The Daily Teaser — 16-12-2012

You know, it’s not often I’m shocked, it really isn’t.

But the shootings in Connecticut have left me shocked: left most of the planet shocked.

Especially when you realise quite how many children were killed.

Bless, ’em, the BBC’s just released the list of those killed: which makes for frightening reading.

And I have to say, much as I usually ignore Piers Morgan — and with all due respect to my US friends and readers — I can only agree with him that the US really should be looking at tightening its gun laws.

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Let’s move on, shall we … ?

Yesterday’s teaser saw Debbi putting in her answers: along with telling us how much sad news there seemed to be in the world*, also bagged 6 out of 6.

Let’s see how she — and you — do with today’s questions, shall we?   Here they are, along with the ‘How To’, License and video … 

Q1) During the US War of Independence, 16th December, 1773, was the date of the Boston Tea Party: the protestors who carried this out disguised themselves as what … ?

Q2) More to the points, the group that carried this protest out were called what: the Sons of Anarchy, the Sons of Elendil or the Sons of Liberty … ?

Q3) The ‘Tea Party’ is the name of a conservative movement associated with which US party … ?

Q4) Moving on … 16th December, 1984, saw Mikhail Gorbachev visit the UK: with which British PM did he hold five hours of talks … ?

Q5) 16th December, 1942, saw Heinrich Himmler order members of which ethnic group be deported to Auschwitz … ?

Q6) And finally … 16th December, 1431, saw who crowned as King of France … ?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 15th December, 1791, saw the Virginia Assembly ratify the Bill of Rights: the first batch of amendments to the US Constitution, in other words.   How many amendments were there … ?

A1) Ten.

Q2) More to the point, which of those amendments guarantees civil trial by jury … ?

A2) The Seventh.

Q3) The US Bill of Rights was based on an English equivalent: of which year … ?

A3) 1689.   (That act, though, only refers to Freedom of Speech, in Parliament.)

Q4) Moving on … 15th December, 1970, saw the Soviet Union make the first successful landing of a craft — the Venera 7 — on another planet: which planet … ?

A4) Venus.

Q5) 15th December, 533, saw Byzantine general, Belisarius, defeat a group of whom: Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals or Huns … ?

A5) Vandals.

Q6) And finally … 15th December, 1859, saw the birth of L. L. Zamenhof.   Which artificial language did he create … ?

A6) Esperanto.

Enjoy those, everyone.

As today is the late Sir Noël Coward’s birthday, I’ll leave you with these wise words from the man himself …

“He loved me true did Harry-boy and I loved him true, and if the happiness we gave each other was wicked and wrong in the eyes of the Law and the Church and God Almighty, then the Law and the Church and God Almighty can go dig a hole and fall down it.”

Sir Noël Coward, 16 December 1899 – 26 March 1973

With these equally wise words from his appearance in the original version of The Italian Job … 

And with something of a tune.

*        Oh, you’re right, Debbi.   I still believe the US needs to double check it’s gun laws: China only recently seems to be getting these things happening.