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GK 24
Quiz
Question | Answer |
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With a synagogue still in existence at Worms, which man who lived 1040-1105, is considered the commentator, par excellence, on the Talmud, with his works still read by Jews today? | Rashi |
The First Crusade took place in which decade? | 1090s (1095-99) |
After the successful siege of Jerusalem in 1099, he became the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem - which Frankish knight, who died the following year, was one of the leaders of the First Crusade? | Godfrey of Bouillon |
Which Jewish poet, born in Toledo but later exiled from Spain, wrote 'Foundation of the Fear of God'? | Ibrahim Ibn Ezra |
Which Jewish philosopher (1138-1204) wrote the famous 'Guide for the Perplexed'? | Moses Maimonides |
In Arabic philosophical tradition, he is known with the honorific "the Second Master", after Aristotle, and an influence on Avicenna, which man (c.872-950) wrote works on alchemy, logic, music, philosophy and physics? | Al-Farabi |
In which city, whose historic centre is a UNESCO Heritage Site, were both Moses Maimonides and Seneca born? | Cordoba |
What was the one-word nickname of Moses Maimonides, taken from the initial letters of his full name? | Rambam |
According to rabbinic literature, what is the name of the possible mythical river beyond which the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel were exiled by the Assyrian king Shalmaneser V; it supposedly dries up every Shabbat? | Sambation |
Pope Nicholas III, who reigned 1277-80, is portrayed in Dante's Divine Comedy as the chief sinner in the third circle of Hell, for committing which alleged crime? | Simony |
Hector Campora was briefly President of which nation for 2 months in 1973? | Argentina |
From which English port did John Cabot sail on his 1497 voyage to the New World? | Bristol |
What nationality was the explorer Abel Tasman? | Dutch |
Which English king was nicknamed "The Merry Monarch"? | Charles II |
Which 20th century British PM's wife had the maiden name Johnston? | Norma Major |
Which 20th century British PM's wife had the maiden name Moulton? | Audrey Callaghan |
What name is given to an ornamental braided cord most often worn on uniforms, the term deriving from to the lacing used to fasten plate armour together? | Aigullette |
What was the real name of Mata Hari? | Margaretha" MacLeod |
Which famous man had 4 wives, the last being Jiang Qing, from 1939 to 1976? | Mao Zedong |
In which year was the Paris Commune? | 1871 |
Which Chinese writer wrote 1918's "Diary of a Madman"? | Lu Xun |
In which year was the Qing Dynasty in China replaced by a republic? | 1911 |
In Bartok's opera 'Bluebeard's Castle' which character enters the castle as Bluebeard's bride? | Judith |
In Cambridge, what name is given to a student who has completed the third year of the mathematical tripos with first-class honours? | Wrangler |
Which position was held by Frank W Dyson from 1910 to 1933? | Astronomer Royal |
Who wrote 1922's "Babbitt"? | Sinclair Lewis |
Whose first, 1922, experimental novel was "Jacob's Room"? | Virginia Woolf |
Who wrote "Duino Elegies" in 1922? | Rainer Maria Rilke |
Sharing its name with a multi-part Shakespeare play, which Pirandello play, first perfomed in 1922, involves a man who believes that he is the titular Holy Roman Emperor? | Henry IV |
Which man coined the term "The Acquisitive Society" in a 1921 book of that name? | RH Tawney |
How was Charles-Louis de Secondat better known? | Montesquieu |
Who said, in 1914, "The lights are going out all over Europe, we will not see them lit again in our lifetime"? | Grey (UK foreign sec) |
Which Russian tsar was the 'Liberator'? | Alexander II |
Which Dutch city was the centre of an unsuccessful attempt by British and Polish troops to secure the Rhine bridges from 17–26 September 1944? | Arnhem |
Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the modern world's first female head of government, took office in Ceylon in which year? | 1960 |
Which British PM was created the 1st Earl of Orford in 1742? | Robert Walpole |
hat name was given to Hitler's western defensive line? | Siegfried Line |
Who founded the SAS, in July 1941? | David Stirling |
Who led the Labour Party as interim leader between John Smith's death and Tony Blair's election to the post? | Margaret Beckett |
Who was the last UK monarch to be unmarried during their reign? | Edward VIII |
What was the Conservatives' famous 1974 UK General Election slogan? | Who Governs Britain? |
The earliest humanoid yet, a homo heidelbergensis, found in the UK was at which West Sussex quarry? | Boxgrove |
Hitler's armies drove which Greek king into 1941 exile? | George II |
Edward Batch devised medical treatments in the 1830s mainly using what base material? | Flowers |
The Southampton Plot was an unsuccessful plot to overthrow which English monarch? | Henry V |
Who was the only US President between Eisenhower and Clinton who had not served in the Navy? | Reagan |
Tilbury, a town with a deep-water port, is in which English county? | Essex |
Which flag is used as a symbol of the Outward Bound movement? | Blue Peter |
Which ship famously carried Caribbean immigrants to Tilbury in 1948? | Windrush |
Dean Acheson was Secretary of State under which US President? | Truman |
Which reptiles, native to New Zealand, are noted for their photoreceptive 'third eye'? | Tuatara |
Who played Jon Kelly in the series NYPD Blue? | David Caruso |
Which American television producer and writer developed a number of television series, including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Doogie Howser, M.D. and NYPD Blue? | Stephen Bochco |
Which American television writer and producer is best known as the creator of the Showtime comedy-drama series Weeds and the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black? | Jenji Kohan |
Who directed both "Dirty Harry" and John Wayne's final film "The Shootist"? | Don Siegel |
In the film, what was the surname of Clint Eastwood's character 'Dirty Harry'? | Callahan |
Who played the original three 'Charlie's Angels' in the TV series? | Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, Kate Jackson |
Who provided Charlie's voice in 'Charlie's Angels' the original TV series? | John Forsythe |
What is the name of the street where Wallace and Gromit supposedly live? | (62) West Wallaby Street |
Dying in 2008, who won the Academy Award for Best Director for The English Patient (1996) and also directed Truly, Madly, Deeply and The Talented Mr Ripley? | Anthony Minghella |
Renaud Lavillenie broke the world record at the pole vault in 2014 in the hometown of Sergei Bubka - which city? | Donetsk |
An investigation into a tax avoidance scheme where multinationals re-routed profits to overseas bank accounts is known as the ".....Black Hole" after which Atlantic Island territory, where corporate tax is 0%? | Bermuda |
In the play of the same title by Machiavelli, which potentially deadly herb does Callimaco use to try and obtain his heart's desires? | Mandrake |
What is the name of the recently revived ethnic religion of Lithuania, building on their ancient practices before conversion to Christianity in 1387? | Romuva |
Emilie Louise Floge, born in 1874, is most famous for appearing in which artist's paintings? | Gustav Klimt |
Which type of waist length jacket developed for the U.S. Army during the later stages of WW2, featured a pleated back, adjustable waist band, fly-front buttons, bellows chest pockets, slash side pockets, and shoulder straps, and is named for a President? | Eisenhower jacket |
Which 17th century French mathematician devised a series of mathematical tables intended to help users avoid complicated calculations - his surname is a French word for 'scale'? | Francois-Bertrand Barreme |
Sergeant François Bertrand (1823/1824 – 1878), arrested and jailed for necrophilia in 1849 was known as the 'Vampire' of which Parisian area? | Montparnasse |
Sharing its name with a country, what type of swimming is based on the movements of a dolphin, and has strokes called Lazuri (Free Colchian), Aphkhazuri and Kizikuri? | Georgian swimming |
Which UNESCO World Heritage Site thermal springs are located to the north of Denizli, Turkey - their name means 'cotton castle'? | Pamukkale |
What denotes a wildlife park on an OS Map? | Stag's head |
In which country is Rosario, a river port on the river Parana? | Argentina |
In which district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames are the National Archives located? | Kew |
Which country has a flag that is a red circle on a green background? | Bangladesh |
How many stars are there on New Zealand's flag? | Four |
How many stars are there on Australia's flag? | Six |
On which London thoroughfare would you find Tate Britain? | Millbank |
Which royal residence is named for the duke who was to become William IV? | Clarence House |
Which country lies due east of Hawaii? | Mexico |
Which multi-train rail crash occurred on 22 May 1915 near Gretna Green in Dumfriesshire, Scotland? It resulted in the deaths of over 200 people, and is the worst rail disaster in British history. | Quintinshill rail disaster |
The Lincolnshire town, Spalding, stands on which river? | Welland |
On which island would you find the 'Spanish Head', a promontory rising 100m from sea level? | Isle of Man |
Which island, home of the language Sercquiais, has a parliament entitled the Court of Chief Pleas? | Sark |
Where is the Hang Seng Stock Exchange? | Hong Kong |
What is the highest point in Northern Ireland? | Slieve Donard |
People born in which English county are nicknamed 'Moonrakers'? | Wiltshire |
The most easternly point in Wales borders which English county? | Gloucestershire |
Which London underground runs from Cockfosters to Heathrow? | Piccadilly |
In which English county is Rockingham Castle? | Northamptonshire |
Which Englishman completed the second circumnavigation of the world in September 1580? | Francis Drake |
Which branch of Islam ,described as ultra-conservative, is named after an eighteenth-century preacher and activist and is the official, state-sponsored form of Sunni Islam in Saudi Arabia? | Wahabiism |
Which branch of Islam, believed to have been founded by Ibn Nusayr during the 9th century, is centred in Syria, and follow the Twelver school of Shia Islam but with syncretistic elements? | Alawite |
Who succeeded Campbell-Bannerman as UK Prime Minister? | Asquith |
What was the fate of Henry VIII's wife, Catherine Howard? | She was beheaded |
Who were Fleegle, Droopy, Bingo and Snorky on TV? | The Banana Splits |
Which bed, in the V&A museum, measures 3.38m long and 3.26m wide (ten by eleven feet) and can 'reputedly accommodate at least four couples'? | The Great Bed of Ware |
Which female entrepreneur founded Ultimo bras? | Michelle Mone |
What name was given to the series of civil wars in France between 1648 and 1653? | Fronde |
In France, what was one of three seats of royal government, the others being Versailles and Fontainebleau? | Château de Compiègne |
Louis XVI was what relation to Louis XV? | Grandson |
Between which years was the Seven Years War? | 1756-63 |
Which King of France reigned from 1715-74? | Louis XV |
Who was nicknamed the "Sea-green incorruptible"? | Robespierre |
In which year was Britain's 'Glorious Revolution'? | 1688 |
Who wrote 1790's "Reflections On The Revolution In France"? | Edmund Burke |
When is Bastille Day? | 14th July |
Lady Bracknell and Mr Worthing appear in which play? | The Importance of Being Earnest |
This tree-like cactus species is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas of California, and its blossom is Arizona's state flower. What is it? | Saguaro |
Seven Of Nine was a fictional character in which TV series? | Star Trek: Voyager |
What is the hottest desert in North America? | Sonoran Desert |
What is the one-word name of the lower house of the Irish parliament? | Dail |
The Irish writer, editor, critic, poet, artistic painter and nationalist, George William Russell, a writer on mysticism, and a central figure in the group of devotees of theosophy, used what pseudonym? | Æ (sometimes written AE or A.E.) |
The Archbishop of Dublin at the time of the Norman invasion of Ireland, and patron saint of Dublin, whose heart was stolen in 2002? | Laurence O'Toole |
Which English painter, born in 1931, was one of the foremost exponents of Op art - her 'Movement in Squares' is one of her most famous works? | Bridget Riley |
Who was the court painter to Charles V of Spain? | Titian |
Who was the court painter to Henry VIII? | Hans Holbein |
In which city was the art movement known as Die Brücke founded in 1905? | Dresden |
1857 painting "The Gleaners", found in the Musee D'Orsay, was by which realist artist? | Jean-François Millet |
What was the nickname of Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, who played a leading role in the Norman invasion of Ireland? | Strongbow |
Which musical piece was first performed on 13th April 1742 at Neal's New Musick Hall in Dublin? | Handel's Messiah |
The words "Battle Born" appear on the flag of which US state? | Nevada |
What was the predominant type of battleship in the early 20th century, named after a 1906 ship in the Navy? | Dreadnought |
What is the birth surname of Pope Francis I? | Bergoglio |
Which US state's name means 'snowy' in a major European language? | Nevada |
On what day is Thanksgiving celebrated? | Thursday |
On what day is Ascension Day celebrated? | Thursday |
The UK Budget is traditionally presented on which day of the week? | Wednesday |
In 1949, who became the first President of Israel? | Chaim Weizmann |
What was the fourth pottery factory of Josiah Wedgwood, now giving its name to an area of Stoke, and named after an Italian district? | Etruria |
Nephrite is one of two forms of which mineral? | Jade |
Which Murakami novel of 2011 quickly became a sensation, with its first printing selling out the day it was released, and reaching sales of one million within a month - it has three point-of-view characters, the first Aomame? | 1Q84 |
In which human bone is the glenoid cavity? | Scapula |
Born in 1832, which French painter's name appeared in the official title of the first post-Impressionist exhibition, organised by Roger Fry in 1910? | Manet |
Nyctalopia, or night-blindness, can be caused by a deficiency of which vitamin? | Vitamin A/retinol |
