On This Day: December 25 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pope Leo III

Charles I, also knows as Charles the Great or Charlemagne, was King of the Franks and then, beginning in 774, King of the Lombards. He was crowned Emperor of the Romans by then Pope Leo III at St. Peter's Basillica in 800. Pope John Paul II and Pope Frances are both modern-day popes. Pope Gregory I died in 604.

Answer: Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson was the 17th president of the United States, succeeding Abraham Lincoln after his assassination. His December 25, 1868 proclamation "unconditionally, and without reservation" declared "a full pardon and amnesty for the offence of treason against the United States." The pardon included the "restoration of all rights, privileges, and immunities." This pardon came to be known as the "Christmas Amnesty."

Answer: William I

On October 14, 1066, at the Battle of Hastings, Harold Godwinson, sometimes called Harold II, faced William the Bastard. The last Anglo-Saxon king of England, Harold was killed when he was, according to legend, shot straight through the eye with an arrow. His forces were also defeated. On Christmas Day, now known as William the Conqueror, William I was crowned as the first Norman king of England.

George III was King of Britain and Ireland from 1760 until the two countries united in 1801, and then King of the United Kingdom until 1820. William II, the third son of William I, was crowned king in 1087.

Answer: Mikhail Gorbachev

When the Soviet Union dissolved against his wishes, Mikhail Gorbachev, who had been in office since March of 1990, resigned. In his televised speech, he said, "I am making this decision out of considerations based on principle. I have firmly stood for independence, self-rule of nations, for the sovereignty of the republics, but at the same time for preservation of the union state, the unity of the country."

Boris Yeltsin became the first president of Russia in 1991 after the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. Vladimir Putin was President of Russia from 1999 to 2008 and became president again in 2012. Stalin, a former premier of the Soviet Union, died in 1953.

Answer: 336

The first official mention of Jesus's birth having been observed on December 25 is found in an early Roman calendar from the year 336. (This is shortly after the Council of Nicea in 325. The Second Council of Nicea was held in 787.) It is thought the Church in Rome might have settled on this particular date in order to redirect emphasis from pagan festivals honoring Saturn and Mithra to a Christian festival honoring the Son of God.

After the Gregorian calendar was established, many Orthodox Churches continued to observe Christmas according to the Julian calendar, and so it now typically observes Christmas on January 7.

Answer: To Kill a Mockingbird

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is based on the novel by Harper Lee, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. Gregory Peck won an Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Actor, and the movie also won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. The novel and movie depicted race relations in the American South, and the novel became a staple of high school reading lists.

Answer: Clara Barton

Florence Nightingale was a British reformer who founded modern nursing. Harriett Tubman lead the underground railroad (rescuing slaves in the USA). Catherine Booth, along with William Booth, founded the Salvation Army. Clarissa Harlowe (Clara) Barton, who was a Christmas baby and American nurse, founded the American Red Cross during the presidential administration of Chester Arthur.

The American branch of the society, of which she was president, held its first official meeting in May of 1881.

Answer: Canada

The leader of the Liberal Party since 2013, Trudeau became the 23rd prime minister of Canada in 2015. He is the eldest son of Pierre Tudeau, who held the position as the 15th prime minister. Prior to achieving the position of prime minister, Justin Trudeau was elected to represent the riding of Papineau in the House of Commons.

He also served as the Liberal Party's critic for youth and multiculturalism and later for citizenship and immigration and then secondary education and sport.

Answer: Pakistan

Muhammad Ali Jinnah becamse the leader of the All-India Muslim League, which would go on to found an independent majority-Muslim state. In 1947, that state became Pakistan, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah became its first Governor-General. His birthday is observed as a national holiday.

Answer: Emperor Taishô

Emperor Taisho was enthroned on November 10, 1915. He suffered from neurological problems throughout his life and had been kept out of public view. As his condition deteriorated, power shifted to the Imperial Diet of Japan and the democratic parties, and so his rule came to be known as the "Taishô Democracy."

Puyi was the last Emperor of China (the 12th and last Emperor of the Qing dynasty). Naruhito became the Emperor of Japan in 2019. Emperor Jimmu was a legendary emperor of Japan who lived in the 6th and 7th centuries.