Rainbow Quiz - Identify the personality - Week 54

Here is the next weekly "Rainbow" quiz , where I would be giving 7 clues (Hence the name Rainbow) about a personality. Try to discover the person in the least number of clues . You can either leave the answer as a comment / email me . Feedback/ suggestions welcome. Googling is not preferred but then its just for fun and so go ahead if you need to.

This quiz is dedicated to one of the luminaries of Astronomy.He also led a colorful,eccentric life.

clue # 1 : "X" was born in a Danish noble family. He mostly studied under private tutors until beginning his studies at the University of Copenhagen.

clue # 2 : There he studied law but also studied a variety of other subjects and became interested in astronomy. It was here that he started making his own predictions in the field of astronomy helped by some of the professors.

clue # 3 : While a student, "X" lost part of his nose in a duel ( Because of a quarrel) with another fellow nobleman . For the rest of his life, he wore a false nose.

clue # 4 : As an astronomer, "X" invented his own model of the universe, the "X" system. He is credited with the most accurate astronomical observations of his time, and the data were used by his assistant Kepler to derive the laws of planetary motion.

clue # 5 : "X" led an extremely eccentric life. He was said to own one percent of the entire wealth of Denmark at one point in the 16th century. He kept a dwarf as a court jester who sat under the table during dinner. He also had a tame moose.

clue # 6 : "X" died during early 17th century, eleven days after suddenly becoming very ill during a banquet. For hundreds of years, the general belief was that he had strained his bladder. It had been said that to leave the banquet before it concluded would be the height of bad manners, and so he remained, and that his bladder, stretched to its limit, developed an infection which he later died of ( This theory has been disproved lately).

clue # 7 : Craters in Moon and Mars have been named in honor of his contribution to astronomy.

Who is X?

Sunset view from Pentai Cenang Beach - Langkawi, Malaysia

Rainbow Quiz - Identify the personality - Week 53

Here is the next weekly "Rainbow" quiz , where I would be giving 7 clues (Hence the name Rainbow) about a personality/business. Try to discover the person/company in the least number of clues . You can either leave the answer as a comment / email me . Feedback/ suggestions welcome. Googling is not preferred but then its just for fun and so go ahead if you need to.

Rainbow quiz completed a year last week. So thought of doing something different. This week's quiz is on a Company rather than a personality. "X" is a household name across the globe. Should be easy to guess.

clue # 1 : This company was established in 1865 as a wood-pulp mill .

clue # 2 : The company got its name from a River & town ( that still exists today) to where it relocated its business.

clue # 3 : "X" plays a very large role in the economy of its country of origin.It accounts for about a third of the market capitalization of the domestic Stock Exchange .

clue # 4 : In 2006, "X" generated revenues that for the first time exceeded the national budget of its country of origin.

clue # 5 : In 2006, "X" and Siemens AG announced the merger of their network equipment businesses to create one of the world's largest network firms.

clue # 6 : "X" is listed as the 5th most valuable global brand in BusinessWeek's Best Global Brands list of 2007 (1st non-US company).

clue # 7 : It is the 20th most admirable company worldwide in Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies list of 2007 and is a Fortune 500 company .

Name X?

Trivia - # 8

In the recently announced national awards, Amitabh Bachchan won the best actor award for "Black". This is his second best actor national award ( First one was for Agneepath).

Now the question is who are the only two actors to win the " Best Actor" national award thrice ?

Trivia - # 7

In the recently announced National awards ( announced last week) , who won the best music director award ?

clue : This is the first movie as a music director for this Classical musician. He is also perhaps the oldest to win it at a ripe age of 77.

Rainbow Quiz - Identify the personality - Week 52

Here is the next weekly "Rainbow" quiz , where I would be giving 7 clues (Hence the name Rainbow) about a personality. Try to discover the person in the least number of clues . You can either leave the answer as a comment / email me . Feedback/ suggestions welcome. Googling is not preferred but then its just for fun and so go ahead if you need to.

