Know your New Year! It comes once a year and is celebrated around the world, but there’s a lot of history to the New Year festivities. So if you’re nursing that hangover or just spending a relaxing day by the beach, here are some fun questions to wile away the New Year long weekend hours with – or to challenge your friends, if they think they’re smart enough. Happy Quiz and Happy New Year!
1 – What does “Auld Lang Syne” mean?
10 – Which American President issued the Emancipation Proclamation on New Year’s Day in 1863?
17 – Portuguese navigators discovered “The River of January” on January 1, 1502. What is “The River of January”?
11 – Which band took New Year’s Day to number 10 in the charts in 1983? Photo: Christine Matthews 2 – During fireworks shows, what determines the pattern of a firework explosion? 3 – Which place was the last to celebrate the new millennium on Jan 1, 2000? 4 – What year did the New Year’s celebration in Times Square begin?
12 – On New Year’s Day 1975, John Mitchell, HR Halderman, and John Ehrlichman were convicted of obstruction of justice in the enquiry into which scandal? 13 – On New Year’s Day 1914, the world’s first scheduled passenger airline service started operating from which American state?
5 – What fruit do New Year’s revellers in Spain eat at the stroke of midnight? 6 – Which of the following is not eaten to symbolise a financially prosperous new year: pork, cabbages, doughnuts, beans? 7 – Which country rings in the New Year by burning effigies called Jack Straw?
Photo: Anthony Quintano 14 – The traditional New year Ball Drop takes place at which New York City landmark?
8 – Which country calls New Year’s Eve “Hogmanay”?
15 – Which female singer was born LaDonna Gaines on New Year’s Eve 1948?
9 – The island of Haiti gained independence from which country on Jan 1, 1803?
16 – On which day of the week was New Year’s Eve in the year 2000?
Photo: Sean Davis 18 – The best selling record in the world in 1956 was recorded by Elvis Presley on New Year’s Day in Nashville. What was the name of the song? 19 – On January 1, 1907, US President Theodore Roosevelt shook a record number of hands in one day. How many hands did he shake? (Plus or minus 1,000)
23 – Which man led the offensive against French troops in Indochina that began on January 1, 1950? 24 – The US Congress prohibited the importation of what into the US on January 1, 1808? 25 – The first mobile phone call in Britain was made by which comedian on January 1, 1985: A) Spike Milligan; B) Billy Connelly; C) Benny Hill; or D) Ernie Wise 26 – On New Year’s Day 1925 Norway changed the name of its capital city to Oslo. What was the previous name? 27 – Which 1972 film and its mega box office success took place between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day? 28 – What announcement did Emperor Hirohito of Japan make on January 1, 1946?
Photo: Isster17 20 – The Anglo Saxon name for January was which predatory creature? 21 – Traditionally, what do the Dutch eat to usher in the New Year: a) Raw Herring; b) Gouda Cookies; c) Oliebollen (doughnuts); or d) Frikadellen (Hamburger patties)?
41 – 1979
22 – Which two European countries declared their independence on January 1, 1993?
Photo: G Skidmore
29 – In which film did Helen Mirren appear with the word “Year” in the title?
30 – The European Economic Community (EEC) was first established on January 1 of which year? (Plus or minus one year) 31 – In which film did Mickey Rourke appear with the word “Year” in the title?
42 – New York Mining Disaster 1941 43 – 1997 Photo: Rob Chandler 32 – The Commonwealth Of Australia was proclaimed on New Year’s Day in which year?
44 – Munich Air Disaster 1958
33 – A BOAC turboprop Bristol Britannia flew from London to New York in record time on January 1, 1958. Plus or minus 1 hour, what was the record time? 34 – In which film did Mel Gibson appear with the word “Year” in the title? 35 – What fruit, representing luck and prosperity, is traditionally the most popular to hand out for the Chinese New Year?
Who sang the following “Year” songs? 36 – Disco 2000
Photo: Nico7martin 45 – 1977
The following lyrics are from songs with the word “Years” in the title. Can you name the songs? 46 – News guys wept and told us the Earth was really dying.. 47 – You were the one who imagined it all...
Photo: RL 68 Photo: Penner 37 – 1999 38 – In the year 2525 39 – 1984 40 – December 1963 (Oh What a Night)
48 – Bound for a star with fiery oceans, It’s so very lonely... 49 – I want to be with you, be with you night and day... 50 – Don’t let me hear you say life’s taking you nowhere angel...
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