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Questions Galore!

A selection of questions for quizzes from famous media and other sources.



Quiz Questions any British citizen should be able to answer

  1. For approximately how many years did the Romans stay in Britain?
    (a)400, (b)800, (c)50, or (d)150
  2. What is the official report of Parliament's Proceedings called?
  3. Deirdre Barlow, the fictional character from Coronation Street, was married how many times?
  4. What were the names of the two main groups in Parliament in the early 18th century?
  5. How many years did the Hundred Years War with France actually last?
    (a)100, (b)116, (c)99, or (d)103




  6. The Grand National horse race is held in which city?
  7. In 2012, at her jubilee, how many years on the throne did Queen Elizabeth II celebrate?
  8. True or False. Hadrian's Wall lies entirely within England?
  9. How many members does a jury have in England and Wales?
  10. In which English county would you find Stonehenge?
  11. In which year did civil war begin between the King Charles I and Parliament?
  12. Which British Prime Minister oversaw the introduction of the National Health Service?

Answers:

  1. Almost 400 years (AD 43-410)
  2. Hansard
  3. 4 times (Ray Langton (1975), Ken Barlow (1981, 2005), Samir Rachid (1994))
  4. Whigs and Tories
  5. 116 years
  6. Liverpool
  7. 60
  8. True
  9. 12
  10. Wiltshire
  11. 1642
  12. Clement Attlee



Mastermind contestant lands lowest ever score

Spare a thought for Kajen Thuraaisingham. He entered the record books for posting the lowest ever score on BBC quiz show Mastermind. The following quiz questions are his general knowledge round in which he scored one (he got question 10 correct). Can you do better?

  1. Which insects got their name from the ancient superstition that they crawl into the ears of sleeping people?
  2. One of the taglines of which 2001 blockbuster film was "December 7th 1941, it was a Sunday morning?
  3. In Greek mythology what did Prometheus steal from the gods? He was punished for this by being chained to a rock where an eagle ate his constantly replenished liver?
  4. Pierre is the capital of which American state?
  5. What do people suffering from trichotillomania have a compulsion to do?
  6. The American ambassador's London residence Winfield House was sold to the United States for $1 by which chain store heiress?
  7. The "Heroic" in a Flat Major Opus 53 is one of 16 of Chopin's works in the form of which dance?
  8. In women's gymnastics, the uneven bars on which swinging routines are performed are also known by what name?
  9. Whose 1770 poem The Deserted Village describes the appalling effects of the enclosure acts on the rural poor?
  10. Ursus Maritimus is the scientific name for which bear?
  11. Le Maillon Faible is the French television version of which British quiz show?
  12. The Halle Orchestra is based in which venue in Manchester?
  13. A device capable of storing electricity consisting of conducting plates separated by a layer of insulating material is given what name?
  14. Which Warwickshire town granted its royal prefix by Queen Victoria in 1838 claims to be the home of England's first lawn tennis club?
  15. What word can mean a joint of pork, to pawn, or a German white wine?

Answers:

  1. Earwig
  2. Pearl Harbour
  3. A spark of fire
  4. South Dakota
  5. Pull out their hair
  6. Barbara Hutton
  7. Polonaise
  8. Asymetric Bars
  9. Oliver Goldsmith
  10. The Polar Bear
  11. The Weakest Link
  12. Bridgewater Hall
  13. Capacitor
  14. Leamington Spa
  15. Hock

Easy but Hard Quiz Questions

A recent national survey revealed which quiz questions leave quizzers up and down the country most baffled. Here are those seamingly easy questions.

  1. Who is the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (in 2013)?
  2. The Canary Islands were named after which animal?
  3. In Dallas, who shot JR Ewing?
  4. Who scored for England in the 1966 World Cup final?
  5. How many countries make up Great Britain?
  6. Which man-made landmark can be seen from space?
  7. What car did Rodney and Delboy drive in Only Fools and Horses?
  8. Name the world’s largest desert?
  9. What is Paul McCartney’s middle name?
  10. Who holds the UK record for the most amount of Christmas number ones?

Answers:

  1. Harriet Harman
  2. Dogs
  3. Kristin Shepherd
  4. Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters
  5. Three
  6. None
  7. Reliant Regal Supervan
  8. Antarctica
  9. Paul
  10. The Beatles (with 4)

Million pound jackpot quiz questions

Can you answer the questions that Judith Keppel answered on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' to win £1 million in 2000?

  1. (£500): Which of these fruits shares its name with something superior or desirable?
    A. Apricot B. Grapefruit C. Plum D. Mango
  2. (£1,000): In which sport do two teams pull at opposite ends of a rope?
    A. Tug of War B. Basketball C. Ice Hockey D. Polo
  3. (£2,000): Where would a cowboy normally put his chaps?
    A. On his head B. On his arms C. On his legs D. On his hands
  4. (£4,000): Which of these zodiac signs is not represented by an animal that grows horns?
    A. Taurus B. Capricorn C. Aquarius D. Aries
  5. (£8,000): Sherpas and Gurkhas are native to which country?
    A. Russia B. Ecuador C. Nepal D. Morocco
  6. (£16,000): Prime Minister Tony Blair was born in which country?
    A. England B. Northern Ireland C. Scotland D. Wales
  7. (£32,000): Whose autobiography has the title, "A Long Walk to Freedom"?
    A. Ranulph Fiennes B. Mother Teresa C. Nelson Mandela D. Mikhail Gorbachev
  8. (£64,000): Duffel coats are named after a town in which country?
    A. Belgium B. Holland C. Germany D. Austria
  9. (£125,000): Complete this stage instruction in Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale", "Exit, pursued by a..."?
    A. Tiger B. Clown C. Bear D. Dog
  10. (£250,000): The young of which creature is known as a "squab"?
    A. Salmon B. Horse C. Pigeon D. Octopus
  11. (£500,000): Who is the patron saint of Spain?
    A. Saint James B. Saint John C. Saint Benedict D. Saint Peter
  12. (£1 MILLION): Which king was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine?
    A. Henry I B. Henry II C. Richard I D. Henry V

Answers:

  1. (£500): Plum
  2. (£1,000): Tug of War
  3. (£2,000): On his legs
  4. (£4,000): Aquarius
  5. (£8,000): Nepal
  6. (£16,000): Scotland
  7. (£32,000): Nelson Mandela
  8. (£64,000): Belgium
  9. (£125,000): Bear




  10. (£250,000): Pigeon
  11. (£500,000): Saint James
  12. (£1 MILLION): Henry II