2 answers
Feb 14 26 by satguru
Why would an airline pilot transmit a 'Pan-Pan' call rather that an 'Mayday' call?
Both terms originate from French to ensure they were easily understood by pilots and controllers on both sides of the English Channel in the 1920s.
- "Mayday" derived from the French "m'aider" (from "venez m'aider"), meaning "help me". It was proposed in 1923 by Frederick Mockford to provide a clear, unmistakable distress signal for voice radio.
- "Pan-Pan" derived from the French word "panne", meaning a "breakdown" or "mechanical failure". It is used for urgent situations that are not yet life-threatening.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-pan (wellenbrecher)
3 answers
Mar 18 26 by odo5435
In which month did the French revolution start?
Tensions and financial issues preceded, but May 1789 is when the Estates-General, an advisory group consisting of clergy, nobility, and commoners, was convened and represented the start of the French Revolution.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estates_General_of_1789 (Rizeeve)
1 answer
Today
by chabenao1
3 answers
Mar 18 26 by odo5435
3 answers
Mar 18 26 by odo5435
Which knight and military leader was sentenced to death by King Edward II of England for his unauthorized truce with his rebellious northern kingdom, but only three months later had to conclude a thirteen-year truce with the Scottish rebels?
Sir Andrew Harclay (or Hartley) (anglicized from Andreas de Harcla), Earl of Carlisle
[quote]In 1321 he was summoned to parliament as a baron. The next year he gathered and led the northern forces that defeated and captured Thomas, Earl of Lancaster at Boroughbridge. On 25 March, just three days after Lancaster's execution, Harclay was created Earl of Carlisle, being girded with the comital sword by King Edward II himself. In addition he was promised land grants suitable for that rank.
The defeat of the rebels enabled the king to turn his attention to Scotland. Harclay raised another considerable force towards this campaign, but was unable to meet up with the royal forces before their disastrous defeat at Old Byland.
Afterwards the north of England became very hard to defend against Scottish raiding, and apparently Harclay decided to take matters into his own hands, and met with Robert I of Scotland to propose peace terms. Several different versions of the resulting agreement are extant, which has led to a lack of consensus amongst historians regarding the reasonableness of the proposal.
In any case King Edward could deem it nothing less than treason. Harclay was arrested, and hanged, drawn and quartered on 3 March 1323.[/quote]
https://www.geni.com/people/Sir-Andrew-de-Harcla-1st-Last-Earl-of-Carlisle/6000000010400801935 (elburcher)
3 answers
Mar 16 26 by pehinhota
3 answers
Mar 16 26 by pehinhota
1 answer
Mar 17 26 by WesleyCrusher
2 answers
Feb 14 26 by satguru
3 answers
Mar 16 26 by pehinhota
Does the 'Spanish Main' still exist?
The Spanish Main included "Spanish Florida and New Spain, the latter extending through modern-day Texas, Mexico, all of Central America, to Colombia and Venezuela on the north coast of South America" (Wikipedia) - and because these countries still exist today, it could be argued semantically that the "Spanish Main" still exists today - but because those countries are no longer part of the vast Spanish empire that once existed throughout the world, it could be argued more sensibly that the Spanish Main no longer exists.
Putting it another way, the whole of the eastern half of Australia was once known as the colony of New South Wales, but I'm sure if any of the separate states that are now part of the eastern half of Australia today but exist as separate states (Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania) were referred to as such, you'd probably end up in a pub brawl. (Creedy)
2 answers
Mar 10 26 by odo5435
What was Sluggy Hollow?
