13th December–The Questions

 

The Specialist Questions have been set by The Brewers

As this is the last one before the Christmas Break, there is definitely a certain theme going through these questions, ho, ho, ho

1. History: Today's The Day

2. Now! That's what I call Christmas

3. Science and Nature

4. Sport

5. Geography

6. Arts & Entertainment - Christmas Films

7. What we wanted for Christmas

8. It's in the Bible, it must be true

TODAY'S THE DAY

The following questions all relate to events/occasions that happen(ed) on the 13th December.

1. "Dia do Marinheiro" (translated - "Sailor's Day") is celebrated on the 13th December in which South American country to commemorate their Navy?

BRAZIL

2. In which year during World War 2 did the Kingdoms of Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States on December 13th?1941

3. Which country declared itself as a republic on 13th December 1974 but has remained within the Commonwealth of Nations ever since?

MALTA

4. In which decade of the 16th Century did Sir Francis Drake set sail from Plymouth, on his round-the-world voyage on December 13th?

70's (1577)

5. On the 13th December 2002, the EU announced that 10 countries would become members from May 1st 2004.Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Malta, Hungary & Poland were 5. Name 1 of the other 5.

ESTONIA, LATVIA, LITHUNIA, SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA

6. Operation Red Dawn was an American military operation conducted on 13th December 2003 that led to capture of whom?

SADDAM HUSSEIN

7. Which American actor and comedian, who starred in the 1963 film Bye Bye Birdie and the Night at the Museum film series, was born on this date in 1925?

DICK VAN DYKE

8. Which famous English poet and lexicographer (born 1709), died on this date in 1784

SAMUEL JOHNSON

Supp I . St. Lucy's Day is a National day, celebrating their patron saint on December 13th on which Caribbean island?

SAINT LUCIA

Supp 2. Which African-American civil and human rights activist, who was born on December 13th 1903, and died on December 13th 1986, is considered "one of the most important African-American leaders of the 20th Century and perhaps the most influential woman in the Civil Rights Movement"?

ELLA BAKER

NOW! (THAT'S WHAT I CALL) CHRISTMAS

Every question relates to a band, artist(s) or song that has topped the Christmas charts since the charts began

1. "Here In My Heart" by Al Martino, became the first UK chart Christmas No. I in which year?

1952 (leeway - 2 years)

2. Whose 1993 novelty song denied Take That's hit "Babe" the Christmas No. I spot?

MR BLOBBY (Mr Blobby)

3. Who, in 1973, became the first band to reach No.I with a Christmas-themed song?

SLADE (Merry Xmas Everybody)

4. Who are the only act to have had a Christmas No. I on FOUR separate occasions?

THE BEATLES (IWant Hold Your Hand-1963;; I Feel Fine-1964;; Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out-1965;; Hello Goodbye-1967)

5. Which is the only record to have reached No.I at Christmas-time twice?

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (1975 & re-released 1991)

6. In which year did Rage Against The Machine's 1992 single "Killing In The Name" reach No.I , becoming the first group to get a Christmas number 1 with a download-only single.

2009 - following a successful Facebook campaign to prevent Joe McEldery's X-Factor winner's song from reaching top spot (leeway - 1 year)

7. Who became the first act to claim the Christmas No.I spot after winning a reality TV contest?

GIRLS ALOUD (Sound Of The Underground - 2002)

8. Which song became both Christmas No. I & No.2 in 2008?

HALLELUJAH (Alexandra Burke- I;; Jeff Buckley-2)

(2008 UK X-Factor winner, Alexandra Burke, released a cover of "Hallelujah" with the intent to top the UK Singles Chart as the Christmas No.I single. Jeff Buckley fans countered this, launching a campaign with the aim of propelling Buckley's version to the top spot. The campaign picked up support through social networking websites and it soon spread to the mainstream media. Burke's version eventually reached Christmas Number 1 in the UK charts in December 2008. Buckley's version of the song entered the UK charts at No.49 on November 30th and by December 21st it had reached No.2, in spite of the fact that it had not been released in a physical format)

Supp 1. Cliff Richard has spent four Christmasses at number one; two as a solo act, one as part of Band Aid 2 and one with which group?

