1. On April 28 in 1902, at 10:40 am, a significant moment in time passed. Using the ISO 8601 standard year zero definition for the Gregorian calendar (which was preceded by the Julian calendar), since the start of January 1 of year zero, a certain number of minutes had passed. The next time this will happen will be in the year 3804. How many minutes had passed till 1902 years?
2. Born April 28 in 1916, Ferruccio was an Italian winemaker who also made tractors, and who, with the profits, bought a few Ferrari cars. Their sub-standard after-sales service and the dismissive nature of Enzo Ferrari prompted him to start a company of his own and make exotic cars. Starting it in his family name, he chose the logo of a raging bull to counter Ferrari’s prancing horse. What company is this, known for its sleek cars?
3. On April 28 in 1923, this stadium was opened and eventually became the world’s most famous football stadium. Over the years, it has also been the venue for iconic events such as the 1948 Summer Olympics, the first WWF Wrestling Summer Slam outside the US and the legendary 1985 Live Aid rock concert. What stadium is this, named after the park it is built in?
4. Born April 28 in 1926, Harper Lee was an American novelist whose classic novel focuses on issues of race and justice. The central character of Atticus Finch was based on her own father, who once defended two African-American men in court. The book’s title comes from a conversation where Atticus states that it’s a sin to kill a particular type of bird, because they simply sing their song and never harm others. What bird is this?
5. On April 28 in 1937, South African medical researcher Max Theiler developed the 17D vaccine using eggs to culture the virus. In less than two years, over one million people were vaccinated and in 1951 he was awarded the Nobel Prize. The vaccine was against a disease caused by a virus transmitted by the aegypti mosquito. What disease is this, that gets its name from the colour the skin becomes due to liver damage?
6. On April 28 in 1947, Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl and five crew mates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki – a raft made of balsa logs in the exact way the natives once did. He wanted to demonstrate that Peruvian natives could have settled on the islands in the Pacific Ocean, which he did in 101 days. What is the name given to this group of islands, that includes Samoa, Cook and Tonga?
7. Born April 28 in 1948, Terry Pratchett was an English author beloved for the humour and satire in his fantasy novels. His most popular contribution to the literary world is 41 comic fantasy novels set in a world being carried by four elephants on the back of a giant space turtle. The shape of this planet gives it its name. By what name is this popular series known?
8. Born April 28 in 1960, Sir Ian Rankin is a Scottish writer known for his crime fiction. He is a major contributor to a genre known as ’tartan noire’, with almost all his novels set in a particular city in the UK. Which city does the detective Rebus work in, that is affectionately known as ‘Old Smoky’?
9. On April 28 in 1973, The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd went to number one on the US charts, beginning a record-breaking 741-week chart run. Named after the huge hoardings that run ads, what is this chart called, which is the music industry standard?
10. On April 28 in 2021, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe became the first spacecraft to cross the critical Alfvén boundary. This is the extent of the atmosphere of a star, also known as the stellar corona, and is considered the outer boundary of the star. What star did Parker cross the Alfvén boundary of?
A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley
Answers
1. One billion minutes
2. Lamborghini
3. Wembley Stadium
4. Mockingbird
5. Yellow fever
6. Polynesia
7. Discworld
8. Edinburgh
9. US Billboard chart
10. The sun
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