Strictly English Trivia Quiz

Answer: Herbert George

H.G. Wells was born in 1866. His most famous works, like the ones mentioned above, were in the genre of science fiction, leading to him being dubbed as the successor of Jules Verne. Other works, like "Kipps", which describe the lifestlye of lower middle-class English society have caused some people to call him the successor of Charles Dickens.

Answer: Christopher Marlowe

The Shakespeare-Marlowe controversy is still open. Those who believe Marlowe was the author of the Shakespeare plays state that Marlowe's death in 1593 in a bar-room brawl was faked. They also state that, due to the similarities in the writing style of Marlowe and Shakespeare, the author must be the same.

However, the theory is usually frowned upon by scholars, but the controversy remains open.

Answer: He had metal shutters installed on his windows

The reason Wellington installed the shutters was to prevent rioters from breaking his windows. Apart from being a successful general for Britain, he was also one of the most influential politicians of his era. As Prime Minister in the Tory government of 1828-30, he piloted the Catholic Emancipation Act through the House of Lords, giving Roman Catholics in Britain and Ireland most of the rights enjoyed by Protestants.

Wellington opposed Parliamentary Reform, and a mob smashed the windows at Apsley House in 1831. Some months later metal shutters were installed to prevent a repetition.

Answer: Isaac Newton

Newton's laws are fundamental to mechanics, one of the most demanding fields of physics. Apart from being a physicist, Newton also studied alchemy and biblical chronology, but his works on those topics were published posthumously. A lesser known fact about Newton is that he, in his later years, served as President of the Royal Society and as Warden of the Royal Mint.

In the latter role, he introduced a de facto gold standard, though legally Sterling remained a silver currency until 1823.

Answer: Bernard Montgomery

Bernard Montgomery was strict, but loved by his soldiers, who had the nicknames "Monty" and "Spartan General" for him. After the Invasion of Normandy, he played an important part in pushing the Nazis back to Germany and was the one to accept the surrender of the German forces in northwestern Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Answer: John Keats

John Keats was born in 1795. During his lifetime, his works did not receive many postitive reviews. However, after his death, his popularity grew and, by the end of the 19th century, he came to be the most beloved English poet. Jorge Luis Borges states that reading Keats' works was the grandest literary moment in his life.

Answer: Edward

Edward Teach was born around 1680. He began his career as a privateer during the War of Spanish Succession. His actions as a pirate attracted the attention of Alexander Spotswood, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, who commissioned Robert Maynard to capture the pirate.

In late 1718, Teach was killed while battling Maynard. Despite his notorious criminal actions, Teach was later romanticized, as happened with the vast majority of pirates.

Answer: Henry VIII

Only in his later years was Henry VIII described as a lustful and megalomaniac monarch. His court was a place where the arts flourished. He was the chief instrument of the English Reformation, which began when the Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church.

Henry established himself as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. He also expanded royal power greatly. Henry was, at least at his own times considered "one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne".

Answer: Charles Darwin

Darwin first came up with the evolution theory when he circumnavigated the glode abord the HMS Beagle. In his book, Darwin proposed natural selection (i.e. the survival of the fittest) as the mechanism of evolution. Although it had been suggested that Darwin was an atheist, in fact he considered himself agnostic and had claimed that he never doubted the existence of God or that God was the ultimate lawgiver.

It is noteworthy that Darwin opposed the transposition of his theory to human society ("Social Darwinism") as unethical. His burial in Westminster Abbey in 1882 was not controversial.

Answer: Daphne du Maurier

Other novels or short stories written by Daphne du Maurier and adapted by Hitchcock are "The Birds" and "Jamaica Inn". Another work of hers, "Not After Midnight" was adapted into a film by Nicolas Roeg, with the film being entitled "Don't Look Now".