(THE SHADOWS - "I Love You" in 1960)

Supp 2. In 2012, The Justice Collective released a cover of "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", as a fund-raiser for charities associated with what?

THE HILLSBOROUGH DISASTER

 

SCIENCE AND NATURE

1. Which scientist inaugurated the Christmas Lecture at The Royal Institution in 1825

MICHAEL FARADAY

2. Rangifer Taranoui is the scientific name for which animal associated with Christmas?

THE REINDEER

3. Nordestina, Pega and Paulista are breeds of which animal associated with the Christmas story

DONKEY

4. Which tree found in Britain has leaves which are 'oblong and tooted with a pointed tip, and feature around 20 pairs of prominent parallel veins'.

(SWEET) CHESTNUT

5. The main constituents of what are needle, column, plate and rime

SNOWFLAKES (ACCEPT ICE CRYSTALS)

6. Which root vegetable has varieties including Hollow Crown, All American and The Student?

PARSNIP

7. The Hellebore plant is more commonly called?

Christmas Rose

8. The Poinsettia originally comes from which country?

MEXICO

Supp 1. Salt is a mineral composed primarily of what compound? SODIUM CHLORIDE

Supp 2. French, Spanish and Coriscan are subspecies of which gamebird?

PARTRIDGE

SPORT

1. Who will Australia host in the Test Match set to start on 26th December 2016

Pakistan

2. Totalling 630 nautical miles where does the traditional Christmas yacht race from Sydney end

HOBART

3. The King George VI Chase takes place at which racecourse on Boxing Day

KEMPTON

4. Which former Football League club will Macclesfield Town play on December 26th this year

TRANMERE ROVERS

s. The Parliamentary tile of 'Chief Whip' refers to the role of the 'Whipper-in' in which sport

FOX-HUNTING

6. Christmas Day 1971, with a running time of 82 minutes and 40 seconds, saw the longest game of what completed in the United States

AMERICAN FOOTBALL

7. 1965 saw the last Christmas Day feature played in the English Football League, name either of the sides involved

BLACKPOOL, BLACKBURN ROVERS (Blackpool won 4-2)

8. Speed Skating was developed as a sport in the Seventeenth century, but in which European country

SCOTLAND (ACCEPT UK)

Supp 1. In which year did the 1st Winter Olympics take place at Chamonix in France

1924

Supp 2. Which winter sport is defined as being where 'the competitor rides head­ first and prone (lying face down) on a flat sled

SKELETON

GEOGRAPHY

l. Which main river on the Isle of Wight shares its name with an Asian city

MEDINA

2. 'Whip Ma Whop Ma Gate' is found in which English city

YORK

3. New Zealand and California are suburbs of which English city

DERBY

4. After Great Britain and the island of Ireland, which Scottish island is the third largest of the British Isles

LEWIS & HARRIS

s. Which English town is served by Mumps station

OLDHAM

6. Which capital is overlooked by the Elburz mountains

TEHRAN

7. Asmara is the capital of which African country

Eritrea

8. Arcuate, Cuspate and Bird 's Foot are types of which geographical feature

DELTA

Supp 1. Mount Redoubt is a volcanic peak found in which American state

ALASKA

Supp 2. On which island of the Phillipines is Manila

LUZON

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT - Xmas Films

1. Which film directed by Frank Capra tells the story of George Bailey

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

2. Which actor, better known for his horror film roles, provided the voice of the Grinch in the 1966 version of the story

BORIS KARLOFF

3. Which British actor played the title role in the 1951 version of Scrooge

ALIASTER SIM

4. Which Christmas film of 1988 was played out in and around the Nakatomi Plaza Building

DIE HARD

5. Jack Skellington is the main character in which Tim Burton movie

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

6. Edmund Green played Kris Kringle opposite a nine year old Natalie Wood in which 1947 film

MIRACLE ON 34rn STREET

7. In which 1942 film was the song White Christmas first performed

HOLIDAY INN

8. In which film, starring Tim Allen, do the elves cut through prison bars using tinsel

THE SANTA CLAUSE

Supp1. Who played a drunken Santa in the 1983 comedy Trading Places

DAN AYKROYD

Supp 2. Will Ferrell plays the title role in which film

ELF

WHAT WE ALL WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS

1. In which year of the 1980s did the Cabbage Patch riots take place

1983

2. Which ongoing series of films and animated tv series comes from the must have Christmas toy of 1986 about robots which could change into trucks and cars

