Sponsored by
News quiz 2008
SO YOU think you're up to date with current affairs? Test your knowledge with our national news quiz to see how much you've remembered from this year's headlines.
But remember, it's just for fun. The answers can be found on the following page.
Celebrity Gossip 2008
1. Which Brit socialite stunned friends and family in August by tying the knot in a quickie Las Vegas wedding ceremony?
2. Which boy band did Wayne Rooney reportedly sing with at his wedding reception in June?
3. Which supermodel caused controversy by posing nude for Playboy magazine in October?
4. Which actress made headlines this year due to her relationship with married actor Balthazar Getty?
5. Which mouthy singer entered into a war of words with Elton John at September's GQ Awards?
6. Which aging rocker checked into rehab in June amid rumours of infidelity and a spiralling alcohol problem?
7. Which blonde bombshell annulled her brief marriage to bad boy Rick Salomon in March citing 'fraud' as the reason for the split?
8. Which glamourous female star was refused entry to the Cartier International polo tournament held in July?
9. Which superstar singer surprised fans in April when she married her much younger boyfriend, actor Nick Cannon?
10. Which troubled celebrity was forced to declare bankruptcy in August?
Politics 2008
1. Who resigned as chief of the Metropolitan police in October after losing the support of London mayor, Boris Johnson?
2. What were the names of the two American mortgage companies that were effectively nationalised following the collapse of the subprime mortgage market?
3. Which Labour politician, nicknamed 'The Prince of Darkness', returned to government in October as Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform?
4. Which government minister resigned as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in January, following a scandal over donations to his deputy leadership campaign?
5. Which Balkan state declared its independence from Serbia in February of this year?
6. Which former Mayor of New York ran against John McCain in the race for the Republican party presidential nomination?
7. Which British bank was part nationalised in September, with its savings business sold to Spanish bank Santander?
8. Who is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change who agreed a power-sharing agreement with Robert Mugabe following Zimbabwe's presidential elections in 2008?
9. Yousaf Raza Gillani, who survived an assassination attempt earlier this year, is the Prime Minister of which country?
10. Who succeeded Fidel Castro as President of Cuba in February?
Film 2008
1. How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is loosely based on the bestselling memoir of which well known journalist?
2. What is the name of the school basketball team featured in the popular Disney film High School Musical 3?
3. Who played alcoholic super hero Hancock in the film of the same name?
4. Which action packed 2008 sequel was subtitled The Golden Army?
5. Which British star won the Best Actor Oscar at the Academy Awards ceremony held in February?
6. Who directed the gangster crime thriller RocknRolla released in September?
7. Which Heroes star played the title role in the hit comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall?
8. Name the light hearted comedy which stared George Clooney as a 1920s American Football coach and Renee Zellweger as his love interest?
9. Teen flick Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is based on a series of books by which author?
10. Which American comedian voiced the lovable title character in Horton Hear A Who?
Sport 2008
1. Who was the leading try scorer in the Six Nations Championship this year?
2. How many gold medals did swimmer Michael Phelps win at the Beijing Olympics?
3. Who won darts' PDC World Championship this year?
4. Which team won the Conference play-off this year, ending a spell of five years outside the football league?
5. Which cricketer famously played a 'switch-hit' against New Zealand this summer?
6. Which cyclist became the first Briton to win three gold medals at a single Olympics for 100 years?
7. Where was Formula One's first night race held?
8. Which football club became the world's richest after being taken over by an investment group from Abu Dhabi?
9. In which Grand Slam tennis tournament did Andy Murray reach the final before losing to Roger Federer?
10. Who was Europe's most successful player in this year's Ryder Cup?
Births 2008
1. Which day of the week did actress Nicole Kidman name her daughter, born in July, after?
2. Which stylish trans-Atlantic couple became proud parents to a son in August?
3. Which British actress released the first pictures of her newborn son on social networking site MySpace in October?
4. Which American rocker is father to Nicole Richie's daughter Harlow, who was born in January?
5. Which actress gave birth to a daughter named Honor Marie in June?
6. Which glamorous newsreader became a first-time mum in September?
7. Which Oscar winning actor became a dad for the second time in August?
8. In which European country did Angelina Jolie give birth to twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline this year?
