Q.879

Oscar 5

Since today is also IZzie day, a simple one to round things off: Two of the Best Picture nominees for 2013 have titles in French: one means "love" and the other is just sad. What are these titles?

[+ Show Answer]

"Amour" and "Les Misérables".

This day last year: Q.513

Q.878

Oscar 4

Which 1947 adventure, helmed by one of the most famous Norwegians of all time, that began in Callao, Peru and ended just over a hundred days later in Polynesia, is the subject of Norway's official entry to the 2013 Oscars? It was nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

[+ Show Answer]

The astonishing Kon-Tiki expedition led by Thor Hyerdahl. The film is also called Kon-Tiki".

This day last year: Q.512

Q.877

Oscar 3

Since 2002, the Academy Awards ceremony has been hosted in this location in Hollywood. A company held naming rights to it until the firm went bankrupt in early 2012. At the time of the 2012 Oscars, the theatre had taken on the name of "The Hollywood and Highland Center".

In May 2012, another company bought the naming rights - you could say the theatre had now entered the era of sound. Both former and present companies have long been associated with the world of films.

Identify both of these.

(To see questions from 2011 and 2012, use the "Specials:Oscars" label)

[+ Show Answer]

Kodak and Dolby. Here's more on the Dolby theatre.

This day last year: Q.511

Q.876

Oscar 2

What similar but exactly opposite records have the actresses Emmanuelle Riva ("Amour") and Quvenzhane Wallis ("Beasts of the Southern Wild") set by being nominated for the category of "Best Actress"? (In doing so, they replace Jessica Tandy ("Driving Miss Daisy") and Keisha Castle-Hughes ("Whale Rider") in the Oscar record books.)

(To see questions from 2011 and 2012, use the "Specials:Oscars" label)

[+ Show Answer]

They are the oldest (Riva is 85) and the youngest (Wallis is 9) to be nominated for Best Actress. See this for some more details.

This day last year: Q.510

Q.875

Oscar 1

The 85th Academy Awards ceremony will be held in five days time, so as is traditional on this blog, the next five days are devoted to question on this year's Oscars. (To see questions from 2011 and 2012, use the "Specials:Oscars" label)

The song "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" is one of the nominees for "Best Original Song", and is from the film "Ted". One of its nominated writers will be playing a more significant role during the Oscars. Who, and how?

[+ Show Answer]

Seth MacFarlane, who also wrote the film and voiced the character of "Ted", will be this year's host.

This day last year: Q.509

Q.848

In 2012, Nike (which is not an Olympic sponsor) launched its "Find your Greatness" campaign that featured amateur sportsmen around the world (in places like Jamaica, Ohio, Qatar, Nigeria, and Norway).

This made the IOC mad as it was yet another example of Nike's clever strategy that just fell short of ambush marketing.

What was in the campaign that slyly associated itself with the Olympics without overtly saying so?

From my Mood Indigo quiz at IIT Bombay, 2012

[+ Show Answer]

All the places were called "London" (such as London, Ohio or London, South Africa) or associated with the word "London" (like a centre named "London"). More reading.

This day last year: Q.482

Q.769

A sporting vIZual:

Image: AP/The Hindu

[+ Show Answer]

More on this achievement.

This day last year: Q.403

Q.752

Which Head of State, who was elected President of his country in 2012, made a semi-official visit to London during the Olympics in August 2012? Accompanied by British PM David Cameron, he attended the judo competitions and watched Tagir Khaibulaev win gold in the 100 kg category.

[+ Show Answer]

Vladimir Putin. Putin, who was re-elected Russia's President earlier this year, is a black belt in judo, and never misses an opportunity to show off his macho interests.

This day last year: Q.386

Q.725

In this picture (taken on Sept 02, 2012), you see Australian sports minister Kate Lundy, an avid rower, who has just finished rowing 1000 meters at the rowing course at Eton Dorney, in England. Curiously, she is wearing Team Great Britain colours (red and blue).

Why is that so?

Image: AFP/The Australian

[+ Show Answer]

She had made a bet with her British counterpart (whom you see in the picture) as to which of their nations would win more medals at the recently concluded Olympics. Since she lost, she had to row the course. If Australia had ended up with more, he would have dribbled a hockey ball in Aussie colours. More on the wager.

This day last year: Q.359

Q.716

This pose was invented by the sports presenter Clare Balding during the sports-themed game show "A League of their Own" so that one of her fellow panelists could use it at the Olympics. It came about after an impromptu suggestion from the show's anchor James Corden, who also gave the pose its name.

Inspired by the one of the moves in the dance to the "Y.M.C.A" song, what pose is this?

[+ Show Answer]

The "Mobot", the celebratory pose used by British athlete Mo Farah who won the 5000m & 10000m double at the 2012 London Olympics. For the full story, read this article.

Image: The Rambling Man and Kim Ratcliffe of Think Equestrian/Wikimedia Commons

This day last year: Q.350

Q.711

"Look up at the stars and not down at your feet.", he said on this occasion. What was the occasion (timeline: August 29, 2012)?

Image: The Telegraph

[+ Show Answer]

The Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics in London. Stephen Hawking, the noted physicist, introduced the Games.

