4th October–The Questions

just noticed how badly these came out – apologies to anyone who saw the original post

All questions set by the Ox  Fford

Current Affairs

Geography

Science (and Nature)

Arts and Entertainment

Latin Phrases We All Know (I Think)

Sport

History

The 4th of October…

Current  Affairs

1. Former  Prime  Minister  David  Cameron  has  resigned  as  a

Member  of  Parliament,  triggering  a  by-election  in  which constituency?

Witney

2. The  Boundary  Commission  has  revealed  plans  to  radically

change  constituency  boundaries  across  Britain  to  reduce

the  number  of  M.P.s  by  how  many?

50  (Reducing  from  650  to 600)

3. Which  team  recently  brought  Great  Britain's  defence  of

Tennis's  Davis  Cup  to  an  end?

Argentina

4. Which  mobile  puzzle  game  recently  unveiled  its  2000th

level?

Candy  Crush  Saga

5. Who  was  the  winner  of  the  2016  Mercury  Music  Prize  with

the  album  Konnichiwa    (Pronounced  Con-Knee-Chee-Wa)?

Skepta

6. England  manager  Sam  Allardyce  has  left  after  just  67  days.

He  leaves  with  a  100%  record  however,  boasting  a  win against  which  country? 

Slovakia

7. The  13th  of  September  2016  saw  many  events  around  the

UK  celebrating  100  years  since  the  birth  of  which  famous author?

Roald  Dahl

8, Which  Canadian  telecommunication  company  recently

announced  that  it  is  to  stop  making  mobile  phone  handsets?

BlackBerry

S1. At  the  2016  Rio  Paralympics,  who  became  the  first  Briton  to

win  titles  in  two  sports  at  the  same  Games  since  Seoul  in

1988?

Kadeena  Cox  (Running and  Cycling) 

S2. How  has  former  Butlin's  Redcoat  Ted  McDermott,  who  was

diagnosed  with  dementia  in  2013,  helped  raise  over £125,000  for  the  Alzheimer's  Society? 

Singing  in  his  son's  car

(From  royalties  from  the

videos  -  he  also  now  has  a

record  deal)

Geography

1. Which  river  flows  through  the  city  of  Belgrade?

Danube

2. Of  which  European  country  was  Angola  a  former  colony?

Portugal

3. Which  country  administers  the  Aleutian  Islands?

USA

4. In  April  2012,  officials  announced  that  a  cathedral  built  of

cardboard  would  be  erected  in  which  Southern  Hemisphere 

city  to  temporarily  replace  the  one  damaged  by  the  2011 earthquake?

Christchurch

5. Croatia  has  a  long  coastline  on  which  sea?

Adriatic

6. The  ten  highest  major  summits  of  the  United  States  are  all

located  in  which  state?

Alaska

7. The  Thar  Desert  straddles  the  border  of  two  countries. Name  either

India  or  Pakistan  (Mostly situated  in  India)

8. Which  major  city  stands  on  the  Manzanares  River?

Madrid

S1. The  Malagasy  are  the  inhabitants  of  which  country?

Madagascar

S2. Which  country  almost  completely  surrounds  The  Gambia? 

Senegal

Science  (and  Nature)

1. Who  was  the  co-founder  of  Apple  with  Steve  Jobs?

Steve  Wozniak

2. Which  plant  was  named  after  a  goddess  of  the  rainbow?

Iris

3. Which  of  the  senses  relies  upon  the  olfactory  nerves?

Smell

4. Rutherfords  and  Bequerels  are  units  of  what?

Radioactive  decay  (Accept Radioactivity)

5. What  is  the  name  given  to  a  quadrilateral  with  all  four  sides

of  equal  length,  but  where  the  interior  angles  are  NOT  right

angles?

Rhombus

6. What  is  the  radioactive  form  of  carbon  used  in  dating

objects?

Carbon-14

7. What  is  a  pneumonectomy  the  surgical  removal  of?

Lung

8. What  was  the  surname  of  the  Austrian  physicist  whose

name  is  used  as  a  measurement  of  air  speed?

