This Is The Answer: But What Is The Question? Quiz

Answer: In what year did the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean take place?

The first solo flight across the Atlantic was carried out by Charles Lindbergh. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Lindbergh was raised in Missouri and Washington D.C.

In the early 1920s, he dropped out of university and worked as an aeroplane mechanic in Nebraska, where he also learnt to fly. In 1924 he graduated from the US Army flying school and went on to fly with the Missouri National Guard. He spent several years flying airmail planes and instructing others in flying skills.

At about this time a businessman was offering $25,000 to anyone who could fly from New York to France. With financial backing, Lindbergh planned to fly in a modified airmail Ryan monoplane that was especially named "Spirit of St Louis".

He took off from New York on the morning of May 20, 1927, and landed at 10:24pm local time in Paris on May 21. Lindbergh became a hero on both sides of the Atlantic and his place in aviation history was assured. His life after that was to be at times controversial, and at others he suffered personal tragedy.

Answer: What is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in South America?

Assessed by area, Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fourth largest in the world, 8,515,770 square kilometres or 3,287,957 square miles. Figures released in 2020 gave it a population of about 212,560,000, making it the sixth largest in the world.

Things that made Brazil famous included its size, of course, and the fact that it was the only South American country with Portuguese as a national language. It was also noted in 2020 as being the world's largest producer of coffee. It also contained 60 per cent of the Amazon forest.

And did we mention football? At the time this quiz was written in 2020, Brazil had the most successful international soccer team of all time. The national team had played in all 18 World Cup competitions, winning five times.

Answer: Who was the first actor to star as James Bond, 007?

Now before anyone starts to send in correction notes, Barry Nelson played Bond in a television adaptation of "Casino Royal" on CBS in 1954. Most people put Sean Connery down as the first Bond, but Nelson, and Bob Holness (on radio) had speaking parts for the agent with a licence to kill before Connery.

Indeed, if you are a real Bond fan, you will know that Connery was not the first seen as Bond on the big screen. That was Bob Simmons who was featured in the iconic gunshot opening credits scene of "Dr No" in 1962. (Yes, yes, Connery had the speaking part.) The Simmons opening was used in all movies before "Goldfinger", in which Connery took over.

In a survey in Great Britain in 2020, Connery was selected as the 'best Bond".

The shouty actor on British TV was Barry Scott; "Gorilla man" was Earle Nelson; and "Baby Face Nelson" was Lester Joseph Gillis.

Answer: Which actor played a cop 28 times on differing television shows?

His most famous role may well have been as Andy Sipowicz in the TV series "NYPD Blue" between 1993 and 2005, but Franz worked out he had played a cop 27 times before. The role won him four Emmy awards. Franz was also outstanding as Lt Norman Buntz in the earlier "Hill Street Blues" show.

In "NYPD Blues", Sipowicz was an alcoholic who carried a lot of baggage in terms of personal traits and prejudices.

Franz later said he had to be talked into the role on NYPD, which was created by Steven Bochco and David Milch. "I told myself I was going to try to find another vehicle. It was time not to play any more cop roles. But because it was Milch and because it was Steven Bochco, I wanted to work with them again. I just loved my experience on 'Hill Street.' "["Los Angeles Times" interview in 1995.]

Answer: Where was the first newspaper in North America published?

There are several clams for a 'first' in newspaper publication in North America, among them the claim of the "Pennsylvania Packet" to be the first daily newspaper, in 1784.

However, before that was "Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and Domestick" [sic] which was published in Boston on September 25, 1690. It was to be a monthly, but was banned after just one edition. The answer and question can also be justified by mentioning the "Boston News-Letter", which was first published in 1704. New England was to be a hotbed of newspapers for many years.

Answer: Who was the first European to set foot on Australian soil?

Willem Janszoon (1570-1630), was a navigator and was part of expeditions by the Dutch to explore the southern oceans. In 1606 he set off to explore the islands of New Guinea.

Still believing he was exploring New Guinea, he made landfall in a place now known as Weipa. There, Janszoon and his men encountered, and battled, the native Aboriginal people.

Janszoon was not overly impressed by the place where he had landed. It was swampy territory and he reported "no good was to be done."

The first colony was not established in Australia until 1786. It is now believed that over the years, Australia has attracted 10m immigrants, including some who did not have any choice in the matter. Aboriginal Australians have lived on the continent for over 50,000 years, but today make up only about three per cent of the population.

Answer: Which is the nearest city to the longitudinal geographic centre of Canada?

The exact longitudinal centre is the hamlet of Baker Lake, which is east of Winnipeg.

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city in Manitoba and was first settled by Europeans in 1783 as a fur trading centre.

Answer: In the USA, how many States have a shoreline?

I am not going to name them all, but 14 states have coastlines onto the Atlantic Ocean; five onto the Pacific; five onto the Gulf of Mexico; one onto the Arctic Ocean and eight onto the Great Lakes.

Yes, I have taken off my socks and shoes and counted on my fingers, that makes 33, but New York, Florida, and Alaska have two shorelines apiece.

If you question my reasoning, take it up with https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/coastal-states

Answer: What was the speed of the first driver to be charged with speeding in the UK?

On 28 January 1896, Walter Arnold was detected travelling at 8mph in a 2mph zone at Paddock Green, Kent. He was caught by a policeman on a bicycle after a five-mile chase. Arnold was fined one shilling.

The first US speed charge was against Jacob German, a New York City cab driver, for travelling at 12mph in an 8mph zone in 1899.

Answer: What is the largest size of mainstream champagne bottle?

The largest champagne bottle is called a Nebuchadnezzar. It holds 15 litres, enough for 120 flutes.

In the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon who destroyed Solomon's temple in Jerusalem and enslaved the Jewish people.