h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A King was crowned....
Who, When...

11 Days were lost.....
Why, When...

A War Ended....
Which one, When...

A First in War Happened....
What, When...

A Spacecraft Landed....
Where, When...


No Googol!
No Wikipoedia!


Be bold, be interesting!

Beware klaxons....





GT

Spacecraft isn't the moon landing I don't think. Therefore it's Mars or Venus. Toss a coin. Mars?

Viking 1 or Viking 2?

If it was one, you'd have said a spacecraft "first" landed, so I'll go with the Viking 2 landing on Mars.

The eleven days lost were the conversion from Gregorian to Julian calendar (have I got that the right way round?)

Can't remember the year, though, but the Russians famously didn't follow the rest of Europe. This led to the interesting situation where the October Revolution actually happened in November, according to most of the rest of Europe.

RF

Oh, forgot. Viking landings were 1973. I think. Unless they were '74. I'll go with '73 though.

Just to complicate matters: the switch from the Julian to The Gregorian calendars happened at different dates throughout Europe, mostly down to the relative proximity to Rome and the influence of the Catholic Church and their astronomer in residence, Copernicus (who had some odd ideas about calibrating the orbits f the celestial spheres or somesuch )
In England for example, the effect of the vacillation between catholic and Protestant monarchs greatly delayed the adoption until 1752, in Russia (under the notable influence of Eastern Orthodoxy) didn't switch over until the Russian revolution in 1912, with Greece being the last nation in 1923.

So if *that's* the answer about the missing 11 days, it really rather depends *where* and *when* you are on the Earth's surface.

Answers so far!

Q5) Post 2 Psycorp Viking 2 Mars correct +3
Q5) Post 4 Psycorp Not 1973......avoiding klaxon!

Q3) Port 3 Reddyfreddy Switching calenders is correct +3 Wrong way round is a sorry! -5

Q3) Post 5 Clive - Dated 1752 is correct +3
For info on staggered uptake of Gregorian Calender +3 DGI



GT

Well as far as wars go as no one else seems to want a try

American Revolutionary War 3/9/1783


But interestingly

Third English Civil War is widley regarded to have ended with the Battle of Worcester 3/9/1651

We have another correct answer...


Bob Stafford Post 7 US Revolutionary War ended with the British signing of Treaty of Paris, 3/9/1783..+3 for date, +3 for US War of Independance.

Also + 3DGI for Battle of Worcester endind British Civil War!!!




GT

Another one bites the dust!!!

Answers...

A King was crowned. Richard Lionheart 1189

11 days lost. Julian/Gregorian calender change 1752

A War ended. US War of Independance 1783

A first in War. First Zeppelin shot down. 1916

A spacecraft landed. Viking 2, Mars. 1976

Fin!

Scores to follow....




GT