Mach  (Ernst  Mach  to  give him  his  full  name)

S1. What  would  you  use  a  Steelyard  for?

Weighing  things  (It  is  a form  of  weighing  machine

with  movable  weights) 

S2. Psittacosis  is  a  disease  contracted  from  what  type  of

creatures?

Parrots  or  Parakeets

(Accept  Birds) 

Art  and  Entertainment

1. Henry  Fielding  is  most  famous  for  writing  which  novel  with

the  same  name  as  a  famous  singer?

Tom  Jones

2. In  George  Orwell's  '1984,'  which  ministry  is  responsible  for

censorship?

Ministry  of  Truth

3. In  which  village  does  Rupert  Bear  live?

Nutwood

4. In  which  town  do  the  cartoon  characters  'The  Flintstones'

live?

Bedrock

5. Maggie  Smith  won  the  best  actress  Oscar  for  her  role  in which  1969  movie?

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

6. Which  1991  film  has  the  last  line  “I  do  wish  we  could  chat

longer,  but  I'm  having  an  old  friend  for  dinner.  Bye.”

The  Silence  of  the  Lambs

7. Which  superhero's  enemies  tend  to  have  animal

nicknames,  such  as  'The  Rhino',  'The  Scorpion'  and  'Dr. Octopus'?

Spider-Man

8. What  is  the  name  of  Sherlock  Holmes'  older  brother?

Mycroft  Holmes

S1. For  which  book  did  Salman  Rushdie  win  the  Booker  Prize  in

1981?

Midnight's  Children

S2. What  is  the  surname  of  Richmal  Crompton's  hero  William?

Brown

Latin  Phrases  We  All  Know  (I  Think)

1. Per  Ardua  ad  Astra    (through  hardships  to  the  stars)  is  the

motto  of  which  organisation? 

RAF

2. Ars  Gratia  Artis    (art  for  art’s  sake)  is  the  motto  of  which

organisation?

MGM

3. What  does  the  Latin  phrase  modus  operandi  mean?

Method  of  operation  or working

4. What  is  the  meaning  of  the  1951  film  title  Quo  Vadis  ?

Where  are  you  going? (From  the  Bible  where Peter  says  to  Jesus  on  the 

Appian  Way,  "Quo  vadis, domine?  =  Where  are you  going,  Master”

5. Which  3  word  Latin  phrase  means  literally  “in  blazing

crime”    and  means  being  caught  in  the  act  of  doing something?

In  Flagrante  Delicto

6. Which  Latin  phrase  means  literally  “for  the  rate”  –  that  is,

proportionally?

Pro  Rata

7. Who  first  spoke  the  famous  phrase  “Veni,  Vidi,  Vici”  –  “I

came,  I  saw,  I  conquered”?

Julius  Caesar  (celebrating victory  at  the  Battle  of  Zela, 47BC)

8. The  poet  Horace  first  wrote  the  line  “dulce  et  decorum  est

pro  patria  mori”  (sweet  and  honourable  it  is  to  die  for

one’s  country).  Which  poet  later  used  this  phrase  as  the  title of  one  of  his  works?

Wilfred  Owen

S1.   Volens  Nolens    is  the  latin  version  of  which  common

english  expression?

Willy-Nilly

S2. Which  TV  quiz  programme  had  as  its  unofficial  slogan

“ludus  non  nisi  sanguineus”  –  “its  only  a  bloody  game”

Mastermind

Sport

1. Who  was  the  last  man  to  win  the  Men's  Olympic  100  metre

title  prior  to  Usain  Bolt?  This  person  finished  second  to  Bolt  in  the  2016  event.

Justin  Gatlin

2. Which  team  were  Manchester  United  playing  when  Eric

Cantona  was  sent  off  for  his  "kung  fu"  style  kick  at  a spectator?

Crystal  Palace

3. Which  Russian  retained  his  world  chess  championship 

crown  in  October  1984?

Gary  Kasparov

4. Which  boxer  was  famous  for  wearing  a  monocle  (though  not

in  the  ring)?

