also celebrate their birthday on August 13th:

1) Ever
2) Fidel Castro
3) Lolo
4) Charlie Sheen
5) Alfred Hitchcock

Ben said...

1. Nuh-uh
2. Morgan would probably know this---yes?
3. Sure
4. No.
5. No. That would have to be AFTER 1776 sometime.
6. Sure.
7. Sure.
8. No--I think that was later.
9. Doesn't sound right.
10. Could be.
11. No. 1988 was an election year, but not a swearing-in year.
12. Yeah, OK.

Oh, and Happy Birthday. 1981? You're very wise for such a young age!

Chance said...

True!
False!
False!
True!
Frankenstein!
true!
False!
Omaha, Nebraska!
Abraham Lincoln was our seventeenth king!
True!
False!
False!
Maybe!
Hopefully!
Why not?

Michael5000 said...

Well, as another August 13th winds down here on the West Coast, we take one last look back at August 13ths past:

327 - NO. Julius Caeser lived in the first Century BC, Boudica wasn't a Pict, she (probably) won her big battle, there was no "Battle of Londinium," etc.

1222 - NO. This is about the time when Europeans started really grocking the zero, but Newton lived centuries later and never wrote anything called "On Mathematics."

1521 - YES.

1704 - YES.

1774 - NO. The Valley Forge encampment was, famously, kind of a winter thing. It happened after the Declaration of Independence, and would not have been attacked by Lord Grenville because, although he would later become an important British statesman, in 1774 he was a 15 year old kid studying at Eton. But really, the Lord Grenville part wasn't key here.

1792 - YES

1831 - YES

1899 - NO. The Titanic sunk in 1912, and only about 1500 people died, although admittedly not a single one of those 1500 would have thought of this figure as "only 1500." Moreover, the degree to which Woman and Children First was followed was truly remarkable; women had a pretty good chance of surviving the disaster, while most of the men on board died of their gallantry.

1918 - Opha Mae and the Marines - HUAH!! This is correct.

1960 - C.A.R. - YES.

1988 - NO. Bush, who was a Representative, not a Senator and director of the CIA, not the FBI, took office in January like any other elected president.

2008 - YES.

Michael5000 said...

Looks like more Gold on the heap for Cartophiliac, who turns in a perfect slate to take the TQXCIV top spot.

d also hit 12/12 and grabs the Silver Star.

The Blue Star goes to Critical Bill, and a Green this week goes to Eversaved.

Thanks for playing the Quiz!

Aviatrix said...

327 - True
1222 - False (0 and negative numbers!?)
1521 - True
1704 - False
1774 - False - I thought Valley Forge was mainly about starving to death
1792 - True
1831 - True - but it's a complete guess
1899 - False - I like to believe people are decent
1918 - False - I can't believe in 1918 G.I.Janes
1960 - True - Right time frame
1988 - False - He was elected in 1988, but the US president takes office in the calendar year following the election.
2008 - True

Aviatrix said...

Darnit, you posted the answers while I was composing. Not that I did well enough for it to matter or anything.

d said...

see? it helps to have coffee first.