A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley
Quiz | Easy like Sunday morning: The many records set on August 27
German athlete Bridget Fischer has won eight gold medals over six Olympic games, and was chosen as the German sportswoman of the year in 2004
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1 / 10 |
On August 27, 1783, French scientist Jacques Charles and his team launched a balloon that eventually reached a record altitude of 900m. Earlier, all attempts had used hot air, but Charles studied the behaviour of gases, so chose a different path. They engineered the balloon with silk sheets, rubber and turpentine, making it possible to hold a very light gas. What gas did Charles use, which till an unfortunate incident, powered balloons for years?
2 / 10 |
On August 27, 1883, the eruption of the volcano Krakatoa peaked, completely destroying the island it was on and causing years of climate change. The eruption was equivalent to 13,000 times the yield of an atom bomb and made the loudest noise ever on the planet, with the sound travelling around the world three-and-a-half times. In which country was this, the surroundings now a national park?
3 / 10 |
On August 27, 1896, war broke out between the U.K. and Zanzibar. In the conflict, Zanzibar lost 500 people, two boats, a royal yacht and artillery, while one British soldier was wounded. It started at 9:02, when some shots set the palace on fire, and ended at 9:40, when the British lowered the flag in the palace. What record did this give the Anglo-Zanzibar war?
Answer : Shortest ever War in history (38 minutes, 45 seconds long)
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4 / 10 |
On August 27, 1913, Lt. Pyotr Nesterov of the Imperial Russian Air Service performed a loop in a monoplane near Kiev. This had never been done before, and generally thought not possible. For this move, he courted arrest for ‘risking government property’. Eventually he was lauded, and this move led to a new practice. What did he pioneer, which is now a huge draw in air shows?
5 / 10 |
On August 27, 1939, the German made Heinkel He 178 took off on its first flight. The flight lasted six minutes and reached 598 km/hr. Although it did not go into production, this was the first time an aircraft had flown without a propeller or gliding. Using gas turbines this was the very first example of which aircraft?
6 / 10 |
On August 27, 1955, the very first edition of a certain book was published in Great Britain. Excluding non-copyright works such as the Bible, it is one of the top-selling copyrighted books in publishing history. The current edition has more than 60,000 entries and is available in more than 40 languages. What book is this, which was started by two fact-finding brothers and the managing director of a brewery?
7 / 10 |
On August 27, 1962, the Mariner 2 unmanned space mission was launched by NASA and became the successful mission to another planet in our solar system. It was also the first to measure solar wind, a constant stream of charged particles emanating from the sun. Which planet did it encounter, one on which a day is longer than a year?
8 / 10 |
On August 27, 1975, Veronica and Colin Scargill of England completed a bicycle ride that had taken them a record 2,9000 km around the world. The particular type of cycle they used could reach higher speeds than normal ones, and also allowed them to help each other propel forward. The name refers to the seating arrangement (fore to aft) and has many variations. What is the name of this type of bicycle?
9 / 10 |
On August 27, 2004, German athlete Birgit Fischer won gold in K-4 500m at the Olympics in Athens. This made her the first woman in any sport to win gold medals at six different Olympics, the first to win gold 24 years apart, and the first person to win two or more medals in five different Games. She has been both the youngest and oldest-ever Olympic champion in which sport also known as ‘flat water racing’?
10 / 10 |
On August 27, 2012, the Mars Curiosity rover broadcast a greeting from NASA administrator Charlie Bolden. He congratulated the mission team for getting the huge robot to Mars safely. What historical record did this message set?
Answer : First human voice on another planet
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