6 December Trivia Quiz

Answer: Saint Nicholas

Nicholas was a Bishop in Myra in Byzantium (modern day Turkey) in the 4th century. 6 December is thought to be the day of his death and is celebrated as Saint Nicholas' feast day in the Orthodox Church. He had a reputation for secretly giving gifts to the poor, supposedly leaving them in their shoes which were left over night on the door steps of their houses.

He was the inspiration for the folk myths of the German Nikolaus and Dutch Sinterklaas. Many countries know these characters as Santa Claus and celebrate his gift giving as part of the Christmas festival.

In Germany and Holland sweets and candy are placed in children's shoes as they sleep on the eve of 5 December. Presumably this is the origin of leaving presents in Christmas stockings. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, children, archers, students, prostitutes, merchants, prisoners, lawyers, pawnbrokers, Russia and Amsterdam.

Answer: Spain

Following the death of Franco, a general election in 1977 elected a national assembly with the responsibility for drafting the new constitution. The constitution was ratified in a referendum on 6 December 1978 and subsequently approved by King Juan Carlos.

Answer: Finland

Following the events of the Russian revolution in February 1917, the subsequent abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in March and Lenin's Bolshevist Revolution in October, the Grand Duchy of Finland declared that the union between Russia and Finland had lost its legality. Independence was formally declared on 6 December although Stalin did try unsuccessfully to re-conquer Finland in 1939.

Answer: Henry VI

Henry VI was the son of Henry V of England and grandson of Charles VI of France. He was crowned King of England in 1429 at Westminster Abbey and King of France in 1431 at Notre Dame. Henry VI is remembered for losing England's possessions in France and the Wars of the Roses.

However, he was also famous for founding Eton and King's College, Cambridge as well as the University of Caen in Normandy. Following his defeat in the Wars of the Roses, Henry VI was imprisoned in the Tower of London and after a brief period when he was restored to the throne, he was murdered in the Tower of London in 1471.

Answer: Roy Orbison

American singer/song writer, Roy Orbison, also known as 'The Big O', was born on 23 April 1936. His career as a rock artist spanned more than four decades and some of his more well known songs included 'Pretty Woman', 'Only The Lonely' and 'Crying'. Contrary to popular belief, he was neither blind nor an albino.

His 'trademark' dark glasses came about through a mishap. Whilst touring with the Beatles he left his normal glasses on a plane whilst rushing to a concert. As he was short sighted he instead wore his prescription sunglasses to go on stage.

He decided to keep these as part of his image because as he said, 'I'll just do this and look cool.'

Answer: Quito, Ecuador

Quito, the second highest capital city in the world, was founded in 1534 by Spanish settlers under Sebastián de Belalcázar. Its full name was 'Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de San Francisco de Quito' (Very Noble and Loyal City of San Francisco of Quito). It became the capital of Ecuador in 1830 following independence from Spain.
Quito is 9,350 feet above sea level. La Paz, the administrative and de facto capital of Bolivia, stands at an altitude of 11,913 feet above sea level and is the highest.

Answer: Stabbed by a member of Hell's Angels

Meredith Hunter, a member of the audience, was stabbed to death in front of the stage during the performance of the Rolling Stones at the Altamont Speedway rock festival. A member of the Hell's Angels motorcycle chapter, who had been hired as a security guard, was charged with murder but later acquitted on grounds of self defense. He claimed Meredith was 'high' on amphetamines and threatened him with a gun. The song being played at the time was 'Under My Thumb'.

Answer: The Washington Post

The Washington Post was founded in 1877 by Stilson Hutchins and was the first daily newspaper in Washington, D.C. It gained worldwide fame for breaking the story of the Watergate scandal in the 1970s. By 2005 the paper had been awarded 18 Pulitzer Prizes, 18 Nieman Fellowships and 368 White House News Photographers Association Awards.

Answer: Billy Bremner

Billy Bremner was born in Stirling in Scotland on 9 December 1942. He joined Leeds United at the age of 17 and went on to Captain both Leeds and the Scotland national team. He played 586 games for Leeds scoring 90 goals and was caped for his country 54 times; he was voted Footballer of the Year in 1970.

He also played for Hull and Doncaster and managed Doncaster and Leeds. He died of a heart attack aged only 54.

Answer: Sagittarius

Sagittarius is Latin for 'archer' and the star sign is represented by a centaur drawing a bow. Sagittarius is the 9th constellation of the Zodiac and is a fire sign ruled by Jupiter. Sagittarians are supposedly loyal, extrovert, adventurous, blunt, honest and impatient.