Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. Where and when did these shootings occur?
Two
At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, which female German athlete won gold in the long jump?
Three
Whose single Try Again was Grammy nominated in 2000?
Four
What words describes each of these: a creature which is active in the daytime; one which is active at night; and a creature which is active at dawn or dusk?
Five
What is the largest public park in New York City, and in which borough is it located?
All of the questions today relate to the date, April 20th.
One
In 1968, Pierre Trudeau became prime minister of Canada. What political party did he represent?
Answer: Liberal Party.
Pierre Elliott Trudeau (1919–2000) was Canada’s prime minister from 1968 to 1979 and again from 1980 to 1984. A charismatic Liberal leader, he established diplomatic ties with China, improved relations with France, and opposed Quebec separatism. Trudeau’s tenure saw Canada achieve constitutional independence from Britain with a new constitution and a Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He previously practised law and taught at the University of Montreal before entering politics. He led Canada through economic challenges, minority governments, and the October Crisis of 1970. Trudeau resigned in 1984, leaving a legacy of constitutional reform and progressive social policies.
Two
In 2008, the IndyCar Japan race was won by a female driver, the first time a woman had won an IndyCar event. Who was this driver?
Answer: Danica Patrick.
At the time of writing (April 2026), Danica Patrick is the only woman to have won in IndyCar. Danica Patrick was born on 25 March 1982 in Beloit, Wisconsin. She is a pioneering American former racing driver known for her achievements in both the IndyCar Series and the NASCAR Cup Series. She began karting at age 10, winning the World Karting Association Grand National Championship three times, and left high school at 16 to race in the UK, where she placed second in the 2000 Formula Ford festival. Returning to the United States in 2002, she competed in the Toyota Formula Atlantic. Patrick made history in 2005 by becoming the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500 and the first woman to win an IndyCar championship event. Her career highlights include being Rookie of the Year in 2005, achieving a third-place finish at the 2009 Indianapolis 500, and setting a pole position at the 2013 Daytona 500. She competed in the IndyCar Series from 2005 to 2011 and the NASCAR Cup Series from 2012 to 2018, retiring after the 2018 Indy 500. Patrick is the most successful woman in American open-wheel racing, with her 2008 Indy Japan 300 win being the only victory by a woman in IndyCar.
Three
In 1968, the Conservative Member of Parliament and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, Enoch Powell, made a speech which was about immigration. He referred to it as his ‘Birmingham Speech’, but it came to be known by what three words?
Answer: Rivers of Blood.
Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech, delivered on 20 April 1968 in Birmingham, criticised post-WWII Commonwealth immigration to the UK and opposed the Race Relations Bill, which became the Race Relations Act 1968. Named after a prophecy from Virgil’s Aeneid, the speech was controversial, showcasing Powell’s classical scholarship. It expressed foreboding about the future, using the Roman prophecy of the River Tiber flowing with blood to symbolise impending doom and significant conflict, highlighting Powell’s deep concern.
Four
Who, on 20 April 1534, sailed from France with a Royal Commission to find a western passage to India?
Answer: Jacques Cartier.
On 20 April 1534, Cartier set sail under a royal commission to find a western passage to the East Indies. After a 20-day ocean crossing, he explored Newfoundland, the Strait of Belle Isle, Labrador, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. He returned to France in September 1534, believing he had reached Asia.
Five
In 1152, after an eight-year conflict, Baldwin III of … won sole control of the Kingdom of … from his mother Melisandre. What one word fills both the gaps in the preceding sentence?
Answer: Jerusalem.
Baldwin III, born in 1130, was King of Jerusalem from 1143 to 1163, succeeding his parents, Fulk and Melisende. Initially co-ruling with Melisende until 1152, he asserted his authority through military campaigns, notably conquering Ascalon in 1153. Baldwin expanded the kingdom’s borders, managed the Principality of Antioch, and allied with Emperor Manuel I Komnenos, marrying his niece Theodora. He died in 1163, succeeded by his brother Amalric, without leaving children.
All of the questions today relate to the date, April 20th.
One
In 1968, Pierre Trudeau became prime minister of Canada. What political party did he represent?
Two
In 2008, the IndyCar Japan race was won by a female driver, the first time a woman had won an IndyCar event. Who was this driver?
Three
In 1968, the Conservative Member of Parliament and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, Enoch Powell, made a speech which was about immigration. He referred to it as his ‘Birmingham Speech’, but it came to be known by what three words?
