The Madhouse Update

MAIN QUIZ

1) On this day in 337, which Roman Emperor, who had practiced Christianity since his youth and sparked its growth into a world religion, became, on his deathbed, the first Roman emperor to be baptised into the Christian church? Constantine the Great

2) With a series of big hits in the 1960s such as Only the Lonely, In Dreams and Blue Bayou, who was the Big O? Roy Orbison.

3) Which Fine Gael politician is currently the Irish Taoiseach? Simon Harris

4) Which of these is heaviest? A cubic foot of silver? (655 lb) A cubic foot of iron? (491 lb) A cubic foot of copper? (559 lb) SILVER

5) Give a year in the life of the artist, Sir Peter Paul Rubens, (1577 - 1640)

6) Which of these English counties extends furthest to the east? Hampshire, Durham, Oxfordshire, Derbyshire? - Hampshire

7) What colour is the 100 Euro banknote? Green

8) She was born Erika Mitchell in 1963 - How is this authoress better known to her fans? E.L. James

9) A new 'seven wonders of the world' list was compiled in 2007. Name two of the new wonders - Great Wall of China, Chichén Itzá, a Mayan city on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, the ancient city of Petra, Jordan, Machu Picchu, Peru, The statue of Christ the Redeemer, in Rio; the Colosseum in Rome, the Taj Mahal in India.

10) Which of these American Presidents died in office? Warren Harding, James Polk, Zachary Taylor, Benjamin Harrison

11) Which is the largest gland in the human body? The liver

12) Which actor links Del Griffith, a character in 1987 film; Buck Russell, a character in a 1989 film; and Gus Polinski, 'the Polka King of the Midwest, in a 1990 film? (Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Home Alone) - John Candy

13) Bianca Censori is married to which singer-songwriter and record producer? Ye - Kanye West

14) Until 2012, which piece of classical music by Rimsky Korsakov, had to be played in order to hold the Guinness World Record for fastest guitarist and violinist? "Flight of the Bumblebee" 

15) Which tennis player did Andy Murray beat in the 2013 Wimbledon men's singles final? Novak Djokovic - 1987

16) Belfast City Airport is named after whom? George Best - 1946

17) How is American criminal, Ted Kaczynski, more commonly known. What is his more famous preudonym? Unabomber

18) Who won his only best actor Oscar in 1949, for his performance in the film, 'Hamlet?' Laurence Olivier - 1907

19) Which author created the character, Sherlock Holmes? Arthur Conan Doyle - 1859

20) Which day of the year links the answers to questions 15 to 19 inclusive? All born on 22 May

LINKS

1) The second American president - John Adams

2) Which British boxer won the 2012 super-heavyweight gold medal at the London Olympics? In his last professional contest he knocked out the mixed martial artist, Francis Ngannou, in 2 rounds. Anthony Joshua 

3) An American poet, he wrote the 800-page epic, The Cantos and was indicted for treason after WW2. He subsequently spent over 12 years in a psychiatric hospital in Washington? Ezra Pound

4) Simple, traditional sayings that express a perceived truth based on common sense or experience - Proverbs

Geography, Literature and History

1) Named after an English city, what was the capital of Zimbabwe called before it was changed to Harare? Salisbury

2) In which larger mountain range would you find the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia? Appalachians

3) Which English King was the great grandfather of Mary Queen of Scots? Henry VII

4) New York was named after which future King of England? James, Duke of York - King James II.

5) In a book of poetry published in 1624, which poet coined the phrases 'No man is an island' and 'for whom the bell tolls' within the same paragraph? John Donne

6) Which High King of Ireland defeated the Vikings at the battle of Clontarf in 1014 but lost his life in the process? Brian Boru

7) The phrase 'Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread,' was first seen in the 1709 poem, 'An essay on criticism" - Who wrote it? Alexander Pope

8) The Black Prince was which King of England's son? Edward III

9) Clonmel is the county town of which Irish County? Tipperary

10) In a novel originally serialised in 1891, which literary character said this: "Before an hour's out, I'll stove in your old block house like a rum puncheon. Laugh, by thunder, laugh! Before an hour's out, ye'll laugh upon the other side. Them that die'll be the lucky ones." Long John Silver

11) Who wrote the 1878 novel, Anna Kerenina? Tolstoy

12) Who wrote the 2004 novel, Cloud Atlas? David Mitchell

13) Who flew solo from Bavaria to Scotland in May 1941 to deliver proposals for peace between Germany and Great Britain - Rudolf Hess - He spent most of the rest of his life in Spandau prison, where he died in 1987. Rudolf Hess.

