A Bit Of Ken Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1707

Scotland and England had been separate kingdoms until this point. When King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England in 1603 in what was called the Union of the Crowns, the countries took a step closer together although they kept their separate laws and separate parliament.

The Act of Union in 1707 saw the dissolution of the Scottish parliament to create a single governing body. Political, economic and security concerns led to the union. Scotland regained its parliament in 1999 along with Wales, both with limited legislative powers.

The other dates refer to the battles of Stirling Bridge (1297) and Bannockburn (1314), both Scottish victories against the English, and helping to secure Scottish independence at the time.

Answer: Celtic FC

All teams have won the European Cup or its rebranded version, the UEFA Champions League, at some point. Celtic FC won the European Cup in 1967, becoming the first British team to do so. The final was held in Lisbon, Portugal, and Celtic faced off against Inter Milan who had won two of the three previous competitions. Celtic played with an attacking style, contrasting with the defensive tactic, the Catenaccio, that Inter Milan were known for.

Despite going down 1-0 early in the match, Celtic scored two goals in the second half to secure their victory.

This win is considered one of the greatest moments in the club's history.

Answer: Romanian

Constantin Brāncuși was a Romanian sculptor who is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He is known for his abstract and simplified forms, which were a departure from the traditional realism of his time. He developed his career in France and had several influences including Romanian folk art and mythology, the sculptor Auguste Rodin and primitive art.

He sought to move beyond Rodin's detailed realism and is known for such sculptures as 'Bird in Space' and 'Sleeping Muse I'.

Answer: Ben Kingsley

In 1983, Ben Kingsley won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in the film "Gandhi", one of eight Oscars won by the film. This was only Kingsley's second film role, the first being a relatively minor role a decade earlier. The film had been a project of the director Richard Attenborough since 1962 however it took 18 years to bring it to fruition. "Guinness World Records" notes that some 300,000 extras were used during the film's funeral scene.

Answer: Acetic acid

A common household item, vinegar is used for cooking, cleaning, and even as a natural remedy for various ailments. It is dilute acetic acid, a weak acid that is produced by the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. The acidity of vinegar is what gives it its distinct sour taste and makes it an effective cleaning agent. Vinegar has been used for thousands of years, mentioned in the Bible and the writings of Hippocrates. Posca, a mix of water and vinegar, was a cheaper alternative to wine in Roman times, possibly making the water safer to drink. Today, vinegar is still a popular and versatile product that can be found in almost every household.

Answer: Au

Gold's chemical symbol is Au, which comes from the Latin word for gold, 'aurum'. It is a sought-after precious metal that has been used for currency, jewelry, and decoration for thousands of years. It has a number of properties making it useful such as malleability, electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance and ductility.

It is relatively inert chemically and non-toxic (and so safe to ingest). Some unusual applications it has include making cranberry glass, heat shielding in McLaren F1 racing cars and de-icing aircraft cockpit windows.

Answer: David Brewster

David Brewster is credited with inventing the kaleidoscope around 1815. Not a toymaker as such, he was a Scottish physicist and inventor who also made significant contributions to the field of optics and scientific education. He was an empiricist, meaning his discoveries were through repeated experiments rather than by developing theories.

The kaleidoscope quickly became a popular toy and has remained so to this day.

Answer: Sir John Macdonald

Sir John Macdonald was the first Prime Minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and then again from 1878 until his death in 1891. He was a key figure in the formation of Canada as a nation, as well as leading the country through its early years of growth and development including agreements expanding the country's borders to the Pacific and north. Macdonald was also instrumental in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, although not without controversy.

Despite his many accomplishments, Macdonald's legacy has been tarnished by his government's treatment of Indigenous peoples, including the forced relocation of thousands of Indigenous children to residential schools.

Answer: William the Lion

William the Lion was King of Scotland from 1165 to 1214. Youngest son of King Henry of Scotland, he ascended to the throne at the age of 23. As king he fought several battles against England, trying to regain his parental inheritance of Northumbria and also in the revolt against King Henry II of England. During the Battle of Alnwick in 1174, he got himself captured.

The price of his release included fealty of Scotland to the English Crown as well as meeting the costs of the occupying English army under the Treaty of Falaise.

He was able to terminate the Treaty fifteen years later when the then English king, Richard the Lionheart, needed money for the Third Crusade.

Answer: Leif Ericson

Leif Ericson, a Norse explorer, set foot on North America around the year 1000. He established a settlement called Leifsbudir in Vinland, believed to be in present-day Newfoundland, Canada. Various written sagas describe encounters with indigenous peoples, whom they called Skraelings.

These encounters provide some of the earliest written accounts of interactions between Europeans and Native Americans. Despite his significant achievement, Leif Ericson's discovery of North America was largely forgotten until the 19th century when interest in Norse history and exploration was revived.