Barack Obama - 100 Days On

One hundred days in to his presidency and what has Barack Obama achieved? To the casual observer from across the ocean - not very much! But is it fair to judge someone after only 7% of his term in office (assuming he only gets one term)? I'd say it's not really fair, but the journalists like to have something to write...and this is what the BBC came up with. It seems as though he's doing a good job so far, but as I recall, so was George W at the same stage!!

Your Thursday questions are: -

1. Who committed suicide with his wife of just one day today in 1945?
   
   
2. How did American railroad engineer Casey Jones (right) die today in 1900?
   
   
3. Who was born today in 1982 and has played Mary Jane Watson in the "Spider-Man" movie trilogy?

Yesterday's Answers: 1. Joan of Arc; 2. Captain Kathryn Janeway; 3. "Hair"

Composers, Musicians and Conductors Day

It's time for another of those coincidences again. This time I noticed a number of prominent conductors, musicians and composers were born Today in History! Karl Millöcker (1842), Sir Thomas Beecham (1879), Sir Malcolm Sargent (1895), Duke Ellington (1899), Harold Shapero (1920), Peter Sculthorpe (1929), Rod McKuen (1933), Zubin Mehta (1936) and a few more 'lesser' lights!

Here are your Wednesday questions: -

1. Who arrived at Orléans today in 1429 and led the French to victory over the English?
   
   
2. Actress Kate Mulgrew (right), who was born today in 1955, played which character in the TV series "Star Trek: Voyager"?
   
   
3. Which controversial rock musical opened on Broadway at the Biltmore Theater today in 1968?

Yesterday's Answers: 1. Yellow Fever; 2. Sue Storm/Invisible Woman; 3. Andy Flower

Ryan Giggs PFA Player of the Year 2009

Some people seem to consider this result as somewhat controversial as Ryan Giggs has played so few games for Manchester United this season. My theory is that, rather than split the votes amongst the United players, enough of them decided that Giggs was a deserving choice for his years of service and fantastic play. (It's only a theory; maybe the PFA actually did fix the result in favour of a long-serving British player; then again, maybe not!!)

Here are your Tuesday teasers: -

1. A vaccine to combat which mosquito borne disease was announced for use on humans today in 1932?
   
   
2. Actress Jessica Alba (right) was born today in 1981 and played which character in the "Fantastic Four" films?
   
   
3. Who was born today in 1968 in Cape Town and is the Team Director for the England Cricket team?

Yesterday's Answers: 1. Ulysses S Grant; 2. "Quincy"; 3. Edward Gibbon

Swine Flu vs Global Warming

Is the world on the verge of a global pandemic of Swine Flu? Maybe we are, but is it such a bad thing? The worst flu pandemic killed 50 million people in 1918 - 1919; that's about 3% of the World's population at the time. If this Swine Flu were to be as devastating the death toll would be about 200 million worldwide.

So, would that be a sufficient reduction in the human race to have an effect on Global Warming? Probably not, but it does mystify me that scientists put so much effort into preventing loss of life when it is the abundance of human life on our planet that is having such a devastating effect on Earth's biosphere. Go figure!

Enough ranting here are your Monday's teasers: -

1. Who was born today in 1822 and became the 18th President of the United States in 1869?
   
   
2. Actor Jack Klugman (right) was born today in 1922 and played which Medical Examiner on TV from 1976 to 1983?
   
   
3. Who was born today in 1737 and wrote "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire"?

Yesterday's Answers: 1. John Wilkes Booth; 2. 1948 London Olympics; 3. Spain

Lenny Henry is Othello

I must admit, it had passed me by that Lenny Henry has been playing Othello for the past few months to some critical acclaim! Now the production is planned to move to the West End in September for a three month run.

Sunday's teasers are: -

1. Which Presidential assassin was killed by US Cavalry today in 1865?

   
   
2. Dutch athlete Fanny Blankers-Koen (right) was born today in 1918 and won four gold medals at which Olympic Games?
   
   
3. In which country is the town Guernica that was almost destroyed by German bombers today in 1937?

Yesterday's Answers: 1. Hubble Telescope; 2. "Scent of a Woman"; 3. Harlem Globetrotters

Wembley Pitch to be Re-laid...Again!