TRANSFORMERS

3. Which bear featured a cassette tape in its back and told stories and synchronised the audio with its moving lips

TEDDY RUXPIN

4. The Nintendo Gaine Boy trounced everything else as the must have, but in which year

1989

5. This talking purple dinosaur ruled the present lists in 1992, but what was its name

BARNEY

6. These colour coded fighting heroes made the grade in 1994 through a hit tv series, but what were they called

MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS

7. These collectible stuffed animals appeared in 1995 and at one point accounted for 10% of all sales on ebay, but what were they

BEANIE BABIES

8. This Sesame Street character made parents laugh and cry in 1996, but what was the full title of this must have toy

TICKLE ME ELMO

Supp 1. Appearing from Japan these digital pets needed constant attention to stay healthy and nourished, what were they called

TAMAGOTCHI

Supp 2. In 2002 this toy let you launch spinning tops and battle each other by smashing them into each other, but what were they called

BEYBLADES

IT'S IN THE BIBLE - IT MUST BE TRUE

1. Which city did Joseph originate from

BETHLEHEM

2. What is a manger

A FEEDING TROUGH FOR ANIMALS

3. Who did Mary go to see after her visit from the angel Gabriel ELIZABETH

4. Who were the first to hear of Jesus' birth

SHEPHERDS

s. Which gift given to Jesus represented the idea of Deity FRANKINCENSE

6. Which two of the Gospels tell the story of the birth of Jesus (Both required)

MATTHEW AND LUKE

7. Which Old Testament prophet foretold the coming of Jesus and is mentioned in Matthew's Gospel

ISAIAH

8. Which Roman Emperor is mentioned at the beginning of this particular story

CAESAR AUGUSTUS

Supp 1. Who ordered the killing of all children under the age of two HEROD

Supp 2. To which country did Mary and Joseph take Jesus to escape the killing

EGYPT

 

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS

 

Set by

The Pack Horse Bowling Club

1. The world's first Ice Hotel was built in which country?

a. Sweden

2. What would you do with a rambutan?

a. Eat it, it's a fruit.

3. Off the coast of which country did the Battle of Trafalgar take place?

a. Spain

4. Where in the body would you find the pituitary gland?

a. The brain (at its base)

5. In which African country is the Nubian Dessert?

a. Sudan.

6. The opening sequence of which American TV series showed the silhouette of a falling businessman against a backdrop of posters from the 1960s?

a. Mad Men

7. The first Paralympic Games which was not open solely for war veterans was held in Rome in which year?

a. 1960

8. Where is the plaque which reads "We came in peace for all mankind."

a. The Moon

9. In cricket the fielding position Backward Point is now usually called what?

a. The Gully

10. If High Tide is at mid-day,to the nearest half hour when will the next high tide be?

a. 12.30a m (approx 12 hours 25 minutes later)

11. In the year 2000, composer Colin Matthews added "Pluto" to which famous piece of music?

a. The Planets by Gustav Holst.

12. The world's largest public beer festival is held in Munich each autumn. What is it called?

a. Oktoberfest

13. Who wrote the opera from which comes the melody commonly known as Here Comes The Bride?

a. Wagner

14. The books Out of Africa and Born Free are both set in which country?

a. Kenya

15. The Saffir-Simpson scale measures the severity of damage caused by what?

a. Hurricanes

16. Which Spanish artist designed the dream sequences in Alfred Hitchcock's film Spellbound?

a. Salvador Dali

17. The largest museum complex in the world is in Washington DC. What is it called?

a. The Smithsonian (Institution)