14) When Charles Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis from Long Island, New York, across the Atlantic, in which city did he land 33 hours later? Paris

15) A new 'seven wonders of the world' list was compiled in 2007. Name two of these new wonders - Great Wall of China,

Chichén Itzá, a Mayan city on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, the ancient city of Petra, Jordan, Machu Picchu, Peru, The statue of Christ the Redeemer, in Rio; the Colosseum in Rome, the Taj Mahal in India.

16) Fremantle and Perth stand on which river? Swan

17) Which is the only city found on the River Wye? Hereford

18) Which German Chancellor oversaw the reunification of Germany in 1990? Helmut Kohl

19) Who was the author of this sentiment line in a 1915 poem? "If I should die, think only this of me: That there’s some corner of a foreign field That is forever England." Rupert Brooke

20) Which autobiographical 1959 novel, set just after the end of WW1, begins with the lines: "I was set down from the carrier’s cart at the age of three; and there with a sense of bewilderment and terror my life in the village began"? The cited village is a Gloucestershire village. Cider With Rosie.

21) Born François-Marie Arouet in 1694, by which pseudonym are we more likely to know this particular gentleman? VOLTAIRE

22) Which coastal shipping forecast area is bounded by Tyne to the north and Thames to the south? HUMBER

23) Which author created the character Inspector Rebus? Ian Rankin

24) Which of Shakespeare's histories begins thus: 'O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention'? Henry V

Classical Music, Art, Religion, Mythology

1) The opera Lakmé, which contains the very lovely 'Flower Duet', was first performed in 1883. Who composed Lakmé? Leo Delibes

2) In which of Verdi's operas would you hear the Anvil Chorus? Il Trovatore

3) The Goldberg Variations, named after Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who may have been the first to play the aria and its 30 variations, was first performed in 1741. Who composed it? Johann Sebastian Bach

5) Which was the last of 12 Labours demanded of Heracles by King Eurystheus of Mycenae? To capture and bring the 3-headed dog, Cerberus, up from the Underworld.

6) According to St. John's Gospel, during the last of the 7 miracles Jesus performed, he raised someone from the dead. Who was thus raised?  'The seven signs of Jesus divinity', which was the last? Lazarus 

7) The last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges lost his life in Gaza - What was his name? Samson

8) Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges - Which book, of which there are only two, comes next? Ruth

9) To 25 years either way, in which year did the Prophet Muhammad die? 8 June 632 AD

10) Which artist painted the Rokeby Venus between 1647 and 1651? Diego Velasquez.

11) In which century was the Italian sculptor Donatello (Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi) born? 14th - 1386.

12) Which philosopher, who was born 5.5 centuries before Jesus Christ walked the stage, is known to have said these things: "Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." "Study the past if you would define the future."

13) Which God was the father of Romulus and Remus? Mars

14) One of the 9 Muses, the Goddess of Idyllic Poetry and Comedy had a namesake who was one of the 3 Graces. Of whom do I speak? Thalia

15) Nyx is the Greek Goddess of what? The Night

Any other subject - Sport, Current Affairs, Science, Fashion, Trivia etc.

1) In 2023, The Denver Nuggets were crowned American champions of which sport? BASKETBALL

2) The football team of which African country is nicknamed "The Elephants"? IVORY COAST

3) Newtons 2nd law - Which physical property is equal to mass times acceleration? Force

4) The anti-inflammatory drug, acetylsalicylic acid is more commonly known as what? Aspirin

5) Which horse won the Grand National in 2024? I Am Maximus

6) The Prime Minister of Croatia was the subject of an attempted assassination last week - Whay is his name? Robert Fico

7) In 2010, which famous fashion designer was found dead in his Mayfair apartment the day before his mother's funeral, having, apparently, committed suicide? Alexander McQueen

8) 30 is the atomic number of which metal? Zinc

9) Which team won the Women's FA Cup Final at Wembley last week? Man Utd

10) Last week, at a bar in Ukraine, which politician surprised the clientele by getting up on stage and playing guitar with a local band? The song they played was the 1989 rock song, 'Rocking in the Free World,' by Neil Young. US Sec of State, Anthony Blinken

11) In 1993, supermodel Naomi Campbell famously fell over on the catwalk. She was wearing a pair of whose shoes at the time? Vivienne Westwood's

12) Which is the densest planet in the solar system - Earth

13) How many people normally sit on a jury in a Scottish criminal trial? 15

14) According to the Sunday Times Rich List, which British musician has become the first musucal billionaire? Paul McCartney

15) Which famous prisoner was born Julian Paul Hawkins in 1971? Julian Assange

16) How many chains are there in a furlong? TEN

17) What do the letters stand for in the acronym, MAMIL? It refers to a type of fashionable cyclist? Middle-aged man in Lycra.

