The Daily Teaser - 24-01-2012

You know, you’ve probably worked out by now, that I hate sleeping through my alarm clock.

But if nothing else … ?

If nothing else, I’ve got the last part of a documentary about illuminated manuscripts laying gently in the background.

Fascinating stuff, I should add: and quite eye-popping to look at!

I mean, they’re vellum, covered in ink illumination, and gold foil. And that’s just the insides.

Let’s move on, shall we … ? Before I tell you about the actual covers* … !

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Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi — bless her — putting in her answers: and along with mentioning punch cardsº, also managed to bag 6 out of 6.

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

Q1) 24th January, 41AD, saw the assassination of which Roman emperor?

Q2) More to the point, by members or which Roman body: the Prætorian Guard, the Senate or the Pontificate … ?

Q3) 24th January saw which city named as capital of Romania … ?

Q4) 24th January, 1986, saw Minister, Leon Brittan quit, over the Westland scandal: which ministerial post did he hold at the time … ?

Q5) 24th January, 1965, saw the death of former Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill: how many guns were fired as a salute at his funeral … ?

Q6) And finally … 24th January, 2003, saw which US department begin operation … ?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 23rd January, 1556, was the date of the Shaanxi Earthquake, in China: during which dynasty was this … ?

A1) The Ming Dynasty.

Q2) 23rd January, 1989 saw a different earthquake hit which Soviet Central Asian republic … ?

A2) Tajikistan.

Q3) On a less gruesome note: 23rd January, 1957, saw inventor, Walter Frederick Morrison sell his invention to the Wham-O toy company: what did he call it?

A3) The ‘Pluto Platter’.

Q4) More to the point, how is that toy now better known as … ?

A4) The Frisbee.

Q5) 23rd January, 2003, saw communication lost with which probe: Viking 9, Pioneer 10 or Voyager 11… ?

A5) Pioneer 10.

Q6) And finally … 23rd January, 1879, saw the end of which Anglo-Zulu battle … ?

A6) The Battle of Rourke’s Drift, made famous in Zulu. (We are, of course, obliged to do our best Michæl Caine impersonations … )

Enjoy those, everyone: I’ll leave you with a tune from birthday boy, Neil Diamond …

* Trust, teaspoons will be needed: eye-popping is quite literally the word, you’ll need something to put them back in their sockets …

º Oh, talking of punchcards, Debbi — and this is a nicely pointless bit of trivia for you — did you know the first punch-cards were developed for looms … ?