April 13, 2012
1 With which sport would you principally associate Jonjo O’Neill, who was born in County Cork on this day in 1952?
2 Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt, who was born in Brechin on this day in 1892, invented which system for detecting the presence, direction, distance, and speed of aircraft, ships, and other objects, by sending out pulses of high-frequency electromagnetic waves that are reflected off the object back to the source?
3 What was the name Ugandan head of state who fled to Libya when Ugandan nationalist and Tanzanian troops reached Kampala on this day in 1979?
4 John Dryden was appointed to which royal office on this day in 1668?
5 What was significant about the Oscar awarded to Sidney Poitier on this day in 1964 for his role in the film Lilies of the Field?
6 Which golfer became the (then) youngest ever winner of the US Masters Tournament on this day in 1980 and who became the youngest golfer to win the Masters Tournament on this day in 1997?
7 Luton Town’s Joe Payne set a goal scoring record on this day in 1936, when he scored how many goals in one match against Bristol Rovers: (a) nine (b) 10 or (c) 11?
8 By what name was the cattle rustler and bank robber, born in Beaver, Utah on this day in 1866, and originally named George Leroy Parker, better known?
9 What was the name the penal settlement on a rocky islet off the Atlantic coast of French Guiana, where the French army officer unjustly condemned for treason, Alfred Dreyfus, arrived on this day in 1895?
10 With maverick MP, who was born in London on this day in 1928, published three volumes of his political and personal diaries between 1993 and 2002? They caused a minor scandal by their candid descriptions of senior Conservative politicians such as Michael Heseltine, Douglas Hurd and Kenneth Clarke.
11 King Henry IV of France issued the Edict of Nantes, allowing freedom of religion to the Huguenots, on this day in which century?
12 Born in Streatham on this day in 1951, which actor became the fifth Dr Who in 1981?
13 What name was given to the parliament summoned by Charles I of England, the first to be summoned for 11 years, since 1629, on this day in 1640? It lasted only 32 days, until May 5.
14 Which European country signed an agreement with China on this day in 1987 agreeing to return the island of Macao to them in 1999?
15 Which British ‘no-nonsense’ industrialist, who was president of the National Coal Board (NCB) from 1983 to 1986, died aged 85 on this day in 1998?
16 In which spoof television spy series did actor Don Adams, who was born in New York on this day in 1923, play the part of the bumbling, incompetent Agent 86 of CONTROL, an international agency with headquarters in a music hall waging war against an evil organisation known as KAOS?
17 Lawrence Klausman was the real name of which actor who died on this day in 1975, who played the title character in the 1946 film The Jolson Story?
18 What (three-word) title was given to various British novelists and playwrights who emerged in the 1950s and expressed scorn and disaffection with the established socio-political order of their country, which included John Osbourne, Alan Sillitoe, Arnold Wesker and novelist John Braine, who was born in Bradford on this day in 1922?
19 What was the nickname of Sir Arthur Travers Harris, the British air officer who initiated and directed the ‘saturation bombing’ that the RAF inflicted on Germany during World War II, who was born in Cheltenham on this day in 1892?
20 What is the name of the city in northern Punjab state in north-western India, where British troops fired on a crowd of unarmed Indian protesters, killing an estimated 379 and wounding about 1,200, on this day in 1919? It left a permanent scar on Indo-British relations and was the prelude to Mahatma Gandhi's Non-cooperation Movement of 1920-22.
21 Engineer Richard Trevithick, who was born in Cornwall on this day in 1771, developed the first practical what in 1803?
22 What was the middle name of store founder Frank W Woolworth, who was born in Rodman, New York, on this day in 1852?
23 Which absurdist play by author Samuel Beckett, who was born in Dublin on this day in 1906, features the characters Vladimir and Estragon?
24 Which singer, born in South Carolina on this day in 1951, has had British top 10 hit singles duetting with Roberta Flack (Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You), Celine Dion (Beauty and the Beast)?
25 Name any political post held (between 1992 and 2004) by Labour MP Stephen Byers, who was born in Wolverhampton on this day in 1953?
