Question 1: The ancient city of Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of which volcano?
Question 2: Which movie was awarded the first Best Animated Feature Oscar?
"Shrek," produced by DreamWorks Animation, won the inaugural Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002. The category was newly created to recognize the excellence in animated feature films.
Question 3: Why is appendicitis considered a medical emergency?
If appendicitis is left untreated, the appendix can burst and release infectious materials into the abdominal cavity. This serious complication is called peritonitis and requires immediate surgery to treat.
Question 4: If you sail due east from New York City, which European country do you first encounter?
If you sail due east from New York City, the first European country you hit is Portugal. This is due to the curvature of the Earth and Portugal's position on the westernmost edge of the European mainland.
Question 5: What is the longest-running Broadway musical of all time?
The Phantom of the Opera, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, first premiered on Broadway in 1988. It has had over 13,000 performances and continues to run, making it the longest-running Broadway musical in history.
Question 6: What was the significance of the Michelson-Morley experiment?
The Michelson-Morley experiment, conducted by Albert A. Michelson and Edward W. Morley in 1887, was designed to detect the presence of the aether, a medium through which light waves were believed to travel. The experiment's negative results were instrumental in the development of the theory of special relativity by Albert Einstein, who demonstrated that the speed of light is constant and does not need a medium to propagate.
Question 7: Which country is called the 'Goat Racing Capital' of the world?
The island of Tobago in the Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago is the world's goat racing capital. It is said that the tradition, which started in 1925, is held annually on Easter Tuesday in the island nation. Goats are made to race along 75 or 100-metre tracks while their jockeys spur them on with sticks and ropes. The humble event has become a major tourist draw for Trinidad and Tobago, which has even built infrastructure worth millions of dollars to support the race.
Question 8: What was the first smartphone to have a touch screen interface?
Released in 1994, the IBM Simon was the first smartphone to feature a touch screen interface, even though its screen was monochrome and lacked the multi-touch capability of modern smartphones. The more famous Apple iPhone, which popularized touch screens and was the first to feature a multi-touch interface, was released 13 years later in 2007.
Question 9: What is the name given to a mature tropical cyclone in the North Atlantic Ocean, Central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific?
Hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones are all essentially the same type of weather phenomenon known as a tropical cyclone. The terms are used differently based on their location: "hurricane" in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, "typhoon" in the Northwest Pacific, and "cyclone" in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.
Question 10: When it comes to land area, what is the largest country in Oceania?
Australia is not only the largest country in Oceania but also the 6th largest country in the world, covering approximately 7.6 million square kilometers (2.9 million square miles).
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD was responsible for the destruction of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. The city was buried under volcanic ash and pumice, preserving it for centuries until its rediscovery in 1748.