May The Fourth Be With You Trivia Quiz

Answer: Wars of the Roses

The Wars of the Roses was the name subsequently given to a fifteen-century series of struggles for the English throne between the Yorkists (represented by a white rose) and the Lancastrians (a red one). Edward Duke of Westminster was a member of the Lancastrian house, and the son of King Henry VI. He was only 17 at the time of his death in battle.

Answer: Rhode Island

Rhode Island (or Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, to give it its full name at the time) was one of the original British "thirteen colonies" which declared their independence during this year. It was subsequently the last to ratify the new Constitution, which it eventually did in May 1790.

The incorrect options all joined the US some time later; Texas in 1845, Nebraska in 1867 and Alaska in 1959.

Answer: The inspiration for "Alice in Wonderland"

The Reverend Charles Dodgson (whose pen-name was Lewis Carroll) improvised the original story of Alice as entertainment for Alice Liddell and her sisters, during a trip in a rowing boat between Oxford and Godstow. At her urging, he wrote the story down, and the rest is history, as they say. Alice grew up and married Reginald Hargreaves, a cricketer, in 1880, and bore him three sons.

She died on 16th November 1934, aged 84, in Westerham, Kent.

Answer: United States of America

The French attempt was hindered by a combination of engineering problems and an unacceptably high death rate from disease, and eventually the money ran out. After various negotiations, the United States took over the project in 1904, and ten years later, on August 15, 1914, the canal was officially opened.

Answer: Egypt

Hosni Mubarak spent much of his career as an officer in the Egyptian Air Force, eventually serving as its Commander from 1972-75. In 1975 he was appointed vice-president of Egypt, under Anwar Sadat, who he succeeded as president in October 1981 following Sadat's assassination.

He held this office for almost 30 years, until February 2011, when he resigned following a revolution that formed part of the so-called "Arab Spring" that spread through the region.

Answer: Marisa Robles

Marisa Robles became famous around the world for her harp-playing. Born in Spain, she gave her first public concert in 1954 at the age of seventeen, playing the Mozart Concerto for Flute and Harp with flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal. The other options are all Spanish musicians; Rodrigo is a composer, best known for his guitar concerto, the "Concierto de Aranjuez". Domingo and Carreras are both opera singers, and made up two-thirds of the "Three Tenors", the third member being the Italian Luciano Pavarotti.

Answer: The Old Man and the Sea

"The Old Man and the Sea", published in 1952, was Hemingway's last major work, and was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. It tells of an old fisherman, Santiago, and his struggles to catch and bring home an enormous marlin. In 1954 Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, with this book being specifically cited by the award committee.

Answer: Became the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Margaret Thatcher did all of these things, but it was on the 4th May 1979 that she became Prime Minister for the first time. She won two more General Elections, in 1983 and 1987, and eventually resigned in November 1990, having served for over 11 years.

She visited China in 1982, survived the IRA Brighton bomb in 1984, and became a life peer in 1992. She died in 2013, and in tribute to her achievements was granted a ceremonial funeral with full military honours.

Answer: Josip Broz Tito

Josip Broz was born on 7th May 1892. He adopted the name "Tito" as a revolutionary pseudonym during the 1930s, and retained it for the rest of his life. During World War II he led the Yugoslav resistance movement, known as the Partisans, and subsequently became the first president of Yugoslavia in 1953.

He remained as president until his death on 4th May 1980. A powerful dictator, his country entered a period of unrest after his death, eventually breaking up into a series of individual republics including Croatia, Serbia, and Macedonia.

Answer: Argentina

This incident took place during the 1982 Falklands Conflict, in which a UK military task force successfully defeated an Argentinian force which had invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands, a UK overseas territory. The Exocet missile which struck HMS Sheffield failed to explode, although twenty crew members were killed by the impact. Seriously damaged by fires caused by the impact, the ship sank six days later, on May 10th.