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: What has August 25 ever given us?
The Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, also a painter, storyboards his films as full-scale paintings.
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1 / 10 |
The first Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia for 37 years from 1547, Ivan Vasilyevich was born on this date in 1530. He was responsible for the transformation of Russia from a medieval state to a giant empire.He was given the nickname Grozny (‘inspires fear’), but anti-Russian propaganda anglicised the nickname to portray him as an evil sadistic ruler. By what name is he known in English history?
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On this date in 1609, this iconic person demonstrated the first version of his telescope to Venetian lawmakers showing a magnification of 8x or 9x. He sold them to merchants and sea traders, and only in November turned it on the moon. Who was this person who even makes an appearance in a song by Queen?
3 / 10 |
The New York Sun started a series of six articles, which followed the work of explorer John Herschel on August 25, 1835. He was the one who originated the Julian day system, and his father discovered Uranus. The articles declared that he had discovered life and civilisation away from Earth. Later, they admitted that it was an elaborate hoax. Where did The Sun say Herschel found life?
4 / 10 |
Hans Adolf Krebs, a German biochemist who won the Nobel Prize for discovering the citric acid cycle, was born on this day in 1900. An important metabolic sequence affecting carbohydrates, proteins and fats. What does this cycle produce for the body?
Answer : Energy (in the form of ATP)
DID YOU KNOW THE ANSWER?
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5 / 10 |
Born this date in 1930, this Scottish gentleman first came to prominence for bodybuilding and taking part in the Mr. Universe competition. Thinking he was too old for football he took up acting. Who was this actor who became the first to portray a legendary character onscreen?
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The iconic Japanese film Rashomon, directed by Akira Kurosawa, was released on this day in 1950. Amongst its many technical innovations, it was also the first film to show a certain natural entity on screen. Till then it was believed that doing so will spoil the film. What did Kurosawa aim his camera at for the first time?
7 / 10 |
Taiwanese businessman Momofuku Ando introduced ‘Nissin Chikin Ramen’ on this date in 1958. Wanting to help post-war Japan get out of its food shortage, he perfected a flash-frying method, the product of which he marketed in cups. What did he invent that is still popular till date?
8 / 10 |
Tim Burton, an award-winning American director, whose list of movies include Corpse Bride, Sleepy Hollow, Dark Shadows, and Sweeney Todd, was born on August 25, 1958. He specialises in a genre that gets its name from ‘non-classical’ medieval architecture and is characterised by a dark colour palette, horror elements and supernatural entities. What genre is this?
9 / 10 |
The first version of Linux, a kernel for an operating system, was announced on this day in 1991 by software engineer Linus Torvalds. It was revolutionary as it allowed the user to modify and distribute the software free of charge. The name of this system comes from the fact that everyone has access to the source code. What are these softwares known as?
10 / 10 |
On August 25, 2006 naturalists Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor while exploring a National Park in California made a record-breaking discovery. They found a tree that stood 380.81 feet tall, and is (as of printing) the tallest of three trillion trees on the planet. Called ‘Hyperion’, what species of tree is this, which also gives its name to the National Park?
