It's My Party, I'll Write a Quiz If I Want To

Answer: 1945

Knowing that the end was nigh, Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci tried to flee Northern Italy, heading for Switzerland on 25 April and hoping for a subsequent plane to Spain. Before they could reach the Swiss border, their entourage was stopped at the small village of Dongo on the shores of Lake Como on 27 April.

Mussolini was recognised and the entire group was arrested. They were taken to Giulino di Mezzegra, where they spent their last night, before being shot the following day (April 28). The identity of the man responsible for the executions is said to have been Walter Audisio (nom de guerre 'Colonnello Valerio').

Answer: 1777

The Revolutionary War had begun two years earlier in 1775, with significant fighting taking place in both Massachusetts and New York. However, in 1777 the first fighting broke out in Connecticut, with the British troops attacking Continental Army supplies in the town of Danbury. When the Patriot armies heard of what was happening in Danbury, they headed north to try and stop the British forces. The British under William Tryon attempted to head to the coast to avoid battle but were halted by the Americans under General Wooster.

The battle is notable for what has become known as 'Sybil's ride', in which 16-year-old Sybil Ludington rode 40 miles around the county to round up the local militias after hearing of the British attack on Danbury. It is often compared to the midnight ride of Paul Revere at Lexington and Concord.

Answer: 630

Shahrbaraz managed to hold on to the Sassanian throne for a mere 40 days, being killed by his own nobles on 9 June 670. However, he is also notable for his role during the Byzantine-Sassanian War of the early 7th Century, in which he was an important general during the sacking of Dara and Edessa in 604, and Constantinople in 626. He is named 'Boar of the Empire' as the boar was seen as the epitome of military victory in the Zoroastrian faith.

The Sassanian Empire was the final Persian empire before the rise of Islam, ruling from 224 to 651. It reached its greatest extent in around 620, and held territories in modern-day Oman, Syria and Egypt.

Answer: 1906

The State Duma was the lower house of parliament in the late Russian Empire, with the State Council of Imperial Russia being the upper house. It came about as a result of pressure from the Russian Revolution of 1905, that led to the constitution of 1906. Despite the establishment of the State Duma, Nicholas II was determined to hold on to his power, and included a law that gave him the title of 'supreme autocrat' in that same constitution.

The State Duma lasted from 1906 until the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917. During that 11-year period there were four separate Dumas, with the first two lasting no more than a couple of months. In 1907, both factions of the Social Democratic Labour Party (the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks) decided to stop boycotting the Duma elections and won their first seats.

Answer: 1865

When Cornell University was founded in April 1865, the New York Senate decided that it should be the 'land grant' institution of the state of New York, meaning that the university is allowed to raise funds from federally-controlled land, as introduced by the Morrill Act of 1862. Other land grant institutions of the United States include the University of Maine and Purdue University in Indiana.

The first President of Cornell University was the historian and educator Andrew Dickson White, who served in the position for almost two decades. Other Presidents of the university include Elizabeth Garrett and Martha E. Pollack.

Answer: 1961

The independence of Sierra Leone from the United Kingdom was arranged at the 1960 Independence Conference in London, at which a Sierra Leonean delegation of 24 members met with Queen Elizabeth II and Colonial Secretary Iain Macleod. The talks ended on 4 May, with the date of 27 April 1961 agreed as the date for independence.

Many African countries gained independence from their European colonial rulers in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with 17 countries becoming independent in 1960 alone (including Togo, also on 27 April!).

Answer: 711

When the Moors took Gibraltar in 711, they defeated the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo that held power at the time. Gibraltar was under Moorish control for more than seven centuries, surviving many sieges before finally falling to Christian forces in 1462.

The caliphate that was in charge during the 8th Century invasion was the Umayyad Caliphate. While they fell in the East to the Abbasid Revolution in 750, the Umayyads held Cordoba in Spain as a 'capital-in-exile' until 1031.

Answer: 1509

The interdict placed on Venice in 1509 was around the beginning of the extremely complicated War of the League of Cambrai, also known as the War of the Holy League. While various Italian city states changed sides throughout the war, from 1508 to 1510, the city of Venice was at odds with the Papal States, hence the interdict. The interdict was lifted in 1510 after Venice accepted the peace terms laid out by the Papal States, joining forces to fight France and the Duchy of Ferrara. Venice and the Papal States found themselves on opposing sides once again a few years later - how confusing!

Julius II is one of the more notable popes of the Renaissance era, known for both his aggressive foreign policy and his love of the arts. During his reign, Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.

Answer: 1296

The Battle of Dunbar was a result of the English king, Edward I, deciding to invade Scotland to punish the Scottish king, John Balliol, for failing to support the English during their campaign in France. It was preceded by the sacking of the border town Berwick-upon-Tweed, after which Edward got a taste for victory and tried to conquer the whole of Scotland.

The defeat of John Balliol and his forces at Dunbar can be seen as the initial battle of the First Scottish War of Independence (a name only given to the conflict many years later). The war, featuring some of the most famous names from Scottish history such as William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, lasted until 1328, with the Scots restoring independence with the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton.

Answer: 1967

The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, perhaps better known as 'Expo 1967' was one of the biggest exhibitions of the 20th Century. Lasting from 27 April until 29 October 1967, it received more than 50 million visitors, with over 500,000 visiting on the third day. Expo 67 was initially going to be held in Russia to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, but this fell through and it was awarded to Canada in 1962.

Part of Expo 67 took place at Habitat 67, a spectacular building complex designed by the Israeli/Canadian architect Moshe Safdie. The complex is made up of over 300 prefab concrete forms arranged into various different patterns, and reaching up to 12 storeys tall.