9. What unusual middle name did Christina Aguilera give son Max, who was born in January?
10. Which US A-list star and her musician husband welcomed twins into the world in February?
TV 2008
1. Who presented a series about his Farming Heroes on BBC2 this year?
2. What was the title of the talent show dedicated to finding two people to play Nancy and Oliver in a forthcoming West End production?
3. Who played the notorious TV campaigner of the title in Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story?
4. Which couple won this year's Dancing on Ice final?
5. Which EastEnders character survived being buried alive by his wife this year?
6. What character did Anna Friel play in the comedy series Pushing Daisies?
7. Who played the title role in the Curse of Comedy series episode Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than Me?
8. Which real-life novelist did Ian McDiarmid portray in the drama seriesCity of Vice?
9. What was the surname of the family under the microscope in the real-life series The Family?
10. Who played Elizabeth Bennet in the time-shift comedy-drama Lost in Austen?
Lucky Dip 2008
1. Which member of the royal family celebrated an 18th birthday this year?
2. In August, Russia and Georgia went to war over which breakaway region?
3. What is the name of the world's largest particle accelerator that was switched on in September?
4. What annual holiday was this year the earliest it has been since 1913?
5. In which country did the annual G8 summit take place?
6. In Chinese astrology, the majority of 2008 falls into the year of which animal?
7. What was the first category 4 hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season that caused havoc in the Caribbean and U.S?
8. After Cuban president Fidel Castro stepped down in February, the president of which African country became the world's longest serving non-royal ruler?
9. Whose royal wedding took place at Windsor Castle in May?
10. Who was commissioned to write a poem in honour of 110-year-old Harry Patch, the last surviving Tommy to have fought in WWI?
Pop 2008
1. Glastonbury founder Michel Eavis received criticism for asking which rapper to headline the festival, held in June?
2. Which member of Girls Aloud lent her vocals to Will.i.am's top ten single 'Heartbreaker'?
3. Which Mint Royale song returned to the charts in June, three years after its original release?
4. Which singer did her bit for charity in March with the release of the double A side single 'Better in Time/Footprints in the Sand' for Sports Relief?
5. Released for only one week as a free download on Coldplay's website, how many times was the song 'Violet Hill' downloaded in May?
6. Which pop veteran released the album 'Hard Candy' in April?
7. Which boy band scored their 15th top ten hit in September?
8. For how many weeks did Duffy's debut single 'Mercy' top the charts?
9. Which band won the 2008 Mercury prize for best album?
10. Which legendary artist was presented with an Outstanding Contribution to music award at the Brits in February?
R.I.P. 2008
1. For which 1986 film did Paul Newman, who died in September, win a Best Actor Oscar?
2. In which English city did painter Beryl Cook die in May?
3. In 1983, Geoffrey Howe became Foreign Secretary in Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet, succeeding which MP who died in March?
4. Which former World Chess Champion died in Iceland in January?
5. Roy Scheider, who died in February, played which character in the 1975 blockbuster Jaws?
6. Musician Ellas Otha Bates, who died in Florida in June, was better known by what name?
7. Which Russian novelist, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970, died in Moscow in August?
8. Science fiction author Arthur C Clarke was born in Minehead, Somerset, but in which country did he die in March?
9. Writer and broadcaster Jeremy Beadle, who died in January, was the first host of which popular ITV show which began in 1990?
