1. This person, born on August 12, 1919, was responsible for setting up the Indian Institute of Management — Ahmedabad, Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, and the Uranium Corporation of India, among other institutions. His most valuable contribution however came through India’s space programme. He founded the Physical Research Laboratory and eventually was responsible for the fabrication of Aryabhata, India’s first satellite. Who was this scientist, whose 99th birth anniversary is today?
2. On August 12, 1851, Isaac Merritt _____ was given a patent for a machine that he had made. He hadn’t invented it though, as the design had been around for many years. Walter Hunt had made one in 1834 but didn’t patent it as he thought it would cause unemployment for many people. Merritt copied Elias Howe’s (another inventor) design, made minor changes and then used his showmanship to make the machine popular. Soon, machines with his name on it were making their way into many homes. Many Indian houses still have one of these. What machine is this and what is Isaac’s full name?
3. Sir Joseph _____ was a British surgeon who was present at the first surgical procedure carried out under anaesthesia in 1846. He read Louis Pasteur’s work on micro-organisms and decided to experiment with one of his proposed techniques. On August 12, 1865 he applied a piece of lint soaked with carbolic acid on the fractured leg of a seven-year-old boy, and four days later found that no infection had developed. What was this the first use of and what is his full name (which is now a brand name for the same)?
4. This person was born on August 12, 1887 in Vienna. One day, Nobel laureate Peter Debye told him to work on French physicist Louis de Broglie’s thesis, which postulated that matter has wave properties. He took a 20-day vacation in the Alps, stuck two pearls in his ears for silence and came back with an equation that led to a Nobel Prize. Who was this scientist who is famous for explaining his theory with a familiar pet?
5. On August 12, 1981 International Business Machines introduced model number 5150 to the public. They used a particular two-word term to describe the product, which was shortened to two letters. Within a short time it became a hot seller and multiple companies made peripheral devices, expansion cards etc. which established a market for such products. How do we better know this company, and what is the term they made common through this model?
6. Born on August 12, 1971 in a Greek family in Washington D.C., this person discovered a tennis racket at the age of three. By age 11, he had already played with Rod Laver. Nicknamed for his precise serves, he retired with 14 titles (which was then a record). From 1993 to 1998 he finished each year ranked number one. Who was this player?
7. On August 12, 1944, British engineers opened an undersea pipeline between England and France, meant to supply fuel during the Allied Invasion of Normandy. They called it ‘Pipe-Line Underwater Transportation of Oil’. What was the name it went by which should remind you of a popular cartoon character’s pet?
8. Thomas Alva Edison was working on the telegraph and the telephone at the same time. He speculated about recording messages and went on to design a machine in which sound vibrations were indented on to a tin-foil cylinder and could then be played back. On August 12, 1877, he supposedly recorded ‘Mary had a little lamb’ on to it. What device was this, which led to the birth of the recording industry?
9. Since 2000, August 12 has been celebrated as ‘International _____ Day’ by the United Nations. It is meant to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding a certain section of the population. Who are these people who make up 27.34% of India’s population?
10. British musicians Mark and his brother-in-arms David formed a band called the Cafe Racers. They had a few gigs lined up but had money for nothing. Unable to rent a studio, they were rehearsing in a friend’s kitchen. The drummers flat-mate commented on the situation saying, ‘you guys are in _____ _____’, alluding to their financial situation. They ended up using that as the band name and went on to become one of the world’s biggest selling groups. What is their name and what is the full name of Mark, who is celebrating his 69th birthday today, and is still in the same walk of life?
Answers
1. Vikram Sarabhai
2. Sewing machine, Isaac M. Singer
3. Antiseptic, Joseph Lister (Listerine)
4. Erwin Schrödinger, ‘Schrödinger’s cat’
5. IBM, Personal Computer (PC)
6. ‘Pistol’ Pete Sampras
7. PLUTO
8. The phonograph
9. Youth
10. Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler
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
