Love, Historically Trivia Quiz

Answer: Falcon

Robert Falcon Scott and his four companions reached the South Pole in January 1912 only to find that the Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen had beaten them to it. On the return journey, poor weather and a lack of supplies defeated them, and all five men died. Despite this, Scott is still usually considered a British hero for his attempt.

Answer: Special Operations Executive

The best known operations were in occupied France, where over 100 operatives lost their lives. Their task was to organise espionage and sabotage with the help of native French resistance workers. Several films have been made dramatising their work, include 'Carve Her Name with Pride' in 1958, 'The Heroes of Telemark' in 1965 and 'Charlotte Gray' in 2001.

Answer: William

For the title of Holy Roman Emperor to be official, the Pope had to carry out the coronation. Charlemagne (Charles) was crowned in 800 AD and is considered by some historians to be the first emperor. Others date the start of the empire from 962 AD with Otto I. Emperors not crowned officially were designated as Emperor Elect. The Empire was finally dissolved in 1806.

Answer: 1815

He ruled France as Emperor Napoleon I. Following his defeat by the Duke of Wellington, he was exiled to the island of St. Helena where he died in 1821. All the other dates are of significant battles. 1805 was the Battle of Trafalgar, 1854 was the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War and 1862 was the date of the Battle of Antietam during the American Civil War.

Answer: Robert Catesby

The plot was to blow up the Houses of Parliament. The conspirators were all Catholics and hoped to turn England back from its Protestant faith and persecution of Catholics. Guy Fawkes was found in the cellars with the barrels of gunpowder, and it is his name which is closely associated with the annual bonfire and fireworks displays on the anniversary, 5th November.

The other names are all actors.

Answer: John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster

John of Gaunt, the first Duke of Lancaster, never became king of England himself, being the third son of Edward III. He acted as regent during the minority of King Richard II and his (John of Gaunt's) son, Henry Bolingbroke, became King Henry IV after his father's death.

His children by Katherine Swynford were legitimised after their marriages, and it is through this line that Henry Tudor, who became Henry VII, claimed the throne and established the Tudor dynasty. The Stuart dynasty can also be traced back to the descendants of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford.

Answer: J. Paul Getty

J. Paul Getty is a well known philanthropist, who founded the Trust bearing his name using money made in the oil industry. The other three all worked and eventually died in foreign countries. Mother Teresa was born in the Balkans of Albanian parentage and worked in Kolkata (Calcutta) in India. Albert Schweitzer was a German doctor who founded a hospital in Lamberene, Gabon. Gladys Aylward was born in London and worked in China.

She eventually died in Taiwan, as she was refused re-entry to China by the government.

Answer: Orleans

Joan of Arc was canonized in 1920 as a Catholic saint. She claimed that she had received visions from God, telling her to lead the French army against the English during the Hundred Years' War. Her intervention ultimately led to Charles VII being crowned. Having been captured, she was found guilty of heresy and burned at the stake in 1431.

Answer: The Crown Jewels

Colonel Thomas Blood was born in Ireland and fought on both sides in the English Civil War, making sure he was on the winning side. Blood befriended Talbot Edwards, the 'Keeper of the Jewels' and persuaded him to allow him and his accomplices to view the Crown Jewels. Edwards was knocked unconscious but came round before the thieves had made good their escape.

Despite his arrest, Blood managed to charm King Charles II into pardoning him and died of natural causes in 1680.

Answer: David Cornwell

Julius Rosenberg was found guilty, with his wife Ethel, of conspiracy to commit espionage in the USA and they were both executed in 1953. Klaus Fuchs was tried in the UK and sentenced to fourteen years' imprisonment in 1950. After his release in 1959 he went to live in what was then East Germany. Guy Burgess was never tried, as he escaped to Russia in 1951 believing that his activities were about to be uncovered. David Cornwell is the real name of John Le Carre, who is best known for writing about spies, such as George Smiley.