Quiz | Easy as Sunday morning: What has May 26 given us?
1 / 10 | On May 26, 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte assumed the title of ‘king’ of a country he had just conquered and was crowned in its famous Gothic cathedral. Before this, many regions had different flags; he unified them all under one flag. Called the ‘tricolore’, it had three horizontal stripes, just like the French flag, but with one difference: Bonaparte’s favorite color green replaced the French blue. This is the flag of which country?
2 / 10 | On 26 May 1896, Nicholas II was crowned as the last emperor of Imperial Russia. The specific title for ‘king’ in Russia was derived from the Latin title ‘Caesar’ for all Roman emperors. What is this title, which can begin with either C or T?
3 / 10 | On May 26, 1897, Irish author Bram Stoker’s most famous book was published. Seven years earlier, he visited the small town of Whitby, went to the library and picked up a rare book called The Accounts of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia. The note he wrote was ‘_____ means ‘devil’ in the Wallachian language. He wrote a book that also made reference to the life of Count Vlad the Impaler. What was the title of his book?
4 / 10 | On May 26, 1899, five elevators were opened to the recently built monument. This brand new invention now offers an alternative to the 1,710 steps visitors had to climb to reach the top. Built on four pillars, they were only updated in 1987, thanks to the visionary engineer after whom the monument is named. Which monument is this?
5/10 | On 26 May 1923, the first such race was held at the Circuit de la Sarthe in the French city of Le Mans. A feat of endurance, it is one of the most prestigious events in motorsport. The circuit itself is 13.6km long and allows speeds of up to 400km/h. What distinctive feature gives the event its name?
6/10 | Born on 26 May 1926, Miles Davis was an American jazz trumpeter who was very influential to 20th century music. In 1957, he released an album, Birth of the____, which contained tracks that took a more laid-back approach to the complex bebop music of the era. The title referenced a term used by African American musicians to mean ‘pretty cool’ as well as ‘comfortable’. To this day, the term is used in the same context. What is the title of the album?
7/10 | On May 26, 1927, the last car of this revolutionary model rolled off the assembly line after 15,007,003 vehicles had been produced. At the time, it was the first mass-market car as every other car was handmade. What car was it?
8/10 | On May 26, 1986, this flag became the official flag of about 440 million people. It has 12 golden stars that form a circle on a blue field. It represents the constellation of Corona Borealis, and symbolizes the stability of the government. This is the flag of which supranational entity?
9/10 | On 26 May 2000 Arthur C. Clarke was knighted for his incomparable contribution to science fiction. Known as the ‘prophet of the space age’, his works inspired an entire generation in science. Confined to a wheelchair he was unable to travel to the UK so the knighthood was given in the city he made his home for many years, where he also received the ‘Sri Lankabhimanaya’ honour in 2005. Which city is this?
10 / 10 | May 26 is celebrated across the US to commemorate one of the simplest but most satisfying toys. Events are held where participants create their own designs and compete under two categories, ‘distance traveled’ and ‘time in the air’. What is this toy, to design which, one only needs to know how to fold stuff?