The Daily Teaser …

Ye gods, but I’m getting older!

I used to be able to HANDLE these early mornings, I swear I did!

I’m up early, today.

Because I’m heading over to Chelmsford, again. For ANOTHER interview.

This time with an online appliance company, called Appliance Warehouse: something I wouldn’t mind getting, but let’s see what happens.

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yes, lets …

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Andrea and Simon go head to head, with Simon bagging the Official First-In-Clap, and Andrea whaling in with a nice little quote from St Brigid.

Which, considering I’m off to this interview — and I’ve the 34th Richard Dimbleby Lecture, read by Terry Pratchett in the background — was reassuring to read.

While I’m not particularly devout, it does help.

At any rate, here’s today’s questions, along with the ‘How To’ and License …

Q1) 2nd February, 1790, saw which US body convene for the first time?

Q2) 153 years later, 2nd February, 1943, saw the last German forces surrender to the Ref Army: at the end of which battle?

Q3) 21 years earlier, 2nd February, 1922, saw the first publication — in the UK, at least — of which Modernist novel?

Q4) 2nd February, 1901, saw the funeral of which British monarch?

Q5) And finally … 2nd February, 1940, saw which singer make his début with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra?

And here’s yesterday’s question’s and answers …

Q1) 1st February, 1984, saw Chancellor Nigel Lawson announce that which coin was to phased out?

A1) The ½p.

Q2) Five year’s earlier, February 1st, 1979, saw which religious leader return from exile, to Iran?

A2) Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. (He was also the first person — in modern times — to advocate suicide bombings: I don’t excuse that, nor do the few Muslim’s I’ve met. But I do know that when he wrote the various tracts advocating it as a practise, he was leader of Iran, when his country was at war with Iraq: who had a significantly larger army, and stores of munitions.)

Q3) More to the point, which branch of Islam was that religious leader from?

A3) Shia Islam.

Q4) 1st February is the feast day of Ireland’s other patron saint: what’s that saint’s name?

A4) Saint Brigid.

Q5) 1st February, 2003, saw the death’s of which Space Shuttle crew?

A5) The Columbia: which notoriously disintegrated on re-entry.

Q6) 1st February, 1861, saw which US state secede from the USA?

A6) Texas.

Q7) And finally … 1st February, 1884, saw the début of which reference book?

A7) The Oxford English Dictionary.

Enjoy those, everyone: and wish me luck for today!