Friday, Nov. 19 Weekly Quiz: Royals, Beatles, Evil Dictators

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II missed the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph War Memorial in central London on Nov. 14, 2021, due to a sprained back. The 95-year-old monarch has been absent from public life since Oct. 21, 2021, after she was ordered to rest following a night in hospital.

Which war is honored on Remembrance Day at the Cenotaph Memorial?

The Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph War Memorial, is held to mark the end of World War I. The queen had previously missed the event, set on the nearest Sunday to Nov. 11, only six times in her 69 years on the throne - four on tour abroad and twice pregnant.

King Charles was born on November 14, 1948, making him 74 in May 2023, the month of his coronation.

Britain’s then Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, kicked off a three-day visit to Jordan on Nov. 16, 2021, before moving on to Egypt. It was the first royal tour since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

How are the UK and Jordan connected?

Jordan was established as an emirate and British protectorate in 1921 before gaining complete independence in 1946. The countries have close diplomatic and security relations.

Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk was South Africa's last white president, ending apartheid in 1994 and becoming the country's first Deputy President - under Nelson Mandela. The two shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. De Klerk died on Nov. 12, 2021, aged 85.

Ferdinand Marcos was the 10th president of the Philippines, ruling as a kleptocrat dictator from 1965 to 1986 when he fled with his family to Hawaii. He and his wife, Imelda Marcos, currently hold the Guinness World Record for "Greatest Robbery of a Government."

Is Ferdinand Marcos the president of the Philippines in 2022?

Photo: Avito C. Dalan for the Philippine News Agency, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

While Marcos Sr. died in 1989, his son, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., was elected governor, congressman, and in 2010, a senator in the Philippines. He won the 2022 presidential race alongside his VP Sara Duterte, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, who worked to aid a Marcos comeback during his years in power. Marcos's sister is a senator and a former governor, and his mother, Imelda Marcos, was elected to Congress for four terms.

Korean American Ji-Young, the newest muppet resident of "Sesame Street," is the first Asian American muppet on "Sesame Street."

When was the new Ji-Young puppet introduced?

Ji-Young was introduced in "See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special." Simu Liu, Padma Lakshmi, and Naomi Osaka appear in the special, which aired on Thanksgiving Day 2021.

What's the meaning of Ji-Young in Korean?

Ji means intelligent or wise, and Young means heroic (among other things). Ji also means sesame.

The 2021 COP26 UN climate talks ended Nov. 13, 2021, with a deal that targeted fossil fuels as the key driver of global warming for the first time. India, backed by China and other coal-dependent developing nations, rejected a clause calling to “phase out” coal-fired power, which was amended to “phase down” coal use.

 What other significant agreements did COP26 reach?

Leaders of more than 100 countries, including Brazil, China, Russia, and the United States, vowed to end deforestation by 2030. The agreement covers about 85 percent of the world’s forests. More than 100 countries agreed to cut methane emissions by 30 percent by the end of this decade.

What were India’s and China’s big COP26 announcements?

India joined the growing number of nations pledging to reach “net zero” emissions, setting a 2070 deadline, and China committed to developing a plan to reduce methane emissions for the first time.

Under Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus's principal security agency kept its symbolic acronym of KGB. He also made the new national flag nearly identical to the one Belarus used as a Soviet republic. He was the only member of the Belarusian Supreme Soviet who in 1991 voted against the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Is Belarus sending refugees to Poland?

The 2021 crisis on Poland's border with Belarus erupted as Belarus sent thousands of Middle East refugees to the European Union country's border as retaliation for the EU's sanctions against Lukashenko's regime.

Alexander Lukashenko heads the authoritarian government of Belarus and has referred to himself as "the last dictator in Europe."

Is Belarus a part of Russia?

In 1997, Lukashenko signed an agreement with Russia on forming a "union state" of close economic, military and political ties. In 2021 Lukashenko and Putin announced a broad range of accords to solidify the union state, including a joint military doctrine. The agreements increase Russia's influence in Belarus, while Lukashenko gains Russian assurance.

Dr. Curt Connors first appears in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 (2004), portrayed by actor Dylan Baker of "Happiness" and "The Good Wife" fame. He does not turn into Lizard in this movie.

Is Lizard in Spider-Man: No Way Home?

Screenshots: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Rhys Ifans, who portrayed Dr. Curt Connors / Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man, reprises his role in the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The Beatles’ final studio album is titled Let It Be and was released after the band had already split. The songs on Let It Be were recorded during the band’s January 1969 recording sessions, along with the Abbey Road album songs.

What’s in the 2021 Beatles Peter Jackson documentary?

Previously unseen footage shot over 21 days by Michael Lindsay-Hogg in 1969 for the Let It Be documentary was restored and remastered in Peter Jackson’s “The Beatles: Get Back” three-part six-hour-long docuseries, premiering Nov. 25 on Disney+. Watch the first clip from The Beatles: Get Back.

Frida Kahlo's oil painting, "Diego and I," completed five years before her death in 1954, sold for $34.9 million at Sotheby's on Nov. 16, 2021, making it the most expensive artwork by a Latin American artist.

Who is Diego from Frida Kahlo's "Diego and I"?

Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, who is depicted in "Diego and I" just above Kahlo's tearful eyes, was the artist's husband (they married twice) and the previous "most expensive artwork by a Latin American artist" record holder. Kahlo's "Diego and I" surpassed Rivera's "The Rivals" 2018 record, when his painting sold at auction for $9.76 million.

Lady Gaga's first leading role was in 2018's A Star is Born, opposite Bradley Cooper. For the role, Gaga received nominations for the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and BAFTA Award for Best Actress.

What's Lady Gaga's role in 2021's House of Gucci?

In Ridley Scott's "House of Gucci," the 35-year-old Gaga portrays Patrizia Reggiani, who plotted the murder of her Gucci-heir husband in 1995, in a vivid Italian accent. The movie debuts in theaters before Thanksgiving 2021.

In "King Richard," Will Smith plays Richard Williams, father and tennis coach to Venus and Serena Williams. The movie is an authorized dramatization of the two tennis stars' upbringing. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, Warner Bros. released "King Richard" in theaters and on HBO Max on Nov. 19, 2021. On Feb. 9, 2022, Will Smith won his third Oscar nomination and first win for his role in the film.