Which adjective refers to a plant that flowers at night? | Nycanthous |
Which Shakespeare play includes the lines "Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind/And therefore is winged cupid painted blind"? | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
Named after an ancient Greek colony, what name is given to a phrase that transgresses the rules of grammar? | Solecism |
Which Canadian province makes around 70% of the world's maple syrup? | Quebec |
Amsterdam Island in the Indian Ocean is under the jurisdiction of which country? | France |
Which painter, born in 1266, has a memorial that reads "That man am I, by whose accomplishment/the painter's art was raised from the dead"? | Giotto |
The town of Schengen is close to the tri-point of which three countries? | Germany, France and Luxembourg |
US psychologist Gordon W Allport wrote a 1954 book on "The Nature of..."? | Prejudice |
Who was appointed Master of the Kings Musick in 1942, and also scored the 1948 film "Oliver Twist"? | Sir Arnold Bax |
Inspector Bertozzo is a character in which farce, first performed in 1970? | Dario Fo's "Accidental Death of an Anarchist" |
The opera "The Lighthouse" and the monodrama "Eight Songs for a Mad King" were written by which composer? | Peter Maxwell Davies |
Who was appointed Master of the Queen's Musick in 2014, the first woman appointed to the position? | Judith Weir |
Which Russian economist, born in 1892, gives his name to a business cycle of very long duration? | Kondratiev |
Under what pseudonym did Sylvia Plath write "The Bell Jar"? | Victoria Lucas |
What is the only country that is a member of both the G20 and the Arab League? | Saudi Arabia |
Which term in geology is given to the assumption that natural processes and laws currently operating have always operated in the same way in the past, and valid everywhere? | Uniformitarianism |
Which French departement in Brittany has Nantes as its prefecture? | Loire-Atlantique |
Associated with Chagall and Matisse, which major city is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departement? | Nice |
What two-word name is given to the angle enclosed by the wake of a shipping vessel? | Kelvin wedge |
Which element was discovered by the Curies in 1898, some months before they discovered radium? | Polonium |
In a sodium chloride crystal, how many sodium ions surround a chloride ion as nearest neighbour? | Six |
Chances Peak in the Soufriere Hills is a volcanic peak in which British Overseas Territory? | Montserrat |
Which Masefield poem begins "Quinquereme of Nineveh from distant Ophir/Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine"? | Cargoes |
Which Masefield poem begins "Out into the street I ran uproarious/the devil dancing in me glorious...."? | The Everlasting Mercy |
Its name derived from Greek for 'grind the teeth', which liquorice-like resin is used in an eponymous alcoholic drink similar to ouzo? | Mastic |
The cities of Rouen and Le Havre are in which departement? | Seine-Maritime |
In January 1879, the defence of where from attacking Zulus led to the award of 11 Victoria Crosses? | Rorke's Drift |
'Operation Gomorrah' was the 1943 Allied bombing of which city? | Hamburg |
What codename was given to the 1942 Allied invasion of North Africa? | Operation Torch |
What was the original name of the Victoria and Albert museum, until changed in 1857 - it referred to its location? | South Kensington Museum |
How many sides did an old threepenny bit have? | Twelve |
1850's Clayton-Bulwer Treaty concerned the building of what? | Panama Canal |
Which international organisation was founded in 1957 with the purpose of creating a specialist market for nuclear power in Europe, developing nuclear energy and distributing it to its member states while selling the surplus to non-member states? | European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) |
In which month of 1936 was the abdication of Edward VIII? | December |
Who was created the Earl of Beaconsfield by Queen Victoria? | Disraeli |
How many groats were there in a guinea? | 63 |
Who was Richard II's father? | Edward, the Black Prince (Edward of Woodstock) |
Diurnal, semi-diurnal and mixed are different local manifestations of what phenomenon? | Tides |
What are the three party slogans used in George Orwell's "1984"? | War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength |
Which European country is known as Yunanistan in Turkish? | Greece |
J Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh wrote the book "Olive the Other Reindeer" - what type of animal was Olive? | Dog |
An architect of the Art Nouveau style whose chief works include the Maison du Peuple and the Hotel Solvay in Brussels? | Victor Horta |
M103 is an edge-on spiral galaxy near to Beta Ursae Majoris, a 'pointer star' traditionally known by what name? | Merak |
Alpha Ursae Majoris, the second-brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Major, is also known by what name? | Dubhe |
Born in 1837, which Dutch physicist gives his name to the bond or forces caused by the interactions of electric dipole moments in atoms and molecules? | Johannes van der Waals |
What four-letter term describes the tides of smallest range, occurring at intermediate phases of the Moon? | Neap |
Rize Province is a major tea-growing area in which country? | Turkey |
Tea accounts for about 20 per cent of the agricultural output of which former Soviet country that produced most of the USSR's tea? | Georgia |
"In the Beginning: BC 4004" is the first in which series of five plays by GB Shaw? | Back to Methuselah |
Which GB Shaw play examines the conflict between a Salvation Army officer and her wealthy armaments manufacturer father? | Major Barbara |
Rupert Graves played Dominic Stone in which 2005 film? | V for Vendetta |
Which religious reformer wrote the hymn "A Mighty Fortress is Our God"? | Martin Luther |
Preceding the Victoria Cross by 2 years, which medal was instituted to recognise acts of courage shown by other ranks in the Crimean War? | Distinguished Conduct Medal |
What is the CGM, instituted by the Royal Navy in 1855? | Conspicuous Gallantry Medal |
What is the nickname of snowboarder Shaun White? | Flying Tomato |
Who wrote the 1973 feminist novel "Fear of Flying"? | Erica Jong |
Matti Nykänen is widely considered to be one of the greatest of all time in which sport? | Ski Jumping |
Which Ivy League institution was founded in Hanover, New Hampshire, in 1769, one of its original goals being the education of Native Americans? | Dartmouth College |
Which Ivy League university was founded in 1764 as the college of Rhode Island? | Brown University |
The provinces of Gilan and Mazandran, both reknowned for tea-growing, are in which country? | Iran |
Which king revived the Order of the Bath on 18th May 1725? | George I |
Founded in Ithaca in 1865, which is the youngest Ivy League university? | Cornell |
How is Schumann's Symphony Number 1 otherwise known? | Spring Symphony |
Mahler's "Resurrection" symphony is which number symphony? | Two |
Ronaldsway lies in which Shipping Forecast area, bounded by Malin to the north and Lundy to the south? | Irish Sea |
The Roman poet Catullus lies in which century? | 1st century BCE |
About 800 reels of negatives discovered in Blackburn in 1994 were the lost works of which pair of film-makers? | Mitchell and Kenyon |
Byssinosis is a respiratory disorder most associated with workers inhaling dust particles associated with which crop? | Cotton |
What two-word term was given to the disease coalworkers' pneumoconiosis because of the visible effects of coal dust on the body? | Black lung |
In which complex does a woman have a repressed desire to be a man? | Diana complex |
The ancients called which body of water Pontus Euxinus? | Black Sea |
A complex in psychology that relates to the impulsive desire of a man to kill his mother is named after which figure in Greek mythology? | Orentes |
Which complex in psychology did Alfred Adler call 'a compensation in the sense of an enhancement of the self-esteem'? | Inferiority complex |
Which area of sea stretches from Cape Pasley to Cape Carnot? | Great Australian Bight |
Which bight occupies the part of the Gulf of Guinea once called the Slave Coast? | Bight of Benin |
What is the modern name of the shipping forecast area formerly called Heligoland? | German Bight |
In which city is the triumphal arch known as the Cinquantenaire? | Brussels |
The Hungarian Puli and Kuvasz are types of which animals? | Dog breeds |
Which Belgian romantic painter and sculptor's (1806-65) first great work was "Greeks and Trojans fighting for the body of Patroclus"? He died in his studio and his remains were embalmed in accordance with Ancient Egyptian burial rites. | Antoine Wiertz |
In legislatures, what name is given to a semicircular, or horseshoe-shaped, debating chamber (plenary chamber), where deputies (members) sit to discuss and pass legislation, such as in the European Parliament? | Hemicycle |
Which ball sport belonging to the boules family, closely related to British bowls and French pétanque is played in Italy and the eastern Adriatic, and takes its name from the Italian for 'bowls'? | Bocce |
Built between 1866 and 1883 in the eclectic style by the celebrated architect Joseph Poelaert, and then the largest building in the world, what is the largest courthouse in the world? | Palais de Justice, Brussels |
What is the name of the female equivalent of the Mannequin Pis? | Jeanneke Pis |
Who (1929-78) popularised the songs "Madeleine", "Ne me quittes pas" and "Bruxelles"? | Jacques Brel |
"Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels is now seen as a copy of a lost authentic painting by who? | Pieter Breughel the Elder |
Counts Egmont and Hoorn were beheaded in 1568 in which city for defying Spanish rule? | Brussels |
Which ancient Greek philosopher, born in the current Campania province of Italy, authored the now mainly lost work 'On Nature'? | Protagoras |
A dodecahedron has twelve equal faces of which shape? | Pentagon |
With four equal triangular faces, which is the simplest of all the ordinary convex polyhedra and the only one that has fewer than 5 faces? | Tetrahedron |
What name is given to rule where only property owners may participate in government? | Timocracy |
What was the name of Aristotle's father? | Nicomachus (also the name of his son) |
Who was the father of Philip II of Macedon, and thus the grandfather of Alexander the Great? | Amyntas |
What is the chief town of the island of Euboea in Greece, the site of Aristotle's death in 322BCE? | Chalcis |
The word 'tragedy' derives from the Greek word for what animal's 'song', perhaps referring to its sacrifice in rituals? | Goat |
According to certain Ancient Greek sources and especially Aristotle, who was the first person ever to appear on stage as an actor playing a character in a play (instead of speaking as him or herself)? | Thespis |
At times won by Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides, what was the name of the large Athenian festival, the central events of which were the theatrical performances of dramatic tragedies and, from 487 BC, comedies? | Dionysia |
Which singer was born Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III in 1970? | Aloe Blacc |
Wilson Phillips and En Vogue both had US hits in 1990 with which song title? | Hold On |
Which US rock n roll musician, born 1935, was nicknamed "The Killer"? | Jerry Lee Lewis |
Which Canadian musician was the mother of Rufus and Martha Wainwright? | Kate McGarrigle |
Which Scorsese film documented The Band's last concert? | The Last Waltz |
What was U2's debut album? | Boy |
Which band had 1965 hits with "For Your Love" and "Heart Full of Soul"? | The Yardbirds |
Which band had a 1965 UK number 1 with "Mr Tambourine Man"? | The Byrds |
Who formed the band N.E.R.D. with Chad Hugo and Shay Haley? | Pharrell Williams |
Which Canadian reggae fusion band had a 2013 UK number 1 with "Rude"? | Magic! |
What is the main international airport serving Madrid in Spain? | Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (Barajas Airport) |
What is the world's least-densely populated territory? | Greenland |
Which major car manufacturer is based in Ingolstadt, Germany? | Audi |
In which English county is Bolsover? | Derbyshire |
Which city's name is claimed to mean "meeting place" in Ngunnawal, one of the Indigenous languages spoken in the district by Aboriginal people? | Canberra |
What was the original home of Audi before the Iron Curtain went up, and the became the centre of Trabant production? | Zwickau |
In which country are the railways called 'OBB'? | Austria |
At the beach, what colour flag denotes a clean beach? | Blue |
At the beach, what colour flag denotes 'no swimming'? | Red |
What is the official residence of the Israeli PM? | Beit Aghion |
Who did the New England Patriots defeat at Superbowl LI in 2017? | Atlanta Falcons |
From the Irish for "little ridge" what name is given to an elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon or half-buried egg formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or ground moraine? | Drumlin |
Clare Island guards which bay in County Mayo? | Clew Bay |
Which sea loch in County Down is the largest inlet in the British Isles? | Strangford Lough |
Likened to railway embankments, what name is given to a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America? | Esker |
Which edible perennial herb in the family Polygonaceae is also called spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock? | Sorrel |
Which two word term describes organisms that are the first to colonize previously disrupted or damaged ecosystems, beginning a chain of ecological succession that ultimately leads to a more biodiverse steady-state ecosystem? | Pioneer species |
In plants, what is anemochory? | Wind dispersal (of seeds) |
Called wingnuts, helicopters or spinning jennies, what is the technical name for plant fruits in which a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue develops from the ovary wall, and the wings aid seed dispersal? | Samara |
Despite its name, the Spruce Goose plane was mainly made of which wood? | Birch |
Which Afghani land corridor separates Tajikistan from Pakistan? | Wakhan Corridor |
What are the main three colours on the Afghan flag - it has a white emblem in the middle too? | Black, red, green |
