1. This footballer’s real name is Ricardo Izecson Leite, but he is better to known to people with a short name. He was the first sportsperson to have 10 million followers on Twitter. An ambassador of the UN Food Programme, he used to play for AC Milan once. He is currently an Italian citizen. Name the footballer.

2. His first names are Jean Francois, and he was a French acrobat who lived in the 19th century. His tightrope walking skills were so famous that others in the same profession were referred to by his last name. He crossed the Niagra Falls on a tightrope on this day. How is he better known as?

3. His middle names were Arthur William, and he was a British polymath especially famous for his pacifist views. His work on logic and philosophy is considered to be one of the most authoritative on the subject. He was a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, which he won in 1950. Name the mathematician and philosopher.

4. He was known by the nickname Ciaschiteddu, and was one of the most powerful mafia bosses in Italy during the 1960s. He was the first head of the ‘Mafia Commission’ formed in Italy, and had connections with families in New York to facilitate smuggling of drugs. He is also said to have started the First Mafia War in the 1960s. Name the mafia boss.

5. An English cricketer who is often considered to be one of the greatest Test players in history, he was knighted for his services to cricket in 1956. His first and last Test match was against New Zealand.  He was chosen as part of an All Time World XI published by ESPN Cricinfo. In 1938, he was the first to break Bradman’s record of 334 runs in an innings, the highest ever at that time. Name the cricketer.

Answers:

1. Kaka.

2. Charles Blondin.

3. Bertrand Russell.

4. Salvatore Greco.

5. Sir Leonard Hutton (Len Hutton).

1. A classical music composer originally from Germany, his middle name was Frideric and he was born in the 17th century. His compositions are well known for being in the Baroque style. One of his better known works is ‘Arrival of the Queen of Sheba’. Which music composer are we talking about?

2. A famous baseball player who died in 1934, he was nicknamed ‘Uncle Robbie’. His debut in Major League Baseball was for the team ‘Philadelphia Athletics’ while his last appearance from the team ‘Baltimore Orioles’. He once tried to create a record by catching a baseball thrown out of an airplane, but it failed as the pilot forgot to carry a baseball. Name the player.

3. His middle name is Anderson, and he is the only person to have appeared in all albums created by the rock band Deep Purple. A drummer, he was once part of a band called ‘The MI5′. He is married to the sister of former Deep Purple band member Jon Lord. Name the drummer being referred to.

4. His middle name is Edward Patrick and he is a quarterback for the NFL team New England Patriots. Considered to be one of the greatest players of all time, he graduated from Michigan University for whom he played football. He made his debut in the year 2000. Name the player.

5. His middle name is Anton and he was a former German footballer who is also called ‘The Emperor’. Many consider him the greatest German footballer of all time, and he is believed to have invented the position of sweeper in association football. He was the coach when West Germany won the World Cup in 1990. Who are we talking about?

Answers:

1. George Frideric Handel.

2. Wilbert Robinson.

3. Ian Paice.

4. Tom Brady.

5. Franz Beckenbauer.

1. This musical instrument was invented by a Belgian man named Adolphe in 1846. It is commonly used in jazz as well as classical music. Primarily made of brass, it is usually played using the mouth. Popular with some military bands, Kenneth Gorelick is a famous musician who plays this instrument. Name the instrument.

2. His first name is Edward, and he is legendary in Australian history. Opinion about him is mixed – with some perceiving him as a dangerous criminal, while to others he is a hero. A professional bushranger, he was hanged to death in 1880. His grave is believed to have been found as recently as 2008. Who are we talking about?

3. His middle name was Adolphus, and he was the younger brother of Dick Turpin who was the first black to win a British boxing championship. Considered to be one of the greatest boxers from Europe in the 1940s, his win against Sugar Ray Robinson is considered to be the most famous. He committed suicide in 1966. Name the boxer.

4. It is known by the name ‘Aleph’, and it was an organization created by Shoko Asahara in 1984. They were responsible for carrying out the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, which killed 7 people and left hundreds injured. Their name is derived from a Sanskrit world meaning ‘universe’ and a Japanese word meaning ‘religion of truth’. Name the group.

5. A boxer from America, he was nicknamed ‘The Real Deal’ and is also an Olympic bronze medallist. He has been the World Heavyweight Champion 4 times and has defeated boxing legends such as George Foreman and Mike Tyson. He has appeared in ads for Coca Cola. Name the boxer.

Answers:

1. Saxophone.

2. Ned Kelly.

3. Randolph Turpin.

4. Aum Shinrikyo.

5. Evander Holyfield.

1. His middle names were Edward Jeune, and he was a English soldier and cricketer born in India. He holds the record for scoring the maximum number of runs in a single innings, 628 not out, a feat achieved in a game between the schools North Town and Clarke’s House. He was killed during the First World War. Name the cricketer.

2. A Russian ship, it became famous for a rebellion by the crew against the officers commanding the ship. It was a precursor to the revolution of 1917. The events of the mutiny were depicted in a classic film by Sergei Eisenstein. The uprising was led by a man named Matochenko. Name the ship we are referring to.

