Nick's the Name Trivia Quiz

Answer: Polish

Nicolaus Copernicus was born 19 February 1473 in Toruñ, situated on the river Vistula and one of the oldest surviving Polish cities. Copernicus is best remembered for his heliocentrism, which is an astronomical model that demonstrates that the sun is the centre of the universe and that the planets rotate around it at uniform speeds.

Answer: Barings Bank

Barings Bank, the oldest investment bank in the United Kingdom was declared insolvent on 26 February 1995 after bank employee Nicholas Leeson lost close to 1.3 billion dollars with illegal, misguided punts on the futures market. The bank was later purchased for one pound by the Dutch financial institution ING. Leeson was sentenced to six and a half years in Singapore's notorious Changi Prison.

Answer: Leaving Las Vegas

Leaving Las Vegas, written and directed by Mike Figgis, stars Nick Cage playing the part of a suicidal alcoholic, who decides to visit Vegas and end his life in one final drunken swansong. The movie was based upon a semi-autobiographical novel by American author John O'Brien, who actually committed suicide shortly after the film started shooting.

His father claimed that the book was O'Brien's suicide note. Today, as has been the case for close to three decades, Nicolas Cage is one of the most sought after actors working in Hollywood.

Answer: Shot by firing squad

Ceaușescu can be described at best as a dictatorial megalomaniac, at worst, an unbalanced, murderous tyrant. He ruled Romania with an iron fist, his regime brutal as it was repressive as he endeavoured to follow the leads of China's Mao Zedong and North Korea's Kim Il-sung.

After the revolution of 1989, Ceaușescu's government was overthrown and on Christmas Day he and his wife were put to death by firing squad.

Answer: Dotheboys Hall

Dotheboys Hall, a refuge for unwanted children, is run by Wackford Squeers, a despicable Yorkshire schoolmaster with one eye. Nicholas Nickleby, the eponymous hero journeyed north to work there after the death of his father. The tale is one of greed, cruelty, strife, loyalty and self-realisation, and best of all a comfortable happy ending! Salem House features in "David Copperfield", Saffron Hill in "Oliver Twist and "Bleak House, not surprisingly in "Bleak House".

Answer: Mötley Crüe

Mötley Crüe are an aptly named group of middle aged men with egos the size of a Himalayan mountain peak. Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars and Vince Neil have been the band members since inception in 1981. Despite problems with alcohol, drugs and various spells of imprisonment the group has sold in excess of 80 million albums across the globe.

Answer: Alexander III of Russia

Alexander Alexandrovich (Alexander III) ruled Russia for over thirteen years toward the end of the 19th century. He married the then princess of Denmark in 1866, the future Nicholas II was born two years later. The penultimate emperor of Russia died in 1894 of a kidney related illness.

The story of his son Nicholas II's demise, is known worldwide, though even today the execution of the last generation of Romanovs is still shrouded in mystery, disputation and controversy.

Answer: Woody Harrelson

The "Cheers" character Woody Boyd was played by Woody Harrelson for the show's final eight seasons. Boyd, a wet-behind-the-ears country boy from Indiana looking to make his way by tending bar in the big city was brilliantly portrayed by Harrelson with a pathos that earned him five Emmy nominations, including a win in 1989.

Despite the age difference there was much common ground between the characters played by Harrelson and Colasanto, not least the fundamental quality of being overly naive but incredibly decent.

Answer: Ernest Hemingway

The creation that was Nick Adams, is largely inspired by Ernest Hemingway's own experiences at the family's summer home on Walloon Lake, Michigan, and later when he held a position with the Red Cross during World War I. Some of the greatest literature ever written has come from the pen of Hemingway, including "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "The Sun Also Rises".

Answer: Tennis

Both Mahut and Kiefer have enjoyed successful careers on the ATP tours over a number of years. Kiefer has won three career titles and a silver medal in the men's doubles in the 2004 Athens Olympics, whilst Mahut has won five titles and was a participant in one of the longest games in tennis history at Wimbledon in 2010, a match that lasted over eleven hours.