Chris  Eubank

5. Len  Ganley  died  in  2011  at  the  age  of  68,  he  was  best-

known  for  his  role  in  which  sport?

Snooker  (He  was  a referee)

6. Who  was  the  winner  of  six  French  Open  singles  titles

between  1974  and  1981?

Bjorn  Borg

7. With  which  field  event  in  athletics  would  you  associate  Jan

Zelezny?

Javelin

8. Which  English  county  cricket  side  did  Alec  Stewart  play  for?  

Surrey

S1. The  Cartwright  rules  were  an  early  form  of  the  rules  of

which  sport  or  game?

Baseball

S2. In  February  2006,  Annika  Sorenstam  was  declared  the  first

ever  world  ranked  number  one  woman  in  which  sport?

Golf

History

1. Which  fortification  was  constructed  along  the  Franco-

German  border  between  the  two  World  Wars? 

Maginot  Line

2. The  former  custom  of  'Suttee'  involving  the  voluntary

cremation  of  a  widow  on  her  husband's  funeral  pyre  was associated  with  which  religion? 

Hinduism

3. Which  famous  Holy  City  was  sacked  by  Roman  soldiers  in

70  A.D.?

Jerusalem

4. What  is  the  name  of  the  defensive  earthwork  constructed

along  the  Welsh  border  by  an  eighth-century  King  of Mercia?

Offa's  Dyke

5. Traditionally,  in  which  month  is  presidential  inauguration  day

after  every  presidential  election  in  the  U.S.?

January

6. Francesco  Schettino  was  sentenced  to  16  years  in  prison  in

2015  for  the  manslaughter  of  the  32  people  who  died  during 

the  2012  grounding  of  which  ship?

Costa  Concordia

7. Which  of  King  Henry  VIII's  warships  sank  in  1545,  but  was

raised  from  the  seabed  in  the  1980s?

Mary  Rose

8. What  was  the  surname  of  the  British  Prime  Minister

immediately  before  Winston  Churchill's  first  term  as  Prime Minister?

Chamberlain

S1. Which  Spanish  explorer  founded  Buenos  Aires  in  1536?

Pedro  de  Mendoza

S2. Which  country  was  joined  to  England  as  a  result  of  the  Act

of  Union  1707?

Scotland

The  4th  of  October...

The  answers  to  all  these  questions  relate  to  people  who

were  born,  or  who  died,  on  the  4th  of  October…

1. Born  4  October  1626,  became  Lord  Protector  of  Gt  Britain,

after  his  father  in  1658,  succeeded  by  the  “Rump

Parliament”,  and  had  the  nickname  “Tumbledown  Dick”.

Richard  Cromwell Died  1659 

2. Born  4  October  1895.  Real  name  was  Frank.  Became

known  as  “The  Great  Stone  Face”  and  was  renowned  for

performing  his  own  stunts  in  the  silent  film  era.  Went  on  to

be  a  celebrated  movie  director.  Died  1966

Buster  Keaton

3. Died  4  October  1669.  Last  names  were  Harmenszoon  van

Rijn.  A  key  figure  in  the  Dutch  Golden  Age  of  Painting.  One   

of  his  most  famous  works  was  “The  Night  Watch

Rembrandt

4. Died  4  October  1970.  Considered  the  premier  female  blues

vocalist  of  the  sixties.  Appeared  at  Monterey  and

Woodstock  festivals.  Among  her  hits  was  “Mercedes  Benz”.

Janis  Joplin Died  aged  27

5. Born  4  October  1931.  Born  in  South  Africa,  but  played

cricket  for  England.  Became  the  figurehead  for  the  fight

against  apartheid  in  South  African  cricket  in  the  1960s.  Died 2011.

Basil  D’Oliveira

6. Born  4  October  1947.  Conservative  MP  from  1987-2010.

Has  become  perhaps  even  more  famous  for  her  varied  TV

performances  including  “Strictly  Come  Dancing”

Anne  Widdecombe

7. Died  4  October  1989.  A  member  of  the  Monty  Python  team.

Trained  as  a  doctor.  Openly  homosexual  and  a  strong supporter  of  gay  rights.