18) The scientic name of which flower is Helianthus annuus? - Sunflower (1888)

21st Century Pop Culture

1) Which English actress played the part of Lisbeth Salander in 2018 film, The Girl in the Spider's Web, which was based on a 2015 novel by David Lagercrantz, which in turn was based on characters in the Millennium book series, created by Stieg Larsson. 

2)  In which TV series, which ran between 2004 and 2012, did actresses Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross play leading roles - Desperate Housewives

3) Which film directed by Peter Farrelly about jazz pianist Don Shirley won a best picture Oscar? Green Book

4)  In 2015, who had a number one hit in the UK with "Sorry?" Justin Bieber

5) Which actor played the part of Tony Soprano in the Sopranos? James Gandolfini

6) In the world of popular music, how is Abel Tesfaye better known - The Weeknd

7) Guillermo del Toro won the 2018 Oscar for best director for the direction of which Oscar-winning film? THE SHAPE OF WATER

8) At the 2017 Oscars, which actress mistakenly announced La La Land as the Best Picture winner instead of Moonlight, the actual winner? Faye Dunaway

9) How is American singer-songwriter, born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, known professionally? 6 of her albums have reacher number 1 in the UK - The last of these was the 2019 album, 'Norman Fucking Rockwell. Lana Del Rey

10) In 2019, the song, 7 Rings, topped the singles charts in America, the UK, Australia, Canada and many others. Who recorded it? Ariana Grande

11) Which recording artist topped the US charts in 2008, with 'I Kissed a Girl?' - Katy Perry

12) Which English actor, who died this month, played the part of Theoden, King of Rohan, in the Lord of the Rings trilogy? In 1997, he played the part of Captain Edward Smith in Titanic and, in 1979, Yosser Hughes, in Boys from the Blackstuff - Bernard Hill

13) The songs 'Don't Tell Me,' 'Nobody's Home,' and "My Happy Ending" were all best selling singles for which female recording artist in 2004? Avril Lavigne

14) In the Harry Potter series of books, who kills Dumbledore - Severus Snape

15) For his performances in which comedy series did Jim Parsons win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 4 times? The Big Bang Theory

16) In 2017, who released the number 1 single, 'New Rules?' Dua Lipa

17) This gentleman came to national prominence aged 21 when he moved from Radio Luxemburg to BBC Radio 1. In 2018, he was offered £600,000, more money than anyone else, to appear on 'I'm a Celeb Get Me Out of Here!' He was the first to be voted off the show. Noel Edmonds – £600k

20th Century Popular Culture

1) Bewitched, bothered and bewildered and The Lady is a Tramp are songs from the film version of which Rogers and Hart musical of 1957? PAL JOEY

2) Truly Scrumptious is a fictional character in which 1968 film? Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

3)  In 1999, which Eastenders star had a number one single in the UK with "Perfect Moment?" Martine McCutcheon

4)  In which British city were the groups Primal Scream and Simple Minds formed? Glasgow

5) At 13, he was an original member, for a few months, of NKOTB. From there he became known as Marky Mark of the rap and dance group, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. After that he went on to become a very, very successful actor. Who is he? Mark Wahlberg

6) In 1949, which singing cowboy had a big hit with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer? Gene Autrey

7) In December 1964, he was shot dead by Bertha Franklin, the manager of the Hacienda Motel, after entering her office, wearing only a sports jacket and one shoe, complaining that his clothes had been stolen. Which was, in fact, the case. Which pop legend suffered this fate? Twisting the Night Away, You Send Me, A Wonderful World, Cupid - S. Cook

8) Who won an Oscar for his performance in the 1952 film, High Noon? Gary Cooper

9) In the 1933 epic, King Kong, which actress payed the part of King Kong's love interest? Fay Wray

10) Which actor played the part of Old Man Steptoe in Steptoe and son - Wilfred Brambell

11) Which actor played the part of Private Joe Walker, a cockney spiv, in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army? James Beck

12) On which Beatles album would you find the songs, Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man and Michelle? Rubber Soul

13)  Where was Shane McGowan, of 'Fairy Tale of New York' fame, born? Falkirk in Scotland? Llandudno in Wales? Carrickfergus in N. Ireland, Sligo in Ireland or Tunbridge Wells in England.