1920s Los Angeles house
Humphrey Bogart and his third wife, actress Mayo Methot, called their 1920s Los Angeles house Sluggy Hollow-the name alluded to their famously contentious relationship.
https://www.themostexpensivehomes.com/celebrity-homes/10-incredible-hollywood-vintage-mansions-how-the-stars-lived/#:~:text=Humphrey%20Bogart%20and%20his%20third%20wife%2C%20actress%20Mayo,Hollow%E2%80%94the%20name%20alluded%20to%20their%20famously%20contentious%20relationship. (pehinhota)
1 answer
Mar 16 26 by serpa
1 answer
Dec 30 25 by GBfan
In 1914 which forensic pathologist succeeded for the first time in criminal history in scientifically detecting poison in the bones and body parts?
It appears that the detection of poisons, specifically Arsenic, were around much earlier than 1914.
[quote]The Marsh Test
Legal Vindication of the Marsh Test
Because the arsenic in the Marsh test was separated from the forensic sample in the form of a gas, the complications that had plagued earlier precipitation tests were avoided and it soon became the definitive procedure for the forensic detection of arsenic. It was first employed in France during the 1840 trial of an attractive young widow by the name of Marie-Fortunée Lefarge, who was accused of poisoning her much older husband, Charles, with arsenic that she had allegedly purchased for the purpose of killing rats. The trial was closely followed by the French press, especially when several faulty attempts to detect arsenic in Charles' body using the new Marsh test proved negative, only to be subsequently overturned when repeated by the famous toxicologist, Mathieu Orfila, who had been originally hired as an expert witness by the defense! In the end Marie was found guilty and the Marsh test both legally and publicly vindicated.[/quote]
https://homepages.uc.edu/~jensenwb/museum-notes/26.%20Marsh%20Apparatus.pdf (elburcher)
2 answers
Mar 13 26 by pehinhota
2 answers
Mar 13 26 by pehinhota
Between 1883 and 1885, which Romanian city was the terminus for the legendary Orient Express?
This was because passengers had to leave the train and board a ferry to cross the Danube. They then took the train again to continue their journey on the other side.
[quote]Vienna remained the terminus until 4 October 1883, when the route was extended to Giurgiu, Romania. At Giurgiu, passengers were ferried across the Danube to Ruse, Bulgaria, to pick up another train to Varna. They then completed their journey to Constantinople, as the city was still commonly called in the west at the time, by ferry.[/quote]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orient_Express#History (wellenbrecher)
2 answers
Mar 09 26 by pehinhota
Does the 'Spanish Main' still exist?
The 'Spanish Main' does not exist today, for the land around the now Gulf of Mexico was once conquered by Spain during the 16th to 19th centuries, and now the coastline is various countries, from modern-day Panama to the Orinoco delta in Venezuela, sometimes including parts of Central America and Mexico. Also, piracy has now ceased.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Main (Philip_Eno)
2 answers
Mar 10 26 by odo5435
2 answers
Mar 09 26 by pehinhota
4 answers
Jan 21 26 by serpa
Which wall is considered the second longest in the world after the Great Wall of China?
The Moroccan Western Sahara Wall (also called the Berm) is the second longest after China's Great Wall, at about 2,700 km (1,700 miles). Morocco built it from 1980 to 1987 to separate their controlled areas - with key resources like phosphates - from the Polisario-held Free Zone. The wall is heavily fortified with sand berms, bunkers, fences, radar and the world's longest continuous minefield.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moroccan_Western_Sahara_Wall (wellenbrecher)
4 answers
Feb 27 26 by pehinhota
1 answer
Dec 30 25 by GBfan
4 answers
Feb 27 26 by pehinhota
2 answers
Mar 04 26 by pehinhota
During which event did Alberto Korda take the most famous photo of Che Guevara?
Alberto Korda took the photograph "Guerrillero Heroico" in Havana, Cuba, on 5 March 1960. Che Guevara, an Argentinian, was there for a memorial for the 75-100 people blown to bits by the explosion of the French freighter Le Coubre on 4 March 1960. Fidel Castro blamed the US for the sabotage of 76 tons of munitions on board.
