Questions and Answers about
Places
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in PlacesThe Ram Mandir temple in Ayodhya, India, inaugurated in January 2024, stands over what historical structure?
Answer: The Ram Mandir temple, ceremoniously opened on Jan. 22, 2024, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, now stands tall over what was once the Babri Masjid.
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in PlacesWhere was the new Danish Queen born?
Answer: Mary Donaldson from Tasmania became Queen Mary of Denmark on January 14, 2024, after Queen Margrethe II’s historic abdication.
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in PlacesAccording to traditional South Korean belief, what was once considered a method to boost stamina during humid summers?
Answer: South Korea’s parliament passed a bill to end dog meat eating and selling as of Jan. 9, 2024, reflecting a shift in cultural perceptions towards dogs.
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in PlacesIf you stroll down David Bowie Street, which city’s sights are you enjoying?
Answer: Rue David Bowie was inaugurated in Paris, France, on Jan. 8, 2024, which would have been Bowie’s 77th birthday.
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in PlacesWhat unexpected ‘feature’ did the 2023 Burning Man festival introduce to its attendees?
Answer: In a twist of events that Mother Nature probably found amusing, the 2023 Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada surprised attendees with a natural mud spa treatment as heavy rains transformed the festival grounds into vast cement-like mud puddles. This unexpected ‘feature’ left over 70,000 attendees stranded, turning their desert…
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in PlacesWhen does Ukraine celebrate Christmas?
Answer: In a move more surprising than finding out your secret Santa is actually Santa, Ukraine officially shifted its Christmas celebration to December 25th in 2023. This historic change. signed into law by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in July 2023, marked a significant departure from the traditional January 7th date, aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church’s…
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in PlacesWhen does Ukraine celebrate Christmas?
Answer: Ukraine officially shifted its Christmas celebration to December 25th in 2023, a historic change signed into law by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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in PlacesWhich country is “Bharat”?
Answer: India recently stirred the pot (and not just a curry one) by referring to itself as “Bharat” in the Sept. 2023 G20 summit dinner invitations. For those who missed the memo, “Bharat” is an ancient Sanskrit term deeply rooted in India’s history and is also the name mentioned in the Indian Constitution. But why…
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in PlacesWhat is the Cenotaph in the UK?
Answer: The Cenotaph in Whitehall stands as a silent sentinel in the heart of London, solemnly honoring those who laid down their lives in the Great War and subsequent conflicts. During the Armistice weekend in Nov. 2023, a pro-Palestinian march was rerouted to avoid this iconic memorial, which, after a political tango involving the Prime…
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in PlacesWhich city suffered a surge in blood-sucking guests ahead of international sporting events?
Answer: In 2023, Paris and other French cities experienced a notable increase in bedbug infestations, leading to widespread public and mental health concerns. The French government, recognizing the severity of the issue. hosted emergency meetings to devise strategies to manage the situation, especially in light of the ongoing Rugby World Cup and the upcoming 2024…
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in PlacesWhere was the world’s oldest wooden structure discovered?
Answer: The world’s oldest known wooden structure was discovered near Kalambo Falls, on the border between Zambia and Tanzania. This remarkable find, dated almost half a million years old, offers a glimpse into our ancient ancestors’ lives. The structure, made of two interlocking logs, was likely part of a platform or walkway. Its preservation is…
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in PlacesWhat is a kibbutz?
Answer: A kibbutz is, traditionally. a collective community in Israel based on agriculture and known for its communal living ethos. The kibbutz concept aimed to create a society where all members contribute according to their ability and receive according to their needs, though most, if not all, kibbutzim are privatized today. The Oct. 7, 2023,…
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in PlacesCan you pinpoint Islam’s third-holiest site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque’s geographical location?
Answer: The Al-Aqsa Mosque is in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem. This mosque has stood for centuries and has been a focal point in the longstanding and deeply rooted conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, involving a large-scale surprise terror attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians,…
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in PlacesWhere is the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region located?
Answer: Nagorno-Karabakh is a region on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia. While it’s internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, it has been under Armenian separatist control for decades. In Sept. 2023. a mass exodus of up to 120,000 Armenians fled the area due to fears of persecution under Azerbaijani rule.
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in PlacesWhat is the Khalistan movement?
Answer: The Khalistan movement advocates for an independent homeland for Sikhs in India’s Punjab region. While the idea of Khalistan has been around for a while, it made headlines in 2023 due to the alleged assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Canadian Sikh leader and Khalistan advocate. This incident led to a diplomatic tiff…
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in PlacesWhere is the Atlas Mountains’ highest peak?
Answer: The highest peak of the Atlas Mountains is located in Morocco. Specifically, roughly 40 miles south of Marrakesh. On Sept. 8, 2023, this region shook with a 6.8 magnitude earthquake, killing over 2,900 people. This was the deadliest earthquake in Morocco since 1960, when a quake killed more than 12,000. Marrakesh’s famous Koutoubia Mosque,…
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in PlacesWhat is the semiquincentennial age?
Answer: The semiquincentennial is 250 years old – exactly the age of the United States on July 4, 2026. The semiquincentennial celebrations will mark the 250th anniversary of United States independence from Great Britain. America250, a nonpartisan organization created by Congress in 2016 to mark the anniversary, will oversee the celebrations. officially announced on July…
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in PlacesWhich country is the first to allow MDMA prescriptions for post-trauma?
Answer: Australia is the first country worldwide to approve MDMA for PTSD and psilocybin for hard-to-treat depression. The Therapeutic Goods Administration put the two drugs on the approved medicines list starting July 1, 2023, but for a price — the treatment costs about $10,000 (Australian. It’s roughly $6,600 US dollars) per patient._x000D__x000D_
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in PlacesWhat is the Korean age?
Answer: The traditional “Korean age” system considers the time spent in the womb as one year and adds another year every January 1, regardless of the actual birthday. This means some Koreans can be two years older than their international age. However. this system changed starting June 28, 2023, when South Korea adopted the international…
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in PlacesWhere did Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a Guinness World Record for the most nationalities in a single yoga lesson?
Answer: On June 21, 2023, as part of the International Day of Yoga celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a yoga session at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The session broke the Guinness World Record for the participation of people of 135 different nationalities. This beat the previous record of 114 nationalities set…
