Ten Distinguished Dinner Guests Quiz

Answer: Calcutta (Kolkata)

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxa Bojaxhiu (an ethnic Albanian) in Skopje, Yugoslavia, in 1910. She started working alone in the slums of Calcutta in 1948, having obtained a special dispensation to do so. In 1950, Mother Teresa formed her own Sisterhood - The Missionaries of Charity. Honours came her way in the shape of the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize in 1971, the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, and the ultimate honour - beatification by Pope John Paul II in 2003. Mother Teresa died in 1997.

Answer: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

Born in Kislovodsk, Russia, in 1918, Solzhenitsyn spent eight years (1945-1953) in labour camps. After his first novella was published in 1962, Solzhenitsyn faced increasing persecution. He was awarded the 1971 Nobel Prize for Literature - a prize received personally in 1974, following his exile when authorities learned he was writing another book critical of the Soviet Union. Solzhenitsyn settled in America, where he completed that novel, "The Gulag Archipelago".

He returned home in 1994, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

His native country honoured him in 1997 with the establishment of the Solzhenitsyn Prize for Literature.

Answer: Auckland

Sir Edmund Hillary was a member of John Hunt's 1953 expedition when, with Tensing Norgay, he reached the summit of the mountain that Tibetans call Chomolangma - Mother of the Universe. Apart from his exploits as mountaineer and explorer (he reached the South Pole in 1958), Hillary has maintained a keen interest in the country where he became world famous.

This was reflected in the setting up of the Himalaya Trust for the Sherpas of Nepal. In turn, the citizens of that land duly expressed their appreciation by granting him honorary citizenship on 29th May 2003 - fifty years to the day since Hillary became the first man to set foot on the summit of Mt. Everest.

Answer: Lincoln Memorial

King was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929. He led the boycott of segregated buses in Selma Alabama, which followed Rosa Parks' refusal to relinquish her seat on a bus in the city in 1955. King led marches demonstrating against racism in several southern US cities. His crowning achievement was the Great March on Washington in August 1963, which culminated in the delivery of his "I have a dream" speech. This oration spelled out King's hopes for a country in which blacks and whites were treated equally.


Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on 4th April 1968, only hours after delivering a speech in which he prophetically spoke of his readiness to die. Winner of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, he is commemorated annually in the US on the third Monday in January - Martin Luther King Day.

Answer: ear

The head and founder of the Cochlear Ear Implant Clinic in Melbourne, Professor Clark was born in Sydney in 1935, and gained a medical degree from Sydney University. He perfected the multi-channel cochlear implant, on which he began working in 1967. Similar devices existed already, but these did not enable recipients to distinguish individual sounds. Professor Clark conducted the first multi-channel cochlear implant in 1978.

A recent estimate suggests that, since then, he has improved the quality of life of about 55,000 deaf people in 120 countries. Graeme Clark is a Companion in the Order of Australia - his country's highest honour. He also won the Prime Minister's Prize for Science in 2004.

Answer: 1964

Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky in 1942His amateur career culminated in a gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Cassius Clay became a Black Muslim after the Liston fight, and changed his name. On religious grounds, Ali refused to be drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967. He was banned from boxing for two and a half years and lost his title.

After his return, he lost in New York to title-holder Joe Frazier in 1971. In 1973, Frazier lost the title to George Foreman. The following year, Muhammad Ali met Foreman in Zaire for the right to fight Foreman. Ali prevailed, thus regaining the heavyweight crown. In 1975, came the "Thrilla in Manila when Frazier challenged unsuccessfully for Ali's crown. In 1978, Leon Spinks took the title in a split decision, but Muhammad Ali's re-match with Spinks (also in 1978) saw the trophy back in Ali's hands. Muhammad Ali's status was such that he was popularly considered the most important sportsman of the 20th century.

Answer: Bass Guitar

The appearance of McCartney's eponymous album "McCartney" in 1970, signalled the end of the Beatles. As one of the "Fab Four", McCartney had co-written classics such as "Yesterday" and "Hey Jude". In 1971, he with wife Linda and two others, formed Wings. The group's "Mull of Kintyre" became the biggest selling UK single of all time. Paul McCartney's music has transcended international boundaries and language barriers. This is borne out by the fact that in Rio de Janeiro in 1990, he played before 184,000 fans, the largest ever paying audience for a rock stadium concert.

Named the most successful composer of all time in 1979, and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1999, Paul McCartney was knighted in 1997.

Answer: Burma (Myanmar)

Aung San Suu Kyi has fought long against the military junta which has ruled Burma since 1988, a battle she has fought with a philosophy of non-violence. Despite long periods under house detention, she continues her fight for democracy. She co-founded the National League for Democracy, and saw her party win an overwhelming majority of the votes in the 1989 elections. The result was not recognised by the Junta. Many newly elected Members of Parliament were jailed and Suu Kyi herself was confined for the next six years.

Her courage and endeavour on her people's behalf was rewarded in 1991, with the Nobel Peace Prize. Because of a fear of being barred from re-entering Burma, Suu Kyi did not accept the prize personally. Later, for similar reasons, she did not attend the funeral of her British husband, Michael Aris.

Answer: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Born in Seattle, Washington in 1955, Bill Gates is the chairman of Microsoft, the company he co-founded in 1977, to create and market Data Operating Systems in the then fledgling computer industry. Today, through astute and imaginative innovation and marketing, Microsoft has become the world leader in computer technology. Along the way, Gates also became one of the world's richest men.

The generous international distribution of that wealth led to the announcement in March 2005 that he was to become an honorary knight.

Answer: The Iceman Cometh

Tom Hanks' first major break was to be cast in the television sitcom "Bosom Buddies". He also guest starred on "Happy Days". After Ron Howard saw Tom's performance there, he cast him in "Splash", his first leading role. His first starring performance was as the character transformed overnight from a thirteen year old into a thirty five year old in "Big", an effort good enough to earn him his first Best Actor Oscar nomination. That honour came his way in 1993 for his role as a lawyer in "Philadelphia", and again the following year for his endearing portrayal of "Forrest Gump". Hanks could never be seen as typecast, considering the variety of roles he has played.