Monday, April 30, 2012

Quiz of the Day - 30 April 2012

Click to Enlarge.
Another visual question for the daily quiz.
Take a look at the picture on the right hand side. This artwork captures a historical event. There's a Hollywood blockbuster of the same name, but the movie is based on a different incident which happened much later.
By what name do we know this incident?
Mail your answer to shovon76[at]gmail[dot]com.
The answer will be published tomorrow.
Cheers!
Answer: Anindya has successfully cracked this! It is Thin Red Line. Awesome answer!!
The battle scene shown in the painting was part of the Battle of Balaclava in Crimean War. You can see the infantry-men wearing red tunics and standing in a two deep formation to take on the cavalry of the Imperial Russian forces. The general practice in those days were to have the infantry stand in at least a four deep formation, in case they were deployed in a line. That's why it was called the Thin Red Line.
The Hollywood movie of the same name is based on a later incidence, which happened during the Pacific campaign of WWII.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Quiz of the Day - 29 April 2012

Click to enlarge the picture
Here's another visual question for the daily quiz.
The picture on the right hand side depicts something. All you have to do is identify what is being depicted in the picture.
Mail your answer to shovon76[at]gmail[dot]com.
The answer will be published tomorrow.
Cheers!
Answer: Anonymous bhai, you are absolutely correct again! :)
It is Buddh International Circuit promoted by Jaypee Group and operated by their subsidiary Jaypee Sports International Ltd.
The circuit was designed by Herman Tilke. The clockwise circuit employs the Graywacke surface, has a total track length of 5.137 km and 16 turns.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Quiz of the Day - 28 April 2012

Click to enlarge.
Another visual clue. The question has two parts and one needs to answer both.
You can see the actual photographic capture of an iconic event in the history of the world. Many films, over the years, have used this event as a backdrop in their story. The event has also been dramatically reenacted in numerous feature films, documentaries and TV shows.
For getting the full credits, you'll need to identify the event depicted in the photograph and tell me the name of the Oscar winning film released in 1998, which started with the dramatic representation of this particular event.
Send in your answers to shovon76[at]gmail[dot]com.
The answers will be published tomorrow.
Cheers!
Answer: As usual, my anonymous friend is absolutely right. The photograph shows the action on D-Day in 1944, when the Allied troops landed at Normandy in France. This actually started a chain reaction and was the first time during WWII that the Germans lost in mainland Europe.
The 1998 Oscar winning film is Saving Private Ryan by Steven Spielberg. The film opened with the D-Day scene when a group of US soldiers landed on the Omaha beach and their fight with the entrenched Germans.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Quiz of the Day - 27 April 2012

Another visual question from the filmdom.
Click to Enlarge
Identify the movie from the poster. The movie is named after the chosen profession of its main protagonist.
Please mail your answer to shovon76[at]gmail[dot]com.
The answer will be published tomorrow.
Cheers! 
Answer: It is El Mariachi indeed!
It is a 1992 Mexican-American action film that is the debut of writer/director Robert Rodriguez. The Spanish language film was shot in the northern Mexican bordertown of Ciudad Acuña with a mainly amateur cast. The US$7,000 production was originally intended for the Mexican home video market, but executives at Columbia Pictures liked the film so much that they bought the American distribution rights. Columbia eventually spent several times more than the 16 mm film's original budget on 35 mm transfers, promotion, marketing and distribution.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Quiz of the Day - 26 April 2012

A dry question.
This animal derives its name from a Sanskrit word literally meaning "variegated body". It was a favourite pet of many rulers of yesteryears, who used it for hunting wild games. Identify the animal.
Please send your answer to shovon76[at]gmail[dot]com.
The answer will be published tomorrow.
Answer: It is Cheetah indeed! The animal got its name due to the spots on its body. Unfortunately, due to unchecked hunting and poaching, this beautiful animal is on the endangered list now.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Quiz of the Day - 25 April 2012

A visual question for today.

