.png){kind=icon}
Question 1: What is the world's largest land mammal?
Question 2: In which year did William Shakespeare die?
Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, which was also the day of his 52nd birthday. He was born and died in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
Question 3: What year was the first transatlantic telegraph cable completed, allowing communication between North America and Europe?
The first transatlantic telegraph cable was completed in 1866, allowing near-instantaneous communication between North America and Europe for the first time. An earlier attempt in 1858 resulted in a cable that failed after just a few weeks. The successful 1866 cable ushered in a new era of global telecommunications.
Question 4: Why did the Greek hero Achilles have a vulnerable heel, according to legend?
In Greek mythology, Achilles was a hero of the Trojan War. His mother Thetis tried to make him immortal by dipping him in the River Styx, but held him by his heel, leaving that spot vulnerable. Achilles was eventually killed by an arrow to his heel. The tendon connecting the heel to the calf is named the Achilles tendon after this legend.
Question 5: Which mammal is known for having the longest gestation period?
The gestation period for an elephant is approximately 22 months, or around 95 weeks, which is the longest among all mammals. The long gestation period is due to the elephant's large size and highly developed brain at birth.
Question 6: What ancient civilization built the Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built around 600 BCE by King Nebuchadnezzar II as a gift to his wife Amytis. They were said to have been a remarkable feat of engineering with an ascending series of tiered gardens.
Question 7: When was the ancient city of Pompeii destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius?
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD buried the ancient Roman city of Pompeii under volcanic ash and pumice. The site was lost for about 1,500 years until its initial rediscovery in 1599. Systematic excavations began around 1750.
Question 8: Why did Albert Einstein win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921?
Although Einstein is best known for his theory of relativity, he won the Nobel Prize for his explanation of the photoelectric effect, which laid the foundation for the development of quantum mechanics.
Question 9: How many moons does Jupiter have?
Jupiter has 79 known moons as of 2019. This includes the four large Galilean moons - Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto - which were discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610.
Question 10: How many known species of orchids exist in the world?
Orchids are one of the largest and most diverse families of flowering plants. They are found on every continent except Antarctica and have adapted to a wide range of habitats.
Male African bush elephants can weigh up to 13,000 pounds (6,000 kg). They are larger than Asian elephants. Blue whales are the largest mammals overall, but they are marine mammals, not land mammals.