Quiz of the year 2020: questions and answers for your online quiz – how well do you remember a year to forget

See how much you remember about a year to forget

How well do you remember the events and faces of 2020 (Getty Images)

When Queen Elizabeth II described 1992 as Annus Horribilis she probably didn’t foresee the complete and utter monstrosity that would be 2020.

From coronavirus to worldwide civil unrest, world events have tested the fortitude of most of us. And with the majority of the planet locked down for at least a portion of the year many of us have sought solace in the humble online quiz.

Though you could accuse 2020 of being a stinker, you certainly couldn’t say it was forgettable – see how well you remember 2020 with our fiendishly difficult quiz.

Round one: ‘Calm’ before the storm

Even before the world became gripped by the coronavirus pandemic, it was struck by a series of catastrophes, from the Australian bushfires to the Persian-Gulf crisis. Can you recall life before the pandemic?

1. On January 2 Prime Minister Boris Johnson said 2020 was going be a ‘what’ year for Britain?

2. On January 16 Donald Trump’s impeachment trial began - he was the first US president to be impeached since whom?

3. Wildfires took hold of the Australia at the turn of the year - which combination of colour and season did Australians assign the fires?

4. On January 31 the UK and Gibraltar formally withdrew from the European Union - MEPs bid the UK farewell with which song?

5. Which country made all public transport free to use in late February?

Round two: Who said it?

Politicians and medical health experts have become unlikely household names in the UK during the cornavirus pandemic. Can you name the high profile figure who said the quote?

1. “Will you shut up, man?”

2. "I tested very positively in another sense so— this morning. Yeah. I tested positively toward negative, right. So. I tested perfectly this morning. Meaning I tested negative."

3. "This is a complex product.It's not a yoghurt that can be taken out of the fridge and put back in multiple times."

4. "I don't think I am so different and that there is one rule for me and one rule for other people."

5. “I know I am in an established relationship”

Round three: A year of firsts

Looking back at the tumultuous year its difficult to pinpoint when key events took a hold of the UK - can you accurately guess the months that these key events took place?

1. Which month did Matt Hancock first mention coronavirus in public?

2. Which month was the first UK coronavirus briefing?

3. Which month did footballers first take a knee?

4. Which month did Donald Trump reveal that he had tested positive for coronavirus?

5. Which month was the first vaccine approved in the UK?

Round four: in happier news

It wasn’t all bad news in 2020, with the global pandemic and subsequent hardships bringing out the best in many of us.

1. The Run For Heroes trend encouraged active Brits to spend their daily exercise running what distance and donating what amount?

2. On the morning of his 100th birthday, how much had Captain Tom Moore raised for charity (to the nearest £5m)

3. In May which football competition became the first major league in Europe to resume since the start of the global pandemic?

4. What was the name of the second person to receive the Pfizer vaccine in the UK?

5. Which sports star received the 2020 Expert Panel Award at he Sports Personality of the Year Award for their tireless campaigning to eradicate food poverty?

Round five: MVPs

The sports calendar was all but halted when the world locked down. There were however a number of star performances in 2020 - can you name these sportspeople who made an impact?

1. Who was named the Man of the Match in the Champions League final?

2. Who won MVP at the NBA Finals?

3. Which tennis player clinched her second US Open title while expressing support for the Black Lives Matter movement?

4. Scotland qualified for a major tournament for the first time since 1998. Who gave them the lead in their match with Serbia?

5. Footballer Jen Beattie made headlines in December for playing for Arsenal while doing what?

Round six: New dictionary words

And finally… the Oxford Dictionary named not one but 47 words of the year in 2020. Try and guess whether the following five words were or were not featured in the final shortlist.

1. Zoombombing

2. Rona

3. Covidiot

4. Sanny

5. Unmute

Answers

Round one: 1. Fantastic 2. Bill Clinton 3. Black Summer 4. Auld Lang Syne 5. Luxembourg

Round two: 1. Joe Biden 2. Donald Trump 3. Jonathan Van Tam 4. Dominic Cummings 5. Matt Hancock

Round three: 1. January 2. March 3. June 4. October 5. December

Round four: 1. 5k and £5 2. £30m 3. Bundesliga 4. William Shakespeare 5. Marcus Rashford

Round five: 1. Kingsley Coman 2. LeBron James 3. Naomi Osaka 4. Ryan Christie 5. Receiving treatment for cancer

Round six: All five words were included in the 47-word shortlist