Cult Action Caper

From the movie poster, identify the cult film.
Send your answer to shovon76[at]gmail[dot]com.
The answer will be published tomorrow.
Answer: As Aniruddha has already cracked it, it is Machete, the Robert Rodrigues directed, Dany Trejo starrer.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Quiz of the Day - 24 April 2012

They were active during the early 19th Century India
Identify both the persons. 
Their activities were interrelated and both of them had been active in India during William Bentinck's reign as the Governor General of India. One of these men was a prolific exponent in his chosen profession and if the quasi-historical statistics are to be believed, would rank at the very top among his fellow professionals in the entire world. It is argued that his exploits introduced a new word to the English vocabulary.
Please mail your answer to shovon76[at]gmail[dot]com.
The answer will be published tomorrow.
Cheers!
Answer: The person on the left side of the photo is Colonel William Henry Sleeman, who had effectively neutralized the threats posed by the thuggee cult in India.
The person on the right hand side is Thug Behram, arguably the most prolific serial killer in the world with 931 murders to his credit according to various sources.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Quiz of the Day - 23 April 2012

His father was an Indian Civil Services officer and mother was the daughter of an Indian railroad engineer. He was conceived in India, but born in England. A brilliant mathematician, his death has resulted in analogies being drawn to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It has also been suggested that Apple's logo, in actuality, is a tribute to him. Identify the person.
Send your answer to shovon76[at]gmail[dot]com.
The answer will be published tomorrow.
Cheers!
Answer: It is Alan Mathison Turing indeed.
A mathematical genius, probably he changed the final outcome of WWII by deciphering the German Enigma codes. Prior to that, the U-boats were having a free run in the Atlantic. Known for Halting problem, Turing machine, Cryptanalysis of the Enigma, Automatic Computing Engine, Turing Award, Turing Test, Turing patterns, his  homosexuality resulted in a criminal prosecution in 1952, when homosexual acts were still illegal in the United Kingdom. He accepted treatment with female hormones (chemical castration) as an alternative to prison. On 10 September 2009, following an Internet campaign, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an official public apology on behalf of the British government for the way in which Turing was treated after the war.
On 8 June 1954, Turing's cleaner found him dead; the cause of death was later determined to be cyanide poisoning. When his body was discovered an apple lay half-eaten beside his bed, and although the apple was not tested for cyanide, it is speculated that this was the means by which a fatal dose was delivered. David Leavitt has suggested that Turing was re-enacting a scene from the 1937 film Snow White, his favourite fairy tale, pointing out that he took "an especially keen pleasure in the scene where the Wicked Witch immerses her apple in the poisonous brew." It has also been speculated, but officially denied, that Apple's logo was designed as a tribute to Touring.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Quiz of the Day - 19 April 2012

She was born as Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros, on July 20, 1913 in NeuchâtelSwitzerland, to a Hungarian father, who was a Professor of Sociology at Geneva University and Russian mother, who taught at the Institut Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Her deep and intimate knowledge of Indian mythologySanskrit and Vedas was the reason for her being chosen to design "something" by the Indian Government. How do we know her better and what did she design?
Mail your answer to shovon76[at]gmail[dot]com.
Answer will be published tomorrow.
Cheers!
Answer: Sorry for the delay. Unfortunately caught a heatwave and hence the delay.
Indeed, the answer is Savitri Khanolkar, who had designed the Param Vir Chakra, the highest military award for gallantry in the presence of the enemy. It can be awarded posthumously too. Incidentally, the very first awardee, Major Somnath Sharma, was the elder brother of Mrs. Khanolkar's son-in-law Lt Gen Surinder Nath Sharma.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Quiz of the day - 11 April 2012

A university in India has decided to run a free Tram service for its students, faculties and staffs. They have decided to purchase three (3) tramcars from Calcutta Tram Company at a total cost of Rs. 1.5 crores. Name this university.
Please post your answers to shovon76[at]gmail[dot]com.
Answer will be published tomorrow.
Cheers!
Answer: Its Lovely Professional University. They claim to be the largest among all Indian Private Universities, in terms of the total number of students on campus.

Thursday, April 05, 2012

Quiz of the day - 5 April 2012

Observe the picture below.
This illustration was made by MrPanyGoff© Plamen Agov • studiolemontree.com 
The statue on the left hand side is that of a famous violinist. The town square, seen on the right hand side and located at a city in Slovenia, is named after him. Name either the square or the violinist, on which, it is named.
Send your answers to shovon76[at]gmail[dot]com.
Answers and the names of the persons with the correct answer, will be published tomorrow.
Answer: The violinist was Giuseppe Tartini and the Square his named after him as Tratini Square, which is located at a small urban agglomeration.
Unfortunately, only Anonymous quizzer could crack this question. 