Graham  Chapman

8. Died  4  October  2010.  Actor,  comedian  and  singer

songwriter.  Incredibly  popular  in  Albania.  Knighted  in  2000.

Norman  Wisdom

S1. Born  4  October  1923.  Appeared  in  over  100  films  over  60

years.  Won  Oscar  for  Best  Actor  in  El  Cid  (1961)  and  Planet  of  the  Apes  (1968). 

Charlton  Heston Died  2008

S2. Born  4  October  1946.  Nominated  for  Best  Actress  Oscar  5

times  (including  for  Thelma  and  Louise)  before  winning  for Dead  Man  Walking  in  1995.

Susan  Sarandon

 

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

1. Which programming language, developed by James Gosling at

Sun Microsystems and released in 1995, shares its name with an Indonesian island?

Java

2. What do the letters S & P stand for in the New York-based

financial corporation that issues credit ratings for national

governments?

Standard & Poor

3. Which Lancashire team in Football League One plays home

matches at Highbury?

Fleetwood Town

4. Born in Strasbourg in 1761, Marie Grosholtz’s first sculpture

was of the French novelist Voltaire. By what name is she better known today?

Madame Tussaud

5. The MOBO Music Awards were held for the first time in 1996.

What does the B stand for in MOBO?

Black (Music of Black

Origin)

6. The Beano and The Dandy comics were both founded and first

published in which Scottish city?

Dundee

6. The Beano and The Dandy comics were both founded and first

published in which Scottish city?

Dundee

7. Which comedy duo are the stars of the Channel 4 series Peep

Show?

David Mitchell and Robert Webb

8. In 69 AD the Roman Empire was ruled by the Emperor Galba,

followed by Otho, Vitellius and ending with Vespasian. What

name is usually given to this tumultuous year?

Year of the 4 Emperors

9. Which current UK national newspaper was launched in 1903

by Alfred Harmsworth as a newspaper for women and run by

women?

Daily Mirror

10. Born in 1967 in London, who became Apple Computers head

of industrial design, overseeing the development of the iMac,iPod, PowerBook G4 and iPhone?

Sir Jonathan Ive

11. Which Scottish author, born in 1954, the writer of The Crow

Road and The Wasp Factory, died in 2013?

Ian Banks

12. Which British cyclist, born in Kenya, finished second in both

the 2012 Tour de France and 2011 Vuelta D’Espana before winning the 2013 Tour de France?

Chris Froome

13. Which English king who reigned 1199-1216, was twice

married, both wives named Isabella, the first Countess of

Gloucester and the second Countess of Angouleme?

John

14. Who designed Coventry Cathedral, the British Pavilion at Expo

67 in Montreal and the extension of the New Zealand Parliament building, nicknamed the Beehive?

Basil Spence

15. Which UK fast-food chain took its name from a burger-loving

character from the Popeye cartoons?

Wimpy

16. Between 1929 and 1933, what surname was shared by both

the President of the USA and the head of the FBI?

Hoover

17. Who was awarded the Best Actor Oscar in 2011, the first in a

silent role since 1929?

Jean Dujardin

18. Sufferers of coeliac disease are intolerant to what protein?

Gluten

19. In the USA which time zone lies between Central Standard and Pacific Standard?

Mountain Standard

20. Fracking is said to be a composite formed from two words,

name either of them.

Hydraulic fracturing

21. Who is the MP for Buckingham and Speaker of the House of

Commons?

John Bercow

22. Prince George of Cambridge, born 22nd July 2013, has two

forenames other than George. Give either.

Alexander Louis

23. How many number squares are there on a Sudoku grid?

81

24. Which 1985 Steven Spielberg film, based on a novel by Alice

Walker, was nominated for 11 Oscars and won none?

The Colour Purple

25. Which Sky Sports presenter replaced Des O’Connor and

preceded Nick Hewer as presenter of Channel 4’s Countdown?

Jeff Stelling

26. Which Russian lake near St Petersburg is the largest in

Europe?

Ladoga

27. Who wrote All Quiet On The Western Front based on his

experience in the German army in World War I?

