Q 01/05

Which river did US Airways Flight 1549 ditch in after geese disabled both engines over New York?

A) Hudson

B) Potomac

C) Delaware

D) East River

Answer · why

A) Hudson

Ditching on the Hudson was the safest choice: simulator pilots reached LaGuardia only by turning instantly, and a return allowing 35 seconds to react ...

Q 02/05

Which Charlie's Angels star died hours before Michael Jackson on 25 June, her death overshadowed by his?

A) Tanya Roberts

B) Farrah Fawcett

C) Kate Jackson

D) Cheryl Ladd

Answer · why

B) Farrah Fawcett

Farrah Fawcett left Charlie's Angels after only one season, and Cheryl Ladd joined the show in her place.

Q 03/05

Stephen Colbert won NASA's poll to name a space station module, but what did NASA name after him instead?

A) A toilet

B) A robot arm

C) A treadmill

D) A solar panel

Answer · why

C) A treadmill

A treadmill got the name COLBERT, while the module was named Tranquility to honour Apollo 11's landing site 40 years earlier.

Q 04/05

Which country suspended its own currency in April, months after printing a 100-trillion note?

A) Venezuela

B) Argentina

C) Zambia

D) Zimbabwe

Answer · why

D) Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's 100 trillion dollar notes soon became worthless, yet after the currency was abandoned they became popular with collectors.

Q 05/05

Which company announced on 31 August that it would buy Marvel Entertainment for about $4 billion?

A) Disney

B) Warner Bros.

C) Sony

D) Universal

Answer · why

A) Disney

Disney's deal brought in Spider-Man, but Sony still owned his film rights, so Marvel Studios needed a 2015 agreement with Sony to use him.