History

In 1990, after 8 years, the UK restored diplomatic relations with which country?

How many brothers did John F Kennedy have?

The length of King Edward I’s arm was used to establish which measurement?

 Which store owner coined the phrase “the customer is always right” – Selfridge, Woolworth or Harrods?

To within 10 years, when was the last time you could hire a climbing boy to clean your chimney?

Wagner’s most famous fan often played his music at political events – who was he?

Which Prime Minister gave Britain the 3-day week?

How did the Great Train Robber Charlie Wilson die – in a car crash, shot dead or of natural causes?

Name the three kings who feature on the Bayeux Tapestry.

In which country was Osama Bin Laden born?

Who was the first British monarch to live at Buckingham Palace?

“The red vineyard” was the only painting sold by which artist during his lifetime?

In which year was capital punishment permanently abolished in the UK – 1965, ’67 or ’69?

Where in the world is Margaret Thatcher Day celebrated?

Since 1974, the Green Line has divided the North and South of which island?

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, what type of building was the Pharos of Alexandria?

In 1997, who succeeded John Major as leader of the Conservative Party?

In which decade were dog licences abolished in the UK?

What name was given to supporters of the deposed Stuart royal line?

 Which disease takes its name from a pneumonia outbreak at a1976 Philadelphia convention?

Which war in Europe lasted from 1936 to 1939?

What was the official cause of the 1987 Zeebrugge ferry disaster?

In 1797, the London Royal Mint could not produce copper coins without making a loss, so where was Britain’s first Britannia penny minted – Birmingham, Lancaster or York?

What nationality was the notorious Dr Crippen?

Who did Boris Yeltsin make his Prime Minister in 1999?

What was the pen-name of the author Samuel Langhorne Clemens?

Winston Churchill attended which public school?

In 1908, which famous brand name was inspired by a painting of a dog called Nipper?

Said to be the oldest in the world, the university at Fez in Morocco was founded in which year – 859, 959 or 1059?

What did the Rochdale Pioneers pioneer?

England’s King John was the younger brother of which king?

For what were married couple Ethel and Julius Rosenberg executed in the USA in 1953?

From the letters preceding the name, was the Titanic a Motor Ship, a Royal Mail Ship, a Steam Ship or His Majesty’s Ship?

For what extraordinary feat was Mathias Rust, a 19 year old German,  arrested in 1987?

Who was shot and killed two days after John F Kennedy?

What was used as currency in Holland in the 17th century – cheese, coffee or tulip bulbs?

What was “Mahatma” Ghandi by profession?

Which French artist found fame with his paintings advertising the Folies Bergere?

Which English city would have been the new capital if Adolf Hitler’s invasion plans had succeeded – Oxford, Cambridge or Winchester?

What name was given to the first body of professional police constables formed in England in the 1750’s?

What name was given to young men conscripted to work in coal mines during WWII?

What was the name of the futuristically-styled children’s bike introduced by Raleigh in the 1970s?

Who was the first reigning sovereign to visit a television studio – Edward VIII, George VI or Elizabeth II?

Which record breaking female pilot died after parachuting from a ‘plane she was ferrying in the Thames Estuary area in January 1941?

Who was the first Scot to become Champion Jockey?

Josef Jakobs was the last man to be hanged where?

At which city did Concorde make its first supersonic test flight?

Opening in 1909, where was Britain’s first motor-racing course – Brand’s Hatch, Brooklands or Silverstone?

In WWII, what were Tom, Dick and Harry?

When he resigned over the Westland Affair, which Cabinet post did Michael Heseltine hold?

The Duke of Medina Sidonia was the leader of which famous 16th century battle force?

A method used by smugglers to conceal contraband led to which commonly used modern word?

Early in the first decade of the 17th century, what was revealed in an anonymous letter sent to Lord Monteagle?

According to legend, which famous US Civil War battle started because Confederate troops were searching for supplies, “boots especially” - in a nearby town – Gettysburg, Shiloh or Antietam?

Which town was the centre of the UK hat-making industry in the 18th century?

Which US President was well-known for his love of jelly-beans?

Which of these was founded first – Ferrari, Fiat or Ford?

The UK National Lottery was introduced under which Prime Minster?

Which substitute spreadable food product was invented in France in 1869 during the Franco-Prussian war to feed the troops?

What links a massive man-made barrier, a 20th century crime fighter and a household appliance?

“Would you buy a used-car from this man?” was used in a campaign advert against which famous politician?

Which word, once used as a form of address to a man, was originally the name given to a knight’s attendant and shield-bearer?

For how many years was Winston Churchill an MP – 54, 59 or 64 years?

From 1860 to 1861, who was the most famous rider on the American Pony Express postal service?

On 9th April 1969, Brian Trubshaw was the first British person to do what?

During WWII, in order to save fuel, what was the recommended depth of water for a hot bath – 3, 5 or 7 inches?

Who was the first child of a reigning British monarch to be brought before a criminal court?

