Year of the Dragon Trivia Quiz

Answer: Adele

Born Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, this recording artist and songwriter is known professionally simply as Adele. Her second album, '21' (released in 2011) was the first album ever to sell more than 3 million copies in the UK in a single year and is the longest-running #1 album by a female solo artist in UK Album Chart history. Adele also became the first female artist to have three singles in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time.
Another Londoner, from Camden, Tulisa was also born in the Year of the Dragon, just two months after Adele in July 1988.

Answer: Reese Witherspoon

Born Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon, she was nominated for numerous 'Young Actress' awards for her debut screen performance in the 1991 film 'Man in the Moon' when she was just 15. She won the 2005 Best Actress Oscar for her performance as June Carter Cash in the story of Johnny Cash, 'Walk the Line'. Her other notable films include 'Election' in 1999 and 'Legally Blonde' in 2001.
Sandra Bullock was also born in the Year of the Dragon, but twelve years earlier in 1964.

Answer: Miguel Indurain

Born Miguel Indurain Larraya, between 1991 and 1995 the 'Big Mig' became the first rider since the event began in 1901 to win five consecutive 'Tour de France' cycle races. He was the fifth rider to win five tours. In 1992 he also became only the seventh rider in history to win both the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia in the same year.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez was also born in 1964, but in early January, six weeks before the Year of the Dragon began.

Answer: Douglas Adams

Born Douglas Noel Adams, he is best-remembered for 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' five-book 'trilogy'. The concept actually began life as a BBC radio comedy sketch in 1978 before going on to become one of the most popular sci-fi works of the 20th century, selling more than 15m copies. Among other things, Adams also wrote 'The Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' and three episodes of TV's 'Doctor Who'.

Answer: Tom Jones

Sir Thomas John Woodward, better known by his stage name Tom Jones, was born in Treforest, Pontypridd, Wales. He was knighted for 'services of music' in 2006. He won the Grammy for 'Best New Artist' in 1966. His best-known songs include "It's Not Unusual", "What's New Pussycat", "Delilah" and "Green, Green Grass of Home".

Answer: Jim Lovell

James Arthur Lovell Jr is probably best-remembered as the commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission. He was depicted in the 1995 film by Tom Hanks. Of the 24 people who have flown to the Moon, Lovell was the first of only three who did it twice and he is the only one to have flown there twice without actually landing. He was also the first person to go into space four times.
Frank Borman, who was also a member of the Apollo 8 crew, was also born in the Year of the Dragon, just 11 days before Lovell. They are the oldest of the 24 men who have been to the Moon.

Answer: Harold Wilson

James Harold Wilson, later Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. He was first elected to parliament as the Member for Ormskirk in July 1945. In the 1950 election he stood in the constituency of Huyton, a seat he would hold for the next 33 years.

He was the Secretary for Trade briefly during 1947 in the Attlee government. He became leader of the Labour Party in 1963 and Prime Minister a year later. He held the nation's highest political office from October 1964 until June 1970 and was reelected in March 1974.

He was succeeded by James Callaghan in April 1976. Wilson died in May 1995 aged 79.

Answer: Cecil Day-Lewis

Cecil Day-Lewis succeeded John Masefield as the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1968 until 1972. He also wrote mystery novels under the pseudonym Nicolas Blake. His children include Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis and British TV chef Tamasin Day-Lewis.
The alternatives were all born in England: Masefield in Herefordshire in 1878, Betjeman was a Londoner born in 1906, and Hughes was a Yorkshireman born in 1930.

Answer: Pearl Buck

Pearl Sydenstricker Buck spent most of her early years in China and was also known by her Chinese name, Sai Zhenzhju. Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, for Physics in 1903. Sweden's Selma Lagerlöf was the first woman to win the Literature award, in 1909. Jane Addams was the first female American Nobel laureate, winning for Peace in 1931. Sinclair Lewis became the first American to win the Literature award in 1930, and Buck's victory in 1938 was the first in the category by an American woman.

Answer: Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

Princess Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange and Princess of Orange-Nassau, was born in The Hague, Netherlands. Shortly after her tenth birthday, on November 23, 1890 she succeeded her father King William III on the Dutch throne.

Her 58-year reign, longer than any former Dutch monarch, encompassed both World Wars and the Depression Era. She abdicated in favor of her daughter, Juliana, shortly after her 68th birthday, on September 4, 1948. She died aged 82 in 1962. The alternatives are also long-reigning monarchs -- Christian IX ruled Denmark for more than 42 years, from 1863-1906, George I ruled Greece for almost 50 years, from 1863-1913, and Franz Joseph I ruled Austria for nearly 68 years, from 1848-1916.