Cirencester stands on which river? | Churn |
Which Walter Scott poem features the lines "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive"? | Marmion |
In which 19th centurybnovel does a marooned sailor famously dream of toasted cheese? | Treasure Island (Ben Gunn) |
To which other artist was Diego Rivera twice married? | Frida Kahlo |
In literature, what is the most famoys work of fictional artist Basil Hallward? | Picture of Dorian Gray |
In Richard II by Shakespeare, who calls England "this precious stone, set in the silver sea"? | John of Gaunt |
Named for a Mexican state with a capital at Culiacan Rosales, what is by some counts Mexico's largest drug cartel? | Sinaloa Cartel |
Who wrote "The Amber Warning" and "The Tristan Betrayal"? | Robert Ludlum |
In which year did Gericault paint "The Raft of the Medusa"? | 1819 |
Who wrote the 2005 bestseller "The Lighthouse", and died aged 94 in 2014? | PD James |
Which US author wrote "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter"? | Carson McCullers |
Which Japanese author wrote "The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea" but committed seppuku in 1970 after a failed right-wing coup? | Yukio Mishima |
Which artist wrote "Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters"? | David Hockney |
Desperate Dan lived in which fictional town? | Cactusville |
Which classic of Japanese literature was written in the early 11th century by Murasaki Shikubu? | The Tale of Genji |
Who sculpted "The Spirit of Liverpool Resurgent"? | Jacob Epstein |
What was the first novel, written in 1964, by Hubert Selby Jr - it caused much controversy because of its frank portrayals of taboo subjects, such as drug use, street violence, gang rape, homosexuality, transvestism and domestic violence? | Last Exit To Brooklyn |
What job does a darzi perform in Pakistan and India? | Tailor |
Which son of Charles X of France was at the Paris Opera in 1820 by Louis Pierre Louvel, an anti-royal Bonapartist? | Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry (Charles, Duc de Berry) |
Who was the final King of the French, reigning from 1830 to 1848 as the leader of the Orléanist party? | Louis Philippe I |
In which year was Prince Andrew, Duke of York, born? | 1960 |
Prior to the Restoration of Charles II, which general led his army south from Scotland towards London, crossing the River Tweed on 2 January 1660, and was instrumental in the return of the monarchy? | George Monck |
Who was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots? | Mary of Guise |
What name is given to the rare phenomenon where a woman conceives then conceives again between two weeks and a month later? | Superfoetation |
Who led the Cato Street Conspiracy? | Arthur Thistlewood |
In which year was the Cato Street Conspiracy? | 1820 |
The Cato Street Conspiracy sought to murder the Cabinet and which Prime Minister of the UK? | Lord Liverpool |
Which infamous spy was born in Ambala, India, on 1st January 1912? | Kim Philby |
Reigning for 48 years from 530-579, which Sassanid king, considered one of the Empire's greatest, was also called Anushiruwan or "Immortal Soul"? | Khosrow I |
Which ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in verse and prose, arranged within a frame story, possibly written in the 3rd century BCE, has a name meaning 'Five Devices'? | Panchatantra |
Which Roman Emperor's reign (284-305) stabilized the empire and marked the end of the Crisis of the Third Century; he also divided the Empire into west and east? | Diocletian |
Prior to Byzantium, what was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire from 286 to 330CE? | Nicomedia (modern-day Izmit) |
Which Roman Emperor moved the capital of the whole Roman Empire from Rome to Byzantium? | Constantine the Great |
Who played Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter films? | Helena Bonham Carter |
Who played the villainous Mexican bandit leader Calvera in "The Magnificent Seven"? | Eli Wallach |
Which Star Trek movie saw the crew travel back in time to 1980s San Francisco? | Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home |
What is the subtitle of the 1984 film "Star Trek III"? | The Search For Spock |
Which 2012 film was based on the novel "These Foolish Things" by Deborah Moggach? | The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel |
Who lost the 2002 Wimbledon men's final to Lleyton Hewitt, assisted by all the seeds on his side of the draw being knocked out by the fourth round? | David Nalbandian |
In which years did Bjorn Borg win five consecutive Wimbledon men's singles titles? | 1976 to 1980 |
Who defeated Jimmy Connors to win the 1975 men's singles title at Wimbledon? | Arthur Ashe |
Despite a boycott by 81 players, which Czech won the 1973 Wimbledon final, defeating Alex Metreveli 6–1, 9–8, 6–3 in the first final to feature a tie-break? | Jan Kodeš |
Which former professional tennis player from New Zealand reached the 1983 Wimbledon final as an unseeded player but lost to John McEnroe? | Chris Lewis |
Which American former professional tennis player reached the 1996 Wimbledon men's singles final as an unseeded player, but lost to Richard Krajicek? | MaliVai Washington |
Which Australian tennis player reached the finals of the 1998 US Open and the 2003 Wimbledon tournaments, losing to countryman Pat Rafter and Swiss Roger Federer respectively, and was nicknamed "The Scud"? | Mark Philippoussis |
The NBA Finals are the best of how many games? | Seven (first to four wins) |
Born in 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana, which man won 11 NBA finals with the Boston Celtics in a 13 year career, still - as of 2017 - a record? | Bill Russell |
In 2001, who became the first cricket bowler to take 500 Test wickets? | Courtney Walsh |
Which early plastic was made by reacting phenol (carbolic acid) with formalin (formaldehyde)? | Bakelite |
For what subject is the Fields Medal awarded? | Mathematics |
What age restriction is placed on winners of the Fields Medal? | They must be under 40 |
Nevil Maskelyne and Nathaniel Bliss are both former holders of which office? | Astronomer Royal |
Who was the second president of MENSA, widely known for popularising the geodesic dome? | Buckminster Fuller |
Although technically the Chairman of the Executive Council, who is numbered the first Irish Taoiseach? | WT Cosgrave |
Who was Irish Taoiseach from 1997 to 2008? | Bertie Ahern |
Who became Irish Taoiseach in March 2011? | Enda Kenny |
What colour of fireworks does barium produce? | Green |
What two word term describes the principle that vaccinating a large percentage of individuals protects the whole population? | Herd Immunity |
Under what name did Nick Rhodes and Duran Duran's original singer Stephen Duffy release an album of pre Simon Le Bon material in 1992? | The Devils |
Philip Larkin claimed, in his poem, Annus Mirabilis, that sex had been invented in 1963, between which two events? | Lady Chatterley trial and Beatles first album |
Who had a number 1 in seven countries with "Pop Musik" in 1979? | M |
What was Spandau Ballet's first single that reached number 5 on the UK Singles Chart? | To Cut A Long Story Short |
Children from Islington Green school sang on which UK number 1, the first of the 1980s? | Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) |
What was ABBA's eighth and final studio album, released in 1981? | The Visitors |
Stewart Copeland was the drummer in which band? | The Police |
One of the most sampled tunes in music history, most notably in hip hop music, who had a UK number 5 hit with "Good Times" in 1979? | Chic |
Which band comprised Michael "Wonder Mike" Wright, Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson, and Guy "Master Gee" O'Brien? | The Sugarhill Gang |
Which British rock and pop band (1976-80) featured both Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart before they left Eurythmics? | The Tourists |
Which Wimbledon Ladies' Champion's father was once jailed for tax irregularities? | Steffi Graf |
Who did Jess Willard defeat on 5th April 1915 to become World Heavyweight champion? | Jack Johnson |
Who won her second Wimbledon Ladies Singles title in 2014, defeating Eugenie Bouchard? | Petra Kvitova |
Who was the youngest ladies' Singles Champion at Wimbledon of the 20th Century? | Martina Hingis |
What was boxer Jack Dempsey's nickname? | Manassa Mauler |
In which ancient city was Herodotus born? | Halicarnassus |
What name is given to a formal public speech, or (in later use) written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing? | Panegyric |
In Ancient Greece, what was a symposium? | Drinking party |
Often regarded as having laid the foundations for Athenian democracy, who was appointed chief magistrate of Athens in 594? | Solon |
Which female Greek lyric poet from Lesbos was included in the list of nine lyric poets worthy of study by later Alexandrians? | Sappho |
What was the name of the 'supergroup' formed by Sparks and Franz Ferdinand? | FFS |
The NME was originally called 'Musical Express and ________ Weekly' - which instrument replaces the blank? | Accordion |
Who released the single "Loving The Alien" in 1985? | David Bowie |
"Pretty Little Angel Eyes" and "Under The Moon In Love", both hits for Showaddywaddy, were originally released in the 1960s by which US doo-wop singer? | Curtis Lee |
Dusty Springfield, The Bay City Rollers and The Tourists all reached number 4 in the singles chart with which song? | I Only Want To Be With You |
Tina Weymouth and her husband Chris Frantz were both founder members of which band? | Talking Heads |
From the Greek for 'seen', what term refers to an ability to vividly recall images from memory after only a few instances of exposure, with high precision for a brief time after exposure, without using a mnemonic device? | Eidetic Memory |
Which American musical group, named after the surname of its family members, had a UK number 4 in 1985 with "Rhythm Of The Night"? | DeBarge |
"My Camera Never Lies" was a UK number 1 for which band? | Bucks Fizz |
What was the name of the dreadful 1984 song by Paul McCartney and the Frog Chorus? | We All Stand Together |
The Goya painting "The Third of May 1808" was commissioned by which Spanish king? | Ferdinand VII |
Hokusai reportedly created the painting "Maples Leaves On A River" by dipping the feet of which animal in red paint and letting it run on the paper - the story is probably apocryphal? | Chicken |
Which Irish-born US artist created the 1820 "Hudson River Portfolio" | William Wall |
Appearing as a giant serpent, who was the ancient Egyptian deity who embodied chaos (ı͗zft in Egyptian) and was thus the opponent of light and Ma'at (order/truth)? | Apep/Apophis |
Which American sculptor known for her monumental, monochromatic, wooden wall pieces and outdoor sculptures, was born in present-day Ukraine in 1899, and called herself "the original recycler" owing to her extensive use of discarded objects? | Louise Nevelson |
The Watts Towers are the work of which Italian-American artist (1879-1965)? | Simon Rodia |
Which French Romanesque sculptor, whose decoration (about 1120-1135) of the Cathedral of Saint Lazare at Autun, France represents some of the most original work of the period, and is one of the first post-Classical sculptors whose name is known? | Gislebertus |
Who designed the Virginia State Capitol, closely modelling it on a Roman temple in Nimes? | Thomas Jefferson |
Who is the subject of the Mona Lisa, the wife of a silk merchant? | Lisa Gherardini |
Isabella d'Este (19 May 1474 – 13 February 1539), of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance as a major cultural and political figure, a patron of the arts as well as a leader of fashion, was Marchesa of which Italian town or city? | Mantua |
Mount Dzherzhinskaya is the highest point in which country? | Belarus |
Who became the first President of Belarus in 1994, staying in office for over 20 years? | Alexander Lukashenko |
What name is given to a type of chromatic button accordion developed in Russia in the early 20th century and named after an 11th-century bard? | Bayan |
What name is used in Russia for the 1941-45 conflict on the Eastern Front, and sometimes WW2 more generally? | Great Patriotic War |
The last major Soviet operation of World War II in Europe was an 'Offensive' on which capital city from 6 May to 11 May 1945? | Prague |
Which English avant-garde synthpop group formed in early 1983 had international Top 20 hits with "Kiss" and the instrumental "Peter Gunn", which won a 1986 Grammy Award? | Art of Noise |
Released on 8 May 1979 by record label Fiction, which band's debut album was "Three Imaginary Boys"? | The Cure |
Which American saxophonist, keyboard player, songwriter and singer combined jazz and punk, and was born April 20, 1953 as James Siegfried in Milwaukee, Wisconsin? | James Chance |
Which saxophonist was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s, a term he invented with the name of his 1961 album? | Ornette Coleman |
A Pulitzer Prize has been presented since 1998 in which specific field of 'reporting', making it the youngest of the prizes? | Explanatory |
Who did Harold Wilson succeed as leader of the Labour Party? | Hugh Gaitskell |
Philippa of Hainault was Queen Consort to which English monarch? | Edward III |
What is the capital of Pakistan? | Islamabad |
What is the largest city, by population, in Pakistan? | Karachi |
In which year did both ITV and BBC begin colour broadcasts? | 1969 |
Which record label famously rejected The Beatles in 1962? | Decca |
Whose 1962 book was "The Savage Mind"? | Claude Levi-Strauss |
Who painted 1962's "Station Approach"? | LS Lowry |
Famous British pools winner Viv Nicholson was a housewife from which Northern city? | Castleford |
In which town or city is George Formby buried? | Warrington |
Which river in Northern Italy has two battles named for it: an 1809 battle in the Napoleonic Wars, and the last Austro-Hungarian offensive on the Italian front in WW1? | Piave (First and Second Battles of Piave River) |
In which country did Austrian writer Stefan Zweig die, in 1942? | Brazil |
Which English television screenwriter was born Anthony Simpson in Pendlebury in 1936? | Tony Warren |
Who (1898-1983) played Ena Sharples in Coronation Street)? | Violet Carson |
Meaning 'ropewalk' which street in Hamburg is the centre of the city's nightlife and red-light district? | Reeperbahn |
