Quiz of the year 2014

INTERNATIONAL

1 Who lost his first lady in January after he was caught on camera emerging from the home of a second lady?

2 What was Joni Ernst known for before election to the US senate in November on a pledge to cut “pork” in Washington?

3 Which town in the US state of Missouri erupted in protest after unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was shot dead by police in August?

4 Who did Prince Charles compare to Hitler in May?

5 Why did the Rosetta spacecraft Philae hit the headlines in November?

6 Which Olympic athlete was arrested in February after his girlfriend was shot dead at his home?

7 Who became the new Prime Minister of India in May?

8 Which European monarch abdicated in June after reigning for almost 40 years?

9 Which building rose from the ashes of 9/11 and opened for business in November?

10 Name the film which prompted a cyber-attack on Sony Pictures in December.

TRANSPORT

1 Why are Scotland’s trains going Dutch in April?

2 Which form of transport will keep Lord Hardie busy in 2015?

3 Which struggling Scottish airport now has as few as one passenger flight a day?

4 How many vehicles had crossed the Forth Road Bridge by its 50th birthday in September?

5 Which road safety system launched in October is the second longest in the world?

6 Why has 2015’s Jim Clark Rally in the Borders been cancelled?

7 Why did Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group have better luck with its trains than planes this year?

8 Which crash that killed ten people remained a mystery more than a year after it

happened?

9 Why did an advertising watchdog have to back pedal over a cycling advert?

10 Which road suffered its worst recorded landslide in October?

BUSINESS

1 Which iconic Scottish liqueur was sold to William Grant and Sons?

2 In which town did US donut giant Krispy Kreme open its second Scottish outlet?

3 Which Scottish businessman stepped in to rescue the historic shipbuilding firm Ferguson Shipyard?

4 Which company announced plans to invest up to £640m in shale gas exploration in the UK?

5 Which supermarket sold an entire school uniform for just £4?

6 Which Scottish law firm had to be rescued by Shepherd and Wedderburn in an emergency takeover?

7 Inflation dropped to what significant level last month?

8 Which American restaurant operator announced plans to open its first European outlet, in Dundee?

9 Who took over as head of Clydesdale Bank owner

National Australia Bank?

10 Which Scottish housebuilder unveiled plans to double turnover to £400m in the next three years?

SPORT

1 Who swam to a shock victory in the Men’s 200 metre breaststroke at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games?

2 Who was the top goalscorer in the inaugural Scottish Premiership in season 2013/2014?

3 Who skipped the British men’s and women’s curling teams to medal glory at the Sochi Winter Olympics?

4 Which horse won the 2014 Grand National in April?

5 Who were the St Johnstone scorers in their 2-0 Scottish Cup Final victory over Dundee Utd?

6 By what score did Germany beat hosts Brazil in the World Cup semi-final in June?

7 How many gold medals did Scotland win at the Commonwealth Games in July?

8 What was the final score in the 40th Ryder Cup played at the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles in September?

9 In rugby, in which autumn test did brothers Richie and Jonny Gray both score tries?

10 Who scored for Atlético Madrid in the 2014 Champions League Final?

ARTS AND CULTURE

1 What controversial admission did Stephen Fry make in his memoir More Fool Me?

2 Gillian Anderson won best actress at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards for which role?

3 To which piece of music did Torvil and Dean skate on their return to Sarajevo to recreate the dance routine that won them Olympic gold in 1984?

4 How did Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch announce his engagement to his fiancée Sophie Hunter, from Edinburgh?

5 British composer Steven Price won an Oscar for his score for which film?

6 Which joke won the Dave award for funniest joke of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

7 Comedian Alexander Armstrong was announced as the new voice of which cartoon character?

8 Former Boyzone member Ronan Keating made his West End debut in which musical?

9 Which novel won the 2014 Man Booker Prize?

10 Which Scottish band won the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for best British or Irish record?

POLITICS

1 Who cited his family origins in a Highland clan with the motto Let Us Unite as he pleaded with Scotland in February not to vote for independence?