Monday, April 02, 2012

Shovon's Football Quiz of April 2012

I hosted the latest edition of the Saturday Night Fever - Live ! Quiz 8 (Blast with a leather ball) on Facebook on 30 March 2012. The complete set of 10 questions, plus an additional bonus question are included in this Football (or Soccer, depending upon which side of the Atlantic you are) Quiz. Although, its being published in the month of April - on the April Fool's Day, to be precise - the actual timeline of the quiz was 30th - 31st of March 2012. 
Introductory speech over. Now let's get down to the usual business of Quizzing!


Q1. The question has two parts. You'll have to identify this sexy French underwear model and tell us about her claim to fame. Of course, she is related to football in a big way.
Identify the lady


Q2. Connect. The three persons in the picture, clockwise from the top, are Major Ronald Ferguson, Barry Townsley and Ferenc Puskas. 



Q3. One of the most bizarre images ever caught on the soccer field. Identify the player who is shown to be squeezing Paul "Gazza" Gascoigne. This guy also holds a record in football. You'll have to tell which record does he hold.




Q4. This is the logo of an English Professional Club, Millwall F.C. What's the Bollywood connection of this team? 


Q5. This photograph, which had been taken around 50 years ago, captures which incident?


Q6. Identify the players. What unique records do they hold?


Q7. George Graham once said of his Leeds United prodigy, "Liverpool may have Michael Owen, but we have ______." Of course, the player could never live up to the expectation. Name him.


Q8. Probably the most famous quote on football, "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that." Who said that?


Q9. He started of his footballing career in Kolkata, when East Bengal Club's spotters took him out of college and signed him. Two other players were also signed along with him. Although, his two compatriots could not achieve much fame, he later on went on to play in Denmark's top tier football league and also represented his country in the FIFA World Cup. Name him.


Q10. Connect Sachin Tendulkar & Chima Okorie.


Q11. (Bonus Question) Complete the series. K. P. Dhanraj, P. Venkatesh, Appa Rao, P.B.A. Saleh and ______ ?


Send in your reply with the correct answers to shovon76[at]gmail[dot]com on, or before 3 April 2012, Tuesday.
Answers, along with the names of the persons with correct entries will be published on the same day.


Its time for Answers along with the names of the persons who have sent the answers. The numbers within the bracket gives the number of correct answers given by the person.


Answer Q01. Vanessa Perroncel. It is said that she had flings with strikers Adrian Mutu and Eidur Gudjohnsen, skipper Terry and his betrayed pal Wayne Bridge, plus a mystery fifth Blues player.
Answer Q02. Galloping Major.
Answer Q03. Vinnie Jones, who also holds the record for the quickest ever booking in a football match, being booked after just three seconds for a foul on the opposition player Dane Whitehouse in a Premier League tie between Chelsea and Sheffield United in 1992.
Answer Q04. John Abraham who played the character of Sunny Bhasin signed for this club after being enticed by Dalip Tahil in the film Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal.
Answer Q05. Munich Air Disaster.
Answer Q06. Michael Chopra and Zesh Rehman, from the left respectively. Chopra has the distinction of being the first British-Indian to score a goal in the premier league, while Zesh is the first British-Pakistani to have played in the premier league.
Answer Q07. Harpal Singh.
Answer Q08. Bill Shankly, the iconic Liverpool manager.
Answer Q09. Emeka Ezeugo. Played for Nigeria in the FIFA World Cup.
Answer Q10. The Yorkshire County Cricket Club in England had a rule of not recruiting any foreign players in their team. This was subsequently changed and Sachin Tendulkar became the very first overseas player to play for Yorkshire.
Similarly, Mohun Bagan had the policy of not signing any foreigners in their football team. Chima became the first non-Indian player to sign for Mohun Bagan.
Answer Q11. Ahmed Khan. They were known as the Pandavas & Vadas. Together, they scored a whopping 386 goals for East Bengal.


And now, it's time to know the quizzers who have sent answers to the questions.

  1. V. Ganeshan (6)
  2. Utpal Saikia (5)
  3. Abhinav (3.5)
  4. Deepika Roy (4.5)
  5. Sanjib (7)
Congrats guys! And, hope that the number of people trying to answer would increase.

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