Which 1959 British film based on the novel of the same name by John Braine was seen as the first of the British New Wave, starred Laurence Harvey, and was nominated for 6 Academy Awards? | Room At The Top |
Which English theatre and film director and producer won an Academy Award for "Tom Jones", directed "Look Back In Anger", "The Entertainer" and "A Taste of Honey", and died of AIDS in 1991? | Tony Richardson |
The first play by the British dramatist Shelagh Delaney, written when she was 19, set in Salford in North West England in the 1950s, was made into a 1961 British New Wave film? | A Taste Of Honey |
Which 1962 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger, based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Stan Barstow starred Alan Bates and June Ritchie as two lovers in 1960s Lancashire? | A Kind Of Loving |
Who played central character Colin Smith in "The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner"? | Tom Courtenay |
"This Sporting Life" was a 1963 film based on a 1960 book by who? | David Storey |
Who played Frank Machin in 1963 film "This Sporting Life"? | Richard Harris |
The 1921 Treaty of Riga settled which conflict? | Polish-Soviet War |
Which village of 26 houses and 156 inhabitants in Belarus was the site of a 22 March 1943 massacre, where the entire population of the village was murdered by the Schutzmannschaft Battalion 118? Its name is similar to that of another massacre. | Khatyn |
Named after a forest in Russia, which series of mass executions of Polish nationals were carried out by the NKVD ("People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs", a Soviet secret police organisation) in April and May 1940? | Katyn massacre |
Which Russian officer in the Red Army of the Soviet Union (1896-1974) later became Chief of General Staff, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Minister of Defence and a member of the Politburo, but was best known for commanding at the Eastern Front? | Georgy Zhukov |
In which US state is Three Mile Island, site of a nuclear accident in 1978? | Pennsylvania |
Which town of 50,000 people in Ukraine became a ghost town after the Chernobyl disaster - the town was the nearest to the plant? | Pripyat |
Which radioactive element, atomic number 95 was first produced in 1944 by the group of Glenn T. Seaborg from Berkeley, California, at the Metallurgical Laboratory of the University of Chicago, a part of the Manhattan Project? | Americium |
Which metal is extremely reactive and pyrophoric, reacting with water even at −116 °C, but is the least electronegative element, with a value of 0.79 on the Pauling scale? | Caesium |
In 1549, which English monarch introduced the first protestant Book of Common Prayer? | Edward VI |
Who composed 1934's "Rhapsody On A Theme of Paganini"? | Rachmaninov |
In the Bible, how was David related to Solomon? | He was his father |
Who was the mother of King Solomon, according to The Bible? | Bathsheba |
Who had a 1982 UK number one single with "Land Of Make Believe"? | Bucks Fizz |
Traditionally, how many grape varieties may be used in Chateauneuf-du-Pape? | Thirteen (eighteen if different colours are treated as different grapes) |
Which Lloyd Webber musical tells the story of an ordinary English girl from Muswell Hill, who journeys to the USA in search of love? Her romantic misadventures begin in New York City, lead her to Hollywood, and eventually take her back to Manhattan. | Tell Me On A Sunday |
Which class of musical instruments have "F Holes"? | Strings |
A Brtish "seed cake" is traditionally made with which seeds, the plant also being known as 'Persian cumin'? | Caraway |
"The Wreckers" and "Bosun's Mate" were operas written by which British female composer? | Ethel Smyth |
Most catgut commercially available is actually made from which animal's intestines? | Sheep |
Which animal species, Astrochelys radiate, is found only in Madagascar, and has been known to live to 188 years old? | Radiated Tortoise |
How is the 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland better known? | Black Watch |
Which RAF rank is directly above squadron leader in rank? | Wing commander |
In which 1947 musical does the titular character emigrate to the southern United States (the fictional state of Missitucky) from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow? | Finian's Rainbow |
Which army grouping comprises two or more divisions? | Corps |
What name is given to an animal's tail that is able to grasp eg branches? | Prehensile |
Which animal possesses the largest teeth in the whole animal kingdom? | Elephant (tusks are teeth) |
From what animal, specifically, does mohair come? | Angora Goat |
The members of the genus Dasypus that give birth to four monozygotic young (that is, identical quadruplets), are all species of which animal? | Armadillo |
Which American tap dancer and actor (1878-1949) was nicknamed "Bojangles"? | Bill Robinson |
Voiced by Dan Stevens, what was the name of the computer in the 1970s series "The Tomorrow People"? | TIM |
Which UK TV series (1990-96) was based on the US comedy "Who's The Boss"? | The Upper Hand |
The 2008 film "The Edge of Love" was a biopic of which poet? | Dylan Thomas |
Which radio comedy about a junior school was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between March 1985 and November 1998? | King Street Junior |
What is the top prize awarded at the Venice Film Festival? | Golden Lion |
Starring in "The Red Badge of Courage" (1951) which soldier-turned-actor was one of the most decorated US soldiers of WW2, receiving every military combat award for valour available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism? | Audie Murphy |
Which 5"3 actor, married eight times, was born Joe Yule Jr. on September 23, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York? | Mickey Rooney |
Which English author, screenwriter and former actress, born 1943 in Liverpool, wrote "Prime Suspect", "Widows" and "Trial & Retribution"? | Lynda La Plante |
Which actor married Paula Abdul in 1992? | Emilio Estevez |
Which 1979 American romantic comedy film written, produced, and directed by Blake Edwards, and starring Dudley Moore, famously featured Ravel's "Bolero"? | 10 |
Gillian Lynne performed what role in long-running productions "Cats" and "The Phantom Of Opera"? | Choreographer |
What is the first name of Michael Caine's character 'Carter' in "Get Carter"? | Jack |
In "Get Carter" to which city does Michael Caine's titular character travel to avenge his brother's murder? | Newcastle |
Which actor's last completed film was "The Misfits"? | Clark Gable |
Which word for a heroic archetype in European adventure literature, and for a film genre, is a compound of two words meaning "to swagger with a drawn sword" and "a small-shield gripped in the fist", dating from the 16th century? | Swashbuckler |
The final episode of which series, aired on February 28, 1983,got a Nielsen rating of 60.2 and 77 share and according to a New York Times article from 1983, had 125 million viewers? | M*A*S*H |
Who played the character Cathy Gale in "The Avengers"? | Honor Blackman |
What was the full name of the character played by David Hasselhoff in "Knight Rider"? | Michael Knight |
Who played the titular character in the 2008 film "The Hulk"? | Ed Norton |
Now nearly exhausted, which substance was mined in Nauru and was its main export for most of the post-war period? | Phosphate |
Kinmen or Quemoy officially Kinmen County, is a group of islands, governed by which country? | Taiwan |
How many countries does China border with, as of 2017? | Fourteen |
The Dambovita River runs through which capital city? | Bucharest |
Which British river is also called the Granta for a small portion of its length? | Cam (called the Granta in Cambridge) |
Which river flows through Cork? | Lee |
Which river does the larger of the cities called Frankfurt stand on? | Main |
The motto of which place is "Conquered By No Enemy"? | Gibraltar |
Which country will, according to its laws, lose its independence if there is no heir to its throne? | Monaco |
Which country's national anthem is "Por la razón o la fuerza" (For right or might)? | Chile |
Which river flows through Canton? | Zhujiang |
Which country overtook South Africa as the world's leading producer of gold in 2006, and was still by far the biggest producer as of 2016? | China |
As of 2017, which country is the largest producer of copper in the world, in 2015 producing nearly five times as much as the second-biggest? | Chile |
What is the largest city in Kazakhstan? | Almaty |
Hyderabad stands on which river? | Indus |
Lahore stands on the eastern bank of which river? | Ravi |
Which country has the highest number of Muslims living there, as of 2017? | Indonesia |
Which is the smallest country in the Western hemisphere? | Grenada |
Which capital city stands on the river Rimac? | Lima |
In which ocean is Wallis and Futuna situated? | Pacific |
In which US state is Kalamazoo, famed for the Glenn Miller track "(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo"? | Michigan |
What is Kentucky's nickname? | Bluegrass State |
What is Iowa's nickname? | Hawkeye State |
What is Illinois' nickname? | Land of Lincoln/Prairie State |
What is Hawaii's nickname? | Aloha State |
What is Kansas's capital? | Topeka |
What is Indiana's capital? | Indianapolis |
What is Idaho's capital? | Boise |
Where is Cape Disappointment? | South Georgia |
Which cape is at Africa's most southerly mainland point? | Cape of Good Hope |
At which 1526 were the Magyars inflicted a devastating defeat at the hands of Ottomans under the command of Suleiman the Magnificent? | Battle of Mohacs |
Who was the last Christian ruler of Constantinople? | Constantine XI |
Which historic event is known to its victims as Medz Yeghern? | Armenian Genocide |
The Crusader States included the Kingdom of Jerusalem and which two 'Principalities'? | Principality of Antioch, Principality of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia |
Unst, Yell and Mainland are islands in which group? | Shetland |
In which county are the coalfields of Clipstone and Thoresby? | Nottinghamshire |
Buchanan is a city in which African country? | Liberia |
In what year did Constantinople fall to the Ottomans? | 1453 (29th May) |
The Crusader States included the Kingdom of Jerusalem and which two 'Counties'? | County of Edessa, County of Tripoli |
Which Ottoman emperor conquered Constantinople and brought the Byzantine Empire to its end? | Mehmet II |
Who was the last British cyclist to wear the yellow jersey during the Tour de France before Chris Boardman did so in 1994? | Tommy Simpson |
Kriegspiel is a variant of which game? | Chess |
Which golfer famously fractured his sternum through sleepwalking in 1993, after tripping on a flowerpot? | Sam Torrance |
Which nation did Kristin Otto represent at swimming, the first woman to win six gold medals at a single Olympic Games, doing so at the 1988 Seoul Olympic games? | East Germany |
With his 501 run innings, whose first class record did Brian Lara overhaul in 1994 - he made 499 for Karachi in a match against Bahawalpur before being run out attempting his five hundredth run? | Hanif Mohammad |
In which city do the football team Real Sociedad play? | San Sebastian |
What name is given to the form of textile-making using knotting rather than weaving or knitting? | Macramé |
Which was the last year of the 20th century in which West Ham won the FA Cup? | 1980 |
Where is the Australian Rules Football Grand Final traditionally played? | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
Which England cricket captain (1932-2000) was nicknamed 'kipper'? | Colin Cowdrey |
Which former middleweight boxing champion was nicknamed "The Paddington Express"? | Terry Downes |
In which year were there scheduled to be Olympics in Tokyo, only for the Olympics themselves to be cancelled? | 1940 |
Which football team has the motto "Audere et Facere"? | Tottenham Hotspur |
What is a basho, in sport? | A sumo wrestling tournament |
In which sport can a "16 yard hit" be awarded? | Hockey |
The Shea Stadium was home to which baseball team from 1964 to 2008? | New York Mets |
Ridden by Ruby Walsh and trained by Willie Mullins, and owned by a man who once owned Blackpool Tower, which horse won the 2005 Grand National? | Hedgehunter |
What type of score is worth three points exactly in American Football? | Field Goal |
At which stadium have both Sale Sharks and Salford Red Devils played since 2012? | AJ Bell Stadium |
The Worrell, Weekes and Walcott (or 3Ws) Stand and the Garfield Sobers Pavilion are located at which sporting venue? | (Kensington) Oval |
Which political economist's most famous work, Progress and Poverty (1879), sold millions of copies worldwide, probably more than any other American book before that time? | Henry George |
Whose works on nonviolent resistance, such as "The Kingdom of God Is Within You", were to have a profound impact on such pivotal 20th-century figures as Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and James Bevel? | Leo Tolstoy |
Vera Brittain's daughter, born 1930, was which politician? | Shirley Williams |
Who was head boy of Frank Richards' fictional Greyfriars School? | Harry Wharton |
Goethe was nicknamed the "Sage of..." which town or city, where he died aged 82? | Weimar |
James Harding edited which newspaper from 2007 to 2012? | The Times |
Sometimes called the circum-Pacific belt, what name is commonly given to the major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur? | Ring of Fire |
For what was Konrad Jujau sent to jail in August 1984? | Forging the Hitler Diaries |
What is the famous opening line of "All's Well That Ends Well"? | "In delivering my son from me, I bury a second husband" |
Who painted "The Surrender of Breda" in the 17th Century? | Velazquez |
What nationality was Vitus Bering? | Danish |
Freddie Demuth (1851−1929) is believed to be which man's son by his housekeeper? | Karl Marx |
His name now famous via a chainstore in the UK, who was First Lord of the Admiralty (1887-91) under the Marquess of Salisbury? | WH Smith |
Which Russian tsar was assassinated on 13th March 1881? | Alexander II |
Who succeeded James Polk as US President in 1849? | Zachary Taylor |
In which year did Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, die? | 1986 |
Who was UN secretary-general from 1972 to 1981? | Kurt Waldheim |