14) Who directed the films The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot, both starring Marilyn Monroe? Billy Wilder

MAIN

1 - On this day, 21 June 1675, the foundation stone for the building was laid. In 1711, parliament declared it officially complete. From that time until 1963 it was the tallest building in London - Which building is it? St. Paul's Cathedral

2 - Which letter follows omicron in the Greek alphabet? PI

3 - At the 1941 Oscars ceremony, 2 of the 5 nominees for the Best Actress Oscar were sisters and one of them won that year's award. Name either - Joan Fontaine/Olivia de Havilland.

4 - Australia is more than twice as big as India - TRUE

5 - Which former Crystal Palace and Arsenal footballer was awarded an OBE in King Charles III's first official birthday honours list? Ian Wright

6 - In Homer's Illiad, with whom were Menalaeus and Paris in love? Helen of Troy

7 - A gentleman by the name of Wyndham Clark is $3,600,000 dollars richer now than he was on Saturday - Why? Won US Open on Sunday

8 - Which rapper's real name was Christopher Wallace? The Notorious B.I.G./Biggie Smalls

9 - Give a year in the life of Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbury Tales? 1343-1400 

10 - The bird the that flies higher than any other is a species of which kind of bird? Ruppels Griffon vulture

11 - On which US river is the Hoover Dam? Colorado

12 - In which series of films did Mel Gibson and Danny Glover star? Lethal Weapon

13 - Eleanor of Aquitaine was the mother of two English kings. Name one - King Richard I and King John

14 - Which British artist painted ‘Rain, Steam and Speed’ in 1844? JMW Turner

15 - Oscar-winning actresses Kathy Bates and Kate Winslet appeared together in which 1997 film? TITANIC

16 - Name 3 of the 6 countries that were NOT invited to send representatives to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. Russia, Belarus, Venezuela, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar    

17 - Which Russian composer composed The Flight of the Bumblebee for his 1899 opera, The Tale of Tsar Saltan? Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

18 - Who was the director of the films Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Missippi Burning, Fame and The Commitments? Alan Parker 

19 - Platinum is heavier than gold - TRUE

1) She was the Olympic Heptathlon champion in 2012, and was the World Heptathlon champion 3 times - Who is she - Jessica Ennis-Hill

2) His Grandfather was Cosimo di Medici. His father was Piero di Medici, He was the sponsor of Michaelangelo and Botticelli. He was the de facto ruler of Florence and the most powerful force in the region now known as Italy for many years. He was nicknamed 'the Magnificent.' Who was he? Lorenzo

3) Melanie Griffith married this actor in 1996 and divorced him in 2015. Antonio Banderas

4) Mount Toubkal is the highest peak in the Atlas mountain range. In which African country is it located? Morocco

1) Who was UK Prime Minister at the time of Kennedy's assassination? Alec Douglas-Home

2) The football team of which African country is nicknamed "The Elephants"? IVORY COAST

3) In 2010, which famous fashion designer was found dead in his Mayfair apartment the day before his mother's funeral, having, apparently, committed suicide? Alexander McQueen

4) The phrase 'Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread,' was first seen in the 1709 poem, 'An essay on criticism" - Who wrote it? 

5) The anti-inflammatory drug, acetylsalicylic acid is more commonly known as what? Aspirin

6) The Black Prince was which King of England's son? Edward III

7) Which Italian artist, born in 1267 and passing away in 1337, is known as the 'father of European painting?' Giotto

8) In the UK, what replaces the ham in the variation of Eggs Benedict known as Eggs Royale? Salmon

9) In a book of poetry published in 1624, which poet coined the phrases 'No man is an island' and 'for whom the bell tolls' within the same paragraph? John Donne

10) Which Indian batsman is the highest run scorer in the history of test cricket? Sachin Tendulkar

11)  What colour is a 20 Euro banknote? Blue

12) Which author created the character Lisbeth Salander? Stig Larssen

13) Which is the body's heaviest organ? Skin

14) Name 1 of the 3 Graces - Aglaia, Euphrosyne, Thalia 

15) Mexico shares a border with 3 countries. The USA is one, Belize is another, which is 3rd? Guatemala

16) Newtons 2nd law - Which physical property is equal to mass times acceleration? Force

