Pick n' Mix: Part THIRTEEN Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nimrod Expedition

The Nimrod expedition occurred between 1907-1909. This expedition suffered a sparsity of funds and was organised in a rush. Setting out in 1907, the Nimrod landed in Cape Royds, Ross Island, in 1908 where the explorers prepared for the trek to the South Pole. During their difficult journey, the crew were expected to cover 19 miles a day in freezing, unknown terrain, however Shackleton observed they were only covering 7 miles daily.

British explorer Shackleton and his crew discovered the Beardmore Glacier on their journey, which is a 10,000 feet high glacier that runs along the Transantarctic Mountains, blocking the path to those wishing to travel southward. The crew dragged their sledges up the glacier and celebrated Christmas Day with cigars atop it. They had discovered what would later become known as "the gate to the South Pole."

Upon returning to Britain, Shackleton was knighted for his efforts. Nobody died on this expedition, although some of the crew were suffering from dysentery upon returning and one man reportedly had lost two stone in weight, with Shackleton stretching out 90 days of rations over 120 days.

Answer: Carole Lombard

Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters in 1908) became an actor early in life, with her first appearance on screen taking place when she was 12 in Allan Dwan's 1921 silent film, "A Perfect Crime." This film is potentially lost media, with no known copies being available to the public.

Carole Lombard would later go on to have notable parts in 1928 in William J. Cowen's "Ned McCobb's Daughter," Raoul Walsh's "Me, Gangster" and Paul L. Stein's "Show Folks." The first film she acted in to contain audio was "Howard Higgin's "High Voltage" (1929). Ernst Lubitsch's "To Be or Not to Be" (1942) was her last film, and was in post-production after her death. There was a legend that a line was removed from the film where Lombard's character states "What can happen on a plane?" but no evidence exists to confirm this.

Lombard married Clark Gable in 1939. Although he had been married twice after her death, Gable was buried next to Lombard following his death in 1960.

In 1942, Carole Lombard returned to Indiana, where she was born. She wished to return to Los Angeles in a prompt manner and decided to take a plane, a decision she took via the toss of a coin, upon learning of her mother's apprehension about them flying. The plane crashed near Potosi Mountain, around 30 miles (50 km) southwest of Las Vegas. All 22 passengers on the plane were killed, including Lombard's mother. 15 U.S soldiers were onboard the plane, as well as Clark Gable's agent, Otto Winkler. Lombard and her mother are buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California.

Answer: Europium

Considered mildly toxic, europium is a silver/white rare metal, which is ductile and becomes dull as it is exposed to air. It has the atomic symbol Eu and an atomic number of 63. The dust of europium is cautioned to be a fire/explosion hazard. IN reaction to water, europium produces hydrogen gas and europium hydroxide.

Europium is frequently applied to the phosphors in Euro bank notes to prevent counterfeiting. Europium also is frequently used as a doping agent in the phosphors in computer screens and televisions. Valency three europium produces a red tint in these monitors, and valancy 2 emits a blue tint. When both valencies are used together, white light is omitted and this is regularly used in fluorescent bulbs. Europium is even used in the control rods of nuclear reactors due to its proficiency in absorbing neutrons.

Whilst not observed freely in nature, europium is found in minerals such as monazite, bastnaesite and xenotime. For mass production, europium is isolated by solvent extraction and ion exchange. The metal is made via electrolysis of molten chloride with sodium chloride

Answer: Hugo

Hugo the Hornet has been a basketball mascot since 1988. Hugo was not always the mascot for the Charlotte Hornets, having been originally the mascot for the New Orleans Hornets, however, when the New Orleans Hornets changed their name to the New Orleans Pelicans, they replaced Hugo as their mascot with Pierre the Pelican. In 2014, Hugo was reintroduced as the mascot for the Charlotte Hornets.

Hugo was played by one sole actor, Michael Zerrillo, for 17 years before he retired. The next actor who took on the role of Hugo has remained anonymous to the public. Hugo's alter ego is named "Super Hugo."

Hugo is known to be an energetic mascot, having once jumped through a ring of fire to slam-drunk a basketball in 2008, when the New Orleans Hornets played the San Antonio Spurs. This ring of fire would subsequently cause a fire in the building, where nobody was injured.

Answer: Tower

On 27 April 1978, a cooling tower was under construction in West Virginia. Falling concrete being lifted from a crane resulted in a collapsing scaffold. 51 construction workers died by falling from the scaffolding. An investigation would prove that the scaffolding was unsafe (including have missing bolts) and there was only one ladder in use, restricting the likelihood of workers escaping should disaster strike.

Answer: Eligiusz Niewiadomski

Eligiusz Niewiadomski (1869-1923) was a Polish artist who assassinated Gabriel Narutowicz, the first President of Poland.

