Not Only the Battle of Hastings! Quiz

Answer: 1322

On October 14, 1322 the Battle of Byland Moor, in Yorkshire, was fought between Scottish and English soldiers. There the Scots led by Robert the Bruce inflicted a heavy defeat on King Edward II and his English army. This victory for the Scots followed their earlier victory at Bannockburn, and Edward II was subsequently forced to accept independence for Scotland.

Answer: 1586

A conspiracy to assassinate the English Queen Elizabeth I and replace her with her Roman Catholic cousin Mary Queen of Scots was hatched in the year 1586. This became known as the Babington Plot.

On 14 October 1586 Queen Mary was convicted of treason at a trial convened at Fotheringhay Castle, at which she was condemned to death. On 8 February 1587 Queen Mary was executed at the age of 44.

Answer: 1913

On October 14, 1913 a huge explosion at Senghenydd Colliery just north of Caerphilly, claimed the lives of 439 miners. It has remained the most serious mining disaster ever to have occurred in the United Kingdom. It is believed to have been caused by an electric spark igniting a build-up of methane gas.

Answer: 1926

This book, written by A .A. Milne and the favourite of so many children, was first published on October 14, 1926. The origin of the name 'Winnie-the-Pooh' is attributed to a teddy bear owned by his son, whose Christian names Christopher Robin were given to the young boy who was probably Pooh's best friend.

Answer: 1944

The German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, also known as the Desert Fox, was a highly respected officer during the Second World War. However, towards the end of the war he was suspected of being involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler. He was forcibly persuaded to commit suicide, on the understanding that in return his family would remain free from any subsequent oppression. On October 14, 1944 Rommel ended his life by ingesting a cyanide pill, following which he was accorded a state funeral.

Answer: 1940

Cliff Richard, birth name Harry Rodger Webb, was born in Lucknow, India on 14 October 1940. With his backing group, the Drifters, his first chart entry was 'Move It' in 1958 which climbed to second place in the UK singles charts. The Drifters were subsequently renamed The Shadows to avoid confusion with an American group of the same name. Since those early days he has enjoyed unrivalled popularity in the United Kingdom with more than 50 years in the music and entertainment world, where he has notched up No.1 chart singles in five successive decades.

Answer: 1939

Ralph Lauren, birth name Ralph Lifshitz was born in New York City on October 14, 1939, of Jewish parents who originally lived in Belarus. The brand name 'Polo' initially used in 1967 for men's neckties but since applied to the whole range of Ralph Lauren menswear, has afforded him unrivalled success and a considerable fortune.

Answer: 1947

On 14 October 1947 the sound barrier was officially broken by US Air Force Captain Charles "Chuck" Yeager. He was piloting the experimental aircraft Bell X1 at an altitude of almost 45,000 ft.

Answer: 1969

The British fifty pence coin was first issued on 14 October 1969 in preparation for decimalisation when it would eventually replace the ten shilling note. The coin was issued with seven equal sides (heptagonal), unlike other coins then in circulation.

Answer: 1964

On October 14, 1964, Martin Luther King was named the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. The civil rights leader's response was as follows:

"I do not consider this merely an honour to me personally, but a tribute to the disciplined, wise restraint and majestic courage of gallant Negro and white persons of goodwill who have followed a non-violent course in seeking to establish a reign of justice and a rule of love across this nation of ours."