What? When did that Happen?! Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1876

In 1876 Benjamin Disraeli, the then Conservative Prime Minister, persuaded Parliament to pass the Royal Titles Act, which style the reigning British monarch 'Emperor (or Empress) of India'. The Liberal Party (which was the main opposition party at the time) opposed this, claiming that it was just pure show, a form of gratuitous self-importance and an unnecessary attempt to compete with with the titles of other leading European monarchies, especially the newly formed German Empire.

It has also been suggested that the new title would expected to appeal to the working classes.

Answer: 1922

Prime Minister Luigi Facta was forced to resign because of the pressure put on him by Mussolini's Fascist insurgency. Facta was also very slow to react to changing attitudes in Italy. He eventually resigned in late 1922 and Mussolini then leapt at the chance to become Prime Minister of Italy.

He became Prime Minister on 31 October 1922 and soon embarked on turning the country into a totalitarian dictatorship.

Answer: Boris Yeltsin, served 1991 to 1999

When the Soviet Union collapsed, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), renamed the Russian Federation, became the succesor state for many purposes, and Boris Yeltsin was elected the first president in 1991. He served until 1999.

Answer: 1994

F. W. de Klerk, the last South African leader under apartheid, held a referendum about ending apartheid in 1992. The white population of South Africa voted to end apartheid and in 1994 it was abolished.

Answer: Zachary Taylor, Whig

The Whig party was founded in the 1820s by people who didn't like Andrew Jackson. Zachary Taylor was elected President in 1848 by an overwhelming majority. The Whig party was dissolved in the 1850s and Republican Party was formed.

Answer: Conservative and Liberal

The Conservative Party was formed under this name in 1834 by Robert Peel in the Tamworth Manifesto. He was keen to reform the Tory party, which at the time was increasingly seen as the party keen to defend hereditary and 'olde and auncien' privilege and the Church of England.

The Liberals were formed from the British Whig Party dissolving in the 1850s. Both parties remained the main parties until the 1920s, when the Labour Party first came into power (with support from the Liberals). The Conservatives are still in existence today but the Liberal Party was dissolved in the 1980s and its new successor, the Liberal Democrats, is one of the three main parties in Britain today. They are: Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat.

Answer: National and African National Congress (ANC)

The ANC was banned in Apartheid South Africa. When apartheid ended the ban on the ANC was also lifted but the Nationalists were still in existence. The National Party was dissolved in 2005 and the ANC has continued in power in South Africa since then.

Answer: Whig and Democratic

The Whigs were formed in the 1820s by people who didn't like Andrew Jackson. That party was dissolved in the late 1850s. The Democrats were formed in 1828 by Jackson and are still in existence.

Answer: Sir Robert Walpole

Robert Walpole became the first Prime Minister when, in 1721, George I accepted his appeal to chair Cabinet meetings in the king's stead. His formal title was First Lord of the Treasury, and the title of Prime Minister remained an unofficial nickname till 1906.

Answer: Cleopatra and Caesarion (they ruled together)

Cleopatra became Pharaoh in 51 BC. Caesarion (her son) became Pharaoh alongside Cleopatra in 44 BC. When Cleopatra died in 30 BC, Caesarion was nominally a sole Pharaoh but he was killed ten days later.