17) Go to sleep, go to sleep, you're my very own baby. Daddy's here, daddy's near, I'll be here with you till light - A classical composer composed that melody - Which composer was it? Brahms 

18) Between 1977 and 2011 which country was the only one in the world to have a national flag consisting entirely of just one colour? Libya

19) Which High King of Ireland defeated the Vikings at the battle of Clontarf in 1014 but lost his life in the process? Brian Boru

POP CULTURE

1) Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, with 32 million copies sold, is the Beatles best-selling album. Which album, with 19.9 million copies sold, is the second best seller? Abbey Road

2) On this day, 21 June 2011, a gentleman by the name of Elliot John Gleave was at the top of the singles charts in the UK with a song called 'Changed the way you kiss me' - By which stage name is E. J. Gleave better known? Example

3) Which actor played the part of Tony Soprano in the Sopranos? James Gandolini

4) In a 1994 film, which title character is in love with a girl named Jenny Curran? Forest Gump 

5) Which Dr Who actor played Prince Philip in The Crown in seasons one and two? Matt Smith

6) Name either the band or the featured singer on the 2011 hit single - "Moves Like Jagger" Maroon 5 -  Christina Aguilera

7) Which Oscar-winning actress played the “unsinkable” Molly Brown in the 1997 film, Titanic? Kathy Bates

8) Which famous pop musician is now the creative director of menswear at the Louis Vuitton fashion house? Pharrell Williams

9)  The Taylor Swift song, "We are never ever getting back together" is strongly rumoured to be about which actor? Jake Gyllenhaal

10) At the 2017 Oscars, which actress mistakenly announced La La Land as the Best Picture winner instead of Moonlight, the actual winner? Faye Dunaway

11) In April 2023, after 35 years on Broadway and 13,981 performances, the curtain came down for last time on which Andrew Lloyd Webber musical? Phantom of the Opera

12) In which series, which ran between 2004 and 2012, did actresses Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria play the leading roles - Desperate Housewives

13) In which British city were the groups Primal Scream, Franz Ferdinand, Simple Minds formed? Glasgow

14) Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, with 32 million copies sold, is the Beatles best-selling album. Which album, with 19.9 million copies sold, is the second best seller? Abbey Road 

Which zoo is situated near Dunstable in Bedfordshire? Whipsnade

In the 1709 work, 'An Essay on Criticism, which poet told us that ' A little learning is a dangerous thing?' Pope, Dryden, Matthew Prior, Thomas Grey

Which famous writer was the sister of artist, Vanessa Bell? Virginia Woolf

Whose first success on Broadway was the 1947 play, 'All My Sons’? ARTHUR MILLER

Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha won the 1993 Booker Prize for which Irish author? RODDY DOYLE

"Call me Ishmael" is the first line of which 19th century novel?

On which river does Hamburg stand? Elbe/Alster

Give a year in the life of Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon religion - 1805 - 1844

In the Mr Men series by Roger Hargreaves, which colour are Mr Wrong, Mr Noisy and Mr Small? Red

How many completed symphonies did Dmitri Shostakovich write? 9, 11, 13, 15

Give a year in the life of Charles Edward Stuart, otherwise known as Bonnie Prince Charlie - 1720 – 1788

4) At what age does a Jewish boy celebrate his ‘Bar Mitzvah’? 13

5) Which mosquito bites people? The male or the female?

6) The 1st of February, today, marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year in 2022. It is the Chinese Year of the... what? TIGER

7) Which of the following fashion houses was founded first? Gucci - 1921, Prada - 1913, Yves Saint Laurent - 1962, Dior - 1946, 

8) Which bone are babies born without?  The clavicle, patella, coccyx, pubis

1) The 5 Great Lakes of N. America are - Superior, Michigan, Erie, Ontario - Name the 5th lake - Huron

2) Lemurs are native to just one country - Which one? Is it Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius

 If one side of a right angled triangle is 8 ins and the other side is 15 ins, what is the length of the hypotenuse? 17 inches 64 + 225 = 289 square root =

Where would you be if you were standing on the Spanish Steps? Madrid, Vienna, Rome or Athens?

What is the national sport of Japan? Sumo Wrestling

2) In which country is the now defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant located? Ukraine

What does a phasmophobe fear? Ghosts

Which two countries share the longest international border? Canada and the USAWho was the British Prime Minister when war was declared on Germany in 1914? Henry Asquith

# posted by SECRETS @ 12:59