10. Which musician and broadcaster, who died in April, named his record label 'Calligraph' after a pastime he enjoyed?
Winners 2008
1. Which Channel 4 programme featuring the voice of Kayvan Novak won a BAFTA for Best Comedy?
2. Who performed with three different artists at this year's BRIT Awards and won the Best Male Solo Artist category?
3. Who became the youngest Formula 1 winner in history at this year's Italian Grand Prix?
4. Barack Obama won the election to become the presidential nominee for which party?
5. How many gold medals did Great Britain win in this year's Summer Olympics?
6. Dima Bilan sang "Believe" to win the Eurovision Song Contest for which country?
7. Martin Chalfie, Osamu Shimomura and Roger Y. Tsien share the 2008 Nobel Prize in which field?
8. Which film won four out of its eight Oscar nominations at the 80th Academy Awards held in February?
9. Which British city celebrated being selected as the 2008 European Capital of Culture?
10. Who won this year's series of Celebrity Masterchef?
Celebrity Gossip 2008
1. Which Brit socialite stunned friends and family in August by tying the knot in a quickie Las Vegas wedding ceremony? PEACHES GELDOF
2. Which boy band did Wayne Rooney reportedly sing with at his wedding reception in June? WESTLIFE
3. Which supermodel caused controversy by posing nude for Playboy magazine in October? LILY COLE
4. Which actress made headlines this year due to her relationship with married actor Balthazar Getty? SIENNA MILLER
5. Which mouthy singer entered into a war of words with Elton John at September's GQ Awards? LILY ALLEN
6. Which aging rocker checked into rehab in June amid rumours of infidelity and a spiralling alcohol problem? RONNIE WOOD
7. Which blonde bombshell annulled her brief marriage to bad boy Rick Salomon in March citing 'fraud' as the reason for the split? PAMELLA ANDERSON
8. Which glamourous female star was refused entry to the Cartier International polo tournament held in July? KATIE PRICE
9. Which superstar singer surprised fans in April when she married her much younger boyfriend, actor Nick Cannon? MARIAH CAREY
10. Which troubled celebrity was forced to declare bankruptcy in August? KERRY KATONA
Politics 2008
1. Who resigned as chief of the Metropolitan police in October after losing the support of London mayor, Boris Johnson? SIR IAN BLAIR
2. What were the names of the two American mortgage companies that were effectively nationalised following the collapse of the subprime mortgage market? FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC
3. Which Labour politician, nicknamed 'The Prince of Darkness', returned to government in October as Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform? PETER MANDELSON
4. Which government minister resigned as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in January, following a scandal over donations to his deputy leadership campaign? PETER HAIN
5. Which Balkan state declared its independence from Serbia in February of this year? KOSOVO
6. Which former Mayor of New York ran against John McCain in the race for the Republican party presidential nomination? RUDY GIULIANI
7. Which British bank was part nationalised in September, with its savings business sold to Spanish bank Santander? BRADFORD & BINGLEY
8. Who is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change who agreed a power-sharing agreement with Robert Mugabe following Zimbabwe's presidential elections in 2008? MORGAN TSVANGIRAI
9. Yousaf Raza Gillani, who survived an assassination attempt earlier this year, is the Prime Minister of which country? PAKISTAN
10. Who succeeded Fidel Castro as President of Cuba in February? RAUL CASTRO
Film 2008
1. How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is loosely based on the bestselling memoir of which well known journalist? TOBY YOUNG
2. What is the name of the school basketball team featured in the popular Disney film High School Musical 3? WILDCATS
3. Who played alcoholic super hero, Hancock in the film of the same name? WILL SMITH
4. Which action packed 2008 sequel was subtitled The Golden Army? HELLBOY II
5. Which British star won the Best Actor Oscar at the Academy Awards ceremony held in February? DANIEL DAY LEWIS (for There Will Be Blood)
