1 |
Who was beaten by Jannick Sinner in the final of the Australian Open Tennis in 2024? |
|
Daniil Medvedev |
2 |
What is the capital of Suriname? |
|
Paramaribo |
3 |
Which was the first US state to be ratified as a member of the Union? |
|
Delaware (7 December 1787 – one of the first 13 to assume statehood
in 1786) |
4 |
Aphrodite was born from the foaming sea after whose testicles were thrown in by his son, Cronus? |
|
Uranus (you can't have a quiz without ... ) |
5 |
Athlete Eric Liddell was born in which country? |
|
China (not Scotland!) |
6 |
Who was the last Briton to win golf's Open Championship (i.e. the British Open)? |
|
Rory McIlroy (in 2014) |
7 |
Who, in 1983, replaced Michael Foot as Leader of the Labour Party in the UK? |
|
Neil Kinnock |
8 |
Architect Charles–Edouard Jeanneret, a.k.a. Le Corbusier, was born in which European country? |
|
Switzerland |
9 |
DI Jack Frost was the lead character in a series of books written by which English author and radio dramatist? |
|
R. D. Wingfield |
10 |
Which Tudor queen was played by Miranda Richardson in Blackadder II? |
|
Elizabeth I |
11 |
Which artist fled Rome in 1606 after committing murder? |
|
Caravaggio |
12 |
According to a saying often attributed to Picasso: "Good artists copy, great artists ..." do what? |
|
Steal |
13 |
Scripted by Kazuo Ishiguro, the 2005 Merchant Ivory film The White Countess is set in which Chinese city? |
|
Shanghai |
14 |
Which US author wrote the screenplay for When Harry Met Sally? |
|
Nora Ephron |
15 |
Which fictional pig is the best friend of Suzy Sheep? |
|
Peppa Pig |
16 |
Which Star Trek actor embarked on a music career in 1968 with the debut LP, The Transformed Man? |
|
William Shatner |
17 |
Grizedale Forest is an area of woodland in which national park? |
|
The Lake District |
18 |
Which sultanate was established in 1250 with the overthrow of the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt? |
|
The Mamluk sultanate |
19 |
Hosea Chapter 8, Verse 7 features the statement: "For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the..." what? |
|
Whirlwind |
20 |
Which Dutch dancer, who was executed in 1917, was given the code name H21 by the Germans? |
|
Mata Hari |
21 |
US film–maker Joel Coen is married to which multi–award–winning US actress? |
|
Frances McDormand |
22 |
In which decade were the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts (The Proms) founded? |
|
1890s (no leeway!) |
23 |
To what post was Rob Polkinghorne appointed in December 2023? |
|
CEO of Cheshire East Council |
24 |
The Venice Cup is a biennial world championship for women, in which activity? |
|
Bridge (the card game) |
25 |
In which Puccini opera does the character Mimi appear? |
|
La Bohéme |
26 |
Which football club did Harry Redknapp manage in his first managerial role between 1983–1992? |
|
AFC Bournemouth |
27 |
Who wrote the children's book Gangsta Granny? |
|
David Walliams |
28 |
What was the female name of the hurricane that devastated New Orleans in September 2005? |
|
Katrina |
29 |
Which organs of the body are affected by Bright's disease? |
|
Kidneys |
30 |
Which record label was formed in 1983 by the NME journalist Paul Morley, the producer Trevor Horn, and his wife Jill
Sinclair? |
|
ZTT Records |
31 |
Which great soprano was nicknamed 'La Divina'? |
|
Maria Callas |
32 |
Which ancient Persian capital provides the title of a 2003 graphic memoir by Marjane Satrapi? |
|
Persepolis |
33 |
Which Liverpudlian snooker player won his only world title in 1991, defeating Jimmy White in the final? |
|
John Parrott |
34 |
The animator Oliver Postgate was the grandson of which 1930s Labour Party leader? |
|
George Lansbury |
35 |
Which HBO comedy–drama series shares its name with a rebellion that took place in central China between 1796 and 1804? |
|
The White Lotus |
36 |
Used by the ancient Romans, giallo antico is an ornamental type of which hard stone? |
|
Marble |
37 |
In 1995, Juliette Binoche became the face of which French cosmetics house's perfume Poême? |
|
Lancôme |
38 |
Which word describes high volumes of unwanted creatures that are caught in fishing methods such as gillnetting? |
|
Bycatch |
39 |
Which Welsh market town is the world's largest centre for the sale of antiquarian and second–hand books? |
|
Hay–on–Wye |
40 |
