2009 Major Events & Tamil Cinema Quiz

Karthik made his singing debut as a playback singer in Tamil cinema with 'Ennavale Adi Ennavale' from the film 'Kadhalar Dhinam' (1999), composed by AR Rahman. 'Maaya Maaya' from 'Baba' (2002) was one of his notable early songs but not his first recording.

In Tamil, 'Puravi' literally translates to 'horse' - a basic Tamil vocabulary word. 'Ulagam' means world, 'Yaanai' means elephant, and 'Thuravi' means saint, making option B the correct translation. This tests fundamental Tamil vocabulary knowledge.

In the Tamil classic Kurinji Paatu by Kabilar, the poet specifically mentions 99 different types of flowers. This is a well-known cultural reference in Tamil literature that also appeared in a popular movie scene. The exact count of 99 is the correct answer.

Barack Obama was inaugurated on January 20, 2009, as the 44th President of the United States. The U.S. presidency counts from George Washington (1st) through all successors, making Obama the 44th. This is a factual historical question about U.S. presidential history.

On February 10, 2009, the Iridium 33 (American) and Kosmos-2251 (Russian) communications satellites collided over Siberia, creating significant space debris. This was the first accidental hypervelocity collision between two intact satellites in Earth orbit. The Russian and American satellites collision is a well-documented space event.

On March 3, 2009, gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team bus in Lahore, Pakistan, killing six police officers and two civilians while injuring several cricketers. This was a terrorist attack that shocked the cricketing world. Lahore is in Pakistan's Punjab province.

On April 6, 2009, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck L'Aquila in central Italy, killing nearly 300 people and injuring over 1,500. This was a devastating natural disaster that caused significant damage to medieval buildings in the historic city. The earthquake specifically occurred in Italy's Abruzzo region.

These Tamil lyrics are from the song 'Vaseegara' from the film Alaipayuthey (2000), directed by Mani Ratnam with music by A.R. Rahman. The song is a romantic classic and these opening lines are iconic in Tamil cinema. Alaipayuthey is the correct answer.

On May 25, 2009, North Korea announced it had conducted its second successful nuclear test, which was condemned by the UN Security Council. This was a significant escalation in North Korea's nuclear weapons program, following their first test in 2006. North Korea is the correct answer as it's the only country that conducted nuclear tests in May 2009.

Air France Flight 447 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009, killing all 228 passengers and crew on board. The Airbus A330 disappeared while flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. The crash occurred in the Atlantic Ocean, not the Pacific, Arctic, or Indian Ocean.

These Tamil lyrics are from the song 'Kannum Kannum Nokia' from the film Anbae Sivam (2003) starring Kamal Haasan and Madhavan. The philosophical lyrics reflect the film's theme about love and humanity. Anbae Sivam is the correct answer - these lyrics appear in this film's soundtrack.

These Tamil lyrics are from the song 'Bombay Bombay' from the film Bombay (1995) directed by Mani Ratnam. The song is a nostalgic tribute to the city of Bombay (now Mumbai). These opening lines are iconic and reference the classic film starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala.

Michael Jackson, known as the 'King of Pop,' died on June 25, 2009, due to cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles. His death triggered global mourning and extensive media coverage. The other options (Robin, Stuart, Steve Jackson) are not real entertainers of this significance.

The total solar eclipse of July 22, 2009, was the longest of the 21st century with maximum duration of 6 minutes 39 seconds. It was visible across a narrow path through Asia including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and China. Africa, America, and Europe were not in its path.

These lyrics are from a song in the Tamil film 'Boys' (2003) directed by S. Shankar with music by A.R. Rahman. The film starring Siddharth, Genelia, and others was known for its youthful soundtrack. 'Something Something' and 'Santhosh Subramaniam' are different films.

Typhoon Morakot struck Taiwan in August 2009, causing the worst flooding in 50 years with approximately 500 deaths and over 1,000 stranded. The typhoon brought record rainfall causing massive landslides. Hong Kong, Andaman, and Indonesia were not the primary impact areas.

These lyrics are from the Tamil film 'Alaipayuthey' (2000) directed by Mani Ratnam with music by A.R. Rahman. The film starring R. Madhavan and Shalini featured popular romantic songs. 'Anbae Sivam' and 'Virumbugiren' are different films.

On September 29, 2009, a powerful 8.3 magnitude earthquake struck near the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific, generating a devastating tsunami. At least 189 people were killed across Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga. Hawaii, Bahamas, and 'Great Trencher' were not affected.

Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars outside our Solar System. In October 2009, European astronomers using the HARPS instrument announced the discovery of 32 new exoplanets. The prefix 'exo-' means 'outside' or 'beyond' - hexaplanets, ecoplanets, and octaplanets are not real astronomical terms.