This day last year: Q.345

Q.702

This is not only an observation tower, but also a work of sculptural art. Designed by the artist Anish Kapoor and the designer-architect Cecil Balmond, and located in the Olympic Park, London, the "Orbit" was shown to the world in May 2012, in time for the London Olympics. Apparently the biggest piece of public art in Britain, it was also considered as a possible destination for the Olympic flame.

Principally funded by Britain's richest person, the name prefixed to "Orbit" is one of his best known companies. What's the full name of this sculpture?

Image: you_only_live_twice/Wikimedia Commons

[+ Show Answer]

"ArcelorMittal Orbit". More at the Wikipedia article.

This day last year: Q.336

Q.692

England lost the 3rd and final Test match against South Africa in August 2012, bringing to an end its reign as World Test cricket champion. Two run-outs were decisive in the England fourth innings, leading to its narrow loss. One run-out involved Jonathan Trott and James Taylor. This extract from the Cricinfo report for the match describes it as:

When Trott clipped Steyn wide of mid-on, and Amla chased towards long-on, the lack of running urgency suggested that both batsmen had settled for a dawdling three. In fact, were it not for an outfield slowed by repairs after the _____ _____, it would have been four. The final arrow was about to plunge deep into England's ambitions that they might square the series.

Steyn, the bowler, was so convinced all meaningful action was complete that he collected his sun hat from the umpire before the call of "over." But Trott turned in invitation of a fourth. Taylor, who was running to the danger end, accepted with alacrity only for Trott to turn his back and leave Taylor stranded as Steyn transferred to the wicketkeeper.

Why had there been repairs on the field?

[+ Show Answer]

This match was played at Lord's, where, during the Olympics, the Olympic archery events had been held. This had left the outfield needing some rejuvenation. The blank words in the article are "Olympic archery". More here.

This day last year: Q.326

Q.677

At most Olympic medal ceremonies, a medallist can expect to get a medal, a handshake, and congratulatory words from the august personage handing out the trinkets. But in this case, why is this silver medallist getting more than that, with a hug and a kiss?

Image: Hello Magazine

[+ Show Answer]

The medallist is Princess Zara Phillips whose Great Britain team won a silver at the team equestrian events in this year's Olympics; her mother, Princess Anne (a former equestrian Olympian herself) presented the medals. More at this Hello Mag article.

This day last year: Q.311

Q.667

The Olympic Week (7/7)
"Transport for London" is the government body that governs and manages various London transport systems. To mark the Olympics, they issued a map honouring three hundred and sixty one top sportspeople. Called the "Olympics Legends Map", it was designed by Alex Trickett and David Brooks.

This is a map of something iconic to London, in which the principal entities have been replaced by these sportspeople's names. What map?

[+ Show Answer]

The London Tube. See this article for details and the full map.

This day last year: Q.301

Q.666

The Olympic Week (6/7)
India is sending its largest ever contingent to the Olympics, with an 80+ member squad. The chef de mission for the squad is a former Olympian - a hockey player from the famed village of Sansarpur who won the bronze medal with the Indian team at the 1968 & 1972 Games. He also led the national team on several occasions.

But for some reason, he hasn't showed up at the Games yet, plunging the squad into unwanted controversy. Who is this?

[+ Show Answer]

Ajit Pal Singh.

This day last year: Q.300

Q.665

The Olympic Week (5/7)
A vIZual question: what connects these veteran competitors?

[+ Show Answer]

This day last year: Q.299

Q.664

The Olympic Week (4/7)
From a business angle, Telefónica Europe (the telecom company that uses the brand name "O₂"), the British retailing group Sports Direct, and Ricoh (the Japanese electronics company) will suffer a loss of a certain kind during the London 2012 Olympics. This will be restored once the Games end.

What loss and why?

[+ Show Answer]

Three of the venues for the Olympics had sold their naming rights to these three companies. These are: The O₂ Arena, the Sports Direct Arena and The Ricoh Arena. But the sponsorship deals that the 2012 Olympics have struck mean that other companies cannot have their names associated with the Games. So for the duration of the Games, these venues will be known plainly as (respectively) North Greenwich Arena, St James' Park, and City of Coventry Stadium.

This day last year: Q.298

Q.663

The Olympic Week (3/7)
The participation of Philipine van Aanholt, Liemarvin Bonevacia, and Reginald de Windt (all from Curacao), Fawaz Al Shammari, Md. Al-Azemi, and Ali Md. Al-Zinkawi (all Kuwait) and Guor Marial (South Sudan) in this year's Olympics will be quite unusual. In doing so, they will join the squad of Olympians to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics from the former Yugoslavian countries, and two sportsmen from East Timor in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

What is unusual about their participation?

[+ Show Answer]

They will be competing as Independent Olympic Athletes because, at this point, they have no parent Olympic Association. South Sudan, having just become
independent, doesn't have one yet, Kuwait's was suspended (see IZ Q.59)while the dissolution of the Netherland Antilles union in 2011 saw
Curacao have no association of its own.

This day last year: Q.297

Q.662

The Olympic Week (2/7)
The second in our series marking Olympics week

This is how the medal for the Summer Olympics will look like. On the obverse (front) side, you can see a representation of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. On the reverse side is the logo of the London 2012 Games, a set of lines that symbolises "the energy of athletes and a sense of pulling together", and the River Thames.

All these medals will have purple ribbons. This is to commemorate another 2012 event. Which event?

Image: Wikipedia

[+ Show Answer]

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The colour is officially the Royal Purple.

This day last year: Q.296