Whose tent artwork Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 was destroyed in the 2004 Momart warehouse fire? |
|
Tracey Emin |
41 |
What is the main river in Baltimore, which flows into Chesapeake Bay |
|
The Patapsco River (who knew that before this week?) |
42 |
In Music Hall, who was known as the Prime Minister of Mirth? |
|
George Robey |
43 |
Following the 1963 Peerage Act, who was the first peer to renounce his title? |
|
Anthony Wedgewood Benn (accept Viscount Stansgate) |
44 |
Which singer, in 1915, recorded the first million selling record? |
|
Enrico Caruso |
45 |
Who did Will Smith punch at the Academy Awards ceremony in 2022? |
|
Chris Rock |
46 |
Who led the half–time musical interlude at the 2024 Superbowl (Superbowl LVIII – fifty–eight)? |
|
Usher |
47 |
There are four surviving original copies of Magna Carta. Two are in the British Library; name the location of one of the others. |
|
Lincoln Castle or Salisbury Cathedral |
48 |
What new award category is being introduced at the Academy Awards from 2026? |
|
Casting |
49 |
What plant did Gregor Mendel use as the basis for his study of genetics? |
|
Pea |
50 |
Who is the only British Prime Minister to have completed and been awarded a PhD? |
|
Gordon Brown |
51 |
Why was Azhar Ali in the news recently? |
|
He was the candidate at the recent Rochdale by–election who was
suspended by the Labour party before voting took place |
52 |
Who recently took over from Roy Hodgson as manager of Crystal Palace? |
|
Oliver Glasner |
53 |
Donald Trump has been charged with illegally pressuring officials to overturn his 2020 election loss by asking them to "just
find 11,000 votes" in which US State? |
|
Georgia |
54 |
George Galloway recently became the MP for Rochdale. Which party does he represent? |
|
The Workers Party of Great Britain (accept Workers Party) |
55 |
Vladimir Putin became Russian leader for his third six–year term of office in 2012. Who was his immediate predecessor in
that role? |
|
Dmitry Medvedev |
56 |
Who is the current Minister for Business and Trade? |
|
Kemi Badenoch |
57 |
Who is the current manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers (as of 23 March)? |
|
Gary O'Neil |
58 |
Currently, how long is the term of office for the President of France? |
|
Five years (changed from seven years following a referendum in 2002) |
59 |
Which Briton won the San Diego women's tennis championship last month? |
|
Katie Boulter |
60 |
What was the title of the Rolling Stones' first UK Number One hit, in 1964? |
|
It's All Over Now |
61 |
William Shakespeare died during the reign of which Stuart king? |
|
James I (in 1616) |
62 |
Which US president (who lived from 1743 to 1826) features on America's two–dollar bill? |
|
Thomas Jefferson |
63 |
Known for its Power Leggings, which women's activewear brand is named after a song by the Macc Lads? |
|
Sweaty Betty (founded in 1998 by Tamara and Simon Hill–Norton) |
64 |
Michael Curtiz said, "Bring on the empty horses!" while directing which 1936 film? |
|
The Charge of the Light Brigade |
65 |
Which politician, whose grandson won the 1950 Nobel prize in literature, was the last Whig prime minister? |
|
Lord John Russell, 1st Earl Russell. The Nobel laureate is Bertrand Russell |
66 |
Which English playwright was called "The great searcher of the human heart!" by Giuseppe Verdi? |
|
William Shakespeare |
67 |
Roedean School is located on the outskirts of which English city? |
|
Brighton and Hove (accept Brighton) |
68 |
What was the hottest room in an ancient Roman bath? |
|
The caldarium |
69 |
Which line delineates Australian and Southeast Asian fauna, and is named after an English naturalist who lived from 1823 to 1913? |
|
The Wallace line (named after Alfred Russel Wallace) |
70 |
England's first International Dark Sky Park opened in 2013, in which county? |
|
Northumberland |
71 |
The Crooked House pub in South Staffordshire was partially destroyed by fire and then bulldozed illegally. The name of which
brewery was displayed in big letters across its front? |
|
Banks's Ales |
72 |
Complete the title of Stanley Kubrick's 1964 film Dr. Strangelove ... |
|
Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb |
73 |
Thomas Edison reputedly said "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like ...
