Round 1: History – Countries and colonies
In each case you will be given the name of a current country and the date on which it achieved independence. All that's required is the name of the respective colonial power prior to the date given. For example:
Republic of Ireland – 1916
1 Angola – 1975
2 Guyana – 1966
3 Laos – 1953
4 Iceland – 1918
5 Philippines – 1946
6 Rwanda – 1962
7 Finland – 1917
8 Suriname – 1975
9 Bangladesh – 1971
10 Namibia – 1990
11 Equatorial Guinea – 1968
Round 2: Politically Correct (hopefully!)
All the questions are related to politics, and all the answers are as correct as anything can be in the world of politics.
1 Which politician with forenames Jeremy John Durham died on 22nd December 2018 aged 77?
2 Pride and Perjury is the title of which former conservative politician's autobiography?
3 In a speech in the USA in 1946, what did Winston Churchill say stretched from Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic?
The Iron Curtain
4 What nationality is current Secretary–General of the United Nations António Guterres?
5 The Beehive is the common name for the executive wing at the parliament buildings of which country?
6 What's the minimum age to become President of the USA?
7 Which veteran Tory MP (for Wokingham) and John Major's rival for the Tory party leadership in 1995, was knighted in the New Year's Honours list?
8 What parliamentary position is currently held by Sarah Clarke?
9 What title is shared by Robert A Caro's biography of Lyndon Johnson and the memoir by Margaret Thatcher of her early life?
10 Who was UK Prime Minister when women first got the vote in the UK?
David Lloyd George
11 Which US government location is officially known as the Naval Support Facility, Thurmont?
1 David Beckham was one of the two footballers to be named BBC sports personality of the year in the first decade of this century (2000–9). Who was the other?
2 Both the captain and vice–captain of the Australian test cricket team were given 12–month bans in 2018, after admitting ball–tampering during the Aussies' tour of South Africa. The captain was Steve Smith – who was the vice–captain?
3 The half marathon known as the Great North Run starts in Newcastle. In which town does it finish?
4 Swinley Bottom is part of which UK horse racecourse?
5 Who won the Open Golf Championship last year (2018)?
6 Harry Kane took the Golden Boot award in last years (2018) football World Cup. How many goals did he score?
7 What was Alastair Cook's score in his final test innings before retirement last September against India, which is a significant total in an unrelated sport or game?
8 Who was the last female winner of the BBC sports personality of the year award?
Zara Phillips (2006)
9 Whitchurch High School in Cardiff has three former pupils that reached the highest levels in sport. Sam Warburton and Geraint Thomas are two; who is the third?
10 The Rungrado 1st of May stadium, reportedly the largest stadium in the world, is in which country?
Round 4: Science
All questions concern inventors, inventions, or discoveries.
1 Who invented the first commercially successful incandescent light bulb?
2 What was the first name of Mr Tesla of electrical engineering etc. fame
3 René Laennec is credited with inventing which medical instrument?
The stethoscope
4 Which English chemist discovered (or isolated) and named Barium, Calcium, Strontium, and Magnesium in the early 19th century?
Sir Humphry Davy
5 What was the first name of Mr Mendeleev developer of the periodic table?
6 Along with Pierre and Marie Curie, who in 1903 was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for work in the field of radioactivity?
7 Which Russian–American is credited with inventing the modern helicopter?
Igor Sikorsky
8 Which company first produced Aspirin in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
9 Which 16th / 17th century Scottish mathematician is best remembered for his development of logarithms?
10 Which Hungarian–born physicist was awarded the Nobel prize for physics in 1971 for his invention and development of holography?
Round 5: Second Best
All questions refer to something, someone or somewhere coming second.
1 After China (2980 members), which country has the second largest national legislative assembly?
The UK (1443 – 650 in the commons, 793 in the lords)
2 Slightly larger than Rhode Island, which US state is second smallest?
3 Who, after Roger Bannister, was the second man to break the four–minute mile barrier?
John Landy (Australia)
4 Who, after Yuri Gargarin, was the second person to travel in space?
Alan Shepard
5 Who, as of 24th March 2019, is Deputy Leader of the Labour Party?
6 After Wembley (90,000), which stadium with a capacity of 82,000 is the UK's second largest stadium?
7 The river Nile is Africa's longest river. Which is its next longest?
The Congo
8 Jacqui Smith was the first female UK Home Secretary. Who was the next female to hold the post?
9 Who was the second president of the USA?
10 Which European capital city was the second city in the world, after London, to have an underground railway system?
11 Fifty Shades of Grey is the title of the first novel in the Fifty Shades trilogy. What's the title of the second instalment?