(FatherSteve)
2 answers
Mar 04 26 by pehinhota
2 answers
Jan 01 26 by gmackematix
Why does Australia compete in the Eurovision song contest? It is about as far away from Europe as you can get!
This is what the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) says about it:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-07/why-is-australia-competing-in-eurovision-song-contest/103801224
[quote]Why is Australia in Eurovision?
In short, because Australian broadcaster SBS has been such a big supporter of the event. It's been covering the contest since 1983 - a whopping four decades - but Australian acts have only been taking the stage for 10 years.
It kicked off in 2014, when iconic Australian singer Jessica Mauboy was invited to be a guest singer during the interval. The following year, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) invited Australia to compete as a wildcard entry.[/quote]
So it's fun fan service, but geography-wise, it's like inviting Texans to the Oktoberfest contest. (wellenbrecher)
1 answer
Mar 01 26 by ozzz2002
2 answers
Dec 30 25 by GBfan
4 answers
Feb 27 26 by pehinhota
Which wall is considered the second longest in the world after the Great Wall of China?
The Kumbhalgarh Fort, known for possessing the world's second-longest wall, after the Great Wall of China, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is nestled 84 kilometres north of Udaipur amidst the beauty of the wilderness.
https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/rajasthan/udaipur/kumbhalgarh-fort#:~:text=The%20Kumbhalgarh%20Fort%2C%20known%20for,the%20beauty%20of%20the%20wilderness.
(elvislennon)
4 answers
Feb 27 26 by pehinhota
3 answers
Feb 25 26 by serpa
3 answers
Feb 25 26 by serpa
3 answers
Feb 25 26 by serpa
2 answers
Feb 24 26 by pehinhota
The Romanian David Stoliar was the sole survivor of which tragic shipwreck?
David Stoliar survived the torpedoing of the Struma in 1942. Out at sea, the ship's engine had died with no way to repair it. A distress signal was sent out, and although the vessel was towed, a Soviet torpedo destroyed the ship. David survived by clinging to debris, but everyone else died.
https://www.yadvashem.org/exhibitions/struma/david-stoliar.html (Buddy1)
2 answers
Feb 24 26 by pehinhota
In terms of passenger travel through, but not into or out of, its airspace, what would be the number 1 "flyover" state in the USA?
According to the link above, in raw numbers they calculate Virginia, but if you consider flyovers as a proportion of aircraft entering the airspace, it is West Virginia.
However, their analysis ignores Delaware - with no instate airports, there are no landings to divide by in producing their ratio, so the table has no entry at all. Given its location on the busy east coast airway, it may well be competitive! (looney_tunes)
2 answers
Feb 22 26 by etymonlego
Which immigrant printed the first Bible in the German language in North America, in 1743?
That would be Christopher Sower.
On a fun note, one can be yours for just under $7,000 USD at the moment.
https://hsp.org/blogs/question-of-the-week/christopher-sower-printed-and-published-the-first-american-edition-of-which-book
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christoph_Sauer
https://moons-rare-books.myshopify.com/products/saurs-german-bible
(maripp2002)
2 answers
Feb 23 26 by pehinhota
2 answers
Feb 23 26 by pehinhota
What is the 90 Mile Straight?
This is Australia's longest stretch of straight road situated on the Nullarbor Plain.
https://www.australia.com/en-nz/trips-and-itineraries/perth-and-surrounds/crossing-the-nullarbor.html
(elvislennon)
2 answers
Feb 22 26 by serpa
2 answers
Feb 22 26 by etymonlego
What is the 90 Mile Straight?
Driving along the Eyre Highway in Western Australia, we encountered the famous 90 Mile Straight, the longest straight road in Australia. This record-breaking stretch runs between the Balladonia and Caiguna roadhouses, covering a distance of 145.6 kilometers (about 90 miles) without a single bend.
https://dulkeith.net.au/90-mile-straight-western-australia
(pehinhota)
2 answers
Feb 22 26 by serpa
Post a New Question
