'F' is for Fantastic Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fiji

The Republic of the Fiji Islands, a former British colony in the South Pacific, has the largest land area of these four countries. It is the fourth largest independent country in Oceania. The country covers 18,284 sq km (just over 7,000 sq miles) and would fit about ten times into Syria.

The Falkland Islands, located in the South Atlantic off the Argentine coast, are 12,173 sq km, one-tenth the size of North Korea. French Polynesia is a Pacific Ocean island group that includes Tahiti. Its capital is Papeete and its largest city Faaa. The islands cover a total land area of 4,000 sq km and would fit ten times into Switzerland. The Faroe Islands are a Danish province in the North Atlantic. Although they have a population of under 50,000, they regularly give Scotland a good game of football whenever the two countries meet in a World Cup qualifier. The islands cover a mere 1,373 sq km, and would fit ten times into The Bahamas.

Answer: Frances

Diana Frances Spencer was born on 1st July 1961 in Sandringham, Norfolk. Her connection with the British Royal Family did not begin with her marriage to Prince Charles -- her father was a descendant of King Charles II via four illegitimate sons. Her ancestors also include the daughter of King James II, a line which also includes Henry IV, Robert the Bruce and Sir Winston Churchill.

Answer: Foxes

A group of foxes is known as either a skulk or a leash. The adjective that describes foxes is vulpine. A fox family comprises a vixen (mom), a reynard, todd or dog (dad) and youngsters which may be called pups, cubs or kits. Of the alternatives, you would find a business of ferrets, comprising jills (females), hobs (males) and kits (youngsters).

The adjective that describes ferrets is musteline. A group of Flamingos is called a stand. Phoenicopterine describe flamingos, which can be either hens or cocks. Numerous collective nouns can be used for a group of finches -- trembling, trimming, chirm or charm. Fringilline is the adjectives that describes finches. Like flamingos, the family group comprises hens, cocks and chicks.

Answer: Fatboy Slim

He recorded under the name of both Fatboy Slim and Norman Cook: the latter is now his real name. His only UK #1 album was the 1998 'You've Come a Long Way, Baby', which was titled as a marketing slogan for Virginia Slims cigarettes.
Of the alternatives, three more singer/musicians: Morgan Fisher was a keyboard player with Mott the Hoople in the early 1970s, Keith Flint is a member of The Progidy, and Funki Porcini is the stage name of musician/DJ James Braddell.

Answer: Frank Borman

Frank Frederick Borman II was born in 1928 in Gary, Indiana. In 1965, he commanded the 14-day Gemini 7 with Jim Lovell aboard. In December 1968, aboard Apollo 8, Borman, Lovell and Bill Anders became the first of the 24 men who have orbited the moon. The alternatives are three more NASA astronauts. Having flown seven space shuttle missions and logged 66 days in space, Chiang-Diza shares the record for the number of spaceflights with Jerry Ross. Haise is another of the 24 men who have orbited the moon.

He was a member of the back-up crew for the famous Apollo 11 mission, and eventually made it into space on the ill-fated Apollo 13 along with Lovell and Jack Swigert. Bill Paxton portrayed Haise in the film. Foale is a veteran of six space shuttle missions. With extended stays on both Mir and the ISS, he has logged more than a year (just over 373 days) in space -- a record for a Brit and a record for any US citizen broken only in 2008.

He also conducted the first spacewalk by a Briton.

Answer: Doctor Feelgood

Founded in 1971 in Canvey Island, Essex, the name of the band comes from a slang term for heroin. Their 1976 live album, 'Stupidity', reached #1 on the UK album charts. Of six releases that made it into the UK singles chart, 'Milk and Alcohol' was the only one that reached the Top 10, topping out at #9 in 1979. The alternatives are three more 1970s bands.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds, founded in 1974, are a blues-rock band from Texas. The Foundations were a British soul band founded in 1967. Their debut single, "Baby Now That I've Found You", was the first UK #1 by a multi-racial group.

The Flying Burrito Brothers were an early Country rock band, founded ion 1968.

Answer: They were the first European elections with women candidates

Having been conquered in the Finnish War (1808-1809), Finland became as autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Federation in March 1809, and only declared full independence in 1917.

