Where is Kálfshamarsvík, the cove featured in today’s image?
A Finland
B Iceland
C Scotland
Fact: Kálfshamarsvík, on Iceland’s Skagi peninsula, is home to striking basalt columns—geological wonders shaped by cooling lava. These hexagonal rock formations, carved by nature over time, resemble carefully crafted architecture. The country is full of amazing sights, with shapes that look almost like art.
Correct Answer: Iceland
Which of the following rock formations is in Arizona?
A Garden of the Gods
B The Wave
C Devils Tower
Fact: The Wave, a sandstone formation in Arizona state near the Utah border, United States, showcases curving, wind-sculpted patterns in Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone. Its wavy, layered surfaces formed from ancient desert dunes shaped by shifting winds, creating a natural masterpiece of cross-bedded rock that tells the story of Earth’s distant past.
Correct Answer: The Wave
Which of these bones is located in your face?
Radius
Sacrum
Mandible
Scapula
Fact: The mandible, commonly known as the lower jawbone, is the largest and strongest bone of the human face. It holds the lower teeth in place and plays a crucial role in essential functions such as chewing, speaking, and facial expression. Unlike most other facial bones, the mandible is movable, connected to the skull by the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which allows the mouth to open and close. Its strength and durability are vital for withstanding the powerful forces generated during biting and chewing, making it a key structural and functional component of the craniofacial skeleton.
Correct Answer: Mandible
Benjamin Franklin was inducted into what sports hall of fame?
Boxing
Swimming
Wrestling
Croquet
Fact: Although Benjamin Franklin is best known as a Founding Father, inventor, and diplomat, he also made significant contributions to the world of swimming. Franklin was an accomplished swimmer and is credited with inventing several swimming-related technologies. He designed rudimentary hand paddles and flippers to improve propulsion in the water—early versions of gear still used today. In recognition of his influence on aquatic education and innovation, Franklin was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1968.
Correct Answer: Swimming
What Shakespeare play features the phrase “All the world’s a stage”?
Othello
The Tempest
Macbeth
As You Like It
Fact: The phrase “All the world’s a stage” appears in William Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy As You Like It. It is the opening line of a monologue delivered by the character Jaques in Act II, Scene VII. In this speech, Jaques compares life to a play and outlines the “seven ages of man,” from infancy to old age. The metaphor highlights the idea that people play different roles throughout their lives, each with its own entrance and exit. This passage is one of William Shakespeare’s most quoted and enduring reflections on the human condition.
Correct Answer: As You Like It
Who is the only actress to have won an Oscar for playing a man?
Hilary Swank
Linda Hunt
Cate Blanchett
Barbra Streisand
Fact: Linda Hunt made her film debut in Robert Altman’s Popeye (1980), but it was her breakout role in The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) that brought her international acclaim. In a bold and transformative performance, Hunt portrayed Billy Kwan, a male Chinese-Australian photojournalist with dwarfism—a role that earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actres, making her the first actor to win an Oscar for playing a character of the opposite sex. Hunt has also had a distinguished television career, with notable roles on The Practice, Without a Trace, and NCIS: Los Angeles.
Correct Answer: Linda Hunt
In prize money, who is the highest-earning woman athlete of all time?
Danica Patrick
Martina Navratilova
Serena Williams
Annika Sörenstam
Fact: Serena Williams holds the record for the most career prize money earned by any female athlete, with over $94 million in on-court winnings. Her dominance in professional tennis spans more than two decades, during which she won 23 Grand Slam singles titles—more than any other player in the Open Era. Serena’s extraordinary success at the highest levels of competition, combined with her longevity and consistency, has made her not only a global sports icon but also the most financially successful woman in terms of athletic prize money.
Correct Answer: Serena Williams
What is the name of the largest diamond ever found?
Cullinan
The Golden Jubilee
Excelsior
Hope Diamond
Fact: The Cullinan Diamond was discovered in 1905 at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa. Weighing an astonishing 3,106 carats, it remains the largest rough diamond ever found. Named after Thomas Cullinan, the mine’s chairman, the gem was later cut into nine major stones and around 100 smaller ones. The largest, known as the “Star of Africa I” or “Cullinan I,” weighs 530 carats and is the largest cut, fine-quality, colorless diamond in the world. The second largest, the “Star of Africa II” or “Cullinan II,” weighs 317 carats. Both stones, along with the “Cullinan III,” are on display in the Tower of London.
Correct Answer: Cullinan
What professional baseball player was born without a right hand?
Jim Abbott
Zack Wheeler
Sandy Koufax
Hank Greenberg
Fact: Jim Abbott was born in 1967 without a right hand, yet he defied expectations by becoming a successful left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Abbott’s most famous moment came on September 4, 1993, when he pitched a no-hitter for the Yankees against the Cleveland Indians—an extraordinary achievement for any pitcher, let alone one with only one hand. He developed a unique technique to switch his glove from his right forearm to his left hand quickly after each pitch, allowing him to field his position effectively. Abbott’s story is often cited as one of the most inspiring in sports history.
Correct Answer: Jim Abbott
Which fictional character was named after a real-life ornithologist?
James Bond
Indiana Jones
Scarlett O’Hara
Sherlock Holmes
Fact: James Bond, the British spy created by author Ian Fleming, was named after a real American ornithologist. Ornithologists are scientists who study birds, and the real James Bond was a respected expert who authored the book Birds of the West Indies, which Fleming owned and often referenced while living in Jamaica. When searching for a simple name for his fictional spy, Fleming borrowed the ornithologist’s name, explaining that it was “brief, unromantic, and yet very masculine.” The result was an ironic twist: a secret agent named after a quiet birdwatcher.
Correct Answer: James Bond