Chess Pieces Trivia Quiz

Answer: Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip married at Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947. Originally, Philip was a prince of Greece and Denmark, but relinquished those titles to become a naturalised British subject. The couple first met as children at a wedding in 1934.

They met again in 1939, when Philip was 18 years old and Elizabeth was 13, and began to write letters to each other. They celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary in 2017 after standing by each other for 70 years - what an achievement!

Answer: Conwy Castle

Welsh and English royalty fought over large parts of Wales for much of the Medieval period. When Edward I of England gained control of North Wales, he built a new abbey and a town in the Conwy valley, with a new castle to protect them. Over the centuries, the castle waned in importance and regularly fell into disrepair. During the 19th century, it became popular with artists and tourists, and has been a tourist destination ever since.

Answer: 7th century BCE

The Great Wall of China was built and expanded over thousands of years. Some of the earliest fortifications attributed to the Wall date back to the 7th century BCE. The Chu state in China built the 'Square Wall' to defend its northern boundary.

Answer: World War I

"No-man's-land" is a strip of land with either a disputed ownership or unowned waste ground. The phrase originated in medieval England, but rose in popularity during the First World War. It was used to refer to land between opposing sides, particularly the land between trenches. The boundaries of no-man's-land changed frequently as armies advanced, often by a tiny amount at a time.

Answer: Lee Harvey Oswald

The events of JFK's assassination are shrouded in unanswered questions, differing accounts, and inconsistencies. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for shooting a police officer shortly after President Kennedy had been killed. After his arrest, Oswald was also accused of assassinating the President.

Right up until he was shot and killed two days later, Oswald denied assassinating JFK. He claimed that he was a patsy and that the photos linking him to the murder weapon were faked.

Answer: Marie-Antoinette

The French monarchy had been in trouble for some time when King Louis XVI and his queen consort, Marie-Antoinette, were arrested and imprisoned in 1792. France was struggling financially and the decadence of the monarchy was scorned by the public. After appealing for help to other European royals and nobles, the king was executed for treason in January 1793 and Marie-Antoinette's followed on 14th October.

Answer: Ronald Reagan

John Hinckley Jr. had become obsessed with actor Jodie Foster. He attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan in order to impress her. After an engagement at a hotel, Hinckley fired six shots at the President. The first shot hit White House Press Secretary James Brady. He was shot in the head and survived, though he was paralysed for the rest of his life. Thomas Delahanty, a police officer, was wounded next.

As Reagan was pushed into his car, Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy put himself in the line of fire to protect the President. He was shot in the back by one of the bullets, while another ricocheted off the car and hit Reagan under his arm. Luckily, all of the wounded men survived, though James Brady never fully recovered.

Answer: Indira Gandhi

During the 1980s, Sikh separatists in India wanted more independence from central government. Indira Gandhi ordered the army to attack a group of separatists while they were inside the Golden Temple, which led to 450 Sikhs being killed. In October later that year, two of Gandhi's Sikh bodyguards shot and killed her in revenge.

Answer: Charles II

King Charles II and his supporters lost the Battle of Worcester in September 1651. They were fighting against Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentary New Model Army, and the Royalists were defeated. Charles escaped through a house in Worcester and made his way south to cross the English Channel, apparently hiding in a hollow oak tree on his way there.

The events that led up to his retreat are known as the English Civil War. The war was fought over a number of issues, including the state religion, and the balance of power between the monarchy and Parliament.

Answer: Kennedy and Nixon

The first televised presidential debate on American TV featured Kennedy and Nixon in September 1960. Nixon had served as Vice President for a number of years, making Kennedy young and inexperienced in comparison. Some historians argue that the TV debate gave Kennedy an edge with the voters.

Nixon was recovering from an injured knee as well as flu. He refused to use make-up, so his stubble was clearly visible. He looked pale and tired after a long day campaigning. Kennedy, on the other hand, had rested on the day of the debate, and appeared tanned and confident.