The Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885. The updated Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) was published on 23 September 2004 in 60 volumes and online, with 50,113 biographical articles covering 54,922 lives.

Seeking to emulate national biographical collections published elsewhere in Europe, such as the "Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie" (1875), in 1882 the publisher George Smith (18241901), of Smith, Elder & Co., planned a universal dictionary that would include biographical entries on individuals from world history. He approached Leslie Stephen, then editor of the "Cornhill Magazine", owned by Smith, to become editor. Stephen persuaded Smith that the work should focus on subjects from the UK and its present and former colonies only. An early working title was the "Biographia Britannica", the name of an earlier eighteenth-century reference work.

The first volume of the "Dictionary of National Biography" appeared on 1 January 1885. In May 1891 Leslie Stephen resigned and Sidney Lee, Stephen's assistant editor from the beginning of the project, succeeded him as editor. A dedicated team of sub-editors and researchers worked under Stephen and Lee, combining a variety of talents from veteran journalists to young scholars who cut their academic teeth on dictionary articles at a time when postgraduate historical research in British universities was still in its infancy. While much of the dictionary was written in-house, the "DNB" also relied on external contributors, who included several respected writers and scholars of the late nineteenth century. By 1900, more than 700 individuals had contributed to the work. Successive volumes appeared quarterly with complete punctuality until midsummer 1900, when the series closed with volume 63. The year of publication, the editor and the range of names in each volume is given below. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. When was ODNB published?
2. How many volumes did it have?
3. When did the first volume of Directory of National Biography appear?
4. Who was Sidney Lee?
5. What position did he get when Stephen resigned?
6. When did the series close?
7. With which volume?
8. How many people had contributed to it by 1900?
9. The DNB is a reference work on what?
10. Name another such European work?
Answer: 1. 23 September 2004
2. 60
3. 1 January 1885
4. Stephen's assistant editor
5. editor
6. 1900
7. 63
8. 700
9. notable figures from British history,
10. national biographical collections

What will you do if you get five million ? Different people give different answers. Sally If I get five million, I want to do business. I will do a lot of things for my family. For me nothing is more important than my family. I will buy a new house for them and travel around the world. Joe If I have five million, I will use the money to do everything I like. First, I will use two million to open my own shop. And I will use another two million to buy some new houses. In the future, the houses which I buy will become more expensive, and I will sell them to other people. Finally, I will use one million to buy some presents for my family and my best friends. Anna If I have five million, I will put three million in the bank and spend two million. I will visit Paris, London and New York. I will eat delicious food, play games, and build a house with a swimming pool. Jack I will buy an island if I have five million. Then I will be the king of the island. I will invite my friends to my island. ,. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. how much will Anna save of the 5 million?
2. how much will she spend?
3. what does sally want to do with the money?
4. what is the most important thing to her?
5. what will she get for them?
Answer: 1. three million
2. two million
3. business
4. family
5. new house

The children's father wanted to know what every one wanted on their pizza. Andy wanted a strawberry on his pizza. Father thought that was funny. Father asked if anyone wanted chicken on the pizza. Sue did not want chicken. Andy wanted chicken. Dan did not want chicken, but their father wanted to get chicken on the pizza. Dan asked if they could have mushrooms on the pizza. Father did not like mushrooms. Andy and Sue wanted to have mushrooms, so their father had them put mushrooms on the pizza. Sue wanted to have green onions on the pizza. Father also wanted green onions. Dan and Andy did not like green onions, so they did not get green onions on the pizza. Father wanted to order thin crust pizza. Dan thought that thin crust pizza had the taste of an old shoe. Sue thought Dan was wrong. Sue wanted thin crust pizza also. Andy wanted thick crust pizza. He did not want thin crust, so their father ordered the pizza with thick crust. The pizza was very good and they ate it all. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What did the man want to know?
2. Who wanted something unusual?
3. What was it?
4. What did his dad think about that?
5. Did anyone want mushrooms on it?
6. How many people?
7. What were their names?
8. Did everyone agree on the crust?
9. What kind did Sue want?
10. And Andy?
11. How much of it did they all eat in the end?
12. DId someone want to put olives on it?
13. Who did not like mushrooms?
14. How many kids did he have?
15. How many were boys?
16. And girls?
17. Which one of them thought thin crust tastes like an old shoe?
18. How did he feel about green onions?
Answer: 1. what every one wanted on their pizza
2. Andy
3. a strawberry
4. That it was funny.
5. Yes.
6. Two
7. Andy and Sue
8. No.
9. thin crust pizza
10. thick crust.
11. All.
12. No.
13. Father.
14. Three
15. Two
16. One
17. Dan
18. Didn't like them.

(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal recovered from a rusty start to power into the second round of Wimbledon with a straight-sets win over Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci on Tuesday.

The two-time champion bounced back in style after losing the first four games of the match against the 80th-ranked Bellucci.

Nadal won the next four, before smashing his South American opponent 7-0 in the first-set tie break and then wrapping up the remaining sets 6-2 6-3.

"It's always tough to make the change from clay to grass, especially when over the last couple of months I played almost every match on tour," said Nadal, who won the French Open earlier this month.

"I had more mistakes than usual and I was very lucky to come back from 4-0."

Champion Kvitova battles through in women's first round

Great Britain's Andy Murray made an impressive start to the tournament as he bids to become the first home winner of the men's singles since Fred Perry in 1936.

The world number four made short work of beating Russia's Nikolay Davydenko 6-1 6-1 6-4, and the British number one also looked in peak physical form following recent fitness concerns.

But it was a day to forget for Australia's men's players, with none making the second round at the All England Club for the first time since 1938.

No. 20 seed Bernard Tomic, who made the quarterfinals last year, slumped to a surprise 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 defeat against Belgian wildcard David Goffin.

"I have slacked off a little bit and look what it's costing me. It's a lack of concentration, not working hard," admitted the 19-year-old after the defeat. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What sport is this article about?
2. Which tournament?
3. Did Nadal beat his opponent?
4. Who was that?
5. From what country?
6. Did Nadal lose any of the sets?
7. What other tournament did he win recently?
8. When was that?
9. How many times has he won Wimbledon?
10. Did he make any mistakes?
11. What is Bellucci's rank?
12. Where is Andy Murray from?
13. Is Wimbledon played there?
14. Who last won from Great Britain?
15. When?
16. What is Murray's rank?
17. And Bernard Tomic?
18. At what club is Wimbledon played?
19. Did anyone from Australia win their match?
20. What country is David Goffin from?
Answer:
1. tennis
2. Wimbledon
3. yes
4. Thomaz Bellucci
5. Brazil
6. no
7. the French Open
8. earlier this month
9. two
10. yes
11. 80th
12. Great Britain
13. yes
14. Fred Perry
15. 1936
16. world number four
17. No. 20
18. All England Club
19. no
20. Belgium