We’ve all taken quizzes that claim to test our general knowledge, but this absolute beast of a challenge isn’t about what you learned in school.
Instead, it’s a somewhat brutal test of your raw, short-term recall. There are some hyper-specific details you’ll need to be able to recall, as well as classic trick questions that are specifically designed to trip up anyone who isn’t paying microscopic attention. Unless you possess the kind of freakish, photographic memory that can spot a tiny change in a picture or remember a random date from three rounds ago, you’re going to seriously struggle to get anywhere near a perfect score on this one. It’s certainly worth having a go at, though, so see how well you can do.
1. What is the largest country by area in Africa?
A) Algeria
B) Democratic Republic of the Congo
C) Sudan
2. If all the chemical elements were arranged alphabetically, which would come first?
A) Actinium
B) Aluminium
C) Argon
3. Which planet was discovered by William Herschel in 1781?
A) Neptune
B) Uranus
C) Saturn
4. Where and in which year did Europe record its first Ryder Cup victory on US soil?
A) Oak Hill, Rochester, New York – 1995
B) Muirfield Village, Columbus, Ohio – 1987
C) Hazeltine National, Minnesota – 1991
5. In which Italian town are Stradivarius violins made?
A) Verona
B) Cremona
C) Parma
6. Who sang about a “Blue Christmas” in 1957?
A) Elvis Presley
B) Bing Crosby
C) Johnny Cash
7. Which Doctor Who actor played the dual roles of Donald and Roderick Peterson in the 2012 film Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger?
A) Matt Smith
B) David Tennant
C) Peter Capaldi
8. Which British politician famously said, “A week is a long time in politics”?
A) Margaret Thatcher
B) Harold Wilson
C) Tony Benn
9. Which chart-topping band of the 1960s featured Jeff Beck on guitar?
A) The Hollies
B) The Yardbirds
C) The Kinks
10. What name is given to a young swan?
A) Leveret
B) Cygnet
C) Gosling
11. Which British artist joined Elvis Presley in 2019 as the solo artist with the most UK number one albums?
A) Cliff Richard
B) Robbie Williams
C) Elton John
12. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in which year?
A) 1892
B) 1896
C) 1900
13. Who played Joseph Merrick in the 1980 film The Elephant Man?
A) Anthony Hopkins
B) John Hurt
C) Ben Kingsley
14. What medical term beginning with the letter M means shortsightedness?
A) Melanoma
B) Myopia
C) Migraine
15. From which fruit is Cumberland sauce traditionally made?
A) Blackcurrants
B) Cranberries
C) Redcurrants
Answers
How many of these match your guesses?
1. A) Algeria
2. A) Actinium
3. B) Uranus
4. B) Muirfield Village, Columbus, Ohio – 1987
5. B) Cremona
6. A) Elvis Presley
7. B) David Tennant
8. B) Harold Wilson
9. B) The Yardbirds
10. B) Cygnet
11. B) Robbie Williams
12. B) 1896
13. B) John Hurt
14. B) Myopia
15. C) Redcurrants
How many did you get right? Let us know your score in the comments and challenge your friends and family to beat it!