Which crisis brought about the hotline between the White House and the Kremlin?

In which month was the 2005 terrorist attack on London’s transport system carried out?

Who made the phrase “famous for fifteen minutes” famous?

What was the name of the last ruler of the Aztecs?

Of which president did Lyndon Johnson say “He couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time”?

 How old was Henry VIII when he became king – 18, 21 or 24?

What nationality was Che Guevara?

Banbury Cross and Charing Cross are just two of the sites of the resting place of which Queen’s funeral route?

In which country was Auschwitz concentration camp?

Who was British Prime Minister at the outbreak of WWI – Asquith, Balfour or Lloyd George?

Which historical event took place at Runnymede in 1215?

Which country did the Romans call Lusitania?

Which monarch were the Gunpowder Plotters trying to kill?

How many of Joseph Kennedy’s sons became Senators?

2014 marked which anniversary of the National Lottery? 

In July 2001, Barry George received a life sentence for whose murder?

In which decade was the Highway Code first published?

Which country was the first to use a postcode made up of letters and numbers – the USA, Great Britain or Australia?

Which monarch attended the very first Royal Ascot?

In WWII,for how many years were Piccadilly Circus’ lights blacked out?

Richard II is said to have popularised the use of which everyday item – the handkerchief, fork or comb?

Which political figure became infamous for having hundreds of pairs of shoes?

The first HQ of the French Foreign Legion was in which country?

Now moored at Greenwich, which famous ship was launched in 1869?

Which Elizabethan hero was later executed by James I for treason?

What was the name of the policewoman killed outside the Libyan embassy in 1984?

In which British city did the Peterloo Massacre take place in 1819?

Who was US President when the Vietnam War ended with collapse of Saigon in 1975?

In which decade of the 17th century was the Bank of England founded – the 1670s, 80s or 90s?

Who was elected UK Prime Minister in the first election when 18 year-olds were given the vote?

The battle of Fort Sumter was the opening skirmish in which war?

Opened in 1972, how is the Gravelly Hill interchange better known?

 In WWII, what was Operation Sea-lion?

Who wrote “The diary of a young girl” from 1942/44? 

When did the first home computer come on the market – 1969, ’72 or ’75?

What, in 1918, killed more people than had died in World War I?

In which country, in 1897, was the Women’s Institute founded – Australia, Canada or the UK? 

Which film star, killed in a 'plane crash in 1971 aged 46, is still the USA's most decorated soldier?  

Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize?

 What was signed by the ruler of England in 1215? 

Which former Labour politician had the same name as one of the two leaders of the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381?

To what did the country of Siam change its name? 

In 1661, whose body was removed from Westminster Abbey then hanged, drawn and quartered?

In 1885, the world’s first skyscraper was built in which US city?

 Who were the only four successive kings of England to have the same name? 

What was unique about the 1993 Grand National? 

The world’s first Methodist chapel, where John Wesley used to preach, is in which city – Lincoln, Bristol or Manchester?

Which airline operated the ill-fated jet which exploded over Lockerbie in 1988?

Who was the statesman who was shot dead in a Los Angeles hotel on June 5th 1968? 

The Queen and President Mitterand opened the Channel Tunnel on 6th May in which year?

How many children did Queen Victoria have – 5,7,or 9? 

Which Briton won the Formula 1 Championship in 1971 and 1973? 

What was the name of the Philippines President who was ousted in 1986?

In the UK, in 1976, who went on strike for the first time in 46 years?

In which town did the first Public School for Girls open in 1854?

Which unexpectedly hostile audience heckled Tony Blair during his speech in June 1982?

What major control on London’s traffic was introduced in 2003? 

Who was the UK Prime Minister when Premium Bonds first went on sale? 

Unemployment tops 3 million, Freddie Laker’s Skytrain collapses and Channel 4 TV is launched – in which year?)

 What was the name of the Cambridgeshire village where Ian Huntley murdered 2 young girls in 2002? 

Which telephone number went out of use in August 2003?

In the same year, 2003, what made its final commercial landing on October 24th?

Who admitted that he had lied to the House of Commons and resigned his post as Secretary of State for War in 1963? 

How was the Iraqi General Ali Hassan Al-Majid better known?

What unusual feature did the new-born Richard III, Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte have in common? 

Francois-Louis Cailler of Switzerland introduced the first solid form of what in 1819?

Apart from Lady Jane Grey and Edward V, which other English monarch didn’t have a Coronation?

After Von Richtofen’s death in 1918, which later famous pilot took over his squadron?

Considered the most valuable ever, the US Patent No. 174,465 registered in 1876 related to what?

Which was the first capital city to be bombed from the air – London, Paris or Berlin? 

In 1881, which part of Britain was the first to give women the vote?

In which year was the British pound note replaced by the pound coin – 1980, ’84 or ’88? 

In which war was the Battle of Antietam fought?

Which company sold the first instant coffee? 

Who was the last English monarch to remain unmarried throughout the reign? 

The first of what opened in Reading in 1958 – Little Chef, KFC or Beefeater Inns? 

