The Long and the Short of It Trivia Quiz

Answer: Longest

FDR served as US President for 12 years from his first inauguration in 1933 until his death in 1945, comfortably outlasting his two fellow Commanders-in-Chief in this quiz. His four election victories are unlikely to ever be matched unless the twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution is rescinded. This amendment, ratified in 1951, limited the number of times anyone could be elected as President to twice.

FDR's most notable achievement in office was his New Deal, which was a series of reformative policies to lift people from poverty, provide relief to the unemployed and prevent future depressions in the economy. He also took the United States into the Second World War, providing vital leadership for the allies in their fight against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

Answer: In the middle

Though Lincoln's time in office was cruelly and brutally cut short, his death came early in his second term so his period in the White House of just over four years was more than all bar five of his predecessors and many of his successors and places him firmly in the middle of the three Presidents in this quiz.

His death in 1865 at the hands of John Wilkes Booth was a tragic end to a challenging but productive presidency. His leadership during the Civil War was crucial in maintaining the Union, his Emancipation Proclamation gave moral leadership that helped pave the way to the 13th amendment abolishing slavery and further economic and infrastructure development helped the expansion westward of the US people.

Answer: Shortest

Harrison became President at the age of 68 in 1841. At his inauguration he wanted to demonstrate that he was still the same man that had been a war hero at the Battle of Tippecanoe, a theme that he had campaigned heavily on to win the election. As such he decided to ride to the inauguration on horseback without a coat or hat despite it being a cold and wet day. What's more he delivered his speech, nearly two hours in length, still in the rain without a hat or coat and then concluded his day with meet and greets and inaugural balls over several hours.

Three weeks later, already exhausted from that day and the duties of his new role, Harrison fell ill with a heavy cold and was treated by his doctor for anxiety and fatigue. After a brief rally, he felt unwell again and took to bed. His doctors soon diagnosed pneumonia and he was treated with a varied combination of medicines and everyday relieving agents, such as opium and brandy. Despite all these efforts Harrison failed to recover and just one month, or 31 days, after his inauguration, he passed away, in so doing becoming the first President to die in office and cementing his position as the shortest serving President in this quiz.

Answer: Longest

Esther chapter 8 verse 9 is the longest verse in the New King James version of the bible.

Previously in Esther, an official in the court of the Persian empire named Haman had issued a decree demanding the killing of all Jewish people in the empire. Queen Esther had uncovered Haman's plot and Xerxes, the king, gave her and Mordecai the right to issue a new decree that saved the Jewish people from annihilation.

Chapter 8 verse 9 elaborately explains who will write the new decree, by whose command and how and to where it will be delivered.

Answer: In the middle

Psalm 23 is one of the most popular chapters in the bible. In the New King James version verse 4 reads, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

This particular verse shows that faith in God can guide someone through the most difficult of times. There is no need to be afraid because God is there to provide comfort and protection no matter the circumstances.

Answer: Shortest

The shortest verse in the New King James version of the bible, John 11:35 simply reads "Jesus wept". The verse is sometimes interpreted as demonstrating Jesus's compassion as he weeps for the death of his friend Lazarus, even though he knows that he will soon raise him from the dead.

He weeps because he is sharing in the sorrow of those who knew and loved Lazarus and shows that he understands their pain.

Answer: Longest

The position of Prime Minister only became an official title in 1905. So, Robert Walpole was never appointed to the role but he is widely accepted to be the first person to occupy it. As there was no appointment, there is some debate about the exact dates of his tenure with some claiming that his premiership began with his appointment as First Lord of the Treasury (a role now given ex officio to the UK Prime Minister) in 1721, effectively making him the head of the government. Others claim 1730 when he had consolidated his power and was widely recognised by his peers as the leader of his party.

Either way, his time in office was a long one and well in excess of his two companions in this quiz. He came to power in the midst of an economic crisis, known as the South Sea Bubble and his expert handling of the nation's finances brought economic stability and established his authority in government. He used this authority to centralise power in the office of the First Lord of the Treasury, controlling the government agenda and leading cabinet meetings, setting a precedent that future Prime Ministers have followed.

Walpole pursued a policy of avoiding warfare, believing it was a necessity to keep the economy under control. This policy was successful for many years until, with significant urging from political opponents within his cabinet, disputes with Spain over trade in their North American colonies led to the War of Jenkins' Ear in 1739. His perceived poor handling of this war, combined with accusations of corruption in his use of patronage to retain power led to a rapidly reducing degree of confidence in his leadership. In 1742 he lost a motion of no confidence in his government and resigned.

Answer: In the middle

Attlee was a somewhat surprising victor in the UK general election of 1945, with his Labour Party's regenerative post-war programme proving hugely popular with the British public, ousting the war leader Winston Churchill from 10 Downing Street. He was re-elected five years later but with a wafer-thin majority of just five seats. The party decided to go to the public again in 1951 in an attempt to get a more substantial mandate. Sadly for Attlee, the public decided a change of government was preferable, and after six years in office, Attlee's time as Prime Minister was at an end.

In those six years, Attlee achieved a great deal. A public schoolboy, whose work as a lawyer with the poor in the East End transformed his political views, Attlee pushed through the creation of the modern welfare state including housing and education reforms, the nationalisation of key industries and the establishment of the National Health Service, which introduced the fundamental principle of healthcare that was free at the point of need.

Answer: Shortest

As famously monitored by a national newspaper, Liz Truss's tenure as the UK's Prime Minister lasted less time than a lettuce and is by some distance the shortest of the three options in this quiz. In fact, aside from the caretaker government overseen by the Duke of Wellington in 1834, Truss's period as Prime Minister was shorter than that of all her predecessors.

She met King Charles III to resign the premiership on October 25, 2022 just 49 days after she had taken office. The main cause of her downfall was a catastrophic mini budget that led to criticism by the IMF, emergency purchasing of government bonds by the Bank of England and a huge loss of confidence among workers in the city.

Answer: Longest

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002) is the second movie in the series chronologically but is the longest of them all, coming in at over two and a half hours of screen time. Covering the second year of the young wizard's time at Hogwarts, it starts with Dobby, the house elf, warning Harry that he will be in danger if he returns to the school.

At the school, students are being mysteriously being turned to stone and a hidden message warns that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Harry, Ron and Hermione investigate.

Answer: In the middle

The seventh movie in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" (2010) ran for 2 hours and 26 minutes, putting it roughly halfway between the longest and the shortest. The plot sees Harry, Ron, and Hermione embark on a quest to find and destroy Voldemort's horcruxes, the items that ensure his immortality. Along the way, they discover the deathly hallows, three magical objects that Voldemort seeks to make himself invincible.

Answer: Shortest

At "just" 130 minutes long, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (2011), the concluding film in the Harry Potter series covers the second half of the final novel in the series. It concentrates on the final battle between good and evil. Harry Potter and Voldemort (and Neville Longbottom) do battle and the by-product is the utter destruction of large parts of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.