Season 229

Dubbed the "Queen of Japanese Pop," which singer launched her career with the idol group Super Monkeys before rising to fame as a solo artist?
Retiring in 2018 after a 25-year career, her 1997 single Can You Celebrate? remains the best-selling single by a solo female artist in Japanese music history.

Issued in 1823 by the 5th president of the United States, which foreign policy statement warned European powers against further colonization or interference in the Americas?
It later became a cornerstone of U.S. diplomacy, shaping relations in the Western Hemisphere throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

Which cricket Test series, contested between England and Australia, originated after an 1882 satirical newspaper article declared the “death” of English cricket following a defeat at The Oval?

Created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung and produced by Pop Mart, which collectible vinyl figures feature a mischievous creature with sharp teeth and pointy ears?
Hugely popular worldwide, they have become a designer toy craze, with fans scrambling for them in blind box sales.

Which crystalline form of carbon, composed of layers of hexagonal lattices, is widely used as a lubricant, in nuclear reactors as a neutron moderator, in batteries and electrodes, and in high-temperature applications such as refractories and foundry materials?

Discovered in 1991 and fully explored in 2009, which cavern in Vietnam’s Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park is considered the largest cave in the world by volume, vast enough to hold a New York City block with skyscrapers, and containing its own jungle, river, and climate inside?

Which American actor, who has frequently showcased his singing in films, carried that same comedic energy into forming the rock parody duo Tenacious D with Kyle Gass?
The band won a Grammy in 2015 for their cover of The Last in Line and gained cult status with songs like Tribute.

Which red-haired orphan, adopted by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert in the fictional village of Avonlea, is celebrated for her vivid imagination and talkative nature?
First appearing in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 novel, she became one of literature’s most beloved heroines and inspired countless adaptations worldwide.

Which Japanese politician, who served as prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020, becoming the country’s longest-serving leader, was tragically assassinated in 2022 during a public campaign speech?

Which 1960 Italian film directed by Federico Fellini, noted for its exploration of celebrity culture and moral decadence in Rome, features the iconic scene of Anita Ekberg wading into the Trevi Fountain with Marcello Mastroianni?
Celebrated as a landmark of European cinema, its title has entered common usage to describe a life of pleasure.

Sealed at Runnymede in 1215, which historic charter forced King John of England to recognize that even a monarch was subject to the law, establishing principles that influenced constitutional documents like the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights?

First developed in Germany in the early 20th century by Count Ferdinand, which brand of rigid airship was used during World War I for bombing raids over London?
It later became famous for luxury passenger travel before disasters like the Hindenburg crash in 1937 ended its golden age.

Completed in 1931 during the Great Depression, which New York City skyscraper stood as the world’s tallest building for nearly 40 years?
Famously featured in King Kong (1933), this Art Deco landmark remains one of the most recognizable symbols of the Manhattan skyline.

What is the name of the number-placement puzzle played on a 9×9 grid, where each row, column, and 3×3 subgrid must contain all digits from 1 to 9 without repetition?
Though based on earlier number puzzles, it rose to global popularity in newspapers and puzzle books during the early 2000s.