Four
Who, on 20 April 1534, sailed from France with a Royal Commission to find a western passage to India?
Five
In 1152, after an eight-year conflict, Baldwin III of … won sole control of the Kingdom of … from his mother Melisandre. What one word fills both the gaps in the preceding sentence?
On 19 April 1999, in politics, what returned to Berlin for the first time in almost fifty years, and where had it returned from?
Answers: Bundestag; Bonn.
The first German Bundestag, the West German parliament, convened in Bonn on 7 September 1949. The Bundestag remained in Bonn until after reunification of Germany, when it returned to Berlin on 19 April 1999.
Two
In 1775, during the opening stages of a revolutionary war, a city was besieged for eleven months from April 19th. What city?
Answer: Boston.
The Siege of Boston (1775-1776) marked the start of the American Revolutionary War. American forces, led by George Washington, besieged the British Army in Boston, ultimately forcing their retreat to Nova Scotia after eleven months.
Three
Observed on April 19th, a celebratory day remembering an experiment where a chemist intentionally ingested LSD, documented it and then went home. What is the day called?
Answer: Bicycle Day.
On 19 April 1943, a few days after accidentally discovering LSD’s effects, which he believed had potential in psychiatry and neurology, Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann intentionally ingested it and documented the first acid trip. After this experiment, he cycled home, leading to the observance of Bicycle Day, as Encyclopædia Britannica comments, ‘And now April 19 is observed as Bicycle Day—mostly by LSD enthusiasts, not cyclists’.
Four
A poet and playwright who died this day in 1824, first became a celebrity with the publication of the first two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage in 1812. Who is this poet?
Answer: Byron.
George Gordon Byron, a prominent British Romantic poet, is renowned for works like Don Juan and Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. He lived in Italy for seven years, befriending Percy Bysshe Shelley, and later joined the Greek War of Independence, becoming a folk hero before his death at 36. Byron, along with Shelley and Keats, was a major figure in the second generation of English Romantic writers and was a literary celebrity known for both his poetry and personality.
Five
IIn 2011, Fidel Castro resigned from Cuba’s Communist Party central committee. The following March, in his role as an elder statesman, Castro briefly met a visiting dignitary, the sixteenth of the name. Who was this dignitary?
Answer: (Pope) Benedict XVI.
On 19 April 2011, Castro resigned from the Communist Party central committee, thus stepping down as First Secretary. Raúl was selected as his successor. Now without any official role in the country’s government, he took on the role of an elder statesman. In late March 2012, Pope Benedict XVI visited Cuba for three days, during which time he briefly met with Castro despite the Pope’s vocal opposition to Cuba’s government.
Bits and Bobs
The title is simply another way of saying bits and pieces, an assortment. It was chosen as the title as all the answers begin with the letter B.
On 19 April 1999, in politics, what returned to Berlin for the first time in almost fifty years, and where had it returned from?
Two
In 1775, during the opening stages of a revolutionary war, a city was besieged for eleven months from April 19th. What city?
Three
Observed on April 19th, a celebratory day remembering an experiment where a chemist intentionally ingested LSD, documented it and then went home. What is the day called?
Four
A poet and playwright who died this day in 1824, first became a celebrity with the publication of the first two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage in 1812. Who is this poet?
Five
IIn 2011, Fidel Castro resigned from Cuba’s Communist Party central committee. The following March, in his role as an elder statesman, Castro briefly met a visiting dignitary, the sixteenth of the name. Who was this dignitary?
In 2019, the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris was very badly damaged by fire. On what island is the cathedral located?
Answer: Île de la Cité.
Notre-Dame de Paris, a medieval Catholic cathedral on Île de la Cité, in the River Seine, exemplifies French Gothic architecture with its rib vaults, flying buttresses, and rose windows. Construction began in 1163, completed by 1260, and it underwent restorations, notably after Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame inspired interest. Damaged in a 2019 fire, it reopened in 2024. A symbol of Paris, it was a minor basilica since 1805 and attracts 12 million visitors annually. Owned by the French government, it houses significant relics.
Two
On this day, the RMS Titanic sank two hours and forty minutes after hitting an iceberg. During her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York, USA, which two ports did she visit?
Answer: Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown, Ireland (now Cobh).
