Zesty Zoroastrians Trivia Quiz

Answer: Francis Scott Key is believed to have written the 'Star Spangled Banner' aboard it.

Francis Scott Key along with John Stuart Skinner had been sent by American President, John Adams, to negotiate the release of those captured by the British. While aboard the ship, the two overhead British plans involving an attack on Baltimore. To prevent the information from leaking, both of them were stopped from returning until the attacks had taken place. From the HMS Minden, Key observed the American flag flying on Fort Covington even after the attacks and was inspired to write 'The Star Spangled Banner' which later became the American national anthem.

Answer: Jharkhand

At the beginning of the 20th century, Jamsetji Tata enlisted the help of American geologist Charles Perin to locate a suitable site to build India's first steel plant. After three years, a small village known as Sakchi was selected for its proximity to resources like iron, coal, limestone and water. Tata then developed the entire surroundings to make them fit for habitation. However he died before the steel plant became functional and in 1919 the city was renamed Jamshedpur in his honour. Jamshedpur is also known as 'Tatanagar' and 'Steel City' and is the only city in India without a municipality as the responsibility for its maintenance is taken up by Tata Steel.

When Sir Frederick Upcott, chairman of the board of Indian Railways, first heard of Tata's plans to build India's first steel plant, he pronounced Indians incapable of producing quality steel that met British specifications and promised to eat every pound of steel that the plant produced. Later Tata Steel shipped 1500 miles of steel rails to Mesopotamia for the British during World War I.

Answer: Bombay Samachar

The "Bombay Samachar" (now renamed "Mumbai Samachar") is published in the Gujarati language and is the oldest continuously published newspaper in India. It started as a weekly before becoming a bi-weekly and finally a daily newspaper.

Fardoonji Murazban also invented the first native printing press in 1812.

Answer: Homi J. Bhabha

Dr. Homi Bhabha was an Indian nuclear physicist who established the Atomic Energy Commission of India and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. After India became independent, he was appointed the head of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission and shaped India's early efforts of research in nuclear energy.

He also helped set up the Indian National Committee for Space Research along with Vikram Sarabhai.

Answer: Air India

Tata Airlines was renamed Air India in 1946 and became a public limited company. In 1948, the Government of India took a 49% stake in the airline and designated it as the state flag carrier before nationalising it in 1953.

J. R. D. Tata was inspired by French aviator, Louis Bleriot, the first man to fly across the English Channel, who had a house on the French coast close to where Tata grew up. In 1929, JRD obtained the first pilot's license issued in India and later went on to become the president of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). In 1988 he received the Guggenheim Medal for his pioneering work in aviation in Asia.

Answer: Avabai Jeejeebhoy

Avabai Jeejeebhoy is known for funding the construction of a causeway connecting islands across the Mahim creek in Bombay in 1845 entirely out of her own personal funds after being moved by the plight of people who lost their lives in the rough seas while being ferried across. Her only condition before giving the money was that no toll should be charged from the people for using the road.

Dadabhai Naoroji, known as the Grand Old Man of India, formed the Indian National Congress in 1885 along with Dinshaw Edulji Wacha and Allan Octavian Hume, a British civil servant. In 1892, he stood for elections to the British House of Commons and became the first Asian Member of Parliament.

Madam Bhikaji Cama worked with Dadabhai Naoroji and supported the formation of the Indian Home Rule Society, founded by Shyamji Krishna Varma to promote the cause of self rule in India. In 1907, at the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart, Germany, Cama unfurled a "Flag of Indian Independence" which served as a basis for the national flag of India.

Answer: Rohinton Mistry

Polly Umrigar captained the Indian test cricket team and was the first Indian to score a double century in a match against New Zealand at Hyderabad. He later toured with the team as their manager and was also chairman of the national selection panel between 1978 and 1982.

Nari Contractor, another former team captain, had his career cut short when he was injured during a game in West Indies rendering him unconscious for six days. Though he recovered, he was forced to retire from international cricket.

Diana Edulji played test cricket for the Indian women's team.

Rohinton Mistry is an Indian-born novelist based in Canada. His book "Such A Long Journey" won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book and was also shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

Answer: Zubin Mehta

Zubin made his conducting debut in Vienna in 1958 having studied under Hans Swarowsky at the Music Academy in Vienna. He worked with different orchestras around the world and has been conferred the title of 'Honorary Conductor' by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Mehta was given the "Lifetime Achievement Peace and Tolerance Award" in 1999 by the United Nations.

Farrokh Bulsara is better known as Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the rock band, Queen.

Phiroz Mehta was one of Zubin Mehta's early piano teachers.

Soli Sorabjee is the former Attorney General of India.

Answer: Field Marshal

Sam Manekshaw had a military career that spanned five wars including World War II and was the first Indian to be awarded the rank of Field Marshal, in 1973. While facing the Japanese in Burma as part of a British regiment, Sam was severely wounded. Fearing that he would not live much longer, his superior, Major General Cowan, pinned his own Military Cross ribbon on the wounded soldier because dead people can't be awarded the Military Cross.

Fondly known as Sam Bahadur for his long association with the Gurkha regiment of the Frontier Rifles, he once famously said, "If anyone tells you he is never afraid, he is a liar or a Gurkha!".

Answer: Jaguar and Land Rover

Tata Motors bought the Jaguar & Land Rover brands from the Ford Motor Company for 1.15 billion dollars. Other overseas acquisitions made by different Tata Group companies include the Corus Group - an Anglo-Dutch steel producer, Tetley - a British tea company and Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company - a South Korean heavy vehicles manufacturer.

Ratan Tata conceived the idea of a "Rupees one lakh car" (1 lakh = 100,000) while seeing families of four travelling inconveniently on two wheelers. In the time it took from execution to commercial production, the prices of all the input materials increased sharply making the sale of the car at one lakh rupees unviable for the company and leading to conjecture that Tata Motors would be forced to raise its price. The Tata Nano was finally launched in January 2008 without a price hike and Ratan Tata stated that "a promise is a promise".