3. This device was independently invented in many countries. One of the earliest prototypes was created by Luther George Simjian in the United States. Barclays Bank is credited with installing one with largescale use in Enfield Town, London. It is sometimes referred to as ‘hole in the wall’ in UK. What are we talking about?

4. His middle name is James, and he is the son of former English footballer named Terry. A footballer himself, he started his career with Liverpool and has had stints with Real Madrid, Newcastle and Manchester United. He has been in the top 5 goal scorers for England. Name the footballer.

5. A recipient of the Academy Award, this American director’s middle name is Jerome. Born in Tennessee, he is known for his extensive knowledge of films and wrote the screenplay for True Romance. He frequently works with his friend Robert Rodriguez. Name the director.

Answers:

1. Arthur Collins.

2. Battleship Potemkin.

3. Automated Teller Machines (ATM).

4. Michael Owen.

5. Quentin Tarantino.

1. A nobel prize winner in chemistry, his first names are Ferdinand Frederick but he is known by his two last names. He was the first person to isolate fluorine from its compounds. Unfortunately, his work with fluorine eventually led to his death. Name the scientist.

2. One of the most influential political leaders of the Soviet Union, he was the Secretary of the Communist Party for 11 years. He influenced several reforms in the country and was a strong backer of the country’s space program. He is famous for delivering the ‘Secret Speech’, which condemned Joseph Stalin and his policies. Name the former leader of the Soviet Union.

3. Originally a French colony, it is now an island country located in the Indian Ocean and also one of the largest islands in the world. It’s current Prime Minister is Omer Beriziky. It has lent its name to various films including a 1994 Cuban film as well as a franchise of animated films, the first of which was released in 2005. Name the country.

4. A former Irish journalist, her death led to the creation of the Criminal Assets Bureau. She was famous for covering drug dealers, who eventually had her murdered. A recipient of the International Press Freedom Award, there was a movie on her life where she was played by Cate Blanchett. Name the person.

5. One of the most famous German footballers of all time, he was nicknamed ‘Bomber’. For almost 32 years, he held the record for scoring the maximum number of goals in Football World Cup Finals. He played for Bayern Munich for 13 years. Name the footballer.

Answers:

1. Henri Moissan.

2. Nikita Khrushchev.

3. Madagascar.

4. Veronica Guerin.

5. Gerd Muller.

1. This cartoon character was created in 1938 by Leon Schlesinger productions. He has starred in a number of animated films, which include Long-Haired Hare and the series Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. The first version of the character was created by Ben Hardaway. Name the character.

2. This was a two and half hour television event broadcast in 1967 and had segments starring various celebrities including The Beatles. It became famous for being the first global satellite TV program, and was watched by an estimated 400 million people. It was created by Aubrey Singer of BBC. Name the television program.

3. It was designed as an improved version of the Salyut space station. Named to mean ‘Peace’ or ‘World’, it weighted around 130,000 kilograms and could accommodate 3 permanent crew. Valeri Polyakov stayed here for around 14 months. Which space station are we referring to?

4. His real name was Eric Arthur Blair, but he is much better known by his pen name. He was the author of ‘Animal Farm’, which along with a book on the dystopian future were two of his best selling books. He was born in a village called Motihari in India. Name the author.

5. Originally born in Sweden, she is a recipient of the Oscar thrice. The most famous characters played by her are IIsa Lund and Alicia Huberman. She was first nominated for the movie ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’. Her last role was in a series called ‘A Woman Called Golda’. Name the actress.

Answers:

1. Bugs Bunny.

2. Our World.

3. Mir.

4. George Orwell.

5. Ingrid Bergman.

1. An American tennis player, his middle name is Robert and is currently ranked within the top 10 according to the ATP rankings. A former student of the University of Georgia, he has been involved in the longest ever tennis match against Nicolas Mahut. This happened during the 2010 Wimbledon Championships. Name the tennis player.

2. His middle name was Gwinnett and he was an American author who primarily lived during the 19th century. He was known to be a very fierce critic with a grim view on humanity. One of his best known works is ‘An occurrence at Owl Creek Ridge’. Name the author.

3. An American actor, his middle name is Harrison. One of his first films won him a nomination for the Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars. He produced a documentary called ‘By The People’ about the election of Obama in 2008. He also narrated the program by National Geographic called ‘Strange Days on Planet Earth’. Name the actor.

4. Directed by Tomas Alfredson, it is a Swedish movie based on a novel by John Lindqvist. It is the story of a young boy Oskar, who is regularly bullied in school, falling for Eli, who has recently moved near his home. Due to technical reasons, it was not nominated as Sweden’s entry as the Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars. Name the film.

5. One of the greatest European footballers to have ever played the game, he has been known by nicknames such as ‘The Commander’ and ‘The King’. One of few footballers who has played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, he ended his career with the club Galatasaray. Name the footballer.

Answers:

1. John Isner.

2. Ambrose Bierce.

3. Edward Norton.

4. Let The Right One In.

5. Gheorghe Hagi.