1 Orkney and Shetland lie in which shipping forecast sea area?
2 The shipping forecast sea area known as Finisterre prior to 2002 is now known by what name?
3 Which US state capital lies furthest west?
4 What's the largest Australian city that is NOT a state or territorial capital?
5 Which Australian state or territorial capital is named after the river on which it stands?
6 Nowadays a World Heritage site, what did Dr. Johnson say "was worth seeing, but not worth going to see"?
The Giant's Causeway
7 In Scottish names such as Strathclyde, what does the prefix Strath indicate?
A valley
8 Which New Zealand city is named after the ancient name for Edinburgh?
9 Which US state has the longest coastline?
Alaska (6,640 miles)
10 Tucson is a city in which US state?
11 What is South Africa's largest city?
Round 7: Pub–lic Knowledge
Each answer contains all or part of the name of a pub in the Macclesfield area. There may be slight variations in spelling in some cases.
1 The title characters of which E Nesbit novel share the surname Waterbury?
The Railway Children	(the Railway View)
2 Which stadium was the home ground of Wimbledon football club from 1912 until 1991?
Plough Lane
3 Which river flows through the Yorkshire towns of Tadcaster and Wetherby?
The Wharfe
4 What was the trade of Nick Bottom in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer	Night's Dream?
5 Which recurring character in the Shrek films is voiced by Antonio Banderas?
6 What's the nickname of Burton Albion football club, reflecting a major industry in the town?
The Brewers
7 Who was described by Lady Caroline Lamb as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know"?
8 Who played bass guitar in the original line–up of Pink Floyd and in this century toured The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall as a solo artist?
Roger Waters (Waters Green Tavern)
9 According to the nursery rhyme, who was killed by a bow and arrow wielded by a sparrow?
Cock Robin
10 What's the English translation of the title given to the heir apparent of the French throne, most recently held by Louis Antoine between 1824 and 1830?
Dolphin (Dauphin in the original French)
11 The Bodleian Library and Ashmolean museum can be found in which English city?
Round 8: Arts & Entertainment
1 Which current musical is based on the life and doings of one of the Founding Fathers, and the first Secretary of the Treasury, of the USA?
Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
2 Perhaps best known for her role as Mo Harris in TV's EastEnders, Laila Morse is the sister of which award–winning actor?
3 Who played the title role in the 1998 film version of Dr. Dolittle?
4 Who directed the 2012 film Django Unchained?
5 Which musical was the last collaboration between Rodgers and Hammerstein?
6 Which former US Vice President was awarded the 2006 Oscar for Best Documentary for his film An Inconvenient Truth?
8 The Blue Boy is the title of an 18th century oil painting by which artist?
9 Who played the title role in Mike Leigh's biopic Mr Turner a 2014 film about the later years of the artist?
Timothy Spall
10 Who composed the music score for many so–called "spaghetti westerns" including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars, Once Upon a Time in the West etc.?
1 Which town or city stands at the northern end of the Suez Canal?
2 Which English premier league football club is nicknamed The Cherries?
3 Cassiterite is the main ore of which metal?
4 The phrase "the dreaded lurgy" originated in what 1950's radio show?
The Goons
5 Who is the current (as of 24th March 2019) Mayor of London?
6 What's the most abundant element in the universe?
7 Which darts player is nicknamed Jackpot?
Adrian Lewis
8 Who is the current Father of the House in the House of Commons?
9 According to the rhyme that begins "Monday's child", what fate befalls Saturday's child in the most common modern version?