In 1738, which part of his anatomy did Captain Robert Jenkins lose, which led to a war with Spain? 

Members of the New York Diners Club were the first to own which item – a dinner jacket, credit card or wristwatch? 

What was Bangladesh called before gaining independence in 1971? 

Who was the tallest US president – Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan or Bill Clinton? 

How many monarchs have ruled Britain since 1900? 

When was the Domesday Book compiled – 1076, ’86 or ’96?

Who ended his nightly diary entries with the words “and so to bed”?

Which 18TH century outlaw used the name John Palmer as an alias?

Who was the first British monarch to visit the USA?

Which of Henry VIII’s wives was the mother of Edward VI?

Reginald FitzUrse was the first of four people to strike a blow in the murder of which famous historical figure? 

In 1913, which group of people were directly affected by what was nicknamed “The Cat and Mouse Act”? 

The Hovercraft first crossed the Channel in which year-1957, ’59 or ’61?

What did members of the Metropolitan Police originally carry as an alarm signal? 

Which Chancellor of the Exchequer and future Prime Minister introduced Premium Bonds?

What was the name of the crossing point in the Berlin Wall on Friedrichstrasse, used from 1961 to 1989? 

Which disease is named after an outbreak of pneumonia at a convention in Philadelphia in 1976?

During WWII, “Operation Moonlight Sonata” was the code name for the bombing of which city? 

Who became the first English bride of an heir to the British throne since 1659? 

In January 1979, 16 year old Brenda Spencer of San Diego, California shot and killed two people and wounded nine others. What explanation did she give for this? 

To which post was Joseph Ratzinger elected in 2005? 

Which record-breaking robbery took place at Heathrow Airport in 1983? 

Which British MP was killed by an IRA bomb in the car park of the House of Commons in 1979?

In which war was the term “fifth column” first used?

What was the name of the head of the US Teamster’s Union who disappeared in 1975 and was never seen again? 

 On 13th August 1964, Harry Allen in Manchester and Robert Stewart in Liverpool became the last persons to perform which task in the UK? 

What began on the 7th September 1940 and ended on May 11th 1941?

In 1985, rioting occurred in which part of Liverpool ?

When Richard Nixon was forced to resign from office, who replaced him as President?

What was the name of the Brighton hotel that was wrecked in an assassination attempt on the British Cabinet in 1984 ?

In 2005, Adriana Iliescu was the oldest woman to give birth – how old was she, 58, 62 or 66 ?

**Which European country reverted to a monarchy in 1976 after the ruling dictator died ?

Name 2 of the 3 men released in 1991 after years of captivity in Beirut?

Who was British Prime Minister when the 3 day working week began in 1973? 

What was the name of the man who was filmed being beaten by LA policemen following riots in 1991?

What was the name of the ferry that capsized off Zeebrugge in 1987 ?

Which world leader died in a Paris hospital in November 2004?

On D-Day 1944, on which beach did the Canadian forces land – Gold, Juno or Sword ?

Which new county was formed in 1974 from parts of Somerset and Gloucestershire?

Who, based on the Isle of Ely, led a campaign against the Norman invaders?

Who was Europe’s first female Prime Minister?

What was the name of the brutal regime lead by Pol Pot?

Which US President was elected to office four times ?

What cargo was HMS Bounty carrying when mutiny broke out in 1789?

At whose trial did journalist Martin Bashir give evidence in 2005?

Which US volcano erupted in 1980 after lying dormant since 1857?

Two ships bearing the name of English cities were sunk during the Falklands War – name them

The Arndale Centre in which city was destroyed by an IRA bomb in 1996? 

Why was Captain Thomas Blood arrested in 1671?

Which contribution to road safety was named after a 1930s UK Minister of Transport?

Which legendary American died with the last words “That picture’s crooked”?

Which religion was founded by Guru Nanak?

Which Prime Minister introduced income tax in 1799 as a temporary measure to finance the Napoleonic Wars?

Which modern event was originally called the British Empire Games?

Which army did the Duke of Wellington dismiss as “the scum of the earth” – the British, Austrian or French?

Who was Adolf Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda?

In 1644, what did the Puritans banish from village greens as a “heathenish vanity”?

An Irishman named Arthur Wellesley gave his name to what type of footwear?

What contribution to road safety in the UK was named after a 1930s Minister of Transport? 

In which year did Billy Butlin open his first holiday camp in Skegness – 1936, ’46  or ’56? 

In August 1987, what was the name of the man who went berserk in Hungerford, shooting dead 28 people?

Which US state was the last to join the union?

Northern Ireland Secretary during the Good Friday Agreement, what was Mo Mowlam’s real first name – Margaret, Maureen or Marjorie? 

Who had Hampton Court Palace built?

Which naval tradition ended in 1970? 

On 25th July 1959, 50 years to the day when Bleriot made his flight across it, which other historic crossing of the English Channel occurred?

Who was the first Briton to organise a continental holiday tour?