Sunday Quiz What has July 18 ever given us
She is the first person in Olympic Games history to get a certain score in gymnastics.
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On July 18, 64 CE, a huge fire started in shops where flammable goods were stored inside the enormous Circus Maximus stadium in Rome. Six days later, the fire was extinguished but it had destroyed 10 of Rome’s 14 districts. Ancient historians blamed Rome’s then emperor for the fire, saying that he had ordered it to clear out a space for a new palace. This infamous incident led to the emperor's name being associated with anything burning. Which emperor was this?
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Born on July 18, 1848, this gentleman was a qualified doctor who once treated a would-be burglar who injured himself while breaking into his house, free of charge, and then refused to hand him over to the police, as that would have been a breach of medical ethics. He scored nearly 55,000 runs in first-class matches and took more than 2,800 wickets. The name of his biography by Richard Tomlinson aptly shares its name with a popular church hymn and is also a fitting description of the man himself. Who was this gentleman and what is the name of the book?
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In On July 18, 1892, Ukrainian bacteriologist Waldemar Haffkine risked his life by becoming the first human to test a vaccine on himself. Though it was successful, he had to prove it by moving to India and establishing an institute. They were able to successfully inoculate half a million people against which deadly disease caused by bacteria transmitted through drinking water?
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Born on July 18, 1918, as Rolihlahla Dalibhunga, this gentleman was the first president to be elected in a fully representative election in his country. His birthday is celebrated the world over by people spending 67 minutes doing something good for others, which represents the 67 years he spent working toward change. Who was this icon who was also known as Madiba by his people?
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Born on July 18, 1927, this singer, renowned for his riveting baritone voice, is often considered one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of ghazal singing. Referred to as the ‘Shahenshah-e-Ghazal’ (Emperor of Ghazal) he is credited with popularising ghazal singing worldwide. Who was this singer whose melodic patterns and innovative ragas influenced many generations of vocalists?
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Born on July 18, 1950, this English businessman started his empire with a chain of record stores. He is also an adventurer who built his own submarine to travel to the islands he owns, and as of 2021, the only person to have crossed the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in a balloon. Who is this person who, as part of a test flight, became a commercial astronaut and reached space in his own spacecraft?
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On July 18, 1966, at the age of 31 years and 251 days, this gentleman turned one billion seconds old. He was professor of astronomy at the Cornell University, and all our basic understanding of the atmospheres of the planets is thanks to him. He made a host of TV shows, wrote books and gave lectures that inspired many generations of scientific researchers. Who was this scientific visionary who let us know that we are all made of star stuff and loved anything to do with billions?
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On July 18, 1968, this computer technology company was founded in Santa Clara, California. It is the world’s largest manufacturer of semiconductor chips and is pretty much ubiquitous in personal computers worldwide. Started by Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce the portmanteau name of the company is a tribute to the two key factors in their products. Which company is this and what are the two factors?
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On July 18, 1976, this girl completed her routine on the uneven bars at the Olympics and landed to thunderous applause. When the crowd looked at the scoreboard, it showed a score of ‘1.0’ as Omega SA, the official Olympics Manufacturer had been told it was impossible to get a perfect score. She became the first person in Olympic Games history to get a certain score in gymnastics. Who was this girl and what was her score?
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On July 18, 1992, Les Horribles Cernettes (French for The Horrible CERN Girls), an all-female parody pop-group, had their group picture taken. Founded by Michele de Gennaro, a graphic designer who was dating a physicist, the band did songs lampooning high-energy physics. After the show on that day their colleague Tim Berners-Lee asked for their picture to test out something he had recently invented. Why is the picture of the LHC an important milestone in world history?