The Corsican Republic (which only lasted from 1755-1769) was the first to grant women the vote. The first country to grant the vote to women was The Isle of Man, in 1881. Various US states and Australian territories followed suit. The first major national elections that granted universal suffrage were held in New Zealand in 1893.

Australia was the first country to allow women candidates, in 1902, and Finland broke that mold in Europe four years later. The US state of Georgia was the first to penalize eligible voters for not voting -- in 1777. Spain was the first European country to adopt this policy, in 1907, but it was never enforced and was abandoned in 1923. There are currently 32 countries with obligatory voting. These include Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Switzerland and Turkey.

Answer: Dr Frasier Crane ('Cheers' and 'Frasier')

Fraser Winslow Crane was born in Seattle in 1952. Played by Kelsey Grammer, he is a graduate of both Harvard and Oxford, and after finishing university he returned to Boston where he became a regular at a bar named 'Cheers'. In 1993, he moved back to Seattle to take up a job as a radio psychiatrist. The alternatives are three more fictional characters from the US state of Washington. Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo, is a surgical resident at Seattle Grace Hospital. Shawn Farrell, played by Patrick Flueger, was born in 1983 in Highland Beach near Seattle. Jeffrey Haffley, played by Steven Culp, is a Republican member of the House of Representatives from the state of Washington, and Speaker of the House from 2003-2006.

Answer: Francisco

He was born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde, Salgado y Pardo de Andrade in 1892 in Ferrol, Spain. Franco was Spain's Head of State from October 1936, and became regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain in 1947, a position he held until his death in Madrid in 1975.

Answer: Caspar Friedrich

Born Caspar David Friedrich in 1774, He is generally considered the most important of the 19th Century German Romantic landscape painters. If you haven't discovered his work, I high recommend it -- he is certainly a personal favorite. The Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin has a significant collection of Friedrich works including 'Moonrise Over the Sea', 'The Oak Tree in the Snow' and 'The Giant Mountains'.

The alternatives are three more German artists. Otto Freundlich was an abstract painter and sculptor born in Pomerania in 1878. Albert Flamm was another landscape artist, but born in Cologne in 1823. Karl Friedrich Lessing was a historical and landscape painter from Breslau born in 1808.

Answer: Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry was a regular member of the 'Blackadder' cast. In Series 2, Lord Melchett was the sycophantic adviser to Queen Elizabeth I. In Series 4, he returned as a descendant of the aforementioned Melchett, in the guise of the absurd General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett. He also made guest appearances as General Melchecus, Bishop Flavius Melchett, Lord Frondo and the Duke of Wellington in addition to King Charles I.

The alternatives are three more English actor/comedians. Stephen Frost appeared in two 'Blackadder' episodes, once as a prison guard and the other as the leader of a firing squad sent to execute Rowan Atkinson's character. Classical actor Frank Finlay has also appeared in 'Blackadder', as the 'The Witchsmeller Pursuivant' in 1983 episode. Comedian John Fortune, best known for his contribution to 'Bremner, Bird & Fortune', is, like Fry, another product of Cambridge University.

Answer: Flax

Parts of the flax planet are used make dye, paper, soap and fishing nets as well as various medicinal products. Linseed oil comes from the Omega3-rich vegetable oil produced from the flax seeds.

The alternatives are three more medicinal plants. Forsythia is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in Chinese herbology. Fennel leaves and seeds are edible and produce a flavor similar to a mild anise. It is also a stimulant and one of the three main herbs used to produce the alcoholic absinthe. Feverfew is a traditional herb used to treat headaches and arthritis as well as reduce fevers.

Answer: Errol Flynn

Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn was born in 1909 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. His brief appearance in the Perry Mason film referred to in the question was followed by a starring role in 'Captain Blood' later the same year, which catapulted him to instant stardom. 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' (1936) and 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' (1938) soon followed.
The alternatives are three more Hollywood stars of the same era. Fonda also made his film debut in 1935, but as the leading man in 'The Farmer Takes a Wife'. Ford made his debut in 1939, in 'Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence'. Also born in 1909, Ferrer made his Broadway debut in 1935, but did not begin his film career until the early 1950s.
One more piece of trivia for you: Another actor who made an early appearance as a corpse (although not in his first film) was Kevin Costner. The character he played in the 1983 film 'The Big Chill' was eventually cut out so that his only appearance in the final film is as the corpse seen during the opening titles.