6. Who directed the gangster crime thriller RocknRolla released in September? GUY RITCHIE
7. Which Heroes star played the title role in the hit comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall? KRISTEN BELL
8. Name the light hearted comedy which stared George Clooney as a 1920s American Football coach and Renee Zellweger as his love interest? LEATHERHEADS
9. Teen flick Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is based on a series of books by which author? LOUISE RENNISON
10. Which American comedian voiced the lovable title character in Horton Hear A Who? JIM CARREY
Sport 2008
1. Who was the leading try scorer in the Six Nations Championship this year? SHANE WILLIAMS
2. How many gold medals did swimmer Michael Phelps win at the Beijing Olympics? EIGHT
3. Who won darts' PDC World Championship this year? JOHN PART
4. Which team won the Conference play-off this year, ending a spell of five years outside the football league? EXETER CITY
5. Which cricketer famously played a 'switch-hit' against New Zealand this summer? KEVIN PIETERSEN
6. Which cyclist became the first Briton to win three gold medals at a single Olympics for 100 years? CHRIS HOY
7. Where was Formula One's first night race held? SINGAPORE
8. Which football club became the world's richest after being taken over by an investment group from Abu Dhabi? MANCHESTER CITY
9. In which Grand Slam tennis tournament did Andy Murray reach the final before losing to Roger Federer? THE US OPEN
10. Who was Europe's most successful player in this year's Ryder Cup? IAN POULTER
Births 2008
1. Which day of the week did actress Nicole Kidman name her daughter, born in July, after? SUNDAY (ROSE)
2. Which stylish trans-Atlantic couple became proud parents to a son in August? GWEN STEFANI AND GAVIN ROSSDALE
3. Which British actress released the first pictures of her newborn son on social networking site MySpace in October? MINNIE DRIVER
4. Which American rocker is father to Nicole Richie's daughter Harlow, who was born in January? JOEL MADDEN
5. Which actress gave birth to a daughter named Honor Marie in June? JESSICA ALBA
6. Which glamorous newsreader became a first-time mum in September? NATASHA KAPLINKSY
7. Which Oscar winning actor became a dad for the second time in August? MATT DAMON
8. In which European country did Angelina Jolie give birth to twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline this year? FRANCE
9. What unusual middle name did Christina Aguilera give son Max, who was born in January? LIRON
10. Which US A-list star and her musician husband welcomed twins into the world in February? JENNIFER LOPEZ AND MARC ANTHONY
TV 2008
1. Who presented a series about his Farming Heroes on BBC2 this year? JIMMY DOHERTY
2. What was the title of the talent show dedicated to finding two people to play Nancy and Oliver in a forthcoming West End production? I'D DO ANYTHING
3. Who played the notorious TV campaigner of the title in Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story? JULIE WALTERS
4. Which couple won this year's Dancing on Ice final? SUZANNE SHAW AND MATT EVERS
5. Which EastEnders character survived being buried alive by his wife this year? MAX BRANNING
6. What character did Anna Friel play in the comedy series Pushing Daisies? CHARLOTTE 'CHUCK' CHARLES
7. Who played the title role in the Curse of Comedy series episode Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than Me? DAVID WALLIAMS
8. Which real-life novelist did Ian McDiarmid portray in the drama seriesCity of Vice? HENRY FIELDING
9. What was the surname of the family under the microscope in the real-life series The Family? HUGHES
10. Who played Elizabeth Bennet in the time-shift comedy-drama Lost in Austen? GEMMA ARTERTON
Lucky Dip 2008
1. Which member of the royal family celebrated an 18th birthday this year? PRINCESS EUGENIE
2. In August, Russia and Georgia went to war over which breakaway region? SOUTH OSSETIA
3. What is the name of the world's largest particle accelerator that was switched on in September? LHC - LARGE HADRON COLLIDER
4. What annual holiday was this year the earliest it has been since 1913? EASTER
5. In which country did the annual G8 summit take place? JAPAN
6. In Chinese astrology, most of 2008 fell into the year of which animal? RAT