Works hard for a living
10 There are just two horse racing courses in the UK that begin with M. Market Rasen is one, what's the other?
11 In what context did the Wild Boars football team visit Old Trafford (Man Utd) in October last year?
Members of the Thai boys' team that were trapped underground
12 The Galapagos Islands belong to which country?
13 According to the UK Official Charts, what was the Beatles' first UK No. 1 single?
14 The leader of which major country is due to abdicate on 30th April 2019?
Japan (Emperor Akihito)
15 What's the only Asian country through which the Equator passes?
16 Lincoln (Nebraska) is one of the four US state capitals named after US presidents. Name any one of the other three.
Madison (Wisconsin), Jackson (Mississippi), or	Jefferson City (Missouri)
17 What species of bird did Florence Nightingale keep as a pet named Athena, which she carried about with her in her pocket?
18 Which punk singer and guitarist, best known as lead vocalist of the Buzzcocks, died in December 2018?
19 Who was voted in February 2019 to be the UK's representative in this year's Eurovision Song Contest, singing Bigger Than Us?
Michael Rice
20 Played by Brenda Blethyn in the TV series Vera, what is Vera's surname?
21 What type of rock gets its name from the Latin for fire?
Igneous
22 Much of its work top secret, what's the name of the Ministry of Defence's science and technology laboratory on Salisbury Plain?
Porton Down
23 "Your mother has a smooth forehead" is considered to be an insult in what fictional language?
24 Oscitation is the medical name for what natural reflex?
25 The Vizsla is a breed of dog from which country?
26 What bird, well known to many, is the state bird of New Mexico?
The roadrunner (accept Chaparral Cock)
27 How many Earth days does it take Mercury to orbit the sun?
88 (accept 80 to 96)
28 The Shard, the UK's tallest building, was designed by which architect?
29 Kempton Park is one of the two UK horse racing courses that begin with K. What's the other?
30 Which country has won the FIFA Women's World Cup most times?
USA (three times)
31 Which world leader is the honorary president of the International Judo Federation?
32 Which flower is the national flower of India?
33 Used in high performance racing tyres and bulletproof vests, what substance was developed by Stephanie Kwolek at Du Pont in 1965?
34 Which river is the world's longest river totally within one country?
The Yangtze
35 Eleanor of Castile was the first wife of which English king?
36 Which holiday organisation are the current sponsors of West Indies cricket?
37 Which augmented reality mobile game, first released in summer 2016, was developed by Niantic Labs?
38 According to Dr. Johnson, what is "the last refuge of a scoundrel"?
39 Lord Derby, Beauty of Bath, and James Grieve are all varieties of what?
40 Dunlop, Limburger, and Jarlsberg are all varieties of what?
41 In American football, in which state do the Green Bay Packers play their home games?
42 A Gurdwara is a place of worship in which faith?
43 "Not apt to disclose secrets" is the motto of which organisation?
44 Paraguas is the Spanish word for what everyday object?
45 David Shilling is a popular designer of what fashion item?
46 In which range of hills does the River Thames rise?
47 Bollitore is the Italian word for what household object?
48 What event at the 2012 London Olympics took place at Lord's Cricket ground?
49 The ONS is a UK government agency. What does the letter S stand for?
Statistics (Office for National Statistics)
50 Nowadays a popular food brand name, what was the food of the gods in ancient Greece?
51 Costa Rica is one of the two countries in Central America that have a two–word name – what's the other?
52 Reaching No. 2 on the UK singles chart, which band recorded Vindaloo for the 1998 FIFA World Cup?
Fat Les
53 Under what name did Mark Hoyle record the 2018 Christmas No. 1 single We Built This City (On Sausage Rolls)?
LadBaby
54 How many sides does a tetradecagon have?
55 Who is missing from the following list? Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Mike Gapes, Gavin Shuker, Ann Coffey.
Chuka Umunna (members of the Independent Group who defected from the Labour and Conservative Parties recently)
56 Of which UK political party did Adam Price become leader in September 2018?
57 Stefani Germanotta is the actual name of which singer?
58 What number does England cricketer Joe Root display on his shirt in One–Day Internationals?
66 (from 'Route 66')
59 In World War II who or what were code named Little Boy and Fat Man?
Atomic bombs (dropped on Japan – Little Boy on Hiroshima, Fat Man on Nagasaki)
60 According to the old rhyme Solomon Grundy was born on Monday – what happened to him on Thursday?
He took ill
61 How many characters are allowed in a tweet, for all languages except Chinese, Japanese and Korean?
280 (increased from 140 in November 2017)
62 Sharing its name with a village in the Macclesfield area, where in Virginia does the CIA have its headquarters?
63 Sharing his surname with that of a village in the Macclesfield area, which chef presented the TV series Proper Pub Food?
