Events of December 5th Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hispaniola

On landing on the island on December 5th 1492, Columbus called it 'La Isla Espanola' (meaning "The Spanish Island"), which was Anglicized to 'Hispaniola' some time later. With an area of 29,418 square miles, Hispaniola is the 22nd largest island in the world, and the second largest island of the West Indies. The island is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Answer: Charles IX

Born Charles Maximilian on June 27th 1550, Charles IX became King of France on December 5th 1560 following the death of his brother, King Francis II, who had only reigned for seventeen months following the death of their father, King Henry II. Charles IX reigned as King of France for just under thirteen and a half years until his death on May 30th 1574, upon which he was succeeded by his younger brother Henry III.

Answer: James Christie

James Christie was born in Perth, Scotland in 1730. He founded Christie's auctioneers on December 5th 1766, with his first sale taking place at rooms in Pall Mall, London. Christie became friends of artists and craftsman such as Thomas Gainsborough, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Thomas Chippendale, and his auction rooms handled some of the most prestigious sales of the late-eighteenth century.

Answer: James K. Polk

James Knox Polk was the 11th president of the USA, in office from March 4th 1845 to March 4th 1849. He confirmed the discovery of gold in California in an address to Congress on December 5th 1848, although the 'Rush' had started almost a year earlier on January 24th 1848 with the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill by James W. Marshall. The California Gold Rush lasted until 1855.

Answer: Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14th 1879 and is probably the most famous physicist of all time, best known for his Theory of Relativity and perhaps the world's best known equation, E = mc squared. He was granted an American visa on December 5th 1932, making it possible for him to travel to the US, which he subsequently did, eventually making the decision to stay in the country leading him to apply for citizenship in 1935.

Answer: Twenty-first

The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed by Congress on February 20th 1933, and was ratified on December 5th 1933. It repealed the eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States, making it a federal offence to transport or importat intoxicating liquors into any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States where such transportation or importation [was] prohibited.

Answer: Montgomery

On December 1st 1955, Rosa Parks, an African American, refused to give up her seat to a Caucasian man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama at the direction of the bus driver. She was arrested and fined on December 5th 1955, with the subsequent boycotting of public buses by African Americans in Montgomery starting on the same day.

The boycott, which was headed by Rosa Parks and president of the local NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) chapter, E. D. Nixon, lasted for 381 days, and was a key event in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

Answer: Preston

Designed and engineered by Lancashire County Council surveyor James Drake, the Preston By-pass was just over eight miles long, stretching from Bamber Bridge to Broughton, and was built at a cost of just under £3 million. It was officially opened by the then Prime Minister Harold MacMillan on December 5th 1958.

It is now part of the 230 mile long M6 motorway, which is often referred to as "The Backbone of Britain".

Answer: Ronnie O'Sullivan

Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan was born on December 5th 1975 in the West Midlands, England, but moved to Essex with his family as a young child. His nickname of "The Rocket" hints at his fast-playing style. Combining this with his unpredictable nature and natural talent, and O'Sullivan is one of the most loved and successful players the sport of snooker has ever known.

Answer: Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18th 1918 in Cape Province, South Africa and was the first post-apartheid President of South Africa, holding office from May 10th 1994 to June 14th 1999. Mandela was key figure in the ending of apartheid in South Africa, and is widely considered a hero both inside South Africa and worldwide.

In the last few years of his life, Mandela suffered from recurring respiratory and lung infections, and died at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg on December 5th 2013 at the age of 95.