Rainbow quiz completes a year. This quiz is dedicated to one of the luminaries of Indian science.

clue# 1 : "X" was born in Patliputra (modern Patna) in Bihar. However, many are of the view (particularly in recent times) that he was born in Kerala and lived in Magadha at the time of the Gupta rulers.

clue # 2 : "X" is the author of several treatises on mathematics and astronomy, some of which are lost. His major work, a compendium of mathematics and astronomy that still survives is extensively referred to in the Indian mathematical literature.

clue # 3 : His most important contribution to mathematics is his solution of the indeterminate equation ax - by = c.

clue # 4 : Several disciples flocked to "X" and later became famous mathematicians themselves, like Bhaskara, Sankaranarayana, Suryadeva and Nilkantha.

clue # 5 : Among his many towering achievements, he correctly determined the axial rotation of the earth. He inferred that planetary orbits were elliptical, and provided a valid explanation of solar and lunar eclipses. His theory of the relativity of motion predated Einstein’s by 1400 years. And his studies in algebra and trigonometry, which laid the foundations for calculus, influenced European mathematicians 1,000 years later, when his texts were translated into European languages from the 8th century Arabic translations of the Sanskrit originals.

clue # 6 : His Calendric calculations have been in continuous use in India for the practical purposes of fixing the Panchanga or Hindu calendar.

clue # 7 : He humbly states about his achievements, " I delved deep in the astronomical theories, true and false, and rescued the precious sunken jewel of knowledge, by means of the best of my intellect and by the grace of God."

Off to Langkawi ( Malaysia)

I will be off to Langkawi in Malaysia for the next 4 days. Will be back with the travel diary and photos.

Comte De Monte Cristo , Le

It was a wish come true for me. Ever since I read the book for the first time when I was a child, the Alexander Dumas epic " The count of Monte Cristo" has always been a fascination to me. Over the years, I have re-read the novel several times ( Interestingly, the first time I read the tamil translation of the novel !).

Its a great story. Excellent characters. Terrific drama. I finally got to watch the French version of the movie over the weekend( It was a made for TV movie). Although it was over 7 hours ( in French with English subtitles) , it was a very gripping movie that particularly captured well the essence of the revenge plot.
The French star Gerard Depardieu stars in the title role.

Also got some free French lessons that stirred some dormant memories of my French class days :-)

Rainbow Quiz - Identify the personality - Week 51

Here is the next weekly "Rainbow" quiz , where I would be giving 7 clues (Hence the name Rainbow) about a personality. Try to discover the person in the least number of clues . You can either leave the answer as a comment / email me . Feedback/ suggestions welcome. Googling is not preferred but then its just for fun and so go ahead if you need to.

A man who fought for equality of Mankind - a fight that seems to continue forever.

clue # 1 :"X" was born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. His family had a long tenure as pastors of the local Church.

clue # 2 : He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in sociology and then obtained a Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.) degree . He later received a Ph.D from the Boston University .

clue # 3 : On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. The famous Montgomery Bus Boycott that ensued was led by "X".

clue # 4 : "X" was an adherent of the philosophies of nonviolent civil disobedience used successfully by "Mahatma" Gandhi, and he applied this philosophy to the protests organized by his movement, which fought for equal rights for blacks.

clue # 5 : "X" organized the historic "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom " that culminated in his address at the Lincoln Memorial . At the time, it was the largest gathering of protesters in Washington's history. X's "I Have a Dream speech" electrified the crowd.

clue # 6 : In 1964, "X" became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. However a few years later, while standing on the balcony of a motel in Tennessee, he was assassinated. T

clue # 7 : The Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded posthumously to "X". "X" was the second most admired person in the 20th century, according to a Gallup poll. He was also voted 6th in the Person of the Century poll by TIME.

Who is X?

God's Inbox

Via Digg. If god had an inbox.