Who was the Chancellor of West Germany from 1969 to 1974? | Willy Brandt |
Who was the mother of Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince? | Philippa of Hainault |
In which year did Yuri Gagarin become the first man in space? | 1961 |
Which 45 year old writer separated from his wife when he fell in love with 18 year old Ellen Ternan? | Charles Dickens |
Eugen Weidmann was the last man to suffer which fate? | Public guillotining in France |
A 'woman in black' leaves a single red rose every year on the grave of which actor who died in 1926? | Rudolph Valentino |
The first ever 'Grand Prix' was held outside which city on 26 and 27 June 1906? | Le Mans |
Which Ottoman admiral of the fleet's naval victories secured Ottoman dominance over the Mediterranean during the mid 16th century, from the Battle of Preveza in 1538 until the Battle of Lepanto in 1571? | Hayreddin Barbarossa |
Marking perhaps the high point of Ottoman power in the Mediterranean Sea, which May 1560 battle saw Ottomans under Piyale Pasha's command overwhelm a large joint Christian Alliance fleet composed chiefly of Spanish, Papal, Maltese and Neapolitan forces? | Battle of Djerba |
The island of Djerba is part of which modern-day country? | Tunisia |
Who served as the military governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria in 1966 and the leader of the breakaway Republic of Biafra from 1967 to 1970? | Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu |
What was the capital of the breakaway Republic of Biafra from 1967 to 1970? | Enugu |
Bernard Kouchner, from 2007 until 2010, he was the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in the Fillon government under president Nicolas Sarkozy, founded which charity in 1971? | Médecins Sans Frontières |
Which Russian Soviet poet, playwright, artist, and actor was a prominent figure of the Russian Futurist movement wrote poems such as A Cloud in Trousers (1915) and Backbone Flute (1916) and the plays The Bedbug (1929) and The Bathhouse (1929)? | Vladimir Mayakovsky |
Which movement's manifesto was "A Slap in the Face of Public Taste" (1913)? | Futurism |
Which German Emperor abdicated in November 1918, and fled to exile in the Netherlands? | Kaiser Wilhelm II |
The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, or just The Natural History of Selborne is a book by which English naturalist and ornithologist (1720-93)? | Gilbert White |
The Emperor Fountain, once the world's highest fountain, is in the grounds of which stately home? | Chatsworth House |
Which plant fungal disease is caused by many different species of fungi in the order Erysiphales, with Podosphaera xanthii (a.k.a. Sphaerotheca fuliginea) being the most commonly reported cause? | Powdery Mildew |
Named after an English reverend (1701-61) which describes the probability of an event, based on prior knowledge of conditions that might be related to the event? | Bayes' theorem |
Which term, coined by the Belgian botanist Charles Morren around 1849, refers to the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate? | Phenology |
Which famous, large, colourless diamond was found near Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, India, possibly in the 13th century? | Koh-i-Noor |
Which famous diamond was cut from the Tavernier Blue? | Hope Diamond |
The name of which 9000-year old archaeological site translates as "forked mound"? | Çatalhöyük |
In Germanic mythology, who is the wife of Odin (or Woden)? | Frig |
According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, "Hengest & Æsc fought against Britons in the place which is called ________ and there slew 4000 men, and the Britons abandoned Kent and with great fear fled to London" - what replaces the blank? | Crecganford |
German for "pit house" what name is given to buildings that are partly dug into the ground, and covered by a roof, that were common in England early Anglo-Saxon times? | Grubenhaus (pl: grubenhauser) |
In medieval homes, what five-word term referred to a room generally situated on an upper storey, designed as the family's private living and sleeping quarters, and located above the Great Hall? | Solar |
What name is given to the scientific counting of tree rings to determine age? | Dendrochronology |
What was the purpose of the medieval room known as a 'tiring chamber'? | Putting clothes on ("attiring") |
In which English county is Hardwick Hall? | Derbyshire |
Holdenby House is a historic country house in which English county - it is traditionally pronounced 'Holmby'? | Northamptonshire |
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, was reputed to be the lover of, and was certainly a favourite of, which English monarch? | James I |
In the Baroque era, what name was given to a usually celebratory or eulogistic dramatic cantata for two or more singers and orchestra, performed outdoors in the evening by artificial light? | Serenata/serenade |
Tapioca is derived from which part of the cassava plant? | Roots |
Which singer's first professional pop group were the 1960s band "Bluesology"? | Elton John |
Which English blues singer (d. 2005) enjoyed pop success in the UK where "Let the Heartaches Begin" reached No. 1 in 1967 and in Australia where his duet with Kathi McDonald "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" reached number two in 1980? | Long John Baldry |
Who married German recording engineer Renate Blauel on 14 February 1984, in Darling Point, Sydney, with speculation that the marriage was a cover for his homosexuality? | Elton John |
A musical composition with its roots in the art of improvisation, which term was first applied to music during the 16th century, with examples including Mozart's K397 and K475 and Schubert's "Wanderer"? | Fantasia |
Which rank in the Anglican church, with holders usually styled The Venerable instead of the usual clerical style of The Reverend, lies directly below bishop? | Archdeacon |
Which titular duo of a children's television series first broadcast by BBC TV in 1957 had the theme tune "We Belong Together"? | Pinky and Perky |
Which band had hits with "Lost Without Your Love", "The Guitar Man" and "Everything I Own"? | Bread |
Fredrick Heath, a singer killed in an accident near Bury in 1966, performed under what name? | Johnny Kidd |
What nationality was band leader and composer James Last? | German |
"The First Cut Is the Deepest" was written by which singer? | Cat Stevens |
Pangu, a hairy giant who hatched from an egg, is part of which country's mythology? | China |
"Mood Indigo" and "I Got It Bad" were compositions by which jazz musician? | Duke Ellington |
In myth, of where was Agamemnon king? | Mycenae |
Who was the second wife of Jacob in the Bible? | Rachel |
Who was the Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare? | Minerva |
Who was the first US President to be inaugurated by a woman? | Lyndon B Johnson |
Who made his directorial film debut with Easy Rider (1969)? | Dennis Hopper |
A flail is an agricultural tool used for what purpose? | Threshing |
Which English merchant and politician of the late medieval period was elected mayor of London on 13 October 1397, and financed Greyfriars library and the rebuilding of the Guildhall? | Richard "Dick" Whittington |
The 1900 death in a rail accident near Mississippi of which American railroader while trying to stop his train and save the lives of his passengers made who a hero; he was immortalized in a popular ballad sung by his friend Wallace Saunders? | Casey Jones |
In 1993, who became the first female US Attorney-General? | Janet Reno |
Fenians are named after the legend of which mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology? | Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool) |
Which word entered the English language during the Irish "Land War" and derives eponymously from a captain,, the land agent of an absentee landlord, who was subject to social ostracism organized by the Irish Land League in 1880? | Boycott |
What was the name used by the splinter group of the Irish Republican Brotherhood who were responsible for the assassination of Lord Cavendish in Phoenix Park in 1882? | (Irish National) Invincibles |
Which Irish nationalist politician and one of the most powerful figures in the British House of Commons in the 1880s (1846-91) helped convert Gladstone into supporting Irish home rule? | Charles Stewart Parnell |
Who was the last prime minister to head his full administration from the House of Lords? | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury |
In which year was General Gordon killed in Khartoum? | 1885 |
What was the first name of the Scottish mountain chronicler after whom "Munros" are named? | Hugh |
In which town or city was John Bunyan born? | Bedford |
Who wrote 1977 novel "The Thorn Birds"? | Colleen McCullough |
Who created the character of The Saint, later played on TV by Roger Moore? | Leslie Charteris |
Whose first published novel was 1871's "Desperate Remedies"? | Thomas Hardy |
In which county is the town of Dunstable located? | Bedfordshire |
Which Ancient Greek dramatist was born on Salamis Island around 480 BC, and according to an almost certainly inaccurate story, lived in a cave there? | Euripides |
Who wrote the 'Twilight' series of novels about teens and vampires? | Stephanie Meyer |
What is the name of the pub or tavern mentioned in the song "Pop Goes The Weasel"? | The Eagle |
Dirk Pitt is a recurring fictional character in whose books? | Clive Cussler |
Nick Stone,an ex-military man who previously worked for the SAS, British Intelligence, and an American agency, is a recurring fictional character in whose books? | Andy McNab |
Who wrote the lines "Every woman adores a fascist/The boot in the face, the brute"? | Sylvia Plath |
Robert Smirke (1 October 1780 – 18 April 1867) was an architect perhaps best known for designing the main block and façade of which London building? | British Museum |
What title did Vera Brittain give to her first autobiographical volume? | Testament of Youth |
What was the pen name of Elizabeth Comber, born Rosalie Matilda Kuanghu Chou, the author of "A Many-Splendored Thing"? | Han Suyin |
What fictional name did Thomas Hardy give to Dorchester in his novels? | Casterbridge |
The source of some of the possibly apocryphal stories about Washington, including the tale of the cherry tree, who wrote "The Life and Memorable Acts of George Washington"? | Mason Weems |
Which ancient Roman author wrote "The Lives of the Caesars"? | Suetonius |
Which actress's daughter wrote the scathing memoir "Mommie Dearest" in 1978? | Joan Crawford |
About which jazz musician did Dorothy Baker write the book "Young Man With A Horn"? | Bix Beiderbecke |
"Salad Days" was which actor's 1988 autobiography? | Douglas Fairbanks Jr. |
Minnesota Fats was a multiple champion in which sport? | Pool |
What was the real first name of basketball player Magic Johnson? | Earvin |
Which US magazine for the African-American market was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945? | Ebony |
Which golfer, the last prior to Tiger Woods achieving the same feat in 2000, won both the Open and US Open in the same year, 1982? | Tom Watson |
"Duel in the Sun" is the name of the 18th hole on which golf course, where Tom Watson missed a putt in 2009 to become the oldest ever Open winner? | Turnberry |
The 1922 FA Cup Final, the last before the opening of Wembley Stadium, was held at which ground? | Stamford Bridge |
In the 1922 FA Cup Final, what unique record - likely to stand forever - was set by Preston goalkeeper James Mitchell? | Only player to wear spectacles in an FA Cup Final |
At which modern Olympic Games did women's events first appear? | 1928 Amsterdam |
Which US city has held the Summer Olympic games twice? | Los Angeles (1932, 1984) |
Hosting the US Open 5 times, most recently in 2006, in which US state is Winged Foot Golf Club? | New York |
In which city is the Dome of the Rock? | Jerusalem |
What was was the imperial capital of the Parthian Empire and the Sasanian Empire? | Ctesiphon |
Which dynasty replaced the Umaayad caliphate? | Abbasid |
The ancient Silk Road city of Merv is in which present day country? | Turkmenistan |
The second of four major caliphates, which was the first non-patriarchal (ie not based on the Prophet's descendants) | Ummayad |
What term collectively refers to the first four caliphs after Muhammad's death? | Rashidun Caliphate |
In what year was the Hejira? | 622AD |
In Islamic tradition, what is the significance of the Kaaba (Qa'aba)? | Built by Abraham and first house built for worship of Allah |
In Islam, the direction facing the ka'aba from any point in the world is termed what? | Kibla |
In which city was the prophet Muhammad born? | Mecca |
Growing out of a merger between the Sun and Times, in which US city is the Sun-Times newspaper published? | Chicago |
Which Scottish town is home to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (the Western Isles Council)? | Stornoway (Lewis) |
Who was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928, defeated in a landslide by Herbert Hoover? | Al Smith |
Members of which Royal family reigned as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria from 1180 to 1918? | Wittelsbach |
In West Side Story, which of the two gangs is of Puerto Rican ancestry? | Sharks |
Who wrote the music to musical West Side Story? | Leonard Bernstein |
Who conceived and choreographed the musical West Side Story? | Jerome Robbins |
Which American baseball player, widely considered to be one of the greatest catchers in the history of the game, played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1940s and 1950s but was paralysed in a car crash on January 28th 1958? | Roy Campanella |
In which US state is West Point Military Academy located? | New York |
At which university did Governor George Wallace attempt to block the passage of the first black students, Vivian Malone, nd George Hood, admitted in 1963? | University of Alabama |
In which area did William Zeckendorf, an inspiration to Donald Trump, make his fortune? | Real Estate |
From the Latin for body, what name is given to a square white linen cloth used to place the chalice on in a Catholic mass? | Corporal |
In Catholic services, what name is given to a small plate, usually made of silver or gold, used to hold Eucharistic bread which is to be consecrated? | Paten (or diskos) |