18. Most of the world's caviar comes from Russia and which other country?

a. Iran

19. Which character was played by Helena Bonham Carter in Tim Burton's 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland?

a. The Red Queen or The Queen of Hearts

20. In 2004, who became the first black woman to win a Best Actress Oscar?

a. Halle Berry

21. Which word for a low pressure belt of surface winds at the equator can also describe a bout of emotional depression?

a. Doldrums

22. Which British politician won the 1959 general election with the slogan "You've never had it so good"?

a. Harold Macmillan

23. What was returned to Piccadilly Circus in 1947 after being kept hidden during WW2?

a. The statue of Eros

24. The name of which percussion instrument is derived from the Greek words for wood and sound?

a. Xylophone

25. If your soil has a pH of 4,what colour are your hydrangeas likely to be?

a. Blue (acidic soil)

26. Lara's Theme was the title music from which 1965 film?

a. Doctor Zhivago

27. In which year did regular live TV broadcasts from the House of Commons begin?

a. 1989 (accept 88 to90)

28. On which river is Baghdad located?

a. The Tigris

29. The game of Polo is divided into eight periods called what?

a. Chukkas

30. Which actor was in both the Magnificent Seven and the Dirty Dozen Films?

a. Charles Bronson

31. Which monarch was the intended victim of the Gunpowder Plot?

a. James 1

32. Which rock bands 4th album was untitled save for 4 symbols?

a. Led Zeppelin

33. Which celebrity TV chef set up the Fifteen charity?

a. Jamie Oliver

34. Chert is a type of what?

a. Rock (a type of Flint)

35. Which indoor game was invented by British army officers in India in 1875?

a. Snooker

36. What would you do with an Epilator?

a. Remove unsightly hair, (by the roots!)

37. By what name is the Nepalese philosopher Prince Gautama Siddhartha better known to the world?

a. Buddha

38. Which former sprinter claimed to start running "on the B of bang"?

a. Linford Christie.

39. What is the highest score attainable with the final 3 darts in a game of 501?

a. 170 (T20, T20, Bull)

40. What is unusual about the trains on the London Docklands Light Railway?

a. They are computer operated and have no drivers.

41. What sporting event is sometimes referred to as The October Classic?

a. The Baseball World series.

42. Name either of the independent candidates who stood in the recent US Presidential election?

a. Jill Stein or Gary Johnson.

43. What is the Collins dictionary word of the year for 2016?

a. Brexit.

44. Which UKIP politician accompanied Nigel Farage when they met Donald Trump in November?

a. Raheem Kassam.

45. Which famous 17th century event was said to have taken place at Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire.

a. Isaac Newton observing the apple dropping from the tree.

46. Often referred to as the most influential scientist you've never heard of, name the British physicist whose 1928 equation predicted the existence of anti­ matter.

a. Paul Dirac.

47. The character Robert Langdon has been played by Tom Hanks on 3 occasions; he is the main protagonist of novels by which author?

a. Dan Brown.

48. In the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes" what type of animal is Hobbes?

a, A Tiger.

49. What is the name of Prince Harry's new girlfriend, (who looks uncannily like a composite of Kate and Pippa Middleton.)?

a. Meghan Markle.

50. Which South American mammal is the world's largest rodent?

a. The Capybara.

51. What is the name of Whitney Houston's older and equally famous cousin?

a. Dionne Warwick.

52. The start of the 2005 Grand National was delayed by 25 minutes because of which event?

a. The marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.

53. For what purpose is an Aldis lamp used?

a. Signalling morse code optically at sea.

54. Which bacillus infection causes Typhoid fever?

a. Salmonella Typhi

55. Which river enters the ocean at Montevideo?

a. The River Plate

56. What type of fuel is used in jet engines?

a. Paraffin (Jet Al)

57. In which TV show did Matt Lucas play George Dawes?

a. Shooting Stars.

58. What is parsimony?

a. Meaness

59. . Which strip cartoon began life as Li'I Folks?

a. Peanuts.

60. Which "space-rock" band led by Dave Brock celebrated 45 years in the business in 2014.

a. Hawkwind.

