Sunday Quiz Easy like Sunday morning, March 21 in history
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Born on March 21, 1916, this gentleman is responsible for elevating a folk wind instrument to the global stage. The instrument is made of wood with a double reed at one end and a metal flared bell at the other. The characteristic sound of this instrument is widely heard at auspicious occasions in temples and marriages. The instrument is thought to have evolved from the Pungi which was used for snake charming. What instrument is this and which Bharat Ratna awardee is responsible for bringing it to the limelight?
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Born on March 21, 1960, this Brazilian race car driver is one of the greatest exponents in his field of all time. His methodical, philosophical approach to the sport of Formula 1 racing made him a champion racer who till this day is the most successful driver at Monaco, the most challenging circuit. Who was this driver who in 2020 — 26 years after his death — was calculated to be the fastest driver ever by a machine-learning algorithm?
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March 21, 1844, is the first day of the first year of the calendar of a religious faith which celebrates the day as 'Náw-Rúz'. First practiced in Persia in the 19th century it now has more than five million adherents around the world, with the largest community in India. Their house of worship, which is in the shape of a white lotus, is open to all, and is a prominent attraction in Delhi. Which faith is this?
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Chartered on March 21, 1859, this was the first zoo in the United States. Established on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, it’s renowned for its conservation efforts. The first cheetah born in a zoo and the first parent-reared Guam Kingfisher were both here. Of the 1,300 animals, many are rare and endangered. Which city known as the city of ‘brotherly love’ is this zoo situated in?
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On March 21, 1871, Journalist Henry Morton Stanley began an expedition to the depths of Africa. Earlier, he had fought for the Confederate army in the American civil war, then joined the Union Army and eventually worked with the U.S. Navy. His expedition was funded by the New York Herald and finally, after seven months of searching, he achieved his goal near Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania. On achieving his goal, he’s supposed to have asked a question that has been immortalised in history. To whom did Stanley pose a question?
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On March 21, 1935, the monarch Reza Shah Pahlavi formally asked the international community to call his country by its native name. The native name is derived from a word meaning ‘Aryan’, first recorded in the Avesta, the primary collection of religious texts in Zoroastrianism. The name it replaced comes from a particular ancient province in this country. The Greeks used the latter to refer to Cyrus the Great’s empire, and it is even mentioned in the Bible as ‘Paras’. The Latin version later became popular as the country’s international name. Which country is this and what was this old international name?
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On March 21, 1952, American radio jockey Alan Freed organised the Moondog Coronation Ball at old Cleveland Arena. Around 25,000 people attended this concert to see musicians such as Paul Williams, Tiny Grimes and The Dominoes. Although Freed himself referred to the event as a ‘ball’ or ‘dance’, it has gone down in history as the first ever concert of a certain genre of music. What’s the name — popularised by Freed through his radio show — of this genre?
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On March 21, 1975, this country finally abolished its monarchy after 3,000 years. Known as the King of Kings, the first emperor, according to legend, was Menelik I in 980 BC and the final monarch to reign was Haile Selassie. Menelik’s claim to the throne was based on the fact that he was the son of King Solomon and Makeda, Queen of Sheba. Known as the Solomonic dynasty, which country in North-Eastern Africa did they rule over?
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On March 21, 1990, this country became independent of South Africa. It is home to the oldest desert in the world, which has sand dunes that rise 325 metres above sea level. The country also has extensive rock art, which confirms that hunter-gatherers have been residing in the area continuously for more than 6,000 years. Found on the south-west of Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, which country is this that gets its name from the desert it contains?
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Theatre artist Javad Zolfaghari from Iran proposed this idea at the Congress of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette. Since 2003 it has been observed every year to celebrate the art of manipulation of inanimate objects in storytelling. This traditional style of storytelling is found in almost all cultures and has complexities ranging from simple use of socks to giant versions operated by people inside. March 21 is celebrated as what day by the people practising this art form?