Which Christian saint is best known for the account of his using his military sword to cut his cloak in two, to give half to a beggar clad only in rags in the depth of winter? | St Martin |
The Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong and a glass-and-steel pyramid for the Musée du Louvre in Paris are among the best-known works of which architect? | I.M. Pei |
In church services, what name is given to a metal censer suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during worship services? | Thurible |
In 1425 which artist was employed in Lille as court painter to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, until 1429, before moving to Bruges, where he lived until his death? | Jan Van Eyck |
Galla Placidia was mother of which 5th century Emperor, who reigned 425-455? | Valentinian III |
In which Italian region is the city of Ravenna located? | Emilia-Romagna |
What name, from Greek, is given to the Christian version of the symbolic subject of the empty throne found in the art of the ancient world, whose meaning has changed over the centuries? | Hetoimasia |
What is the second-largest city in New York State? | Buffalo |
Walbury Hill is the highest point of which English county? | Berkshire |
Which river flows through the city of Heidelberg? | Neckar |
Wilmington is the largest city by population in which US state? | Delaware |
Which airline is the flag carrier of the UAE? | Etihad |
In which British city would you find Elton Square, the Laing Art Gallery and Bessie Surtees' House? | Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
The RHS garden Hyde Hall is in which English county? | Essex |
Padstow lies on the west bank of the estuary of which river in Cornwall? | River Camel |
What is the capital of the Maldives? | Malé |
The National Trust garden Hidcote Manor is in which English county? | Gloucestershire |
The Abbey House Museum, Temple Newsham House and the Core (formerly the Headrow Centre) are all in which English city? | Leeds |
How many time zones are there in Canada? | Six |
Which nation's highest point is Mafadi? | South Africa |
Brunei is surrounded by which Malaysian state? | Sarawak |
What name is given to the district that comprises the eastern part of Brunei, an exclave separated from the rest of Brunei by Malaysia and Brunei Bay? | Temburong |
Astana is the capital of which nation? | Kazakhstan |
In which US state is the 'Valley of the Ten Thousand Smokes'? | Alaska |
Famed for nature, what is the name of the natural region located south of Arles, France, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône River delta? | Camargue |
The Quorn Fox Hunt is mainly based in which English county? | Leicestershire |
What name is given to the British Army's initial officer training centre, actually located in the town of Camberley? | Sandhurst |
What was the first name of 19th century cookery book author, Mrs Beeton? | Isabella |
What was the title of the famous book of recipes and advice for wives published in 1859 by Mrs Beeton? | The Book of Household Management |
How old was cookery author Mrs Beeton when she died? | 28 |
Which famous American built the plantation, just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, of Monticello? | Thomas Jefferson |
Worcester pearmain and Beauty of Bath are varieties of which fruit? | Apple |
Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (1660-1744) was renowned for her close friendship with which monarch? | Queen Anne |
According to sources, which British monarch had, by age 40, a stomach that was nearly four foot in girth? | George IV |
The great chef Auguste Escoffier worked at which hotel from 1890-98? | Savoy, London |
In which year did the Irish potato famine begin? | 1845 |
Which compound is also called borax? | Sodium borate (sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate) |
Used by Guglielmo Marconi during his work on radio waves, in which English county is the South Foreland lighthouse? | Kent |
Thomas Edison was nicknamed "The Wizard of ______ Park" - which name replaces the blank? | Menlo |
How many yards is a furlong in horse racing? | 220 yards |
Give a year in the life of agricultural pioneer Jethro Tull. | 1674-1741 |
What was invented in 1700 by Jethro Tull that helped revolutionise farming? | Seed drill |
An old imperial bushel consisted of how many imperial gallons? | Eight |
Bruce Campbell, the second cousin of James Boswell, helped to create which breed of dairy cattle? | Ayrshire |
Which English architect and dramatist is perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard? | John Vanbrugh |
The Fair Penitent (1703) and The Tragedy of Jane Shore (1714) were plays by which man, Poet laureate from 1715 until his death three years later? | Nicholas Rowe |
Also known as a gliding vowel, what name is given to a combination of two adjacent vowel sounds within the same syllable? | Diphthong |
In the Bible, what was the original name of St Peter? | Simon |
Who was the father of Jesus' disciples James and John? | Zebedee |
In which gospel does Jesus tell his disciple "Thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my church", the basis for the papacy? | Matthew |
Pope 440-461, who was the first Bishop of Rome (later called Pope) to be buried in St Peter's? | Leo I/Leo the Great |
Traditionally called the last Roman Emperor, who ruled the Western Roman Empire from 31 October AD 475 until 4 September AD 476? | Romulus Augustulus |
Which Visigothic King of Hispania and Septimania's reign (587-601CE) marked a climactic shift in history, with the king's renunciation of Arianism in favour of Catholicism in 587? | Reccared (Reccared I) |
A significant Christian convert in 496CE, who was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler, and founded the Merovingian Dynasty? | Clovis I |
Some 4km from the Vatican, what is the cathedral church of Rome, Italy and therefore houses the cathedra, or ecclesiastical seat, of the Roman Pontiff (Pope)? | Archbasilica of St John Lateran |
Considered the first Church reformer, as he lived before Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli, which Czech priest was burned at the stake in 1415 for heresy against the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, including those on ecclesiology and the Eucharist? | Jan Hus |
Which 1414-18 Catholic council council ended the Western Schism, by deposing or accepting the resignation of the remaining papal claimants and electing Pope Martin V? | Council of Constance |
Which French city of around 120,000 people was, in the Middle Ages, the Merovingian capital of the Austrasia kingdom? | Metz |
In which year did both Augustine, later first Archbishop of Canterbury, arrive on the English coast, and Columba die on the island of Iona? | 597CE |
King of Kent from about 589 until his death, who was converted to Christianity by Augustine, and granted Augustine land at Canterbury to found his church and establish the still-extant archbishopric? | Æthelberht/Ethelbert |
The Four original "Doctors of the Church" comprised Gregory the Great, St Jerome and two others. Name either. | St Ambrose, St Augustine (of Hippo) |
In 882, who was the first Pope to be assassinated? | John VIII |
The Battle of Garigliano was fought in 915 between Christian forces and who - the Christians won? | Saracens |
Which dissolute yet hugely influential Roman noblewoman who was the alleged mistress of Pope Sergius III was given the unprecedented titles senatrix ("senatoress") and patricia of Rome by Pope John X. John XIII was her nephew. | Marozia |
What name, from 'rule by prostitutes' is given to a period in the history of the Papacy during the 10th century, beginning with the installation of Pope Sergius III in 904 and lasting for sixty years until the death of Pope John XII in 964? | Pornocracy |
Called the Black or the Pious, who was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement II in Rome (1046), seven years after the death of his father, Conrad II? | Henry III |
The word 'cardinal' derives from the Latin 'cardo', meaning what? | Hinge |
Which pianist (1925-2000) was born Trevor Stanford? | Russ Conway |
Which comic's (1917-92) career was described by fellow comedian Barry Cryer as "a series of comebacks"? | Frankie Howerd |
Who composed six "Haydn Quartets" in 1785, dedicated to the composer Joseph Haydn? | Mozart |
Which vegetable is the basis for 'soubise' sauce? | Onion |
Which type of soft sponge cake, that shares its name with a town in Bavaria, was named for Prince Albert? | Coburg cake |
What was the only George Harrison composed song that was recorded by Frank Sinatra? | Something |
Which cleric (1478-1535) was canonised in 1935? | Thomas More |
Who shares composing credits with Oscar Hammerstein for Broadway musical "Carmen Jones", having written most of the music? | Bizet |
Who was the Greek goddess of vengeance and retribution? | Nemesis |
What is the name of the sequel to the "Phantom of the Opera", also by Andrew Lloyd Webber | Love Never Dies |
Which fruit flavours Triple Sec, a variety of Curaçao liqueur? | Orange |
Crème de cassis, a liqueur, is made from which fruit? | Blackcurrants |
Which K is cotton underwear that Sikhs must wear? | Kachera |
Which K is a sword that Sikhs carry? | Kirpan |
Who wrote the 1905 opera "The Merry Widow"? | Franz Lehar |
Who wrote the 1909 opera "The Golden Cockerel"? | Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov |
Jack Teagarden and Kid Ory are both associated with which musical instrument? | Trombone |
Pablo Casais and Paul Tortelier were both associated with which musical instrument? | Cello |
What food item gave rise to the expression "humble pie"? | Umbles - deer entrails |
Wonderful, Paper-shell and Spanish Ruby are all types of which fruit? | Pomegranate |
The seven pillars of wisdom are referenced in which book of the Bible? | Proverbs |
How is trichloromethane better known? | Chloroform |
What type of furniture is a "davenport"? | Writing desk |
Which guitarist left the Jeff Beck group in 1967, along with Rod Stewart, to join The Faces? | Ronnie Wood |
Which nursery rhyme featured in the first ever phonograph recording, made by Thomas Edison? | Mary Had A Little Lamb |
St John Ambulance trainees aged 7 to 10 are called what? | Badgers |
Which named train ran from London to Hereford via Oxford and Worcester from 1957 to 1965? | Cathedrals Express |
What is the name of the British named express passenger train operated by East Midlands Trains between Sheffield and London St Pancras; the name was first used in 1947? | Master Cutler |
What is the UK's largest native freshwater fish? | Pike |
Also called a spear-thrower, and predating bows and arrows, what Aztec word is used for a tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in dart-throwing, and includes a bearing surface which allows the user to store energy during the throw? | Atlatl |
Which Oscar winning actor's last film was 1981's Ragtime? | James Cagney |
Which actress was born Minnie Higginbotham in 1928? | Kathy Staff |
Which actor was born Volodymyr Palahniuk in 1919? | Jack Palance |
Although he never divorced his wife Louise, Spencer Tracy lived with which Oscar-winning actress until his death in 1967? | Katherine Hepburn |
John Hannah and John Thompson played barristers in which Manchester-set TV series? | New Street Law |
Although lagging far behind China and India, which country has the third largest population in the world? | USA |
What is the world's smallest republic, with a territory of just 21 square km? | Nauru |
Phnom Penh lies on which major river? | Mekong |
Ferrara is the second largest city that which river flows through? | Po (largest is Turin) |
Shanghai lies on the southern estuary of which major river? | Yangtze |
Prague stands on which river? | Vltava |
Which is the only South American nation to have both Atlantic and Pacific shores? | Colombia |
Talleyrand famously said of which country "it has 32 religions and only one sauce"? | USA |
What are the three official languages of Belgium? | Dutch, French, German |
Korea is divided into North and South by which numbered parallel? | 38th |
Which country, that became independent on 6th December 1917, has around 60,000 lakes? | Finland |
What name is given to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo? | Kalimantan |
What is the largest city on the island of Sumatra? | Medan |
What is the largest city on the island of Sulawesi? | Makassar |
Ogaden is an area disputed between which two nations? | Ethiopia and Somalia (administered by Ethiopia) |
Which US state, formerly the "Land of Opportunity", now calls itself "The Natural State"? | Arkansas |
Which American author, educator, lawyer, diplomat, songwriter, and civil rights activist wrote "The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" and led the NAACP from 1920? He died in a 1938 car accident when his wife drove their car into a train. | James Weldon Johnson |
Named for the three sons of Comte Bégouen who discovered it in 1914, which prehistoric cave art site in Montesquieu-Avantès, France is famed for its composite "Sorcerer" image of various animals with prominent antlers? | Trois-Freres |
Who wrote 1942's "Evolution: The Modern Synthesis", was the first director UNESCO, and co-founded the WWF? | Julian Huxley |
What type of early man is named for a rock shelter in the hamlet of Les Eyzies in the commune of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil in southwestern France, where the first specimen was found? | Cro-Magnon |
The character Shigyalov features in the dystopian novel "The Possessed" by who? | Dostoyevsky |
"Red Cavalry" and "Odessa Tales" are works by which Russian short story author, shot by the KGB in 1940? | Isaac Babel |
In genetics, what is an ESS? | Evolutionary Stable Strategy |
Whose 1975 work "Sociobiology: The New Synthesis" aimed to show the extent to which social behaviour is governed by genes? | Edward O Wilson |
In which nation is Virunga National Park (Parc National des Virungas), a habitat for mountain gorillas? | Democratic Republic of Congo |
What is New Zealand's third largest city by population? | Christchurch |
Which English sculptor and poet, author of "My Beautiful Lady" was a founder member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood? | Thomas Woolner |
Best known for his portrayal of Māori dignitaries, which New Zealand artist (1870-1947) spoke fluent Maori? His paintings command high prices and are valued by contemporary Maori for accurate depictions of their ancestors. | Charles Goldie |