7. What was the first category 4 hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season that caused havoc in the Caribbean and U.S? GUSTAV
8. After Cuban president Fidel Castro stepped down in February, the president of which African country became the world's longest serving non-royal ruler? GABON
9. Whose royal wedding took place at Windsor Castle in May? PETER PHILLIPS AND AUTUMN KELLY
10. Who was commissioned to write a poem in honour of 110-year-old Harry Patch, the last surviving Tommy to have fought in WWI? ANDREW MOTION
Pop 2008
1. Glastonbury founder Michel Eavis received criticism for asking which rapper to headline the festival, held in June? JAY Z
2. Which member of Girls Aloud lent her vocals to Will.i.am's top ten single 'Heartbreaker'? CHERYL COLE
3. Which Mint Royale song returned to the charts in June, three years after its original release? SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
4. Which singer did her bit for charity in March with the release of the double A side single 'Better in Time/Footprints in the Sand' for Sports Relief? LEONA LEWIS
5. Released for only one week as a free download on Coldplay's website, how many times was the song 'Violet Hill' downloaded in May? TWO MILLION
6. Which pop veteran released the album 'Hard Candy' in April? MADONNA
7. Which boy band scored their 15th top ten hit in September? MCFLY
8. For how many weeks did Duffy's debut single 'Mercy' top the charts? FIVE
9. Which band won the 2008 Mercury prize for best album? ELBOW
10. Which legendary artist was presented with an Outstanding Contribution to music award at the Brits in February? PAUL MCCARTNEY
R.I.P. 2008
1. For which 1986 film did Paul Newman, who died in September, win a Best Actor Oscar? THE COLOR OF MONEY
2. In which English city did painter Beryl Cook die in May? PLYMOUTH
3. In 1983, Geoffrey Howe became Foreign Secretary in Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet, succeeding which MP who died in March? FRANCIS PYM
4. Which former World Chess Champion died in Iceland in January? BOBBY FISCHER
5. Roy Scheider, who died in February, played which character in the 1975 blockbuster Jaws? POLICE CHIEF MARTIN BRODY
6. Musician Ellas Otha Bates, who died in Florida in June, was better known by what name? BO DIDDLEY
7. Which Russian novelist, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970, died in Moscow in August? ALEKSANDR SOLZHENITSYN
8. Science fiction author Arthur C Clarke was born in Minehead, Somerset, but in which country did he die in March? SRI LANKA
9. Writer and broadcaster Jeremy Beadle, who died in January, was the first host of which popular ITV show which began in 1990? YOU'VE BEEN FRAMED
10. Which musician and broadcaster, who died in April, named his record label 'Calligraph' after a pastime he enjoyed? HUMPHREY LYTTLETON
Winners 2008
1. Which Channel 4 programme featuring the voice of Kayvan Novak won a BAFTA for Best Comedy? FONEJACKER
2. Who performed with three different artists at this year's BRIT Awards and won the Best Male Solo Artist category? MARK RONSON
3. Who became the youngest Formula 1 winner in history at this year's Italian Grand Prix? SEBASTIAN VETTEL
4. Barack Obama won the election to become the presidential nominee for which party? DEMOCRATS
5. How many gold medals did Great Britain win in this year's Summer Olympics? 19
6. Dima Bilan sang "Believe" to win the Eurovision Song Contest for which country? RUSSIA
7. Martin Chalfie, Osamu Shimomura and Roger Y. Tsien share the 2008 Nobel Prize in which field? CHEMISTRY
8. Which film won four out of its eight Oscar nominations at the 80th Academy Awards held in February? NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
9. Which British city celebrated being selected as the 2008 European Capital of Culture? LIVERPOOL
10. Who won this year's series of Celebrity Masterchef? LIZ MCLARNON
Email to a friend
Print this page- Leeds lose Ward to Palace: Is there anyone they can afford now?
- Sheffield Wednesday leaving it late to hijack Leeds United over Ward
- As Snodgrass dithers over Leeds, Warnock throws a lifeline
- Ball is in Leeds United’s court over contract - Snodgrass
- Police turning blind eye to Asian voter fraud, says MP
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