Following the dreadful FA Cup semi finals last weekend, the Wembley pitch is to be re-laid for the SIXTH time! Strange how the opinion of three of this country's top football managers was ignored until after they were proved right last weekend! Obviously there wasn't enough money to provide a decent football pitch after the £750 million had been spent on the rest of the stadium!

The weekend is here: -

1. What was deployed into orbit from the Space Shuttle Discovery today in 1990?

   
   
2. Actor Al Pacino (right) was born today in 1940 and won his only Oscar for his performance in which film?
   
   
3. Meadowlark Lemon, who was born today in 1932, played over 16,000 games for which basketball team?

Yesterday's Answers: 1. Kelly Clarkson; 2. Jean-Paul Gaultier; 3. Ireland

Hitler Paintings Auction

Examples of Adolf Hitler's early paintings went under the hammer and fetched a whopping £95,000! This was about twenty times the auctioneer's estimate!

Your Friday testers are: -

1. Who was the first winner of "American Idol" in 2002 that was born today in 1982 in Texas?

   
   
2. Who was born today in 1952 and designed the costumes for the Luc Besson film "The Fifth Element"?
   
   
3. Today in 1916, the Easter Rising began in which country?

Yesterday's Answers: 1. "Dark Side of the Moon"; 2. Nick Nack; 3. Order of the Garter

St George's Day

Today's the day every proud Englishman should celebrate - like the Irish on St Patrick's Day...or should we? St George was Turkish; St Patrick was actually Irish (and St David was Welsh). St George is also the patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia, as well as the cities of Amersfoort, Beirut, Bteghrine, Cáceres, Ferrara, Freiburg, Genoa, Ljubljana, Gozo, Pomorie, Qormi, Lod and Moscow, Scouting, as well as a wide range of professions, organizations and disease sufferers. St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland only.

So, our patron saint is really not ours alone, just one we've adopted as we couldn't find someone who is actually English!!

Your Thursday teasers are: -

1. Which Pink Floyd album finally left the Billboard 200 after 741 consecutive weeks today in 1988?

   
   
2. Actor Hervé Villechaize (right), who was born today in 1943, played which character in the film "The Man with the Golden Gun"?
   
   
3. Which order of chivalry, founded by Edward III, was announced today in 1348?

Yesterday's Answers: 1. Poland; 2. 3; 3. Robin Knox-Johnston

The Sun is Fading

Did you know that the Sun has reached its lowest level of activity for at least 100 years? Apparently the Sun goes through phases like this, but we are still not sure why and how long this is likely to last for. So far there doesn't seem to have been any slow down in global warming, but who knows? We are about due for another Ice Age, maybe this is the start...see this link for more information. I, for one believe that the current 'panic' over global warming is just so much hot air!

Your Wednesday questions are: -

1. Politician Donald Tusk was born today in 1957 and is the Prime Minister of which European country?

   
   
2. Actor Jack Nicholson (right) was born today in 1937 and has won how many Oscars?
   
   
3. Which British yachtsman completed the first non-stop solo circumnavigation of the world today in 1969?

Yesterday's Answers: 1. Haile Selassie; 2. The Stooges; 3. Currer Bell

Star Trek Returns

At last! The UK premiere of the new "Star Trek" film was last night...and by all accounts it's a great film! I for one can't wait to see it when its on general release.

Your Tuesday teasers are: -

1. Which African Emperor visited Jamaica today in 1966?

   
   
2. Singer Iggy Pop (right), who was born today in 1947, is backed by which band?
   
   
3. What pen name was used by "Jane Eyre" author Charlotte Bronte who was born today in 1816?

Yesterday's Answers: 1. Irish; 2. "King Kong"; 3. Apollo 16

Don't Fly Today

As I was looking up the information for today's questions I came across some interesting coincidences. There were fatal air crashes today in 1967, 1968 and 1998; in 1978 a Korean Air plane was shot down by Soviet jets and in 1918 the Red Baron shot down his final victims (nos. 79 & 80). Spooky!

Your Monday's posers are: -

1. What nationality was "Dracula" author Bram Stoker who died today in 1912?

   
   
2. Actress Jessica Lange (right), who was born today in 1949, made her movie debut in which 1976 re-make of which 1933 classic film?
   
   
3. Which Apollo mission landed on the moon today in 1972?

Yesterday's Answers: 1. Dame Kelly Holmes; 2. "The Tracey Ullman Show"; 3. Outboard Motor