" what? |
|
Work |
74 |
Which 19th century engineer devised an internal combustion engine that works without using a sparking plug? |
|
Rudolph Diesel |
75 |
On which canal system in England would you pass through the Harecastle tunnel? |
|
The Trent & Mersey (at Kidsgrove) |
76 |
What was codenamed Operation Golden Orb in 2023? |
|
The coronation of King Charles III |
77 |
Which famous 19th century engineer, born in Stockport, had an accepted standard for screw threads and a major
Manchester street named after him? |
|
Joseph Whitworth |
78 |
Which Scottish island is separated from the mainland by the Sound of Sleat? |
|
Skye |
79 |
What Shadow Cabinet role is currently held by Yvette Cooper? |
|
Shadow Home Secretary |
80 |
In Pride and Prejudice, what is Mr. Darcy's first name? |
|
Fitzwilliam |
81 |
Which French chef invented Peach Melba, at the Savoy Hotel in the 1890s? |
|
Auguste Escoffier |
82 |
In Six Nations rugby, what's the minimum number of tries that a team must score to get a bonus point? |
|
Four |
83 |
Chioma Nnadi is the new head of editorial content at which British fashion magazine? |
|
Vogue |
84 |
Which arch–enemy of Flash Gordon is the evil emperor of the planet Mongo? |
|
Ming the Merciless |
85 |
What surname was taken by all ten of the illegitimate children fathered by William IV with his mistress Dorothea Jordan? |
|
FitzClarence (William IV was Prince William, Duke of Clarence) |
86 |
Which anthem by Felix Mendelssohn features the line: "O for the wings, for the wings of a dove!"? |
|
Hear My Prayer |
87 |
Livorno is the most important port city in which Italian region? |
|
Tuscany |
88 |
Which Ulster Unionist MP for South Down, from 1974 to 1987, was a Professor of Greek? |
|
Enoch Powell |
89 |
In which 1935 novel by Enid Bagnold does a 14–year–old girl win a horse named The Piebald in a raffle? |
|
National Velvet |
90 |
Richard Burridge wrote the 1992 book The Grey Horse: The True Story of … which racehorse? |
|
Desert Orchid |
91 |
What is the name of the helicopter landed on Mars by NASA in 2021? |
|
Ingenuity |
92 |
What's the common name of the bird Branta canadensis? |
|
The Canada goose |
93 |
Who wrote the Wombles books? |
|
Elisabeth Beresford |
94 |
Who became US President following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln? |
|
Andrew Johnson |
95 |
Which gas is the main constituent of the atmosphere of the planet Venus? |
|
Carbon dioxide |
96 |
At the 1924 Olympics, which athlete won the 1500 m and 5,000 m (held with only an hour between them) and the cross country run? |
|
Paavo Nurmi of Finland |
97 |
Which Disney film features the song When You Wish Upon a Star? |
|
Pinocchio |
98 |
The Laerdal Tunnel, at 24.51 kilometres the world's longest road tunnel, is in which country? |
|
Norway (on the road from Oslo to Bergen) |
99 |
An Enemy of the People is an 1882 play by which playwright? |
|
Henrik Ibsen |
100 |
The 2024 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in which country? |
|
Sweden (in Malmo) |
101 |
Which element has the lowest density of all metals? |
|
Lithium |
102 |
Who is the wife of John McEnroe, who duetted on the 1992 song Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough with Don Henley? |
|
Patti Smith |
103 |
Which Indian tennis player played an MI6 operative in the Bond film Octopussy? |
|
Vijay Amritraj |
104 |