Gabriel Narutowicz was only five days into his presidency when Niewiadomski assassinated him on December 16 1922. Narutowicz was opening an exhibition in Warsaw at the Zachęta Gallery. Niewiadomski shot his gun three times and the president died at the scene. Niewiadomski did not run nor try to evade capture in any way, admitting what he had done.

Niewiadomski was put on trial and requested the death penalty himself, explaining during his testimony that he saw Narutowicz as a prominent figurehead for the left, believing that liberal ideology was destroying Poland. His wish for capital punishment was granted and he was executed via firing squad in 1923. His last words were "I am dying for Poland, which Piłsudski is losing!"

Answer: Mile High Stadium

Until 1968, the Mile High Stadium was called the "Bear Stadium." The stadium was constructed by 1948 and was originally built for the games of the Denver Bears (who became the Denver Zephyrs in 1984), a now defunct baseball team. The Mile High Stadium was also home to many concerts, with Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, U2, the Jacksons, Metallica, Guns N' Roses and the Grateful Dead performing here.

The last game the Denver Broncos ever partook in at the Mile High Stadium was on December 23 2000, against the 49ers. By April 2001, the stadium had been completely demolished, with a car park taking its place. A small replica of the stadium features in this car park. The Denver Broncos moved their home ground to Empower Field at Mile High in 2001.

Answer: Gajar Paak

Gajar Paak is composed of chopped or grated carrots cooked in water, sugar, ghee, nuts, milk and cardamom. A red velvet version of this dessert exists, with saffron and rose water added to the other standard ingredients.

Answer: Francis of Paola

Francis of Paola was born in Paola (in what was then the Kingdom of Naples) in 1416. Religion played a large part of his life from a young age, being named after Saint Francis of Assisi, and having received training and education from the Franciscan friars residing on Paola.

Francis of Paola started the Order of Minims, originally called "Hermits of Saint Francis of Assisi", around 1435. It eventually became a rule of the order to not consume or use animal products. The order was reclusive, with Francis asserting that mortification to the extreme was the path to spiritual enlightenment. The members of the order were rarely seen in society.

Answer: Fatima

Hasan ibn Ali (625-670) was the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The eldest son of Fatima and her husband, Ali ibn Abi Talib (who was also the younger cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, and was one of the first to accept his messages as divine), Hasan reigned for a short period as caliph from January-August 661, after his father Ali's assassination.

Hasan is counted as one of the five most holy people in Shiʿi, that is, one of the five whom Muhammad spread his cloak over before proclaiming them "The People of the House." Although his father Ali had not chosen a successor by the time was assassinated in 661, many were loyal to Hasan inheriting the caliphate due to his blood relationship to the Prophet Muhammad.

After surviving assassination attempts and taking part in many battles, Hasan had little money, an army that was deserting him more and more by the day, and a distaste for war. He abdicated his caliphate for the sake of peace. He was able to live a quiet life, free from politics, in Medina for the rest of his life, until he was (as most early sources state) poisoned to death in around 670.

Answer: Jesse James

Edward Capehart O'Kelley (1857-1904) was born in Missouri, and killed Robert Ford in 1892. Robert Ford, after joining Jesse James' gang, shot James in the back of the head in 1882. After being arrested for murder (despite expecting to be rewarded by the authorities for killing the outlaw) he was convicted, however the conviction was overturned within hours. He then was known as a traitor in circles of outlaws.

Edward Capehart O'Kelley walked into a saloon where Ford was drinking in 1892, greeted him, then shot him in the neck with a shotgun, resulting in Ford's instant death. O'Kelley never elaborated why he had killed Robert Ford, however, Ford's reputation as a traitor for shooting Jesse James in the back of the head did not endear him to outlaw circles, and this has been suggested as a possible motive.

O'Kelley was released from prison for killing Ford in 1902, however, his penchant for breaking the law did not cease, and he was killed after attempting to shoot a police officer in 1904.

Answer: Janus

Janus is an inner moon of Saturn and was discovered in 1966 by Audouin Dollfus (1924-2010). Janus is named after the Roman god of the same name, who possesses two faces.

William Lassell (1799-1880) was a British astronomer, notable for his discoveries of four particular moons: Triton, the largest moon of Neptune, he discovered in 1846, a discovery which he made just 17 days following German astronomer, Johann Gottfried Galle's, discovery of the planet Neptune itself. In 1848, Lassell was involved in the discovery of Hyperion, one of Saturn's moons. In 1851, Lassell discovered two of Uranus' moons: Ariel and Umbriel.

