Quiz: Easy like Sunday morning

easy like sunday morning quiz by berty ashley

1. Born this day in 1872, Richard Willstätter was a chemist who invented the process of paper chromatography. As professor of chemistry at the University of Berlin he was studying flowers and fruits when he discovered that a certain pigment existed in two types with specific functions. What had he worked on that earned him a Nobel Prize, and explained how plants made energy from the sun?

2. Born this day in 1888, John Logie Baird was a Scottish engineer who using an old hatbox, bicycle light lenses, and some sealing wax invented a revolutionary device. He demonstrated its working in 1924 and became the first person to produce a live, moving image from reflected light. What had he invented that is now found in almost every household?

3. Born this day in 1899, this gentleman is one of the most influential figures in pop culture. He started his career designing the title cards of silent films. In 1929, his movie Blackmail was the first ‘talkie’ in Britain and was a huge hit. He soon became known as ‘The master of suspense’, eventually writing the Encyclopedia Britannica entry on how to make movies. Who was this legendary movie maker who made cameo appearances in all his movies?

4. On this day in 1913, English metallurgist Harry Brearley who grew up in Sheffield, a city famous for its metal cutlery produced a certain metal that played a huge role in history. He used an alloy of iron which was called ‘Rusnorstain’ which, as named, did not stain when in contact with vinegar or lemon juice. Made with chromium and nickel, what metal was this which due to its anti-corrosion abilities became a staple of the modern world?

5. On this day in 1918, this company that made aircraft engines became public and eventually became one of the largest producers of automobiles in the world. Their logo is a testament to the same, showing rotating propellers, in the colours of the region in Germany the company was set up in. Which company is this known better by its acronym?

6. Born on this day in 1926, this lawyer became a revolutionary and eventually the President of his country. Easily identifiable by his guerilla fatigues and cigar, this long-serving leader was the target of several assasination attempts, especially by the United States. Who was this person who established the first communist state in the western hemisphere?

7. On this day in 1960, this country in Africa declared its independence from France. The name of the country is a reference to three things — its geographic position, the continent it is in, and the system of power. It is found right in the middle, bordered by Chad, Sudan, Congo and Cameroon. It is a democracy where the President is the leader and is elected by the people. What is the name of this country?