Eric Maria Remarque

28. What is the surname of singer/songwriter Adele?

Adkins

29. Miso soup originated in which country?

Japan

30. Which famous chemist was guillotined during the reign of

terror in 1794?

Antoine Lavoisier

31. Which actress in the news recently had a double mastectomy

in 2013 to reduce her risk of breast cancer?

Angelina Jolie

32. Which is the only Commonwealth country to have both Pacific

and Atlantic coastlines?

Canada

33. On what day of the year is Star Wars Day?

May the 4th (be with you…)

34. Which novelist, real name Jim Grant, writes the Jack Reacher

novels?

Lee Child

35. Which EU member country has the most UNESCO World

Heritage Sites?

Italy

36. What seasonal product, now current, has categories called:

Inside, Garden, Display and Professional?

Fireworks

37. The Last Battle, The Horse and His Boy, The Silver Chair and

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader are part of a series of books

published between 1950 and 1956 under what collective name?

The Chronicles of Narnia

38. Which actress born in Melbourne, Australia won the Best

Actress Oscar presented in 2014 for her role in the film Blue

Jasmine ?

Cate Blanchett

39. David Lloyd George was born in which northern English city?

Manchester (Chorlton-on- Medlock to be precise,accept this also)

40. What is the name of the air base in Berkshire where

demonstrations against the siting of Cruise missiles took place in the 1980’s?

Greenham Common

41. Which country imposed plain packaging laws on cigarettes in

2012, the first in the world to do so?

Australia

42. Ultimo is a brand founded by Michelle Mone in Glasgow and

specialises in the production and sale of what everyday items?

Women’s bras

43. Who directed the films, The Kings Speech and Les Miserables ?

Tom Hooper

44. In the current Government, who holds the post of Secretary of

State for exiting the European Union?

David Davis

45. In 2012 Prince Andrew abseiled for charity down which London

building, the tallest in the UK?

The Shard

46. What is the name of the feminist band whose members were

imprisoned for blasphemy in Moscow’s St Saviour’s church?

Pussy Riot

47. Daft Punk, who hit number 1 in the UK charts with Get Lucky

are from which country?

France

48. In which US city is the ‘The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion’ concert

hall, the venue for a prestigious annual awards ceremony?

Los Angeles

49. Released in 1982, which record is the world’s biggest selling

album?

Michael Jackson’s Thriller

50. LS Lowry was born in 1887 in Stretford, give either of his two

first names.

Laurence Stephen

51. ‘Gentleman! You can’t fight in here! This is the War Room’ is a

line in which 1964 Stanley Kubrick film?

Dr Strangelove

52. In the human body, what are the erythrocytes?

Red blood cells

53. The high school in the TV series Glee is set in which high

school, named after a US President?

McKinley High

54. David Patrick Griffin, born in Buxton, and educated at

Manchester Grammar School, worked at the BBC from 1968

until 1993 under what name?

Dave Lee Travis

55. In computing, how many bits make a byte?

8

56. Which organisation is responsible for UK Driving Tests?

Driving Standards Agency

57. King John, Prince Arthur, elder brother of Henry VIII and

Stanley Baldwin are all buried in which cathedral?

Worcester

58. Robin Williams won his only Oscar as Best Supporting Actor

for his performance in which 1997 movie?

Good Will Hunting

59. Gatekeeper, meadow brown, common blue and small

tortoiseshell are all varieties of which creature found in UK?

Butterfly

60. A couple celebrating their crystal wedding anniversary have

been married for how many years?

15 (Don’t accept “too many"!)

61. Gabarone is the capital city of which country in the Southern

Africa?

Botswana

62. Characters Charlie Allnut and Rosie Sayer appeared in which

classic 1951 movie?

The African Queen (played by Humphrey Bogart and

Katherine Hepburn)

63. Which Manchester born musician wrote an autobiography

called “Autobiography,” somewhat controversially first

published by Penguin Classics in 2013?

Morrissey

64. If you took an anti-emetic drug, what condition would you be

trying to cure?

