1000 Years of "66" Trivia Quiz

Answer: Battle of Hastings

The first of the three famous events was the Battle of Hastings, which took place in October 1066. In January that year, the Anglo-Saxon King Edward the Confessor died without a direct heir, which led to several claimants to the throne coming forward. Edward's brother-in-law, Harold Godwinson, was chosen as his successor by a council of nobles, but he soon had to defend his claim against two rivals.

The first of these, the Norwegian Harald Hardrada, was defeated by Harold at the Battle of Stamford Bridge near York, but he then had to hurry his army back south to face a further invasion from forces led by William, Duke of Normandy, who landed at Pevensey on 28 September. This time, Harold was defeated and killed (according to legend, shot through the eye), and William became known as "the Conqueror", the first Norman king of England.

Answer: Birth of King John

John "Lackland" was born on Christmas Eve 1166, the second son of King Henry II "Curtmantle". His elder brother, Richard "the Lionheart", ruled from 1189-99, but when Richard died in France during the Siege of Chalus-Chabrol, John succeeded him as king.

His reign is generally regarded as something of a low point in English history. He lost substantial English territories to the French, was excommunicated by Pope Innocent III, and was forced by his own rebellious barons to agree to the "Magna Carta Libertatum", or "Great Charter of Liberties". While this latter incident was at the time regarded as a humiliation for the king, the "Magna Carta" is now regarded as a seminal document in English history, and set down theories of justice, freedom and individual liberties that are still important today.

Answer: Siege of Kenilworth

The Siege of Kenilworth, which took place in 1266, was one of the longest sieges in English history. It occurred during the Second Barons' War, a conflict between the rebellious barons led by Simon de Montfort and the royal forces of King Henry III. The siege began when the royalists besieged Kenilworth Castle, which was held by Montfort's supporters.

Despite the overwhelming odds, the garrison withstood the siege for almost six months, thanks to the castle's formidable defences and the resilience of its defenders. The siege eventually ended with the Dictum of Kenilworth, a settlement that offered terms of peace to the rebels.

Answer: Birth of Anne of Bohemia, wife of King Richard II

Anne of Bohemia was born in May 1366 in the city of Prague, and was the elder daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and his fourth wife, Elizabeth of Pomerania. Her marriage to England's King Richard II in 1382 was regarded as politically something of a failure, as Anne brought no dowry and no real diplomatic advantages. Nor did she provide him with an heir, as their marriage was childless.

Nevertheless, she and Richard became genuinely fond of each other, and he was devastated when she died 12 years later from the plague. She may have been a good influence on him, as it was only after her death that he began to make the poor political decisions that eventually led to his downfall.

Answer: Birth of Elizabeth of York, wife of King Henry VII

Elizabeth of York was born in the Palace of Westminster in February 1466, the daughter of King Edward IV, during the dynastic struggle known as the "Wars of the Roses". Her younger brother, Edward, succeeded her father as King Edward V at the age of 12, but disappeared before his coronation along with his younger brother while they were being kept under supervision in the Tower of London. Their uncle, Richard Duke of Gloucester, then took the throne as King Richard III, but was in his turn overthrown by Henry Tudor, of the opposing House of Lancaster, who became King Henry VII.

Henry then married Elizabeth, in order to unite once and for all the two warring houses of York and Lancaster. The marriage was a success, both on a personal and political level, and Elizabeth and Henry's second son went on to become King Henry VIII.

Anyone who has followed this brief summary will notice that this famously makes Elizabeth the daughter of a king, the sister of a king, the wife of a king, and the mother of a king.

Answer: Execution of Agnes Waterhouse for witchcraft

Agnes Waterhouse, also known as Mother Waterhouse, lived in the Essex village of Hatfield Peverel, and was among the first women to be executed for witchcraft in England. She was tried under the Witchcraft Act of 1563 and accused of using sorcery to cause illness and death, including the demise of her husband. Waterhouse confessed to having a familiar, a cat named Satan, through which she allegedly cast her spells. She was found guilty of the charges against her and was hanged on 29 July 1566.

Her execution marked the beginning of a series of witch trials that would sweep across England during the next 120 years, only coming to an end with the death of Alice Molland in Devon in 1685.

Answer: Great Fire of London

The second of the three famous "66" events was the Great Fire of London, which started on September 2nd, 1666, and was finally brought under control four days later, on September 6th. As every English school child used to be taught, it started in the bakery of Thomas Farriner in Pudding Lane, on the north bank of the River Thames, and spread rapidly north and westwards, fanned by a strong gale. Large areas of the old city were destroyed, including the old St Paul's Cathedral.

Although devastating, the cleansing effects of the fire are now considered to have helped to prevent future major attacks of the bubonic plague which had devastated London on many occasions during the previous two centuries, most recently in 1665.

Answer: Establishment of Christie's Auction House in London

By the eighteenth century, London had become one of the largest and most important cities in Europe: a major centre of art, science and finance. James Christie founded his eponymous auction house in the city in 1766, situated in the fashionable Pall Mall area.

It soon established a reputation for handling some of the largest and most prestigious auctions in the country, and continues to do so to this day, through its salerooms around the world.

Answer: Publication of "Felix Holt the Radical" by George Eliot

The nineteenth century was perhaps the golden age of English fiction, from Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell at the start of the century through the Brontė sisters, Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, and Anthony Trollope, to Thomas Hardy at the end of it, to mention just a few.

One of the greatest of them was Mary Ann Evans (1819-1880), who wrote under the pen name of George Eliot. "Middlemarch" (1871-2) is probably the greatest of her seven novels, but it was preceded in 1866 by "Felix Holt the Radical", which also has its admirers. The story is set around an election in Treby, a fictional town in the English Midlands. Felix Holt is a young radical watchmaker who stands for election against the wealthy landowner Harold Transome. The two men are also rivals for the affections of Esther Lyon, the daughter of the local clergyman.

Answer: England win at the Football World Cup

The third and last of the events of the millennium was, of course, the year England won the Football World Cup, beating West Germany 4-2 in the final match. And if you fail to see why this stands beside the Norman Conquest and the Great Fire of London in the annals of this country, then you are no true Englishman (or woman).

The tournament, the eighth Football World Cup, was hosted by England, and took place from 11-30 July 1966. In the Group Stage, England came top of their group, drawing their opening game against Uruguay 0-0, but winning their matches against Mexico (2-0) and France (2-0). They then progressed through the knockout stages by beating Argentina (1-0) and Portugal (2-1) before meeting West Germany in the final. The match stood at 2-2 after 90 minutes, but in extra time Geoff Hurst scored twice, completing a hat-trick and winning the match and the cup for England.

Since then (at least as at 2025), England has never matched this footballing achievement, although they have reached the semi-finals twice (1990 and 2018). At one point the women's team looked set to show the men how it was done, by reaching the finals of the competition in 2023, but were beaten 1-0 by Spain.