Answer: Duran Duran

Born Nigel John Taylor in Solihull, England, 1960, John Taylor formed Duran Duran in 1978 with a friend from school, Nick Rhodes, the band's keyboardist, and Stephen Duffy, Duran Duran's original drummer.

Between 1997-2001, John Taylor embarked on a solo career under bands of several names. He also took small parts in acting in films and television series. Upon request of the band's lead singer, Simon Le Bon, Duran Duran reunited with Taylor in 2001. The band created several more albums following this reunion.

Answer: Instrument

The damphu is a type of drum similar to a tambourine. This drum is culturally important to the Tamang people of Nepal. The damphu is played by the Tamang on both happy and sad occasions, such as weddings and funerals.

Answer: Robert Peel

Constructed by 1858, Accrington Town Hall has a neoclassical style and is a listed building in the UK. The building was first called the "Peel Institute."

Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet (1788-1850) was a Conservative politician who was Prime Minister of the UK twice, between 1834-1835 and then again between 1841-1846. He was the first UK Prime Minister to have a family involved in industrial sectors, with his father being successful industrialist, Sir Robert Peel, 1st Baronet. His family were wealthy, with Sir Robert Peel senior being one of the only ten recorded millionaires living in Britain in 1799. Peel Senior was also active in politics, and introduced the Health and Morals of Apprentices Act 1802, which focused on correcting the dangerous working conditions that cotton mill workers were subjected to. The act stated that mills should be properly ventilated and cleaned, with working at night being forbidden and shifts to be no longer than twelve hours. The act however, was not strictly imposed, therefore bringing no tangible benefits to the workers.

In 1834, Sir Robert Peel introduced Britain to the Tamworth Act, a manifesto which the modern British Conservative Party is founded on.

In 1843, Sir Robert Peel survived an assassination attempt. The would-be assassin, Daniel M'Naghten, was mentally ill and inadvertently killed the Prime Minister's secretary, Edward Drummond. The subsequent murder trial led to the implementation of the McNaughton rules, that is, a legal test defining whether an insanity defence is appropriate in a criminal trial.

Answer: Arizona and New Mexico

Flowing for around 650 miles (1,045 m) long, the Gila River is a tributary of the Colorado River. Sierra County, New Mexico, is where the source of the Gila River lies.

The Gila River once served as the border between the USA and Mexico, that is until the Gadsden Purchase of 1853 awarded America much more territory stretching south of the Gila.

Fish residing in the Gila River include the Gila trout, sunfish, channel trout and largemouth bass.

Answer: Ernest Lawrence

Ernest Lawrence (1901-1958) was an American scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1939 due to his invention of the cyclotron. The cyclotron possesses a strong magnetic field that works to bend the trajectory of particles into a circle, which forces the particles through various levels of acceleration. The very first cyclotron Lawrence constructed consisted of brass, wire and wax.

Cyclotrons have routinely been used in nuclear physics experiments since Ernest Lawrence invented them between 1929-1930, securing a patent for his invention in 1932. Cyclotrons can also be used in cancer radiotherapy, where their proton beams damage tumours via radiation.

Answer: Moktar Ould Daddah

Not only the country's first President, Moktar Ould Daddah also became Mauritania's first Prime Minister in 1957. He asserted that Mauritania was "not ready" for democracy as in the West, and used this as an excuse to merge separate political parties into one large one, all of which were fully under his authoritarian control. By 1964, Mauritania existed as a one-party state, reflected in its new Constitution which allowed its first President to be reelected repeatedly, as there were no opposing political parties.

Moktar Ould Daddah was ousted via a military coup in 1978, and exiled to France the following year. He became ill and died in 2003 and is buried in Mauritania.

Answer: Tori Spelling

Born Victoria Davey Spelling in 1973, Tori Spelling is the daughter of film producer, Aaron Spelling (1923-2006) and author Candy Spelling.

Directed by William Graham, "Death of a Cheerleader" was originally titled "A Friend to Die For" however it was claimed that given the nature of the death of Kirsten Costas (being killed by an acquaintance) this film title was inappropriate. Kirsten Costas, aged 15, was murdered by another student at Miramonte High School, Orinda, California in 1984. She was stabbed to death by Bernadette Protti, a student who had become fixated on Kirsten and her popularity at the school. Protti served just seven years before being released, likely in part due to her being 15 herself when she committed the murder.

Answer: Tour de Okinawa

Kyoshi Miura won the second ever Tour de Okinawa, with the first race taking place the year before in 1989. The Tour de Okinawa was an amateur race in the beginning, but had evolved into a professional event by 1999.

Kyoshi Miura took part in the Summer Olympics of both 1988 and 1996. Upon retiring, he became a coach for the Japanese cycling team competing in the 2008 Summer Olympics.