The Pe'a is the popular name of the traditional male tatau (tattoo) of which nation? | Samoa |
Tony Fomison was a prominent artist from which country? | New Zealand |
The New Zealand $100 bill features which scientist? | Ernest Rutherford |
Often used as an informal term for the currency itself, what is depicted, along with a silver fern, on the reverse of a New Zealand $1 coin? | Kiwi |
Hagley Park is a very large park lying to the west of which Antipodean city? | Christchurch |
What is the Dacrycarpus dacrydioides or kahikatea, endemic to New Zealand? | Tree |
Reaching up to 3.6m in height which nine species (in six genera) of flightless birds endemic to New Zealand became extinct due to Maori overhunting in around the 14th or 15th centuries? | Moa |
Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth passage graves are all in which county of Ireland? | Meath |
The northernmost point of Northern Ireland is on which island? | Rathlin |
The 'Cattle Raid of Cooley' is part of which cycle, one of the four great cycles of Irish mythology, and set around or before the 1st century CE? | Ulster Cycle |
Possibly mythical, which figure of the late 4th/early 5th centuries, if real, was a prehistoric Irish king, the ancestor of the Uí Néill family that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th century? | Niall of the Nine Hostages |
Who (A.D. 408–431; died c. A.D. 457/461) was the first Bishop of the Christians of Ireland, preceding Saint Patrick? | Palladius |
What name is given to the Early Medieval alphabet used to write the early Irish language from the 1st to the 9th centuries? | Ogham |
The King of Deira from 664 until 670, and then King of Northumbria from 670 until his death in 685, who led the first known English incursion into Ireland in 684CE? | Ecgfrith (of Northumbria) |
The easternmost point of the province of Leinster, which island off County Dublin was site of the first recorded Viking raid on Ireland in 795CE? | Lambay Island |
Which King of Leinster in Ireland solicited help from King Henry II of England to regain his throne in 1167? His daughter Aoife married Richard de Clare "strongbow". | Diarmait Mac Murchada (Dermot MacMorrow) |
Which English King was the first Lord of Ireland and thus the first to rule the island directly when he was eventually crowned King of England? | John |
Which tissue in a tree provides partially undifferentiated cells for plant growth on both its inside and outside? | Cambium |
The basic function of which plant transport tissue, woody in trees, is to transport water from roots to shoots and leaves? | Xylem |
In trees the innermost bark layer, which living tissue in vascular plants transports the soluble organic compounds made during photosynthesis (known as photosynthate), in particular the sugar sucrose, to parts of the plant where needed? | Phloem |
What name is given to a leaf with several different colours in it? | Variegated |
In botany, what name is given to a pore, found in the epidermis of leaves, stems, and other organs, that facilitates gas exchange? | Stoma |
What is the botanical name for the stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem? | Petiole |
What name is given to the shedding of various parts of an organism, such as a plant dropping a leaf, or an animal losing its tail to escape a predator? | Abscission |
Which group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers and gingko biloba, has a name that means "naked seed"? | Gymnosperm |
With a name meaning "seed casing" or "enclosed seed", which group of plants includes all flowering plants? | Angiosperm |
How is the Maidenhair tree better known? | Gingko biloba |
Which catchphrase is associated with Arnold Schwarzenegger's title character from the 1991 science fiction thriller film "Terminator 2: Judgment Day", and first featured in that film in an exchange with John Connor? | Hasta la vista, baby |
Port Louis is the capital of which nation? | Mauritius |
Which is the largest of the Mascarene Islands? | Reunion (the others are Mauritius and Rodrigues) |
Nadsat, used in Anthony Burgess's "A Clockwork Orange" is an artificial language based on which real-life language? | Russian |
Which cartoon character takes his name from a nonsense lyric in Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night"? | Scooby-Doo |
The Ides of March corresponds to what date in our calendar? | March 15th |
How old was Eva Peron when she died? | 33 |
According to Islam, what is the name of the daughter of an Egyptian king who, after being gifted to the patriarch and prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) as a bride, become the mother of Ishmael? | Hagar |
In which city was US Presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy shot and fatally wounded on June 5th 1968? | Los Angeles |
In June 2017, Travis Kalanick, the founder and CEO of which company stood down amid pressure from investors over allegations of sexual harassment, gender discrimination and corporate misconduct within his company? | Uber |
Which American singer-songwriter is best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You", which reached Number 2 in the UK? | Minnie Riperton |
Which figure in history after the feast celebrating his marriage to the German princess Ildico? | Attila the Hun |
The Great Wall (also called Coma Wall), one of the largest known superstructures in the observable universe, is an example of which massive, thread-like formations, with a typical length of 50 to 80 megaparsecs h−1? | Galaxy filaments |
Which massive supervolcanic eruption estimated at VEI 8 that occurred 69,000 to 77,000 years ago apparently killed most humans alive at the time? | Toba |
The oldest and best known of the circular enclosures associated with the Central European Neolithic and possibly one of the oldest Solar observatories in the world, which Neolithic structure in Saxony-Anhalt opened for visits in 2005? | Goseck Circle |
Discovered in 1999 and termed "one of the most important archaeological finds of the twentieth century" which bronze item found in Saxony-Anhalt is the world's earliest depiction of the cosmos? | Nebra sun disc |
First made in 13th century Italy, and later in Spain and Portugal, with later 15th and 16th century charts noted for their accuracy what name is given to navigational maps based on compass directions and estimated distances observed by the pilots at sea? | Portolan charts |
Which nation won the men's Olympic ice hockey in 1994 and 2006, and the World Championships in 1998, 2006, 2013 and 2017? | Sweden |
Playing for Yorkshire either side of his spell there, which county did Darren Gough represent at county cricket level from 2004 to 2006? | Essex |
In which year did Roger Bannister run the first sub four minute mile? | 1954 |
Who trained the famous horse Red Rum? | Ginger McCain |
Whose record of 133 Test Cricket appearances for England did Alastair Cook overhaul in 2016? | Alec Stewart |
What does 'WD' signify on a netball bib? | Wing Defence |
Which former rugby union hooker, born 1962 in Birmingham, was nicknamed 'pitbull'? | Brian Moore |
Doggett's Coat and Badge is a prestigious prize awarded in which sport? | Rowing |
Edgbaston cricket ground is in which British city? | Birmingham |
Who was British National Hunt champion jockey every year from 1986 to 1992? | Peter Scudamore |
Who won the men's Olympic gold in the 1500m event in 1980 and 1984? | Sebastian Coe |
Who was British National Hunt champion jockey in 2015-6 and 2016-7, following Tony McCoy's retirement? | Richard Johnson |
If a jockey is called 'Mr' on a horse racing entry card, what does that traditionally signify? | They are Amateur |
All modern Thoroughbred horses can trace their pedigrees to how many stallions originally imported into England in the 17th century and 18th century (and to a larger number of foundation mares of mostly English breeding)? | Three |
Which sport's name can be translated as "The way of trampling by hand" or "The art of hand and foot fighting"? | Taekwondo |
For which major sporting prize is the Wanamaker Trophy awarded? | US PGA Championship (golf) |
Who became the most capped player in the history of the France national football team with 142 appearances between 1994 and 2008? | Lilian Thuram |
How many Grand Slam singles titles were won by tennis player Virginia Wade? | Three (Aus Open 1972; US Open 1968; Wimbledon 1977) |
In pool, what does the term 'scratch' mean? | Pocketing the cue ball |
What was decathlete Daley Thompson's real first name? | Francis |
At which bridge over the Thames does the University Boat Race traditionally start? | Putney |
Which cricket cup ran from 1972 to 2002, was won a record four times by Lancashire, and was superseded by the Twenty20 Cup? | Benson & Hedges Cup |
Who was the first (and as of 2017 only) winner of the Ladies' singles Championship at Wimbledon, doing so in 1994? | Conchita Martinez |
Which major bank was founded when the two founders of American Express formed it to provide express and banking services to California in 1852? | Wells Fargo |
Which global company, one of the largest networking companies in the world, was founded in December 1984 by Leonard Bosack, who was in charge of the Stanford University computer science department's computers, and his wife Sandy Lerner? | Cisco (Systems) |
Jack Ma, in 2017 the richest person in Asia, founded which internet site and, later, conglomerate group in 1999? | Alibaba.com |
In Manet's painting "A Bar At The Folies-Bergere", which brand and early logo appears on a bottle at the bottom-right of the painting? | Bass beer |
What is manufactured by the British company Drumond Park? | Board games |
Which Canadian-based not-for-profit, pro-environment organization founded in 1989 by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz in Vancouver has launched numerous international campaigns, including Buy Nothing Day, TV Turnoff Week and Occupy Wall Street? | Adbusters |
Whose 1977 novel The Serial: A Year in the Life of Marin County satirized the trendy lifestyles of the affluent residents of Marin County, California, just north of San Francisco? | Cyra McFadden |
Less Than Zero is the 1985 debut novel of which writer, released while he was 21 and still a student at Bennington College? | Bret Easton Ellis |
Which artist's works include, in 2014, a genuine Han dynasty vase with the Coca-Cola logo brushed on in red acrylic paint? | Ai Wei Wei |
What name is given to Google's online search engine that charts frequencies of any set of comma-delimited search strings - it can search for a single word or a phrase, including misspellings or gibberish? | Ngram viewer |
The TV show Grey's Anatomy is set in which US city? | Seattle |
Miga, Quatchi and Sumi were the mascots of which city's Winter Olympics? | Vancouver |
Who shared the 1909 Nobel Prize for Physics with Guglielmo Marconi for his role in developing wireless telegraph? | Karl Ferdinand Braun |
First awarded in 1976, what is the national film award of France? | César Award |
Named after a place in New Hampshire, what name was given to the system of monetary management that established the US dollar as the global currency in the mid 20th-century? | Bretton Woods System |
Named because his father idolised Vladimir Lenin, Lenin Voltaire Moreno Garces became president of which country in May 2017? | Ecuador |
The watch manufacturer Montblanc originated in which country? | Germany |
Chris Cornell was lead singer of which band from 1984 to his death in 2017? | Soundgarden |
Which Norwegian marathon runner, the first woman to run a marathon in under two and a half hours, won nine New York marathons between 1978 and 1988? | Grete Waltz |
At 2,850m, what is the highest official capital city in the world? | Quito |
On the London underground, what is the colour of the Metropolitan Line? | Purple |
Which amendment of the US constitution repealed prohibition in 1933? | 21st |
Who wrote the opera's A Village Romeo and Juliet and The Magic Fountain? | Frederick Delius |
If you ordered a side dish of Kumbhi in an Indian restaurant what would you be eating? | Mushrooms |
What aid to farmers did William Merchland invent in 1889? | Milking machine |
Roman legions were divided into 10 units called what? | Cohorts |
Which of Henry VIII's wives outlived the rest? | Anne of Cleves |
What was the fate of Henry VIII's third wife Jane Seymour? | Died after childbirth |
To which brother of Henry VIII was Catherine of Aragon initially betrothed, before he died? | Arthur |
The English speaking part of Pembrokeshire beyond the Landsker Line goes by what name? | Little England beyond Wales |
Which pretender to Henry VII's throne was assisted by John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, but was later pardoned and allowed to work in the King's kitchens? | Lambert Simnel |
Which pretender to Henry VII's throne pretended to be Richard, Duke of York? | Perkin Warbeck |
From which son of Edward III was Henry VII of England ultimately descended? | John of Gaunt |
The eruption of which volcano possibly caused a disastrous summer in 1816? | Mount Tambora |
Between which years did Elizabeth I reign? | 1558-1603 |
Who wrote the play 'The Sunshine Boys'? | Neil Simon |
How many theses did Martin Luther famously nail to the door of the All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, Saxony? | 95 |
With how many 'Articles of Religion' in a 1571 document did Elizabeth I establish Anglicanism? | 39 |
Which cartographer (c.1540 – c.1610) produced the first county maps of England and Wales? | Christopher Saxton |
Which town's violent 1370 sacking (although recently disputed) tarnished Edward the Black Prince's image? | Limoges |
In Greek myth, which goddess, in the form of a dove, laid the primal egg? | Eurynome |
In Greek myth, which race were the first offspring of Gaia and Uranus? | Cyclops |
Ourea were the ancient primordial Greek personifications of what natural feature? | Mountains |
In Greek myth, which Titaness did Zeus meet that gave him the potion that caused Cronos to vomit up his siblings? | Metis |
In Greek myth, which five Gods did Cronos vomit up when Zeus gave him a potion? | Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Hestia, Demeter |
Which Greek God's magical helmet made the wearer invisible? | Hades |
What does 'MS' in a ship's name stand for? | Motor ship |