FRIDAY FACTS: On this day in 2029, the asteroid 2004 MN4 will pass within 65,000 kilometres (40,389 miles) of Earth
2 Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt, who was born in Brechin on this day in 1892, invented which system for detecting the presence, direction, distance, and speed of aircraft, ships, and other objects, by sending out pulses of high-frequency electromagnetic waves that are reflected off the object back to the source?
3 What was the name Ugandan head of state who fled to Libya when Ugandan nationalist and Tanzanian troops reached Kampala on this day in 1979?
4 John Dryden was appointed to which royal office on this day in 1668?
5 What was significant about the Oscar awarded to Sidney Poitier on this day in 1964 for his role in the film Lilies of the Field?
6 Which golfer became the (then) youngest ever winner of the US Masters Tournament on this day in 1980 and who became the youngest golfer to win the Masters Tournament on this day in 1997?
7 Luton Town’s Joe Payne set a goal scoring record on this day in 1936, when he scored how many goals in one match against Bristol Rovers: (a) nine (b) 10 or (c) 11?
8 By what name was the cattle rustler and bank robber, born in Beaver, Utah on this day in 1866, and originally named George Leroy Parker, better known?
9 What was the name the penal settlement on a rocky islet off the Atlantic coast of French Guiana, where the French army officer unjustly condemned for treason, Alfred Dreyfus, arrived on this day in 1895?
10 With maverick MP, who was born in London on this day in 1928, published three volumes of his political and personal diaries between 1993 and 2002? They caused a minor scandal by their candid descriptions of senior Conservative politicians such as Michael Heseltine, Douglas Hurd and Kenneth Clarke.
11 King Henry IV of France issued the Edict of Nantes, allowing freedom of religion to the Huguenots, on this day in which century?
12 Born in Streatham on this day in 1951, which actor became the fifth Dr Who in 1981?
13 What name was given to the parliament summoned by Charles I of England, the first to be summoned for 11 years, since 1629, on this day in 1640? It lasted only 32 days, until May 5.
14 Which European country signed an agreement with China on this day in 1987 agreeing to return the island of Macao to them in 1999?
15 Which British ‘no-nonsense’ industrialist, who was president of the National Coal Board (NCB) from 1983 to 1986, died aged 85 on this day in 1998?
16 In which spoof television spy series did actor Don Adams, who was born in New York on this day in 1923, play the part of the bumbling, incompetent Agent 86 of CONTROL, an international agency with headquarters in a music hall waging war against an evil organisation known as KAOS?
17 Lawrence Klausman was the real name of which actor who died on this day in 1975, who played the title character in the 1946 film The Jolson Story?
18 What (three-word) title was given to various British novelists and playwrights who emerged in the 1950s and expressed scorn and disaffection with the established socio-political order of their country, which included John Osbourne, Alan Sillitoe, Arnold Wesker and novelist John Braine, who was born in Bradford on this day in 1922?
19 What was the nickname of Sir Arthur Travers Harris, the British air officer who initiated and directed the ‘saturation bombing’ that the RAF inflicted on Germany during World War II, who was born in Cheltenham on this day in 1892?
20 What is the name of the city in northern Punjab state in north-western India, where British troops fired on a crowd of unarmed Indian protesters, killing an estimated 379 and wounding about 1,200, on this day in 1919? It left a permanent scar on Indo-British relations and was the prelude to Mahatma Gandhi's Non-cooperation Movement of 1920-22.
21 Engineer Richard Trevithick, who was born in Cornwall on this day in 1771, developed the first practical what in 1803?
22 What was the middle name of store founder Frank W Woolworth, who was born in Rodman, New York, on this day in 1852?
23 Which absurdist play by author Samuel Beckett, who was born in Dublin on this day in 1906, features the characters Vladimir and Estragon?
24 Which singer, born in South Carolina on this day in 1951, has had British top 10 hit singles duetting with Roberta Flack (Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You), Celine Dion (Beauty and the Beast)?
25 Name any political post held (between 1992 and 2004) by Labour MP Stephen Byers, who was born in Wolverhampton on this day in 1953?
FRIDAY FACTS: On this day in 2029, the asteroid 2004 MN4 will pass within 65,000 kilometres (40,389 miles) of Earth