64 Calvin Cordozar Broadus is the actual name of which rapper?
65 What links the following: a laboratory vessel in which the contents are heated to a very high temperature; a play by Arthur Miller; professional snooker?
66 To which section of an orchestra does the Glockenspiel belong?
67 What title is given to the head of state in Luxembourg?
Grand Duke
68 What's the maximum number of clubs that a professional golfer may have in his bag?
69 The subject of one of TV's funniest sketches, which multi–talented musician died on 28th February 2019 aged 89?
André Previn ("Mr. Preview" to Morecambe & Wise)
70 In years, how long is a French Presidential term?
Five (reduced from seven in 2002)
71 Played by Herbert Lom, what's the name of Clouseau's boss in The Pink Panther films?
Chief Inspector Dreyfus
72 Who composed the music for The Pink Panther films?
73 What name is given to a female hedgehog?
74 Famous for her Book of Household Management, what was Mrs Beeton's first name?
75 Mrs. Brown is the alter ego of which Irish comedian, actor, writer and producer?
Brendan O'Carroll
76 What name is given to a male salmon?
77 The Fields Medal is awarded for expertise in what subject?
78 ATOL is a scheme to protect package holidaymakers etc. What does the L stand for?
License (Air Travel Organisers' License)
79 On what area of the moon's surface did Apollo 11 land in 1969 to set the first man on the moon?
The Sea of Tranquility
80 What was the name of the third member of the crew of Apollo 11, who didn't set foot on the moon?
81 The Tate Gallery has four galleries or museums that operate under its name. Two are in London, one in Liverpool, and one in which UK town?
St. Ives (Cornwall)
82 The Uffizi gallery in Florence is one of the most famous galleries in the world. What's the literal translation of the name Uffizi?
83 Which member of the Kardashian family was named earlier this month (March 2019) as the world's youngest self–made billionaire? (Full name	required.)
84 Earlier this month (March 2019), which American company, founded by Elon Musk, became the first private company to autonomously dock a spacecraft with the International Space Station?
SpaceX (accept Space Exploration Technologies Corp.)
85 What age was William Pitt the Younger when he became the UK's youngest Prime Minister in 1783?
86 Easter Island, famous for its huge statues, belongs to which country?
87 Clive Everton is a veteran TV commentator on which sport?
88 The only UK Prime Minister to have been born outside of the British Isles, who immediately followed David Lloyd George as Prime Minister of the	UK?
Andrew Bonar Law
89 Which British racing driver now competes in Formula 3, despite having both legs amputated after a crash in a Formula 4 race at Donnington Park in 2017?
Billy Monger
90 In which US city does the McDonalds corporation have its headquarters?
Chicago (Illinois)
91 Elton John's song Philadelphia Freedom was written as a favour to which tennis player?
92 Who were the songwriters of the Kenny Rogers / Dolly Parton hit Islands in the Stream?
The Bee Gees (accept any one of the Gibb brothers)
93 In which US city does the Coca–Cola corporation have its headquarters?
Atlanta (Georgia)
94 Which specific sporting distinction, previously achieved by Pierluigi Collina, Sandor Puhl, and Gottfried Dienst, did Nestor Pitana achieve in summer 2018?
Refereed the FIFA World Cup Final
95 In what year was daylight saving first adopted in the UK?
1916 (accept 1914 to 1918)
96 Which veteran actor and presenter has hosted the Radio 4 panel game show Just a Minute for over forty years?
Nicholas Parsons
1 What colour will UK passports be after Brexit?
2 In terms of passengers, Hartsfield–Jackson is the world's busiest international airport. Which US city does it serve?
3 In 1947, Chuck Yeager became the first person to do what?
Break the sound barrier
4 Arlene Foster is the leader of which UK political party?
DUP (Democratic Unionist Party)
5 Bamako is the capital city of which African country?
6 The Three Choirs music festival takes place in three cathedrals. Gloucester and Worcester are two of them; what's the third?
7 Name either of the two countries separated by the Torres Strait.
Australia or Papua New Guinea
8 Which British TV drama series, which was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2019, is based on a series of novellas entitled Codename Villanelle?