The RMS Titanic sank on 15 April 1912 after hitting an iceberg on 14 April, during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. With over 2,200 on board, up to 1,635 died, making it a deadly maritime disaster. Despite seven ice warnings, Titanic travelled at 22 knots. Her inadequate lifeboat system left many without refuge. RMS Carpathia rescued 710 survivors. The tragedy led to global outrage and the 1914 SOLAS convention for maritime safety.
Three
What event prompted the opening of parts of Buckingham Palace to the public for paid tours?
Answer: Windsor Castle fire (1992).
On 20 November 1992, a major fire broke out in Windsor Castle, affecting over 100 rooms, including St George’s Hall and the Grand Reception Room. Over 200 firefighters controlled the blaze after 15 hours. While much of the Royal Collection was saved, some significant works were lost. The fire led to public debate on royal funding, prompting Queen Elizabeth II to pay income tax. Restoration, completed in 1997, cost £36.5 million and was led by Donald Insall Associates. The fire occurred during what the Queen later described as her annus horribilis.
Four
In 1626, 20,000 people died when a factory in Wanggongchang, China exploded destroying part of the city. What was the factory manufacturing?
Answer: Gunpowder.
The Wanggongchang Explosion occurred on May 30, 1626, in Beijing, killing around 20,000 people. Located 3 km southwest of the Forbidden City, it was a major gunpowder production centre. The cause remains uncertain, but it was a key storage facility for the Shenjiying defending the capital.
Five
During what 1979 yachting race, with a course of 605 miles, did a storm in the Celtic Sea cause 21 fatalities?
Answer: Fastnet Race.
The 1979 Fastnet Race, the 28th edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s event, was a 605-nautical-mile course from Cowes to Fastnet Rock and Plymouth, marking the Admiral’s Cup climax. A severe windstorm on the third day caused chaos, resulting in 21 fatalities—15 yachtsmen and 6 spectators—on 14 August in the Celtic Sea. The largest peace-time rescue operation involved 4,000 people, including the Irish Naval Service, lifeboats, commercial boats, and helicopters.
Annus Horribilis
The post title is related to how Queen Elizabeth II referred to 1992. Not only was Windsor Castle the scene of a large fire but she also had the domestic problems of three of her children to contend with and said
1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an annus horribilis.
In 2019, the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris was very badly damaged by fire. On what island is the cathedral located?
Two
On this day, the RMS Titanic sank two hours and forty minutes after hitting an iceberg. During her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York, USA, which two ports did she visit?
Three
What event prompted the opening of parts of Buckingham Palace to the public for paid tours?
Four
In 1626, 20,000 people died when a factory in Wanggongchang, China exploded destroying part of the city. What was the factory manufacturing?
Five
During what 1979 yachting race, with a course of 605 miles, did a storm in the Celtic Sea cause 21 fatalities?
Ravi Shankar, an Indian musician and composer born in Varanasi, India on 7 April 1920, fathered a daughter in 1979. This daughter, a singer-songwriter and composer, is described by Wikipedia as blending jazz with country, blues, folk and pop. His younger daughter, Anoushka Shankar, born in 1981, is a sitarist and composer, and both daughters have won Grammy Awards. Who is the elder of his daughters?
Answer: Norah Jones.
Pandit Ravi Shankar, a renowned Indian sitarist and composer, popularised Indian classical music worldwide. He collaborated with Western musicians, such as the Beatles’ George Harrison and Yehudi Menuhin, influencing the use of Indian instruments in pop music. Shankar received numerous awards, including the Bharat Ratna and four Grammy Awards.
Two
What item of missing equipment did Spanish authorities find for the U.S. military in 1966?
Answer: Nuclear Bomb (Hydrogen Bomb).
Spanish authorities recovered a hydrogen bomb from the Mediterranean in 1966. The bomb had fallen from a U.S. B-52 after a collision with an airborne refuelling tanker, killing seven airmen.
Three
In 1939, the Albanian king went into exile after Albania became a protectorate of another nation. Who was the king? Which country declared the protectorate, and who was the prime minister of that country at the time?
Answers: King Zog; Italy and Benito Mussolini.
Appointed Prime Minister in 1922, Mussolini established a one-party dictatorship, later aspiring to a totalitarian state. His foreign policy, driven by the doctrine of spazio vitale, led to the annexation of Albania, Fiume and Ethiopia.