Answer: "The New York Times" was first published

Founded on September 18, 1851, the New York Times the first edition of 'The New York Times' came out 20 years after the other events had occurred. The paper's motto, 'All the News That's Fit to Print' appears on the top left corner of each edition. It has won more Pulitzer Prizes than any other publication. The French Foreign Legion, a unique unit within the French Army which only foreign volunteers can join, was established on March 10, 1831. Hugo's 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame', set in Paris in 1482, was published on January 14, 1831. Charles Darwin set out from Plymouth on his historic scientific expedition aboard HMS Beagle on 27th December 1831. An extended stay in South America and a visit to New Zealand and Australia on the way home meant that they did not return until 2nd October 1836.

Answer: 'Flipper'

Broadcast on NBC from September 1964 until April, 1967, there were a total of 88 episodes of 'Flipper' spread over three seasons. Set in Florida, the recurring characters were the warden of the fictional 'Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve', Porter Ricks (actor Brian Kelly), and his sons, Sandy (Luke Halpin) and Bud (Tommy Norden). In season 1, they were supported by ex-sailor Hap Gorman (actor Andy Devine) and oceanographer Ulla Norstrand (played by Swedish actress Ulla Stromstedt) joined for season 2.

The alternatives are three more American TV series from the 1960s. 'F Troop' was a satirical sitcom starring Ken Berry as Captain Wilton Parmenter. 'The Flying Nun' was a sitcom featuring a young Sally Field as Sister Bertrille. 'The Fugitive' starred David Janssen as Dr Richard Kimble.

Answer: 15th

Construction of Beijing's Forbidden City began in 1406 and was finished 14 years later, during the Ming dynasty. The complex served as the imperial palace for almost five centuries, until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1987, 980 buildings survive today, representing the the world's largest most extensive example of preserved historic wooden structures. The site covers some 720,000 sq meters and, trust me, wear comfortable shoes :)

Answer: Flash Gordon

The 'Flash Gordon' comic strip was originally created as a competitor for the established 'Buck Rogers'. New 'Flash Gordon' comics were published regularly for almost 70 years, far outlasting 'Buck Rogers'. Characters from the comic strip have also featured in films, animated shorts and TV series. Of the alternatives, 'The Far Side' is a Gary Larson creation that debuted in 1980. 'Flyin' Jenny' featured a female test pilot for Starcraft Aviation Factory. Written by Russell Keaton, it debuted in 1939 and ran throughout WWII. 'Felix the Cat' was an animated cartoon character that first appeared in a 1919 Paramount release called 'Feline Follies'.

Answer: Balearic Islands

The Balearic Islands are located in the Western Mediterranean off the east coast of Spain. The four main islands within the group are Mallorca (or Majorca), the largest, Menorca, the most northern and eastern, Ibiza, the westernmost, and Formentera, which is located just off the south coast of Ibiza.

The Balearics are an autonomous province of Spain and home to just over 1 million people, which represents about 2% of the Spanish population. With a total land area of 4,992 sq km, they are slightly smaller than Trinidad & Tobago.

They comprise slightly less than 1% of the total land area of Spain.

Answer: W.C. Fields

William Claude Dunkenfield was born in 1880 in Darby PA. One of the great comedians of the early 20th Century, he made his film debut in the 1924 American Revolutionary War silent film 'Janice Meredith', which also featured Tyrone Power sr. His final film was 'Sensations of 1945', made shortly before his death on Christmas Day in 1946. Other notable appearances in the 1933 'Alice in Wonderland' include legendary toughman Gary Cooper as the White Knight, Richard Arlen as the Cheshire Cat and Cary Grant as the Mock Turtle.

The alternatives are three more actors from the early days of film. Fatty Arbuckle (real name Roscoe Conkling Arbuckle) was a star of the silent era whose career was effectively ended by a criminal prosecution (even though he was acquitted). Fairbanks, known primarily for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as 'The Black Pirate' (1926), was dubbed 'The King of Hollywood'. Fonda made his film debut in 1935 and his career was launched into the stratosphere with his Oscar-nominated performance in the 1940 film version of 'The Grapes of Wrath'.

Answer: 52

There are 11 months (only February does not have 30 days) plus 15 red balls = 26. Dividing by half is the same as multiplying by 2 = 52

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