Special Sub-Topic: Eurovision: 1969 Click Here To Play: Eurovision: 1969

In which country was the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest held?

Spain. The Teatro Real (Royal Theatre) in Madrid, Spain, was the venue. It was built in 1850 as a major opera house. In 1925 it was closed to repair damage caused by the construction of the Madrid Metro, but reopened in 1966.

How many countries placed first the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest?

four. Four countries tied with the same score: France, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. Had the winner been determined by the number of high-number votes, the Netherlands would have taken first place. One of the consequences of the tie was that there were not enough medals to go around. Usually both the winning performer and songwriter receive medals, but with four of each, the songwriters had to wait until a later date to receive their medals.

The UK's 1969 entry was a song called "Boom Bang-a-Bang". Who sang it?

Lulu. Lulu is a Scottish singer, actress and entertainer, born in 1948. Her first big hig was "Shout", followed by "To Sir, With Love", and she also starred in the film "To Sir, With Love".

One country set a new record for number of times its entry placed first (either singly or jointly). Which country achieved this milestone?

France. France received its fourth first place, this time in a four-way tie. France also won the competitions in 1958, 1960 and 1962.

The current rules stated that each country had to sing in their own official language - but there are a number of countries with more than one official language. How many entries in the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest were sung entirely in French?

three. Three countries sang their entries in French. They were France - "Un jour, un enfant" ("A Day, A Child") Luxembourg - "Maman, Maman" Monaco - "Catherine"

One country withdrew from the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest. Which country was this?

Austria. Austria refused to participate in a competition being held in a country ruled by a dictator (Franco). The prior year's competition was won by one point, and two points had been awarded to Spain by the Austrian judges, so presumably this policy had not been discussed with they 1968 judges!

One country wanted badly to participate, even to the point of having chosen its song, but was unable to take part. Which country almost made it to the 1969 contest?

Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein chose its song - "Un beau matin" ("A Beautiful Morning") - but as it was not part of the European Broadcasting Union, it could not take part in the competition. Membership in the EBU is compulsary, and Liechtenstein had no broadcasting network of its own. As of 2008, it still has not taken part.

Who was the presenter at the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest?

Laurita Valenzuela. Laurita Valenzuela is a Spanish television presenter, born in Seville in 1931. Her career started as a model, and she has also acted in many films. The others are all Spanish television presenters.

There's always a halftime - what was the entertainment for the halftime of the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest?

La Espana diferente. "La Espana diferente" was a film set to music. The music would have done justice to a 1920s horror flick, while the images gave one the impression of having taken an illicit recreational drug then promoted by Timothy Leary. The theme appears to have been the four elements, and images ranged from aerial views of farmland, water fountains, windmills, planes, odd rock formations, fire (lots of fire), castles, balloons... you name it. Let's just say it was the 60s and leave it at that!

Sixteen countries vied for the 1969 Eurovision Song crown. That there should have been a 1st position, 2nd position, 3rd etc, all the way to 16th, right? Wrong - or is it? How many countries, if any, tied for position?

ten. Amazingly, ten countries tied for four positions. Four tied for first place - France, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. Belgium and Ireland tied for seventh place, Germany and Sweden for ninth and Italy and Yugoslavia for thirteenth place.