General Interest 1 Flashcards
Who is this?
Robert E Lee (1807 - 1870)
Confederate General - “brilliant tactical successes in battle after battle against a stronger foe” - Army of Northern Virginia.
For what years was Pluto recognised as a planet, before being recategorised as a “Dwarf plant” following the discovery of Eris?
1930 - 2005.
Who won the 1930 World Cup in Montevideo in front on 93,000 fans, defending their 1928 Olympic title?
Uruguay.
Who did Manchester United beat 2-1 in injury time to win the Champions League and the Trebble in 1999?
Bayern Munich.
For what dates did “Tulip Mania” sweep the Netherlands, before crashing aburtly causing Dutch commerce a severe financial shock.
November 1636 - 3 February 1637.
What island did Napoleon heroically return from, to rule for “100 Days” before being cut down at the Battle of Waterloo?
Elba, Italy.
What is the capital of Tajikistan?
Dushanbe (pop 1.05 million).
In what year were the Napoleonic Code, one of the few documents to “influence the whole world”, first published?
1804.
Spread through Europe and survived Napoleon’s defeat.
When was the Treaty of Waitangi signed and what were it key terms?
1840.
Soverignty in return for land ownership and British subjects.
What is the name and artist of this painting?
Water Lilies (1896 – 1926) by Claude Monet.
250 paintings - last 30 years - “The Sistine Chapel of Impressionism”.
What was the real name of the “Red Baron”, shot down near Amiens, France on 21 April 1918.
Manfred von Richthofen.
National hero - 80 combat victories - “kaputt”.
In what battle did Charles Martel (‘The Hammer’) rout the invading Moors without calvery at the high point of the Muslim invasion of Europe?
Battle of Tours, 732.
What is the name and artist of this painting?
Sunflowers, Vincent Van Gogh (1853 - 1890).
In what year did Hannibal cross the Alps into Italy?
218 BC.
What is the generally accepted start and end date of the Renaissance?
1300 - 1700.
Which 1933 event gave Hitler a pretense to ban the Communist party, suspend civil liberties and consolidate power?
Reichstag Fire, 27 February 1933.
In what year did Napolean lead his disasterous invasion of Russia?
1812.
No decisive battle - war of attrition - Russian winter.
In what year did President Nixon resign following the Watergate scandal?
1974.
Which economic theory states: “Focus on what pays you the most to reduce your opportunity costs”.
The Law of Compartive Advantage.
David Ricardo, 1817, English political economist.
What is an Achilles heel?
A fatal weakness despite overall strength.
Homer’s Iliad - Greece’s greatest warrior - invulnerable except ankle.
What is the branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds?
Ornithology.
What is the technical name for a pipe allowing water to flow under a road?
Culvert.
In what year did Blaxland, Lawson, and Wentworth cross the Blue Mountains, opening the Murray Darling Basin to settlement?
1813.
What is EBITDA and why is it useful?
Pripheral expenses - ignored - purest measure of earning ability.
What are the pros and cons of vertical integration?
They are:
- Reduced costs; but
- Expensive to establish and diffused specialisation.
What is a piling crane?
What are the primary and secondary debt markets?
Issuing new debt and trading existing debt.
On what day did the last British soldier leave the beach in Dunkirk after a successful 9 day evacuation?
3 June 1940.
Halt order - many civial vessels - “Dunkirk spirit”.
In assessing the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, what did the Joint Chiefs of Staff opinion of ‘a fair chance of success’ in fact mean?
30% chance of success.
What is the Roman numeral for 50?
L.
Instead of returning to Rome after the Conquest of Gual, what did Ceasar utter as he crossed the Rubicon with a single legion in 50 BC
“The die is cast”.
(Alea iacta est)
What is “isometric”?
3-D technical drawing.
What is “monolithic”?
Formed of a single large block of stone.
Which heroic last stand in 1836 resulted in thousands flocking to the Texan army and defeating the Mexicans in the Texan Revolution?
Battle of the Alamo.
In what year did New Zealand and US suspend obligations under the ANZUS treaty?
1986.
What is Bastille Day?
French National Holiday, 14 July.