Ciconiidae is the name for which family of birds? | Storks |
Which ship, of 154,407 gross tonnes, was launched by Royal Caribbean International in April 2006, making it the then largest passenger ship ever built? | Freedom Of The Seas |
Which blood group is a universal recipient? | AB |
Jacques Clement assassinated which French king? | Henry III |
Which Pope was canonised at the same time as John Paul II? | John XXIII |
Give a year in the life of Paolo Veronese, born Paolo Caliari. | 1528-88 |
Which French uprising occurred from 1648-53? | The Fronde |
Who was US President on 1st January 1900? | William McKinley |
Who was the only British PM to date whose first language was not English? | David Lloyd George |
Which war did the Treaty of Utrecht bring to a close? | War of the Spanish Succession |
In which war was the 'Great Locomotive Chase'? | US civil war |
Which number Shostakovich symphony is the 'Leningrad'? | Seventh |
Kahlua, the liqueur, originated in which country? | Mexico |
Involving looking for low-frequency transmitters in usually woody terrain, which sport is ARDF short for? | Amateur radio direction finding |
Prevalent in Oxfordshire especially, in which traditional game do players throw sticks or battens at a model of an old woman's head? | Aunt Sally |
Which Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music is known for its quick and complex maneouvres, predominantly using power, speed, and leverage across a wide variety of kicks, spins and techniques? | Capoeira |
With comparisons made to pole dancing, in which traditional Indian sport does a gymnast perform aerial yoga postures and wrestling grips in concert with a vertical stationary or hanging wooden pole? | Mallakhamba |
In which variant of croquet does one, unsurprisingly given the name, kick the ball through hoops? | Toequet |
What is the official sport of Eton school? | Eton field game |
The origins of which sport or event apparently lie in the failed rescue attempts to save Qu Yuan, who committed suicide by drowning in 278CE? | Dragon Boat Racing |
Which 2004 sports comedy film was subtitled "A True Underdog Story"? | Dodgeball |
Schwingen is a form of wrestling native to which country? | Switzerland |
Which American variant of croquet played on a hard, smooth surface in the shape of an octagon, was an Olympic sport in the 1904 Summer Games, replacing croquet from the previous games? | Roque |
Who is the famous mother of actress Rachael Stirling? | Diana Rigg |
In which 1999 children's book does the character Marigold Wistward appear? | The Illustrated Mum (Jacqueline Wilson) |
In which alphabet would you find letters called shin, dhal and jim? | Arabic |
In which country did the 1798 battle of Vinegar Hill take place? | Ireland |
On the day John F Kennedy was shot, (22 November 1963) two famous British authors died - name both? | CS Lewis, Aldous Huxley |
Aston Merrygold was a member of which boy band? | JLS |
The city of Lewiston is the furthest inland seaport on the west coast of America. In which state is it located? | Idaho |
In which war did the 1777 battle of Brandywine take place? | US War of Independence |
Which fortified wine can be 'fino' or 'Oloroso'? | Sherry |
Who wrote 1955 folk song 'Where Have All The Flowers Gone'? | Pete Seeger |
Discovered by Robert Broom and John T. Robinson on April 18, 1947, what is the popular nickname for the most complete skull of an Australopithecus Africanus ever found in South Africa? | Mrs Ples |
The Second Boer War occurred between which two years? | 1899-1902 |
Meaning 'place of gold', which province, containing Johannesburg and Pretoria, was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994? | Gauteng |
In which city did Mahatma Gandhi work as a lawyer in from 1903 to 1914? | Johannesburg |
Which English architect is remembered as the dominant force in South African architecture for two decades, and a major designer of some of New Delhi's most notable government structures? The Union Buildings in Pretoria and Delhi's Parliament are his. | Herbert Baker |
What is the Afrikaans and Dutch word (also used in South African English) for an enclosure for cattle or other livestock, located within an African settlement or village roughly circular in form? | Kraal |
The 2003 Cricket World Cup final was held at which stadium in Johannesburg? | Wanderers Stadium |
Which quarterback led the Giants to victory in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI, defeating the New England Patriots in both games, and named Most Valuable Player in each Super Bowl? | Eli Manning |
In which country is the Cullinan Diamond mine, where several of the biggest ever diamonds have been found? | South Africa |
Who was the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1919 to 1924 and again from 1939 to 1948? | Jan Smuts |
What type of bird is the kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) is a bird endemic to New Zealand? | Pigeon |
Bob's Peak rises directly behind which town in New Zealand, nicknamed "Screamstown", as it is the adventure capital of the country? | Queenstown |
The largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, and the main town in the Waitaki District, which place is known as "The Whitestone City"? | Oamaru |
"Faces In The Water" and "Owls Do Cry" were works by which New Zealand author, born Nene Janet Paterson Clutha? | Janet Frame |
Which English scholar, clergy, poet and teacher from York, Northumbria became a leading scholar and teacher at the Carolingian court, where he remained a figure in the 780s and '90s and was made Abbot of Tours in 796? | Alcuin of York |
Complete the title of Mark Twain's novel: "A Connecticut Yankee In..."? | King Arthur's Court |
Who wrote "Corridors of Power", the ninth novel in a series? | CP Snow (Strangers and Brothers) |
Which character leaves Edmond Dantes a fortune by giving him the location of hidden treasure in "The Count of Monte Cristo"? | Abbe Faria |
Who wrote "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady", posthumously published in 1977? | Edith Holden |
Who wrote "The Coral Island" (1858)? | RM Ballantyne |
Porfiry Petrovich is a character in which 1866 novel? | Crime and Punishment |
Who wrote "Cranford" in 1853? | Elizabeth Gaskell |
Who wrote "Cry The Beloved Country"in 1948? | Alan Paton |
How is 26-year-old former high school basketball player Harry Angstrom better known in a novel series? | Rabbit |
Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse, twin brothers, appear in which Shakespeare play? | The Comedy of Errors |
Topsy, a young slave girl from which the phrase "growed like Topsy", appears in which 1852 novel? | Uncle Tom's Cabin |
Miss Trunchbull appears in which Roald Dahl novel? | Matilda |
In Aesop's fables, who removed a thorn from a lion's paw? | Androcles |
Which character in all of Shakespeare's plays has the most lines? | Hamlet |
Which character in a Dickens novel is famous for asserting his faith that "something will turn up"? | Mr Micawber (David Copperfield) |
In which city was Monica Seles stabbed in April 1993? | Hamburg |
Which male tennis player Grand Slam singles champion became world number one, when he won the title at the 2003 US Open, defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final? It ended up being his only Grand Slam win. | Andy Roddick |
At which club did footballer Dave Mackay end his career in 1971-72? | Swindon Town |
David Lloyd, the cricketer known as 'Bumble', played semi-professionally for which football team, his hometown club? | Accrington Stanley |
What is the distance between two cricket wickets? | 22 Yards (1 chain) |
Which UK racecourse is also called Prestbury Park? | Racecourse |
What does the acronym "CTO" mean in philately? | Cancelled to Order |
Which game was devised in 1979 by Scott Abbott and Chris Haney? | Trivial Pursuit |
Who, in 1969, was the last British woman to win the Wimbledon ladies' singles title before Virginia Wade? | Ann Jones |
Which British tennis player won the 1961 Wimbledon ladies' singles title? | Angela Mortimer |
Washington DC stands on which river? | Potomac |
Which country in Latin America has a national flag that is different on both sides? | Paraguay |
What has been the flag flown by British Merchant ships since 1707? | Red Ensign |
Which US aviator was, in 1929, the first man to fly to the South Pole - he also claimed to have reached the North Pole, but this has been disputed? | Richard Byrd |
In which year did Roald Amundsen become the first man to reach the South Pole? | 1911 |
Who sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa in 1488, reaching the Indian Ocean from the Atlantic, the first European known to have done so? | Bartholomeu Dias (Bartholomew Diaz) |
Near Cap Blanc (which isn't the most northerly point) in which country is Ras ben Sakka, the most northerly point on the African mainland? | Tunisia |
On the Cap Vert peninsula of Senegal, what is the westernmost point on the continent of Africa? | Pointe des Almadies |
Warsaw and Krakow lie on which river? | Vistula |
The Paghman Gardens are a popular spot in which capital city? | Kabul |
Who wrote the novel 'Gone With The Wind' in 1936? | Margaret Mitchell |
At which battle, named for a major city and fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, did Union forces commanded by William Tecumseh Sherman overwhelm and defeat Confederate forces defending the city under John Bell Hood? | Battle of Atlanta |
Which artist, famed for her cut-paper tableaus of old Southern American life that explore racial themes, wrote 2007's "After the Deluge" about Hurricane Katrina? | Kara Walker |
The novels Meridian (1976) and The Third Life of Grange Copeland (1970) are works by which novelist, more famous for a 1982 book? | Alice Walker (The Color Purple) |
What did the 'L' stand for in the name of Wizard of Oz author L Frank Baum? | Lyman |
"Memorial to 418 Palestinian Villages Destroyed, Depopulated, and Occupied by Israel in 1948" (2001) and "Where We Come From" (2001-03) are works by which Palestinian artist, born in Bethlehem in 1972? | Emily Jacir |
Described as the "grandmother of performance art", which Belgrade born woman rose to fame in the 1970s with performances called 'Rhythms' where she leapt into flames, or allowed the audience to inflict pain or pleasure on her as they saw fit? | Marina Abramović |
Which modern US artist's works include "Drawing Restraint", "The Cremaster Cycle" and "River of Fundament"? | Matthew Barney |
By what name is the Venezuelan electronic producer, songwriter, mixing engineer and DJ Alejandro Ghersi better known? His first three albums all received critical praise. | Arca |
In which city was Harry Houdini born? | Budapest |
To within 5 either way, how many chemical elements were known when Dmitri Mendeleev devised the periodic table? | 62 |
Which English physicist, contributed to physics by justifying from physical laws the chemical concept of the atomic number - he was shot and killed during the Battle of Gallipoli on 10 August 1915? | Henry Moseley |
Chemical elements that exist in two or more different forms, in the same physical state, are known by what name, from the Greek for 'other matter'? | Allotrope |
Who discovered hydrogen in 1766? | Henry Cavendish |
The Haber-Bosch process is used to manufacture what commercially? | Ammonia |
What name is given to the process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from aerial parts, such as leaves, stems and flowers? | Transpiration |
Which chemical elements is used in the cooling of superconducting magnets in MRI scanners? | Helium |
Which American human-rated expendable rocket used by NASA between 1967 and 1973, was developed to support the Apollo program for human exploration of the Moon and was later used to launch Skylab, the first American space station? | Saturn V |
What is the lightest metal of all, and the least dense solid element? | Lithium |
Successfully isolated in 1828 by Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin which element, a rare, silvery-white metal, is toxic to humans and causes inflammation of the lungs - early makers of fluorescent lamps suffered from it? | Beryllium |
By what name was the film star Tula Elsie Finklea is better known? | Cyd Charisse |
What nickname, still used in the name of a dessert, was given to the original Dutch settlers of New York? | Knickerbockers |
Which Briton was European Footballer of the Year in 1978? | Kevin Keegan |
Who is the youngest of the Bennet sisters in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice? | Lydia |
Who was UK Chancellor of the Exchequer from March 1974 until May 1979? | Denis Healey |
How is Leslie Heseltine (born 12 October 1953) better known in the world of UK entertainment? | Les Dennis |
George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln and who else appear on Mount Rushmore? | Thomas Jefferson |
Which brewery started producing 8.5% 'Skullsplitter' ale in 2001? | Orkney |
What was kept in the Ark of the Covenant? | Tablets of Ten Commandments |
Barsac wine comes from which country? | France |
Which entertainer was born Anthony Fitzgerald, 25 April 1943, in Conisborough, Yorkshire? | Tony Christie |
What name is given to a smaller and simpler rectangular form of the harpsichord having only one string per note? It was popular in Europe during the late Renaissance and early baroque period and is first mentioned in the 1460 "Tractatus de musica"? | Virginal |
How was the Fiat Ritmo (1978-88) car model rebadged for English-speaking markets - it was advertised as being "hand built by robots"? | Fiat Strada |
Which company used the slogan "Think Different" from 1997 to 2002? | Apple |
What is the usual collective term for a group of goldfinches? | A charm |
Which animals are known by the collective noun of an "unkindness"? | Ravens |
Which company manufactured the 'Rascal' minivan from 1986 to 1993? | Bedford or Vauxhall (it was badged as Bedford first, then later as a Vauxhall) |
In which sport did Benjamin Spock win a Gold Medal at the 1924 Paris Olympics? | Rowing (men's eights) |
Reigning from just 1908 until the abolition of his country's monarchy in 1910, who then lived in London until his 1932 death? | Manuel II of Portugal |
What name is given to a piece of furniture traditionally used to collect items such as clothing and household linen, by unmarried young women in anticipation of married life? | Hope Chest (accept glory box, or dowry chest) |