Nausea / Sickness /Vomiting (Accept anything

along these lines)

65. Give one of the first names of English novelist G K

Chesterton?

Gilbert Keith

66. Which Indian company owns Jaguar Land Rover?

Tata

67. The original centre of the city of Berlin was built on the banks

of which river?

Spree

68. Which band’s early albums included Murmur, Reckoning and

Document?

R.E.M.

69. What is the name of the wife of Chis Huhne who was

sentenced to 6 months imprisonment for taking his penaltypoints for speeding?

Vicky Pryce

70. Which king was the youngest to succeed to the English throne

at the age of 9 months, and two months later also succeeded

to the French throne?

Henry VI

71. Jorge Mario Bergoglio born in Buenos Aires in 1936 is now

better known by what name?

Pope Francis

72. What toy takes its name from a Danish phrase meaning "Play

Well"?

Lego

73. Which English city has given its name to a 19th century

religious movement, a car model and types of shoes, trousers and wool cloth?

Oxford

74. Which songwriter was married to Angie Dickinson and Carole

Bayer-Sagar?

Burt Bacharach

75. Which English composer, born in Cheltenham, taught at St

Pauls Girls School, Hammersmith from 1905 until his death in

1934?

Gustav Holst

76. The Battle of Aboukir Bay, which took place in 1798, is also

known by what other name?

Battle of the Nile

77. Which English City’s cathedral and castle were declared a

World Heritage Site in 1986?

Durham

78. In which Dickens novel does the eponymous character visit the

USA?

Martin Chuzzlewit

79. The name of what European Early Modern Humans is derived

from a rock shelter in the Dordogne region of south western France, where the first specimens were found?

Cro-Magnon

80. Which ancient Egyptian symbol means the key of life and is

also called the key of the Nile?

Ankh

81. Which Italian university founded in 1088 is regarded as the

oldest academic institution in the world?

Bologna

82. The Arab Spring started with a series of protests against

government corruption in which country in December 2011?

Tunisia

83. Which rugby league team plays home matches at Halliwell

Jones Stadium, and a statue of the Rugby League’s record try

scorer, Brian Bevan may be seen on a road junction in the

town?

Warrington Wolves

84. In 2009 at the age of 92 who became the oldest living artist to

have a number 1 album in UK?

Vera Lynn

85. William Ramsay discovered which group of elements in the

periodic table between 1894 and 1903?

Noble gases

86. In which field did Ford Maddox Brown (1821 – 1893) achieve

fame?

Painting

87. What is the singular of “Opera”?

Opus

88. Named after a fictional creature appearing in Douglas Adams’

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, what is the name of

Yahoo!’s web-based machine translation application?

Babel Fish

89. Which Paul Simon album originally featured the track “You can

call me Al”?

Graceland

90. Which strong tasting, soft cheese made in the Vosges

Mountains of France shares its name with an Irish province?

Munster

91. How many chromosomes should a human being possess?

46 (23 pairs)

92. In EDF the utility company, what does the F stand for?

France ( Électricité de France)

93. Which Paris fashion designer introduced the “sack look”, also

known as the “H-Line”, in 1954?

Christian Dior

94. Who threw herself in front of the King’s horse Anmer at the

1913 Epsom Derby.

Emily Davison

95. Which Australian state borders all the other mainland states?

South Australia

96. Which philosopher born in Geneva wrote “Man is born free and

everywhere he is in chains?”

Jean Jacques Rousseau

S1. If you were born on Burns Night, what Star Sign would you be?

Aquarius (Burns Night is the 25th of January)

S2. What was the name of the nightclub featured in the film

Cabaret?

Kit Kat Club

S3. What is defined in Physics as the distance travelled divided by

the time taken to travel that distance?

Speed

S4. Which pleasure craft was sunk by the Bowbelle on the River

Thames in 1989?

The Marchioness

S5. Which Roman Emperor succeeded Claudius in 54AD?

Nero

S6. Whose scientific law states that the extension produced in a

spring is proportional to the force applied?

Hooke’s law (Robert Hooke,

1635 – 1703)