61. Australian cricketer Shane Warne played for which county between 2000 and 2007?

a, Hampshire.

62. What collective nickname, relating to their hair,was given to young RAF officers during WW2?

a. The Brylcreem Boys.

63. Which Anglo-Saxon King of England was canonised in the 12th century and remains the patron saint of the Royal Family?

a. Edward the Confessor

64. The river Rhone meets the river Saone in which French city?

a. Lyon

65. Which small, quiet war time aircraft was used to land & pickup agents in France?

a. The Westland Lysander.

66. Which was the first sport to be covered live on radio in 1927?

a. Rugby Union.

67. Who was the only British monarch of the house of Saxe-Coburg Gotha ?

a. EdwardVII

68. The Drakensberg Mountains are in 2 countries, name either?

a. South Africa or Lesotho.

69. 4 C's are used to grade diamonds. Colour, Clarity and Carat are 3, what is the 4th?

a. Cut.

70. Which London area based tourist attraction has a large Red Pagoda in its extensive grounds?

a. Kew Gardens.

71. Which English town has an area famous for antique dealers called The Lanes?

a. Brighton.

72. Which hallmark symbol is used only by the London Assay Office?

a. The Leopard's Head

73. Which flowering plant is carved on the capitals (tops) of Corinthian columns?

a. Acanthus.

74. Italy was united under which king in 1870?

a. Victor Emmanuel.

75. What in the human body is regulated by circadian rhythms?

a. The sleeping/waking cycle, the body clock.

76. Which US president is portrayed on a one dollar bill?

a. George Washington.

77. Who won the 2016 "I'm a celebrity get me out of here"?

a. Scarlette Moffatt

78. Which annual event was first held in Islington in1886, moved to Olympia, then Earls Court and is now held at the NEC Birmingham?

a. Crufts dog show.

79. Which state ceremony in London marks the Queen's official birthday?

a. The trooping of the Colour.

80. In which year did the Queen and President Mitterrand open the Channel Tunnel?

a. 1994

81. The Grand Union Canal connects London to which other English city?

a. Birmingham.

82. Othello and Falstaff were late-period operas by which composer?

a. Giuseppe Verdi.

83 In which craft is a "Gob" collected on a metal tube known as a "Punty"?

a. Glass-blowing.

84. Which social reformer is commemorated by the statue of Eros in London's Piccadilly Circus?

a. Lord Shaftesbury.

85. In which African country did the Hutu and Tutsi tribes fight a civil war in the 1990's?

a. Rwanda

86. Which lake forms part of the border between Germany, Austria and Switzerland?

a. Lake Constance.

87. Which historica l figure was played by Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett in 1998 and Helen Mirren in 2005?

a. Queen Elizabeth I.

88. What do 00, HO and N have in common?

a. They are model railway gauges.

89. Which Bohemian prince commanded the royalist cavalry in the English civil war?

a. Prince Rupert of the Rhine.

90. Who sued the Marques of Queensbury for libel in 1895, but lost the action at great cost to himself?

a. Oscar Wilde.

91. What instrument has Mick Jagger played on several Rolling Stone recordings?

a. The Harmonica (mouth organ, gob iron etc)

92. Which bird makes the nests used in the Chinese dish Birds Nest Soup?

a. The swift.

93. Which gas is produced by the action of ultraviolet radiation on Oxygen?

a. Ozone.

94. Who, in children's fiction, had a special friend called Peter the goatherd?

a. Heidi.

95. What was Paul O'Grady's stage name for his one-time female impersonation character?

a. Lily Savage.

96. In which country were the Carnatic Wars fought in the 18th century?

a. India (fought between the French and British East India companies among others.)

Supl. Which royal dynasty ruled England from 1154 to 1485?

a. The Plantagenet's.

Sup2. Which electrical device in a car is located between the coil and the spark plugs?

a. The distributer.

Sup3. How was singer Tony Bennett officially associated with the 2001 Kentucky Derby?

a. As its official artist. (he is a talented painter)

Sup4/ Which scientist discovered vaccination and used cowpox injections to cure smallpox?

a. Edward Jenner.