Handshakes in History Trivia Quiz

Answer: It was the first link up in space between the USA and the USSR

Thomas Stafford was the Commander of the American 'Apollo' mission that linked up in space with the Soviet 'Soyuz 19', commanded by Alexei Leonov. This historic meeting was the product of the Apollo Soyuz Test Project that had been agreed between US President Nixon and Soviet Premier Kosygin in 1972.

The other crew members were Vance Brand and Deke Slayton ('Apollo') and Valery Kubasov ('Soyuz 19').

Answer: Vittorio Orlando (Italy)

Orlando was the Prime Minister of Italy. Italy had been a member of the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Austria-Hungary, the main Central Powers, but entered the war on the side of the Allies in 1915 to emerge as one of the victors. The Treaty of Versailles, which resulted from the Paris Conference, was dictated by the victorious powers but pleased few people.

Many in England and France felt that the penalties placed on Germany were not harsh enough, while the Germans felt that the penalties were far too harsh and resented being blamed for the war.

Answer: "Yes"

Henry Stanley, an American journalist of Welsh birth, set out from Zanzibar in search of the missing missionary-explorer. He travelled 750 miles inland over 200 days, suffering malaria, starvation and dysentery along the way. When he eventually found him, Livingstone's monosyllabic reply must have been somewhat of an anti-climax. I assume that they shook hands at some point shortly after!

Answer: Elbe

When this historic meeting between allies from East and West took place, it signalled the imminent end of the Second World War in Europe. The US Army's soldiers were from the 273rd Infantry Regiment, 69th Division; the Russians from the 173rd Regiment, 58th Guards Division.

Answer: Henry VIII of England & Francois I of France

This wrestling bout happened at some point during the negotiations known as 'The Field of the Cloth of Gold'. Ostensibly arranged to discuss an alliance of France and England against the Holy Roman Empire, the negotiations became an immense pageant of chivalry where each monarch tried to outdo the other in demonstrations of wealth and prowess.

Henry challenged Francois to a wrestling bout but when he lost, his hurt pride meant that the negotiations were doomed. A month later, England signed an alliance with The Holy Roman Empire against France. Charles V and Carlos I were one and the same monarch - a red herring for which I do apologise!

Answer: Charles Dickens

This meeting was arranged at the request of Poe, who was trying to solicit Dickens' help with the publication in England of his 'Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque'. Although Dickens promised he would help Poe, nothing came of it. During his second visit to the USA in 1867, long after Poe's death, Dickens gave money to Poe's impoverished mother-in-law and later arranged for $1,000 to be sent to her.

Answer: The systematic murder of the European Jewish population

Reinhard Heydrich, Chief of SS Intelligence, chaired this infamous meeting of security chiefs and senior civil servants. Minuted carefully by Adolf Eichmann, this conference worked out details of the implementation of 'The Final Solution'.

The decision to murder the European Jews had been taken somewhat earlier and at a much higher level.

Answer: Christopher Marlowe

Marlowe had met Ingram Frizer, Nicholas Skeres and Robert Poley at Widow Bull's Lodgings House in the morning and they spent the rest of that day together in private conversation. That evening, Marlowe attacked Frizer in an argument over payment for the day's meals.

In the ensuing scuffle, Marlowe was fatally stabbed. Marlowe's death has been the subject of various conspiracy theories ever since, emanating from suggestions that he was involved in espionage.

Answer: He wanted to know more about polygamy

Burton was intrigued by the nature of polygamy and, since Young was rumoured to have 27 wives, who better was there to ask? Burton was an Englishman who had achieved fame for several accomplishments, among them the discovery of Lake Tanganyika, the translation into English of 'The Karma Sutra', and the introduction into the English language of 'pyjamas' and 'safari'.

Answer: Czechoslovakia

At the Munich Conference, Mussolini, Chamberlain and Daladier agreed not to obstruct Germany's claim over the Sudeten area of Czechoslovakia. A timetable was set for the formal handover of the Sudetenland to Germany, and the Second World War was effectively postponed for nearly a year. Less than six months later, Germany annexed what remained of Bohemia and Moravia, and turned Slovakia into a puppet state.