Four
On this day, Attila the Hun captured Metz, France, setting fire to the town and killing most of the townspeople. In what century did this occur?
Answer: 5th century.
Metz, originally ruled by the Celtic Mediomatrici tribe, became a prominent Roman town known for its trade, wine exports, and impressive infrastructure like the aqueduct and amphitheatre. The city faced invasions from Germanic tribes in the 3rd century and was eventually conquered by the Franks.
Five
Actor Russell Crowe was born this day in 1964. For what film did he win his Academy Award, and what was his character’s name in the film?
Answers: Gladiator; Maximus Decimus Meridius.
Russell Crowe, an actor and film director, is known for his intense performances and has earned numerous accolades, including an Academy Award. He gained international recognition in the late 1990s and starred in films like Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, and Robin Hood. Crowe co-owns the National Rugby League team South Sydney Rabbitohs.
West Meets East
The post title is from an album title of a 1967 collaboration between Ravi Shankar and violinist Yehudi Menuhin.
Ravi Shankar, an Indian musician and composer born in Varanasi, India on 7 April 1920, fathered a daughter in 1979. This daughter, a singer-songwriter and composer, is described by Wikipedia as blending jazz with country, blues, folk and pop. His younger daughter, Anoushka Shankar, born in 1981, is a sitarist and composer, and both daughters have won Grammy Awards. Who is the elder of his daughters?
Two
What item of missing equipment did Spanish authorities find for the U.S. military in 1966?
Three
In 1939, the Albanian king went into exile after Albania became a protectorate of another nation. Who was the king? Which country declared the protectorate, and who was the prime minister of that country at the time?
Four
On this day, Attila the Hun captured Metz, France, setting fire to the town and killing most of the townspeople. In what century did this occur?
Five
Actor Russell Crowe was born this day in 1964. For what film did he win his Academy Award, and what was his character’s name in the film?
The Declaration of Arbroath. The ‘Tyninghame’ copy National Library of Scotland Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question concerns a national declaration and is linked to today’s date, April 6th. The other questions aren’t date-related but continue the declaration theme with some slightly more modern examples.
One
On this day in 1320, the Declaration of Arbroath was signed. It declared and asserted the independence of which nation?
Answer: Scotland.
The Declaration of Arbroath, written in 1320 by Scottish barons and addressed to Pope John XXII, asserted Scotland’s independence and right to self-defence against English subjugation. Believed to have been written by Bernard of Kilwinning, it was sealed by fifty-one magnates and nobles and remained largely unknown until the late 17th century when it was printed and translated into English. The Declaration strengthened Robert the Bruce’s position, and although he secured independence through the Treaty of Northampton in 1328, his successor faced the same struggle.
Two
In 1918, Estonia declared independence after the collapse of one empire and before a second invasion. Which empires were they?
Answer: Russian Empire and German Empire.
Following the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, Estonia declared independence on 24 February 1918, forming the Estonian Provisional Government. German occupation followed, but they relinquished power to the Estonian government on 19 November 1918 after their surrender at the end of the First World War.
Three
A 1965 Declaration of Independence, which was the first unilateral break from the United Kingdom by one of its colonies since the United States in 1776, was made by what colony? Secondly, what is that former colony now known as?
Answer: Rhodesia; Zimbabwe.
Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965, a move by the white minority government to break away from British rule, was deemed illegal by the UK, Commonwealth, and UN. This led to international isolation and economic sanctions, with Rhodesia receiving support from South Africa and Portugal. The conflict escalated into the Rhodesian Bush War, ultimately leading to the country’s reconstitution as Zimbabwe in 1980.
Four
In 1822 and in 1877, Greece and Romania both declared their independence from the same empire. What was that empire?
Answer: Ottoman Empire.
Greek merchants, inspired by the Modern Greek Enlightenment, promoted Greek nationalism, leading to the Greek War of Independence with the Ottomans. With assistance from France, Russian Empire and the United Kingdom, the Greeks gained control of Central Greece, resulting in the recognition of the Greek state in 1830. Meanwhile, Romania achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78) by signing a treaty with Russia and joining the Russian Army in the fight against the Ottomans.
Five
In 1918, Czechoslovakia declared independence form what empire?
Answer: Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The Czechoslovak Declaration of Independence published on 18 October 1918, declared the independence of the Czechoslovak Nation from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This empire had encompassed the Czech and Slovak lands for nearly four centuries and its downfall followed World War I.
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