Italy's Acerbo Law, of 1923, gave which political party a majority in the chamber of deputies? |
|
The Fascist Party (National Fascist Party, or PNF) |
105 |
Who, at number 3, was the highest–ranked woman in the BBC's 2002 list of 100 Greatest Britons? |
|
Diana, Princess of Wales |
106 |
The name of Gavin Schmidt and Adam Frank's Silurian hypothesis references a reptilian race in which BBC show? |
|
Doctor Who (the Silurians first appeared in a 1970 serial) |
107 |
Mdina Glass is made in which Mediterranean country? |
|
Malta |
108 |
Adam LeBor's 2013 book Tower of Basel is an investigative history of which bank, created in 1930? |
|
Bank for International Settlements or BIS |
109 |
Before his death in 1329, which king asked Sir James Douglas to carry his heart to the Holy Land? |
|
Robert the Bruce, however Sir James died fighting the Moors in Spain in 1330 |
110 |
Who was the first Spanish tennis player to win the Ladies' Singles title at Wimbledon? |
|
Conchita Martinez, in 1994 |
111 |
Who shared a Best Original Song Oscar with Andrew Lloyd Webber for the song You Must Love Me? |
|
Tim Rice (it features in the film Evita) |
112 |
Worleys Mendip Hills, Sheppy's Vintage Reserve and Perry's Redstreak are types of what? |
|
Cider |
113 |
The 2010 film Outland, starring Sean Connery, is set on a moon of which planet? |
|
Jupiter (the moon was Io) |
114 |
In Thomas Hardy's novels, how was Michael Henchard better known? |
|
The Mayor of Casterbridge |
115 |
What was the title of Jia Yinghua's 1992 biography of Sun Yaoting, who died in 1996? |
|
The Last Eunuch of China |
116 |
The Eye in the Door (1993) is the middle novel in which historical trilogy by Pat Barker? |
|
The Regeneration trilogy |
117 |
Mitzi Del Bra and Felicia Jollygoodfellow are drag queens in which Australian film, released in 1994? |
|
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. They are played,
respectively, by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce |
118 |
In the Harry Potter films, who replaced Richard Harris in the role of Dumbledore? |
|
Michael Gambon |
119 |
Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby features in which 1863 children's novel by Charles Kingsley? |
|
The Water–Babies |
120 |
Who wrote the 1906 narrative poem The Highwayman? |
|
Alfred Noyes |
If used, accept the correct answers only.
1 |
For whose funeral in 1806 is the Times believed to have produced its first ever illustration? |
|
Lord Nelson (not Margaret Thatcher) |
2 |
By what forename was the writer Jean Murdoch better known? |
|
Iris (not Rupert) |
3 |
Which 20th century British composer wrote the music for Peter Grimes and Albert Herring? |
|
Benjamin Britten (not Tim Minchin) |
4 |
Which German religious reformer had daughters called Margaret and Magdalena? |
|
Martin Luther (not 'the Pope') |
5 |
Which 19th century philosopher and MP, whose surname began with M, had the Christian names John Stuart? |
|
Mill (not Marx) |
6 |
The Australian newspaper abbreviated to SMH is the Sydney Morning ... what? |
|
Herald (not Harbour) |
7 |
In 2019, which nonagenarian became the oldest living US president (as last month) |
|
Jimmy Carter (not Barack Obama) |
8 |
What was the Christian name of the Italian composer Puccini, born in 1858? |
|
Giacomo (not Vivaldi) |
9 |
Which Hanoverian king of England died in 1727? |
|
George I (not Wenceslas) |