'98 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Shakespeare in Love

The movie "Shakespeare in Love" dominated the 1998 Academy Awards, winning seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Gwyneth Paltrow won an Oscar for Best Actress in her portrayal of Viola de Lesseps. The romantic comedy also won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. "Shakespeare in Love" was also a popular film at the box office, grossing nearly $300 million.

Answer: United Kingdom

Tony Blair, a member of the Labour Party, served as Prime Minister of the UK from 1997 to 2007. Blair was only 43 years old when he took over from John Major. He was a steadfast supporter of the war against terrorism. In 1998, Jean Chretien was the Canadian Prime Minister; John Howard was the Australian Prime Minister; and Jennifer Shipley served as the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Answer: Warsaw

Marie Sklodowska Curie was born in Warsaw in 1867. She became interested in scientific research at an early age and moved to Paris, France, in 1891. She married Pierre Curie in 1895, and the two were virtually inseparable in the scientific laboratory until Pierre's death in 1906.

In 1903, Marie and Pierre Curie were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics; Marie later won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911. She died in 1934.

Answer: Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal, hosted Expo '98 from late May to late September 1998. The theme of the World's Fair was "The Oceans, a Heritage for the Future." Portugal's long history of exploration was celebrated at the exhibit: men such as Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias were recognized for their ocean journeys during the Age of Exploration. Almost 150 countries took part in Expo '98. Lisbon is located near the Tagus River, a body of water which flows about 650 miles from the Madrid region of Spain westward to the Atlantic Ocean. Barcelona is located between the Llobregat and Besos rivers; Turin is situated on the Po River; and Bonn is situated on the Rhine River.

Answer: Arsenal

The Arsenal Gunners from London had a fabulous 1997-98 season. The team, led by manager Arsene Wenger, won the Premiership title with 78 points, one point better than Manchester United, 13 ahead of Liverpool, and 15 points clear of Chelsea. Tony Adams, team captain, was one of the best players on the squad. Arsenal defeated Newcastle United, 2-0, to capture the FA Cup, thus completing a "double."

Answer: New York Yankees

The San Diego Padres, led by manager Bruce Bochy, won the National League title by defeating Houston and then Atlanta in the playoffs. The team was led by veteran players Tony Gwynn and Greg Vaughn. However, in the World Series the Padres were swept in four straight games by the mighty New York Yankees.

The Bronx Bombers, managed by Joe Torre, won their 24th overall Major League Baseball championship.

Answer: The piano

Italian-born Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731) is generally acknowledged to be the inventor of the piano, and 1698 is often given as the date of the piano's introduction, although some historians claim that the piano was first played in the year 1700.

The pipe organ is an ancient instrument, the clarinet was invented in Germany, and the violin was developed in Italy during the early sixteenth century.

Answer: The Winter Olympic Games

In 1998, the prefecture of Nagano, Japan, hosted the XVIII Olympic Winter Games. Over seventy nations participated in fourteen separate disciplines, including snowboarding, which made its Olympic debut. Germany won the most medals, earning 29 in total.

The figure skating competition was held at White Ring. Mount Yakebitai was the home of the Alpine skiing events. France was the host of the FIFA World Cup in 1998.

Answer: Garret Hobart

Garret Hobart, a native of New Jersey, served as Vice-President for President William McKinley from 1897 until Hobart's death (heart failure) in 1899. He was a long-time member of the Republican Party, and he worked hard in the 1896 presidential campaign with McKinley to defeat the Democratic Party's ticket of William Bryan and Arthur Sewall.

In 1901, McKinley chose New Yorker Theodore Roosevelt as his vice-presidential candidate. In 1898, Robert Van Wyck was the New York City Mayor. Levi Morton had already served as the U.S. Vice-President from 1889 to 1893, during the Benjamin Harrison administration.

Answer: Huguenots

King Henry IV of France opened a new era of religious tolerance when he issued the Edict of Nantes in April 1598. Protestants, particularly Huguenots, were finally allowed to co-exist with Roman Catholics after decades of persecution. Huguenots were permitted to worship in certain designated areas, although Catholicism would remain the official religion of France.

This edict did not give any mention to other religious groups such as Moslems or Jews. The Edict was revoked by Louis XIV in 1685.