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All about August Trivia Quiz

Ten random questions about August events and August facts.

A multiple-choice quiz by Snowman. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Snowman

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
270,991

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
2864

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. After whom is the month of August named? Hint

Avril Lavigne

Caesar Augustus

Dame May Whitty

June Brown

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Question 2 of 10

2. After the failure of the 1991 coup in the Soviet Union, which state took advantage of the situation to claim independence from the USSR on 21 August 1991? Hint

Latvia

Georgia

Lithuania

Estonia

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Question 3 of 10

3. In August 1942, the first amphibious landing of WWII was undertaken on Guadalcanal, an island in which Pacific Island chain? Hint

Solomon Islands

Midway Islands

Marshall Islands

North Mariana Islands

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Question 4 of 10

4. On August 21st 1940 Leon Trotsky died of injuries inflicted with an ice axe the day before. In which country was he killed? Hint

USA

Brazil

Russia

Mexico

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which punk rocker was born in Turkey in August 1952 as John Graham Mellor? Hint

Joe Strummer

Tom Verlaine

Sid Vicious

Johnny Thunders

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which British middle-distance runner won two gold medals in August 2004 at the Athens Olympics? Hint

Kelly Holmes

Paula Radcliffe

Sebastian Coe

Steve Cram

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Question 7 of 10

7. In August 1959, which state became the 50th state of the USA? Hint

Alaska

Oregon

Texas

Hawaii

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Question 8 of 10

8. In which year did the Edinburgh festival, traditionally held in August, begin? Hint

1977

1957

1947

1967

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which film director born on 21st August 1944 directed "The Truman Show", "Master and Commander" and "Picnic at Hanging Rock"? Hint

John Frankenheimer

Francis Ford Coppola

Peter Weir

Peter Bogdanovich

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Question 10 of 10

10. The Panama Canal was opened to traffic in August 1914. In which year did Panama finally take control of it? Hint

1981

1999

2005

1968

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. After whom is the month of August named?

Answer: Caesar Augustus

August was named after Augustus (also known as Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus or Octavian) in 8 BC because several of the most significant events in his career, including the fall of Alexandria, happened in this month. August was previously called Sextilis, which was Latin for sixth, because it was originally the sixth month in the ancient Roman calendar.

2. After the failure of the 1991 coup in the Soviet Union, which state took advantage of the situation to claim independence from the USSR on 21 August 1991?

Answer: Latvia

Latvia was the last of the Baltic states to claim independence after Lithuania (March 1990) and Estonia just the day before. Latvia has at various times in its history been occupied and conquered by Poland, Sweden, Russia and Germany.

3. In August 1942, the first amphibious landing of WWII was undertaken on Guadalcanal, an island in which Pacific Island chain?

Answer: Solomon Islands

Following the attacks on Pearl Harbor and Singapore, Japanese forces advanced into the South Pacific reaching Guadalcanal in May 1942. When the allied forces spotted construction of an airfield on Guadacanal, the US landed on the island and one of the most hotly contested campaigns of the war began.

Guadalcanal became a major turning-point in the war as it stopped Japanese expansion and after four months forced the Japanese to cease trying to contest the control of the island and finally evacuate it in February 1943.

4. On August 21st 1940 Leon Trotsky died of injuries inflicted with an ice axe the day before. In which country was he killed?

Answer: Mexico

Trotsky was struck a fatal blow with an ice axe by Ramon Mercader, an agent sent to Mexico by Stalin's secret police, the GPU. By the time the GPU reached Trotsky in 1940, they had already murdered many members of Trotsky's family and many of his friends and collaborators.

5. Which punk rocker was born in Turkey in August 1952 as John Graham Mellor?

Answer: Joe Strummer

Tom Verlaine was born Tom Miller. Johnny Thunders' real name was John Genzale and Sid Vicious was John Simon Ritchie.

6. Which British middle-distance runner won two gold medals in August 2004 at the Athens Olympics?

Answer: Kelly Holmes

Now Dame Kelly, Holmes was the first Briton to claim the 800m and 1500m titles at a single Olympics since Albert Hill achieved the feat at the Antwerp games of 1920.

7. In August 1959, which state became the 50th state of the USA?

Answer: Hawaii

Hawaii was first annexed by the United States in 1898 and became a US territory in 1900. In becoming a state, Hawaii became only the 4th state of the US that had previously been a sovereign country.

8. In which year did the Edinburgh festival, traditionally held in August, begin?

Answer: 1947

Founded in the wake of World War II, its founders believed that the Festival was a means to re-unite Europe through culture and 'provide a platform for the flowering of the human spirit'.

9. Which film director born on 21st August 1944 directed "The Truman Show", "Master and Commander" and "Picnic at Hanging Rock"?

Answer: Peter Weir

Weir has been nominated as best director at the Academy Awards on four occasions for "Master and Commander", "The Truman Show", "Witness" and "Dead Poets Society" and for two further Oscars but as yet has not won one.

10. The Panama Canal was opened to traffic in August 1914. In which year did Panama finally take control of it?

Answer: 1999

On August 15, 1914 the Panama Canal was officially opened with the passage of the SS Ancon. It had taken $639m and 34 years to complete the project. It was another 85 years before adminstration of the canal was passed to Panama at noon on 31st December 1999.

Source: Author Snowman

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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