2 Which three candidates stood for election as Scottish Labour Party leader after Johann Lamont resigned in October?

3 What did Ed Miliband struggle to eat elegantly in May?

4 Which former 10 Downing Street communications chief was jailed in June over phone hacking while they were a tabloid editor?

5 Alex Salmond announced he will contest which Westminster seat at next May’s general election?

6 What did Ed Miliband forget to mention in his conference speech in September?

7 Which party leader appeared to praise Vladimir Putin in April for “restoring Russian pride”?

8 Whose August announcement that he will stand in the 2015 election was welcomed by David Cameron, who said he wanted “all my star players on the pitch”?

9 Which former party leader was hailed in September as “the greatest living Yorkshireman” after he announced he was retiring from front-line politics?

10 Whose Reckless gamble paid off in November?

FILM AND TELEVISION

1 Which Scottish business revealed the world’s first protest beer designed to mock Russian president Vladimir Putin?

2 Which hospital was criticised for serving fry-up breakfast pies in its canteen?

3 Who quit BBC1’s Great British Bake Off amid a scandal surrounding a Baked Alaska?

4 Which restaurant retained its two Michelin stars, making it the best rated in Scotland?

5 Tennis star Andy Murray has hired which chef to oversee the restaurant at his luxury hotel Cromlix House, near Dunblane?

6 Which iconic Scottish product was prominently on display during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games?

7 Which restaurant was named the world’s best by Restaurant Magazine?

8 What caused sales in fast food restaurants to nosedive in China?

9 What wiped out half the salmon at a major fish farm in North Uist operated by the Loch Duart salmon company?

10 The Scottish Government launched a bid to secure Protected Geographical Indicator status for which fruity product?

FOOD AND DRINK

1 Kylie Minogue bowed out of BBC1 talent show The Voice to be replaced by whom in September?

2 He was famous for a Triangle, moved on to a Square and this month joined the cast of New Tricks. Who is he?

3 Comedian Frank Skinner had his dreams come true when he had a guest role in which sci-fi series?

4 Which film by British director Steve McQueen was named Best Picture at the Oscars in February?

5 Who was nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Professor Stephen Hawking?

6 Who is the Scottish actor who died this year and made his first film appearance playing Archibald Ives in The Great Escape?

7 Who won the best actress Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards?

8 Which BBC sports programme celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014?

9 What is the name of the song repeatedly played in The Lego Movie?

10 Which politician joined Steph and Dom for a few drinks in front of the TV on Gogglebox?

CELEBRITIES AND MEDIA

1 The death of which comic in June saw Adrian Edmondson pay tribute to him as a “selfish bastard” for dying without him?

2 A cover version of the final recording by The Beatles went into the top ten in November after featuring in a Christmas ad. What was the song?

3 Which member of boy band One Direction caused a Twitter sensation as fans went wild for a loose strand of hair from his quiff?

4 Which was the only newspaper to back independence ahead of September’s referendum?

5 Which TV impresario became a father in February?

6 Which Hollywood legend killed himself in August?

7 Which country did Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt choose when they wed in August?

8 Whom did Cheryl Cole marry in July?

9 Which Hollywood star did British lawyer Amal Alamuddin wed in September?

10Who dedicated an album to his ex-wife in July?

HOME NEWS

1 Which BBC broadcaster showed off his new clean-shaven look in January after claiming “beards are so 2013”?

2 Four members of Sri Lanka’s Commonwealth Games team were stopped by police when spotted cycling where?

3 How did the Queen sign off her first ever tweet in October?

4 What was blamed for the fire that ravaged the iconic Glasgow School of Art?

5 Who was finally brought to justice for the 1977 “World’s End” murders of Christine Eadie and Helen Scott?

6 How many police forces were merged to create Police Scotland?

7 Who replaced Kenny MacAskill as justice secretary?

8 Which athlete was claimed to have described the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as “a bit s***?”

9 Which Liberal Democrat peer was cleared by his party of harassing female activists?

10 Which stretch of water off Scotland’s coast did scientists predict could provide enough green energy to power half the nation’s homes?

