General Knowledge Quiz - May12th 2026

General Knowledge
1. What is the main ingredient of boxty?
a. Oats
b. Cabbage
c. Potatoes
d. Turnips

Answer: >!Potatoes (38%)!<
Bonus fact: >!Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake.!<

History

2. In 1879, during the War of the Pacific, Bolivia lost its coastline to which other country?
a. Argentina
b. Chile
c. Paraguay
d. Peru

Answer: >!Chile.............. (39%)!<
Bonus fact: >!Bolivia still maintains a navy despite being landlocked, operating mainly on rivers and Lake Titicaca.!<

Sport

3. Which British boxer defeated Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in 2017?
a. Anthony Joshua
b. David Haye
c. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
d. Tyson Fury

Answer: >!Anthony Joshua........ (50%)!<
Bonus fact: >!Both fighters were knocked down during the dramatic 11-round bout before Joshua won by TKO.!<

Music

4. The song American Pie was written and recorded by Don McLean — who released a cover version in 2000?
a. Celine Dion
b. Britney Spears
c. Sheryl Crow
d. Madonna

Answer: >!Madonna ...(52%)!<
Bonus fact: >!The song was heavily inspired by the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper.!<

Science and Nature

5. Which Ancient Greek is said to have shouted “Eureka!” after a discovery in his bath?
a. Archimedes
b. Aristotle
c. Pythagoras
d. Plato

Answer: >!Archimedes (67%)!<
Bonus fact: >!Archimedes made major contributions to mathematics, engineering and physics.!<

Geography

6. Which continental landmass has no active volcanoes?
a. Asia
b. Antarctica
c. Australia
d. North America

Answer: >!Australia .........(59%)!<
Bonus fact: >!Mainland Australia has not experienced a major volcanic eruption for around 5,000 years.!<

Current Affairs

7. Which star of the films True Lies and Twins received an honorary doctorate from Ulster University in March 2026?
a. Danny DeVito
b. Arnold Schwarzenegger
c. Jamie Lee Curtis
d. Sylvester Stallone

Answer: >!Arnold Schwarzenegger (57%)!<
Bonus fact: >!True Lies was reportedly the first film to have a production budget over $100m.!<

8. Who directed the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs?
a. Ridley Scott
b. Michael Mann
c. Oliver Stone
d. Jonathan Demme

Answer: >!Jonathan Demme (25%)!<
Bonus fact: >!The Silence of the Lambs is one of only three films to win the “Big Five” Academy Awards.!<

9. Complete the first line of A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the ___ of times.”
a. Strangest
b. Darkest
c. Hardest
d. Worst

Answer: >!Worst.... (83%)!<
*Bonus fact:*>! Charles Dickens published A Tale of Two Cities in 1859, set during the French Revolution.!<

10. On May 6th in 1937, the Hindenburg disaster involved what type of aircraft?
a. Helicopter
b. Airship
c. Glider
d. Aeroplane

Answer: >!Airship ....(89%)!<
Bonus fact: >!The disaster occurred in New Jersey when the airship caught fire.!<