General Knowledge 82

Question 1

Which Portuguese-born navigator was the first European to cross the Pacific Ocean?

Answer 1

Ferdinand Magellan

Magellan’s expedition was the first to circumnavigate the globe in 1522.

Question 2

Which historical figure is widely regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon scholars?

Answer 2

The Venerable Bede

Bede was an English monk, historian, and theologian.

The Ecclesiastical History of the English People: His most famous work, completed in 731 AD, is a five-book Latin history of the Christian Church in England from Roman times up to his own era. It is the single most important source for early Anglo-Saxon history and is noted for its careful citation of sources and clear style.

Dating System: Bede was instrumental in popularizing the use of the Anno Domini (AD or “in the year of our Lord”) system of dating, which is the basis of the modern calendar system.

Question 3

What disease killed thousands of people in Glasgow in 1832?

Answer 3

Cholera

The cholera outbreak was part of a larger pandemic affecting many cities.

Question 4

Which killer was also known as ‘The Whitechapel Murderer’?

Answer 4

Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper is infamously associated with a series of unsolved murders in London.

Question 5

In which year was the Wall Street Crash?

Answer 5

1929

The crash marked the beginning of the Great Depression.

Question 6

The Battle of Balaclava is a famous battle in which war?

Answer 6

The Crimean War

This battle is known for the Charge of the Light Brigade. 1854

The Crimean War was caused by a dispute over the protection of Orthodox Christians in the Holy Land and control of holy sites, which escalated into a conflict between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. This was intertwined with broader strategic rivalries, as Britain and France intervened to prevent Russia from expanding its influence and threatening their trade routes, particularly to India.

Question 7

In which French city was Joan of Arc put to death?

Answer 7

Rouen

Joan was executed by burning at the stake in 1431.

Question 8

Who was the last British monarch of the House of Hanover?

Answer 8

Queen Victoria

Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901.

Question 9

In which century was The Black Death?

Answer 9

Fourteenth

The Black Death swept through Europe in the 1340s.

Question 10

Mathematician Ada Lovelace is often considered the world’s first computer programmer, whose daughter was she?

Answer 10

Lord Byron’s

Ada Lovelace is known for her work on Charles Babbage’s early mechanical general-purpose computer.

Question 11

The book Lucky Jim is dedicated to which English poet?

Answer 11

Philip Larkin

Larkin was a prominent poet and librarian in England.

Question 12

Which country has more lakes than the rest of the world combined?

Answer 12

Canada

Canada is known for its vast number of lakes, estimated to be over two million.

Question 13

Who owns Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands?

Answer 13

Sir Richard Branson

Branson is the founder of the Virgin Group.

Question 14

What is a Sir Roger de Coverley?

Answer 14

A country dance

This dance is associated with English folk traditions.

Question 15

‘Red Vineyard’ is the only painting sold by which artist in his lifetime?

Answer 15

Van Gogh

Van Gogh struggled with poverty and sold very few paintings during his life.

Question 16

In which year was the Falkland’s War between Argentina and the U.K.?

Answer 16

1982

The conflict lasted for about ten weeks.

Question 17

Whose dying words were: ‘All my possessions for a moment of time’?

Answer 17

Elizabeth I

These words reflect her regret over her life and legacy.

Question 18

Which country did Churchill refer to as ‘the Pearl of Africa’?

Answer 18

Uganda

Churchill praised Uganda for its natural beauty and resources.

Question 19

Which superhero is the alter ego of Steve Rogers?

Answer 19

Captain America

Captain America is a symbol of American patriotism and heroism.

Question 20

Who is known as the ‘Father of English Poetry’?

Answer 20

Geoffrey Chaucer

Chaucer is best known for The Canterbury Tales.