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QUIZ OF THE YEAR ANSWERS

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INTERNATIONAL

1 A: French president François Hollande

2 A: Castrating pigs on her farm in Iowa

3 A: Ferguson

4 A: Vladimir Putin

5 A: It landed on a comet

6 A: Oscar Pistorius

7 A: Narendra Modi

8 A: King Juan Carlos

9 A: One World Trade Center, also known as Freedom Tower

10 A: The Interview

TRANSPORT

1. Dutch firm Abellio will take over the ScotRail franchise

2. He will chair the Edinburgh tram inquiry

3. Prestwick

4. 760 million

5. Average speed cameras which cover 136 miles of the A9

6. Following three deaths at May’s event when a car hit spectators

7. The Virgin Red airline announced its closure in 2015 but Virgin Trains was given a three-year west coast franchise extension and its joint bid with Stagecoach won the east coast franchise

8. The police helicopter crash on to the Clutha bar in Glasgow in November 2013 – the investigation is due to conclude in the New Year

9. The Advertising Standards Authority reversed its ban on the advert for showing a cyclist without a helmet because it is not compulsory

10. The A83 Rest and Be Thankful pass in Argyll, blocked for five days by 2,000 tonnes of debris

BUSINESS

1. Drambuie

2. Livingston

3. Jim McColl

4. Ineos

5. Aldi

6. Tods Murray

7. 1 per cent

8. Project Pie

9. Andrew Thorburn

10. Stewart Milne

SPORT

1. Ross Murdoch

2. Kris Commons

3. David Murdoch and Eve Muirhead

4. Pineau De Re

5. Steven Anderson and Steven MacLean

6. 7-1

7. 19

8. Europe 16.5, USA 11.5

9. Against Argentina, Scotland won 41-31

10. Diego Godín

ARTS AND CULTURE

1. He had taken cocaine at Buckingham Palace

2. Blanche Dubois in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire

3. Ravel’s Boléro

4. A notice in the Times

5. Gravity

6. “I’ve decided to sell my Hoover… well, it was just collecting dust” – Tim Vine

7. Danger Mouse

8. Once

9. The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Richard Flanagan

10. Young Fathers, for Dead

POLITICS

1. David Cameron

2. Jim Murphy, Sarah Boyack and Neil Findlay

3. A bacon sandwich

4. Andy Coulson

5. Gordon

6. Immigration and the deficit

7. Alex Salmond

8. Boris Johnson

9. William Hague

10. Mark Reckless, who won back his Rochester seat for Ukip after quitting as a Tory MP

FILM AND TELEVISION

1. Rita Ora

2. Larry Lamb

3. Doctor Who

4. 12 Years a Slave

5. Eddie Redmayne, star of The Theory of Everything

6. Angus Lennie

7. Cate Blanchett, for Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine

8. Match of the Day

9. Everything is Awesome

10. Nigel Farage

FOOD AND DRINK

1. Brewdog

2. Ninewells Hospital, in Dundee

3. Iain Waters

4. Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles

5. Albert Roux

6. Tunnock’s Teacakes

7. Noma in Copenhagen

8. A scandal involving tainted meat supplies

9. An invasion of “mauve stinger” jellyfish, followed by bad weather

10. Dundee cake

CELEBRITIES AND MEDIA

1. Rik Mayall

2. Real Love

3. Zayn Malik

4. The Sunday Herald

5. Simon Cowell

6. Robin Williams

7. France

8. French restaurateur Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini

9. George Clooney

10. Blurred Lines singer Robin Thicke

HOME NEWS

1. Jeremy Paxman

2. The M74 motorway

3. Elizabeth R

4. A can of expanding foam and a projector

5. Robert Black

6. Eight

7. Michael Matheson

8. Usain Bolt

9. Lord Rennard

10. The Pentland Firth